The interconnected CaCO3 coated SnO2 nanocrystalline dye-sensitized solar cell with superior performance

Design, Development, fabrication and investigation of the I–V characteristics of the DSSC based on interconnected 15 nm SnO₂ nanoparticles covered with a nano-scale thin layer of CaCO₃ are described. The presence of CaCO₃ has been confirmed by its characteristic XRD pattern and EDX plots. The thickness of the protective layer can be conveniently controlled by the molar ratio of SnO₂:CaCO₃ used in the preparation of the thin film and the optimum conditions for best performance of the DSSC are presented together with possible explanations for the variations observed when the molar ratio is changed. An optimum light-to-electricity conversion efficiency of 5.4% in the presence of a layer of CaCO₃ has been obtained which is 3.2 times enhancement over the cell prepared without CaCO₃. The characterization of the surface using different techniques is explained.     

Effect of Soluble Solids Concentration and Temperature on Thermo-Physical and Rheological Properties of Mango Puree

Thermo-physical and rheological properties of mango pulp were evaluated at different temperatures (20, 40, 60, and 80°C) and total soluble solids concentrations (15, 20, 32, and 40°Brix). Thermal properties were primarily dependent on the moisture content of the sample, and increased with temperature and decreased with soluble solids concentrations. Density showed a reverse trend. Glass transition temperatures increased with an increase in soluble solids concentrations indicating better stability. Empirical models developed for each thermal property as a function of temperature and soluble solids concentrations (R² > 0.90) generally showed better predictions than published models. Mango puree exhibited pseudo-plastic behavior during steady shear measurements, and the power law model well described their flow behavior. Consistency coefficient increased with soluble solids concentrations and decreased with temperature. The flow behavior index ranged between 0.27 and 0.38 but did not show a clear trend either with soluble solids concentrations or temperature. Small amplitude oscillatory shear measurements revealed that mango puree behaved like a weak gel and demonstrated visco-elastic properties.     

The emergence of social dominance in young boys' play groups: Developmental differences and behavior correlates.

This study examined relations among dominance, sociometric preference, and social behavior in groups of 1st- and 3rd-grade boys. 20 groups of 6 unacquainted boys met for 5 45-min semistructured play sessions on consecutive days. Sociometric interviews yielded daily social preference scores. Boys' social behaviors were coded from video records into discrete categories. Dominance hierarchies were formed on the basis of asymmetry (receiving vs initiating) of peer-directed aggression or persuasion attempts. Group-level results indicated that the least coherently organized groups were those containing younger boys and those in which aggression occurred at a high rate. Individual-level results indicated that dominance was associated with social preference to a greater degree among younger than older boys. Dominance was more highly related to leadership in older than younger boys. Implications of these findings are discussed with respect to the role of aggression in the social organization of boys' peer groups. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Synthesis and characterisation of organosoluble polyimides containing the anisyl moiety

A new type of diamine monomer containing the anisyl moiety was synthesized via a straight‐forward one‐step procedure. Anisaldehyde was reacted with 2,6‐dimethylaniline in the presence of dry HCl to attain bis(4‐amino‐3,5‐dimethylphenyl)anisylmethane. A series of organo‐soluble polyimides were prepared using the anisyl diamine and various aromatic dianhydrides via a two step method involving thermal imidization. All polyimides are soluble in strong polar solvents such as N‐methyl‐2‐pyrollidone, N,N‐Dimethylformamide, and N,N‐DimethylAcetamide. The polyimides show excellent thermal stability and good mechanical properties. The glass transition temperatures of the polyimides are in the range 265–294 °C. The tensile strengths are in the range 79–99 MPa and the temperatures at which 10 % weight loss occurs are in the range 460–496 °C. Copyright © 2004 Society of Chemical Industry     

Free Radical Polymerisation of Methylmethacrylate Using p-nitrobenzyltriphenyl Phosphonium Ylide as Novel Initiator

p-nitrobenzyl triphenyl phosphonium ylide initiated radical polymerisation of MMA in 1-4 dioxane at 65 ± 1°C for 2 h under a nitrogen blanket, follows ideal kinetics with bimolecular termination. The overall activation energy and average value of k _p ²/k _t are 75.7 kJ mol and 1.14 × 10² l mol⁻¹ s⁻¹. FTIR Spectroscopy confirms a band of 1,729 cm⁻¹ of the ester group. ¹H NMR and ¹³C NMR confirms methoxy protons at 3.8 δ ppm and 52 δ ppm, respectively. E.S.R studies confirm a free radical mode of polymerisation. TGDTA analysis confirms the atactic nature of polymer and its thermal stability up to 120°C. Ylide dissociates to give a phenyl radical which is responsible for polymerisation.     

Effect of processing conditions on the oil content of parboiled-rice bran

The oil content of residual milled kernel was consistently lower and of bran higher in parboiled as compared to raw rice at all degrees of milling (d.m.), showing that the rice oil migrated outwards upon parboiling. However, the d.m.-oil content curves for the residual kernel as well as the bran were largely unaffected by varying conditions of parboiling. The total oil content of the grain was also unchanged after parboiling. When the data for the fraction of the total grain oil coming into the bran were plotted against the d.m. for a variety of parboiling conditions, they again fell into a single line. These results showed that, contrary to many earlier claims, the processing condition during parboiling had no effect on the redistribution of the fat in the grain.     

Transient photocurrent response of p-Si/0·5 M H2SO4 interface

An experimental study of the transient photocurrent response of p-Si/0·5 M H₂SO₄ interface is presented. The results have been analysed in terms of a theoretical model wherein surface states are assumed to be present at a discrete levelE _s and communicate exclusively with the semiconductor. The results indicate substantial Fermi level pinning at this interface. Influence of surface oxide films and Pt deposition on the transient response is also discussed.     

Dietary sitostanol and campestanol: Accumulation in the blood of humans with sitosterolemia and xanthomatosis and in rat tissues

Dietary sitostanol has a hypocholesterolemic effect because it decreases the absorption of cholesterol. However, its effects on the sitostanol concentrations in the blood and tissues are relatively unknown, especially in patients with sitosterolemia and xanthomatosis. These patients hyperabsorb all sterols and fail to excrete ingested sitosterol and other plant sterols as normal people do. The goal of the present study was to examine the absorbability of dietary sitostanol in humans and animals and its potential long-term effect. Two patients with sitosterolemia were fed the margarine Benecol (McNeill Nutritionals, Ft. Washington, PA), which is enriched in sitostanol and campestanol, for 7–18 wk. Their plasma cholesterol levels decreased from 180 to 167 mg/dL and 153 to 113 mg/dL, respectively. Campesterol and sitosterol also decreased. However, their plasma sitostanol levels increased from 1.6 to 10.1 mg/dL and from 2.8 to 7.9 mg/dL, respectively. Plasma campestanol also increased. After Benecol withdrawal, the decline in plasma of both sitostanol and campestanol was very sluggish. In an animal study, two groups of rats were fed high-cholesterol diets with and without sitostanol for 4 wk. As expected, plasma and liver cholesterol levels decreased 18 and 53%, respectively. The sitostanol in plasma increased fourfold, and sitostanol increased threefold in skeletal muscle and twofold in heart muscle. Campestanol also increased significantly in both plasma and tissues. Our data indicate that dietary sitostanol and campestanol are absorbed by patients with sitosterolemia and xanthomatosis and also by rats. The absorbed plant stanols were deposited in rat tissues. Once absorbed by sitosterolemic patients, the prolonged retention of sitostanol and campestanol in plasma might increase their atherogenic potential.     

Vibrational Spectroscopic Investigation of Blood Plasma and Serum by Drop Coating Deposition for Clinical Application

In recent decades, vibrational spectroscopic methods such as Raman and FT-IR spectroscopy are widely applied to investigate plasma and serum samples. These methods are combined with drop coating deposition techniques to pre-concentrate the biomolecules in the dried droplet to improve the detected vibrational signal. However, most often encountered challenge is the inhomogeneous redistribution of biomolecules due to the coffee-ring effect. In this study, the variation in biomolecule distribution within the dried-sample droplet has been investigated using Raman and FT-IR spectroscopy and fluorescence lifetime imaging method. The plasma-sample from healthy donors were investigated to show the spectral differences between the inner and outer-ring region of the dried-sample droplet. Further, the preferred location of deposition of the most abundant protein albumin in the blood during the drying process of the plasma has been illustrated by using deuterated albumin. Subsequently, two patients with different cardiac-related diseases were investigated exemplarily to illustrate the variation in the pattern of plasma and serum biomolecule distribution during the drying process and its impact on patient-stratification. The study shows that a uniform sampling position of the droplet, both at the inner and the outer ring, is necessary for thorough clinical characterization of the patient’s plasma and serum sample using vibrational spectroscopy.