Magnetic properties of polypyrrole - coated iron oxide nanoparticles

Iron oxide nanoparticles were prepared by sol -gel process. Insitu polymerization of pyrrole monomer in the presence of oxygen in iron oxide ethanol suspension resulted in a iron oxide - polypyrrole nanocomposite. The structure and magnetic properties were investigated for varying pyrrole concentrations. The presence of the gamma - iron oxide phase and polypyrrole were confirmed by XRD and FTIR respectively. Agglomeration was found to be comparatively much reduced for the coated samples, as shown by TEM. AC susceptibility measurements confirmed the superparamagnetic behaviour. Numerical simulations performed for an interacting model system are performed to estimate the anisotropy and compare favourably with experimental results.Comment: 11 pages,8 figure

SMART MEDICAL ASSIST BOT: REVOLUTIONIZING PATIENT CARE IN ISOLATED HOSPITAL WARDS

n hospitals, preliminary health assessments are typically performed by doctors, involving direct physical contact with patients. This practice not only exposes healthcare workers to potential infectious diseases but also consumes valuable time that could be better spent on critical cases. Routine checks, which could be automated, often contribute to longer patient wait times and reduced overall efficiency in hospital operations. The COVID-19 pandemic has further emphasized the importance of minimizing human-to-human contact, with the World Health Organization (WHO) advocating for social distancing and contactless interaction to prevent the spread of the virus. This situation highlights a pressing need for innovative solutions that maintain highquality care while reducing direct physical contact. This project addresses the challenge by developing an Autonomous Smart Medical Assistant Robot capable of performing contactless preliminary health testing. Designed to automate routine assessments, the robot significantly reduces doctors’ workload, improves hospital workflow, and enhances patient management. It has been precisely designed and simulated using Autodesk Fusion 360, ensuring mechanical accuracy, while its control system is programmed using the Arduino IDE, allowing seamless integration of health-monitoring sensors and autonomous functionality. Beyond health assessments, the robot also provides emotional support to patients and can be used for the transport of medical supplies between healthcare providers and patients. This multifunctional capability not only enhances safety by limiting unnecessary exposure but also introduces operational efficiency and emotional care into medical settings. The implementation of this robot represents a step toward smarter, safer, and more compassionate healthcare environments

Field Visit Tracker: Geo-Tagged Inspections with Digital Signatures and Authentication for District Officials

The Field Visit Tracker is a comprehensive web and mobile-based solution developed to modernize and authenticate field inspection activities carried out by district-level government officials. Traditional manual methods of inspection are often plagued by inefficiencies, lack of transparency, and issues related to data manipulation. This application addresses these challenges by integrating real-time geo-tagging, digital signature capabilities, and secure authentication protocols. During a field visit, the application accurately records geographical coordinates and timestamps, thereby confirming the physical presence of the official at the inspection site. Furthermore, digital signature integration provides non-repudiable evidence of report authenticity, which significantly enhances the credibility of field reports. To ensure robust security, the system employs role-based access control combined with multi-factor authentication, thereby restricting unauthorized access and data tampering. All inspection data is stored in a secure, centralized repository, accessible to higher authorities through an interactive dashboard. This dashboard supports real-time monitoring, automated report generation, and analytics, facilitating informed decision-making and policy formulation. The application not only ensures operational transparency and accountability but also promotes efficiency by digitizing the end-to end inspection workflow. Designed with user-centric interfaces and scalable architecture, the Field Visit Tracker is a pivotal tool for enhancing governance in field-level administration and public service delivery

Incidence of respiratory infections and its correlation with smoke exposure among infants from an urban field practice area in Tamil Nadu

Background: Children’s acute lower respiratory infections are most prevalent among new-born. Clinical evaluation and symptoms help to establish the connection between smoke exposure and acute respiratory tract infection (ARTI). Furthermore, there is proof that exposing children to coal smoke considerably increases their risk of developing ARTI. Aims and Objectives: This study was designed to estimate the incidence of respiratory tract infection (RTI) among selected cohort of infants in urban field practice area of Tamil Nadu and to correlate the incidence of RTIs with smoke practices. Materials and Methods: In Tamil Nadu’s urban field practice area, a cohort study of infants was done. A house-to-house survey was conducted and information was gathered among 150 newborns who were tracked after being selected as a period sample based on inclusion criteria at a 15* visit. Numerous data on ARI episodes, housing circumstances, and smoke exposure were gathered and correlated. Software such as Epi info and SPSS version 22 were used to analye data. Results: The incidence of TI was calculated to be 1.7 episodes per 100 person days and 4.7 on average among the 150 newborns chosen. Nearly 48% of people lived in huts, 84% had indoor kitchens, and 75% cooked with gas. Infants who appeared to regularly be exposed to passive smoking have a little increase in the incidence of mean RTI bouts. Conclusion: The additional hospital admissions, which are entirely preventable, place a heavy load on the public health system. It is evident that new initiatives are required to stop infants from being exposed to passive smoke during and after pregnancy. Improving international Electrotechnical commission activities play an active role is reducing incidence of RTIs among infants. Intensified educational interventions on ill effects of indoor and outdoor smoke, passive smoking helps in addressing the issue

Trichoderma: A Beneficial Organism for Agriculture

Trichoderma spp. are the most commonly used and widely applied biocontrol agents which is known for its antagonistic activities against plant pathogens especially soil borne pathogens such as Fusarium spp. (Fusarium wilt), Rhizoctonia, Pythium (Damping off), Sclerotium rolfsii (Sclerotinia rot), etc. Trichoderma exhibit diverse array of activities viz. plant growth promotion, biofertilizer, bioagents through the production of different biocontrol mechanisms (enzymes) such as chitinase, protease, glucanase, etc. Their mode of action is either by parasitizing the plant pathogens, secreting antibiotics or by competing for space and nutrients. Nutrient uptake is also enhanced as it regulates the root architecture promoting better root growth. Recently studies have found that it can also be utilized for bioremediation which will play a pivotal role in rejuvenating the environment from toxic substances. Heavy metal contaminants like Ni, Cd, Zn, Pb, As has been tolerated and accumulated by Trichoderma sp. Decomposition rate was fastened when Trichoderma was inoculated in agricultural waste substrate. It can detoxify toxic pesticides and fungicides which will be of great help in solving the environment pollutants besides increasing the soil fertility. Its role as biocontrol and as bioremediation can be of great advantage to the agriculture sector in solving disease problems and providing safe environment.</jats:p