Emerging 2D nanoscale metal oxide sensor: semiconducting CeO2nano-sheets for enhanced formaldehyde vapor sensing.

Herein, we fabricated nanoscale 2D CeO2sheet structure to develop a stable resistive gas sensor for detection of low concentration (ppm) level formaldehyde vapors. The fabricated CeO2nanosheets (NSs) showed an optical band gap of 3.53 eV and cubic fluorite crystal structure with enriched defect states. The formation of 2D NSs with well crystalline phases is clearly observed from high-resolution transmission electron microscope (HRTEM) images. The NSs have been shown tremendous blue-green emission related to large oxygen defects. A VOC sensing device based on fabricated two-dimensional NSs has been developed for the sensing of different VOCs. The device showed better sensing for formaldehyde compared with other VOCs (2-propanol, methanol, ethanol, and toluene). The response was found to be 4.35, with the response and recovery time of 71 s and 310 s, respectively. The device showed an increment of the recovery time (71 s to 100 s) with the decrement of the formaldehyde ppm (100 ppm to 20 ppm). Theoretical fittings provided the detection limit of formaldehyde ≈8.86 ± 0.45 ppm with sensitivity of 0.56 ± 0.05 ppm-1. The sensor device showed good reproducibility with excellent stability over the study period of 135 d, with a deviation of 1.8% for 100 ppm formaldehyde. The average size of the NSs (≈24 nm) calculated from HRTEM observation showed lower value than the calculated Debye length (≈44 nm) of the charge accumulation during VOCs sensing. Different defect states, interstitial and surface states in the CeO2NSs as observed from the Raman spectrum and emission spectrum are responsible for the formaldehyde sensing. This work offers an insight into 2D semiconductor-based oxide material for highly sensitive and stable formaldehyde sensors.

Surfactant effect on energy storage performance of hydrothermally synthesized Ni3V2O8.

We report a study to improve the ternary oxide Ni3V2O8's electrochemical energy storage capabilities through correct surfactanization during hydrothermal synthesis. In this study, Ni3V2O8nanomaterials were synthesized in three different forms: one with a cationic surfactant (CTAB), one with an anionic surfactant (SLS), and one without any surfactant. FESEM study reveals that all the synthesized Ni3V2O8nanomaterials had a small stone-like morphology. The electrochemical study showed that anionic surfactant-assisted Ni3V2O8(NVSLS) had a maximum of 972 F g-1specific capacitance at 1 A g-1current density, whereas cationic surfactant-assisted Ni3V2O8(NVCTAB) had the lowest specific capacitance of 162 F g-1. The specific capacitance and the capacitance retention of the NVSLS(85% after 4000 cycles) based electrode was much better than that of the NVCTAB(76% after 4000 cycles) based electrode. The improved energy storage properties of the NVSLSelectrode are attributed to its high diffusion coefficient, high surface area, and enriched elemental nickel, as compared to the NVCTABelectrode. All these excellent electrochemical properties of NVSLSelectrode indicates their potential usage in asymmetric supercapacitor application.

Cardiac-specific overexpression of HIF-1α during acute myocardial infarction ameliorates cardiomyocyte apoptosis via differential regulation of hypoxia-inducible pro-apoptotic and anti-oxidative genes.

HIF-1α acts as the cellular rheostat for oxygen sensing in cardiomyocytes. Overexpression of HIF-1α in the heart during acute myocardial infarction (MI) is known to attenuate cardiac dysfunction by upregulating pro-angiogenic HIF-1α target genes. However, the effect of HIF-1α overexpression on hypoxic cardiomyocyte apoptosis still remains obscure. In this study, we report for the first time that myocardium-targeted nanotized HIF-1α overexpression during MI downregulates cardiomyocyte apoptosis. HIF-1α overexpression attenuates bnip3-mediated apoptosis indirectly by promoting HO-1-induced anti-oxidant response. Chromatin immunoprecipitation experiment revealed that HIF-1α overexpression in hypoxic cardiomyocytes increases binding of HIF-1α to the hypoxia-responsive element in the promoter of its target anti-oxidant gene ho-1 which is known to attenuate ROS accumulation. ROS accumulation in hypoxic cardiomyocytes causes cysteine oxidation of the DNA-binding p50 subunit of NFκB, which hampers NFκB binding to κB-responsive genes like bnip3. Downregulated oxidative stress due to HIF-1α overexpression leads to decline in cysteine oxidation of NFκBp50, causing NFκB to bind to the promoter of bnip3 as a transcriptional repressor. Therefore HIF-1α overexpression-mediated attenuation of cardiomyocyte apoptosis occurs by transcriptional repression of bnip3 by NFκB. Our study thus reveals that downregulation of bnip3-mediated cardiomyocyte apoptosis occurs via ho-1 upregulation upon HIF-1α overexpression during MI, despite both being HIF-1α target genes. The cross-regulation of HIF-1α and NFκB-mediated pathways effectively downregulates apoptosis due to HIF-1α overexpression during MI, which can be exploited for possible therapeutic intervention.

Mechanism for epeirogenic uplift of the Archean Dharwar craton, southern India as evidenced by orthogonal seismic reflection profiles.

Plateaus, located far away from the plate boundaries, play an important role in understanding the deep-rooted geological processes responsible for the epeirogenic uplift and dynamics of the plate interior. The Karnataka plateau located in the Dharwar craton, southern India, is a classic example for the plateau uplift. It is explored using orthogonal deep crustal seismic reflection studies, and a mechanism for the epeirogenic uplift is suggested. A pseudo three-dimensional crustal structure derived from these studies suggests a regionally extensive 10 km thick magmatic underplating in the region. It is further constrained from active-source refraction and passive-source seismological data. We interpret the Marion and Reunion mantle plume activities during 88 Ma and 65 Ma on the western part of Dharwar craton are responsible for the magmatic underplating, which caused epeirogenic uplift. Flexural isostasy related to the onshore denudational unloading and offshore sediment loading is also responsible for the persisting uplift in the region. Plate boundary forces are found to be contributing to the plateau uplift. The present study provides a relationship between the mantle plumes, rifting, development of continental margins, plateau uplift, and denudational isostasy. Combination of exogenic and endogenic processes are responsible for the plateau uplift in the region.

A covalent organic polymer as an efficient chemosensor for highly selective H2S detection through proton conduction.

A hydrazide based covalent organic polymer (COP) with pyridine functionalities has been synthesized and used to fabricate an efficient chemosensor for the detection of gaseous H2S at 25 °C through a proton conduction process. The gas sensing behavior of the COP has been measured in a dynamic flow-through resistance measurement system. The COP fabricated sensor shows a lower response time of 9 s with a recovery time of 12 s, when the experiment is performed with a H2S concentration of 200 ppm at 25 °C. It also shows high selectivity to H2S gas compared to other gases such as CO2, NH3, CO and NO2.

Predictive behaviour of maternal health inputs and child mortality in West Bengal - An analysis based on NFHS-3.

The well-being of both the mother and the child determines the health of the next generation. This in turn can predict future public health challenges that the health care system of an economy would be concerned with. Hence, we should be more concerned with antenatal and postnatal care, which are in fact complementary in nature. The birth of a child just coexists in between this transitionary gap. Our paper uses NFHS-3 data for an Indian state - West Bengal - to examine the related socioeconomic factors that may have pronounced effects on the demand for maternal health inputs like pre-natal care and choice of place of delivery. Concurrently we also check the effects on child mortality. We believe that this would help the policy makers to identify the areas to stress upon in order to pave the way for the formation of good quality human capital in the long run. Another distinguishing feature of this paper is the use of joint estimation technique that solves the unobserved heterogeneity problem which is commonly present in this kind of research. In most of the cases, the usage of this technique is not resorted. The place of residence, standard of living, and women's educational level are found to have an increasing effect on the demand for prenatal care and hospital delivery. However, a more relevant analysis should never ignore the dimension of child mortality. There we find hospital delivery to be effective to reduce child mortality. Mothers' age, religion, occupation, participation in household decision making process, and child's birth order are other important predictors of child mortality.

A Comparative Spectrophotometric Study Using Ferrozine and 1,10-Ortho-phenanthroline to Evaluate the Iron Redox Ratio (Fe(2+)/ΣFe) in Glass Prepared by Microwave Heating.

In the present study, Fe-doped barium borosilicate glass has been melted at 1250°C under microwave heating. The iron redox ratio (Fe(2+)/total Fe) in the glass is investigated by two spectrophotometric methods. A novel decomposition technique has been optimized to measure the ferrous oxidation state in glass. Ferrozine was chosen as a specific complexing reagent; it forms a deep violet color complex with Fe(2+) and has a broad absorbance peak centered at ∼562 nm. 1,10-ortho-phenanthroline develops an orange color complex with Fe(2+) (having an absorbance peak centered at ∼510 nm) and has been used to determine ferrous ion in glass. Both the methods are compared and the estimated redox ratio was found to be higher in the ferrozine method. The error limit of measurement has been determined as 0.012 and 0.023 for the ferrozine and 1,10-ortho-phenanthroline methods, respectively.

Improvement of biohydrogen production under decreased partial pressure of H2 by Enterobacter cloacae.

When the partial pressure of H(2) was decreased by lowering the total pressure in the headspace of the reactor in a batch fermentation process from 760 mm Hg to 380 mm Hg containing Enterobacter cloacae, the molar yield of H(2) increased from 1.9 mol to 3.9 mol H(2)/mol glucose. The maximum production rate was 0.017 mmol H(2)/h l at 380 mm Hg. The lag period as well as total batch time of H(2) production decreased using a decreased partial pressure.

Amulet string contact leukoderma and its differentiation from vitiligo.

A young adult factory worker presented with a linear depigmented vitiliginous patch on his right arm at the site where a silver amulet had been fixed with a nylon thread. He claimed that it was occupational in origin and demanded compensation, but patch testing with the nylon thread of the amulet and its extracted dyes proved that the contact leukoderma was due to the thread.

Damodar river pollution and health hazards.

Damodar river is one of the most polluted rivers in this country. Chemical pollution and bacteriological pollution, both are high--leading to rising trend in different industrial health hazards in the Damodar basin.