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Highly functional and robust biobased materials are still in research to produce valuable composites for various applications. The literature shows the gap of new raw biobased materials in market which can functionally tuned and structurally modified for development of 2d/3d architectures. Thus, in the present study, very cheap, easily available agricultural waste, pineapple leaf fiber (PL-raw) was used for the isolation of microcrystalline cellulose (PL-MCC) and further functionalized using upscaled chemical approach to carboxymethyl microcrystalline cellulose (PL-CMMCC). Very advanced techniques like Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive X-ray analysis (EDX), X-ray diffraction analysis (XRD), and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) served to characterize the raw material, high crystalline PL-MCC, and modified carboxy methyl MCC. FTIR determined presence of different absorbed peak at approximately 1620.2 cm−1, and at 1423.8 cm−1, carboxyl groups were assigned to PL-CMMCC. On the other hand, the XRD findings verified that PL-CMMCC's crystalline structure has decreased. Analysis by SEM revealed a damaged surface morphology for PL-CMMCC. Following chemical treatments, the EDX analysis revealed that each fiber sample contained a highly pure cellulose elemental composition. Thus, results explain the utilization of agricultural waste, pineapple leaf fiber to high valuable products like highly crystalline PL-MCC, in addition further modification of PL-MCC could leads to formation of highly functional material that could be used for other applications too in future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highly functional and robust biobased materials are still in research to produce valuable composites for various applications. The literature shows the gap of new raw biobased materials in market which can functionally tuned and structurally modified for development of 2d/3d architectures. Thus, in the present study, very cheap, easily available agricultural waste, pineapple leaf fiber (PL-raw) was used for the isolation of microcrystalline cellulose (PL-MCC) and further functionalized using upscaled chemical approach to carboxymethyl microcrystalline cellulose (PL-CMMCC). Very advanced techniques like Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive X-ray analysis (EDX), X-ray diffraction analysis (XRD), and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) served to characterize the raw material, high crystalline PL-MCC, and modified carboxy methyl MCC. FTIR determined presence of different absorbed peak at approximately 1620.2 cm−1, and at 1423.8 cm−1, carboxyl groups were assigned to PL-CMMCC. On the other hand, the XRD findings verified that PL-CMMCC’s crystalline structure has decreased. Analysis by SEM revealed a damaged surface morphology for PL-CMMCC. Following chemical treatments, the EDX analysis revealed that each fiber sample contained a highly pure cellulose elemental composition. Thus, results explain the utilization of agricultural waste, pineapple leaf fiber to high valuable products like highly crystalline PL-MCC, in addition further modification of PL-MCC could leads to formation of highly functional material that could be used for other applications too in future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highly functional and robust biobased materials are still in research to produce valuable composites for various applications. The literature shows the gap of new raw biobased materials in market which can functionally tuned and structurally modified for development of 2d/3d architectures. Thus, in the present study, very cheap, easily available agricultural waste, pineapple leaf fiber (PL-raw) was used for the isolation of microcrystalline cellulose (PL-MCC) and further functionalized using upscaled chemical approach to carboxymethyl microcrystalline cellulose (PL-CMMCC). Very advanced techniques like Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive X-ray analysis (EDX), X-ray diffraction analysis (XRD), and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) served to characterize the raw material, high crystalline PL-MCC, and modified carboxy methyl MCC. FTIR determined presence of different absorbed peak at approximately 1620.2 cm−1, and at 1423.8 cm−1, carboxyl groups were assigned to PL-CMMCC. On the other hand, the XRD findings verified that PL-CMMCC’s crystalline structure has decreased. Analysis by SEM revealed a damaged surface morphology for PL-CMMCC. Following chemical treatments, the EDX analysis revealed that each fiber sample contained a highly pure cellulose elemental composition. Thus, results explain the utilization of agricultural waste, pineapple leaf fiber to high valuable products like highly crystalline PL-MCC, in addition further modification of PL-MCC could leads to formation of highly functional material that could be used for other applications too in future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

New bio-composite nanofibers composed of polyethylene oxide (PEO)/silk fibroin (SF)/barium titanate (BaTiO3) are introduced in this study. The SF solution was added to the PEO solution to form a PEO/SF blend with different weight percentages (5, 10, 15, 20 wt.%). The PEO/15 wt.% SF blend was selected to continue the experimental plan based on the optimum nanofiber morphology. Different wt.% of BaTiO3 particles (0.2, 0.4, 0.8, 1 wt.%) were added to the PEO/15 wt.% SF blend solution, and the suspensions obtained were introduced to an electrospinning device. The fabricated tissue was characterized by scanning electron microscope (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. The zeta potential of the solution and the piezoelectric performance of the fabricated tissue were characterized. A newly designed pizoTester was used to investigate piezoelectric properties. The results showed that a well-organized, smooth PEO/15 wt.% SF/0.2 wt.% BaTiO3 nanofiber composite with low bead contents was obtained. Improved properties and electrical coupling were achieved in the newly introduced material. Electrospun PEO/15 wt.% SF/0.2 wt.% BaTiO3 mats increased the output voltage (1150 mV) compared to pristine PEO and PEO/SF composite fibers (410 and 290 mV, respectively) upon applying 20 N force at 5 Hz frequency. The observed enhancement in piezoelectric properties suggests that the prepared composite could be a promising material in cardiac tissue engineering (CTE). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Synthetic red azo dyes are very poplar food additives. • Awareness regarding their toxicity and acceptable daily should be raised. • The role of carbon based, metal oxides and others in sensors is presented. • The efficiency of modified sensors is compared to other traditional methods. • The limits of detection and recoveries in food samples were evaluated. Red dyes as Allura Red (E129), Amaranth (E124), Ponceau 4R (E123), Erythrosine (E127) and Carmoisine (E122), are very popular food additives due to their stability, low cost, and minimal microbial contamination. Despite these advantages, their consumption may result in asthma, hyperactivity, carcinogenic effects, etc depending on the uptake and age. Therefore, the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) have managed the permissions of allowed daily intake (ADI) for consumption levels of these dyes to be 0.01–7.0 mg/kg to assure foodstuffs consumer's safety and avoid their adverse effects. Yet, many countries as Japan and USA have prohibited their use in food and drinks to reduce their possible health risks. Based on the above concentration ranges, highly sensitive and selective detection techniques are required, accordingly, the application of electrochemical sensors for the analysis of these dyes in food samples is very promising due to their superior sensitivity and selectivity, low cost and rapid response compared to traditional spectrophotometric or chromatographic methods. Also, they can be miniaturized, portable and require no complicated sampling or preparation procedures, besides being ecofriendly which allows their commercialization for public consumers in fast detection kits. In this review, the role of nanomaterials such as: carbon-based, transition metal oxides, metal organic frameworks, ionic liquids and others in enhancing the detection properties of modified electrochemical sensors for red dyes will be evaluated in terms of the type of nanomaterial applied, tested food samples and their impact on the evaluation of foodstuffs quality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Target-driven cancer therapy is a notable advancement in precision oncology that has been accompanied by substantial medical accomplishments. Ovarian cancer is a highly frequent neoplasm in women and exhibits significant genomic and clinical heterogeneity. In a previous publication, we presented an extensive bioinformatics study aimed at identifying specific biomarkers associated with ovarian cancer. The findings of the network analysis indicate the presence of a cluster of nine dysregulated hub genes that exhibited significance in the underlying biological processes and contributed to the initiation of ovarian cancer. Here in this research article, we are proceeding our previous research by taking all hub genes into consideration for further analysis. GEPIA2 was used to identify patterns in the expression of critical genes. The KM plotter analysis indicated that the out of all genes 5 genes are statistically significant. The cBioPortal platform was further used to investigate the frequency of genetic mutations across the board and how they affected the survival of the patients. Maximum mutation was reported by ELAVL2. In order to discover viable therapeutic candidates after competitive inhibition of ELAVL2 with small molecular drug complex, high throughput screening and docking studies were used. Five compounds were identified. Overall, our results suggest that the ELAV-like protein 2-ZINC03830554 complex was relatively stable during the molecular dynamic simulation. The five compounds that have been found can also be further examined as potential therapeutic possibilities. The combined findings suggest that ELAVL2, together with their genetic changes, can be investigated in therapeutic interventions for precision oncology, leveraging early diagnostics and target-driven therapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The dye degradation (methylene blue), in wastewater, is of significant environmental concern. The study shows the synthesis of a novel chromium-TiO2/carbon composite catalyst for efficient degradation of MB dye. The composites were synthesized via hydrothermal method, combining chromium-doped titanium dioxide (TiO2) nanoparticles with carbonaceous material. The synthesized composite materials were characterized by XRD, FESEM, FTIR, Raman, and PL studies. The XRD reveals the crystalline TiO2 with incorporation of chromium dopants. FESEM images revealed a consistent distribution of chromium-TiO2 nanoparticles on the carbon matrix, indicating a well-dispersed composite structure. Raman spectroscopy was employed to examine the vibrational modes and structural properties. Photoluminescence (PL) studies were conducted to investigate the exciton recombination. The researchers also performed photocatalytic studies to assess the effectiveness of the synthesized Cr-TiO2/C composite for MB degradation under sunlight. The results demonstrated that the photo-MB degradation was relatively higher for the CTC-2 composite (containing 0.2% doped Cr-TiO2/C). In just 70 min, this composite achieved 90% MB degradation, surpassing the degradation efficiency of pure TiO2. The comprehensive characterization and mechanistic insights provide valuable information for designing efficient photocatalysts for the treatment of organic impurities in water, contributing to the advancement of sustainable environmental technologies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Ovarian cancer ranks among the most frequent causes of death in women since the prognosis is greatly influenced by the disease's stage. Since ovarian cancer is largely asymptomatic in its early stages, it is frequently detected in its late stages. One of the hallmarks of ovarian cancer is genomic instability. Although ovarian cancer is divided into several clinical subtypes, each subtype exhibits significant genetic and progressive diversity. In this paper, we concentrate on epithelial ovarian cancer, which is typically discovered when it is already advanced because there is no reliable screening method. Although numerous biomarkers have been researched and used to monitor its status and progression, we still lack drug therapy effectiveness in this subtype. Network biology has recently offered unprecedented opportunities for understanding disease mechanisms from integrative angles. The dysfunctions caused by diseased genes are carried out by a complex network of physical and metabolic interactions. The topological characteristics of these disease genes in the interactome are of particular importance to the systematic comprehension of their activity. We present a systems biology approach to finding miRNAs and complicated disease genes in an integrated biomolecular network in this paper. Ovarian cancer is the eighth-most common cancer in women and has the highest rate of death among all gynecological malignancies in the Western world. Increasing evidence shows that miRNAs are connected to the progression of ovarian cancer. In the current study, we focus on the identification of miRNA and its associated genes that are responsible for the early prognosis of patients with ovarian cancer. The microarray dataset GSE119055 used in this study was retrieved via the publicly available GEO database by NCBI for the analysis of DEGs. The miRNA GSE119055 dataset includes six ovarian carcinoma samples along with three healthy/primary samples. In our study, DEM analysis of ovarian carcinoma and healthy subjects was performed using R Software to transform and normalize all transcriptomic data along with packages from Bioconductor. Results: We identified miRNA and its associated hub genes from the samples of ovarian cancer. We discovered the top five upregulated miRNAs (hsa-miR-130b-3p, hsa-miR-18a-5p, hsa-miR-182-5p, hsa-miR-187-3p, and hsa-miR-378a-3p) and the top five downregulated miRNAs (hsa-miR-501-3p, hsa-miR-4324, hsa-miR-500a-3p, hsa-miR-1271-5p, and hsa-miR-660-5p) from the network and their associated genes, which include seven common genes (SCN2A, BCL2, MAF, ZNF532, CADM1, ELAVL2, and ESRRG) that were considered hub genes for the downregulated network. Similarly, for upregulated miRNAs we found two hub genes (PRKACB and TAOK1). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study deals with the evaluation of the impact of three different olive tree residues: olive tree small branch (OTS), olive tree big brunch (OTB) and olive tree leaves (OTL) as a filler on thermal properties of olive/epoxy biocomposites. Olive residue-based epoxy composites were processed at 40% filler loading to fabricate biocomposites by hand lay-up techniques. The thermal stability was investigated by thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA) while dynamic mechanical properties and thermal expansion of fiber composites were analyzed by the dynamic mechanical analyzer (DMA) and thermomechanical analyzer (TMA). The OTL/epoxy composite showed improvement in thermal and DMA (storage modulus, loss modulus, and damping factor) as compared to OTB and OTS/epoxy composites. On the other hand, OTS filled epoxy matrix exhibited the greatest thermal degradation temperature while CTE was the lowest and greatest dynamic mechanical properties over all composites. DMA results revealed that the OTS/epoxy composite possesses the highest storage modulus in view of the strong fiber/matrix interfacial. It is evident from obtained results that the incorporation of olive biomass enhanced thermal, dimensional, and dynamic mechanical characterizations of epoxy composites and appropriate use for automotive or materials applications of building that mandate high-dimensional stability and dynamic mechanical characterizations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, Washingtonia fibres (AW) and Kenaf fibres (KF) were utilized as environmentally friendly fillers to improve the quality of the resin matrix. The mechanical, morphological, and physical properties of the WA/KF biocomposites were assessed throughout this research. The mechanical tests (tensile strength and moduli, elongation at break, flexural strength along with moduli, and the impact properties) were carried out. The hybrid biocomposites (3AW/7KF) exhibited the highest tensile strength (16.05 MPa) and modulus (4.6 GPa) among pure and other hybrid biocomposites. The impact strength and resistance of hybrid biocomposites (1AW/1KF and 7AW/3KF) showed the highest impact strength (1694 J/m2) while the 3AW/7KF hybrid biocomposite, the impact strength value was 1630 J/m2 (17.2 J/m). SEM images indicated good distribution and bonding of hybrid biocomposites. The investigation using morphological tests (Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM)) displays the longitudinal roughness on the surface, which acts as a very significant function in the adhesion between the AW/KF fibres and the resin. Furthermore, the results of SEM confirm better bonding in the biocomposites, fibre fracture, pull-out, fibre shearing, and tearing in the pure and hybrid composites. From the water absorption test, it was observed that, when increasing the immersion time of biocomposites, the WA percentage of KF biocomposite significantly increased (37%) compared to other biocomposites. However, the hybrid and pure biocomposites exhibited more resistance to increase the WA percentage after increasing the immersion times, compared to other biocomposites. Furthermore, the thickness swelling (TS) of hybrid biocomposites increased compared to pure biocomposites. The biocomposite sample (3AW/7KF) was thicker on the 7th day exhibiting the greatest increases in thickness swelling (4.98%) while the hybrid biocomposite exhibited greater WA value compared to other correspondence samples. Finally, the KF and AW hybrid blends can be appropriate for several applications, for example, textiles, machinery part production industries, medicine, and automobiles, and construction, specifically buildings, bridges, and structures such as boat hulls, swimming pool panels, racing car bodies, shower stalls, bathtubs, storage tanks. Overall, the findings exhibit that the hybridisation of natural fibres (KF/AW) is a sustainable approach for obtaining biocomposites with advanced mechanical and thermal performance. Hence, they could be used in numerous specific applications, including automobile panels, structural products, sporting goods and furniture tools. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Metal oxide-infused polymer composites with higher dielectric constants are emerging as compelling solutions for effective Electromagnetic Interference shielding (EMIS) applications. In this work, hybrid polymer blends were made of polyoxy methane (POM) and polyvinyl alcohol (PVA), using the conventional solution casting method. This study investigated the dielectric properties of the polymer blend by adding different concentrations (1 to 4 wt.%) of titanium dioxide (TiO2) nanofillers that are synthesized via combustion technique with egg albumen. It is evident from the crystallite size of the TiO2 nanoparticles that the egg albumen not only acted as a fuel but also acted as a capping agent in preventing the agglomeration of the particles thereby controlling the size. Increased nanofiller decreased the crystallinity of the polymer blend. The composite with 3 wt.% TiO2 exhibits the highest dielectric constant (1385) and electromagnetic shielding effectiveness. Further, the developed hybrid nanocomposites exhibit excellent shielding effectiveness in the frequency range of 8 to 12 GHz. The uniqueness of this study lies in the cost-effective preparation of nanocomposites with a very less concentration of TiO2 nanoparticles. These nanocomposite films could be a potential replacement for films infused with carbon black, multiwalled carbon nanotubes, graphene oxide and nickel oxide nanofillers, etc. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The use of natural fibers has seen a significant rise in the composites sector, resulting in the creation of polymer composites with exceptional strength. These environmentally-friendly alternatives offer a compelling substitute for synthetic composites. This study explores the use of date palm waste as reinforcement for the fabrication of polyvinyl chloride (PVC) composites. A surface modification method was essential for improving the binding interaction between palm fibers and PVC composites. The two-hour benzoyl chloride treatment at 140 °C played a crucial role. The study examined the effects of hydrothermal aging on mechanical properties of composites, using various techniques such as surface morphology analysis, Fourier Transform Infrared spectroscopy, and Thermogravimetric Analysis, on composites made of untreated fibers and those treated with benzoyl chloride. Although the treatment of palm fiber-reinforced composites with benzoyl chloride improved their mechanical properties, it is crucial to note that hydrothermal aging reduced their tensile strength by 10%. Despite this, these composites prove to be well-suited for applications requiring moderate strength and stiffness in mild environmental conditions. These composites, while utilizing benzoyl chloride for surface treatment, still represent a more sustainable alternative to traditional synthetic composites by incorporating renewable date palm waste and enhancing mechanical properties, which potentially reduces overall environmental impact. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In a common scenario, bone fractures have a self-healing function with free-surgical intervention. However, some fractures in bone tissue are complex and leave behind remnant deformation that requires biomaterials for replacement. The aim of this study is to develop a new composite 3D scaffold for bone regeneration and replacement composed of calcium zirconate (CaZrO3), hydroxyapatite (HA) and polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) polymer. Different 3D scaffolds were fabricated by mixing 90, 80, 70, and 60 wt. % PMMA with HA and CaZrO3 nanoparticles in different concentrations. X-ray diffraction (XRD), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM) and atomic force microscopy (AFM) techniques were applied to characterize the 3D composite scaffold properties. Furthermore, the mechanical properties of the fabricated scaffolds were investigated using Brazilian diametral fracture test. It was found that incorporating a uniform distribution of HA nanoparticles significantly increased the surface roughness of the composite scaffold. Furthermore, the fracture strength of the fabricated 3D scaffolds showed a remarkable improvement of 86% in the sample containing 90% PMMA, 7% HA, and 3% CaZrO3 compared to the sample devoid of CaZrO3. Our findings strongly indicate that integrating hybrid CaZrO3-HA nanoparticles into PMMA polymer for the production of 3D composite scaffolds holds significant promise for bone tissue applications, potentially enhancing their efficacy and performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Among many gynecological malignancies ovarian cancer is the most prominent and leading cause of female mortality worldwide. Despite extensive research, the underlying cause of disease progression and pathology is still unknown. In the progression of ovarian cancer different non-coding RNAs have been recognized as important regulators. The biology of ovarian cancer which includes cancer initiation, progression, and dissemination is found to be regulated by different ncRNA. Clinically ncRNA shows high prognostic and diagnostic importance. Results: In this review, we prioritize the role of different non-coding RNA and their perspective in diagnosis as potential biomarkers in the case of ovarian cancer. Summary of some of the few miRNAs involved in epithelial ovarian cancer their expression and clinical features are being provided in the table. Also, in cancer cell proliferation, apoptosis, invasion, and migration abnormal expression of piRNAs are emerging as a crucial regulator hence the role of few piRNAs is being given. Both tRFs and tiRNAs play important roles in tumorigenesis and are promising diagnostic biomarkers and therapeutic targets for cancer. lncRNA has shown a leading role in malignant transformation and potential therapeutic value in ovarian cancer therapy. Conclusions: Hence in this review we demonstrated the role of different ncRNA that play an important role in serving strong potential as a therapeutic approach for the treatment of ovarian cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, thermal analysis of olive/bamboo fiber‐based epoxy hybrid composites was carried out. Three types of olive fibers, which are olive tree small branch (OTS), olive tree big branch (OTB), and olive tree leaves (OTL), along with bamboo fibers (B), were used to fabricate the composites. Thermal properties of hybrid composites were examined by the thermogravimetric analyzer (TGA), dynamic mechanical analyzer (DMA), and thermomechanical analyzer (TMA). It was found that the thermal stability improved with the incorporation of hybrid fibers in epoxy composites compared to pure fiber composites. Hybrid composite (OTS‐B) exhibited a lower residue (15.82%) whereas hybrid composites (OTB‐B and OTS‐B) show 54.65% and 54.53% weight loss at the maximum decomposition temperature. DMA results showed that the storage modulus and loss modulus reduced with hybrid fiber composites while the damping factor (tan delta) was increased. The storage modulus values of the pure composite sample (B) exhibited a higher increased (3150 MPa). In contrast, the pure composite sample (B) exhibited the highest loss modulus (337 MPa). From TMA analysis, OTL‐B hybrid composite presented a higher Tg and lower coefficient of thermal expansion. We concluded that finding from this work will strengthen attracting interpretation of utilization of two different fibers to fabricate hybrid composites for various lightweight purposes in a wide‐ranging choice of industrial applications such as biomedical tools, automobile, and construction fields. Additionally, a novel method can be used to develop hybrid biocomposites materials, which have potential applications in biomaterials and engineering areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, the alkali‐treated and untreated hybrid fibers incorporated with bio phenolic matrix to enhance the chemical interactions, mechanical and thermal properties have been investigated. The oil palm fiber (OPF) and pineapple fiber (PALF) were utilized as reinforcements into bio phenolic resin. The improvements in chemical interactions were monitored by the Fourier transform infrared spectrometer. The modifications of the surface for hybrid natural fibers (OPF/PALF) were enhanced in comparison to pure fiber composites. The composites' dynamic mechanical behavior such as storage modulus, loss modulus, and damping properties were also investigated by dynamic mechanical analysis. Thermogravimetric analysis analyzed the performance of untreated (OPF and PALF) and treated (OPF/OPF) composites at elevated temperature and observed adequate interfacial bonding as a result of the improvements in thermal stability. The results presented that alkali) NaOH(incorporation in hybrid composites (OPF/PALF) results in increased the tensile strength and modulus among all composites. Furthermore, the tensile strength and modulus improved to the maximum value for treated 50% PALF composite compared to other composites. The hybridisation of treated alkali (5% NaOH/50% PALF) fiber shows best performance on tensile strength and modulus with 33.3 and 7535.2 MPa, respectively compared to other composites. The alkali‐treated hybrid composites (NaOH/1OPF.1PALF) exhibited the greatest flexural strength (99.8 MPa) and modulus (8813.1 MPa). The enhancement of the interfacial adhesion between pure and hybrid fiber composites and bio phenolic matrix through the mercerisation of OPF and PALF fibers reinforced composite played an essential role in improving the mechanical properties of composites via alkali treatment with NaOH solution. Natural fiber reinforced composites are commercially attractive for high‐volume applications; while their properties can be improved by adding alkali solution as stabilizers. It can be recommended from the findings of this study that the alkali treatment (5% NaOH) can be used to enhance the efficiency of agriculture waste biomass. Additionally, the hybridization of bio‐fiber composites has potential to develop novel type of biodegradable and sustainable composites suitable for various industrial and engineering applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Syzgium cumini (L.) Skeels powder (S. cumini powder), also known as Jamun, is well-known for its various medical and health benefits. It is especially recognized for its antidiabetic and antioxidant properties. Thus, S. cumini powder is used in various industries, such as the food and cosmetic industries. In this work, the fruit of S. cumini was utilized; its seeds were extracted, dried, and ground into powder. The ground powders were subjected to various techniques such as physicochemical tests, Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, X-ray diffractometry (XRD), particle size analysis, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), and antioxidant analysis. From the physicochemical tests, it was revealed that the jamun seed filler contained cellulose (43.28%), hemicellulose (19.88%), lignin (23.28%), pectin (12.58%), and wax (0.98%). The FTIR analysis supported these results. For instance, a peak at 2889 cm−1 was observed and associated with CH stretching, typically found in methyl and methylene groups, characteristic of cellulose and hemicellulose structures. The XRD results demonstrated that the crystallinity index of the jamun seed filler was 42.63%. The particle analysis indicated that the mean (average) particle size was 25.34 μm. This observation was ensured with SEM results. The EDX spectrum results showed the elemental composition of the fillers. Regarding thermal degradation, the jamun seed filler had the ability to withstand temperatures of up to 316.5 °C. Furthermore, endothermic and exothermic peaks were observed at 305 °C and 400 °C, respectively. Furthermore, the antioxidant property of the powder displayed a peak scavenging activity of 91.4%. This comprehensive study not only underscores the viability of S. cumini powder as a sustainable and effective particulate filler in polymer composites but also demonstrates its potential to enhance the mechanical properties of composites, thereby offering significant implications for the development of eco-friendly materials in various industrial applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cloud computing is an important technology to offer consumer appliances a wide pool of elastic resources. The heterogeneous network faces collision while making communication, which reduces the entire network performance. The future cloud-edge networks will deal with a vast amount of clients and servers, such as the Internet of Things (IoT) and the 6G networks, which require flexible solutions. From these points, Multiple Machine Access Learning with Collision Carrier Avoidance (MMALCCA) protocol is proposed in the environment of 6G Internet of Things for creating an effective communication process. This protocol employs the Media Access Control (MAC) protocol for the sync of high-speed wireless communication networks in the Terahertz (THz) band. MMALCCA performs multiple machine access and collision control for improving the resource utilization and latency-less services of the users. The decisions of the protocol are made using the output of the classification and regression learning method for improving the efficiency of MAC sync. The performance of the proposed protocol is verified using the metrics latency, collision probability, service failure, and resource utilization by varying channels and user equipment density. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present article introduces an innovative solution to improve performance efficiency while shaving the demand during peak hours. The idea focuses on efficient gas turbine and Rankine cycle hybridization for power and hydrogen production based on high-temperature heliostat solar towers. The proposed model is simulated via TRNSYS software to assess the performance transiently and then optimized through the artificial neural network in MATLAB program to minimize the calculation time. The key economic, environmental, and energy indicators are evaluated, compared, and optimized for this. According to the effect of main design parameters, including gas turbine inlet temperature, mass flow rate, and heliostat area, on the system's indicators, there is a conflictive trend among the power productivity, cost, and emission index, signifying the optimization significance. The optimization results show that the net power, efficiency, cost, and CO 2 emissions are 298,300 GJ, 30.7%, 3.6 M$, and 20,760 tonnes under optimal conditions. This working condition is obtained by electing turbine inlet temperature, solar area, and airflow rate of 1087 °C, 91,200 m2, and 68,817, respectively. At this condition, while 71.18% of the yearly primary energy is provided by the sun, biomass meets the rest, showing the importance of renewable combination to achieve the highest independence from the grid. Finally, the system can generate an additional 585 kg/day of hydrogen that could be used in relevant industries. • A novel smart system based on biomass and solar hybridization is introduced. • A new hydrogen production/injection method is applied to improve the efficiency. • An artificial neural network model is added to the optimization to reduce the time. • The proposed smart system can generate an extra hydrogen of 585 kg per day. • The optimization achieves an efficiency of 30.7% and emissions of 20,760 tonnes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study introduces a novel integrated system that combines solar and biomass energy sources to expedite the transition to an environmentally sustainable future and facilitate the share of renewable sources in the energy grid. The concept revolves around generating and utilizing green hydrogen to enhance the quality of combustion byproducts. The primary components of the proposed system include a biomass digester and a proton exchange membrane electrolyzer driven by photovoltaic panels. Integrating a Rankine cycle, thermoelectric generator, and multi-effect desalination devices allows for the simultaneous production of power and drinking water by recovering waste heat from exhaust gases. The proposed system's key indicators are compared with a similar model without hydrogen injection. Additionally, the evaluation/comparison of components' performance within the irreversibility facet is conducted by calculating the exergy destruction rate under optimal conditions. The results demonstrate that injecting additional green hydrogen into the combustion chamber achieves a greater energy efficiency of 11.5%, a reduced cost of 25.2 $/MWh, and a smaller emissions index of 1352 kg/GWh compared to the conventional system. However, because of the high rate of energy destruction in the solar and electrolyzer systems, the suggested system has a lower sustainability rating of 0.5. Furthermore, the results demonstrate that the suggested cutting-edge system generates 4591 kW of acceptable electricity and 82.5 kg/s of potable water. Ultimately, it can be discerned that the differences in pinch point and superheat temperatures are crucial design parameters that substantially influence the power cycle and overall system performance. • A novel renewable hybridization based on solar and biomass sources is introduced. • The extra green hydrogen is injected to improve combustion product quality. • The performance of the suggested system is compared with the conventional model. • The system achieves higher efficiency and lower cost of 11% and 25 $/MWh. • Low emission of 1144 kg/GWh with a high freshwater generation of 83 kg/s is attained. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A set of mononuclear ruthenium complexes, i.e. [Ru(Dg)(C6H6)Cl2] (RuBDg), [Ru(Dg)((p-cymene)Cl2] (RuCDg) were synthesized using a phytosteroid diosgenin (Dg) as ligand. The formulations and characterizations of the complexes were achieved through elemental analyses, infrared, electronic absorption, electron paramagnetic resonances, mass spectrometric analysis, and molar conductance studies. Ruthenium ion is octahedrally coordinated to the oxygen of diosgenin, one arene moiety and two chlorides. An assessment of the antioxidant activities of the compounds indicated better scavenging ability against ABTS•+, DPPH•, O2−, NO• and OH− radicals. The metal complexes showed activity towards free radicals compared to the parent diosgenin. The anticancer activities of diosgenin and the ruthenium complexes were evaluated by MTT assay against the human lung cancer cell line (A549) and cervical carcinoma cell line (HeLa), with cisplatin as a reference. RuCDg exhibited potent ability to kill A549 and HeLa cancer cells with IC50 values of 5.8 ± 0.5 µM and 5.5 ± 0.6 µM, respectively. Similarly, RuBDg showed activity towards A549 and HeLa cancer cells with IC50 values of 16 ± 1 µM and 12 ± 1 µM, respectively. These values are better than that of free diosgenin (A549 − 48 ± 2 µM and HeLa − 43 ± 1 µM). The morphological changes of the HeLa and A549 cells with the complexes, studied by AO-EB and DAPI staining methods, suggested cell death through apoptosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: Traditionally, alcohol sprays are used for disinfection of acrylic-base denture surfaces. A limited number of studies have assessed the role of antimicrobial photodynamic therapy (aPDT) in this regard; however, it remains debatable whether conventional alcohol sprays are superior to aPDT in terms of antifungal activity or vis versa. OBJECTIVE: The aim of the present in vitro study is to compare the antifungal activity of conventional alcohol sprays and aPDT on acrylic denture resin. METHODS: Individuals wearing complete dentures at least on one arch were included. Dentures were randomly divided into three groups. Groups 1-3 were disinfected with an alcohol-based antiseptic spray and aPDT, respectively. Assessment of oral yeast growth was done using swab samples. The culture mediums were incubated at 37 ∘ C for 72 hours and viewed through a microscope. The numbers of colony forming units (CFU/ml) were determined. P < 0.05 were considered statistically significant. RESULTS: At baseline, the mean CFU/ml in Groups 1–3 were comparable. After disinfection, a statistically significant reduction in microbial CFU/ml was observed in Groups 1 (P < 0.05) and 2 (P < 0.05) compared with baseline. In Group 3, there was no difference in CFU/ml throughout the study. After disinfection, there was no difference in microbial CFU/ml in dentures in Groups 1 and 2. CONCLUSION: Conventional alcohol sprays are as effective as aPDT towards reducing oral yeasts CFU/ml on acrylic denture resin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Microbial fuel cells (MFCs) offer a dual solution of generating electrical energy from organic pollutants-laden wastewater while treating it. This study focuses on enhancing MFC performance through innovative electrode design. Three-dimensional (3D) anodes, created from corncobs and mango seeds via controlled graphitization, achieved remarkable power densities. The newly developed electrode configurations were evaluated within sewage wastewater-driven MFCs without the introduction of external microorganisms or prior treatment of the wastewater. At 1,000°C and 1,100°C graphitization temperatures, corncob and mango seed anodes produced 1,963 and 2,171 mW/m2, respectively, nearly 20 times higher than conventional carbon cloth and paper anodes. An advanced cathode composed of an activated carbon-carbon nanotube composite was introduced, rivaling expensive platinum-based cathodes. By optimizing the thermal treatment temperature and carbon nanotube content of the proposed cathode, comparable or superior performance to standard Pt/C commercial cathodes was achieved. Specifically, MFCs assembled with corncob anode with the proposed and standard Pt/C cathodes reached power densities of 1,963.1 and 2,178.6 mW/ m2, respectively. Similarly, when utilizing graphitized mango seeds at 1,100°C, power densities of 2,171 and 2,151 mW/m2 were achieved for the new and standard cathodes, respectively. Furthermore, in continuous operation with a flow rate of 2 L/h, impressive chemical oxygen demand (COD) removal rates of 77% and 85% were achieved with corncob and mango seed anodes, respectively. This work highlights the significance of electrode design for enhancing MFC efficiency in electricity generation and wastewater treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The industrial revolution has raised major concern of environmental pollution, due to excess release of hazardous chemical, dyes, etc. into water bodies. The present crises of water have attracted considerable attention of scientific drive on development of new technologies on recovery and water purification. Sonochemistry with zero secondary pollutants has been considered as a potential, and greener technologies for water security. In the present work, we synthesized cerium oxide (CeO2) nanoparticles for its dynamic application in opto-electronic field. The work involves the systematic study of sono-catalytic degradation of methylene blue (MB) (40 kHz, 80W) using cerium oxide (CeO2) nanomaterial as a catalyst. Time-dependent synthesis of CeO2 is carried out using co-precipitation method at 120 °C, followed by calcination. The X-ray diffraction (XRD) pattern and Raman studies confirms high crystallinity (~ crystallite size of 10–15 nm) with cubic fluorite phase. The microscopic studies using field emission scanning electron microscope (FESEM), and transmission electron microscope (TEM) confirmed a spindle shaped morphology. Ninety percent sono-cataclytic degradation of methylene blue (MB) is observed using CeO2 synthesized with a reaction time of 2 h (surface area of 62 m2g−1 with pore size of 1.5 nm). The observed sono-catalytic degradation, follow first order reaction kinetics with regression coefficient of 0.92 with rate constant 0.018 min−1. The study reveals that the CeO2 spindles can act as excellent catalysts for sono-catalytic degradation activities and for water purification owing to their excellent surface properties. The sono-catalytic degradation of methylene blue (40 kHz, 80W) is systematically studied using synthesized spindle shaped CeO2 catalyst. Ninety percent sono-cataclytic degradation of MB is observed using spindle shaped CeO2. The study reveals that the CeO2 spindles can act as excellent catalysts for sono-catalytic degradation activities owing to their excellent surface properties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study evaluated the effect of adding different proportions (3/7, 1/1, and 7/3) of pineapple leaf fiber to composites reinforced with olive trunk leaves powder by measuring tensile properties, moisture absorption, and thermal stability. The results showed that the proportion of pineapple leaf fiber in the hybrid composites strongly influenced tensile properties, moisture absorption, and thermal stability. Increasing pineapple leaf fiber loading from 12 wt% to 28 wt% resulted in an important increase in tensile strength, namely an average of 46%. However, the tensile strength and Young's modulus of the hybrid composites were inferior to those of the parent composites, which could be attributed to the relative inability of the hybrid composites to withstand tensile loads. Thermo‐gravimetric analysis results showed that the introduction of even the lowest amount of pineapple leaf fibers in the olive trunk leaves improved the thermal stability of the composites, bringing the degradation onset above 240°C, therefore suggesting the possibility of a future processing with most thermoplastic matrices. The differences in thermal stability between epoxy composites with 7/3 olive trunk leaves powder/pineapple leaf fiber, 1/1 olive trunk leaves powder/pineapple leaf fiber, and 3/7 olive trunk leaves powder/pineapple leaf fiber were very limited. Regarding moisture absorption, the presence of olive trunk leaves powder considerably reduced the weight gain, and also passing from 1/1 to 7/3 olive trunk leaves/pineapple leaf fibers offered a distinct advantage, measurable as more than 1% reduction in water saturation content. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this research, a novel eco-friendly green composite is fabricated by combining a biomatrix composed of a biopolymer, date palm fiber, and a filler obtained from discarded eggshell (ES) waste material. This research aims to check the influent of ES filler on thermal and viscoelasticity properties of bio-epoxy composite with incorporation of 40 wt.% date palm (DP) fiber. Various ES filler ratios, specifically 5 wt.%, 10 wt.%, 15 wt.%, and 20 wt.%, are dispersed into the composite. Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA) approach were employed to investigate the properties of fabricated composites as a function of temperature in terms of storage modulus (E′), loss modulus (E′′), Tan delta (Tan δ), glass transition temperature (Tg), and Cole-Cole plot. Overall, incorporating ES filler into the bio-epoxy/DP fiber composites increased E′, E′′, and Tg significantly. ES-filled composites containing 5 and 10 wt.% exhibited properties comparable to 15 wt.% but less than 20 wt.% ES filler. Thermal tests result show that 20 wt.% ES-filled materials outperform their counterparts in terms of heat resistance or thermal stability. The evidence suggests that the embodiment of ES filler in bio-epoxy/DP fiber composites yields enhancements in both thermal and dynamic mechanical properties. This indicates the potential for utilizing ES filler loading in advanced composite applications that prioritize thermal stability and sustainability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The need to preserve nature has led researchers to explore new natural fibers for biodegradable biocomposites. Present work explored first time the thermo-physico-chemical, morphological, and mechanical properties of Yucca treculeana (YT) fiber with a density of 1.330 ± 0.039 g/cm3. The estimated chemical analysis of YT fiber is 82.3%, 12.1%, and 5.6% for cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin, respectively. The surface chemistry, crystallinity, and functional groups of YT fibers were analyzed by XPS, XRD, and FTIR, respectively. The concentration levels of carbon (62.88%) and oxygen (33.72%) were detected by XPS. XRD analysis showed that the YT fiber has a crystallite size of 3.02 nm and a crystallinity index of 48.85%. Based on the thermal analysis by TGA, the results show thermal stability of the YT fiber up to 360.6°C. The average mechanical properties of the fiber are 222 MPa for the tensile strength, 2.47% for the strain at break and the Young's modulus is equal to 16.85 GPa. In addition, the results obtained in this study were compared with those found in the related literature. All these results prove that YT fiber can be used as reinforcement in making lightweight industrial biocomposites with thermoplastic or thermosetting polymers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Viscosity, speed of sound (u), and density (ρ) have been measured in aqueous glycyl glycine solution over a temperature range from 293.15 to 313.15 K with a 5 K interlude to evaluate the volumetric and compressibility properties of bio-surfactants, namely sodium cholate (NaC; 1–20 mmol∙kg−1) and sodium deoxycholate (NaDC; 1–10 mmol∙kg−1). Density and viscosity findings provide information on both solute–solute and solute–solvent types of interactions. Many other metrics, such as apparent molar adiabatic compression (κ S , φ) , isentropic compressibility (κ S) , and apparent molar volume (V φ) , have been calculated from speed of sound and density measurements, utilising experimental data. The results show that the zwitterionic end group in the glycyl glycine strongly interacts with NaDC and NaC, promoting its micellization. Since the addition of glycyl glycine causes the bio-surfactant molecules to lose their hydrophobic hydration, the observed concentration-dependent changes in apparent molar volume and apparent molar adiabatic compression are likely attributable to changes in water–water interactions. Viscous relaxation time (τ) increases significantly with a rise in bio-surfactant concentration and decreases with increasing temperature, which may be because of structural relaxation processes resulting from molecular rearrangement. All of the estimated parameters have been analysed for their trends with regard to the different patterns of intermolecular interaction present in an aqueous glycyl glycine solution and bio-surfactant system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aims to understand how glycyl dipeptide affected the compressibility, volumetric behavior and viscometric behavior of the cationic surfactants CTAB (Cetyltrimethylammonium bromide) and DTAB (dodecyltrimethylammonium bromide). Information on solute–solute, solute–solvent, and solvent–solvent interactions has been inferred using the quantification of density (ρ), speed of sound (u) and viscosity in aqueous media containing glycyl dipeptide in the temperature range 293.15–313.15 K at an interval of 5 K. The data from the aforementioned research have been used to enumerate numerous volumetric and compressibility metrics that aid in the collection of information about the interactional behavior of the system under consideration. The study suggests that CTAB interacts strongly compared to DTAB with dipeptide, and it also significantly dehydrates glycyl dipeptide. The difference in water–water interactions caused by the loss of hydrophobic hydration of the surfactant molecules upon the addition of cationic surfactants may be the cause of the variation in determined parameters with surfactant concentration. Consideration of the structural rearrangement of molecules that may occur in the system has been used to explain the results of viscosity and computed factors related to viscosity. The patterns of competitive intermolecular interactions in the ternary (dipeptide + water + surfactant) system have been used to analyze the trends of all the parameters. The study may be helpful to understand the stability and structural changes in protein–surfactant systems mediated through various interactions that may be present in the system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present work deals with the micellar state study of sodium cholate and sodium deoxycholate in the aqueous solution of a bioactive peptide, namely glycyl dipeptide, having different concentrations through conductivity and fluorescence methods at different temperatures. The data obtained from conductivity is plotted against the concentration of Bile salts, and CMC (critical micelle concentration) values are calculated. The results realized have been elucidated with reference to Glycyl dipeptide–bile salts hydrophobic/hydrophilic interactions existing in solution. In addition, the CMC values converted to mole fraction (X c m c) values have been used to evaluate the standard thermodynamic factors of micellization viz., enthalpy H , free energy Δ G m 0 , and entropy (Δ S m 0) which extract information regarding thermodynamic feasibility of micellar state, energy alteration, and the assorted interactions established in the existing (bile salts–water–glycyl dipeptide) system. Furthermore, the pyrene fluorescence spectrum has also been utilized to study the change in micro polarity induced by the interactions of bile salts with glycyl dipeptide and the aggregation action of bile salts. The decrease in modification in the ratio of intensities of first and third peaks i.e., (I1/I3) for the pyrene molecules in aqueous bile salts solution by the addition of dipeptide, demonstrates that the micelle polarity is affected by glycyl dipeptide. This ratio has also been utilized to determine CMC values for the studied system, and the results have been found to be in good correlation with observations made in conductivity studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The consequence of 2% v/v silane‐treated and 4% v/v H2O2‐treated upon thermal and acoustic behavior of hybrid oil palm EFB (OPEFB) and sorghum stalks bagasse fiber (SCB) reinforced phenolic composites for wall thermal insulation application is discussed in this paper. Hand lay‐up approach was adopted to manufacture plain and hybrid composites with diverse formulation ratios such as 70:30 (7OPEFB:3SCB), 50:50 (5OPEFB:5SCB), and 30:70 (3OPEFB:7SCB). The experimental samples were manufactured with a purpose density of 0.5 g/cm3. Plain and hybrid composites were investigated for thermal analysis and thermal conductivity testing. Impedance tubes were used for acoustic behavior analysis of composites. Hybridization of H2O2 treated HT 50:50 (5OPEFB:5SCB) showed greater thermal cohesion with a final residual of 58.69%, followed by hybridization of silane‐treated ST 50:50 (5OPEFB:5SCB) with a residual of 45.10%. This study looks at four distinct air gap thicknesses (0 mm, 10 mm, 20 mm, and 30 mm). The results reveal that silane‐treated ST 50:50 (5OPEFB:5SCB) hybrid composites and H2O2‐treated HT 50:50 (5OPEFB:5SCB) hybrid composites improved sound absorption coefficients more than 0.50. Thus, we concluded that thermal and sound absorption performances of hybrid composites from agro waste promise an environmentally friendly alternative solution in wall building material production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The main objective of this work is to develop a variety of hybrid high-density polyethylene (HDPE) micro- and nanocomposites and to investigate their thermal, mechanical, and morphological characteristics as a function of number of fillers and their contents percentage. In this study, 21 formulations of the composites were prepared using fillers with different sizes including micro fillers such as talc, calcium carbonate (CaCO3), as well as nano-filler (fumed silica (FS)) though the melt blending technique. The morphological, mechanical, and thermal properties of the composite samples were evaluated. The morphological study revealed negligible filler agglomerates, good matrix–filler interfacial bonding in case of combined both CaCO3 and FS into the composites. Sequentially, improvements in tensile, flexural and Izod impact strengths as a function of fillers loading in the HDPE matrix have been reported. The maximum enhancement (%) of tensile, flexural and impact strengths were 127%, 86% and 16.6%, respectively, for composites containing 25% CaCO3 and 1% FS without any inclusion of talc filler; this indicates that the types/nature, size, quantity and dispersion status of fillers are playing a major role in the mechanical properties of the prepared composites more than the number of the used fillers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ZnO spheres were synthesized by solid state oxidation of ZnS microspheres at different oxidation temperatures of 600 and 700 °C in an ambient atmosphere. The high temperature transformation of ZnS microspheres into hexagonal structured and highly crystalline ZnO microspheres comprising interconnected nanoparticles facilitating efficiently electron transport as well as charge collection through an intended path in the solar cell. The comparative physico-chemical and photovoltaic studies were done for synthesized ZnO microspheres. The structural study by x-ray diffraction of ZnO confirmed the hexagonal ZnO; the UV–Visible spectroscopy study showed λmax varying from 410 to 413 nm and 397 to 407 nm for ZnO microspheres synthesized by heating at 600 and at 700 °C, respectively. Additionally, crystalline and electronic structures were validated by density functional theory studies. The computational studies also revealed growth of hexagonal ZnO, where the bandgap varied with the oxidation temperature. The photovoltaic properties of ZnO microspheres synthesized at 600 °C exhibited better performance than the ones synthesized at 700 °C due to high surface roughness leading to enhanced dye loading and favorable charge collection. Dye-sensitized solar cells fabricated from ZnO microspheres synthesized at 600 and 700 °C exhibited the maximum power conversion efficiency of 3.38% and 3.06% correspondingly. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Advanced, functional, and novel electrocatalytic material for the electrochemical water splitting is core to the renewable energy sector. Herein, we fabricated CoCu oxide functional material on the nickel foam by a hydrothermal method that is highly rich in copper nanoparticles. The composite material showed superfast electrocatalytic performance in the oxygen evolution reaction (OER). A distinguished durability test was obtained; the Tafel slope is relatively weak on an overpotential at 10 mA/cm2 obtained potential 270 mV and was determined for the developed electrocatalyst, which is very closer to the RuO/C. The attractive features of the newly developed material are high abundance in nature, environment‐friendly, cost‐effectiveness, and superior for the OER activity being non‐precious material. The developed catalyst revealed good stability and durability, which indicate its practical applications and long‐term stability. This strategy offered to effectively hierarchical low‐cost and best structural properties for the electrocatalyst containing rare‐earth metals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, several weaving designs of intra-ply woven fabric Kevlar/hemp fiber (KHE) reinforced epoxy hybrid composites are developed and their thermal characteristics are examined. Thermogravimetric analysis showed that intra-ply hybrid of plain and basket weave designs possessed highest thermal stability. The different weaving patterns of KHE hybrid composites have no effect on the glass transmission temperature (T g) value as inferred from the differential scanning calorimetry results. The thermomechanical analysis clearly demonstrates the superior dimension stability of the hybrid composites with basket weave. Dynamic mechanical analysis reveals that twill weave KHE have exhibited the maximum storage modulus (2021 MPa), loss modulus (210 MPa) and lower tan delta (0.3090) values compared to all other composites. Based on the obtained results, it is denoted that all the fabricated KHE hybrid composites displayed improved thermal performance. It may be suitable for applications in thermal insulation panels, fire-resistant clothing, and automotive underbody shields. [Display omitted] • The work explores the thermal behaviour of composites made from a novel blend of traditional and sustainable materials. • Highlights the effect of various patterns, providing insights into optimizing performance based on structural arrangements. • Reveals enhancements in heat resistance offering implications for applications in high-temperature environments. • Sustainable approach reducing reliance on non-renewable resources while improving performance in thermal applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study was aimed at documenting the detailed ethnomedicinal knowledge of an unexplored area of Pakistan. Semistructured interviews were taken with 55 informants randomly chosen regarding detailed ethnomedicinal and sociocultural information. The study exposed 67 medicinal plant species used to prepare 110 recipes and the major modes of herbal formulation were decoction and powdering (20% each). The disease categories with the highest Fic values were gastrointestinal and dermatological (0.87 each). The study determined 3 plant species, i.e., Acacia modesta Wall., Caralluma tuberculata R.Br., and Withania somnifera (L.) Dunal with a FL of 100%. DMR results showed that Olea ferruginea (Sol.) Steud. ranked first, Morus alba L. ranked second, and Melia azedarach L. ranked third. Among the 55 informants, themale concentration was high (61%) and most of them were over 40 years old while a leading quantity of respondents (45%) was uneducated. There is a dire need to take necessary steps for the conservation of important medicinal plants by inhibiting overgrazing and providing alternate fuel resources. Young generations should be educated regarding the importance of ethnomedicinal knowledge and plants with high Fic and FL values should be further checked chemically and pharmacologically for future exploration of modern medicine. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this green synthesis approach for copper oxide (CuO) nanoparticles (NPs), the reducing agent obtained from Camellia sinensis (Tea) extract was used. X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), ultraviolet visible (UV-Vis) spectroscopy, field emission scanning electron microscope (FESEM) with energy-dispersive X-ray (EDX), high resolution transmission electron microscope (HRTEM) and Selected Area Electron Diffraction (SAED) techniques were used for as-prepared sample characterization. From XRD result, the crystallite size estimated by Scherrer method was found to be 35 nm. Morphological results reveals that the CuO NPs possesses small particle size with the range of 40–45 nm, led to high surface area, which enhances the absorption of more number of dye molecules, which results in high degradation efficiency. Present work reveals that degradation of malachite green (MG) dye in aqueous solutions under sonocatalytic treatment. CuO NPs exhibit excellent degradation efficiency against MG dye (95 % removal in 70 min). Moreover, the rate constant for the degradation efficiency was investigated with pseudo- first and second order kinetics. Moreover, CuO NPs possesses potential antibacterial activity against human pathogens such as Gram-positive (Staphylococcus pyogenes) and Gram-negative (Pseudomonas aeruginosa). [Display omitted] • Copper Oxide nanoparticles (CuO NPs) were synthesized by facile green method. • Green synthesized CuO NPs was tested against the degradation of malachite green dye under sonocatalytic treatment. • The comparisons of different dye concentrations on three different catalyst dosage levels were studied. • CuO NPs possesses magnificent degradation efficiency for MG dye in 70 min sonication. • Moreover, the CuO NPs possesses potential antibacterial activity against human pathogens. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • A new nanocomposite (CNC) appending NiO and Co 3 O 4 was synthesized by facile and eco-friendly manner. • The synthesized CNC NPs used for energy storage applications. • The synthesized CNC possessed good electrochemical stability, reversibility and structural stability for energy storage. • The CNC acted as good radical scavenger for the series of radicals such as DPPH•, ABTS_+, NO_, OH•, O2– with the substantial activity. • The CNC showed promising apoptogenic nature with MM2 and HepG2 cancer cells. Transition metallic mixed oxides have received a lot of curiosity due to their exceptional electrochemical performance and incredibly low cost for hybrid supercapacitors. Herein, we report a facile synthetic approach of cobalt nickel oxide (CNC) composites from Carica papaya leaf extract. The synthesized mixed oxide composite was analyzed by various spectroscopic techniques (IR, UV–Vis, Powder XRD, SEM-EDAX, TEM and XPS). The electrochemical behavior of CNC was investigated by cyclic voltammetry (CV) and galvanostatic charge–discharge (GCD) method in 2 M KOH solution. The composites exhibit specific capacitance of 289.28 F g−1 at 1 A g−1 demonstrating improved charge storage. The electrode retains 81 % of its specific capacitance from the initial value after repeated charge–discharge processes for 2000 cycles. In addition to the electrochemical studies, biological activities such as anti-oxidant and anti-cancer activities of the CNC were examined. The radical scavenging activity of CNC was assessed with different radicals such as DPPH•, ABTS+., NO–, OH•, O2– and the acquired results showed that the composites possessed substantial activity. Anticancer activity of CNC was studied against HepG2 and MM2 cancer cells and the CNC possessed significant activity with the IC 50 value of 45.8 and 38.3 µg/ml respectively compared with the standard drug cisplatin. Further apoptogenic nature of the CNC was confirmed with DAPI staining assay. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aqueous Cu(0)-mediated reversible deactivation radical polymerization (RDRP) of triblock copolymers with two block sequences at 0.0 °C is reported herein. Well-defined triblock copolymers initiated from PHEAA or PDMA, containing (A) 2-hydroxyethyl acrylamide (HEAA), (B) N-isopropylacrylamide (NIPAM) and (C) N, N-dimethylacrylamide (DMA), were synthesized. The ultrafast one-pot synthesis of sequence-controlled triblock copolymers via iterative sequential monomer addition after full conversion, without any purification steps throughout the monomer additions, was performed. The narrow dispersities of the triblock copolymers proved the high degree of end-group fidelity of the starting macroinitiator and the absence of any significant undesirable side reactions. Controlled chain length and extremely narrow molecular weight distributions (dispersity ~1.10) were achieved, and quantitative conversion was attained in as little as 52 min. The full disproportionation of CuBr in the presence of Me6TREN in water prior to both monomer and initiator addition was crucially exploited to produce a well-defined ABC-type triblock copolymer. In addition, the undesirable side reaction that could influence the living nature of the system was investigated. The ability to incorporate several functional monomers without affecting the living nature of the polymerization proves the versatility of this approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The processing of olive (Olea europaea L.) oil results in large quantities of solid waste consisting primarily of tree pruning remainders from olive trees growing. This has led to the idea of utilizing the leftovers into a value‐added product; natural composite materials are utilized as alternatives to environmentally damaging synthetic materials. This study deals with the evaluation of the filling properties of the residue; olive tree small branch (OTS), olive tree big brunch (OTB) and olive tree leaves powder, for epoxy matrix biocomposite. Olive powder reinforced epoxy composite was processed at 40% filler loading. In this paper, the various forms of impacts of filler within epoxy on the physical and mechanical of epoxy composites were scrutinized by tensile, flexural, impact, thickness swelling, and water absorption tests. From the observation, it was discovered that the tensile and flexural strength of epoxy composite reinforced with OTS and OTB increased by about 27% and 47%, respectively. The impact strength values of OTS and OTB epoxy composites were 8.61, 7.88, and 5.97 J/m, respectively, while the virgin epoxy increased up to 16 J/m. The microstructure of the composites is also analyzed using scanning electron microscopy to analyze interfacial bonding. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, poly(lactic acid) (PLA)/poly(butylene succinate) (PBS) dual-layer membranes filled with 0–3 wt% cellulose nanowhisker (CNWs) were fabricated with aim to remove metal ions from wastewater. An integrated method was employed in the membrane fabrication process by combining water vapor-induced and crystallization-induced phase inversions. The membrane thickness was measured in between 11 and 13 μm, which did not pose significant flux deviation during filtration process. The 3% CNW filled membrane showed prominent and well-laminated two layers structure. Meanwhile, the increase in CNWs from 0 to 3% loadings could improve the membrane porosity (43–74%) but reducing pore size (2.45–0.54 μm). The heat resistance of neat membrane enhanced by 1% CNW but decreased with loadings of 2–3% CNWs due to flaming behavior of sulphated nanocellulose. Membrane with 3% CNW displayed the tensile strength (23.5 MPa), elongation at break (7.1%), and Young's modulus (0.75 GPa) as compared to other samples. For wastewater filtration performance, the continuous operation test showed that 3% CNW filled membrane exhibited the highest removal efficiency for both cobalt and nickel metal ions reaching to 83% and 84%, respectively. We concluded that CNWs filled dual-layer membranes have potential for future development in the removal of heavy metal ions from wastewater streams. • PLA/PBS dual layer membrane incorporated with nanocellulose for metal ions removal • Membrane fabrication process using water vapor-induced phase inversion technique • Nanocellulose acts as pore forming and crystallizing agent in membrane structure. • Great thermal, mechanical, and wettability properties for filtration process. • High filtration performance for water penetration and metal ions adsorption. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, oil palm fiber (OPF) and pineapple fiber (PALF) reinforced biophenolic resin (BPHR) composites and hybrid composites were fabricated by hand lay‐up technique. Structural, thermal and mechanical properties of pure and hybrid composites analyzed by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), thermal gravimetric analyzer (TGA), dynamic mechanical analyzer (DMA), and universal testing machine. Achieved results indicated that OPF/PALF hybrid composites show better properties as compared with pure composites. It was observed that the tensile and flexural characterizations improved with incorporating OPF and PALF fibers into BPHR composites in comparison to the neat BPHR matrix. The results of the thermal stability obtained from TGA tests showed that the reinforcement of pure fiber composites (OPF and PALF) and hybrid composites (OPF/PALF) in BPHR matrix were improved in comparison to that of neat BPHR matrix. The final decomposition temperature of 50% OPF and 3OPF/7PALF was the highest among all other composites (415.80 and 415.42°C). On the other hand, the residual amount of hybrid composite (1OPF/1PALF) was (24.43%), while the lowest residual amount exhibited in pure composite (50% PALF), which was 20.08%. The reinforcement of pure composite and hybrid composites into BPHR also improved the storage and loss moduli; however, the pure composite sample (50% OPF) exhibited a more significant increase than other composites loadings. Furthermore, the damping factor was reduced significantly by the reinforcement of hybrid composites over pure composites. This study showed that obtained hybrid composites are suitable to apply in various structural and nonstructural applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research designed to contribute to reduce the environmental impacts through the preparation of composites with recyclable materials to be used in different applications. To this end, composites have been developed based on jute recovered from packaging bags and polypropylene (PP) reclaimed from scraps obtained from the manufacture of PP yarns. The developed composites were then characterized. First of all, the optimum mass fraction was determined in order to achieve good mechanical performance. Several mass fractions (30%, 40%, 45%, 50%, 60%, and 70%) were experimented to find that the best characteristics were those of the biocomposite with 40% reinforcement (σ = 39.07 MPa, E = 4.60 GPa). With this ratio, jute–PP biocomposites were further developed with different jute architectures (Satin, Serge 2 × 2, Taffeta). A structural study of the different jute fabric wastes was carried out to confirm whether they are suitable for use with a thermoplastic matrix (i.e., at a processing temperature of ≥200°C). Tensile and bending tests were carried out on these composites to find out the effect of the weave structure of the reinforcement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Natural fibre-based polymer composites have better improvements owing to their thermal and mechanical properties besides environmentally friendly quality. In the present work, biocomposite fabricated at kenaf fibres (KF) loading (30, 40, 50, and 60 mass%) with bio epoxy matrix by the hot compression moulding method, and their thermal and dynamic mechanical characterisation were investigated and examined. This study was conducted to investigate the thermal behaviour through thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and the derivative of thermogravimetric analysis (DTG: the maximum thermal decomposition; Tmax), dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA) and thermomechanical analysis (TMA). The presented findings from TGA and DTG curves showed that the thermal stability improved with increasing the KF loadings, as evidenced by the higher residual mass % and the lower mass loss %. On the other hand, it was found that the biocomposite sample (50 mass% KF) exhibited higher thermal stability up to 558.82 °C. Furthermore, the DMA findings obtained exhibited the greatest value of the storage modulus (E') with the following order of KF bio composite (KF-50 > KF-60 > KF-40 > KF-30). On the other hand, the values of loss modulus (E'') were increased as follows KF-30 > KF-40 > KF-50 > KF-60. However, the results showed that 50 mass% of KF into epoxy biocomposites recorded higher loss modulus value (323.56 MPa) among all other bio composite samples, while the values of tan δ were increased as follows: KF-30 > KF-40 > KF-50 > KF-60. The results obtained for the TMA revealed a better coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) for the sample (KF-50) compared to other samples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Removing the organic dye from polluted water is very challenging due the human health concern and ecological environments. The photocatalytic process can remove the organic dye from polluted water under the sunlight. To enhance the photocatalytic property, here we have synthesized the MoS2 by using two different molybdenum sources via one-step hydrothermal methods characterized using XRD, FESEM, Raman, XPS and UV-Visible techniques. We investigate the potential of synthesized MoS2 nanostructures for dye degradation applications. The results demonstrate that both 2H-MoS2 and 1T@2H-MoS2 exhibit remarkable photocatalytic degradation capabilities towards the model dye. However, the 1T@2H-MoS2 hybrid structure outperforms 2H-MoS2, exhibiting significantly enhanced photocatalytic activity and faster dye degradation kinetics. The improved performance of 1T@2H-MoS2 can be accredited to its wide absorption in solar spectrum, effective charge separation, and increased active sites resulting from the 1T phase incorporation. The photocatalytic activity of 2H-MoS2 shown 73% and 1T@2H-MoS2 exhibits 98% methylene blue dye degradation in 60.0 min and5.0 min under the visible range of sunlight respectively. Overall, this study highlights the potential of 2D MoS2 nanostructures, particularly the 1T@2H-MoS2 hybrid, as efficient catalysts for dye degradation. The development of such materials offers promising prospects for the remediation of dye-contaminated wastewater and contributes to the advancement of sustainable environmental technologies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Enhancing the hydrothermal proficiency of thermal management devices by integrating active and passive heat transfer techniques is possible. Under magnetic field (MF), pin–fin heat sinks have rarely been studied in terms of frictional losses and coefficient of heat transfer (h). Here, with a nanoparticle concentration ratio of 2%, Fe 3 O 4 ferrofluid flow inside a pin–fin heatsink was analyzed numerically considering various pin–fin shapes (rhumbas, squares, circles, and triangles) for absenteeism (WO) and attendance (W) of MF. In the results, the greatest and lowest gains for h were 13.12% and 8.8%, respectively, utilizing MF and Re = 200, for the circular and triangular heatsinks, which would be reduced to 5.36% and 2.41% by increasing Re to 500. In addition, h (and thermal resistance factor) in triangular configuration is 7.82–10.86% (and 4.98–8.68%) and 3.23–8.08% (1.94–6.22%) greater (and smaller) than that in the circular design under two scenarios of MF. Moreover, MF brings about a reduction of 1.86–0.60%, 1.61–0.46%, 1.71–0.54%, and 1.16–0.24% in T m , C P U for the circular, square, rhumbas, and triangular configurations, respectively, within the Re range of 200–500. Although, when MF is present, pressure loss escalates by almost 6.39%, 4.97%, 3.60%, and 2.92% at Re numbers of 200, 300, 400, and 500 for each configuration, with the maximum pressure loss for triangular heatsink compared to the other arrangements. PEC factors at different Re numbers range from 1.51 to 1.87, suggesting an improved heatsink hydrothermal performance under MF impact compared to absenteeism of that. The highest/lowest PEC values at Re numbers 200 and 500 are associated with the rhumbas/triangular (1.871/1.782) and Triangular/square (1.547/1.496) configurations, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The entropy generation analysis was performed to determine the viscose and thermal irreversibilities (S ̇ fr and S ̇ th) inside a pin–fin heatsink under the absence (WO) and presence (W) of the magnetic field considering Re s of 200, 300, 400, and 500, four different pin–fin shapes, and Fe 3 O 4 ferrofluid coolant. The results demonstrated that S ̇ fr and S ̇ th escalates and diminishes, respectively, by increasing Re or by applying the magnetic field effects. For instance, the increase in Re from 200 to 500 escalates S ̇ fr by 86% and 80% for 4 configurations and under WO and W scenarios of the magnetic field. Besides, the highest S ̇ fr (and lowest S ̇ th) was observed for the triangular configuration, which is nearly 12.79% (and 8.36%) and 13.89% (and 11.18%) higher than that for the circular configurations with the lowest S ̇ fr (and highest S ̇ th) among four configurations at Re = 200. Furthermore, the magnetic field escalates S ̇ fr by 41.88%, 37.19%, 37.49%, and 34.06% over the base case without the magnetic field for circular, square, rhumbas, and triangular heatsinks, respectively, at Re = 200. These values diminish to 10.50%, 11.46%, 10.51%, and 7.77% as Re increases from 200 to 500. In addition, S ̇ th decreases by 21.98% (or 7.39%), 19.18% (or 6.17%), 20.95% (or 7.15%), and 14.00% (or 3.46%) under the W scenario against the WO scenario for circular, square, rhumbas, and triangular configurations, respectively, at Re of 200 (or 500). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Rheumatoid arthritis is considered one of the most common, and particularly attacks the joint causing significant individual and community burden, and present with articular as well as extra articular manifestation. Treatment modalities of rheumatoid arthritis have dramatically improved in recent years, significantly decreasing long-term auricular and extra-auricular complications. Aim of the work: this review was aimed to study the pathophysiology, clinical picture, and management of rheumatoid arthritis, with focus on the newer modalities. Methodology: We conducted this review using a comprehensive search of MEDLINE, PubMed, and EMBASE, January 1985, through February 2017. The following search terms were used: rheumatoid arthritis, chronic inflammatory disorders, genetic of rheumatoid arthritis, management of rheumatoid arthritis, DMARD, biological agents. Conclusion: The newer modality of treatment must include disease-modifying antirheumatic drug (DMARDs) which must be started as early as possible. Combining DMARDs with corticosteroids will result in significantly better outcomes than monotherapy with any DMARD, and decrease long term morbidity associated with this condition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Within the scientific community, there is an increasing demand to apply advanced cell cultivation substrates with increased physiological functionalities for studying spatially defined cellular interactions. Porous polymeric scaffolds are utilized for mimicking an organ-like structure or engineering complex tissues and have become a key element for three-dimensional (3D) cell cultivation in the meantime. As a consequence, efficient 3D scaffold fabrication methods play an important role in modern biotechnology. Here, we present a novel thermoforming procedure for manufacturing porous 3D scaffolds from permeable materials. We address the issue of precise thermoforming of porous polymer foils by using multilayer polymer thermoforming technology. This technology offers a new method for structuring porous polymer foils that are otherwise available for non-porous polymers only. We successfully manufactured 3D scaffolds from solvent casted and phase separated polylactic acid (PLA) foils and investigated their biocompatibility and basic cellular performance. The HepG2 cell culture in PLA scaffold has shown enhanced albumin secretion rate in comparison to a previously reported polycarbonate based scaffold with similar geometry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]