Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) based nanofiber architectures for the removal of heavy metal ions

Environmental heavy metal ions (HMIs) accumulate in living organisms and cause various diseases. Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) have proven to be promising and effective materials for removing heavy metal ions from contaminated water because of their high porosity, remarkable physical and chemical properties, and high specific surface area. MOFs are self-assembling metal ions or clusters with organic linkers. Metals are used as dowel pins to build two-dimensional or three-dimensional frameworks, and organic linkers serve as carriers. Modern research has mainly focused on designing MOFs-based materials with improved adsorption and separation properties. In this review, for the first time, an in-depth look at the use of MOFs nanofiber materials for HMIs removal applications is provided. This review will focus on the synthesis, properties, and recent advances and provide an understanding of the opportunities and challenges that will arise in the synthesis of future MOFs-nanofiber composites in this area. MOFs decorated on nanofibers possess rapid adsorption kinetics, a high adsorption capacity, excellent selectivity, and good reusability. In addition, the substantial adsorption capacities are mainly due to interactions between the target ions and functional binding groups on the MOFs-nanofiber composites and the highly ordered porous structure

Taguchi L25 (54) approach for methylene blue removal by polyethylene terephthalate nanofiber‐multi‐walled carbon nanotube composite

A membrane composed of polyethylene terephthalate nanofiber and multi‐walled carbon nanotubes (PET NF‐MWCNTs) composite is used to adsorb methylene blue (MB) dye from an aqueous solution. Scanning electron microscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and X‐ ray diffraction techniques are employed to study the surface properties of the adsorbent. Several parameters affecting dye adsorption (pH, MB dye initial concentration, PET NF‐MWCNTs dose, and contact time) are optimized for optimal removal efficiency (R, %) by using the Taguchi L25 (54) Orthogonal Array approach. According to the ANOVA results, pH has the highest contributing percentage at 71.01%, suggesting it has the most significant impact on removal efficiency. The adsorbent dose is the second most affected (12.08%), followed by the MB dye initial concentration of 5.91%, and the least affected is the contact time (1.81%). In addition, experimental findings confirm that the Langmuir isotherm is well‐fitted, suggesting a monolayer capping of MB dye on the PET‐NF‐MWCNT surface with a maximum adsorption capacity of 7.047 mg g−1. Also, the kinetic results are well‐suited to the pseudo‐second‐order model. There is a good agreement between the calculated (qe) and experimental values for the pseudo‐second‐order kinetic model

Global survey of the roles, satisfaction, and barriers of home healthcare nurses on the provision of palliative care

Background: the World Health Assembly urges members to build palliative care (PC) capacity as an ethical imperative. Nurses provide PC services in a variety of settings, including the home and may be the only health care professional able to access some disparate populations. Identifying current nursing services, resources, and satisfaction and barriers to nursing practice are essential to build global PC capacity. Objective: to globally examine home health care nurses' practice, satisfaction, and barriers, regarding existing palliative home care provision. Design: needs assessment survey. Setting/Subjects: five hundred thirty-two home health care nurses in 29 countries. Measurements: a needs assessment, developed through literature review and cognitive interviewing. Results: nurses from developing countries performed more duties compared with those from high-income countries, suggesting a lack of resources in developing countries. Significant barriers to providing home care exist: personnel shortages, lack of funding and policies, poor access to end-of-life or hospice services, and decreased community awareness of services provided. Respondents identified lack of time, funding, and coverages as primary educational barriers. In-person local meetings and online courses were suggested as strategies to promote learning. Conclusions: it is imperative that home health care nurses have adequate resources to build PC capacity globally, which is so desperately needed. Nurses must be up to date on current evidence and practice within an evidence-based PC framework. Health care policy to increase necessary resources and the development of a multifaceted intervention to facilitate education about PC is indicated to build global capacity

The extraction of vitex pouch / A. Mohd Ali [et al.]...

In this study, the unprecedented extraction of the Vitex pouch was performed. The compounds from methanolic and chloroform extracts were isolated by using thin layer chromatography (TLC). The compound of interest was investigated by using 1 H-Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR, 500 MHz) spectroscopy. From the NMR spectral examination, the compound from the methanolic extract was suggested as glucononitol. Indeed, there are some parameters that could enhance the attainment of this research, which include high performance liquid chromatographic supplies. Nevertheless, more information and understanding on the pharmaceutical and chemical analysis of the Vitex species were obtained. To sum up, it is anticipated that incoming research with advanced technology for thisnatural product could be explored in the future

Development and evaluation of real-time loop-mediated isothermal amplification assay for rapid detection of cystic echinococcosis

Cystic echinococcosis (CE) or hydatidosis, caused by the larval stage of Echinococcus granulosus (EG)-complex, is a neglected parasitic disease of public health importance. The disease is endemic in many African and Mediterranean countries including the Sudan. The objective of the present study was to develop and evaluate a real-time loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) assay for simple and rapid detection of CE in humans and domestic live stock in Sudan. A set of six LAMP primers, designed from the mitochondrial NADH-1 gene of EG cattle strain of genotype 5 (G5), was used as a target for LAMP assay. The assay was performed at a constant temperature (63 °C), with a real-time follow-up using a LightCycler and fluorochrome dye. Following amplification cycles in a simple water bath, LAMP products were observed for color change by naked eye and were visualized under UV light source using agarose gel electrophoresis. The real-time LAMP assay identified a variety of hydatid cysts strains recovered in the Sudan, including Echinococcus canadenses (G6) and Echinococcus ortleppi (G5). Real-time LAMP positive results were detected by the presence of an amplification curve, whereas negative results were indicated by absence of fluorescence detection. Positive LAMP results appeared as a bluish-colored reaction as observed by naked eye, whereas negative LAMP results were observed as purple-colored reaction. The sensitivity studies indicated that the LAMP assay detected as little as a 10 fg of parasite DNA. There was 100 % agreement between results of the LAMP assay and our previously described nested PCR when testing 10-fold serial dilution of DNA extracted from EG-complex hydatid cyst. However, there was no cross-reactivity with other parasites including cysticercus bovis, Fasciola gigantica, and Schistosoma bovis and nucleic acid free samples. The developed LAMP assay would be expected to prove highly significant in epidemiological surveys of CE in developing countries or areas of resource-poor settings for both ease of use and cos

Biomarker Quantification, Spectroscopic, and Molecular Docking Studies of the Active Compounds Isolated from the Edible Plant <i>Sisymbrium irio</i> L.

Phytochemical investigation of the ethanolic extract of the aerial parts of Sisymbrium irio L. led to the isolation of four unsaturated fatty acids (1–4), including a new one (4), and four indole alkaloids (5–8). The structures of the isolated compounds were characterized with the help of spectroscopic techniques such as 1D, 2D NMR, and mass spectroscopy, and by correlation with the known compounds. In terms of their notable structural diversity, a molecular docking approach with the AutoDock 4.2 program was used to analyze the interactions of the identified fatty acids with PPAR-γ and the indole alkaloids with 5-HT1A and 5-HT2A, subtypes of serotonin receptors, respectively. Compared to the antidiabetic drug rivoglitazone, compound 3 acted as a potential PPAR-γ agonist with a binding energy of −7.4 kcal mol−1. Moreover, compound 8 displayed the strongest affinity, with binding energies of −6.9 kcal/mol to 5HT1A and −8.1 kcal/mol to 5HT2A, using serotonin and the antipsychotic drug risperidone as positive controls, respectively. The results of docked conformations represent an interesting target for developing novel antidiabetic and antipsychotic drugs and warrant further evaluation of these ligands in vitro and in vivo. On the other hand, an HPTLC method was developed to quantify α-linolenic acid in the hexane fraction of the ethanol extract of S. irio. The regression equation/correlation coefficient (r2) for linolenic acid was Y = 6.49X + 2310.8/0.9971 in the linearity range of 100–1200 ng/band. The content of α-linolenic acid in S. irio aerial parts was found to be 28.67 μg/mg of dried extract