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Biodiesel is composed of various types of methyl ester compounds with different concentrations. The role of unsaturation degree was observed through single-molecule droplet combustion from three fatty acid methyl ester compounds. This research was conducted under normal gravity at ambient temperature and atmospheric pressure. Analysis of droplet combustion characteristics was observed along the heating, evaporation, ignition, and combustion stages. The cis configuration and allyl groups in unsaturated molecules related to different unsaturation degrees affect the droplet combustion process. Allyl and bis-allyl groups play an important role in accelerating hydrogen atom abstraction due to the weaker bond dissociation energy of the C H bond adjacent to the carbon double bond. The lower energy gap in unsaturated molecules is prone to electron excitation. Increasing the unsaturation degree resulted in shorter ignition delay and burning duration but higher droplet temperature, burning rate constant, specific power output, and flame dimensions. Soot particles formed above the flame tip on the unsaturated molecules gave a higher flame dimension. A high concentration of linoleic methyl ester in biodiesel fuel is recommended due to of high power output. However, the soot formation at a higher level of unsaturation degree should be considered.

Background Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) causes pulmonary injury or multiple-organ injury by various pathological pathways. Transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-β) is a key factor that is released during SARS-CoV-2 infection. TGF-β, by internalization of the epithelial sodium channel (ENaC), suppresses the anti-oxidant system, downregulates the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR), and activates the plasminogen activator inhibitor 1 (PAI-1) and nuclear factor-kappa-light-chain-enhancer of activated B cells (NF-kB). These changes cause inflammation and lung injury along with coagulopathy. Moreover, reactive oxygen species play a significant role in lung injury, which levels up during SARS-CoV-2 infection. Drug Suggestion Pirfenidone is an anti-fibrotic drug with an anti-oxidant activity that can prevent lung injury during SARS-CoV-2 infection by blocking the maturation process of transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-β) and enhancing the protective role of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors (PPARs). Pirfenidone is a safe drug for patients with hypertension or diabetes and its side effect tolerated well. Conclusion The drug as a theoretical perspective may be an effective and safe choice for suppressing the inflammatory response during COVID-19. The recommendation would be a combination of pirfenidone and N-acetylcysteine to achieve maximum benefit during SARS-CoV-2 treatment.

This paper discusses the role of water cavities to break palm oil into glycerol and fatty acids. The cavities were generated by injecting water via a nozzle into palm oil in the Hele-Shaw cell at room temperature, without catalyst and pressure of 2, 6, 10 to 16 MPa. The hydrolysis reaction between triglyceride with water was verified by the Amsterdam density function (ADF) software. This suggest that production of glycerol by water jet impinging into palm oil bath is determined by three factors: the lowest static pressure produced by the jet, the largest foam of cavities produced by the static pressure, and the most energetic vibration generated during cavities formation. The cavities have very high surface tension energy, which not only breaks the palm oil into glycerol and fatty acids, but also modifies some fatty acids molecular structure.

Arachidonic acid (ARA) is an omega‐6 fatty acid that plays a major role in human health. The present study optimizes the production of ARA by the soil fungus Mortierella alpina CBS 754.68 on oil cakes. In the first step, the best substrate was chosen from four oil cakes, namely soybean, sunflower, olive, and colza oil cakes, of which sunflower oil cake showed the highest yield. In the next step, screening tests were performed using the Plackett‐Burman design. Seven variables (substrate particle size, moisture content, time, temperature, yeast extract, glucose, and glutamate) were investigated (each taking values of +1 and −1). Among these variables, time, temperature, and substrate particle size significantly affected ARA production (p

The production and utilization of disposal merchandise made of poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) continue to increase with an annual rate of ∼2%. The post-consumer PET (PC-PET), accumulated as was...

A massive quantity of Elaeis guineensis (oil palm) trunk biomass, containing a significant amount of natural starch, is available in Malaysia as bio-waste because of annual replantation. The efficient extraction of this starch (carbohydrate polymer) would be worthwhile concerning the environmental sustainability and economy through conversion to bio-resources. This study investigated the effectiveness of the bisulphite steeping method for starch synthesis from oil palm trunk (OPT) bio-waste. The central composite design (CCD) of Design-Expert software executed an experimental model design, data analysis, evaluated the impacts of process variables and their interaction through response surface methodology to optimize the bisulphite steeping method for starch synthesis. The developed quadratic models for four factors (strength of sodium bisulphite solution, steeping hour, mixing ratio with the bisulphite solution and ultra-pure water) and one response (%Yield) demonstrated that a significant starch yield (13.54%) is achievable employing 0.74% bisulphite solution, 5.6 steeping hours, for 1.6 and 0.6 mixing ratio with the bisulphite solution and ultra-pure water respectively. Experimental outcomes were consistent with the predicted model, which eventually sustains the significance of this method. Malvern Zetasizer test revealed a bimodal granular distribution for starch, with 7.15µm of hydrodynamic size. Starch morphology was determined by scanning electron microscopy. X-ray diffraction investigation exhibits an A-type model, specifying persistent characteristics, while FTIR confirms the presence of hydroxyl, carboxylic, and phenolic groups like other cereal starches. Implication StatementMalaysia is the 2nd largest palm oil exporter of the world and produced 20.5 million metric tons of crude oil with 2.13 metric tons of palm kernel oil annually. Therefore, a massive quantity of palm oil trunk (OPT) biomass (110 million tons by 2020) is available annually as biowaste during the replanting activities. This huge volume of bio-waste is a severe environmental burden regarding the disposal issue. Modification of bio-wastes into a beneficial form (only 22% currently) would be sustainable for both the environment and the country's economy by diminishing the solid waste dumping challenges.Naturally OPT contains about 20% of lignin, 70% of cellulose, and a significant amount of starch, which is a is a carbohydrate polymer. Efficient extraction of starch from OPT bio-waste could ensure a potential reuse towards sustainable waste management and at the same time various application of starch i.e. as natural coagulant for wastewater and leachate treatment, food source, adhesive for particle boards etc.Even though several studies applied various methods for starch extraction from natural sources rather the current study aims to investigate the effectiveness of the novel bisulfite steeping method for the synthesis of natural starch from the OPT biomass and process optimization by applying the central composite design (CCD), from response surface methodology (RSM). The impacts and interaction of process variables were evaluated by RSM to optimize the starch yield. The developed quadratic model demonstrated that this method could achieve 13.54% starch yield, which is higher than previous studies.Therefore, implementation of this study outcomes will ascertain the reuse of OPT bio-waste reducing waste load from this sector and maximize the natural starch extraction for further implication of numerous economic activities.

Thermal stability and kinetics of thermolysis of postconsumer milk containers made of high-density polyethylene (PC-HDPE) and filament rods extruded from them (HDPE-F) were examined by thermogravim...

Recently, bacterial cellulose-based wound dressings have gained lots of attention, and many studies have tried to improve the efficacy of these membranes with incorporation of different natural materials to fabricate an all-natural wound dressing with significant antibacterial and wound healing properties. In the present study, bacterial cellulose (BC) is produced from Gluconacetobacter xylinus to fabricate BC-based membranes. Then, chitosan (CS) and cinnamon extract (CE) are incorporated into the BC membranes to prepare an all-natural wound dressing. The obtained composite membrane (BC/CS/CE) is characterized according to chemical properties, surface morphology, mechanical properties, water absorptivity, water retention, CE release, antibacterial activity, biocompatibility, in vivo wound healing activity, and compared with BC and BC/CS membranes. The BC/CS/CE membrane is able to maintain appropriate moisture content for an acceptable period of time. Although the tensile strength and elongation at break values of the BC/CS/CE are slightly lower than the BC membrane, they are still in ideal ranges. The BC/CS/CE membrane exhibits significantly more antibacterial effects against Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli in comparison with the BC and BC/CS which can be related to the sustained released profile of CE. In addition, BC/CS/CE is more biocompatible with L929 normal skin fibroblast cells in comparison with the BC and BC/CS membranes. Also, the BC/CS/CE membrane can meaningfully promote the wound healing progress compared with other membranes at the Wistar rats full-thickness skin wound model. The BC/CS/CE membrane-treated wounds have more developed dermis layer in comparison with other groups according to histopathological analyses. Taking together, the CS and CE enriched BC membranes can be a promising wound dressing with desirable properties.

The CS-TPP nanoparticles were synthesized and their efficiency for removal of arsenic (V) ions at the optimum conditions was investigated. The optimum conditions for CS-TPP nanoparticles were obtained with the mass ratio of tripolyphosphate to chitosan of 1: 2 and pH = 5.0. The experimental data for the adsorption of As (V) ions followed the Freundlich adsorption isotherm and the maximum adsorption capacity was 77 mg/g at pH = 6.0. All isotherm experiments were performed at room temperature (25 °C). The crosslinking of sodium tripolyphosphate with the chitosan led to a decrease in crystallinity of the formed particles which then resulted in an improvement in metal ion sorption properties.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC), low methoxyl pectin (LMP), Persian gum (PG), and tragacanth gum (TG) edible coatings on the physicochemical properties of strawberries during storage period at 4 °C. The results showed a significantly less weight loss and decay for coated strawberries compared to the control. So that, the TG and CMC coated strawberries exhibited the lowest weight loss (3.65%) and decay (32.66%) at day 16 of storage, respectively. Edible coatings reduced the rate of deterioration in ascorbic acid, total phenolics, and anthocyanins in fruit over time. There was no significant difference observed between the coated and untreated strawberries in firmness and color characterization during storage time. Coatings improved the sensorial attributes of the fruit during storage so that, the CMC coated strawberries exhibited the highest score. TOPSIS-Shannon entropy method used to compare different coatings to improve the shelf-life of strawberries. The comparison between different coatings via TOPSIS analysis showed that the CMC was the most appropriate coating to reduce the weight loss, decayed and preserved nutritional ingredients of strawberries during the storage period.

This study investigates the effectiveness of sludge in coagulation-flocculation treatment for suspended solids (SS) removal from landfill leachate using Tin (IV) chloride and Jatropha curcas seed (...

In the present study, the effects of phytoremediation using Ophiopogon japonicus and Platycladus orientalis on the compressibility of silty clayey sand contaminated with 3%, 5%, or 7% crude oil was examined over a period of 2 months. Phytoremediation led to a decrease in the total petroleum hydrocarbons. The scanning electron microscopy images showed that an increase in the crude oil content increased flocculation of the fine particles in the soil; however, phytoremediation decreased flocculation of the soil structure. The replacement of water by crude oil decreased the dielectric constant of the fluid in the void space, which decreased the thickness of the double-layer water. These changes caused the soil particles to move closer together and become more flocculated. The Atterberg limits of the contaminated soil increased after phytoremediation. A decrease in soil permeability was observed after phytoremediation in the permeability and consolidation tests. The compression index and coefficient of consolidation increased as the crude oil content and the contamination time period increased. The increase in the compression index at 30 and 60 days of phytoremediation was 6% and 18% less, respectively, than for the untreated samples. The increase in the coefficient of consolidation after phytoremediation also was 15% less than for the untreated samples. It could be concluded that phytoremediation decreased the negative effects of crude oil on the geotechnical properties of the soil over time. It also was effective in decreasing settlement of the soil contaminated with crude oil and decreased the coefficient of volume compressibility.

Drug resistance is a great challenge in cancer therapy using chemotherapeutic agents. Administration of these drugs with siRNA is an efficacious strategy in this battle. Here, the present study tried to incorporate siRNA and paclitaxel (PTX) simultaneously into a novel nanocarrier. The selectivity of carrier to target cancer tissues was optimized through conjugation of folic acid (FA) and glucose (Glu) onto its surface. The structure of nanocarrier was formed from ternary magnetic copolymers based on FeCo-polyethyleneimine (FeCo-PEI) nanoparticles and polylactic acid-polyethylene glycol (PLA-PEG) gene delivery system. Biocompatibility of FeCo-PEI-PLA-PEG-FA(NPsA), FeCo-PEI-PLA-PEG-Glu (NPsB) and FeCo-PEI-PLA-PEG-FA/Glu (NPsAB) nanoparticles and also influence of PTX-loaded nanoparticles on in vitro cytotoxicity were examined using MTT assay. Besides, siRNA-FAM internalization was investigated by fluorescence microscopy. The results showed the blank nanoparticles were significantly less cytotoxic at various concentrations. Meanwhile, siRNA-FAM/PTX encapsulated nanoparticles exhibited significant anticancer activity against MCF-7 and BT-474 cell lines. NPsAB/siRNA/PTX nanoparticles showed greater effects on MCF-7 and BT-474 cells viability than NPsA/siRNA/PTX and NPsB/siRNA/PTX. Also, they induced significantly higher anticancer effects on cancer cells compared with NPsA/siRNA/PTX and NPsB/siRNA/PTX due to their multi-targeted properties using FA and Glu. We concluded that NPsAB nanoparticles have a great potential for co-delivery of both drugs and genes for use in gene therapy and chemotherapy., Graphical abstract Image 1, Highlights • A series of novel nanoparticles which composed of either glucose and/or folic acid conjugated FeCo@SiO2-SS-PEI-PLA-PEG copolymers were successfully synthesized and loaded with siRNA and PTX simultaneously. • The prepared nanoparticles had diameter in range of 100–150 nm, and released the drugs in sustainable manner. • The simultaneous PTX and siRNA loaded nanocarrier showed significant toxicity on MCF-7 cells and also their significant transfection efficiency in these cells was demonstrated through increased uptake of siRNA-FAM via fluorescence microscopy imaging.

Background. Oxidative balance and inflammatory processes affect wound healing phases, and their disruption is connected with delayed wound healing. The present study aimed to assess the association between serum hs-CRP, prooxidant-antioxidant Balance (PAB), and vitamin D with anthropometric and biochemical parameters in patients with diabetic foot ulcers (DFU). Methods. Thirty-two patients with DFU were included in this study. The Spearman correlation coefficient was used to evaluate the bivariate relationship between serum hs-CRP, PAB, and vitamin D with anthropometric characteristics, glycemic status, lipid profiles, homocysteine level, liver, and kidney function tests. Results. Our data showed a significant positive association between serum hs-CRP and insulin (r = 0.417, P = 0.027), uric acid (r = 0.629, P = 0.001), creatinine (r = 0.431, P = 0.022), erythema (r = 0.36, P = 0.049), and ESR (r = 0.560, P = 0.002). Moreover, hs-CRP negatively correlated with FBS (r = –0.427, P = 0.023), total bilirubin (r = –0.639, P = 0.001), direct bilirubin (r = –0.445, P = 0.033), LDL-cholesterol (r = –0.405, P = –0.032), BMI (r = –0.398, P = 0.033) and HTN (r = –0.450, P = 0.014). Serum PAB value negatively correlated with patients age (r = –0.460, P = 0.027), and BMI (r = –0.442, P = 0.035), and positively associated with insulin level (r = 0.431, P = 0.040). A significant positive association between serum vitamin D with patient sex (r = 0.379, P = 0.047), and QUICKI (r = 0.456, P = 0.029), and negative correlation with HbA1c (r = –0.381, P = 0.045) were also determined. Conclusions. This study demonstrated that serum hs- CRP, PAB, and vitamin D are significantly associated with some anthropometric and biochemical parameters with important clinical value in patients with DFU. Low levels of vitamin D and high levels of hs-CRP and PAB may have an important role in the pathogenesis of DFU.

Sustainable aquaculture arises as key to increase food production in the coming years. However, the sector still faces many challenges such as the exposure of the cultured animals to pesticide-contaminated water. Pesticides used in agriculture can reach aquaculture systems either directly (integrated-agriculture aquaculture practices) or indirectly (soil leakage) and cause a broad range of ecotoxicological effects on cultured fish and shellfish. Here, we studied how glyphosate affects several haematological, biochemical, and immune parameters in common carp (Cyprinus carpio) fingerlings, the fourth most important cultured fish species worldwide. We also evaluated the potential of dietary supplementation with black seed (Nigella sativa, 0.25, 0.5 and 1%) to lower glyphosate-associated toxicity. Our results showed that 14-day sub-lethal exposure of common carp fingerlings to glyphosate increases oxidative stress, decreases antioxidant defences, affects several metabolic pathways, and induced immune depression. Furthermore, we showed that fish fed with N. sativa-enriched diets at 0.25, 0.5 and 1% for 60 days coped better with glyphosate exposure than control fish and displayed more stable levels of biochemical serum parameters (total protein, albumin, triglycerides, low-density lipoprotein LDL), cholesterol and high-density lipoprotein HDL), higher levels of immune defences (lysozyme and immunoglobulin) and higher antioxidant enzymes (superoxide dismutase SOD, glutathione peroxidase GPx) than control fish. Fish fed with all enriched diets also displayed lower lipid peroxidation (malondialdehyde MDA), lower metabolic enzymes (alanine aminotransferase ALT, aspartate aminotransferase AST and alkaline phosphatase ALP) levels in blood serum and lower cortisol levels than control fish. Altogether, our results show that dietary inclusion of black seed can be used as a sustainable bio-remediation strategy, mitigating many of the negative effects of glyphosate exposure in fish.

This paper investigates the potential use of anthracite coal to remove Fe, Mn, UV254, and colour from pre-ozonated groundwater using batch experiment studies. Pre-ozonated groundwater samples were prepared in a laboratory to present the actual characteristics of groundwater samples. General characteristics for anthracite, as well as for groundwater samples, were examined. The influences of anthracite dosage, pH, agitation speed, and contact time on the reduction of tested parameters were discussed. Also, three adsorption isotherms (Langmuir, Freundlich, and Temkin), as well as kinetics models, were evaluated. Results demonstrated that the maximum removal of Fe (67%) occurred at 100 g of anthracite dosage, and no significant removal of Mn was observed. In addition, anthracite was capable of removing UV254 and colour using a dosage of 100 g. However, the maximum removal efficiency of colour was 76% using the same anthracite dosage of 100 g. The optimum shaking speed of 300 rpm resulted in the maximum removal efficiency of all parameters. The optimum pH was 7, which resulted in the maximum removal efficiency of Fe (40%), Mn (7%), UV254 (43%), and colour (50%). The optimum contact time was 90 min for all parameters with a dosage of 100 g which resulted in the removal efficiency of 54%, 52%, and 70% for Fe, Mn, UV254, and colour. The adsorption and kinetics models were well fitted with the experimental results. Overall, this study demonstrated that anthracite could be a good practical option for groundwater treatment. The strong iron (Fe) and manganese (Mn) concentrations; is one of the big groundwater issues, causing reddish and blackish in the groundwater. Batch experimental works have been undertaken to investigate the applicability of anthracite as an alternative adsorbent to remove Fe, Mn, UV254, and colour from pre-ozonated groundwater. The application of ozone alone was less effective to remove these pollutants. At the optimum pH value of 7 and 90 minutes of contact time, the adsorption and kinetics models were fit well with the experimental results. The study demonstrated that ozonation with anthracite could be a good practical option for groundwater treatment.

The tableting properties for fermented spray dried jackfruit (FJP) and microcrystalline cellulose (MCC) powders were studied. 25% FJP + 75% MCC, 50% FJP + 50% MCC and 75% FJP + 25% MCC binary powder mixtures were compacted into tablet form at various compaction pressures ranging from 15.1 to 73.8 MPa. The properties were compared to pure FJP and MCC tablets. The addition of MCC resulted in a higher particle size and the increased in the plastic work of the tablet. The best ratio of FJP-MCC binary tablet was found to be at 25% FJP + 75% MCC where the tablet showed the highest tensile strength. In conclusion, the addition of MCC to FJP improved the compaction characteristics and the tablet mechanical strength.

Several studies have shown that tea consumption is associated with beneficial effects on human health, which is mainly explained by the antioxidant properties of tea. However, evidence on the effect of nutrition interventions on oxidative stress in an occupational setting is limited. Therefore, the present study aimed to investigate the effect of tea consumption on oxidative stress in noise-exposed metal press workers. The study sample comprised 24 metal press workers and 24 age-matched control subjects. Metal press workers were assigned to the intervention group consisting of a glass of jujube tea and a portion of raisins per day for 4 weeks. Full-shift noise dosimetry was performed to measure noise exposure with average noise levels of 89.91 ± 2.92 dB for metal press workers and 61.54 ± 1.03 dB for control subjects. Elevated levels of baseline oxidative stress were observed in metal press workers compared with control subjects as indicated by significantly decreased levels of total antioxidant capacity (TAC) (P = 0.026) and total thiol groups (TTG) (P = 0.0001), whereas no significant difference was observed in case of malondialdehyde (MDA). Intervention with jujube tea and raisins in metal press workers led to a decrease of oxidative stress as displayed by increased levels of TAC and TTG (P = 0.0001) as well as decreased levels of MDA (P = 0.012). Moreover, the intervention significantly altered expression of repair genes in metal press workers as demonstrated by decreased levels of OGG1 (P = 0.0002) and ITPA (P = 0.009), whereas no significant difference was observed in case of MTH1. These data suggest that regular tea consumption may protect occupational noise-exposed subjects from oxidative damages.

Organic mixed (ionic and electronic) charge conductors are the building blocks of state-of-the-art bioelectronic devices, including the organic electrochemical transistors (OECTs). Despite the interest in OECTs, the library of polymers that show efficient mixed charge transport is still narrow. In this work, we developed two donor–acceptor (D–A) type polymers based on the glycolated thiophene diketopyrrolopyrrole (TDPP) as the acceptor unit. We combined the acceptor with two donor units distinguished with different electron-donating strengths, i.e., a glycolated thienylenevinylene (gTVT) and a glycolated thiophene–benzothiadiazole–thiophene (gTBTT), leading to the polymers TDPP-gTVT and TDPP-gTBTT, respectively. Using spectral, gravimetric, structural, and electrical characterization techniques combined with density functional theory calculations, we sought to understand the effect of the donor unit on the mixed conduction performance of these D–A type polymers. We found that the stronger electron-donating nature of gTVT vs. gTBTT endowed TDPP-gTVT with a lower backbone curvature, leading to films with a tighter lamellar packing, and thereof, a higher degree of crystallinity compared to TDPP-gTBTT. The combination of a high product of electronic mobility and volumetric capacitance (μC* = 205 F cm−1 V−1 s−1) and a low threshold voltage (−0.36 V) rendered TDPP-gTVT based OECTs superior to TDPP-gTBTT devices. Our work introduces the selection of donor units with higher electron-donating power as a means to tune the film's microstructure, providing an effective approach to optimize mixed conduction properties of D–A type OECT materials.

Six conformers of benzothiadiazole (BTD) flanked by two thiophenes on each side (T4) and mono-functionalized by phosphonic acid (A) (T4-BTDA) have been investigated by Density Functional Theory (DFT). The performance of six different functionals, namely Becke's three-parameter Lee–Yang–Parr (B3LYP) and B3PW91 with (Perdew and Wang correlation), BHandH, M06-2X, Coulomb-attenuating-method-B3LYP (CAM-B3LYP), and Grimme's D2 dispersion model (ωB97XD) in combination with four different basis sets of Pople's 6-31G(d), 6-31+G(d), 6-311G(d), and 6-311+G(d) have been assessed for the prediction of Frontier Molecular Orbitals (FMOs) and the maximum of absorption spectra in comparison with available experimental data. Computed results reveal that the most stable conformer in the solvent is favored by the sulfur–nitrogen (S–N) non-covalent interaction and the orientation of thiophene. Besides, it has been revealed that the anchoring group stabilizes the conformer when sulfur and oxygen of the phosphoryl group (PO) are in transposition. Regarding the available electronics experimental data of the studied dye, calculations showed that the B3PW91/6-311G(d) method was the right choice to obtain FMO energies, while the TD-BHandH/6-311G(d) method was suitable for simulating the spectral absorption for the studied dye. Using BHandH functional and (6-311G(d), LANL2DZ) basis sets, the adsorption energy on titania anatase 101 with a (TiO2)9 slab and the photovoltaic performance of studied dyes have been reported. The calculated cell performance was very close to the experimental value. This indicates that the calculation schema is consistent.

The combination of chemical enhanced oil recovery (CEOR) and low salinity water (LSW) flooding is one of the most attractive enhanced oil recovery (EOR) methods. While several studies on CEOR have been performed to date, there still exists a lack of mechanistic understanding on the synergism between surfactant, alkali and LSW. This synergism, in terms of fluid–fluid interactions, is experimentally investigated in this study, and mechanistic understanding is gained through fluid analysis techniques. Two surfactants, one cationic and one anionic, namely an alkyltrimethylammonium bromide (C19TAB) and sodium dodecylbenzenesulfonate (SDBS), were tested, together with NaOH used as the alkali, diluted formation brine used as the LSW, and the crude oil was collected from an Iranian carbonate oil reservoir. Fluids were analyzed using pendant drop method for interfacial tension (IFT) measurement, and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy for determination of aqueous and oleic phase chemical interaction. The optimum concentration of LSW for IFT reduction was investigated to be 1000 ppm. Additionally, both surfactants reduced IFT significantly, from 28.86 mN/m to well below 0.80 mN/m, but in the presence of optimal alkali concentration the IFT dropped further to below 0.30 mN/m. IFT reduction by alkali was linked to the production of three different types of in situ anionic surfactants, while in the case of anionic and cationic surfactants, saponification reactions and the formation of the C19TAOH alcohol, respectively, were linked to IFT reduction. The critical micelle concentration and optimal alkali concentration when using cationic C19TAB were significantly lower than with the anionic surfactant; respectively: 335 vs 5000 ppm, and 500 vs 5000 ppm. However, it was found that SDBS was more compatible with NaOH than C19TAB, due to occurrence of alkali deposition with the latter beyond the optimal point.

An electrochemical sensor based on glassy carbon electrode modified with reduced graphene oxide-sodium dodecyl sulfate-Nafion* composite film was constructed and used to determine theophylline. The synthesized graphene oxide and surface morphology of the reduced graphene oxide-sodium dodecyl sulfate-Nafion film were characterized using IR spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction studies, and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. The electrochemical behavior of the theophylline on the modified electrode was investigated using cyclic voltammetry and adsorptive differential pulse voltammetry. Under optimized analytical conditions, the electrode showed a linear response at concentrations of theophylline of 0.01–0.10, 0.1–1.0, and 1.0–40 µmol L−1 with the detection limit of 5 nmol L−1.

Date palm (phonix dactylifera L.) is an important tropical fruit growing in central and southern regions of Iran. Date seed is composed of cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin, that make it an excellent candidate for xylooligosaccharide (XOS) production. In this study, two different protocols are used for the extraction of hemicellulose from date seeds. In the first protocol, hemicellulose (xylan1) was extracted by 2.25 M alkaline solution at room temperature for 24 hr. In the second protocol, date seed was treated with LCHTA (low concentration, 0.1 M, high temperature, 80°C, alkaline solution) for 3 hr, and thereafter, hemicellulose (xylan2) was extracted by 2.25 M alkaline solution at room temperature for 24 hr. The carbohydrate units of xylan1 and xylan2 were qualified and quantified by HPAEC‐ PAD. Side groups of xylan1 and xylan2 were detected by FTIR. In the next step, xylan1 and xylan2 were exposed to two commercial endoxylanases namely veron 191 and pentopan mono BG. Temperature, pH, time, and enzyme dosage of hydrolyzation were optimized to maximize XOS and minimize xylose. The results showed that the enzymes successfully hydrolyzed xylan2 and produced XOS, but cannot hydrolyze xylan1. Pentopan mono BG and veron 191 produced the highest amount of XOS after 4 (1.17 mmol/g) and 6 hr (1.13 mmol/g) of incubation, respectively. Conversion factors of xylan2 to XOS for pentopan mono BG and veron were 0.41 and 0.36, respectively. This study presence the possible prebiotic properties of date seed XOS and its application in functional foods., Low polymerization degree xylooligosaccharides (XOS) were produced from date seed. A special treatment (0.1 N NaOH at 80°C) is essential prior to xylan extraction. Temperature, pH, reaction time and enzyme dosage were optimized. Xylanase type, enzyme dosage and hydrolysis period affect the degree of polymerization of XOS.

The high-strength leachate produced from sanitary landfill is a serious issue around the world as it poses adverse effects on aquatic life and human health. Physio-chemical technology is one of the promising options as the leachate normally presents in stabilized form and not fully amendable by biological treatment. In this research, the effectiveness of natural zeolite (clinoptilolite) augmented electrocoagulation process (hybrid system) for removing high-strength ammonia (3,442 mg/L) and color (8,427 Pt-Co) from naturally saline (15 ppt) local landfill leachate was investigated. A batch mode laboratory-scale reactor with parallel-monopolar aluminum electrodes attached to a direct current (DC) electric power was used as an electrocoagulation reactor for performance enhancement purpose. Optimum operational conditions of 146 g/L zeolite dosage, 600 A/m2 current density, 60 min treatment time, 200 rpm stirring speed, 35 min settling duration, and pH 9 were recorded with up to 70% and 88% removals of ammonia and color, respectively. The estimated overall operational cost was 26.22 $/m3 . The biodegradability of the leachate had improved from 0.05 to 0.27 in all post-treatment processes. The findings revealed the ability of the hybrid process as a viable option in eliminating concentrated ammonia and color in natural saline landfill leachate. PRACTITIONER POINTS: Clinoptilolite was augmented on the electrocoagulation process in saline and stabilized landfill leachate (15 ppt). The high strength NH3 -N (3,442 mg/L) and color (8,427 Pt-Co) were 70% and 88% removed, respectively. The optimum conditions occurred at 140 g/L zeolite, 60 mA/cm2 current density, 60 min, and final pH of 8.20. The biodegradability of the leachate improved from 0.05 to 0.27 after the treatment. This hybrid treatment was simple, faster, and did not require auxiliary electrolyte.

This paper investigates the potential use of sequential treatment using ozonation–adsorption and adsorption–ozonation processes for stabilized landfill leachate treatment. Zeolite was used as adsorbent due to its novel composition of naturally hydrated aluminosilicate minerals. Preliminary tests were conducted to determine the optimum conditions of ozone and zeolite. Results demonstrated that the usage of ozonation as a post-treatment for adsorption could effectively remove 92%, 82%, and 75% of colour, COD, and NH4–N, respectively. In addition, the application of ozonation as a pre-treatment showed a good removal for colour, COD, and NH4–N with a removal efficiency of 93%, 80%, and 71%, respectively. Also, an improvement in biodegradability of the leachate was achieved after ozonation/adsorption and adsorption/ozonation which increases the BOD5/COD ratio from 0.016 to 0.195 and 0.194, respectively, where the maximum BOD5/COD in the raw leachate was 0.02. This is attributed to the oxidation of high molecular weight organics in the sample. A combined treatment leads to a removal of inorganic and small non-biodegradable organic molecules, which decreases the COD and further improve the BOD5/COD ratio. This study demonstrates that the application of ozonation as a pre- and post-treatment with zeolite is an effective treatment method that can improve the treatment of stabilized landfill leachate .

The presence of External Magnetic Field (EMF) increases Hydrogen production in water electrolysis. A catalyst addition is proficient for multiplying the EMF effect to increase hydrogen production during electrolysis. In this study, the magnetic potential and the electric charge on the Algal#Activated Carbon Graphene (AACG) surface are manipulated to boost EMF effect in water electrolysis. EMF strengthened by AACG accelerates the electron spin and changes the H2O spin-isomer from para to ortho which decreases the surface tension. Furthermore, the mobility of NaCl ions as electric charge carriers is augmented. On the other hand, electric charges on AACG surface bind Hydroxide ions (OH−) in water which increases the Hydrogen ion (H+) concentration. Then, the solution became acidic and easily conducts electric current. As a result, the AACG addition has doubled the Hydrogen production.

Background: Thymol and carvacrol are the most important dietary constituents in thyme species. These two active compounds are used for the standardization of pharmaceutical compounds. Objective: In this work, a simple and reliable ultrasonic assisted dispersive solid phase microextraction method (USA-DSPME) coupled with high performance liquid chromatography-ultra violet detection system was developed to determine thymol and carvacrol in pharmaceutical syrups. The efficiency of SPME sorbent was examined through several sorbents and finally Graphene Oxide (GO) was applied for extraction of the analytes. Method: The efficiency of GO was compared with three reduced forms of GO adsorbents as well. Several effective factors on the extraction performance were investigated. Results: Under the optimized conditions for the GO sorbent, inter and intra-day relative standard deviations (RSDs, n = 3) and the Limits of Detections (LODs) were lower than 5.0% and 0.02 μg/ml, respectively. Moreover, good linear ranges were observed in wide concentration ranges with R-squared larger than 0.9961 for both thymol and carvacrol. Conclusion: The present method is reliable and simple for determination of carvacrol and thymol in pharmaceutical products.

An efficient route was developed for the synthesis of a new polymer, porous cross-linked poly(ethyleneamine)-polysulfonamide (PEA-PSA), as an organic support for the imobilization of CuI nanoparticles (PEA-PSA@CuI). The resulting catalyst works as an efficient recyclable heterogeneous catalyst for the synthesis of imidazo[1,2-a] pyridines from the reaction of 2-aminopyridine, aldehydes and phenylacetylene. The method possesses significant advantages including: easy purification, functional group tolerance, recyclability of the catalyst and synthesis of new derivatives in high to excellent yields and short reaction times.

Considering the large consumption of nicotine and its sedative/stimulant effect on different organs of the body, the detection of low concentration of this material and its subsequent effect on live animals plays a significant role. Optical detection techniques such as plasmonics are the pioneers in highly sensitive detection techniques. However, for investigating the nicotine/smoke effect on live cells, not only the interaction between cell nicotine should be optimized but also the plasmonic interface should show a high sensitivity to the reception of nicotine by the cell receptors. In this study, the sensitivity of the plasmonic detection system was greatly increased using the coupling of plasmon and fluorophore. This coupling could enhance the main plasmonic signal several orders of magnitude besides improving Δ and Ψ ellipsometry parameters. Benefiting from the green fluorescence proteins, the phase shift and the amplitude ratio between the reflections under s- and p-polarized light enhance considerably which verifies the coupling of the dipole of the fluorescence emitter and the plasmons of the metal nanostructure. For 1 s increase of the maintenance time, we encountered a considerable increase in the Δ values that were 0.15° for Te = 1 s and 0.24° for Te = 3 s. Benefiting from extracted ellipsometry parameters, this study could open new avenues toward studying the effect of various types of drugs and stimulants on biological samples using a novel plasmophore platform.

For the first time, pyranine (8-hydroxypyrene-1,3,6-trisulfonate, HPTS) is studied for realizing active plasmonic control, which is attracted considerable attention owing to its unique photophysical and photochemical properties. We have used this photoacid (HPTS) as an active surrounding medium that can be optically controlled and used for modulating plasmon resonances. In this paper, the fabrication of 2D-plasmonic grating coated by thin film of HPTS exposed to UV irradiation is reported. By switching the UV light on and off, the HPTS thin film maintains an excited-state proton transfer (ESPT) process followed by green fluorescence resulting in a plasmonic redshift caused by the variation of the refractive index. Furthermore, this photochemical active medium has also played another important role in plasmonic sensing, in which the emission-based response of HPTS thin film in 2D-plasmonic grating to water vapor upon photoexcitation is demonstrated, for both s and p polarizations. This tunable, flexible and reversible light-driven system will enhance the development of active plasmonic structures and will have a great influence on many fields such as, biochemical optical sensors and all-optical plasmonic circuits.

Summary This paper advances the understanding of foam transport in heterogeneous porous media for enhanced oil recovery (EOR). Specifically, we investigate the dependence of methane foam rheology on the rock permeability at the laboratory scale and then extend the observations to the field scale with foam modeling techniques and reservoir simulation tools. The oil recovery efficiency of conventional gasflooding, waterflooding, and water-alternating-gas (WAG) processes can be limited by constraints such as bypassing effects (including both viscous fingering and channeling mechanisms) and gravity override. The problem can be more severe if the reservoir is highly fractured or heterogeneously layered in the direction of flow. Foam offers the promise to address the three issues simultaneously by better controlling the mobility of injected fluids. However, limited literature data of foam-flooding experiments were reported using actual reservoir cores at harsh conditions. In this paper, a series of methane (CH4) foam-flooding experiments were conducted in three different actual cores from a proprietary reservoir at an elevated temperature. It is found that foam rheology is significantly correlated with the rock permeability. To quantify the mobility control offered by foam, we calculated the apparent viscosity on the basis of the measured pressure drop at steady state. Interestingly, the apparent viscosity was found to be selectively higher in the high-permeability cores compared with that in the low-permeability zones. We parameterized our system using a texture-implicit-local-equilibrium model (STARS™ simulator, Computer Modelling Group, Calgary, Alberta, Canada) to illustrate the dependence of foam parameters on rock permeability. In addition, we created a two-layered model reservoir using an in-house simulator called modular reservoir simulator (MoReS; Shell Research, Rijswijk, The Netherlands) to elucidate the role of different driving forces for fluid diversion at the field level. We took into consideration the combined effect of gravitational, viscous force, and capillary forces in our simulation. We show that the gravitational forces prevent the gas from sweeping the lower part of the reservoir. However, the poor sweep can be ameliorated by intermittent surfactant injection to generate foam. In addition, the capillary force which hinders the gas (nonwetting phase) from entering the low-permeability region can be effectively leveraged to redistribute the fluids in the porous media, resulting in better sweep efficiency. We conclude that foam if properly designed can effectively improve the conformance of the WAG EOR in the presence of reservoir heterogeneity.

Cross-linked poly (N-alkyl-4-vinylpyridinium) iodides abbreviated as P4-VPMI, P4-VPOI and P4-VPDI, were synthesized from quaternization of poly(4-vinyl pyridine) cross-linked with 2% DVB, by three alkyl iodides [methyl iodide (MI), octan iodide (OI) and decan iodide (DI)] in acetonitrile at room temperature. Then, their effect as new eco-friendly polymeric inhibitors was investigated in the corrosion process of St-37 in 1 M H2SO4. Formation of the inhibitors was approved by energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) techniques. Furthermore, their inhibition performance was studied using weight loss measurements, potentiodynamic polarization (tafel), and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). By comparison of the inhibitive behavior of three inhibitors using mentioned methods and according to the obtained results, it was clearly found that, by adding all inhibitors into the corrosive solution (1 M H2SO4) and also with increasing of the inhibitors concentration, the steel corrosion is greatly reduced. The results also showed that, inhibition efficiency (%E) was decreased by increasing the length of carbon chain of the alkyl group. Therefore among the three inhibitors, P4VPMI with a concentration of 0.04 g l−1 has the best inhibition effect on the corrosion of St-37. Furthermore, the value of $$\Delta G^{0}$$ is found to be − 30.75 kJ mol−1; probably means that the adsorption of the inhibitors on St-37 surface involves both physical and chemical adsorption.

Increasing evidence on the association of MTHFR gene polymorphism and serum homocysteine levels with autoimmune diseases such as vitiligo has made the MTHFR gene a very interesting candidate to be evaluated in different ethnicities and populations. We aimed to evaluate the levels of serum homocysteine and vitamin B12 and their associations with MTHFR C677T polymorphism in the Iranian population. This case-control study included 104 patients with vitiligo and 100 age- and sex-matched healthy control subjects. Serum vitamin B12 and homocysteine levels were measured by a chemiluminescence assay. Polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) analysis was used for genotyping the polymorphism. The mean serum homocysteine levels were significantly higher in cases than controls and associated with disease activity (p

To detect various signals and motions from the human body, textile substrates having the compatibility with human skin and high electrical/mechanical properties are strongly required in wearable healthcare sensors. However, there is still limitation in forming electrical materials directly on fabric substrates due to inherent fabric properties such as porousness and roughness of surface. In this study, by using stretchable and flexible polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) films as both interface/ planarization and passivation layers, we demonstrate a textile-based AgNW sensor with high conductivity (434.7 S/cm) on polyester-based spandex fabric substrate. In addition, in order to detect hand motions, we designed a full-sized glove-type sensor by integrating five strain sensor units, showing stable responsibility to each finger motions individually. Furthermore, to expand the possibilities of the textile-based glove sensor in prosthesis monitoring applications, the glove sensor was applied to a 3D-printed prosthetic hand to detect hand motion or gestures and showed stable corresponding responses to different grasps (against normal and small-sized balls). From successful results in practical 3D-printed prosthetic application, we believe that the textile-based sensor developed in this study is appropriate for human motion monitoring and potential candidates for integrated prosthetic hands and medical robotic hand.

The objective of this study was to formulate and investigate the neuropharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of rivastigmine (Riv) loaded methoxy poly(ethylene glycol)-co-poly(e-caprolactone) (MPEG-PCL) nanoparticles (Riv-NPs) in rats after IV administration. The MPEG-PCL was synthesized via ring-opening polymerization of e-caprolactone by MPEG and used to prepare Riv-NPs by the nanoprecipitation method. Response surface D-optimal design was applied to optimize Riv-NPs drug delivery system. The optimized formulation showed a particle size (PS) of 98.5 ± 2.1 nm, drug loading (DL) of 19.2 ± 1.1%, and sustained release behavior of the drug. Moreover, the optimized Riv-NPs were characterized by AFM and DSC analyses. A simple and sensitive HPLC-DAD method for bioanalysis was developed and successfully applied to the pharmacokinetic study. The neuropharmacokinetic study in rats indicated that the integration plot was linear, and the brain uptake clearance of the drug-loaded in MPEG-PCL NPs was significantly high...

Introduction: Smoking as one of the causes of various diseases has encouraged worldwide studies on its adverse pharmacological effects on different organs. Nicotine may influence the smooth muscles of the colon and subsequently the gut motility, which leads to a change in the moving rate of digested material through the gastrointestinal tract. Methods: Among various techniques, optical detection methods benefit from non-contact and highsensitivity for studying the early effect of nicotine on the cells. Thus, we used an optically ellipsometric method to get the fast and sensitive nicotine effect on the colon cell. Two-dimensional plasmonic platforms by gold deposition onto the polydimethylsiloxane polymer (PDMS) patterned substrate were used as the guest medium of the cell and the sample was excited by all of the visible region wavelengths at different exposure time and maintenance time. Results: Our results showed that the phase difference between each polarization increased by augmenting the exposure time of smoke over the cell at a fixed maintenance time and there was a general red-shift by increasing the maintenance time at a fixed exposure time. Conclusion: Using different exposure time to cigarette smoke, we optically showed that the cigarette containing the addicting chemical of nicotine had a direct effect on the cultured colon cells on our 2D biocompatible plasmonic chip. It demonstrated considerable changes in the amplitude and phase of the interacted light by injecting nicotine into the system with the aid of the label-free and non-invasive plasmonic technique

Novel bimetallic NiMo/Al2O3 nanocatalysts were fabricated via a solution combustion method to evaluate the role of fuel to oxidant molar ratios on their structural properties and hydrodesulfurization activity. The citric acid/oxidant ratios of 0.5, 1, 2 and 4 were selected to address the optimum ratio. Characterization results demonstrated that the content of citric acid considerably influenced the morphological and textural properties of the nanocatalysts. Such morphology modification is attributed to the consequent difference of the effluent exhaust gas during combustion. We show that with our method a relatively homogeneous distribution of the active material over the support can be achieved. The obtained data from N2 adsorption–desorption analysis illustrated that at a fuel/oxidant ratio of 4 the external and surface area were ca. 2.1 and 1.5 times more than the corresponding one in the fuel/oxidant ratio of 0.5, respectively. Furthermore, a higher amount of fuel can improve the catalyst reducibility by decreasing the interaction of metal active phase with the support surface. The catalytic performance of sulfided nanocatalysts is evaluated in a slurry reactor, operated at ambient pressure using high thiophene contamination as a model fuel. The solution combustion synthesis method was able to remove 100% of the sulfur compound in the reaction medium.

Currently, public awareness towards the usage of dyes and colorants from plant extracts as an alternative for synthetic colorants are increasing. Hence, the blue colour of Clitoria Ternatea flowers signifies the presence of anthocyanin which has numerous benefits. In this study, microwave-assisted extraction (MAE) of anthocyanin from Clitoria Ternatea flowers using ethanol as solvent based on the design of experiment given by response surface methodology was performed. A central composite design was applied to evaluate the optimal conditions of three process variables namely extraction temperature (°C), extraction time (min) and solid-to-liquid ratio (g/mL). The concentration of anthocyanin was analyzed using pH differential method via UV-Vis Spectrophotometer. At quadratic model of R2=0.76633, the obtained extraction yield of the blue dye was 49.97%. A validation test was carried out under critical conditions gave 48.61% of extraction yield which was closed to the predicted value of 49.36%. As for the total anthocyanin content (TAC), 0.457 mg/g of anthocyanin was obtained. In a nutshell, MAE is a viable extraction method for extracting anthocyanins from Clitoria Ternatea flowers. Thus, the use of Clitoria Ternatea extract has a potential use as an alternative source of food colorants replacing the existing synthetic dyes.

Catalytic hydrotreating of guaiacol as a model compound was investigated using bifunctional catalysts constituted of Ni supported on chemically modified zeolites with increased mesoporosity. In the reaction conditions, the hydrogen required for the process was generated in situ by the Zn–H2O redox system, which represents a promising green alternative to the use of gaseous hydrogen. The guaiacol hydrotreating conversion using as support zeolites with increased mesoporosity, is largely higher than that obtained with the original ones. The introduction of mesopores through desilication treatment with NaOH and TBAOH significantly increased the mass transfer of guaiacol and improved the accessibility of the active sites, accordingly enhancing the catalytic performance. The alkaline treatment notably increased the mesopore volume of Ni/HZSM-5 and Ni/HBeta by 5.6 and 3.8 times, respectively. Ni supported on desilicated HBeta zeolite displayed high hydrodeoxygenation and hydrodearomatization efficiencies with values of 69.37% and 62.82%, respectively. The reusability of this catalyst was investigated, showing a decrease in the performance after three consecutive runs due to the oxidation of Ni active site, coking and zinc oxide contamination. The main of guaiacol conversion products are cyclohexane, cyclohexanone, cyclohexanol, benzene and phenol. A reaction pathway of guaiacol hydrotreating using Ni-zeolites catalysts is proposed.

Landfill leachate can threaten the environment and human life. Therefore, this study aims to investigate the efficiency of ozone (O3 ), O3 with zirconium tetrachloride (O3 /ZrCl4 ) and O3 with tin tetrachloride (O3 /SnCl4 ) in remediating the stabilised anaerobic landfill leachate (SAL) from Alor Pongsu, Perak. Hydroxyl radical (OH•) is an important oxidising agent in the ozonation process. Its presence was tested using tert-Butyl alcohol. Results showed that using ZrCl4 and SnCl4 in ozonation boosted the generation of hydroxyl radical, thereby enhancing the oxidation process and pollutant removal inside the sample. The O3 /ZrCl4 mix at chemical oxygen demand (COD) to ZrCl4 ratio of 1:1.5, pH 8-9 and 90 min reaction time resulted in the highest reduction rates of COD and colour at 91.9% and 99.6%, respectively. All results demonstrated that the optimum performance occurred at alkaline conditions (pH > 8), proving that OH radicals primarily oxidised the pollutants through an indirect reaction pathway. The biodegradability (biochemical oxygen demand/COD) ratio was also considerably improved from 0.02 (raw) to 0.37 using O3 /ZrCl4 , compared with using O3 alone and using O3 /SnCl4, which only recorded 0.23 and 0.28, respectively, after the treatment. The study demonstrated that O3 /ZrCl4 was the most efficient combination.

This study was designed to examine the potentials of telomere length, mitochondria, and acute phase protein genes as novel biomarkers of gastrointestinal (GI) tract pathologies and meat quality traits. Chickens were fed a diet containing corticosterone (CORT) for 4 weeks and records on body weight, telomere length, GI tract and muscle histopathological test, meat quality traits, mitochondria, and acute phase protein genes were obtained at weeks 4 and 6 of age. The body weight of CORT-fed chickens was significantly suppressed (p &lt, 0.05). CORT significantly altered the GI tract and meat quality traits. The interaction effect of CORT and age on body weight, duodenum and ileum crypt depth, pH, and meat color was significant (p &lt, 0.05). CORT significantly (p &lt, 0.05) shortened buffy coat telomere length. UCP3 and COX6A1 were diversely and significantly expressed in the muscle, liver, and heart of the CORT-fed chicken. Significant expression of SAAL1 and CRP in the liver and hypothalamus of the CORT-fed chickens was observed at week 4 and 6. Therefore, telomere lengths, mitochondria, and acute phase protein genes could be used as novel biomarkers for GI tract pathologies and meat quality traits.

Introduction: COVID-19 is a global catastrophic event that causes severe acute respiratory syndrome. The mechanism of the disease remains unclear, and hypoxia is one of the main complications. There is no currently approved protocol for treatment. The microbial threat as induced by COVID-19 causes the activation of macrophages to produce a huge amount of inflammatory molecules and nitric oxide (NO). Activation of macrophages population into a pro-inflammatory phenotype induces a self-reinforcing cycle. Oxidative stress and NO contribute to this cycle, establishing a cascade inflammatory state that can kill the patient. Interrupting this vicious cycle by a simple remedy may save critical patients’ lives. Methods: Nitrite, nitrate (the metabolites of NO), methemoglobin, and prooxidant-antioxidant-balance levels were measured in 25 ICU COVID-19 patients and 25 healthy individuals. As the last therapeutic option, five patients were administered methylene blue-vitamin C-N-acetyl Cysteine (MCN). Results: Nitrite, nitrate, methemoglobin, and oxidative stress were significantly increased in patients in comparison to healthy individuals. Four of the five patients responded well to treatment. Discussion: NO, methemoglobin and oxidative stress may play a central role in the pathogenesis of critical COVID-19 disease. MCN treatment seems to increase the survival rate of these patients. Considering the vicious cycle of macrophage activation leading to deadly NO, oxidative stress, and cytokine cascade syndrome; the therapeutic effect of MCN seems to be reasonable. Accordingly, a wider clinical trial has been designed. It should be noted that the protocol is using the low-cost drugs which the FDA approved for other diseases.

Wastewater treatment is a key challenge in the textile industry. The current treatment methods for textile wastewater are insufficient or ineffective for complex dyes generated from the textile industry. This study evaluated the performances of two novel inorganic coagulants with high cationic charges, namely, titanium tetrachloride (TiCl4) and zirconium tetrachloride (ZrCl4). They were utilised to treat textile industry wastewater. Both coagulation processes were performed under the same experimental operational conditions. Turbidity, suspended solids (SS), colour, chemical oxygen demand (COD) and ammonia were measured to assess the efficiencies of the coagulants. Results indicated that ZrCl4 and TiCl4 exhibited high potentials for textile wastewater treatment. ZrCl4 presented high removal efficiency in COD and SS, whereas TiCl4 showed excellent removal in ammonia. Keywords: Textile wastewater, Coagulation, Titanium tetrachloride, Zirconium tetrachloride