Effect of phosphate buffer on the complexation and photochemical interaction of riboflavin and caffeine in aqueous solution: A kinetic study

A study of the photodegradation of 5×10−₅ M riboflavin (RF) in 0.2-1.0 M phosphate buffer in the presence and absence of 2.50×10-₄ M caffeine at pH 6.0-8.0 has been carried out. RF in phosphate buffer is photodegraded simultaneously by normal photolysis (photoreduction) and photoaddition reactions giving rise to lumichrome (LC) and cyclodehydroriboflavin (CDRF) as the main final products, respectively. RF and its photoproducts, formylmethylflavin (FMF), lumiflavin (LF), LC and CDRF in degraded solution have been determined by a specific multicomponent spectrophotometric method with an accuracy of ±5

An investigation into the antibacterial properties of bamboo/cotton blended fabric and potential limitations of the test method AATCC 147

In this paper, the antibacterial activity of various blend ratios of bamboo and cotton fibers was assessed qualitatively. It was found that incorporation of regenerated bamboo fiber did not drastically increase the antibacterial property of the resulting fabric. In fact, limited bacteriostatic property was observed in the case of the sample containing as high as up to 75% bamboo fiber. Thus, the study supports the reports stating that the regeneration process of bamboo results in significant loss of its antibacterial properties. Pile fabric (terry towel) was also considered and it was observed that the pile area showed inferior bacteriostatic property. This is attributed to the lack of contact between the pile portion of a fabric and the nutrient providing medium for bacterial growth. This is considered to be an important finding that could be beneficial for the relevant industry that is involved in developing antibacterial textiles

Using Moringa oleifera stem extract for green synthesis, characterization, and anti-inflammatory activity of silver oxide nanoparticles

Recently, nanoparticles from 1 to 100 nm gained attention. Due to their eco-friendliness and medicinal potential, natural ingredients are used more to synthesise AgONPs. This work synthesises AgONPs from Moringa oleifera stem extract and tests their anti-inflammatory activity. Prepared AgONPs were characterised through UV-Visible, FTIR, XRD, SEM and EDX. According to the results, Moringa oleifera stem extract reduced silver ions to AgO with an average crystalline size of 23 nanometres. In addition, the study compared the anti-inflammatory properties of green AgONPs with those of standard pharmacological drugs. At a dose of 80 mL-1, synthesised nanoparticles showed strong anti-inflammatory effects compared to the drug diclofenac sodium, which had an 85% inhibition rate. The AgONPs only had a 78% inhibition rate. Based on the results, AgONPs are compatible with diclofenac sodium. These findings show that AgONPs synthesised from Moringa oleifera stem extract may cure inflammation related diseases

Hybrid composites based on textile hard waste: Use as sunshades

Hybrid composites have gained exceptional interest from researchers and industry sectors in the last couple of decades with an aim to improve existing and/or develop new composites to cater for a wide variety of applications. In this research, hybrid composites utilizing glass fibre combined with textile hard waste were fabricated. A control sample and 7 hybrid composite samples including glass-polyester hard waste, glass-mercerized cotton hard waste and glass-cotton hard waste were developed as part of this study. Density, tensile strength and thermal conductivity of all developed samples and that of a commercial composite (purchased from the market) were measured. The results revealed that the control sample developed at the lab scale showed similar or higher values of density, tensile properties and thermal conductivity. Hybrid composites based on unmercerized and mercerized cotton showed very low tensile properties and similar conductivity, so they are not suitable for sunshade application. On the other hand, a composite made from polyester provided with highest tensile properties amongst all the hybrid composites but was still quite lower than a commercial sample. Polyester hybrid composite has enhanced thermal insulation properties suggesting that it has the potential to replace the existing composite, but a compromise needs to be made between the physical and thermal properties of the sunshade

Prediction of yarn sales price using data mining techniques – a case of yarn manufacturing industry

Data-driven knowledge is required for businesses to make better decisions that result in profit maximisation. In this study, it has been attempted to develop a model to predict yarn sales prices against cotton prices and other parameters. For this purpose, four different data mining techniques namely ARIMA (Autoregressive Integrated Moving Average), Multivariate regression, K-Nearest Neighbor (KNN) and Neural Networks (NN), were considered. The entire analysis was performed on thirty months of data that was collected from the ERP system of a yarn manufacturing industry. The unique aspect of this study is that before separately deploying data mining techniques, significant parameters that impact yarn sales prices were identified through Adjusted R-squared values. Seasonal and trend patterns were checked on yarn sales data, and seasonal adjustments were obtained through data mining algorithms. The performance of all four models was evaluated using Mean Absolute Error and Root Mean Square Error. The analysis shows that the KNN model, in the stated settings, is the most accurate as evident from MAE and RMSE values of 222.85 and 285.082, respectively. This study’s unique combination of features and machine learning algorithms is envisaged to be valuable for decision-makers in the textile yarn manufacturing industry

Assessing urban land administration capacity to achieve 2030 agenda for sustainable development in Pakistan

The Urban Land Administration System (LAS) includes land tenure, value, use, and development and has significant social, fiscal, legal, and technical implications. An outdated LAS can create challenges and obstacles to achieving sustainable societal development. In 2015, the United Nations established the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to ensure peace and prosperity for all by protecting the planet and ending poverty. This research aims to assess the capacity of urban LASs to achieve the SDGs related to land and property. The research methodology includes identifying the SDG targets and goals related to urban LAS, conducting an appraisal of existing urban LAS organizations in the study area and their challenges, and assessing SDGs in the context of urban LAS policies and legislative frameworks using a literature review and owner-buyer interviews based on a questionnaire.Pakistan's population rapidly grew from 132.35 million in 1998 to 241.5 million in 2023. The annual growth rate in urban areas is notably higher at 3.65 percent compared to rural areas' 1.9 percent, putting a considerable burden on existing manual LASs. There is a hybrid legislative framework for urban areas, including the British colonial system and the contemporary system.The results show that Pakistan falls behind in achieving most of the SDGs targets related to LAS. We interviewed 119 owner-buyers belonging to different LASs, and most of them faced difficulties while interacting with the LASs. Most believe computerization, GIS technology, and national/international standards can resolve issues and improve LAS efficiency. Pakistan has started LASs computerization, and achieving SDGs in the near future may be possible.<br/