Favorable Chemical Composition Research Articles

Effects of genotype and sex on carcass composition, meat quality, digestive tract morphometries and leg bone dimensions of spent parent Pekin ducks

The purpose of the present study was to analyze carcass composition, physicochemical properties, muscle texture, and structure, as well as morphometry of the digestive tract and leg bone dimensions of Cherry Valley ducks (SM3 Heavy hybrid) and Orvia ducks (ST5 Heavy hybrid) after laying. A total of 32 ducks were dissected, 8 females and 8 males from each breeding set. Analysis of meat quality (breast muscle, leg muscle) in terms of color (L*, a*, b*), acidity (pH24), electrical conductivity (EC24), and basic chemical composition (protein, water, fat, collagen) was performed. Analysis of the texture and structure of the pectoral muscle was also performed. The dimensions of the various lengths of the digestive tract and the dimensions of the tibia and femur were analyzed. Cherry Valley ducks after laying have better slaughter performance and a higher proportion of breast muscle in the carcass (P < 0.001). Also more favorable chemical composition (protein, fat, water) and physical properties (acidity, electrical conductivity, thermal loss) of muscle. In terms of texture characteristics, the pectoral muscle of Cherry Valley ducks was more elastic and cohesive, but also more flexible with higher viscosity, while the pectoral muscles of Orvia ducks in terms of structure were characterized by smaller values of the analyzed characteristics (cross-sectional area of fibers and smaller vertical and horizontal diameter). Analyzing the morphometry of the digestive system, Orvia ducks were characterized by longer sections of the digestive tract, which certainly has a beneficial effect on the absorption of nutrients. In terms of tibia and femur measurements taken, there were no differences between genotypes, while males were characterized by higher values of the analyzed traits compared to females.

Effect of Crop Protection Intensity and Nitrogen Fertilisation on the Quality Parameters of Spelt Wheat Grain cv. ‘Rokosz’ Grown in South-Eastern Poland

Spelt wheat is one of the oldest wheats cultivated by humans. It is characterised by high nutritional values and is sought after by consumers. Additionally, it does not have high habitat and fertilisation requirements and is resistant to diseases. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of different levels of nitrogen fertilisation and the intensification of fungicide protection on the grain quality characteristics of spelt cv. ‘Rokosz’ grown under south-eastern Polish conditions. The present research showed that the intensification of fungicide crop protection and increasing the nitrogen dose from 70 to 130 kg ha−1 had a positive effect on the quality features of spelt grains. The highest protein, gluten and starch contents were found after four fungicide treatments. These parameters increased their values under the influence of fungicides. After the application of 130 kg ha−1, spelt wheat grain had the most favourable chemical composition, containing the most protein, gluten, soluble dietary fibre, insoluble dietary fibre and fat. It also had a positive effect on the Zeleny sedimentation index and the amino acid content of the grain. Due to the favourable response of the spelt cv. ‘Rokosz’ to intensified fungicide protection and nitrogen fertilisation, it should be recommended for cultivation in integrated technology.

Electrochemical insight into the passivity and corrosion of 316 L stainless steel fabricated through wire arc additive manufacturing

This study explores the microstructure of AISI 316L stainless steel fabricated by wire arc additive manufacturing (WAAM) and establishes correlations with its passivity and corrosion characteristics in a 0.9 wt% NaCl solution, while making comparisons with the wrought alloy counterpart. The WAAM-fabricated alloy demonstrates a favorable chemical composition in comparison to the wrought alloy, exhibiting a heterogeneous microstructure comprised of residual delta ferrite within the austenitic matrix. The pitting vulnerability of the WAAM-printed alloy is observed to be lower than that of the wrought counterpart, a phenomenon further investigated through passive film behavior analysis. Mott-Schottky analysis and the point defect model (PDM) revealed the development of a less defective passive layer on the WAAM-fabricated alloy, enhancing overall passivity and electrochemical response, attributed to the interplay between microstructural features and chemical composition.

Кoнкурсно изпитване между местни и интродуцирани сортове тютюн Бърлей

During the period 2016-2020, is made in the experimental field of TTРI a comparative complex evaluation of six samples of tobacco from the Burley varietal group, of which three introduced varieties and the same number of indigenous varieties,. The subject of the study are biometric, biological, economic and chemical indicators of the studied variants. As a result of the study, it is found that the researched genotypes presented with favorable Burley tobacco biometric indicators. All studied varieties have a shorter vegetative period than the standard Pliska 2002 variety. The highest yield is presented by Burley 1000 variety, followed by a small but proven difference by Burley 1317 variety. The highest percentage of the first grade is distinguished by the Tennessee 90 variety, which also gives the lowest percentage of the third grade. Tennessee 90 variety also has the most favorable chemical composition in terms of all the investigated chemical indicators.The complex assessment of the biological, economic and chemical indicators shows that it is not possible to distinguish a variety that is superior to the other tested variants. In terms of percentage of grades and chemical composition, the introduced variants are superior to the local varieties, but they are seriously inferior to them in terms of yield. The Tennessee 90 and Tennessee 86 varieties have similar biometric, economic and chemical characteristics with a slight predominance of Tennessee 90. Tennessee 90 variety namely has the highest selection value of the introduced varieties. The studied introduced varieties are valuable genetic material that can be successfully used in the selection of Burley tobacco.

Effect of Genotype and Sex on Chemical Composition, Physicochemical Properties, Texture and Microstructure of Spent Broiler Breeder Meat

The aim of this research is to compare the carcass composition and meat quality characteristics of spent Cobb 500 and Ross 308 broiler breeders. A total of 28 carcasses were evaluated—7 female and 7 male carcasses from each genotype. Dissection was performed, and the percentages of neck, wings, skin with subcutaneous fat, abdominal fat, residual components, breast and leg muscles were calculated relative to the eviscerated carcass weight. The breast and leg muscles were evaluated for their chemical composition, color attributes (Lab), acidity (pH24), and electrical conductivity (EC24). Analysis of the structure and texture of the pectoralis major muscle was performed. The genotype of the birds had an impact on the eviscerated carcass weight, percentage of skin with subcutaneous fat, leg muscles, wings, and neck. Broiler breeder genotypes differed in terms of the chemical composition of the breast and leg muscles, except for the water content in the breast muscle and the collagen content in both the breast and leg muscles. The breast muscles of Cobb 500 exhibited lower cooking loss, pH24, redness, and yellowness, while the leg muscles of Ross 308 had lower EC24 but higher cooking loss and lightness values. The pectoralis major muscle of Cobb 500 was firmer and more tender, with a smaller cross-sectional area of the muscle fiber and a smaller vertical (V) diameter of the muscle fiber. Males were characterized by a greater carcass weight and a higher percentage of leg muscles, neck, and carcass remains. On the other hand, females had a higher percentage of breast muscles, skin with subcutaneous fat, and abdominal fat. The sex of the birds affected the chemical composition of the breast and leg muscles, with the exception of the water content in the breast muscles and collagen content in the breast and leg muscles. The breast muscles of females were characterized by higher values of yellowness, although they also exhibited lower pH and cooking loss. In terms of texture analysis of the pectoralis major muscle, the meat of females was characterized by higher tenderness and firmness. However, the analysis of the structure showed that males had a thicker perimysium and endomysium. Regardless of broiler origin and sex, significant differences were found between the breast and leg muscles in terms of the assessed physicochemical features (pH24, EC24, cooking loss), color attributes (Lab) and chemical composition (protein, intramuscular fat, and collagen contents). Genotype and sex interactions were significant for the chemical composition of the breast muscles (protein, fat, collagen) and leg muscles (fat), as well as for the yellow color saturation of the breast muscles and springiness of the pectoralis major muscle. The study produced results that showed the meat and carcasses of spent hens and roosters to be suitable for processing due to their favorable chemical composition, high nutritional value and good technological properties, as assessed based on the results of meat texture and structure.

N,S-codoped carbon encapsulated Co3S4@NiS/Cu2S hierarchical yolk-shell nanopolyhedron as bifunctional catalyst for efficient photovoltaics and alkaline hydrogen evolution

The yolk-shell structure electrocatalysts formed by polymetallic sulfides hold great promise in a variety of energy conversion/storage fields. Herein, the nitrogen/sulfur codoped porous carbon encapsulated Co3S4@NiS/Cu2S nanopolyhedrons (NSC-Co3S4@NiS/Cu2S) with hierarchical yolk-shell structures were successfully designed and synthesized by a facile one-step high-temperature degradation of zeolite imidazolate framework-67 (ZIF-67) wrapped with metal-doped trithiocyanuric acid (TCA-M). Trithiocyanuric acid played a dual role, not only providing nitrogen, sulfur, and carbon sources, but also playing a role in the sulfurization of metal elements. It is worth noting that, due to the higher specific surface area, unique morphology, multi-element synergies, and more favorable chemical composition, the synthesized samples possessed outstanding bifunctional electrocatalytic performance for dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) and hydrogen evolution reactions (HERs). Experimental results showed that NSC-Co3S4@NiS/Cu2S electrode has a high photoelectric conversion efficiency (9.57%) in DSSCs. In addition, NSC-Co3S4@NiS/Cu2S electrode also showed a lower initial overpotential (65.1 mV) and Tafel slope (49.7 mV dec-1) in the alkaline HERs test. The present approach has proposed a new synthetic idea of hierarchical yolk-shell metal sulfide in different new energy catalysis fields.

Svojstva svježeg i očvrsnulog betona s dodatkom crvenog mulja i silicijske prašine

In recent years, various studies have been conducted on the utilisation of bauxite residue from alumina production (known as red mud) in the construction industry. It is particularly noteworthy as a partial replacement for cement in concrete because of its favourable chemical composition. In this study, red mud and silica fume were investigated as partial replacements for cement in concrete. Five mixtures were tested. Herein, cement was replaced with red mud at 0, 5, 10, 15 and 20 % by cement mass. Furthermore, cement was replaced by silica fume at 10 % by cement mass in all the mixtures. The workability, bulk density, and air content were tested to evaluate the properties of the fresh concrete. The bulk density, water absorption, compressive strength, splitting tensile strength, water penetration, and freeze–thaw resistance were tested to evaluate the properties of the hardened concrete. The results indicated that for a low red mud content, reasonable fresh and hardened concrete properties were achieved.

Analysis of the effect of cerium on the formation of non-metallic inclusions in low-carbon steel

The research focused on the influence of cerium on the chemical composition and morphology of non-metallic inclusions in pre-oxidised steel to which Al, Ca, and Ce was added in different amount and order. Calculations were carried out using our own computer program. The simulation results obtained according to two calculation models helped identify precipitates from the Ce–O–S system. The possibility of CeN formation was also identified. The trace amounts of these inclusions were also found in the results. Consideration of the physicochemical phenomena at the boundary, as well as the interfacial partitioning and the sulfur partition coefficient, influences the favourable chemical composition of the inclusions, limiting it mainly to compounds from the Al2O3, Ce2O3, and CaS systems. It was found that the addition of Ce before Ca causes the elimination of MnS precipitates and Ca-containing inclusions in the steel.

Effect of electrolyte composition on the surface characteristics of plasma electrolytic oxidation coatings over Ti[sbnd]40Nb alloy

The present work aims to develop corrosion-resistant and cytocompatible coatings on Ti40Nb alloy by the plasma electrolytic oxidation (PEO) process. Usually, PEO coatings on niobium substrate with superior surface characteristics are obtained using a silicate-based electrolyte system, and a phosphate-based electrolyte system is used for titanium substrate. Till date, electrolyte system composition is not optimised for the PEO coatings on Ti40Nb alloys. To study the influence of electrolyte composition on PEO coating properties over Ti40Nb alloy, three different concentrations of phosphate and silicate (75:25, 50:50, and 25:75) and a fixed amount of KOH were used, and their surface characteristics and corrosion properties were evaluated in this study. We found that coatings formed with an equal proportion of phosphate and silicate in an electrolyte system are dense, compact, thick and corrosion-resistant. A coating aimed for high bioactivity is also developed by adding hydroxyapatite (HA) nanoparticles to an equal proportion (50:50) electrolyte system. After the successful development of the PEO coatings over Ti40Nb alloy, its phase composition, surface morphological features, wettability, scratch resistance, and corrosion properties are examined. The cell viability and live/dead cell morphology of L-929 fibroblast cells were evaluated for untreated Ti40Nb alloy, PEO-treated Ti40Nb alloy, and Ti40Nb alloy PEO-treated with hydroxyapatite nanoparticles. All surface-modified samples exhibited better corrosion resistance than the untreated alloy. Ti40Nb alloy PEO treated with phosphate: silicate electrolyte system (50:50) exhibited better scratch resistance, higher wettability, bioactivity, favourable chemical composition, and surface morphological features than the other ratios of phosphate and silicate (25:75 and 75:25). Meanwhile, Ti40Nb alloy PEO treated with hydroxyapatite nanoparticles addition showed better cytocompatibility than without HA addition.

Effect of garden and park waste hydrochar and biochar in soil application: a comparative study

Thethermochemical treatments of biowaste yield alternative renewable carbon-rich materials, while achieving waste valorization. These technologies allow to reduce amount of biowaste and enhance its life span avoiding the landfill disposal. The agronomic application as a soil amendment strategy using fresh hydrochar (obtained via the hydrothermal treatment of garden and park waste (GPW) at 180 °C for 1 h), post-treated hydrochar (washed, aged, and thermally treated), and biochar (obtained via the pyrolysis of GPW at 900 °C for 90 min) has been studied and compared in order to stablish the best approach for its valorization. We evaluated the effects of mixing fresh hydrochar (1–5% on dry weight) with different peat-based growth substrates on the seed germination index as well as the fresh and dry weights of Arabidopsis thaliana, Chenopodium quinoa, and Solanum lycopersicum (tomato). We also performed a germination assay with marginal agricultural soil mixed with fresh and post-treated chars as well as biochar using the same doses. All carbonaceous materials complied with the European legal framework being categorized as a class A amendment and present a favorable chemical composition for their agronomic use, carbon sources with a low heavy-metal content, and a high mineral and organic matter content. Application of post-treated hydrochar to the agricultural marginal soil improved the germination index of tomato seeds (by 10–20%) at low dosages (< 3% on dry weight) when washed and thermally treated hydrochar was used. However, fresh hydrochar negatively affected seed germination and plant growth when applied to marginal soil and peat-based growth media, particularly sandy substrates. Washing improved the germination index (by approximately 18%), reduced 90% of the total volatile fatty acid content, and effectively removed furans, amines, amides, pyridines, pyrazines, benzoic compounds, and organic acids that can affect seed germination and plant growth. Because the use of hydrochar in soils for agricultural purposes requires post-treatment to alleviate germination and plant growth inhibition, washing is the most suitable option considering the energy and technological requirements.

CLASSIFICAÇÃO DAS CINZAS DERIVADAS DAS BIOMASSAS DE ABACAXI E CACAU – GRANDE OFERTA NO ESTADO DO PARÁ – POTENCIAL USO COMO FERTILIZANTE ALTERNATIVO

The main objective of this work was to evaluate the fertilizing potential of ash derived from pineapple crown (Ananas Comosus) and cocoa pericarp (Theobroma cacao) biomasses, abundant in the state of Pará, through a classification based on chemical composition and acidity type, complemented with a mineralogical characterization and chemical details using XRD, XRF, FTIR, and immediate chemical analysis (moisture, fixed carbon, and ash content). The results revealed that the pineapple crown ash and cocoa pericarp ash have average yields of 6.2 and 8.8 %, respectively, and present favourable chemical composition and acidity for use in soil improvement regarding contribution of nutrients and acidity correction. Both classified as K-type with low acidity. K2O content ~ 51 and 68 %, respectively. In general, there are considerable amounts of: P, Ca, Mg, and S. Finally, according to a current vision of green logistics, the use of ash in local agricultural production points to a good circular economy option in the Amazon, adding value to a second generation residue and still bringing economic and environmental gains. Keywords: Biomass ash; ash characterization; alternative fertilizer.

Surface modification of Co3O4 nanostructures using wide range of natural compounds from rotten apple juice for the efficient oxygen evolution reaction

In this study, a new strategy has been produced to use a rotten apple juice as a source for the surface modification of Co3O4 nanostructures, giving rise to efficient electro-catalysts for driving oxygen evolution reaction (OER) at relatively low over potential. We have studied the morphology, chemical composition, and crystalline aspects of Co3O4 nanostructures using different analytical techniques. The Co3O4 nanostructures grown with rotten apple juice were observed with low impurity of Fe and P, surface modification, reduced particle size, high concentration of oxygen vacancies, defects and cubic phase of Co3O4. Furthermore, we have used the surface modified Co3O4 nanostructures for water electrolysis and noticed the significant performance towards OER in alkaline conditions. The electrochemical characterization revealed that the Co3O4 nanostructure prepared with 20 mL of rotten apple juice exhibits an overpotential value of 269 mV at 20 mA/cm2 current density. The charge transport resistance (Rct) at the interface was estimated around 118.9 Ω, confirming an excellent reaction kinetics on the Co3O4 nanostructures and highly supported efficient performance towards OER. The Co3O4 nanostructures prepared with 20 mL of rotten apple juice has shown an acceptable durability for 40 h, verifying the long-term use. The performance of Co3O4 nanostructures with apple juice could be attributed to high oxygen vacancies due to high density of Co2+ ions on the surface, impurities of Fe and P, reduced nanoparticle size, defects in the structures, and favorable chemical composition. At the end, surface modified Co3O4 nanostructures was observed as an outperformed electrocatalyst when prepared with rotten apple juice. Therefore, this can be used in diverse purposes including energy conversion and storage applications.

Meat (Longissimus lumborum Muscle) Quality in Males of the Family Cervidae

Abstract The quality of the longissimus lumborum muscle has been compared in male moose, red deer, fallow der and roe deer from wild populations. The results of this study indicated that Cervid meat had favorable chemical composition and high sensory quality but its properties were affected by the species of the animal. The highest quality was characterized roe deer meat. It was found that her meat had the best water-holding capacity and was most tender, and intramuscular fat had highest nutritional value. However, due to the high diversity and variation of factors affecting game meat quality, further research is needed to confirm the observed interspecific differences between members of the family Cervidae.

Comparison of Yield and Important Seed Quality Traits of Selected Legume Species

Legumes are of great economic importance. Depending on the species, they are cultivated for food, fodder, green manure, and even as ornamentals. Legume seeds contain many valuable nutrients and also anti-nutritional substances. The aim of the study is to compare important seed quality traits in pea (Pisum sativum L.), faba bean (Vicia faba L.), white lupin (Lupinus albus L.), narrow-leafed lupin (Lupinus angustifolius L.), and yellow lupine (Lupinus luteus L.) to soybean (Glycine max (L.) Merr.). It was shown that the obtained parameters were significantly affected by the interaction of species with the years of study. Soybean was characterized by high seed and protein yield and favorable seed chemical composition (protein, fat, phosphorus, potassium, magnesium, and micronutrients, except manganese). Faba bean yields were high but varied over the years. Faba bean seeds were rich in phosphorus and copper. Pea yielded satisfactorily, and the seeds contained high iron and low fiber contents. Of the three lupin species, white lupin yielded the highest, while narrow-leafed and yellow lupin yields were low. However, yellow lupin seeds had a favorable chemical composition because they were rich in protein, calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, copper, and zinc. In conclusion, legumes are valued worldwide and could be a base for the development of many functional foods to promote human health.

Development of biocompatible and corrosion-resistant plasma electrolytic oxidation coating over zinc for orthopedic implant applications

The potential use of zinc in biomaterials is immense and lies unexplored to a greater extent. The recent research on zinc indicates the possibility of utilising zinc as a biodegradable biomaterial. Zinc-based materials with reduced corrosion rates in biological media may enable them as temporary orthopedic implant applications. This work aims to develop a biocompatible and corrosion-resistant plasma electrolytic oxidation (PEO) based coating over zinc. Different PEO coatings were fabricated on zinc in electrolyte systems consisting of various percentages of sodium meta silicate and borax decahydrate (75:25, 50:50, and 25:75) and a fixed amount of potassium hydroxide. After the successful fabrication of the PEO coating over the zinc, its morphological features, coating adhesion strength, wettability, corrosion resistance, and, most importantly, cytotoxicity is examined. The coating was peeled off on sample PEO treated with silicate to the borax decahydrate ratio of 75:25. In contrast, higher coating thickness, good corrosion and scratch resistance without any peeling were observed for the samples with silicate to borax decahydrate ratios of 50:50 and 25:75. Meanwhile, the cytotoxicity tests showed that the sample coated in the electrolyte comprised of an equal proportion of silicate and borax decahydrate (50:50) is better than the one coated in silicate: borax decahydrate ratio of 25:75, due to its favourable chemical composition, roughness, and wettability. Considering the physicochemical properties and biocompatibility, it can be concluded that the Zn PEO treated with silicate and borax decahydrate (50:50) is the appropriate candidate material for orthopedic applications.

Contribution to Understanding of Synergy between Red Mud and Common Supplementary Cementitious Materials.

Recently, much attention has been paid to the reuse of bauxite residues from alumina production, also known as red mud, in the cement industry. Red mud bears the potential to improve concrete properties due to its favourable chemical composition and particle size. In this work, the synergy between locally available red mud and common supplementary cementitious materials such as fly ash, slag, calcined clay and limestone in cement mixes is investigated. All materials used were sourced from the immediate vicinity of the cement plant. The study of synergy involved the evaluation of the individual chemical reactivity of each material using the R3 test by isothermal calorimetry as well as their joint contribution to the heat of hydration and the composition of the reaction products of the paste and the compressive strength of the mortar. The results show how, by understanding the synergy between the materials, a higher level of cement substitutions can be achieved without compromising the mechanical properties of the mortar.

ОЦЕНКА ПРИГОДНОСТИ ПОДЗЕМНЫХ ВОД ТУРИАНЧАЙ-ГИРДИМАНЧАЙСКОГО МЕЖДУРЕЧЬЯ ДЛЯ ОРОШЕНИЯ

The article is devoted to determining the possibility of using groundwater with different degrees of mineralization and chemical composition for irrigation, which is spread in the area between the Turyanchay-Girdimanchay rivers. The efficiency of groundwater for irrigation, whose mineralization rate varies from 0.5 to 10 g/l, was assessed according to the methods and criteria adopted in the world countries. The suitability of groundwater for irrigation, which varies from 0.5 to 10 g/l, depends on the methods and criteria adopted in the world, including the degree of mineralization of water, irrigation coefficient, salinity hazard, sodium sorption coefficient, percentage of magnesium, rated for potential salinity and sodium carbonate residue. It has been determined that groundwater with a salinity of up to 3 g/l is fully suitable for irrigation according to all assessment criteria, water with a salinity of up to 5 g/l is suitable for irrigation, water with a salinity of 5-7 g/l is less efficient for irrigation. It is suitable in terms of irrigation coefficient, sodium sorption coefficient, salinity hazard and sodium carbonate residue, and according to three indicators it is not suitable for irrigation. Water with a salinity of 7-10 g/l is not suitable for irrigation according to all assessment criteria. However, these waters have a favorable chemical composition, neutral and balanced salt content, and in years of acute water shortage, groundwater with a salinity of 7-10 g/l can be used for irrigation of crops using special irrigation methods and technologies. At the same time, it was found that the groundwater is not contaminated. The content of pollutants and heavy metals in these waters does not exceed the permissible limits. The content of ni-trite in groundwater was 0.012-0.019 mg/l, nitrates - 1.10-1.72 mg/l, and the amount of ammonium - 0.07-0.08 mg/l. The amount of iron in heavy metals was 0.05-0.06, aluminum - 0.09-0.19, zinc - 0.004-0.005 mg/l. Metals copper and lead, as well as oil products were not found in the water. Biochemical oxygen consumption ranged from 1 to 5 mg/l.

NiCo2O4 nanostructures loaded onto pencil graphite rod: An advanced composite material for oxygen evolution reaction

Driving oxygen evolution reaction (OER) at extremely low overpotential and the blockage of oxygen gas inside the catalytic material leads to the deactivation of catalytic activity, therefore it is an essential step in electrochemical energy conversion systems, but still very challenging task. The clay minerals including bentonite and kaolinite are rich with plenty of active centers and favorable chemical composition for the catalysis applications but limited by the insulating properties, thus they cannot be used as an electrode material for the water splitting. The unique presence of clay minerals in the form of pencil graphite rod (PGR) and its attractive architecture enabled us to exploit advantageous features and use them as an in situ electrode for growth of metal oxide nanostructures for the electrolysis applications. The naturally inherent presence of SiO2 favors the catalytic properties and durability of the electrode whereas the MgO produces the abundant oxygen vacancies and Co3+ ions for OER process. Herein, we present a facile approach of using PGR as host substrate and co-catalyst for the loading of Co3O4, NiCo2O4 and NiO nanostructures and the modified electrode carried high porosity for easily bubbling of oxygen gas, plenty of intrinsic active centers coming from both clay minerals and metal oxides for excellent OER process. The fabricated electrode is physically well-characterized, and it has a natural ability to sustain a long term stability even at higher current densities and industrial electrolyzer conditions. The NiCo2O4/PGR, Co3O4/PGR, and NiO/PGR electrodes exhibit an overpotential of 234, 242 and 272 mV respectively at a current density of 100 mAcm−2 in 1.0 M KOH electrolytic solution. The presence of large number of oxygen vacancies through SiO2 and MgO, high Ni2+/Ni3+ and Co3+/Co2+ ratios, multi metal centers, large specific surface area, high pore volume, high electrochemical active surface area and fast charge transport within the NiCo2O4/PGR are the main reasons for its superfast OER kinetics. Thus, the proposed method of electrode design will pave a potential way for high performance electrochemical devices like metal air batteries, fuel cell and supercapacitors.

Variability of selected quantitative traits in new spring barley genotypes

The research included 19 breeding lines and 4 cultivars of spring barley from the preliminary field experiments harvested in 2020 in Radzików. All barley samples were characterized for the content of protein, non-starch polysaccharides (NSP) with soluble (S-NSP) and insoluble (I-NSP) fractions and β-glucan. Additionally, viscosity of water extracts (WEV) was measured to determine the functional properties of the grain. It was the most diverse parameter (CV = 27%) and was significantly correlated with β-glucan content (r = 0.50; for p &lt;0.05). This dependence is shown by the results obtained for the grain of the Avatar cultivar and the RAH 744/19 breeding line, in which the content of β-glucan (5.3% and 4.8%, respectively), as well as the WEV (3.3 mPa.s and 3.0 mPa.s, respectively) were the highest. The lowest content of β – glucan (3.5%) and one of the lowest WEV values (1.4 mPa.s) were observed for KWS Jessie cultivar. Principal component analysis (PCA) showed a substantial impact of the two components PC1 and PC2 on the variability of the analyzed material showing significant variability of the 5 barley genotypes and confirmed the previous results of biochemical analyzes. Our results made it possible to indicate several genotypes that may constitute a source of variability in breeding works aimed at improving the quality of barley. Presented study also show that the grain of some new barley genotypes, with a favorable chemical composition from a fodder and brewing perspective, is a good material for future use in industry.

Application of design of experiments (DoE) for optimised production of micro- and mesoporous Norway spruce bark activated carbons

In this work, Norway spruce (Picea abies (Karst) L.) bark was employed as a precursor to prepare activated carbon using zinc chloride (ZnCl2) as a chemical activator. The purpose of this study was to determine optimal activated carbon (AC) preparation variables by the response surface methodology using a Box–Behnken design (BBD) to obtain AC with high specific surface area (SBET), mesopore surface area (SMESO), and micropore surface area (SMICR). Variables and levels used in the design were pyrolysis temperature (700, 800, and 900 °C), holding time (1, 2, and 3 h), and bark/ZnCl2 impregnation ratio (1, 1.5, and 2). The optimal conditions for achieving the highest SBET were as follows: a pyrolysis temperature of 700 °C, a holding time of 1 h, and a spruce bark/ZnCl2 ratio of 1.5, which yielded an SBET value of 1374 m2 g−1. For maximised mesopore area, the optimal condition was at a pyrolysis temperature of 700 °C, a holding time of 2 h, and a bark/ZnCl2 ratio of 2, which yielded a SMESO area of 1311 m2 g−1, where mesopores (SMESO%) comprised 97.4% of total SBET. Correspondingly, for micropore formation, the highest micropore area was found at a pyrolysis temperature of 800 °C, a holding time of 3 h, and a bark/ZnCl2 ratio of 2, corresponding to 1117 m2 g−1, with 94.3% of the total SBET consisting of micropores (SMICRO%). The bark/ZnCl2 ratio and pyrolysis temperature had the strongest impact on the SBET, while the interaction between temperature and bark/ZnCl2 ratio was the most significant factor for SMESO. For the SMICRO, holding time was the most important factor. In general, the spruce bark AC showed predominantly mesoporous structures. All activated carbons had high carbon and low ash contents. Chemical characterisation indicated that the ACs presented disordered carbon structures with oxygen functional groups on the ACs’ surfaces. Well-developed porosity and a large surface area combined with favourable chemical composition render the activated carbons from Norway spruce bark with interesting physicochemical properties. The ACs were successfully tested to adsorb sodium diclofenac from aqueous solutions showing to be attractive products to use as adsorbents to tackle polluted waters.Graphical abstract