Camphor tree (
) is an ornamental plant that has been cultivated for a long time to obtain wood or camphor. Furthermore, its essential oil can be used as an alternative medicine and is an important ...source of perfume. Camphor obtained from camphor trees has long been used as a treatment for various symptoms such as inflammation, infection, congestion, muscle pain, and irritation in various regions. The purpose of this literature review is to provide knowledge of the well-established, wide, and extensive applications of camphor both in traditional and modern applications. Despite many studies focused on the essential oil of the camphor tree, there is a lack of systematic studies of its extraction or separation. Besides, various components of camphor are not fully understood, and further research is needed on the medicinal effects of individual components of
. The genus
has crucial economic value and theoretical significance. However, further systematic reviews and investigative studies based on existing research are needed to promote the modernization process of traditional applications of camphor. For proper use of the essential oil of
, it is imperative to consider its possible effects on humans and the environment.
Citrus fruits are one of the most widely used fruits around the world and are used as raw fruits, but are also processed into products such as beverages, and large amounts of by-products and waste ...are generated in this process. Globally, disposal of citrus waste (CW) through simple landfilling or ocean dumping can result in soil and groundwater contamination, which can negatively impact ecosystem health. The case of Korea is not much different in that these wastes are simply buried or recycled wastes are used as livestock feed additives. However, there are many reports that CW, which is a waste, has high potential to produce a variety of products that can minimize environmental load and increase added value through appropriate waste management. In this study, we aim to explore the latest developments in the evaluation and valorization of the growing CW green technologies in an effort to efficiently and environmentally transform these CW for resource recovery, sustainability, and economic benefits. Recent research strategies on integrated biorefinery approaches have confirmed that CW can be converted into various bioproducts such as enzymes, biofuels and biopolymers, further contributing to energy security. It was found that more efforts are needed to scale up green recovery technologies and achieve diverse product profiling to achieve zero waste levels and industrial viability.
Tumors contain a distinct small subpopulation of cells that possess stem cell-like characteristics. These cells have been called cancer stem cells (CSCs) and are thought to be responsible for ...anticancer drug resistance and tumor relapse after therapy. Emerging evidence indicates that CSCs share many properties, such as self-renewal and quiescence, with normal stem cells. In particular, CSCs and normal stem cells retain low levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS), which can contribute to stem cell maintenance and resistance to stressful tumor environments. Current literatures demonstrate that the activation of ataxia telangiectasia mutated (ATM) and forkhead box O3 (FoxO3) is associated with the maintenance of low ROS levels in normal stem cells such as hematopoietic stem cells. However, the importance of ROS signaling in CSC biology remains poorly understood. Recent studies demonstrate that nuclear factor-erythroid 2-related factor 2 (NRF2), a master regulator of the cellular antioxidant defense system, is involved in the maintenance of quiescence, survival, and stress resistance of CSCs. Here, we review the recent findings on the roles of NRF2 in maintenance of the redox state and multidrug resistance in CSCs, focusing on how NRF2-mediated ROS modulation influences the growth and resistance of CSCs.
Throughout the present study, guaranteed soundness of heavy section spheroidal graphite cast iron has been pursued by means of a reliable C and Si ranges design. For this purpose, the three main ...parameters of superheating temperature, mushy zone and total volume change during solidification are chosen to calculate the optimized range for casting soundness using the conventional thermodynamic software. As a result, a triangle region of C and Si allowable range, where C content is over 3.7 wt%, Si content is over 1.3 wt% and carbon equivalent value is below 4.5 wt%, was obtained by superimposing the individual C and Si range of each thermodynamic parameter for the prevention of casting defects. In order to verify the calculation results, a comparative study was performed with a previous study, and test castings were performed both at laboratory scale and mass production sites. Regarding the laboratory casting, various casting defects were observed off the calculated allowable ranges. Within the calculated allowable ranges for the guarantee of the sound casting, both laboratory and mass production castings revealed an absence of defect.
Graphical Abstract
This study investigates the effects of various beverages on the wettability, microhardness, and color stability of aesthetic dental restorative materials. A contact angle analyzer, Vickers hardness ...tester, and spectrophotometer were used to characterize the properties of the materials and a total of 225 specimens were prepared: 75 each for a resin composite, compomer, and giomer. Ingestion of energy drinks and cola caused the greatest deterioration in wettability and microhardness, and coffee caused the most significant color change. In addition, the change in the resin composite was lower than that of the other restorative materials. The extent of change in the restorative materials increased with duration and frequency of contact with the beverages, so a reduction in the frequency of ingestion of these beverages is recommended.
NdCl3 and CeCl3 are characterized by the very close proximity of their standard reduction potentials. Thus, they represent the most challenging salt mixtures with respect to decoupling ...electrochemical responses and calculating concentrations. The goals of this study include the determination of the apparent standard potentials of both Nd3+/Nd2+ and Ce3+/Ce in LiCl-KCl-CeCl3 or NdCl3 mixtures. Matrix and concentration effects on fundamental electrochemical properties are of particular interest, as these thermodynamic properties will impact the ability to use voltammetry to measure concentrations in unknown samples. Several LiCl-KCl-CeCl3 or NdCl3 mixtures with NdCl3/CeCl3 concentrations ranging from 4 to 10 wt% at 753 to 793 K have been explored. For apparent standard potential values of CeCl3, a good agreement was obtained with the literature data, except above 773 K.
Diagnosis of the risk of soil pollution and the performance of measures for the recovery of contaminated soil requires proper monitoring of the extent of soil function damage and its recovery ...process. Soil enzymes reveal ecosystem perturbations, are sensitive to management choices, and have been used as indicators of biogeochemical cycles, organic matter degradation, and soil remediation processes. Thus, enzymes can indicate, along with other physical or chemical properties, soil quality. In this paper, we review the effects of soil pollutants toxic trace elements (TTE), and petroleum hydrocarbons (PHC) on enzymatic activities and evaluate the usefulness of soil enzyme’s activity for monitoring recovery processes in contaminated soil. Soil enzymes can be said to be a powerful means of monitoring to properly indicate the degree of deterioration of soil quality caused by soil pollution and to diagnose the process of functional recovery of contaminated soil. Further research is needed to establish the quantitative relationships between the soil physico-chemical properties and enzyme activity and the effect of soil remediation on the functional recovery of soil-related to soil quality.
Silicon monoxide (SiO), which exhibits better cyclability compared to silicon while delivering higher capacity than that of graphite, is an adequate material for the development of lithium-ion ...batteries (LIBs) having higher energy densities. However, incorporating silicon-based materials including SiO into stable graphite anode inevitably degrades not only cycle life but also calendar life of LIBs, while little is known about their aging mechanisms. Here, SiO-induced thermal instability of the graphite/SiO composite anode is investigated. We reveal that under thermal exposure, SiO accelerates the loss of lithium inventory and concomitantly facilitates the lithium de-intercalation from graphite. This self-discharge phenomenon, which is weakly observed in the graphite anode without SiO, is the result of preferential parasitic reaction on the SiO interface and spontaneous electron and lithium-ion migration to equilibrate the electron energy imbalance between graphite and SiO. Understanding this underlying electron-level interplay between graphite and SiO in the composite anode will contribute toward improving shelf life of SiO-containing LIBs in actual operating conditions.
Since conventional ecological remediation technologies are often unreliable and inefficient, the use of phytoremediation, which uses plants to restore damaged or polluted environments, has been ...actively developed. In particular, phytoremediation for the management of abandoned mines has gained public acceptance due to its aesthetic advantages, environmental friendliness, use of solar energy, and low remediation costs. In this article, we review the current status of the phytoremediation of abandoned mines in Korea and the challenges that are faced. The technical and policy challenges that need to be overcome for the successful application of phytoremediation in Korea are discussed, along with its potential for use in sustainable ecosystem management. To fully deploy phytoremediation technology in old mining areas, further basic and applied research are required.
Biochar application to As-contaminated soil can alter various soil chemical properties, and it can affect available As, plant As uptake, and As phytotoxicity. Increased dissolved organic carbon (DOC) ...and P released from biochar affect As behavior in the soil system. In this study, we evaluated the effect of biochar application on the chemical properties of soil and phytotoxicity in Brassica juncea using correlation analysis and partial least squares path modeling (PLS-PM). Biochar application increased electrical conductivity (EC), DOC, available P and available As. However, the increased available As did not significantly affect As uptake by B. juncea due to the decrease in the relative ratio and effect of available As with increase in available P derived from biochar. Moreover, biochar application negatively affected soil chemical properties (pH, EC, DOC, available P, and available As) and As uptake by B. juncea. Therefore, correlation analysis and PLS-PM analysis are useful tools to interpret the interactions among influencing factors in the soil-plant system. An approach at the equivalent molecular level rather than concentration should be adopted in future studies.
•Biochar application to the soil increases DOC, available P and available As.•Available As is increased but the As uptake by B. juncea does not increase.•Correlation and PLS-PM analysis also demonstrate same trends of results.•Ratio of available As to available P has a decisive effect on As uptake by B. juncea
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