Detailed investigation of defect states in Erbium doped In2O3 thin films

Erbium doped Indium Oxide (In2O3:Er) thin films (TFs) were synthesised by spin-on technique. Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry confirmed that Er is incorporated into the In2O3 lattice and formed an In-O-Er layer. The current–voltage loop produced a lower loop current window of ∼3.6 × 10−4 A for In2O3:Er TF based devices. The Au/In2O3:Er/Si Schottky devices have lower ideality factor (∼6) and higher barrier height (∼0.63 eV) at 300 K than Au/In2O3/Si control samples. A blue shift in the main band-gap (∼50 nm) was calculated for In2O3:Er TFs from 10 K photoresponse. The Au/In2O3:Er/Si samples show higher photosensitivity in the temperature range 10 K–300 K and maximum (∼15 times) in the UV region at 10 K as compared to the Au/In2O3/Si devices. In addition, the Au/In2O3:Er/Si devices have better UV to visible cut-off ratio (∼3 times). Excellent temporal responses were recorded for Au/In2O3:Er/Si in the UV region as compared to Au/In2O3/Si

Synthesis of Ultra-small size Orthorhombic CsPbBr3 Perovskite Nanocrystal

Synthesis of ultra-small and colloidal stable CsPbBr3 NCs with high PLQY and significant lifetime is a challenge indeed. In this study we have synthesized CsPbBr3 materials (TBIA-CsPbBr3, DBIA-CsPbBr3, DBHT-CsPbBr3, and NBS-CsPbBr3) obtained via hot injection methods employing TBIA (tribromoisocyanuric acid), DBIA (dibromoisocyanuric acid), DBHT (1,3-dibromo-5,5-dimethylhydantoin), NBS (N-bromosuccinamide) as the external bromine precursors. The TBIA-CsPbBr3 is found to have the smallest dimension (ultra-small ~5.6 nm) among these four. The outstanding traits exhibited by these NCs highlight their immense potential for practical applications across diverse fields

A Stable Radical Anion of Quinoxalin-2(1H)-one in Aerial Dioxygen Activation under Wet-Condition

In this report, we describe a highly convenient, non-photochemical and unprecedented method for generating stable radical anions and activating atmospheric dioxygen in wet environments. This activation occurs in aerobic and ambient reaction conditions, specifically in the context of quinoxalin-2(1H)-one oxygenation, with KOtBu. The outcome is the successful demonstration of a straightforward method for synthesizing quinoxaline-2,3-dione. Notably, the crucial role of KOtBu as a single electron transfer (SET) reagent is emphasized, as it initiates dioxygen activation, thereby triggering the oxygenation reaction

C-H Chalcogenation by a Bromide Rich and Environmentally Benign Orthorhombic CsPbBr3 under Visible Light, Polar Media and Aerobic Condition

The stability of CsPbBr3 nanocrystals (NCs) in open air remains challenging and can vary depending on the specific material and conditions. Generally, perovskites are prone to degradation due to oxygen, moisture, polar solvent, and light exposure. In this work, we have aimed to develop strategies to improve the stability of CsPbBr3 perovskite and broaden its potential applications in organic synthesis. An orthorhombic CsPbBr3 perovskite nano-crystal (NC) obtained from bromide precursor dibromoisocyanuric acid, can work efficiently as a visible light photocatalyst (blue LED, 5 mol % and TON ~ 18.11) under O2 atmosphere and in acetonitrile (dielectric constant ε ~ 37.5). The synthesis of diaryl sulfides and a diaryl selenide were achieved via template-free C-H functionalization of electron-rich arenes. The electron-rich arenes also helped to enhance the stability of the CsPbBr3 perovskites photocatalyst within the reaction system. The orthorhombic and bromide-rich CsPbBr3 NC displayed superior photocatalytic activity than cubic CsPbBr3 NCs and was found to be environmentally benign. After the reaction, only 32 ppb of Pb(II) was leached out (ICP-OES analysis) which is quite lower than the maximum permissible limit for drinking water of humans (50 ppb)

EVALUATION OF MORPHOLOGICAL CHANGES OF THE PARANASAL SINUS IN COMPUTED TOMOGRAPHY AND MAGNETIC RESONANCE IMAGING MODALITIES

Objectives: The objective of the study was to evaluate the prevalence of pathological conditions and anatomical variations occurring within paranasal sinus among the patients undergoing computed tomography (CT) scan and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan in Gurugram district. Methods: A prospective study was conducted among 20 patients in each modality, the patient undergoing the CT of paranasal sinus and patients undergoing routine MRI brain study. The clinical findings from CT and MRI were taken as primary data and later on compiled together under different variables to assess the occurrence of paranasal sinus disease and anatomical variations within. Results: The present study revealed that the most common pathology was mucosal thickening followed by polyp and the occurrence of air-fluid level; maxillary sinus being commonly affected. In patients undergoing CT, the most common anatomical variation was deviated nasal septum, that is, 16 out of 20 patients followed by the bone spur formation. In the patients undergoing routine MRI brain, most of the patient had mucosal thickening <5 mm. In the lining of maxillary sinus, moderate hyperintensity was reported. Conclusion: Based on the study, it is concluded that mucosal thickening is most commonly evident pathology with maximum occurrence seen in the maxillary sinus. The co-occurrence of more than 1 anatomical variation and involvement of multiple paranasal sinuses were seen positive. MRI was found more sensitive in assessing the early changes in sinus mucosal abnormalities

Well differentiated papillary mesothelioma of abdomen- a rare case with diagnostic dilemma

Well-differentiated papillary mesothelioma is a rare tumor occurring predominantly in the peritoneum of young women, a few with history of asbestos exposure. A 28-year-old woman presented with ascites and pain abdomen. Ultrasonography and computed tomography scan of the abdomen revealed a mass in the retroperitoneum measuring 15 cm × 12 cm. Histopathological examination along with immunohistochemistry (IHC) confirmed it to be a papillary mesothelioma in the peritoneum. It is difficult to differentiate from more common malignant mesothelioma and papillary adenocarcinoma, which also have poorer prognosis. The difficulty can be resolved by clinico-radiological correlation along with histopathological examination and IHC

Psoriasis and metabolic syndrome: Co-incidence or correlation

Background: Psoriasis is an immune-mediated chronic skin disease having effects on other organs. It has been linked to diabetes mellitus, hypertension, obesity, and dyslipidemia. All of these components ultimately increase the risk of metabolic syndrome and cardiovascular morbidities. Several studies have been done in the western world to identify the presence of metabolic syndrome (or its components) in psoriatic patients. Aims and Objectives: Our study had been done with the objective of identifying the prevalence of metabolic syndrome in psoriatics in comparison to normal population. Materials and Methods: The study was an institution-based case-control study. Subjects were recruited after obtaining informed consent. Cases of psoriasis were diagnosed clinically, and unrelated healthy volunteers served as controls. Inclusion criteria for cases were patients of clinically diagnosed psoriasis without any co-existent immune-suppressed conditions such as HIV, malignancy, or any other physiological conditions such as pregnancy or lactation that might influence metabolic syndrome. Smokers and alcoholics were also excluded from the study. Metabolic syndrome was defined by Adult treatment panel III criteria. Statistical Analysis: Descriptive statistics were expressed as range, mean ± standard deviation, frequencies (number of cases), and whichever was appropriate. For analytical statistics, numerical data were analyzed using t-test or ANOVA test, and for categorical data, Chi-square and Fischer′s exact test were used. P ≤ 0.05 was considered as statistically significant. Results: Abdominal obesity (odds ratio [OR] = 2.6), hypertension (OR = 2.2), hyperglycemia (OR = 2.8), dyslipidemia (OR = 2.9), and metabolic syndrome (OR = 2.6) are associated with psoriasis. Conclusion: Psoriatic patients have an increased risk of developing abdominal obesity, hypertension, hyperglycemia, and dyslipidemia in comparison to general population. All these contribute to higher preponderance to metabolic syndrome

CsPbBr₃ in the Activation of the C–Br Bond of CBrX₃ (X = Cl, Br) under Sunlight

A newly synthesized green-fluorescent, orthorhombic, bromide-rich, perovskite nanocrystal (Φ ∼ 0.93, τ ∼ 12.5 ns, Eox = +1.6 V) obtained from an unprecedented bromide precursor dibromoisocyanuric acid was found to be an excellent visible-light (sunlight or blue-light-emitting diode (LED)) photocatalyst toward the synthesis of gem-dihaloenones for the first time. The photoactivated CsPbBr3 catalyzed the homolytic cleavage of CBrX3 (X = Cl, Br) to generate the •CX3 radical, which underwent cascaded C–C cross-coupling with terminal alkynes into the corresponding gem-dihaloenones. Radical-trapping experiments and luminescence-quenching studies helped establish a single-electron-transfer (SET) mechanism. Interestingly, other highly stable CsPbBr3 NCs, obtained from N-bromosuccinimide (NBS) and dibromohydantoin (DBHT) precursors, are unable to carry out these transformations. These results not only enrich the CsPbBr3 synthetic methodology but also encourage the research community to develop efficient and cost-effective photocatalytic materials

Electrophilic substitution reaction of Indole: Part XXII-synthesis of a novel spiro heterocyclic system

The reaction of indole with acetone in the presence of mineral/Lewis acid continues to be a fascinating area for investigation since 1913, specially due to the instability of the indolyl carbinol being generated in situ. We report here the synthesis of a novel spiro heterocyclic system obtained during the study of this reaction using BF<SUB>3</SUB>.Et<SUB>2</SUB>0

FedERA: Framework for Federated Learning with Diversified Edge Resource Allocation

Federated Learning (FL) is a distributed machine learning (ML) approach that allows multiple devices to train a model while keeping training data private on edge devices. However, existing FL libraries are incapable of: (i) supporting a wide range of existing FL algorithms, (ii) handling diverse public as well as custom datasets, (ii) discarding unreliable updates from malicious edge devices, and (iv) facilitating edge-device training. With the rapid progression in AI, there is an increment in the computation power while training the models on edge devices which results in more carbon emission (CE). However, in the existing FL frameworks, there is no module for estimating CE. In this paper, we present \textbf{FedERA}, a modular and fully customizable open-source FL framework aiming to address these issues especially also by offering extensive support on heterogeneous edge devices and by incorporating both standalone and distributed training approaches. The integration of new software modules unforeseen in existing FL frameworks not only amplifies the scope of its usability but also fosters environment-friendly FL. We believe that FedERA will be a valuable tool for researchers and practitioners working in FL. Source codes of this library along with documentation and tutorials are available at: https://github.com/anupamkliv/FedERA.</p