Green synthesis of silver nanoparticles using flower extract of Malva sylvestris and investigation of their antibacterial activity

High‐quality colloidal silver nanoparticles (AgNP) were synthesised via a green approach by using hydroalcoholic extracts of Malva sylvestris. Silver nitrate was used as a substrate ion while the plant extract successfully played the role of reducing and stabilising agents. The synthesised nanoparticles were carefully characterised by using transmission electron microscopy, atomic‐force microscopy, energy dispersive X‐ray spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and UV–vis spectroscopy. The maximum absorption wavelengths of the colloidal solutions synthesised using 70 and 96% ethanol and 100% methanol, as extraction solvents, were 430, 485 and 504 nm, respectively. Interestingly, the size distribution of nanoparticles depended on the used solvent. The best particle size distribution belonged to the nanoparticles synthesised by 70% ethanol extract, which was 20–40 nm. The antibacterial activity of the synthesised nanoparticles was studied on Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus and Streptococcus pyogenes using disk diffusion, minimum inhibitory concentrations and minimum bactericidal concentrations assays. The best antibacterial activity obtained for the AgNPs produced by using 96% ethanolic extract.Inspec keywords: silver, nanoparticles, nanofabrication, antibacterial activity, colloids, particle size, transmission electron microscopy, atomic force microscopy, X‐ray chemical analysis, Fourier transform spectra, infrared spectra, ultraviolet spectra, visible spectra, microorganisms, nanomedicine, biomedical materialsOther keywords: Green synthesis, flower extract, Malva sylvestris, antibacterial activity, high‐quality colloidal silver nanoparticles, hydroalcoholic extracts, plant extract, reducing agents, stabilising agents, transmission electron microscopy, atomic‐force microscopy, energy dispersive X‐ray spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, UV– vis spectroscopy, colloidal solutions, particle size distribution, Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus pyogenes, disk diffusion, minimum inhibitory concentrations, minimum bactericidal concentrations assays, ethanolic extract, size 430 nm, size 485 nm, size 504 nm, size 20 nm to 40 nm, Ag     

Real world representation of a road network for route planning in GIS

This paper addresses a methodology to properly represent a road network in the geographic information system (GIS) for network analysis. Over the years, the real world has become too complex to model properly within a given information system, such as GIS. Ideally, when the real world is represented as accurately as possible, a GIS can answer a question in its virtual world that coincides with the exact answer in the real world. However, existing methods related to impedance modeling for each segment of a road network in a route planning analysis that includes only a distance or time variable do not give proper results. Hence, this study investigates how a road network can represent the real world in a GIS and offer route planning tools. To address this, first, additional realistic variables are taken into account. These include weather, sight-seeing information, road type, and so on. Second, to combine these variables, an impedance model (IM) using the analytical hierarchical process (AHP) method is proposed. Finally, all of the models are implemented and verified with a sensitivity analysis. The models were successfully implemented in this work. All of the paths of the route planning analysis were successfully matched with the drivers’ paths that would normally be chosen in reality. It is anticipated that the use of other techniques such as analytical network process (ANP) in addition to AHP would be useful to overcome the aforementioned problem.     

A novel method for voice conversion based on non-parallel corpus

This article puts forward a new algorithm for voice conversion which not only removes the necessity of parallel corpus in the training phase but also resolves the issue of insufficiency of the target speaker’s corpus. The proposed approach is based on one of the new voice conversion models utilizing classical LPC analysis-synthesis model combined with GMM. Through this algorithm, the conversion functions among vowels and demi-syllables are derived. We assumed that these functions are rather the same for different speakers if their genders, accents, and languages are alike. Therefore, we will be able to produce the demi-syllables with just having access to few sentences from the target speaker and forming the GMM for one of his/her vowels. The results from the appraisal of the proposed method for voice conversion clarifies that this method has the ability to efficiently realize the speech features of the target speaker. It can also provide results comparable to the ones obtained through the parallel-corpus-based approaches.     

Nano levels detection of beryllium by a novel beryllium PVC-based membrane sensor based on 2,3,5,6,8,9-hexahydro-1,4,7,10-benzotetra oxacyclododecine-12-carbaldehyde-12-(2,4-dinitrophenyl)hy

A novel poly(vinyl chloride)-based 2,3,5,6,8,9-hexahydro-1,4,7,10-benzotetra oxacyclododecine-12-carbaldehyde-12-(2,4-dinitrophenyl)hy (PBC) with sodium tetraphenyl borate (NaTPB) as an anion excluder, benzyl acetate (BA), acetophenon (AP) and o-nitrophenyloctyl ether (NPOE) as plasticizing solvent mediators was prepared and investigated as a beryllium selective sensor. The best performance was observed with the membrane having the PVC–NaTPB–NPOE–PBC composition 30%:3%:62%:5%, which worked well over a very wide concentration range (1.0×10⁻⁷ M to 1.0×10⁻¹ M). The sensor exhibits a Nernstian slope of 29.9 mV per decade of Be²⁺ activity. The detection limit of the sensor is 7.0×10⁻⁸ M (630 ppt). The proposed electrode shows excellent discriminating ability toward Be²⁺ ion with regard to alkali, alkaline earth, transition and heavy metal ions. It was successfully applied to the determination of beryllium in a mineral sample.     

Synthesis of nano-structured La0.8Ba0.2MnO3 perovskite via a mechano-thermal route

In this study, barium-doped lanthanum manganite, La_0.8Ba_0.2MnO₃, was synthesized via a mechano-thermal route employing high energy ball milling and subsequent heat treatment. The structural evolution, morphology and thermal behaviour of the powders were evaluated using XRD, FESEM, and DTA/TGA, respectively. DTA/TGA results showed that the calcination temperature of the carbonates significantly decreased by increasing the milling time. The results revealed that single phase perovskite was formed at 900 °C in a milled sample for 2 h and this temperature decreased to 600 °C by increasing the milling time to 30 h. The mean crystallite size also decreased from 32 to 20 nm by increasing the milling time from 2 to 30 h. The reaction sequence of La_0.8Ba_0.2MnO₃ formation via the mechano-thermal route is proposed using XRD and DTA/TGA results. FESEM micrographs showed that the mean particle size of the perovskite phase is increased slightly from 30 to 40 nm by increasing the heat treatment temperature from 600 to 900 °C.     

Improvement of time alignment of the speech signals to be used in voice conversion

One of the main applications of time alignment is parallel corpus based voice conversion. In the literature, various methods such as dynamic time warping (DTW) and hidden Markov model have been suggested for time alignment of two speech signals. In this paper, we introduce some modifications to DTW in order to decrease the time alignment error. These modifications are refinement, which is done by exerting a threshold, normalization, and comparisons between the preceding and the following frames to make sound correspondence between two different parallel corpus-based speakers’ speeches. Evaluation of this approach which has been done on some corpus sentences indicates a significant improvement of time alignment. At least about 4% and in some cases 15% decrease of error in comparison with DTW has been achieved.     

Photoluminescence emission of nanoporous anodic aluminum oxide films prepared in phosphoric acid

The photoluminescence emission of nanoporous anodic aluminum oxide films formed in phosphoric acid is studied in order to explore their defect-based subband electronic structure. Different excitation wavelengths are used to identify most of the details of the subband states. The films are produced under different anodizing conditions to optimize their emission in the visible range. Scanning electron microscopy investigations confirm pore formation in the produced layers. Gaussian analysis of the emission data indicates that subband states change with anodizing parameters, and various point defects can be formed both in the bulk and on the surface of these nanoporous layers during anodizing.     

Simultaneous Spectrophotometric Determination of 2-Thiouracil and 2-Mercaptobenzimidazole in Animal Tissue Using Multivariate Calibration Methods: Concerns and Rapid Methods for Detection

ABSTRACT: Two multivariate calibration methods, partial least squares (PLS) and principal component regression (PCR), were applied to the spectrophotometric simultaneous determination of 2-mercaptobenzimidazole (MB) and 2-thiouracil (TU). A genetic algorithm (GA) using partial least squares was successfully utilized as a variable selection method. The concentration model was based on the absorption spectra in the range of 200 to 350 nm for 25 different mixtures of MB and TU. The calibration curve was linear across the concentration range of 1 to 10 μg mL⁻¹ and 1.5 to 15 μg mL⁻¹ for MB and TU, respectively. The values of the root mean squares error of prediction (RMSEP) were 0.3984, 0.1066, and 0.0713 for MB and 0.2010, 0.1667, and 0.1115 for TU, which were obtained using PCR, PLS, and GA-PLS, respectively. Finally, the practical applicability of the GA-PLS method was effectively evaluated by the concurrent detection of both analytes in animal tissues. It should also be mentioned that the proposed method is a simple and rapid way that requires no preliminary separation steps and can be used easily for the analysis of these compounds, especially in quality control laboratories.     

Successful Use of Geoelectrical Surveys in Area 3 of the Gol-e-Gohar Iron Ore Mine,Iran

Geoelectrical surveys were conducted in Area 3 of the Gol-e-Gohar iron ore mine to provide geological and hydrogeological information. Open pit mining is currently underway in the northern part of the Area, and underground mining operations are planned for the southern section. Groundwater has already been encountered in the open pit mine. Twenty five resistivity soundings were first performed in the mine area; then, induced polarization (IP) measurements were carried out to remove ambiguities between clay and water-bearing layers. To investigate fault zones as water conduits, combined resistivity profiling surveys were also carried out. These measurements provided a detailed structural map of the pit area. Resistivity and IP results have subsequently been confirmed by observations at three monitoring wells and the mine pit wall. Monitoring and piezometric wells will be drilled at locations suggested by the results of the geoelectrical surveys. Drainage galleries may be developed to dewater the open pit mine. However, another option being considered is to start the underground mining with the idea that it will initially simply serve as a dewatering mechanism.     

Characterization of the physicochemical and structural evolution of biomass particles during combined pyrolysis and CO2 gasification

The combination of pyrolysis and CO₂ gasification was studied to synergistically improve the syngas yield and biochar quality. The subsequent 60-min CO₂ gasification at 800 °C after pyrolysis increased the syngas yield from 23.4% to 40.7% while decreasing the yields of biochar and bio-oil from 27.3% to 17.1% and from 49.3% to 42.2%, respectively. The BET area of the biochar obtained by the subsequent 60-min CO₂ gasification at 800 °C was 384.5 m²/g, compared to 6.8 m²/g for the biochar obtained by the 60-min pyrolysis at 800 °C, and 1.4 m²/g for the raw biomass. The biochar obtained above 500 °C was virtually amorphous.