Compositional analysis of Swertia chirayita medicinal plant using laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy and ICP-MS.

One of the most significant medicinal plants used to treat numerous illnesses is Swertia chirayita. The present study demonstrated the compositional analysis of the Swertia chirayita (S. chirayita) plant using an emerging and non-destructive laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) technique.

Effects of isotropic stress on the band structure elastic, optical, thermal, and x-ray diffraction properties of TiSnO.

Background: Cubic perovskite titanium stannous oxide (TiSnO3) is a promising material for various applications due to its functional properties. However, understanding how these properties change under external stress is crucial for its development and optimization.

Method: This study employed density functional theory calculations to investigate the structural, electronic, optical, thermal, and mechanical properties of TiSnO3 under varying degrees of external static isotropic stress (0-120 GPa).

MX MXenes: Application in Energy Storage Devices.

MXene has garnered widespread recognition in the scientific community due to its remarkable properties, including excellent thermal stability, high conductivity, good hydrophilicity and dispersibility, easy processability, tunable surface properties, and admirable flexibility. MXenes have been categorized into different families based on the number of M and X layers in MX, such as MX, MX, MX, and, recently, MX. Among these families, MX and MX, particularly TiC, have been greatly explored while limited studies have been given to MX MXene synthesis.

Solvothermally designed Pr-MOF/FeO based nanocomposites for efficient electrocatalytic water splitting.

To meet the energy demand of modern civilization, efforts to find renewable, safe, and highly effective fuel generation are still a big challenge. The oxygen evolution reaction (OER) is one of many modern technologies for hydrogen generation, and a number of new electrode materials have been created to increase the effectiveness of O evolution. This project utilizes a range of high performance nanomaterials, such as Pr-MOF, FeO, and Pr-MOF/FeO, to carry out the oxygen evolution reaction.

Facile synthesis of the SnTe/SnSe binary nanocomposite a hydrothermal route for flexible solid-state supercapacitors.

Environmental degradation and energy shortage are the two biggest problems facing the world right now. Because of the limited supply of non-renewable sources, the production of environment-friendly energy and its storage has gained significant importance. Pseudocapacitors have lately caught the interest of energy specialists due to their greater energy/power density and prolonged cycle life.

Cytotoxic Potential of Bio-Silica Conjugate with Different Sizes of Silver Nanoparticles for Cancer Cell Death.

Well-defined silver nanoparticles were doped into bio-based amorphous silica (Ag-b-SiO) with different silver contents (from 2 to 20 wt%) by a solvent-free procedure. The four as-synthetized samples were hydrogenated at 300 °C to ensure the formation of zero-valent Ag nanoparticles. The prepared samples were characterized by X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), elemental analysis, N sorption measurements, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HR-TEM).

Valorization of Rice Husk and Straw Agriculture Wastes of Eastern Saudi Arabia: Production of Bio-Based Silica, Lignocellulose, and Activated Carbon.

Bio-based silica, lignocellulose, and activated carbon were simply produced via the recycling of Hassawi rice biomass waste of Al-Ahsa governorate in the eastern Saudi Arabia region using a fast chemical treatment procedure. Rice husk and rice straw wastes were collected, ground, and chemically treated with sodium hydroxide to extract silica/silicate from the dried plant tissues. The liquid extract is then treated with acid solutions in order to precipitate silica/silicate at neutral medium.

Evaluation of the potential of sewage sludge as a valuable fertilizer for wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) crops.

A greenhouse experiment was performed to assess the soil heavy metal pools, growth, yield, and heavy metal uptake of wheat plants (Triticum aestivum L.) that are grown at different rates in soils supplemented with sewage sludge (SS). The experimental design was completely randomized, with six replicates per treatment.

The effects of different sewage sludge amendment rates on the heavy metal bioaccumulation, growth and biomass of cucumbers (Cucumis sativus L.).

When sewage sludge is incorrectly applied, it may adversely impact agro-system productivity. Thus, this study addresses the reaction of Cucumis sativus L. (cucumber) to different amendment rates (0, 10, 20, 30, 40 and 50 g kg) of sewage sludge in a greenhouse pot experiment, in which the plant growth, heavy metal uptake and biomass were evaluated.

Effects of different sewage sludge applications on heavy metal accumulation, growth and yield of spinach (Spinacia oleracea L.).

In this study, we present the response of spinach to different amendment rates of sewage sludge (0, 10, 20, 30, 40 and 50 g kg) in a greenhouse pot experiment, where plant growth, biomass and heavy metal uptake were measured. The results showed that sewage sludge application increased soil electric conductivity (EC), organic matter, chromium and zinc concentrations and decreased soil pH. All heavy metal concentrations of the sewage sludge were below the permissible limits for land application of sewage sludge recommended by the Council of the European Communities.

Levels of zinc, copper, cadmium, and lead in fruits and vegetables grown and consumed in Aseer Region, Saudi Arabia.

The levels of four metals (Zn, Cu, Cd, and Pb) were evaluated in two fruit types (apricot and fig), a fruity vegetable (tomato), and three leafy vegetables (arugula, spinach, and lettuce) that are commonly grown and consumed in Aseer Region, Saudi Arabia. Flame atomic absorption spectrophotometry was employed for quantification. The quality of results was checked by a certified reference material (NIST SRM 1570a).

Combining multivariate analysis and human risk indices for assessing heavy metal contents in muscle tissues of commercially fish from Southern Red Sea, Saudi Arabia.

Jizan fishers are the major fish source for more than 1.5 million populations in the southern region in Saudi Arabia. Despite the overgrowing of various man-made activities in Jizan City, no recent study on environmental monitoring was reported.

A novel kinetic determination of dissolved chromium species in natural and industrial waste water.

A highly sensitive, selective and simple kinetic method was developed for the determination of dissolved chromium species based on the catalytic effect of Cr(III) and/or Cr(VI) on the oxidation of 2-amino-5-methylphenol (AMP) with H(2)O(2). The fixed time and initial rate variants were used for kinetic spectrophotometric measurements by tracing the oxidized product at 400nm for 10min after starting the reaction. Boric acid and Tween-40 exerted pronounced activating and micellar sensitizing effects on the studied redox reaction, respectively.

Modification of AOAC method 973.31 for determination of nitrite in cured meats.

A modification of AOAC Method 973.31 is proposed to improve the extraction efficiency of nitrite from cured meat samples and its subsequent quantification based on the diazotization-coupling reaction of sulfanilamide with N-(1-naphthyl)ethylenediamine dihydrochloride (NED). The various experimental parameters were thoroughly investigated.

Highly sensitive and selective catalytic determination of formaldehyde and acetaldehyde.

A highly sensitive, simple and selective kinetic method was developed for the determination of ultra-trace levels of formaldehyde and acetaldehyde based on their catalytic effect on the oxidation of N,N-diethyl-p-phenylenediamine (DPD) with hydrogen peroxide. The reaction was monitored spectrophotometrically by tracing the formation of the red-colored oxidized product of DPD at 510nm, within 30s of mixing the reagents. The optimum reaction conditions were: 20mmolL(-1) DPD, 250mmolL(-1) H(2)O(2), 150mmolL(-1) phosphate, 150mmolL(-1) citrate and pH 6.

Highly sensitive catalytic determination of molybdenum.

A novel, highly sensitive, selective, and simple kinetic method was developed for the determination of Mo(VI) based on its catalytic effect on the oxidation of 1-amino-2-naphthol-4-sulfonic acid (ANSA) with H(2)O(2). The reaction was followed spectrophotometrically by tracing the oxidized product at 465nm after 30min of mixing the reagents. The optimum reaction conditions were: 10mmol l(-1) ANSA, 50mmol l(-1) H(2)O(2), 100mmol l(-1) acetate buffer of pH 5.