Publications by authors named "Kalsoom Akhtar"

Myocardial infarction (MI) is the leading cause of death and disability worldwide. It occurs when a thrombus forms after an atherosclerotic plaque bursts, obstructing blood flow to the heart. Prompt and accurate diagnosis is crucial for improving patient survival.

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Potentially toxic dyes are introduced mainly to rivers through industrial effluents which have a high risk to human health and aquatic life. Activated carbon (AC) from the stem of Salvadora persica was synthesised to take off toxic industrial dyes from an aqueous solution. KOH was used as the activating agent throughout the preparation process for the AC.

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Nanobiotechnology has gained significant attention due to its capacity to generate substantial benefits through the integration of microbial biotechnology and nanotechnology. Among microbial organisms, Actinomycetes, particularly the prominent genus Streptomycetes, have garnered attention for their prolific production of antibiotics. Streptomycetes have emerged as pivotal contributors to the discovery of a substantial number of antibiotics and play a dominant role in combating infectious diseases on a global scale.

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Water contamination caused by toxic compounds has emerged as one of the most severe challenges worldwide. Biomass-based nanocomposites offer a sustainable and renewable alternative to conventional materials. In this study, a nanocomposite of mint and cellulose acetate (Mint-CA) was prepared and employed as a supportive material for Cu nanoparticles (CuNPs) and Ag nanoparticles (AgNPs).

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Silver oxide doped iron oxide (AgO-FeO) nanocatalyst was prepared and coated on cotton cloth (CC) as well as wrapped in sodium alginate (Alg) hydrogel. AgO-FeO coated CC (AgO-FeO/CC) and AgO-FeO wrapped Alg (AgO-FeO/Alg) were utilized as catalysts in reduction reaction of 4-nitrophenol (4-NP), congo red (CR), methylene blue (MB) and potassium ferricyanide (K[Fe(CN)]). AgO-FeO/CC and AgO-FeO/Alg were found to be effective and selective catalyst for the reaction of K[Fe(CN)].

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Certain factors hinder the commercialization of biodesulfurization process, including low substrate-specificity of the currently reported desulfurizing bacteria and restricted mass transfer of organic-sulfur compounds in biphasic systems. These obstacles must be addressed to clean organic-sulfur rich petro-fuels that pose serious environmental and health challenges. In current study, a dibenzothiophene desulfurizing strain, Gordonia rubripertincta W3S5 (source: oil contaminated soil) was systematically evaluated for its potential to remove sulfur from individual compounds and mixture of organic-sulfur compounds.

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Direct combustion of sulfur-enriched liquid fuel oil causes sulfur oxide emission, which is one of the main contributors to air pollution. Biodesulfurization is a promising and eco-friendly method to desulfurize a wide range of thiophenic compounds present in fuel oil. Previously, numerous bacterial strains from genera such as Rhodococcus, Corynebacterium, Gordonia, Nocardia, Mycobacterium, Mycolicibacterium, Paenibacillus, Shewanella, Sphingomonas, Halothiobacillus, and Bacillus have been reported to be capable of desulfurizing model thiophenic compounds or fossil fuels.

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Silver oxide-doped tin oxide (SnAgO) nanoparticles were synthesized and different spectroscopic techniques were used to structurally identify SnAgO nanoparticles. The reduction of 4-nitrophenol (4-NP), congo red (CR), methylene blue (MB), and methyl orange (MO) was studied using SnAgO as a catalyst. Only 1.

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Heavy metals and dyes used in technological applications have a detrimental influence on human health and the environment. The most used methods for removing pollutants depend on high-cost materials. Therefore, this research was conducted on cost-effective alternatives derived from natural resources and food waste.

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Metal nanoparticles possess high catalytic activity in various organic transformation reactions. A catalyst must be recovered and re-used effectively and economically to lower the overall reaction cost. The recovery of a catalyst remains a challenge due to their extreme small size.

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In this work, we have developed novel beads based on carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) encapsulated copper oxide-titanium oxide (CuO-TiO) nanocomposite (CMC/CuO-TiO) via Al cross-linking agent. The developed CMC/CuO-TiO beads were applied as a promising catalyst for the catalytic reduction of organic and inorganic contaminants; nitrophenols (NP), methyl orange (MO), eosin yellow (EY) and potassium hexacyanoferrate (K[Fe(CN)]) in the presence of reducing agent (NaBH). CMC/CuO-TiO nanocatalyst beads exhibited excellent catalytic activity in the reduction of all selected pollutants (4-NP, 2-NP, 2,6-DNP, MO, EY and K[Fe(CN)]).

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Microbial exopolysaccharides (EPSs), having great structural diversity, have gained tremendous interest for their prebiotic effects. In the present study, mice models were used to investigate if microbial dextran and inulin-type EPSs could also play role in the modulation of microbiomics and metabolomics by improving certain biochemical parameters, such as blood cholesterol and glucose levels and weight gain. Feeding the mice for 21 days on EPS-supplemented feed resulted in only 7.

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In this project, lanthanum oxide doped tin oxide (SnLaO) nanomaterial was prepared and characterized morphologically and physiochemically by different techniques. The catalytic performance of SnLaO was assessed toward catalytic reduction of 4-nitrophenol (4-NP), methyl orange (MO), congo red (CR), methylene blue (MB) and potassium ferricyanide (K[Fe(CN)]). SnLaO was found to be efficient for K[Fe(CN)] in the presence of NaBH, which reduced in only 8.

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This study was conducted with a perception that fructose-rich niches may inhabit novel species of lactic acid bacteria that are gaining importance as probiotics and for the production of exopolysaccharides that have applications in food and pharmaceuticals. Recently, some Lactobacillus species have been reclassified as fructophilic lactic acid bacteria due to their preference for fructose over glucose as a carbon source. These bacteria are likely to be found in fructose rich niches such as flower nectar and insects that feed on it.

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Introduction: This study aims to elucidate the employers' perspectives on the key generic employability skills which would enable them to seek graduate jobs and will ensure their professional wellbeing once they enter the job market after acquiring a University degree.

Methods: In order to pursue this objective, an exploratory qualitative inquiry was deployed which involved two panel-based discussions. The respondents of each panel discussion were invited through the platforms of the Bahawalpur Chamber of Commerce and Industry (BCCI), and the Chamber of Commerce Rahim Yar Khan.

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Article Synopsis
  • The study focuses on creating a new hydrogel, rGO@L, made from lignin nanoparticles sourced from walnut shell waste, combined with reduced graphene oxide for environmental uses.
  • Various analytical techniques were employed to characterize the hydrogel, and its effectiveness as an adsorbent for pollutants like methylene blue and lead was tested, showcasing improved absorption capabilities.
  • Additionally, the hydrogel demonstrated significant antibacterial activity against both gram-negative and gram-positive bacteria, highlighting its potential as a multifunctional material for water filtration and public health applications.
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Article Synopsis
  • Local clay-alginate beads loaded with sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) were developed to effectively adsorb methylene blue (MB), demonstrating a significant increase in adsorption efficiency.
  • Various analytical techniques, such as FTIR and SEM-EDX, were employed to assess the properties of the beads, revealing their enhanced capacity for MB uptake (up to 1468.5 mg/g) while adhering to specific adsorption models.
  • The beads exhibited endothermic and spontaneous adsorption characteristics and successfully maintained efficiency after five reuse cycles, highlighting their potential as a viable solution for wastewater treatment.
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Ever-increasing human population compels the researchers to search for alternative food sources such as fish meat. For increase of fish growth and proper feed utilization, probiotics were added in rapeseed meal-based diet in current trial for proper digestion and absorption of nutrients in fish and ultimately higher growth with lower aquatic pollution. Fish gut microbiota is important for the feed utilization and absorption in body for higher growth.

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Actinomycetes, most notably the genus , have great importance due to their role in the discovery of new natural products, especially for finding antimicrobial secondary metabolites that are useful in the medicinal science and biotechnology industries. In the current study, a genome-based evaluation of sp. isolate BR123 was analyzed to determine its biosynthetic potential, based on its in vitro antimicrobial activity against a broad range of microbial pathogens, including gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria and fungi.

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We present the genome sequence of sp. strain R1, isolated from water canal sediments and possessing genes responsible for antimicrobial metabolites and plant growth promotion. The genome assembly contains 7,936,694 bp with 72.

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spp. are classified as obligate fructophilic lactic acid bacteria (FLAB) that inhabit fructose-rich niches such as honeybee gut. Lactic acid bacteria are an important component of the gut microbiome and play a crucial role in maintaining gut health.

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In the current study, activated carbon (AC) was prepared from date palm using single step activation using boric acid as an activating agent. The synthesized AC was incorporated with alginate (AC-alginate (AC-alg)) to prepare membrane for adsorption of methylene blue (MB) in batch adsorption study. The prepared membrane was characterized using different types of analytical techniques such as FTIR, SEM, and TGA analysis.

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Recently, hydrogels have been investigated for the controlled release of bioactive molecules, such as for living cell encapsulation and matrices. Due to their remote controllability and quick response, hydrogels are widely used for various applications, including drug delivery. The rate and extent to which the drugs reach their targets are highly dependent on the carriers used in drug delivery systems; therefore the demand for biodegradable and intelligent carriers is progressively increasing.

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The removal of dyes from industrial effluents is one of the most important industrial processes that is currently on academic demand. In this project, for the first time, seeds are used as biosources for the synthesis of activated carbon (AC) using physical as well as acid-base chemical methods. The synthesized AC was initially characterized by different instrumental techniques, such as FTIR, BET isotherm, SEM, EDX and XRD.

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