Green tea polyphenol-reduced graphene oxide: derivatisation, reduction efficiency, reduction mechanism and cytotoxicity

This paper reports on the derivatisation, reduction efficiency, reduction mechanism and cytotoxicity of green tea polyphenol-reduced graphene oxide (GTP-RGO). The reduction of graphene oxide (GO) at 90°C using a weight ratio (WR) of GTP/GO=1 resulted in the production of a stable GTP-RGO dispersion in aqueous media, as indicated by the results of ultravioletvisible (UV-Vis) spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and the measurement of zeta potential and electrophoretic mobility. In addition, the results from UV-Vis spectroscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) analysis indicated the comparable reduction ability of GTP relative to the standard reducing agent, hydrazine (N2H4). The removal mechanism of epoxy group from GO via reduction reaction with GTP was investigated by implementing hybrid functional method of Becke-3-parameters-Lee-Yang-Parr (B3LYP)using Gaussian 09 software. The energy and frequency calculations showed that the GO reduction using GTP was more spontaneous and relatively took place faster than the reduction using N2H4, as evidenced by higher entropy change (ΔS) (0.039 kcal/mol·K) and lower Gibbs free energy (ΔG) barrier (58.880 kcal/mol).The cytotoxicities of GO and GTP-RGO samples were evaluated against human colonic fibroblasts cells (CCD-18Co). The GO sample was determined to be toxic even at low concentration (6.25 μg/mL), while the GTP-RGO sample possesses notably low toxicity at the same concentration. The cell culture experiments revealed that the incorporation of GTP led to a decrease in the toxicity of GTP-RGO samples

Optical Fiber Bending Detection on Long Distance OPGW using OTDR

In Malaysia, thousands of kilometers of Optical Ground Wire (OPGW) have been installed by a utility company. For long distance fiber cable, there is a possibility of optical fiber to bend with very small radius especially in joint closures which caused optical power to attenuate. This attenuation is known as ‘bend losses. Bend loss increases the total power attenuation of optical fiber. In addition, for long distance fiber cable, it is important to avoid any extra loss as the fiber itself attenuates 0.2 to 0.35 dB/km and splice loss about 0.1 dB each. Hence, in this study, the method of detecting bend loss as well as optical fiber bending is presented. The result of this study is expected to allow fiber industry players to determine the exact location and proper rectification can be done to solve bend loss problem

An Empirical Investigation on Perception of Organizational Politics, Job Stress & Job Satisfaction Among Academicians in Pakistan Using Second-Order Construct

Level of job satisfactions among academicians has remained enriched area of research for the academic’s institutions. Therefore, the rationale behind conducting research was to investigate the influence of Perception of Organizational Politics (POP) and Job Stress (JSt) on Job satisfaction (JS) academicians. Research framework has been formed based on Social Exchange Theory (SET) to create logical relationships among variable which explained that employees behave accordingly as per response they received from management’s behavior. For the execution of analysis data was collected from 300 teachers of public sector universities of Punjab, Pakistan through psychometric defined instruments. Software SmartPLS was used for assessment of measurement and structural model. Results from the analysis demonstrates that POP has significant and negative effect on JS and significant positive effect on JSt while significant negative effect was observed between JSt and JS. The results revealed useful information for the stakeholders and policy makers to focus and develop and organizational structure to eliminate the influence of POP in academic institutions

A pricing optimization modelling for assisted decision making in telecommunication product-service bundling

Product service bundle (PSB) is a marketing strategy that offers attractive product-service packages with competitive pricing to ensure sustained profitability. However, designing suitable pricing for PSB is a non-trivial task that involves complex decision-making. This paper explores the significance of pricing optimization in the telecommunication industry, focusing on product-service bundling (PSB). It delves into the challenges associated with pricing PSB and highlights the transformative impact of big data analytics on decision-making for PSB strategies. The study presents a data-driven pricing optimization model tailored for designing appropriate pricing structures for product-service bundles within the telecommunication services domain. This model integrates customer preference knowledge and involves intricate decision-making processes. To demonstrate the feasibility of the proposed approach, the paper conducts a case study encompassing two design scenarios, wherein the results reveal that the model offers competitive pricing compared to existing telecommunication service providers, facilitating PSB design and decision-making. The findings from the case study indicate that the data-driven pricing optimization model can significantly aid PSB design and decision-making, leading to competitive pricing strategies that open avenues for new market exploration and ensure business sustainability. By considering both product and service features concurrently, the proposed model provides a pricing reference for optimal decision-making. The case study validates the feasibility and effectiveness of the approach within the telecommunication industry and highlights its potential for broader applications. The model's capability to generate competitive pricing strategies offers opportunities for new market exploration, ensuring business growth and adaptability

O-H...π(arene) intermolecular hydrogen bonding in the structure of 1,1,2-triphenylethanol

The 1,1,2-triphenylethanol molecule, Ph2(PhCH2)COH (I), forms centrosymmetric dimers in the solid state. The shortest O-..O separation, 5.837 (3)A,, is too long for any O--H..-O hydrogen-bond formation. Instead, there are O--H~..π(arene) interactions between the hydroxyl group of one molecule and a phenyl group of a centrosymmetrically related molecule. The O...C and H-..C distances between the hydroxyl group and the closest phenyl-ring C atom are 3.525 (4) and 2.73 (4)~,, respectively. These intermolecular contacts are the only driving force towards dimer formation in the solid state

Hydrogen-bonding patterns in ferrocene derivatives: structures of 1,1'-diphenyl-1,1'-(1,1'-ferrocenediyl)diethanol and 1,1'-(1,1'-ferrocenediyl)diethanol

Racemic 1, l'-diphenyl- 1,1'-( 1, l'-ferrocenediyl)diethanol, [Fe{(CsH4)C(Ph)MeOH}2] (I), crystallizes as hydrogen- bonded dimeric aggregates with the Fe atoms on twofold crystallographic axes and the four O atoms defining a folded trapezium with O...O distances of 2.784 (2) (x2), 2.877(3) and 2.795 (4)A. The four hydroxyl H atoms are disordered equally over two orientations such that there are two half-occupancy H-atom sites between each hydrogen-bonded O-atom pair. Racemic 1,1'-(1, l'- ferrocenediyl)diethanol, [Fe{(CsH4)C(H)MeOH}2] (II),crystallizes as hydrogen-bonded centrosymmetric dimers, with O...O distances of 2.778 (2) and 2.764 (2) A and ordered hydroxyl H atoms. In (I), the dimers are formed from either two RR or two SS molecules, while in (II) the dimers each contain one RR and one SS molecule

Structures of 1-ferrocenyl-1-phenylethanol, ferrocenyl(diphenyl)methanol and ferrocene-1,1'-diylbis(diphenylmethanol)

Racemic 1-ferrocenyl- 1-phenylethanol, [(CsHs)Fe- (CsHa)]CPhMeOH (I), crystallizes as discrete molecules which are not involved in hydrogen bondinog; the shortest intermolecular O-..O contact is 3.768(3) A and the hydroxyl H atom is orientated towards the unsubstituted cyclopentadienyl ring. Ferrocenyl(diphenyl)methanol, [(CsHs)Fe(CsHa)]CPh2OH (II) is hydrogen bonded to form centrosynunetric dimers with O...O 2.816(1) and H...O 2.52 ]k. Ferrocene-l,l~-diylbis(diphenylmeth - anol), Fe[(CsHa)C(Ph)2COH]2 (III) crystallizes as a dimeric aggregate with the Fe atoms on twofold crystallographic symmetry axes and the four O atoms defining a folded trapezium with O...O 2.762(2), 2.714(2) and 2.865(2) A,. The four hydroxyl groups are disordered equally over two orientations such that there are two halfoccupancy H-atom sites between each hydrogen-bonded oxygen pair

C–H.I− interactions in ferrocene derivatives: structures of (Ferrocenylmethyl)triphenylphosphonium iodide and 1,1'-ferrocenediylbis(methyltriphenylphosphonium iodide) dichloromethane solvate (1/1)

The cations in (ferrocenylmethyl)triphenylphosphonium iodide, [{(C5H5)Fe(C5Ha)}CH2P(C6Hs)3]+.I -, (1), and in 1, l'-ferrocenediylbis(methyltriphenylphosphonium iodide) dichloromethane solvate, [Fe{(C5H4)CH2- P(C6H5)3}212+.2I-.CH2C12, (2), are involved in three dimensional networks of C--H. • .I- interactions between phenyl C--H groups and I- anions. In (1), the cation resides in a general position while one I- anion is on a twofold axis and a second I- anion is at an inversion centre. The shortest C...I- distances are 3.886 (2) and 3.989 (2)A to the I- ion which resides on an inversion centre. The cation in (2) has approximate mirror symmetry and lies in a general position in the unit cell along with its two I- anions. The shortest C--.I- interactions are 3.810 (4) and 3.886 (5) A,

Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) future development: a comprehensive review on customer retention programme in retaining customer loyalty

No AbstractKeywords: small and medium enterprises (SMEs); customer retention program; loyalty;  advantage card; monetary rewar