Solanum tuberosum tuber-driven starch-mediated green-hydrothermal synthesis of cerium oxide nanoparticles for efficient photocatalysis and antimicrobial activities.

In this study, we are reporting for the first time the utilization of Solanum tuberosum tuber-driven, starch-mediated, green-hydrothermally synthesized cerium oxide nanoparticles (G-CeO2 NPs) for the antibacterial activity and photodegradation of cationic (methylene blue, MB) and anionic (methyl orange, MO) dyes separately and in combination, aimed at environmental remediation. The XRD analysis confirms the fluorite structure of G-CeO2 NPs, displaying an average crystallite size of 9.6 nm. Further, XPS confirms the existence of 24% of Ce3+ oxidation states within G-CeO2 NPs. Morphological studies through FE-SEM and TEM reveal that starch-driven OH- ion production leads to a high percentage of active crystal facets, favoring the formation of Ce3+-rich CeO2 NPs. Photocatalytic experiments conducted under UV-A illumination demonstrate the superior degradation performance of G-CeO2 NPs, with MB degradation reaching 93.4% and MO degradation at 77.2% within 90 min. This outstanding catalytic activity is attributed to the mesoporous structure (pore diameter of 5.63 nm) with a narrow band gap, a large surface area (103.38 m2g-1), and reduced charge recombination, as validated by BET, UV-visible, and electrochemical investigations. The identification of photogenerated intermediates is achieved through LCMS, while the mineralization is monitored via total organic carbon analysis. Moreover, the scavenging experiments point towards the involvement of reactive oxygen species in organic oxidation, demonstrating efficiency over five consecutive trials. Additionally, G-CeO2 NPs exhibit potent antibacterial activity against both gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria. This study presents an innovative, and efficient approach to environmental remediation, shedding light on the potential of G-CeO2 NPs in addressing environmental pollution challenges.

Biosynthesis of Flower-Shaped CuO Nanostructures and Their Photocatalytic and Antibacterial Activities.

Copper oxide nanoflowers (CuO-NFs) have been synthesized through a novel green route using Tulsi leaves-extracted eugenol (4-allyl-2-methoxyphenol) as reducing agent. Characterizations results reveal the growth of crystalline single-phase CuO-NFs with monoclinic structure. The prepared CuO-NFs can effectively degrade methylene blue with 90% efficiency. They also show strong barrier against E. coli (27 ± 2 mm) at the concentration of 100 µg mL-1, while at the concentration of 25 µg mL-1 weak barrier has been found against all examined bacterial organisms. The results provide important evidence that CuO-NFs have sustainable performance in methylene blue degradation as well as bacterial organisms.

Future priorities of interns in public and private tertiary care hospitals of a mega city in a developing country.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the future priorities of young medical doctors in tertiary care hospitals in a major urban centre. METHODS: This multi-centre cross-sectional study was conducted at four tertiary care hospitals of Karachi, Pakistan, from January to June 2015, and comprised medical interns. A questionnaire-based survey was conducted. The participants were inquired about their demographics, preferred places and hospitals for training in the future and reason for their choices. Differences in future choice for going abroad between gender, relationship status, household monthly income, etc. were analysed. SPSS 16 was used for data analysis. RESULTS: Of the 308 participants, 228(74%) were females and 80(26%) were males. The overall mean age was 24.56±1.18 years. Moreover, 118(38.3%) participants wanted to go abroad for their postgraduate training. Of them, 46(39%) wished to return to Pakistan after completing the training from abroad. Top five reasons for going abroad included better quality of training 60(50.8%), better environment and facilities 35(29.7%), security and safety 29(24.6%), better career growth 24(20.3%) and fiancé/spouse settled there 18(15.3%). Preference of pursuing postgraduate training abroad outside Pakistan was significantly higher among doctors who were males (p=0.026), had graduated from medical colleges in Karachi (p=0.003), had household monthly income of greater than Rs100,000 (p<0.001) and had an immediate family member abroad (p<0.001). Besides, 190(61.7%) doctors wanted to pursue their training in Pakistan. Of them, 85(44.7%) wished to do their postgraduate training in public sector hospitals while 105(55.3%) had their preference for private hospitals. Main reasons for joining private hospitals included quality of training 40(38.1%), clean environment 25(23.8%), facilities 25(23.8%) and familiarity with environment 25(23.8%). CONCLUSIONS: Almost half of the female doctors were planning not to pursue their careers in the future, whereas half of the male doctors wished to go abroad for training with only one-third among them planning to return.