Nanotechnology is an emerging field of modern science based on the use of nanoparticles (NPs) with a huge potential in many sectors, including nanomedicine. Their small size confers them unique properties because they are subject to physical laws that are in the middle between classical and quantum physics. In this context, NPs project plays a pivotal role because the composition, size, shape and surface proprieties need to be carefully considered for their optimal design and application. As reported in this review, NPs are classified in inorganic (metallic NPs; quantum dots; carbon-based nanostructures; mesoporous silica nanoparticles) and organic (liposomes and micelles, dendrimers and polymer nanoparticles) ones. Here, we report an accurate description of the potential of each NPs type focusing on their multiple areas of application like theranostics drug delivery, imaging, tissue engineering, antimicrobial techniques and nanovaccines, and therefore they represent a promise to revolutionize the new era of nanomedicine, especially in cancer research.

A recent breakthrough in preparation of immobilized enzyme based biocatalysts achieving highly enhanced enzymatic activities and stabilities has become a great alternative to conventional immobilization techniques. The functional hybrid nanobiocatalysts (FHNs) fabricated in this immobilization composed of organic components (amino acid, peptide, protein, enzyme and plant extract) and inorganic components (various metal ions) give flower-like morphology with narrow size distribution and porous structure. The enzyme incorporated FHNs exhibite greatly enhanced catalytic activities and stabilities compared to free and conventionally immobilized enzymes under various experimental conditions. In addition to that, the FHNs consisting of other organic components act as Fenton-like reagents and show peroxidase-like activity owing to presence of metal ions and porous structure in the FHNs. This report basically focuses on preparation, characterization, and bioanalytical applications of the FHNs and explain mechanism of the FHNs formation and thier enhanced activities and stabilities.

Development of rovers and development of infrastructure which enables them to probe other planets (such as Mars) have sparked a lot of interest recently specially with increasing public attention in Moon and Mars program by National Aeronautics and Space Administration. This is designed to be achieved by various means such as advanced spectroscopy and artificial intelligent techniques such as deep learning and transfer learning to enable the rover to not only map the surface of planet but to get a detailed information about its chemical makeup in layers beneath (deep learning) and in areas around point of observation (transfer learning). In this work, which is part of a proposal, later approach is explored. A systematic strategy is presented which make use of aforementioned techniques developed for metallic glass matrix composites as benchmark and helps develop algorithms for chemistry mapping of actual Martian surface on Perseverance Rover launching shortly.

Intensive greenhouse horticulture can cause various environmental problems. Among them, the management, storage and processing of crop residues can provoke aquifer contamination, pest proliferation, bad odors or the abuse of phytosanitary treatments. Biosolarization put in value any fresh plant residue and is an efficient technique for the control of soil-borne diseases. This study aims to examine an alternative means of managing greenhouse crop residues through biosolarization and to investigate the influence of organic matter on yield and quality of tomato (Solanum lycopersicum, L.) fruit. With this purpose, the following nutritional systems were evaluated: inorganic fertilization with and without brassica pellets (Fert, Fert + and Fert ++), fresh tomato plant debris with and without brassica pellets (Rest, Rest + and Rest ++) and no fertilizer application (Control). The addition of organic matter equaled all the treatments except for control with regard to yield and quality of the tomato fruit. In light of these results, the application of tomato plant debris to the soil through biosolarization is postulated as an alternative for the management of crop residues, solving an environmental problem and having a favorable impact on the production and quality of tomatoes as a commercial crop.

Developing new technologies is essential for advancement in solar cell technologies due to their ability to only absorb light mainly in the visible light spectrum. Super crystals Nd³⁺- Eu³⁺ optical characteristics display higher absorption of light waves than single crystals of Eu³⁺ and Nd³⁺ due to a two-photon absorption energy transfer mechanism known as upconversion. Super crystals Nd³⁺- Eu³⁺ display higher absorption due to fewer light waves being transmitted through materials as reported in spectra data. Transmission spectra data reflects that Nd³⁺- Eu³⁺ nanoparticles are great candidates to enhance light absorption in solar cell devices.

Inorganic polymeric materials react slowly at room temperature and as a result usually require high-temperature curing. This study used the Arrhenius equation to analyze the correlation between curing temperature and curing duration during high-temperature curing. The test results show that optimal values exist for each alkali equivalent of the activator (weight ratio of Na2O/glass powder), curing temperature, and curing duration. Extending the curing duration and increasing the curing temperature have positive effects when the alkali equivalent is lower than the optimal value. However, over-curing results in invisible cracking in the specimens. Furthermore, despite exhibiting high strength initially, the strength of specimens gradually diminishes after standing in air. To ensure the durability of glass-based geopolymer, the curing temperature should not exceed 70℃, and the curing duration should be less than one day.

Inorganic and organic – inorganic (hybrid) perovskite semiconductor materials have attracted the worldwide scientific attention and research effort as the new wonder material in optoelectronics. Their excellent physical and electronic properties have been exploited to boost the solar cells efficiency beyond 23% and captivate their potential as competitors to the dominant silicon solar cells technology. However, the fundamental principles in Physics dictate that an excellent material for photovoltaic applications must be also an excellent light emitter. This has been realized for the case of perovskite based light emitting diodes (LEDs) but much less for the case of the respective laser devices. Here, the strides have been made since 2014 are presented for the first time. The solution processability, low temperature crystallization, formation of nearly defect free, nanostructures, the long range ambipolar transport, the direct energy band gap, the high spectral emission tunability over the entire visible spectrum and the almost 100% external luminescence efficiency show perovskite semiconductors’ potential to transform the nanophotonics sector. The operational principles, the various adopted material and laser configurations along the future challenges are reviewed and presented in this paper.

Best horticulture management has been practiced to reduce the amount of inorganic fertilizer in connection with net (mosquito net) for higher production of Indian spinach. Excessive use of chemical fertilizers in agriculture promoted negative effect on the environment and human health in Bangladesh. The experiment was conducted at the Horticulture Farm of Bangladesh Agricultural University (BAU), Mymensingh during the period February to May 2016. Two factor experiments were conducted on nettings: control (N₀), Netting (N₁) and different fertilizers: control (F₀), Vermicompost 10 t/ha (F₁), Vermicompost 15 t/ha (F₂), 2/3^rdof F₂+ 1/3^rdof F₄ (F₃), Inorganic fertilizer (F₄). Combination of mosquito net and combined of organic and inorganic fertilizers (N₁F₃) gave the significantly higher growth and yield of Indian spinach compared to other treatment combination. The maximum vine length (77.71 cm), after 45 days after sowing was found from N₁F₃ which was 72% higher compared to control. The highest yield of Indian spinach was 38.67 t/ha from N₁F₃ which was 80% higher compared to control. The treatment combination of N₁F₃ provided maximum leaf numbers per plant, leaf length.

The study was carried out to determine the influence of organic and inorganic fertilizers on maize yield and soil fertility; to determine economically optimum organic and inorganic fertilizer combinations for maize production. The study was performed in a randomized complete block design consisting of 10 treatments and 3 replications. The treatments were: Control, 100% of R-NP (138 N and 92 P), 100% of vermicompost,100% of conventional compost, 25% R-NP +75% of vermicompost, 50% of R-NP + 50% of vermicompost, 75% of R-NP+25% of from vermicompost, 25% of R-NP +75% of conventional compost, 50% of R-NP+50% of conventional-compost, 75% of R-NP +25% of conventional-compost. All rates of vermicompost and conventional compost were applied based on N equivalence. Results indicate that applications of inorganic fertilizers with a combination of organic source fertilizers were increases maize yield and yield components and improves the nutrient status of the soil. The highest maize grain yield (7494.3 kg ha-1) and above-ground biomass yield (18718.0 kg ha-1) were obtained from the applications of 50% recommended NP fertilizer plus 50% vermicompost which is based on the recommended N equivalent respectively. Similarly, we found that a combination of both inorganic and organic fertilizers application also is the best strategy to improve major soil nutrients, maintain soil fertility. The economic analysis revealed that the highest net benefit of (108,872.0 ETB ha-1) was obtained from the application of 50% recommended NP fertilizer plus 50% vermicompost based on the recommended N equivalence. Yet, the lowest yield and net benefit value were attained from the control or unfertilized plot. Therefore, this study suggests that an appropriate proportion of organic fertilizer with inorganic fertilizer not only for higher yield maize production with an assurance of potential economic returns to the small hold farmers but also improve and maintain the soil fertility and should be adopted with similar soil type and agro-ecologies.

Three polyimides and six inorganic fillers in a form of nanometer-sized particles were studied as thick film solution cast mixed matrix membranes (MMMs) for transport of CO₂, CH₄ and H₂O. Gas transport properties and electron microscopy images indicate good polymer-filler compatibility for all membranes. The only filler type which demonstrated good distribution throughout the membrane thickness at 10 wt. % loading was BaCe_0.2Zr_0.7Y_0.1O₃ (BCZY). The influence of this filler on MMM gas transport properties was studied in detail for 6FDA-6FpDA in a filler content range from 1 to 20 wt.% and for Matrimid^® and P84^® at 10 wt. % loading. The most promising result was obtained for Matrimid^® - 10wt% BCZY MMM, which showed improvement in CO₂ and H₂O permeabilities accompanied by increased CO₂/CH₄ selectivity and high water selective membrane at elevated temperatures without H₂O/permanent gas selectivity loss.

The aim of the study was to determine the maximum safe concentration of calcium and phosphate in neonatal parenteral nutrition (PN) solutions when various combinations of inorganic and organic salts are applied. Twelve PN solutions for neonatal use were aseptically prepared. Increasing concentration of inorganic and organic calcium and phosphate were added to the standard formulas. Each admixture was separately tested according to following conditions; after mixing, 37°C for 24 h, and maximum safe combination of calcium and phosphate were stored at 4°C for 30 days and followed by 24 h at 37°C. Visual inspections against a black and white contrast background, microscopic observation of undiluted PN solutions as well as the membrane filter after filtration of the PN solution, pH evaluation, and spectrophotometry at 600 nm were examined in triplicate. Safe maximum concentration of organic and inorganic calcium and phosphate was proposed individually for each composition of parenteral nutrition solutions. Surprisingly organic calcium with organic phosphate showed precipitation but over the therapeutic range. The protective effect of amino acid was observed and higher concentrations of calcium and phosphate were free of precipitation.

This study investigated the ability of a HYDRUS 1D model for predicting the vertical distribution of potassium iodine (200 ppm) in soil columns after amendment with five different common remediation materials (gypsum, lime, fly ash, charcoal and sawdust) at a rate of 2.5% (w/w), relative to an unamended control soil. Results shows that relative to the unamended soil, iodine leaching was decreased by all amendments but that the magnitude of the decreases varied with the soil amendment applied. Iodine content was highest in the upper layer of the soil columns and decreased progressively with soil depth. The model was evaluated via comparison of the model simulated values with measured values from the soil column studies. The results showed that the HYDRUS 1D model efficiency was near to 1, indicating that the stimulated results were near to the measured values. Therefore, this study showed that iodine leaching through a soil could be ascertained well using a HYDRUS 1D model. The model over predicted iodine leaching, resulting to a weak correspondence between the simulated and the measured results for iodine leaching. This suggests that the HYDRUS-1D model does not explain accurately different organic and inorganic amended soil and the preferential flow that occurs in these columns. This may be due to the fact that Freundlich isotherm, which is part of the transport equations, does not sufficiently describe the mechanism of iodine adsorption onto the soil particles. This study would help to select amendments for an effective management strategy to reduce exogenous iodine losses from agro-ecosystems. This would also improve understanding of iodine transport in soil profile.

Inorganic polyphosphate (polyP) is an important factor of stress tolerance in microbial cells. In yeast, the major enzyme of polyP biosynthesis is Vtc4, a subunit of the vacuole transporter chaperone (VTC) complex. In this study, we demonstrated that Vtc4 knockout in Saccharomyces cerevisiae not only decreased polyP content but also caused shifts in the composition of the intracellular polyP pool and changed the stress tolerance profile. In the mutant S. cerevisiae, the level of short-chain acid-soluble polyPs was decreased nearly 10-fold, whereas that of longer acid-insoluble polyPs was decreased only 2-fold, suggesting the existence of other enzymes compensating the production of long-chain polyPs. The Δvtc4 mutant showed inhibition of Mg2+-dependent phosphate uptake and decreased resistance to alkaline stress but increased tolerance to oxidation and heavy metal ions, especially Mn2+. Quantitative PCR revealed the upregulation of the DDR2 gene implicated in multiple stress responses and downregulation of PHO84 encoding a phosphate and Mn2+ transporter, which could account for the effects on phosphate uptake and Mn2+-related stress response in the Δvtc4 mutant. Our study indicates that short-chain polyPs, plays an important role in the regulation of stress response in yeast.

Two novel inorganic–organic hybrid supramolecular assemblies, namely, (4-HNA)(18-crown-6)(HSO₄) (1) and (4-HNA)₂(18-crown-6)₂(PF₆)₂(CH₃OH) (2) (4-HNA = 4-nitroanilinium), were synthesized and characterized by infrared spectroscopy, single X-ray diffraction, differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), and temperature-dependent dielectric measurements. The two compounds underwent reversible phase transitions at about 255 K and 265 K, respectively. These phase transitions were revealed and confirmed by the thermal anomalies in DSC measurements and abrupt dielectric anomalies during heating. The phase transition may have originated from the [(4-HNA)(18-crown-6)]⁺ supramolecular cation. The inorganic anions tuned the crystal packings and thus influenced the phase-transition points and types. The variable-temperature X-ray diffraction data for crystal 1 revealed the occurrence of a phase transition in the high-temperature phase with the space group of P2₁/c and in the low-temperature phase with the space group of P2₁/n. Crystal 2 exhibited the same space group P2₁/c at different temperatures. The results indicated that crystals 1 and 2 both underwent an iso-structural phase transition.

Three kinds of inorganic alkali are introduced into tetraethylenepentamine (TPEA) and polyethyleneimine (PEI) modified MCM-41 as the CO2 adsorbents. FT-IR and TGA are used to characterize the surface groups and the thermal stability of adsorbents. Chemical titration method is used to measure the alkali amounts of adsorbents. Thermo-gravimetric analysis with 10%CO2/N2 as the simulated flue gas is used to test the CO2 adsorption performance of adsorbents. The results show that all three kinds of inorganic alkali containing adsorbents exhibit promoted CO2 adsorption capability than traditional TPEA and PEI modified samples. Ca(OH)2 and PEI modified samples exhibit the highest adsorption capacity and stable regeneration property. The introduction of inorganic alkali changes the chemical adsorption mechanism between CO2 and increases the effective alkali amounts due to its hydroxyl groups. The CO2 adsorption capacities have a linear dependence relation with the alkali amounts of adsorbents, indicating that alkali amount is a critical factor for novel adsorbents exploring.

Inorganic nanoparticles are utilized for therapeutic, diagnostic, or in combination, theranostic purposes. The latter involves simultaneous sensing, imaging, or tracking of drug delivery. Furthermore, these nanoparticles can differ in their morphologies, which affect outcomes such as the effectiveness of hyperthermia, induction, drug loading, circulation time by escaping the body's immune system, imaging modality clarity, and biosensing. However, design of these theranostics is limited by the lack of a method to predict their therapeutic efficacy. Herein, we report a simple and novel computational approach via algebraic and geometric calculations of surface area (SA) to volume (V) ratios (SA:V) which can help predict the efficacy of the inorganic nanoparticles of the investigated morphologies. The approach comprises a coding platform for the program and uses Python 3 on a Windows 10 operating system. Analyses of 29 polyhedral morphologies that inorganic nanoparticles could assume ex silico showed that only particular concave and convex morphologies in this size regime are more productive over the standard sizes as well as a few noted in literature for baseline comparison. Our results provide a method that can aid in predicting the efficacy of inorganic nanoparticles with certain morphology giving rise to their fundamental basis and eventual implementation ex silico.

This study used the sol–gel method to synthesize a non-halogenated hyperbranched flame retardant containing nitrogen, phosphorus and silicon, HBNPSi, which was then added to a polyurethane (PU) matrix to form an organic–inorganic hybrid material. Using 29Si nuclear magnetic resonance, energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy of P- and Si-mapping, scanning electron microscopy, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, this study determined the organic and inorganic dispersity, morphology, and flame retardance mechanism of the hybrid material. The condensation density of the hybrid material PU/HBNPSi was found to be 74.4%. High condensation density indicates a dense network structure of the material. The P- and Si-mapping showed that adding inorganic additives in quantities of either 20% or 40% results in homogeneous dispersion of the inorganic fillers in the polymer matrix without agglomeration, indicating that the organic and inorganic phases had excellent compatibility. In the burning test, adding HBNPSi to PU resulted in the material passing the UL-94 standard at the V2 level, unlike the pristine PU, which did not meet the standard. The results demonstrated that after non-halogenated flame retardant was added to PU, the material’s flammability and dripping were lower, thereby proving that flame retardants containing elements such as nitrogen, phosphorus, and silicon exert an excellent flame retardant synergistic effect.

Excessive nutrient discharge to tropical island coastlines drives eutrophication and algal blooms with significant implications for reef ecosystem condition and provision of ecosystem services. Management actions to address nutrient pollution in coastal ecosystems include setting water quality standards for discharging surface waters. However, these standards do not account for the effects of groundwater discharge, variability in flow, or dilution, all of which may influence assessment of true nutrient impacts on nearshore reef habitats. We developed a method to estimate dissolved inorganic nitrogen (DIN) loads to coastal zones by integrating commonly available datasets within a geospatial modeling framework for Tutuila, American Samoa. The DIN loading model integrated an open-source water budget model, water sampling results, and publically available streamflow data to predict watershed-scale DIN loading to the island’s entire coastline. When compared to surface water pathways, submarine groundwater discharge (SGD) was determined to be the most important coastal delivery mechanism of terrigenous DIN, which supports findings from other tropical islands. Onsite wastewater disposal systems were also found to be the primary anthropogenic sources DIN to coastal waters. Our island-wide DIN loading model provides a simple and robust metric to define spatially-explicit sources and delivery mechanisms of nutrient pollution to nearshore reef habitats. Understanding the sources and primary transport modes of inorganic nitrogen to nearshore reef ecosystems can have significant implications for place-based management interventions aimed at increasing the adaptive capacity of unique island ecosystems to environmental variation and disturbances.

The most massive and fast-eroding thaw slump of the Northern Hemisphere located in the Yana uplands of northern Yakutia was investigated to assess in detail the cryogenic inventory and carbon pools of two distinctive Ice Complex stratigraphic units and the uppermost cover deposits. Differentiating into modern and Holocene near-surface layers (active layer and shielding layer), highest total carbon contents were found in the active layer (18.7 kg m-2), while the shielding layer yielded much lower carbon content of 1.8 kg m-2. The late Pleistocene upper Ice Complex contained 10.4 kg m-2 total carbon, and the mid-Pleistocene lower Ice Complex 17.7 kg m-2. The proportion of organic carbon from total carbon content is well above 70% in all studied units with 94 % in the active layer, 73% in the shielding layer, 83% in the upper Ice Complex and 79% in the lower Ice Complex. Inorganic carbon is low in the overall structure of the deposits.

Carbon and nitrogen contents and their isotopic components and AMS radiocarbon dating ages were measured for 57 coastal sediments from Weizhou Island to analyze the distribution of total inorganic carbon (TIC) and its carbon and oxygen isotopic components (δ13Ccarb and δ18Ocarb), total organic carbon (TOC) and total nitrogen (TN) contents and their stable isotopic components (δ13CTOC and δ15NTN) and environmental significance. The results showed that the oldest age of coastal sediments on Weizhou Island was 2750 cal. a BP, and the average TIC contents of A1, A2, B1, C1, and D1 in the intertidal zone were all greater than 5%, where δ13Ccarb and δ18Ocarb were enriched, while the TIC contents in A3, C2, and D2 of the supra-tidal zone were low, where δ13Ccarb and δ18Ocarb were depleted. Moreover, TIC decreased sharply from the estuary to upstream region in the C1-C2 section. The average C/N ratio was 7.02, and δ13CTOC and δ15NTN were between -14.96‰~-27.26‰ and -14.38‰~4.12‰, respectively. These measurements indicated that the TIC in coastal sediments mainly came from seawater. A1, A2, and B1 in the northern intertidal zone exhibited organic terrestrial signals because of C3 and C4 plant inputs, which proved that the important source of the northern coast of Weizhou Island came from the island. The lacustrine facies deposits were mainly distributed in the upper reaches of the river, the northern coastline was rapidly advancing toward the sea, and part of the southwestern coastal sediments rapidly accumulated to the shore under the influence of a storm surge. The relative sea level of the Weizhou Island area has continuously declined at a rate of approximately 2.07 mm/a, using beach rock as a marker, since the Holocene.

Abstract: Unusual methane emission and spontaneous combustion of coal induced by the air leakage are both hazards during mining. The most common practice has been to improve mine safety is sealing the mining fractures. In this paper, the methane and geology, coal spontaneous combustion characteristics and the coexistence of methane emission and spontaneous combustion of coal were analyzed. The preparation system of inorganic solidified foam (ISF) in field applications is studied and the working principle of generating device consists of foam generator and mixer was expounded. The technical plan of site construction is that the foam fluids was injected to respectively seal the mining fractures behind hydraulic supports, the cavities of air return corner, and the fractures nearby the coal pillar. After the foam fluids injection, the two stress values in the coal pillar eventually maintained above 15.5Mpa and 13Mpa, respectively. It indicated that the ISF can enhance the bearing stress ability of the coal pillar by transforming the stress state from two dimensional to three dimensional. The methane concentration in the air return corner and air return roadway declined significantly to 0.63% and 0.25%. The differential pressure inside and outside of the 4301(1) goaf fluctuated between -100pa to 150pa and the concentration of CO and O2 declined to 9ppm and 6%. The CO concentration in the air return corner finally reached a stable level of 6ppm. What that all means, the foam fluids can seal the air leakage and inhibit spontaneous combustion of coal effectively.

The Mediator is composed of multiple subunits conserved from yeast to humans and plays a central role in transcription. The tail components are not required for basal transcription but are required for response to different stresses. While some stresses are familiar such as heat, desiccation, and starvation, others are exotic, yet yeast can elicit a successful stress response. MCHM is a hydrotrope that induces growth arrest in yeast. We found that a naturally occurring variation in the Med15 allele, a component of the Mediator tail, altered the stress response to many chemicals in addition to MCHM. Med15 contains two polyglutamine repeats (polyQ) of variable lengths that change the gene expression of diverse pathways. Med15 protein existed in multiple isoforms and its stability was dependent on Ydj1, a protein chaperone. The protein level of the Med15 with longer polyQ tracts was lower and turned over faster than the allele with shorter polyQ repeats. MCHM sensitivity via variation of Med15 was regulated by Snf1 in a Myc tag dependent manner. Tagging Med15 with Myc altered its function in response to stress. Genetic variation in transcriptional regulators magnifies genetic differences in response to environmental changes. These polymorphic control genes are master variators.

We report the synthesis and characterization of Poly Methyl-Meth-Acrylate (PMMA)/Poly vinylalcohol (PVA) polymeric blend doped with different concentrations of Copper oxide (CuO) nanoparticles (NPs). The (PMMA-PVA)/CuO nanocomposite hybrid thin films (wt. % = 0%, 2%, 4%, 8%, and 16%) of CuO NPs are deposited on glass substrates via dip-coating technique. The transmittance (T%), reflectance (R%), the absorption coefficient (α), the optical constants [refractive index (n), extinction coefficient (k)], optical dielectric functions [ɛ',ɛ''] are investigated and interpreted. Tauc, Urbach, Spitzer-Fan, and Drude models are employed to calculate the optical bandgap energy (Eg) and the optoelectronic parameters of the nanocomposite thin films. The refractive index and optical bandgap energy of of (PMMA-PVA) polymeric thin film are found to be (1.5 to 1.85) and 4.101 eV, respectively. Incorporation of specific concentrations of CuO-NPs in (PMMA-PVA) polymeric thin films leads to a noticeable decrease in the optical bandgap energy and to an increase of the refractive index. Moreover, Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) transmittance spectra are measured and analyzed for undoped and doped polymeric thin films to pinpoint the major vibrational modes in the spectral range (500 and 4000 cm-1), as well as, the nature of network bonding in both systems. Thermal stability of thin films is investigated by performing thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). The TGA thermograms confirm that both doped polymeric thin films are thermally stable at temperatures below 110°C which enables them to be attractive for a wide range of optical and optoelectronic applications. Our results indicate that optical, vibrational and thermal properties of both polymeric thin films can be tuned for specific applications by the appropriate corporation of particular concentrations of CuO-NPs.