The buildup of scale in cooling systems, especially evaporative cooling systems, is frequently a significant problem because of calcium (Ca) ions in raw or makeup water. As water evaporates, the concentration of these ions increases, leading to the formation of insoluble salts such as calcium carbonate (CaCO₃). This scaling may decrease heat transfer, inefficiencies, and increased energy usage. The calcium must be removed for the cooling system to operate best. The present study investigated the removal of Ca²⁺ from cooling tower water using Amberlite IR120 and predictive machine learning approaches. A lab-scale ion exchange column was used in this study. Response surface methodology (RSM), artificial neural networks (ANNs), and adaptive neuro-fuzzy inference systems (ANFISs) were used to optimise and model calcium removal using Amberlite IR120. The effects of the following process parameters were studied: contact time (min), pH, concentration (mg/L), dosage (ml), and temperature (K). RSM was used for process optimisation. The ANN model construction used 70% of the data for training, 15% for testing, and 15% for validation. The network was trained using feed-forward propagation and the Levenberg–Marquardt algorithm. The ANFIS was generated using a grid partition and trained using a hybrid method; 80% was used for training, and 20% was used for checking. Regression (R²), mean square error (MSE), mean absolute error (MAE), mean absolute percentage error (MAPE), and average relative error (ARE) were also used. Numerical optimisation yielded an optimal removal percentage of Ca²⁺ of 99.07% at 89.55 minutes, 4.17, 452.83 mg/L, 132.57 ml, and 295.58 K. The developed predictive machine learning model fits the three machine learning models with regressions of 0.9777, 0.9994, and 0.9903 for RSM, ANN, and ANFIS, respectively. This study has shown that machine learning is an effective tool for removing Ca²⁺ from cooling water Amberlite IR120 resins.

INTRODUCTION

Silver played an important role as a novel metal ion in curing many diseases and infections. Silver is used in the form of AgNPs for targeting many biomedical and ,physio-chemical reactions to fulfill research goals. However, many drawbacks are reported in AgNP reactions, such as allergy and environmental risks. Therefore, to avoid all these side-effects, plant-based AgNPs are synthesized. In our research, we have used silver nano-particles from P.emblica and A.vasica leaf extract and carried out a comparative study on microbes.

METHODS

Leaves were first collected and then crushed into a powder. Next, we made a water-based extract solution by heating the mixture to 80 degrees Celsius for three to four hours using a magnetic stirrer. The leaf extract was combined with 1M silver nitrate solution, made by dissolving 1.7 grams of silver nitrate in 100 milliliters of water. P. emblica and A. vasica Leaf Extract with silver nitrate solution was centrifuged at 12000 rpm for 30 minutes, discarding the supernatant and collecting the dark pellet to form AgNPs from the leaf extract. Finally, the leaf extract was collected in the form of a powder and dried for two to three days in a dark place. Using the disc diffusion and well diffusion methods, we investigated the effects of these AgNPs powders at varying concentrations against bacteria that cause disease, such as E. coli, S. aureus, Mucor, and Aspergillus strains. Additionally, we utilized the commercial antibiotic streptomycin to complete a comparative study.

CONCLUSIONS

Secondary metabolites in plant leaves makes plant- based drug systems and P.emblica and A.vasica Leaf Extract AgNPs molecules more effective and eco-friendly as compared to chemical-based AgNPs.

RESULT

In our research, a comparative study of the effects of P. emblica and A. vasica Leaf Extract AgNPs on microbes produced positive results as compared to the commercial antibiotic streptomycin.

Introduction.

Liquid chromatography (LC) is a widely used technique for the separation, isolation, and purification of chemical compounds present in mixtures. The direct coupling of biological detection to liquid chromatography may facilitate the chemical and biological characterization of active compounds.

Methods.

In previous years, a system was optimized that combined the advantages of LC separation with classical systems for analyzing pharmacological activity in isolated perifused or perfused organs.¹ Thus, a hydro-ethanolic extract of Stevia rebaudiana Bertoni (Asteraceae) was studied through a method based on medium-pressure liquid chromatography separation (MPLC) coupled directly to a living superfused organ cascade as a quadruple biosensor.¹

In this poster communication, the potential uses of and perspectives in organic chemistry and pharmacology on this direct coupling of biological detection to an MPLC system are presented.

Results.

Rebaudioside N, a minor natural product produced from Stevia rebaudiana Bertoni, was identified as the compound responsible for the contractile activity detected in the active fraction of the initial hydro-ethanolic extract.¹ The isolated rebaudioside N contracted the smooth muscle present in portions of rat ilea. This stevioside was structurally identified using mass spectrometry.¹

In the process of pharmacological characterization of new active compounds, this type of methodology reduced the investigation time, number of animals slaughtered, use of organic solvents, and associated expenses.¹

Conclusions.

This direct combination of liquid chromatography with a perfusion system will allow bioactive compounds present in mixtures derived from extracts of natural origin or chemical synthesis (for example, combinatorial chemistry) to be isolated and pre-characterized.

References.

¹ Campuzano-Bublitz et al., Naunyn-Schmiedeberg's Arch Pharmacol2018, 391, 9–16.

It is necessary to develop construction materials with a limited impact on the environment. To achieve this objective, juncus maritimus fibres were used as reinforcement in the plaster matrix at percentages of 10%, 20%, 30% and 40% by volume. The aim of this study was to investigate the impact of the addition of juncus maritimus fibres on the behaviour of plaster. The juncus fibres were characterised from a physical, thermal and mineralogical point of view, and the plaster was studied both physically and thermally. The effect of the percentages of juncus maritimus fibres on the fluidity of the plaster was evaluated using the Marsh cone method, , i.e. by measuring the time taken for a known volume of gypsum to flow from a cone through a short tube. The thermal and mechanical properties of the composites produced were determined by the hot disc method and by compression and flexural tests. The results showed that the bulk density and thermal conductivity of the composites were reduced by 6.45% and 10.9%, respectively, for a percentage of 40% compared with the reference sample. The addition of 20% juncus maritimus fibres improved the flexural strength by 7.43% compared with the reference sample, but a decrease in compressive strength was observed due to poor adhesion between the fibres and the gypsum matrix. The microstructures of the composites were determined using the scanning electron microscope method.

Recycling seashell waste in building materials is a relevant and attractive solution for eliminating this waste while at the same time reducing its environmental impact. Our study focuses on the use of Mytilus galloprovinciallis shell waste in mortars of cement as a partial replacement of sand. A granular range similar to that of fine sand was used with the extraction of fine powder < 0.08 mm, in order to reduce the effect of organic matter on material properties, we used percentages of 0%, 15%, 20%, 25%, 30%, and 45% according to mass. Physical, thermal and mechanical properties are estimated, and the capillary absorption coefficient is also determined. The two types of sand have an almost identical particle size distribution, the same sand equivalence, and nearly the same density, but other properties such as fineness modulus, specific surface area, and water absorption coefficient are slightly different. However, the morphology of the grains is totally different, which makes the physical, thermal, and mechanical properties of the cement mortars prepared varied while increasing the substitution rate. The results show that replacing natural sand with shell aggregates improves the thermal insulation performance and durability of the mortars, knowing that 45% of the replacement reduces the thermal conductivity and capillary coefficient to 21.7% and 75.21%, respectively, compared with the mortar of reference.

Introduction : Double doping of zinc oxide thin films to achieve good surface morphology and excellent band gap energy value remains a challenge in materials science in the field of thin film solar cells.

Methods : In this work, we prepared a series of zinc oxide thin films double-doped with aluminum (Al) and magnesium (Mg) atoms using the sol-gel technique via spin-coating equipment. Double doping is carried out in the following proportions : (1%Al,1%Mg), (3%Al,3%Mg), (5%Al,5%Mg) and (7%Al,7%Mg). The double-doped (Al,Mg) thin films were: (1) synthesized by spin-coating process, (2) characterized by complementary techniques including X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) coupled with energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) and UV-Vis-NIR spectroscopy, and, (3) used for 2-T perovskite/CIGSSe tandem solar cells.

Results : The characterization results assessed that the double-doped (Al,Mg) samples are oriented in the c-axis direction in a wurtzite structure, and the grain sizes range from 40 to 92 nm. Uniform, dense thin films were obtained on the glass substrates, and the samples consisting of spherically shaped nanograins forming homogeneous layers. In addition, optical transmittance measurements show good values between 87 and 91%, and the band gap energy, E_g, for the double-doped ZnO:(Al,Mg) materials has been determined using Tauc plots (E_g: 3.22 to 3.26 eV). SCAPS-1D software simulation results under the AM 1.5G spectrum show that an optimum efficiency of 20.62% (V_OC = 0.786 V, J_SC = 42.28 mA/cm², and FF = 62.03%) was achieved with the (1%Al, 1%Mg) layer.

Conclusions : This research paper introduces double doping to modulate the band gap energy, E_g, of doped ZnO:(Al,Mg) materials for applications in 2-T perovskite/CIGSSe tandem solar cells.

Different materials are used as barriers to protect patients and medical staff in hospital radiological areas. A suitable shielding material needs to have a high atomic number (high Z) to protect against X-ray or gamma radiation, such as lead (Pb), barium (Ba), and bismuth (Bi). However, traditional shielding materials have cost, weight, and toxicity limitations. Therefore, there is a need for alternative materials for radiation shielding, one of which could be polymeric matrix nanocomposites. These materials have important properties such as elasticity, biocompatibility, low cost, and lightness, making them good candidates for attenuating different types of radiation. This study focuses on synthesizing different oxides and their use in developing polyvinyl chloride (PVC)-based polymeric nanocomposites. The structural and morphological properties of oxides and nanocomposites were studied using X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The X-ray shielding property for the radiodiagnostic energy range of 50 to 129 kV was measured according to the mass attenuation coefficient (μm), half-value layer (HVL), and tenth-value layer (TVL). The flexible nanocomposites were cross-linked with ionizing radiation treatments to enhance their toughness and further analyzed for their cytotoxic properties. This analysis involved exposing the nanocomposites to 1132sk fibroblast cells and measuring their viability, providing insight into the safety of these materials for medical applications.

Neurodegenerative diseases impact millions of people globally and are emerging as an imminent challenge due to the rapid aging of the population. The current treatments only focus on relieving their symptoms, so it is necessary to adopt innovative strategies. However, delivering pharmacological agents directly into the brain is difficult because of the presence of the Blood–Brain Barrier (BBB). To overcome this obstacle, nanotransporters such as phytosomes have been developed. This study reports the preparation and characterization of phosphatidylcholine (PC) phytosomes based on hydroethanolic extracts of three macroalgae: Ascophyllum nodosum (L.) Le Jolis (AN), Bifurcaria bifurcata R.Ross (BB), and Fucus spiralis L. (FS). Additionally, some phytosomes were functionalized with polyethylene glycol (PEG) and apolipoprotein E (ApoE). Phytosome characterization was carried out in terms of encapsulation rate, size, polydispersity index (PDI), zeta potential, and stability, and the efficacy of passage through the BBB was tested using an in vitro transwell model based on hCMEC/D3 cells. The results showed a high percentage of extract bound to PC (from 74.9 to 80.3 %), and tests conducted over three weeks showed the stability of the phytosomes developed. There was a notable distinction between the functionalized and non-functionalized phytosomes, reflected in the values of their sizes (from 117.71 to 167.73 nm for non-functionalized and from 277.07 to 361.44 nm for PEG-ApoE phytosomes), PDIs (0.286-0.411 for non-functionalized and 0.389-0.539 for functionalized phytosomes), and zeta potentials (1.91-2.22 and -3.31- -0.68 mV for non-functionalized and functionalized phytosomes), respectively. Regarding their ability to cross the BBB, the functionalization of phytosomes with ApoE did not prove to be a crucial step, perhaps due to the low amount of ApoE used (1%), as all of the nanotransporters always passed through the hCMEC/D3 cell monolayer, regardless of their formulation.

Metal ions and metal-ion binding substances are crucial in various biological processes, and their rational design can be used to develop novel therapeutic drugs and diagnostic tools. Metal atoms are soluble in biological fluids due to their ability to easily lose electrons and form positively charged ions. Because of their electron deficiency they can interact with electron-rich biomolecules like proteins and DNA, and potentially participating in catalytic mechanism or stabilizing their tertiary or quaternary structures. Metal ions are important for cellular processes and biological functions in microorganisms. Antibacterial resistance is an increasingly major concern to global public health, requiring novel strategies to combat new resistance mechanisms emerging and spreading globally in infectious microbes. Inorganic and organometallic complexes offer an opportunity to develop novel antimicrobial agents due to their diverse three-dimensional shapes and extensive design options, which can impact factors like substitution kinetics, charge, lipophilicity, biological targets, and mechanisms of action. This paper explores the antibacterial activity of vanadium complexes. Research in this field focuses on the potential antibacterial activity of vanadium-based drugs. Vanadium is a well-known transition metal, and its complexes have been extensively studied for their medicinal properties. Vanadium complexes of 2-(salicylideneimine)benzimidazole, aminophen and bromosalycilaldehyde, dimalonitrial-based Schiff base, 1,2,4-triazole Schiff base, and fluoro-substituted Schiff base and vanadium stilbene complex, etc., exhibited antibacterial activity. Research on antimicrobial metallodrugs is crucial to combat antibiotic resistance, but mechanisms of toxicity remain uncertain, and limited in vivo data hinder further development due to limited bacterial targets. Future multidisciplinary research on vanadium complexes as antibacterial potential offers opportunities to explore biochemistry, design novel, and improve solubility, bioavailability, and toxicity and focus on developing novel strategies for targeting toxic metals and developing nanostructured antimicrobials for better understanding metal complex behaviour in living organisms.

Electrospinning is a relatively simple technique to produce nanofiber mats, which can be used for diverse applications, from biomedicine to filtration to energy applications. For these cases, the large surface-to-volume ratio of nanofibrous membranes is often advantageous as compared to macroscopic textile fabrics or other structures. Additionally, the spinning process enables the integration of metallic or ceramic nanoparticles, blending different polymers or even preparing non-polymeric nanofibers by the calcination of the polymer used as a spinning agent. Especially for biomedical applications, the addition of an antibacterial agent can be supportive. Here, we report needleless electrospinning of nanofiber mats from poly(acrylonitrile) (PAN) with different mushroom mycelium powders, which have antibacterial and other positive properties. While PAN with Pleurotus ostreatus (oyster mushroom) powder could well be electrospun with the wire-based technique, PAN with Ganoderma lucidum (reishi mushroom) powder was nearly impossible to spin, with only one of four tests showing thin membranes containing fibrous as well as non-fibrous areas. The PAN/P. ostreatus nanofiber mats were further stabilized and carbonized. All samples were examined by confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and Raman microscopy, revealing similar morphology and carbon yield to pure PAN. This indicates the possibility to embed P. ostreatus powder in PAN nanofiber mats used for biotechnological or biomedical applications.