Transition Metal Anchored Novel Holey Boron Nitride Analogues as Single-Atom Catalysts for the Hydrogen Evolution Reaction.

The increasing global energy demand and environmental pollution necessitate the development of alternative, sustainable energy sources. Hydrogen production through electrochemical methods offers a carbon-free energy solution. In this study, we have designed novel boron nitride analogues (BNyne) and investigated their stability and electronic properties.

Quasi-Gel Polymer Electrolyte Interfaced with Electrodes through Solvent-Swollen Poly(ethylene oxide) for High-Performance Lithium/Lithium-Ion Batteries.

Solid polymer electrolytes (SPEs) are regarded as a superior alternative to traditional liquid electrolytes of lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) due to their improved safety features. The practical implementation of SPEs faces challenges, such as low ionic conductivity at room temperature (RT) and inadequate interfacial contact, leading to high interfacial resistance across the electrode and electrolyte interfaces. In this study, we addressed these issues by designing a quasi-gel polymer electrolyte (QGPE), a blend of poly(vinylidene fluoride--hexafluoropropylene) (PVDF-HFP), poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO), and succinonitrile (SN), with the desired mechanical strength, ionic conductivity, and interfacial stability through a simple solution casting technique.

Machine learning approaches for estimation of the fraction of absorbed photosynthetically active radiation and net photosynthesis rate of maize using multi-spectral sensor.

The fraction of absorbed photosynthetically active radiation (FAPAR) and the photosynthesis rate (Pn) of maize canopies were identified as essential photosynthetic parameters for accurately estimating vegetation growth and productivity using multispectral vegetation indices (VIs). Despite their importance, few studies have compared the effectiveness of multispectral imagery and various machine learning techniques in estimating these photosynthetic traits under high vegetation coverage. In this study, seventeen multispectral VIs and four machine learning (ML) algorithms were utilized to determine the most suitable model for estimating maize FAPAR and Pn during the and seasons at Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore, India.

Impact of regenerative farming practices on soil quality and yield of cotton-sorghum system in semi arid Indian conditions.

Regenerative agricultural practices, i.e. organic and natural farming, are rooted in India since ancient times.

Sonochemically synthesized hydride-stabilized boron nanosheets radical-assisted oxidative exfoliation for energy storage applications.

Metal-free hydride stabilized boron nanosheets (H-BNS) were prepared in an aqueous medium without using noble metal growth substrates sonochemistry. The reducing ability of H-BNS was demonstrated with Au(aq) reduction, and its layered morphology is exploited for Li-ion battery (LIB) applications.

Chronic Illness, Nutritional Status, and Factors Associated with Malnutrition among Various Age Groups Residing in Urban Areas of Telangana and Rural Areas of Andhra Pradesh.

Malnutrition includes both under-nutrition and over-nutrition, which have negative health impacts and social consequences. The present study aims to understand the demographic dynamics, burden of chronic illnesses, and risk factors associated with malnutrition (stunting, thinness, and obesity) among different age groups in urban and rural areas. Data were collected through a cross-sectional study conducted in an urban area in Hyderabad and four rural villages in Andhra Pradesh.

Sulfonated Poly(2,6-dimethyl-1,4-phenylene ether)-Modified Mixed-Matrix Bifunctional Polyelectrolyte Membranes for Long-Run Anthrarufin-Based Redox Flow Batteries.

The resurgence in designing polyelectrolyte membrane (PEM) materials has propound grid-scale electrochemical energy storage devices. Herein, we report on studies corroborating the synergistic influence of ionic domain microstructure modification and intercalation of telechelic bis-piperidinium-functionalized graphene oxide (GO) to fabricate stable bifunctional membranes from sulfonated poly(2,6-dimethyl-1,4-phenylene ether) (sPPE) for efficient anthrarufin-based alkaline redox flow batteries. A critically long-lasting quest on alkaline stability and OH conductivity dilemma in hydrocarbon-based PEMs is meticulously resolved via a bifunctional ion-conducting matrix.

Electrocatalytic Reduction of Nitrogen to Ammonia Using Tiara-like Phenylethanethiolated Nickel Cluster.

The fixing of N to NH is challenging due to the inertness of the N≡N bond. Commercially, ammonia production depends on the energy-consuming Haber-Bosch (H-B) process, which emits CO while using fossil fuels as the sources of hydrogen and energy. An alternative method for NH production is the electrochemical nitrogen reduction reaction (NRR) process as it is powered by renewable energy sources.

Burden of Typhoid and Paratyphoid Fever in India.

Background: In 2017, more than half the cases of typhoid fever worldwide were projected to have occurred in India. In the absence of contemporary population-based data, it is unclear whether declining trends of hospitalization for typhoid in India reflect increased antibiotic treatment or a true reduction in infection.

Methods: From 2017 through 2020, we conducted weekly surveillance for acute febrile illness and measured the incidence of typhoid fever (as confirmed on blood culture) in a prospective cohort of children between the ages of 6 months and 14 years at three urban sites and one rural site in India.

Electrochemical sensing of NADH using 4-nitrobenzenediazonium tetrafluoroborate salt functionalized multiwalled carbon nanotubes.

In this work, multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) are functionalized using 4-nitrobenzenediazonium (NBD) salt, which is identified as an effective electrocatalyst for the detection of β-nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NADH). The NBD functionalized MWCNT (NBD-MWCNT(w) (w-washed)) was characterized using various physicochemical characterization methods. Cyclic voltammetric measurements showed that NBD-MWCNT(w) modified glassy carbon electrode (NBD-MWCNT(w)/GCE) was able to produce the anodic wave for oxidizing NADH at the applied overpotential of 0.

Highly Efficient Recovery and Recycling of Cobalt from Spent Lithium-Ion Batteries Using an -Methylurea-Acetamide Nonionic Deep Eutectic Solvent.

The growing demand for lithium-ion batteries (LiBs) for the electronic and automobile industries combined with the limited availability of key metal components, in particular cobalt, drives the need for efficient methods for the recovery and recycling of these materials from battery waste. Herein, we introduce a novel and efficient approach for the extraction of cobalt, and other metal components, from spent LiBs using a nonionic deep eutectic solvent (ni-DES) comprised of -methylurea and acetamide under relatively mild conditions. Cobalt could be recovered from lithium cobalt oxide-based LiBs with an extraction efficiency of >97% and used to fabricate new batteries.

Smart bio-nano interface derived from zein protein as receptors for biotinyl moiety.

Proteinaceous, tunable nanostructures of zein (prolamine of corn) were developed as biotinyl-specific receptors using a molecular imprinting technique. Sacrificial templates, such as latex beads (LB3) and anodized alumina membrane (AAM), have been used to control nanostructural patterns in biotin-imprinted zein (BMZ). Briefly, a methanolic solution of the zein-biotin complex was drop cast upon a self-organized LB3 and AAM templates on Au/quartz surfaces.

Cost of Illness Due to Severe Enteric Fever in India.

Background: Lack of robust data on economic burden due to enteric fever in India has made decision making on typhoid vaccination a challenge. Surveillance for Enteric Fever network was established to address gaps in typhoid disease and economic burden.

Methods: Patients hospitalized with blood culture-confirmed enteric fever and nontraumatic ileal perforation were identified at 14 hospitals.

Geographic Pattern of Typhoid Fever in India: A Model-Based Estimate of Cohort and Surveillance Data.

Background: Typhoid fever remains a major public health problem in India. Recently, the Surveillance for Enteric Fever in India program completed a multisite surveillance study. However, data on subnational variation in typhoid fever are needed to guide the introduction of the new typhoid conjugate vaccine in India.

Antibiotics for Fever Among Children: Findings From the Surveillance for Enteric Fever in India Cohorts.

Background: Acute febrile illness in children is frequently treated with antibiotics. However, the inappropriate use of antibiotics has led to the emergence of multidrug-resistant pathogens.

Methods: We measured use of antibiotics for fever in 4 pediatric cohorts that were part of the Surveillance for Enteric Fever in India (SEFI) network.

Factors Predicting Blood Culture Positivity in Children With Enteric Fever.

Background: Blood culture, despite low sensitivity, is the gold standard for enteric fever diagnosis. Understanding predictors of blood culture positivity may help design strategies to optimize enteric fever diagnosis.

Methods: A cohort of 6760 children aged 0.

Geographically Weighted Regression Modeling of Spatial Clustering and Determinants of Focal Typhoid Fever Incidence.

Background: Typhoid is known to be heterogenous in time and space, with documented spatiotemporal clustering and hotspots associated with environmental factors. This analysis evaluated spatial clustering of typhoid and modeled incidence rates of typhoid from active surveillance at 4 sites with child cohorts in India.

Methods: Among approximately 24 000 children aged 0.

Healthcare Utilization Survey in the Hybrid Model of the Surveillance for Enteric Fever in India (SEFI) Study: Processes, Monitoring, Results, and Challenges.

Background: Lack of reliable data in India drove the "Surveillance of Enteric Fever in India" (SEFI) concept. Hybrid surveillance, combining facility-based surveillance for the crude incidence, and a community-based healthcare utilization survey (HCUS) to calculate the factor needed to arrive at the adjusted incidence, was used in 6 sites. The HCUS aimed to determine the percentage of utilization of study facilities by the catchment population for hospitalizations due to febrile illness.

CuO-NiO binary transition metal oxide nanoparticle anchored on rGO nanosheets as high-performance electrocatalyst for the oxygen reduction reaction.

To replace the existing noble-metal-based catalysts, developing highly efficient, stable electrocatalysts for oxygen reduction reactions for the increased current generation with lower overpotential is a demanding undertaking. In the present work, CuO-NiO/rGO nanocomposites were prepared using simple, cost-effective Co-precipitation methods. They act as highly effective electrocatalysts for oxygen reduction reactions in an alkaline medium.

Soil-transmitted helminth infections after mass drug administration for lymphatic filariasis in rural southern India.

Objectives: Targeted deworming is the current strategy for control of morbidity associated with soil-transmitted helminths (STH) among at-risk populations: preschool-aged children, school-aged children and women of childbearing age. We report the prevalence and intensity of STH in a district after lymphatic filariasis (LF) mass drug administration (MDA) in southern India where albendazole was co-administered from 2001.

Methods: Children aged 2 to 15 years and adults (defined as ≥15 years) in a rural administrative block of Tamil Nadu were recruited using a probability proportional to size method.

A Mixed-Method Investigation of Parent Perspectives on Early Childhood Behavioral Services in Primary Care.

Primary care is a key setting for the delivery of parent-focused behavioral interventions. Various methods of intervention show promising efficacy but fail to engage adequate parental participation. This study used a sequential-explanatory mixed-method design to understand factors underlying parents' attitudes toward the content, sources, and delivery methods of behavioral guidance in primary care.

Developmental trends in early childhood and their predictors from an Indian birth cohort.

Background: Early childhood developmental pattern analyses not only project future cognition potential, but also identify potential risks for possible intervention. The current study evaluates developmental trends in the first 3 years of life and their predictors in a low and middle income country setting.

Methods: Trends of early childhood development at 6, 15, 24 and 36 months of age and their predictors were explored in a longitudinal community-based birth cohort study in an urban slum in Vellore, South India.