Synthesis, characterization and optical properties of CdSe/CdS and CdSe/ZnS core-shell nanoparticles

Controlled organic synthesis method used for the preparation of cadmium selenide (CdSe) quantum dots, which are covered with cadmium sulfide (CdS) and zinc sulfide (ZnS) using TOP mediated has been presented in this paper. The size, shape, internal structure, chemical composition and functional groups of the core-shell nanoparticles were analyzed using X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, high resolution transmission electron microscopy, energy dispersive spectra and FTIR. These studies show that the particle size is in 2-10 nm range with hexagonal phase. The optical properties were analyzed through UV-visible spectroscopy, photoluminescence spectroscopy and micro-Raman spectroscopy. Photoluminescence blue shift and broadening of Raman spectrum further confirm the narrow size of particles

Anti-termite activity of essential oil and its components from Myristica fragrans against Microcerotermes beesoni

The essential oil obtained by hydrodistillation of the fruits of Myristica fragrans was analyzed by GC and GC-MS. Twenty eight compounds were identified representing 95.9% of the oil. The major constituents of the oil were \u3b1-pinene (6.4%), Sabinene (37.7%), \u3b1-pinene (7.3%), myrcene (3.5%),Limonene (4.7%),Terpine-4-ol (5.8%), safrole (3.4%) and myristicin (6.8%).The essential oil and its major constituents were evaluated at different dilution against Microcerotermes beesoni , test termite. The LC50 value of fruit essential oil is 28.6 mg/g. Furthermore, exposure to myristicin caused 100% mortality at a dosage of 5 mg/g after 14d

Anti-termite activity of essential oil and its components from Myristica fragrans against Microcerotermes beesoni

The essential oil obtained by hydrodistillation of the fruits of Myristica fragrans was analyzed by GC and GC-MS. Twenty eight compounds were identified representing 95.9% of the oil. The major constituents of the oil were \u3b1-pinene (6.4%), Sabinene (37.7%), \u3b1-pinene (7.3%), myrcene (3.5%),Limonene (4.7%),Terpine-4-ol (5.8%), safrole (3.4%) and myristicin (6.8%).The essential oil and its major constituents were evaluated at different dilution against Microcerotermes beesoni , test termite. The LC50 value of fruit essential oil is 28.6 mg/g. Furthermore, exposure to myristicin caused 100% mortality at a dosage of 5 mg/g after 14d

Synthesis, characterization and electrical properties of GO/PANI/NPs (NPs = CdSe, CdSe/CdS, CdSe/ZnS) nanocomposites

In this paper, GO/PANI/NPs (NPs = CdSe, CdSe/CdS, CdSe/ZnS) nanocomposites have been prepared using chemical method. The electrical properties of CdSe quantum dots, core shell nanoparticles (CdSe@CdS and CdSe@ZnS), graphene oxide/polyaniline nanocomposite (GO/PANI) and graphene oxide/polyaniline/nanoparticles (GO/PANI/NPs) nanocomposites have been measured using electrometer/high resistance meter (Keithley 6517A) at different wt% ratio. The above obtained nanoparticles (CdSe, CdSe@CdS and CdSe@ZnS) show the electrical current in nano ampere (nA) range while GO/PANI nanocomposites show the electrical current in miliampere (mA) range in the I-V measurement. The results of this study have been expected to reveal the effect of finite particle size on the conductivity of nanoparticles. The observed electrical conductivity of GO/PANI/NPs nanocomposites has been significantly reduced after the mixing of above obtained nanoparticles in different wt% ratio with GO/PANI nanocomposites. The knowledge of electrical conductivity and the effective mechanism for the conduction in nanocomposite is important for the fabrication of an electronic device such as solar cell

Case Study On Rubella Virus

The infection caused by Rubella virus is also known by the name of German measles. The number of birth defects might develop in the fetus of a rubella virus infected woman during the early stage of pregnancy. These defects are termed as congenital rubella syndrome (CRS).There is also possibility that the infection due to virus can lead to abortions. The study was conducted to find out the cases of CRS among the pregnant women. A combined vaccine against measles, mumps, and rubella was licensed for use for the first time in the year 1971 in the United States. The report from the data collected in the various studies have proved the rubella infection to be the cause for about 3-5 percent of all suspected CRS cases in India. A questionnaire was prepared and pregnant women as well as female of child-bearing age were asked about the rubella vaccination. In the research survey, more than 1000 females were involved in different areas and age-groups. It was concluded that very less or negligible data is available related to awareness about the routine immunization among the common people of India. Thus, it is required to conduct more research in this field and make people more and more aware about the harmful effects of not being vaccinated at the proper age. Indians need to collect reliable and accurate data to prioritize and tackle the serious consequences of CRS. &nbsp

Fenugreek derived diosgenin as an emerging source for diabetic therapy

Diabetes is a chronic metabolic disease that endangers the entire body’s tissues and organs. Diabetes impairs glucose and insulin regulation in the human body by causing pancreatic cell damage. Diabetes modifies pathways such as serine/threonine protein kinase (Akt) and Protein kinase C (PKC)/- glucose transporter 4 (GLUT4), peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR) glucose absorption, and inhibits α-amylase and α-glucosidase, Sodium/glucose cotransporter 1 (SGLT-1), and Na+-K+-ATPase activity. Diabetes may also be caused by a decrease in the expression of sterol regulatory element binding protein 1 (SREBP-1) and its target genes, fatty acid synthase (FAS), stearoyl-CoA desaturase-1 (SCD-1), and acetyl-CoA carboxylase α (ACC), as well as a decrease in the levels of C/EBP homologous protein (CHOP), Caspase12, and Caspase3 proteins. Diabetes has long been linked to diseases of the cardiovascular, nervous, skeletal, reproductive, hepatic, ocular, and renal systems. Diosgenin, a steroidal compound derived from fenugreek, aids in the prevention of diabetes by altering cellular pathways in favor of healthy bodily functions. Diosgenin is a new nutraceutical on the market that claims to cure diabetes in particular. This article focuses on diosgenin extraction and purification, fenugreek bioactive compounds, pharmacological properties of diosgenin, mode of action of diosgenin to cure diabetes, and dosages

An artificial intelligence-based decision support system for early and accurate diagnosis of Parkinson’s Disease

People with Parkinson’s Disease (PD) might struggle with sadness, restlessness, or difficulty speaking, chewing, or swallowing. A diagnosis can be challenging because there is no specific PD test. It is diagnosed by doctors using a neurological exam and a medical history. This study proposes several Machine Learning (ML) algorithms to predict PD. These ML algorithms include K-Nearest Neighbor (KNN), Random Forest (RF), Support Vector Machine (SVM), and eXtreme Gradient Boosting algorithms (XGBoost), and their ensemble methods using publicly available PD dataset with 195 instances. The ML algorithms are used to predict and classify PD using homogeneous XGBoost ensemble techniques with reduced amount of entropy. Synthetic Minority Oversampling Technique (SMOTE) is utilized to handle imbalanced data, and 10-fold cross-validation is employed for evaluation. The results show that the homogeneous XGBoost-Random Forest outperforms other ML methods with 98% accuracy and Matthew’s correlation coefficient value 0.93

Mask Use pattern, Public Perception and Barriers to Effective Mask Usage-A battle far from over

Background & Objective: Proper mask wearing reduces the transmissibility and risk of Covid-19 infection still compliance to mask use is low. This study was conducted to observe the mask usage pattern, perception and barriers to effective mask usage (EMU). Settings and Design: This cross-sectional study was conducted in collaboration with district police administration to observe mask usage pattern in various crowded places. Methods and Material: Participants from general public (n=6995) in 10 preselected areas of city were observed and then interviewed about their perceptions about EMU. Indirect observation of EMU was also done by screening CCTV footage, followed by another set of observation at same places after conducting a health education campaign. Data was entered in Microsoft excel and analyzed using SPSS. P value <0.05 was considered significant. Results: EMU was seen in nearly 62% participants. Younger age, native population, education above matric, persons driving two & four wheelers, had significantly higher compliance. During CCTV observation, EMU was 57.5%, and was highest near public places, roads and intersections while lowest near bus stand and religious places. Some improvement in compliance was seen after health education at these places. Breathing difficulty, no use of wearing mask and feeling uncomfortable were the most common reasons given by participants for non-compliance.Conclusions: EMU was lower in elderly, migrants, less educated, unemployed, daily wage workers, so these groups should be especially sensitized about preventive measures. There is need for extensive public education to bring out behavioral change regarding proper mask wearing to control this pandemic and prevent further waves

Spatial, temporal, and demographic patterns in prevalence of chewing tobacco use in 204 countries and territories, 1990-2019 : a systematic analysis from the Global Burden of Disease Study 2019

Interpretation Chewing tobacco remains a substantial public health problem in several regions of the world, and predominantly in south Asia. We found little change in the prevalence of chewing tobacco use between 1990 and 2019, and that control efforts have had much larger effects on the prevalence of smoking tobacco use than on chewing tobacco use in some countries. Mitigating the health effects of chewing tobacco requires stronger regulations and policies that specifically target use of chewing tobacco, especially in countries with high prevalence. Findings In 2019, 273 center dot 9 million (95% uncertainty interval 258 center dot 5 to 290 center dot 9) people aged 15 years and older used chewing tobacco, and the global age-standardised prevalence of chewing tobacco use was 4 center dot 72% (4 center dot 46 to 5 center dot 01). 228 center dot 2 million (213 center dot 6 to 244 center dot 7; 83 center dot 29% [82 center dot 15 to 84 center dot 42]) chewing tobacco users lived in the south Asia region. Prevalence among young people aged 15-19 years was over 10% in seven locations in 2019. Although global agestandardised prevalence of smoking tobacco use decreased significantly between 1990 and 2019 (annualised rate of change: -1 center dot 21% [-1 center dot 26 to -1 center dot 16]), similar progress was not observed for chewing tobacco (0 center dot 46% [0 center dot 13 to 0 center dot 79]). Among the 12 highest prevalence countries (Bangladesh, Bhutan, Cambodia, India, Madagascar, Marshall Islands, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, Palau, Sri Lanka, and Yemen), only Yemen had a significant decrease in the prevalence of chewing tobacco use, which was among males between 1990 and 2019 (-0 center dot 94% [-1 center dot 72 to -0 center dot 14]), compared with nine of 12 countries that had significant decreases in the prevalence of smoking tobacco. Among females, none of these 12 countries had significant decreases in prevalence of chewing tobacco use, whereas seven of 12 countries had a significant decrease in the prevalence of tobacco smoking use for the period. Summary Background Chewing tobacco and other types of smokeless tobacco use have had less attention from the global health community than smoked tobacco use. However, the practice is popular in many parts of the world and has been linked to several adverse health outcomes. Understanding trends in prevalence with age, over time, and by location and sex is important for policy setting and in relation to monitoring and assessing commitment to the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control. Methods We estimated prevalence of chewing tobacco use as part of the Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study 2019 using a modelling strategy that used information on multiple types of smokeless tobacco products. We generated a time series of prevalence of chewing tobacco use among individuals aged 15 years and older from 1990 to 2019 in 204 countries and territories, including age-sex specific estimates. We also compared these trends to those of smoked tobacco over the same time period. Findings In 2019, 273 & middot;9 million (95% uncertainty interval 258 & middot;5 to 290 & middot;9) people aged 15 years and older used chewing tobacco, and the global age-standardised prevalence of chewing tobacco use was 4 & middot;72% (4 & middot;46 to 5 & middot;01). 228 & middot;2 million (213 & middot;6 to 244 & middot;7; 83 & middot;29% [82 & middot;15 to 84 & middot;42]) chewing tobacco users lived in the south Asia region. Prevalence among young people aged 15-19 years was over 10% in seven locations in 2019. Although global age standardised prevalence of smoking tobacco use decreased significantly between 1990 and 2019 (annualised rate of change: -1 & middot;21% [-1 & middot;26 to -1 & middot;16]), similar progress was not observed for chewing tobacco (0 & middot;46% [0 & middot;13 to 0 & middot;79]). Among the 12 highest prevalence countries (Bangladesh, Bhutan, Cambodia, India, Madagascar, Marshall Islands, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, Palau, Sri Lanka, and Yemen), only Yemen had a significant decrease in the prevalence of chewing tobacco use, which was among males between 1990 and 2019 (-0 & middot;94% [-1 & middot;72 to -0 & middot;14]), compared with nine of 12 countries that had significant decreases in the prevalence of smoking tobacco. Among females, none of these 12 countries had significant decreases in prevalence of chewing tobacco use, whereas seven of 12 countries had a significant decrease in the prevalence of tobacco smoking use for the period. Interpretation Chewing tobacco remains a substantial public health problem in several regions of the world, and predominantly in south Asia. We found little change in the prevalence of chewing tobacco use between 1990 and 2019, and that control efforts have had much larger effects on the prevalence of smoking tobacco use than on chewing tobacco use in some countries. Mitigating the health effects of chewing tobacco requires stronger regulations and policies that specifically target use of chewing tobacco, especially in countries with high prevalence. Copyright (c) 2021 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd. This is an Open Access article under the CC BY 4.0 license.Peer reviewe