Exploring feasibility of citric acid infused lignocellulosic waste derived from chestnut and water melon peels for phytofiltration of Eosin yellow dye from water.

The adsorption efficiency of cheap, ecofriendly, and easily available agro-waste, Trapa natans (Chestnut) and Citrullus lanatus (Watermelon) peels, has been investigated in their native forms (TNAT and CLAN) as well as citric acid impregnated forms (C-TNAT and C-CLAN), respectively, for the detoxification of toxic, deleterious, and carcinogenic Eosin yellow dye (EYD) from wastewater streams. Different operational parameters were optimized for the investigation of isothermal, kinetic and the thermodynamic models. R2 for sportive decontamination of Eosin by citric acid treated adsorbents were close to one, supporting the applicability of Langmuir, Temkin, and pseudo-second-order in this investigation. Maximum sorption capabilities were 222 and 667 mg/g for chemically treated bio-waste C-TNAT and C-CLAN, respectively, reflecting their efficient and promising performance, while Gibbs free energy revealed exothermic and spontaneous adsorption behavior. The kinetic statics for qe (cal) are quite close to qe (exp), indicating the viability and fitness of pseudo-second-order mechanisms. The present study suggests that both citric acid fabricated bio-waste C-TNAT and C-CLAN can be substantially employed to decontaminate persistent organic pollutants, like: Eosin yellow dye from wastewater using green approach to resolve socio-economic problems of developing countries.

Mechanistic studies of phytoremediative eradication of brilliant green dye from water by acid-treated Acacia concinna lignocellulosic waste.

A rapidly growing problem for life on earth is contamination of fresh water which is addressed in this article. By taking a glimpse on the causes of contaminations, persistent organic pollutants, especially synthetic dyes got prominent role. Here, out of commonly used techniques, adsorption using plant wastes was chosen for phytofiltration of such dyes. A natural adsorbent from plant source was selected and processed with acid, characterized with FTIR and SEM and then checked the efficacy on cationic dye brilliant green. Phytofiltration of dye was done to check the effectivity of both untreated (OA) and acid treated (OA-AC) form of Acacia concinna biowaste. Results were obtained, evaluated and presented here, giving maximum adsorption capacities (Qm) of AC and OA-AC 95.24 and 909.09 mg.g-1, respectively following Langmuir, pseudo second order kinetics and spontaneous exothermic nature, indicating their suitability to adopt on larger scale wastewater treatment effectively using green technology.

In this work, Acacia concinna both in untreated and acid treated form is used as an efficient adsorbent for the removal of Brilliant green dye from waste water, as not reported earlier, which proves its novelty. The values of adsorption capacities of both the adsorbent types are compared with different natural and synthetic adsorbents reported earlier, this comparison elaborate the efficacy of AC to be used as adsorbent and consider it as one of the efficient adsorbent materials naturally available.

Sequestration of cyanide ions from aqueous medium by physio-chemically fabricated biochar of peels of banana and grape fruit in ecofriendly way.

Pakistan is an agricultural country producing plenty of fruits, like: mango, banana, apple, peaches, grapes, plums, variety of citrus fruits including lemon, grapefruit, and oranges. So far the peels of most of the fruits are usually wasted and not properly utilized anywhere. In this work, the peels of banana and grapefruit are converted into biochar by slow pyrolysis under controlled supply of air and used for sequestering cyanide ions from aqueous medium after chemical modification with ZnCl2 and sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS). The modified biochar was characterized by various instrumental techniques, like: SEM, FTIR, TGA, and CHNS. Different parameters, like: time, temperature, pH, and dose of adsorbent affecting the adsorption of cyanide ions, onto prepared biochar were optimized and to understand the adsorption phenomenon, kinetic and thermodynamic studies were performed. Concentration of cyanide ions was estimated by employing standard ion selective electrode system and it is found that Sodium Dodecyl Sulfate treated biochar of banana peels shown more adsorption capacity, i.e.,: 17.080 mg/g as compared to all samples. Present work revealed that the biochar produced from the fruit waste has sufficient potential to eliminate trace quantities of cyanide from water, especially after treatment with sodium dodecyl sulfate.

An industrial area in Asian and African countries where mining is done using traditional techniques is the major cause of cyanide toxicity in wastewater streams. So, here chemically fabricated biochar made by peels of banana and grape fruit is employed for removal of cyanide ion for controlling aquatic pollution using local resources in green way. Favorable results indicated the feasibility of this process, which is cost effective, convenient, ecofriendly, and sustainable.

Process optimization of adsorptive phytoremediation of mutagenic brilliant green dye for health risk management using chemically activated Symplocos racemosa agro-waste.

Textile industries use large amounts of water as well as dyes. These dyes containing water are then discharged into the water bodies causing a significant role in water pollution. Brilliant Green dye contributes to many harmful diseases related to the respiratory and gastrointestinal tract. In this study, Symplocos racemosa (SR) agro-waste was chemically treated with acid (SR-HCl) and base (SR-NaOH) and then used for removing Brilliant Green Dye (BGD) on the batch scale. They were characterized by SEM, EDX, FTIR, XRD, TGA and DSC. Optimized conditions were 30 °C temperature, pH 6, adsorbent dose of 0.10 g/25 ml dye solution, shaking speed of 100 revolutions per minute, initial dye concentration of 50 ppm and 35 min time for shaking adsorbent and dye solution. Adsorption data obtained were analyzed using isotherms. The experimental data was found to fit well with the Langmuir model and the maximum adsorption capacity (qmax) of BGD on the SR, SR-HCl, and SR-NaOH was revealed to be 62.90, 65.40, and 71 mg/g respectively. Kinetic data (pseudo-first-order and pseudo-second-order) were evaluated and adsorption tends to follow the pseudo-2nd-order, which indicated the chemisorption mechanism. The results revealed that Symplocos racemosa agro-waste can be considered as the potential biosorbent.

Effective application of citric acid treated Trapa natans and Citrullus lanatus lignocellulosic macromolecules for adsorptive remediation of acid Violet-7 dye.

The peels of Trapa natans (TRA) and Citrullus lanatus (CIT), were modified with a variety of chemicals to boost their surface for the optimization of adsorption performance by providing a greater number of additional active binding sites. Citric acid-processed peels (TRAC and CITC) had shown more favorable adsorption performance to eradicate acid violet 7 dye (AVS). Extra and additional active sites generated after chemical processing, including hydroxyl (OH), carboxyl (COOH), amines NH2, carbonyl, and ester (-O-CO-) groups, as evidenced from FTIR and SEM characterizations, may boost the potential of physicochemical integration of adsorbent surface activity in order to promote and encourage the retention of hazardous and risky AVS molecules from the water. The Langmuir isotherm assessed the qmax for the adsorption of AVS on TRAC, CITC, TRA, and CIT to be 212.8, 294, 24.3, and 60.6 mg/g, respectively, whereas the correlation coefficients assessed for both TRAC and CITC were 0.98 and for TRA and CIT were 0.97, closer to unity reflecting monolayer physio-sorption. According to Temkin, the adsorption of AVS on TRAC, TRA, CITC, and CIT gives "BT" values of 1.275, 0.947, 1.085, and 1.211 mg/g, also suggesting physio-sorption. Therefore, chemically modified peels can be employed for detoxification of AVS.

Phytoremediative adsorption methodologies to decontaminate water from dyes and organic pollutants.

Persistent organic pollutants and dyes cause major problems during ecofriendly wastewater treatment. To overcome this huge problem, several techniques have been considered and in practice for the safe disposal of organic pollutants in recent years; some of them are discussed and compared herein. This review focuses on new trends for wastewater treatment and compares them with certain other techniques alongside their pros and cons; adsorption is considered the safest among them. Adsorbents derived from agri-wastes have good capacity for the removal of these contaminants owing to their great sorption capacity, high reusability, easy operation, etc. Sometimes they need some modifications for the removal of dyes, which are also discussed in this review. This capacity of adsorbents to chelate dye molecules can be affected by factors, such as pH, the concentration of dyes and adsorbents, and temperature of the system. pH has direct influence on the ionization potential and charge on the outer surface of adsorbents. The findings on isotherms, kinetics, and desorption of plant waste-based biomaterials that are safe for the ecosystem and user friendly and are used for hazardous contaminant removal from water are summarized in this review. Finally, conclusions and future perspectives are presented, and some other materials, such as CNTs and MOFs, are also discussed as efficient adsorbents for eliminating dyes from wastewater. Finally, it is predicted that the adsorption of dyes is a more feasible solution for this dye pollution problem.

Giant Meckel's Diverticulum as a Cause of Post-traumatic Hemoperitoneum in a 25-Year-Old Male: An Extremely Rare Phenomenon.

Following the "rule of 2", Meckel's Diverticulum (MD) is 2 inches or 5cm long. However, we report the case of an extremely large MD. To the best of our elucidated literature search, it is the first case of Giant Meckel's Diverticulum (GMD) from Pakistan presenting with post-traumatic hemoperitoneum. A 25-year-old Pakistani male presented to a surgical emergency with a two-hour history of generalized abdominal pain after blunt abdominal trauma. An exploratory laparotomy was carried out due to the deranged hemodynamic parameters and free fluid in the abdominopelvic cavity, revealing a 35 centimeters long MD with a bleeding vessel on its tip. Diverticulectomy with the repair of a small intestinal defect was performed after the evacuation of 2.5 liters of clotted blood. Histologic evaluation revealed ectopic gastric tissue. He had an uneventful post-operative stay and was discharged home. The current English scientific literature has adequate case reports documenting the complications of perforation, intestinal obstruction, and diverticulitis of Meckel's Diverticulum (MD) of normal length. However, this case report highlights the significance of an MD with an abnormal length which put the patient's life at risk of death in the setting of normal intra-operative anatomy of all other abdominal organs.

Separation of Amino Acids, Dyes, and Pigments Using Novel Pressurized Circular TLC Assembly for Secure Medical Imaging Applications.

A novel pressurized flow system for circular thin-layer chromatography (PC-TLC) has been successfully established and employed for the separation of amino acids, dyes, and pigments for safe medical imaging applications. In this system, the mobile phase is applied to a regular TLC plate through the tube and needle of an intravenous infusion set. The needle was fused in a hole underneath the center of the plate, while the second side end of the tube was connected to a microburette containing the solvent. This new assembly proved itself better in terms of separation time (within 5 minutes) and controlled flow of the solvent and horizontal movement of analyte components over chromatograms with better separation and R f values (glutamine: 0.26, valine: 0.44, phenylalanine: 0.60, chlorophyll a: 0.52, chlorophyll b: 0.43, xanthophyll: 0.18, carotenoid: 0.97, and pheophytin: 0.60) when a number of samples of amino acids, dyes, and pigments were separated by the developed apparatus and the conventional TLC procedure. The developed method was found distinctly rapid, precise, and eco-friendly (less solvent consuming) as compared to traditional ascending TLC.

Combined molecular dynamics simulations and experimental studies of the removal of cationic dyes on the eco-friendly adsorbent of activated carbon decorated montmorillonite Mt@AC.

In recent years, the combination of experimental and theoretical study to explain adsorbate/adsorbent interactions has attracted the attention of researchers. In this context, this work aims to study the adsorption of two cationic dyes, namely methylene blue (MB) and crystal violet (CV), on a green adsorbent Montmorillonite@activated carbon (Mt@AC) composite and to explain the adsorption behavior of each dye by the molecular dynamics (MD) simulation method. The eco-friendly nanocomposite Mt@AC is synthesized and characterized by the analysis methods: XRD, FTIR, BET, TGA/DTA, SEM-EDS, EDS-mapping and zeta potential. The experimental results of adsorption equilibrium show that the adsorption of the two dyes is well suited to the Langmuir adsorption model. The maximum adsorption capacity of the two dyes reaches 801.7 mg g-1 for methylene blue and 1110.8 mg g-1 for crystal violet. The experimental kinetics data fit well with a pseudo-first order kinetic model for the two dyes with coefficient of determination R 2 close to unity, non-linear chi-square χ 2 close to zero and lower Root Mean Square Error RMSE (R 2 → 1 and χ 2 → 0, RMSE lower). Molecular dynamic simulations are run to gain insights on the adsorption process. According to the RDF analysis and interaction energy calculations, the obtained results reveal a better affinity of the CV molecule with both the AC sheet and montmorillonite framework as compared with MB. This finding suggests that CV is adsorbed to a larger extent onto the nanocomposite material which is in good agreement with the adsorption isothermal experiment observations.

Efficacy of Various Types of Berries Extract for the Synthesis of ZnO Nanocomposites and Exploring Their Antimicrobial Potential for Use in Herbal Medicines.

Nanoscience has developed various greener approaches as an alternate method for the synthesis of nanoparticles and nanocomposites. The present study discusses the efficacy of berries extract for the synthesis of ZnO nanocomposites. Characterization of synthesized nanocomposite were done by SEM, UV/VIS spectrophotometry, Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, and XRD techniques. The crystalline nature of the synthesized nanoparticles was verified by XRD pattern in the range of 10-80 nm. The UV absorption peak of Elaeagnus umbellata (ZnO-EU) nanocomposite at 340 nm, Rubus idaeus (ZnO-Ri) nanocomposite at 360 nm, and Rubus fruticosus (ZnO-Rf) nanocomposite at 360 nm was observed. The nanocomposites were analyzed for their antimicrobial activity and found to be effective against three phytopathogens. The antimicrobial activity of ZnO nanocomposites showed good results against Escherichia coli (341), Staphylococcus aureus (345B), and Pseudomonas aeruginosa (5994 NLF). This study presents a simple and inexpensive approach for synthesizing zinc oxide nanocomposites with effective antibacterial activity.

Detoxification of toxic cations Pb(II) and Cd(II) from liquid phase by employing Pennisetum glaucum biowaste: a kinetic investigation.

Biosorption potential of Pennisetum glaucum has elaborated by investigating its kinetic behavior in nonlinear fashion. RMSE values supported the pseudo second order (PSO) and elovich model, but correlation coefficient (R2) values supported the PSO only. Study of intra-particle diffusion model (IPDM) and Boyd plots revealed the multi-linear diffusion pattern of the studied metal ions toward biosorbent. Initially, IPDM was found to be the rate-determining step, however boundary layer diffusion was found to be the slowest step later on. There was no correlation between calculated and experimental values of intercept, calculated by applying mass transfer model. Conclusive findings of Boyd plot supported the governing of biosorption process by film diffusion.Novelty StatementIn this work, biosorption potential of Pennisetum glaucum has been investigating in terms of kinetic studies in nonlinear fashion.Biosorbent is obtained from indigenous sources and its processing is easy, which in turns leads to its cost-effectiveness for better removal of toxic materials from waste water streams.All related theoretical investigations were summarized for showing biosorption efficiency of this novel material.

Biosorptive removal of crystal violet dye from aqueous solutions by Ficus religiosa leaves and Daucus carota pomace in ecofriendly way.

In this study, Ficus religiosa leaves (FRLs) and Daucus carota pomace (DCP) were used effectively for the removal of carcinogenic and non-biodegradable Crystal Violet dye from the aqueous medium on the batch scale as low-cost and environment-friendly biosorbents. Certain experimental conditions such as adsorbent dose, contact time, pH, and temperature were studied for thermodynamic and isothermal data investigations and optimized conditions for F. religiosa leaves and D. carota pomace were: adsorbent dose; 0.8 and 1.8 g, contact time; 30 and 25 min, pH; 9 and 3 and temperature; 70 °C and 30 °C, respectively. Langmuir, Freundlich, Temkin, and D-R isotherms were studied, and the sorption process indicated chemisorption mode is predominant. The same is supported by kinetic investigation of equilibrium data. The maximum adsorption capacity (qmax) for F. religiosa leaves and D. carota pomace was obtained as 2.4 and 27 mg/g, respectively, which showed that D. carota pomace (DCP) is more effective adsorbent than F. religiosa leaves (FRLs) for removal of CV dye. Exothermic nature and intraparticle diffusion mode are more predominant during the removal of CV dye by these biomaterials, which can be recycled using ethanol.[Figure: see text]Novelty statement: Ficus religiosa and Daucus carota biowaste was explored here for removing an anionic dye. This study will be helpful for exploring the waste potential for phytoremediation of toxic substances using indigenous resources in an ecofriendly way.

Sorptive removal of diamond green dye by acid treated Punica granatum peels in eco-friendly way.

In this study, acid treated Punica granatum (PG) peels were used for effective removal of Diamond green (DG) dye, commonly found in textile industry waste. Acid treatment enhanced the efficiency of this process along with increasing shelf life and stability of bio-adsorbent by reducing fungal attack risk. Optimized operational parameters for removing DG dye using PG peels powder were: 35-minute contact time, 75 rpm agitation speed, 50°C temperature and pH of 2. Isothermal study results showed that maximum dye removing capacity was 29.08 mg/g. ΔG and ΔH values were -6.384 and -0.05 kJ/mol, respectively indicating that DG dye adsorption on acid treated PG peels is spontaneous and exothermic in nature. It was found that for batch scale adsorptive removal of basic dyes like DG, acid treated Punica granatum peels were effective bio-waste that can be used from our indigenous sources in an effective way.

Co-composts of sewage sludge, farm manure and rock phosphate can substitute phosphorus fertilizers in rice-wheat cropping system.

In the present study, various co-composts of sewage sludge (SS), farm manure (FM) and rock phosphate (RP) were prepared and their influence on phosphorus (P) uptake, soil P restoration and growth of rice crop and residual effect on wheat crop were investigated. The treatments comprised of T1 (control, no amendment), T2 (452 kg Nitrophos ha-1, T3 (724 kg SS50:FM50 ha-1), T4 (594 kg SS100:FM0 ha-1), T5 (728 kg SS25:FM25:RP50 ha-1), T6 (726 kg SS5O:FM25:RP25 ha-1), T7 (508 kg SS75:FM0:RP25 ha-1), and T8 (546 kg SS50:FM0:RP50 ha-1). The post-experimental soil samples were analyzed for pH, EC, OM, Olsen's P. The plant samples (grains and straw of both crops) were analyzed for concentrations of P, and heavy metals. The P adsorption by post-wheat composts-amended soil was tested through Langmuir, and Freundlich adsorption isotherms. The investigated parameters (biomass, grain and straw yield, plant height and P concentrations in plant parts) were significantly increased in all composts as compared to the control treatment. The P uptake by the plants was higher in compost treatments as compared to the control and NP that shows long-term residual effect of applied composts. The maximum grain yield (1.63 Mg ha-1) was obtained in T5 followed by T6 (1.52 Mg ha-1). The P concentration in rice grains were recorded in the trend as T8 (2.55%) > T6 (2.24%) > T4 (1.92%) = T3 (1.88%) > T7 (1.62%). It is evident that the combined application of FM (25%) and RP (50%) enhanced the effect of SS (25%) in terms of P bioavailability and yield parameters and can be effectively used as P fertilizer.

Efficiency of various sewage sludges and their biochars in improving selected soil properties and growth of wheat (Triticum aestivum).

Due to increasing demand of P fertilizers and gradual decrease in P resources, recyclable P is the focus of researchers in recent years. Sewage sludge (SS) is a municipal waste that contains appreciable amounts of P and probably other nutrients. In present study, the effects of various SS and their biochars (450 °C for 2 h) were investigated on soil properties and P uptake in wheat (Triticum aestivum) with and without P fertilizer. The biomass of plants and grain yield were significantly increased with application of SS and their biochars as compared to the control treatment either without or with P application. Moreover, there was significant interaction between treatments and P application for the concentration of K, and P in shoots and roots of wheat. Shoot P concentration was not significantly affected with SS than biochars whereas root P concentration was higher in SS treatments than respective biochars. Higher increase in Olsen's P concentration was observed in populated area sludge applied-soil as compared to disposal sludge and their biochars. Overall, it is observed that SS application increased the wheat yield and P concentrations in plants than control depending upon SS types whereas biochar application decreased the P concentration in roots. Grain yield and P concentration in shoots were not significantly affected for the treatment with P fertilizers than without P. Sewage sludge and their biochars might be a potential source of P but further research is needed to recommend the use of modified SS-biochars as source of available P for crops.

Synthesis and Characterization of BaTiO3/Polypyrrole Composites with Exceptional Dielectric Behaviour.

Higher concentrations of ceramic fillers induce brittleness in the ceramic/polymer hybrids which restrict their applications to limited fields especially when such hybrids are prepared for their use as dielectrics. We have synthesized and characterized different BaTiO3-polypyrrole (PPy) composites by changing the concentration of BaTiO3 from 1% by weight of PPy taken to 5 wt % to explore its effect on the dielectric parameters of the final product and found that the BaTiO3-polypyrrole composite with weight ratio of 0.05:1 exhibited highest dielectric constant, lowest dielectric loss and thermally most stable. All the composites were prepared using in-situ polymerization of pyrrole in an aqueous dispersion of low content of BaTiO3 in the presence of small amount of Hydrochloric acid. These composites were characterized for their microstructure and crystallinity by X-ray diffractometer (XRD), Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) while thermal stability by thermo gravimetric (TGA) analysis. An impedance analyser (LCR meter) was utilized to investigate the dielectric parameters. FT-IR data confirmed the presence of the two phases and their interaction, inferred from the shifting of normal PPy peaks. The data obtained from XRD confirmed the presence of crystallites of 2.8 to 5 nm with dominant crystallinity of the filler, TGA analysis (25 to 600 °C) confirmed the higher thermal stability induced on successive addition of the filler into the prepared composites as compared to that of pure PPy in a wide temperature range which is unusual for such a low % age addition of the filler. The SEM analysis together with XRD results reveal that the successive introduction of BaTiO3 particles produced crystallites of 2 to 5 nm size which bonded together and changed the hemispherical shaped larger grains of the matrix to regular shaped smaller grains. The dielectric constant of the composites was enhanced with filler contents from 178 to 522 at 1 MHz for 1 wt % and 5 wt % BaTiO3 respectively. It was concluded that the introduction of BaTiO3 into the polymer matrix with this new procedure has greatly affected the polymerization process, thermal stability, morphology and dielectric properties of the host matrix and has resulted in a novel series of the composites which may have broad applications.

Effects of co-composting of farm manure and biochar on plant growth and carbon mineralization in an alkaline soil.

In the present study, the effects of co-composts of biochar (BC) and farm manure (FM) on the growth of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) and carbon mineralization in an alkaline soil were investigated. The co-composts of FM and BC were prepared at various ratios (FM100:BC0, FM75:BC25, FM50:BC50, FM25:BC75, FM0:BC100) using aboveground piles and were used in two separate experiments conducted simultaneously. In the plant growth trial, prepared co-composts were applied at a rate of 2% w/w and wheat was grown at two fertilizer levels (half and full) until maturity. In the incubation experiment, same treatments were used and carbon mineralization was studied over a period of 79 days. The priming effect and net CO2 efflux were calculated using CO2 release data. Analysis of postincubation soil showed no significant effect of treatments on the pH of soil. However, electrical conductivity and organic matter were significantly influenced by all treatments. The increasing BC ratio in the compost reduced the carbon mineralization in soil in a dose-additive manner. Increase in BC proportion in composts (FM50:BC50, FM25:BC75, FM0:BC100) stabilized the native carbon of the soil and caused negative priming effect (-1.9, -5.6, and -8.48%, respectively). Regarding plant growth, the results showed an enhancement in the grain yield with the application of compost than control. Total nitrogen (N), phosphorus, and potassium (K) contents of the soil were also increased by the application of compost than control (un-amended soil). Significantly higher N and K concentrations in wheat plants were also examined when soil was treated with compost than control. The use of compost with half fertilizer was better in increasing grain yield, especially with higher BC proportion in the compost than FM.

Impact of 24-hour helpline service for people with diabetes.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the impact and effectiveness of 24-hour helpline service in providing information and educating patients about self-management of diabetes. METHOD: The study was conducted at Baqai Institute of Diabetology & Endocrinology (BIDE), a tertiary diabetes care center, Karachi, Pakistan. People with diabetes attending the outpatient department from November 2012 to October 2014 were included in this study. After providing diabetes education, a helpline number was provided for emergency situations. Calls of registered patients were received by diabetes educators stationed at the BIDE around the clock. Data was collected through specially designed interface of HMS (health management system) in which the current complaint of caller and the advice of educator was recorded. RESULT: A total of 4842 calls were received. Out of those, 4268 (88%) were made by Type-2 diabetics and 526 calls (10%) were made by Type-1 diabetics. The average age of patients was 47.6 years. Three seventy-four calls (7.7%) were received with complaint of Hypoglycemia (72-80mg/dl). Six hundred and ninety-eight calls (14.4%) were received with complaint of hyperglycemia (>200mg/dl). Insulin dose was adjusted on 935 calls (19.3%). Calls regarding other special situations such as (insulin handling, technique, medicine information) 2014 (41.6%) were received. CONCLUSION: Station based 24-hour telephonic helpline service is an effective tool for providing continuous support to people with diabetes and their families, for the self-management of diabetes. It can help in the management of various acute complication of diabetes, thereby preventing unnecessary hospital visits and admission.

Biochar enhances the cadmium tolerance in spinach (Spinacia oleracea) through modification of Cd uptake and physiological and biochemical attributes.

Cadmium (Cd) has no known role in plant biology and is toxic to plants and animals. The Cd mainly accumulated in agricultural soils through anthropogenic activities, such as sewage water irrigation and phosphorus fertilization. Biochar (BC) has been proposed as an amendment to reduce metal toxicity in plants. The objective of this study was to evaluate the role of BC (cotton stick at a rate of 0, 3, and 5 %) on Cd uptake and the photosynthetic, physiological, and biochemical responses of spinach (Spinacia oleracea) grown in Cd-spiked soil (0, 25, 50, 75, and 100 mg Cd kg-1 soil). The results showed that Cd toxicity decreased growth, photosynthetic pigments, gas exchange characteristics, and amino acid and protein contents in 52-day-old spinach seedlings. The Cd treatments increased the concentrations of Cd, sugar, ascorbic acid, and malondialdehyde (MDA) in plants. The application of BC ameliorated the harmful effects of Cd in spinach plants. Under Cd stress, BC application increased the growth, photosynthesis, and protein contents and decreased Cd concentrations and MDA contents in plants. The maximum BC-mediated increase in dry biomass was about 25 % with 5 % BC application in control plants. It is concluded that BC could ameliorate Cd toxic effects in spinach through changing the physiological and biochemical attributes under Cd stress.

Advances of Proteomic Sciences in Dentistry.

Applications of proteomics tools revolutionized various biomedical disciplines such as genetics, molecular biology, medicine, and dentistry. The aim of this review is to highlight the major milestones in proteomics in dentistry during the last fifteen years. Human oral cavity contains hard and soft tissues and various biofluids including saliva and crevicular fluid. Proteomics has brought revolution in dentistry by helping in the early diagnosis of various diseases identified by the detection of numerous biomarkers present in the oral fluids. This paper covers the role of proteomics tools for the analysis of oral tissues. In addition, dental materials proteomics and their future directions are discussed.