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High-performing electrolytes at low operating temperatures have become an inevitable trend in the development of low-temperature solid oxide fuel cells (LT-SOFCs).

Anagallis arvensis (A. arvensis) belonging to the family Primulaceae is traditionally used for liver and kidney diseases. The aim of the study was to evaluate the uroprotective and hepatoprotective potentials of A. arvensis in cyclophosphamide-induced interstitial cystitis and paracetamol-induced hepatotoxicity rat model, respectively. Nociception, bladder weight, vesical vascular permeability, Gray’s criteria for edema and hemorrhage, and levels of nitric oxide, catalase, and glutathione were estimated and studied in the cystitis model. Liver function test, lipid profile, and histopathological evaluation were carried out in the hepatoprotective activity. Oral administration of methanol extract of A. arvensis significantly reduced bladder weight, vesical vascular permeability, edema, hemorrhage, nitric oxide, IL-6, and TNF-α, while the level of catalase and glutathione peroxide was increased. In hepatoprotective activity, pretreatment with A. arvensis significantly decreased the level of liver markers (Bilirubin, ALT, AST, and ALP) and lipid profile (cholesterol, TG, LDL, and VLDL). Histopathological studies confirmed the biochemical findings of both studies. GC-MS analysis presented the presence of antioxidant phytoconstituents. Thus, it was concluded that A. arvensis might act as uroprotective and hepatoprotective due to the presence of antioxidant phytochemicals in the rodent model. Isolation and identification of phytochemicals present in the methanol extract of A. arvensis and evaluation of their exact mechanism of action become mandatory in future studies.

Improving the ionic conductivity and slow oxygen reduction electro-catalytic activity of reactions occurring at low operating temperature would do wonders for the widespread use of low-operating temperature ceramic fuel cells (LT-CFCs; 450–550 °C). In this work, we present a novel semiconductor heterostructure composite made of a spinel-like structure of Co0.6Mn0.4Fe0.4Al1.6O4 (CMFA) and ZnO, which functions as an effective electrolyte membrane for solid oxide fuel cells. For enhanced fuel cell performance at sub-optimal temperatures, the CMFA–ZnO heterostructure composite was developed. We have shown that a button-sized SOFC fueled by H2 and ambient air can provide 835 mW/cm2 of power and 2216 mA/cm2 of current at 550 °C, possibly functioning down to 450 °C. In addition, the oxygen vacancy formation energy and activation energy of the CMFA–ZnO heterostructure composite is lower than those of the individual CMFA and ZnO, facilitating ion transit. The improved ionic conduction of the CMFA–ZnO heterostructure composite was investigated using several transmission and spectroscopic measures, including X-ray diffraction, photoelectron, and UV–visible spectroscopy, and density functional theory (DFT) calculations. These findings suggest that the heterostructure approach is practical for LT-SOFCs.

Funding Information: This work was supported Southeast University (SEU) project 3203002003A1 and National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC) under the grant 51772080 and 11604088 . Jiangsu Provincial Innovation and Entrepreneurship Talent program Project No. JSSCRC2021491 . Industry-University-Research Cooperation Project of Jiangsu Province in China , Grant No. BY2021057 . Dr. Asghar thanks the Hubei Talent 100 program and Academy of Finland ( 13329016 , 13322738 ) for their financial support. Publisher Copyright: © 2022 The Authors Electrolytes with high-proton conduction and low activation energy are attractive for reducing the high operating temperature of solid-oxide fuel cells to less than

In recent years, there has been a growing emphasis on environmental sustainability, resulting in the emergence of Green Human Resource Management (GHRM) practices. Studies have shown that the implementation of GHRM practices can enhance a company's Environmental Performance (EP) and promote the development of Enablers of Green Organizational Culture (EGOC), which can ultimately lead to sustained improvements in environmental performance over the long term. However, there is still a lack of research on Green Workplace Behavior (GWB) and Green Passion (GP). To address this gap, a study was conducted on a large-scale sample of 308 pharmaceutical workers. The study examined the dual mediation impact of major facilitators of Green Organization Culture and GWB on GHRM, and the regulation of GP. Smart Pls 3.0 was used for analyzing the measurement and structural model. The findings indicate that the dual mediation of EGOC and GWB, along with the regulation of GP, significantly enhances the EP levels of organizations. These findings have significant implications for pharmaceutical company managers who are interested in developing strategic HR strategies for sustainable development. The study's results provide guidance on how managers can motivate their employees to engage in green initiatives in their daily activities, and GHRM practices offer a practical way to enhance EP and sustainable development. However, the contribution of Human Resource Management to sustainable development remains limited in the literature. Therefore, it is important for businesses to recognize the significance of environmental sustainability and adopt GHRM practices to improve their EP levels. The environment and natural resources around the world have been severely impacted by the aggressive growth of human economic expansion, and there is an urgent need for social efforts to address this situation. The adoption of GHRM practices can help businesses to develop specialized skills and enhance their contribution to sustainable development. The literature suggests that GHRM practices are a viable and practical solution to enhance environmental performance and promote sustainable development.

Funding Information: This work was supported by Southeast University (SEU) PROJET # 3203002003A1 and the National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC) under the grants # 51772080 and 11604088 . Jiangsu Provincial Innovation and Entrepreneurship Talent Program Project No. Dr. Asghar thanks the Hubei Talant 100 programme and Academy of Finland (Grant No. 13329016 , 13322738 , 13352669 ) for their financial support. Publisher Copyright: © 2022 The Author(s) Reducing the operational temperature of solid oxide fuel cells (SOFC) is vital to improving their durability and lifetime. However, a traditional SOFC suffers from high ohmic and polarization losses at low temperatures, leading to poor performance. Gadolinium-doped ceria is the best ionic conductor for SOFC at lower temperatures. The present work envisages the GDC as an electrolyte for applying low-temperature solid oxide fuel cells (LT-SOFCs). So, in this regard, herein, GDC is synthesized through a wet chemical co-precipitation technique as a functional electrolyte layer fixed between two symmetrical porous electrodes NCAL (Ni0.8Co0.15Al0.05LiO2). Due to the improved surface properties of the synthesized GDC, particles perform better than commercially available GDC. The synthesized GDC electrolyte shows an impressive fuel cell performance of 569 mW/cm2 and a high ionic conductivity of 0.1 S/cm at a shallow temperature of 450 °C. Moreover, the fuel cell device utilizing the synthesized GDC remained stable for 150 h of operation at a high current density of 110 mA/cm2 at 450 °C. The high conduction mechanism has been proposed in detail. The results show that excellent fuel cell performance, high ionic conductivity, and better stability can be achieved at exceptionally low enough temperatures. Also, the proposed work suggests that new electrolytes can be designed for developing advanced low-temperature fuel cell technology.

There is tremendous potential for both small- and large-scale applications of low-temperature operational ceramic fuel cells (LT-CFCs), which operate between 350 °C and 550 °C. Unfortunately, the low operating temperature of CFCs was hampered by inadequate oxygen reduction electrocatalysts. In this work, the electrochemical characteristics of a semiconductor heterostructure composite based on WO3-CaFe2O4 deposited over porous Ni-foam are investigated. At low working temperatures of 450–500 °C, the developed WO3-CaFe2O4 pasted on porous Ni–foam heterostructure composite cathode exhibits very low area-specific resistance (0.78 Ω cm2) and high oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) activity. For button-sized SOFCs with H2 and atmospheric air fuels, we have demonstrated high-power densities of 508 mW cm−2 running at 550 °C, and even potential operation at 450 °C, using WO3-CaFe2O4 seeded on porous Ni-foam cathode. Moreover, WO3-CaFe2O4 composite heterostructure with Ni foam paste exhibits very low activation energy compared to both WO3 and CaFe2O4 alone, which supports ORR activity. To comprehend the enhanced ORR electrocatalytic activity of WO3-CaFe2O4 pasted on porous Ni-foam heterostructure composite, several spectroscopic tests including X-ray diffraction (XRD), photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) were used. The findings may also aid in the creation of useful cobalt-free electrocatalysts for LT-SOFCs.

Benzimidazole ring system is an important pharmacophore with diverse pharmacological activities. In this study, we explored the anti-arthritic effects of newly synthesized acetamide derivatives of 2-aminobenzimidazole (N1 and N2) in rats. FTIR and NMR spectroscopies were used to characterize these compounds. Carrageenan (CRG) induced paw edema model was used to test the acute anti-inflammatory activity of various doses (10, 20 and 30 mg/kg) of N1 and N2 compounds. Based on acute anti-inflammatory effects, the most potent dose of each compound was selected and investigated in complete freund's adjuvant (CFA) induced inflammatory arthritis (RA) model (n = 4 in each group). Histopathological, hematological, radiographic, and RT-qPCR analyses were performed to assess the progression or resolution of inflammatory arthritis. The tested compounds produced a dose-dependent anti-inflammatory activity against CRG induced paw inflammation and similarly reduced edema in CFA induced inflammatory arthritis model. Histopathological and X-ray analyses of ankle joints revealed minimal inflammation and normal joint structures in N1 and N2 treated groups. The tested compounds also reduced the levels of autoantibodies and restored hematological parameters. Interestingly, the tested compounds did not elevate aspartate aminotransferase and alanine transaminase levels and displayed a better safety profile than methotrexate. N1 and N2 compounds also attenuated the transcript levels of IRAK1, NF-kB1, TNF-α, IL-1β, IL17 and MMP1. In addition, N1 displayed a greater inhibition of mRNA levels of COX1, COX2, mPGES1 and PTGDS as compared to N2. Our findings demonstrate that N1 and N2 compounds possess strong anti-arthritic activity which can be attributed to the suppression of pro-inflammatory mediators.

Wide bandgap semiconductor perovskite SrTiO3 (STO) has attracted extensive attention due to its higher kinetics of electrons (electronic conductivity). However, rare studies have been performed to tune the STO semiconductor towards ionic conduction, which could make it a promising candidate for an electrolyte in ceramic fuel cells (CFCs). Herein, we have designed a semiconductor perovskite Co/Fe–SrTiO3 as an electrolyte membrane to tune its semiconducting property to the ionic conduction via surface-enriched O-vacancies. The surface doping of Co/Fe into SrTiO3 resulted in lowering the Fermi level, leading to the space charge region and local electric field on the surficial region, which can enhance the ionic conduction (proton conduction) at the surface. The designed electrolyte exhibited a high ionic conductivity of 0.19 S/cm and the fuel cell employing it delivered a maximum power density of 1016 mW/cm2 at 520 °C. Moreover, the theoretical calculation was performed to support the experimental results, like disorder in lattice and oxygen vacancy formation energy. The surface doping of Co/Fe facilitated the enriched surface channels for quick ion transportation with lower activation energy. The presented methodology of surface doping has proven to be suitable for designing advanced materials for wide bandgap semiconductors with high ionic conductivity to develop next-generation CFCs.

Fenchone is a monoterpene present in the essential oils of various plants, including Foeniculum vulgare and Peumus boldus. Previous studies confirmed the anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, wound-healing, antidiarrheal, antifungal, antinociceptive, and bronchodilator activities of fenchone. Owing to various pharmacological activities of Fenchone, the current research was designed to evaluate its diuretic activity along with toxicity profiling. For evaluating acute toxicity, OECD guideline 425 was followed in which a single dose of 2000 mg/kg was orally administered to rats. For evaluating the diuretic potential in rats, three doses of Fenchone (100, 200, and 400 mg/kg) were assayed in comparison to furosemide (15 mg/kg) as the standard drug, followed by measurements of urinary volume, urinary electrolytes, uric acid, and urinary creatinine in saline-loaded rats for 8 h. The acute toxicity study showed a significant increase in hemoglobin (Hb), red blood cells (RBCs), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), and alkaline transaminase (ALT) along with a significant decrease in serum triglycerides, cholesterol, and uric acid levels when compared with the control group. The oxidative stress parameter, superoxide dismutase (SOD), was increased in the heart and spleen. Nitrite (NO) and glutathione were significantly increased in the kidney. The acute diuretic effect of Fenchone (400 mg/kg) significantly increased the urinary output, electrolytes (Na+, K+, and Ca++), urinary creatinine, and urinary uric acid in a dose-dependent manner. The Na+/K+ ratio was remarkably higher in the treatment group than that of the control group. The diuretic index, saluretic index, and Lipschitz value were also calculated from electrolyte concentration and urinary volume measurements, and the values were significantly increased in rats administered with fenchone at 400 mg/kg dose. The current study concluded that fenchone is safe and has remarkable diuretic action.

Interfacial disorder is a general method to change the metal-oxygen compatibility and carrier density of heterostructure materials for ionic transport modulation. Herein, to enable high proton conduction, a semiconductor heterostructure based on spinel ZnFe2O4 (ZFO) and fluorite CeO2 is developed and investigated in terms of structural characterization, first principle calculation, and electrochemical performance. Particular attentions are paid to the interfacial disordering and heterojunction effects of the material. Results show that the heterostructure induces a disordered oxygen region at the hetero-interface of ZFO-CeO2 by dislocating oxygen atoms, leading to fast proton transport. As a result, the ZFO-CeO2 exhibits a high proton conductivity of 0.21 S/cm and promising fuel cell power output of 1070 mW/cm2 at 510 ℃. Based upon these findings, a new mechanism is proposed to interpret the diffusion and acceleration of protons in ZFO-CeO2. Our study provides a new strategy to customize semiconductor heterostructure to enable fast proton conduction.

In recent years, tuning perovskite and fluorite-based materials and modifying them to ionic conductors has been an interesting but challenging topic for advanced low-temperature ceramic fuel cells (LT-CFCs). In this regard, we prepared a new composite heterostructure, BaCe0.4Zr0.4Y0.1Yb0.1O3-Sm0.2Ce0.8O2 (BCZYYb-SDC), and evaluated it as an electrolyte to realize the fuel cell reaction. The developed electrolyte could be a hybrid ionic conductor, possess a very small ohmic area-specific resistance, and exhibit excellent fuel cell performance of over 1.0 W/cm2 along with higher OCV of more than 1.1 V at a low operating temperature of 550 °C. The attained performance and ionic conductivity are specially accredited to constructing the heterostructure of BCZYYb-SDC. Moreover, various spectroscopy and microscopic analysis methods have been used to investigate the ions’ transportation, while on the other hand suppressing the electronic conduction. The developed composite heterostructure proposes and suggests new insight to design new electrolytes for LT-CFCs.

Symmetric solid oxide fuel cells (SSOFCs) have typically drawn interest because of their ability to boost the chemical and thermal stability between electrolytes and electrodes as well as to reduce the manufacturing cost. However, the poor catalytic activity of symmetrical electrodes at low temperatures restricts the development of high-performance SSOFCs. Herein, we employ a well-known Li-ion battery cathode Li(Ni1/3Co1/3Mn1/3)O2(LNCM) material to SOFCs as a symmetrical electrode that possesses excellent catalytic activity toward both the hydrogen oxidation reaction (HOR) and the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR). In addition, the Schottky junction formed by reduced LNCM at the anode side with the electrolyte eliminates the possibility of electronic shorting circuit problem. Meanwhile, the formation of online Li2CO3 makes the electrolyte membrane fully dense by filling the pores. All factors were combined to show adequate performance by LNCM as symmetric electrode-based SOFCs. Our work successfully demonstrates the rational design of favourable lithium-ion cathode materials for symmetrical electrode applications in low-temperature SOFCs.

Funding Information: This work was supported Southeast University (SEU) PROJET # 3203002003A1 and National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC) under the grant # 51772080 and 11604088 . Dr. Asghar thanks the Hubei overseas Talent 100 program (as a distinguished professor at Hubei University) and Academy of Finland (Grant No. 13329016, 13322738) for their support. Publisher Copyright: © 2021 The Author(s) A comparative study is performed to investigate the electrochemical performance of the low-temperature ceramic fuel cells (CFCs) utilizing two different novel electrolytes. First, a perovskite semiconductor SrCo0.3Sn0.7O3-δ was used as an electrolyte in CFCs due to its modest ionic conductivity (0.1 S/cm) and demonstrated an acceptable power density of 360 mW/cm2 at 520 °C. The performance of the cell was primarily limited due to the moderate ionic transport in the electrolyte. In order to improve the ionic conductivity, a new strategy of using a novel bi-layer electrolyte concept consist of SrCo0.3Sn0.7O3-δ and CeO2-δ in CFCs. These bi-layers of two electrolytes have successfully established heterojunction which considerably improved the ionic conductivity (0.2 S/cm) and enhance the open-circuit voltage of the cell from 0.98 V to 1.001 V. Moreover, the CFCs utilizing bi-layer electrolyte have produced a remarkable power density of 672 mW/cm2 at 520 °C. This enhancement of ionic conduction, power density and blockage of electron conduction in the bi-layer electrolyte was studied via band alignment mechanism based on proposed p-n heterojunction. Our work presents a promising methodology for developing advanced low-temperature CFC electrolytes.

Zinc oxide, a direct band gap semiconductor of ≥3.30 eV, is prevalent in potential requests for energy devices. The early-stage demonstration of ZnO provides a new method of developing high ionic conductivity in multifunctional semiconductors for electrolyte applications in ceramic fuel cells (CFCs). In the present work, we successfully synthesized Na-doped ZnO nanorods by a hydrothermal method and employed them as an electrolyte in CFCs. The synthesized Na-doped-ZnO nanorods showed an effective ionic conductivity of 8.75 × 10−2 S cm−1 along with an excellent power density of 609 mWcm−2 ± 5% when the fuel cell was operating at 550 °C. The enhanced ionic conductivity could be due to Na+ doping into Zn2+ and the high ionic radius of Na ions producing bulk oxygen vacancies in the ZnO structure to conduct oxygen ions or protons. Furthermore, we used experimental analysis, such as X-ray diffraction (XRD), high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HR-TEM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), ultraviolet–visible (UV–visible), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), to evaluate the change in structural properties and mechanism of ionic transport in ZnO nanorods with sodium doping. The presented work provides insight into a novel approach of developing the high ionic conductivity of electrolytes in a low-cost ZnO semiconductor material.

Purpose: To investigate the histopathological and cardiac depressant effect of the aqueous methanol extract of Caralluma tuberculata N.E. Br (AMECT) (family: Asclepiadaceae)’ and to determine if there is a scientific basis for its cardiovascular diseases-related folkloric use. Methods: The effect of AMECT in different concentrations ranging from 0.00001 to 1.0 mg/mL were evaluated in isolated perfused rabbit heart to assess their effect on the force of contraction and heart rate using Langendorff’s apparatus. Atropine and adrenaline were used to identify the underlying mechanism of response produced by AMECT. The extract was studied for its possible mechanism in the absence and presence of atropine and adrenaline. In addition, sub-chronic toxicity and histopathological study of heart tissues in rats were assessed by administering 500 mg/kg of extract. Results: At all concentrations, AMECT produced significant (p < 0.001) negative ionotropic and negative chronotropic effects. The most significant effect was observed at 0.001 mg/mL and higher concentrations hence 0.001 mg/mL was selected for further studies. Pre-incubation with atropine did not significantly inhibit the effects of AMECT. However, AMECT significantly (p < 0.01) blocked the cardiac stimulant effect of adrenaline. In the histopathological studies, AMECT did not produce any significant cellular changes or signs of toxicity in the sub-chronic toxicity study. Conclusion: The cardiac-depressant responses of AMECT may involve the β-adrenergic receptors in the myocardium of isolated rabbit heart thus confirming the rationale for its use in ethnomedicine for cardiac diseases.

Pea is an important legume crop because of its higher bioactive compounds, and its seeds are famous as functional foods. However, the yield of pea is still limited because of multiple biotic and abiotic stresses which prevailed during the growth period. Saline conditions significantly hamper pea growth, yield, and quality among abiotic stresses. Salicylic acid is effective for the activation of oxidative, non-oxidative, osmolytes, and metabolites. Hence, the present study was conducted at exogenous application of salicylic acid (control, 1 µM, 2 µM, and 3 µM) to mitigate the adverse effects of salt stress (control, 25 mM, 50 mM, and 100 mM NaCl) in pea plants grown in the year 2019–2020. The aim of the present study was to evaluate pea performance under saline conditions by salicylic acid sprays. Pea growth and yield were significantly decreased at 100 mM NaCl compared with the control and other salinity levels. Moreover, the growth and yield of pea were improved under exogenous application of salicylic acid treatment at 3 µM than others. Quality traits, i.e., carotenoids, ascorbic acid, and phenolic content, were decreased at 100 mM NaCl, and these quality traits were significantly improved under salicylic acid treatment of 3 µM. Chlorophyll a, chlorophyll b, total chlorophyll, photosynthesis, and stomatal conductance were reduced at 100 mM NaCl. In contrast, photosynthetic pigments, photosynthesis, and stomatal conductance were enhanced at 3 µM salicylic acid. The increases in SOD, CAT, POD, and APX were observed at 100 mM NaCl and 3 µM salicylic acid. The current study proved that exogenous application of salicylic acid concentrations had the potential to mitigate the salinity’s adverse effects by maintaining the physiological and metabolic activities of pea plants.

Zinc oxide (ZnO), a direct wide band gap semiconductor (≥3.30 eV), has widespread potential for applications in energy devices and related industries. The initial physical demonstration of ZnO in ceramic fuel cells (CFCs) gave a new view of developing high ionic conductivity for multifunctional semiconductor technology. However, in the present work, we successfully synthesized highly textured nanoparticles of ZnO using a hydrothermal method followed by sintering in a reducing atmosphere. The resultant ZnO materials as electrolytes showed efficient ionic conductivity (5.28 × 10−2 S cm−1) and an excellent power density of 520 mW cm−2 ± 5% at 550 °C for low-temperature ceramic fuel cells (LT-CFCs). The achievement of enhanced ionic conductivity without any external ions or cation doping in the CFC was anticipated, since there was a rare possibility of vacancies in the bulk ZnO structure to conduct oxygen ions or protons. Therefore, we found that laterally the surfaces of the ZnO nanoparticles could be textured to become oxygen-deficient when sintered in an H2 atmosphere, which suggests a special mechanism for effective ionic transport. Furthermore, experimental analyses such as SEM, XPS, UV–visible, and EIS methods were performed to analyze the changes in the structural properties and mechanism of ionic transport in ZnO nanoparticles. The presented work provides insights into a novel approach for developing high ionic conductivity in electrolytes in low-cost semiconductor oxides such as ZnO for energy storage and conversion devices.

Traditional medicine has employed the plant Fagonia bruguieri DC. to alleviate inflammation, fever and pain. The goal of this study was to test the anti-inflammatory, analgesic and antipyretic properties of the methanol extract of whole plant of Fagonia bruguieri (F. bruguieri). The writhing test and Eddy's hot plate test were used to assess the analgesic potential of F. bruguieri at three different doses. Carrageenan-induced rat paw edema was applied to investigate anti-inflammatory activity, whereas antipyretic activity was estimated in Brewer's yeast induced pyrexia model. Flavonoids, alkaloids, saponins, tannins and glycosides were found in F. bruguieri's phytochemical analysis. F. bruguieri at 750 mg/kg reduced writhing count by 62.23 percent, while F. bruguieri enhanced latency in Eddy's hot plate test. In carrageenan-induced edema, F. bruguieri at 750 mg/kg exhibited considerable anti-inflammatory effect (41.11 percent) after 2

Funding Information: This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (52105582), the Natural Science Foundation of Guangdong Province (grant no. 2020A1515011555), the High-Talent Research Funding (827-000451), the Fundamental Research Foundation of Shenzhen (JCYJ20210324095210030), the Open Foundation of the State Key Laboratory of Digital Manufacturing Equipment and Technology (DMETKF2021016), and the National Natural Science Foundation of China (11674085 and 51772080). M.I. Asghar thanks the Hubei overseas Talent 100 programme (as a distinguished Professor at Hubei University) and the Academy of Finland (grant nos. 13329016 and 13322738) for its support. We are thankful to Dr. Ghulam Yasin for proofreading and suggestions. We are really thankful to Dr. Xiuan Xi and Prof. Dr. Xian-Zhu Fu for initially using their GC characterization facilities and their discussion at the College of Materials Science and Engineering, Shenzhen University and then utilizing another GC–MS characterization for further analysis. F Achieving fast ionic conductivity in the electrolyte at low operating temperatures while maintaining the stable and high electrochemical performance of solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) is challenging. Herein, we propose a new type of electrolyte based on perovskite Sr0.5Pr0.5Fe0.4Ti0.6O3-δ for low-temperature SOFCs. The ionic conducting behavior of the electrolyte is modulated using Mg doping, and three different Sr0.5Pr0.5Fe0.4-xMgxTi0.6O3-δ (x = 0, 0.1, and 0.2) samples are prepared. The synthesized Sr0.5Pr0.5Fe0.2Mg0.2Ti0.6O3-δ (SPFMg0.2T) proved to be an optimal electrolyte material, exhibiting a high ionic conductivity of 0.133 S cm-1 along with an attractive fuel cell performance of 0.83 W cm-2 at 520 °C. We proved that a proper amount of Mg doping (20%) contributes to the creation of an adequate number of oxygen vacancies, which facilitates the fast transport of the oxide ions. Considering its rapid oxide ion transport, the prepared SPFMg0.2T presented heterostructure characteristics in the form of an insulating core and superionic conduction via surface layers. In addition, the effect of Mg doping is intensively investigated to tune the band structure for the transport of charged species. Meanwhile, the concept of energy band alignment is employed to interpret the working principle of the proposed electrolyte. Moreover, the density functional theory is utilized to determine the perovskite structures of SrTiO3-δ and Sr0.5Pr0.5Fe0.4-xMgxTi0.6O3-δ (x = 0, 0.1, and 0.2) and their electronic states. Further, the SPFMg0.2T with 20% Mg doping exhibited low dissociation energy, which ensures the fast and high ionic conduction in the electrolyte. Inclusively, Sr0.5Pr0.5Fe0.4Ti0.6O3-δ is a promising electrolyte for SOFCs, and its performance can be efficiently boosted via Mg doping to modulate the energy band structure.

Achieving fast ionic conductivity in the electrolyte at low operating temperatures while maintaining the stable and high electrochemical performance of solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) is challenging. Herein, we propose a new type of electrolyte based on perovskite Sr

Funding Information: This study was supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC) under grant no. 11674086, 11904088, and 2019CFB183. Scientific Research Project of Education Department of Hubei Province (no. Q20191010) and Research Project of Wuhan Science and Technology Bureau (no. 2019010701011394). Dr. Asghar thanks the Hubei Talent 100 program and Academy of Finland (Grant nos. 13329016, 13322738) for their support. Publisher Copyright: © 2021 The Authors. Published by American Chemical Society. Formation of a heterostructure of semiconductor materials is a promising method to develop an electrolyte with high ionic conductivity at low operational temperature of solid oxide fuel cells (LT-SOFCs). Herein, we develop various heterostructure composites by introducing a pure ionic conductor Sm0.2Ce0.8O2-δ (SDC) into a semiconductor LiNi0.8Co0.15Al0.05O2 (LNCA) for LT-SOFCs electrolyte. The morphology, crystal structure, elemental distribution, micro-structure, and oxidation states of the composite of LNCA-SDC are analyzed and studied via X-ray diffraction (XRD), field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), high resolution-transmission electron microscopy (HR-TEM), high energy dispersive spectrometry, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). Electrochemical studies found that the optimal weight ratio of 0.5 LNCA-1.5 SDC heterostructure composite exhibits relatively high ionic conductivity (0.12 S cm-1 at 520 °C), which is much higher than that of SDC. The designed composite of LNCA-SDC heterostructures with optimal weight ratio (0.5:1.5) delivers a remarkable fuel cell power output of 0.735 W cm-2 at 520 °C. The formation of the heterostructure and reconstruction of energy bands at the interface play the crucial roles in enhancing ionic conduction to improve electrochemical performance. The prepared composite heterostructure delivers a unique and insightful strategy of electrolyte in advanced LT-SOFCs.

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a slowly progressing inflammatory autoimmune disease. Several features are involved in the RA pathogenesis in addition to environmental and genetic factors. Previously it has been reported that acetyl cholinesterase (AChE) activity is enhanced in old age and may contribute in the progression of RA. The current experimental work was projected to assess the activity of physostigmine (a cholinesterase inhibitor) for treatment of RA. In vitro and in vivo approaches were used for such evaluation. However, enzyme linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA) was performed to determine the concentrations of Prostaglandins E2 (PGE2) and tumor necrosis factor-α in arthritic rats after treatment with physostigmine. Moreover, anti-oxidant assays were employed to calculate the level of super oxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase peroxidase (CAT) in tissue of treated animals. The results claimed the dose dependent protective and stabilizing effect of physostigmine on denaturation of albumin (egg and bovine serum) protein and human red blood cell membrane, respectively, through in vitro studies. Furthermore, the physostigmine (10 and 20 mg/kg) significantly (p

Funding Information: This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC) under the (grant # 11674085 and 51772080 ) and National Laboratory of solid-state Microstructures, Nanjing University for project support is also acknowledged. Dr. Asghar thanks the Hubei overseas Talent 100 program (as a distinguished professor at Hubei University) and Academy of Finland (Grant No. 13329016 and 13322738 ) for their support. Muhammad Akbar helped in the Scanning electron microscope (SEM) images assistance. Publisher Copyright: © 2021 The Author(s) Copyright: Copyright 2021 Elsevier B.V., All rights reserved. Introducing multiple-ionic transport through a semiconductor-electrolyte is a promising approach to realize the low-temperature operation of SOFCs. Herein, we designed and synthesized a single-phase Ce-doped BaCo0.2Fe0.3-xTm0.1Zr0.3Y0.1O3-δ semiconductor-electrolyte possessing triple-charge (H+/O2−/e−) conduction ability. Two different compositions are synthesized: BaCo0.2Fe0.3-xCexTm0.1Zr0.3Y0.1O3-δ [x = 0.1–0.2]. The 20% doped Ce composition exhibits an outstanding oxide-ion and protonic conductivity of 0.193 S cm−1 and 0.09 S cm−1 at 530 °C and the fuel cell utilizing BaCo0.2Fe0.2Ce0.2Tm0.1Zr0.3Y0.1O3-δ as an electrolyte yields an excellent power density of 873 mW cm−2 at 530 °C. Moreover, the fuel cell performed reasonably well (383 mW cm−2) even at a low temperature of 380 °C. Furthermore, the 10% Ce-doped utilized in fuel cell device illustrates lower performance (661 mW cm−2 at 530 °C and 260 mW cm−2 at 380 °C). Successful doping of Ce supports the formation of oxygen-vacancies at the B-site of perovskite and adjusting the ratio of Fe in the compositions. Moreover, the presence of Tm also assist in the creation of oxygen vacancies. Furthermore, the boosting of electrochemical performance and ionic conductivity of applied materials are enlightened by tuning the energy-band structure via employing the UPS and UV–Vis. The physical characterizations and verification of dual-ions (H+/O2−) in the semiconductor materials are performed via different electrochemical, spectroscopic, and microscopic techniques. A systematic study revealed triple charge conduction in this promising material, which helps in boosting the electrochemical performance of the LT-SOFC.

Purpose of the study: This study explores the Impact of High-Performance Work System practices (HPWS), on innovation performance, through the intervening role of dynamic capabilities and innovation culture among the rapidly growing cement industry of Pakistan, which is the backbone of Pakistan's construction industry. Methodology: This is a self-administrative survey, and data were analyzed using Smart PLS 3.0, SPSS. Main Findings: HPWS has a positive impact on a firm's innovation performance. Furthermore, dynamic capabilities mediated the association between HPWS and innovation performance. Applications of this study: The study is essential for the cement industry, where traditional HRM has long been applied. Using HPWS would create a more innovative environment and establish dynamic capabilities that can trigger innovations such as administrative, incremental, radical, and marketing in the face of dynamic customer demands. Novelty/Originality of this study: This study has enriched our understanding of how organizations can improve their innovation performance in a complex and ambiguous environment, which is crucial to gaining competitive advantages. This study also suggests that developing a system of HPWS practices in organizations, particularly the cement industry, will help the organizations flourish and stay competitive in the marketplace and help elicit the right employee attitudes by fully mediating dynamic capabilities. Therefore, organizations should establish developed HPWS and create an innovation culture that will ultimately benefit the organization creates an innovation culture.

The ethical and societal implications of artificial intelligence systems raise concerns. In this article, we outline a novel process based on applied ethics, namely, Z-Inspection®, to assess if an AI system is trustworthy. We use the definition of trustworthy AI given by the high-level European Commission’s expert group on AI. Z-Inspection® is a general inspection process that can be applied to a variety of domains where AI systems are used, such as business, healthcare, and public sector, among many others. To the best of our knowledge, Z-Inspection® is the first process to assess trustworthy AI in practice.

Water scarcity has emerged as an intense global threat to humanity and needs prompt attention from the scientific community. Solar-driven interfacial evaporation and seawater desalination are promising strategies to resolve the primitive water shortage issue using renewable resources. However, the fragile solar thermal devices, complex fabricating techniques, and high cost greatly hinder extensive solar energy utilization in remote locations. Herein, we report the facile fabrication of a cost-effective solar-driven interfacial evaporator and seawater desalination system composed of carbon cloth (CC)-wrapped polyurethane foam (CC@PU). The developed solar evaporator had outstanding photo-thermal conversion efficiency (90%) with a high evaporation rate (1.71 kg m−2 h−1). The interfacial layer of black CC induced multiple incident rays on the surface allowing the excellent solar absorption (92%) and intensifying heat localization (67.37 °C) under 1 kW m−2 with spatially defined hydrophilicity to facilitate the easy vapor escape and validate the efficacious evaporation structure using extensive solar energy exploitation for practical application. More importantly, the long-term evaporation experiments with minimum discrepancy under seawater conditions endowed excellent mass change (15.24 kg m−2 in consecutive 8 h under 1 kW m−2 solar irradiations) and promoted its operational sustainability for multi-media rejection and self-dissolving potential (3.5 g NaCl rejected from CC@PU surface in 210 min). Hence, the low-cost and facile fabrication of CC@PU-based interfacial evaporation structure showcases the potential for enhanced solar-driven interfacial heat accumulation for freshwater production with simultaneous salt rejection.

Funding Information: This work was supported by Southeast University (SEU) PROJET # 3203002003A1 and the National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC) under grants # 51772080 and 11604088. Jiangsu Provincial Innovation and Entrepreneurship Talent Program Project No. JSSCRC2021491. Industry-University-Research Cooperation Project of Jiangsu Province in China, Grant No. BY2021057. Dr Asghar thanks the Hubei Talent 100 Program and the Academy of Finland (Grant No. 13329016, 13322738) for their financial support. Publisher Copyright: © 2022 The Royal Society of Chemistry Perovskite oxide doping may modulate the energy bandgap strongly affecting the oxygen reduction activity and electrical properties with high promise for use as a low-temperature solid oxide fuel cell (LT-SOFC) electrolyte. Here, we show that a small amount of Al-doping into SrTiO3−δ may tune the energy band structure of SrTiO3−δ, triggering the electrochemical mechanism and fuel cell performance. The synthesized SrTiO3−δ and Al-SrTiO3−δ electrolytes are sandwiched between two symmetrical electrodes (Ni foam pasted NCAL). Ni-NCAL/SrTiO3−δ/NCAL-Ni and Ni-NCAL/Al-SrTiO3−δ/NCAL-Ni structures delivered a maximum power density of 0.52 W and 0.692 W and high ionic conductivity of 0.11 S cm−1 and 0.153 S cm−1, respectively, under H2/Air atmosphere at low operational temperature of 520 °C. Highways of ion transport along the surface and grain boundary (interface) are identified as the main reason for good oxygen ion conduction. X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HR-TEM), UV visible (UV), and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) were performed to investigate the structural, electrochemical, morphological, surface and interfacial properties of Al-SrTiO3−δ. The obtained results suggest that a certain amount of Al (20%) doping into SrTiO3 (SrTi0.8Al0.2O3−δ) improves the fuel cell performance and is a promising electrolyte candidate for LT-SOFC.

Auxin/indole-3-acetic acid (

Fast ionic conduction at low operating temperatures is a key factor for the high electrochemical performance of solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs). Here an A-site deficient semiconductor electrolyte Sr