Boosted charge separation via Ce2S3 over dual Z-scheme ZnO-Ce2S3-MnO2 core double-shell nanocomposite for the degradation of diverse dye pollutants.

Herein, core double-shell direct dual Z-scheme ZnO-Ce2S3-MnO2 nanocomposite was synthesized via a hydrothermal route along with pure ZnO, Ce2S3, MnO2, and characterized by numerous characterization tools for application in synthetic dyes degradation. The XRD, Raman, and FTIR analyses have confirmed the nanocomposite formation. TEM images exhibited the core double-shell morphology with an average particle diameter of 81 nm and stacking of ZnO, Ce2S3, and MnO2. EDX confirmed the existence of desired elements in the grown composition. The varied oxidation states, presence of defects, and fast charge transfer were also revealed from XPS, PL, and EIS. The ZnO-Ce2S3-MnO2 nanocomposite has an optical energy bandgap of 2.84 eV, capable of decomposing harmful dyes with excellent efficiency, 99.81% MB, 97.62% MO, 88.5% MR, and 58.9% EY in 40 min sunlight exposure. The effect of several operating parameters is also observed and obtained results showed the optimal catalyst dose was 20 mg, pH of 8, and dye concentration of 10 ppm. The scavenger's experiment suggests that •O2- and •OH are the main active radicals in the photodegradation reaction which is also evident in the dual Z-scheme formation. The MnO2 and ZnO layers covered the Ce2S3 (core) and dual Z-scheme formation allows rapid kinetics of redox reaction and provides plenteous channels for transfer of photo-generated charge carriers during photocatalysis. Thus, core double-shell direct dual Z-scheme photocatalysts having inorganic components could be an excellent choice for photocatalysis at the industrial level, particularly for water purification.

Synergistic effect of a bamboo-like Bi2S3 covered Sm2O3 nanocomposite (Bi2S3-Sm2O3) for enhanced alkaline OER.

The availability of hydrogen energy from water splitting through the electrocatalytic route is strongly dependent on the efficiency, durability, and cost of the electrocatalysts. Herein, a novel Bi2S3-covered Sm2O3 (Bi2S3-Sm2O3) nanocomposite electrocatalyst was developed by a hydrothermal route for the oxygen evolution reaction (OER). The electrochemical properties were studied in 1.00 mol KOH solution after coating the target material on the stainless-steel substrate (SS). Physical analysis via XRD, FTIR, IV, TEM/EDX, and XPS revealed that the Bi2S3-Sm2O3 composite possesses metallic surface states, thereby displaying unconventional electron dynamics and purity of phases. The Bi2S3-Sm2O3 composite shows outstanding OER activity with a low overpotential of 197 mV and a Tafel slope of 74 mV dec-1 at a 10 mA cm-2 current density as compared to pure Bi2S3 and Sm2O3. Meanwhile, the composite catalyst retains high stability even after 100 h of the chronoamperometry test. Thus, this work unveils a new avenue for the speedy flow of electrons, which is attributed to the synergetic effect between Bi2S3 and Sm2O3, as well as enriched interfacial defects, which exhibit greater oxygen adsorption capability with improved electronic assemblies in the active interfacial region. In addition, the introduced porous structure in core-shell Bi2S3-Sm2O3 provides extraordinary electrical properties. Thus, this article offers a realistic framework for electrochemical energy generation.

Hydroxyapatite fortified mango mousse: Formulation, characterization, and sensory data evaluation using fuzzy logic.

In this experimental study, hydroxyapatite (HAp), as a valuable calcium source, was extracted from discarded goat bone; raw and nano-biogenic powders were prepared through calcination and ultra-sonication. Resultant powders were characterized by using various spectroscopy techniques. As per the findings of atomic absorption spectroscopy, raw and nano-biogenic powders depicted 1439.7 ± 0.12 and 3194.8 ± 0.07 ppm calcium content, respectively. The range of particle size of nano-biogenic and raw powders was 47-139 and 183 nm, respectively. X-ray diffraction (XRD) confirmed crystalline behavior whereas laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS)-derived Ca/P-ratio endorsed excellence in nano-biogenic 1.76 against 1.63 in raw powder. In vitro bioavailability of calcium in raw and nano-biogenic powder was ∼36% and ∼39%, respectively. Next, the powders were further used to develop calcium-fortified mango mousse with varied formulations. A maximum overrun of 23.31% was found in the case of "Raw-A," whereas a maximum viscosity of 8489.98 mPa s was found in the case of "Nano-A." Sensory data of mango mousse were obtained by fuzzy logic method, and PCA ranked the Nano-B and Nano-A samples the best in terms of overall acceptability. Meanwhile, the consumer responses toward product likeness and/or dislikeness were recorded by the hedonic scale that endorsed Nano-A and Nano-B formulations as the most preferred samples. PRACTICAL APPLICATION: The revolution in the eating habits of consumers from traditional foods to fast food imposes the development of new products having good nutritional values. Different waste biogenic food sources can provide an acceptable powdered form of ingredients for the development of novel food products. In this regard, the development of novel food products using calcium supplements has gained space in the food industry.

Fabrication of fullerene-supported La2O3-C60 nanocomposites: dual-functional materials for photocatalysis and supercapacitor electrodes.

Nowadays, water pollution and energy crises worldwide force researchers to develop multi-functional and highly efficient nanomaterials. In this scenario, the present work reports a dual-functional La2O3-C60 nanocomposite fabricated by a simple solution method. The grown nanomaterial worked as an efficient photocatalyst and proficient electrode material for supercapacitors. The physical and electrochemical properties were studied by state-of-the-art techniques. XRD, Raman spectroscopy, and FTIR spectroscopy confirmed the formation of the La2O3-C60 nanocomposite with TEM nano-graphs, and EDX mapping exhibits the loading of C60 on La2O3 particles. XPS confirmed the presence of varying oxidation states of La3+/La2+. The electrochemical capacitive properties were tested by CV, EIS, GCD, ECSA, and LSV, which indicated that the La2O3-C60 nanocomposite can be effectively used as an electrode material for durable and efficient supercapacitors. The photocatalytic test using methylene blue (MB) dye revealed the complete photodegradation of the MB dye under UV light irradiation after 30 min by a La2O3-C60 catalyst with a reusability up to 7 cycles. The lower energy bandgap, presence of deep-level emissions, and lower recombination rate of photoinduced charge carriers in the La2O3-C60 nanocomposite than those of bare La2O3 are responsible for enhanced photocatalytic activity with low-power UV irradiation. The fabrication of multi-functional and highly efficient electrode materials and photocatalysts such as La2O3-C60 nanocomposites is beneficial for the energy industry and environmental remediation applications.

Dual Z-scheme core-shell PANI-CeO2-Fe2O3-NiO heterostructured nanocomposite for dyes remediation under sunlight and bacterial disinfection.

Nowadays, environmental pollution due to discharge of organic pollutants from food, textile, and pharmaceutical industries into clean water and development of contagious diseases due to pathogenic organisms provide impetus to material researcher to fabricate novel design for efficient photocatalyst and antimicrobial agents. In this regard, designing a core-shell heterojunction catalyst based on metal oxides is considered an auspicious approach. In present study, combating the problems of singular oxides, core-shell PANI-CeO2-Fe2O3-NiO nanocomposite (PCFN) and CeO2-Fe2O3-NiO nanocomposite (CFN) was synthesized through sol-gel and oxidative polymerization route with cetyletrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) as surfactant. The XRD, FTIR, and Raman confirmed the formation of nanocomposites with core-shell morphology composed of PANI (shell) and oxides (Core) in PCFN with a particle size of 52 nm (TEM). Surprisingly, PCFN has lower band gap, e-/h+ recombination, and larger charge transfer character than CFN. The decomposition test using MB and MO dyes showed that PCFN degraded 99%, 98%, while CFN degraded only 73% and 54%, respectively, under 50 min sunlight illumination. The reusability was assessed up to 7th cycle for PCFN. The influence of operational parameters (catalyst dose, dye concentration, pH) was tested for PCFN. Further, the antimicrobial action against S. aureus (gram + ve), E. coli (gram -ve) were also tested. The supreme performance of PCFN has been credited to heterostructure dual Z-scheme formation and core-shell morphology supported with PANI, which suppresses the e-/h+ recombination process by promoting their separation. The present finding indicated that the PCFN is a promising modifier for bacterial disinfection and acts as a superb photocatalyst through core-shell formation with PANI support.

Transition metal-doped SnO2 and graphene oxide (GO) supported nanocomposites as efficient photocatalysts and antibacterial agents.

In the present work, pristine and transition metal (TM) (W, Ag, Zn)-doped SnO2 nanocrystals using a facile sol-gel approach were synthesized. The grown products were anchored on graphene oxide (GO) sheets via a simple ultrasonication technique to fabricate binary nanocomposites. The structural, optical, and morphological properties of as-synthesized samples were studied by XRD, FTIR, Raman, EDX, UV-Visible, PL, and FE-SEM. The charge transferability of graphene oxide-based samples was investigated by EIS. The XRD exhibited the TM doping in SnO2 and the development of GO-based nanocomposite. FTIR data evidenced the existence of the metal-oxygen bonds. Raman spectra presented the optical phonon modes of SnO2 and the existence of oxygen vacancy defects. FE-SEM images demonstrated the anchoring of particles on the GO sheet, and EDX further approved the existence of desired dopants. The integration of SnO2 with TM doping remarkably reduced optical bandgap (3.65-3.10 eV), which was further decreased (3.10-2.99 eV) by making composite with GO. The photodegradation results exhibited that GO-based nanocomposites have the higher potential to degrade synthetic dyes (methyl red (MR), and methyl orange (MO) and SnZnO2/GO have shown superb photocatalytic performance after 80-min sunlight illumination (99.9% MR and 95.0% MO dyes) with the higher rate constant and superior stability up to 6th cycle against MR dye. The grown samples were tested for bacterial disinfection, and SnZnO2/GO sample showed a higher zone of inhibition towards S. aureus and K. pneumoniae bacteria strains. The greater charge transfer rate and lower recombination of charge carriers in GO-based composites were also observed by EIS and PL analysis. Moreover, the present article ascribed that the photocatalytic and antibacterial properties of bare SnO2 could be improved by TM doping and fabricating their composite with GO.

Incidence of Rhegmatogenous Retinal Detachment (RRD) in a Tertiary Care Center of Pakistan.

Background Regardless of the advancements in ophthalmology, rhegmatogenous retinal detachment (RRD) remains a substantial issue for physicians. The present study assessed the incidence of RRD among our population. Methodology A cross-sectional study was performed at the Layton Rehmatullah Benevolent Trust (LRBT) between June 2020 and May 2021. All the patients of RRD, irrespective of gender, within the age bracket of 20 years or more and diagnosed by a consultant ophthalmologist were included in the research study. Patients with serous retinal or tractional detachment and RRD with vitreous leakage were excluded from the study. A slit lamp and dilated fundus examination was performed preoperatively to assess the type of retinal detachment and associated factors as mentioned above. All data were collected on predesigned pro forma. Results About 25,000 individuals were presented to the outpatient department during the study period. Out of these, 100 patients were diagnosed with RRD. The incidence rate of the RRD in our center was 0.4%. There were a majority of the males. The mean age of patients did not vary significantly with respect to gender (p < 0.797). The most common type of RD was the total RD with a frequency of 53 cases followed by inferior RD with 19 cases. The majority of those with total RRD were males, i.e., 37%; however, the difference was statistically insignificant (p = 0.476). The study revealed that most of the RRD was diagnosed in patients < 45 years of age; however, the difference was not statistically significant (p < 0.227). Conclusion The present study highlighted the incidence of RRD and explored the sociodemographic and other clinical features in the Pakistani population. However, it is possible that the RRD condition is still under-diagnosed in our hospital settings. Further exploration is warranted to study comprehensively the risk factors associated with RRD.

Energy-levels well-matched direct Z-scheme ZnNiNdO/CdS heterojunction for elimination of diverse pollutants from wastewater and microbial disinfection.

Energy-levels well-matched direct Z-scheme ZnNiNdO/CdS heterojunction was successfully fabricated using facile co-precipitation and ultra-sonication techniques and characterized with XRD, FTIR, Raman, PL, UV-vis, and FE-SEM. The XRD diffractograms confirmed the co-doping of Ni-Nd in ZnO and the formation of heterostructured nanocomposite. FTIR and Raman data showed the presence of metal-oxygen vibration and optical phonon modes of ZnO and CdS. FE-SEM images exhibited the network type morphology. The energy bandgap was redshifted by co-doping (3.37-2.9 eV) and was further reduced (2.6 eV) by making a composite with CdS. The ZnNiNdO/CdS catalyst degraded 99.7, 49, 96.6, 98.6, and 98.6% methylene blue (MB), p-nitroaniline (P-Nitro), methyl orange (MO), methyl red (MR), and rhodamine B (RhB) dyes under 50 min sunlight irradiation. Moreover, ZnNiNdO/CdS showed intense inhibition activity towards Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Proteus vulgaris, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa bacterial strains with maximum inhibition zone diameters 30, 33, 27, and 31 mm, respectively. The synergistic effects arising from band alignment can lead to efficient vectorial charge separation, transportation, and lower recombination of photoinduced charge carriers, ultimately boosting photocatalytic and antibacterial performance. The ZnNiNdO/CdS photocatalyst has higher stability up to the 7th cycle towards MB dye with ~ 5% deficit in degradation efficiency. The higher generation of superoxide and hydroxyl radical was confirmed by species trapping experiments responsible for photodegradation of dyes molecules. Furthermore, the results showed that the photocatalytic and antibacterial performance of pristine ZnO can be enhanced by co-doping and tuning energy bandgap.

Bias-Repeatability Analysis of Vacuum-Packaged 3-Axis MEMS Gyroscope Using Oven-Controlled System.

The performance of microelectromechanical system (MEMS) inertial measurement units (IMUs) is susceptible to many environmental factors. Among different factors, temperature is one of the most challenging issues. This report reveals the bias stability analysis of an ovenized MEMS gyroscope. A micro-heater and a control system exploiting PID/PWM were used to compensate for the bias stability variations of a commercial MEMS IMU from BOSCH "BMI 088". A micro-heater made of gold (Au) thin film is integrated with the commercial MEMS IMU chip. A custom-designed micro-machined glass platform thermally isolates the MEMS IMU from the ambient environment and is vacuum sealed in the leadless chip carrier (LCC) package. The BMI 088 built-in temperature sensor is used for temperature sensing of the device and the locally integrated heater. The experimental results reveal that the bias repeatability of the devices has been improved significantly to achieve the target specifications, making the commercial devices suitable for navigation. Furthermore, the effect of vacuum-packaged and non-vacuum-packaged devices was compared. It was found that the bias repeatability of vacuum-packaged devices was improved by more than 60%.

Eplerenone Treatment in Chronic Central Serous Chorioretinopathy.

Background The study examined the efficacy of eplerenone in the management of chronic central serous chorioretinopathy (CSCR) with the aim of short-term observations. The study also aimed at observing changes in optical coherence tomography (OCT) parameters and visual acuity. Methodology This retrospective study was conducted at Layton Rahmatulla Benevolent Trust (LRBT) Eye Hospital from September 2019 to October 2020. A thorough ocular examination, color fundus photographs, fluorescein angiography, and macular OCT were performed on all patients. We administered one tablet of 50 mg eplerenone on day one and further advised the use of the same dose for 30 days. After the administration of the tablet, the patients were further analyzed on weeks one, two, and four. On every visit, we examined ophthalmic conditions by visual acuity, slit lamp, and dilated fundus examinations along with macular OCT and measured blood pressure. At follow-up, we measured the levels of serum creatinine at weeks one and four. Student's t-test and chi-square test were used for normal distribution and nominal variables. A p-value < 0.05 was considered statistically significant in all the analyses. Results A total of 15 patients were selected for this research, but unfortunately, two of them withdrew amid the study. For the remaining 13 patients, the mean duration of observing symptoms was three months and three weeks. At one-month follow-up, the mean subretinal fluid (SRF) height (94.18 µm) decreased, but we did not find any statistical significance between the SRF height at one-month follow-up and baseline (113.15 µm). In four patients, the SRF height increased up to 3-30 µm after four months of treatment. In our study, we found some negative consequences of eplerenone therapy in terms of hypertension, cramps, nausea, and migraine. Conclusion We concluded that short-term eplerenone treatment assists in the reduction of the choroidal thickness (CT) and central macular thickness (CMT) among patients with central serous chorioretinopathy. However, eplerenone treatment failed to decrease subretinal fluid height and does not bring any significant improvement in the visual acuity of patients. Some mild adverse effects of the treatment include hypertension, abdominal cramps, nausea, and migraine.

Genetic analysis with pyrosequencing using loop pipetting and a light dependent resistor.

DNA sequencing is among the most important techniques in biology to decipher the key genetic players of health and disease. The existing laboratory instruments for DNA sequencing are well established and reliable. However, these instruments are still out of reach of most laboratories in the world due to very high equipment and running costs and require trained personnel to keep them running. These instruments are also large and bulky making them unsuitable for analysis in remote settings away from laboratories. Here we describe a proof-of-concept of a DNA sequencing device LoopSeeq using a simple approach to address the said problems without minimizing the quality of results. The device was designed to perform pyrosequencing by iterative addition of dNTPs by contact dispensing through a loop pipette (loopette) and detection of chemiluminiscence with the cheapest sensor in the market, a light dependent resistor (LDR). Two small geared motors drive the moving parts in a controlled and coordinated manner with the help of a motor driver circuit, an Arduino Nano microcontroller and two small neodymium magnets. The real-time light intensity data from the LDR were transferred to a laptop computer for further analysis. Pyrosequencing was optimized using 55 nt self-primed oligo. In order to demonstrate the DNA sequencing ability with real samples, molecular genetic analysis was performed for a previously identified novel mutation from our lab in exon4 of the OCA2 gene. LoopSeeq successfully identified the homozygous normal (c.408-409_AA), homozygous mutant (c.408-409_delAA) and heterozygous carrier (c.408-409_AA/delAA) alleles in three individuals of a family affected with oculocutaneous albinism (OCA). Further, this can be implemented for molecular diagnostic applications for bacterial, viral or other pathogen detection and genotyping among different subtypes following some reports described earlier. A few drawbacks in the current implementation including the evaporation of liquid reagents, possible loopette contamination, etc. associated with use for longer times are also described along with suggestions to rectify these problems in future designs. With the described capabilities, the LoopSeeq device can be implemented in routine labs as well as in several real-world situations where conventional DNA sequencing instruments are unfeasible, for example, diagnostic testing at remote settings or at the point-of-care.

Design Approach for Reducing Cross-Axis Sensitivity in a Single-Drive Multi-Axis MEMS Gyroscope.

In this paper, a new design technique is presented to estimate and reduce the cross-axis sensitivity (CAS) in a single-drive multi-axis microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) gyroscope. A simplified single-drive multi-axis MEMS gyroscope, based on a mode-split approach, was analyzed for cross-axis sensitivity using COMSOL Multiphysics. A design technique named the "ratio-matching method" of drive displacement amplitudes and sense frequency differences ratios was proposed to reduce the cross-axis sensitivity. Initially, the cross-axis sensitivities in the designed gyroscope for x and y-axis were calculated to be 0.482% and 0.120%, respectively, having an average CAS of 0.301%. Using the proposed ratio-matching method and design technique, the individual cross-axis sensitivities in the designed gyroscope for x and y-axis were reduced to 0.018% and 0.073%, respectively. While the average CAS was reduced to 0.045%, showing a reduction rate of 85.1%. Moreover, the proposed ratio-matching method for cross-axis sensitivity reduction was successfully validated through simulations by varying the coupling spring position and sense frequency difference variation analyses. Furthermore, the proposed methodology was verified experimentally using fabricated single-drive multi-axis gyroscope.

Sunlight-induced photocatalytic degradation of various dyes and bacterial inactivation using CuO-MgO-ZnO nanocomposite.

Novel tri-phase CuO-MgO-ZnO nanocomposite was prepared using the co-precipitation technique and investigated its physical properties using characterization techniques including XRD, FTIR, Raman, IV, UV-vis, PL, and SEM. The application of grown CuO-MgO-ZnO nanocomposite for the degradation of various dyes under sunlight and antibacterial activity against different bacteria were studied. The XRD confirmed the existence of diffraction peaks related to CuO (monoclinic), MgO (cubic), and ZnO (hexagonal) with CuO phase 40%, MgO 24%, and ZnO 36%. The optical energy gap of nanocomposite was 2.9 eV, which made it an efficient catalyst under sunlight. Raman and FTIR spectra have further confirmed the formation of the nanocomposite. SEM images revealed agglomerated rod-shaped morphology. EDX results showed the atomic percentage of a constituent element in this order Cu>Zn>Mg. PL results demonstrate the presence of intrinsic defects. The photocatalytic activity against methylene blue (MB), methyl orange (MO), rhodamine-B (RhB), cresol red (CR), and P-nitroaniline (P-Nitro) dyes has shown the excellent degradation efficiencies 88.5%, 93.5%, 75.9%, 98.8%, and 98.6% at 5 ppm dye concentration and 82.6%, 83.6%, 64.3%, 93.1%, and 94.3% at 10 ppm dye concentration in 100 min, respectively, under sunlight illumination. The higher degradation is due to the generation of superoxide and hydroxyl radicals. The recyclability test showed the reusability of catalyst up to the 5th cycle. The antibacterial activity against Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Proteus Vulgaris, Staphylococcus aureus, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa bacteria with the zone of inhibition 30, 31, 30, 30, and 30 mm, respectively, was achieved.

Bioinspired synthesis of zinc oxide nano-flowers: A surface enhanced antibacterial and harvesting efficiency.

Despite of broad range application, the cost effective, highly stable and reproduceable synthesis of ZnO is needed, especially which can make it biosafe as well. Here, a unique bioinspired synthesis of ZnO nanoflowers (NFs) has been introduced using Withania coagulans extract as reducing agent. Different molar concentrations were assessed to counter the effect of structural, morphological, antibacterial activity and high efficiency of algae harvesting. The UV-spectroscopy authenticates the synthesis of ZnO NFs having Wurtzite hexagonal structure with the size in the range of 360-550 nm. While surface analysis revealed the presence of stabilizing agent like phenolic, amine, etc. on surface of ZnO NFs. These perineum ZnO NFs exhibited a stronger antibacterial with Gram-positive bacteria Staphylococcus aureus as compare to Gram-negative bacteria Pseudomonas aeruginosa and greater harvesting efficiency up to 94% on the account of greater surface area and unique surface chemistry, thus leading a new horizon of more efficient and effective applications for ethanol production.

Sensitivity Analysis of Single-Drive, 3-axis MEMS Gyroscope Using COMSOL Multiphysics.

In this paper, a COMSOL Multiphysics-based methodology is presented for evaluation of the microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) gyroscope. The established finite element analysis (FEA) model was successfully validated through a comparison with analytical and Matlab/Simulink analysis results. A simplified single-drive, 3-axis MEMS gyroscope was analyzed using a mode split approach, having a drive resonant frequency of 24,918 Hz, with the x-sense, y-sense, and z-sense being 25,625, 25,886, and 25,806 Hz, respectively. Drive-mode analysis was carried out and a maximum drive-displacement of 4.0 µm was computed for a 0.378 µN harmonic drive force. Mechanical sensitivity was computed at 2000 degrees per second (dps) input angular rate while the scale factor for roll, pitch, and yaw was computed to be 0.014, 0.011, and 0.013 nm/dps, respectively.

Fractionation of Biomolecules in Withania coagulans Extract for Bioreductive Nanoparticle Synthesis, Antifungal and Biofilm Activity.

Withania coagulans contains a complex mixture of various bioactive compounds. In order to reduce the complexity of the plant extract to purify its phytochemical biomolecules, a novel fractionation strategy using different solvent combination ratios was applied to isolate twelve bioactive fractions. These fractions were tested for activity in the biogenic synthesis of cobalt oxide nanoparticles, biofilm and antifungal activities. The results revealed that plant extract with bioactive fractions in 30% ratio for all solvent combinations showed more potent bioreducing power, according to the observed color changes and the appearance of representative absorption peaks at 500-510 nm in the UV-visible spectra which confirm the synthesis of cobalt oxide nanoparticles (Co3O4 NPs). XRD diffraction was used to define the crystal structure, size and phase composition of the products. The fractions obtained using 90% methanol/hexane and 30% methanol/hexane showed more effectiveness against biofilm formation by Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus aureus so these fractions could potentially be used to treat bacterial infections. The 90% hexane/H2O fraction showed excellent antifungal activity against Aspergillus niger and Candida albicans, while the 70% methanol/hexane fraction showed good antifungal activity for C. albicans, so these fractions are potentially useful for the treatment of various fungal infections. On the whole it was concluded that fractionation based on effective combinations of methanol/hexane was useful to investigate and study bioactive compounds, and the active compounds from these fractions may be further purified and tested in various clinical trials.

Green synthesis of iron oxide nanorods using Withania coagulans extract improved photocatalytic degradation and antimicrobial activity.

Present work compares the green synthesis of iron oxide nanorodes (NRs) using Withania coagulans and reduction precipitation based chemical method. UV/Vis confirmed the sharp peak of Iron oxide NRs synthesized by biologically and chemically on 294 and 278 nm respectively. XRD and SEM showed highly crystalline nature of NRs with average size 16 ± 2 nm using Withania extract and less crystalline with amorphous Nanostructure of 18 ± 2 nm by chemical method. FTIR analysis revealed the involvement of active bioreducing and stabilizing biomolecules in Withania coagulans extract for synthesis of NRs. Moreover, EDX analysis indicates 34.91% of Iron oxide formation in biological synthesis whereas 25.8% of iron oxide synthesis in chemical method. The degradation of safranin dye in the presence of Withania coagulans based NRs showed 30% more effectively than chemically synthesized Nanorods which were verified by the gradual decrease in the peak intensity at 553 nm and 550 nm respectively under solar irradiation. Furthermore, Withania coagulans based NRs showed effective Antibacterial activity against S.aureus and P. aeuroginosa as compared to NRs by chemical method. Finally, we conclude that green synthesized NRs are more effective and functionally more efficient than chemically prepared NRs. Therefore, our work will help the researchers to boost the synthesis of nanoparticles via biological at commercial level.

An extraterrestrial trigger for the mid-Ordovician ice age: Dust from the breakup of the L-chondrite parent body.

The breakup of the L-chondrite parent body in the asteroid belt 466 million years (Ma) ago still delivers almost a third of all meteorites falling on Earth. Our new extraterrestrial chromite and 3He data for Ordovician sediments show that the breakup took place just at the onset of a major, eustatic sea level fall previously attributed to an Ordovician ice age. Shortly after the breakup, the flux to Earth of the most fine-grained, extraterrestrial material increased by three to four orders of magnitude. In the present stratosphere, extraterrestrial dust represents 1% of all the dust and has no climatic significance. Extraordinary amounts of dust in the entire inner solar system during >2 Ma following the L-chondrite breakup cooled Earth and triggered Ordovician icehouse conditions, sea level fall, and major faunal turnovers related to the Great Ordovician Biodiversification Event.

Single Drive Multi-Axis Gyroscope with High Dynamic Range, High Linearity and Wide Bandwidth.

This paper presents the design, fabrication, and characterization of a highly sensitive, single drive multi-axis gyroscope. The multi-axis gyroscope allows for a wide bandwidth in all three axes (X, Y, Z) and exhibits high linearity. The fabricated multi-axis gyroscope was fabricated with a structural thickness of 30 µm and packaged at 100 mtorr using wafer level packaging. The fabricated multi-axis gyroscope has a small footprint of 1426 × 1426 µm2, making it one of the smallest multi-axis gyroscopes. A custom printed circuit board (PCB) was designed for the evaluation of the multi-axis gyroscope. The experimental results demonstrate that the gyroscope has a high sensitivity of 12.56   µ V / dps ,   17.13   µ V / dps and 25.79   µ V / dps in the roll (X-sense), pitch (Y-sense) and yaw (Z-sense) modes respectively. The scale-factor non-linearity of the gyroscope is less than 0.2 % for roll and pitch mode and 0.001 % for the yaw mode, in the full-scale range of ± 1500   deg / s . The multi-axis gyroscope demonstrates an angle random walk of 2.79   dps / Hz , 2.14   dps / Hz , and   1.42   dps / Hz , for the roll, pitch and yaw rate with the in-run bias stability 1.62   deg / s , 1.14   deg / s and 0.84   deg / s respectively.

A Study on Measurement Variations in Resonant Characteristics of Electrostatically Actuated MEMS Resonators.

Microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) resonators require fast, accurate, and cost-effective testing for mass production. Among the different test methods, frequency domain analysis is one of the easiest and fastest. This paper presents the measurement uncertainties in electrostatically actuated MEMS resonators, using frequency domain analysis. The influence of the applied driving force was studied to evaluate the measurement variations in resonant characteristics, such as the natural frequency and the quality factor of the resonator. To quantify the measurement results, measurement system analysis (MSA) was performed using the analysis of variance (ANOVA) method. The results demonstrate that the resonant frequency ( f r ) is mostly affected by systematic error. However, the quality (Q) factor strongly depends on the applied driving force. To reduce the measurement variations in Q factor, experiments were carried out to study the influence of DC and/or AC driving voltages on the resonator. The results reveal that measurement uncertainties in the quality factor were high for a small electrostatic force.