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Metal–organic frameworks (MOFs)-based advanced oxidation processes show great potential in wastewater treatment, while large-scale application is limited by their particle agglomeration and poor recyclability. Herein, a novel three-dimensional (3D) ZIF-67/PAN nanofibrous sponge (ZIF-67/PAN NFS) was successfully fabricated by a convenient method based on a combination of liquid-assisted collection electrospinning, in situ growth and freeze-drying. It was an efficient catalyst for the activation of peroxymonosulfate (PMS). The obtained ZIF-67/PAN NFS exhibited excellent catalytic performance toward the degradation of methylene blue (MB) (99.25% within 30 min). Several influencing factors, such as PMS concentration, temperature, initial pH, and initial MB concentration, were systematically investigated for the degradation of MB. Moreover, the radical quenching experiments proved that SO 4 · - was the predominant reactive species instead of · OH for the degradation of MB. Besides, the ZIF-67/PAN NFS showed excellent reusability and the degradation efficiency remained above 94.36% after five consecutive cycles. This strategy is feasible for the fabrication of novel and efficient catalysts for remediation of organic wastewaters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lead poisoning is one of the most common and preventable environmental health problems. Prevention is directly correlated with detection and quantification. This report provides a green, facile and economical approach to synthesizing carbon dots (CDs) from Moringa oleifera gum (MOG) which can quantify the lead in environmentally desecrated samples like water, e-waste leachate using a smart phone for the first time. The synthesized MOG-CDs are functional group-rich and are naturally doped with calcium and sulfur, which enhances their photoluminescence. The intrinsic nature of MOG-CDs displayed a photoluminescence "Turn ON–OFF" mechanism even in trace amounts of Pb2+ ions. MOG-CDs selectively and sensitively detect Pb2+, with a detection limit (LOD) of 0.41 ppb (1.08 nM). The photoluminescent probe quantified Pb2+ in actual water and electronic waste samples. The relative standard deviation (RSD) of < 7% makes its performance highly reproducible. The probe has high sensitivity, selectivity, repeatability, stability, and applicability. Furthermore, the Pb2+-induced photoluminescence quenching recognition using a smartphone-based portable sensing platform showed excellent linearity (R2 = 0.9961) within the range of 0–100 ppb, with satisfactory sensitivity (LOD = 4.41 ppb (11.62 nM)). The demonstrated photoluminescent sensing probe offers palatable results, extending its potential applications in resource-constrained areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper introduces a methodology for extracting opinion aspects from textual content by identifying the customer-evaluated parameters regarding a given object. These parameters form the foundation for shaping the customer's attitudes toward the product or service. The proposed approach leverages topic modeling tools to delineate classes of vocabulary exhibiting semantics aligned with the parameters influencing the customer's opinion about the object. Our study specifically explores the application of the BERTopic model as a topic modeling tool to address this challenge. The outlined methodology encompasses several sequential steps, including the preprocessing of textual data involving the removal of stopwords, conversion to lowercase characters, and lemmatization. Additionally, special consideration is given to the distinct lexical manifestations of opinion aspects, obtained as a result of the extraction of nominal, verbal, and adjectival single- and multicomponent phrases from the corpus. Subsequently, the corpus sentences are represented as vectors in a feature space expressed by the extracted words and phrases. The final step involves the application of topic modeling using the BERTopic model on the customer review corpus, utilizing the vector representations of corpus sentences. The experimental inquiry is conducted on a domain-specific Russian-language corpus comprising customer feedback on airline services gathered from customer review websites. The resultant topic distribution is then juxtaposed against a manually constructed conceptual model of the domain. The comparative analysis reveals that the automatic topic distribution aligns with the conceptual structure of the domain, demonstrating a precision of 0.955 and a recall of 0.875. These findings affirm the efficacy of employing the BERTopic model to address the problem of the corpus-based mining of opinion aspects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The growth of photocatalysis has led to increased interest in photocatalysts due to their crucial role in environmental protection, therapeutic, energy generation, and industrial processes. Extensive research has been conducted to invent photocatalysts with outstanding properties and excellent photocatalytic performances to alleviate large-scale applications. Hybrid nanocomposites are capable of exhibiting extraordinary and expected characteristics, which are attributed due to the presence of nanostructured materials having novel properties. This article aims to accumulate the significant aspects, including fundamental mechanisms, suitable nanomaterials and multiple methods for synthesis, strategies to boost the performances, various types, and prospective applications of photocatalysts. More detailed explanations and relevant examples have been provided regarding the efficient techniques used to produce photocatalysts based on hybrid nanocomposites and the successful approaches employed to improve their photocatalytic performance. In addition, biomaterial-based environmentally benign nanophotocatalysts have been focused on here since the hazard and toxicity of nanotechnology products are of great concern nowadays. The discussion has been concluded by addressing the existing challenges with concluding remarks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Phenolic compounds are commonly found in industrial effluents and can be hazardous to organisms even at low concentrations. Over the years, researchers have demonstrated that bioremediation is a cost-effective and environmentally friendly alternative to physicochemical approaches used to remove phenol. The aim of this study was to investigate the removal of phenol from saline wastewaters by a halotolerant strain of the genus Janibacter. For this purpose, bacterial cells were immobilized on different supports, from which mica and zeolite were ultimately chosen due to their higher removal efficiency. The wet weight of immobilized cells per 1 g of mica and zeolite was 0.51 and 0.48 g, respectively. Free cells consumed 100 mg/L of phenol in 88 h, while immobilized cells used it in 40 h. Immobilized cells revealed a higher thermostability and could operate over a wider pH range and salinity. Unlike free cells, immobilized cells could remove 700 mg/L of phenol and could be reused for at least nine cycles. Interestingly the phenol removal efficiency of zeolite-immobilized cells remained unchanged after 4 months of storage at 4 and − 20 °C, which could be of great advantage for industrial applications. Complete destruction of phenol was observed through the meta pathway comprising phenol hydroxylase and catechol 2,3-dioxygenase enzymes. Key points: • Mica- and zeolite-immobilized cells were able to consume high concentrations of phenol. • Cells immobilized on mica and zeolite had considerable operational and storage stability. • Immobilized cells could be a good candidate for phenol removal in saline environments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Heavy metals in soil are harmful to natural biodiversity and human health, and it is difficult to estimate the effects accurately. To reduce pollution and manage risk in coal-mining regions, it is essential to evaluate risks for heavy metals in soil. The present study reviews the levels of 21 metals (Nb, Zr, Ag, Ni, Na, K, Mg, Rb, Zn, Ca, Sr, As, Cr, Fe, Pb, Cd, Co, Hg, Cu, Mn and Ti) in soils around Barapukuria coal-mining vicinity, Bangladesh which were reported in literature. An integrated approach for risk assessments with the positive matrix factorization (PMF) model, source-oriented ecological and health hazards were applied for the study. The contents of Rb, Ca, Zn, Pb, As, Ti, Mn, Co, Ag, Zr, and Nb were 1.63, 1.10, 1.97, 14.12, 1.20, 3.13, 1.22, 3.05, 3.85, 5.48, and 7.21 times greater than shale value. About 37%, 67%, 12%, and 85% of sampling sites posed higher risks according to the modified contamination factor, Nemerow pollution index, Nemerow integrated risk index, and mean effect range median quotient, respectively. Five probable metal sources were computed, including industrial activities to coal mining (17%), agricultural activities (33%), atmospheric deposition (19%), traffic emission (16%), and natural sources (15%). Modified Nemerow integrated risk index reported that agricultural activities, industrial coal mining activities, and atmospheric deposition showed moderate risk. Health hazards revealed that cancer risk values computed by the PMF-HHR model with identified sources were higher than the standard value (1.0E−04) for children, adult male, and female. Agricultural activities showed higher cancer risks to adult male (39%) and children (32%) whereas traffic emission contributed to female (25%). These findings highlight the ecological and health issues connected to potential sources of metal contamination and provide useful information to policymakers on how to reduce such risks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article, we develop a novel passive islanding detection strategy for a hybrid distributed generation (DG) system that uses variational mode decomposition (VMD). The voltage signal's ripple content is evaluated at the point of common coupling (PCC). It splits the input voltage signal into its individual modes or intrinsic mode functions (IMFs). The upper envelope of first mode's IMF has been used for island detection. This strategy relies solely on internal, mutable, and variational processes. Results from the tests show that the suggested approach can reliably separate the islanding event from other events. Even with no power imbalance, the suggested approaches can identify islanding in about 0.15 s. It has been tested in a wide variety of operational scenarios and proved in non-island situations. The suggested solutions are easy to implement, since they do not require a classifier, also had no non-detection zone (NDZ), and function regardless of the amount and kind DG that might connect to the utility grid. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Carbon quantum dots (CQD) have drawn great interest worldwide for their extensive application as sensors due to their extraordinary physical and chemical characteristics, good biocompatibility, and high fluorescence in nature. Here, we demonstrate a technique for detecting mercury (Hg2+) ion using a fluorescent CQD probe. Ecology is concerned about the accumulation of heavy metal ions in water samples due to their harmful effects on human health. Sensitive identification and removal of metal ions from water samples are required to reduce heavy metals' risk. To find out Mercury in the water sample, carbon quantum dots were used and synthesized by 5-dimethyl amino methyl furfuryl alcohol and o-phenylene diamine through the hydrothermal technique. The synthesized CQD shows yellow emission when exposed to UV irradiation. Mercury ion was used to quench carbon quantum dots, and it was found that the detection limit was 5.2 nM with a linear range of 15–100 µM. The synthesized carbon quantum dots were demonstrated to efficiently detect Mercury ions in real water samples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Understanding the spatiotemporal dynamics of river water chemistry from its source to sinks is critical for constraining the origin, transformation, and "hotspots" of contaminants in a river basin. To provide new spatiotemporal constraints on river chemistry, dissolved trace element concentrations were measured at 17 targeted locations across the Ramganga River catchment. River water samples were collected across three seasons: pre-monsoon, monsoon, and post-monsoon between 2019 and 2021. To remove the dependency of trace element concentrations on discharge, we used molar ratios, as discharge data on Indian transboundary rivers are not publicly available. The dataset reveals significant spatiotemporal variability in dissolved trace element concentrations of the Ramganga River. Samples collected upstream of Moradabad, a major industrial city in western Uttar Pradesh, are characterized by ~ 1.2–2.5 times higher average concentrations of most of the trace elements except Sc, V, Cr, Rb, and Pb, likely due to intense water–rock interactions in the headwaters. Such kind of enrichment in trace metal concentrations was also observed at sites downstream of large cities and industrial centers. However, such enrichment was not enough to bring a major change in the River Ganga chemistry, as the signals got diluted downstream of the Ramganga-Ganga confluence. The average river water composition of the Ramganga River was comparable to worldwide river water composition, albeit a few sites were characterized by very high concentrations of dissolved trace elements. Finally, we provide an outlook that calls for an assessment of stable non-traditional isotopes that are ideally suited to track the origin and transformation of elements such as Li, Mg, Ca, Ti, V, Cr, Fe, Ni, Cu, Zn, Sr, Ag, Cd, Sn, Pt, and Hg in Indian rivers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study assessed the levels of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylene (BTEX), and emerging contaminants in Chanomi Creek. Sediment samples were collected between March 2019 and July 2020 to evaluate the concentrations of PAH, BTEX, and emerging contaminants using GC–MS and GC-FID with Headspace extraction. Results indicated mean PAH concentrations were 22.691 ± 15.09 µg/kg. The highest individual PAH concentrations were fluorene (7.085 µg/kg), naphthalene (4.517 µg/kg), and phenanthrene (3.081 µg/kg). Carbazole (0.828 µg/kg) was discovered as a novel environmental toxin with dioxin-like toxicity and widespread prevalence in sediments. The most common congener (25%) was ethylbenzene, followed by toluene and ortho- and meta-xylene (21%) and benzene (13%). The analysis of diagnostic ratios revealed that the main factors responsible for the presence of PAHs in the study area are the residential use of firewood, emissions from industrial activities, bush burning, and petroleum slicks. The risk assessment indicated that most PAHs exceeded the permissible risk quotient values, suggesting a moderate to high ecological risk. However, cutaneous exposure to PAHs and BTEX was found to have minimal impact on human health, with no significant hazards identified in adults and children. Nevertheless, the study revealed low cancer risks associated with PAH and BTEX compounds for both age groups. The continued discharge of PAHs and BTEX compounds into Chanomi Creek could have significant long-term negative effects on human and aquatic health. Thus, contamination risk awareness programs and the development of stringent contextual thresholds for identified contaminants could enhance environmental and public health protection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study investigates the growth synthesis, purification, and surface modification of long magnetic carbon nanotubes (Mag-CNTs). The synthesis was carried out by chemical vapor deposition (CVD) using Incoloy 800 as a catalyst material with a gas mixture of argon (Ar) and acetylene (C2H2). The CNTs growth directly on the Incoloy catalyst had magnetic properties and a multiwalled structure in millimeter length. The definitive diffraction peak of the crystal plane of carbon C(002) widened similarly to what was observed in commercial CNTs with several additional diffraction peaks from the iron oxides Fe3O4 and Fe2O3. After the synthesis, four various purification methods (A through D) were applied such as soaking using toluene and atmospheric heating at 100 °C for 2 h (A); vacuum annealing at 500 °C for 6 h (B); soaking using toluene followed by atmospheric heating and vacuum annealing (C); and similar to method C without atmospheric heating (D). The results show that a combination technique of method D was the best method for Mag-CNTs purification. Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy confirmed the O–H and Fe–O absorption peaks with significantly enhanced intensity after purification and plasma treatment. The plasma surface modification of Mag-CNTs was performed using plasma jets in different vapor gases of Ar/ethanol, Ar/acetic acid, and Ar/NH3 with varied electrode distances. During the modification process, the plasma jet technique was able to add hydrophilic functional groups on the surface of Mag-CNTs, evidenced by the better dispersion properties compared with those before the plasma jet treatment. The use of Ar/NH3 in the plasma treatment with a shorter electrode distance had the best effect compared to other gas mixtures for increasing the material's hydrophilicity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Heavy metals in reservoir sediments were analyzed to assess the pollution level and to understand the potential risk on water supply safety. Heavy metals in sediments will enter the biological chain through bio-enrichment and bio-amplification in water and eventually pose a threat to the safety of drinking water supply. Analysis of eight sampling sites in JG (Jian gang) drinking water reservoir of the sediments showed that from Feb 2018 to Aug 2019 heavy metals including Pb, Ni, Cu, Zn, Mo, and Cr increased by 1.09–17.2%. Vertical distributions of heavy metals indicated that the concentrations increased gradually by 9.6–35.8%. Risk assessment code analysis indicated that Pb, Zn, and Mo were of high risk in the main reservoir area. What is more, enrichment factors of Ni and Mo were 2.76–3.81 and 5.86–9.41, respectively, showing the characteristics of exogenous input. The continuous monitoring results of the bottom water showed that the concentration of heavy metals in the bottom water exceeded the environmental quality standard value of surface water in China, and exceeded the standard by 1.76 times (Pb), 1.43 times (Zn), and 2.04 times (Mo), respectively. Heavy metals in the sediments of JG Reservoir, especially in the main reservoir area, have a potential risk of release from the sediment to the overlying water. Water supply reservoir as a source of drinking water, its quality is directly related to human health and production activities. Therefore, this first study on JG Reservoir is of great significance for the protection of drinking water safety and human health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The misclassification of human activity information by IoT-based smart, health monitoring devices raises concerns about their reliability. For instance, the identification of walking activity by wrist-worn, hand-held, or pocketed devices is often error-prone because tracking of actual leg movement is necessary for proper identification of a walk. In contrast, wearable systems on the waist recognize the bodily movement as a whole and not limb-specific movement. In this paper, we consider the novel problem of distinguishing the walking activity defined as a sequence of repeated leg-swing actions from repetitive leg-swing activities in sitting state. For this purpose, a heterogeneous sensor system is implemented that acquires novel multi-modal data from low-cost leg-worn IMU sensors (m-module) and finger-tip based pulse sensors (p-module). This dataset is then processed to extract features for a supervised learning framework. A 1-D Deep Convolutional Neural Network (DCNN) model is used for system performance evaluation, that prevents misclassification of walking activity with an average accuracy of 97% and maximum accuracy of 99%. With the fusion of features, the DCNN model performs with 2% more accuracy than the performance of the system using only IMU data. For performance comparison with the DCNN model, 4 other supervised learning algorithms have been used, namely Support Vector Machine (SVM), k-Nearest Neighbors (kNN), Decision Tree (DT), and Gaussian Naive Bayes (GNB). The proposed DCNN model outperforms these algorithms by using the m-module features individually and in unison with the p-module features. The performance is also comparable to the state-of-the-art works on intelligent walking activity detection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sequential extraction was used to study the mobility and ecological risk of chemical fractions of six heavy metals in sediments collected from the Pearl River Delta (PRE) in China. Results revealed that residual fractions (F4) were the dominant forms for Cr and Ni in surface sediments, indicating that they were primarily stable in nature and had low bioavailability and ecotoxicity. Cd had a high environmental risk owing to its higher availability in acid-soluble fraction (F1), whereas Pb occurred predominantly in the reducible fraction (F2) in surface sediments. The profile variations of bioavailable fractions were generally consistent with socioeconomic development in the Pearl River Delta (PRD). A decreasing trend after 2006 suggested a reduction in heavy metal bioavailable fractions owing to the removal of heavy polluting industries and the effective control of sewage discharge. The risk assessment code suggested that the high mobility of Cd posed an extremely high risk and a threat to the aquatic environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Potentially hazardous elements (PHEs) are non-biodegradable and accumulate in places like water, soil, and plants where they endanger environmental health. There are a considerable number of wetlands having both national and worldwide importance in Türkiye. Regarding PHE accumulation, sediments and Ceratophyllum demersum were examined in the Miliç Wetland (MW), situated in a basin with intense hazelnut and rice farming, which is next to the international highway on the Central Black Sea Coast of Türkiye. The quantification of PHEs in the study subjects was undertaken using a validated inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) method, and mean concentrations (mg/kg) of PHEs in the sediments were in the order of Al (13,133) > Fe (10,790) > Mn (205.84) > Cu (17.95) > Cr (16.40) > Zn (15.55) > Ni (11.74) > Pb (9.17) > Co (6.30) > As (2.07) > Cd (0.19). The ecotoxicological risk was assessed using sediment quality guidelines (SQGs) and certain geological indices, indicating mostly low ecological risk, low pollution, and no hazardous risk. Based on the modified hazard quotient (mHQ) classification of values, Ni showed low contamination, while Cd, Pb, As, and Cu displayed very low contamination, and Zn presented minor contamination. The findings of total lifetime cancer risk (LCR), hazard quotient (HQ), and hazard index (HI) identified that exposure of adults or children to sediments containing PHEs would not represent a major health risk. As a recommendation, it is necessary to avoid the direct entrance of agricultural pesticides and fertilizers to enhance the sediment quality of the MW. Since the highway was constructed close to MW, this is considered a significant source of human-caused pollution. Consequently, all PHEs analyzed, except for Cd, displayed a bioconcentration factor (BCF) value of more than 1000, indicating that Ceratophyllum demersum is a promising plant for phytoremediation in PHE-polluted ecological systems involving wetlands, and it can efficiently be employed as an indicator species in biological screening investigations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigated contamination and ecological risks caused by selected heavy metals (Cd, Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb, Zn, etc.) in the Mid-Black Sea coastal sediments and their effects on human health. The pollution levels were evaluated using comprehensive ecological and pollution indices to quantify their exposure risks posed to human health using the United States Environmental Protection Agency risk assessment model. The result revealed that the mean concentration of Cr (536.14 mg/kg) and Ni (257.8 mg/kg) among the selected heavy metals in sediment was above the PEC value, indicating that they have negative impacts on the ecosystem. According to the local background values, those obtained from the Cf, Cd, Igeo, SEF, PLI, PERI, etc., indexes demonstrated that heavy metal pollution in this region ranged from pollution-free to moderate pollution, with the largest contribution of Cr and Ni. Hence, they must be performed long-term dynamic monitoring of Ni and Cr to avoid ecological risks and protect the ecosystem's health. On the other hand, since the non-carcinogenic health risk (HI) of selected heavy metals in adults is less than 1, it has been determined that there is no health risk, while the HI value is greater than 3 in children. Accordingly, it indicates a very high health risk for children. This study also presents that cancer risk for heavy metals was higher than the acceptable limit (1 × 10–6) for adults and children. The results of this study have important guiding significance for selecting evaluation methods for heavy metal pollution in sediments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

MXenes have recently gained significant attention owing to their exceptional metallic electrical conductivity, good chemical inertness, and excellent hydrophilicity. Among the various two-dimensional MXenes, which are made up of atomic layers of transition metal carbides and nitrides, Ti3C2Tx is one of the most promising and versatile materials for application in various electronic devices. In fact, there has been a rising trend of using Ti3C2-based MXene nanosheets as flexible electrodes for different electronic devices. Ti3C2-based MXenes have shown the potential to be utilized as flexible and conductive electrodes in electrical energy storage devices, light-emitting devices, photodetectors, and flexible strain sensors. Thus, this review focuses on Ti3C2-based MXene nanosheets and MXene/polymer composite films, which are widely used as flexible and electrode layers in electronic devices, such as supercapacitors, solar cells, light-emitting devices, energy harvesting devices, power generating devices, and flexible strain sensors. First, we have briefly discussed the structure, conductivity, work function, and synthesis processes of Ti3C2 nanosheets based on the most recently published research articles. Then, we discussed the recent advances in the modification methods for Ti3C2-based MXenes to render them suitable for application as conductive electrode layers in various flexible electronic devices. The last section highlights the current challenges in the development and application of Ti3C2-based MXenes and future perspectives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The use of materials of natural origin for the adsorption of heavy metal ions from aqueous solutions has gained attention in recent years among the scientific community. This is explained by the fact that nickel compounds, due to severe health consequences, are considered to be among the most dangerous to the environment. This article reviews the results of studies on the use of biosorbents for purification of aqueous solutions from nickel ions, and then attempts to classify them according to their origin. The characteristics of materials and their sorption capacity have been compared, and the removal mechanisms identified of which chemisorption and ion exchange are considered to be the most common. From the analyses, a major trend is the use of biomass; however, biosorbents from other groups also continue to attract the interest of researchers. Conducting laboratory studies can help select materials with high efficiency. The highest sorption capacity values for the materials in each group were: for waste products 56 mg Ni·g−1 (olive stone), for peat 61 mg Ni·g−1, for miscellaneous 225 mg Ni·g−1 (microbial flocculant GA1), for biomass 286 mg Ni·g−1 (Plantanus orientalis bark) and for composites/modified materials calcinated eggshells 769 mg Ni·g−1 (calcinated eggshells). However, for some materials the sorption phenomenon may be accompanied by precipitation in the presence of hydroxides, which significantly affects the sorption capacity achieved. There is a need to transfer these experiments to an industrial scale so as to verify their applicability. In such industrial scale applications, attention should be paid not only to the effectiveness of the material, but also to its availability, price, and ease of use, as well as the effect of the biosorbent in terms of changing the quality parameters of the aquatic environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper offers a fuzzy-based manoeuvring model labeled as Fuzzy-based Midvehicle Collision Avoidance System (FMCAS) resolving two road crash scenarios. The first scenario covers dual situations (a) Mid vehicle collision avoidance with the rear vehicle under no front vehicle condition and (b) Curvilinear path strategy based on real road conditions. While the suitable curvilinear motion to fit the constrained path for parallel parking is the other scenario. Curvilinear fitting strategy on the left and right sides is achieved by the mid (host) vehicle using fuzzy interpolation techniques modeled by FMCAS. Also, the offset-based curvilinear path determined by FMCAS automatically fits the constraint path to avoid vehicle crashes in highly occupied lanes. In this methodology, path constraint is applicable for both scenarios in forward and reverse directions. The appropriate constraint paths estimated using the developed fuzzy-based polynomial fitting addresses the diverse vehicle kinematic issues. Mean square error values of 3.9443 × 10 - 28 m and 0.0148–0.7210 m about the proposed fuzzy respect to crisp and FMCAS are also capable of delivering diverse consequents in highly intact road scenarios. The fuzzy rule base is motivated in this research article to obtain a collision-free environment addressing many collision conditions in the real-time scenario. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The present study was designed to investigate the in vivo wound healing activity of herbal ointment prepared from Calendula officinalis Linn. on excision wounded rats. Materials and methods: The excision wound model was employed for wound healing activity in albino rats. Healthy albino rats (150–200 g) of either sex were taken for excision wound model. Animals were divided into five groups of six animals in each. Group I served as normal control, Group II served as excision wounded control without treatment and Group III, IV served as excision wounded rats were treated with herbal ointment of two different doses (10% and 20%) applied topically for 14 days and group V served as excision wounded animals treated with reference ointment soframycin. Healing potential was evaluated by the rate of wound contraction, immunological markers like IL-6(Interleukin 6), TNF-alpha (Tumor necrosis factor -α), PDGF (Platelet Derived Growth Factor) and EGF (Epidermal Growth Factor), lipid peroxide (LPO), superoxide dismutase (SOD), and biochemical parameters like hydroxyproline, hesosamine, and tissue protein. Results: The topical application of herbal ointment treated groups showed increase in the levels of growth factors such as PDGF and EGF hydroxy proline, hesosamine, tissue protein, SOD and wound contraction and the ointment normalized the levels of lipid peroxide, IL-6, TNF-alpha compared than that of excision wounded animals. Conclusion: From the above results, it was concluded that the topical application of herbal ointment exhibited significant wound healing activity in excision wounded rats as evidenced by increased wound contraction and collagen synthesis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The phenol removal by adsorption through the guava tree bark has been studied in this research. The surface characterizations of the guava tree bark were assessed through BET, FTIR, and SEM apparatus. The phenol removal percentage was investigated in batch experiments taking phenol content (30–150 mg/L), time (30–180 min), pH (4–9), adsorbent dose (1–6 g/L), and temperature (30–50 °C). The maximum percentage of phenol removal was obtained at 90.67% at the phenol concentration of 30 mg/L, the contact time of 120 min, pH of 7, adsorbent dose of 4 g/L, and temperature of 50 °C. The kinetic study indicated that the second-order was superior to the first order. The isotherm study exhibited that the Freundlich isotherm fitted best among the Langmuir, D-R (Dubinin-Radushkevich), and Temkin isotherms. The value of adsorption energy evaluated by the D-R isotherm supported physical adsorption; however, the mechanism seemed to be weaker since the correlation coefficient of the D-R model was found to be quite less than the correlation coefficients of other isotherm models. The adsorption mechanisms through film diffusion and chemisorption were well established as tested by the Reichenberg model, the Elovich model, the Fick model, the Furusawa and Smith model, and the Boyd model. The adsorption thermodynamics concluded that the adsorption method supported endothermic, random, and spontaneous. The scale-up design, the procedure for safe disposal of spent adsorbent, and the regeneration of the adsorbent were deliberated in this research. The research determined that the guava tree bark is suitable for the removal of phenol from wastewater. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cadmium is extremely toxic heavy metal and there is no specific, safe and efficacious therapeutic management of cadmium toxicity. Scientific literature reveals several medicinal plants and natural products alleviate experimentally induced cadmium toxicity in animals. The present review attempts to collate those experimental studies on medicinal plants and plant derived natural products with cadmium toxicity ameliorative effects. Literature survey was carried out by using internet and the studies for the last two decades were considered. Minerals and semi-synthetic or synthetic analogs of natural products were excluded. Literature study revealed that 36 medicinal plants and 16 natural products exhibited significant protection from cadmium toxicity in experimental animal models i.e., pre-clinical studies. Clinical studies were not found in literature. Relevant research in this field could lead to development of a potentially useful agent in therapeutic management of cadmium toxicity in humans. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]