205 research outputs found
IMPACT OF ROYAL SOCIETY OF CHEMISTRY-YUSUF HAMIED INSPIRATIONAL CHEMISTRY PROGRAMME IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF INNOVATIVE AND ECO-FRIENDLY MICRO-SCALE EXPERIMENTS FOR SECONDARY SCHOOL EDUCATION IN INDIA
Science education in India faces many challenges today. Teaching practical sessions through demonstrations is one of the biggest challenges in secondary school education. Practical work in chemistry is a vital component of teaching and learning process. It is an effective way to enhance students’ understanding of science concepts and the process of scientific investigation. But most of the secondary schools in India don’t have the advantage of well-equipped labs. Specific science activities like chemistry practical may take more time than the teacher would like to spend on them. To overcome these challenges, eco-friendly micro-scale chemistry experimental kits have been developed to effectively perform the practical in secondary schools based on the existing curriculum. This paper explores the way in which the practical activities can be carried out at micro level and how the chemistry activities mentioned in secondary school NCERT textbooks can be modified using low cost and no cost materials for effective class room demonstrations.These innovative and eco-friendly micro-scale chemistry experimental kits developed through RSC-YHIC programme have been proven to be more effective in handling practical sessions, developing practical skills and empowering secondary school science teachers in India
Piezo-actuated Vibration and Flutter Control
The potential application of smart materials is being investigated by various researchers inthe perspective of building intelligent systems. A smart structure consists of distributed actuatorsand sensors with associated processors to analyse and control the structure. Piezoceramics,magnetostrictive materials, electro-rheological fluids, magneto-rheological fluids, shape memoryalloys, fibre optics are quite often used in realising a smart/intelligent system. In this paper,vibration and flutter control using piezoceramics is reviewed. Various aspects covering relativemerits of piezoceramics with other smart materials and application capabilities are discussed
External Bremsstrahlung Studies on Films of Lead Monoxide Filled Polycarbonate Composite
The development of high-Z (high atomic number) radiation shielding materials is vital in order to protect personnel who work with harmful gamma radiation sources. At the same time, the emission of external bremsstrahlung (EB) radiation in those shielding materials when the radiation source emits beta particles as well as gamma radiation is also of prime concern.The production of EB in films of lead monoxide (PbO) loaded polycarbonate (PC) composite at eleven different filler levels (FLs) varying, in terms of weight fraction, from 0.0 % up to 10.0 % were investigated experimentally by using beta particles from strontium-90/yttrium-90 (90Sr/90Y) radioactive source. A nonlinear relation is observed between EB intensity and target thickness. The effective atomic numbers of the prepared PbO-filled PC composite films (at different FLs) were determined via EB measurements, followed by calculations, and the values obtained were compared with the modified atomic numbers which were determined for the same composite films (at different FLs) using the Markowicz and Van Grieken equation, and it was found that they are in good agreement. Finally, the atomic number dependence of EB in these composite films (PbO-filled PC composites) has been studied. It is obtained that the intensity of EB spectra depends on the square of the atomic number of the target material
Methane and carbon dioxide adsorption on edge-functionalized graphene: A comparative DFT study
With a view towards optimizing gas storage and separation in crystalline and
disordered nanoporous carbon-based materials, we use ab initio density
functional theory calculations to explore the effect of chemical
functionalization on gas binding to exposed edges within model carbon
nanostructures. We test the geometry, energetics, and charge distribution of
in-plane and out-of-plane binding of CO2 and CH4 to model zigzag graphene
nanoribbons edge-functionalized with COOH, OH, NH2, H2PO3, NO2, and CH3.
Although different choices for the exchange-correlation functional lead to a
spread of values for the binding energy, trends across the functional groups
are largely preserved for each choice, as are the final orientations of the
adsorbed gas molecules. We find binding of CO2 to exceed that of CH4 by roughly
a factor of two. However, the two gases follow very similar trends with changes
in the attached functional group, despite different molecular symmetries. Our
results indicate that the presence of NH2, H2PO3, NO2, and COOH functional
groups can significantly enhance gas binding with respect to a
hydrogen-passivated edge, making the edges potentially viable binding sites in
materials with high concentrations of edge carbons. To first order, in-plane
binding strength correlates with the larger permanent and induced dipole
moments on these groups. Implications for tailoring carbon structures for
increased gas uptake and improved CO2/CH4 selectivity are discussed.Comment: 12 pages, 7 figure
Clinical profile and outcome of patients with meningoencephalitis in a tertiary care hospital
Background: Encephalitis is an important cause of morbidity, mortality, and permanent neurologic sequelae globally. Causes are diverse and include viral and non-viral infections. In the emergency setting differentiating the bacterial from other causes such as viral, fungal, tubercular, toxic or autoimmune causes is extremely difficult. Although plenty of literature is available on meningitis, the clinic-etiological profile and outcome with meningoencephalitis remains not that well studied, except for in paediatric population.
Methods: The present prospective observational study included 75 patients who presented with acute encephalitis syndrome in tertiary care hospital, Bengaluru. All patients were subjected to complete clinical evaluation and appropriate investigations to study the etiology, clinical profile and outcome in them.
Results: Among 75 patients, majority of them were <60 years constituting about 73.2%, mean age being 49.14 years with female preponderance. 30 (40%) patients had viral meningoencephalitis where aetiology was confirmed in 15 patients, remaining were presumed to be of viral aetiology. 12 (16%) had tubercular meningitis and 8 (10.6%) had bacterial meningitis followed by cryptococcal meningitis 7 (9.3%). In about 18 (24%) patients, aetiology was not identified and were treated based on syndromic approach. The most common presentation was fever and altered sensorium. Thrombocytopenia was common among viral and bacterial aetiologies and those in unspecified etiological group. Mortality was highest among cryptococcal meningitis (71.4%) followed by tubercular (66.7%) and bacterial meningitis (62.5%).
Conclusions: A large number of number of cases where aetiology cannot be identified maybe benefited by a syndromic approach and better diagnostic modalities
Oral mucosal diseases in anxiety and depression patients: Hospital based observational study from south India
Objectives: The objective of this study was to evaluate the prevalence of different Oral Mucosal diseases in Anxiety
and Depression patients.
Material and Methods: A hospital based observational Study was conducted in the department of Psychiatry and
department of Oral Medicine and Radiology. Patients who were diagnosed with Anxiety or Depression by the psy
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chiatrists using Hamilton Anxiety and Depression scale were subjected to complete oral examination to check for
oral diseases like Oral Lichen Planus (OLP), Recurrent Aphthous Stomatitis (RAS), and Burning Mouth Syndrome
(BMS). Equal number of control group subjects were also included.
Results: In this study statistically significant increase in the oral diseases in patients with anxiety and depression
than the control group was recorded. Oral diseases were significantly higher in anxiety patients (20.86%) than in
depression (9.04%) and control group patients (5.17%). In anxiety patients, the prevalence of RAS was 12%, OLP
was 5.7%, and BMS was 2.87%. In depression patients, the prevalence of RAS was 4.02%, OLP was 2.01% and
BMS was 3.01%. In control group the prevalence was 2.2%, 1.33% and 1.62% in RAS, OLP and BMS respecti
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vely. RAS and OLP were significantly higher in the younger age group (18-49) and BMS was seen between the age
group of 50-77 years in both study and control groups.
Conclusions: The results of the present study showed a positive association between psychological alterations and
changes in the oral mucosa, particularly conditions like OLP, RAS and BMS. Thus psychogenic factors like anxiety
and depression may act as a risk factor that could influence the initiation and development of oral mucosal diseases.
Hence psychological management should be taken into consideration when treating patients with these oral diseases
Comparison of clinical efficacy of methylprednisolone and serratiopeptidase for reduction of postoperative sequelae after lower third molar surgery
Background: Surgical removal of mandibular third molars results in some degree of post-operative pain, swelling
and trismus. These can be controlled by proper administration of local anesthesia, careful bone removal, minimal
trauma to adjacent soft tissues and administration of methylprednisolone and serratiopeptidase drugs. The aim of
the present study was to compare the efficacy of methylprednisolone and serratiopeptidase in controlling post-
operative pain, swelling and trismus after surgical removal of impacted mandibular third molars.
Material and Methods: The subjects were divided into two groups of 50 patients each undergoing surgical removal
of mandibular third molars. Group A was given methylprednisolone 4mg orally every 8th hourly and Group B was
given serratiopeptidase 10 mg every 12th hourly orally. Post-operatively pain, swelling and trismus were evaluated
at the end of 1st, 3rd and 5thday.
Results: The results of this study showed that methylprednisolone is an effective analgesic, while serratiopeptidase has moderate analgesic activity. Serratiopeptidase is more effective than methylprednisolone in controlling post surgical swelling and trismus. Hence combination of these two drugs would be very effective than individual drug when
widespread post-operative sequelae are expected after surgical removal of impacted lower third molars.
Conclusions: We conclude that methylprednisolone affords better pain relief while serratiopeptidase exerts better
anti-inflammatory and anti-swelling effects in the post-operative period. Synergistic combinations of these two drugs
would however prove to be more effective when extensive post-operative sequelae are expecte
Molecular simulation study of CO2 and N2 absorption in a phosphonium based organic ionic plastic crystal
An organic ionic plastic crystal (OIPC), methyl(diethyl)isobutylphosphonium hexafluorophosphate [P122i4][PF6], was investigated for CO2 and N2 absorption using molecular simulations. Ab initio calculations showed that both the cation and anion exhibit larger binding energy for CO2 compared with N2. The CO2 absorption, as calculated from classical molecular dynamics simulations, increased by a factor of 7.5 from 275 K to 325 K, while that of N2 showed low absorption at both temperatures. The simulations suggest that the significant increase in CO2 absorption at 325 K is attributed to a higher degree of disorder and increase in the free volume due to the gas/solid interfaces. While the ab initio calculations were helpful in identifying specific interaction sites on the constituent ions, the classical MD simulations elucidated the importance of interfaces in gas absorption studies in this material. The results show that the OIPC can be a promising material for CO2 separations from CO2/N2 mixture
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