Size-controllable synthesis of lithium niobate nanocrystals using modified Pechini polymeric precursor method

Nanopowders of lithium niobate (LiNbO3, LN) were synthesized by a water-based modified Pechini method, in which Li2CO3 and ammonium niobate (v) oxalate hydrate (C4H4NNbO9·xH2O) are used as the Li and Nb source materials, respectively. The kinetics of formation of the intermediate gelatinous precursor was studied by thermal gravimetry and differential scanning calorimetry. The LN nanoparticles produced by calcining of the gel at various temperatures were characterized by X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy. The effect of the calcination temperature on the morphology and structure of LN nanoparticles produced is investigated. The particle and crystallite sizes of the LN prepared could be controlled in the range of 20–250 nm by changing the calcination temperature of the gelatinous precursor

The infuence of atmosphere on performance of pure-phase WZ and ZB InAs nanowire transistors

We compare the characteristics of phase-pure MOCVD grown ZB and WZ InAs nanowire transistors in several atmospheres: air, dry pure N2 and O2, and N2 bubbled through liquid H2O and alcohols to identify whether phase-related structural/surface differences affect their response. Both WZ and ZB give poor gate characteristics in dry state. Adsorption of polar species reduces off-current by 2-3 orders of magnitude, increases on-off ratio and significantly reduces sub-threshold slope. The key difference is the greater sensitivity of WZ to low adsorbate level. We attribute this to facet structure and its influence on the separation between conduction electrons and surface adsorption sites. We highlight the important role adsorbed species play in nanowire device characterisation. WZ is commonly thought superior to ZB in InAs nanowire transistors. We show this is an artefact of the moderate humidity found in ambient laboratory conditions: WZ and ZB perform equally poorly in the dry gas limit yet equally well in the wet gas limit. We also highlight the vital role density-lowering disorder has in improving gate characteristics, be it stacking faults in mixed-phase WZ or surface adsorbates in pure-phase nanowires.This work was funded by the Australian Research Council (ARC) and the University of New South Wales

Potential effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on future birth rate

Here, we examine the potential effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on future birth rates. This highly contagious disease originated in China, and rapidly spread worldwide, leading to extensive lockdown policies being implemented globally with the aim of containing the infection rates and its serious attendant consequences. Based on previous extant literature, this paper overviews the potential demographic consequences of the current progressively widespread epidemic on conception and fertility as driven by the data obtained during similar prior incidents. In general, epidemics manifest a common pattern as far as their impact on population, which is remarkably similar to natural disasters, i.e., a steep decline in birth rates followed by gradual increases and then followed by a baby boom. Additionally, we have also depicted how economic conditions, mental health, fear, and mortality may also influence future birth rates

An overview of the recent progress in polymeric carbon nitride based photocatalysis

This is the author accepted manuscript. The final version is available from Wiley via the DOI in this record Recently, polymeric carbon nitride (g-C3 N4 ) as a proficient photo-catalyst has been effectively employed in photocatalysis for energy conversion, storage, and pollutants degradation due to its low cost, robustness, and environmentally friendly nature. The critical review summarized the recent development, fundamentals, nanostructures design, advantages, and challenges of g-C3 N4 (CN), as potential future photoactive material. The review also discusses the latest information on the improvement of CN-based heterojunctions including Type-II, Z-scheme, metal/CN Schottky junctions, noble metal@CN, graphene@CN, carbon nanotubes (CNTs)@CN, metal-organic frameworks (MOFs)/CN, layered double hydroxides (LDH)/CN heterojunctions and CN-based heterostructures for H2 production from H2 O, CO2 conversion and pollutants degradation in detail. The optical absorption, electronic behavior, charge separation and transfer, and bandgap alignment of CN-based heterojunctions are discussed elaborately. The correlations between CN-based heterostructures and photocatalytic activities are described excessively. Besides, the prospects of CN-based heterostructures for energy production, storage, and pollutants degradation are discussed.National Natural Science Foundation of ChinaMinistry of Science and Technology of Chin

Hybrid Nanowire Ion-to-Electron Transducers for Integrated Bioelectronic Circuitry

A key task in the emerging field of bioelectronics is the transduction between ionic/protonic and electronic signals at high fidelity. This is a considerable challenge since the two carrier types exhibit intrinsically different physics and are best supported by very different materials typeselectronic signals in inorganic semiconductors and ionic/protonic signals in organic or bio-organic polymers, gels, or electrolytes. Here we demonstrate a new class of organic−inorganic transducing interface featuring semiconducting nanowires electrostatically gated using a solid proton-transporting hygroscopic polymer. This model platform allows us to study the basic transducing mechanisms as well as deliver high fidelity signal conversion by tapping into and drawing together the best candidates from traditionally disparate realms of electronic materials research. By combining complementary $n$- and $p$-type transducers we demonstrate functional logic with significant potential for scaling toward high-density integrated bioelectronic circuitry.This work was funded by the Australian Research Council (ARC), the University of New South Wales, the University of Queensland, Danish National Research Foundation and the Innovation Fund. A.P.M. acknowledges an ARC Future Fellowship (FT0990285) and DJC acknowledges Australian Nanotechnology Network Short Term Visit support. P.M. is an ARC Discovery Outstanding Research Award Fellow and the work at UQ was funded under the ARC Discovery Program (DP140103653). The Centre for Organic Photonics and Electronics is a strategic initiative of the University of Queensland. We thank Helen Rutlidge for conducting the inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry measurements. This work was performed in part using the NSW and ACT nodes of the Australian National Fabrication Facility (ANFF) and the Mark Wainwright Analytical Centre at UNSW

Serum ferritin levels, socio-demographic factors and desferrioxamine therapy in multi-transfused thalassemia major patients at a government tertiary care hospital of Karachi, Pakistan

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Beta thalassemia is the most frequent genetic disorder of haemoglobin synthesis in Pakistan. Recurrent transfusions lead to iron-overload manifested by increased serum Ferritin levels, for which chelation therapy is required.</p> <p>Findings</p> <p>The study was conducted in the Pediatric Emergency unit of Civil Hospital Karachi after ethical approval by the Institutional Review Board of Dow University of Health Sciences. Seventy nine cases of beta thalassemia major were included after a written consent. The care takers were interviewed for the socio-demographic variables and the use of Desferrioxamine therapy, after which a blood sample was drawn to assess the serum Ferritin level. SPSS 15.0 was employed for data entry and analysis.</p> <p>Of the seventy-nine patients included in the study, 46 (58.2%) were males while 33 (41.8%) were females. The mean age was 10.8 (± 4.5) years with the dominant age group (46.2%) being 10 to 14 years. In 62 (78.8%) cases, the care taker education was below the tenth grade. The mean serum Ferritin level in our study were 4236.5 ng/ml and showed a directly proportional relationship with age. Desferrioxamine was used by patients in 46 (58.2%) cases with monthly house hold income significant factor to the use of therapy.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>The mean serum Ferritin levels are approximately ten times higher than the normal recommended levels for normal individuals, with two-fifths of the patients not receiving iron chelation therapy at all. Use of iron chelation therapy and titrating the dose according to the need can significantly lower the iron load reducing the risk of iron-overload related complications leading to a better quality of life and improving survival in Pakistani beta thalassemia major patients.</p> <p>Conflicts of Interest: None</p

Homozygous variants in the HEXB and MBOAT7 genes underlie neurological diseases in consanguineous families

Neurological disorders are a common cause of morbidity and mortality within Pakistani populations. It is one of the most important challenges in healthcare, with significant life-long socio-economic burden.This article is freely available via Open Access. Click on the Publisher URL to access the full-text

Identification of QTLs for Arsenic Accumulation in Maize (Zea mays L.) Using a RIL Population

The Arsenic (As) concentration in different tissues of maize was analyzed using a set of RIL populations derived from an elite hybrid, Nongda108. The results showed that the trend of As concentration in the four measured tissues was leaves>stems>bracts>kernels. Eleven QTLs for As concentration were detected in the four tissues. Three QTLs for As concentration in leaves were mapped on chromosomes 1, 5, and 8, respectively. For As concentration in the bracts, two QTLs were identified, with 9.61% and 10.03% phenotypic variance. For As concentration in the stems, three QTLs were detected with 8.24%, 14.86%, and 15.23% phenotypic variance. Three QTLs were identified for kernels on chromosomes 3, 5, and 7, respectively, with 10.73%, 8.52%, and 9.10% phenotypic variance. Only one common chromosomal region between SSR marker bnlg1811 and umc1243 was detected for QTLs qLAV1 and qSAC1. The results implied that the As accumulation in different tissues in maize was controlled by different molecular mechanism. The study demonstrated that maize could be a useful plant for phytoremediation of As-contaminated paddy soil, and the QTLs will be useful for selecting inbred lines and hybrids with low As concentration in their kernels

Utilisation of an operative difficulty grading scale for laparoscopic cholecystectomy

Background A reliable system for grading operative difficulty of laparoscopic cholecystectomy would standardise description of findings and reporting of outcomes. The aim of this study was to validate a difficulty grading system (Nassar scale), testing its applicability and consistency in two large prospective datasets. Methods Patient and disease-related variables and 30-day outcomes were identified in two prospective cholecystectomy databases: the multi-centre prospective cohort of 8820 patients from the recent CholeS Study and the single-surgeon series containing 4089 patients. Operative data and patient outcomes were correlated with Nassar operative difficultly scale, using Kendall’s tau for dichotomous variables, or Jonckheere–Terpstra tests for continuous variables. A ROC curve analysis was performed, to quantify the predictive accuracy of the scale for each outcome, with continuous outcomes dichotomised, prior to analysis. Results A higher operative difficulty grade was consistently associated with worse outcomes for the patients in both the reference and CholeS cohorts. The median length of stay increased from 0 to 4 days, and the 30-day complication rate from 7.6 to 24.4% as the difficulty grade increased from 1 to 4/5 (both p < 0.001). In the CholeS cohort, a higher difficulty grade was found to be most strongly associated with conversion to open and 30-day mortality (AUROC = 0.903, 0.822, respectively). On multivariable analysis, the Nassar operative difficultly scale was found to be a significant independent predictor of operative duration, conversion to open surgery, 30-day complications and 30-day reintervention (all p < 0.001). Conclusion We have shown that an operative difficulty scale can standardise the description of operative findings by multiple grades of surgeons to facilitate audit, training assessment and research. It provides a tool for reporting operative findings, disease severity and technical difficulty and can be utilised in future research to reliably compare outcomes according to case mix and intra-operative difficulty

Endoplasmic Reticulum Remodeling Tunes IP3-Dependent Ca2+ Release Sensitivity

The activation of vertebrate development at fertilization relies on IP3-dependent Ca2+ release, a pathway that is sensitized during oocyte maturation. This sensitization has been shown to correlate with the remodeling of the endoplasmic reticulum into large ER patches, however the mechanisms involved are not clear. Here we show that IP3 receptors within ER patches have a higher sensitivity to IP3 than those in the neighboring reticular ER. The lateral diffusion rate of IP3 receptors in both ER domains is similar, and ER patches dynamically fuse with reticular ER, arguing that IP3 receptors exchange freely between the two ER compartments. These results suggest that increasing the density of IP3 receptors through ER remodeling is sufficient to sensitize IP3-dependent Ca2+ release. Mathematical modeling supports this concept of ‘geometric sensitization’ of IP3 receptors as a population, and argues that it depends on enhanced Ca2+-dependent cooperativity at sub-threshold IP3 concentrations. This represents a novel mechanism of tuning the sensitivity of IP3 receptors through ER remodeling during meiosis