COVID-19 and Learning Styles: GCET as Case Study

The COVID-19 pandemic has caused higher educational institutions around the world to close campus-based activities and move to online delivery. The aim of this paper is to present the case of Global College of Engineering and Technology (GCET) and how its practices including teaching, students/staff support, assessments, and exam policies were affected. The paper investigates the mediating role of no detriment policy impact on students’ result along with the challenges faced by the higher educational institution, recommendations and suggestions. The investigation concludes that the strategies adopted for online delivery, student support, assessments and exam policies have helped students to effectively cope with the teaching and learning challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic without affecting their academic results. The study shows that 99% of students were able to maintain the same or better level of performance during the 1st COVID-19 semester. One percent of students had shown a slight decrease in their performance (about 1%–2%) with respect to their overall marks pre-COVID-19. The no detriment policy has succoured those 1% of the students to maintain their overall performance to what it used to be pre-COVID-19 pandemic. Finally, the paper provides the list of challenges and suggestions for smooth conduction of online education.     

Graphene oxides nanosheets mediation of poly(vinyl alcohol) films in tuning their structural and opto-mechanical attributes

Herein, we report successful incorporation of graphene oxide (GO) nanosheets into poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) matrix by employing solution casting method. The effect of GO loadings on structural, optical and mechanical properties of PVA films was investigated. Most of the optical properties of such films are reported for the first time in the present study. On incorporating GO nanosheets into PVA matrix, the properties of nanocomposites were changed entirely. The tensile strength and Young’s modulus of nanocomposites were enhanced. Alongside, a variation in absorption edge, direct/indirect band gap, Urbach energy, refractive index, optical dielectric constant, optical conductivity and dispersion parameters were noticed. The band gap and dispersion parameters were calculated using Tauc’s and Wemple–DiDomenico models, respectively. Helpin–Tsai and mixture rule models were employed to calculate Young’s modulus. The applied models reinforced the experimental results in the present study. Advanced analytical techniques were employed to characterize the nanocomposites films. The prepared nanocomposites might be used in designing the opto-electronic devices.     

Effect of silicon alloying addition on the corrosion behaviour of aluminium in some aqueous media

The corrosion behaviour of three Al–Si alloys was studied after galvanostatic passivation in 0.1 M sodium tartrate, sulfate and borate solutions using EIS techniques. The degree of passivation depends on the anion type, the degree of polarization and the alloy composition. It was also found that increase in pH led to a decrease in polarization resistance R _p. The effect of formation voltage, V _f, on the growth and dissolution kinetics of the oxide grown on the alloys was studied. The polarization resistance value increases as V _f increases up to a certain value; above this the R _p value decreases. This critical V _f depends on the alloy composition and the test solution. The kinetics of oxide layer dissolution in the absence and presence of Cl^– ions was also studied. Increase in immersion time leads to a more severe attack by Cl^– ions as shown by the decrease in the value of R _p. At low Cl^– ion concentration the value of R _p is higher than that in chloride ion free sulfate solutions, because the rate of passive film repair is much higher than that of barrier layer dissolution. However, at high Cl^– ion concentration penetration of Cl^– through defects in the barrier layer leads to formation of an oxyhalide layer.     

Analysis of junction properties of gold–zinc oxide nanorods-based Schottky diode by means of frequency dependent electrical characterization on textile

Present work is an effort to reveal the junction properties of gold/zinc oxide (ZnO) nanorods-based Schottky diode by using the frequency dependent electrical properties. The most important electrical parameters such as conductance, resistance, capacitance, and impedance were studied as function of frequency across the series of AC voltages. Moreover, current density–voltage (J–V) was measured to know the performance of present Schottky diode. The effect of native defects was also studied by using cathodoluminescence spectroscopy measured at different accelerating voltage. The textile substrate was used for the growth of ZnO nanorods by using the aqueous chemical growth method and Schottky diode fabrication. Diode fabrication on textile fabric is a step forward toward the fabrication of electronic devices on nonconventional, economical, soft, light weight, flexible, wearable, washable, recyclable, reproducible, and nontoxic substrate.     

Synthesis of Al2O3 whisker-reinforced yttria-stabilized-zirconia (YSZ) nanocomposites through in situ formation of alumina whiskers

Enhanced mechanical properties of yttria-stabilized zirconia based composites were obtained by introducing alumina whiskers as reinforcement. The alumina whiskers were formed in situ by decomposition of ammonium aluminum carbonate hydroxide (AACH) whiskers during calcination. The whiskers thus formed were amorphous and were converted to α-alumina during sintering at 1450 °C. The AACH whiskers were produced by hydrothermal treatment of an aqueous solution of urea and aluminum nitrate at 120 °C for 24 h. The Vickers hardness of the sintered composite sample increased with an increase in the alumina content up to 10 wt% and then decreased. The maximum hardness achieved at 10 wt% of alumina whiskers was 13.8 GPa, which further increased to 14.4 GPa with the addition of 1.0 wt% of cetyl-trimethyl-ammonium bromide (CTAB). The improved mechanical strength of the composites was attributed to the enhanced dispersion of alumina whiskers due to four times volume decrease during transformation of AACH to alumina and relatively lower aspect ratio of AACH whiskers as well as the deflocculating effect of CTAB.     

Medium effect on electrochemical behaviour of anodized aluminium

The effect of some anions on the growth of the oxide film on aluminium was studied in acid and neutral media, as well as the effect of pH in presence of the same anion. In all the cases studied an inner barrier layer is formed adjacent to the metal and is covered on top with a porous layer. This latter outer layer differentiates into two regions, the one adjacent to the solution being characterized by a more open structure and a higher degree of anion incorporation as compared to the region embedded between it and the inner barrier layer. The rate of dissolution of the barrier layer is not affected by pH or anion type prevailing in the formation medium, since this layer is formed of pure alumina. The dissolution of the outer porous layer, on the other hand, is affected by both pH and anion type.     

Primary aortic valve replacement with allografts over twenty-five years: valve-related and procedure-related determinants of outcome

OBJECTIVES: Allografts offer many advantages over prosthetic valves, but allograft durability varies considerably. METHODS: From 1969 through 1993, 618 patients aged 15 to 84 years underwent their first aortic valve replacement with an aortic allograft. Concomitant surgery included aortic root tailoring (n = 58), replacement or tailoring of the ascending aorta (n = 56), and coronary artery bypass grafting (n = 87). Allograft implantation was done by means of a "freehand" subcoronary technique (n = 551) or total root replacement (n = 67). The allografts were antibiotic sterilized (n = 479), cryopreserved (n = 12), or viable (unprocessed, harvested from brain-dead multiorgan donors or heart transplant recipients, n = 127). Maximum follow-up was 27.1 years. RESULTS: Thirty-day mortality was 5.0%, and crude survival was 67% and 35% at 10 and 20 years. Ten- and 20-year rates of freedom from complications were as follows: endocarditis, 93% and 89%; primary tissue failure, 62% and 18%; and redo aortic valve replacement, 81% and 35%. Multivariable Cox analyses identified several valve- and procedure-related determinants: rising allograft donor age and antibiotic-sterilized allograft for mortality; donor more than 10 years older than patient for endocarditis; rising donor age minus patient age, rising implantation time (from harvest to aortic valve replacement), and donor age more than 65 years for tissue failure; and rising donor age minus patient age, young patient age, rising implantation time, and subcoronary implantation preceded by aortic root tailoring for redo aortic valve replacement. Estimated 10- and 20-year rates of freedom from tissue failure for a 70-year-old patient with a viable valve from a 30-year-old donor and no other risk factors were 91% and 64%; the figures were 71% and 20% if the donor age was 65 years. The rates of freedom from tissue failure for a 30-year-old patient with a 30-year-old donor were 82% and 39%; the figures were 49% and 3% with a 65-year-old donor. Beneficial influences of a viable valve were largely covered by short harvest time (no delay for allografts from brain dead organ donors or heart transplant recipients) and short implantation time. CONCLUSIONS: Primary allograft aortic valve replacement can give acceptable results for up to 25 years. The late results can be improved by the use of a viable allograft, by matching patient and donor age, and by more liberal use of free root replacement with re-implantation of the coronary arteries rather than tailoring the root to accommodate a subcoronary implantation.     

Synthesis, characterization and biological activity of dimethyltin dicarboxylates containing germanium

A series of diorganotin dicarboxylates of the general formula (CH₃)₂Sn(OCOCHR³CHR²GeR¹)₂ where R¹=(C₆H₅)₃, (P-CH₃C₆H₄)3, N(CH₂CH₂O)₃, R²=C₆H₅, H, CH₃, P-CH₃OC₆H₄, P-ClC₆H₄, P-CH₃C₆H₄, R³=CH₃ and H, have been synthesized by the reaction of dimethyltin oxide with germanium substituted propionic acid in 1:2 molar ratio in toluene. The H₂O formed was removed azeotropically using a Dean and Stark apparatus. All the compounds have been characterized by IR, multinuclear (¹H, ¹³C, ¹¹⁹Sn) NMR, mass and Mössbauer spectroscopies. All compounds were found to have potential activity against bacteria.     

The fabrication of white light-emitting diodes using the n-ZnO/NiO/p-GaN heterojunction with enhanced luminescence

Cheap and efficient white light-emitting diodes (LEDs) are of great interest due to the energy crisis all over the world. Herein, we have developed heterojunction LEDs based on the well-aligned ZnO nanorods and nanotubes on the p-type GaN with the insertion of the NiO buffer layer that showed enhancement in the light emission. Scanning electron microscopy have well demonstrated the arrays of the ZnO nanorods and the proper etching into the nanotubes. X-ray diffraction study describes the wurtzite crystal structure array of ZnO nanorods with the involvement of GaN at the (002) peak. The cathodoluminescence spectra represent strong and broad visible emission peaks compared to the UV emission and a weak peak at 425 nm which is originated from GaN. Electroluminescence study has shown highly improved luminescence response for the LEDs fabricated with NiO buffer layer compared to that without NiO layer. Introducing a sandwich-thin layer of NiO between the n-type ZnO and the p-type GaN will possibly block the injection of electrons from the ZnO to the GaN. Moreover, the presence of NiO buffer layer might create the confinement effect.     

CPW fed grid dielectric resonator antennas with enhanced gain and bandwidth

Metal embedded grid artificial dielectric resonator antennas (GDRAs) fed by different coplanar waveguide (CPW) feeding techniques at mm‐wave frequencies are investigated in detail. GDRAs involve embedding tall nickel metal inclusions in polymethyl‐methacrylate (PMMA) using deep X‐ray lithography and electroforming, which dramatically increases the effective permittivity of the polymer up to 5‐6 times and results in miniaturized antenna structures operating at millimeter‐wave frequencies. The options for different coplanar waveguide (CPW) feeding at 22.6‐26.6 GHz and 26.6‐29.3 GHz are studied by applying a thin 300 μm PMMA layer between the feed layer and metal inclusions of the GDRA to avoid short‐circuiting the underneath feed line structures. In addition, this results in a GDRA structure that improves the impedance bandwidth up to 16.26%, while providing a maximum realized gain of 7.2 dBi across the frequency band with excellent broadband patterns and ?18 dB cross‐polarization levels.