Solid waste management in Accra is a major challenge to the Metropolitan Authorities and inhabitants. The rapidly increasing population coupled with poor capacity of the municipal and private waste management companies to management waste effectively has created issues of environmental concern. Due to poor waste managements systems, most household dispose waste indiscriminately leading to floods and health issues. The study showed that about 60% of household waste is organic materials which has the potential to be converted to compost for agriculture purpose. Meanwhile plastics and rubbers which litters the environment as well as blocking major storm drains and gutters hence creating huge environmental hazard is made of 11% of the total component of most household waste generated daily. The study also revealed that among the methods of disposing waste, dumping waste in skip containers located at authorized places was the preferred means of disposing waste by household though others also dispose waste by other means such as burying and burning. Inadequate skip containers per population of household in an area coupled with irregularity of tracks picking these containers makes skip containers dumping site ugly scene, hence creating health issues. Among the constraints that impact negatively on sustainable waste management in Accra Metropolis, economic constraints was perceived as the main challenge which affect efficient waste management. Currently the country is going through serious economic challenges so government does not release money timely to fund projects which waste management is key. Most donor partners that use to support the government with funds have either reduced or redrawn their services as they have no confidence in the state of Ghana economy. Aside the constrains, the study also indicated that factors such as poor public attitude towards waste management, poor enforcement of sanitation by-laws, inadequate and untimely release of government funds were also seen as the main factors affecting waste management.

The present investigation highlights the synthesis of polyaniline (PANI) coated graphene oxide doped with SrTiO3 nanocube nanocomposites through facile in-situ oxidative polymerization method for the efficient removal of carcinogenic dyes, namely, the cationic dye methylene blue (MB) and the anionic dye methyl orange (MO). The synthesised nanocomposites were characterised by field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). The adsorption efficiencies of graphene oxide (GO), PANI homopolymer and SrTiO3 nanocubes-doped nanocomposites were assessed by monitoring the adsorption of methylene blue and methyl orange dyes from aqueous solution. The adsorption efficiency of nanocomposites doped with SrTiO3 nanocubes were found to be of higher magnitude as compared with undoped nanocomposite. Moreover, the nanocomposite with 2 wt% SrTiO3 with respect to graphene oxide demonstrated excellent adsorption behaviour with 99% and 91% removal of MB and MO respectively, in a very short duration of time.

The recent pandemic has greatly stressed supply chains, treatment modalities, and medical resources. Cold atmospheric plasma (CAP) has been used for a wide range of applications in biomedical engineering due to its many components including electrons, charged particles, reactive oxygen species (ROS), reactive nitrogen species (RNS), free radicals, ultraviolet (UV) photons, molecules, electromagnetic fields, physical forces, and electric fields. In this manuscript, we develop CAP devices for COVID-19. Our manuscript indicates the advantages of highlydeployable CAP devices for both sanitation and treatment, without the need for supply chains of special consumables such as hand sanitizers and the like. We hope that this timely research will help engage the broader community of engineers that wish to help the medical community with this pandemic and to prevent and treat future outbreaks.

The “Pay-as-you-throw” scheme, PAYT, is an economic instrument of waste management that implements the “polluter pays” principle by charging inhabitants of municipalities according to the amount of residual, organic and bulky waste they send for third-party waste management. When combined with well-developed infrastructure to collect the different waste fractions (residual waste, paper and cardboard, plastics, bio waste, green cuttings, many recyclables) as well as with a good level of citizen’s awareness, its performance has frequently been linked to high collection rates of recyclables. However, the establishment and operation of PAYT systems can require significant resource inputs from municipalities. In this paper, PAYT is analysed through a case study from the German County of Aschaffenburg, covering nearly 20 years of implementation across 173,000 inhabitants. Key performance indicators applied include temporal trends in the county’s recyclables collection rate, waste treatment fees for residents and municipal waste management costs, benchmarked against German municipalities not implementing PAYT.

Erigeron floribundus (Asteraceae) is an herbaceous plant widely used in the Cameroonian traditional medicine to treat various diseases of microbial and non-microbial origin. In the present study we evaluated the in vitro biological activities displayed by the essential oil obtained from the aerial parts of E. floribundus, namely the antioxidant, antimicrobial and antiproliferative activities. Moreover, we investigated the inhibitory effects of E. floribundus essential oil on nicotinate mononucleotide adenylyltransferase (NadD), a promising new target for developing novel antibiotics, and Trypanosoma brucei, the protozoan parasite responsible for Human African trypanosomiasis. The essential oil composition was dominated by spathulenol (12.2%), caryophyllene oxide (12.4%) and limonene (8.8%). The E. floribundus oil showed a good activity against Staphylococcus aureus (IZD of 14 mm, MIC of 512 µg/mL). Interestingly, it inhibited the NadD enzyme from S. aureus (IC50 of 98 µg/mL), with no effects on mammalian orthologue enzymes. In addition, T. brucei proliferation was inhibited with IC50 values of 33.5 µg/mL with the essential oil and 5.6 µg/mL with the active component limonene. The essential oil exhibited strong cytotoxicity on HCT 116 colon carcinoma cells with an IC50 value of 14.89 µg/mL, and remarkable ferric reducing antioxidant power (TEAC= 411.9 μmol TE/g).

The detection of dopamine in a highly sensitive and selective manner is crucial for the early diagnosis of a number of neurological diseases/disorders. Here, a report on a new platform for the electrochemical detection of dopamine with a considerable accuracy that comprises a 3D porous graphene oxide (pGO)/gold nanoparticle (GNP)/pGO composite-modified indium tin oxide (ITO) is presented. The pGO was first synthesized and purified by ultrasonication and centrifugation, and it was then further functionalized on the surface of a GNP-immobilized ITO electrode. Remarkably, owing to the synergistic effects of the pGO and GNPs, the 3D pGO-GNP-pGO-modified ITO electrode showed a superior dopamine-detection performance compared with the other pGO- or GNP-modified ITO electrodes. The linear range of the newly developed sensing platform is from 0.1 μM to 30 μM with a limit of detection (LOD) of 1.28 μM, which is more precise than the other previously reported GO-functionalized electrodes. Moreover, the 3D pGO-GNP-pGO-modified ITO electrodes maintained their detection capability even in the presence of several interfering molecules (e.g., ascorbic acid, glucose). The proposed platform of the 3D pGO-GNP-pGO-modified ITO electrode could therefore serve as a competent candidate for the development of a dopamine-sensing platform that is potentially applicable for the early diagnosis of various neurological diseases/disorders.

Chemical analysis of the organic components in beers has applications to quality control, authenticity and improvements to the flavor characteristics and brewing process. This study aims to show the complementary nature of two instrumental techniques which in combination can identify and quantify the majority of organic components in a beer sample. Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) was used to provide concentrations of twenty five different organic compounds including alcohols, organic acids, carbohydrates, and amino acids. Calorie content was also estimated for the samples. NMR data for ethanol concentrations were validated by comparison to a Fourier Transform Infrared Spectrometry (FTIR) method. Headspace Solid-Phase Microextraction (SPME) Gas Chromatography Mass Spectrometry (GCMS) was used to identify a range of volatile compounds such as alcohols, esters and hop derived aroma compounds. A simple and inexpensive conversion of a Gas Chromatography Flame Ionization Detector (GC FID) instrument to allow the use of Solid-Phase Microextraction was found to be useful for the quantification of volatile esters.

This paper proposed three-dimensional numerical simulation method by coupling of electrostatic and fluid fields to evaluating the performance of electrical sensor in the concentration measurement of gas/solid two-phase flow. Compared with the static numerical simulation, this real-time dynamic 3-D simulation method can research on a designed capacitance sensor combining the dynamic characteristics of the two-phase flows for concentration measurement. Several fluid-electrostatic models of transmission pipes with different sensor structures are built. Under different test positions and different particle concentrations, the flow characteristics and the corresponding electric signals can be obtained, and the correlation coefficient between the concentration values and the capacitance values are used for performance evaluation of the sensors. The effects of flow regimes on concentration measurement are also been investigated in this paper. To validate the results of simulation, an experimental platform with horizontal straight pipe for phase volume concentration measurement of solid/air two-phase flow is built, and the experimental results agree well with simulation conclusions. The simulation and test results show that the coupling models can give constructive reference opinions for the sensor design and collection of installation position in different transmission pipelines, which are very important for the practical process of pneumatic conveying system.

Trophoblast cell-surface antigen 2 (Trop 2) is a transmembrane glycoprotein that is highly expressed in various cancer types with relatively low or no baseline expression in most of normal tissues. Its overexpression is associated with tumor growth and poor prognosis; Trop 2 is therefore, an ideal therapeutic target for epithelial cancers. Several Trop 2 targeted therapeutics have recently been developed for the treatment of cancers, such as anti-Trop 2 antibodies and antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs), as well as Trop 2-specific cell therapy. In particular, the safety and clinical benefit of Trop 2-based ADCs have been demonstrated in clinical trials across multiple tumor types, including those with limited treatment options, such as triple-negative breast cancer, platinum-resistant urothelial cancer, and heavily pretreated non-small cell lung cancer. In this review, we elaborate on recent advances in Trop 2 targeted modalities and provide an overview of novel insights for future developments in this field.

In the present study Aprepitant (APT) ternary solid dispersions (SDs) were developed and evaluated for the first time. Specifically, ternary SDs of APT with Poloxamer 188 and Soluplus^® (SOL) were prepared via melt mixing and compared to binary APT/Poloxamer 188 and APT/SOL SDs. Initially, combined thermo-gravimetric and hot-stage polarized light microscopy studies indicated that all tested compounds were thermally stable up to 280 °C, while Poloxamer 188 acted as a plasticizer to SOL by significantly reducing the temperature required to fully solubilize the API during SD preparation. Differential scanning calorimetry combined with wide angle X-ray diffraction studies showed that crystalline API was dispersed in both binary and ternary SDs, while Fourier transformation-infrared spectroscopy studies revealed no molecular interactions among the components. Scanning electron microscopy combined with EDAX element analysis showed that the API was dispersed in nano-scale within the polymer matrices, while increasing APT content led to increasing API nano-crystals within the SDs. Finally, dissolution studies showed that the prepared formulations enhanced dissolution of Aprepitant and its mechanism analysis was further studied. A mathematical model was also investigated to evaluate the drug release mechanism

The total enthalpies of the 16 different spin configurations that can be realized in the unit cell of the archetype spin crossover complex [Fe(phen)₂(NCS)₂] (phen=1,2-phenanthroline) were calculated applying periodic density functional theory combined with the Hubbard model and the Grimme-D2 dispersion correction (DFT+U/D2). The obtained enthalpy differences between the individual spin configurations were used to determine spin couplings of an Ising-like model and subsequent Monte Carlo simulations for this model allowed to estimate the phenomenological interaction parameter Г of the Slichter-Drickamer model, which is commonly used to describe the cooperativity of the spin transition. The calculational procedure described here, which led to an estimate of about 3 kJ/mol⁻¹ for Г, in good agreement with experiment, may be used to predict from first principles how modifications of spin crossover complexes can change the character of the spin transition from gradual to abrupt and vice versa.

Determination of time-weighted average (TWA) concentrations of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in air using solid-phase microextraction (SPME) is advantageous over other sampling techniques, but is often characterized by insufficient accuracies, particularly at longer sampling times. Experimental investigation of this issue and disclosing the origin of the problem is problematic and often not practically feasible due to high uncertainties. This research is aimed at developing the model of TWA extraction process and optimization of TWA air sampling by SPME using finite element analysis software (COMSOL Multiphysics). It was established that sampling by porous SPME coatings with high affinity to analytes is affected by slow diffusion of analytes inside the coating, an increase of analytes concentrations in the air near the fiber tip due to equilibration, and eventual lower sampling rate. The increase of a fiber retraction depth (Z) resulted in better recoveries. Sampling of studied VOCs using 23-ga Car/PDMS assembly at maximum possible Z (40 mm) was proven to provide more accurate results. Alternative sampling configuration based on 78.5 x 0.75 mm i.d. SPME liner was proven to provide similar accuracy at improved detection limits. Its modification with the decreased internal diameter from the sampling side should provide even better recoveries. The developed model offers new insight into optimization of air and gas sampling using SPME.

Reactive NO_x is one of the major air pollutants, which also plays a key role as greenhouse gas. Many research efforts have been devoted to not only detection of NO_x in air but also abatement of NO_x emission. The aim of this mini review is to provide a panoramic snapshot of the electrochemical analysis methods for the emission and detection of NO_x in atmosphere, with special emphasis on NO_x sensor. The electrochemical detecting mechanism and materials for fabricating electrochemical gas sensors are discussed and the prospects and challenges in this area are also evaluated. This work will serve as a useful source to inform the interested audience of the latest developments and applications in the field of NO_x emission and electrochemical detection.

The microstructural evolution, thermodynamics and kinetics of Mo-21%Tm₂O₃ (mass fraction, %) powder mixtures during ball milling were investigated using X-ray diffraction and transmission electron microscopy. Ball milling induced Tm₂O₃ to be decomposed and then dissolved into Mo crystal. The supersaturated nanocrystalline solid solution of Mo (Tm, O) was obtained after 96 h of ball milling. The elements of Mo, Tm and O were distributed uniformly in the ball-milled particles. Based on the semi-experimental theory of Miedema, a thermodynamic model was developed to calculate the driving force of phase evolution. There was no chemical driving force to form a crystal solid solution of Tm atoms in Mo crystal or an amorphous phase because the Gibbs free energy for both processes was higher than zero. For Mo-21%Tm₂O₃, it was mechanical work, not negative heat of mixing, that provided the driving force to form supersaturated nanocrystalline Mo (Tm, O) solid solution.

Dental anxiety (DA) negatively affects patients’ oral and overall health. This study explored attitudes and clinical practices of licensed Ohio general dentists who treat patients with DA. Methods: An anonymous self-administered mail survey was sent to 500 general dentists licensed and practicing in Ohio. Responses to 21 pre-coded questions were analyzed. Frequencies were examined; cross-tabs, Chi-Square, and Fischer’s Exact Test were calculated for statements according to dentists’ gender. Alpha was set at p = 0.05. Results: Nearly all respondents treated anxious patients; males were more likely to find it challenging than females. Dentists were most familiar with distraction, although half found nitrous oxide to be an effective tool. Female dentists were more likely than males to be familiar with anxiolytics and find them effective. Conclusion: Overall, Ohio general dentists are most familiar with using distraction and nitrous oxide during appointments for anxious patients. Gender differences exist in attitudes towards anxiolytic use for patients with DA. Practice Implications: By identifying techniques that are comfortable for patient and practitioner, oral health disparities associated with DA may be reduced.

Molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) were synthesized and applied for the selective extraction of oblongifolin C (OC) from fruit extracts of Garcinia yunnanensis Hu. A series of experiments and computational approaches were employed to improve the efficiency of screening for optimal MIP systems in the study. The molar ratio (1:4) was chosen at last based on the comparison of the binding energy of the complexes between the template (OC) and functional monomers using density functional theory (DFT) at the RI-PBE-D3-gCP/def2-TZVP level of theory. The binding characterization and the molecular recognition mechanism of MIPs were further explained using the molecular modeling method and NMR and IR spectra data. The reusability of this approach was demonstrated in over 20 batch rebinding experiments. 140.5 mg of OC (>95% purity) was obtained from the 5 g extracts with 2 g of MIPs with the best binding properties through gradient elution program from 35% to 70% methanol-water solution. At the same time, another structural analog, 46.5 mg of guttiferone K (GK) (>88% purity), was also obtained by the gradient elution procedure. Our results showed that the structural analogs could be separated from the crude extracts by the molecularly imprinted solid-phase extraction (MISPE) using a gradient elution procedure for the first time.

Titanium dioxide (TiO2) and aluminum oxide (Al2O3) coatings have been investigated in a wide range of bio-applications due to their biodegradation and biocompatibility properties, that are key parameters for their use in the food packaging and biomedical devices fields. The present study evaluates and compares the electrochemical behavior of the non-coated, commercial resin-coated, TiO2-coated and Al2O3-coated aluminum in commercial beer electrolyte. For this, TiO2 and Al2O3 thin films were deposited on aluminum (Al) substrates using atomic layer deposition (ALD). The evaluation of the corrosion barrier layer properties was performed by linear sweep voltammetry (LSV) and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). In addition, profilometry, grazing incidence X-ray diffractometry (GIXRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) analyses were performed to investigate the physical and chemical properties of the pristine and / or corroded samples. TiO2 and Al2O3 films presented an amorphous structure, a morphology that follows Al substrate surface, and a thickness of around 100 nm. Analysis of LSV data showed that ALD coatings promoted a considerable increase in corrosion barrier efficiency being 86.3% for TiO2-coated Al and 80% for Al2O3-coated Al in comparison with 7.1% of commercial resin-coated Al. This is mainly due to the lower electrochemical porosity, 11.4% for TiO2-coated Al and 20.4% for Al2O3-coated Al in comparison with 96% of the resin-coated Al, i.e. an increase of up to twofold in the protection of Al when coated with TiO2 compared to Al2O3 coated. The EIS results allow us to complement the discussions about the reduced corrosion barrier efficiency of the Al2O3 film for beer electrolyte once SEM and FT-IR analyzes did not show drastic changes in both investigated ALD films after the corrosion assays. The above results indicate that ALD TiO2 and Al2O3 films may be a viable alternative to replace the synthetic resin coatings frequently used in aluminum cans of use in the food industry.

Considering the safety issues of Li ion batteries, all-solid-state polymer electrolyte has been one of the promising solutions. In this point, achieving a Li ion conductivity in the solid state electrolytes comparable to liquid electrolytes (>1 mS/cm) is particularly challenging. Employment of polyethylene oxide (PEO) solid electrolyte has not been not enough in this point due to high crystallinity. In this study, hybrid solid electrolyte (HSE) systems are designed with Li_1.3Al_0.3Ti_0.7(PO₄)₃(LATP), PEO and Lithium hexafluorophosphate (LiPF₆) or Lithium bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)imide (LiTFSI). Hybrid solid cathode (HSC) is also designed using LATP, PEO and lithium cobalt oxide (LiCoO₂, LCO)—lithium manganese oxide (LiMn₂O₄, LMO). The designed HSE system displays 3.0 × 10⁻⁴ S/cm (55 ℃) and 1.8 × 10⁻³ S/cm (23 ℃) with an electrochemical stability as of 6.0 V without any separation layer introduction. Li metal (anode)/HSE/HSC cell in this study displays initial charge capacity as of 123.4/102.7 mAh/g (55 ℃) and 73/57 mAh/g (25 °C). To these systems, Succinonitrile (SN) has been incorporated as a plasticizer for practical secondary Li ion battery system development to enhance ionic conductivity. The incorporated SN effectively increases the ionic conductivity without any leakage and short-circuits even under broken cell condition. The developed system also overcomes the typical disadvantages of internal resistance induced by Ti ion reduction. In this study, optimized ionic conductivity and low internal resistance inside the Li ion battery cell have been obtained, which suggests a new possibility in the secondary Li ion battery development.

It is important to realize the transformation behavior of wüstite because it greatly affects the final structure of the oxide layer and the surface quality of the steel products. In the present study, the transformation behaviors of the wüstite layer are examined under nearly-oxygen-free conditions, to simulate the cooling processes after the hot rolled strip is coiled. As the single phase wüstite was prepared at 950˚C, the 460˚C transformed oxide layer was composed of a mixture of iron and magnetite formed through eutectoid reactions. For the 750˚C-fabricated wüstite, only magnetite was observed after transformation, without iron precipitates and residual wüstite. It is speculated that the unusual transformation behavior of the low-temperature-made wüstite results from the pseudo-structural intermediate phase transformation between wüstite and magnetite. This pseudo-structure is a pre-transformed wüstite and of various concentration of ferrous ion, which is determined by the fabrication conditions. During the hot strip mill process, the so-called wet scale, wüstite, is produced continuously from finish mill to laminar flow sections and ended at 570˚C. Consequently, the final eutectoid transformation below 570˚C is dominantly controlled by the surface temperature ranged from 750˚C to 950˚C for low carbon steel.

Background: Pittosporum tobira (Thunb.) Aiton is an aromatic medicinal plant widely cultivated in the world. However, the essential oils (EOs) from P. tobira flowers for anti-cancer potential is still not systematically studied. The present aim to elucidate the phytochemical composition of the EOs and to explore mechanism of anticancer action. Methods: The EOs were extracted and analyzed by headspace solid-phase microextraction (HS-SPME) with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Volatile components were identified according to Kovats retention index (KI) and NIST database. The anti-neoplasm mechanisms of the EOs was comprehensively investigated in lung carcinoma A549 and H460 cells. Results: A total of 47 secondary metabolites representing 94.18% of the EOs were successfully identified: monoterpenes and sesquiterpenes were the dominant terpenoids. The EOs exhibited antiproliferative activity on A549 and H460 lung carcinoma cells. Hoechst 33324 fluorescent staining indicated the typical characteristics of apoptosis and induced cycle phase arrest. AnnexinV/PI staining revealed that the number of apoptotic cells was increased. Furthermore, the EOs also induced the caspase-mediated mitochondrial apoptosis pathway. Conclusions: Findings suggest that the full-scale chemical composition and first characterization of anticancer activities of the EOs, it could be used for integrative natural anti-cancer agents in health care should be pay more attention.

Growing crystals of nickel niobate (NiNb2O6), we noticed that changing growth conditions allowed our material to enter different areas of the phase diagram. In particular, we found that excess material accumulated within and above the liquid zone. Analysis showed that this was an unincorporated constituent. Changing the ratio of the constituent oxides - an excess of ~4% of either NiO or Nb2O5 gave us the opportunity to investigate changes in zone stability, melting temperature and quality of the resulting crystal. We found that a small excess of nickel oxide decreases the melting temperature significantly, and created the best pseudo-rutile NiNb2O6 crystal studied, while higher amounts of niobium oxide allowed us to stabilize the NiNb2O6 columbite phase. This research reinforces the idea that self-flux as a travelling solvent can significantly impact crystal growth parameters and quality.

In this work, we report synthesis of Cu, Pt and Pd doped SnO₂ powders and their comparative CO gas sensing studies. Dopants were incorporated into SnO₂ nanostructures using chemical and impregnation methods by using urea and ammonia as precipitation agents. The synthesized samples were characterized using X-ray diffraction (XRD), Raman spectroscopy, Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and High resolution transmission electron microscopy (HR-TEM). The presence of dopants within the SnO₂ nanostructures was evidenced from HR-TEM. Doped powders utilizing chemical methods with urea as precipitation agent presented higher sensitivities compared to the remaining, which is due to the formation of uniform and homogeneous particles resulted from the temperature assisted synthesis. The particle sizes of doped SnO₂ nanostructures were in the range of 40-100 nm. An enhanced sensitivity around 1783 was achieved with Cu doped SnO₂ when compared with two other dopants i.e., Pt (1200) and Pd: SnO₂(502). The high sensitivity of Cu: SnO₂ is due to formation of CuO and its excellent association and dissociation in the presence of CO with adsorbed atmospheric oxygen at sensor operation temperatures resulted in high conductance. Cu: SnO₂ may be an alternative and cost effective sensor for industrial applications.

Multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) and graphene oxide (GO) reinforced carbon foam (CF) composite were prepared by direct pyrolysis of MWCNTs, GO and mesophase coal tar pitch. The effect of additive amount of the mixture of MWCNTs and GO on the microstruture and properties of carbon foam was analzyed by transmission electron miscroscopy (TEM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Four-probe resistance meter, universal testing machine, and laser thermal conductivity tester respectively. The result shows that MWCNTs and GO had significant impact on the microstructure of carbon foam. Futhermore, the electrical, mechanical and thermal properties of carbon foam composites were significantly enhanced by increasing the additive amount. Maximum compressive strenght of 19.2 MPa and Young’s modulus of 56.8 MPa of CF composite were observed. Similarly, Highest thermal conductivity of 30.91 W/m.K and electrical conductivity of 27.2 ×103 S/m were observed at 2 wt. % of MWCNTs-GO additive loading.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the bioactivity and cell response of a well-characterized Nurse´s A-phase (7CaO•P2O5•2SiO2) ceramic and his effect compared to a control (tissue culture polystyrene-TCPS) on the adhesion, viability, proliferation and osteogenic differentiation of ahMSCs in vitro. Cell proliferation (Alamar Blue Assay), Alizarin Red-S (AR-s) staining, alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity, osteocalcin (OCN) and collagen I (Col I) were evaluated. Also, field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) images were acquired in order to visualise the cells and the topography of the material. The proliferation of cells growing in a direct contact with the material was slower at early stages of the study because of the new environmental conditions. However, the entire surface was colonized after 28 days of culture in growth medium (GM). Osteoblastic differentiation markers were significantly enhanced in cells growing on Nurse´s A phase ceramic and cultured with osteogenic medium (OM), probably due to the role of silica to stimulate the differentiation of ahMSCs. Moreover, calcium nodules were formed under the influence of ceramic material. Therefore, it is predicted that Nurse´s A-phase ceramic would present high biocompatibility and osteoinductive properties being a good candidate to be used as a biomaterial for bone tissue engineering.

Whereas waste management research has focused on mostly urban municipalities in South Africa, not much is known about the current performance of waste management services from the perspective of community residents in rural municipalities. This study reports on the status and effectiveness of waste management practices from the perspective of community residents in the Umkhanyakude and Zululand Districts in the rural areas of the KwaZulu-Natal province of South Africa. Making use of structured questionnaires, primary data was obtained by interviewing 333 respondents representing households in the study area. Results have revealed several shortfalls in the provision of municipal waste management services, except for solid waste removal from households (66%), and management of landfill sites (41%). The degree of dissatisfaction for waste management services rendered was very high (97.3%). Furthermore, the majority (61.4%) of respondents were not willing to participate in waste segregation due to lack of appropriate knowledge and infrastructure. The study also pinpointed some benefits associated with waste minimization, as well as barriers constraining effective waste recycling. Based on these findings, there is a dire need for transforming current waste management practices toward increased recycling rates by creating more environmental awareness and a supporting infrastructure.

A field experiment was conducted for 2 years in Green Tea Laboratory of Saitama Prefectural Agriculture and Forestry Research Center, Iruma, Saitama, Japan from March 2014 to December 2015. Controlled release fertilizers (CRF) or organic fertilizers (ORG) which is the mixture of chicken manure and oil cakewere applied with the amount of 450 kg N ha^-1 yr^-1 in 2014 and 397 kg N ha^-1 yr^-1 in 2015. Nitrous oxide (N₂O) emissionsfrom soil in green tea fields were measured by closed chamber method. The results showed that CRF has significantly lower N₂O compared to ORG. The cumulative N₂O emissions from CRF accounted for 51% of N₂O emissions from ORG fields and 138% of control with no fertilizer treatment. The N₂O flux from the row was higher than that of under the canopy, since fertilizer were applied on the row. However the total emission from the area between the rows was lower than that under the canopy because of the area ratio of row and canopy was 1:5.

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 high energy conversion efficient dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSC) was successfully fabricated by attaching a double anti-reflection (AR) layer which is composed of a subwavelength moth-eye structured polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) film and a polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) film. The efficiency is up to 6.79%. The moth-eye structured PMMA film was fabricated by using anodic aluminum oxide (AAO) template which is simple, low-cost and scalable. The nano-pattern of AAO template has been precisely reproduced onto PMMA film. The photoanode is composed of Titanium dioxide (TiO₂) nanoparticles (NPs) with diameter of 25 nm deposited on the fluorine-doped tin oxide (FTO) glass substrate and the sensitizer N3. The double AR layer can effectively improve the short-circuit current density (JSC) and conversion efficiency from 14.77 to 15.79 mA/cm² and from 6.26% to 6.79%, respectively.

Mesoporous TiO2/reduced graphene oxide/Ag (TiO2/RGO/Ag) ternary nanocomposite with effective electrons transfer pathway is obtained by an electrostatic self-assembly method and photo-assisted treatment. Compared with bare mesoporous TiO2 (MT) and mesoporous TiO2/RGO (MTG), the ternary mesoporous TiO2/RGO/Ag (MTGA) nanocomposite exhibited superior photocatalytic performance for the degradation of MB under visible light, and the degradation rate reached 0.017 min-1, which was 3.4 times higher than that of MTG. It is proposed that Ag nanoparticles can form the local surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) to absorb the visible light and distract the electrons into MT, and RGO can accept the electrons from MT to accelerate the separation efficiency of carriers. The establishment of MTGA ternary nanocomposite make the three components act synergistic effect to enhance the photocatalytic performance.

Water borne pathogens present a threat to human health and their disinfection from water poses a challenge, prompting search for newer methods and newer materials. Disinfection of Gram-negative bacterium Escherichia coli and Gram-positive coccal bacterium Staphylococcus aureus in aqueous matrix was achieved within 60 and 90 minutes respectively at 35⁰C using solar-photocatalysis mediated by sonochemically synthesized Ag@ZnO core-shell nanoparticles. The efficiency of the process increased with increase in temperature and at 55⁰C the disinfection could be achieved in 45 and 60 min respectively for the two bacteria. A new ultrasound assisted chemical precipitation technique was used for the synthesis of Ag@ZnO core-shell nanoparticles. The characteristics of the synthesized material were established using physical techniques. The material remained stable even at 400o C. Disinfection efficiency of the Ag@ZnO core-shell nanoparticles was confirmed in case of real world water samples from pond, river, municipal tap and was found to be better than that of pure ZnO and TiO2 (Degussa P25). When the nanoparticle based catalyst was recycled and reused for subsequent disinfection experiments, its efficiency did not change remarkably even after three cycles. The sonochemically synthesized Ag@ZnO core-shell nanoparticles have a good potential for application in solar photocatalytic disinfection of water borne pathogens.

The feasible, reliable and selective multi-template molecularly imprinted polymers (MT-MIPs) based on SBA-15 (SBA-15@MT-MIPs) for the selective separation and determination of the trace level of ginsenoside Rb₁ (Rb₁), ginsenoside Rg₁ (Rg₁) and notoginsenoside R₁ (R₁) (Panax notoginseng saponins, PNS) from biological samples were developed. The polymers were constructed by SBA-15 as support, Rb₁, Rg₁, R₁ as multi-template, acrylamide (AM) as functional monomer and ethylene glycol dimethacrylate (EGDMA) as cross-linker. The new synthetic SBA-15@MT-MIPs were satisfactorily applied to solid-phase extraction (SPE) coupled with high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) for the separation and determination of trace PNS in plasma samples. Under the optimized conditions, the limits of detection (LODs) and quantitation (LOQs) of the proposed method for Rb₁, Rg₁ and R₁ were in the range of 0.63-0.75 ng mL^-1 and 2.1-2.5 ng mL^-1, respectively. The recoveries of R₁, Rb₁ and Rg₁ were obtained between 93.4% and 104.3% with relative standard deviations (RSDs) in the range of 3.3-4.2%. All results show that the obtained SBA-15@MT-MIPs could be a promising prospect for the practical application in the selective separation and enrichment of trace PNS in the biological samples.

Global waste generation keeps increasing over the year and requires innovative solutions to minimize their impacts on environmental quality and public health. Predicted 2.2 billion tonnes per year of global municipal waste generation in the year 2025 which 1.6 fold is higher than in 2012. Hence, a strategic plan must be ascertained to overcome the future challenges of MSW locally and globally. Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) coined an initiative to demonstrate a showcase pilot plant for green energy production from MSW. Therefore, the data was obtained from the survey and actual sampling within the UPM compound to estimate the MSW generated and it's potentially used for green energy production. It is estimated that 5.0 – 7.0 tonne per day of MSW generated which about 30 - 35% is an organic fraction. Upon separation, the organic fractions were digested into biogas through anaerobic. At the maximum conversion of organic fraction, about 775 kWh of electricity may able to generate from the waste. In this study, the complete biorefinery setup and utilize organic components from the MSW generated in UPM was proposed that the biogas subsequently will be used to produce green energy in the form of electricity or cooking fuel.

The practice of collecting, treating and management of solid waste prior to disposal has become a necessity in developing and modern societies. Over the years, it is known that most wastes that are disposed have a second hand value. However, the construction cost for conventional Material Recovery Facility(s) (MRFs) has been a major barrier for implementation. These technologies require considerable technical expertise, which is often not available in developing nations to successfully operate the MRFs. Covenant University; a private mission institution through her waste to wealth scheme is focused on managing and processing used materials to reusable products. These include Pet bottles, Paper wastes, Food wastes from cafeteria, plastic food packs, nylon, tin cans and others. Specific areas chosen for the Survey include the residential areas for staff and students and the two cafeterias. The waste generated was characterized based on the waste stream so as to quantify the amount of recyclable waste generated and most occurring. The survey involved the use of structured questionnaires, on-site observations and measurements. The study reveals an average amount of recyclable waste generated per day in the institution as 13.46% pet bottles, 4.03% paper, 55.56% food waste, 12.64% plastic, 9.63% nylon and 4.68% tin cans. The study established that adequate waste characterization is a requirement for effective integrated solid waste management which would boost resource recovery, reuse and recycling.

Sentinel lymph node dissection (sLND) using a magnetometer and superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (SPIONs) as a tracer was successfully applied in prostate cancer (PCa). Radioisotope-guided sLND combined with extended pelvic LND (ePLND) achieved better node removal, increasing the number of affected nodes or the detection of sentinel lymph nodes outside the established ePLND template. We determined the diagnostic value of additional magnetometer-guided sLND after intraprostatic SPION-injection in high-risk PCa. This retrospective study included 104 high-risk PCa patients (PSA >20 ng/ml and/or Gleason score ≥8 and/or cT2c) from a prospective cohort who underwent radical prostatectomy with magnetometer-guided sLND and ePLND. The diagnostic accuracy of sLND was assessed using ePLND as a reference standard. Lymph node metastases were found in 61 of 104 patients (58.7%). sLND had a 100% diagnostic rate, 96.6% sensitivity, 95.6% specificity, 96.6% positive predictive value, 95.6% negative predictive value, 3.4% false negative rate, and 4.4% false positive rate (detecting lymph node metastases outside the ePLND template). These findings demonstrate the high sensitivity and additional diagnostic value of magnetometer-guided sLND, exceeding that of ePLND through the individualized extension of PLND or the detection of sentinel lymph nodes / lymph node metastases outside the established node template in high-risk PCa.

The present work describes the optimization and validation of a highly selective and sensitive analytical method using solid phase extraction and liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (SPE LC-MS/MS) for the determination of some frequently prescribed pharmaceuticals in urban wastewater received and treated by Sharjah sewage treatment plant (STP). The extraction efficiency of different SPE cartridges was tested and the simultaneous extraction of pharmaceuticals was successfully accomplished using hydrophilic-lipophilic-balanced reversed phase Waters^® Oasis HLB cartridge (200 mg/ 6 mL) at pH 3. The analytes were separated on an Aquity BEH C₁₈ column (1.7 µm, 2.1 mm x 150 mm) using gradient elution and the mass spectrometric analysis were performed in multiple reactions monitoring (MRM) selecting two precursor ions to produce ion transition for each pharmaceutical using positive electrospray ionization (+ESI) mode. The correlation coefficient values in the linear calibration plot for each target compound exceeded 0.99 and the recovery percentages of the investigated pharmaceuticals were more than 84%. Limit of detection (LOD) varied between 0.1-1.5 ng/L and limit of quantification (LOQ) was 0.3-5 ng/L for all analytes. The precision of the method was calculated as the relative standard deviation (RSD%) of replicate measurements and was found to be in the ranges of 2.2% to 7.7% and 2.2% to 8.6% for inter and intra-day analysis, respectively. All of the obtained validation parameters satisfied the requirements and guidelines of analytical method validation.

Nitric oxide (NO) is involved in physiological processes, including vasodilatation, wound healing and antibacterial activities. As NO is a free radical, designing drugs to generate therapeutic amounts of NO in controlled spatial and time manners is still a challenge. In this study, the NO donor S-nitrosoglutathione (GSNO) was incorporated into the thermoresponsive Pluronic F-127 (PL) - chitosan (CS) hydrogel, with an easy and economically feasible methodology. CS is a polysaccharide with known antimicrobial properties. Scanning electron microscopy, rheology and differential scanning calorimetry techniques were used for hydrogel characterization. The results demonstrated that the hydrogel has a smooth surface, thermoresponsive behavior and good mechanical stability. The kinetics of NO release and GSNO diffusion from GSNO-containing PL/CS hydrogel demonstrated a sustained NO/GSNO release, in concentrations suitable for biomedical applications. The GSNO-PL/CS hydrogel demonstrated a concentration-dependent toxicity to Vero cells, and antimicrobial activity to Pseudomonas aeruginosa (minimum inhibitory concentration and minimum bactericidal concentration values of 0.5 µg·mL^-1 of hydrogel, which corresponds to 1 mmol·L^-1 of GSNO). Interestingly, the concentration range in which the NO-releasing hydrogel demonstrated an antibacterial effect was not found to be toxic to the Vero mammalian cell. Thus, the GSNO-PL/CS hydrogel is a suitable biomaterial for topical NO delivery applications.

Torenia Concolor Lindley var. formosama Yamazaki ethanolic extract (TCEE) is reported to have anti-inflammatory and anti-obesity properties. However, the effects of TCEE and its underlying mechanisms in the activation of endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) have not yet been investigated. Increasing the endothelium-derived nitric oxide (NO) production has been known to be beneficial against the development of cardiovascular diseases. In this study, we investigated the effect of TCEE on eNOS activation and NO-related endothelial function and inflammation by using in vitro system. In endothelial cells (ECs), TCEE increased NO production in a concentration-dependent a manner without affecting the expression of eNOS. In addition, TCEE increased the phosphorylation of eNOS at serine 635 residue (Ser635) and Ser1179, Akt at Ser473, calmodulin kinase II (CaMKII) at threonine residue 286 (Thr286) and AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) at Thr172. Moreover, TCEE-induced NO production, and EC proliferation, migration and tube formation were diminished by pretreatment with LY294002 (an Akt inhibitor), KN62 (a CaMKII inhibitor) and compound C (an AMPK inhibitor). Additionally, TCEE attenuated the tumor necrosis factor-α-induced inflammatory response as evidenced by the expression of adhesion molecules in ECs and monocyte adhesion onto ECs. These inflammatory effects of TCEE were abolished by L-NG-nitroarginine methyl ester (a NOS inhibitor). Collectively, our findings suggest that TCEE confers protection from endothelial dysfunction by activating the Akt/CaMKII/AMPK/eNOS/NO signaling pathway.

Sulfonated carbon was used as an efficient and reusable heterogeneous solid acid catalyst for the synthesis of biodiesel via esterification of oleic acid with methanol under high voltage conditions. Using an inexpensive and reusable catalyst, environmental benignity, excellent yields in short times, synthesis in atmospheric pressure and low temperature conditions are some of the important features of this protocol. In the final results were confirmed by GC.

Tungsten oxides play a pivotal role in a variety of modern technologies e.g., switchable glasses, wastewater treatment, and modern gas sensors. Metallic tungsten is used as armor material, for e.g., gas turbines as well as future fusion power devices. In the first case, oxides are desired as functional materials, while in the second case, oxides can lead to catastrophic failures, so avoiding the oxidation of tungsten is desired. In both cases, it is crucial to understand the reactivity of tungsten oxides with other chemicals. In this study, the different reactivities of tungsten oxides with the highly-oxophilic beryllium are studied and compared. Tungsten-(IV)-oxide and tungsten-(VI)-oxide layers are prepared on a tungsten substrate. In the next step, a thin film of beryllium is evaporated on the samples. In consecutive steps, the sample is heated in steps of 100 K from r. t. to 1273 K. The chemical composition is investigated after each experimental step by high-resolution X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) of all involved core levels as well as the valence band. A model is developed to analyze the chemical reactions after each step. In this study, we find that tungsten trioxide was already reduced by beryllium at r. t. and started to react to form the ternary compounds BeWO₃ and BeWO₄ at temperatures starting from 673 K. However, tungsten dioxide is resistant to reduction at temperatures of up to 1173 K. In conclusion, we find WO₂ to be much more chemically resistant to the reduction agent Be than WO₃.

Besides the Lagrangian and the Eulerian descriptions, the motion of a body can also be expressed relative to the present configuration of the body, known as the relative motion description. It is interesting to consider such a relative motion description in general to formulate the basic system of field equations for solid bodies. In doing so, when the time increment from the present state is small enough, the nonlinear constitutive equations can be linearized relative to the present state so that the resulting system becomes linear. This will be done for thermoelastic materials with a brief comment on the exploitation of entropy principle in general. Relative Lagrangian formulation is based on the well-known ``small-on-large'' idea, and can be implemented for solving problems with large deformation in successive incremental manner. Some applications of such a formulation in numerical simulations are briefly reviewed.

The coordination polymer [Fe(NH₂trz)₃](2ns)₂ exhibits the rare phenomenon of spin crossover in an attractive temperature range, i.e., somewhat above room temperature. Spin crossover in [Fe(NH₂trz)₃](2ns)₂ is manifest by thermochromism, which is accompanied by a magnetic transition from diamagnetism to paramagnetism. However, [Fe(NH₂trz)₃](2ns)₂ is brittle and difficult to process, which limits its use. In this study, we show that [Fe(NH₂trz)₃](2ns)₂ can be co-processed with ultrahigh molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE), which possesses outstanding mechanical properties, particularly when tensile drawn. Therefore, [Fe(NH₂trz)₃](2ns)₂–UHMWPE blends were gel-processed by extrusion, employing a relatively poor solvent, which has recently been shown to offer advantages compared to good solvents. Uniform and flexible films, ribbons and fibers with [Fe(NH₂trz)₃](2ns)₂ fractions as high as 33.3% m/m were obtained that could be readily drawn. Spin crossover in the coordination polymer is retained in these materials, as evident from their thermochromism. The tensile strength and Young’s modulus of the blends exceed those of typical commodity polymers. Thus, the films, ribbons and fibers constitute a special class of multifunctional materials that combine the flexibility and excellent mechanical properties of drawn UHMWPE with the spin crossover behavior of [Fe(NH₂trz)₃](2ns)₂.

Semi-solid feedstock of AZ80 magnesium alloy modified by minor rare-earth Y element (0, 0.2, 0.4, 0.8 wt.%) were fabricated by strain induces melting activated (SIMA) in the form of extrusion and partial remelting. The effect of Y addition on the microstructure evolution of extruded and isothermal treated alloy was observed by optical microscope (OM), scanning electron microscope (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and quantitative analysis. The results show that the Y addition can refine the microstructure and make the β-Mg17Al12 phases agglomerating. During the subsequent isothermal treatment at 570℃, the average solid grain size, shape factor and liquid fractions increased with prolonged soaking time. Smaller spheroidal solid grains and the larger shape factor were obtained due to Y addition. The coalescence and Ostwald ripening of solid grains operated the coarsening process simultaneously. The coarsening rate constants of AZ80M1 (0.2 wt.% Y addition) of 164.22 μm3s-1 was approximately four times less than the un-modified AZ80 alloy of 689.44 μm3s-1. In contrast, the desirable semi-solid structure featured by fine, well globular solid grains and appropriate liquid fractions and shape factor was achieved in AZ80M1 alloy treated at 570℃ for 20-30 min.

The nitrogen-doped amorphous oxide semiconductor (AOS) thin film transistors (TFTs) with double-stacked channel layers (DSCL) were prepared and characterized. The DSCL structure composed of nitrogen-doped amorphous InGaZnO and InZnO films (a-IGZO:N/a-IZO:N or a-IZO:N/a-IGZO:N) made the corresponding TFT devices exhibit quite large field-effect mobility due to the existence of double conduction channels. Especially, the a-IZO:N/a-IGZO:N TFTs showed even better electrical performance (μ_FE = 15.0 cm²·V^-1·s^-1, SS = 0.5 V/dec, V_TH = 1.5 V, I_ON/I_OFF = 1.1×10⁸) and stability (V_TH shift of 1.5, -0.5, and -2.5 V for positive bias-stress, negative bias-stress and thermal stress tests, respectively) than the a-IGZO:N/a-IZO:N TFTs. Based on the X-ray photoemission spectroscopy measurements and energy band analysis, it was assumed that the optimized interface trap states, the less ambient gas adsorption, and the better suppression of oxygen vacancies in the a-IZO:N/a-IGZO:N hetero-structures might be responsible for the better behaviors of the corresponding TFTs.

Silymarin, a mixture of flavonolignan and flavonoid polyphenolic compounds extractable from the milk thistle seed, Silybum marianum, has anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-cancer and anti-viral activities potentially useful in the treatment of several liver disorders, such as chronic liver diseases, cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. Equally promising are the effects of silymarin in protecting the brain from the inflammatory and oxidative stress effects by which metabolic syndrome contributes to neurodegenerative diseases. However, despite clinical trials have proved that silymarin is safe at high doses (>1500 mg/day) in humans, it suffers limiting factors such as low solubility in water (<50 μg/mL), low bioavailability and poor intestinal absorption. To improve its bioavailability and provide a prolonged silymarin release at the site of absorption, the use of nanotechnological strategies appears to be a promising method to potentiate the therapeutic action and promote sustained release of the active herbal extract. The purpose of this study is to review the different nanostructured systems available in literature as delivery strategies to improve the absorption and bioavailability of silymarin.

Foods are mixed with saliva in the oral cavity and swallowed. During staying in the stomach, saliva is contentiously provided to mix with the ingested foods. Because a salivary component nitrite is protonated to produce active nitrous acid at acidic pH, the redox reactions of nitrous acid with phenolic compounds in foods become possible in the stomach. In the reactions, nitrous acid is reduced to nitric oxide (•NO), producing various products from phenolic compounds. In the products, stable hydroxybezoyl benzofuranone derivatives, which are produced from quercetin and its 7-O-glucoside, are included. Caffeic acid, chlorogenic acid, and rutin are oxidized to quinones and the quinones can react with thiocyanic acid derived from saliva producing stable oxathiolone derivatives. 6,8-Dinitrosocatechis are produced from catechins by the redox reaction, and the dinitrocatechins are oxidized further by nitrous acid producing the quinones, which can make charge transfer complexes with the dinitrosocatechin and can react with thiocyanic acid producing the stable thiocyanate conjugates. In this way, various products can be produced by the reactions of salivary nitrite with dietary phenolic compounds, and reactive and toxic quinones formed by the reactions are postulated to be removed in the stomach by thiocyanic acid derived from saliva.

Nitrogen (N) is an essential nutrient and plays an important role in plant growth and physiology. In addition, N is also the limiting nutrient in most terrestrial ecosystems. The increasing use of N fertilizers increases agricultural production, but also has negative impacts on biodiversity, water quality and increases emissions of greenhouse gases such as nitrogen oxides (NOx) and nitrous oxide (N2O) into the atmosphere. N2O is a strong greenhouse gas and the product of microbial transformation processes of N introduced into soil and groundwater (nitrification and denitrification). The production of N2O in soils is highly dependent on oxygen and water content, soil temperature and texture and the available amount of reactive nitrogen (NO3- or NH4+). In agricultural soils, N2O emissions are also influenced by the type of fertilizer used, crops grown, soil pH and NO3- concentration. Refined forms of land management, such as the cultivation of legumes, can reduce the use of fertilizers and thus also the emission of N2O. Legumes can use symbiotic nodule bacteria (rhizobia) to bind atmospheric N2 and make it available to the plant. Non-symbiotic soil microorganisms such as cyanobacteria or other heterotrophic and autotrophic prokaryotes are also able to fix N2. Furthermore, the N2-fixing enzyme nitrogenase, which is specific for most organisms, is not specific for other N2 compounds, especially N2O. To study the N2 and N2O fixation potential of soils and legumes, experiments with isotope-enriched N-gases (100 mol% 15N2 and 15N2O) were performed. Three different soil types (forest, meadow and wetland) as well as legume plants inoculated with rhizobia bacteria (Rhizobium leucaneae) (Leucaena leucocephala) were incubated in microcosms with different mixing ratios of N2 and N2O over a period of one week. The measured 15N enrichment was then used to determine the biological uptake rates. Both in plants and in soils admixtures of up to 40% N2O had no influence on the N2 fixation rate. N2 uptake rates were 1.2 ± 0.4 ug N gdw-1 d- 1in forest and grassland soils and 3.9 ± 1.2 ug N gdw-1 d- 1 in wetland soils. In contrast, the N2 fixation rates of leguminous plants were significantly higher (130 ± 40 ug N gdw-1 d- 1), with the highest accumulation not in root nodules but in the roots. In both plants and soil, the N2O fixation of 0.2 ± 0.1 ug N gdw-1 d- 1 could only be measured from a concentration of 4 vol%. The results indicate that both soils and legumes have a high potential to bind atmospheric nitrogen in the form of both N2 but not N2O. The fate of nitrogen in soil needs to be further investigated. N2 fixation seems to play an important role in wetland soils. Legumes in particular have the potential for NH4+ input and N2O reduction, as most of the solid nitrogen has been transferred to the roots, which can contribute significantly to soil nutrient input.

Gymnema sylvestre is a pharmacological plant which has a rich source of bioactive compounds specifically gymnemic acid (GA) and phenolic compounds (PC) that used for pharmaceutical industries. Sources for naturally occurring bioactive compounds are limited, due to geographical and seasonal variations; on the other hand, it is commercially in demand. Biosynthesis of G. sylvestre phytochemicals through in vitro culture often enhanced by elicitation. The use of cell suspension cultures (CSC) has interested serious attention on the production of essential phytochemicals. The current study is aimed at improving the contents of GA and PC in G. sylvestre CSC using the copper oxide nanoparticles (CuO NPs). Callus was obtained on MS medium with 2.0 mg/L 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D), 0.1 mg/L kinetin (KIN), phytoagar (8.0 g/L), and sucrose (30 g/L). The above medium devoid of agar was used for the initiation of CSC. The CSC was treated with three levels of CuO NPs (1, 3 or 5 mg/L) to enhance the production of GA and PC. The greatest amount of GA (89.25 mg/g dry cell mass, DCM), total phenolic (245.10 mg/g), and flavonoid (4.57 mg/g) in CSC were achieved when G. sylvestre cells were treated for 48 h with 3 mg/L CuO NPs. Also, the biomedical potential (antioxidant, antidiabetic, anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, antifungal and anticancer activities) were also high in the CuO NPs (3 mg/L) treated CSC extracts of G. sylvestre. CuO NPs elicitation of CSC significantly increased production of GA (9-fold), and PC than non-elicited CSC in G. sylvestre.

Conjugation is a bacterial mechanism for DNA transfer from a donor cell to a wide range of recipients, including both prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells. In contrast to conventional DNA delivery techniques, such as electroporation and chemical transformation, conjugation eliminates the need for DNA extraction, thereby preventing DNA damage during isolation. While most established conjugation protocols allow for DNA transfer in liquid media or on a solid surface, we developed a procedure for conjugation within solid media. Such a protocol may expand conjugation as a tool for DNA transfer to species that require semi-solid or solid media for growth. Conjugation within solid media could also provide a more stable microenvironment in which the conjugative pilus can establish and maintain contact with recipient cells for the successful delivery of plasmid DNA. Furthermore, transfer in solid media may enhance the ability to transfer plasmids and chromosomes greater than 100 kbp. Using our optimized method, plasmids of varying sizes were tested for transfer from E. coli to S. cerevisiae. We demonstrated that there was no substantial decrease in conjugation frequency as plasmid size increased—up to 138.5 kbp in length. Finally, we established an efficient PCR-based synthesis protocol to generate custom conjugative plasmids

2017 was an excellent year in terms of new drugs (chemical entities and biologics) approved by the FDA, with a total of forty-six. In turn, one of the highlights was the number of peptides (six) included in this list. Here, the six peptides are analysed in terms of chemical structure, synthetic strategy used for their production, source, biological target, and mode of action.

Zinc oxide (ZnO) nanostructures have been studied extensively in the past years due to the novel electronic, photonic, mechanical and electrochemical properties. Recently, more attention has been paid to assemble nanoscale building blocks into three dimensional (3D) complex hierarchical structures, which not only inherit the excellent properties of the single building blocks but also provide potential applications in the bottom-up fabrication of functional devices. This review article focuses on 3D ZnO hierarchical nanostructures, and summarizes major advances in the solution phase synthesis, applications in environment, and electrical/electrochemical devices. We present the principles and growth mechanisms of ZnO nanostructures via different solution methods, with an emphasis on rational control of the morphology and assembly. We then discuss the applications of 3D ZnO hierarchical nanostructures in photocatalysis, field emission, electrochemical sensor, and lithium ion batteries. Throughout the discussion, the relationship between the device performance and the microstructures of 3D ZnO hierarchical nanostructures will be highlighted. This review concludes with a personal perspective on the current challenges and future researches.

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.

A cuprous oxide (Cu₂O) thin layer served as the base for a non-enzymatic glucose sensor in an alkaline medium, 0.1 NaOH solution, with a linear range of 50-200 mg/dL using differential pulse voltammetry (DPV) measurement. An X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) study confirmed the formation of the cuprous oxide layer on the thin gold film sensor prototype. Quantitative detection of glucose in both phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) and undiluted human serum were carried out. Neither ascorbic acid nor uric acid even at a relatively high concentration level of 100mg/dL in serum interfered with the glucose detection, demonstrating the excellent selectivity of this non-enzymatic cuprous oxide thin layer based glucose sensor. Chronoamperometry (CA) and single potential amperometric voltammetry were used to verify the measurements obtained by differential pulse voltammetry (DPV), and the positive results validated that the detection of glucose in a 0.1 M NaOH alkaline medium by DPV measurement was effective. Nickel, platinum and copper are commonly used metals for non-enzymatic glucose detection. The performance of these metal-based sensors for glucose detection using DPV were also evaluated. Cuprous oxide (Cu₂O) thin layer based sensor showed the best sensitivity for glucose detection among the sensors evaluated.

1) Background: we have evaluated the antihypertensive effect of several flavonoid extracts in a rat model of arterial hypertension caused by chronic administration (6 weeks) of the nitric oxide synthesis inhibitor, L-NAME. 2) Methods: Sprague Dawley rats received L-NAME alone or L-NAME plus flavonoid-rich vegetal extracts (Lemon, Grapefruit + Bitter Orange, and Cocoa) or purified flavonoids (Apigenin and Diosmin) for 6 weeks. 3) Results: L-NAME treatment resulted in a marked elevation of blood pressure, and treatment with Apigenin, Lemon Extract, and Grapefruit + Bitter Orange extracts significantly reduced the elevated blood pressure of these animals. Apigenin and some of these flavonoids also ameliorated nitric oxide-dependent and independent aortic vasodilation and elevated nitrite urinary excretion. End-organ abnormalities such as cardiac infarcts, hyaline arteriopathy and fibrinoid necrosis in coronary arteries and aorta were improved by these treatments, reducing the end-organ vascular damage. 4) Conclusions: the flavonoids included in this study, specially apigenin, may be used as functional food ingredients with potential therapeutic benefit in arterial hypertension.

The author demonstrates a stable Lagrangian solid modeling method, tracking the interactions of solid mass particles rather than using a meshed grid. This numerical method avoids the problem of tensile instability often seen with smooth particle applied mechanics by having the solid particles apply stresses expected with Hooke's law, as opposed to using a smoothing function for neighboring solid particles. This method has been tested successfully with a bar in tension, compression, and shear, as well as a disk compressed into a flat plate, and the numerical model consistently matched the analytical Hooke's law as well as Hertz contact theory for all examples. The solid modeling numerical method was then built into a 2-D model of a pressure vessel, which was tested with liquid water particles under pressure and simulated with smoothed particle hydrodynamics. This simulation was stable, and demonstrated the feasibility of Lagrangian specification modeling for fluid–solid interactions.

Many centers worldwide raised the concern that immunocompromised patients for solid organ transplantation may be at high risk of developing a severe respiratory disease by COVID-19. Currently, there are no specific data on the COVID-19 in patients with generalized immunosuppression and transplantation.In this narrative review, we reported the main data of COVID-19 in patients with solid organ transplantation presented in the literature. The aim is to elaborate a strategy for tailored management, from diagnosis to therapy.The management of adult patients with solid organ transplantation and COVID-19 is a challenge for the clinicians. There is a lack of data in the literature, but three key-points are crucial: in the “pandemic era,” consider the symptomatic patient as positive for COVID-19 until proven otherwise; adjust/stop immunosuppressive agents; protect graft function with adequate route and dose administration of glucocorticoid and supportive measures. For pediatric patients, data are scarce. It is unclear if immunosuppression in patients with solid organ transplantation alters the predisposition to acquiring COVID-19 or if the disease implications are modified for better or for worse. Further studies are needed.

This paper presents a symmetrical topology for the design of solid-state transformer, made up of power switching converters, to replace conventional bulky transformers. The proposed circuitry not only reduces the overall size but also provides power flow control with the ability to be interfaced with renewable energy resources (RESs) to fulfill the future grid requirements at consumer end. Solid state transformer provides bidirectional power flow with variable voltage and frequency operation and has the ability to maintain unity power factor, and current total harmonic distortion (THD) for any type of load within defined limits of IEEE standard. Solid State Transformer offers much smaller size as compared to that of the conventional iron core transformer. MATLAB/Simulink platform is adopted to test the validity of the proposed circuit for different scenarios by providing the simulation results evaluated at 25 kHz switching frequency.

Growing population leads to industrialisation and urbanization which in turn generate huge amount of waste that represents a big problem for many developed and developing countries. Emerging solution for this problem can be use of wastes as a sustainable source of energy in the form of heat, electricity, fertilizer and biofuel like bioethanol. Type of technology employed is mainly based on the composition of waste whether it is rich in organic matter like MSW or not. WTE technologies reduce the volume of waste as well as decrease the dependence on fossil fuels for energy generation.This study focuses on overview of various available waste to energy conversion technologies like pyrolysis, gasification, incineration, biochemical treatments like landfill gas, aerobic and anaerobic digestion of wastes.

Water deficit caused by drought is a significant threat to crop growth and production. Nitric oxide (NO), a water- and lipid-soluble free radical, plays an important role in cytoprotection. Apart from a few studies supporting the role of NO in drought responses, little is known about this pivotal molecular amendment in the regulation of abiotic stress signaling. In this review, we highlight the knowledge gaps in NO roles under drought stress and the technical challenges underlying NO detection and measurements, and we provide recommendations regarding potential avenues for future investigation. The modulation of NO production to alleviate abiotic stress disturbances in higher plants highlights the potential of genetic manipulation to influence NO metabolism as a tool with which plant fitness can be improved under adverse growth conditions.

This study was conducted to evaluate the feasibility of applying a two-step biological treatment process, solid-state anaerobic digestion (SSAD) and black soldier fly larvae (BSFL) composting, for treating dairy cattle manure. Biogas from SSAD of dairy cattle manure, and the digestate of SSAD was fed to BSFL. In turn, BSFL can be fed to animals as a protein supplement. Adjustment of pH and 30% inoculation ratio (IR₃₀) during SSAD produced the highest theoretical methane yield, 626.1±28.7 L CH₄/kg VS_des, with an ultimate methane yield of 96.81±2.0 L CH₄/kg VS_load. For BSFL composting, the groups with a feeding rate of 75 and 100 mg/day/larvae had the highest body weight change, which was 969.6±28.4 and 984.1±177.6%, respectively. The combination process of SSAD and BSFL composting increases the incentive for dairy cattle manure treatment enabled higher waste removal efficiency, and produced more valuable products.

Influence of water concentration on the properties of fluorine-doped tin oxide (FTO) thin films was systematically studied in this work. Home made SISOM’s SPEED techniques and its chemical formulation was employed to grow the FTO on quartz substrate. Water concentration in the precursor solution was varied from 0, 0.5, 1.0 and 1.5 mol %. The structural, optical, and electrical properties of the films were studied under these deposition conditions. The results show that the properties of the films varied significantly with water concentration. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) revealed FTO films whose grain size and uniformity increases significantly with increase in water concentration. The structure of the films was measured by X-ray diffraction (XRD) measurement. It shows polycrystalline films with (110), (101), (200), (211) and (220) orientation; the strength increases as water concentration increases. The optical transmission was determined by UV-Vis spectroscopy at 380–780 nm UV-VIS regions. The optical transmittance varies with water concentration with an average of 84%. The electrical property, measured by Hall Effect revealed n-type semiconductor. The films have the following properties: resistivity, 15 × 10^-4Ω cm; carrier concentration, 18.7 × 10¹⁹ cm^-3 and mobility of 21.86 cm² V^-1 s^-1. The average figure of merit, φ of the FTO film is 1.25. Optimum deposition condition was established after series of experiments and was found to be 1.5% water concentration at 460^oC substrate temperature. The FTO films deposited in this work could be a promising replacement to indium tin oxide (ITO) especially in dye-sensitized solar cells.

The development of sensors for monitoring Carbon Monoxide (CO) in a large range of temperature is of crucial importance in areas as monitoring of industrial processes or personal tracking using smart objects. Devices integrating GaN/Ga₂O₃ core/shell nanowires (NWs) is a promising solution allowing combining the high sensitivity of the electronic properties to the states of GaN-core surface; and the high sensitivity to CO of Ga₂O₃-shell. Because the performances of sensors primarily depend on the material properties composing the active layer of the device, it is essential to control these properties and in first time its synthesis. In this work, we investigate the synthesis of GaN/Ga₂O₃ core-shell NWs with a special focus on the formation of the shell. The GaN NWs grown by Plasma-assisted molecular beam epitaxy, are post-treated following thermal oxidation to form Ga₂O₃-shell surrounding the GaN-core. We establish that the Ga₂O₃-shell thickness can be modulated from 1 up to 14 nm by changing the oxidation conditions, and follows the diffuse-controlled reaction. By combining XRD-STEM and EDX analysis, we also demonstrate that the oxide shell formed by thermal oxidation is crystalline and presents the β-Ga₂O₃ crystalline phase, and is synthesized in epitaxial relationship with the GaN-core.

The formation of solid solution series Cs_1-xM_xGaQ₂-mC64 (M = K, Rb; Q = S, Se; x = 0–1) was studied by X-ray diffraction and spectroscopic methods, revealing a complete miscibility of CsGaQ₂-mC64 with RbGaQ₂ and KGaSe₂, and a large miscibility gap with KGaS₂. All solid solution members exhibit similar Raman spectra, indicating the covalent Ga-Q bonding character. The similar optical band gaps likewise further contribute to this conclusion. Up to a degree of substitution, these solid solutions undergo a phase transition similar to CsGaQ₂-mC64. The influence of the substitution parameter x on phase transition process was investigated in situ using high-temperature X-ray powder diffraction experiments. Phase-pure solid solutions of the high-temperature polymorphs Cs_1-xM_xGaQ₂-mC16 were obtained up to x_max(K) = 0.1 and x_max(Rb) = 0.3. The crystal structures of these new CsGaQ₂-mC16 analogous high-temperature phases were refined from synchrotron diffraction data by Rietveld-refinement.

In this study, 12 organic waste materials were subjected to TG/DTG thermogravimetric analysis and DSC calorimetric analysis. These analyses provided basic information about thermochemical transformations and degradation rates during organic waste pyrolysis. Waste materials were chosen to cover the most abundant waste that can be found in the municipal solid waste stream. Based on TG results, kinetic parameters according to Coats–Redfern method were determined. The pyrolysis activation energy was the highest for cotton 134.5 kJ∙(mol∙K)-1 and the lowest for leather 25.2 kJ∙(mol∙K)-1. The DSC analysis showed number of transformations occurred during pyrolysis for each material. For each transformation, normalized energy required for transformation, or released during transformation were determined and then summarized to present energy balance. The study found that only for three waste materials: PET (-220.1 J⸱g-1), leather (-66.9 J⸱g-1), and chicken meat (-130.3 J⸱g-1) energy balance was negative, while the highest positive balance value was found for potato peelings (367.8 J⸱g-1). The obtained results may be applied for the modelling of energy and mass balance of municipal solid waste pyrolysis.

Patients with underlying health conditions are at risk for a poor outcome from Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Using machine reasoning by the sci.AI system, we investigated the pathobiochemistry of this observation to generate therapeutic guidelines. Facts were extracted and linked from publications available in nlm.nih.gov and Europe PMC to form the dataset which was validated by medical experts. Previously we described how preexisting chronic inflammation renders the acute inflammatory response to Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) excessive translating the SARS-CoV-2 infection into the clinical COVID-19 syndrome. Herein we focus on therapeutic interventions that mitigate the immune response. In essence, from bench to bedside, as depicted in the Graphical Abstract, the clinical management of COVID-19 should aim at: A. Control of excessive oxidant production. B. Neutralization of excessive oxidants. C. Upregulation of nitric oxide (NO) production.

The available magnetic field strength for high resolution NMR in persistent superconducting magnets has recently improved from 23.5 to 28 Tesla, increasing the proton resonance frequency from 1 to 1.2 GHz. For magic-angle spinning (MAS) NMR, this is expected to improve resolution, provided the sample preparation results in homogeneous broadening. We compare two-dimensional (2D) proton detected MAS NMR spectra of four membrane proteins at 950 and 1.2 GHz. We find a consistent improvement in resolution that scales superlinearly with the increase in magnetic field for three of the four examples. In 3D and 4D spectra, which are now routinely acquired, this improvement indicates the ability to resolve at least 2 and 2.5 times as many signals, respectively.

Suzuki cross-coupling reaction has developed one of the furthermost effectual approaches for the synthesis of biaryls or substituted aromatic moieties from aryl halides and arylboronic acids with a palladium-catalyst in the past two era’s. Herein, Pd-free layered double hydroxide containing nickel catalysts were prepared by co-precipitation method under ultrasonic irradiation and N2 atmosphere with different molar ratios of Ni: Mg: Al and coded as (1NiLDHs-Dr), (1.5NiLDHs-Dr) and (2NiLDHs-Dr). A series of reduced catalysts under 5%H2/N2 at different temperatures were coded as 1NiLDHs-R200, 1.5NiLDHs-R200 and 2NiLDHs-R200. As-synthesized 2NiLDHs-Dr was the superlative catalyst when coupling different aryl halides with different boronic acids derivatives. Deep investigation of all catalysts was done using different techniques such as inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectroscopy (ICP-OES), x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), powder x-ray diffraction (XRD), thermogravimetric analyses (TGA), Fourier transfer infrared (FTIR), scanning electron microscope (SEM) connected with energy dispersive x-ray (EDX) and N2-physisorption at -196 ℃. The results attained verified that ɑ-Ni(OH)2 was fashioned for 2NiLDHs-Dr catalyst and the enclosure of nickel ions in the cationic sheet of layered structure were responsible for the fascinating catalytic efficacy rather than the basic nature of material. The Ni-containing LDHs catalysts encourage forthcoming studies in Pd-free catalyzed C-C coupling reactions.

A novel stationary phase for affinity separations is presented. This material is based on sintered borosilicate glass readily available as semi-finished filter plates with defined porosity and surface area. The material shows fast binding kinetics and excellent long-term stability under real application conditions due to lacking macropores and high mechanical rigidity. The glass surface can be easily modified with standard organosilane chemistry to immobilize selective binders or other molecules used for biointeraction. In this paper, the manufacturing of the columns and their respective column holders by 3D printing is shown in detail. The model system protein A/IgG was chosen as an example to examine the properties of such monolithic columns under realistic application conditions. Several specifications, such as (dynamic) IgG capacity, pressure stability, long-term performance, productivity, non-specific binding, and peak shape, are presented. It could be shown that due to the very high separation speed, 250 mg antibody per hour and column can be collected, which surpasses the productivity of most standard columns of the same size. The total IgG capacity of the shown columns is around 4 mg (5.5 mg/mL), which is sufficient for most tasks in research laboratories. The cycle time of an IgG separation can be less than 1 minute. Due to the glass material's excellent pressure resistance, these columns are compatible with standard HPLC systems. This is usually not the case with standard affinity columns, limited to manual use or application in low-pressure systems. The use of a standard HPLC system also improves the ability for automation, which enables the purification of hundreds of cell supernatants in one day. The sharp peak shape of the elution leads to an enrichment effect, which might increase the concentration of IgG by a factor of 3. The final concentration of IgG can be around 7.5 mg/mL without the need for an additional nanofiltration step. The purity of the IgG was > 95% in one step and nearly 99% with a second polishing run.

Most of the municipalities in the Gulf region are facing performance related issues in their municipal solid waste management (MSWM) systems. They lack to possess a deliberate inter-municipality benchmarking processes. Instead of identifying the performance gaps for their key components (e.g., personnel productivity, operational reliability, etc.) and adopt proactive measures, the municipalities primarily rely on an efficient emergency response. A novel hierarchical modeling framework, based on deductive reasoning, is developed for performance assessment of MSWM systems. Fuzzy rule based modeling using Simulink-MATLAB was used for performance inferencing at different levels, i.e., component, sub-components, etc. The model is capable of handling the inherent uncertainties due to limited data and imprecise knowledge base. The model’s outcomes can exclusively assist the managers working at different levels of organizational hierarchy for effective decision-making. Performance of the key component, assists the senior management to assess the overall compliance level of performance objectives. Subsequently, operation management can hone in the sub-components to acquire useful information for intra-municipality performance management. While, individual indicators are useful for inter-municipality benchmarking. The model has been implemented on two municipalities operating in Qassim Region, Saudi Arabia. The results demonstrate the model’s pragmatism for continuous performance improvement of MSWM systems in the country and elsewhere.

Porosity in plasma sprayed coatings is vital for most engineering applications. It is either advantageous or disadvantageous depending on the functionality of the coating and the immediate working environment. Consequently, the formation mechanisms and development of porosity has been extensively explored to find out modes of controlling porosity in plasma sprayed coatings. In this work, a comprehensive review of porosity on plasma sprayed coatings is established. The formation and development of porosity on plasma sprayed coatings are governed by set spraying parameters. Optimized set spraying parameters have been used to achieve the most favorable coatings with minimum defects. Even with the optimized set spraying parameters, defects like porosity still occur. Here, we discuss other ways that can be used to control porosity in plasma sprayed coating with emphasis to atmospheric plasma sprayed chromium oxide coatings. Techniques like multi-layer coatings, nano-structured coatings, doping with rare earth elements, laser surface re-melting and a combination of the above methods have been suggested in adjusting porosity. The influences of porosity on properties of plasma sprayed coatings and the measurement methods of porosity have also been reviewed.

Peptide nucleic acid (PNA) is a synthetic DNA mimic that outperforms the properties of traditional oligonucleotides (ONs). On account of its outstanding features, such as remarkable binding affinity towards complementary DNA or RNA as well as high thermal and chemical stability, PNA has been proposed as a valuable alternative to the ON probe in gene-sensor design. In this study, a hybrid transducer made-up of graphene oxide (GO) nano-sheets covalently grafted onto a porous silicon (PSi) matrix has been investigated for the early detection of a genetic cardiac disorder, the Brugada syndrome (BS). A functionalization strategy towards the realization of a potential PNA-based device is described. A peptide nucleic acid (PNA), able to detect the SCN5A associated with the BS has been properly synthesized and used as a bioprobe for the realization of a proof-of-concept label-free optical PNA-biosensor. PSi reflectance and GO photoluminescence (PL) signals were simultaneously exploited for the monitoring of the device functionalization and response.

Immunosensors have been widely developed to use antibodies to detect a pathogen of interest; it is interesting to look at the effect of nonspecific antibody binding to E. coli using electrochemical methods. IgG antibody not specific to E. coli O157:H7 was crosslinked onto a screen-printed carbon electrode. The presence of E. coli at 4, 4 × 10², 4 × 10⁵, and 4 × 10⁸ CFU/mL on the electrode surface was detected via linear sweep voltammetry (LSV) and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). Current transfer at both electrodes was reduced as the concentration of bacteria increased; however, the calibration of number of cells to decreased current was nonlinear for IgG-modified electrodes. The nonlinearity is confirmed by EIS measurements which showed highest impedance at 4 CFU/mL E. coli when impedance should be the lowest. FESEM images showed higher binding of cells when IgG is present compared to electrodes with reduced graphene oxide (rGO) alone. Electrodes with rGO alone show less attachment of E. coli, with EIS showing a linear calibration profile, while LSV shows not much difference in current values for all concentrations aside from the highest concentration. These results suggest that nonspecific binding can provide false signals in electrochemical measurements, and it is crucial to provide proper controls.

This year marks the 20th anniversary of the discovery that proteins with various cellular functions can be temporarily immobilized in the nucleolus, a process known as nucleolar sequestration. This review reflects on the progress made to understand the physiological roles of nucleolar sequestration and the mechanisms involved in protein immobilization. We discuss how nucleolar sequestration consists of a highly choreographed amyloidogenic liquid-to-solid phase transition that converts the nucleolus into Amyloid bodies (A-bodies). The study of solid condensates A-bodies will offer unique perspectives on cellular assembly of membrane-less compartments and provide alternative insights on pathological amyloidogenesis involved in neurological disorders.

Agricultural product like cassava produces huge amounts of waste when processed to consumable goods. The waste generated is generally considered to contribute largely to environmental pollution. This study therefore investigates the waste management practice that is adopted by cassava processors in Ogun State, Nigeria. Five (5) Local Government Areas (LGAs) dominant in processing cassava were selected for the study on the basis of spatial location distribution; landmass and population. The survey involved the use of structured questionnaires administered to cassava processors of the selected LGAs. The Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) software application and descriptive statistics were used for data analysis. Results of the analysis show that majority (70%) of the cassava processors are females. Cassava peel constitutes 10% of the waste produced, of which 91% are heaped at refuse dump in most communities. Results also reveal that 86.3% of cassava residues are used for animal feeds. Other findings show that the peels when dried are used as bio-fuel for cooking and there is a significant potential for biogas production. From the data captured from respondent during the study, most processors are willing to pay for an improved waste management system. The study therefore suggests proper waste management of cassava waste to minimize environmental pollution.

Graphene oxide was synthesized by a one-step environmentally friendly mechanochemistry process directly from graphite and characterized by Raman, FT-IR and UV/vis spectroscopies, Atomic Force Microscopy, X-ray Diffraction, Scanning Electron Microscopy, Energy-Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy and Thermogravimetric Analysis. Spectroscopic analysis shows that the functional groups and oxygen content of the synthesized material are comparable with those of graphene oxide synthesized by other previously reported methods (Hummers). Thermogravimetric analysis reveals thermal stability up to 400 °C.

Fall armyworm Spodoptera frugiperda (J.E. Smith, 1797) is a major pest of corn, rice, and sorghum among other crops usually controlled using synthetic or biological insecticides. Currently, the new invention of nanotechnology is taking root in the agricultural industry as an alternative source of pest management that is target-specific, safe, and efficient. This study sought to determine the efficacy of commercial Zinc Oxide (ZnO) nanoparticles (NPs) towards S. frugiperda under labora-tory conditions. ZnO NPs were diluted into different concentrations (100- 500ppm), where the baby corn used to feed the S. frugiperda larvae was dipped. The development of the insect feeding on food dipped in ZnO solution was significantly (p<0.05) affected, and the number of days that the insect took to complete its life cycle had a significant difference compared to the control. There was a significant difference in the adults’ emergence at all the concentrations of ZnO NPs compared to the control, with over 90% of the eggs successfully going through the cycle until adult emergence. Additionally, several malformations were observed throughout the lifecycle of the insect. Also, the fecundity of the females was greatly affected. The findings of this study suggest the possibility of exploitation of ZnO nanoparticles not only to eradicate S. frugiperda but to significantly reduce their population in the ecosystem through deformations, reduced fecundity, reduced oviposition, and hatchability of eggs. It will be a valuable tool in integrated pest management regimens.

A series of MgAl-layered double hydroxide (MgAl-HT), the calcined form at 500^oC (MgAlO_x) and the re-hydrated one at 25^oC (MgAl-HT-RH) were synthesized. Physicochemical properties of the catalysts were characterized by x-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Surface area of the as-synthesized, calcined and re-hydrated catalysts was determined by N₂ physisorption at -196^oC. CO₂-teperature programmed desorption (CO₂-TPD) was applied to determine the basic sites of catalysts. The catalytic test reaction was carried out using benzaldehyde and their derivatives with nitromethane and their derivatives. The Henry products (1-15) were obtained in a very good yield using MgAl-HT-RH catalyst either by conventional method at 90^oC in liquid phase, or under microwave irradiation method. The mesoporous structure and basic nature of re-hydrated solid catalyst were responsible for their superior catalytic efficiency. The robust nature was determined by using the same catalyst for five times, where the product % yield was almost unchanged significantly.

We report the influence of ammonium hydroxide (NH4OH), as growth additive, on zinc oxide nanomaterial through the optical response obtained by photoluminescence (PL). A low-temperature hydrothermal process is employed for the growth of ZnO nanowires (NWs) on seedless Au surface. A more than two order of magnitude change in ZnO NW density is demonstrated via careful addition of NH4OH in the growth solution. Further, we show by systematic experimental study and PL characterization data that the addition of NH4OH can degrade the optical response of ZnO NWs produced. The increase of growth solution basicity with the addition of NH4OH may slowly degrade the optical response of NWs by slowly etching its surfaces, increasing the point defects in ZnO NWs. The present study demonstrates the importance of growth nutrients to obtain quality controlled density tunable ZnO NWs on seedless conducting substrates.

The ternary Bi2MoO6-reduced graphene oxide (rGO)-TiO2 catalyst were synthesized using a simple hydrothermal method. The improvement of the photocatalytic decomposition efficiency of Bi2MoO6-rGO-TiO2 composite is 92.3% than the pure and binary photocatalyst. The effects of operational parameters like catalyst ratio, the different catalyst, different ratio rGO and different pH, have been analyzed. As prepared ternary photocatalyst is low Photoluminescence and high photocurrent density responsible, it exhibited that photon-induced electron and hole-recombination were suppressed and also charged separation is effective. The present study shows the rGO is an excellent electron transfer performance and enhanced the photocatalytic reaction stability.

Despite huge effort has been devoted to the design of the initiators and reaction conditions, it remains challenging to synthesize high molecular weight polypeptides with conventional solution phase synthesis. In this work, surface-initiated vapor deposition polymerization (SI-VDP) was utilized to graft synthetic polypeptides poly (γ-benzyl L-glutamate) (PBLG) from polystyrene (PS) resin beads by ring-opening polymerization of N-carboxyanhydrides (NCAs). It was demonstrated for the first time that high molecular weight bulk PBLG (> 500,000) could be readily obtained within one hour via solvent-free synthetic method which paves the way for the synthesis of copolypeptides with high molecular weight.

In this work, we develop a self-consistent physical model of bubbles in a gas solid two-phase flow. Using the Peng-Robonson state equation and a detailed specific heat ratio equation of bubbles, we obtain the kinetic equations of the bubbles on the basis of the Ergun equation, thermodynamic equations, and kinetic equations. It is found that the specific heat ratio of bubbles in such systems strongly depends on bubble pressures and temperatures, which play an important role in the characteristics of the bubbles. The theoretical studies show that with increasing height in the systems, the gas flow rate shows a downward trend. Moreover, the larger particles in the gas solid flows are, the greater the gas velocity is. The bubble sizes increase with the increasing heights of the gas solid systems, and then decrease. The bubble velocity is affected by the gas velocity and the bubble size, which gradually increase and eventually quasi-stabilize. This shows that gas and solid phases in a gas solid two-phase flow interact with each other and a self-consistent system comes into being. The theoretical results have exhibited important value as a guide for understanding the properties and effects of bubbles in gas solid two-phase flows.

Intermetallic alloys like e.g. Iron-Aluminides, Titanium-Aluminides or Molybdenum- Silizides are prospective materials for high-temperature applications. For additive manufacturing (AM) intermetallic structural materials are particularly challenging due to their high melting points, oxygen susceptibility and low temperature brittleness. The feasibility of manufacturing intermetallic Mo-Si-B alloys with the laser additive manufacturing process of direct energy deposition (DED) is demonstrated and recent results in characterizing rapidly solidified material with respect to correlations between process, composition and microstructures are presented. The possibility to dope the material with Yttrium oxide (Y2O3) for dispersion is successfully demonstrated. Current challenges, e.g. homogenous distribution of alloying elements and applicability are addressed.

Aiming to improve the flame retardancy performance of natural rubber (NR), we developed a novel flame retardant synergistic agent through grafting of MCM-41 to graphene oxide (GO)，named as GO-NH-MCM-41，as an assistant of intumescent flame retardants (IFR). The structure of GO-NH-MCM-41 was characterized by FTIR, TEM and SEM tests, which confirmed that a fine grafting had been applied between GO and MCM-41. The flame retardancy of NR/IFR/GO-NH-MCM-41 composites was evaluated by limited oxygen index (LOI), UL-94 and cone calorimeter test. The LOI value of NR/IFR/GO-NH-MCM-41 reached to 26.3%; the UL-94 ratings improved to V-0 rating. Moreover, the addition of GO-NH-MCM-41 obviously decreased the peak heat release rate (PHRR) and the total heat release (THR) of the natural rubber composites. And the addition of GO-NH-MCM-41 increased the thickness of char residue. The images of SEM indicated the char residue were more compact and continuous. The degradation of GO-NH-MCM-41 based NR composites completed with a mass loss of 35.57% at 600 ℃. The tensile strength and the elongation at break of NR/IFR/GO-NH-MCM-41 composites were 13.9 MPa and 496.7%, respectively. The results of rubber process analyzer (RPA) reached the maximum value, probably due to a better network of the fillers in the matrix.

Solid state fermentation (SSF) is considered more sustainable than traditional fermentation because it uses low amounts of water and transforms agro-industrial residues into value added products. Enzymes, biofuels, nanoparticles and bioactive compounds can be obtained from SSF. The key factor in SSF processes is the choice of microorganisms and their substrates. Many fungal species can be used and are mainly used due their lower requirements of water, O2 and light. Residues rich in soluble and insoluble fiber are utilized by lignocellulolytic fungi because they have the enzymes that break fiber hard structure (lignases, celullases or hemicelullases). During the hydrolysis of lignin, some phenolic compounds are released but fungi also synthetize compounds such as mycophenolic acid, dicerandrol C, phenylacetates, anthraquinones, benzofurans and alkenyl phenols that have health beneficial effects such as antitumoral, antimicrobial, antioxidant and antiviral activities. Another important group of compounds synthetized by fungi during fermentation are polysaccharides that also have important health promoting properties. Fungal biofermentation has also proved to be a process which can release high contents of phenolics and it also increases the bioactivity of these compounds.

Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are among the most abundant air pollutants. Their high concentrations can adversely affect the human body and therefore, early detection of VOCs is of outmost importance. Among the different VOCs, in this review paper, we have focused our attention on the monitoring of acetaldehyde by chemiresistive gas sensors using nanostructured semiconducting metal oxides. These sensors not only can provide a high sensing signal for detection of acetaldehyde, but also high thermal and mechanical stability and low price. This review paper is divided into three major sections. First, we will introduce acetaldehyde as the target gas and the importance of its detection. Then, the fundamentals of chemiresistive gas sensors will be briefly presented and, in the last section, a survey of literature on acetaldehyde gas sensors will be discussed. Acetaldehyde sensors working mechanism, their structures and configurations are reviewed. Finally, the future development outlook and potential applications are discussed, giving a complete panoramic view for researcher working and interested in acetaldehyde detection for different purposes in many fundamentals and applicative fields.

Solid tumors display complex biology and most therapies including chemotherapy cannot prevent therapy resistance and relapse. Most therapeutics target cancer cells, but recent data suggest the presence of cancer stem cells as cells with self-renewal and tumorigenic abilities. Cancer stem cell markers have been suggested to have prognostic value and can be targeted during cancer treatment and in resistant disease. CSCs have been postulated to play significant contextual roles in tumor initiation, progression, therapy resistance and metastasis. CSCs have thus been targeted by new generation cancer drugs. The transcriptional expression of several CSC markers in different cancers was evaluated by searching publicly available The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and Gene Expression Profiling Interactive Analysis (GEPIA) databases. We report here new findings on expression and prognostic significance of CSC markers in several cancers by examining the expression of CSCs markers in tumor tissues versus the adjacent normal tissues. We found that CSC markers were mostly highly expressed various tumors such as colon, lung, pancreatic and esophageal cancers. No CSC marker is expressed in the same pattern in all cancers and individual CSC marker expression was not linked to patient survival. This analysis calls for continued research on CSCs and clinical evaluation of the CSC markers in relation to prognosis of cancers in large population samples. Novel cancer drugs ought to target CSCs, cancer cells and tumor microenvironment variations.

Stem cells are undifferentiated cells which can give rise to any types of cells in our body. Hence, they have been utilized for various applications such as drug testing and disease modeling. However, for the successful of those applications, the survival and differentiation of stem cells into specialized lineages should be well controlled. Growth factors and chemical agents are the most common signals to promote the proliferation and differentiation of stem cells. However, those approaches holds several drawbacks such as the negative side effects, degradation or denaturation, and expensive. To address such limitations, nanomaterials have been recently used as a better approach for controlling stem cells behaviors. Graphene oxide is the derivative of graphene, the first 2D materials in the world. Recently, due to its extraordinary properties and great biological effects on stem cells, many scientists around the world have utilized graphene oxide to enhance the differentiation potential of stem cells. In this mini review, we highlight the key advances about the effects of graphene oxide on controlling stem cell growth and various types of stem cell differentiation. We also discuss the possible molecular mechanisms of graphene oxide in controlling stem cell growth and differentiation.

Urination on carpet and subflooring can develop into persistent and challenging to mitigate odor. Very little or no information is published on how these VOCs change over time when urine is deposited on the carpet covering a plywood-type subflooring. This research has investigated the VOCs emitted from carpet+subflooring (control), carpet+subflooring sprayed with water (control with moisture), and cat urine-contaminated carpet+subflooring (treatment) over time (day 0 and 15). In addition, the effect of popular cleaning products on VOCs emitted and evaluated their efficacy in eliminating those indoor odors over time (day 0 and 15). Carpet-subflooring with all treatments were also contaminated with Micrococcus luteus, nonmotile obligate aerobe commonly found in household dust, to observe the impact of the aerobe on carpet-subflooring VOCs emission. VOCs emitted from carpet+subflooring receiving different treatments were collected from headspace using solid-phase microextraction (SPME). The VOCs were analyzed using a multidimensional gas chromatography-mass spectrometer attached to an olfactometry (GC-MS-O). Many common VOCs were released from the carpet on day one and day fifteen, specifically from urine contamination. Cleaning products were effective in masking several potent odors of cat urine contaminated carpet VOCs on day one but unable to remove the odor appeared on day 15 in most cases.

The garnet Li₇La₃Zr₂O₁₂ (LLZO) has been widely investigated because of its high conductivity, wide electrochemical window and chemical stability to lithium metal. However, the usual preparation process of LLZO requires a long time of high-temperature sintering and a lot of mother powders against the lithium evaporation. The submicron Li₆.6La₃Zr₁.6Nb₀.4O₁₂ (LLZNO) powders are prepared by conventional solid-state reaction method and attrition milling process, which are stable cubic phase and have high sintering activity, and Li stoichiometric LLZNO ceramics are obtained by sintering at a relative lower temperature or for a short time by using these powders which are difficult to control under high sintering temperature and long sintering time. The particle size distribution, phase structure, microstructure, distribution of element, total ionic conductivity, relative density and activation energy of submicron LLZNO powders and LLZNO ceramics are tested and analyzed by laser diffraction particle size analyzer, XRD, SEM, EIS and Archimedean method. The total ionic conductivity of sample sintered at 1200 °C for 30 min is 5.09 × 10-4 S·cm-1, the activation energy is 0.311 eV, and the relative density is 87.3%, and sintered at 1150 °C for 60 min total ionic conductivity is 3.49 × 10-4 S·cm-1, the activation energy is 0.316 eV, and the relative density is 90.4%. At the same time, all-solid-state batteries are assembled with LiMn₂O₄ as positive electrode and submicron LLZNO powders as solid state electrolyte. After 50 cycles, the discharge specific capacity is 105.5 mAh/g and the columbic efficiency is above 95%.

In the present work, the state of the art of the most common additive manufacturing (AM) technologies used for the manufacturing of complex shape structures of graphene-based ceramic nanocomposites, ceramic and graphene-based parts is explained. A brief overview of the AM processes for ceramic, which are grouped by the type of feedstock used in each technology, is presented. The main technical factors that affect the quality of the final product were reviewed. The AM processes used for 3D printing of graphene-based materials are described in more detail; moreover, some studies in a wide range of applications related to these AM techniques are cited. Furthermore, different feedstock formulations and their corresponding rheological behaviour were explained. Additionally, the most important works about the fabrication of composites using graphene-based ceramic pastes by Direct Ink Writing (DIW) are disclosed in detail and illustrated with representative examples. Various examples of the most relevant approaches for the manufacturing of graphene-based ceramic nanocomposites by DIW are provided.

Ammonia produced using renewable hydrogen is being viewed as a promising media for the export of energy from locations rich in renewable energy sources. Solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) are efficient devices for converting such exported ammonia back into electricity at the point of use, however investigations on materials and operating regime for direct ammonia fuelled SOFCs are limited. The studies on fuel electrodes tailored specifically for ammonia fuel are limited. In this work, we evaluated the direct ammonia SOFC performance with Silver-Lanthanum Strontium Cobalt Ferrite (Ag-LSCF) composite anode and a novel Palladium (Pd) nanoparticle decorated Silver-Lanthanum Strontium Cobalt Ferrite (Pd-Ag-LSCF) composite anode in the temperature range of 500 °C to 800 °C. It is hypothesized that Palladium nanoparticles in the anode provide hydrogen dissolution and shift the ammonia decomposition reaction towards the right. The cell performance was evaluated with both hydrogen and ammonia as fuels and a clear-cut improvement in the performance was observed with the addition of Pd for both the fuels. The results showed a performance enhancement by 20% and 43% with hydrogen and ammonia fuels respectively from the Pd addition of Ag-LSCF anode. Open circuit voltage (OCV) values of the cells with hydrogen and ammonia fuel recorded over the temperature range of 500 °C to 800 °C indicated the possibility of direct electro-oxidation of ammonia in SOFCs.

The recycling, incineration, and final disposal rate of municipal solid waste (MSW) are calculated based on the total amount of waste input to each facility in many countries. These statistic data have serious limitation in setting the national goal and policy for effective waste management because it is not considering the amount of foreign objectives in the process of each life-cycle stage. This case study is to estimate the actual rates of recycling, incineration, and final disposal by material flow analysis (MFA) after the collection of MSW in Korea. The actual rates of recycling, incineration and final disposal for MSW in 2016 were 49.9%, 32.9% and 23.1% respectively, indicating that the recycling rate was lower by 10.1%, while the incineration and final disposal rates were raised by 7.6% and 8.4% respectively, compared with the statistics for current MSW. In addition, the changed actual rates of recycling, incineration treatment, and final landfill, and variation of waste treatment charge according to treated amounts per treatment method was analyzed. This results of this study will contribute to establish national level of plan on effective waste management.

Three rice paddy fields under farmers’ actual management conditions were investigated from May to April at Bibai (43°18′N, 141°44′E), in central Hokkaido, Japan to evaluate the carbon (C) sequestration and contribution of CO2, CH4 and N2O fluxes to a global warming potential (GWP). CH4 and N2O fluxes were measured by placing the chamber over the rice plants covering four hills and CO2 fluxes from rice plants root free space in paddy fields were taken as an indicator of soil microbial respiration (Rm) using the closed chamber method. Annual cumulative Rm ranged from 422 to 519 g C m-2 yr-1; which accounted for 54.7 to 55.5 % mainly during the rice growing season. Annual cumulative CH4 emission ranged from 75.5 to 116 g C m-2 yr-1 and this contribution occurred entirely during the rice growing period. Annual cumulative N2O emission ranged from 0.091 to 0.154 g N m-2 yr-1 and 73.5 to 81.3% of the positive annual N2O emission observed during the winter-fallow season. Soil C sequestration was estimated as the difference between net primary production (NPP) and C loss through Rm, CH4 emission and crop C harvest. The soil C sequestration ranged from -305 to -365 g C m- 2 yr-1, indicating that the C loss could not be compensated for by C input through NPP. Carbon loss was much higher (62 to 66%) in winter-fallow season than growing season. The annual net GWP from the investigated paddy fields ranged from 3823 to 5016 g CO2 equivalent m-2 yr-1. Annual GWPCH4 accounted for 71.9 to 86.1% of the annual net GWP predominantly from the rice growing period. These results indicate that CH4 dominated the rice paddy’s net GWP.

Membrane distillation techniques appear as one of the most promise alternative to guarantee the availability of potable water in time of scarce of this essential resource. For membrane preparation, polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) is preferred due to the easier synthesis procedures with respect to other fluorine based polymers. In this work, copper oxide nanoparticles (CuONPs) at different weight percent (wt.%), embedded in PVDF membranes supported on non-woven polyester fabric (NWPET) were prepared by the phase-inversion method, and characterized by spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR, Raman) and electron microscopy techniques (SEM). The PVDF deposited onto the NWPET was highly composed by its polar -phase (F()= 53 %) which was determined from the ATR-FTIR spectrum. The F() value was kept constant, in the whole range of CuONPs studied (2-10 wt.%) as was determined from the ATR-FTIR spectrum. The absence of signals corresponding to CuONPs in the ATR-FTIR spectra and the appearance of peaks at 297, 360 and 630 cm-1 in the Raman spectra of the membranes suggested that the CuONPs are preferably located in the inner of the membrane but not on its surface. The membrane morphologies were characterized by SEM. From the obtained SEM micrographs, a decrease and increase in the amount of micropores and nanopores, respectively, near to the surface and intercalated in the finger-like layer were observed. As result of the CuONPs addition, the nanopores in the sponge-like layer decrease in size. The values of water contact angle (WCA) measurements showed a trend to decrease from 94° to 80° upon the addition of CuONPs (2-10 wt.%) indicating a diminish in the hydrophobicity degree of the membranes. Apparently, the increase in the amount of nanopores near to the surface decreased the membrane roughness becoming less hydrophobic.

Municipal landfills play a vital role in disposing of the solid waste from a community. One of the biggest challenges landfill management face is when the available storage space is being reduced faster than the rate that was planned for. This shortening of the landfill lifecycle impacted the city of Wilmington, Delaware when it was found that their landfill had lost 11 years of its projected lifespan and would reach fully capacity within the next decade. In order to remedy the situation six alternative solutions were devised, with each having different costs (capital, operating, and transport) and varying lengths of landfill extension. This research used the principle of optimization via a LINDO program to determine which solution would achieve the longest landfill extension for the minimum total cost. Other constraints placed on the program include reducing the waste being sent to the landfill and to achieve a minimum of 25 additional years for the landfill. The calculated solution produced a cost reduction of $232.64 million dollars and 3.2 additional years of operation from the option that was eventually chosen by the landfill authority.

The remarkable adsorption capacity of graphene derived materials has prompted their examination in composite materials suitable for deployment in treatment of contaminated waters. In this study, crosslinked calcium alginate – graphene oxide beads were prepared and activated by exposure to pH 4 by using 0.1M HCl. The activated beads were investigated as novel adsorbents for the removal of organic pollutants (Methylene Blue dye and the pharmaceuticals Famotidine and Diclofenac) with a range of physicochemical properties. Effects of initial pollutant concentration, temperature, pH and adsorbent dose were investigated and kinetic models were examined for fit to the data. Maximum adsorption capacities q_max obtained were 1334, 35.50 and 36.35 mg g^-1 for the uptake of Methylene blue, Famotidine and Diclofenac respectively. The equilibrium adsorption had an alignment with Langmuir isotherms while the kinetics were most accurately modelled using a pseudo- first –order and second order models according to the regression analysis. Thermodynamic parameters such as ΔG^◦, ΔH^◦ and ΔS^◦ were calculated and the adsorption process was determined to be exothermic and spontaneous.

In this work, we designed and fabricated a multifunctional nanocomposite system which consists of chitosan, raspberry-like silver nanoparticles and graphene oxide. Room temperature atmospheric pressure microplasma (RT-APM) process provides a rapid, facile, and environment-friendly method for introducing silver nanoparticles into the composite system. By loading different drugs onto the polymer matrix and/or graphene oxide, our composite can achieve a pH controlled dual drug release with release profile specific to the drugs used. In addition to its strong antibacterial ability against E. coli and S. aureus, our composite also demonstrates excellent photothermal conversion effect under irradiation of near infrared lasers. These unique functionalities point to it’s the potential of nanocomposite system in multiple applications areas such as multimodal therapeutics in healthcare, water treatment, and anti-microbial, etc.

This work reports the role of structure and composition on the determination of the performances of p-type SnOx TFTs deposited by rf magnetron sputtering at room temperature, followed by a post-annealed step up to 200 °C at different oxygen partial pressures (Opp), between 0% and 20%, but where the p-type conduction was only observed between 2.8–3.8%. The role of structure and composition were evaluated by XRD and Mössbauer spectroscopic studies. The study allows to identify the best phases/compositions and thicknesses (around 12 nm) to be used that lead to the production of TFTs with a bottom gate configuration, on glasses coated with conductive Indium Tin Oxide, followed by Aluminium Titanium Oxide dielectric layer with saturation mobility of 4.6 cm²V⁻¹s⁻¹ and on-off ratio above 7 × 10⁴, operating at the enhancement mode with a saturation voltage of −10 V.

The excellent properties of nanomaterials have been confirmed in many fields, but the effects on plants are still unclear. In this study, we have found that bismuth vanadium promoted the growth of taproots and the development of lateral roots, increased the roots activity by regulating the expression of polyamine or hormone-related genes and reducing the accumulation of reactive oxygen species in Arabisdopsis thaliana. Meantime, BV had higher antimicrobial effect than that of graphene oxide (GO). These results showed us a new perspective possibility of nanomaterials assisting the development of plants and crops, which is expected to become one of the ways to solve the problem of controlling and promoting the development of plants and crops.

Because of some of their diverse benefits, intelligent textiles have attracted a great deal of interest among specialists over the past decade. This paper describes a novel approach to the manufacture of intelligent piezoelectric polymer-based textiles with enhanced piezoelectric responses for applications that extract biomechanical energy. Here we report a highly scalable and ultrafast production of smart textile piezoelectric containing graphene oxide nanosheets (GONS) dispersed in polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF). In this work, Cotton textiles (CT) were functionalized and by graphene oxide (GO), using PVDF as a binder to obtain a CT-PVDF-GO material. Tetraethyl orthosilicate (TEOS) was further grafted as a coating layer to improve the surface compatibility, resulting in the CT-PVDF-GO-TEOS composite. The research results show that the addition of GONS significantly improves PVDF's overall crystallization rate on CT. More specifically, the piezoelectric β-phase content (100 % higher F[β]) and crystallinity degree on the piezoelectric properties of composite cotton fiber has been improved effectively. Consequently, this fabricated piezo-smart textile has a glorious piezoelectricity even with comparatively low coating content of PVDF-GONS-TEOS. Based on it, the as-fabricated piezoelectric textile device has resulted in the output voltage of up to 13 mV for a given frequency (fm = 8 Hz) at fixed strain amplitude value (0.5 %). It is believed that this research may further reveal the field of energy harvesting for possible applications in the future.. In addition, the set of experimental results that illustrate the smart textile was carried out and discussed, and how it can be used as a wearable device source for this smart textile. Finally, the approach described in this study can also be used to construct other desirable designs, for a wearable low-consumption sensor, etc.

Replacing carbon by hydrogen is a huge step towards reducing CO₂ emissions in the iron- and steel-making industry. The reduction of iron oxides using hydrogen plasma smelting reduction as an alternative to conventional steel-making routes has been studied at Montanuniversitaet Leoben, Austria. The aim of this work was to study the slag formation during the reduction process and the reduction behaviour of iron oxides. Furthermore, the reduction behaviour of iron ore during continuous feeding was assessed. Mixtures of iron ore and calcined lime with a basicity of 0, 0.8, 1.6, 2.3, and 2.9 were melted and reduced by hydrogen. The off-gas composition was measured during the operations to calculate the process parameters. The reduction parameters, namely the degree of reduction, degree of hydrogen utilisation, produced iron, and slag, are presented. The results of the batch-charged experiments showed that at the beginning of the reduction process, the degree of hydrogen utilisation was high, and then, it decreased over the operation time. In contrast, during the continuous-feeding experiment, the degree of hydrogen utilisation could be kept approximately constant. The highest degrees of reduction and hydrogen utilisation were obtained upon the application of a slag with a basicity of 2.3. The experiment showed that upon the continuous feeding of iron ore, the best conditions for the reduction process using hydrogen could be applied.