Anti-Microbial,Anti-Oxidant,and α-Amylase Inhibitory Activity of Traditionally-Used Medicinal Herbs: A Comparative Analyses of Pharmacology,and Phytoconstituents of Regional Halophytic Plants’ Diaspora

Halophytes are the category of plants growing under harsh conditions of super-salinity, and are wide-spread in the coastal Mediterranean climatic conditions and desert oasis. They are adept at surviving through maintaining excessive production of enzymatic, and non-enzymatic secondary metabolites, especially phenolics and flavonoids that primarily work as anti-oxidants and phytoalexins. Five major halophyte species growing in the kingdom’s Qassim’s high-salted desert regions were investigated for confirming their traditionally used biological activity of sugar-control and anti-infectious properties. In this context, the comparative presence of phenolics, and flavonoids together with anti-microbial, anti-oxidants, and the anti-diabetic potentials of the plants’ extracts were investigated through the α-amylase inhibition method. The highest concentrations of phenolics and flavonoids were detected in Salsola imbricata (360 mg/g of the extract as Gallic-Acid-Equivalents/GAE, and 70.5 mg/g of the extract as Rutin-Equivalents/RE). In contrast, the lowest concentrations of phenolics and flavonoids were detected in Salsola cyclophylla (126.6 mg/g GAE, and 20.5 mg/g RE). The halophytes were found rich in trace elements, a factor for water-retention in high-salinity plants, wherein iron and zinc elements were found comparatively in higher concentrations in Aeluropus lagopoides (4113 µg/kg, and 40.1 µg/kg, respectively), while the copper was detected in higher concentration (11.1 µg/kg) in S. imbricata, analyzed through Inductively Coupled Plasma Optical Emission Spectrometric (ICP-OES) analysis. The anti-oxidant potentials and α-amylase enzyme inhibition-based anti-diabetic activity of S. imbricata was significantly higher than the other halophytes under study, wherein S. cyclophylla exhibited the lowest level of α-amylase inhibition. The maximum DPPH radicals’ (52.47 mg/mL), and α-amylase inhibitions (IC₅₀ 22.98 µg/mL) were detected in A. lagopoides. The anti-microbial activity against the Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus was strongly exhibited by Zygophyllum simplex (33 mm Inhibition Zone-Diameter, 50 µg/mL Minimum-Inhibitory-Concentration), while Escherichia coli, Enterococcus faecalis, and Candida albicans growths were moderately inhibited by Tamarix aphylla. The current findings exhibited significant differences among the locally distributed halophytic plants species with regards to their bioactivity levels, anti-oxidant potentials, and the presence of trace elements. The ongoing data corroborated the plants’ traditional uses in infections and diabetic conditions. The enhanced local distribution of the plants’ diaspora and higher density of occurrence of these plants species in this region, in comparison to their normal climatic condition’s counterparts, seemed to be affected by humans’ use of the species as part of the traditional and alternative medicine over a period of long time.     

Air flow and pressure inside a pressure-swirl spray and their effects on spray development

Air flow and pressure inside a pressure-swirl spray for direct injection (DI) gasoline engines and their effects on spray development have been analyzed at different injector operating conditions. A simulation tool was utilized and the static air pressure at the centerline of the spray was measured to investigate the static pressure and flow structure inside the swirl spray. To investigate the effect of static air pressure on swirl spray development, a liquid film model was applied and the Mie-scattered images were captured. The simulation and experiment showed that recirculation vortex and air pressure drop inside the swirl spray were observable and the air pressure drop was greater at high injection pressure. At high fuel temperature, the air pressure at the nozzle exit showed higher value compared to the atmospheric pressure and then continuously decreased up to few millimeters distance from the nozzle exit. The pressure drop at high fuel temperatures was more than that of atmospheric temperature. This reduced air pressure was recovered to the atmospheric pressure at further downstream. The results from the liquid film model and macroscopic spray images showed that the air pressure started to affect the liquid film trajectory about 3 mm from the nozzle exit and this effect was sustained until the air pressure recovered to the atmospheric pressure. However, the entrained air motion and droplet size have more significant influence on the spray development after the most of the liquid sheet is broken-up and the spray loses its initial momentum.     

Joint Economic Ordering Policies of Multiple Wholesalers and a Single Manufacturer with Price-dependent Demand Functions

The economic ordering policies for multiple regional wholesalers and the production lot-sizing policy for a single manufacturer have been studied in a joint analysis under the assumption that the yearly demands of each region are functions of their respective retail proces. We obtained optimum EOQs for both linear and constant price elasticity demand functions. Although normally the wholesalers would order in quantities equal to their EOQs, they are encouraged to purchase in different quantities by the producer providing compensation to offset the wholesalers' increased costs. The production lot-size is determined to minimize the overall production cost.     

Inference for a progressive stress model from Weibull distribution under progressive type-II censoring

Based on progressively type-II censored samples, this paper considers progressive stress accelerated life tests when the lifetime of an item under use condition follows the Weibull distribution with a scale parameter satisfying the inverse power law. It is assumed that the progressive stress is directly proportional to time and the cumulative exposure model for the effect of changing stress holds. Point estimation of the model parameters is obtained graphically by using Weibull probability paper plot that serves as a tool for model identification and also by using the maximum likelihood method. Interval estimation is performed by finding approximate confidence intervals (CIs) for the parameters as well as the studentized-t and percentile bootstrap CIs. Monte Carlo simulation study is carried out to investigate the precision of the estimates and compare the performance of CIs obtained. Finally, two examples are presented to illustrate our results.     

Comparative experimental studies on the mechanical and degradation properties of natural fibers reinforced polypropylene composites

Coir/silk fiber-reinforced polypropylene (PP) based unidirectional composites (40 wt.%) were manufactured by compression molding. Coir/silk fibers and PP sheets were treated with ultraviolet radiation at different intensities and then composites were fabricated. It was found that mechanical properties of irradiated silk/irradiated PP composites were found to increase significantly compared to the untreated ones and even higher than that of irradiated coir/irradiated PP composites. Soil degradation tests indicated that irradiated coir/irradiated PP composites significantly lost much of its mechanical properties, but irradiated silk/irradiated PP composites retained their strength of its original integrity. Scanning electron microscopy and water uptake of both types of composites were also investigated.     

Novel syntheses of some new 3,4-dihydrospiro{benzimidazo[1,2-a]pyridine-3,3′-indolin}-2′-one derivatives

Abstract  

2-Methylbenzimidazole 1 reacted with 3-dicyanomethylidine-1-ethyl-2-oxoindoline 2 in ethyl acetate to afford 1-amino-2-cyano-3,4-dihydro-1′-ethylspiro{benzimidazo[1,2-a]pyridine-3,3′-indolin}-2′-one 6, which was used as a key intermediate in the synthesis of fused spiropolyheterocyclic derivatives of benzimidazopyridopyrimidine and/or benzimidazonaphthyridine nucleus incorporating an indoline moiety.     

Microstructural parameters and optical constants of ZnTe thin films with various thicknesses

Different thickness of polycrystalline ZnTe films have been deposited onto glass substrates at room temperature by vacuum evaporation technique. The structural characteristics studied by X-ray diffraction (XRD) showed that the films are polycrystalline and have a zinc blende (cubic) structure. The calculated microstructure parameters revealed that the crystallite size increases and microstrain decreases with increasing film thickness. The transmittance and reflectance have been measured at normal and near normal incidence, respectively, in the spectral range 400-2500 nm. For ZnTe films of different thicknesses, the dependence of absorption coefficient, α on the photon energy showed the occurrence of a direct transition with band gap energy (For ZnTe films of different thicknesses) confirming the independency of deduced energy gap on film thickness. The refractive indices have been evaluated in terms of envelope method, which has been suggested by Swanepoul in the transparent region. The refractive index could be extrapolated by Cauchy dispersion relationship over the whole spectra range, which extended from 400 to 2500 nm. It was observed that the refractive index, n increased upon increasing the film thickness up to 508 nm, lying within the experimental error for further increases in film thickness.     

Bivariate inverse gaussian distribution

Summary A bivariate inverse Gaussian (IG) density function is constructed. Relations of the bivariate IG distribution to the normal and χ² distributions are established. The corresponding bivariate random walk (RW) density function is obtained. The properties and behaviour of bivariate IG distribution are studied for large parametric values. Moment estimates of the five parameters are given and applications are pointed out. A generalization to the multivariate IG distribution is proposed.     

Greenness assessment of a stability indicating simple inexpensive high-performance thin-layer chromatography–dual wavelength method for simultaneous determination of mometasone furoate and salicylic acid in complex matrix using analytical eco-scale

A stability-indicating validated high-performance thin-layer chromatography method was performed for the determination of mometasone furoate (MM) and salicylic acid (SLY), simultaneously within the concentration range of 0.1–1.6 μg/band for MM and 0.4–5 μg/band for SLY. This method was developed to assay the investigated drugs in the presence of their degradation products by alkaline, acidic, neutral, photolytic, and oxidative degradation. Separation was achieved using dual wavelength system, 250 nm for MM and 300 nm for SLY, with mobile phase composed of chloroform–ethanol (9:1, %v/v) and stationary phase of aluminum plates pre-coated with silica gel 60 F₂₄₅. The proposed method is well used for the assay and separation of MM and SLY in pure form and Elicasal^® ointment. The developed method has many advantages such as being rapid, selective and inexpensive. Such advantages promote the suggested method for the high throughput assay of MM and SLY mixture, in pure form and topical preparation. The developed method was validated according to the International Council for Harmonisation guidelines, in terms of linearity, limits of detection and quantification, precision, accuracy, robustness, and specificity. Assessment of greenness has been performed depending on analytical eco-scale approach.

     

Möbius function for the set of acyclic directed backbone graphs

Consider a two-rooted graphG, the edges of which are directed in such a way that there are no cycles and every edge belongs to some self-avoiding walk from rootu to rootv which follows the direction of the edges. Au-v backbone ofG is a subgraph formed by taking the union of any subset of directed self-avoiding walks fromu tov. Let _uv be the set of all such backbones ofG partially ordered by set-inclusion. We prove the conjecture of Bhatti and Essam that the Möbius function of this set is given, for acyclicb,b _uv withbb, by(b,b)=(–1) ^c-c , wherec andc are the respective cycle ranks ofb andb. The significance of this result in percolation theory is reviewed together with previous results for other sets of subgraphs.