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To better understand the sources of PM10 samples in Mumbai, India, aerosol chemical composition, i.e., total carbon (TC), organic carbon (OC), elemental carbon (EC), water-soluble organic carbon (WSOC), and inorganic ions were studied together with specific markers such as methanesulfonate (MSA), oxalic acid (C2), azelaic acid (C9), and levoglucosan. The results revealed that biofuel/biomass burning and fossil fuel combustion are the major sources of the Mumbai aerosols. Nitrogen-isotopic (δ15N) composition of aerosol total nitrogen, which ranged from 18.1 to 25.4‰, also suggests that biofuel/biomass burning is a predominate source in both the summer and winter seasons. Aerosol mass concentrations of major species increased 3–4 times in winter compared to summer, indicating enhanced emission from these sources in the winter season. Photochemical production tracers, C2 diacid and nssSO42−, do not show diurnal changes. Concentrations of C2 diacid and WSOC show a strong correlation (r2 = 0.95). In addition, WSOC to OC (or TC) ratios remain almost constant for daytime (0.37 0.06 (0.28 0.04)) and nighttime (0.38 0.07 (0.28 0.06)), suggesting that mixing of fresh secondary organic aerosols is not significant and the Mumbai aerosols are photochemically well processed. Concentrations of MSA and C9 diacid present a positive correlation (r2 = 0.75), indicating a marine influence on Mumbai aerosols in addition to local/regional influence. Backward air mass trajectory analyses further suggested that the Mumbai aerosols are largely influenced by long-range continental and regional transport. Stable C-isotopic ratios (δ13C) of TC ranged from −27.0 to −25.4‰, with slightly lower average (−26.5 0.3‰) in summer than in winter (−25.9 0.3‰). Positive correlation between WSOC/TC ratios and δ13C values suggested that the relative increment in 13C of wintertime TC may be caused by prolonged photochemical processing of organic aerosols in this season. This study suggests that in winter, the tropical aerosols are more aged due to longer residence time in the atmosphere than in summer aerosols. However, these conclusions are based on the analysis of a limited number of samples (n=25) and more information on this topic may be needed from other similar coastal sites in future.

In this paper the Poly (aniline-co–o-methoxy aniline) (PAOMA) copolymer coatings, as well polyaniline (PANI) and poly (o-methoxy aniline) (POMA) individual polymer coatings, were synthesized on copper (Cu) substrates from an aqueous solution of sodium salicylate. A series of PAOMA copolymer coatings were deposited by electrochemical copolymerization of aniline (ANI) with o-methoxy aniline (OMA) using different monomer feed ratios under cyclic voltammetric conditions. A comparative analysis of the cyclic voltammograms (CVs) recorded during polymerization of aniline, o-methoxy aniline, and their copolymer clearly reveals the effect of the monomer ratio on the formation of the copolymer, polymer, and the quality of the coatings. All the resulting coatings were characterized by cyclic voltammetry, UV–visible absorption spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy, and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). The synthesis of the copolymer, using a mixture of monomers in the aqueous sodium salicylate solution, was confirmed through a comparative study of the results obtained from the polymerizations, as well with the characterizations of the individual monomers, aniline and o-methoxy aniline. Corrosion resistant characteristics of resulting coatings were evaluated by potentiodynamic polarization measurement in aqueous solution of 3% NaCl solution. It extracts the values of corrosion potential (Ecorr), corrosion rate (CR), porosity (P) and protection efficiency (%PE). The analysis of these results imply that the copolymer PAMOA-5 coating provides effective protection to Cu against corrosion in aqueous 3% NaCl as compared to that of the other copolymers and also than the corresponding homopolymers. For PAOMA-5 coated Cu it was found that the remarkable positive shift of 344 mV in Ecorr, substantial reduction in corrosion rate 875 times lower than that observed for bare Cu, lowest value of porosity (0.44 × 10–6) and highest protection efficiency of 99.9%.Highlightsi) A potentially good, low-cost and easily available supporting electrolyte salicylate medium used for synthesis of coatings.ii) The resulting coatings were characterized by CV, UV-visible absorption spectroscopy, SEM, NMR spectroscopy, and FTIR spectroscopy and their comparative analysis.iii) The corrosion resistant characteristics of coatings was investigated by the potentiodynamic polarization technique in 3% NaCl solution.iv) Interpret how the corrosion resistant characteristics of coatings varies depending on type of monomer present in electrolyte during synthesis.

Hexagonal boron nitride (hBN) is drawing increasing attention as an insulator and substrate material to develop next generation graphene-based electronic devices. In this paper, we investigate the quantum transport in heterostructures consisting of a few atomic layers thick hBN film sandwiched between graphene nanoribbon electrodes. We show a gate-controllable vertical transistor exhibiting strong negative differential resistance (NDR) effect with multiple resonant peaks, which stay pronounced for various device dimensions. We find two distinct mechanisms that are responsible for NDR, depending on the gate and applied biases, in the same device. The origin of first mechanism is a Fabry-Pérot like interference and that of the second mechanism is an in-plane wave vector matching when the Dirac points of the electrodes align. The hBN layers can induce an asymmetry in the current-voltage characteristics which can be further modulated by an applied bias. We find that the electron-phonon scattering suppresses the first mechanism whereas the second mechanism remains relatively unaffected. We also show that the NDR features are tunable by varying device dimensions. The NDR feature with multiple resonant peaks, combined with ultrafast tunneling speed provides prospect for the graphene-hBN-graphene heterostructure in the high-performance electronics.

Degradation mechanisms leading to deterioration in the battery performance is an inevitable phenomenon. Although there are detailed physics and equivalent circuit based models to predict the losses incurred due to degradation in estimating the health of the battery, they are either incomplete, computationally expensive or both. In this study, we present a very simple and elegant, chemistry independent mathematical analysis, which accurately calculates resistive and capacitive components of cycle-life related losses in a battery system. We demonstrate that discharge profiles obtained at any given degradation state of the battery can be represented by an analytical function, with its origin lying at the heart of battery dynamics, using simple parameter fitting. The model parameters relate to the battery electrochemical potential, resistance and capacity. We first validate our protocol using simulated cycling data from a degrading lithium-ion battery system modeled with detailed electrochemical thermal calculations and show that the estimates of capacity and power fades are >99% accurate using our method. Further, we construct a unique phase space plot of normalized energy, power that gives a compact representation of quantitative and qualitative trend of the degradation state of the system, as well as available power and energy.

Port causes environmental and health concerns in coastal cities if its operation and development are not made environmentally compatible and sustainable. An emission inventory is necessary to assess the impact of port projects or growth in marine activity as well as to plan mitigation strategies. In this study, a detailed emission inventory of total suspended particulate (TSP) matter, respirable particulate matter (PM₁₀), sulphur dioxide (SO₂) and oxides of nitrogen (NOx) for a port having operation and construction activities in parallel is compiled. The study has been done for 1 year. Results show that the maximum contribution of emission of air pollutants in the port area was from TSP (68.5%) and the minimum was from SO₂ (5.3%) to the total pollutants considered in this study. Total TSP emission from all activities of the port was 4,452 tyr ⁻ ¹ and PM₁₀ emission was 903 tyr ⁻ ¹ in the year 2006. Re-suspension of dust from paved roads was the major contributor of TSP and PM₁₀ in the road transport sector. Construction activities of the port had contributed 3.9% of TSP and 7.4% of PM₁₀ to total emission of particulate matter. Of the total particulate emissions from various port activities approximately 20% of TSP could be attributed to PM₁₀. The sectoral composition indicates that major contribution of SO₂ emission in the port was from maritime sector and major contribution of NOx was from road transport sector.

A novel copolymer of anthracene/pyrrole at their different mole ratios has been prepared by facile oxidative coupling of anthracene and pyrrole using FeCl 3 as a catalyst in nitrobenzene/ n -hexane. The prepared copolymers were analyzed by using FTIR, 1 HNMR, XRD, GPC and thermogravimetric techniques. The SEM photographs of copolymers exhibit uniform morphology and their crystallites arranged with random orientations. The temperature dependent electrical conductivity of copolymers was changed with respect to pyrrole concentration. The observed red shift in UV–Visible and excitation spectra of copolymers with pyrrole contents indicates the formation of large conjugation in their main chain. The fluorescence spectra of solid powder of copolymers was observed in the green region at maximum wavelength 518 nm with the addition of anthracene contents. However, the copolymer in the solution of concentrated sulphuric acid exhibited tuning of emission towards the red side. Furthermore, the copolymer excited at the maximum absorption wavelength (340 nm) of the pyrrole shows same emission band, indicating efficient energy transfer between pyrrole and anthracene units. Therefore, the present study shows improved thermal, electrical and optical properties of copolymers, which have practical applications in the fields of optoelectronic devices such as organic light emitting diode, conducting devices, solar cells etc.

This research investigates the influence of temperature on the performance of Cadmium Selenium (CdSe) semiconductor-sensitized solar cells (SSSCs) with tin oxide (SnO 2 ) deposition. CdSe thin films were synthesized at different temperatures (room temperature, 55 and 70 °C) and characterized for their optical and structural properties. The results reveal temperature-dependent variations in the bandgap energy and crystal structure of CdSe, with higher temperatures leading to a red shift in absorption spectra and increased crystallinity. The CdSe-coated SnO 2 films showed enhanced nanoparticle density at higher bath temperatures, indicating improved particle binding and aggregation. Moreover, the elemental analysis confirmed the successful loading of CdSe onto SnO 2 substrates without impurities. Solar cells constructed with these materials exhibited temperature-dependent efficiency, with maximum efficiency achieved at room temperature due to optimal bandgap characteristics and reduced recombination rates. The solar cell with the optimal SnO 2 :(FTO)/SnO 2 /CdSe/CuS nanostructure array electrode produced a short-circuit current density of 4.155 mA/cm 2 and a power conversion efficiency of 0.26% when exposed to one sun's rays. These findings suggest that temperature control during CdSe synthesis plays a crucial role in optimizing the performance of SSSCs, highlighting the importance of understanding temperature effects in semiconductor-based solar cell technologies.

Hypospadias is the most common congenital malformation, affecting 1 in 200–300 newborn males. No single procedure is standard for all types of hypospadias. Our objective is to assess our skill and report our experience in terms of feasibility and result of Snodgrass repair for various types of hypospadias. We analyzed 97 cases of hypospadias with or without chordee with adequate urethral plate who underwent Snodgrass repair from 2009 to 2014 by single surgeon. Age ranges at the time of surgery from 18 months to 28 years. Common site was distal penile in 42 cases (40.74%) followed by mid-penile in 32 cases (31.04%). Twenty-five patients had clinically notable chordee. Technique involved incision of urethral plate up to mid-glans and continuous uninterrupted subcuticular suture technique with PDS for urethroplasty with use of various second layers as per need and availability. Overall complication rate was 7.76%. Overall success rate was 92.24%. Complications include meatal stenosis, superficial skin blackening, complete dehiscence, and hematoma one each, and four cases had urethrocutaneous fistula. Patients were cosmetically and functionally normal with maximum follow-up of 5 years. TIP is a novel and an attractive single-stage technique due to its adaptability, relative ease, and low complication rate for anterior hypospadias. Its use can be extended in mid- and proximal hypospadias where degloving only is sufficient for orthoplasty.

This review article provides a survey of emerging technologies in displacement amplification of lever-type and bridge-type compliant mechanisms. The displacement amplification is possible with a compliant mechanism. The compliant mechanism is beneficial and efficient because of simplicity in the design and where there is accuracy, compactness, and precision is needed. We can use various categories of displacement amplification of the compliant mechanism depending upon the application. In recent years, displacement amplification of compliant mechanisms gain more attention to the researchers due to the superiority of the mechanical compliant mechanism is compared with a rigid-body mechanism. Displacement amplification compliant mechanism such as bridge types, lever type, a micro-Leverage Mechanism has briefly discussed. The performance parameters such as the principle of working, types of displacement compliant mechanism, fabrication process, operating frequency and displacement amplification ratio are found out

Background: Calculation of daily calorie needs is extremely essential in several aspects of public health nutrition. Aims: To check the applicability of the existing equations for the prediction of basal metabolic rate (BMR) for Indian adolescent population and to develop an appropriate equation for the estimation of BMR for Indian adolescent population. Materials and Methods: BMR was assessed in 152 healthy, adolescent student aged between 18 and 20 years. BMR is calculated from the measured skinfold parameters. Body density was determined by the equation suggested by Durnin and Wormley using the skinfold parameters (triceps, subscapula, biceps, and SIM). Siri′s equation is employed for calculating the percentage of body fat from the body density. Eventually, the BMR is calculated using Cunningham′s equation. The actual BMR′s were compared with values obtained from published prediction equations that used solely, or in various combinations, measures of height, weight, and age. Results: The equations suggested in the literature (Henry, Schofield, and Cole) are not able to predict the BMRs for Indian adolescent population. Hence, a new equation involving weight of an individual is suggested for Indian adolescent population. Conclusions: There is a need for generation of appropriate BMR prediction equations for Indian population for various age groups.