Analysis of Prescribing Practices in the Dermatology Outpatient Department of a Tertiary Care Teaching Hospital.

Introduction The practice of appropriately prescribing and delivering pharmaceuticals to the right patient for the diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of diseases is referred to as "rational drug usage". Patients should receive pharmaceuticals that are appropriate for their clinical needs, given in doses that meet their needs, for long enough periods of time, and for the least amount of money possible. Minimizing drug therapy costs without sacrificing therapeutic effectiveness, avoiding unnecessary adverse medication reactions and drug-drug interactions, and improving therapeutic care while encouraging patient adherence are the main objectives of rational drug usage. The present study was planned to assess the current prescribing practices in the dermatology outpatient department of a tertiary care hospital. Materials and methods A prospective descriptive study was conducted in the department of dermatology at a tertiary care teaching hospital after receiving permission from the institutional ethics committee. The study was conducted from November 2022 to February 2023 and followed the WHO recommendation for sample size. A total of 617 prescriptions were analyzed thoroughly. Results Regarding the demographic profile of the 617 prescriptions, 299 were male and 318 were female. The patients had diverse diseases, with the most common being tinea infection (57 cases, 9%) and acne vulgaris (53 cases, 8.5%), followed by scabies (38 cases, 6%), urticaria, and eczema (30 cases, 5%). Twenty-six (4%) prescriptions were not written in capital letters, 86 (13%) prescriptions did not mention the route of drug administration, and the consultant's or physician's name and signature were missing in 13 (2%), and six (1%) prescriptions, respectively. None of the prescriptions were written using the generic names of the drugs. Polypharmacy was observed in 51 (8%) prescriptions. Moreover, potential drug-drug interactions were identified in 12 (1.9%) instances. The most prescribed drugs were antihistaminics, with 393 (23%) prescriptions. Antifungal drugs were the second most prescribed, with 291 (17%) prescriptions. Corticosteroids were also commonly prescribed, with 271 (16%) prescriptions. Antibiotics were prescribed in 168 (10%) cases; other drugs were prescribed in 597 (35%) cases, including retinoids, anti-scabies drugs, antileprotic drugs, moisturizers, sunscreens, etc. Conclusion The study highlighted the prescription errors in writing the drugs in capital letters, mentioning the dose, route, and frequency of drugs, etc. It provided insight into the common diseases in dermatology and routine prescribing patterns and addressed the frequency of polypharmacy and drug-drug interactions.

Towards Environment Friendly Hydrothermally Synthesized Li+, Rb+, In3+ Intercalated Phosphotungstate (PW12O40) Thin Films.

In the present investigation, a one-step hydrothermal approach is proposed to synthesize Li+, Rb+, and In3+intercalated PW12O40 (PTA) thin films. The photoelectrochemical performance of the deposited Li3PW12O40 (Li-PTA), Rb3PW12O40 (Rb-PTA), and In3PW12O40 (In-PTA) photocathodes were investigated using a two-electrode cell configuration of FTO/Li3PW12O40/(0.1 M I-/I3-)aq./Graphite. The energy band gaps of 2.24, 2.11, and 2.13 eV were observed for the Li-PTA, Rb-PTA, and In-PTA films, respectively, as a function of Li+, Rb+, and In3+. The evolution of the spinal cubic crystal structure with increased crystallite size was observed for Rb+ intercalation within the PTA Keggin structure, which was confirmed by X-ray diffraction (XRD). Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) revealed a modification in the surface morphology from a rod-like structure to a densely packed, uniform, and interconnected microsphere to small and large-sized microspheres for Li-PTA, Rb-PTA, and In-PTA, respectively. Compositional studies confirmed that the composing elements of Li, Rb, In, P, W, and O ions are well in accordance with their arrangement for Li+, Rb+, In3+, P5+, W6+, and O2- valence states. Furthermore, the J-V performance of the deposited photocathode shows power conversion efficiencies (PCE) of 1.25%, 3.03%, and 1.62%, as a function of the incorporation of Li+, Rb+, and In3+ ions. This work offers a one-step hydrothermal approach that is a prominent way to develop Li+, Rb+, and In3+ ions intercalated PTA, i.e., Li3PW12O40, Rb3PW12O40, and In3PW12O40 photocathodes for competent solar energy harvesting.

First report of Lasiodiplodia theobromae causing stem canker of pomegranate (Punica granatum L.) in India.

In March 2022, cankers and lesions appeared on the branches of 2-3-year-old pomegranate plants grown in four orchards of Hanumangarh, Rajasthan, India. The disease incidence ranged from 5-15%. Field symptoms such as dark brown lesions on one side of the branches, cracked lesions, vascular tissue discoloration and drooping of the plants were noticed. To identify the causative agent, 2 diseased branch samples, showing typical symptoms collected from each orchard 25-30 km apart. The samples were washed with distilled water and small sections of tissue were excised from both symptomatic and asymptomatic areas using a sterile scalpel. Sections were surface sterilized with 1% sodium hypochlorite for 30 sec and 70% ethanol for 2 min followed by rinsing with sterilized water thrice. Sterile sections were dried on sterile filter paper and then transferred onto potato dextrose agar (PDA) amended with streptomycin (100 mgL-1) and incubated at 24±1°C in the dark. Samples (n=5) collected from different orchards produced similar colonies, with greyish white aerial mycelia, which became dark black after 5-7 days. The morphological characteristics of all isolates were observed under microscope. Immature conidia (6.3±1.05*14.7±0.98 µm: average of 50 measurements) were single celled, hyaline, ellipsoid or ovoid, apex rounded and truncated at the base while the matured conidia (8.4±1.41*15.3±1.17 µm: average of 50 measurements) had two cells with dark septa. The conidial morphology of all isolates was in accordance with Lasiodiplodia sp. (Alves et al; 2008) therefore, one representative isolate (HSC-1) was used for molecular identification at species level. Three loci viz., ITS, EF1-a and ß tubulin of fungal genomic DNA were PCR amplified using ITS-1/4, EF-F/R and TUB-2A/2B primers, respectively. The amplicons were sequenced and deposited in GenBank, NCBI database with accession no. ON598885 (ITS), ON605203 (EF) and ON605204 (TUB). BLASTn analysis showed similarity with the sequences of Lasiodiplodia theobromae isolates: ITS showed 100% with MK530071.1 (492 bases), EF 99.77% with MT975688.1 (436 bases) and BT 99.76% with MW287586.1 (422 bases). Phylogenetic analysis using Neighbour Joining method revealed close association among L. theobromae isolates. Thus, causative agent associated with stem canker of pomegranate was confirmed as L. theobromae. Further, the same isolate was used for pathogenicity tests on 1-year-old pomegranate plants (n=6). Briefly, 2 cm wound was created in the main stem with a sterile scalpel and a same-size mycelial plug was placed in the wound and wrapped with parafilm. Six plants that were wrapped with uncultured PDA served as control. The inoculated plants were maintained at 26°C and 65-70% RH in a polyhouse. After 4 days parafilm was removed from all plants. The experiment was repeated twice. Inoculated plants produced lesions (0.7 x 5.5 cm; average of 6 measurements) similar to field symptoms after 10-15 days and no such symptoms developed on control plants. The difference between control and inoculated plants was statistically significant (p=0.0001). The fungus was re-isolated from symptomatic tissue and colonies were morphologically similar to HSC-1, thus fulfilling the Koch's postulates. The fungus, L. theobromae causes stem canker and dieback on different host plants and is mainly distributed in tropical and subtropical regions and has been reported on pomegranate from Florida (Xavier et al 2017). To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of L. theobromae causing stem canker of pomegranate in India.

Assessment of future water demand and supply using WEAP model in Dhasan River Basin, Madhya Pradesh, India.

Understanding the available resources and the needs of those who use them is necessary for the evaluation and allocation of water resources. The main sectors utilizing the basin water resources are agriculture, drinking water, animal husbandry, and industries, and the efficient and rational management of water resources to be distributed among those different sectors of activity is vital. This study attempts to develop an integrated water resource management system for the Dhasan River Basin (DRB) by employing a scenario analysis approach in conjunction with Water Evaluation and Planning Model (WEAP) to analyze trends in water use and anticipated demand between 2015 and 2050, simulating five possible scenarios (I, II, III, IV, and V) as for external driving factors. For the WEAP modeling framework, 2015 was chosen as a current (base) year for which all available information and input data were given to the model and the future demand situation was analyzed for the period 2016-2050 (forecasting period). From the findings, it was observed that for the forecasting period, total water demand, unmet demand, and streamflow were 185.29 Bm3, 117.35 Bm3, and 58.26 Bm3, respectively, in the case of scenario I; 232.34 Bm3, 162.17 Bm3, and 59.87 Bm3 in case of scenario II; 139.40 Bm3, 84.37 Bm3, and 58.15 Bm3 in case of scenario III; 186.15 Bm3, 118.76 Bm3, and 56.98 Bm3 in case of scenario IV; and 181.89 Bm3, 96.87 Bm3, and 53.11 Bm3 in case of scenario V. Results of the study indicated that by 2050, increasing population growth, industrial development, and an increase in the agricultural area will rise the water demand dramatically, posing threats to the environment and humans. Therefore, implementing improved irrigation technologies, advancing agricultural practices on farms, and constructing water conservation and retaining structures could significantly reduce the unmet demands and shortfalls in DRB. Overall findings reveal that the pressure on the Dhasan water resources would increase in the future, and thus several suggestions have been provided to assist decision-makers in sustainable planning and management of water resources to meet future demands.

Enhancement of CO gas sensing performance by Mn-doped porous ZnSnO3 microspheres.

This work reports the synthesis of Mn-doped ZnSnO3 microspheres (Zn1-x Mn x SnO3) using a simple co-precipitation method with (x = 0 to 0.15) and characterized for structural, morphological, surface area, and sensing properties. X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis revealed the face-centered cubic structure of Mn-doped ZnSnO3 samples. Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) analysis demonstrated the variation in surface area from 15.229 m2 g-1 to 42.999 m2 g-1 with x = 0 to 0.15 in Zn1-x Mn x SnO3. XPS indicates the change in the defect levels by Mn doping, which plays a crucial role in chemical sensors. Indeed a significant increase (≈311.37%) in CO gas sensing response was observed in the x = 0.10 sample compared to pure ZnSnO3 with a simultaneous reduction in operating temperature from 250 to 200 °C. Moreover, remarkable enhancements in response/recovery times (≈6.6/34.1 s) were obtained in the x = 0.10 sample. The Mn-doped ZnSnO3 could be a promising candidate for CO gas sensing devices used for maintaining air quality.

Reducing Defects of All-Inorganic γ-CsPbI2Br Thin Films by Ethylammonium Bromide Additives for Efficient Perovskite Solar Cells.

Obtaining good-quality perovskite thin films is a fundamental facet that contributes to efficient inorganic perovskite solar cells. Herein, we successfully deposited ethylammonium bromide (EABr) additive-assisted high quality γ-CsPbI2Br perovskite films under ambient conditions. Detailed morphological, structural, optical, charge transport, photovoltaic performance, and stability properties have been studied. It is observed that the EABr additive helps to retard the crystal growth of perovskite films to produce a highly crystalline perovskite film with microsized grains (>1 µm) and with reduced grain boundaries. The fabricated devices based on an optimum amount of EABr (4 mg mL-1) exhibited the highest 14.47 % power conversion efficiency. Moreover, the EABr-4 mg mL-1-assisted γ-CsPbI2Br-based devices achieved a high thermal long-term stability and maintained ∼75% of their initial efficiency over 180 h at 85 °C thermal stress under ambient conditions (relative humidity: ∼35%) without encapsulation. This additive-assisted method suggests a new pathway to achieve high-quality perovskite films with a stabilized photoactive black phase and efficient devices.

Terbium-Doped and Dual-Passivated γ-CsPb(I1- x Brx )3 Inorganic Perovskite Solar Cells with Improved Air Thermal Stability and High Efficiency.

Realizing photoactive and thermodynamically stable all-inorganic perovskite solar cells (PSCs) remains a challenging task within halide perovskite photovoltaic (PV) research. Here, a dual strategy for realizing efficient inorganic mixed halide perovskite PV devices based on a terbium-doped solar absorber, that is, CsPb1- x Tbx I2 Br, is reported, which undertakes a bulk and surface passivation treatment in the form of CsPb1- x Tbx I2 Br quantum dots, to maintain a photoactive γ-phase under ambient conditions and with significantly improved operational stability. Devices fabricated from these air-processed perovskite thin films exhibit an air-stable power conversion efficiency (PCE) that reaches 17.51% (small-area devices) with negligible hysteresis and maintains >90% of the initial efficiency when operating for 600 h under harsh environmental conditions, stemming from the combined effects of the dual-protection strategy. This approach is further examined within large-area PSC modules (19.8 cm2 active area) to realize 10.94% PCE and >30 days ambient stability, as well as within low-bandgap γ-CsPb0.95 Tb0.05 I2.5 Br0.5 (Eg  = 1.73 eV) materials, yielding 19.01% (18.43% certified) PCE.

Implementing Dopant-Free Hole-Transporting Layers and Metal-Incorporated CsPbI2Br for Stable All-Inorganic Perovskite Solar Cells.

Mixed-halide CsPbI2Br perovskite is promising for efficient and thermally stable all-inorganic solar cells; however, the use of conventional antisolvent methods and additives-based hole-transporting layers (HTLs) currently hampers progress. Here, we have employed hot-air-assisted perovskite deposition in ambient condition to obtain high-quality photoactive CsPbI2Br perovskite films and have extended stable device operation using metal cation doping and dopant-free hole-transporting materials. Density functional theory calculations are used to study the structural and optoelectronic properties of the CsPbI2Br perovskite when it is doped with metal cations Eu2+ and In3+. We experimentally incorporated Eu2+ and In3+ metal ions into CsPbI2Br films and applied dopant-free copper(I) thiocyanate (CuSCN) and poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT)-based materials as low-cost hole transporting layers, leading to record-high power conversion efficiencies of 15.27% and 15.69%, respectively, and a retention of >95% of the initial efficiency over 1600 h at 85 °C thermal stress.

Effect of Vitamin Don Blood Sugar, HbA1c and Serum Insulin Levels in Streptozotocin-Induced Diabetic Rats.

Background: Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is an increasingly common disorder characterized by chronic hyperglycemia and marked dyslipidemia. This study evaluates the effect of vitamin D supplementation alone and in combination with glimepiride in streptozotocin-induced T2DM in rats. Materials and methods: A total of 30 Wistar albino rats of either sex weighing 150-200 g were included in the study. The effect of oral administration of vitamin D was evaluated in streptozotocin-induced T2DM in rats. Blood glucose, serum insulin, serum HbA1c, and serum vitamin D were evaluated. Results: D treatment has significantly improved hyperglycemia, hyperinsulinemia, and insulin sensitivity compared with the non-treated diabetic rats. Oral administration of vitamin D in streptozotocin-induced T2DM reduced blood sugar levels, increased insulin levels (more prominently when administered along with glimepiride) and decreased HbA1c levels (p<0.005). Conclusions: Administration of vitamin D can improve hyperglycemia and hyperinsulinemia in streptozotocin-induced T2DM in rats. Thus, it could be considered as an add on therapy along with other antidiabetic drugs.

Effect of Glucose Tolerance Factor (GTF) on Lipid Profile, Blood Glucose Levels, and Food Intake in Streptozotocin-Induced Diabetes in Rats.

Introduction: This study was aimed to evaluate the beneficial effects of containing glucose tolerance factor (GTF) from Brewer's yeast in improving glycaemic control in diabetic rats and lowering some of the risk factors for cardiovascular disorders. Methodology: The study used Wistar rats of both sexes weighing 150-200 g. Animals were randomly (n=6) divided into eight groups as normal control, normal control receiving Brewer's yeast, diabetic, Brewer's yeast receiving diabetic, Metformin-treated diabetic, and Glimepiride-treated diabetic, and two diabetic groups treated with Brewer's yeast and 50% of the Metformin and Glimepiride doses, respectively. To induce diabetes, Streptozotocin was administered intraperitoneally to all rats, except control group rats. Body weight (weekly), food intake (every day), blood glucose, and lipid profile (initially and at the end of the study) were assessed for four weeks in all groups. Results: Brewer's yeast administration significantly decreased blood glucose levels and prevented reduction in body weight, increased food intake and alterations in the lipid profile compared to untreated groups, and were comparable to the groups treated with standard drugs. Conclusion: Results of this study showed that oral administration of Brewer's yeast extract might be an excellent alternative antidiabetic agent which could be also useful in reducing the required dose of standard antidiabetic agents when combined.

Efficient and Stable All-Inorganic Niobium-Incorporated CsPbI2Br-Based Perovskite Solar Cells.

Inorganic cesium lead halide perovskite (CsPbX3) is a promising light-harvesting material to increase the thermal stability and the device performance as compared to the organic-inorganic hybrid counterparts. However, the photoactive stability at ambient conditions is an unresolved issue. Here, we studied the influence of Nb5+ ions' incorporation in the CsPbI2Br perovskite processed at ambient conditions. Our results exhibited that 0.5% Nb-incorporated CsPb1-xNbxI2Br (herein x = 0.005) thin films show excellent uniformity and improved grain size because of the optimum concentration of Nb5+ doping and hot-air flow. The improved grain size and uniform film thickness deliver a superior interface between the CsPb1-xNbxI2Br layer and the hole-transporting material. The fabricated all-inorganic perovskite solar cell (IPVSC) devices exhibited the Nb5+ cation incorporation which enables decreased charge recombination, leading to negligible hysteresis. The champion device produces an open-circuit voltage (VOC) as high as 1.317 V. The IPVSC device containing a CsPb0.995Nb0.005I2Br composition delivers the highest power conversion efficiency of 16.45% under a 100 mW cm-2 illumination and exhibits a negligible efficiency loss over 96 h in ambient conditions.

A thiourea additive-based quadruple cation lead halide perovskite with an ultra-large grain size for efficient perovskite solar cells.

Quadruple cation-based perovskite solar cells (PVSCs) have crossed the power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 25.2% because of their effective light harvesting ability. The perovskite materials and type of additives play a crucial role in improving the photovoltaic performance and stability. Therefore, here, we demonstrated a simple approach to reduce the grain boundaries and increase the grain size by adding thiourea (TU) as an additive in mixed halide (FAPbI3)0.85(MAPbBr3)0.15, triple cation Cs0.05[(FAPbI3)0.85(MAPbBr3)0.15]0.95 and quadruple Rb0.05{Cs0.05[(FAPbI3)0.85(MAPbBr3)0.15]0.95}0.95 cation perovskite absorbers. Our results indicate that the TU-added perovskite thin films have positive effects on the grain size, which improved up to 2.6 µm for the quadruple cation. Final optimization with the quadruple cation containing TU additive-based PVSC exhibited a 20.92% PCE, which is higher than additive-free PVSCs. Furthermore, the stability of the additive-modified PVSCs is much higher than that of bare films due to their ultra-large grain size with reduced grain boundaries. In addition, our thermal stress results exhibited that the additive-based PVSC devices display better thermal stability of more than ∼100 h at 60 °C without encapsulation.

Hot-Air-Assisted Fully Air-Processed Barium Incorporated CsPbI2Br Perovskite Thin Films for Highly Efficient and Stable All-Inorganic Perovskite Solar Cells.

Replacement of conventional organic cations by thermally stable inorganic cations in perovskite solar cells (PSCs) is one of the promising approaches to make thermally stable photovoltaics. However, conventional spin-coating and solvent-engineering processes in a controlled inert atmosphere hamper the upscaling. In this study, we demonstrated a dynamic hot-air (DHA) casting process to control the morphology and stability of all-inorganic PSCs which is processed under ambient conditions and free from conventional harmful antisolvents. Furthermore, CsPbI2Br perovskite was doped with barium (Ba2+) alkaline earth metal cations (BaI2:CsPbI2Br). This DHA method facilitates the formation of uniform grain and controlled crystallization that makes stable all-inorganic PSCs which enables an intact black α-phase under ambient conditions. The DHA-processed BaI2:CsPbI2Br perovskite photovoltaics shows the champion power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 14.85% (reverse scan) for a small exposure area of 0.09 cm2 and 13.78% for a large area of 1 × 1 cm2 with excellent reproducibility. Interestingly, the hot-air-processed devices retain >92% of the initial efficiency after 300 h. This DHA method facilitates a wide processing window for upscaling the all-inorganic perovskite photovoltaics.

Quantum Dot Based Solar Cells: Role of Nanoarchitectures, Perovskite Quantum Dots, and Charge-Transporting Layers.

Quantum dot solar cells (QDSCs) are attractive technology for commercialization, owing to various advantages, such as cost effectiveness, and require relatively simple device fabrication processes. The properties of semiconductor quantum dots (QDs), such as band gap energy, optical absorption, and carrier transport, can be effectively tuned by modulating their size and shape. Two types of architectures of QDSCs have been developed: 1) photoelectric cells (PECs) fabricated from QDs sensitized on nanostructured TiO2 , and 2) photovoltaic cells fabricated from a Schottky junction and heterojunction. Different types of semiconductor QDs, such as a secondary, ternary, quaternary, and perovskite semiconductors, are used for the advancement of QDSCs. The major challenge in QDSCs is the presence of defects in QDs, which lead to recombination reactions and thereby limit the overall performance of the device. To tackle this problem, several strategies, such as the implementation of a passivation layer over the QD layer and the preparation of core-shell structures, have been developed. This review covers aspects of QDSCs that are essential to understand for further improvement in this field and their commercialization.

Synthesis of nanoporous Mo:BiVO4 thin film photoanodes using the ultrasonic spray technique for visible-light water splitting.

The use of bismuth vanadate (BiVO4) scheelite structures for converting solar energy into fuels and chemicals for fast growth in lab to industrial scale for large-area modules is a key challenge for further development. Herein, we demonstrate a new ultrasonic spray technique as a scalable and versatile coating technique for coating pristine and doped nanoporous BiVO4 thin film photoanodes directly on FTO-coated glass substrates for water splitting under visible irradiation. The successful Mo doping in BiVO4 lattice was confirmed by various characterization techniques such as XRD, Raman, EDS and XPS. The Mo:BiVO4 photoelectrode showed excellent performance with higher stability as compared to pristine BiVO4 samples.

Bio-inspired Carbon Hole Transporting Layer Derived from Aloe Vera Plant for Cost-Effective Fully Printable Mesoscopic Carbon Perovskite Solar Cells.

Herein, we introduce a new ecofriendly naturally extracted cross-linked carbon nanoparticles as a hole transporting layer (C-HTL) prepared by an ancient Indian method for carbon based printable mesoscopic perovskite solar cells (C-PSCs), which is low-cost so far used for fully printable PSCs. The fabricated PSCs having Glass/FTO/mp-TiO2/ZrO2/perovskite/AV-C configuration exhibited current density ( JSC) of 20.50 ± 0.5 mAcm-2, open circuit voltage ( VOC) of 0.965 ± 0.02 V and fill factor (FF) of 58 ± 2%, resulting in 12.3 ± 0.2% power conversion efficiency (PCE) for MAPbI3 perovskite absorber. The aloe-vera processed carbon C-HTL based PSCs yields up to 12.50% power conversion efficiency and 15.80% efficiency for conventional spiro-MeOTAD based HTM. The air and moisture stability >1000 h at >45% relative humidity (RH) for cross-linked AV-C nanoparticle-based PSCs. This stability is very high compared to conventional spiro-MeOTAD HTM-based PSCs. The prepared carbon nanoparticles facilitate an excellent penetration of perovskite absorber in triple-layer-based scaffold, which enables a high-quality perovskite crystal and results in high PCE. This novel bio-inspired AV-C cross-linked nanoparticle-based natural carbon C-HTL is low-cost until date. We believe this technique would be suitable for and helpful toward fully printable and air-moisture-stable PSCs.

Symmetric supercapacitor: Sulphurized graphene and ionic liquid.

Symmetric supercapacitor is advanced over simple supercapacitor device due to their stability over a large potential window and high energy density. Graphene is a desired candidate for supercapacitor application since it has a high surface area, good electronic conductivity and high electro chemical stability. There is a pragmatic use of ionic liquid electrolyte for supercapacitor due to its stability over a large potential window, good ionic conductivity and eco-friendly nature. For high performance supercapacitor, the interaction between ionic liquid electrolyte and graphene are crucial for better charge transportation. In respect of this, a three-dimensional (3D) nanoporous honeycomb shaped sulfur embedded graphene (S-graphene) has been synthesized by simple chemical method. Here, the fabrication of high performance symmetric supercapacitor is done by using S-graphene as an electrode and [BMIM-PF6] as an electrolyte. The particular architecture of S-graphene benefited to reduce the ion diffusion resistance, providing the large surface area for charge transportation and efficient charge storage. The S-graphene and ionic liquid-based symmetric supercapacitor device showed the large potential window of 3.2 V with high energy density 124 Wh kg-1 at 0.2 A g-1 constant applied current density. Furthermore, this device shows good cycling performance (stability) with a capacitive retention of 95% over 20,000 cycles at a higher current density of 2 A g-1.

Synthesis of SnO2 nanofibers and nanobelts electron transporting layer for efficient perovskite solar cells.

The implementation of positive alternative electron transporting layers (ETLs) with excellent electronic properties is a most promising method to up-scale low-cost highly efficient perovskite solar cell (PSC) technology. The present work demonstrates the preparation of tin oxide (SnO2) nanofibers (NF) and nanobelts (NB) as an electron transporting layer (ETL) for PSCs. The smooth and uniform nanofibers and nanobelts have been prepared using an electrospinning technique followed by calcination at 600 °C. Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) analysis performed on the as-spun polyvinylpyrrolidone-tin oxide (PVP-SnO2) composite suggests that a calcination temperature of 600 °C is required to obtain pure SnO2 and to ensure complete removal of PVP along with other organic solvents. The structural analysis confirmed the presence of the pure tetragonal rutile phase of SnO2 nanofibers and nanobelts. The prepared nanofibers and nanobelts were further used as ETLs for PSCs. Our optimized experimental parameters yielded a JSC of 22.46 mA cm-2, a VOC of 1.081 V and FF of 66%, leading to >16% power conversion efficiency (PCE) for SnO2 nanobelts using an (FAPbI3)0.85(MAPbI3)0.15 perovskite absorber layer with good stability. The obtained PCE is much higher than that of the SnO2 NF (12.893%) morphology. Nevertheless, the synthesis of SnO2 NF/NB ETLs provides a simple, low-cost and large-scale method for PSCs.

Nanoarchitectures in dye-sensitized solar cells: metal oxides, oxide perovskites and carbon-based materials.

Dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) have aroused great interest and been regarded as a potential renewable energy resource among the third-generation solar cell technologies to fulfill the 21st century global energy demand. DSSCs have notable advantages such as low cost, easy fabrication process and being eco-friendly in nature. The progress of DSSCs over the last 20 years has been nearly constant due to some limitations, like poor long-term stability, narrow absorption spectrum, charge carrier transportation and collection losses and poor charge transfer mechanism for regeneration of dye molecules. The main challenge for the scientific community is to improve the performance of DSSCs by using different approaches, like finding new electrode materials with suitable nanoarchitectures, dyes in composition with promising semiconductors and metal quantum dot fluorescent dyes, and cost-effective hole transporting materials (HTMs). This review focuses on DSSC photo-physics, which includes charge separation, effective transportation, collection and recombination processes. Different nanostructured materials, including metal oxides, oxide perovskites and carbon-based composites, have been studied for photoanodes, and counter electrodes, which are crucial to achieve DSSC devices with higher efficiency and better stability.

Prescribing practices of topical corticosteroids in the outpatient dermatology department of a rural tertiary care teaching hospital.

BACKGROUND: Inappropriate or excessive use of topical corticosteroids can lead to cutaneous and systemic adverse effects which occur more commonly with the use of very potent steroids. Monitoring and analysis of the prescription practices of topical steroids can help to achieve rational prescription of these drugs. AIM: The present study was carried out to study and analyze the pattern of prescribing topical corticosteroids among outpatients attending the dermatology clinic in a rural tertiary care and teaching hospital, Ambajogai, Maharashtra. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted for a duration of two months from August 2011 to September 2011, and 500 prescriptions were randomly collected from the dermatology pharmacy and analyzed. RESULTS: About 66% of the prescriptions contained four to five drugs per prescription. Topical steroids were given in 28.4% of all the prescriptions. In almost all the prescriptions, strength, quantity of the steroid to be used, frequency, site, and duration of application was not mentioned. The chief complaints and diagnoses were not mentioned in about 85% of the prescriptions for topical corticosteroids. About 94.36% of the prescriptions contained very potent steroids. CONCLUSION: Inadequate prescribing information is a clear characteristic of the dermatological prescriptions containing topical corticosteroids. Doctors should be educated about the importance of giving patients sufficient information regarding the use of steroids. There is a need to revise hospital formulary where low-potency steroids can also be included along with potent ones so that the latter can be avoided in conditions where they are unnecessary.