Assessment of Microgap and Bacterial Leakage of Two Types of Internal Implant-Abutment Union.

Objective: The current research was done to assess microbial seepage of two types of internal implant-abutment connections. Materials and Methods: Twenty dental implants are categorized into two groups. Group A fixtures with an internal hexagonal geometry and group B fixtures with a tri-lobe internal connection. All implant-abutment assemblies underwent a three-week incubation period at 37°C in sterile tubes containing 5 mL of Staphylococcus aureus broth culture. Through the use of Gram stain and biochemical processes, the resultant colonies were recognized. Results: The mean Log10 colony forming unit (CFU) in group A was 8.4 and in group B was 7.2. The variation between both groups was found to be considerable (P < 0.05). Microgap was more in group B compared to group A. Conclusion: Bacteria may infiltrate the small area between the implant and the abutment. Compared to dental implant fixtures with a tri-lobe internal connection, there was a noticeably higher Log10 CFU in dental implant fixtures with an internal hexagonal geometry.

Augmenting the quality and storage stability of soymilk by incorporation of untreated and ozonated oat 1,4-ß-D-glucan.

The study aimed to improve the quality and storage stability of novel plant-based soymilk with the incorporation of untreated (UtßG) and modified oat derived 1,4-ß-D-glucan (OzßG) at varying concentrations (0, 1, and 2 % labelled as S0, S1 and S2). The treated soymilk was characterized for physical, chemical, nutritional, rheological, particle size, zeta potential, sensory and storage stability characteristics. The results revealed that 1, 4-ß-D-glucan incorporation increased the acidity (0.67 to 0.73 %), viscosity (3.4 to 4.7 Cp) and ash content (0.74 to 0.92 %), however color remains natural. The frequency sweep and shear experiments showed that the 1,4-ß-D-glucan modified the rheological parameters of the soymilk. The sensory analysis (n = 30) indicated that texture, mouthfeel and overall acceptability (8.38). Compared to OzßG-treated soymilk, UtßG soymilk, especially S2, exhibited superior thickening and rheological properties. The storage study indicated minimal phase separation in 1,4-ß-D-glucan-incorporated samples, maintaining stability for 15 days under refrigerated conditions without compromising overall quality. Thus, this study provides valuable insights into the potential application of 1,4-ß-D-glucan for improving the technological quality of soymilk that highlights possible implications for its commercialization potential.

Upsurge of Powassan virus disease in northeastern United States: a public health concern-a short communication.

Powassan virus (POWV) is a tick-borne Flavivirus primarily transmitted through ticks in North America which is a significant public health threat in the northeastern United States. POWV infection spans from Ontario to the Mid-Atlantic, Northeast, and Midwest regions in the USA. Climate change, ecological factors, and human-related changes, including shifts in migration and agriculture, contribute to the dissemination of POWV. Symptoms include sore throat, fatigue, headache, and severe neuroinvasive conditions. Specialized attention is required for diagnosing and managing. MRI scans detect central nervous system abnormalities, while neuromonitoring identifies metabolic distress. Severe cases may necessitate ICU hospitalisation with continuous monitoring. Prevention measures, such as awareness, controlling mammals, and protecting pets, reduce POWV infection risk. The recent outbreak of POWV in Maine, USA, highlights the importance of worldwide collaboration for prevention. With the global prevalence of POWV increasing due to climate and socioeconomic changes, implementing preventative measures and promoting awareness are crucial in reducing infection risk.

Outbreak of severe myocarditis in England: Havoc by a harmless virus.

Background: The World Health Organization (WHO) has been alerted to a concerning upsurge of severe myocarditis, an inflammatory heart condition, in neonates within Wales and South West England. The myocarditis cases are being intricately associated with enterovirus infection, belonging to the Picornaviridae family. The concerned pathogen poses a significant global disease burden, with an estimated 10 to 15 million symptomatic cases occurring annually in the United States alone. Neonates are particularly vulnerable with children under the age of one accounting for approximately 40% of enterovirus infections. Material and Methods: A comprehensive literature search was conducted using various databases including ClinicalTrials, Google Scholar, PubMed, ScienceDirect, MEDLINE, and Ovid Resources. The search strategy included utilizing keywords such as "myocarditis," "Randomized controlled trials (RCTs). Only articles written in English were considered, and selection criteria included relevance to the research objectives, reasonable sample sizes, and robust methodology. In addition to the identified articles, meta-analyses, animal models and studies, and references from the selected articles were also examined to ensure a comprehensive review of the literature. Results: Ten hospitalized neonates, reported in the United Kingdom (UK), with positive PCR tests were reported to have myocarditis, predominantly caused by coxsackieviruses. The current situation in the region has brought global attention. With this study, we hope to draw attention to the critical aspects of the illness and, more crucially, the present strategies required to control the disease outbreak in England. Discussion: Current European Society of Cardiology (ESC) recommendations for the treatment of acute heart failure apply. Emerging research supports the use of immunosuppressive medication in some circumstances. Patients are advised to avoid aerobic activities for several months after healing. Neonatal enterovirus infections can vary in how they respond to IVIG therapy. The majority of enterovirus infections are self-limited, require no special therapy, and only little supportive care is required. Conclusion: The recent elevation in numbers for reported severe myocarditis in neonates within Wales and South West England, linked to enterovirus infection, poses a significant public health concern. Myocarditis caused by enteroviruses, particularly Group B coxsackieviruses, is associated with significant mortality rates. Diagnosis is supported by non-invasive techniques and cardiac enzyme blood tests. Treatment modalities primarily involve a palliative approach.

Taylor-Gorilla troops optimized deep learning network for surface roughness estimation.

In order to guarantee the desired quality of machined products, a reliable surface roughness assessment is essential. Using a surface profile metre with a contact stylus, which can produce accurate measurements of surface profiles, is the most popular technique for determining the surface roughness of machined items. One of the limitations of this technique is the work piece surface degradation brought on by mechanical contact between the stylus and the surface. Hence, in this paper, a roughness assessment technique based on the suggested Taylor-Gorilla troops optimizer-based Deep Neuro-Fuzzy Network (Taylor-GTO based DNFN) is proposed for estimating the surface roughness. Pre-processing, data augmentation, feature extraction, feature fusion, and roughness estimation are the procedures that the suggested technique uses to complete the roughness estimate procedure. Roughness estimation is performed using DNFN that has been trained using Taylor-GTO, which was created by combining the Taylor series with the Gorilla troop's optimizer. The created Taylor-GTO based DNFN model has minimum Mean Absolute Error, Mean Square Error, and RMSE of 0.403, 0.416, and 1.149, respectively.

A comprehensive review of protein misfolding disorders, underlying mechanism, clinical diagnosis, and therapeutic strategies.

INTRODUCTION: Proteins are the most common biological macromolecules in living system and are building blocks of life. They are extremely dynamic in structure and functions. Due to several modifications, proteins undergo misfolding, leading to aggregation and thereby developing neurodegenerative and systemic diseases. Understanding the pathology of these diseases and the techniques used to diagnose them is therefore crucial for their effective management . There are several techniques, currently being in use to diagnose them and those will be discussed in this review. AIM/OBJECTIVES: Current review aims to discuss an overview of protein aggregation and the underlying mechanisms linked to neurodegeneration and systemic diseases. Also, the review highlights protein misfolding disorders, their clinical diagnosis, and treatment strategies. METHODOLOGY: Literature related to neurodegenerative and systemic diseases was explored through PubMed, Google Scholar, Scopus, and Medline databases. The keywords used for literature survey and analysis are protein aggregation, neurodegenerative disorders, Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, systemic diseases, protein aggregation mechanisms, etc. DISCUSSION /CONCLUSION: This review summarises the pathogenesis of neurodegenerative and systemic disorders caused by protein misfolding and aggregation. The clinical diagnosis and therapeutic strategies adopted for the management of these diseases are also discussed to aid in a better understanding of protein misfolding disorders. Many significant concerns about the role, characteristics, and consequences of protein aggregates in neurodegenerative and systemic diseases are not clearly understood to date. Regardless of technological advancements, there are still great difficulties in the management and cure of these diseases. Therefore, for better understanding, diagnosis, and treatment of neurodegenerative and systemic diseases, more studies to identify novel drugs that may aid in their treatment and management are required.

3D Printable Geopolymer Composites Reinforced with Carbon-Based Nanomaterials - A Review.

Three-dimensional (3D) geopolymer printing (3DGP) technology is a rapidly evolving digital fabrication method used in the construction industry. This technology offers significant benefits over 3D concrete printing in terms of energy saving and reduced carbon emissions, thus promoting sustainability. 3DGP technology is still evolving, and researchers are striving to develop high-performance printable materials and different methods to improve its robustness and efficiency. Carbon-based nanomaterials (CBNs) with beneficial properties have a wide range of applications in various fields, including as concrete/geopolymer systems in construction. This paper comprehensively reviews the research progress on carbon-based nanomaterials (CBNs) used to develop extrusion-based 3D geopolymer printing (3DGP) technology, including dispersion techniques, mixing methods, and the materials' performance. The rheological, mechanical, durability, and other characteristics of these materials are also examined. Furthermore, the existing research limitations and the prospects of using 3DGP technology to produce high-quality composite mixtures are critically evaluated.

A Hybridized Machine Learning Approach for Predicting COVID-19 Using Adaptive Neuro-Fuzzy Inference System and Reptile Search Algorithm.

This research is aimed to escalate Adaptive Neuro-Fuzzy Inference System (ANFIS) functioning in order to ensure the veracity of existing time-series modeling. The COVID-19 pandemic has been a global threat for the past three years. Therefore, advanced forecasting of confirmed infection cases is extremely essential to alleviate the crisis brought out by COVID-19. An adaptive neuro-fuzzy inference system-reptile search algorithm (ANFIS-RSA) is developed to effectively anticipate COVID-19 cases. The proposed model integrates a machine-learning model (ANFIS) with a nature-inspired Reptile Search Algorithm (RSA). The RSA technique is used to modulate the parameters in order to improve the ANFIS modeling. Since the performance of the ANFIS model is dependent on optimizing parameters, the statistics of infected cases in China and India were employed through data obtained from WHO reports. To ensure the accuracy of our estimations, corresponding error indicators such as RMSE, RMSRE, MAE, and MAPE were evaluated using the coefficient of determination (R2). The recommended approach employed on the China dataset was compared with other upgraded ANFIS methods to identify the best error metrics, resulting in an R2 value of 0.9775. ANFIS-CEBAS and Flower Pollination Algorithm and Salp Swarm Algorithm (FPASSA-ANFIS) attained values of 0.9645 and 0.9763, respectively. Furthermore, the ANFIS-RSA technique was used on the India dataset to examine its efficiency and acquired the best R2 value (0.98). Consequently, the suggested technique was found to be more beneficial for high-precision forecasting of COVID-19 on time-series data.

Characterization and Applications of Red Mud, an Aluminum Industry Waste Material, in the Construction and Building Industries, as well as Catalysis.

The disposal of red mud (RM), a waste material generated by the aluminum industry, remains a global environmental concern because of its high alkalinity and smaller particle size, which have the potential to pollute air, soil, and water. Recently, efforts have been made to develop a strategy for reusing industrial byproducts, such as RM, and turning waste into value-added products. The use of RM as (i) a supplementary cementitious material for construction and building materials, such as cement, concrete, bricks, ceramics, and geopolymers, and (ii) a catalyst is discussed in this review. Furthermore, the physical, chemical, mineralogical, structural, and thermal properties of RM, as well as its environmental impact, are also discussed in this review. It is possible to conclude that using RM in catalysis, cement, and construction industries is the most efficient way to recycle this byproduct on a large scale. However, the low cementitious properties of RM can be attributed to a reduction in the fresh and mechanical properties of composites incorporating RM. On the other hand, RM can be used as an efficient active catalyst to synthesize organic molecules and reduce air pollution, which not only makes use of solid waste but also lowers the price of the catalyst. The review provides basic information on the characterization of RM and its suitability in various applications, paving the way for more advanced research on the sustainable disposal of RM waste. Future research perspectives on the utilization of RM are also addressed.

Development of quinazolinone and vanillin acrylamide hybrids as multi-target directed ligands against Alzheimer's disease and mechanistic insights into their binding with acetylcholinesterase.

In view of Multi-Target Directed Ligand (MTDL) approach in treating Alzheimer's Disease (AD), a series of novel quinazolinone and vanillin cyanoacetamide based acrylamide derivatives (9a-z) were designed, synthesized, and assessed for their activity against a panel of selected AD targets including acetylcholinesterase (AChE), butyrylcholinesterase (BChE), amyloid ß protein (Aß), and also 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging and neuroprotective activities. Five of the target analogs 9e, 9h, 9 l, 9t and 9z showed elevated AChE inhibitory activity with IC50 values of 1.058 ± 0.06, 1.362 ± 0.09, 1.434 ± 0.10, 1.015 ± 0.10, 1.035 ± 0.02 µM respectively, high inhibition selectivity against AChE over BChE and good DPPH radical scavenging activity. Enzyme kinetic studies of the potent hybrids in the series disclosed their mixed inhibition approach. Active analogs were found to be non-toxic on SK-N-SH cell lines and have excellent neuroprotective effects against H2O2-induced cell death. Strong modulating affinities on Aß aggregation process were observed for most active compounds since; they irretrievably interrupted the morphology of Aß42 fibrils, increased the aggregates and declined the Aß-induced toxicity in neurons. From the fluorescence emission studies, the binding constants (K) were determined as 2.5 ± 0.021x103, 2.7 ± 0.015x103, 3.7 ± 0.020x103, 2.4 ± 0.013x104, and 5.0 ± 0.033x103 M-1 and binding free energies as -5.82 ± 0.033, -6.07 ± 0.042, -6.26 ± 0.015, -7.71 ± 0.024, and -6.29 ± 0.026 kcal M-1 for complexes of AChE-9e, 9h, 9 l, 9t and 9z, respectively. Moreover, the CD analysis inferred the limited modifications in the AChE secondary structure when it binds to 9e, 9h, 9 l, 9t and 9z. On the basis of docking studies against AChE, the most active congeners were well oriented in the enzyme's active site by interacting with both catalytic active site (CAS) and peripheral anionic site (PAS). In summary, these quinazolinone and vanillin acrylamide hybrid analogs can be used as promising molecular template to further explore their in vivo efficiency in the development of lead compound to treat AD.Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma.

Synthesis and anti-Alzheimer potential of novel α-amino phosphonate derivatives and probing their molecular interaction mechanism with acetylcholinesterase.

Pleiotropic interference may be a prerequisite for the efficient limitation of the progression of multi-factorial diseases such as Alzheimer's disease (AD). Concept of designing the single chemical entity acting on two or more targets of interest has potential advantage in AD therapy. In line with this, rational design and synthesis of frame work of hybrids bearing 2,3-disubstituted quinazolinone, vanillin and α-amino phosphonate scaffolds (5a─v) were carried out. A congeneric set of twenty-two synthetic derivatives (5a─v) were evaluated for their cholinesterase inhibitory, antioxidant, DNA nicking, DNA protection, neuroprotective and Aß aggregation modulatory activities. Amongst tested activities, the most significant and worth mentioning is that the analogues 5m, 5p and 5u were found to be the most potent, selective, and mixed type inhibitors of EeAChE with IC50 values of 0.296 ± 0.030, 0.289 ± 0.027, and 0.306 ± 0.028 µM, respectively. Further, the biophysical approaches indicated that the compounds 5m, 5p, and 5u have a strong binding affinity towards AChE. Kinetic and Molecular docking studies have revealed that the most active congeners were well oriented in the AChE active site by interacting with both catalytic active site (CAS) and peripheral anionic site (PAS). A few parameters derived from molecular dynamics (MD) simulation trajectories emphasized the stability of AChE-5p and 5m complexes throughout the 100 ns simulations, and the local conformational changes of the residues of AChE validate the stability of AChE-5p and 5m complexes. Further, these derivatives significantly impacted ABTS radical scavenging capacities and maximal DNA protection activity. Importantly, Thioflavin T (ThT) assay and FE-SEM study demonstrated compounds 5m, 5p and 5u as effective Aß1-42 fibril modulators at molecular level by the formation of micro size co-assembled mature structures, thus efficiently abolishing the cytotoxicity of Aß1-42. Finally, these active compounds are determined to be non-toxic and highly neuroprotective against H2O2-induced cell death in SK-N-SH cell lines. Furthermore, in silico ADMET prediction studies have revealed that the targeted analogues satisfied most of the characteristics of CNS acting drugs. These multi-functional efficacies indicated worthiness of these α-amino phosphonate derivatives being chosen for further pharmacokinetics, toxicity, and behavioral research to test their potential for AD treatment.

Cement Composites with Carbon-Based Nanomaterials for 3D Concrete Printing Applications - A Review.

3D concrete printing (3DCP) is an emerging additive manufacturing technology in the construction industry. Its challenges lie in the development of high-performance printable materials and printing processes. Recently developed carbon-based nanomaterials (CBNs) such as graphene, graphene oxide, graphene nanoplatelets, and carbon nanotubes, have various applications due to their exceptional mechanical, chemical, thermal, and electrical characteristics. CBNs also have found potential applications as a concrete ingredient as they enhance the microstructure and modify concrete properties at the molecular level. This paper focuses on state-of-the-art studies on CBNs, 3DCP technology, and CBNs in conventional and 3D printable cement-based composites including CBN dispersion techniques, concrete mixing methods, and fresh and hardened properties of concrete. Furthermore, the current limitations and future perspectives of 3DCP using CBNs to produce high-quality composite mixtures are discussed.

Synthesis and in vitro assessment of anticholinesterase and antioxidant properties of triazineamide derivatives.

Aim: Cholinesterase inhibitors and radical scavengers have been recognized as powerful symptomatic anti-Alzheimer's disease agents. Hence, the present study aimed to develop new triazineamides as potent anticholinesterase and antioxidant agents. Methods: Triazineamide (7a-i) derivatives were synthesized using cyanuric chloride via nucleophilic substitution followed by condensation. Ellman assay, 2,2-azinobis(3-ethylbenzthiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) radical scavenging assay and molecular docking studies with Autodock 4.2.3 program were conducted. Results: Triazineamide 7c was assessed as a potent, selective and mixed-type dual inhibitor of acetylcholinesterase, with and IC50 of 5.306 ± 0.002 µM, by binding simultaneously with the catalytic active and peripheral anionic sites of acetylcholinesterase, and it had strong 2,2-azinobis(3-ethylbenzthiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) radical scavenging abilities. Conclusion: These results suggest that triazineamides may be of interest to establish a structural basis for new anti-Alzheimer's disease agents.

Tunable luminescence from Bi3+ sensitized La2 Zr2 O7 :Eu3+ red nanophosphors for display applications.

Bismuth ion (Bi3+ ) sensitized, europium ion (Eu3+ ) activated La2 Zr2 O7 nanophosphors are prepared successfully by simple wet chemical method. Strong blue emission of singly doped La2 Zr2 O7 with Bi3+ was observed at 310 nm excitation, its wide emission spectrum has a peak maximum at 465 nm ascribed to electronic transition 3 P1 → 1 S0 of Bi3+ . The recorded photoluminescence spectra of y at% Eu3+ codoped La2 Zr2 O7 , when excited at 285 nm, the emission spectrum exhibits maximum peaks at wavelength values 615 nm, 646 nm and 665 nm which are ascribed to 5 D0 → 7 F2 , 5 D0 → 7 F3 and 5 D0 → 7 F4 transitions of Eu3+ respectively. The chromaticity coordinates for the optimized sample were found to be (0.519, 0.329). Sensitizing with Bi3+ can affect the luminescence properties of La2 Zr2 O7 :Eu3+ phosphors. With reference to the change in Eu3+ concentration from Y = 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5%, color tunable luminescence from blue to orange, red of La2 Zr2 O7 :Bi3+ ,Eu3+ phosphors are observed. The lifetime decay values, energy level description and CIE chromatic color coordinates for Bi3+ , Eu3+ in La2 Zr2 O7 :Bi3+ ,Eu3+ codoped sample was discussed. The spectral overlap between sensitizer, activator ions confirms the efficient energy transfer from Bi3+ to Eu3+ in La2 Zr2 O7 :Bi3+ ,Eu3+ codoped sample and is via a dipole-quadruple mechanism.

Comparative Evaluation of Efficacy of Bioactive Glass, Tricalcium Phosphate, and Ozone Remineralizing Agents on Artificial Carious Lesion.

Objectives: Evaluation of efficacy of bioactive glass (BAG), tricalcium phosphate, and ozone remineralizing agents on artificial carious lesion. Materials and Methods: Freshly extracted 48 human premolar teeth were included for this in vitro study. Remineralization of demineralized teeth was done with respective remineralizing agents (Group A - calcium sodium phosphosilicate [BAG], Group B - tricalcium phosphate [Clinpro Tooth Crème], Group C - ozone remineralizing agents, and control group: Group D - deionized water) three times a day for 12 days for 4 min. The degree of demineralization and remineralization was evaluated with Vickers hardness number. Results: There was a decrease in microhardness from baseline to demineralization in all the groups. The difference in microhardness values from demineralization to remineralization in all the three test groups was found to be statistically highly significant. Conclusion: BAG and Tricalcium phosphate had higher remineralizing capacity, which can be used clinically to treat early carious lesions.

Multithreshold Segmentation and Machine Learning Based Approach to Differentiate COVID-19 from Viral Pneumonia.

Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) has created an unprecedented devastation and the loss of millions of lives globally. Contagious nature and fatalities invariably pose challenges to physicians and healthcare support systems. Clinical diagnostic evaluation using reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction and other approaches are currently in use. The Chest X-ray (CXR) and CT images were effectively utilized in screening purposes that could provide relevant data on localized regions affected by the infection. A step towards automated screening and diagnosis using CXR and CT could be of considerable importance in these turbulent times. The main objective is to probe a simple threshold-based segmentation approach to identify possible infection regions in CXR images and investigate intensity-based, wavelet transform (WT)-based, and Laws based texture features with statistical measures. Further feature selection strategy using Random Forest (RF) then selected features used to create Machine Learning (ML) representation with Support Vector Machine (SVM) and a Random Forest (RF) to make different COVID-19 from viral pneumonia (VP). The results obtained clearly indicate that the intensity and WT-based features vary in the two pathologies that are better differentiated with the combined features trained using SVM and RF classifiers. Classifier performance measures like an Area Under the Curve (AUC) of 0.97 and by and large classification accuracy of 0.9 using the RF model clearly indicate that the methodology implemented is useful in characterizing COVID-19 and Viral Pneumonia.

Nanoformulations - Insights Towards Characterization Techniques.

BACKGROUND: Drug-loaded novel nanoformulations are gaining importance due to their versatile properties compared to conventional pharmaceutical formulations. Nanomaterials, apart from their multifactorial benefits, have a wider scope in the prevention, treatment, and diagnosis of cancer. Understanding the chemistry of drug-loaded nano-formulations to elicit its behaviour both at molecular and systemic levels is critical in the present scenario. Drug-loaded nanoformulations are controlled by their size, shape, surface chemistry, and release behavior. The major pharmaceutical drug loaded nanocarriers reported for anticancer drug delivery for the treatment of various forms of cancers such as lung cancer, liver cancer, breast cancer, colon cancer, etc include nanoparticles, nanospheres, nanodispersions, nanocapsules, nanomicelles, cubosomes, nanoemulsions, liposomes and niosomes. The major objectives in designing anticancer drug-loaded nanoformulations are to manage the particle size/morphology correlating with the drug release to fulfil the specific objectives. Hence, nano characterizations are very critical both at in vitro and in vivo levels. OBJECTIVE: The main objective of this review paper is to summarise the major characterization techniques used for the characterization of drug-loaded nanoformulations. Even though information on characterization techniques of various nano-formulations is available in the literature, it is scattered. The proposed review will provide a comprehensive understanding of nanocharacterization techniques. CONCLUSION: To conclude, the proposed review will provide insights towards the different nano characterization techniques along with their recent updates, such as particle size, zeta potential, entrapment efficiency, in vitro release studies (chromatographic HPLC, HPTLC, and LC-MS/MS analysis), EPR analysis, X-ray diffraction analysis, thermal analysis, rheometric, morphological analysis etc. Additionally, the challenges encountered by the nano characterization techniques will also be discussed.

Construction Building Materials as a Potential for Structural Supercapacitor Applications.

Emerging demands to achieve zero carbon emissions and develop renewable energy resources necessitate the development of appropriate energy storage systems. To achieve this, several alternatives to conventional energy storage devices, such as Li-ion batteries or capacitors to more sustainable and scalable energy storage systems, are being explored. Supercapacitors, possess unique characteristics that include high power, long life, and environmental-friendly design. They may be used to bridge the energy-power gap between typical capacitors and fuel cells/batteries. Recently, structural supercapacitors being capable of storing electrochemical energy besides bearing mechanical load have caught the attention of researchers. As such, efforts have been made worldwide to study both the fundamental and applied aspects of structural supercapacitors. Further, the possibility of using construction materials for interdisciplinary applications is being studied because they are relatively cheap and easily available. Thus, construction materials can be considered as potential candidates for the development of structural supercapacitors. Herein an overview on the use of construction materials, such as Portland cement concrete, geopolymer concrete, and bricks, as a component of structural supercapacitors has been presented.

Current trends in the preparation, characterization and applications of oat starch - A review.

Worldwide consumption of oats is gaining popularity due to its composition and multifunctional benefits of individual components. Oat starch being the major component accounts up to 60% of the dry weight of kernel, possess small granule size and high lipid content. Properties of starch substantially affect the quality of the product. Modification and characterization of starch is important for their specific applications that increase the utilization of oat starch. Different modification techniques greatly affect the functional, pasting, gelatinisation, textural, rheological, retrogradation properties and enzymatic digestibility of oat starches in comparison to native starch. Modified oat starch competes against other abundant and inexpensive cereal starches (rice and corn) that are available in modified forms in the market. This review summarises the current knowledge of physicochemical, morphological, pasting, functional, rheological and gelatinization properties, developments in the extraction and modification (physical, chemical and enzymatic) and applications of oat starch. Thus, this review will upgrade the scientific basis on oat starch being a unique source of starch for variety of applications.

Date-Leaf Carbon Particles for Green Enhanced Oil Recovery.

Green enhanced oil recovery (GEOR) is an environmentally friendly enhanced oil recovery (EOR) process involving the injection of green fluids to improve macroscopic and microscopic sweep efficiencies while boosting tertiary oil production. Carbon nanomaterials such as graphene, carbon nanotube (CNT), and carbon dots have gained interest for their superior ability to increase oil recovery. These particles have been successfully tested in EOR, although they are expensive and do not extend to GEOR. In addition, the application of carbon particles in the GEOR method is not well understood yet, requiring thorough documentation. The goals of this work are to develop carbon nanoparticles from biomass and explore their role in GEOR. The carbon nanoparticles were prepared from date leaves, which are inexpensive biomass, through pyrolysis and ball-milling methods. The synthesized carbon nanomaterials were characterized using the standard process. Three formulations of functionalized and non-functionalized date-leaf carbon nanoparticle (DLCNP) solutions were chosen for core floods based on phase behavior and interfacial tension (IFT) properties to examine their potential for smart water and green chemical flooding. The carboxylated DLCNP was mixed with distilled water in the first formulation to be tested for smart water flood in the sandstone core. After water flooding, this formulation recovered 9% incremental oil of the oil initially in place. In contrast, non-functionalized DLCNP formulated with (the biodegradable) surfactant alkyl polyglycoside and NaCl produced 18% more tertiary oil than the CNT. This work thus provides new green chemical agents and formulations for EOR applications so that oil can be produced more economically and sustainably.