University of Malakand

Abstract Nickel oxide (NiO) and Titanium doped NiO nanoparticles (NPs) were prepared via co-precipitation method. The successful doping of Ti to the NiO and undope NiO NPs were confirmed by powerful characterization techniques such as SEM, EDX, FTIR, XRD and UV-visible spectroscopy. SEM indicated that NiO NPs has irregularly spherical shaped particles while Ti doped NiO NPs has pore interceded texture and more agglomerated. EDX shows the better composition of both NPs. The XRD analysis demonstrates the crystalline structure of NiO and Ti doped NiO NPs and having size of 52.34 and 55.11 nm. FTIR peaks confirmed better preparation of both NPs in the range from 100–500 cm − 1 . The optical band gap of NiO is 3.6 eV while Ti doped NiO has 3.3 eV. After 75 minutes of irradiation time, photocatalytic degradation studies under UV irradiation showed 96 and 84% Eosin yellow (EY) dye degradation by Ti doped NiO and undope NiO NPs, respectively. Further parameters were also performed for photodegradation of EY dye like effect of catalyst dosage, pH, concentration of dye and activity of recycled catalysts. Additionally, the kinetic study demonstrates that EY dye degradation study was significantly obey Pseudo-first order kinetics as compared to Pseudo-second order kinetics. Furthermore antibacterial activity of NiO and Ti doped NiO NPs were also identified.

A study was carried out to evaluate the physical and mechanical properties of amphibolite located in the Kaiigah region of the upper Kohistan Dasu Dam area. The study aimed to explore its suitability as a source for aggregates and to evaluate its geotechnical performance. The region is mainly composed of amphibolite. The assessment included a comparison of physical properties against recognized standards to gauge their suitability for construction use. It was found that there is a strong direct correlation between water absorption rates and Los Angeles abrasion results. The analysis covered both fine and coarse aggregates, examining parameters such as specific gravity, Los Angeles abrasion, unit weight, sieve analysis, Proctor compaction, Atterberg limits and sand equivalent, in accordance with ASTM and British Standards. The findings were cross-referenced with ASTM and AASHTO standards to gauge aggregate quality. It was concluded that the amphibolites from Kaiigah meet the necessary criteria for specific gravity and Los Angeles abrasion, indicating their suitability for the local construction sector.

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder linked with oxidative imbalance, cholinergic dysfunction and neuroinflammation, necessitates developing new multitarget natural compounds with potential disease-modifying action. Piperitone was evaluated using in-silico, in-vitro and in-vivo methods. In-silico study identified the pharmacokinetic parameters (PK) and the interaction stability of piperitone with acetylcholinesterase (AChE), butyrylcholinesterase (BChE), and β-secretase. In-vivo assessment of spatial memory in scopolamine-induced rat model was identified by behavioral assays with donepezil as a reference standard. In-vitro assays identified activity of cholinesterases, oxidative stress markers, levels of antioxidants and neuroinflammatory substrates, quantified with Reverse Transcription Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR) and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Piperitone demonstrated favorable PK properties & docking scores comparable to Donepezil, Tacrine & QUD. Molecular dynamics simulations (MDS) confirmed stable associations with catalytic residues of cholinesterases and beta-secretase. Dose dependent reduction was recorded in cholinesterases, improvement in behavioral outcomes, and supplemented defenses of antioxidants including Glutathione (Reduced Form (GSH), Glutathione S-Transferase (GST), Catalase (CAT), Superoxide Dismutase (SOD), and diminished Lipid Peroxidation (LPO), Nitric Oxide (NO), Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha (TNF-α), Interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-18, Nuclear Factor kappa-light-chain-enhancer of activated B cells (NF-κB), NOD-like Receptor Family Pyrin Domain Containing 3 (NLRP3) and amyloid-β production, while improving Nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) signaling. Piperitone showed significant neuroprotective and cognitive enhancement benefits by modulating cholinergic signaling, oxidative stress, and neuroinflammation. These multitarget actions advocate piperitone as a prospective lead candidate for the development of disease modifying treatments for AD.