Vitamin C suppresses ovarian pathophysiology in experimental polycystic ovarian syndrome.

Background: Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), also known as the Stein-Leventhal syndrome is one of the most common causes of anovulation, infertility and hyperandrogenism in women, affecting between 5-10 % of women of reproductive age (12-35 years) worldwide. Despite substantial effort to define the cause of PCOS, its pathophysiology remains poorly understood. Consequently, determining the mechanisms of PCOS and the possible treatment is the major goal of medical research in endocrine and reproductive physiology.

Anticorrosion Behaviour of L. Bark-Extract on Concrete Steel-Rebar in Saline/Marine Simulating-Environment.

This paper investigates anticorrosion behaviour of the bark-extract from L. on steel-rebar in concrete slabs in 3.5% NaCl medium of immersion (for simulating saline/marine environment).

Hemoglobin and ferritin concentrations are positively associated with blood pressure and hypertension risk in older adults: a retrospective cross-sectional study, Sharpeville, South Africa.

Background And Objectives: We aimed to determine the association between Hemoglobin (Hb) and ferritin with blood pressure (BP) and risk of hypertension (HTN) among elderly South African adults in four time points over a period of 10 years.

Methods And Study Design: We used the data source from the Sharpeville Project conducted among the elderly in Sharpeville, South Africa (SA). A total of 275 subjects from the 2004 data source were included.

In Situ Capturing and Absorption of Sulfur Gases Formed during Thermal Treatment of South African Coals.

The objective of this study, the first of its kind on these specific South African low-sulfur coals, was to capture HS and SO produced under inert and oxidizing conditions from sulfur compounds present in the coals. The capturing agents were calcium and magnesium oxides formed during the transformation of calcite and dolomite. The effectiveness of two different scrubbing solutions (0.

Recent advances in hexavalent chromium removal from aqueous solutions by adsorptive methods.

Chromium exists mainly in two forms in environmental matrices, namely, the hexavalent (Cr(vi)) and trivalent (Cr(iii)) chromium. While Cr(iii) is a micronutrient, Cr(vi) is a known carcinogen, and that warrants removal from environmental samples. Amongst the removal techniques reported in the literature, adsorption methods are viewed as superior to other methods because they use less chemicals; consequently, they are less toxic and easy to handle.

Antifouling Properties of Silver-Zinc Oxide Polyamide Thin Film Composite Membrane and Rejection of 2-Chlorophenol and 2,4-Dichlorophenol.

The silver-zinc oxide (Ag-ZnO) polyamide thin film composite (PA-TFC) membrane was prepared by interfacial polymerization. The Ag-ZnO/PA-TFC membrane was characterized by attenuated total reflectance fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR) for polyamide functional groups and contact angle for surface hydrophilicity. The Ag-ZnO/PA-TFC membrane was further characterized by Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) for morphology and surface roughness, respectively.

Porphyrin as Diagnostic and Therapeutic Agent.

The synthesis and application of porphyrins has seen a huge shift towards research in porphyrin bio-molecular based systems in the past decade. The preferential localization of porphyrins in tumors, as well as their ability to generate reactive singlet oxygen and low dark toxicities has resulted in their use in therapeutic applications such as photodynamic therapy. However, their inherent lack of bio-distribution due to water insolubility has shifted research into porphyrin-nanomaterial conjugated systems to address this challenge.

Modeling ozonation pretreatment parameters of distillery wastewater for improved biodegradability.

In this study, ozonation pretreatment of real distillery wastewater (DWW) for biodegradability enhancement was undertaken. Response surface methodology was used to model the value of effective parameters, including ozonation duration and initial chemical oxygen demand (COD) concentration, and to estimate linear interactions and quadratic effects. The analysis of variance confirmed the adequate description of all the responses by the quadratic model employed.

Synthesis, characterization and cytotoxicity of alanine-capped CuS nanoparticles using human cervical carcinoma HeLa cells.

Nanoparticles in biomedicine, requires a detailed understanding of the biocompatibility and toxicity of nanoparticles in human beings. The biological and physicochemical properties of nanoparticles bring new challenges with regards to management of potential adverse health effects following exposure. This work reports on the synthetic optimization of condition of copper sulphide nanoparticles and the cytotoxicity effects of the particles on the human cervical carcinoma cells.

Application of diethylenetriamine grafted on glyoxal cross-linked chitosan composite for the effective removal of metal ions in batch system.

This investigation studied the removal of Cu, Pb, Cd, Zn, Ni and Cr ions from synthesised wastewater using modified chitosan macromolecules. On this note, chitosan beads (CS) were prepared and cross-linked with glyoxal solution. It was found that cross-linking increased the beads mechanical strength and chemical stability in acid solution and also increased the crystallinity of the beads in the process, which is a shortcoming, as the beads tend to have reduced adsorption capacity.

Brief bibliometric analysis of "ionic liquid" applications and its review as a substitute for common adsorbent modifier for the adsorption of organic pollutants.

The importance of improving adsorbent's adsorption efficiency in organic pollutants has been reported by many researchers. Surfactant-based modified adsorbents were a tasteful choice. As a result, the use of surfactants as a modifier for removing organic pollutants has shown to play a very big role in enhancing the adsorption efficiency of different materials.

Gas transport mechanisms and the behaviour of impurities in the Acheson furnace for the production of silicon carbide.

The Acheson process still remains the method of choice for the industrial production of silicon carbide. The furnace operates in an unsteady thermal regime thus making it difficult to determine the kinetics of the process. In the present study, FactSage Software was used to get an insight and verify the dominant reactions occurring during operation.

Pharmacological activities of a novel phthalic acid ester and iridoid glycoside isolated from the root bark of Anthocleista vogelii Planch.

In this study, a novel phthalic acid ester (1) and a known iridoid glycoside (2) were isolated from the root bark of Anthocleista vogelii. The structures of the novel compound and iridoid glycoside were elucidated on the basis of their chemical and spectral data (UV, FT-IR, EI-MS, 1D and 2D NMR) and found to be phthalic acid ester, 4-ethyl-6-propyl-4,5,6,7-tetrahydro3H-2,8-benzodioxacycloundecine-1,9-dione (1) and sweroside (2). The compounds were evaluated for their in vitro inhibitory activities against pancreatic lipase, α-amylase and αglucosidase, and in vivo laxative activity in rats.

High-Throughput 2D Heteroatom Graphene Bioelectronic Nanosculpture: A Combined Experimental and Theoretical Study.

In this study, chemical vapor deposition-synthesized heteroatom graphene (HGr) bioelectronic interfaces have been developed for ultrafast, all-electronic detection and analysis of molecules by driving them through tiny holes-or atompores-in a thin lattice of the graphene sheet, including the efforts toward facilitating enhanced electrocatalytic and mapping electron transport activities. The presence of chlorine, nitrogen, and oxygen in the crystalline graphitic layers (<7) has been confirmed using Raman spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy. We report a swift bioelectrocatalytic response to step-by-step additions of the substrate with the achievement of a steady current within a few seconds.

Modelling the effects of heavy alcohol consumption on the transmission dynamics of gonorrhea with optimal control.

Alcoholism has become a global threat and has a serious health consequence in the society. In this paper, a deterministic alcohol model is formulated, analyzed and the basic properties established. The reproduction number R of system is determined.

Exploring the Influence of Daily Climate Variables on Malaria Transmission and Abundance of over Nkomazi Local Municipality, Mpumalanga Province, South Africa.

The recent resurgence of malaria incidence across epidemic regions in South Africa has been linked to climatic and environmental factors. An in-depth investigation of the impact of climate variability and mosquito abundance on malaria parasite incidence may therefore offer useful insight towards the control of this life-threatening disease. In this study, we investigate the influence of climatic factors on malaria transmission over Nkomazi Municipality.

GC-MS fragmentation patterns of sprayed endosulfan and its sulphate metabolite in samples of L from a field kinetic study.

Most environmental analytical methods for the determination of organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) are multi-residual with other organic compounds co-extracted and co-eluted. This has been observed in GC spectra using classical detectors like electron-capture detector (ECD) even after appropriate clean-up. This limitation could be resolved by using GC-MS methods which are more specific and selective.

The Potential Chondrogenic Effect of Aqueous Extracts on Porcine Adipose-Derived Mesenchymal Stem Cells.

is one plant that is used by various traditional healers to alleviate the signs and symptoms associated with osteoarthritis. Although the exact mechanisms remain unknown, we hypothesized that this plant can induce chondrogenesis. In this work, we explored the potential for an aqueous crude extract from to induce chondrogenesis in porcine adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs).

Second law analysis for nonlinear convective flow of a reactive couple stress fluid through a vertical channel.

The present article investigates the entropy generation rate in the nonlinear convective flow of a reactive couple stress liquid through a channel filled with saturated materials and subjected to convective cooling. Analytical solutions of the coupled nonlinear boundary-value problems arising from the mathematical formulation are obtained by using the Homotopy Analysis Method (HAM). The analytical solutions are further validated numerically with the fourth order Runge-Kutta (RK4) to establish the accuracy of the method.

Enhanced heavy metal ions adsorption by 4‑aminobenzoic acid grafted on chitosan/epichlorohydrin composite: Kinetics, isotherms, thermodynamics and desorption studies.

The multi-functional chitosan is important for the development of novel adsorbents which is needed for the effective removal of scavenging metal ions from water and wastewater. In this study the functionalized materials were characterize by FTIR, SEM/EDX, TGA/DTA, BET and XRD. Physicochemical parameters including pH, contact time, ionic strength and temperature were investigated in batch mode to optimize the conditions to be applied on a commercial scale for the maximum removal of metal ions using batch applications.

Global challenges faced by engineered genes in soybean ( L.) in the twenty-first century.

The most important insect pests causing severe economic damages to soybean ( L.) production worldwide are (), (), (), (), (Walker, Noctuidae), (Walker, Noctuidae), (Stoll, Noctuidae), (Smith; Noctuidae), (Hübner, Noctuidae), (Boddie; Noctuidae) and (Hymenoptera,Platygastidae). Despite the success of biotech ()/herbicide tolerance (HT)-soybean in the past decade in terms of output, unforeseen mitigated performances have been observed due to changes in climatic events that favors the emergence of insect resistance.

Clean application of magnetic biomaterial for the removal of As (III) from water.

Magnetite-coated pine cone biomass was successfully synthesized, characterized, and its interaction with As (III) in water evaluated in order to apply it as an efficient adsorbent. Transmission electron microscope, scanning electron microscope, and imaging studies revealed that spherical magnetite particles were evenly distributed over the pine cone surface. Adsorption studies showed that the optimum pH of As (III) adsorption was 8 and that Fe (III) leaching was negligible at this pH.

Advances in Regenerative Medicine and Tissue Engineering: Innovation and Transformation of Medicine.

Humans and animals lose tissues and organs due to congenital defects, trauma, and diseases. The human body has a low regenerative potential as opposed to the urodele amphibians commonly referred to as salamanders. Globally, millions of people would benefit immensely if tissues and organs can be replaced on demand.

Investigation into the Thermal Response and Pharmacological Activity of Substituted Schiff Bases on α-Amylase and α-Glucosidase.

The emphasis of previous studies has targeted the development of insulin mimic with little attention given to the development of metabolic enzyme inhibitors. Our focus is to synthesise nine -hydroxy and -nitro-azomethine analogues, investigate their digestive enzyme inhibitory capacity, as well as the antioxidant and antimicrobial activities. The substituted Schiff bases were analysed using thermal gravimetric analyser (TGA), X-ray diffractometer (XRD), nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (NMR), elemental analyser, and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR).

Comparative analysis of the factors contributing to sustainability of a food and nutrition intervention programme: Two case studies from South Africa.

Sustainability of health interventions is a consistent and ongoing issue in Africa. Understanding key aspects of sustainable interventions provides the necessary methods for success. This research evaluates a nutrition intervention implemented in two peri-urban communities in the Free State and Gauteng province in South Africa (SA) respectively.