Use of improved memory type control charts for monitoring cancer patients recovery time censored data.

Control charts are a statistical approach for monitoring cancer data that can assist discover patterns, trends, and unusual deviations in cancer-related data across time. To detect deviations from predicted patterns, control charts are extensively used in quality control and process management. Control charts may be used to track numerous parameters in cancer data, such as incidence rates, death rates, survival time, recovery time, and other related indicators. In this study, CDEC chart is proposed to monitor the cancer patients recovery time censored data. This paper presents a composite dual exponentially weighted moving average Cumulative sum (CDEC) control chart for monitoring cancer patients recovery time censored data. This approach seeks to detect changes in the mean recovery time of cancer patients which usually follows Weibull lifetimes. The results are calculated using type I censored data under known and estimated parameter conditions. We combine the conditional expected value (CEV) and conditional median (CM) approaches, which are extensively used in statistical analysis to determine the central tendency of a dataset, to create an efficient control chart. The suggested chart's performance is assessed using the average run length (ARL), which evaluates how efficiently the chart can detect a change in the process mean. The CDEC chart is compared to existing control charts. A simulation study and a real-world data set related to cancer patients recovery time censored data is used for results illustration. The proposed CDEC control chart is developed for the data monitoring when complete information about the patients are not available. So, instead of doping the patients information we can used the proposed chart to monitor the patients information even if it is censored. The authors conclude that the suggested CDEC chart is more efficient than competitor control charts for monitoring cancer patients recovery time censored data. Overall, this study introduces an efficient new approach for cancer patients recovery time censored data, which might have significant effect on quality control and process improvement across a wide range of healthcare and medical studies.

Inquiring asymmetric effects of oil prices, money supply, and domestic debt on consumer prices: an empirical evidence from Pakistan.

Oil prices (OP) may play a significant role in determining inflation in any oil-importing economy and could have an asymmetrical effect as well. Thus, this paper aims to explore the asymmetric influence of OP, broad money supply (BMS), and domestic debt (DD) on the Consumer Price Index (CPI) in the oil-importing economy of Pakistan using the nonlinear autoregressive distributive lag (NARDL) methodology on an annual sample from 1980 to 2021. The long-run results show that increasing OP and BMS have a positive effect on CPI. Similarly, decreasing OP and BMS have a positive effect on CPI. So, increasing OP and BMS is raising price levels, and decreasing OP and BMS is reducing price levels. OP has a positive and symmetrical effect on CPI. However, the BMS has a positive but asymmetrical effect on CPI. Furthermore, the effect of decreasing BMS is found greater than increasing BMS. Moreover, the effect of DD on CPI is also found asymmetrical. The increasing DD has a positive effect, and decreasing DD has a negative effect on CPI. The most of short-run results follow the long-run results. However, energy usage shows a negative effect on CPI in the short run, which is insignificant in the long-run results. This study recommends controlling the money supply and oil prices to reduce consumer prices.

In-situ construction of binder-free MnO2/MnSe heterostructure membrane for high-performance energy storage in pseudocapacitors.

Manganese (Mn)-based oxides are considered suitable positive electrode materials for supercapacitors (SCs). However, their cycle stability and specific capacitance are significantly hindered by key restrictions such as structural instability and low conductivity. Herein, we demonstrated a novel nanorod (NR)-shaped heterostructured manganese dioxide/manganese selenide membrane (MnO2/MnSe) on carbon cloth (CC) (denoted as MnO2/MnSe-NR@CC) with a high aspect ratio by a straightforward and facile hydrothermal process. Experiments have demonstrated that doping selenium atoms to oxygen sites reduce electronegativity, increasing the intrinsic electronic conductivity of MnO2, decreasing electrostatic interactions with electrolyte ions, and thus boosting the reaction kinetics. Further, the selenium doping results in an amorphous surface with extensive oxygen defects, which contributed to the emergence of additional charge storage sites with pseudocapacitive characteristics. As expected, novel heterostructured MnO2/MnSe-NR@CC as an electrode for SC exhibits a high capacitance of 740.63 F/g at a current density of 1.5 A/g, with excellent cycling performance (93% capacitance retention after 5000 cycles). The MnO2/MnSe-NR@CC exhibited outstanding charge storage capability, dominating capacitive charge storage (84.6% capacitive at 6 mV/s). To examine the practical applications of MnO2/MnSe-NR@CC-ASC as a positive electrode, MnO2/MnSe-NR@CC//AC device was fabricated. The MnO2/MnSe-NR@CC//AC-ASC device performed exceptionally well, with a maximum capacitance of 166.66 F/g at 2 A/g, with a capacitance retention of 94%, after 500 GCD cycles. Additionally, it delivers an energy density of 75.06 Wh/kg at a power density of 1805.1 W/kg and maintains 55.044 Wh/kg at a maximum power density of 18,159 W/kg. This research sheds fresh information on the anionic doping method and has the potential to be applied to the synthesis of positive electrode materials for energy storage applications.

Influence of Mn Ions' Insertion in Pseudo-Tetragonal Phased CaBi4Ti4O15-Based Ceramics for Highly Efficient Energy Storage Devices and High-Temperature Piezoelectric Applications.

In the present era of advanced technology, the surge for suitable multifunctional materials capable of operating above 300 °C has increased for the utilization of high-temperature piezoelectric devices. For this purpose, a pseudo-tetragonal phased CaBi4Ti3.98 (Nb0.5Fe0.5)0.02O15:xwt%MnO2 (CBTNF:xMn), with x = 0-0.20, ceramic system has been engineered for the investigation of structural, ferroelectric, dielectric and high-temperature-dependent piezoelectric properties. XRD analysis confirms that low-content Mn-ion insertion at the lattice sites of CBTNF does not distort the pseudo-tetragonal phase lattice of CBTNF:xMn ceramics, but enhances the functional behavior of the ceramic system, specifically at x = 0.15 wt%Mn. Compared to pure CBT and CBTNF ceramics, CBTNF:0.15Mn has demonstrated a highly dense relative density (~96%), a saturated polarization (PS) of 15.89 µC/cm2, a storage energy density (WST) of ~1.82 J/cm3, an energy-conversion efficiency (ƞ) of ~51% and an upgraded piezoelectric behavior (d33) of 27.1 pC/N at room temperature. Sharp temperature-dependent dielectric constant (εr) peaks display the solid ferroelectric behavior of the CBTNF:0.15Mn sample with a Curie temperature (TC) of 766 °C. The thermally stable piezoelectric performance of the CBTNF:0.15Mn ceramic was observed at 600 °C, with just a 0.8% d33 loss (25 pC/N). The achieved results signify that multi-valence Mn ions have effectively intercalated at the lattice sites of the pseudo-tetragonal phased CBTNF counterpart and enhanced the multifunctional properties of the ceramic system, proving it to be a durable contender for utilization in energy-storage applications and stable high-temperature piezoelectric applications.

Single- and Multilayered Perovskite Thin Films for Photovoltaic Applications.

Organic-inorganic lead halide perovskites materials have emerged as an innovative candidate in the development of optoelectronic and photovoltaic devices, due to their appealing electrical and optical properties. Herein, mix halide single-layer (~95 nm) and multilayer (average layer ~87 nm) CH3NH3PbIBr2 thinfilms were grown by a one-step spin coating method. In this study, both films maintained their perovskite structure along with the appearance of a pseudo-cubic phase of (200) at 30.16°. Single-layer and multilayer CH3NH3PbIBr2 thinfilms displayed leaky ferroelectric behavior, and multilayered thinfilm showed a leakage current of ~5.06 × 10-6 A and resistivity of ~1.60 × 106 Ω.cm for the applied electric field of 50 kV/cm. However, optical analysis revealed that the absorption peak of multilayered perovskite is sharper than a single layer in the visible region rather than infrared (IR) and near-infrared region (NIR). The band gap of the thinfilms was measured by Tauc plot, giving the values of 2.07 eV and 1.81 eV for single-layer and multilayer thinfilms, respectively. The structural analysis has also been performed by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). Moreover, the fabricated CH3NH3PbIBr2 as an absorber layer for photoelectric cell demonstrated a power conversion efficiency of 7.87% and fill factor of 72%. Reported electrical, optical and photoelectric efficiency-based results suggest that engineered samples are suitable candidates for utilization in optoelectronic and photovoltaic devices.

Boosting of Magnetic, Ferroelectric, Energy Storage Efficiency, and Piezoelectric Properties of Zn Intercalated SrBi4Ti4O15-Based Ceramics.

An appropriate amount of Zn-ions are incorporated into the high Curie temperature bismuth layer-structure ferroelectric material to fabricate Sr0.2Na0.4Pr0.4Bi4Ti4O15:xwt%ZnO; (SNPBT:xZn), with x = 0, 0.10, 0.15, and 0.20 ceramic series to investigate the magnetic, ferroelectric, and energy storage efficiency and piezoelectric properties. Pure SNPBT and SNPBT:xZn ceramics have maintained their structure even after the intercalation of Zn-ions at the lattice sites of SNPBT. The addition of ZnO in SNPBT has improved the multifunctional properties of the material at x = 0.15. At room temperature, SNPBT:0.15Zn has shown a high relative density of 96%, exhibited weak ferromagnetic behavior along with a low saturation magnetization (Ms) of 0.028 emu/g with a low coercive field of 306 Oe, a high remnant polarization (Pr) of 9.04 µC/cm2, a recoverable energy density (Wrec) of ~0.5 J/cm3, an energy conversion efficiency (η) of ~41%, a high piezoelectric co-efficient (d33) of 21 pC/N, and an impedance of 1.98 × 107 Ω, which are much improved as compared to pure SBT or pure SNPBT ceramics. Dielectric Constant (ɛr) versus temperature plots present the sharp peak for SNPBT:0.15Zn ceramic at a Curie temperature (TC) ~ 605 °C, confirming the strong ferroelectric nature of the ceramic. Moreover, SNPBT:0.15Zn ceramic has shown strong, piezoelectric, thermally stable behavior, which remains at 76% (16 pC/N) of its initial value even after annealing at 500 °C. The achieved results clearly indicate that SNPBT:0.15Zn ceramic is a promising candidate for future wide-temperature pulse power applications and high-temperature piezoelectric devices.

A resonant current-mode wireless power transfer for implantable medical devices: an overview.

Implantable Medical Devices (IMDs) have been developing in ways to be lighter and lower-power systems. In the view of such developments, the battery recharging capacity to ensure the stable operation of the system is essential. Wireless power transfer (WPT) was proposed as a solution to recharge the battery without complex metallic contacts. However, due to limitations such as threshold voltage of power switches and minimal input power of the multi-stage structure (Rectifier + Regulator/DC-DC converter) of conventional voltage-mode (VM) WPT, there are drawbacks of an input power range above a certain threshold level and limitations due to strict regulations on the human body. These issues make the design of the IMD battery charger much harder and prevent IMDs from being a more viable option for people-in-need. This paper introduces distinguishing characteristics of resonant current-mode (RCM) WPT technology to overcome the aforementioned issues. It also describes the basic theory, conventional circuits of VM/RCM, comparisons, and major challenges of RCM. Finally, advanced and efficiency-enhancing techniques of the-state-of-art works among the RCM topologies will be discussed to follow up the trend of RCM WPT.

Hydrothermal Synthesis of Binder-Free Metallic NiCo2O4 Nano-Needles Supported on Carbon Cloth as an Advanced Electrode for Supercapacitor Applications.

It is of great significance to design electrochemical energy conversion and storage materials with excellent performance to fulfill the growing energy demand. Bimetallic cobalt/nickel-based electrode materials exhibit excellent electrical conductivity compared to mono oxides. However, their potential as electrode materials for high-performance supercapacitors (SCs) is limited because of their poor cycling stability and high-capacity fading. This work demonstrates the synthesis of binder-free bimetallic NiCo2O4 nano-needles supported on CC (NCO@CC) via a facile and scalable hydrothermal process. Excellent electrical conductivity and interconnected nanostructure of NCO@CC nano-needles provide the fast transfer of electrons with numerous channels for ion diffusion. Owing to such features, the binder-free NCO@CC electrode for SC discloses excellent specific capacitance (1476 Fg-1 at 1.5 Ag-1) with 94.25% capacitance retention even after 5000 cycles. From these outstanding electrochemical performances, it can be inferred that NCO@CC nano-needle array-structured electrodes may be potential candidates for SC applications.

Biofilm formation and dispersal of Staphylococcus aureus under the influence of oxacillin.

A total of 180 food borne isolates of methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) (oxacillin MICs 864 µg/ml) were used in the present study to investigate the effect of oxacillin on biofilm formation and its detachment process. Majority (98.3%) of these isolates were found to carry icaA gene. Out of 180 isolates 35.5% were identified as MRSA and 64.4% were methicillin sensitive S. aureus (MSSA). Biofilm studies by con-red agar and tube methods revealed that 57% of the MRSA isolates were biofilm producers. Polymerase chain reaction studies suggested that all of the biofilm positive MRSA isolates belong to SCCmec type IV and carry agr type II. This showed the strong association of SCCmec IV agr type II and biofilm formation in food borne MRSA. Conversely, only 13.7% of the MSSA isolates were biofilm positive and majority was found to carry agr type II. It has been noticed that oxacillin has regulatory effect on icaA expression and induce the icaA dependent polysaccharide intracellular adhesin (PIA) production and biofilm formation. This was confirmed by Real Time PCR studies of MRSA and MSSA isolates. Quantitative analysis showed that most of the MRSA isolates started biofilm formation after 24 h of incubation in the presence of sub-inhibitory concentration of oxacillin and achieved highest adhesion on glass slide after 48 h. The control in the absence of oxacillin showed slow conversion from planktonic to biofilm mode of growth (Table 1). Another novel feature of most of these biofilm producing isolates is the reduction in (Optical Density) OD, which is noticed after 48 h of incubation. Possibly, after 48 h oxacillin loses its toxicity or consumed the cells re-adapt to the planktonic state, possibly, by the activation of accessory gene regulator A (agrA) which has an important role in biofilm dispersal.