Chemical Tests Research Articles

QUALITY OF ACACIA CARPA HONEY AS A POTENTIAL INGREDIENT FOR CHILDREN’S MOUTHWASH

Dental caries is a dental disease that is most often experienced by people. One way to prevent caries is to gargle with mouthwash. Honey has become one of the natural ingredients that can be used as a mouthwash drug content. Jambi Province is one of the provinces that makes honey a non-timber forest product (NTFP). It is necessary to carry out physical and chemical tests on honey to determine the quality of honey as a basic ingredient for mouthwash. The honey samples examined were honey harvested from honey farms in Danau Lamo, Maro Sebo District, Muaro Jambi Regency, Jambi Province. This type of honey is Acacia Carpa (Acacia crassicarpa) honey from Apis mellifera honey bee farming. The honey tested consisted of honey that had undergone processing and raw honey. The honey testing carried out consists of organoleptic tests, physical tests and chemical tests. Testing was carried out at the Jambi Province Department of Industry and Trade. The inspection results show test results that comply with SNI 8664-2018 such as water content, water-insoluble solids, ash content, HMF, and diastase enzyme levels. The pH of honey is 3.7 and is in accordance with the honey pH standard. Substances that do not comply with SNI 8664-2018 are reducing sugar levels and sucrose levels. Honey with high sucrose content can still be used as a basic ingredient for mouthwash, but it must be based on the results of clinical trials to ensure its effectiveness and safety

Examination of the Effects of Chemical Treatments on the Mechanical, Chemical, and Physical Characteristics of <i>Hibiscus rosa-sinensis</i> Plant Fiber

Natural fibres in recent years have been found to contribute a great share in making composites. Hibiscus rosa-sinensis plant fibres which are natural were used in this work and have not yet been tried to make the composites so far and easily available thus making this study very necessary it aims to perform various chemical treatments and to study the physical and chemical properties of them. The methodology adopted was that literature review, problem identification, extraction of fibres, treatment of fibres, chemical and mechanical testing of fibres, results and discussions and conclusion. Fibre chemical composition tests were also done to determine the constituents of the fibres. Two chemical treatment methods (alkalinization and benzoylation) were proposed in this work. Chemical treatments were found to improve surface roughness. Using Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), researchers examined the fibres' structural and morphological alterations and discovered that components like pectin were largely eliminated. The structural properties of fibres were known from X-ray diffractograms, and crystallinity percentages were found for the cellulosic fibres. Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy presented the spectra of the fibres which revealed the structure of organic compounds and the presence or the absence of functional groups. It showed the partial removal of hemicellulose and lignin. Axial tensile tests were performed for the fibres to know the maximum tensile force and percentage elongation. Chemical treatments partially removed impurities in the fibres and made morphological changes. The improvements in mean tensile values and percentage elongation were found in 5% alkali-treated and benzoylation-treated fibres, 56% and 63% higher than the untreated fibres respectively.

Effects of Sublethal Exposure to Three Water Pollutants on Scototaxis in Rare Minnow (Gobiocypris rarus)

The biological early warning system with fish behavior as the detection index is an efficient and rapid early warning technology for the ecological damage caused by water pollutants. However, the attempt to apply the scototaxis (dark preference) behavior of fish to biological early warning is still relatively lacking. In this study, we delved into the dark and light preferences of the rare minnows (Gobiocypris rarus), employing three distinct tank configurations. Additionally, we systematically examined the modulating effects of environmental illumination, nutritional status, and the number of test subjects on this behavior, aiming to establish optimal experimental parameters for its observation. Furthermore, cadmium ions [Cd2+], tricaine methanesulfonate [MS222], and p-chloroaniline were employed as representative heavy metal ions, neuroactive agents, and organic toxicants, respectively, to test the impact of chemicals on scototaxis in gradient concentrations. The results demonstrated that the rare minnow exhibited a clear scototaxis (dark preference), and this behavior was not affected by the nutritional status of the test fish, the illumination, or the number of subjects. While the dark chamber was consistently the preferred location of rare minnows during the chemical exposure tests, the degree of scototaxis by the rare minnow significantly decreased at Cd2+ ≥ 3 mg/L, MS222 ≥ 11 mg/L, and p-chloroaniline ≥ 29 mg/L, suggesting a potential disruption of their innate behavioral patterns by these chemicals. These findings underscore the sensitivity of rare minnows to water pollutants. Therefore, the scototaxis behavior of rare minnows can be a potential and useful behavioral indicator for biological early warning, which can be used for early biological warning of sudden water pollution caused by chemicals such as Cd2+, MS222, and p-chloroaniline.

Modern alternative research methods in genetic toxicology (literature review)

The review represents the current principles of assessment of chemicals genotoxicity. The main attention is paid to alternative research methods. The international experience of the application of alternative approaches and prospects of their use for regulatory purposes are discussed. The data for this review were collected from the Russian and foreign literature, as well as Internet resources, concerning the development of the new alternative methods for testing chemicals for genotoxicity. The OECD database, Scopus, Medline, Google Scholar, RISC, CyberLeninka were used for the information retrieval. Although the evaluation of genotoxicity of chemical substances is the well-established and based on the battery of validated methods, the studies for improving the existing tests and developing new technologies, including the alternative approaches, continue unabated up to now. In general, three trends of development of genetic toxicology can be outlined, including creating of new methods based on the whole-genome sequencing and the application of genome editing technologies; implementation of quantitative system of effects assessment in addition to the existing qualitative approach (mutagenic/non-mutagenic) and testing of various combinations of genotoxicity evaluation methods to identify a battery of tests with a greater predictive activity regarding carcinogenic effects. To use the developed alternative models for regulatory purposes, it is necessary to provide convincing evidence that the data obtained are good predictors of the organism’s actual response to the effects of toxicants/genotoxicants, validation of methods, standardization, and harmonization of research protocols, and changes to the existing regulatory framework are required.

Utilization of thermoplastic resin as foamed asphalt modifier in cold recycled mixtures

The utilization of foamed virgin asphalt in cold recycled mixtures results in insufficient bonding strength between aggregates, leading to rapid deterioration to the recycled asphalt pavement. This ultimately causes inefficient clean production and increased carbon emissions. The foaming performance of thermoplastic resin modified asphalt (TRA) under different foaming conditions was analyzed. Micro-scale chemical and physical tests were utilized to discover the foaming mechanism of TRA. The road performance of cold recycled mixtures with foamed TRA was evaluated through splitting, rutting and fatigue tests. The results showed that the increase in the TRA polar functional group index led to an increase in its surface tension, thus limiting its expansion capacity. However, the increase in the specific heat capacity of TRA indicated that it preserves a low viscosity level essential for its foaming efficacy post-ejection from the foaming machine, thereby enhancing its half-life. Furthermore, the dynamic viscosity of the TRA with an 8% thermoplastic resin dosage exceeded 40000 Pa s at 60 °C, meeting the specification requirements for high viscosity asphalt, while exhibiting a notably lower viscosity of only 120 mPa s at the foaming temperature of 170 °C. The observed low viscosity of the asphalt is anticipated to favorably enhance the formation of a stable foam structure. The mechanical properties and overall road performance of the cold recycled mixture with foamed TRA were significantly enhanced, especially in terms of moisture damage resistance and low-temperature crack resistance. The purpose of this paper is to serve as a valuable reference for investigating the mechanism of modified asphalt foaming and to enhance the efficiency of cold recycled pavement regeneration processes.

The Effect of Adding Coconut Dregs (Cocos nucifera L.) on “Wajik” Characteristics

This study aims to determine the effect of adding coconut dregs on the characteristics of wajik based on organoleptic and chemical tests. The research design used was a Completely Randomized Design (CRD) with 5 treatments, namely A (without adding coconut dregs), B (addition of 1% coconut dregs), C (addition of 2% coconut dregs), D (addition of 3% coconut dregs), and E (addition of 4% coconut dregs) with 3 replications. The research data were statistically analyzed using Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) and continued with Duncan's New Multiple Range Test (DNMRT) analysis at the 5% level. The results showed that adding coconut dregs had a significant effect on, fat content, crude fiber, sucrose, total energy, and organoleptic including color, aroma, taste, and texture. However, it had no significant effect on ash content. The best treatment was wajik with the addition of 3% coconut dregs, with ash content of 0.78%, fat content of 14.31%, protein content of 2.58%, crude fiber of 6.42%, total energy of 329.51 kcal, and a liking level for color 3.80 (like), aroma 3.84 (like), taste 3.60 (like), and texture 3.80 (like).

Analysis of the outcomes in treatment of ulcerative colitis with acupuncture and moxibustion

To clarify the key outcomes of acupuncture-moxibustion treatment of ulcerative colitis. The clinical randomized controlled trials (RCTs) for ulcerative colitis treated with acupuncture and moxibustion were searched from CNKI, Wanfang, VIP, SinoMed, PubMed, EMbase, Cochrane Library, and Web of Science, from the inception of each database to March 20th, 2023. The basic information of literature, intervention measures and outcome indexes were collected. The selection of primary and secondary outcomes, the use frequency of each index and the combination of them in utility were analyzed; and index domains of acupuncture and moxibustion for ulcerative colitis were summarized. A total of 215 RCTs were included and 54 outcomes were involved, classified into 6 categories, i.e. TCM syndromes, symptoms/physical signs, physical and chemical tests, quality of life, long-term prognosis and safety events. The top 3 outcomes with high use frequency were clinical effect evaluation, adverse reactions of acupuncture and moxibustion and the score of main symptoms. Only 3 articles clearly reported the primary outcome and the secondary ones, 180 articles used two types of outcomes simultaneously, 3 articles clearly described the time points of the observation indexes, and 126 articles determined the sources of the evaluation criteria of therapeutic effect, with 57 criteria involved. At present, the outcomes have not been standardized in RCTs of acupuncture and moxibustion for ulcerative colitis. It needs to clarify the primary one and the secondary ones. The criteria have not been unified for the evaluation of therapeutic effects and there is less consideration on the quality of life in patients, the follow-up visit and safety events. The attention should be paid to develop the outcome set, in which, the endoscopic score is taken as the objective, and the improvements in the symptoms/physical signs and the biochemical examination as the supplementary.

Advancements in ecotoxicological assessment of anticancer agents: Bridging sustainability and innovation in chemical testing

Ecotoxicological testing is the latest buzzword in the field of environmental testing and monitoring the effect of pharmaceuticals on the ecosystem. Testing alternative and innovative study models enriches the ecotoxicological perspective by introducing greenness and sustainability into the ecosystem. Pharmaceuticals, being a major source of ecosystem contamination, necessitate the practice of such approaches. The current review systematically discusses the advancements and paradigm shift from traditional to greener ecotoxicity testing of important classes of pharmaceuticals, such as anticancer agents. Additionally, it discusses the approaches for developing sustainable pharmaceuticals from anticancer agents. The common approaches and future possibilities further demonstrate the importance of this holistic approach, which can efficiently bridge the gap between ecosystem sustainability and toxicity testing related to them.

Trimodal Watch-Type Wearable Health Monitoring Device

In the domain of healthcare, wearable health monitoring devices have emerged as essential tools for the advancement of patient health tracking. These devices facilitate the provision of real-time medical data to clinicians, enabling early diagnosis, timely intervention, and enhanced management of individual health. This study introduces an innovative trimodal wearable health monitoring device in the form of a wristwatch. The device integrates a breath analyzer for the assessment of gaseous phase biomarkers, a sweat analyzer for the evaluation of aqueous-phase biomarkers, and an infrared sensor for the measurement of body temperature in the optical phase. Engineered on a compact 3 cm × 3 cm printed circuit board, the device has been optimized for wearability, power efficiency, and seamless integration with both wired and wireless charging and communication systems. Furthermore, custom software applications, designed for both Windows and Android platforms, have been developed to facilitate intuitive data visualization and storage on personal computers and smartphones. Empirical results from real-time chemical testing substantiate the device’s efficacy and potential as an advanced solution for wearable health monitoring.

Inter-laboratory study for extraction testing of medical devices

Biocompatibility evaluation of medical devices often relies on chemical testing according to ISO 10993–18 as a critical component for consideration. However, the precision associated with these non–targeted chemical characterization assessments has not been well established. Therefore, we have conducted a study to characterize intra–laboratory (repeatability) and inter–laboratory (reproducibility) variability associated with chemical testing of extractables from polymeric materials. To accomplish this, this study focused on two polymers, each with nine chemicals that were intentionally compounded into the materials. Eight different laboratories performed extraction testing in two solvents and subsequently characterized the extracts using gas chromatography and liquid chromatography methods. Analysis of the resulting data revealed the central 90 % range for the repeatability and reproducibility relative standard deviations are (0.09, 0.22) and (0.30, 0.85), respectively, for the participating laboratory methods. This finding implies that if the same sample was tested by two different laboratories using the same extraction conditions, there is 95 % confidence for 95 % of systems that the test results could exhibit differences up to 240 %. While the study was not designed to evaluate the relative impact of specific underlying factors that may contribute to variability in quantitation, the data obtained suggest the variability associated with analytical method alone is a substantial contribution to the overall variability. The relatively large reproducibility limits we observed may have significant implications where variability in extraction measurements can impact aspects of biocompatibility risk evaluation, such as exposure dose estimation and chemical equivalence assessments.

Prevention of Lipid Oxidation in Kilka Fillet (Clupeonella Cultriventris) using Biodegradable Packaging in the Refrigerator (3°C)

Kilka Fish is classified in the fatty fish group and is more perishable than other aquatics. It is very sensitive to oxidation during cold storage. Fat oxidation reduces the quality of Kilka, a decrease in shelf life and economic losses. Because it leads to color change (yellow) of Kilka. Therefore, the present study aimed to evaluate the effects of sodium alginate and whey protein coating on the prevention of fat oxidation of Kilka fillets during 12 days of refrigerated storage. Whey protein 15% and sodium alginate 1% were used at time= 5 min. Uncovered samples were considered as controls. Humidity, peroxide, FFA, TBA, pH, and fat were not significant in the samples covered with whey protein (73.62%, 0.08 meq kg oil-1, 1.01 g 100-1, 0.06 mg kg-1, 6.37 and 4.45%) compared with those covered by sodium alginate (73.91%, 0.05 meq kgoil-1, 1.09 g 100-1, 0.01 mg kg-1, 6.49, and 4.00%) (P>0.05). However, the index chemicals were lower in these samples compared with the control (59.16%, 3.07 meq kgoil-1, 5.73 g 100-1, 2.14 mg kg-1, 6.81 and 3.99%. Unlike fat, the other chemical tests were significant between control and covered samples (p<0.05). Covered samples had good quality at the end of the storage period. However, the control samples lost their quality after 6 days. Fish soaked with sodium alginate had better quality compared with the other samples. The use of sodium alginate is recommended by the seafood processing industry to maintain the quality of kilka during refrigeration.

Standardization and optimization of the hiPSC-based PluriLum assay for detection of embryonic and developmental toxicants.

New approach methodologies (NAMs) for predicting embryotoxicity and developmental toxicity are urgently needed for generating human relevant data, while reducing turnover time and costs, and alleviating ethical concerns related to the use of animal models. We have previously developed the PluriLum assay, a NKX2.5-reporter gene 3D model using human-induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) that are genetically modified to enable the assessment of adverse effects of chemicals on the early-stage embryo. Aiming at improving the predictive value of the PluriLum assay for future screening purposes, we sought to introduce standardization steps to the protocol, improving the overall robustness of the PluriLum assay, as well as a shortening of the assay protocol. First, we showed that the initial size of embryoid bodies (EBs) is crucial for a proper differentiation into cardiomyocytes and overall reproducibility of the assay. When the starting diameter of the EBs exceeds 500 µm, robust differentiation can be anticipated. In terms of reproducibility, exposure to the fungicide epoxiconazole at smaller initial diameters resulted in a larger variation of the derived data, compared to more reliable concentration-response curves obtained using spheroids with larger initialdiameters. We further investigated the ideal length of the differentiation protocol, resulting in a shortening of the PluriLum assay by 24 h to 7 days. Following exposure to the teratogens all-trans and 13-cis retinoic acid, both cardiomyocyte contraction and measurement of NKX2.5-derived luminescence were recorded with a similar or increased sensitivity after 6 days of differentiation when compared to the original 7 days. Finally, we have introduced an efficient step for enzymatic dissociation of the EBs at assay termination. This allows for an even splitting of the individual EBs and testing of additional endpoints other than the NKX2.5-luciferase reporter, which was demonstrated in this work by the simultaneous assessment of ATP levels. In conclusion, we have introduced standardizations and streamlined the PluriLum assay protocol to improve its suitability as a NAM for screening of a large number of chemicals for developmental toxicity testing.

Testing Pellets Fuel Production from Sewage Sludge of Palm Oil Industry

The wastes from the palm oil production process were used in this study, such as wastewater sludge and cake decenter or decanter waste. That moisture was less than 40% and increased density by the cold pelletizing process. The aim is to use pellet fuel for heating. Analysis of pellet fuel consists of physical properties, proximate (moisture, ash, volatile matter and fixed carbon) and heating value. The results showed that cake decenter and wastewater sludge had similar high volatile matter. The decenter cake had a higher heating value than the wastewater sludge at 26.649 and 14.965 MJ/kg, respectively. The ash of decenter cake was lower than wastewater at 11.71% and 22.34%, respectively. Blending both raw materials for pelletization increased the volatile matter that did not mix with another material. Therefore, both materials can be used to produce pellet fuel that has an optimal shape and size. That was hard to break. The results of chemical property testing show that it is within acceptable limits and can be used as pellet fuel.

An integrated In-Silico-In-Chemico-In-Vitro (iSiCiV) Approach to identify biomarkers to predict the skin sensitisation potential of phytochemicals

BackgroundSkin sensitisation is one of the important regulatory endpoints used to determine whether a given test chemical can elicit an allergic response in susceptible individuals. The in-vitro approaches for predicting skin sensitisation potential for chemicals have been well-developed and widely accepted. Continuous efforts are being made to identify novel solutions to overcome the limitations of the existing approaches. PurposeThe herbal preparations used in dermal therapeutics are frequently found to elicit skin sensitisation, requiring caution. The herbal preparations tend to contain more than one phytochemical. The expected active ingredient may not possess skin sensitisation. However, the other phytochemical traces could pose synergistic and potentiating effects towards enhanced/suppressed skin sensitisation. In this regard, isolation, purification, yield, and in-vitro / in-vivo evaluation of skin sensitisation for all the traces would be time, cost, and animal-consuming. Hence, the regulatory agencies appreciate using computational tools to substantiate in-vitro methods. The regulators have also endorsed using in-silico approaches like quantitative structure-activity relationships (QSAR) and read-across. These approaches are limited to structure-based predictions and in combination with system-level approaches, which comprehensively facilitate a better understanding of complex biological systems. Study designIn the present study, 603 phytochemicals were screened in-silico using OECD QSAR Toolbox. The limitations of the QSAR Toolbox in predicting skin sensitisers were identified. MethodThe systems biology-based approach to complement the QSAR-based prediction was developed, and 41 biomarkers were identified as a determinant of skin sensitisation. The molecules attributed to these biomarkers were predicted as skin sensitisers. ResultsAs a result, 31 phytochemicals were predicted as skin sensitisers. Acrolein, eugenol, formaldehyde, and glycerol were selected for experimental validation of the in-silico predictions using direct peptide reactivity assay (DPRA), KeratinoSens™, and h-CLAT assays representing each key event in skin sensitisation. Further, identified biomarkers were validated in THP-1 and KeratinoSens cell lines using qRT-PCR. Among all genes, IL-8 and CCL4 were upregulated by 6.4 and 5.6 folds, respectively, in THP-1, while AKR1C2 and AKR1C3 were upregulated by 7.8 and 11.1 folds, respectively, in KeratinoSens. IL-8 level was analysed by ELISA and found to be in line with qRT-PCR results. ConclusionThe study proposes a possible strategy based on the “iSiCiV” approach to enhance the prediction of the dermal sensitisation potential of a test compound. The approach offers a robust platform and highlights an opportunity to shift the paradigm of skin sensitisation assay with a better understanding of toxicology mechanisms.

Coloring properties of blue inorganic pigments based on cobalt/nickel doped strontium magnesium β-alumina structure in 3YSZ ceramics

Blue inorganic pigments based on cobalt or nickel doped strontium magnesium β-alumina structure (β-SAM) solid solutions were successfully fabricated using the solid state method for the first time. Compared with commercial cobalt blue (CoAl2O4, 33.32 wt% Co, −b∗ = 18.5), Sr0.857Mg0.714Al9.986Co0.3O17-δ with significantly lower Co content (2.71 wt%) achieved a more vibrant blue color (−b∗ = 57.5). The ocean blue color of Sr0.857Mg0.714Al10.286-xCoxO17-δ (0.05 ≤ x ≤ 0.3) originates from the A24(F4)→T14(P4) transition of the tetrahedral Co2+, while the sky blue color of Sr0.857Mg0.714Al10.286-xNixO17-δ (0.05 ≤ x ≤ 0.3) is due to the T13(F3)→T13(P3) transition in tetrahedral Ni2+. Chemical stability tests demonstrated good acid and alkali resistance of as-prepared pigments. Additionally, blue 3YSZ ceramic composites incorporating 5–10 wt% Sr0.857Mg0.714Al9.986Co0.3O17-δ or Sr0.857Mg0.714Al9.986Ni0.3O17-δ pigments as chromophores were obtained after high temperature sintering. Ocean blue ceramics composed of 10 wt% Sr0.857Mg0.714Al9.986Co0.3O17-δ and 90 wt% 3YSZ with 0.27 wt% Co exhibited a larger −b∗ value (−b∗ = 43.3) compared to 10 wt% CoAl2O4-3YSZ blue ceramic composite (−b∗ = 34.0, 3.33 wt% Co). FE-SEM analysis showed that the pigment phase remained stable after high temperature sintering with 3YSZ, with clear grain boundaries observed. The mechanical properties of the fabricated blue ceramics were comparable to those of pure 3YSZ ceramic, which highlights the potential of Co/Ni doped Sr0.857Mg0.714Al10.286O17 pigments in ceramic applications.

Effect of Magnesium Hydroxide on the Thermal Stability, Latent Heat and Flammability Properties of composite material based on Phase Change Materials

Abstract Polyurethane-Phase Change Materials (PU-PCM) composites are used for thermal regulation aiming to conserve and efficiently manage thermal energy. These materials combine the properties of PU, such as low thermal conductivity, low density and excellent mechanical properties as a thermal insulator, with the benefits of PCM allowing thermal energy storage, which greatly reduce energy consumption in heating and cooling. Adding a flame retardant to the PU-PCM composition improves fire resistance. The objective of this study is the preparation and characterization of a composite material based on PU rigid foam containing 30% by mass of commercial paraffin waxes as PCM, together with magnesium hydroxide as flame retardant. A series of samples were prepared by incorporating different percentages of Mg(OH)2, ranging from 1 % to 5 %, with and without the PCM. Various thermal and chemical characterization tests were carried out. The results indicate that the structure of the PU cells is not affected by the increase of the Mg(OH)2 incorporation rate. In terms of thermal properties, the addition of 1% flame retardant increases the latent heat from 25.9 J/g to 39.68 J/g. As the amount of Mg(OH)2 incorporated increases, the flame retardancy increases.

Research and Application of Chemical Water Plugging Technology with High Salt Resistant Gel and Immobile String

Abstract The salinity of formation water in Gasi N1-N2 reservoir is 18 × 104 mg/L, in which calcium and magnesium ions are 6300 mg/L. The conventional gel used for profile control and water plugging has poor salt resistance and is easy to dehydrate under the erosion of formation water; At the same time, the chemical water plugging of oil wells in the past needs to trip down the downhole string for many times, and the construction period is long. In order to solve the former problem, an anti-high salt organic gel suitable for Gasi N1-N21 reservoir is synthesized. The formula is 0.4 wt% SD-3000 + 0.1-0.2 wt% urotropine + 0.05 wt% resorcinol + 0.4 wt% additive. The viscosity of the gel is more than 6000 mPa.s after gelation, and no obvious dehydration phenomenon is found after aging for five months in the formation water environment of Gasi N1-N21 reservoir at 65 °C. The technology of chemical water plugging without moving the string has been innovatively developed, which does not require the operation of tubing and pump during construction. In Gasi N1-N21 reservoir, anti-high salt gel was used to carry out three well-times of chemical water plugging tests without pulling the string, which were all successful, saving 44% of the cost of measures and shortening 78% of the construction period. After water plugging, water production was obviously inhibited, and the average moisture content was reduced from 95% to 45%. The average daily oil increment of a single well was 1.8 tons, and the cumulative oil increment was 1700 tons. The results show that the chemical water plugging technology without pulling string has broad application prospects in Gasi N1-N21 reservoir in Qinghai Oilfield and similar reservoirs in China.

Ion transport properties and performance of gellan gum based composite polymer membrane electrolytes in proton battery and PEMFC applications

Biopolymer Gellan gum (GG) incorporated with ammonium iodide (NH₄I) salts and inorganic filler nano-TiO2 improved the ion transport facility in the salt-polymer matrix. The crystalline/amorphous nature of the membranes and the presence of n-TiO2 are evident from XRD analysis. The vibration modes corresponding to the characteristic functional groups and bonding interactions within the polymer matrix and incorporated filler materials present in the as-prepared membranes were analyzed using FTIR technique respectively. The ion transport parameters such as ionic conductivity (σ), diffusion coefficient (D), and mobility (μ), were studied using Ac impedance, transference number measurement, and FTIR deconvolution. The biopolymer membrane with the composition, 1 g GG: 0.3 M.wt% of NH4I (GGAI-3) shows the highest ionic conductivity of 2.65 ± 0.03×10−3 S/cm and on addition of 0.1 M.wt% of n-TiO2 (GGAIT-1) the increase in ionic conductivity of 4.07 ± 0.02×10−2 S/cm was observed. The H¹NMR studies help in understanding the mobility of charge carriers upon their chemical shifts. The glass transition temperature values of the as-prepared membranes were determined using DSC studies. The morphological change on the surface of the GG polymer membrane due to the addition of NH4I and n-TiO2 were analyzed using the SEM technique. The thermal, mechanical, and chemical stability of the highest ion-conducting biopolymer and composite polymer membranes were assessed using TGA, mechanical stability tests, and chemical stability tests. The IEC test exhibits the number of exchangeable ions in the polymer matrix. Utilizing the GGAI-3 and GGAIT-1 membranes as electrolytes, proton batteries were constructed and observed to have the pseudocapacitive behaviour; as the electrodes experience surface limited redox reaction at the electrode-electrolyte interface. The PEMFC cell using the GGAI- 3 and GGAIT-1 as proton exchange membrane exhibits the OCV of 646 mV and 682 mV respectively. Their performances were analyzed using the I-V polarization curve resulted with the power density of 0.14 mW/cm2and 0.34 mW/cm2 respectively.

Enhancing forensic blood detection using hyperspectral imaging and advanced preprocessing techniques

Bloodstains are pivotal in forensic investigations as they can provide crucial DNA information about individuals involved in a crime. Traditional methods for bloodstain detection, including chemical tests and forensic lights, have limitations such as non-specificity to human blood and susceptibility to false positives. In forensic blood detection, molecular spectroscopy is crucial for identifying the unique spectral fingerprints of blood, which arise from its molecular composition. Hyperspectral imaging (HSI) leverages this principle by capturing a wide spectrum of light for each pixel in an image, allowing for the detailed analysis of various substances. HSI has emerged as a promising alternative, offering non-contact, rapid, and cost-effective detection of bloodstains by analyzing the visible and near-infrared electromagnetic spectrum. This study explores the application of HSI for blood detection, addressing challenges such as spectral mixing, time-related changes in bloodstain spectra, and data complexity. The study introduces a novel framework to optimize HSI data, enhancing the accuracy and efficiency of bloodstain classification, called the Fast Extraction (FE) framework. It includes two stages. The main method in the first one is the Enhancing Transformation Reduction (ETR) method to reduce the dimension and complexity of the HSI. The second stage contains a compatible classification model to enhance feature extraction and classification. Our approach is validated using the HyperBlood datasets and many evaluation methods, demonstrating superior performance compared to state-of-the-art deep learning models. It provides high accuracy (97%–100 %) for all HSIs, overcoming various difficulties and blood collection times.

Biological Activity, Cytotoxicity, and Phytochemical Content of Leaf Extracts of Matoa (Pometia pinnata) and Pulasan (Nephelium ramboutan-ake) From the Sapindaceae Family

This study sought to assess the leaf extracts of matoa (Pometia pinnata) and pulasan (Nephelium ramboutan-ake) for antimicrobial, antifungal, antioxidant, and cytotoxic activities, besides phytochemical content. Four extracts (hexane, ethyl acetate, ethanol, and water) were obtained from each plant via sequential extraction. The antimicrobial activities were evaluated using colorimetric broth microdilution methods. The antioxidant activities were studied using 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging and ferric-reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) assays. The cytotoxicity was examined using mouse fibroblasts NIH/3T3 while the phytochemical content was detected using various chemical tests. Among the extracts, only the water extract of matoa and ethyl acetate extract of pulasan exerted bactericidal effects on Bacillus cereus (minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC): 0.63 mg/mL) and Staphylococcus aureus (MBC: 1.25 mg/mL), respectively. In contrast, all extracts, except hexane extract, of both plants exhibited fungicidal effects with minimum fungicidal concentrations of 0.31-1.25 mg/mL. All extracts of matoa leaves displayed higher DPPH radical scavenging activity and FRAP than the extracts of pulasan leaves. Notably, the water extract of matoa showed the lowest half-maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) value of 9.88 ± 1.70 µg/mL and the highest FRAP value of 6.11 ± 0.51 mmol Fe2+ equivalent/g extract (n=3). These antioxidant activities were significantly correlated (p<0.01) with the amounts of phenolic compounds in the extracts. All extracts of both plants, except water extracts, showed significant toxicities (p<0.05) towards NIH/3T3 cells. Alkaloids, terpenoids, saponins, and glycosides were detected in the leaves of both plants. The matoa and pulasan leaves contained bioactive compounds with antibacterial, antifungal, and antioxidant activities.