Search Results (61)

The isothermal precipitation kinetics of rutile crystals was studied to clarify the mechanism for the influence of TiO₂ content on the shape transformation of rutile crystals. The results indicate that the growth index n values were about 2, 3, and 4 when the TiO₂ contents of the raw materials were 27, 37, and 47%, indicating that the precipitation of the rutile crystal had a one-dimensional, two-dimensional, and three-dimensional growth. Thus, the shapes of the rutile crystals were a cuboid, a cube, and a sphere when the TiO₂ contents of the raw materials were 27, 37, and 47%. An increase in the TiO₂ content of raw materials can encourage the transformation of rutile crystals into spheres, which is beneficial to the settling of rutile crystals in molten slag. It realizes the conversion of rutile from a lean ore to a rich ore and avoids subsequent beneficiation processes. Full article

The precise fabrication of semiconductor-based photonic crystals with tailored optical properties is critical for advancing photonic devices. GaP(111) is a material of particular interest due to its high refractive index, wide optical bandgap, and pronounced optical anisotropy, offering unique opportunities for photonic applications. Its near-lattice matching with silicon substrates further facilitates integration with existing silicon-based technologies. In this study, we present the growth of high-quality GaP(111) thin films using gas-source molecular-beam epitaxy (GSMBE), achieving atomically smooth terraces for the homo-epitaxy of GaP(111). We demonstrate the fabrication of photonic crystal cavities from GaP(111), employing AlGaP(111) as a sacrificial layer, and achieve a quality factor of 1200 for the cavity mode with resonance around 1500 nm. This work highlights the potential of GaP(111) for advanced photonic architectures, particularly in applications requiring strong light confinement and nonlinear optical processes, such as second-harmonic and sum-frequency generation. Full article

The present study aimed to identify a safe and novel approach using zinc oxide/copper oxide nanocomposites (AZ) to enhance growth parameters, immunity, and fight Sarcoptic mange in vitro and in vivo in rabbits. In vitro: the acaricidal activity of AZ was assessed at concentrations of AZ-25: 2.5% w/w AZ/molasses, AZ-125: 12.5% w/w AZ/molasses, and controls (normal saline, molasses, and Ivermectin) every hour for seven hours under a stereoscopic microscope. In vivo: involved 40 rabbits (10 replicates/group). G1 served as the control negative group (normal un-infected rabbits), G2 served as the control negative group (infected rabbits), the animals in the G3 group were given a combination of AZ (40 mg/kg body weight (BW)) and molasses (5 mg/mL), and G4 served as the control to the vehicle; receiving molasses 8 mL/kg BW twice weekly for 6 weeks. Blood, serum, and tissue samples were collected at the middle and the end of the trial. AZ was made using the sonication sol–gel method. X-ray diffraction (XRD) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) were performed to confirm the crystal structure, purity, particle size, and oxidation states. AZ showed immunostimulant, acaricidal, and antioxidant effects with normal tissue histological structure and low tissue residual levels. Additionally, there were improvements in blood interferon-gamma, immunoglobulin (Ig) M, IgG, phagocytic activity, phagocytic index, globulin, and total protein in the AZ group. The XRD patterns of AZ were coordinated by XRD reference codes Crystallography Open Database (COD): 9016326 for Tenorite (CuO) and by XRD reference COD: 9004179 for Zincite (ZnO). The CuO and ZnO crystal sizes were 21.87 Å and 24.89 Å, respectively. The XPS spectra indicated the presence of Cu as Cu (II) and Zn as ZnO.OH and ZnO. In conclusion, AZ exhibited antioxidant, acaricidal, and immunostimulant effects, with mild residues in the brain, liver, and kidney tissues, while maintaining a normal histological structure of tissues. Full article

In this work, OP- and OC-degrading bacteria were isolated from agricultural soil samples taken in the department of Bolivar, Colombia. The objective of this research was to degrade organochlorine and organophosphorus pesticides using bacterial colonies native to agricultural soils. Two bacterial colonies were isolated from the soil samples, which showed a higher degree of adaptation to media contaminated with the pesticide mixtures. They were identified by biochemical tests using BBL Crystal kits, and, subsequently, their 16S rDNA was sequenced using the PCR technique. Bacterial growth was studied by the OD index, taking absorbance readings on a UV-VIS spectrophotometer at 600 nm, at the 0.5 McFarland scale, and quantification of pesticide degradation was studied by GC–MS. The colonies identified were Bacillus cereus and Paenibacillus lautus. B. cereus isolates were exposed to the OPs malathion, chlorpyrifos, and coumaphos [80 mg·L⁻¹], degrading at rates of 52.4%, 78.8% and 79.5%, respectively, after 12 days of incubation in liquid medium at pH = 7.0 ± 0.2 and 37 °C. Furthermore, P. lautus isolates exposed to the OCs lindane, metolachlor, endrin, and p,p′-DDT [80 mg·L⁻¹] degraded at rates of 64.0%, 60.8%, 55.7% and 65.1% under the same conditions of temperature, pH, and incubation time. These results show that B. cereus and P. lautus might be useful for cleaning up environments that have been polluted by OPs and OCs. Full article

Background/Objectives: Atorvastatin (ATR), an antihyperlipidemic drug with a potential antibacterial effect, was investigated in this study. Like other statins, ATR has been repurposed for several uses, ranging from anti-inflammatory to antimicrobial applications, and has demonstrated successful results. However, the efficacy of ATR is limited by its low solubility, indicating an opportunity for its encapsulation in a nanotechnology-based drug delivery system. Methods: Nanostructured lipid carrier (NLC) formulations were prepared using high-pressure homogenization and ultrasonication. The formulations were characterized, including their particle size, polydispersity index, zeta potential, encapsulation efficiency, and in vitro release. Antibacterial activity against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), Escherichia coli (E. coli), and Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) was evaluated using the growth curve (bacterial growth over time) and well diffusion methods (zone of inhibition and minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) determination). The crystal violet assay was employed to assess biofilm inhibition. Results: The NLC formulations were optimized, and the size and zeta potential of the blank nanoparticles were 130 ± 8.39 nm and −35 ± 0.5 mV, respectively. In comparison, the encapsulated NLCs had a size of 142 ± 52.20 nm and a zeta potential of −31 ± 1.41 mV. The average encapsulation efficiency was 94%, and 70% of the drug was released after 24 h. The ATR-loaded NLCs showed significantly enhanced antibacterial activity by reducing the minimum inhibitory concentration by 2.5-fold for E. coli, 1.8-fold for S. aureus, and 1.4-fold for MRSA, and promoting more effective bacterial growth inhibition. Notably, biofilm inhibition was significantly improved with ATR-NLCs, achieving 80% inhibition for S. aureus, 40% for E. coli, and 30% for MRSA, compared to free ATR (p < 0.001). These findings suggest that NLC encapsulation enhances ATR’s antimicrobial efficacy and biofilm suppression. Conclusions: This study identified NLCs as successful carriers of ATR, significantly enhancing its antibacterial efficacy and biofilm inhibition capabilities. This formulation, which shows antimicrobial potential against both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria, should be further studied and developed against different resistant microbial strains. Full article

We systematically investigated the morphology-controlled synthesis of Cu₂O micro-nano crystals, especially under surfactant-free conditions, targeting a simple, rapid, and morphologically controllable preparation strategy for polyhedral Cu₂O micro-nano crystals. By systematically investigating the effects of NaOH concentration, types of reducing agents, and copper salt precursors on crystal growth, precise control over the morphology of Cu₂O crystals under surfactant-free conditions was achieved. This method can rapidly prepare variously faceted Cu₂O crystals under mild conditions (70 °C, 7 min), including regular polyhedra with low-index facets exposure including cubes, octahedra and rhombic dodecahedra, as well as more complex polyhedra with high-index facets exposure such as 18-faceted, 26-faceted, 50-faceted and 74-faceted crystals. NaOH concentration is found to be the key factor in controlling Cu₂O crystal morphology: as the concentration of NaOH increases, the morphology of Cu₂O crystals gradually transforms from cubes that fully expose the {100} faces to regular polyhedra that expose the {110}, {111} faces, and even other high-index faces, ultimately presenting octahedra that fully expose the {111} faces. Additionally, Cu₂O crystals with unique morphologies such as hollow cubes and 18-faceted with {110} face etched can be obtained by introducing surfactants or prolonging reaction durations. This work provides new insights into the morphology control of Cu₂O crystals and establishes foundation in acquiring distinct Cu₂O polyhedra in a facile manner for their application in catalysis, optoelectronics, sensing, and energy conversion fields. Full article

The accurate real-time prediction of the crystal quality index v/G is an important reference for the real-time monitoring of the growth quality status and the process optimization adjustment of semiconductor silicon single crystals. This paper proposes a data-driven crystal quality indicator v/G soft sensor prediction model based on multi-timescale feature fusion to achieve the effective prediction of the crystal quality indicator v/G. Firstly, the characteristics of the crystal quality index v/G in the growth process of Czochralski silicon single crystal are analyzed. Secondly, the crystal quality index v/G is broken down into several natural components using something called complete ensemble empirical mode decomposition with adaptive noise (CEEMDAD), which provides more stable data. On this basis, each intrinsic mode component is reconstructed according to the sample entropy. Then, the maximum mutual information coefficient (MIC) method is applied to identify the characteristic variables most closely associated with each reconstructed component of the crystal quality index v/G from the process-influencing factors. Then, a long short-term memory network with a self-attention mechanism is used to establish a prediction model of the reconstructed components to extract the multi-timescale feature information from the different components of the crystal quality index v/G. Finally, the prediction results of the crystal quality index v/G are obtained by fusing each subsequent prediction model. According to the actual field data, the comprehensive experimental results validate the efficacy of the proposed soft sensor modeling method for the crystal quality index v/G. Compared with the single model, the proposed prediction model has a smaller MAE, RMSE, and prediction performance index and a higher HR prediction hit rate. Full article

Understanding genotypic variability in tolerance to heat stress during flowering, a critical growth stage, and post-stress recovery remains limited in mungbean (Vigna radiata) genotypes. This study investigates the genetic variability in in vitro pollen viability, seed set, and grain yield among mungbean genotypes in response to transient high temperatures. Thirteen genotypes were evaluated in a glasshouse study, and four in a field study, subjected to high temperatures (around 40 °C/22 °C day/night) imposed midday during flowering. Across all genotypes, the pollen viability percentage significantly decreased from 70% to 30%, accompanied by reductions in the pod size and seed number per pod, and increases in unfertilized pods and unviable seeds. However, the seed yield per plant significantly increased for four genotypes (M12036, Celera-II AU, Crystal, and M11238/AGG325961), attributed to elevated shoot growth and pod numbers under high-temperature treatment in the glasshouse study. Conversely, Satin II, which exhibited the highest stress tolerance index, recorded a greater seed yield under optimum conditions compared to high temperatures. Similar genotypic variability in post-heat-stress recovery and rapid growth was observed in the field study. Under non-limiting water conditions, mungbean genotypes with a relatively more indeterminate growth habit mitigated the heat stress’s impact on their pollen viability by swiftly increasing their post-stress vegetative and reproductive growth. The physiological mechanisms underlying post-stress rapid growth in these genotypes warrant further investigation and consideration in future breeding trials and mitigation strategies. Full article

Poultry litter was converted to biochar by torrefaction and to hydrochar by hydrothermal carbonisation. Many parameters were measured for the resulting chars, to investigate the effects of the production method and production temperature. SEM showed the presence of large quantities of crystalline material on the surface of the biochars. The elemental composition of some crystals was determined as 35% K and 31% Cl. This was confirmed as sylvite (KCl) crystals, which explains the high levels of water-extractable potassium in the biochar and may also be important in germination inhibition. Biochars almost totally inhibited germination, whilst hydrochars decreased germination. Although germination occurred on hydrochar, root growth was severely inhibited. Consequently, the germination index may be better to determine total phytotoxicity as it measures both effects and could be used as a bioassay for chars used as soil amendments. Washing removed germination inhibition in a low-temperature char (350 °C), possibly by removing KCl; however, root toxicity remained. There were very low levels of heavy metals, suggesting they are not the source of toxicity. In biochars, pore mean size decreased with temperature from 350 °C to 600 °C, due to changes in pore size distribution. The mean pore size was measured directly using SEM. The merits of this method are discussed. Low-temperature biochars seem best suited for fuel as they have a high calorific value, high hydrophobicity, a low ash content and a high yield. Higher temperatures are better for soil amendment and sequestration applications with a smaller mean pore size, higher surface area, and higher pH. Full article

The yeast Yarrowia lipolytica degrades petroleum compounds, including alkanes, via the monoterminal oxidation pathway, the hydrophobic carbon substrate assimilation is mediated by biosurfactants, and extracellular amphiphilic molecules are produced by the yeast cell. This study focuses on the ability of the strain Y. lipolytica CMGB32 to degrade n-hexadecane by producing biosurfactants with high potential for bioremediation. The hydrocarbon-degrading potential of the yeast strain was observed via a 2,6-dichlorophenolindophenol (DCPIP) test in Bushnell–Hass medium with 1% n-hexadecane, and cell hydrophobicity was expressed as microbial adhesion to hydrocarbons (MATH). Biosurfactant production on yeast peptone (YP) with 1% n-hexadecane was estimated after 72 h using the emulsification index (E₂₄%) against toluene. Crude biosurfactant (cell-free broth) stability tests were performed at different temperatures (4 °C, 70 °C) and NaCl concentrations (2–10%). The effects of a biosurfactant on synthetic wastewater remediation comprised the growth curves (OD measurements) of natural heavy metal degrader Rhodotorula mucilaginosa, determination of nutrients (spectrophotometrically), physico-chemical parameters, and removal capacity of lead and cadmium ions (via inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry—ICP-MS). The antimicrobial and anti-adherence activities of 20 mg/mL and 40 mg/mL of the biosurfactant against pathogenic Candida krusei strains involved growth observations and the crystal violet microtiter method. The DCPIP decolorization occurred after six days, corresponding to the maximum growth phase of the Y. lipolytica culture. After 72 h, the cells presented high hydrophobicity (82.61% MATH) and stable biosurfactant production (E₂₄% 47%). The crude biosurfactant (5%) increased the growth of R. mucilaginosa strains cultivated on synthetic wastewater cultures contaminated with Pb²⁺ and Cd²⁺, increased the conductivity and COD (86%) of the samples, and determined Pb²⁺ (66%) and Cd²⁺ (42%) ions reduction. The concentrated biosurfactant inhibited C. krusei growth (70%) and biofilm adherence. In conclusion, Y. lipolytica CMGB32 shows important potential for development of biosurfactant-based technologies for the remediation of heavy-metal- and emerging pathogen-contaminated wastewaters. Full article

In this work, UV-Vis spectrophotometry, High Resolution Scanning Transmission Electron Microscopes and selected experimental conditions were used to screen the colloidal system. The obtained results complement the established knowledge regarding the mechanism of nanoparticle formation. The process of gold nanoparticles formation involves a two-step reduction of Au ions to Au(0); atom association and metastable cluster formation; autocatalytic cluster growth; ultra-small particle formation (1–2 nm, in diameter); particle growth and larger particles formation; and further autocatalytic crystal growth (D > 100 nm). As a reductant of Au(III) ions, a cinnamon extract was used. It was confirmed that eugenol as one of the cinnamon extract compounds is responsible for fast Au(III) ion reduction, whereas cinnamaldehyde acts as a gold-particle stabilizer. Spectrophotometry studies were carried out to track kinetic traces of gold nanoparticle (D > 2 nm) formation in the colloidal solution. Using the Watzky—Finke model, the rate constants of nucleation and autocatalytic growth were determined. Moreover, the values of energy, enthalpy and entropy of activation for stages related to the process of nanoparticle formation (Index 1 relates to nucleation, and Index 2 relates to the growth) were determined and found to be E₁ = 70.6 kJ, E₂ = 19.6 kJ, ΔH₁ = 67.9 kJ/mol, ΔH₂ = 17 kJ/mol, ΔS₁ = −76.2 J/(K·mol), ΔS₂ = −204.2 J/(K·mol), respectively. In this work the limitation of each technique (spectrophotometry vs. HRSTEM) as a complex tool to understand the dynamic of the colloidal system was discussed. Full article

In this paper, the refractive index and extinction coefficient of ferroelectric liquid crystals have been examined by the terahertz time-domain spectroscopy system. Two modes of ferroelectric liquid crystal materials, deformed helix ferroelectric liquid crystal (DHFLC), and electric suppressed helix ferroelectric liquid crystal (ESHFLC) are tested as experimental samples. Nematic liquid crystal (NLC) was also investigated for comparison. The birefringence of DHFLC 587 slowly increases with the growth of frequency, and it averages at 0.115. Its extinction coefficients gradually incline to their stable states at 0.06 for o-wave and 0.04 for e-wave. The birefringence of ESHFLC FD4004N remains between around 0.165 and 0.175, and both of its e-wave and o-wave extinction coefficients are under 0.1, ranging from 0.05 to 0.09. These results of FLC will facilitate the examination and improve the response performance of THz devices using fast liquid crystal materials. Full article

The epitaxial growth of high-index Fe films on MgO(113) substrates is successfully achieved using direct current (DC) magnetron sputtering, despite the significant lattice constant mismatch between Fe and MgO. X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis is employed to characterize the crystal structure of Fe films, revealing an Fe(103) out-of-plane orientation. Furthermore, our investigation reveals that the Fe[010] direction is parallel to the MgO[$1\overline{1}0$] direction within the films plane. These findings provide valuable insights into the growth of high-index epitaxial films on substrates with large lattice constant mismatch, thereby contributing to the advancement of research in this field. Full article

Background: In the last few decades, the development of multidrug-resistant (MDR) microbes has accelerated alarmingly and resulted in significant health issues. Morbidity and mortality have increased along with the prevalence of infections caused by MDR bacteria, making the need to solve these problems an urgent and unmet challenge. Therefore, the current investigation aimed to evaluate the activity of linseed extract against Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) as an isolate from diabetic foot infection. In addition, antioxidant and anti-inflammatory biological activities of linseed extract were evaluated. Result: HPLC analysis indicated the presence of 1932.20 µg/mL, 284.31 µg/mL, 155.10 µg/mL, and 120.86 µg/mL of chlorogenic acid, methyl gallate, gallic acid, and ellagic acid, respectively, in the linseed extract. Rutin, caffeic acid, coumaric acid, and vanillin were also detected in the extract of linseed. Linseed extract inhibited MRSA (35.67 mm inhibition zone) compared to the inhibition zone (29.33 mm) caused by ciprofloxacin. Standards of chlorogenic acid, ellagic acid, methyl gallate, rutin, gallic acid, caffeic acid, catechin, and coumaric acid compounds reflected different inhibition zones against MRSA when tested individually, but less than the inhibitory action of crude extract. A lower MIC value, of 15.41 µg/mL, was observed using linseed extract than the MIC 31.17 µg/mL of the ciprofloxacin. The MBC/MIC index indicated the bactericidal properties of linseed extract. The inhibition % of MRSA biofilm was 83.98, 90.80, and 95.58%, using 25%, 50%, and 75%, respectively, of the MBC of linseed extract. A promising antioxidant activity of linseed extract was recorded, with an IC₅₀ value of 20.8 µg/mL. Anti-diabetic activity of linseed extract, expressed by glucosidase inhibition, showed an IC₅₀ of 177.75 µg/mL. Anti-hemolysis activity of linseed extract was documented at 90.1, 91.5, and 93.7% at 600, 800, and 1000 µg/mL, respectively. Anti-hemolysis activity of the chemical drug indomethacin, on the other hand, was measured at 94.6, 96.2, and 98.6% at 600, 800, and 1000 µg/mL, respectively. The interaction of the main detected compound in linseed extract (chlorogenic acid) with the crystal structure of the 4G6D protein of S. aureus was investigated via the molecular docking (MD) mode to determine the greatest binding approach that interacted most energetically with the binding locations. MD showed that chlorogenic acid was an appropriate inhibitor for S. aureus via inhibition of its 4HI0 protein. The MD interaction resulted in a low energy score (−6.26841 Kcal/mol) with specified residues (PRO 38, LEU 3, LYS 195, and LYS 2), indicating its essential role in the repression of S. aureus growth. Conclusion: Altogether, these findings clearly revealed the great potential of the in vitro biological activity of linseed extract as a safe source for combatting multidrug-resistant S. aureus. In addition, linseed extract provides health-promoting antioxidant, anti-diabetic, and anti-inflammatory phytoconstituents. Clinical reports are required to authenticate the role of linseed extract in the treatment of a variety of ailments and prevent the development of complications associated with diabetes mellitus, particularly type 2. Full article

Spinel is a common gemstone that has attracted the attention of gemologists worldwide because of its high refractive index, rich colors and brilliant hues. Myanmar is an important source of spinel. The present paper provides a systematic characterization of the gemological features of different color spinels from Myanmar, with a discussion and analysis of their color causes. The results show that complete octahedral crystal forms can be seen in Myanmar spinel, with the appearance of dissolution, growth motifs and cross-growth of crystals visible on the crystal surfaces. The XRF results show that the Myanmar red and orange spinel samples contain high levels of Cr, with the magenta sample having significant levels of Cr and the orange sample having more V. The blue and purple samples have high levels of Fe. The peaks of the infrared spectrum mainly appear around 841 cm⁻¹, 690 cm⁻¹ and 532 cm⁻¹. Raman spectra have peaks mainly around 310 cm⁻¹, 405 cm⁻¹, 663 cm⁻¹ and 764 cm⁻¹. According to the UV-Vis spectrum, the color of Myanmar red and orange spinels is mainly due to Cr³⁺ and V³⁺. When the Cr³⁺ content is higher than the V³⁺ content, the spinels show a red hue; when the V³⁺ content is higher than Cr³⁺, the spinels have an orange hue. Blue color is due to the charge transfer between Fe²⁺ and Fe³⁺. The research in this paper has enriched the gemological characteristics of Myanmar spinel and can provide a theoretical basis for its investigation, marketability, design and utilization. Full article