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Background The rise of social media has allowed for individuals and patients to connect with each other and influence patient behavior. This study aimed to improve our understanding of the patients' experience with cerebral cavernous malformations (CCM) via social media. Methods Instagram and Twitter were searched using terms of ("cavernoma," "cavernous malformations," "cavernous angioma," or "cav mal"). Public Instagram posts tagged with "#cavernoma" and "@cavernoma" identified 327 posts that directly included a patient's own experience. Twitter posts that included "#cavernoma" and "@cavernoma" were searched, yielding 75 after eliminating those that did not pertain to the patient's own experience. The posts and tweets were coded for relevant themes related to their experience with the disease. Results Overall, more patients are using Instagram (n = 327) over Twitter (n = 84) to share their personal experience with CCM with a trend for male patients to use Twitter more compared to females with a female predominance in Instagram. A total of 277 of 327 (84.7%) Instagram posts and 67 of 84 (89.3%) Twitter posts were made after the patient's surgery. The most common theme on Instagram was focused on the postoperative rehabilitation process and mobility support (52.0 and 24.5%, respectively). Other common themes present on Twitter and Instagram were recounting symptoms and complications and life satisfaction (26.0 and 24.2%, respectively). Cavernoma patients prior to surgery were more likely to discuss on Instagram their symptoms (p = 0.001), fear of bleeding (p < 0.001), and mental health (p = 0.014). Postoperatively, cavernoma patients were more likely to discuss disability than they were preoperatively (p = 0.001). Conclusion Social media platforms offer a communication tool for patients with CCM patients to share their experience with other patients and the general public and portrays their personal experience with CCM. These platforms allow for physicians to better understand the patient experience following cavernoma surgery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Meningeal lymphatic vessels (MLVs) help maintain central nervous system (CNS) homeostasis via their ability to facilitate macromolecule waste clearance and neuroimmune trafficking. Although these vessels were overlooked for centuries, they have now been characterized in humans, non-human primates, and rodents. Recent studies in mice have explored the stereotyped growth and expansion of MLVs in dura mater, the various transcriptional, signaling, and environmental factors regulating their development and long-term maintenance, and the pathological changes these vessels undergo in injury, disease, or with aging. Key insights gained from these studies have also been leveraged to develop therapeutic approaches that help augment or restore MLV functions to improve brain health and cognition. Here, we review fundamental processes that control the development of peripheral lymphatic networks and how these might apply to the growth and expansion of MLVs in their unique meningeal environment. We also emphasize key findings in injury and disease models that may reveal additional insights into the plasticity of these vessels throughout the lifespan. Finally, we highlight unanswered questions and future areas of study that can further reveal the exciting therapeutic potential of meningeal lymphatics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In integrated steel plant, sinter plant plays an important role in providing sinter as raw material to the blast furnaces. Any unplanned outage of sinter plant leads to loss of hot metal production rate and impacts the quality of hot metal. In sintering process, after sinter machine, hot sinter is screened as per process requirement. Further, oversize material goes to blast furnace and undersize material returns to silo and finally reused for sinter making process. Vibratory screens are used for this purpose, and the exciter gearbox generates the excitation force in the screen due to unbalanced masses. The reliability of the exciter gearbox is very important for screen availability. The exciter gearbox is mounted on the screen console beam at 45−55 degrees in inclined/decline orientation which varies as per screen design. Because of this, oil level cannot be checked in running condition. The failure of bearing of exciter gearbox was the chronic issue at sinter plant. Therefore, detailed root cause failure analysis has been carried out and recommendations are implemented. The study has been done in the following aspect which has been addressed in this paper. Inadequate lubrication system and dust contamination were the main root cause of this case. Calculation for correct size of exciter gearbox Exciter gearbox unbalanced mass tuning Gearbox lubricant type, grade, filling quantity, refilling frequency and filling standard procedure Gearbox lubricant and ferrography analysis Importance of the presence of sinter dust contamination in gearbox oil [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the present work, Bi non-stoichiometry is used to control oxygen vacancy concentration and the ferroelectric to relaxor phase transition temperature (T F-R) to optimize photostriction performance. Large photostriction (1.8 × 10−3) and high photostriction efficiency (1.7 × 10−11 m3/W) were observed in 0.95Bi 0.52 (Na 0.81 K 0.19) 0.5 TiO 3 -0.05Ba(Ti 0.5 Ni 0.5)O 3-δ ceramic. The non-stoichiometric increase of Bi does not change the band gap of the material, but leads to the decrease of oxygen vacancy concentration, which leads to more effective photo-generated carriers interacting with lattice and improves photostriction macroscopically. Bi non-stoichiometry also induces T F-R to drop to near room temperature, and microscopically the decoupling of the A-O bond, which makes the unit cell change from a limited polar state to a cubic-like state and thus the polarizability of the unit cell increases. Therefore, under the action of photo-generated carriers or photo-generated electric field, the lattice changes from a nonpolar state to a polar state and the lattice distortion is produced, which may be accompanied by the re-coupling of the A-O bond, thus optimizing photostriction macroscopically. Laser power-dependent Raman spectra show the blue shift of the A-O bond mode and the red shift of the TiO 6 mode, indicating the increase in lattice polarity and deformation caused by the re-coupling of the A-O bond and the distortion of the TiO 6 octahedron. This work provides a new way for designing ferroelectric materials with excellent photostrictive performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Uncommon but increasingly diagnosed, ipsilateral femoral neck and shaft fracture represents a complex injury pattern with challenging management. The conundrum involves optimal diagnostic modality, timing of surgery, sequence of fixation, and the choice of implant. Methodology: A retrospective review was conducted at a Level-I trauma centre to assess the outcome of concomitant femoral neck and shaft fractures managed with various implants and attempt to provide solutions to the aforementioned queries. The time between injury and definitive surgery, choice of implant, sequence of fixation, time to fracture union, and complications were documented and analyzed. Results: A total of 46 patients were included in the study wherein associated neck fracture was identified preoperatively in 93.5% of patients. In patients with isolated limb fractures, the mean time to surgery was 16.7 ± 5 h whereas patients with polytrauma witnessed an average delay of 4.6 days before fracture fixation. 72% of patients were managed by dual implants and in the remaining both the fractures were addressed using a single implant with no union time difference amongst implants. The mean time to the union for neck fracture was 21.7 weeks and 24.2 weeks for shaft femur fracture. 21.7% patients developed delayed union of fracture shaft femur and infection complicated 11% shaft fractures. Conclusion: Although, 6% neck fractures were missed in the series, we advocate that careful pre/intra/post-operative fluoroscopic evaluation of the femoral neck along with a low threshold for a pre-operative CT scan remains the optimal diagnostic modality while avoiding universal employment of computed tomography (CT). With fracture union being unaffected by implant choice, authors suggest that anatomical fixation of the femoral neck is of paramount importance followed by restoration of the length, alignment and rotation of the femoral shaft, and the implant selection primarily depends on surgeon's experience and the pattern of injury. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: We investigated the association of body mass index (BMI) modeled as a continuous variable with survival outcomes in advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients treated with immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI). Methods: We performed a single-institution retrospective analysis of consecutively diagnosed locally advanced or metastatic NSCLC patients treated with single-agent ICI in the first line or recurrent setting. The primary outcome was overall survival (OS). Secondary outcomes were progression-free survival (PFS) and objective response rate (ORR). BMI was modeled using a four-knot restricted cubic spline. Multiple Cox regression was used for survival analysis. Results: Two hundred patients were included (female 54%; never smoker 12%). Adenocarcinoma was the most common histology (61%). Median age was 67 years, median BMI was 25.9 kg/m2, and 65% of patients had Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status (ECOG PS) of 0–1. On multivariable analysis, only BMI and ECOG PS were independently associated with OS (p < 0.01). Mortality risk decreased as the BMI increased from 20 to 30 kg/m2 (HR 0.49, 95% CI 0.28–0.84); however, it was reversed as the BMI surpassed ~ 30 kg/m2. Compared to ECOG PS ≥ 2, patients with ECOG PS of 0–1 had a longer OS (HR 0.42, 95% CI 0.28–0.63). Similar trends were observed with PFS and ORR, but the strength of the association was weaker. Conclusion: We observed a nonlinear association between BMI and OS following treatment with ICI in advanced NSCLC. Risk of death increases at both extremes of BMI with a nadir that exists around 30 kg/m2. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: In protein sequences—as there are 61 sense codons but only 20 standard amino acids—most amino acids are encoded by more than one codon. Although such synonymous codons do not alter the encoded amino acid sequence, their selection can dramatically affect the expression of the resulting protein. Codon optimization of synthetic DNA sequences is important for heterologous expression. However, existing solutions are primarily based on choosing high-frequency codons only, neglecting the important effects of rare codons. In this paper, we propose a novel recurrent-neural-network based codon optimization tool, ICOR, that aims to learn codon usage bias on a genomic dataset of Escherichia coli. We compile a dataset of over 7,000 non-redundant, high-expression, robust genes which are used for deep learning. The model uses a bidirectional long short-term memory-based architecture, allowing for the sequential context of codon usage in genes to be learned. Our tool can predict synonymous codons for synthetic genes toward optimal expression in Escherichia coli. Results: We demonstrate that sequential context achieved via RNN may yield codon selection that is more similar to the host genome. Based on computational metrics that predict protein expression, ICOR theoretically optimizes protein expression more than frequency-based approaches. ICOR is evaluated on 1,481 Escherichia coli genes as well as a benchmark set of 40 select DNA sequences whose heterologous expression has been previously characterized. ICOR's performance is measured across five metrics: the Codon Adaptation Index, GC-content, negative repeat elements, negative cis-regulatory elements, and codon frequency distribution. Conclusions: The results, based on in silico metrics, indicate that ICOR codon optimization is theoretically more effective in enhancing recombinant expression of proteins over other established codon optimization techniques. Our tool is provided as an open-source software package that includes the benchmark set of sequences used in this study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We construct superconformal invariants in superspace which are used to build 3-point correlators of spinning operators in general N = 2 superconformal field theories in three dimensions. Our systematic analysis includes various relations between these invariants and provides a minimal set of parity-even and parity-odd invariants which is further used to construct general 3-point functions in any 3d N = 2 SCFT. For conserved (super)currents, we explicitly compute various 3-point functions using Wick contractions in the free field case, and express them in terms of the constructed parity-even invariants. We give evidence through examples for the claim that the 3-point function of conserved currents generally comprises of two parts – a parity-even piece coming from the free theory, and a parity-odd piece. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In an integrated steel plant, the pulverized coal injection (PCI) mill plays an important role in providing pulverized coal to the blast furnace. The main purpose of using PCI coal is to reduce the hot metal production cost through the utilization of non-coking coal and to extend the available coke oven life. Any unplanned outage of the PCI mill leads to increase in production cost. The three stationary grinding rollers are arranged equidistantly on the grinding plate. Each grinding roller is fixed to the pressure frame by means of a pressure yoke. Each grinding roller is borne by two roller bearings on the axle of the pressure yoke. The bearings are oil lubricated, and oil level cannot be checked in running condition due to design constraints. The bearing of new grinding roller assembly damaged within 1 service month. Bearing mode of failure was seizure, and it happened due to lack of oil. Therefore, root cause failure analysis has been carried out, and incorrect assembly was the responsible of this failure. Detailed investigation report is covered in this paper. The same type of failure can be avoided by implementing the recommendations which has been addressed in this paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lead-free multiferroic ceramics with the composition of 0.7Bi 1- x Pr x Fe 0.96 Mn 0.04 O 3 -0.3BaTiO 3 (BPFM-BT) were successfully fabricated by the traditional solid-state reaction method. In this work, an appropriate amount of Pr has been introduced in the Bi3+ site of the ceramic, which has resulted in a significant enhancement in ferroelectric (P r = 12.18 μC/cm2), piezoelectric properties (d 33 = 116 pC/N), along with narrow bandgap (<1.87 eV), and improved photostriction performance (6.43 × 10−12 m3W−1). In the present work, by optimizing the thickness of the sample perpendicular to the incident light, both the photo-induced strain and the light response speed are improved, while an applied external magnetic field has been found to reduce the photostrictive performance of the multiferroic ceramics. The significant redshift of the Raman mode related to the distortion of the internal BO 6 octahedron under various laser power indicates the expansion of the crystal lattice. The obtained results show that multiferroic BPFM-BT ceramics have great potential in the multifunctionality application of wireless photosensitive sensors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Fragility hip fractures in nonagenarian patients pose a great challenge in management. To the best of our knowledge, no study has previously evaluated the outcomes and risk factors for mortality after hip fractures in this subgroup of population from the Indian subcontinent. Materials and Methods: A retrospective observational study was performed on nonagenarian patients(aged ≥90) who underwent surgery for hip fractures between March 2016 and March 2019. The patients were divided into two groups: “survivor group” (Group A) and “mortality group” (Group B). The demographic data, type of fracture, side of fractured limb, preinjury ambulatory status, American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) status, comorbidities, time interval from injury to surgery, operative time, length of hospital stay, and postoperative ambulatory status were recorded from hospital medical records and were studied between the two groups. The follow-up duration of the study was 1 year. Results: Thirty-four patients were included in the study. Both the groups had 17 patients each. Cardiac dysfunction was the most common cause of mortality. The time interval from injury to surgery (odds ratio [OR] = 11.2), gender (OR = 0.23) and postoperative mobility status (OR = 0.07) were found to be significantly different between the two groups. No significant difference in ASA grade, comorbidities, fracture type, preinjury ambulatory status, operative time, and length of hospital stay was seen between the two groups. Conclusions: Risk factors for mortality after hip fracture surgery in the nonagenarian population are male gender, delay in surgery (>3 days) and poor ambulatory status in the postoperative period. Hence, the aim for such patients with hip fractures should be to perform an early surgery and encourage an early ambulation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Multifunctional materials with high magnetic, electrical, and magnetoelectric (ME) characteristics play an important role in development of data storage devices. Herein, multi-phase ($0.95- x$)Ba0.9Ca0.1TiO3 (BCT)-0.05Na0.5Bi0.5TiO3 (NBT)- $x$ CoFe2O4 (CFO) ceramics were prepared by a two-stage mechanochemical activation technique. The objective of this study is to develop a multifunctional material with improved multiferroic characteristics. The structural analysis by the Rietveld method shows the presence of heterogeneous structure without any impurity phase. The incorporation of CFO in 0.95BCT-0.05NBT has resulted in significant improvement in magnetic and ME characteristics without significantly hampering the electrical properties. The sample with $x =0.11$ has shown high saturation magnetization of 8.26 emu/g along with moderately high ME coefficient of 5.411 mV/cm $\cdot $ Oe. In addition, the energy storage performance of all the studied samples has also been investigated and the optimized sample $x =0.11$ presents a large discharge energy density of 2.249 J/cm3 and moderately high energy efficiency of 63.8% at 388 kV/cm. The results obtained in this work suggest a significant influence of CFO substitution on the magnetic characteristics of BCT-NBT ceramics, which subsequently indicate their potential applications in spintronics, magnetic memory storage, and electrical energy storage devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Multi-layer ceramic capacitors with high recoverable energy storage density and large energy efficiency play a crucial in modern electronic devices. Various ferroelectric ceramic materials with relaxor characteristics and large dielectric constant are the most favorable candidates for achieving superior energy storage performance. Herein, a novel lead-free (1−x)Ba0.80Ca0.20TiO3-x (Bi0.80Mg0.20)(Ti0.65Mg0.30)O3 (BCT-BMT) ceramic materials were prepared by two-stage mechano-chemical activation technique. BMT substitution in Ca modified BaTiO3 has resulted in substantial improvement in microstructural characteristics and subsequently an improvement in energy storage performance in comparison to pure BCT. The introduction of BMT in BCT has resulted in transformation into relaxor ceramics, which is vital for obtaining high recoverable energy storage density and large energy efficiency. In the present investigation, the composition with 0.65BCT-0.35BMT shows a typical relaxor characteristic, large breakdown strength, and a substantially large dielectric constant. As a result of improvement in electrical properties, the composition 0.65BCT-0.35BMT possesses an ultra-high recoverable energy density of 3.09 J cm−3 along with a moderately high energy efficiency of ∼80.15%. The obtained results indicate the effectiveness of BMT substitution on the energy storage properties and excellent compatibility between BCT and BMT phases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This work investigates the suppressed distortion and improved analog/linearity performance metrics of gate all around (GAA) Gallium Nitride (GaN)/Al2O3 Nanowire (NW) n-channel MOSFET (GaNNW/Al2O3 MOSFET) at room temperature (300 K). The results show high switching ratio (≈ 109) with low subthreshold swing (67 mV/decade), high QF value (4.1 μS-decade/mV) of GaNNW/Al2O3-MOSFET in comparison to GaNNW/SiO2 and SiNW MOSFET for Vds = 0.4 V due to the lower permittivity of GaN and more effective mass of the electron. Furthermore, linearity and distortion performance is also examined by numerically calculating transconductance and its higher derivatives (gm2 and gm3); voltage and current intercept point (VIP2, VIP3 and IIP3); 1-dB compression point; Harmonics distortions (HD2 and HD3) and IMD3. All these parameters show high linearity and low distortion at zero crossover point (where gm3 = 0) in GaNNW/Al2O3 MOSFET. Thus, GaNNW MOSFET can be considered as a promising candidate for low power high-performance applications. In addition, effect of ambient temperature (250 K–450 K) on the performance of GaNNW/Al2O3 is studied and discussed in terms of the above mentioned metrics. It is very well exhibited that SS, Ion, Vth, and QF improved when the temperature is lowered which makes it suitable for low-temperature environments. But, linearity degrades as the temperature lowers down. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nano-sized light rare-earth (La, Pr, Nd, and Sm) doped Ba 0.90 Ca 0.10 Ti 0.90 Zr 0.10 O 3 ceramics were synthesized to enhance the energy storage performance. The Rietveld study of bare and doped samples has shown tetragonal crystal symmetry and a single-phase perovskite structure. The rare-earth addition in Ba 0.90 Ca 0.10 Ti 0.90 Zr 0.10 O 3 has resulted in a remarkable change in the microstructure of the doped samples. The addition of Nd in Ba 0.90 Ca 0.10 Ti 0.90 Zr 0.10 O 3 lattice has resulted in optimum grain size and density among the five compositions. As a result of improvement in morphological characteristics in the Nd-doped sample, the dielectric, ferroelectric and piezoelectric characteristics were significantly enhanced. The Nd-doped sample has shown a relaxor behavior with a maximum dielectric constant of 10788 combined with a high saturation polarization of 41.88 μC/cm2. Further, the material has shown optimum electromechanical behavior with excellent aging characteristics. The obtained properties of Nd-doped Ba 0.90 Ca 0.10 Ti 0.90 Zr 0.10 O 3 sample justifies its potential application in multi-layer energy storage capacitors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• This paper assesses whether, and how, managing the work environment and promotion of sustainable work is represented in CSR/ESG/sustainability reports of large companies. • CSR/ESG/sustainability reports of 100 large companies were used to analyse practice across six areas: corporate governance; business and human rights; diversity, equity, and inclusion; industrial relations; occupational health, safety and wellbeing; and human resource practices. • Overall, reporting of themes was high, but not all subthemes were equally considered, suggesting that the relevance of specific themes was less readily accepted. • The findings highlight the need for mandatory reporting guidelines and the importance of taking a holistic/integrated view of managing the work environment and move towards a sustainable work approach. • Our findings show that, when underpinned by strong policy frameworks, a responsibility driven approach can be used to improve the management of the work environment and promote sustainable work. As understanding and recognition grows regarding the importance of improving employment and working conditions to advance individual, organizational, and national objectives, several policy approaches have been developed in an attempt to drive further engagement by organizations in this area. One such approach has been a responsibility driven agenda spearheaded by business sustainability, corporate social responsibility (CSR) or environmental, social and governance (ESG) initiatives, including a multitude of standards and instruments that have been developed in recent years. However, there is still limited understanding of the level of engagement by organizations in managing the work environment and promotion of sustainable work through CSR/ESG/sustainability initiatives. This study looked to address this gap by analysing 100 Forbes Global 2000 CSR/ESG/sustainability reports across world regions and occupational sectors. The goal was to assess whether, and how, enterprises operationalized the link between managing the work environment and responsible business practices, and how this understanding varied across different dimensions. Findings suggest a broad understanding in this area with many organizations reporting on initiatives linked to overarching themes. However, differences exist in the level of engagement regarding different aspects of the work environment, as well as across world regions and sectors. These findings support the continuing development of the responsibility driven approach to managing the work environment and promotion of sustainable work alongside other existing policy initiatives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: We aimed to determine the role of receptor tyrosine kinases (RTK) signaling family genes in the development of oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC). Method: In the present in silico study, 40 whole genome sequences of patients with OSCC from the cBioPortal was analysed to identify the mutations in the genes of the RTK signaling pathway. Using the STRING v10.5, we further checked the gene with the highest frequency of mutations for its protein interactions. The obtained protein interaction network was used to identify the possible pathways related to disease phenotype. Results: Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) gene showed the highest frequency of mutation (5%) among the 16 genes clustered in the RTK signaling pathway as available in the cBioportal database. Missense mutations viz., G203E, R521K were identified in the EGFR gene. The other genes which returned positive results during analysis were ERBB4 (D245N, L993S), PDGFB (R100H), and PDGFRB (L667M). Conclusion: The in silico method of analysis can be a contemporary approach for identifying possible mutations or pathways associated with the development of OSCC. Further high throughput strategies should be applied to substantiate the role of the genes identified in the present study and draw conclusive evidence as to their association with the disease phenotype. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Novel lead-free (1- x)Ba 0·9 Ca 0·1 Ti 0·9 Zr 0·1 O 3 - x SrNb 2 O 6 ceramics were synthesized via a two-step high energy ball milling process. The evolution of microstructural properties, phase transformation, and energy storage characteristics was comprehensively investigated to assess the applicability of material in multi-layered ceramic capacitors. The substitution of SrNb 2 O 6 (SNO) in Ba 0·9 Ca 0·1 Ti 0·9 Zr 0·1 O 3 (BTCZ) has resulted in substantial improvement in materials density along with a small increase in the grain size of the synthesized ceramic. A thorough microstructural investigation indicates an excellent dispersibility and compatibility between BTCZ and SNO phases. With an increase in SNO substitution, a transition from typical ferroelectric to relaxor ferroelectric has been observed, which has led to a significantly slimmer ferroelectric loop along with frequency dispersive dielectric properties. The optimized composition (i.e., x = 0.10) exhibits an ultra-high recoverable energy density of 2.68 J/cm3 along with a moderately high energy efficiency of 83.4%. Further, SNO substituted samples have also shown an enhancement in breakdown strength. The improvement in energy storage performance and breakdown strength of SNO substituted BTCZ composites are mainly attributed to relatively homogeneous grain morphology, optimum grain size, microstructural density, and improved grain boundary interface. Image 1 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Novel lead‐free diphasic (1‐x)Ba0.9Sr0.1Ti0.9Hf0.1O3‐xNa0.5Bi0.5TiO3 (BSTH‐NBT) ceramic nanocomposites were synthesized via an economically viable modified mechano‐chemical activation technique. In the present investigation, we have developed an energy storage composite material by systematically optimizing the charge transport behavior and charge storage characteristics between the ferroelectric BSTH and piezoelectric NBT phase. The composite with x = 0.09 NBT concentration has shown the best energy storage properties with 1.61 J/cm3 discharge energy density along with 80.1% energy efficiency. The BSTH and NBT had a synergetic effect on the ferroelectric properties of the composites. The improvement in ferroelectric and piezoelectric properties along with excellent aging characteristics in composite materials is mainly attributed to enhancement in microstructural density, grain boundary interface, and stress effects. The improved dispersibility and excellent compatibility between BSTH and NBT phase have resulted in approximately 20% enhancement in breakdown strength of composite compared to pure BSTH ceramic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The microstructural and ferroelectric properties of high dielectric constant Ba 0·9 Ca 0·1 TiO 3 (BCT) have been tailored by substituting various volume fractions of NaNb 0·85 Ta 0·15 O 3 (NNT). Morphological, ferroelectric, dielectric, breakdown strength, and electromechanical properties of composites were systematically investigated. This work proposes a facile and commercially viable technique for the synthesis of (1- x)BCT- x NNT composites with moderately high dielectric properties and high breakdown strength. The results indicate that the substitution of NNT in BCT can significantly improve the density of ceramics along with transformation from conventional ferroelectric to relaxor, which has led to a significant enhancement in the energy storage performance of the composites. The sample with x = 0.15 NNT concentration has shown the best microstructural density, highest energy density (2.53 J/cm3) along with high energy efficiency (86.6%). Well defined polarization loop combined with a stable capacitive response with extension up to high temperature in composites ensures their promising application in energy storage capacitors. Image 1 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High-entropy dielectric capacitors have recently drawn increasing attention in the field of energy storage. In this study, NiO has been incorporated into [(Na 0.7 Bi 0.1) 0.8 Sm 0.02 Ca 0.02 Sr 0.02 Ba 0.02 ]Nb 0.8 Sb 0.1 Ta 0.1 O 3 -based ceramics. We applied the concept of high-entropy design to introduce cation vacancies at the A-site, enhancing conformational entropy. This approach led to the successful preparation of a novel type of energy-storage ceramics with an ABO 3 perovskite structure, denoted as (1- x)NBSCSBNST- x NiO (x = 0, 0.02, 0.04, & 0.06). We conducted a systematic study of the microstructural, dielectric, and ferroelectric characteristics, along with an exploration of the influence of the high-entropy strategy on their performance. The Δ S config increases with NiO doping, and the E b of the NBSCSBNST-0.02Ni sample exhibits a significant increase to 730 kV/cm from 550 kV/cm of NBSCSBNSTN. This enhancement is accompanied by a recoverable energy density (W rec) of 4.43 J/cm3 and an efficiency (η) of 75.9 %. As the content of NiO increases from x = 0 to x = 0.06, the phase transition diffusion behavior strengthens. Additionally, the permittivity (ε r) spectrum becomes more uniform, and the activation energy of the prepared ceramic samples increases from 1.03 eV to 1.76 eV. This effect suppresses the emergence of localized electric branching, eventually improving the breakdown strength of NBSCSBNST- x Ni ceramic materials. The obtained results indicate that the concept of high-entropy design to introduce cation vacancies at the A-site is an efficient approach to improve the energy storage characteristics of lead-free dielectric capacitors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

CuO doped Ba 0.8 Sr 0.1 Ca 0.1 Ti 0.95 Zr 0.05 O 3 (BSCTZ) ceramics were prepared by a modified mechano-chemical activation technique with the aim of improving energy storage properties for ceramic capacitor applications. CuO can effectively improve the microstructural characteristics along with a transformation of BSCTZ from classical ferroelectric to relaxor, which is the prime requirement for obtaining high discharge energy density and energy efficiency. The effect of CuO doping on the microstructural, ferroelectric, dielectric, and piezoelectric properties have been systematically studied. The study reveals that an appropriate amount of CuO doping can significantly enhance the morphological properties along with improvement in material density, which is very beneficial in a material for attaining improved energy storage performance. The BSCTZ sample with 3 mol% CuO doping has shown a highly dense microstructure, high saturation polarization (33.01 μC/cm2), low remnant polarization (6.74 μC/cm2), ultrahigh discharge energy density (1.81 J/cm3) and high energy efficiency (81.9%). The CuO doping in BSCTZ has also led to a slight improvement in breakdown strength and electromechanical properties compared to pure BSCTZ ceramics, which is mainly attributed to excellent density and optimum grain size of the material. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Impacted teeth are defined as teeth that remain completely or incompletely embedded within the jawbone or mucosa for 2 years or more following physiological eruption time.Although there are wide variations in impacted teeth among individuals. The aim of this research is to study the prevalence of a single or multiple anterior teeth impactions in a population reporting to Saveetha Dental College, Chennai in a period of 10 months from June 2019 March 2020. The data of 86000 patients was reviewed and patients with single or multiple anterior teeth impactions were selected for the study. It included parameters - age, gender, and impacted teeth number. Chi-square test was used to detect the significance between age, gender and impacted tooth number. P value less than 0.05 was considered statistically significant. In this study we observed that the prevalence of maxillary canine impaction was the highest among different age groups as well as gender. Within the limits of this study, maxillary canine has the highest prevalence among anterior teeth impactions followed by mandibular canine. Anterior teeth impactions were found to be more common in females when compared to males. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Diabetes Mellitus has become a global epidemic and presents many complications. Oral lesions related to DM described are: dry mouth, tooth decay, periodontal disease and gingivitis, oral candidiasis, burning mouth syndrome (BMS), taste disorders, rhinocerebral zygomycosis (mucormycosis) and various other lesions. It is a retrospective study, to study the oral lesions associated with diabetes mellitus in patients who visited Saveetha Dental College and hospitals in between June 2019 to March 2020. The data of 86000 patients was reviewed and patients with diabetes mellitus and having single or multiple oral lesions were selected for this study. Chisquare test was used to detect the significance between age, gender, diabetes and oral lesions. Prevalence of diabetes was high in males (68.2%) and in individuals more than 65 years of age (49.2%) . Among both males and females dental caries and pulpitis was found to be the most common oral lesion ( 44.3% and 16.7% respectively ) oral complications in patients with DM are considered major complications of the disease and can influence the patient's quality of life. There is evidence that chronic and persistent oral complications such as dental caries, periodontitis, gingivitis, candidiasis in these patients adversely affect blood glucose control. Thus, prevention and management of oral complications due to diabetes are considerable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The magnetic, ferroelectric, and photocatalytic properties of (1- x)BiFeO 3 - x BaTiO 3 (0.0 ≤ x ≤ 0.4) powders synthesized by sol-gel method have been investigated. X-ray diffractometry confirms that the phase of the samples changed from rhombohedral to cubic with the increase in BaTiO 3 content. The grain size decreases and the particle shape becomes homogeneous with the introduction of BaTiO 3. BaTiO 3 substitution enhances the multiferroic properties of the ceramics and the maximum remnant magnetization (0.261 emu/g) and remnant polarization (20 μC/cm2) have acquired in 0.8BiFeO 3 -0.2BaTiO 3 and 0.7BiFeO 3 -0.3BaTiO 3 , respectively. The absorbance in ultraviolet and visible light regions is improved obviously for powder with x = 0.3. The energy band gap of the samples decreases from 2.06 eV to 1.57 eV with the introduction of BaTiO 3 , indicating that the excitation rate of photogenerated electron-hole pairs is improved. The highest methylene blue degradation efficiency of ~62% within 3 h under the visible light is achieved in the 0.7BiFeO 3 -0.3BaTiO 3 which can be attributed to its suitable energy band gap and large remnant polarization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Novel lead-free (1−x)Ba0.90Sr0.10Ti0.90Zr0.10O3–(x)BiYb0.9Sc0.1O3 (0 ≤ x ≤ 0.10) relaxor ceramic solid solutions were prepared by modified mechano-chemical activation technique with the aim of improving the energy storage properties. The Rietveld analysis of the materials indicated that all the samples show a tetragonal crystal structure with a perovskite phase. The grain morphology and density of the materials have significantly improved with BiYb0.9Sc0.1O3 (BYS) substitution. The dielectric study indicates a gradual transformation from classical to relaxor dielectric with increasing BYS substitution. The ferroelectric to paraelectric transition temperature increases with increasing BYS concentration and has shown a rise of approximately 24 °C for the sample with x = 0.10 compared to the bare sample (x = 0.0). Further, the ferroelectric hysteresis loops have become significantly slimmer with a slight increase in saturation polarization, which indicates an improvement in energy storage performance of the material with BYS substitution. The optimum energy storage properties have been obtained at x = 0.06, and the sample showed a high recoverable energy density of 1.24 J cm−3 under the applied electric field of ±100 kV cm−1. The electric field-induced bipolar strain is improved by 12% for the sample with concentration x = 0.06 compared to the bare sample. This study provides a basis for preparing BaTiO3 based high performance ferroelectric ceramics with their potential application in pulse capacitors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Single-phase BST-BCT ceramic doped with different rare-earth materials (La, Gd, Dy, and Yb) have been prepared using a modified mechano-chemical activation technique. The modified BaTiO 3 doped with different rare-earths elements have manifested improved characteristics and desirable application in the field of high-power pulse capacitors. In this work, a comparative study has been performed to analyze the effect of different rare-earths on the dielectric, ferroelectric, piezoelectric and electrical breakdown strength of already optimized Sr and Ca co-doped BaTiO 3 ceramic. As predicted from finite element simulation, the doping of rare-earth may lead to a change in microstructure and surface characteristics of Sr and Ca co-doped BaTiO 3 ceramic and therefore, an enhancement in electrical characteristics of the material. The addition of various rare-earths with the same cationic charge but different ionic radii has resulted in a significant change in morphology of BST-BST ceramic. The XRD results indicate that all the samples retain the parent perovskite tetragonal crystal symmetry, and there is no substantial change in the crystal structure compared to the base material. The addition of rare-earths has resulted in a decrease in transition temperature and significant changes in the electrical properties of modified BaTiO 3 ceramic. Lanthanum and Gadolinium doping have resulted in an overall improvement in electrical characteristics; however, Dysprosium and Ytterbium doping deteriorated the same characteristics, which is mainly attributed to a significant change in the microstructure of the materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report the successful synthesis of Ba 0.83 Ca 0.10 Sr 0.07 TiO 3 –MnFe 2 O 4 multiferroic composites showing significant improvement in electromechanical and magnetoelectric properties. All the composite samples have formed a diphasic perovskite-ferrite composite without the presence of any impurity or intermediate phase. The bare as well as composite samples have shown classical dielectric behavior even at higher ferrite substituted samples. The electrical characteristics of composite samples have shown slight deterioration, which is mainly attributed to non-ferroelectric MnFe 2 O 4. However, the composites still exhibit high enough piezoelectric behavior and the modification in the electromechanical response of composites is mainly caused by a change in applied stress with MnFe 2 O 4 addition. The M - H loops of composites have demonstrated a ferrimagnetic behavior with a substantial increase in saturation magnetization on increasing the ferrite concentration. Further, the composites have shown better coupling between the ferroelectric and ferrimagnetic phases, which has resulted in an improved magnetoelectric characteristic. The role of oxygen vacancies on ferroelectric and magnetic properties of prepared composites has been systematically studied. • Mechano-chemical activation technique were used to prepare of ferroelectric/ferrite based magnetoelectric composites. • The composites have shown a diphasic nature and consist of a combination of tetragonal and cubic phase. • A significant enhancement in ferrimagnetism and ME response coupled with better electrical properties have been observed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The polycrystalline 0.75BiFeO 3 −0.25BaTiO 3 , 0.75Bi 0.95 Ca 0.05 FeO 3 −0.25BaTiO 3 and 0.75BiFeO 3 −0.25Ba 0.95 Ca 0.05 TiO 3 ceramics are successfully prepared by solid state reaction method. The latter two substituted ceramics are corresponding to aliovalent (acceptor-type substitution) and isovalent substitution mechanism, respectively. The state of chemical homogeneity is closely related to the substitution mechanism in this solid solution system. The SEM morphologies of these latter two doped well-polished and etched ceramics indicate that the grains in the 0.75BiFeO 3 −0.25Ba 0.95 Ca 0.05 TiO 3 ceramics get uniformly etched compared to the 0.75Bi 0.95 Ca 0.05 FeO 3 −0.25BaTiO 3 ceramics due to the presence of chemical homogeneity. It has been observed that the aliovalent substitution results in chemical heterogeneity, which has a significant effect on the ferroelectric and ferromagnetic properties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: A key setback of root canal treatment (RCT) is that most patients lack adequate knowledge about it. Understanding and identifying the factors that hinder or discourage patients from undergoing RCT is necessary to adequately address the issue. The review of literature shows that there is a paucity of data about the awareness and acceptance of RCT among patients in Indian population. Thus, the study was conducted with aim to assess patients' awareness of RCT among patients reporting in Desh Bhagat Dental College and Hospital, Mandi Gobindgarh. By surveying the patients, a broad patient perspective on the issue was sought. Materials and Methods: This survey was conducted with the help of prestructured questionnaire consisting of 15 questions, distributed to random 450 patients coming to the outpatient department of Conservative dentistry and Endodontics in Desh Bhagat Dental College and Hospital. The completed questionnaires were then analyzed to assess patients' experiences, concerns, and perceptions about RCT. Results: There is a lack of awareness among patients regarding RCT. Conclusion: It is important to create more awareness among the populace of our country about the significance of maintaining a healthy dentition and attendant sequel if not done so. More patients would consider having endodontic procedures if properly made aware of. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dental caries is the most prevailing disease not only affecting permanent dentition, but also involving deciduous dentition. Deciduous teeth are considered a best space maintainer and preserve arch integrity for eruption of succedaneous permanent teeth. The aim of the study was to assess the knowledge, attitude, and practice regarding standardized treatment protocol for pulp therapy in deciduous dentition among general dental practitioners. A questionnaire of 12 questions was prepared and was distributed among a convenience sample of 100 dental practitioners via an online survey platform. The data was collected and analysed. A difference was observed in knowledge regarding standardised treatment protocol for pulp therapy in deciduous dentition among both the groups, which is based on the qualification and on the year of clinical experience. The results of this study demonstrated a satisfactory level of knowledge and attitude of GDPs regarding standardised treatment protocol for pulp therapy in deciduous dentition. Further knowledge could improve the attitude and practice of GDPs regarding endodontic treatment in deciduous teeth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The dynamic range of a radio-over-fiber (RoF) link is fundamentally limited by the linearity of electro-optic modulators. Silicon photonic (SiP) processes offer significant potential for integration, but the plasma dispersion effect impacts the realizable spur-free dynamic range (SFDR). This article analyzes the underlying source of nonlinearity in SiP Mach–Zehnder modulator (MZM) and demonstrates fundamental limitations on intermodulation distortion. A SiGe low-noise distributed driver is co-designed for the SiP MZM to linearize and extend the bandwidth over which the SFDR remains high. The RoF transmitter achieves 1–20 GHz bandwidth and an SFDR of 109 dB $\cdot $ Hz2/3 at 11 GHz. To the best of our knowledge, this is the highest SFDR demonstrated for a SiP technology without incorporating predistortion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A series of (1- x)BaFe 12 O 19 - x BiFeO 3 (x = 0.0, 0.25, 0.50, 0.75 and 1.0) multiferroic ceramic composites have been synthesized using standard mechano-chemical activation technique. Room temperature magnetic hysteresis loop measurement indicates that the ferrimagnetic loop of the composites is strongly influenced by BaFe 12 O 19 phase and therefore, a highly saturated magnetic characteristic has been observed in composites as compared to pure BiFeO 3. Composites show a significant enhancement in ferroelectric properties, which may be attributed to the decrease in leakage current caused by the BiFeO 3 addition. The variations of magnetic and magnetoelectric characteristics were analyzed with the help of various conduction mechanism occurring in these materials. An improved magnetoelectric coupling coefficient of up to 11.9 mV/(Oe·cm) was obtained for the sample with x = 0.50, which is nearly 1.5 times higher than the pure BiFeO 3 ceramic. These results demonstrate that the substitution of BiFeO 3 in an appropriate proportion can be a feasible way to improve the multiferroic properties of BaFe 12 O 19. • BaFe 12 O 19 /BiFeO 3 composites were synthesized using the mechano-chemical activation technique. • Rietveld analysis confirms the formation of diphasic multiferroic composites. • Composites have shown enhanced electrical properties compared to pristine BaFe 12 O 19. • 0.5BaFe 12 O 19 -0.5BiFeO 3 shows optimum magnetoelectric properties, which may be attributed to the presence of optimum heterogeneity in the material. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Antibiotic resistance is one of our most serious global health threats. The adverse effects of overusing and misusing antibiotics are highly publicized in the health professional literature. Antibiotic abuse occurs during routine endodontic treatment and there are deficiencies in knowledge regarding prescribing antibiotic and appropriate prophylactic antibiotic use. Multidisciplinary coordination and cooperation among dentists, pharmacists, and patients is needed to curb antibiotic abuse. As endodontists, we can become part of the solution to the antibiotic resistance crisis and deal with it conclusively. This review article discusses antibiotic resistance resulting from antibiotic abuse during endodontic treatment, various factors contributing to it, and measures required for stopping antibiotic abuse in endodontic treatment. A web-based research on MedLine was performed with terms Review Articles published in the last 10 year's dental journals in English for literature researching, extracting, and synthesizing data. Relevant articles were shortlisted. Important cross-reference articles were also reviewed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is important to enhance the efficiency of perovskite solar cells (PSCs) to improve the energy storage performance within a time frame. In this study, a lead‐free perovskite Cs2NaGaBr6 n‐i‐p solar cell is presented for higher PCE to improve energy storage performance. Keeping the toxicity of lead‐based perovskite in mind we have made attempts to study the characteristics of n‐i‐p solar cells based on lead‐free double halide perovskite Cs2NaGaBr6 novel material. In the proposed photovoltaic framework, M21+N2+N3+X61− as a double perovskite material is used, where N2+ = Na, M21+ = Cs, N3+ = Ga, and X61− = Br. The Cs2NaGaBr6 is an organic‐inorganic perovskite material because of its direct band gap structure with a band gap of 1.762 eV. The solar cell proposed in the present framework has achieved a higher efficiency of 26.09% with optimized parameters specific to device design in terms of different absorber layer thicknesses (0.6–1.2 μm), and absorber layer doping concentrations (1 × 1018 cm−3 to 1 × 1022 cm−3). In the present study, improved results are obtained such as electric field, current density, energy band profile, generation and recombination factor, quantum efficiency, and generation/ recombination factor by suitably varying the absorber layer thicknesses and absorber layer doping concentrations. Additionally, many parameters related to the photovoltaic performance of solar cells such as Jsc (19.535 mA/cm2), Voc (1.775 V), FF (91.35%), and PCE (η) (27.81%) have been evaluated in the present study. Therefore, the device, that is, solar cell based on lead‐free double halide perovskite Cs2NaGaBr6 novel material, proposed in the present study may be used to manufacture much more efficient lead‐free perovskites for photovoltaic applications and also improve the energy storage performance within a time frame. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: The aim of the study is to assess awareness about sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) among students. Introduction: STDs are the diseases which are mainly transmitted through sexual intercourse. In the current situation, younger individuals in the age group of around 20 years are considered to be at more risk for carrying STDs. If it is not treated properly, it can lead to various complications. Most of the people may be aware of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)/acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) due to enormous awareness program conducted by NGOs, media, and government programs; however, knowledge about STDs other than HIV/AIDS is low in the developing countries. Materials and Methods: The survey was conducted in Saveetha Dental College and Hospital, Chennai, using a questionnaire. The data were collected and analyzed. Results: According to the survey, most of the students were aware of STDs, its causes and implications, modes of transmission, and diagnostic tests. Conclusion: The present study, thus, concluded that through this questionnaire, the younger individuals would be benefited by getting knowledge about STD. Besides creating awareness about STD through media, questionnaire-based awareness might reach easily and effectively. This kind of questionnaire-based survey must be educated, encourage, and circulate among schools, colleges, and general populations for better understanding about the STDs periodically for creating a healthy nation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: The mandibular fossa is the depression in the temporal bone that articulates with the head of the mandible. In the temporal bone, the mandibular fossa is bounded anteriorly by the articular tubercle and posteriorly by the tympanic portion of the temporal bone, which separates it from external acoustic meatus. Mandibular fossa performs an important role in the act of mastication. As a part of the temporomandibular joint (TMJ), together with the articular tubercle and mandibular condyle, they become responsible for opening (depression of the mandible) and closing (elevation of the mandible) the mouth, as well as for moving it forward (protraction), backward (retraction), and side to side. Hence, the aim of the research is to study about the morphology and morphometry of mandibular fossa. Materials and Methods: Dry human skulls were obtained from the Department of Anatomy, Saveetha Dental College and Hospitals, Chennai. The mandibular fossa was measured by taking its length, breadth, and height using digital Vernier calipers in millimeters. Results: Length, breadth, and height of mandibular fossa of 40 skulls were measured, and their mean values were taken as follows: (a) Average height (mm) - 6.8, (b) average breadth (mm) - 15.0, and (c) average length (mm) - 20.9. Conclusion: The morphometry of mandibular fossa gives a clear orientation of the intra-articular topography. Thorough knowledge of the dimensions of the fossa is helpful in treating several temporomandibular joint-related problems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Patients with testicular seminoma may face fertility issues because of their underlying disease as well as treatments they undergo. The current patterns of practice among U.S. radiation oncologists aimed at assessing and preserving fertility in patients with Stage I seminoma are unknown. Methods: We surveyed practicing U.S. radiation oncologists via an Institutional Review Board-approved online questionnaire. Respondents' characteristics and perceived patient infertility rates were analyzed for association with treatment recommendations. Results: We received 353 responses, of whom one quarter (23%) consider themselves experts. A vast majority (84%) recommend observation as a default strategy. Fifty-two percent routinely advise fertility assessment for patients before observation or chemotherapy, and 74% routinely do so before adjuvant radiation therapy (RT). Forty-one percent and 43% believe that 10% and 30% of patients are infertile following orchiectomy, respectively. Thirty-seven percent and 22% believe infertility rates following para-aortic RT to be 30% and 50%, respectively. Eighty percent routinely use clamshell scrotal shielding. Responders with higher perceived infertility rates are more likely to recommend fertility assessment/sperm banking (Fisher's exact p < 0.0001). Responders who routinely advised fertility assessment were more likely to use clamshell shielding (Cochran–Armitage trend test p = 0.0007). Clamshell use was positively correlated with higher perceived infertility rates following para-aortic RT (Spearman's correlation coefficient = 0.006). Conclusions: Despite a clear knowledge of fertility issues in men diagnosed with seminoma, there is no universal adoption of fertility assessment among U.S. radiation oncologists. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Multiferroic composites (1 −  x )Ba 0.9 Sr 0.1 Zr 0.1 Ti 0.9 O 3 -( x )CoFe 2 O 4 ( x =  0.0, 0.05, 0.10, 0.20 & 0.30) were prepared using mechanochemical activation method. Rietveld refined XRD patterns confirm the diphasic nature of composite samples. All of the diffraction peaks of (1 −  x )BSZT-( x )CFO can be identified for the separate perovskite (BSZT) and inverse spinal (CFO) phases and no other impurity phase were observed for the composites. (1 −  x )BSZT-( x )CFO sample with x  = 0.05 have shown significant improvement in microstructural, dielectric, ferroelectric and piezoelectric properties over the pristine BSZT sample. Such an improvement in electrical properties can be attributed to larger grain size, improved density and easier ferroelectric domain wall motion inside the grain. Dielectric breakdown strength of the composites also shows a similar trend and is observed to be maximum for the sample with x  = 0.05 CFO concentration. The composite samples also show a substantial enhancement in ferromagnetic characteristics and increases progressively with increase in ferrite (CFO) content. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we present an experimental setup and an associated mathematical model to study the synchronization of two self-sustained, strongly coupled, mechanical oscillators (metronomes). The effects of a small detuning in the internal parameters, namely, damping and frequency, have been studied. Our experimental system is a pair of spring wound mechanical metronomes; coupled by placing them on a common base, free to move along a horizontal direction. We designed a photodiode array based non-contact, non-magnetic position detection system driven by a microcontroller to record the instantaneous angular displacement of each oscillator and the small linear displacement of the base, coupling the two. In our system, the mass of the oscillating pendula forms a significant fraction of the total mass of the system, leading to strong coupling of the oscillators. We modified the internal mechanism of the spring-wound "clockwork" slightly, such that the natural frequency and the internal damping could be independently tuned. Stable synchronized and antisynchronized states were observed as the difference in the parameters was varied in the experiments. The simulation results showed a rapid increase in the phase difference between the two oscillators beyond a certain threshold of parameter mismatch. Our simple model of the escapement mechanism did not reproduce a complete 180° out of phase state. However, the numerical simulations show that increased mismatch in parameters leads to a synchronized state with a large phase difference. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Psychosocial hazards have the potential to cause harm to employee health and negatively affect organisational outcomes. Work-related stress is an outcome of exposure to psychosocial risks that has received broad attention at research and policy level in the last decades. Great awareness raising efforts have been made in the European Union, including at the macro policy level, with several differences and approaches across countries. However, evaluation of policy-level interventions to address psychosocial risks is still scarce. This paper focuses on Italy as one of the cases where the policy context on psychosocial risks recently changed with the introduction of the Legislative Decree 81/2008. Using data collected through the European Survey of Enterprises of New and Emerging Risks (ESENER) immediately after (2009) and six years after (2014) the implementation of this new legislation, this paper aims to evaluate the impact of its introduction by exploring differences in the reported level of organisational action as concerns psychosocial risk management. The sample was composed of 2984 respondents corresponding to 1501 highest-ranking managers responsible for health and safety at work in 2009 and 1483 persons who know best about the way safety and health risks are managed at their workplace in 2014. Findings highlighted a decreasing reported concern from the respondents about psychosocial risks over time and an improvement in the management of work-related stress. The paper also highlights the use of large-scale surveys such as ESENER as an important tool in evaluating health and safety management trends over time in European enterprises. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effect of Ba0.7Ca0.3TiO3 ( BCT) substitution on the structural, dielectric, ferroelectric, and piezoelectric properties of mechano-chemically synthesized lead-free (1− x)Ba0.9Sr0.1TiO3-( x)Ba0.7Ca0.3TiO3 ( x=0.0, 0.10, 0.20, 0.35, and 0.50) ceramics have been investigated. XRD patterns confirms the formation of tetragonal phase with P4mm space group. The results indicate a strong influence of BCT substitution on the structural and electrical properties of Ba0.9Sr0.1TiO3 ( BST) ceramic. BST- BCT ceramic for x=0.35 have shown high dielectric constant εm~21 800, high remnant polarization Pr~10.16 μC/cm2, large piezoelectric charge constant D33~293 pC/N, large piezoelectric voltage constant g33~5.80 mV·m/N, and highest dielectric breakdown strength Ebd~224 kV/cm among the five synthesized samples. The correlation between structural, dielectric, ferroelectric, and piezoelectric properties of the BST ceramic with increasing BCT content have been systematically described on the basis of domain wall motion and grain size effect. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this experimental study, we demonstrate the feasibility of a thermally tunable, resonant dielectric microwave metasurface based on sub-wavelength Mie resonances of ferroelectric dielectric cubes (Calcium titanate, CaTiO 3 ) in which the temperature of the meta-atoms can be locally and dynamically controlled by heating with an optical laser beam over a large range of temperatures and, consequently, values of the dielectric constant of the cube and corresponding resonance frequency of the meta-atoms. This avoids any interference of otherwise necessary heating elements or power supply wires with the propagation of the microwave signal and can be made spatially addressable. The concept scales at least to the THz domain. This contactless approach opens up an alternative avenue to tunability and active control of metamaterials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Multiferroic composites with the composition (1- x )Ba 0.9 Sr 0.1 Zr 0.1 Ti 0.9 O 3 -( x )NiFe 2 O 4 ( x =0.0, 0.05, 0.10, 0.20 and 0.30) were prepared by mechano-chemical activation technique. Rietveld refined X-ray diffraction pattern shows the formation of individual perovskite (BSZT) and inverse spinel (NFO) phases for all the four composite samples. Microstructural investigation reveals that the inhomogeneity in grains increases with addition of NFO as compared to bare BSZT sample. Dielectric studies show that all the samples exhibit a well-defined ferroelectric to paraelectric transition peak. Further, the diffuseness of the samples increases as NFO content increases. Ferroelectric properties were found to be superior for (1- x )BSZT-( x )NFO sample with x =0.05 and decreases on further increase in NFO content. Dielectric breakdown strength also shows the similar trend as ferroelectricity and shows a maximum for x =0.05 ferrite (NFO) fraction. Magnetic measurement of BSZT-NFO composite samples shows a gradual increase in saturation magnetization and coercive field ( H c ) with increasing NFO content. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Employers’ civil liability for work injuries and subsequent compensation for non-economic losses represent challenges for many countries. Several countries in Latin America and Europe still do not apply non-economic damage standards, and even when they do, the task of assessing damages is often left to a judges’ discretion. Similarly, common and civil law jurisdictions have shown non-standard ways about how these losses should be assessed and understood. This paper therefore, aims to compare England and Chile in terms of employers’ civil liability and subsequent non-economic damages compensation after work-related accidents. It focuses on the current progress made by both countries in terms of non-economic loss definition and assessment. This is a qualitative study. Research data consisted on a review of case law within the last five years in both countries. Additional, contextual data was gathered by looking at published documents examining the current English context and four interviews were carried out to further understand the Chilean context. Data was analyzed using framework analysis and the Nvivo software. From a comparative perspective, findings show that England has made important progress in terms of types of employer’s liability, understanding of non-economic loss, and standards of assessment. Although several advances have been made in Chile over the last few years, a number of challenges still remain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study provides a fundamental understanding of structural, dielectric, ferroelectric and piezoelectric properties of bare and ZnO-doped BaZr 0.1 Ti 0.9 O 3 (BZT) solid solutions synthesized using mechanochemical activation technique. Structural investigation has been carried out using XRD patterns of the synthesized compositions by Rietveld refinement method. It confirms the formation of tetragonal phase with P4mm space group for ZnO doping up to 2.5 wt%, while in 5.0 wt% ZnO-doped sample, BZT and ZnO are distributed as individual phases of tetragonal ( P4mm ) and hexagonal ( P6 3 mc ), respectively. Microstructural analysis shows that average grain size increases quite rapidly with the increase of ZnO content. Detailed analysis of dielectric constant as a function of temperature for the prepared samples shows that the frequency independent dielectric constant maximum shifts to lower temperature with increase in ZnO doping. The ferroelectric ordering is confirmed using P-E loop measurements. The piezoelectric constant of the synthesized specimens were found to decrease with increasing ZnO content. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we present an experimental setup and an associated mathematical model to study the synchronization of two self-sustained, strongly coupled, mechanical oscillators (metronomes). The effects of a small detuning in the internal parameters, namely, damping and frequency, have been studied. Our experimental system is a pair of spring wound mechanical metronomes; coupled by placing them on a common base, free to move along a horizontal direction. We designed a photodiode array based non-contact, non-magnetic position detection system driven by a microcontroller to record the instantaneous angular displacement of each oscillator and the small linear displacement of the base, coupling the two. In our system, the mass of the oscillating pendula forms a significant fraction of the total mass of the system, leading to strong coupling of the oscillators. We modified the internal mechanism of the spring-wound "clockwork" slightly, such that the natural frequency and the internal damping could be independently tuned. Stable synchronized and antisynchronized states were observed as the difference in the parameters was varied in the experiments. The simulation results showed a rapid increase in the phase difference between the two oscillators beyond a certain threshold of parameter mismatch. Our simple model of the escapement mechanism did not reproduce a complete 180° out of phase state. However, the numerical simulations show that increased mismatch in parameters leads to a synchronized state with a large phase difference. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel lead-free (1- x)BaTi 0.88 Zr 0.12 O 3 - x Ni 0.75 Co 0.25 Fe 2 O 4 (BTZ-NCF) dual-phase ceramic composition has been synthesized with the aim of improving magnetic and magnetoelectric properties. The prepared ceramics were systematically investigated for their electrical, magnetic, and magnetoelectric characteristics. The structural analysis via XRD patterns indicates that the BTZ and NCF phases have retained their identity in the prepared ceramics, resulting in the emergence of magnetoelectric behavior. The introduction of NCF in BTZ has resulted in a transformation from a near classical to relaxor ferroelectric character, which is essential for improving energy storage properties. The ceramic with x = 0.15 NCF concentration exhibited an optimum discharge energy density of 2.379 J/cm3 and an energy efficiency of 64.2% at a maximum applied electric field of 369 kV/cm. The introduction of NCF in BTZ has resulted in a slight deterioration in dielectric and electromechanical characteristics, which may be attributed to the relatively higher conductivity of the NCF phase in comparison to BTZ. However, the ferroelectric and dielectric characteristics are still high enough, resulting in the emergence of significant magnetoelectric behavior in the BTZ-NCF ceramics. Improved magnetic and magnetoelectric properties in BTZ-NCF ceramics indicate their potential applicability in various multifunctional applications requiring a combination of electrical and magnetic properties. • Novel lead-free (1-x)BaTi 0.88 Zr 0.12 O 3 -xNi 0.75 Co 0.25 Fe 2 O 4 (BTZ-NCF) two-phase particulate composites have been synthesized. • XRD patterns indicates that the BTZ and NCF phases have retained their identity in the prepared ceramics. • Prepared ferroelectric-ferrite composite indicate a significant improvement in magnetoelectric coupling. • Composition with x = 0.15 NCF concentration showed discharge energy density of 2.379 J/cm3 and energy efficiency of 64.2%. • Significant enhancement in magnetoelectric characteristics without significantly hampering the electrical characteristics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]