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Objectives In this study, the absorption of heavy metals in the soil from smoking areas using indoor plants and electrical grounding was investigated to increase the utility of indoor plants for soil decontamination. Methods Soil from plant pots in a smoking area was collected for the experimental plant pot preparations. Some of the prepared pots were connected to electrical ground via an electrode. Kidney beans (Phaseolus vulgaris) were seeded, and their growth were observed. After 30 days of the cultivation, TOC (Total Organic Carbon), and metagenomics profiles in the soil was analyzed. To estimate the behavior of the heavy metals in soil and plants, Cadmium concentrations in the samples were analyzed using ICP-MS (Inductively Coupled Plasma-Mass Spectrometry). Results and Discussion The connection of the electrical ground to the plant pot induced the rapid growth of plant (48.2 ± 2.3% increase in stem growth), compare to the plant in the pot without the electrical ground. TOC analysis showed that the soil from the grounded pots showed the highest value, compared to the control soil (3.08 ± 1.22%), and the soil from the pot without ground connection (2.3 ± 0.1%). The ICP-MS analysis indicated that the plant body in the grounded pot had the highest cadmium concentration at 0.33 ± 0.018 μg/kg. Using the metagenomic analysis, biomineralization related bacterial species (Nocardioides sp., Streptomyces sp., Sphingomonas sp. etc.) were identified from the grounded soil sample. These results suggested that the indoor plant cultivation with the electrical ground connection as an electrical fertilizer enhances the cadmium absorption by plant, exudate secretion from the plant root, and bacterial flora change in the rhizosphere. Conclusion Cadmium in the soil from the smoking area was absorbed by indoor plant with the electrical ground. Therefore, the application of the electrical ground connection (earth) to the electrically insulated outdoor plant pots might enhance the plant growth rate and physiological activity. This application could be a novel soil decontamination method using plants.

In this study, we aimed to develop a novel directional electromagnetic field (EMF) application method for promoting plant growth using a solenoid coil-based cultivation system. The emergence of plant shoots from seeds, shoot elongation, root proliferation, and plant growth hormones were monitored in the presence of a directional EMF using our solenoid coil system. To observe the effect of the directional EMF on seed germination, radish and sugarcane seedlings were cultivated in the system. At the seed germination stage, the EMF applied had no significant effect on germination or growth. However, after germination, shoot growth was sensitive to a directional EMF, as it was promoted by different conditions in a plant-species-dependent manner. The maximum growth promotion rates were 25.65% ± 4.21% and 38.57% ± 12.81% for radish and sugarcane, respectively. Similarly, plant root proliferation and indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) analyses indicated that directional EMF application was associated with root proliferation and hormone synthesis. Plant growth in the experimental system proved controllable; either growth stimulation or reduction were possible as the system operating conditions were made to vary. Our findings indicate that the application of a specific directional EMF could serve as an electrical plant stimulant (or electrical fertilizer).

Control of hazardous indoor particles using plants has attracted interest due to the increasing worldwide air pollution and spread of pandemic-causing viruses. However, the interaction between human pathogenic viruses (HPVs) and live plants has not been examined largely due to issues in detecting tiny amounts of infectious viruses in a carrier (such as an aerosol) and the lack of suitable examination methods. In this study, as a novel evaluation method, the effect of submerged leaves of live plants on HPVs in water was examined, using the H1N1 influenza virus as a model. Selected plant foliage of a live plant was immersed in a small bag containing HPV water suspension. In an initial screening test, the activities of 20 different plant species on the virus suspension were evaluated using a rapid virus detection kit. Ten plant species had the capability to decrease virus concentrations in the water suspension within 72 h. Among the experimental plant species, Epipremnum aureum showed the highest virus decreasing characteristics when examined using both the kit and quantitative real time polymerase chain reaction. The capacity of immersed leaf of live E. aureum to decrease viral content was enhanced when the plant-containing pot was electrically grounded to the earth (approximately 70% decrease in virus concentration). The foliage sample analysis showed that virus adsorption to the plant foliage surface could be the major reason for the decrease in the suspension. These results suggest that the proposed method can be applied to select plants to further investigate plant–HPV interactions.

In this study, cellulose/Fe3O4 hydrogel microbeads were prepared through the sol–gel transition of a solvent-in-oil emulsion using various cellulose-dissolving solvents and soybean oil without surfactants. Particularly, 40% tetrabutylammonium hydroxide (TBAH) and 40% tetrabutylphosphonium hydroxide (TBPH) dissolved cellulose at room temperature and effectively dispersed Fe3O4, forming cellulose/Fe3O4 microbeads with an average diameter of ~15 µm. Additionally, these solvents co-dissolved cellulose and silk, allowing for the manufacture of cellulose/silk/Fe3O4 hydrogel microbeads with altered surface characteristics. Owing to the negatively charged surface characteristics, the adsorption capacity of the cellulose/silk/Fe3O4 microbeads for the cationic dye crystal violet was >10 times higher than that of the cellulose/Fe3O4 microbeads. When prepared with TBAH, the initial adsorption rate of bovine serum albumin (BSA) on the cellulose/silk/Fe3O4 microbeads was 18.1 times higher than that on the cellulose/Fe3O4 microbeads. When preparing TBPH, the equilibrium adsorption capacity of the cellulose/silk/Fe3O4 microbeads for BSA (1.6 g/g) was 8.5 times higher than that of the cellulose/Fe3O4 microbeads. The pH-dependent BSA release from the cellulose/silk/Fe3O4 microbeads prepared with TBPH revealed 6.1-fold slower initial desorption rates and 5.2-fold lower desorption amounts at pH 2.2 than those at pH 7.4. Cytotoxicity tests on the cellulose and cellulose/silk composites regenerated with TBAH and TBPH yielded nontoxic results. Therefore, cellulose/silk/Fe3O4 microbeads are considered suitable pH-responsive supports for orally administered protein pharmaceuticals.

Objectives The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of plants on smoking area and its environment. For this purpose, two different smoking areas (with and without plants) were selected, and the number of smokers and spitting behaviors were monitored. Soil and leaves samples of each smoking area were taken to analyze the concentration of cadmium and distribution of soil microorganisms. Through this investigation, the role of plants in smoking area for the cadmium and microorganisms was estimated. Methods In the selected smoking areas, number of smokers and the number of spitting behaviors were monitored. Cadmium (Cd) concentrations of leaves, topsoil and rhizosphere obtained from the smoking areas were analyzed with inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). The microorganisms in soil samples were analyzed using denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) and 16s rRNA amplicon sequencing based metagenomics. Results and Discussion In the case of smoking area with plants, number of smokers and number of total spitting behaviors were 176.67 ± 7.85 and 918.67 ± 40.8 times per hour, respectively. In smoking area without plants, the 153.67 ± 5.44 (smokers) and (829.8 ± 29.36 (spitting behavior) per hour were observed. Among the collected samples from the smoking areas, the highest Cd values (347.117 ± 24.542 μg/kg) were found in leaves of smoking area. In the case of smoking area without plants, the top soil samples showed the highest Cd concentration (295.77 ± 16.64 μg/kg). The results indicate that Cd released from cigarette ash, saliva and smoke can be accumulated in plants and soil. The results suggested that the presence of plants in the smoking area protect the accumulation of Cd in surrounding environments (soil and atmosphere). The metagenomic analysis of the soil samples showed that smoking and spitting behavior also affected microbial system in the smoking areas. The results showed that the microorganisms in smoking area were closely related to the heavy metal removing activities. Conclusion Results suggested that the cadmium distribution in the smoking areas was significantly affected by the presence of live plants. In addition, the presence of plants in the smoking area induced the difference species microorganisms. These results suggested that the presence of plants in smoking area can protect the spread of cadmium to the surrounding environment.

Commiphora myrrha (T.Nees) Engl. resin extracts were prepared via immersion in extraction solvents (hot water, DMSO, hexane, ethanol, and methanol) which have various physical properties, such as different polarity and dielectric constant values. Methanolic C. myrrha (T.Nees) Engl. resin extracts showed broad antibacterial activity against isolated airborne bacteria. All methanolic C. myrrha (T.Nees) Engl. resin extracts were analyzed using GC-MS and Furanoeudesma-1,3-diene and curzerene were found as the main terpenoids. In addition, the methanolic C. myrrha (T.Nees) Engl. resin extracts were found to have antiviral activity (81.2% viral RNA inhibition) against the H1N1 influenza virus. Biochars (wood powder- and rice husk-derived) coated with C. myrrha (T.Nees) Engl. resin extracts also showed antiviral activity (22.6% and 24.3% viral RNA inhibition) due to the adsorption of terpenoids onto biochar. C. myrrha (T.Nees) Engl. resin extract using methanol as the extraction solvent is a promising agent with antibacterial and antiviral efficacy that can be utilized as a novel material via adsorption onto biochar for air filtration processes, cosmetics, fertilizers, drug delivery, and corrosion inhibition.

Objectives:The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of spitting behavior on microbial public health in smoking areas. Through this investigation, bacterial concentration and spread of bacteria from the smoking areas were evaluated for the prospective public health and environment. Methods:The number of spitting and the spitting location in the smoking areas were measured visually by observers. For the microbial analysis, filter papers (5×5 cm) as sample collectors had been attached to the surface of the smoking areas for a given time. Using the collected filter paper, ATP bioluminescence measurement (RLU), colony forming unit (CFU) were measured. For the estimation of spitting behaviors in the smoking area on the spread microorganisms, saliva containing filters were selected from the areas, and fluorescent powder (0.01 g/cm2) was added to the papers. After 4 hours, the papers around the smoking areas were collected and the fluorescence activity was measured. Results and Discussion:The results showed that there was a clear relationship between the spitting behavior and the microbial activity in the smoking areas. In the case of sampling area A, the highest number of spitting was observed at the lunch hour (102 ± 16 times), and the RLU from the sample collected near the smoking area showed about 5,139 ± 1,267 RLU. When the RLU around the smoking area was measured, the lowest values were found at distance of 11 and 17 m from the cigarette bin (1,329 ± 148 and 1,204 ± 203 RLU), and it was confirmed that smoking and spitting did not occur at this sampling points. In the case of sampling area B, the highest number of spitting (45 ± 6 times) was observed at evening hour, and the RLU from the sample collected near the smoking area showed about 5,274 ± 1,297 RLU. The lowest value was in the sampling area B shown at 11 and 18 m (1,181 ± 243 RLU and 1,148 ± 168 RLU) from the cigarette bin, and it was also confirmed that smoking and spitting did not occur at this sampling points. The results indicate that the spitting during the smoking induced the increases of the microbial contamination of the public environment. The fluorescence powder diffusion analysis indicated that the saliva on the ground surface would enhance the spread of the microorganisms from the smoking area. Conclusions:Spitting in smoking areas can pose a high risk of microbial infection for smokers and non-smokers in smoking areas. Thus extensive and systematic attention related to the smoking manner must be paid to protect our public health.

Abstract Background Water content variation during plant growth is one of the most important monitoring parameters in plant studies. Conventional parameters (such as dry weight) are unreliable; thus, the development of rapid, accurate methods that will allow the monitoring of water content variation in live plants is necessary. In this study, we aimed to develop a non-invasive, radiofrequency-based monitoring system to rapidly and accurately detect water content variation in live plants. The changes in standing wave ratio (SWR) caused by the presence of stem water and magnetic particles in the stem water flow were used as the basis of plant monitoring systems. Results The SWR of a coil probe was used to develop a non-invasive monitoring system to detect water content variation in live plants. When water was added to the live experimental plants with or without illumination under drought conditions, noticeable SWR changes at various frequencies were observed. When a fixed frequency (1.611 GHz) was applied to a single experimental plant (Radermachera sinica), a more comprehensive monitoring, such as water content variation within the plant and the effect of illumination on water content, was achieved. Conclusions Our study demonstrated that the SWR of a coil probe could be used as a real-time, non-invasive, non-destructive parameter for detecting water content variation and practical vital activity in live plants. Our non-invasive monitoring method based on SWR may also be applied to various plant studies.

The prospective application of probiotics is an adjuvant for the advancement of novel antimicrobial and wound-healing agents. Currently, probiotic bacteria are utilized for the biosynthesis of nanoparticles in the development of innovative therapeutics. The present study aimed at using nanoparticle-conjugated probiotic bacteria for enhanced antibacterial and wound-healing activity. In the present investigation, the probiotic bacteria were isolated from a dairy source (milk from domestic herbivores). They screened for antibacterial activity against infection-causing Gram-negative (Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Escherichia coli) and Gram-positive (Bacillus subtilis and Staphylococcus aureus) pathogens. Further, the probiotic strain with higher bactericidal activity was used to synthesize silver, selenium, and copper nanoparticles. The isolated strain was found to be Lactiplantibacillus plantarum and it only has the ability to synthesize silver nanoparticles. This was verified using Ultra violet-Visible (UV-Vis) spectroscopy, where the test solution turned brown and the greatest UV-Vis absorptions peaked at 425 nm. Optimization studies on the synthesis of AgNPs (silver nanoparticles) are presented and the results show that stable synthesis was obtained by using a concentration of 1mM silver nitrate (AgNO3) at a temperature of 37 °C with pH 8. The FTIR (Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy) study confirmed the involvement of functional groups from the cell biomass that were involved in the reduction process. Additionally, biosynthesized AgNPs showed increased antioxidant and antibacterial activities. The nano silver had a size distribution of 14 nm and was recorded with HR-TEM (high-resolution transmission electron microscopy) examination. The EDX (energy dispersive X-ray) analysis revealed 57% of silver groups found in the nanoparticle production. The biosynthesized AgNPs show significant wound-healing capabilities with 96% of wound closure (fibroblast cells) being observed through an in vitro scratch-wound assay. The cytotoxic experiments demonstrated that the biosynthesized AgNPs are not extremely hazardous to the fibroblast cells. The present study provides a new platform for the green synthesis of AgNPs using probiotic bacteria, showing significant antibacterial and wound-healing potentials against infectious pathogens.

Objective This study investigated the effects of dry radish leaf and root on the quality of pork patties during refrigeration storage. Methods The patties were divided into the following three groups: the control containing 0% dry radish leaf root powder, RL1 containing 0.5% dry radish leaf root powder, and RL2 and RL3 containing 1% and 2% dry radish leaf root powder, respectively. Proximate composition, pH, cooking loss, microbial analysis, lipid oxidation analysis, color, texture profile analysis and sensory test were performed. Results Moisture, crude protein, and crude ash contents in RL2 and RL3 were significantly higher than those in other groups (p

In this study, we prepared alginate composite hydrogel beads containing various compositions of biochar produced from pitch pine (Pinus rigida) for the removal of Cu2+ and benzene from model pollutant solutions. The properties of the alginate/biochar hydrogel beads were evaluated using scanning electron microscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and Brunauer–Emmet–Teller analyses. Adsorption behavior of alginate/biochar hydrogel beads indicated that the adsorption capacities for Cu2+ (28.6–72.7 mg/g) were enhanced with increasing alginate content, whereas the adsorption capacities for benzene (20.0–52.8 mg/g) were improved with increasing biochar content. The alginate/biochar hydrogel beads exhibited similar adsorption capacities for Cu2+ and benzene in the concurrent system with Cu2+ and benzene compared to those in a single pollutant system. Adsorption kinetics and isotherm studies of the alginate/biochar hydrogel beads followed the pseudo-second-order model (r2 = 0.999 for Cu2+, and r2 = 0.999 for benzene), and Langmuir model (r2 = 0.999 for Cu2+, and r2 = 0.995 for benzene). In addition, alginate/biochar hydrogel beads (containing 1 and 4% biochar) exhibited high reusability (>80%). Therefore, alginate/biochar hydrogel beads can be applied as adsorbents for the removal of multiple pollutants with different properties from wastewater.

Most research on the relationship between driver fatigue, driving comfort, stability and other factors related to driving has consisted subjective assessments via surveys. Bio-signal measurements allow more objective evaluations but the measurement processes and types are very complicated, and measurement signals are sensitive to noise. To address this issue, this paper attempts to quantify driver fatigue by measuring and analyzing hemodynamic responses with near-infrared spectroscopy. The oxygen concentration changes in the erector spinae muscle were measured for the same subjects when driving a vehicle on a highway for a long time, in one of two driving postures: posture A based on the seat status of the average male body type in South Korea (a 107.7° torso angle, 109.1° chair back angle and 561.0 mm seat x-axis position posture) and Posture B with the chair back angle adjusted by −10° from posture A and the seat moved 4 cm back. A survey was carried out on the degree of lumbar discomfort. The analysis of the degree of relative fatigue, based on driver posture utilizing a mathematical model for the physiological system of lower-back fatigue, showed that posture B is relatively uncomfortable compared to posture A by approximately 41%. The results of analyzing the degree of relative discomfort with regard to driver posture using a mathematical model allow the verification that interpreting the relative degree of discomfort based on the changes in the oxygen concentration at a particular time is possible, and the experimental results show the usefulness of the proposed method.

With the aging demographic of today’s society, the need for robotic exoskeletons is expected to increase as they can compensate for declining physical strength in the physically impaired. In this study, an assistive robotic exoskeleton for the knee joint with fairly low energy consumption is proposed for industrial applications. The knee-assistive robotic exoskeleton (KARE-1) was designed to support a human body during production line tasks. The KARE-1 is based on a four-bar link mechanism with a rotary actuator and gas spring to accommodate a high power-to-weight ratio. By taking advantage of the utilized singular configuration of the four-bar linkage, this novel design is able to efficiently support the weight of the human body. The selected singular configuration allows this device to support the knee joint in the load-bearing stages of static sitting as well as during the motion between standing and sitting. The proposed device is further able to move freely along with the knee during walking movements. The proposed design was verified through a series of numerical simulations and through human subject testing at an industrial workplace.

Rapid development in the printing and dying industry produces large amounts of wastewater, and its discharge in the environment causes pollution. Keeping in view the carcinogenic and mutagenic properties of various dyes, it is important to treat dyed wastewater. Maple leaf biochars were produced at different pyrolysis temperatures, i.e., 350 °C, 550 °C, and 750 °C, characterized for physicochemical properties and used for the removal of cationic (methylene blue (MB)) and anionic dye (congo red (CR)). Response surface methodology (RSM) using three variables, i.e., pH (4, 7, and 10), pyrolysis temperature (350 °C, 550 °C, and 750 °C), and adsorption temperature (20 °C, 30 °C, and 40 °C), was designed to find the optimum condition for dyes removal. X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis showed an increase in CaCO3 crystallinity and a decrease in MgCO3 crystallinity with the increase of pyrolysis temperature. RSM design results showed that maple biochar showed maximum adsorption capacity for cationic dye at higher pH (9–10) and for anionic dye at pH 4-6, respectively. Under the selected condition of pH 7 and an adsorption temperature of 30 °C, biochar MB550 was able to remove MB and CR by 68% and 74%, respectively, from dye mixtures. Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) analyses showed that MB550 was able to remove both dyes simultaneously from the aqueous mixtures.

Heat shock proteins (HSPs) constitute a large family of molecular chaperones classified by their molecular weights, and they include HSP27, HSP40, HSP60, HSP70, and HSP90. HSPs function in diverse physiological and protective processes to assist in maintaining cellular homeostasis. In particular, HSPs participate in protein folding and maturation processes under diverse stressors such as heat shock, hypoxia, and degradation. Notably, HSPs also play essential roles across cancers as they are implicated in a variety of cancer-related activities such as cell proliferation, metastasis, and anti-cancer drug resistance. In this review, we comprehensively discuss the functions of HSPs in association with cancer initiation, progression, and metastasis and anti-cancer therapy resistance. Moreover, the potential utilization of HSPs to enhance the effects of chemo-, radio-, and immunotherapy is explored. Taken together, HSPs have multiple clinical usages as biomarkers for cancer diagnosis and prognosis as well as the potential therapeutic targets for anti-cancer treatment.

In this article, a novel controller for a nonanthropomorphic exoskeleton robot was designed to reduce joint torque of its operator using the contact force between them. Since the joints of the nonanthropomorphic exoskeletons are not directly connected to those of the operator due to the difference between their kinematic structure, joint assistance is performed by transmitting the contact force on their coupling parts instead of transmitting the joint torque of the nonanthropomorphic exoskeleton directly into the human joint. Most of the previous studies have focused on reducing the measured contact force by moving the coupling parts or commanding the robot joint torque. On the contrary, the proposed method focuses on reducing the human joint torque, which is estimated by formulating inverse dynamics, by obtaining possible contact force solutions. The commanding torque of the nonanthropomorphic exoskeleton was calculated by inverse dynamics based on the model information. To verify the control performance of the proposed method, we have developed a simulation environment for a lower-limb nonanthropomorphic exoskeleton. When the coupling part was implemented to be rigid for an ideal case, the joint torque of the human model to perform the same motion was successfully reduced by the given torque reduction ratio. For a more realistic condition, a nonrigid coupling was also implemented as a virtual spring-damper system, and its effect on the control performance was demonstrated in the simulation.

A fast, sensitive, and selective liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) method was validated and then the levels of cortisol and cortisone from sera of healthy adults were determined by the LC-MS/MS method. One hundred μL of serum sample was directly extracted by adding 2 mL ethyl acetate, followed by chromatographic separation on a C18 column with a mobile phase consisting of 5 mM ammonium acetate and methanol (25 : 75, v/v). The precision, accuracy, and average recovery of the method were 1.5–5.3%, 95.4–102.5%, and 96.4% for cortisol, and 1.9–6.0%, 89.2–98.8%, and 79.9% for cortisone, respectively. The method was linear from 1.0 to 500.0 ng/mL r2=0.999 for cortisol and 2.5 to 100.0 ng/mL r2=0.998 for cortisone. The limits of detection (LOD) and quantification (LOQ) were 0.2 and 1.0 ng/mL for cortisol, and 1.0 and 2.5 ng/mL for cortisone, respectively. The average cortisol concentration (133.9±63.7 ng/mL) of samples collected between 9:00 and 11:00 a.m. was higher approximately 4.4 times than that of cortisone (30.5±10.7 ng/mL) P