Enhanced Mitochondrial Targeting and Inhibition of Pyroptosis with Multifunctional Metallopolyphenol Nanoparticles in Intervertebral Disc Degeneration.

Intervertebral disc degeneration (IVDD) is a significant contributor to low back pain, characterized by excessive reactive oxygen species generation and inflammation-induced pyroptosis. Unfortunately, there are currently no specific molecules or materials available to effectively delay IVDD. This study develops a multifunctional full name of PG@Cu nanoparticle network (PG@Cu). A designed pentapeptide, bonded on PG@Cu nanoparticles via a Schiff base bond, imparts multifunctionality to the metal polyphenol particles (PG@Cu-FP). PG@Cu-FP exhibits enhanced escape from lysosomal capture, enabling efficient targeting of mitochondria to scavenge excess reactive oxygen species. The scavenging activity against reactive oxygen species originates from the polyphenol-based structures within the nanoparticles. Furthermore, Pyroptosis is effectively blocked by inhibiting Gasdermin mediated pore formation and membrane rupture. PG@Cu-FP successfully reduces the activation of the nucleotide-binding oligomerization domain-like receptor family pyrin domain-containing 3 inflammasome by inhibiting Gasdermin protein family (Gasdermin D, GSDMD) oligomerization, leading to reduced expression of Nod-like receptors. This multifaceted approach demonstrates higher efficiency in inhibiting Pyroptosis. Experimental results confirm that PG@Cu-FP preserves disc height, retains water content, and preserves tissue structure. These findings highlight the potential of PG@Cu-FP in improving IVDD and provide novel insights for future research in IVDD treatments.

Electroconductive bioplatform based on dextrin for the immobilization of hemoglobin: Application for electrochemical monitoring of H2O2.

A novel biodegradable dextrin-based nanocomposite, involving polypyrrole (PPy) and hydrophilic dextrin (Dex) (PPy@Dex) was prepared using in-situ radical chemical polymerization technique. The obtained PPy@Dex bionanocomposite was fully characterized by FT-IR, XRD, FESEM, and DSC methods. The exceptional properties such as biocompatibility, high surface area, the proper functional group on the surface, and outstanding electrical conductivity of synthesized bionanocomposite made it a superior candidate over biomolecules immobilization. Electrochemical observations revealed that the PPy@Dex-coated glassy carbon electrode (GCE) demonstrated improved performance, making it a suitable substrate for immobilizing hemoglobin (Hb) and constructing an efficient biosensor. The resulting biosensor, named Hb-PPy@Dex/GCE, exhibited high activity in the reduction of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2). Amperometric examinations demonstrated an extensive linear range from 2 to 350 µM for Hb-PPy@Dex/GCE. The detection limit of the proposed approach was calculated to be 0.54 µM, following the S/N = 3 protocol.

H2 generation from steam gasification of swine manure over nickel-loaded perovskite oxides catalysts.

In this study, nickel-loaded perovskite oxides catalysts were synthesized via the impregnation of 10%Ni on XTiO3 (X = Ce, Sr, La, Ba, Ca, and Fe) supports and employed in the catalytic steam gasification of swine manure to produce H2-rich syngas for the first time. The synthesized catalysts were characterized using BET, H2-TPR, XRD, HR-TEM, and EDX analysis. Briefly, using perovskite supports resulted in the production of ultrafine catalyst nanoparticles with a uniform dispersion of Ni particles. According to the catalytic activity test, the gas yield showed the increment as 10% Ni/LaTiO3 < 10% Ni/FeTiO3 < 10% Ni/CeTiO3 < 10% Ni/BaTiO3 < 10% Ni/SrTiO3 < 10% Ni/CaTiO3. Meanwhile, zero coke formation was achieved due to the oxygen mobility of prepared catalysts. Also, the increase in the H2 production for the applied catalysts was in the sequence as 10% Ni/CeTiO3 < 10% Ni/FeTiO3 < 10% Ni/LaTiO3 < 10% Ni/BaTiO3 < 10% Ni/SrTiO3 < 10% Ni/CaTiO3. The maximum H2 selectivity (∼48 vol%) obtained by10% Ni/CaTiO3 was probably due to the synergistic effect of Ni and Ti on enhancing the water-gas shift reaction, and Ca on creating the maximum oxygen mobility compared to other alkaline earth metals doped at the A place of perovskite. Overall, this study provides a suitable solution for enhanced H2 production through steam gasification of swine manure along with suggesting the appropriate supports to prevent Ni deactivation by lowering coke formation at the same time.

Efficiency of diesel-contaminated soil washing with different tween 80 surfactant concentrations, pH, and bentonite ratios.

Soil contaminated with diesel fuel is a hazard to the environment and people; therefore, it needs to be remediated. Soil washing enhanced with Tween 80 (TW80), non-toxic and non-ionic surfactant, can effectively remove diesel from contaminated soils. In this study, the effects of 0.01%, 0.1%, 0.5%, 1%, and 1.5% (v/v) [TW80] concentrations; 0%, 5%, and 15% (w/w) bentonite; and variation in pH on washing efficiency were examined in a batch test. The prepared samples were physiochemically characterized on the basis of particle size, zeta potential, cation exchange capacity (CEC), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) analysis. When the bentonite content in soil was 5% or 15%, 1.5% [TW80] solution exhibited the highest washing efficiency. The diesel removal efficiencies in soil with 0% bentonite were slightly higher than those in soils with 5% and 15% bentonite because of the increase in adsorption sites by bentonite; consequently, diesel could not be easily washed out. The extracted n-alkanes showed that the percentage of carbon number 20 was higher than that of the other even-numbered carbons in the retained washed samples analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). In all the washing tests, the diesel removal efficiencies in soil with 15% bentonite and 0.1% [TW80] were lower than those in soil with 15% bentonite and water because of adsorption. The bentonite samples washed with TW80 have different morphologies, with a voluminous structure composed of the fusion of all layered structures, as supported by SEM results. Changes in the diesel content and residual TW80 content in the soil before and after washing were shown by the carbon content in the EDS results. The mechanism of the washing effect was investigated by CEC and zeta potential measurements. This study may aid in selecting appropriate conditions for improving washing efficiencies in future field applications.

Algae as a green technology for heavy metals removal from various wastewater.

Urbanization, industrialization, and natural earth processes have potentially increased the contamination of heavy metals (HMs) in water bodies. These HMs can accumulate in human beings through the consumption of contaminated water and food chains. Various clean-up technologies have been applied to sequester HMs, especially conventional methods including electrolytic technologies, ion exchange, precipitation, chemical extraction, hydrolysis, polymer micro-encapsulation, and leaching. However, most of these approaches are expensive for large-scale projects and require tedious control and constant monitoring, along with low efficiency for effective HMs removal. Algae offer an alternative, sustainable, and environmentally friendly HMs remediation approach. This review presents a state-of-the-art technology for potential use of algae as a low-cost biosorbent for the removal of HMs from wastewater. The mechanisms of HMs removal, including biosorption and bioaccumulation along with physical and chemical characterization of the algae are highlighted. The influence of abiotic factors on HMs removal and changes in algal biocomponents (including, carbohydrate, lipid, and protein) are discussed. Recent progresses made in the development of HMs-tolerant algal strains and the direction of future research toward the development of sustainable technology for advanced wastewater treatment and biomass production are covered.

Cetyltrimethylammonium bromide intercalated and branched polyhydroxystyrene functionalized montmorillonite clay to sequester cationic dyes.

Herein, Cetyltrimethyl ammonium bromide (CTAB) intercalated and branched polyhydroxystyrene (BPS) functionalized montmorillonite (MMT) nano-composite (BPS-CTAB-MMT) was developed, characterized, and its potential as an adsorbent was tested in sequestering cationic dyes viz. rhodamine B (RB), crystal violet (CV), and methylene blue (MB) from aqueous environment. N2 adsorption/desorption isotherm showed mesoporous BPS-CTAB-MMT surface with a BET surface area of 273.8 m2/g. The appearance of sharp spikes at 2855 and 2925 cm-1 (associated with symmetric and asymmetric tensions of C - H bonds) in infra-red spectrum of BPS-CTAB-MMT indicates successful intercalation of MMT with CTAB and functionalization with BPS. The observed crystallite size of BPS-CTAB-MMT was 66 nm. Comparatively greater weight loss for BPS-CTAB-MMT (11%) than MMT (9%) was observed during thermogravimetric analysis. The adsorption of dyes on BPS-CTAB-MMT was pH dependent with maximum uptake was observed in the pH range: 5-6. For initial dyes concentration (Co) range: 50-150 mg/L, the observed equilibration time for CV was 300 min, whereas for RB and MB the equilibration time varied between 300 and 360 min. Modeling investigations revealed the applicability of Sips isotherm and pseudo-second-order (PSO) kinetic models to dyes adsorption data. Sips maximum adsorption capacity (qs) values for RB, CV, and MB at 55 °C were 476.5, 438.7, and 432.7 mg/g, respectively. The adsorption of dyes on BPS-CTAB-MMT was thermodynamically favorable. Desorption studies showed 42.1% RB and 41.9% CV recovery with 0.1 M NaOH and CH3COCH3, respectively, while only traces of MB were recovered with tested eluents.

A rapid and sensitive evaluation of nitrite content in Saudi Arabian processed meat and poultry using a novel ultra performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry method.

Quantitative assessment of nitrite (NO2-) anion was performed using a newly developed high throughput ultra performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometric (UPLC-MS) method. The nitrite determination with the proposed method using micellar mobile phase was unknown. Selected ion reaction mode using negative electrospray ionization was adopted for the identification and quantitative analysis of nitrite. The chromatographic separation was performed using BEH C-18 column and a micellar mobile phase consisted of sodium dodecyl sulphate and acetonitrile in ratio 30:70 was used. The elution of nitrite anion was accomplished in less than 1 min. Under the optimal analysis conditions, the linearity of the developed method was checked in the concentration range of 0.5-20 mg kg-1 NO2- with an excellent correlation coefficient of 0.996. The precisions of the method with relative standard deviation <2% was observed when standard at concentration of 1 mg kg-1 was used. The limit of detection and limit of quantitation of the developed mass spectrometric method was found to be 0.114 and 0.346 mg kg-1, respectively. The developed UPLC/MS method was applied to quantify this anion in processed meats and poultries from various super market of Saudi Arabia (Riyadh region). The recoveries of the nitrite in the various samples were found in the range of 100.03-103.5%.

Artificial neural network modeling for the oxidation kinetics of divalent manganese ions during chlorination and the role of arsenite ions in the binary/ternary systems.

This study investigated the coexistence and contamination of manganese (Mn(II)) and arsenite (As(III)) in groundwater and examined their oxidation behavior under different equilibrating parameters, including varying pH, bicarbonate (HCO3-) concentrations, and sodium hypochlorite (NaClO) oxidant concentrations. Results showed that if the molar ratio of NaClO: As(III) was >1, the oxidation of As(III) could be achieved within a minute with an extremely high oxidation rate of 99.7 %. In the binary system, the removal of As(III) prevailed over Mn(II). The As(III) oxidation efficiency increased from 59.8 ± 0.6 % to 70.8 ± 1.9 % when pH rose from 5.7 to 8.0. The oxidation reaction between As(III) and NaClO releases H+ ions, decreasing the pH from 6.77 to 6.19 and reducing the removal efficiency of Mn(II). The presence of HCO3- reduced the oxidation rate of Mn(II) from 63.2 % to 13.9 % within four hours. Instead, the final oxidation rate of Mn(II) increased from 68.1 % to 87.7 %. This increase can be attributed to HCO3- ions competing with the free Mn(II) for the adsorption sites on the sediments, inhibiting the formation of H+. Moreover, kinetic studies revealed that the oxidation reaction between Mn(II) and NaClO followed first-order kinetics based on their R2 values. The significant factors affecting the Mn(II) oxidation efficiency were the initial concentration of NaClO and pH. Applying an artificial neural network (ANN) model for data analysis proved to be an effective tool for predicting Mn(II) oxidation rates under different experimental conditions. The actual Mn(II) oxidation data and the predicted values obtained from the ANN model showed significant consistency. The training and validation data sets yielded R2 values of 0.995 and 0.992, respectively. Moreover, the ANN model highlights the importance of pH and NaClO concentrations in influencing the oxidation rate of Mn(II).

Microalgal and activated sludge processing for biodegradation of textile dyes.

The textile industry contributes substantially to water pollution. To investigate bioremediation of dye-containing wastewater, the decolorization and biotransformation of three textile azo dyes, Red HE8B, Reactive Green 27, and Acid Blue 29, were considered using an integrated remediation approach involving the microalga Chlamydomonas mexicana and activated sludge (ACS). At a 5 mg L-1 dye concentration, using C. mexicana and ACS alone, decolorization percentages of 39%-64% and 52%-54%, respectively, were obtained. In comparison, decolorization percentages of 75%-79% were obtained using a consortium of C. mexicana and ACS. The same trend was observed for the decolorization of dyes at higher concentrations, but the potential for decolorization was low. The toxic azo dyes adversely affect the growth of microalgae and at high concentration 50 mg L-1 the growth rate inhibited to 50-60% as compared to the control. The natural textile wastewater was also treated with the same pattern and got promising results of decolorization (90%). Moreover, the removal of BOD (82%), COD (72%), TN (64%), and TP (63%) was observed with the consortium. The HPLC and GC-MS confirm dye biotransformation, revealing the emergence of new peaks and the generation of multiple metabolites with more superficial structures, such as N-hydroxy-aniline, naphthalene-1-ol, and sodium hydroxy naphthalene. This analysis demonstrates the potential of the C. mexicana and ACS consortium for efficient, eco-friendly bioremediation of textile azo dyes.

Fractional condensation of bio-oil vapors from pyrolysis of various sawdust wastes in a bench-scale bubbling fluidized bed reactor.

The use of lignocellulosic waste as an energy source for substituting fossil fuels has attracted lots of attention, and pyrolysis has been established as an effective technology for this purpose. However, the utilization of bio-oil derived from non-catalytic pyrolysis faces certain constraints, making it impractical for direct application in advanced sectors. This study has focused on overcoming these challenges by employing fractional condensation of pyrolytic vapors at distinct temperatures. The potential of five types of sawdust for producing high-quality bio-oil through pyrolysis conducted with a bench-scale bubbling fluidized bed reactor was investigated for the first time. The highest yield of bio-oil (61.94 wt%) was produced using sample 3 (damaged timber). Remarkably, phenolic compounds were majorly gathered in the 1st and 2nd condensers at temperatures of 200 °C and 150 °C, respectively, attributing to their higher boiling points. Whereas, carboxylic acid, ketones, and furans were mainly collected in the 3rd (-5 °C) and 4th (-20 °C) condensers, having high water content in the range of 35.33%-65.09%. The separation of acidic nature compounds such as acetic acid in the 3rd and 4th was evidenced by its low pH in the range of 4-5, while the pH of liquid collected in the 1st and 2nd condensers exhibited higher pH (6-7). The well-separated bio-oil derived from biomass pyrolysis facilitates its wide usage in various applications, proposing a unique approach toward carbon neutrality. In particular, achieving efficient separation of phenolic compounds in bio-oil is important, as these compounds can undergo further upgrading to generate hydrocarbons and diesel fuel.

Optimizing methanol synthesis from CO2 using graphene-based heterogeneous photocatalyst under RSM and ANN-driven parametric optimization for achieving better suitability.

Assessment of the performance of linear and nonlinear regression-based methods for estimating in situ catalytic CO2 transformations employing TiO2/Cu coupled with hydrogen exfoliation graphene (HEG) has been investigated. The yield of methanol was thoroughly optimized and predicted using response surface methodology (RSM) and artificial neural network (ANN) model after rigorous experimentation and comparison. Amongst the different types of HEG loading from 10 to 40 wt%, the 30 wt% in the HEG-TiO2/Cu assisted photosynthetic catalyst was found to be successful in providing the highest conversion efficiency of methanol from CO2. The most influencing parameters, HEG dosing and inflow rate of CO2, were found to affect the conversion rate in the acidic reaction regime (at pH of 3). According to RSM and ANN, the optimum methanol yields were 36.3 mg g-1 of catalyst and 37.3 mg g-1 of catalyst, respectively. Through the comparison of performances using the least squared error analysis, the nonlinear regression-based ANN showed a better determination coefficient (overall R2 > 0.985) than the linear regression-based RSM model (overall R2 ∼ 0.97). Even though both models performed well, ANN, consisting of 9 neurons in the input and 1 hidden layer, could predict optimum results closer to RSM in terms of agreement with the experimental outcome.

Two-Phase Crude Oil-Water Flow Through Different Pipes: An Experimental Investigation Coupled with Computational Fluid Dynamics Approach.

The present study deals with two-phase non-Newtonian pseudoplastic crude oil and water flow inside horizontal pipes simulated by ANSYS. The study helps predict velocity and velocity profiles, as well as pressure drop during two-phase crude-oil-water flow, without complex calculations. Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) analysis will be very important in reducing the experimental cost and the effort of data acquisition. Three independent horizontal stainless steel pipes (SS-304) with inner diameters of 1 in., 1.5 in., and 2 in. were used to circulate crude oil with 5, 10, and 15% v/v water for simulation purposes. The entire length of the pipes, along with their surfaces, were insulated to reduce heat loss. A grid size of 221,365 was selected as the optimal grid. Two-phase flow phenomena, pressure drop calculations, shear stress on the walls, along with the rate of shear strain, and phase analysis were studied. Moreover, velocity changes from the wall to the center, causing a velocity gradient and shear strain rate, but at the center, no velocity variation (velocity gradient) was observed between the layers of the fluid. The precision of the simulation was investigated using three error parameters, such as mean square error, Nash-Sutcliffe efficiency, and RMSE-standard deviation of observation ratio. From the simulation, it was found that CFD analysis holds good agreement with experimental results. The uncertainty analysis demonstrated that our CFD model is helpful in predicting the rheological parameters very accurately. The study aids in identifying and predicting fluid flow phenomena inside horizontal straight pipes in a very effective way.

Mitochondrial-Targeted Metal-Phenolic Nanoparticles to Attenuate Intervertebral Disc Degeneration: Alleviating Oxidative Stress and Mitochondrial Dysfunction.

As intervertebral disc degeneration (IVDD) proceeds, the dysfunctional mitochondria disrupt the viability of nucleus pulposus cells, initiating the degradation of the extracellular matrix. To date, there is a lack of effective therapies targeting the mitochondria of nucleus pulposus cells. Here, we synthesized polygallic acid-manganese (PGA-Mn) nanoparticles via self-assembly polymerization of gallic acid in an aqueous medium and introduced a mitochondrial targeting peptide (TP04) onto the nanoparticles using a Schiff base linkage, resulting in PGA-Mn-TP04 nanoparticles. With a size smaller than 50 nm, PGA-Mn-TP04 possesses pH-buffering capacity, avoiding lysosomal confinement and selectively accumulating within mitochondria through electrostatic interactions. The rapid electron exchange between manganese ions and gallic acid enhances the redox capability of PGA-Mn-TP04, effectively reducing mitochondrial damage caused by mitochondrial reactive oxygen species. Moreover, PGA-Mn-TP04 restores mitochondrial function by facilitating the fusion of mitochondria and minimizing their fission, thereby sustaining the vitality of nucleus pulposus cells. In the rat IVDD model, PGA-Mn-TP04 maintained intervertebral disc height and nucleus pulposus tissue hydration. It offers a nonoperative treatment approach for IVDD and other skeletal muscle diseases resulting from mitochondrial dysfunction, presenting an alternative to traditional surgical interventions.

Current trends in carbon-based quantum dots development from solid wastes and their applications.

Urbanization and a massive population boom have immensely increased the solid wastes (SWs) generation and are expected to reach 3.40 billion tons by 2050. In many developed and emerging nations, SWs are prevalent in both major and small cities. As a result, in the current context, the reusability of SWs through various applications has taken on added importance. Carbon-based quantum dots (Cb-QDs) and their many variants are synthesized from SWs in a straightforward and practical method. Cb-QDs are a new type of semiconductor that has attracted the interest of researchers due to their wide range of applications, which include everything from energy storage, chemical sensing, to drug delivery. This review is primarily focused on the conversion of SWs into useful materials, which is an essential aspect of waste management for pollution reduction. In this context, the goal of the current review is to investigate the sustainable synthesis routes of carbon quantum dots (CQDs), graphene quantum dots (GQDs), and graphene oxide quantum dots (GOQDs) from various types SWs. The applications of CQDs, GQDs, and GOQDs in the different areas are also been discussed. Finally, the challenges in implementing the existing synthesis methods and future research directions are highlighted.

Co-Carbonized Waste Polythene/Sugarcane Bagasse Nanocomposite for Aqueous Environmental Remediation Applications.

The conversion of worthless municipal solid wastes to valuables is a major step towards environmental conservation and sustainability. This work successfully proposed a technique to utilize the two most commonly available municipal solid wastes viz polythene (PE) and sugarcane bagasse (SB) for water decolorization application. An SBPE composite material was developed and co-pyrolyzed under an inert atmosphere to develop the activated SBPEAC composite. Both SBPE and SBPEAC composites were characterized to analyze their morphological characteristics, specific surface area, chemical functional groups, and elemental composition. The adsorption efficacies of the composites were comparatively tested in the removal of malachite green (MG) from water. The SBPEAC composite had a specific surface area of 284.5 m2/g and a pore size of ~1.33 nm. Batch-scale experiments revealed that the SBPEAC composite performed better toward MG adsorption compared to the SBPE composite. The maximum MG uptakes at 318 K on SBPEAC and SBPE were 926.6 and 375.6 mg/g, respectively. The adsorption of MG on both composites was endothermic. The isotherm and kinetic modeling data for MG adsorption on SBPEAC was fitted to pseudo-second-order kinetic and Langmuir isotherm models, while Elovich kinetic and D-R isotherm models were better fitted for MG adsorption on SBPE. Mechanistically, the MG adsorption on both SBPE and SBPEAC composites involved electrostatic interaction, H-bonding, and π-π/n-π interactions.

Chitin-Based Magnesium Oxide Biocomposite for the Removal of Methyl Orange from Water.

In this work, a cost-effective chitin-based magnesium oxide (CHt@MgO) biocomposite with excellent anionic methyl orange (MO) dye removal efficiency from water was developed. The CHt@MgO biocomposite was characterized by FT-IR, XRD, SEM-EDX, and TGA/DTG. Results proved the successful synthesis of CHt@MgO biocomposite. Adsorption of MO on the CHt@MgO biocomposite was optimized by varying experimental conditions such as pH, amount of adsorbent (m), contact time (t), temperature (T), and initial MO concentration (Co). The optimized parameters for MO removal by CHt@MgO biocomposite were as follows: pH, 6; m, 2 g/L; t, 120 min. Two common isotherm models (Langmuir and Freundlich) and three kinetic models (pseudo-first-order (PFO), pseudo-second-order (PSO), and intraparticle diffusion (IPD)) were tested for experimental data fitting. Results showed that Langmuir and PFO were the most suitable to respectively describe equilibrium and kinetic results on the adsorption of MO adsorption on CHt@MgO biocomposite. The maximum Langmuir monolayer adsorption capacity (qm) on CHt@MgO biocomposite toward MO dye was 252 mg/g at 60 °C. The reusability tests revealed that CHt@MgO biocomposite possessed high (90.7%) removal efficiency after the fifth regeneration cycle.

A Novel Chitosan/Nano-Hydroxyapatite Composite for the Adsorptive Removal of Cd(II) from Aqueous Solution.

A novel polymer bio-composite based on nano-hydroxyapatite (n-Hap) and chitosan (CS) (CS/n-Hap) was synthesized to effectively address toxic cadmium ions removal from water. The composition and structure of CS/n-Hap bio-composite were analyzed through different characterization techniques. XRD patterns affirmed that the crystalline structure of n-Hap remained unaltered during CS/n-Hap synthesis, while FT-IR spectrum sustained all the characteristic peaks of both CS and n-Hap, affirming the successful synthesis of CS/n-Hap. Adsorption studies, including pH, adsorbent dosage, contact time, initial Cd(II) concentration, and temperature, were carried out to explain and understand the adsorption mechanism. Comparatively, CS/n-Hap bio-composite exhibited better Cd(II) adsorption capacity than pristine CS, with an experimental maximum uptake of 126.65 mg/g under optimized conditions. In addition, the kinetic data were well fitted to the pseudo-second-order model, indicating the formation of chemical bonds between Cd(II) and CS/n-Hap during adsorption. Furthermore, the thermodynamic study suggested that Cd(II) adsorption onto CS/n-Hap was endothermic and spontaneous. The regeneration study showed only about a 3% loss in Cd(II) uptake by CS/n-Hap after five consecutive cycles. Thus, a simple and facile approach was here developed to synthesize an eco-friendly and cost-effective material that can be successfully employed for the removal of toxic heavy metal ions from water.

Pyrolytic conversion of human hair to fuel: performance evaluation and kinetic modelling.

There are several environmental and human health impacts if human hair waste is not adequately disposed of. In this study, pyrolysis of discarded human hair was carried out. This research focused on the pyrolysis of discarded human hair under controlled environmental conditions. The effects of the mass of discarded human hair and temperature on bio-oil yield were studied. The proximate and ultimate analyses and calorific values of disposed of human hair, bio-oil, and biochar were determined. Further, chemical compounds of bio-oil were analyzed using a gas chromatograph and a mass spectrometer. Finally, the kinetic modeling and behavior of the pyrolysis process were characterized through FT-IR spectroscopy and thermal analysis. Based on the optimized mass of disposed of human hair, 250 g had a better bio-oil yield of 97% in the temperature range of 210-300 °C. The different parameters of bio-oil were: pH (2.87), specific gravity (1.17), moisture content (19%), heating value (19.34 MJ/kg), and viscosity (50 CP). C (56.4%), H (6.1%), N (0.16%), S (0.01%), O (38.4%), and Ash (0.1%) were discovered to be the elemental chemical composition of bio-oil (on a dry basis). During breakdown, the release of different compounds like hydrocarbons, aldehydes, ketones, acids, and alcohols takes place. According to the GC-MS results, several amino acids were discovered in the bio-oil, 12 abundant in the discarded human hair. The FTIR and thermal analysis found different concluding temperatures and wave numbers for functional groups. Two main stages are partially separated at about 305 °C, with maximum degradation rates at about 293 oC and 400-4140 °C, respectively. The mass loss was 30% at 293 0C and 82% at temperatures above 293 0C. When the temperature reached 4100C, the entire bio-oil from discarded human hair was distilled or thermally decomposed.

Fate of five bisphenol derivatives in Chlamydomonas mexicana: Toxicity, removal, biotransformation and microalgal metabolism.

Bisphenols (BPs) are recognized as emerging contaminants because of their estrogenic properties and frequent occurrence in environmental matrices. Here, we evaluated the toxic effects of five common BPs on freshwater microalga Chlamydomonas mexicana and removal of the BPs by the alga. Bisphenols -AF (BPAF), -B (BPB), and -Z (BPZ) (96 h, EC50 1.78-12.09 mg·L-1) exhibited higher toxicity to C. mexicana compared to bisphenol -S (BPS) and -F (BPF) (96 h, EC50 30.53-85.48 mg·L-1). In contrast, the mixture of BPs exhibited acute toxicity (96 h, EC50 8.07 mg·L-1). After 14 days, C. mexicana had effectively removed 61%, 99%, 55%, 87%, and 89% of BPS, BPF, BPAF, BPB, and BPZ, respectively, at 1 mg L-1. The biotransformed products of all five BPs were analyzed using UHPLC QTOF, and their toxicity was predicted. All biotransformed products were observed to be less toxic than the parent compounds. The fatty acid composition of C. mexicana after exposure to the BP mixture was predominantly palmitic acid (34.14%), followed by oleic acid (18.9%), and γ-linolenic acid (10.79%). The results provide crucial information on the ecotoxicity of these five BPs and their removal by C. mexicana; the resulting biomass is a potential feedstock for producing biodiesel.

Synthesis, Kinetics, Reaction Mechanism, and Bioactivity Assays of a Dimeric Palladium Complex.

A dimer of Pd(II), [(bpy)Pd(µ-OH)2Pd(bpy)]2+, (complex 1) (where bpy = 2,2'-bipyridyl) has been synthesized at physiological pH (7.4) and characterized by electronic spectroscopy, electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (ESI-MS) spectroscopy, and Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) analysis. Reaction kinetics of 1 with glycine (L1H), l-glutamic acid (L2H), and l-arginine (L3H) were investigated in an aqueous medium at pH of 7.4 and constant ionic strength via a spectrophotometer as a function of temperature and different concentrations of substrate-complex and ligand. The interactions were supported by two discrete successive steps, i.e., ligand-dependent and ligand-independent steps. The equilibrium constant of complex formation (outer-sphere association) and the rate constant during complex-substrate-ligand interaction were calculated. The Eyring equation was applied to evaluate activation factors (ΔH‡ and ΔS‡), and associative mechanisms of all reactions were proposed. Thermodynamic parameters (ΔH° and ΔS°) were also estimated from the standard plot of ln KE against 103/T. Spectroscopic titration of 1 at pH 7.4 in Tris-HCl buffer with calf thymus DNA, electronic emission titration with ethidium bromide (EtBr), antimicrobial activities, and an agarose gel electrophoresis run of 1 on pBR322 plasmid DNA have shown strong evidence of anticancer activity. Moreover, it has nontoxic water molecules as leaving groups.