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The stacking order of 2D materials can result in fascinating physical properties. Two different stacking orders (AA and AB) were recently identified in ReS2, a rising star in the transition metal d...

Designing efficient catalysts for major energy conversion devices like fuel cells and metal–air batteries is of prime importance as the commercially used Pt/C catalyst impedes scalable use due to high cost, low stability, and methanol-intolerant behavior. Herein, we report a one-step method to synthesize phase-pure CrN nanoparticles (CrN NPs, ∼4 nm) anchored on N-doped graphitic carbon (CrN@NG) as an excellent Pt-free electrocatalyst to boost the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) in alkaline and acidic media. The as-synthesized CrN@NG-900 competes with 20 wt% Pt/C with an E1/2 that is only 30 and 60 mV negative of Pt/C in alkaline and acidic media, respectively. Furthermore, the low-cost CrN@NG shows better long-term stability (no NP leaching or agglomeration) and methanol immunity that is desirable to replace Pt for applications in a real system. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations reveal a synergistic interaction between CrN and the NG support, which optimizes the free energy of the reaction intermediates and favors the ORR. The robust stability of the catalyst due to the NG support, better electron transfer, and greater electrochemically active sites augment the ORR activity in alkaline and acidic media.

Purpose To introduce modified submental platysmal adipomyofascial flap as a new and viable hairless locoregional option for reconstruction of small- to mid-sized defects after ablative surgery in oral/oropharyngeal cancer patients keeping in mind the present pandemic situation. Methods An observational retrospective study was conducted using modified submental platysmal adipomyofascial flap as a locoregional reconstructive option for both intraoral and oropharyngeal defects in early-stage oral/oropharyngeal cancer patients, from Jan 2016 to May 2020 in a tertiary care hospital. All patients in this study were male and the overall flap outcome was evaluated with post-operative follow-up. Results Out of 18 patients, in 4 patients modified submental platysmal adipomyofascial flap was used as a combination of flaps for reconstruction. Six patients (33.33%) underwent adjuvant radiation therapy/radiation chemotherapy. The long-term functions (speech and swallowing) and cosmetic outcomes were good in the majority of the patients. One patient (5.55%) had pinhole oroantral fistula. No patient had any major flap failure. Conclusion Modified submental platysmal adipomyofascial flap can be considered as a good alternative in male patients for reconstruction of small- to mid-sized oral cavity/oropharyngeal defects post-resection, especially during the prevailing pandemic crisis. It is an oncologically safe procedure with the major advantage of providing a hairless flap for oral cavity, tonsillar and BOT resection defects with lesser donor site morbidity.

This study delves with the reflection phenomenon of plane-waves due to incidence of quasi-longitudinal (QL) wave at a semi-infinite structure comprising of pre-stressed piezoelectric-orthotropic su...

Superalloys constitute an important class of materials that are heavily employed in turbines of aircraft engines and power plants. Vickers hardness is an important mechanical property for selection of a material. In this work, we develop an alternate approach, which uses the microstructures to estimate the hardness of a Co- and Ni- based superalloys. Advanced image processing techniques coupled with data-driven machine learning (ML) are used to predict the Vickers hardness of these superalloys. Complex image derived properties such as 2-point correlations and compositions of superalloys are utilized as a feature to develop highly accurate ML model. The ML model trained through Gaussian process regression (GPR) using microstructure and compositional features show unprecedented accuracy with root mean square error (RMSE) of 0.14 and R2 of 0.98. Further analysis of the model is done to establish a relationship between the Vickers hardness with microstructural and compositional parameters. Addition of certain compounds such as iron and titanium can in general lead to increase in Vickers hardness, while addition of elements such as aluminium, tantalum and hafnium negatively affect the Vickers hardness. Most importantly, the developed ML model is trained on experimental data, as opposed to simulated data, making our approach directly applicable for accurate prediction of Vickers hardness.

Superalloys are high-temperature materials with outstanding strength and resistance to corrosion. A prior knowledge about its hardness is essential for development of new superalloys for its applications in aeronautics and power industries. Determining the hardness of a material with experiments is usually a destructive process. In this study, using structural, compositional and processing condition parameters as descriptors, machine learning (ML) models are developed to predict Vickers hardness. We employed image processing tools, which extract structural descriptors such as volume fraction, area, perimeter and aspect ratio of the phases in the microstructures. Using the structural features in combination with elemental and processing information as features, a Gaussian process regression model for the prediction of Vickers hardness of superalloys is developed. The model gives an unprecedented accuracy with a minimum root mean square error of 0.15. The descriptors provide insights into structure–property relationships, which are important for designing superalloys with improved Vickers hardness. The proposed method for extracting features from microstructures and combining them with elemental and processing information can be extended to develop ML model for prediction of other mechanical properties of superalloys.

This paper investigates the propagation behaviour of shear wave in a piezo-electro-magnetic material (PEMM) layer overlying a functionally graded piezo-electro-magnetic material (FGPEMM) substrate ...

The study reports the optimized incorporation of pyridinic nitrogen in nitrogen-doped carbon nanotubes (CNTs) to realize effective Fe-Nx centers throughout the framework. The study unveils nitrogen as a valuable asset to promote the homogeneous dispersion of Fe moieties throughout the CNT framework, which is a necessary component to institute uniform Fe-Nx centers. In addition, pyridinic nitrogen causes disruption in strongly delocalized π-electrons, which impart electron-withdrawing nature in the carbon matrix, resulting in an anodic shift in oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) onset potential (Eonset). The direct interaction of Fe-Nx with O2, as evidenced by poisoning and computational studies, ensures the preferential inner sphere electron transfer mechanism. Despite the alkaline medium, the outer sphere electron transfer mechanism was muted, with suppressed HO2- generation, preferential 4e- reduction pathways, and excellent cyclic stability. The study indicates the dependency of ORR half-wave potential on the electron transfer mechanism. The poisoning study unveils the direct involvement of Fe-Nx electroactive centers in facilitating ORR in alkaline medium. It further indicates a noticable increase (up to ∼25%) in peroxide generation-an unwanted ORR intermediate-and concomitant reduction in average electron transfer no. per oxygen molecule.

Transition metal oxysulfides (TMOS) exhibit promising catalytic properties for hydrogen evolution reactions (HER). However, the development of facile and controllable routes for obtaining nanostruc...

Weekly markets or ‘ hafta bazaars’ are an important part of India’s cultural and traditional milieu. These informal markets are held once a week at a particular place, within varying time slots, and cater to a diverse spectrum of consumers. Although these markets are important from both an economic and a cultural point of view, they have not been documented properly. A team of researchers has attempted to comprehensively document Delhi’s weekly markets by mapping their locations, products sold and the days and timings at which they are held. This article offers a geographical overview of these markets through the creation of an innovative web portal—the first such attempt to showcase and digitise these invincible economic hubs on a single platform. Lessons from this exercise could pave the way for future research to unearth the administrative and economic models that underpin the efficient and sustainable functioning of the hafta bazaars.

Rietveld refinement profile of X-ray diffraction pattern confirms the pure-phase rhombohedral structure of La2NiMnO6 (LNMO) and ‘Y’-doped LNMO nanoparticles corresponding to the space group R$$\stackrel{-}{3}$$c (SG No.: 167) with the crystallite size lying in the range of 25–16 nm. The antiferromagnetic (AFM) to strong ferromagnetic (FM) transition has been observed through M–H hysteresis loops from room temperature to extremely low temperature (2 K) for LNMO and ‘Y’-doped LNMO nanoparticles. An extraordinary magnetic moment of 4.16 to 6.25 µB per formula unit was achieved after the doping of ‘Y’ (nominally 2 to 4%) into LNMO. The temperature-dependent magnetization studies confirm the transition temperature (~ 273 K) for LNMO and LNMO2 (LNMO-2%Y) nanoparticles due to the antisite defects beside the FM ordering of the Ni-Mn sites and lower transition temperature (~ 230 K) for LNMO4 due to the local structural distortion and the superexchange interaction in FM Ni2+($${t}_{2g}^{6}{e}_{g}^{2}$$) – O($$2p$$) – Mn4+($${t}_{2g}^{3}{e}_{g}^{0}$$).

Parkinson's disease (PD) is a multifactorial malady and the second most common neurodegenerative disorder, characterized by loss of dopaminergic neurons in the midbrain. A hallmark of PD pathology is the formation of intracellular protein inclusions, termed Lewy bodies (LBs). Recent MS studies have shown that OTU deubiquitinase ubiquitin aldehyde-binding 1 (OTUB1), a deubiquitinating enzyme of the OTU family, is enriched together with α-synuclein in LBs from individuals with PD and is also present in amyloid plaques associated with Alzheimer's disease. In the present study, using mammalian cell cultures and a PD mouse model, along with CD spectroscopy, atomic force microscopy, immunofluorescence-based imaging, and various biochemical assays, we demonstrate that after heat-induced protein aggregation, OTUB1 reacts strongly with both anti-A11 and anti-osteocalcin antibodies, detecting oligomeric, prefibrillar structures or fibrillar species of amyloidogenic proteins, respectively. Further, recombinant OTUB1 exhibited high thioflavin-T and Congo red binding and increased β-sheet formation upon heat induction. The oligomeric OTUB1 aggregates were highly cytotoxic, characteristic of many amyloid proteins. OTUB1 formed inclusions in neuronal cells and co-localized with thioflavin S and with α-synuclein during rotenone-induced stress. It also co-localized with the disease-associated variant pS129-α-synuclein in rotenone-exposed mouse brains. Interestingly, OTUB1 aggregates were also associated with severe cytoskeleton damage, rapid internalization inside the neuronal cells, and mitochondrial damage, all of which contribute to neurotoxicity. In conclusion, the results of our study indicate that OTUB1 may contribute to LB pathology through its amyloidogenic properties.

Protein dynamics is strongly influenced by the surrounding environment and physiological conditions. Here we employ broadband megahertz-to-terahertz spectroscopy to explore the dynamics of water and myoglobin protein on an extended time scale from femto- to nanosecond. The dielectric spectra reveal several relaxations corresponding to the orientational polarization mechanism, including the dynamics of loosely bound, tightly bound, and bulk water, as well as collective vibrational modes of protein in an aqueous environment. The dynamics of loosely bound and bulk water follow non-Arrhenius behavior; however, the dynamics of water molecules in the tightly bound layer obeys the Arrhenius-type relation. Combining molecular simulations and effective-medium approximation, we have determined the number of water molecules in the tightly bound hydration layer and studied the dynamics of protein as a function of temperature. The results provide the important impact of water on the biochemical functions of proteins.

The current study pivoted on the numerical simulation of magnetohydrodynamic nanofluid flow through the irregular boundary over the Riga plate with heat radiation, suction/injection. The governing equations of continuity, momentum, and energy are constructed to be nonlinear in nature, based on the current problem. The combination of Quasilinear technique with finite difference method using irregular boundaries has been used to solve the governing equations. The velocity profile is enhanced for incremented values of Hartman number. The thermal radiation parameter due to Rosseland approximations is enhanced for temperature and concentration profiles whereas it declines the heat transfer and mass transfer profiles. Temperature, concentration, and heat transfer rates increase for augmented magnetic parameter values, but velocity and skin friction coefficient profiles show the opposite behaviour. The enhanced values of Biot number along with suction/injection parameter reduces the values of skin friction coefficient. The radiation parameter helps to drop the energy rate in the fluid flow as it reduced the skin friction coefficient values. The upsurged values of the thermal radiation parameter along with electromagnetic parameter decreases the values of the Nusselt number.

The electroreduction of CO

The 3D printing technology offers an innovative approach for developing energy storage devices to create facile and low-cost customized electrodes for modern electronics. Generating electric potential by moving a droplet of ionic solution over two-dimensional (2D) materials is a novel method for rain energy harvesting. This work demonstrated a liquid-solid contact electrification-based 3D printed nanogenerator where raindrop passes through the positively charged ultrathin Gadolinium Telluride (Gd2Te3) sheets. Experimental results showed that voltage as high as ~0.6 V could be generated by moving a droplet of ionic solution on the decorated 3D printed nanogenerator. The output efficiency of the nanogenerator is increased ~400% by enhancing the surface area of copious 3D printed porous structures. Density Functional Theory (DFT) calculations are done, revealing that the high electrical conductivity of (112) surface of Gd2Te3 is due to the p-type charge carriers. Additionally, we illustrate the enhancement of the output performance (~0.8V) by using a graphite rod and arbitrarily manipulating the surface charge. Therefore, this work can open up a new avenue to advance scientific research of Blue energy harvesting and tackle the energy crisis.

The rational design of perfluorinated amphiphiles to control the supramolecular aggregation in an aqueous medium is still a key challenge for the engineering of supramolecular architectures. Here, the synthesis and physical properties of six novel non-ionic amphiphiles are presented. The effect of mixed alkylated and perfluorinated segments in a single amphiphile is also studied and compared with only alkylated and perfluorinated units. To explore their morphological behavior in an aqueous medium, dynamic light scattering (DLS) and cryogenic transmission electron microscopy/electron microscopy (cryo-TEM/EM) measurements are used. The assembly mechanisms with theoretical investigations are further confirmed, using the Martini model to perform large-scale coarse-grained molecular dynamics simulations. These novel synthesized amphiphiles offer a greater and more systematic understanding of how perfluorinated systems assemble in an aqueous medium and suggest new directions for rational designing of new amphiphilic systems and interpreting their assembly process.

Developing a catalyst for green hydrogen production through water splitting, is one of the most promising ways to meet current energy demand. Here, we demonstrate spontaneous water splitting using gadolinium telluride (GdTe) with high hydrogen evolution rate. The spent catalyst can be reused after melting, which regains the original activity of the pristine sample. The phase formation and reusability are supported by the thermodynamics calculations. The theoretical calculation reveals ultra-low over-potential for hydrogen evolution reaction of GdTe caused by charge transfer from Te to Gd, hence enhancing the catalytic activity. Production of highly pure and instantaneous hydrogen by GdTe could accelerate fuel cell-based sustainable technologies.

The nanoengineered high entropy alloy (HEAs) catalysts have attracted the attention of the scientific community due to their exceptional characteristics; wide range of compositional tunability and the utilization of low-cost transition metals. During various electrochemical reactions, the oxidation of carbon-mono-oxide (CO) is an intermediate and it acts as a poison to reduce the efficiency of the reactions. A nanocrystalline HEA catalyst (CoFeNiGaZn) is prepared by easily scalable cast-cum-crush method, providing pristine catalyst surfaces. It is capable of catalyzing the CO-oxidation to CO2 with high conversion efficiency (99.8%). DFT calculations show that the high activity of the HEA can be attributed to the presence of a considerable amount of filled states of dxz and dyz orbital near the Fermi level for Ni atoms over the surface. Due to the favourable transfer of electrons from this orbital to the LUMO of reactant molecules, the endothermicity of the rate-determining step is 1.13 eV.

Conversion of carbon dioxide into selective hydrocarbon using a stable catalyst remains a holy grail in the catalysis community. The high overpotential, stability, and selectivity in the use of a s...

The present paper investigates Green’s function technique to study the impact of the non-linear heterogeneity on the propagation of the horizontally polarised shear (SH) wave in a composite layered structure due to the line source. The composite structure is comprised of two distinct isotropic homogeneous elastic layers of finite width lying over an isotropic heterogeneous semi-infinite elastic medium. A general quadratic heterogeneity (including the linear heterogeneity term) in the rigidity of the semi-infinite medium has been taken into account. An efficient analytical treatment involving Green’s function technique along with the application of Fourier transformation has been employed to establish the closed form of the dispersion equation for the propagating wave. As a special case of the problem, the closed form of the dispersion equation has been found in well agreement with the pre-established and classical results. The influence of linear and non-linear heterogeneities on the phase velocity of the horizontally polarised shear-wave has been analysed comparatively for numerous cases associated with the considered model and the corresponding single layer half-space model. It is reported that the phase velocity of the horizontally polarised shear-wave is more pronounced in the case of the corresponding single layer half-space structure as compared to the considered structure. Also, the impact of the general quadratic heterogeneity (supported by the linear heterogeneity) enhances the phase velocity most favourably as compared to the case of the simple quadratic heterogeneity, linear heterogeneity and homogeneity in the semi-infinite medium.

Electronic and thermal transport in materials originate from various forms of electron and ion interactions. Despite the overlapping origin, there is lack of clear connection between these two transport properties. Using machine learning, we establish a relationship between seemingly independent electronic and thermal transport properties. Bonding characteristics, which determine the band structure and at the same time also control the anharmonicity, connect these transport properties. Using bonding characteristics driven structural attributes along with the Seebeck coefficient and electrical conductivity as descriptors, we developed a highly accurate machine learning model to predict the lattice thermal conductivity. Among the descriptors used in this model, bond distance in conjunction with electronic transport properties seamlessly partitions the dataset as a function of variation in the value of lattice thermal conductivity. The empirical formula obtained from non-linear compound descriptors further substantiates the role of bonding attributes in establishing the connection. Additionally, the independent prediction models for the Seebeck coefficient and electrical conductivity involve only elemental and bonding descriptors, thereby negating the need for expensive DFT calculations. Our work unravels the potential of machine learning in discovering the physical connections between otherwise uncorrelated electronic and thermal transport properties.

Molybdenum Disulphide (MoS2) is an interesting material which exists in atomically thin multilayers and can be exfoliated into monolayer or a few layers for multiple applications. It has emerged as a promising material for development of such efficient sensors. Here, we have exfoliated and decorated MoS2 flakes with novel, single phase High Entropy Alloy (HEA) nanoparticles using facile and scalable cryomilling technique, followed by sonochemical method. It is found that the decoration of HEA nanoparticles impart surface enhanced Raman scattering effect and reduction in the work function of the material from 4.9 to 4.75 eV as measured by UV photoelectron spectroscopy. This change in the work function results in a schottky barrier between the gold contact and HEA decorated MoS2 flakes as a result of drastic changes in the surface chemical non-stoichiometry. The response to hydrogen gas is studied at temperatures 30 to 100 oC and it shows unusual p-type nature due to surface adsorbed oxygen species. The nanoscale junction formed between HEA and MoS2 shows 10 times increase in the response towards hydrogen gas at 80 oC. The experimental observations are further explained with DFT simulation showing more favourable hydrogen adsorption on HEA decorated MoS2 resulting for enhanced response.

This article presents a Stefan problem including thermal conductivity and heat capacity as the functions of temperature. At α=β, the exact solutions to the proposed problem are discussed for two different specific cases, i.e. m=n=1 and m=n=2. For the general case, estimation of the solution to the problem is deliberated with the help of shifted Chebyshev tau method. To exhibit the accurateness of the obtained approximate solution, the comparison between exact and approximate solution are depicted through tables which shows that the approximate results are in good agreement with the exact solution. We also present the impact of parameters appeared in the considered problem on temperature profile and location of moving interface. It is found that the melting of the material effectively enhances when we increase either the value m or[spsbacksalsh]and n or Stefan number. Keywords: Moving boundary problem, Similarity variables, Operational matrices, Tau method, Temperature-dependent thermal coefficients

Discovering a material with a combination of high electrical conductivity, high thermopower, and low lattice thermal conductivity is crucial for designing efficient thermoelectric materials. Here, we show that a perfect balance of these properties can be realized in In5X5Br (X = S and Se) compounds, where indium simultaneously exists in three different oxidation states (In1+, In2+ and In3+). The presence of multiple charge carrier pockets near the band edge results in a high thermopower of 250–300 μV K−1 for both p- and n-type doping over a wide range of carrier concentrations and temperatures. Furthermore, our calculations find an exceptionally low lattice thermal conductivity of 0.55 W m−1 K−1 and 1.1 W m−1 K−1 for In5Se5Br and In5S5Br at room temperature, respectively. This ultralow lattice thermal conductivity is attributed to In1+, which is very weakly bound in the lattice. These In1+ atoms are located in a flat potential well and exhibit large mean square displacements demonstrating the strong anharmonic behavior. The strong anharmonicity was further confirmed by the large negative Gruneisen parameters. Remarkably, these compounds possess a rare combination of low thermal conductivity and high thermopower leading to an exceptionally high ZT of ∼2.4 and 2.7 for n-type In5S5Br and In5Se5Br, respectively, at high temperatures. The insights obtained from this work suggest an opportunity to discover efficient thermoelectric materials among other unexplored mixed valence compounds.

The conversion of carbon dioxide into selective hydrocarbons is vital for green energy generation. Due to the chemical instability and lower activity, environmentally stable transition metal oxides...

This article describes a one-phase Stefan problem in a semi-infinite domain that involves temperature-dependent thermal coefficients and moving phase change material with a speed in the direction of the positive x-axis. The convective boundary condition at a fixed boundary is also considered in the problem. An approximate approach to the problem is discussed to solve the problem with the aid of spectral tau method. The existence and uniqueness of the analytical solution to the problem are also established for a particular case, and the obtained approximate solution is compared with this analytical solution which shows that the approximate results are sufficiently accurate. The impact of a few parameters on the moving interface is also analysed.

This article explores a phase change problem in a one-dimensional infinite domain x ≥ 0 including the time-dependent speed of a phase change material. In this problem, the Dirichlet type of boundary condition is considered, and the thermal conductivity and specific heat are assumed as linear functions of temperature. In case of α = β , the exact similarity solution to the problem is established, and its existence and uniqueness are also deliberated. For all α and β , we also present an approximate approach based on spectral shifted Legendre collocation method to solve the problem. The approximate results thus obtained are likened with our exact solution for different parameters and it is shown through tables. From this study, it can be seen that the approximate results are adequately accurate. The impact of different parameters appearing in the considered model on temperature profile and tracking of moving phase-front is also studied.

Nontrivial topology of Dirac semimetals, Weyl semimetals, and nodal line semimetals (NLSMs) is delineated by the novel band crossings near the Fermi level in the bulk and the appearance of exotic surface states. Among them, NLSMs have gained immense interest because of the formation of a one-dimensional nodal ring near the Fermi level. Using density functional theory calculations and an effective two-band k·p model, we report that a two-dimensional (2D) NLSM phase can be hosted on hydrogen-passivated gallenene (gallenane) and on other group 13 elements, without inclusion of spin–orbit coupling (SOC). NLSM in these 2D systems is protected by the presence of crystalline symmetry along with inversion symmetry and time-reversal symmetry. In the presence of SOC, aluminane preserves its topological NLSM phase, while in other hydrogenated group 13 monolayers, a gap opens at the nodal point because of relatively stronger SOC effect. On applying tensile strain along with the inclusion of SOC, gallenane evolves int...

The primary objective of this article is to investigate the behaviour of horizontally polarized shear (SH) wave propagation in piezoelectric composite structure consisting of functionally graded piezoelectric material layer imperfectly bonded to functionally graded porous piezoelectric material half-space. The linear form of functional gradedness varying continuously along with depth is considered in both functionally graded piezoelectric material layer and functionally graded porous piezoelectric material half-space. The interface of the composite structure is considered to be damaged mechanically and/or electrically. Wentzel–Kramers–Brillouin asymptotic approach is adopted to solve the coupled electromechanical field differential equations of both functionally graded piezoelectric material layer and functionally graded porous piezoelectric material half-space. An analytical treatment has been employed to determine the dispersion relations of propagating SH-wave for both electrically short and electrically open conditions, which further reduced to the pre-established and classical results as special case of the problem. The effect of various affecting parameters, namely, functional gradedness, wave number, mechanical/electrical imperfection parameters in the presence and absence of porosity on the phase velocity of SH-wave, has been reported through numerical computation and graphical demonstration. In addition, the variation of the coupled electromechanical factor with dimensionless wave number and cut-off frequency with different modes of propagation of wave for electrically short and electrically open cases has also been discussed.

The present article delves the effect of curved boundary on the propagation characteristics of Rayleigh-type wave and SH wave in an initially stressed monoclinic media. The present communication fo...

Sublattice symmetry breaking has been identified as the necessary condition for bandgap opening in monolayer graphene-on-substrate heterostructures. In many of them, however, in spite of sublattice...

Rattling has emerged as one of the most significant phenomenon for notably reducing the thermal conductivity in complex crystal systems. In this work, using first-principles density functional theory, we found that rattlers can be hosted in simpler crystal systems such as AgIn5S8 and CuIn5S8. Rattlers Ag and Cu exhibit weak and anisotropic bonding with the neighboring In and S and reside in a very shallow anharmonic potential well. The phonon spectra of these compounds have multiple avoided crossing of optical and acoustic modes, which are a signature of rattling motion. This leads to ultralow thermal conductivity, which is inversely proportional to mass and frequency span of rattling modes. Even though Ag atoms contribute to the valence band states, the rattler modes of Ag do not scatter carriers significantly, leaving the electronic transport virtually unaffected. Moreover, AgIn5S8 possesses a combination of heavy and light valence bands resulting in a very high power factor. A combination of favorable thermal and electronic transport results in a very high figure of merit of 2.2 in p-doped AgIn5S8 at 1000 K. The proposed idea of having rattlers in simpler systems can be extended to a wider class of materials, which would accelerate the development of thermoelectric modules for waste energy harvesting.

Background: India had issued a set of regulation for new class of plant based drug ‘Phytopharmaceutical drug’ as an amendment to the Drugs and Cosmetic Rules 1945. Age old traditional systems of medicine practiced in India ‘Ayurveda’, ‘Siddha’ and ‘Unani’ medicines. Ayurvedic, Siddha or Unani drugs include all medicines in accordance with the authoritative books of Ayurvedic, Siddha and Unani tibb. systems of medicine specified in the first Schedule of Drugs and Cosmetics Act 1940. Objective: The article aims to analyse opportunities and challenges in development of phytopharmaceutical drug in India through SWOT analysis. Methods: The Strength, Weakness, Opportunities and Threats (SWOT) in development of phytopharmaceutical drug in India was analysed through review of published literatures. Observation: The SWOT analysis showed that India being leader in the herbal industry has massive opportunity in national and international market for phytopharmaceutical drug. It was also observed that the phytopharmaceutical drug market has vital opportunity for expansion both in developed and developing countries. Conclusion: There is a need for investment and commitment in promoting research and development in the area of phytopharmaceutical drug. Key words: Phytopharmaceutical drug, SWOT, Drugs and Cosmetics rules, Opportunity, Challenges.

Magnetic materials enjoy an envious position in the area of data storage, electronics, and even in biomedical field. This review provides an overview of low-dimensional magnetism in graphene, h-BN, and carbon nitrides, which originates from defects like vacancy, adatom, doping, and dangling bonds. In transition metal dichalcogenides, a tunable magnetism comes from doping, strain, and vacancy/defects, and these materials offer spintronics, as well as photoelectronic potentials, since they have an additional degree of freedom called valley state (e.g. MoS2). Strain- and layer-dependent magnetic ordering has been observed in layered compounds like CrXTe3, CrI3, and trisulfides. The magnetism in 2D oxides like MoO3, Ni(OH)2, and perovskites are also interesting as they are potential candidates for next-generation devices having faster processing and large data storage capacity. Quasi 2D magnetism in MXene and in atomically thin materials supported on 3D materials will also be discussed. Finally, some of the challenges related to the control of defects and imperfections in 2D lattice, promising approaches to overcome them will be covered., by N Sethulakshmi, AvanishMishra, P. M. Ajayan, Yoshiyuki Kawazoe, Ajit K. Roy, Abhishek K. Singh and Chandra Sekhar Tiwary

This paper presents a unique Possibilistic c-Means with constraints (PCM-S) with Adaptive Possibilistic Local Information c-Means (ADPLICM) in a supervised way by incorporating local information through local spatial constraints and local similarity measures in Possibilistic c-Means Algorithm. PCM-S with ADPLICM overcome the limitations of the known Possibilistic c-Means (PCM) and Possibilistic c-Means with constraints (PCM-S) algorithms. The major contribution of proposed algorithm to ensure the noise resistance in the presence of random salt & pepper noise. The effectiveness of proposed algorithm has been analysed on random “salt and pepper” noise added on original dataset and Root Mean Square Error (RMSE) has been calculated between original dataset and noisy dataset. It has been observed that PCM-S with ADPLICM is effective in minimizing noise during supervised classification by introducing local convolution.

The present article undertakes the study of propagation of SH-wave and Rayleigh-type wave in a layered structure with a layer overlying a semi-infinite medium composed of distinct initially stresse...