The photooxidative degradation process of plastics caused by ultraviolet irradiation leads to bond breaking, crosslinking, the elimination of volatiles, formation of free radicals, and decreases in weight and molecular weight. Photodegradation deteriorates both the mechanical and physical properties of plastics and affects their predicted life use, in particular for applications in harsh environments. Plastics have many benefits, while on the other hand, they have numerous disadvantages, such as photodegradation and photooxidation in harsh environments and the release of toxic substances due to the leaching of some components, which have a negative effect on living organisms. Therefore, attention is paid to the design and use of saf

A simple, environmental friendly and selective sample preparation technique employing porous membrane protected micro-solid phase extraction (μ-SPE) loaded with molecularly imprinted polymer (MIP) for the determination of ochratoxin A (OTA) is described. After the extraction, the analyte was desorbed using ultrasonication and was analyzed using high performance liquid chromatography. Under the optimized conditions, the detection limits of OTA for coffee, grape juice and urine were 0.06 ng g−1, 0.02 and 0.02 ng mL−1, respectively while the quantification limits were 0.19 ng g−1, 0.06 and 0.08 ng mL−1, respectively. The recoveries of OTA from coffee spiked at 1, 25 and 50 ng g−1, grape juice and urine samples at 1, 25 and 50 ng mL

Background: Medicinal plants that possess antimicrobial and antioxidant properties have garnered significant attention for their role in maintaining food quality, improving safety, and impeding spoilage. They also can aid in controlling food contamination risks and augmenting the nutritional value of foods. Objective: The study aimed to obtain botanical extracts possessing antimicrobial capabilities and use them to inhibit the growth of molds and yeasts. Additionally, these extracts are aimed at prolonging product shelf life by harnessing their antioxidant attributes. Methods: Several microorganisms, including E. coli and Pseudomonas, were subjected to testing. Ethanolic alcohol, chloroform, and essential oil extracts were prepared;

A chemometric method, partial least squares regression (PLS) was applied for the simultaneous determination of piroxicam (PIR), naproxen (NAP), diclofenac sodium (DIC), and mefenamic acid (MEF) in synthetic mixtures and commercial formulations. The proposed method is based on the use of spectrophotometric data coupled with PLS multivariate calibration. The Spectra of drugs were recorded at concentrations in the linear range of 1.0 - 10 μg mL-1 for NAP and from 1.0 - 20 μg mL-1 for PIR, DIC, and MEF. 34 sets of mixtures were used for calibration and 10 sets of mixtures were used for validation in the wavelength range of 200 to 400 nm with the wavelength interval λ = 1 nm in methanol. This method has been used successfully to quant

Tungsten inert gas arc welding–based shaped metal deposition is a novel additive manufacturing technology which can be used for fabricating solid dense parts by melting a cold wire on a substrate in a layer-by-layer manner via continuous DC arc heat. The shaped metal deposition method would be an alternative way to traditional manufacturing methods, especially for complex featured and large-scale solid parts manufacturing, and it is particularly used for aerospace structural components, manufacturing, and repairing of die/molds and middle-sized dense parts. This article presents the designing, constructing, and controlling of an additive manufacturing system using tungsten inert gas plus wire–based shaped metal deposition metho

Background: Parkinson's disease (PD) is a neurodegenerative aging disease, with idiopathic PD being most common. Gastrointestinal tract disorders (GITD) and microbiota changes may trigger idiopathic PD. Neurotoxins from microbiota can travel from the gut to the brain via the brain-gut axis (BGA), leading to α-syn protein misfolding and dopaminergic neuron death. Methods: The aim of the current study was to investigate the link between PD and GITD by measuring several biochemical and immunological markers in 142 patients. The biochemical markers measured were vitamins B6, B12, and D, calcium, serotonin, ghrelin, dopamine, and α-syn protein. The immunological markers included transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-β), tu

Little is known about hesitancy to receive the COVID‐19 vaccines. The objectives of this study were (1) to assess the perceptions of healthcare workers (HCWs) and the general population regarding the COVID‐19 vaccines, (2) to evaluate factors influencing the acceptance of vaccination using the health belief model (HBM), and (3) to qualitatively explore the suggested intervention strategies to promote the vaccination.