S4 Sample Research Articles

High‐performance ZSR/P(MMA/BA) composites with enhanced thermal and excellent water resistance properties

AbstractAcrylate had developed rapidly because of its excellent chemical resistance, high‐gloss surface, and weather resistance. However, the poor heat resistance of acrylate limited its application in coatings. To overcome this problem, an organic–inorganic hybrid polymer of zirconium silicone resin (ZSR)‐modified acrylate has been successfully synthesized by solution polymerization. The results indicated that the heat resistance of acrylate was significantly improved due to the SiOSi and SiOZr structures of ZSR and the increased cross‐linking density induced by ZSR. After the incorporation of ZSR, the decomposition temperatures of 5% of acrylate increased from 300.4 and 349.2°C. The performance of the ZSR/(P(MMA/BA)) showed no significant change in uniformly heating at 200°C for 24 h. The composite films showed hydrophobicity, with the contact angles increasing to more than 90°. The S4 sample displayed the outstanding comprehensive performance, that is, 5% weight loss at 341.3°C, water contact angle of 97.9°, elongation at break of 852%, and tensile strength of 9.9 MPa. The high‐performance heat resistant coating is a promising material for application in architecture, decoration, and mechanical equipment.

Economical sodium source prepared Na3SbS4 electrolyte with improved electrochemical performance by La doping

Solid electrolytes are expected to improve the next-generation rechargeable batteries in terms of safety and cost issues. In the present study, we designed a conventional sulfide sodium-ion conductor Na3+2xLaxSb1-xS4 synthesized from Na2S·9H2O as raw material. For optimized electrochemical behavior, the partial substitution of Sb with La in Na3SbS4 was modified by broadening Na+ ion channels and increasing interstitial Na+ ions in the network lattice. The structural characterization verified the increase in crystallinity after subsequent heating at 450 °C. The composition and structural design realized a high room temperature conductivity of 0.52 mS cm−1 and low activation energy of 0.069 eV for the Na3·1La0·05Sb0·95S4 sample. Moreover, this sulfide electrolyte was equipped with additional advantages, such as much lower electronic conductivity than Na3SbS4 and air stability against the humid atmosphere.

Analysis of active screen low temperature plasma-assisted deposition of iron nitride thin films on silicon (100) substrate

Thin film technology has gained significant attention in the industry due to its superior properties in comparison to bulk materials. Specifically, iron nitride-based thin films are a fascinating area of research in semiconductor technologies. The crystal structure and optical properties of these films are highly dependent on the growth method, deposition technique, gas flow, pressure, and several other factors. In this work, we prepared polycrystalline thin films of iron nitride on silicon (100) substrates by using the active screen low temperature plasma-assisted method. These films are deposited under the varying atmosphere of nitrogen and hydrogen in four proportions: 80% N2 + 15% H2; 60% N2 + 35% H2; 40% N2 + 55% H2; and 20% N2 + 75% H2, along with 5% argon to investigate its influence on the structural, morphological, and optical properties. The structural properties are determined by x-ray diffraction and revealed a mixture of ζ-Fe2N, ε-Fe3N, and γ′-Fe4N phases. Surface morphology is analyzed by scanning electron microscopy, which confirms the formation of a thin layer on the substrate. In addition, UV–Vis spectrophotometry is used to assess the optical response and bandgap energy of the samples. The result of UV–Vis optical diffuse reflectance spectra shows a decrease in the bandgap from 3.17 to 3.06 eV of substrate. For the S4 sample, we obtained a pure Fe4N phase, showing a significant decrease in the energy bandgap.

Water quality, heavy metal contamination and health risk assessment of surface water bodies of Mohammedia prefecture, Morocco

Research work on surface water bodies in Morocco has been in majority restricted to physicochemical and biological concentration. Hence, this study was conducted to address the existing research gap by evaluating heavy metal contamination and its associated risk assessment in surface water bodies, in Mohammedia prefecture, Morocco. A total of 22 water samples were evaluated regarding physicochemical factors and heavy metals. The parameters analyzed are pH, temperature (T), electrical conductivity (EC), total dissolved solids (TDS), calcium (Ca2+), Sodium (Na+), Potassium (K+), Ammonia (NH+), dissolved oxygen (DO), Sulphate (SO42−), nitrite (NO2−), nitrate (NO3−), phosphate (PO43−), total phosphate (TP), total kjeldahl nitrogen (TKN), cadmium (Cd), copper (Cu), Iron (Fe), lead (Pb), and zinc (Zn). Overall water quality (Ow) and status of contamination presented the water quality and pollution quantitatively. Carcinogenic and noncarcinogenic risks were estimated for health risk assessment. Ca2+ was the most abundant cation, and SO43− was the most abundant anion. Heavy metal concentrations were within permissible limits. Ow was good in terms of being suitable for parameters, i.e., <1 except for NH+. Which indicated water quality in the category of “highly polluted” >2.5. Pollution index (PI) indicated high pollution (14–74) at S3, S4, S5, and S6 sample points. In addition, Pb was a significant contributor to deteriorating water quality, with individual contributions ranging from 1 to 12 at sites S1, S2, and S3. For heavy metal hazards, i.e., adverse health effects, Hazard Quotient (HQ) (0.0002–0.01) was <1 for sample points, and Hazard Index (HI) (0.007–0.01) had a similar trend. They were inferring no significant non-carcinogenic health impact on its consumers. Carcinogenic risk (CR) was found to be within acceptable limits for CD, Cu, Pb, and Zn, i.e., 10−4 to 10−6. At points S2, S3, and S4, the carcinogenic index (CI) was above the acceptable limit, with values ranging from 1 × 10−3 to 7.9 × 10−3 attributed to Fe. Therefore, according to the findings of this research, the water quality is not suitable for direct consumption in its current state. Hence the study recommends treatment of surface water bodies prior to consumption.

Effect of WO3 on the attenuation parameters of TeO2–La2O3-WO3 glasses for radiation shielding application

The attenuation capability of tellurite glasses with composition of (100-x)TeO2–5La2O3-xWO3 where x = 10, 15, 20, and 25% was analyzed. Radiation attenuation parameters such as mass, linear attenuation coefficients (MAC, LAC) and effective atomic number were determined at various energies. The S4 glass sample, which contains the highest WO3 content and smallest TeO2 concentration, has the greatest MAC at all energies. The glasses with the highest densities also have the highest LAC values, with greater WO3 content leading to greater density in the glass system. The half value layer (HVL) values of the samples are positively proportional with the energy of the incoming radiation, greatest at the highest tested energy. The ratio between the tenth value layer (TVL) values for S1 and S4 are greater than one at all energies, which means that S1's TVL, the glass with the smallest WO3 content, is higher than S4's TVL. The mean free path values were shown to have an inverse trend with the WO3 content in the samples. The S4 sample, the glass with the highest WO3 content and lowest TeO2 content, has the greatest Zeff at all energies.

Exploring a monotonically non-decreasing behavioral function on shielding properties and transmission factors in borosilicate glasses through heavy metal oxide reinforcement

In this study, the gamma-ray attenuation properties and transmission factors of different types of glasses formed in the (B2O3)x[(ZnO)0.60-(SiO2)0.40]1-x system as a function of increasing heavy metal oxide ratio were investigated. For transmission factor and absorption coefficient calculations, the general-purpose Monte Carlo code MCNPX (2.7.0) was used. In addition, the Phy-X/PSD code is used to obtain some important gamma-ray shielding parameters. According to the obtained results, increasing the quantity of heavy metal oxide in the glass composition favorably affected the examined parameters and lowered the transmission factor and buildup factor values. Furthermore, it has been observed that parameters such as the absorption coefficient and the effective atomic number increase as a function of increasing heavy metal oxide contribution into glass configuration. The lowest half value layer values are reported for S1 sample. For example, half value layers are reported as 3.313 cm, 3.449 cm, 3.764 cm, 3.625 cm, 3.515 cm for S1, S2, S3, S4, and S5 sample at 1 MeV photon energy, respectively. According to the transmission factor values, S1 is the sample that allows the least transmission of primary photons and demonstrates the highest resistance. It was observed that the minimal exposure build-up factor and energy absorption buildup factor values for the S1 sample at 10 mean free paths. It can be concluded that the heavy metal oxide additive applied to borosilicate glasses creates a non-decreasing functional behavior effect that is monotonic in gamma-ray attenuation parameters.

Quality evaluation and shelf life analysis of fruit juice cocktail containing Mango (Mangifera indica) and Pineapple (Ananascomosus)

The development of the innovative flavored juices by coalescing two or more distinct types of fruits is encouraged by the tremendous expansion of the juice industry. Fruit juice cocktails frequently contain high nutritional content as well as organoleptic features such as color, flavor, taste, and overall attractiveness of various fruits. The use of different heat treatments and storage temperatures on single juice has previously been extensively researched, however, only a limited study has been performed on a juice cocktail. Therefore, the effect of pasteurization temperature (60 °C and 90 °C) and storage temperature (4 °C and 25 °C) on physicochemical, microbial, and sensory properties of pineapple-mango juice cocktail was investigated. Standard procedures were used to determine physicochemical, microbiological, and sensory characteristics. The results of the study demonstrated a slight increase in TSS, acidity, and cloud stability during storage, while a gradual decrease in vitamin C, pH, total sugars, and Lovibond color. The S4 sample that was pasteurized at 60 °C for 20 min and maintained at 4°C storage temperature retained more vitamin C, acidity, and total sugar than the other samples. According to the microbiological data, the total viable count in the fruit juice cocktail samples varied from 3.42 × 102 to 8.5 × 107, and after two months of storage, the bacterial load in sample S4 increased from 3.52 × 102 to 5.5 × 103. The sensory evaluations revealed that all of the samples were widely accepted, with sample S4 having the greatest overall acceptance owing to the cocktails color, flavor, and taste. Therefore, this study demonstrates that perishable fruits may be turned into appealing juice cocktails, increasing the sensory characteristics and hence the products escalation value. These findings also promote the development of a healthy and nutritious, fruit-based juice cocktail.

Structural, thermal and physical properties of cesium doped molybdenum-copper-lead glass

The influence of Cs2O content on MoO3CuO-PbO2 vitreous system has been investigated. The obtained samples labeled as: S1, S2, S3, and S4 respectively, with respect to Cs2O content were synthesized by the melt-quenching method. The Cs2O addition up to S3 sample increases the hardness, density and LAC values from 3.23 to 3.52 GPa, 6.553 to 6.906 g/cm3 and 588.50 to 610.39 cm−1 respectively, and decrease the Vm, HVL and MFP values. For S4 sample, reverse trends were observed. X-ray diffraction pattern reveals the presence of amorphous structure in the S1-S3 samples but further Cs2O addition, S4 sample leading to the formation of multiple crystalline phases. The FTIR spectra indicated that the structural unit distributions of the glasses network: [PbOn], [CuOn], and molybdate species [MoO6], [MoO4]2− and [Mo2O7]2− depends on the Cs2O content. The resonance line intensity of the Cu2+ ions gradually diminishes by addition of Cs2O.

Research on quality and performance of FRM laser welded joints with different shaft length ratios elliptical trajectory

The emerging Flexible Ring Mode(FRM) laser technology has shown great potential for welding copper and its alloys with high reflectivity and has been widely used. The design of the welding trajectory significantly affects the porosity and performance of welded joints. This paper first selects the ellipse and its parameters from the three trajectories by numerical simulation method, then studies the appearance forming and counts the weld porosity through the longitudinal and cross-section developing quality, and finally uses a high-speed camera to monitor the copper Behavior of molten pool and spot oscillation process at the front of the plate. It is found that the trajectory of circular motion has a more stable heating process and has a preheating function for the center of the weld. Compared with linear welding, orbital welding achieves penetration of weld seam and forms better weld seam. Laser confocal tests show that S4(a1b0.5) has the most negligible variation in weld appearance and the best formability. S3(a0.5b0.5) has the lowest porosity, which also explains the mechanism of laser welding trajectory stirring the molten pool and pooling of pores under hydrostatic pressure. The tensile test shows that: S3 has the highest tensile strength (215.35 MPa), 89.79% of the base material. But its strain is only 50% of that of the S4 sample with almost the same tensile strength (215.03 MPa). Therefore, this paper proposes that an elliptical welding trajectory can be adopted to obtain welded joints with better tensile strength and plasticity, with the long axis along the welding direction and the short axis perpendicular to the welding direction. This study provides theoretical guidance for the optimal oscillation mode selection for tunable ring mode laser welding of highly reflective materials.

Influence of kepok banana bunch as new cellulose source on thermal, mechanical, and biodegradability properties of Thai cassava starch/polyvinyl alcohol hybrid-based bioplastic.

Bioplastics were developed to overcome environmental problems that are difficult to decompose in the environment. This study analyzes Thai cassava starch-based bioplastics' tensile strength, biodegradability, moisture absorption, and thermal stability. This study used Thai cassava starch and polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) as matrices, whereas Kepok banana bunch cellulose was employed as a filler. The ratios between starch and cellulose are 10:0 (S1), 9:1 (S2), 8:2 (S3), 7:3 (S4), and 6:4 (S5), while PVA was set constant. The tensile test showed the S4 sample's highest tensile strength of 6.26 MPa, a strain of 3.85%, and a modulus of elasticity of 166 MPa. After 15 days, the maximum soil degradation rate in the S1 sample was 27.9%. The lowest moisture absorption was found in the S5 sample at 8.43%. The highest thermal stability was observed in S4 (316.8°C). This result was significant in reducing the production of plastic waste for environmental remediation.

Development and Characterization of Polylactic Acid (PLA)-Based Nanocomposites Used for Food Packaging.

The present study is focused on polylactic acid (PLA) blending with bio nanoadditives, such as Tonsil® (clay) and Aerosil®, to obtain nanocomposites for a new generation of food packaging. The basic composition was enhanced using Sorbitan oleate (E494) and Proviplast as plasticizers, increasing the composite samples' stability and their mechanical strength. Four mixtures were prepared: S1 with Tonsil®; S2 with Aerosil®; S3 with Aerosil® + Proviplast; and S4 with Sabosorb. They were complexly characterized by FT-IR spectroscopy, differential scanning calorimetry, mechanical tests on different temperatures, and absorption of the saline solution. FTIR shows a proper embedding of the filler component into the polymer matrix and DSC presents a good stability at the living body temperature for all prepared samples. Micro and nanostructural aspects were evidenced by SEM and AFM microscopy, revealing that S3 has the most compact and uniform filler distribution and S4 has the most irregular one. Thus, S3 evidenced the best diametral tensile strength and S4 evidenced the weakest values. All samples present the best bending strength at 18 °C and fair values at 4 °C, with the best values being obtained for the S1 sample and the worst for S4. The lack of mechanical strength of the S4 sample is compensated by its best resistance at liquid penetration, while S1 is more affected by the liquid infiltrations. Finally, results show that PLA composites are suitable for biodegradable and disposable food packages, and the desired properties could be achieved by proper adjustment of the filler proportions.

Boosting the power factor and thermoelectric performance in eco-friendly Cu3SbS4 by twin boundary and grain boundary phase

Te/Se-free Cu3SbS4 is one of the most promising thermoelectric materials because of its earth-abundant, low-cost and environment-friendly characteristics. However, its thermoelectric performance is relatively low due to the high electrical resistivity. In this work, dense twin boundaries and grain boundary phases were constructed in the Ge-doped Cu3SbS4 materials by the melting reaction, sulfuration process, and plasma activated sintering. Density Functional Theory (DFT) calculations demonstrate that the Ge doping makes the Fermi level (EF) move from the forbidden-band into the valence band, thus significantly increasing carrier concentration. These twin boundaries don’t degrade the carrier mobility, leading to the enhanced electrical conductivity, thus obtaining a higher power factor of ∼ 14.4 μW cm−1 K−2 at 623 K. As a result, a peak ZT value of ∼ 0.78 at 623 K is achieved in the Cu3Sb0.975Ge0.025S4 sample, which is much higher than those of most metal sulfides. Moreover, high-density twin boundaries and grain boundary phases can inhibit the propagation of fatigue crack and enhance the fracture toughness. This modified approach can efficiently construct dense nanotwin boundaries in metal sulfides for high-performance thermoelectrics.

Effect of Carbonation on Microstructure Evolution of Alkali-Activated Slag Pastes

In order to reveal the carbonation mechanism of alkali-activated concrete, the accelerated carbonation tests based on alkali-activated slag pastes were carried out. The evolution of microstructure and chemical composition for alkali-activated slag pastes subjected to carbonation was analyzed combining thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), mercury intrusion porosimetry (MIP) and a recently developed extended X-ray attenuation method (XRAM). The results showed that, the microstructure of alkali-activated slag pastes deteriorated gradually. Based on MIP and XRAM, the porosity of S4 (sample with a water-binder ratio of 0.4) increased by 8.24% and 11% after carbonation, and that of S6 (sample with a water-binder ratio of 0.6) increased by 7.45% and 10%, respectively. Besides, thermal analysis showed that, after carbonation, 11.45 mol / L and 19.57 mol /L CaCO3 were produced separately by S4 and S6. The main carbonation product for S6 was calcite, but for S4 vaterite and disorderly stacked calcite were also presented.

Transmission factors, mechanical, and gamma ray attenuation properties of barium-phosphate-tungsten glasses: Incorporation impact of WO3

The purpose of this study is to conduct a thorough examination of the direct and indirect impacts of increasing the quantity of heavy WO3 on gamma-ray transmission, shielding and mechanical properties for some selected barium-phosphate-tungsten glasses. Accordingly, mechanical properties of barium-phosphate-tungsten oxides with chemical formula (50-x)P2O5-50BaO-xWO3 (x = 0.0(S1), 5.0(S2), 10(S3), and 15(S4)) mol% was evaluated using Makishima-Mackenzie model. Next, newly online Phy-X/PSD software and Monte Carlo code were used to examine the gamma radiation characteristics. Gamma-ray transmission factor (TF) values were calculated for S1, S2, S3 and, S4 glass samples for a range of well-known radioisotope energies such for 67Ga, 57Co-57, 111In-111, 133Ba, 201Tl, 99 mTc, 51Cr, 131I, 58Co, 137Cs, 60Co. The total packing density (Vt) was enhanced from 0.589 for S1 glass sample (free with WO3) to 0.605 for S4 glass sample (with highest WO3 =15 mol%). The total energy dissociation (Gt) of the investigated glasses was increased with increasing the WO3 content: from 51.7 (kJ/cm3) for S1 glasses to 52.45 (kJ/cm3) for S4 glasses. All mechanical moduli were improved with increasing the tungsten trioxide concentration in the studied glasses. Poisson’s ratios were increased with increasing the WO3 concentration. The trend of linear (LAC) and mass attenuation (MAC) coefficients were followed as: (LAC, MAC) S1 < (LAC, MAC) S2 < (LAC, MAC) S3 < (LAC, MAC) S4. Half (HVL) and tenth (TVL) value layers have the trend as (HVL, TVL) S1 > (HVL, TVL) S2 > (HVL, TVL) S3 > (HVL, TVL) S4. The effective atomic number (Zeff) and electron density (Neff) have the same trend. The lowest transmission Factor (TF) values for all glass specimens were examined at a thickness of 3 cm. Furthermore, the S4 sample displayed the least transmission tendency across all glass thicknesses evaluated.

Investigation and ANN-based prediction of the radiation shielding, structural and mechanical properties of the Hydroxyapatite (HAP) bio-composite as artificial bone

This paper focuses on the radiation shielding, structural and specifically mechanical features of the Hydroxyapatite (HAP) bio-composites which can be used instead of the bone and tooth tissues in the human body via FLUKA Monte Carlo Code (FMCC), Phy-X: PSD software, and an analytical method. Since HAP bio-composites are so brittle, their use is limited instead of bone in the human body. This challenging issue persuaded the scientists and researchers to solve the problem by inserting various oxide or dioxide materials into HAP bio-composites. Thus, in this work, TiO2 and CeO2 with different ratios of x = 0, 3, 7.5, 10 wt.% and y = 0, 2, 6, 7.5 wt.% are inserted into HAP bio-composites and thus eight types of S (S1, S2, S3, and S4) and B (B1, B2, B3, and B4) samples are produced. Using Artificial Neural Network (ANN), this study predicts and demonstrates the system's behavior. Outcomes reveal that increasing the TiO2 and CeO2 concentrations in the (100-x) HAP + xTiO2 and (100-y) HAP + yCeO2 bio-composites will improve the gamma photon shielding performance of the S and B samples. Furthermore, the photon and electron spatial maps for simulated geometries related to the S4 sample are extracted by the FLUKA Monte Carlo Code and are represented graphically. The produced electrons with the highest energy are monitored in lead volumes due to various interactions of gamma photons with lead shields. In addition, sharp peaks are reported for Zeff curves related to the B samples which may be due to the K-edge absorption of the Ce in HAP samples. The FLUKA results are in full agreement with the predicted targets via the ANN algorithm. Moreover, increasing the CeO2/TiO2 concentrations in HAP bio-composites will enhance the rigidity of the chosen S and B samples. The rising percentage of the mechanical moduli related to the S and B series vary between 30% and 90% which may be due to the relationship between the density of the selected HAP bio-composites and mechanical moduli.

A Study on the Effect of Fiber Volume Ratio on the Physical and Mechanical Properties of Natural Fiber Composites

Abstract: At present, natural fibers of renewable resources offer the potentiality to act like a reinforcing material for manufacturing of composites. This study provides the effect of fiber volume ratio on physical &amp; mechanical properties of specimen when the fiber length is fixed and randomly oriented. For the fabrication of composite samples, the natural fiber was used as a reinforced material and adhesive material was Phenol-Formaldehyde. Fibers of hemp, coconut &amp; jute are used in equal ratio for the research work. In this study the fiber length was fixed in all samples and the fibers were randomly orientated and the thickness of all samples was 5mm. The length of the fibers was 12mm. A total of four samples S1, S2, S3, and S4 were fabricated using hand lay-up method. Fiber volume ratio is varied from 30% to 60%, such as 30% in S1, 40%in S2, 50% in S3 &amp; 60% in S4 sample. Physical &amp; Mechanical Testing has been carried out as per standards on the prepared specimens. Water absorption test was carried out in two sets one for 2 hours &amp; second for 24 hours. Result shows that fiber volume ratio of 40% in S2 showed maximum density, water absorption test was found minimum for 2 and 24 hours test &amp; minimum moisture. At 30% fiber ratio (S1) the expansion in length, width, and thickness was found minimum during the dimension expansion test for 2 hour soaking. Modulus of elasticity of the composite was found maximum at 50% fiber ratio (S3) inside composite and modulus of rupture found maximum at 60% fiber ratio (S4). The study on the effect of fiber ratio on mechanical and physical properties has been done.

Morphology controllable NiCo2S4 nanostructure on carbon cloth for enhanced electrocatalytic water oxidation

Oxygen evolution reaction (OER) is one of the key factors restricting the whole process of improving the efficiency of water splitting. Here, we report a synthesis strategy that uses a two-step reaction of hydrothermal co-precipitation and sulfuration to directly grow starfish-like spinel NixCo3−xS4 (0 ≤ x ≤ 3) nanorods on carbon cloth through controlling the concentration of Ni. The as-obtained Ni0.58Co2.42S4 possess the anodic overpotential of 215 mV in alkaline media to drive the current density of 10 mA cm−2, better than advanced precious metal catalysts RuO2 and IrO2. Furthermore, compared with other synthesized catalysts with different nickel ion concentrations, Ni0.58Co2.42S4 has a unique starfish morphology and highest value of Co3+/Co2+ and lowest value of Ni3+/Ni2+ sites, which is helpful for the dissipation of gas products on the catalyst surface and exhibits superior OER activity. The optimal configuration of surface valence states of Ni0.58Co2.42S4 sample can optimize the adsorption, activation and desorption of water and oxygen, thus significantly improve the electrocatalytic activity. This work provides a promising way to develop high properties and low-cost non-noble metal water oxidation catalysts.

Determination of Phenolic Compounds in Various Propolis Samples Collected from an African and an Asian Region and Their Impact on Antioxidant and Antibacterial Activities.

The biological activities of propolis samples are the result of many bioactive compounds present in the propolis. The aim of the present study was to determine the various chemical compounds of some selected propolis samples collected from Palestine and Morocco by the High-Performance Liquid Chromatography–Photodiode Array Detection (HPLC-PDA) method, as well as the antioxidant and antibacterial activities of this bee product. The chemical analysis of propolis samples by HPLC-PDA shows the cinnamic acid content in the Palestinian sample is higher compared to that in Moroccan propolis. The results of antioxidant activity demonstrated an important free radical scavenging activity (2,2-Diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH); 2,2′-azino-bis 3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulphonic acid (ABTS) and reducing power assays) with EC50 values ranging between 0.02 ± 0.001 and 0.14 ± 0.01 mg/mL. Additionally, all tested propolis samples possessed a moderate antibacterial activity against bacterial strains. Notably, Minimum Inhibitory Concentrations (MICs) values ranged from 0.31 to 2.50 mg/mL for Gram-negative bacterial strains and from 0.09 to 0.125 mg/mL for Gram-positive bacterial strains. The S2 sample from Morocco and the S4 sample from Palestine had the highest content of polyphenol level. Thus, the strong antioxidant and antibacterial properties were apparently due to the high total phenolic and flavone/flavonol contents in the samples. As a conclusion, the activities of propolis samples collected from both countries are similar, while the cinnamic acid in the Palestinian samples was more than that of the Moroccan samples.

Ionizing radiation shielding features for titanium borosilicate glass modified with different concentrations of barium oxide

Photon, proton, neutron and alpha shielding features of 10TiO2–10SiO2-(80-x)B2O3-xBaO were studied. This study exhibits several photon shielding parameters such as mass attenuation coefficient (MAC), half-value layer (HVL), effective atomic number (Zeff), effective electron density (Neff), gamma dose rate (R/h), specific gamma-ray constant (Γ), and the specific absorbed fraction of the energy (SAFE). The effective removal cross-section of the fast neutron (ΣR), scattering length of the constituent elements, mass stopping power (MSP), and projected range variation parameters were used to explore the particle shielding features. Moreover, the MAC was determined by using Geant4 simulation and compared with the results of the Phy-X program. The percentage error (Δ) was less than 2% for all results, which revealed the agreement between Geant4 simulation and Phy-X program. Although, the addendum of barium oxide (BaO) led to improving the performance of MAC, HVL, Zeff, Neff, and Γ. The ΣR, MSP and projected range variation showed a progressive reduction with incorporation BaO. Lastly, the BaO and SiO2 played an amazing role in enhancement the durability for the glass sample, and the S4 sample exhibits the highest durability compared with other samples. From the obtained results, it can be concluded that the present glass samples can be used in the radiation-shielding field.

Two-trace two-dimensional (2T2D) correlation infrared spectral analysis of Spirulina platensis and its commercial food products coupled with chemometric analysis

Spirulina plays an important role in the food industry due to its rich protein content and other nutritional values. 2D-COS spectral analysis is widely used nowadays in understanding the change in the molecular mechanism of biological samples. Two trace 2D-COS (2T2D-COS) is a technique that has gained much attention due to improved accuracy and higher spectral resolution. The selected band area measurement (Lipid/Amide I, Lipid/Carbohydrates, Amide I/ Amide II) shows that the samples S2 and S3 have higher quality among other samples. A positive correlation of increased lipid oxidation with lipid changes exists among all the samples studied. Synchronous spectra show auto peaks at 2870 cm−1, 1624 cm−1, 1034 cm−1 for samples S2 and S3 which helps in assessing food quality. Asynchronous negative cross-peaks (2870, 2815) indicate a higher presence of polysaccharides in the samples S1 and S4. The negative cross-peaks (1206, 1036) show deformation in the pyranose ring of polysaccharides in the S4 sample due to food processing. The negative PCA loading at 997 cm−1 shows the polymerization of carbohydrates mechanism occurring at glucan bands. Hierarchical cluster analysis shows clustering of dissimilar products occurring at a higher value. ROC curve depicts the higher reliability of our findings using 2T2D-COS.