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  1. Effect of green synthesized cerium oxide nanoparticles on fungal disease of wheat plants: A field study
    Alotaibi MO, Alotaibi NM, Ghoneim AM, Ain NU, Irshad MA, Nawaz R, et al.
    Chemosphere, 2023 Oct;339:139731.
    PMID: 37557994 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2023.139731
    Recently, there has been considerable attention towards the production of environmentally friendly nanoparticles (NPs). In this investigation, the successful synthesis of cerium oxide nanoparticles (CeO2 NPs) was achieved by employing an eco-friendly technique that utilized an extract from the leaves of local plant quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa L.). The synthesized CeO2 NPs were subjected to characterization using state-of-the-art methods. The prepared CeO2 NPs contained a round shape with clusters and have a size of 7-10 nm. To assess how effective CeO2 NPs derived from C. quinoa were against Ustilago tritici, a fungal disease that negatively affects wheat crop globally, a study was performed on two varieties of wheat crop comprised of Arooj (V1) and Akber (V2), cultivated under field conditions. CeO2 NPs were applied foliarly twice to the wheat crop at four different concentrations: T0 (0 mg/L), T1 (50 mg/L), T2 (75 mg/L), and T3 (100 mg/L). The results revealed that the control group (T0) exhibited the highest disease severity index (DSI) with a value of 75% compared to the other concentrations of CeO2 NPs on both varieties. At a concentration of 100 mg/L of CeO2 NPs, the DSI dropped to a minimum of 35% and 37% on both V1 and V2 respectively. These findings indicated that an increase in the concentration of CeO2 NPs has a beneficial impact on disease severity. Similar patterns have also been observed with disease incidence (DI), with the greatest efficacy observed at a concentration of 100 mg/L of CeO2 NPs. Our investigation has shown that CeO2 NPs exhibitd significant antifungal potential against U. tritici which may be a promising strategy to mitigate fungal disease and crop losses globally.
  2. Fulltext Zircon-Type CaCrO4 Chromite Nanoparticles: Synthesis, Characterization, and Photocatalytic Application for Sunlight-Induced Degradation of Rhodamine B
    Akbar N, Javed M, Arif Khan A, Masood A, Ahmed N, Mehmood RY, et al.
    ACS Omega, 2023 Aug 22;8(33):30095-30108.
    PMID: 37636959 DOI: 10.1021/acsomega.3c02457
    The degradation of organic dye pollutants is a critical environmental issue that has garnered significant attention in recent years. To address this problem, we investigated the potential of CaCrO4 chromite (CCO) as a photocatalyst for the degradation of cationic and anionic dye solutions under sunlight irradiation. CaCrO4 was synthesized via a sol-gel auto-combustion route and sintered at 900 °C. The Rietveld refined XRD profile confirmed the zircon-type structure of CaCrO4 crystallized in the tetragonal unit cell with I41/amd space group symmetry. The surface morphology of the sample was investigated by field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), which revealed the polyhedral texture of the grains. Energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) studies were carried out to analyze the elemental composition and chemical states of the ions present in the compound. Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy analysis revealed the vibrational modes corresponding to the tetrahedral and dodecahedral metal oxide bonds. The optical band gap was approximated to be in the range of 1.928 eV by using the Tauc relation. The CaCrO4 catalyst with different contents (5, 20, 35, and 50 mg) was investigated for its photocatalytic performance for the degradation of RhB dye solution under sunlight irradiation using a UV-Vis spectrometer over the experimental wavelength range of 450-600 nm. The degradation efficacy increased from 70.630 to 93.550% for 5-35 mg and then decreased to 68.720% for 50 mg in 140 min under visible light illumination. The comparative study demonstrates that a higher degradation rate was achieved for cationic than anionic dyes in the order RhB > MB > MO. The highest deterioration (93.80%) was achieved for the RhB dye in 140 min. Equilibrium and kinetic studies showed that the adsorption process followed the Langmuir isotherm and pseudo-second-order models, respectively. The maximum adsorption capacity of 21.125 mg/g was observed for the catalyst concentration of 35 mg. From the cyclic test, it has been observed that the synthesized photocatalyst is structurally and morphologically stable and reusable. The radical trapping experiment demonstrated that superoxide and hydroxyl radicals were the primary species engaged in the photodegradation process. A possible mechanism for the degradation of RhB has been proposed. Hence, we conclude that CaCrO4 can be used as an efficient photocatalyst for the remediation of organic dye pollutants from the environment.
  3. Fulltext Combined Multivariate Statistical Techniques and Water Quality Index (WQI) to Evaluate Spatial Variation in Water Quality
    Begum S, Firdous S, Naeem Z, Chaudhry GE, Arshad S, Abid F, et al.
    Trop Life Sci Res, 2023 Sep;34(3):129-149.
    PMID: 37860095 DOI: 10.21315/tlsr2023.34.3.7
    In present study, Water Quality Index (WQI) has been assessed of the Rawal Lake which is a major source of drinking water for people in the Federal Capital, Islamabad, and its adjacent city Rawalpindi in Pakistan. For this, the principal component analysis (PCA) and WQI were applied as an integrated approach to quantitatively explore difference based on spatial variation in 11 water quality parameters of the five major feeding tributaries of the Rawal Lake, Pakistan. The results of temperature in water, total dissolved solids, pH, electrical conductivity, chlorides and sulfates were well within the allowable World Health Organisation's (WHO) limits. However, the heavy metals like cadmium and lead were above permissible limits by the WHO in tributaries of Bari Imam and Rumli. Moreover, this has been proven by the Pearson correlation which suggested strong positive correlation (0.910*) between lead and cadmium. The results of present study were subjected to statistical analysis, i.e., PCA which gave three major factors contributing 96.5% of the total variance. For factor 1, pH, TDS, alkalinity, chlorides, sulfates and zinc have highest factor loading values (>0.60) and presented that these parameters were among the most significant parameters of first factor. As per the WQI results, the water was categorised in two major classes indicating that water of Bari Imam and Rumli is highly contaminated with heavy metals and totally unsuitable for drinking purposes. Based on the results of the present study, it is suggested to make heavy metals consideration as an integrated component in future planning for maintaining water quality of the Rawal Lake and its tributaries.
  4. Ab initio insight into the physical properties of MgXH3 (X = Co, Cu, Ni) lead-free perovskite for hydrogen storage application
    Rehman ZU, Rehman MA, Rehman B, Sikiru S, Qureshi S, Ali EM, et al.
    Environ Sci Pollut Res Int, 2023 Nov;30(53):113889-113902.
    PMID: 37858013 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-023-30279-0
    Renewable energy systems are vital for a sustainable future, where solid-state hydrogen storage can play a crucial role. Perovskite hydride materials have attracted the scientific community for hydrogen storage applications. The current work focuses on the theoretical study using density functional theory (DFT) to evaluate the characteristics of MgXH3 (X = Co, Cu, Ni) hydrides. The structural, vibrational, electronic, mechanical, thermodynamic, and hydrogen storage properties of these hydrides were investigated. The equilibrium lattice parameters were calculated using the Birch-Murnaghan equation of state-to-energy volume curves. The elastic constants (Cij) and relevant parameters, such as Born criteria, were calculated to confirm the mechanical stability of the hydrides. The Cauchy pressure (Cp) revealed brittle or ductile behavior. The outcomes of the Pugh ratio, Poisson ratio, and anisotropy were also calculated and discussed. The absence of negative lattice vibrational frequencies in phonon dispersion confirmed the lattice's dynamic stability. The heat capacity curves of thermodynamic properties revealed that hydrides can conduct thermal energy. The metallic character and ample interatomic distances of hydrides were confirmed by the band structure and population analysis, which confirmed that hydrides can conduct electrical energy and adsorb hydrogen. The density of state (DOS) and partial DOS unveiled the role of specific atoms in the DOS of the crystal. The calculated gravimetric hydrogen storage capacity of MgCoH3, MgCuH3, and MgNiH3 hydrides was 3.64, 3.32, and 3.49wt%, respectively. Our results provide a deeper understanding of its potential for hydrogen storage applications through a detailed analysis of MgXH3 (X = Co, Cu, Ni) perovskite hydride material.
  5. Fulltext Facial Mask Detection Using Depthwise Separable Convolutional Neural Network Model During COVID-19 Pandemic
    Asghar MZ, Albogamy FR, Al-Rakhami MS, Asghar J, Rahmat MK, Alam MM, et al.
    Front Public Health, 2022;10:855254.
    PMID: 35321193 DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2022.855254
    Deep neural networks have made tremendous strides in the categorization of facial photos in the last several years. Due to the complexity of features, the enormous size of the picture/frame, and the severe inhomogeneity of image data, efficient face image classification using deep convolutional neural networks remains a challenge. Therefore, as data volumes continue to grow, the effective categorization of face photos in a mobile context utilizing advanced deep learning techniques is becoming increasingly important. In the recent past, some Deep Learning (DL) approaches for learning to identify face images have been designed; many of them use convolutional neural networks (CNNs). To address the problem of face mask recognition in facial images, we propose to use a Depthwise Separable Convolution Neural Network based on MobileNet (DWS-based MobileNet). The proposed network utilizes depth-wise separable convolution layers instead of 2D convolution layers. With limited datasets, the DWS-based MobileNet performs exceptionally well. DWS-based MobileNet decreases the number of trainable parameters while enhancing learning performance by adopting a lightweight network. Our technique outperformed the existing state of the art when tested on benchmark datasets. When compared to Full Convolution MobileNet and baseline methods, the results of this study reveal that adopting Depthwise Separable Convolution-based MobileNet significantly improves performance (Acc. = 93.14, Pre. = 92, recall = 92, F-score = 92).
  6. Environmental quality indicators and financial development in Malaysia: unity in diversity
    Alam A, Azam M, Abdullah AB, Malik IA, Khan A, Hamzah TA, et al.
    Environ Sci Pollut Res Int, 2015 Jun;22(11):8392-404.
    PMID: 25537287 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-014-3982-5
    Environmental quality indicators are crucial for responsive and cost-effective policies. The objective of the study is to examine the relationship between environmental quality indicators and financial development in Malaysia. For this purpose, the number of environmental quality indicators has been used, i.e., air pollution measured by carbon dioxide emissions, population density per square kilometer of land area, agricultural production measured by cereal production and livestock production, and energy resources considered by energy use and fossil fuel energy consumption, which placed an impact on the financial development of the country. The study used four main financial indicators, i.e., broad money supply (M2), domestic credit provided by the financial sector (DCFS), domestic credit to the private sector (DCPC), and inflation (CPI), which each financial indicator separately estimated with the environmental quality indicators, over a period of 1975-2013. The study used the generalized method of moments (GMM) technique to minimize the simultaneity from the model. The results show that carbon dioxide emissions exert the positive correlation with the M2, DCFC, and DCPC, while there is a negative correlation with the CPI. However, these results have been evaporated from the GMM estimates, where carbon emissions have no significant relationship with any of the four financial indicators in Malaysia. The GMM results show that population density has a negative relationship with the all four financial indicators; however, in case of M2, this relationship is insignificant to explain their result. Cereal production has a positive relationship with the DCPC, while there is a negative relationship with the CPI. Livestock production exerts the positive relationship with the all four financial indicators; however, this relationship with the CPI has a more elastic relationship, while the remaining relationship is less elastic with the three financial indicators in a country. Energy resources comprise energy use and fossil fuel energy consumption, both have distinct results with the financial indicators, as energy demand have a positive and significant relationship with the DCFC, DCPC, and CPI, while fossil fuel energy consumption have a negative relationship with these three financial indicators. The results of the study are of value to both environmentalists and policy makers.
  7. Isatin based Schiff bases as inhibitors of α-glucosidase: Synthesis, characterization, in vitro evaluation and molecular docking studies
    Rahim F, Malik F, Ullah H, Wadood A, Khan F, Javid MT, et al.
    Bioorg Chem, 2015 Jun;60:42-8.
    PMID: 25955493 DOI: 10.1016/j.bioorg.2015.03.005
    Isatin base Schiff bases (1-20) were synthesized, characterized by (1)H NMR and EI/MS and evaluated for α-glucosidase inhibitory potential. Out of these twenty (20) compounds only six analogs showed potent α-glucosidase inhibitory potential with IC50 value ranging in between 2.2±0.25 and 83.5±1.0μM when compared with the standard acarbose (IC50=840±1.73μM). Among the series compound 2 having IC50 value (18.3±0.56μM), 9 (83.5±1.0μM), 11 (3.3±0.25μM), 12 (2.2±0.25μM), 14 (11.8±0.15μM), and 20 (3.0±0.15μM) showed excellent inhibitory potential many fold better than the standard acarbose. The binding interactions of these active analogs were confirmed through molecular docking.
  8. Fulltext Scientific basis for use of Pyrus pashia Buch.-Ham. ex D. Don. fruit in gastrointestinal, respiratory and cardiovascular ailments
    Janbaz KH, Zaeem Ahsan M, Saqib F, Imran I, Zia-Ul-Haq M, Abid Rashid M, et al.
    PLoS One, 2015;10(3):e0118605.
    PMID: 25786248 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0118605
    Pyrus pashia Buch.-Ham. ex D. Don. has been used conventionally by many communities in the Himalayan region for the management of gastrointestinal, respiratory, and vascular complications. Set against this background, this study was carried out to justify the scientific basis to validate folkloric uses of fruits of Pyrus pashia Buch.-Ham. ex D. Don. (Pp.Cr) in traditional systems of medicine.
  9. Ethnomedicinal uses of plants for the treatment of snake and scorpion bite in Northern Pakistan
    Butt MA, Ahmad M, Fatima A, Sultana S, Zafar M, Yaseen G, et al.
    J Ethnopharmacol, 2015 Jun 20;168:164-81.
    PMID: 25818693 DOI: 10.1016/j.jep.2015.03.045
    Medicinal plants represent one of the most accessible resources available for snake and scorpion bite among the rural communities of Northern Pakistan. This first ethno-botanical study aimed to document the indigenous knowledge and practices of using plants for snake and scorpion bite disorders in Northern Pakistan.
  10. Fulltext Regioselective synthesis of 2-(bromomethyl)-5-aryl-thiophene derivatives via palladium (0) catalyzed suzuki cross-coupling reactions: as antithrombotic and haemolytically active molecules
    Rizwan K, Zubair M, Rasool N, Ali S, Zahoor AF, Rana UA, et al.
    Chem Cent J, 2014;8:74.
    PMID: 25685184 DOI: 10.1186/s13065-014-0074-z
    It is seen that the regioselective functionalizations of halogenated heterocycles play an important role in the synthesis of several types of organic compounds. In this domain, the Suzuki-Miyaura reaction has emerged as a convenient way to build carbon-carbon bonds in synthesizing organic compounds. Some of the most important applications of these reactions can be seen in the synthesis of natural products, and in designing targeted pharmaceutical compounds. Herein, we present the regioselective synthesis of the novel series of 2-(bromomethyl)-5-aryl-thiophenes 3a-i, via Suzuki cross-coupling reactions of various aryl boronic acids with 2-bromo-5-(bromomethyl)thiophene (2).
  11. Fulltext Comparison between AmniSure placental alpha microglobulin-1 rapid immunoassay and standard diagnostic methods for detection of rupture of membranes
    Ng BK, Lim PS, Shafiee MN, Ghani NA, Ismail NA, Omar MH, et al.
    Biomed Res Int, 2013;2013:587438.
    PMID: 24073412 DOI: 10.1155/2013/587438
    Objective. To determine the diagnostic accuracy of placental alpha microglobulin-1 assay and standard diagnostic methods for detecting rupture of membrane. Study Design. Prospective diagnostic study, between June 2011 to November 2011 at a tertiary centre. Initial evaluation included both the standard diagnostic methods for rupture of membranes and placental alpha microglobulin-1 immunoassay. The actual rupture of membranes was diagnosed on review of the medical records after delivery (absence of membrane or a positive pad chart). Main Outcome Measures. Placental alpha microglobulin-1 immunoassay and standard diagnostic methods for diagnosis of rupture of membrane. Results. A total of 211 patients were recruited. At initial presentation, 187 patients (88.6%) had ruptured membranes, while 24 patients (11.4%) had intact membranes. Placental alpha microglobulin-1 immunoassay confirmed rupture of membranes at initial presentation with a sensitivity of 95.7% (179 of 187), specificity of 100% (24 of 24), positive predictive value of 100% (179 of 179), and negative predictive value of 75.0% (24 of 32). By comparison, the conventional standard diagnostic methods had a sensitivity of 78.1% (146 of 187), specificity of 100% (24 of 24), positive predictive value of 100% (146 of 146), and negative predictive value of 36.9% (24 of 65) in diagnosing rupture of membrane. Conclusion. Placental alpha-microglobulin-1 immunoassay is a rapid and accurate method for confirming the diagnosis of rupture of membrane. It was superior to conventional standard diagnostic methods (pooling, nitrazine, and ferning), the nitrazine test alone or fern test alone.
  12. Development of molecular precursors for deposition of indium sulphide thin film electrodes for photoelectrochemical applications
    Ehsan MA, Peiris TA, Wijayantha KG, Olmstead MM, Arifin Z, Mazhar M, et al.
    Dalton Trans, 2013 Aug 14;42(30):10919-28.
    PMID: 23787951 DOI: 10.1039/c3dt50781e
    Symmetrical and unsymmetrical dithiocarbamato pyridine solvated and non-solvated complexes of indium(III) with the general formula [In(S2CNRR')3]·n(py) [where py = pyridine; R,R' = Cy, n = 2 (1); R,R' = (i)Pr, n = 1.5 (2); NRR' = Pip, n = 0.5 (3) and R = Bz, R' = Me, n = 0 (4)] have been synthesized. The compositions, structures and properties of these complexes have been studied by means of microanalysis, IR and (1)H-NMR spectroscopy, X-ray single crystal and thermogravimetric (TG/DTG) analyses. The applicability of these complexes as single source precursors (SSPs) for the deposition of β-In2S3 thin films on fluorine-doped SnO2 (FTO) coated conducting glass substrates by aerosol-assisted chemical vapour deposition (AACVD) at temperatures of 300, 350 and 400 °C is studied. All films have been characterized by powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD) and energy dispersive X-ray analysis (EDX) for the detection of phase and stoichiometry of the deposit. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) studies reveal that precursors (1)-(4), irrespective of different metal ligand design, generate comparable morphologies of β-In2S3 thin films at different temperatures. Direct band gap energies of 2.2 eV have been estimated from the UV-vis spectroscopy for the β-In2S3 films fabricated from precursors (1) and (4). The photoelectrochemical (PEC) properties of β-In2S3 were confirmed by recording the current-voltage plots under light and dark conditions. The plots showed anodic photocurrent densities of 1.25 and 0.65 mA cm(-2) at 0.23 V vs. Ag/AgCl for the β-In2S3 films made at 400 and 350 °C from the precursors (1) and (4), respectively. The photoelectrochemical performance indicates that the newly synthesised precursors are highly useful in fabricating β-In2S3 electrodes for solar energy harvesting and optoelectronic application.
  13. Retraction Note to: Estimation of Anticipated Performance Index and Air Pollution Tolerance Index and of vegetation around the marble industrial areas of Potwar region: bioindicators of plant pollution response
    Noor MJ, Sultana S, Fatima S, Ahmad M, Zafar M, Sarfraz M, et al.
    Environ Geochem Health, 2017 06;39(3):705.
    PMID: 26932557 DOI: 10.1007/s10653-016-9812-6
  14. Human colon cancer targeted pro-apoptotic, anti-metastatic and cytostatic effects of binuclear Silver(I)-N-Heterocyclic carbene (NHC) complexes
    Asif M, Iqbal MA, Hussein MA, Oon CE, Haque RA, Khadeer Ahamed MB, et al.
    Eur J Med Chem, 2016 Jan 27;108:177-187.
    PMID: 26649905 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmech.2015.11.034
    The current mechanistic study was conducted to explore the effects of increased lipophilicity of binuclear silver(I)-NHC complexes on cytotoxicity. Two new silver(I)-N-Heterocyclic Carbene (NHC) complexes (3 and 4), having lypophilic terminal alkyl chains (Octyl and Decyl), were derived from meta-xylyl linked bis-benzimidazolium salts (1 and 2). Each of the synthesized compounds was characterized by microanalysis and spectroscopic techniques. The complexes were tested for their cytotoxicity against a panel of human cancer c as well normal cell lines using MTT assay. Based on MTT assay results, complex 4 was found to be selectively toxic towards human colorectal carcinoma cell line (HCT 116). Complex 4 was further studied in detail to explore the mechanism of cell death and findings of the study revealed that complex 4 has promising pro-apoptotic and anti-metastatic activities against HCT 116 cells. Furthermore, it showed pronounced cytostatic effects in HCT 116 multicellular spheroid model. Hence, binuclear silver(I)-NHC complexes with longer terminal aliphatic chains have worth to be further studied against human colon cancer for the purpose of drug development.
  15. Synthesis of 6-chloro-2-Aryl-1H-imidazo[4,5-b]pyridine derivatives: Antidiabetic, antioxidant, β-glucuronidase inhibiton and their molecular docking studies
    Taha M, Ismail NH, Imran S, Rashwan H, Jamil W, Ali S, et al.
    Bioorg Chem, 2016 Apr;65:48-56.
    PMID: 26855413 DOI: 10.1016/j.bioorg.2016.01.007
    6-Chloro-2-Aryl-1H-imidazo[4,5-b]pyridine derivatives 1-26 were synthesized and characterized by various spectroscopic techniques. All these derivatives were evaluated for their antiglycation, antioxidant and β-glucuronidase potential followed their docking studies. In antiglycation assay, compound 2 (IC50=240.10±2.50μM) and 4 (IC50=240.30±2.90μM) was found to be most active compound of this series, while compounds 3 (IC50=260.10±2.50μM), 6 (IC50=290.60±3.60μM), 13 (IC50=288.20±3.00μM) and 26 (IC50=292.10±3.20μM) also showed better activities than the standard rutin (IC50=294.50±1.50μM). In antioxidant assay, compound 1 (IC50=69.45±0.25μM), 2 (IC50=58.10±2.50μM), 3 (IC50=74.25±1.10μM), and 4 (IC50=72.50±3.30μM) showed good activities. In β-glucuronidase activity, compounds 3 (IC50=29.25±0.50μM), compound 1 (IC50=30.10±0.60μM) and compound 4 (IC50=46.10±1.10μM) showed a significant activity as compared to than standard D-Saccharic acid 1,4-lactonec (IC50=48.50±1.25μM) and their interaction with the enzyme was confirm by docking studies.
  16. Prevalence and prediction of pressure ulcers in admitted stroke patients in a tertiary care hospital
    Farid J, Amin R, Sheikh MA, Irfan M, AlRuwaili R, Alruwaili M, et al.
    J Tissue Viability, 2022 Nov;31(4):768-775.
    PMID: 35941057 DOI: 10.1016/j.jtv.2022.07.010
    Pressure ulcer (PU) is a localized injury to the skin or underlying tissues usually over a bony prominence, which results due to pressure or pressure in combination with shear. It is an expensive health care problem that have deterring impact on the length of hospitalization and cause extra nursing care time. Moreover, PUs negatively impacts patients' health related quality of life. High PUs prevalence figures were found in specialized hospital units such as intensive care unit (ICU), orthopedics, surgery, and also in stroke patients in medical units. The major purpose of this study is to assess the frequency of pressure ulcers in stroke patients at Ayub teaching hospital. The methodology used for carrying out the research was cross-sectional study conducted during months of September, October, and November 2020. Questionnaire was used to collect the data and well-informed written consent was taken from the patients. A total of 120 stroke patients were initially included with the intention to study the frequency of PUs among them. Different age groups were taken but majority (48.3%) belonged to the age group 31-60 years. Maximum patients were hypertensive (65%), while few of them were diabetic (35%). From the results of proposed work, it is found that out of 120 stroke patients, 75.8% presented with ischemic stroke while 24.2% presented with hemorrhagic stroke. 8.3% that is 10 out of 120 stroke patients developed pressure ulcers of grade 1 (1.7%), grade 2 (1.7%), grade 3 (2.5%), and grade 4 (2.5%) mostly in the sacral region (6.7%) and also on ankle (0.8%), and shoulder (0.8%) respectively. Patients in the study group had unsatisfactory hygiene (6.7%) were malnourished (11.7%) and were not using preventive mattresses (79.2%). Those at the risk of developing pressure ulcers were not being repositioned (6.7%) and did not had awareness (10%). Prevention and treatment used in ward is 100%. Conclusively, the frequency of pressure ulcers in stroke patients was determined to be 8.3% and the most frequent localization was sacrum. The PU care in this hospital is appropriate but still could be improved further by improving risk assessment, prevention specially use of air mattress and patient education regarding PUs. The main objective of the study is to identify the frequency of PUs in stroke patients and to highlight various factors that would avoid PUs development.
  17. Fulltext Assessment of Health-Related Quality of Life, Medication Adherence, and Prevalence of Depression in Kidney Failure Patients
    Butt MD, Ong SC, Butt FZ, Sajjad A, Rasool MF, Imran I, et al.
    Int J Environ Res Public Health, 2022 Nov 18;19(22).
    PMID: 36429988 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph192215266
    BACKGROUND: Kidney failure is a global health problem with a worldwide mean prevalence rate of 13.4%. Kidney failure remains symptomless during most of the early stages until symptoms appear in the advanced stages. Kidney failure is associated with a decrease in health-related quality of life (HRQOL), deterioration in physical and mental health, and an increased risk of cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. This study aimed to evaluate the factors associated with decreased HRQOL and other factors affecting the overall health of patients. Another objective was to measure how medication adherence and depression could affect the overall HRQOL in patients with kidney failure.

    METHODOLOGY: The study used a prospective follow-up mix methodology approach with six-month follow-ups of patients. The participants included in the study population were those with chronic kidney disease grade 4 and kidney failure. Pre-validated and translated questionnaires (Kidney Disease Quality of Life-Short Form, Hamilton Depression Rating Scale Urdu Version, and Morisky Lewis Greens Adherence Scale) and assessment tools were used to collect data.

    RESULTS: This study recruited 314 patients after an initial assessment based on inclusion criteria. The mean age of the study population was 54.64 ± 15.33 years. There was a 47.6% male and a 52.4% female population. Hypertension and diabetes mellitus remained the most predominant comorbid condition, affecting 64.2% and 74.6% of the population, respectively. The study suggested a significant (p < 0.05) deterioration in the mental health composite score with worsening laboratory variables, particularly hematological and iron studies. Demographic variables significantly impact medication adherence. HRQOL was found to be deteriorating with a significant impact on mental health compared to physical health.

    CONCLUSIONS: Patients on maintenance dialysis for kidney failure have a significant burden of physical and mental symptoms, depression, and low HRQOL. Given the substantial and well-known declines in physical and psychological well-being among kidney failure patients receiving hemodialysis, the findings of this research imply that these areas related to health should receive special attention in the growing and expanding population of kidney failure patients.

  18. Fulltext Potential impact of ultrasound, pulsed electric field, high-pressure processing and microfludization against thermal treatments preservation regarding sugarcane juice (Saccharum officinarum)
    Mukhtar K, Nabi BG, Arshad RN, Roobab U, Yaseen B, Ranjha MMAN, et al.
    Ultrason Sonochem, 2022 Nov;90:106194.
    PMID: 36242792 DOI: 10.1016/j.ultsonch.2022.106194
    Sugarcane juice (Saccharum officinarum) is a proven nutritious beverage with high levels of antioxidants, polyphenols, and other beneficial nutrients. It has recently gained consumer interest due to its high nutritional profile and alkaline nature. Still, high polyphenolic and sugar content start the fermentation in juice, resulting in dark coloration. Lately, some novel techniques have been introduced to extend shelf life and improve the nutritional value of sugarcane juice. The introduction of such processing technologies is beneficial over conventional processes and essential for producing chemical-free, high-quality, fresh juices. The synergistic impact of these novel technologies is also advantageous for preserving sugarcane juice. In literature, novel thermal, non-thermal and hurdle technologies have been executed to preserve sugarcane juice. These technologies include high hydrostatic pressure (HHP), ultrasound (US), pulsed electric field (PEF), ultraviolet irradiation (UV), ohmic heating (OH), microwave (MW), microfludization and ozone treatment. This review manifests the impact of novel thermal, non-thermal, and synergistic technologies on sugarcane juice processing and preservation characteristics. Non-thermal techniques have been successfully proved effective and showed better results than novel thermal treatments. Because they reduced microbial load and retained nutritional content, while thermal treatments degraded nutrients and flavor of sugarcane juice. Among non-thermal treatments, HHP is the most efficient technique for the preservation of sugarcane juice while OH is preferable in thermal techniques due to less nutritional loss.
  19. Development of a single-run liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry analysis for the detection of 11 multiclass contaminants of emerging concern using a direct filtration method
    Razak MR, Aris AZ, Sukatis FF, Zaki MRM, Zainuddin AH, Haron DEM, et al.
    J Sep Sci, 2023 Jan;46(1):e2200282.
    PMID: 36337037 DOI: 10.1002/jssc.202200282
    In toxicological analysis, the analytical validation method is important to assess the exact risk of contaminants of emerging concern in the environment. Syringe filters are mainly used to remove impurities from sample solutions. However, the loss of analyte to the syringe filter could be considerable, causing an underestimate of the analyte concentrations. The current study develops and validates simultaneous liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry analysis using a direct filtration method to detect four groups of contaminants of emerging concern. The adsorption of the analyte onto three different matrices and six types of syringe filters is reported. The lowest adsorption of analytes was observed in methanol (16.72%), followed by deionized water (48.19%) and filtered surface lake water (48.94%). Irrespective of the type of the matrices, the lowest average adsorption by the syringe filter was observed in the 0.45 μm polypropylene membrane (15.15%), followed by the 0.20 μm polypropylene membrane (16.10%), the 0.20 μm regenerated cellulose (16.15%), the 0.20 μm polytetrafluoroethylene membrane (47.38%), the 0.45 μm nylon membrane (64.87%) and the 0.20 μm nylon membrane (71.30%). In conclusion, the recommended syringe filter membranes for contaminants of emerging concern analysis are polypropylene membranes and regenerated cellulose, regardless of the matrix used.
  20. Fulltext The 3D Printability and Mechanical Properties of Polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB) as Additives in Urethane Dimethacrylate (UDMA) Blends Polymer for Medical Application
    Abu Bakar AA, Zainuddin MZ, Abdullah SM, Tamchek N, Mohd Noor IS, Alauddin MS, et al.
    Polymers (Basel), 2022 Oct 25;14(21).
    PMID: 36365512 DOI: 10.3390/polym14214518
    The integration of additive manufacturing (3D printing) in the biomedical sector required material to portray a holistic characteristic in terms of printability, biocompatibility, degradability, and mechanical properties. This research aims to evaluate the 3D printability and mechanical properties of polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB) as additives in the urethane dimethacrylate (UDMA) based resin and its potential for medical applications. The printability of the PHB/UDMA resin blends was limited to 11 wt.% as it reached the maximum viscosity value at 2188 cP. Two-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) was also conducted to assess the significant effect of the varied PHB (wt.%) incorporation within UDMA resin, and the aging duration of 3D printed PHB/UDMA on mechanical properties in terms of tensile and impact properties. Meanwhile, the increasing crystallinity index (CI) of X-ray diffraction (XRD) in the 3D printed PHB/UDMA as the PHB loading increased, indicating that there is a strong correlation with the lower tensile and impact strength. FESEM images also proved that the agglomerations that occurred within the UDMA matrix had affected the mechanical performance of 3D printed PHB/UDMA. Nonetheless, the thermal stability of the 3D printed PHB/UDMA had only a slight deviation from the 3D printed UDMA since it had better thermal processability.
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