Search results for: Kaushalendra Kumar
Commenced in January 2007
Frequency: Monthly
Edition: International
Paper Count: 1691

Search results for: Kaushalendra Kumar

731 Epigenetic Drugs for Major Depressive Disorder: A Critical Appraisal of Available Studies

Authors: Aniket Kumar, Jacob Peedicayil

Abstract:

Major depressive disorder (MDD) is a common and important psychiatric disorder. Several clinical features of MDD suggest an epigenetic basis for its pathogenesis. Since epigenetics (heritable changes in gene expression not involving changes in DNA sequence) may underlie the pathogenesis of MDD, epigenetic drugs such as DNA methyltransferase inhibitors (DNMTi) and histone deactylase inhibitors (HDACi) may be useful for treating MDD. The available literature indexed in Pubmed on preclinical drug trials of epigenetic drugs for the treatment of MDD was investigated. The search terms we used were ‘depression’ or ‘depressive’ and ‘HDACi’ or ‘DNMTi’. Among epigenetic drugs, it was found that there were 3 preclinical trials using HDACi and 3 using DNMTi for the treatment of MDD. All the trials were conducted on rodents (mice or rats). The animal models of depression that were used were: learned helplessness-induced animal model, forced swim test, open field test, and the tail suspension test. One study used a genetic rat model of depression (the Flinders Sensitive Line). The HDACi that were tested were: sodium butyrate, compound 60 (Cpd-60), and valproic acid. The DNMTi that were tested were: 5-azacytidine and decitabine. Among the three preclinical trials using HDACi, all showed an antidepressant effect in animal models of depression. Among the 3 preclinical trials using DNMTi also, all showed an antidepressant effect in animal models of depression. Thus, epigenetic drugs, namely, HDACi and DNMTi, may prove to be useful in the treatment of MDD and merit further investigation for the treatment of this disorder.

Keywords: DNA methylation, drug discovery, epigenetics, major depressive disorder

Procedia PDF Downloads 187
730 Role of Preoperative and Postoperative Endovaginal Ultrasound and 24-Hour Pad Test in Evaluation of Efficacy of Various Treatment Modalities for Stress Urinary Incontinence

Authors: J. B. Sharma, Vivek Kakkar, Sunesh Kumar, K. K. Roy, Rajesh Kumari, Kavita Pandey, Smriti Hari

Abstract:

Background: Stress urinary incontinence (SUI) is a common problem affecting the quality of life of women. Methods: It is a prospective study conducted over 40 women of SUI by endovaginal ultrasound on rest and Valsalva preoperatively and six months postoperatively for levator hiatus, pubovisceral thickness, urethral length, and bladder neck position. A 24-hour pad test was also performed on all women at the same time for grading of SUI. Treatment given was medical in 4 (10%), Burch colposuspension in 18 (45%), and tension-free obturator tape in 18 (45%). Results: Mean age, parity, and body mass index in the study were 41.60 years, 2.73, and 24.2 kg/m², respectively. All 40 (100%) patients had SUI, with the mean duration of symptoms being 4.04 years. On the 24-hour pad test, mild SUI was in 4 (10%), moderate SUI in 33 (82.5%), and severe SUI in 3 (7.5%), with mean preoperative 24-hour pad test being 36.69 gm which significantly reduced to 9.79 gm postoperatively (p 0.001). There was a significant change in levator hiatus and pubovisceral thickness with the treatment of SUI. Overall urethral length increased, but there was a significant decrease in urethral length on Valsalva after the treatment (0.40 versus 0.28 cm, p 0.04) and a significant reduction in bladder neck descent after Valsalva after treatment (0.41 cm versus 0.27 cm, p 0.001). Conclusion: Endovaginal ultrasound and 24-hour pad test are useful diagnostic modalities for SUI diagnosis and to see the impact of treatment.

Keywords: stress urinary incontinence, endovaginal ultrasound, 24-hours pad test, pubovisceral muscle thickness

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729 Somatic Embryogenesis of Lachenalia viridiflora, a Critically Endangered Ornamental Geophyte with High Floricultural Potential

Authors: Vijay Kumar, Mack Moyo, Johannes Van Staden

Abstract:

Lachenalia viridiflora is a critically endangered bulbous plant with high potential on the international floriculture market. In the present study, an efficient protocol for in vitro plantlet regeneration through somatic embryogenesis was developed. Embryogenic callus was established on Murashige and Skoog (MS) basal medium supplemented with various concentrations and combinations of picloram and thidiazuron (TDZ). A high number of SEs (28.5 ± 1.49) with at different developmental stages of somatic embryos (SEs: globular embryos, torpedo and cotyledon embryo with bipolar characteristics) was obtained on Murashige and Skoog (MS) (Murashige and Skoog 1962) medium with 2.5 μM picloram, and 1.0 μM TDZ. Histological and scanning electron microscopic (SEM) analysis confirmed the presence of somatic embryos. Mature somatic embryos germinated and developed into plantlets after 6 weeks on half/full strength MS medium. High plant regeneration frequency (91.11 %) was achieved on full-strength MS medium supplemented with 5 μM phloroglucinol (PG). Well-developed healthy plantlets were successfully acclimatized in the greenhouse with a survival rate of 80%. The result of this study is beneficial in the mass propagation of high-quality Lachenalia viridiflora clonal plants for the commercial horticultural market and also provides a platform for future genetic transformation studies on the plant.

Keywords: horticultural plant, Lachenalia viridiflora, phloroglucinol, somatic embryogenesis, thidiazuron

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728 Design of Aesthetic Acoustic Metamaterials Window Panel Based on Sierpiński Fractal Triangle for Sound-Silencing with Free Airflow

Authors: Sanjeet Kumar Singh, Shantanu Bhatacharya

Abstract:

Design of high-efficiency low, frequency (<1000Hz) soundproof window or wall absorber which is transparent to airflow is presented. Due to the massive rise in human population and modernization, environmental noise has significantly risen globally. Prolonged noise exposure can cause severe physiological and psychological symptoms like nausea, headaches, fatigue, and insomnia. There has been continuous growth in building construction and infrastructure like offices, bus stops, and airports due to the urban population. Generally, a ventilated window is used for getting fresh air into the room, but at the same time, unwanted noise comes along. Researchers used traditional approaches like noise barrier mats in front of the window or designed the entire window using sound-absorbing materials. However, this solution is not aesthetically pleasing, and at the same time, it's heavy and not adequate for low-frequency noise shielding. To address this challenge, we design a transparent hexagonal panel based on the Sierpiński fractal triangle, which is aesthetically pleasing and demonstrates a normal incident sound absorption coefficient of more than 0.96 around 700 Hz and transmission loss of around 23 dB while maintaining e air circulation through the triangular cutout. Next, we present a concept of fabrication of large acoustic panels for large-scale applications, which leads to suppressing urban noise pollution.

Keywords: acoustic metamaterials, ventilation, urban noise pollution, noise control

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727 Traffic Noise Study at Intersection in Bangalore: A Case Study

Authors: Shiva Kumar G.

Abstract:

The present study is to know the level of noises emanated from vehicles in intersections located in urban areas using Sound Level Meter and the possibility of reducing noise levels through traffic flow optimization. The main objective is to study traffic noise level of the Intersections located at on-going metro construction activities and which are away from metro construction activities. To compare traffic noise level between stop phase, go phase and drive phase at the Intersections. To study the effect of traffic noise level of directional movement of traffic and variation in noise level during day and night times. The range of Noise level observed at intersections is between 60 to 105 decibel. The noise level of stop and drive phases were minimum and almost same where go phase had maximum noise level. By comparing noise level of directional movement of traffic, it has been noticed that Vijayanagar intersection has no significant difference in their noise level and all other intersection has a significant difference in their noise level. By comparing noise level of stop, go and drive phase it has been noticed that there was a significant difference in noise level during peak hours compared to off-peak hour. By comparing noise level between Metro and Non-Metro construction activity intersections it has been noticed that there was a significant difference in noise level. By comparing noise level during day and night times, significant differences in noise level were observed at all intersections.

Keywords: noise, metro and non-metro intersections, traffic flow optimization, stop-go and drive phase

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726 Molecular Characterization of Functional Domain (LRR) of TLR9 Genes in Malnad Gidda Cattle and Their Comparison to Cross Breed Cattle

Authors: Ananthakrishna L. R., Ramesh D., Kumar Wodeyar, Kotresh A. M., Gururaj P. M.

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Malnad Gidda is the indigenous recognized cattle breed of Shivamogga District of Karnataka state, India is known for its disease resistance to many of the infectious diseases. There are 25 LRR (Leucine Rich Repeats) identified in bovine (Bos indicus) TLR9. The amino acid sequence of LRR is deduced to nucleotide sequence in BLASTx bioinformatic online tools. LRR2 to LRR10 are involved in pathogen recognition and binding in human TLR9 which showed a higher degree of nucleotide variations with respect to disease resistance to various pathogens. Hence, primers were designed to amplify the flanking sequences of LRR2 to LRR10, to discover the nucleotide variations if any, in Malnad Gidda breed of Cattle which is associated with disease resistance. The DNA isolated from peripheral blood mononuclear cells of ten Malnad Gidda cattle. A desired and specific amplification product of 0.8 kb was obtained at an annealing temperature of 56.6ᵒC. All the PCR products were sequenced on both sides by gene-specific primers. The sequences were compared with TLR9 sequence of cross breed cattle obtained from NCBI data bank. The sequence analysis between Malnad Gidda and crossbreed cattle revealed no nucleotide variations in the region LRR2 to LRR9 which shows the conserved in pathogen binding domain (LRR) of TLR9.

Keywords: leucine rich repeats, Malnad Gidda, cross breed, TLR9

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725 Enhancement of Hydrophobicity of Thermally Evaporated Bi Thin Films by Oblique Angle Deposition

Authors: Ravish K. Jain, Jatinder Kaur, Shaira Arora, Arun Kumar, Amit K. Chawla, Atul Khanna

Abstract:

Surface-dependent properties such as hydrophobicity can be modified significantly by oblique angle deposition technique. Bi thin films were studied for their hydrophobic nature. The effects of oblique angle deposition on structural, surface morphology, electrical and wettability properties of Bi thin films have been studied and a comparison of these physical properties of normally deposited and obliquely deposited Bi films has been carried out in this study. X-ray diffraction studies found that films have highly oriented hexagonal crystal structure and crystallite size is smaller for obliquely deposited (70 nm) film as compared to that of the normally deposited film (111 nm). Raman spectra of the films consist of peaks corresponding to E_g and A_1g first-order Raman modes of bismuth. The atomic force and scanning electron microscopy studies show that the surface roughness of obliquely deposited film is higher as compared to that of normally deposited film. Contact angle measurements revealed that both films are strongly hydrophobic in nature with the contact angles of 105ᵒ and 119ᵒ for normally and obliquely deposited films respectively. Oblique angle deposition enhances the hydrophobicity of the film. The electrical conductivity of the film is significantly reduced by oblique angle deposition. The activation energies for electrical conduction were determined by four-probe measurements and are 0.016 eV and 0.018 eV for normally and obliquely deposited films respectively.

Keywords: bi thin films, hydrophobicity, oblique angle deposition, surface morphology

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724 Effect of Radiation on Magnetohydrodynamic Two Phase Stenosed Arterial Blood Flow with Heat and Mass Transfer

Authors: Bhavya Tripathi, Bhupendra Kumar Sharma

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In blood, the concentration of red blood cell varies with the arterial diameter. In the case of narrow arteries, red blood cells concentrate around the center of the artery and there exists a cell-free plasma layer near the arterial wall due to Fahraeus-Lindqvist effect. Due to non- uniformity of the fluid in the narrow arteries, it is preferable to consider the two-phase model of the blood flow. In the present article, coupled nonlinear differential equations have been developed for momentum, energy and concentration of two phase model of the blood flow assuming the Newtonian fluid in both central core and cell free plasma layer and the exact solutions have been found for the problem. For having an adequate insight into the stenosed arterial two-phase blood flow, major components of the flow as flow resistance, total flow rate, and wall shear stress have been estimated for different values of magnetic and radiation parameter. Results show that the increase in the effects of magnetic field decreases the velocity of both cores as well as plasma regions. This result can be helpful to control the blood flow in narrow arteries during surgical process. Temperature of core as well plasma regions decrease as value of radiation parameter increases. The present result is implemented in the form of radiation therapy which is very helpful for cancer patients.

Keywords: two phase blood flow, radiation, magnetohydrodynamics (MHD), stenosis

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723 Implications of Climate Change and World Uncertainty for Gender Inequality: Global Evidence

Authors: Kashif Nesar Rather, Mantu Kumar Mahalik

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The discourse surrounding climate change has gained considerable traction, with a discernible emphasis on its nuanced and consequential impact on gender inequality. Concurrently, escalating global tensions are contributing to heightened uncertainty, potentially exerting influence on gender disparities. Within this framework, this study attempts to empirically investigate the implications of climate change and world uncertainty on the gender inequality for a balanced panel of 100 economies between 1995 to 2021. The estimated models also control for the effects of globalisation, economic growth, and education expenditure. The panel cointegration tests establish a significant long-run relationship between the variables of the study. Furthermore, the PMG-ARDL (Panel mean group-Autoregressive distributed lag model) estimation technique confirms that both climate change and world uncertainty perpetuate the global gender inequalities. Additionally, the results establish that globalisation, economic growth, and education expenditure exert a mitigating influence on gender inequality, signifying their role in diminishing gender disparities. These findings are further confirmed by the FGLS (Feasible Generalized Least Squares) and DKSE (Driscoll-Kraay Standard Errors) regression methods. Potential policy implications for mitigating the detrimental gender ramifications stemming from climate change and rising world uncertainties are also discussed.

Keywords: gender inequality, world uncertainty, climate change, globalisation., ecological footprint

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722 Design of Liquid Crystal Based Interface to Study the Interaction of Gram Negative Bacterial Endotoxin with Milk Protein Lactoferrin

Authors: Dibyendu Das, Santanu Kumar Pal

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Milk protein lactoferrin (Lf) exhibits potent antibacterial activity due to its interaction with Gram-negative bacterial cell membrane component, lipopolysaccharide (LPS). This paper represents fabrication of new Liquid crystals (LCs) based biosensors to explore the interaction between Lf and LPS. LPS self-assembled at aqueous/LCs interface and orients interfacial nematic 4-cyano-4’- pentylbiphenyl (5CB) LCs in a homeotropic fashion (exhibiting dark optical image under polarized optical microscope). Interestingly, on the exposure of Lf on LPS decorated aqueous/LCs interface, an optical image of LCs changed from dark to bright indicating an ordering alteration of interfacial LCs from homeotropic to tilted/planar state. The ordering transition reflects strong binding between Lf and interfacial LPS that, in turn, perturbs the orientation of LCs. With the help of epifluorescence microscopy, we further affirmed the interfacial LPS-Lf binding event by imaging the presence of FITC tagged Lf at the LPS laden aqueous/LCs interface. Finally, we have investigated the conformational behavior of Lf in solution as well as in the presence of LPS using Circular Dichroism (CD) spectroscopy and further reconfirmed with Vibrational Circular Dichroism (VCD) spectroscopy where we found that Lf undergoes alpha-helix to random coil-like structure in the presence of LPS. As a whole the entire results described in this paper establish a robust approach to envisage the interaction between LPS and Lf through the ordering transitions of LCs at aqueous/LCs interface.

Keywords: endotoxin, interface, lactoferrin, lipopolysaccharide

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721 Multivariate Analysis of Causes of Death among Hepatocellular Carcinoma Patients: A Seer-Based Study

Authors: Peri Harish Kumar, Sai Sharan Dwarka, Tajbinder Singh Bains, Suneet John Joseph, Chaitanya Kiran, Sambhu Dutta, Sarah Makram, Mohamed Sayed Zaazouee, Alaa Ahmed Elshanbary

Abstract:

Objective: To identify cancer and non-cancer causes of death in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients over different time periods after diagnosis and to compare the mortality risk of each cause in HCC patients with the general population. Methods: In this retrospective cohort study, data of 67,637 HCC patients from 1975 to 2016 were collected from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database. We investigated the association between different causes of death and the following variables: age, race, tumor stage at diagnosis, and treatment (surgery, chemotherapy, and radiotherapy); each according to the periods of <1 year, 1-5 years, 5-10 years, and >10 years following the diagnosis. Standardized mortality ratios (SMRs) and their 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated for cancer and non-cancer deaths in each of the mentioned periods following diagnosis. Results: Data of 67,637 patients, of whom 50,571 patients died during the follow-up period, were analyzed. Most deaths were due to HCC itself (35,535, 70.3%), followed by other cancers (3,983, 7.9%). Common causes of non-cancer mortality included infectious and parasitic diseases including HIV (2,823 patients, SMR=105.68, 95% CI: 101.82-109.65), chronic liver disease (2,719 patients, SMR=76.56, 95% CI: 73.71,79.5), and heart diseases (1,265 patients, SMR=2.26, 95% CI: 2.14-2.39), with higher mortality risk in HCC patients than in the general population. Conclusion: Cancers stand for most deaths in patients with HCC. Besides, infectious, and parasitic diseases including HIV represent the commonest non-cancer cause of mortality.

Keywords: hepatocellular carcinoma, seer, causes of death, mortality

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720 Structural Characteristics of HPDSP Concrete on Beam Column Joints

Authors: Hari Krishan Sharma, Sanjay Kumar Sharma, Sushil Kumar Swar

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Inadequate transverse reinforcement is considered as the main reason for the beam column joint shear failure observed during recent earthquakes. DSP matrix consists of cement and high content of micro-silica with low water to cement ratio while the aggregates are graded quartz sand. The use of reinforcing fibres leads not only to the increase of tensile/bending strength and specific fracture energy, but also to reduction of brittleness and, consequently, to production of non-explosive ruptures. Besides, fibre-reinforced materials are more homogeneous and less sensitive to small defects and flaws. Recent works on the freeze-thaw durability (also in the presence of de-icing salts) of fibre-reinforced DSP confirm the excellent behaviour in the expected long term service life.DSP materials, including fibre-reinforced DSP and CRC (Compact Reinforced Composites) are obtained by using high quantities of super plasticizers and high volumes of micro-silica. Steel fibres with high tensile yield strength of smaller diameter and short length in different fibre volume percentage and aspect ratio tilized to improve the performance by reducing the brittleness of matrix material. In the case of High Performance Densified Small Particle Concrete (HPDSPC), concrete is dense at the micro-structure level, tensile strain would be much higher than that of the conventional SFRC, SIFCON & SIMCON. Beam-column sub-assemblages used as moment resisting constructed using HPDSPC in the joint region with varying quantities of steel fibres, fibre aspect ratio and fibre orientation in the critical section. These HPDSPC in the joint region sub-assemblages tested under cyclic/earthquake loading. Besides loading measurements, frame displacements, diagonal joint strain and rebar strain adjacent to the joint will also be measured to investigate stress-strain behaviour, load deformation characteristics, joint shear strength, failure mechanism, ductility associated parameters, stiffness and energy dissipated parameters of the beam column sub-assemblages also evaluated. Finally a design procedure for the optimum design of HPDSPC corresponding to moment, shear forces and axial forces for the reinforced concrete beam-column joint sub-assemblage proposed. The fact that the implementation of material brittleness measure in the design of RC structures can improve structural reliability by providing uniform safety margins over a wide range of structural sizes and material compositions well recognized in the structural design and research. This lead to the development of high performance concrete for the optimized combination of various structural ratios in concrete for the optimized combination of various structural properties. The structural applications of HPDSPC, because of extremely high strength, will reduce dead load significantly as compared to normal weight concrete thereby offering substantial cost saving and by providing improved seismic response, longer spans, and thinner sections, less reinforcing steel and lower foundation cost. These cost effective parameters will make this material more versatile for use in various structural applications like beam-column joints in industries, airports, parking areas, docks, harbours, and also containers for hazardous material, safety boxes and mould & tools for polymer composites and metals.

Keywords: high performance densified small particle concrete (HPDSPC), steel fibre reinforced concrete (SFRC), slurry infiltrated concrete (SIFCON), Slurry infiltrated mat concrete (SIMCON)

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719 Distribution Pattern of Faecal Egg output and Herbage Larval Populations of Gastrointestinal Nematodes in Naturally Infected Scottish Blackface Lambs in East Scotland

Authors: M. Benothman, M. Stear, S. Mitchel, O. Abuargob, R. Vijayan, Sateesh Kumar

Abstract:

Parasitic gastroenteritis caused by gastrointestinal nematodes (GIN) is a serious pathological complication in lambs. The dispersion pattern of GIN influences their transmission dynamics. There is no proper study on this aspect in Scottish Blackface lambs in Scotland. This study undertaken on 758 naturally infected, weaned, straight bred Scottish Blackface lambs in high land pasture in East Scotland extending over three months (August, September and October) in a year, and for three successive years demonstrated that the distribution of faecal egg counts (FEC) followed negative binomial distribution, with the exception of a few samples. The inverse index of dispersion (k) ranged between 0.19 ± 0.51 and 1.09 ± 0.08. Expression of low k values resulting from aggregation in a few individuals, suggested that a small proportion of animals with heavy parasitic influx significantly influenced the level of pasture contamination and parasite transmission. There was no discernible trend in the mean faecal egg count (FEC) and mean herbage larval population (HLP) in different months and in different years. Teladorsagia was the highest pasture contaminant (85.14±14.30 L3/kdh) followed by Nematodirus (53.00±13.96), Ostertagia (28.21±10.18) and Cooperia (11.43±5.55). The results of this study would be useful in instituting gastrointestinal nematode control strategies for sheep in cool temperate agro-ecological zones.

Keywords: blackface lamb, faecal egg count, Gastrointestinal nematodes, herbage larval population, Scotland

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718 Serum Granulocyte Colony Stimulating Factor is a Potent Stimulator of Hematopoeitic Progenitor Cells Mobilization in Trauma Hemorrhagic Shock

Authors: Manoj Kumar, Sujata Mohanty, D. N. Rao, Arul Selvi, Sanjeev K. Bhoi

Abstract:

Background: Hematopoietic progenitor cells (HPC) mobilized from bone marrow to peripheral blood has been observed in severe trauma and hemorrhagic shock patients. Granulocyte-colony stimulating factor (G-CSF) is a potent stimulator that mobilized HPC from bone marrow to peripheral blood. Objective: Our aim of the study was to investigate the serum G-CSF levels and correlate with HPC and outcome. Methods: Peripheral blood sample from 50 hemorrhagic shock patients was collected on arrival for determination of G-CSF and peripheral blood HPC (PBHPC) and compared with healthy control (n=15). Determination of serum levels of G-CSF by sandwich ELISA and PBHPC by Sysmex XE-2100. Data were categorized by age, sex, Injury Severity Score (ISS), and laboratory data was prospectively collected. Data are expressed as mean±SD and median (min, max). Results: Significantly increased the serum level of G-CSF (264.8 vs. 79.1 pg/ml) and peripheral blood HPC (0.1 vs. 0.01 %) in the T/HS patients when compared with control group. Conclusions: Our studies suggest serum G-CSF elevated in T/HS patients. The elevated in G-CSF was also associated with mobilization of HPC from BM to peripheral blood HPC. Increased the levels of G-CSF in T/HS may play a significant role in the alteration of the hematopoietic compartment.

Keywords: granulocyte colony stimulating factor, G-CSF, hematopoietic progenitor cells, HPC, trauma hemorrhagic shock, T/HS, outcome

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717 Evaluation of Groundwater Quality in North-West Region of Punjab, India

Authors: Jeevan Jyoti Mohindroo, Umesh Kumar Garg

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The district of Tarntaran is located25 km south of Amritsar city in Punjab State of Northwestern India. It is 5059 Sq. Km in area. It is surrounded by Amritsar in the North, Kapurthala in the East, and Ferozepur in the South and Pakistan in the West. Patti Town is a municipal council of the Tarntaran district of the Indian state of Punjab, located 45 km from Amritsar its geographical coordinates are 310 16' 51" north to 740 51' 25" East Longitude. The town spreads over an area of 50sq. Km. Moisture content is very less in the air, falling within the semiarid region and frequently facing water scarcity as well as water quality problems. The major sources of employment are agriculture, horticulture and animal husbandry engaging almost 80% of the workforce. Water samples are collected from 400 locations in 20 villages on the Patti –Khem Karan highway with 20 samples from each village, and were subjected to analysis of chemical characteristics. The type of water that predominates in the study area is Ca-Mg-HCO3 type, based on hydro-chemical analysis. Besides, suitability of water for irrigation is evaluated based on the sodium adsorption ratio (SAR), residual sodium carbonate, sodium percent and salinity hazard. Other Physico-chemical parameters such as pH, TDS, conductance, etc. were also determined using a water analysis kit. Analysis of water samples for heavy metal analysis was also carried out in the present study.

Keywords: groundwater, chemical classification, SAR, RSC, USSL diagram

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716 A C/T Polymorphism at the 5’ Untranslated Region of CD40 Gene in Patients Associated with Graves’ Disease in Kumaon Region

Authors: Sanjeev Kumar Shukla, Govind Singh, Prabhat Pant Shahzad Ahmad

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Background: Graves’ disease is an autoimmune disorder with a genetic predisposition, and CD40 plays a pathogenic role in various autoimmune diseases. A single nucleotide polymorphism at position –1 of the Kozak sequence of the 5 untranslated regions of the CD40 gene of exon 1 has been reported to be associated with the development of Graves’ Disease. Objective: The aim of the present study was to investigate whether CD40 gene polymorphism confers susceptibility to Graves’ disease in the Kumaon region. CD40 gene polymorphisms were studied in Graves’ Disease patients (n=50) and healthy control subjects without anti-thyroid autoantibodies or a family history of autoimmune disorders (n=50). Material and Method: CD40 gene polymorphisms were studied in fifty Graves’ Disease patients and fifty healthy control subjects. All samples were collected from STG Hospital, Haldwani, Nainital. A C/T polymorphism at position –1 of the CD40 gene was measured using the polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism. Results: There was no significant difference in allele or genotype frequency of the CD40 SNP between Graves’ Disease and control subjects. There was a significant decrease in the TT genotype frequency in the Graves’ Disease patients who developed Graves’ Disease after 40 years old than those under 40 years of age. These data suggest that the SNP of the CD40 gene is associated with susceptibility to the later onset of Graves’ Disease. Conclusion: The CD40 gene was a different susceptibility gene for Graves’ Disease within certain families because it was both linked and associated with Graves’ Disease.

Keywords: autoimmune diseases, pathogenesis, diagnosis, therapy

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715 Formulation Development and Evaluation Chlorpheniramine Maleate Containing Nanoparticles Loaded Thermo Sensitive in situ Gel for Treatment of Allergic Rhinitis

Authors: Vipin Saini, Manish Kumar, Shailendra Bhatt, A. Pandurangan

Abstract:

The aim of the present study was to fabricate a thermo sensitive gel containing Chlorpheniramine maleate (CPM) loaded nanoparticles following intranasal administration for effective treatment of allergic rhinitis. Chitosan based nanoparticles were prepared by precipitation method followed by the addition of developed NPs within the Poloxamer 407 and carbopol 934P based mucoadhesive thermo-reversible gel. Developed formulations were evaluated for Particle size, PDI, % entrapment efficiency and % cumulative drug permeation. NP3 formulation was found to be optimized on the basis of minimum particle size (143.9 nm), maximum entrapment efficiency (80.10±0.414 %) and highest drug permeation (90.92±0.531 %). The optimized formulation NP3 was then formulated into thermo reversible in situ gel. This intensifies the contact between nasal mucosa and the drug, increases and facilitates the drug absorption which results in increased bioavailability. G4 formulation was selected as the optimize on the basis of gelation ability and mucoadhesive strength. Histology was carried out to examine the damage caused by the optimized G4 formulation. Results revealed no visual signs of tissue damage thus indicated safe nasal delivery of nanoparticulate in situ gel formulation G4. Thus, intranasal CPM NP-loaded in situ gel was found to be a promising formulation for the treatment of allergic rhinitis.

Keywords: chitosan, nanoparticles, in situ gel, chlorpheniramine maleate, poloxamer 407

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714 Effects of Palm Waste Ash Residues on Acidic Soil in Relation to Physiological Responses of Habanero Chili Pepper (Capsicum chinense jacq.)

Authors: Kalu Samuel Ukanwa, Kumar Patchigolla, Ruben Sakrabani

Abstract:

The use of biosolids from thermal conversion of palm waste for soil fertility enhancement was tested in acidic soil of Southern Nigeria for the growing of Habanero chili pepper (Capsicum chinense jacq.). Soil samples from the two sites, showed pH 4.8 and 4.8 for site A and B respectively, below 5.6-6.8 optimum range and other fertility parameters indicating a low threshold for pepper growth. Nursery planting was done at different weeks to determine the optimum planting period. Ash analysis showed that it contains 26% of total K, 20% of total Ca, 0.27% of total P, and pH 11. The two sites were laid for an experiment in randomized complete block design and setup with three replications side by side. Each plot measured 3 x 2 m and a total of 15 plots for each site, four treatments, and one control. Outlined as control, 2, 4, 6 and 8 tonnes/hectare of palm waste ash, the combined average for both sites with correspondent yield after six harvests in one season are; 0, 5.8, 6, 6, 14.5 tonnes/hectare respectively to treatments. Optimum nursery survival rate was high in July; the crop yield was linear to the ash application. Site A had 6% yield higher than site B. Fruit development, weight, and total yield in relation to the control plot showed that palm waste ash is effective for soil amendment, nutrient delivery, and exchange.

Keywords: ash, palm waste, pepper, soil amendment

Procedia PDF Downloads 133
713 State Estimator Performance Enhancement: Methods for Identifying Errors in Modelling and Telemetry

Authors: M. Ananthakrishnan, Sunil K Patil, Koti Naveen, Inuganti Hemanth Kumar

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State estimation output of EMS forms the base case for all other advanced applications used in real time by a power system operator. Ensuring tuning of state estimator is a repeated process and cannot be left once a good solution is obtained. This paper attempts to demonstrate methods to improve state estimator solution by identifying incorrect modelling and telemetry inputs to the application. In this work, identification of database topology modelling error by plotting static network using node-to-node connection details is demonstrated with examples. Analytical methods to identify wrong transmission parameters, incorrect limits and mistakes in pseudo load and generator modelling are explained with various cases observed. Further, methods used for active and reactive power tuning using bus summation display, reactive power absorption summary, and transformer tap correction are also described. In a large power system, verifying all network static data and modelling parameter on regular basis is difficult .The proposed tuning methods can be easily used by operators to quickly identify errors to obtain the best possible state estimation performance. This, in turn, can lead to improved decision-support capabilities, ultimately enhancing the safety and reliability of the power grid.

Keywords: active power tuning, database modelling, reactive power, state estimator

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712 Comprehensive Study of Data Science

Authors: Asifa Amara, Prachi Singh, Kanishka, Debargho Pathak, Akshat Kumar, Jayakumar Eravelly

Abstract:

Today's generation is totally dependent on technology that uses data as its fuel. The present study is all about innovations and developments in data science and gives an idea about how efficiently to use the data provided. This study will help to understand the core concepts of data science. The concept of artificial intelligence was introduced by Alan Turing in which the main principle was to create an artificial system that can run independently of human-given programs and can function with the help of analyzing data to understand the requirements of the users. Data science comprises business understanding, analyzing data, ethical concerns, understanding programming languages, various fields and sources of data, skills, etc. The usage of data science has evolved over the years. In this review article, we have covered a part of data science, i.e., machine learning. Machine learning uses data science for its work. Machines learn through their experience, which helps them to do any work more efficiently. This article includes a comparative study image between human understanding and machine understanding, advantages, applications, and real-time examples of machine learning. Data science is an important game changer in the life of human beings. Since the advent of data science, we have found its benefits and how it leads to a better understanding of people, and how it cherishes individual needs. It has improved business strategies, services provided by them, forecasting, the ability to attend sustainable developments, etc. This study also focuses on a better understanding of data science which will help us to create a better world.

Keywords: data science, machine learning, data analytics, artificial intelligence

Procedia PDF Downloads 82
711 Study of Mechanical Properties of Leno Woven Bags in Lower Weight Capacities

Authors: Golda Honey Madhu, Priyanka Gupta, Anil Kumar Yadav

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The study is aimed at analyzing and understanding the design and performance properties of leno woven sacks specifically meant for holding lower weight goods under the category of lower weight capacities. The sacks are a huge part of the agro-based packaging industries which helps in keeping the perishable produce, especially fruits, fresh during transit and storage. Nowadays, Leno bags are primarily made from polypropylene, mainly due its cost-effectiveness, reusability and high strength with low weight property making it an ideal packaging solution for transportation. The design parameters are noted, and major properties like tensile strength, abrasion resistance, bursting strength, impact resistance, stiffness and bagging behaviour has been analyzed for lower weight capacities. An examination of these particular weight categories will provide valuable information on how to scale performance. Currently there are standards available for only 25 kg and 50 kg Leno sacks, and this study will further enhance the already existing testing standards and also provide tested structure-property analysis for lower weight Leno sacks. Hence the results of this research can provide significant insights for researchers, manufacturers and industry-experts with the goal of improving the quality and longevity of Leno woven sacks, thereby developing the packaging technology.

Keywords: leno bags, structure-property analysis, agro-based packaging, lower weight sacks

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710 An Experimental Study to Investigate the Behaviour of Torque Fluctuation of Crossflow Turbines Operating in an Open Channel

Authors: Sunil Kumar Singal, Manoj Sood, Upendra Bajpai

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Instream technology is the upcoming sustainable approach in the hydro sector for energy harnessing. With well-known cross-sections and regulated supply, open channels are the most prominent locations for the installation of hydrokinetic turbines. The fluctuation in generated torque varies with site condition (flow depth and flow velocity), as well as with the type of turbine. The present experimental study aims to investigate the torque/power fluctuations of crossflow hydrokinetic turbines operating at different flow velocities and water depths. The flow velocity is varied from 1.0 m/s to 2.0 m/s. The complete assembly includes an open channel having dimensions of 0.3 m (depth) x 0.71 m (width) x 4.5 m (length), along with a lifting mechanism for varying the channel slope, a digital transducer for monitoring the torque, power, and rpm, a digital handheld water velocity meter for measuring the flow velocity. Further, a time series of torque, power, and rpm is plotted for a duration of 30 minutes showing the continuous operation of the turbine. A comparison of Savonius, Darrieus, and their improved twisted and helical blades is also presented in the study. A correlation has also been developed for assessing the hydropower generation from the installed turbine. The developed correlations will be very useful in the decision-making process for development at a site.

Keywords: darrieus turbine, flow velocity, open channel, savoinus turbine, water depth, hydropower

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709 Geometrical Fluid Model for Blood Rheology and Pulsatile Flow in Stenosed Arteries

Authors: Karan Kamboj, Vikramjeet Singh, Vinod Kumar

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Considering blood to be a non-Newtonian Carreau liquid, this indirect numerical model investigates the pulsatile blood flow in a constricted restricted conduit that has numerous gentle stenosis inside the view of an increasing body speed. Asymptotic answers are obtained for the flow rate, pressure inclination, speed profile, sheer divider pressure, and longitudinal impedance to stream after the use of the twofold irritation approach to the problem of the succeeding non-straight limit esteem. It has been observed that the speed of the blood increases when there is an increase in the point of tightening of the conduit, the body speed increase, and the power regulation file. However, this rheological manner of behaving changes to one of longitudinal impedance to stream and divider sheer pressure when each of the previously mentioned boundaries increases. It has also been seen that the sheer divider pressure in the bloodstream greatly increases when there is an increase in the maximum depth of the stenosis but that it significantly decreases when there is an increase in the pulsatile Reynolds number. This is an interesting phenomenon. The assessments of the amount of growth in the longitudinal resistance to flow increase overall with the increment of the maximum depth of the stenosis and the Weissenberg number. Additionally, it is noted that the average speed of blood increases noticeably with the growth of the point of tightening of the corridor, and body speed increases border. This is something that can be observed.

Keywords: geometry of artery, pulsatile blood flow, numerous stenosis

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708 Polyethylene Terephthalate Plastic Degradation by Fungus Rasamsonia Emersonii

Authors: Naveen Kumar

Abstract:

Microplastics, tiny plastic particles less than 5 mm in size formed by the disposal and breakdown of industrial and consumer products, have become a primary environmental concern due to their ubiquitous presence and application in the environment and their potential to cause harm to the ecosystem, wildlife and human health. In this, we study the ability of the fungus Rasamsonia emersonii IMI 393752 to degrade the rigid microplastics of Coke bottles. Microplastics were extracted from Coke bottles and incubated with Rasamsonia emersonii in Sabouraud dextrose agar media. Microplastics were pre-sterilized without altering the chemistry of microplastic. Preliminary analysis was performed by observing radial growth assessment of microplastic-containing media enriched with fungi vs. control. The assay confirmed no impedance or change in the fungi's growth pattern and rate by introducing microplastics. The degradation of the microplastics was monitored over time using microscopy and FTIR, and biodegradation/deterioration on the plastic surface was observed. Furthermore, the liquid assay was performed. HPLC and GCMS will be conducted to check the biodegradation and presence of enzyme release by fungi to counteract the presence of microplastics. These findings have important implications for managing plastic waste, as they suggest that fungi such as Rasamsonia emersonii can potentially degrade microplastics safely and effectively. However, further research to optimise the conditions for microplastic degradation by Rasamsonia emersonii and to develop strategies for scaling up the process for industrial applications will be beneficial.

Keywords: bioremediation, mycoremediation, plastic degradtion, polyethylene terephthalate

Procedia PDF Downloads 97
707 PAPR Reduction of FBMC Using Sliding Window Tone Reservation Active Constellation Extension Technique

Authors: S. Anuradha, V. Sandeep Kumar

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The high Peak to Average Power Ratio (PAR) in Filter Bank Multicarrier with Offset Quadrature Amplitude Modulation (FBMC-OQAM) can significantly reduce power efficiency and performance. In this paper, we address the problem of PAPR reduction for FBMC-OQAM systems using Tone Reservation (TR) technique. Due to the overlapping structure of FBMCOQAM signals, directly applying TR schemes of OFDM systems to FBMC-OQAM systems is not effective. We improve the tone reservation (TR) technique by employing sliding window with Active Constellation Extension for the PAPR reduction of FBMC-OQAM signals, called sliding window tone reservation Active Constellation Extension (SW-TRACE) technique. The proposed SW-TRACE technique uses the peak reduction tones (PRTs) of several consecutive data blocks to cancel the peaks of the FBMC-OQAM signal inside a window, with dynamically extending outer constellation points in active(data-carrying) channels, within margin-preserving constraints, in order to minimize the peak magnitude. Analysis and simulation results compared to the existing Tone Reservation (TR) technique for FBMC/OQAM system. The proposed method SW-TRACE has better PAPR performance and lower computational complexity.

Keywords: FBMC-OQAM, peak-to-average power ratio, sliding window, tone reservation Active Constellation Extension

Procedia PDF Downloads 447
706 A Study of Some Selected Anthropometric and Physical Fitness Variables of Junior Free Style Wrestlers

Authors: Parwinder Singh, Ashok Kumar

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Aim: The aim of the study was to investigate the relationship between selected Anthropometric and physical fitness variables of Junior Free Style Wrestlers. Method: one hundred fifty (N = 150) male Junior Free Style Wrestlers were selected as subjects, and they were categorized into five groups according to their weight categories; each group was comprised of 30 wrestlers. Body Mass Index can be considered according to the World Health Organization. Body fat percentage was assessed by using Durnin and Womersley equation, and Bodyweight was checked with a weighing machine. Cardiovascular endurance was checked by the Havard Step test of junior freestyle wrestlers. Results: A statistically positive significant correlation was found between Body Weight and Body Mass Index, skinfold thickness, and Percentage Body Fat. Fitness index was observed as negatively significant relationship related with Body Weight, Percent Body Fat, and Body Mass Index. Conclusion: It is concluded that freestyle wrestling is a weight classified sport and physical fitness is the most important factor in freestyle wrestling; therefore, the correlation of the fitness index of the wrestlers with body composition is important. The results of the present study also demonstrated the effect of Age, Body Height, Body Weight, Body Mass Index, and percentage body fat of the aerobic fitness of junior freestyle wrestlers.

Keywords: aerobic fitness, anthropometry, fat percentage, free style wrestling, skinfold, strength

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705 Physiological and Molecular Characterizations of Ricinus Communis Genotypes under Cadmium Stress

Authors: Rini Rahul, Manoj Kumar

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Cadmium (Cd) is a poisonous trace metal, which is responsible for excess reactive oxygen species generation (ROS) in plants, thereby adversely affecting their productivity and commercial potential. Ricinus communis (castor) is an industry-efficient non-edible bioenergy crop used for phytoremediation and re-vegetation. We have determined the total Cd content in castor genotypes and established a relationship between the Cd tolerance mechanism and physiological parameters like chlorophyll fluorescence, the total photosynthetic activity, chlorophyll and carotenoid content as well as ROS generation and malondialdehyde content. This study is an effort to comprehend the interrelation between Cd toxicity (control, 250 µM and 500 µM), proline, various ROS scavenging enzymes (anti-oxidative in nature), nicotianamine synthase (NAS) and Natural resistance-associated macrophage protein (NRAMP) gene. The antioxidant enzyme activity increased for WM hence conferring Cd toxicity in this genotype. RcNRAMP genes showed differential expression in GCH2 and WM genotypes; this can also be one of the reasons for Cd toxicity and sensitivity in WM and GCH2, respectively. The cause of pronounced Cd tolerance in WM leaves can be because of enhanced expression of RcNAS1, RcNAS2 and RcNAS3 genes. Our results demonstrate that there is an interrelation between Cd toxicity (control, 250 µM and 500 µM), proline, various ROS scavenging enzymes (anti-oxidative in nature), NAS and NRAMP gene.

Keywords: ricinus communis, cadmium, reactive oxygen species, nicotianamine synthase, NRAMP, malondialdehyde

Procedia PDF Downloads 76
704 An AI-Based Dynamical Resource Allocation Calculation Algorithm for Unmanned Aerial Vehicle

Authors: Zhou Luchen, Wu Yubing, Burra Venkata Durga Kumar

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As the scale of the network becomes larger and more complex than before, the density of user devices is also increasing. The development of Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) networks is able to collect and transform data in an efficient way by using software-defined networks (SDN) technology. This paper proposed a three-layer distributed and dynamic cluster architecture to manage UAVs by using an AI-based resource allocation calculation algorithm to address the overloading network problem. Through separating services of each UAV, the UAV hierarchical cluster system performs the main function of reducing the network load and transferring user requests, with three sub-tasks including data collection, communication channel organization, and data relaying. In this cluster, a head node and a vice head node UAV are selected considering the Central Processing Unit (CPU), operational (RAM), and permanent (ROM) memory of devices, battery charge, and capacity. The vice head node acts as a backup that stores all the data in the head node. The k-means clustering algorithm is used in order to detect high load regions and form the UAV layered clusters. The whole process of detecting high load areas, forming and selecting UAV clusters, and moving the selected UAV cluster to that area is proposed as offloading traffic algorithm.

Keywords: k-means, resource allocation, SDN, UAV network, unmanned aerial vehicles

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703 Paraoxonase 1 (PON 1) Arylesterase and Lactonase Activities, Polymorphism and Conjugated Dienes in Gastroenteritis in Paediatric Population

Authors: M. R. Mogarekar, Shraddha V. More, Pankaj Kumar

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Gastroenteritis, the third leading killer of children in India today is responsible for 13% of all deaths in children <5 years of age and kills an estimated 300,000 children in India each year. We decided to investigate parameters which can help in early disease detection and prompt treatment. Serum paraoxonase is calcium dependent esterase which is widely distributed among tissues such as liver, kidney, and intestine and is located in the chromosomal region 7q21.3 22.1. Studies show the presence of excessive reactive oxygen metabolites and antioxidant imbalance in the gastrointestinal tract leading to oxidative stress in gastroenteritis. To our knowledge, this is the first ever study done. The objective of present study is to investigate the role of paraoxonase 1 (PON 1) status i.e arylesterase and lactonase activities and Q192R polymorphism and conjugated dienes, in gastroenteritis of paediatric population. The study and control group consists of 40 paediatric patients with and without gastroenteritis. Paraoxonase arylesterase and lactonase activities were assessed and phenotyping was determined. Conjugated dienes were also assessed. PON 1 arylesterase activities in cases (61.494±13.220) and controls (70.942±15.385) and lactonase activities in cases (15.702±1.036) and controls (17.434±1.176) were significantly decreased (p<0.05). There is no significant difference of phenotypic distribution in cases and controls. Conjugated dienes were found significantly increased in patients (0.086±0.024) than the control group (0.064±0.019) (p<0.05). Paraoxonase 1 activities (arylesterase and lactonase) and conjugated dienes may be useful in risk assessment and management in gastroenteritis in paediatric population.

Keywords: paraoxonase 1 polymorphism, arylesterase, lactonase, conjugated dienes, p-nitrophenylacetate, DHC

Procedia PDF Downloads 307
702 Microstructural and Optical Characterization of High-quality ZnO Nano-rods Deposited by Simple Electrodeposition Process

Authors: Somnath Mahato, Minarul Islam Sarkar, Luis Guillermo Gerling, Joaquim Puigdollers, Asit Kumar Kar

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Nanostructured Zinc Oxide (ZnO) thin films have been successfully deposited on indium tin oxide (ITO) coated glass substrates by a simple two electrode electrodeposition process at constant potential. The preparative parameters such as deposition time, deposition potential, concentration of solution, bath temperature and pH value of electrolyte have been optimized for deposition of uniform ZnO thin films. X-ray diffraction studies reveal that the prepared ZnO thin films have a high preferential oriented c-axis orientation with compact hexagonal (wurtzite) structure. Surface morphological studies show that the ZnO films are smooth, continuous, uniform without cracks or holes and compact with nanorod-like structure on the top of the surface. Optical properties reveal that films exhibit higher absorbance in the violet region of the optical spectrum; it gradually decreased in the visible range with increases in wavelength and became least at the beginning of NIR region. The photoluminescence spectra shows that the observed peaks are attributed to the various structural defects in the nanostructured ZnO crystal. The microstructural and optical properties suggest that the electrodeposited ZnO thin films are suitable for application in photosensitive devices such as photovoltaic solar cells photoelectrochemical cells and light emitting diodes etc.

Keywords: electrodeposition, microstructure, optical properties, ZnO thin films

Procedia PDF Downloads 321