Search Results (7)

Green electrospinning harnesses the potential of renewable biomaterials to craft biodegradable nanofiber structures, expanding their utility across a spectrum of applications. In this comprehensive review, we summarize the production, characterization and application of electrospun cellulose, collagen, gelatin and other biopolymer nanofibers in tissue engineering, drug delivery, biosensing, environmental remediation, agriculture and synthetic biology. These applications span diverse fields, including tissue engineering, drug delivery, biosensing, environmental remediation, agriculture, and synthetic biology. In the realm of tissue engineering, nanofibers emerge as key players, adept at mimicking the intricacies of the extracellular matrix. These fibers serve as scaffolds and vascular grafts, showcasing their potential to regenerate and repair tissues. Moreover, they facilitate controlled drug and gene delivery, ensuring sustained therapeutic levels essential for optimized wound healing and cancer treatment. Biosensing platforms, another prominent arena, leverage nanofibers by immobilizing enzymes and antibodies onto their surfaces. This enables precise glucose monitoring, pathogen detection, and immunodiagnostics. In the environmental sector, these fibers prove invaluable, purifying water through efficient adsorption and filtration, while also serving as potent air filtration agents against pollutants and pathogens. Agricultural applications see the deployment of nanofibers in controlled release fertilizers and pesticides, enhancing crop management, and extending antimicrobial food packaging coatings to prolong shelf life. In the realm of synthetic biology, these fibers play a pivotal role by encapsulating cells and facilitating bacteria-mediated prodrug activation strategies. Across this multifaceted landscape, nanofibers offer tunable topographies and surface functionalities that tightly regulate cellular behavior and molecular interactions. Importantly, their biodegradable nature aligns with sustainability goals, positioning them as promising alternatives to synthetic polymer-based technologies. As research and development continue to refine and expand the capabilities of green electrospun nanofibers, their versatility promises to advance numerous applications in the realms of biomedicine and biotechnology, contributing to a more sustainable and environmentally conscious future. Full article

A recent study has shown that Schiff base OHMHI is an effective inhibitor of the corrosion of mild steel in acidic media. The study utilized weight loss measurements and electrochemical techniques, such as EIS and potentiodynamic polarization, to analyze the corrosion inhibition efficiency of OHMHI. The results of the study show that the presence of OHMHI in the corrosive environment significantly reduced the corrosion rate of mild steel and increased its corrosion resistance. The impedance spectra analysis indicated that OHMHI was adsorbed on the surface of mild steel, providing a protective layer. The potentiodynamic polarization study confirmed the protective role of OHMHI by showing an increase in the passive current density of the mild steel in the presence of OHMHI. The inhibitory efficiency of OHMHI was found to be 96.1%, indicating that it is an effective corrosion inhibitor for mild steel. The study also investigated the optimal conditions for the use of OHMHI as a corrosion inhibitor, with a concentration of 0.5 mM and a temperature of 303 K being chosen. The Langmuir adsorption isotherm concept was used to demonstrate the physical and chemical adsorption of OHMHI on the surface of mild steel. Morphological investigations of the uninhibited and inhibited surfaces of the mild steel specimen were examined using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analysis. Furthermore, computational investigations using density functional theory (DFT) and experimental data were merged to explore the corrosion inhibition efficiency and mechanism of inhibition. Although the results are promising, further studies are needed to determine the long-term effects of OHMHI on mild steel corrosion and to evaluate its effectiveness under different environmental conditions. Overall, the study highlights the potential of OHMHI as an effective corrosion inhibitor for mild steel in acidic media. Full article

In the domain of Marine Education and Training (MET), simulators have been utilized for the purpose of training seafarers in the norms for avoiding collisions or for developing the skill of ship manoeuvrability, and even the operation of machinery in the engine room, as well as for conducting research on the subject matter of ship structure, specialized vessel operation, working principle of equipment, and shipboard safety training. These tools are even more important when facing disruptive events such as the COVID-19 pandemic. In MET institutions, full-mission bridge and engine room simulators have been utilized for teaching seafarers for more than a decade. A Systematic Literature Review (SLR) was conducted to identify immersive and non-immersive simulator applications produced over the previous ten years to improve seafarers’ experiential teaching and learning, in the maritime domain. We retrieved 27 articles using the four stages of PRISMA paradigm: Identification, Screening, Eligibility, and Inclusion. The selected papers were read and analyzed according to the training type, the area of training, and the technologies used. The utilization of immersive and non-immersive simulators in the context of the MET domain has been identified and mapped. A few research studies (9 out of 27) compared immersive and non-immersive simulator-based training with conventional training. The quality and efficacy of immersive and non-immersive simulator training at MET institutions have been studied. A model from the learner’s perspective is essential and recommended for future research to assess efficiency and efficacy. Full article

Mathematical models are beneficial in representing a given dataset, especially in engineering applications. Establishing a model can be used to visualise how the model fits the dataset, as was done in this research. The Levenberg–Marquardt model was proposed as a training algorithm and employed in the backpropagation algorithm or multilayer perceptron. The dataset obtained from a previous researcher consists of electrochemical data of uncoated and coated additive manufacturing steel with Ni-P at several testing periods. The model’s performance was determined by regression value (R) and mean square error (MSE). It was found that the R values for non-coated additive manufacturing steel were 0.9999, 1, and 1, while MSE values were 1.14 × 10⁻⁶, 2.99 × 10⁻⁷, and 5.10 × 10⁻⁷ for 0 h, 288 h, and 572 h, respectively. Meanwhile, the R values for the Ni-P coated additive manufacturing steel were 1, 1, 1, while the MSE values were 1.06 × 10⁻⁷, 1.15 × 10⁻⁸, and 6.59 × 10⁻⁸ for 0 h, 288 h, and 572 h, respectively. The high R and low values of MSE emphasise that this training algorithm has shown good accuracy. The proposed training algorithm provides an advantage in processing time due to its ability to approach second-order training speed without having to compute the Hessian Matrix. Full article

With the trend for green technology, the study focused on utilizing a forgotten herb to produce an eco-friendly coating. Andrographis paniculata or the kalmegh leaves extract (KLE) has been investigated for its abilities in retarding the corrosion process due to its excellent anti-oxidative and antimicrobial properties. Here, KLE was employed as a novel additive in coatings and formulations were made by varying its wt%: 0, 3, 6, 9, and 12. These were applied to stainless steel 316L immersed in seawater for up to 50 days. The samples were characterized and analyzed to measure effectiveness of inhibition of corrosion and microbial growth. The best concentration was revealed to be 6 wt% KLE; it exhibited the highest performance in improving the ionic resistance of the coating and reducing the growth of bacteria. Full article

Leucaena leucocephala leaves extract (LLE) was incorporated as an additive in a new coating formulation. The coatings containing different wt.% of the extracts were analysed by optical characterizations and we proceeded to the antimicrobial assessment. The coating was applied onto the surface of stainless steel grade 316L and immersed in seawater for 50 days. A batch of specimens was collected every 10 days and evaluated through electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), potentiodynamic polarization and scanning electron microscope with energy dispersive X-ray (SEM/EDX). The incorporation of 3 wt.% LLE into the coating (P2) matrix remarkably boosted the barrier quality of the coating. Full article

This study investigated the use of microwave pyrolysis as a recovery method for waste shipping oil. The influence of different process temperatures on the yield and composition of the pyrolysis products was investigated. The use of microwave heating provided a fast heating rate (40 °C/min) to heat the waste oil at 600 °C. The waste oil was pyrolyzed and decomposed to form products dominated by pyrolysis oil (up to 66 wt. %) and smaller amounts of pyrolysis gases (24 wt. %) and char residue (10 wt. %). The pyrolysis oil contained light C₉–C₃₀ hydrocarbons and was detected to have a calorific value of 47–48 MJ/kg which is close to those traditional liquid fuels derived from fossil fuel. The results show that microwave pyrolysis of waste shipping oil generated an oil product that could be used as a potential fuel. Full article