Human scabies, a highly contagious parasitic skin infestation caused by Sarcoptes scabiei var. hominis mites, spreads rapidly through interpersonal contact. This study employed an integrated network pharmacology and molecular docking approach to identify shared therapeutic targets of seven structurally diverse Amaryllidaceae alkaloids (1-7) and evaluate their anti-scabies potential. A scabies-associated protein network was constructed, revealing interleukin-6 as the highest-degree node and a pivotal therapeutic target, alongside caspase-3. Subsequent molecular docking analyses assessed the binding affinities and interaction stability of two promising alkaloids, narcissidine methyl ether (2) and crinine (3), with IL-6 and glutathione S-transferase (GST). Narcissidine methyl ether demonstrated the strongest binding affinity to IL-6 (Delta G = -4.618 kcal/mol), while both compounds exhibited notable interactions with GST (Delta G = -5.917 and -4.885 kcal/mol, respectively). Computational screening confirmed their adherence to Lipinski's and Veber's rules, indicating favorable druglikeness properties. In vitro and in vivo experiments revealed significant acaricidal activity, with narcissidine methyl ether showing potent scabicidal effects. Histopathological evaluation of treated rabbit models demonstrated marked improvement in ear auricle skin architecture three weeks post-treatment, supporting the therapeutic efficacy of both compounds. These findings highlight narcissidine methyl ether and crinine as promising anti-scabietic drugs, offering a foundation for future preclinical studies.

Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is a widespread highly malignant type of lung cancer. Conventional chemotherapeutic drugs may be accompanied by both drug resistance and serious side effects in patients. Therefore, safer and more effective medications are urgently needed for the treatment of NSCLC. This study investigates the mode of action of 21 phytoconstituents previously isolated from the Amaryllidaceous plants Crinum bulbispermum (Burm.f.), Pancratium maritimum L., and Hippeastrum vittatum Herbert alongside the Asteraceous plant Centaurea scoparia Sieb. for therapy of NSCLC via in vitro cytotoxic, network pharmacology, and molecular docking analyses. Despite the in vitro and in vivo cytotoxic studies carried out on phytoconstituents from these plants in treating numerous cancer types, scarce information documenting their cytotoxic activity towards NSCLC cells is available. First, the compounds were tested for their in vitro cytotoxic activities and selectivity on human non-small cell lung cancer cells using disk diffusion assay. Compounds having significant potencies were promoted for network pharmacology analysis. Pharm mapper, Genecards, STRING, and KEGG databases were utilized for surfing target genes and pathways for these compounds, while for construction of compound-target-pathway (C-T-P) network, Cytoscape 3.7.1. freeware was used. Molecular docking and dynamics simulation were run for the top hit constituents against the most enriched molecular targets followed by in silico ADMET studies using Schrodinger® suite and Gromacs. In vitro cytotoxicity testing demonstrated that crinamine was the most potent compound followed by lycorine, hemanthidine, and haemanthamine. The network pharmacology approach revealed the enrichment of acetyllycoramine, pluviine, 5-hydroxy-7-methoxy-2-methylchromone, and ismine. Whereas, androgen receptor (AR), epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), and estrogen-sensitive receptor alpha (ESR1) were the most enriched target genes. Pathway analysis revealed that central carbon metabolism, EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitor endocrine resistance, and non-small cell lung cancer were the most enriched cancer-related pathways. Ismine possessed the most stable ligand-protein interactions when docked to the three proteins, with MD simulations further confirming its strong and consistent binding to AR, moderate stability with ESR-1, and lower stability with EGFR over the 100 ns trajectory. ADMET study conducted on the above compounds confirmed their excellent drug-likeness properties, oral bioavailability, and safety profiles highlighting the need for some structural modifications to pluviine to enhance its oral bioavailability. These integrated approaches showed that some constituents from the investigated plants interact synergistically against non-small cell lung cancer-related genes and pathways.

Using ab-initio DFT based simulations, the hydrogen storage capacity of transition metal (TM = Ni, Pd) decorated doped germanium carbide nanotubes (GeCNTs) with heteroatoms (B, N, Ga, and As) has been examined. The study reveals that each Ni atom bonded on GeCB, GeCN, GeCGa, and GeCAs can attach at the most of 3H(2), 2H(2), 4H(2), and 5H(2) molecules with an average binding energy of -.36, -.40, -.32, and -.37 eV/H-2, respectively. When doped GeCNTs are fully decorated with Ni atoms, their gravimetric hydrogen storage capacities are around 4.05, 2.73, 5.38, and 6.57 wt%, respectively. The desorption temperature of the systems is 460, 511, 404, and 473 K, respectively. When doped GeCNTs are fully decorated with Pd atoms, their gravimetric hydrogen storage capacities are around 2.07, 3.07, 4.05, and 3.07 wt%, respectively. These findings demonstrate that doped-GeC adorned with Pd does not satisfy US DOE hydrogen storage requirements. The molecular dynamic (MD) calculations are utilized to examine the stability of the considered structures. The results demonstrate that Ni-adorned GeCAs are a suitable material for hydrogen storage, which will motivate scientists to fabricate GeCAs-based fuel cell devices.

AbstractThis research aims to produce green cement, as an alternative to traditional cement, with outstanding performance. Five alkali-activated cement pastes were fabricated based on NaOH-activation of slag (GGBFS), bypass (B), and/or silica fume (S). Codes of five pastes are C, C-20B, C-30B, C-10B10S, and C-20B10S, as C is the control paste containing 100% slag. The compressive strength of the fabricated pastes was measured at different curing regimes: Conventional curing for 3 months and autoclave curing at 4 bar/153◦C, 7 bar/178◦C, and 10 bar/198◦C for 4 h. XRD, TGA/DTG, SEM/EDX, and BET/BJH techniques were utilized to clarify the phase development, morphological and texture features of the formed alkali-activated composite pastes. Besides, the removal capacity of some pastes for methylene blue and indigo-carmine dyes from aqueous media was evaluated. The results confirmed that C and C10B10S (80%GGBFS + 10%B + 10%S) pastes have significant mechanical properties and distinctive meso-porosity that can remove both anionic and cationic dyes.

Regarding the serious environmental and economic risks caused by the cement industry, this research aims to produce alternative green building materials with outstanding performance that contribute to reducing the carbon-footprint. Four NaOH-activated slag (S) pastes were fabricated with different individual dispersed doses of chromia nanoparticles; S, S-Cr0.25, S-Cr0.5, and S-Cr1). alpha-Cr2O3 nanoparticles (eskolaite phase coded as Cr) have been synthesized using a commercial precursor. The pastes were subjected to various tests, including compressive strength up to 90-days, fire resistivity up to 900 oC, gamma ray attenuation using different isotopes (137Cs and 60Co), in addition to antimicrobial activity test. Results showed that S-Cr0.5 paste performed significantly in most tests, with a compressive strength of 73 MPa after 90 days and improved resistance to gamma rays and microbial growth. The catalytic efficacy of chromia nanoparticles was confirmed using XRD, TGA/DTG, SEM/EDX analysis via the detection of additional binding phases. Agar diffusion test confirmed that the inclusion of chromia nanoparticles enhanced self-cleaning performance of the modified alkali-activated discs against various microbes such as Staphylococcus aureus-ATCC 6538), Aspergillus flavus and Mucor circinelloide.

Building constructions are vulnerable to a major financial loss due to the dangerous degrading process of steel corrosion in reinforced concrete, which requires frequent repairs. This study examined the durability of steel cement-based covers and steel corrosion in two severe media, NaCl and MgSO4. The degree of penetration of these harmful ions was determined by monitoring the mechanical properties and porosity profile (using the N2-adsorption/desorption technique) of cement-based steel covers made from OPC and fine metakaolin (FMK) reinforced by micro-titania (MT). Additionally, after the immersed steels were exposed to solutions containing 7% NaCl and 7% MgSO4 for four months, the steel corrosion rates (CR, mpy) were assessed. The results demonstrated that blending OPC by FMK up to 30% could develop mechanical properties similar to plain OPC at later hydration periods of 28 and 90 days. XRD and TGA/DSC analyses connected this behavior to the emergence of novel phases, namely strätlingite and hydrogarnet, in OPC/FMK combinations. Better mechanical performance was demonstrated by blended mixes containing between 1% and 3% MT in all curing media. The replacement of OPC with 30% FMK in the presence of 3% MT resulted in significant changes in the porous system from macro to meso-nature, as confirmed by the BET and BJH models. Under normal, sulphate, and chloride curing, respectively, the maximum pore diameters (dpmax) decreased by 66.19%, 78.40%, and 79.14%. When CSH clusters were observed under a scanning electron microscope (SEM), they seemed to be symmetrical and organized, similar to floral crystals. This development is partially attributed to micro TiO2. Based on CR values, it was found that steel corrosion was higher in MgSO4 solutions than in NaCl solutions. Steel coverings made of OPC/FMK composites with 3% MT were able to reduce CR by 65.8% in MgSO4 solutions and by 56% in NaCl solutions.

According to the sustainability concept, this work developed a green geopolymeric composite (Geo) prepared by mingling 50 wt%slag+ 50 wt%brick-waste (BW) as an alternative eco-friendly and low-cost cementitious material. The main target of this study is to fnd a solution to the problem of poor characteristics of binding materials containing high proportions of BW; most previous studies recommended using only 10-20 wt%BW. The compressive-strength results showed that replacing slag with 50 wt% BW reduced the strength from 47 to 24.6 MPa at normal curing conditions for 28-days, referring to the detrimental impact of BW on mechanical performance. In an endeavour to enhance the mechanical performance of this composite, different doses from laboratory-prepared tungsten oxide nanoparticles (0.25, 0.5, 1 wt%WO3-NPs) and hydrothermal curing at various steam-pressure/periods were used. From an economic point of view, hydrothermally treated Geo-paste modified with 0.25 wt%WO3-NPs at 3 bar/4hrs was selected as an ideal composition/curing-conditions; the compressive-strength reached 54.5 MPa exceeding the standard limit of Portland cement (42.5 MPa). This clearly shows the synergistic role of using WO3-NPs and hydrothermal curing to enhance the compressive-strength, which was confirmed using different analysis techniques. XRD, TGA/DTG and SEM/mapping proved that the catalytic performance of WO3-NPs/hydrothermal-curing participates in augmenting binding hydrates, creating a cubic-stable-phase of tricalcium-aluminate-hydrate (C3AH6) and different types of zeolitic-like structure (spherical Zeolite-NaP, rods analcime and stacked-plates cancrinite). To maximize the benefits of employing WO3-NPs in the developed composites, their anti-microbial activity was studied. The measured inhibition zone around specimens containing WO3-NPs proved that these composites have a superior self-cleaning efficiency against Candida albicans, Mucor circinelloides, Salmonella typhi and Staphylococcus aureus due to the WO3- NPs' photocatalytic activity

In an attempt to maintain the sustainable development goals in the construction sector via reducing the rawmaterials/energy consumption and greenhouse-gas emissions related to cement production, a green nanomodified slag/bentonite-based alkali-activated material was developed. Firstly, the green composites were prepared by mixing slag and bentonite with a ratio of 2:1. Several factors like NaOH-concentration (6, 8, 10 wt %); thermal treatment of bentonite (as-received "RB" and thermally treated at 650 degrees C "TB"); curing conditions (normal-curing for 3 and 28-days as well as hydrothermal-curing at 3, 6, 9, 15 bar for 4 h) and meso-porous tungsten oxide nano-particles "WO3-NPs" inclusion (0.25, 0.5 and 1 wt%) were studied to assign the optimum conditions for fabricating composites with adequate mechanical properties and radiation-shielding ability. The mechanical performance and radiation shielding were evaluated by measuring the compressive-strengths and linear attenuation coefficient "mu"/ half value layer "HVL" using 137Cs, respectively. The results reveal the feasibility of using 8 wt% NaOH, TB, hydrothermal-curing at 3 bar/4 h and 0.5 wt% WO3-NPs in fabricating lowcost/pre-cast/environmentally friendly building material with superior compressive-strength (53.6 MPa). Also, the radiation shielding results substantiate that this developed composite achieved adequate mu and HVL values, referring to its efficiency as a radiation-blocker. The synergistic impact of alkali-hydrothermal-activation, the high pozzolanicity of TB and the nucleation-site/potential-seeds effect of WO3-NPs are the main reasons behind forming strength-giving-phases from stratlingite, hydrogarnet, analcime and pentasil zeolitic phase (ZSM-5), as proved by X-ray diffraction (XRD), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA/DTG) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The presence of such phases reinforced the microstructure, thus improving the mechanical performance and radiation shielding capability.

Egypt occupies a great position in the marble and cement industries in the Middle East. Therefore, marble waste has become a source of environmental nuisance while the cement industry represents environmental and economic threats due to carbon-foot print and energy consumption. Hence, the main objective behind this work is to produce smart cementitious materials based on recycling a large amount of volatile silica (VS as a source of silica) and marble sludge powder (MSP as a source of calcium) in addition to the inclusion of low-cost/small doses of mesoporous hematite nanoparticles (MPH) which controlled in the final performance of hardened composites such as compressive strength, thermal stability, gamma radiation shielding, and antimicrobial activity. It was found that replacing OPC with 20% industrial waste (10%VS +10%MSP) led to trivial decrease in the compressive strength value, from 67.8 to 64.5 MPa, at 28-days of normal curing. A turning point was observed after the individual inclusion of 0.25, 0.5, and 1 mass% of MPH nanoparticles to the prepared blend (80%OPC+10%VS+10%MSP) as the strength values increased from 64.5 to 70.5, 74.3, and 80 MPa, respectively. After 28 days of hydration, all composite pastes were exposed to elevated temperatures at 250, 550, and 850 degrees C (for 3hrs). The outcomes indicated the highest thermal resistivity for the nano-blend containing 1% MPH (coded C20-1MPH). XRD, TGA/DTGA, and SEM/EDX techniques detected various types/morphologies of hydration products. Furthermore, the agar diffusion test confirmed that more developed antimicrobial performance against Bacillus Subtilis, Klebsiella, Aspergillus niger, and Aspergillus fumigatus, has been attained via the cementitious discs containing C20-1MPH composite. The results of radiation shielding affirmed that C20-1MPH hardened composite, at 28 days of hydration, possessed the highest linear attenuation coefficients (mu= 0.14047 +/- 0.0016 cm(-1) and 0.10175 +/- 0.0026 cm(-1)) whatever the type of gamma radiation source (Cs-137 or Co-60).

This study created green multifunctional geopolymeric sorbent material with strong cationic dye adsorption capacity and superior mechanical strength to broaden lead sludge (LS)-based geopolymer applications. In this study, two geopolymeric sorbents (Go and G) were fabricated using slag blended with 0 and 50 wt.% LS, respectively and activated with 6 wt.% NaOH. The Go and G specimens were normally cured for up to 28 days, while G specimens were hydrothermally cured at different steam-pressures to modify/improve histological characteristics as well as mechanical resistance. The selected sorbents were characterized via XRD, FTIR, TGA/DTG, XPS, N2-adsorption/desorption and SEM/EDX techniques. G/5bar's high strength and adsorption capacity may be due to the production of CSH, CAH, CASH, and NASH, which formed a fine mesoporous zeolitic structure with the highest BET-surface area (64.55m2/g) and lowest BJH-maximum pore diameter (9.68nm). The maximum MB adsorption capacity of the synthesized adsorbent was 230.4 mg/g.

In the sol-gel method, nano-materials are obtained by the calcination of the produced hydroxide, which represents several drawbacks, such as high toxicity, high cost and high energy consumption. Therefore, for the first time, β-Ni(OH)2 was used instead of nano-NiO to develop green geopolymeric composites with high-dose radiation tolerance. The mix-design was formulated using slag and fly ash (1:1) activated with 5 wt% NaOH and modified with 0.5, 1 and 2 wt% β-Ni(OH)2. The fresh properties were investigated. It was found that increasing the β-Ni(OH)2 dose reduces workability (mini-slump test) with a slight increase in density. A compressive strength test was performed for all specimens before (cured for 28-days) and after exposure to different radiation doses (100, 200 and 300 KGy). Electron-beam and gamma-ray were used as various sources of radiation. The results demonstrated that incorporating β-Ni(OH)2 in the non-irradiated and irradiated composites enhanced their performance at all additional levels. The irradiation process by electron-beam and gamma-ray positively impacts the compressive strength at all radiation doses, especially at 200 KGy. The highest compressive strength was achieved by the specimen containing 0.5 wt% β-Ni(OH)2 (67.3 MPa at 28-days, 88 MPa at 200KGy/electron-beam and 76.5 MPa at 200KGy/gamma-ray). The XRD, TGA/DTG and SEM analysis techniques proved that the synergistic impact of β-Ni(OH)2 (high reactivity and filling/catalytic impact) and irradiation process (activation unreacted precursors) motivate the formation of new binding phases such as NiAl2O4, CaNiSi2O6 and analcime as well as ordering zeolitic phases in cross-linked structure, causing improvement in the performance.

Generation of green geopolymer pastes that are based on a 1:1 slag/fly ash ratio (Geo) is the main objective of this study owing to the limited production of cementitious slag in Egypt. Different doses of ZnO and Zn-Al-CO3 layered double hydroxide (LDH) were individually incorporated in geopolymer pastes to attain our aim and are coded Geo, Geo-0.5 %ZnO, Geo-1 %ZnO, Geo-0.5 %LDH, and Geo-1 %LDH. Setting times of fresh pastes and compressive strength of hardened pastes up to 28-days of conventional alkali-activation have been measured. Setting times of fresh pastes and compressive strength of hardened pastes up to 28-days of conventional alkaliactivation have been measured. The results confirmed that adding ZnO and LDH NPs to the neat geopolymeric paste (Geo) significantly accelerated the setting process within 7-23 mins, especially for samples Geo-1 %ZnO and Geo-1 %LDH with 7/17 and 8.4/17.5 min., respectively. On the other hand, mechanical results indicated that pastes containing zinc oxide had poor compressive strength, especially in the early stages while 0.5 % LDH nanoparticles had a positive role as the strength values reached 8.9, 40, 60 MPa at 1, 7, and 28 days of curing, respectively. This behaviour is attributed to creating different types of zinc/silicon-containing phases like zincalumino-silicate-hydrates (Z-A-S-H, Zn6Al12Si12O48.29H2O), zinc-silicate-hydroxide-hydrate (Z-S-H, Zn4Si2O7(OH)2 & sdot;H2O) and calcium-zinc-silicate (CaZnSi2O6) which detected by XRD. Moreover, TGA and SEM techniques affirmed the catalytic performance of LDH nanoparticles inside the geopolymeric structure as extra quantities of CSH, CASH, and C3AH6 have been generated. Anti-fungal activity test for some selected geopolymeric pastes was conducted via agar diffusion test (ASTMD4300-1). Geo-0.5 % ZnO and Geo-0.5 %LDH samples possessed the highest recorded inhibition zones against Aspergillus Niger and Mucor Circinelloid -AUMMC 11656, especially against Penicillium Glabrum-OP69417 with 51+1, and 67+2, respectively.

Background: Due to improved survival of extremely low-birth-weight (ELBW) infants, the frequency of bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) has remained unchanged or even increased. Objective: To study the frequency as well as the perinatal and neonatal risk factors of moderate-to-severe BPD and its related mortality in low-birth-weight (LBW) infants in a single-center study over 5 years in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA). Methods: A total of 461 LBW infants’ files with gestational age (GA) ≤ 32 weeks that met the inclusion criteria were retrospectively reviewed. Maternal and neonatal characteristics were evaluated. Furthermore, the hospital course of management of LBW infants and outcomes of mortality and morbidity were recorded. Results: The overall mortality rate in LBW and ELBW infants was 19.52% and 38.62%, respectively. At 36 weeks’ corrected GA, the total BPD frequency in LBW and ELBW infants was 9.87% and 32%, respectively. BPD(+) cases had a lower mean GA and birth weight than BPD(-) cases, 26 ± 2.68 weeks, 830 ± 340 grams and 29 ± 2.56 weeks, 1,395 ± 470 grams, respectively (p < 0.0001). The BPD(+) group had a significantly higher maternal chorioamnionitis infection rate, 8/39 (20.51%), than the BPD(-) group, 25/356 (7.02%) (p = 0.004), higher late-onset sepsis (11 [28.21%] and 54 [15.17%], p = 0.04). BPD(+) cases had a significantly higher risk of intubation in the delivery room, more frequently more than one dose of pulmonary surfactant, more invasive ventilation on day 1 and day 7, more days on oxygen therapy, more days on invasive and non-invasive ventilatory support, more days of hospitalization (115.41 ± 92.14 days compared to 43.72 ± 27.98 days in BPD[-]; all p < 0.0001). Conclusion: ELBW infants had a 2-fold higher rate of mortality and a 3-fold higher rate of BPD, compared with LBW infants. The frequency of BPD increased with low GA/birth weight and BPD(+) cases had a higher risk for intubation in the delivery room, received more frequently more than one dose of pulmonary surfactant, remained for more days on either invasive or non-invasive ventilatory support, and had longer hospital stays.

BACKGROUND:Guidelines recommend non-invasive ventilatory (NIV) support as first-line respiratory support mode in preterm infants as NIV is superior to intubation and mechanical ventilation in preventing death or bronchopulmonary dysplasia. However, with an ever-expanding variety of NIV modes available, there is much debate about which NIV modality should ideally be used, how, and when. The aims of this work were to summarise the evidence on different NIV modalities for both primary and secondary respiratory support: nCPAP, nasal high-flow therapy (nHFT), and nasal intermittent positive airway pressure ventilation (nIPPV), bi-level positive airway pressure (BiPAP), nasal high-frequency oscillatory ventilation (nHFOV), and nasally applied, non-invasive neurally adjusted ventilatory assist (NIV-NAVA) modes, with particular focus on their use in preterm infants. SUMMARY:This is a narrative review with reference to published guidelines by European Consensus Guidelines on the Management of Respiratory Distress Syndrome: 2022 Update. nCPAP is currently the most commonly used primary and secondary NIV modality for premature infants. However, there is increasing evidence on the superiority of nIPPV over nCPAP. No beneficial effect was found for BiPAP over nCPAP. For the use of nHFT, nHFOV, and NIV-NAVA, more studies are needed to establish their place in neonatal respiratory care. KEY MESSAGES:The superiority of nIPPV over nCPAP needs to be confirmed by contemporaneous trials comparing nCPAP to nIPPV at comparable mean airway pressures. Future trials should study NIV modalities in preterm infants with comparable respiratory pathology and indications, at comparable pressure settings and with different modes of synchronisation. Importantly, future trials should not exclude infants of the smallest gestational ages.

Although including wurtzite (ZnO) in cementitious materials significantly enhances gamma-radiation mitigation, its use is not recommended as it excessively prolongs the setting time and negatively affects the early strength. Hence, this study attempts to address these issues while enhancing radiation-shielding by including Zn-Al-CO3 layered double hydroxide (LDH) as an alternative for ZnO. Wurtzite and LDH nanoparticles were laboratoryprepared via the co-precipitation method; their specific surface areas were found to be 2290 and 65483 cm2/ g, respectively, referring to the high reactivity of LDH. Five pastes were prepared; alkali-activated slag was used as a control specimen (0 wt% nanoparticles), while the others contained 0.5 and 1 wt% ZnO or LDH. The comparative study showed that incorporating Zn-phase as LDH solved the abovementioned problems. The setting time of LDH-modified specimens fits in the standard limit (50-375 mins), while others contain ZnO exceed this limit. The inclusion of 0.5 wt%LDH showed a remarkable enhancement in mechanical performance; compressive-strength values increased by 36.2 and 31.1 % concerning the control specimen after 1 and 28-days, respectively. In contrast, the same dose of ZnO reduced strength by 26.3 and 13 %. Moreover, the LDH-modified specimens displayed the highest linear-attenuation coefficient and lowest half-value layer when exposed to two gamma-ray sources (Co-60 and Cs-137). The X-ray diffraction, thermogravimetric analysis and scanning electron microscope proved that the formation of Zn(OH)2 in the ZnO-modified specimens is the main reason behind high retardation and reduction in compressive-strength. The filling/active-seeds/chemical-reactivity actions of LDH resulted from its high surface area, forming a high amount from different strength-giving-phases (compact structure) in the LDH-modified specimens.

The significant negative impact of embedding nano-ZnO in cementitious materials on setting-time and compressive-strength limited its application despite its remarkable self-cleaning properties. Therefore, this study presents a proposal to employ nano-ZnAl2O4-spinel instead of nano-ZnO in an attempt to eliminate such defects while maintaining self-cleaning behaviour. Seven mixes were prepared: alkali-activated slag (AAS, control, 0wt.%nano-particles), while other specimens were modified with 0.25, 0.5 and 1wt.% nano-ZnO or nano-ZnAl2O4-spinel. The results proved the efficacy of nano-ZnAl2O4-spinel in shortening setting-time and improving the compressive-strength at early/later ages compared to nano-ZnO. The AAS-modified with 0.5wt.%nano-ZnAl2O4-spinel (optimum dose) have an acceptable setting-time (within standard limit) and the highest compressive-strength in between AAS (control) and other modified with nano-ZnO. The XRD showed that forming Zn(OH)2 (isolated-barrier) and zinc-alumino-silicate-hydrate is the reason behind the retardation effect and inadequate compressive strength of AAS-modified with nano-ZnO. The TGA/DTG and SEM clarified that the filling/nucleation-site/reactivity effects (high surface-area) of nano-ZnAl2O4-spinel cause generating a massive amount from various strength-giving-phases that form compact structures. Regarding the antimicrobial activity, the specimens containing nano-ZnAl2O4-spinel have a superior bacterial resistivity similar to others containing nano-ZnO. Finally, it is concluded that nano-ZnAl2O4-spinel is preferred to nano-ZnO in developing self-cleaning binding materials with acceptable fresh/hardened properties.

The main goal behind this research is to produce antimicrobial cementitious composites with acceptable mechanical characteristics based on de-aluminated metakaolin waste (DAK) and commercial titania. Two cementitious blends have been prepared: OPC containing 50%DAK and OPC containing 45%DAK +5% TiO2 NPs. Regarding curing time and cost, these blends were treated under two different curing regimes: normal curing under tap water for up to 28-days at room temperature and hydrothermal curing at various steam pressures of up to 12 bars. Compared with the reference paste (OPC/28days), compressive strength test, phases identification, morphology, textural characteristics, and microbial resistivity test were conducted. It was found that the normal cured cementitious composite containing titania NPs possessed the highest strength (88 MPa) compared with reference (80 MPa) and OPC+50%DAK (58 MPa). On the other hand, the strength value for cementitious composite modified with TiO2 NPs reached 96 MPa under autoclave curing at 4 bars for 8 h and became 61.6 MPa for OPC+50%DAK. XRD and TGA/DTG techniques confirmed the formation of binding hydrates (C-S-Hs, C-A-S-Hs and C-A-Hs) under different curing conditions. SEM/EDX indicated stacked plates, fibers, and rods of C-S-Hs under hydrothermal treatment. N2-adsorption/desorption technique revealed that autoclaving conditions significantly reduced the pore diameter of the prepared blends. Two fungi strains (Mucor-circinelloide and Aspergillus-terreus) and two bacteria strains (Gram PositiveBacillus subtilis-ATCC6633, Gram negative-K. pneumonia-ATCC13883) were used to conduct a self-cleaning test. According to the agar diffusion test, high inhibition zones were observed for normally cured OPC-50%DAK and OPC-45%DAK-5%TiO2 pastes. (c) 2023 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/).

Ethyl acetate fraction column chromatographic analysis was used to isolate eleven compounds (numerically tagged 1–10) from Cassia occidentalis L. in this study. Two unique metabolites, including a neolignan compound designated as occidentalignan I (9) and a flavonoidal glycoside, chrysin-7-O-α-L-rhamnopyranosyl (10), were identified, while silybin A (8) was the first flavonolignan to be isolated from the Fabaceae family. Four compounds, including β-sitosterol-3-O-β-D-glucopyranoside (1), stigmasterol-3-O-β-D-glucopyranoside (2), betulinic acid (3), and vanillic acid (4) were isolated from C. occidentalis for the first time. In addition, four known compounds, cinnamic acid (5), p-hydroxybenzoic acid (6), β- resorcylic acid (7), and citric acid (11), were also detected. The in-vitro cytotoxicity assessment of the methanolic extract of C. occidentalis on seven cancer cell lines, including A-549, Colo-205, Huh-7, HCT-116, PANC-1, SKOV-3, and BNL, demonstrated its selective potent cytotoxicity on lung cancer cells without affecting normal BNL cells. In contrast, the methanolic extract showed moderate activity on Colo-205 and Huh-7 and nearly no activity on HCT-116, PANC-1, and SKOV-3 cell lines. These results suggest that the methanolic extract of C. occidentalis is an excellent candidate with potential antiproliferative activity against lung cancer; however, further studies are necessary to clarify its mechanism of action.

Despite the many environmental and economic advantages resulting from the disposal of sludge containing heavy metals in the fabrication of cementitious materials, using a high quantity of these wastes negatively affects the fresh and hardened properties of developed composites. The previous literature proved that lead sludge (LS) from glass manufacturing elongated the setting time and reduced the workability and compressive strength as it contains a large amount of organic matter that adsorbs a high amount of water and hinders the hydration process. Therefore, the main target of this study is trying to find the best methods to enhance the rheological behavior, setting time and mechanical properties of geopolymeric composites containing 50%slag+50%LS (coded: G) via making a comparative study between the effect of adding two doses from naphthalene-based superplasticizer (0.25 and 0.5 wt% NB-SP, coded G-0.25 and G-0.5, respectively) and replacing the LS with thermally-treated one (LS-500, coded G-500). The results indicated that using LS-500 instead of adding NB-SP greatly impacted the improvement of fresh and hardened properties. It was found that the plastic viscosity values were 0.75, 0.63, 0.49 and 0.36 Pa s, while yield stress values were 47.66, 26.38, 19.97 and 3.99 Pa for G, G-0.25, G-0.5 and G-500, respectively. On the other hand, the composite containing NB-SP with LS delayed the setting time until it exceeded the permissible limits (between 45 and 375 min); therefore, they are not valid for in-situ applications. Meanwhile, the initial/final setting time of the G-500 composite was 233/345 min. At 28-days, G-500 has a compressive strength higher than G, G-0.25 and G-0.5 by 28.6, 66.7 and 104.5%, respectively. These outcomes were matched with the thermal analysis technique (TGA/DTG) as the percentages of binding hydrates (CSHs, CASHs and CAHs) for G, G-0.5 and G-500 were 4.85, 2.54 and 7.61%, respectively. Moreover, the alkali-activation of the G-500 composite created a zeolitic-like phase as well as Pb3SiO5, which was detected via XRD and SEM techniques. According to the immobilization test (TCLP), the Pb-concentrations in the leachate solutions of G-0.5 and G-500 composites were 11.5 and 2 ppm, respectively. Therefore, it is recommended to use thermal-treated sludge instead of superplasticizers to produce high-performance and safe building materials.