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Abstract
Metal oxide semiconductor nanoparticles are widely studied as photocatalysts for the degradation of organic pollutants in water, but the large band gaps of zinc oxide and titanium dioxide (TiO 2 ) restrict their activation to the ultraviolet region, and the rapid recombination of photogenerated electron–hole pairs limits quantum efficiency. A common approach to overcome both limitations is to incorporate the two oxides into a single nanocomposite. The staggered arrangement of their band edges results in the formation of a heterojunction which spatially separates the charge carriers and prolongs their lifetime.
In this study, ZnO nanoparticles, TiO₂ nanoparticles and ZnO/TiO₂ nanocomposites were synthesised by a controlled chemical route [specify: sol–gel / co-precipitation / hydrothermal] with controlled ZnO:TiO₂ ratio, pH, reaction temperature and time and calcination conditions to obtain phase-pure products. The prepared materials were characterised by X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy with energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, UV–visible absorption spectroscopy and photoluminescence measurements. The photocatalytic activity was evaluated by the degradation of [model pollutant] under UV irradiation, and the degradation efficiency and reaction kinetics were studied as function of catalyst dosage and initial pollutant concentration.
The present study aimed to evaluate standard laboratory biomarkers in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) and determine how they associate with disease status. It was hypothesized that some biomarkers from serum electrolytes (Potassium), liver function tests (Alkaline Phosphate), complete blood counts (HB, WBC, monocytes, eosinophils), and renal function tests (RFTs) would be significantly associated with chronic kidney disease (CKD). Case-Control research design was employed. The sample included 120 participants comprising 60 diagnosed CKD patients and 60 Healthy controls including both males and females with CKD with age ranging from 5 to 60 years. Purposive sampling was used to recruit the sample. Serum creatinine, blood urea nitrogen (BUN), glomerular filtration rate (eGFR), hemoglobin, leukocyte differential counts, bilirubin, alkaline phosphatase, albumin, sodium, potassium, and chloride biomarker profiles was evaluated on the basis of data obtained from hospital laboratory records.. The findings revealed significant associations between CKD and serum creatinine, BUN, serum urea, eGFR, potassium, hemoglobin, white blood cell count, monocytes, eosinophils, and ALP (p < .05). In contrast, sodium, chloride, platelet count, MCV, lymphocytes, ALT, AST, and total bilirubin showed no significant association with CKD (p > .05). These findings highlight the clinical importance of routinely available laboratory biomarkers in the early detection, monitoring, and management of CKD. The study showed the significance of readily available laboratory tests as budget friendly resources to support evidence-based CKD patient care. The outcomes are capable of assisting the medical practitioners emphasize pertinent test parameters for CKD detection early on as well as early monitoring.