Study of association of dry eye with diabetes mellitus

Background: Aim of the study was to evaluate the tear status in diabetes mellitus (DM) patient. Methods: This study was a prospective observational case control study. Eighty patients with DM aged from 50 to 80 years were compared with a group of 80 normal healthy age matched control group. A general ophthalmological check-up was performed. The main points of comparison were subjective complaints, objective findings on basic Schirmer test, break-up time, Rose Bengal test. Results: The results show that 27.5% of all diabetic subjects accompanied of dry eye symptoms, as against 6.25% of the control group. A mean BUT value was 15.5s and Standard Error was 0.20. In the control group mean BUT value was 14s and standard error was 0.23. Basic Schirmer test in DM group mean value was 9.50 mm and SE was 0.268. In the control group mean basic Schirmer test value was 15 mm and SE was 0.405. Rose Bengal test score in DM group, normal score (score <3) was found in 80% case and abnormal score (score >3) was found in 20%. In the control group, normal score was found in 93.75% and abnormal score was found in 6.25% case. Dry eye percentage in DM group 11.25% had definitive dry eye, 16.25% cases had possible dry eye and 72.5% cases had no dry eye. In control group 2.50% cases had definitive dry eye, 3.75% cases had possible dry eye and 93.75% had no dry eye. Conclusions: The study shows that dry eye is associated with DM

ZnO Nano-swirlings for Azo Dye AR183 photocatalytic degradation and antimycotic activity

The sol-gel technique was used to fabricate ZnO Nano-swirlings (ZNsw) at a predetermined agitation rate (of \u3e\u3e 1900 rpm), with around 21.94 gm of zinc acetate dihydrate and 0.2 g cetyltrimethylammoniumbromide (CTAB) and a cationic surfactant (drop-wise). The impact of the predetermined agitation condition on the molecular size and morphology of ZNsw is examined, and the outcomes are dissected by useful characterization tools and techniques viz. XRD, SEM embedded with EDS, TEM, FT-IR and UV–visible. The SEM and TEM results suggest that the product formed into a big cluster of adequate ZNsw, containing a significant quantity of folded long thread-lengths. Each group indicated a fair amount of the volume of these lengths. The photocatalytic process of ZNsw was carried out as a result of the irradiation time due to the deterioration of Azo Dye AR183, resulting in approximately 79 percent dye discoloration following an 80-min UV light irradiation in the presence of ZNsw. Additionally, the synthesized ZNsw was tested for antagonistic activity, and the growth hindrance of two plant pathogenic fungal strains found. Per cent inhibition in growth of Rhizoctonia solani and Alternaria alternata were observed in response to ZNsw

Facile green synthesis of magnesium oxide nanoparticles using tea (Camellia sinensis) extract for efficient photocatalytic degradation of methylene blue dye

Herein, we report, for the first time, the synthesis, characterization, and the photocatalytic methyl blue dye degradation performance of magnesium oxide (MgO) nanoparticles (NPs) synthesized by a facile green approach using Camellia sinensis (tea leaves) extract as a reducing agent. The as-prepared materials were characterized by x-ray diffraction (XRD), which confirmed the large-scale synthesis of well crystalline cubic crystalline phase MgO NPs. Rietveld refinement analysis of the XRD pattern was done to determine the crystallographic parameters of the MgO NPs and to investigate lattice defects. Microstrain, lattice stress and energy density were calculated using Williamson-Hall analysis The synthesized nanoparticles exhibited over 97% photocatalytic degradation efficiency of methylene blue (MB) dye. Complementary density functional theory (DFT) calculations revealed the favorable formation of O 2 − radicals on the MgO (001) surface as the drivers of the MB dye degradation

A Qualitative Study of the Benefits of Standards-based Grading in a Suburban School District in Illinois

The purpose of the intrinsic case study was to explore teachers perspectives on standards-based grading (SBG) practices with middle school students. The gap identified was the lack of teachers' perspectives of the implementation of SBG and how teacher practice changed to accommodate the new grading approach. The study used a qualitative case study design bounded to one middle school in northern Illinois. Fifteen teachers who implemented SBG for at least one year were selected. Data was collected through semistructured interviews and a focus group discussion. The findings of the study were teachers preferred SBG over traditional grading practices and reported students grew as learners. The findings were inconclusive in describing the effect of SBG on student intrinsic motivation. The findings of the study may help school districts considering changing traditional grading system to an SBG system

Design of novel Sb2S3/Polythiophene heterojunction for efficient adsorption and methanol sensing

Eliminating micropollutants in trace concentrations in water bodies is crucial and challenging due to their persistent and bioactive characteristics. Due to these characteristics, their detection and removal pose a challenge to the conventional removal methods and to the health of the community. To effectively remove the pollutants, it requires the design and development of an efficient technique compared to the conventional techniques. The design of highly efficient methanol sensor and the adsorption of micropollutants by a heterojunction involving Sb2S3 and polythiophene (PTh) looks promising. The adsorption study was targeted on RhB dye whereas methanol was targeted to sensing application. Sb2S3 nanoparticles was synthesized by hydrothermal methods and incorporated into thiophene solution during chemical oxidative polymerization of thiophene. The heterojunction was applied to remove RhB dye through the adsorption process. Freundlich isotherm model and Langmuir isotherm model were used to study the adsorption of RhB. The higher adsorption capacity was found in case of Sb2S3/PTh is 99.8 mg g−1, and the rate constant (K2) was found to be 0.0206 min−1. The catalysts follows the pseudo-first and second order kinetics in the removal of RhB dye. The rate constant for adsorption k1 is 0.1347 min−1 and the rate constant for diffusion is 0.297 min−1. Moreover, the PTh/Sb2S3 shows an effective methanol sensing up to 0.7 mM and the current response at 0.6756 V of the oxidation peaks shows the presence of methanol

Naringin Attenuates the Diabetic Neuropathy in STZ-Induced Type 2 Diabetic Wistar Rats

The application of traditional medicines for the treatment of diseases, including diabetic neuropathy (DN), has received great attention. The aim of this study was to investigate the ameliorative potential of naringin, a flavanone, to treat streptozotocin-induced DN in rat models. After the successful induction of diabetes, DN complications were measured by various behavioral tests after 4 weeks of post-induction of diabetes with or without treatment with naringin. Serum biochemical assays such as fasting blood glucose, HbA1c%, insulin, lipid profile, and oxidative stress parameters were determined. Proinflammatory cytokines such as TNF-α and IL-6, and neuron-specific markers such as BDNF and NGF, were also assessed. In addition, pancreatic and brain tissues were subjected to histopathology to analyze structural alterations. The diabetic rats exhibited increased paw withdrawal frequencies for the acetone drop test and decreased frequencies for the plantar test, hot plate test, and tail flick test. The diabetic rats also showed an altered level of proinflammatory cytokines and oxidative stress parameters, as well as altered levels of proinflammatory cytokines and oxidative stress parameters. Naringin treatment significantly improved these parameters and helped in restoring the normal architecture of the brain and pancreatic tissues. The findings show that naringin’s neuroprotective properties may be linked to its ability to suppress the overactivation of inflammatory molecules and mediators of oxidative stress

Crystal Structure, Topology, DFT and Hirshfeld Surface Analysis of a Novel Charge Transfer Complex (L3) of Anthraquinone and 4-{[(anthracen-9-yl)meth-yl] amino}-benzoic Acid (L2) Exhibiting Photocatalytic Properties: An Experimental and Theoretical Approach

Here, we report a facile route to the synthesizing of a new donor–acceptor complex, L3, using 4-{[(anthracen-9-yl)meth-yl] amino}-benzoic acid, L2, as donor moiety with anthraquinone as an acceptor moiety. The formation of donor–acceptor complex L3 was facilitated via H-bonding and characterized by single-crystal X-ray diffraction. The X-ray diffraction results confirmed the synthesized donor–acceptor complex L3 crystal belongs to the triclinic system possessing the P-1 space group. The complex L3 was also characterized by other spectral techniques, viz., FTIR and UV absorption spectroscopy, which confirmed the formation of new bonds between donor L2 moiety and acceptor anthraquinone molecule. The crystallinity and thermal stability of the newly synthesized complex L3 was confirmed by powdered XRD and TGA analysis and theoretical studies; Hirshfeld surface analysis was performed to define the type of interactions occurring in the complex L3. Interestingly, theoretical results were successfully corroborated with experimental results of FTIR and UV absorption. The density functional theory (DFT) calculations were employed for HOMO to LUMO; the energy gap (∆E) was calculated to be 3.6463 eV. The complex L3 was employed as a photocatalyst for the degradation of MB dye and was found to be quite efficient. The results showed MB dye degraded about 90% in 200 min and followed the pseudo-first-order kinetic with rate constant k = 0.0111 min−1 and R2 = 0.9596. Additionally, molecular docking reveals that the lowest binding energy was −10.8 Kcal/mol which indicates that the L3 complex may be further studied for its biological applications