Hydrogen induced resistance and optical transmittance of pulsed laser deposited Pd/Mg thin films

The hydrogen detection is an important issue for the societal acceptance of H2 as energy carrier. In present research work, we have investigated hydrogen sensing and optical properties of Pd/Mg thin films on glass substrate deposited by pulsed laser (PL). As-deposited thin films have been exposed (hydrogenation) to H2 gas (2 bar) at room temperature in a hydrogenation unit. Hydrogenated and dehydrogenated (at different temperatures) samples have been characterized using X-ray diffractometer (XRD), field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), UV-Vis-NIR spectrophotometer, atomic force microscopy (AFM). XRD results confirm the formation of hydride (MgH2) tetragonal phase upon hydrogenation of Pd/Mg films. Hydrogen induced resistance response of Pd/Mg films has been measured in-situ during hydrogenation/dehydrogenation process by using two- probe electrical method. The response time (sensitivity) of Pd/Mg films for hydrogen gas is ~ 60 s at room temperature. The study of optical transmittance of hydrogenated Pd/Mg films indicates their switchable mirror behavior

A study to determine the knowledge and level of awareness of medical undergraduates about herbal medicines and herb-drug interactions

Background: The increasing usage of herbal medicines worldwide has increased the probability of co-administration of herbal and allopathic medicines. This may lead to serious safety concerns, including herb-drug interactions (HDIs). Many HDIs may be overlooked due to poor doctor-patient communication about herbal drug usage probably because of lack of knowledge of herbal medicines and HDIs among physicians. The study was thus planned to identify the knowledge and awareness of medical students regarding the use of herbal medicines and about HDIs, to help improve the teaching skills and curriculum development for medical students.Methods: 286 medical students of 2nd, 3rd and 4th year MBBS course completed the study. All the participants were asked to fill a self-administered questionnaire consisting of 15 questions which included both open-ended and close-ended questions related to age, sex, knowledge, awareness and usage of herbal medicines and about herb-drug interactions. Data was analyzed and expressed as counts and percentages.Results: Majority (95.45%) of the students were aware of the fact that herbs can be used as medicines. They were most familiar with the herbs tulsi, neem, turmeric, aloe, ashwagandha and ginger. 46.85% consider herbal medicines to be risk free, and majority (55.6%) were not aware of the fact that herbs can cause herb-drug interactions. Media and elderly family members were their most common sources of information regarding herbal medicines. Majority (75.17%) would prefer allopathic medicines over herbal medicines. Only 23.07% always informed the physician about their usage of herbal medicines, although most (84.96%) felt that history regarding use of herbal medicines should be taken. Majority were not aware of the regulatory status of herbal medicines.Conclusions: Lack of knowledge and awareness of medical students about herbal medicines and herb-drug interactions was seen in the study. There is a need to inform the students of allopathic system of medicine about the adverse outcomes of herbal medicines and the knowledge about herb-drug interactions should be a part of the medical curriculum

Biodiesel production from camelina oil: Present status and future perspectives

Camelina sativa (L.) Crantz is an oilseed crop with favorable potentials for biodiesel production, such as the high plant yield, high oil content in the seed, high net energy ratio, and low oil production cost. This review paper deals with the present state and perspectives of biodiesel production from camelina oil. First, important issues of camelina seed pretreatment and biodiesel production are reviewed. Emphasis is given to different biodiesel technologies that have been used so far worldwide, the economic assessment of the camelina oil biodiesel (COB) production, the camelina-based biorefineries for the integrated biodiesel production, the COB life cycle analysis, and impact human health and ecosystem. Finally, the perspectives of COB production from the techno-economic and especially genetic engineering points of view are discussed

Biodiesel production from camelina oil: Present status and future perspectives

Camelina sativa(L.) Crantz is an oilseed crop with favorable potentials for bio-diesel production, such as the high plant yield, high oil content in the seed, high net energy ratio, and low oil production cost. This review paper deals with the present state and perspectives of biodiesel production from camelina oil. First, important issues of camelina seed pretreatment and biodiesel production are reviewed. Emphasis is given to different biodiesel technologies that have been used so far worldwide, the economic assessment of the camelina oil biodiesel (COB) production, the camelina- based biorefineries for the integrated biodiesel production, the COB life cycle analysis, and impact human health and ecosystem. Finally, the perspectives of COB production from the techno- economic and especially genetic engineering points of view are discussed

Tolerable strains for HMA overlays over concrete pavements

Materials from two Kansas Department of Transportation (KDOT) projects’, namely 089 C-4318-01 (Mix 1) and 56-29 KA-1087-01 (Mix 2), were used for the laboratory study. Considering typical overlay thicknesses used in Kansas, samples of thickness 1.5in and 2in were chosen. Direct shear box tests and semi-circular bend tests were conducted on these chosen HMA mixtures to characterize their shear and tensile properties respectively. Crack width was simulated in lab by steel bars having thickness 0.25in, 0.375in, and 0.5in in direct shear tests. Measured relative movements of these HMA mixtures at failure varied from 4.5 percent to 9.4 percent of the sample thickness depending upon the simulated crack width. Tolerable tensile strain of Mix 1 under fatigue loading in semi-circular bend tests was 3.5 percent and that of Mix 2 was 1.4 percent for 2in thick samples. Two inch thick samples gave more consistent results than 1.5 in. thick samples hence the results obtained from 2in thick samples should be used

In Vitro antifungal potency of plant extracts against five phytopathogens

The antifungal activity of aqueous extract of Cannabis sativa, Parthenium hysterophorus, Urtica dioeca, Polystichum squarrosum and Adiantum venustum was investigated against Alternaria solani, Alternaria zinniae, Curvularia lunata, Rhizoctonia solani and Fusarium oxysporum at different concentrations (5, 10, 15 and 20%). At 20%, maximum antifungal potential was observed with the extracts of C. sativa, which recorded excellent inhibitory activity against C. lunata (100%), A. zinniae (59.68%), followed by leaf extract of P. hysterophorus (50%) against A. solani. The application of botanical extracts for disease management could be less expensive, easily available, non-polluting and eco-friendly

Highly Sensitive and Selective Hydrogen Gas Sensor with Humidity Tolerance Using Pd-Capped SnO₂ Thin Films of Various Thicknesses

Detecting and identifying hydrogen gas leakage before a potential disaster is a critical safety concern. To address this issue, a low-cost and simple-design sensor is required with high response and fast sensing time, capable of detecting hydrogen gas even at low concentrations of 5–500 ppm. This study investigates the use of magnetron-sputtered SnO2 thin films with palladium as a catalytic layer to achieve better sensing output. The developed Pd-caped SnO2 thin film sensors showed increased sensitivity with increasing thickness, up to 246.1 nm at an operating temperature of 250 °C. The sensor with a thickness of 246.1 nm exhibited excellent selectivity for H2 gas, even in humid conditions, and was able to distinguish it from other gases such as CO, NH3, and NO2. The sensor demonstrated high response (99%) with a response/recovery time of 58 s/35 s for (5–500 ppm) hydrogen gas. The sensor showed linear response to H2 gas concentration variation (5–500 ppm) at 250 °C. The sensor was found to be mechanically stable even after 60 days in a high-humidity environment. The LOD of sensor was 151.6 ppb, making it a suitable candidate for applied sensing applications. The Pd-caped SnO2 thin film sensor with thickness of ~245 nm could potentially improve the safety of hydrogen gas handling

Google Trend Analysis and Paradigm Shift of Online Education Platforms during the COVID-19 Pandemic

Objective: The largest pandemic in history, the COVID-19 pandemic, has been declared a doomsday globally. The second wave spreading worldwide has devastating consequences in every sector of life. Several measures to contain and curb its infection have forged significant challenges for the education community. With an estimated 1.6 billion learners, the closure of schools and other educational institutions has impacted more than 90% of students worldwide from the elementary to tertiary level. Methods: In a view to studying impacts on student’s fraternity, this article aims at addressing alternative ways of educating—more specifically, online education—through the analysis of Google trends for the past year. The study analyzed the platforms of online teaching and learning systems that have been enabling remote learning, thereby limiting the impact on the education system. Thorough text analysis is performed on an existing dataset from Kaggle to retrieve insight on the clustering of words that are more often looked at during this pandemic to find the general patterns of their occurrence. Findings: The results show that the coronavirus patients are the most trending patterns in word search clustering, with the education system being at the control and preventive measures to bring equilibrium in the system of education. There has been significant growth in online platforms in the last year. Existing assets of educational establishments have effectively converted conventional education into new-age online education with the help of virtual classes and other key online tools in this continually fluctuating scholastic setting. The effective usage of teaching tools such as Microsoft Teams, Zoom, Google Meet, and WebEx are the most used online platforms for the conduction of classes, and whiteboard software tools and learning apps such as Vedantu, Udemy, Byju’s, and Whitehat Junior have been big market players in the education system over the pandemic year, especially in India. Conclusions: The article helps to draw a holistic approach of ongoing online teaching-learning methods during the lockdown and also highlights changes that took place in the conventional education system amid the COVID pandemic to overcome the persisting disruption in academic activities and to ensure correct perception towards the online procedure as a normal course of action in the new educational system. To fill in the void of classroom learning and to minimize the virus spread over the last year, digital learning in various schools and colleges has been emphasized, leading to a significant increase in the usage of whiteboard software platforms

Pathogenesis and prevention of residual gall bladder: Report of three cases and review of literature

Cholecystectomy is a common surgery performed for uncomplicated symptomatic gall stones as a definitive procedure. For complicated cases, partial or modified subtotal cholecystectomy has been described as an easy, safe, and definitive option. But, insufficient cholecystectomy leaving behind gall bladder may lead to persistence or recurrence of the biliary symptoms. We are presenting three cases, in which open partial cholecystectomy had been performed at a peripheral hospital on patients admitted with agonizing biliary type of pain. All the patients underwent re-exploration and successful removal of residual gall bladder tissues, leading to complete resolution of symptoms. The patients were doing well at one year of follow-up