Subjective awareness of sleepiness while driving in younger and older adults.

Understanding whether drivers can accurately assess sleepiness is essential for educational campaigns advising drivers to stop driving when feeling sleepy. However, few studies have examined this in real-world driving environments, particularly among older drivers who comprise a large proportion of all road users. To examine the accuracy of subjective sleepiness ratings in predicting subsequent driving impairment and physiological drowsiness, 16 younger (21-33 years) and 17 older (50-65 years) adults drove an instrumented vehicle for 2 h on closed loop under two conditions: well-rested and 29 h sleep deprivation. Sleepiness ratings (Karolinska Sleepiness Scale, Likelihood of Falling Asleep scale, Sleepiness Symptoms Questionnaire) were obtained every 15min, alongside lane deviations, near crash events, and ocular indices of drowsiness. All subjective sleepiness measures increased with sleep deprivation for both age groups (p < 0.013). While most subjective sleepiness ratings significantly predicted driving impairment and drowsiness in younger adults (OR: 1.7-15.6, p < 0.02), this was only apparent for KSS, likelihood of falling asleep, and "difficulty staying in the lane for the older adults" (OR: 2.76-2.86, p = 0.02). This may be due to an altered perception of sleepiness in older adults, or due to lowered objective signs of impairment in the older group. Our data suggest that (i) younger and older drivers are aware of sleepiness; (ii) the best subjective scale may differ across age groups; and (iii) future research should expand on the best subjective measures to inform of crash risk in older adults to inform tailored educational road safety campaigns on signs of sleepiness.

A systematic review of industrial wastewater management: Evaluating challenges and enablers.

The study provides a systematic literature review (SLR) encompassing industrial wastewater management research from the past decade, examining enablers, challenges, and prevailing practices. Originating from manufacturing, energy production, and diverse industrial processes, industrial wastewater's handling is critical due to its potential to impact the environment and public health. The research aims to comprehend the current state of industrial wastewater management, pinpoint gaps, and outline future research prospects. The SLR methodology involves scouring the Scopus database, yielding an initial pool of 253 articles. Refinement via search code leaves 101 articles, followed by abstract screening that reduces articles to 79, and finally 66 well-focused articles left for thorough full-text examination. Results underscore the significance of regulatory frameworks, technological innovation, and sustainability considerations as cornerstones for effective wastewater management. However, substantial impediments like; inadequate infrastructure, resource constraints and the necessity for stakeholder collaboration still exist. The study highlights emerging research domains, exemplified by advanced technologies like nanotechnology and bioremediation, alongside the pivotal role of circular economy principles in wastewater management. The SLR offers an exhaustive view of contemporary industrial wastewater management, accentuating the imperative of an all-encompassing approach that integrates regulatory, technological, and sustainability facets. Notably, the research identifies gaps and opportunities for forthcoming exploration, advocating for interdisciplinary research and intensified stakeholder collaboration. The study's insights cater to policymakers, practitioners, and researchers, equipping them to address the challenges and capitalize on prospects in industrial wastewater management effectively.

Isolation of Flavonoids and Flavonoid Glycosides from Myrsine africana and Their Inhibitory Activities against Mushroom Tyrosinase.

Bioassay-guided fractionation of the methanol extract of the shoots of Myrsine africana led to the isolation of the new compound myricetin 3-O-(2″,4″-di-O-acetyl)-α-l-rhamnopyranoside (9) and 11 known compounds. The known compounds quercetin 3-O-(3″,4″-di-O-acetyl)-α-l-rhamnopyranoside (8), rutin (10), quercetin 3-O-α-l-rhamnopyranoside (11), and myricetin 3-O-α-l-rhamnopyranoside (12) are reported for the first time from the methanol extract of the shoots of M. africana. Compounds 10 and 12 showed significant inhibition of tyrosinase with 50% inhibition (IC50 values) of the enzyme at 0.13 ± 0.003 and 0.12 ± 0.002 mM, respectively, which was supported by the docking fitness scores obtained through molecular docking analysis. In addition, compounds 1-12 displayed significant antioxidant activity with IC50 values ranging 1.90 to 3.90 µM.

Sub-chronic toxicopathological study of lantadenes of Lantana camara weed in Guinea pigs.

BACKGROUND: In the field conditions, animals regularly consume small quantities of lantana leaves either while grazing or due to mixing with regular fodder. The hypothesis of this study was that consumption of lantana toxins over a long period of time leads to progression of sub-clinical disease. Toxicopathological effects of sub-chronic (90 days) administration of lantadenes of L. camara were investigated in guinea pigs. For this, a total of 40 animals were divided into 5 groups whereby groups I, II, III and IV were orally administered lantadenes, daily at the dose of 24, 18, 12, and 6 mg/kg bw, respectively while group V was control. The animals were evaluated by weekly body weight changes, haematology, serum liver and kidney markers, tissue oxidative markers and histopathology. RESULTS: The results of significant decrease in weekly body weights, haematology, liver and kidney marker enzymes (alanine aminotransaminase, aspartate aminotransaminase, acid phosphatase and creatinine), oxidation stress markers (lipid peroxidation, reduced glutathione, superoxide dismutase and catalase) in liver and kidneys, histopathology, and confirmation of fibrous collagenous tissue proliferation by Masson's Trichome stain showed that lantadenes led to a dose-dependent toxicity in decreasing order with the highest dose (24 mg/kg bw) producing maximum lesions and the lowest dose (6 mg/kg bw) producing minimum alterations. CONCLUSIONS: The study revealed that lantadenes which are considered to be classical hepatotoxicants in acute toxicity produced pronounced nephrotoxicity during sub-chronic exposure. Further studies are needed to quantify the levels of lantadenes in blood or serum of animals exposed to lantana in field conditions which would help to assess the extent of damage to the vital organs.

Chemical Composition, Cytotoxic and Antibacterial Activities of Essential Oils of Cultivated Clones of Juniperus communis and Wild Juniperus Species.

Needles of seven cultivated clones (C1 - C7) of Juniperus communis at lower altitude and three wild Juniperus species (J. communis, J. recurva and J. indica) at higher altitudes were investigated comparatively for their essential oils (EOs) yields, chemical composition, cytotoxic and antibacterial activities. The EOs yields varied from 0.26 to 0.56% (v/w) among samples. Sixty-one volatile components were identified by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC/MS) and quantified using gas chromatography GC (FID) representing 82.5 - 95.7% of the total oil. Monoterpene hydrocarbons (49.1 - 82.8%) dominated in all samples (α-pinene, limonene and sabinene as major components). Principal component analysis (PCA) of GC data revealed that wild and cultivated Juniperus species are highly distinct due to variation in chemical composition. J. communis (wild species) displayed cytotoxicity against SiHa (human cervical cancer), A549 (human lung carcinoma) and A431 (human skin carcinoma) cells (66.4 ± 2.2%, 74.4 ± 1.4% and 57.4 ± 4.0%), respectively, at 200 µg/ml. EOs exhibited better antibacterial activity against Gram-positive bacteria than against Gram-negative bacteria with the highest zone of inhibition against Staphylococcus aureus MTCC 96 (19.2 ± 0.7) by clone-7. As per the conclusion of the findings, EOs of clone-2, clone-5 and clone-7 can be suggested to the growers of lower altitude, as there is more possibility of uses of these EOs in food and medicinal preparations.

UPLC-DAD quantification of chemical constituents of Potentilla atrosanguinea roots and their antioxidant activity.

Potentilla atrosanguinea, native to Himalayan region, is well known for its curative effects in traditional medicinal system. An ultra performance liquid chromatography-diode array detection method for the quantification of constituents of root part of P. atrosanguinea has been developed along with antioxidant activity evaluation. A simple and sensitive quantification method developed for seven compounds however only four compounds; p-coumaric acid (4), rutin (7), tiliroside (14) and kaempferol (16) were quantified as others were in lesser amount. Syringic acid and quercetin were found in trace amount whereas chlorogenic acid was absent in the ethanol extract of roots of P. atrosanguinea. Total polyphenolic and flavonoid contents were determined to be 21.75 mg of gallic acid equivalent and 8.57 mg of quercetin equivalent per gram of dry plant material, respectively. Antioxidant activity of extract was assessed using three assays; 2,2'-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), 2,2'-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) (ABTS) and ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP). The IC50 values; 35.75 µg/ml and 30.35 µg/ml by DPPH and ABTS assays for ethanolic extract showed excellent free radical scavenging potential of its root part. The ferric reducing ability (FRAP) value, 26.67 mg of ascorbic acid per gram also indicated its higher antioxidant potential.

Purple head broccoli (Brassica oleracea L. var. italica Plenck), a functional food crop for antioxidant and anticancer potential.

Natural foods are used in many folks and household treatments and have immense potential to treat a serious complication and health benefits, in addition to the basic nutritional values. These food products improve health, delay the aging process, increase life expectancy, and possibly prevent chronic diseases. Purple head Brassica oleracea L. var. italica Plenck is one of such foods and in current studies was explored for chemical compounds at different development stages by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Antioxidant potential was explored employing different assays like molybdate ion reduction, DPPH, superoxide anion radical scavenging and plasmid nicking assay. Inspired by antioxidant activity results, we further explored these extracts for antiproliferative potential by morphological changes, cell cycle analysis, measurement of intracellular peroxides and mitochondrial membrane potential changes. Current study provides the scientific basis for the use of broccoli as easily affordable potent functional food.

Investigations on Antioxidant, Antiproliferative and COX-2 Inhibitory Potential of Alkaloids from Anthocephalus cadamba (Roxb.) Miq. Leaves.

In the present study, an ayurvedic medicinal plant, Anthocephalus cadamba (Roxb.) Miq. commonly known as 'Kadamb' was explored for its potential against oxidative stress and cancer. The fractions namely AC-4 and ACALK (alkaloid rich fraction) were isolated from A. cadamba leaves by employing two different isolation methods and evaluated for their in vitro antioxidant and antiproliferative activity. The structure of the isolated AC-4 was characterized tentatively as dihydrocadambine by using various spectroscopic techniques such as ESI-QTOF-MS, 1 H- and 13 C-NMR, DEPT, COSY, HMQC, and HMBC. Results of various antioxidant assays viz. 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), ABTS cation radical, superoxide anion radical scavenging, and plasmid nicking assay demonstrated that both the fractions viz. AC-4 and ACALK possess ability to scavenge DPPH, ABTS radicals and effectively protected plasmid pBR322 DNA from damage caused by hydroxyl radicals. Further, when both fractions were evaluated for their potential to suppress growth of HeLa and COLO 205 cells, only ACALK fraction showed antiproliferative effects. ACALK exhibited GI50 of 205.98 and 99.54 µg/ml in HeLa and COLO 205 cell lines, respectively. Results of Hoechst staining in cervical carcinoma (HeLa) cells confirmed that ACALK induced cell death in HeLa cells via apoptotic mode. Both the fractions also inhibited COX-2 enzyme activity.

Microwave assisted synthesis of phenanthridinones and dihydrophenanthridines by vasicine/KOtBu promoted intramolecular C-H arylation.

A simple, efficient, rapid and transition metal-free methodology has been developed by utilizing vasicine (a natural product), as a catalyst for the synthesis of phenanthridinones and dihydrophenanthridines. The reaction proceeds through intramolecular C-H arylation with aryl halides in the presence of KOtBu as a base under microwave irradiation in sulfolane as a solvent. The reaction proceeds well with various aryl iodides, bromides and more remarkably with less reactive aryl chlorides for 15 minutes, providing the corresponding products in 45-90% yields.

Evaluation of terrestrial plants extracts for uranium sorption and characterization of potent phytoconstituents.

Sorption capacity of four plants (Funaria hygrometrica, Musa acuminata, Brassica juncea and Helianthus annuus) extracts/fractions for uranium, a radionuclide was investigated by EDXRF and tracer studies. The maximum sorption capacity, i.e., 100% (complete sorption) was observed in case of Musa acuminata extract and fractions. Carbohydrate, proteins, phenolics and flavonoids contents in the active fraction (having maximum sorption capacity) were also determined. Further purification of the most active fraction provided three pure molecules, mannitol, sorbitol and oxo-linked potassium oxalate. The characterization of isolated molecules was achieved by using FTIR, NMR, GC-MS, MS-MS, and by single crystal-XRD analysis. Of three molecules, oxo-linked potassium oxalate was observed to have 100% sorption activity. Possible binding mechanism of active molecule with the uranyl cation has been purposed.

Comprehensive review on agro technologies of low-calorie natural sweetener stevia (Stevia rebaudiana Bertoni): a boon to diabetic patients.

Stevia rebaudiana Bertoni is a low-calorie natural sweetener plant native to Paraguay. The leaves of stevia have sweetening compounds called steviol glycosides (SGs), which contain different marker compounds, i.e. stevioside (St), rebaudioside (Rb) A, B, C, D and E, dulcoside A and steviol biosides, which are nearly 300 times sweeter than sugar. Stevia is a better alternative to sugar in formulating food products, reducing the harmful effect of sugar and improving the nutrient properties. We have tried to compile a literature on various agronomic and management aspects which are helpful in increasing the yield and quality of stevia to be grown as a crop that will benefit farmers and industrialists. The stevioside thus obtained can be used to make different food products for sweetening purposes, which could be a boon to diabetic patients. Incorporation of different agronomic techniques like propagation method, transplanting time, intercropping, irrigation, mulching, plant geometry, pinching and harvesting time not only improve the biomass but also increase the quality of stevia. Therefore, agronomic considerations are of high priority to utilize its maximum potential. © 2015 Society of Chemical Industry.

3-Butenyl isothiocyanate: a hydrolytic product of glucosinolate as a potential cytotoxic agent against human cancer cell lines.

The present study envisages the cytotoxic potential of 3-butenyl isothiocyanate isolated from Brassica juncea L. Czern var. Pusa Jaikisan against the human cancer cell lines viz. prostate, bone osteosarcoma, cervical, liver, neuroblastoma and breast cancer. As the compound was observed to be more effective against prostate cancer cell line, therefore, this cell line was further used to study the mechanism of cell death using neutral red assay, reactive oxygen species assay, mitochondrial membrane potential assay, microscopic and cell cycle analysis. The mechanistic analysis indicated that it induced the cell death of prostate cancer cells via apoptosis and hence made it an excellent choice as an effective anticancer compound.

Crop-ecology and nutritional variability influence growth and secondary metabolites of Stevia rebaudiana Bertoni.

BACKGROUND: Plant nutrition and climatic conditions play important roles on the growth and secondary metabolites of stevia (Stevia rebaudiana Bertoni); however, the nutritional dose is strongly governed by the soil properties and climatic conditions of the growing region. In northern India, the interactive effects of crop ecology and plant nutrition on yield and secondary metabolites of stevia are not yet properly understood. Thus, a field experiment comprising three levels of nitrogen, two levels of phosphorus and three levels of potassium was conducted at three locations to ascertain whether the spatial and nutritional variability would dominate the leaf yield and secondary metabolites profile of stevia. RESULTS: Principal component analysis (PCA) indicates that the applications of 90 kg N, 40 kg P2O5 and 40 kg K2O ha-1 are the best nutritional conditions in terms of dry leaf yield for CSIR-IHBT (Council of Scientific and Industrial Research- Institute Himalayan Bioresource Technology) and RHRS (Regional Horticultural Research Station) conditions. The spatial variability also exerted considerable effect on the leaf yield and stevioside content in leaves. Among the three locations, CSIR-IHBT was found most suitable in case of dry leaf yield and secondary metabolites accumulation in leaves. CONCLUSIONS: The results suggest that dry leaf yield and accumulation of stevioside are controlled by the environmental factors and agronomic management; however, the accumulation of rebaudioside-A (Reb-A) is not much influenced by these two factors. Thus, leaf yield and secondary metabolite profiles of stevia can be improved through the selection of appropriate growing locations and proper nutrient management.

Highly efficient water-mediated approach to access benzazoles: metal catalyst and base-free synthesis of 2-substituted benzimidazoles, benzoxazoles, and benzothiazoles.

An efficient water-catalyzed method has been developed for the synthesis of 2-substituted benzimidazoles, benzoxazoles, and benzothiazoles in one step. The present method excludes the usage of toxic metal catalysts and bases to produce benzazoles in good to excellent yields. An efficient and versatile water-mediated method has been established for the synthesis of various 2-arylbenzazoles. The present protocol excludes the usage of any catalyst and additive provided excellent selectivities and yields with high functional group tolerance for the synthesis of 2-arylated benzimidazoles, benzoxazoles, and benzothiazoles. Benzazolones were also synthesized using similar reaction protocol.

Natural allelic diversity in OsDREB1F gene in the Indian wild rice germplasm led to ascertain its association with drought tolerance.

KEY MESSAGE: Three coding SNPs and one haplotype identified in the OsDREB1F gene have potential to be associated with drought tolerance in rice. Drought is a serious constraint to rice production worldwide, that can be addressed by deployment of drought tolerant genes. OsDREB1F, one of the most potent drought tolerance transcription activator genes, was re-sequenced for allele mining and association study in a set of 136 wild rice accessions and four cultivated rice. This analysis led to identify 22 SNPs with eight haplotypes based on allelic variations in the accessions used. The nucleotide variation-based neutrality tests suggested that the OsDREB1F gene has been subjected to purifying selection in the studied set of rice germplasm. Six different OsDREB1F protein variants were identified on the basis of translated amino acid residues amongst the orthologues. Five protein variants were truncated due to deletions in coding region and found susceptible to drought stress. Association study revealed that three coding SNPs of this gene were significantly associated with drought tolerance. One OsDREB1F variant in the activation domain of OsDREB1F gene which led to conversion of aspartate amino acid to glutamate was found to be associated with drought tolerance. Three-dimensional homology modeling assisted to understand the functional significance of this identified potential allele for drought tolerance in rice. The natural allelic variants mined in the OsDREB1F gene can be further used in translational genomics for improving the water use efficiency in rice.

Fatty acid composition, physicochemical properties, antioxidant and cytotoxic activity of apple seed oil obtained from apple pomace.

BACKGROUND: Apple pomace is generated in huge quantities in juice-processing industries the world over and continuous efforts are being made for its inclusive utilization. In this study, apple seeds separated from industrial pomace were used for extraction of oil. The fatty acid composition, physicochemical and antioxidant as well as in vitro anticancer properties of extracted oil were studied to assess its suitability in food and therapeutic applications. RESULTS: The fatty acid composition of seed oil revealed the dominance of oleic (46.50%) and linoleic acid (43.81%). It had high iodine (121.8 g I 100 g⁻¹) and saponification value (184.91 mg KOH g⁻¹ oil). The acid value, refractive index and relative density were 4.28 mg KOH g⁻¹, 1.47 and 0.97 mg mL⁻¹, respectively. The antioxidant potential (IC50) of apple seed oil was 40.06 µg mL⁻¹. Cytotoxicity of apple seed oil against CHOK1, SiHa and A549 cancer cell lines ranged between 0.5 ± 0.06% and 88.6 ± 0.3%. CONCLUSION: The physicochemical properties of apple seed oil were comparable with edible food oil, indicating its better stability and broad application in the food and pharmaceutical industries. Apple seed oil could be a good source of natural antioxidants. Also, the in vitro cytotoxic activity against specific cell lines exhibited its potential as an anticancer agent.

Canniprene B, a new prenylated dihydrostilbene with cytotoxic activities from the leaves of Cannabis sativa.

A new, canniprene B (4), along with five known (1-3 and 5-6) dihydrostilbenes were isolated from the leaves of Cannabis sativa collected at CSIR - IIIM, Jammu, India. Structures of all isolated compounds were elucidated by spectroscopic data analysis, including 1D and 2D NMR, and HR-ESI-MS. Canniprene B is a new prenylated dihydrostilbenes, a positional isomer of the known compound canniprene (5). The cytotoxic activities of these compounds (1-6) were evaluated using the SRB assay against a panel of five human cancer cell lines. Notably, canniprene B (4) exhibited varying levels of cytotoxicity with IC50 values ranging from 2.5 to 33.52 µM, demonstrating the most potent activity against pancreatic cancer cells.

Perceived social support and professional quality of life of health professionals during COVID-19 pandemic in Nepal: a cross-sectional study.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the perceived social support and professional quality of life (ProQOL) among healthcare professionals during COVID-19 pandemic in Nepal, encompassing both positive (compassion satisfaction) and negative (compassion fatigue) dimensions as well as the factors associated with them. DESIGN: A cross-sectional web-based study. SETTING: Nepal PARTICIPANTS: We carried out a convenience sampling technique to enrol 313 health professionals aged 18-60 years old. OUTCOME MEASURES: We employed the ProQOL V.5 questionnaire (comparing 30 self-report items) and the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support with 12 items to assess the ProQOL and social support, respectively. A χ2 test was performed to determine associated factors of different dimensions of ProQOL. RESULTS: The study included a total of 313 participants, mostly consisting of frontline health workers. More than one-third of the participants worked in places where precautionary measures were insufficient. However, the majority of them (73.8%) had high social support. Concerning the ProQOL, the percentage of health professionals that had moderate compassion satisfaction (CS), moderate Burnout (BO) and moderate secondary traumatic stress (STS) were 57.5%, 58.2% and 75.4%, respectively. Factors like sex, marital status, profession, work-shift, type of health institution and status of precautionary measures at the workplace were associated with the different dimensions of ProQOL at the significance level of 0.05. CONCLUSION: This study findings revealed a considerable proportion of BO and STS among health professionals during COVID-19 pandemic in Nepal. Implementation of appropriate interventions and support systems are needed to enhance CS, alleviate BO and mitigate STS among health professionals to combat future health emergencies.

Anti-malarial property of steroidal alkaloid conessine isolated from the bark of Holarrhena antidysenterica.

BACKGROUND: In the face of chronic and emerging resistance of parasites to currently available drugs and constant need for new anti-malarials, natural plant products have been the bastion of anti-malarials for thousands of years. Moreover natural plant products and their derivatives have traditionally been a common source of drugs, and represent more than 30% of the current pharmaceutical market. The present study shows evaluation of anti-malarial effects of compound conessine isolated from plant Holarrhena antidysenterica frequently used against malaria in the Garhwal region of north-west Himalaya. METHODS: In vitro anti-plasmodial activity of compound was assessed using schizont maturation and parasite lactate dehydrogenase (pLDH) assay. Cytotoxic activities of the examined compound were determined on L-6 cells of rat skeletal muscle myoblast. The four-day test for anti-malarial activity against a chloroquine-sensitive Plasmodium berghei NK65 strain in BALB/c mice was used for monitoring in vivo activity of compound. In liver and kidney function test, the activity of alkaline phosphatase (ALP) was examined by p-NPP method, bilirubin by Jendrassik and Grof method. The urea percentage was determined by modified Berthelot method and creatinine by alkaline picrate method in serum of mice using ENZOPAK/CHEMPAK reagent kits. RESULTS: Compound conessine showed in vitro anti-plasmodial activity with its IC50 value 1.9 µg/ml and 1.3 µg/ml using schizont maturation and pLDH assay respectively. The compound showed cytotoxity IC50= 14 µg/ml against L6 cells of rat skeletal muscle myoblast. The isolated compound from plant H. antidysenterica significantly reduced parasitaemia (at 10 mg/kg exhibited 88.95% parasite inhibition) in P. berghei-infected mice. Due to slightly toxic nature (cytotoxicity = 14), biochemical analysis (liver and kidney function test) of the serum from mice after administration of conessine were also observed. CONCLUSION: The present investigation demonstrates that the compound conessine exhibited substantial anti-malarial property. The isolated compound could be chemically modified to obtain a more potent chemical entity with improved characteristics against malaria.

Synthesis and anti-angiogenic activity of benzothiazole, benzimidazole containing phthalimide derivatives.

Benzothiazole and benzimidazole containing phthalimide derivatives (NK037, NK041, NK042, NK0139A and NK0148) have been synthesized and their anti-angiogenic activity was evaluated using ex vivo egg yolk angiogenesis model. A comparative study with pure thalidomide (NKTA) has also been performed to describe the efficacy of these derivatives in blocking angiogenesis. NK037, NK041 and NK042 were equally potent in blocking egg yolk angiogenesis and the anti-angiogenesis effect was higher than NKTA suggesting the efficacy of these three derivatives in blocking angiogenesis when compare to control. Other two derivatives NK0139A and NK0148 showed effect less than NKTA and stronger than control in ex vivo angiogenesis.