Ultraviolet Spectrophotometer Research Articles

One-step synthesis and characterization of Y2O3 nanoparticles via emulsion detonation method

Yttrium oxide (Y2O3) nanoparticles have critical applications in many industries, including ceramics, optics, and biomedicine. However, conventional synthesis methods are typically cumbersome and time-consuming. Herein, a novel emulsion detonation method successfully achieved the one-step synthesis of Y2O3 nanoparticles. In this method, yttrium nitrate hexahydrate was uniformly dispersed in the emulsion explosive as a precursor and an auxiliary oxidizer. After the emulsion explosive was detonated in a detonation chamber, the detonation products were collected, purified and characterized by X-ray diffraction, Fourier transform infrared spectrometer, Raman spectrometer, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, field emission scanning electron microscopy, field emission transmission electron microscopy, and ultraviolet spectrophotometer. The results show that the as-synthesized powders are high-purity cubic phase yttrium oxide nanoparticles with a spherical-like morphology and an average particle size of approximately 30 nm. These Y2O3 nanoparticles have a wide (5.53 eV) energy band gap, close to the conventional methods. Based on detonation theory, thermochemical theory, and characterization results, this text discussed the mechanism of the Y2O3 nanoparticles synthesized by the emulsion detonation method. During detonation, the formation of the Y2O3 nanoparticles underwent three stages: the formation of the Y2O3 molecules by the collision of Y and O ions, the formation of the crystal nucleus at supersaturation concentration, and crystal growth. This study provides a novel, cost-effective method for efficiently synthesizing Y2O3 nanoparticles.

Biogenic carbon quantum dots from marine endophytic fungi (Aspergillus flavus) to enhance the curcumin production and growth in Curcuma longa L

In this study, we have investigated the effect of carbon quantum dots (FM-CQDs) synthesized from marine fungal extract on Curcuma longa to improve the plant growth and curcumin production. The isolated fungus, Aspergillus flavus has produced a high amount of indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) (0.025 mg g-1), when treated with tryptophan. CQDs were synthesized from the A. flavus extract and it was characterized using ultraviolet visible spectrophotometer (UV–Vis) and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HR-TEM). The synthesized CQDs were excited at 365 nm in an UV–Vis and the HR-TEM analysis showed approximately 7.4 nm in size with a spherical shape. Both fungal crude extract (FCE) at 0–100 mg L−1 and FM-CQDs 0–5 mg L−1 concentrations were tested on C. longa. About 80 mg L−1 concentration FCE treated plants has shown a maximum height of 21 cm and FM-CQDs at 4 mg L−1 exhibited a maximum height of 25 cm compared to control. The FM-CQDs significantly increased the photosynthetic pigments such as total chlorophyll (1.08 mg g−1 FW) and carotenoids (17.32 mg g−1 FW) in C. longa. Further, antioxidant enzyme analysis confirmed that the optimum concentrations of both extracts did not have any toxic effects on the plants. FM-CQDs treated plants increased the curcumin content up to 0.060 mg g−1 by HPLC analysis. Semi quantitative analysis revealed that FCE and FM-CQDs significantly upregulated ClCURS1 gene expression in curcumin production.

IL-12-Overexpressed Nanoparticles Suppress the Proliferation of Melanoma Through Inducing ICD and Activating DC, CD8+ T, and CD4+ T Cells.

The drug resistance and low response rates of immunotherapy limit its application. This study aimed to construct a new nanoparticle (CaCO3-polydopamine-polyethylenimine, CPP) to effectively deliver interleukin-12 (IL-12) and suppress cancer progress through immunotherapy. The size distribution of CPP and its zeta potential were measured using a Malvern Zetasizer Nano-ZS90. The morphology and electrophoresis tentative delay of CPP were analyzed using a JEM-1400 transmission electron microscope and an ultraviolet spectrophotometer, respectively. Cell proliferation was analyzed by MTT assay. Proteins were analyzed by Western blot. IL-12 and HMGB1 levels were estimated by ELISA kits. Live/dead staining assay was performed using a Calcein-AM/PI kit. ATP production was detected using an ATP assay kit. The xenografts in vivo were estimated in C57BL/6 mice. The levels of CD80+/CD86+, CD3+/CD4+ and CD3+/CD8+ were analyzed by flow cytometry. CPP could effectively express EGFP or IL-12 and increase ROS levels. Laser treatment promoted CPP-IL-12 induced the number of dead or apoptotic cell. CPP-IL-12 and laser could further enhance CALR levels and extracellular HMGB1 levels and decrease intracellular HMGB1 and ATP levels, indicating that it may induce immunogenic cell death (ICD). The tumors and weights of xenografts in CPP-IL-12 or laser-treated mice were significantly reduced than in controls. The IL-12 expression, the CD80+/CD86+ expression of DC from lymph glands, and the number of CD3+/CD8+T or CD3+/CD4+T cells from the spleen increased in CPP-IL-12-treated or laser-treated xenografts compared with controls. The levels of granzyme B, IFN-γ, and TNF-α in the serum of CPP-IL-12-treated mice increased. Interestingly, CPP-IL-12 treatment in local xenografts in the back of mice could effectively inhibit the growth of the distant untreated tumor. The novel CPP-IL-12 could overexpress IL-12 in melanoma cells and achieve immunotherapy to melanoma through inducing ICD, activating CD4+ T cell, and enhancing the function of tumor-reactive CD8+ T cells.

Modified Release of Acetaminophen from Matrix Tablet Formulations: Influence of Tablet Geometry

Background: Acetaminophen (APAP) or paracetamol is a widely used over-the-counter, analgesic (common conditions treated include headaches, backache, toothache, muscle aches, arthritis, sore throat etc.) and antipyretic drug. It can be administered orally, in the form of a tablet (plain, effervescent, orodispersable, etc.) or liquid, rectally in the form of a suppository or by injection (intravenously or intramuscularly). It is well absorbed orally with a plasma elimination half-life ranging from 1 to 4 h. The modified release oral formulation can prolong its therapeutic effects by maintaining APAP average plasma concentrations. Objective: In the context of this work, two APAP formulation tablets with different geometries were produced from standard pharmaceutical excipients to investigate the role of altered tablet geometry in modified oral drug delivery. Methods: APAP tablets were prepared by direct compression, using hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (HPMC K15M), polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP, MW: 55,000) and magnesium stearate, as ingredients. The release profiles were probed in aqueous dissolution media (pH 1.2 and 6.8) to simulate the conditions in the gastrointestinal tract in a United States Pharmacopeia (USP) dissolution paddle apparatus II and analyzed using an ultraviolet (UV) spectrophotometer (λmax = 244 nm). Results: The results indicated that the tablets were within the acceptable range of all evaluation parameters (tablet dimensions, drug content, weight variation, and breaking force) as defined by the international standards stated in the US Pharmacopoeia. The dissolution results showed that the APAP’s release profile was controlled by the tablets’ different geometries and, specifically the surface area (SA) and the surface area/volume (SA/V) ratio of the different tablets. The tablets with smaller SA/V ratios and SA showed slower drug release, indicative of a modified release motif. Conclusion: Altered tablet geometry plays an important role in APAP-modified oral drug delivery.

Hydration mechanism and photocatalytic antibacterial performance of cement-based composites modified by hydrophilic nano-TiO2 particles

In this paper, the hydration process of cement paste with hydrophilic nano-TiO2 particles was studied by microcalorimeter and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, and the hydration mechanism was explored based on Krstulovic-Dabic kinetic model. Meanwhile, the photocatalytic activity and antibacterial properties of TiO2-modified cement pastes were investigated by ultraviolet spectrophotometer and enzyme activity analyzer respectively. The results show that TiO2 nanoparticles can promote the hydration rate of cement in the acceleration stage, increase the cumulative heat release of early hydration, but delay the hydration process in the later stage. The Krstulovic-Dabic model can effectively simulate the hydration process of cement pastes with TiO2. Nano-TiO2 helps to increase the hydration rate of the crystal nucleation and growth process (NG) and shorten the duration of phase boundary reaction process (I), but has a negative impact on ion diffusion process (D). The functional relationship between the resistivity ρ of TiO2 cement-based composites and the hydration kinetic parameters was established: ρ(t)=−1k1ln[β1+t50t−t0].The degree of hydration of cement can be assessed by electrochemical in-situ non-destructive monitoring of the sample. In addition, the photocatalytic oxidation rate of TiO2-modified cement-based composites was up to 69.4%. Compared with the control sample without nano TiO2, the antibacterial ability was increased by 72.35%. In this paper, nano-TiO2 was applied to cement system, which provided a new idea for the preparation and application of photocatalytic antibacterial cement-based composites.

Investigating the Growth Rate of Tetraselmis Algae and its Effect on Nitrogen Removal From Aquaculture Wastewater

Background: This research investigated the ability of Tetraselmis microalgae to remove nitrates from aquaculture centers’ wastewater. Specifically, this study aimed to investigate the amount of nitrogen reduction by Tetraselmis microalgae under laboratory conditions. Therefore, algal density, chlorophyll a, specific growth rate, nitrate, and ammonia levels were investigated. Methods: Tetraselmis microalgae was planted under laboratory conditions with constant density of 2000 mL including 1900 mL of distilled water and 100 mL of stock to investigate the refining effects for 15 days. Along to the test steps, the concentration of the mentioned factors was determined using standard methods and ultraviolet spectrophotometer. Results: The results showed that algal density, chlorophyll concentration, and specific growth rate performed better than others in the pilot plants containing wastewater. Also, use of the studied algae caused a 50% reduction in ammonia and 80% in nitrate from aquaculture center wastewater. The data modeling showed that the above-mentioned microalgae were effective in reduction of nitrogen from aquaculture center wastewater as much as 75%. Conclusion: The results showed that the species can reduce organic substances in the wastewater of aquaculture center and their discharge into the environment.

Effects of Voltage and Treatment Time of Pulsed Electric Field on Electroporation in Rhizoctonia solani.

The pulsed electric field (PEF) of μs duration can induce electroporation by causing permanent damage to the membrane, leading to cell death. The microbe was treated by a homemade PEF generator instrument. The sterilization effect of PEF on the Rhizoctonia solani was observed by scanning electron microscope (SEM) and transmission electron microscope (TEM), and the leakage of the intracellular contents was measured with a conductometer and an ultraviolet spectrophotometer. The increases in the electrical conductivity and the optical density (OD) value indicated that the cell membrane was damaged, and the intracellular contents overflowed. As a result, according to our experimental conditions, the optimum condition was the high-pulsed electric voltage of 26kV, and the treatment time was 4min. It could be concluded that the PEF could damage the cell membrane, and the ratio of electroporation reached 100%, which provides a new method of killing R. solani efficiently.

Preparation and properties of modified POD membranes by polycarboxylic acids copolymerization

A series of X-POD polymers were prepared by condensation reaction of terephthalic dihydrazide and four different polycarboxylic acids in polyphosphoric acid (PPA) as solvent, and the corresponding membranes were formed by phase inversion method. The modified X-POD polymer structures have changed from linear structure to multidimensional network structure, which has great influence on the quality and performance of the membranes. The membrane structures were characterized by FTIR, and the thermal stability of the samples was determined by Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and differential scanning calorimeter (DSC). The ultraviolet transmittance and fluorescence properties of membranes were tested by ultraviolet spectrophotometer. The crystallinity and orientation of the samples were observed by X-ray diffraction (XRD). The surface and cross-sectional morphology of the membranes were evaluated by scanning electron microscope (SEM). Additionally, the oxidation and water absorption properties of the membranes were collected, and the mechanical properties of the membranes were tested. Overall, X-POD membranes show good mechanical properties, chemical inertness and thermal stability. The quality and mechanical properties of X-POD membranes demonstrated varying degrees of improvement. Notably, the mechanical properties of II-POD and III-POD membranes were enhanced by 244.52% and 203.66%, respectively. X-POD membranes exhibit high strength and excellent toughness, rendering them a highly promising material for membrane applications in the market.

Investigating the Effect of Ph Variation on the Optoelectronic and Structural Properties of Electrodeposited Copper Selenide Thin Films.

Copper Selenide (CuSe) thin film compound semiconductors have been deposited onto fluorine doped tin oxide (FTO) conducting substrates using electrodeposition technique through various electrolytic bath pH values of 2.00, 2.20, and 2.40. The deposition was carried out in potentiostatic mode using a 2-electrode system set-up at room temperature for 15 minutes at the cathodic voltage of 500 mV. The electrical and the optical properties of the thin films were carried out using photoelectrochemical (PEC) cells and ultraviolet visible spectrophotometer respectively. CuSe thin film possesses a p-type electrical conductivity and the sample grown at semiconductor and a pH of 2.2 was recorded to have the highest PEC signal and highest photo and dark currents that brings forth its maximum power. The energy band gap values of the electrodeposited CuSe thin films were observed to be 2.30 eV, 2.20 eV, and 2.00 eV at bath pH values of 2.0, 2.2, and 2.4 respectively. The optical band obtained at the various pH decreases as pH increases and these band gap values agree with the bulk band gap of CuSe. The preferred orientation peak of electrodeposited CuSe layers exists as klockmannite (CuSe) and the highest peak intensity for the preferred orientation peak occurred at pH of 2.20. At this pH value, the electrodeposited CuSe layers have the highest crystallite sizes.

Investigating the Effect of Ph Variation on the Optoelectronic and Structural Properties of Electrodeposited Copper Selenide Thin Films.

Copper Selenide (CuSe) thin film compound semiconductors have been deposited onto fluorine doped tin oxide (FTO) conducting substrates using electrodeposition technique through various electrolytic bath pH values of 2.00, 2.20, and 2.40. The deposition was carried out in potentiostatic mode using a 2-electrode system set-up at room temperature for 15 minutes at the cathodic voltage of 500 mV. The electrical and the optical properties of the thin films were carried out using photoelectrochemical (PEC) cells and ultraviolet visible spectrophotometer respectively. CuSe thin film possesses a p-type electrical conductivity and the sample grown at semiconductor and a pH of 2.2 was recorded to have the highest PEC signal and highest photo and dark currents that brings forth its maximum power. The energy band gap values of the electrodeposited CuSe thin films were observed to be 2.30 eV, 2.20 eV, and 2.00 eV at bath pH values of 2.0, 2.2, and 2.4 respectively. The optical band obtained at the various pH decreases as pH increases and these band gap values agree with the bulk band gap of CuSe. The preferred orientation peak of electrodeposited CuSe layers exists as klockmannite (CuSe) and the highest peak intensity for the preferred orientation peak occurred at pH of 2.20. At this pH value, the electrodeposited CuSe layers have the highest crystallite sizes.

Preconcentration and measurement of trace Amitriptyline hydrochloride in water samples using magnetic nanoparticles with dispersive solid‐phase extraction

AbstractIn the separation and determination of trace amounts of drugs in aqueous samples, there is a major challenge in synthesizing highly efficient, cost‐effective, and easy‐to‐use adsorbents based on natural polymers, which are also biocompatible and biodegradable. In the proposed method, magnetite nanoparticles (Fe3O4) on chitosan (as the carrier) modified with β‐cyclodextrin (BCD) were used as a suitable adsorbent for the pre‐concentration and solid‐phase extraction of trace amounts of Amitriptyline HCl (hydrochloride). Ultraviolet spectrophotometer (λ = 236 nm) was the main instrument used for analyte detection and quantification. Moreover, X‐ray diffraction, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy, and Energy‐Dispersive X‐ray were used for the identification and characterization of the structure and morphology of the adsorbent and to establish the formation of the synthesized magnetic nanosorbents, as well as to confirm the analyte binding to the adsorbent. Experimental variables affecting the extraction/pre‐concentration and determination of the analyte were investigated and optimized; pH of the sample solution, the amount of NaCl salt (in terms of ionic strength of the solution), the amount of adsorbent, temperature, adsorption time, and volume of the eluent (methanol) were the optimized parameters. Finally, the method was successfully applied for the determination of spiked Amitriptyline hydrochloride (HCl) in tap water and human urine samples. Also, High‐Performance Liquid Chromatography was performed on the aqueous samples to compare the proposed method with the USP (the United States Pharmacopeia) standard method of Amitriptyline HCl assay and after performing a t‐test (confidence level of 95%), no significant difference was observed between the two methods. High accuracy and precision (RSD = 3.91%), High analysis speed, few limitations, low expenses, pure extracted analyte, and low waste were the advantages of this method. This method was also compatible with many existing device methods. Under the optimized experimental conditions, the calibration graph was linear in the range of 0.183 to 50 mg.L−1 with a correlation coefficient of 0.996. RSD of the method was 3.91%, the limit of detection was 37.8 µg.L−1, the maximum sorption capacity of the adsorbent for Amitriptyline hydrochloride was 306.525 mg.g−1 and the preconcentration factor was 3.61. Eventually, the proposed method was compared to other methods that have been performed for the determination of Amitriptyline hydrochloride.

Enhanced Electrochemical and Safety Performance of Electrocatalytic Synthesis of NH3 with Walnut Shell-Derived Carbon by Introducing Sulfur

An efficient catalyst is key to achieving the synthesis of electrochemical ammonia and improving safety. In this work, using biomass walnut shell as a carbon source and sodium thiosulfate as a sulfur source, sulfur-modified walnut shell-derived carbon material was synthesized via a simple low-temperature impregnation method at room temperature and atmospheric pressure as an effective electrochemical ammonia synthesis catalyst with high thermal stability. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), Raman spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), nitrogen adsorption–desorption apparatus, thermogravimetry (TG), and other characterization methods were applied to analyze the micro-morphology and physicochemical structure of the electrocatalyst. The synthesized ammonia performance of the catalyst was measured using an ultraviolet (UV) spectrophotometer and electrochemical workstation. The catalyst design used the doping of sulfur atoms to create rich catalytic active sites, while the presence of elemental sulfur on the catalyst surface provided hydrophobicity, which was conducive to inhibiting competitive hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) and enhancing the electrocatalytic ammonia synthesis performance of the catalyst. Under normal temperature and pressure conditions, when a voltage of −0.45 V was applied, the ammonia yield in 0.05 M H2SO4 electrolyte was 10.39 μgNH3 mgcat.−1 h−1. The results showed that the introduction of sulfur effectively improved the electrocatalytic and thermal safety performance of bio-derived carbon materials, and the test presented that the performance of the catalyst was stable and reusable.

Portable visual and electrochemical detection of hydrogen peroxide release from living cells based on dual-functional Pt-Ni hydrogels

It is important to monitor the intra-/extracellular concentration of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) in biological processes. However, miniaturized devices that enable portable and accurate H2O2 measurement are still in their infancy because of the difficulty of developing facile sensing strategies and highly integrated sensing devices. In this work, portable H2O2 sensors based on Pt-Ni hydrogels with excellent peroxidase-like and electrocatalytic activities are demonstrated. Thus, simple and sensitive H2O2 sensing is achieved through both colorimetric and electrochemical strategies. The as-fabricated H2O2 sensing chips exhibit favorable performance, with low detection limits (0.030 μM & 0.15 μM), wide linearity ranges (0.10 μM–10.0 mM & 0.50 μM–5.0 mM), outstanding long-term stability (up to 60 days), and excellent selectivity. With the aid of an M5stack development board, portable visual and electrochemical H2O2 sensors are successfully constructed without complicated and expensive equipment or professional operators. When applied to the detection of H2O2 released from HeLa cells, the results obtained by the developed sensors are in good agreement with those from an ultraviolet‒visible spectrophotometer (UV‒vis) (1.97 μM vs. 2.08 μM) and electrochemical station (1.77 μM vs. 1.84 μM).

Evaluation of antibacterial effect of a cationic porphyrin derivative on Pseudomonas aeruginosa in photodynamic therapy

BackgroundPseudomonas aeruginosa is a gram-negative bacterium without spores, and it is one of the pathogens that easily cause secondary infectious diseases when human immune function is low. The purpose of this study is to explore the inhibitory effect of photodynamic antibacterial chemotherapy-induced by cationic porphyrin derivative on clinical P. aeruginosa and its mechanism. MethodsThe uptake of photosensitizer by P. aeruginosa and L929 cells was measured by an ultraviolet spectrophotometer. Effect of laser energy density on the bacterial activity of P. aeruginosa and post antibiotic effect were measured by bacterial suspension and tenfold dilution method. Flow cytometry and scanning electron microscopy were used to observe the activity and morphological changes of P. aeruginosa after PACT treatment. ResultsThe uptake of Tetra-ATPP-Lys-by P. aeruginosa and L929 was shown as concentration-dependent and time-dependent. However the uptake of L929 cell had a clear difference with P. aeruginosa at the same time and concentration intervals(P < 0.05).The increasing laser energy density had a high inactivation effect of on P. aeruginosa at the same Tetra-ATPP-Lys-concentration(P < 0.05). Post-antibiotic effect of Tetra-ATPP-Lys -PACT was dose-dependent(P < 0.05). Bacterial viability which evaluated by the flow cytometry method demonstrated that the proportion of viable bacteria is decreased with the photosensitizer dose-dependent. The morphology and microstructure of P. aeruginosa after Tetra-ATPP-Lys -PACT was demonstrated by a scanning electron microscope(SEM). After PACT, the morphology of P. aeruginosa was rod-shaped, the outer membrane surface was rough, and the bacteria were dry flat, sunken, shrunk and deformed. ConclusionsCationic porphyrin photosensitizer had a great damage effect on P. aeruginosa under the PACT, which can effectively destroy the microstructure of bacteria and lead to bacterial inactivation and death.

Dual anticancer activity of Aspergillus nidulans pigment and Ionizing γ-Radiation on human larynx carcinoma cell line

BackgroundFungi are a readily available source of naturally generated colored compounds. These compounds might be used as radiosensitizers for treating cancer cells.MethodsAspergillus nidulans was examined for its color-producing ability in Potato dextrose agar (PDA) broth medium. The pigment was characterized by Ultraviolet (UV) spectrophotometer and Gas Chromatography Mass Spectrometry (GC/MS). Pigment extracts from A. nidulans were studied for their cytotoxic effects on the growth of human larynx carcinoma cell line (HEp-2) with or without exposure to γ-radiation at three different doses (5, 10, and 15 Gy). A. nidulans pigment cytotoxic activity was tested against normal Vero cells. Cell apoptosis was studied using flow cytometry. Gene expression of P53, Caspase 3 and Bcl-2 were quantified.ResultsUltraviolet spectrum and GC/MS revealed the ability of Aspergillus nidulans to produce Rhodopin pigment. HEp-2 cells treated with A. nidulans pigment only give IC50 about 208 µg/ml. In contrast, when treated with the pigment +10 Gy γ-radiation, it give about 115 µg/ml. However, for normal cells, lower cytotoxic activity was detected. Treatment with pigment (208 g/mL) caused about 50% ± 1.0 total apoptosis level and gene expression of P53: 2.3 fold and Caspase 3: 1.84 fold in respect to untreated HEp-2), while Bcl-2 was decreased (Bcl-2: 0.63 fold in respect to untreated HEp-2). Furthermore, treated with pigment (115 µg/mL) + 10Gy caused about 47.41% ± 1.7 total apoptosis level and P53: 2.53 fold and Caspase 3: 2.0 fold in respect to untreated HEp-2, while Bcl-2 was downregulated (Bcl-2: 0.61 fold in respect to untreated HEp-2).ConclusionThis study concluded that the anti-cancer activity of Aspergillus nidulans pigment was enhanced by ionizing radiation at 10 Gy, as well as its low cytotoxic activity against normal Vero cells.

HSI combined with CNN model detection of heavy metal Cu stress levels in apple rootstocks

In recent years, the prolonged application of copper-based fungicides, ripening agents, and fertilizers in agricultural activities has resulted in copper (Cu) levels in the soil exceeding safe levels. Excess Cu has a negative impact on plant growth and crop yields. The practice of grafting horticultural crops onto appropriate rootstocks is frequently employed as a preventive measure against copper accumulation and its associated toxicity. Therefore, the selection of high-quality rootstocks that are not contaminated with heavy metal Cu is important for the growth of grafted crops and the breeding of grafted crops. This study proposed a technique based on convolutional neural network (CNN) and hyperspectral imaging (HSI) for the rapid, non-destructive, and accurate identification of copper contamination levels in apple rootstocks. The effect of different heavy metal Cu contamination levels on leaves was obtained by measuring chlorophyll content in leaves using the ultraviolet spectrophotometer method. A hybrid strategy for spectral variable selection was utilized, involving competitive adaptive reweighted sampling and successive projection algorithms. A traditional partial least squares discriminant analysis linear classification model, and least squares support vector machine, random forest, and extreme learning machine nonlinear models were developed. The results showed that the accuracy of the CNN model and Macro-F1 were 99.6% and 99.2%, respectively, which were better than the traditional linear and nonlinear models. Principal component analysis and t-distributed stochastic neighbor embedding were used for visual analysis to investigate the clustering patterns among sample classes. The results indicated that the combination of CNN and HSI techniques has great potential for classifying copper contamination levels in apple rootstocks.

Mechanism of sugar degradation product 5-hydroxymethylfurfural reducing the stability of anthocyanins.

The coexistence of anthocyanin with the sugar degradation product 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (5-HMF) is inevitable during the processing and storage of anthocyanin-rich juices. It was determined from our study that lower concentrations of 5-HMF have little effect on the stability of Cyanidin-3-O-glucoside (C3G), and even cause a slight increase for a short period of time. As the concentration of 5-HMF increased, the retention of C3G decreased and the color of the solution changed from orange-red to purple-red. The reaction sites of 5-HMF and C3G in its hemiketal form were predicted by quantum chemical calculations in order to investigate the pathways of action of the two. The degradation mechanism of 5-HMF on anthocyanin was verified by Ultraviolet and Visible spectrophotometer and Ultra performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry. Therefore, this article provides further theoretical support for the study of the effect of furfural compounds, which are sugar degradation products, on the stability of anthocyanins.

High efficient COVID-19 waste co-pyrolysis char/TiO2 nanocomposite for photocatalytic reduction of Cr(VI) under visible light.

Titanium dioxide (Titania) nanoparticle-coated biochar derived through co-pyrolysis of COVID-19 waste face mask (WFM) and Moringa oleifera seed cake (MO) provides an effective way to alleviate toxic metal in wastewater. This study investigates the effects of Biochar/titania photocatalyst preparation, characterization, and its photoreduction of Cr(VI). The morphological and functional modifications in the catalyst were identified using X-Ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, ultraviolet spectrophotometer, surface area analysis, and Raman spectrophotometer, respectively. The influencing parameters, namely, pH, photocatalyst dosage, initial pollutant concentration, and visible light irradiation time, have been investigated. The findings reveal that the Cr(VI) reduction by the photocatalyst was highly facilitated by photocatalytic process. The prepared photocatalyst shows higher and faster reduction rate of Cr(VI) and also improves the catalyst stability. The photoreduction of Cr(VI) ensembles well with pseudo-first order kinetics. At 180 min of reaction time, maximum Cr(VI) reduction of 98.65% was achieved at pH 2, 0.3 g/L catalyst dosage, and 10 ppm initial concentration, respectively. The synthesized photocatalyst shows excellent recycling performance up to 7 times, and these studies proved that the prepared catalyst is cost-effective and efficiently employed for removing pollutants.

In situ temperature-compensated ultraviolet spectrophotometry to estimate nitrate and chloride concentrations in estuarine seawater with different salinity and composition

Various methods have been proposed for in situ measurement of nitrate concentrations from the ultraviolet (UV) absorbance spectrum of seawater with stable salinity and constituents. However, salinity and temperature affect the UV absorption spectrum of seawater. In sea areas with large variability in salinity and water temperature, accurate nitrate ion concentration measurements remain challenging. We performed in situ measurements of nitrate, chloride, and bromide in estuarine seawater with different salinity compositions and applied water temperature compensation. First, the impact of water temperature on the UV absorbance of chloride, bromide, and nitrate was experimentally investigated and represented in a mathematical model. Next, chloride, bromide, and nitrate concentrations were estimated by suppressing the impact of residual components from the UV absorbance spectra of seawater using principal component regression (PCR). Hence, the chloride, bromide, and nitrate concentrations were determined by measuring the UV absorbance spectrum of seawater alone, without measuring water temperature and electrical conductivity. The proposed method was more accurate (±1.39 μM below 100 μM and ±0.90 μM below 20 μM) than the conventional method (±2.35 μM below 100 μM and ±1.88 μM below 20 μM) and PCR without water temperature compensation (±3.67 μM). In a field study, an in situ UV spectrophotometer with water temperature compensation was used to measure depth profiles of nitrate concentrations in estuarine seawater. We successfully measured the depth profiles of low chloride and high nitrate concentrations in the surface layer as well as high chloride and low nitrate concentrations in the lower layer. The proposed method enables in situ measurements of nitrate concentrations in waters with either stable or highly variable salinity and composition. Unlike conventional chemical analysis, our method can describe detailed spatiotemporal variations in nitrate concentrations.

Rosa damascena flower mediated phytofabrication of palladium nanoparticles, in-vitro and in-vivo applications

The formation of palladium nanoparticles is described in this research work as being simple, affordable, and non-toxic. This study employed Rosa damascena flower extract to effectively reduce ions to palladium nanoparticles. Biogenic formation of palladium nanoparticles (PdNPs) is characterized using Ultraviolet spectrophotometers, FTIR, XRD spectrophotometers, and TEM. The SPR peak was recorded at 360 nm in UV–visible analysis of biologically formed palladium nanoparticles. The diameter of the synthesized palladium nanoparticles was around approx 50 nm with a spherical shape. These biologically formed palladium nanoparticles demonstrated notable antibacterial activities. After antibacterial testing of palladium nanoparticles further check for anti-inflammatory and analgesic activity on rat model. These finding indicate that the flower extract of R.damascena is an excellent bio-reductant for the formation of palladium nanoparticles and has promise for employment in several fields in biomedical application.