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Influence of arecanut organic residue on the dielectric behavior of chitosan-PVA polymer blends: A synergistic approach
Arecanut organic residue (AR) incorporated polyvinyl alcohol (PVA)-chitosan (CH) films were successfully synthesized using the solvent casting method, aiming to enhance structural rigidity and dielectric performance. The novelty of this work lies in utilizing AR, a sustainable agricultural byproduct, as a natural functional additive to enhance the dielectric and thermal stability of PVAchitosan blends. This eco-friendly approach introduces a biogenic interfacial modifier that improves polymer compatibility and performance without relying on synthetic fillers or chemical cross-linkers. FTIR spectra revealed the existence of cross-linking between PVA, chitosan and AR. Thermogravimetric analysis revealed that AR-PVA-CH films exhibited enhanced thermal stability compared to pure PVA, chitosan and PVA-CH blend. The dielectric constant, dielectric loss, DC conductivity, polarization and permittivity of pure PVA, pure chitosan, PVA-CH and AR-PVA-CH films were analysed in the frequency range from 100Hz to 100kHz. The optimized formulation (AR-C4) exhibited a maximum dielectric constant of 224.31 at 1kHz, significantly higher than that of the pristine PVACH blend. The improvement in thermal stability has also been emphasized by indicating the increase in the T?? value from 279.66C for PVACH to 358.37C for AR-C4. Furthermore, the enhancement in AC conductivity from 1.23 10?10 S/m for the PVACH blend to 5.93 108 S/m for AR-C5 has been mentioned, demonstrating the synergistic influence of arecanut residue on charge transport and interfacial polarization. This research showcases that AR-induced structural changes in PVA-chitosan films lead to a notable improvement in their dielectric properties, making them promising candidates for advanced dielectric and thermal applications. The Polymer Society, Taipei 2025. -
Sustainable fabrication of arecanut waste-based polymer blend adsorbents for enhanced lead(ii) ion removal from water
Heavy metal contamination in water systems leads to critical environmental and health challenges, necessitating sustainable remediation technologies. This study presents a unique approach utilising arecanut organic residue, an abundant agricultural waste, for the removal of lead from water. A bioadsorbent composite film was synthesised using chitosanpolyvinyl alcohol (PVA) incorporated with arecanut organic residue by solvent casting. The physicochemical properties of the films were characterised by XRD, FTIR, optical profilometry, BET surface area and SEM analyses. The adsorption efficiency of the synthesised films was tested by examining the removal of Pb(ii) from water. The bioadsorbent films demonstrated a Pb(ii) removal efficiency of 94.6% from 5 ppm solutions at pH 6 within 60 minutes at 70 C using 0.5 g of the film. Optimisation studies revealed the critical role of functional group availability and film porosity of the polymer blends, along with experimental conditions that enhanced the adsorption capacity. Kinetic studies also confirmed the results obtained from the optimisation studies. The adsorption kinetics followed a pseudo-second-order model, and isotherm analysis confirmed Langmuir-type adsorption. The sustainable bioadsorbent exhibited good reusability, maintaining performance over multiple cycles. This journal is The Royal Society of Chemistry, 2026 -
Conjugate of Estradiol and applications thereof /
Patent Number: 201641013646, Applicant: Christ University. -
Non-invasive glucometer /
Patent Number: 201941025125, Applicant: CHRIST (Deemed To Be University) -
Conjugate of estradiol and applications thereof /
Patent Number: US 10 , 054 , 602 B2, Applicant: Christ University.
The present invention relates to conjugate of 17-β estradiol with an analog of indocyanine green dye for the detection of cancers. The invention also provides a method of preparation of the conjugate and method of detection of cancer cells. -
Challenges and Solutions in Implementing NEP 2020 in Engineering Education
The implementation of educational best practices in the current scenario of demand for progressive, futuristic education with employable skills expected from formal education, especially engineering is examined here. The National Education Policy 2020 (NEP 2020) introduced by the Ministry of Human Resource Development Government of India intended to align education with the changing employment landscape with demand for skill sets, and the conducive global ecosystem for emergence of startups and entrepreneurship, thus imparting the essence of lifelong learning. The NEP 2020 aims to employ more learning with increased practice through real-time problem skills with critical thinking, creative thinking capability and interdisciplinary approach to adapt to the ever-evolving technological development. The paper provides a broad overview on how an Institution has evolved innovative practices in curriculum that ticks most checkboxes of progressive engineering education and delves into a model for embodying the underlying policy ideas of NEP 2020 too, in the realm of undergraduate engineering programmes. The intertwining of the initiatives taken by the progressive introduction of the model in an engineering Institution incidentally serves to meet the aspirational objectives of NEP 2020. Further, the thrust areas at the progressive Institution over years are seen to blend synergistically with many thrust areas propounded in NEP 2020. 2025 selection and editorial matter, Kennedy Andrew Thomas, Joseph Chacko Chennattuserry and Joseph Varghese Kureethara; individual chapters, the contributors. -
Exploring character strength in the functioning and well beings of religious leaders
Positive psychology is the scientific study of optimal functioning, flourishing and well-being of individuals and organizations. The backbone of positive psychology, the character strengths are significant in effective leadership functioning. The current study explored the character strengths development and character strengths utilization in the functioning and well-being of religious leaders (consecrated nuns and priests). There were 17 participants, nine female and eight male consecrated Catholic religious leaders. The study used the mixed design. The Values in Action Tests was administrated to identify leaders top strengths and a phenomenological approach was used to explore character strengths development as well as the usage of character strengths in the functioning of the religious leaders. The findings illustrated that the most prevalent character strengths of leaders are honesty, gratitude, teamwork, fairness, and kindness. The least prevalent strengths are love of learning, humour, appreciation of excellence, zest, judgement and creativity. Results showed that the influencing factors of character strengths development are family influences, experiences at school, formative programmes in the religious formation, critical events and factors enhancing strength. The strength of wisdom and knowledge were used mainly at organizational and administrative level of leadership functioning. Strengths of courage manifested at the implementation level. The strength of humanity is identified as the most striking character strength in leader-member exchange. The strength of temperance has the role of controller in leadership functioning. The strength of justice is seen as a catalyst in promoting cohesion in the community. The leaders pivotal manifestation of the strengths of transcendence is in their intimacy with God that gives higher purpose and meaning in leadership, that is, do the Will of God. Character strengths were found in promoting wellness through achievements, facilitating total engagement, giving a great purpose in leader life and in promoting better leader-follower interactions. The highlighted character strengths that promote well-being were gratitude and appreciation. The study has brought out an ongoing leadership training programme for religious leaders that can be completed in three phases. -
Pressure ulcer risk assessment device /
Patent Number: 202141043299, Applicant: Vijayalakshmi A.
A pressure ulcer is a localized injury to the skin or underlying tissue as a result of unrelieved pressure which can be intrinsic or extrinsic in nature. Prevention of pressure ulcer is a prime requisite for any immobile patients as it can worsen the health situations and can even lead to mortality. In the context of Indian scenario, this issue is quite ignored either due to the lack of awareness of its implications or because of the absence of adequate preventive measures. Pressure ulcer often called as bed sores is a common issue prevalent in the immobile bed ridden, especially the old age people and the vulnerable patients with chronic medical conditions. -
Computational and Experimental Evaluation of Serpentine Bipolar Plate Designs for Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cell
The performance of a fuel cell is greatly affected by various parameters, with bipolar plates being a key component. The design of flow channels within these plates, whether serpentine, parallel, or interdigitated, directly impacts reactant distribution, water management, and pressure regulation. These aspects are essential for optimizing the fuel cells efficiency and functionality. In this study, six different designs of bipolar plate flow fields with serpentine patterns are explored, and these designs are simulated using computational fluid dynamics. The designs include various configurations, including serpentine flow with 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 channels and a quadrant serpentine flow. Through analysis of pressure and velocity distributions, the serpentine flow, the 2-channel design emerges as the most efficient, providing balanced pressure distribution and low velocity. Subsequently, these bipolar plates are fabricated using milling centers and tested in a computerized fuel cell workstation, with results compared to those of a conventional single serpentine bipolar plate. Experimental findings reveal that the serpentine flow, 2-channel design exhibits a 5% improvement in performance compared to the traditional single-channel fuel cell design. 2026 Taylor & Francis Group, LLC. -
Unpaid care labour in India: a feminist and intersectional analysis of lived experiences
The article offers an expanded feminist analysis of Unpaid Care Labour (UCL) by integrating a personal narrative style grounded in feminist theory, intersectionality, and ecological economics, drawing on qualitative data from five focus group discussions conducted in India. Through participant narratives, the article unpacks themes such as time poverty and the double burden, health implications and emotional well-being , economic dependency and intersectional inequities, cultural policing and social norms, and transformative pathways and policy gaps. While participants articulated the strain of time poverty and the double burden of juggling paid and unpaid work, the intensity and coping mechanisms varied markedly by caste and class context. Lower-caste women faced compounded strain due to limited support and infrastructure; in contrast, upper-caste women experienced emotional stress from societal expectations. The study foregrounds how caste-based hierarchies, economic precarity, and patriarchal norms intersect to shape womens caregiving realities in differentiated yet overlapping ways. It argues that public policy must move beyond tokenistic acknowledgements and instead invest in care infrastructure, legal protections for domestic workers, and campaigns that shift cultural perceptions of care as a shared societal responsibility. Recognizing, redistributing, and reducing UCL is essential to fostering gender justice and inclusive development. 2025 Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group. -
Artificial intelligence towards smart green transportation: A path towards sustainability
Emerging technological advancements and sustainability concerns have initiated the integration of smart technologies into the transportation infrastructure at major cities and tourist hubs. The rising environmental concerns have called for a shift in focus from conventional methods to innovative green transport initiatives being formulated by DMOs and destination planners. The use of data analytics and artificial intelligence in transportation has been proven to be a reasonable method for sustainable transportation. This study focuses on assessing the value propositions of smart transportation systems in enriching the tourist experience by providing convenient travel solutions. The chapter focuses on understanding the value proposition of smart transport designs at destinations and the long-term prospects of installing such sustainable infrastructure at major tourist hubs. The study also aims to evaluate the tourist experience in using smart transportation services and the potential benefits and challenges involved in the practical implementation of such systems. 2023, IGI Global. All rights reserved. -
Rectangular microstrip antenna for WLAN application
This paper deals with the design of rectangular microstrip patch antenna for Wireless applications. In this paper a modified slotted microstrip antenna design for 2.5GHz operation is proposed. This provides improved performance in terms of lower return loss and higher gain. This is possible by inclusion of slots appropriately on the patch shape. The substrate material used in this design is Duroid5880 with permittivity 2.2 and size 47.43mm 39.65mm 1.6mm. ANSOFT HFSS EM simulator has been used for design and simulation of the microstrip antenna. The various antenna parameters such as frequency, VSWR, gain and directivity are analyzed to characterize the proposed antenna. 2015 IEEE. -
Enzyme immobilized conducting polymer-based biosensor for the electrochemical determination of the eco-toxic pollutant p-nonylphenol
The unbridled release of harmful endocrine disruptors (EDs) into the environment is deteriorating human and animal health. A facile and efficacious biosensor was developed by immobilizing laccase over electropolymerized poly anthranilic acid on a carbon fiber paper (CFP) electrode, Lac/PAA/CFP for the detection of p-nonylphenol (PNP). PNP is a persistent phenolic endocrine disruptor and a harmful eco-toxic pollutant. Physico-chemical and electrochemical characterization of the fabricated electrode was carried out to study the modification of the Lac/PAA/CFP electrode. Cyclic voltammetric studies divulged that the prepared sensor has catalytic activity approximately twice greater than that of the bare CFP electrode. The influence of pH and scan rate was scrutinized for the modified electrode. Under optimized conditions differential pulse voltammetric studies were used for the quantification and the results revealed that the biosensor has a low limit of detection (LOD) and limit of quantification (LOQ) of 1.74 nM and 5 Nm, respectively with a broad linear dynamic range of 5250 nM. In the presence of interferants, the developed biosensor exhibited good selectivity toward the electrochemical detection of PNP. Molecular docking studies carried out revealed the hydrogen bonding interaction of the Asn264 residue of laccase Trametes versicolor. Further, the fabricated biosensor was accessed for its practicality in real samples collected from tap water and lake water. 2023 Elsevier Ltd -
Design and structural characteristics of conducting polymer-metal organic framework composites for energy storage devices
The popularity of portable gadgets has increased the supply for energy storage systems with significant power and energy densities Redox-active conducting polymers (CPs) have mechanical qualities similar to polymers and electrical conductivity properties similar to metals. Unfortunately, the volume changes that occur throughout the charge and discharge procedures cause them to function poorly. An efficient method to attain high performance is to combine CPs with metal-organic frameworks (MOF) to create composites. Despite MOFs' extraordinary interior surface areas and adaptable pore structures, they have poor stability, polymers can improve MOF stability and improve other crucial characteristics like electrical conductivity. The combination of these two different components can result in a variety of desired features that are not always attained by these components individually. The recent research on conducting polymer-based metal-organic framework (CP/MOF) composites for energy storage applications is thoroughly surveyed in this review paper. This review focuses on various CP/MOF-based fuel cells, batteries and supercapacitors, pertinent fabrication techniques, and important design principles. 2023 Elsevier B.V. -
On equitable near proper coloring of graphs
A defective vertex coloring of a graph is a coloring in which some adjacent vertices may have the same color. An edge whose adjacent vertices have the same color is called a bad edge. A defective coloring of a graph G with minimum possible number of bad edges in G is known as a near proper coloring of G. In this paper, we introduce the notion of equitable near proper coloring of graphs and determine the minimum number of bad edges obtained from an equitable near proper coloring of some graph classes. 2024 Azarbaijan Shahid Madani University. -
A road map on nanostructured surface tuning strategies of carbon fiber paper electrode: Enhanced electrocatalytic applications
Impressive characteristics of carbon fiber paper (CFP) electrodes propound greater demand in electrochemical applications. CFP has a network structure composed of interwoven carbon fibers (CFs). The macroporous structure, chemical inertness, high conductivity, low cost, corrosion resistance, good electrical properties, mechanical strength, and self-standing capabilities have led to the large-scale acceptance of CFP. This review appraises the current progress of CFP based electrodes for electrocatalytic applications in the field of electrochemical sensors, electrochemical capacitors, batteries, electro Fenton oxidation, electrooxidation of alcohols, water splitting, hydrogen evolution reaction (HER), and oxygen evolution reaction (OER) together with the different fabrication strategies on the CFP substrate in an organized manner. The different modifiers used for surface tuning of CFP addressed in this review are the conducting polymers, carbon-based nanomaterials, transition metal dichalcogenides/phosphides/carbides, and nanostructured metal oxides. 2022 Vietnam National University, Hanoi -
Biomass Carbon Dots: Illuminating New Era in Antimicrobial Defense and Cancer Combat
The twenty-first century has witnessed remarkable advancements across diverse facets of human life, including significant progress in the medical field, economic growth, scientific breakthroughs, and technological advancements. Despite these strides that improved living standards, the persistent threat posed by pathogenic infections caused by bacteria, fungi, viruses, etc., remains a critical concern. The enduring emergence of new variations of these infections continues to impact lives profoundly. Cancer is another looming spectre that continues to challenge human health security. Consequently, extensive research endeavours aim to develop swift, efficient, and innocuous methods for curing and preventing these infections. This paper explores a burgeoning field in physics, focusing on recent advancements in nanomaterials, particularly in developing carbon dots (CDs). Characterized by their size, which is less than 10nm, CDs have proven exceptionally beneficial in diagnosing and treating life-threatening health issues while preserving the viability of healthy cells. Their versatility is evident in various biomedical applications, serving as bioimaging probes, intracellular drug delivery agents, and agents for bactericidal and fungicidal, as well as in cancer treatment and diagnosis. The key attributes contributing to their efficacy include ease of functionalization, biocompatibility, fluorescence, low cytotoxicity, and catalytic properties. As an innovative nanomaterial, CDs showcase tremendous potential in advancing medical diagnostics and therapeutics, offering a glimpse into a future where these tiny entities play a pivotal role in ensuring human well-being. This review focuses on the antibacterial, antifungal, antiviral, and anticancerous activities of the CDs derived from various precursors derived by biomass. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature 2024.