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Thermoelectrics are critical for sustainable energy development because they allow for the direct conversion of waste heat into electricity, improve energy efficiency in a variety of applications, and provide a clean, dependable, and maintenance- free alternative for power generation. In recent days, metal chalcogenides have gained more attention in the field of thermoelectrics. Among the chalcogenide materials, Tin Selenide is a promising material for mid-temperature thermoelectric applications, whereas Bismuth Telluride is mainly known for its room-temperature thermoelectric applications. The combination of these two materials would probably enhance the performance of the thermoelectric generator. The present work deals with bilayer and multilayer thin film deposition of Tin Selenide and Bismuth Telluride on the glass substrates by physical vapor deposition. Then the deposited thin films were given a post-annealing treatment for 30 minutes at 323 K, 423 K, and 523 K. The structure and morphology of the thin films have been studied using X-Ray Diffraction (XRD), Scanning Electron Microscopy(SEM), Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy(FESEM) and Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM). The Seebeck Coefficient and Electrical conductivity of the bilayer and multilayer thin films were studied using the Seebeck Coefficient measurement system as temperature as function in a range of 300K to 573 K. The maximum Seebeck Coefficent of -350μV/K was obtained for both bilayer and multilayer thin film at 573 K. The highest electrical conductivity of 220S/m and 170S/m were obtained for bilayer and multilayer thin film respectively. The power factor that gives the thermoelectric generator's performance was calculated from the Seebeck Coefficient and Electrical conductivity. The overall power factor for 573 K annealed films of bilayer and multilayer thin films increases with rise in temperature. The maximum obtained power factor for bilayer and multilayer thin films were 25W/K2m and 18 W/K2m respectively. An increase in the annealing temperature leads to improved thermoelectric performance for both bilayer and multilayer thin films. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: COVID-associated mucormycosis (CAM) is an emerging complication in COVID-19 patients. These patients undergoing surgery may face high anesthesia-related risks. We aimed to determine the prevalence and risk factors for perioperative anaesthesia complications in CAM patients undergoing surgery. Objectives: This study was carried out to determine the prevalence of perioperative anaesthesia complications in CAM patients undergoing surgery and identify associated risk factors. Materials & Methods: We retrospectively analyzed 715 CAM patients who underwent surgery at a tertiary hospital in India from April 2021 to July 2021. In this study, the type of mucormycosis, comorbidities, perioperative anesthesia complications, airway management issues, and mortality were recorded and analyzed. Result: The overall anaesthesia complication rate was 51.89%. The most frequent complications were hypertension (21.53%), difficult airway (16.91%), requirement of postoperative respiratory support (13.14%), noninvasive ventilation (6.57%), reintubation (4.47%), hypotension (10.06%), and delayed recovery (9.23%). Rhinosinusitis (51.05%) and rhino-orbital mucormycosis (21.54%) predominated. Major comorbidities were diabetes (66.85%), cardiac involvement (72.73%), and chronic respiratory disease (58.74%). Increasing age, high ASA status, extensive infections, diabetes, and respiratory illness predicted complications. Mask ventilation was difficult in 17.76% and intubation in 10.91% of patients. Mortality was 5.45% within 24 hours and 12.73% by 72 hours postoperatively. Conclusion: Perioperative anesthesia complications are common in CAM surgery patients, especially those with comorbidities and extensive disease. Individualized management plans are essential to optimize airway, respiratory, hemodynamic, and metabolic parameters for mitigating morbidity and mortality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ensuring safe drinking water remains a significant challenge due to the prevalence of waterborne diseases. While chlorine-based and UV-based methods effectively kill pathogens, they often generate harmful byproducts. Consequently, there's a pressing need for innovative techniques, such as utilizing silver nanoparticles(AgNPs) renowned for their antibacterial properties. In this study, a chemical reduction technique was employed to synthesize AgNPs. Subsequently, these AgNPs underwent comprehensive characterization using techniques such as FTIR, XRD,TGA and XPS. The synthesized nanoparticles were then applied for disinfecting spring water. The experimental design was meticulously planned using the central composite design method (CCD) from Response Surface Methodology (RSM), facilitated by Design Expert software. Three key factors: AgNPs, pH, and contact time were varied across three levels, resulting in a total of 20 designed experiments. These experiments were conducted in accordance with the specified run order, culminating in the achievement of maximum bacteria growth inhibition efficiency of 99.72 % at the optimal conditions of 0.01 mg/100 mL AgNPs dose, a pH of 6, and a contact time of 20 min. Overall, the findings of this study underscore the efficiency of AgNPs in disinfecting spring water.