Recent Advances in Biodegradable Polymers and Their Biological Applications: A Brief Review.

The rising significance of the field of biopolymers has driven the rapid progress of this distinctive class of polymeric materials in the past decades. Biodegradable polymers have acquired much attention because they play an essential role in humans' lives due to their specific tunable electrical conductivity and biodegradability characteristics, making them fascinating in many applications. Herein, we debated the recent progress in developing biodegradable polymers and their applications.

A facile synthesis of visible light driven NiVO nano-cube/BiVO nanorod composite photocatalyst with enhanced photocatalytic activity towards degradation of acid orange 7.

Photocatalysis is one of the promising method to degrade harmful organic pollutants under visible light exposure. In this work, a novel NiVO/BiVO nanocomposite has been prepared by one-pot hydrothermal method, and investigated through X-ray diffraction, FT-IR, UV-visible diffuse reflectance spectroscopy, scanning and transmission electron microscopy and photoluminescence techniques. Subsequently, the photocatalytic performance of NiVO/BiVO nanocomposite has been examined by degrading AO7 under visible light illumination.

Fabricating BiOCl/BiVO nanosheets wrapped in a graphene oxide heterojunction composite for detection of an antihistamine in biological samples.

Antibiotics are essential medications for human and animal health, as they are used to battle urinary infections and bacterial diseases. Therefore, the rapid determination of antibiotic drugs in biological samples is necessary to address the current clinical challenge. Here, we developed a heterojunction ternary composite of BiOCl/BiVO nanosheets enriched with graphene oxide (BiOCl/BiVO@GO) for accurate and minimal-level detection of an antihistamine (promethazine hydrochloride, PMZ) in urine samples.

Examinations the optical, mechanical, and shielding properties of AgO doped BO-BiO-SrF-NaO glasses for gamma ray shield applications.

A series of five glass samples have a chemical composition of (55-x) BO + 5 BiO + 20SrF + 20NaO + xAgO with varied doping ratios x = 0, 1, 2, 3, and 4 mol% were fabricated using the melt quenching technique to study the effect of BO replacement by AgO on the physical, mechanical, optical and gamma-ray shielding capacity of the fabricated glasses. The Cary 5000 UV-Vis-NIR measured the optical absorption in the wavelength range between 200 and 3000 nm. Based on the measured optical absorption, energy (direct/indirect) bandgap and Urbach energy were calculated.

Investigation of Photon Radiation Attenuation Capability of Different Clay Materials.

This work aims to experimentally report the radiation attenuation factors for four different clays (red, ball, kaolin and bentonite clays) at four selected energies (emitted from Am-241, Cs-137, and Co-60). The highest relative difference in the mass attenuation coefficient (MAC) is equal to -3.02%, but most of the other results are much smaller than this value, proving that the experimental and theoretical data greatly agree with each other.

Development of New Lead-Free Composite Materials as Potential Radiation Shields.

Utilizing a polymer-based radiation shield offers lightweight, low cost, non-toxic compared to lead and solution for eliminating generated secondary neutrons. Incorporating silicon (i.e.

The Vital Role of LaO on the LaO-CaO-BO-SiO Glass System for Shielding Some Common Gamma Ray Radioactive Sources.

The role LaO on the radiation shielding properties of LaO-CaO-BO-SiO glass systems was investigated. The energies were selected between 0.284 and 1.

Toxic heavy metal cadmium removal using chitosan and polypropylene based fiber composite.

The aim of the present work was to evaluate the performance of polypropylene (PP)/sisal fiber (SF)/banana fiber (BF) and chitosan-based hybrid (chitosan(CS)/SF)/BF) composite materials for the adsorptive removal of cadmium (Cd) ions from water waste. Polypropylene is harnessed for its importance in forming strong composite materials for various applications. Chitosan biopolymer encloses a great deal of amino and hydroxyl groups, which provide effective removal of Cd ions from wastewater.

Enhancement of biodiesel yield from a halophilic green microalga isolated under extreme hypersaline conditions through stepwise salinity adaptation strategy.

In the present study, a halophilic microalgal species was isolated from a hypersaline lagoon with salinity average of 45.3‰ and identified as Dunaliella salina KSA-HS022. It was further cultivated at a salinity range of 50-250‰, applied directly to batch cultures or through stepwise increase in a semi-continuous culture.

Assessment of radioactivity contents in bedrock groundwater samples from the northern region of Saudi Arabia.

Recognizing the vast uses of water in human life, the presence of α and β particles emitting radionuclides in groundwater of northern Saudi Arabia has been evaluated as a means of water quality assessment of the region. A liquid scintillation counting technique was used to determine the gross α/β, and Ra radioactivities in water samples, while the radioactivity concentrations of U and Ra were determined using alpha spectrometry after the separation process. Present results show that all water samples contain a higher level of gross α and β radioactivity than the WHO recommended limits; the average gross α activity is about 7 times greater than the limit value of 0.

Advanced oxidation process based on water radiolysis to degrade and mineralize diclofenac in aqueous solutions.

Residual pharmaceutical compounds (PCs) are among the emerging organic contaminants detected in our water cycle. Diclofenac (Dic) is one of the commonly detected pharmaceutical contaminant in aquatic systems. This study was designed to investigate the degradation and mineralization of Dic in aqueous solutions by ionizing radiation emitted from radioactive Co60 under several conditions.

Effect of Co60 irradiation on the degradation and mineralization of sulfonated aromatic compounds in aqueous solutions.

As sulfonated aromatic compounds are widely used in industry, they have frequently been detected in aquatic environments. This study evaluated the degradation and mineralization of 2,6-naphthalenedisulfonic acid disodium salt (2,6-NS), sodium 2-naphthalenesulfonate (2-NS), benzenesulfonic acid sodium salt (BS), and 4-vinylbenzene sulfonate sodium (4-VBS) by exposing aqueous solutions of these compounds to Co60 irradiation. The radiolytic degradation of these pollutants was found to follow pseudo-first-order kinetics.

Attenuation of radiation toxicity by the phosphine resistance factor dihydrolipoamide dehydrogenase (DLD).

Phosphine gas is an excellent fumigant for disinfesting stored grain of insect pests, but heavy reliance on phosphine has led to resistance in grain pests that threatens its efficacy. Phosphine-resistance was previously reported to be mediated by the enzyme DLD. Here we explore the relationship between phosphine toxicity and genotoxic treatments with the goal of understanding how phosphine works.

Oxygen and Arsenite Synergize Phosphine Toxicity by Distinct Mechanisms.

Phosphine is the only fumigant approved globally for general use to control insect pests in stored grain. Due to the emergence of resistance among insect pests and the lack of suitable alternative fumigants, we are investigating ways to synergistically enhance phosphine toxicity, by studying the mechanism of action of known synergists, such as oxygen, temperature, and arsenite. Under normoxia, exposure of the model organism Caenorhabditis elegans for 24 h at 20°C to 70 ppm phosphine resulted in 10% mortality, but nearly 100% mortality if the oxygen concentration was increased to 80%.

Assessment of the committed effective dose due to the Po intake from fish consumption for the Arabian Gulf population.

This study aims to assess the committed effective dose due to the intake of Po from the consumption of fish in Arabian Gulf countries. Twenty different kinds of fish, which represent the most common fish species consumed in the Arabian Gulf countries, were analyzed using alpha spectrometer technique. Po activity concentrations in fish samples were found to vary over a wide range from 0.

Stress pre-conditioning with temperature, UV and gamma radiation induces tolerance against phosphine toxicity.

Phosphine is the only general use fumigant for the protection of stored grain, though its long-term utility is threatened by the emergence of highly phosphine-resistant pests. Given this precarious situation, it is essential to identify factors, such as stress preconditioning, that interfere with the efficacy of phosphine fumigation. We used Caenorhabditis elegans as a model organism to test the effect of pre-exposure to heat and cold shock, UV and gamma irradiation on phosphine potency.

A STUDY OF THE RADIOACTIVITY IN THE DUST STORM EVENT OF APRIL 2015 IN ARABIAN PENINSULA.

Gulf countries are often affected by dust storms which have a significant influence on the environment and public health. The present work examines the radioactivity content in the intense dust storm occurred over Gulf countries on 1 April 2015. The results showed that the average value of 137Cs in dust samples (±SD) is 14.

Radiological assessment of water treatment processes in a water treatment plant in Saudi Arabia: Water and sludge radium content, radon air concentrations and dose rates.

There is an increase demand for clean water sources in Saudi Arabia and, yet, renewable water resources are very limited. This has forced the authorities to explore deep groundwater which is known to contain large concentrations of radionuclides, mainly radium isotopes. Lately, there has been an increase in the number of water treatment plants (WTPs) around the country.

Activity Concentrations and Dose Assessment of Gamma Emitting Radionuclides in Canned Tuna and Sardines Produced after the Fukushima Nuclear Accident.

The aim of the present work was to investigate the radioactivity concentrations of gamma emitting radionuclides in canned tuna and sardines that were produced after the Fukushima nuclear accident and to assess the resulting radiation doses to the public. Fifty-eight brands of canned tuna and sardines consumed in the Middle East and produced from different parts of the world were analyzed using a germanium detector. Cesium-137 (137Cs) was not detected above the minimum detectable activity in any of the samples.