Pillar[5]arenes (P5A) are a class of supramolecular materials with structural cavities able to capture small molecules and ions via host–guest interaction, which makes them promising for sensor assembly. However, the application of P5A in electrochemical sensors remains largely unexplored. This article examines the electrochemical properties of coatings incorporating partially oxidized P5A and ferrocene carboxylic acid (Fc-COOH). An electrochemical sensor was developed based on these two electron transfer mediators, carbon black (CB), and polyaniline (PANI). Polyaniline, owing to its capacity for redox conversion governed by pH, is well suited for the detection of hydrogen ions in the solution. The quantitative ratio of the P5A derivative to Fc-COOH during their simultaneous and layer-by-layer application in the coating assembly was assessed.

The potential existence of a zinc–nitrogen compound with Zn : N = 1 : 12, a ratio previously unknown for these elements, was shown using three versions of density functional theory (DFT): DFT M06/TZVP, DFT B3PW91/TZVP, and DFT OPBE/TZVP. Its structural parameters were determined: the group of ZnN₄ atoms has a tetragonal-pyramidal geometry with a significant (exceeding 60°) deviation from coplanarity, and the bond lengths between the nitrogen atoms and the zinc atom exhibit slight variations. The group of N4 atoms is also non-coplanar, and the non-bond angles in it, formed by three neighboring atoms, deviate very significantly from 90°. A similar non-coplanarity occurs in the four five-membered rings, each containing the metal atom and four nitrogen atoms. The thermodynamic parameters and NBO values were calculated. The results obtained using the above three quantum-chemical methods are in good agreement.

Zingiberaceae has long been used medicinally, culinarily, and cosmetically, especially in tropical and subtropical regions. However, despite attracting substantial funding and research interest, they remain unexplored from a bibliometric perspective. Using the Scopus database, this study summarizes the global research output on Zingiberaceae from 1943 to 2022. The Scopus search resulted in 3589 Englishlanguage journal articles and conference proceedings. The bibliometric networks were visualized with the VOSviewer software. The analysis revealed that the most published author is J.K. Hwang affiliated with Yonsei University (South Korea), while the Chinese Academy of Sciences (China) holds the largest number of publications among the institutions. The works on Zingiberaceae cover multiple topics from 27 disciplines, with agricultural and biological sciences contributing the most (23.5 %). Other key research areas and subjects include ethnobotany, traditional knowledge, botanical and taxonomic studies, essential oils, pure chemicals, and individual species. India emerged as the most collaborative country, and S. Nayak from Siksha O Anusandhan University (India) stands out as the most collaborative researcher. The Journal of Ethnopharmacology leads in the publication and citation counts. The above results define the current status and future hotspots of the research on Zingiberaceae plants.

2-Amino-4,6-dinitrophenol (2-A-4,6-DNP), or picramic acid, is widely used as an intermediate in organic synthesis, a dye in hair coloring products, an agricultural fungicide, and an explosive. Similar to other related compounds (2,4,6-trinitrophenol (2,4,6-TNF) and N-methyl-N,2,4,6-tetranitroaniline), of which it is a metabolite, 2-A-4,6-DNP is toxic to humans and animals. However, certain aspects of its detection in toxicological screening remain poorly understood. In this study, a mixture of acetone and acetonitrile in equal amounts was identified as the most effective extractant for 2-A-4,6-DNP. The application of gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS) for detecting 2-A-4,6-DNP in the biological material extracts was analyzed and justified. The proposed method, based on the indirect determination of 2-A-4,6-DNP through O-acetyl derivative quantification, was employed to assess its stability in the biolo- gical material. 2-A-4,6-DNP was found to be detectable in the biological medium within 25 (storage temperature 18–22 °C) to 45 (storage temperature 1–3 °C) days after the contamination.

Using dichlorofluorescein (DCF) fluorescence intensity, the oxidative stress in human lung adenocarcinoma A549 cells pretreated with trolox, riboxin (inosine), tartaric acid, and indralin was measured 2 h before, during, and 1 h after the X-ray radiation at a dose of 8 Gy. Trolox at concentrations up to 1 mM significantly reduced the oxidative stress from radiation exposure, with a less pronounced effect at 2 mM. Riboxin also suppressed the oxidative stress, though to a lesser extent, at micromolar concentrations, but showed no significant antioxidant activity at 1 and 2 mM, which can be attributed to the potential pro-oxidative impact of many antioxidants at high concentrations. Tartaric acid possessed antioxidant properties at micromolar concentrations. Of particular interest is that indralin at 1.9 mM increased the level of oxidative stress in the irradiated cells. Therefore, the effects of indralin, known for its radioprotective action due to the properties of a signaling molecule causing tissue hypoxia, can differ at cellular and organismal levels.

The translocation of copper (Cu) and zinc (Zn) into cultivated oat from model polluted organogenic and mineral soils was examined, with each metal tested separately. The metals were mixed into the soil samples as sulfates at the following concentrations (on a metal basis): 0, 50, 100, 200, and 500 mg/kg for Cu; 0, 100, 200, 500, and 1000 mg/kg for Zn. Using atomic absorption and atomic emission spectroscopy, the contents of Cu and Zn in the above- and underground parts of oat plants were measured, along with the acid-soluble and mobile compounds of these heavy metals in the soil types studied. Oat plants that germinated in the polluted soils accumulated Cu and Zn at levels 1.5 to 70 times higher compared to the control ones. Both metals exhibited higher migration rates in mineral soil. The translocation of Zn was more pronounced than that of Cu. As the level of soil pollution increased, the barrier function of oat roots intensified. The addition of 500 and 1000 mg/kg Zn to mineral soil disrupted the barrier function of oat roots, causing the plant to behave as a Zn accumulator. Thus, oat roots serve as an indicator of soil pollution with Cu and Zn, and its aboveground biomass functions as a Cu excluder and an indicator of Zn accumulation in organogenic soil.

The atmospheric deposition of Sc, Cr, Fe, Co, Zn, As, Rb, Sr, Sb, Ba, Hf, Hg, Th, and U in Blagoveshchensk (Amur region) was examined using balsam poplar leaves (P. balsamifera L.) as a straightforward biogeochemical indicator. The unwashed, dried leaf samples were ashed. The amounts of elements in the resulting ash were determined by instrumental neutron activation analysis. Hg was quantified from the dry biomass by atomic absorption spectrometry. The local background and abnormal levels of all elements in the poplar leaves were identified using Q-Q plots and statistical methods. From the results obtained, it is evident that mineral dust is the main source of air pollution in Blagoveshchensk by litho- and siderophiles.

Raman spectroscopy is a modern spectroscopic technique well-suited for diamond research. However, heating by high-power lasers can induce thermal damage to solid materials. To examine the effects of laser radiation on nitrogen defects in diamond crystals, luminescence spectra recorded during controlled laser heating at the surface of natural diamonds with green stains were analyzed. By focusing on H3 defects, the laser intensity threshold at which defect annealing or transformation occurs was identified. The findings from this study offer practical guidance on determining the frequencies of nitrogen defects in natural diamonds using luminescence spectroscopy. Such frequencies are a key typomorphic feature of diamonds and reflect important aspects of their genetic history.

Conodonts from the Devonian–Carboniferous boundary deposits in two wells within the Sarailinskaya Depression of the Kama-Kinel Trough System were studied. The expansa conodont zone (Upper Famennian) was recognized, as well as the duplicata and quadruplicata conodont zones (Lower Tournaisian). Platform conodonts were absent in the intervals between the well-defined Famennian and Tournaisian deposits in both wells. These stratigraphic intervals span the praesulcata (uppermost Famennian) and sulcata (lowermost Tournaisian) conodont zones and are likely to be associated with the global Hangenberg Extinction Event. The conodont changes across the Devonian–Carboniferous boundary indicated a restructuring of the conodont assemblages between the Famennian and Tournaisian, with the dominant Devonian genera (Palmatolepis, Branmehla, and Bispathodus) replaced by the genus Siphonodella in the early Carboniferous. Data on the conodont distribution were presented, along with SEM images of index species.

An overview of the lithological diversity of soils at the bottom of the Oka River valley, particularly its Ryazan section, was performed. In a semi-stationary study of the geomorphic processes, a total of 231 soil samples were collected from the channel slopes with distinct erosion patterns. The geological data were supplemented by topographic mapping with unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), during which the boundaries of sedimentary facies on the exposed banks of the semi-stationary areas were identified and delineated in the GIS products. Granulometric analysis by the hydraulic and sieving methods, along with the analysis of the distribution of coarse clastic material within the geological strata, was carried out to determine the mechanical composition of soils on the Oka River banks. Based on the ratio of sand, silt, and clay measured through clustering and machine learning, the fine clastic soils were classified into four to five homogeneous groups. Four granulotypes of floodplain sections, each with a distinct occurrence of glacial and alluvial facies, can serve as a valuable geological and geomorphological element for applied modeling in regional estimates of horizontal channel deformation rates.