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Amidst the digital transformation of education, the essence of the human touch in online teaching remains pivotal. Despite growing literature, there remains a significant gap in understanding how the human element in online teaching directly influences student engagement and learning outcomes, especially in diverse educational contexts. This study develops a quantifiable index capturing the essence of humanized online teaching and investigates the determinants influencing this humanization. Additionally, an index encapsulating students' online learning experiences, as perceived by their instructors, has been constructed. Bridging these indices, the research unravels the intricate relationship between the humanization of online teaching and the resulting student experiences in the virtual realm. Sourced from a self-constructed questionnaire and encompassing responses from 152 instructors across 22 Malaysian institutions, the data revealed an average incorporation of 81.38% humanized online teaching elements. Key determinants, such as subject matter, teaching experience, Internet quality, and platform choices, emerged as significant influences. A regression model showed approximately 31.7% (R-squared = 0.317, p<0.001) of the variation in the dependent variable. A significant moderate positive correlation (r = 0.423, p<0.001) between the Humanized Online Teaching Index and the Students' Online Learning Experiences Index highlights the intertwined nature of humanized instructional methodologies and enhanced student engagement in online settings. Though contextualised during the coronavirus disease-2019 pandemic, the study's implications transcend the immediate circumstances, offering transformative insights for future online teaching methodologies and enhancing student experiences in the evolving digital age., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist., (Copyright: © 2024 Chai et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.)

Purpose: A skin lesion refers to an area of the skin that exhibits anomalous growth or distinctive visual characteristics compared to the surrounding skin. Benign skin lesions are noncancerous and generally pose no threat. These irregular skin growths can vary in appearance. On the other hand, malignant skin lesions correspond to skin cancer, which happens to be the most prevalent form of cancer in the United States. Skin cancer involves the unusual proliferation of skin cells anywhere on the body. The conventional method for detecting skin cancer is relatively more painful., Methods: This work involves the automated prediction of skin cancer and its types using two stage Convolutional Neural Network (CNN). The first stage of CNN extracts low level features and second stage extracts high level features. Feature selection is done using these two CNN and ABCD (Asymmetry, Border irregularity, Colour variation, and Diameter) technique. The features extracted from the two CNNs are fused with ABCD features and fed into classifiers for the final prediction. The classifiers employed in this work include ensemble learning methods such as gradient boosting and XG boost, as well as machine learning classifiers like decision trees and logistic regression. This methodology is evaluated using the International Skin Imaging Collaboration (ISIC) 2018 and 2019 dataset., Results: As a result, the first stage CNN which is used for creation of new dataset achieved an accuracy of 97.92%. Second stage CNN which is used for feature selection achieved an accuracy of 98.86%. Classification results are obtained for both with and without fusion of features., Conclusion: Therefore, two stage prediction model achieved better results with feature fusion., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

Designing highly active and robust earth abundant trifunctional electrocatalysts for energy storage and conversion applications remain an enormous challenge. Herein, we report a trifunctional electrocatalyst (CrCo/CoN 4 @CNT-5), synthesized at low calcination temperature (550 °C), which consists of Co-N 4 single atom and CrCo alloy nanoparticles and exhibits outstanding electrocatalytic performance for the hydrogen evolution reaction, oxygen evolution reaction, and oxygen reduction reaction. The catalyst is able to deliver a current density of 10 mA cm -2 in an alkaline electrolytic cell at a very low cell voltage of ∼1.60 V. When the catalyst is equipped in a liquid rechargeable Zn-air battery, it endowed a high open-circuit voltage with excellent cycling durability and outperformed the commercial Pt/C+IrO 2 catalytic system. Furthermore, the Zn-air battery powered self-driven water splitting system is displayed using CrCo/CoN 4 @CNT-5 as sole trifunctional catalyst, delivering a high H 2 evolution rate of 168 μmol h -1 . Theoretical calculations reveal synergistic interaction between Co-N 4 active sites and CrCo nanoparticles, favoring the Gibbs free energy for H 2 evolution. The presence of Cr not only enhances the H 2 O adsorption and dissociation but also tunes the electronic property of CrCo nanoparticles to provide optimized hydrogen binding capacity to Co-N 4 sites, thus giving rise to accelerated H 2 evolution kinetics. This work highlights the importance of the presence of small quantity of Cr in enhancing the electrocatalytic activity as well as robustness of single-atom catalyst and suggests the design of the multifunctional robust electrocatalysts for long-term H 2 evolution application.

Developing nonprecious metal-based oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) electrocatalysts with superior activity and durability is crucial for commercializing proton-exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cells. Herein, we report a metal-organic framework (MOF)-derived unique N-doped hollow carbon structure (NiCo/hNC), comprising of atomically dispersed single-Ni-atom (NiN 4 ) and small NiCo alloy nanoparticles (NPs), for highly efficient and durable ORR catalysis in both alkaline and acidic electrolytes. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations reveal the strong coupling between NiN 4 and NiCo NPs, favoring the direct 4e - transfer ORR process by lengthening the adsorbed O-O bond. Moreover, NiCo/hNC as a cathode electrode in PEM fuel cells delivered a stable performance. Our findings not only furnish the fundamental understanding of the structure-activity relationship but also shed light on designing advanced ORR catalysts.

Digital health data collection is vital for healthcare and medical research. But it contains sensitive information about patients, which makes it challenging. To collect health data without privacy breaches, it must be secured between the data owner and the collector. Existing data collection research studies have too stringent assumptions such as using a third-party anonymizer or a private channel amid the data owner and the collector. These studies are more susceptible to privacy attacks due to third-party involvement, which makes them less applicable for privacy-preserving healthcare data collection. This article proposes a novel privacy-preserving data collection protocol that anonymizes healthcare data without using a third-party anonymizer or a private channel for data transmission. A clustering-based k -anonymity model was adopted to efficiently prevent identity disclosure attacks, and the communication between the data owner and the collector is restricted to some elected representatives of each equivalent group of data owners. We also identified a privacy attack, known as "leader collusion", in which the elected representatives may collaborate to violate an individual's privacy. We propose solutions for such collisions and sensitive attribute protection. A greedy heuristic method is devised to efficiently handle the data owners who join or depart the anonymization process dynamically. Furthermore, we present the potential privacy attacks on the proposed protocol and theoretical analysis. Extensive experiments are conducted in real-world datasets, and the results suggest that our solution outperforms the state-of-the-art techniques in terms of privacy protection and computational complexity., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2023 Andrew, Eunice and Karthikeyan.)

In the current scenario, with a large amount of unstructured data, Health Informatics is gaining traction, allowing Healthcare Units to leverage and make meaningful insights for doctors and decision-makers with relevant information to scale operations and predict the future view of treatments via Information Systems Communication. Now, around the world, massive amounts of data are being collected and analyzed for better patient diagnosis and treatment, improving public health systems and assisting government agencies in designing and implementing public health policies, instilling confidence in future generations who want to use better public health systems. This article provides an overview of the HL7 FHIR Architecture, including the workflow state, linkages, and various informatics approaches used in healthcare units. The article discusses future trends and directions in Health Informatics for successful application to provide public health safety. With the advancement of technology, healthcare units face new issues that must be addressed with appropriate adoption policies and standards., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2022 Yogesh and Karthikeyan.)

Background: Multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C) is a new hyperinflammatory variant that evolved during the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic. Although the precise pathophysiology of MIS-C is uncertain, it is thought to be due to immune dysregulation occurring after recovery from acute infection., Purpose: Our study aimed to analyze the clinical spectrum, laboratory parameters, imaging characteristics, treatment strategies, and short-term outcomes of children with a diagnosis of MIS-C., Methods: This retrospective and prospective observational study included children less than 16 years of age who were admitted to the pediatric unit of a tertiary care teaching hospital in south India between August 2020 to January 2021 with a diagnosis of MIS-C according to World Health Organization criteria., Results: Twenty-one children were included in the analysis; all had fever with variable combinations of other symptoms. The mean age was 6.9 years; 71.4% were male. Gastrointestinal (80.9%) and cardiovascular (80.9%) systems were the most commonly affected. The majority of children had elevated inflammatory markers, and 16 (76.2%) had echocardiographic abnormalities mimicking Kawasaki disease. Eleven children (52.4%) required intensive care admission, 3 (14.3%) required supplemental oxygen, and 4 (19%) required inotropes. Nine (42.9%) were treated with intravenous immunoglobulin alone, 6 (28.6%) with steroids alone, and 3 (14.3%) with steroids and immunoglobulin. The median hospital stay was 6 days; there were no fatalities. Overweight/obesity, elevated ferritin, and mucocutaneous involvement were significantly associated with a prolonged hospital stay (≥7 days). Sixteen children (76.2%) were followed up till now and all of them had no clinical concerns., Conclusion: MIS-C is an emerging disease with variable presentation. A high index of suspicion is necessary for its early identification and appropriate management. Further research is essential for developing optimal treatment strategies.

Transition metal chalcogenides (TMCs) are a large family of 2D materials that are currently attracting intense interest. TMCs with 3d transition metals provide opportunities for introducing magnetism and strong correlations into the material with manganese standing out as a particularly attractive option due to its large magnetic moment. Here we report on the successful synthesis of monolayer manganese selenide on a NbSe 2 substrate. Using scanning tunneling microscopy and spectroscopy experiments and global structure prediction calculations at the density functional theory level, we identify the atomic structure and magnetic and electronic properties of the layered Mn 2 Se 2 phase. The structure is similar to the layered bulk phase of CuI or a buckled bilayer of h -BN. Interestingly, our results suggest that the monolayer is antiferromagnetic, but with an unusual out-of-plane ordering that results in two ferromagnetic planes.

Team teaching is an innovative method to engage the large group and make lectures more interesting. The aim of the study is to evaluate the impact of team teaching in first year biochemistry lecture classes. After obtaining ethical clearance, 150 first year medical undergraduate students participated in the study on a voluntary basis. Topic identified for team teaching was "Protein biosynthesis" in Biochemistry, which was designed to be carried out in 5 h of lecture by three teachers. At the end of the team teaching module and traditional lectures, a structured anonymous feedback was obtained from the students. At the end of each class, students' understanding of the lecture was assessed by an MCQ test comprising 5-6 items, which mainly tested the recollection and understanding levels of Bloom's taxonomy. This was compared with traditional lectures. The mean MCQ test score was significantly higher for team teaching when compared to traditional teaching. The students had increased attention span and were able to answer questions from later part of the class in team lectures. The students had reported that lectures taught by team were more interesting and informative. They also felt that the team was more receptive to the doubts raised, stimulated discussion on the topic and had a better rapport with the class., (© 2021 International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology.)

Doping of materials beyond the dopant solubility limit remains a challenge, especially when spatially nonuniform doping is required. In 2D materials with a high surface-to-volume ratio, such as transition metal dichalcogenides, various post-synthesis approaches to doping have been demonstrated, but full control over spatial distribution of dopants remains a challenge. A post-growth doping of single layers of WSe 2 is performed by adding transition metal (TM) atoms in a two-step process, which includes annealing followed by deposition of dopants together with Se or S. The Ti, V, Cr, and Fe impurities at W sites are identified by using transmission electron microscopy and electron energy loss spectroscopy. Remarkably, an extremely high density (6.4-15%) of various types of impurity atoms is achieved. The dopants are revealed to be largely confined within nanostripes embedded in the otherwise pristine WSe 2 . Density functional theory calculations show that the dislocations assist the incorporation of the dopant during their climb and give rise to stripes of TM dopant atoms. This work demonstrates a possible spatially controllable doping strategy to achieve the desired local electronic, magnetic, and optical properties in 2D materials., (© 2021 Wiley-VCH GmbH.)

The exfoliation ability of nitrate based Mg 1- x Al x (OH) 2 (NO 3 ) x · m H 2 O layered double hydroxides (Mg-Al LDH) in formamide into single or multilayer nanosheets depends strongly on nitrate anion orientation and layer charge. Our systematic studies used materials that were likely to disclose differences with respect to anion type and their concentrations in the interlayer gallery. We assured to avoid any carbonate incorporation into the galleries for nitrate, chloride, iodide, and sulfate based Mg-Al LDHs. Furthermore, the comparative exfoliation experiments were conducted for fully hydrated samples with as similar particle morphology as possible. The exfoliation of nitrate Mg-Al LDH is far superior to similar clays with carbonate, sulfate, chloride, or iodide as charge balancing anions. Quantitative analysis of exfoliation yield for pre-treated, fully hydrated samples, shows an optimum composition for exfoliation into single nanosheets of around x ≈ 0.25, while double or triple layered sheets are encountered for other x -values. We observe a clear correlation between the expansion of the interlayer gallery due to progressing tilts of nitrate anions and water molecules out of the horizontal interlayer plane, suspension turbidity, and degree of exfoliation. The established correlations extends to nitrate Ni-Al LDH materials. We finally claim that morphology is a dominating parameter, with house-of-card morphology particles exfoliation far less than platelet-like particles. Hence, hydrothermal treatment may be favorable to enhance exfoliation yields.

Herein, fluorine enrichment in mesoporous carbon (F-MC) was explored to introduce maximum charge polarization in the porous matrix, which is beneficial for the preferential orientation of O 2 molecules and their subsequent reduction. Ex situ doping of F to porous carbon derived from phloroglucinol-formaldehyde resin using Pluronic F-127 as a structure-directing agent is standardized. The optimized F-MC catalyst exhibited excellent electrocatalytic activity towards the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) in alkaline media (0.1 M KOH) with an onset potential of -0.10 V vs. SCE and diffusion-limiting current of 4.87 mA cm -2 , while displaying only about 50 mV overpotential in the half-wave region compared to Pt-C (40 wt%). In the stability test, the catalyst showed only 10 mV negative shift in its half-wave potential after 10 000 potential cycles. The rotating ring disk electrode (RRDE) experiments revealed that F-MC follows the most preferable 4 e - pathway ( n = 3.61) with a moderate peroxide (HO 2 - ) yield. This was further supported by density functional theory calculations and also deeply explains the existence of defects being beneficial for the ORR. The F-MC catalyst owing to its promising ORR activity and long-term electrochemical stability can be viewed as a potential alternative ORR catalyst for anion exchange membrane fuel cell applications., Competing Interests: There are no conflicts to declare., (This journal is © The Royal Society of Chemistry.)

As compared to bulk solids, large surface-to-volume ratio of two-dimensional (2D) materials may open new opportunities for postsynthesis introduction of impurities into these systems by, for example, vapor deposition. However, it does not work for graphene or h-BN, as the dopant atoms prefer clustering on the surface of the material instead of getting integrated into the atomic network. Using extensive first-principles calculations, we show that counterintuitively most transition metal (TM) atoms can be embedded into the atomic network of the pristine molybdenum dichalcogenides (MoDCs) upon atom deposition at moderate temperatures either as interstitials or substitutional impurities, especially in MoTe 2 , which has the largest spacing between the host atoms. We further demonstrate that many impurity configurations have localized magnetic moments. By analyzing the trends in energetics and values of the magnetic moments across the periodic table, we rationalize the results through the values of TM atomic radii and the number of (s + d) electrons available for bonding and suggest the most promising TMs for inducing magnetism in MoDCs. Our results are in line with the available experimental data and should further guide the experimental effort toward a simple postsynthesis doping of 2D MoDCs and adding new functionalities to these materials.

This work is motivated to explore the structural stability and electronic and electrochemical properties of nanocomposites of M 4 Li n (M = Si and Ge)-carbon nanotube (CNT) by employing first-principles density functional theory calculations. By analyzing the structural stability of various M 4 Li n ( n = 0-10) clusters, it is revealed that a tetrahedron-shaped M 4 Li 4 Zintl cluster is found to be highly stable. Our study on the interaction between the lithiated clusters and CNT illustrates that the charge transfer from the former to latter plays a pivotal role in stabilizing these nanocomposites. The structural stability of those nanocomposites arises as a consequence of bonding between lithiated clusters and CNT, which is mediated through the cation-π interaction. The strength of the interaction between them is well reflected in electronic structure calculations by shifting the energy levels with respect to the Fermi energy. Further, the electrochemical properties of these nanocomposites are explored by forming an assembly of the cluster-inserted CNT. The calculated average intercalation voltage of the systems is found to be low (maximum ∼1.0 V for M = Si and 1.05 V for M = Ge), which demonstrates their anodic behavior., Competing Interests: The authors declare no competing financial interest.

The enriched ferromagnetism and two-photon absorption (TPA) cross-section of perovskite BaTiO3 nanoparticles are indispensable for magnetic and optical data storage applications. In this work, hydrothermally synthesized Ce-doped BaTiO3 nanoparticles exhibited the maximum room temperature ferromagnetism (4.26 × 10-3 emu g-1) at 4 mol% due to the increase in oxygen vacancies, as evidenced by X-ray photoelectron and electron spin resonance spectroscopy and density functional theory (DFT) calculations. Hence, the oxygen vacancy-constituted bound magnetic polaron (BMP) model was invoked to explain the enhancement in ferromagnetism. The BMP theoretical model indicated an increase in BMP magnetization (M0, 3.0 to 4.8 × 10-3 emu g-1) and true spontaneous moment per BMP (meff, 4 to 9.88 × 10-4 emu) upon Ce doping. DFT calculations showed that BMPs mediate via the Ti dz2 orbitals, leading to ferromagnetism. Besides, it is known that the magnetic moment induced by Ce at the Ba site is higher than Ce at the Ti site in the presence of oxygen vacancies. The open aperture Z-scan technique displayed the highest TPA coefficient, β (7.08 × 10-10 m W-1), and TPA cross-section, σTPA (455 × 104 GM), at 4 mol% of Ce as a result of the robust TPA-induced excited state absorption. The large σTPA is attributed to the longer excited state lifetime, τ (7.63 ns), of the charge carriers created by oxygen vacancies and Ce ions, which encounter several electronic transitions in the excited sub-states.

Background: Mechanical methods of periodontal therapy alone may fail to eliminate the tissue-invasive pathogenic flora; therefore, considerable attention has been given to adjunctive antimicrobial measures. Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate and compare the clinical and microbiological effects of diode laser (DL) as an adjunct to Kirkland flap surgery versus Kirkland flap surgery alone for the treatment of generalized chronic periodontitis. Materials and methods: A total of 20 patients with generalized chronic periodontitis with probing pocket depth ≥5 mm after phase I therapy were included in this split-mouth study. Two contralateral quadrants of each patient were randomly assigned to either test or control group. Control group was treated with Kirkland flap surgery alone, whereas test group was treated with DL as an adjunct to Kirkland flap surgery. Periodontal parameters were recorded, and subgingival plaque samples were collected from both the control and test groups at baseline and third and sixth month. The plaque samples were then analyzed for red complex organisms using quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction. Results: Compared with baseline, both treatments showed an improvement in periodontal parameters at the third and sixth month. However, test group produced a significant improvement in plaque index (1.039 ± 0.069 vs. 1.392 ± 0.17, p  < 0.001), bleeding on probing (16.512 ± 5.982 vs. 37.051 ± 7.459, p  < 0.001), probing pocket depth (1.727 ± 0.39 vs. 3.016 ± 0.47, p  < 0.001), and clinical attachment level (2.054 ± 0.524 vs. 3.354 ± 0.728, p  < 0.001) at third and sixth month compared with the control group. Moreover, in the test group, levels of red complex bacteria were significantly reduced at third and sixth month compared with the control group. Conclusions: DL as an adjunct to Kirkland flap surgery has resulted in a greater reduction in clinical and microbiological parameters compared with Kirkland flap surgery alone, thereby offering additional benefit in treating generalized chronic periodontitis patients.

Context: Diabetes mellitus is one of the most prevalent diseases worldwide. One of the acute complications of diabetes mellitus is diabetic ketoacidosis. It becomes essential for the healthcare physicians to identify the individuals who are likely to be prone to the development of ketosis. Serum albumin levels may be a cost-effective and simple parameter to prognosticate the risk of ketosis., Aims: This study was done to find a relationship between serum albumin levels and ketonuria., Settings and Design: After ethical approval, this prospective case-control study was carried out in patients diagnosed as type-2 diabetes mellitus., Subjects and Methods: Serum albumin levels were measured by bromo cresol green method. Measurement of urine ketones was done manually using dipsticks, a semi-quantitative manual method., Statistical Analysis Used: Student's t -test was used to compare continuous variables and Chi-square test for categorical variables. Pearson's correlation was done to establish correlation., Results: In the normoalbuminemic group, 72% were ketones negative and only 28% had positive ketones in urine, while in the hypoalbuminemic group, 50.7% had negative urine ketones and 49.3% had positive ketonuria. The mean value for ketones in urine was 9.7 mg/dL in the hypoalbuminemic group, but it was only 4.3 mg/dL in the normoalbuminemic group. Pearson's correlation between serum albumin and urine ketone levels was performed and the r -value was found to be -0.305., Conclusions: Serum albumin levels may predict the occurrence of ketosis in diabetic patients., Competing Interests: There are no conflicts of interest.

We studied the stability of several borophene layers on an Al(111) surface and found a structure called 9R using ab initio calculations. This layer competes with χ3 and β12 borophene layers and is made up of boron nonagons that form a network of hexagonal boron double chains. Remarkably, it has no B6 hexagon unlike other borophene layers. All three layers lie significantly lower in energy than the honeycomb layer recently reported on the Al(111) surface [W. Li, et al., Sci. Bull., 2018, 63, 282]. We discuss the structural stability and electronic structures of different borophene layers in light of the role of the filling factor f of boron atoms in boron hexagons in a honeycomb layer as well as charge transfer from the Al substrate to the borophene layer as obtained from the Bader charge analysis. The electron localization function shows that the 9R layer has two-center bonding within the nonagon rings and three-center bonding between the rings. Calculations of the phonon spectra show that a free 9R layer is dynamically stable raising the hope of its isolation. The electronic structure shows that in all cases the borophene layer is metallic.

Capping ligands are vital in stabilizing various nanostructures and semiconductor quantum dots in which unusual optical properties, especially white light emission, have been realized. Oleic acid (OA) is a widely used capping ligand. Here, we report blue emission from OA in its free molecular form and further demonstrate this by anchoring OA over the surfaces of Al2O3, ZnAl2O4(ZA), ZnAl2O4:Eu3+ (ZA:Eu3+), and Y2O3:Eu3+. White light emission was observed from OA-modified ZA:Eu3+ nanophosphor due to mixing of broad blue emission of OA and red emission of Eu3+ through energy transfer from OA to Eu3+. A detailed study revealed the characteristic binding modes of OA and their dependence on Eu3+ concentration, structural inversion in ZA, and the optical properties and surface states in the pristine and OA-modified ZA:Eu3+. First principles density functional theory calculations were employed to provide an insight into the HOMO-LUMO levels of OA molecule and, electronic structure of pristine and OA-modified ZA surface. The binding of OA with the ZA:xEu3+ surface changes from bridging bidentate to chelating bidentate with increasing Eu3+ concentration in the lattice. The surface binding nature of the carboxylate group with the optimized surface of ZA and the creation of mid-gap states were deduced theoretically by using butanoic acid instead of OA. The blue emission from OA and its mixing with Eu3+ emission was further confirmed experimentally by anchoring it over Y2O3:Eu3+ red phosphor. These results show the multifunctional roles of OA as capping ligand, blue emitter and sensitizer in tuning the emission colour of red phosphors into white.

Activated carbon was synthesized from cooked food waste, especially dehydrated rice kernels, by chemical activation method using NaOH and KOH as activating agents. It was then characterized by ultimate and proximate analysis, BET surface analysis, XRD, FTIR, Raman and SEM. The XRD patterns and Raman spectra confirmed the amorphous nature of the prepared activated carbons. Ultimate analysis showed an increase in the carbon content after activation of the raw carbon samples. Upon activation with NaOH and KOH, the surface area of the carbon sample was found to have increased from 0.3424 to 539.78 and 306.83 m2g-1 respectively. The SEM images revealed the formation of heterogeneous pores on the surface of the activated samples. The samples were then tested for their adsorption activity using acetic acid and methylene blue. Based on the regression coefficients, the adsorption kinetics of methylene blue dye were fitted with pseudo-second order model for both samples. Similarly, the Freundlich isotherm was found to be a better fit than Langmuir isotherm for both samples. The activity of thus prepared activated carbons was found to be comparable with the commercial carbon.

By employing first principles density functional calculations, we investigated an α-MnO 2 compound with a tunnel framework, which provides an eminent platform to alter the intrinsic antiferromagnetic (AFM) to ferromagnetic (FM) ordering, through the introduction of chemical or mechanical tensile strain. Our calculations further showed that the strength of FM ordering increases until 10% triaxial tensile strain. Since long range FM ordering is induced, it is realized to be superior as compared to the experimentally observed short-range FM ordering in oxygen-deficient compound. The driving force behind this superior effect is understood from the unusual electron occupancy in Mn atoms as a result of tetrahedral distortion in the MnO 6 octahedra and an increase in the sp 3 character of the oxygen atoms. Thus, the α-MnO 2 compound belongs to a class of materials that exhibit good potential for piezomagnetic applications.

By employing first principles DFT calculations, we propose a new stable model for Mo6S9 nanowires (NWs) obtained by condensing tetrahedral Mo4S6 clusters rather than octahedral Mo6S8 clusters, which are known as magic clusters in the Mo-S polyhedral cluster family. The pristine NW is found to be metallic and its local structure and physical properties can be tuned by doping of iodine atoms. This doping increases the number of Mo-Mo bonds in the NW, thus, Mo4 tetrahedra are initially fused to the Mo6 octahedron, and then, to the Mo8 dodecahedron. Further, a close correlation among the Mo-Mo bonding in the local structure, mechanical and electronic properties, is observed from our study. Finally, the stability of the pristine and iodine doped Mo8S12-xIx NW structures obtained from condensation of Mo4 tetrahedra are found to be quite comparable with that of already reported Mo6S9-xIx NWs with Mo6 octahedra as building blocks.

Dental trauma in sports is the major linking channel between sports and dentistry. Sports dentistry is the prevention of oral/facial athletic injuries and related oral diseases and manifestations. In children, sports activities were found to be responsible for 13% of overall oral trauma. It is emphasized that there is a great need for "Team Dentist" from high schools to professional teams. In this review, we discuss the relationship between sports and dentistry, and the importance of educating parents, teachers, and children in prevention of injuries related to the sports.

Rhodium(III)-catalyzed oxidative coupling reactions of anthracene-9-carboxylic acid derivatives with electron-deficient olefins are reported. A cationic rhodium(III) catalyst, in combination with a copper(II) oxidant, promotes selective monoalkenylation of anthracene-9-carboxamide, affording 1-alkenylanthracene-9-carboxamide in moderate to good yields. A similar catalytic system also promotes the reaction of anthracene-9-carboxylic acid and an electron-deficient olefin, which affords a lactone derivative through C-H alkenylation followed by intramolecular conjugate addition.

The structural, electronic, and magnetic properties of MoS(2+x) parallelogram shaped platelets having m and n Mo atoms on the adjoining edges have been studied using first principles calculations and by varying m and n from 1 to 6. These platelets have 100% S coverage on two adjoining edges while 50% S coverage on the other two edges. The structural stability of the platelets increases with size but the highest occupied molecular orbital-lowest unoccupied molecular orbital (HOMO-LUMO) energy gap in general decreases. There is a triangular metallic corner at the intersection of 100% S covered edges of the platelets when m = n. On the other hand magnetism is observed on the 50% S covered edges of the platelets for the sizes greater than that of the (3,4) platelet. The magnetic moments mainly arise from the undercoordinated S(2c) atoms at the 50% S covered edges rather than from Mo atoms. The criteria for the existence of the magnetic moments on S(2c) atoms are suggested and the electronic structure of the platelets on the edges as well as inside is discussed.

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the commonest tumors worldwide. The treatment of HCC is vital for disease diagnosis and prognosis, as the liver is the most important organ controlling metabolic functions. Now-a-days, western folklore medicines are largely dependent on the phyto compounds which are highly effective in therapy and with low side effects. Luteolin is a flavonoid (3,4,5,7-Tetrahydro flavones) possess anti-inflammatory, anticancer and anti allergic property. The present study evaluates the efficacy of luteolin against N-nitrosodiethylamine (DEN) induced HCC in albino rats. In the highlight of the above, luteolin was evaluated for its efficacy against DEN induced HCC in male Wistar albino rats. The Biochemical parameters such as tissue damaging enzymes viz., AST, ALP, LDH and γ-GT, enzymatic antioxidants viz., SOD, CAT, GSH and GPx and histopathological changes have been estimated. The tissue damaging enzymes were found to be high in DEN alone treated group whereas the enzymatic antioxidants decreased destructively. Severe lesions and cirrhosis were observed in the toxin (DEN alone) treated group. The luteolin treated DEN group altered the tissue damaging enzymes and the enzymatic antioxidants. The damaged lesion in the histoarchitecture of DEN treated rat liver was almost completely restored. Finally this study strongly demonstrates that luteolin has potent curative property against HCC in albino rats.

Many steps make light work: substituted phenanthridinones can be obtained with high regioselectivity and in very good yields by palladium-catalyzed cyclization reactions of N-methoxybenzamides with arenes. The reaction proceeds through multiple oxidative C-H activation and C-C/C-N formation steps in one pot at room temperature, and thus provides a simple method for generating bioactive phenanthridinones., (Copyright © 2011 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.)

A cobalt-catalyzed addition of aryl- and alkenylboronic acids to aldehydes and phthalaldehyde to give the corresponding biarylketones and 3-aryl phthalides in good to excellent yields in one pot is described., (This journal is © The Royal Society of Chemistry 2011)

4-[N,N-(Dimethyl)amino]benzaldehyde thiosemicarbazone (DMABT) is proposed as an analytical reagent for the extractive spectrophotometric determination of copper(II). DMABT forms yellow colored complex with copper(II) in the pH range 4.4-5.4. Beer's law is obeyed in the concentration range up to 4.7 μg mL(-1). The optimum concentration range for minimum photometric error as determined by Ringbom plot method is 1.2-3.8 μg mL(-1). The yellowish Cu(II)-DMABT complex shows a maximum absorbance at 420 nm, with molar absorptivity of 1.72 × 10(4)dm(3) mol(-1) cm(-1) and Sandell's sensitivity of the complex obtained from Beer's data is 0.0036 μg cm(-2). The composition of the Cu(II)-DMABT complex is found to be 1:2 (M/L). The interference of various cations and anions in the method were studied. Thus the method can be employed for the determination of trace amount of copper(II) in water, alloys and other natural samples of significant importance.

p-[N,N-bis(2-chloroethyl)amino]benzaldehyde thiosemicarbazone (CEABT) is proposed as a new, sensitive, and selective analytical reagent for the spectrophotometric determination of palladium(II). The reagent reacts with palladium(II) in the pH range 1-2 to form a yellow-colored complex. Beer's law is obeyed in the concentration range up to 2.64 μg cm(-3). The optimum concentration range for minimum photometric error as determined by Ringbom's plot method is 0.48-2.40 μg cm(-3). The yellowish Pd(II)-reagent complex shows a maximum absorbance at 395 nm, with molar absorptivity of 4.05×10(4) dm3 mol(-1) cm(-1) and Sandell's sensitivity of the complex from Beer's data, for D=0.001, is 0.0026 μg cm(-2). The composition of the Pd(II)-CEABT reagent complex is found to be 1:2 (M-L). The interference of various cations and anions in the method were studied. The proposed method was successfully used for the determination of Pd(II) in alloys, catalysts, complexes, water samples, and synthetic alloy mixtures with a fair degree of accuracy.

4-[N,N-(Diethyl)amino] benzaldehyde thiosemicarbazone (DEABT) is proposed as an analytical reagent for the spectrophotometric determination of platinum(IV). The DEABT forms 1:2 yellow complex with Pt(IV), which is sparingly soluble in water and completely soluble in water-ethanol-DMF medium. The Pt(IV)-DEABT complex shows maximum absorbance at 405 nm. Beer's law is valid up to 7.80 μg cm(-3), and optimum concentration range for the determination of platinum(IV) is 0.48-7.02 μg cm(-3). The molar absorptivity and Sandell's sensitivity of the method are found to be 1.755 × 10(4) dm(3) mol(-1) cm(-1) and 0.0012 μg cm(-2), respectively. The relative error and coefficient of variation (n=6) for the method does not exceed ± 0.43% and 0.35%, respectively. Since the method tolerates a number of metal ions commonly associated with platinum, it can be employed for the determination of platinum in environmental samples, pharmaceutical samples, alloys, catalysts, and complexes. The method is rapid as the Pt(IV)-DEABT complex is soluble in water-ethanol-DMF medium and not requiring any time consuming extraction method for the complex.

Cadmium is known to be an environmental and industrial pollutant. Exposure to cadmium is known to affect various tissues. The purpose of this study is to determine the toxic effects of cadmium on lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) isoenzymes. Administration of cadmium chloride (3 mg kg(-1)) resulted in the reduction of LDH4 fraction of liver tissue indicating the inhibitory effect of cadmium. The LDH1 LDH3 and LDH5 fractions showed decreasing trend initially but there was a significant increase later In contrast the LDH2 fraction showed increasing trend after 24 hr from the last dosage it was elevated after 30 days. The total activity of LDH in liver showed gradual reduction in both groups. The activity of succinate dehydrogenase (SDH) the mitochondrial enzyme has been observed to be inhibited by cadmium with the possibility of interfering with energy transport mechanism. Na(+)- K(+)-ATPase activity of liver also showed similar decrease after cadmium administration which may lead to general deficit in cell membrane transport. As cadmium shows drastic decrease in all the enzymes studied, the LDH2 fraction which sharply rises from the control may be used as a marker enzyme to asses the liver injury.

4-(N,N-diethylamino)benzaldehyde thiosemicarbazone(DEABT) is proposed as a sensitive and selective analytical reagent for the spectrophotometric determination of palladium(II). The reagent reacts with palladium (II) in a potassium hydrogen phthalate-hydrochloric acid buffer of pH 3.0, to form a yellow complex. Beer's law is obeyed in the concentration range up to 3.60 microgmL(-1). The optimum concentration range for minimum photometric error as determined by Ringbom plot method is 0.36 - 3.24 microg mL(-1). The yellow Pd(II)-DEABT complex shows a maximum absorbance at 408 nm, with molar absorptivity of 3.33 x 10(4) dm3 mol(-1) cm(-1) and Sandell's sensitivity of the complex from Beer's data, for D = 0.001, is 0.0032 microg cm(-2). The composition of the Pd(II)-DEABT complex is found to be 1:2 (M:L). The interference of various cations and anions in the method were studied. The proposed method was successfully used for the determination of Pd(II) in alloys, catalysts, complexes and model mixtures with a fair degree of accuracy.

Chemical coagulation applied for colour removal from dye bearing solutions has been investigated from the point of view of surface charge progression. Two commercially used dyes, i.e. CI Acid Blue 113 and CI Disperse Blue 26 have been tested, employing three common coagulants: alum, aluminium chloride and ferric chloride. Coagulant type and dose level and pH of the dye solution have been studied as process parameters affecting surface charge and degree of colour removal after filtration of coagulated dye. It has been found, that both dyes could be almost completely removed with the tested coagulants, when supplied however at different dosages. From one side, the correlation between surface charge and colour removal suggests that destabilization of colour colloids occurs as a result of charge neutralization followed by removal by filtration. From other side, the lack of re-stabilization and continued high colour removal even at increased coagulant dosages implies enmeshment of destabilized dye colloids into the hydroxy flocs/precipitates of metal coagulant by "sweep coagulation". Finally, flocs from selected sludge samples have been examined for particle size and shape by image analysis and their key characteristics summarised.

A simple, rapid and accurate complexometric method for the determination of palladium(II) is proposed, based on the selective masking property of thioacetamide towards palladium(II). In the presence of diverse metal ions, palladium(II) is complexed with excess of EDTA and the surplus EDTA is back titrated at pH 5-5.5 (acetic acid-sodium acetate buffer) with standard lead nitrate solution using xylenol orange as indicator. An excess of a 0.5% aqueous solution of thioacetamide is then added to displace EDTA from Pd(II)-EDTA complex. The released EDTA is titrated with the same standard lead nitrate solution as before. Reproducible and accurate results are obtained in the concentration range 0.5 mg - 17.80 mg of palladium with relative error of +/- 0.16% and coefficient of variation not exceeding 0.26%. The effect of diverse ions is studied. The method is used for the determination of palladium in its complexes, catalysts and synthetic alloy mixtures.

The present paper focuses on assessing the levels of various enzymatic and non-enzymatic antioxidants in selected berries of Indian sub-continent viz., gooseberry, grapes, orange and tomato. This study has revealed that orange, tomato and grapes possess predominant quantities of enzymatic antioxidants namely SOD, catalase and glutathione peroxidase respectively. The levels of antioxidants analyzed namely reduced glutathione, vitamin C and vitamin A were maximal in grapes, orange and tomato respectively. All the extracts of berries included in the present study inhibited iron inducedin vitro lipid peroxidation in erythrocytes, the extend of inhibition being highest for gooseberry and orange compared to tomato and grapes which could be attributed to their in-built antioxidant system.

Piper species, commonly used in diet and traditional medicine were assessed for their antioxidant potential. Catalase activity was predominated in Piper longum, followed by Piper cubeba, green pepper, Piper brachystachyum and Piper nigrum. P. nigrum was richest in glutathione peroxidase and glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase, green pepper was richest in peroxidase and vitamin C while vitamin E was more in P. longum and P. nigrum. P. brachystachyum and P. longum were rich sources of vitamin A. All the Piper species had GSH content of around 1 to 2 nM/g tissue. The antioxidant components of Piper species constitute a very efficient system in scavenging a wide variety of reactive oxygen species. Antioxidant potential of Piper species was further confirmed by their ability to curtail in vitro lipid peroxidation by around 30-50% with concomitant increase in GSH content.

This communication presents the results pertaining to the investigation conducted on color removal of trisazo direct dye, C.I. Direct Brown 1:1 by adsorption onto coal based sorbents viz. charfines, lignite coal, bituminous coal and comparing results with activated carbon (Filtrasorb-400). The kinetic sorption data indicated the sorption capacity of the different coal based sorbents. The sorption interaction of direct dye on to coal based sorbents obeys first-order irreversible rate equation and activated carbon fits with the first-order reversible rate equation. Intraparticle diffusion studies revealed the dye sorption interaction was complex and intraparticle diffusion was not only the rate limiting step. Isothermal data fit well with the rearranged Langmuir adsorption model. R(L) factor revealed the favorable nature of the isotherm of the dye-coal system. Neutral solution pH yielded maximum dye color removal. Desorption and interruption studies further indicated that the coal based sorbents facilitated chemisorption in the process of dye sorption while, activated carbon resulted in physisorption interaction.

The potential of commonly available green algae belonging to Spirogyra species was investigated as viable biomaterials for biological treatment of simulated synthetic azo dye (Reactive Yellow 22) effluents. The results obtained from the batch experiments revealed the ability of the algal species in removing the dye colour and was dependent both on the dye concentration and algal biomass. Maximum dye colour removal was observed on the third day for all the system conditions. Monitoring of ORP values helped to understand the overlying biochemical mechanism of algal-dye system. Based upon the results, the dye-algal treatment mechanism was attributed to biosorption (sorption of dye molecules over the surface of algal cells), bioconversion (diffusion of dye molecules into the algal cells and subsequent conversion) and biocoagulation (coagulation of dye molecules present in the aqueous phase onto the biopolymers released as metabolic intermediates during metabolic conversion of dye and subsequent settlement).

The study was envisaged to develop and extend the shelf life of the highly perishable Indian traditional meat product, chevon (capine) keema, through the application of hurdle technology.The hurdles used were water activity (a(w)) and pH as variable hurdles as well as vacuum packaging, preservatives and heat treatment as constant hurdles. The water activity of the product was adjusted to 2 levels viz., 0.90 and 0.88 by the addition of humectants. The product with 0.90 was preferred for sensory quality. The pH of the keema was adjusted with lactic acid to 3 desired levels viz. 5.50, 5.65 and 5.80. The product with pH 5.8 was the most acceptable and with pH 5.50 was the least acceptable. Standardised keema with a(w) 0.90 and pH 5.80 was stored at ambient temperature (36.2±1.2°C) and evaluated for physico-chemical, microbiological and sensory characteristics. A gradual increase in moisture, a(w), thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) number and tyrosine value were observed throughout the storage period. There was a decrease in the growth rate of aerobic and anaerobic counts and complete inhibition of Staphylococcus aureus. Although sensory scores for hurdle treated keema declined upon storage, the product was well accepted up to the 3rd day and fairly accepted up to 5th day whereas the keema prepared by the traditional method was acceptable only on the first day. Hurdle technology significantly improved the shelf life of keema.

Various low-cost materials like kaolinite, bentonite, charfines, lignite and nirmali seeds were investigated to assess their capacity for removal of fluorides from water by batch adsorption studies. Studies were also conducted to determine optimum operating-system parameters; such as contact time, pH, dose and size of the adsorbent. Present study has indicated that materials like nirmali seeds and lignite are not effective (removal 6 to 8%); whereas removal by kaolinite clay was slightly higher (18.2%). Charfines and bentonite exhibited highest removal capacity of 38 and 46%, respectively, at optimum system conditions. Chemical pre-treatment of charfines did not result in enhanced removal of fluoride from water.

Taurine was used in the present study to evaluate its beneficial effects against proteinuria and hyperlipidemia associated with nephrotic syndrome. Rats made nephrotic with adriamycin had a high excretion of protein, albumin, and N-acetyl-beta-D-glucosaminidase compared with nonnephrotic rats. Nephrotic rats manifested hyperlipidemia with significant elevation in all major lipoprotein fractions. Treatment with taurine significantly suppressed adriamycin-induced proteinuria, albuminuria, and urinary excretion of N-acetyl-beta-D-glucosaminidase. Treatment of rats wit taurine for 7 days before adriamycin, and daily thereafter, significantly lowered plasma cholesterol, triglycerides, phospholipids, lipid peroxides, and malondialdehyde associated with lipoprotein fractions. Similarly, total lipids, cholesterol, triglycerides, lipid peroxides, hydroperoxides, and hydroxyl radicals in the liver and kidneys of taurine-treated adriamycin rats were decreased significantly compared with adriamycin alone. Lecithin cholesterol acyl transferase activity and free fatty acid levels in plasma, lipoprotein lipase activity, glutathione, total thiol, and ascorbic acid in the liver and the kidneys of taurine-treated adriamycin groups were significantly elevated compared with adriamycin alone. These results suggest that taurine might be applicable as a protective agent for proteinuria and hyperlipidemia associated with nephrotic syndrome.

Sorptive uptake of lignin and tannin from an aqueous phase by activated charcoal was investigated in the laboratory. The sorption reaction was found to be of a first order. The influence on the rate of sorption of various factors, such as amount of sorbent and pH of the system, have been investigated. Sorption data fit well into the Langmuir adsorption isotherm, indicating formation of a monolayer over a homogeneous sorbent surface. Sorption capacity, rate constant, intraparticle diffusion coefficient, etc. were calculated from the sorption data. Desorption studies indicate the irreversible nature of the sorption reaction, whereas interruption studies suggest film diffusion to be rate limiting.