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Objectives This study aimed to compare the effects of N-acetylcysteine and benfotiamine in protection of ovarian tissue from ischemia caused by slow neovascularization injury due to intraperitoneal ovarian autotransplant in rats. Materials and methods Twenty-eight female rats were divided into 4 groups, each containing 7 rats. Group 1 only had the abdomen opened and closed, group 2 was the transplant-only group, group 3 received benfotiamine for 3 weeks starting 1 day before the transplant procedure, and group 4 received N-acetylcysteine for 3 weeks starting 1 day before the transplant procedure. At the end of the experimental period, malondialdehyde levels in ovarian tissues together with the apoptosis and fibrosis, proliferating cell nuclear antigen and vascular endothelial growth factor immunoreactivity, and ovarian reserves were investigated. Results Apoptosis was significantly increased in group 2 animals. Primordial follicle count was higher in groups 3 and 4 than in group 2. Vascular endothelial growth factor immunoreactivity was decreased in groups 3 and 4 compared with group 2. Proliferating cell nuclear antigen immunoreactivity was reduced in the secondary follicles in all transplant groups. Conclusions In autologous intraperitoneal ovarian transplant, both benfotiamine and N-acetylcysteine are equal and effective agents in protection of ovarian tissue against ischemic injury.

AIM To study (1) ovarian and endometrial damage caused by the hyperglycemia and (2) the effects of dichloroacetic acid (DCA) on follicular reserve and endometrial damage in streptozocin induced diabetic rats. METHODS This study consisted 24 rats randomly separated into three groups. A diabetes model was achieved in 16 rats experimentally, and normoglycemic eight rats were assigned as control group (Group 1). The rats with diabetes were randomly separated to two groups: 1 mL/kg/day intraperitoneal 0.9% NaCl was given to eight rats as diabetic vehicle (Group 2) and 10 mg/kg/day DCA was given to other eight rats as DCA treated group (Group 3). Hysterectomy with bilateral oophorectomy was performed for histopathological evaluation and blood samples were collected after 4 weeks. RESULTS Diabetes caused ovarian and endometrial damage (p

Reduction in the cost of renewable electricity has enhanced the viability of electrochemical CO2 reduction reaction (CO2RR) to chemicals. Ethylene is an economically desired product, and Cu is the only cathode that produces C2H4 at reasonable Faradaic efficiencies. Altering the binding strength of key intermediates (CO2−·) to favor ethylene’s reaction pathway offers an opportunity to enhance its selectivity further. We explore the influence of ionic liquid cations on ethylene/CO2RR and hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) activities on polycrystalline Cu. Alkylated imidazolium, pyrazolium, pyrrolidinium, and ammonium tetrafluoroborates were chosen because of their range of Bader charges on their N atom(s) and pKa values. Among all cations, tetraethylammonium cation with moderate Bader charge on N and high pKa of hydration showed the highest ethylene/CO2RR and lowest HER activities, respectively. From density functional theory calculations, it is concluded that the moderate stabilization of critical intermediate (*COO-) and decrease in hydrogen binding energy are reasons for the enhancement of ethylene/CO2RR and suppression of HER activities, respectively.

The use of F-based decorations in drug discovery started from the development of fluorocorticoids and fluorochinolones (1950s and 1980s respectively) and it resulted in about 20% of approved drugs on the Market containing fluorine. From a medicinal chemistry perspective, the installation of F-based small groups (e.g. -CF3, -CF2H, -OCF3, -OCF2H, -SCF3, - SCF2H) necessarily impacts on physicochemical, pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics and toxicological properties of small molecules. Accordingly, a huge interest on this topic is constantly arising in the medicinal chemistry community. Focusing on heteroarenes, the synthetic access to these substitutions is guaranteed by a number of effective reactions, such as Miniscitype reaction, photochemistry or electrochemistry C-H activation. The aim of this work is to analyze the rational in using these groups in medicinal chemistry and to highlight the current available synthetic toolbox of C-H activation for their introduction on heteroarenes of pharmaceutical interest. A particular focus has been given to those procedures amenable at late-stage functionalisation process.

Cover crops significantly affect soil quality, and growth characteristics in apple orchards, but reports are scarce. Therefore, the present study was conducted on a 15-year-old apple orchard (cultivar ‘Red Gold’) at Kashmir valley (32°22′–34°43′N, 73°52′–75°42′E; 1850 m.a.s.l.) to determine the influence of grass (Festuca arundinaceae) and legume (Trifolium pratense) bi-culture (GLBC) on soil properties viz. soil organic carbon (SOC), labile carbon (LC), total nitrogen (TN), potassium (K), magnesium (Mg), nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), copper (Cu), zinc (Zn), manganese (Mn), iron (Fe); and plant growth characteristics like trunk girth (TG), trunk cross-sectional area (TCSA), fruit yield (FY), and yield efficiency(YE), relative to a no cover crop control. GLBC produced 27.9 ± 3.9 and 7.5 ± 0.8 tons/ha green and dry herbage. Plant growth characteristics differed significantly (p

This paper presents a linear dependence of temperature sensitivity in Rayleigh scattering-based optical frequency domain reflectometry (OFDR) on the concentration of germanium in the fiber core. Eight different commercially available single-mode fibers have been investigated and compared with the standard SMF-28 Corning fiber. We have experimentally analyzed the influence of germanium concentration in the fiber core, the protective coating, the degree of reduction of the fiber cladding’s diameter, and the amount of humidity on Rayleigh backscatter in response to temperatures ranging from 10-90°C. Maximum sensitivity was 1.343 GHz/°C for 20.78 mol % of the germanium-doped bare fiber and it does not depend on changes in humidity. The experimental results were compared and qualitatively agreed with the numerical simulations.

The coordination and sensing properties towards anions and transition metal ions of the simple novel fluorescent urea 1-(2-aminophenyl)-3-(naphthalen-1)-yl)urea (L) were investigated in solution, and in the solid state. An electron donating amine group in the molecular skeleton of L decreased the acidity of the urea NHs that are usually deprotonated by basic anions and allowed for a good degree of affinity towards fluoride in DMSO-d6-0.5 %H2O. Moreover, the amine moiety acted as a further binding group for metal ions. Indeed, L was able to bind Zn2+ both in solution and in the solid state, and to respond to the presence of this metal ion in MeCN with an enhancement of the fluorescence emission. Although solution studies evidenced the formation of a 1 : 1 complex of L with Zn2+, complexes with a 2 : 1 ligand-to-metal stoichiometry were isolated in the solid state. DFT calculations helped to clarify the stability reasons behind these results.

Yttrium aluminium garnet (YAG) is a promising topcoat material for thermal barrier coatings due to its high temperature stability and better CMAS (calcium-magnesium-alumino-silicate) resistance. YAG topcoats were deposited by suspension and solution precursor high-velocity oxy-fuel (HVOF) thermal spray. The relationships between processing, microstructure and final properties were studied through a range of characterization techniques and thermal cycling tests. The microstructure of the as-sprayed YAG topcoat from stoichiometric solution precursor (SP-YAG) had distributed pores and inter-splat boundaries, while the as-sprayed topcoat produced from suspension (S-YAG) had vertical and branched micro cracks, pores, and inter-splat boundaries. Both as-sprayed coatings were composed of amorphous phase, hexagonal yttrium aluminium perovskite (YAP) and cubic YAG. In thermal cycling tests, 20% of SP-YAG failure was reached after the 10th cycle; whereas, S-YAG reached the failure criteria between the 60th and 70th cycle. The failure of both the SP-YAG and the S-YAG topcoats occurred due to thermal stresses during the thermal cycling.

NOVELTY STATEMENT The merit of this investigation is that simple and effective bio-sorbents based on Calophyllum inophyllum plant materials with high sorption capacities, are developed for the simultaneous removal of the toxic Pb2+ and Cd2+ at neutral or nearly neutral pHs. These sorbents are successful in water remediation of Pb2+ and Cd2+ ions from real effluents from industries. These findings have great significance as the identified bio-sorbents are simple, effective and renewable in extracting highly toxic lead and cadmium ions from the effluents from industries or polluted water.

Rhododendron arboreum Sm. a wild flowering tree is on the verge of extinction from natural habitat due to overexploitation of its flowers and slow regeneration rate. The objective of this research was to explore the effective method for propagation of this species vegetatively, therefore, to maintain its genetic identity and population. In this context, effectiveness of vegetative propagation methods like FRI-Wire Technique and Air Layering in combination with root promoting hormones such as Indole 3- Butyric Acid (IBA), Indole Acetic Acid (IAA) and Napthelene Acetic Acid (NAA) at concentration of 1000 ppm (ppm), 2500 ppm and 5000 ppm each were evaluated through well designed experiments. Air Layering method failed to produce roots on this species, whereas, FRI-Wire Technique showed a remarkable success for rooting in the month of April with hormones IAA and NAA at 1000 ppm and 2500 ppm concentrations and no response from IBA. Branch sizes of length 45--51 cm, when treated with 2500 ppm IAA concentration performed significantly better and produced 66.66% rooting in comparison to other treatments with the technique.

Three effective adsorbents are developed for the de-fluoridation of water based on nano Silica and activated carbon of Terminalia Ivorensis plant (SACTI). Nano-SiO2 particles are synthesized from the sand collected in Krishna River at Vijayawada, India, using Aloe-vera gel as a capping agent. Activated carbon (SACTI), composite of ‘nSiO2 + SACTI’ and La-alginate beads doped with ‘nSiO2 + SACTI’ are examined. The adsorbents are characterized. Optimum extraction conditions for the maximum defluoridation capacities are established. Effect of co-anions, thermodynamic and regeneration studies are also investigated. The results show the spontaneity and endothermic nature of sorption with high positive entropy values. Adsorption efficiency is restored even after fifth regeneration cycles. The Freundlich adsorption isotherm and pseudo 2nd order kinetic model describes well the sorption process. Adsorption capacities of adsorbents are: 2.02 mg/g for SACTI, 4.01 mg/g for nSiO2 + SACTI, 5.13 mg/g for nSiO2 + SACTI-La-Ali (beads). The methodologies developed are successfully applied to reduce fluoride concentration in ground water samples of Ananthapur District, Andhra Pradesh, India.

Objectives Triglyceride-glucose index (TyG index), which is defined as the simple and novel marker of insulin resistance, is becoming increasingly important as a promising predictive marker for atherosclerotic diseases. Chronic limb-threatening ischemia is defined as the most advanced stage of the lower extremity peripheral artery disease, whose main cause is atherosclerosis and is associated in this respect with amputation, impaired quality of life, and mortality. The main purpose of the present study was to investigate the relation between the calculated TyG index values and chronic limb-threatening ischemia development. Methods A total of 296 patients who were diagnosed with lower extremity peripheral artery disease in our outpatient clinic between October 2018 and October 2020 were included in this study retrospectively. Two groups were formed by clinically staging the patients according to Rutherford Classification. Patients who did not develop chronic limb-threatening ischemia were classified as “Group 1” ( n = 224) and those who developed were classified as “Group 2” ( n = 72). Results The mean TyG index values that were calculated in Group 2 were significantly higher than in Group 1 (9.27 ± 0.31 vs. 9.00 ± 0.34, p Conclusions Chronic limb-threatening ischemia development may be predicted with the TyG index value, which is calculated easily from routine biochemical parameters, in patients diagnosed with lower extremity peripheral artery disease.

Nanoparticles of Al2O3, ZrO2, Fe3O4 and their mixed oxides are synthesized adopting new green methods. Aloe-vera gel is identified as a capping agent for controlling the size of particles. The slow...

Diamond wire sawing has been developed to reduce the cutting loss when cutting silicon wafers from ingots. The surface of silicon solar cells must be flawless in order to achieve the highest possible efficiency. However, the surface is damaged during sawing. The extent of the damage depends primarily on the material removal mode. Under certain conditions, the generally brittle material can be machined in ductile mode, whereby considerably fewer cracks occur in the surface than with brittle material removal. In the presented paper, a numerical model is developed in order to support the optimisation of the machining process regarding the transition between ductile and brittle material removal. The simulations are performed with an GPU-accelerated in-house developed code using mesh-free methods which easily handle large deformations while classic methods like FEM would require intensive remeshing. The Johnson-Cook flow stress model is implemented and used to evaluate the applicability of a model for ductile material behaviour in the transition zone between ductile and brittle removal mode. The simulation results are compared with results obtained from single grain scratch experiments using a real, non-idealised grain geometry as present in the diamond wire sawing process., The International Journal of Advanced Manufacturing Technology, 115, ISSN:0268-3768, ISSN:1433-3015

We explore the effect of sulfur doping in Co3V2O8 on the electrochemical performance of supercapacitors in terms of enhanced lattice spacing, electrochemical surface area (ECSA), electronic conduct...

Background/aim Ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome (OHSS) is a complication of ovarian stimulation with increased vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and vascular permeability in the ovarian tissue. Transient receptor potential melastatin 2 (TRPM2) is known to be associated with angiogenesis and vascular permeability. In this experimental study, we aimed to investigate the activity of TRPM2 in the development of OHSS. Materials and methods Fourteen immature female rats were divided into two groups. Group 1 was the control group, and Group 2 was the OHSS group that was exposed to 10 IU of subcutaneous application of FSH for four days and 30 IU of human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) on the 5th day. At the end of the experiment, the ovaries were removed. The right ovarian tissues were stored in 10% formol for histopathological and immunohistochemical examination. The left ovarian tissues were stored at –80 °C for biochemical examinations. VEGF, tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF‐α) and malondialdehyde (MDA) levels were measured in the ovarian tissue. Congestion, edema, apoptosis and TRPM2 immunoreactivity were evaluated. Results There was a significant increase in ovarian weight in the OHSS group compared to the control group. There was a significant increase in congestion, edema, apoptosis and TRPM2 immunoreactivity in the OHSS group. A significant increase in tissue levels of VEGF, TNF‐α and MDA was also found in the OHSS group compared to the control group. Conclusion As a result of our experiment, it was found that increased TRPM2 immunoreactivity on hyperstimulated rat ovary may be the reason or result of edema and congestion. Further studies are needed to discuss our results.

Sorbents derived from stem powders of Feronia limonia (FLSP), Amorphophallus paeoniifolius (APSP) and Pumpkin (Cucurbitapepo) (PSP) plants are investigated for the removal of Cu2+ ions from polluted water by adopting batch methods of extraction. Extraction conditions are optimized for the effective removal of Cu2+ ions. High sorption capacities are observed: 175.5 mg/g for FLSP; 140.4 mg/g for APSP; 130.0 mg/g for PSP. Effective pH ranges are: 5 to 10 for FLSP; 6 to 10 for APSP and 7 to 10 for PSP. The three spent adsorbents can be regenerated and used. Thermodynamic parameters indicate that the adsorption process is spontaneous, endothermic and have positive change in entropy values. As ΔH values are more than 25.0 kJ/mole, the adsorption may be due to surface complex formation between Cu2+ ions and functional groups of the adsorbents viz., -OH, -COOH etc. in the effective pH ranges. The good adsorption behaviour of FLSP even in acidic pHs may be due to the ion-exchange of Cu2+ ions for H+ ions of the functional groups of the adsorbent. The Langmuir adsorption isotherm and pseudo second-order model describe well the adsorption process. The sorbents are effectively applied to treat effluents from Cu-based industries and polluted lake water. Highlights Stem powders of Feronia limonia (FLSP), Amorphophallus paeoniifolius (APSP) and Pumpkin (PSP) are identified for their strong affinity for Cu2+.; Sorbents derived from them show high sorption capacities for Cu2+.; Sorbents are effective in a wide pH range.; Adsorption nature is analyzed by thermodynamic, adsorption isotherms and kinetic models.; The adsorbents are successfully applied to treat Cu-polluted water.

Sporcularda domates suyu takviyesinin aerobik egzersizde HDL ve LDL kolesterol düzeylerine etkileri incelenmiştir. Bu araştırmaya, yaş ortalaması 20,21± 2,08 yıl olan, BKİ ortalamaları 20,98±2,61 kg/m² olan, değişik branşlarda ortalama 2,50±1,83 yıl spor yapan, sağlıklı 14 erkek sporcu katıldı. Sporculara, 21 gün aerobik egzersiz (10 dakika ısınma hareketleri, %70-80 şiddet aralığında 30 dakika koşu ve 10 dakika soğuma hareketleri) uygulandı ve her egzersiz sonrası 250 ml domates suyu içirildi. 22 ve 42 günler arası arınma dönemine alınarak sadece aerobik egzersiz uygulandı ve 250 ml domates suyu içirilmedi. Veriler, 42 günlük egzersiz öncesi ve egzersiz sonrasında farklılıkları ortaya koymak için SPSS paket programı yardımı ile bağımlı gruplar arası ortalamaların karşılaştırılması için kullanılan testler ile analiz edilmiştir. Verilerin normal dağılıma uygunluğu Shapiro-Wilk testi ile incelenmiştir. Verilerden normal dağılım gösterenler Bağımlı T testi ile normal dağılım göstermeyenler ise Wilcoxon testi ile analiz edilmiştir. İstatistiksel anlamlılık p

Incorporation of suitable lanthanide (Ln3+) ions into semiconducting WO3 can be useful to produce host-sensitized luminescence for solid-state lighting applications. Codoping of another Ln3+ ion ca...

The presence of Na in Ni-promoted MoS2 provides an interesting case study as Na gets inadvertently incorporated during the reverse micelle synthesis of the nanocatalyst. The effect of Na in Ni-prom...

In atomically thin transition metal dichalcogenide semiconductors, there is a crossover from indirect to direct band gap as the thickness drops to one monolayer, which comes with a fast increase of the photoluminescence signal. Here, we show that for different alloy compositions of WS2(1−x)Se2x this trend may be significantly affected by the alloy content and we demonstrate that the sample with the highest Se ratio presents a strongly reduced effect. The highest micro-PL intensity is found for bilayer WS2(1−x)Se2x (x = 0.8) with a decrease of its maximum value by only a factor of 2 when passing from mono-layer to bi-layer. To better understand this factor and explore the layer-dependent band structure evolution of WS2(1−x)Se2x, we performed a nano-angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy study coupled with first-principles calculations. We find that the high micro-PL value for bilayer WS2(1−x)Se2x (x = 0.8) is due to the overlay of direct and indirect optical transitions. This peculiar high PL intensity in WS2(1−x)Se2x opens the way for spectrally tunable light-emitting devices.

Sulphuric acid generated activated carbon from the stems of Momordica charantia (MCSAC) was identified to adsorb lead(II) and cadmium(II) ions from water. Extraction conditions were optimized. At pH: 6, both the ions can be simultaneous removed by 2.0 mg/L of MCSAC after an equilibration period of 90 min at room temperate (30 ± 2 ºC). The sorption capacities were observed to be 21.0 mg/g for Pb2+ and 18.9 mg/g for Cd2+. MCSAC was characterized by conventional methods and also by surface morphology assessing techniques such as XRD, FTIR and FESEM. The sorption mechanism was investigated by evaluating thermodynamic parameters and by adopting various kinetic and isothermal models. High ΔH values of 29.399 KJ/mol for Pb2+ and 33.222 KJ/mol for Cd2, indicated that the mechanism of sorption is ion exchange and /or complex formation between Pb2+/Cd2+ ions and surface functional groups present in MCSAC. Further, high positive ΔS values imply the presence of disorder at solid-liquid interface, favouring the metal ions to overcome the surface barrier and get adsorbed. The negative ΔG values indicates the spontaneity of sorption process. Spent MCSAC can be regenerated and reused for three cycles. The procedure developed using MCSAC as sorbent was successfully applied to treat real effluents samples collected from several industrial effluents. The novelty of the present investigation is that a simple biosorbent is developed for the effective simultaneous removal of highly toxic Pb2+ and Cd2+ from contaminated water.

Electrochemical carbon dioxide reduction reaction (CO2RR) into chemicals can store renewable electricity and simultaneously control global warming. Albeit inexpensive copper electro-catalyzes CO2 to hydrocarbons at reasonable rates, it suffers from low selectivity due to high hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) activity. Although an increase in bulk pH suppresses HER activity, this leads to a CO2 reaction with hydroxide and the formation of bicarbonate and carbonate ions. In contrast, we demonstrate selective HER suppression by functionalizing Cu electrocatalysts with pyridine molecules without a commensurate reduction in CO2RR activity. Density functional theory (DFT) based computational results suggest that the decrement in the H binding energy and blockage of step edge atoms (which are the most active sites for the HER) by pyridine molecules are the reasons for selective suppression of the HER activity on the copper surface after pyridine functionalization. Further, an insignificant decrease in CO binding is the reason behind the lack of suppression of the CO2RR activity. This study provides pointers towards better electrocatalyst design for the CO2RR.

We demonstrate an approach towards modulating electrocatalysis in an ultrathin RuO2 oxygen electrocatalytic overlayer via optimal charge transfer between the support and the electrocatalyst. The governing heuristics for the choice of support that would result in ‘climbing up’ the volcano curve for oxygen evolution reaction (OER) electrocatalysts are delineated. Ultrathin Ru is deposited on metal coated over porous carbon supports, denoted by M/C, where M = Au, Cu, Pt, Ti and Ru, followed by the electrochemical oxidation of the Ru overlayer, which makes it possible for the support to retain its metallic character without getting oxidized to the less conductive metal oxide. An increase in the specific activity of thin RuO2 is achieved with Au/C and Pt/C-supports against the Ru/C-support. The consolidated experimental and computational results suggest that the increase of the specific activity and subsequent ‘climbing up’ the volcano map for OER electrocatalysts is due to the interfacial charge transfer and support-induced electrocatalyst faceting. With the increase of the thickness, the support effect on the electrocatalyst activity gets reduced and only the conductivity of the support plays a dominant role in determining the OER activity.

Heavy metal–ferromagnet bilayer structures have attracted great research interest for charge-to-spin interconversion. In this work, we investigated the effect of the permalloy (Py) seed layer on the tantalum (Ta) polycrystalline phase and its spin Hall angle. Interestingly, for the same deposition rates the crystalline phase of Ta deposited on the Py seed layer strongly depends on the thickness of the seed layer. We observed a phase transition from α-Ta to (α + β)-Ta while increasing the Py seed layer thickness. The observed phase transition is attributed to the strain at the interface between the Py and Ta layers. Ferromagnetic resonance-based spin pumping studies reveal that the spin-mixing conductance in the (α + β)-Ta is relatively higher as compared to the α-Ta. Spin Hall angles of α-Ta and (α + β)-Ta are obtained from the inverse spin Hall effect (ISHE) measurements. The spin Hall angle of (α + β)-Ta is estimated to be θSH = −0.15 ± 0.009 which is relatively higher than that of the α-Ta. Our systematic results connecting the phase of Ta with the seed layer and its effect on the efficiency of spin to charge conversion might resolve ambiguities across various literature and open up new functionalities based on the growth process for emerging spintronic devices.

In this study we report the development of effective in vitro systems for a medicinal plant Nigella damascena L. comprising: (1) callus induction, (2) somatic embryogenesis in callus cultures with subsequent plant regeneration, and (3) isolation and regeneration of callus-derived protoplasts. Callus development was achieved on 83–100% of hypocotyl and cotyledon explants, whereby Murashige and Skoog medium (MS) supplemented with 3 mg L−1 6-benzylaminopurine and 0.5 mg L−1 α-naphthaleneacetic acid (NAA; BN medium) was more advantageous than MS with kinetin and NAA (KN medium). Histological observations of calli revealed the presence of embryogenic zones from which somatic embryos developed on the hormone-free medium. Plant regeneration was observed on 76–95% of calli. A high capacity to form somatic embryos and regeneration was maintained in long-lasting cultures, i.e. even in 2 year old callus. The obtained callus was also a good source tissue for protoplast isolation. By applying a mixture of cellulase and pectolyase, the acceptable yield of viable protoplasts was achieved, especially from hypocotyl-derived callus maintained on BN medium. Protoplasts embedded in an alginate matrix and cultured in modified Kao and Michayluk media re-constructed their cell wall and re-entered mitotic divisions. About 30% of small cell aggregates formed microcalli, which, after the release from alginate, proliferated continuously on KN and BN media, irrespective of the tissue variant used as the protoplast source. Somatic embryo formation and plant regeneration were successful on hormone-free media. An effective plant regeneration system of N. damascena protoplast cultures has been developed and is being reported for the first time. The main objective of this study was to develop in vitro systems utilizing N. damascena seedlings, as an easily accessible explant source, for efficient callus induction and proliferation, and plant regeneration via somatic embryogenesis. Moreover, we attempted to validate the usefulness of the obtained callus as a source of protoplasts and their capability to develop into plants.

The global increase in lignocellulosic ethanol production goes in tandem with an increase in lignin-rich stillage that remains underutilized to date. Anaerobic digestion could valorize residual (biodegradable) organic fractions into biogas, leaving a lignin-rich digested stillage (LRDS). This LRDS from the lignocellulosic ethanol production has been assessed as a feedstock for slow and fast pyrolysis in earlier studies, with the intention to increase the overall output of useful products or energy carriers from the starting material. While using this lignin-rich feedstock, ex situ catalytic vapor-phase upgrading (VPU) of fast pyrolysis vapors with fractional condensation was conducted over Na/ZSM-5, H/ZSM-5, and Fe/ZSM-5 catalysts. Semicontinuous fast pyrolysis experiments have been carried out at a reaction temperature of 480 degrees C in a mechanically stirred sand bed, which was connected directly to a fixed bed of catalyst particles for ex situ upgrading of the fast pyrolysis vapors. The carbon and mass yields in heavy phase liquids decreased after catalytic VPU (mass: ca. 8-11 wt %; carbon: ca. 11-15 wt %), compared to noncatalytic pyrolysis (mass: ca. 18 wt %; carbon: ca. 23 wt %). However, the yield in specific compounds, that is, alkylphenols and aromatics such as BTX, increased much upon catalytic VPU (especially for Fe/ZSM-5). For Fe/ZSM-5, the concentration in alkylphenols and aromatics was 20.8 wt % on liquid basis and the yield was 1.7 wt % on as-received (a.r.) feedstock basis. For noncatalytic pyrolysis, the concentration in alkylphenols and aromatics was 2.1 wt % (liquid basis) with a yield of 0.4 wt % (a.r. feedstock basis). This study thus demonstrates the potential of (modified) catalysts to upgrade lignin pyrolysis vapors.

Background Hairy cell leukemia is a rare B-cell lymphoproliferative disorder. It has an indolent course with relapse and remission periods. The aim of this study was to investigate the clinical characteristics and risk factors affecting the outcome of patients with hairy cell leukemia. Patients and Methods The retrospective data of 65 patients were evaluated according to initial hematologic and biochemical parameters, response rates, progression-free survival, and overall survival. Factors effecting response and survival rates were analyzed. Results The median follow-up duration was 62.8 months (range, 5.7-229.3 months). The result of the analysis showed that the patients with relapse/progressive disease had higher lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) levels at the time of diagnosis than patients without relapse/progression (median [range], 243 [137-540] vs. 179 [99-334] U/L, P = .01). Patients with LDH ≥ 200.5 IU at the time of diagnosis were demonstrated to have a shorter progression-free survival than those with LDH Conclusion Serum LDH level is significantly associated with relapse/progression in hairy cell leukemia patients. Patients with higher LDH levels at diagnosis should be monitored closely even if they experience complete remission.

In this work, industrial waste hexafluorosilicic acid (H2SiF6 or FSA) has been proven to be a low-cost alternative to silicate esters for the synthesis of high-quality MCM-41 (high surface area, hi...

We report the development of zeolite nanocapsules (MCM-22 and ZSM-5) encapsulating ultra-low amount (0.01 wt%) of noble metal nanoparticles (Gold, Platinum and Palladium) for the oxidation of HMF. These catalysts showed enhanced HMF conversion (> 95%) with higher yield (> 90%) of FDCA under mild conditions (60 °C, 0.3 MPa oxygen) in an organic solvent-free medium in 6 h. We also investigated the effect of size and amount of gold nanoparticles encapsulated inside zeolite capsules for the oxidation of HMF. We found that Au cluster loaded MCM-22 showed enhanced HMF conversion and yield of FDCA (91%).

In this study, a highly sensitive electrochemical capacitive lactic acid enzymatic sensor based on a carbon-microelectromechanical system (C-MEMS) is developed. The sensing platform of the biosensor, which is photoresist-derived carbon (PDC) microelectrode, was synthesized by pyrolysis of photo-patterned photoresist polymer in oxygen-free and high-temperature conditions. The surfaces of the microelectrodes were functionalized by the oxygen-plasma pretreatment technique to form –COOH functional groups. The lactate oxidase enzyme was immobilized on the carboxylic group covered surfaces of the microelectrodes. The sensor demonstrated the detection of lactic acid over a wide dynamic range of 0.1- $5000~\mu \text{M}$ with a low detection limit of $1.45~\mu \text{M}$ (S/N=3). The sensitivity found to be 33.48 mF.cm−2. (Log (M))−1. This mediator-free lactic acid sensor exhibited 80.07% accuracy in the presence of uric and ascorbic acid and only a 2.35% decrease of measured capacitance in 20 days, which implies good selectivity and high stability. The presented results show that the C-MEMS based lactic acid biosensor is a promising contender for the highly demanding point of care health monitoring applications.

Electrocatalysis plays a vital role in industrial processes like electrohydrodimerization of acrylonitrile, anodic substitution and addition, electrolytic oxidative/reductive coupling and electrolysis of heterocyclic compounds. Electrocatalysts with suitable size and shape selectivity for reactants, reactant intermediates and products increase their selectivity. Zeolites are the most common vehicles for size-/shape-selective heterogeneous catalysts, but their lack of electronic conductivity vitiates their use in electrocatalysis. In this context, we explore the effectiveness of carbon derived from the zeolitic imidazole framework (ZIF), which possesses both electronic conductivity and structural selectivity for electrocatalytic oxidative coupling of mesitylene to bimesityl. Co-ZIF synthesized by facile solvothermal method was heated in an inert atmosphere and acid-leached to remove Co in order to generate C-based structured material. Further, Pd acting as a catalyst was deposited inside the pore walls of the obtained C scaffold by electroless deposition to derive pore sizes ranging between the molecular size of the particular product. Controlling the pore size of metastructured electrocatalyst at ~ 16 A allows only bimesityl formation, and restricts any larger sized by-product. Metastructured electrocatalyst showed ~ 18 times higher selective conversion for the desired bimesityl production than the planar Pd film electrocatalyst, demonstrating the potential of the proposed approach.

In this study, the acute (24 and 48 h) effect of sublethal concentrations of malathion, organophosphates insecticide, on the AChE activity in Gammarus pulex was investigated. For this purpose, two sublethal concentrations of malathion (0.1 and 0.2 mg l-1) were applied to G. pulex for 24 and 48 h. After 24 and 48 hours of malathion exposure, G. pulex samples were taken. In the samples taken, AChE enzyme activity and protein level were determined and specific AChE enzyme activity was calculated.Sublethal concentrations of malathion caused time-dependent increased inhibition of AChE activity in G. pulex. In the group exposed to 0.1 mg l-1 malathion concentration, inhibition of AChE was detected as 50% at 24 h and 74% at 48 h, compared to control. Similarly, in the group exposed to 0.2 mg l-1 malathion concentration, 60% and 68% AChE inhibition at 24 and 48 h were observed, respectively, compared to the control.As a result, acute exposure of G. pulex to malathion for 24 and 48 h caused in the high rate inhibition of the AChE activity. Further, the results show that up to 74% AChE inhibition levels in G.pulex do not cause acute death, and measurement of AChE activity in G. pulex will be the biomarker of acute malathion exposure and effects.

We report on a highly sensitive, selective, and flexible enzymatic sensor based on Zinc oxide nanoflakes (ZnO NFs) for noninvasive L-lactate sensing in sweat. A single step sonochemical process was used to synthesize ZnO NFs on gold-coated flexible polyethylene terephthalate (PET) substrates. The lactate oxidase enzyme (LOx) immobilized on the as-synthesized ZnO-NFs-based sensing electrode provided a high level of selectivity for lactate sensing. The sensor was tested in the range of 10 pM–20 mM, which covers the entire physiological range and demonstrated the sensitivity of $11.76~\mu \text{A}$ /decade/cm2 and the limit of detection (LoD) of 1.26 nM. The presented sensor does not require a linker due to the high isoelectric point of ZnO-NFs yet demonstrated ~55 times better response compared to conventional gold electrodes with a linker. Our statistical analysis showed that the sensor also has high reproducibility.

The increase in the occurrence of the pharmaceuticals in the environmental compartments is becoming emerging concern as it reflects their inefficient treatment in the wastewater treatment plants which are the main sources of these micropollutants. Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are one of the most commonly prescribed and frequently detected pain medications in wastewater treatment plants. A lab scale sequencing batch reactor (SBR) was operated for seven months and acute inhibitory effect of NSAIDs on activated sludge was tested with respirometry. Culture amendment with different concentrations of NSAIDs in the presence as well as absence of nitrification inhibitor resulted in considerable variation in the oxygen uptake rate (OUR) profiles. The decrease in OUR and nitrate production rate governed with reduced heterotrophic and nitrification activity. The kinetics of half saturation for growth and maximum autotrophic growth rates are determined to be affected negatively by the acute impact of anti-inflammatory pharmaceuticals even at the environmentally relevant concentrations. High removal of tested NSAIDs was observed even for the first time introduce with these compounds.

The electrolyte in Li-ion batteries is a Li containing salt, such as LiPF6, dissolved in an organic solvent, such as ethylene carbonate (EC). LiPF6 reacts with trace amount of water present in the ...

Weeds cause significant economic losses in corn, also known as maize, yield. Herbicides are the most widely used tools for weed management. Weed control for genetically modified crops (GMOs) such as corn is generally based on the use of post-emergence glyphosate and 2.4-D herbicides. However, transgenic modified corn crop production is prohibited in the European Union and Turkey hence weeds in corn fields in these countries; pre-sowing, pre-emergence and post-emergence herbicides can be use in three different periods. In this study, the effect of commonly used herbicides on weed control in corn was investigated. The highest corn yields were obtained from dimethenamide-P 280 g / l + terbuthylazine 250 g / l (13.055 kg ha-1), mesotrione 75 g / l + nicosulfuron 30 g / l (12.979 kg ha-1) and terbuthylazine 270 g / l + pendimethalin 64 g / l (12.746 kg ha-1), respectively. The maximum harvest indexes were determined in dimethenamide-P 280 g / l + terbuthylazine 250 g / l (53%), mesotrione 75 g / l + nicosulfuron 30 g / l (52%) and terbuthylazine 270 g / l + pendimethalin 64 g / l (50%) applications. The weed indexes were detected in order of dimethenamide-P 280 g / l + terbuthylazine 250 g / l (7%), mesotrione 75 g / l + nicosulfuron 30 g / l (8%) and terbutylazine 270 g / l + pendimethalin 64 g / l (10%). When the results were evaluated as a whole, it was concluded that dimethenamide-P 280 g / l + terbuthylazine applications could be preferred to weed control in corn production areas, primarily. However, because of the environmental problems that can only be caused by chemical-related struggles in the long run, environmentally friendly applications such as alternation, mulching, solarization, steam disinfection, smart cultivators and sensor sprayers need to be integrated into herbicide applications for sustainable weed control in corn production.

Cancer is the uncontrolled growth of abnormal cells via malignant cell division and rapid DNA replication. While DNA damaging molecules can cause cancer, their role as anticancer drugs are very significant. For this purpose, the novel series of paraben substituted spermine bridged(dispirobino) cyclotriphosphazene compounds 2-6 were synthesized for the first time, and their structures were characterized by various spectroscopic techniques. The solid-state structures and geometries of compounds 2-6 were determined using single-crystal X-ray structural analysis. In addition, it was confirmed by TGA that all compounds 1-6 showed high thermal stability. Two methods were used in order to investigate DNA interaction properties of the targeted molecules. While biosensor-based screening test that measures DNA hybridization efficiency on a biochip surface, the agarose gel electrophoresis method examines the effect of compounds on plasmid DNA structure. The results collected from the automated biosensor device and agarose gel electrophoresis have indicated that compounds 1, 5, and 6 showed higher DNA damage than the compounds 2-4. According to the biosensor results, compounds 1, 5, and 6 showed 85%, 69%, and 77% activity, respectively.

Biogenic polyamines such as spermine have long been known to play an important role in many biological processes, such as cellular growth regulation, stabilization of lipids, transcription and synthesis of proteins, and synthesis of nucleic acids and neurotransmitters. However, the efficacy of parabens, which are widely used as preservatives in many areas, has attracted attention in recent years. In this study, a new series of paraben-substituted dispiroansa (tetracyclic) spermine derivatives of cyclotriphosphazenes likely to be biologically active were synthesized for the first time. The structures of the well-purified compounds were illuminated by spectroscopic techniques such as NMR and mass analysis. In addition, the structures of compounds 2, 4 and 5 were assigned by an X-ray crystallographic technique. Also, it was observed that the compounds 1–6 showed high thermal stability according to thermogravimetric analysis curves. The results obtained from an automated electrochemical biosensor device were compared and it was seen that the effect on DNA of the synthesized novel compounds was much higher than that of the starting compounds. Biosensor results showed that especially compounds 2, 5 and 6 showed 75%, 67% and 78% activity at the highest concentration studied, respectively.

Food industry wastewater (FIWW) streams with high organic content are among the most suitable and inexpensive candidates for polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) biopolymer production. Due to its high organic acid content, pickle industry wastewater (PIWW), can be considered as one of the prospective alternatives to petroleum-based polymers for PHA production. In this context, this study aimed to investigate the production of PHA with enriched microbial culture using PIWW. Two laboratory scale sequencing batch reactors (SBRs) were operated under aerobic dynamic feeding conditions at a sludge retention time of 8 days, with a total cycle duration of 24 hours. SBRs were fed with peptone mixture and PIWW. In-cycle analysis and batch respirometric tests were performed to evaluate PHA storage together with biodegradation kinetics. In-cycle analysis showed that maximum PHA content was 1,820 mgCOD/L, corresponding to 44% in the biomass (ratio of chemical oxygen demand (COD) to volatile suspended solids) for PIWW. Experimental results were also confirmed with activated sludge model simulations. As for the PHA composition, hydroxybutyrate was the major fraction. Model simulations proposed a unique conversion–degradation–storage pathway for the organic acid mixture. This paper presents a novel insight for better understanding of PHA biopolymer production using high saline FIWW.

The integration of conversion processes with anaerobic digestion is key to increase value from agricultural waste, like cocoa pod husks, generated in developing countries. The production of one metric ton of cocoa beans generates some 15 metric tonnes of organic waste that is today underutilized. This waste can be converted into added value products by anaerobic digestion, converting part of the cocoa pods to biogas while releasing nutrients, and pyrolysis. Here, we compared different scenarios for anaerobic digestion/slow pyrolysis integration in terms of product portfolio (i.e., biogas, pyrolysis liquids, biochar and pyrolysis gases), energy balance and potential for chemicals production. Slow pyrolysis was performed at 350 degrees C and 500 degrees C on raw cocoa pod husks, as well as on digestates obtained from mono-digestion of cocoa pod husks and co-digestion with cow manure. Anaerobic digestion resulted in 20 to 25 wt% of biogas for mono and co-digestion, respectively. Direct pyrolysis of cocoa pod husks mainly resulted in biochar with a maximum yield of 48 wt%. Anaerobic digestion induced compositional changes in the resulting biochar, pyrolysis liquids and evolved gases after pyrolysis. Pyrolysis of mono-digestatee.g., resulted in a more energy-dense organic phase, rich in valuable phenolics while poorer in light oxygenates that hold a modest value. Our comparison shows that co-digestion/slow pyrolysis at 500 degrees C and mono-digestion/slow pyrolysis at 350 degrees C both present high-potential biorefinery schemes. They can be self-sustaining in terms of energy, while resulting in high quality biochar for nutrient recycling and/or energy recovery, and/or phenolics-rich pyrolysis liquids for further upgrading into biorefinery intermediates.