Physiochemical Characteristics Research Articles

Soil Quality Variations Across Different Land Use Patterns in Central Doon Valley of Dehradun, India: A Comparative Study

Soil is the most basic and yet most complex component of terrestrial ecosystems. It regulates most of the ecosystem processes and provides a large part of the earth’s biodiversity for the physical basis for many human activities. The major objectives of this study are to examine the physio-chemical characteristics of soil in both disturbed and undisturbed areas of Dehradun and to analyze soil pollution indices related to heavy metals in these areas. The study was conducted in the Suddhowala and Selaqui areas of Jhajra Forest Range, Dehradun, India. The soil samples were collected from six different land use patterns of SS1-SS6 from March to May (2024). The Physical parameters such as Moisture Content, Water Holding Capacity, and Electrical Conductivity, and the chemical parameters such as pH, Total Nitrogen, Organic Carbon, Organic Matter, Phosphorus, Potassium, and Sulphur were analyzed and the heavy metals such as Zinc, Boron, Copper, Manganese and Iron were measured. The geo-accumulation index (Igeo), enrichment factor (EF), degree of contamination (CD), and pollution load index (PLI) were studied. The study finds gaps in how micronutrient status is evaluated to meet the soil needs.

Physicochemical, Antioxidant Characteristics and Sensory Evaluation of Functional Pro‐Biogenic Ice Cream

ABSTRACTPro‐biogenic is a recent terminology widely used for products that combine biogenic materials and probiotics which has made progressive improvement in a new era of research on functional foods. This study aimed to develop functional ice cream with Bacillus coagulans and propolis extract (PE) as a biogenic part to develop ice cream's physiochemical and antioxidant characteristics. Five probiotic ice cream samples were prepared using different levels of PE powder (0%, 0.2%, 0.4%, 0.6%, and 0.8% w/w), and the physicochemical, total phenol content (TPC), antioxidant and sensory properties, and probiotic survival of the samples were examined. The study found that PE levels did not significantly impact fat, protein, carbohydrate, and ash content, overrun, melting rate, and adhesiveness of probiotic ice cream, but increased dry matter, apparent viscosity, and hardness. Adding PE to freeze‐storage samples significantly (p < 0.05) reduced pH and improved TPC and antioxidant activity. The prepared ice cream containing probiotic bacteria and PE extracts, despite their darker and yellower color, were acceptable based on sensory evaluation. Furthermore, the survival of probiotic bacteria in the ice cream, with different levels of PE appeared to be in acceptable limits (107 CFU/g). The findings of the research indicated that the pro‐biogenic ice cream has good functionality and incorporating a PE aside probiotic could improve physiochemical and antioxidant characteristics which can be used as a value‐added ingredient in the formulation of functional pro‐biogenic ice creams.

Performance of precursor characteristics in the realisation of geopolymer concrete: a review

Geopolymers are inorganic polymers whose formation is based on the reaction between precursors and reagents, which may be alkaline or acidic. The geopolymerisation process involves the reaction between alumina and silicate materials, known as precursors and reagents, which produces a three-dimensional polymeric network. This review provides a detailed classification of precursors used globally for geopolymer concrete (GPC) production, along with their various oxide contents. As the precursors used in the process of geopolymerisation involve a wide range of variations in their physio-chemical features, it is difficult to control the properties of GPC without going into a micro-level understanding of the precursor characteristics that affect the geopolymerisation mechanism. A comprehensive study was conducted on the influence of these physio-chemical precursor characteristics on the geopolymerisation process and the development of GPC properties. Finally, critical observations are drawn for the design of suitable precursors, along with possible methods to achieve the desired GPC property development.

Promising antibacterial performance of Ag-nanoparticles intercalated Nb2CTx MXene towards E. coli and S. aureus

MXenes are a group of two-dimensional (2D), atomically thin transition metal carbides, nitrides and carbon nitrides with a variety of desirable characteristics. Due to their exceptional physiochemical characteristics and ultrathin lamellar structure, MXenes have shown excellent antibacterial capabilities. Two-dimensional Nb2CTx MXene has been recently analyzed for potential applications in antibacterial materials. Due to the development of antibiotic-resistant bacteria further materials or composite materials need to be explored. In this work, we report the antibacterial properties of a composite of Nb2CTx and silver, synthesized using electrostatic self-assembly method. This work also demonstrates the optimization of the etching of Nb2CTx MXene for different time intervals and delamination of Nb2CTx MXene by using two different solvents i.e., tetramethylammonium hydroxide (TMAOH) and isopropyl amine. The antibacterial characteristics of Nb2CTx MXene, delaminated Nb2CTx MXene and Nb2CTx-Ag composite of 1:1 and 2:1 were tested and compared. This study demonstrates that Nb2CTx-Ag composite shows higher antibacterial properties than Nb2CTx and delaminated Nb2CTx MXene and could reach an antibacterial activity of 98.5 % for S. aureus and 100 % for E. coli.

Constructing ZnO/NiO Nanocomposites as a Photocatalyst and Investigating Photocatalytic Effectiveness for Wastewater Treatment.

The goal of the present work is to create ZnO/NiO nanocomposites (NCs) for the photocatalytic destruction of organic contaminants using the co-precipitation technique. To investigate physiochemical characteristics, FT-IR, UV visible spectroscopy, SEM, and XRD were used. The ZnO hexagonal phase and the NiO cubic phase in the ZnO/NiO NCs were verified by the diffraction pattern. NCs were discovered to have larger average crystallite sizes. The bandgap energy calculated from the Tauc plot for the ZnO is 3.02 and 2.74 eV for the ZnO/NiO NC's. SEM analysis revealed the morphological study and particle size was calculated using the histogram technique and found to be 124.5 nm for the ZnO and 49.2 nm for the ZnO/NiO NCs. Photocatalytic degradation in the presence of sunlight showed 72.8% degradation of Methylene blue (MB) for the ZnO and 79.2% for the ZnO/NiO NCs. The increase in the photocatalytic capablity for the NCs is attributed to the synergistic effect between ZnO and NiO which effectively separated charge carriers preventing greater recombination rate. The robustness of ZnO/NiO NCs as a catalyst option was shown by their exceptional performance.

Effectiveness of Different Packaging Materials on Storage Ability of Lime (Citrus aurantiifolia Swingle)

The present study was undertaken at the Department of Horticulture, College of Agriculture, Iroisemba, Central Agricultural University, Imphal during 2021–2022 with the objectives to study the effectiveness of different packaging materials on shelf life of lime and their impact on quality of fruit during storage. Acid lime is one of the important commercial cultivar in India. The genus is significant economically because many of its species are grown for their fruit, which is consumed raw or pressed to extract juice that is then preserved to make pickles and marmalades. Experimental design was followed in Randomised Block Design (RBD) constituting eight treatments combinations as follows: T1: Low density polyethylene (LDPE) bags without ventilation, T2: Low density polyethylene (LDPE) bags with 1% ventilation, T3: Low density polyethylene (LDPE) bags with 3% ventilation, T4: Low density polyethylene (LDPE) bags with 5% ventilation, T5: Tray overwrapping with cling film, T6: Vacuum packging, T7: Plastic punnet, T8: No Packaging (control). Physiological loss in weight (%), decay percentage (%), specific gravity (g cm-3), TSS (ºBrix), titrable acidity (%), TSS acid ratio, ascorbic acid (mg 100 ml-1) and sensory quality of the fruits were recorded at fixed interval of time period. From the obtained result, it can be concluded that vacuum packaging was found to be best treatment for extending shelf life of lime up to 36–38 days maintaining a low physiological loss in weight, good sensory, minimum spoilage and other physio-chemical characters at the same time under ambient condition of storage.

Composite membrane comprised of SnO2 nanoparticles loaded intercrosslinked network of Polyvinylalcohol and Chitosan for proton transfer membrane fuel cells

ABSTRACT In this work, an inter-crosslinked network membrane of polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) and chitosan (CS) and SnO2 nanocparticle-incorporated nanocomposite membranes of PVA and CS (PVA/CS/SnO2) having enhanced proton conductivity have been fabricated by the solvent-casting method. SnO2 nanoparticles are synthesized using a sol–gel method, and their crystalline nature, morphology and particle size are examined using X-ray diffraction analysis, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HR-TEM), and the characteristics of the membranes such as proton conductivity (PC), swelling ratio (SR), porosity, water uptake (WU), oxidative stability (OS), ion exchange capacity (IEC), and other common physiochemical characteristics were also assessed for both the bare and SnO2 nanoparticles loaded PVA/CS films. At room temperature (RT), the highest IEC rate of 0.94 mmol g−1 and proton conductivity value of 6.3 × 10−3 S cm−1 for PVA/CS/SnO2 were observed when 3 weight percent SnO2 nanoparticles were added to PVA/CS. Additionally, the PVA/CS/SnO2 compsoite membrane loaded with 3 wt% SnO2 NPs, at 80°C for 10 hours, showed outstanding OS with 12.3% degradation towards the Fenton reagent under anhydrous conditions. As this work combines the upgrading of commodity polymers, like PVA, to be employed in fuel cell devices, the nanocomposite membranes created in this work showed notable properties that may find a large place in the future fuel cell industry.

Artificially Engineered Nanoprobes for Ultrasensitive Magnetic Resonance Imaging.

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a noninvasive and radiation-free technique used for soft tissue. However, there are some limitations of the MRI modality, such as low sensitivity and poor image resolution. Artificially engineered magnetic nanoprobes have been extensively explored as a versatile platform for ultrasensitive MRI contrast agents due to their unique physiochemical characteristics and tunable magnetic properties. In this review, the emphasis is on recent progress in MRI nanoprobes with different structures and elements, including gadolinium-, iron-, manganese-based and metal-free nanoprobes. The key influencing factors and advanced engineering strategies for modulating the relaxation ratio of MRI nanoprobes are systematically condensed. Furthermore, the widespread and noninvasive visualization applications of MRI nanoprobes for real time monitoring of major organs and accurate disease diagnosing, such as cerebrovascular, ischemia, Alzheimer's disease, liver fibrosis, whole-body tumors, inflammation, as well as multi-mode imaging applications are summarized. Finally, the challenges and prospects for the future development of MRI nanoprobes are discussed, and promising strategies are specifically emphasized for improving biocompatibility, precisely engineering of optimal size, AI-driven prediction and design, and multifunctional self-assembly to enhance diagnostics. This review will provide new inspiration for artificial engineering and nanotechnology-based molecular probes for medical diagnosis and therapy with ultrasensitive MRI.

Response of Yields, Soil Physiochemical Characteristics, and the Rhizosphere Microbiome to the Occurrence of Root Rot Caused by Fusarium solani in Ligusticum chuanxiong Hort.

Ligusticum chuanxiong Hort. is considered an important medicinal herb with extremely high economic value and medicinal value due to its various effects, including anti-oxidation, sedative action, hepatoprotection, and invigorating blood circulation. However, L. chuanxiong cultivation is hampered by various plant diseases, especially the root rot caused by Fusarium solani, hindering the sustainable development of the L. chuanxiong industry. The occurrence of soil-borne diseases is closely linked to imbalances in the microbial community structure. Here, we studied the yields, rhizosphere microbiota, and soil physiochemical characteristics of healthy and diseased L. chuanxiong plants affected by root rot with high-throughput sequencing and microbial network analysis, aiming to explore the relationships between soil environmental factors, microbiomes, and plant health of L. chuanxiong. According to the results, L. chuanxiong root rot significantly decreased the yields, altered microbial community diversity and composition, enriched more pathogenic fungi, recruited some beneficial bacteria, and reduced microbial interaction network stability. The Mantel test showed that soil organic matter and pH were the major environmental factors modulating plant microbiome assembly. The root rot severity was significantly affected by soil physiochemical properties, including organic matter, cation exchange capacity, available nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, and pH. Furthermore, two differential microbes that have great potential in the biocontrol of L. chuanxiong root rot were dug out in the obtained results, which were the genera Trichoderma and Bacillus. This study provided a theoretical basis for further studies revealing the microecological mechanism of L. chuanxiong root rot and the ecological prevention and control of L. chuanxiong root rot from a microbial ecology perspective.

Unraveling the physiochemical characteristics and molecular insights of Zein protein through structural modeling and conformational dynamics: a synergistic approach between machine learning and molecular dynamics simulations

This research article presents a comprehensive investigation into the three-dimensional structure, physicochemical characteristics and conformational stability of the Zein protein. Machine learning (ML) based homology modeling approach, was employed to predict the 3D structure of Zein protein. Convolutional neural networks (CNNs) were utilized for refining the model, capturing complex spatial features and improving decoy refinement. The predicted 3D structure of Zein protein showed a high-confidence score, i.e. C-score of 0.96. Physiochemical characteristic was also analyzed to investigate its protonation and deprotonation behavior across a range of pH values. A comprehensive analysis of the titration curve and electrostatic charges was performed to uncover valuable molecular insights into the zein protein’s charge distribution, electrostatic interactions and potential conformational changes. Molecular dynamics (MD) simulations were performed to analyze the zein structural behavior under different pH values (2.0, 4.5, 6.8, 10.0 and 12.5), ionic strengths (0 mM, 25 mM, 50 mM, 75 mM, 100 mM) and temperatures (300K, 350K, 375K). Our results demonstrated the influence of these factors on zein protein’s stability and conformational dynamics. At extreme pH values of 2.0 and 12.5, the Zein protein exhibited increased structural deviations and potential unfolding, while intermediate pH values closer to the protein’s isoelectric point (pI) demonstrated more compact and stable conformations. Analysis of root mean square deviation, radius of gyration, solvent accessible surface area and Ramachandran plot provided clear understandings of the protein’s compactness and surface exposure, confirming the impact of pH, ionic strength and temperature on the protein’s conformation.

Design and Characterization of Biomimetic Hybrid Construct Based on Hyaluronic Acid and Alginate Bioink for Regeneration of Articular Cartilage.

Background/Objectives: Three-dimensional bioprinting technology has enabled great advances in the treatment of articular cartilage (AC) defects by the biofabrication of biomimetic constructs that restore and/or regenerate damaged tissue. In this sense, the selection of suitable cells and biomaterials to bioprint constructs that mimic the architecture, composition, and functionality of the natural extracellular matrix (ECM) of the native tissue is crucial. In the present study, a novel cartilage-like biomimetic hybrid construct (CBC) was developed by 3D bioprinting to facilitate and promote AC regeneration. Methods: The CBC was biofabricated by the co-bioprinting of a bioink based on hyaluronic acid (HA) and alginate (AL) loaded with human mesenchymal stromal cells (hMSCs), with polylactic acid supporting the biomaterial, in order to mimic the microenvironment and structural properties of native AC, respectively. The CBC was biologically in vitro characterized. In addition, its physiochemical characteristics were evaluated in order to determine if the presence of hMSCs modified its properties. Results: Results from biological analysis demonstrated that CBC supported the high viability and proliferation of hMSCs, facilitating chondrogenesis after 5 weeks in vitro. The evaluation of physicochemical properties in the CBCs confirmed that the CBC developed could be suitable for use in cartilage tissue engineering. Conclusions: The results demonstrated that the use of bioprinted CBCs based on hMSC-AL/HA-bioink for AC repair could enhance the regeneration and/or formation of hyaline cartilaginous tissue.

Rhizosphere bacterial community is mainly determined by soil environmental factors, but the active bacterial diversity is mainly shaped by plant selection.

The assembly of the rhizosphere community, even the diazotroph community, is mainly shaped by soil environmental factors (including soil climate and physiochemical characteristics) and plant selection. To better understand the driving forces on the active overall and nitrogen-fixing bacterial community compositions, we characterized the communities of tobacco rhizosphere soil collected from three sampling sites with a large geographic scale (> 600km). The results indicate that the diversity and community composition of the overall bacterial and diazotroph communities are obviously differed according to the sampling sites. Still, no significant difference is found between the communities in rootzone and rhizosphere samples. Climate variables including mean annual precipitation (MAP) and mean annual temperature (MAT), soil physiochemical characteristics including available nitrogen (AN), available potassium (AK) and pH are main factors that affect the bacterial and diazotroph community structures in the three sampling sites. Furthermore, MAP and MAT, AN and available phosphorus (AP), total nitrogen (TN) and organic carbon (OC), AK and electrical conductivity (EC) showed similar effects, but pH showed independent effect on the composition of the overall bacteria and diazotroph communities. However, the alpha diversity indices of active overall and nitrogen-fixing bacteria in the rhizosphere are obviously higher than in the rootzone samples, and no significant differences are observed among different sampling sites. Proteobacteria is the predominant active phylum of all samples for overall and nitrogen-fixing bacteria. Escherichia-Shigella, Achromobacter, Streptomyces and Sphingomonas are the dominant active bacterial genera, and Bradyrhizobium, Skermanella and Extensimonas are dominant active nitrogen-fixing bacteria genera in rhizosphere. Furthermore, the high active abundance of Escherichia-Shigella but low abundance of Ralstonia in all three sampling sites indicate high root-knot nematode infection and low wilt disease endemic risk. These results indicate that soil environmental factors contribute more to the tobacco rhizosphere bacterial community assemblage, but the rhizosphere contributes more to the diversity of active overall bacteria and nitrogen-fixing bacteria in the community. Our study provides novel knowledge for the assemble of rhizosphere bacterial and active bacteria communities across a large geographical scale.

Mineral pollutants and coliform contamination in groundwater pose health risks to consumers: a spatiotemporal study in a mining-impacted area

The presence of mineral pollutants, combined with bacterial contamination, has significantly impacted groundwater quality and led to various health-related issues in mining-impacted areas. Therefore, we measured the concentration of fluoride (F-), phosphate (PO43-), sulphate (SO42-), ammonium (NH4+), nitrate (NO3-), the total coliforms (TCs), and physiochemical characteristics in groundwater samples of South Khorasan, Eastern Iran. For this, we collected water samples from 100 wells in spring and autumn across this mining-impacted area. We then measured the concentrations of mineral pollutants and assessed their associated health risks to children and adults using the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) models and spatiotemporal zoning maps in ArcGIS. The concentrations of PO43-, NH4+, SO42-, NO3-, and F- were 0.70 ± 0.34, 0.82 ± 0.9, 175.45 ± 123, 15.26 ± 9.41, and 0.53 ± 0.68 mg/L in spring, and 0.71 ± 3.18, 4.68 ± 31, 306.72 ± 615.80, 19.30 ± 15.61, and 0.72 ± 0.65 mg/L in autumn, respectively. PO43-, NH4+, and SO42- exceeded both the World Health Organization (WHO) and EPA, but NO3- exceeded only EPA standards. TCs in both seasons exceeded the standards set by the EPA and WHO. The hazard quotient (HQ) values indicated non-carcinogenic risks for F⁻ and NO3⁻, while posing no risks NH4⁺ and PO43⁻ in both adults and children during autumn and spring.Hazard index (HI) was greater than 1 for all minerals in both children and adults in autumn and spring. No correlation was observed between mineral compounds and TCs in the study area, yet the water samples were highly contaminated by coliform with a significant risk to adults and children. In essence, both mineral pollutants and TCs potentially pose serious risks to human, and more efforts are required to improve the quality of water in this area.

Fabricating dehydrated albumen with a novel variable frequency ultrasonic drying method: Drying kinetics, physiochemical and foaming characteristics.

Albumen, primarily composed of ovalbumin, is a vital, nutrient-rich ingredient in the food industry. Drying is a critical step in low-water-activity albumen powder production, allowing extended shelf-life and reduced costs in handling, transportation, and storage of albumen products. Traditional drying methods, such as spray drying (SD) and hot air drying (HAD), often degrade albumen. This study explores variable frequency contact ultrasonic drying (CUD) as a novel and green alternative, operating at a central frequency of 20 kHz with sound amplitudes of 0 %, 40 %, and 60 %, and temperatures of 40 °C and 60 °C. The drying kinetics, physical, and foaming properties of CUD-dried albumen proteins were compared with those of hot-air-, spray-, and freeze-dried (FD) samples. Compared to HAD, CUD significantly enhanced the drying process, as evidenced by a 240 % increase in effective moisture diffusivity, a 66-78 % reduction in activation energy (Ea), and a 27 % reduction in drying time. Moreover, CUD maintained higher protein integrity, evident from a 24-35 % decrease in enthalpies, more β-turn and random coil structures, and increased free sulfhydryl groups. Notably, CUD at 40 °C significantly improved foaming capacity by 88 %, and at 60 °C, it enhanced foaming stability by 34 %, outperforming other drying methods. Protein solubility of CUD-albumen was improved by 10-12 % compared to HAD and was slightly better than FD. CUD-albumen showed a brighter color with a 26 % lower browning index than the HAD samples. Overall, CUD emerges as an effective and sustainable method for drying high-protein materials, ensuring high-quality albumen powders.

Glatiramer Acetate Complexes CpG Oligodeoxynucleotides into Nanoparticles and Boosts Their TLR9-Driven Immunity.

Unmethylated cytosine-guanine oligodeoxynucleotides (CpG ODNs) have a storied history as agonists for Toll-like receptor 9 (TLR9). CpG ODNs have shown promising antitumor effects in preclinical studies by inducing potent proinflammatory immune responses. However, clinical success has been hindered by inconsistent efficacy and immune-related toxicities caused by systemic exposure to CpG ODNs. We previously identified that glatiramer acetate (GA), an FDA-approved, lysine-rich polypeptide, could complex class B CpG into cationic nanoparticles which persist at the intratumoral injection site while mitigating the induction of systemic proinflammatory cytokines in mouse tumor models. To extend GA applications across subtypes of CpG ODN (class A, B, and C), we evaluated physiochemical properties and identified the immunological signaling of GA and its complexes with different classes of CpG ODNs. We compared the physiochemical characteristics of three types of GA-CpG nanoparticles, followed by assessments of cell uptake efficiency and endolysosomal trafficking. We then performed successive in vitro and in vivo assays to evaluate immunological discrepancies. Complexation with GA preserved the immunological activity of CpG ODN subtypes while encapsulating them into cationic spherical nanoparticles. GA improved the cellular uptake of CpG ODNs, generally increased retention in early endosomes, and amplified immunological responses. A subsequent in vivo experiment confirmed the achievement of potent tumor suppression while mitigating systemic immune-related toxicities. Together, these data help elucidate the noncanonical role of GA to serve as a nucleic acid delivery scaffold that can improve the efficacy and safety of CpG adjuvant for clinical cancer immunotherapy.

Effect of Palm Sugar and Isomalt Substitution on Physiochemical Characteristics of Papaya Cookies

Abstract Cookies are a much-loved snack food; however, they have high sugar content. Reducing sugar and carbohydrates in cookies by substituting them with isomalt directly addresses the nutritional imbalances associated with high-carbohydrate and high-sugar content. Yet, some characteristics of cookies formulated with isomalt are relatively unknown. This research sought to explore how substituting isomalt in papaya cookies impacts their physicochemical and sensory properties. The study was structured as a completely randomized design with a single factor and five formulation of isomalt concentration (0%, 10%, 25%, 50%, and 100%) and palm sugar concentration (0%, 10%, 25%, 50%, 100%). Then, the data were subjected to statistical analysis using One-Way ANOVA and subsequently evaluated with Tukey’s test. The results showed that isomalt substitution significantly increased the moisture content (4.17-6.51%), protein (7.45-7.93%), fat (16.37-21.55%), L* value (47.87-62.53%), and a* value (17.67-23.98%), while decreasing the carbohydrate content (64.94-70.85%) and dietary fiber (7.37-9.80%). In conclusion, isomalt substitution affects the chemical and physical characteristics. These findings suggest that isomalt not only enhances specific physiochemical properties of papaya cookies but also offers potential health benefits, such as reduced sugar content, making it a viable alternative for healthier snack options.

Formulation and evaluation of herbal shampoo

The main objective of these study is to evaluate and formulate herbal shampoo. Shampoo are one of the cosmetic products used in daily life. Synthetic preservatives and detergents have sometimes been the cause of adverse effects among consumers. A more radical approach in reducing the synthetic ingredients is by incorporating natural ingredients whose functionality is comparable with their synthetic ingredients. The ingredients used in formulation of Herbal Shampoo are Ficus Religiosa leaves (Powder), Hibiscus Leaves (Powder), Reetha (Powder), Shikakai (Powder), Aloevera, then prepared by mixing with each other and evaluated for its organoleptic and physio-chemical characteristics and performance tests in terms of wetting time test, pH, solid contents, surface tension, dirt dispersion, foam Stability, and Viscosity was performed. The combination of several such ingredient of herbal origin has made it possible to secure highly effective dry powder shampoo. The formulation at laboratory scale was done and evaluated for number of parameters to ensure its safety and efficacy The Formulated Herbal Shampoo was clear and good appealing. It demonstrated good froth stability, detergency, good cleansing, small bubble size, low surface strain, and execution of good conditioning property. The physicochemical evaluation of the formulated shampoo showed ideal results. However, to improve its quality, product performance, and safety, further development was required.

Recent Advances in the Synthesis of Acyclic Nucleosides and Their Therapeutic Applications.

DNA is commonly known as the "molecule of life" because it holds the genetic instructions for all living organisms on Earth. The utilization of modified nucleosides holds the potential to transform the management of a wide range of human illnesses. Modified nucleosides and their role directly led to the 2023 Nobel prize. Acyclic nucleosides, due to their distinctive physiochemical and biological characteristics, rank among the most adaptable modified nucleosides in the field of medicinal chemistry. Acyclic nucleosides are more resistant to chemical and biological deterioration, and their adaptable acyclic structure makes it possible for them to interact with various enzymes. A phosphonate group, which is linked via an aliphatic functionality to a purine or a pyrimidine base, distinguishes acyclic nucleoside phosphonates (ANPs) from other nucleotide analogs. Acyclic nucleosides and their derivatives have demonstrated various biological activities such as anti-viral, anti-bacterial, anti-cancer, anti-microbial, etc. Ganciclovir, Famciclovir, and Penciclovir are the acyclic nucleoside-based drugs approved by FDA for the treatment of various diseases. Thus, acyclic nucleosides are extremely useful for generating a variety of unique bioactive chemicals. Their biological activities as well as selectivity is significantly influenced by the stereochemistry of the acyclic nucleosides because chiral acyclic nucleosides have drawn a lot of interest due to their intriguing biological functions and potential as medicines. For example, tenofovir's (R) enantiomer is roughly 50 times more potent against HIV than its (S) counterpart. We can confidently state, "The most promising developments are yet to come in the realm of acyclic nucleosides!" Herein, we have covered the most current developments in the field of chemical synthesis and therapeutic applications of acyclic nucleosides based upon our continued interest and activity in this field since mid-1990's.

Interactive effect of biogenic nanoparticles and UV-B exposure on physio-biochemical behavior and secondary metabolism of Artemisia annua L

Biosynthesized silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) are key nanomaterials with unique physio-chemical characteristics and diverse applications. Their strong absorption potential and antibacterial activity make them useful for agriculture, medicine and other industries. AgNPs boost plant growth and metabolism, especially under stress. However, the combined effects of AgNPs and UV-B exposure on plants are unknown. To elucidate the interactive effects of biosynthesized silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) and exposure of ultraviolet B (UV-B) on plant growth and metabolic processes, this study assessed the response of Artemisia annua under controlled in vitro conditions. In total, eight sets of plants were used with the alone/combined treatment of AgNPs and UV-B. For this purpose, spherical and averaged ∼ 31.8 nm in size AaAgNPs were synthesized. The photosynthetic pigments were calculated maximum with the alone treatment of 0.5 mg L−1 AaAgNPs and combined treatment of 0.5 mg L−1 AaAgNPs with 3 h UV-B, respectively. The results evidenced that the co-exposure of AaAgNPs and UV-B led to a significant balance in ROS production of A. annua; as well as improved antioxidative enzyme activity. Fluorescence and scanning electron microscopic (SEM) analysis indicated the enhancement of glandular trichomes (GT) area and density with the combined treatment of AaAgNPs and 3 h UV-B. In accordance with correlation between microscopic GT results, high concentration of artemisinin and up-regulation of related transcripts were found in A. annua plants treated with low concentrations of AaAgNPs and UV-B. Thus, it may be inferred that two distinct plant growth modulators, namely low-concentration biosynthesized AgNPs and short-term UV-B exposure, can enhance the physio-biochemical characteristics and production of secondary metabolites (specially artemisinin) in A. annua synergistically.

A New Winter Wheat Crop Segmentation Method Based on a New Fast-UNet Model and Multi-Temporal Sentinel-2 Images

Mapping and monitoring crops are the most complex and difficult tasks for experts processing and analyzing remote sensing (RS) images. Classifying crops using RS images is the most expensive task, and it requires intensive labor, especially in the sample collection phase. Fieldwork requires periodic visits to collect data about the crop’s physiochemical characteristics and separating them using the known conventional machine learning algorithms and remote sensing images. As the problem becomes more complex because of the diversity of crop types and the increase in area size, sample collection becomes more complex and unreliable. To avoid these problems, a new segmentation model was created that does not require sample collection or high-resolution images and can successfully distinguish wheat from other crops. Moreover, UNet is a well-known Convolutional Neural Network (CNN), and the semantic method was adjusted to become more powerful, faster, and use fewer resources. The new model was named Fast-UNet and was used to improve the segmentation of wheat crops. Fast-UNet was compared to UNet and Google’s newly developed semantic segmentation model, DeepLabV3+. The new model was faster than the compared models, and it had the highest average accuracy compared to UNet and DeepLabV3+, with values of 93.45, 93.05, and 92.56 respectively. Finally, new datasets of time series NDVI images and ground truth data were created. These datasets, and the newly developed model, were made available publicly on the Web.