Patterning Synthesis of Lead Halide Perovskites Toward Photonic Application

Lead halide perovskites (LHPs) are a fascinating class of photonic materials with the potential to revolutionize various optoelectronic applications. Their diverse crystal structures, ranging from 0D to 3D configurations, offer a unique combination of properties, including high tunability and ease of synthesis. However, their inherent instability and the difficulty of patterning them into sophisticated photonic structures using conventional methods present a significant hurdle to their widespread applications. This thesis addresses these challenges by proposing a novel synthesis method that combines soft lithography and self-assembly. By utilizing a patterned template with controlled wettability, precise manipulation of LHP crystal formation is achieved, enabling the fabrication of patterned LHP structures with high crystalline quality. This innovative approach offers a scalable and practical pathway for incorporating LHPs into advanced photonic devices. This thesis will comprehensively explore LHPs, characterizing their structures, investigating their potential, and validating a novel patterning method. This comprehensive analysis aims to advance the understanding and utilization of LHPs, paving the way for their integration into next-generation photonic devices. Advisor: Yanan (Laura) Wan

DRESS syndrome: carbamazepine induced anaphylactic shock

A 51-year-old female of Southeast Asian ethnicity was referred to our Neurosurgery service for a newly diagnosed intracranial meningioma. She underwent surgical excision of the tumor and was discharged home on Carbamazepine. Four weeks later, she presented back to our Emergency Department (ED) with fever, generalized rash, and altered mental status. The rash appeared a week prior to the patient’s presentation to the ED, and she complained of spikes of fever for two days. On arrival, her temperature was 41 °C. She was tachypneic at 24 breaths/min, and hypotensive at 95/55 mm Hg, with a heart rate of 120 beats per minute (BPM). Soon after triage, she was moved to the resuscitation room for further assessment and management. On examination, the patient appeared to be in moderate distress, anxious, and slightly confused with a Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) of 14/15. She had a generalized, macular, pruritic, urticarial rash with irregular confluent margins that was consistent with an allergic reaction. Apart from the above-detailed findings, her examination was unremarkable. There was no mucosal surfaces involvement. Her chest was clear on auscultation. Her abdomen was soft, non-tender, with no organomegaly. No focal neurological deficits were detected. Her investigations included a full septic panel. Laboratory workup revealed elevated Liver Function Tests {Alkaline Phosphatase (ALP) of 120 IU/L (Normal range 35 – 104), Aspartate Transaminase (AST) of 65 IU/L (Normal Range > 32), Alanine Aminotransferase (ALT) of 82 IU/L (Normal Range > 33)}, Lactate Dehydrogenase (LDH) of 367 IU/L (Normal Range 135 – 214), Procalcitonin of 1.01 ng/mL (Normal Range < 0.5), and C-Reactive Protein (CRP) of 150.2 mg/L (Normal Range < 0.5). Of note, she had no Leukocytosis nor eosinophilia. The patient’s empirical treatment plan in the ED included the administration of Intravenous (IV) Fluids, antihistamines, and Ceftriaxone. Upon admission, she was commenced on IV Dexamethasone 4 mg twice a day. Additionally, Carbamazepine was stopped immediately. The day following her admission, the patient’s lab work was repeated, and it showed an improvement in CRP, but most notably, her differential complete blood count revealed eosinophilia of 0.73x10^9/L (Normal Range > 0.7), which further went up to 1.33x10^9/L two days later. She was also reviewed by the dermatologist who agreed with the diagnosis of DRESS. A skin biopsy was proposed. However, the patient did not consent to the procedure. On day 3 of her admission, the patient clinically improved on treatment and remained afebrile and vitally stable. She was therefore discharged home with a follow-up clinic appointment. Written patient consent for publishing the case with no identifiable personal information was obtained

The Role of Enterprise Architecture in Ensuring ESG Factors for Sustainability

Organisations increasingly recognise the importance of environmental, social, and governance (ESG) aspects for ensuring organisational and global sustainability. Digital transformation is helping organisations to integrate ESG factors into their operations and leverage information technology for economic, social, and environmental benefits. Enterprise architecture (EA) is a strategic approach that integrates business objectives with information technology systems and infrastructure to align with organisational goals and enable effective management, governance, and decision-making. Despite the growing recognition of the significance of ESG factors in promoting sustainable business practices, there are still obstacles to assuring ESG for organisational sustainability. The article explores the key issues in incorporating ESG factors for organisational sustainability and suggests ways EA can help address these challenges. The paper also proposes a conceptual design for the role of EA in ensuring ESG factors for organisational sustainability

Experimental Investigation of Forced Gonvective Boiling at High Qualities Inside Tubes Preceded by 180 Degree Bends

Mechanical Engineerin

Production and quality assessment of fish pickles from mola (Amblypharyngodon mola) fish

Fish pickles (with olive and tamarind) were prepared from mola fish (Amblypharyngodon mola) and their nutritional and food quality were assessed. The quality of the pickle prepared with olive was excellent and the pickle prepared with tamarind was found good. Moisture content of the two pickle products were 43.85% (with tamarind) and 50.89% (with olive). The protein and lipid contents of tamarind added pickle were 19.13 and 35.64% respectively; pickle with olive contained less protein (13.16%) compared to tamarind added mola pickle. Lipid contents were almost same in both cases. Ash content of two pickles was also found similar (1.00%). The quality of mola pickles stored either in cool condition (4°C) with vinegar or at room temperature with Na-benzoate were found good for consumption up to 90 days of storage. All of the fish pickles preserved under different condition were found in acceptable condition up to 240 days storage and pickle with vinegar stored at 4°C was found good for consumption at the end of 240 days

A Study on Effect of Variation of Thickness on Tensile Properties of Hybrid Polymer Composites (Glassfibre-Carbonfibre-Graphite) and GFRP Composites

Increase in demand of advanced materials to satisfy the requirements of aerospace and automotive industry viz. high modulus to density ratio, leads to the research in composite materials where an attempt is made to study the properties of composite materia ls by composing the different materials together to obtain the desired properties by reducing the weight as much as possible. Here an attempt is made to study the behavior and tensile properties of Hybrid polymer composite material by composing E-glass fibres, carbon fibres and graphite with epoxy resin 5052.By the variation of thickness. Tensile strength of hybrid composite is observed for each thickness and is optimized and compared with the properties of standalone glass fibre reinforced composites for the same variation of thickness. The comparison represents the enhancement of tensile strength and cost effectiveness by the introduction of multiple materials (Hybridomposites)

The Effect of DNA-Dispersed Single-Walled Carbon Nanotubes on the Polymerase Chain Reaction

The unique properties of single-wall carbon nanotubes (SWCNT) make them useful in many new technologies and applications. The interaction of DNA and SWCNT is of interest for many uses, including molecular sensors. This study determined polymerase chain reaction (PCR) efficiency in amplifying a 76 base pair DNA sequence in the presence of SWCNT, of heterogeneous “Mix” and (6,5)-enriched chiralities, associated with three DNA sequences. The dependence of PCR efficiency on the concentration of DNA:SWCNT preparations was measured, as well as their age and level of dispersion (less than one month or between four and ten months). Additionally, the ability to directly amplify the DNA sequence associated with the SWCNT scaffold was investigated. In PCRs with DNA:SWCNT preparations less than one month old, concentrations greater than or equal to 0.1 mg/mL inhibited the PCR reaction. In PCRs with older preparations, no inhibition was seen at 0.01 or 0.1 mg/mL, with amplification at 1 mg/mL in some samples. Additionally, our studies showed that the DNA directly associated with the SWCNT can be amplified using PCR. This work provides an inhibitory concentration of DNA-dispersed SWCNT in PCR reactions for different preparations as well as a basis for future DNA:SWCNT studies that require PCR amplification. This will be useful for future studies focused on the use of SWCNT in molecular sensing technologies

Identification of an antibody fragment specific for androgen-dependent prostate cancer cells

Background Prostate cancer is the most-diagnosed non-skin cancer among males in the US, and the second leading cause of cancer-related death. Current methods of treatment and diagnosis are not specific for the disease. This work identified an antibody fragment that binds selectively to a molecule on the surface of androgen-dependent prostate cancer cells but not benign prostatic cells. Results Antibody fragment identification was achieved using a library screening and enrichment strategy. A library of 109 yeast-displayed human non-immune antibody fragments was enriched for those that bind to androgen-dependent prostate cancer cells, but not to benign prostatic cells or purified prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA). Seven rounds of panning and fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS) screening yielded one antibody fragment identified from the enriched library. This molecule, termed HiR7.8, has a low-nanomolar equilibrium dissociation constant (Kd) and high specificity for androgen-dependent prostate cancer cells. Conclusions Antibody fragment screening from a yeast-displayed library has yielded one molecule with high affinity and specificity. With further pre-clinical development, it is hoped that the antibody fragment identified using this screening strategy will be useful in the specific detection of prostate cancer and in targeted delivery of therapeutic agents for increased efficacy and reduced side effects

Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Learning: Assessing Cognitive, Affective, and Psychomotor Skills

The acquisition of cognitive, affective, and psychomotor skills is highly important for successful learning outcomes. This article aims to evaluate the Three-Domain Model (TDM) of learning (cognitive, affective, and psychomotor) during the COVID-19 online classes for tertiary students in Bangladesh. This current study aims at the psychometric evaluation and validation of tertiary students' learning loss during the pandemic. A survey questionnaire is administered using the Likert scale. The components of the questionnaire are based on the Three-Domain Model reflecting the cognitive, affective, and psychomotor skills of the students. The article informs of the learning loss due to the pandemic while suggesting the benefits of online classes. The major finding of the article is that learners lost their skills mainly related to the cognitive domain during the pandemic due to online classes. However, at the same time, their skills related to affective and psychomotor domains increased. Therefore, recommendations for minimizing learning loss are also provided to guide future empirical work in the post-pandemic era