Heavy metals and organic pollutants are ubiquitous environmental pollutants affecting the quality of soil, water and air. Over the past 5 decades, many strategies have been developed for the remediation of polluted water. Strategies involving aquatic plant use are preferable to conventional methods. In this study, an attempt was made to provide a brief review on recent progresses in research and practical applications of phytoremediation for water resources with the following objectives: (1) to discuss the toxicity of toxic chemicals pollution in water to plant, animals and human health (2) to summarise the physicochemical factors affecting removal of toxic chemicals such as heavy metals and organic contaminants in aqueous solutions by aquatic plants; (3) to summarise and compare the removal rates of heavy metals and organic contaminants in aqueous solutions by diverse aquatic plants; and (4) to summarise chemometric models for testing aquatic plant performance. More than 20 aquatic plants specie have been used extensively while duckweed (L. minor), water hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes), water lettuce (P. stratiotes) are the most common. Overall, chemometrics for performance assessment reported include: Growth rate (GR), Growth rate inhibition (% Inhibition), Metal uptake (MU), translocation/transfer factor (TF), bioconcentration factor (BCF), Percent metal uptake (% MU), Removal capacity (RC) and Tolerance index (TI) while absorption rate have been studied using the sorption kinetics and isotherms models such as pseudo-first-order (PFO), pseudo-second-order (PSO), Freundlich, Langmuir and Temkin. Using modeling and interpretation of adsorption isotherms for performance assessment is particularly good and increases level of accuracy obtained from adsorption processes of contaminant on plant. Conclusion was drawn by highlighting the gap in knowledge and suggesting key future areas of research for scientists and policymakers.

Bacteriophages can provide alternative measures for the control of E. coli O157:H7 that is currently an emerging food-borne pathogen of severe public health concern. This study was aimed at characterising E. coli O157:H7 specific phages as potential biocontrol agents for these pathogens. Fifteen phages were isolated and screened against 69 environmental E. coli O157:H7. Only 3 phages displayed broad lytic spectra against environmental shiga toxin-producing E. coli O157:H7 strains. These 3 lytic phages were designated V3, V7 and V8. Subsequent characterization indicated that they displayed very high degree of similarities despite isolation from different locations. Transmission Electron microscopy (TEM) of the phages revealed that they all had isometric heads of about 73 – 77 nm in diameter and short tails ranging from 20 - 25 nm in diameter. Phages V3, V7 and V8 were assigned to the family Podoviridae based on their morphology. Pulsed field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) genome estimation of the 3 phages demonstrated identical genome sizes of ~ 69 nm. The latent periods of these phages were 20 min, 15 min, and 20 min for V3, V7 and V8 respectively while the burst sizes were 374, 349 and 419 PFU/ infected cell respectively. While all the phages were relatively stable over a wide range of salinity, temperatures and pH values, their range of infectivity or lytic profile was rather narrow on environmental E. coli O157:H7 strains isolated from cattle faeces. This study showed that the Podoviridae bacteriophages are the dominant E. coli O57:H7-infecting phages harboured in cattle faeces in the North-West Province of South Africa and due to their favourable characteristics can be exploited in the formulation of phage cocktails for the bio-control of E. coli O157:H7 in meat and other meat products.

Tea (Camellia sinenesis) is a health beneficial beverage and is also a source for extracting bioactive components such as theanine, tea polyphenols (TPP) and tea polysaccharides (TPS). TPS is a group of hetero-polysaccharides bounded with proteins. There were tests showing that TPS had various bioactivities, such as antioxidant, antitumors, antihyperglycemia, anti-inflammation and improving immunity. However, inconsistent results concerning chemical composition and bioactivity of TPS were published in recent years. The advances in chemical composition and bioactivities of TPS were reviewed in the present paper. The inconsistent and controversial results regarding composition and bioactivities of TPS were also discussed.

Instead of simplified steady-state models, with modern computers, one can solve the complete aero-thermodynamics happening in gas turbine engines. In the present article, we describe a mathematical model and numerical procedure to represent the transient response of a PT6A gas turbine engine operating at off-design conditions. The aero-thermal model consists of a set of algebraic and ordinary differential equations that arise from the application of the mass, linear momentum, angular momentum, and energy balances in each engine's component. The solution code has been developed in Matlab-Simulink using a block-oriented approach. Transient simulations of the PT6A engine start-up have been carried out by changing the original Jet-A1 fuel with biodiesel blends. Time plots of the main thermodynamic variables are shown, especially those regarding the structural integrity of the burner. Numerical results have been validated against reported experimental measurements and GasTurb simulations. The computer model has been capable to predict acceptable fuel blends, such that the real PT6A engine can be substituted to avoid the risk of damaging it.

Arsenic, an element of environmental impact, can be incorporated into jarosite–type compounds and remain stabilised within the structure under a wide range of environmental conditions. In this study, a sample of ammonium–arsenic jarosite was synthesised by precipitation in sulphate medium at controlled pH of 1.2–1.8. The behaviour of arsenic during the thermal and chemical decomposition of jarosite was analysed; the degradation in alkaline medium of jarosite was also studied. According to the results, the synthesised jarosite is composed of joined rhombohedral crystals, forming tightly spherical shaped particles, 37–54 μm size. The ammonium jarosite produced possessed a high arsenic concentration; its calculated stoichiometry being (NH₄)Fe_2.45[(SO₄)_1.80(AsO₄)_0.20][(OH)_4.15(H₂0)_1.85]. It was found that arsenic is stabilised in the jarosite structure; upon heating, it remains in residual solids above 700°C, whilst in alkaline medium an incongruent dissolution takes place, with the arsenic retained in the solid phase along with iron. These solids, when exposed to high temperatures (1200°C), transform into a type of iron oxide known as hematite, so with arsenic it is retained an iron compound forming a stable compound which withstands high temperatures.

Clove (Syzygium aromaticum L. Myrtaceae) is an aromatic plant widely cultivated in tropical and subtropical countries, rich in volatile compounds and antioxidants such as eugenol, β-caryophyllene, and α-humulene. Clove essential oil has received considerable interest due to its wide application in the perfumery, cosmetic, health, medical, flavoring, and food industries. Clove essential oil has relevant biological activities to human health, including antimicrobial, antioxidant, and insecticide. This review describes the effect of the extraction method (hydrodistillation, steam distillation, ultrasound-assisted extraction, microwave-assisted extraction, cold pressing, and supercritical fluid extraction) on the chemical composition of essential oil and its correlation with their biological activities. Likewise, are summarized the main compounds and their reported biological activities. Furthermore, the main applications in clove essential oil in the food industry are presented. Finally, this review presents the new biological activities such as anti-inflammatory, analgesic, anesthetic, antinociceptive and anticancer, which are beneficial for human health. This review aims to compile the effect of different methods of extracting clove essential oil on chemical composition, food applications, as well as a current description of biological activities of interest to human health. Biological activities have increased interest in research into this essential oil and its future applications in the food or pharmaceutical industry.

We have studied the relative positions of the frontier levels determine the main electronic properties and reaction ability, there is important necessity to compare the MO of the purine and рyrimidine bases: adenine (A), guanine (G), cytosine (C), thymine (T) and uracil (U). The donor and acceptor properties are the fundamental characteristic of the conjugated molecules and can be quantitatively estimated by relative positions of the frontier molecular orbitals. The MO’s energies can be estimated experimentally or quantum-chemically. Analysis of the relative position of the frontier levels (calibrated by the energy gap) enables the investigation of the donor/acceptor properties of the RNA/DNA bases more detailed. The index φ0 is proposed for the quantitative quantum-chemical estimation of the donor ability of the conjugated molecules: it points on the shifting of the energy gap relative to the reference electron balanced system. The RNA/DNA bases divided strictly by two groups: predominantly donors (φ0 > 0.5) and predominantly acceptors (φ0 > 0.5). Each representative base of the first group forms the stable base pair the representative base of the second group the difference of indices Δφ0 should be optimal to enables the DNA replication.

The objective of this study is to investigate the aquatic-toxic effects of glyoxal-containing cellulose ether with four different glyoxal concentrations (0, 1.4, 2.3 and 6.3%) in response to global chemical regulations, e.g., European Union Classification, Labeling and Packaging (EU CLP). Tests of the aquatic-toxic effects of glyoxal-containing cellulose ether on 11 freeze-dried microbial strains, Microcystis aeruginosa, Daphnia magna and zebrafish embryos were designed as an initial stage for toxicity screening, and were performed with the standardized toxicity test guidelines. Glyoxal-containing cellulose ether showed no significant toxic effects in the toxicity tests for the 11 freeze-dried microbial strains, Daphnia magna and zebrafish embryos. Alternatively, 6.3% glyoxal-containing cellulose ether led to more than a 60% reduction of Microcystis aeruginosa growth after 7 days of exposure. Approximately 10% developmental abnormalities (e.g., bent spine) in zebrafish embryos were also observed in the group exposed to 6.3% glyoxal-containing cellulose ether after 6 days of exposure. These results imply that <6.3% glyoxal-containing cellulose ether results in non-toxic effects on the acute toxicity of aquatic organisms. However, ≥6.3% glyoxal-containing cellulose ether may affect the health of aquatic organisms with long-term exposure. In order to better evaluate the eco-safety of cellulosic products contained in glyoxal, further studies regarding the toxic effects of glyoxal-containing cellulose ether with long-term exposure are required. The results from this study allow us to evaluate the auatic-toxic effects of glyoxal-containing cellulosic products, under EU chemical regulations, on the health of aquatic organisms.

The present study aims at deposition of zinc phosphate coatings with the incorporation of nano Titanium dioxide particles by chemical phosphating method. Zinc phosphate coatings were developed on low carbon steel by using nano TiO2 in the standard phosphating bath. The Coated low carbon steel samples were assessed for corrosion studies using electrochemical impedance spectroscopy and potentiodynamic polarisation techniques in 3.5% NaCl solution. Chemical composition of the coatings was analysed by energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX). Significant variations in the coating weight, porosity and corrosion resistance were observed with the addition of nano TiO2 in the phosphating bath. Corrosion rate of nano TiO2 incorporated chemical phosphate coated samples was found to be 3.5 mpy which was 4 times less than the bare uncoated low carbon steel (~14 mpy). Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy studies revels in the reduction of porosity in nano TiO2 phosphate coated samples. It was found that nano TiO2 particles in the phosphating solution yielded phosphate coatings of higher coating weight, greater surface coverage and enhanced corrosion resistance than the normal zinc phosphate coatings (developed using normal phosphating bath).

Development of the self-cleaning and anti-fogging superhydrophobic coating for aluminum surfaces which is durable in the aggressive conditions has raised tremendous interest in materials science. In this work, by employing chemical etching technique with mixture of hydrochloric and nitric acid, followed by passivation with lauric acid, superhydrophobic aluminum surface was synthesized. The surface morphology analysis reveals the presence of rough microstructures on coated aluminium surface. Superhydrophobicity with water contact angle of 170 ± 3.9° and sliding angle of 4 ± 0.5° is achieved. Surface bounces off the high speed water jet, indicating excellent water-repellent nature of coating. It is also continuously floated on water surface for several weeks, showing excellent buoyancy nature. Additionally, coating maintains its superhydrophobicity after undergoing 100 cycles of adhesive tape peeling test. Its superhydrophobic nature withstands 90° and 180° bending, and repeated folding and de-folding. Coating exhibits the excellent self-cleaning property. In low temperature condensation test, almost no accumulation of water drops on the surface, showing the excellent anti-fogging property of coating. This approach can be applied to any size and shape of aluminium surface and hence has great industrial applications.

Since its first isolation in 1934, hyaluronic acid (HA) has been studied across a variety of research areas. This unbranched glycosaminoglycan consisting of repeating disaccharide units of N-acetyl-D-glucosamine and D-glucuronic acid is almost ubiquitary in humans and in other vertebrates. HA is involved in many key processes -including cell signaling, wound reparation, tissue regeneration, morphogenesis, matrix organization and pathobiology-, and has unique physico-chemical properties -such as biocompatibility, biodegradability, mucoadhesivity, hygroscopicity and viscoelasticity. For these reasons, exogenous HA has been investigated as drug delivery system and treatment in cancer, ophthalmology, arthrology, pneumology, rhinology, urology, aesthetic medicine and cosmetic. To improve and customize its properties and applications, HA can be subjected to chemical modifications: conjugation and crosslinking. The present review gives an overview regarding HA, describing its history, physico-chemical, structural and hydrodynamic properties, and biology –occurrence, biosynthesis (by hyaluronan synthases), degradation (by hyaluronidases and oxidative stress), roles, mechanisms of action and receptors. Furthermore, both conventional and recently emerging methods developed for the industrial production of HA and its chemical derivatization are presented. Finally, the medical, pharmaceutical and cosmetic applications of HA and its derivatives are reviewed, reporting examples of HA-based products which currently are on the market or are undergoing further investigations.

The coffee leaf miner (CLM) Leucoptera coffeella moth is a major threat to coffee production. Insect damage is related to the feeding behavior of the larvae on the leaf. During the immature life stages, the insect feeds in the mesophyll, triggering necrosis and causing loss of photosynthetic capacity, defoliation, and significant yield loss to coffee crops. Chemical control is mandatory to sustain the coffee production chain, though market requirements move towards conscious consumption, claiming for more sustainable methods. In this overview, we discuss aspects about the CLM concerning biology, history, geographical distribution, economic impacts, and the most relevant control strategies in progress. Insights to develop an integrate approach for a safer and eco-friendly control of the CLM are discussed, including bio-extracts, nanotechnology, pheromones, and tolerant cultivars.

Rice is considered as the most important crop for most of the world population. Utilization of seaweed as bio-stimulant can be an alternative way to enhance rice plant growth and productivity, as well as a strategic move to reduce the use of inorganic fertilizer that is harmful to the environment. Seaweed and its derivative products have been widely used as bio-stimulant in the agricultural industry because of their potential use in increasing plant growth and productivity. Auxins, gibberellins, and cytokinin are some of growth regulators found in seaweed extract, as well as macro and micronutrients required for plant growth and development. Several studies have found that seaweed extract has a variety of favorable effects as a plant growth promoter, including early seed germination and establishment, improved nutritional quality, increased yield and crop performance, and increased tolerance to environmental stress. The purpose of this paper is to give a comprehensive overview of the impacts of several seaweed species on seed germination, crop development and production, enhancement of rice plants (Oryza sativa) nutritional quality and the modes of action of seaweed extract includes the chemical components that might be causing plant physiological changes.

Water and sanitation facilities in sub-Saharan Africa and Africa in general are appalling and for the most part absent. Progress continues with respect to the development of plant materials as potent adsorbents, disinfectants, coagulants, flocculants, wetland species and lots more as substitutes for the dangerous chemical disinfectants. This research presents the potential of phyto-active components of Zanthoxylum zanthoxyloides and Gongronema latifolium as effective biocides against water microbial contaminants. Dry powder of Zanthoxylum zanthoxyloides and Gongronema latifolium were extracted and prepared into different concentrations with ethyl acetate and chloroform, ranging from 25 to 500 mg/ml. These fractions were then examined for antimicrobial activities against inherent bacterial and fungal water contaminants using disc diffusion assay. Fractions were afterwards screened for phytochemical active compounds using standard methods. Crude extracts of the different plant examined selectively comprise saponins, tannins, reducing sugars, anthraquinones, flavonoids, terpenoids, phlobatanins and alkaloids. All plant extracts showed broad spectrum antibiosis against selected gram positive and gram negative bacteria including E. coli, P. aeruginosa, Klebsiella sp, S. pneumoniae and B. cereus, as well as tested fungi, including A. niger, A. flavus, Trichoderma sp and Candida sp. While all extracts exhibited maximum antibiosis at 500 mg/ml, the chloroform extracts compared well than ethyl acetate extracts. The overall results revealed that antimicrobial activities of the plant extracts are dose dependent with comparative activity greater than that of commercial antibiotics at the concentration of extracts tested. E.coli was the most susceptible microbial isolate tested and represents the potential of the extract against a group of coliform which are important indicators of microbial pollution in water. Other microbial isolates also recorded sensitivity to extracts tested at varying degrees. The findings indicate that microbes tested were mostly susceptible to chloroform extract of Z. zanthoxyloides and G. latifolium except for the activity of ethyl acetate extract of Z. zanthoxyloide against E.coli. Results of phytochemical screening of the extract also showed the varied presence of alkaloids, saponins, tannins, flavonoids, terpenoids and anthraquinones The results indicated that plant materials investigated can be developed as effective biocides against water microbial contaminants

This paper presents an overview of the principal structural and dynamics characteristics of reverse micelles (RMs) in order to highlight their structural flexibility and versatility, along with the possibility to modulate their parameters in a controlled-manner. The multifunctionality in a large range of different scientific fields is exemplified in two distinct directions: a theoretical model for mimicry of biological microenvironment and practical application in the field of nanotechnology and nano-based sensors. RMs represents a convenient experimental approach that limits the drawbacks of the conventionally biological studies in vitro, while the particular structure confers them the status of simplified mimics of cells by reproducing a complex supramolecular organization in an artificial system. The biological relevance of RMs is discussed in some particular cases referring to the confinement and crowding environment, molecular dynamics of water and cell membrane structure. The use of RMs in different range of applications seems to be more promising due to their structural and compositional flexibility, a high efficiency and selectivity being achieved. The advance in nanotechnology is based on developing new methods of nanomaterials synthesis and deposition. This review highlighting the advantages of using RMs in synthesis of nanoparticles with specific properties and in nano (bio)sensors design.

Huperzine A is an herbal reversible inhibitor of Acetylcholinesterase (AChE). A molecular docking analysis on Huperzine A molecule has been carried out to understand its structure, conformational flexibility, intermolecular interaction and the binding affinity in the active site of AChE enzyme. Further, the charge density distribution of huperzine A molecule (lifted from the active site of AChE) was determined from the high level quantum chemical calculations coupled with charge density analysis. The binding affinity of Huperzine A towards AChE was calculated from the molecular docking; the lowest docked energy is -8.46 kcal/mol. In the active site, huperzine A molecule interacts with acyl binding pocket-Phe330 of AChE, that is, the bicyclo ring group of huperzine A forms an intermolecular interaction with the oxygen atom of main chain of the amino acid residue Phe330 at the distances 3.02 and 3.25 Å respectively. On the other hand, a gas phase study on huperzine A molecule also performed using HF and DFT (B3LYP) methods with the basis set 6-311G**. The molecular structure, conformation, and the charge density distribution of huperzine A molecule in the gas phase have determined using quantum chemical calculations and the charge density analysis. The comparative studies between the gas phase and the active site forms of huperzine A molecule, explicitly reveals the degree of conformational modification and the charge density redistribution of huperzine A when present in the active site. The dipole moment of the molecule in the active site is 6.85 D, which is slightly higher than its gas phase value (5.91 D). The electrostatic potential (ESP) surface of active site molecule clearly shows the strong electronegative and positive ESP regions of the molecule, which are the expected strong reactive locations of the molecule.

We report the growth of graphene at a low temperature using the cold wall chemical vapor deposition technique (CWCVD). Few layered (~6-8 layers) graphene were grown on nickel-coated silicon with acetylene as the precursor gas. The advantage of the combination of the acetylene (as a carbon feedstock) and the nickel catalyst was the lowering of the graphene growth temperature. Nickel coated silicon samples were pre-treated (heat treatment in inert atmosphere) before the growth and the effect of the pre-treatment on the catalyst as well as on the grown film was studied. The final samples were characterized with scanning electron microscopy and Raman spectroscopy. In CWCVD route, the heating of only the substrate holder enabled high heating and cooling rates, which, along with the control over partial pressure of the precursor gas had profound effect on the formation of graphene. In the best sample we have achieved almost equal intensity of the G and 2D peaks in Raman spectrum, which implied about ~6-8 layers of Graphene. The defect peak (the D band) was extremely small in the sample and it was attributed to the ripples and the underlying roughness of the nickel film. We analyzed that a proper choice of the thickness of catalyst layer and a higher cooling rate after graphene growth it would be possible to obtain monolayered graphene. Similar samples grown in a normal atmospheric CVD (with some engineered design to promote fast cooling) were also compared with the cold wall CVD grown samples and plasma assisted CWCVD, and cold-wall CVD demonstrated a better control over the quality of graphene film through the fast cooling and a controlled partial pressure of the precursor gas.

Adaptive radiations occur mostly in response to environmental variation through the evolution of key eco-morphological innovations that allow emerging species to occupy new ecological niches. However, rapid phenotypic evolution and the evolution of key novelties are likely to also occur when a couple or few species are engaged into narrow ecological interactions. To demonstrate coevolution is a difficult task; only elusive evidences confirm that coevolution is a driver of speciation and diversification. Here we propose that the adaptive radiation of the Mediterranean orchid genus Ophrys, which gave rise to ca. 350 species since the apparition of the genus is due to the particular co-evolutionary dynamics between these plants and their pollinators. We suggest that the pollination by sexual swindle used by Ophrys orchids is the main driver of this coevolution. Flowers of each Ophrys species mimic sexually receptive females of one particular insect species, mainly bees. Male bees are attracted by pseudo-pheromones emitted by Ophrys flowers that are similar to the sexual pheromones of their females. Males lured by the flower shape, color and hairiness attempt to copulate with the flower, which glues pollen on their bodies. Pollen is eventually transferred to the stigma of another flower of the same Ophrys species during similar copulation attempts. Three observations led us to propose the scenario of an asymmetric co-evolutionary relationship between Ophrys and their pollinators. Firstly, there is a strong intra-specific competition among Ophrys individuals for the attraction of their species-specific pollinators, which is due to the high learning and memorization abilities of bees that record the pheromone signatures of kin or of previously courted partner to avoid (further) copulation attempts. Mnemonic pollinators induce thus a strong selective pressure for variation in the pseudo-pheromones emitted by individual flowers, which will potentially generate shifts in pollinator species, and hence Ophrys speciation. These pollinator shifts are adaptive for new Ophrys species because they may benefit from a competitor-free space. Secondly, such shifts in pollinator species are due to the random crossing of peaks in the olfactory landscape of the pollinator guild that is syntopic to each particular Ophrys population. This selective process on individual, random variation in pseudo-pheromone bouquets is followed by directional selection on flower phenotypes that will reinforce the attraction of the new pollinator. Thirdly, pollinators use the pseudo-pheromones emitted by Ophrys to locate suitable habitats from a distance within complex landscapes. Pollinators stay fixed for a while in these habitats by the local diversity of pseudo-pheromones, which increases their probability of encounter with a receptive female and hence the reproduction probability of both sexes. Conversely, pollinators disperse out of small suitable habitats once they have memorized the local diversity of sexual pseudo-pheromone bouquet or if fecundated Ophrys flowers repel pollinators, which decreases the probability of geitonogamy (plant advantage) but limit pollinator mating with locally emergent insect females, thus limiting inbreeding and favoring gene flow (pollinator advantage). Finally, we propose several research avenues that emerged according to this scenario of adaptive radiation by assymetric coevolution between Ophrys species and their pollinators.

1) Background: The environmental, financial and social questions in Africa remain unanswered up-to-date, with the rapid increase in human population and the demand for fuel energy, trigger the need to generate data on the socio-economic factors influencing the knowledge of use and adoption of family-sized bio-digesters. The increasing prices of fossil fuels and taxes on energy sources require finding the alternative, clean and economical sources of energy for households in developing countries. Moreover, in Africa, the consumption of firewood and charcoal continues to increase, with wood fuel consumption predicted to increase by 2030 to over 140%. The study objectives were 1) to determine the socio-economic characteristics of the people in Ngoma district, 2) to assess socio-economic factors influencing people to use and adopt family-sized bio-digesters. 2) Methods: Quantitative data collected with semi-structured questionnaires and interviews were analyzed using descriptive statistics. 3) Results: The results show that many households had not realized the potential benefits of biogas use and adoption in Rwanda. The study further found that a number of factors such as household income levels, socio-economic, technological, and institutional influence the household use and adoption of biogas energy. 4) Conclusions: At the end, the study suggests the need for all players such as Government, Non-Governmental Organizations (NGO's) and local communities to work together to provide incentives and favorable environment that can attract individual households to invest in biogas energy production and utilization.

Recent advances in single-atom catalysis resulted in readily accessible materials whose application in most catalytic reactions mediated by conventional nanoparticle-based catalysts often results in higher activity and selectivity. Can we expect catalysis by atomically dispersed atoms to find practical applications? Which are the hurdles to be overcome prior to widespread uptake of atomically dispersed metals in industrial synthetic processes and in hydrogen fuel cells?

The kinetics of biogas production from biomass depends on several factors such as: carbon to nitrogen ratio (C/N), reactor temperature (T), and retention time (RT). The purpose of this study was to obtain a new model for predicting biogas production. Spent Mushroom Compost (SMC) was used to produce biogas in a batch type reactor. The experiments were carried out with different C/N ratios (12.1, 20, 30 and 40) and in both mesophilic (35°C) and thermophilic (55°C) temperatures. The results showed that the Maximum biogas production at 35°C, C/N=20 was equal to 41.9 mL/gVS and 55°C, C/N=30 was equal to 51.6 mL/gVS. By using experimental data, a new kinetic model was proposed to predict biogas production. Comparing the values of the results indicate that the total values of RMSE for Logistics, Gampartz and new kinetic models was 0.1906, 0.1830 and 0.1617, respectively. Therefore, the process of anaerobic digestion of biomass can be assumed to be just a chemical reaction, and the new kinetic model is an appropriate alternative to microbial growth models.

Brine-dependent recovery process has seen much global research efforts in the past two decades because of their benefits over other oil recovery methods. The process involves the tweaking of the ionic composition and strength of the injected water to improve oil production. In recent years, several studies ranging from laboratory coreflood experiments by many researchers to field trials by several companies admit to the potential of recovering additional oil in sandstone and carbonate reservoirs. Sandstone and carbonate rocks are composed of completely different minerals, with varying degree of complexity and heterogeneity, but wettability alteration has been widely considered as the consequence rather than the cause of brine-dependent recovery. However, there is no consensus on the cause as several mechanisms have been proposed to relate the wettability changes to the improved recovery. This review paper aims to provide a state-of-the-art development in published research and various efforts of the industry. This review outlines an overview of laboratory and field observations, descriptions of underlying mechanisms and their validity, the complexity of the oil-brine-rock interactions, modelling works, and comparison between sandstone and carbonate rocks. The provided information is intended to provide the reader with up-to-date information, point to relevant studies for those who are new and those implementing either laboratory- or field-scale projects to speed up the process of further investigations in this research area. Overall, the outcome of this review would potentially be of immense benefit to the oil industry.

Increasing genetic diversity in crop plants has been used for chemical mutagenesis. Through the application of various mutagenic agents, over 430 new varieties have been derived as rice mutants (Oryza sativa L.) Chemical mutagens such as ethyl methane sulphonate (EMS), diepoxybutane derivative (DEB), sodium azide, and gamma ray, x-ray, and quick neutron irradiation have been commonly used to induce a large number of functional variations in rice and others crops. Among chemical mutagens, ethyl methane sulfonate (EMS) is the alkylating agent most widely used in plants because it induces nucleotide substitutions to be extremely frequent, as detected in various genomes. In this study, seeds of potential genotype of the popular variety, (Oryza sativa L. Super Basmati variety) were treated with EMS at concentrations of 0.25%, 0.50%, 0.75%, 1% and 1.5%. Various measurements on the M1 generation determined EMS sensitivity. As concentration of applied EMS increased, will decrease in germination, shoot length, root length, plant height, productive tillers, Panicle Length, Total Spikelet, sterile spikelet and fertility under field conditions were observed in M1 generation as compared to the non-treatment control. Emergence, shoot length, root length, plant height, productive tillers, Panicle Length, Total Spikelet, sterile spikelet and fertility also decreased with increases in EMS mutagenesis in an approximately linear fashion. The LD₅₀ values were observed based on growth reduction of seedlings after EMS treatment with 0.25% and 0.50% on the rice variety (Oryza sativa L. spp.).

Crosslinking of proteins for their irreversible immobilization on surfaces is a proven and popular method. However, many protocols lead to random orientation and the formation of undefined or even inactive by-products. Most concepts to obtain a more targeted conjugation or immobilization requires the recombinant modification of at least one binding partner, which is often impractical or prohibitively expensive. Here a novel method is presented, which is based on the chemical preactivation of Protein A or G with selected conventional crosslinkers. In a second step, the antibody is added, which is subsequently crosslinked in the Fc part. This leads to an oriented and covalent immobilization of the immunoglobulin with a very high yield. Protocols for Protein A and Protein G with murine and human IgG are presented. This method may be useful for the preparation of columns for affinity chromatography, immunoprecipitation, antibodies conjugated to magnetic particles, permanent and oriented immobilization of antibodies in biosensor systems, microarrays, microtitration plates or any other system, where the loss of antibodies needs to be avoided, and maximum binding capacity is desired. This method is directly applicable even to antibodies in crude cell culture supernatants, raw sera or protein-stabilized antibody preparations without any purification nor enrichment of the IgG. This new method delivered much higher signals as a traditional method and, hence, seems to be preferable in many applications.

A novel coronavirus, named 2019-nCoV, is responsible for current epidemic outbreaks in China and also other countries that cause acute pneumonia that was primarily linked to a seafood wholesale market in Wuhan, China. To control and prevent the existing epidemic outbreaks of coronavirus in China, a precise and easy disinfection/sterilization technique is important to disinfect/sterilize the mass-level peoples and their ambient environments (e.g. atmospheric air/aerosols). Among the disinfection techniques, control fire/flame (CF) could be applied. Large-size CF (LSCF) can be generated by using gas burner, gas cylinder that used in restaurant, coals, kerosene (petroleum), dried straws, dried woods) at entry and exit points of big gathering locations (e.g. hospital, airport, rail stations, seaports, apartments, streets/roads, etc. Additionally, small-size CF (SSCF) can be produced by using gas burner of kitchen, electric heater, kindle or waste papers at individual home and ward/room at hospital. Individual person can be soaked/immersed their hands and their belongings nearby CF for a moment, likely followed sterilization during quantification of the number of bacteria in experimental observation, that can rapidly sterilize the person perfectly. Correspondingly, the ambient air/aerosols moved towards CF due to water evaporation by fire that subsequently refresh all ambient air/aerosols by killing all viruses. Such CF could certainly reach the temperature higher than 56 degree C that could effectively disinfect/sterilize/kill the coronavirus. Therefore, CF could be effectively applied to control and prevent the epidemic outbreaks of coronavirus across China and worldwide.

In this paper, the far field and near field optical responses of a gold nanoparticle are studied and simulated numerically. The electromagnetic field was excited by an electric dipole located near one end of the nanorod, which is used to model the emission of a quantum dot. Another excitation method was also simulated in which an incident plane wave is used. The excitation of dark plasmon modes of the gold nanorod is presented. The Poynting equation was solved numerically to study the influence of the gold nanorod on the dipole radiative power. In addition, the extinction cross section of the gold nanoparticle illuminated by the incident plane wave was calculated to estimate the amount of the scattered and absorbed light.

Phloem-feeding insects strive to offset the disadvantageous effects of stressors to sustain their offspring and survive. Adaptive responses to environmental stress are not well understood under complex influences of companion planting, natural enemies, and host gradient. In this study, under predation by lacewing Chrysoperla carnea Stephens (Neuroptera: Chrysopidae), we survey the responses of green peach aphid Myzus persicae Sulzer (Hemiptera: Aphididae), reared on different densities of cabbage Brassica oleracea L. (Brassicales: Brassicaceae) to its shallot companion Allium cepa (L.) var. aggregatum G. Don (Asparagales: Amaryllidaceae). Firstly, aphid aggregative abundance was strongly influenced by shallot perturbation, predator presence and changes in cabbage-host biomass, altering aphid phenotypic plasticity. Interestingly, the shallot and predation negative impacts can be of similar magnitudes. Secondly, changes in the cabbage-host availability and biomass, especially under predation, had a strong impact on aphid traits. Our study underscores the benefits of including shallots as crop-companions in augmenting pest control, but also suggests that the outcome of coupling companion planting with natural enemies is context-dependent and thus should be empirically applied. At the confluence of ecology and agronomy, this work provides insights on how manipulated functional biodiversity may function as an alternative strategy for pestilent herbivory management in model and green-house systems.

Groundwater is an important role of the environment in natural resources. The major sources of groundwater contamination in this study were open discharges of domestic sewage, inadequate sewerage system, open defecation, septic tanks, soak pits, contaminated water pools, unorganized solid waste dumping and use of fertilizers, pesticides for agriculture deteriorated the condition. In this present study revealed that the physical and chemical characteristics of ground water in different areas of Kannur district in Kerala have been determined different seasons with respect to its suitability for drinking and agricultural purposes. For this study the groundwater samples were collected during pre-monsoon and post-monsoon seasons from 70 wells representing the entire the study area. The groundwater samples were analyzed for Physico-chemical characteristics using standard techniques in laboratory and compared with standards. The samples were analyzed with reference to the WHO and BIS standards. The groundwater quality information of the entire study area have been prepared using statistical and GIS technique for all the parameters. This paper proved in GIS will be helpful for measuring, monitoring and managing the groundwater pollution in the study area and suggested to protect groundwater resources in the environment.

Transparent electrodes (TEs) made of metallic nanowires, such as Ag, Au, Cu, and Ni, have attracted rising attention for several reasons: 1) they can act as a substitute for tin oxide-based TEs such as indium-tin oxide (ITO) and fluorine-doped tin oxide (FTO); 2) various methods exist for fabricating such TEs such as filtration, spraying and meyer bar coating; 3) greater compatibility with different substrates can be achieved due to the variety of fabrication methods; and 4) extra functions in addition to serving as electrodes, such as catalytic abilities, can be obtained due to the metals that compose the TEs. There are a large number of applications for TEs, ranging from electronics and sensors to biomedical devices. This short review is a summary of recent progress, mainly during the past five years, on silver nanowire-based TEs. The focus of the review will be on theory development, mechanical, chemical and thermal stability and optical properties. The many applications of TEs are outside the scope of this review.

How did life begin on Earth? And is there life elsewhere in the Cosmos? Challenging questions, indeed. The series of conferences established by NoR CEL in 2013, addresses these very same questions. The basis for this paper is the summary report of oral presentations that were delivered by NoR CEL’s network members during the 2018 Athens conference and, as such, disseminates the latest research which they have put forward. More in depth material can be found by consulting the contributors referenced papers. Overall, the outcome of this conspectus on the conference demonstrates a case for the existence of “probable chemistry” during the prebiotic epoch.

Thermal energy storage (TES) is a key technology to enhance the efficiency of energy systems as well as to increase the share of renewable energies. In this context, the present paper reports a literature review of the recent advancement in the field of adsorption TES systems. After a first introduction about different heat storage technologies, the adsorption TES working principle is explained and compared to the other technologies. Subsequently, promising features and critical issues at material, component and system levels are deeply analyzed and the ongoing activities to make this technology ready for marketing are introduced.

In this study, we evaluated the physicochemical and microbial qualities of source and stored household waters in some communities in Southwestern Nigeria using standard methods. Compared parameters include physicochemical constituents; Temperature (T), pH, Total Dissolved Solids (TDS), Total Hardness (TH), Biological Oxygen Demand (BOD), Magnesium ion (Mg²⁺) and Calcium ion (Ca²⁺) and microbiological parameters included Total Coliform Counts (TC), Faecal Coliform Counts (FC), Fungal Counts (Fung C), Heterotrophic Plate Counts (HPC). Comparing Stored and Source samples, the mean values of some physicochemical parameters of most of the stored water samples significantly (P<0.05) exceeded that of Sources and ranged in the following order: T (15.3±0.3^oC - 28.3±0.5^oC), pH (6.4±0.1 - 7.6±0.1), TDS (192.1±11.1 ppm - 473.7±27.9 ppm), TH (10.6±1.7 mg/L - 248.6±18.6 mg/L), BOD (0.5±0.0 mg/L - 3.2±0.3 mg/L), Mg²⁺ (6.5±2.4 mg/L - 29.1±3.2 mg/L) and Ca²⁺ (6.5±2.4 mg/L - 51.6±4.4 mg/L). The mean microbial counts obtained from microbial comparison of different points (Stored and Source) of collection showed that most of the stored water had counts significantly exceeding (P<0.05) those of the source water samples (cfu/100 mL) which ranged as follows: TC (3.1±1.5 - 156.8±42.9), FC (0.0±0.0 - 64.3±14.2) and HPC (47.8±12.1 - 266.1±12.2) across all sampled communities. Also, the predominant isolates recovered from the samples were identified as Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumonia, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Enterobacter aerogenes, Aspergillus spp, Mucor spp, Rhizopus spp and Candida spp. The presence of these pathogenic and potentially pathogenic organisms in the waters and the high counts of the indicator organisms suggest the waters to be a threat to public health.

The natural forests of Northern Thailand are the mother source of many utilisable natural products because of their diverse flora and fauna. Among many plant species found within Northern Thai forests, detergent plants are known for its distinctive cleansing properties. Several local species of detergent plants in Thailand are traditionally used by the locals and indigenous people. However, these plants may become extinct because their habitats have been replaced by industrial agriculture, and their uses have been replaced by chemically synthesised detergents. Researchers need to study and communicate the biology, phytochemistry, and the importance of these plants to conserve natural biodiversity of Northern Thailand. Of many utilisable detergent phytochemicals, natural saponins are known as bio-surfactant and foaming agents. Their physiochemical and biological properties feature structural diversity, which leads to many industrial applications. In this review, we explained the term “detergent” from the physiological mechanism perspective and the detergent effects of saponin. We also compiled a list of Thai local plants with cleansing properties focusing on the saponin-containing plants. Future studies should investigate information relative to plant environment, ethnobotanical data and bioactive compound content of these plants. The knowledge acquired from this study will promote the maintenance of the local biodiversity and the conservation of the detergent plant species found in Thailand.

In this research paper a novel Ultra Violet Photo Catalyst Oxidation (UVPCO) sensor for air and surface sanitization using Common Source (CS) amplifier is presented. The ultra violet photo catalysis is the process in which the highly reactive radicals like H+, OH-and peroxides ions are produced from air in the presence of the ultra violet radiation and photo catalyst. In this process, the free radicals outbreaks the bio aerosols like bacteria, fungus and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and destroy them. The proposed system is relies on the fast operation of PCS which operates under sub-threshold conditions and reduced computation time. The properties of common source amplifier like very high voltage gain and input output resistance increased the sensitivity as well as stability of the circuit. The system is more user friendly and the outcomes of simulation are fairly in agreement with the theoretical estimation. Keywords: bio aerosol, Photo Catalytic Oxidation (PCO), hydroxyl, hydrogen peroxide, SPICE, surface sanitizer.

In this study, the efficiency of an anaerobic treatment system for wastewater from a South African poultry slaughterhouse was evaluated using a lab-scale static granular bed reactor (SGBR). The down-flow SGBR (2 L) was operated continuously for 138 days under mesophilic conditions (35-37 ˚C), at hydraulic retention times (HRTs) ranging from 24 to 96 h and average organic loading rates (OLRs) of 0.78 to 5.74 g COD/L.day. The SGBR achieved an average chemical oxygen demand (COD) removal efficiency of 80% and the maximum COD removal achieved was 95%, at an HRT of 24 h and average OLR of 5.74 g COD/L.day. The optimization of the SGBR, with regard to a suitable HRT and OLR, was determined using response surface methodology (RSM). The optimal SGBR performance with regard to the maximum COD removal efficiency was predicted for an OLR of 12.49 g COD/L.day and a HRT of 24 h, resulting in a 95.5% COD removal efficiency. The model R2 of 0.9638 indicated that the model is a good fit and is suitable to predict the COD removal efficiency for the SGBR.

Nowadays, the study of preparing silica/rubber composites, which can be used in “green tire”, in energy saving method is fast-growing. In our work, silica modified by using alcohol polyoxyethylene ether (AEO) and 3-Mercaptopropyltriethoxysilane (K-MEPTS) together were investigated. Thermal gravimetric analyzer (TGA) result indicated that both AEO and K-MEPTS could be grafted on the silica surface. Raman spectroscopy confirmed that the AEO could generate a certain steric hindrance for the mercaptopropyl group on K-MEPTS. Silica modified by using AEO and K-MEPTS together can be completely co-coagulated with the rubber in preparing silica/natural rubber (NR) composites by latex compounding method. AEO can form a physical interface between silica and rubber; meanwhile, K-MEPTS can form a chemical interface between silica and rubber. The effects of chemical and physical interface between silica and rubber on dynamic and mechanical performances of silica/NR composites were also given in this research. A proper combination of physical and chemical interface between silica and NR can improve performances of silica/NR composites.

Briquetting of biomass is an ideal technique for improvising both its volumetric and net energy density; besides, serving as an effective means for reducing pollution. In general, numerous biomass and organic by-products are discarded as wastes, citing their non-edibility, composition of chemical compounds present in their raw form, in addition to their zero usage value. Yet, these biomass wastes hold significant heating values, which promote them into promising solid biofuels, either in their existing or pre-treated form. Accordingly, this review article discusses about the various biomasses used as raw feedstock for briquetting, besides summarising the works carried out in relevance to their respective briquettes. In addition, proximate and lignocellulosic composition of these biomasses, and their pre-treatment techniques followed to prepare them for briquetting, have also been discussed. This study suggested that the heating value of biomasses ranged between 10-20 MJ/kg, whilst, their briquettes reported between 15 and 25 MJ/kg; thereby citing their potential as viable replacement for existing fossil coals. Besides, factors affecting different thermal and physicochemical properties of these briquettes have also been studied and concluded that these properties play a crucial role in deciding the overall quality of the briquettes. Ultimately, this study proposed that any biomass with good calorific value and lignin content can be processed into briquettes with good strength and durability; however, the choice of biomass will also be accounted for by its availability, geographical distribution, and handleability.

Machine learning (ML) is penetrating in all walks of life and is one of the major driving forces behind the fourth industrial revolution, typically known as Industry 4.0. The purpose of the present study is to review the state-of-the-art ML applications in the biofuels' life cycle stages, i.e., soil, feedstock, production, consumption, and emissions. A keyword search is performed to retrieve relevant articles from the databases of the Web of Science and Google Scholar. ML applications in the soil stage were mostly based on the use of satellite images of land for estimation of biofuels yield or suitability analysis of agricultural land. In the second stage of the life cycle, assessment of rheological properties of the feedstocks and their effect on the quality of biofuels were dominant studies reported in the literature. The production stage included estimation and optimization of quality, quantity, and process conditions. The fuel consumption and emissions stage included analysis of engine performance and estimation of emissions temperature and composition, such as NOx CO, and CO2. This study identified the following trends: dominant ML method, the stage of life cycle getting more usage of ML, the type of data used for the development of the ML-based models, and the stage-wise frequently used input and output variables. The findings of this article are beneficial for academia and industry-related people involved in model development in different stages of biofuel’s life cycle.

The chemical industry is an integral part of the world economy and a substantial income source for developing countries. However, existing regulations or the enforcement of these regulations, on controlling atmospheric pollutants sometimes may be insufficient, leading to the deterioration of surrounding ecosystems and to a quality decrease of the atmospheric environment. Previous works in this domain fail to generate executable solutions for inspection agencies due to practical challenges. In addressing these challenges, we introduce a so-called Chemical Plant Environment Protection Game (CPEP) to generate reasonable schedules of high-accuracy air quality monitoring stations for inspection agencies. First, Stackelberg Security Games (SSGs) are incorporated together with source estimation methods into this research. Second, high-accuracy air quality monitoring stations as well as gas sensors are modeled into the CPEP. Third, simplified data analysis on the regularly discharging of chemical plants is utilized to construct the CPEP. Finally, an illustrative case study is used to investigate the effectiveness of the CPEP Game, and a realistic case study is conducted to illustrate how the models and algorithms being proposed in this paper, work. Results show that playing a CPEP Game can reduce operational costs of high-accuracy air quality monitoring stations; moreover, playing the game leads to more compliance from the chemical plants towards the inspection agencies.

Microbe laden air particles, known as bio-aerosols, are routinely generated, in clinical dentistry due to the operative instrumentation within a milieu rich in salivary organisms. As the major mode of transmission of SARS-CoV-2 appears to be airborne aerosols and droplets, there has been an intense focus on such aerosol generating procedures (AGP). As there has been no systematic reviews on the efficacy of bio-aerosol reducing measure in dentistry, the objective of this systematic review was to evaluate the literature on three major AGPs, rubber dam application, pre-procedural oral rinse, and high-volume evacuation (HVE) aimed at reducing dental bio-aerosols. Method: PubMed via Ovid MEDLINE, EBSCO host, Cochrane Library, and Web of Science databases between January 01, 1985, and April 30, 2020, were searched.Results: A total of 156 records in the English language literature were identified, of which 17 clinical studies with 724 patients were included in the final analyses. The eligible reviewed articles revealed the inadequacy of the afore mentioned three principal AGPs used in contemporary dental practice to minimise bio-aerosols. HVE appears to be the most efficacious method, although no single approach provides total elimination of bio-aerosols. Conclusion:This, the first systematic review on methods of controlling bio-aerosols in dental operatory settings, indicates that employing combination strategies of rubber dam, with a pre-procedural antimicrobial oral rinse, and HVE can significantly minimize bio-aerosols. As the quality of the currently available data on dental bio-aerosols are rather poor, further, controlled, multi-centre studies are essential to address this critical issue.

Keenjhar Lake is the main source of drinking water for the metropolitan city of Karachi. The release of untreated wastewater from Kotri industrial area and other sources have made the lake water polluted. This study was subjected to determine the impacts of such pollutant sources on the water quality of Keenjhar Lake. The study involves the analysis of water quality parameters of Keenjhar Lake and its Feeding source (KB Feeder). The sampling sites were selected based on the sources of contamination. The water samples are tested for physical, chemical and microbiological parameters. The result of water analysis indicates the contamination level of the lake is quite alarming for the sites of Kotri effluent and WAPDA colony where Total Dissolved Solids (TDS), Chloride and other ionic metals were quite higher in concentration than other sites. These sites are also contaminated with Fluoride and Arsenic which are carcinogenic elements. The study reveals that the contamination level of feeding source is causing big non-reversible damage to the lake if continued to be uncontrolled. This contamination is mainly due to the release of toxic metals and ions in the KB feeder caused by human carelessness.

Various techniques have been used to “clean-up” industrial phosphoric acid: precipitation, flotation, activated charcoal or clay treatment. To address membrane processes potential in phosphoric acid clarification process, this study explores the advantage of membrane techniques as new route for phosphoric acid clarification in an eco-efficient way through the use of “regenerated spent membrane”. Regeneration of the spent membranes was performed on of 0.15 m2 active area regeneration. These membrane samples were used to study the phosphoric acid clarification at a laboratory scale. They were immersed in an oxidizer for at most seven days. The samples were characterized systematically before immersion in an oxidant media. In this study, the potential to regenerate spent membranes and application of this media to clarify the 29% P2O5 phosphoric acid was demonstrated. This study shows, by tests that the reverse osmosis (RO) membranes achieve an abatement of 70% and 65% for solids and organic materials, respectively. These positive results will pave the way for implementing these membranes phosphoric acid treatment process. Moreover, besides being economically advantageous, the use of the spent membrane is likely an environmentally friendly route (no waste, no organic solvent and effluent to be regenerated later on).

Surface Plasmon Resonance (SPR) is an attracting property of certain transition metals when they are synthesized in nano-range giving rise to promising optical applications. However, most SPR and associated applications are limited to the noble metal nanoparticles, which limits their potential due to high production cost. We report surface plasmon resonance in copper-copper oxide core-shell quantum dots synthesized via chemical route studied by using UV-Visible spectrophotometry. Tuning of the plasmonic resonance with respect to the particle diameter is achieved by an inexpensive all chemical route. Photoluminescence measurements also support the data. This size reduction leads to remarkable changes in its optical response as compared to the bulk metal. The results point towards applications of these materials in tunable SPR based biosensors.

White and three types of black garlic (13, 32 and 45 days of fermentation, named 0C1, 1C2 and 2C1 respectively) were selected in order to check possible differences in their nutraceutic potential. For this purpose, garlic were physico-chemically characterised, and both in vivo and in vitro assays were carried out. Black garlic showed higher polyphenol content and antioxidant capacity than white garlic. The biological studies have shown that only white garlic was not safe showing toxicity effect. Furthermore, none garlic exert protective effects against H₂O₂, except the 0C1 black garlic. Moreover, garlic was non-genotoxic with the exception of the highest concentration of white garlic. On the other hand, 0C1 was the most antigenotoxic substance. The in vivo longevity assays yielded significant extension of lifespan results in some concentrations of white and 0C1and 1C2 black garlic. The in vitro experiments showed that all studied garlic induced a decrease in leukaemia cells growth. However, none type of garlic was able to induce proapoptotic internucleosomal DNA fragmentation. Taking into account the physicochemical and biological data, black garlic could be considered as a potential functional food and used in preventive treatment of age-related diseases. In addition, our findings could be relevant for the black garlic processing agrifood companies as the economical and timing costs are significantly reduced to 13 days aging.

When phenomena in quantum mechanics are interpreted from the perspective of bio-psychology, wave function collapse from several to a single eigenstate must be plausibly explained. Quantum mechanics requires a context, yet the context of an observer is rarely considered. On the other hand, in bio-psychology, the observer context is examined to explain superposition and collapse by different mental functions used in everyday life. Three mental functions are described, one of which is responsible for observation, and the others for conservation and treatment of information in mental representation. Whereas observation produces information with certainty, the subsequent processes result in uncertain potentiality. In order to encompass uncertainty, multiple possibilities are simultaneously considered in mental superposition, one of which should represent the unknown future outcome. During observation, all suggested potentialities necessarily collapse to one real outcome. The collapse of superposition does not occur in observable physical reality, but in its mental representation. Some physical principles—such as superposition, infinity and nothingness before the Big Bang—are pure phenomena of mental representation, which will always remain unverifiable by observation. This argument proves that mental representation brought about by the observer context participates in the production of mental models for the best approximation of physical reality.

Ga doped ZnO thin films were formed by the Ultrasonic Chemical Spray Pyrolysis method onto substrates using zinc acetate and gallium (III) nitrate hydrate as precursors. The structural, optical, surface and electrical properties were studied as a function of increasing Ga doping concentration from 0 to 6 at %. Structural studies were shown polycrystalline with a hexagonal crystal structure. The transparency in the visible range was around 85% for thin film deposited using 6 at % Ga doping. With the aim of determining surface images and surface roughness of the films atomic force microscope images were taken. Ga doping of ZnO thin films could markedly decrease surface roughness. Electrical resistivity was determined by four point method. The resistivity 2.0% Ga doped ZnO film was the lowest resistivity of 1.7 cm. In the photoluminescence measurements of the films, existence of UV and defect emission band was observed. As a result, Ga doped ZnO films have advanced properties and promising materials for solar cells.

The improvement of mechanical properties of cantala fiber and its composites. Treatments including alkali, silane, and the combination of both were carried out to modify the fiber surface. The influence of chemical treatments on fiber properties such as the degree of crystallinity and tensile strength was investigated. A variety of short cantala fiber reinforced rHDPE composites were produced by hot press, and the effect of fiber treatment on the flexural strength of composites was observed. SEM observations also carried out to highlight these changes. The result shows that alkali treatment improves tensile strength and tensile modulus of alkali treated fiber (NF12) which was predicted as a result of the enhancement of the cellulose crystallinity. In contrast, the tensile strength and tensile modulus of silane (SF05) and alkali-silane treated fiber (NSF05) decreased compared to untreated fiber (UF) which is caused by the addition of amorphous material. The tensile strength of alkali-silane treated fiber (NSF05) was lower than alkali treated fiber (NF12), but the composites prepared with NSF05 showed the highest increment of flexural strength of 25.9%. This may be due the combination of alkali and silane treatment helped in the better formation of fiber-matrix interface adhesion.

Low temperature cofired ceramics (LTCC) have conquered a niche segment in biological microelectromechanical systems (BioMEMS) during the last two decades. Since 3-dimensional assembly and rapid prototyping capability are outstanding features of the technology, bioreactors with complex geometry can easily be produced. Particularly needed functions are working electrodes, e.g. for impedance measurements and reference electrodes consisting in platinum or silver-silver chloride. Although the distinct grainy surface of thick film materials influences the double layer properties, data describing the bioelectronic interface and biocompatibility of common thick film materials are rarely published up to now. This works aims to fill this gap by studying the surface properties, composition, electrochemical properties and biocompatibility of commercially available thick film materials. It was found that thick film gold is suitable as electrode material in direct cell contact since an appropriate proliferation of the cell culture was observed. Poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) coating decreases the absolute value of the zeta potential of thick film gold from 16.55 V to 11.78 mV without any change in vitality of the cells. Thick film platinum layers have a porous structure entailing an enlargement of the effective surface by a factor of 21.6 and can be used as reference instead of silver/silver chloride, which was identified to be incompatible with cell culture. The investigations show that some commercially available cost-effective thick film materials are compatible with cell culture and the here presented data give an orientation for the use of the same in LTCC bioreactors.

Field experiments were carried out during 2011-2014 at the Research and Experimental Center to Combating Desertification located in the Elsen Tasarkhai station of central Mongolia. The study was aimed to identify the effects of oxidized brown coal humic acid fertilizer on the relative growth rate of several trees for forest rehabilitation. The trees used were Populus sibirica, Salix ledebouriana and Acer tataricum. The experiment was carried out with the concentrations of 2,000, 10,000 and 20,000 mg L-1 of humic acid fertilization treatments. The measurement of relative height growth rate (RHGR) was conducted for a period of 4 years. The treatments showed significant differences within humic fertilizer concentrations which differed depending on the species. Compared to the monthly RHGR over the study, the treatment of fertilizers were significantly better for tree growth. P. sibirica in the 10,000 and 20,000 mg L-1 humic acid fertilizers had significant height growth rates. In addition, when the humic acid treatments were compared to control, A. tataricum decreased over the years which were statistically significant for high growth rate and a positive effect of humic acid fertilization treatments was observed. Furthermore, results showed that oxidized brown coal humic acid fertilizers as organic fertilizer can have a positive effect for the growth of A. tataricum during the study years. The results showed that the soil chemical properties EC, CO2, NO3, and K2O were significant among all the treatments compared to the control. The effect on P2O5 statistically significantly increased among all the treatments. However, pH and Mg were not significant effect among all the treatments. Combining the results obtained from the oxidized brown coal humic acid fertilization with sustainable land management practices can help improve soil organics for environmental issues in degraded sandy soil regions.

Dermal interstitial fluid (ISF) is a novel source of biomarkers that can be considered as an alternative to blood sampling for disease diagnosis and treatment. Nevertheless, in vivo extraction and analysis of ISF are challenging. On the other hand, microneedle (MN) technology can address most of the challenges associated with dermal ISF extraction and is well-suited for long-term, continuous ISF monitoring as well as in situ detection. In this review, we first briefly summarise the different dermal ISF collection methods and compare them with MN methods. Next, we elaborate on the design considerations and biocompatibility of MNs. Subsequently, the fabrication technologies of various MNs used for dermal ISF extraction, including solid MNs, hollow MNs, porous MNs and hydrogel MNs, are thoroughly explained. In addition, different sensing mechanisms of ISF detection will be discussed in detail. Subsequently, we identify the challenges and propose the possible solutions associated with ISF extraction. A detailed investigation is provided for the transport and sampling mechanism of ISF in vivo. Also, the current in vitro skin model integrated with the MN arrays will be discussed. Finally, future directions to develop a point-of-care (POC) device to sample ISF are proposed.

This paper reports 2 × 4 hybrid Mach-zehnder interferometer (MZI) - multi-mode interferometers (MMI) based compact thermo-optical switch consisting of slab waveguides on silicon-on-insulator, SOI, platform. The device consists of two identical MMIs, each of 6 μm wide and 140 μm long connected with two phase shifters MMIs each with 2 μm wide and 8 μm long and linear tappers each 4 μm long, connected at both ends of the MMIs to minimize the power coupling loss. The loss for linear taper is found to be below 0.02dB. The footprint of the whole device is six 6 μm × 324 μm. This structure is based on unique multimode region shape, which leads optical switch to have less coupling loss and reduced cross-talk. The average thermo-optical switching power consumption is 1.4 mW, the excess losses are 0.8 dB, and the imbalances are 0.1 dB. Aluminum is used as a heating pad, and a trench is created around this pad to prevent from spreading of heat and reduce power loss almost by a factor of 2 to the adjacent phase shifter. Our new heating method has advantages of compact size and ease of fabrication with the current CMOS technology.

Over the years, scarcity of fresh potable water has increased the demand for clean water. Meanwhile, with the advent of nanotechnology, the use of nanomaterials for photocatalytic degradation of pollutants in wastewaters has increased. Herein, a new type of nanohybrids of La and Mn co-doped bismuth ferrite (BiFeO₃) nanoparticles embedded into transition metal carbide sheets (MXene) were prepared by a low-cost double solvent sol-gel method, and investigated for their photocatalytic activity. The photoluminescence results showed that pure BFO has highest electron hole recombination rate as compared to all the co-doped BFO/MXene nanohybrids. The larger surface area and higher electron-hole pair generation rate provides suitable environment for fast photo-degradation of organic molecules. The band gap of the prepared nanohybrids was tuned to 1.96 eV having largest BiFeO₃ surface area (147 m²g⁻¹) reported till date. Moreover, the BLFO/MXene and BLFMO-5/Mxene degraded the 92% organic pollutant from water in dark and remaining in light spectrum as compare to undoped BFO/Mxene due to enhancement of the surface area and electron-hole recombination rate upon doping. Therefore, these synthesized nanohybrids could be a promising candidate for photocatalytic applications in future.

Developments in technology have enabled envisioning the derivation of materials and products from renewable biomass, as an alternative to finite fossil-based resource consumption. Therefore, bioeconomy is regarded as an opportunity for sustainable economic growth. Countries are formulating strategies in accordance with their goals to attain from bioeconomy. Proper measurement, monitoring and reporting of the outcomes of these strategies is crucial for long-term success. This study aims to critically evaluate the national methods used for the measurement, monitoring and reporting of bioeconomy contribution to the total economy. For this purpose, research and surveys have been conducted on selected countries (Argentina, Germany, Malaysia, the Netherlands, South Africa and the United States). The results reveal that the bioeconomy targets set up in the strategies often reflect country’s priorities and comparative advantages. However, comprehensive approaches to measure and monitor bioeconomy progress are frequently lacking. Most countries only measure the contribution to gross domestic product (GDP), turnover and employment of the sectors included in their bioeconomy definition, which may provide an incomplete picture. In addition, this study identifies the mismatch between the targets and measurement methods, as the environmental and social impacts of bioeconomy are often foreseen, but not measured. It is concluded that existing global efforts towards a sustainable bioeconomy monitoring can be strengthened and leveraged to measure progress towards sustainable goals.

Cyanobacteria are photosynthetic microorganisms that colonize diverse environments worldwide, ranging from ocean to freshwaters, soils, and extreme environments. Their adaptation capacities and the diversity of natural products (molecules, metabolites, or compounds) that they synthesize support the cyanobacterial success for the colonization of their respective ecological niches. Although cyanobacteria are well-known for their toxin production and their relative deleterious consequences, they also produce a large variety of molecules that exhibit beneficial properties with high potential for various fields of application (e.g., synthetic analog of the dolastatin 10 used against Hodgkin lymphoma). The present review specially focuses on the beneficial activities of cyanobacterial molecules described so far. Based on an analysis of 670 papers, it appears that more than 90 genera of cyanobacteria have been found to produce compounds with potential beneficial activities, most of them belonging to the orders Oscillatoriales, Nostocales Chroococcales, and Synechococcales. The rest of the cyanobacterial orders (i.e., Pleurocapsales, Chroococcidiopsales, and Gloeobacterales) remain poorly explored in terms of their molecular diversity and relative bioactivity. The diverse cyanobacterial molecules presenting beneficial bioactivities belong to 10 different chemical classes (alkaloids, depsipeptides, lipopeptides, macrolides/lactones, peptides, terpenes, polysaccharides, lipids, polyketides, and others) that exhibit 14 major kinds of bioactivity. However, no direct relation between the chemical class and the bioactivity of these molecules has been demonstrated. We further selected and specifically described 50 molecule families according to their specific bioactivities and their potential uses in pharmacology, cosmetology, agriculture, or other specific fields of interest. This up-to-date review takes advantage of the recent progresses in genome sequencing and biosynthetic pathway elucidation, and presents new perspectives for the rational discovery of new cyanobacterial metabolites with beneficial bioactivity.

Pinus patula is one of the most planted wood conifer species worldwide; however, no foliar nutrient standards exist for this species up to date. The objective of the present study was to generate and verify two sets of foliar nutrient standards for nearly ten-year-old P. patula trees: critical nutrient concentrations and DRIS norms. Nutrients studied were N, P, K, Ca, Mg, Fe, Cu, Zn, Mn, and B. The reference standards were verified experimentally by installing two fertilization trials; one of them located in Huayacocotla, state of Veracruz and the other one in Aquixtla, state of Puebla, Mexico. Nutrient status of each fertilization trial was correctly predicted by critical nutrient values and DRIS as well. Both standards were able to detect the secondary growth-limiting nutrient deficiency in the Huayacocotla trial, where the primary limitation for growth was scarcity of solar radiation within tree crowns. The limiting nutrient in both experimental trials was K.

The question of molecular similarity is core in cheminformatics, and is usually assessed via a pairwise comparison based on vectors of properties or molecular fingerprints. We recently exploited variational autoencoders to embed 6M molecules in a chemical space, such that their (Euclidean) distance within the latent space so formed could be assessed within the framework of the entire molecular set. However, the standard objective function used did not seek to manipulate the latent space so as to cluster the molecules based on any perceived similarity. Using a set of some 160,000 molecules of biological relevance, we here bring together three modern elements of deep learning to create a novel and disentangled latent space, viz transformers, contrastive learning, and an embedded autoencoder. The effective dimensionality of the latent space was varied such that clear separation of individual types of molecules could be observed within individual dimensions of the latent space. The capacity of the network was such that many dimensions were not populated at all. As before, we assessed the utility of the representation by comparing clozapine with its near neighbours, and did the same for various antibiotics related to flucloxacillin. Transformers, especially when as here coupled with contrastive learning, effectively provide one-shot learning, and lead to a successful and disentangled representation of molecular latent spaces that at once uses the entire training set in their construction while allowing ‘similar’ molecules to cluster together in an effective and interpretable way.

The electronic structure and the participation of the simplest azomethine imine (AI) in [3+2] cycloaddition (32CA) reactions have been analysed within the Molecular Electron Density Theory (MEDT) using DFT calculations at the MPWB1K/6-311G(d) level. Electron localisation function (ELF) topological analysis reveals that AI has a pseudoradical structure, while the conceptual DFT reactivity indices characterise this TAC as a moderate electrophile and a good nucleophile. The non-polar 32CA reaction of AI with ethylene takes place through a one-step mechanism with low activation energy, 5.3 kcal/mol-1. A bonding evolution theory (BET) study indicates that this reaction takes place through a non-concerted [2n+2τ] mechanism in which the C–C bond formation is clearly anticipated prior to the C–N one. On the other hand, the polar 32CA reaction of AI with dicyanoethylene takes place through a two-stage one-step mechanism. Now, the more favourable regioisomeric transition state structure (TS) is located 8.5 kcal•mol⁻¹ below the reagents, in complete agreement with the high polar character of the TS. The current MEDT study makes it possible to extend Domingo’s classification of 32CA reactions to a new pra-type of reactivity.

A simple model has been used to investigate the nature of chemical order in Na-Pb and Na-Hg liquid binary alloy at 700K and 673K respectively. The energy parameter obtained from the model was used to calculate the concentration dependent mixing properties such as Gibb’s free energy of mixing, Concentration fluctuations in the long wavelength limit and the Warren-Cowley chemical short range order parameter. Results obtained showed that both alloys are hetero-coordinated throughout the entire concentration and there is tendency for segregation and demixing to take place in the liquid alloys. We observed that Na-Hg liquid alloy is more strongly interacting binary alloy and chemically ordered than Na-Pb liquid alloy.

Different organisms, cell types, and even similar cell lines can dramatically differ in resistance to genotoxic stress. This testifies to the wide opportunities for genetic and epigenetic regulation of stress resistance. These opportunities could be used to increas the effectiveness of cancer therapy, develop new varieties of plants and animals, and search for new pharmacological targets to enhance human radioresistance, for example, for -manned deep space expeditions. Based on the comparison of transcriptomic studies in cancer cells, in this review we propose that there is a high diversity of genetic mechanisms of development of genotoxic stress resistance. This review focused onpossibilities and limitations of the proposed regulation of the resistance of normal cells whole organisms to genotoxic and oxidative stress by overexpressing of stress-response genes. Moreover, the existing experimental data on the effect of such overexpression on the resistance of cells and organisms to various genotoxic agents has been analyzed and systematized. We suggest that the recent advances in the development of multiplex and highly customizable gene overexpression technology that utilizes the mutant Cas9 protein and the wealth of available data on gene functions and their signal networks open new opportunities for research in this field.

Edible coating gels developed from the Aloe vera plant have been used as a traditional medicine for about 3000 years. Aloe vera contains 110 potentially active constituents from six different classes: chromone and its glycoside derivatives; anthraquinone and its glycoside derivatives; flavonoids; phenylpropanoids and coumarins; phenylpyrone and phenol derivatives; and phytosterols and others. Apart from medicinal uses, Aloe gels have an important role in food preservation as edible coatings. They provide an edible barrier for atmospheric gases and moisture, and help to reduce the respiration and transpiration of fresh produce, which helps to preserve its postharvest quality. To date, numerous studies have been conducted on the postharvest use of Aloe vera gel. The present review article summarizes and discusses existing available information about the chemical constituents, antimicrobial activity, and food preservative characteristics of Aloe vera.

This study evaluates the production of biohydrogen from agro industrial waste. The worldwide energy demand is increasing exponentially and the reserves of fossil fuels are depleting, the combustion of fossil fuels has the effect on environment because of CO2 emission. Hydrogen generation market size is forecast to cross 180 billion by 2024, according to a new research report by global market. For the production of biohydrogen. we had chosen groundnut shell as our source, using Tween80 as a surfactant we had undergone pre-treatment studies for (10min,20min,30min,40min,50min) we had estimated the content of cellulose, protein, carbohydrates at (1%,2%,3%,4%,5%) and obtained the optimum value in the form of graph. The production of hydrogen is done by using the rumen fluid of the cow and the quantity of the hydrogen produced by this process is identified by using the analytical instrument Gas Chromatography.

Many marine animals use chemicals to defend themselves and their eggs from predators. Beyond their ecologically relevant functions, these chemicals may also have properties that make them beneficial for humans, including with biomedical and industrial applications. For example, some chemical defenses are also powerful antimicrobial or anti-tumor agents with relevance to human health and disease. One such chemical defense, Escapin, an L–amino acid oxidase in the defensive ink of the sea hare Aplysia californica, and related proteins have been investigated for their biomedical properties. This review details our current understanding of Escapin’s antimicrobial activity, including the array of chemicals generated by Escapin’s oxidation of its major substrates, L–lysine and L–arginine, and mechanisms underlying these molecules’ bactericidal and bacteriostatic effects on planktonic cells and the prevention of formation and removal of bacterial biofilms. Models of Escapin’s effects are presented, and future directions are proposed.

The chemical graph theory is a subfield of mathematical chemistry which applies classic graph theory to chemical entities and phenomena. Chemical graphs are main data structures to represent chemical structures in cheminformatics. Computable properties of graphs lay the foundation for (quantitative) structure activity and structure property predictions - a core discipline of cheminformatics. It has a historic relevance for natural sciences, such as chemistry, biochemistry and biology, and is in the heart of modern disciplines, such as cheminformatics and bioinformatics. This review first covers the history of chemical graph theory, then provides an overview of its various techniques and applications for CASE, and finally summarises modern tools using chemical graph theory for CASE.

The article reviews the constituent’s physico-chemical parameters in the water of the Mansagar Lake of the Jaipur City. The water quality is also investigated using evaluated physico-chemical parameters with in-depth study of their distribution as per sample location-wise and season-wise. A detailed discussion on the associationship among parameters (pH, Conductivity, turbidity, dissolved Oxygen, chemical and Biochemical Oxygen demand, etc.) using the Pearson’s analytical method is also presented. The strength of the article is the graphical presentation of evaluated physico-chemical parameters and the water quality indices for sample station-wise and the season-wise. To our best of understanding, first time such details have been clubbed together and discussion in brief for studied lake.

Palm fatty acid distillate (PFAD) is a by-product from the refining of crude palm oil. It comprises mainly of free fatty acids, having around 45% of palmitic and 33% oleic acids as the major components. Ultra-violet (UV) curable urethane acrylate (UA) oligomers could be synthesized from PFAD by the following procedure. A hydroxyl terminated macromer was first prepared by reacting PFAD with a mixture of isophthalic acid, phthalic anhydride, neopentagylcol (NPG) and pentaerythritol. The macromer is then reacted with 2-hydroxylethylacrylate (2HEA) and toluene diisocynate (TDI) to generate a resin containing acrylate side chains for UV curable application. A series of UA resins were prepared by using 15, 25, 45, 55 and 70% of PFAD respectively. The UA resin has Mw in the range of 3200 to 27,000. They could be cured by UV irradiation at intensity of 225mW/cm². Glass transition temperature (T_g) of the cured film was measured by differential scanning calorimeter (DSC), and hardness of the film was determined by pendulum hardness tester according to ASTM4366. The resins were used in wood coating application. All of the cured films showed good adhesion, hardness and chemical resistant for resins using up to 55% PFAD; however the resin at 70% did not cure properly.

This study compares the physico-chemical characteristics of three different types of biochar produced from biomass residues in Vietnam as a basis for optimising their application in water purification and soil fertilisation. Wood biochar (WBC), rice husk biochar (RBC), and bamboo biochar (BBC) were produced under limited oxygen conditions using equipment available locally in Vietnam, known as a Top-Lid Updraft Drum (TLUD). The resulting biochars were characterised using a suite of state-of-the-art methods to understand their morphology, surface chemistry and cation exchange capacity. Surface areas (measured by BET) for WBC and BBC were 479.34 m²/g and 434.53 m²/g, respectively, significantly higher than that of RBC which was only 3.29 m²/g. The morphology as shown in SEM images corresponds with the BET surface area, showing a smooth surface for RBC, a hollow surface for BBC, and a rough surface for WBC. All three biochars produced alkaline, with pH values around 10, and all have high carbon contents (47.95 - 82.1 %). Cation exchange capacity (CEC) was significantly different (p<0.05) among the biochars, being 26.70 cmol/kg for RBC, 20.7 cmol/kg for BBC, and 13.53 cmol/kg for WBC, which relates to the cations (Ca, Mg, K) and functional groups with negative charge (carboxyl, hydroxyl) present on the biochar surfaces. The highest contents of Ca, Mg and K in rice husk BC may explain its highest CEC values. Thus, although the biochars were produced by the same method, the various feedstocks lead to quite different physico-chemical properties. Ongoing work is linking these physico-chemical properties to the biochar efficiencies in terms of nitrate and ammonia capture capacities for use as fertilisers, and for adsorption of heavy metals (Zn, Cu) or water filtration, in order to design optimal biochar properties for specific applications.

Naturally occurring small molecules include a large variety of natural products from different sources that have confirmed activity against epigenetic targets. In this work we review chemoinformatic, molecular modeling and other computational approaches that have been used to uncover natural products as inhibitors of DNA metiltransferases, a major family of epigenetic targets with significant potential for the treatment of cancer and several other diseases. Examples of these computational approaches include docking, similarity-based virtual screening, and pharmacophore modeling. It is also commented the chemoinformatic-based exploration of the chemical space of naturally occurring compounds as epigenetic modulators which may have significant implications in epigenetic drug discovery and nutriepigenetics.

Green synthesis offers a superior alternative to traditional methods for producing metal and metal oxide nanoparticles. This approach is not only benign and safe but also cost-effective, scalable, and straightforward, operating under ambient conditions. Notable metals and metal oxide nanoparticles, such as manganese oxides, iron oxides, silver, and gold, have been produced using various bio-reductants derived from plant extracts. These biological agents not only expedite the reduction process but also stabilize the nanoparticles, serving dual roles as reducing and capping agents. This review presents the green synthesis of nanoparticles (NPs) obtained from biogenic wastes and plant extracts. The green-synthesized nanostructured MnO2 are evaluated as a potential photocatalyst for water treatment and as an electrode material in lithium-ion batteries and supercapacitors. The green-derived iron oxide nanoparticles are examined as promising antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-diabetic agents. Additionally, this review discusses the green synthesis of precious metal nanoparticles, specifically silver (Ag NPs) and gold (Au NPs), highlighting their potential medical applications in areas like antiviral treatments and cancer therapy.

Many of engineering’s problems are about to optimise equations, functions and process models equations which appear on common or even complex science’s cases. Most applied optimisation methods nowadays can only be used on particular cases, so the main objective of this article is to define a computational method that can optimise or even find target values for specified objective functions and variables, by just using computer effort. Chemical plants involve many differential equations and they can be optimised with more facility now. On this paper, there are shown as example, an optimisation for a chemical reactor, which is found the optimal temperature and volumetric flow rate of feed, for the given objective function being the composition of the desired product. Named Domain’s Sweep, it is an algorithm that evaluate given(s) mathematical function(s) and/or equation(s) by varying your(s) independent variable(s) through loops with a given step size and solving it after closing the degrees of freedom, and finally, with some condition statements, store all the optimum values of given or created objective functions with its respective independent variables. In another words, the user create an objective function and this method find the function’s maximum, minimum or a certain chosen target value, even if it does not have an inflection point in the given search interval of the independent variables.

In this study, Li-Al-OH layered double hydroxide (LDH), which was prepared by solvent-free one-step mechanochemical reaction of LiOH and Al(OH)₃, was applied to remove boron from aqueous solution. Dry-grinding for 3 h at a rotational speed of 500 rpm, Li/Al molar 1/2 was the optimum condition to prepare highly crystalline of Li-Al LDH phase with no evident impure phases. Two milling products with Li/Al molar ratio at 1/2 and 2/2 were evaluated for boron adsorption. The results confirmed that Li/Al molar ratio 2/2 sample showed high boron adsorption capacity due to the physical adsorption of Li-Al-OH LDH and chemical synergism of phase gel Al(OH)₃. The adsorption isotherms, described by the Langmuir model, indicated maximum monolayer boron uptake capacity 45.45 mg/g, implying competitive adsorption capacity of the material in our experiment.

Currently, energy security and environmental degradation are the two biggest challenges before humanity that can be surmounted with the use of green and sustainable biofuels produced from lignocellulosic crops. In the future, to ensure adequate and cost-effective supply of biofuels, it requires a sufficient amount of amenable and quality lignocellulosic feedstocks. Therefore, agricultural yields of lignocellulosic biomass crops should be substantially increased by intense genetic maneuvering of key gene regulatory mechanisms and signaling pathways that control plant biomass yield. Recently, numerous miRNAs families are identified, characterized, and validated across the plant kingdom. Plant microRNAs (miRNAs) are 21 to 24 nucleotides long, non-coding small RNAs, act as regulators of their target genes via inducing modifications in transcription, translation, and epigenome. MiRNAs represent many hallmark characteristics like sequence-specific regulation, tissue, and species-specific expression, evolutionary conservation, and functional diversity. They coordinate well physiological and life cycle processes in plants under adverse environmental conditions. Hence, miRNAs offer accurate, precise, and efficient regulatory switches in the miRNA-targeted genetic networks. It is evident from the study of the miR156 family and its target SQUAMOSA PROMOTER BINDING PROTEIN-LIKE (SPL) genes network that controls highly significant agronomic traits in crop plants. The miR156/SPL module acts as a master circuit that synchronizes many intricate complex biological functions such as growth and development, and metabolic processes by sensing internal and external environmental signals in plants. Therefore, miR156 can prove a potential target for miRNAs based plant biotechnology to harmonize complex biofuel traits and improve biomass yield in lignocellulosic biomass crops.

The conversion of methane into chemicals is of interest to achieve a decarbonized future. Fuel cells are electrochemical devices commonly used to obtain electrical energy, but can be utilized either for chemicals production or both energy and chemicals cogeneration. In this work, the partial oxidation of methane in fuel cells for electricity generation and valuable chemicals production at the same time is reviewed. For this purpose, different types of methane-fed fuel cells, both low temperature fuel cells, such as PEMFCs and AAEMFCs, and high temperature fuel cells, such as SOFCs, have been used. Also if few works have been devoted to this topic, the promising results drive the development of fuel cells using methane as the source for the cogeneration of power and valuable chemicals.

Polymeric wet-strength agents are important additives used in the paper industry to improve the mechanical properties of paper products, especially when they come in contact with water. These agents play a crucial role in enhancing the durability, strength, and dimensional stability of paper products. The aim of this review is to provide an overview of the different types of wet-strength agents available and their mechanisms of action. We will also discuss the challenges associated with the use of wet-strength agents and the recent advances in the development of more sustainable and environmentally friendly agents. As the demand for more sustainable and durable paper products continues to grow, the use of wet strength agents is expected to increase in the coming years.

As part of the efforts to reduce the environmental impacts caused by the aviation sector, the use of bio-based instead of fossil-based materials has been assessed as a possible mitigation option. Natural Fibre Polymer Composites have proven to have a higher environmental performance in the automotive sector and are emerging as an option for weight reduction in aircraft. This study quantifies, though Life Cycle Assessment, the environmental performance of specific flax-based composite panels intended for aircrafts as interior fitting elements (i.e. partition panels, tray tables, baggage compartments) compared to a glass fibre/epoxy composite with a honeycomb core. Through system expansion, the fate of co-products issued from the production of the flax fibre technical textile used as reinforcement in the biocomposite material were considered in the assessment. Results showed that for an application in the aeronautics sector, the weight of the panels is the upmost critical parameter shaping the overall environmental performance of panels. Focusing on the panel production only, the biocomposite panel showed a higher environmental performance in the categories of climate change and marine eutrophication compared to the conventional panel, and the fire suppressant agent was identified as the main contributor to the environmental impacts of the bio-based panel. Yet these gains were negligible when considering the full life cycle of the panels, due to the higher weight (14%) of the bio-based panels; which is linked to the bio-based panel being at a prototype stage.In order to improve the environmental performance of the biocomposite panel and thus reduce its weight, it was shown relevant to optimize geometry of the panel itself, especially its core, so less resin could be used.

Citrus essential oils (EOs) have various bioactivities like antioxidants, with many applications. Antioxidant activities depend on the chemical compositions of the EOs, which are affected by climate, soil, and geographical region. Thus, investigations on chemical compositions and antioxidant activities of Citrus EOs in different countries are valuable. In this study, we distilled EOs from peels of Indonesian-grown Citrus, including C. nobilis, C. limon, C. aurantifolia, C. amblycarpa, and Citrus spp.Chemical compositions of EOs were analyzed using Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometer (GC-MS), whereas the antioxidant activities were determined by employing 2,2-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) method. Furthermore, principal component analysis (PCA) was applied to elucidate the main contributing compounds for antioxidant activity. The results show that all EOs possess unique chemical characteristics, with limonene as the majority constituent. For antioxidant activities, C. limon and C. amblycarpa EOs are the two strongest, IC50 values below 7.00 μL/mL. PCA approach suggests that -terpinene mainly contributes to the high antioxidant activities of C. limon and C. amblycarpa. Moreover, o-cymene, thymol, p-cymene, and α-pharnesene may also be responsible for the antioxidant activity of C. limon EO. These results are valuable information for the applications of Citrus EOs as antioxidant sources.

Current education in biology is devoid of mathematics in many countries, probably because many relevant biological processes are explained from a qualitative point of view rather than addressing the quantitative aspects of these phenomena. Here, we employ a case study from the yeast physiology to illustrate the importance of numeracy skills for a deeper understanding of relevant biological problems. Yeast anaerobic growth on sugars is a widespread process as it is the basis for beer, bread, and winemaking and it is much akin to lactic acid fermentation in muscle cells in response to an increased energy demand. To study the physiology of yeasts under controlled conditions and being able to compare the results quantitatively, one ought to perform measurements and calculations involving concentrations of oxygen, biomass, and organic compounds. To set-up an “anaerobic” culture of Saccharomyces cerevisiae in a defined medium, one needs to calculate how much oxygen must enter the cultivation system, to meet the requirements for ergosterol and oleic acid biosyntheses, both of which require oxygen. Using basic physicochemical principles and simple mathematical skills, students will be able to compute the oxygen requirement for yeast growth under such “anaerobic” conditions.

This paper describes the state of the art and future opportunities for process design and sustainable development. In the Introduction the main global megatrends and European Union's response to two of them, the European Green Deal, are presented. The organization of professionals in the field, their conferences and publications support the two topics. A brief analysis of the published documents in the two most popular databases shows that the environmental dimension predominates, followed by an economic one, while the social pillar of sustainable development is undervalued. The main design tools for sustainability are described. As an important practical case, the European chemical and process industries are analyzed and their achievements in sustainable development are highlighted; in particular, their strategies are presented in more detail. The conclusions cover the most urgent future development areas of the process industries, carbon capture with utilization or storage, process analysis, simulation, synthesis and optimization tools; zero waste, circular economy and resource efficiency already play an important role. However, more profound changes are needed in the coming decades, including a shift away from growth with changes in habits, lifestyles and business models. Lifelong education for sustainable development will play a very important role in the growth of democracy and happiness instead of consumerism and neoliberalism.

Silicates are among the most abundant and important inorganic materials, not only in the Earth’s crust but also in the interstellar medium in the form of micro-/nano-particles or embedded in the matrices of comets, meteorites and other asteroidal bodies. Although the crystalline phases of silicates are indeed present in Nature, amorphous forms are also highly abundant. Here we report a theoretical investigation of the structural, dielectric and vibrational properties of the amorphous bulk for forsterite (Mg₂SiO₄) as a silicate test case by a combined approach of classical molecular dynamics (MD) simulations for structure evolution, and periodic quantum mechanical DFT calculations for electronic structure analysis. Using classical MD based on an empirical partial charge rigid ionic model within a melt-quenching scheme at different temperatures performed with the GULP 4.0 code amorphous bulk structures for Mg₂SiO₄ were generated using as initial guess the crystalline phase. This has been done for bulks with three different unit cell sizes adopting a super-cell approach; i.e., 1×1×2, 2×1×2 and 2×2×2. The radial distribution functions indicated a good degree of amorphisation of the structures. Periodic B3LYP-geometry optimizations performed with the CRYSTAL14 code on the generated amorphous systems were used to analyze their structure, to calculate their high frequency dielectric constants (ε_∞), and to simulate the IR, Raman and reflectance spectra, which were compared with the experimental and theoretical crystalline Mg₂SiO₄. The most significant changes of the physico-chemical properties of the amorphous systems compared to the crystalline ones are presented and discussed (e.g., larger deviations in the bond distances and angles, broadening of the IR bands, etc.), which are consistent with their disordered nature. It is also shown that by increasing the unit cell size the bulk structures present larger degree of amorphisation.

In this study we investigated the potential of two non-edible oil extracts from seeds of Colliguaya Integerrima (CIO) and Colliguaja Salicifolia (CSO) to use as a renewable source for polyols and eventually polyurethane foams or biodiesel. For this purpose, two novel polyols from the aforementioned oils were obtained in a one-single step reaction using a mixture of hydrogen peroxide and acetic acid. The polyol derivatives obtained from the two studied oils were characterized by spectral (FT-IR, ¹H NMR and ¹³C NMR), physico-chemical (e.g. chromatographic analysis, acid value, oxidizability values, iodine value, peroxide value, saponification number, kinematic viscosity, theorical molecular weights, density, hydroxyl number and hydroxyl functionality) and thermal (TGA) analyses according to standard methods. Physico-chemical results revealed that all parameters, with the exception of the iodine value, were higher for bio-polyols (CSP and CIP polyols) compared to the starting oils. The NMR, TGA and FT-IR analyses demonstrated the formation of polyols. Finally, the OH functionality values for CIP and CSP polyols were 4.50 and 5.00, respectively. This result indicated the possible used of CIP and CSP polyols as a raw material for the preparation of polyurethane rigid foams.

A plenty of theories on the origin of genetic codes have been proposed so far, yet all ignored the energetic driving force, its relation to the biochemical system, and most importantly, the missing “matchmaker” between proteins and nucleic acids. Here, a new hypothesis is proposed, according to which ATP is at the origin of the primordial genetic code by driving the coevolution of the genetic code with the pristine biochemical system. This hypothesis aims to show how the genetic code was produced e.g. by photochemical reactions in a protocell that derived from a lipid vesicle enclosing various life’s building blocks (e.g. nucleotides and peptides). At extant cell, ATP is the only energetic product of photosynthesis, and is at the energetic heart of the biochemical systems. ATP could energetically form and elongate chains of both polynucleotides and polypeptides, thus acting a “matchmaker” between these two bio-polymers and eventually mediating precellular biochemical innovation from energy transformation to informatization. ATP was not the only one that could drive the formation of polynucleotides and polypeptides, but favored by precellular selection. The protocell innovated a photosynthesis system to produce ATP efficiently and regularly with the aids of proteins and RNA/DNA. The completion of permanently recording the genetic information by DNA marked the dawn of cellular life operated by Darwinian evolution. The ATP hypothesis assumes or supports the photochemical origin of life, shedding light on the origins of both photosynthetic and biochemical systems, which remains largely unknown thus far. Based on ATP hypothesis, virus (like the new coronavirus) could not be the earliest life on Earth, as it has neither biochemical systems nor lipid bilayer membrane that provided relatively isolated environment for the development of protobiochemical reactions, although it owns the genetic code of a cellular life. Virus could not be a bridge between life and non-life, but is an anti-life substance, as it depletes cellular material for its own replication, and then spreads by destroying the host cells. It can be imagined that if cellular life are completely wiped out by the virus, the complete destruction of life on Earth would be inevitable.

We present a generalized state-space model formulation particularly motivated by an online scheduling perspective. Through these proposed generalizations, we enable a natural way to handle routinely encountered disturbances and a rich set of corresponding counter-decisions. Thereby, greatly simplifying and extending the possible application of mathematical programming based online scheduling solutions to diverse application settings.

Promoter is a small region of DNA sequence in response to various transcription factors, which initiates a particular gene expression. The promoter-engineered bio-sensor can activate or repress gene expression through transcription factor recognizing specific molecules, such as polyamine, sugars, lactams, amino acids, organic acids or redox molecule, however, the reported applications of promoter enhanced bio-sensor are not too much. This review paper highlights the strategies of construction of promoter-gene engineered bio-sensor with human and bacteria’s genetic promoter array for high-throughput screening (HTS) molecular drugs, study of membrane protein’s localization and nucleocytoplasmic shuttling mechanism of regulating factor, enzyme activity, detection of the toxicity of intermediate chemicals, and probing bacteria density to improve value-added product titer. These bio-sensors’s sensitivity and specificity can be further improved by proposed approaches of Mn²⁺ and Mg²⁺ added random Error-prone PCR and site-directed mutagenesis which is applied for construction of bacteria’s “mutant library”. It is expected to establish flexible HTS platform (Bio-sensor array) to large-scale screen transcription factor-acting drugs, reducing the toxicity of intermediate compounds, and constructing gene dynamic regulatory system in “push and pull” mode to effectively regulate the valuable medicinal product production. This proposed novel promoter-engineered biosensors aided synthetic genetic circuit construction will maximize the efficiency of bio-synthesis of medicinal compound, which will greatly promote the development of microbial metabolic engineering and biomedical science.

The bio-oil obtained by pyrolysis of Açaí (Euterpe oleracea Mart.) seeds at 450 ºC, 1.0 atmosphere, in technical scale, submitted to fractional distillation to produce biofuels-like fractions. The distillation of bio-oil carried out in a laboratory distillation column (Vigreux) of 30 cm. The physical-chemistry properties (density, kinematic viscosity, acid value and refractive index) determined by official methods. The chemical functions present in distillation fractions determined by FT-IR and the chemical composition by GC-MS. The distillation of bio-oil yielded gasoline, light kerosene, and kerosene-like fuel fractions of 16.16, 19.56, and 41.89% (wt.), respectively. All the physical-chemistry properties (density, kinematic viscosity, acid value and refractive index) increase with boiling temperature. The gasoline-like fraction is composed by 64.0% (area.) hydrocarbons and 36.0% (area.) oxygenates, while light kerosene-like fraction by 66.67% (area.) hydrocarbons and 33.33% (area.) oxygenates, and kerosene-like fraction by 19.87% (area.) hydrocarbons and 81.13% (area.) oxygenates.

Chemical flooding is one of the effective methods to recover large volumes of oil from sandstone formations after primary depletion. However, silica dissolution often occurs during Alkaline-Surfactant-Polymer (ASP) flooding, affecting the petro-physical properties of the formation. To address this issue, samples from Berea sandstone formations were treated with various brine solutions, through static tube tests and core flooding experiments. Analytical tests such as DR/2800 spectrophotometer and scanning electron microscope were used to evaluate the silica solubility and the alteration in mineral content. The results indicated that the silicate contents decreased after the saturation due to silica solubility in the solution. Increasing brine salinity to 40,000ppm and introducing Magnesium and Calcium ions to the solution, reduces the silicate contents by 5.03 % and 7.32 %. Moreover, saturating the samples with ASP solution, further reduced the silicate contents by 14.86 %. This reduction is associated with a relative increase in silica solubility and pH of the solution. Silica dissolution affects the pore microstructure, which resulted in increasing the porosity and pore volume after the core flooding. The injection of the ASP solution increased the porosity by 5.83%, thus the pore volume increased from 17.72 to 18.76cc. This is associated with the high silica solubility and the increase of solution pH in the ASP solution. The permeability of the samples generally reduced after the core flooding, due to the silica solubility. However, injecting the ASP solution, resulted in a major reduction of the permeability by more than 75%. These changes in the petro-physical properties can lead to severe formation damage, and affect hydrocarbon production. This study assists in understanding the impact of silica dissolution during ASP treatment and addresses the factors involved. Efficient utilization of chemical flooding can help mitigating silicate scaling within the formation, and extend field productivity.

In this paper, a novel synthesis for a chemical precursor for nanocrystalline VO2 coatings is elaborated. The compatibility of the precursor towards the substrate is optimized for spin coating. This is done by subjecting multiple solvents to contact angle measurements. A suitable thermal treatment is developed to densify the coating and to induce crystallization. Afterwards the microstructure of the coating is investigated using X-Ray diffraction, electron microscopy and ellipsometry techniques. To assess the thermochromic properties of the fabricated device, optical transmission experiments were conducted both at room temperature and at elevated temperature. A correlation between these thermochromic properties and coating thickness was investigated in order to obtain an optimized thermochromic device, where both high visual transparency and prominent thermochromic switching abilities are aimed for. In this work, an optimal coating thickness is proposed for a thermochromic coating with high switching ability and solar modulation.

High density polyethylene (HDPE) and poly(lactic) acid (PLA) blends with different ratios of both polymers, namely 30:70, 50:50 and 70:30, were produced. Polyethylene grafted maleic anhydride and a random copolymer of ethylene and glycidyl methacrylate, were also proposed as compatibilizers to modify HDPE-PLA optimal blends and were added in the amounts of 1, 3 and 5 wt.%. Blends properties have been evaluated through different aspects by performing tensile tests, scanning electron microscopy to analyze blend morphology and interfaces, and thermomechanical analysis through differential scanning calorimetry, thermo-gravimetric analyses and infrared spectroscopy. The second blend, the one with equal amounts of HDPE and PLA seems to represent a good balance between high amount of bio-derived charge and acceptable mechanical properties. This suggests a good potential of these blends, which would be a good starting point for the production of composites with lingo-cellulosic fillers.

Solving environmental odor issues can be confounded by many analytical, technological, and socioeconomic factors. Considerable know-how and technologies can fail to properly identify odorants responsible for the downwind nuisance odor and mitigate it for the affected citizenry. We propose enabling solutions to environmental odor issues by utilizing troubleshooting techniques developed for the food, beverage, and consumer products industries. We showed that the downwind odorant impact-priority ranking process can be definable and relatively simple. The initial challenge is the prioritization of environmental odor character from the perspective of the impacted citizenry downwind. In this research, we aim at summarizing three natural models of the rolling unmasking effect (RUE) and discuss them more systematically in the context of the proposed downwind environmental odor prioritization approach. Regardless of the size and reach of an odor source, a simplification of odor character and composition typically develops with downwind dilution. The extreme odor simplification-upon-dilution was demonstrated for two plant varieties, prairie verbena and Virginia pepperweed. Their downwind odor frontal boundaries were dominated by single, character-defining odorants; p-cresol-dominated ‘barnyard’ odor, and benzyl mercaptan-dominated ‘burnt match’ odor, respectively. The P.T. porcupine downwind odor frontal boundary was dominated by two potent, character-defining odorants: (1) ‘onion’/‘body odor’ odorant #1 and (2) ‘onion’/‘grilled’ odorant #2. In contrast with their downwind boundary simplicities, each odor source presented considerable compositional complexity and composite character difference near the source. The proposed RUE approach’s ultimate significance is the illustration of naturally occurring phenomena that explain why some environmental odors and their sources can be challenging to identify and mitigate using the analytical only approach (focused on compound identities and concentrations). These approaches rarely move beyond comprehensive lists of compounds being emitted by the source.

Machine learning (ML) is penetrating in all walks of life and is one of the major driving forces behind the fourth industrial revolution, typically known as Industry 4.0. This study reviews the state-of-the-art ML applications in the biofuels’ life cycle stages, i.e., soil, feedstock, production, consumption, and emissions. A keyword search is performed to retrieve relevant articles from the databases of the Web of Science and Google Scholar. ML applications in the soil stage were mostly based on the use of satellite images of land for estimation of biofuels yield or suitability analysis of agricultural land. In the second stage of the life cycle, assessment of rheological properties of the feedstocks and their effect on the quality of biofuels were dominant studies reported in the literature. The production stage included estimation and optimization of quality, quantity, and process conditions. The fuel consumption and emissions stage included analysis of engine performance and estimation of emissions temperature and composition, such as NOx, CO, and CO2. This study identified the following trends: dominant ML method, the stage of life cycle getting more usage of ML, the type of data used for the development of the ML-based models, and the stage-wise frequently used input and output variables. The findings of this article are beneficial for academia and industry-related people involved in model development in different stages of biofuel’s life cycle.

The use of biodiesel fuels in compression ignition engines leads to decrease CO, PM, HC and smoke opacity. However, NOx emissions increase importantly. Various methods to reduce NOx are used namely the EGR, the water injection method and the steam injection method. In this study, the steam injection method has been used instead of the other methods because of its benefits. This study examines the effects of steam injection on combustion products of diesel and biodiesel fuels by considering chemical equilibrium in order to determine the equilibrium combustion products involving 10 combustion products. A developed simulation code determing the equilibrium mole fractions and thermodynamic properties of combustion products is used for diesel and biodiesel fuels. It can be used for any fuel consisting of carbon, hydrogen or any oxygenated fuel. The results show that the mole fraction of CO2 and CO decrease with the steam injection ratios. NO mole fractions decrease with steam injection for lean mixtures but they increase slightly in the case of rich mixtures. The specific heat of combustion products increase with the steam injection ratios. Thus, the engine performance can be improved using the method. The model has been validated by comparing model results with the ones of NASA CEA software and GASEQ software using the methane as fuel. The relative errors of equilibrium mole fractions and thermodynamic properties of combustion products are less than 0.98 %.

Abstract: The promotion of sustainable packaging is part of the European Green Deal and plays a key role in the EU’s social and political strategy. One option is the use of renewable resources and biomass waste as raw materials for polymer production. Lignocellulose biomass from annual and perennial industrial crops and agricultural residues are a major source of polysaccharides, proteins, and lignin, and can also be used to obtain plant-based extracts and essential oils. Therefore, these biomasses are considered as potential substitute for fossil-based resources. Here, the status quo of bio-based polymers is discussed and evaluated in terms of properties related to packaging applications such as gas and water vapor permeability as well as mechanical properties. So far, their practical use is still restricted due to lower performance in fundamental packaging functions that directly influence food quality and safety, the length of shelf life and thus the amount of food waste. Besides bio-based polymers, this review focuses on plant extracts as active packaging agents. Incorporating extracts of herbs, flowers, trees, and their fruits is inevitable to achieve desired material properties that are capable to prolong the food shelf life. Finally, the adoption potential of packaging based on polymers from renewable resources is discussed from a bioeconomy perspective.

This work deals with the numerical investigation of the delivery of potential therapeutic agents through dentinal discs (i.e. a cylindrical segment of the dentinal tissue) towards the dentin-pulp junction. The aim is to assess the main key features (i.e. molecular size, initial concentration, consumption rate, disc porosity and thickness) that affect the delivery of therapeutic substances to the dental pulp and consequently to define the necessary quantitative and qualitative issues related to a specific agent before its potential application in clinical practice. The CFD code used for the computational study is validated with relevant experimental data obtained using micro Laser Induced Fluorescence (μ-LIF) a non-intrusive optical measuring technique. As the phenomenon is diffusion dominated and strongly dependent on the molecular size, the time needed for the concentration of released molecules to attain a required value can be controlled by their initial concentration. Finally, a model is proposed which, given the maximum acceptable time for the drug concentration to attain a required value at the pulpal side of the tissue along with the aforementioned key design parameters, is able to estimate the initial concentration to be imposed and vice versa.

Disrupted nutrient recycling is a significant problem for Europe, while phosphorus and nitrogen are wasted instead of being used for plant nutrition. Mineral phosphate is critical raw material, which contains environmentally hazardous elements such as cadmium and uranium. Therefore, phosphorus recovery from agricultural by-product streams is critically important key priority. Phosphorus recovery from food grade animal bone by-products have been applied researched since 2002 with objective driven evolution progress towards specialized pyrolysis processing technology and animal bone char product (ABC) developments in economical industrial scale. Different animal bone by-products tested under different conditions at 400 kg/h throughput capacity in the continuously operated 3R zero emission autothermal carbonization system. The different material core treatment temperatures (between >300°C and <850°C) were combined with different residence times under industrial productive processing conditions. It has been industrial demonstrated that material core treatment temperature <850°C with 20 minutes residence time is necessary to achieve high quality ABC with useful agronomic value. The output ABC product having concentrated >30% phosphorus pentoxide (P2O5) and specific quality innovative fertilizer for agronomical efficient organic and low input farming applications as functional organic fertilizer, soil improver, growing medium and/or fertilizing product blend with high mineral phosphate fertiliser replacement value.

Though innovations for sustainable management of natural resources have emerged over time, the rising demand for nature based health solutions and integration of endemic flora into global value chains could have adverse impacts on ecosystems. The ecological risks in the exploitation of wild medicinal plant resources are exacerbated by a myriad of agrotechnological risks and challenges that highly constrain their domestication. Successful exploitation and commercialization of medicinal plants thus require a clear understanding of their demand and production systems or value chain analysis. Accordingly there is need for innovative approaches towards their integration into global value chains. Since quality and safety, traceability, certification, as well as, consumer tastes and preferences are critical drivers in purchasing decisions by global consumers, they are inadvertently exploited to weaken Indigenous knowledge (IK), undermine common property rights and entrench value chains that favour a few elite buyers. This tend to create pervasive incentives for overexploitation of medicinal plant resources and environmental degradation. Potential solution lies in the recognition of drivers of vulnerability to environmental degradation and the innovative use of policy bricolage, feedback loops and interactions between knowledge, power and agency on one hand, and collective action and property rights institutions on the other hand. We conceptualise a framework that can mediate a transformational agenda and enhance systematic understanding of sustainability lenses in endemic medicinal plant resources value chains. This could in turn strengthen IK, enhance collective action and promote participation of local actors with positive impact on the utilisation and integration of endemic medicinal plant resources into global value chains.

We have proposed a data-driven approach for designing mesoscale porous structures of Li-ion battery electrode with three-dimensional virtual structures and machine learning techniques. Over 2,000 artificial 3D structures assuming positive electrode composed of random packed spheres as active material particles are generated, and charge/discharge resistance has been evaluated using simplified Physico-chemical model. In this model, resistance from Li diffusion in active material particles (diffusion resistance), transfer resistance of Li+ in electrolyte (electrolyte resistance) and reaction resistance on the interface between active material and electrolyte are simulated based on mass balance of Li, Ohm’s law in and linearized Butler-Volmer equation, respectively. Using these simulation results, regression models via Artificial Neural Network (ANN) have been created in order to predict charge/discharge resistance from porous structure features. In this study, porosity, active material particle size and volume fraction, pressure in the compaction process, electrolyte conductivity, and binder volume fraction are adopted as features, associated with controllable process parameters for manufacturing battery electrode. As results, the predicted electrode resistance by ANN regression model is good agreement with the simulated values. Furthermore, sensitivity analysis and optimization of the process parameters have been carried out. The proposed data-driven approach could be a solution as a guiding principle for manufacturing battery electrode.

A Wireless Body Area Sensor Network (WBASN) is combination of numerous sense nodes, positioned onto/close or inside a person body. Wireless Body Area Sensor Networks (WBASN) is a developing automation trend that exploits wireless sensor nodes to put instantaneous wearable well-being of ill person to improve individual’s existence. The sensor nodes might be used outwardly to observe abundant health parameters (like heart activity, blood pressure and cholesterol) of an ill person at a vital site within hospital. Hence the goal of WBASN is much crucial, enhancing the lifetime of nodes is compulsory to sustain many issues such as utility and efficiency. It is essential to evaluate time that when the first node will die it we want to refresh or change the battery reason is that loss of crucial information is not tolerable. The lifetime is termed as the time interval when a first node dies out due to battery exhaustion. In our proposed protocol life time of a network is the main concern as well other protocol related issues such as throughput, path loss, and residual energy. Bio-sensors are used for deployment on human body. Poisson distribution and equilibrium model techniques have been used for attaining the required results. Multi-hop network topology and random network node deployment used to achieve minimum energy consumption and longer network lifetime.

Ultrafast laser 3D lithography based on non-linear light-matter interactions, widely known as multi-photon lithography (MPL), offers unrivaled precision rapid prototyping and flexible additive manufacturing options. 3D printing equipment based on MPL are already commercially available, yet there is still no comprehensive understanding of factors determining spatial resolution, accuracy, fabrication throughput, repeatability, and standardized metrology methods for the accurate characterization of the produced 3D objects and their functionalities. The photoexcitation mechanisms, spatial-control or photo-modified volumes, and the variety of processable materials are topics actively investigated. The complexity of the research field is underlined by limited understanding and fragmented knowledge of light-excitation and material response. Research to date has only provided case-specific findings on photoexcitation, chemical modification, and material characterization of the experimental data. In this review, we aim to provide a consistent and comprehensive summary of the existing literature on photopolymerization mechanisms under highly confined spatial and temporal conditions, where, besides the excitation and cross-linking, parameters such as diffusion, temperature accumulation, and the finite amount of monomer molecules start to become of critical importance. Key parameters such as, photoexcitation, polymerization kinetics, and the properties of the additively manufactured materials at the nanoscale in 3D are examined, whereas, the perspectives for future research and as well as emerging applications are outlined.

Over the last decade, there has been a growing interest in the use of a wide range of phytoadditives to counteract the harmful effects of heat stress in poultry. Willow (Salix spp.) is a tree with a long history. Among various forms, willow bark is an important natural source of salicin, β-O-glucoside of saligenin, but also of polyphenols (flavonoids and condensed tannins) with antioxidant, antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory activity. In light of this, the current review presents some literature data aiming to: (1) describe the relationship between heat stress and oxidative stress in broilers, (2) present or summarize literature data on the chemical composition of Salix species, (3) summarize the mechanisms of action of willow bark in heat-stressed broilers, (4) present different biological effects of the extract of Salix species in different experimental models.

This paper presents the life cycle assessment results of a study of plastic recycling via hydrothermal upgrading (HTU), a chemical recycling technology. It was investigated due to its potential to address current gaps in the plastic recycling system, largely due to several plastic packaging materials and formats that cannot be processed by traditional mechanical recycling technologies (primarily due to technoeconomic reasons). As society transitions towards a net-zero-based circular economy, assessments should be conducted with a futuristic outlook, preventing costly mistakes by employing the right technologies in the right areas. HTU can generate up to 76% reduction in climate change impacts when compared with comparable end-of-life treatment technologies whilst conserving material with the system. Additionally, further reductions could be achieved by changes in electricity consumption within the study. This represents a new insight to chemical recycling of polymers by establishing a prospective life cycle assessment study that looks to introduce a step-change in the recycling system. By creating a transparent cut-off model with consistent allocation, it highlights the benefits of introducing this technology as opposed to the current model of disposal through incineration or landfill.

Novel bio-inspired materials have gained recently great attention, especially in medical applications. Applying sophisticated design and engineering methods, various polymer-polymer hybrid systems with outstanding performance have been developed in last decades. Hybrid systems composed of bioelastomers and hydrogels are very attractive due to their high biocompatibility and elastic nature for advanced biomaterials used in various medical applications such as drug delivery systems and scaffolds for tissue engineering. Herein, we describe the advances in current state-of-the-art design, properties and applications of polymer-polymer hybrid systems in medical applications. Bio-inspired functionalities, including bioadhesiveness, injectability, antibacterial properties and degradability applicable to advanced drug delivery systems and medical devices will be discussed in a context of future efforts towards development of bioinspired materials.

The current study focused on reviewing the rapid growing of using magnetic water in different fields of science and measure the influence of several intensities of magnetization on the chemical and electrical properties of tap water treated by reverse osmosis. The work includes circulation of water for 24 h. in magnetic fields of intensity 500, 1000, 1500, and 2000 G. The magnetization of water causes increasing some positive and negative ions in water such as (Mg, K, Na, Cl¯, Alkaline and SiO₂) and decreasing some positive and negative ions (Ca and SO₃). In the near future, the application of concepts of sustainability development in civil engineering have the to produce structures in harmony with these concepts through using of high-performance materials with less impacts on the environmental and have low cost. The main application of using magnetic water is improvement the geotechnical properties of soil through precipitation of calcite which increases the bond between soil particles and then strength of soil.