Spherical Particles Research Articles

Spray freeze dried cannabidiol with dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine (DPPC) for inhalation and solubility enhancement

Pulmonary delivery is an efficient route of administration to deliver cannabidiol (CBD) due to the high bioavailability and fast onset of action. The major formulation challenge is the poor aqueous solubility of CBD. This study aimed to produce inhalable CBD powders with enhanced solubility and characterise their solid-state properties. CBD was spray freeze dried with mannitol or trehalose dihydrate with and without dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine (DPPC). All four powders had acceptable yields at > 70 % with porous and spherical particles. The two crystalline mannitol powders contained less residual solvent than both amorphous trehalose ones. The addition of DPPC did not affect the crystallinity and residual solvent level of the powders. Instead, DPPC made the particles more porous, decreased the particle size from 19-23 µm to 11–13 µm, and increased CBD solubility from 0.36 µg/mL to over 2 µg/mL. The two DPPC powders were dispersed from a low resistance RS01 inhaler, showing acceptable aerosol performance with emitted fractions at 91–93 % and fine particle fractions < 5 µm at 34–43 %. These formulations can be used as a platform to deliver CBD and other cannabinoids by inhalation

Experimental investigation on shape segregation of 3d printed particles using an ft4 freeman rheometer

This study examines how granular mixtures of differently shaped particles segregate in a Freeman (FT4) rheometer apparatus. The mixtures contained two sets of particles with varying shapes and relative sizes. While our focus was on the effect of particle shape on segregation, we recognized that even slight differences in size could lead to segregation. We specifically investigated when particles of different shapes have the same effective size, exploring three cases: 1) the largest sphere within a cubic particle (inscribed sphere), 2) the smallest sphere enclosing a cubic particle (circumscribed sphere), and 3) a sphere and cube with equal volume. Our key finding indicates that binary mixtures of cubical and spherical particles can significantly segregate either axially or radially in the particle bed with a circumscribed sphere configuration. We propose that the primary mechanism for this is percolation and additionally, in the case of radial segregation, ordering of cubes adjacent to the cylinder wall.

Increased Antibacterial Activity of Zinc-Silver Doped Hydroxyapatite Synthesized via Ultrasonic in Combination with Sol-Gel Technique using Glutinous Rice as a Template

T his work aims to synthesize Zn-Ag doped hydroxyapatite using glutinous rice (Zn-Ag doped GRHA) as a template through ultrasonic irradiation coupled with sol-gel technique. The prepared materials are referred to as Ca9.0Zn1.0-xAgx(PO4)6(OH)2 which consist of Zn2+ and Ag+ varying molar ratios (x= 0.0, 0.25, 0.50, 0.75 and 1.0). The synthesized samples were characterized by various techniques. XRD results revealed that Zn2+ and Ag+ were incorporated into a hexagonal framework of HA. FT-IR analysis showed that the main functional groups were hydroxyl and phosphate groups. SEM images showed a rough surface morphology, which consists of very small spherical particles. TEM images revealed the homogeneous distribution of Zn2+ and Ag+ in the synthesized samples. Antibacterial activity of the Zn-Ag doped GRHA against five strains of bacteria including S. aureus, B. cereus, B. subtilis, P. aeruginosa and E. coli was investigated. Zn0.75Ag0.25 doped GRHA showed excellent antibacterial activity against all strains except P. aeruginosa.

Convergence and accuracy of FDTD modelling for periodic plasmonic systems

Despite the widespread use of the finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) method for modeling plasmonic systems, there is a lack of detailed convergence and accuracy studies for periodic nanoparticle systems in which both particle radius and interparticle distance are critical parameters. Using an in-house parallelized 3D-FDTD code for which we implemented interface field averaging, convergence and accuracy were evaluated for various spherical particle radii, inter-distances, and radius-to-mesh size ratios. We found that Interface Field Averaging (IFA) FDTD improved accuracy and convergence with respect to per-component (Per-C) meshing. In the worst case of this study, the convergence error decreased from 4.9% to 2.6% only by using IFA. Accuracy was verified by benchmarking our simulation results with COMSOL Multiphysics software. Furthermore, we notice that there exists no general rule for choosing the mesh size. Careful convergence testing should therefore be carried out systematically.

A Nasal Vaccine Candidate, Containing Three Antigenic Regions from SARS-CoV-2, to Induce a Broader Response

A chimeric protein, formed by two fragments of the conserved nucleocapsid (N) and S2 proteins from SARS-CoV-2, was obtained as a recombinant construct in Escherichia coli. The N fragment belongs to the C-terminal domain whereas the S2 fragment spans the fibre structure in the post-fusion conformation of the spike protein. The resultant protein, named S2NDH, was able to form spherical particles of 10 nm, which forms aggregates upon mixture with the CpG ODN-39M. Both preparations were recognized by positive COVID-19 human sera. The S2NDH + ODN-39M formulation administered by the intranasal route resulted highly immunogenic in Balb/c mice. It induced cross-reactive anti-N humoral immunity in both sera and bronchoalveolar fluids, under a Th1 pattern. The cell-mediated immunity (CMI) was also broad, with positive response even against the N protein of SARS-CoV-1. However, neither neutralizing antibodies (NAb) nor CMI against the S2 region were obtained. As alternative, the RBD protein was included in the formulation as inducer of NAb. Upon evaluation in mice by the intranasal route, a clear adjuvant effect was detected for the S2NDH + ODN-39M preparation over RBD. High levels of NAb were induced against SARS-CoV-2 and SARS-CoV-1. The bivalent formulation S2NDH + ODN-39M + RBD, administered by the intranasal route, constitutes an attractive proposal as booster vaccine of sarbecovirus scope.

Geochemical implications of uranium-bearing thucholite aggregates in the Upper Permian Kupferschiefer shale, Lubin district, Poland

AbstractNew inorganic and organic geochemical data from thucholite in the Upper Permian (Wuchiapingian) Kupferschiefer (T1) shale collected at the Polkowice-Sieroszowice Cu-Ag mine in Poland are presented. Thucholite, which forms spherical or granular clusters, appears scattered in the T1 dolomitic shale at the oxic-anoxic boundary occurring within the same shale member. The composition of thucholite concretions and the T1 shale differs by a higher content of U- and REE-enriched mineral phases within the thucholite concretions compared to the T1 shale, suggesting a different mineralising history. The differences also comprise higher Ntot, Ctot, Htot, Stot contents and higher C/N, C/S ratios in thucholite than in the T1 shale. The hydrocarbon composition of the thucholite and the surrounding T1 shale also varies. Both are dominated by polycyclic aromatic compounds and their phenyl derivatives. However, higher abundances of unsubstituted polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in the thucholite are indicative of its pyrogenic origin. Pyrolytic compounds such as benz[a]anthracene or benzo[a]pyrene are more typical of the thucholite than the T1 shale. Microscopic observations of the thucholite and its molecular composition suggest that it represents well-rounded small charcoal fragments. These charcoals were formed during low-temperature combustion, as confirmed by semifusinite reflectance values, indicating surface fire temperatures of about 400 °C, and the absence of the high-temperature pyrogenic polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. Charred detrital particles, likely the main source of insoluble organic matter in the thucholite, migrated to the sedimentary basin in the form of spherical carbonaceous particulates, which adsorbed uranium and REE in particular, which would further explain their different contents and sorption properties in the depositional environment. Finally, the difference in mineral content between thucholite and the T1 shale could also have been caused by microbes, which might have formed biofilms on mineral particles, and caused a change in the original mineral composition.

SYNTHESIS AND CHARACTERIZATION OF ACTIVATED CARBON PREPARED FROM RICE HUSK BY PHYSICS-CHEMICAL ACTIVATION

Activated carbon is an amorphous carbon material predominantly composed of free carbon atoms with high adsorption capacity. The amorphous structure in activated carbon affects its adsorption capacity; the higher the percentage of amorphous carbon, the greater the adsorption capacity of the activated carbon. Activated carbon can be obtained from rice husk waste containing 30-40% C in cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin. Therefore, this study was conducted to observe activated carbon's phases, morphology, elemental composition, and particle size. Activated carbon was synthesized using a physics-chemical activation method, which began with washing the rice husk samples, followed by air drying, carbonizing into charcoal, and grinding it finely. The rice husk charcoal powder was then physically activated at a temperature of 500℃. The physically activated product was then chemically activated using 6M HCl with a charcoal-to-activator ratio of 1:10 (m/V), stirred at 250 rpm for 1 hour, and then allowed to settle for 24 hours. It was then washed and dried to produce activated carbon powder. XRD test results showed diffraction peaks at 2θ = 22.23° without sharp or pointed peaks, indicating that the activated carbon has an amorphous structure. SEM test results showed the morphology of rice husk-activated carbon with spherical particle shapes and a particle size distribution of 20-70 nm. EDX test results showed that the rice husk activated carbon is predominantly composed of C, O, and Si with respective percentages of 54.31%, 40.04%, and 2.49%.

The Roles of Oil-Water Interfaces in Forming Ultrasmall CaSO4 Nanoparticles.

In natural and engineered environmental systems, calcium sulfate (CaSO4) nucleation commonly occurs at dynamic liquid-liquid interfaces. Although CaSO4 is one of the most common minerals in oil spills and oil-water separation, the mechanisms driving its nucleation at these liquid-liquid interfaces remain poorly understood. In this study, using in situ small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS), we examined CaSO4 nucleation at oil-water interfaces and found that within 60 minutes of reaction, short rod-shaped nanoparticles (with a radius of gyration (Rg) of 17.2 ± 2.7 nm and a length of 38.2 ± 5.8 nm) had formed preferentially at the interfaces. Wide-angle X-ray scattering (WAXS) analysis identified these nanoparticles as gypsum (CaSO4·2H2O). In addition, spherial nanoparticles measuring 4.1 nm in diameter were observed at oil-water interfaces, where surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) revealed an elevated pH compared to the bulk solution. The negatively charged oil-water interfaces preferentially adsorb calcium ions, collectively promoting CaSO4 formation there. CaSO4 particle formation at the oil-water interface follows a nonclassical nucleation (N-CNT) pathway by forming ultrasmall amorphous spherical particles which then aggregate to form intermediate nanoparticles, subsequently growing into nanorod-shaped gypsum. These findings of this study provide insights into mineral scaling during membrane separation and can inform more efficient oil transport in energy recovery systems.

Promoting Thermal Conductivity of Alumina-Based Composite Materials by Systematically Incorporating Modified Graphene Oxide

Small amounts of thermally conductive graphene oxide (GO) and modified GO are systematically introduced as a second filler to thermal interface materials (TIMs) consisting of alumina (Al2O3) particles and polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS). The surface of GO is covalently linked with an organic moiety, octadecylamine (ODA), to significantly improve the miscibility and dispersity of GO across the TIM matrix. Subsequently, two series of PDMS-Al2O3 composite TIMs are manufactured as a function of GO and ODA-GO content (0.25 wt%–2.5 wt%) to understand the effect of these second additives. The incorporation of GO into the Al2O3-PDMS composite materials generally increases the thermal conductivity (TC), ranging from 18% to 29%. Conversely, the use of ODA-GO further enhances the overall performance of TIMs (22–54%) by facilitating the dispersion degree of GO across the composite matrix. The great improvement in TC is presumably related to the formation of conductive pathways by uniformly integrating 2D-type GO flakes across spherical Al2O3 particle networks. The ability to simply regulate the polarity of the thermally conductive second filler can provide an idea for designing cost-effective and practical TIM-2-type pads that can be commercially applicable in between an integrated heat spreader and a heat sink.

Effects of rock types and crushing mechanism on the 3D morphological parameters of manufactured sands: a combination study of 3D scanning and spherical harmonic analysis

This study aims to investigate the effect of rock types, i.e., granite, conglomerate rock, limestone, and crushing mechanism, i.e., Vertical Shaft Impact (VSI) crusher, Horizontal Shaft Impact (HSI) crusher, on the morphology of manufactured sands. By combining the 3D scanning and spherical harmonic analysis, the morphological parameters of manufactured sands such as elongation ratio (EL), flatness ratio (Fl), aspect ratio (AR), edge angle (EA), sphericity (SH), and fractal dimension were quantified. The results indicate limestone is more readily broken into blade-shaped particles without being able to blunt sharp edges through constant abrasion. The proportion of bladed particles in manufactured sand prepared from limestone is 1.91 times higher than the proportion of bladed particles in conglomerates. Additionally, the HSI crusher has a more significant effect on rocks with smaller strength. For the same parent rock, manufactured sand from a VSI crusher contains 30% more spherical and oblate particles than from an HSI crusher.

Development of pH-responsive Eudragit S100-functionalized silk fibroin nanoparticles as a prospective drug delivery system.

Silk fibroin nanoparticles (FNP) have been increasingly investigated in biomedical fields due to their biocompatibility and biodegradability properties. To widen the FNP versatility and applications, and to control the drug release from the FNP, this study developed the Eudragit S100-functionalized FNP (ES100-FNP) as a pH-responsive drug delivery system, by two distinct methods of co-condensation and adsorption, employing the zwitterionic furosemide as a model drug. The particles were characterized by sizes and zeta potentials (DLS method), morphology (electron microscopy), drug entrapment efficiency and release profiles (UV-Vis spectroscopy), and chemical structures (FT-IR, XRD, and DSC). The ES100-FNP possessed nano-sizes of ∼200-350 nm, zeta potentials of ∼ -20 mV, silk-II structures, enhanced thermo-stability, non-cytotoxic to the erythrocytes, and drug entrapment efficiencies of 30%-60%, dependent on the formulation processes. Interestingly, the co-condensation method yielded the smooth spherical particles, whereas the adsorption method resulted in durian-shaped ones due to furosemide re-crystallization. The ES100-FNP adsorbed furosemide via physical adsorption, followed Langmuir model and pseudo-second-order kinetics. In the simulated oral condition, the particles could protect the drug in the stomach (pH 1.2), and gradually released the drug in the intestine (pH 6.8). Remarkably, in different pH conditions of 6.8, 9.5, and 12, the ES100-FNP could control the furosemide release rates depending on the formulation methods. The ES100-FNP made by the co-condensation method was mainly controlled by the swelling and corrosion process of ES100, and followed the Korsmeyer-Peppas non-Fickian transport mechanism. Whereas, the ES100-FNP made by the adsorption method showed constant release rates, followed the zero-order kinetics, due to the gradual furosemide dissolution in the media. Conclusively, the ES100-FNP demonstrated high versatility as a pH-responsive drug delivery system for biomedical applications.

A simple model for density anomaly and excess thermodynamic properties of alcohol-like in water-like mixture

ABSTRACT Molecular dynamics simulations were employed to gain insights into the density anomaly and excess thermodynamic properties of a binary mixture composed of a solvent resembling water and a solute resembling alcohol. In our model, both fluids were represented by spherical particles interacting through effective potentials: a two-length scale potential for the solvent–solvent interaction while purely repulsive potentials were used for the solute–solute and solute–solvent interactions. The temperature of maximum density (TMD) present in the pure solvent system is also observed in our mixture. The TMD exhibits a positive deviation in the mixture when compared to the pure solvent fluid under high-pressure conditions, while it shows a negative deviation under low-pressure conditions what is consistent with experiments. The excess volume, enthalpy and isobaric heat capacity show extreme values at x ≈ 0.4 . Using the radial distribution function and the translational order parameter we suggest that this behaviour can be explained in terms of solute particles caged in solvent network.

Preparation and mechanism of fly ash based composite fillers with different morphologies and its application in filling polyamide 6

In order to realize the high value-added utilization of coal-based solid waste fly ash (FA) and enhance the performance of polyamide 6 (PA6), three kinds of core-shell structure FA-based composite fillers with different shell morphologies (nano-flake, spherical and rod-like particles) were prepared using FA as raw material, MgSO4, MgCl2, Mg(NO3)2 and NaOH as coating agents, which were noted as composite powder 1 (CP1), composite powder 2 (CP2) and composite powder 3 (CP3). The specific surface areas were enhanced to 97.41, 58.59 and 20.21 m2 g−1 from 1.71 m2 g−1 (FA), while the corresponding pore volumes were increased from 0 to 0.31, 0.22 and 0.06 cm3 g−1. Si-O-C-O-Mg and Si-O-Mg-OH bonds were formed between Si-O-Si, Si-O bonds on the surface of FA and hydrated MgCO3 (MCH), Mg(OH)2 (MH). Three types of CPs were filled into PA6, respectively. After filling, CP2 caused silver grain effect when the material was damaged, which had better toughening effect on the matrix. Compared with pure PA6, the limiting oxygen index of pure MH, FA, CP1, CP2, and CP3 increased by 0.60, 0.70, 1.30, 2.30 and 4.10%, respectively. The thermal deformation temperature was increased by 29.10, 46.20, 53.70, 31.90 and 42.00°C respectively. The melting index decreased by 1.05, 0.70, 0.49, 0.17 and 0.47 g/min, respectively.

The Nature and Origin of Plant Viruses with an Incursion into Virus Nomenclature

Eversince, the chemical nature of not only the anisometric tobacco mosaic virus (TMV) but also the crystalline viruses like bushy stunt of tomato, tobacco necrosis virus, turnip yellow mosaic virus and others have been characterized, sap transmissible viruses have been shown to be good antigens and that their antisera had group specificity aiding identification. Whilst symptomatology alone was found unreliable and of insufficient means for diagnosis and classification of viruses, serology, chemical and physical structure of viruses and the modes of transmission have played an important role in virus nomenclature. However, it is premature to think of orthodox binomial and trinomial nomenclature as practised in fungal classification playing a role in virus terminology, Anisometric and crystalline viruses are comparatively simple chemical entities (as compared with animal viruses) and are essentially nucleoproteins where the RNA (ribonucleic acid) core has a shell of protein in a helical pattern serving as a protective coating. The infectivity of the nucleic acid alone (which is hardly 6% of the nucleoproteiri) has been proved beyond doubt whereas, the protein (which is the bulk of the virus) does not count for infectivity but plays an important role in serological reactions and consequently is of immense value in grouping viruses. Nevertheless, size, shapes and structure of viruses are of considerable significance as a tool in virus classification of rodshaped particles. Spherical virus particles, however, have not lent themselves to this approach. A somewhat similar approach to classification has been made by using specific vector-virus relationships.In the speculative field of origin of viruses, the free gene or plasmagene theory of Darlington seems to find little support at present. Nonetheless, a biochemical approach is still valid and as all the ribonucleic acid (RNA) in the TMV appears to be present in a single polynucleotide chain, a break in this chain has to be transmitted intact to the recipient cell to enable reduplication. That the RNA may be replicated in the cells is, therefore, not to be regarded as a shortlived messenger carrying genetic information from nuclear deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) to protein. Stretching this argument one could conceive of a further step to the self-perpetuating RNA molecule capable of directing protein synthetic mechanisms in recipient cells to specific products.

Viscous effects in sheared unsaturated wet granular materials

We report on experiments and discrete element simulations of homogeneous, simple, normal stress-controlled, shear flows of model unsaturated granular materials: assemblies of frictional spherical particles bonded by a small quantity of a wetting liquid. The rheology of such unsaturated granular materials in the dense flow regime was characterized in recent publications of our group, in terms of internal friction coefficient μ∗ and solid fraction Φ, depending on the reduced pressure P∗ comparing capillary forces to controlled normal stress, and on inertial number I. The present study extends this description to the influence of the liquid viscosity on material rheology in the low saturation regime. The quantitative agreement of simulations with experiments is confirmed for the quasistatic limit, and our numerical results, despite some quantitative differences, capture the correct trends in the regime dominated by viscous forces. Rheological properties are then determined, to a large extent, by the same viscous numberIv as used to formulate constitutive laws in saturated, dense suspensions. More precisely, a visco-inertial numberJ, combining Iv with inertial number I as J=Iv+2I2, appears apt to describe the rheological laws, as expressed by the internal friction coefficient and the solid fraction, measured in the laboratory or in the simulations, as well as the numerically investigated internal state of the flowing material. Simulations provide insight into the role of viscous forces: predominantly tensile, they contribute to the increase with shear rate of the macroscopic friction coefficient μ∗ through a direct positive contribution to shear stress, a negative contribution to normal stresses (enhancing the strength of the contact network), and microstructural changes affecting the network of contacts and liquid bridges.

Segregation and mixing of binary mixtures of spherical particles in a bubbling fluidized bed

Abstract This work reports a CFD-DEM study on the segregation and mixing of binary mixtures of particles in a bubbling fluidized bed. A simplified mixing index was applied to determine the instantaneous mixing state in the bed, with which the effects of superficial gas velocity and initial packing state on the fluidization behavior were further discussed. For the well-mixed initial conditions, the mixing index decreases with fluidization time until a dynamic equilibrium between segregation and mixing is achieved. In contrast, the mixing index first increases and then decreases with fluidization time for completely-segregated initial conditions. However, the final equilibrium between segregation and mixing will not be affected by initial packing states for a given superficial gas velocity. Moreover, the bubbling behavior shows a marked impact on segregation and mixing, i.e., mixing is enhanced during the formation and grow-up of bubbles, while segregation is strengthened during the eruption of bubbles. This makes it possible to improve the fluidization of binary mixtures of particles based on the bubbling behaviors in the fluidized bed.

Obtaining Plasma–Dust Clouds from Meteoritic Matter, its Analogs and Simulants of Lunar Regolith Using Microwave Discharge

—In the experiment, plasma–dust clouds were obtained from the substance of the Tsarev meteorite, a simulant of lunar regolith LMS-1D and ilmenite concentrate using a microwave discharge in powder media. For each of the samples, the dynamics of the development of the discharge and the formation of a plasma–dust cloud with subsequent relaxation after the end of the microwave pulse were recorded. From the emission spectra of the plasma and the surface of a solid body, the temperatures of the gas, electrons and surface were determined. A comparison of the phase and elemental composition of the initial samples and samples after exposure to plasma showed that there is no significant change in the composition. However, scanning electron microscopy results clearly indicate spheroidization of the original angular and irregularly shaped particles. The appearance of spherical particles is also observed, the dimensions of which are larger than the linear dimensions of the particles in the original sample. The results obtained indicate the possibility of using such experiments to study chemical and plasma-chemical processes of synthesis and modification of substances under conditions of plasma–dust clouds encountered in space phenomena.

Engineering Porous Carbon with Precise Sizes to Promote Surface‐Dominated Storage in Sodium‐Ion Batteries

AbstractAs the sole commercially viable anode material for sodium‐ion batteries, hard carbon currently faces challenges such as slow diffusion kinetics in the low voltage range and low safety due to sodium deposition. In order to deepen the understanding of the pseudocapacitive processes of hard carbon in the high voltage range and enhance sodium storage capacity, this study systematically investigates the electrochemical performance and ion storage of ZIF‐8‐derived porous carbons (ZPCs) of different sizes. We propose a mathematical model based on a spherical particle core‐shell structure, which profoundly reveals the relationship between size and specific surface area, as well as the linear relationship between specific surface area and specific capacity. Moreover, simply by reducing the size of the porous carbon, the specific capacity increased by 86.5 mAh g−1. Dynamic studies reveal that in nano‐porous carbon materials, sodium‐ion storage primarily relies on defect adsorption. Size reduction enhances physical adsorption and surface capacitance response, with ZPC‐80 exhibiting lower resistance and higher diffusion coefficient, indicating that size reduction improves electronic conductivity and charge transfer efficiency, achieving excellent reversible capacity and cycling stability. This work yields a profound insight into the dynamic characteristics of hard carbon anode materials, presenting a new perspective for the design of efficient sodium‐ion batteries.

High‐Performance NiCo2O4/Graphene Quantum Dots for Asymmetric and Symmetric Supercapacitors with Enhanced Energy Efficiency

AbstractFor the sustainable growth of future generations, energy storage technologies like supercapacitors and batteries are becoming more and more common. However, reliable and high‐performance materials’ design and development is the key for the widespread adoption of batteries and supercapacitors. Quantum dots with fascinating and unusual properties are expected to revolutionize future technologies. However, while the recent discovery of quantum dots honored with a Nobel prize in Chemistry, their benefits for the tenacious problem of energy are not realized yet. In this context, herein, chemical‐composition tuning enabled exceptional performance of NiCo2O4(NCO)/graphene quantum dots (GQDs) is reported, which outperform the existing similar materials, in supercapacitors. A comprehensive study is performed on the synthesis, characterization, and electrochemical performance evaluation of highly functional NCO/GQDs in supercapacitors delivering enhanced energy efficiency. The high‐performance, functional NCO/GQDs electrode materials are synthesized by the incorporation of GQDs into NCO. The effect of variable amount of GQDs on the energy performance characteristics of NCO/GQDs in supercapacitors is studied systematically. In‐depth structural and chemical bonding analyses using X‐ray diffraction (XRD) and Raman spectroscopic studies indicate that all the NCO/GQDs composites crystallize in the spinel cubic phase of NiCo2O4 while graphene integration evident in all the NCO/GQDs. The scanning electron microscopy imaging analysis reveals homogeneously distributed spherical particles with a size distribution of 5–9 nm validating the formation of QDs. The high‐resolution transmission electron microscopy analyses reveal that the NCOQDs are anchored on graphene sheets, which provide a high surface area of 42.27 m2g−1 and high mesoporosity for the composition of NCO/GQDs‐10%. In addition to establishing reliable electrical connection to graphene sheets, the NCOQDs provide reliable 3D‐conductive channels for rapid transport throughout the electrode as well as synergistic effects. Chemical‐composition tuning, and optimization yields NCO/GQDs‐10% to deliver the best specific capacitance of 3940 Fg−1 at 0.5 Ag−1, where the electrodes retain ≈98% capacitance after 5000 cycles. The NCO/GQD‐10%//AC asymmetric supercapacitor device demonstrates outstanding energy density and power density values of 118.04 Wh kg−1 and 798.76 W kg−1, respectively. The NCO/GQDs‐10%//NCO/GQDs‐10% symmetric supercapacitor device delivers excellent energy and power density of 24.30 Wh kg−1 and 500 W kg−1, respectively. These results demonstrate and conclude that NCO/GQDs are exceptional and prospective candidates for developing next‐generation high‐performance and sustainable energy storage devices.

Uterine Fibroid Embolization Survey in Canada: Challenges, Opportunities, and Differences in Practices Across the Country.

Purpose: To assess the current practices surrounding Uterine Fibroid Embolization (UFE) in Canada. Methods: An online survey was sent to Canadian Association for Interventional Radiology (CAIR) members. It included questions on symptoms prompting UFE, patient awareness, investigation, UFE settings, the number of UFE procedures, and post-UFE care. The findings were discussed at CAIR's 2023 annual meeting by an expert panel. Results: Out of 792 surveys sent, 87 were filled (11%). Menorrhagia is the most common indication for UFE (87%). Women's awareness of UFE as a treatment option for fibroids is viewed as poor or average by 94% of our survey respondents. Most respondents see patients in clinics (92%) before the procedure and evaluate fibroids with MRI pre-UFE (76%). There is variability in care post-UFE, with 33% of procedures being performed as day surgery while 67% lead to overnight stay. For pain management, intravenous analgesia (including patient-controlled analgesia) is used in 76% (63/83) of cases while 19% (16/83) of respondents mentioned using epidural analgesia. Finally, there is an even split between embolic agent used; non-spherical polyvinyl alcohol (50%) and spherical particles (50%). Conclusion: Respondents believe patients in Canada still have limited awareness of UFE. Interventional radiologists are increasingly involved in the entire patient care trajectory, overseeing pre-and post-procedure care and hospitalizing patients. For pain management after UFE, it is observed that while epidural analgesia has been demonstrated more effective than alternatives, it is not widely used as the primary method.