Abstract Introduction Squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) of the maxillary alveolus is a relatively rare disease. There is lack of data on this subsite as compared with other sites. The factors that affect survival in cases of maxillary alveolar SCC are tumor stage, local and cervical metastases, histological grading, and the margin status. Objectives To evaluate the overall survival (OS), the disease free survival (DFS), and the complex interaction and effects of margin status, histological differentiation, habits (such as smoking and the use of smokeless tobacco products), and cervical and distant metastases based on clinicopathological data. Methods We examined the electronic database at our hospital from 2003 to 2017. We included all cases with a histopathological diagnosis of SCC of the maxillary alveolus. Tumors originating primarily from the maxillary alveolus were included, while those originating from adjacent subsites, like the hard palate, the buccal mucosa or the maxillary sinus were excluded. We also excluded all the patients who were not operated on with a curative intent. Results More than half of the patients had stage-IV tumors at the time of presentation, while only one fourth of them had nodal metastasis. The rate of recurrence increased in cases of primary tumors in advanced stages and the degree of histological differentiation. The 2-year and 5-year OS rates were of 54.5% (18 patients) and 30.3% (10 patients) respectively. Conclusion Primary tumors in advanced stages, histological grade, and presence of nodal metastasis are poor prognostic markers in terms of long-term survival.

ABSTRACT Cosmetics have been used by humans since the start of human civilization. Initially, it was typically consisting of natural products but to get prompt results, heavy metals were frequently added to cosmetics to accelerate the affects. Heavy metals such as mercury (Hg), lead (Pb), cadmium (Cd) and chromium (Cr) are detected in various cosmetic products; most frequently in color cosmetics, hair cosmetics, face-body care products and beauty cosmetic products. These metals are included in toxic metals. The application of cosmetics to different body parts leads to the absorption of metals through the stratum corneum into the blood, accumulate or replace essential elements of different biomolecules which triggers the unfavorable mechanism. Reported data shows that in some common cosmetic products toxic metals are being used greater than permissible limit. The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and World Health Organization (WHO) have established the highest permissible limit of exposure for heavy metals in different cosmetic products. However, commonly in developing world no care is taken for permissible limit set by FDA and WHO and to obey cosmetic production legislations which resulted in fatal health consequences. Thus, in this review article we are focusing on the permissible limits, hazardous effects of the toxic metals and mechanisms associated with the hazardous effects related to heavy metals found in cosmetics. Owing to the growing usage of cosmetics it is necessary to explore the possible sources and routs of metals toxicity to fix the hazardous effects related to heavy metals found in cosmetics.

Resumo Objetivo A mudança organizacional nem sempre tem apenas repercussões negativas, tendo também implicações positivas. Com base na teoria da avaliação cognitiva e no modelo das demandas-recursos do trabalho, este estudo tem o objetivo de examinar os efeitos diferenciais da mudança relacionados às avaliações como desafio-ameaça no comportamento de apoio à mudança por parte dos funcionários. Referencial teórico O estudo propõe que as avaliações como desafio-ameaça incentivam os recipientes da mudança a adotar comportamentos de ressignificação do trabalho por meio da aproximação-evitação durante os momentos da mudança organizacional, um relacionamento que é moderado pela esperança. Metodologia Os dados foram coletados do quadro de funcionários dos principais bancos do Paquistão que têm passado por uma importante mudança técnica-estrutural. Utilizando um questionário preenchido pelo próprio funcionário, o estudo testou, por meio da média transversal, a estrutura proposta da pesquisa empregando técnicas de análise multivariada para alcançar os objetivos propostos. Resultados Os resultados mostraram que as avaliações como desafio previram positivamente enquanto as avaliações como ameaça previram negativamente o comportamento de suporte à mudança dos funcionários. Além disso, a ressignificação do trabalho por meio da aproximação-evitação oferece um canal sólido para intervir e influenciar os relacionamentos diretos propostos. Ademais, a esperança moderou e fortaleceu a associação positiva entre avaliações da mudança e ressignificação do trabalho por meio da aproximação. Entretanto, ele falhou em estabelecer seu papel moderador no relacionamento entre avaliações como ameaça e a ressignificação do trabalho por meio da evitação. Implicações práticas e sociais da pesquisa Este artigo mostra que as organizações que buscam uma implementação bem-sucedida da mudança devem se concentrar principalmente em promover o apoio comportamental dos funcionários à mudança. Em particular, eles devem envolver os funcionários na abordagem do comportamento de elaboração do trabalho e promover sua percepção em relação à mudança como um desafio que pode ajudar na promulgação de tais comportamentos. Contribuições O estudo oferece perspectivas teóricas, empíricas e práticas novas no conjunto da literatura existente sobre mudança. Ele contribui para a pesquisa sobre mudança organizacional por meio da abordagem de várias perspectivas em um único estudo, por exemplo, por meio do exame simultâneo dos fatores da pessoa e do contexto, do fenômeno da ativação e das perspectivas bifacetadas para desvendar o apoio comportamental à mudança.

Abstract Purpose Organizational change does not always have only negative repercussions but also has positive implications. Drawing on cognitive appraisal theory and the job demands-resources model, this study aims to examine the differential effects of change-related challenge-threat appraisals on employees’ change supportive behavior. Theoretical framework The study proposes that challenge-threat appraisals provide an impetus for change recipients to enact approach-avoidance job crafting behaviors during times of organizational change, a relationship that is moderated by hope. Design/methodology/approach Data were collected from the staff of one of the leading banks in Pakistan, which has been going through a major techno-structural change. Using a self-reported questionnaire and cross-sectional means the study tested the proposed research framework by employing multivariate analysis techniques to accomplish the research objectives. Findings The findings showed that challenge appraisals positively predicted and threat appraisals negatively predicted employees’ change-supportive behavior. Moreover, approach-avoidance job crafting provides a robust channel to intervene and influence the proposed direct relationships. Furthermore, hope moderated and strengthened the positive association between challenge appraisals and approach job crafting. However, it failed to establish its moderating role in the relationship between threat appraisals and avoidance job crafting. Practical & social implications of research This paper shows that organizations seeking successful implementation to change should focus primarily on fostering employees’ behavioral support for change. In particular, they should engage employees in approach job crafting behavior and promote their perception towards change as challenging that can aid in enactment of such behaviors. Originality/value The study offers fresh theoretical, empirical, and practical insights to the existing body of change literature. It contributes to the research on organizational change by addressing multiple perspectives in a single study, such as by simultaneously examining the personal and contextual factors, activation phenomenon, and dual perspectives to unfold people’s behavioral support for change.

This study was aimed at employing response surface methodology (RSM) for optimization of process variables and identifying optimal conditions for the adsorption of bromate (BrO3-) from contaminated water using multi-walled carbon nanotubes, based on iron hydr(oxide), Fe-CNTs nanocomposite. Fifteen experimental runs were conducted in batch mode to study the effect of individual as well as interactive process variables, i.e., pH, BrO3- initial concentration, and adsorbent dose, on the removal of BrO3- using Box-Behnken design (BBD) of RSM. The coefficient of determination (R²) at 98.34% indicated a good agreement between actual and predicted values. The main effect and contour plot were drawn to obtain the independent and interactive effect of operational variables on BrO3- uptake. A process optimization curve was drawn to determine the optimum operating conditions that lead to a desirable response. The optimum conditions for BrO3- adsorption using Fe-CNTs nanocomposite were found to be pH 2.0, initial BrO3- concentration of 10.0 mg/L, and adsorbent dose of 0.010 g per 50 mL solution.

RESUMO A presente pesquisa avaliou a mudança espaço-temporal na floresta subtropical do distrito de Malakand através de técnicas de Sensoriamento Remoto e GIS. O principal objetivo era identificar diferentes classes de cobertura terrestre e determinar as mudanças temporais na cobertura florestal na área de estudo. Este estudo foi baseado nas duas diferentes técnicas de classificação da cobertura do solo. Neste estudo, quatro imagens Landsat foram adquiridas com o intervalo de 10 anos, de 1988 a 2018. A classificação de máxima probabilidade e a classificação de distância mínima foram aplicadas passo a passo em todas as quatro imagens. A área total do distrito de Malakand foi registrada como 975,32 km2. Em relação à porcentagem de cobertura de área sábia, a floresta cobriu 22,1 % da área total, enquanto os assentamentos de outras classes, agricultura, terra árida e água cobriram 17,7, 23,3, 33 e 3,9% respectivamente em 1988. Enquanto que em 2018, a porcentagem de cobertura de área razoável abrangia 9,3 % da área total, embora os assentamentos de outras classes, a agricultura, a terra árida e a água tenham coberto 33,8, 22,3, 31,8 e 3,7, respectivamente. A mudança na área florestal ao longo do tempo foi de 60,4 km2 que é igual a 6,2 % durante 1998 a 2008 e finalmente o desmatamento total foi de 124,4 km 2 que é igual a 12,7% de perda de área de floresta perdida de 1998 a 2018. Assim, a área florestal foi mudada para assentamentos e terras áridas de 1988 a 2018. O Índice de Vegetação com Diferença Normalizada (NDVI) foi calculado para 1988, 1998, 2008 e 2018. Com base na análise do NDVI, o desmatamento total ao longo do tempo foi de 166,29 km 2 nos últimos 30 anos (1988-2018) com percentual de desmatamento de 43,66 % de área perdida. As imagens Landsat têm resolução de 30 metros e pequenas mudanças de área florestal não podem ser detectadas pelas imagens Landsat, assim, produtos de alta resolução podem detectar mais desmatamento comparativamente.

ABSTRACT The present research evaluated spatio-temporal change in the sub-tropical forest of district Malakand through Remote Sensing and GIS techniques. The main objective was to identify different land cover classes and to determine temporal changes in forest cover in the study area. This study was based on the two different classification techniques for the land cover classification. In this study, four Landsat images were acquired with the interval of 10 years from 1988 to 2018. The maximum likelihood classification and Minimum distance classification was applied on all the four images step by step. The total area of district Malakand was recorded as 975.32 km2. Regarding percent wise area coverage Forest covered 22.1 % of the total area while other classes' settlements, agriculture, barren land and water have covered 17.7, 23.3, 33 and 3.9 % respectively in 1988. Whereas in 2018, percent wise area coverage forest covered 9.3 % of the total area although other classes' settlements, agriculture, barren land and water have covered 33.8, 22.3, 31.8 and 3.7 respectively. The change in forest area over the time was 60.4 km2 which is equal to 6.2 % during 1998 to 2008 and ultimately overall deforestation was 124.4 km2 which is equal to 12.7 % loss of forest area lost from 1998 to 2018. Thus, the forest area was changed to settlements and barren lands from 1988 to 2018. Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) was calculated for 1988, 1998, 2008 and 2018. Based on NDVI analysis, total deforestation over the time was 166.29 km2 in last 30 years (1988-2018) with percent deforestation of 43.66 % area lost. The Landsat images have 30 meters resolution and small forest area changes can not detected by Landsat images, thus high-resolution products can detect more deforestation comparatively.

RESUMEN La presente investigación evaluó el cambio espacio-temporal en el bosque subtropical del distrito de Malakand mediante técnicas de teledetección y SIG. El objetivo principal era identificar las diferentes clases de cobertura del suelo y determinar los cambios temporales de la cobertura forestal en el área de estudio. Este estudio se basó en dos técnicas de clasificación diferentes para la clasificación de la cubierta del suelo. En este estudio, se adquirieron cuatro imágenes Landsat con un intervalo de diez años desde 1988 hasta 2018. La clasificación de máxima verosimilitud y la clasificación de mínima distancia se aplicaron a las cuatro imágenes paso a paso. La superficie total del distrito de Malakand se registró como 975,32 km2. En lo que respecta a la cobertura porcentual de la superficie, el bosque cubrió el 22,1 % de la superficie total, mientras que los asentamientos, la agricultura, las tierras baldías y el agua cubrieron el 17,7, el 23,3, el 33 y el 3,9 % respectivamente en 1988. Durante el año 2018, el bosque cubrió el 9,3 % de la superficie total, así también los asentamientos de otras clases, la agricultura, la tierra estéril y el agua han cubierto el 33,8, 22,3, 31,8 y 3,7 respectivamente. El cambio en la superficie forestal a lo largo del tiempo fue de 60,4 km2, lo que equivale a un 6,2 % durante el período 1998-2008 y, en última instancia, la deforestación global fue de 124,4 km2, lo que equivale a una pérdida del 12,7 % de la superficie forestal perdida entre 1998 y 2018. Por lo tanto, la superficie forestal se transformó en asentamientos y tierras baldías de 1988 a 2018. Se calculó el índice de vegetación de diferencia normalizada (NDVI) para 1988, 1998, 2008 y 2018. Según el análisis del NDVI, la deforestación total a lo largo del tiempo fue de 166,29 km2 en los últimos 30 años (1988-2018), con un porcentaje de deforestación del 43,66 % de superficie perdida. Las imágenes Landsat tienen una resolución de 30 metros y los cambios en las áreas forestales pequeñas no pueden ser detectados por las imágenes Landsat, a diferencia de los productos de alta resolución que pueden detectar más deforestación en comparación.

Abstract In traditional row and strip cowpea-sorghum intercropping systems, cowpea forage yield reduces significantly due to intense competition and dominance of sorghum in acquiring growth resources. This field study evaluated novel mixed strip intercropping systems of forage cowpea and sorghum having different number of crops rows arranged under different spatial arrangements. Cowpea was intercropped with sorghum in 8, 12 and 16 rows strips with row-row spacing of 30, 45 and 60 cm. In each strip, equal number of rows of cowpea and sorghum were maintained. Factorial arrangement of randomized complete block design with three replicates was used to execute the field trials during summer seasons of 2013 and 2014. Strips having 12 rows and 60 cm row-row spacing positively affected all agronomic variables of cowpea which led to maximum forage yield (22.2 and 23.7 t ha-1 during 2013 and 2014 respectively) and dry matter biomass (6.63 and 6.94 t ha-1 during 2013 and 2014 respectively). In contrast, 8-rows strips having line spacing of 30 cm outperformed other intercropping systems by yielding the maximum herbage yield and dry matter biomass of sorghum. The intercropping system comprising of 12-rows strips with 60 cm row-row spacing remained superior in recording the maximum crude protein, fats and total ash along with the minimum fiber content of cowpea. In addition, this intercropping system under rest of spatial arrangements also remained unmatched, while 16-rows strips under all planting geometries remained inferior to other intercropping systems. Thus, cowpea intercropping with sorghum in 12-rows strips having 60 cm spacing offers biologically viable solution to improve biomass and forage quality of cowpea in intercropping with sorghum.

Resumen En los sistemas tradicionales de cultivo intercalado de frijol caupí y sorgo en franjas y filas, el rendimiento de forraje del frijol caupí se reduce significativamente debido a la intensa competencia y al dominio del sorgo en la adquisición de recursos para el cultivo. Este estudio de campo evaluó novedosos sistemas de cultivo intercalado en franjas mixtas de frijol caupí forrajero y sorgo con diferente número de filas de cultivo en diferentes disposiciones espaciales. El frijol caupí se intercaló con el sorgo en franjas de 8, 12 y 16 filas con un espaciamiento de 30, 45 y 60 cm entre las filas. En cada franja se mantuvo igual número de filas de frijol caupí y sorgo. Para la ejecución de los ensayos de campo durante las temporadas de verano de 2013 y 2014 se utilizó un diseño factorial en bloques completos aleatorizados con tres repeticiones. Las franjas con 12 filas y un espaciamiento de 60 cm entre las filas afectaron positivamente a todas las variables agronómicas del frijol caupí que condujeron al máximo rendimiento forrajero (22.2 y 23.7 t/ha en 2013 y 2014, respectivamente) y de biomasa de materia seca (6.63 y 6.94 t/ha en 2013 y 2014, respectivamente). En cambio, las franjas de 8 filas con un espaciamiento de 30 cm superaron a otros sistemas de cultivo intercalado al obtener el rendimiento máximo de hierba y de biomasa de materia seca del sorgo. El sistema de cultivo intercalado compuesto por franjas de 12 filas con un espaciamiento de 60 cm entre las filas siguió siendo superior, al registrar el contenido máximo de proteína bruta, grasas y cenizas junto con el mínimo contenido de fibra de frijol caupí. Además, este sistema de cultivo intercalado bajo el resto de las disposiciones espaciales también permaneció incomparable, mientras que las franjas de 16 filas bajo todas las geometrías de siembra permanecieron inferiores a otros sistemas de cultivo intercalado. Por lo tanto, el cultivo intercalado de frijol caupí con sorgo en franjas de 12 filas con un espaciado de 60 cm ofrece una solución biológicamente viable para mejorar la biomasa y la calidad del forraje del caupí en cultivo intercalado con sorgo.

ABSTRACT: Two analytical methods were developed, one utilizing sensitive UPLC-MS/MS method while other being the spectrophotometric method exploiting the Dushman reaction. Both methods were validated based on ICH guidelines and were successfully applied to quantitate the drug in marketed formulation. UPLC-MS/MS method responded linearly in the range of 1.6 µgmL-1-6.4 µgmL-1 while spectrophotometric procedure followed the Beer’s law in the concentration range of 30-100 µgmL-1. UPLC-MS/MS has been found to have a limit of quantitation of 0.97 µgmL-1 while spectrophotometric method was found to quantitate 14.00 µgmL-1 correctly with high precision. Both the methods showed an excellent recovery of 99.36%-100.91% (% RSD 1.05-1.73) and 98.64%-99.73% (%RSD 0.67-1.68) for UPLC-MS/MS and spectrophotometric, respectively.

RESUMO O estresse salino é uma das principais restrições à produção de trigo. A manutenção de um baixo acúmulo de Na+ nas folhas pode melhorar a tolerância do tecido ao estresse salino. Um experimento de campo foi conduzido para discriminar vinte genótipos de trigo, com base no acúmulo de Na+ nas folhas como critério para tolerância ao sal, e avaliar o efeito do acúmulo de sódio na produção de biomassa, características fisiológicas e de produção de genótipos cultivados em ambiente salino-sódico. A concentração de Na+ foi determinada em folhas jovens totalmente expandidas, no estágio de crescimento vegetativo. Os genótipos foram categorizados em dois grupos contrastantes (com baixo e alto teor de Na+), em delineamento de blocos completos casualizados, com três repetições. Os genótipos com baixo teor de Na+ (V-03094, V-02156, TURACO, V0005 e PVN) mostraram retenção de clorofila, teor de K+ foliar, prolina e conteúdo fenólico por períodos muito mais longos do que os com alto teor. Os efeitos da salinidade sobre os componentes de rendimento também foram menores nos genótipos com baixo teor de Na+ nas folhas do que os com alto teor. O maior rendimento de grãos de genótipos com baixo acúmulo de Na+ deveu-se ao aumento no número e peso dos grãos em seus perfilhos, que mostraram-se fortemente associados ao maior efluxo de Na+ das folhas. Os genótipos com baixo acúmulo de sódio melhoraram a emergência de plântulas (%) e o rendimento de grãos, em solo salino-sódico.

ABSTRACT Salt stress is a major production constraint in wheat. The maintenance of a low Na+ accumulation in the leaves may improve the tissue tolerance against salt stress. A field experiment was conducted to discriminate twenty wheat genotypes, based on leaf Na+ accumulation as a criterion for salt tolerance, and evaluate the effect of sodium accumulation on the biomass production, physiological and yield traits of wheat genotypes grown in a saline-sodic environment. The Na+ concentration was determined in young fully expanded leaves at the vegetative growth stage. The genotypes were categorized into two contrasting groups (with low and high Na+ content), in a randomized complete block design, with three replications. The low Na+ genotypes (V-03094, V-02156, TURACO, V0005 and PVN) showed much longer chlorophyll retention, leaf K+ content, proline and phenolic contents than the high Na+ genotypes. The salt effects on yield components were also less in the wheat genotypes with low leaf Na+ content than the high Na+ genotypes. The greater grain yield of low Na+ accumulating genotypes was due to the enhanced grain number and weight in their tillers, which were strongly associated with the higher Na+ efflux from the leaves. The low sodium accumulator genotypes improved the seedling emergence (%) and grain yield in saline-sodic soil.

RESUMO: Os citros são as principais frutas exportadas do Paquistão, especialmente, a cultivar Kinnow é famosa em todo o mundo por causa de seu aroma e sabor. A produção geral de citros é relatada como a metade do potencial devido a não adoção de práticas baseadas em pesquisas e a falta de serviços de extensão agrícola e treinamento dos citricultores. Nos últimos anos o departamento de extensão agrícola iniciou programas de treinamento chamados Farmer Field Schools (FFS) para citricultores na maior zona de cultivo de citros da província de Punjab, no distrito de Sargodha. Esta pesquisa é conduzida no distrito de Sargodha para avaliar o conhecimento e as habilidades adquiridas pelos agricultores da FFS. O cronograma de entrevistas foi elaborado para fins de coleta de dados. Os dados foram coletados de 120 agricultores aleatoriamente de 15 FFS na área de estudo. Todos os entrevistados eram participantes da FFS. Os dados foram analisados por meio do programa estatístico “Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS”). Os resultados do estudo mostraram que 40% dos agricultores aprenderam informações importantes sobre citros, um terço dos entrevistados aprenderam sobre o manejo de novas plantas / pomares, 28% dos entrevistados aprenderam sobre o cultivo de frutas e um quarto dos entrevistados adquiriu os conhecimentos e habilidades sobre layout e manejo de pomares de citros. Essas descobertas concluem que o curso de treinamento tem uma influência positiva nas habilidades de gestão das propriedades; portanto, suporta a necessidade de sua persistência e melhorias adicionais pelas autoridades para alavancar ainda a produtividade essa atividade no futuro.

ABSTRACT: Citrus is one of the major exported fruits of Pakistan. Especially Kinnow cultivar is famous across the globe because of its aroma and taste. The overall production of citrus is reported as half of the potential because of the non-adoption of research-based practices and lack of agricultural extension services and training of the citrus growers. In the last few years, the department of agricultural extension has started training programs called Farmer Field Schools (FFS) for citrus growers in the major citrus growing zone of the Punjab province, i.e., Sargodha region. This research was conducted in the Sargodha district to evaluate the knowledge and skills gained by the farmers from the FFS. The interview schedule was designed for the purpose of data collection. The data was collected from 120 farmers randomly selected from 15 FFS in the study area. All the respondents were participants of the FFS. The data was analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS). The Results of the study showed that 40% of the farmers learned about citrus verities, one-third of respondents learned about the management of new plants/orchards, 28% of the respondents got knowledge about the cultivation of fruits, and one-fourth of respondents acquired knowledge and skills about layout and management of citrus orchards. These findings conclude that training course has a positive influence on farmers’ farm management skills; hence emphasize on its persistence and further improvement by the concerned authorities.

Abstract The response of two local maize (Zea mays L.) genotypes designated as Sahwal-2002 (salt-tolerant) and Sadaf (salt-sensitive) to salt stress was investigated under controlled growth conditions. The role of phenylalanine and seed priming under salt stress in maize with different morphological parameters were studied. The genotype Sadaf, being salt-tolerant, experienced more oxidative damage than the Sahiwall-2002 genotype under salt stress. The salinity affected both growth and physiological attributes of the maize species whereas the phenylalanine successfully increased the salinity tolerance in maize species at the seedling stage.

This study investigated Teacher Talk (TT) quantity, TT quality, teacher questions and feedback to determine whether the teacher-student interaction practices in a Pakistani language classroom align with ESL (English as a Second Language) principles or not. For this purpose, two lessons in a Pakistani secondary level ESL classroom were recorded and analysed through conversation analysis (CA). TT was observed to dominate in the classroom. The teacher used display questions more than referential questions. There was a slight use of second language (L2) in the classroom that was limited to the use of key terms in the lessons. Feedback was romantic in nature. All of these practices were observed as less effective teacher-student interaction practices. Therefore, the study concluded that teacher-student interaction did not align with ESL classroom management principles. Since TT, teacher questions and feedback were the important forms of teacher-student interaction in an ESL classroom, this study suggested to manage TT, teacher questions and feedback in the Pakistani ESL classroom for effective L2 teaching.

Abstract The research article is based on biodiesel synthesis by the transesterification of waste cooking oil with methanol in the presence of heterogeneous catalysts prepared from different marble. Eight samples of marble were successfully converted into potential catalysts by calcination. The thermal treatment of waste marbles at 300oC-1000oC converted the metal carbonates (CaCO3) to metal oxides (CaO). The calcined marble was analyzed by chemical tests, flame atomic absorption spectroscopy (FAAS), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), and X-ray diffraction studies (XRD). The presence of CaO in these catalysts made them highly reactive for biodiesel synthesis. The basicity and percentage of calcium in marble catalysts were calculated to know their basic strength. The transesterification was performed by fast stirring using waste cooking oil, methanol and nine different types of marble catalysts for 5 min at five different conditions, i.e., room temperature, hot plate stirring, solar ordinary irradiations, solar concentrated reflected irradiations and solar concentrated refracted irradiations. The solid catalysts were easily separated from the product for re-use. All marble catalysts were found to be active and basic except one namely silver pun (I). The production of biodiesel was confirmed by ASTM standards, TLC examination and by gas chromatography (GC).

ABSTRACT Salinity is a serious problem that limits crop growth and yield. The present study used plotting to evaluate 25 tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) accessions for various morpho-physiological parameters at the seedling stage and identify significantly salt-tolerant tomato lines at three different salinity levels. The pot experiment had a completely randomized design with three replicates in a factorial arrangement under greenhouse conditions. Tomato plants were exposed to 0 (control), 8, and 12 dS m-1 as NaCl stress at the seedling stage. The morpho-physiological traits, such as root and shoot length, root/shoot ratio, number of leaves, fresh and dry shoot weight, fresh and dry root weight, leaf area, Na+ and K+ concentrations, K+/Na+ ratio, and tolerance index, were recorded to examine salt tolerance. According to principal component analysis (PCA), there were six principal components (PCs) with Eigen values > 1 and 77.2% of total cumulative variability. The PC1 (24.3%) revealed the highest variability followed by PC2 (16.2%). Meanwhile, the PCA biplot and cluster heat map analyses indicated that Subarctic, Raad-Red, Naqeeb, Pakit, Tommy-Toe, and BL-1076 were salt-tolerant, whereas PBLA-1401, PB-017902, CLN-2413, BL-1078, BL-1174, and BL-1079 were the most susceptible accessions based on their performance under stress.

Abstract This study dealt with the fabrication and analysis of poly(lactic acid) (PLA) mediated chitosan nanocomposite. Such a novel nanobiocomposite may get future applications in drug delivery, and nanofinising of textile and polymer surfaces. Herein, this nanocomposite has been considered as an antibacterial finishing agent for a hydrophobic textile fabric like polyester. The prepared nanocomposite was characterized for zeta size and morphology, and subsequently applied on a woven polyester fabric though a coross linker. The treated polyester fabric was analyzed for textile functional characteristics as well asantibacterial activity. The spectral and optical properties demonstrated that the nanocomposite developed exhibited spherical morphologies with a mean nano particle size of ca. 88 nm. The treated fabric projected satisfactory antibacterial and fair fabric attributes. Hence, the nanofinished polyester fabric is a potential biocompatible candidate as medical and antibacterial textiles in addition to be used in antibacterial water filtration and materials packing.