Supersensitive metal free in-situ synthesized graphene oxide@cellulose nanocrystals acetone sensitive bioderived sensors.

A series of graphene oxide@cellulose nanocrystal (GO@CNC) nanoparticles (NPs) were synthesized in this study using a room temperature-based simple modified hummers process. The morphological structures, as well as chemical characteristics of these materials, were characterized using transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and other techniques. The results show that the as-prepared nanoparticles are made up of crystallite grains with an average size of around 7.

Elucidating the Trajectory of the Charge Transfer Mechanism and Recombination Process of Hybrid Perovskite Solar Cells.

Perovskite-based solar cells (PSCs) have attracted attraction in the photovoltaic community since their inception in 2009. To optimize the performance of hybrid perovskite cells, a primary and crucial strategy is to unravel the dominant charge transport mechanisms and interfacial properties of the contact materials. This study focused on the charge transfer process and interfacial recombination within the n-i-p architecture of solar cell devices.

Blood Ketone Bodies and Breath Acetone Analysis and Their Correlations in Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus.

Analysis of volatile organic compounds in the breath for disease detection and monitoring has gained momentum and clinical significance due to its rapid test results and non-invasiveness, especially for diabetes mellitus (DM). Studies have suggested that breath gases, including acetone, may be related to simultaneous blood glucose (BG) and blood ketone levels in adults with types 2 and 1 diabetes. Detecting altered concentrations of ketones in the breath, blood and urine may be crucial for the diagnosis and monitoring of diabetes mellitus.

Malaria in children under-five: A comparison of risk factors in lakeshore and highland areas, Zomba district, Malawi.

Background: In Malawi, children under the age of five living in different geographical areas may experience different malaria risk factors. We compare the risk factors of malaria experienced by children under the age of five from Zomba district, who reside in lakeshore and highland areas.

Methods: We conducted a case control study of 765 caregivers, cases being children under-five who were diagnosed with malaria, and obtained matched controls from local health facilities and communities.

Sensing Technologies for Detection of Acetone in Human Breath for Diabetes Diagnosis and Monitoring.

The review describes the technologies used in the field of breath analysis to diagnose and monitor diabetes mellitus. Currently the diagnosis and monitoring of blood glucose and ketone bodies that are used in clinical studies involve the use of blood tests. This method entails pricking fingers for a drop of blood and placing a drop on a sensitive area of a strip which is pre-inserted into an electronic reading instrument.

Seasonal variation of malaria cases in children aged less than 5 years old following weather change in Zomba district, Malawi.

Background: Malaria is seasonal and this may influence the number of children being treated as outpatients in hospitals. The objective of this study was to investigate the degree of seasonality in malaria in lakeshore and highland areas of Zomba district Malawi, and influence of climatic factors on incidence of malaria.

Methods: Secondary data on malaria surveillance numbers and dates of treatment of children <5 years of age (n = 374,246) were extracted from the Zomba health information system for the period 2012-2016, while data on climatic variables from 2012 to 2015 were obtained from meteorological department.

Epitaxial deposition of silver ultra-fine nano-clusters on defect-free surfaces of HOPG-derived few-layer graphene in a UHV multi-chamber by in situ STM, ex situ XPS, and ab initio calculations.

The growth of three-dimensional ultra-fine spherical nano-particles of silver on few layers of graphene derived from highly oriented pyrolytic graphite in ultra-high vacuum were characterized using in situ scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) in conjunction with X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The energetics of the Ag clusters was determined by DFT simulations. The Ag clusters appeared spherical with size distribution averaging approximately 2 nm in diameter.

Photoluminescence and hydrogen gas-sensing properties of titanium dioxide nanostructures synthesized by hydrothermal treatments.

Titanium dioxide (TiO(2)) nanostructures were synthesized by microwave-assisted and conventionally heated hydrothermal treatment of TiO(2) powder. The tubular structures were converted to a rodlike shape by sintering the samples at various temperatures in air for 3 h. This was accompanied by phase transformation largely influenced by the method of synthesis and the mode of heating.

Synthesis and characterization of potential iron-platinum drugs and supplements by laser liquid photolysis.

Highly crystalline nanospherical iron-platinum systems were produced by 248 nm laser irradiation of a liquid precursor at different laser fluences, ranging from 100-375 mJ/cm(2). The influence of laser intensity on particle size, iron composition, and structure was systematically investigated. Different nanostructures of iron-platinum alloy and chemically disordered iron-platinum L10 phase were obtained without annealing.

Formation of tungsten oxide nanostructures by laser pyrolysis: stars, fibres and spheres.

In this letter, the production of multi-phase WO3 and WO3-x (where x could vary between 0.1 and 0.3) nanostructures synthesized by CO2-laser pyrolysis technique at varying laser wavelengths (9.