Abstract: Illicit drugs continue to pose a serious threat to society and public health. Drug (ab)use is linked to organised crime and violence. Therefore, to fight the so-called war on drugs, police and law enforcement agencies need to be equipped with accurate and efficient sensors for the detection of illicit drugs and drug use. Even though colour tests (for powders) and lateral flow immunoassays (for biological samples) lack accuracy, they are relied upon for fast and easy on-site detection. Alternatively, in recent years, there has been an increasing interest in electrochemical sensors as a promising technique for the rapid and accurate on-site detection of illicit drugs. While a myriad of literature exists on the use of electrochemical sensors for drug powder analysis, literature on their use for the detection of drug use in biological samples is scarce. To this end, this review presents an overview of strategies for the electrochemical detection of illicit drugs in oral fluid. First, pharmacokinetics of drugs in oral fluid and the legal limit dilemma regarding the analytical cut-offs for roadside drug detection tests are elaborated to present the reader with the background knowledge required to develop such a test. Subsequently, an overview of electrochemical strategies developed for the detection of illicit drugs in oral fluid is given. Importantly, key challenges to address in the development of roadside tests are highlighted to improve the design of the next electrochemical devices and to bring them to the field. Overall, electrochemical sensors for illicit drugs detection in oral fluid show promise to disrupt current strategies for roadside testing.

Abstract: Cotton is one of the important crops that play an important role in creating a livelihood for rural people in many parts of Iran. Cotton production necessitates a large amount of resources (e.g., fossil energy and agrochemicals, all of which have the potential to damage the environment in various ways). The purpose of the current study was to evaluate the environmental effects of cotton production in the South Khorasan Province of Iran. For this purpose, life cycle assessment (LCA) and data envelopment analysis (DEA) techniques have been applied to investigate the environmental impacts of cotton production. LCA is a practical method to evaluate the environment on the product flow, in which all aspects of the product life cycle are examined by a comprehensive approach. Furthermore, combining the LCA method with other managerial strategies such as DEA could allow researchers to provide decision-makers with more practical and interpretable data. The findings of the efficiency test showed that the average technical efficiency, pure technical efficiency, and scale efficiency were 0.81, 0.92, and 0.87, respectively. Respiratory inorganics (i.e., respiratory effects resulting from winter smog caused by emissions of dust, sulfur, and nitrogen oxides to air) posed the greatest environmental burden in cotton production, followed by non-renewable energy, carcinogens, and global warming. In addition, the highest effects were on human health, and then, on resources and climate change. Energy, on-system pollution, and waste played a crucial role in the environmental impacts of cotton processing. This study suggests improving farmers' knowledge toward the optimum application of chemical fertilizers, or their substitution with green fertilizers, which reduces the environmental effect of growing cotton in the area.

Abstract: A combination of synchrotron radiation-based elementalimaging, in vivo redox status analysis, histology, and toxic responses was usedto investigate the uptake, biodistribution, and adverse effects of Cenanoparticles (CeO2NP; 10 nm; 0.5-34.96 mg Ce L-1) or Ce(NO3)3(2.3-26 mg Ce L-1)inCaenorhabditis elegans. Elemental mapping of theexposed nematodes revealed Ce uptake in the alimentary canal prior todepuration. Retention of CeO2NPs was low compared to that of Ce(NO3)3in depurated individuals. X-rayfluorescence (XRF) mapping showed that Cetranslocation was confined to the pharyngeal valve and foregut. Ce(NO3)3exposure significantly decreased growth, fertility, and reproduction, causedslightly reduced fecundity. XRF mapping and histological analysis revealedsevere tissue deformities colocalized with retained Ce surrounding thepharyngeal valve. Both forms of Ce activated the sod-1 antioxidant defense,particularly in the pharynx, whereas no significant effects on the cellular redox balance were identified. The CeO2NP-induceddeformities did not appear to impair the pharyngeal function or feeding ability as growth effects were restricted to Ce(NO3)3exposure. The results demonstrate the utility of integrated submicron-resolution SR-based XRF elemental mapping of tissue-specificdistribution and adverse effect analysis to obtain robust toxicological evaluations of metal-containing contaminants.

Abstract: Forensic drug laboratories are confronted with increasing amounts of drugs and a demand for faster results that are directly available on-site. In addition, the drug market is getting more complex with hundreds of new psychoactive substances (NPS) entering the market in recent years. Rapid and on-scene presumptive drug testing therefore faces a shift from manual colorimetric tests towards approaches that can detect a wider range of components and process results automatically. Electrochemical detection offers these desired characteristics, making it a suitable candidate for on-site drug detection. In this study, a two-step electrochemical sensor is introduced for the detection of MDMA and 2C-B. Firstly, a direct electrochemical analysis was performed to detect MDMA. Validation experiments on over 70 substances revealed that 2C-B was the only frequently encountered drug that gave a false positive result for MDMA in this first analysis. A second step using in-situ derivatization was subsequently introduced. To this end, formaldehyde was used for N-methylation of 2C-B thereby enhancing its electrochemical profile. The enriched electrochemical fingerprint in the second step allowed for clear differentiation between MDMA and 2C-B. The applicability of this approach was demonstrated with 71 ecstasy tablets seized by the Amsterdam Police. The MDMA/2C-B sensor correctly identified all 39 MDMA-containing tablets and 10 out of 11 tablets containing 2C-B. Most notably, correct results were also obtained for dark colored tablets in which both spectroscopic analysis and colorimetric tests failed due to obscured signals.

Abstract: Riboflavin-producing lactic acid bacteria represent a promising and cost-effective strategy for food biofortification, but production levels are typically insufficient to support daily human requirements. In this study, we describe the novel human isolate Limosilactobacillus reuteri AMBV339 as a strong food biofortification candidate. This strain shows a high natural riboflavin (vitamin B2) overproduction of 18.36 mu g/ml, biomass production up to 6 x 10(10) colony-forming units/ml (in the typical range of model lactobacilli), and pH-lowering capacities to a pH as low as 4.03 in common plant-based (coconut, soy, and oat) and cow milk beverages when cultured up to 72 h at 37 degrees C. These properties were especially pronounced in coconut beverage and butter milk fermentations, and were sustained in co-culture with the model starter Streptococcus thermophilus. Furthermore, L. reuteri AMBV339 grown in laboratory media or in a coconut beverage survived in gastric juice and in a simulated gastrointestinal dialysis model with colon phase (GIDM-colon system) inoculated with fecal material from a healthy volunteer. Passive transport of L. reuteri AMBV339-produced riboflavin occurred in the small intestinal and colon stage of the GIDM system, and active transport via intestinal epithelial Caco-2 monolayers was also demonstrated. L. reuteri AMBV339 did not cause fecal microbiome perturbations in the GIDM-colon system and inhibited enteric bacterial pathogens in vitro. Taken together, our data suggests that L. reuteri AMBV339 represents a promising candidate to provide riboflavin fortification of plant-based and dairy foods, and has a high application potential in the human gastrointestinal tract.

Abstract: The co-gasification of biomass and coal is a promising approach for efficiently integrating the unique advantages of different gasification feedstock with syngas production. Additionally, syngas from the co-gasification of locally available biomass and coal could supplement the natural gas used in household and industrial burners. The top-lit updraft gasifier features a moving ignition front that starts at the top and propagates downward through the solids bed, while air enters from the bottom and the gas product flows upwards. This study assesses the co-gasification performance of palm kernel shell and high-volatile bituminous coal in a top-lit updraft fixed bed gasifier using 70, 85, and 100 vol% biomass and equivalence ratios ranging from 0.26 to 0.34. The results indicate that the ignition front propagates faster and is more uniform as the biomass volume increases. Micro GC analysis revealed that the H2/CO ratio remained in the range of 0.57–0.59, 0.49–0.51, and 0.42–0.46 for experiments with 70, 85, and 100 vol% biomass, respectively. A gas interchangeability analysis showed that syngas-natural gas blends with up to 15 vol% of syngas could combust in atmospheric natural gas burners without modifications. Thus, the top-lit updraft gasifier shows excellent potential for the co-gasification of coal and biomass. Further research on this technology should explore steam as a gasification agent to enhance the syngas energy content and continuous solids feeding.

Abstract: Scanning electron microscopy coupled with microanalysis (SEM-EDX) is an important analytical tool for the morphological and chemical characterization of different types of materials. In many applications, SEM-EDX elemental maps are usually used and processed as images, thus flattening and reducing the spectroscopic information contained in EDX hyperspectral data cubes. The exploitation of the full hyperspectral dataset could be indeed very useful for the study of complex matrices like soil. In order to maximize the information attainable by SEM-EDX data cubes analysis, the software package “Datamuncher Gamma” was implemented and applied to study soil aggregates. By using this approach, different phases (silicates, aluminosilicates, Ca-carbonates, Ca-phosphates, organic matter, iron oxides) inside soil aggregates were successfully identified and segmented. The advantages of this method over the common ROI imaging approach are presented. Finally, this method was used to compare different aggregates in a Cr-polluted soil and understand their possible pedological history. The present method can be used for the analysis of every type of SEM-EDX data cubes, allowing its application to different types of samples and fields of study.

Abstract: A uniform description of natural shapes and phenomena is an important goal in science. Such description should check some basic principles, related to 1) the complexity of the model, 2) how well its fits real objects, phenomena and data, and 3) ia direct connection with optimization principles and the calculus of variations. In this article, we present nine principles, three for each group, and we compare some models with a claim to universality. It is also shown that Gielis Transformations and power laws have a common origin in conic sections

Abstract: Although the topic is rarely addressed in literature, a significant number of baroque paintings exhibit dark, halo-like shapes around the contours of the dramatis personae. Close examination of both finished and unfinished works suggests that this intriguing feature was a practical tool that helped the artist in the early painting stages. When applying the final brushwork, the halo lost its function, with some artists undertaking efforts to hide it. Although their visibility might not have been intended by the artists, today this dark paint beneath the surface is partially visible through the upper paint layers. Moreover, the disclosure of many halos using infrared photography (IRP), infrared reflectography (IRR) and macro X-ray fluorescence imaging (MA-XRF), additional to those that can be observed visually, suggests that this was a common and established element of 17th-century painting practice in Western Europe. Building on an existing hypothesis, we argue that halos can be considered as a solution to an optical problem that arose when baroque painters reversed the traditional, 15th- and 16th-century painting sequence of working from background to foreground. Instead, they started with the dominant parts of a composition, such as the face of a sitter. In that case, a temporary halo can provide the essential tonal reference to anticipate the chromatic impact of the final dark colored background on the adjacent delicate carnations. In particular, we attempt to clarify the prevalence of dark halos as a response to optical effects such as 'simultaneous contrast' and 'the crispening effect', described in literature only centuries later. As such, the recently termed 'ring condition' can be seen as the present-day equivalent of the 'halo solution' that was seemingly empirically or intuitively developed by 17th-century artists. Modern studies in visual perception proves that by laying a black ring around a target color, the optical impact of a surrounding color can be efficiently neutralized. Finally, by delving into works by Michael Sweerts, it becomes clear that resourceful artists might have adapted the halo technique and the underlying principles to their individual challenges, such as dealing with differently colored grounds.

Abstract: In this work, the absorption–desorption performance of CO2 in six new solvent blends of amine (diisopropylamine (DPA), 2-amino-2-methyl-1-propanol (AMP), methyldiethanolamine (MDEA), diethanolamine (DEA), diisopropanolamine (DIPA), and ethanolamine (MEA)), sulfolane, and methanol has been monitored using ATR-FTIR spectroscopy. Additionally, NMR-based species confirmation and solvent viscosity analysis were done for DPA solvent samples. The identified CO2 capture products are monomethyl carbonate (MMC), carbamate, carbonate, and bicarbonate anions in different ratios. The DPA solvent formed MMC entirely with 0.88 molCO2/molamine capture capacity, 0.48 molCO2/molamine cyclic capacity, and 3.28 mPa·s CO2-loaded solvent viscosity. MEA, DEA, DIPA, and MDEA were shown to produce a low or a negligible amount of MMC while AMP occupied an intermediate position.

Abstract: Air quality currently poses a major risk to human health worldwide. Transportation is one of the principal contributors to air pollution due to the quality of exhaust gases. For example, the widely used diesel fuel is a significant source of nitrogen oxides (NOx) and particulate matter (PM). To reduce the content NOx and PM, different oxygenated compounds were mixed into a mineral diesel available at the pump, and their effect on the composition of exhaust gas emissions was measured using a one-cylinder diesel generator. In this setup, adding methanol gave the best relative results. The addition of 2000 ppm of methanol decreased the content of NO by 56%, 2000 ppm of isopropanol decreased NO2 by 50%, and 2000 ppm ethanol decreased PM by 63%. An interesting question is whether it is possible to reduce the impact of hazardous components in the exhaust gas even more by adding oxygenates to biodiesels. In this article, alcohol is added to biodiesel in order to establish the impact on PM and NOx concentrations in the exhaust gases. Adding methanol, ethanol, and isopropanol at concentrations of 2000 ppm and 4000 ppm did not improve NOx emissions. The best results were using pure RME for a low NO content, pure diesel for a low NO2 content, and for PM there were no statistically significant differences.

Abstract: The bio-nanohybrid gelatin protein/cadmium sulfide (Gel/CdS) quantum dots (QDs) have been designed via a facile one-pot strategy. The amino acids group of gelatin chelate Cd2+ and grow CdS QDs without any agglomeration. The H-1 NMR spectra indicate that during the above process there are no alterations of the gelatin protein structure conformation and chemical functionalities. The prepared Gel/CdS QDs were characterized and their potential as a system for cellular imaging and the electrochemical sensor for hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) detection applications were investigated. The obtained results demonstrate that the developed Gel/CdS QDs system could offer a simple and convenient operating strategy both for the class of contrast agents for cell labeling and electrochemical sensors purposes.

Abstract: Redox processes activated by environmental factors have been identified as the main cause of the chromatic alterations of a number of artists' pigments, including the yellow pigment orpiment (As2S3). Although a general comprehension of the mechanisms has been provided through characterization of degradation compounds of As2S3, experimental evidences to prove how other paint components and how different environmental agents influence the formation pathways of specific secondary compounds are still lacking. Thus, it becomes fundamental to develop a methodological strategy which enable achieving a discrimination among the causes affecting the chemical stability of more heterogenous As2S3-based paints and defining the mechanism through which the alteration establishes and evolves, with the ultimate goal of optimizing the preventive conservation measures of unique masterpieces. In this paper, we propose a comprehensive multi-material and multi-method approach based on the combination of synchrotron radiation X-ray micro-analytical techniques (i.e., X-ray diffraction, X-ray fluorescence and X-ray absorption near edge structure spectroscopy at S K-/Ag L-3-/As K-edges) and vibrational micro-spectroscopy methods to unveil the causes and mechanism of darkening of “fake-gilded” decorations in tempera paintings, originally consisting of an unusual mixture of As2S3 and metallic silver (Ag-0). Such degradation process is a not yet understood phenomenon threatening a series of Old Master paintings, including those by the Italian painters Cimabue and Pietro Lorenzetti. The high specificity, sensitivity and lateral resolution of the employed analytical methods allowed providing first-time evidence for the presence of black acanthite (alpha-Ag2S), mimetite [Pb-5(AsO4)(3)Cl] and syngenite [K2Ca(SO4)(2)center dot H2O] as degradation products of the “fake-gilded” decorations in the Maesta by Cimabue (Church of Santa Maria dei Servi, Bologna, Italy). Furthermore, the study of the painting combined with that of tempera paint mock-ups permitted to explore and define the environmental agents and internal factors causing the darkening, by proving that: (i) Ag-0 and moisture are key-factors for triggering the transformation of As2S3 to alpha-Ag2S and As-oxides; (ii) S2--ions arising from the degradation of As2S3 are the main responsible for the formation of alpha-Ag2S; (iii) light exposure strengthens the tendency of the paint components towards alteration. Based on our findings, we finally propose a degradation mechanism of As2S3/Ag-0-based tempera paints.

Abstract: The electrochemical behavior of some of the most relevant endocrine-disrupting phenols using unmodified carbon screen-printed electrodes (SPEs) is described for the first time. Experiments were made to assess the electrochemical behavior of phenol (PHOH), pentachlorophenol (PCP), 4-tert octylphenol (OP) and bisphenol A (BPA) and their determination in the most favorable conditions, using voltammetric methods such as cyclic voltammetry (CV), linear sweep voltammetry (LSV) and square wave voltammetry (SWV) in Britton Robinson (BR) buffer. Further, the usefulness of the electrochemical approach was validated with real samples from a local river and was compared to commercial phenols test kit, which is commonly used for on-site screening in industrial streams and wastewaters. Finally, the approach was compared with a lab-bench standard method using real samples, i.e., high-performance liquid chromatography with a photodiode array detector (HPLC-DAD).

Abstract: The shape of leaf laminae exhibits considerable diversity and complexity that reflects adaptations to environmental factors such as ambient light and precipitation as well as phyletic legacy. Many leaves appear to be elliptical which may represent a ‘default’ developmental condition. However, whether their geometry truly conforms to the ellipse equation (EE), i.e., (x/a)2 + (y/b)2 = 1, remains conjectural. One alternative is described by the superellipse equation (SE), a generalized version of EE, i.e., |x/a|n +|y/b|n = 1. To test the efficacy of EE versus SE to describe leaf geometry, the leaf shapes of two Michelia species (i.e., M. cavaleriei var. platypetala, and M. maudiae), were investigated using 60 leaves from each species. Analysis shows that the majority of leaves (118 out of 120) had adjusted root-mean-square errors of < 0.05 for the nonlinear fitting of SE to leaf geometry, i.e., the mean absolute deviation from the polar point to leaf marginal points was smaller than 5% of the radius of a hypothesized circle with its area equaling leaf area. The estimates of n for the two species were ˂ 2, indicating that all sampled leaves conformed to SE and not to EE. This study confirms the existence of SE in leaves, linking this to its potential functional advantages, particularly the possible influence of leaf shape on hydraulic conductance.