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The photoconversion efficiency of dye sensitized solar cells can be enhanced by the incorporation of light management nanostructures such as photonic crystals. Here, we present a facile route to incorporate titania inverse opals into solid state dye sensitized solar cells and report photoconversion efficiency enhancements of up to 56% compared with a model system without the inverse opal. Our approach is based on the precise design of titania inverse opals with a predetermined thickness that can be controlled at the individual layer level. By choosing an inverse opal exhibiting a photonic bandgap which overlaps the absorption bands of the dye, our results show that there is an optimal thickness of the inverse opal structure for maximum efficiency enhancement of the cell. This is the first experimental proof that the thickness of a titania inverse opal plays a pivotal role in cell efficiency enhancement in solid state dye sensitized solar cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] A facile, single-step hydrothermal route is followed to prepare ZnS nanowires with large aspect ratios. The obtained ZnS nanowires deposited on nickel foam (ZnS/Ni-foam) exhibit a specific capacitance of 781 F/g at a current density of 0.5 A/g. An asymmetric supercapacitor fabricated from ZnS/Ni-foam as a positive electrode and jute derived activated carbon coated on Ni-foam (JAC/Ni-foam) as a negative electrode attains a high specific capacitance of 573 F/g at a current density of 0.5 A/g, with an accompanying high energy density of 51 Wh/kg at a power density of 200 W/kg in an extensive operating potential window of 1.2 V. In addition, the ZnS//JAC asymmetric supercapacitor reveals long-term cyclic stability, after 10,000 GCD cycles the device sustain around ∼87 % of the initial specific capacitance. These results shed enlighten a new opportunity for promising electrode materials in supercapacitors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To describe the echocardiographic findings detected as first manifestations of Behçet's disease (BD) and compare these findings with those detected in established cases of BD receiving regular medical treatment. Methods: Two groups of patients were studied. Group 1 comprised 41 patients with BD on regular medical treatment. Group 2 comprised 5 previously healthy patients who presented to the cardiology department because of cardiac symptoms and were diagnosed in retrospect during hospitalization as BD. Thirty-two age- and sex-matched individuals served as control subjects (control group). All patients and controls underwent complete M-mode, two-dimensional, and Doppler transthoracic echocardiographic examinations. Results: Of the 41 treated patients with BD (mean age: 32 ± 8 years, 90% males, mean duration since diagnosis: 14.5 years), only 1 patient was found to have severe aortic regurgitation secondary to aortic root dilation. On the other hand, the 5 previously healthy patients who presented with cardiac symptoms (mean age: 24 ± 6 years, all males) had significant cardiac involvement and evident echocardiographic findings (P < 0.001). Four cases had intracardiac masses: 3 in the right atrium (RA), 1 in the right ventricle (RV), while the last patient had pericardial effusion (PE). All these patients were diagnosed in retrospect as BD. The RA masses disappeared on medical therapy, while the RV mass was surgically excised and proved to be multiple thrombi histopathologically. The patient with PE had recurrent attacks of massive effusion so a pericardial window was performed surgically. Conclusion: Diagnosis of BD might be initially suspected by the cardiologists based on certain echocardiographic findings, namely the presence of right-sided masses. Diagnosis of BD in such patients has important therapeutic implications and accordingly prognostic value. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Thioacetamide (TAA) is a potent hepatotoxin that causes centrilobulal necrosis and nephrotoxic damage following acute administration. Prolonged exposure to TAA can result in bile duct proliferation and liver cirrhosis histologically similar to that caused due to viral hepatitis infection. Coriander in food increases the antioxidant content, acting as a natural antioxidant and inhibiting undesirable oxidation processes. The present study investigated the antioxidant activity of Coriandrum sativum on TAA-induced hepatotoxicity in the male rats. Phenolic content and antioxidant activity were evaluated in the coriander leaves and seeds. Forty-eight adult male rats were divided into four groups. Group I (control), group II (TAA injected rats), group III (TAA injected rats fed coriander leaves) and group IV (TAA injected rats fed coriander seeds). The results revealed that serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activities were significantly increased in the groups II, III and IV as compared to the normal control. Oxidative stress in the group II was manifested by a significant rise in nitric oxide (NO), thiobarbituric acid reactive substance (TBARS) levels and myloperoxidase (MPO) activities in the liver tissues as compared with the control group. Rats fed with coriander leaves and seeds showed a decrease in the serum ALT, AST and ALP activities and in the liver NO and TBARS levels as compared to the group II. Histopathological study revealed that coriander feeding attenuated TAA-induced hepatotoxicity in the rats. In conclusion, coriander leaves attenuate hepatotoxicity induced by TAA more than that of seeds due to the higher content of phenolic compounds and antioxidants in the leaves of coriander. Liver of rats intoxicated with TAA exhibited advanced cirrhosis in the form of macronodular and micronodular structure surrounded by fibrous tissue. Treatment with coriander leaves and seeds helps in improving the adverse effect of TAA-induced hepatotoxicity; also the histological study confirms this finding. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Heavy metals intoxication causes several health problems that necessitate finding new protective and therapeutic approaches. This study aimed to evaluate the impact of Musa sp. leaves extract (MLE) on hepato-renal toxicities induced by cadmium (Cd) in male mice. The phytochemical screening, metal chelating activity (MCA), and the median lethal dose (LD50) of MLE were determined. Fifty CD-1 male mice were used and intraperitoneally (i.p.) injected with MLE (1000 to 5000 mg/kg b.wt) for MLE LD50 determination. Another 50 mice were used for evaluating the effect of MLE on Cd toxicity. Blood samples were collected for hematological, liver, and kidney functions assessments. Liver tissue homogenates were used for determination of oxidant/antioxidant parameters. Liver and kidney tissues were harvested for histopathological and molecular investigations. MLE showed potent in vitro antioxidant activities. The MCA and LD50 of the MLE were 75 µg/mL and 3000 mg/kg b.wt, respectively. MLE showed beneficial therapeutic activity against hepato-renal toxicities in Cd-intoxicated mice, evidenced by improving the hematological, biochemical, histopathological, and molecular alterations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Discrete prolate spheroidal sequences (DPSS) basis can efficiently model rapidly varying mode coupling coefficients. • In rapidly varying channels, our method tracks the channel and yields a SER < 10–4 15 dB SNR, surpassing LMS and RLS. • The tracking ability of DPSS-based equalizer reduces the spectral efficiency due to the additional pilots. In multi-mode fibers, environmental perturbations induce changes in the channel transfer matrix at rates proportional to the total length of affected segments and the number of modes; potentially reaching levels where adaptive equalizers fail in tracking the channel state. We propose a technique that tracks the channel on a frame-by-frame basis by modeling variations in mode coupling coefficients over the period of a full frame of symbols as a linear combination of discrete prolate spheroidal sequences (DPSS). In simulations of rapidly varying channel scenarios where least-mean square (LMS) and recursive least squares (RLS) fail completely, our proposed approach consistently tracks and equalizes the channel variation; yielding a symbol error rate of 10 - 4 at 15-dB signal-to-noise ratio. DPSS, being matched to the dynamic channel behaviour, is a key factor in minimizing the pilot resources expended in channel estimation, with losses in spectral efficiency starting from 4 % up to 20 % in the worst case. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the world's most widely recognized malignant tumors that accounts for 90% of all the primary liver cancers and is a major cause of death from cancer, representing half a million deaths per year. Obesity and associated metabolic irregularities, particularly diabetes mellitus (DM) and insulin resistance, are important risk factors for the advancement of HCC. Recently, retrospective studies showed that metformin (MET) could protect the hepatic tissues in pre-existing diabetes mellitus from HCC. The purpose of this study was to assess the role of MET treatment in the pre-existing diabetic rats before and after HCC induction by diethylnitrosamine (DEN). Thirty-five male Sprague Dawley albino rats were partitioned into the following groups: Group 1 (Gp1) was the control. Gp2 was injected intraperitoneally (i.p) with streptozotocin (STZ) (80 mg/kg) and DEN (50 mg/kg/7 weeks). Gp3, Gp4, and Gp5 were injected as in Gp2 and treated with MET (150 mg/kg) before and/or after HCC induction. Biochemical parameters including liver functions, lipid profile, and oxidative stress biomarkers were determined. Furthermore, histological and immunohistochemical changes were assessed in all groups. Our results illustrated that the group of rats that were treated with STZ and DEN had significant changes in both liver functions and were associated with alterations in the liver histopathological architectures. Treatment with MET before or after HCC induction ameliorated the cellular changes in the liver tissues; however, the utmost protection was found in a group of rats, which were treated with MET before and after HCC induction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lead (Pb) is a common pollutant that is not biodegradable and gravely endangers the environment and human health. Annona squamosa fruit has a wide range of medicinal uses owing to its phytochemical constituents. This study evaluated the effect of treatment with A. squamosa fruit extract (ASFE) on testicular toxicity induced in male rats by lead acetate. The metal-chelating capacity and phytochemical composition of ASFE were determined. The LD50 of ASFE was evaluated by probit analysis. Molecular docking simulations were performed using Auto Dock Vina. Forty male Sprague Dawley rats were equally divided into the following groups: Gp1, a negative control group; Gp2, given ASFE (350 mg/kg body weight (b. wt.)) (1/10 of LD50); Gp3, given lead acetate (PbAc) solution (100 mg/kg b. wt.); and Gp4, given PbAc as in Gp3 and ASFE as in Gp2. All treatments were given by oro-gastric intubation daily for 30 days. Body weight changes, spermatological parameters, reproductive hormone levels, oxidative stress parameters, and inflammatory biomarkers were evaluated, and molecular and histopathological investigations were performed. The results showed that ASFE had promising metal-chelating activity and phytochemical composition. The LD50 of ASFE was 3500 mg/kg b. wt. The docking analysis showed that quercetin demonstrated a high binding affinity for JAK-1 and STAT-3 proteins, and this could make it a more promising candidate for targeting the JAK-1/STAT-3 pathway than others. The rats given lead acetate had defective testicular tissues, with altered molecular, biochemical, and histological features, as well as impaired spermatological characteristics. Treatment with ASFE led to a significant mitigation of these dysfunctions and modulated the JAK-1/STAT-3/SOCS-1 axis in the rats. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hepatitis is one of earlier, but serious, signs of liver damage. High doses of statins for a long time can induce hepatitis. This study aimed to evaluate and compare the therapeutic potential of thymoquinone (TQ) and bee pollen (BP) on fluvastatin (F)-induced hepatitis in rats. Rats were randomly divided into: group 1 (G1, control), G2 (F, hepatitis), G3 (F + TQ), G4 (F + BP), and G5 (F + TQ + BP). Single treatment with TQ or BP relieved fluvastatin-induced hepatitis, with best effect for the combined therapy. TQ and/or BP treatment significantly (1) reduced serum levels of alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, alkaline phosphatase, gamma glutamyl transpeptidase, and total bilirubin, (2) decreased malondialdehyde levels and increased level of reduced glutathione, and activities of glutathione peroxidase and catalase in the liver, (3) improved liver histology with mild deposition of type I collagen, (4) increased mRNA levels of transforming growth factor beta 1, nuclear factor Kappa B, and cyclooxygenase 1 and 2, and (5) decreased tumor necrosis factor alpha and upregulated interleukin 10 protein in the liver. These data clearly highlight the ability of TQ and BP combined therapy to cause better ameliorative effects on fluvastatin-induced hepatitis than individual treatment by each alone. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study evaluated the phytochemical screening, antioxidant capacity, and in vitro anticancer activities of four plants namely, Gypsophila capillaris, Anabasis lachnantha, Haloxylon salicornicum, and Horwoodia dicksoniae which belong to four different families: Caryophyllaceae, Amaranthaceae, Chenopodiaceae, Brassicaceae, respectively. The total phenolics, anthocyanins, saponins, total antioxidant capacity (TAC), and DPPH assays were determined by spectrophotometer. In vitro anticancer activity was assessed using two human cancer cell lines; hepatocellular carcinoma (HepG-2) and breast adenocarcinoma (MCF-7) to estimate the inhibition concentration 50 % (IC50). The results showed that H. dicksoniae has the highest concentrations of phenolics and saponins, while H. salicornicum has the highest DPPH. The highest concentration of TAC was found in G. capillaries. Among the tested extracts, G. capillaries and H. salicornicum have the potential activity against MCF-7 and HepG-2 cell lines in vitro. The content of polyphenols in G. capillaries was profiled by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The highest concentration among the phenolic compounds was chlorogenic (60.8 µg/ml) while the highest concentration among the flavonoid compounds was hesperidin (1444.92 µg/ml). In summary, G. capillaries and H. salicornicum extracts have potent anticancer activity against HepG-2 and MCF-7 cell lines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Green synthesis is the most effective and environmentally friendly way to produce nanoparticles. The present research aimed at the biosynthesizing of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) using Tribulus terrestris seed extract as the reducing and stabilizing agent and investigating their anti-diabetic properties. Fourier transformation infrared (FTIR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and UV-Vis spectroscopy were used to analyze the synthesized silver nanoparticles from Tribulus terrestris (TT-AgNPs). The spectroscopic characterization revealed a surface Plasmon resonance band at 380 nm, which verified the development of TT-AgNPs. The transmittance peaks were observed at 596, 1450, 1631, 2856, 2921, and 3422 cm−1 through the FTIR spectrophotometer. The XRD spectrum showed four distinct diffraction peaks in the 2θ range at 20° to 60°. Intense peaks were at 26.32°, 30.70°, 44.70°, 56.07°, 53.75°, 66.28°, and 75.32°. The SEM analysis revealed that the prepared TT-AgNPs were clustered loosely with a smooth and spherical structure and were of relatively uniform size. The in vitro antidiabetic potential of TT-AgNPs was assessed by using glucose yeast uptake, glucose adsorption, and alpha-amylase assays. TT-AgNPs showed the highest activity (78.45 ± 0.84%) of glucose uptake by yeast at 80 µg/mL. In the glucose adsorption assay, the highest activity of TT-AgNPs was 10.40 ± 0.52% at 30 mM, while in the alpha-amylase assay, TT-AgNPs exhibited the maximum activity of 75.68 ± 0.11% at 100 µg/mL. The results indicate a substantial anti-diabetic effect of the TT-AgNPs. Furthermore, the in vivo antidiabetic study was performed on TT-AgNPs in streptozotocin-induced diabetic mice. After receiving TT-AgNPs treatment for 30 days, the mice were sacrificed for biochemical and histological analyses of pancreatic and liver samples, which demonstrated a good improvement when compared to the control group. Mice treated with TT-AgNPs showed a significant drop in blood sugar levels, showing that the biosynthesized TT-AgNPs have effective anti-diabetic properties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Environmental contamination by phenol has been reported in both aquatic and atmospheric environments. This study aimed to separate and purify the peroxidase enzyme from bacteria that degrade phenol from wastewater sources. An enrichment culture of MSM was used to screen 25 bacterial isolates from different water samples for peroxidase production, six of the isolates exhibited high levels of peroxidase enzyme activity. Qualitative analysis of peroxidase revealed that isolate No. 4 had the highest halo zones (Poly-R478: 14.79 ± 0.78 mm, Azure B: 8.81 ± 0.61 mm). The promising isolate was identified as Bacillus aryabhattai B8W22 by 16S rRNA gene sequencing with accession number OP458197. As carbon and nitrogen sources, mannitol and sodium nitrate were utilized to achieve maximum peroxidase production. A 30-h incubation period was used with pH 6.0, 30 °C, mannitol, and sodium nitrate, respectively, for maximal production of peroxidase. Purified peroxidase enzyme showed 0.012 U/mg specific activity, and SDS-PAGE analysis indicated a molecular weight of 66 kDa. The purified enzyme exhibits maximum activity and thermal stability at pH values of 4.0 and 8.0, respectively, with maximum activity at 30 °C and complete thermal stability at 40 °C. In the purified enzyme, the Km value was 6.942 mg/ml and the Vmax value was 4.132 mol/ml/hr, respectively. The results demonstrated that Bacillus aryabhattai B8W22 has promising potential for degrading phenols from various phenol-polluted wastewater sources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nanotechnology has recently appeared as an important study subject in modern material sciences. Greener synthesis of nanoparticles has gained the attention of many scientists because of its integral characteristics such as effectiveness, eco-friendly, and low cost. In the present study by following the green synthesis approach, zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO NPs) were formed for the very first time by using Senecio chrysanthemoides leaf extract as a reducing agent. The UV-Vis spectrophotometer was used to study the synthesized ZnO NPs, and the specific peak was found to be at 349 nm. The characteristic Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) peak was found to be at 449 cm-1 which displays the peak of ZnO molecules. The surface morphology of the ZnO NPs was determined via scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX) study showed that the synthesized ZnO NPs are present at the weight percentage of 66.38%. The X-ray diffraction (XRD) spectrum confirmed the hexagonal phase wurtzite structure, with the average particle size of 31 nm, and demonstrated the crystalline structure of ZnO NPs. Additionally, to all these experiments, we compared the anti-inflammatory properties of biogenic ZnO NPs to a standard drug. Biosynthesized ZnO NPs have revealed an effective anti-inflammatory activity at a higher concentration (100 mL-1) and showed 73% inhibition in comparison with diclofenac sodium drug. Zinc oxide was shown to be compatible with diclofenac sodium, according to the results. The ZnO NPs produced using the greener synthesis process have the potential to be used in a broad range of fields and also used as a good anti-inflammatory agent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article reports the simulation of ZnO-based polymer solar cell (PSC) device parameters. The Solar Cell Capacitance Simulator (SCAPS-1D) software was used to analyze the cell parameters. Two different device configurations of PSCs were simulated with ZnO (an inverted device) and without ZnO (a reference device). The important device processing parameters such as working temperature (T), defect densities (Nt), series (Rs), and shunt (Rsh) resistances on cell performance were investigated. Comparing simulated and experimental results, a good correlation between PSCs was observed. The efficiencies of reference PSCs are 0.87% (simulated) and 0.85% (experimental) and for inverted PSCs are 2.33% (simulated) and 2.32% (experimental). In addition, the structure maintains an efficiency of 2.33–2.14% as the temperature goes up from 300 to 330 K. Comparing the efficiencies of reference and inverted devices, the role of the ZnO layer between the indium tin oxide (ITO) substrate and the device active layer (AL) was quite significant. The efficiencies of PSCs were well-matched, achieving a quite nice similarity between the simulated and experimental devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In matrix analysis, the scaling technique reduces the chances of an ill-conditioning of the matrix. This article proposes a one-parameter scaling memoryless Davidon–Fletcher–Powell (DFP) algorithm for solving a system of monotone nonlinear equations with convex constraints. The measure function that involves all the eigenvalues of the memoryless DFP matrix is minimized to obtain the scaling parameter's optimal value. The resulting algorithm is matrix and derivative-free with low memory requirements and is globally convergent under some mild conditions. A numerical comparison showed that the algorithm is efficient in terms of the number of iterations, function evaluations, and CPU time. The performance of the algorithm is further illustrated by solving problems arising from image restoration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Among all the different methods to enhance the optical absorption of photovoltaic devices. The plasmonic effect is one the most prominent and effective ways to capture more incident light and also provide good carrier dynamic management. Here, we systematically introduce spherical gold nanoparticles (Au NPs) with different radii in the absorber layer of perovskite solar cells (PSCs). The overall enhanced optical absorption of around 14.20% and 20.02% is achieved for incorporated monolayer and bilayer Au NPs, respectively, in the active layer compared to the pure perovskite layer. Moreover, we employ the metal (Au)-dielectric (TiO2 and SiO2) nanoparticles in the absorber layer. The optical absorption increases as the core-shell size decreases. The optical absorption elevates in both Au@TiO2 core-shell and Au@SiO2 core-shell 17.5% and 3.5%, respectively. These results support superior separation and transfer of charge in the existence of plasmonic NPs. In addition, this study presents a very sophisticated approach to the optical enhancement of PSCs and thus helps to boost the overall photovoltaic device performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Single-phase La1-xSrxCoO3 (x = 0, 0.01, 0.03, 0.05, 0.07, and 0.1) nanofibers were synthesized via electrospinning technique. Different characterization techniques were employed to characterize the electrospun nanofibers. SEM was used to observe the morphology and size of the electrospun nanofibers, and the diameter of all fabricated nanofibers was found in the nanometer (nm) range. The XRD patterns of all the samples after heat treatment at 600 °C confirm the single-phase formation of La1-xSrxCoO3 (x = 0, 0.01, 0.03, 0.05, 0.07, and 0.1) nanofibers. The single phase of all the samples was also confirmed by FTIR spectroscopy and had good agreement with XRD results. All the fabricated samples' thermal behavior was studied using TG/DTA, and all samples showed thermal stability at ≤ 600 °C. The single-phase La1-xSrxCoO3 (x = 0, 0.01, 0.03, 0.05, 0.07, and 0.1) nanofibers-based devices were fabricated on inter-digitated electrodes, and IV characteristics curves of all the fabricated devices show that La1-xSrxCoO3 (x = 0, 0.01, 0.03, 0.05, 0.07, and 0.1) nanofibers exhibit semiconductor-like behavior. The electrical conductivity of all the samples was calculated and found to decrease with increasing concentration of Sr doping. In all samples, the dominant conduction mechanism is ohmic at low voltage, while space-charge-limited current is the dominant conduction mechanism at high voltage and low temperature. The Seebeck coefficient of all the fabricated devices was calculated and found to increase with increasing Sr concentration and temperature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article we report magnetite (Fe 3 O 4) nanoparticles prepared via hydrothermal technique at different reaction time and precursor's concentration. X-ray diffraction (XRD) result shows the formation of single phase iron oxide that matches well with standard JCPDS card #: 01-079-0418. Excellent crystallinity was achieved for octahedral shape particles (∼150 nm) as compared to porous spherical shape Fe 3 O 4 particles (∼250 nm) which is supported by field emission scanning electron microscope images (FESEM). Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) results show strong peak at 540 cm−1 for both samples indicating Fe–O–Fe bending vibration and formation of chemical bonding characteristic of Fe 3 O 4 lattice structure. The electrical transport properties show that correlated barrier hopping (CBH) between Fe3+ and Fe2+ ions, is the possible operating conduction mechanism in both samples and octahedral shape Fe 3 O 4 nanoparticles are more conductive than porous spherical shape particles. The corresponding activation energies of grain and grain boundary for octahedral and porous spherical shape Fe 3 O 4 nanoparticles are ∼0.197 & ∼0.292eV and ∼0.226 & ∼0.30eV, respectively. Furthermore, dielectric constant of the octahedral shape Fe 3 O 4 nanoparticles is high due to its low energy losses and high value of crystallinity as compared to spherical shape particles. Magnetic properties show ferrimagnetic nature of both Fe 3 O 4 samples. Corresponding high values of magnetic saturation, coercivity, and remanent magnetization of octahedral shape Fe 3 O 4 particles are 71emu/g, 123 Oe, and 10.6 emu/g, respectively, which indicates the influence of magnetic properties on the grain size, crystallinity and morphology of the constituent particles. • Magnetite nanoparticles prepared via hydrothermal technique at different reaction time and precursor's concentration. • Excellent crystallinity was achieved for octahedral shape particles as compared to porous spherical shape particles. • CBH between Fe3+ and Fe2+ ions, is the possible operating conduction mechanism in both samples. • E a of grain and grain boundary for octahedral and spherical NPs are ∼0.197 & ∼0.292 and ∼0.226 & ∼0.30eV, respectively. • Dielectric & magnetic show low energy losses and excellent magnetic response for octahedral than spherical shape NPs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper studies the new compositions of SrSn 1-x Zr x O 3 (0.0 ≤ x ≤ 0.6) sintered ceramics prepared by mixed oxide route. A detailed analysis is conducted to determine how Zr4+ doping affects the structure, microstructure, optical, and dielectric properties of the base sample. The XRD pattern revealed that the base sample shows the cubic structure along with the space group (Pbnm). The lower angle shift (200) and drop in peak intensity were attributed to Zr⁴⁺ greater ionic radius in conjunction with its smaller ionic radius. The intensity of the peak was reduced due to doping, but the structure of the crystal did not change. Images from scanning electron microscopy (SEM) showed the decreasing porosity and increasing grain size with increasing Zr4+ contents has been reported. A variety of broad, weak, and strong bands were present in the FTIR spectra, suggesting the presence of many functional groups connected. Additional evidence for the existence of metal–oxygen vibrations and the identification of other active infrared modes was supplied by the FT-IR analysis. The red color at about 683.28 nm was detected in all of the samples revealed by photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopy. An impedance analyzer was used to measure the dielectric properties of the synthesized samples. It has been discovered that the dissipation factor or tangent loss decreases with increasing frequency and Zr4+ contents. The overall obtained results modified due to the addition of Zr4+ contents which affected the structural, microstructural and dielectric properties of the ceramic samples which may be helpful for the designing of dielectric resonator antenna. [Display omitted] • Physical characteristics of SrSn 1-x Zr x O 3 (0.0 ≤ x ≤ 0.6) halide perovskite ceramics were synthesized by mixed oxide route. • The structural of the synthesized samples were analyzed by X-ray diffraction (XRD). • The structural, morphological, optical and dielectric properties are studied of SrSn 1-x Zr x O 3 (0.0 ≤ x ≤ 0.6) halide perovskite ceramics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

First principles calculations were carried out to examine the spin-polarized electronic and optical characteristics of novel Ba 2 TaXO 6 (X = Co, Fe, In) double perovskites in the monoclinic phase, employing the full-potential linearized augmented plane wave technique (FP-LAPW) based on the density functional theory (DFT). To calculate the total energy, the Perdew-Burke-Ernzerhof generalized gradient approximation (PBE-GGA) were used. The electronic study with the TB-mBJ approach shows a metallic nature for Ba 2 TaCoO 6 and a half-metallic nature for Ba 2 TaFeO 6 and Ba 2 TaInO 6 materials. The calculated density of states, nearly show similar features for all the materials. The PDOS were calculated, which displays the contribution of several electronic states for these compounds in the distribution. Additionally, in the optical spectra, the dielectric functions, absorption coefficients, refractive indexes, extinction coefficients, energy loss function, and reflectivity parameters were calculated in the energy range 0–14 eV. The optical parameters demonstrate that the materials are the potential candidates for opto-electronics devices. Figure: Spin-Polarized optical parameters for Ba 2 TaFeO 6 double perovskite. [Display omitted] • A metallic nature for Ba 2 TaCoO 6 and a half-metallic nature for Ba 2 TaFeO 6 and Ba 2 TaInO 6 is observed. • The calculated density of states, nearly display a similarity trend. • The energy loss was maximum in energy region 0.6–6.0 eV range. • The peaks in ε 2 (ω) are linked to various inter-band transitions. • These double perovskites show substantial absorption in UV region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nanostructured sodium metal orthosilicates hold a lot of promise as next-generation cathodes but their practical application is hindered by the complex crystal structure and electrochemical behaviour. Herein, cubic polymorphs of Na 2 FeSiO 4 with F-43 m symmetry decorated on carbon nanotubes have been synthesised successfully using a novel two-step process. The composite material with 0.08 wt% of carbon nanotubes demonstrate a capacity corresponding to a 1.25 sodium-ion exchange process resulting in 172.9 mAh g −1  at 0.1C cycled in the voltage range between 1.5 and 4.5 V. This work also highlights the mechanism of insertion/extraction process using complementary techniques of X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and X-ray diffraction revealing the involvement of Fe 3 d band and conversion of Fe +2 to Fe +3 during first sodium-ion extraction while second sodium-ion extraction is possible due to further oxidation of Fe +3 . The discharge capacity is remarkable even at the high current rate of 20C, where we obtained the final capacity of 109.3 mAh g −1 . The excellent electrochemical performance reported here is due to the high structural stability of Na 2 FeSiO 4 composed of rigid corner-sharing tetrahedra, improved electronic conductivity by carbon nanotubes, reduced particle size, increased defect structure, high sodium-ion diffusion coefficient and the decreased charge transfer resistances. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Transradial approach (TRA) is now considered the standard of care in many centres for elective and primary percutaneous intervention (PCI). The use of the radial approach in ST segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) patients has been associated with a significant reduction in major adverse cardiac events. However, it is still unclear if the side of radial access (right vs. left) has impact on safety and effectiveness of TRA in primary PCI. So this study was conducted to compare the safety, feasibility, and outcomes of right radial access (RRA) vs. left radial access (LRA) in the setting of primary PCI.Methods: We retrospectively analysed the data of 400 consecutive patients presenting to our institution with STEMI for whom primary PCIs were performed via RRA and LRA.Results: Mean age of the whole studied population was 57±12.8 years, with male predominance (77.2%). There were 202 cases in the RRA group and 198 in the LRA group, with no significant difference in demographics and clinical characteristics for patients included in both groups. There was no significant difference in procedure success rate (97.5% for RRA vs. 98.4% for LRA; P=0.77). In addition, no significant difference between both approaches was observed in the contrast volume, number of catheters, fluoroscopy time (FT), needle-to-balloon time, post-procedure vascular complications, in hospital reinfarction, stroke/transient ischaemic attack (TIA) or death.Conclusion: Right radial access and LRA are equally safe and effective in the setting of primary PCI. Both approaches have a high success rate and comparable needle-to-balloon time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nonorthogonal multiple access (NOMA) is a relevant technology for realizing the primary goals of next-generation wireless networks, such as high connectivity and stability. Because a rising number of users are becoming connected, user data security has become a critical issue. Many chaotic communication systems have been established to address this important issue via exhibition of affordable physical-layer-security solutions. In this study, we propose a chaotic downlink NOMA (C-DL-NOMA) system over the additive white Gaussian noise and Rayleigh-fading channels to enhance the security of the DL-NOMA system. The proposed algorithm is based on a coherent analog modulation technique that combines various chaotic maps for chaotic masking of encrypted data. On the transmitter, chaotic encryption was used for transmitted data with fixed power-allocation-level control, whereas on the receiver, successive interference-cancellation demodulation was utilized to detect multiple users, after which chaotic decryption was performed. Simulation results were evaluated based on security analyses, such as statistical analysis (histogram and correlation analyses and information entropy), bit-error-rate performance, and achievable-data-rate performance. According to these security analyses and numerical results, the proposed C-DL-NOMA system outperformed traditional unencrypted NOMA systems.