This work investigates the use of hydrogenated amorphous silicon (a-Si:H) as a high-refractive-index material for quarter-wave distributed Bragg reflectors (DBRs) in photonic applications. In comparison to Si3N4, a-Si:H enables enhanced optical confinement, broader omnidirectional reflectance, and improved figures of merit, including higher Purcell and quality factors, while minimizing mirror complexity. To evaluate the practical impact of these advantages, a theoretical comparison is conducted between Fabry–Pérot cavities based on a-Si:H/SiO2 and Si3N4/SiO2 DBRs, examining resonance shifts as functions of cavity refractive index (1.0–3.0) and temperature (0–250 °C). The numerical results indicate that Si3N4/SiO2 planar Bragg caviti

Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS) is triggered by a variety of insults, such as bacterial and viral infections, including SARS-CoV-2, leading to high mortality. In the murine model of ARDS induced by Staphylococcal enterotoxin-B (SEB), our previous studies showed that while SEB triggered 100% mortality, treatment with Resveratrol (RES) completely prevented such mortality by attenuating inflammation in the lungs. In the current study, we investigated the metabolic profile of SEB-activated immune cells in the lungs following treatment with RES. RES-treated mice had higher expression of miR-100 in the lung mononuclear cells (MNCs), which targeted mTOR, leading to its decreased expression. Also, Single-cell RNA-seq (scRNA seq)

Developing routes to produce cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) from high-lignin wood residues is essential for expanding sustainable nanocellulose feedstocks. In this work, Meranti (Shorea sp.) sawdust was valorized into CNCs by integrating ammonium persulfate (APS) pretreatment with subsequent sulfuric acid hydrolysis. To establish a severity map and define an operating window, APS pretreatment severity was systematically varied by adjusting APS concentration and the sawdust-to-APS (solid-to-liquid) ratio, and its influence on CNC structural properties was evaluated. APS pretreatment partially disrupted and oxidized the lignocellulosic matrix, enabling acid hydrolysis to liberate crystalline cellulose domains. XRD analysis confirmed th

Hydrogen sulfide (H₂S) gas sensor based on cobalt–manganese spinel oxide MnCo₂O₄ thin films that were prepared by chemical precipitation and green synthesis methods. Structural, morphological, and compositional characterizations of MnCo₂O₄ thin films were performed using XRD, FE-SEM, EDS, and AFM. It was found through XRD patterns that MnCo₂O₄ was formed in a cubic spinel structure for both methods; however, the chemically precipitated thin films possessed better crystallinity and larger crystallite sizes, whereas the green-synthesized films exhibited slightly lower crystallinities and smaller sizes, as evidenced by the broader peaks observed. In addition, FE-SEM and AFM images revealed that the MnCo₂O₄ films prepared by

Ag-doped NiO thin films were fabricated by dip coating and subsequently annealed at 373, 473, 573, and 673 K to elucidate the influence of annealing temperature on their structural, morphological, optical, and NO2-sensing characteristics. X-ray diffraction confirmed the formation of polycrystalline Ag/NiO films, with progressively improved crystallinity and larger crystallite size at elevated annealing temperatures. Atomic force microscopy revealed a homogeneous surface morphology with grain growth, with the average grain diameter increasing from 26.40 to 34.2 nm. Optical analysis showed high visible-region transmittance (65–70%) and a gradual reduction in the optical band gap from 2.75 to 2.07 eV with increasing annealing temperature. Ga