Predictive factors of students’ motivation to succeed in introductory mathematics courses: evidence from higher education in the UAE

The purpose of the study is to examine whether there is a significant relationship between students’ motivation to succeed in introductory mathematics courses offered by universities in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) as the dependent variable of the research and another five independent variables including cognitive mathematics self-concept, affective mathematics self-concept, extrinsic motivation as expectations of future career and income, students’ age and the number of mathematics courses taken by students. The rationale of the study is based on the significance of mathematics achievements for students and academic institutions in particular, as well as for the society in general. The study is designed based on a quantitative research methodology and a sample of 685 students participated in completing a survey questionnaire. The sample is drawn from students who were registered in different introductory mathematics courses at four academic institutions of higher education in the UAE. The quantitative correlation analysis among students’ motivation, cognitive mathematics self-concept, affective mathematics self-concept, extrinsic motivation, students’ age and the number of mathematics courses taken by students reveals theoretically consistent interrelationships. The quantitative multiple regression analysis indicates that the five independent variables explain 71.3% of the variation in students’ motivation to succeed in introductory mathematics courses.     

Modulation of aggregation behavior of amphiphilic drug AMT under the influence of polymer molecular weight and composition

The purpose of this study was to determine the aggregation behavior of amphiphilic drug amitriptyline hydrochloride (AMT) and to search for means which boost/suppress the aggregation behavior. Polyethylene glycols (PEGs) nonionic polymers (which are used as pharmaceutical excipients) of varying molecular weights from 400 to 35,000 were tested. To know their effect on the micellization and interfacial behavior of the drug, the critical micelle concentration (CMC) and critical aggregation concentration (CAC) were determined in presence of various polymers by tensiometric and conductivity methods. The CAC values were found to decrease while the CMC values increased with increase in the polymer concentration. The thermodynamic parameters were evaluated where ΔG°(mic) and ΔG°(agg) are found to be negative, confirming the feasibility of interaction between AMT and polymers.     

An innovative electrochemical approach for voltammetric determination of levodopa using gold nanoparticles doped on titanium dioxide nanotubes

Catalytic nanotubes made from titanium dioxide (TiO₂-NTs) and covered with gold nanoparticles (Au-NPs) were prepared via galvanic deposition of the Au-NPs on the TiO₂-NTs. The morphology and surface characteristics of the resulting electrodes were investigated using scanning electron microscopy and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy. The results indicated that the Au-NPs were homogeneously deposited on the surface of TiO₂-NTs which consist of individual tubes of about 40?C80?nm in diameter. The AuNPs with a size of 80?C100?nm are well-dispersed on the surface of the TiO₂-NTs. The electro-catalytic activity of the electrodes towards the electro-oxidation of levodopa was studied by cyclic voltammetry, differential puls voltammetry. The results showed that the electrodes exhibit a considerably higher activity toward the oxidation of levodopa. The oxidation peak current linearly depends on the concentration of levodopa in the 10 to 70???M concentration range. Levodopa was determined by the method in pharmaceutical preparations, and results were found to be satisfactory.

Electrostatic barriers in rotaxanes and pseudorotaxanes

The ability to control the kinetic barriers governing the relative motions of the components in mechanically interlocked molecules is important for future applications of these compounds in molecular electronic devices. In this Full Paper, we demonstrate that bipyridinium (BIPY²⁺) dications fulfill the role as effective electrostatic barriers for controlling the shuttling and threading behavior for rotaxanes and pseudorotaxanes in aqueous environments. A degenerate [2]rotaxane, composed of two 1,5‐dioxynaphthalene (DNP) units flanking a central BIPY²⁺ unit in the dumbbell component and encircled by the cyclobis(paraquat‐p‐phenylene) (CBPQT⁴⁺) tetracationic cyclophane, has been synthesized employing a threading‐followed‐by‐stoppering approach. Variable‐temperature ¹H NMR spectroscopy reveals that the barrier to shuttling of the CBPQT⁴⁺ ring over the central BIPY²⁺ unit is in excess of 17 kcal mol^?1 at 343 K. Further information about the nature of the BIPY²⁺ unit as an electrostatic barrier was gleaned from related supramolecular systems, utilizing two threads composed of either two DNP units flanking a central BIPY²⁺ moiety or a central DNP unit flanked by a BIPY²⁺ moiety. The threading and dethreading processes of the CBPQT⁴⁺ ring with these compounds, which were investigated by spectrophotometric techniques, reveal that the BIPY²⁺ unit is responsible for affecting both the thermodynamics and kinetics of pseudorotaxane formation by means of an intramolecular self‐folding (through donor–acceptor interactions with the DNP unit), in addition to Coulombic repulsion. In particular, the free energy barrier to threading (Δ${G{{{\ne}\hfill \atop {\rm f}\hfill}}}The ability to control the kinetic barriers governing the relative motions of the components in mechanically interlocked molecules is important for future applications of these compounds in molecular electronic devices. In this Full Paper, we demonstrate that bipyridinium (BIPY(2+)) dications fulfill the role as effective electrostatic barriers for controlling the shuttling and threading behavior for rotaxanes and pseudorotaxanes in aqueous environments. A degenerate [2]rotaxane, composed of two 1,5-dioxynaphthalene (DNP) units flanking a central BIPY(2+) unit in the dumbbell component and encircled by the cyclobis(paraquat-p-phenylene) (CBPQT(4+)) tetracationic cyclophane, has been synthesized employing a threading-followed-by-stoppering approach. Variable-temperature (1)H?NMR spectroscopy reveals that the barrier to shuttling of the CBPQT(4+) ring over the central BIPY(2+) unit is in excess of 17 kcal mol(-1) at 343 K. Further information about the nature of the BIPY(2+) unit as an electrostatic barrier was gleaned from related supramolecular systems, utilizing two threads composed of either two DNP units flanking a central BIPY(2+) moiety or a central DNP unit flanked by a BIPY(2+) moiety. The threading and dethreading processes of the CBPQT(4+) ring with these compounds, which were investigated by spectrophotometric techniques, reveal that the BIPY(2+) unit is responsible for affecting both the thermodynamics and kinetics of pseudorotaxane formation by means of an intramolecular self-folding (through donor-acceptor interactions with the DNP unit), in addition to Coulombic repulsion. In particular, the free energy barrier to threading (ΔG(f)(++)) of the CBPQT(4+) for the case of the thread composed of a DNP flanked by two BIPY(2+) units was found to be as high as 21.7 kcal mol(-1) at room temperature. These results demonstrate that we can effectively employ the BIPY(2+) unit to serve as electrostatic barriers in water in order to gain control over the motions of the CBPQT(4+) ring in both mechanically interlocked and supramolecular systems.     

Analysis of nonlinear steady state vibration of a multi-degree-of-freedom system using component mode synthesis method

In this paper, an analytical approach for nonlinear forced vibration of a multi-degree-of-freedom system is proposed using the component mode synthesis method. The whole system is divided into some components and a nonlinear modal equation of each component is derived using the free-interface vibration modes. The modal equations of all components and the conjunction conditions are solved simultaneously, and then the modal responses of components are derived. Finally, the dynamic responses of the whole system can be obtained. The degrees of freedom of modal equations can be reduced when the lower vibration modes are only adopted in each component. As a numerical example, a nine-degree-of-freedom system is considered, in which all spring have cubic type nonlinearity. As a result, it is shown that when there are no rigid modes in components, the compliance by the proposed method agrees very well with the exact one even if the lower vibration modes of components are only adopted. The other hand, in the case with rigid modes in components, the compliance has a little error compared with the exact result. It is recognized that the method proposed is very effective in the case without rigid modes in components for the actual application.     

Performance of OCDMA systems with new spectral direct detection (SDD) technique using enhanced double weight (EDW) code

This paper investigates the performance of enhanced double weight (EDW) code for spectral-amplitude-coding OCDMA (SAC-OCDMA) system using a newly proposed spectral direct detection (SDD) technique. EDW is the enhanced version of double weight (DW) code that possesses ideal cross-correlation properties and weight which can be any odd number greater than one. The theoretical and simulation results show that the proposed new spectral direct detection technique improves the performance compared to the conventional complementary subtraction technique.     

Ultrasound with low intensity assisted the synthesis of nanocrystalline TiO2 without calcination

A novel method has been developed for the preparation of nano-sized TiO₂ with anatase phase. Nanoparticles with diameter about 6 nm were prepared at a relatively low temperature (75 °C) and short time. The synthesis was carried out by the hydrolysis of titanium tetra-isopropoxide (TTIP) in the presence of water, ethanol, and dispersant under ultrasonic irradiation (500 kHz) at low intensity. The results show that variables such as water/ethanol ratio, irradiation time, and temperature have a great influence on the particle size and crystalline phases of TiO₂ nanoparticles. Characterization of the product was carried out by different techniques such as powder X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), high resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) and UV–vis spectroscopy.     

Biaryl scaffold-focused virtual screening for anti-aggregatory and neuroprotective effects in Alzheimer’s disease

Background

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a primary cause of dementia in ageing population affecting more than 35 million people around the globe. It is a chronic neurodegenerative disease caused by defected folding and aggregation of amyloid beta (Aβ) protein. Aβ is formed by the cleavage of membrane embedded amyloid precursor protein (APP) by using enzyme ‘transmembrane aspartyl protease, β-secretase’. Inhibition of β-secretase is a viable strategy to prevent neurotoxicity in AD. Another strategy in the treatment of AD is inhibition of acetylcholinesterase. This inhibition reduces the degradation of acetylcholine and temporarily restores the cholinergic function of neurons and improves cognitive function. Monoamine oxidase and higher glutamate levels are also found to be linked with Aβ peptide related oxidative stress. Oxidative stress leads to reduced activity of glutamate synthase resulting in significantly higher level of glutamate in brain. The aim of this study is to perform in silico screening of a virtual library of biaryl scaffold containing compounds potentially used for the treatment of AD. Screening was done against the primary targets of AD therapeutics, acetylcholinesterase, β-secretase (BACE1), Monoamine oxidases (MAO) and N-Methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor. Compounds were screened for their inhibitory potential by employing molecular docking approach using AutoDock vina. Binding energy scores were embodied in the heatmap to display varies strengths of interactions of the ligands targeting AD.

Results

Several ligands showed notable interaction with at least two targets, but the strong interaction with all the targets is shown by very few ligands. The pharmacokinetics of the interacting ligands was also predicted. The interacting ligands have good drug-likeness and brain availability essential for drugs with intracranial targets.

Conclusion

These results suggest that biaryl scaffold may be pliable to drug development for neuroprotection in AD and that the synthesis of further analogues to optimize these properties should be considered.

     

Chemical Composition,Antioxidant, Antibacterial,and Antibiofilm Activities of Backhousia citriodora Essential Oil

The essential oil of Backhousia citriodora, commonly known as lemon myrtle oil, possesses various beneficial properties due to its richness in bioactive compounds. This study aimed to characterize the chemical profile of the essential oil isolated from leaves of Backhousia citriodora (BCEO) and its biological properties, including antioxidant, antibacterial, and antibiofilm activities. Using gas chromatography–mass spectrometry, 21 compounds were identified in BCEO, representing 98.50% of the total oil content. The isomers of citral, geranial (52.13%), and neral (37.65%) were detected as the main constituents. The evaluation of DPPH radical scavenging activity and ferric reducing antioxidant power showed that BCEO exhibited strong antioxidant activity at IC₅₀ of 42.57 μg/mL and EC₅₀ of 20.03 μg/mL, respectively. The antibacterial activity results showed that BCEO exhibited stronger antibacterial activity against Gram-positive bacteria (Staphylococcus aureus and Staphylococcus epidermidis) than against Gram-negative bacteria (Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae). For the agar disk diffusion method, S. epidermidis was the most sensitive to BCEO with an inhibition zone diameter of 50.17 mm, followed by S. aureus (31.13 mm), E. coli (20.33 mm), and K. pneumoniae (12.67 mm). The results from the microdilution method showed that BCEO exhibited the highest activity against S. epidermidis and S. aureus, with the minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) value of 6.25 μL/mL. BCEO acts as a potent antibiofilm agent with dual actions, inhibiting (85.10% to 96.44%) and eradicating (70.92% to 90.73%) of the biofilms formed by the four tested bacteria strains, compared with streptomycin (biofilm inhibition, 67.65% to 94.29% and biofilm eradication, 49.97% to 89.73%). This study highlights that BCEO can potentially be a natural antioxidant agent, antibacterial agent, and antibiofilm agent that could be applied in the pharmaceutical and food industries. To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first report, on the antibiofilm activity of BCEO against four common nosocomial pathogens.     

A Review on Recent Progress of Stingless Bee Honey and Its Hydrogel-Based Compound for Wound Care Management

Stingless bee honey has a distinctive flavor and sour taste compared to Apis mellifera honey. Currently, interest in farming stingless bees is growing among rural residents to meet the high demand for raw honey and honey-based products. Several studies on stingless bee honey have revealed various therapeutic properties for wound healing applications. These include antioxidant, antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, and moisturizing properties related to wound healing. The development of stingless bee honey for wound healing applications, such as incorporation into hydrogels, has attracted researchers worldwide. As a result, the effectiveness of stingless bee honey against wound infections can be improved in the future to optimize healing rates. This paper reviewed the physicochemical and therapeutic properties of stingless bee honey and its efficacy in treating wound infection, as well as the incorporation of stingless bee honey into hydrogels for optimized wound dressing.