CO variability over a tropical coastal station in India: Synergy of observation and model.

Carbon dioxide (CO), being the prime greenhouse gas, has largest contribution in radiative forcing and global warming due to increased anthropogenic emissions leading to regional and global climate change. We performed CO measurements using a continuous monitoring instrument at a tropical coastal station at the southern tip of India (Thumba; 8.54° N, 76.

Enhancing Stability in All-Vacuum-Evaporated Hybrid Perovskite Solar Cells via a Bipolar Host as a Hole-Transporting Layer.

Growing an ultrathin hybrid organic-inorganic perovskite film while maintaining high efficiency and addressing photostability challenges for commercial devices remains a significant hurdle. In this study, we explore the incorporation of organometallic copper phthalocyanine (CuPc) and (a previously published spiro-based interfacial material for perovskite solar cells (PSCs), featuring an ortho-oriented carbazole donor) as an addition to the hole-transporting layer (HTL) in all-vacuum-deposited CsFAPb(IBr) PSCs. By innovatively introducing a 3 nm-thin layer at the CuPc-perovskite interface, we achieve a deeper understanding of the crystallographic dynamics of perovskites, resulting in a uniform and pinhole-free film.

Coefficient bounds for starlike functions involving - Hurwitz-Lerch Zeta operator in conic region.

In this paper, we generalize a family of -Hurwitz-Lerch Zeta function by means of constructing and investigating a new family of analytic functions. Some novel findings are discussed like contraction coefficient inequality and other important concepts, some of which are: partial sums, coefficient estimates, subordination results for Janowski starlike functions related with symmetric conic domains.

Artificial intelligence based data curation: enabling a patient-centric European health data space.

The emerging European Health Data Space (EHDS) Regulation opens new prospects for large-scale sharing and re-use of health data. Yet, the proposed regulation suffers from two important limitations: it is designed to benefit the whole population with limited consideration for individuals, and the generation of secondary datasets from heterogeneous, unlinked patient data will remain burdensome. AIDAVA, a Horizon Europe project that started in September 2022, proposes to address both shortcomings by providing patients with an AI-based virtual assistant that maximises automation in the integration and transformation of their health data into an interoperable, longitudinal health record.

Stable Near-Infrared Photoluminescence of Hexagonal-Shaped PbS Nanoparticles with 1-Dodecanethiol Ligands.

In this study, lead(II) sulphide (PbS) nanoparticles of varying particle sizes were synthesized using the hot injection method, employing 1-octadecene (ODE) as a coordinating ligand in conjunction with oleylamine (OAm). This synthesis approach was compared with the preparation of hexagonal-shaped nanoparticles through the ligand of 1-Dodecanethiol (DT), resulting in DT-capped PbS nanoparticles. The prepared nanoparticles were characterized using multiple techniques including photoluminescence (PL), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR).

Column study using modified banana pseudo stem as adsorbent for removal of Pb (II).

Eco-friendly adsorbents such as banana pseudo stem play a fundamental role in the removal of heavy metal elements from the wastewater. Key water resources and chemical industries have been encountering difficulties in removing heavy metal elements using existing conventional methods. The lead-removal process is currently a challenging task for environmental scientists and engineers in terms of cost, effluent disposal, and safety concerns.

Dynamical links of convective storms associated with tropospheric biennial oscillation in the Indian monsoon regime.

Tropospheric Biennial Oscillation (TBO) is characterized by a tendency for a relatively stronger monsoon to be followed by a relatively weaker one (positive) or vice-versa (negative). This study examines the distribution of different convective systems occurring during TBO phases over the Indian monsoon region. During negative TBO phase, convection is preferential over the Arabian Sea (AS), whereas during positive TBO phase, it is favoured over the land areas and Bay of Bengal (BoB).

What are the triggers of household decision-making on waste disposal choices? A gender differentiated analysis.

Across the African continent especially in Nigeria, solid waste disposal has created significant environmental and health issues. Studies on household decision-making on waste disposal choices are insignificant. This study uses the most recent 2018/2019 General Household Survey (GHS) - a national representative sample of 5000 households collected by the Nigerian Bureau of Statistics (NBS) and World Bank - to offer greater insight on the socio-economic drivers of household's decision-making on the choice of alternative refuse disposal systems and how these choices vary across male-headed households (MHHs) and female-headed households (FHHs) in Nigeria.

Engineering S. oneidensis for Performance Improvement of Microbial Fuel Cell-a Mini Review.

Microbial fuel cell (MFC) is a promising technology that utilizes exoelectrogens cultivated in the form of biofilm to generate power from various types of sources supplied. A metal-reducing pathway is utilized by these organisms to transfer electrons obtained from the metabolism of substrate from anaerobic respiration extracellularly. A widely established model organism that is capable of extracellular electron transfer (EET) is Shewanella oneidensis.

Agricultural production and CO emissions from two sources in the ECOWAS region: New insights from quantile regression and decomposition analysis.

Agriculture being the dominant economic activity of the West African economies is responsible for the most greenhouse gasses emitted in the region. Are there heterogeneous determinants of environmental degradation across low, intermediate, and high CO2 emitters in West Africa? Considering the significance of agriculture, industrial activities, renewable energy consumption and economic growth in West-Africa, this paper investigates the conditional determinants of environmental degradation from two sources (per-capita CO2 emission and CO2 emission from liquid sources) using panel data from 15 ECOWAS countries for the period 1990-2015. The study adopts a panel quantile regression technique with non-additive fixed effects as well as quintile decomposition techniques to explore if the relationship between agricultural and economic factors differs across low, intermediate, and high CO2 emitters and the extent of CO2 emission gap between Low Income Group (LIG) and Lower-Middle Income Groups (LmIG).

Determinants of household fuel choices among Nigerian family heads: are there gender-differentiated impacts?

The consensus in the literature holds that female-headed households (FHHs) are more vulnerable to social and economic exclusion than male-headed households (MHHs). This paper investigates the socioeconomic determinants of household cooking fuel choices across MHHs and FHHs, using the rich Nigerian Demographic Health Survey data. Using the exogenous switching treatment effect regression (ESTER) technique, the study is able to unravel differences in socioeconomic effects of gender inequality on cooking fuel choices in Nigeria.

Resonant energy transfer and light scattering enhancement of plasmonic random lasers embedded with silver nanoplates.

The resonant energy transfer enhancement from a plasmonic random laser (PRL) has been investigated by means of a dye-covered PVA film with embedded silver nanoplates (DC-PVA/AgNPs). Different sizes and morphologies of AgNPs were adopted to shift the localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) and intensify recurrent light scattering between the AgNPs. For better overlap between surface plasmon resonance and the photoluminescence of fluorescent molecules with appropriately-sized silver nanoprisms, the slope efficiency of the PRL was greatly enhanced and the lasing threshold was obviously reduced.

Intervention for burnout among English education undergraduates: implications for curriculum innovation.

Background/objective: The present study investigated the effect of Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT) intervention on burnout among English education undergraduates in southeastern Nigeria.

Method: The study adopted a randomized controlled trial design. A total of 96 English education undergraduates with high burnout symptoms in the participating universities took part in the study.

Evaluation of a Lectin-Based Imaging System for the Chairside Detection of Oral Dysplasia and Malignancy.

Purpose: Currently available oral cancer screening adjuncts have not enhanced clinical screening methods because of high false positives and negatives, highlighting the need for a molecularly specific technique for accurate screening of suspicious oral lesions. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the in vivo screening accuracy of an oral lesion identification system that evaluates aberrant glycosylation patterns using a fluorescently labeled lectin (wheat germ agglutinin and fluorescein isothiocyanate [WGA-FITC]).

Materials And Methods: The authors designed and implemented a prospective cohort study at 3 institutions composed of patients with and without suspicious oral lesions.

Capsicum annuum Fruit Extract: A Novel Reducing Agent for the Green Synthesis of ZnO Nanoparticles and Their Multifunctional Applications.

A simple, efficient and convenient method for the preparation of zinc oxide (ZnO) nanoparticle was described. Several parameters like size and morphology of the prepared nanoparticles were characterized thorough a variety of analytical techniques such as XRD, FT-IR, UV-Vis, SEM, and EDX. The prepared ZnO nanoparticles were successfully used as catalyst for the formylation of amino acid esters and biodiesel synthesis.

Degradation of Methylene Blue Dye in the Presence of Visible Light Using SiO₂@α-Fe₂O₃ Nanocomposites Deposited on SnS₂ Flowers.

Semiconductor materials have been shown to have good photocatalytic behavior and can be utilized for the photodegradation of organic pollutants. In this work, three-dimensional flower-like SnS₂ (tin sulfide) was synthesized by a facile hydrothermal method. Core-shell structured SiO₂@α-Fe₂O₃ nanocomposites were then deposited on the top of the SnS₂ flowers.

The production of an efficient visible light photocatalyst for CO oxidation through the surface plasmonic effect of Ag nanoparticles on SiO@α-FeO nanocomposites.

A process for the photo deposition of noble Ag nanoparticles on a core-shell structure of SiO@α-FeO nanocomposite spheres was performed to produce a CO photo oxidation catalyst. The structural analyses were carried out for samples produced using different Ag metal nanoparticle weight percentages on SiO@α-FeO nanocomposite spheres by X-ray diffraction (XRD), field emission-scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), UV-vis spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). A computational study was also performed to confirm the existence of the synergic effect of surface plasmon resonance (SPR) for different weight percentages of Ag on the SiO@α-FeO nanocomposites.

Inter- and Intra-Observer Variability in Diagnosis of Oral Dysplasia.

Background: Oral potentially malignant disorders (OPMDs) are lesions from which malignancy is more likely to develop that from other tissues. The potential for malignant transformation of OPMDs is estimated by determining the degree of dysplastic changes in the epithelium. Dysplasia grading has been criticized for lack of reproducibility and poor predictive value but is still considered the gold standard for diagnosing OPMDs.

Chairside molecular imaging of aberrant glycosylation in subjects with suspicious oral lesions using fluorescently labeled wheat germ agglutinin.

Background: Aberrant sialylation is accepted as a carcinogenic biomarker. In previous work, fluorescently labeled wheat germ agglutinin (WGA) distinguished between cancerous and normal oral biopsies. The purpose of this study was to investigate WGA-fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC) as a point-of-care tool for detecting oral malignant and dysplastic lesions in vivo.

The Preparation of Porous Sol-Gel Silica with Metal Organic Framework MIL-101(Cr) by Microwave-Assisted Hydrothermal Method for Adsorption Chillers.

Metal organic framework (MOF) of MIL-101(Cr)-Silica (SiO₂) composites with highly mesoporous and uniform dispersions were synthesized by a microwave-assisted hydrothermal method followed by the sol-gel technique. Water vapor adsorption experiments were conducted on the MIL-101(Cr)-SiO₂ composites for industrial adsorption chiller applications. The effects of MIL-101(Cr)-SiO₂ mixing ratios (ranging from 0% to 52%), the surface area and amount of Lewis and Brønsted sites were comprehensively determined through water vapor adsorption experiments and the adsorption mechanism is also explained.

Antifungal effect of plant extract and essential oil.

The advancement of phytochemical and phytopharmacological sciences has enabled elucidation of the composition and biological activities of several medicinal plant products including plant extract and essential oils. These products have been widely used around the world since ancient times for the treatment of various disorders such as diabetes, hypertension, peptic ulcer disease, microbial infection, sexual disorder and many more. Its popularity in the modern system of medicine is mainly due to their availability and fewer adverse reactions compared to synthetic drugs.

Pseudoepitheliomatous Hyperplasia in Oral Lesions: A Review.

Pseudoepitheliomatous hyperplasia (PEH) is a histopathological reaction pattern to various stimuli, which includes trauma, infection, inflammation, neoplasia. It is seen as tongue like epithelial proliferation invading the connective tissue and should not be mistaken for squamous cell carcinoma (SCC). This review enlists oral lesions which exhibit PEH with a note on how to differentiate SCC from PEH.

Immunomorphological patterns of cervical lymph nodes in oral squamous cell carcinoma.

Context: Squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) comprises 80% of the cancers of the oral cavity. Metastases to the cervical lymph nodes affects prognosis. Studying lymph node reactivity may help to understand host immune reaction against the tumor and thus influence prognosis.

Ameloblastoma: Cytopathologic profile of 12 cases and literature review.

Background: Fine-needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) has been used as a diagnostic tool in evaluating suspected lesions. It shows a high diagnostic accuracy for diagnosing salivary gland lesions.

Aim: The aim of this study was to highlight FNAC as an effective diagnostic tool in the presumptive diagnosis of ameloblastoma.

A quantitative analysis of mast cells in inflammatory periapical and gingival lesions.

Aim: The aim of the study was to quantify the presence of mast cells in various inflammatory lesions like periapical granuloma, periapical cyst, inflammatory gingival hyperplasia and pyogenic granuloma. Mast cell degranulation and association with lymphocytes were also recorded in an attempt to understand the role of mast cells in the pathogenesis of these inflammatory lesions.

Materials And Methods: The quantification of mast cells was done on toluidine blue stained sections of all the four groups of lesions, using the image analyzer software, Image-Pro-Express (Media Cybernetics, USA).