Ga Content Research Articles

Ash Properties and Environmental Impact of Coal and Its Blend with Patent Fuel for Climate Sustainability

Fossil fuels are still widely used today, and exploring more sustainable ways of using coal is crucial. One promising approach is to develop a patented fuel with reduced harmful gas emissions during combustion. This study aims to investigate the properties of the ash produced by burning steam coal mixed with various ratios of patent fuel. The combustion process was carried out using a standard solid fuel boiler with a power output of 70 kW. The ash samples were analyzed using various analytical methods, and ash leaching tests were conducted. The study found that adding patent fuel to coal affects combustion and ash composition. Determining the thermal stability of ash samples showed that adding patent fuel to coal results in decomposition starting earlier and in stronger combustion. The ash produced by patent fuel–coal mixtures contains lower concentrations of Ba, Cr, Ga, Li, Mn, V, and Zn than pure coal combustion. Leaching tests showed that coal ash leachates had higher concentrations of environmental pollutants, such as As, Cd, Co, Mn, Mo, Sb, and U, than patent fuel leachates. Adding patent fuel to coal affects combustion, ash properties, emissions, and disposal. Understanding these implications can help to develop sustainable coal usage and reduce environmental impact.

Thermal fixation technologies affect phenolic profile, ginkgolides, bilobalide, product quality, and ginkgolic acids in Ginkgo biloba leaf tea.

Ginkgo biloba leaves (GBLs) contain high phytoconstituents, but ginkgolic acids (GAs, the main toxic compound in GBLs) have limited its applications. Processing Ginkgo biloba dark tea (GBDT) using fixation technology could decrease the toxic compounds; retain flavonoids, ginkgolides, and bilobalide; and improve the product quality. For the first time, various thermal fixations (hot air fixation [HAF], iron pot fixation [IPF], and boiled water fixation [BWF]) followed by rolling, fermentation, and drying were applied to produce GBDT. A comprehensive analysis of the toxicants (GAs), main bioactive compounds (ginkgolides and bilobalide, flavonoids, antioxidants, and phenolic profiles), and product qualities (moisture content, reducing sugar [RS], free amino acids [FAAs], enzyme activity, color properties, antioxidant capacity, etc.) were evaluated. The results revealed that thermal fixations BWF and HAF significantly reduced the GA contents (41.1%-34.6%). Most terpene lactones showed significant differences in control, IPF, and HAF. The HAF had lower total flavonoid content (TFC) than BWF and IPF. The control group (unfixated) had the highest toxic components (GA), terpene trilactones, and TFC compared with various fixations. Adding different fixations to rolling, fermentation, and drying had various impacts on GBDT, and principal component analysis supported the results. Among four thermal fixations, HAF yielded the best results in RS, FAA, total phenolic content, and antioxidant activities, while IPF had the highest TFC. BWF had the lowest content for GA. In conclusion, HAF (6) was chosen as the best technique for producing GBDT since it preserved GBDT's bioactive components while lowering its toxic components.

Trace element concentrations and chemical zoning of spodumene from magmatic and hydrothermal origins

Spodumene is a major lithium ore mineral mined from granitic pegmatites and can crystallize (1) from magma, (2) from hydrothermal fluid in miarolitic cavities or fracture-filling units, or (3) as a product of petalite breakdown. Although spodumene’s purity influences the economic value of lithium ore, its trace-element geochemistry is not entirely understood. This study investigated 24 unaltered spodumene samples from 21 localities formed through each of these three modes of origin. The chemical zoning of each spodumene sample was characterized using cathodoluminescence (CL), micro-X-Ray fluorescence mapping (µXRF), and/or qualitative laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS) line scans, whereas the concentrations of trace elements were quantified using LA-ICP-MS point analyses. Intra-crystalline chemical zoning was present in all three spodumene types as either oscillatory growth bands and/or sector zoning. For the four most abundant transition and post-transition metals analyzed (Fe, Mn, Ga, Sn), the concentrations ranged from below detection to 10510 ppm (Fe), 1850 ppm (Mn), 300 ppm (Ga), 320 ppm (Sn), whereas Rb and Cs were below detection. Magmatic spodumene had the highest mean concentrations of Fe (2345 ppm) and Sn (94 ppm), hydrothermal spodumene had the highest mean concentrations of Mn (641 ppm) and Ga (94 ppm), and spodumene formed from the breakdown of petalite consistently had the lowest mean concentrations, though there was significant overlap in the datasets. In addition, texturally similar spodumene-quartz intergrowths of primary and secondary origins were distinguished via trace-element geochemistry. Principle component analysis of Fe, Mn, Ga, Sn, Ti, and Zn values from all 325 LA-ICP-MS measurements showed discrimination by CL color, as well as color in handsample for gem-varieties of hydrothermal spodumene.

Novel compounds in the Sc-rich part of the systems Sc-{Co,Pd,Pt}-Ga: Structure and bonding

The present paper comprises a detailed structural analysis of two novel compounds in the Sc-Co-Ga system: τ3-Sc50Co13Ga3 (space group Fm-3; ε-Mg26-xAg7+x type), and τ4-Sc6Co1.73+x+yGa1-x (space group Immm; x=0.43; y=0.14; Ho6Co2Ga derivative type). Although alloys in the isothermal section are oxygen-free, the alloy of τ3, prepared for single crystal growth via partial melting in an alumina crucible, contained a minor amount of oxygen and can be considered as oxygen-stabilized Sc50Co13Ga3O1.1 (WDX-data). A search for homologous compounds in the systems Sc-{Pd,Pt}-Ga prompted the existence of two compounds Sc54{Pd,Pt,Ga}17, which from X-ray single crystal analyses proved both to be isotypic with the Hf54Os17-type structure (space group Immm). Whereas Sc54(Pd0.652Ga0.348)17 has a very limited homogeneity region at 850°C, Sc54(Pt1-xGax)17 exhibits at 850°C a large homogeneity region (0<x<0.28) extending from Ga-rich Sc76Pt17.2Ga6.8≡Sc54(Pt0.72Ga0.28)17 to novel binary Sc54Pt17. Interestingly, against the usual trend of solution hardening, hardness, Young's modulus and fracture toughness all decrease with increasing Ga-content: this effect is less pronounced for Sc54(Pd1-xGax)17 than for Sc54(Pt1-xGax)17 and is in line with DFT calculations indicating a weakening of bonding with increasing Ga content, thereby overcompensating the solution hardening effect. DFT modeling showed a common bonding feature for all the studied compounds – a strong electron localization inside the Sc6 octahedra, stacking of which leads to the formation of Mackay icosahedra in Sc54(Pd1-xGax)17, Sc54(Pt1-xGax)17, and Sc50Co13Ga3. The band structure of Sc6Co2.25Ga0.625 and Sc50Co13Ga3 indicates their metallic behavior, while Sc54(Pd1-xGax)17 and Sc54(Pt1-xGax)17 show distinct semimetal features. All investigated compounds in this work show similar trends in Bader charge distribution with a positively charged Sc-sublattice and a negatively charged sublattice formed by transition metals (Co, Pd, Pt) and Ga.

In Vitro Shoot Multiplication and Rooting of 'Kashan' and 'Hervy Azerbaijan' Damask Rose (Rosa damascena Mill.) Genotypes for Cosmetic and Ornamental Applications.

The damask rose (Rosa damascena Mill.) is an ornamental-medicinal plant from the Rosaceae family, and its aromatic compounds and essential oils are applied globally in the food, cosmetic, and pharmaceutical industries. Due to its economic value, this research aimed to establish a protocol for an efficient, rapid, and cost-effective method for in vitro shoot multiplication and rooting of the R. damascena 'Kashan' and 'Hervy Azerbaijan' genotypes. Nodal segments (as primary explants) were cultured on the Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium with combinations of various plant growth regulators (PGRs) such as gibberellic acid (GA3), 6-benzylaminopurine (BAP), and indole-3-butyric acid (IBA), as well as a PGR-like substance, phloroglucinol (PG), vitamins such as ascorbic acid (AA), and activated carbon in the form of active charcoal (AC). For the establishment stage, 0.1 mg·L-1 PG, 0.2 mg·L-1 GA3, and 1 mg·L-1 BAP were added to the media. Secondary explants (nodal segments containing axillary buds produced from primary explants) were obtained after 30 days of in vitro culture and transferred to the proliferation media supplemented with different concentrations of BAP (0, 0.5, 1, 1.5, 2, and 2.5 mg·L-1) and GA3 (0, 0.1, 0.2, 0.4, 0.8, and 1 mg·L-1) together with 0.1 mg·L-1 PG and 20 mg·L-1 of AA. The rooting media were augmented with different concentrations of BAP and GA3 with 0.1 mg·L-1 of IBA, PG and 20 mg·L-1 of AA and AC. The results showed that the highest regeneration coefficient (4.29 and 4.28) and the largest number of leaves (23.33-24.33) were obtained in the explants grown on the medium supplemented with 2 mg·L-1 BAP and 0.4 mg·L-1 GA3 for the 'Kashan' and 'Hervy Azerbaijan' genotypes, respectively. Likewise, this PGR combination provided the shortest time until bud break (approximately 6.5 days) and root emergence (approximately 10 days) in both genotypes. The highest number of shoots (4.78 per explant) and roots (3.96) was achieved in this medium in the 'Kashan' rose. Stem and root lengths, as well as stem and root fresh and dry weights, were also analyzed. In most measured traits, the lowest values were found in the PGRs-free control medium. Rooted plantlets were transferred to pots filled with perlite and peat moss in a 2:1 proportion and were acclimatized to ambient greenhouse conditions with a mean 90.12% survival rate. This research contributes significantly to our understanding of Damask rose propagation and has practical implications for the cosmetic and ornamental plant industries. By offering insights into the manipulation of regeneration processes, our study opens up new possibilities for the effective production of high-quality plant material.

Effect of Ga substitution on grain orientation and magnetostrictive properties of polycrystalline CoFe2O4 ceramics prepared by the solid-state method

As a kind of magnetostrictive ceramics, cobalt ferrites are widely concerned because of its large magnetostriction and high resistivity, which are ideal for high-frequency applications. But, the high driving magnetic field due to the high magnetocrystalline anisotropy limits the practical applications of cobalt ferrites, thus, it is a still a challenge to find a balance between high magnetostriction properties and low driving magnetic fields. In this work, we investigated the effects of partially substitution of Ga3+ for Fe3+ on grain orientation and magnetic properties, attempting to maintain high magnetostriction while reducing the driving magnetic field. The CoFe2-xGaxO4 (x=0, 0.05, 0.1, 0.15) with single-phase spinel structure were prepared by the conventional solid-state method. The saturation magnetization MS increased with the increase of Ga concentration, meanwhile the coercivity Hc and magnetocrystalline anisotropy constant K1 significantly decreased, which indicates the better soft magnetic characteristics of the Ga-doped cobalt ferrites. The oriented CoFe2-xGaxO4 samples were obtained using magnetic field orientation technique during the powder forming process. The <001> preferred orientation was achieved in CoFe2O4 samples. However, the <001> orientation degree decreased with the substitution of Ga, and the preferred orientation has changed into <111> at x=0.15. The Ga substitution affected the magnetocrystalline anisotropy and grain orientation, thereby affecting the magnetostrictive properties. As for the non-oriented samples, although the maximum magnetostrictive strain slightly decreased with Ga substitution, while there was a significant drop in the magnetostrictive saturation field. However, the magnetostriction of the oriented samples decreased significantly with the substitution of Ga due to the change of grain orientation from <001> to <111>.

Stacked mutations in wheat homologues of rice SEMI-DWARF1 confer a novel semi-dwarf phenotype

BackgroundSemi-dwarfing alleles are used widely in cereals to confer improved lodging resistance and assimilate partitioning. The most widely deployed semi-dwarfing alleles in rice and barley encode the gibberellin (GA)-biosynthetic enzyme GA 20-OXIDASE2 (GA20OX2). The hexaploid wheat genome carries three homoeologous copies of GA20OX2, and because of functional redundancy, loss-of-function alleles of a single homoeologue would not be selected in wheat breeding programmes.Instead, approximately 70% of wheat cultivars carry gain-of-function mutations in REDUCED HEIGHT 1 (RHT1) genes that encode negative growth regulators and are degraded in response to GA. Semi-dwarf Rht-B1b or Rht-D1b alleles encode proteins that are insensitive to GA-mediated degradation. However, because RHT1 is expressed ubiquitously these alleles have pleiotropic effects that confer undesirable traits in some environments.ResultsWe have applied reverse genetics to combine loss-of-function alleles in all three homoeologues of wheat GA20OX2 and its paralogue GA20OX1 and evaluated their performance in three years of field trials. ga20ox1 mutants exhibited a mild height reduction (approximately 3%) suggesting GA20OX1 plays a minor role in stem elongation in wheat. ga20ox2 mutants have reduced GA1 content and are 12–32% shorter than their wild-type segregants, comparable to the effect of the Rht-D1b ‘Green Revolution’ allele. The ga20ox2 mutants showed no significant negative effects on yield components in the spring wheat variety ‘Cadenza’.ConclusionsOur study demonstrates that chemical mutagenesis can expand genetic variation in polyploid crops to uncover novel alleles despite the difficulty in identifying appropriate mutations for some target genes and the negative effects of background mutations. Field experiments demonstrate that mutations in GA20OX2 reduce height in wheat, but it will be necessary to evaluate the effect of these alleles in different genetic backgrounds and environments to determine their value in wheat breeding as alternative semi-dwarfing alleles.

Effect of Ga doping on the structural, optical, and electrical properties of ZnO nanopowders elaborated by sol-gel method

Nanostructured ZnO has received a considerable amount of interest, owing to its unique physical and chemical characteristics, as well as its remarkable performance in the fields of electronics, optics, and photonics. This work aims to study the influence of Ga dopant on the structural, optical, and electrical properties of ZnO nanopowders. Undoped and Ga-doped ZnO (GZO) nanopowders were successfully synthesised with the soft chemical sol-gel method. The solution was prepared using zinc acetate dihydrate and gallium (III) nitrate hydrate as precursors. The ethylene glycol is used as solvent. The X-ray diffractometer, scanning electronic microscope (SEM), UV–Vis, FTIR, and four-point probe method are used to analyse the properties of the synthesised powders. XRD and FTIR measurements show the growth of pure and Ga-doped ZnO crystals, which have a hexagonal wurtzite structure, and the average crystallite size varies from 9.09 nm to 24.8 nm. The nanospherical morphology of the nanopowders synthesised can be seen in the SEM images. The UV–visible spectroscopy shows that the optical gap energy increases with Ga concentration, from 3.59 eV to 3.67 eV. The I-V electrical measurements indicate that the breakdown voltage and the non-linear coefficient increase with Ga doping. This study will open the way for the investigation of a relationship between the electrical and nanostructural features of ZnO-based varistors for future device applications.

Altered spinels act as a mirror of multi-episodic fluid metasomatism in the forearc mantle: An example from the Minhe ophiolite in Qilian Orogen, NW China

Forearc mantle peridotites commonly undergo complex melt/fluid metasomatism, which inevitably has a considerable influence on their geochemical compositions at the whole-rock scale. Serpentinites predominantly comprise the Minhe ophiolite, which is a fragment of the Proto-Tethys Ocean that outcrops in the Qilian Orogen in NW China. These serpentinites contain zoned spinels that vary compositionally from the centers to the margins, with a spinel core overgrown by ferritchromite layer and magnetite at the outermost rim. The mineral chemistry of the spinel cores (i.e., Cr#, Mg#, Cr2O3, and Al2O3) suggests that the protolith of the serpentinites was an oceanic mantle remnant in a forearc setting. Moreover, the ferritchromite exhibited increases in Fe, Mn, Sc, and Ni contents and decreases in Mg, Cr, Al, V, Zn, and Ga contents. Considering the linear correlation among elements (e.g., Co, Ni, and Zn) and the absence of mineral inclusions, the ferritchromite likely formed through ionic substitutions induced by slab fluids. The magnetite was enriched in Cr, Ni, V, Zn, Co, and Cu, but did not have a magmatic origin owing to low V concentrations. All evidence indicates that the peridotites underwent at least two episodes of fluidic metasomatism in the subduction zone. During early slab subduction, aqueous fluids released from the dehydration of the subducted slab directly serpentinized the forearc mantle peridotites, thereby altering the olivine and orthopyroxene to lizardite/chrysotile. During this process, certain mobile elements (e.g., Fe, Ni, and Mn) in the fluids and/or olivine serpentinization were incorporated into existing spinels, favoring ferritchromite growth. The second fluidic episode was dependent on prograde metamorphism at greater depths in the subduction channel, which not only produced antigorite via the recrystallization of lizardite and chrysotile, but also drove the fluids towards a more oxidizing state, thereby facilitating the growth of Cr-magnetites. Subsolidus re-equilibration controlled by fluid infiltration further promoted the inter-diffusion of elements (e.g., Cr, V, Co, Ni, Cu, and Zn) in the zoned spinels.

Subnanometric Pt-Ga alloy clusters confined within Silicalite-1 zeolite for n-hexane dehydrogenation

Dehydrogenation of light naphtha followed by catalytic cracking into high-value end products can meet the high demand in the world’s petrochemical market. In this work, at attempting synthesis of novel catalysts for hexane dehydrogenation, a series of bimetallic Pt-Ga clusters encapsulated within Silicalite-1 (S-1) catalysts were synthesized using the ligand-protected direct H2 reduction method. The reduced Pt-Ga@S-1-H catalysts comprised restricted ultra-fine Pt-Ga alloys with an average size 0.86–0.95 nm, mainly corresponding to the Pt3 clusters with coordinate number 1.5–2.1. Ga doping significantly improved the catalytic stability, depending on the Ga content, which ranged from 0.02 to 0.27 wt%. As confirmed by the XPS and EXAFS analysis, after the Ga addition, electron transfer occurred between the Pt-Ga alloys and the skeleton oxygen in zeolite, stabilizing the Pt clusters on the zeolite, thereby inhibiting the growth of Pt crystals. During the n-hexane dehydrogenation, the 0.40Pt0.04 Ga@S-1-H catalyst exhibited a hexene selectivity of 87.1 %, achieving a hexene formation rate of 101.4 molhexene∙gPt-1∙h−1 at 550 °C with a WHSV of 90 h−1. After 1000 min of reaction, this best catalyst experienced only slight deactivation with a deactivation constant of 0.066 h−1. The catalytic activity remained almost unchanged after consecutive five cycles of H2 regeneration. DFT calculation using the synchronous structural models showed that the Gibbs free energy changes (−ΔG) for the first three steps of hexane dehydrogenation over the 0.4Pt0.04 Ga@S-1-H catalyst were much lower than those obtained on the 0.4Pt/S-1-H catalyst, suggesting that the introduction of Ga energetically favored the hexane dehydrogenation.

Pengaruh Metode Aplikasi dan Konsentrasi Gibberellic Acid (GA3) terhadap Fase Pertumbuhan Vegetatif Tanaman Nanas (Ananas comosus [L.] Merr.)

Increasing the production of pineapple fruit can be done by manipulating the plant using Gibberellic Acid Growth Regulatory Substance (ZPT). The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of GA3 concentration and application method, as well as its interaction in increasing the vegetative growth of pineapple plants. Data collection was carried out in November 2022- February 2023 at a pineapple plantation company in Central Lampung. Treatments were arranged factorial (3x2) using a randomized block design with 3 replications. The first factor was Gibberellin (A) which consisted of three levels, (A1) 0 ppm GA3, (A2) 200 ppm GA3, and (A3) 400 ppm GA3. The second factor is the application method (B) which consists of 2 levels, namely (B1) Application on the top of the leaf (B2) Application on the bottom of the leaf. The observed variables included plant height, stem diameter, number of leaves, D-leaf length, D-leaf width, number of roots, root length, fresh weight of roots, fresh weight of plants. Homogeneity of variance between treatments was tested by Barlett's test and additivity using Tukey's test and then analysis of variance was carried out. Separation of the mean was carried out using the least significant difference test (LSD) at the 5% level. The results showed that 400 ppm GA3 was better than the control in affecting plant fresh weight with a difference of 630,7 g, the treatment of the application method on the leaves was better than the bottom leaf in affecting plant fresh weight with a difference 201,4 g. Treatment with a concentration of 40 ppm using the leaf application method was better than the control treatment. It is suggested to do further research related to the effect of giving GA3 on the generative phase of pineapple plants.Keywords : Gibberellic Acid, application method, pinneaple

Rational Design of Different Ga Content Bilayer InGaZnO Thin-Film Transistors With Al₂O₃/HfO₂ Passivation Layer

Rational Design of Different Ga Content Bilayer InGaZnO Thin-Film Transistors With Al₂O₃/HfO₂ Passivation Layer

High-quality Cr2O3 - Ga2O3 solid solutions films grown by mist-CVD epitaxy

Micron-thick layers of (Cr1-xGax)2O3 solid solutions were grown by modified mist chemical vapor deposition (mist-CVD) with three different Ga concentrations. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) methods were used to analyze the quality of the films. They showed good crystallinity, homogeneity and coalescence of the samples. Solid solution contents estimation was performed via applying Vegard’s law to XRD data and by its results the highest reached Cr:Ga ratio is approximately 1:1. Transmission spectra of solid solutions demonstrated blue-shift of the absorption edge with increase of the Ga contents. Optical bandgap increased from 3.06 eV for undoped Cr2O3 sample to 3.73 eV for the layer with the highest Ga concentration.

Experimental Investigation on Gallium and Germanium Migration in Coal Gangue Combustion

Gallium (Ga) and germanium (Ge) critical elements have a wide range of applications and market value. Extracting critical elements from coal gangue and combustion products can alleviate pressures on primary mining resources. Understanding the transformation behavior of Ga and Ge during coal gangue combustion processes is significant for resource utilization and environmental protection. Coal gangue from Xing’an League, Inner Mongolia, was chosen to explore how combustion temperatures (600 °C to 1000 °C) and particle sizes (50, 80, 10, 140, and 200 mesh) influence Ga and Ge migration during combustion. Techniques such as ICP-MS, XRD, XRF, SEM, TG-DSC, and sequential chemical extraction were employed to analyze the transformation of minerals and to quantify the contents and occurrence forms of Ga and Ge. Smaller gangue particle sizes were associated with higher concentrations of Ga and Ge. Approximately 99.19% of Ga and Ge in coal gangue were found in the residual, organic/sulfide-bound, and metal-oxide-bound modes. High temperatures promoted element volatilization and changed the reactions and interactions between elements and minerals. As combustion temperatures rose from 600 °C to 1000 °C, Ga and Ge contents in the products declined progressively. Under high temperatures, minerals like kaolinite, illite, and pyrite in gangue converted to silicate glass phases, mullite, and hematite. Minerals like kaolinite, calcite, and pyrite melted, leading to increased cohesion and agglomeration in the products. Over 90% of Ga and Ge in the combustion products existed in the residual, organic/sulfide-bound, and metal-oxide-bound forms. Moreover, Ga was enriched in combustion products, with its content exceeding critical extraction levels. The results may provide a useful reference for developing critical elements enrichment, extraction, and separation technologies from coal gangue.

Influence of Ga Content on the Ionic Conductivity of Li1+XGaXTi2-X(PO4)3 Solid-State Electrolyte Synthesized by the Sol-Gel Method

Influence of Ga Content on the Ionic Conductivity of Li1+XGaXTi2-X(PO4)3 Solid-State Electrolyte Synthesized by the Sol-Gel Method

Luminescence and scintillation properties of fast Ce,Mg:Lu2YGaxAl5-xO12 ceramic scintillators fabricated from co-precipitated powders

Ce,Mg:Lu2YGaxAl5-xO12 (x = 1.5, 2, 2.5, 3) ceramic scintillators were fabricated by oxygen sintering combined with air annealing using nano-powders synthesized by the co-precipitation method. The Ce3+ 5d1 → 4f (2F5/2, 2F7/2) luminescence band was blue shifted with increasing Ga content due to the decrease in the crystal field splitting of the 5d levels. At room temperature (RT), the decrease of photoluminescence decay time and scintillation decay time was observed with increasing Ga content. At 662 keV γ-rays, the sample Ga2 exhibited high light yield (LY) of 28,700 photons/MeV, fast scintillation decay times of 17.7 ns (17 %) + 45.7 ns (83 %), and good time resolution of ∼220 ps. At RT, the decrease of LY value for the samples Ga2.5 and Ga3 could be attributed to the larger thermal ionization of the excited Ce3+ centers.

Investigation of group 13 elements as potential candidates for p-type dopants in the narrow-gap thermoelectric semiconductor α-SrSi2

AbstractTo investigate the possibility of p-type doping of α-SrSi2, a promising as an eco-friendly thermoelectric material, the energy changes of substitutions of the Si site of α-SrSi2 by group 13 elements were evaluated using first-principles calculations. It is found that Ga doping was the most energetically favorable dopant while In is the most unfavorable. We examined the synthesis of Ga- and In-doped α-SrSi2 using the vertical Bridgeman method and investigated their thermoelectric properties. The Ga atoms were doped to α-SrSi2 successfully up to 1.0 at. %, while In atoms could not be doped as suggested by calculations. For experimental prepared Ga-doped samples, the carrier density was observed to increase with Ga doping, from 3.58 × 1019 cm−3 for undoped α-SrSi2 to 4.49 × 1020 cm−3 for a 1.0 at. % Ga-doped sample at 300 K. The temperature dependence of carrier concentrations was observed to change from negative to positive with increasing Ga content. In addition, the temperature dependence of the Seebeck coefficient was also observed to change from negative to positive with increasing Ga content. The results indicate that α-SrSi2 undergoes a semiconductor–metal transition with Ga doping. The power factor for the undoped sample was quite high, at 2.5 mW/mK2, while the sample with 0.3 at. % Ga had a value of 1.1 mW/mK2 at room temperature.

Preparation and good antibacterial properties of self-assembled P(AA-AM)/CA/GA fiber membrane by electrospinning

To reduce mortality rate caused by life-threatening bacterial infections, advanced antibacterial materials have attracted widespread attention from researchers worldwide. In this study, the antibacterial P(AA-AM)/CA/GA nanofiber membranes with pH-responsive properties were successfully prepared by facile electrospinning technology. A series of characterizations of the obtained nanofiber membranes showed the addition of P(AA-AM) improves the surface wettability of the as-spun fibers in comparison to those of CA and CA/GA nanofiber membranes. High-temperature treatment was found to enhance the mechanical properties of the P(AA-AM)/CA/GA membranes due to the crosslinking reactions. The prepared P(AA-AM)/CA/GA nanofiber membrane exhibits a pH-responsive effect which is evident by the change in GA’s release rate in solutions with different pH values. The cellulose acetate (CA) spinning nanofiber structure formed by P(AA-AM) coated GA also extended the release process of GA and improved the antibacterial timeliness of nanofiber membranes. The antibacterial experiments on E. coli and S. aureus showed that the electrospun nanofiber membranes containing GA had potent antibacterial properties, which were further enhanced by increasing the GA content in the P(AA-AM)/CA/GA blends. This study provides an insight into the design and preparation of pH-sensitive antibacterial materials using facile electrospinning technology.

The Effect of Glycyrrhizin on the Viability and Proliferation of Dental Pulp Stem Cells Compared to Intracanal Medicaments.

To study the effect of glycyrrhizin (GA) on the viability and proliferation of dental pulp stem cells (DPSCs) compared with intracanal medicaments. Third molars of an adult donor were used to obtain the DPSCs. Flow cytometry was utilized to conduct phenotypic analysis for DPSCs. The methyl-thiazol tetrazolium (MTT) test was used to detect the cell viability. Cell proliferation assay was conducted at distinct time intervals: 3, 5, and 7 days. The flow cytometry analysis verified the positive expression of mesenchymal cell surface antigen molecules (CD73, CD90, and CD105) and the absence of hematological markers (CD14, CD34, and CD45) in the DPSCs. The cells that treated with concentrations more than 0.5 mg/mL of Ca(OH2) and triple antibiotic paste (TAP) gave significant decrease in viability in comparison to the untreated cells (p < 0.05). Also, the cells treated with concentrations 50 and 25 µM of GA showed no significant difference compared with the untreated cells (p > 0.05), while concentrations 12.5 and 6.25 µM expressed a significant increase in viability compared with the untreated cells (p < 0.05). At 7 days, cells treated with the three different concentrations of GA (12.5, 25, and 50 µM) demonstrated a significant increase in cell density compared with Ca(OH)2 and TAP-treated cells (p < 0.05). Based upon the potential of GA on DPSCs proliferation compared with Ca(OH)2 and TAP, It is conceivable to acknowledge that GA could be used as an intracanal medicaments for revascularization process of necrotic immature teeth. This study emphasizes the significance of assessing alternative root canal medicaments and their impact on the proliferation and viability of DPSCs. The results regarding GA, specifically its impact on the viability and growth of DPSCs, provide essential understanding for its potential application as an intracanal medicine. This study adds to the continuous endeavors in identifying safer and more efficient intracanal therapies, which are essential for improving patient outcomes in endodontic operations. How to cite this article: Alrashidi MA, Badawi MF, Elbeltagy MG, et al. The Effect of Glycyrrhizin on the Viability and Proliferation of Dental Pulp Stem Cells Compared to Intracanal Medicaments. J Contemp Dent Pract 2024;25(3):267-275.

Investigation of structural, photo and thermoluminescence properties of YAGG:Ce nanogarnet for medical dosimetry application

Cerium-doped yttrium aluminum gallium garnet (YAGG:Ce3+) nanophosphors were synthesized using the sol-gel method. Mixed garnet of Y2.97Al5-xGaxO12:Ce0.03 was prepared with varying gallium content: x = 0, 1, 2 and 3 Ga. The effect of gallium substitutions on the structural, photo and thermoluminescence properties of the prepared nanophosphors were studied by X-ray diffraction (XRD), photoluminescence (PL) and thermoluminescence (TL) techniques. XRD results indicated that the single and pure cubic crystal phase was formed for all nanophosphor samples regardless of the Ga content. The PL spectra of all the samples exhibited a green-yellow emission band centered at 522 nm attributed to the 5d → 4f transitions of Ce3+ ions. The TL glow curve spectra recorded after β-particle irradiation showed a strong dependence in terms of position, shape and intensity, of all temperature peaks with the Ga content. The highest TL sensitivity was observed for the sample prepared with x = 2 Ga, with main peak arising at low temperature (85 °C). The sample prepared at x = 1 Ga exhibited also high TL sensitivity with a simple glow curve spectrum showing a main peak at high temperature (∼158 °C). Thus, the linear dose response of this sample has been investigated in the wide dose range from 0.125 to 100 Gy in order to evaluate the potentiality of this material for radiation dosimetry applications.