Crystalline thermoelectric materials, especially SnSe crystals, have emerged as promising candidates for power generation and electronic cooling. In this study, significant enhancement in ZT is achieved through the combined effects of lattice distortions and band convergence in multiple electronic valence bands. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations demonstrate that cation vacancies together with Pb substitutional doping promote the band convergence and increase the density of states (DOS) near the Fermi surface of SnSe, leading to a notable increase in the Seebeck coefficient (S).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe concurrently occurring multiple abiotic stresses like salinity and heavy metals (Nickel) pose a serious threat to plant survival and food security worldwide, especially in the face of climate change. Therefore, it is imperative to continuously test and study the plant's physiological changes under combinations of abiotic stresses to ensure sustainability and food security. An experiment was conducted to study the interactive effects of salinity (0, 7.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFWith the increasing demand for mobile computing, the requirement for intelligent resource management has also increased. Cloud computing lessens the energy consumption of user equipment, but it increases the latency of the system. Whereas edge computing reduces the latency along with the energy consumption, it has limited resources and cannot process bigger tasks.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFMelanoma, the most prevalent form of skin cancer, is primarily treated with surgical intervention. However, complete tumor cell removal is challenging, and surgical wounds are prone to infection, complicating treatment and increasing costs. The successful treatment of melanoma generally requires multifunctional agents that are coordinated in tumor therapy and wound healing.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe Environmental Economic Power Dispatch (EEPD) problem, a widely studied bi-objective nonlinear optimization challenge in power systems, traditionally focuses on the economic dispatch of thermal generators without considering network security constraints. However, environmental sustainability necessitates reducing emissions and increasing the penetration of renewable energy sources (RES) into the electrical grid. The integration of high levels of RES, such as wind and solar PV, introduces stability issues due to their uncertain and intermittent nature.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFDepression is a mental disorder that often comes with symptoms like irritability, rage, changes in appetite or weight, hopelessness, and loss of interest in day-to-day activities. Venlafaxine (VLF) is a medication used to treat depression. When taken orally, only about 45 % of VLF enters the systemic circulation due to liver metabolism.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe lack of local availability for drugs in the colon can be addressed by preparing a self-microemulsifying drug delivery system (SMEDDS) of curcumin (Cur) which is ultimately used for the treatment of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). From preformulation studies, Lauroglycol FCC (oil), Tween 80 (surfactant), Transcutol HP (co-surfactant), and Avicel (solid carrier) were selected for the preparation of blank liquid and solid Cur-loaded SMEDDSs (S-Cur-SMEDDSs). Z-average size (12.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe production of cost-effective novel materials for PV solar cells with long-term stability, high energy conversion efficiency, enhanced photon absorption, and easy electron transport has stimulated great interest in the research community over the last decades. In the presented work, Cu/CuS-MWCNTs nanocomposites were produced and analyzed in the framework of potential applications for PV solar cells. Firstly, the surface of the produced one-dimensional Cu was covered by CuS nanoflake.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFSupercapacitors are crucial in renewable energy integration, satellite power systems, and rapid power delivery applications for mitigating voltage fluctuations and storing excess energy. Aqueous electrolytes offer a promising solution for low-cost and safe supercapacitors. However, they still face limitations in cycle life and wide-temperature range performance.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBiosens Bioelectron
January 2025
The current study focuses on the idea of "Energy from Waste" that intends to address energy crises and manage waste. Fruit waste is one of the most common forms of organic waste due to its inedible portion and perishable nature. In Pakistani regions, an extensive amount of mango pulp (MP)/juice waste is produced due to excessive consumption during summers, which poses huge environmental challenges.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFTechnol Cancer Res Treat
September 2024
Introduction: Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the world's third most frequent cancer, with a significant mortality rate due to late detection. There is a need to search for biomarkers that can detect colorectal cancer at an early stage. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) regulate several targets that function as oncogenes and/or tumor suppressor genes, so any change in microRNA expression level can predict abnormality.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFContinuous use of oral NSAIDs can damage mucosal membrane, which results in decreased bioavailability and non-compliance with the therapy. But the use of sustained release drug delivery systems might offer a solution. Objective was to synthesize mucoadhesive SR microspheres by using different combinations of pectin (PEC) and its thiolated derivative (T-PEC3100) for improved loxoprofen (LS) permeation.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAdvanced glycation end products (AGEs) play an important role in the pathogenesis of age-linked disorders and diabetes mellitus. The aim of this study was to assess the repurposing potential of Phloroglucinol (PHL the antispasmodic drug), as an anti-glycation agent using Fructose-BSA model. The ability of PHL to inhibit AGE formation was evaluated using AGEs formation (Intrinsic fluorescence), fructosamine adduct (NBT) and free lysine availability (TNBSA) assays.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground And Objectives: Postpartum depression (PPD) is prevalent among women after childbirth, but accessing mental healthcare for PPD is challenging. This study aimed to assess the treatment gap and barriers to mental healthcare access for women with PPD symptoms living in Punjab, Pakistan.
Methods: A multicenter cross-sectional study was conducted in five populous cities of Punjab from January to June 2023 by administering the questionnaire to the women using stratified random sampling.
Direct AC-AC converters are strong candidates in the power converting system to regulate grid voltage against the perturbation in the line voltage and to acquire frequency regulation at discrete step levels in variable speed drivers for industrial systems. All such applications require the inverted and non-inverted form of the input voltage across the output with voltage-regulating capabilities. The required value of the output frequency is gained with the proper arrangement of the number of positive and negative pulses of the input voltage across the output terminals.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFCalcium-induced agglomeration of anaerobic granular sludge bed (AGSB) has become a critical factor in performance decline of calcified anaerobic reactors. However, the agglomeration process of AGSB and the underlying mechanisms remain unclear and elusive. This study delved into the evolution of calcified AGSB, and four typical states of normal AGSB (Nor-AGSB), calcified dispersed AGSB (Dis-AGSB), calcified dimeric AGSB (Dim-AGSB), and calcified polymeric AGSB (Pol-AGSB) were characterized.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFNaunyn Schmiedebergs Arch Pharmacol
November 2024
Glycation is among the underlying mechanisms attributed to ageing and associated morbidities. There is no drug available to combat this deleterious phenomenon. The present study aimed to explore phloroglucinol (PHL) for its anti-glycation potential at preclinical level.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFA random initialization of the search particles is a strong argument in favor of the deployment of nature-inspired metaheuristic algorithms when the knowledge of a good initial guess is lacked. This article analyses the impact of the type of randomization on the working of algorithms and the acquired solutions. In this study, five different types of randomizations are applied to the Accelerated Particle Swarm Optimization (APSO) and Squirrel Search Algorithm (SSA) during the initializations and proceedings of the search particles for selective harmonics elimination (SHE).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe current study goal was to improve mucoadhesive potential and ocular pharmacokinetics of nanoparticles of thiolated xyloglucan (TXGN) containing moxifloxacin (MXF). Thiolation of xyloglucan (XGN) was achieved with esterification with 3-mercaptopropionic acid. TXGN was characterized by NMR and FTIR analysis.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFA substantial level of significance has been placed on renewable energy systems, especially photovoltaic (PV) systems, given the urgent global apprehensions regarding climate change and the need to cut carbon emissions. One of the main concerns in the field of PV is the ability to track power effectively over a range of factors. In the context of solar power extraction, this research paper performs a thorough comparative examination of ten controllers, including both conventional maximum power point tracking (MPPT) controllers and artificial intelligence (AI) controllers.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe water quality in Karachi (Pakistan) is uncertain due to the occurrence of fungi and other microorganisms. A total of twenty-five water samples were collected from public places, educational institutes, hospitals, water supply systems and surface water of the canal of Karachi (Pakistan). The different fungal species including sp.
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