Application Of Fingerprinting Research Articles

Application of stable isotopes and mineral elements fingerprinting for beef traceability and authenticity in inner mongolia of China

In recent years, the origin and safety of counterfeit meat products have raised significant concerns among consumers. Therefore, there was an urgent need to develop a new method using fingerprinting techniques for meat product traceability. This study aimed to evaluate the traceability and authenticity of beef from Inner Mongolia by measuring the δ13C and δ15N values, as well as 13 mineral elements. In the complex environment of feeding regimes and agricultural types, δ15N, δ13C, and Se were selected as characteristic variables to differentiate feeding regimes, while Fe, K, Tl, Sr, Mn, and δ13C were chosen as characteristic variables for tracing the origin of the beef. Linear discriminant analysis achieved an accuracy rate of up to 100 %. This research confirmed the effectiveness of combining stable isotopes with mineral elements in accurately determining the origin of Inner Mongolian beef and verifying the authenticity of typical feed, providing a valuable strategy for traceability.

Red luminescence CaSiO3:Eu3+ eco-friendly nontoxic phosphor derived from biomass for display and latent finger print applications

Red luminescent Eu3+ activated CaSiO3 phosphor has been prepared by facile green synthesis hydrothermal route using biomass. Future technologies will be required to synthesize on a massive scale using quick, easy, and affordable ways. The current study deals with the preparation of CaSiO3:Eu3+ using egg shell and rice husk ash. The synthesized powders had a single phased monoclinic structure with space group P1 21/C1. It has been found that addition of Eu3+ ion dopant causes decrease in the optical energy band gap. The phosphor exhibits the intense peak at 612 nm corresponds to 5D0 → 7F2 of the Eu3+ anions upon excitation at 392 nm. The lifetimes ranged from 1.90 to 3.53 ms. With an increase in Eu3+ concentration, emission was tuned towards the red area of the CIE diagram. In order to detect hidden fingerprints on flat surfaces using the powder dusting approach, the CaSiO3:Eu3+ effectiveness was also evaluated. The nontoxicity of CaSiO3:Eu3+ was validated by carrying out a cell viability test on MG 63 cell lines. These outcomes demonstrated that the luminescent CaSiO3:Eu3+ can be used as potential material for display, security encoding, and latent fingerprint applications.

AIEE-Active Green Fluorescence Imaging Technique for Latent Fingerprint Application.

Latent fingerprint imaging is a crucial tool for national security and crime recognition, requiring environmentally sustainable, nontoxic materials. To address this need, we have developed a green fluorescence-emitting material, THCHO, that binds effectively to latent fingerprints, enabling clear, high-resolution visualization. The solution produces strong green fluorescence that highlights fingerprint imprints with exceptional detail and contrast. The material is applicable across various substrates, making it efficient for on-site visualization. The synthesized organic conjugated material THCHO rapidly visualizes precise fingerprint substructures within 5 s using a simple spray method. It maintains high contrast and low interference across different substrates, such as glass, aluminum foil, plastic, and ironware, even in diverse backgrounds. Additionally, the THCHO material demonstrates high stability, retaining its fluorescence imaging capabilities for up to 35 days and after water washing. This is the first report of using a conjugated organic thiophene material for latent fingerprint fluorescence imaging, suggesting potential applications in other fields.

In-silico identification of simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers and phylogenetic analysis from chloroplast genomes of the genus Bambusa

Microsatellites or simple sequence repeats (SSRs), are short DNA sequences composed of repetitive units typically 1 to 6 base pairs long. These highly variable sequences are found in both protein-coding and noncoding DNA regions and exhibit a high degree of polymorphism. In the present study, chloroplast genomes of five species of Bambusa viz. B. bambos, B. multiplex, B. teres, B. vulgaris, and B. tulda, along with three outgroup species viz. Sorghum timorense, Hordeum vulgare, and Triticum aestivum were retrieved from NCBI in FASTA and GenBank formats and screened for chloroplast SSRs (cpSSRs) using MISA Perl script. The sequence analysis of the chloroplast genomes of different species of Bambusa confirmed the presence of 144 cpSSRs. The number of cpSSRs varied among the five bamboo species, with B. vulgaris exhibiting the highest count (31) and B. multiplex showing the lowest (27). Tetranucleotides were the most observed repeats in Bambusa, followed by mono-, di- and trinucleotides. Of the 144 SSR markers identified, only 16 (11.11 %) were suitable for primer design since the remaining sequences failed to produce acceptable primer pairs. An unweighted pair-group method with an arithmetic mean (UPGMA) dendrogram was constructed to analyze the genetic relationships among the genotypes. This analysis revealed three distinct clusters among the genotypes. SSR markers were found to be informative in differentiating the species of Bambusa and were likely to find potential applications in genetic fingerprinting, population genetics, conservation, and phylogenetics.

Thermally stable strongly fluorescent multi-stimuli responsive carbazole zwitterionic fluorophores: Alkyl chain length dependent thermofluorochromism and latent fingerprinting

Carbazole-picoline based π-conjugated zwitterionic fluorophores, (E)-3-(4-(4-(9H-carbazol-9-yl)styryl)pyridin-1-ium-1-yl)propane-1-sulfonate (Cz-PS) and (E)-4-(4-(4-(9H-carbazol-9-yl)styryl)pyridin-1-ium-1-yl)butane-1-sulfonate (Cz-BS) were synthesized and investigated the stimuli-responsive solid-state fluorescence properties. Cz-PS and Cz-BS displayed enhanced fluorescence in the solid-state (555 and 542 nm) with the quantum yield (Φf) of 32.9 and 28.5 %, respectively. Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) indicated good thermal stability up to 300 °C for both Cz-PS and Cz-BS. Single crystal structural analysis of Cz-BS confirmed twisted molecular conformation and supramolecular interactions induced network structure, which lead to increase of solid-state fluorescence. Cz-BS showed mechanical stimuli-induced reversible/self-reversible fluorescence switching between two fluorescence states whereas Cz-PS did not show mechanofluorochromism. But both Cz-PS and Cz-BS showed acid/base dependent on–off reversible fluorescence switching in solution as well as solid-state. Further, both compounds also displayed reversible thermofluorochromism by heating and cooling. The yellow fluorescence of Cz-PS and Cz-BS was transformed to orange upon heating at 110 °C and cooling reversed the fluorescence to initial state. The good thermal stability and enhanced solid-state fluorescence of Cz-PS and Cz-BS were utilized for latent fingerprinting (LFP) application on various solid substrate. Particularly, LFP images of Cz-BS showed finger marks with well-defined features. Thus, integrating zwitterionic functionality produced strong solid-state fluorescence with multi-functional applications.

Intense red emission from trivalent Eu3+ doped Ca9La(VO4)7 nanophosphor for lighting and latent fingerprinting applications

Intense red emission from trivalent Eu3+ doped Ca9La(VO4)7 nanophosphor for lighting and latent fingerprinting applications

Solution combustion derived color-tunable Eu3+ doped Ca8ZnBi(VO4)7 nano sample for luminous devices and latent fingerprinting applications

Eu3+ doped Ca8ZnBi(VO4)7 host lattice have been produced through an environmentally friendly, economical, and energy-efficient solution combustion synthesis. The trigonal phase with the R 3c space group of the constructed series was verified by x-ray diffraction and Rietveld refinement technique. The elemental and morphological study was done by using energy dispersive X-ray analysis (EDAX) and scanning electron microscope (SEM), transmission electron microscope (TEM) respectively. In the excitation spectra, the intense band at 334 nm indicates the transfer of energy occur between VO43- → Eu3+. The color-tunable features of the generated nanosample are indicated by the emission (617 nm, 5D0→7F2) color of the nanophosphor, which lies in the yellow, orange, and red regions for varying doping amounts. The band gap was determined using Tauc’s hypothesis for both host lattice (3.18 eV) and Eu3+ doped nanomaterials (3.13 eV) which lie in the range of semiconductors. The use of Dexter’s theory and the Inokuti-Hirayama (I-H) model verified the existence of dipole–dipole (d-d) type interlinkages as a genuine phenomenon for concentration quenching. Additionally, Auzel’s system was used to study radiative lifetime (0.6510 ms), quantum efficiency (59.51 %), and non-radiative rates (621.8 s−1). The CIE coordinates (0.5164, 0.4703), lower value of correlated colour temperature (CCT) (2459 K) and color-tunable phenomena made it a possible choice for warm white light emitting luminous devices. The optimized nanophosphor has been investigated for latent fingerprinting and has been successful in identifying all of the fingerprint’s levels-1, 2 and 3.

Structural and LuminescentProperties of Dy(III) DopedCa0.5Bi3P2O10 Nanophosphors for Solid-State Lighting& Latent Fingerprinting Applications.

Anefficient urea-assisted SC (solution-combustion)approach was used to synthesize a novel series ofdoped Ca0.5Bi3P2O10: xDy3+ nanophosphors (0.01-0.1mol). The powdered materials were thoroughly investigated using structural and optical measures. 'Rietveld refinement'investigations found that the produced nanophosphorformed a triclinic system with the P -1 triclinic space group. An EDS (energy-dispersive spectral)study was conducted to determine the corresponding proportions of constituentelements of doped nanophosphors. The TEM (transmission electron microscopy)revealed aggregated particles with a standard size onthe nanoscale. The PLE (Photoluminescence excitation)spectrum indicates that the indicated phosphors can be stimulated by NUV (near ultraviolet)illumination sources. The Dy3+-ions undergo transitions from (4F9/2 → 6H15/2 & 4F9/2 → 6H13/2) were recognized as (PL) spectra with an excitation of 353nm revealed the presence of blue-yellow bands at 481, and 577nm, correspondingly. Further, PL data was used to determine photometric metrics such as CCT (correlated color-temperature), CC (chromaticity-coordinates (x &y)), and CP (color-purity (%)), supporting their use in solid-state lighting and latent fingerprinting applications.

Phase identification and photophysical characteristics of vanadate-based nanophosphors for lighting and latent fingerprinting applications

Monoclinic structure-based Er3+-activated Ba2BiV3O11 nanophosphors have been developed via an easy and cost-efficacious urea-aided solution combustion (SC) procedure. Various spectroscopic and structural investigations thoroughly examine the produced powders. The crystal structure has been resolved by employing a combination of X-ray diffraction (XRD) and the Rietveld refinement practice. The developed powdered nanosamples are crystallized in a monoclinic crystal system with P21/a space group. Further, to evaluate the composition of elements and their relative distribution, energy dispersive X-ray (EDAX) analysis was performed. The band gap values for the host matrix and the optimal nanophosphors were measured using a DR spectrophotometer; the obtained values were 3.47 eV and 3.40 eV, respectively. The strongest excitation peak at 381 nm is closely-matched with the characteristic wavelength of commercialized near ultraviolet (NUV) based LEDs. The characteristic emission spectra of Ba2Bi1-xErxV3O11 (x = 0.01–0.1) phosphors show the strongest emission at 553 nm (4S3/2 → 4I15/2). Additionally, photometric parameters such as quantum efficiency (86 %), color coordinates (x = 0.2568 and y = 0.4551), and correlated color temperature (CCT = 7722 K) are obtained from PL data and are strongly advised for use in wLEDs, color displays, imaging, lighting, and latent fingerprint applications.

Phytoavailability, translocation, and accompanying isotopic fractionation of cadmium in soil and rice plants in paddy fields

Rice consumption is a major pathway for human cadmium (Cd) exposure. Understanding Cd behavior in the soil-rice system, especially under field conditions, is pivotal for controlling Cd accumulation. This study analyzed Cd concentrations and isotope compositions (δ114/110Cd) in rice plants and surface soil sampled at different times, along with urinary Cd of residents from typical Cd-contaminated paddy fields in Youxian, Hunan, China. Soil water-soluble Cd concentrations varied across sampling times, with δ114/110Cdwater lighter under drained than flooded conditions, suggesting supplementation of water-soluble Cd by isotopically lighter Cd pools, increasing Cd phytoavailability. Both water-soluble Cd and atmospheric deposition contributed to rice Cd accumulation. Water-soluble Cd’s contribution increased from 28‐52% under flooded to 58‐87% under drained conditions due to increased soil Cd phytoavailability. Atmospheric deposition’s contribution (12‐72%) increased with potential atmospheric deposition flux among sampling areas. The enrichment of heavy Cd isotopes occurred from root-stem-grain to prevent rice Cd accumulation. The different extent of enrichment of heavy isotopes in urine indicated different Cd exposure sources. These findings provide valuable insights into the speciation and phytoavailability changes of Cd in the soil-rice system and highlight the potential application of Cd isotopic fingerprinting in understanding the environmental fate of Cd.

Identification of Cortex Cercis chinensis Decoction Pieces from Different Growth Origins Using Raman Spectroscopy

The complexity of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) components and the time-consuming of traditional detection methods make it necessary and meaningful to establish rapid and efficient identification techniques. This study explores the potential of Raman spectroscopy, a non-destructive technique offering details of molecular structure, for rapid and accurate identification. Cortex Cercis chinensis (CCC) decoction pieces from diverse geographical origins, Anhui, Sichuan, Zhejiang, and Hubei, were collected and analyzed using Raman spectroscopy at 785 nm, and the Raman characteristic peaks were analyzed. MATLAB software was employed to analyze the similarity between the spectra of CCC decoction pieces, and the original Raman spectral data were transformed into first and second derivative spectra. The results revealed distinct Raman spectral characteristics of carbohydrates and glycosidic bonds (characteristic peaks at 480, 531, 549, 873, 946 and 1086 cm−1). The correlation coefficients of the all the four samples from different origins ranged from 0.9625 to 0.9912, while the coincidence coefficients ranged from 0.9602 to 0.9934. The first and second derivative demonstrated significantly different peaks within specific ranges, 180–200, 280–380, and 680–740 cm−1 for first derivatives, 160–300, 340–400 and 420–480 cm−1 for second derivatives. These obvious differences in first and second derivative spectra of Raman spectra of CCC decoction pieces demonstrated the different growth origins. In conclusion, the study demonstrated the ability of Raman spectroscopy to accurately differentiate CCC decoction pieces from different geographical growth origin. These findings provided a basis for further application of Raman spectra characteristic fingerprints to be used in quality control for rapid identification of the quality and origin of TCM raw materials.

JAPPI: An unsupervised endpoint application identification methodology for improved Zero Trust models, risk score calculations and threat detection

The surge in global digitalization triggered by COVID-19 has led to a significant increase in internet traffic and has precipitated a rapid transformation of the network security landscape. Despite being increasingly difficult, accurate traffic inspection is vital for ensuring productivity while reliably protecting internal assets. Endpoint application identification enables high accuracy inspection and detection by providing network security solutions with specific context on individual connections. However, achieving it in real-time with standard fingerprinting methods based only on client-side traffic has proven to be a challenging problem with no comprehensive solution thus far. In this article, we present a new methodology for identifying endpoint applications from network traffic, utilizing machine learning. Our methodology leverages similarities in the pre-hash string of the JA3 algorithm for fingerprinting application specific TLS Client Hello messages. By utilizing well-known clustering algorithms it is possible to identify the underlying TLS libraries and the application from the traffic remarkably better than with simple string-based matching. Our model can categorize 99,5% of the traffic in a controlled network, and 93,8% in an uncontrolled network, compared to 0,1% and 0,2% using simple string matching. Our methodology is especially effective for enhancing Zero Trust models, calculating a risk score for network events, and improving threat detection accuracy in network security solutions.

76‐2: Invited Paper: New Architectures for Multifunctional Displays

There is a growing interest in developing displays with additional functions. We propose new microLED display architectures embedding Vis/NIR/SWIR emission/sensing. In the first, addressing full‐screen fingerprint application, there is no tradeoff between sensor performance and display brightness. In the second, related to near‐field touchless display application, the proposed solution reduced significantly the complexity.

Eu3+ activated gadolinium oxide quantum dots: Biocompatible red luminescent phosphor for photonic, latent fingerprint imaging, and anticancer therapy

In this study, we employed a straightforward chemical reduction method to synthesize Gd2O3 quantum dots (QDs) doped with Eu3+ ions, yielding a remarkable red emission. X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis confirmed the cubic structure of both pristine and Eu3+ doped Gd2O3 QDs. Characterization of particle size and elemental composition was accomplished through Transmission Electron Microscope (TEM) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), respectively. Photoluminescence analysis under UV excitation revealed a blue emission at 436 nm for the undoped Gd2O3 QDs. Furthermore, room temperature photoluminescence analysis was conducted on the undoped Gd2O3 quantum dots (QDs) with a UV excitation source. While Gd2O3 QDs emitted a blue light at 436 nm under 396 nm illumination, the Eu3+ doped Gd2O3 QDs exhibited a striking red luminescence under the same 394 nm wavelength. The red luminescence was notably enhanced in Gd2O3 QDs containing 0.5 mol% Eu3+ ions, although concentration quenching was observed when the concentration exceeded this level. A transfer of energy from pristine Gd2O3 QDs to Eu3+ ions was observed, leading to color purity exceeding 80.8% in the optimized sample. Notably, the 0.5 mol% Eu3+-doped Gd2O3 QD phosphor displayed non-cytotoxicity on C2C12 muscle myoblast cells while demonstrating remarkable cytotoxicity against MDA-MB-231 human breast cancer cells. This versatile material holds great promise for applications in latent fingerprinting, security coding, labeling, anticancer therapies, bio-imaging, and the advancement of lanthanide-doped QD phosphors for a wide range of photonic and biomedical applications.

Synthesis, characterization of new electrochemical activated sulfadiazine azo dyes and its theoretical studies with LFPs, antioxidant application

The present study describes the optoelectronic, LFPs visualizations and DPPH scavenging activity using sulfadiazine azo dyes. The resulting azo product was obtained through a diazo-coupling reaction of sulfadiazine with different coupling compounds under ambient experimental conditions and confirmed through IR, 1H NMR, 13C NMR, LC-MS, and UV–Vis spectroscopic techniques. The computational studies were investigated using the B3LYP/6–311 + g(d,p) basis set in the Gaussian 09 W program at the gaseous phase. Electrochemical behavior was analyzed for synthesized compounds and fine redox peaks at increasing scan rates in the CH instrument. In addition, experimental calculations of HOMO-LUMO energies were conducted using electrochemical redox on set potentials and compared with theoretical values. Further, a latent fingerprint application for azo derivatives was developed using the powder dusting method, resulting in clear visuals of level I whorl and level Ⅱ bifurcation and eye ridge finger marks registered in normal and UV light. Compound 3b exhibited excellent DPPH scavenging activity (IC50 = 172.04 µg). In silico docking simulations were done for the synthesized azo compounds using the antioxidant enzyme, human peroxiredoxin5 (1HD2) as a receptor. In silico study of the designed azo dye compounds exhibit enormous binding energy (-6.6, −6.5, −6.4 kcl/mol) in comparison with the standard drug (-5.7 kcl/mol). docking results were closely linked to the experimental DPPH scavenging activity.

Indoor Positioning by Double Deep Q-Network in VLC-Based Empty Office Environment

Recently, artificial intelligence (AI) has been applied in various industries. One such application is indoor user positioning using Big Data. The traditional method for positioning is the global positioning system (GPS). However, the performance of GPS is limited indoors due to propagation loss. Hence, radio frequency (RF)-based communication methods such as WiFi and Bluetooth have been proposed as indoor positioning solutions. However, positioning performance inaccuracies arise due to signal interference caused by RF band saturation. Therefore, this study proposes indoor user positioning based on visible light communication (VLC). The proposed method involves the sequential application of fingerprinting and double deep Q-Network. Fingerprinting is utilized to define the action and state of the double deep Q-Network agent. The agent is designed to learn and locate the reference point (RP) closest to the user’s position in a shorter search time. The core idea of the proposed system is to converge a Cell-ID scheme and fingerprinting. Through this, the initial state of the double deep Q-Network agent can be limited. A limited initial state can increase the positioning speed. Simulation results show that the proposed scheme attains a positioning resolution of less than 13 cm and achieves a processing time of less than 0.03 s to obtain the final position in VLC-based office environments.

Facile green synthesis of Ni3V2O8 nanoparticles for efficient photocatalytic degradation of Rose Bengal dye under visible light irradiation

Nickel vanadate (Ni3V2O8) nanoparticles (NPs) were prepared by solution combustion process using ammonium metavanadate and nickel nitrate as precursors and salvia hispanica (chia seeds) powder as a green fuel. The sample was characterized using X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and UV–visible spectroscopy, Photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopy. The characterization analysis confirmed the structure, shape, functional group, and optical properties of NPs. The obtained NPs have an average crystallite size of 49 nm and standard deviation is found to be 5.54 nm. The synthesized NPs emits Cyan color under UV light and is useful in latent fingerprint applications. The photocatalytic activity of Ni3V2O8 NPs was observed for the degradation of Rose Bengal (RB) dye under visible light irradiation. Photocatalytic activity results shows that, Ni3V2O8 NPs showed a maximum removal efficiency of 100 % in 180 min. The NPs underwent reusability and showed good degradation activity for 3 cycles. The material follows the pseudo-first-order of kinetics. It shows that synthesized NPs have an application as a photocatalyst to degrade textile dyes in wastewater treatment rapidly.

Abundance, distribution, and ecological/environmental risks of critical rare earth elements (REE) in phosphate ore, soil, tailings, and sediments: application of spectroscopic fingerprinting

PurposesThis research focuses on the characterization of phosphate ore, its solid effluents, and nearby contaminated soils in the southwest Tunisia (Gafsa-Metlaoui Basin). It aims also at evaluating the vertical distribution and abundance of critical rare earth elements (REE) in the different materials and their ecological and environmental risks.Materials and methodsThe sampled materials went through physical, chemical, and mineralogical characterization which involved XRF, XPS, XRD, and ICP-MS analyses. The REE anomalies and the environmental and ecological indices were calculated.Results and discussionsResults show relatively high concentrations of nine rare REEs, following the sequence La > Ce > Nd > Y > Gd > Eu > Sm > Yb > Tb and trace metal elements (TME) such as Cd, Cr, Mn, Zn, Co, Fe, Sr, Cu, Ni, Pb, Ba that surpass, in some cases, international standards. The vertical distribution of the studied elements within a sediment, tailings, and soil profiles (beyond 20 cm of depth) indicates their likely in-depth migration. TME- and REE-bearing phosphate samples reflect mostly oxic conditions in the southern area with high positive Eu anomalies signifying possible mixing of sources. The environmental assessment indicate no contamination and a moderate enrichment of REEs, except for Eu, which displays significant contamination and extreme enrichment. Whereas, a deficiency of Y has been detected in most of the studied samples except for sludge sample which was also found significantly enriched with REE.ConclusionsThere are fundamental similarities between the different studied samples with high carbonate mineral concentrations. Statistical analysis confirmed the spectroscopic fingerprints demonstrating that the different materials share a similar composition. All of these similarities are most likely linked to the impact of mining activities on sediments and soils. Overall, our findings highlight the global effect of ore processing in determining the geochemical and the mineralogical characteristics of the surrounding environments of mines.

Source fingerprinting sediment loss from sub-catchments and topographic zones using geochemical tracers and weathering indices

Application of sediment source fingerprinting techniques to generate reliable information on sediment sources is growing, because of the global environmental importance of elevated fine-grained sediment mobilisation and delivery to rivers. Despite the application of fingerprinting at different spatial scales (e.g., land use types, geological units, and tributary sub-catchments), it has rarely been used to investigate the sediment contribution of topographic zones. The application of sediment sourcing techniques to topographic zones can be helpful in better understanding the spatial distribution of sediment sources within a catchment and the contribution of different topographic features to sediment production and transport. Against this background, this study assessed both topographic zone and tributary sub-catchment spatial sediment sources in the Kan River catchment, Iran. For this purpose, targeted sampling was performed for each classification of spatial sediment sources, and different tracers (geochemical, elemental ratios, and weathering indices) were measured for 80 surface soil samples collected in topographic zones, 20 bed sediment samples collected in sub-catchments, and 11 suspended sediment samples retrieved at the outlet of the main catchment. Three new statistical approaches were applied to identify composite signatures for spatial sediment source discrimination. These approaches combined the Kruskal-Wallis H-test with Particle Swarm Optimization (KW-PSO), Multi-Layer Perceptron (KW-MLP), and Radial Basis Function (KW-RBF) algorithms. A Bayesian un-mixing model was used to apportion the spatial sediment sources. The three composite signatures identified for elucidating the contributions from either classification of spatial sources generated consistent results. The results clarified that the median contribution from topographic zone 1 equated to it being the major spatial sediment source on the basis of topographic zones, with the contributions estimated at 57%, 49%, and 52% (5%-95% uncertainty range) based on the KW-PSO, KW-MLP and KW-RBF signatures, respectively. In terms of the tributary sub-catchments, the Sangan sub-catchment was identified as the dominant spatial sediment source, with corresponding estimated median contributions of 84%, 83%, and 97%, respectively. A combination of weathering indices and elemental fingerprint properties generated statistically robust composite signatures, providing further evidence that the former can augment more conventional tracers. The predicted source proportions can be explained by topographic characteristics from the digital elevation model of the different spatial topographic zones. Therefore, we conclude that topographic features can be an effective predictor of sediment sources.

Application of polyphenolic compound-based HPLC fingerprint in Chinese golden camellias (Camellia sect. Chrysantha)

Chinese golden camellias (Camellia sect. Chrysantha) are traditional substitute tea with medicinal and food properties. The development of fingerprinting techniques specific to Chinese golden camellias may provide a new means of reliably assessing the quality of tea and traditional medicine. Herein, 32 total specimens were collected in Southern China and used to establish a polyphenolic compound-based high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) signature profile. The established chromatographic fingerprints were subjected to similarity, hierarchical clustering analysis (HCA), together with principal component analysis (PCA) evaluations, and the uncertainty and reliability for such HPLC fingerprints were also evaluated. Similarity values for C. sect. Chrysantha samples ranged from 0.721 to 0.969 relative to the reference chromatographic fingerprint (RFP). HCA and PCA approaches were performed to classify 13 specimens of C. sect. Chrysantha from different species and regions into four categories that respectively contained 7, 1, 2, and 3 specimens. In this HPLC fingerprint, peak 11 was authenticated as rutin, while peaks 2, 4, 6, 7, 9, 12 and 13 were tentatively characterized via liquid chromatography-high-resolution mass spectrometry (LC-HRMS) as corresponding with other polyphenolic agents. Credibility analyses indicated that the macroscopic qualitative and quantitative reliability values for C. fascicularis RFP were greater than 0.9500. Taken together, statistical analyses thus confirmed that this HPLC fingerprinting strategy can be reliably used to classify and assess the quality of C. sect. Chrysantha specimens. And the qualitative and quantitative reliability analysis and systematic quantitative fingerprint methods are promising tools for future efforts to ensure the quality of C. fascicularis.