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Recent studies have demonstrated the efficacy of graphene oxide (GO) as an adsorbent for removing various dyes from water, owing to its large surface area, high porosity, and abundance of oxygen-containing functional groups. The primary goal of this review article is to collect the dispersed information of a diverse range of efficient GO composite adsorbents to remove dyes from water, providing a comprehensive overview of their synthesis, characterization, and functionalization methods. Various modification approaches of GO that increase its adsorption capacity are discussed in detail, as well as influencing factors on its performance, which include adsorbent dosage, initial dye concentration, nature of functional groups, contact time, pH, and temperature. Additionally, this review explores the adsorption mechanisms of dyes onto various GO-based materials and the extent to which different adsorption kinetics and isotherm models are applied. Such models include Langmuir and Freundlich that can further improve the understanding of dye–adsorbent interactions and help to design more efficient adsorption systems. It also covers a summary of the dye adsorption capacities of different GO composites and the parameters that control performance. On the basis of the extensive literature studied, critical insights were drawn, and several recommendations for future research were proposed, including the exploration of more sustainable synthesis routes and the development of novel functionalized GO composites. Graphical abstract

The multiwall carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs)/titanium dioxide (P25) composite in different ratios was prepared using simple evaporation and drying process. The composite was characterized by Raman spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction (XRD), UV-visible diffuse reflectance spectroscopy, and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The photocatalytic activity of this composite was investigated using degradation of the Bismarck brown R dye (BBR). An optimal MWCNTs/TiO2 ratio of 0.5% (w/w) was found to achieve the maximum rate of BBR degradation. It was observed that the composite exhibits enhanced photocatalytic activity compared with TiO2. The enhancement in photocatalytic activity performance of the MWCNTs/P25 composite is explained in terms of recombination of photogenerated electron-hole pairs. In addition, MWCNTs act as a dispersing support to control the morphology of TiO2 particles in the MWCNTs/TiO2 composite.

IntroductionThe Coronavirus-19 (COVID-19) pandemic has led to a 50–70% reduction in acute non-COVID-19 presentations to emergency departments globally.AimTo determine the impact of COVID-19 on incidence, severity, and outcomes of acute surgical admissions in an Irish University teaching hospital.MethodsDescriptive data concerning patients presenting with acute appendicitis, diverticulitis, and cholecystitis were analysed and compared from March–May 2020 to March–May 2019.ResultsAcute surgical admissions decreased in March from 191 (2020) to 55 (2019) (55%), before increasing by 28% in April (2019: 119, 2020: 153). Admissions due to acute cholecystitis reduced by 33% (2019: 33, 2020: 22), with increased severity at presentation (P = 0.079) and higher 30-day readmission rates (P = 0.056) reported. Acute appendicitis presentations decreased by 44% (2019: 78, 2020: 43, P = 0.019), with an increase in severity (P < 0.001), conservative management (P < 0.001), and post-operative complications (P = 0.029) in 2020 compared to the same period in 2019.ConclusionCOVID-19 has potentiated a significant reduction in acute surgical presentations to our hospital. Patients presenting with acute appendicitis during the pandemic had more severe disease, were more likely to have complications, and were significantly more likely to be managed conservatively when compared to historical data.

The characterization and biomedical modification of bentonite clays from the Kalzhat deposit (Kzh), which is situated in Kazakhstan’s Zhetysu region, are the main objectives of this work. In order to improve the raw material’s structural qualities, the montmorillonite fraction was enriched, and coarse impurities were eliminated using the Salo method. The presence of meso- and micropores that guarantee high dispersity and specific surface area, as well as the prevalence of montmorillonite and kaolinite, was all confirmed by physicochemical analysis. Particle size measurements indicated finely dispersed structures with a propensity to aggregate, whereas thermal analysis demonstrated resilience under heating. After effective functionalization with silver nanoparticles, a porous hybrid system with improved surface reactivity was produced. These enhancements demonstrate the modified bentonite’s usefulness as a multifunctional carrier for the immobilization and controlled release of pharmaceuticals, with potential uses in drug delivery systems, antimicrobial coatings, and wound-healing materials. The material has potential use in sorption and environmental protection technologies in addition to its biomedical application. Overall, Kzh’s structural and functional performance is greatly improved by the combination of purification and functionalization with silver nanoparticles, highlighting its promise as a useful element in the development of next-generation polymer–composite systems.

The multiwall carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs)/titanium dioxide (P25) composite in different ratios was prepared using simple evaporation and drying process. The composite was characterized by Raman spectroscopy, X - ray diffraction (XRD), UV - visible diffuse reflectance spectroscopy, and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The photocatalytic activity of this composite was investigated using degradation of the Bismarck brown R dye (BBR). An optimal MWCNTs/TiO 2 ratio of 0.5% (w/w) was found to achieve the maximum rate of BBR degradation. It was observed that the composite exhibits enhanced photocatalytic activity compared with TiO 2 . The enhancement in photocatalytic activity performance of the MWCNTs/P25 composite is explained in terms of recombination of photogenerated electron-hole pairs. In addition, MWCNTs act as a dispersing support to control the morphology of TiO 2 particles in the MWCNTs/TiO 2 composite.

This study was designed to extract chitosan from blue crab shells and prepare chitosan nanoparicles via combination of chemical extraction process with mechanical ball-milling method. The size and surface charge of the NPs were evaluated in chitosan nanoparicles using dynamic light scattering (DLS). The prepared crab chitosan and chitosan nanoparicles were evaluated for their characteristics using Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray Diffraction (XRD), Scanning Electron Microscopy coupled with Energy Dispersive X-ray analysis (SEM-EDX), Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) and viscosity measurements compared with commercial chitosan products. The DLS results of crab chitosan nanoparicles appeared to be the optimal chitosan nanoparicles with minimum particle size (192.74 ± 3.25 nm), zeta potential (25.15 ± 1.19 mV) smallest PDI (0.228 ± 0.011) in comparison with commercial nanoparicles had a particle size (245.47 ± 3.21 nm), zeta potential (32.24 ± 0.72 mV) smallest PDI (0.191 ± 0.055), respectively. The FTIR and XRD analyses indicated that α-chitosan mainly formed an amorphous structure along with a higher deacetylation degree. There are no diffraction peaks at 2θ ≈ 10°, showing that chitin was effectively deacetylated with a negligible content of residual chitin. Chitosan nanoparicles from crab had a particle size of about 84 nm based on Debye–Scherrer equation that is comparable to commercial nanoparticles. Crab chitosan nanoparicles has been shown to possess distinctly rough flake-like surfaces, while CS NP is compact spheres to cubes with reduced pore dimensions, as confirmed by SEM and TEM analyses. EDX with low residual mineral contents confirmed good purities of prepared materials. Rheological analysis indicated that chitosan extracted from crabs exhibited greater viscosity (31.707 to 42.849 mPa·s) than commercial chitosan (17.818 to 24.024 mPa·s), indicating a higher molecular weight and more significant intermolecular interactions. The overall chitosan yield was 11.02% of the crab shell dry weight. The findings suggest that blue crab shell waste is a value-added product. .

The demand for gluten-free products for people suffering from a gluten allergy is increasing. Therefore, the aim of this study was to produce high-quality gluten-free pasta from brown rice flour (BRF), quinoa flour (QF) and chickpea flour (CPF), semolina flour (S) was used as control sample. The chemical composition of the raw materials showed the higher protein, carbohydrate and fat content of CPF, S and QF, respectively. In addition, the content of Ca, K, and Fe was higher in CPF. The total concentration of essential amino acids in CPF, BRF and QF was between 38.9 and 34.04%. Pasta was prepared with different levels of CPF, BRF, and QF. The quality of the pasta was evaluated chemically and physically. The chemical analysis showed that the formula (BRQ5) had the highest protein, fat, ash and fiber content. The color analysis showed that the darkness of the pasta increased with increasing QF. The overall acceptability of the different pasta showed that the control (S) had the highest acceptability, followed by BR and BRQ1. The analysis of the texture profile showed that the hardness of the uncooked control pasta was the highest. In summary, it can be recommended to produce gluten-free pasta with the BRQ1 formula.

Background Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) causes significant disturbance in an individual’s well-being and activity. Whereby, interfering with the dynamic progress in life. Also, anxiety is a product of stress and a major predictor of academic performance. This study aimed to assess the prevalence of Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD), measure levels of anxiety and perceived stress, evaluate the academic profile, identify lifestyle characteristics, and explore the relationship between these factors. Methods In this cross-sectional study, 340 Sudanese medical students filled out online questionnaires, composed of the sociodemographic and lifestyle characteristics, academic profile, Generalized Anxiety Disorder-2 scale (GAD-2), and Perceived Stress Scale-10 (PSS-10). Descriptive and inferential statistics were applied using Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) Version 20.0 for data analysis. Results Of 340 medical students, 3.8% of them were diagnosed with GAD, while 29.1% scored ≥ 3 in GAD-2, indicating a possible diagnosis. The study found that 9.7% of the participants used addictive substances, with 42% of them having high GAD-2 scores. Moreover, high anxiety levels were associated with high-stress scores ( p -value = 0.000). Also, high GAD-2 scores were significantly associated with students who spent less than 10,000 SDG (18 USD) weekly, spent more time on entertainment using smart devices ( p -value = 0.004), and had an unhealthy diet ( p -value = 0.004). Low anxiety levels were associated with better sleep quality ( p -value = 0.00), satisfaction with religious practices ( p -value = 0.00), and increased leisure/hobby time ( p -value = 0.018). High-stress levels were observed in females ( p -value = 0.035), those with lower academic performance satisfaction levels, and increased hours of smart device usage for entertainment ( p -value = 0.001). Reduced stress levels were associated with being ≥ 23 years old, increased leisure/hobby time ( p -value = 0.002), satisfaction with religious practices [F(3, 166.6) = 10.8, p -value = 0.00)], and having a healthy diet ( p -value = 0.006). Conclusion The low prevalence of GAD corresponded with previous literature, but 29.1% of medical students had a high probability of having GAD. The study emphasizes on providing accessible mental health services for medical students and interventions addressing modifiable risk factors.

Tomato ( Solanum lycopersicum L.) is an important vegetable crop that grows easily under controlled conditions, such as in greenhouses and hydroponics. To overcome freshwater scarcity, researchers are searching for alternatives to groundwater sources such as desalinated water (saline water) for irrigation. High salinity in irrigation water alters physiological functions and crop development, thereby reducing the yield. Best management practices and the use of grafted tomato plants on salt-tolerant rootstocks can alleviate salinity stress. The present study was conducted to address the impact of salinity stress on leaf transpiration (Tr), stomatal conductance (gs), photosynthesis (Pn), leaf chlorophyll content, proline content, and yield of hydroponically cultivated tomato plants. Saline (NaCl) water was used for the preparation of nutrient solution with three salinity levels, electrical conductivity (EC, dS m −1 ) of 2.5 (control), 6.0, and 9.5. Three commercial tomato cultivars (Valouro-RZ, Ghandora-F1, and Feisty-Red) were used. Both self-rooted plants and plants grafted onto Maxifort rootstocks were transplanted onto a perlite substrate. The recorded data revealed that all studied cultivars were critically affected by higher salinity (≈ 9.5 dS m -1 ) compared to low (≈ 2.5 dS m -1 ) and medium (≈ 6.0 dS m -1 ) salinity levels. The Variations in Tr, Pn, gs, chlorophyll content of leaf, and yield between medium and high salinity trials were reported at 3%, 5%, 9%, 5%, and 7.1%, respectively, whereas no significant differences were observed between low and medium salinities. However, at medium salinity levels, grafted plants performed better in photosynthesis than non-grafted plants. This is due to the accumulation of leaf proline, which maintains osmotic regulation and photosynthetic activity by preventing cell damage at medium salinities. Hence, this study confirmed the use of saline water for growing tomatoes under hydroponic conditions up to an EC of 6.0 dS m -1 including the EC of nutrient fertilizers.

The present study investigates the wound healing potential of three chitosan-based topical preparations loaded with either tea tree essential oil, rosemary essential oil or a mixture of both oils in vivo. Essential oils of M. alternifolia and R. officinalis were analyzed using GC/MS. Essential oil-loaded chitosan topical preparations were formulated. Wound healing potential was evaluated in vivo using an excision wound model in rats. GC/MS analysis of M. alternifolia and R. officinalis essential oils revealed richness in oxygenated monoterpenes, representing 51.06% and 69.61% of the total oil composition, respectively. Topical application of chitosan-based formulation loaded with a mixture of tea tree and rosemary oils resulted in a significant increase in wound contraction percentage compared to either group treated with individual essential oils and the untreated group. Histopathological examination revealed that topical application of tea tree and rosemary oil combination demonstrated complete re-epithelialization associated with activated hair follicles. The high percentage of oxygenated monoterpenes in both essential oils play an important role in the antioxidant and wound healing potential observed herein. Incorporation of tea tree and rosemary essential oils in chitosan-based preparations in appropriate combination could efficiently promote different stages of wound healing.