Effectiveness of blended happy age education program (B-HAEP) on active aging promotion among pre-disable community dwelling older adults in Pakistan.

BACKGROUND: Addressing aging related functional declines in older adults has become a top priority for countries around the world. The aim of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of a blended happy age education program in promoting active aging among community-based pre-disable older adults. METHODS: We conducted a two-arm trial study in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. Participants were randomly assigned into two groups using a computer-generated random sequence of 150 participants. RESULTS: Blended Happy Age Education Program (BHAEP) reduced time for 3 m walk (Estimated mean 19.5 ± 3.4 to 13.7 ± 1.3, effect size ηp² = 0.98, (P < 0.001). The current level of happiness improved in B-HAEP group from 4.7 ± 1.05 scores to 7.8 ± 1.6, P < 0.001, effect size (ηp² = 0.540). Healthy lifestyle significantly improved (P < 0.001, ηp² = 0.4). CONCLUSIONS: B-HAEP can be an effective intervention strategy to promote active aging in older adults with risk for immobility.

Gender-based adjustment problems of divorcees in Hazara Division, Pakistan.

INTRODUCTION: Divorce is one of the harshest realities in Eastern societies worldwide because it is an intact component of the elementary social institution of the family. Grievously, divorce rates are escalating with profound ramifications for divorcees in Asia, including Pakistan. Therefore, exploring the challenges after divorce with gender-based dimensions in the Pakistani context was necessary, particularly in Hazara Division. RESEARCH METHODOLOGY: The study followed a pragmatic approach through snowball sampling and recruited 75 respondents. The data were collected through a semi-structured questionnaire and analysed using IBM SPSS 25. For descriptive statistics, frequencies of quantitative responses were determined using percentages, means, and standard deviations. Then Chi-Square Test of Independence, Principal Component Analysis, and Multivariate Analysis of Covariance were performed to find an association between the dependent and independent variables. RESULTS: Results demonstrated that most divorcees face children-related issues followed by economic, social, and psychological issues that impede post-divorce adjustment of divorcees. Results showed that the immaturity of divorcees and gender-specific violence specifically for women make it challenging for them to cope with the situation and impede their growth after divorce. Results revealed that more than half of women and a few of men have custody of children after divorce; however, fight over custody of children is another major cause of delayed adjustment. Results presented that gender significantly influences women's intensity of post-divorce adjustment constraints. CONCLUSION: Therefore, it is concluded that regardless of gender, ongoing conflicts with ex-spouses or in-laws made the post-divorce adjustment of divorcees difficult. Divorcees are in a constant tug-of-war between fighting internal dilemmas, pursuing individualistic ideals, and fulfilling societal norms, values, and expectations. This battle complicates and prolongs their adjustments after divorce. The study suggests that institutional, psychosocial, and family support is critical to proactively relieve divorcees from resources and their children.

Zinc Ortho Methyl Carbonodithioate Improved Pre and Post-Synapse Memory Impairment via SIRT1/p-JNK Pathway against Scopolamine in Adult Mice.

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is globally recognized as a prominent cause of dementia for which efficient treatment is still lacking. New candidate compounds that are biologically potent are regularly tested. We, therefore, hypothesized to study the neuroprotective potential of Zinc Ortho Methyl Carbonodithioate (thereafter called ZOMEC) against Scopolamine (SCOP) induced Alzheimer's disease (AD) model using adult albino mice. We post-administered ZOMEC (30 mg/Kg) into two group of mice for three weeks on daily basis that received either 0.9% saline or SCOP (1 mg/Kg) for initial two weeks. The other two groups of mice received 0.9% saline and SCOP (1 mg/Kg) respectively. After memory related behavioral analysis the brain homogenates were evaluated for the antioxidant potential of ZOMEC and multiple protein markers were examined through western blotting. Our results provide enough evidences that ZOMEC decrease oxidative stress by increasing catalase (CAT) and glutathione S transferase (GST) and decreasing the lipid peroxidation (LPO). The SIRT1 and pre and post synaptic marker proteins, synaptophysin (SYP) as well as post synaptic density protein (PSD-95) expression were also enhanced upon ZOMEC treatment. Furthermore, memory impairment was rescued and ZOMEC appreciably abrogated the Aß accumulation, BACE1 expression C and the p-JNK pathway. The inflammatory protein markers, NF-kß and IL-1ß in ZOMEC treated mice were also comparable with control group. The predicted interaction of ZOMEC with SIRT1 was further confirmed by molecular docking. These findings thus provide initial reports on efficacy of ZOMEC in SCOP induced AD model.

Evaluation of Type 2 Diabetes Risk Variants (Alleles) in the Pashtun Ethnic Population of Pakistan.

Objective: To evaluate the Type 2 Diabetes (T2D) risk variants in the Pashtun ethnic population of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa using nascent whole-exome sequencing (WES) to better understand the pathogenesis of this complex polygenic disorder. Methodology: A total of 100 confirmed patients with T2D of Pashtun ethnicity were included in the study, DNA was extracted from whole blood samples, and paired-end libraries were prepared using the Illumina Nextera XT DNA library kit carefully following the manufacturer's instructions. Illumina HiSeq 2000 was used to obtain sequences of the prepared libraries followed by bioinformatics data analysis. Results: A total of n=11 pathogenic/likely pathogenic variants were reported in the CAP10, PAX4, IRS-2, NEUROD1, CDKL1 and WFS1. Among the reported variants CAP10/rs55878652 (c.1990-7T>C; p.Leu446Pro) and CAP10/rs2975766 (c.1996A>G; p.Ile666Val) identified were novel, and have not yet been reported for any disease in the database.The variants CAP10/rs7607759 (c.1510A>G, p.Thr504Ala), PAX4/rs712701 (c.962A>C; p.His321Pro), PAX4/rs772936097 (c.748-3delT; p.Arg325Trp), IRS-2/rs1805097 (c.3170G>A; p.Gly1057Asp), NEUROD1/rs1801262 (c.133A>G; p.Thr45Ala), CDKL1/rs77152992 (c.1226C>T; p.Pro409Leu), WFS1/rs1801212 (c.997G>A; p.Val333Ile), WFS1/rs1801208 (c.1367G>A; p.Arg456His), and WFS1/rs734312 (c.1832G>A; p.Arg611His) are previously identified in other ethnic populations. Our study reconfirms the associations of these variants with T2D in the Pakistani Pashtun population. Conclusion: In-silico analysis of exome sequencing data suggests a statistically substantial association of all (n=11) identified variants with T2D in the Pashtun ethnic population. This study may serve as a foundation for performing future molecular studies aimed at unraveling T2D associated genes.

Biomimetic Electrochemical Sensors Based on Core-Shell Imprinted Polymers for Targeted Sunset Yellow Estimation in Environmental Samples.

Magnetic molecularly imprinted polymers (MMIPs) contain the predesigned specialized recognition capability that can be chosen to build credible functional materials, that are easy to handle and have a good degree of specificity. Hence, the given piece of work is intended to design a novel electrochemical sensor incorporating magnetite-based molecularly imprinted polymers. The building materials consisted of a cross-linker (EGDMA), reaction-initiator (AIBN), monomer (methylene succinic acid-MSA), and template molecule (Sunset Yellow-SY dye). MMIPs exhibited a diameter of 57 nm with an irregular shape due to the presence of cavities based on SEM analysis. XRD patterns exhibited crystallinity, as well as amorphous peaks that are attributed to polymeric and non-polymeric frameworks of MMIPs. The crystallite size of the MMIPs from XRD analysis was found to be 16.28 nm based on the Debye-Scherrer's equation. Meanwhile, the FTIR bands showed the synthesis of MMIPs using monomer and methylene succinic acid. The sorption data at the optimized operating conditions (pH 2, sorbent dosage 3 mg, time 18 min) showed the highest sorption capacity of 40 mg/g. The obtained data best fitted to the Langmuir sorption isotherm and followed the pseudo-second-order kinetics. The magneto-sensors were applied for ultrasensitive, rapid, and simple sensing of SY dye. The electrochemical experiments were run at the operating condition range of (scan rate 10-50 mV/s, tads 0-120 s, pH 5-9, potential range 1-1.5 V for CV and 1-1.3 V for SWAdASV). The linear range of detection was set to 1.51 × 10-6 M to 1.51 × 10-6 M posing LOD and LOQ values of 8.6242 × 10-5 M and 0.0002874 M, respectively. The regression analysis value for the calibration was found to be 0.950. Additionally, high adsorption efficiency, selectivity, reusability, and strong structural stability of the magneto-sensors showed potential use for SY detection in real samples. These characteristics make MMIPs a viable electrochemical substrate for the detection of chemical contaminants in the environment and in health-related products.

Clinical outcomes after total excision of transobturator tape inserted for treatment of stress urinary incontinence.

INTRODUCTION: Midurethral tapes (MUTs) were the most common surgical treatment for stress urinary incontinence (SUI) between 2008 and 2017. Transobturator tapes were introduced as a novel way to insert MUTs. Some women have experienced life-changing complications, and opt to undergo a total excision of transobturator tape (TETOT). There is a paucity in evidence about the outcomes of TETOT, which is a complex operation. This study aims to report clinical outcomes of all women who underwent TETOT in a specialist mesh center. METHODS: All women between 2017 and 2022 who underwent TETOT in one mesh center were reviewed. Background demographics and preoperative symptoms were recorded retrospectively. Outcome data were collected using patient global impression of improvement (PGI-I) scales via telephone review and analyzed using SPSS 25. RESULTS: Forty-five women underwent telephone review in May 2022, on average 27.9 months (range: 3-60) after TETOT. Mean age was 55 and body mass index (BMI): 30; 82% were postmenopausal, 20% were smokers, and 73.3% had recurrent SUI before excision. Indications for excision were infection (4%), vaginal exposure (24%), urethral perforation (9%), and chronic pain not associated with other complications (60%). Two women with recurrent SUI opted for a concomitant fascial sling; both reported a PGI of "very much improved" regarding SUI postoperatively. Only 12 women (26.5%) did not have SUI before excision; of these 9 (75%) reported new SUI postoperatively. Pain improved for 57.8%, but worsened for 24.4%. Although not statistically significant (p = 0.055), more women who underwent TETOT for pain alone reported worsening pain than those with pain with an additional complication (37% vs. 5.55%). Overall, 62.2% women felt "better" after their excision, 17.8% felt "worse." DISCUSSION: After TETOT, 62% of women felt better. Improvement in pain was reported by 58%-those with chronic pain without another complication reported improvement in pain less frequently (48% vs. 72%) and worsening pain more frequently (37% vs. 6%). Existing SUI worsened in 65% of women and 75% developed new SUI. There appears to be discordance between reporting global improvement with worsening of commonly measured clinical outcomes. CONCLUSION: Outcome data are important for counseling women about the risks and benefits of TETOT. Women and clinicians may have different attitudes to the possible benefits of TETOT, as evidenced by women reporting feeling better despite continuing pain or SUI. Conventional outcome measures do not adequately capture all outcomes that are important to patients.

Decoding type 2 diabetes mellitus genetic risk variants in Pakistani Pashtun ethnic population using the nascent whole exome sequencing and MassARRAY genotyping: A case-control association study.

Genome-wide association studies have greatly increased the number of T2DM associated risk variants but most of them have focused on populations of European origin. There is scarcity of such studies in developing countries including Pakistan. High prevalence of T2DM in Pakistani population prompted us to design this study. We have devised a two stage (the discovery stage and validation stage) case-control study in Pashtun ethnic population in which 500 T2DM cases and controls each have been recruited to investigate T2DM genetic risk variants. In discovery stage Whole Exome Sequencing (WES) was used to identify and suggest T2DM pathogenic SNPs, based on SIFT and Polyphen scores; whereas in validation stage the selected variants were confirmed for T2DM association using MassARRAY genotyping and appropriate statistical tests. Results of the study showed the target positive association of rs1801282/PPARG (OR = 1.24, 95%Cl = 1.20-1.46, P = 0.010), rs745975/HNF4A (OR = 1.30, 95%Cl = 1.06-1.38, P = 0.004), rs806052/GLIS3 (OR = 1.32, 95%Cl = 1.07-1.66, P = 0.016), rs8192552/MTNR1B (OR = 1.53, 95%Cl = 0.56-1.95, P = 0.012) and rs1805097/IRS-2 (OR = 1.27, 95%Cl = 1.36-1.92, P = 0.045), with T2DM; whereas rs6415788/GLIS3, rs61788900/NOTCH2, rs61788901/NOTCH2 and rs11810554/NOTCH2 (P>0.05) showed no significant association. Identification of genetic risk factors/variants can be used in defining high risk subjects assessment, and disease prevention.

Bioinformatics and genetic variants analysis of FGF10 gene promoter with their association at carcass quality and body measurement traits in Qinchuan beef cattle.

The fibroblast growth factor 10 (FGF10) gene regulates adipogenesis and myogensis. In this study, sequencing of FGF10 prompter region identified three SNPs at loci g.78G > A, g.116C > T and g.201A > T. Each SNP yields three genotypes as GG, GA and AA at loci g.78G > A, CC, CT and TT at loci g.116C > T and AA, AT and TT at loci g.201A > T. Allelic and genotypic frequencies of all three SNPs deviated from the Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium (HWE) (P < 0.05) and were found highly polymorphic as PIC (0.25 < PIC < 0.50). Moreover, we found highest LD (D'/γ2) between SNP2 and SNP3 (0.989/0.909), followed by SNP1 and SNP3 (0.944/0.796). Moreover, three variants of FGF10 gene promoter exhibited significant (P < 0.05) association with body measurement and carcass quality traits in Qinchuan beef cattle. At loci g.78G > A, the genotype GG showed significantly (P < 0.01) larger body length (BL), rump length (RL), chest depth (CD), chest circumference (CC) and ultrasound loin area (ULA). The genotype TC at loci g.116C > T showed significantly (P < 0.01 and 0.05) larger body measurement and intramuscular fat, and ultrasound loin area (ULA). In addition to that, at loci g.201A > T, genotype TT showed significantly (P < 0.01 and P < 0.05) larger body length (BL), rump length (RL), hip width (HW), chest circumference (CC) and ultrasound loin area (ULA). Additionally, screening of promoter sequence of FGF10 gene explored loss of four TFs binding sites (KLF3, ZNF37α, GLIS2 and BCL11A) at g.116C > T because of SNP2. However, a single TF binding site was lost at g.202A > T due to SNP3. Interestingly, none of TF binding site was lost at g.78G > A in SNP1; however, one new TF binding site was gained at this location due to SNP1. These findings conclude that genotype GG, TC and TT could be used as genetic markers of FGF10 gene for body measurement and carcass quality traits in Qinchuan beef cattle.

Effect of supplementation of oilseeds co-products on production performance and fatty acids composition of Beetal goats.

This study evaluated the effect of different oilseed co-product supplementations on feed intake, nutrient digestibility, N retention, yields of milk and milk constituents, and milk fatty acid (FA) profile of Beetal goats. In the lactation trial, thirty-six lactating multiparous Beetal goats (45 ± 2.04 kg; 15 ± 2.3 days in milk) were assigned to four experimental rations according to randomized complete block design. The blocks were balanced for daily milk yield, parity, and body weight. The goats were either fed a maize silage and wheat straw-based basal ration ad libitum (control) or the control ration was supplemented with cotton seed cake, mustard seed cake, or maize oil cake on an iso-N basis. At the end of lactation trial, four goats (44 ± 0.8 kg BW; producing 1250 ± 110 g milk/day) were selected and moved to individual metabolism crates for a digestibility and N balance experiment, using a Latin square design (4 × 4). Supplementation of the co-products increased intakes of forage mixture (P = 0.002), total dry matter (DM; P < 0.001), neutral detergent fibre (NDF; P = 0.003), and crude protein (CP; P < 0.001). The additional N supplied by the co-products increased (P < 0.001) N retention, yields of milk, fat, protein, and lactose. Further comparison of the rations supplemented with the co-products revealed that the greatest (P < 0.05) increase in yields of milk (240 g/day), milk protein (11.6 g/day), fats (16.3 g/day), and lactose (11.2 g/day) was recorded for maize oil cake, as compared to the control. Except C8:0, supplementation of the co-products decreased (P < 0.01) the contents of all de novo-synthesized saturated FAs (SFAs) and increased (P < 0.001) the contents of health beneficial C18:1n-9, C18:1 tans-11, C18:2n-6, C18:3n-3, C20:2n-6, C20:5n3, and total unsaturated FAs in milk fat. Our findings demonstrated that the oilseed co-product inclusion in dairy goat rations significantly improves forage biomass utilization, yields of milk and milk constituents, and milk FAs' profile, with the largest impact being observed for maize oil cake.

ZOMEC via the p-Akt/Nrf2 Pathway Restored PTZ-Induced Oxidative Stress-Mediated Memory Dysfunction in Mouse Model.

A new mechanistic approach to overcome the neurodegenerative disorders caused by oxidative stress in Alzheimer's disease (AD) is highly stressed in this article. Thus, a newly formulated drug (zinc ortho-methyl carbonodithioate (ZOMEC)) was investigated for five weeks on seven-week-old BALB/c male mice. ZOMEC 30 mg/kg was postadministered intraperitoneally during the third week of pentylenetetrazole (PTZ) injection. The brain homogenates of the mice were evaluated for their antioxidant potential for ZOMEC. The results including catalase (CAT), glutathione S transferase (GST), and lipid peroxidation (LPO) demonstrated that ZOMEC significantly reverted the oxidative stress stimulated by PTZ in the mouse brain. ZOMEC upregulated p-Akt/Nrf-2 pathways (also supported by molecular docking methods) to revoke PTZ-induced apoptotic protein markers. ZOMEC reversed PTZ-induced neuronal synapse deficits, improved oxidative stress-aided memory impairment, and inhibited the amyloidogenic pathway in mouse brains. The results suggested the potential of ZOMEC as a new, safe, and neurotherapeutic agent to cure neurodegenerative disorders by decreasing AD-like neuropathology in the animal PTZ model.

Photocatalytic assessed adsorptive removal of tinidazole from aqueous environment using reduced magnetic graphene oxide-bismuth oxychloride and its silver composite.

Antibiotics (tinidazole (TNZ)) in wastewater, exhibit adverse effects on humans and ecosystem. The current study was aimed to synthesize photocatalysts mrGO/BiOCl and mrGO/BiOCl/Ag. mrGO was coupled with BiOCl by hydrothermal method and Ag was deposited over it. The synthesized mrGO/BiOCl and mrGO/BiOCl/Ag were confirmed by Pzc analysis (5.5 and 4.4 for mrGO/BiOCl and mrGO/BiOCl/Ag, respectively), surface area analysis (380 m2 g-1, 227.7 m2 g-1, 220 m2 g-1 for mrGO, mrGO/BiOCl and mrGO/BiOCl/Ag respectively), elemental analysis (Ag, O, Bi, Fe), surface morphology (rough ball like sphere of mrGO/BiOCl and cubic Ag nanoparticles in mrGO/BiOCl/Ag), functional groups and band gap (Eg) determination. The Eg was determined using Kubelka-Munk equation as 3.5 and 2.8 eV for mrGO/BiOCl and mrGO/BiOCl/Ag respectively. During the adsorption study, the best experimental conditions for various operating parameters such as pH (2), contact time (5 min for mrGO/BiOCl and 10 min for mrGO/BiOCl/Ag under UV irradiation), TNZ concentration (18 µgL-1) and catalyst dosage (0.001 g) were achieved. Kinetic study revealed that both composites followed pseudo second order kinetics (R2 = 0.9979 and 0.9986, respectively). Data of rGO/BiOCl was fitted to Freundlich adsorption model (R2 = 0.9687) and rGO/BiOCl/Ag fitted to Langmuir adsorption model (R2 = 0.9994). Moreover, thermodynamic parameters confirmed that a photodegradation phenomenon was spontaneous and exothermic. The results confirmed that rGO/BiOCl and rGO/BiOCl/Ag are appropriate composites for TNZ removal from the aqueous environment with removal efficiency of 97 and 24%, respectively.

Exploration of solid waste materials for sustainable manufacturing of cementitious composites.

The problem of disposing and managing solid waste materials has become one of the major environmental, economic, and social issues. Utilization of solid wastes in the production of building materials not only solves the problem of their disposal but also helps in the conversion of wastes into useful and cost-effective products. In the present study, solid waste materials of organic and inorganic nature were applied in the production of sustainable cementitious composites (CC) and studied the effect of incorporated wastes on physical and mechanical properties of the resultant CC. The selected solid waste materials were cotton, polyester, PET, carpet, glass, and granulated blast furnace slag (GBFS). These wastes were incorporated in CC in different proportions and form the tuff tiles using moulds (12.5″ × 6″ × 2.5″). The various physical (fineness, setting time, bulk density, and water absorption capacity) and mechanical (flexural strength) properties of all the specimens were determined after curing period of 3, 7, and 28 days. The results show that the incorporation of solid wastes in CC did not much affect their physical characteristics. However, the CC incorporated with the selected solid waste materials have a pronounced effect of their flexural strength and found to be higher (12-875%) compared to the plain CC. Similarly, the incorporation of the selected inorganic wastes (302-715 psi) in CC exhibit much higher flexural strength compared to the organic wastes (136-235 psi). The maximum flexural strength was observed when GBFS was utilized as a solid waste. The present work will provide a reliable step for the solid waste management and conversion of such wastes into useful commercial products for concrete manufacturing.

Fabrication, characterization, and photocatalytic degradation potential of chitosan-conjugated manganese magnetic nano-biocomposite for emerging dye pollutants.

The release of toxic dyes from different industries through industrial effluents cause hazardous effects to human and aquatic life. Therefore, the detoxification of such toxic pollutants is very important for a clean environment. In this regard, chitosan conjugated Mn-magnetic nano-biocomposite (Mn-CCMN) was synthesized, characterized, and applied for the photocatalytic decontamination of crystal violet (CV) dye in the contaminated aqueous system and industrial wastewater. The characterization was performed using SEM, XRD, EDX and FTIR spectroscopic techniques and determine PZC. The data shows the successfully synthesis of the resultant nano-biocomposite with amorphous nature and Fe and Mn were present therein. The SEM study revealed the flat and irregular shaped structure with porous surface and 87 ± 4 nm as mean particle size. The application of as-synthesized nano-biocomposite was determined as a photocatalyst for the eradication of CV in the aqueous environment under UV light illumination. The different photocatalysis conditions were studied for maximum degradation of CV and under the best experimental factors, tremendous CV degradation was attained in the real samples and industrial wastewater. The synthesized Mn-CCMN sustain excellent photocatalytic performance for four successive batches. The photocatalytic data was fitted to the pseudo-first-order kinetic model (R2 = 0.992) having 0.007672 min-1 and 0.0549 ppm/min as k and reaction rate, respectively. The statistical models such as response surface methodology (RSM) and artificial neural network-genetic algorithm (ANN-GA) were also applied for confirmation of the experimental data and the results showed a good agreement. It is deduced that the synthesized Mn-CCMN could be an excellent alternative to the present photocatalysts for the decontamination of toxic organic dyes from contaminated water and industrial wastewater.

Designing, characterization, and evaluation of chitosan-zinc selenide nanoparticles for visible-light-induced degradation of tartrazine and sunset yellow dyes.

Employing dyes in different industrial sectors has produced a serious threat to the environment and living organisms of water bodies and land. For the decontamination of such toxic dyes, efforts have been made to develop an efficient, feasible, and low maintenance processes. In this context, chitosan-zinc selenide (CS-ZnSe) nanoparticles were prepared through chemical reduction method as the efficient photocatalysts for the decontamination of toxic dyes through photocatalysis. Photocatalyst's synthesis was confirmed with the help of FTIR spectroscopy. XRD indicated the hexagonal crystal structure of the CS-ZnSe with a crystallite size of 12 nm. SEM micrographs showed the average nano photocatalyst size as 25 nm. EDX analysis was employed to determine the elemental composition of the CS-ZnSe. An excellent photocatalytic degradation efficiency for tartrazine and sunset yellow dyes was obtained using CS-ZnSe. The results showed a 98% and 97% degradation efficiency for tartrazine dye and sunset yellow (SY) dye at optimized conditions of time (3 h), pH (5), dye concentration (30 ppm), catalyst dosage (0.09 g and 0.01 g) , and at a temperature of 35 °C. Findings of the photocatalytic degradation process fitted well with first-order kinetics for both the dyes. Rate constant, 'K' value was found to be 0.001362 min-1 and 0.001257 min-1 for tartrazine and SY dyes, respectively. While value for (correlation coefficient, R2) was 0.99307 and 0.99277 for tartrazine and sunset yellow dyes, respectively. Recyclability of the photocatalyst was confirmed using it for consecutive cycles to degrade organic dyes. Results showed that the CH-ZnS possesses excellent efficiency in decontaminating organic dyes from industrial wastewater.

Core-shell magnetic molecularly imprinted polymer for selective recognition and detection of sunset yellow in aqueous environment and real samples.

Magnetic Molecularly imprinted polymers (MMIPs) have been recently recognized as an exceptional tool for monitoring and decontamination of environmental and biological samples of diverse nature. Based on the potential applications as sorbents and biomimetic sensors, herein, a core-shell magnetic-molecularly imprinted polymer (MMIP) was developed as a selective material for separation and sensing of sunset yellow (SY) dye in an aqueous environment and real samples. The MMIP was synthesized via precipitation polymerization using SY as a template, MAA as a functional monomer (chosen based on simulation studies), EGDMA as a cross-linking agent, and AIBN as an initiator. To elaborate the specificity of MMIP, a comparative agent, magnetic non-imprinted polymer (MNIP) was also synthesized. The XRD results showed that the MMIP showed both crystalline and amorphous structure attributed to the presence and polymeric and non-polymeric groups. The FTIR spectra confirmed synthesis of intermediate and final MMIP product. The SEM results showed spherical morphology and porous structure of the MMIP with an average particle size of 0.636 µm in diameter. The MMIP was first employed as a sorbent for the removal of SY from the aqueous environment. The binding experiments performed at optimized operating conditions (pH 2; time 30 min; sorbent dosage 3 mg; sorbate concentration 80 ppm) showed more selectivity when compared with MNIP. The data fitted best to Langmuir's sorption isotherm (Qo 359.8 mg/g) and followed the pseudo-second-order kinetic model. The synthesized MMIP was also used as an electrochemical sensor for detection of SY dye in the aqueous environment, which exhibited a linear range of detection as (1.51 × 10-6 - 1.5 × 10-3 M). The limit of detection (LOD) and limit of quantification (LOQ) were found to be 0.00413 M and 0.0137 M, respectively. While the R2 value was found to be 0.997 at optimized analytical conditions. These results suggested that the synthesized MMIP can be applied for the selective separation and quantification of SY dye in sample of diverse nature.

Efficient removal of selected fluoroquinolones from the aqueous environment using reduced magnetic graphene oxide/polyaniline composite.

In the present study, reduced magnetic graphene oxide/polyaniline (RmGO/PANI) composite was synthesized via in-situ oxidative polymerization method. The synthesized RmGO/PANI was characterized by fourier transform infrared, scanning electron microscope, X-ray diffraction and energy dispersive X-rays techniques. The synthesized RmGO/PANI was explored as an adsorbent for the removal of moxifloxacin (MOX) and ofloxacin (OFL) from the aqueous samples. To inflate removal efficiency of RmGO/PANI, various adsorption effecting parameters such as effect of pH (2-12), RmGO/PANI dosage (2-14 mg), analyte concentration (150-525 µg mL-1 for MOX and 15-40 µg mL-1 for OFL), contact time (10-120 min) and temperature (293-343 K) were studied. Moreover, kinetic study exhibits that adsorption of MOX/OFL using RmGO/PANI follows pseudo second order kinetic model. The adsorption of MOX/OFL well-fitted to the Langmuir adsorption isotherm which demonstrates mono-layer adsorption of MOX/OFL on the surface of RmGO/PANI with maximum adsorption capacity of 47.7 mg g-1 and 27.33 mg g-1 for OFL and MOX, respectively. Thermodynamic study indicates that the adsorption process was spontaneous and exothermic in nature with the decrease of randomness of the system during the adsorption. On account of its practical applications, RmGO/PANI is considered an excellent adsorbent with 99% and 96% removal efficacy for MOX and OFL, respectively. The synthesized RmGO/PANI was reused for ten consecutive batches as well as applied to the real samples, maintain an excellent removal capacity. The reusable nature of RmGO/PANI declare this solid medium as an innovative adsorbent for real sample applications and wastewater treatment.

Association of ATM, CDH1 and TP53 genes polymorphisms with familial breast cancer in patients of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan.

Background: Genetic studies play a significant role in understanding the underlying risk factors of breast cancer. Polymorphism in the tumor suppressor gene TP 53, CDH1 and ATM genes are found to increase susceptibility for breast cancer globally. Objective: This study aimed to identify/analyze the contribution of genetic polymorphisms in the breast cancer candidate genes ATM, TP53 and CDH1 that may be associated with familial breast cancer risk in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa population. Subjects and Methods: In the present case-control study, Whole Exome Sequencing (WES) of the 100 breast cancer patients and 100 ethnic controls were performed for the selected genes in the target population. Results: Of the studied variants rs3743674 of the CDH1 gene (crude P=0.014 and adjusted p=0.000) evident significant association with breast cancer in Pakistani Pashtun population. Whereas TP53rs1042522 (crude P=0.251 and adjusted P=0.851) and ATM rs659243 (crude p=0.256 and adjusted p=0.975) showed no or negative association with breast cancer in study population. Conclusion: The present study demonstrates that CDH1rs3743674 polymorphism is associated with elevated breast cancer risk in the Pashtun ethic population of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

Association of HLA-B Gene Polymorphisms with Type 2 Diabetes in Pashtun Ethnic Population of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan.

Human leukocyte antigen (HLA) system is the most polymorphic and gene dense region of human DNA that has shown many disease associations. It has been further divided into HLA classes I, II, and III. Polymorphism in HLA class II genes has been reported to play an important role in the pathogenesis of type 1 diabetes (T1D). It also showed association with T2D in different ethnic populations. However, a little is known about the relationship of HLA class I gene polymorphism and T2D. This study has evaluated the association of HLA-B (class I gene) variants with T2D in Pashtun ethnic population of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. In the first phase of the study, whole exome sequencing (WES) of 2 pooled DNA samples was carried out, and DNA pools used were constructed from 100 diabetic cases and 100 control subjects. WES results identified a total of n = 17 SNPs in HLA-B gene. In the next phase, first 5 out of n = 17 reported SNPs were genotyped using MassARRAY® system in order to validate WES results and to confirm association of selected SNPs with T2D. Minor allele frequencies (MAFs) and selected SNPs×T2D association were determined using chi-square test and logistic regression analysis. The frequency of minor C allele was significantly higher in the T2D group as compared to control group (45.0% vs. 13.0%) (p = 0.006) for rs2308655 in HLA-B gene. No significant difference in MAF distribution between cases and controls was observed for rs1051488, rs1131500, rs1050341, and rs1131285 (p > 0.05). Binary logistic regression analyses showed significant results for SNP rs2308655 (OR = 2.233, CI (95%) = 1.223-4.077, and p = 0.009), while no considerable association was observed for the other 4 SNPs. However, when adjusted for these variants, the association of rs2308655 further strengthened significantly (adjusted OR = 7.485, CI (95%) = 2.353-23.812, and p = 0.001), except for rs1131500, which has no additive effect. In conclusion, the finding of this study suggests rs2308655 variant in HLA-B gene as risk variant for T2D susceptibility in Pashtun population.