Desertification constitutes a grave threat to the environmental and socio-economic stability of desertification frontline states in Northern Nigeria. From 2003 to 2020, this research comprehensively ...analyzes desertification vulnerability, integrating parameters such as NDVI, LST, TVDI, MSAVI, and Albedo. Key factors contributing to land degradation are identified, along with the spatial patterns and trends of desertification over the two-decade period. The consequences are profound, with Northern Nigeria's ecosystem experiencing a steady decline in vegetation cover. Agriculture, vital to the region's economy, faces increased aridity and reduced arable land, jeopardizing food security. Diminishing water resources exacerbates scarcity issues, placing additional strain on communities. These environmental changes lead to severe socio-economic implications, including displacement, loss of livelihoods, and heightened vulnerability to climate-related risks. Urgent, comprehensive, and strategic interventions are imperative. Policy recommendations underscore revising and enforcing land use regulations, promoting sustainable agricultural practices, and establishing monitoring systems to guide decision-making. This research contributes practical strategies to enhance the resilience of desertification frontline states, safeguard livelihoods, and align with Nigeria's sustainable development objectives. Findings from the study indicate that only a tiny percentage (6.7 %) of the study area remains unaffected by desertification. Moreover, 13.3 % exhibit light vulnerability, 20 % demonstrate moderate exposure, and 60 % fall into the severe (26.7 %) and compelling (33.3 %) vulnerability categories. These statistics underscore the gravity of desertification in the study area, emphasizing the urgent need for effective mitigation measures to address its impact comprehensively.
•Novel thiosemicarbazones synthesized from carbonyl compounds and thiosemicarbazide.•Compounds characterized using UV-Vis and FT-IR spectral techniques.•Demonstrated potent antibacterial activity ...against Bacillus subtilis and Escherichia coli.•Exhibited significant antidiabetic activity, surpassing acarbose in molecular docking.•Promising candidates WS-1 and WS-2 showed lowest binding energies with Alpha-glucosidase.
Thiosemicarbazones and their derivatives were synthesized by reacting carbonyl compounds with thiosemicarbazide, followed by treatment with metal salts. The prepared thisemicarbazones such as (2E)-2-(1,5,7-trichloronaphthalen-2-yl)-methylidene-hydrazine-1-carbothioamide,(2E)-2-(1,5,7-trihydroxynaphthalen-2-yl)-methylidenehydrazine-1-carbothioamide and these were characterized by using diverse spectral techniques, such as UV–Vis and FT-IR. The synthesized compounds were subsequently evaluated for their antibacterial properties against Gram(+) Bacillus subtilis and Gram(-) Escherichia coli, using ciprofloxacin as a reference, as well as for their anti-microbial activities. For the evaluation of anti-diabetic activity, Acarbose served as the reference. Molecular docking results indicated that WS-1 and WS-2 exhibited superior performance against Alpha-glucosidase proteins, evidenced by their lowest binding energies (−8.1 and −8.3 kcal/mol) respectively compared to other ligands. These findings suggest that WS-1 and WS-2 are promising candidates for further research and development by pharmaceutical companies to explore additional biological activities.
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•Surface-modified Cu-ZnO and ZnO nanostructures have been fabricated.•XRD, FTIR, SEM, EDX, and UV–Visible spectrum carried out.•The prepared materials are used to study the ...electrochemical and photocatalytic properties.•By introducing Cu metal on the surface of ZnO, the electrical conductivity was increased.•The Cu modified ZnO based electrode found to be more efficient in electrochemical applications.
Surface modified Cu-ZnO nanostructures with different ratios of Cu (0.0 %, 2.5 %, 5.0 %, 7.5 % and 10.0 %) have been fabricated using a simplified sol gel auto combustion method (SGAC). The utilization of aqueous methanolic solution (50:50 ratio) as the reaction medium, with zinc chloride, ZnCl2, serving as a precursor to modified Cu-ZnO nanostructures and ZnO nanostructures (NSs) in particular, was a novel aspect of this study. XRD, FTIR, SEM, EDX, and UV–Visible spectrum analyses were carried out for the analysis of products. The prepared materials were used to study the electrochemical and photocatalytic properties. By introducing Cu metal on the surface of ZnO, the electrical conductivity was increased, and this attribute was investigated using energy band gap calculations and CV analysis. The energy band gap of fabricated nanostructures found to be decreased from 3.36 to 3.20 eV. The Cu modified ZnO based electrode showed the enhanced relative electron transport and increased peak current which made it to be more efficient in electrochemical applications. Degradation study of Tartrazine azo dye (organic) was carried out to examine the photo-induced catalytic activities of prepared materials under solar radiations, UV-light and darkness. The photocatalytic activity was revealed to be optimum up to 86.12 % when exposed to solar radiations and also with increasing Cu concentration up to 10.0 % on the ZnO surface. When compared to pure ZnO, all synthesized Cu modified ZnO NSs exhibited increased peak current, enhanced relative electron transport and optimized photo-induced catalytic degradation of organic pollutant dye. It was revealed that products manufactured using the SGAC technique had higher quality and produced better results for the intended applications than those previously reported.
Introduction
Natural dyes have become very important for decades based on their extensive properties compared to synthetic dyes. Pima cotton was dyed with natural dyes derived from plants using ...mordants, a crucial step in modern industry.
Objective
This study explores the efficacy of banana leaf-extracted natural dyes with mordants in dyeing Pima cotton, examining color properties, chemical attributes, and fastness while exploring the potential for industrial applications.
Methods
In this study, banana leaf extracts were utilized for dyeing Pima cotton with mordants. The investigation assessed the multifunctional properties of alkaline and acetone using UV-Vis and FTIR or analyzed the dyed fabric's UPF. Applied to pre-mordanted Pima cotton, our dye interacts with various mordants like ferrous sulfate (Fe
2
SO
4
), copper sulfate (CuSO
4
), and potassium dichromate (K
2
Cr
2
O
7
). Factors influencing dye fixation on Pima cotton, including cellulose and mordants, were examined. Treated and untreated fabric samples were tested for tensile strength and elongation. Dyeing performance was assessed using color parameters (K/S, L*, a*, b*, ΔE) using the Kubelka–Munk equation and fastness properties, with consistent results compared to standard protocols.
Results
The study on natural dye extraction from banana leaves has yielded promising outcomes, showcasing the effectiveness of mordants in dye fixation on cotton. The results demonstrate high tensile strength, color strength, and fastness properties in the dyed Pima cotton samples. Statistical analysis highlighted the nuanced relationship between mordants and dyes. The study's comprehensive approach, UV-Vis and FTIR analyses, dyeing temperature optimization, and phytochemical screening, confirming the presence of flavonoids, saponins, alkaloids, and other bioactive compounds, positions banana leaf extracts as a sustainable and versatile resource for eco-friendly textile practices, offering a compelling alternative to synthetic dyes.
Conclusion
The study reveals Pima cotton's promising potential for eco-friendly dyeing, optimizing cost, time, and space for future sustainable textile applications.
Even though global foreign direct investment (FDI) and international foreign portfolio investment (IFPI) flows have recently declined, they remain a significant foreign capital source for developing ...countries. This study assessed the impact of Chinese FDI (CFDI) and IFPI on financial development (FD) in the BRI economies from 2006 to 2018. The study adds to the current literature that lacks an updated and comprehensive study on the combined effect of Chinese FDI and IFPI on financial development among the Belt and Road economies. This study uses third-generation estimation methods. The results indicated that CFDI and IFPI have a significant positive effect on the financial sector development among BRI countries. The present findings contribute to the current literature by establishing a bidirectional causal flow from FD to Chinese FDI and IFPI. A comparative analysis of OBOR countries revealed that Europe and the Middle East have comparatively more significant structural breaks suggesting a longer recovery from the economic shocks.
This study was planned to investigate physicochemical, adsorption/desorption, photocatalytic (reuse) properties of Wedelia biflora (W. biflora) mediated zinc-cobalt oxide nanocomposite (ZnCo2O4 NC). ...The surface morphology was inspected through scanning and transmission electron microscopies (SEM and TEM) and the average particle size estimated from TEM image was 26.06 nm. The X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis was conducted for crystallographic study and the derived crystallite size was 17.62 nm. The texture parameters were extracted from N2 adsorption-desorption data using Barratt, Joyner and Halenda (BJH), Bruner, Emmett and Teller (BET) models and the SBET was found to be 51.23 m2g. The Diffuse reflectance spectroscopic analysis (DRS) was carried out to study the optical properties and the band gap derived from Tauc's plot is 2.26 eV. The chemical moieties in the samples were identified via energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). The ZnCo2O4 NC was used for the adsorption of Cr(VI) ions from aqueous media and the nature of adsorption process was explored via Freundlich and Langmuir equations. The thermodynamic analysis reveals the endothermic mode of the adsorption process and 1:1 interchange mechanism was extracted for H+ and Cr(VI) ions. The photocatalytic efficacy of ZnCo2O4 NC was scrutinized during the mineralization of rhodamine 6G (Rh-6G) under simulated solar light and 98.92% was degraded in 330 min. Desorption and recycling studies was also done to explore stability and reuse capability of ZnCo2O4 NC.
•The zinc-cobalt oxide nanocomposite (ZnCo2O4 NC) was synthesized via green method.•The batch adsorption and desorption study of Cr(VI) was conducted.•The maximum adsorption of 37.94 mg/g was achieved at elevated temperature.•98.92% rhodamine 6G was degraded during photocatalytic experiment in 330 min.•The potential of regenerated ZnCo2O4 NC shows the stability and economic viability.
Food production and waste recycling are the two major issues faced globally with rapidly increasing population. Recycling organic wastes to crop amendments could be a possible solution to these ...issues. Earthworms transfer organic waste to compost, which is used to grow crops and increase crop productivity. This study assessed the impact of vermicompost produced from the residues of six desert plant species, i.e., (Ziziphus mauritiana, Aerva javanica, Calligonum comosum, Sacchrum benghalens, Calligonum polygonoides and Prosopis cineraria) combined with farmyard manure (5 t ha-1) on growth, yield and photosynthetic activity of maize crop. Earthworm species Eisenia fetida (Savigny, 1826) was used to prepare vermicomposting of all tested plant species. The desert species were collected from natural habitats, chopped, dried, mixed with FYM and then earthworms were released to prepare the vermicompost. The earthworms were excluded twenty days after release and resultant was considered as compost and used in the experiment. Results revealed that application of P. cineraria vermicompost resulted in the highest plant height (75.33 cm), stem diameter (22.66 mm), cob length (17.66 cm), number of grains/cob (374.67), 1000-grain weight (260.41 g) and grains yield (3.20 t/ha). Application of P. cineraria vermicompost resulted in the highest uptake of macronutrients, i.e., N (91.01%), P (22.07%), K (80.41%), micronutrients, i.e., Fe (19.07 ppm), Zn (40.05 ppm), and phenolic contents (150). Application of P. cineraria vermicompost also resulted in the highest quantum photosynthetic yield (0.42 mole C/mole of photon), chlorophyll florescence (355.18 moles of photon m-2s-1) and electron transport rate (310.18 micro mole m-2s-1). It is concluded that vermicomposting has the potential to improve growth and yield of maize crop. Particularly, application of vermicompost obtained from P. cineraria can be used to improve the growth and yield of maize crop. Nonetheless, field trials are necessary for a wide scale recommendation.
Celotno besedilo
Dostopno za:
DOBA, IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, SIK, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
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