FeCl3/KOH two steps activated biocarbon with hierarchical porosity and oxygen-rich for enhanced supercapacitor applications

Comparative evaluation of conventional and nanopore approaches in onychomycosis diagnosis.

Decoupling the etching-collapse competition in biochar activation: A domain-robust machine learning framework for porosity engineering.

This study aims to establish an optimal ratio of Mineral Oil (MO) and Neem Oil After Esterification (NOAE)to develop a Mixed Insulation (MXI) that effectively replaces the MO for oil-filled transformers and other oil-filled electrical equipments. The effective use of two-stage esterification technique using Neem Oil (NO) as a base oil and concentrated sulfuric acid (H2SO4) and potassium hydroxide (KOH) as acid and base catalysts had been adopted to transform NO into NOAE. Further, the FAME formation is confirmed using the 1H-NMR. By lowering the impact of MO in oil-cooled transformers, the proposed MXI's dielectric properties are critically analysed using its AC breakdown voltage (BDV) in sphere-sphere and point-plane, kinematic viscosity (KVIS), corona inception voltage (CIV) and interfacial tension (IFT), and other dielectric properties. The MXI proportions are subject to accelerated thermal ageing in the presence of a pressboard and copper plate. The changes in their dielectric properties are reported along with the information about the material characteristics using an FTIR. Further, the validation of the samples is verified using Weibull distribution and Kurtosis and Skewness values. The current study on MXI is given credence by the discovery that sample X30, or the optimal MO: NOAE blending ratio, is 70:30. The X30's dielectric properties showed a notable level of durability after ageing, which helped to explain its high resistance and low conductivity.

Resistance patterns and gene expression profiles of Arcobacter butzleri under exposure to selected antibiotics and disinfectants

Electro-membrane technologies to salt splitting chemicals such as potassium formate generated during the electrochemical conversion of captured CO 2 to obtain formic acid and potassium hydroxide represents a crucial pathway toward carbon neutrality and circular economy. The study demonstrated that the most effective configuration employed two cation exchange membranes (Nafion 324) to separate the anodic, cathodic and central compartments, with the feed solution circulated through the central compartment. This setup enabled potassium ions to migrate to the catholyte, where KOH was concentrated, while protons generated in the anodic compartment moved into the central compartment, maintaining an acidic pH (≈1) and allowing the concentration of formic acid. Optimal performance was achieved at 1500 A·m -2 and a circulated charge of 0.6715 F, yielding up to 100 g·L -1 of formic acid and 140 g·L -1 of potassium hydroxide. Additionally, pervaporation using a PERVAP 4101 membrane successfully broke the formic acid–water azeotrope, reaching concentrations up to 90%. This is the first study that demonstrates the production of highly concentrated formic acid from captured CO 2 by combining electrodialysis with monopolar membranes and pervaporation technologies. • Electro-membrane technologies enabled the simultaneous concentration of formic acid (FA) and potassium hydroxide (KOH) from formate derived via CO 2 electroreduction. • The most efficient configuration consists of a three-compartment filter-press cell incorporating two cation exchange membranes. • Under optimal conditions (1500 A·m -2 , 0.6715 F), the system achieved concentrations of 100 g·L -1 FA and 140 g·L -1 KOH. • Pervaporation with a PERVAP 4101 membrane successfully broke the FA–water azeotrope, reaching FA concentrations up to 90%.

Synergistic FeGe dual sites in Fe13Ge8 Intermetallics boost nitrate reduction to Ammonia.

Dermatophytosis is commonly assessed using potassium hydroxide (KOH) microscopy, yet accurate recognition of fungal hyphae is hindered by preparation-related artifacts, heterogeneous keratin clearance, and notable inter-observer variability. This study presents a transformer-based object detection framework using the RT-DETR architecture for precise, query-driven localisation of fungal structures in high-resolution KOH images. A dataset of 2540 routinely acquired microscopy images was manually annotated using a multi-class strategy that explicitly distinguishes fungal elements from confounding artifacts, enabling the model to actively suppress false detections arising from visually similar mimics. To assess architectural trade-offs, RT-DETR was benchmarked against two CNN-based detectors (YOLOv11 and Faster R-CNN) under identical training and inference conditions. Five-fold stratified cross-validation was performed, and each fold-level model was evaluated on the same independent held-out test set (n = 254). Across the five evaluations, RT-DETR achieved a mean AP@0.50 of , a mean recall of , and a mean precision of . At the image level, the model achieved a mean sensitivity of on the independent test set, with a mean of missed positive cases across the five evaluations. These results demonstrate the technical feasibility of a transformer-based artificial intelligence (AI) system as a decision-support aid for fungal region detection in KOH microscopy, pending prospective multi-center validation to establish clinical generalisability.

ABSTRACTWe report a case of early‐onset neonatal pityriasis versicolor (PV) in a term newborn associated with maternal infection. The mother had characteristic hypo‐ and hyperpigmented, finely scaly lesions over the neck and upper trunk prior to delivery. Within the first weeks of life, the neonate developed multiple hypopigmented, finely scaly macules involving the trunk and proximal thighs. The infant was otherwise clinically well, with no history of prematurity, neonatal intensive care unit admission, antibiotic exposure, or underlying medical illness. The clinical features were consistent with PV, and the diagnosis was confirmed by potassium hydroxide (KOH) microscopy demonstrating Malassezia species in both the mother and infant. Treatment with topical antifungal therapy resulted in clinical improvement. This case highlights that PV, although rare in neonates, can present early in life, particularly in the context of close maternal contact. Increased awareness of this entity may facilitate prompt diagnosis, prevent unnecessary investigations, and ensure appropriate management.

Using a controlled self-assembly approach, this study demonstrates the successful fabrication of electrodes based on silver nanowires (AgNWs), which are promising materials for flexible energy storage systems. Glass substrates functionalized with (3-aminopropyl)triethoxysilane (APTES) are coated with AgNW films for 4, 8, and 16h. The morphological, structural, and electrochemical properties of these films are subsequently evaluated. X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis reveals high crystalline phase purity and a face-centered cubic (fcc) structure in the synthesized AgNWs. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and atomic force microscopy (AFM) characterizations indicate that a uniform nanowire network and optimal surface roughness are achieved with an 8-hour coating time. Four-point probe measurements confirm enhanced electrical conductivity, particularly in the AgNWs@8h sample. Electrochemical performance is assessed using a two-electrode system in 6M potassium hydroxide (KOH) electrolyte. The AgNWs@8h electrodes exhibit the highest specific capacitance (318.84F/g), energy density (102.03 Wh/kg), and power density (1119.68W/kg) at 1A/g in a symmetric two-electrode configuration. These results demonstrate that oriented AgNW structures offer a high-performance, scalable, and low-temperature alternative to conventional supercapacitor electrodes.

The demand for alternative fuel is progressively increasing in various energy concerns due to pollution-free, improved energy, and better performance. The present innovation is to synthesize the hydrogen from the source of microalgae by using waste grey water. The varied percentages of iron oxide (Fe2O3) nanoparticles are integrated with grey water to enhance the specific growth of algae. The impact of Fe2O3 on the specific growth of microalgae is investigated. The highest growth of 0.98μm/day is noted at 0.15% of Fe2O3, which is involved in further hydrogen production via the hydrothermal gasification process under different loading rates (0.05, 0.1, and 0.15g/mL), varied gasification temperatures (500, 550, and 600°C), and different concentrations (5, 10, and 15%) of potassium hydroxide (KOH) featured catalyst. The 0.2% concentration of Fe2O3 is recorded by the maximum specific growth of microalgae (0.98 µ/day). The effect of process parameters on functional behaviour, including molar fraction, hydrogen yield, gasification efficiency (GE), and hydrogen efficiency (HE), is evaluated. The system functioned at a 0.15g/mL feedstock concentration with 600°C, processing microalgae with 15% KOH catalyst action, yielding GE, HE, and lower heating values of 62.4%, 66.9%, and 8.4MJ/Nm3. The higher processing temperature influences a superior hydrogen yield of 41.4mol/kg.

Molluscum contagiosum (MC) is a viral skin infection that poses significant physical and psychosocial burdens, particularly in pediatric and immunocompromised populations. Despite the availability of various treatment options, comparative efficacy and safety data remain limited. This systematic review, conducted in accordance with PRISMA guidelines, evaluates and compares the efficacy, safety, recurrence, and adverse effects of MC treatments. A total of 89 studies encompassing 12,955 participants were analyzed. Curettage, potassium hydroxide (KOH), autoinoculation, and podophyllotoxin demonstrated high clearance rates (97.8%, 73.8%, 79.4%, and 75.0%, respectively) with minimal local side effects. Cryotherapy and laser therapies offered rapid lesion resolution though laser treatment was associated with more discomfort and higher cost. Emerging therapies such as berdazimer gel demonstrated favorable safety profiles, particularly for pediatric patients, while intralesional immunotherapies like Candida and MMR vaccine showed encouraging results in patients with persistent or recurring lesions. The management of MC requires an individualized approach, balancing efficacy, safety, and patient-specific factors such as age, lesion severity, and immune status. Cantharidin, KOH, cryotherapy, autoinoculation, and podophyllotoxin offer high clearance rates, with immunotherapies and lasers offering additional options for resistant cases. Further standardized trials are needed to optimize treatment strategies and long-term recurrence.

This investigation explores the electroless deposition of copper nanoparticles onto epoxy substrates using glyoxylic acid as the reducing agent. The deposition process was conducted under alkaline conditions, with the pH precisely maintained at 11.0 ± 0.25 using potassium hydroxide. Two distinct methanesulphonate bath formulations were employed with glucose and fructose as chelators to enhance complexation efficiency. Azole-based stabilizers, Aminopyrazole and Tolytriazole were introduced to fine-tune bath parameters and improve deposition control. Comprehensive characterization of the resulting copper coatings was performed using scanning electron microscope-energy dispersive X-ray analysis (SEM-EDAX), atomic force microscopy (AFM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), cyclic voltammetry (CV), tafel analysis, and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). The bath containing glucose as the chelator demonstrated superior stability and yielded high-quality, uniform copper deposits with enhanced surface and electrochemical properties. The novelty of this work is the addition of a chelating agent to the electroless copper deposition process on polymeric substrates, which offers a more sustainable and environmentally friendly method while providing better adhesion, refined grain morphology, and improved electrochemical performance when compared to traditional surface treatments.

Among other uses, potassium titanate enhances materials’ heat resistance in the ceramic industry, acts as a dielectric and component of piezoelectric devices in electronics, and facilitates the production of catalytic materials. Here, we used ilmenite concentrate (96%) from the Irshansky deposit in Ukraine’s Zhytomyr region, characterized by a high TiO2 content, as a promising raw material for synthesizing potassium titanate. We aimed to synthesize potassium titanate (K2TiO3) via alkaline leaching of ilmenite and to determine the optimal process conditions for achieving a high degree of titanium(IV) extraction. The methodology included alkaline leaching under controlled temperature, time, particle size, and FeTiO3:KOH molar ratio, followed by phase and morphological characterization of the product obtained. The experimental results showed that the optimal leaching conditions include an ilmenite particle size of ≤71 μm, a FeTiO3:KOH molar ratio of 1:2, a temperature of 453 K, and a leaching duration of 3 h, providing a titanium(IV) extraction degree of 86.7%. Further increases in temperature or alkali content resulted in only a slight increase in extraction efficiency (up to 89.7%), which was deemed economically unfeasible. The high efficiency of the process was attributed to an increased reaction surface area, optimal thermal conditions, and favorable thermodynamic parameters. A technological scheme for the potential industrial production of potassium titanate is proposed based on these results, with prospects for reduced energy consumption, improved environmental safety, and minimal raw material losses.

Microplastic ingestion in demersal and benthic species from the Portuguese coast: Scyliorhinuscanicula,Trisopterusluscus,Polybiushenslowii.

Background and objectives Invasive fungal infections (IFIs) are the most prevalent potentially fatal opportunistic mycoses in immunocompromised individuals. Early detection is essential for treating these patients. Biomarkers, measured in blood or other clinical samples, are effective supplements to conventional pathologic and microbiologic diagnostic methods for IFIs.We conducted this study to determine the positivity of serum galactomannan (GM) in clinically diagnosed IFI. Also, we assessed the diagnostic power of GM for predicting invasive aspergillosis (IA), the most common cause of IFIs. Methodology This retrospective study analyzed clinically diagnosed patients with IFIs admitted to Kalinga Institute of Medical Sciences (KIMS), Bhubaneswar, India, from January 2023 to December 2025. The study included the blood samples received for serum GM antigen testing during the study period. We evaluated the diagnostic performance of the GM antigen. We also plotted the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve and determined the area under the curve (AUC). Results We analyzed data from 172 clinically diagnosed patients with IFIs. Aspergillus flavus consistently showed the highest GM levels, followed closely by Aspergillus fumigatus and Aspergillus niger. The test demonstrated high sensitivity (82.4%) but low specificity (46.8%). The AUC was 0.69. Differences in age, gender distribution, and year-over-year prevalence were statistically significant (P < 0.001). Conclusions GM antigen detection is useful for identifying IA. It demonstrated improved sensitivity and specificity compared with conventional methods (potassium hydroxide (KOH) and culture). Future multicenter studies incorporating polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and β-D-glucan are warranted to validate these findings.

Eight imidazolidine-2,4-dione derivatives based on spirofluorenes (3-10) have been investigated; these include differences in the aliphatic chain's length and functional groups. Spiro[fluorene-9,4'-imidazolidine]-2',5'-dione 1 was alkylated with different ethyl halo ester to create ethyl 3-(2',5'-dioxospiro[fluorene-9,4'-imidazolidin]-1'-yl)alkanoate 3-6. The corresponding alkanoic acids 7-10 were obtained by hydrolyzing the esters 3-6 with potassium hydroxide in methanol and then acidifying the mixture. Spectral and elemental analysis were employed to regulate the structure and purity of materials 3-10. The findings demonstrated that each product tested exhibited variable levels of insecticidal effective against the larval instars of Spodoptera littoralis. With an LC50 value of 11.68mg/L against larvae in their second instar, compound 8 was the most effective of all. A range of biological parameters, such as adult longevity, pupal weight, the proportion of normal and deformed pupae, adult emergence, fecundity, and egg hatchability, were employed to assess the latent effects of the prepared materials under examination in an effort to further marginally expand insecticidal materials. The foundation for creating next-generation pest management strategies that address resistance issues and encourage the use of workable chemical remedies is established by this study.

Evaluation of the Seegene NovaplexTM dermatophyte assay for diagnosis of onychomycosis.

In this work, a facile synthesis of Ni-GaOOH metal hydroxides has been reported as an electrode material for supercapacitors. The morphology was studied by using both scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM), confirming a nanoplate-like structure. By employing a 3M solution of potassium hydroxide as the electrolyte, the Ni-GaOOH electrode achieves its maximum specific capacitance of 862 F/g at a current density of 1 A/g. When evaluated for ten thousand cycles, Ni-GaOOH's cyclic performance was shown to be extremely stable. The findings demonstrated that the Ni-GaOOH electrode has a good capacitance retention of about 85% and a high Columbic efficiency of 99.5%. The Ni-GaOOH as synthesized is a highly efficient electrode material that is much more appropriate for supercapacitor applications.

Background: Fungal keratitis is a major cause of corneal blindness in tropical regions. Microbiological culture often yields negative results in up to 40% of clinically suspected cases, creating diagnostic and therapeutic challenges. This report describes successful management of culture-negative suspected fungal keratitis using epithelial keratectomy combined with intracameral fluconazole injection. Case presentation: A 58-year-old male presented with progressive visual loss in the left eye following mud exposure and irrigation with river water. Examination revealed a 3×3 mm paracentral corneal ulcer with stromal infiltration exceeding one-third depth, satellite lesions, and 1.5 mm hypopyon. Gram stain, potassium hydroxide preparation, and culture were all negative. Based on clinical suspicion of fungal etiology, the patient underwent epithelial keratectomy with intracameral fluconazole injection, supplemented by intensive topical and systemic antifungal therapy. Progressive improvement was observed, with complete hypopyon resolution by day 26 and visual acuity improving from 1/300 to 6/30 over four months. Conclusion: This case demonstrates that timely invasive antifungal intervention guided by clinical judgment can achieve favorable outcomes in culture-negative suspected fungal keratitis. The preservation of useful vision without corneal transplantation is particularly significant in resource-limited settings, underscoring the critical role of clinical decision-making when laboratory confirmation is unavailable.