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Impact of hog farming on water quality of aquatic environments in North Carolina

Kancharla et al. | Aug 08, 2023

Impact of hog farming on water quality of aquatic environments in North Carolina

This study collected samples from water bodies near hog farms and an aquatic environment not near a hog farm. It was hypothesized that water bodies near the hog farms would have lower water quality with higher turbidity, total dissolved solids (TDS), and pH than the water body not in proximity to a hog farm because of water contamination with hog waste. Results showed that the turbidity was 4–6 times higher, TDS was 1.5–2 times higher, and pH was 3 units higher in the 2 experimental locations compared to the control location. This study and its findings are important for understanding the impact of hog farming on the proximal water bodies.

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Rhizosphere metagenome analysis and wet-lab approach to derive optimal strategy for lead remediation in situ

Bhat et al. | Jul 18, 2023

Rhizosphere metagenome analysis and wet-lab approach to derive optimal strategy for lead remediation <i>in situ</i>
Image credit: Karolina Grabowska

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) reports a significant number of heavy metal-contaminated sites across the United States. To address this public health concern, rhizoremediation using microbes has emerged as a promising solution. Here, a combination of soil microbes were inoculated in the rhizosphere in soil contaminated with 500 parts per million (ppm) of lead. Results showed rhizoremediation is an effective bioremediation strategy and may increase crop productivity by converting nonarable lands into arable lands.

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Error mitigation of quantum teleportation on IBM quantum computers

Chen et al. | May 15, 2023

Error mitigation of quantum teleportation on IBM quantum computers

Quantum computers can perform computational tasks beyond the capability of classical computers, such as simulating quantum systems in materials science and chemistry. Quantum teleportation is the transfer of quantum information across distances, relying on entangled states generated by quantum computing. We sought to mitigate the error of quantum teleportation which was simulated on IBM cloud quantum computers.

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Antibacterial properties of household spices and toothpaste against oral bacteria

Toliver et al. | Apr 24, 2023

Antibacterial properties of household spices and toothpaste against oral bacteria

Bacteria cause tooth decay, plaque, bad breath, and other diseases. Despite being cleaned with water and toothpaste, oral bacteria live on our toothbrushes. Bacterial growth has been shown to be inhibited by different toothpastes and common household spices. This study tested how different toothpastes and common household spices, including cinnamon, cumin, nutmeg, and ground white pepper, can inhibit bacteria from growing on toothbrushes

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Examination of the underlying chemical physics of the Mpemba effect in water and other liquids

Khan et al. | Apr 20, 2023

Examination of the underlying chemical physics of the Mpemba effect in water and other liquids
Image credit: D koi

Counterintuitive in nature, the Mpemba effect asserts that hot liquid freezes faster than cold liquid. While noted throughout history by scientific minds like Aristotle, the phenomenon remains in contention with varying hypotheses for the effect proposed alongside the effect’s rise in popularity. Contributing to the research efforts surrounding the Mpemba effect, the authors in this article explore the effect in different liquids ranging in physical properties and intermolecular forces to determine potential parameters attributable to producing the Mpemba effect.

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Analysis of ultraviolet light as a bactericide of gram-negative bacteria in Cladophora macroalgae extracts

Newell et al. | Nov 07, 2022

Analysis of ultraviolet light as a bactericide of gram-negative bacteria in <em>Cladophora</em> macroalgae extracts

Here, the authors sought to use Cladophora macroalgae as a possible antibiotic to address the growing threat of antibiotic resistance in pathogenic bacteria. However, when they observed algae extracts to be greatly contaminated with gram-negative bacteria, they adapted to explore the ability to use ultraviolet light as a bactericide. They found that treatment with ultraviolet light had a significant effect.

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