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Abstract To realize a thermoelectric power generator, typically, a junction between two materials with different Seebeck coefficients needs to be fabricated. Such differences in Seebeck coefficients can be induced by doping, which renders it difficult when working with two-dimensional (2d) materials. However, doping is not the only way to modulate the Seebeck coefficient of a 2d material. Substrate-altered electron–phonon scattering mechanisms can also be used to this end. Here, we employ the substrate effects to form a thermoelectric junction in ultrathin, few-layer MoS2 films. We investigated the junctions with a combination of scanning photocurrent microscopy and scanning thermal microscopy. This allows us to reveal that thermoelectric junctions form across the substrate-engineered parts. We attribute this to a gating effect induced by interfacial charges in combination with alterations in the electron–phonon scattering mechanisms. This work demonstrates that substrate engineering is a promising strategy for developing future compact thin-film thermoelectric power generators.

Energy management is an inspiring domain in developing of renewable energy sources. However, the growth of decentralized energy production is revealing an increased complexity for power grid managers, inferring more quality and reliability to regulate electricity flows and less imbalance between electricity production and demand. The major objective of an energy management system is to achieve optimum energy procurement and utilization throughout the organization, minimize energy costs without affecting production, and minimize environmental effects. Modern energy management is an essential and complex subject because of the excessive consumption in residential buildings, which necessitates energy optimization and increased user comfort. To address the issue of energymanagement,many researchers have developed various frameworks; while the objective of each framework was to sustain a balance between user comfort and energy consumption, this problem hasn't been fully solved because of how difficult it is to solve it. An inclusive and Intelligent Energy Management System (IEMS) aims to provide overall energy efficiency regarding increased power generation, increase flexibility, increase renewable generation systems, improve energy consumption, reduce carbon dioxide emissions, improve stability, and reduce energy costs. Machine Learning (ML) is an emerging approach that may be beneficial to predict energy efficiency in a better way with the assistance of the Internet of Energy (IoE) network. The IoE network is playing a vital role in the energy sector for collecting effective data and usage, resulting in smart resource management. In this research work, an IEMS is proposed for Smart Cities (SC) using the ML technique to better resolve the energy management problem. The proposed system minimized the energy consumption with its intelligent nature and provided better outcomes than the previous approaches in terms of 92.11% accuracy, and 7.89% miss-rate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) recently a global pandemic with unprecedented public health, economic and social impact. The development of effective mitigation strategies, therapeutics and vaccines relies on detailed genomic and biological characterization of the regional viruses. This study was carried out to isolate SARS-CoV-2 viruses circulating in Anatolia, and to investigate virus propagation in frequently-used cells and experimental animals. We obtained two SARS-CoV-2 viruses from nasopharngeal swabs of confirmed cases in Vero E6 cells, visualized the virions using atomic force and scanning electron microscopy and determined size distribution of the particles. Viral cytopathic effects on Vero E6 cells were initially observed at 72 h post-inoculation and reached 90% of the cells on the 5th day. The isolates displayed with similar infectivity titers, time course and infectious progeny yields. Genome sequencing revealed the viruses to be well-conserved, with less than 1% diversity compared to the prototype virus. The analysis of the viral genomes, along with the available 62 complete genomes from Anatolia, showed limited diversity (up to 0.2% on deduced amino acids) and no evidence of recombination. The most prominent sequence variation was observed on the spike protein, resulting in the substitution D614G, with a prevalence of 56.2%. The isolates produced non-fatal infection in the transgenic type I interferon knockout (IFNAR−/-) mice, with varying neutralizing antibody titers. Hyperemia, regional consolidation and subpleural air accumulation was observed on necropsy, with similar histopathological and immunohistochemistry findings in the lungs, heart, stomach, intestines, liver, spleen and kidneys. Peak viral loads were detected in the lungs, with virus RNA present in the kidneys, jejunum, liver, spleen and heart. In conclusion, we characterized two local isolates, investigated in vitro growth dynamics in Vero E6 cells and identified IFNAR−/− mice as a potential animal model for SARS-CoV-2 experiments.

Background: Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) continues to be a major global public health issue. COVID-19 is highly contagious, and numerous mitigation strategies have recently been implemented to prevent the spread of this disease. Pharmacists utilize telecommunication technology to provide patient care services, thus increasing patient access to pharmaceutical services. There was a scarcity of evidence regarding the impact of telepharmacy on patient outcomes during COVID-19. Therefore, the aim of this study was to summarize the available research evidence on the impact of telepharmacy on patient outcomes during COVID-19. Methods: A systematic literature search was conducted between January 2020 to September 2022 in Ovid MEDLINE, Ovid Embase, and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, using appropriate terms on telepharmacy, COVID-19, and patient outcomes. Only studies that investigated the impact of telepharmacy on patient outcomes during COVID-19 were included. A systematic literature search was conducted between January 2020 to September 2022 in Ovid MEDLINE, Ovid Embase, and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, using appropriate terms on telepharmacy, COVID-19, and patient outcomes. Only studies that investigated the impact of telepharmacy on patient outcomes during COVID-19 were included. Results: A total of three studies were included in the review. The telepharmacy services were offered via virtual anticoagulation clinic, retail community telepharmacy through information technology tools, and RxLive® telepharmacy program. All studies included in the review demonstrated that the provision of telepharmacy services during COVID-19 had an overall positive impact on the patient outcomes such as a reduction in the rates of hospitalisation and medication-related problems and maintaining the international normalized ratio values within the therapeutic range. Conclusion: This review provides evidence that telepharmacy services have been successful in improving patient outcomes during the COVID-19 pandemic, including reductions in medicines-related problems and hospitalisation rates. As the pandemic continues, there is an urgent need to further expand telepharmacy services, using modern communication technologies such as televideo, especially for patients living in remote areas. There is a need to conduct further pre-post-intervention studies to address this gap. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Sulfacetamide sodium is a widely used sulfonamide for ophthalmic infections. Objective: A number of analytical methods have been reported for the analysis of sulfacetamide but they lack the ability to determine both the active drug and its major degradation product, sulfanilamide, simultaneously in a sample. Materials and Methods: In the present study a simple, rapid and economical stability-indicating UV spectrometric method has been validated for the simultaneous assay of sulfacetamide sodium and sulfanilamide in pure form and in ophthalmic preparations. Results: The method has been found to be accurate (recovery 100.03 ±0.589%) and precise (RSD 0.587%) with detectable and quantifiable limits of 1.67×10–6 M (0.04 mg%) and 5.07×10–6 M (0.13 mg%), respectively for the assay of pure sulfacetamide sodium. The method is also found to be accurate and precise to small changes in wavelength, pH and buffer concentration as well as to forced degradation. The study further includes the validation of the method for the assay of pure sulfanilamide in solution, which has been found to be accurate, precise and robust. Conclusion: The results indicate that the proposed two-component spectrometric method is stability-indicating and can be used for the simultaneous assay of both sulfacetamide sodium and sulfanilamide in synthetic mixtures and degraded solutions.

A stability-indicating photochemical method has been developed for the assay of thiamine (TH) salts in aqueous solution and in fresh and aged vitamin preparations. It is based on the photooxidation of TH by UV irradiation to form thiochrome (TC) in alkaline solution. The TC : TH ratio under controlled conditions of light intensity, temperature, pH, exposure time, and irradiation distance is constant and can be used to determine the concentration of UV irradiated TH solutions. TC, on extraction with isobutanol from the photodegraded solution of TH, has been determined by the UV spectrophotometric method at 370 nm. It exhibits a high intensity of absorption in the UV region that can be used for the assay of even low concentrations of TH. Under optimum conditions, Beer’s law is obeyed in the concentration range of 0.20–2.00 mg/100 ml (R2 = 09998). The limit of detection (LOD) and limit of quantification (LOQ) are 0.0076 and 0.0231 mg/100 ml, respectively. The method has been validated and applied to aqueous solutions and vitamin preparations. The results have statistically been compared with the United States Pharmacopeia liquid chromatography method. It has been found that there is no significant difference between the two methods at 95% confidence level.

Riboflavin (RF), also known as vitamin B2, belongs to the class of water-soluble vitamins and is widely present in a variety of food products. It is sensitive to light and high temperature, and therefore, needs a consideration of these factors for its stability in food products and pharmaceutical preparations. A number of other factors have also been identified that affect the stability of RF. These factors include radiation source, its intensity and wavelength, pH, presence of oxygen, buffer concentration and ionic strength, solvent polarity and viscosity, and use of stabilizers and complexing agents. A detailed review of the literature in this field has been made and all those factors that affect the photo, thermal and chemical degradation of RF have been discussed. RF undergoes degradation through several mechanisms and an understanding of the mode of photo- and thermal degradation of RF may help in the stabilization of the vitamin. A general scheme for the photodegradation of RF is presented.

The aim of this study was to identify and explain the hidden factors contributing to victimization and revictimization of women in Pashtun society. This study was conducted insix districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, district Peshawar, Nowshera, Mardan, Abbottabad, Upper Dir and Swat. This study applied qualitative research method. A total of 30 victims of sexual abuse were interviewed in 06 districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with the victims of sexual abuse. In this study, sexual abuse was measured as non-consensual sexual contact that caused physical and emotional harm to the victim. Victims of sexual assault or harassment in the absence of physical contact were excluded from this study. The main findings included inequality, domesticity, poverty and economic dependency that made women vulnerable to victimization and revictimization. The victim-prone-model basically shows these factors that underpin each other and change in a cycle. One factor supports the other and the successive factor is basically the outcome of the former. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Photostability studies of drugs and drug products are an integral part of the product development process in the pharmaceutical industry. These studies are carried out to ensure quality, efficacy, and safety of the formulated products during manufacture, storage, and use. This review deals with the concept of photostability and related aspects and the literature available in the field. It highlights the role of the photochemistry in the photostability studies, describes the functional groups important for the photoreactivity of drugs, explains photophysical processes, and deals with the kinetics of photochemical reactions. The various modes of photodegradation of drugs with examples of selected compounds are presented. The biological consequences of the effect of light on the drug degradation are described. The photostability testing of drugs and drug products and the requirements under ICH guideline are discussed. Some information on the packaging requirements for the formulated products is provided. The various methods used for the photostabilization of solid and liquid dosage forms are also discussed.