Explore the vast range of titles available.

Global-warming-induced climate changes and socioeconomic issues increasingly stimulate reviews of renewable energy. Among energy-generation devices, solar cells are often considered as renewable sources of energy. Lately, transparent conducting oxides (TCOs) are playing a significant role as back/front contact electrodes in silicon heterojunction solar cells (SHJ SCs). In particular, the optimized Sn-doped In2O3 (ITO) has served as a capable TCO material to improve the efficiency of SHJ SCs, due to excellent physicochemical properties such as high transmittance, electrical conductivity, mobility, bandgap, and a low refractive index. The doped-ITO thin films had promising characteristics and helped in promoting the efficiency of SHJ SCs. Further, SHJ technology, together with an interdigitated back contact structure, achieved an outstanding efficiency of 26.7%. The present article discusses the deposition of TCO films by various techniques, parameters affecting TCO properties, characteristics of doped and undoped TCO materials, and their influence on SHJ SC efficiency, based on a review of ongoing research and development activities.

Understanding the role of synthesis parameters in tailoring catalyst morphology is crucial for enhancing performance in electrochemical water splitting. This research systematically explores how different solvent environments affect the structural evolution and morphology of cobalt-doped nickel sulfide (Co-Ni3S2) nanomaterials. By systematically modifying the solvent environment using ethylene glycol and glycerol, distinct morphologies of Co-Ni3S2 were obtained, leading to variations in their electrocatalytic water-splitting performance. The fabricated compounds were thoroughly tested for their catalytic performance in facilitating hydrogen and oxygen evolution processes. Notably, the use of ethylene glycol as a synthesis medium led to the formation of a unique interconnected petal-like structure, significantly improving electrocatalytic activity, as evidenced by low overpotentials of 190.7 mV for HER at 10 mA cm−2 and 414 mV for OER at 30 mA cm−2. In contrast, when glycerol was employed as the solvent, the resulting Co-Ni3S2 material displayed overpotentials of 223.8 mV and 535 mV for HER and OER, respectively. Eventually, Co-doping was found to enhance the electrocatalytic performance, as pure Ni3S2 synthesized under the same solvent conditions exhibited higher overpotentials for both HER and OER. These findings underscore the crucial role of solvent selection in tailoring the structural and functional properties of materials for high-performance electrochemical applications.

In the present study, self-assembled hierarchical CoMn-LDH, CoMn@CuZnS, and CoMn@CuZnFeS heterostructured composites were synthesized for bifunctional applications. As an electrode for a supercapacitor, CoMn-LDH demonstrated superior areal and specific capacitance of 5.323 F cm−2 (279.49 mAh/g) at 4 mA cm−2, comparable to or even higher than other LDHs. The assembled AC//CoMn-LDH hybrid supercapacitor device further demonstrated better stability with 63% original capacitance over 20,000 cycles. Later, as a catalyst, CoMn-LDH, CoMn@CuZnS, and CoMn@CuZnFeS electrodes revealed better performance, with overpotentials of 340, 350, and 366 and −199, −215, and −222 mV to attain 10 mA cm−2 of current density for the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) and hydrogen evolution reaction (HER), respectively. Moreover, for CoMn-LDH, small Tafel slopes of 102 and 128 mV/dec were noticed for OER and HER with good stability compared to heterostructured electrodes.

An impressive room temperature (25 °C) NH 3 biomarker sensor has been developed using polyaniline (PAni)-CeO 2 nanohybrid by facile oxidative polymerization process on glass substrates. The structural properties of PAni-CeO 2 nanohybrids were disclosed using X-ray diffractometry, and the surface morphology was studied using field emission scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy techniques. The PAni-CeO 2 nanohybrids shows cubic crystal structure with strongly interconnected nanofiber surface morphology. The chemiresistive gas sensing performance of the PAni-CeO 2 nanohybrid sensor reveals that the CeO 2 nanoparticles (NPs) have a significant impact on the hybrid sensor. The CeO 2 NPs in the PAni-CeO 2 nanohybrid might block the charge carriers or reduce the delocalization length and hence increase the resistance of the nanohybrid when exposed to NH 3 gas. PAni-CeO 2 (50 wt%) nanohybrid sensor exhibits (80%) response toward 100 ppm NH 3 which is about four-fold higher than pristine PAni (26.70%), showing excellent stability (78.75%), admirable reproducibility with least response time (9.31 s), and such an excellent performance could be imputed to a high explicit surface area of CeO 2 for significant chemical interaction and the formation of interfacial heterojunction bond with CeO 2 , exploring PAni-CeO 2 (50 wt%) nanohybrid as a potential candidate for biomarker NH 3 detection. An impedance spectroscopy was used to investigate the interaction mechanism between the NH 3 gas and the PAni-CeO 2 nanohybrid sensor.

Understanding the role of synthesis parameters in tailoring catalyst morphology is crucial for enhancing performance in electrochemical water splitting. This research systematically explores how different solvent environments affect the structural evolution and morphology of cobalt-doped nickel sulfide (Co-Ni[sub.3]S[sub.2]) nanomaterials. By systematically modifying the solvent environment using ethylene glycol and glycerol, distinct morphologies of Co-Ni[sub.3]S[sub.2] were obtained, leading to variations in their electrocatalytic water-splitting performance. The fabricated compounds were thoroughly tested for their catalytic performance in facilitating hydrogen and oxygen evolution processes. Notably, the use of ethylene glycol as a synthesis medium led to the formation of a unique interconnected petal-like structure, significantly improving electrocatalytic activity, as evidenced by low overpotentials of 190.7 mV for HER at 10 mA cm[sup.−2] and 414 mV for OER at 30 mA cm[sup.−2]. In contrast, when glycerol was employed as the solvent, the resulting Co-Ni[sub.3]S[sub.2] material displayed overpotentials of 223.8 mV and 535 mV for HER and OER, respectively. Eventually, Co-doping was found to enhance the electrocatalytic performance, as pure Ni[sub.3]S[sub.2] synthesized under the same solvent conditions exhibited higher overpotentials for both HER and OER. These findings underscore the crucial role of solvent selection in tailoring the structural and functional properties of materials for high-performance electrochemical applications.

Purpose: To compare the axial length (AL) and corneal diameter between glaucomatous eye (GE) and fellow normal eye (NE) in patients with unilateral congenital glaucoma and to obtain a normative database for ocular growth among Indian children below 3 years of age. Methods: Retrospective longitudinal study. Patients who had a follow-up of 3 years from diagnosis with ocular biometry parameters being recorded at least thrice (once a year) and fellow eye being normal were included. Data collected were age, gender, intraocular pressure (IOP), AL, corneal diameter, optic disc findings, diagnosis, and surgery details. Results: Eleven patients were analyzed. All GE underwent combined trabeculotomy with trabeculectomy. Mean (SD) baseline IOP, AL, and corneal diameter were 17.1 (6.7) mmHg, 18.9 (1.1) mm and 12 (0.91) mm in GE, and 11.1 (3.8) mmHg, 17.8 (0.44) mm, and 10.5 (0.58) mm in NE, respectively. Increase in AL was 3.1 mm in the first year followed by 0.6 mm in second year and 0.4 mm in third year in GE compared to 2.6, 0.6, and 0.5 mm in NE, respectively. Corneal diameter increased by 1.1 mm in GE in the first year and remained stable thereafter compared to 0.7 mm in first year followed by 0.3 mm in second year and stable thereafter in NE. The percentage of success was 73% at 3 years. Conclusion: Axial length and corneal diameter were higher in GE than NE at all-time points. With prompt intervention, the growth curve of the GE was made parallel to that of NE.

In this work, SnO2 thin films were deposited onto alumina substrates at 350°C by spray pyrolysis technique. The films were studied after annealing in air at temperatures 550°C, 750°C and 950°C for 30 min. The films were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and optical absorption spectroscopy technique. The grain size was observed to increase with the increase in annealing temperature. Absorbance spectra were taken to examine the optical properties and bandgap energy was observed to decrease with the increase in annealing temperature. These films were tested in various gases at different operating temperatures ranging from 50–450°C. The film showed maximum sensitivity to H 2S gas. The H2S sensing properties of the SnO2 films were investigated with different annealing temperatures and H 2S gas concentrations. It was found that the annealing temperature significantly affects the sensitivity of the SnO2 to the H 2S. The sensitivity was found to be maximum for the film annealed at temperature 950°C at an operating temperature of 100°C. The quick response and fast recovery are the main features of this film. The effect of annealing temperature on the optical, structural, morphological and gas sensing properties of the films were studied and discussed.

The aim of this study was to examine the impact of carrier agents on physiochemical properties, reconstitution ability, and functional properties of fruit juice powder that has been spray dried. Toward this end, Emblica officinalis (amla), Mangifera indica L (raw mango), and Citrus limon (lemon) fruit juices with maltodextrin (MD), gum Arabic (GA), and a combination of MD, GA, and whey protein concentrate (WPC) were spray dried. Results demonstrated that the physical characteristics of the resulting powder included moisture content, bulk, and tapped density, which were between 2.2% and 4.8% (w.b. [weight by bulk]), 0.29% and 0.45%, and 0.48% and 0.58% g/cc (cubic centimeter), respectively, as well as the powder recovery ranging from 53.5% to 71.4%. Wettability, solubility, hygroscopicity, and dispersibility were recombination attributes that fluctuated between 93.7/second and 205.6/second, 66.38% and 94.29%, 15.67 g/100 g and 25.88 g/100 g, and 75.51% and 93.53%. The functional characteristics comprised of antioxidant activity, total phenol content, and ascorbic acid ranging from 59.69% to 74.75%, from 202.12 gallic acid equivalents (GAE)/100 g to 382.13 g GAE/100 g, and from 160 mg to 349.66 mg. The color values varied from 87.68 to 93.49, from 0.47 to 0.67, and from 6.77 to 12.55. The outcome indicated that the combination of GA and MD was successful in creating a mixed fruit juice powder with the right color, functionality, and physical attributes. The outcome should be helpful in optimizing the powder production and streamlining the industrial manufacture.

Diabetic macular edema (DME), being a frequent manifestation of DR, disrupts the retinal symmetry. This event is particularly triggered by vascular endothelial growth factors (VEGF). Intravitreal injections of anti-VEGFs have been the most practiced treatment but an expensive option. A major challenge associated with this treatment is determining an optimal treatment regimen and differentiating patients who do not respond to anti-VEGF. As it has a significant burden for both the patient and the health care providers if the patient is not responding, any clinically acceptable method to predict the treatment outcomes holds huge value in the efficient management of DME. In such situations, artificial intelligence (AI) or machine learning (ML)-based algorithms come useful as they can analyze past clinical details of the patients and help clinicians to predict the patient's response to an anti-VEGF agent. The work presented here attempts to review the literature that is available from the peer research community to discuss solutions provided by AI/ML methodologies to tackle challenges in DME management. Lastly, a possibility for using two different types of data has been proposed, which is believed to be the key differentiators as compared to the similar and recent contributions from the peer research community.

The WHO lists snakebite as a “neglected tropical disease”. In tropical and subtropical areas, envenoming is an important public health issue. This review article describes the structure, function, chemical composition, natural inhibitors, and clinical applications of Elapids’ Three Finger Toxins (3FTX) using scientific research data. The primary venomous substance belonging to Elapidae is 3FTX, that targets nAChR. Three parallel β-sheets combine to create 3FTX, which has four or five disulfide bonds. The three primary types of 3FTX are short-chain, long-chain, and nonconventional 3FTX. The functions of 3FTX depend on the specific toxin subtype and the target receptor or ion channel. The well-known effect of 3FTX is probably neurotoxicity because of the severe consequences of muscular paralysis and respiratory failure in snakebite victims. 3FTX have also been studied for their potential clinical applications. α-bungarotoxin has been used as a molecular probe to study the structure and function of nAChRs (Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptors). Acid-sensing ion channel (ASIC) isoforms 1a and 1b are inhibited by Mambalgins, derived from Black mamba venom, which hinders their function and provide an analgesic effect. α- Cobra toxin is a neurotoxin purified from Chinese cobra (Naja atra) binds to nAChR at the neuronal junction and causes an analgesic effect for moderate to severe pain. Some of the plants and their compounds have been shown to inhibit the activity of 3FTX, and their mechanisms of action are discussed.