The morphology, structure and optical properties of zinc sulfide (ZnS) thin films prepared through radio-frequency (RF) magnetron sputtering have been analyzed using atomic force microscopy (AFM), ...UV–Vis–NIR spectrophotometry, X-ray diffraction, and multifractal analyses. The X-ray diffraction patterns revealed that all ZnS thin films show a single peak at around 29.6°, which has been ascribed to the (111) planes of sphalerite phase, indicating that the growth direction of the films is the 111 direction. UV–Vis–NIR transmittance spectra were used to determine the refractive index of the samples, their thickness, and their band gap energy, showing the optical and semiconductor properties a clear dependence of the film thickness. Finally, ZnS thin films were characterized and analyzed by atomic force microscopy (AFM) measurements and multifractal analyses for a complex and precise interpretation of the 3-D surface microtexture characteristics. The multifractal examinations of the samples revealed a particular distribution at the nanometric level associated with multifractal surface characteristics. These experimental results are corroborated, presented, and discussed together with the essential stereometric parameters of the thin films. The combination of the different experimental information and the comprehensive stereometric and multifractal analyses provide new and deeper insight into the ZnS thin films that would be exploited to develop novel micro-topography models.
The primary objective of this work is to numerically study the effect of system pressure on the occurrence of dryout phenomena in heap-shaped, heat-generating porous debris beds. This is achieved ...using a multiphase computational fluid dynamics (CFD) model that is implemented in the framework of the commercial CFD platform ANSYS FLUENT. The model is extensively validated with available experimental data on two different aspects: pressure drop in two-phase flow through porous media and prediction of dryout in typical porous debris beds. A wide range of system pressure, relevant to severe accident conditions, is considered in this analysis in order to obtain a thorough understanding of its impact on multiphase flow and dryout occurrence in porous debris beds. This analysis is performed for different subcoolings of flooding water, which gives additional knowledge on the effects of coolant subcooling on dryout occurrence. Results indicate that dryout in debris beds occurs at progressively higher power densities as the system pressure is raised. Similar effects are observed with increase in liquid subcooling as well.
The present work investigates the thermal aspects of a differentially heated porous square enclosure in the presence of an adiabatic block of different block sizes utilizing Darcy–Rayleigh number in ...the range of 1–10,000 with Darcy number
10
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2
–
10
-
6
. Heatlines and Nusselt number, streamlines, and entropy generation are used for the analysis of heat transfer, flow circulation, and irreversibility production in the enclosure. The study reveals that the presence of an adiabatic block affects the heat transfer process severely, and three different zones of heat transfer are identified. These are namely the zone of heat transfer augmentation, the zone of heat transfer augmentation along with entropy generation reduction, and the zone of both heat transfer and entropy generation reduction. It is also found that the presence of an adiabatic block can enhance heat transfer up to a certain critical block size; thereafter, further increasing in block size reduces the heat transfer rate. An optimal block size where the heat transfer enhancement is maximum is observed to be smaller than the critical block size. The study demonstrates the analyses of heat transfer and entropy generation for a better thermal design of a system. This study is also extended for higher Prandtl number fluids.
Background: The COVID-19 pandemic and its accompanying lockdown measures adversely affected institution-based education system including medical education. Internet-based online teaching emerged as ...the only alternative mode of continuing medical education during those times. The situation was novel to the medical institutions, the faculties, as well as the students and involved coordinated effort from all stakeholders for an efficient outcome to the ritual of compulsory online medical education.
Aims and Objectives: The study was planned to obtain the perspective and point of view to various aspects of online teaching from of the MBBS students.
Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional online survey was conducted through a questionnaire using Google-Forms on MBBS students of Raiganj Government Medical College, Raiganj, from August 1, 2022 for a period of 1 week after obtaining necessary ethical clearance.
Results: A total of 174 students responded out of 202. Majority of the respondents (81.3%) said that it was their first experience of online teaching. Most attended 2–3 h of online classes daily and did not want it to be more than that either. Somnolence during class was cited as the most common physical difficulty, while poor network connectivity was the biggest logistic problem. Live lecture was the most preferred mode of online teaching and personal email interaction with the concerned faculties was the most preferred mode for doubt clearing. Most students found online classes inferior than offline classes with respect to opportunity to interact with teachers, class ambience, ability to sustain attention, demonstration of practical skills, and peer-interaction.
Conclusion: Online medical education, in spite of all its present drawbacks and demerits, can be used as a tool to provide medical education alongside offline mode after making necessary innovations and modifications by analyzing student as well as faculty feedback.
Aquatic animals are continually being exposed to stressors under farming conditions, increasing risks to gut health that result in dysbiosis. Since restrictions are imposed on the frequent use of ...antibiotics in aquaculture, there is emerging demand for economically viable, environmentally safe, and sustainable alternatives for the intensive production of aquaculture species. The application of beneficial microorganisms as probiotics has been suggested and widely practiced in recent times. Bacteria and fungi are ubiquitous microorganisms that can grow in various environments where organic substrates are available. Being rich in nutrients, a fish’s aquatic environment and gastrointestinal tract confer a favorable culture milieu for the microorganisms. However, the colonization and probiotic potential of fungi and mycelial bacteria resembling fungi (actinobacteria), either in the culture environment or within the gastrointestinal tracts of fish, have received less emphasis. Apart from bacilli and lactic acid bacteria, as the most conventionally used probiotics in aquaculture, numerous studies have focused on other promising alternatives. Diverse species of yeasts and molds belonging to the kingdom ‘Fungi’ have been characterized for their prospective roles in nutrition, immunomodulation, and disease prevention in fish. Bioactive compounds such as manno-oligosaccharides and β-glucans are recognized as fungal postbiotics that improve innate immunity and disease resistance in fish. Actinobacteria are known to possess different hydrolytic enzymes and novel secondary metabolites representing their probiotic attributes. The application of these groups in water quality amelioration has also been explored. Thus, this paper presents an overview of the present status of knowledge pertaining to the effects of yeasts (Candida, Cryptococcus, Debaryomyces, Geotrichum, Leucosporidium, Pichia, Rhodosporidium, Rhodotorula, Saccharomyces, Sporidiobolus, Sporobolomyces, Trichosporon and Yarrowialipolytica), molds (Aspergillus spp.) and actinobacteria (Streptomyces) as probiotics in finfish aquaculture, as well as their occurrence within the gastrointestinal tracts of finfish. Furthermore, probiotic mechanisms, selection criteria, and future perspectives on using fungi and actinobacteria as promising probiotics are discussed.
Economic Sanctions and North Korea Carbaugh, Bob; Ghosh, Koushik
The American Economist (New York, N.Y. 1960),
03/2019, Letnik:
64, Številka:
1
Journal Article
Recenzirano
Odprti dostop
The United States has enacted economic sanctions against North Korea since the early 1950s when North Korea attacked South Korea. Can North Korea be pressured into giving up its nuclear weapons? This ...article discusses the role of economic sanctions as a tool of international diplomacy with North Korea. Using concepts and tools taught in undergraduate economics classes, the article discusses the operation of sanctions and then it applies this analysis to the case of North Korea. The article examines the success that sanctions have achieved in bringing Kim Jong Un to the bargaining table and the difficulties that sanctions encounter in promoting a lasting resolution of the conflict between North Korea and the United States. The article is written for a broad audience of economics students.
We present a general strategy for the synthesis of stable, multifunctional cuboctahedral complexes in which coordination-driven self-assembly allows for precise control over positioning of either ...ferrocene or crown ether functionalities. The appropriate stoichiometric combination of functionalized 120° diplatinum acceptor units with tritopic donor units afforded supramolecular cuboctahedra with covalently linked functional groups. The compounds are characterized by multinuclear NMR spectroscopy, electrospray ionization mass spectrometry, and electrochemistry.
Abstract
It is undeniable that plastics are ubiquitous and a threat to global ecosystems. Plastic waste is transformed into microplastics (MPs) through physical and chemical disruption processes ...within the aquatic environment. MPs are detected in almost every environment due to their worldwide transportability through ocean currents or wind, which allows them to reach even the most remote regions of our planet. MPs colonized by biofilm-forming microbial communities are known as the ‘‘plastisphere”. The revelation that this unique substrate can aid microbial dispersal has piqued interest in the ground of microbial ecology. MPs have synergetic effects on the development, transportation, persistence, and ecology of microorganisms. This review summarizes the studies of plastisphere in recent years and the microbial community assemblage (viz
.
autotrophs, heterotrophs, predators, and pathogens). We also discussed plastic-microbe interactions and the potential sources of plastic degrading microorganisms. Finally, it also focuses on current technologies used to characterize those microbial inhabitants and recommendations for further research.
The effects of Bacillus spp. (7 Log CFU g−1 feed) and fructooligosaccharide (FOS, 1%) as functional feed additives, either alone or in combination, were evaluated in a study on rohu, Labeo rohita ...fingerlings. The fish were fed different diets for 90 days, including a control diet and diets supplemented with FOS, B. licheniformis, B. methylotrophicus or synbiotic formulations of these. The results showed that the combination of B. licheniformis and FOS significantly improved weight gain, feed utilisation and protease activity compared to the other groups. Overall, the groups supplemented with probiotics and synbiotics (B. licheniformis + FOS or B. methylotrophicus + FOS) showed improvements in haematology, serum biochemistry and immune parameters compared to the control group. After 90 days of experimental feeding, the fish were challenged with pathogenic Aeromonas hydrophila, and data on haematology, immunity and stress parameters were collected. The results indicated that the application of Bacillus spp. and FOS boosted immunity and resistance to physiological stress in the fish. The highest post-challenge survival rate was observed in fish fed a diet with B. licheniformis and FOS, indicating the potential of this particular combination of functional feed additives to enhance growth, immunity and disease resistance in L. rohita.
Abstract
This paper seeks to present the impact of Diksha App as an electronic resource in English Language Teaching Learning process in different Kendriya Vidyalayas’ of India. NEP-2020 Para 23.6 ...emphasizes on the integration of technology-based education platforms, such as Diksha across school and higher educational institutions for using e-contents in teaching learning processes and to use this platform for the professional development of the teachers. NEP-2020 also emphasizes on tech-savvy teachers. Diksha is such a platform through which training can be imparted both to the teachers and to students, not only that it can be used as a great resource of English language teaching learning process. How far Diksha app as a teaching learning tool is fruitful to put some light on that the researcher made a case study, a questionnaire was implemented through Google form and both the qualitative and quantitative analysis of the data has been done of the collected data received from different KVS English teachers from all over the India. This practical study also diagnoses the different demerits and limitations of Diksha App as an English Language Teaching Learning tool. The result and discussion shows some positive implications for different stakeholders on the usages of Diksha App in English Language teaching learning process.
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