In Silico Carotenoid Compound with Protein in Durian (Durio zibethinus Murr.) Seed Waste and Hedonic Test Innovation in Making Healthy Cereal Organic (HCO) (Nutrient-rich Functional Food Alternative)
Durians’ seeds have potential as a food source due to their content and nutrients. Durians’ seeds contain fiber, minerals, vitamins A, B1, B2, C, carbohydrates, folate, potassium and copper. Nutrients are needed for the body's health and growth and development process. Durians’ seeds have the potential as a nutrient-rich food alternative. Researchers made an innovation in the form of cereal, Healthy Cereal Organic (HCO). Analysis of durians’ seed content through two stages. First, wet lab examination and second, in silico method. The wet lab examination shows the results that durians’ seeds contain 10.17 Kcal of fat energy, 4.09% ash content, 11.25% water content, 72.79% carbohydrates, 1.13% total fat and 10.74% protein and the in silico method shows the content of carotenoid compounds (vitamin A, quercetin, beta-carotene, zeaxanthin) as a drug delivery system which means that this compound is able to be absorbed by the body with the help of albumin as a carrier that maintains stability and increases its activity. Feasibility analysis based on toxicity tests, Durians’ seed compounds show inactive (non-toxic) results. Allergenicity test showed non-allergen durians’ seed content. Hedonic test was conducted on 20 panelists dominant to the HCO1 sample for aroma by 60%, texture 90%, taste 40%. It can be concluded that durians’seeds can be used as a basic ingredient for making nutrient-rich Healthy Cereal Organic (HCO).
A Study on Hybrid Electromechanical Actuators
An actuator [7,22,28,29] is a motion control mechanism. Depending on the type of actuator, it can convert one type of energy (e.g. chemical, electromagnetic, thermal) into mechanical energy. The field that laid the foundations for the realization of actuators is the field of electromechanics, whose evolution was common with that of actuators. Thus, a periodization of the electromechanics paradigm includes 3 major stages [7,6,25,28,29]: I.1830-1950 Old electromechanics. It is the period when the development of electric cars is significant, which imposed the appearance of classical or primary electromechanical drives. It was a generous nineteenth century, dominated by the scientific results of the triumvirate: Michel Faraday (initiator of fundamental empirical experiments in the history of electricity; the law of induction, of the principle of electric motor, of the magnetic circuit, initiator of electro-chemistry), James Clerk Maxwell, (the genius theorist who put into mathematical form the equations of electric and magnetic fields, as well as the connection between them), and Werner Siemens (engineer and capitalist genius manager who managed to exploit and validate the relationship research-technology-economic development), triumvirate that can be disputed in the sense that other scientists also made outstanding contributions to the history of electricity: Edison, Ampere, Ohm (to name but a few who do not exhaust a significant list). Industrial production of electric machines also appeared and the first signs that will announce the emergence of electromechanical actuators as a basis for military applications. II.1950-1970, Traditional electromechanics, in which electrical power drives appear, a theoretical and experimental development on the emergence of new material and electromechanical principles. Much military research (such as missile control or ship and torpedo control) influences and produces the transfer of applications in ordinary life, including the actuator subfield. III. 1970-2020, Avant-garde electromechanics, representing according to Thomas Kuhn's theory, a paradigm forcing [30]. It is worth noting the contributions of the new scientific revolution. - Specific technologies of miniaturization, by material deposition. - Elastomeric polymeric materials with the help of which it was possible to make electrostrictive actuators, - Very special means of investigation, mainly the development of microscopy, - Gradient of applications in the field of medical engineering, with outstanding contributions both in investigation and microsurgery, applications of actuators in biological micropumps, etc. [25,27,28,29].
Application of Carbon Aerogels in Lithium-Air Batteries
One of the main challenges with today’s batteries is their relatively low volumetric and specific capacities. The highest specific capacity can be achieved with lithium-air batteries, which use metallic lithium as the anode and typically some form of porous carbon as the cathode. To enhance performance, aerogels—among the world’s lightest solid materials—are ideal candidates for cathodes. Resorcinol-formaldehyde (RF)-based carbon aerogels, for example, serve this purpose well. In my work, I utilized two types of carbon aerogels as cathode materials: one derived from pyrolyzed resorcinol-formaldehyde polymer and the other a graphene-oxide-modified version of this carbon gel. I integrated the carbon aerogels I had pyrolyzed into lithium-air batteries to improve the cell’s performance, energy density, and capacity compared to cells using activated carbon. In my research, I examined the pore structure and surface properties of these materials in aqueous media using NMR (nuclear magnetic resonance) relaxometry and cryoporometry, exploring their impact on battery efficiency. I found that the graphene-oxide-containing sample's pores filled with water in a layered manner, indicating a more hydrophilic surface, which suggests a denser arrangement of oxygen-containing functional groups compared to the unmodified carbon aerogel. The pore sizes were reduced after adding graphene oxide, resulting in an increased specific surface area for the sample. Incorporating the reduced graphene-oxide-containing carbon aerogel enabled the creation of a more efficient, higher-capacity battery than with the RF carbon aerogel. This improved performance is likely due to the aerogel’s higher oxygen content and altered morphology. The increased oxygen content provides more active sites for oxygen reduction, meaning that a greater specific power output can be obtained from the battery.
In silico Screening of Forty Antiviral Phytochemicals as Inhibitors to the Envelope Protein of Dengue Virus Serotype 2 (DENV-2)
Infections by the Dengue virus (DENV) cause a disease amonghumansreferred to as Dengue fever, which causes thousands of fatalities globally. There is no existing treatment as of yet that successfully targets DENV. Among the factors thatdeterminetheentry of the virus and severity of the disease is the envelope(E) protein of DENV. This study aimed to examine forty antiviral phytochemicals enumeratedinpaststudiesaspossibleinhibitorstotheEprotein of DENV to provide candidates to aid in drug discovery against DENV. The phytochemicals were screened for their likelihood of inhibition of the E protein using AutoDock Suite and LigPlot+. Seven phytochemicals produced favorable binding affinities to the E protein, which are based on the interactions between the phytochemicals and amino acidsintheactivesiteoftheEprotein.Lipinski’s rule of 5 was then used to screen the seven phytochemicals for oral bioavailability. Glabridin has a binding affinity of -7.6 kcal/mol and was predicted to be orally bioavailable. This phytochemical interacts with amino acids in the E protein active site through hydrogen bonds to Asn355, andPhe337, as well as ten hydrophobic interactions. These interactions ensure that glabridin is able to specifically target and fit intotheactivesiteoftheEprotein, preventing its binding to the host cell and activating its viral proliferation. Glabridin is known to be found in the roots of licorice plants, providing anatural source for a possible cure for Dengue fever.