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A simple, low cost and rapid analytical method for determination of HCl concentration after being treated with cellulose and cellulose nanofibers (CNF) is developed. This method is based on color intensity after the HCl solution is doped with sodium iodide (NaI). The color of HCl solution changes from colorless to yellow. The intensity of the color is measured by UV – Visible spectroscopy. The UV-Visible spectra of 0.15 M HCl treated with cellulose and cellulose nanofibers is reduced from its initial concentration. The CNF absorption capacity is higher as compared to cellulose. FT-IR analysis showed that there is interaction between C-H group from the CNF backboned and chloride ion from HCl solution.

This study was carried out to determine the effects of ultraviolet-B (UV-B) and LED light on improving postharvest quality of 0900 Ziraat cherry fruits. In the present study, UV-B treated to cherry fruits 10, 20, and 40 min, and then stored dark conditions. On the other hand, the blue (M), red (KR) and ultraviolet-A (UVA) LED light had applied to fruit during storage, continuously. Fruits without application were used as a control. Cherry fruits were stored at 4±1°C temperature with 85-90% RH for 35 days. As a result of the study, the best treatment in terms of increasing the TSS/TA rate (19.3), fructose (5.27%), glucose (6.22%), total soluble phenol (170.16 mg/100 mL CAE) and anthocyanin content (12.11 mg/kg FW), red color, and taste quality (4.63) of fruits was UVB20. It has also been seen that the KR treatment could be used to reducing the titratable acidity content, and increase the amount of fructose, total soluble phenol. The UV-A LED treatment is particularly significant in reducing weight loss, and providing in the fruit stalk remains green. Also, the treatments of both UVB and LED improved the color quality of cherries by increasing brightness, darkening red color, and protection of anthocyanins, whereas increased the EL. As a result, it might be concluded that the UVB20 (5.95 kJ / m2s) treatment was the best and usable treatment to maintaining both biochemical and taste quality cherry fruits during cold storage.

For obtaining a unique microstructure in Ti-6Al-4V, hydrogen is utilized as a temporary alloying element; therefore, the mechanism of hydrogen diffusion in α and β phases should be understood. In this study, the electrochemical hydrogenation was applied to the half-length of thin titanium rods, and the diffusion annealing heat treatment was implemented at different temperatures. The hydrogen diffusion coefficient of α phase (Dα) and the hydrogen diffusion coefficient of β phase (Dβ) was determined by employing Abaqus software and C# program for three different homogeneous microstructures. The obtained results showed that Dβ increases, and Dα decreases when the hydrogen concentration in β phase increases. Furthermore, it was observed that each microstructure has a specific temperature in which the maximum hydrogen amount is absorbed. The hydrogen uptake depends more on the volume fraction of β phase than the volume fraction of α phase, which is considered an obstacle to hydrogen diffusion in this alloy.

Microalgae have the ability to grow in wastewater, remove heavy metal ions and pollutants, and can be used to produce renewable energy alternatives such as biofuels, biogas, biomethane and biohydrogen. Algae can also produce high-value non-energy pigments such as chlorophylls and carotenoids that are used in feeds, colorants, textiles, nutraceutical and pharmaceutical industries. Methanol extraction method was employed to extract the pigments from microalgal specie Chlorella vulgaris spectrophotometrically after bioremediation of synthetic tannery wastewater (STWW) in stirred-tank photobioreactors (STPBRs) operated at about 580 μmol.m-2.s-1 and 100 rpm for 12:12 light-dark cycles. The maximum Chl a, Chl b, total carotenoids and total pigments were determined to be 35.5091, 8.6315, 1.9521 and 41.850 μg/L, respectively and highest content increment of 66.91, 66.97, 69.11 and 69.38% in reactor A, B, C and D, respectively, was achieved during the bioremediation process.

Aim Demineralized dentin material membrane (DDMM) is a novel bioresorbable guided bone regeneration (GBR) which is derived from the demineralization process of bovine dentin. This material/process could be an alternative to resolve musculoskeletal dysfunction that harms the quality of human life. Purpose To evaluate the cytotoxic effect of DDMM as GBR membrane on MC3T3-E1 osteoblast cell line. Methods Cytotoxic effect was evaluated using the 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay. Osteoblast MC3T3-E1 cell culture was used as a parameter of cell viability after reacting with GBR materials. The absorbance values were examined at each treatment to determine the percentage of cell viability. There were four groups created in the present study: two treatment groups and two control groups. The treatment groups consisted of a DDMM group and a bovine pericardium collagen membrane (BPCM) group. The control groups comprised a group containing cell culture medium as a negative control group and another positive control group that contained cell cultures. Results The results revealed no significant difference in MC3T3-E1 cell viability between the treatment and control groups (p < 0.05). Moreover, as observed in the DDMM group, there was an increase in the number of osteoblast cells. Conclusion DDMM is a suitable alternative biomaterial for GBR as it is non-cytotoxic and could potentially increase the rate of repair of craniofacial defects., Video Abstract Point your SmartPhone at the code above. If you have a QR code reader the video abstract will appear. Or use: https://youtu.be/-9wbabBPZIo.

Drugs that act on ribosome biogenesis and cell proliferation play important roles in treatment of human diseases. Moreover, measurement of drug effects at a single-cell level would create vast opportunities for pharmaceutical innovation. We present in this study an original proof-of-concept study of single-cell measurement of drug effects with a focus on inhibition of ribosome biogenesis and cell proliferation, and using yeast (

In the study, the effect of different doses of ultraviolet-B (UV-B) irradiation on the biochemical quality of Eregli Black Carrot (Daucus carota L. spp. sativus var. atrorubens Alef.) investigated, during storage. For this purpose, the carrot roots treated with 0 kJ/m² (control), 1.575 kJ/m² (15d), 3.15 kJ/m² (30d) and 6.30 kJ/m² (60d) doses of UV-B were placed into the 1 kg sized PE bag and then stored in a cold room at 4 ± 1oC temperature and 85-90% relative humidity for 5 months. In the present study, it is found that even if UV-B applications increased the amount of total soluble phenol content of carrots 1.16-1.53 fold during the first month of the experiment, later the amount of TSP decreased. During the storage period, the amount of TSP content changed between 23.72 and 51.11 mg KAE/100 mL. While the lowest amount of anthocyanin has obtained from the control application with 557.76 mg/kg FW, the highest value measured in UV-B 30d with 1636.96 mg/kg FW. As a result of the study, it has determined that UV-B radiation of 3.15 kJ / m² dose could be used to increase the anthocyanin content of carrots.

Organophosphorus (OP) compounds are highly toxic synthetic compounds which have been used as pesticides and developed as warfare nerve agents. They represent a threat to both military and civilian populations. OP pesticides affect the nervous system and are thought to have caused at least 5 million deaths since their discovery in the 1930s. At present the treatment of OP nerve agent poisoning commonly involves the use of parenteral oximes. However, the blood brain barrier (BBB) remains a challenge in the delivery of oximes to the central nervous system (CNS). This is because almost all macromolecule drugs (including oximes) fail to pass through the BBB to reach the CNS structures. The presence of a permanent cationic charge in oximes has made these compounds inefficient in crossing the BBB. Thus, oximes are unable to reactivate acetylcholinesterase (AChE) in the CNS. Using current structural and mechanistic understanding of the BBB under both physiological and pathological conditions, it becomes possible to design delivery systems for oximes and other drugs that are able to cross the BBB effectively. This review summarises the recent strategies in the development of oximes which are capable of crossing the BBB to treat OP poisoning. Several new developments using oximes are reviewed along with their advantages and disadvantages. This review could be beneficial for future directions in the development of oxime and other drug delivery systems into the CNS.

A series of mono- and polynuclear bis(phenoxy-imine) titanium and zirconium complexes were synthesized. The complexes were immobilized on an MgCl2 carrier prepared by different methods. The homogeneous complexes and supported catalysts were evaluated for ethylene polymerization. The effects of the nuclearity of the precatalysts, nature of organoaluminum activator and the polymerization temperature were examined. It has been shown that immobilized on MgCl2 catalysts are superior in activity to homogeneous precatalysts by the level of activity (up to 6.1 ton of PE (molM h atm)−1). The precatalysts obtained in situ by the interaction of FI complexes, Bu2Mg and Et2AlCl are suitable for preparing ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) with molecular weight up to 6 106 Da even at elevated reaction temperatures. In addition, supported precatalysts, in the presence of MAO, effectively catalyze the ethylene–higher olefin copolymerization (activity—up to 8.2 ton of copolymer (molM⋅h⋅atm)−1).

Processing of agro-waste into functional materials has caught the attention of scientist and technologist in recent times. The agro-waste can be used to generate energy and new functional materials. Different techniques were developed to generate new chemicals from the waste. Rice husk (RH) is one of the waste material produced from rice production. Two methods (direct burning and reflux) were developed to extract the silica (SiO2) from RH. The extracted silica was immobilized with sodium hydrogen sulfate. The resulting solid catalysts had specific surface area of 274, and 307 m2 gm−1 for the direct and reflux method respectively. The carbon and sulfur content was slightly higher in the catalyst prepared under reflux condition as compared with the direct method. The FT-IR showed that the functional groups on the catalyst were not changed in the products. The thermal and morphological studies did not show too many changes on the catalyst. The XRD pattern of the catalyst from the direct method show some crystallinity as compared with that produced by the reflux method. Both solid catalysts together with NaHSO4 (as a homogeneous catalyst) were used in the hydrolysis of cellulose. These catalysts were also used in the in-situ hydrolysis of glucose to other product. It was found that approximately 99% of cellulose was hydrolyzed to glucose at 120 ◦C in six hours.

This research reports nanoparticles or nanocatechin produced from catechin extracted from gambier and the differences between the properties of the extracted catechin and nanocatechin. The study began with the preparation of >95% pure catechin through successive extraction. The catechin obtained was converted to nanocatechin with a high-speed homogenizer on a 1% suspension of catechin in water at 12,000 rpm for 30, 45, 60, 75 or 90 minutes. Results showed average diameters of the nanocatechin 90-minute homogenized colloids were then dried with a spray dryer so physical and chemical properties could be compared with those of the raw extracted catechin. Catechin content, water content, pH, refractive index, density, molecular weight and rotational angle were unaltered. Appearance, solubility, thermal properties, highest absorbance wavelength and antioxidant activity were measured. Initial degradation temperature and antioxidant activity of nanocatechin were higher than those in the originally extracted catechin.

For years, organophosphorus poisoning has been a major concern of health problems throughout the world. An estimated 200,000 acute pesticide poisoning deaths occur each year, many in developing countries. Apart from the agricultural pesticide poisoning, terrorists have used these organophosphorus compounds to attack civilian populations in some countries. Recent misuses of sarin in the Syrian conflict had been reported in 2018. Since the 1950s, the therapy to overcome this health problem is to utilize a reactivator to reactivate the inhibited acetylcholinesterase by these organophosphorus compounds. However, many questions remain unanswered regarding the efficacy and toxicity of this reactivator. Pralidoxime, MMB-4, TMB-4, obidoxime, and HI-6 are the examples of the established oximes, yet they are of insufficient effectiveness in some poisonings and only a limited spectrum of the different nerve agents and pesticides are being covered. Alternatively, an option in the treatment of organophosphorus poisoning that has been explored is through the use of enzyme therapy. Organophosphorus hydrolases are a group of enzymes that look promising for detoxifying organophosphorus compounds and have recently gained much interest. These enzymes have demonstrated remarkable protective and antidotal value against some different organophosphorus compounds in vivo in animal models. Apart from that, enzyme treatments have also been applied for decontamination purposes. In this review, the restrictions and obstacles in the therapeutic development of oximes, along with the new strategies to overcome the problems, are discussed. The emerging interest in enzyme treatment with its advantages and disadvantages is described as well.

The ambient of air quality in Malaysia is described in terms of Air Pollutant Index (API) which is calculated based on the maximum value of sub-index values of each of the six air pollutants (Sulphur Dioxide (SO2), Nitrogen Dioxide (NO2), Carbon Monoxide (CO), Ozone (O3), particulate matter with aerodynamic diameter less than 10 micrometres (PM10) and particulate matter with aerodynamic diameter less than 2.5 micrometres (PM2.5). It is argued that the existing API cannot give the true picture of how harmful the pollution is towards humans' health because the hazardous levels of these pollutants are not considered in the API development. Therefore, the aim of this study is to determine the weights of the air pollutants according to their levels of hazardous in three selected cities in Malaysia; Putrajaya (PJ), Tawau (TW) and Alor Setar (AS). The study applies Shannon entropy method to weigh the air pollutants where the entropy values of the pollutants are the proxy measure of the pollutants' weights. The pollutants with higher weights would contribute more to air pollution and vice-versa. The study found different weights of the pollutants according to different cities where PJ shows SO2 at the top ranking with 48.16% of the air pollutants' weight. Meanwhile, TW and AS show PM2.5 at the first rank with 36.31% and 31.79% respectively. However, the analysis on the overall data shows that PM2.5 and PM10 are at the most and second most hazardous pollutants respectively that contribute to the air pollution. The effect of these two particulate matters is said to be more serious since SO2 that is associated with both particulate matters are difficult to breakdown and bring harmful effects in human life as compared to the other air pollutants. This study signifies a new perspective in measuring the hazardous levels of the air pollutants and the results could be used to improve the existing API in monitoring the air quality in Malaysia.

This significant study is designed to analyze the axisymmetric hybrid nanofluid flow with heat transfer on a convectively heated stretching/shrinking disk. The combination of metal (Cu) and metal oxide (Al2O3) nanoparticles with water (H2O) as the base fluid is used for the analysis. Similarity transformation is adopted to reduce the complexity of the PDEs into a system of ODEs. The utilization of suction in maintaining the steady flow solution for the shrinking disk case discloses the presence of dual solutions. Besides, an upsurge of Biot number and suction’s strength enhances the heat transfer operation. The application of Cu-Al2O3/water nanofluid can extend the range of solutions’ existence and consequently, decelerate the separation of laminar flow.

The present study aims to develop a statistical model utilizing the response surface methodology (RSM) to investigate the performance of oxalic acid-choline chloride deep eutectic solvent (OA-ChCl DES) in hydrolyzing amorphous domain of the bleached rice straw pulp (BP), while liberating the oxalic acid-choline chloride DES cellulose nanocrystal (OA-ChCl DES CNC). The process parameters, including temperature, reaction time, and BP to OA-ChCl DES mass ratio, were optimized through the RSM coupled with the face-centered central composite design (FCCCD). The mathematical models were generated, while the analysis of variance (ANOVA) was conducted to determine the most significant factors influencing the response which was measured in terms of yield. The findings revealed that the OA-ChCl DES CNC yield as high as 55.08% was attained under the acidic DES hydrolysis conditions of 79.5 °C, 4 h, and 1:12.64 mass ratio. This regression model enables researchers to predict the OA-ChCl DES CNC yield with respect to the influencing parameters as well as providing an insight for further scale-up process.

Indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) phytohormone plays an essential role in forming and initiating main, lateral, and adventitious roots in vegetative propagation. Plants are receiving IAA naturally from a diverse group of soil-plant associated rhizobacteria. However, IAA synthesis by rhizobacteria is influenced by abiotic growth conditions. Three indigenous Bacillus isolates were subject to in vitro assay for the effects of abiotic factors (temperature, salinity and pH) on growth and IAA production. All isolates grew well between 25 - 40°C, and only B. megaterium UPMLH3 was capable of synthesising IAA (21.18 µg/ml) at 40°C. All three bacterial growth under saline stress were slightly dropped over control (0% NaCl), but still producing IAA up to 1% NaCl condition. B. cereus UPMLH24 revealed high resistance to salinity up to 5% NaCl. The optimum growth of all three Bacillus spp. was at pH 7. B. cereus UPMLH1 and UPMLH24 discovered higher IAA production in slightly alkaline conditions (pH 8). Each rhizobacterium shows different physiology trait against each abiotic factor. However, the multiple tolerance ability of PGPR against abiotic factors is an indication that its ability to survive under harsh soil and plant environments while delivering benefits to the plant. Thus, B. cereus UPMLH1, B. megaterium UPMLH3 and B. cereus UPMLH24 might serve as potential biofertiliser, enhancing the growth performance of test plants at various environmental conditions.

Elastomer-based nanocomposites(EcNs) were prepared with a novel mixing method to determine the deformation properties under constant amplitude dynamic operating conditions. The fillers of EcNs consists of functionalized(M-FCNTs) and nonfunctionalized carbon-nanotubes(M-NCNTs), graphite(GF) and carbon black(CB). In this study, six different mixtures were prepared using M-FCNT, and M-NCNT fillers in 1, 2, 3 phr ratios, except for a CB-filled reference mixture(C00). Graphite, which has exfoliation and excellent lubricating properties1, was added to six mixtures at the rate of 1 phr to prevent agglomeration of M-CNTs in the mixtures. SEM images show that M-CNTs are homogeneously distributed, interacting strongly with GF, and M-FCNTs have a better interface interaction than M-NCNTs. During crosslinking of M-NCNT filled EcNs, due to the resistance in the direction of the polymer chain's movement, the difference between minimum torque and maximum torque increased by approximately 10% compared to M-FCNTs. The lost energy (ΔW) between the loading and unloading curves of M-NCNT filled EcNs increased compared to the M-FCNT filled mixtures and C00. The resistance properties depending on the samples' strain value showed a more stable and repetitive behavior in M-FCNT filled EcNs with a ratio of 1 and 2 phr, called F-C01 and F-C02, respectively. The semiconductor F-C01 sample showed the most stable behavior due to preserving the conductive filler network's structural order during the fatigue test, although the average resistance change was highest with 1.51E + 07 Ω. We discuss ways to use conductive elastomer composites as an effective deformation detection sensor in dynamic applications based on the results.

Aim: The work was aimed at assessing the potential of Chlorella vulgaris in remediation of reactive dyes. Place and Duration of Study: Department of Biological Sciences, Department of Plant Biology and Department of Biochemistry, Bayero University, Kano, Nigeria, between January 2019 and December 2019. Methodology: Wastewater containing individual reactive dyes: reactive red 198 (RR198), reactive yellow 176 (RY176), reactive green 19 (RG19), reactive orange 122 (RO122), reactive red 195 (RR195) and reactive violet 1 (RV1) were collected from a local fabric re-dyeing pit at Kofar Na’isa, Kano, Nigeria. The green microalga C. vulgaris was cultured in Bold Basal medium (BBM) at 30 ± 2°C and subjected to adsorption and decolourization assays of the dyes. Results: The highest dye removal efficiency by enzymatic action was recorded after 48 hours, while that for the biomass adsorption was at day 14, at pH 11.3 and temperature of 30°C. The percentage dye removal by adsorption and decolourization were within the ranges of 68.1-97.8% and 69.8-99.9% respectively. Dye removal decreased with increase in contact time until saturation is attained. Freundlich’s isotherm model was best fitted for the adsorption of the dyes with a strong linear correlation coefficient, R2 ranging from 0.954-0.811. There was a strong linear relationship and high statistical significance among the dyes for both decolourization and adsorption (P value; .01). Conclusion: Chlorella vulgaris was found to be effective in the removal of reactive dyes from textile wastewater samples. The results revealed C. vulgaris to be a cost-effective and eco-friendly biosorbent that can be used for the treatment of wastewaters containing toxic dyes.

ZrO2 supported Nickel catalyst, 9 wt%WO3 -91 wt%ZrO2 supported Nickel catalyst and ceria promoted 9 wt%WO3-91 wt%ZrO2 supported Nickel catalyst (5NixCe/WZr catalyst) is synthesized via wet impregnation and characterized by XRD, UV–vis, CO2 -TPD, H2 TPR-CO2 TPD-H2 TPR cycle, TPH, TPH followed by O2 -TPO and CO2 -TPD followed by O2 -TPO. Due to limitation in surface re-oxidizing capability and shading of catalytic active sites by thermally stable carbonates; catalytic activity of unpromoted catalyst system is less. 5NixCe/WZr catalyst has extended CH4 decomposition sites, additional basic sites (during the reaction) for CO2 adsorption and excellent redox accompany (Ce +4/Ce +3, W+6/W +4) for carbon oxidation and re-oxidizing capability of surface up to the pristine level. 2.5 wt% Ceria promotional addition is resulted into 78% H2 yield constantly up to 420 min TOS. The carbon deposit over ceria promoted system (up to 2.5 wt%) is amorphous type, more easily/moderately reducible, oxidizable and removable.

Heavy metals pollution has become a more serious environmental problem in the last several decades as a result of releasing toxic materials into the environment. The aim of this study is to develop an ecological method for the removal of Ni2+ ions from industrial wastewater by an electro coagulation method using aluminum plates and solar cell as a source of D.C current. In this study, different conditions of pH of 4, 6, 7, and 8, current densities of 0.5, 1.0, and 1.5 mA/cm2, and nickel ion concentrations of 200, 300, and 500 ppm were investigated during a period of time of 120 minutes to remove nickel ions prepared waste water by electro coagulation. The total removal of nickel ions was (97.5- 99.5%), (97- 99%), and (96.67-98.8%) for pH (4-8), current density (0.5-1.5 mA/cm2) and nickel ions concentration (200-500 ppm), respectively. The results show that the optimum condition of electro coagulation process can be obtained at pH = 8 and current density 1.5 mA/cm2 when 120 minutes were elapsed.

Preliminary results of the effect of hydrophobicity and halogenation on the cytotoxicity of the anticancer peptaibol culicinin D are reported. Building on previous work, the synthetically challenging (2S,4S,6R)-2-amino-6-hydroxy-4-methyl-8-oxodecanoic acid and (2S,4R)-2-amino-4-methyldecanoic acid building blocks were replaced with derivatives of l-phenylalanine and 2-aminodecanoic acid, respectively. Substitution of (2S,4S,6R)-2-amino-6-hydroxy-4-methyl-8-oxodecanoic acid with l-4,4′-biphenylalanine yielded an analogue that was tenfold more potent than the natural product and was also the most hydrophobic analogue, as judged by an antiproliferative IC50 assay and logD calculations; these results suggest that the potency of culicinin D may be governed by its hydrophobicity. However, the introduction of halogenated moieties into the peptide sequence generated analogues that were similarly potent, although not necessarily hydrophobic. Thus, the parameters regulating the cytotoxicity of culicinin D, and by extension other peptaibols, are multimodal and include both halogenation and hydrophobicity.

Purpose This research aims to present the characteristics of dimple structure which was fabricated using a turning machine, where the characteristics include sizes, shapes, area ratio and aspect ratio. This research aims at filling the gap in the machining parameters of previous research in producing dimple by using turning process with the aid of dynamic assisted tooling for turning (DATT). In producing dimple, a carbide insert grade H1 was used on a hypereutectic aluminium silicon alloy (A390) material. Dimple has many advantages such as for reducing friction coefficient, load-carrying capacity and trap wear debris for sliding mechanical components. Design/methodology/approach There are seven machining parameters (cutting speed, feed rate, depth of cut, frequency, amplitude, rake angle, relief angle and nose radius) which have an influence on dimple produced. Taguchi method (orthogonal arrays L8) was used to conduct the experiment systematically and efficiently for these seven parameters. A carbide insert grade H1 was used as a cutting tool on a turning machine with the aid of DATT. The dimple structure was fabricated on a cylindrical rod hypereutectic aluminium silicon alloy (A390). A profilometer 3D Alicona infinite focus and an optical microscope equipped with Vis software were used to analyse the fabricated dimple structure. Findings Various shapes and sizes of ellipse dimples were produced in this research, including short and long drops with lengths in the range of 517.03–3,927.61 µm, widths of 565.15–1,039.19 µm, depths of 14.46–124.87 µm, area ratios of 5.05–25.65% and aspect ratios of 0.007%–0.111%. There were four experiments within the optimal area ratio range of 10%–20%, i.e. the second, third, seventh and eighth experiments. The width of these dimples was 895.95, 961.39, 787.27 and 829.22 µm, length was 826.26, 3163.13, 885.98 and 1026.65 µm, depth was 83.67, 84.19, 87.05 and 110.70 µm and area ratio was 15.12%, 13.14%, 14.79% and 12.70%. The surface roughness of textured surface was below 1 µm. In this research, the results obtained were similar with that of previous researchers on dimple structure related to tribology performance. Originality/value There exists machining parameters, namely, cutting speed and frequency, that were not used by previous research in producing dimple. These machining parameters (cutting speed and frequency) were used in this research to produce dimple via turning process with the aid of DATT using carbide insert grade H1. The turning process is an environmentally friendly process which is suitable for mass production for fabricating dimple structure as compared to most of the current methods which are widely used in fabricating dimple structure.

The study was conducted to determine the best gambier liquid by-product (GLB) processing methods based on antioxidant activity as natural antioxidant sources. The processing methods were A (ethyl acetate fractionation), B (oven drying) and C (freeze drying) methods. The observed variables were dry extract (using weighing method), tannin (using hide powder method), catechin (using SNI 01- 339-2000 method), total phenol (using folin ciocalteu reagents) and antioxidant activities (DPPH method) based on ICAO50. These antioxidant activities were compared with vitamin C as a positive control. The results indicated that the different processing methods significantly affected (P

Hydroxycoumarins and their based conjugates revealed a wide-ranged biological activity providing potential scaffolds to serve better in therapy. This work aims to synthesize six new azo-coumarinic conjugates termed SY1-SY6 and investigate their potentials as antitumor and antibacterial applicants. The synthesis of these conjugates started from cantabiline, which was employed as a synthetic precursor and comparable agent in the biological assessment. The antitumor activity of the conjugates was investigated versus four tumor-cell lines by applying an MTT-based assay; these cell-lines included KYSE-30, MCF-7, HeLa, and SK-OV-3. The antibacterial activity was evaluated versus four standard bacterial strains using a broth-dilution technique; these strains were Klebsiella pneumonia, Salmonella typhi, Shigella dysenteriae, and Escherichia coli. The spectral data acquired from various spectrophotometers were confirmed the chemical structures of the synthesized conjugates. The biological investigation exhibited that the conjugates have moderate-to-good antitumor and antibacterial activities. Also, the substituent on the inserted aromatic component of the azo bond exerts a notable influence on the investigated activities. When this substituent has an electron-withdrawing character, the activity shifted toward the antitumor than antibacterial effect. This shifting was reversed in the case of electron-donation substituents. The authors concluded that the utilization of these two findings may result in the construction of new conjugates with an activity directed toward fighting cancer or bacterial infections by modulating the nature of the substituted group.

Objective To assess the surface characteristics, composition and release of components of Polyvinyl siloxane (PVS) impression material and explore the use of the material other than for impressions. Methods Forty samples of 0.5-mm thickness and 8-mm diameter PVS discs, with few perforations, were prepared and divided into four groups. Group 1 in methanol was analyzed by GC–MS immediately and on 1st, 7th and 14th day. Group 2 and 3 placed in 10 mL of human saliva and in artificial nasal fluid, respectively, were analyzed by GC–MS at 24 hours. Group 4 was subjected to surface characteristics analysis by placing five PVS discs each in 1 mL of human saliva and 1 mL of artificial nasal fluid, respectively. Results On Day 1, Dodecanoic acid, methyl ester, Cyclononasiloxane, octadecamethyl, Cyclodecasiloxane and eicosamethyl (four peaks) were observed in Group 1. At 24 hours, Group 2 had additional compounds of 2-Decene,7-methyl-(Z)-, 2-Undecene,8-methyl-(Z)- and Lauryl acetate. Group 3 showed release of 32 compounds, but their retention time was less. Surface characteristics on Day 14 revealed no noticeable changes. Conclusions The study revealed that there was a lack of any adverse component release from PVS for a period of 2 weeks based on GC–MS analysis.

Modifying the physical and optical properties of zinc borotellurite glasses by controlling rare earth (RE) doping is important in order to obtain high quality glass. In this study, Samarium (Sm3+) doped zinc borotellurite glasses were successfully fabricated by using conventional melt-quenching technique with chemical composition (where x = 0.0, 0.5, 1.0, 1.5, 2.0 and 2.5 mol%). The physical properties by mean of their density as well as molar volume were measured while the optical properties have been studied through UV-Vis spectroscopy in order to determine the optical band gap (Eopt) and Urbach energy (ΔΕ) of the glass system. Optical absorption spectra of the glass samples were recorded in the range 350 nm - 750 nm at room temperature. The amorphous nature of the glass was confirmed from X-ray diffraction techniques. The density and molar volume of the glass samples were found to vary with respect to Sm3+ ions content. The value of optical band gap, Eopt lies between 2.605 eV to 2.982 eV for the direct transition and 2.768 eV to 3.198 eV for the indirect transition respectively. Meanwhile, the Urbach energy, ΔE was observed in the range of 0.112 eV to 0.694 eV respectively. The physical and optical properties were found to be strongly affected by the varying concentration of Sm3+ ions. Some other results will be analysed and discussed in detail.

The aim of this research is to investigate the removal behavior of iron and manganese that naturally exist as divalent ions in groundwater by using nanofiltration membranes. The main focus of this study is to better understand the effect of applied pressures during the rejection of these metallic ions from synthetic groundwater in order to achieve drinking water standard. Polyamide and polypiperazine amide nanofiltration membranes denoted as PA-NF and PPA-NF were selected to investigate the iron and manganese rejection at low applied pressures (1-5 bar). In single solute solution with feed concentration at 10 mg/L and initial pH of 6.8 ± 0.5, the rejection of iron was ≥96% by PA-NF membrane at applied pressure of 2 bar. However, the rejection percentage by PPA-NF was 86.6% whereby this membrane unable to remove iron to the allowable drinking water standard. The rejection of manganese with single solute at concentration of 1 mg/L with initial pH of 6.8 ± 0.5 by using the PA-NF membrane was ≥98% and almost all of dissolved manganese were rejected at 5 bar. However, manganese removal by PPA-NF membrane was found less than 70% for all of the applied pressures. Findings from this work showed that the removal of iron and manganese were dependent on the applied pressures. PA-NF membrane able to remove both metallic ions that comply with the drinking water standard. The increased of applied pressure contributed to concentration polarization effect on the membrane surfaces leading to a decrease in solute rejection by decreasing the charge effect mainly for the iron removal from synthetic groundwater.

Platinum-multiwall carbon nanotubes (Pt-MWCNTs) was prepared through a chemical reduction and was characterized by using UV–Vis Spectrophotometer, Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM), Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy with Energy Dispersive X-Ray (FESEM/EDX) and Raman Spectroscopy. Through this chemical reduction, Pt ions were reduced by the addition of sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) and Pt was in-situ deposited on the exterior walls of MWCNTs. TEM and FESEM/EDX analyses have confirmed the presence of Pt on the surface of MWCNTs. From Raman Spectroscopy, the ID/IG of MWCNT is 0.66 while ID/IG of Pt-MWCNT is 0.71, showing that not much defects were resulted by the functionalization of Pt on the surface of MWCNT, while from UV-Vis spectra, Pt-MWCNT is found to absorb at about 265 nm due to the presence of Pt nanoparticles that caused a weak surface plasmon resonance (SPR) absorption in the UV region which will contribute to the NLR measurement. The resulted Pt-MWCNTs was then investigated its third-order nonlinearity response as suspension in water using continuous wave laser and z-scan measurement at 532 nm. Pt-MWCNT displays good transmittance profile and self-defocusing effect with excitation intensity is in order of 10-9 cm2/W. The presence of Pt on the surface of MWCNT has contributed to intrinsic properties and resulted in nonlinear refractive (NLR) effect. Thus, Pt-MWCNT is considered to possess significant third-order nonlinear responses considering its low Pt content and has potential in the development of photonics devices.

The functionalization of multi-walled carbon nanotubes (CNT) with amide group is reported as an alternative to enhance response time, recovery time and sensitivity of detecting acetone gas. We have fabricated an interdigitated transducer (IDT) deposited with amide-functionalized CNT. The elemental compositional analysis was characterized using Energy Dispersion X-ray spectroscopy and CHNOS elemental analyzer. The detection of acetone gas was performed in room temperature and digital multimeter was employed to record the changes of resistivity of IDT upon exposure of acetone. Results showed that amide functional group increases sensitivity, shortens the response time as well as recovery time of the sensor.

Titanium-hydroxyapatite (Ti-HA) based composites have been widely investigated as viable materials to be used in dentistry. However, sintering of these composites is very challenging due to decomposition of HA and oxidation of Ti. The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of incorporating a bioactive glass in Ti-HA composites sintered in different atmospheric conditions. The bioactive glass was prepared and added to different percentages of Ti-HA mixtures and divided into two groups. Samples in Group 1 were sintered with air atmosphere, while samples in Group 2 were sintered with vacuum furnace. All samples were later subjected to XRD, SEM, density, micro-hardness, and compression strength tests. XRD results showed that in Group 1, the major phases were assigned to Ti and HA while the minor phases were assigned to oxidised Ti. Whereas, Group 2 showed that the major phases were assigned to HA and the minor phases showed decomposition of HA to Ca3(PO4)2 (TCP) and Ca4(PO4)2O (TTCP). Oxidized Ti was also present in this group. In terms of density, micro-hardness and compression strength, statistical analyses showed that samples in Group 1 have a significant difference (p = 0.000) as compared to those in Group 2. Sintering Ti-HA composites incorporated with BG by using air atmosphere furnace could reduce the decomposition of HA and oxidation of Ti, thus improve the density, micro-hardness and compression strength of the composites. © 2021 Penerbit Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia. All rights reserved.

Alumina nanoparticles were synthesized from locally available high alumina clay, obtained from Giro in Kabbi State, through acid leaching with sol-gel method. The clay was leached with hydrofluoric acid and the aluminous solution produced was used as precursor to synthesis nanoparticles through sol gel process. The composition and structure of the clay and the particles produced were characterized using Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR), X-ray diffraction and fluorescence Spectroscopic techniques, Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM). From the analyses, the clay sample was observed to be high in alumina and predominantly Kaolinitic in nature. During the sol-gel process, effective flocculation was obtained at slightly alkaline pH range (7.6 to 8.0) and a relative moderate temperature of 80oC. The result also shows that the aging time of the gel affected the size of the particles produced during the process, and the particles are mainly nano-alumina.

OBJECTIVES: This research was aimed to find out the effects of 3',4'-dihydroxyflavonol (DiOHF) on apoptosis, DNA damage, and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) levels in the frontal cortex of rats with induced experimental brain ischemi reperfusion. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 38 Wistar albino male rats were used. Groups were created as 1-Sham; 2-Ischemia-reperfusion (I/R); 3-I/R + DiOHF (10 mg/kg); 4-Ischemia + DiOHF + reperfusion; 5-DiOHF + I/R. I/R was performed by carotid artery ligation for 30 min in anesthesized animals. Following experimental applications, blood samples were taken from anesthetized rats to obtain erythrocyte and plasma. Later, the rats were killed by cervical dislocation, and frontal cortex samples were taken and stored at − 80° C for the analysis. RESULTS: In the ischemic frontal cortex tissue sections degenerate neuron numbers, Terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL) positive cell ratio and caspase-3 positive cell ratio increased. Malondialdehyde, TNF-α, and 8-OHdG levels were increased in both plasma and tissue in ischemia group, whereas tissue and erythrocyte glutathione levels were significantly suppressed. However, these values were significantly reversed by DiOHF treatment. CONCLUSION: The results of the study showed that I/R significantly increased apoptosis, TNF-α, and DNA damage in rats with brain I/R. However, 10 mg/kg intraperitoneal DiOHF treatment improved deterioted parameters.

Reaction centre light-harvesting 1 (RC–LH1) complexes are the essential components of bacterial photosynthesis. The membrane-intrinsic LH1 complex absorbs light and the energy migrates to an enclosed RC where a succession of electron and proton transfers conserves the energy as a quinol, which is exported to the cytochrome bc1 complex. In some RC–LH1 variants quinols can diffuse through small pores in a fully circular, 16-subunit LH1 ring, while in others missing LH1 subunits create a gap for quinol export. We used cryogenic electron microscopy to obtain a 2.5 Å resolution structure of one such RC–LH1, a monomeric complex from Rhodobacter sphaeroides. The structure shows that the RC is partly enclosed by a 14-subunit LH1 ring in which each αβ heterodimer binds two bacteriochlorophylls and, unusually for currently reported complexes, two carotenoids rather than one. Although the extra carotenoids confer an advantage in terms of photoprotection and light harvesting, they could impede passage of quinones through small, transient pores in the LH1 ring, necessitating a mechanism to create a dedicated quinone channel. The structure shows that two transmembrane proteins play a part in stabilising an open ring structure; one of these components, the PufX polypeptide, is augmented by a hitherto undescribed protein subunit we designate as protein-Y, which lies against the transmembrane regions of the thirteenth and fourteenth LH1α polypeptides. Protein-Y prevents LH1 subunits 11–14 adjacent to the RC QB site from bending inwards towards the RC and, with PufX preventing complete encirclement of the RC, this pair of polypeptides ensures unhindered quinone diffusion.

The characteristics of used frying oil that are carried out repeatedly using high temperatures and with various types of frying materials will produce new types of oil characteristics, either the appearance and disappearance of certain types of chemical components or changes in the physical properties of frying oil. This study aims to determine the characteristics of cooking oil used in frying peanuts which have high fat content, high carbohydrate content of cassava and mackarel tuna which have high protein content. Samples of used oil were obtained from the use of pure oil from palm oil and then the 3 different types of material were fried with 10 frying repetitions. The used frying oil was then visually observed and analyzed for the number of peroxides, free fatty acids, and moisture content, color test, amount of oil lost and its fatty acid profile. In addition, the amount of oil lost due to frying was observed. The results of the observation of physical properties showed that the smell of oil became rancid, the taste of the oil became bitter and the color turned black. The results of chemical analysis showed that the highest peroxide number was 50 meq / kg, the highest ALB was 4.35%, and the highest moisture content was 3.21% , the oil color changed to brown to black, the highest amount of oil lost due to frying was cassava frying oil. namely 58.4% , . The fatty acid profile of used frying oil has been obtained and there is a decrease in the percentage, the appearance of stearic acid and the loss of heptadecanoic fatty acids in the used cooking oil for peanuts, cassava and mackarel tuna.

One alternative that can be used for poultry feed is cassava flour (Manihot esculenta) which can be made into pellets. The purpose of this research was to know the physical quality of water content (KA), specific gravity (BJ), stack angle (ST), stack density (KT), stack compaction density (KPT), and impact resistance (KB) of pellet product with utilization of flour cassava (Manihot esculenta). This research using Completely Randomized Design (RAL) Factorial. Factor A consisting of 3 treatments, that were A0: without adding cassava leaf flour, A1: 5% and A2: 10% in ration formulation and Factor B consisting of 3 treatments binders, that were B0 : basal ration not binders, B1: tapioca starch and B2: wheat flour. The results showed that the interaction between the addition of cassava leaf flour and binders with different levels can be seen from water content, stack angle and stack compaction density, but on specific gravity, stack density and impact resistance did not occur interaction. It can be concluded that the addition of 10% cassava flour with tapioca flour binders gives the best quality of pellet physical properties to moisture content and stack angle, while other treatment combinations have not been able to improve pellet quality based on specific gravity, stack density, stack compaction density and impact resistance. Keywords: Pellet, Cassava Leaf, Flour, Binders

CIGS PV solar module is a second-generation technology and it is an acronym of Copper Indium Gallium Selenide. The electrical parameters are enhanced by optical reflectors. The current system capac...

This study aims to synthesize the (Cr2O3)x (NiO)1-x nanoparticles at lower and higher precursor values using the calcination method. There is a lack in regard to investigating the lower and higher precursor values on structural and optical properties of the (Cr2O3)x (NiO)1-x nanoparticles. To synthesize the (Cr2O3)x (NiO)1-x nanoparticles, Cr (III) acetate hydrate and Ni (II) acetate tetrahydrate were reacted with poly (vinyl alcohol). Several techniques, including X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), have been employed to characterize the synthesized sample. The XRD pattern analysis indicated that, following calcination, nanoparticle formation occurred, indicating hexagonal crystalline structures (HCP) and face-centred cubic (FCC) of (Cr2O3)x (NiO)1-x nanoparticles. FT-IR verified the existence of Ni–O and Cr–O as the original compounds of ready (Cr2O3)x (NiO)1-x nanoparticle samples. In term of average particle size, this varied from 5 to 16 nm when the precursor concentration rised from x = 0.20 to x = 0.80, as reflected in the TEM results. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) was employed to measure the valence state and surface composition of the prepared product nanoparticles. To identify the optical band gap using the Kubelka–Munk equation, diffuse UV–visible reflectance spectra were employed, which revealed that the energy band gap fell with a rise in the value of x. In addition, photoluminescence (PL) spectra indicated that the photoluminescence intensity was related to a directly proportional way to particle size. Hence, the results can be employed with a broad range of applications in solar cell energy applications at higher x values and antibacterial activity at lower x values.

BACKGROUND AND AIM Gastrointestinal complications post cardiac surgery are infrequent but difficult to diagnose and carry a high mortality. Plasma intestinal fatty acid-binding protein (I-FABP) concentrations and the relationship between I-FABP, gastrointestinal dysfunction, and postoperative outcomes were investigated in patients who developed gastrointestinal dysfunction (acute gastrointestinal injury [AGI] grade ≥2) and those with normal gastrointestinal function. METHODS Patients with (AGI 2 group, n = 11) and without (matched controls, AGI 0 group, n = 22) early postoperative gastrointestinal dysfunction were extracted from a larger single-center prospective observational study, including adults undergoing elective cardiac surgery with extracorporeal circulation, and investigated in this nested case-control analysis. RESULTS Both groups displayed variations in I-FABP concentrations with higher I-FABP on postoperative Day 1 compared to baseline and postoperative Days 2 and 3 (p

A new impedimetric biosensing system based on kallikrein-related peptidase 4 (KLK 4) antigen-specific antibodies and a zinc(II) phthalocyanine tetracarboxylic acid (Zn-PcTCa) matrix material was developed for the first time in this study. First, a Zn-PcTCa-coated indium tin oxide surface was used as an interface matrix material for the immobilization of anti-KLK 4 antibodies, and they bound to the platform via amide bonds. In the presence of KLK 4 antigens, the anti-KLK 4 antibodies specifically captured these antigens and caused changes in the electrochemical properties of the system. Randles equivalent circuit was utilized to evaluate the impedimetric signal, which was measured with the help of an electrochemical impedance spectroscopy method. After the specific interaction, the electron transfer resistance (Rct) was remarkably increased and displayed a linear relationship with the level of the KLK 4 antigen in the range of 0.02-15 pg/mL, with a a detection limit of 6.8 fg/mL. The designed biosensor was able to detect a KLK 4 antigen with good sensitivity, excellent specificity, and high stability. In addition, because of having a low-cost and robust procedure for fabrication, it could be repeatedly used in several areas including clinical diagnosis.

Conductive elastomeric nanocomposites (CEMs) were prepared in two stages to control the precision of pressure sensors. Carbon-based nanofillers such as multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNT) or graphene (GR) were added to the rubber matrix. For Rubber/MWCNT composites, unfunctionalized (U-MWCNT) and –COOH functionalized MWCNT (F-MWCNT) fillers were synthesized. The properties of the CEMs and the synergistic improvements between the fillers and rubber matrix in composites were also investigated. SEM images show that F-MWCNT fillers were dispersed homogeneously in the composites and they interacted with rubber better than other carbon fillers. The piezoresistivity properties of the CEMs before and after compression were determined using the four-probe method by cyclic loading in 1 mm increments between 1.5 mm and 3.5 mm. F-MWCNT filled composites had higher strength than others when they were compressed by 2.5 mm. The F-MWCNT and GR filled nanocomposites possessed the best resistivity for pressure sensors when compressed at 2.5 mm (for F-MWCNT 1.1E + 08 Ω, GR 5.28E + 06 Ω). These nanocomposites are promising pressures sensors for air suspension systems.

Autologous bone grafting remains the gold standard for almost all bone void-filling orthopedic surgery. However, autologous bone grafting has several limitations, thus scientists are trying to identify an ideal synthetic material as an alternative bone graft substitute. Magnesium-doped biphasic calcium phosphate (Mg-BCP) has recently been in the spotlight and is considered to be a potential bone substitute. The Mg-BCP is a mixture of two bioceramics, that is, hydroxyapatite (HA) and β-tricalcium phosphate (β-TCP), doped with Mg2+ , and can be synthesized through chemical wet-precipitation, sol-gel, single diffusion gel, and solid state reactions. Regardless of the synthesis routes, it is found that the Mg2+ preferentially accommodates in β-TCP lattice instead of the HA lattice. The addition of Mg2+ to BCP leads to desirable physicochemical properties and is found to enhance the apatite-forming ability as compared to pristine BCP. In vitro results suggest that the Mg-BCP is bioactive and not toxic to cells. Implantation of Mg-BCP in in vivo models further affirmed its biocompatibility and efficacy as a bone substitute. However, like the other bioceramics, the optimum physicochemical properties of the Mg-BCP scaffold have yet to be determined. Further investigations are required regarding Mg-BCP applications in bone tissue engineering.

Semiconductor photocatalysts with better photocatalytic properties have been widely researched to be an alternative for dye removal application with better photocatalytic properties. In the present work, Al-doped ZnO which act as a photocatalysts was prepared by modified sol-gel technique at different Al concentrations to evaluate the effect of different Al doping concentration towards the photocatalytic degradation performance of methyl orange dye. The crystallinity of Al-doped ZnO was analysed by X-ray diffraction (XRD) at room temperature. The structural properties, surface morphology and elemental composition were studied via scanning electron microscope (SEM) attached with energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS). From XRD, all Al-doped ZnO samples show a polycrystalline nature with a hexagonal wurtzite structure. The average crystallite size was determined by Scherrer’s equation in the range of 79.29–86.50 nm. The Al ion was successfully incorporated into the Zn lattice confirmed by (101) peak shifting from the XRD results. The photocatalytic activities have been carried out by irradiating the photocatalysts under ultraviolet (UV) irradiation. The 1 mol% Al-doped ZnO exhibited a significant increase in the percentage degradation and photocatalytic efficiency compared to others with value of 88.87% degradation and rate constant k of 3.45 × 10−2 min−1 under 60 min irradiation. In the present work, Al-doped ZnO could be reused minimum of five cycles in its recyclability reaction.

The research, influences of different energy microwaves treated water on the antioxidant enzyme of Trigonella foenum-graecum (T. foenum ) were studied. The analysis was carried out in 2020 in the laboratories of Ecology Department, College of Science under stable variables such as temperature, humidity, sunlight. The antioxidant enzyme, The catalase (CAT), ascorbate peroxidase (APX), superoxide dismutase (SOD) and peroxidase (POD) activity in T. foenum (hypocotyl and radical) were measured after twenty days of experiments. Results showed that germination was increased with water energy, and all enzymes activity were increased in low energy treated water gradually but decreased rapidly in high energy treated water. hypocotyl showed a higher response than Radical. (CAT) and (SOD) enzymes activity rises slowly in 30w* until it reaches a peak in 50 w * 120 s then decreases rapidly in 70 w * 150 s and whenever the time of treatments increased the enzyme becomes less effective. Both (APX) and (POD) had the same response but showed an increase in activities at 30W. The results improve that microwaves treated water-induced antioxidant enzyme response in T. foenum. While the specified energy level and duration showed a better growth rate compared to regular watering water. The results of this research serve those interested in developing cultivation and water treatment methods and improving our understanding of T. foenum irrigation behaviour using microwave treated water.

Novel zinc phthalocyanine derivatives, ZnPc-1 and ZnPc-2, consisting of one and four imidazole units, respectively, have been synthesized and utilized as panchromatic photosensitizers for photocatalytic and photoelectrochemical H2 evolution. The effect of the imidazole-anchoring group on the photocatalytic H2 production has been compared with ZnPc-3, which possesses a carboxylic acid unit as the anchoring group. ZnPc-1/TiO2 shows the best photoactivity with the highest H2 evolution rate of 0.4006 mmol g−1 h−1, which is much higher than that of ZnPc-2/TiO2 and ZnPc-3/TiO2 (0.3319 mmol g−1 h−1 and 0.3555 mmol g−1 h−1, respectively). After 20 h of irradiation, ZnPc-1 produces an H2 production rate of 3.4187 mmol g−1 with a turnover number (TON) of 14863 and a solar-to-hydrogen energy (STH) conversion efficiency of 1.03%, without using a co-catalyst.

Acacia senegalensis (AS) stems as green corrosion inhibitor for AISI 304 in 1 M hydrochloric (HCl) acid using both gravimetric and potentiodynamic polarization techniques was investigated. The stems were characterized by quantitative and qualitative analyses, Atomic absorption Spectroscopy (AAS), Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FT-IR) and Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS). Substrates before and after corrosion were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The inhibitor concentration, time and temperature were varied accordingly. Corrosion rate increased with increase in temperature and decreased with increases in both inhibitor concentrations and time. Inhibition efficiency of 98.30% occurred at the value of 8% v/v and phytochemical results revealed tannins, alkaloids, saponins, flavonoids with their contents, AAS revealed 75% calcium, 16% magnesium, 3.35% manganese, FT-IR and GC–MS revealed some elements (N=C=S, C=N), chemical bonds/functional groups (NH2) etc which were responsible for the protection of AISI 304. Inhibition efficiency obtained suggested the effectiveness of the inhibitor. The green inhibitor acted as mixed-type. The coupons without green inhibitor were rough with severe pits, while surface with green inhibitor was protected. The weight loss, polarization and the characterization were in good agreement with each other.

Elimination of toxic organic dye pollutants from water using composite photocatalyst adsorbents are studied in detail. The composite preserves all the textures of constituent materials, and circumvents the disadvantages, including photogenerated electron’s speedy recombination, hindrance effect of the photocatalyst and low absorptivity. The present work focused attention on assessing the performance of heterogeneous ZnS tethered chitosan-polyaniline (ZCP) photocatalyst to the degradation of Methylene Blue (MB), and Malachite Green (MG) dyes, both in the visible and UV region. The ternary ZCP composite was found to be stable and the stability of the composite was attributed to the polycationic nature of the chitosan. The prepared ZCP was analysed with XRD, FTIR, SEM, and EDAX with mapping. The UV spectroscopic evaluation reaffirmed the ZCP bandgap as 3.16 eV. The reduced band gap for the ternary composite might be attributed to the formation of conductive networks throughout the chitosan matrix due to uniform dispersion of ZnS in the chitosan matrices as well as the possible grafting of PANI onto chitosan backbone. The photocatalytic result that the greatest mineralizations were 87.3%, and 91.5% for MB and MG dyes with the resultant concentration of dye was 20 mg L−1, ZCP quantity of 0.1 g L−1, under 60 min of light exposure, respectively. The photocatalyst is found to be reusable for up to five cycles. The results affirm that the ZCP matrix could be utilized as a useful photocatalyst for the mineralization of water/wastewater containing dye molecules.

Six different acylthiourea ligands (L1–L6) and their corresponding Ru(II)-p-cymene complexes (P1–P6) were designed to explore the structure–activity relationship of the complexes upon aliphatic chain and aromatic conjugation on the C- and N-terminals, respectively. The compounds were synthesized and adequately characterized using various analytical and spectroscopic techniques. The structures of P2–P6, solved using single crystal X-ray diffraction (XRD), confirmed the neutral monodentate coordination of the S atoms of the acylthiourea ligands to Ru(II) ions. In silico studies showed an increase of lipophilicity for the ligands with an increase in alkyl chain length or aromatic conjugation at the C- or N-terminal, respectively. Subsequently, mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPK) were predicted as one of the primary targets for the complexes, which showed good binding affinity towards extracellular signal-regulated kinases (ERK1, ERK2 and ERK5), c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) and p38 of the MAPK pathway. Henceforth, the complexes were tested for their anticancer activity in lung carcinoma (A549) and cisplatin-resistant lung carcinoma (cisA549R) cells and human umbilical vein epithelial normal cells (HUVEC). Interestingly, an increase in chain length or aromatic conjugation led to an increase in the activity of the complexes, with P5 (7.73 and 13.04 μM) and P6 (6.52 and 14.45 μM) showing the highest activity in A549 and cisA549R cells, which is better than the positive control, cisplatin (8.72 and 44.28 μM). Remarkably, we report the highest activity yet observed for complexes of the type [(η6-p-cymene)RuIICl2(S-acylthiourea)] in the tested cell lines. Aqueous solution studies showed that complexes P5 and P6 are rapidly hydrolyzed to produce solely aquated species that remained stable for 24 h. Staining assays and flow cytometric analyses of P5 and P6 in A549 cells revealed that the complexes induced apoptosis and arrested the cell cycle predominantly in the S phase. In vivo studies demonstrated the higher toxicity of cisplatin and a comparatively higher survival rate of mice injected with the most active complex P6. Histological analyses revealed that treatment with P6 at high doses of up to 8 mg kg−1 did not cause any palpable damage to the tested organs.