Exogenous Application of Green Titanium Dioxide Nanoparticles (TiO2 NPs) to Improve the Germination,Physiochemical, and Yield Parameters of Wheat Plants under Salinity Stress

Agriculture is the backbone of every developing country. Among various crops, wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) belongs to the family Poaceae and is the most important staple food crop of various countries. Different biotic (viruses, bacteria and fungi) and abiotic stresses (water logging, drought and salinity) adversely affect the qualitative and quantitative attributes of wheat. Among these stresses, salinity stress is a very important limiting factor affecting the morphological, physiological, biochemical attributes and grain yield of wheat. This research work was carried out to evaluate the influence of phytosynthesized TiO₂ NPs on the germination, physiochemical, and yield attributes of wheat varieties in response to salinity. TiO₂ NPs were synthesized using TiO₂ salt and a Buddleja asiatica plant extract as a reducing and capping agent. Various concentrations of TiO₂ nanoparticles (20, 40, 60 and 80 mg/L) and salt solutions (NaCl) (100 and 150 mM) were used. A total of 20 mg/L and 40 mg/L improve germination attributes, osmotic and water potential, carotenoid, total phenolic, and flavonoid content, soluble sugar and proteins, proline and amino acid content, superoxide dismutase activity, and reduce malondialdhehyde (MDA) content at both levels of salinity. These two concentrations also improved the yield attributes of wheat varieties at both salinity levels. The best results were observed at 40 mg/L of TiO₂ NPs at both salinity levels. However, the highest concentrations (60 and 80 mg/L) of TiO₂ NPs showed negative effects on germination, physiochemical and yield characteristics and causes stress in both wheat varieties under control irrigation conditions and salinity stress. Therefore, in conclusion, the findings of this research are that the foliar application of TiO₂ NPs can help to improve tolerance against salinity stress in plants.     

Multiresidue determination of pesticides from aquatic media using polyaniline nanowires network as highly efficient sorbent for microextraction in packed syringe

A simple, rapid and sensitive method based on microextraction in packed syringe (MEPS), in combination with gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS) was developed. Polyaniline (PANI) nanowires network was synthesized and used as sorbent of MEPS for the multiresidue determination of selected analytes from triazine, organochlrorine and organophosphorous pesticides in aqueous samples. The PANI nanowires network was prepared using soft template technique and its characterization was studied by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The presence of micelles in this methodology showed to be an important parameter in shaping the growing polymer. Hexadecyltrimethylammonium bromide (HTAB) was used as structure directing agent in PANI preparation procedure and this was led to the formation of nanowires with diameters ranging from 35 nm to 45 nm. The synthesized PANI nanowires network showed higher extraction capability in comparison with the bulk PANI. Important parameters influencing the extraction and desorption processes including desorption solvent, elution volume, draw–eject cycles of sample, draw–eject mode, pH effect and amount of sorbent were optimized. Limits of detection were in the range of 0.07–0.3 ng mL⁻¹ using time scheduled selected ion monitoring (SIM) mode. The linearity of method was in the range from 0.5–200 ng mL⁻¹ to 0.2–1000 ng mL⁻¹. The method precision (RSD %) with three replicates were in the range of 5.3–18.4% at the concentration level of 5 ng mL⁻¹. The developed method was successfully applied to the Zayandeh-rood river water samples and the matrix factor obtained for the spiked real water samples were in the range of 0.79–0.94.     

A minimal model for two-component FIMP dark matter:A basic search

In the multi-component configurations of dark matter phenomenology,we propose a minimal twocomponent configuration which is an extension of the Standard Model with only three new fields;one scalar and one fermion interact with the thermal soup through Higgs portal,mediated by the other scalar in such a way that the stabilities of dark matter candidates are made simultaneously by an explicit Z2 symmetry.Against the most common freeze-out framework,we look for dark matter particle signatures in the freeze-in scenario by evaluating the relic density and detection signals.A simple distinguishing feature of the model is the lack of dark matter conversion,so the dark matter components act individually and the model can be adapted entirely to both singlet scalar and singlet fermionic models,separately.We find dark matter self-interaction as the most promising approach to probe such feeble models.Although the scalar component satisfies this constraint,the fermionic one refuses it even in the resonant region.     

Graphene oxide reinforced polyamide nanocomposite coated on paper as a novel layered sorbent for microextraction by packed sorbent

ABSTRACT

In this work, a novel layered sorbent for microextraction by packed sorbent (MEPS) was introduced, which has been prepared by coating graphene oxide/polyamide (GO/PA) nanocomposite (NC) onto cellulose paper through solvent exchange method. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) was applied to investigate the surface characteristic and morphology of PA and GO/PA NC coated on cellulose paper. The prepared MEPS device was used for extraction of organophosphorous pesticides (OPPs) including chlorpyrifos, fenthion, fenithrothion, ethion, edifenphos and phosalone in environmental aqueous samples followed by detection using gas chromatography-flame ionisation detector (GC-FID). Important parameters affecting the MEPS method including pH of sample solution, extraction draw-discard cycles, sorbent layers, desorption solvent volume and desorption draw-eject number were studied and optimised using central composite design (CCD). Based on the method validation, limits of detection (LODs) were in the range of 0.2–1 µg L^?1. The calibration graphs for chlorpyrifos, fenthion and edifenphos are linear in the concentration range of 1 to 500 µg L^?1; for ethion and phosalone are linear in the range of 1–1000 µg L^?1 and for fenithrothion is linear in the range of 3–1000 µg L^?1. The method precision (RSD %) with six replicates determinations was in the range of 3 to 9.4 % and 3.9 to 11.9% for distilled water and spiked river water sample, respectively, at the concentration level of 300 µg L^?1 . The developed method was applied successfully to determine OPP compounds in river, dam and tap water samples; accordingly, the relative recoveries (RR%) were obtained in the range of 77.8 to 113.3%.     

Numerical Simulation of Mixing in a Micro-well Scale Bioreactor by Computational Fluid Dynamics

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Characterization of the Engineering Flow in a Miniaturised Bioreactor by Computational Fluid Dynamics

Three approaches based on computational fluid dynamics(CFD) techniques have been assessed for their ability to describe the engineering flow environment in a miniaturized mechanically agitated bioreactor. The three approaches tested were the source-sink(SS), the multiple reference frames (MRF) and the sliding grids(SG). In all the cases, the predictions of the velocity components agree with reported experimental data. However, the analysis of the results of the turbulent intensities predicted by the three approaches indicates the MRF and the SG techniques under predicted turbulent intensities are comparable to both experimental measurements and the SS method. The predicted power number and pumping number based on the SS ap-proach are closer to typical reported experimental values compared to those obtained from the MRF and SG methods.     

A novel precursor for synthesis of metallic copper nanocrystals by thermal decomposition approach

[Bis(2-hydroxy-1-naphthaldehydato)copper(II)] complex, as a novel precursor, was employed in thermal decomposition process to synthesize metallic copper nanoparticles using oleylamine (C₁₈H₃₇N) as capping agent. The products were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and ultraviolet-visible (UV-vis) spectroscopy. The synthesized copper nanoparticles have a fcc structure with average size 20-35 nm.     

A sol-gel-based amino functionalized fiber for immersed solid-phase microextraction of organophosphorus pesticides from environmental samples

A method based on immersed solid-phase microextraction (SPME) and gas chromatography mass spectrometry detection (GC-MS) for the determination of organophosphorous pesticides (OPPs) in aqueous samples was developed. A sol-gel based coating fiber was prepared using 3-(trimethoxysilylpropyl) amine as precursor. The synthesized fiber was prepared in a way to impart polar moiety into the coating network and would be more suitable for extracting polar and semi-polar organic pollutants. Important parameters influencing the extraction process were optimized and an extraction time of 40 min at 30 °C gave maximum peak area, when NaCl (20% w/v) was added to the aqueous sample. The linearity for disulfoton, phorate and sulfotep was in the concentration range of 0.01 to 5 ng mL^− 1 and for parathion and O,O,O-triethylthiphosphate was in the range of 0.01 to 50 ng mL^− 1. Limits of detection ranged from 1 ng L^− 1, for parathion, to 0.05 ng L^− 1, for disulfoton using time-scheduled selected ion monitoring (SIM) mode, and the RSD% values were all below 10.5% at the 1 ng mL^− 1 level. The developed method was successfully applied to real water samples while the relative recovery percentages obtained for the spiked water samples were from 80 to 115%.     

A novel needle trap sorbent based on carbon nanotube-sol-gel for microextraction of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons from aquatic media

A new type of composite material based on carbon nanotubes (CNTs) and sol–gel chemistry was prepared and used as sorbent for needle trap device (NTD). The synthesized composite was prepared in a way to disperse CNTs molecules in a sol–gel polymeric network. CNT/silica composites with different CNT doping levels were successfully prepared, and the extraction capability of each composite was evaluated. Effects of surfactant and the oxidation duration of CNTs on the extraction efficiency of synthesized composites were also investigated. The applicability of the synthesized sorbent was examined by developing a method based on needle trap extraction (NTE) and gas chromatography mass spectrometry detection (GC–MS) for the determination of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in aqueous samples. Important parameters influencing the extraction process were optimized and an extraction time of 30 min at 50 °C and sampling flow rate of 2.5 mL min⁻¹ gave maximum peak area, when NaCl (15%, w/v) was added to the aqueous sample. The linearity for acenaphthene, acenaphthylene and fluorene was in the concentration range of 0.01–20 ng mL⁻¹ and for naphthalene and anthracene was in the range of 0.1–50 ng mL⁻¹. Limits of detection was 0.001 ng mL⁻¹, for acenaphthene, acenaphthylene and fluorene, and 0.01 ng mL⁻¹, for naphthalene and anthracene using time-scheduled selected ion monitoring (SIM) mode, and the RSD% values (n = 3) were all below 11.2% at the 1 ng mL⁻¹ level. The developed method was successfully applied to real water samples while the relative recovery percentages obtained for the spiked water samples were from 73.8 to 113.8%.     

Surfactant-Free Fabrication of Copper Sulfides (CuS, Cu2S) via Hydrothermal Method

Copper sulfide nanoparticles have been synthesized from copper salicylate and thioglycolic acid by a hydrothermal method. The obtained product was analyzed by X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy and photoluminescence spectroscopy. The effect of reaction time, temperature, solvent and sulfur sources was investigated.