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Dihydrogen, commonly named 'hydrogen', is a carbon–neutral and renewable fuel meeting environmental regulations in transportation and industrial production. Hydrogen is currently employed in fuel cells, hydrogen vehicles, and as an efficient energy carrier due to its high energy capacity of 121 kJ per g. Here we review hydrogen production by steam reforming of alcohols including methanol, ethanol, propanol, glycerol and butanol, with focus on catalysts, mechanisms, and analytical methods to characterize deposited carbon. In general, Ru- and Rh-based catalysts show efficient performance with almost 100% feedstock conversion and up to 89% of hydrogen yield, while Ni and Co catalysts exhibit lower ethanol conversion in the range of 40–100% depending on operating conditions. Nevertheless, Ni and Co catalysts have been mainly chosen as active metals for alcohols steam reforming due to their lower cost. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The research proposed an effective approach for recycling of waste plastics and agro-industrial waste as a source of energy optimizing the economic viability of the waste products and reducing environmental issues. The composites were developed by utilizing eight different types of waste plastics, rice hush husk, and sand. The density, water absorption, compressive strength, and flexural strength of the composites were evaluated. Moreover, the tribological characterizations as sliding wear rate and three-body abrasive wear were performed under the conditions of loads and speeds. The composites attained a maximum density of 1.9833 g/cm3 and a minimum percentage of water absorption of 0.261. The optimal values of the compressive strength and flexural strength were obtained to be 9.628 and 28.081 (MPa), respectively. The sliding wear rate was in the range of 2.655 × 10–8 -12.896 × 10–8 (kg/m). Whereas the ranges for abrasives wear were obtained to be 0.0309–0.6459 (cm3) and 0.0386–0.1257 (cm3), under the conditions of loads and sliding speeds, respectively. The study suggested the incorporation of 25 wt. % of rice husk ash and 25 wt. % of sand with 50 wt. % of polycarbonates in composites for tribological applications. The work contributes towards the attainment of circular economy in the composite manufacturing industries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The usage of waste for the development of sustainable building materials has received an increasing attention in socio-eco-environment spheres. The rice husk ash (RHA) produced during burning of rice husk and the ever-increasing plastic wastes are useless causing detrimental effects on the environment. This research supports the idea of sustainability and circular economy via utilization of waste to produce value-added products. This research explores the potential of waste plastics, RHA, and silica sand as thermoplastic composite materials. The different composite samples were prepared through waste plastics which includes low- and high-density polyethylene and polypropylene with incorporation of RHA and silica sand in proportions. The study investigates the effect of filler/polymer in 30/70, 20/80, and 10/90 (wt. %) on the workability of the developed composite materials. The workability of the composites was found to improve with filler reinforcement. The experimental results showed the maximum density of 1.676 g/cm3 and mechanical strength of 26.39, 4.89, and 3.25 MPa as compressive, flexural, and tensile strengths, respectively. The minimum percentage of water absorption was 0.052%. The wear tests resulted in a minimum abrasive and sliding wear rate of 0.03759 (cm3) and 0.00692 × 10−6 kg/m. The correlations between wear mechanisms and responses were morphologically analyzed. The developed composites verify the feasibility of RHA and plastics waste as a cost effective and environmentally competent product. The results and discussions provided a direction for the future research on sustainable polymeric composite materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Strict environmental concerns, depleting natural recourses, and rising demand for building construction materials have promoted scientific research toward alternative building materials. This research supports the idea of sustainability and a circular economy via the utilization of waste to produce value-added products. The research explored the potential of waste plastics and silica sand for developing thermoplastic composite as floor tiles. The samples were characterized by water absorption, compressive strength, flexural strength, and sliding wear. The morphological analysis of the sand-plastic interfaces was covered under the umbrella of this study. The maximum compressive and flexural strength were found to be 46.20 N/mm2 and 6.24 N/mm2, respectively, with the minimum water absorption and sliding wear rate of 0.039% and 0.143 × 10–8 kg/m, respectively. The study suggests the workability of the developed floor tiles in non-traffic areas of public places. Thus, the study provides a green building material through recycling waste plastics for sustainable development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article titled "Retraction Note: Synergy of RHA and silica sand on physico-mechanical and tribological properties of waste plastic-reinforced thermoplastic composites as floor tiles" has been retracted by the publisher due to concerns about the peer review process, inappropriate references, nonstandard phrases, and the article's alignment with the journal's scope. The publisher, in consultation with the Editor-in-Chief, no longer has confidence in the results and conclusions of the article. The authors disagree with the retraction. Springer Nature, the publisher, remains neutral regarding jurisdictional claims and institutional affiliations. [Extracted from the article]

It is known that auxin and nitric oxide have the ability to ameliorate various abiotic stresses in plants individually. However, their interactive effects on the stress generated by salt in plants are not reported yet. Therefore, the present study was conducted to explore the effectiveness of sodium nitroprusside (SNP), a donor of nitric oxide and IAA (Indole acetic acid) individually and in combination on the photosynthetic efficiency, antioxidative enzyme activities, and plant biomass under salt stress. Twenty-five-day-old plants were exposed to SNP and IAA individually and in combination for 5 days continuously, and it was found that both SNP and IAA showed almost similar response at 30 and 45 days of old plants and increased studied parameters over their respective controls. However, the interactive effect of both SNP and IAA excelled over the individual response of SNP and IAA. On the other hand, the presence of salt in soil significantly decreased the parameters studied. Furthermore, stress generated by NaCl was overcome by the exogenous application of SNP, IAA alone as well as in combination at both the stages of samplings. However, the combination of IAA and SNP was more effective at 45 DAS where the value of plant biomass and photosynthetic efficiency was more in comparison to control plants. The level of antioxidant enzymes and proline was further enhanced by SNP and IAA and maximum values were reported in the plants received both SNP and IAA under NaCl stress. This enhanced antioxidant system and proline accumulation could ameliorate the stress induced by NaCl in plants that was reflected by the improved plant biomass, and photosynthetic efficiency in comparison to control plants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cadmium ferrites belong to normal spinel ferrites, and they exhibit interesting electrical, magnetic, and optical properties. The pure and cerium-doped cadmium ferrites CdFe2−xCexO4 (x = 0.0, 0.125, 0.250, 0.375, 0.5) were synthesized by a chemical co-precipitating technique using sodium hydroxide as a co-precipitating agent. The structures and phase purity of fabricated nanomaterials were analyzed by X-ray diffraction (XRD). The crystallite size for all the prepared nanomaterials was in the range of 28–46 nm. The lattice constant and unit cell volume were found to decrease with the increasing concentration of Cerium, which was confirmed by the peak shift in the XRD pattern. The X-ray density for all nano ferrites increased with the enhancement of cerium composition. The resistivity of the nanomaterials has random behavior with the enhancement of cerium composition for a temperature, but the value of resistivity at x = 0.125 has the lowest value and at x = 0.375 has the highest value for almost all temperatures. For specific concentrations, a decreasing trend of resistivity of fabricated materials was found with an increment of temperature. The activation energies were also calculated, and it increased for x = 0.125 and then decreased for all the nanomaterials. For the confirmation of the M–O bonds, FTIR analysis of all the nano ferrites was also performed. The analysis shows a higher frequency absorption band in the range of 531.24–534.84 cm−1. This absorption band confirms that metal oxides are formed in all the synthesized nanoparticles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this manuscript, we have studied the effect of Al concentration on the thermoelectric performance of ZnAlSe alloy. ZnAlSe alloy with different concentrations of Al (0%, 1%, 2%, 3%, and 4%) were synthesized by simple solid-state reaction method. Seebeck data suggested an improvement in Seebeck coefficient value from 38 to 99 μV/°C with the increase of Al atom concentration which leads to a higher power factor of 4.2 × 10−4 Wm−1 K−2. This improvement in Seebeck coefficient and power factor is related to the enhancement in mobility of the carriers by the degradation of the metallic phases with the addition of Al atoms. The verification of metallic phases and crystal degradation is confirmed by X-Ray diffraction (XRD). Some additional measurements such Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) and Raman spectroscopy were also performed to strengthen our argument. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) images shows the spherically shaped morphology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

24-epibrassinolide (EBL) and iron (Fe) individually are well recognized for their significant role in various biological functions of plants but their interactive effect on iron transport, stress biomarkers, photosynthetic and biochemical parameters in Brassica juncea is poorly investigated. Therefore, this study was conducted to reveal the effect of Fe in the presence of 24-epibrassinolide (EBL), an analogue of brassinosteroids (BRs) on Brassica juncea plants. Fe in the form Fe-EDTA (1, 5 or 50 µM) was supplied with nutrient solution for 5 days followed by the foliar spray with deionised water (control) or EBL (0.01 µM) on 16-day-old plants for 5 days. Plant samples of 30-day-old plants were collected for the assessment of growth and photosynthetic performance and antioxidant parameters. Results clearly indicated that Fe altered plant metabolism. Lower concentration of Fe (5 µM) increased the growth biomarkers, SPAD (soil plant analysis development) chlorophyll level and photosynthetic rate, whereas higher concentration of Fe (50 µM) proved toxic to Brassica juncea and showed reduced growth, biomass of plant, SPAD chlorophyll level, and photosynthetic traits. However, the application of EBL to Fe-stressed plants reversed the deleterious effects caused by the Fe (50 µM) by improving the activities of antioxidant enzymes and increasing the proline accumulation in plant cells that are reflected in increased plant growth and other physiological parameters. It is concluded that lower concentration of Fe could be exploited as micronutrients whereas combined application of Fe with EBL acts as a stress alleviator for the toxic effects caused by Fe alone. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High temperature poses a severe extortion to productivity of many crops like wheat. Therefore, well documented roles of brassinosteroid (BR) and silicon (Si) in terms of abiotic stress tolerance, the current study was designed to evaluate the response of wheat (Triticum aestivum L. Var. PBW-343) to 24-epibrassinolide (EBL) mediated by silicon grown under high temperature stress. At 10- and 12-day stage after sowing, the seedlings were administered Si (0.8 mM) through the sand, and the plants at 20, 22, or 24 days after sowing (DAS) were given EBL (0.01μM) through foliage. Plants were treated to high-temperature stress (35/28 or 40/35 °C), for 24 h with 12-h photoperiod in plant growth chamber at 25- and 26-day stage of growth. High temperatures cause significant reduction in growth performance and photosynthesis-related attributes at 35 days after sowing. However, antioxidant enzymes and proline content also augmented substantially with increasing temperature. BR and Si enhanced antioxidant activity and proline content, which was earlier increased by the high temperature. It is established that interaction of EBL and Si considerably improved the growth features, photosynthetic efficacy, and several biochemical traits under high-temperature stress through elevated antioxidant system and osmoprotectant. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Among the various abiotic stresses, low temperature is one of the major environmental constraints that limit the plant development and crop productivity. Plants are able to adapt to low-temperature stress through the changes in membrane composition and activation of reactive oxygen scavenging systems. The genetic pathway induced due to temperature downshift is based on C-repeat-binding factors (CBF) which activate promoters through the C-repeat (CRT) cis-element. Calcium entry is a major signalling event occurring immediately after a downshift in temperature. The increase in the level of cytosolic calcium activates many enzymes, such as phospholipases and calcium dependent-protein kinases. MAP-kinase module has been shown to be involved in the cold response. Ultimately, the activation of these signalling pathways leads to changes in the transcriptome. Several phytohormones, such as abscisic acid, brassinosteroids, auxin, salicylic acid, gibberellic acid, cytokinins and jasmonic acid, have been shown to play key roles in regulating the plant development under low-temperature stress. These phytohormones modulate important events involved in tolerance to low-temperature stress in plants. Better understanding of these events and genes controlling these could open new strategies for improving tolerance mediated by phytohormones . [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Brassinosteroids (BRs) have been implicated to overcome various abiotic stresses, and low temperature stress poses a serious threat to productivity of various horticultural crops like tomato. Therefore, a study was conducted to unravel the possible role of BRs in conferring alleviation to low temperature stress in Lycopersicon esculentum. Twenty-day-old seedlings of tomato var. S-22 (chilling tolerant) and PKM-1 (chilling sensitive) were sown in earthen pots, and at 40 days stage of growth, plants were exposed to varied levels of low temperatures (10/3, 12/7, 20/14, or 25/18 °C) for 24 h in a growth chamber. At 50 days stage of growth, the foliage of plants were sprayed with 0 or 10 M of BRs (28-homobrassinolide or 24-epibrassinolide), and 60-day-old plants were harvested to assess various physiological and biochemical parameters. Low temperatures induced a significant reduction in growth traits, chlorophyll content, and rate of photosynthesis in both the varieties differentially. Activities of antioxidant enzymes (catalase, peroxidase, and superoxide dismutase) and leaf proline content also increased substantially in both the varieties with decreasing temperature. On the other hand, treatment of BRs under stress and stress-free conditions significantly increased the aforesaid growth traits and biochemical parameters. Moreover, BRs further accelerated the antioxidative enzymes and proline content, which were already enhanced by the low temperature stress. Out of the two analogues of BRs tested, 24-epibrassinolide (EBL) was found more effective for both the varieties of tomato. EBL was found more potent stress alleviator against low temperature in both varieties of tomato. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this study was to establish relationship between manganese-induced toxicity and antioxidant system response in Brassica juncea plants and also to investigate whether brassinosteroids activate antioxidant system to confer tolerance to the plants affected with manganese induced oxidative stress. Brassica juncea plants were administered with 3, 6, or 9 mM manganese at 10-day stage for 3 days. At 31-day stage, the seedlings were sprayed with deionized water (control) or 10 M of 24-epibrassinolide, and plants were harvested at 45-day stage to assess growth, leaf gas-exchange traits, and biochemical parameters. The manganese treatments diminished growth along with photosynthetic attributes and carbonic anhydrase activity in the concentration-dependent manner, whereas it enhanced lipid peroxidation, electrolyte leakage, accumulation of HO as well as proline, and various antioxidant enzymes in the leaves of Brassica juncea which were more pronounced at higher concentrations of manganese. However, the follow-up application of 24-epibrassinolide to the manganese stressed plants improved growth, water relations, and photosynthesis and further enhanced the various antioxidant enzymes viz. catalase, peroxidase, and superoxide dismutase and content of proline. The elevated level of antioxidant enzymes as well as proline could have conferred tolerance to the manganese-stressed plants resulting in improved growth and photosynthetic attributes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The technical complexity of pancreatic resection has made it a specialized procedure performed in high-volume centers. It has been shown that patients operated on in high-volume pancreatobiliary centers have fewer complications and better survival. The purpose of this study was to share our experience with and report long-term outcomes of pancreaticoduodenal resections performed in a low-volume center in Pakistan. Methods: Data of patients who underwent pancreaticoduodenal resection for adenocarcinoma at our institute from 1999 to 2012 were reviewed. A total of 39 patients were included in the study. Variables included patients' clinical and histopathological characteristics. Outcome was determined based on complication rate, 30- and 90-day mortality, disease-free survival, and overall survival. For survival analysis, Kaplan-Meier curves were used and significance was determined using a log rank test. Univariate Cox analysis was performed to determine significant factors for multivariate analysis. Results: The majority of tumors [20 (51 %)] were moderate grade, T1/T2 [20 (51 %)], ampullary adenocarcinomas [18 (46 %)]. Mean hospital stay was 14 ± 8 days. The mean number of nodes removed was 13.9 ± 6.9, while mean number of positive nodes was 1 ± 1.7. Expected 5-year overall survival and relapse-free survival were 38 and 48 %, respectively. Overall 5-year survival was significantly different with respect to nodal involvement, i.e., 47 vs. 28 % ( P = 0.018). On univariate analysis, nodal involvement was the only factor associated with an increased risk of death ( P = 0.02, hazard ratio [HR] 2.9, confidence interval [CI] 1.1-7.8). Conclusion: Low-volume centers are an acceptable alternate to high-volume centers for performing pancreaticoduodenal resection in carefully selected patients. Efforts should be directed at developing specialized hepatobiliary centers in developing countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The role of 28-homobrassinolide (HBL) in countering nickel-induced oxidative damage through overexpression of antioxidant enzymes and proline in Vigna radiata has been investigated. Two varieties of V. radiata, one sensitive to Ni (PDM-139) and the other tolerant to Ni (T-44), were sown in the soil fed with different levels (0, 50, 100 or 150 mg kg) of Ni, and at 29-day stage, foliage of plants was applied with deionized water (control), 10 or 10 M of HBL. The plants were sampled at 45-day stage of growth to assess various physiological as well as biochemical characteristics. The remaining plants were allowed to grow up to maturity to study the yield characteristics. The growth traits, leghemoglobin, nitrogen and carbohydrate content in the nodules, leaf chlorophyll content, photosynthesis efficiency, leaf water potential, activities of nitrate reductase, carbonic anhydrase and nitrogenase decreased proportionately with the increasing concentrations of nickel, whereas electrolyte leakage, various antioxidant enzymes viz. catalase, peroxidase and superoxide dismutase and accumulation of proline increased at 45-day stage. However, the exogenously applied HBL to the nickel-stressed or non-stressed plants improved growth, nodulation and photosynthesis and further enhanced the various antioxidant enzymes viz. catalase, peroxidase and superoxide dismutase and accumulation of proline. The deleterious impact of Ni on the plants was concentration dependent where HBL applied to the foliage induced overexpression of antioxidant enzyme and accumulation of proline (osmolyte) which could have conferred tolerance to Ni up to 100 mg kg, resulting in improved growth, nodulation, photosynthesis and yield attributes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Salt stress is among the major abiotic stresses that adversely affect the global crop production and its adverse impacts are getting more serious in the regions where saline water is used for irrigation. It induces reactive oxygen species, alters the activity of antioxidant system and adversely affects the process of photosynthesis. Various strategies have been employed to mitigate the deleterious effects of salt stress. Presently, the recommended strategies to overcome the adverse effects of salt stress include the use of tolerant cultivars, ameliorative water management and diverse cultural practices. However, none of these approaches have been found to be fully effective under salt stress conditions. An alternative and technically simpler approach to induce salt stress tolerance is the exogenous application of plant growth regulators (PGRs). This technique has gained significant importance during the past decade. PGRs have been implicated to regulate a wide range of metabolic and physiological activities in plants, ranging from cell division and organogenesis to protection against biotic and abiotic stresses. One of the important factors for enhanced plant productivity by PGRs is their efficiency to overcome the salt-induced stress conditions. Recent findings on the effects of brassinosteroids and polyamines on the salt stress tolerance of crops open new avenues to address the salinity problems. This review enlightens the role of brassinosteroids and polyamines in different plant processes like their role in regulation of photosynthesis, antioxidant systems and other related aspects, thereby improving overall performance of plants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: This study was hypothesized that salicylic acid elevates the level of antioxidant system that will protect plants from the stress generated by nickel and/or salinity. Materials and methods: Seeds of Brassica juncea were sown in sand amended with NiCl (100 mg kg) and/or 15-day-old seedlings supplied for 3 days with NaCl (150 mM) and were then, at 20-day stage, sprayed with salicylic acid (10 M) to assess selected morphological, physiological, and biochemical parameters at 30-day stage. Results: The combination of Ni and NaCl proved most deleterious and exhibited significant decline in growth, leaf water potential, the level of pigments, and photosynthetic attributes. However, the follow-up treatment with salicylic acid detoxified the stress-generated damages caused by the combination (NiCl and NaCl) and also significantly improved values for the above parameters. The NiCl and/or NaCl increased electrolyte leakage, lipid peroxidation, and HO content but decreased the membrane stability index and activity of nitrate reductase and carbonic anhydrase. However, the salicylic acid treatment in the presence or absence of the stress improved the activity of nitrate reductase and carbonic anhydrase. The activity of antioxidative enzymes and the level of proline exhibited a significant increase in response to NiCl and/or NaCl stress and which enhanced further with the spray of salicylic acid. Conclusions: It is concluded that the elevated level of antioxidative enzymes and level of proline might be responsible for minimizing the Ni and/or salinity-induced toxicity in Indian mustard which is manifested in terms of improved growth and photosynthesis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Seeds of five wheat ( Triticum aestivum) cultivars (PBW-373, UP-2338, DL-LOK-01, DL-373, and HD-2338) were sown in earthen pots and 10-day-old seedlings were exposed to 0, 50, and 100 μM of nickel (Ni) in the form of nickel chloride. At the 20-day stage, seedlings were sprayed with 0.01 μM of 28-homobrassinolide (HBL). The results of the experiment at the 30-day stage revealed a decline in the dry mass per plant, leaf area, leaf water potential, and net photosynthetic rate with concomitant decline in the activities of various enzymes (viz . carbonic anhydrase and nitrate reductase) with an increasing concentration of Ni. However, an increase in proline content and the activities of catalase, peroxidase, and superoxide dismutase was observed as a result of an increase in Ni concentration. Moreover, the treatment of these stressed plants with HBL enhanced the activities of carbonic anhydrase and nitrate reductase, catalase, peroxidase, and superoxide dismutase. The proline content in the leaves also increased, which is known to act as an osmolyte and reactive oxygen species scavenger. The toxic effects generated by Ni were ameliorated by HBL through an improved antioxidant system and osmolyte. Moreover, improvement of photosynthetic parameters and growth characteristics further strengthen our belief that HBL acted as a potent stress alleviator. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cancer is one of the main causes of mortality in the world. Many cancer cells produce ATP through high-level lactic acid fermentation catalyzed by lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), which converts pyruvic acid to lactic acid. LDH plays a dominant role in the Warburg effect, wherein aerobic glycolysis is favored over oxidative phosphorylation. Due to the high lactic acid production level in cancer cells, LDH-targeting could be a potential cancer treatment strategy. A few approaches, such as drug treatment, reportedly inhibited LDH activity. In this study, we describe new 1,3-benzodioxole derivatives that might be potential small molecule candidates for LDHA inhibition. The synthesis was carried out by trans-esterification between aryl ester and alcohol groups from piperonyl alcohol. Compounds 2 and 10 exhibited a selective LDHA IC50 value of 13.63 µM and 47.2 µM, respectively. Whereas only compound 10 showed significant cytotoxicity in several lines of cancer cells, especially in human pancreatic cancer PANC-1 cells. These synthesized compounds possess 2 aromatic rings and –CF3 moiety, which expectedly contributes to LDHA inhibition. The presented products have the potential to become a promising LDHA inhibitor drug candidate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cadmium ferrites belong to normal spinel ferrites, and they exhibit interesting electrical, magnetic, and optical properties. The pure and cerium-doped cadmium ferrites CdFe2−xCexO4 (x = 0.0, 0.125, 0.250, 0.375, 0.5) were synthesized by a chemical co-precipitating technique using sodium hydroxide as a co-precipitating agent. The structures and phase purity of fabricated nanomaterials were analyzed by X-ray diffraction (XRD). The crystallite size for all the prepared nanomaterials was in the range of 28–46 nm. The lattice constant and unit cell volume were found to decrease with the increasing concentration of Cerium, which was confirmed by the peak shift in the XRD pattern. The X-ray density for all nano ferrites increased with the enhancement of cerium composition. The resistivity of the nanomaterials has random behavior with the enhancement of cerium composition for a temperature, but the value of resistivity at x = 0.125 has the lowest value and at x = 0.375 has the highest value for almost all temperatures. For specific concentrations, a decreasing trend of resistivity of fabricated materials was found with an increment of temperature. The activation energies were also calculated, and it increased for x = 0.125 and then decreased for all the nanomaterials. For the confirmation of the M–O bonds, FTIR analysis of all the nano ferrites was also performed. The analysis shows a higher frequency absorption band in the range of 531.24–534.84 cm−1. This absorption band confirms that metal oxides are formed in all the synthesized nanoparticles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This work offers a few-layer silicon (Si)-based SPR sensor with WS2 2D material. The silver (Ag) layer is used as plasmonic metal to generate the surface plasmon wave (SPW). The performance of the proposed sensor has been analyzed by the transfer matrix method (TMM) and finite element method (FEM). The proposed sensor obtained a maximum sensitivity (S) of 405.08°/RIU and 456.64°/RIU and a figure of merit (FoM) of 117.81/RIU at 600-nm and 633-nm wavelength. In addition, we have calculated the field intensity and penetration depth (PD) with water salinity concentration of 0% (1.33) and 30% (1.33629). The proposed few-layer Si and WS2-based SPR sensor performed exceptionally well in detecting different concentrations of salinity in water, exhibiting remarkable sensitivity, a wide measurement range, high detection accuracy, efficiency, and dependability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]