Electrochemical sensors have been used for many decades. Yet, modeling of such sensors used in electrolysis mode is poorly documented, especially in the case parallel action of multiple gases. Those ones are of great interest since they constitute the first brick to bring information on natures and concentrations of a gaseous mixture composition thanks to grey box modeling of sensors array for example. Based on Butler Volmer’s equations, a model assuming parallel reactions at gold cathode has been introduced in this article and confronted to experimental results. Establishment of the model is based on the extraction of 3 variables: the charge transfer coefficient “α”, the reaction order γ, and the reaction constant rate k0. Tests performed without pollutants and with different concentrations of oxygen could be nicely fitted by the model. Then, the influence of polarization current on the 3 variables of the model has been evaluated showing a clear influence on the constant rate and the reaction order. Also, increasing the polarization current enabled us to get selectivity to oxidant gases. Similarly, the effect of the oxygen concentration was evaluated. Results showed that, in this case, the charge transfer coefficients “α” obtained for oxidant gases is quite different that the ones obtained in the polarization current varying conditions. Therefore, the model will be interesting in situations where polarization current and oxygen content are not varied together. Variation of polarization current can be quite interesting to get increased information for multivariate analysis purpose in constant oxygen content situations. Besides, other parameters have are required for applications in which the oxygen content is bound to change like exhaust gases or combustion.

This study investigates novel ferrocene-based electrochemical sensors for metal cation detection through the design, synthesis and characterisation of ferrocene derivatives. Specifically, the re-search determines the redox potentials of ferrocene versus decamethylferrocene to provide in-sight into the redox potential variations between them. The investigation also examines how electrochemical oxidation of the ferrocene moiety can modulate host affinity for transition metals cations via effects such as electrostatic interactions and changes to coordination chemistry. Metal ion coordination to receptors containing functional groups like imine and quinoline is explored to elucidate selectivity mechanisms. These findings advance the fundamental understanding of ferrocene electrochemistry and host-guest interactions, supporting the development of improved cation sensors with optimised recognition properties, sensitivity, and selectivity. Overall, the work lays the necessary groundwork for applications in analytical chemistry and sensor technologies through customised ferrocene-derived materials.

Wearable touch sensors, which can convert force or pressure signals into quantitative electronic signals, have emerged as an essential smart sensing devices and played an important role in various cutting-edge fields, including wearable health monitoring, soft robots, electronic skin, artificial prosthetics, AR/VR, and the Internet of Things. Flexible touch sensors have made significant advancements, while construction of novel touch sensors via mimicking the unique properties of biological materials and biogenetic structures always remains a hot research topic and significant technological pathway. This review provides a comprehensive summary of the research status of wearable touch sensors constructed by imitating the material and structural characteristics in nature, and also summarizes the scientific challenges and development tendency of this aspect. Firstly, the research status for constructing flexible touch sensors based on biomimetic materials is summarized, including hydrogel materials, self-healing materials, and other bioinspired or biomimetic materials with extraordinary properties. Then, design and fabrication of flexible touch sensors based on bionic structures for performance enhancement are fully discussed. These bionic structures include special structures in plants, special structures insects/animal, and special structures in human body. Moreover, a summary of the current issues and future prospects for developing wearable sensors based on bioinspired materials and structures is discussed.

Contaminants of Emerging Concern (CECs), a new category of contaminants in limelight, is a major issue of global concern. The pervasive nature of CECs and its harmful effects, such as cancer, reproductive disorders, neurotoxicity etc., make the situation alarming. The perilous nature of CECs lies in the fact that even very small concentration of CECs can cause great impacts on living beings. It also has a nature of bioaccumulation. Thus, it is the ultimate need to have efficient sensors for detection of CECs to ensure safe living environment. Electrochemical sensors are an efficient platform for CEC detection as they are highly selective, sensitive, stable, reproducible, and prompt, and can detect very low concentrations of analyte. Major classes of CECs are pharmaceuticals, illicit drugs, personal care products, endocrine disruptors, newly registered pesticides, and disinfection by-products. This review focusses on CECs, including their sources and pathways, health effects caused by them, and electrochemical sensors as reported in literatures under each category for the detection of major CECs.

The incorporation of nanomaterials on (bio)sensors based on composite materials has led to important advances in analytical chemistry field due to the extraordinary properties that these materials offer. Nanodiamonds (NDs) are a novel type of material that has raised much attention, as they have the possibility of being produced on large scale by using relatively inexpensive synthetic methodologies. Moreover, NDs present some other interesting features as suitability for fluorescence due to surface functionalization and a proved biocompatibility, which makes them well suited for biomedical applications. In addition, NDs can be modified with metallic nanoparticles (NP), such as silver or gold, in order to combine the special features of both. The aim of this research work is the nanostructuration of novel sensing devices using NDs combined with silver (Ag@NDs) and gold (Au@NDs) nanoparticles. A complete morphological and electrochemical characterization as function of the prepared nanocomposite composition have been performed in order to improve the electroanalytical properties of the developed (bio)sensors.

Carbon nanotubes have been attracting considerable interest among material scientists, physicists, chemists and engineers for almost 30 years. Owing to their high aspect ratio, coupled with remarkable mechanical, electronic and thermal properties, carbon nanotubes have found application in diverse fields. In this review, we will cover the work on carbon nanotubes used for sensing applications. In particular, we will see examples where carbon nanotubes act as main players in devices sensing biomolecules, gas, light or pressure changes. Furthermore, we will discuss how to improve the performance of carbon nanotube-based sensors after proper modification.

Since 1970s, a great deal of attention has been paid to the development of semiconductor–based biosensors because of the numerous advantages they offer, including high sensitivity, faster response time, miniaturization, and low–cost manufacturing for quick biospecific analysis with reusable features. Commercial biosensors have become highly desirable in the fields of medicine, food, environmental monitoring as well as military applications (e.g., Hoffmann–La Roche, Abbott Point of Care, Orion High technologies, etc.), whereas increasing concerns on the food safety and health issues have resulted in the introduction of novel legislative standards for these sensors. Numerous devices have been developed for monitoring of biological–processes such as nucleic–acid hybridization, protein–protein interaction, antigen–antibody bonds and substrate–enzyme reactions, just to name a few. Since 1980s scientific interest moved to the development of semiconductor–based devices which also include integrated front–end electronics, such as the extended–gate–field–effect–transistor biosensor which is one of the first miniaturized chemical sensors. This work is intended to be a review of the state of the art focused on the development of biosensors based extended–gate–field–effect–transistor within the field of bioanalytical applications, which will highlight the most recent research works reported in the literature. Moreover, a comparison among the diverse EGFET devices will be presented giving particular attention to the materials and technologies.

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.

This mini-review critically summarizes the knowledge of imprinted polymer-based electrochemical sensors, for the detection of pesticides, metal ions and waterborne pathogenic bacteria, focusing on the period the last 5 years (citation of 78 papers published in 2017-2021, ie 63% of total citations). MIP-based electrochemical sensors exhibit low limit of detection, high selectivity, high sensitivity and low cost. Herein, we focused on the timely topics of water pollution by organics, inorganics and micro-organisms represented by pesticides, metal ions and bacteria, respectively. We put the emphasis on the design of imprinted polymers and their composites and coatings by radical polymerization, oxidative polymerization of conjugated monomers or sol-gel chemistry. Whilst most imprinted polymers are used in conjunction with differential pulse or square wave voltammetry for sensing organics and metal ions, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) appears as the chief technique for detecting bacteria. This successful combination of EIS and imprinting technology should be harnessed in the coming years in the case of bacteria. Interestingly, bacteria are not always probed by bacteria-imprinted polymers; we report here their detection by monitoring specific (macro)molecules that reflect bacterial activity, for example quorum sensing signaling molecules or flagella proteins. If much has been developed in the past decade with glassy carbon or gold electrodes, it is clear that carbon paste electrodes of imprinted polymers are more and more investigated due to their versatility. Shortlisted case studies were critically reviewed and discussed; clearly a plethora of tricky strategies of designing selective electrochemical sensors are offered to “Imprinters”. We anticipate this review will be of interest to experts and new comers in the field who are paying time and effort combining electrochemical sensors with MIP technology.

The limits for recording weak signals for electrochemical seismic sensors are determined by their self-noise. At the same time, the noise nature is complex and not fully understood. In this work, for the first time, in addition to the frequency dependences of the noise amplitude, the difference in the phases of the noise currents of the cathodes of an electrochemical sensor has been studied. It has been established that at low frequencies the cathode currents change in an-tiphase. As the frequency increases, the phase difference becomes random. At the same time, the frequency at which the phase difference changes depend on the interelectrode distance; the clos-er the electrodes are located to each other, the greater it is. Physically, this effect is explained by the transition from noise caused by the integral flow of the working fluid to noise associated with vortex flows, the size of which depends on frequency. Thus, a new way of studying noise makes it possible to identify its physical nature and develop new methods of reduction.

Millions of people worldwide are affected by diabetes, a chronic disease that continuously grows due to abnormal glucose concentration levels present in the blood. Monitoring blood glucose concentrations is therefore an essential diabetes indicator to aid in the management of the disease. Enzymatic electrochemical glucose sensors presently account for the bulk of glucose sensors in the market. However, their disadvantages are that they are expensive and are dependent on environmental conditions, hence affecting their performance and sensitivity. To meet the increasing demand, non-enzymatic glucose sensors based on chemically modified electrodes for the direct electrocatalytic oxidation of glucose are a good alternative to the costly enzymatic-based sensors currently on the market, and the research thereof continues to grow. Nanotechnology-based biosensors have been explored for their electronic and mechanical properties, resulting in enhanced biological signalling through the direct oxidation of glucose. Copper oxide and copper sulfide exhibit attractive attributes for sensor application, due to their non-toxic nature, abundance, and their unique properties. Thus, in this review, copper oxide and copper sulfide-based materials, are evaluated based on their chemical structure, morphology, and fast electron mobility as suitable electrode materials for non-enzymatic glucose sensors. The review highlights the present challenges of non-enzymatic glucose sensors that have limited their deployment into the market.

This work demonstrates that microbial fuel cells (MFCs), optimized for energy recovery, can be used as an effective tool to detect the presence of antibiotics in water-based environments. MFCs directly convert chemical energy of organic matter in electrical energy thanks to electroactive biofilms. The efficiency of the conversion process can be significantly affected by the presence of contaminants acting as toxicants for the biofilm. In the present work, we demonstrate that MFCs can successfully detect the presence of antibiotic residues in water and water-based electrolytes associated to the food industry, especially using honey as a new and more complex electron donor. The effectiveness of MFCs to sense antibiotics is here demonstrated for tetracycline that was added to both water and water/honey electrolytes with a minimum concentration close to 3.5 μg⁄kg. MFCs not only efficiently detect the presence of tetracycline in both the electrolytes, but also recover the same performance after each cycle of exposure, showing to a be very robust and reliable technology for both biosensing and energy recovery.

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.

Screening and early diagnosis of diseases are crucial for a patient's treatment to be successful and to improve their survival rate, especially in cancer. The development of non-invasive analytical methods able to detect biomarkers of pathologies is a critical point to define a successful treat-ment and a good outcome. This study extensively reviews electrochemical methods used for the development of biosensors in liquid biopsy, owing to their ability to provide rapid response, pre-cise detection, and low detection limits. We also discuss new developments in electrochemical biosensors, which can improve the specificity and sensitivity of standard analytical procedures. Electrochemical biosensors demonstrate remarkable sensitivity in detecting minute quantities of analytes, encompassing proteins, nucleic acids, and circulating tumor cells, even within challeng-ing matrices such as urine, serum, blood, and various other body fluids. Among the various de-tection techniques used for the detection of cancer biomarkers, even in the picogram range, volt-ammetric sensors are deeply discussed in this review because of their advantages and technical characteristics. This widespread utilization stems from their ability to facilitate quantitative de-tection of ions and molecules with exceptional precision. The comparison of each electrochemical technique is discussed to provide the selection of appropriate analytical methods.

Precise monitoring of different environmental parameters and contaminations during food processing and storage is a key factor for maintaining its safety and nutritional value. Thus, developing reliable, efficient, cost-effective sensor devices for these purposes is of utmost importance. In this paper, we show that Poly-(diallyl-dimethylammonium chloride)/reduced Graphene oxide (PDAC/rGO) films produced by a simple Layer-by-Layer deposition can be effectively used to monitor temperature, relative humidity and the presence of volatile organic compounds as indicators for spoilage odors. At the same time, they show potential for electrochemical detection of organophosphate pesticide dimethoate. By monitoring the resistance/impedance changes during temperature and relative humidity variations or upon the exposure of PDAC/rGO films to methanol, good linear responses were obtained in the temperature range of 10-100 °C, 15-95 % relative humidity, and 35 ppm - 55 ppm of methanol. Moreover, linearity in the electrochemical detection of dimethoate is shown for the concentrations in the order of 102 µmol dm−3. The analytical response to different external stimuli and analytes depends on the number of layers deposited, affecting sensors’ sensitivity, response and recovery time, and long-term stability. The presented results could serve as a starting point for developing advanced multimodal sensor devices and sensor arrays with high potential for analytical applications in food safety and quality monitoring.

Most people living in Europe's cities are still exposed to levels of air pollution deemed harmful by the World Health Organization. In the modern world, air pollution is the foremost concern because of its impact in human health and economy. This strong connection appears gaining a lot of concern, driven by new installed low-cost electrochemical sensors monitoring systems. Highly accuracy, real-time monitoring, daily and yearly statistics, data access from experts or simple users, low-cost equipment and forecasting needs, enforce the market to develop new air quality monitoring systems using advanced technologies and protocols. In this study, a comparison via low-cost electrochemical sensors and of static, fixed site measurement monitoring station, is taking place in Athens, Greece, along with the data quality and Air Quality Index (AQI) including data accuracy and quality of data concerning adverse health effects due to air pollution. The findings presented in this work, relate to different flexible and affordable alternatives adopted during the evaluation and calibration of low-cost gas sensors for the monitoring. The significance of the positive results is particularly useful, especially considering the founding for interference, environmental conditions affections and air quality information including indexes and health recommendations for a specific location.

This paper presents the concept of a novel adaptable sensing solution currently being developed under the EU Commission founded PHOTONGATE project. This concept will allow to quantify multiple analytes of the same or different nature (chemicals, metals, bacteria, etc.) in a single test with levels of sensitivity and selectivity at/or over those offered by current solutions. PHOTONGATE relies on two core technologies: a bio-chemical technology (molecular gates) which will confer the specificity and, therefore, the capability to be adaptable to the analyte of interest, and which combined with porous substrates will increase the sensitivity, and a photonic technology based on Local Surface Plasmonic Resonance (LSPR) structures serves as transducer for light interaction. Both technologies are in the micron range, facilitating the integration of multiple sensors within a small area (mm²). The concept will be developed for its application in health diagnosis and food safety sectors. It is thought as an easy-to-use modular concept, which will consist of the sensing module, mainly of a microfluidics cartridge that will house the photonic sensor, and a platform for fluidic handling, optical interrogation, and signal processing. The platform will include a new optical concept, fully Europe Union Made, avoiding optical fibers and expensive optical components.

The study of the human microbiome is a multidisciplinary area that affects from the field of technology to that of personalized medicine. The possibility of using microbiota biomarkers for the improvement in the diagnosis and monitoring of diseases (e.g. cancer), health conditions (e.g. obesity) or clinical parameters (e.g. ageing) has aroused great expectations, also in the scope of bio-electroanalytical chemistry. The well-known advantages of electrochemical transduction: high sensitivity, rapid response and possibility of miniaturization, together with the potential of new nanomaterials to improve both the design of electrode platforms and the performance of the resulting electrochemical biosensors make presumably a huge development in the next few years providing a better understanding of human microbiome entities. In this review article, the recent applications of electrochemical (bio)sensors for monitoring microbial metabolites and biomarkers of diseases related to different types of the human microbiome, with a special focus on the gastrointestinal microbiome, are reviewed. Examples of electrochemical devices applied to real samples are critically discussed as well as the challenges and prospects to be faced.

Hansenula polymorpha is a non-conventional, methylotrophic, and thermo-tolerant yeast well known for the industrial production of recombinant proteins. However, the research to evaluate this yeast potential for sugar fermentation to produce alcohols for biofuel applications is at an infant stage. For research advancement, the present work investigated the wild type H. polymorpha strain (DSM 70277) for the co-production of methanol, ethanol, and butanol using a batch fermentation reactor and performing experiments at an ideal temperature of 40°C with a pH of 5.5 using different sugars (fructose, glucose, and xylose) as substrates. The maximum specific growth rates (h-1) of H. polymorpha yeast were 0.59–3.02 for fructose, 0.08–2.60 for glucose, and 0.06–0.08 for xylose. The overall yields (g/g) of methanol were higher from fructose (0.132–0.226) than glucose (0.020–0.021) and xylose (0.009–0.030). Ethanol overall yield (g/g) from fructose (0.130–0.325) was more than glucose (0.054–0.167), and xylose (0.042–0.068). The overall butanol yield (g/g) ranged from 0.018–0.031 (fructose), 0.017 (glucose), and 0.009–0.010 (xylose). Due to the methylotrophic nature of H. polymorpha, a shorter time (preferably 2 h) was found suitable for co-production of methanol, ethanol, and butanol.

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.

Chitosan is a biopolymer derived from chitin. It is a non-toxic, biocompatible, bioactive, and biodegradable polymer. Due to its properties, chitosan has found applications in several and different fields such as agriculture, food industry, medicine, paper fabrication, textile industry, and water treatment. In addition to these properties, chitosan has a good film-forming ability which allows it to be widely used for the development of sensors and biosensors. This review is focused on the use of chitosan for the formulation of electrochemical chemosensors. It also aims to provide an overview of the advantages of using chitosan as an immobilization platform for biomolecules by highlighting its applications in electrochemical biosensors. Finally, applications of electro-chemical chitosan-based chemosensors and biosensors in food safety are illustrated

Controlling robots in space with necessarily low material and structural stiffness is quite challenging at least in part due to the resulting very low structural resonant frequencies. The frequencies are sometimes so low, the vary act of controlling the robot with medium or high bandwidth controllers lead to excitation of resonant vibrations. Biomimetics or biomimicry emulates models, systems, and elements of nature for solving such complex problems. Recent seminal publications have re-introduced the viability of optimal command shaping, and one recent instantiation mimics baseball pitching to propose control of highly flexible space robots. The readership will find a perhaps dizzying array of thirteen decently performing alternatives in the literature but could be left bereft selecting a method(s) deemed to be best suited for a particular application. Bio–inspired control of space robotics is presented in a quite substantial (perhaps not comprehensive) comparison, and the conclusions of the study indicate the top three performing methods based on minimizing control effort (i.e., fuel) usage, tracking error mean, and tracking error deviation include.

The research focuses on the electrochemical behavior of TiVN trilayers in a liquid that simulates a physiological environment (blood plasma). TiVN films are obtained through Physical Direct Current Vapor (PVD) Deposition on titanium bases, depositing TiN and VN layers as an intermediate layer during the procedure. Impedance measurements are carried out before and during the wear test to determine the impact on the sample. The results show that the TiVN trilayer enhances corrosion resistance according to the time of exposure to the electrolyte. Initially, the load resistance (Rct) was 10.50 Ohms, but after 16 days, the Rct rose markedly to 13.87 Ohms, signaling an advance in corrosion resistance, a valuable property for wide applications.

Removal of hexavalent chromium had attracted much more attention as it was a hazardous contaminant. Electrochemical reduction technology was applied to removal chromium (VI) from wastewater. The mechanism and parameters affect the reduction process were investigated. The results showed that the reduction efficiency was significantly affected by the concentration of H2SO4, current density and reaction temperature. And the reduction efficiency was up to 86.45% at concentration of H2SO4 of 100g/L, reaction temperature of 70 ℃, current density at 50 A/m2, reaction time at 180 min and stirring rate of 500 rpm. The reduction process of chromium (VI) was followed pseudo-first-order equation, and the reduction rate could be expressed as Kobs = k [H2SO4]1• [j] 4•exp-4170/RT.

In response to global climate challenges and the increasing demand for energy, exploring renewable energy alternatives has become crucial. Bio-oils, derived from biomass pyrolysis, are emerging as potential replacements for fossil fuel-based liquid fuels. This paper shares findings from the Institute of Energy and Fuel Processing Technology on the quality of crude biomass pyrolysis bio-oil samples. These findings highlight their potential as motor liquid fuels. The article details the results of tests on the physicochemical properties of four distinct bio-oil samples. Additionally, it presents preliminary test results on the hydrodeoxygenation of bio-oils in a batch reactor. The production of homogeneous, stable mixtures using other fuel additives, such as diesel oil, rapeseed methyl ester (RME), and butanol, is also discussed.

Mercury toxicity significantly threatens aquatic ecosystems, particularly impacting fish populations and human well-being. This article exposes the effects of mercury contamination on aquatic life and their habitats. Mercury primarily originates from natural degassing and anthropogenic activities and accumulates in aquatic organisms, most notably in predatory fish, through bio-accumulation and bio-magnification. This bio-accumulation, driven by microbial transformation to methyl-mercury, leads to elevated concentrations in top-level predators. The consequences of mercury exposure on fish physiology are stunted growth, reproductive impairments, and compromised immunity, with potential ramifications for population dynamics and ecosystem resilience. This study delves into specific impacts of mercury on fish, ranging from bone deformities to liver damage, developmental anomalies, neurotoxic effects, and disruptions in reproductive systems. The interplay between ecological, physiological, and human health effects underscores the need for a comprehensive understanding of mercury's underlying mechanisms. Monitoring mercury levels in aquatic systems emerges as a crucial strategy for ensuring fish populations' health and ecosystems' sustainability. Urgent collaborative efforts are imperative to address this global concern, promote harmonious coexistence between human activities and aquatic environments, and secure the availability of safe and nutritious fish for future generations. In conclusion, this article highlights the urgent necessity for targeted interventions and informed decision-making to mitigate the influence of mercury contamination on aquatic ecosystems.

Use of porous titanium (Ti) and Ti alloys in orthopedic implants or in light structures requires processing routes that could generate an as-much-as possible control in the pores amount, shape, size and connectivity. In this work, a colloidal approach to the processing of Ti porous structures by the inside foaming of a porogen into a gelled high solid content aqueous suspension of Ti powders, is presented. The prepared slurries contained different amounts of Methyl Cellulose (MC) as gelling agent (8, 10 and 12 g/L) and ammonium bicarbonate (BA) as porogen (15, 20, 25 wt. %). The gel-casted samples were heated at mild temperatures ranging (60, 70 and 80 °C) to promote the gelation and produce, at the same time, the porosity by the thermal decomposition of the ammonium bicarbonate. Different structures are obtained depending on the combination of the study variables

The aim of the present study was to assess the efficacy of All Cosmos Industries (ACI) bio-organic and bio-chemical fertilizers and ACI N-Fixer (N-Bio Booster) on the paddy yields based on the field trial plots at Langkat, Medan, Indonesia. This application of ACI bio-organic fertilizer (NPK 5/5/5) and ACI bio-chemical (NPK 15/15/15) fertilizer and ACI N-Fixer tests were conducted at the paddy farm at Langkat from May-October 2018. This study employed a factorial randomized complete block design which consisted of two factors, namely: Factor I with four types of fertilizers while Factor II consisted of two paddy varieties (Inpari 30 and Inpari 32). Overall, the filled grains in the ACI treatments are significantly (P< 0.05) higher than those in the control treatments that used Normal Chemical Compound NPK. Overall, total weight per meter² (368-617g) in ACI treatments are also significantly (P< 0.05) higher than those (319-371g) in the control treatments. At harvesting time at 105 days after transplanting, significantly higher (P< 0.05) colony counts (13-15 x 10⁶ CFU/mL) (for ACI treatments), than those (8 x 10⁶ CFU/mL) in the controls positively indicated higher total yields of paddy grains per hectare. It was found that the application of ACI bio-organic and bio-chemical fertilizers and ACI N-Fixer can improve paddy yields of the two rice varieties, between 16.4-38.2% (up to 5.75 MT/ha), in the field trial plots at Langkat. These commercial fertilizers play an imperative role in refining the soil fertility and thereby can increase the yield of rice production. Therefore, it is highly recommended that ACI bio-organic and ACI bio-chemical fertilizers and ACI N-Fixer (N-Bio Booster) can be employed to increase the paddy yield in this region.

The electrochemical oscillation was first observed in the charging process of anolyte in VRFBs. The chronopotentiometry with current ramp results could be used to judge the appearance of electrochemical oscillation. The electrochemical oscillation could be explained in terms of the competition between the growth and the chemical dissolution of V2O5 film in the H2SO4 solution. It was possible to regular the extra power consumption resulted by the electrochemical oscillation. This work might provide new focus on the charging process of the VRFBs and guide for new methods on energy saving.

Herein we report the expansion of the chemical space available from the chitin, accessible via the biogenic N-platforms 3A5AF, M4A2C and di-HAF. The biologically active heteroaromatics furo[3,2-d]pyrimidin-4-one and furo[3,2-d]pyrimidin-4-amine can be selectively accessed from 3A5AF and M4A2C, respectively. The chiral pool synthon di-HAF is a viable substrate for the Achmatowicz rearrangement, providing streamlined access to 2-aminosugars possessing a versatile hydroxymethyl group at C5.

The growing demands of material longevity in marine environments necessitate the development of highly efficient, low-cost and durable corrosion protective coatings. Although magnesium alloys are widely used in the automotive and aerospace industries, severe corrosion issues still hinder their long-term service in naval architecture. In present work, an epoxy composite coating containing sericite nanosheets is prepared on the AZ31B Mg alloy by one-step electrophoretic deposition method to improve corrosion resistance. Due to the PEI modification, positively-charged sericite nanosheets can be highly orientated in an epoxy coating under the influence of an electric field. The sericite-incorporated epoxy coating prepared in the emulsion with 4 wt.% sericite exhibits the highest corrosion resistance in 3.5 wt.% NaCl solution, as manifested by electrochemical corrosion and long-term immersion tests. The highly-orientated sericite nanosheets in epoxy coating provide excellent barrier effect against corrosive media, thereby significantly improving the long-term anti-corrosion performance of the epoxy coating. This work provides new insight toward the design of lamellar filler/epoxy coatings with superior anticorrosion performance and shows promise in the corrosion protection of magnesium alloys.

Polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) is highly compatible polymer with biological environments. Specifically, it has been used as a trap for different types of microorganisms in Bio-MEMS, and its properties can be modified to act as an electrode for electrochemical analysis. This study presents a nano-composite developed with PVA, multiwall carbon nanotubes (CNTs) doped with nitrogen, which changes the electrical properties of the polymer and its viscosity to obtain nanofibers by electro-spinning. The proposed nanocomposite was characterized using Fourier transform-infrared and Raman spectroscopy techniques, confirming the presence of the CNTs immersed in the polymer. High-resolution transmission electron microscopy was used to obtain the micrographs that showed the characteristic interplanar distances of the multiwall CNT in the polymeric matrix with values of 3.63 Å. Finally, the CNx mats were exposed to various aqueous solutions in a po-tentiostat to demonstrate the effectiveness of the nanofibers for electrochemical analysis. The CNx-induced changes in the electrical properties of the polymer were identified using cyclic voltammograms, while the electrochemical analysis revealed supercapacitor behavior.

A 9,10-phenanthrenequinone (PQ) was electrochemically polymerized on a graphite rod electrode using potential cycling. The electrode modified by poly-9,10-phenanthrenequinone (poly-PQ) was studied by means of cyclic voltammetry, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, atomic force microscopy and scanning electron microscopy. The poly-PQ shows variations in growth pattern depending on the number of potential cycles for the initiation of polymerization. Formed poly-PQ layer demonstrates good electric conductivity, great electrochemical capacitance and unique oxidation/reduction properties, which are suitable for broad technological applications, including applicability in biosensors, supercapacitors, and in some other electrochemical systems.

The authors of this paper use an original method of diatomaceous earth fractionation, which allows for obtaining a filler with a specific particle size distribution. The method makes it possible to separate small, disintegrated and broken diatom frustules from those which maintained their original form in diatomaceous earth. The study covers a range of tests conducted to prove that such a separated diatomic fraction shows features different from the base diatomite used as an epoxy resin filler. We have examined mechanical properties of a series of diatomite/resin composites considering the weight fraction of diatoms and the parameters of the composite production process. The studied composites of Epidian 601 epoxy resin cross-linked with amine-based curing agent Z-1 contained 0 to 70% vol. of diatoms or diatomaceous earth. Samples were produced by casting into silicone moulds in vacuum degassing conditions and, alternatively, without degassing. The results have shown that the size and morphology of the filler based on diatomaceous earth affects mechanical and rheological properties of systems based on epoxy resin.

Application of native PGPR as bio inoculant is an alternative sustainable agricultural practice to enhance crop productivity, grain quality, and soil fertility. In this view, a study was to examine the effect of either individual or consortium PGPR inoculation on growth, yield, and grain nutrient uptake of two teff varieties. The pot experiment was carried out in (CRD) three replication and 10 treatments. The PGPR inoculants used in this study were Pseudomonas fluorescens biotype G, Enterobacter cloacae ss disolvens, and Serratia marcescens ss marcescen and their consortium. Dukem and Magna varieties were used in this study. The results of the analysis of variance showed significant differences (P ≤ 0.001) among the treatment and most of the agronomic traits except number of fertile tillers and also significant different (P ≤ 0.01) for grain P and N uptake. The variety was significantly affected grain Mg, Zn and Fe uptake at 5 % probability level and did not significantly influence all agronomic traits of the two varieties. Furthermore, interaction effects of two factors (TM*VT) were significant differences (P ≤ 0.05) for plant height and panicle length. Individual treatments mean comparison results showed that inoculation of native PGPR consortium significantly affected most of the PGP traits at (P ≤ 0.05). The maximum traits like plant height (189cm), panicle length (66.7cm), shoot dry biomass (9.98g), root dry biomass (2.90g) and grain yield per plant (4.55g) were observed from Dz-01-196. It could be concluded that the consortium of native PGPR inoculants for plant growth, yield and grain nutrient uptake improvement performed better than their individual strain.

Composites with HDPE and PLA matrix have been tested to analyse the effect of natural fillers (wood flour, recycled waste paper and a mix of both fillers) and temperature on polymer degradation. Composting tests have been performed in both mesophilic (35°C) and thermophilic (58°C) conditions. Degradation development has been evaluated through mass variation, TGA and DSC. HDPE, as expected, did not display any relevant variation, confirming its stability under our composting conditions. PLA is sensibly influenced by temperature and humidity, with higher reduction of Mw when composting is performed at 58°C. Natural fillers seem to influence degradation process of composites, already at 35°C. In fact, degradation of fillers at 35°C allows a mass reduction during composting of composites, while neat PLA do not display any variation.

Screen-printed carbon electrode (SPCE) is a useful technique that has been widely used in the practical application of biosensors oriented to point-of-care testing (POCT) due to its characteristics of cost-effectiveness, disposability, miniaturization, wide potential window, and easy of electrode design. Compared with gold or platinum electrodes, surface modification is difficult because the carbon surface is chemically or physically stable. Oxygen plasma can easily produce carboxyl groups on the carbon surface, which act as scaffolds for covalent bonds. However, the effect of O2-plasma treatment on electrode performance remains to be investigated from an electrochemical perspective, and sensor performance can be improved by clarifying the surface conditions of plasma treated biosensors. In this research, we compared antibody modification by plasma treated and physical adsorption, using our original immunosensor based on gold nanoparticles (AuNPs). Consequently, the O2-plasma treatment produced carboxyl groups on the electrode surface, which changed the electrochemical properties owing to electrostatic interactions. It was also found that the surface became hydrophilic, inhibiting non-specific antigen adsorption. The sensitivity was 6.5 times higher than the Limit of Detection (LOD) using physical adsorption.

In this paper, the sol−gel method was used to synthesize powders of LaMnO3 (LMO), La0.85Ca0.15MnO3 (LCM), and La0.85Sr0.15MnO3 (LSM). We investigated the impact of substituting Ca and Sr at the A−site on the perovskite crystal structure and electrochemical capabilities of LMO. LCM retained its orthogonal structure in comparison to the parent LMO components, whereas LSM transitioned to a rhombic structure. At 0.5 A/g, the specific capacitance of LCM and LSM electrodes is 185.5 F/g and 248 F/g, respectively.The specific capacitance of LCM was more three times than that of the LMO electrode. Among the three samples (LMO, 22.25 m2 g−1; LSM, 31.56 m2 g−1), the LCM sample exhibited the highest specific surface area of 38.79 m2 g−1. The charge transfer resistances of the LMO, LCM, and LSM are 0.48 Ω, 0.36 Ω, and 0.38 Ω, correspondingly. The LCM electrode exhibits the greatest capacitance performance due to its more refined morphology, increased concentration of oxygen vacancy, and more complete utilization of the perovskite bulk structure. The above results demonstrate that Ca or Sr substitution of A−site compounds has great potential for supercapacitor applications.

Antioxidants are very beneficial for health because they protect the body from the effects of free radicals on various degenerative diseases caused by food contamination, air pollution, sunlight, etc. In general, methods for measuring the capacity of antioxidants generally use accurate meth-ods such as spectrophotometry and chromatography. Still, it takes time, sample preparation and must be done in a laboratory with particular expertise. Therefore, a new, more practical method needs to be developed for determining antioxidants, namely the electrochemical method. The electrochemical method is promising to develop because it has several advantages, including high sensitivity and fast response. The electrochemical method discussed in this article reviews sensors, biosensors, and nanosensors. This paper comprehensively analyzes contemporary developments in electrochemical biosensor techniques and antioxidant evaluation methodologies. The discussion centers on utilizing multiple biosensors. Electrochemical biosensors have been determined to be prevalent in analyzing food quality, assessing active factor functionality, and screening practical components. The present study outlines the difficulties linked with electrochemical bio-sensor technology and provides insights into the potential avenues for future research in this domain.

In this work we successfully prepared a modified cobalt oxide (Co3O4) carbon paste electrode to detect Levofloxacin (LEV). By synthesizing Co3O4 nanoparticles through the chemical coprecipitation method, the electrochemical properties of the electrode and LEV were thoroughly investigated using CV, SWV, EIS, while material properties were scrutinized using ICP-OES, TEM, SEM, and XRD. The results showed that the prepared electrode displayed a better electrocatalytic response than the bare carbon paste electrode. After optimizing SWV, the electrode exhibited a wide linear working range from 1 to 85 μM at pH 5 of BRBS as the supporting electrolyte. The selectivity of the proposed method was satisfactory, with good repeatability and reproducibility, strongly suggesting a potential application for determining LEV in real samples, particularly in pharmaceutical formulations. The practicality of the approach was demonstrated through good recoveries, and the morphology of the materials was found to be closely related to other parameters, indicating that the developed method can provide a cost-effective, rapid, selective, and sensitive means for LEV monitoring. Overall, this project has made significant progress towards developing a reliable method for detecting LEV and has opened up new opportunities for future research in this field.

In this study, the preparation of the composite 3% Au/graphite-C3N4 (3% Au/g-C3N4) sensing material was prepared by doping 3% Au onto the surface of graphitic carbonitride (C3N4) for detection pimobendan. By the way of sensing materials characterization, the X-ray diffraction analysis (XRD) and transmission electron Microscope (TEM) were performed. The cyclic voltammetry (CV) was used to measure the concentration and redox properties of pimobendan. It can be seen that when the voltage value is 0.05 V, and a reduction peak was appeared and the pimobendan concentration (0 to 55 μM) has a relationship with the reduction current value. At low concentrations of pimobendan concentration from 0.0 to 0.8 μM, the linearity R2 = 0.9642 with a detection limit of 0.28 μM. A possible pimobendan sensing mechanism on 3% Au/g-C3N4 was proposed.

Bio-devices are designed to allow biological matter to perform in vitro almost the same functions it performs in vivo. Therefore, they can benefit from the specificities of such materials and are expected to perform better than traditional devices. On the other hand, the integration of biological material with electronic/electrochemical instrumentation requires careful attention and can produce unconventional results. In this paper, we describe the impedance response of an electrochemical cell that converts sunlight into electrical power. It uses the photosynthetic system known as Reaction Center, which is the core of photosynthesis in several living beings. Under illumination, an abrupt transformation drives the cell electrical response from insulator to conductor and a photocurrent is observed. The impedance spectrum shows a peculiar shape which significantly modifies with the protein activation. It has been analyzed by means of a graphical/analytical/ numerical procedure. The modelling identifies an analogue electrical circuit, whose parameters give quantitative information about the underlying process. Finally, an appropriate normalization of data is proposed which validates data in dark and light and can be useful as a fast screening of measurements.

This work aims to investigate the effect of process temperature and catalyst content by pyrolysis and thermal catalytic cracking of (organic matter + paper) fraction from municipal household solid waste (MHSW) on the yields of reaction products (bio-oil, bio-char, H2O, and gas), acid value and chemical composition of bio-oils, and characterization of bio-chars, in laboratory scale. The collecting sectors of MHSW in the municipality of Belém-Pará-Brazil were chosen based on geographic and socio-economic database. The MHSW collected and transported to the segregation area. The gravimetric analysis of MHSW carried out and the fractions (Paper, Cardboard, Tetra Pack, Hard Plastic, Soft Plastic, Metal, Glass, Organic Matter, and Inert) separated. The selected organic matter and paper submitted to pre-treatment of crushing, drying, and sieving. The experiments carried out at 400, 450, and 475 °C and 1.0 atmosphere, and at 475 °C and 1.0 atmosphere, using 5.0, 10.0, and 15.0% (wt.) Ca(OH)2, in batch mode. The bio-oil characterized for acid value. The chemical functions present in bio-oil identified by FT-IR and the composition by GC-MS. The bio-char characterized by SEM, FT-IR and XRD. The variance in mass (wt.%) for organic fraction of municipal household solid waste, between 56.21 and 67.45% (wt.), lies with the interval of 56% (wt.) and 64% (wt.) of OFMHSW for middle and low income countries. The pyrolysis of MHSW fraction (organic matter + paper) show bio-oil yields between 2.63 and 9.41% (wt.), aqueous phase yields between 28.58 and 35.08% (wt.), solid phase yields between 35.29 and 45.75% (wt.), and gas yields between 16.54 and 26.72% (wt.). The bio-oil yield increases with pyrolysis temperature. For the catalytic cracking, the bio-oil and gas yields increase slightly with CaO content, while that of bio-char decreases, and the H2O phase remains constant. The GC-MS of liquid reaction products identified the presence of hydrocarbons (alkanes, alkenes, alkynes, cycloalkanes, and aromatics) and oxygenates (carboxylic acids, ketones, esters, alcohols, phenols, and aldehydes), as well as compounds containing nitrogen, including amides and amines. The acidity of bio-oil decreases with increasing process temperature and with aid Ca(OH)2 as catalyst. The concentration of hydrocarbons in bio-oil increases with increasing Ca(OH)2-to-MHSW fraction ratio due to the catalytic deoxygenation of fatty acids molecules, by means of de-carboxylation/de-carbonylation, producing aliphatic and aromatic hydrocarbons.

Castor oil may be differentiated from other non-edible vegetable oils because of its main composition of hydroxylated fatty acids. Ricinoleic acid comprises 80–90% wt. of fatty acids in castor oil (Ricinus communis). In this study, the thermo-oxidative stability and tribological behavior of bio-based lubricant samples synthesized from castor oil using isoamyl alcohol were evaluated. Initially, the compositional and physicochemical properties of the obtained samples were assessed using 1H NMR, FTIR, and ASTM methods. Oxidative stability of the samples was evaluated using Rancimat method at 110 °C under air flow. The final biolubricant sample (BL2), obtained after esterification, epoxidation, and oxirane rings opening reactions, presented an oxidation stability time (OST) of 14.3 h. The thermal stability was also evaluated by thermogravimetry (TG) from the mass variations under inert and oxidative atmosphere. BL2 showed higher thermal stability compared to the other samples, demonstrating higher decomposition temperatures in both inert (339.04 °C) and oxidative (338.47 °C) atmospheres, for a mass loss of 50%. The tribological properties of the samples were evaluated using a four-ball tribometer configuration. The BL1 and BL2 samples exhibited lower friction coefficients than the mineral oil sample (MOS) by 21.5% and 43.1%, respectively. Regarding wear, the observed wear scar diameter (WSD) was also lower in BL1 and BL2 compared to MOS by 5.2% and 40.4%, respectively. The results of the tribological evaluation suggest that both samples obtained in this study have promising potential for applications in lubricating machines and mechanical systems.

Wastewater contaminated with antibiotics is a major environmental challenge. We developed here the green synthesis of bio-graphenes by using natural precursors (Xanthan, Chitosan, Boswellia, Tragacanth). The use of these precursors can act as templates to create 3D doped graphene structures with special morphology. Also, this method is a simple method for in-situ synthesis of doped graphenes. The elements present in the natural polymers (N) and other elements in the natural composition (P, S) are easily placed in the graphene structure and improve the catalytic activity due to the structural defects, surface charges, increased electron transfers, and the high absorption. In this mechanism, O2 dissolved in water absorbs onto the positive charged C in doped graphenes to create oxygenated radicals, which enables the degradation of antibiotic molecules. Light irradiation increases the amounts of radicals and rate of antibiotic removal. The results have shown that the hollow cubic Chitosan-derived graphene has shown the best performance due to the doping of N, S, and P. The Boswellia-derived grapheme shows the highest surface area, but lower catalytic performance, which indicates the more effective role of doping in the catalytic activity. The effect of oxygen and light were also studied to accelerate the degradation process.

In this work, the inhibition properties of new bio-based lignine ILs on the corrosion of mild steel in an aqueous solution of 0.01 M NaCl were investigated by Potentiostatic Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy (PEIS), Cyclic Potentiodynamic Polarization (CPP). Moreover, the surface was characterized using SEM, EDS, and optical profilometry. The influence of cation and anion on the inhibitor properties and a possible synergistic effect were investigated. The IL choline syringate showed a promising performance, reducing the corrosion current after 24-hour immersion in 0.01 M sodium chloride, from 1.66 µA/cm2 for the control to 0.066 µA/cm2 with 10 mM of the IL present. In addition to the performance as a corrosion inhibitor, both components of this IL also meet or exceed current additional desired properties of such compounds, being readily available, economically efficient, and well tolerated in organisms and the environment.

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.

The use of biodegradable materials has a growing field of application due to environmental concerns, however, scientific research on incremental forming using biomaterials is scarce. Thus, this study focuses on the single point incremental forming (SPIF) process applied to a composite sheet that combines a biodegradable thermoplastic matrix (Solanyl) reinforced with natural fibres (flax). The influence of the process parameters on the final geometry is determined, evaluating the effect of the following factors: step depth, wall angle and temperature reached during the process. Additionally, a heated aqueous medium is incorporated which facilitates the formability of the composite sheets. This method is especially useful for materials that have poor formability at room temperature. The benefits of using controlled heat include the reduction of formation forces applied to the plate, improved accuracy due to the reduction of elastic recovery, and the manipulation of the samples remarkably close to the glass transition temperatures. Through this experimental study with the variables analysed, a maximum shaping depth of 310 mm is obtained. These results confirm that the single point shaping used with bioplastic materials is possible and has positive outcomes for incremental forming.

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.

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.

Organic electrochemical transistors (OECTs) based on conducting polymers have attracted significant attention in the field of biosensors. PEDOT:PSS and polyaniline (PANI) are representative conducting polymers used for OECTs. While there are many studies on PEDOT:PSS, there are not so many reports on PANI-based OECTs, and a detailed study to compare these two polymers has been desired. In this study, we investigated the fabrication conditions to produce the best performance in the OECTs using the above-mentioned two types of conducting polymers. Two main parameters were film thickness and film surface roughness. For PEDOT:PSS, the optimal conditions for fabricating thin films were a spin-coating rate of 3000 rpm and DI water immersion time of 18 hours. For PANI, the optimal conditions were a spin-coating rate of 3000 rpm and DI water immersion time of 5 seconds, and adding dodecylbenzenesulfonic acid (DBSA) was found to provide better OECT performances. The OECT performances based on PEDOT:PSS were superior to those based on PANI in terms of conductivity and transconductance, but PANI showed excellence in terms of film thickness and surface smoothness, leading to the good reproducibility of OECT performances.

Nowadays, the world's refractory gold ore production accounts for about 30% of the world's total gold, such gold concentrate leaching rate is low, seriously limiting the efficient use of gold resources. The alkaline preoxidation process can improve the leaching rate of this kind of gold deposit, and has a good development and application prospect. So, it is of great significance to study the oxidation and dissolution behavior of pyrite in alka-line environment. In this paper, the oxidation process of gold-bearing pyrite in alkaline electrolyte was studied by electrochemical techniques, and the oxidation products of pyrite electrode in alkaline solution were characterized by XPS，SEM and other analytical methods. The results show that the optimum pH for pyrite electrochemical oxidation dissolution is about 12, and oxidation potential of pyrite should be above 0.8 V. In that proces of alkaline oxidation dissolution of pyrite, part of S element enters the electrolyte in the form of Sx2-, S2O32-, SO32-and SO42-, and a small amount of S element is adsorbed on the surface of the electrode in the form of S0 and becomes a part of the passive layer. Fe element is adsorbed on the surface of electrode in the form of Fe(OH)2, Fe2O3 and Fe2(SO4)3, which becomes the main component of passivation layer. This study provides a theoretical basis and reference data for the chemical preoxidation treatment of sulfide ores.

Coagulant lectin from Moringa oleifera seeds (cMoL) was characterized by potentiometry and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) using MOF, Metal-Organic Frameworks of [Cu3(BTC)2.H2O)3]n, to immobilize cMoL and construct biosensors. Developed aluminum-air batteries degraded indigo carmine dye formulated similar to a textile effluent; biosensors investigated cMoL interaction with specific galactose and monitored residual dye. SEM revealed components of electrode assembly steps. Oxide reduction reactions of batteries generated Al(OH)3 promoting dye electrocoagulation. Cyclic voltammetry showed differentiated redox peaks related to dye residue quantification by cMoL. Electrochemical systems evaluated cMoL interaction with ligand and efficiently degraded dye; biosensors could be used for lectin characterization and monitoring dye residues in environmental textile effluents.

A sensitive electrochemical sensor based on AuPtPd trimetallic nanoparticles functionalized multi-walled carbon nanotubes coupled with chitosan modified glassy carbon electrode (GCE/CS/MWCNTs-AuPtPd) for the rapid detection of bisphenol A (BPA) was proposed. AuPtPd trimetallic nanoparticles were first assembled on MWCNTs to obtain MWCNTs-AuPtPd nanocomposite. Then the MWCNTs-AuPtPd was further dispersed on the surface of chitosan modified electrode surface to fabricate the GCE/CS/MWCNTs-AuPtPd sensor. Due to the superior catalytic properties of MWCNTs-AuPtPd and the good film formation of chitosan, the constructed sensor displayed good performances for BPA detection. The structural morphology of CS/MWCNTs-AuPtPd was characterized by many methods, such as SEM, UV-vis and TEM. Under the optimal conditions, the designed sensor showed a linear range from 0.05 to 100 µM for BPA detecting with a low detection limit of 1.4 nM. The designed sensor was further used to realize the determination of BPA in real samples and the recoveries ranged from 94.4% to 103.6%. The results demonstrated that the electrochemical sensor designed by CS/MWCNTs-AuPtPd nanocomposites was reliable and could be a useful tool for the monitoring of food safety.

We propose a novel electrochemical system to form precipitation patterns of Cu-Fe-based Prussian blue analogues (Cu-Fe PBA) in agarose gels, using an applied voltage to produce reactant ions. The spatiotemporal evolution, spatial distribution, and crystallite morphologies of the precipitates were investigated by visual inspection, Fe Kα intensity distribution measurements, and optical and scanning electron microscope observations. The precipitation patterns and their evolution depended on the applied voltage. Multicolored periodic precipitation bands were stochastically formed under cyclic alternating voltage (4 V for 1 h and then 1 V for 4 h per cycle). The distances between adjacent bands were randomly distributed (0.30 ± 0.25 mm). The sizes and shapes of the crystallites generated in the gel were position-dependent. Almost cubic but fairly irregular crystallites (0.1–0.8 μm) were formed in the periodic bands, whereas definitely cube-shaped crystallites (1–3 μm) appeared close to the anode. These cube-like reddish-brown crystallites were assigned to Cu-FeII PBA. In some periodic bands, plate-like blue crystallites (assigned to Cu(OH)2) were also present. Future issues for applications of the observed periodic banding were discussed.

The Needleman-Wunsch process is a classic tool in bioinformatics, being a dynamic programming algorithm that performs a pairwise alignment of two input biological sequences, either protein or nucleic acid. A distance matrix between the tokens used in the sequences is also required as input. The distance matrix is used to generate a positional pairwise similarity matrix between the input sequences, which is in turn used to generate a dynamic programming matrix. The best path through the dynamic programming matrix is navigated using a traceback procedure that maximises similarity, inserting gaps as necessary. Needleman-Wunsch can align both nucleic acids or proteins, which use alphabets of size 4 and 20 tokens respectively. It can also be applied to any other kind of sequence where distance matrices can be specified. Here, we apply it to chains of Pousseur’s Scambi electronic music fragments, of which there are 32, and which Pousseur categorised by their sonic properties, thus permitting the consecutive construction of distance, similarity and dynamic programming matrices. Traceback through the dynamic programming matrix thus produces contrapuntal duet compositions in which two Scambi chains are played in the maximally euphonious manner, providing also an illustration of the principles of biological sequence alignment in sound.

As the EU is moving towards a low carbon economy and seeks to further develop its renewable energy policy, this paper quantitatively investigates the impact of plausible energy market reforms from the perspective of bio-renewables. Employing a state-of-the-art biobased variant of a computable general equilibrium model, this study assesses the perceived medium-term benefits, risks and trade-offs which arise from an advanced biofuels plan, two exploratory scenarios of a more 'sustainable' conventional biofuels plan and a 'no-mandate' scenario. Consistent with more recent studies, none of the scenarios considered present significant challenges to EU food-security or agricultural land usage. An illustrative advanced biofuels plan simulation requires non-trivial public support to implement whilst a degree of competition for biomass with (high-value) advanced biomass material industries is observed. On the other hand, it significantly alleviates land use pressures, whilst lignocellulose biomass prices are not expected to increase to unsustainable levels. Clearly, these observations are subject to assumptions on technological change, sustainable biomass limits, expected trends in fossil fuel prices and EU access to third-country trade. With these same caveats in mind, the switch to increased bioethanol production does not result in significant market tensions in biomass markets.

Electrochemical Promotion was used to modify the activity and selectivity of a Rh catalyst-electrode in the CO2 hydrogenation reaction. The experiments were carried out in a temperature range of 350-430οC at ambient pressure and at different CO2 to H2 gas feeding ratios (1:2 to 4:1). The only reaction products observed were CO and CH4, both under open and closed-circuit conditions. The CH4 formation rate was found to increase with both positive and negative potential or current application. The CO formation rate followed the opposite trend. The selectivity to CH4 increased under high values of hydrogen partial pressure and decreased at high pressures of CO2. The results demonstrate how Electrochemical Promotion can be used to finely tune activity and selectivity for a reaction of high technical and environmental importance.

Driven by environmental sustainability concerns, the integration of biobased components in curtain wall systems is gaining traction in both research and the construction market. This paper explores the development and validation of a bio-based façade system within the Basajaun H2020 project. The project aimed to demonstrate the feasibility of introducing environmentally friendly bio-based components into the mature curtain wall façade industry. The paper focuses on identifying technological solutions for replacing key components such as profiles, insulation, and the tightness system with bio-based and less environmental impact alternatives presenting the results achieved in the façade system design of the Basajaun project funded by European Union. These solutions aimed at creating a bio-composite-based curtain wall façade that adheres to current building envelope standards and normative; to implement diverse façade typologies for vision panels, opaque sections, and integrated windows; to engineer the prefabrication process for industrialization, enabling wider market replication and simplified transport and installation. The results demonstrate that the Basajaun façade successfully integrates selected components and meets the performance requirements set by regulations. However, questions remain regarding the workability of bio-based profiles as a commercially viable, ready-to-market solution that can replace traditional aluminum profiles in the curtain wall façade industry.

The rapid increasing rate of soil and water bodies pollution is the main anthropogenic effect caused by the mismanagement of post-consumer plastics. This research evaluated the effectiveness of cattail (Typha Latifolia) fibers (CFs) as bio-adsorbents of microplastic particles (MPPs) from wastewater. The effect of the adsorption environment composition on the adsorption rate was investigated. Batch tests were conducted to evaluate the “spontaneous” adsorption of MPs onto CFs. Five MPPs materials (PVC, PP, LDPE, HDPE, and Nylon 6) were evaluated. An industrial wastewater (PW) and Type II Distilled Water (DW) were employed as adsorption environments. The batch tests results show that CFs are effective in removing MPPs from DW and PW. However, higher removal percentage of MPPs were obtained in PW, ranging from 89% to 100% for PVC, PP, LDPE, and HDPE; while the adsorption of Nylon 6 increased to 29.9%, a removal increased of 50%. These observations indicate that hydrophobic interactions drive the “spontaneous and instantaneous” adsorption process and that adjusting the adsorption environment effectively enhances the MPPs removal rate. This research demonstrates the important role that bio-substrates can play in reducing the environmental pollution as efficient, sustainable, low cost, and reliable adsorbents for the removal of MPPs from wastewaters.

Indigo leaves form various plant species are sources of dyes/pigments, not fully exploited for making sustainable textiles. Blue indigo vat dye extracted from indigo leaves, yields high wash colorfastness but fades slowly with light, and is not easily used for direct printing. Indigo leaves can be used to produce textiles of various color shades, while light resistant Mayan-inspired hybrid pigments have not yet been used for textile coloring. Using blue indigo dyes from 3 plant species, with exhaustion dyeing, intense wash resistant blue colored textiles are produced, and in the case of Indigofera Persicaria tinctoria, textiles have antibacterial activity against S. Epidermis and E. Coli.100% Natural Mayan-inspired blue indigo pigment, made from Sepiolite clay and indigo dye, was used both in powdered and paste forms to perform pigment textile dyeing by pad cure process, and direct screen printing on textiles. A water-based bio-binder (40%) was used efficiently for both padding and printing. Bio-based Na Alginate thickener allowed color fast printing on both polyester and cotton fabrics, while bio-based glycerin allowed good print color fastness on polyester only, yielding prints with excellent color fastness to wash (5/5), to dry and wet rubbing (5/5) and light (7/7).

This study is part of an extended investigation into the quantitative detection of therapeutic molecules with antineoplastic properties, specifically focusing on bleomycin. The objective is to minimize adverse effects while maximizing therapeutic effectiveness. We are presenting the results for bleomycin detection, in terms of cyclic voltammetry and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. We are continuing an approach we have recently started, of an electrochemical biosensor based on graphene, which is evidenced to be a revolutionary nanomaterial. The vertical graphene biosensor exhibited improved sensitivity, faster response, faster occurrence of the chemical reactions, and higher electrode surface conductivity, than the classical gold IDE sensor. The construction of the electrochemical sensor involved growing vertically aligned graphene nanosheets on the conductive surface of interdigitated electrodes. The results for bleomycin detection emphasized that a simpler surface modification method proved to be more efficient.

A metal-free electrochemical oxidative difluoroethylation of 2-arylbenzimidazoles was accomplished, which provided an efficient strategy for the synthesis of MeCF2-containing benzo[4,5]imidazo[2,1-a]-isoquinolin-6(5H)-ones. In addition, the method also enabled the efficient construction of various difluoroethylated indolo[2,1-a]isoquinolin-6(5H) ones. Notably, this electrochemical synthesis protocol proceeded well under mild conditions without metal catalysts or exogenous additives/oxidants added.

Among the electrochemical energy storage (EES) technologies, rechargeable batteries (RBs) and supercapacitors (SCs) are the two most desired candidates for powering a range of electrical and electronic devices. The RB operates on Faradaic processes, whereas the underlying mechanisms of the SC vary as non-Faradaic in the electrical double layer capacitors (EDLCs), Faradaic at the surface of the electrodes in the pseudo capacitors (PCs), and a combination of both non-Faradaic and Faradaic in the hybrid capacitors. The EDLCs offer high power density but low energy density. The hybrid capacitors take advantage of the Faradaic process without compromising their capacitive nature. Unlike batteries, supercapacitors provide high power density and numerous charge-discharge cycles; however, their energy density lags that of batteries. Here, we review recently published critically selected articles on supercapatteries, a generic term that refers to EES devices that can combine the merits of EDLCs and RBs. Also discussed are the properties, design strategies, and future perspectives of supercapatteries.

Two-dimensional MXene synthesized from MAX phase ceramic has the good electrical conductivity, promising to be used as electrodes. In this study, Nb4C3Tx MXene and low-entropy (Nb0.8Ti0.05V0.05Zr0.05Ta0.05)4C3Tx MXene were prepared by etching Nb4AlC3 and (Nb0.8Ti0.05V0.05Zr0.05Ta0.05)4AlC3 ceramics in the HF acid at 60 oC. By investigating the electrochemical properties of lithium batteries, it was found that the Nb4C3Tx and (Nb0.8Ti0.05V0.05Zr0.05Ta0.05)4C3Tx could provide the specific capacities of 163.7 mAh·g-1 and 130 mAh·g-1 after 50 cycles at a current density of 0.1 A·g-1, respectively, and maintain the coulombic efficiency close to 100%, good for the utilization of electrodes in the lithium batteries.

Cutting-edge technologies are intensifying into new skylines and this remarkable progress has been successfully influenced by the tiny level engineering of carbon dots technology, their syn-thesis advancement and impressive applications in the field of allied sciences. The advances of science and its conjugation with interdisciplinary fields emerged in carbon dots making, their controlled characterization and applications into faster, cheaper as well as more reliable prod-ucts in various scientific domains. Thus, a new era in nanotechnology has developed into carbon dots technology. The understanding of the generation process, control on making processes and selected applications of carbon dots such as energy storage, environmental monitoring, catalysis, contaminates detections and complex environmental forensics, drug delivery, drug targeting and other biomedical applications etc. are among the most promising applications of carbon dots and thus a thrust area of research today. In this regard, various types of carbon dots nano-materials such as oxides, their composites and conjugations etc. have been flocking significant attention due to their remarkable potential in this thrust area of energy, the environment and technology. Thus, the present paper highlights the role and importance of carbon dots, recent advancements in their synthesis methods, properties and emerging applications.

The corrosion inhibition performance of pyridine derivatives (4-methylpyridine and its quaternary ammonium salts) and sulfur-containing compounds (thiourea and mercaptoethanol) with different molar ratios on carbon steel in CO2-saturated 3.5 wt.% NaCl solution was investigated by weight loss, potentiodynamic polarization, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy. The synergistic corrosion inhibition mechanism of mixed inhibitors was elucidated by the theoretical calculation and simulation. The molecule of pyridine derivatives compound with larger volume has the priority to adsorb on the metal surface, while the molecules of sulfur-containing compounds with smaller volume fill in vacancies. A dense adsorption film would be formed when 4-PQ and sulfur-containing compounds are added at a proper mole ratio.

In some sour reservoirs and tertiary oil recovery blocks, SO₄^2- in solution can cause the corrosion and corrosion fatigue of the sucker rods. In this paper, the corrosion behaviors of super-strength sucker rod FG20 (16Mn2SiCrMoVTiA) steel in the well fluid are investigated by electrochemical measurements, and electron probe micro-analyzer (EPMA) analysis. The results show that FG20 steel has a favorable corrosion resistance in neural solutions. When the hydrogen ion content increases, the hydrolysis of SO₄^2- greatly accelerates the corrosion of FG20 steel. The energy dispersive X-ray(EDX)results demonstrate that the corrosion process of FG20 steel in neural well liquid is an oxygen concentration process, and the protective FeCO₃ and Fe₂O₃ on the surface of the samples can prevent further corrosion. With the increase of the acidity in the well liquid, the corrosion process converts into a sulphide concentration process, and the sloppy FeS and mackinawite film cannot provide effective protection for the specimens, resulting in the increase of corrosion rate.

Electrochemical impedance (EI) measurements were performed to evaluate the nylon 66/-tetra-(para-aminophenyl) porphyrin (H₂T(p-NH₂)PP)/graphene oxide (GO) film coating on stainless steel and compared to the nylon/H₂T(p-NH₂)PP and nylon/GO film samples using 1M H₂SO₄ as electrolyte. The nylon/H₂T(p-NH₂)PP and nylon/GO composite films showed high electrochemical impedance in the order of 109 ohm-cm² and a system controlled by mass transfer, product of a diffusion process at low frequencies with a resistance up to 5 orders of magnitude, indicating the diffusion of protons through the coating and a decrease in the metal dissolution. Otherwise, the nylon/H₂T(p-NH₂)PP/GO film compound evaluated show good ionic conductivity and electrochemical stability in the acid environment, acting porphyrin as a catalyst to the passage of protons through the film, reducing its electrochemical impedance up to 7 orders of magnitude with respect to the compounds nylon/H₂T(p-NH₂)PP and nylon/GO. Likewise, good capacitance values are also shown by modifying the concentrations of porphyrin and GO reinforcing materials. These properties are important for technological applications, such as anticorrosion coating for bipolar plates or membrane in a fuel cell type PEM, super-capacitors, etc.

In this study, a field experiment was conducted to evaluate the growth and yield responses of Sri Lankan lowland rice (Oryza sativa L.) with the application of beneficial Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) inoculum, and inter-cropping with highly mycorrhizal dependent vetiver grass (Chrysopogon zizanioides L.) under two different soil nutrient management systems (NMSs): conventional/chemical (CNMS) and organic (ONMS). The experiment was designed as a split plot with three blocks. Each CNMS and ONMS experiment included untreated control (T0), and three treatments—AMF inoculation (T1), vetiver intercropping (T2), and the combination of AMF and vetiver (T3). According to the results, colonization of rice roots with AMF was not affected significantly by the treatments and ranged from 0‒15.8%. The effect was very low or absent in the early stage and then higher in the later stages of the rice plant. Furthermore, plant growth was not significantly different between the two NMSs, although grain yield was significantly higher (P &lt; 0.05), with the order T1 (0.45 kg/m2) &gt;T2 (0.42 kg/m2) &gt;T3 (0.41 kg/m2) in CNMS and T2 (0.44 kg/m2) &gt;T1 (0.41 kg/m2) &gt;T3 (0.40 kg/m2), in ONMS than for the respective controls (T0), thus suggesting beneficial utilization of AMF and vetiver in the lowland rice farming system.

Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) have emerged as a promising class of bioactive molecules with the potential to combat infections associated with medical implants and biomaterials. This review article aims to provide a comprehensive analysis of the role of antimicrobial peptides in medical implants and biomaterials, along with their diverse clinical applications. The incorporation of AMPs into various medical implants and biomaterials has shown immense potential in mitigating biofilm formation and preventing implant-related infections. We review the latest advancements in biomedical sciences and discuss the AMPs that were immobilized successfully to enhance their efficacy and stability within the implant environment. We also highlight successful examples of AMP coatings for the treatment of surgical site infections (SSIs), Contact lenses, Dental Applications, AMP-Incorporated Bone Grafts, Urinary tract infections (UTIs), Medical Implants, etc. Additionally, we discuss the potential challenges and prospects of AMPs in medical implants, such as effectiveness, instability and implant-related complications. We also discuss strategies that can be employed to overcome the limitations of AMP-coated biomaterials for prolonged longevity in clinical settings.

The utilization of lignocellulosic biomass as an alternative energy source presents a promising opportunity to achieve a future energy system that is clean and free from CO2 emissions. To realize this potential, it is crucial to develop effective techniques for converting biomass and organic solid waste into secondary energy sources. Among the available options, hydrogen production stands out due to its numerous advantages, including its cleanliness, versatility in conversion and utilization technologies, high energy efficiency, and dense energy content per unit weight. This article offers a comprehensive overview of different conversion pathways and important technologies for generating hydrogen from biomass and organic solid waste. It specifically focuses on the thermochemical conversion process, which shows promise as an economically viable approach. While certain thermochemical conversion processes are still in the developmental phase, utilizing organic biomass for hydrogen production is widely recommended due to its ability to yield higher amounts of end products and its compatibility with existing facilities. However, it should be noted that this method necessitates a substantial amount of energy due to its endothermic nature. The article also explores alternative hydrogen conversion technologies and their potential for utilizing organic biomass as a feedstock, while addressing the challenges and limitations associated with these methods.

: Microbial fuel cell (MFCs) devices utilise the metabolic processes of bacteria to generate electricity from various organic substrates. Due to the enormous amount of energy that organic waste produces, scientists are highly interested in advanced MFCs. MFCs serve as a multidisciplinary research platform at the engineering and natural sciences intersection. MFCs have various uses besides being used as energy sources, such as sensing capabilities. Despite showing considerable promise, only a few marine sediment MFCs have been deployed in real-world applications to supply current for low-power devices. It is now required to maintain track of the work being done by research groups worldwide and regularly compile significant discoveries due to the rising quantity of research publications. Review papers are a traditional beginning point for a literature review for new scholars. This review is a fast reckoner that directs readers to pertinent reviews and research publications detailing significant advances in microbial fuel cell research during the previous two decades. An overview of key advances in MFC research over the past two decades is provided as a quick reference in this review article. In addition, the report identifies research gaps that, if filled, could bring this technology closer to real-world use.

Natural astaxanthin is a precious substance obtained from some organisms such as microalgae. This plant has many benefits for humans, so research into its cost-effective and economical production has recently increased. For this purpose, some methods such as the use of different culture media, gene engineering, different stresses, nanoparticles, bio acids, and phytohormones are important. Accordingly, this review study was conducted to demonstrate the effect of the factors mentioned above for the high production of astaxanthin in microalgae, especially Haematococcus pluvialis (H.p).

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.

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.

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

Illicit drug consumption is posing critical concerns in our society causing health issues, crime-related activities, and the disruption of border trade. The smuggling of illicit drugs urges the development of new tools for rapid on-site identification in cargos. Current methods used by law enforcement officers rely on presumptive color tests and portable spectroscopic techniques. However, these methods sometimes exhibit inaccurate results due to commonly used cutting agents, the colorful nature of the sample or because the drugs are smuggled (hidden or mixed) in common goods. Interestingly, electrochemical sensors can deal with these specific problems. Herein, an electrochemical device is presented that uses affordable screen-printed electrodes for the electrochemical profiling of illicit drugs by square-wave voltammetry (SWV). The identification of the illicit compound is based on the oxidation potential of the analyte. Hence, a library of electrochemical profiles is built upon the analysis of illicit drugs and common cutting agents. This library allows the design of a tailor-made script that enables the identification of each drug through a user-friendly interface (laptop or mobile phone). Importantly, the electrochemical test is compared by analyzing 48 confiscated samples with other portable devices based on Raman and FTIR spectroscopy as well as a laboratory standard method (i.e. gas chromatography – mass spectrometry). Overall, the electrochemical results obtained through the analysis of different samples from confiscated cargos at an end-user site, present a promising alternative to current methods, offering low-cost and rapid testing in the field.

Microbial foodborne pathogens can cause major risks to public health and the food industry. Rapid and accurate detection of these pathogens is crucial to prevent outbreaks and ensure food safety. Traditional single-mode biosensing approaches have their limitations in terms of specificity, sensitivity, and speed. Over the years, there has been an increasing research interest in developing multimodal biosensing strategies that integrate multiple sensing techniques to achieve enhanced accuracy, efficacy, and precision in foodborne pathogen detection. This article review paper explores the current state of multimodal biosensing technologies and their promising applications in the food industry. We discuss various integrated biosensing platforms, including optical, electrochemical, and nanomaterial-based systems, among others. The advantages, challenges, and future prospects of multimodal biosensing for foodborne pathogens are thoroughly examined, highlighting the potential impact of these advanced technologies on food safety and public health.

Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy techniques were applied in this work to 9 lead-acid battery prototypes fabricated industrially, divided on three type/technology packages. Frequency dependent impedance changes were interpreted during successive charge/discharge cycles on two distinct stages: 1) immediately after fabrication; and 2) after a controlled aging procedure to 50% Depth of Discharge, following industrial standards. By investigating their State of Health behaviour vs electrical response, three methods were employed, namely the (Q-Q0) total charge analysis, the decay values of Constant Phase Element in the equivalent Randles circuits, and the resonance frequency of the circuit. A direct correlation has been found for prediction of the best performant batteries in each package, thus allowing a qualitative analysis capable to provide the decay of the battery State of Health. We emphasized which parameters are directly connected with their lifetime performance in both stages, and by consequence, which type/technology battery prototype emphasize the best performance. Based on this methodology, the industrial producers can further establish the quality of the novel batteries in terms of performance vs lifespan, allowing them to validate the novel technological innovations implemented in the current prototypes.

Porous metals possess low bulk density, large specific strength, high stiffness and special thermal, electromagnetic and acoustic conductivity, so that porous metals are widely used in filtration and separation, flame retardant explosion-proof, biomedical application, etc. Compared with its corresponding dense metal, the presence of porous structures also leads to different corrosive performances of porous metal. So, some researches have utilized weight loss method, electrochemical impedance to evaluate porous metals’ corrosion behavior; however, the influence of pore structure on metal corrosion is still controversial, and present methods used for analyses of porous metals’ corrosion are statistical averages of the corrosion behavior of the entire porous material, which cannot accurately reflect the corrosion behavior inside the pore structure. Herein, we prepare porous copper samples with 0, 24, 72, 96 pores using mechanical process, and employ scanning kelvin probe combined with electrochemical polarization curve and impedance spectroscopy to test the corrosion performance of the porous copper in static and dynamic NaCl solution. The relevant results indicate that in static solution, the corrosion resistance of samples gradually increases with the rise of the number of pores. By contrast, the sample with 24 pores exhibits more susceptible to corrosion than the sample without pore.

Electrochemical biosensors based on immobilized enzymes are among the most popular and commercially successful biosensors. Literature in this field suggests that modification of electrodes with nanomaterials is an excellent method for enzyme immobilization, which can greatly improve the stability and sensitivity of the sensor. However, the poor stability, weak reproducibility, and limited lifetime of the enzyme itself still limit the requirements for the development of enzyme electrochemical biosensors for food production process monitoring. Therefore, constructing sensing technologies based on enzyme electrochemical biosensors remains a great challenge. This article outlines the construction principles of four generations of enzyme electrochemical biosensors and discusses the applications of single-enzyme systems, multi-enzyme systems and nano-enzyme systems developed based on these principles. The article further describes methods to improve enzyme immobilisation by combining different types of nanomaterials such as metals and their oxides, graphene-related materials, metal-organic frameworks, carbon nanotubes and conducting polymers. In addition, the article highlights the challenges and future trends of enzyme electrochemical biosensors, providing theoretical support and future perspectives for further research and development of high-performance enzyme chemical biosensors.

Cancer is a common illness with a high mortality. Compared to traditional technologies, biomarkers detection, with low cost and simple operation, has higher sensitivity and faster speed in early screening and prognosis of cancer. Therefore, extensive research has been focused on the development of biosensors and the construction of sensing interfaces. Molybdenum disulfide (MoS2) is a promising two-dimensional (2D) nanomaterial, whose unique adjustable bandgap shows excellent electronic and optical properties in the construction of biosensor interfaces. It not only has the advantages of high catalytic activity and low manufacturing costs, but also can further expand the application of hybrid structures by different functionalization, and is widely used in various biosensors fields. Herein, the application of electrochemical and optical sensing platforms based on MoS2 in the detection of cancer biomarkers was comprehensively reviewed. Firstly, the structure and preparation method of MoS2 were introduced, and its applicable characteristics in the field of biosensors were explored. Secondly, we comprehensively reviewed the recent construction and application of sensing platform based on MoS2 in the field of cancer biomarkers detection in both electrochemical and optical aspects. The prime characteristics and application performances of MoS2 and its composites were emphasized. Additionally, we also involved some other types of biosensors based on MoS2. Finally, we summarized the challenges and development prospects of MoS2 in the application of cancer biomarkers detection, and provided some insights for the application potential of this kind of emerging nano-materials in a broader field.

Epigenetic modifications are closely related to diseases and physiological health, mainly including DNA methylation, RNA methylation, histone acetylation, and non-coding RNA. Recently, a large amount of research has been conducted on the detection of epigenetic modifications. Electrochemical biosensors, with their low cost, high sensitivity, high compatibility, and simple operation, have been widely used in the detection of epigenetic biomarkers. This review discusses the detection of epigenetic biomarkers using different electrochemical sensing methods. Here we discuss various aspects, including free labels, signal labeling, signal amplification, nano-based electrodes, and the combined use of other methods. By summarizing the existing electrochemical detection methods for epigenetic modifications, this review also proposes the future development trends and challenges for electrochemical biosensors in this field.

Aptamers are synthetic single stranded oligonucleotides that exhibit selective binding properties to specific targets, thereby providing as powerful basis for the development of selective and sensitive (bio)chemical assays, such as biosensors. Electrochemical biosensors, utilizing aptamers as biological recognition elements, namely aptasensors, are at the forefront of current research. They exploit the combination of the unique properties of aptamers with the advantages of electrochemical detection with the view to fabricate inexpensive and portable analytical platforms for rapid detection in point-of-care (POC) applications or on-site monitoring. The immobilization of aptamers on suitable substrates is of paramount importance with the aim to retain their functionality and optimize the sensors’ sensitivity. This work describes different immobilization strategies for aptamers on the surface of semiconductor-based working electrodes, including metal oxides, conductive polymers and carbon allotropes. These are presented as platforms with tunable band gaps and different surface morphologies for the preparation of low cost, highly versatile aptasensor devices in analytical chemistry. A survey of the current literature is provided, discussing each analytical method. Future trends envisage for aptamer-based biosensing using semiconductors are also outlined.

Modern technologies for recycling electronic waste (e-waste) impose high economic efficiency and environmental safety requirements. Among existing technologies, hydrometallurgy is considered the most promising technology for e-waste recycling. Increasing attention to the chlorination method is associated with the complex recycling of low-grade ores containing noble metals and secondary polymetallic raw materials. In this paper, we propose a new scheme for leaching metals from computer printed circuits (PCBs) pre-crushed in a disintegrator: the processes of chlorine production and hydrochlorination are implemented in one reactor under the action of alternating current (AC) of industrial frequency (50 Hz). It was found that complete leaching of gold is achieved from fine fractions of raw materials containing 0.03% and 0.01% of the gold at an experiment duration of 2 hours, a current density of 0.66 A·cm-2, and a solid/liquid ratio of 8.6 g·L-1. Under the same conditions of the electrochemical leaching process from the fraction of raw material with a gold content of 0.08%, the degree of metal leaching is 80.5%. At the same time, with an increase in the copper content in the raw material from 1.40% to 6.13%, an increase in the degree of its leaching from 84.6% to 95.2%, respectively, is observed. These results will serve as a foundation for developing a complex technology for recovering valuable metals from PCBs.

Direct interaction with the neuronal cells is a prerequisite to deciphering useful information in understanding the underlying causes of diseases and functional abnormalities in the brain. Precisely fabricated nanoelectrodes provide the capability to interact with the brain in its natural habitat without compromising its functional integrity. Considerable research has been focused on the employment of vertical nanotubes as nanoelectrodes due to large-scale intracellular recording capability and longer-term intracellular access that arise from their unique geometry. Despite many types of nanotube structures reported in the literature, a limited subset of the nanotubes has been investigated for neural interfacing. This work reports on the fabrication and optimisation of vertically oriented titania nanotube arrays as a scalable electrode platform for neural interface application. To this end, the doping was performed by incorporating a selected group of biologically active metallic ions, including zinc, strontium, and copper, into TiO2 lattice and its effect was studied with respect to the structural, electrochemical and biological properties of the nanotube arrays. It was found that doping can change the length, diameter and wall thickness of the nanotubes. Among pure and doped samples, the copper-doped TiO2 nanotubes demonstrated the highest electrochemical and biological performance. Our results suggest that the doping can be used as a promising method to optimise the properties of nanotube arrays for the development of high-performance neural electrodes.

Surgeries that take place in medicine and dentistry or during any form of childbirth results in a significant amount of blood loss. The prevalent measurement methods that surgeons and anesthesiologists utilize as the “gold - standard” has several drawbacks. There are numerous other methods to measure blood loss, which, however, due to their impracticality and limitations, are not ideal either. This paper focuses on minimally invasive neurosurgery in particular, by taking into account a surgical technique known as Endoscopic Endonasal Transphenoidal surgery (EETS), which is used to treat pituitary tumors and adenomas. Along with the review of the existing literature pertaining to blood loss management, this paper proposes a modified electrode probe method along with the concept of usage, computer interface, and the system of integration. The probe is intended to measure the hematocrit count from the collected blood under all circumstances, such that the medical practitioner is assisted to improve the blood loss management technique for better patient recovery.

In recent years, electrochemical methods utilizing reactive electrochemical membranes (REM) have been recognized as the most promising technologies for the removal of organic pollutants from water. In this paper, we propose a 1D convection-diffusion-reaction model concerning the transport and oxidation of oxalic acid (OA) and oxygen evolution in the flow-through electrochemical oxidation system with REM. It allows the determination of unknown parameters of the system by treatment of experimental data and predicts the behavior of the electrolysis setup. There is a good agreement in calculated and experimental data at different transmembrane pressures and initial concentrations of OA. The model provides an understanding of the processes occurring in the system and gives the concentration, current density, potential and overpotential distributions in REM. The dispersion coefficient was determined as a fitting parameter and it is in good agreement with literary data for similar REMs. It is shown, that the oxygen evolution reaction plays an important role in the process even under the kinetic limit, and its contribution decreases with increasing total organic carbon flux through the REM.

Safety and quality are key issues for the food industry. Consequently, there is a growing demand to preserve the food chain and products against substances toxic, harmful to human health such as contaminants, allergens, toxins, or pathogens. For this reason, it is mandatory to develop highly sensitive, reliable, rapid, and cost-effective sensing systems/devices such as electrochemical sensors/biosensors. Generally, conventional techniques are limited by long time of analyses, expensive and complex procedures, and they require skilled personnel. Therefore, the development of performant electrochemical biosensors can significantly support the screening of food chain and products. Here, we report some of the recent developments in this area and analyze the contributions produced by electrochemical biosensors in the food screening and the challenges to address.

Molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) can often bind target molecules with high selectivity and specificity. When used as MIPs, conductive polymers may have unique binding capabilities; they often contain aromatic rings, which have a great tendency to undergo covalent and hydrogen bonding interactions with similarly structured target (or template) molecules. In this work, an electrochemical method was used to optimize the synthetic self-assembly of poly(aniline-co-metanilic acid) and testosterone, forming testosterone-imprinted polymers (TIPs) on sensing electrodes. The linear sensing range for testosterone ranged from 0.1 to 100 pg/mL, and the limit of detection was as low as ~pM. Random urine samples were collected and diluted 1000 fold to measure testosterone concentration using the above TIP sensors in comparison with a commercial ARCHITECT ci 8200 system. The testosterone concentrations in the tested samples were in the range of 0.33± 0.09 to 9.13±1.33 ng/mL. The mean accuracy of the TIP-coated sensors was 90.3 ±7.0 %.

A great improvement in food safety and quality controls worldwide has been achieved through the development of biosensing platforms. Foodborne pathogens continue to cause serious outbreaks due to the ingestion of contaminated food. The development of new, sensitive, portable, high-throughput, and automated platforms is a primary objective to allow detection of pathogens and their toxins in foods. Listeria monocytogenes is one common foodborne pathogen. Major outbreaks of listeriosis have been caused by a variety of foods, including milk, soft cheeses, meat, fermented sausages, poultry, seafood and vegetable products. Due to its high sensitivity and easy setup, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) has been extensively applied for biosensor fabrication and in particular in the field of microbiology as a mean to detect and quantify foodborne bacteria. Here we describe a miniaturized, portable EIS platform consisting of a microfluidic device with EIS sensors for the detection of L. monocytogenes in milk samples, connected to a portable impedance analyzer for on-field application in clinical and food diagnostics but also for biosecurity purposes. To achieve this goal microelectrodes were functionalized with antibodies specific for L. monocytogenes. The binding and detection of L. monocytogenes was achieved in the range 2.2 x 103 cfu/ml to 1 x 102 with a Limit of Detection (LoD) of 5.5 cfu/ml.

In this work a research on pulsed electrochemical micromachining of Stainless Steel is presented. A suitable equipment to study the process is described as well as a fitting procedure to machine and measure the variables involved. A tool of Tungsten with a tip of about 5 mm diameter sunk in an electrolyte of NaNO₃ is used for the process. The pulse on-time must be maintained in the order of ns to achieve a good current confinement, since the tool is active. Some experiments were made to assess the most important variables of the process, as current confinement, surface roughness, material removal rate and efficiency. It is observed that the current confinement get worse when the pulse on-time increases, as well as surface roughness. The material removal rate and the efficiency increase with the voltage amplitude and the pulse on-time. The voltage amplitude must be higher than 12 V so that the phenomenon of passivation disappears. There is a compromise in the choice of the variables, so a suitable combination of parameters is determined so that a good material removal rate with an acceptable result is achieved.

Honeycomb-like CO₃O₄ nanosheets with high specific surface area were successfully synthesized on porous nickel foam by the facile hydrothermal method followed by an annealing treatment (300 °C), which were used as high-performance supercapacitor electrodes. The effects of mole ratio of hexamethylenetetramine (HMT) and Co(NO₃)₂ (1:1, 2:1, 3:1, 4:1, 5:1 and 6:1）as the reactants on morphological evolution and electrochemical performance of the electrodes were investigated in detail. X-ray diffractometry, transmission electron microscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy were applied to characterize the structure and morphology of the products. The electrochemical performance was measured by cyclic voltammetry (CV) and galvanostatic charge/discharge. The results indicated that phase constituents were almost unaffected with the change in mole ratio of HMT and Co(NO₃)₂. However, the significant morphological evolution of Co₃O₄ was observed with increasing the mole ratio, which was described as followed: the nanosheets accompanied with a large number of spherical nanoparticles→the formation of some strip-like particles due to the agglomeration of spherical nanoparticles→the formation of new nanosheets resulting from the growth of strip-like particles→the formation of coarse flower-like particles owing to the connection among the nanosheets→the nanosheets gradually covered with flower-like particles. Accompanied with the change, the specific surface area was increased firstly, and then decreased. A maximum was obtained in the HMT and Co(NO₃)₂ mole ratio of 4:1, which was further validated by CV and galvanostatic charge/discharge tests. The specific capacitance value was 743.00 F·g^-1 at 1 A·g^-1 in the galvanostatic charge/discharge test, which was apparently higher than those in the other mole ratios (139.11 F·g^-1 in 1:1, 280.46 F·g^-1 in 2:1, 503.29 F·g^-1 in 3:1, 463.75 F·g^-1 in 5:1 and 363.74 F·g^-1 in 6:1). The change was also observed in the CV test with a scanning rate of 5 mV·s^-1 (121.32 F·g^-1 in 1:1, 217.33 F·g^-1 in 2:1, 559.86 F·g^-1 in 3:1, 693.56 F·g^-1 in 4:1, 423.35 F·g^-1 in 5:1 and 321.64 F·g^-1 in 6:1). Co₃O₄ synthesized in the mole ratio of 4:1 also demonstrated an excellent cyclic performance, in which about 97% of the initial specific capacitance was remained at 1 A·g^-1 for 500 cycles in the galvanostatic charge/discharge test. This excellent electrochemical performance was ascribed to high specific surface area of Co₃O₄ nanosheets that provide enough channels and space for ions transportion.

Molluscs are significant species in aquatic ecology. Molluscs are crucial for maintaining ecological balance as secondary consumers and serving as bioindicator species in biomonitoring systems. Molluscs are threatened by pesticides such as commonly used pyrethroid insecticides. Pyrethroids are typical insecticides used to control insects in agriculture and gardening. Pyrethroids are increasingly being utilized in both agricultural and human activities. Pyrethroids enter aquatic bodies through rainfall and drainage systems. The use of pyrethroids is becoming a significant concern for aquatic creatures, particularly molluscs. The discussion will focus on the increasing issue of pyrethroids becoming a nightmare for molluscs. Pyrethroids, due to their lipophilic nature, pose a significant risk to molluscs by affecting their metabolites, producing reactive oxygen species, and influencing neurotransmitter actions. Molluscs are crucial organisms in aquatic ecosystems, and their threats warrant significant discussion and attention. This review will delve into the behaviour of pyrethroids on molluscs.

The biofibres wide application as mortars enhancement have been so far restricted by factors related to their chemical composition and hygroscopic nature. Their hydrophilic behavior increases the water demand of mortar-mixtures and diminishes their adhesion to the matrix, while further moisture-related fibre degradation issues may arise. Additionally, the natural fibres seem to be susceptible to degradation caused during the exposure to alkaline environments conditions, such as those of cement mortars, restricting their utilization in construction industry. Therefore, the current study focusses on the potential of fibre modification through treatments that would permanently alter their structure and chemical composition in the whole mass or surface towards their performance improvement. In this study, mild hydrothermally treated wood fibres of black pine and beech species were prepared and incorporated in cement mortars to assess their performance, applying the proportion of 1.5% v/v in the mortar. The mortars workability (at fresh state), physical, hygroscopic, chemical, thermal, and mechanical characteristics at the age of 28, 90 and 365 days and weathering performance by subjecting them at different artificial ageing environments (freeze-thaw cycles or outdoor exposure) were examined. The results indicated the beneficial role of the treated fibres in the dimensional stability, flexural strength, thermal insulation properties and capillary absorption of the mortar specimens, especially during ageing process, with the black pine fibres to reveal the highest improvement. The hydrothermally treated wood fibres seem to ensure the integrity maintenance of cement mortars under all ageing conditions, proving that the specific bio-additives could provide low-cost and eco-friendly mortar enhancement pathways.

The results of the investigation showed that second-order kinetics govern the adsorption process, and the corresponding rate constants were found. To evaluate the parameters related to the adsorption process, the adsorption equilibrium was examined using a variety of mathematical models, such as the Langmuir, Freundlich, Temkin, and Dubinin-Radushkevich isotherm models. The Langmuir isotherm was found to be the best appropriate among all models for describing the adsorption of Cu2+ and Ni2+ ions using bio-nanocomposite beads. The positive values of ΔH° indicate that the adsorption is physical and endothermic, in agreement with experimental results. The negative value of ∆G° shows that the adsorption process is spontaneous. Positive ΔS° values indicate increased randomness at the solid/liquid interface, during adsorption of Cu2+ and Ni2+ cations onto the engineered bio-nanocomposite. The maximum adsorbed amounts of metal ions by the bio-nanocomposite used were 370.37 mg/g for Ni2+ and 454.54 mg/g for Cu2+ from single system. For the binary system, according to the Langmuir isotherm, the maximum adsorbed amounts of Ni2+ and Cu2+ were 357.14 mg/g and 370,37 mg/g, respectively. There is proof that Alginate-Moroccan clay bio-nanocomposites can serve as a different, less expensive source of sorbents for the removal of metal ions from single and binary systems.

Tomato quality is intricately regulated by a combination of factors, including the presence of bioactive compounds referred to as secondary metabolites and various organoleptic characteristics. These attributes are notably influenced and harmonized by the specific growing conditions, with a particular emphasis on the type of fertilization employed. Traditionally, chemical fertilizers have been favoured in crop cultivation due to their cost-effectiveness and ability to accelerate crop growth. However, in pursuit of sustainable and intelligent agricultural practices, there is a growing need for alternative fertilizers. In this context, the present study aimed to assess the impact of fertilizers derived from waste materials, specifically sulphur bentonite and orange residue (referred to as SB), on tomato quality. This assessment extended to examining qualitative and quantitative alterations in aroma-related volatile compounds and the antioxidant systems of tomatoes, in comparison to the conventional use of fertilizers such as horse manure and NPK (nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium). The results obtained revealed distinct effects of different fertilizers on tomato quality. Notably, parameters such as TPRO (total protein), TCARB (total carbohydrate), LIC (lycopene content), TCAR (total carotenoid content), total phenols, total flavonoids, and aroma profiling exhibited significantly superior values in the group treated with SB fertilizer. These findings strongly suggest that the novel fertilizer functioned as a bio-stimulant, enhancing the nutraceutical and sensory attributes of tomatoes, with a pronounced impact on the synthesis of secondary metabolites and the aroma profile of the fruits.

This paper investigates the dynamic properties of artificial neural networks using differential equations and explores the influence of parameters on stability and neural oscillations. By analyzing the equilibrium point of the differential equations, we identify conditions for asymptotic stability and criteria for oscillation in artificial neural networks. Furthermore, we demonstrate how adjusting synaptic weights between neurons can effectively control stability and oscillation. The proposed model offers potential insights into the malfunctioning mechanisms of biological neural networks implicated in neurological disorders like Parkinson's disease tremors and epilepsy seizures, which are characterized by abnormal oscillations.

Considering the current energy environment, both efficient and environmentally friendly solutions have to be developed for building construction. Bio-based building materials offer new perspectives through their insulating and natural humidity regulation capacities. Nevertheless, these materials are as complex as they are promising and grey areas still remain regarding their behavior. Their water sorption and desorption curves recorded in experimental work demonstrate a hysteresis phenomenon and, although plausible hypotheses have been formulated in the literature, there is currently no consensus on its causes. Furthermore, it is important to emphasize that no reference considers the hydrophilic nature of the resource. Yet this is a specificity of raw material coming from the plant world. In this context, this paper explores the microstructure and chemical composition of plant aggregates to propose a new explanation for the hysteresis. It is based on recent work demonstrating the existence of differentiated hydrogen bonds between the water sorption and desorption phase in cellulose. Obviously, hysteresis also has an origin at the molecular scale. Lastly, the hypothesis put forward here is supported by the swelling of bio-based materials that has been observed at high relative humidity and this study aims to identify a link between the mechanical (swelling/shrinking) of bio-based materials and their hygroscopic behavior. This leads to a better understanding of the hydro-mechanical coupling of these materials.