Nanoparticles biosynthesis and its applications is a rapidly developing field. The biological silver
nanoparticles (AgNPs) are being used as inhibitory and antimicrobial agents. In the current
investigation, synthesis of silver nanoparticles by bacterial strain isolated from soil sample contaminated
with crude petroleum oil was studied. Molecular identification of the bacterial isolate showed it as a
strain of Sphingobacterium mizutaii. The biosynthesized nanoparticles characterized by the UV-Vis
spectroscopy which exhibited a broad absorption spectrum band around 420 nm. Transmission electron
microscopy (TEM) and energy dispersive X-ray (EDX) analysis confirmed the formation of varying size
silver particles in the range from 4.5-31.6 nm. The Interaction between silver nanoparticles and proteins
were characterized by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. The combination effects of
AgNPs with the antiseptic agent (Dettol) was then studied. The antimicrobial effect of AgNPs- Dettol
combination increased significantely in case of E. coli, K. pneumoniae, B. subtilis and Candida krusei.

Nanoparticles biosynthesis and its applications is a rapidly developing field. The biological silver
nanoparticles (AgNPs) are being used as inhibitory and antimicrobial agents. In the current
investigation, synthesis of silver nanoparticles by bacterial strain isolated from soil sample contaminated
with crude petroleum oil was studied. Molecular identification of the bacterial isolate showed it as a
strain of Sphingobacterium mizutaii. The biosynthesized nanoparticles characterized by the UV-Vis
spectroscopy which exhibited a broad absorption spectrum band around 420 nm. Transmission electron
microscopy (TEM) and energy dispersive X-ray (EDX) analysis confirmed the formation of varying size
silver particles in the range from 4.5-31.6 nm. The Interaction between silver nanoparticles and proteins
were characterized by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. The combination effects of
AgNPs with the antiseptic agent (Dettol) was then studied. The antimicrobial effect of AgNPs- Dettol
combination increased significantely in case of E. coli, K. pneumoniae, B. subtilis and Candida krusei.

We report an extremely sensitive and specific detection of mercuric ions (Hg2+) based on graphene assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry (GALDI-MS). Combining the highly selective coordination interactions between thymine (T) and Hg2+, we present a simple, effective, and novel approach, based on π–π interactions of the T-Hg2+-T complex and G that can serve as a platform and matrix for GALDI-MS. The present sensor not only exhibits high selectivity and sensitivity (picomolar) to Hg2+ in aqueous solution, but also can elucidate the chemical structures of the metal complexes. The significant advantage in the current approach is that there is no need for a sophisticated instrument, and no sample pretreatment is required to detect the Hg2+ ions.

The design, preparation and performance for novel UV-light absorbing (room-temperature) ionic liquid matrices (UV-RTILMs) for matrix assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry (MALDI-MS) were reported. A series of UV-RTILMs was prepared by ultrasonication of equimolar of acid (mefenamic acid) and bases (aniline (ANI), pyridine (Pyr), dimethyl aniline (DMANI) and 2-methyl picoline (2-P)). The UV-RTILMs have not only significant absorbance at the desired wavelength (337 nm of the N2 Laser), but also have available protons that can easily undergo proton transfer reactions to ionize the target molecules. The novel UV-RTILMs have the ability to ionize different and wide classes of compounds such as drugs, carbohydrate, and amino acids. The new UV-RTILMs series have been successfully and selectively applied for biosensing the lysates of pathogenic bacteria in the presence of the cell macromolecules. A new strategy for biosensing pathogens was presented via sensing the pathogens lysate in the cell suspension. The new materials can effectively detect the bacterial toxins without separation or any pretreatment. They offered excellent ionization of labile oligosaccharides with protonated peaks. They could significantly enhance the analyte signals, produce homogeneous spotting, reducing spot-to-spot variation, excellent vacuum stability, higher ion peak intensity, and wide application possibility. The physical parameters such as molar refractivity, molar volume, parachor, surface tension, density and polarizability were calculated and tabulated. The new UV-RTILMs could offer excellent reproducibility and great repeatability and they are promising matrices for wide applications on MALDI-MS.

By using gamma spectrometry (NaI (Tl) 3”x3”), the concentrations of (226Ra, 232Th and 40K) were measured and its radiological hazards were presented in this paper for some building raw materials (sand, clay and limestone) collected from the quarries of Assiut cement company, Assiut, Egypt. The concentration values of (226Ra, 232Th and 40K) were in between (3.6 ± 0.4 and 16.8± 1.4), (1.1 ± 0.2 and 11.9 ± 1.6) and (4.3 ± 0.3) and (155.2 ± 9) respectively. The radiation hazard indices like: Radium equivalent (Raeq), external hazard index (Hex), activity concentration index (Iex), the specific dose rates in door (D), the annual effective dose (DE) due to gamma radiation and the annual gonadal dose equivalent (AGDE) were calculated , it was below the world average value 300 Sv y−1. The excess lifetime cancer risk (ELCR) have been calculated, its values were lower than the world’s average value of (0.29x 10−3) comparing with internationally recommended values.

Optical potentials for the scattering of K± from 6Li and 12C nuclei are calculated using the Watanabe superposition model in terms of the alpha-particle and deuteron optical
potentials. The elastic and inelastic scattering differential cross-sections obtained using these potentials are compared with experimental data. Good fits are obtained without
modifying any of the parameters. Further measurements for K± scattering from 6Li are stressed.

The present study introduces two novel organic matrices for matrix assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry (MALDI-MS) for the analysis of small molecules. The first matrix is “2-amino-4,5-diphenylfuran-3-carboxylic acid” (also called furoic acid, FA) which was synthesized and then characterized by ultraviolet (UV), infrared (FTIR), nuclear magnetic resonance NMR (1H and 13C) and mass spectrometry. The compound has organic semiconductor properties and exhibits intense UV-absorption which is suitable for the UV-MALDI laser (N2 laser, 337 nm). The second matrix is mefenamic acid (MA). The two matrices can be successfully applied for various classes of compounds including adenosine-5′-triphosphate (ATP, 0.5 µL(10.0 nmol)), spectinomycin (spect, 0.5 µL(14.0 nmol)), glutathione (GSH, 0.5 µL(9.0 nmol)), sulfamethazole (SMT, 0.5 µL(2.0 nmol)) and mixture of peptides gramicidin D (GD, 0.5 µL (9.0 nmol)). The two matrices can effectively absorb the laser energy, resulting in excellent desorption/ionization of small molecules. The new matrices offer a significant enhancement of ionization, less fragmentation, few interferences, nice reproducibility, and excellent stability under vacuum. Theoretical calculations of the physical parameters demonstrated increase in polarizability, molar volume and refractivity than the conventional organic matrices which can effectively enhance the proton transfer reactions between the matrices with the analyte molecules. While the reduction in density, surface tension and index of refraction can enhance homogeneity between the two new matrices with the analytes. Due to the sublimation energy of mefenamic acid is (1.2 times) higher than that of the DHB, it is more stable to be used in the vacuum.

A selective, rapid, small sample load (2–4 μL), and sensitive quantification method for the hydrophobic cellular biomolecules of pathogenic bacteria and their biosensing application were reported. The present approach is based on using polythiophene polymer dots (2.5 nm), which were prepared via the oxidation/polymerization reactions and then were characterized using transmission electron microscopy (TEM), Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR), ultraviolet spectroscopy (UV), and matrix (surface) assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry (M(S)ALDI-MS). The present method requires only gentle agitation for a single drop of aqueous bacteria suspension (10 μL, Pseudomonas aeruginosa (1 × 104 cfu/mL) and Staphylococcus aureus (1 × 105 cfu/mL)) with 1 mL of polythiophene (0.5 mg/mL) in chloroform, and the time required for quantifying the total hydrophobic was significantly reduced to less than 3 min. The polythiophene polymer dots is also a quantitative assessment of bacteria for aqueous and blood samples if exposed to more than 4–5 μL of pathogenic bacteria and thus, it is a new biosensor for quantitative hydrophobic portions. The fluorescence intensity of polythiophene was enhanced after adding different volumes of pathogenic bacteria with low colony units. The standard bacteria suspensions of P. aeruginosa and S. aureus have low LOD (limits of detection) for 2 μL (1 × 104 cfu/mL) and 4 μL (1 × 105 cfu/mL), respectively. Further, the pathogenic bacteria were spiked into mouse blood and the total hydrophobic biomolecules were quantified. This method is extremely rapid as it does not require any culture steps prior to analysis and also no need for any separation or post sample treatments.