The Philippine journal of science最新文献

{"title":"Distribution, Accumulation, and Risk Assessment of Pb and Cd in the Tea Plant Leaves, Black Tea, and Soil from Different Tea Plantations in Lahijan, Iran","authors":"Azadeh Rashidimehr, Zahra Mosavvari, Parisa Ziarati, Soheyl Eskandari","doi":"10.56899/152.05.38","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.56899/152.05.38","url":null,"abstract":"Since heavy metals (HM) exist in the soil due to industrial activity and the usage of pesticides and fertilizers, monitoring the content of these pollutants is very significant. The current research aimed to determine the concentrations of cadmium (Cd) and lead (Pb) in the tea plant leaves, black tea, and soil and look for their correlations. Twenty-seven (27) samples were divided into three groups of tea plant leaves, black tea, and soil from the same tea plantations originating from Lahijan, Iran. The concentrations of Pb and Cd in samples were determined using a flame atomic absorption spectrophotometer. After that, some analyses were conducted to find the correlation between the content of Pb and Cd in tea plant leaves, black tea, and soil, and their health risks were evaluated. In leaves, black tea, and soil, the mean contents for Cd were 0.001, 0.044, and 0.044 ppm, whereas those for Pb were 0.501, 0.939, and 2.093 ppm, respectively. The results showed that Cd and Pb concentration means in tea plant leaves, black tea, and soil samples were lower than the guidelines recommended by EU, WHO, and national Iranian standards (P < 0.05). The values of the non-carcinogenic hazard quotients (HQ) and the hazard index (HI) were below 1, indicating that these two HMs will not adversely affect consumers' health through the oral pathway of drinking tea. However, more attention should be paid to monitoring the content of HMs in soil. This research recommends that soil Pb contamination should be managed to ensure safe tea production in the study area. An effective management strategy appears necessary to ensure the quality and safety of tea plantations, as well as to reduce the risk of the accumulation of HMs in tea.","PeriodicalId":22801,"journal":{"name":"The Philippine journal of science","volume":"69 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-09-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"135246821","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Detection of Outliers in Univariate Circular Data Using New Cut-off Points for the Circular Distance","authors":"Benjawan Rattanawong, Nipada Papukdee, Wuttichai Srisodaphol","doi":"10.56899/152.05.39","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.56899/152.05.39","url":null,"abstract":"The aim of this study is to propose two new cut-off points for outlier detection in univariate circular data using the concept of circular distance. The first cut-off point involves using a quantile of the gamma distribution based on adjusted circular distances, whereas the second cut-off point employs the upper fence of a modified boxplot for skewed data. Simulation studies are conducted using both uncontaminated and contaminated data, and the performance of the proposed cut-off points is evaluated in the proportion of outliers, probability of all outliers being successfully detected, probability of outliers being falsely detected as inliers (masking effect), and probability of inliers detected as outliers (swamping effect). Real data examples are also used to demonstrate the efficacy of the proposed cut-off points. The results of the simulation and real data experiments show that the proposed cut-off point involves using a quantile of the gamma distribution based on adjusted circular distances and is successful in outlier detection compared to the existing cut-off points.","PeriodicalId":22801,"journal":{"name":"The Philippine journal of science","volume":"50 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-09-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"135246814","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Field Observations of Same-sex Non-reproductive Mounts in Adult Male Philippine Long-tailed Macaques (Macaca fascicularis)","authors":"Brian Sabanal, Jay Torrefiel, Chenalin de los Santos, Kelvin Bryle Meneses, Lief Erikson Gamalo","doi":"10.56899/152.05.40","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.56899/152.05.40","url":null,"abstract":"Non-reproductive sexual behaviors have been reported in many different animal taxa, including non-human primates (NHPs). One of the Philippine NHPs that exhibits non-reproductive sexual behaviors, specifically same-sex sexual behaviors (SSSBs), is the long-tailed macaque (LTM). We observed SSSBs during our ecological and behavioral surveys of wild LTMs in Brgy. New Israel, Makilala, Philippines. We recorded multiple non-reproductive mounts (NRMs) among adult males with two detailed observations of anogenital contacts and ejaculations of the mounters. There are several hypotheses that may explain why these sexual behaviors are displayed by macaques (e.g. dominance assertion, social tension reduction, and inaccessibility of females); however, our observations could not be completely explained by these hypotheses due to our limited number of records. We recommend that more thorough research should be conducted to increase our understanding of the possible reasons behind the SSSBs of LTMs.","PeriodicalId":22801,"journal":{"name":"The Philippine journal of science","volume":"5 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-09-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"135246816","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Internet of Things Enabled Smart Water Excellence Observing and Outflow Recognition System","authors":"V. Karthikeyan, E. Raja, Y. Palin Visu","doi":"10.56899/152.05.31","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.56899/152.05.31","url":null,"abstract":"Currently, global water demands are increasing at an alarming rate, largely due to the depletion of resources caused by factors such as water waste, climate change, and urbanization.Unfortunately, conventional water metering schemes are often performed manually by human resources, which can be both cumbersome and ineffective for conservation efforts. To address the shortcomings of the-state-of-the models, this paper introduces an autonomous water quality monitoring system based on IoT technology to optimize water utilization. The proposed system analyzes and monitors the usage of water in the aquatic industry such as circulation speed measurement and optimization of water supply to reduce water waste and encourage conservation. Also, the proposed system uses pH and conductivity sensors to monitor the quality of the water that is delivered to each residence.","PeriodicalId":22801,"journal":{"name":"The Philippine journal of science","volume":"29 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-09-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"135586762","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Exhaustive Review on Nail Lacquer in the Treatment of Nail Diseases","authors":"Ayushi Chauhan, Nidhi Nainwal, Mansi Butola, Vikash Jakhmola","doi":"10.56899/152.05.30","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.56899/152.05.30","url":null,"abstract":"The delivery of drugs through the transungual route is necessary because many nail diseases such as onychomycosis, psoriasis, paronychia, and onycholysis require topical drug delivery through the nail plate to avoid the systemic side effects of drugs first-pass hepatic metabolism and to provide direct benefits at the site of disease. However, topical delivery is associated with the main drawback of poor permeability of drugs through the nail plate. The nail plate contains tight networks of cross-linked protein (keratin) that provide hardness to the nail. Successful permeation of drugs through this nail barrier can be achieved by mechanical or chemical approaches. The chemical methods (penetration enhancers) are mainly associated with the disruption of nail integrity. Nail lacquers are the most popular dosage form from the formulation viewpoint. As the solvent evaporates, lacquers create polymeric drug-loaded films on the nail tissue that have a high concentration of the drug and allow for prolonged contact with the tissue. The present article focuses on the emergence of nail lacquers as prospective transungual delivery systems for the treatment of various mild to moderate nail diseases.","PeriodicalId":22801,"journal":{"name":"The Philippine journal of science","volume":"312 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-09-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"135866893","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Molecular Detection and Prevalence of Toxoplasma gondii in Ready-to-eat Vegetables and Oysters in Central Luzon, Philippines","authors":"Cielo Emar Paraoan, Ren Mark Villanueva, Marie Christine Obusan","doi":"10.56899/152.05.36","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.56899/152.05.36","url":null,"abstract":"Toxoplasmosis, a parasitic infection caused by T. gondii, may be considered as a neglected disease in the Philippines. Consumption of raw or undercooked cyst-containing meat and accidental ingestion of oocysts excreted in the environment are two of the main routes in acquiring the infection. In the Philippines, there is no comprehensive or updated information on the prevalence of T. gondii among human populations and as a food-borne pathogen. We detected T. gondii DNA in ready-to-eat (RTE) vegetables and oysters sold in markets in Central Luzon, Philippines using molecular method. Six (10%) out of the 60 collected vegetable samples tested positive through nested PCR amplification of B1 gene. As for the oyster samples, four (9.09%) out of the 44 collected pooled samples were positive for T. gondii. Phylogenetic analyses revealed all the DNA sequences retrieved from positive samples clustered with T. gondii with a virulent Type 1 genotype (accession no: KX270388). Further studies should be done to identify the exact genotypic profiles of the T. gondii detected in the vegetable and oyster samples to infer pathogenicity and possible sources of contamination. Our findings suggest possible transmission patterns of T. gondii oocysts as a potential health threat to consumers.","PeriodicalId":22801,"journal":{"name":"The Philippine journal of science","volume":"36 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-09-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"135866894","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Investigation of Chemical Components of Hexane Extract from the Stem of Arcangelisia flava via Phytochemical Test, GC-MS Analysis, FTIR Fingerprinting, and In Vitro Antioxidant Activity","authors":"Kimberly Delica, Kim Wilmer Balagot, Rebecca Lapuz","doi":"10.56899/152.05.32","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.56899/152.05.32","url":null,"abstract":"Arcangelisia flava, also known as yellow root, is a woody vine indigenous to the Philippines. It has been established that it possesses medicinal properties, and several of its bioactive compounds have been identified. However, most of its possible bioactive nonpolar chemical compounds remain unidentified. In this study, the stem of A. flava was investigated for its chemical components, FTIR fingerprinting, and antioxidant activity. The stem of A. flava was chopped, ground, and then extracted with hexane per gram of A. flava. Thin-layer chromatography (TLC), phytochemical screening, GC-MS and FTIR analyses, cupric-reducing antioxidant capacity (CUPRAC), and 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging assays were performed to evaluate the chemical components of A. flava hexane extract. TLC and phytochemical screening revealed the presence of some organic acids, triterpenes, sterols, essential oils, phenols, and flavonoids. Further characterization using GC-MS analysis revealed 64 chemical components classified into hydrocarbon, ketone, alcohol, aromatic compounds, aldehyde, ester, organosilicon, and other chemicals. The most abundant compound was hexacosane with a relative abundance of 43.17%. This was followed by tetracosane (8.85%), o-xylene (8.09%), and hexatriacontane (5.72%). The FTIR spectrum also revealed the presence of hydrocarbons such as alkanes and alkenes, confirming the 60% abundance of such class of compounds as revealed by GC-MS. Meanwhile, based on the CUPRAC and DPPH assay conducted, the hexane extract from the stem of A. flava had low antioxidant capacity. Based on the literature search, this is the first time the chemical composition of A. flava hexane extract has been evaluated and its chemical compounds identified. The findings presented in this paper should be taken into account for any future research on the species’ therapeutic properties.","PeriodicalId":22801,"journal":{"name":"The Philippine journal of science","volume":"41 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-09-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"136010322","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Synthesis of Graphene-based Nanoparticles for Biomedical Applications – a Mini-review","authors":"Yee Tze Ung, Edward Kong Weng Tan, Khi Poay Beh, Murugaiyah Vikneswaran, Muhammad Azrul Zabidi, Samir Acherar, Céline Frochot, Amirah Mohd Gazzali","doi":"10.56899/152.05.34","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.56899/152.05.34","url":null,"abstract":"Graphene is a form of carbon allotrope that has received tremendous attention from researchers in various fields. Graphene oxide (GO) has unique characteristics that have proven to be useful in many areas, including biomedical and pharmaceutical applications. Its large surface area and richness in oxygen-containing functional groups enable the loading of large quantities of drug molecules and targeting agents for various diseases such as cancer. This review describes the evolution of developing and synthesizing graphene-based nanoparticles, with a specific interest in biomedical applications. The important procedures involved in the production of GO include pre-oxidation and pre-reaction steps, oxidation, downstream processing, and purification, with further processes like carboxylation and particle size reduction that are needed to obtain the graphene-based nanoparticles suitable for biomedical applications. This review will guide researchers to begin graphene research, understand the important parameters, and ensure the successful production of graphene-based nanoparticles.","PeriodicalId":22801,"journal":{"name":"The Philippine journal of science","volume":"36 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-09-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"136238121","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"In Silico Assessment of the Role of Iridoid in the Treatment of Zika and Influenza Virus Infection","authors":"Supriyo Saha, Prinsa Prinsa, Vikash Jakhmola, Arun Kumar Mahato, Saloni Srivastava, Kiran Dobhal, Sarkar Kawsar","doi":"10.56899/152.05.35","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.56899/152.05.35","url":null,"abstract":"Iridoids have been showing anticancer, antiproliferative, cardioprotective, hepatoprotective, antihyperglycemic, and immune stimulatory activities. Zika and H3N2 viruses belong to the RNA virus category, which was responsible for the reoccurrence of epidemics and pandemics in the last decades. Both infections are the type of zoonotic diseases that transmit very fast. In this manuscript, we selected 59 iridoids (iridoid glycosides, secoiridoids, bis-iridoids, and non-glycosidic iridoids) and performed molecular docking (MD) interaction studies against PDB ID: 7VLG (Zika virus receptor) and PDB ID: 6EUY (H3N2 influenza virus receptor). MD interaction revealed that 2'-O-(4-methoxycinnamoyl) mussaenosidic acid and 6-O-trans-p-Coumaroyl–8-O-acetylshanzhiside methyl ester showed a maximum dock score of –8.6 kcal/mol and –9.2 kcal/mol against PDB ID: 7VLG and PDB ID: 6EUY, respectively. The MD interaction data was confirmed by MD simulation and MMPBSA analysis. MD simulation data showed that RMSD and RMSF were within the limit. MM/PBSA analysis data showed that free binding energy of –21.398 kJ/mol and –127.169 kJ/mol observed with 2'-O-(4-methoxycinnamoyl) mussaenosidic acid–7VLGand 6-O-trans-p-Coumaroyl–8-O-acetylshanzhiside methyl ester–6EUY, respectively. ADMET studies showed that both the final molecules were nontoxic in nature, but they required modification during formulation development. These data confirmed that if we reroute these iridoids toward Zika virus and influenza (H3N2) strains, it will be beneficial for mankind.","PeriodicalId":22801,"journal":{"name":"The Philippine journal of science","volume":"341 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-09-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"136238118","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Analysis of Digestive Enzymes Concentration in Gut of Juvenile and Adult Group of Notopterus notopterus (Notopteridae; Osteoglossiformes)","authors":"Waqas Ahmad, Muhammad Naeem","doi":"10.56899/152.05.37","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.56899/152.05.37","url":null,"abstract":"Analyzing digestive enzyme concentration in the gut is important to know about the digestive physiology of fish. Therefore, we determined concentrations of protease, lipase, and amylase enzyme in gut extracts of juvenile and adult groups of Notopterus notopterus relative to total body length (TBL), body weight (W), gut length (GL), relative gut length (RGL), Zihler's index (ZI) and condition factor (K). A total of 60 N. notopterus specimens (30 juvenile and 30 adult) were collected, the gut of each removed, homogenized, and evaluated for the concentrations of protease, lipase, and amylase. Protease and lipase concentration were observed significantly (P < 0.01) correlated with increased TBL, W, and GL in both juvenile and adult groups of N. notopterus. Amylase concentration significantly (P < 0.01) increases with an increase in TBL, weight, and GL in the juvenile group, whereas amylase concentration significantly (P < 0.01) decreases with an increase in TBL, W, and GL in the adult group. K had a significant (P < 0.01) positive correlation with protease and lipase concentrations in both juvenile and adult groups, whereas K showed a significant (P < 0.01) positive correlation with amylase concentrations in juvenile and significant (P < 0.01) negative correlation in the adult group. Protease and lipase concentration were observed significantly (P < 0.01) correlated with an increase in ZI in the juvenile and adult groups. Amylase concentration significantly (P < 0.01) increases with an increase in ZI in the juvenile group, whereas amylase concentration significantly (P < 0.01) decreases with an increase in ZI in the adult group. The concentrations of protease (344.12 U/mg) and lipase (172.49 U/mg) were observed high in juvenile and adult groups, whereas amylase concentration (3.80 U/mg) was found low in the juvenile and adult N. notopterus groups. Present study results revealed the digestive physiology and carnivorous behavior of N. notopterus. Moreover, information from the present study about digestive enzyme concentration in juvenile and adult species of N. notopterus provides valuable information to understand the digestive physiology of carnivorous fishes.","PeriodicalId":22801,"journal":{"name":"The Philippine journal of science","volume":"s1-1 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-09-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"136238120","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}