Electrochemical Evaluation of Human Hair Derived Carbon Particles

Pollution has become a great challenge for modern world. Hence, recycling trend is growing worldwide. Human hair, a fancy part of human body, creates a bulk of litter on trimming, yet has wide spectrum of applications. A facile thermal approach has been implemented in this research to synthesize carbon particles (CP) from waste human hair. CP surface analyses was made through SEM, ATR-FTIR, TGA & Raman. Efficient adsorptive behavior of synthesized CP against Zn and Pb has been observed with 70% Pb (9.325 mg/10 mg CP) and 90% Zn (37 mg/10 mg CP) adsorption. The augmented adsorptive capacity of CP ultimately finds its application in heavy metal removal from waste water. Cyclic voltammetry (CV) justified outstanding adsorption behavior of CP by speedy electron transfer, better charge storage and swift ionic diffusion; with 53 mC current carrying capacity and 1.98 to 4.37 cm(2) effective surface area. CV data has shown electrochemical irreversibility and double layer capacitance. CP conductivity has been observed from 19.78 mu S to 38.4 mu S, with. values between -17.4 mV and -28.6 mV. (c) 2020 The Electrochemical Society ("ECS"). Published on behalf of ECS by IOP Publishing Limited

Anticancer activity of grassy Hystrix brachyura bezoar and its mechanisms of action: An in vitro and in vivo based study

Porcupine bezoar (PB) is a calcified undigested material generally found in porcupine’s (Hystrix brachyura) gastrointestinal tract. The bezoar is traditionally used in South East Asia and Europe for the treatment of cancer, poisoning, dengue, typhoid, etc. However, limited scientific studies have been performed to verify its anticancer potential to substantiate its traditional claims in the treatment of cancers. Hence, this study was aimed at investigating the in vitro and in vivo anticancer properties of two grassy PB aqueous extract (PB-A and PB-B) using A375 cancer cell line and zebrafish model, respectively. This paper presents the first report on in vitro A375 cell viability assay, apoptosis assay, cell cycle arrest assay, migration assay, invasion assay, qPCR experimental assay and in vivo anti-angiogenesis assay using the grassy PBs. Experimental findings revealed IC50 value are 26.59 ± 1.37 μg/mL and 30.12 ± 3.25 μg/mL for PB-A and PB-B respectively. PBs showed anti-proliferative activity with no significant cytotoxic effect on normal human dermal fibroblast (NHDF). PBs were also found to induce apoptosis via intrinsic pathway and arrest cell cycle at G2/M phase. Additionally, the findings indicated its ability to debilitate migration and invasion of A375 cells. Further evaluation using embryo zebrafish model revealed LC50 = 450.0 ± 2.50 μg/mL and 58.7 ± 5.0 μg/mL for PB-A and PB-B which also exerted anti-angiogenesis effect in zebrafish. Moreover, stearic acid, ursodeoxycholic acid and pregnenolone were identified as possible metabolites that might contribute to the anticancer effect of the both PBs. Overall, this study demonstrated that PB-A and PB-B possess potential in vitro and in vivo anticancer effects which are elicited through selective cytotoxic effect, induction of apoptosis, inhibition of migration and invasion and anti-angiogenesis. This study provides scientific evidence that the porcupine bezoar do possess anti-cancer efficacy and further justifies its traditional utility. However, more experiments with higher vertebrae models are still warranted to validate its traditional claims as an anticancer agent

Effects of a high-dose 24-h infusion of tranexamic acid on death and thromboembolic events in patients with acute gastrointestinal bleeding (HALT-IT): an international randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial

Background: Tranexamic acid reduces surgical bleeding and reduces death due to bleeding in patients with trauma. Meta-analyses of small trials show that tranexamic acid might decrease deaths from gastrointestinal bleeding. We aimed to assess the effects of tranexamic acid in patients with gastrointestinal bleeding. Methods: We did an international, multicentre, randomised, placebo-controlled trial in 164 hospitals in 15 countries. Patients were enrolled if the responsible clinician was uncertain whether to use tranexamic acid, were aged above the minimum age considered an adult in their country (either aged 16 years and older or aged 18 years and older), and had significant (defined as at risk of bleeding to death) upper or lower gastrointestinal bleeding. Patients were randomly assigned by selection of a numbered treatment pack from a box containing eight packs that were identical apart from the pack number. Patients received either a loading dose of 1 g tranexamic acid, which was added to 100 mL infusion bag of 0·9% sodium chloride and infused by slow intravenous injection over 10 min, followed by a maintenance dose of 3 g tranexamic acid added to 1 L of any isotonic intravenous solution and infused at 125 mg/h for 24 h, or placebo (sodium chloride 0·9%). Patients, caregivers, and those assessing outcomes were masked to allocation. The primary outcome was death due to bleeding within 5 days of randomisation; analysis excluded patients who received neither dose of the allocated treatment and those for whom outcome data on death were unavailable. This trial was registered with Current Controlled Trials, ISRCTN11225767, and ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT01658124. Findings: Between July 4, 2013, and June 21, 2019, we randomly allocated 12 009 patients to receive tranexamic acid (5994, 49·9%) or matching placebo (6015, 50·1%), of whom 11 952 (99·5%) received the first dose of the allocated treatment. Death due to bleeding within 5 days of randomisation occurred in 222 (4%) of 5956 patients in the tranexamic acid group and in 226 (4%) of 5981 patients in the placebo group (risk ratio [RR] 0·99, 95% CI 0·82–1·18). Arterial thromboembolic events (myocardial infarction or stroke) were similar in the tranexamic acid group and placebo group (42 [0·7%] of 5952 vs 46 [0·8%] of 5977; 0·92; 0·60 to 1·39). Venous thromboembolic events (deep vein thrombosis or pulmonary embolism) were higher in tranexamic acid group than in the placebo group (48 [0·8%] of 5952 vs 26 [0·4%] of 5977; RR 1·85; 95% CI 1·15 to 2·98). Interpretation: We found that tranexamic acid did not reduce death from gastrointestinal bleeding. On the basis of our results, tranexamic acid should not be used for the treatment of gastrointestinal bleeding outside the context of a randomised trial

Medicinal Biospecificity of Ginger and Its Efficacious Bioactive Compounds in the Context of Its Biological Activities Against Predominant Health Issues: Current Study and New Avenues

There is a multitude of life-threatening and widespread health issues worldwide, regarding weak immunity, severe inflammation, viral infections, bacterial infections as well as antimicrobial resistance (AMR), high free radicals generation, and cancer. Ginger, a perennial plant of the Zingiberaceae family with several authentic nutritional and medicinal values used in many countries as traditional medicine. That is why, the study was designed to highlight recent studies about medicinally most efficacious bio-active compounds of ginger along their biological significance related to immuno-stimulatory, anti-inflammatory, anti-viral, anti-bacterial, anti-oxidant, and anti-cancer effects. Our study also recognized future gaps in research. The study included professional research data under duration from 2001-2022 appearing in books and scholarly journals, collected from scientific database platforms via PubMed, Web of Science, Google Scholar, Springer Nature, Science Direct and Scopus. The present study includes the medicinal effects of almost 44 most influential ginger compounds like phenolics, terpenoids, flavonoids, and vinyllyl ketonic compounds etc. Our results revealed the strong alleviating effects of gingerols, shogaols, paradols, and polyphenols. Moreover, the ginger essential oil has proven to be very effective both for antiviral and antibacterial activity. However, no data is available in previous literature for components of ginger involved in immuno-stimulatory, effects. There is also a need to explore components for antibacterial activity. However, research has been conducted on ginger for only a few viruses despite its strong alleviating effects. Besides this, more study is needed to comprehend the comprehensive mechanism of action (especially at the molecular level) regarding the anti-bacterial and anti-viral activity of ginger and its constituents

Electrospun Nanofiber/Textile Supported Composite Membranes with Improved Mechanical Performance for Biomedical Applications

Textile-supported nanocomposite as a scaffold has been extensively used in the medical field, mainly to give support to weak or harmed tissues. However, there are some challenges in fabricating the nanofiber/textile composite, i.e., suitable porous structure with defined pore size, less skin contact area, biocompatibility, and availability of degradable materials. Herein, polyamide-6 (PA) nanofibers were synthesized using needleless electrospinning with the toothed wheel as a spinneret. The electrospinning process was optimized using different process and solution parameters. In the next phase, optimized PA nanofiber membranes of optimum fiber diameter with uniform distribution and thickness were used in making nanofiber membrane–textile composite. Different textile fabrics (woven, non-woven, knitted) were developed. The optimized nanofiber membranes were combined with non-woven, woven, and knitted fabrics to make fabric-supported nanocomposite. The nanofiber/fabric composites were compared with available market woven and knitted meshes for mechanical properties, morphology, structure, and chemical interaction analysis. It was found that the tear strength of the nanofiber/woven composite was three times higher than market woven mesh, and the nanofiber/knitted composite was 2.5 times higher than market knitted mesh. The developed composite structures with woven and knitted fabric exhibited improved bursting strength (613.1 and 751.1 Kpa), tensile strength (195.76 and 227.85 N), and puncture resistance (68.76 and 57.47 N), respectively, than market available meshes. All these properties showed that PA nanofibers/textile structures could be utilized as a composite with multifunctional properties

Impacts of Nitrogen Fertilizer Application and Mulching on the Morpho-Physiological and Yield-Related Traits in Cotton

Cotton is a global cash crop with a significant contribution in the world economy. Optimum nutrient and water supply are most important for sustainable cotton production under warmer and dry environments. Field experiments were carried out to evaluate the cumulative impacts of various nitrogen doses and mulches on sustainable cotton production under semi-arid conditions during 2018 and 2019. Four nitrogen doses; 0, 70, 140, and 210 kg ha−1 and three types of mulch: control (without mulch), natural mulch (5 tons/ha wheat straw), and chemical mulch (methanol (30%). Nitrogen 210 kg ha−1 with natural mulching increased 40.5% gunning out turn, 30.0% fiber length, 31.7% fiber strength, 32.6% fiber fineness, 20.8% fiber uniformity, and 34.0% fiber elongation. Shoot nitrogen, phosphorous, potassium, calcium, and magnesium contents were maximum where 210 kg ha−1 nitrogen and mulch was applied. Natural mulch reduced the soil temperature as compared to chemical and no mulch conditions. The soil temperature was 0.5 to 1.8 ℃ lower in mulching treatments as compared to the control. Maximum economic yield was around 90% higher in natural mulch with the 210 kg ha−1 nitrogen application. It is concluded that optimum nitrogen application with natural mulch not only enhanced plant growth and development but also induced sustainability in quality cotton production under semi-arid conditions

Nonwoven/Nanomembrane Composite Functional Sweat Pads

Sweat is a natural body excretion produced by skin glands, and the body cools itself by releasing salty sweat. Wetness in the underarms and feet for long durations causes itchiness and an unpleasant smell. Skin-friendly reusable sweat pads could be used to absorb sweat. Transportation of moisture and functionality is the current challenge that many researchers are working on. This study aims to develop a functional and breathable sweat pad with antimicrobial and quick drying performance. Three layered functional sweat pads (FSP) are prepared in which the inner layer is made of an optimized needle-punched coolmax/polypropylene nonwoven blend. This layer is then dipped in antimicrobial ZnO solution (2, 4, and 6 wt.%), and super absorbent polymer (SAP) is embedded, and this is called a functional nonwoven (FNW1) sheet. Electrospun nanofiber-based nanomembranes of polyamide-6 are optimized for bead-free fibers. They are used as a middle layer to enhance the pad’s functionality, and the third layer is again made of needle-punched optimized coolmax/polypropylene nonwoven sheets. A simple nonwoven-based sweat pad (SSP) is also prepared for comparison purposes. Nonwoven sheets are optimized based on better comfort properties, including air/water vapor permeability and moisture management (MMT). Nonwoven webs having a higher proportion of coolmax show better air permeability and moisture transfer from the inner to the outer layer. Antimicrobial activity of the functional nonwoven layer showed 8 mm of bacterial growth, but SSP and FSP showed only 6 mm of growth against Staphylococcus aureus. FSP showed superior comfort and antibacterial properties. This study could be a footstone toward highly functional sweat pads with remarkable comfort properties

<i>Hystrix Brachyura</i> Bezoar Characterization, Antioxidant Activity Screening, and Anticancer Activity on Melanoma Cells (A375): A Preliminary Study

Porcupine bezoars (PBs) are masses of undigested calcareous concretions formed within the gastrointestinal tract. There are undocumented claims that PBs have antioxidant activity and can treat cancers. However, limited scientific study has been carried out to verify these traditional claims. Hence, this study was conducted to characterize the chemical profile and validate the antioxidant and anticancer activity against melanoma cells (A375). PB extract was initially subjected to Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), gas chromatography&#8315;mass spectrometry (GCMS), total phenolic content (TPC), and total flavonoid content (TFC) analyses. The bioautography of antioxidant assays, namely 2,2&#8242;-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulphonic acid (ABTS), 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazy (DPPH), and &#946;-carotene was performed. An in vitro A375 cell viability assay, apoptosis assay, cell cycle arrest assay, and gene expression assay were carried out as well. The experimental finding revealed 5,10-diethoxy-2,3,7,8-tetrahydro-1H,6H-dipyrrolo[1,2-a:1&#8242;,2&#8242;-d]pyrazine, ursodeoxycholic acid, and cholest-5-en-3-ol (3 beta)-, carbonochloridate are major compounds detected in PB extract. PB extract has low phenolic content, viz. 698.7 &#177; 0.93 (&#181;g GAE/5 mg dry weight). The bioautography antioxidant assays revealed a potent antioxidant effect (ABTS &gt; DPPH &gt; &#946;-carotene), with free radical scavenging activity. Furthermore, PB extract exhibited dose- and time-dependent inhibition of cancer activity on A375 cells due to the exhibition of apoptosis via an intrinsic pathway

Porcupine bezoar: in vitro antioxidant and anti-proliferative effects

Objectives: Porcupine bezoar (PB) is a mass of undigested organic and inorganic materials formed within the gastrointestinal tract of the porcupine. PB has been claimed to possess medicinal properties to treat different types of diseases including cancer. However, these traditional claims are yet to be scientifically ascertained and properly validated. Hence, this study was aimed to evaluate antioxidant and anticancer activities of PB through different biological assays. Design and method: Powdered PB was sonicated with double distilled water to get aqueous extract (PBA) which was initially screened for its phenolic content, flavonoid content and anti-oxidant potential using total phenolic content (TPC), total flavonoid content (TFC) and diphenl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) assays, respectively. Later on, in vitro anti-proliferative effect of PBA was evaluated against A375 (Skin Malignant Melanoma) and HGF-1 (normal cell). Results: PBA was found to contain low level of phenolic compounds and devoid of flavonoids. However, the DPPH assay showed low IC50 value indicating PBA’s potent anti-oxidant characteristic. Moreover, the PBA displayed low IC50 value and and also showed significant anti-proliferation pattern at 24, 48 and 72 hours exposures against A375 and HGF-1 cell lines. Conclusions: The results of this study suggest that PB is medicinally potent in nature due to its strong antioxidant and anti-proliferative effects and could play an important role to cure different kinds of cancers. Keywords: Porcupine bezoar, aqueous extract, TPC, TFC, DPPH, antioxidant activity, anti-proliferative acitivity, A375 and HGF-1 cell line

Anticancer activity of grassy Hystrix brachyura bezoar and its mechanisms of action: An in vitro and in vivo based study

Porcupine bezoar (PB) is a calcified undigested material generally found in porcupine’s (Hystrix brachyura) gastrointestinal tract. The bezoar is traditionally used in South East Asia and Europe for the treatment of cancer, poisoning, dengue, typhoid, etc. However, limited scientific studies have been performed to verify its anticancer potential to substantiate its traditional claims in the treatment of cancers. Hence, this study was aimed at investigating the in vitro and in vivo anticancer properties of two grassy PB aqueous extract (PB-A and PB-B) using A375 cancer cell line and zebrafish model, respectively. This paper presents the first report on in vitro A375 cell viability assay, apoptosis assay, cell cycle arrest assay, migration assay, invasion assay, qPCR experimental assay and in vivo anti-angiogenesis assay using the grassy PBs. Experimental findings revealed IC50 value are 26.59 ± 1.37 μg/mL and 30.12 ± 3.25 μg/mL for PB-A and PB-B respectively. PBs showed anti-proliferative activity with no significant cytotoxic effect on normal human dermal fibroblast (NHDF). PBs were also found to induce apoptosis via intrinsic pathway and arrest cell cycle at G2/M phase. Additionally, the findings indicated its ability to debilitate migration and invasion of A375 cells. Further evaluation using embryo zebrafish model revealed LC50=450.0 ± 2.50 μg/mL and 58.7 ± 5.0 μg/mL for PB-A and PB-B which also exerted anti-angiogenesis effect in zebrafish. Moreover, stearic acid, ursodeoxycholic acid and pregnenolone were identified as possible metabolites that might contribute to the anticancer effect of the both PBs. Overall, this study demonstrated that PB-A and PB-B possess potential in vitro and in vivo anticancer effects which are elicited through selective cytotoxic effect, induction of apoptosis, inhibition of migration and invasion and anti-angiogenesis. This study provides scientific evidence that the porcupine bezoar do possess anti-cancer efficacy and further justifies its traditional utility. However, more experiments with higher vertebrae models are still warranted to validate its traditional claims as an anticancer agent