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A review on the electrochemical behavior of graphenetransition metal oxide nanocomposites for energy storage applications
Electrochemical energy storage devices like supercapacitors and rechargeable batteries require an improvement in their performance at the commercial level. Among them, supercapacitors are beneficial in sustainable nanotechnologies for energy conversion and storage systems and have high power rates compared to batteries. High chemical and mechanical stability, huge electrical conductivity, and high specific surface area have been beneficial for selecting graphene as a supercapacitor electrode material. The excellent properties of transition metal oxides are accountable for the application in the field of energy storage. The synergistic effects of the composites of graphene derivatives with transition metal oxides will boost the performance of the devices. Recently, several studies have been done for developing supercapacitor electrodes with these nanocomposites. This review article presents an analysis of the performance of these nanocomposites with an overview of their specific capacitance, energy density, and cycling stability for supercapacitor electrode application. A brief introduction of the theory and experimental analysis of supercapacitors is also given. 2023, The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature. -
SARS-CoV-2 Footprints in the Placenta: What We Know after Three Years of the Pandemic
As the COVID-19 pandemic continues into its third year, there is accumulating evidence on the consequences of maternal infection. Emerging data indicate increased obstetrics risks, including maternal complications, preterm births, impaired intrauterine fetal growth, hypertensive disorders, stillbirth, gestational diabetes, and a risk of developmental defects in neonates. Overall, controversial concerns still exist regarding the potential for vertical transmission. Histopathological examination of the placenta can represent a useful instrument for investigation and can contribute significant information regarding the possible immunohistopathological mechanisms involved in developing unfavorable perinatal outcomes. Based on current evidence, SARS-CoV-2 infection can affect placental tissue by inducing several specific changes. The level of placental involvement is considered one of the determining factors for unfavorable outcomes during pregnancy due to inflammation and vascular injuries contributing to complex cascade immunological and biological events; however, available evidence does not indicate a strong and absolute correlation between maternal infection, placental lesions, and obstetric outcomes. As existing studies are still limited, we further explore the placenta at three different levels, using histology, immunohistochemistry, and molecular genetics to understand the epidemiological and virological changes observed in the ongoing pandemic. 2023 by the authors. -
Evaluative study on supercapacitance behavior of polyaniline/polypyrrole metal oxide based composites electrodes: a review
Electricity is a versatile form of energy but suffers from a drawback in that it cannot be stored easily. Supercapacitors are devices that can address this problem. Fabrication of efficient supercapacitors is the need of the hour, which requires an intelligent selection of the electrode materials and electrochemical conditions. In this review, electrochemical studies and synthesis methods of polymer based metal oxide composites, especially polyaniline and polypyrrole, are discussed in detail. Various fabrication methods that are in use for the preparation of the supercapacitor electrodes are evaluated, which gives an idea of the selection of suitable materials for electrochemical applications. The supercapacitance studies of the reported works are also discussed, which help to understand the efficiency and working of different polymer based metal oxide composites for energy applications. Conducting polymers have good capacitance behavior but low cyclic stability. Incorporating metal oxides, graphene, noble metals, MXenes, and carbon nanotubes enhances the capacitance of conducting polymers. Polyaniline based electrodes show comparatively higher capacitance values compared to polypyrrole based electrodes. The types of supercapacitors, the importance of polymers in supercapacitance applications, and the improvement of the polymer substrates by using various materials like metal oxides to enhance the supercapacitance ability are discussed in depth in this review. 2023 Elsevier Ltd -
Review Article: A Review on Starch and CelluloseEnhanced Superabsorbent Hydrogel
Superabsorbent hydrogels are hydrophilic polymer units that can absorb water and organic fluids into the three-dimensional network and mimic biological cells when swollen. Hydrogels are categorized as natural, synthetic, and hybrid, depending on their constituent polymer. The novel green synthesis includes the combination of natural polymers with synthetic ones to produce eco-friendly Hydrogels. The networks are established using crosslinkers formed chemically as covalent bonds or ionic bonds and physically if intermolecular forces are involved. Starch and cellulose are naturally occurring biopolymers that make significant applications for hydrogel production. This article reviews hydrogel, its properties, classification, synthesis mechanism, and application in various sectors using starch and cellulose as copolymers. Due to the high range of availability, nontoxic nature, and biodegradability, starch and cellulose-based hydrogels find high regard in the present research era. The biopolymers beneficiation can result in the evolution of economic and sustainable methods for transforming this natural biopolymer into utilitarian organic products. 2023, Sami Publishing Company. All rights reserved. -
Out of Box Thinking to Tangible Science: A Benchmark History of 3D Bio-Printing in Regenerative Medicine and Tissues Engineering
Advancements and developments in the 3D bioprinting have been promising and have met the needs of organ transplantation. Current improvements in tissue engineering constructs have enhanced their applications in regenerative medicines and other medical fields. The synergistic effects of 3D bioprinting have brought technologies such as tissue engineering, microfluidics, integrated tissue organ printing, in vivo bioprinted tissue implants, artificial intelligence and machine learning approaches together. These have greatly impacted interventions in medical fields, such as medical implants, multi-organ-on-chip models, prosthetics, drug testing tissue constructs and much more. This technological leap has offered promising personalized solutions for patients with chronic diseases, and neurodegenerative disorders, and who have been in severe accidents. This review discussed the various standing printing methods, such as inkjet, extrusion, laser-assisted, digital light processing, and stereolithographic 3D bioprinter models, adopted for tissue constructs. Additionally, the properties of natural, synthetic, cell-laden, dECM-based, short peptides, nanocomposite and bioactive bioinks are briefly discussed. Sequels of several tissue-laden constructs such as skin, bone and cartilage, liver, kidney, smooth muscles, cardiac and neural tissues are briefly analyzed. Challenges, future perspectives and the impact of microfluidics in resolving the limitations in the field, along with 3D bioprinting, are discussed. Certainly, a technology gap still exists in the scaling up, industrialization and commercialization of this technology for the benefit of stakeholders. 2023 by the authors. -
Role of Memoirs in Reducing the Stigma of Mental Illness in India
How reading about mental illness in the form of memoirs encourages us to reimagine our understanding and get past the popular stigmatised depictions of mental illness in India is explored in this article. This information can come to the aid of medical enthusiasts, psychologists, psychoanalysts, and even educators in considering the subjective dimensions of the experience of mental illness apart from the results of scientifi c inquiry and reducing the stigma of mental illness in India. 2023 Economic and Political Weekly. All rights reserved. -
Surface tuning of nanostructured graphitic carbon nitrides for enhanced electrocatalytic applications: a review
The precursors for developing sustainable and environment-friendly energy conversion and storage devices requires the utilization of advanced, highly efficient, and economical nano-structured electrocatalysts instead of conventional and expensive noble metals. Therefore, graphitic carbon nitride (g-C3N4) as a material has gained wide attention due to its relative ease of synthesis, high nitrogen content, conductivity, and tuneable band gap energy. In recent years, their tunable electronic properties along with physicochemical stability have given rise to numerous research delving into their diverse range of applications. With the advancement in the tuning of their electrochemical performance, the electrical conductivity of g-C3N4 can be enhanced by structurally modifying the g-C3N4 framework accordingly. This review focuses on various structural modifications of g-C3N4 by functionalization, elemental doping, and hybridizing techniques for ameliorating the number of active sites resulting in enhanced electrocatalytic performance. Herein, the prospective researchers are given a concise perspective regarding the surface tuning of g-C3N4 for improving their electrocatalytic applications. 2023 Elsevier Ltd -
Recent Advances in Analytical Techniques for Antidepressants Determination in Complex Biological Matrices: A Review
Depression is one of the most prevalent but severe of mental disorders, affecting thousands of individuals across the globe. Depression, in its most extreme form, may result in self-harm and an increased likelihood of suicide. Antidepressant drugs are first-line medications to treat mental disorders. Unfortunately, these medications are also prescribed for other in- and off-label conditions, such as deficit/hyperactivity disorders, attention disorders, migraine, smoking cessation, eating disorders, fibromyalgia, pain, and insomnia. This results in an increase in the use of antidepressant medications, leading to clinical and forensic overdose cases that could be either accidental or deliberate. The findings revealed that people who used antidepressants had a 33% greater chance of dying sooner than expected, compared to those who did not take the medications. Analytical techniques for precisely identifying and detecting antidepressants and their metabolic products in a variety of biological matrices are greatly needed to be developed and made available. Hence, this study attempts to discuss various analytical techniques used to identify and determine antidepressants in various biological matrices, which include urine, blood, oral fluid (saliva), and tissues, which are commonly encountered in clinical and forensic science laboratories. The Author(s) 2023. -
Understanding the Role of Antimicrobial Peptides in Neutrophil Extracellular Traps Promoting Autoimmune Disorders
AMPs are small oligopeptides acting as integral elements of the innate immune system and are of tremendous potential in the medical field owing to their antimicrobial and immunomodulatory activities. They offer a multitude of immunomodulatory properties such as immune cell differentiation, inflammatory responses, cytokine production, and chemoattraction. Aberrancy in neutrophil or epithelial cell-producing AMPs leads to inflammation culminating in various autoimmune responses. In this review, we have tried to explore the role of prominent mammalian AMPsdefensins and cathelicidins, as immune regulators with special emphasis on their role in neutrophil extracellular traps which promotes autoimmune disorders. When complexed with self-DNA or self-RNA, AMPs act as autoantigens which activate plasmacytoid dendritic cells and myeloid dendritic cells leading to the production of interferons and cytokines. These trigger a series of self-directed inflammatory reactions, leading to the emergence of diverse autoimmune disorders. Since AMPs show both anti- and pro-inflammatory abilities in different ADs, there is a dire need for a complete understanding of their role before developing AMP-based therapy for autoimmune disorders. 2023 by the authors. -
Plant Secondary Metabolites: The Weapons for Biotic Stress Management
The rise in global temperature also favors the multiplication of pests and pathogens, which calls into question global food security. Plants have developed special coping mechanisms since they are sessile and lack an immune system. These mechanisms use a variety of secondary metabolites as weapons to avoid obstacles, adapt to their changing environment, and survive in less-than-ideal circumstances. Plant secondary metabolites include phenolic compounds, alkaloids, glycosides, and terpenoids, which are stored in specialized structures such as latex, trichomes, resin ducts, etc. Secondary metabolites help the plants to be safe from biotic stressors, either by repelling them or attracting their enemies, or exerting toxic effects on them. Modern omics technologies enable the elucidation of the structural and functional properties of these metabolites along with their biosynthesis. A better understanding of the enzymatic regulations and molecular mechanisms aids in the exploitation of secondary metabolites in modern pest management approaches such as biopesticides and integrated pest management. The current review provides an overview of the major plant secondary metabolites that play significant roles in enhancing biotic stress tolerance. It examines their involvement in both indirect and direct defense mechanisms, as well as their storage within plant tissues. Additionally, this review explores the importance of metabolomics approaches in elucidating the significance of secondary metabolites in biotic stress tolerance. The application of metabolic engineering in breeding for biotic stress resistance is discussed, along with the exploitation of secondary metabolites for sustainable pest management. 2023 by the authors. -
Prospective applications of two-dimensional materials beyond laboratory frontiers: A review
The development of nanotechnology has been advancing for decades and gained acceleration in the 21st century. Two-dimensional (2D) materials are widely available, giving them a wide range of material platforms for technological study and the advancement of atomic-level applications. The design and application of 2D materials are discussed in this review. In order to evaluate the performance of 2D materials, which might lead to greater applications benefiting the electrical and electronics sectors as well as society, the future paradigm of 2D materials needs to be visualized. The development of 2D hybrid materials with better characteristics that will help industry and society at large is anticipated to result from intensive research in 2D materials. This enhanced evaluation might open new opportunities for the synthesis of 2D materials and the creation of devices that are more effective than traditional ones in various sectors of application. 2023 The Authors -
Micropollutants characteristics, fate, and sustainable removal technologies for landfill leachate: A technical perspective
Waste disposal in landfills has gained momentum in the last few decades as it is one among the easy and cost-effective method for waste management for the accelerating global population. Heterogenous nature of the waste ending up in landfills makes it difficult to predict the fate of these pollutants making it difficult for its biomonitoring and specific treatment. Among the major issues associated with landfill treatment, liquid percolation from this heterogenous waste substrate collectively referred as leachate poses the greater risk to environment through soil and ground water pollution. The diversity of micropollutants presents in landfill leachates ranging from microbial pathogens, pesticides, microplastics, pharmaceuticals and other harmful chemicals calls for crucial attention towards improving methods used for their treatment and removal. This review summarizes the key components of landfill leachates with specific emphasize on micropollutant content of leachate. Further the features of most recent and advanced technologies that were successfully explored for micropollutant removal from landfill leachates are presented in this review. 2023 Elsevier Ltd -
Green synthesis of nanoparticles from biodegradable waste extracts and their applications: a critical review
The contemporary world is concerned only with non-biodegradable waste management which needs more sophisticated procedures as compared to biodegradable waste management. Biodegradable waste has the potential to become useful to society through a simple volarization technique. The researchers are behind sustainable nanotechnology pathways which are made possible by using biodegradable waste for the preparation of nanomaterials. This review emphasizes the potentialities of biodegradable waste produced as a viable alternative to create a sustainable economy that benefits all humans. Volarization results in the utilization of biowastes as well as provides safer and hazard-free green methods for the synthesis of nanoparticles. Starting from different sources to the application which includes therapeutics, food industry and water treatment. The review hovers over the pros and cons of biowaste-mediated nanoparticles and concludes with possible advances in the application. In the present scenario, the combination of green synthesis and biowaste can bring about a wide variety of applications in nanotechnology once the hurdles of bulk-scale industrial production are resolved. Given these points, the review is focused on the cost-effective synthesis of metal and metal oxide nanoparticles. 2022, The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature Switzerland AG. -
Electrochemical deposition for metal organic Frameworks: Advanced Energy, Catalysis, sensing and separation applications
The advent of metalorganic frameworks has gathered ever-increasing attention owing to their versatility, unparalleled porosity, tuneability, and rich topography. The need for an efficient synthetic method and the trending appeal for thin film MOFs has brought in huge data on electrochemical deposition techniques. Thin films have immense applications in the field of electronics (including energy devices such as batteries and supercapacitors), sensors, catalysis, and as liquid/gas separation devices. Here, the electrodeposition method requires no pre-treatment step, allows miniaturization, a homogeneous film with desirable thickness, and is observed to be an eco-friendly method. The limited number of articles focusing on the supremacy of the technique has motivated the authors to collectively summarize the scattered data. To limit the discussion to reasonable bounds, the article focuses on a critical comparison of electrodeposition techniques with other synthetic methods, and different types of electrodeposition methods, and familiarize them with the various electrodeposited MOF-composite designs. Finally, we discuss extensively the existing as well as future applications. This will encourage future researchers to exploit this electrochemical technique for designing & developing newer MOF films and similar next-generation materials which are energy-efficient, rapid, and accurate while in use. This review article hopes to list out significant advances in the area to the advantage of both commercial and academic aspects. 2023 Elsevier B.V. -
A Systemic Review on Omicron Variant of SARS-CoV-2
As the new strains spread around the world, scientists have been trying to learn more about the different strains, especially Omicron, and how SARS-CoV2 acts in general. Studying historical trends of virus spread and the structure of the virus and its strains, as well as all the mechanisms it needs to survive, can help identify the symptoms and diagnose and treat the disease. The research has shown that the new strains, including Omicron, have a higher rate of mutation and transmissibility. Additionally, due to the rapid spread of the virus, there has not been a significant amount of time to understand the severity of the infection. To better understand the novel variants, a detailed analysis of the basic pathophysiology of the virus is needed. This includes transcriptome analysis for the recombination index to identify variation in the strand. This aided in the diagnostic process, and therapeutics for mutants of the virus could be treated. The Omicron strain is particularly threatening due to its rapid transmission rate and its property of immune evasion, which can make it less vulnerable to vaccination. 2023 Biomedical & Pharmacology Journal. -
Processing of nanoreinforced aluminium hybrid metal matrix composites and the effect of post-heat treatment: a review
The demand for cutting-edge materials with a high strength-to-weight ratio and economic considerations is steadily increasing. Lightweight materials such as aluminium (Al) and its alloys are attractive, but some properties such as low thermal stability and high wear rate limit the application of aluminium alloys (AA) to some extent. Many researchers have developed various composites to get around these restrictions and increase the performance of aluminium and its alloy. Metal matrix composites (MMCs) with nanoparticles have revealed greater mechanical and tribological properties compared with micron-sized reinforcements. Most engineering applications require materials with excellent multidimensional properties, which are difficult to achieve using single reinforced MMCs. Hybrid metal matrix composites (HMMCs) with superior properties are the latest trends in composite technology. The choice of reinforcement selection has a vibrant role in the manufacturing of hybrid metal matrix composites. Researchers face a major challenge in finding optimum reinforcement combinations and their corresponding concentrations. The manufacturing of nanocomposites is difficult due to their high surface area and energy. To determine the most effective reinforcement combinations for hybrid composites, this article addresses several nanoreinforcements, their effects, and the appropriate processing methods for aluminium and its alloys. Researchers have paid less attention to the impact of precipitation hardening in aluminium and its alloys; thus, this paper also considers the effect of post-heat treatment ofaluminium composites. 2022, King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology. -
Photoaligned Liquid Crystalline Structures for Photonic Applications
With the advancement of information display technologies, research on liquid crystals is undergoing a tremendous shift to photonic devices. For example, devices and configurations based on liquid crystal materials are being developed for various applications, such as spectroscopy, imaging, and fiber optics. One of the problems behind the development of photonic devices lies in the preparation of patterned surfaces that can provide high resolution. Among all liquid crystal alignment techniques, photoalignment represents a promising non-contact method for the fabrication of patterned surfaces. In this review, we discuss the original research findings on electro-optic effects, which were mainly achieved at the Department of Electronic and Computer Engineering of the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology and the collaborating research laboratories. 2023 by the authors. -
A fast survey on recent developments in designing colorimetric and fluorescent sensors for the selective detection of essential amino acids
Owing to the biological significance of various amino acids, developing accurate and cost-effective sensing techniques for the selective detection of amino acids has recently attracted growing interest. This review discusses the recent advancements of chemosensors in the selective detection of only essential amino acids out of a total of twenty amino acids, which have been applied in chemosensing research, and the mechanism of their action. The focus is directed towards the detection of the most important essential amino acids, like leucine, threonine, lysine, histidine, tryptophan and methionine, since isoleucine and valine are yet to be explored in regard to chemosensing. According to their chemical and fluorescence properties, different sensing techniques, such as the reaction-based approach, DNA-based sensors, nanoparticle formation, coordination ligand binding, host-guest chemistry, the fluorescence indicator displacement (FID) approach, electrochemical sensors, carbon dot-based sensors, MOF-based sensors and metal-based techniques, have been described. 2023 The Royal Society of Chemistry. -
Elusive Justice to Dalits in the 'Land of Social Justice'
The recent inhuman incident of mixing human faeces in the overhead tank supplying water to Dalit colony in Vengaivayal village in Pudukkottai district of Tamil Nadu refl ects the perpetuating violence against the Dalits. Locating this brutal violence within the larger framework of violence against Dalits in Tamil Nadu, the lackadaisical attitude of Dravidian parties when dealing with the issues related to Dalits is brought to the fore.. 2023 Economic and Political Weekly. All rights reserved. -
Unveiling Cutting Edge Innovations in the Catalytic Valorization of Biodiesel Byproduct Glycerol into Value Added Products
The increasing production of biodiesel has led to a glut in the production of glycerol, which is a byproduct. This has resulted in the quest for alternative applications using glycerol as a cheap and readily available starting material. One promising approach is the catalytic valorization of glycerol, which converts glycerol into valuable chemicals such as 1,2-propanediol, lactic acid, and acrolein. The glycerol formed affects the efficiency of the biodiesel, and hence it must be removed. Different processes can convert glycerol to various useful products like glycerol carbonate, glycidol, solketal, lactic acid, and glyceric acid. These different products, the processes used for synthesis, and the various catalysts used have been discussed. The most effective methods for the syntheses, the numerous catalyst systems, mechanisms of the reactions, and applications of these products in different fields are discussed in this review. The paper also discusses the challenges and opportunities of glycerol valorization, including the need for improved catalyst selectivity and activity and the potential for integrating glycerol valorization with other biorefinery processes. Overall, the catalytic valorization of glycerol offers a promising pathway for utilizing this abundantly available resource, and this review provides valuable insights for researchers and practitioners working in this area. 2023 Wiley-VCH GmbH.