Periyar University

Rice (Oryza sativa L.) is a staple food in most Asian countries, although it serves as a significant carrier of cadmium (Cd) accumulation. Developing low-Cd accumulating rice varieties is crucial for minimizing Cd contamination in soil and rice grains while also mitigating harmful health consequences. In the present study examined the Cd accumulation and sub-cellular distribution of both high Cd (IR-50) and low Cd (White Ponni) rice varieties under Cd-treated hydroponic nutrient solutions. The results showed that under all Cd treatments, overall plant height, plant fresh and dry biomass reduced substantially in both rice varieties compared to the control. Both rice varieties accumulated more Cd in their roots than shoots, with IR-50 accumulating higher Cd levels. Iron (Fe) concentrations were higher in both roots and shoots of both rice varieties compared to other trace elements. Translocation factor (TF) values were < 1, indicating limited Cd translocation from roots to shoots. Cd was mainly distributed in the epidermis, cortex, and bulliform cells of both rice varieties roots, and shoots. The peroxidase (POD), catalase (CAT), and superoxide dismutase (SOD) enzymes activity significantly increased in both IR-50 and WP rice varieties when exposed to Cd treatment. The current study concluded that the IR-50 rice variety accumulated and distributed more Cd than the WP rice variety under different Cd treatments. As a result, WP exhibited higher Cd tolerance, while IR-50 became more susceptible to Cd stress.

Recently, bio-reduced graphene oxide has gained more attention in the medical community, because of its effective biocompatibility and enhanced efficacy. In the present study, the extracellular synthesis of reduced graphene oxide nanoparticles (rGO) using the potent actinobacterial strain Streptomyces rochei Ra3. The synthesised Ra3-rGO were thoroughly characterized using advanced analytical techniques, including X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform spectroscopy (FT-IR), High-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HR-TEM) analyses. The UV–vis Spectroscopy confirms the band at 269 and 306 nm, indicates the successful synthesis of Graphene oxide (GO) and reduced graphene oxide (rGO). The crystalline nature of GO and rGO was determined through XRD analysis. FTIR spectroscopy revealed that secondary metabolites from S. rochei contains numerous functional groups that helps to reduce GO to rGO. HR-TEM analysis indicated that the resulting rGO particles exhibited a size range of 25 – 35 nm. The antibacterial efficiency of the rGO against clinical pathogens was evaluated, and the results demonstrated a significant enhanced zone of inhibition. In antioxidant activity exhibited 62.12% radical scavenging activity and dose-dependent antidiabetic activity. In vitro anticancer activity of rGO at 100 μg/mL showed significant inhibition of 73.71%. An in vivo toxicity study on zebrafish embryos reveals that concentrations of 1 mg/mL and above caused toxic effects. Molecular docking simulations revealed a favourable interaction between the diabetes-associated virulence protein and the ligand, characterized by a low binding free energy. These findings suggests that S. rochei mediated synthesis of rGO have promising biological applications and opening avenues for further advancements in the biological synthesis of nanomaterials and utilization. Graphical Abstract

A greener, efficient approach has been developed to synthesize the biologically active 2‐hydroxyphenyl quinoline. The structure is confirmed through detailed spectral analyzes, including FT‐IR, ¹H‐NMR, ¹³C‐NMR, and GC‐MS techniques. Structural validation is further performed by comparing experimental data with theoretical results obtained through Vibrational Energy Distribution Analysis (VEDA) software, which facilitates PEDbased on FT‐IR wavenumbers. DFT calculations optimize structural parameters and analyze frontier molecular orbitals (FMOs). Topological analyzes, including molecular electrostatic potential surface (MEPS) mapping, Mulliken atomic charge analysis, while reduced density gradient (RDG) analysis identifies van der Waals interactions. Additional analyzes, including electron localization function (ELF) and localized orbital locator (LOL), highlighting NLO properties, B3LYP/6–31G(d,p)/Lanl2DZ calculations of NMR chemical shifts for both free and interacting molecular structures proved highly promising in assisting experimentalists with structure identification. Molecular docking studies of‐ demonstrate its mechanism of action as a potential inhibitor of the Moloney murine leukemia virus cancer protease (PDB ID: 1MN8). The compound exhibits a strong binding affinity with the ligand‐receptor complex. Furthermore, its ADME‐Tox descriptors are analyzed and compared with FDA‐approved phenylquinoline drugs, Mitapivat and Olutasidenib, showing favorable pharmacokinetic properties. These findings suggest the compound's potential as a promising candidate for developing active therapeutic agents.

As a result of its cost-effectiveness and eco-friendliness, the green-synthesised supercapacitor electrodes were gaining much attention in energy storage applications. Due to its versatile properties, Zinc Oxide (ZnO) is a specialised material in supercapacitor applications. In this research work, pure ZnO nanoparticles (ZnO NPs) and Citron (CT) fruit peel extract solution added ZnO nanoparticles (ZnO–CT NPs) were prepared via co-precipitation technique followed by a thermal annealing method. X-ray diffraction (XRD), Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), Energy Dispersive X-ray Analysis (EDAX), Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM), Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) and Ultraviolet–Visible Diffuse Reflectance Spectroscopy (UV-Drs) confirmed the physico-chemical and optical properties of as-prepared ZnO and ZnO–CT NPs. The obtained pure ZnO NPs and ZnO-CT NPs coated supercapacitor electrodes were analysed for the charge storage activities in an aqueous electrolyte solution. As a result, the ZnO-CT electrode achieves the capacitance of ~ 2032 F g⁻¹ at the current density value of 4 A g⁻¹, which is higher than pure ZnO capacitance of ~ 1040 F g⁻¹. Further, this electrode attained a superior stability retention of 90% in 1500 Galvanostatic Charge/Discharge (GCD) cycles. This work demonstrates that the renewable route approach to synthesise ZnO nanoparticles was considered a potential material towards green energy storage technology.

The application of nanotechnology in food packaging has become one of the most vital innovations, as it provides features such as longer shelf-life, safety, and quality parameters. This paper discusses and compares various categories of nanomaterials, such as metal-containing nanomaterials, carbon-containing nanomaterials, and polymer-containing nanomaterials, which offer antimicrobial, barrier, and functional uses in food preservation. However, it is essential to note that the application of nanomaterials has disadvantages, such as toxicity to humans and the environment, despite the benefits offered, such as food preservation and safety. Possible concerns include nanoparticle transfer to food chains, chronic toxicity, biodegradation, and the ability to recycle have also been addressed. Other considered issues include regulatory and ethical issues, such as labeling, customer awareness and status, and variations in global regulatory systems. This study recommends using environmentally friendly nanomaterials to minimize adverse effects on the environment and life cycle assessment (LCA) to measure sustainability. Examples of sustainable innovation focus on case studies in which an industry attempts to develop new technologies while preserving the interests of consumers and the environment. The following suggestions for future research are relevant and appropriate: ethics as a research component, regulation enhancement, and consumer awareness for using nanotechnology in food packaging.

The base of a diet highly relies on quality of protein in aquatic environment. Aquaculture is growing as the demand for protein rises. Aquaculture has thus had to contend with a number of hazards including bacteria, fungus, viruses and parasites. Numerous wastes are produced by the aquaculture sector, such as nutrients, fecal matter, metabolic byproducts and beneficial and preventative materials that are crucial for maintaining water quality and preventing disease. A wide range of bioremediation tools and approach are applied to improve pond base renewal, water quality maintenance and aquatic habitat restoration. An important bioremediation approach is to use microbes for maintaining water quality. Natural antibiotics do not work on many germs, thus the government's stringent regulations for ecologically friendly therapy actions. Currently, being treated with different methods in a process called bioremediation to enhance water quality and preserve the sustainability of aquatic ecosystems. By mineralizing carbon-based materials for carbon dioxide production, nitrification, and denitrification, bioremediation can: Remove extra nitrogen from the pond; and boost primary productivity to maintain a stable and diverse pond community even in the presence of pathogens. The shape that is desired is created. In addition to heterotrophic microorganisms that break down organic materials, bioremediation also include nitrogenizing, denitrifying, and photosynthetic microbes. Controlling pond microbial communities can play a significant role in functional research aimed at enhancing global aquaculture ecology and productivity.

The controllability results and availability of mild solutions for a class of stochastic integrodifferential systems with structural elastic damping including Fredholm–Volterra type in Banach spaces are the main topics of this article. The operator semigroup theory and the Banach fixed-point theorem are used to prove the existence of mild solution. To test the approximate controllability conclusions, sufficient conditions of controllability problems are then developed. Furthermore, under certain suitable assumptions, the trajectory controllability of the studied system is ascertained using generalized Gronwall’s inequality. The existence of optimum control is demonstrated using Balder’s theorem. The obtained theoretical results are finally shown using an example. To validate the practical implementation of the topic under study using the numerical simulation, a stochastic mathematical model of bridges and towers with elastic damping is introduced.

The increasing demand for energy has sparked interest in the development of sustainable cost-effective materials for electrochemical energy conversion devices such as fuel cells and solar cells. Since the performance of these devices depends greatly on their electrode and electrolytic components, enormous efforts have been devoted in the direction of fabricating these components from biopolymers and it becomes an interesting area of research. In this review, we particularly focus on the utility of biopolymer-derived electrode and electrolyte components (biopolymer components, BPCs) and their impact on the performance of two major energy conversion devices namely fuel cells and dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). The functional features of biopolymers, properties, and their applications in DSSCs and fuel cells are summarized. Besides, various modification strategies adopted to upgrade their physico-chemical properties and their benefits with a primary focus on the device performance are emphasized. Ultimately, this review highlights the future possibilities of BPCs in three distinct realms: (i) design and development of exceptionally efficient components, (ii) fabrication of sustainable and economically viable energy conversion devices, and (iii) optimization of operational parameters for real-world applications. In light of this, the review will provide guidelines for the development of BPCs for the production of sustainable and economically viable energy conversion devices with the goal of delivering affordable clean energy to the society.

Phyto‐synthesized iron oxide nanoparticles (Fe 3 O 4 ‐NPs) using Tinospora cordifolia (TC) leaf aqueous extract were investigated for their potential in adsorbing methylene blue dye (MB). TC‐Fe 3 O 4 ‐NPs ( T. cordifolia ‐synthesized iron oxide nanoparticles) were characterized using UV–Vis spectroscopy, FT‐IR, XRD, and FESEM‐EDAX. An absorption peak at 228 nm confirmed the synthesis, while FT‐IR identified functional groups. XRD analysis verified the crystalline nature with prominent hkl planes at (220), (311), (400), (422), and (440). FESEM revealed a mean surface volume diameter of 82.21 nm. Adsorption studies showed optimal conditions with 10 ppm dye, 1 mg of adsorbent, 60 min of contact time, and pH 7. Under these conditions, the nanoparticles achieved a maximum adsorption efficiency of 88 ± 2.42% and a qmax of 104.49 mg g ⁻¹ , fitting the Langmuir isotherm model. Additionally, TC‐Fe 3 O 4 ‐NPs exhibited antioxidant activity with IC 50 values of 77.56 ± 4.69 μg/mL and 28.67 ± 2.59 μg/mL in the DPPH and ABTS assays, respectively. The adsorbed dye was efficiently desorbed, enabling reusability for up to 5 cycles. Additionally, TC‐Fe 3 O 4 ‐NPs demonstrated antioxidant activity, reducing dye‐induced toxicity in Allium cepa roots and non‐pathogenic bacteria, contributing to healthier root growth and enhanced bacterial viability. These findings highlight TC‐Fe 3 O 4 ‐NPs as efficient, reusable adsorbents with potential environmental applications.

Ultrasonic welding is an energy-efficient and effective technique for joining thermoplastic polymers and composites. It utilizes ultrasonic frequency vibrations to generate frictional and viscous heating, facilitating molecular diffusion bonding between surfaces. Key controlled parameters in this process include supply frequency and amplitude, weld time, hold time and static clamp pressure. This study presents experimental trials, governing process equations, simulation studies, and image processing results for ultrasonic welding of 150 × 50 mm polymer materials with a thickness of 5 mm. The investigation explored the impact of energy director configurations and process parameters on weld quality. Findings highlighted the dependency of ultrasonic weld quality on these controlled parameters, underscoring the importance of optimizing static clamp pressure and offering new insights into energy director usage. Additionally, the study used image processing for weld defect identification and compared image processing algorithms—Fuzzy C-Means (FCM) and Otsu. FCM algorithm was found effective in the comparative study. Simulation of the piezoelectric converter system illustrated how vibrational amplitude is influenced by power supply and frequency. The conceptual exploration of temperature gradients, along with simulation analyses and experimental observations, lays the groundwork for advanced research in ultrasonic welding. This study provides interdisciplinary insights into polymer thermal gradient behavior and outlines further research needs for designing an efficient ultrasonic polymer welding machine.

This paper examines the singular sensitive parabolic attraction–repulsion chemotaxis system with two chemicals subjected to the Neumann boundary condition. Two chemical substances impact the species involved in this biological process. Both signals come from the same species, but a higher concentration of one attracts the species while a lesser concentration repels it. Using the energy estimate approach, we explore the global existence of classical solutions of the proposed model in a spatial domain with a dimension greater than one.

The paper deals with the nonoscillatory solutions of arbitrary noninteger-order neutral equations with distributed delays. Through the use of the LFD (Liouville Fractional Derivative) of order α ≥ 0 on the half-axis and BCP (Banach Contraction Principle), we are able to get the nonoscillation criteria. The obtained results are emphasized with some appropriate examples.

Green synthesis of nanoparticles has gained significant attention as an eco-friendly and sustainable alternative to conventional chemical and physical methods, leveraging biological resources such as plants, bacteria, fungi and algae. This approach minimizes the use of hazardous chemicals, reduces energy consumption and improves the biocompatibility of nanoparticles, making it particularly suitable for biomedical and environmental applications. This review delves into recent advancements in green synthesis techniques, with a specific focus on the biomolecules involved in stabilizing and enhancing the properties of nanoparticles. The biomedical applications of green synthesized nanoparticles are of particular interest, with promising uses in areas such as drug delivery, bio imaging, antimicrobial therapies and cancer treatment. These nanoparticles offer advantages in terms of targeted delivery, reduced toxicity and improved therapeutic efficacy compared to traditional methods. The review also highlights the challenges faced in scaling up green synthesis processes, ensuring reproducibility, and comprehensively understanding the complex mechanisms behind the formation and functionalization of these nanoparticles. Furthermore, it proposes future research directions to overcome these challenges, including the optimization of synthesis protocols, deeper mechanistic studies and the development of more robust and reproducible techniques. In conclusion, the review underscores the transformative potential of green synthesized nanoparticles in addressing global health and environmental challenges.

CaWO4/g-C3N4 nanocomposites were synthesized via ultrasonication method using pre-synthesized CaWO4 and g-C3N4 nanostructures. CaWO4 and g-C3N4 are combined to prepare an eco-friendly photocatalyst with high chemical stability. Furthermore, the synergetic effect of the band alignment of CaWO₄ and g-C₃N₄ forms a heterojunction, which facilitates the separation of photogenerated charge carriers and thus enhances the overall photocatalytic performance of the nanocomposites. The synthesized nanostructures were characterized via X-ray diffraction (XRD), UV‒Vis diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (UV‒Vis DRS), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), field emission scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). Photocatalytic activity was assessed via degradation of Rhodamine-B (RhB) under visible light. In this study, the effects of reaction parameters such as initial pH, catalyst dosage, initial dye concentration, and contact time are explored. Under optimized conditions, (i.e., at pH=8, with 80 mg/L catalyst and 7.5 ppm RhB dye, the CaWO4/g-C3N4 nanocomposites with 3% g-C3N4 (CC3) degrade nearly 98% of the RhB within 150 min. Among the various synthesized catalysts, CC3 has a high-rate constant of 27.03 × 10 ⁻³ min⁻¹. CC3 exhibited good cyclic stability and degradation efficiency even at the 5th cycle. Furthermore, trapping experiments revealed the importance of superoxide and holes during the photodegradation of RhB. In the present study, the photodegradation activity of CaWO4/g-C3N4 nanocomposites was demonstrated, which may open new avenues for environmental remediation.

Indigofera aspalathoides is a medicinal plant with significant traditional importance, known for its anti‐inflammatory, antimicrobial, and hepatoprotective properties. In this study, the green synthesis of selenium nanoparticles (SeNPs) was performed using I . aspalathoides ethanolic extract and characterized through Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), x‐ray diffraction (XRD), and dynamic light scattering (DLS) analytical techniques. The synthesized SeNPs were evaluated for antioxidant activity using 2,2‐diphenyl‐1‐picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and hydroxyl radical scavenging assays, cytotoxicity using the MTT assay against the MCF‐7 breast cancer cell line, and hepatoprotective potential against the HepG2 liver cancer cell line. Characterization confirmed that the SeNPs possessed a stable, spherical structure with an optimal size range of 50–80 nm, enhancing their bioavailability and biological interactions. The SeNPs demonstrated remarkable antioxidant activity, achieving 70.32% DPPH scavenging and 73.68% hydroxyl radical scavenging, significantly surpassing the activity of the plant extract alone. The hepatoprotective effects were dose dependent, with maximum protection of HepG2 liver cells observed at 88 μg/mL (100% viability), but higher concentrations (100 μg/mL) showed some cytotoxicity. These results underscore the potential of I. aspalathoides ‐derived SeNPs as innovative nanomedicine solutions for addressing oxidative stress, hepatic disorders, and infections.

This research work investigates designing the ZnBi2O4/g-C3N4 p–n heterojunction for efficient and sustainable environmental remediations. The bare and nanocomposite was successfully synthesized through one pot hydrothermal followed thermal decomposition technique. As prepared materials were characterized by various analytical techniques to examine the phase structural, vibrational modes, texture morphology and light behaviours through powder X-ray Diffraction (XRD), Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), Scanning Electron Microscopy with Energy Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy (SEM-EDX), Ultraviolet-Visible Diffuse Reflectance Spectroscopy (UV-DRS). To investigate the photocatalytic activity of malachite green dye was utilized as artificial contaminants. The experimental outcomes revealed the established capacity of ZnBi2O4/g-C3N4 nanocomposites to light absorption wavelength (501 nm) and reduction of band gap (2.26 eV) facilitated a novel domain in organic pollutant removal which could be synergistic effect of the ZnBi2O4/g-C3N4 p–n heterojunction for augment the charge carrier separation and transportation. Moreover g-C3N4 enhance the life time of the photoinduced charge carriers decreased the recombination rate. ZnBi2O4/g-C3N4 p–n heterojunction nano composite achieved the highest degradation efficacy is 90 % compare to pristine materials ZnBi2O4 (77%), g-C3N4 (71%) of malachite green dye under visible light exposure in 100 min, with a pseudo-first-order rate constant of 0.02101 min⁻¹. Notably, the catalyst demonstrated excellent cyclic stability over five cycles. All the positive aspects of findings suggest that ZnBi2O4/g-C3N4 nanocomposites possess to serve as a capable and multifaceted material for the energy and environmental applications.

A systematic study of river sediments on a basin scale might help to understand prevalent environmental, climatic, tectonic, and source rock dynamics. The study attempts documentation of textural properties of the channel bed sediments and heavy mineral distributions from the origin to the confluence of the Cauvery River, within a tropical region of southern India, along with the interpretations on environmental, tectonics, and climatic conditions, as well as affinity with source rock lithologies. Cauvery flows on various lithologies and landscapes that experience multitudes of structural and land-use characteristics and shows the dominance of Peninsular gneiss and Southern granulite. The grain size variations between very coarse sand and fine sand exhibited tripartite sediment size characteristics. The sorting character showed maximum-to-minimum values from the origin to the delta head, and a progression within the moderate–well-sorted nature from the delta head to the confluence. Similarly, the skewness varied from strongly fine to coarse skewed, and most of the samples exhibited platykurtic-to-leptokurtic distributions. An average of 9% of the grains were heavy minerals, with their abundance increasing from a mere 1.9–23.7% towards the downstream, albeit with sporadic very high proportions in some samples in the upper regions of the basin. The heavy mineral roundness also increased from origin to confluence, and its energy-dispersive X-ray analysis (EDAX) mapping revealed variations in elemental composition between the upper, middle, and lower parts of the river channel. Overprinting of natural and anthropogenic interventions might have led to a deviation of sediment characteristics from normal trends. Results from heavy mineral, grain size, textural, and provenance analysis offer valuable data for reconstructing past climates, tracing sediment pathways, and identifying tectonic activities, predicting changes in sediment distribution, and assess the impact of human activities on fluvial environments, making this work significant for global environmental studies and hazard mitigation.

Nowadays, engineers and biochemical industries have benefited greatly from controllability analysis and its computational methods. In this paper, the strongest notion of controllability called trajectory controllability (TC) of higher-order fractional neutral stochastic integrodifferential systems (FNSIDEs) with non-instantaneous impulsive (NI) via state-dependent delay is studied. The existence and uniqueness of solutions are proved in the infinite-dimensional space by using Mönch-type fixed-point theorem with the Hausdroff measure of noncompactness without compactness assumption on the semigroup. Further, the control problem is considered to establish TC results for FNSIDEs with NII. Then after, a fractional neutral stochastic model is discussed in the example section which is extended by the numerical simulation and the optimization technique supported by the Nelder-Mead method is used to identify the control that makes the state equations track a certain control. Finally, the remaining usable life, which can be described by either the probability density function or the point estimate of the mathematical expectation under certain specific stochastic assumptions, is typically defined and a case study on certain hearth wall degradation processes to validate the proposed method in practice.