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In this paper simultaneous effects of Coriolis forces, Brownian motion and thermophoresis on the peristaltic motion of Newtonian fluid are incorporated. The governing nonlinear flow equations with appropriate conditions are converted into non-dimensional form, afterward, they were solved numerically by the Keller box procedure. Also, another numerical method is used to solve these transformed equations and by tabular data, we made a comparison of the numerical values of velocities, temperature and concentration profiles. A parametric investigation was conducted and the influence of various parameters on primary and secondary velocities is conducted for both slip and no-slip flow cases. The obtained results are compared with the existing literature as a particular case and found with an excellent agreement. Furthermore graphical results for temperature and nanoparticle concentration profiles are reported for both rotating and non-rotating frames. It is worth mentioning that the effects of Nt and Nb are the dominant in rotating frame as compared to the non-rotating frame of reference and the magnitude of temperature distribution is small for slip flow. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With effective thermal performances and stability, the nanomaterials are intended to be the focus of investigators due to applications in energy systems, thermal extrusions, pharmaceutical processes, diagnoses and therapies, domestic refrigerators, bio-medical technologies, nuclear processes, antibacterial activities, etc. This research addresses thermal transport in stagnation point flow of nanofluid over a curved surface with nonlinear radiative effects and chemical reaction effects. Basic mass and momentum conservation laws are used to model the flow problem, whereas Cattaneo–Christov theories are used in thermal diffusion relations to model the heat and concentration equations. The similarity variables transformed the governing partial differential equations and the resulting equations are numerically simulated by the fourth-order finite difference scheme. The effective change in velocity, heat transfer rate, and mass fluctuation are reported due to effective values of parameters. It is noted that velocity, temperature, and concentration are affected by the curvature of the surface. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is shown that the nanostructures of vanadium pentoxide (VO) obtained by laser treatment of films grown by thermal evaporation differ significantly in their properties from analogues based on VO. Results of XRD and SEM studies show the increase in grain size with the increasing intensity of the laser radiation, and spectral analysis data indicate a decrease in the band gap. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study elaborates on the flow of viscoelastic nanofluid consisting of gyrotactic microorganism over a rotating stretching disk along with convective boundary and zero mass flux conditions. Using the similarity transformations the nonlinear coupled partial differential equations regulating the present problem are converted into a set of ordinary differential equations which are approximated numerically by the Keller Box method. The numerically obtained results are verified with the available existing literature for particular values of the involved parameters which are limiting cases of the present analysis. Variation of heat and mass transfer and density numbers are presented graphically and the influence of various parameters on both radial and azimuthal velocities, temperature, concentration, and density of motile-microorganisms for convective and non-convective surfaces is shown through various plots and discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Silver oxide nanoparticles are wonderful material and having great potential towards biomedical applications. Silver oxide nanoparticle were synthesized via Chemical Aqueous method and characterized by applying manifold available techniques. X-ray diffraction (XRD) was used for analyzing structural property of nanoparticle crystals, the morphology of synthesized nanoparticles was studied by scanning electron microscope (SEM), elemental analysis of the composition was observed by energy dispersive X-ray spectra (EDXS) and the optical properties was analyzed by the Uv–Vis spectrometer. Spectroscopic analysis confirmed the spherical morphology of the nanoparticles with the effect of calcined temperature. Phototoxic and cytotoxic effects of grown particles were examined by conducting various relevant experimental techniques on hepatocellular (HepG2 Cell line) model. The obtained results were verified by applying polynomial fit which confirmed the goodness of fit. Silver oxide NPs has unique bio interaction characteristics and physicochemical properties as anticancer agent. This research will be beneficial particularly for cancer therapeutics. Image 10731899 • Silver oxide nanoparticles were synthesized by chemical aqueous method. • Invitro Cytotoxicity and ROS Activity under dark and light exposure. • 70% cell viability loss at 60μg/mL. • Polynomial fit confirmed experimental results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The influence of Cu addition on the microstructure and superconducting performance of ex-situ sintered MgB 2 is systemically studied. It is found that the critical current density ( J c ) of the Cu-doped sample is improved compared to the un-doped samples. In particular, the J c of the Cu-doped sample sintered at 900 °C for only 10 min is the best value at low fields. The reason is that Cu addition can obviously promote the decomposition of MgB 2 : MgB 2 ↔ MgB 4 + Mg , which produces more Mg that can then react with Cu, forming local Mg-Cu liquid at high temperature. The presence of this local Mg-Cu liquid can significantly enhance the migration and self-sintering of MgB 2 , leading to the significant improvement in the grain connectivity and J c . Our results indicate that Cu addition is a promising method to fabricate high-performance ex-situ MgB 2 bulks and wires. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Flow of Casson hybrid nanofluid is examined through complex wavy curved channel. • Fe 3 O 4 and Cu nanoparticles are considered as a hybrid nanoparticles and blood as a base fluid. • Magnetic field and Hall current effects are considered. • Assumption of long wavelength and creeping transport are accounted. The nanoparticles have substantial uses in the treatment of several diseases and in drug delivery systems and the nanoparticles are injected in the base fluid which is transported in the cardiovascular system on the mechanism of peristalsis. This study highlights the Casson hybrid nanofluid thermal inspection with blood base fluid. The copper and iron oxide nanoparticles are used to assess the hybrid nanofluid characteristics. The conduit for the present analysis is considered non-uniform complex wavy and curved. The base fluid is considered as a Casson fluid which reports the shear thinning and thickening consequences of blood base liquid. The fundamental conservation laws are utilized to model the flow problem and simplified under the assumption of long wavelength and creeping transport. The shooting method is used to compute the different flow and heat transfer characteristics The impact of various interesting parameters is examined graphically. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nanobiotechnology has opened a new and exciting opportunities for exploring urea biosensor based on magnetic nanoparticles (NPs) mainly FeO and CoO. These NPs have been extensively exploited to develop biosensors with stability, selectivity, reproducibility and fast response time. This review gives an overview of the development of urea biosensor based on FeO and CoO for in vitro diagnostic applications along with significant improvements over the last few decades. Additionally, effort has been made to elaborate properties of magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) in biosensing aspects. It also gives details of recent developments in hybrid nanobiocomposite based urea biosensor. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The electrical and photoresponse properties of Au/nanostructure AZO/p-Si/Al diode were investigated. Al-doped ZnO (AZO) thin films were deposited via pulsed laser deposition method on silicon substrate. Structural properties of the films were performed by using transmission electron microscopy and X-ray powder diffraction (XRD). The XRD patterns showed that the AZO films are polycrystalline with hexagonal wurtzite structure preferentially oriented in (002) direction. Electrical and photoresponse properties of the diode were analyzed under in a wide range of frequencies and illumination intensities. It is observed that the reverse current of the diode increases with increasing illumination intensity. This result confirms that the diode exhibits both photoconducting and photovoltaic behavior. Also, the transient photocurrent, photocapacitance and photoconductance measured as a function of time highly depend on transient illumination. In addition, the frequency dependence of capacitance and conductance is attributed to the presence of interface states. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Drop casting technique was used to fabricate Al/p-Si/coumarin doped fullerite/Al diodes. The effects of coumarin doping on the photoresponse properties of the diodes were investigated. The forward bias current of the diodes increases exponentially with voltage confirming rectification behavior. The reverse current of the diodes increases with increasing illumination intensities. The photocurrent of the diodes is higher than the dark current. The obtained m value indicates that the photocurrent exhibited a linear photoconducting behavior. The coumarin doped fullerite diodes indicate a non-ideal behavior with obtained ideality factors. The obtained barrier height value of the Al/p-Si/coumarin doped fullerite/Al diode is comparable to that of the conventional Al/p-Si ( ϕ b = 0.58 eV) Schottky diode. The measured values of the capacitance decrease with the increasing frequency. The decrease in capacitance was explained on the basis of interface states. It was concluded that the obtained barrier height and interface state density values of the diode are modified doping fullerite with coumarin. The obtained results suggest that the fabricated diodes could be used as an optical sensor in various optoelectronic applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Here radiative flow of Casson nanoparticles is discussed. • Oblique stagnation point is considered. • Binary chemical reaction is considered with activation energy. • Flow behavior is discussed over a stretched surface of cylinder. The flow of nanoparticles presents many dynamic applications in thermal sciences, solar systems, cooling and heating phenomenon, energy resources and much other multidisciplinary significance. Following to such valuable applications and motivations in mind, this research pronounced the thermal applications of radiative Casson nanoparticles in presence of radiative phenomenon and activation energy. The oblique stagnation point flow has been considered due to the stretching cylinder. To analyze the flow problem, the problem is formulated in the cylindrical coordinates. The numerical solution is computed via bvp4c built solver by using the MATLAB software. The impact of different involved parameters on skin fraction, heat transfer rate and mass transfer rate is reported and discussed in tables. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study particularizes the effects of nonlinear thermal radiation and the novel accepts of activation energy in the axisymmetric rotational stagnation point flow of hybrid fluid. Thermophysical properties of water and CWCNT / MWCNT are used for base fluid and nanoparticles respectively. The modeled partial differential equations are reduces to system of ordinary differential equations. The resulting equations are integrated numerically and the impact of involved parameters on velocity, temperature and nanoparticle concentration presented graphically. The tabular values for local Nusselt numbers in case of linear and nonlinear thermal radiation and the Sherwood number with and without activation energy are documented. It is observed that concentration of nanoparticles reduces with activation energy and increasing the solid volume fraction of SWCNT as well as MWCNT nanoparticles. Moreover the axial velocity increases while secondary velocity decreases by increasing the rotation parameter. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Co 3 O 4 NCMs were synthesized using a sol-gel protocol and then calcined at various temperatures. • Anticancer activity of Co 3 O 4 nanocrystalline materials (NCMs), annealed at various temperatures in the HepG2. • Increased annealing temperature of Co 3 O 4 NCMs resulted in decreased cytotoxicity, due to an increase in NCM diameter. • The optimized form (30 μg ml−1) of Co 3 O 4 , annealed at 700 °C, caused the highest loss in liver carcinoma cell viability. • Our experimental findings were verified by developing a mathematical model for annealed Co 3 O 4 NCMs at various temperatures. This research project focused on the assessment of the anticancer activity of Co 3 O 4 nanocrystalline materials (NCMs), annealed at various temperatures in the HepG2 (liver hepatocellular carcinoma) cell line. Co 3 O 4 NCMs were synthesized using a sol-gel protocol and then calcined at various temperatures. The structure, morphology, and purity of synthesized nanocrystalline materials and their optical properties were studied via various material analysis techniques, including XRD, SEM, EDX, UV/Vis, and Raman spectroscopy. The anticancer activity of cobalt oxide nanocrystalline materials (Co 3 O 4 NCMs) were explored in human liver carcinoma by performing and optimizing photodynamic therapy (PDT) through a variety of specific steps. This included the labeling of liver cancer cells with various concentrations at several different incubation times. Additionally, light-induced PDT was employed to assess the phototoxic effects of synthesized nanocrystalline materials in HepG2 cells. Here, we established optimized conditions for this novel therapeutic approach by highlighting the temperature-dependent toxicity of Co 3 O 4 NCMs as a means to improve current PDT standards and precision. Our experimental findings were verified by developing and analyzing a mathematical model to describe annealed Co 3 O 4 NCMs at various temperatures, and the results of this modeling agreed strongly with our experimental data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Au-TiO 2 nanoparticles conjugated with doxorubicin (DOX) were synthesized for new photodynamic therapy (PDT). • Anatase/rutile phase junction effect combined with plasmonic resonance are amplified in Au- TiO 2 conjugated with DOX. • Au-TiO 2 plays a key role in photocatalytic activity via the development of a new energy bandgap in the composite. • Cancer-cell viability loss of up to 70%. • Empirical modeling was performed for statistical analysis of biotoxicity towards the breast cancer cell line. Au-TiO 2 nanoparticles conjugated with doxorubicin (DOX) were synthesized for new photodynamic therapy (PDT) plans and for comprehensive and reliable treatment of breast cancer-related acute diseases. The anatase/rutile phase junction effect combined with plasmonic resonance is amplified in Au- TiO 2 conjugated with DOX, leading to a synergistic response of PDT. Au-TiO 2 plays a key role in photocatalytic activity via the development of a new energy bandgap in the composite. The capsules of Au-TiO 2 @DOX can readily diffuse into the tumor's vicinity because of the acidic environment of the tissue core, where DOX acts as a photosensitizing agent when Au-TiO 2 is excited by an optimal dose of ultraviolet (UV) light, and it demonstrated that a cancer-cell viability loss of up to 70%. This was confirmed by various analytic techniques: reactive oxygen species (ROS) fluorescence, cell mortality assay, MTT assay, apoptosis detection assay, and membrane integrity assay. Furthermore, empirical modeling was performed for statistical analysis of biotoxicity towards the breast cancer cell line. The results acclaim the targeted photokilling efficacy of Au-TiO 2 @DOX nanocomposites for breast malignancy treatment, as well as in vivo applications, owing to their biocompatible properties for healthy tissues, and as an embattled weapon for breast cancer. After vigilant investigation, it is expected that these ongoing research outcomes will contribute significantly to actual treatment of breast cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We developed a composite consisting of mesoporous ZrO 2 thin films supporting catalytically active gold nanoparticles (Au NPs) for the oxidative removal of carbon monoxide (CO). At first, highly ordered mesoporous ZrO 2 (m-ZrO 2) thin films are prepared by sol-gel-based spin-coating process followed by a controlled thermal treatment process in air. Then, Au NPs are successfully dispersed and deposited over the entire framework of mesoporous ZrO 2 thin films to form Au/m-ZrO 2 films. The specific surface area and crystallinity of the m-ZrO 2 thin films as well as the periodicity of the mesoporous framework can be controlled by adjusting the calcination temperature and the synthetic parameters. The catalytic efficiency of the optimized Au/m-ZrO 2 composite film toward CO conversion reaches 94% of circulation time, and is well-retained even after 1 h (∼88%). Image 1 • Oxidative removal of carbon monoxide (CO) at room temperature is introduced. • Ordered mesoporous ZrO 2 thin films are prepared by a sol-gel method. • Au nanoparticles (NPs) are dispersed over the entire framework of mesoporous ZrO 2. • The catalytic efficiency of the mesoporous ZrO 2 film with Au NPs reaches 94.0%. • Indoor air purification devices can be fabricated using our catalysts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Herein, we examine the application of mesoporous cobalt phosphide (meso -CoP) prepared by a hard-templating method as a novel non-precious electrocatalyst for the oxygen evolution reaction (OER). The obtained meso -CoP exhibits a relatively low overpotential (0.30 V at 10 mA cm−2), a decent Tafel slope (81 mV dec−1), and good long-term stability, performing better than its bulk counterpart and many state-of-the-art Co-based OER electrocatalysts. The high electrocatalytic performance of the meso -CoP toward OER is attributed to two key factors: (1) a large accessible active surface which endows the meso -CoP with numerous active sites for water oxidation; (2) a well-organized mesoporous structure which expedites the electron/ion transfer and mass transport, thereby significantly enhancing the OER kinetics. This work will provide guidance for designing inexpensive high-performance electrocatalysts with exquisite mesostructures for potential applications in commercial water-splitting technology. • The hard-templated synthesis of mesoporous cobalt phosphide (meso -CoP) is presented. • High density of exposed active sites of well-developed meso -CoP architectures • The obtained meso -CoP catalyst displays a relatively low overpotential of 300 mV at 10 mA cm−2. • The as-prepared meso -CoP catalyst exhibits negligible OER activity loss up to 2000 cycles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Levofloxacin, a fluoroquinolone, is an extensively used antibiotic effective against both positively and negatively staining bacteria. It works by inhibiting bacterial topoisomerase type II and topoisomerase type IV, resulting in impaired DNA synthesis and bacterial cell death. Eryptosis is another term for apoptotic cell death of erythrocyte marked by cell shrinkage, phosphatidylserine (PS) flipping, and membrane blebbing., Methods: The intent of the present research was to look at the eryptotic effect of levofloxacin by exposing erythrocytes to therapeutical doses (7, 14 µM) of levofloxacin for 48 hours. Cell size evaluation, PS subjection to outside, and calcium channel inhibition were carried out to investigate eryptosis. Oxidative stress generated by levofloxacin was measured as a putative mechanism of eryptosis using glutathione peroxidase (GPx), superoxide dismutase (SOD), and catalase activities. Similarly, hemolysis measurements demonstrated levofloxacin's cytotoxic effect., Results: Our findings showed that therapeutic doses of levofloxacin can cause a considerable decline in antioxidant enzymes activities, as well as induce cell shrinkage, PS externalization, and hemolysis in erythrocytes. The role of calcium in triggering erythrocyte shrinkage was also confirmed., Conclusion: In conclusion, our findings showed that the indicated levofloxacin doses caused oxidative stress, which leads to erythrocyte death via eryptosis and hemolysis. These findings emphasize the importance of using levofloxacin with caution and the need for additional research to mitigate these side effects., Competing Interests: Conflict of interest: The authors declare no conflict of interest., (© 2024 The Authors.)

The development of a successful oncology pharmacy system includes competency training, cost-efficient procurement, proper storage, preparation and administration of chemotherapy, and appropriate waste disposal. Low-middle-income countries such as Pakistan face several challenges within the realm of oncology pharmacy such as the unavailability of training programmes, resources and financial support, and inconsistencies in the safe handling of cytotoxic drugs. The Indus Hospital and Health Network (IHHN) is among the pioneers of oncology pharmacy practices in Pakistan, with a well-established Oncology Pharmacy Team and chemotherapy preparation in accordance with the United States Pharmacopeia 797 and 800 safety guidelines. The My Child Matters Grant was awarded by the Sanofi Espoir Foundation to the Department of Paediatric Hematology and Oncology at IHHN for holistic improvement in childhood cancer care through teaching, training and capacity building. Partnerships were formed with five public-sector paediatric oncology units nationwide. Initiatives were taken to improve oncology pharmacy practices including teaching and training courses, in-person assessment visits, and mentorship and liaison efforts. Despite prevailing challenges, promising improvements were noted at each centre. However, Pakistan needs to establish a national plan for childhood cancer with the creation of regional organisations for the training and monitoring of oncology pharmacists. Centralisation of pharmacy operations within hospitals is essential to maintain the availability, storage, preparation and administration standards of chemotherapy., Competing Interests: Declaration of Conflicting InterestsThe author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

Produced water (PW) from oil and gas exploration adversely affects aquatic life and living organisms, necessitating treatment before discharge to meet effluent permissible limits. This study first used activated sludge to pretreat PW in a sequential batch reactor (SBR). The pretreated PW then entered a 13 L photobioreactor (PBR) containing Scenedesmus obliquus microalgae culture. Initially, 10% of the PW mixed with 90% microalgae culture in the PBR. After the exponential growth of the microalgae, an additional 25% of PW was added to the PBR without extra nutrients. This study reported the growth performance of microalgae in the PBR as well as the reduction in effluent's total organic carbon (TOC), total dissolved solids (TDS), electrical conductivity (EC), and heavy metals content. The results demonstrated removal efficiencies of 64% for TOC, 49.8% for TDS, and 49.1% for EC. The results also showed reductions in barium, iron, and manganese in the effluent by 95, 76, and 52%, respectively., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Objectives: Emergency Departments (EDs) play a major role in managing acute and chronic illnesses, especially in low-to-middle-income countries like Pakistan, which lacks effective primary healthcare. This study reports the epidemiology and clinical characteristics of patients presenting over a two-year period at the Indus Hospital and Health Network (IHHN) adult ED in Karachi, Pakistan., Methods: This is a retrospective observational study conducted through chart review of 264,859 patients, aged 16 years and above, who presented to the IHHN ED, Korangi Campus, from January 2019 to December 2020 after obtaining approval from IHHN IRB., Results: Men were found to be the predominant presenting gender, with a slight rise in the number of women in 2020. The most frequent age group in 2019 was 15-25 (27.7%), whereas it was 25-35 years in 2020 (24.1%), with a decline in total number of elderly visits seen in comparison to previous years. The most frequently seen disposition was 'referral to clinic' in 2019 (48.4%) and 'discharged' in 2020 (39%). Out of all dispositions, maximum Length of stay (LOS) was seen in patients who left against medical advice in both years. Patient acuity showed the highest number of P3 (moderately ill) patients in both years. Infectious diseases accounted for greater than 10% of patients in both years (17.2% and16.5%), followed by gastrointestinal complaints (15.7% and 11.3%), genitourinary complaints (14.9% and 7.9%), and trauma (11.9% and 12.4%)., Conclusion: Knowledge of epidemiology and clinical characteristics of patients can help facilitate timely planning of staff deployment and allocation of resources to avoid overcrowding, improve patient outcomes, and increase patient satisfaction through timely management., Competing Interests: Conflict of interest: None., (Copyright: © Pakistan Journal of Medical Sciences.)

Introduction: Cardiac Implantable Electronic Devices (CIEDs) are widely used for the management of advanced heart failure and ventricular arrhythmias. CIED-Infection (CIED-I) has very high mortality, especially in the subsets of patients with limited health-care access and delayed presentation. The purpose of this study is to identify the risk-predictors mortality in subjects with CIED-I., Methods: We performed a retrospective cohort study of a regional database in patients presenting with CIED infections to tertiary care medical centers across Western New York, USA from 2012 to 2020. The clinical outcomes included recurrent device infection (any admission for CIED-I after the first hospitalization for device infection), septic complications (pulmonary embolism, respiratory failure, septic shock, decompensated HF, acute kidney injury) and mortality outcomes (death during hospitalization, within 30 days from CIED-I, and within 1 year from CIED-I). We studied associations between categorical variables and hard outcomes using χ 2 tests and used one-way analysis of variance to measure between-groups differences., Results: We identified 296 patients with CIED-I, among which 218 (74%) were male, 237 (80%) were white and the mean age at the time of infection was 69.2 ± 13.7 years. One-third of the patients were referred from the regional facilities. Staphylococcus aureus was responsible for most infections, followed by Enterococcus fecalis. On multivariate analysis, the covariates associated with significantly increased mortality risk included referral from regional facility (OR: 2.0;1.0-4.0), hypertension (Odds ratio, OR: 3.2;1.3-8.8), right ventricular dysfunction (OR: 2.6;1.2-5.1), end-stage renal disease (OR: 2.6;1.1-6.2), immunosuppression (OR: 11.4;2.5-53.3), and septic shock as a complication of CIED-I (OR: 3.9;1.3-10.8)., Conclusion: Hypertension, right ventricular dysfunction, immunosuppression, and end-stage renal disease are associated with higher mortality after CIED-I. Disproportionately higher mortality was also noted in subjects referred from the regional facilities. This underscores the importance of early clinical risk-assessment, and the need for a robust referral infrastructure to improve patient outcomes., (© 2023 Wiley Periodicals LLC.)

Background: Most Emergency Departments (EDs) in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), particularly in Pakistan, are staffed by physicians not formally trained in Emergency Medicine (EM). As of January 2022, there were only 13 residency training programs in EM throughout all of Pakistan. Therefore, an intermediate solution-a one-year training program in EM-was developed to build capacity., Objective: To determine the impact of a novel training program in EM on clinical metrics and outcomes., Methods: The first cohort of a novel, one-year training program-the Certification Program in Emergency Medicine (CPEM)-completed the program in June 2019. The program consisted of two arms: CPEM-Clinical (CPEM-C), which included physicians from the Indus Hospital and Health Network (IHHN) ED; and CPEM-Didactic (CPEM-D), which included physicians from EDs across Karachi. Both groups participated in weekly conferences, such as didactics, small group discussions, workshops, and journal clubs. CPEM-C learners also received clinical mentorship from local and international faculty. Mortality, length of stay (LOS), and time-to-evaluation, as well as metrics in four key areas-patients at risk for cardiovascular disease/acute coronary syndrome, sepsis, respiratory illness, and intra-abdominal trauma-were assessed before and after the initial cohort at IHHN and compared with other groups in IHHN., Findings and Conclusions: More than 125,000 patients were seen from July to December 2017 (pre-CPEM) and July to December 2019 (post-CPEM). Overall, there were significant improvements in all clinical metrics and outcomes, with the exception of LOS and time-to-evaluation, and a trend toward improved mortality. In comparing CPEM graduates to other groups in IHHN ED, most metrics and outcomes significantly improved or trended toward improvement, including mortality. Implementation of a medium-duration, intensive EM training program can help improve patient care and the development of EM as a new specialty in lower-resource settings., Competing Interests: The authors have no competing interests to declare., (Copyright: © 2023 The Author(s).)

Background: Despite rising childhood cancer incidence, low-middle income countries often fall short of quality resources to prioritize and develop psycho-oncology services. Patients and families suffering from cancer are subject to great psychological distress and require continuous psychosocial support. Unfortunately, a lack of mental health awareness and trained providers remains a pertinent issue in resource-strained countries such as Pakistan., Methods: IHHN has a well-established Psychosocial Department for pediatric oncology patients. Mental health counseling, child life, palliative care, bereavement and, social support are provided by a team of trained psychologists and social workers. In an effort to promote the implementation of this psychosocial model, partnerships were formed with public-sector pediatric oncology units and a structured one week online training module was conducted followed by a 1 week hands-on training., Results: Of the total 67 participants registered, 24 were eligible for certificates. The course was open to healthcare workers around the country, considering that dedicated psychosocial personnel are not present in all units. The highest number of participants were from Karachi, accounting for 56.7% and were psychologists, 32.8%. On feedback, all participants said they would recommend this course to others and 80% chose self-motivation as the reason for enrolling compared to 12% who chose workplace requirement and 4% chose certification. Psychosocial workers selected for hands-on training were empowered to implement the POD model at their units and mentorship was continued after the training., Conclusion: Establishment of counseling and mental health services must be prioritized and integrated into childhood cancer healthcare delivery. Further studies are needed for establishing psychosocial models in low resource settings.

Oncology nurses are stakeholders in the global fight against childhood cancer. In low- to middle-income countries, the burden of care on nursing staff is high, and nurses face several unique challenges. To optimize pediatric.

Textile industry utilize a massive amount of dyes for coloring. The dye-containing effluent is released into wastewater along with heavy metals that are part of dye structure. The treatment of textile industry wastewater using conventional techniques (coagulation, membrane technique, electrolysis ion exchange, etc.) is uneconomical and less efficient (for a low concentration of pollutants). Moreover, most of these techniques produce toxic sludge, making them less environmentally friendly. Algae base industry is growing for food, cosmetics and energy needs. Algae biomass in unique compared to lignocellulosic biomass due to presence of various functional group on its surface and presence of various cations. These two characteristics are unique for biochar as a tool for environmental decontamination. Algae biomass contain functional groups and cations that can be effective for removal of organic contaminants (dyes) and heavy metals. Algae can be micro and macro and both have entirely different biomass composition which will lead to a synthesis of different biochar even under same synthesis process. This study reviews the recent progress in the development of an economically viable and eco-friendly approach for textile industry wastewater using algae biomass-derived absorbents. The strategy employed microalgal biochar to remove organic pollutants (dyes) and heavy metals from textile effluents by biosorption. This article discusses different methods for preparing algal biochar (pyrolysis, hydrothermal carbonization and torrefaction), and the adsorption capacity of biochar for dyes and heavy metals. Work on hydrothermal carbonization and torrefaction of microalgal biomass for biochar is limited. Variation in structural and functional groups changes on biochar compared to original microalgal biomass are profound in contract with lignocellulosic biomass. Existing Challenges, future goals, and the development of these technologies at the pilot level are also discussed., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Curved veins and arteries make up the human cardiovascular system, and the peristalsis process underlies the blood flowing in these ducts. The blood flow in the presence of hybrid nanoparticles through a tapered complex wavy curved channel is numerically investigated. The behavior of the blood is characterized by the Casson fluid model while the physical properties of iron (Fe 3 O 4 ) and copper (Cu) are used in the analysis. The fundamental laws of mass, momentum and energy give rise the system of nonlinear coupled partial differential equations which are normalized using the variables, and the resulting set of governing relations are simplified in view of a smaller Reynolds model approach. The numerical simulations are performed using the computational software Mathematica's built-in ND scheme. It is noted that the velocity of the blood is abated by the nanoparticles' concentration and assisted in the non-uniform channel core. Furthermore, the nanoparticles' volume fraction and the dimensionless curvature of the channel reduce the temperature profile.

This study investigates CO 2 biofixation and pyrolytic kinetics of microalga G. pectorale using model-fitting and model-free methods. Microalga was grown in two different media. The highest rate of CO 2 fixation (0.130 g/L/day) was observed at a CO 2 concentration of 2%. The pyrokinetics of the biomass was performed by a thermogravimetric analyzer (TGA). Thermogravimetric (TG) and derivative thermogravimetric (DTG) curves at 5, 10 and 20°C/min indicated the presence of multiple peaks in the active pyrolysis zones. The activation energy was calculated by different model-free methods such as Friedman, Flynn-Wall-Ozawa (FWO), Kissinger-Akahira-Sunose (KAS), and Popescu. The obtained activation energy which are 61.7-287 kJ/mol using Friedman, 40.6-262 kJ/mol using FWO, 35-262 kJ/mol using KAS, and 66.4-255 kJ/mol using Popescu showed good agreement with the experimental values with higher than 0.96 determination coefficient (R 2 ). Moreover, it was found that the most probable reaction mechanism for G. pectorale pyrolysis was a third-order function. Furthermore, the multilayer perceptron-based artificial neural network (MLP-ANN) regression model of the 4-10-1 architecture demonstrated excellent agreement with the experimental values of the thermal decomposition of the G. pectoral. Therefore, the study suggests that the MLP-ANN regression model could be utilized to predict thermogravimetric parameters., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2022 Altriki, Ali, Razzak, Ahmad and Farooq.)

Competing Interests: The authors declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

This study aimed to study group differences in patients presenting with ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) based on the presence or absence of associated coronary artery aneurysms (CAA). The cause-and-effect relationship between CAAs and STEMI is largely unknown. The Nationwide Readmission database was used to identify and study group differences of patients with STEMI and with and without CAA from 2014 to 2018. The primary outcome in the 2 groups was mortality. Secondary outcomes in the 2 groups included differences in clinical outcomes, cardiovascular interventions performed, and prevalence of coronary artery dissection. The total number of patients with STEMI included was 1,038,299. In this sample, 1,543 (0.15%) had CAA. Compared with those without CAA, patients with CAAs and STEMI were younger (62.6 vs 65.4), more likely to be male (78 vs 66%), and had a higher prevalence of a history of Kawasaki disease (2.5 vs 0.01%). A difference exists in the prevalence of coronary dissection in patients with STEMI with and without CAA (73% vs 1%). Patients with CAA were more often treated with coronary artery bypass grafting (13.1 vs 5.6%), thrombectomy (16.5 vs 6%), and bare-metal stent implantation (8 vs 4.4). Patients in the CAA STEMI group had lower all-cause mortality (6.3 vs 11.7%). In conclusion, there are important differences in patients with STEMI with and without CAA, which include, but are not limited to, factors such as patient profile, the risk for coronary dissection, treatment, outcomes, and mortality., Competing Interests: Disclosures The authors have no conflicts of interest to declare., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Rationale: Approximately 8,000 new cases of pediatric cancer arise annually in Pakistan. However, there is a dire survival rate of 30-35% due to various factors, especially a lack of competent nurses in pediatric oncology care. Public-private partnerships (PPP) supported by a My Child Matters (MCM) Grant from Sanofi Espoir Foundation was granted to Indus Hospital & Health Network (IH&HN) to improve pediatric nursing standards., Methods: Starting in 2016, nurses from hospitals across Pakistan were enrolled in a continuing education program, which included a comprehensive, hands-on training component. A group chat was created following the training for communication and mentorship regarding challenges faced locally., Results: Seventy-seven pediatric oncology nurses were successfully trained by IH&HN over three years., Discussion: Challenges included lack of government funding, shortage of specialist nurses, frequent shifting of nurses away from pediatric care, and indifferent attitudes. Success of the project could have been maximized if trained nurses were motivated and retained by hospitals., Conclusion: Development and maintenance of PPP in national healthcare systems is essential to improve pediatric oncology nursing care., Competing Interests: CONFLICTS OF INTEREST The authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest., (© 2022 Canadian Association of Nurses in Oncology (CANO).)

We theoretically demonstrated a class of plasmonic coupled elliptical nanostructure for achieving a spaser or a nanolaser with high intensity. The plasmonic ellipse is made up of gold film substrate. The proposed structure is then trialed for various light polarizations, moreover, a simple elliptical nanostructure has been chosen primarily from which different cases have been formed by geometry alteration. The structure supports strong coupled resonance mode i.e. localized surface plasmon (LSP). The localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) of the investigated system is numerically examined using the finite-element method (FEM). The calculations showed that the LSPR peaks and the local field intensity or near field enhancement (NFE) of the active nanosystem can be amplified to higher values by introducing symmetry-breaking techniques in the proposed ellipse and its variants. The coupled nanostructure having different stages of wavelengths can be excited with different plasmonic resonance modes by the selection of suitable gain media. In addition, a small-sized nanolaser with high tunability range can be developed using this nanostructure. The spaser phenomena are achieved at several wavelengths by changing light polarization and structure alteration methods. Giant localized field enhancement and high LSPR values enable the proposed model to be highly appealing for sensing applications, surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy, and much more., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

The economic viability of microalgae as a bioenergy source depends on many factors. High CO 2 fixing rate, improved lipids yield, and minimum water footprint are few key parameters. This study investigates the effect of four initial nitrogen concentrations (1-, 2-, 6- and 10-mM as nitrate) on lipids yield, their classification and composition, CO 2 fixation rate, and water quality for further reuse after first cultivation. The initial 6 mM nitrate was found optimum for the growth and overall lipid productivity of Chlorella vulgaris. The maximum quantum efficiency (as Fv/Fm ratio) for algae decreases along with the cell growth profile and depletion of the initial nitrate concentration. CO 2 fixation rate increased initially and peaked during exponential growth and then declined for the rest of the cultivation period. A higher CO 2 fixation rate was recorded at 6 mM, and an overall fixation rate of CO 2 was high at 6 mM. A higher total organic carbon (TOC) is produced in recycled water at a low nitrogen concentration of 1 and 2 mM. TOC changes during the cultivation period and with each reuse of water. Water was recycled twice successfully, while growth was inhibited during the 3rd cycle. Based on all these investigations, 6 mM of initial nitrogen was found optimal at given growth conditions., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

An alternative source of energy and materials with low negative environmental impacts is essential for a sustainable future. Microalgae is a promising candidate in this aspect. The focus of this study is to optimize the supply of nitrogen and carbon dioxide during the cultivation of locally isolated strain Parachlorella kessleri HY-6. This study focuses on optimizing nitrogen and CO 2 supply based on total biomass and biomass per unit amount of nitrogen and CO 2 . Total biomass increased from 1.23 to 2.30 g/L with an increase in nitrogen concentration from 15.8 to 47.4 mg/L. However, biomass per unit amount of nitrogen supplied was higher at low nitrogen content. Biomass and CO 2 fixation rate increased at higher CO 2 concentrations in bubbling air, but CO 2 fixation efficiency decreased drastically. Finally, the energy content of biomass increased with increases in both nitrogen and CO 2 supply. This work thoroughly analyzed the biomass composition via ultimate, proximate, and biochemical analysis. Water is recycled three times for cultivation at three different nitrogen levels. Microalgae biomass increased during the second recycling and then decreased drastically during the third. Activated carbon helped remove the organics after the third recycling to improve the water recyclability. This study highlights the importance of selecting appropriate variables for optimization by considering net energy investment in terms of nutrients (as nitrogen) and CO 2 fixation efficiency and effective water recycling., Competing Interests: The author declares that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2022 Farooq.)

The nanoparticles are frequently used in biomedical science for the treatment of diseases like cancer and these nanoparticles are injected in blood which is transported in the cardiovascular system on the principle of peristalsis. This study elaborates the effects of Lorentz force and joule heating on the peristaltic flow of copper and iron oxide suspended blood based nanofluid in a complex wavy non-uniform curved channel. The Brinkman model is utilized for the temperature dependent viscosity and thermal conductivity. The problem is formulated using the fundamental laws in terms of coupled partial differential equations which are simplified using the creeping flow phenomenon. The graphical results for velocity, temperature, streamlines, and axial pressure are simulated numerically. The concluded observations deduce that the solid volume fraction of nanoparticles reduces the velocity and enhance the pressure gradient and accumulation of trapping bolus in the upper half of the curved channel is noticed for temperature dependent viscosity.

This paper reports numerical modeling of perovskite solar cell which has been knotted with Distributed Bragg Reflector pairs to extract high energy efficiency. The geometry of the proposed cells is simulated with three different kinds of perovskite materials including CH3NH3PbI3, CH3NH3PbBr3, and CH3NH3SnI3. The toxic perovskite material based on Lead iodide and lead bromide appears to be more efficient as compared to non-toxic perovskite material. The executed simulated photovoltaic parameters with the highest efficient structure are open circuit voltage = 1.409 (V), short circuit current density = 24.09 mA/cm2, fill factor = 86.18%, and efficiency = 24.38%. Moreover, a comparison of the current study with different kinds of structures has been made and surprisingly our novel geometry holds enhanced performance parameters that are featured with back reflector pairs (Si/SiO2). The applied numerical approach and presented designing effort of geometry are beneficial to obtain results that have the potential to address problems with less efficient thin-film solar cells., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

As part of the growing evolution in nanotechnology and thermal sciences, nanoparticles are considered as an alternative solution for the energy depletion due to their ultra-high thermal effectives. Nanofluids reflect inclusive and broad-spectrum significances in engineering, industrial and bio-engineering like power plants, energy source, air conditioning systems, surface coatings, evaporators, power consumptions, nano-medicine, cancer treatment, etc. The present study describes the bio-convective peristaltic flow of a third-grade nanofluid in a tapered asymmetric channel. Basic conservation laws of mass, momentum, energy, and concentration as well as the microorganism diffusion equation are utilized to model the problem. The simplified form of the modeled expressions is accounted with long wavelength assumptions. For solving the resulting coupled and nonlinear equations, a well-known numerical method implicit finite difference scheme has been utilized. The graphical results describe the velocity, temperature and concentration profiles, and the density of motile microorganisms at the nanoscale. Furthermore, microorganism concentration lines are analyzed., (© 2021. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature B.V.)

A novel genetic algorithm-based feature selection approach is incorporated and based on these features, four different ML methods were investigated. According to the findings, ML models could reliably predict bio-oil yield. The results showed that Random forest (RF) is preferred for bio-oil yield prediction (R2 ~ 0.98) and highly recommended when dealing with the complex correlation between variables and target. Multi-Linear regression model showed relatively poor generalization performance (R2 ~ 0.75). The partial dependence analysis was done for ML models to show the influence of each input variable on the target variable. Lastly, an easy-to-use software package was developed based on the RF model for the prediction of bio-oil yield. The current study offered new insights into the pyrolysis process of biomass and to improve bio-oil yield. It is an attempt to reduce the time-consuming and expensive experimental work for estimating the bio-oil yield of biomass during pyrolysis., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Introduction: In December 2019, the city of Wuhan, located in the Hubei province of China became the epicentre of an outbreak of a pandemic called COVID-19 by the World Health Organisation. The detection of this virus by rRTPCR (Real-Time Reverse Transcription-Polymerase Chain Reaction) tests reported high false negative rate. The manifestations of CXR (Chest X-Ray) images contained salient features of the virus. The objective of this paper is to establish the application of an early automated screening model that uses low computational power coupled with raw radiology images to assist the physicians and radiologists in the early detection and isolation of potential positive COVID-19 patients, to stop the rapid spread of the virus in vulnerable countries with limited hospital capacities and low doctor to patient ratio in order to prevent the escalating death rates., Materials and Methods: Our database consists of 447 and 447 CXR images of COVID-19 and Nofindings respectively, a total of 894 CXR images. They were then divided into 4 parts namely training, validation, testing and local/Aligarh dataset. The 4th (local/Aligarh) folder of the dataset was created to retest the diagnostics efficacy of our model on a developing nation such as India (Images from J.N.M.C., Aligarh, Uttar Pradesh, India). We used an Artificial Intelligence technique called CNN (Convolutional Neural Network). The architecture based on CNN used was MobileNet. MobileNet makes it faster than the ordinary convolutional model, while substantially decreasing the computational cost., Results: The experimental results of our model show an accuracy of 96.33%. The F1-score is 93% and 96% for the 1st testing and 2nd testing (local/Aligarh) datasets (Tables 3.3 and 3.4). The false negative (FN) value, for the validation dataset is 6 (Fig. 3.6), for the testing dataset is 0 (Fig. 3.7) and that for the local/Aligarh dataset is 2 . The recall/sensitivity of the classifier is 93% and 96% for the 1st testing and 2nd testing (local/Aligarh) datasets (Tables 3.3 and 3.4). The recall/sensitivity for the detection of specifically COVID-19 (+) for the testing dataset is 88% and for the locally acquired dataset from India is 100%. The False Negative Rate (FNR) is 12% for the testing dataset and 0% for the locally acquired dataset (local/Aligarh). The execution time for the model to predict the input images and classify them is less than 0.1 s., Discussion and Conclusion: The false negative rate is much lower than the standard rRT-PCR tests and even 0% on the locally acquired dataset. This suggests that the established model with end-to-end structure and deep learning technique can be employed to assist radiologists in validating their initial screenings of Chest X-Ray images of COVID-19 in developed and developing nations. Further research is needed to test the model to make it more robust, employ it on multiclass classification and also try sensitise it to identify new strains of COVID-19. This model might help cultivate tele-radiology., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (© 2021 The Author(s).)

Healthcare, as a basic human right, has often become the focus of the development of innovative technologies. Technological progress has significantly contributed to the provision of high-quality, on-time, acceptable, and affordable healthcare. Advancements in nanoscience have led to the emergence of a new generation of nanostructures. Each of them has a unique set of properties that account for their astonishing applications. Since its inception, nanotechnology has continuously affected healthcare and has exerted a tremendous influence on its transformation, contributing to better outcomes. In the last two decades, the world has seen nanotechnology taking steps towards its omnipresence and the process has been accelerated by extensive research in various healthcare sectors. The inclusion of nanotechnology and its allied nanocarriers/nanosystems in medicine is known as nanomedicine, a field that has brought about numerous benefits in disease prevention, diagnosis, and treatment. Various nanosystems have been found to be better candidates for theranostic purposes, in contrast to conventional ones. This review paper will shed light on medically significant nanosystems, as well as their applications and limitations in areas such as gene therapy, targeted drug delivery, and in the treatment of cancer and various genetic diseases. Although nanotechnology holds immense potential, it is yet to be exploited. More efforts need to be directed to overcome these limitations and make full use of its potential in order to revolutionize the healthcare sector in near future.

The polymer solar cells also known as organic solar cells (OSCs) have drawn attention due to their cynosure in industrial manufacturing because of their promising properties such as low weight, highly flexible, and low-cost production. However, low η restricts the utilization of OSCs for potential applications such as low-cost energy harvesting devices. In this paper, OSCs structure based on a triple-junction tandem scheme is reported with three different absorber materials to enhance the absorption of photons which in turn improves the η , as well as its correlating performance parameters. The investigated structure gives the higher value of η = 14.33% with J sc = 16.87 (mA/m 2 ), V oc = 1.0 (V), and FF = 84.97% by utilizing a stack of three different absorber layers with different band energies. The proposed structure was tested under 1.5 (AM) with 1 sun (W/m 2 ). The impact of the top, middle, and bottom subcells' thickness on η was analyzed with a terse to find the optimum thickness for three subcells to extract high η . The optimized structure was then tested with different electrode combinations, and the highest η was recorded with FTO/Ag. Moreover, the effect of upsurge temperature was also demonstrated on the investigated schematic, and it was observed that the upsurge temperature affects the photovoltaic (PV) parameters of the optimized cell and η decreases from 14.33% to 11.40% when the temperature of the device rises from 300 to 400 K.

The preparation of a manganese-doped cerium oxide (Mn:CeO 2 ) nanocomposite via hydrothermal route is described. Cubic fluorite structure of single phase was exhibited by studying structural analysis through x-ray diffraction (XRD) technique and morphological analysis was conducted by scanning electron microscope. Surface analytic technique of energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopy (EDX) was conducted to analyze the relative amount of any impurity and doping. Structural changes due to manganese doping such as increment in production of vacancies of oxygen within crystal of cerium oxide, and reduction in size of crystallite and constant of lattice was observed in our research study. Moreover, the Mn:CeO 2 nanocomposite demonstrates differential cytotoxicity against MCF-7 adenocarcinoma cell line, which renders it a promising candidate for targeted cancer therapy. The anti-tumorous activity of the cerium oxide nanocomposite was significantly enhanced with doping of manganese, which is directly linked with the generation of highly reactive oxygen facets. The experimental results are supported by a mathematical model that confirms a confidence level of 95%. This research has paved the way for many utilities in therapeutics and magnetic resonance imaging diagnostics through new observations, and hence verified their math model., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (© 2020 The Authors.)

Some nanoscale morphologies of titanium oxide nanostructures blend with gold nanoparticles and act as satellites and targeted weapon methodologies in biomedical applications. Simultaneously, titanium oxide can play an important role when combined with gold after blending with polyethylene glycol (PEG). Our experimental approach is novel with respect to the plasmonic role of metal nanoparticles as an efficient PDT drug. The current experimental strategy floats the comprehensive and facile way of experimental strategy on the critical influence that titanium with gold nanoparticles used as novel photosensitizing agents after significant biodistribution of proposed nanostructures toward targeted site. In addition, different morphologies of PEG-coated Au-doped titanium nanostructures were shown to provide various therapeutic effects due to a wide range of electromagnetic field development. This confirms a significantly amplified population of hot electron generation adjacent to the interface between Au and TiO 2 nanostructures, leading to maximum cancerous cell injury in the MCF-7 cell line. The experimental results were confirmed by applying a least squares fit math model which verified our results with 99% goodness of fit. These results can pave the way for comprehensive rational designs for satisfactory response of performance phototherapeutic model mechanisms along with new horizons of photothermal therapy (HET) and photodynamic therapy (HET) operating under visible and near-infrared (NIR) light., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (© 2020 The Author(s).)

This study focuses on the synthesis, characterization, and assessment of the synergistic effect of 2,2,6,6, tetramethylpiperidine-N-oxyl (TEMPO)-coated titanium dioxide nanorods (TiO 2 NRs) for photodynamic therapy (PDT). Firstly, TiO 2 NRs were synthesized by the sol-gel technique. Then, TEMPO was grafted on TiO 2 NRs with the aid of oxoammonium salts. Next, the final product was characterized by applying manifold characterization techniques. X-ray diffraction was used to perform crystallographic analysis; transmission electron microscopy (TEM) was used to conduct morphological analysis; Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) and Raman spectra were recorded to perform molecular fingerprint analysis. Furthermore, experimental and empirical modeling was performed to confirm the suitability of as-prepared samples for PDT applications using (MCF-7 cell line) Human Breast Cancer cell line. Our results revealed that bare TiO 2 NRs did not exhibit a significant response for therapeutic applications compared to TEMPO-conjugated TiO 2 NRs in the dark; however, they exhibited a prominent response for the PDT application under UV-A light. Therefore, it is concluded that TEMPO-coated TiO 2 NRs shows the synergistic response for therapeutic approach under UV-A light irradiation. In addition, TEMPO capped TiO2 nanorods not only overcome the multidrug resistance (MDR) hindrance but also exhibit excellent response for cancer cell (MCF-7 cells) treatment only under UV light irradiation via PDT. It is expected that the proposed TiO 2 NRs + TEMPO nanocomposite, which is suitable for PDT treatment, may be essential for photodynamic therapy., (© 2020 The Author(s).)

The study focusses on synthesis and modification of structural, optical and electrical characteristics of nanostructured titanium dioxide anatase embedded Poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) nanocomposite with different weight percentages (0.03, 0.06, 0.12, 0.18 and 0.24%) by the solvent casting method. Modification in the morphology of PMMA nanocomposites with an increasing amount of titanium dioxide anatase is studied by using a field emission scanning electron microscope (FE-SEM). Micrograms of FE-SEM show spherical shaped nanoparticles distribution in PMMA nanocomposites thin films. In optical characterization, transmission, optical band gaps, the real and imaginary part of dielectric constant, linear susceptibility, optical conductivity, refractive index and extinction coefficient are calculated using experimental data. It is observed that the optical band gap has an overall decreasing trend with increasing the weight percentage of TiO 2 (anatase) in PMMA nanocomposites. It is also found that values of all electrical parameters decrease with increasing the weight percentage of TiO 2 (anatase) in PMMA nanocomposites. All wavelength depending parameters are investigated in the wavelength range from 190 nm to 2700 nm. Single oscillator model is used to analyze the refractive index dispersion and estimation of the oscillator energy and dispersion energy of the films. The study is applicable to optical sensors and other optoelectronic devices., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflict of interest., (© 2020 The Author(s).)

The effect of TiO 2 nanoparticles on the photophysical properties of ternary conjugated polymer (CP) blends of poly(9,9-dioctylfluorene-2,7-diyl) (PFO), poly 9,9-dioctylfluorene-alt-benzothiadiazole (F8BT) and poly(2-methoxy-5(2-ethylhexyl)-1,4 -phenylenevinylene (MEH-PPV) thin films was investigated. This ternary blend used a fixed amount of PFO as the donor with MEH-PPV and F8BT in various ratios as the acceptors. The solution-blending method and the spin-coating technique were used to prepare the blends and the thin films, respectively. Through efficient Förster Resonance Energy Transfer (FRET), the desired white emission was achieved with PFO/0.3 wt.% F8BT/0.5 wt.% MEH-PPV ternary blend thin film. Additions of nanoparticles up to 10 wt.% dramatically intensified the white emission which then dimmed at higher contents due to agglomerations. The current density-voltage characteristics of the nanocomposite thin films exhibited dependency on the content and distributions of the nanoparticles. Finally, a possible underlying mechanism for the intensification of emission is proposed.