Visible Surface Area Research Articles

Advancing nanoarchitectures of 2D WO3/MXene photoanode for enhanced photoelectrocatalytic oxidation of phenol and arsenic in synthetic wastewater

The photoelectrocatalytic advanced oxidation process (PEAOP) necessitates high-performing and stable photoanodes for the effective oxidation of complex pollutants in industrial wastewater. This study presents the construction of 2D WO3/MXene heteronanostructures for the development of efficient and stable photoanode. The WO3/MXene heterostructure features well-ordered WO3 photoactive sites anchored on micron-sized MXene sheets, providing an increased visible light active catalytic surface area and enhanced electrocatalytic activities for pollutant oxidation. Phenol, a highly toxic compound, was completely oxidized at an applied potential of 0.8 V vs. RHE under visible light irradiation. Systematic optimization of operational conditions for the photoelectrocatalytic oxidation of phenol was conducted. The phenol oxidation mechanism was elucidated via high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) analysis and the identification of intermediate compounds. Additionally, a mixed model of phenol and arsenic (III) in polluted water demonstrated the capability of WO3/MXene photoanode for the simultaneous oxidation of both organic and inorganic pollutants, achieving complete conversion of phenol and As(III) to non-toxic As(V). The WO3/MXene photoanode facilitated water oxidation, generating a substantial amount of O2•– and •OH oxidative species, which are crucial for the concurrent oxidation of phenol and arsenic. Recyclability tests demonstrated a 99% retention of performance, confirming the WO3/MXene photoanode's suitability for long-term operation in PEAOPs. The findings suggest that integrating WO3/MXene photoanodes into water purification systems can enhance economic feasibility, reduce energy consumption, and improve efficiency. This PEAOP offers a viable solution to the critical issue of heavy metal and organic chemical pollution in various water bodies, given its scalability and ability to preserve ecosystems while conserving clean water resources.

Synthesis of heterojunction BiVO4/MnO2 graphene ternary nanocomposites with enhanced photocatalytic activities through degradation of rhodamine B and tetracycline hydrochloride

Our research has resulted in synthesizing highly efficient BiVO4/MnO2 graphene ternary heterostructures prepared with a simple hydrothermal technique. These structures demonstrate exceptional performance in the photodegradation of rhodamine B (RhB) dye and tetracycline hydrochloride (TC). Adding MnO2 and graphene oxide significantly enhanced the absorption of visible light, photocatalytic activity, and surface area of the nanocatalyst. The prepared materials were characterized by XRD, SEM, BET, DRS, and PL spectroscopy. The PL spectra of G/MnBV-4 show less intensity and lower recombination rate, which is beneficial for photocatalytic activity. The as-synthesized G/MnBV-4 material exhibits outstanding photocatalytic activities toward the TC and RhB dye degradation under visible light irradiation. The reaction rate constant of G/MnBV-4 was estimated in the case of RhB and TC as 0.094 min−1 and 0.021 min−1 respectively, showcasing the material's high efficiency. The optimized material (BiVO4/MnO2 graphene) is stable and reusable, with only a 10 % reduction in removal efficiency after five consecutive cycles. Furthermore, the OH− and O2− are active species for removing organic pollutants. In contrast, holes are attributed to a lower effect. This study describes a photocatalytic approach to effectively removing the TC from waste bodies. The enhanced degradation efficiencies were ascribed to developing heterostructures and fast electron transfer between interfaces. Moreover, graphene increased photogenerated charge carriers' surface adsorption properties and charge separation efficiency. Hence, graphene works as an electron trapper and tuning bandgap energy, which plays a significant role in addition to photocatalytic activity.

Distinguishable photocatalytic activity of nano polyaniline with quantum dots metal oxide as photocatalysts for photodegradation of Dianix blue dye and different industrial pollutants

Nanopolyaniline (PAN) polymers have recently been under active investigation as promising photocatalysts. In this work, a simple modified sol–gel method is used to make nano PAN polymers, and a chemical polymerization method is used to make nano polyaniline titanium dioxide quantum dots (PAN-TiQD) polymers as an active photocatalyst during the photodegradation of Dianix blue dye as an organic pollutant under xenon light. The traditional colloidal sol–gel method and the microwave-assisted hydrothermal method were used to make TiQD, which was then mixed with nanoPAN to make PAN-5 % TiQD (W/W) nanocomposites. Characterizations like XRD, FTIR, UV and visible diffuse reflectance spectra, TGA, surface area, EDX, and TEM were used to characterize the nanoPAN and PAN-TiQD that were made. Also, the photocatalytic activity of all synthesized polymers was investigated by the photodegradation process of Dianix blue dye as an organic hazardous pollutant in aqueous medium using a xenon photoreactor with an initial power of 75 W/Cm2. The effects of irradiation time and photocatalyst type on the photodegradation process efficiency of Dianix blue dye were examined. After 3 h of photodegradation processes, the photodegradation efficiency of PAN-TiQD reached 69 % compared to 36 % of nanoPAN due to the fact that it contains 5 % TiQD as a highly active catalyst, which reached 91 %. As an added value for this study, a significant contribution is the examination of eight hazardous industrial wastewater samples, which were assessed under direct sunlight and were in accordance with the KSA environmental permissible limit of 1000 ppm.Finally, the recycling processes in the presence of all synthesized catalysts were investigated and evaluated six times. The photodegradation rate of the recycling processes of Dianix blue dye was highly decreased in the presence of nano PAN than PAN-TiQD, while it had a low decreasing percentage in the case of TiQD. The recycling process using sunlight for industrial pollution samples was investigated at one of the KSA textile plants by using six synthetic catalysts and assessing COD and TOC values.

Poly ortho-chloroaniline and poly ortho-chloroaniline titanium dioxide quantum dots for photo-degradation of organic hazardous materials

Conjugated polymers have recently been under active investigation as promising alternatives to use in photocatalysis. This is due to their unique advantages of low cost, high chemical stability, and molecularly tunable optoelectronic properties. This work explores the easy way to synthesize efficient poly ortho-chloroaniline (pO-CAN) via the chemical oxidative polymerization of O-CAN. Titanium dioxide quantum dots (TiQD) have been prepared and used in preparation of (pO-CAN)/TiQD. X ray diffraction, FTIR, UV &Visible spectra, TGA, surface area, EDX and TEM measurements were used to characterize all prepared polymers. The photocatalytic activities of all recent polymers were investigated by the photodegradation of methyl orang dye as an organic hazardous chemical in an aqueous medium was assessed using a 100-watt xenon lamp light source and direct sunlight for industrial wastewater samples. The effect of irradiation time on photodegradation performance of the dye in presence of recent polymers. (pO-CAN)/TiQD demonstrated high photocatalytic properties, with 79.9 % efficiency, as opposed to 48.8 % for (pO-CAN) only while it is 92.8 % for TiQD. When (pO-CAN), TiQD, and (pO-CAN)/TiQD are present during the recycling processes in the presence of all created samples up to six times, the photodegradation rate decreases by about 57.18, 9.61 and 9.51 % respectively. Also, the recycling and photodegradation performance of the industrial wastewater samples were evaluated and observed interested results.

Enhanced photocatalytic degradation activity of ZIF-8 doped with Ag2WO4 photocatalyst

BackgroundMethylene blue (MB) is a carcinogenic pollutant that is widely known for its dangerous effects on humans and marine life. MethodsHerein, Ag2WO4-supported ZIF-8 hybrid photocatalyst has been constructed simple using a hydrothermal method. The constructed photocatalysts were described by XRD, FESEM, EDX, UV–visible DRS, TEM, and BET surface area methods. FindingsThe Ag2WO4/ZIF-8 photocatalyst established high photocatalytic degradation performance under visible light toward MB dye, giving 98.3 % photodegradation of 30 mg/l MB and 0.1 g/l photocatalyst dosage in 120 min of irradiation. Also, the photostability was excellent after five rounds. The boosted photodegradation performance was attributed to the synergic mechanism, which proposed the efficient charge separation efficiency and the presence of plasmon Ag in the Ag2WO4/ZIF-8 Z-scheme heterojunction. The trapping experiments illustrated that ·O2- was primary reactive radicals in the photodegradation process of MB. This research opens a new insight into assembling new heterojunction photocatalyst with improved behavior and stability, and presents a new understanding of Surface Plasmon Resonance (SPR)-supported Z-scheme mechanism for environmental application.

Photodegrading hazardous pollutants using black TiO2 materials with different morphology and estimation of energy requirement

Black TiO2 materials were synthesized with different morphologies, including nanoparticles (NPs) and nanonails (NNs), and their performance for the photodegradation of hazardous phenols from model palm oil mill wastewater (TPOME) was compared. For the first time, the black TiO2 NNs were prepared by hydrothermal processing, followed by HCl treatment of the TiO2 NPs that had already been produced using an improved glycerol-assisted precipitation method. Four phenolic compounds (phenol, caffeic acid, ferulic acid, and gallic acid) were combined to represent the model wastewater based on their relative concentrations in actual TPOME. The TiO2 NNs outperformed the TiO2 NPs in the photocatalytic degradation of phenols due to their improved properties, including higher visible light absorption and surface area and lower bandgap and rate of electrons and holes recombination. The removal rate and energy requirements of the TiO2 NNs were also impactful. The TiO2 NNs degraded more than 99% of individual phenols in 210 min and 84.22% of the total phenols in 270 min with the least amount of electrical energy used (96.36 kW/m3), the lowest cost of treatment of a unit volume of model TPOME, and the highest removal rate constant.

Enhanced photoresponse and efficient charge transfer in porous graphene-BaTiO3 nanocomposite for high performance photocatalysis

Porous graphene-BaTiO3 (PGBT) nanocomposite was synthesized by a simple one pot solvothermal method and its photocatalytic activity was evaluated by studying its efficiency in degrading methylene blue (MB) dye under visible light. The combination of experimental and theoretical analysis revealed enhanced photocatalytic activity of the PGBT composite, which could be attributed to (i) the interaction of BaTiO3 nanoparticles with PG sheets via BaC bond, (ii) reduced band gap due to the introduction of hybridized states leading to increased absorption in visible range and (iii) large surface area which provides more active sites for the efficient adsorption of MB dye. The formation of BaC bond proved to be highly advantageous for the efficient transport of photogenerated charge carriers, thereby suppressing the recombination of charge carriers. The synthesized nanocomposite showed three times higher photodegradation efficiency compared to BaTiO3. In addition to this, the composite also showed an excellent cyclic stability indicating its suitability as an effective photocatalyst for the environmental remediation.

Endoscope-Assisted Visualization of the Internal Auditory Canal Using the Middle Fossa Approach.

Angled endoscopes have been postulated to increase visualization of the internal auditory canal (IAC); however, few studies have quantified the extent of IAC visualization using endoscopes of varying angles. Preservation of the bony labyrinth in middle fossa (MF) vestibular schwannoma surgery may limit visualization of the lateral IAC. We sought to determine the extent to which IAC visualization is increased with endoscopes in these situations. Computed tomography (CT) scans were acquired before and after two cadaveric MF bony drill-outs. An atlas-based method was used to localize the IAC in the preprocedure CT and then registered with the postprocedure CT using standard image registration methods. Virtual microscope and endoscope positions and angles of approach were determined in a 3D rendering environment. Using ray casting techniques, the percentage of IAC surface area visible (unobscured by bony structures) with the microscope and 0°, 30°, and 45° endoscopes was calculated. For cadaver 1, the microscope led to visible IAC surface areas of 72%, whereas 0°, 30°, and 45° endoscopes visualized 58%, 79%, and 84%, respectively. For cadaver 2, the microscope led to visible surface areas of 67%, whereas the same endoscopes visualized 66%, 84%, and 84%, respectively. Using a microscope yields similar proportions of visible IAC surface area to a 0° endoscope in MF bony drill-outs. Increased visualization of the IAC is possible with more angled endoscopes. Using angled endoscopes may facilitate improved tumor dissection in the lateral IAC with neural and vascular preservation in vestibular schwannoma surgery aimed at hearing preservation.

Chemically synthesized manganese oxide nanorods for effectual organic dye removal and energy storage application

Manganese oxide nanoparticles (MnO2) are successfully synthesized by using a facile chemical co-precipitation and reflux-assisted co-precipitation method with varying annealing temperatures and reflux time respectively. The synthesized samples' structural, optical and thermal properties are investigated by XRD, FTIR spectra, Ultraviolet–Visible spectroscopy, Thermogravimetric Analysis and BET surface area analyzer. The average crystallite sizes assessed by Scherrer's equation (Williamson- Hall plot) of prepared samples are in the range of 6–8 nm (6–7 nm) for the reflux-assisted method and 15–30 nm (20–46 nm) for the co-precipitation method respectively. The presence of peaks associated with Mn-O bonds in FTIR spectra confirmed the formation of MnO2 nanoparticles. FESEM studies revealed the nanorod-type morphologies of samples. The prepared samples showed pseudocapacitive behaviour and significant photocatalytic degradation of brilliant green dye.

Experimental and kinetic model evaluation of HONO production from surface nitrate photolysis

Solar irradiation plays a key role in promoting nitrous acid (HONO) production from surface enhanced photochemical reactions such as photolysis of nitrate. Nitrate anions are ubiquitous in ambient particles and on various outdoor and indoor surfaces, with reported surface density from 10−7 to 10−3 mol m−2. In this work, we measured HONO and NO2 production from surface nitrate photolysis under eight narrow bandwidth light sources with peak emission wavelengths ranging from 300 to 605 nm. We defined the probability of HONO and NO2 release per surface nitrate absorbing unit photon density of particular wavelength as “reactive cross section” of surface nitrate. Relative to the absorption cross section of gaseous HNO3, the reactive cross section of surface nitrate was found enhanced by up to 970-fold. The reactive cross section determined in our laboratory decreased from (6.3 ± 0.5) × 10−20 cm2 molecule−1 at 300 nm to (1.0 ± 0.3) × 10−24 cm2 molecule−1 at 605 nm, and showed a nonlinear relationship with the surface density of nitrate. Outdoor HONO production was mostly attributed to solar UV irradiation as expected, while underappreciated indoor HONO accumulation was also feasible considering HONO production induced by visible light and large specific surface area indoors. We then constructed a dynamic model to further evaluate the indoor HONO source in typical indoor environments. Photochemical properties of this HONO source lead to diurnal profiles in indoor HONO accumulation, with daily average HONO accumulation ranging from 1.1 to 17.8 ppb under various conditions. The model calculation confirmed that visible light substantially promotes surface nitrate photolysis and indoor HONO accumulation, with an average daily strength that is 0.28–0.34 mg h−1 at surface nitrate of 10−4 mol m−2 under simulated sunlight illumination. Our results call for direct measurements of indoor HONO in a variety of real indoor environments.

Promising MoS2 – ZnO hybrid nanocomposite photocatalyst for antibiotics, and dyes remediation in wastewater applications

In this work, a heterojunction system of ZnO nanorods (NRs) coupling with ultrathin MoS2 nanosheets (NSs) is designed through a facile and green microwave-assisted hydrothermal method. The purpose of this research is to investigate the use of a MoS2-ZnO hybrid nanocomposite as a photocatalyst for the degradation of sulfamethoxazole (SMX), trimethoprim (TMP), and meloxicam (MX) antibiotics, as well as Methylene blue (MB), malachite green (MG), and crystal violet (CV) dyes under simulating sunlight. The structural, morphological, optical, and textural properties of pristine ZnO NRs, MoS2 NSs, and their hybrid nanocomposite (MoS2-ZnO) are compared using XRD, TEM, SEM-EDX, UV-DRS, PL, and BET techniques. The MoS2-ZnO hybrid nanocomposite exhibited ZnO characteristic peaks with a very small MoS2 characteristic diffraction peak, indicating the heterojunction formation, as confirmed by TEM results. Furthermore, the MoS2-ZnO hybrid nanocomposite showed enhanced visible light absorption and surface area. The hybrid nanocomposite photocatalytic efficiency is higher than that of pristine ZnO NRs in all photocatalytic experiments. the Formation of heterojunction is the reason for improved performance due to increased charge carrier generation, separation, and transport, as confirmed by the PL technique. Moreover, The MoS2-ZnO revealed 100 % photocatalytic degradation efficiency after 30 min against SMX, MX, and MB pollutants respectively. Furthermore, complete photocatalytic degradation (100 %) is achieved after 90 min in the case of TMP, MG, and CV pollutants. Moreover, the possible photocatalytic mechanism has been clearly described, emphasizing the significance of OH. radicals and singlet oxygen (1O 2) in the degradation process. MoS2-ZnO hybrid nanocomposites can be considered promising photoactive materials for wastewater decontamination.

Determining the reusability of Tenax beads (60–80 mesh) in estimates of bioaccessibility using single-point extractions

Single-point Tenax extractions are a viable means of estimating bioaccessibility of hydrophobic organic contaminants in sediment, soil, and intestinal fluids. One advantage of this extraction technique is that after thorough cleaning and drying, Tenax beads can be reused in subsequent extractions with the assumption that no changes in bioaccessibility estimates will occur. This assumption of reusability, however, has not been tested. Therefore, the objective of the current study was to evaluate the reusability of Tenax beads by comparing bioaccessible polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) concentrations measured by differently aged Tenax beads. New Tenax beads (60–80 mesh) were aged through 24 h single-point Tenax extractions of clean sand 0, 1, 5, 10, 15, 20, and 25 times. The aged Tenax was then used to extract 27 PCB congeners from laboratory spiked sediment and the bioaccessible PCB concentrations were compared. Despite significant effects of PCB congener (F26, 567 = 97.291, p = 2.00 × 10−16), Tenax age (F6, 567 = 14.735, p = 1.12 × 10−15), and the interaction of these two terms (F156, 567 = 1.711, p = 4.79 × 10−6) on bioaccessible concentrations measured by Tenax, the significance was due to two PCB congeners that showed large variation during analytical quantification. For the remaining 25 congeners, no differences in bioaccessible PCB concentrations were found between differently aged Tenax, suggesting repeated use did not impact bioaccessible estimates provided by Tenax. Scanning electron microscope imaging revealed no significant changes in the visible surface area of the Tenax beads after aging (F6, 203 = 1.434, p = 0.203), suggesting no significant changes in the Tenax phase volume resulting in consistent estimates of bioaccessibility through repeated use. Given the strong correlations between single-point Tenax extractable and tissue concentrations, providing data to detail the reusability of Tenax in repeated extractions further demonstrates the applicability of this extraction technique in risk assessment.

Boosted visible-light-driven photocatalytic degradation of lomefloxacin over α-Ag2WO4/NiSx nanocomposites

In this paper, α-Ag2WO4-supported NiSx co-catalyst has been synthesized using a hydrothermal route. The synthesized materials were characterized by XRD, FESEM, EDX, UV–visible DRS, PL, ICP-OES and BET surface area tests. The prepared α-Ag2WO4/NiSx nanocomposite has efficient photocatalytic degradation effects toward environmental pharmaceutical contaminants (lomefloxacin, LOM) under visible light. The max photocatalytic degradation efficiency over 0.1 g/l dose of α-Ag2WO4/10%wt-NiSx sample was 98.4% within 60 min at pH 6.1 (unmodified), which is 4.5 and 11.4 times higher than that of bare α-Ag2WO4 and NiSx, respectively. The enhanced photocatalytic activity of the nanocomposites was attributed to efficiently separation of the charge carriers and their increased visible-light harvesting ability. Reactive species scavenging tests were conducted to evaluate the role of each species. Moreover, the possible photocatalytic degradation mechanism was suggested. Finally, there was no significant loss in the photocatalytic degradation activity after using α-Ag2WO4/10%wt-NiSx photocatalyst five reaction cycles.

A Vision-Based Motion Control Framework for Water Quality Monitoring Using an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle

In this paper, we present a vision-aided motion planning and control framework for the efficient monitoring and surveillance of water surfaces using an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV). The ultimate goal of the proposed strategy is to equip the UAV with the necessary autonomy and decision-making capabilities to support First Responders during emergency water contamination incidents. Toward this direction, we propose an end-to-end solution, based on which the First Responder indicates visiting and landing waypoints, while the envisioned strategy is responsible for the safe and autonomous navigation of the UAV, the refinement of the way-point locations that maximize the visible water surface area from the onboard camera, as well as the on-site refinement of the appropriate landing region in harsh environments. More specifically, we develop an efficient waypoint-tracking motion-planning scheme with guaranteed collision avoidance, a local autonomous exploration algorithm for refining the way-point location with respect to the areas visible to the drone’s camera, water, a vision-based algorithm for the on-site area selection for feasible landing and finally, a model predictive motion controller for the landing procedure. The efficacy of the proposed framework is demonstrated via a set of simulated and experimental scenarios using an octorotor UAV.

LiDAR-based method for analysing landmark visibility to pedestrians in cities: case study in Kraków, Poland

ABSTRACT We propose a method for analysing landmark visibility from a pedestrian’s perspective. A case study is performed in Kraków, a city with many architectural monuments, where airborne LiDAR is used to model both buildings and urban greenery. The proposed method involves preliminary and detailed stages. The preliminary stage entails an inverse analysis (I–Vis) that departs from the typical visibility analysis to enable the use of landmarks as observers instead of targets. I–Vis results in paths with high landmark visibility. The detailed stage involves the use of a virtual panorama (V-Pan) to determine the visual exposure of the landmarks. Landmarks considered visible by I–Vis are generally consistent with landmarks identified by V-Pan. Discrepancies occur when trees appear in the near field-of-view. In addition, the accuracy of the skyline length and visible landmark surface area is evaluated against ground observations. The obtained results show that V-Pan can evaluate landmark visibility with an accuracy of approximately 75%. The key contributions of the work to visibility analysis of urban landmarks are in the inverse viewshed strategy and evaluation of the visual exposure parameters on LiDAR virtual panoramas.

Highly efficient visible-light photocatalytic degradation and antibacterial activity by GaN:ZnO solid solution nanoparticles

The development of high-efficiency photocatalysts is the primary goal in the field of photocatalytic antibacterial research. In this work, the GaN:ZnO solid solution nanoparticles (NPs) photocatalyst with strong visible absorption and large specific surface area was synthesized via the sol-gel and nitridation reaction process. Also, we systematically investigated the removal efficiency of the organic pollutant and antibacterial activity on E. coli and S. aureus. Notably, methylene blue solution could be completely degraded after 100 min of visible light illumination using 2 mg/mL GaN:ZnO catalyst. Moreover, ~94% of the E. coli were inactivated within 120 min, whereas 100% antibacterial activity against S. aureus was achieved after 90 min of visible light illumination mediated by GaN:ZnO NPs. We further explore the potential mechanism of visible light photocatalytic antibacterial activity enhanced by GaN:ZnO NPs photocatalyst. The current work not only provides a new and efficient photocatalytic antibacterial nanomaterial but also demonstrates its promising applications in environmental and biological fields.

On the initiation of blow-out from cooktop burner jets: A simplified energy-based description for the onset of laminar flame extinction in premixed hydrogen-enriched natural gas (HENG) systems

Due to the prohibitive financial expense and logistical difficulties of a wholesale changeover from natural gas to hydrogen, hydrogen-enriched natural gas (HENG) offers a more viable intermediate solution for offsetting the carbon dioxide output of domestic gas usage and reducing the blow-out susceptibility of natural gas flames. In order to formulate a practically useful description of the blow-out threshold, the present work addresses the minimum energy per unit volume of premixed gas required for the sustained combustion of HENG fuels with molar hydrogen concentrations between zero and 50 mol%. By considering a ring burner comprising circular burner jet apertures with diameters in the range 1.0–2.4 mm, this critical energy density was demonstrated to increase linearly with the mean velocity of the admitted gas premixture, approaching a value that was common to all of the investigated HENG compositions in the limit of zero flow. Furthermore, despite flame morphology varying substantially as a function of flow conditions, the visible surface area of critically stable flames consistently exhibited an empirical squared dependence on the power generated by combusting fuel. By combining these correlations, the onset of blow-out was shown to be well-approximated by a formula that relates the critical surface-averaged laminar burning velocity to the mean velocity of gas molecules at the burner jet. This model provides a simplified means of predicting blow-out conditions from measurable input parameters and could serve as an invaluable asset for the design of new HENG burner systems or the retrofitting of existing natural gas appliances.

Color analysis of horticultural produces using hue spectra fingerprinting

Color has great importance in agriculture due to its relationship with plant pigments and therefore, plant development and biochemical changes. Due to the trichromatic vision, instruments equipped with CCD or CMOS sensor represent color with the mixture of red, green and blue signals. These values are often transformed into HSL (hue, saturation, luminance) color space. Beyond average color of the visible surface area, histograms can represent color distribution. Interpretation of distribution can be challenging due to the information shared among histograms. Hue spectra fingerprinting offers color information suitable for analysis with common chemometric methods and easy to understand. Algorithm is presented with GNU Octave code.•Hue spectra is a histogram of hue angle over the captured scene but summarizes saturation instead of number of pixels. There are peaks of important colors, while others of low saturation disappear. Neutral backgrounds such as white, black or gray, are removed without the need of segmentation.•Color changes of fruits and vegetables are represented by displacement of color peaks. Since saturation is usually changing during ripening, storage and shelf life, peaks also change their shape by means of peak value and width.

A one-pot microwave irradiation route to synthesis of CoFe2O4-g-C3N4 heterojunction catalysts for high visible light photocatalytic activity: Exploration of efficiency and stability

In this investigation, a high efficient visible light induced photocatalyst based CoFe2O4/g-C3N4 heterostructure was prepared through a microwave irradiation approach. Pure and various composition of CoFe2O4/g-C3N4 hybrid catalysts were characterized by Powder X-ray diffraction method (PXRD), Scanning electron microscope (SEM), Transmission electron microscope (TEM), UV–visible absorbance, Photoluminescence (PL), Raman and BET surface area analysis to know the physico-chemical properties. The interaction of CoFe2O4 nanoparticles with g-C3N4 nanosheets have reduced the optical band gap of CoFe2O4 to 2.85 eV from 2.35 eV and improve the charge carrier separation process. Photocatalytic activity of the CoFe2O4/g-C3N4 composite was assessed by degrading of methyl orange (MO) and rhodamine B (RhB) in aqueous medium under visible light irradiation. The optimized ratio of CoFe2O4/g-C3N4 (15 wt%. loaded CoFe2O4/g-C3N4) composition show high photocatalytic performance. It could degrade MO up to 93.5% in 60 min under stimulated visible light, which is higher than pure catalysts like CoFe2O4 (45.7%) and g-C3N4 (41.5%). This remarkable improvement can be ascribed to synergistically improved charge carrier separation through spinel type CoFe2O4 support g-C3N4.

Medial elbow exposure: an anatomic comparison of 5 approaches

Several surgical approaches to the medial elbow are described; however, it remains unclear which exposure provides the optimal view of relevant medial elbow structures. The purpose of this anatomic study was to determine the visible surface area of the coronoid process, distal humerus, and radial head through 5 approaches to the medial elbow. Eight fresh-frozen cadaveric upper extremity specimens were dissected. Five surgical approaches were performed on each specimen. The Smith muscle-splitting approach to the ulnar collateral ligament was performed first (Smith), followed by the Hotchkiss medial "Over the top" approach (Hotchkiss), the extended medial elbow approach (EMEA), the flexor carpi ulnaris splitting approach (FCU-Split), and the Taylor and Scham approach (T&S). Bony visualization was determined using laser surface scanning (Artec Space Spider; Artec 3D). The scans were segmented using commercially available digital software (Geomagic Wrap; 3D Systems Corporation), and the surface area visualized was determined. A descriptive analysis of the joint areas visible using the medial collateral ligament (MCL) as a clinical landmark was performed. The EMEA visualized the highest proportion of the total elbow joint from the medial side showing 13.9 ± 6.0 cm2, or 15% ± 4% of the joint. It also provided the best visualization of the coronoid (3.2 ± 1.7 cm2 of surface area, or 26% ± 9%) and distal humerus (9.9 ± 4.3 cm2, or 15% ± 4%). The Hotchkiss approach was best at visualizing the radial head (0.8 ± 0.3 cm2, or 7% ± 3%). The EMEA, Hotchkiss, and Smith approaches showed primarily the anterior bundle of the MCL, its insertion, and the regions anterior to it, whereas the FCU-Split showed the anterior bundle of the MCL and regions both anterior and posterior to it. The T&S showed primarily the areas posterior to the anterior bundle of the MCL; the anterior regions were not visible. The FCU-Split and the T&S allowed visualization of the posterior bundle of the MCL. The intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs) for intraobserver reliability were 0.997, 0.992, and 0.974 for the test distal humerus, test coronoid, and test radial head, respectively. The ICCs for interobserver reliability were 0.915 for the test distal humerus, 0.66 for the coronoid, and 0.583 for the radial head. The EMEA provides the most visualization of the coronoid and distal humerus, whereas the Hotchkiss showed the most radial head. However, these approaches mainly visualize structures anterior to the MCL. If exposure of structures posterior to the MCL is required, the FCU-Split and T&S approaches are more appropriate.