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The degradation of ciprofloxacin hydrochloride (CFX), an extensively utilized antibiotic for bacterial infections, has been studied through the application of advanced oxidation processes (AOPs) including hydrodynamic cavitation (HC), ozonation (O3), the Fenton reaction, chemical oxidation, and hybrid AOPs such as HC/O3 and Fenton/O3. Among these, the hybrid combination of HC/O3 demonstrated the highest CFX degradation of 99.82 % within 180 min having an initial concentration of 1000 ppm. The optimization of the HC/O3 process was conducted by varying parameters including initial concentration, pH, ozone (O3) gas flowrate, and temperature. Throughout the degradation process, CFX underwent intermediate formation, which gradually degraded over time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study investigates, thermal properties of polyethylene glycol (PEG) and various polymorphs of calcium carbonate (CaCO3) as blends. The prepared calcite, aragonite, and vaterite forms of CaCO3 were confirmed by x‐ray diffraction (XRD). Differential scanning calorimeter (DSC) revealed that, PEG‐calcite blend (composition 40/60 wt%), exhibited maximum enthalpy (112.9 ± 0.87 J/g). Aragonite and vaterite blends of similar composition displayed lower enthalpies (73.7 ± 0.61 J/g and 61.3 ± 0.75 J/g), which can be attributed to irregularities in crystal lattice and secondary interactions. Thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA) of PEG‐calcite revealed its impressive thermal stability, as blend was stable up to 423°C, higher than decomposition temperature of PEG. DSC analysis of PEG‐calcite after 50 cycles showcased excellent thermal reliability of blend, with enthalpy decreasing to only 108.5 ± 0.52 J/g. Stability of material was further supported by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), where position and shape of peaks were found to be intact, suggesting no new compound formation. Field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) suggested strong adhesion and wrapping of PEG around calcite particles, facilitated by cross‐hydrogen bonding between carbonate group and PEG. PEG‐calcite blend exhibited high thermal conductivity (0.74 ± 0.05 W/mK), highlighting potential applications in thermal management systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Childhood pneumonia, if identified early, is readily treatable through low-cost antibiotics. The study aimed to understand the family caregivers' knowledge and care-seeking behavior for the management of childhood pneumonia. The study was cross-sectional, with mixed methods assessing knowledge, perceptions, and practices of caregivers of under-five children on pneumonia using a vignette. Methodology: Systematic random sampling was used to select the participants. Of 107, more than half of the respondents were 18–25 years old. Results: Less than one-fourth were illiterate. Cough, flu, and stomach distention were the commonly reported symptoms. Food ingestion was reported as a main perceived cause; private doctors and traditional healers were the most reported source of help-seeking. Friend/family were reported as leading sources of information. Health education is to be imparted using local knowledge regarding childhood pneumonia. Traditional healers and private practitioners sensitize in early management and referral of childhood pneumonia cases. Conclusions: Information, education and communication messages need to be prepared in the local languages. Strengthening the public health sector is suggested. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This investigation includes the synthesis and characterization of a new series of ionic liquids (ILs) based on the tetraalkylammonium dication for the absorption of CO2, a step towards the development of more efficient and sustainable technologies. It was possible to synthesize amine-substituted PEG diacrylate by modifying poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG), which was then quaternized with 1-bromopentane to produce the IL PDBr. The other IL products, PDNTf2, PDBF4 and PDPF6, were synthesized via the metathesis of PDBr with the appropriate salt. The synthesized products were characterized using various techniques, such as FTIR, 1H and 13C NMR, elemental analysis, and density and viscosity meters, and evaluated as potential sorbents for CO2 capture. DSC and TGA were used to examine the thermal properties of the ILs. As observed from their thermal degradation behavior, the ILs exhibited two-stage disintegration with thermal stability up to 150 °C. The pressure drop method was used to study the sorption capacity of the ILs towards CO2. The sorption investigation showed that when the pressure is increased, the CO2 absorption increases. Equilibrium is reached in 40 minutes, demonstrating a rapid absorption rate. The IL with the [BF4]− anion (PDBF4) demonstrated a maximum sorption capacity of 0.577 mole fraction of CO2, and can be regenerated and reused efficiently with less than 0.5% variation from its original absorption capacity. The CO2 absorption capacity for the ILs with other anions follows the trend: Br ≈ NTf2 < PF6 < BF4. This work shows that tetraalkylammonium-based dicationic ILs are adaptable, making them a suitable material for many applications, including sustainable CO2 capture technology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context: In India, pneumonia deaths in the past decade show a decreasing trend in the child mortality rate from 74.6 to 45.4. However, NFHS-5 records an increase in prevalence to 2.8% from 2.7% in NFHS-4. The childhood pneumonia control strategies focus on strengthening the health system, skill-building health workers, counseling, and creating awareness about promoting healthy behaviors regarding the management of sick children. Aims: The study attempts to understand "caregivers" care-seeking behavior and the management of childhood pneumonia. Setting and Design: The study was conducted in the Akkalkuwa block of Nandurbar district, Maharashtra, India. We used episodic interviews, asking caregivers to recollect specific events linked to the need for treatment. Methods and Material: A total of 11 in-depth interviews of mothers were conducted whose under-five children had pneumonia in the past year. These interviews used vignettes from real pneumonia cases to discuss community priorities for health care and actions taken to improve child's health. In addition, the qualitative data from the in-depth interviews were thematically analyzed. Result: Cough, breathlessness, and disturbance in the routine schedule of the child were the major symptoms to identify pneumonia (vavlya) among children. Branding on the stomach, oil massage, and jadi-buti were commonly observed phenomena to seek help. Low priority, the influence of traditional healers and herbal medicines, and the inaccessibility of quality healthcare services were the main factors that led to the child's treatment. Conclusion: Culturally appropriate activities are to be imparted on recognition of symptoms and appropriate care seeking, and community health workers need capacity building. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present investigation deals with separation of various types of nitrophenols using SILM technique. Several ionic liquids were developed and the SILM parameters such as role of ILs, feed and strip phase concentration, wastewater pH, salt effect and mixture of pollutants were thoroughly investigated. The percentage extraction and stripping, flux, apparent rate constants and selectivity were evaluated. The selected ammonium IL being more polar than the imidazolium IL showed better separation of 2-nitrophenol. The SILM constituting an ammonium IL with SCN anion exhibited extraction efficiency of >96% and Ka: 0.264 h−1. The change in feed concentration showed maximum transport of nitrophenol at 300 ppm concentration (Ka: 0.673 h−1). The membranes were repeated for 4 cycles which demonstrated good stability for runs of more than 48 hours. The selectivity of 2-nitrophenol, 2,4-dinitrophenol, 2,4,6- trinitrophenol over nitrobenzene was 26, 36 and 58, respectively. The morphology of membranes was studied by using FTIR and FE-SEM and the transport mechanism was elucidated. With the optimized parameters, a concentration factor of 7 can be achieved in the present SILM system. The application of SILM including ammonium IL with SCN anion shows a promising potential for the treatment of various types of nitrophenol bearing wastewater. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The knowledge of polymer network characteristics is important to tune the properties of advanced energetic propellants based on nitrate ester plasticized polyol binder system. In this article, plasticized polyurethane networks of polycaprolactone (PCP) and hydroxyl‐terminated polybutadiene (HTPB) with different crosslinker content [0 to 0.20 parts] at various stoichiometric NCOOH ratios (r‐value) [0.8 to 1.0] were studied. Five numbers of polyurethane networks of 1,2,4‐butanediol trinitrate (BTTN) plasticised PCP were formulated at each r value 0.8, 0.9 and 1.0 using 0, 0.05, 0.10, 0.15 and 0.20 parts of trimethylolpropane (TMP) crosslinker. Similarly, five numbers of dioctyl adipate (DOA) plasticized HTPB based polyurethane networks were formulated at r‐value of 0.8. FT‐IR spectra of these polyurethane networks (PUNs) were recorded for functional group identification. Stress‐strain behavior of PUNs was studied for understanding the effect of TMP content and r value on mechanical properties. Hard segment content of PUNs were calculated and its influence on network characteristics and mechanical properties was evaluated. CLD values (ν) increased with increase of hard segment content of PUN and the values quantified by different approaches followed the trend νe (by solvent swelling method) > νne2(by Initial modulus method)>νne1 (by Mooney Rivlin method). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: As the COVID-19 pandemic is increasingly griping the world, the entire landscape of existing patient management needs to be changed to avoid spread of Corona virus. In cases of emergencies, there is no option other than getting in-person consultations with doctors. But, in non-emergency patients, telemedicine can serve as a boon. Material and methods: In this article, we have tried to summarize the rules, regulations and protocols in accordance with government guidelines along with practical management for urgencies in dento-/oro-facial pains. Conclusion: If used wisely and as per recommendations, telemedicine is a very useful tool in the present COVID-19 pandemic, to avoid spread of infection to patients as well as health care workers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The degradation of nitroaromatics/toxic energetic compounds contaminated water is a major cause of concern. W-doped TiO2 nanoparticles (NPs) were synthesized in ionic liquid, ethyl methyl imidazolium dicyanamide (EMIM-DCA) by a solvothermal method. The developed NPs were sintered at 500 °C and characterized by UV-Vis-DRS, FT-IR, FE-SEM, XRD, XPS, and BET techniques. The 30–40-nm-sized NPs were subjected to photocatalytic degradation of the toxic energetic compound, tetryl (2,4,6-trinitrophenylmethylnitramine) under UV-Vis light. Various operating parameters such as the effect of concentration of catalyst, pH of feed phase, oxidizing agents, and recycling of catalyst were studied in detail. For the first time, the degradation-mechanism pathway and kinetics of tetryl were evaluated. The degradation products were precisely analyzed by using HPLC, GC-MS, and TOC techniques. The USEPA has prescribed a drinking water limit of 0.02 mg L−1, and it was found that 0.5 g of 4% W-TiO2 could totally degrade tetryl (50 mg L−1) within 8 h. The kinetic rate constant of 4% W-TiO2 was 0.356 h−1, whereas pure TiO2 showed 0.207 h−1. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research describes systematic investigations on sensing of high explosives such as picric acid (PA), RDX, NTO, and trinitrotoluene (TNT) in aqueous medium via fluorescence quenching of quinine sulfate (QS). Although all the explosives exhibit fluorescence quenching of QS, highest response is observed for PA. Fluorescence quenching of ∼ 50% (in contrast to pristine QS) at ∼ 390 nm is observed for 10 nm (2.29 μ g of PA dissolved in 20 μ l of distilled water). The analysis of the Stern–Volmer (SV) plot implies dominance of static quenching mechanism in comparison to dynamic quenching mechanism. Furthermore, the effect of operational temperature on fluoresce quenching response for PA has been investigated, and values of enthalpy, entropy, and Gibbs free energy of interaction at various temperatures are estimated. The temperature-dependent studies reveal that fluorescence quenching is due to formation of strong hydrogen bonds, complemented by computational analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The current demilitarization processes employ open burning/open detonation which is not permitted by the environmental protection agency. Therefore, a systematic study has been carried out to convert waste/rejected nitramine propellant (NP) and fuel-rich-based propellant (FRP) into liquid fertilizer by digesting in dilute nitric acid followed by neutralization with potassium hydroxide and phosphoric acid. The obtained liquid fertilizers were fully characterized for nitrate, phosphate and ammonium ions along with potassium. Further, the effect of liquid fertilizers of NP and FRP on cluster bean plants was studied by taking different concentrations from 25 to 150 mL, and their effects on germination pattern, shoot growth, thickness of stem, size and number of leaves, number of pods and length over a full-grown period of plants were investigated. The results reveal that the germination index increases as the content of liquid fertilizer increases and the same trend was observed with respect to root and shoot growth. Also, broadness and the number of leaves showed an encouraging effect as concentration increases. Further, the final product, i.e. the number of pods of cluster bean and length in each pod was found to be more for liquid fertilizer of NP compared to FRP-based liquid fertilizer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The scalability and simplicity of the procedure makes PEG-CaCO SB 3 sb blends suitable for various applications in thermal management systems. The cover image by Prathamesh Ranjane, Madhura Deshpande, and Prashant S. Kulkarni depicts the study, which represents the first exploration of polymorphs of calcium carbonate (CaCO SB 3 sb ) as inorganic support for the development of shape stabilized phase change material. The presence of calcite, aragonite, and vaterite forms of CaCO SB 3 sb was confirmed using X-ray diffraction. [Extracted from the article]

Liquid–liquid equilibrium data for the system consisting of toluene,n-heptane and Aliquat 336 ionic liquid was obtained at 303.15 K and atmospheric pressure. The values of distribution coefficient and selectivity were evaluated. Mathematical model relating distribution coefficient and dispersion, dipolar interaction and hydrogen bonding has been developed. Hansen’s solubility parameters were used to determine the parameters. The model was applied for various ionic liquids as solvents. The model predicted the trends similar to the trend reported in the literature. Thus model can predict better solvent for the given extraction application. This methodology has great potential to act as a knowledge-based framework to aid development of new tailor-made solvents. This will save cost and time in experimentation and analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Hypergolic ionic liquids (HILs) have gained significant importance in recent years as green space propellants. It is mainly due to their attractive physicochemical properties, such as high density, negligible vapor pressure and wide liquid range. More importantly, they show low ignition delay with storable oxidizers viz. white fuming nitric acid (WFNA), red fuming nitric acid (RFNA), dinitrogen tetroxide (N2O4) and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2). Therefore, investigation into the performance parameters of HILs, such as specific impulse (Isp), density and vacuum-specific impulse (ρIsp & Ivac), and characteristics velocity (C*), has received enormous attention. In the present study, 14 HILs have been selected for evaluation of their performance parameters using the NASA-CEC-71 program. Amongst them, three HILs have been developed in the laboratory by the authors. The effects of oxidizers, oxidizer to fuel ratio, heat of formation, hydrogen content of the HIL, and the chamber pressure parameters were studied in detail. The performance of HILs was also compared with that of a proven fuel, UDMH. The HILs 1-ethyl-3-methyl imidazolium cyanoborohydride, [EMIM][BH3CN], and 1,3-diallyl imidazolium cyanoborohydride, [diAIM][BH3CN], were particularly promising with all the oxidizers. The H2O2 seems to be a good potential oxidizer as it exhibited a higher value of ρIsp for most of the HILs than the UDMH. A propellant based on high-density HIL as a fuel and H2O2 as an oxidizer can be classified as a green propellant. Thus, the investigation helps in designing or selecting the best combination of HIL and oxidizer for rocket applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The research on phase change materials (PCM) has evolved significantly in the last few decades due to the need to manage the demands of energy requirements. Polyethylene glycol (PEG) is established as an organic solid–liquid PCM offering a wide range of enthalpies and phase transition temperatures as a function of its molecular weight. Herein, we have focussed on three aspects including preparation methods, microencapsulation and applications. An attempt has been made to focus on thermal conductivity enhancement methods used in the preparation of PEG based PCMs to give way for the commercial utility of these materials. The concluding remarks address the future directions for investigation, challenges and new possibilities for practical implementation of these materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The N-doped TiO2photocatalyst was synthesized by the sol–gel method and characterized in detail in terms of its morphology, structure and composition. The prepared N-doped TiO2exhibited polycrystalline structure having particle sizes of around 50–120 nm and rod-shaped geometry. The N-doped TiO2was subsequently used for the photocatalytic degradation (PCD) of pharmaceutical micropollutants, namely ciprofloxacin HCl (CFX), naproxen (NPX) and paracetamol (PARA) and it was found that the rate of degradation of CFX and NPX is higher than that of PARA. To verify the beneficial effect of N-doped TiO2for PCD of CFX, similar experiments were carried out using commercially available Aeroxide P-25 TiO2. It was observed that N-doped TiO2was more efficient than Aeroxide®P-25 TiO2. It was also found that the PCD of CFX in the presence of N-doped TiO2was highly efficient under the solar radiation as compared with artificial radiation. The effect of various operating parameters, such as adsorption of CFX, pH of the aqueous solution, effect of co-existing ions on PCD of CFX, was investigated using artificial radiation and optimum conditions were established. The intermediates formed during the PCD of CFX were identified using liquid chromatography tandem mass chromatography (LC-MS/MS). The presented results demonstrate that N-doped TiO2photocatalyst shows excellent photocatalytic activity in the visible region for the degradation of pharmaceutical pollutants. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

In this work we report efficient molecularly imprinted polymer (MIP) based carbon paste electrode sensor for the determination of diphenylamine in aged propellant. Initially, diphenylamine (DPA)-MIP was synthesized by using methacrylic acid (monomer) and ethylene glycol dimethyacrylate (cross-linker). Developed DPA-MIP was analyzed by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and Field-emission scanning electron microscopy. The sensor was incorporated as electrode in cyclic voltammetry. The sensor response was linear in the range of 0.5-3 mM DPA concentration. The lower detection limit obtained for sensor was 0.1 mM. The developed sensor was used for the determination of DPA in propellant systems. Same electrode was used for three repeated analysis without significant decrease in efficiency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Exploring ultrafast igniting and hydrolytically stable ionic liquids (ILs) has a wide scope in hypergolic rocket fuels. The hydrophobicities of ILs, induced by a smart change in alkyl substituents of imidazolium cations with energy-rich cyanoborohydride, [BH3CN]− and dicyanamide, [DCA]− anions were examined for the first time. The physico-chemical properties and performance of ILs were also studied. Consequently, hydrolytic stability in terms of moisture study of all the ILs was thoroughly investigated under standard environmental conditions. The analysis indicates that the IL 14, 1-allyl-3-octyl imidazolium cyanoborohydride is most hydrophobic and hydrolytically stable. Studies evaluating the role of the cationic hydrocarbon chain and the nature of anions of ILs on the properties of hypergolic fuel were carried out. All the ILs are liquid at room temperature and exhibit a positive heat of formation. IL 10, 1,3-diallyl-imidazolium cyanoborohydride exhibited the shortest ignition delay of 1.9 ms with WFNA and IL 11, 1-allyl-3-ethyl imidazolium cyanoborohydride presented the lowest viscosity of 16.62 mPa s. Therefore, these ILs can be suggested as potential candidates for replacing acutely toxic and carcinogenic hydrazine and its methylated derivatives as hypergolic fuels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new adsorbent was developed by synthesizing 1,8-diaminonaphthalene formaldehyde resin ( DANFR) and coating it over the surface of silica gels. The silica composite was then treated with HCl for the activation of binding sites (− NH3+Cl−) on its surface. The structure of DANFR and its coating over the silanols were thoroughly characterized. Further, the adsorbent was applied to remove tungsten (W) from printed circuit board recycling unit wastewater that contained various co-metal ions such as Na+, K+, Ca2+, Mg2+, Pb2+, NH4+, Zn2+, Cu2+ and Mn2+. The selective removal was achieved due to the anion exchange mechanism of Cl− with W( VI) while other cations get repelled from the surface (− NH3+) of the DANFR-silica composite. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy studies, Raman spectra and overlay chromatograms of ion chromatography demonstrated selective separation of WO42− species from the wastewater. A removal capacity of 55.32 mg g−1 for W( VI) was achieved from the wastewater within 45 min of reaction ( pH ca 6.0). Simultaneous treatment with neat aqueous solution of W brings out 63.27 mg g−1 of W( VI) removal. Finally, recovery of WO42− ions and regeneration of the adsorbent were carried out by using alkaline solution which demonstrated successful desorption, as investigated by using ion chromatography. © 2016 Society of Chemical Industry [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A series of low-cost, pyridinium cation-based hypergolic ionic liquids (HIL) containing amine, butyl, or allyl substituents with cyanoborohydride [BH3CN]− and dicyanamide [DCA]− anions were developed and characterized. The investigated physicochemical properties include melting and decomposition temperature, viscosity, density, heat of formation (Δ Hf) and specific impulse ( Isp). The ignition delay (ID) of all HILs was tested with the oxidizer RFNA. The HIL, 1-allyl 4-amino pyridinium dicyanamide, exhibited highest density (1.139 g cm−3) amongst the known pyridinium HILs. The heats of formation predicted on the basis of Gaussian 09 suit programs were within the range of − 30 to 356 kJ mol−1. The structure of HIL, 1-butyl 4-aminopyridinium cyanoborohydride, was examined by single-crystal X-ray diffraction, which revealed hydrogen bonding between anion and cation as N1−H1N ⋅⋅⋅N3=2.07 Å, N1−H2N ⋅⋅⋅H1B1=2.18 Å, and N1−H2N ⋅⋅⋅H2B1=2.21 Å, respectively. HIL (1-allyl 4-aminopyridiniun cyanoborohydride) exhibited highest Isp of 228 s amongst the designed series. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article describes a step-by-step sequence of statistical techniques, including linear regression and ANOVA, for use in a classroom setting in order to solve real-world problems encountered in business and industry. A powder coating operation is used as the context for the case study. The authors found that, by employing the quantitative techniques described, the optimal solution to the manufacturer's powder coating problem was found in about a week, versus three years in the real-world industrial setting, using a nonstatistical trial-and-error process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ion imprinting technology is one of the most promising tools in separation and purification sciences because of its high selectivity, good stability, simplicity and low cost. It has been mainly used for selective removal, preconcentration, sensing and few miscellaneous fields. In this review article, recent methodologies in the synthesis of IIPs have been discussed. For several applications, different parameters of IIP including complexing and leaching agent, pH, relative selectivity coefficient, detection limit and adsorption capacity have been evaluated and an attempt has been made to generalize. Biomedical applications mostly include selective removal of toxic metals from human blood plasma and urine samples. Wastewater treatment involves selective removal of highly toxic metal ions like Hg(II), Pb(II), Cd(II), As(V), etc. Preconcentration covers recovery of economically important metal ions such as gold, silver, platinum and palladium. It also includes selective preconcentration of lanthanides and actinides. In sensing, various IIP-based sensors have been fabricated for detection of toxic metal ions. This review article includes almost all metal ions based on the ion-imprinted polymer. At the end, the future outlook section presents the discussion on the advancement, corresponding merits and the need of continued research in few specific areas. [Figure not available: see fulltext.] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the present investigation, a new adsorbent has been developed by coating p-toluidine formaldehyde resin (PTFR) on silica gel (mass ratio of PTFR/silica 1 : 10). It was characterized using FT-IR, NMR, SEM, TGA and BET instruments to represent the functionality of the material. A detailed investigation on adsorption of Cr(vi) with the prepared adsorbent was performed at different temperatures. The adsorption process was evaluated on the basis of various parameters, such as pH, adsorbent dose, concentration of Cr(vi) and contact time. The Cr(vi) concentration was measured by UV-Vis spectrophotometer and ion chromatograph. It was observed that the HCrO4− gets adsorbed on the ammonium ions (–NH3+) of PTFR due to electrostatic interaction. The methyl group presenting at the para-position of the benzene ring exerts an inductive effect on the nitrogen atom of the amine group that in turn enhances protonation in the acidic medium. The maximum adsorption capacities of Cr(vi) achieved were 40.0, 41.67 and 43.47 mg g−1 at 303, 313 and 323 K, respectively. The adsorption followed both Langmuir and Freundlich isotherm models. The kinetics was pseudo second order and the thermodynamic parameters, such as ΔH°, ΔS° and ΔG°, analyzed at different temperatures, indicate that the adsorption process was spontaneous and endothermic at high temperature. The desorption of Cr(vi) from the adsorbent was carried out using 0.2 N NaOH at room temperature, and the complete recovery of Cr(vi) was confirmed by ion chromatograph. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Thermal storage cotton possessing solid-solid phase change properties was prepared by direct grafting of polyethylene glycol (PEG) on cotton fiber/cloth. Attempt has been made to characterize intermediates so that desired grafting could be obtained. The grafting was done by using urethane linkage and the grafted cotton was found to undergo solid-solid phase transition. The modified cotton was characterized by using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), C CPMAS, polarizing optical microscopy, differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and thermogravimetry respectively. The DSC study revealed quite good storage effect of grafted cotton and the enthalpy of melting was found to be 55-59 J/g with a peak appearing at around 60 °C. During cooling scan, the crystallization peak appeared at around 38 °C. Further, thermogravimetric analysis confirmed good thermal stability up to 300 °C. Appreciable improvement of mechanical properties of cotton has been observed after grafting. The polarizing optical micrograph clearly showed change of morphology after grafting, i.e., the grafted PEG adhering to fiber surface. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper discusses the fabrication and characterization of electrospun nanofiber mats made up of poly(4-methyl-1-pentene) polymer. The polymer was electrospun in different weight concentrations. The mats were characterized by their basis weight, fiber diameter distribution, contact angles, contact angle hysteresis, and air permeability. All of the electrospun nonwoven fiber mats had water contact angles greater than 150 degreesmaking them superhydrophobic. The permeabilities of the mats were empirically fitted to the mat basis weight by a linear relation. The experimentally measured air permeabilities were significantly larger than the permeabilities predicted by the Kuwabara model for fibrous media. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Deep desulfurization of diesel fuel has attracted the attention of a growing number of scientists and engineers due to the stringent regulations imposed on the presence of sulfur in fuel (10 ppm). To bring down the concentration of sulfur compounds to less than 10 ppm is very challenging and demands newer technologies. Novel processes are being proposed for this purpose. It is observed that ionic liquids as class of green solvents can play a major role in the deep desulfurization of diesel fuel. For this reason, this review focuses on the current status in application of ionic liquids for achieving ultra-low-sulfur diesel (ULSD). To get a comprehensive perspective about the topic, other techniques of desulfurization are also discussed in brief in the introduction. Here we propose that the appropriate removal method should be selected according to different systems. To achieve deep desulfurization using ionic liquids, a better understanding regarding the regeneration of ionic liquids is vitally important. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Layered manufacturing (LM) is emerging as a new manufacturing technology that can enhance the scope of manufacturing. One of the essential tasks in LM is process planning. This paper defines, conceptualizes and reviews the literature in this emerging area. The paper concludes with future projections on the possible directions of research in this area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents a case study of a 21-year old female with extramedullary haematopoiesis. A diagnosis was performed on her for a adrenal mass but his condition did not improved and also discusses demonstration of computed tomography examination for heterogenous right adrenal mass.