Photoluminescence and EPR studies of ZnS nanoparticles Co-doped with Mn and Te

ZnS nanoparticles Co-doped with Mn and Te (x = 0.05 and 0.10) have been synthesized for the first time by chemical co-precipitation method, thiophenol is used to passivate the surface of the particles. The as-prepared samples were amorphous in nature. Nanocrystallinity was induced after calcining the samples at 300oC/2hrs. The obtained nanoparticles were subjected to X-ray diffraction (XRD), Energy Dispersive Analysis of X-rays (EDAX), Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM), hotoluminescence (PL) and Electron Paramagnetic Resonance (EPR) studies. All the samples exhibited cubic structure and the particle size was found to be 3-5 nm. EDAX revealed that the compositions did not deviate much from the target compositions. The photoluminescence studies showed emission in the red region and the emission wavelength is varied with composition. The Electron Paramagnetic Resonance (EPR) spectra showed paramagnetic nature of the samples at room temperature. EPR and PL results were quite consistent with each other. When you are citing the document, use the following link http://essuir.sumdu.edu.ua/handle/123456789/2197

Mining the Vavilov wheat diversity panel for new sources of adult plant resistance to stripe rust

Multi-year evaluation of the Vavilov wheat diversity panel identified new sources of adult plant resistance to stripe rust. Genome-wide association studies revealed the key genomic regions influencing resistance, including seven novel loci

Intense violet–blue emission and paramagnetism of nanocrystalline Gd3+ doped ZnO ceramics

Nanocrystalline Zn1-xGdxO (x = 0, 0.02, 0.04, 0.06, and 0.08) ceramics were synthesized by ball milling and subsequent solid-state reaction. The transmission electron microscopy (TEM) micrograph of as synthesized samples revealed the formation of crystallites with an average diameter of 60 nm, and the selected area electron diffraction (SAED) pattern confirmed the formation of wurtzite structure. A red shift in the band gap was observed with increasing Gd3+ concentration. The photoluminescence of nanocrystalline Gd3+ doped ZnO exhibited a strong violet–blue emission. Concentration dependence of the emission intensity of Gd3+ in ZnO was studied, and the critical concentration was found to be 4 mol% of Gd3+. The Gd3+ doped ZnO exhibited paramagnetic behavior at room temperature, and the magnetic moment increased with Gd3+ concentration

How safe are our children in vehicles on the road? a Malaysian perspective

As Malaysia races towards a developed nation status, children are increasingly being ferried daily in vehicles almost exclusively as the majority of the population are able to afford private transportations. This paper reviews the current safety concerns for children whilst going in vehicles on Malaysian roads and the steps undertaken to address the need to enhance children’s safety whilst going in these vehicles and suggest possible remedial action to counter the possible lack of awareness for children’s safety whilst in these vehicles. This paper focuses on children on motorcycles and private vehicles (cars, vans and multi-purpose vehicle (MPV)) and excludes other form of transport (buses, lorries) as this paper tries to put forth measures that can be undertaken by the children’s parents and guardian to better enhance the safety of their children. A search was undertaken of all the major database of articles. Articles related to children’s safety systems, children related injuries, children related accident data, available laws and legislation were reviewed to present the need for greater awareness of children’s safety while going in vehicles in Malaysia. There are currently already safety legislations, measures, steps and equipments in place in ensuring the safety of children whilst going in vehicles on Malaysian roads. However, enforcement of laws in developing countries are not easy and we have to start at the root of the problem which is the parents and adults who ferry these children in vehicles. There is a pressing need to educate parents and adults alike on the urgent undertaking of child safety whilst in vehicles. Engineering countermeasures and intervention are probably needed to protect these vulnerable users. For vehicles, a device capable of providing some sort of protection to the child whilst riding pillion should be designed and developed. A legislation mandating the use of child seats whilst ensuring the child seats are affordable to the masses

The impacts of urban air pollution on Malaysian traffic police: A framework for evaluation of real-time monitoring system on its usability

The respiratory health of Malaysian Traffic Police has been compromised by working in heavy traffic and congested junctions with bad air for long hours. A wireless outdoor individual exposure device is vital to track their exposure, however, the efficacy of the system remains uncertain. While existing techniques exist to examine the efficacy of such system, there is a lack of methodology for engaging multiple assessment methods to evaluate the degree of user experience. This paper aims to propose a methodological framework tool for a quantitative evaluation of the wireless outdoor individual exposure indicator system prototype. A systematic search was conducted in major electronic databases (MEDLINE, Web of Science, Google), grey literature sources and all relevant data in the field. A three-stage framework consisting of simulation real-time monitoring, in-field testing, and usability testing is assembled. The three-stage framework proposed serves as a generic approach for evaluating the prototype with the purpose of tracking individual outdoor exposure. The method is capable of describing the complete evaluation process, from the accuracy and performance of the sensor to the extent of the end-user experience. Using the three-stage approach, future researchers may be able to create a monitoring system that is relevant to their needs

Rapid cloning of disease-resistance genes in plants using mutagenesis and sequence capture

Wild relatives of domesticated crop species harbor multiple, diverse, disease resistance (R) genes that could be used to engineer sustainable disease control. However, breeding R genes into crop lines often requires long breeding timelines of 5–15 years to break linkage between R genes and deleterious alleles (linkage drag). Further, when R genes are bred one at a time into crop lines, the protection that they confer is often overcome within a few seasons by pathogen evolution1. If several cloned R genes were available, it would be possible to pyramid R genes2 in a crop, which might provide more durable resistance1. We describe a three-step method (MutRenSeq)-that combines chemical mutagenesis with exome capture and sequencing for rapid R gene cloning. We applied MutRenSeq to clone stem rust resistance genes Sr22 and Sr45 from hexaploid bread wheat. MutRenSeq can be applied to other commercially relevant crops and their relatives, including, for example, pea, bean, barley, oat, rye, rice and maize

Origin and evolution of the bread wheat D genome

Bread wheat (Triticum aestivum) is a globally dominant crop and major source of calories and proteins for the human diet. Compared with its wild ancestors, modern bread wheat shows lower genetic diversity, caused by polyploidisation, domestication and breeding bottlenecks. Wild wheat relatives represent genetic reservoirs, and harbour diversity and beneficial alleles that have not been incorporated into bread wheat. Here we establish and analyse extensive genome resources for Tausch’s goatgrass (Aegilops tauschii), the donor of the bread wheat D genome. Our analysis of 46 Ae. tauschii genomes enabled us to clone a disease resistance gene and perform haplotype analysis across a complex disease resistance locus, allowing us to discern alleles from paralogous gene copies. We also reveal the complex genetic composition and history of the bread wheat D genome, which involves contributions from genetically and geographically discrete Ae. tauschii subpopulations. Together, our results reveal the complex history of the bread wheat D genome and demonstrate the potential of wild relatives in crop improvement