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.

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.

Polynitrogen (PN) chain was predicted theoretically to be stable at ambient pressure by intercalating in multiple graphene layers. In this work, polynitrogen (N-8(-)) deposited on boron-doped graphene (PN-BG) and graphene (PN-G) was synthesized experimentally by a facile cyclic voltammetry (CV) method. It was further used for oxygen reduction reaction (ORR), which showed superior activity via a four-electron pathway mechanism. BG was prepared by a one-pot hydrothermal method. Characterizations over BG substrate, including X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, Raman specstroscopy, Brunauer-Emmett-Teller, scanning electron microscopy, and transmission electron microscopy, demonstrated that boron atoms were successfully doped into graphene matrix. The formation of polynitrogen (N-8(-)) on BG was confirmed by attenuated total reflection Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and temperature-programmed desorption. A larger amount of N-8(-) was obtained on boron-doped graphene than that on graphene. Rotating disk electrode measurements indicated that PN-BG showed higher current density than PN-G catalyst because of the larger amount of N-8(-) on BG. Compared to commercial Pt/C catalyst, PN-B1G has much better methanol tolerance. Kinetics study was also carried out to investigate the ORR pathway. Natural bonding orbital analysis confirmed the mechanism. This work provides a facile strategy to modify graphene structure and efficiently stabilize N-8(-) on a graphene-based matrix.

Iron-multiwall carbon nanotube (MWNT) composites have been synthesized by the chemical vapor deposition (CVD) of the nanotubes directly inside an iron matrix. Carbide-free synthesis was achieved as indicated by X-ray diffraction data by the use of a mixture of acetylene and carbon monoxide as the carbon source. A possible mechanism for this formation reaction is proposed. The yield strength of the iron-MWNT composites prepared with 4.5 vol% or 1 wt% of nanotubes increased 36%, and 43% for the upper and lower yield points, respectively, compared to similarly heat-treated reference samples of pure iron with the same porosity. The increase in yield strength is likely to be due to the support provided by MWNT bridges formed across the pores of the metal matrix. The Vickers hardness coefficient, which scales with the yield strength, also increased by as much as 97% in these composites relative to the reference samples. (c) 2007 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Background: The global burden of the major vascular diseases is projected to rise and to remain the dominant non-communicable disease cluster well into the twenty first century. The Department of Health in England has developed the NHS Health Check service as a policy initiative to reduce population vascular disease risk. The aims of this study were to monitor population changes in cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors over the first year of the new service and to assess the value of tailored lifestyle support, including motivational interview with ongoing support and referral to other services. Methods: Randomised trial comparing NHS Health Check service only with NHS Health Check service plus additional lifestyle support in Stoke on Trent, England. Thirty eight general practices and 601 (365 usual care, 236 additional lifestyle support) patients were recruited and randomised independently between September 2009 and February 2010. Changes in population CVD risk between baseline and one year follow-up were compared, using intention-to-treat analysis. The primary outcome was the Framingham 10 year CVD risk score. Secondary outcomes included individual modifiable risk measures and prevalence of individual risk categories. Additional lifestyle support included referral to a lifestyle coach and free sessions as needed for: weight management, physical activity, cook and eat and positive thinking. Results: Average population CVD risk decreased from 32.9% to 29.4% (p < 0.001) in the NHS Health Check only group and from 31.9% to 29.2% (p < 0.001) in the NHS Health Check plus additional lifestyle support group. There was no significant difference between the two groups at either measurement point. Prevalence of high blood pressure, high cholesterol and smoking were reduced significantly (p < 0.01) in both groups. Prevalence of central obesity was reduced significantly (p < 0.01) in the group receiving additional lifestyle support but not in the NHS Health Check only group. Conclusions: The NHS Health Check service in Stoke on Trent resulted in significant reduction in estimated population CVD risk. There was no evidence of further benefit of the additional lifestyle support services in terms of absolute CVD risk reduction.

Three novel metal-free organic dyes with dihydro-5H-dibenzo[b,f]azepine as a donor and cyanoacrylic acid as an anchoring unit were designed as an innovative linear skeleton of D-D-pi-A type of organic dyes. The conversion efficiency of the derived dye-sensitized solar cells is moderate. Among them, the dye with a hydroxy group as an additional anchoring moiety exhibited the highest UV-Vis absorption with a maximum molar extinction coefficient of 24,136 M-1 cm(-1) at lambda(max) =3D 458 nm and the best photovoltaic performance with an overall power conversion efficiency of 4.88%, while the dye with a carboxy group as an additional anchoring moiety exhibited the lowest conversion efficiency (4.52%). The results show that the dye loading on the film and photovoltaic performance of the dyes were influenced by the additional anchoring units. (C) 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

We report a new bioassay "syringe test" (modified larval immersion test) for in vitro evaluation of acaricidal activity of crude plant extracts. Prepared syringes, containing eggs of tick, were incubated until 14d after hatching of eggs, when the bioassay was performed on the larvae. Lethal concentrations for 50% of larvae (LC50), LC90 and LC99 values were calculated for each tested product. 95% confidence intervals for LC50 were very narrow, indicating a high degree of repeatability for the new bioassay on larvae of R. microplus. Bioassays were applied to six crude aqueous-methanol extracts from five plants (Acacia nilotica, Buxus papillosa, Fumaria parviflora, Juniperus excelsa, and Operculina turpethum), of which three showed discernible effects. Twenty-four hours post exposure. LC99 values were 11.9% (w/v) for F. parviflora, 20.8% (w/v) and 29.2% (w/v) for B. papillosa and A. nilotica, respectively. After six days of exposure these values were; 9.1% (w/v), 9.2% (w/v) and 15.5 (w/v) for F. parviflora, A. nilotica and B. papillosa, respectively. (C) 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Pure' autosomal dominant familial spastic paraplegia (SPG) is a neurodegenerative disease which clinically manifests as spasticity of the lower limbs. Dominantly inherited SPG is known to be clinically heterogenous and has been classified into late-onset and early-onset types, based on the age of onset of symptoms. We tested five autosomal dominant SPG families for genetic linkage and established linkage to chromogene 2p markers (Z(theta) = 3.65) with evidence of genetic locus heterogeneity. Three late-onset SPG families and one early-onset SPG family had high posterior probability of linkage (P gt 0.94) to chromosome 2p, while the fifth family (a very early-onset family) was not linked to chromosome 2 and showed high probability of linkage to chromosome 14q. These data provide a basis for a classification of SPG according to chromosome location rather than age of onset of symptoms.

Two novel double branched D-pi-A organic dyes (DB dyes) are synthesized to investigate the influence of the linkage location in DB dyes on the performance of dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs), where phenothiazine is introduced as a donor, thiophene-benzotriazole unit as the pi-bridge and cyanoacrylic acid as the electron-acceptor. The photophysical, electrochemical and photovoltaic properties of the dyes are systematically investigated. The results show that the location of the linkage unit has a small effect on the physical and electrochemical properties of the dyes. However, when the dyes are applied in DSSCs, an obvious decline of short-circuit current (J(sc)) and open-circuit voltage (V-oc) is found by moving the linkage unit from the donor part to the pi-bridge part. The DSSC based on the dye DB-D with the linkage unit in the donor obtains an overall power conversion efficiency of 6.13%, which is about 68% higher than that (3.65%) of the DSSC based on the dye DB-B with the linkage unit in the pi-bridge. The DB-B based device exhibits a lower efficiency due to its serious aggregation and short electron lifetime. The results indicate that the linkage location of the dyes has a big effect on the performance of the DSSCs.

A series of N-(5-(alkylthio)-1,3,4-oxadiazol-2-yl)methyl)benzamides 6a-i were synthesized as alkaline phosphatase inhibitors. The intermediate 5-substituted 1,3,4-oxadiazole-2-thione 4 was synthesized starting with hippuric acid. Hippuric acid in the first step was converted into corresponding methyl ester 2 which upon reaction with hydrazine hydrate furnished the formation of hydrazide 3. The hippuric acid hydrazide was then cyclized into 5-substituted 1,3,4-oxadiazole-2-thione 4. The intermediate 4 was then reacted with alkyl or aryl halides 5a-5i to afford the title compounds N-(5-(methylthio)-1,3,4-oxadiazol-2-yl)methyl)benzamides 6a-i. The bioassay results showed that compounds 6a-i exhibited good to excellent alkaline phosphatase inhibitory activity. The most potent activity was exhibited by the compound 6i having IC50 value 0.420 mu M, whereas IC50 value of standard (KH2PO4) was 2.80 mu M. Molecular docking studies was performed against alkaline phosphatase enzyme (PDBID 1EW2) to check binding affinity of the synthesized compounds 6a-i against target protein. The docking results showed that three compounds 6c, 6e, and 6i have maximum binding interactions with binding energy values of -8 kcal/mol. The compound 6i displayed the interactions of oxadiazole ring nitrogen with amino acid His265 having a binding distance 2.13 A. It was concluded from our results that synthesized compounds, especially compound 6i may serve as lead structure to design more potent inhibitors of human alkaline phosphatase.

The aim of this investigation was to study an association among boron-induced oxidative stress, antioxidant system and polyamine metabolism in cucumber Cucumis sativus (L) plants. Furthermore, it was also investigated whether chitosan would increase the antioxidant activity and polyamine concentration that could induce tolerance to boron-induced oxidative stress. Cucumber (cv. Sahil) plants were exposed to 0.5, 1.0, and 1.5 mM boron stress at the 16-day stage for one week while receiving nutrient solution. At the 23- and 27-day stages, plants were foliar-treated with chitosan solution (50 and 75 mg L-1), and harvested at the 34-day stage to investigate growth, photosynthesis, and biochemical characteristics. Boron stress significantly reduced the growth, total chlorophyll concentration, relative water contents, photosynthesis, stomatal conductance, internal CO2 concentration, stomatal size, and membrane stability index. However, boron stress elevated the enzymatic activities of various antioxidants, osmolytes, polyamine concentration, H2O2 concentration, lipid peroxidation and electrolyte leakage in leaves. The follow-up spray with chitosan to the plants subjected to boron stress improved growth, relative water contents, green pigments, photosynthetic activity and membrane stability index, and further enhanced the activity of antioxidant enzymes, osmolytes, leaf polyamine concentration, hydrogen peroxide concentration, lipid peroxidation, and electrolyte leakage in the leaves. The augmented level of antioxidant enzymes, root/shoot osmolytes and leaf polyamine concentration might have induced resistance to the boron stressed plants, causing an ameliorated growth, relative water contents, and photosynthesis related characteristics. It is also concluded that chitosan is an eco-friendly alleviator of toxicity caused by boron by enhancing polyamine concentration and strengthening antioxidant defensive system but reducing the boron concentration in plant tissues.

In spite of the remarkable achievements in the health care sector over recent decades, inequities in accessibility and affordability of these facilities coexist throughout Pakistan, which has led us to explore and document the cultural knowledge of medicinal plants used in skin disorders by the local community members of Manoor Valley, Pakistan. Field investigations were undertaken during the summer seasons of 2015-2017, and cultural practices of medicinal plants usage for treating various ailments were gathered through interviews with the local inhabitants. Ethnomedicinal insights of the medicinal plants used for skin ailments were gained with recorded data assessed through different statistical packages for evaluation of principal components analysis, species disease curve, and two-way cluster analysis. We conclude that plants play an important role as ethnomedicine in daily life and especially in the health care of the people living in the study area. (C) 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.