Understanding the Effects of Surface and Edge Functionalization on the Mechanical Properties of Graphene and Graphene Oxide.

Graphene oxide (GO) is a widely used 2D material employed in various applications due to its tunable properties. Understanding its mechanical properties is crucial to develop polymeric nanocomposites. We employ reactive molecular dynamics simulations to understand the effects of surface and edge functionalization of carbon atoms on the mechanical strength and fracture morphology of graphene and GO.

The Impact of Pore Geometry on Frictional Properties of hBN and MoS Nanomaterials.

Two-dimensional (2D) nanomaterials hold significant promise for reducing energy consumption in water desalination. This study investigates the influence of pore size and shape on the slip behavior of saline water at the interface of two promising 2D nanomaterials: hexagonal boron nitride (hBN) and molybdenum disulfide (MoS). Slip length, a key parameter governing fluid flow at the nanoscale, is highly dependent on interfacial properties.

Modulating the Water Contact Angle Using Surface Roughness: Interfacial Properties of Hexagonal Boron Nitride Surfaces.

Hexagonal boron nitride (hBN) exhibits immense potential in HO-related technologies, but its interaction with HO, especially on rough surfaces, remains unclear. This study unravels the influence of surface roughness and force field selection on hBN wettability using molecular dynamics (MD) simulations. We leverage quantum mechanical calculations to accurately capture the hBN surface charge distribution and combine it with free energy calculations via MD simulations for the hBN-HO interfaces.

Experimental and Theoretical Insights into Interfacial Properties of 2D Materials for Selective Water Transport Membranes: A Critical Review.

Interfacial properties, such as wettability and friction, play critical roles in nanofluidics and desalination. Understanding the interfacial properties of two-dimensional (2D) materials is crucial in these applications due to the close interaction between liquids and the solid surface. The most important interfacial properties of a solid surface include the water contact angle, which quantifies the extent of interactions between the surface and water, and the water slip length, which determines how much faster water can flow on the surface beyond the predictions of continuum fluid mechanics.

COVID Associated Invasive Aspergillosis.

To study the possible association between invasive fungal sinusitis (aspergillosis) and coronavirus disease. An observational study was conducted at a tertiary care centre over 6 months, involving all patients with aspergillosis of the paranasal sinuses suffering from or having a history of COVID-19 infection. 92 patients presented with aspergillosis, all had an association with COVID-19 disease.

Proportionate clinical burden of respiratory diseases in Indian outdoor services and its relationship with seasonal transitions and risk factors: The results of SWORD survey.

Background: The Global Burden of Disease data suggest that respiratory diseases contribute to high morbidity in India. However, the factors responsible for high morbidity are not quite clear. Therefore, the Seasonal Waves Of Respiratory Disorders (SWORD) study was planned to estimate the point prevalence due to respiratory diseases in Indian OPD services and its association with risk factors and change in seasons.

Design of a COVID-19 treatment facility in a sustainable health-care environment.

Due to the recent pandemic situation that has erupted all around us, healthcare facility design is a must. Healthcare providers and administrators must concentrate on the changes that must be made in existing healthcare facilities. The isolated healthcare facilities are essential because the corona virus is spread mainly through close contact (within six feet), such as handshaking (if someone's hands are infected) or touching contaminated surfaces.

How Grain Boundaries and Interfacial Electrostatic Interactions Modulate Water Desalination via Nanoporous Hexagonal Boron Nitride.

To fulfill the increasing demand for drinking water, researchers are currently exploring nanoporous two-dimensional materials, such as hexagonal boron nitride (hBN), as potential desalination membranes. A prominent, yet unsolved challenge is to understand how such membranes will perform in the presence of defects or surface charge in the membrane material. In this work, we study the effect of grain boundaries (GBs) and interfacial electrostatic interactions on the desalination performance of bicrystalline nanoporous hBN using classical molecular dynamics simulations supported by quantum-mechanical density functional theory (DFT) calculations.

Mucormycosis - resurgence of a deadly opportunist during COVID-19 pandemic: Four case reports.

Background: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients who suffer severe infection or comorbidities have an increased risk of developing fungal infections. There is a possibility that such infections are missed or misdiagnosed, in which case patients may suffer higher morbidity and mortality. COVID-19 infection, aggressive management strategies and comorbidities like diabetes render patients prone to opportunistic fungal infections.

Support Vector Regression for Mobile Target Localization in Indoor Environments.

Trilateration-based target localization using received signal strength (RSS) in a wireless sensor network (WSN) generally yields inaccurate location estimates due to high fluctuations in RSS measurements in indoor environments. Improving the localization accuracy in RSS-based systems has long been the focus of a substantial amount of research. This paper proposes two range-free algorithms based on RSS measurements, namely support vector regression (SVR) and SVR + Kalman filter (KF).

COVID-19, Diabetes and Steroids: The Demonic Trident for Mucormycosis.

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has been found to be associated with mucormycosis in few parts of the world, especially India. It is important to look for reasons for this upsurge of cases so that other countries may take proper steps to prevent it. A prospective clinico-demographic study was conducted in SMS Medical College, Jaipur, India from April to May 2021.

Survival predictors of interstitial lung disease in India: Follow-up of Interstitial Lung Disease India registry.

Background: Predictors of survival for interstitial lung disease (ILD) in the Indian population have not been studied. The primary objective of the study was to assess the Modified-Gender Age and Physiology (M-GAP) score to predict survival in patients with ILD seen in clinical practice. We also analyzed the role of demographic and radiological characteristics in predicting the survival of patients with ILD.

Mechanical strength of a nanoporous bicrystalline h-BN nanomembrane in a water submerged state.

Due to superior water permeability, structural stability, and adsorption capability, h-BN nanosheets are emerging as an efficient membrane for water desalination. In order to cater to the demand for potable water, large size membranes are required to maintain a high desalination rate from water purification systems. These large size membranes usually contain polycrystals with an offset in their mechanical properties from pristine h-BN nanosheets.

Severe acute respiratory syndrome-coronavirus 2 and novel coronavirus disease 2019: An extraordinary pandemic.

COVID-19 has emerged as one of the most significant illnesses of the current century. It is caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2. The world was initially viewing it as a localized outbreak in Wuhan city of China; however, it started spreading quickly to other parts of the world.

Methodology of Seasonal Waves of Respiratory Disorders survey conducted at respiratory outpatient clinics across India.

Background: Respiratory disorders are important contributors to disease burden across the world. The aim is to assess the proportionate burden of types of respiratory diseases and their seasonal patterns in India we are performing a field study. The present report describes methodological aspects of a respiratory disease point prevalence survey from India.

Hypersensitivity pneumonitis: Clinical manifestations - Prospective data from the interstitial lung disease-India registry.

Context: Multiple environmental factors are associated with development of hypersensitivity pneumonitis (HP), and diagnostic algorithms for the diagnosis of HP have been proposed in recent perspectives.

Aims: We analyzed the data of patients with HP from interstitial lung disease (ILD)-India registry. The analysis was performed to (1) find the prevalence of HP, (2) reclassify HP as per a recently proposed classification criterion to assess the level of diagnostic certainty, and (3) identify the causative agents for HP.

Atomistic simulations to study the effect of grain boundaries and hydrogen functionalization on the fracture toughness of bi-crystalline h-BN nanosheets.

The aim of this research article was to investigate the effect of grain boundaries (GBs), and hydrogen functionalisation on the fracture toughness of bi-crystalline hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN) nanosheets. Molecular dynamics based simulations were performed in conjunction with the reactive force field to study the crack tip behaviour in single and bi-crystalline h-BN nanosheets. Atomistic simulations help in predicting a positive effect of the GB plane in the near vicinity of the crack tip.