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In this study, the properties and application of natural fiber composites in automobile industries are discussed. Natural fibers are replacing the synthetic fibers in the various parts of automobiles due to their lightweight, low-cost, and environmental aspects. For centuries, natural fibers have been used for making baskets, clothing, and ropes. Now the trend is changing and natural fibers such as: jute, hemp, flax, and sisal fibers are making their ways especially into the components of automobiles. Comparisons of material indices for beam and panel structures were made to investigate the possibility of using natural fiber composites instead of conventional and non-conventional materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: The incidents of falls increase with age. However, it is yet to be established whether these associations are influenced by gender. Therefore, this study aimed to determine gender differences in fall-related injuries among older adults treated at the hospital emergency department.. Methods: A retrospective study design was utilised in this study. The authors analysed emergency department visits data for July through December 2019 in a teaching hospital in Klang Valley, Malaysia. Data related to fall-related injuries in elderly patients was retrieved through the patient management system. The Emergency Department Falls Checklist has been used to compile all sociodemographic, environmental and comorbidities factors associated with falls in this study. Results: One hundred eighty-seven cases of fall-related injuries were documented, and 62.0% were women. Fractures accounted for 91.4% of all injuries. There was a significant difference among women and men in terms of age groups(p=0.032), marital status (p=0.019) and living arrangement (p=0.019) fall incidence treated in the emergency department. We also found significant differences between genders in risk factors and comorbidities such as having diabetes mellitus (p=0.005), visual impairment (p=0.009), history of hospitalisation due to fall (p=0.042) and history of fractures (p<0.001). Women also demonstrated longer hospitalisation time (more than three days) compared to men (p=0.006). Conclusion: Among older adults, unintentional falls are more prevalent among women. Thus, the findings highlight the importance of recognising these differences in detail and the situations in which the fall occurred since this information is vital to plan preventive actions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: To analyze the effectiveness of Grade 1 and 2 joint mobilizations with NSAIDS in comparison with NSAIDS alone in pain management of knee osteoarthritis. Methods: In this randomized controlled trial patients with knee osteoarthritis (n=50) were divided into two groups, 25 patients in each group. Control group received diclofenac salt 50mg in twice daily dose along with quadriceps and knee joint exercises, while experimental group received knee joint mobilizations grade 1 and 2 in addition to the diclofenac salt 50mg twice daily dose and quadriceps and knee joint exercises. Main outcome was moderate, good or excellent control of pain with the intervention. Among secondary parameters were the effect on pain intensity, quality of life, and functionality. Grades of mobilizations used are defined as per Kaltenborn. Results: At the end of six weeks the knee pain with activities improved in the experimental group (mean7.44) compared to control group (mean 11.28) and pain with physical function also showed improvement in experimental (mean 25.84) as compared to control (mean 36.28). The stiffness also showed better mean values in the experimental (mean 2.08) to control (Mean 3.12). Visual analog scale readings also showed improvement in experimental group (mean 5.12) compared to control (mean 6.84). Conclusions: Grade 1 and 2 manual knee joint mobilizations in combination with diclofenac salt are more effective than diclofenac salt alone. Emphasis of this therapy should be given to reduce knee joint pain, stiffness and improvement in physical function on various activities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With growing environmental concerns, the removal of toxic industrial dyes from wastewater has become a critical global issue. In this study, TiO 2 -CuSe composites were synthesized using a cost-effective and simple chemical method to determine the optimal concentration of CuSe for the efficient degradation of methylene blue (MB) under visible light. The TiO 2 samples exhibited a mix of rutile and anatase phases, while CuSe formed in a hexagonal phase. Both TiO 2 and CuSe were observed to have agglomerated particles with indistinct boundaries. The optical bandgap shifted towards the visible region from 3.25 eV (pure TiO 2 ) to 2.91 eV with increasing the amount of CuSe in the composites. The photocatalytic activity of TiO 2 , CuSe, and TiO 2 -CuSe composites was evaluated by monitoring MB degradation, with the composites outperforming the individual components under visible light. Notably, the TiO 2 -20% CuSe composite (AK-4) demonstrated superior efficiency, removing 98% of MB in just 70 minutes. The photocatalysts also exhibited enhanced antibacterial properties, effectively reducing E. coli colonies from 1.71 × 10 12 CFU mL -1 (pure TiO 2 ) to 1 × 10 10 CFU mL -1 for the AK-4 composite. This study suggests that visible light-activated TiO 2 -CuSe composites could be effective for both water purification and bacterial infection control., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflicts of interest., (This journal is © The Royal Society of Chemistry.)

One of the most pressing concerns in today's power networks is ensuring that consumers (both home and industrial) have access to efficient and long-lasting economic energy. Due to improved power accessibility and high specific capacitance without deterioration over long working times, supercapacitor-based energy storage systems can be a viable solution to this problem. So, here, tungsten trioxide (WO 3 ) nanocomposites containing reduced graphene oxide and carbon nanotubes i.e. (RGO-WO 3 ), (CNT-WO 3 ), and (RGO-CNT-WO 3 ), as well as pure WO 3 nanostructures as electrode materials, were synthesized using a simple hydrothermal process. The monoclinic phase of WO 3 with high diffraction peaks is visible in X-ray diffraction analysis, indicating good crystallinity of all electrode materials. Nanoflowers of WO 3 were well-decorated on the RGO/CNTs conductive network in SEM micrographs. In a three-electrode system, the specific capacitance of the RGO-CNT-WO 3 electrode is 691.38 F g -1 at 5 mV s -1 and 633.3 F g -1 at 2 A g -1 , which is significantly higher than that of pure WO 3 and other binary electrodes. Furthermore, at 2 A g -1 , it achieves a coulombic efficiency of 98.4%. After 5000 cycles, RGO-CNT-WO 3 retains 89.09% of its capacitance at 1000 mV s -1 , indicating a promising rate capability and good cycling stability performance., Competing Interests: There are no conflicts to declare., (This journal is © The Royal Society of Chemistry.)