Synthesis of keratin spray from chicken feathers for biomedical applications

There is a pressing need to develop wound healing spray that can utilize it for the treatment of skin rebuilding. Wound healing involves the regeneration and tissue repair process with the sequence of molecular and cellular measures that ensue the onset of a tissue lesion to reestablish the damaged tissue. This study aimed to produce the best formulation of keratin-based wound spray which was prepared by varying of the keratin concentration to suit for human nature skin and can be promoted for the wound healing process. A wound-healing bouquet was prepared with keratin as the primary substituent mixed with 2-phenyl ethanol, methyl lactate, and methyl propanediol to rejuvenate the skin effectively. The keratin has been extracted from chicken feathers which have high levels of protein source. Keratinocytes containing keratin migrate from the wound edges to cover the wound during the remedial process. The samples are characterized by Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) to determine the functional groups and Inductively Coupled Plasma-Optical Emission Spectrometry (ICP-OES) for heavy metal analysis. The characteristics of keratin-based wound spray from chicken feather made it an effective wound care product. The pH value of the formulation possesses a little acidic nature (pH 5.56) where is considered an appropriate nature to prevent the growth of bacteria. This wound healing spray gives a suitable domain of cure efficiency to the injured region as they have ideal levels of pH.

A comparative study on the insecticidal property of Bambusa vulgaris and Bambusa malingensis shoot and leaf extract against green leafhopper (Nephotettix virescens)

Rice is considered one of the staple foods in Southeast Asian countries, most especially in the Philippines. There are many factors needed to be considered in growing rice crops: the soil nutrient, the climate, the water supply, and the fertilizer used as a supplement to crop growth. But one important thing that farmers should consider is the infestation of pests, specifically the green leafhoppers, which is the primary carrier of tungro virus. This virus affects the growth and development of rice crops. This study aims to investigate the insecticidal effect of Bambusa vulgaris and Bambusa malingensis shoot and leaves extract against green leafhoppers (Nephotettix virescens). The extract was obtained by the decoction method. Phytochemical analysis of the two bamboo species has been carried out, as it was found out that both of them contains alkaloids, flavonoids, and glycosides. The results showed that both the shoot and leaves extract of Bambusa vulgaris and the shoot extract of Bambusa malingensis have potential insecticidal activity against Nephotettix virescens. Further research is needed to identify other factors that could strengthen the effectiveness of applying the extract to the insect specimen.

The application of the KdV type equation in engineering simulation

Bores propagating in shallow water transform into undular bores and, finally, into trains of solitons. The observed number and height of these undulations and later discrete solitons are strongly dependent on the propagation length of the bore. Empirical results show that the final height of the leading soliton in the far-field is twice the initial mean bore height. The complete disintegration of the initial bore into a train of solitons requires very long propagation, but unfortunately, these required distances are usually not available in experimental tests of nature. Therefore, the analysis of the bore decomposition for experimental data into solitons is complicated and requires different approaches. Previous studies have shown that by applying the nonlinear Fourier transform based on the Ko- rteweg–de Vries equation (KdV-NFT) to bores and long-period waves propagating in constant depth, the number and height of all solitons can be reliably predicted already based on the initial bore-shaped free surface. Against this background, this study presents the systematic analysis of the leading-soliton amplitudes for non-breaking and breaking bores with different strengths in different water depths to validate the KdV-NFT results for non-breaking bores to show the limitations of wave breaking on the spectral results. The analytical results are compared with data from experimental tests, numerical simulations and other approaches from the literature.

Evaluation of cattail characteristics as an invasive wetland plant and biomass usage management for biogas generation

The fossil fuel-based linear economy has many severe drawbacks, including the need for energy security and the resulting environmental degradation. In a new cycle of the bio-economy that is becoming increasingly important, biomass waste has been used to generate energy while reducing pollution and greenhouse gas emissions. The growth of renewable energy will be substantial in the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions in order to achieve the ambitious goal of becoming carbon neutral by the mid-century. It appears that using anaerobic digestion technology to produce methane-rich biogas from biomass has a great deal of potential in this scenario. The cattail fresh and dry biomass substrate with pig wastes as inoculum was tested for biogas production. Cattail's highly complex lignocellulosic structures make it challenging to decompose as a biogas substrate. Alkaline pretreatment is one of the efficient tools in solubilizing lignin. As a result, chemical pretreatment of biomass (2 % sodium hydroxide) was a unique method for increasing biogas generation by reducing complex polymers of lignocellulosic materials into simpler molecules that microorganisms could digest. The fresh and dry biomass substrate added fermenter was produced with 57% and 60% methane, respectively.

Eco-friendly natural rubber latex and modified starch-based adhesive for wood-based panels application- A review

The use of formaldehyde-based synthetic adhesives for the development of wood-based panels has increased rapidly in the industry. Synthetic adhesives are regarded as a threat to human health and a pollutant because they emit formaldehyde's carcinogenic gas. The breakthrough has prompted to seek for a long-term solution to the formaldehyde threat with natural resources. There has been a significant rise in bio-based adhesive technology and development in the wood-based panel industry. The current review article is intended to present the potentials and the drawbacks of the development of bio-adhesives from sustainable resources such as natural rubber latex (NRL) and starch. This review also discussed the chemical modification and crosslinkers of starch to improve water resistance and adhesion properties. Moreover, this article discusses the compatibility of modified rice starch and NRL for their conclusive applications as wood-based panels adhesive. The findings suggested that bio-based adhesives could replace more synthetic-based adhesives with comparable performance in the near future.

Transformation of lignocellulose from corn stove for bioethanol production

The use of fossil fuels, as well as the environmental issues associated with their burning, has pushed for the development of clean, renewable energy sources. Biofuels made from lignocellulosic biomass are considered a carbon-neutral and sustainable method. As the demand for non-petroleum fuels grows, more attention will be placed on developing a cost-competitive liquid transportation biofuel like ethanol. This study was conducted to produce bioethanol utilizing the SHF (separate hydrolysis and fermentation) technique from corn stove lignocellulose. Pretreatment with sodium hydroxide at various concentrations was also studied. The influence of enzymatic saccharification, fermentation time, and substrate concentration on sugar yield and, eventually, ethanol production was investigated. Fermentation was carried out by using the enzymatically saccharified hydrolysate and monoculture of Saccharomyces cerevisiae. The results reveal that pretreatment with 2% NaOH followed by 48 hours of hydrolysis produced the maximum bioethanol production (30.21 ±0.13 g/L). This study findings indicated that alkali-pretreated corn stove might be used as a feedstock for bioethanol production, reducing reliance on fossil fuels.

Biodiesel (Methyl Esters)

Biodiesel, an environmentally friendly biomass-based fuel, is gaining popularity globally as a cost-effective way to meet rising fuel demand. However, the high cost of raw materials and catalysts continues to drive up biodiesel production. An alternative feedstock with a heterogeneously catalyzed reaction could be the most cost-effective way to stabilize industrial biodiesel growth. Understanding these issues led to the idea of using waste palm oil as a feedstock for biodiesel production. While using waste materials as feedstock for biodiesel is an elegant solution, converting high free fatty acids (FFA) directly into methyl esters has some drawbacks. High FFA processes (acid esterification, then base transesterification) are costly. The commercial processes currently use a homogeneous system with sulfuric acid to catalyze both esterification and transesterification. However, heterogeneous solid acid catalysts are preferred over hazardous mineral acids for high FFA esterification because they are less corrosive, produce less waste, and are easier to separate from reactants and products by filtration, recovery, and reusability. Heterogeneous acid catalysts can also simultaneously catalyze transesterification and esterification reactions. Thus, new waste-based support for heterogeneous catalysts (solid acid catalysts) is required to convert waste oils into biodiesel.

Towards a sustainable approach for the development of biodiesel microalgae, Closterium sp.

As fossil fuels are the principal source for the automobile and energy sectors, global warming and a rapid decrease in their availability are seen. Alternative fuels that are sustainable, renewable, and eco-friendly are widely investigated in order to maintain an aesthetic environment and combat fossil fuel depletion. Biofuels have the ability to both reduce pollution and provide energy. This study focuses on the extraction of oil from freshwater microalgae, Closterium sp. algae using the Soxhlet extraction process for biodiesel production. Oils are extracted from dry microalgae biomass and used in biodiesel production using solvent (hexane and acetone) extraction. With the help of solvents and catalysts, the extracted oil undergoes transesterification, which transforms it to biodiesel. Closterium sp. oil extraction using hexane and acetone yielded 7.8 and 5.6 g, respectively, as well as biodiesel was achieved 6.4 and 4.1 g. In the near future, this would be a revolutionary approach to produce cost-effective biodiesel from microalgae. Moreover, in this research article, Closterium sp. biotechnology for biodiesel production developments and prospects are discussed.

Performance of cylindrical parabolic solar collector with the tracking system

A parabolic solar collector collects the radiant energy emitted from the sun and focuses on a point. Parabolic trough collectors are the low-cost implementation of concentrated solar power technology that focuses incident sunlight onto a tube filled with a heat transfer fluid. However, the fundamental problem with the cylindrical parabolic collector without tracking was that the solar collector does not move with the sun's orientation. The development of an automatic tracking system for cylindrical parabolic collectors will increase solar collection and the efficiency of devices. The present study of this project work presents an experimental platform based on the design, development, and performance characteristic of water heating by tracking solar cylindrical parabolic concentrating system. The tracking mechanism is to be made by stepper motor arrangement to receive the maximum possible energy of solar radiation as it tracks the sun's path. The performance of the parabolic trough collectors is experimentally investigated with the water circulated as heat transfer fluid. The collector efficiency is calculated.

Waste to wealth: A sustainable circular bioeconomy approach of chicken manure powder for increasing productivity of Lanchester’s freshwater prawn (Macrobrachium lanchesteri)

A biorefinery is ideal because it can combine many processes to produce multiple bio-products from organic solid waste. Moreover, in view of socially rising energy demands and biodiversity conservation, biorefinery contributed as a sustainable strategic tool for the emerging circular bio-economy. In this research objective was to study some techniques to increase the productivity of Lanchester’s freshwater prawn in earthen ponds. The experiment using a completely randomized design was conducted. In six Nattearthen ponds, different amounts of chicken manure were applied to produce different amounts of phytoplankton (green algae). The first pond was control, then, the 2nd to 6th ponds were applied with chicken manure in 30, 60, 90, 120 and 150 kg/rai/week, respectively. The prawns were fed twice daily with 5% of total body weight using 40% protein diet. The results of the study showed that feeding with different densities of phytoplankton (green algae) affected the productivity of Lanchester's freshwater prawn significantly. The highest productivity of Lanchester's freshwater prawn was 566.30 ±4.88 g from the pond applied with chicken manure of 120 kg/rai/week. The productivity of Lanchester’s freshwater prawn applied with 90, 30, 60, 150 and 0 kilograms/rai/week of chicken manure was 416.53 ± 9.89, 295.43 ± 5.46, 281.13 ± 4.63, 275.39±4.78 and 265.86 ±4.79 g, respectively. In conclusion, the effect of different densities of phytoplankton (green algae) increased the productivity of Lanchester's freshwater prawn (Macrobrachium lanchesteri).