Fabrication and Thermoelectric Characterization of Transition Metal Silicide-Based Composite Thermocouples

Metal silicide-based thermocouples were fabricated by screen printing thick films of the powder compositions onto alumina tapes followed by lamination and sintering processes. The legs of the embedded thermocouples were composed of composite compositions consisting of MoSi2, WSi2, ZrSi2, or TaSi2 with an additional 10 vol % Al2O3 to form a silicide–oxide composite. The structural and high-temperature thermoelectric properties of the composite thermocouples were examined using X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy and a typical hot–cold junction measurement technique. MoSi2-Al2O3 and WSi2-Al2O3 composites exhibited higher intrinsic Seebeck coefficients (22.2–30.0 μV/K) at high-temperature gradients, which were calculated from the thermoelectric data of composite//Pt thermocouples. The composite thermocouples generated a thermoelectric voltage up to 16.0 mV at high-temperature gradients. The MoSi2-Al2O3//TaSi2-Al2O3 thermocouple displayed a better performance at high temperatures. The Seebeck coefficients of composite thermocouples were found to range between 20.9 and 73.0 μV/K at a temperature gradient of 1000 ◦C. There was a significant difference between the calculated and measured Seebeck coefficients of these thermocouples, which indicated the significant influence of secondary silicide phases (e.g., Mo5Si3, Ta5Si3) and possible local compositional changes on the overall thermoelectric response. The thermoelectric performance, high sensitivity, and cost efficiency of metal silicide–alumina ceramic composite thermocouples showed promise for high-temperature and harsh-environment sensing applications

Leveraging technology-driven strategies to untangle omics big data: circumventing roadblocks in clinical facets of oral cancer

Oral cancer is one of the 19most rapidly progressing cancers associated with significant mortality, owing to its extreme degree of invasiveness and aggressive inclination. The early occurrences of this cancer can be clinically deceiving leading to a poor overall survival rate. The primary concerns from a clinical perspective include delayed diagnosis, rapid disease progression, resistance to various chemotherapeutic regimens, and aggressive metastasis, which collectively pose a substantial threat to prognosis. Conventional clinical practices observed since antiquity no longer offer the best possible options to circumvent these roadblocks. The world of current cancer research has been revolutionized with the advent of state-of-the-art technology-driven strategies that offer a ray of hope in confronting said challenges by highlighting the crucial underlying molecular mechanisms and drivers. In recent years, bioinformatics and Machine Learning (ML) techniques have enhanced the possibility of early detection, evaluation of prognosis, and individualization of therapy. This review elaborates on the application of the aforesaid techniques in unraveling potential hints from omics big data to address the complexities existing in various clinical facets of oral cancer. The first section demonstrates the utilization of omics data and ML to disentangle the impediments related to diagnosis. This includes the application of technology-based strategies to optimize early detection, classification, and staging via uncovering biomarkers and molecular signatures. Furthermore, breakthrough concepts such as salivaomics-driven non-invasive biomarker discovery and omics-complemented surgical interventions are articulated in detail. In the following part, the identification of novel disease-specific targets alongside potential therapeutic agents to confront oral cancer via omics-based methodologies is presented. Additionally, a special emphasis is placed on drug resistance, precision medicine, and drug repurposing. In the final section, we discuss the research approaches oriented toward unveiling the prognostic biomarkers and constructing prediction models to capture the metastatic potential of the tumors. Overall, we intend to provide a bird’s eye view of the various omics, bioinformatics, and ML approaches currently being used in oral cancer research through relevant case studies

Not Available

Not AvailableRajalekshmi, M., Ravichandran, M., Sripathy, R., Chirakkal, H. and Rajendran, D. 2012. Organicchromium supplementation modulates the serum corticosterone response to heat stress in wistar albinorats. Animal Nutrition and Feed Technology, 12: 363-371.The effect of organic chromium supplementation on serum corticosterone levels in rats exposedto heat stress was investigated. The study was conducted in 8-10 week old male Wistar albino rats, whichwere supplemented with chromium propionate (300 ppb) for 14 days and subjected to heat stress on day1, 7 and 14. The study groups included an unstressed control (C), stressed control without anysupplementation (Negative control, NC) and a stressed group (T) supplemented with organic chromium,in the form of chromium propionate (dosage equivalent to 300 ppb elemental chromium). Chromiumsupplementation reduced the response to intermittent heat stress, as shown by lower (P0.05) the glucose levels in the chromium supplementedgroup, whereas the glucose levels in the untreated, stressed negative control group tended to be higher(P<0.10) as compared to untreated, unstressed control. The study brings out the beneficial effects ofsupplementation of chromium, reducing the stress response and improving glucose utilization in ratsNot Availabl

Fabrication and Thermoelectric Characterization of Transition Metal Silicide-Based Composite Thermocouples

Metal silicide-based thermocouples were fabricated by screen printing thick films of the powder compositions onto alumina tapes followed by lamination and sintering processes. The legs of the embedded thermocouples were composed of composite compositions consisting of MoSi2, WSi2, ZrSi2, or TaSi2 with an additional 10 vol % Al2O3 to form a silicide&#8315;oxide composite. The structural and high-temperature thermoelectric properties of the composite thermocouples were examined using X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy and a typical hot&#8315;cold junction measurement technique. MoSi2-Al2O3 and WSi2-Al2O3 composites exhibited higher intrinsic Seebeck coefficients (22.2&#8315;30.0 &#181;V/K) at high-temperature gradients, which were calculated from the thermoelectric data of composite//Pt thermocouples. The composite thermocouples generated a thermoelectric voltage up to 16.0 mV at high-temperature gradients. The MoSi2-Al2O3//TaSi2-Al2O3 thermocouple displayed a better performance at high temperatures. The Seebeck coefficients of composite thermocouples were found to range between 20.9 and 73.0 &#181;V/K at a temperature gradient of 1000 &#176;C. There was a significant difference between the calculated and measured Seebeck coefficients of these thermocouples, which indicated the significant influence of secondary silicide phases (e.g., Mo5Si3, Ta5Si3) and possible local compositional changes on the overall thermoelectric response. The thermoelectric performance, high sensitivity, and cost efficiency of metal silicide&#8315;alumina ceramic composite thermocouples showed promise for high-temperature and harsh-environment sensing applications

Estimations of Gasifier Wall Temperature and Extent of Slag Penetration Using a Refractory Brick with Embedded Sensors

The short service life of refractory lining in a slagging gasifier in the integrated gasification combined cycle results in low availability and high operating cost. For longer life of the refractory lining, estimation of slag penetration length and monitoring of wall temperature are important. In this paper, we have investigated two types of embedded sensors in the refractory lining of gasifier, namely, thermistor and interdigital capacitor, to estimate the wall temperature profile and extent of slag penetration. Conventional correlation-based approaches are not satisfactory for estimating outputs of interest from the raw sensor data for these systems because of high temperature gradient along the sensor as well as temporal change in the refractory properties due to slag penetration. Therefore, a thermal model of refractory brick, slag penetration model, and models of the embedded sensors are developed and used to estimate temperature and slag penetration profile by using linear and nonlinear estimators