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Nonlinear phononic materials enable superior wave responses by combining nonlinearity with their inherent periodicity, creating opportunities for the development of novel acoustic devices. However, the field has largely focused on reversible nonlinearities, whereas the role of hysteretic nonlinearity remains unexplored. In this work, we investigate nonlinear shear wave responses arising from the hysteretic nonlinearity of frictional rough contacts, and harness these responses to enable programmable functions. By using a numerical approach, we solve the strongly nonlinear problem of shear wave propagation through a single contact and a periodic array of contacts, accounting for frictional effects. Specifically, the Jenkin friction model with experimentally obtained properties is used to capture the effects of stick-slip transition at the contacts. Results show that friction gives rise to shear-polarized eigenstrains, which are residual static deformations within the system. We then demonstrate how eigenstrain generation in multiple contacts can enable programmable functionalities such as an acoustically controlled mechanical switch, precision position control, and surface reconfigurability. Overall, our findings open new avenues for designing smart materials and devices with advanced functionalities via acoustic waves using the hysteretic nonlinearity of frictional contacts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The changeable nature of renewable sources creates difficulties in system security and stability. Therefore, it is necessary to study system risk in several power system scenarios. In a wind-integrated deregulated power network, the wind farm needs to submit the bid for its power-generating quantities a minimum of one day ahead of the operation. The wind farm submits the data based on the expected wind speed (EWS). If any mismatch occurs between real wind speed (RWS) and expected wind speed, ISO enforces the penalty/rewards to the wind farm. In a single word, this is called the power market imbalance cost, which directly distresses the system profit. Here, solar PV and battery energy storage systems are used along by the wind farm to exploit system profit by grasping the negative outcome of imbalance cost. Along with system profit, the focus has also been on system risk. The system risk has been calculated using the risk assessment factors, i.e., Value-at-Risk (VaR) and Cumulative Value-at-risk (CVaR). The work is performed on a modified IEEE 14 and modified IEEE 30 bus test system. The solar PV-battery storage system can supply the demand locally first, and then the remaining power is given to the electrical grid. By using this concept, the system risk can be minimized by the incorporation of solar PV and battery storage systems, which have been studied in this work. A comparative study has been performed using three dissimilar optimization methods, i.e., Artificial Gorilla Troops Optimizer Algorithm (AGTO), Artificial Bee Colony Algorithm (ABC), and Sequential Quadratic Programming (SQP) to examine the consequence of the presented technique. The AGTO has been used for the first time in the risk assessment and alleviation problem, which is the distinctiveness of this work. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lack of safe water prevents 42 percent of the world's population from accessing sanitation. In 2021, the WHO estimated that there would be 784 million people without access to safe drinking water. With a well-planned system, the group aims to cut the number of people in need of drinkable water by half by 2015. These methods improve saltwater, which makes up 97 percent of the world's water. In this regard, a model that simulates the work of groundwater treatment firms using natural resources and renewable energy has been developed. There was a lack of continuous wind energy throughout most of Oman, where this model was put, and the necessity for a reverse osmosis system for constant maintenance because these projects rely on renewable energy everywhere. This article aims to create an autonomous desalination plant powered by solar and wind energy. A simulator model based on renewable energy groundwater purification systems was created for this aim. To treat subterranean water in distant areas of Oman using two renewable technologies to create enough electricity to run the reverse water purification and water purification system at the lowest cost. A turbine mounted vertically with a height of 1.5 meters and a diameter of 1 meter will produce 2304 liters per day and 800000 liters per year. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Phononic materials are periodically arranged building blocks in the form of material properties, geometries, and/or boundary conditions. This synthetic architecture makes phononic materials capable of manipulating mechanical waves that have potential applications across multiple disciplines of physics and engineering. Initial studies have been focused on linear phononic materials that assume small-amplitude waves. The incorporation of nonlinearity, however, has been shown to open opportunities for a new realm of dynamic responses valid beyond the small-amplitude regime. Acknowledging this potential, research in the field has undergone a paradigm shift in the last decade or so by exploiting various sources of nonlinearities within phononic materials. A comprehensive overview of the origin of nonlinearities and how they are modeled, solved, and realized in phononic materials, and specifically, what role nonlinearity plays in enabling rich nonlinear wave responses, is crucial for the future advancement of the field. In this review, we discuss recent advances in nonlinear wave propagation in phononic materials and metamaterials by drawing links between different phononic media and their nonlinearity-induced behaviors. We first briefly discuss the analytical methods employed to solve nonlinear wave propagation problems by focusing on foundational models. We then review physics-based sources of nonlinearities, primarily, material, geometric, and contact nonlinearities and elucidate nonlinear wave responses enabled by them in phononic materials and metamaterials. Finally, we outline existing challenges and possible future directions in nonlinear phononics and metamaterials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article, we have focused on the concept of junction-free transistor to propose and simulate the ultrathin dielectric modulated (DM) bulk-planar junctionless field-effect transistor (BP-JLFET) as a biosensor device. The proposed device is incorporated with a label-free detection of neutral (proteins, enzymes, streptavidin, and APTES) and charged [deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA)] biomolecules in terms of dielectric constant (K) and charge densities (ρ). For the detection of the biomolecules, the nanocavity is formed by etching out the oxide underneath the gate dielectric at source end. The presence/absence of biomolecules has been detected by the factor of sensitivity with the immobilization of dielectric constant (K) and the charge density (ρ) in the formed nanocavity. Moreover, the comparative study of the BP-JLFET, the dielectric-modulated tunnel field-effect transistor (DM-TFET), and the conventional dielectric-modulated field-effect transistor (DM-FET)-based biosensor in terms of their drain current (Ids) and the sensitivity have been carried out. From the study, it can be depicted that the BP-JLFET has higher sensitivity to sense the biomolecules compared to both the DM-TFET and the conventional DM-FET. Furthermore, we have also analyzed the noise characteristics for the simulated structures to measure the ability of the proposed device for sensing the biomolecules in the presence of noise. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to their low production costs, small weight, printability, solution processing, and the possibility of using flexible substrates, organic solar cells (OSCs) exhibit strong potential to be used in future solar cell technology. Major specifications for the commercialization of OSCs are the long life span of OSC devices, enhanced environmental stability and a sufficiently high power conversion efficiency (PCE). The development of low energy gap organic polymers, transport materials and multi-layer system architecture has been effective in achieving higher PCE. However, overcoming environmental stability and sustaining a longer life span are a major challenge. The instability of OSCs is the dynamic mechanism, mostly induced due to the combined impact of oxygen, incident light, and ambient, as well as processing, temperature. Studies have reported that thermal annealing of the active layer tends to a shift in the phase morphology, which typically occurs either because of the vertical phase separation or because of the process of donor–acceptor phase segregation. In this paper, various factors that affect the performance of the OSC have been comprehensively studied. Factors such as thermal stress, vertical phase segregation, material composition and tradeoff between thickness and light absorption have been discussed. This paper mainly reviews the measures carried out to improve the efficiency of conventional polymer-fullerene-based bulk-heterojunction OSCs and reports the different techniques to address these issues. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ethyl acetate is intensively used as a solvent for paints, coatings, resins, inks, main ingredient in different fragrances and flavors for consumer products and decaffeination. An assessment of the ethyl acetate esterification process for different process intensification techniques was studied to identify the several advantages over the traditional process. Experimental and simulation details for individual ethyl acetate production process and coproduction process with n-butyl acetate or isopropyl acetate are discussed. Simulation studies analysis shows the comparison of various mathematical models and the identification of the most commonly used model for different process simulators. This review focuses on ethyl acetate process intensification techniques including Reactive distillation, pervaporation assisted reactive distillation, pressure-swing reactive distillation, reactive dividing wall columns, reactive extractive distillation, microwave reactive distillation, reactive chromatography. The effect of various process parameters i.e. ethanol flow rate, acetic acid flow rate, choice of a homogeneous and heterogeneous catalyst, reflux ratio, feed tray position, the total number of trays, types of entrainer, condenser and reboiler duties on ethyl acetate purity, overall production rate, energy consumption and total annual cost were discussed. Reactive distillation overcomes chemical equilibrium limitations, saving energy and ensuring economic effectiveness by reduced capital investment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Present investigation reports a straight forward method for synthesis of graphene oxide (GO) followed by fabrication of graphene oxide microsphere (GMS) using water in oil (w/o) emulsification technique. For colon specific drug delivery, enteric coating is desirable, which was done using Eudragit S100 and characterized by Fourier transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR). The surface morphology of fabricated microsphere was confirmed using scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Drug loaded microspheres demonstrated a high payload capacity for model drug tramadol hydrochloride (TmH). The comparative In-vitro drug release showed around 72.37% release from uncoated microspheres, whereas eudragit coated microspheres retarded the drug release upto 10 h. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Here to determine the thermal stability of buffered layer organic solar cell (BL‐OSC), the effect of post anneal treatment has been studied. To investigate the effect of post annealing, the organic solar cells (OSCs) are annealed at the 120°C for different time duration. It has been observed that the BL‐OSC structure exhibits the better thermal stability. Further, as the authors vary the post‐annealing time duration from 0 min to 20 min, the power conversion efficiency (PCE) in the case BL‐OSC drops by ∼20%, whereas in conventional OSC, the PCE drops by ∼35%. This annealing dependent study shows that, in conventional OSC structure an increase in phase segregation between donor and acceptor molecules reduces exciton dissociation and charge separation, this leads to sharp increase in series resistance and significant reduction in fill factor of the device. Whereas in the case of BL‐OSS, there is a minimum reduction in the fill factor, which also determines the superior carrier collection and low recombination on the elevated annealing conditions. Further, the experimental results show that, in comparison with the conventional OSC structure, inserting the pure P3HT interlayer between PEDOT:PSS (hole transport layer) and P3HT:PCBM (photoactive layer) improves the PCE of the device by 34%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Here to determine the thermal stability of buffered layer organic solar cell (BL-OSC), the effect of post anneal treatment has been studied. To investigate the effect of post annealing, the organic solar cells (OSCs) are annealed at the 120°C for different time duration. It has been observed that the BL-OSC structure exhibits the better thermal stability. Further, as the authors vary the post-annealing time duration from 0 min to 20 min, the power conversion efficiency (PCE) in the case BLOSC drops by ~20%, whereas in conventional OSC, the PCE drops by ~35%. This annealing dependent study shows that, in conventional OSC structure an increase in phase segregation between donor and acceptor molecules reduces exciton dissociation and charge separation, this leads to sharp increase in series resistance and significant reduction in fill factor of the device. Whereas in the case of BL-OSS, there is a minimum reduction in the fill factor, which also determines the superior carrier collection and low recombination on the elevated annealing conditions. Further, the experimental results show that, in comparison with the conventional OSC structure, inserting the pure P3HT interlayer between PEDOT:PSS (hole transport layer) and P3HT:PCBM (photoactive layer) improves the PCE of the device by 34%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Elastic bulk materials support longitudinal and transverse waves such that the former travels faster in most cases. Anomalous polarization is the case when a transverse wave travels faster, allowing us to engineer the wave propagation via wave steering, scattering control, and mode conversion, which has critical applications in vibration mitigation and ultrasonic imaging. However, realizable materials that exhibit anomalous polarization are rarely found in nature, and architected materials that exhibit this property have only been demonstrated in 2D. In this article, we present 3D auxetic periodic lattice materials that support anomalous wave polarization. Through finite element analysis, we show that these lattices can switch between normal and anomalous behavior via simple geometry changes. We confirm the elasticity condition and qualitatively discuss the guidelines to design lattice materials that support anomalous polarization along a specific wave propagation direction. We show the ability to control the anomalous wave propagation direction by modifying the lattice geometry. Further, we numerically demonstrate mode conservation, deceleration, and acceleration of an incident wave using a material that exhibits anomalous wave polarization. These demonstrations show the potential application of such materials in nondestructive evaluation and medical imaging. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Periodic lattices offer enhanced mechanical and dynamic properties per unit mass, and the ability to engineer the material response by optimizing the unit cell. Characterizing the effective properties of these lattice materials through experiments can be a time consuming and costly process, so analytical and numerical methods are crucial. Specifically, the Bloch-wave homogenization approach allows one to characterize the effective static properties of the lattice while simultaneously analyzing wave propagation properties such as band gaps, propagating modes, and wave directionality. While this analysis has been used for some time, a thorough study of this approach on three-dimensional (3D) lattice materials with different symmetries and geometries is presented here. Bloch-wave homogenization is applied to extract the effective stiffness tensor of 3D periodic lattices and confirmed with elastostatic homogenization, both within a finite element framework. Multiple periodic lattices with cubic, transversely isotropic, and tetragonal symmetry, including an auxetic geometry, over a wide range of relative densities are analyzed. Further, this approach is used to analyze 3D periodic composite structures, and a way to tailor their overall anisotropy is demonstrated. This work can serve as the basis for nondestructive evaluation of metamaterials properties using ultrasonic velocity measurements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tapentadol hydrochloride (TPD) is a novel analgesic with two mechanisms of actions: agonist activity at the μ-opioid receptor and norepinephrine reuptake inhibition. The conventional delivery of TPD is problematic, owing to its extensive first pass metabolism, low lipophilicity and short half-life that leads to low bioavailability (32%). The intent of the present work was aimed at bio-fabrication of polysorbate 80 coated chitosan nanoparticles (CS-NPs) for CNS targeting of TPD using factorial design approach for enhanced delivery of drug. TPD–CS-NPs were prepared by ionic gelation technique and optimized using 23factorial design of experiment. The effect of polymer (CS) and cross linker (TPP) concentration was studied on particle size (PS) and entrapment efficiency (EE%). Formulation CNP6was considered desirable with optimalEE% (87.1 ± 0.4%),PS(329.3 ± 1.0 nm), zeta potential (30.4 ± 0.7 mV) and cumulative drug release of 73.5 ± 2.9% in 24 h. Differential scanning calorimetry revealed the absence of any chemical interaction between TPD, CS, and TPP while SEM study confirmed spherical morphology.In vivopharmacodynamic studies on rat model verified that pure drug was unable to show considerable antinociceptive activity owing to its hydrophilic nature, conversely polysorbate 80 coated TPD–CS-NPs showed a significant antinociceptive effect over a period of 24 h, which is evidence for brain targeting of TPD–CS-NPs. Accelerated stability studies of optimized batch demonstrated a negligible change in the averagePSandEE% after storage at 25 ± 2 °C/60 ± 5% RH (relative humidity) for the period of three months. The ANOVA results for the dependent variables demonstrated that the model was significant (Pvalues < 0.05) for response variables. Above finding suggested practicability of investigated system for effective targeting of many therapeutic agents in the treatment of many life threatening CNS disorders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, δ-doped partially insulated junctionless transistor (δ-Pi-OXJLT) has been proposed which shows that, employing highly doped δ-region below the channel not only reduces the off-state leakage current ( I OFF ) and short channel effects (SCEs) but also reduce the requirements of scaling channel thickness of junctionless transistor (JLT). The comparative analysis of digital and analog circuit performance of proposed δ-Pi-OXJLT, bulk planar (BP) JLT and silicon-on-insulator (SOI) JLT has also been carried out. The digital parameters analyzed in this work are, on-state drive current ( I ON ), I OFF , I ON / I OFF ratio, static power dissipation ( P STAT ) whereas the analog parameters analyzed includes, transconductance ( G M ), transconductance generation factor ( G M / I DS ), intrinsic gain ( G M R O ) and cut-off frequency ( f T ) of the devices. In addition, scaling behavior of the devices is studied for various channel lengths by using the parameters such as drain induced barrier lowering (DIBL) and sub-threshold swing (SS). It has been found that, the proposed δ-Pi-OXJLT shows significant reduction in I OFF , DIBL and SS over BPJLT and SOIJLT devices. Further, I ON and I ON / I OFF ratio in the case of proposed δ-Pi-OXJLT also improves over the BPJLT device. Furthermore, the improvement in analog figures of merit, G M , G M / I DS , G M R O and f T in the case of proposed δ-Pi-OXJLT clearly shows that the proposed δ-Pi-OXJLT is the promising device for mixed signal integrated circuits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Present invention relates to design of nanostructured lipid carriers (NLC) to augment oral bioavailability of Carvedilol (CAR). In this attempt, formulations of CAR-NLCs were prepared with glyceryl-monostearate (GMS) as a lipid, poloxamer 188 as a surfactant and tween 80 as a co-surfactant using high pressure homogenizer by 23factorial design approach. Formed CAR-NLCs were assessed for various performance parameters. Accelerated stability studies demonstrated negligible change in particle size and entrapment efficiency, after storage at specified time up to 3 months. The promising findings in this investigation suggest the practicability of these systems for enhancement of bioavailability of drugs like CAR. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The production of tetrahydrofuran from 1,4-butanediol has been investigated with the intent of process intensification. Batch kinetic experiments were performed using ion exchange resin catalyst, Amberlyst-15. The presence of water was found to strongly affect the performance of the catalyst. The kinetic experiments were performed to capture the effect of water on the reaction along with other variations in reaction conditions like temperature and catalyst ratio. The obtained kinetic data was then regressed to arrive at a logical rate expression. Detailed theoretical and experimental analysis explains the use of process intensification like reactive separation to improve the conversion. This has been assessed with the help of batch reactive distillation runs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In present study, Layer-by-Layer (LbL) self-assembly technology was successfully adopted for encapsulation of Prednisolone (PDL) in polyelectrolyte microcapsules (PEM) for sustained release. We report use of high frequency sonication to form PDL nanocrystals from PDL, which were subsequently coated with polyanions and polycations. The developed formulation was evaluated using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), zeta potential, differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), in vitro dissolution and diffusion studies. Thein vitrodrug release study demonstrated decreased PDL release with an increase in number of coatings. The PDL release can be tailored by formulating it in form of PEM. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

In this paper, asymmetric drain (ASD) underlap channel dopant-segregated Schottky barrier (DSSB) silicon-on-insulator (SOI) MOSFET has been proposed to improve the scalability and high-frequency performance of DSSB SOI MOSFET. The asymmetry of this device lies in the spacer thickness at the drain which creates an underlap channel with the same dopant-segregation length as that of the overlap channel at the source. The presence of overlap at the source and underlap at the drain of this device not only makes it immune to short-channel effects and the gate-induced drain leakage but also improves the analog figures of merit such as transconductance, intrinsic gain and unity-gain frequency of the device. In addition to this, the inverter power dissipation and the ring-oscillator delay in an optimized ASD underlap device are reduced by ~40% and ~20%, respectively, over the symmetric source/drain overlap and underlap channel devices. Thus, the significant improvement in both digital and analog figures of merit at nanoscale shows the suitability of the proposed device for low-power mixed-signal circuits. The proposed fabrication flow of this novel device is also similar to the DSSB SOI MOSFET flow and demonstrates the use of conventional CMOS processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: In this paper CMOS logic circuit performance of dopant-segregated Schottky barrier (DSSB) SOI and δ-doped partially insulated DSSB SOI (DSSB Pi-OX-δ) MOSFETs has been explored by extensive mixed-mode device/circuit simulations. It has been found that, the presence of partial buried oxide and δ-doping in an n-channel and p-channel DSSB Pi-OX-δ MOSFETs not only suppresses the off-state leakage, short-channel effects, self-heating effect and the process induced threshold voltage variability but also improves the on-state drive current of the devices. Further, although switching energy in the CMOS inverter, NAND and NOR gates based on DSSB SOI and DSSB Pi-OX-δ MOSFETs is almost equal, static power dissipation and propagation delay in the logic gates based on DSSB Pi-OX-δ MOSFET are reduced by ∼75% and ∼20% respectively over the logic gates based on DSSB SOI device. Thus, employing partial buried oxide and δ-doping under the channel of DSSB SOI MOSFET not only eliminates the potential weaknesses of this device but also makes it a suitable candidate for nanoscale CMOS logic circuits. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The aim of the proposed research work was to develop a novel dual-compartment capsule (NDCC) with polymeric disc for gastroretentive dosage form, which will ultimately result in better solubility and bioavailability of Ofloxacin. Floating ring caps were formulated by using different natural polymers, separating ring band and swellable polymer located at the bottom of capsule. Formulated ring caps were assessed for coating thickness, In vitro buoyancy, In vitro drug release, release kinetics and stability studies. Coating attained by the capsule shell was found to be 0.0643 mm. Depending on nature of natural polymer used, most of the formulations showed buoyancy for more than 9 hrs. Developed formulation demonstrated considerably higher drug release up to 9 hrs. The developed formulation FE2 depicted the drug release according to Korsmeyer-Peppas model. There was not any significant change in performance characteristics of developed ring caps after subjecting them to stability studies. The present study suggests that the use of NDCC for oral delivery of Ofloxacin could be an alternative to improve its systemic availability which could be regulated by the floating approach. The designed dosage system can have futuristic applications over payloads which require stomach-specific delivery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: In this paper it has been shown that employing an underlap channel created by varying the lateral doping straggle in dopant-segregated Schottky barrier SOI MOSFET not only improves the scalability but also suppresses the self-heating effect of this device. Although in strong inversion region the reduced effective gate voltage due to voltage drop across the underlap lengths reduces the drive current, in weak/moderate inversion region defined at I D =5μA/μm and V DS=0.5V the analog figures of merit such as transconductance, transconductance generation factor and intrinsic gain of the proposed underlap device are improved by 15%, 35% and 20%, respectively over the conventional overlap channel structure. In addition to this, at V DD=0.5V the gain-bandwidth product in a common-source amplifier based on proposed underlap device is improved by ∼20% over an amplifier based on the conventional overlap channel device. The mixed-mode device/circuit simulation results of CMOS inverter, NAND and the NOR gates based on these devices also show that at V DD=0.5V the switching energy, static power dissipation and the propagation delay in the case of proposed underlap device are reduced by ∼10%, ∼35% and ∼25%, respectively, over the conventional overlap device. Thus, significant improvement in analog figures of merit and the reduction in digital design metrics at lower supply voltage show the suitability of the proposed underlap device for low-power mixed-signal circuits. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Tin oxide thin films were deposited on alumina substrates at 350°C by spray pyrolysis technique. The films were studied after annealing them in air at different temperatures 550°C, 750°C and 950°C for 30 min. The films were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and optical absorption spectroscopy technique. The grain size was observed to be increased, ranging from 40 to 56.1 nm, with the increase in annealing temperature. Absorbance spectra were taken to examine the optical properties. The band gap energy was observed to be decreased with the increase in annealing temperature. These films were tested to various gases at different operating temperature ranging from 50°C to 450°C. The Tin Oxide film showed maximum sensitivity to H2S gas. The H2S sensing property of the SnO2 films was investigated with different annealing temperatures of the films and at different concentrations of H2S gas. It was found that the annealing temperature of the film significantly affects the sensitivity of the SnO2 to the H2S gas. The maximum sensitivity was found in case of the film annealed at temperature 950°C at the operating temperature 100°C. The sensitivity was found to be increased by 24% in case of the film annealed at 950°C as compared to the sensitivity of the film annealed at 550°C. The observed response of the film was for gas concentration of 10 ppm for H2S with reasonable sensitivity. The quick response and fast recovery are the main features of this film. The effect of annealing temperature on the structural, microstructural, optical and gas sensing properties of the nanocrystalline tin oxide thin films were studied and discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, SnO thin films were deposited onto alumina substrates at 350°C by spray pyrolysis technique. The films were studied after annealing in air at temperatures 550°C, 750°C and 950°C for 30 min. The films were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and optical absorption spectroscopy technique. The grain size was observed to increase with the increase in annealing temperature. Absorbance spectra were taken to examine the optical properties and bandgap energy was observed to decrease with the increase in annealing temperature. These films were tested in various gases at different operating temperatures ranging from 50-450°C. The film showed maximum sensitivity to HS gas. The HS sensing properties of the SnO films were investigated with different annealing temperatures and HS gas concentrations. It was found that the annealing temperature significantly affects the sensitivity of the SnO to the HS. The sensitivity was found to be maximum for the film annealed at temperature 950°C at an operating temperature of 100°C. The quick response and fast recovery are the main features of this film. The effect of annealing temperature on the optical, structural, morphological and gas sensing properties of the films were studied and discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, comparative analysis of hydrogen(H), hydroxyl (OH), fluorine (F) and chlorine (Cl) edge passivated silicene nanoribbon (SiNR) field effect transistors (FETs) having nanoribbon width of 7 dimers along the armchair direction has been carried out. The ab-initio tight binding simulations of SiNR with different edge passivation uses the multi-scale approach which consists of density functional theory, Wannier function based tight binding and the non-equilibrium Green's Function formalism. It has been found that, the band gap of hydrogen passivated SiNR is comparatively larger than the other edge passivated SiNRs. To choose the optimum number of Wannier functions for tight binding approximations, the contribution of orbitals has also been analyzed. It has been found that, in transport characteristics of X-edge passivated SiNR FETs (X is H, F, Cl and OH), the H-edge passivated SiNR FET shows improved transfer characteristics in comparison to OH, Cl and F–edge passivated SiNR FETs. • Performance analysis of various edge passivated Silicene armchair nanoribbon. • Bandgap of H-passivated SiNR is higher than OH, Cl and F–edge passivated SiNR. • Use of projected density of states to choose the optimum number of Wannier function. • Higher I ON / I OFF in case of H-passivated SiNR FET in comparison other–edge passivated SiNR FET. • Performance of H-passivated SiNR FET is superior among other–edge passivated SiNR FET. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The aim of the present work was to explore the use of heteroaromatic thiol compounds, namely derivatives of pyridine and pyrimidine, as redox reagents for the in vitro-refolding of a recombinantly expressed single-chain Fv fragment (scFvOx). The mixed disulfide of scFvOx with glutathione was used as a starting material, while reduced glutathione, 4-mercaptopyridine, 2-mercaptopyrimidine, 2-mercaptopyridine N-oxide, and the mercaptobenzene derivative thiosalicylic acid, respectively, served as catalysts for the formation of native disulfide bonds during renaturation. In contrast to thiosalicylic acid, and despite their significantly lower thiol pK a values, none of the heteroaromatic thiol compounds accelerated the apparent kinetics of in vitro-refolding compared to the naturally occurring peptide glutathione. However, significantly improved renaturation yields were observed in the presence of 4-mercaptopyridine and 2-mercaptopyrimidine, demonstrating the usefulness of aromatic thiol compounds as reagents for the in vitro-refolding of antibody fragments. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The first total synthesis of prasinic acid is being reported along with its biological evaluation. The ten step synthesis involved readily available and cheap starting materials and can easily be transposed to large scale manufacturing. The crucial steps of the synthesis included the formation of two different aromatic units (7 and 9) and their coupling reaction. The synthetic prasinic acid exhibited moderate antitumor activity (IC50 4.3–9.1μM) in different lines of cancer cells. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

In this paper, comprehensive study on variation in composition ratio and thermal annealing of multilayer organic solar cells (OSC) has been demonstrated. Our previous work reported that in comparison to the conventional OSC structure, multilayer OSC consisting of the pure donor phase between the hole transport layer and active layer has shown a significant improvement in the power conversion efficiency (PCE). Since photovoltaic performance of the OSC strongly influenced by composition ratio, the impact of poly 3-hexylthiophene (P3HT) and 6,6-phenyl-C 61 -butyric acid methyl ester (PCBM) weight ratio has been analyzed. It has been found that, the short-circuit current density (J SC) of the device is highest for the P3HT:PCBM composition ratio of 1.0:0.8 and decreases slightly for 1.0:1.0 weight ratio. This study has also been accompanied with the thermal annealing on spin coated P3HT:PCBM which further enhances the PCE of the device. The maximum J SC and the PCE of 9.47 mA/cm2 and 3.26% has been achieved for the multilayer OSC having P3HT:PCBM composition ratio of 1.0:0.8 and thermally annealed at 140 °C. This is attributed largely by the tuned phase morphology of the donor-acceptor. It has been found that, the P3HT:PCBM weight ratio of 1.0:0.8 results into efficient photon absorption and charge separation in the bulk heterojunction OSC. The reduced concentration of PCBM in 1.0:0.8 weight ratio leads to the strong interchain interaction of P3HT molecules which enhances the charge separation and collection ability of the bulk heterojunction OSC. Unlabelled Image • Organic solar cell (OSC) with buffered P3HT layer added between PEDOT:PSS and P3HT:PCBM is presented. • Thermal Annealing study shows the effect of vertical phase separation and Donor-Acceptor phase separation in OSC. • The power conversion efficiency (PCE) is influenced by annealing temperature and concentration ratio of P3HT:PCBM. • The analysis shows that the addition of buffer layer improves the JSC, FF and PCE of OSC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to develop esomeprazole-loaded zinc-pectinate-Sesbania gum floating microbeads, optionally supplemented with calcium silicate, as a gastro-retentive drug delivery system. The microbeads were produced using the ionic gelation method, with zinc acetate as the crosslinking agent, and were characterized through in vitro studies. The findings revealed that all formulations exhibited high drug encapsulation efficiency and sustained drug release profiles. Polymer ratios, calcium silicate incorporation, and the choice of low-density oils significantly influenced drug encapsulation efficiency and release kinetics. Notably, the B:6 batch, formulated with Sesbania gum and low methoxy pectin, demonstrated outstanding performance, releasing 95.89 ± 1.66% of the drug within 7 h, with a floating lag time of 1.18 ± 0.07 min, indicating promising in vitro gastro-retention capabilities. Analysis of P-XRD, FT-IR, SEM, and DSC data highlighted changes in crystallinity, drug--excipient compatibility, surface morphology, and thermal behavior of esomeprazole and esomeprazole-loaded microbeads. In conclusion, these floating microbeads represent a potential gastro-retentive drug delivery system, offering enhanced buoyancy and prolonged drug release, with potential therapeutic advantages for peptic ulcer management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AbstractQuetiapine (QTP) is a moderately water-soluble biopharmaceutical classification system (BCS) class II antipsychotic drug used to treat schizophrenia. Carboxymethyl chitosan (CMC) microspheres were prepared using a co-precipitation approach. The Quetiapine was translocated to the brain through a nasal route using carboxymethyl chitosan-calcium carbonate (CMC-CaCO3) hybrid microspheres. During this process, optimization controlled the size of the microspheres by controlling the volume of solution, precipitating agent, and concentration ratios of the precursors. The optimized batch showed a narrow size distribution with high stability in the dispersed phase as characterized by dynamic light scattering. Preliminary characterization revealed crosslinking formation between the carboxymethyl groups of chitosan and the CaCO3 may be responsible for the spherical structure. The preliminary evaluations were done with Attenuated total reflectance-Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), and UV visible spectroscopy (UV-Vis). The surface morphology was assessed by scanning electron microscopy that showed the microscale range of the spherical-shaped particles. The ex-vivo mucoadhesive studies suggested a high binding affinity toward mucin, having a sustained release effect for up to 8 h. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aims to develop quetiapine (QTP)-loaded β-cyclodextrin (β-CD) based co-polymeric thiolated polyethylene glycol-poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (t-PEG-PLGA) nanoparticles (QTP@β-CD-t-PEG-PLGA) by transesterification process. As a result, the ex-vivo bioadhesion study shows good bioadhesion because of the thiolation of PEG (t-PEG), which can interrelate through mucin and expand the retention time. In-vitro release study demonstrates the QTP release to 20 h (∼98.76%). Herein, sulfhydryl ligands can form disulfide bonds with cysteine-rich mucus areas that increased the viscosity of mucin and accordingly drug retention. Hence, it can be significant accomplishment for nose to brain drug targeting in psychotic disorder management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article informs that Indian scientist Jayant Khandare with scientists and academicians has initiated the Right to Research (R2R) Foundation in India as of September 2014 to support foreign-educated and trained Indian researchers help them find suitable jobs in India.

A ten-step synthesis of prasinic acid (I) starting from readily available and cheap materials is presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report the development of Layer-by-Layer (LbL) polyelectrolyte self-assembled nanocrystalline drug-delivery platform using two experimental factors, namely the number of coatings and temperature during deposition with three varying levels. The optimized formulation (Fopt) was assessed for zeta potential and particle size using Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FT-IR), Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC), and Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM). Charge reversal along with an increase in particle size confirmed coating of polyelectrolyte on drug nanocrystals. The FT-IR study revealed no signs of incompatibility or change in formulation property during preformulation and stability study. This fact was further supported by DSC results. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

[Display omitted] • Synthesis of CeO2 nanoparticles (CeO2 NPs) successfully synthesized by sol–gel and hydrothermal methods. It is cost effective and valuable approach. • CeO2 NPs exhibiting superior gas sensitivity and enhanced dye degradation. • CeO2 NPs exhibiting high NH3 gas sensing responses with other tested gases and photocatalytic activity under MB degraded under sunlight. • CeO2 NPs are often exhibit enhanced surface area leading to improve gas sensing and photocatalytic activity performance. • The gas sensing and photocatalytic activity of CeO2 NPs offers a wide range of applications with potential benefits for environmental sustainability, public health. Cerium dioxide (CeO 2) nanoparticles were synthesized through sol–gel and hydrothermal methods, yielding materials with distinct properties. Characterization techniques including Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), Ultraviolet–visible spectroscopy (UV–Vis), X-ray Diffraction (XRD), Raman spectroscopy, Cyclic Voltammetry (CV), Photoluminescence spectra (PL), Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy (FESEM), and Transmission Electron Microscopy with Selected Area Electron Diffraction (TEM-SAED) were employed to analyse the synthesized nanoparticles. The FTIR analysis revealed an absorption band at 475 cm−1, while UV–Visible spectroscopy determined band gap energies of 3 eV and 3.16 eV for the sol–gel and hydrothermal methods, respectively. XRD analysis indicated crystalline sizes of 14.57 nm and 17.41 nm for the sol–gel and hydrothermal methods, respectively. Raman spectroscopy demonstrated active peaks at 464 cm−1 for the sol–gel method and 463 cm−1 for the hydrothermal method. Cyclic Voltammetry showcased different oxidation and reduction peaks, while Photoluminescence spectra provided insights into the excitation spectrum of CeO 2 nanoparticles. FESEM and TEM-SAED images revealed nano-sized spherical spongy CeO 2 nanoparticles. Furthermore, the synthesized CeO 2 nanoparticles exhibited promising photocatalytic degradation activity against methyl blue (MB) dye under sunlight irradiation, with degradation efficiencies of 92 % and 82 % for the sol–gel and hydrothermal methods, respectively. Additionally, gas sensing properties for various gases (ethanol, methanol, CO 2 , LPG, H 2 S, and NH 3) were evaluated using domestic gas sensor systems, showing potential applicability across a broad temperature range from 50 °C to 350 °C. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Several ionic liquids have been shown to act as suppressors of protein aggregation and to effectively promote the in vitro refolding of denatured proteins. In this work, the influence of the anion of these organic salts on their performance as refolding enhancers was tested, using a series of N-ethyl-N′-methyl imidazolium (EMIM) salts. Variation of the anion had a profound effect on the renaturation of the recombinant plasminogen activator rPA, which served as a model protein. The effect was roughly correlated with the stability of proteins in the tested aqueous ionic liquid solutions. Strongly destabilizing anions with higher alkyl substitutions like, e.g., hexyl sulfate were unable to promote protein refolding. However, the dimethyl and diethyl phosphate salts, which are known to be quite compatible with protein stability, also effectively suppressed renaturation, while alkylated sulfate anions with the same influence on protein stability did promote in vitro refolding. Only ionic liquid co-solvent systems with an intermediate capacity for solubilizing the proteinogenic amino acid tryptophan were found to permit effective renaturation of the model protein rPA. The most effective refolding enhancer among the tested ionic liquids was EMIM chloride. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This is a brief review of our recent and ongoing work on simple, rapid, room temperature, pressure- less and large area (~ cm2) imprinting techniques for high fidelity meso-patterning of different types of polymer films. Examples include soft solid polymer films and surfaces like cross-linked polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) and polyacrylamide (PAA) based hydrogels, thermoplastics like polystyrene (PS), polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) etc both on planar and curved surfaces. These techniques address two key issues in imprinting: (i) attainment of large area conformal contact with the stamp, especially on curved surfaces, and (ii) ease of stamp detachment without damage to the imprinted structures. The key element of the method is the use of thin and flexible patterned foils that readily and rapidly come into complete conformal contact with soft polymer surfaces because of adhesive interfacial interactions. The conformal contact is established at all length scales by bending of the foil at scales larger than the feature size, in conjunction with the spontaneous deformations of the film surface on the scale of the features. Complex two-dimensional patterns could also be formed even by using a simple one-dimensional master by multiple imprinting. The technique can be particularly useful for the bulk nano applications requiring routine fabrication of templates, for example, in the study of confined chemistry phenomena, nanofluidics, bio-MEMS, micro-imprinting, optical coatings and controlled dewetting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Identification of HSPG and ACE2 mimicking moieties for competitive inhibition of SARS-CoV-2 cell entry. • Docking and molecular dynamics simulation studies revealed the binding characteristics of mimicking moieties with SARS-CoV-2. • Carboxymethyl benzyl amide sulfonate (CMBS) and polyanetholesulfonic acid (PAS) are the promising HSPG mimicking ligands. • Paenibacillus sp. B38-CAP and Bacillus subtilis BS-CAP carboxypeptidases are the potential ACE2-like enzymes. A key step to inhibit severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection is to prevent the entry of the virus into the host cells. The receptor-binding domains (RBDs) of spike proteins of SARS-CoV and other human coronaviruses utilize heparan sulfate proteoglycans (HSPGs) as the primary receptors for their accumulation on the cell surface and then scan for binding to the main entry receptor angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2). SARS-CoV and SARS-CoV-2 share structurally similar RBDs and therefore, it is possible that SARS-COV-2 primarily binds to HSPGs followed by binding to the ACE2 receptors. A promising strategy to inhibit virus infection is to circulate exogenous bioactive moieties structurally mimicking cellular HSPG and ACE2 which act as decoy receptors binding to SARS-CoV-2 and competitively inhibit virus entry to the host cells mediated by cellular-bound HSPG and ACE2. Using a molecular docking tool, we identified carboxymethyl benzyl amide sulfonate (CMBS) and polyanetholesulfonic acid (PAS) as the suitable HSPG mimicking ligands, and Paenibacillus sp. B38-derived carboxypeptidase (B38-CAP) and Bacillus subtilis -derived carboxypeptidase (BS-CAP) as the potential ACE2-like enzymes having a strong binding affinity to the spike proteins as that of cellular HSPG and ACE2. Further, the binding stability and compactness of these moieties with SARS-CoV-2 were analyzed through molecular dynamics (MD) simulations, and the results indicated that these moieties form well-stable complexes with the RBD of spike proteins. The identified moieties could be conjugated to the surfaces of non-toxic nanoparticles to provide multiple interactions to efficiently shield SARS-CoV-2, and inhibit viral entry to the host cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Stimuli-sensitive layer-by-layer (LbL) self-assembly systems have generated much interest among researchers worldwide due to the simplicity of the process by which they are produced and their numerous applications in drug delivery. LbL self-assembly systems involve simple alternative adsorption of oppositely charged polyelectrolytes on core materials and are thus considered to be promising tools for drug delivery and biosensing. Here, we discuss the latest findings from research into LbL systems, with special emphasis on drug delivery systems. This review highlights various stimuli-responsive LbL systems and their targeting and biosensory applications. For the convenience of readers, these stimuli-responsive LbL systems are classified as exogenous stimuli-responsive LbL systems and endogenous stimuli-responsive LbL systems. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: A Lead Zirconate-Titanate (PZT)/poly-dimethylsiloxane (PDMS) based flexible composite is synthesized and investigated for its potential in significantly enhancing the vibration damping capability along with its tunable properties. Rheologically and functionally different PZT/PDMS composites are prepared by dispersing different volume fractions of piezoelectric soft/hard PZT and Fe particles in a cross-linked PDMS matrix. It is observed that passive damping increases with increase in the soft PZT volume fraction from 0 to 0.32. This effect becomes more prominent after poling the composite at optimum conditions. The loss factor depends on the viscoelastic properties of the PDMS, homo and hetero-particle connectivity in the composite, and polarization and localization of the PZT particles in composite. Rheological analysis of the composite shows that the material loss factor (tan δ) increases linearly from ∼0.3 to 0.75 along with a broadening of the peak when the PZT volume fraction is increased from 0 to 0.32. Maximum structural damping (η) is obtained at 0.32 (V/V) of the soft-PZT as measured by the Oberst beam technique. This effect becomes more pronounced after a poling treatment. The X-ray diffraction results indicate that the dispersed PZT particles in PDMS matrix have the lattice parameters of a =5.84Å, c =14.41Å and (001) orientation. Further, after poling treatment, the dielectric constant and the piezoelectric coefficient (d 33) for soft (submicron) PZT filler particles in PDMS matrix tend to be higher than those for hard PZT. The soft PZT/PDMS composite shows better performance as a damper than the hard, PZT composite. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Plagiarism, a concern of copying the text and claiming to be one's own, is posing a neverceasing challenge for those engaged in scientific research and ethical publications. Committing plagiarism intentionally is a punishable act, violating the moral and intellectual property of original author. Researchers must be aware of this sensitive issue and it may be amenable to further exploit this prominent aspect. Plagiarism needs to be potentially explored and exposed to all those contributing to the scientific research so as to lock it up universally. The present discussion is designed with a prime objective to provide an insight on how plagiarism is corrupting the scientific research and the keys to troubleshoot the declining reputation of the profession with special emphasis on pharmaceutical field. Herein, authors have tried to focus over the basics pertaining to plagiarism, a questionable fact in ethical publications. The manuscript could be beneficial to one who is at the entrance of research gate in scientific fields including pharmaceutical sector. The review embodies the fact that the plagiarism must be looked up by the researchers around the globe and awareness needs to be cultivated amongst them to foster the culture tied with honesty, and professionalism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]