This article proposes a new aesthetic pattern-three petal flower patch antenna that operates at Ultra Wide Band (UWB) for Wireless Body Area Network (WBAN) applications. The flower structure consists ...of three petals and a center circle patch with the partial
ground plane at the bottom. A double-sided copper-coated conductive fabric, which is 0.08 mm thick, having a surface resistivity of 0.05 Ω/square, serves as the antenna patch and ground material. This conductive patch is placed in a denim jeans material with 1mm thick that forms the substrate. The utilization of a two-layer substrate and partial ground method enhances the impedance bandwidth of the antenna. The size of the antenna is 60 mm × 60 mm × 2.16 mm. The reflection coefficient, gain, efficiency, radiation pattern, and effects of bending were the various parameters analyzed for the flower antenna. The antenna radiates from 3 to 12 GHz, which covers the entire UWB frequency range from 3.1 to 10.6 GHz assigned by Federal Communications Commission (FCC). The measurement results validate the performance of a flower patch antenna.
Nitrogen-doped arginine carbon dots (Arg CDs) as light-sensitive antibacterial agents were prepared by using citric acid as the carbon source and arginine amino acid as the nitrogen source via a ...microwave-assisted synthesis method. Dynamic light scattering (DLS) measurements and TEM images revealed that the Arg CDs were in the 1–10 nm size range with a graphitic structure. To improve their antibacterial capability, the Arg CDs were modified with ethyleneimine (EDA), pentaethylenehexamine (PEHA), and polyethyleneimine (PEI) as different amine sources, and the zeta potential value of +2.8 ± 0.6 mV for Arg CDs was increased to +34.4 ± 4.1 mV for PEI-modified Arg CDs. The fluorescence intensity of the Arg CDs was significantly enhanced after the modification with EDA, and the highest antibacterial effect was observed for the PEI-modified Arg CDs. Furthermore, the photodynamic antibacterial capacity of bare and EDA-modified Arg CDs was determined upon light exposure to show their light-induced antibacterial effects. Photoexcited (315–400 nm, UVA, 300 W), EDA-modified Arg CDs at 5 mg/mL concentration were found to inhibit about 49 ± 7% of pathogenic bacteria, e.g., Escherichia coli, with 5 min of light exposure. Furthermore, the biocompatibilities of the bare and modified Arg CDs were also investigated with blood compatibility tests via hemolysis and blood clotting assays and cytotoxicity analysis on L929 fibroblast cells.
AbstractThe longer time required for complete mineralization in the electro-Fenton (EF) process can be rectified by combining the EF process with a biological method. This paper analyzes textile ...wastewater treatment by integrating EF and biological processes. The removal of color, chemical oxygen demand (COD), and total organic carbon (TOC) by the EF process was 63, 48, and 29% respectively. Further treatment of this wastewater by a biological process resulted in removal of 85% of color, 86% of COD, and 56% of TOC. In addition, better mineralization of dyes requires integration of aerobic and microaerophilic conditions. The phytotoxicity and microbial toxicity analysis of the treated wastewater shows that there is a significant reduction of toxicity compared with the raw wastewater. Therefore it is recommended that the combined EF and biological degradation processes be applied in the treatment of textile wastewater for removing color, COD, and TOC effectively.
Green solid polymer electrolytes have drawn attention as multifunctional electrolyte as compared to liquid electrolyte due to their flexibility membranes. In the present work, biodegradable ...iota-carrageenan polymer has been chosen as the host polymer with magnesium tri-fluromethanesulfonate (MgTf
2
) as the salt. The polymer film was incorporated with methyl-trioctylammonium bis(trifluoromethyl sulfonyl)imide (AmNTFSI) ionic liquid to amplify the ionic conductivity via adding mobile cations and tuning the crystallinity as well as the glass temperature of the polymer. Upon the incorporation of AmNTFSI, the ionic conductivity was remarkably augmented from (1.24
+
0.01) × 10
−6
S cm
−1
to the maximum value of (3.20
+
0.01) × 10
−3
S cm
−1
at room temperature. The thermal, structural, and temperature dependence conductivity measurements of polymer films (with and without AmNTFSI) have been analyzed, and the performance as the supercapacitor electrolytes has been evaluated.
Rising world population necessarily increases the food requirement. At the same time, agricultural land has been reduced drastically due to the rapid urbanization and industrialization which severely ...affects the land availability for the growers. However, the enhancement of seed germination has the potential to secure the food safety of masses by improving crop production. The traditionally followed chemical methods to improve seed germination have major limitations including being environmentally unhealthy, time-consuming, and are labor-intensive. Of late the application of ozone on plant growth and seed germination has attained greater significance. This promising technique and its various potential applications in the food industry have started emerging. Ozone is a strong antimicrobial agent as well as a germination enhancer. Ozone, in limited quantity, enhances seed germination rate; on the other hand, excess ozone can also cause some negative effects. Generally, ozone is applied either in gaseous or aqueous phases; however, the method and treatment conditions of ozone vary with the subject samples. This review mainly discusses the impact of ozone treatment on seed germination, the quality changes that accompany the treatment as well as the factors affecting the efficiency of ozone.
The impacts of cocoa solids and coconut sugar on the sensory perception of bean‐to‐bar dark chocolate were investigated with mixture design using response surface methodology. The maximum and minimum ...levels of cocoa nib, cocoa butter, and coconut sugar for the preparation of chocolate were 35–50%, 15–30%, and 20–35%, respectively. A suitable mathematical model was used to evaluate each response. Maximum and minimum levels of components caused a poor sensory acceptance of the resultant dark chocolate. The optimum level of independent variables, for the best set of responses, was 44.7% cocoa nib, 25.2% cocoa butter, and 30.2% coconut sugar, with a hedonic score of 8.28 for appearance, 8.64 for mouth feel, 8.71 for texture, 8.68 for taste, and 8.51 for overall acceptability, at a desirability of 0.86. The minimum time for grinding the chocolate mix was 24 hour, which was evident from the microscopic analysis of the chocolate mix. The optimized chocolate (70% dark) per 100 g constitutes 1.06 g moisture, 50.09 g crude fat, 10.37 g crude protein, 35.90 g carbohydrates, and 2.55 g ash content. The L, a, b values indicated a darker color and was stable under ambient condition with a hardness value of 59.52 N, which significantly decreased to 16.23 N within 10 min at ambient temperature (30 ± 2°C). The addition of coconut sugar along with cocoa solids incorporates polyphenols, flavonoids, antioxidant potential, and minerals into bean‐to‐bar dark chocolate and hence offers a commercial value and health potential for stakeholders.
Selected triazole derivatives have been synthesised and evaluated as corrosion inhibitors for mild steel in natural aqueous environment by weight loss, potentiodynamic polarisation and ac impedance ...methods. All the condensed products showed good inhibition efficiency (IE). The effect of changing functional groups of some triazole derivatives on their inhibition efficiency was also reported using weight loss and potentiodynamic technique. 3-Salicylalidene amino-1,2,4-triazole phosphonate (SATP) was found to be the best corrosion inhibitor compare to the other compounds. Surface analysis was carried out to establish the mechanism of corrosion inhibition of mild steel in neutral aqueous media.
Objective
Juvenile systemic sclerosis (SSc) is a disabling autoimmune condition that affects multiple organs in addition to skin, notably the gastrointestinal and pulmonary systems. The relationship ...between esophageal abnormalities and pulmonary disease in juvenile SSc is not well understood. We describe associations between radiologic esophageal abnormalities and pulmonary function.
Methods
Clinical and radiographic data of children ages >18 years who fulfilled the 2007 Pediatric Rheumatology Provisional Classification Criteria for juvenile SSc between 1994 and 2016 were reviewed. Fluoroscopic upper gastrointestinal (UGI) studies, high‐resolution computed tomography (HRCT), and pulmonary function tests (PFTs) within 12 months of presentation to Seattle Children's Hospital were extracted.
Results
Twenty‐one children with juvenile SSc (67% female, ages 8–17 years) were studied. Esophageal abnormalities, defined as abnormal esophageal peristalsis and/or bolus clearance, were found in 12 patients. Abnormal esophagus on UGI tests was not associated with gastrointestinal or pulmonary symptoms, disease duration, use of medications (proton pump inhibitor or immunosuppressant), or specific autoantibodies. Compared with patients with a normal esophagus on UGI tests, children with an abnormal esophagus had decreased PFTs: mean forced expiratory volume in 1 second 96% versus 78% (P = 0.03), forced vital capacity 94% versus 76% (P = 0.02), and vital capacity 95% versus 76% (P = 0.02). Children with an abnormal esophagus on UGI tests had a larger mean esophageal diameter on HRCT (14.6 mm compared to 8.5 mm; P < 0.01).
Conclusion
There was an association between esophageal and pulmonary disease in children with juvenile SSc. Esophageal findings on UGI tests or HRCT, despite lack of symptoms, should raise concern for esophageal dysfunction and prompt heightened surveillance for concurrent lung disease.
Brachial plexus birth injury can lead to irreversible neuromuscular dysfunction and skeletal deformity of the upper extremity and shoulder girdle, ultimately resulting in glenohumeral dysplasia. ...Diagnosis and treatment of affected infants requires a multi-disciplinary approach in which imaging plays a vital role. While MRI is excellent for assessing both the shoulder and spine of these children, it is costly and requires sedation and is thus typically reserved for preoperative planning. US, however, is inexpensive, dynamic and readily available and provides excellent visualization of the largely cartilaginous glenohumeral joint. As such, it has become a highly useful modality during early diagnosis and follow-up of children with brachial plexus birth injuries. In this review, we describe the relevant anatomy of the glenohumeral joint, outlining the normal sonographic appearance as well as providing tips and tricks for identifying and characterizing pathology.
ECAP has proved to be an effective method to obtain ultrafine grain structure. Methods like extrusion are used in industries to obtain Al-based alloys, and composites as high loads for pressing are ...recommended for powder consolidation without very high temperatures. In the present study, the alloyed powder was prepared by mechanical ball milling for homogeneous mixing, and ECAP was performed at Route A with 120° channel angle. Back pressure improves the homogeneity of the grain structure and reduces the crystallite size. SEM analysis reveals good bonding between the graphene and aluminium particles. Uniform dispersion of graphene particles present in the aluminium alloy is observed, and it indicates the formation of a homogenous grain structure. It is also observed to have decidedly fewer void spots that refer to pores present and the ECAP process improves grain refinement .
