Phytochemical and Spectral Studies of Synthesis sulfur Nanoparticles using Sophora japonica Pods Extract

This study aims to investigate the aqueous extract of Sophora japonica pods for the presence of various phytochemicals and to synthesize sulfur nanoparticles. The presence of various phytochemicals viz. polyphenols, alkaloids, terpenoids, flavonoids, and tannins were investigated by standard biochemical methods.  A rapid, green and novel approach for synthesis sulfur nanoparticles (SNPs) from sodium thiosulfate in the presence of Sophora japonica pods aqueous extract in one-pot reaction at ambient temperature. The resulting sulfur nanoparticles were characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The results show that sulfur nanoparticles were successfully synthesized in sphere shape, and with an average particle size 5-100 nm. The effect of plant pods extract concentration on particle size of sulfur nanoparticles shows that can significantly reduce the particle size without changing the shape. The results revealed that the aqueous extract of Sophora japonica pods act as capping, dispersing and stabilizing agent for sulfur nanoparticles. This method is a novel approach for production nanosized sulfur particles, which could be applied to prepare sulfur nanoparticles for application in antimicrobial activity, fertilizers, and plant protection

Protective effect of propolis on manganese chloride neurotoxicity of olfactory bulb in adult male albino rat

Background: Manganese (Mn) is widely used for industrial purposes and exposure to high levels of Mn may cause an irreversible brain disease. Propolis is a natural plant product; it acts as a powerful reactive oxygen species scavenger and improves the neurodegeneration process. Materials and methods: In this study 40 adult male albino rats were divided randomly into four groups 10 rats each: group I (control group), group II manganese chloride (MnCl2) received 10 mg/kg/day/orally for 4 weeks by intra-gastric tube, group III (propolis group) received 50 mg/kg/day/orally for 4 weeks by intra-gastric tube, and group IV (MnCl2 + propolis group) received the same doses with the same duration and route as in groups II and III. Rats were sacrificed after 24 h of last dose. The olfactory bulbs removed, the right bulb cut to be processed for haematoxylin and eosin, immunohistochemical staining and the left cut for electron microscopic studies. Results: Results revealed that rat olfactory bulb from MnCl2 group showed darkly stained mitral cells with dark pyknotic nuclei, some show pericellular spaces and vacuolation, dark apoptotic cells in granular cells, neuropil vacuolation and pyknotic astrocyte. Electron microscopic examination showed abnormal granular cell with irregular damaged nuclear membrane, rupture of myelin fibre. Mitral nerve cell with destructed nucleus, many cytoplasmic vacuoles, swollen rough endoplasmic reticulum, vacuolated mitochondria and neuropil were observed. Manganese chloride + propolis group showed improvement compared to MnCl2 group. Conclusions: It was concluded that propolis can ameliorate the toxic changes of manganese chloride on rat olfactory bulb

Investigating the Use of Effective Microorganisms for the Restoration of Benghazi Lake

Surface water quality monitoring is an important tool for enhancing water quality. Benghazi Lake is suffering water quality degradation due to the various levels of pollutants generated from different contaminated sources. The use of effective microorganisms (EM) for treatment of Benghazi Lake was applied in this study to decrease the level of organic pollutant in the lake. Six points were selected for the study area; laboratory analyses were conducted to determine the values and concentrations of organic pollutants (DO, COD, TSS, TN, TP) before and after adding EM with different concentrations (1gm/l, 5gm/l, 10gm/l, 15gm/l and 20g/l) to the collected wastewater samples from the lake. The tested parameters were measured at intervals of 1, 3, 5 and, 7 days from adding EM to the sample. The concentrations of DO decreased significantly, as the added EM increased whereas all the pollutant levels increased

Experimental observation of high field diamagnetic fluctuations in Niobium

We have performed a magnetic study of a bulk metallic sample of Nb with critical temperature $T_{c}=8.5$ K. Magnetization versus temperature (M {\it vs} T) data obtained for fixed magnetic fields above 1 kOe show a superconducting transition which becomes broader as the field is increased. The data are interpreted in terms of the diamagnetic lowest Landau level (LLL) fluctuation theory. The scaling analysis gives values of the superconducting transition temperature $T_{c}(H)$ consistent with $H_{c2}(T)$% . We search for universal 3D LLL behavior by comparing scaling results for Nb and YBaCuO, but obtain no evidence for universality.Comment: 5 pages, 6 figures, Accepted for publication in Phys.Rev.

Organized Current Patterns in Disordered Conductors

We present a general theory of current deviations in straight current carrying wires with random imperfections, which quantitatively explains the recent observations of organized patterns of magnetic field corrugations above micron-scale evaporated wires. These patterns originate from the most efficient electron scattering by Fourier components of the wire imperfections with wavefronts along the $\pm 45^{\circ}$ direction. We show that long range effects of surface or bulk corrugations are suppressed for narrow wires or wires having an electrically anisotropic resistivity

Problems of Bacteriological Pollution in Water Wells in Wadi Hadramout Water Project

This paper presents an existing problem of drinking water pollution for a small project and one of the model projects of drinking water in Yemen, designed to save and preserve good quality water for the present and future generations in the area. The paper gives the details of the project and explains the problem of bacteriological pollution and the steps undertaken to solve the problem. Some of the results for short-term solutions and recommendation for the long-term solutions are also given

Antibacterial activity of Libyan Juniperus phoenicea L. leaves extracts against common nosocomial pathogens

In ancient times, botanical extracts were essential complementary method for microbial control. This study has been carried out to assess the antibacterial activities of methanol, acetone, and aqueous leaf extracts of Libyan Juniperus phoenicea L. against multidrug-resistant (MDR) clinical isolates (Staphylococcus aureus, S. haemolyticus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Proteus mirabilis) using the agar well diffusion method. Based on the inhibition zone's diameter or appearance, the tested MDR bacteria were identified as susceptible, intermediate, or resistant using the standard criteria. The current study's findings showed that the concentration, type of solvent and bacterial species had a significant impact on the effectiveness of the plant extracts. Results of the study revealed that the methanol and acetone extracts demonstrated moderate to excellent antibacterial properties against all tested bacteria at all predefined concentrations (25, 50, 75, and 100%), with the zone of inhibition ranging from 15.66 to 27.66 mm. Among the tested solvents, the aqueous extract of J. phoenicea was the least effective against the clinical bacterial isolates. Further, the plant's leaf extracts were more effective against Gram-positive bacteria than Gram-negative bacterial pathogens. Most importantly, neither the aqueous extract nor the standard antibiotics inhibited P. aeruginosa, while the methanol and acetone extracts displayed remarkable inhibition zones against all tested bacteria. Consequently, the plant extracts (acetone and methanol) in this study may provide insightful information about the potential use of J. phoenicea leaves as a natural antibacterial agent, which could be used to combat antibiotic-resistant bacteria