E-commerce on the move - Malaysian scenario

One of the fastest growing areas of E-Commerce today is mobile commerce. There are more users of mobile devices such as laptops, palm PCs, cellular phones and personal digital/data assistants (PDAs).A mobile device is a personal unit that is within reach and provides anywhere and anytime access to the user.The penetration rate of cellular phones in most developed and developing countries is much larger than that of personal computers.Recent roll-outs of public wireless broadband infrastructure of 2.5G and 3G networks have made opportunities for mobile commerce become a reality and will affect our daily lives in work, leisure and recreation.This analytical paper attempts to study the development of E-commerce in Malaysia.A part from this, the paper will also construct SWOT analysis and identify the impact of M-commerce on the political, economic, social and technological environment.Finally, recommendation will be given of the best alternate strategies for the promotion and development of M-commerce in the nation

Chemical Profiling and Biological Activity on Leaves of Ocimum Gratissimum Grown in Tamilnadu.

The present study was designed to find out the chemical composition of the essential oil of O.gratissimum Linn., grown in Tamilnadu by GC-MS method. Further isolation chemical constituents from aqueous extract of O.gratissimum Linn., and identified by IR, NMR and Mass spectroscopy methods. The anti-microbial activity of volatile oil and aqueous extract was checked against some micro-organisms. To the best of our knowledge, no such comparison studies have been reported earlier in the literature. Plan of work: Collection of the fresh leaves of O.gratissimum plant, Authentication of O.gratissimum leaves, Isolation of essential oils from O.gratissimum by using Clevenger apparatus with water as solvent., Determination of organoleptic characters, solubility and percentage yield of volatile oils,Measurement of following Physiochemical constants of essential oil of O.gratissimum leaves. i.e. Specific gravity, Optical rotation , Refractive index and Analysis of chemical composition of essential oil of O.gratissimum leaves by GC-MS analysis. Preparation of aqueous extract of O.gratissimum by different methods. Preliminary phytochemical studies of O.gratissimum Quantitative estimation of phytochemicals. Study of physico-chemical constant of O.gratissimum leaves aqueous extract. Qualitative analysis of inorganic compounds in O.gratissimum leaves. Quantitative analysis of inorganic compounds in O.gratissimum leaves Column chromatography of O.gratissimum aqueous extract. Identification of isolated compound by IR, NMR and Mass spectroscopy methods and Anti-microbial activity of volatile oil and aqueous extract of O.grattissimum leaves. Medicinal plants have played a vital role in treating diseases and in promoting health of mankind for a long time. They continue to become an important source of medicinal agents. The volatile oil of plant leaves was taken by Clevenger apparatus and the physical constants such as specific gravity, refractive index, optical rotation obtained confirms that the O.gratissimum oil is pure and posing the characteristics of a volatile oil. The total ion chromatogram retention time is about 20 min. Estragole, linalool and camphor was the major compounds. On the extraction of O.gratissimum leaves by different methods (mechanical, by soxhlet apparatus and by using microwave oven), the microwave oven method offered more compounds when compared with other methods. The leaves of studied plant contained accountable amount of phyto-chemicals and mineral contents. The anti-microbial activity of the O.gratissimum leaves oil and its aqueous extract having significant activity against tested bacterial and fungal strains when compared with standards ciprofloxacin (anti-bacterial) and ketaconazole (anti-fungal). The isolated compound Quercetin from column chromatography was identified by IR, NMR and Mass spectroscopy analysis and which may be responsible for the anti-microbial activity

Diagnostic Yield of Bronchial Wash in a Suspected Case of Smear - Negative and Sputum -Scarce Pulmonary Tuberculosis by CBNAAT and Liquid Mycobacterial Cultures (MGIT) in Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital

INTRODUCTION: According to WHO global tuberculosis report 2018, Worldwide, TB is one of the top 10 causes of death and the leading cause from a single infectious agent (above HIV/AIDS). False-negative results and misdiagnosis of TB suspects are common in developing nations, as most TB control programmes use Ziehl-Neelsen (ZN) smear microscopy, has poor sensitivity and Mycobacterial culture, although gold standard, takes 2-6 weeks to yield final result. Diagnostic accuracy of CBNAAT for pulmonary TB has been reported high Patients with high risk of tuberculosis with smear negative, are the most likely to be benefited from CBNAAT. The CBNAAT utilizes DNAPCR technique for detection of Mycobacterium tuberculosis and Rifampicin resistance, gives results within 2 hours. AIM OF THE STUDY: To measure the diagnostic yield of Bronchial wash CBNAAT to detect Mycobacterium tuberculosis and compare it with liquid culture (MGIT) in a suspected case of smear negative and sputum scarce pulmonary tuberculosis. OBJECTIVES: 1. To Measure the diagnostic yield of Bronchial wash CBNAAT to detect Mycobacterium tuberculosis(MTB) and rifampicin resistance and compare it with liquid mycobacterial cultures (MGIT) in a suspected case of smear negative and sputum scarce pulmonary tuberculosis 2. The diagnostic yield was defined and measured in terms of frequency and validity by calculating sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values. STUDY CENTRE: Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital, Chennai. DURATION OF THE STUDY: 12 months (April 2018 - March 2019). INCLUSION CRITERIA: 1. Patients with clinical suspicion of pulmonary tuberculosis including symptoms of cough with or without expectoration for >2 weeks, weight loss, haemoptysis and loss of appetite with Smear negative. 2. Patients with radiological features suggestive of pulmonary tuberculosis. EXCLUSION CRITERIA: 1. Sputum positive for pulmonary tuberculosis. 2. Patients unfit for FOB. METHODS: • Following written consent, Bronchoscopy was performed and Bronchial wash was obtained and It was sent for ZN stain and mycobacterial liquid culture, for CBNAAT to detect Mycobacterium tuberculosis(MTB) and rifampicin Sensitivity. • One part was immediately tested using CBNAAT, second part used for ZN smear microscopy and third part for MGIT BACTEC 320 liquid culture and performed on same day. CONCLUSION: Bronchial wash CBNAAT had a superior diagnostic yield (with high sensitivity and positive predictive value) to detect Mycobacterium tuberculosis and rifampicin resistance (with high sensitivity and specificity), in those cases of suspected pulmonary tuberculosis who have either smear-negative or sputumscarce disease. Bronchial wash CBNAAT has the advantages of being inexpensive, requires less manpower and gives results on the same day. Using culture as the reference standard, CBNAAT on Bronchial wash showed a high sensitivity (92.1%). Furthermore, our study confirmed the advantage of early diagnosis of sputum smear-negative and sputum-scarce PTB by CBNAAT detecting more number of cases compared to smear microscopy. The higher sensitivity is explained by the limit of detection of CBNAAT being 131 bacilli/ml compared to the limit of detection of AFB smear which is 10,000 bacilli/ml. CBNAAT showed specificity of 88.7%. This is due to the higher CBNAAT positive culture negative cases observed as false positive cases when liquid culture (MGIT) is used as a gold standard. CBNAAT amplifies DNA from dead bacilli and reports a positive while cultures are negative

Rational Design of Photoelectrodes for the Fully Integrated Polymer Electrode Membrane–Photoelectrochemical Water-Splitting System: A Case Study of Bismuth Vanadate

Photoelectrochemical (PEC) reactors based on polymer electrolyte membrane (PEM) electrolyzers are an attractive alternative to improve scalability compared to conventional monolithic devices. To introduce narrow band gap photoabsorbers such as BiVO4 in PEM-PEC system requires cost-effective and scalable deposition techniques beyond those previously demonstrated on monolithic FTO-coated glass substrates, followed by the preparation of membrane electrode assemblies. Herein, we address the significant challenges in coating narrow band gap metal-oxides on porous substrates as suitable photoelectrodes for the PEM-PEC configuration. In particular, we demonstrate the deposition and integration of W-doped BiVO4 on porous conductive substrates by a simple, cost-effective, and scalable deposition based on the SILAR (successive ionic layer adsorption and reaction) technique. The resultant W-doped BiVO4 photoanode exhibits a photocurrent density of 2.1 mA·cm–2, @1.23V vs RHE, the highest reported so far for the BiVO4 on any porous substrates. Furthermore, we integrated the BiVO4 on the PEM-PEC reactor to demonstrate the solar hydrogen production from ambient air with humidity as the only water source, retaining 1.55 mA·cm–2, @1.23V vs RHE. The concept provides insights into the features necessary for the successful development of materials suitable for the PEM-PEC tandem configuration reactors and the gas-phase operation of the reactor, which is a promising approach for low-cost, large-scale solar hydrogen production.</p

Plasma activated electrolysis for cogeneration of nitric oxide and hydrogen from water and nitrogen

With increasing global interest in renewable energy technology given the backdrop of climate change, storage of electrical energy has become particularly relevant. Most sustainable technologies (e.g., wind and solar) produce electricity intermittently. Thus, converting electrical energy and base molecules (i.e., H2O, N2) into energy-rich ones (e.g., H2, NH3) or chemical feedstock (e.g., NO) is of paramount importance. While H2O splitting is compatible with renewable electricity, N2 fixation is currently dominated by thermally activated processes. In this work, we demonstrate an all-electric route for simultaneous NO and H2 production. In our approach, H2O is reduced to H2 in the cathode of a solid oxide electrolyzer while NO is produced in the anode by the reaction of O2– species (transported via the electrolyte) and plasma-activated N2 species. High faradaic efficiencies up to 93% are achieved for NO production at 650 °C, and NO concentration is &gt;1000 times greater than the equilibrium concentration at the same temperature and pressure.</p

Enhancing the Electrocatalytic Activity of Redox Stable Perovskite Fuel Electrodes in Solid Oxide Cells by Atomic Layer-Deposited Pt Nanoparticles

The carbon dioxide and steam co-electrolysis in solid oxide cells offers an efficient way to store the intermittent renewable electricity in the form of syngas (CO + H2), which constitutes a key intermediate for the chemical industry. The co-electrolysis process, however, is challenging in terms of materials selection. The cell composites, and particularly the fuel electrode, are required to exhibit adequate stability in redox environments and coking that rules out the conventional Ni cermets. La0.75Sr0.25Cr0.5Mn0.5O3 (LSCrM) perovskite oxides represent a promising alternative solution, but with electrocatalytic activity inferior to the conventional Ni-based cermets. Here, we report on how the electrochemical properties of a state-of-the-art LSCrM electrode can be significantly enhanced by introducing uniformly distributed Pt nanoparticles (18 nm) on its surface via the atomic layer deposition (ALD). At 850 °C, Pt nanoparticle deposition resulted in a ∼62% increase of the syngas production rate during electrolysis mode (at 1.5 V), whereas the power output was improved by ∼84% at fuel cell mode. Our results exemplify how the powerful ALD approach can be employed to uniformly disperse small amounts (∼50 μg·cm–2) of highly active metals to boost the limited electrocatalytic properties of redox stable perovskite fuel electrodes with efficient material utilization.</p

EFFECT OF INCORPORATION OF WHEY PROTEIN CONCENTRATE ON QUALITY OF ICE CREAM

ABSTRACT Ice cream was prepared by replacing skimmed milk powder (SMP) wit

Green synthesis of silver nanoparticles using <i>Atalantia monophylla</i>: A potential eco-friendly agent for controlling blood-sucking vectors

Abstract Developing floral-based replacement molecules might manage blood-sucking vectors in an eco-friendly way. Atalantia monophylla (Am) aqueous leaf extract (ALE) and silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) were evaluated against mosquitoes (Aedes vittatus, Anopheles subpictus, and Culex vishnui) and ticks (Haemaphysalis bispinosa, Rhipicephalus microplus, and R. sanguineus) at different concentrations. Phytochemical screening and AgNPs' synthesis were performed on ALE of A. monophylla. UV-visible spectroscopy, Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, scanning electron microscope, and transmission electron microscope were used to examine the synthesized Am-AgNPs. A. monophylla's ALE included alkaloids, flavonoids, saponins, tannins, triterpenes, coumarins, anthraquinones, and phenolics. Am-AgNPs had a higher LC50 (22.19, 23.92, 26.09, 40.25, 51.87, and 60.53 μg·mL−1, respectively) than leaf aqueous extract (LAE) against Ae. vittatus, An. subpictus, Cx. vishnui, H. bispinosa, R. microplus, and R. sanguineus larvae. A. monophylla ALE and Am-AgNPs' bio-toxicity was investigated against aquatic and terrestrial non-target species (Acilius sulcatus, Anisops bouvieri, Araneus mitificus, and Cyrtophora moluccensis) with LC50 values ranging from 2,094.5 to 10,532.8 μg·mL−1, respectively. A. monophylla ALE and Am-AgNPs had little negative impacts on the chosen non-target fauna. Environmental protection is important nowadays. Green AgNPs are low-cost, readily accessible, environmentally safe, and effective pesticides. Am-AgNPs are effective alternative insecticides, requiring a considerable study on this plant to control blood-sucking vectors for worldwide human/animal health importance