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Structural and wettability properties of titanium nitride (TiN) thin films for different annealing temperatures have been characterized, and critical parameters have been identified. TiN thin films were deposited onto the silicon substrates by using the magneto-sputtering technique for two different powers, 150 W and 350 W. Subsequently, the films were annealed in the air at 573–973 K for the duration of 1 h. The X-ray diffraction spectra showed the appearance of titanium dioxide (TiO2) above 773 K temperature (termed as transformation temperature). The relative intensity of the TiO2 peaks rapidly increase with the temperature. The thin and dense oxide overlayer appeared at 773 K, and the thicker oxide layer was observed at 973 K. Surface roughness is observed to increase with the increase in annealing temperature but with the limiting value at 773 K; after that, the roughness decreases because of the stable formation of TiO2. Similarly, with an increase in temperature, the hydrophobic nature of thin films becomes more significant; however at 973 K, the formation of TiO2 declines the hydrophobic nature, and thus the surface energy increases. Transformation temperature is also found to be responsible for the reduction in grain size and compressive strain of the thin film.

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Background: Probiotics are co-prescribed with co-amoxiclav to prevent antibiotic-associated diarrhea (AAD). The study assesses the co-prescription pattern of probiotics with co-amoxiclav in pediatric patients with respiratory tract infections (RTIs).Methods: This was a mixed methods research study with a retrospective study and a prospective survey. The retrospective part included a multicenter, observational, real-world study utilizing patients' electronic medical records for three years (2018-2020) from seven outpatient pediatric clinics and hospitals. The qualitative evaluation was performed with a predefined questionnaire.Results: The patients having RTIs (N=984) were prescribed Clamp ® (46.7%), CAA (23.8%), and CAM (29.5%). The mean age of the patients was 4.05 years, with 59.25% males and most patients having upper RTIs. Coamoxiclav was prescribed twice daily for one to 15 days. A significantly lesser number of probiotic coprescriptions were observed with Clamp ® (19.57%) than with CAA (38.46%) and CAM (29.31%) at baseline (p<0.001). Similar findings were observed for follow-up visits one and two. Saccharomyces boulardii, Bacillus clausii, and lactic acid bacillus were the most commonly co-prescribed probiotics. The qualitative evaluation indicated that most clinicians were aware of the co-amoxiclav-related gastrointestinal side effects and the benefits of probiotics in preventing them. Conclusion:The frequency of co-prescriptions of probiotics with Clamp ® among pediatric patients with RTIs was significantly less, potentially indicating better gastrointestinal tolerability.