Vigorous Conditions Research Articles

Gravimetric and Thermal-Imaging Characterization of Water-Free Reflux Condensers for Laboratory Applications.

Water-free reflux condensers, which use convective cooling from the surrounding air to condense vapors, avoid the need for cooling water, which is more sustainable than water-cooled condensers, and eliminates the risk of flooding, but these devices are newer and less familiar to many chemists, who may never have used them before. To facilitate the shift to water-free condensers, several types of water-free condensers (simple glass tube, Vigreux column, Condensyn, Findenser, and air-cooled Dimroth) were characterized using three different solvents (ethyl acetate, acetone, and tetrahydrofuran) under both gentle and vigorous refluxing conditions to compare their relative performance and determine the condensing capacity/failure point. In addition to experimentally quantifying the performance of each condenser both gravimetrically and via infrared thermal imaging, energy-balance models were developed to gain insight into which factors were most important in driving their performance. Several of the water-free condensers, including the Findenser, Condensyn, and air-cooled Dimroth condenser, were shown to provide suitable performance for most refluxing operations.

Solvent-free surface modification of milled carbon fiber using resonant acoustic mixing

Resonant Acoustic Mixing (RAM) is used to rapidly modify the surface of milled carbon fiber using diazonium salts in solvent free conditions. This novel method allows tuning of the surface properties of this material and reduces the environmental footprint usually associated with surface modification of carbon fiber (discontinuous or otherwise). As a proof of concept, fluorine-containing diazonium salts were successfully grafted as determined by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), scanning electron microscopy with energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (SEM-EDX) and an increase in water contact angle (WCA) of the milled carbon fiber samples (+15°). Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) together with SEM revealed the surface structure and integrity of the milled carbon fibers could be maintained despite vigorous mixing conditions. Using RAM proved more efficient than positive controls produced under thermal conditions in solvent.

88 Light and Vigorous Bouts of Acute Aerobic Exercise Positively Impact Sustained Attention and Inhibition but not Pattern Separation in Young Adults

Objective:The current study had two primary objectives: 1) To assess the dose-response relationship between acute bouts of aerobic exercise intensity and performance in multiple cognitive domains (episodic memory, attention, and executive function) and 2) To replicate and extend the literature by examining the dose-response relationship between aerobic exercise intensity and pattern separation.Participants and Methods:18 young adults (mean age = 21.6, sd = 2.6; mean education = 13.9, sd = 3.4; 50% female) were recruited from The Ohio State University and surrounding area (Columbus, OH). Participants completed control (no exercise), light intensity, and vigorous intensity exercise conditions across three counterbalanced appointments. For each participant, all three appointments occurred at approximately the same time of day with at least 2 days between appointments. Following the rest or exercise conditions and after an approximately 7 minute delay, participants completed a Mnemonic Similarity Task (MST; Stark et al., 2019) to assess pattern separation. This task was always administered first as we attempted to replicate previous studies and further clarify the relationship between acute bouts of aerobic exercise and pattern separation by implementing an exercise stimulus that varied in intensity. After the MST, three brief cognitive tasks (roughly 5 min each) were administered in a counterbalanced order: a gradual-onset continuous performance task (gradCPT; Esterman et al., 2013), the flanker task from the NIH toolbox, and a face-name episodic memory task. Here we report results from the gradCPT, which assesses sustained attention and inhibitory control. Heart rate and ratings of perceived exertion were collected to validate the rest and exercise conditions. Repeated-measures ANOVAs were used to assess the relationship between exercise condition and dependent measures of sustained attention and inhibitory control and pattern separation.Results:One-way repeated-measures ANOVAs revealed a main effect of exercise condition on gradCPT task performance for task discrimination ability (d') and commission error rate (p’s < .05). Pairwise comparisons revealed task discrimination ability was significantly higher following the light intensity exercise condition versus the control condition. Commission error rate was significantly lower for both the light and vigorous exercise conditions compared to the control condition. For the MST, two-way repeated-measures ANOVAs revealed an expected significant main effect of lure similarity on task performance; however, there was not a significant main effect of exercise intensity on task performance (or a significant interaction).Conclusions:The current study indicated that acute bouts of exercise improve both sustained attention and inhibitory control as measured with the gradCPT. We did not replicate previous work reporting that acute bouts of exercise improve pattern separation in young adults. Our results further indicate that vigorous exercise did not detrimentally impact or improve pattern separation performance. Our results indicate that light intensity exercise is sufficient to enhance sustained attention and inhibitory control, as there were no significant differences in performance following light versus vigorous exercise.

Oxygen-vacancy-type Mars–van Krevelen mechanism drives ultrafast dioxygen electroreduction to hydrogen peroxide

The electrochemical oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) along a two-electron transfer pathway has been considered as an eco-friendly route for producing hydrogen peroxide (H2O2). However, large-scale industrial application of this ORR technology calls for ultrafast and effective generation of H2O2 under operating conditions (current densities >1 A/cm2 and Faradaic efficiency ≈ 100%). This imposes strict criteria for exploring innovative strategies for enhancing the adsorption and activation of O2 under vigorous reaction condition, which represents a significant challenge thus far. Here, we report an ‘oxygen-vacancy-type’ Mars–van Krevelen mechanism for promoting ORR. Our theoretical calculations show that the structural oxygen vacancies of zinc oxide catalysts effectively alter the electron densities of nearby metal active sites, producing a more electron-deficient Zn center, which, in turn, assists the adsorption and activation of O2. A catalyst electrode designed as that exhibits superior ORR activities with a Faradaic efficiency of 98.1% at a current density of 1 A/cm2 (H2O2 yield rate of 621.88 mg/h/cm2). Further mechanism study has been performed through in situ Raman spectroscopy to monitor the adsorption and activation of oxygen intermediate (∗O2) of ORR, providing additional experimental evidence for the Mars–van Krevelen mechanism.

Oxidation of the Platinum(II) Anticancer Agent [Pt{(p-BrC6F4)NCH2CH2NEt2}Cl(py)] to Platinum(IV) Complexes by Hydrogen Peroxide.

PtIV coordination complexes are of interest as prodrugs of PtII anticancer agents, as they can avoid deactivation pathways owing to their inert nature. Here, we report the oxidation of the antitumor agent [PtII(p-BrC6F4)NCH2CH2NEt2}Cl(py)], 1 (py = pyridine) to dihydroxidoplatinum(IV) solvate complexes [PtIV{(p-BrC6F4)NCH2CH2NEt2}Cl(OH)2(py)].H2O, 2·H2O with hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) at room temperature. To optimize the yield, 1 was oxidized in the presence of added lithium chloride with H2O2 in a 1:2 ratio of Pt: H2O2, in CH2Cl2 producing complex 2·H2O in higher yields in both gold and red forms. Despite the color difference, red and yellow 2·H2O have the same structure as determined by single-crystal and X-ray powder diffraction, namely, an octahedral ligand array with a chelating organoamide, pyridine and chloride ligands in the equatorial plane, and axial hydroxido ligands. When tetrabutylammonium chloride was used as a chloride source, in CH2Cl2, another solvate, [PtIV{(p-BrC6F4)NCH2CH2NEt2}Cl(OH)2(py)].0.5CH2Cl2,3·0.5CH2Cl2, was obtained. These PtIV compounds show reductive dehydration into PtII [Pt{(p-BrC6F4)NCH=CHNEt2}Cl(py)], 1H over time in the solid state, as determined by X-ray powder diffraction, and in solution, as determined by 1H and 19F NMR spectroscopy and mass spectrometry. 1H contains an oxidized coordinating ligand and was previously obtained by oxidation of 1 under more vigorous conditions. Experimental data suggest that oxidation of the ligand is favored in the presence of excess H2O2 and elevated temperatures. In contrast, a smaller amount (1Pt:2H2O2) of H2O2 at room temperature favors the oxidation of the metal and yields platinum(IV) complexes.

Effects of Foliar-Applied Mixed Mineral Fertilizers and Organic Biostimulants on the Growth and Hybrid Seed Production of a Male-Sterile Inbred Maize Line.

Plants of inbred maize lines are characterized by low vigor due to their high rates of homozygosity and may, therefore, benefit from additional nutrients and biostimulants supplied via foliar spraying. The present study innovatively investigated the effects of foliar treatment with three commercial organic-mineral fertilizers/biostimulants on a male-sterile inbred line of maize at the five-leaf stage. The three fertilizers were characterized by their following content: (i) NPK + hydrolyzed animal epithelium + micronutrients (named 'NPK + Hae + micro'), (ii) NK + humified peat (named 'NK + Hp'), and (iii) PK + Ascophyllum nodosum extracts (named 'PK + An'). The resulting shoot and root growth and seed yield and quality were compared to a control (C). Both NPK + Hae + micro and PK + An treatments enhanced root growth in the top 20 cm soil layer at the ten-leaf stage: root dry biomass increased by 80 and 24%, respectively, and the volumetric root length density by 61 and 17%. The two treatments also allowed for a larger number of commercial seeds to be produced (on average +16 bags per gross hectare vs. C) owing to a better seed caliber, which consequently reduced rates of seed disposal (-11 and -20% for PK + An and NPK + Hae + micro, respectively) and, in the case of NPK + Hae + micro, due to an increment in the number of kernels per ear (+5% vs. C). These effects were not associated with any significant changes in shoot growth, height, or leaf net CO2 assimilation. In this preliminary trial, peak commercial benefit was obtained with the use of hydrolyzed epithelium together with macro- and micronutrients. Further investigation into application timing and dose, and the means by which these products alleviate the effects of low vigor and stress conditions observed particularly under mechanical emasculation is, however, necessary for their full exploitation in the production of hybrid maize seeds.

Biodegradable Mineral Plastics.

Mineral plastics are a promising class of bio-inspired materials that offer exceptional properties, like self-heal ability, stretchability in the hydrogel state, and high hardness, toughness, transparency, and non-flammability in the dry state along with reversible transformation into the hydrogel by addition of water. This enables easy reshape-ability and recycling like the solubility in mild acids to subsequently form mineral plastics again by base addition. However, current mineral plastics rely on petrochemistry, are hardly biodegradable, and thus persistent in nature. This work presents the next generation of mineral plastics, which are bio-based and biodegradable, making them a promising, new class of polymers for the development of environmentally friendly materials. Physically cross-linked (poly)glutamic-acid (PGlu)-based mineral plastics are synthesized using various alcohol-water mixtures, metal ion ratios and molecular weights. The rheological properties are easily adjusted using these parameters. The general procedure involves addition of equimolar solution of CaCl2 to PGlu in equal volumes followed by addition of iPrOH (iPrOH:H2O = 1:1) under vigorous stirring conditions. The ready biodegradability of PGlu/CaFe mineral plastic is confirmed in this study where the elements N, Ca, and Fe present in it tend to act as additional nutrients, supporting the growth of microorganisms and consequently, promoting the biodegradation process.

Tandem-Parallel Electrochemical Cells to Produce Hydrogen Peroxide at Reduced Energy Consumption.

Large-scale industrialization of oxygen electroreduction requires producing hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) at large yield rates (current density >1 A cm-2, Faradic efficiency >95%). Under such vigorous reaction conditions, however, serious electric energy consumption (EEC) has been caused. According to the formula (), a linear relationship can be identified between H2O2 yield rates (Y) and EEC, and therefore, achieving high yield rates (Y) while reducing EEC is very challenging in common electrochemical systems. In this work, we have designed a tandem-parallel oxygen electroreduction system composed of two oxygen electroreduction units. The tandem unit can effectively improve the Faradaic efficiency (FE) while the parallel section reduces total internal resistance (R). Consequently, the overall system can achieve a high H2O2 yield rate (592 mg h-1) with the lowest EEC (2.41 kWh kg-1) ever reported to the best of our knowledge. Further, the tandem-parallel system has shown promising stability by working for more than 10 cycles or 24 h. Besides oxygen electroreduction, other applications have been also demonstrated for the tandem-parallel system that can generate H2O2 for in situ degradation of rhodamine B pollutant.

The pentalogy of cantrell in limited resources: A case report

Background: Pentalogy of Cantrell (PC) is a rare anomaly, and the incidence varies from 5.5 to 7.9 per million live births. The components are defined as a defect of the lower sternum, a midline supraumbilical thoracoabdominal wall defect, a deficiency of the diaphragmatic pericardium, a deficiency of the anterior diaphragm, and congenital cardiac anomalies. The pathognomonic characteristic of this syndrome is the coexistence of omphalocele and ectopia cordis. Diagnosis is possible by antenatal or physical examination, and other tests should be performed to detect other anomalies, including the heart's anomaly. Surgical treatment is complex, and various operative techniques often require a staged approach. The mortality rate is quite high, with a survival rate of less than 5%. Case presentation: Two-day-old male infant was complained that his heart had been outside his chest wall since birth without covering by skin or sternum. He was born on aterm through section cesarean with a vigorous baby condition. Section cesarean was chosen because his mother has Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV)—no family history with similar symptoms. While pregnant, the mother regularly checks with the midwife and fetal ultrasonography only once during the third trimester but did not find the defect, no history of drug abuse, teratogen exposure, smoking, alcohol, or consanguinity. The midline defect extended from the lower part of the sternum completely. Echocardiography found defects such as classic Tetralogy of Fallot, mild atrial regurgitation, mild mitral regurgitation, mild tricuspid regurgitation, and suspect mass at left atrium (LA). The patients underwent surgery by covering the heart with a silo bag. Three days after the procedure, the patient's condition worsened and death because of the sepsis. Conclusion: Prenatal diagnosis is important in guiding the surgical team to estimate the prognosis and reduce a postnatal management strategy. Early management can provide the basic care necessary to keep the patients until definitive management can be provided.

Hybrid General Regression NN Model for Efficient Operation of Centralized TEG System under Non-Uniform Thermal Gradients

The global energy demand, along with the proportionate share of renewable energy, is increasing rapidly. Renewables such as thermoelectric generators (TEG) systems have lower power ratings but a highly durable and cost-effective renewable energy technology that can deal with waste heat energy. The main issues associated with TEG systems are related to their vigorous operating conditions. The dynamic temperature gradient across TEG surfaces induces non-uniform temperature distribution (NUTD) that significantly impacts the available output electrical energy. The mismatching current impact may lower the energy yield by up to 70% of extractable thermal energy. As a solution, a hybrid general regression neural network (GRNN) orca predation algorithm (OPA) is proposed; backpropagation limitations are minimized by utilizing the stochastic optimization algorithm named OPA. The conclusions are evaluated and contrasted with highly improved versions of the conventional particle swarm optimization (PSO), grey wolf optimizer (GWO), and Harris hawk optimization (HHO). A detailed analytical and statistical analysis is carried out through five distinct case studies, including field stochastic data study, NUTD, varying temperature, and load studies. Along with statistical matrix errors such as MAE, RMSE, and RE, the results are assessed in terms of efficiency, tracking, and settling time. The results show that superior performance is achieved by the proposed GRNN-OPA based MPPT by 35% faster tracking, and up to 90–110% quicker settling time which, in turn, enables the 4–8% higher energy accumulation over a longer period of operation. A low-cost experimental setup is devised to further validate the practicality of the proposed techniques. From such comprehensive analysis, it can be safely concluded that the proposed GRNN-OPA successfully undertakes the drawbacks of existing classical MPPT methods with higher efficiency.

Sequence stratigraphy and sedimentary processes since the last glacial maximum in Nha Phu Bay and adjacent shelf, central Vietnam

Three sedimentary systems tracts (LST, TST, and HST) have been identified in Nha Phu Bay and the adjacent shelf, Khanh Hoa Province, Vietnam. These have been deposited since the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) and interpreted in this study via the analysis of high-resolution acoustic data and sediment cores. The lowstand systems tract (LST) comprises sandy sediments exposed at seabed on the outer shelf as sand ridges, and underlying the transgressive systems tract (TST) on the middle shelf. The LST developed under shallow-marine settings during the sea-level lowstand and early sea-level rise before 14.6 cal kyr BP. The TST comprises primarily fine-grained sediments deposited during the transgression between 14.6 and 8.0 cal kyr BP in an incised trough of the outer shelf, on the middle shelf, and in Nha Phu Bay. Erosion of the seaward portion of the TST on the middle shelf might occur during the late transgression (9.0–8.0 kyr BP). The highstand systems tract (HST) comprises sediments deposited during the sea-level highstand between 8.0 and 0.0 cal kyr BP and is distributed widely in the bay, on the inner-middle shelf, and partially on the outer shelf. A paleo-coast zone, located in 100–120 m present-day water depth, is recognized through the appearance of sand ridges and sandy sediments. The seafloor sediment distribution is mapped via four major acoustic echo types, combined with seabed sediment samples. The coarse-grained sediment distribution, subaqueous outcrops, and thin deglacial sediment thickness on the inner shelf indicate erosion-dominated processes under vigorous hydrodynamic conditions. Nha Phu Bay and the middle shelf are interpreted as the depocentres. The estimated sediment load deposited in Nha Phu Bay is 0.18 Mt./yr, accounting for 15–35% of the annual sediment discharge from the Dinh River. The seabed morphology, muddy sediment distribution, and deglacial sediment thickness reveal a dominant sediment-transport pathway, across the inner shelf to the middle shelf, near the northern shoreline of Nha Phu Bay under the influence of the southwest monsoon.

Carbon Dots: Classically Defined versus Organic Hybrids on Shared Properties, Divergences, and Myths.

Carbon dots are defined as small carbon nanoparticles with effective surface passivation via organic functionalization. The definition is literally a description of what carbon dots are originally found for the functionalized carbon nanoparticles displaying bright and colorful fluorescence emissions, mirroring those from similarly functionalized defects in carbon nanotubes. In literature more popular than classical carbon dots are the diverse variety of dot samples from "one-pot" carbonization of organic precursors. On the two different kinds of samples from the different synthetic approaches, namely, the classical carbon dots versus those from the carbonization method, highlighted in this article are their shared properties and apparent divergences, including also explorations of the relevant sample structural and mechanistic origins for the shared properties and divergences. Echoing the growing evidence and concerns in the carbon dots research community on the major presence of organic molecular dyes/chromophores in carbonization produced dot samples, demonstrated and discussed in this article are some representative cases of dominating spectroscopic interferences due to the organic dye contamination that have led to unfound claims and erroneous conclusions. Mitigation strategies to address the contamination issues, including especially the use of more vigorous processing conditions in the carbonization synthesis, are proposed and justified.

Spatial patterns of vigor by stand density across species groups and its drivers in a pre-harvest ponderosa pine-dominated landscape in northern California

Information on spatial patterns of forest health and stand vigor in historical forests is quite limited, particularly for forests of North America, which have been subsequently harvested. We used forest inventory data from 1934, which pre-dated early 20th century timber harvest, to reconstruct patterns of vigor in overstory trees. Across 4,000 ha of ponderosa pine-dominated forests in the Blacks Mountain Experimental Forest (BMEF), we described the spatial patterns of pre-harvest (1934) forests using a stand density index (SDI) and accounting for different species and vigor classes. We then identified topo-edaphic variables associated with pre-harvest SDI. To do so, we first calculated SDI for two species groups: 1) ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa Laws.) and Jeffrey pine (Pinus jeffreyi Grev. & Balf.), and 2) incense-cedar (Calocedrus decurrens (Torr.) Florin) and white fir (Abies concolor (Grod. and Glend.)) as well as for seven vigor classes within these two groups. Second, using Moran’s I, we found four spatially aggregated clusters (Moran’s I = 0.35): 1) ponderosa pine-high vigor, 2) ponderosa pine-low vigor, 3) mixed species-high vigor, and 4) mixed species-low vigor. Most of the pre-harvest landscape consisted of high vigor ponderosa pine clusters with low SDI (relative density (RD) < 0.25). High elevation sections consisted of mixed species clusters of both high and low vigor with high SDI (RD > 0.35). Using classification and regression tree analysis, we identified elevation (m), surface-soil depth (cm), and sub-soil depth (cm) were related to the clusters. A multinominal logistic regression model (kappa = 0.44; classification accuracy = 64.4 %) identified surface stoniness, available water capacity at 150 cm depth and its interaction with sub-soil depth as important variables that were related to clusters. Within ponderosa pine-dominated forests, managers consider dense stands of low vigor trees to be at-risk of insect, disease, and fire. Thus, our results can be used by managers as representative baselines for characterizing (pre-harvest) stand conditions to guide management treatments to support high vigor and low density forest conditions.

Functional silicone oils and elastomers: new routes lead to new properties.

Silicones are mostly utilized for their stability to a range of vigorous environmental conditions, which arises, in part, from the lack of functionality in finished products. The commonly used functional groups in silicones, e.g., SiH, SiCHCH2, are mostly consumed during final product synthesis. Organic functional groups may also be found in silicone products, including organic alcohols, amines, polyethers, etc., that deliver functionality not achieved by traditional organic polymers (e.g., aminosilicones, softening of fabrics; silicone polyethers, superwetting agricultural adjuvants). However, relatively little organic chemistry is practiced in commercial silicones, limiting the types of desirable functionality that can be attained. We report the utilization of a series of simple-to-practice organic reactions that take place efficiently on silicone oils to allow the preparation of a wide variety of functional silicones. The silicone oil starting materials typically act as both solvent and educt to allow many of the newer reactions, such as Click processes, to be used to tune the properties of both silicone oil and elastomer products. The review considers the concept of 'functionality' to include: the reactive groups used to enable synthesis of more complicated structures; and separately, the functional properties of the product silicones. One such property that is considered throughout is degradability at end-of-life, which is related to the sustainability of silicones.

Physical activity and sport-specific training patterns in Swedish sporting and working trial dogs-A questionnaire survey.

To explore physical activity patterns, including conditioning exercise and sport-specific training, and management routines utilized by handlers of Swedish sporting and working dogs participating in agility, obedience, rally obedience and working trial disciplines. Dog handlers provided information on competition-level dogs through an internet-based cross-sectional and descriptive survey on physical activity, sport-specific training and management. Results are reported overall and stratified by participation in specific disciplines. We received 1615 replies to the questionnaire. After data cleaning, 1582 dogs (98%) remained for the analysis. Of these, 430 participated in agility, 790 in obedience, 596 in rally obedience, and 847 dogs had competed in a working trial, i.e., messenger, protection, search or tracking. Number of disciplines performed by each dog varied between one and five. Most common was participation in one (n = 767, 48%) or two (n = 541, 34%) disciplines. Out of the dogs competing in one discipline, 38% (n = 294) were considered to be specialized as they actively trained only that discipline for ≥10 months per year. The vast majority of the dogs (n = 1129, 71%) received more than 1 h of daily physical activity, e.g., walks, and only n = 51 (3%) were never exercised off-leash. Preferred self-selected gait was trot (n = 907, 57%) and gallop (n = 499, 32%). A fifth (n = 319, 20%) never played with other dogs. The majority (n = 1328, 84%) received more than 1 h of vigorous physical conditioning exercise per week. Almost three quarters (n = 1119, 71%) participated in physical conditioning exercise. Two thirds (n = 953, 60%) participated in at least 3 h of sport-specific training per week and only a very small portion (n = 35, 2%) trained their specific discipline less than once per week. Median total work load, i.e., all daily physical activity, vigorous physical conditioning exercise and sport-specific training, was 16.5 h per week. We observe physical activity at moderate to high durations and moderate to vigorous intensities among Swedish sporting and working trial dogs. Most dogs received physical conditioning exercise, but not all dogs were warmed up before training and competition. Our study provides veterinary professionals and dog trainers with valuable insights on the physical exposures and management routines of sporting and working trial dogs.

Electrochemical Synthesis of Ammonia from Nitrogen and Nitric Oxide at Room Temperature over Nanostructured Transition Metal Catalysts

Transition metals have been recognized as excellent and efficient catalysts for transforming gaseous molecules into value-added chemicals. Electrochemical ammonia synthesis through the atmospheric reduction of nitrogen and nitrogen oxide is a promising method for sustainable fertilizer and carbon-free hydrogen energy carriers. However, it is a great challenge to main the activity and stability of the catalyst due to its corrosive nature and vigorous reaction conditions involved in the electrochemical transformations. We report stable core-shell electrocatalysts that utilize transition metal nanoparticles in the core and nitrogen-doped porous carbon architecture in the shell for the efficient electroreduction of N2 and NO to ammonia (NH3). The carbon shell prevents the dissolution of Ni nanoparticles. It ensures the long-term stability of the catalyst, whereas the Ni nanoparticles involve in the catalytic reduction of NO to NH3 during electrolysis. The catalyst images reveal a core-shell structure composed of dark metallic spherical particles at the core and layered carbon as a shell surrounding the nanoparticles (Fig. 1a). A broad particle size distribution of 15 nm to 50 nm was observed, and the core-shell particles were interconnected by a smooth carbon matrix. The heteroatom content and the shell thickness strongly influence the catalytic activity. A high faradaic efficiency (FE) of 72.3% at 0.16 VRHE is achieved (Fig. 1b). Moreover, the full-cell electrolyzer was constructed by coupling developed cathodes and commercial RuO2 as anode for oxygen evolution reaction, which delivered a stable performance over several cycles at 1.5 V. Further, we demonstrate the solar to fuel transformation by integrating with a PV-electrolyzer cell, it presented an appreciable FE of >50%. Fig. 1. (a) TEM image of core-shell catalyst, (b) comparison of FE and NH3 yields on various electrocatalysts for the nitric oxide reduction reaction. Figure 1

Impact of COVID – 19 on mental health of institutionalized children: A social work perspective

A viral outbreak of COVID – 19 pandemic has distressed the world. The spread of the disease led severe disturbances in the socio-economic and health system of India. The rich and poor have been equally disturbed by the pandemic as regard to in terms of their mental health. The lockdown measures had a huge impact on the vulnerable strata, especially children in need of care and protection. In this regard, the article explores the vigorous dynamics deplorable condition of the intuitional care provided to children in need of care and protection who are residing in child care institutions in India. The aim of this paper is to bring out the impact of COVID – 19 on mental health of institutionalized children from a Social Work Perspective. The method of systematic literature review has been adopted. The content analysis method is used to identify the themes related to the COVID – 19 and its impact on institutionalized children. Critical evaluation of review of literature has been done by analyzing published articles, reports, webinars proceedings to bring out the thematic conceptualization of the article. Social workers plays an important role in the institutions and has a vital role in reintegrating these children back to the society. The constant counseling became essential in this pandemic and the initiatives of social workers under psycho-social support system for child care institutions was a great strength for the system.

Effect of Polymer Structure on the Size and Shape of Metal and Metal Oxide Nanopowder: An HR-TEM Approach

A metal and metal oxide quantum dot (QD) was synthesized by a simultaneous oxidative reduction method. Aniline was polymerized both in the presence and absence of o-toluidine (OT) as a co-monomer and in the presence of peroxomonosulfate (PMS) as a free radical initiator in N-methyl pyrrolidone (NMP) medium at 0–5∘C for 3 h under vigorous stirring condition. The metal or metal oxide bulk powder was used as source material for the generation of QD. At the end of the reaction a dark green colored polymer was formed, filtered and dried at 110∘C for overnight. The dried polymer was subjected to HR-TEM analysis. The size and shape of the crystals formed were noted and compared with the literature reports.

Electrochemically deposition of metal-organic framework onto carbon fibers for online in-tube solid-phase microextraction of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs

Electrochemical deposition has been proposed as a promising approach for in situ immobilization of metal-organic framework (MOF) on conductive surfaces. It is favorable as it is time-saving, green, and does not require vigorous reaction conditions, which can be applied to the synthesis and immobilization of extraction materials for fiber in-tube solid phase microextraction. In this work, PPF-1 was immobilized on the surface of the carbon fibers by electrochemical method. The novel method overcame the problems including strict conditions and time-consuming operation. The modified carbon fibers were packed into the PEEK tube for extraction and analysis of three non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), which performed good extraction efficiency due to strong hydrogen bonding, hydrophobic interaction and π-π interaction between PPF-1 and analytes. The established method obtained good enrichment performance (enrichment factor between 230-540), low limits of detection (between 0.01-0.03 ng/mL), good linearity and good reproducibility (RSDs≤4.93%), which was successfully applied for the quantitative analysis of NSAIDs in human plasma samples.

Dual Role of the Arylating Agent in a Highly C(2)-Selective Pd-Catalysed Functionalisation of Pyrrole Derivatives

AbstractPyrrole derivatives with C(2)-aryl substituents are an important and widespread class of heterocyclic compounds. Their synthesis can be accomplished using several strategic variants which usually entail either protection of the N–H functionality followed by the arylation, or a direct arylation. Although direct arylation is a preferable process due to a reduced number of synthetic steps, it often requires vigorous conditions or challenging reagents. To this synthetic repertoire, we add a novel method that is based on the dual role of the arylating agent. It serves as the nitrogen protecting group while also being involved in the arylation step. Deprotection as a final stage is carried out simultaneously utilising amines as reacting components. This approach ensures relatively mild conditions and exclusive C(2) selectivity yielding 2-arylpyrroles with the amide functionality. While aromatic amines are not suitable partners under studied conditions, most likely due to lower nucleophilicity, aliphatic amines, either primary or secondary, afford products in good yields.