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Biodiesel is a promising alternative to petrodiesel, but its production from acid oils retains several technical challenges. Therefore, this study developed a new approach involving 1,8-diazabicyclo[5.4.0]undec-7-ene (DBU)-catalyzed one-pot reaction (simultaneous esterification-transesterification) to produce biodiesel with enhanced reaction efficiency. The reaction was performed under water removal conditions and optimized using response surface methodology to maximize the biodiesel yield. The optimal conditions for the one-pot reaction had a reaction time of 2.73 h, temperature of 143°C, methanol:oil molar ratio of 24.3 : 1, and DBU loading of 30.1%. Under the optimal conditions, maximum total biodiesel of 97.1% was obtained. DBU could be repeatedly used for at least 5 cycles to yield over 91% biodiesel. This study suggests that DBU efficiently catalyzed esterification and transesterification simultaneously and the DBU-catalyzed one-pot reaction is an efficient method for biodiesel production from high-free-fatty acid oils.

Mushrooms have a long history of use as food and medicine. They are rich in various nutrients and bioactive compounds, particularly phenolic compounds. In this study, ten mushroom species were selected, and solvent extraction using 80% ethanol was used to extract phenolic compounds. Total phenolic content (TPC), total flavonoid content (TFC) and total condensed tannin content (TCT) were measured to evaluate phenolic content in different mushroom varieties. In the mushroom varieties tested, brown portobello mushroom had the highest TPC (396.78 ± 3.12 µg GAE/g), white cup mushroom exhibited the highest TFC (275.17 ± 9.40 μg CE/g), and shiitake mushroom presented the highest TCT (13.80 ± 0.21 µg QE/g). Antioxidant capacity was evaluated using 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP), 2,2′-azino-bis-3ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid (ABTS) and total antioxidant capacity (TAC) assays. The highest DPPH free radical scavenging ability was found in white cup mushroom (730.14 ± 55.06 µg AAE/g), while the greatest iron-reducing ability (FRAP) was recorded for shiitake mushroom (165.32 ± 10.21 μg AAE/g). Additionally, Swiss brown mushroom showed the highest ABTS antioxidant capacity (321.31 ± 5.7 μg AAE/g), and the maximum TAC value was found in shiitake mushroom (24.52 ± 1.2 μg AAE/g). These results highlight that most of the mushroom varieties studied showed high phenolic contents and demonstrated strong antioxidant activity, with shiitake mushrooms standing out due to their high TCT and FRAP values, and the highest TAC value among the varieties studied. In addition, LC-ESI-QTOF-MS/MS was used to characterize the mushroom samples, and tentatively identified a total of 22 phenolic compounds, including 11 flavonoids, 4 lignans, 3 phenolic acids, 2 stilbenes and 2 other phenolic compounds in all mushroom samples. The research results of this study showed that mushrooms are a good source of phenolic compounds with strong antioxidant potential. The results can provide a scientific basis for the development of mushroom extracts in functional food, health products, and other industries.

This paper describes a journey which started with the question: why do farmers reapply phosphate? This led to understanding how phosphate and other specifically sorbed ions, both cations and anions react with soil. Under most soil conditions, they do not precipitate to give specific compounds. Rather they are specifically adsorbed onto the surface of soil particles and then penetrate the particles via diffusion mechanisms. The pathways by which they move differ between ion species; for example nickel penetrates the lattice of iron oxides but phosphate penetrates defects between particles. Such reactions change important properties of the soil. Reaction with phosphate conveys negative charge to the reacting surface and so decreases the buffering capacity for phosphate; this makes subsequent phosphate applications more effective. Nor does the diffusive penetration continue unabated; as phosphate builds up, diffusive penetration slows and then virtually stops. These effects mean that on long-term fertilised soils, phosphate fertiliser is much more effective and annual doses (if they are needed at all) should be much smaller. I suggest that failure to appreciate this is the cause of phosphate losses from farmland and consequent pollution of water bodies.

Brown seaweed is rich in phenolic compounds and has established health benefits. However, the phenolics present in Australian beach-cast seaweed are still unclear. This study investigated the effect of ultrasonication and conventional methodologies using four different solvents on free and bound phenolics of freeze-dried brown seaweed species obtained from the southeast Australian shoreline. The phenolic content and their antioxidant potential were determined using in vitro assays followed by identification and characterization by LC-ESI-QTOF-MS/MS and quantified by HPLC-PDA. The Cystophora sp. displayed high total phenolic content (TPC) and phlorotannin content (FDA) when extracted using 70% ethanol (ultrasonication method). Cystophora sp., also exhibited strong antioxidant potential in various assays, such as DPPH, ABTS, and FRAP in 70% acetone through ultrasonication. TAC is highly correlated to FRAP, ABTS, and RPA (p < 0.05) in both extraction methodologies. LC-ESI-QTOF-MS/MS analysis identified 94 and 104 compounds in ultrasound and conventional methodologies, respectively. HPLC-PDA quantification showed phenolic acids to be higher for samples extracted using the ultrasonication methodology. Our findings could facilitate the development of nutraceuticals, pharmaceuticals, and functional foods from beach-cast seaweed.

The effects of pH on nutrient availability are not solely caused by to the effects on reaction with soils but are an interaction between these effects and the effects on rate of uptake by plants. Some effects are specific to particular ions, but an important aspect is that plant roots and soil particles both have variable charge surfaces. This influences availability, but in opposite directions. Sulfate is an example of this interplay. Its sorption by soil decreases markedly with increasing pH and thus “soil availability” increases. However, plant uptake also decreases with increasing pH thus “plant availability” decreases. For phosphate, the plant effect is stronger than the soil effect and uptake decreases with increasing pH. In contrast, effects of increasing pH on molybdate adsorption are so large that they dominate the overall effect. Sorption of cations, such as zinc or copper, increases with increasing pH but uptake rate also increases. The net effect is a small decrease in availability with increasing pH. Boron is an exception; there are small effects of pH on sorption; and it is the uncharged boric acid molecules that are taken up by plant roots. Their uptake is not affected by charge and uptake is proportional to the concentration of uncharged boric acid molecules. We argue that emphasis on the effects of pH on reactions with soil has led to a distorted picture of the effects of pH on nutrient availability.

Non-shivering thermogenesis (NST) has strong potential to combat obesity, however, a safe molecular approach to activate this process has not yet been identified. The sulfur amino acid taurine has the ability to safely activate NST and confer protection against obesity and metabolic disease in both mice and humans, but the mechanism of action is unknown. In this study, we discover that a suite of taurine biosynthetic enzymes, especially that of cysteamine dioxygenase (ADO), significantly increases in response to β3adrenergic signaling in inguinal tissues (IWAT) in order increase intracellular concentrations of taurine. We further show that ADO is critical for thermogenic mitochondrial function as its ablation in thermogenic adipocytes significantly reduces taurine levels which lead to declines in mitochondrial oxygen consumption rates. Finally, we demonstrate via assay for transposase-accessible chromatin with sequencing (ATAC-Seq) that taurine supplementation has the ability to remodel the chromatin landscape to increase the chromatin accessibility and transcription of genes, such as glucose-6-phosphate isomerase 1 (Gpi1), that are critical for NST. Taken together, our studies highlight a potential mechanism for taurine in the activation of NST that can be leveraged toward the treatment of obesity and metabolic disease.

Avocados (Persea americana M.) are highly valued fruits consumed worldwide, and there are numerous commercially available varieties on the market. However, the high demand for fruit also results in increased food waste. Thus, this study was conducted for comprehensive profiling of polyphenols of Hass, Reed, and Wurtz avocados obtained from the Australian local market. Ripe Hass peel recorded the highest TPC (77.85 mg GAE/g), TTC (148.98 mg CE/g), DPPH (71.03 mg AAE/g), FRAP (3.05 mg AAE/g), RPA (24.45 mg AAE/g), and ABTS (75.77 mg AAE/g) values; unripe Hass peel recorded the highest TFC (3.44 mg QE/g); and Wurtz peel recorded the highest TAC (35.02 mg AAE/g). Correlation analysis revealed that TPC and TTC were significantly correlated with the antioxidant capacity of the extracts. A total of 348 polyphenols were screened in the peel. A total of 134 compounds including 36 phenolic acids, 70 flavonoids, 11 lignans, 2 stilbenes, and another 15 polyphenols, were characterised through LC-ESI-QTOF-MS/MS, where the majority were from peels and seeds of samples extract. Overall, the hierarchical heat map revealed that there were a significant amount of polyphenols in peels and seeds. Epicatechin, kaempferol, and protocatechuic acid showed higher concentrations in Reed pulp. Wurtz peel contains a higher concentration of hydroxybenzoic acid. Our results showed that avocado wastes have a considerable amount of polyphenols, exhibiting antioxidant activities. Each sample has its unique value proposition based on its phenolic profile. This study may increase confidence in utilising by-products and encourage further investigation into avocado by-products as nutraceuticals.

The NNBAR experiment for the European Spallation Source will search for free neutrons converting to antineutrons with an expected sensitivity improvement of three orders of magnitude compared to the last such search. This paper describes both the simulations of a key component for the experiment, the neutron optical reflector and the expected gains in sensitivity.

Electrolysis is a promising approach for biodiesel production. However, low electrical conductivity of a reaction mixture results in a low reaction rate. Thus, this study developed a novel catalyst-free electrolysis process using an ionic liquid as a supporting electrolyte for biodiesel production. Various ionic liquids were assessed, and 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium chloride ([Emim]Cl) exhibited the highest electrical conductivity (4.59 mS/cm) and the best electrolytic performance for transesterification. Electrolysis in the presence of [Emim]Cl was subsequently optimized using response surface methodology to maximize biodiesel yield. A maximum biodiesel yield of 97.76% was obtained under the following optimal reaction conditions: electrolysis voltage, 19.42 V; [Emim]Cl amount, 4.43% ( w / w ); water content, 1.62% ( w / w ); methanol to oil molar ratio, 26.38 : 1; and reaction time, 1 h. Notably, [Emim]Cl could be efficiently reused for at least three cycles with a corresponding biodiesel yield of 94.81%. Moreover, the properties of the synthesized biodiesel complied with EN and ASTM standards. The findings of this study indicate that catalyst-free electrolysis using [Emim]Cl as a supporting electrolyte is an eco-friendly and efficient method for biodiesel production.

The excellent electrical conductivity of graphene is due to its highly-conjugated structures. Manipulation of the electronic and mechanical properties of graphene can be achieved by controlling the destruction of its in-sheet conjugation system. Herein, we report the preparation of CoCeSx -SA@BPMW@RGO through π-π stacking interactions at the molecular level. In this study, sodium alginate was reacted with Co2+ and Ce3+ , and the composite was loaded onto a graphene surface. The graphene sheets were prepared using a bi-pyrene terminated molecular wire (BPMW) to avoid re-stacking of the grapheme sheets, thereby forming nanoscale spaces between sheets. The angle between the BPMW coplanar pyrene group and the phenyl group was 33.2°, and the graphene layer is supported in an oblique direction. Finally, a three-dimensional porous composite was obtained after annealing and vulcanization. The obtained CoCeSx -SA@BPMW@RGO exhibited excellent electrical conductivity and remarkable cycle stability. When the current density was 1 A g-1 , its specific capacitance was as high as 1004 F g-1 . BPMW modifies graphene through the synergistic effect of π-π stacking interaction and special structure to obtain excellent electrochemical performance. Moreover, a solid-state asymmetric supercapacitor device was fabricated based on the synthesized CoCeSx -SA@BPMW@RGO hybrid, which exhibited a power density of 979 W kg-1 at an energy density of 23.96 Wh kg-1 .

Marine fungi are a rich source of biologically active molecules, but a poorly explored bioresource for cosmeceutical products. This study evaluates the phytochemistry, antioxidant, and antityrosinase effects of the organic extracts of marine fungi isolated from various marine environments in India. Out of 35 screened fungal strains, methanol extracts of strains P2, Talaromyces stipitatus, and D4, Aspergillus terreus exhibited antityrosinase activity of 45% and 43%, respectively, at the lowest concentration of 0.5 mg/mL. The highest free radicals scavenging activity of 94% and 97% was observed at 500 mg/mL, respectively, of the same fungal extracts. The total phenolic content ranged from 8.20 to 20.30 mg/g of the dry weight of extract, expressed as gallic acid equivalent. GC-MS analysis of T. stipitatus and A. terreus extract identified seven and 10 major compounds, respectively. Some of the major compounds included azetidine, (3E)-3-[(3,5-dimethoxybenzoyl)hydrazono]-N-isobutyl butanamide, aziridine, and 3-methylcyclopentanone, 1,1-dimethylcyclohexane, cyclopentane carboxylic acid, N-allyl-4,5,6,7-tetrahydro-2-benzothiophene-1-carboxamide, cyclo(l-Pro-l-Val), and 3-phenylpropionitrile. In conclusion, this study showed abundant fungal resources in Indian marine environments. A correlation between total phenolic contents of the extracts confirmed that phenolic compounds play an important role in antioxidant as well as antityrosinase activity of the marine fungal extracts and can be viewed as new potential antityrosinase and antioxidant resources.

In this work, MgCo2O4@NiMn layered double hydroxide (LDH) core-shell structured nanocomposites on Ni foam (NF) are synthesized by facile hydrothermal and calcination methods. MgCo2O4/NF is synthesized first via a hydrothermal reaction and annealing treatment, and then utilized to prepare MgCo2O4@NiMn-LDH/NF core-shell structured nanocomposites via the second hydrothermal process. It is found that the MgCo2O4@NiMn-LDH/NF nanocomposite prepared from 6 h hydrothermal reaction (MC@NM-LDH-2) exhibits an excellent specific capacitance of 3757.2 F g−1 (at 1 A g−1). Moreover, a high capacitance retention (86.9% after 6000 cycles) and a low internal resistance (Rs) (0.565 Ω) can be achieved. Furthermore, an all-solid-state asymmetric supercapacitor (ASC) is assembled using MgCo2O4@NiMn-LDH/NF-2 as positive electrode and activated carbon (AC) as negative electrode. The as-fabricated MgCo2O4@NiMn-LDH/NF-2//AC ASC shows a high energy density of 62.33 Wh kg−1 at 750 W kg−1. Meanwhile, the MgCo2O4@NiMn-LDH/NF-2//AC ASC device possesses an outstanding cycling stability of 93.7% retention of the initial capacitance after 6000 cycles and three ASC devices connected in series can light up a LED bulb for 15 min. Our results manifest that these core-shell structure MgCo2O4@NiMn-LDH nanocomposites could envision huge potential application in energy storage devices.

Reasonable design of materials with complex nanostructures and diverse chemical compositions is of great significance in the field of energy storage. Cu

Atomically thin boron nitride nanosheets (BNNSs) are normally considered to be chemically inert, which makes them difficult to be functionalized. Many applications require new surface functionalities. Significant efforts have been made towards surface engineering and assembly of BNNSs. In this article, we contribute a critical review of the topic on challenges and solutions in surface engineering and assembly of BNNSs. We first outline the mechanistic insights of tunable surface functionalization of BNNSs, and then highlight some new breakthroughs, seminal studies, and trends in the area that have been most recently reported by our groups and others. Recent application researches include but are not limited to: (1) chemical catalysis; (2) biocompatible BN functional nanomaterials for biological and biomedical applications; (3) molecularly engineered BN surfaces for sensing and drug delivery applications; and (4) the construction of thermally conductive and electrically insulating composites. There is also an in-depth discussion on the merits of the processing-structure–property relationships in the functionalized BNNSs. Finally, with this review article, we hope to spark new ideas and inspire new functionalization strategies by fundamentally understanding surface properties and engineering BNNSs with programmable structures and predictable properties.

Biological control agents are a promising substitute for chemical pesticides in agricultural pest management. In this study, Penicillium sp. with high pathogenicity to the agricultural pests oriental leafworm moth (Spodoptera litura) and diamondback moth (Plutella xylostella) were isolated from naturally infected insects and grown on different agricultural residues as an inexpensive substrate for their sporulation. Ten strains of Penicillium (P.01~P.10) were identified as P. citrinum based on morphological features and molecular studies, with sequence analysis using an internal transcribed spacer region. Different fungal isolates exhibited a varying degree of pathogenicity against S. litura and Pl. xylostella, and strains P.04 and P.09 showed the highest pathogenicity to S. litura, with a mortality rate of 92.13% after 7 days of treatments, while strain P.06 resulted in the highest mortality of Pl. xylostella (100%) after 6 days of treatment. Moreover, among ten isolates infected with both S. litura and P. xylostella, P.06 showed potential virulence against S. litura and Pl. xylostella, with lethal time for 50% mortality (LT50) values of 4.5 days and 3.0 days, respectively. The ten isolates showed higher virulence to Pl. xylostella than to S. litura. The agro-industrial-based medium showed efficiency for the cultivation of isolates for sporulation on an industrial scale, suggesting that the newly isolated P. citrinum is a potential biological control agent for controlling insect pests and could be further developed for microbial pesticide production.

Food acceptability and appeal are significantly influenced by colour. Harmful effects associated with synthetic colorants are well established, and research is currently focused on developing natural, synthetic chemical-free substitutes from fungal sources, with broad applications in food, medicine, textiles and agriculture. Additionally, the market’s dearth of natural red colour substitutes requires the creation of novel red pigment alternatives from secure and scalable sources. The goal of the current research was to establish new endophytic marine fungi that are naturally occurring bio-sources of the red pigment. Based on its profuse extracellular red pigment-producing capacity, the fungus CPEF02 was selected and identified as Monascus purpureus CPEF02 via internal transcribed spacer (ITS) sequences and phylogenetic analysis. The chemical moieties of the pigmented extracts were identified by liquid chromatography-high resolution mass spectrometry (LC-HRMS). The optimal culture conditions for maximum pigment production were investigated by surveying various media compositions. The methanolic fungal colourant extract was shown to have substantial antibacterial and antifungal activities against anthropogenic pathogens, Staphylococcus aureus (MTCC 1430), methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (ATCCBAA811), Salmonella typhimurium (MTCC 3241) and Vibrio cholerae (N16961) at a 100 µg/mL concentration and at a 1 mg/mL concentration for Alternaria solani (ITCC 4632) and Rhizoctonia solani (AG1-IA). This extract also exhibited antioxidant activity against the 2,2′-azino-bis (3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) radical with an IC50 of 14.42 µg/mL and a Trolox equivalent antioxidant capacity of 0.571 µM Trolox/µg of the methanolic colourant extract. The findings suggested that M. purpureus’s pigment could be a source of an industrially useful natural red colourant.

Functionalized gold nanoparticles (GNPs) have been extensively studied for cargo delivery and imaging towards biomedical applications. However, there are limited studies showcasing the above two in sync using GNPs. In this work, we fabricated a nanosystem for small molecule delivery and bioimaging based on L-cysteine (L-Cys)-functionalized GNPs (GNP–L-Cys) coupled with a rhodamine 6G derivative (Rh6G2). GNPs conjugated with Rh6G2 (GNP–L-Cys–Rh6G2), as a model system, showcased enhanced fluorescence emission due to “on-demand” release of the rhodamine dye (RGCOOH) from the surface of the GNPs through spiro ring-opening followed by an ion-catalyzed hydrolysis mechanism in the presence of Cu2+. Moreover, in vitro studies showed sustained release of RGCOOH into cells; thus, GNP–L-Cys–Rh6G2 acted as a delivery vehicle without causing significant cell toxicity and was further used for fluorescence imaging. We believe such nanoscale systems with molecular scale engineering open up new possibilities for biomedical applications.

Layered double hydroxides (LDHs) are widely used as cathode materials for supercapacitors (SCs), thanks to their many advantages. However, the single metal species with limited active sites limit the further improvement of the electrochemical performance of LDH materials. We successfully in situ embedded cobalt sulfide quantum dots (Co9S8-QDs) between the layers of ternary metal LDHs derived from metal–organic-frameworks (MOFs) by selective vulcanization of Co. The prepared Ni3Mn1Co@Co9S8-QDs/NF nanocomposites retain the advantages of LDH materials, such as lower charge transfer resistance. At the same time, the selectively generated ultra-small sized Co9S8-QDs reveal more active sites, which complies with the size minimization strategy, leading to the largely enhanced electrochemical properties. Due to the cooperative effect of LDHs and Co9S8-QDs, the prepared electrode has an excellent capacity (492.1 mA h g−1 at 1 A g−1), remarkable equivalent series resistance (0.499 Ω) and superior capacity retention (90.4% after 10 000 charge–discharge cycles). In addition, the carbon coated Fe2O3 nanoarray is prepared on carbon cloth (CC) as the cathode electrode (Fe2O3@C/CC), and the prepared Ni3Mn1Co@Co9S8-QDs/NF//Fe2O3@C/CC all solid-state asymmetric supercapacitor (ASC) shows an outstanding energy density (71.48 W h kg−1) when the power density is 750 W kg−1 and excellent capacity retention (93.7% after 10 000 charge–discharge cycles). As a result, the construction of composite electrodes with polymetallic LDHs and in situ embedded quantum dots should envision broad prospects.

Gold nanoparticles (GNP) were bio-fabricated utilizing the methanolic extract of the endophytic isolate Aspergillus terreus. The biosynthesised gold nanoparticles (GNP023) were characterised using UV-visible spectroscopy (UV-Vis); transmission electron microscopy (TEM), Fourier-transform nfrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) studies. The bio-fabricated GNP023 displayed a sharp SPR peak at 536 nm, were spherically shaped, and had an average size between 10–16 nm. The EDX profile confirmed the presence of gold (Au), and XRD analysis confirmed the crystalline nature of GNP023. The antimicrobial activity of GNP023 was investigated against several food-borne and phytopathogens, using in vitro antibacterial and antifungal assays. The maximum zone of inhibition was observed for S. aureus and V. cholera at 400 μg /mL, whereas inhibition in radial mycelial growth was observed against Fusarium oxysporum and Rhizoctonia solani at 52.5% and 65.46%, respectively, when challenged with GNP023 (200 μg/mL). Moreover, the gold nanoparticles displayed significant antioxidant activity against the ABTS radical, with an IC50 of 38.61 µg/mL, and were non-toxic when tested against human kidney embryonic 293 (HEK293) cells. Thus, the current work supports the application of myco-synthesised gold nanoparticles as a versatile antimicrobial candidate against food-borne pathogens.

Transition metal selenides (TMSe) are considered as potential anode materials for supercapacitors because of their abundant reserves and high safety.However, their poor conductivity limits their high rate performance and stability.In this paper, an N-doped porous nanocarbon-coated Co