Optimizations of preparative parameters in potentiodynamic synthesis of cobalt oxide thin films: Capacitive approach

The present article reports synthesis of Co3O4 thin films by facile potentiodynamic-electrodeposition technique using variations in the preparative parameters such as ingredient, solution concentration and deposition time. The prepared samples were analysed using XRD, FE-SEM, TEM, cyclic voltammetry, chronopotentiometry and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. Crystallographic study shows polycrystalline face centered cubic spinel structure of the deposit. Cyclic voltammogram reveals pseudocapacitive behavior. The calculated highest value of specific capacitance at the scan rate 5 mV/s was 237.68 F/gin 1 M KOH, within the potential window -0.92 to 0.45 V versus Ag/AgCl. The calculated maximum value of specific energy, specific power and columbic efficiency from chronopotentiometry were 4.91 Wh/kg, 28.69 kW/kg and 94.78%, respectively. The internal resistance observed using electrochemical impedance spectroscopy was~ 3.55 Ω

Influence of Intensity and Duration of Yoga on Anxiety and Depression Scores Associated with Chronic Illness

Background: Chronic illness is commonly associated with anxiety and depression. Both anxiety and depression respond to yoga. However, there is no report on the association between the intensity and duration of yoga practice with the benefits seen.Aim: The present study was intended to determine whether the daily duration of yoga practice and the duration of experience in months would predict anxiety and depression, associated with chronic illness.Subjects and Methods: Seven hundred and sixty‑three volunteers with ages between 14 and 86 years (group mean age standard deviation, 50.2 [14.2]) who attended a 7 day residential yoga camp in the north of India were included in this cross‑sectional study. All participants had chronic illnesses, which were under control with treatment, and which were categorized and are detailed. Participants were assessed for state anxiety scores using State‑Trait Anxiety Inventory and for anxiety with hospital anxiety and depression scale (HADS‑A), and depression was assessed using HADS‑D scores of the HADS. Linear multiple regression analyses were performed using PASW SPSS version 18.0 (Armonk, New York, U.S.) to determine how the daily and monthly duration of yoga practice could influence state anxiety, hospital anxiety and depression of the participants.Results: Yoga practice in months and the time spent practicing yoga each day significantly predict the level of state anxiety (P < 0.001, P = 0.03) and HAD‑A (P < 0.01, P < 0.01). The duration of yoga practice in months alone was a significant predictor of the HAD‑D (P < 0.01).Conclusions: The results suggest that the duration of yoga practice in months and daily practice in minutes predict anxiety associated with chronic illness. In contrast the duration of yoga practice in months alone, predicted depression scores. Keywords: Anxiety, Chronic illness, Depression, Linear multiple regression, Yoga practic

Acid-base properties of Cu<SUB>1-x</SUB>Co<SUB>x</SUB>Fe<SUB>2</SUB>O<SUB>4</SUB> ferrospinels: FTIR investigations

Systematic IR spectroscopic studies were undertaken to investigate the acid-base properties of Cu-Co ferrospinels Cu1-xCoxFe2O4 (x=0 to 1) employed in phenol methylation to produce 2,6-xylenol. The IR spectra of the ferrospinels reveal that Fe3+ and Co2+ ions are mainly responsible for the various hydroxy groups on the surface. Temperature dependent IR studies of pyridine adsorbed on spinels and on the spinel phase with deliberately added metal oxide exemplify the contribution of the metal ions and their coordination state towards Lewis acidity. IR studies of the spinel surface with adsorbed CO2 and adsorption studies of electron acceptors such as 7,7,8,8-tetracyanoquinodimethane, 2,3,5,6-tetrachloro-1-4-benzoquinone and p-dinitrobenzene were carried out to evaluate the nature of the basic sites and the strength and distribution of the electron donor sites present on the spinel surface. It was found that the acidity (basicity) of the Cu1-xCoxFe2O4 spinel system increases (decreases) from x=0 to 1. A correlation between acidity, basicity and catalytic performance reveals that an intermediate acid-base character enhances the phenol methylation activity

Catalytic mechanism of the dehydrogenation of ethylbenzene over Fe-Co/Mg(Al)O derived from hydrotalcites

Catalytic mechanism of ethylbenzene dehydrogenation over Fe-Co/Mg(Al)O derived from hydrotalcites has been studied based on the XAFS and XPS catalyst characterization and the FTIR measurements of adsorbed species. Fe-Co/Mg(Al)O showed synergy, whereas Fe-Ni/Mg(Al)O showed no synergy, in the dehydrogenation of ethylbenzene. Ni species were stably incorporated as Ni(2+) in the regular sites in periclase and spinel structure in the Fe-Ni/Mg(Al)O. Contrarily, Co species exists as a mixture of Co(3+)/Co(2+) in the Fe-Co/Mg(Al)O and was partially isolated from the regular sites in the structures with increasing the Co content. Co addition enhanced Lewis acidity of Fe(3+) active sites by forming Fe(3+)-O-Co(3+/2+)(1/1) bond, resulting in an increase in the activity. FTIR of ethylbenzene adsorbed on the Fe-Co/Mg(Al)O clearly showed formations of C-O bond and pi-adsorbed aromatic ring. This suggests that ethylbenzene was strongly adsorbed on the Fe(3+) acid sites via pi-bonding and the dehydrogenation was initiated by alpha-H(+) abstraction from ethyl group on Mg(2+)-O(2-) basic sites, followed by C-O-Mg bond formation. The alpha-H(+) abstraction by O(2-)(-Mg(2+)) was likely followed by beta-H abstraction, leading to the formations of styrene and H(2). Such catalytic mechanism by the Fe(3+) acid-O(2-)(-Mg(2+)) base couple and the Fe(3+)/Fe(2+) reduction-oxidation cycle was further assisted by Co(3+)/Co(2+), leading to a good catalytic activity for the dehydrogenation of ethylbenzene

Investigating effects of parasite infection on body condition of the Kafue lechwe (Kobus leche kafuensis) in the Kafue basin

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The Kafue lechwe (<it>Kobus leche Kafuensis</it>), a medium-sized semi-aquatic antelope, is endemic to the Kafue basin of Zambia. The population of the Kafue lechwe has significantly dropped in the last decades leading to its subsequent inclusion on the red list of endangered species. In order to save the remaining population from extinction, it has become increasingly important that the impact of parasite infection and infestation on the Kafue lechwe is investigated.</p> <p>Findings</p> <p>Endoparasites accounted for the majority of parasites observed from a study of 40 Kafue lechwe occurring in the the Kafue basin. <it>Amphistoma spp. </it>were present in all animals examined, while <it>Fasciola gigantica </it>had a prevalence rate of 0.525 (95% CI: 0.36 to 0.69) and species of <it>Schistosoma </it>0.3 (95% CI: 0.15 to 0.45). Among the ectoparasites, <it>Strobiloestrous vanzyli</it>, had a prevalence rate of 0.15 (95% CI: 0.03 to 0.27), while <it>Rhipicephalus appendiculatus </it>had a prevalence of 0.075 (3/40). Our findings indicate that body condition was not influenced by the parasitic infestation in Kafue lechwe. There was no association between sex and parasitic burden (odds ratio = 0.3, 95% CI: 0.8-1.3). However, an association between age and parasitic burden was observed as older animals above 15 years were more likely to get parasite infections than those aged between 1-5 years (odds ratio = 1.5, 95% CI: 1.1-2.4).</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Overall, there was no evidence that parasitic infections and infestations adversely affected the lechwe population on the Kafue basin. These findings indicate that ecto- and endo-parasite infestation might not play a significant role in reducing the Kafue lechwe population on the Kafue basin.</p

Effect of carbapenem resistance on outcomes of bloodstream infection caused by Enterobacteriaceae in low-income and middle-income countries (PANORAMA): a multinational prospective cohort study

Background Low-income and middle-income countries (LMICs) are under-represented in reports on the burden of antimicrobial resistance. We aimed to quantify the clinical effect of carbapenem resistance on mortality and length of hospital stay among inpatients in LMICs with a bloodstream infection due to Enterobacteriaceae. Methods The PANORAMA study was a multinational prospective cohort study at tertiary hospitals in Bangladesh, Colombia, Egypt, Ghana, India, Lebanon, Nepal, Nigeria, Pakistan, and Vietnam, recruiting consecutively diagnosed patients with carbapenem-susceptible Enterobacteriaceae (CSE) and carbapenem-resistant Entero-bacteriaceae (CRE) bloodstream infections. We excluded patients who had previously been enrolled in the study and those not treated with curative intent at the time of bloodstream infection onset. There were no age restrictions. Central laboratories in India and the UK did confirmatory testing and molecular characterisation, including strain typing. We applied proportional subdistribution hazard models with inverse probability weighting to estimate the effect of carbapenem resistance on probability of discharge alive and in-hospital death, and multistate modelling for excess length of stay in hospital. All patients were included in the analysis. Findings Between Aug 1, 2014, and June 30, 2015, we recruited 297 patients from 16 sites in ten countries: 174 with CSE bloodstream infection and 123 with CRE bloodstream infection. Median age was 46 years (IQR 15–61). Crude mortality was 20% (35 of 174 patients) for patients with CSE bloodstream infection and 35% (43 of 123 patients) for patients with CRE bloodstream infection. Carbapenem resistance was associated with an increased length of hospital stay (3·7 days, 95% CI 0·3–6·9), increased probability of in-hospital mortality (adjusted subdistribution hazard ratio 1·75, 95% CI 1·04–2·94), and decreased probability of discharge alive (0·61, 0·45–0·83). Multilocus sequence typing showed various clades, with marginal overlap between strains in the CRE and CSE clades. Interpretation Carbapenem resistance is associated with increased length of hospital stay and mortality in patients with bloodstream infections in LMICs. These data will inform global estimates of the burden of antimicrobial resistance and reinforce the need for better strategies to prevent, diagnose, and treat CRE infections in LMICs

Surface integral finite element hybrid method for localized problems in continuum mechanics

Thesis (Sc.D.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Mechanical Engineering, 1984.MICROFICHE COPY AVAILABLE IN ARCHIVES AND ENGINEERING.Includes bibliographical references.by Balkrishna Shriniwas Annigeri.Sc.D

Smart Energy Monitoring Node

The current phase in the industrial revolution, “Industry 4.0” has transformed the concept of automation and robotic precision. With increased automation follows complex sets of machines. And complex set of machines bring in complex energy usage patterns. The current systems measure the power consumed in a unit time but, does not comment on the input obtained at the machine end. The proposed solution gives an idea about measuring the AC input power fed to the machine and progressively calculate the amount of power consumed and the power lost during the machine execution cycle. The numerical data does not always give the user can opt understanding about the parameters thus, real-time adjustable charts are used to justify the insights. Dynamic data processing is implemented to reduce the latency. The Embedded System consists of an 8-bit MCU attached with AC Voltage and AC Current Sensors, Wi-Fi transceiver, OLED display and has a backend supported with Python, MySQL, PHP and HTML-CSS

Cam Shaft Oil Hole Testing Gadget

In this project we focus on quality checking of product. From older day the cam shaft checking is done by very simple method, they use one small metal rod. Which is smaller in diameter compared to oil hole diameter of camshaft is inserted in oil hole and another is inserting in hole which are provided on general hole, which is perpendicular to the axis of shaft. When both rod are touch to each other then quality checking person know the hole is incorrect. This project established new way idea of product checking in advance