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This research aimed to investigate the effects of input power and gas flow rate on the composition, microstructure, and mechanical properties of TiZrHfNiCuCo metallic coatings. These metallic coatings were deposited on a p-type Si wafer using a direct current magnetron sputtering system with varying input powers (100–300 W) and Ar flow rates (5–20 sccm). It was observed that increasing input power and decreasing Ar flow rate led to TiZrHfNiCuCo metallic coatings with higher hardness and smoother surfaces. The experiment resulted in the formation of a metallic amorphous coating. This study describes the mechanism by which the mechanical properties of the TiZrHfNiCuCo coating change according to sputtering parameters. Based on these results, the effects of sputter variables, such as input power and gas flow rate properties, on the properties of coatings are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to explore the potential of biochar produced from poultry manure for sustainable waste utilization, carbon sequestration, and agricultural development, this study examines the impact of biochar on the growth of the halophyte plant Salicornia herbacea L., or glasswort. Because of their properties of morphological and chemical properties, biochar has been gaining interest as a potential solution to addressing both the concerns of climate change and unsustainable agriculture. In this study, the characteristics of biochar were analyzed and its impact on plant growth by stem length was measured over 15 weeks. Poultry-based biochar was created through pyrolysis at the temperatures of 400, 500, and 700 °C. Various amounts of biochar produced from pyrolysis at 500 °C were put to soil. However, the average surface area and average pore size values of poultry manure biochar produced from temperatures 400, 500, and 700 °C were similar enough to be negligible. The biochar sample produced from the pyrolysis temperature of 500 °C had an average pore size of 17.18 nm and a surface area of 18.06 m2/g. From weeks 4 to 15, all groups exhibited increased stem length, with the most significant differences observed between the biochar 0% (control) and biochar 10% groups, with biochar 0% and biochar 10% denoting 0% and 10% weight concentrations of biochar, respectively. While biochar 5% and biochar 7% groups showed minimal differences in stem length, biochar 10% demonstrated a significant increase, suggesting an optimal biochar percentage for enhancing plant growth. Carbon credit estimations have suggested that 1 ton of poultry manure biochar produced from pyrolysis at 500 C° equates to an estimate of 0.5248 ± 0.0580 carbon credits, the highest of all three biochar samples. All three samples (biochar produced from 400, 500, and 700 °C pyrolysis temperatures) had increased heavy metal contents and a wider range of functional groups. The findings indicate that biochar can effectively improve soil health and plant performance overall, with biochar 10% showing the most significant impact on Salicornia growth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigated the potential of biochar as a sustainable material for waste utilization and carbon sequestration in soil. Biochar was prepared from cow manure (CM) and applied to the soil. Biochar was processed by subjecting CM to various temperature ranges (400 [CMB400], 550 [CMB550], and 700 °C [CMB700]) under nitrogen gas (allowed to flow to restrict oxygen), with residence time set to 3 h. The characteristics of the biochar produced at each temperature were analyzed. The experiment was conducted for approximately 15 weeks with the laboratory temperature maintained between 24 and 26 °C. The growth rate of plants was obtained by measuring their length weekly, starting 4 weeks after crop establishment. CMB550 exhibited the highest specific surface area (117.57 m2 g−1) and well-distributed pore size; therefore, it was mixed with the soil at a specific ratio and put in pots for the planting of Salicornia herbacea L. (glasswort) in the laboratory. The results demonstrated that adding biochar to soil increased plant growth and that the biochar could store organic carbon. In addition, an investigation of heavy metals demonstrated that samples with biochar had lower heavy metal concentrations in glasswort than those without because of the potential of biochar to adsorb heavy metals. By interacting with heavy metal ions in soil solution, the reactive sites and functional groups on the surface of biochar immobilize them and lessen their potentially detrimental effects on plant growth. Overall, biochar has the potential to be a valuable resource for waste management and environmental improvement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent decades, there has been a rise in public consciousness of the adverse effects of expanded skin contact with sunlight, particularly the ultraviolet (UV) spectrum. UV radiation causes serious health problems like skin cancer, early aging, erythema, pigmentation, etc., due to contact with the skin. Therefore, the highly efficient UV-protection materials were manufactured using polypropylene and TiO2 (PPTO) through cost-effective and easy methods. The designated 7.5 PPTO and 15 PPTO were prepared, varying the amount of TiO2, as well as without using TiO2 (PPNF), which was also manufactured as a control material. All the as-synthesized nonwoven fibers were carefully characterized employing a variety of microscopic and spectroscopic methods, such as X-ray diffraction, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis, field-emission scanning electron microscopy, energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, ultraviolet–visible diffuse reflectance spectroscopy, and contact angle measurements. In conclusion, 15 PPTO showed the highest UV-protection ability (87.5%) compared to 7.5 PPTO and PPNF. In addition, 15 PPTO exhibited 1.76 and 1.32 times higher protection than 7.5 PPTO and PPNF, respectively, when exposed to UB-B radiation. The enhanced activity may be due to the amount of TiO2 because TiO2 increased the product's absorption and reflection capability. Overall, the PPTO nonwoven fibers can be applied to block harmful UV radiation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigated the effect of localized electrical stimulation on Hanwoo beef quality. It focused on the chemical and physical properties of the Longissimus thoracis (LT) and Biceps femoris (BF) muscles, and it explored the implications of carbon dioxide (CO2) reduction achieved by accelerating tenderization via localized electrical stimulation. The results show that the application of localized electrical stimulation (45 V) had no significant impact on the TBARS (thiobarbituric acid reactive substances) of either the LT muscle or the BF muscle. Localized electrical stimulation and aging treatments had a significant effect on meat tenderness in the LT and BF muscles, but there was no interactive effect. In particular, the WBsf (Warnar–Bratzler shear force) at 2 days of aging of the electrically stimulated BF muscle was 5.35 kg, which was lower than that of the control group (5.58 kg) after 14 days of aging; however, the effect of WBsf reduction due to aging in the LT muscle was higher than the localized electrical stimulation effect. Estimating CO2 mitigation from a shorter feeding period for Hanwoo steers from 31 months to 26 months may reduce 1.04 kg of CO2-eq emissions associated with the production of a single kilogram of trimmed beef. In conclusion, localized electrical stimulation improved the tenderness of Hanwoo beef and reduced CO2 emissions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Carboxylesterases (CXEs) catalyze the hydrolysis of carboxylic acid esters into the corresponding acids and alcohols. Previously, a carboxylesterase gene was isolated from pepper (Capsicum annuum L.) and designated as PepEST. This gene is highly expressed during the incompatible interaction between ripe fruits of pepper and an anthracnose fungus (Colletotrichum gloeosporioides), and the PepEST protein exhibits an antifungal activity by suppressing fungal growth with the inhibition of appressorium formation. In this study, a PepEST-homologous gene was newly isolated from the pepper genome, which is designated as PepEST2 (the original PepEST gene is re-named here as PepEST1). Compared with PepEST1 whose expression is only induced by inoculation of the fungus, PepEST2 is not induced by fungus infection, rather expressed mainly in roots. Subcellular localization analysis using tobacco protoplasts showed that both PepEST1 and PepEST2 proteins are localized in the cytoplasm, and enzymatic activity assays showed similar Vmax and Km values of PepEST2 to those of PepEST1. Antifungal activity assays against C. gloeosporioides demonstrated that not only PepEST1 but also PepEST2 was able to suppress the fungal growth by inhibiting the appressorium formation. In addition, the antifungal activity of PepEST2 was higher than that of PepEST1. Collectively, this study suggests that two closely related members of pepper CXEs are functionally diversified due to the differential expression patterns, and also provides PepEST2 as an alternative gene to confer disease resistance to plants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Human–computer interaction (HCI) is deployed in various real-time applications, including healthcare, for automated patient response. In such applications, robot-assisted interactive scenarios are modeled to handle patient queries and provide precise information. Timely query sensing and accurate data analysis are required to achieve accurate patient responses. In this study, responsive policy decision (RPD) using manifold mediator learning (MML) is introduced to improve data detection accuracy and accuracy in robot-assisted HCI applications. The initial decision-making process in data analytics is based on interaction stages and medical data detection. After identifying the most appropriate policy, respondents are provided with time-based responses based on the patient's queries. When it comes to improving the accuracy of data analysis decisions, machine learning uses policies based on interaction stages and previous state efficiency of HCI responses. The experimental analysis proves the reliability of the proposed method by improving the accuracy of data analysis and reducing its complexity and response time for the varying queries and time intervals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract This paper presents the fabrication and characterization of zinc oxide micro-flowers and their antibacterial activity. The micro-flowers of zinc oxide composed of hexagonal nanorods have been prepared via solution process using precursor zinc acetate di-hydrate and sodium hydroxide in 3 h of refluxing time at ~90°C. The antibacterial activities of grown micro-flowers were investigated against four pathogenic bacteria namely S. aureus, E. coli, S. typhimurium and K. pneumoniae by taking five different concentrations (5–45 μg/ml) of ZnO micro-flowers (ZnO-MFs). Our investigation reveals that at lowest concentration of ZnO-MFs solution inhibiting the growth of microbial strain which was found to be 5 μg/ml for all the tested pathogens. Additionally, on the basis of morphological and chemical observations, a chemical reaction mechanism of ZnO-MFs composed of hexagonal nanorods was also proposed.