Fabrication and Excellent Dielectric Performance of Exfoliated Graphite Sheets

In the present investigation, exfoliated graphite sheets were obtained from the thermo-chemical treatment of natural graphite flakes. In this process, the graphite expands almost 300-350 times of its original volume and takes the shape of worms. These worms can be pressed or rolled into any desired shape without any binder. The exfoliated graphite sheets show excellent electrical properties i.e. high dielectric constant (ε = 6.374 ×107) and comparatively low dielectric loss (tanδ = 138) across the frequency in the range 50 Hz to 30 MHz and temperature in the range 40-300 °C. The products developed from exfoliated graphite can have very good sealing applications in industrial areas, especially for gaskets in the automobile industries

Fabrication and Excellent Dielectric Performance of Exfoliated Graphite Sheets

In the present investigation, exfoliated graphite sheets were obtained from the thermo-chemical treatment of natural graphite flakes. In this process, the graphite expands almost 300-350 times of its original volume and takes the shape of worms. These worms can be pressed or rolled into any desired shape without any binder. The exfoliated graphite sheets show excellent electrical properties i.e. high dielectric constant (ε = 6.374 ×107) and comparatively low dielectric loss (tanδ = 138) across the frequency in the range 50 Hz to 30 MHz and temperature in the range 40-300 °C. The products developed from exfoliated graphite can have very good sealing applications in industrial areas, especially for gaskets in the automobile industries

Experimental study of effect of pressure on pyrolysis of biomass

Pyrolysis is thermal treatment of solid waste in the absence of an oxidizing agent (in inert atmosphere) which generally yields three products namely pyrolysis-oil (liquid), char (solid residue) and gas. The products obtained in pyrolysis can be further used as energy source. Rice husk and saw dust are considered as solid wastes in this study. The effect of temperature and pressure on pyrolysis was studied in a fixed bed reactor. The experimental runs were performed in nitrogen atmosphere. The temperature was varied from 300°C to 500°C, while the operational pressure was fixed at 4 bar, 7 bar and 10 bar. The products such as solid char, liquid pyrolysis oil and syngas were obtained. The solid char was characterized by CHNS analysis, while the pyrolysis oil was characterized by FTIR analysis

Development of strategies to support home-based exercise adherence after stroke: a Delphi consensus

Objective To develop a set of strategies to enhance adherence to home-based exercises after stroke, and an overarching framework to classify these strategies. Method We conducted a four-round Delphi consensus (two online surveys, followed by a focus group then a consensus round). The Delphi panel consisted of 13 experts from physiotherapy, occupational therapy, clinical psychology, behaviour science and community medicine. The experts were from India, Australia and UK. Results In round 1, a 10-item survey using open-ended questions was emailed to panel members and 75 strategies were generated. Of these, 25 strategies were included in round 2 for further consideration. A total of 64 strategies were finally included in the subsequent rounds. In round 3, the strategies were categorised into nine domains - (1) patient education on stroke and recovery, (2) method of exercise prescription, (3) feedback and supervision, (4) cognitive remediation, (5) involvement of family members, (6) involvement of society, (7) promoting self-efficacy, (8) motivational strategies and (9) reminder strategies. The consensus from 12 experts (93%) led to the development of the framework in round 4. Conclusion We developed a framework of comprehensive strategies to assist clinicians in supporting exercise adherence among stroke survivors. It provides practical methods that can be deployed in both research and clinical practices. Future studies should explore stakeholders' experiences and the cost-effectiveness of implementing these strategies

An unusual oropharyngeal trauma due to toothbrush in a 3-year-old child: A case report and review

Toothbrushing as an oral hygiene measure has become an integral part of daily routine and regarded as safe for children. Toothbrush has been designed in such a way that it should not harm the soft tissues. Oropharyngeal injuries in children due to toothbrush while brushing the teeth can damage the vital tissues and vessels around the oropharynx and can end up with severe complications. Here, we report a case of a 3-year-old female child who had a severe oropharyngeal trauma while brushing was performed against to the child′s wish

Effectiveness of plaque control with novel pediatric oral hygiene need station (modified oral irrigation device) as compared with manual brushing and flossing: Randomized controlled pilot trial

Background: Establishing good hygiene habits are valuable for present and future oral health. Below 6 years, tooth brushing should be performed by parents, as increasing dexterity and cognition may permit supervised brushing until the child is capable of independent brushing. Aim and Objectives: The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effectiveness of modified oral irrigation device in children in terms of plaque control and to compare the effectiveness of plaque control with manual brushing with the modified oral irrigation device in children. Materials and Methods: A randomized clinical trial was performed on 12 subjects who were allocated to the two study groups. After obtaining the consent, the control group was instructed tooth brushing with regular pediatric commercially available toothbrush and the intervention group with modified oral irrigation device. Plaque scores in both groups were assessed pre- and post-brushing using modified navy plaque index. Results: The data were subjected to Descriptive statistics and Paired t-test using SPSS version 22. Intragroup comparison of mean difference of plaque score in control group and intervention group pre- and post-brushing was statistically significant. Intergroup comparison of manual brushing group with modified oral irrigation group shows P < 0.05 was statistically significant. Conclusion: Within the limitation of the present study, it has been found novel pediatric oral hygiene need Station is more effective than manual brushing since it combined the effect of brushing, flossing (water floss), and rinsing in children simultaneously and at the same time did not demand any special motor skill

Long-Range Resonant Energy Transfer Using Optical Topological Transitions in Metamaterials

The control and enhancement of resonance energy transfer is highly desirable for a variety of applications ranging from solar cells to spectroscopic rulers. However, the process of direct resonance energy transfer is distance dependent and limited to ∼10 nm for typical donor–acceptor pairs. Here we demonstrate long-range (∼160 nm) direct energy transfer between donor quantum dots and acceptor dye molecules through the use of an optical topological transition (OTT) in a metamaterial. The OTT in a metamaterial, modifies the density of states between the donor and acceptor, resulting in the long-range energy transfer with transfer efficiency of ∼32%. Theoretical calculation based on master-equation formalism is used to model the system and is found to be in good agreement with the experimental observation. The use of OTTs in metamaterials to enhance and control energy transfer process can have wide array of potential applications ranging from organic solar cells to quantum entanglement