Evaluation of Zn: WO3 Thin Films as a Sensing Layer for Detection of NH3 Gas.

Pristine WO3 and Zn-doped WO3 were synthesized using the spray pyrolysis technique to detect ammonia gas. The prominent orientation of the crystallites along the (200) plane was evident from X-ray diffraction (XRD) studies. Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) morphology indicated well-defined grains upon Zn doping with a smaller grain size of 62 nm for Zn-doped WO3 (Zn: WO3) film. The photoluminescence (PL) emission at different wavelengths was assigned to defects such as oxygen vacancies, interstitial oxygens, localized defects, etc. X-ray Photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) studies confirmed the formation of oxygen vacancies in the deposited films. The ammonia (NH3) sensing analysis of the deposited films was carried out at an optimum working temperature of 250 °C. The sensor performance of Zn: WO3 was enhanced compared to pristine WO3 at 1 ppm NH3 concentration, elucidating the possibility of the films in sensing applications.

An 8 MeV Electron Beam Modified In:ZnO Thin Films for CO Gas Sensing towards Low Concentration.

In the present investigation, electron beam-influenced modifications on the CO gas sensing properties of indium doped ZnO (IZO) thin films were reported. Dose rates of 5, 10, and 15 kGy were irradiated to the IZO nano films while maintaining the In doping concentration to be 15 wt%. The wurtzite structure of IZO films is observed from XRD studies post electron beam irradiation, confirming structural stability, even in the intense radiation environment. The surface morphological studies by SEM confirms the granular structure with distinct and sharp grain boundaries for 5 kGy and 10 kGy irradiated films whereas the IZO film irradiated at 15 kGy shows the deterioration of defined grains. The presence of defects viz oxygen vacancies, interstitials are recorded from room temperature photoluminescence (RTPL) studies. The CO gas sensing estimations were executed at an optimized operating temperature of 300 °C for 1 ppm, 2 ppm, 3 ppm, 4 ppm, and 5 ppm. The 10 kGy treated IZO film displayed an enhanced sensor response of 2.61 towards low concentrations of 1 ppm and 4.35 towards 5 ppm. The enhancement in sensor response after irradiation is assigned to the growth in oxygen vacancies and well-defined grain boundaries since the former and latter act as vital adsorption locations for the CO gas.

Process and economic data for the thermo-economic analyses of IGCC power plants employing warm gas CO2 separation technology.

Steady state simulations were carried out in APSEN Plus®, state-point stream data were extracted from the simulation results and tabulated in sequential order for IGCC configurations. These data give detailed insights into the performance of individual process units and enable researches to better understand the interplay of various process units as well as provide data for reproducibility of the work described in Ref. (Rosner et al., 2019). Furthermore, more detailed insights in the economic analysis are garnered by providing itemized capital and operating cost data as well as the individual unit cost correlations. In addition, a detailed plant water balance is provided for the base cases of the cold gas cleanup scenario and warm gas cleanup scenario.

Impact of Average, Local, and Electronic Structure on Visible Light Photocatalysis in Novel BiREWO6 (RE = Eu and Tb) Nanomaterials.

Crystal structures of hydrothermally synthesized BiEuWO6 and BiTbWO6 nanomaterials are deduced for the first time by combined Rietveld refinement of neutron and synchrotron data using the ordered and disordered models available in literature. The ordered model is validated for the average structure of these nanomaterials, and it is further supported by the local structure analysis using neutron pair distribution function. Nanomaterials are characterized by field-emission scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, Brunauer-Emmett-Teller surface area, diffused reflectance spectroscopy, and Raman Spectroscopy. Rare-earth-substituted nanomaterials are found to be efficient photocatalysts over the parent Bi2WO6 under visible light irradiation for Congo-red dye degradation. Particularly, BiTbWO6 shows an enhanced photocatalytic (PC) activity compared to BiEuWO6, as evidenced from the photoelectrochemical and time-resolved fluorescence studies. The difference in the observed PC activity of these nanomaterials is also explored through a detailed comparison of crystal structure and electronic structure calculated through the density functional theory method.

Genetic Engineering In BioButanol Production And Tolerance

ABSTRACT The growing need to address current energy and environmental problems has sparked an interest in developing improved biological methods to produce liquid fuels from renewable sources. Higher-chain alcohols possess chemical properties that are more similar to gasoline. Ethanol and butanol are two products which are used as biofuel. Butanol production was more concerned than ethanol because of its high octane number. Unfortunately, these alcohols are not produced efficiently in natural microorganisms, and thus economical production in industrial volumes remains a challenge. The synthetic biology, however, offers additional tools to engineer synthetic pathways in user-friendly hosts to help increase titers and productivity of bio-butanol. Knock out and over-expression of genes is the major approaches towards genetic manipulation and metabolic engineering of microbes. Yet there are TargeTron Technology, Antisense RNA and CRISPR technology has a vital role in genome manipulation of C.acetobutylicum. This review concentrates on the recent developments for efficient production of butanol and butanol tolerance by various genetically engineered microbes.

Clinical presentation, management, in-hospital and 90-day outcomes of heart failure patients in Trivandrum, Kerala, India: the Trivandrum Heart Failure Registry.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the presentation, management, and outcomes of patients hospitalized for heart failure (HF) in Trivandrum, India. METHODS: The Trivandrum Heart Failure Registry (THFR) enrolled consecutive admissions from 13 urban and five rural hospitals in Trivandrum with a primary diagnosis of HF from January to December 2013. Clinical characteristics at presentation, treatment, in-hospital outcomes, and 90-day mortality data were collected. 'Guideline-based' medical treatment was defined as the combination of beta-blockers, angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors or angiotensin receptor blockers, and aldosterone receptor blockers in patients with left ventricular systolic dysfunction (LVSD). RESULTS: We enrolled 1205 cases (834 men, 69%) into the registry. Mean (standard deviation) age was 61.2 (13.7) years. The most common HF aetiology was ischaemic heart disease (IHD) (72%). Heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (≥45%) constituted 26% of the population. The median hospital stay was 6 days (interquartile range = 4-9 days) with an in-hospital mortality rate of 8.5% (95% confidence interval 6.9-10.0). The 90-day all-cause mortality rate was 2.43 deaths per 1000 person-days (95% confidence interval 2.11-2.78). Guideline-based medical treatment was given to 19% and 25% of patients with LVSD during hospital admission and at discharge, respectively. Older age, lower education, poor ejection fraction, higher serum creatinine, New York Heart Association functional class IV, and suboptimal medical treatment were associated with higher risk of 90-day mortality. CONCLUSION: Patients hospitalized with HF in the THFR were younger, more likely to be men, had a higher prevalence of IHD, reported longer length of hospital stay, and higher mortality compared with published data from other registries. We also identified key areas for improving hospital-based HF medical care in Trivandrum.