The effects of three extraction techniques (shaking, soaking, and stirring) and two solvents (80% methanol and 80% ethanol) on the antioxidant attributes of extracts from seeds of mungbean have been investigated. The yield of mungbean extracts varied between 6.90 and 9.65 g/100 g of dry matter. Mungbean extracts contained a considerable amount of phenolics (0.781.12 g GAE/100 g) and flavonoids (1.231.78 g CE/100 g). An appreciable level of reducing power (1.462.18) at 10 mg/mL extract concentration, inhibition of linoleic acid peroxidation (85.290.4%), and DPPH radical scavenging activity (IC50 value 16.442.9 g/mL) were also documented. Overall, the efficacy of an extraction system in isolating potent antioxidant components from mungbean seeds followed the order: shaking, 80% methanol > shaking, 80% ethanol > stirring, 80% methanol > stirring, 80% ethanol > soaking, 80% ethanol > soaking, 80% methanol. The yield and antioxidant activity of the mungbean extracts varied significantly (p < 0.05) as function of extraction techniques and solvents employed.
Hudetz, Judith A
Patterson, Kathleen M
Byrne, Alison J
Iqbal, Zafar
Gandhi, Sweeta D
Warltier, David C
Pagel, Paul S
Postoperative cognitive dysfunction (POCD) commonly occurs after cardiac surgery. We tested the hypothesis that a history of alcohol dependence is associated with an increased incidence and severity of POCD in male patients undergoing cardiac surgery using cardiopulmonary bypass. Recent verbal and nonverbal memory and executive functions were assessed before and one week after surgery in patients with or without a history of alcohol dependence. Cognitive function was significantly reduced after cardiac surgery in patients with versus without a history of alcohol dependence. The results suggest that a history of alcohol dependence increases the incidence and severity of POCD after cardiac surgery.
The purpose of this study was to find out the effect of CeO2 and MgO (as a promoter) on CO2 reforming of methane or dry reforming of methane (DRM) for the production of synthesis gas. In this aspect, CeO2 and MgO promoted Ni-nanoparticles supported ZnO catalyst was prepared by surfactant induced hydrothermal method, using cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) as surfactant, morphology controlling agent and polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) as size controlling agent. The prepared catalysts were characterized by BET-Surface area, X-ray diffraction study (XRD), Scanning Electron Microscropy (SEM), Transmission Electron Microscopy (SEM), Inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectroscopy (ICPAES), Temperature Programmed Reduction (TPR), X-ray Photoelectron Spectro-scopy (XPS) and Thermogravimetric Analysis (TGA) techniques. Highly basic nature of MgO and excellent redox properties of CeO2 increased nickel dispersion and created strong metal-support interaction, which effectively reduced the coke deposition on the catalyst surface. MgO promoted Ni-ZnO catalyst showed better low temperature activity compared to CeO2 promoted Ni-ZnO catalyst for DRM and Ni-MgO/ZnO catalyst also exhibited better coke resistivity, because of comparatively smaller nickel nanoparticles. Both the promoted catalysts showed more than 24 h of time on stream (TOS) stability at 800 degrees C without any significant deactivation of the catalysts. The catalysts produced H-2/CO ratio 0.99 at 800 degrees C during the TOS.
Haq, Faizul
Ahmad, Habib
Iqbal, Zafar
Alam, Mukhtar
Aksoy, Ahmet
Questions: Does the vegetation composition of the forests of Nandiar Valley correlate with climatic, topographic and edaphic variables? Is it possible to identify plant communities through indicator species in relation to environmental gradients? Can this approach of classification and ordination will be helpful for conservation planning? Location Forests of Nandiar Valley, Moist temperate Western Himalayas Pakistan. Methods: Eighty stands were selected for quantitative and qualitative characteristic of vegetation between an elevations of 525-3817 m. Species composition was recorded by using 400 m long transects. GPS, climatic, edaphic and topographic data were recorded for each sampling site. The relationship between habitat types, species composition and distribution along with climatic, edaphic and topographic variables were analyzed using TWINSPAN, Cluster analysis and DCA ordination. Results: Sum 325 vascular plants species belonging to 97 families were recorded. Diversity index and species richness was maximum in the moist temperate zone. Classification and ordination showed that the variance in species data was 7.07. Two-ways indicator species analysis classified the vegetation into eight plant communities. Indicator species analysis revealed that slope aspect, wind speed, temperature, dew point, wet bulb, pH, organic matter and phosphorous were the strongest parameters (p <=3D 0.05) determining plant community composition and indicator species in each habitat. The results also show the strength of the environment species relationship using Monte Carlo procedures. DCA ordination grouped different species having similar habitat and habitats having common species. Conclusions: The multivariate analysis of the vegetation along with environmental variables of Nandiar valley confirmed the indicators of each sort of vegetation communities/microclimatic zones which could further be used in conservation planning and management not only in studied area but also in the adjacent regions as well as in the areas exhibit similar sort of climatic, edaphic and topographic conditions.
An easy synthetic method to obtain phthalonitriles from o-dibroinobenzenes under mild conditions in high yields using Zn(CN), and a catalytic amount of tris(dibenzylideneacetone)dipalladium and 1, 1'-bis(diphenylphosphino)ferrocene is described.
Goyal, Amit
Liu, Sheng
Iqbal, Zafar
Fetter, Linus A.
Farrow, Reginald C.
The deposition of high-aspect-ratio particles such as carbon nanotubes may be done in sub-100-nm windows in insulating thin films over metal using electrophoresis. Surface charge on the insulator causes the windows to become nanoscopic electrostatic lenses. Under certain conditions only one nanotube will be deposited at the base of a window. Finite element analysis shows that the number of deposited nanotubes is controlled by the electric field and the geometry of the windows and nanotubes. This discovery enables the process integration of carbon-based electronics with more traditional technologies such as complementary metal oxide semiconductor using the current generation of lithography and process technology. Devices such as vertical field effect transistors and interconnected nanoprobe arrays may now be fabricated in the metal levels to facilitate three-dimensional polylithic circuit architectures.
Endocrine disrupting compounds (EDCs) and pharmaceuticals in water have negative impacts on human health and environmental ecology. Sorbents that can selectively remove these compounds based on their chemical functionality would have a significant health benefit to humans and wildlife. In this work, polypyrrole-coated magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs@PPy) were evaluated as a sorbent for extraction and preconcentration of bisphenol A (BPA), metformin (MF), naphthalene acetic acid (NAA), phenformin (PF) and triclosan (TC). Both in-capillary and in vitro binding efficiencies were determined using capillary electrophoresis with ultraviolet detection (CE-UV). In-capillary binding efficiencies of 99 +/- 1% were found for BPA, PF and TC, which were confirmed by in vitro binding tests. Apparently, MNPs@PPy bound strongly with aromatic compounds due to pi-pi bonding interactions. A mixture of ethyl acetate and methanol (75 : 25 v/v) was evaluated as the eluting solvent. CE-UV analysis determined the % recoveries to be 85 +/- 13% for MF and PF which were adequate for analyte preconcentration by this method. A new coating of PPy was successfully added on the used particles for regeneration of their surfaces to achieve a binding efficiency of as high as 94 +/- 3%.
Four novel organic photo-sensitizers based on phenothiazine were designed, synthesized and characterized for efficient dye-sensitized solar cells. Anisole, octyloxybenzene and dodecyloxybenzene were incorporated into the phenothiazine by an Ullmann reaction. An additional octyloxybenzene was incorporated into one dye unit through a Suzuki coupling reaction. The modified phenothiazine moiety acts as an electron donor and cyanoacrylic acid acts as an electron acceptor and anchoring unit. The photophysical, electrochemical and sensitizing characteristics of the new dyes were evaluated. The bis(octyloxybenzene) substituted dye delivered the best performance with its sensitized solar cell displaying an overall power conversion efficiency of 5.73% under standard illumination. The results indicate that bilateral conjugate extension of the pi conjugation can increase their light harvesting capacity and electron lifetime, leading to improvements in the efficiency of their dye-sensitized solar cells. (C) 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Agha, Zehra
Iqbal, Zafar
Azam, Maleeha
Ayub, Humaira
Vissers, Lisenka E L M
Gilissen, Christian
Ali, Syeda Hafiza Benish
Riaz, Moeen
Veltman, Joris A
Pfundt, Rolph
van Bokhoven, Hans
Qamar, Raheel
Intellectual disability (ID) is a major health problem mostly with an unknown etiology. Recently exome sequencing of individuals with ID identified novel genes implicated in the disease. Therefore the purpose of the present study was to identify the genetic cause of ID in one syndromic and two non-syndromic Pakistani families. Whole exome of three ID probands was sequenced. Missense variations in two plausible novel genes implicated in autosomal recessive ID were identified: lysine (K)-specific methyltransferase 2B (KMT2B), zinc finger protein 589 (ZNF589), as well as hedgehog acyltransferase (HHAT) with a de novo mutation with autosomal dominant mode of inheritance. The KMT2B recessive variant is the first report of recessive Kleefstra syndrome-like phenotype. Identification of plausible causative mutations for two recessive and a dominant type of ID, in genes not previously implicated in disease, underscores the large genetic heterogeneity of ID. These results also support the viewpoint that large number of ID genes converge on limited number of common networks i.e. ZNF589 belongs to KRAB-domain zinc-finger proteins previously implicated in ID, HHAT is predicted to affect sonic hedgehog, which is involved in several disorders with ID, KMT2B associated with syndromic ID fits the epigenetic module underlying the Kleefstra syndromic spectrum. The association of these novel genes in three different Pakistani ID families highlights the importance of screening these genes in more families with similar phenotypes from different populations to confirm the involvement of these genes in pathogenesis of ID. =20