Plant-based gold nanoparticles; a comprehensive review of the decade-long research on synthesis, mechanistic aspects and diverse applications.

The worldwide focus on research in the field of green nanotechnology has resulted in the environmentally and biologically safe applications of a diversity of nanomaterials. Nanotechnology, in general, implies the production of nanoparticles having different but regular shapes, sizes, and properties. A lot of studies have been conducted on the synthesis of metal nanoparticles through biological, chemical, and physical methods.

Theoretical investigations of thermoelectric phenomena in binary semiconducting skutterudites.

In this study, we explored the thermoelectric properties of the host thermoelectric materials (TM), namely, binary skutterudites, using a combination of simulations based on density functional theory and post-DFT Boltzmann's semiclassical theory. The calculations were performed close to the Fermi surface for the Seebeck coefficient and other thermoelectric parameters. Our results demonstrated that CoSb exhibited the highest Seebeck value at room temperature among all the compounds (CoP, CoAs, CoSb, IrP, IrAs, IrSb, RhAs, and RhSb), which confirmed that this compound is an ideal host material for thermoelectric applications.

Mapping human health risk from exposure to potential toxic metal contamination in groundwater of Lower Dir, Pakistan: Application of multivariate and geographical information system.

The study aimed to assess the physicochemical parameters (pH, electrical conductivity (EC), total dissolve solid (TDS), oxidation reduction potential (ORP), Temperature) and potential toxic metals (PTMs), including Ni, Mn, Cr, Cu, Cd, Pb, Co, Fe and Zn in the groundwater of Lower Dir, Pakistan. Furthermore, the pollution sources and spatial distribution pattern of PTMs were also investigated via principal component analysis (PCA) and geographic information system (GIS) application to understand the changing behaviors of PTMs in groundwater. The average concentrations of physicochemical parameters such as pH, EC, TDS, ORP and Temperature were 7.

Magnetohydrodynamic fluid flow and heat transfer over a shrinking sheet under the influence of thermal slip.

We study the heat transfer of a Magneto Hydrodynamic (MHD) boundary layer flow of a Newtonian fluid over a pervious shrinking sheet under the influence of thermal slip. The flow allows electric current to pass through. The governing PDEs are transformed into self-similar ODEs via Lie group analysis.

Protein adsorption onto monoliths: A surface energetics study.

This part of work was done to explore the basic understanding of the adsorption chromatography by determining the interaction of selected model proteins ( = 5) to monolithic chromatographic materials, with varying densities of butyl and phenyl ligands. Surface energetics approach was applied to study the interaction behavior. The physicochemical properties of the proteins and monolithic chromatographic materials were explored by contact angle and zeta potential values.

Selected hepatoprotective herbal medicines: Evidence from ethnomedicinal applications, animal models, and possible mechanism of actions.

Insight into the hepatoprotective effects of medicinally important plants is important, both for physicians and researchers. Main reasons for the use of herbal medicine include their lesser cost compared with conventional drugs, lesser undesirable drug reactions and thus high safety, and reduced side effects. The present review focuses on the composition, pharmacology, and results of experimental trials of selected medicinal plants: Silybum marianum (L.

Synthesis, characterization, antioxidant and brine shrimp cytotoxic activity of novel 3-benzothioyl-1-(3-hydroxy-3-phenyl -3-propyl)-1-methylthiourea.

In the present research work novel ephedrine based thiourea derivative, 3-benzothioyl-1-(3-hydroxy-3-phenyl -3-propyl)-1-methylthiourea 4is synthesized and then characterized elemental analyzed via various techniques i.e., Proton NMR, carbon13 NMR and fatherly confirmed via X-ray crystallography.

Effects of High Temperature Frying of Spinach Leaves in Sunflower Oil on Carotenoids, Chlorophylls, and Tocopherol Composition.

Spinach is one of the highly consumed vegetable, with significant nutritional, and beneficial properties. This study revealed for the first time, the effects of high temperature frying on the carotenoids, chlorophylls, and tocopherol contents of spinach leaves. Spinach leaves were thermally processed in the sunflower oil for 15, 30, 45, and 60 min at 250°C.

Sesquiterpene lactone! a promising antioxidant, anticancer and moderate antinociceptive agent from Artemisia macrocephala jacquem.

Background: Sesquiterpene lactones (STLs) make a diverse and huge group of bio-active constituents that have been isolated from several plant families. However, the greatest numbers are present in Asteraceae family having more than 3000 different reported structures. Recently several researchers have reported that STLs have significant antioxidant and anticancer potentials.

Anti-nociceptive Activity of Ethnomedicinally Important Analgesic Plant Isodon rugosus Wall. ex Benth: Mechanistic Study and Identifications of Bioactive Compounds.

Isodon rugosus Wall. ex Benth. is extensively used as traditional medicine for the management of various types of pain including tooth ache, gastric pain, abdominal pain, ear ache, and generalized body pain.

Expression of Hepatitis C Virus Core and E2 antigenic recombinant proteins and their use for development of diagnostic assays.

Background: Early diagnosis of HCV infection is based on detection of antibodies against HCV proteins using recombinant viral antigens. The present study was designed to select, clone and express the antigenic regions of Core and E2 genes from local HCV-3a genotype and to utilize the antigenic recombinant proteins (Core & E2) to develop highly sensitive, specific and economical diagnostic assays for detection of HCV infection.

Methods: The antigenic sites were determined within Core and E2 genes and were then cloned in pET-28a expression vector.

Comment on "Transmission Model of Hepatitis B Virus with Migration Effect".

We show the erroneous assumptions and reasoning by introducing the migration effect of individuals in the transmission model of Hepatitis B virus. First, some false results related to the eigenvalues and reproductive number in the recent literature in mathematical biology will be presented. Then, it will be proved that the product of the matrices in the next generation method to obtain the reproductive number R 0 is not correct and the local and global stability results based on the reproductive number R 0 are considered false.

Cytotoxic, antibacterial and antioxidant activities of extracts of the bark of Melia azedarach (China Berry).

Nature provides a variety of drugs and medicinal agents derived from plants. This study was conducted to determine antimicrobial, antioxidant and cytotoxic activities of extracts of Melia azedarach bark with methanol/water (9:1 v/v), chloroform, butanol, hexane, water and ethyl acetate. For the determination of the antimicrobial activities, the agar well diffusion method was employed.