In the last 10 years, carbon dots (CDs) synthesized from renewable organic resources have been gathered a considerable amount of attention in different fields for their peculiar photoluminescent properties. Moreover, the synthesis of CDs fully responds to the principles of the circular chemistry and the concept of safe-by-design. This review will focus on the different strategies for the incorporation of CDs in organic light-emitting devices (OLEDs) and on the study of the impact of CDs properties on the OLEDs performance. The main current research outcomes and highlights are summarized to guide users towards the fully exploitation of use these materials in optoelectronic applications.

Organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs) are energy-efficient; however, the coordinating ligand can affect their stability. Sky-blue phosphorescent Pt(II) complexes with a C^N chelate, fluorinated-dbi (dbi = [1-(2,4-diisopropyldibenzo[b,d]furan-3-yl)-2-phenyl-1H-imidazole]), and acetylactonate (acac)(1)/picolinate (pic)(2) ancillary ligands were synthesized. The molecular structures were characterized using various spectroscopic methods. The Pt(II) coordination sphere in 2 exhibited a distorted square-planar geometry, with several intra- and inter-molecular interactions involving Cπ⋯H/Cπ⋯Cπ stacking. Complex 1 emitted bright sky-blue light (λmax = 485 nm) with a moderate photoluminescent quantum efficiency of 0.37 and short decay time (6.1 µs) compared to those of 2. Time-dependent density functional theory calculations suggested that the electronic transition of 1 arose from ligand(C^N)-centered π–π* transitions combined with metal-to-ligand charge transfer transitions (MLCT), whereas that of 2 arose from MLCT and ligand(C^N)-to-ligand(pic) charge transfer (LLCT), with minimal contribution from the C^N chelate to the lowest unoccupied molecular orbital. Multi-layered phosphorescent OLEDs using 1 as a dopant and a mixed host, 3,3-di(9H-carbazol-9-yl)-1,1-biphenyl:3-di(9H-carbazol-9-yl)-1,1-biphenyl (mCBP)/9-(3’-carbazol-9-yl-5-cyano-biphenyl-3-yl)-9H-carbazole-3-carbonitrile (CNmCBPCN) were successfully fabricated. At a 10% doping of 1, a current efficiency of 13.6 cd A−1 and external quantum efficiency of 8.4 % at 100 cd m−2 were achieved. These results show that the ancillary ligand in phosphorescent Pt(II) complexes must be considered.

We propose a deep learning algorithm that directly compensates for luminance degradation owing to the deterioration of organic light emitting diode (OLED) devices to address the burn-in phenomenon of OLED displays. Conventional compensation circuits are encumbered by a high cost of development and manufacturing processes owing to their complexity. However, given that deep learning algorithms are typically mounted on a system on chip (SoC), the complexity of the circuit design is reduced, and the circuit can be reused by re-learning only the changed characteristics of the new pixel device. The proposed approach comprises deep feature generation and multi-stream self-attention, which decipher the importance of the variables, and the correlation between burn-in-related variables. It also utilizes a deep neural network that identifies the nonlinear relationship between the extracted features and luminance degradation. Thereafter, the luminance degradation is estimated from the burn-in-related variables, and the burn-in phenomenon can be addressed by compensating for the luminance degradation. The experimental results revealed that compensation was successfully achieved within an error range of 4.56%, and demonstrate the potential of a new approach that can mitigate the burn-in phenomenon by directly compensating for pixel-level luminance deviation.

The present study analyzed light emitting diodes (LEDs) as an output load and used a Taylor series to describe the characteristic curve based on the exponential characteristic of voltage and current. A prototype circuit of a flyback LED driver system was established to verify whether the theory is consistent with actual results. This study focused on the exponential relationship of LED voltage and current. Conventional simulations usually used linear models to present LED loads. However, the linear model resulted in considerable error between simulation and actual characteristics. Therefore, this study employed a Taylor series to describe the nonlinear characteristic of an LED load. Through precise calculations with Mathcad computation software, the error was effectively reduced. Moreover, the process clarified the influence of temperature on LEDs, which benefited the characteristic analysis of the entire system. Finally, a realized circuit of 120-W flyback LED drivers was established for conducting theory verification, including theoretic analysis and evaluation of the system design process of the flyback converter. The circuit simulation software SIMPLIS was used to demonstrate the system model, which enabled quick understanding of the system framework established in this study. Regarding LEDs, a commercially available aluminum luminaire was used as the output load. The measured results of the actual circuit and the simulation results were remarkably consistent. For the same system at the same temperature, the error between the simulation and actual results was less than 3%, which proved the reliability of the Taylor series simulation.

Organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs) have garnered considerable attention in academic and industrial circles due to their potential applications in flat panel displays and solid-state lighting technologies, leveraging the advantages offered by organic electroactive derivatives over their inorganic counterparts. The thin and flexible design of OLEDs enables the development of innovative lighting solutions, facilitating the creation of customizable and contoured lighting panels. Among the diverse electroactive components employed in the molecular design of OLED materials, the benzophenone core has attracted much attention as fragment for synthesis of organic semiconductors. On the other hand, the benzophenone also functions as a classical phosphor with high intersystem crossing efficiency. This characteristic makes it as compelling candidate for effective reverse intersystem crossing, potentially leading to the development of thermally activated delayed fluorescent (TADF) emitters. These emitting materials witnessed a pronounced interest in recent years due to their incorporation in metal-free electroactive frameworks and the capability to convert triplet excitons into emissive singlet excitons through reverse intersystem crossing (RISC), consequently achieving exceptionally high external quantum efficiencies (EQEs). This review article comprehensively overviews the synthetic pathways, thermal characteristics, electrochemical behaviour and photo-physical properties of the derivatives based on benzophenone. Furthermore, we explore their applications in OLED devices, both as host materials and emitters, shedding light on the promising opportunities that benzophenone-based compounds present in advancing OLED technology.

Recently, light traps using light-emitting diode (LED) lights have been applied to monitor or control insect pests. The oriental armyworm, Mythimna separata Walker, is an important insect pest that has caused damage to several cereal crops, including corn, wheat and rice. The present study aims to seek out a sensitive wavelength causing high phototactic response in M. separata. The study evaluated the phototactic responses of M. separata moths to several LED lights of different wavelengths and luminance intensities under laboratory condition. Results showed that green (520 nm) LED light resulted in significant phototactic response of M. separata moths compared to LED lights of other wavelengths. Additionally, the highest attraction rate of the moths to green LED light appeared in luminance intensity group of 200 lux compared to the other intensities groups. Experiments under optimum conditions based on the above experiments revealed that the green LED light exhibited the strongest attraction rate (64.44%) among all experimental groups. An experiment performed in a net cage also showed that green LED light resulted in the highest phototactic response of M. separata moths, 1.7 times more than a commercial black light used as control. These findings clearly demonstrate that M. separata moths have a high sensitivity to the green LED light. Therefore, a light trap equipped with green LED light could be useful for monitoring and controlling M. separata moths.

In the present work we have investigated an organic semiconductor based on tris(8-hydroxyquinoline) aluminum (AlQ3) doped with tetracyanoquinodimethane (TCNQ), which can be used as a photoactive layer in organic light-emitting device (OLED). DFT calculations were carried out to optimize the structure of semiconductor species and get related constants in order to compare experimental and theoretical results. The semiconductor AlQ3-TCNQ was structurally characterized and their experimental IR spectrum was compared with that obtained through DFT calculations. Subsequently, AlQ3-TCNQ films with polypyrrole (PPy) matrix were fabricated, they were morphologically and mechanically characterized by Scanning Electron and Atomic Force Microscopy techniques. The maximum stress for the film is 8.66 MPa and the Knoop hardness is 0.0311. The film was analyzed in its optical behavior and the optical properties of hybrid film were found to exhibit two indirect allowed transitions at 2.64 and 3.44 eV. Finally, an OLED type was fabricated that was electrically characterized. Applying a cubic-spline approximation to fit cubic polynomials to the J-V curves, the ohmic to SCLC transition voltage VON and the trap-filled-limit voltage VTFL for the device were obtained. Then, the free carrier density and trap density for the device were approximated to n0=2.4787×10171m3 and Nt=1.7419×10291m3 respectively.

PEDOT:PSS (polyethylene dioxythiophene:polystyrenesulfonate) is a commonly used hole injec-tion layer (HIL) in optoelectronic devices due to its high conductive properties and work function. However, the acidic and hygroscopic nature of PEDOT:PSS can be problematic for device stability over time. To address this issue, in this study, we have demonstrated the potential of an organic-inorganic hybrid HIL, by incorporating solution-processed WOx nanoparticles (WOx NPs) into the PEDOT:PSS mixture. This hybrid solution was found to have a superior hole transport ability and low Ohmic contact resistance, contributing to higher brightness (~62 000 cd m-2) and current efficiency (13.1 cd A-1) in the manufactured quantum-dot based light-emitting diodes (QLEDs). In addition, the resulting devices achieved a relative operational lifetime of 7,071 hours, or approxi-mately twice that of traditional QLEDs with PEDOT:PSS HILs. The proposed method is an un-complicated, reliable and low-cost way to achieve long operational lifetimes without sacrificing efficiency in optoelectronic devices.

A series of D–π–A diketopyrrolopyrrole (DPP)-based small molecules have been designed for organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs) and organic solar cells (OSCs) applications. Appling the PBE0/6-31G(d,p) method, the ground state geometry and relevant electronic properties were investigated. The first excited singlet state geometry and the absorption and fluorescent spectra were simulated at the TD-PBE0/6-31G(d,p) level. The calculated results reveal that the photophysical properties are affected through the introduction of different end groups. Furthermore, the electronic transitions corresponding to absorption and emission exhibit intramolecular charge transfer feature. It was disclosed that the designed molecules act not only as luminescent for OLEDs, but also donor materials in OSCs. Moreover, they also can be used as potential electron transfer materials using for OLEDs and OSCs.

Almost all modern inorganic light-emitting diode (LED) designs are based on double heterojunctions (DHJs) whose structure and current injection principle have remained essentially unchanged for decades. Although highly efficient devices based on the DHJ design have been developed and commercialized for energy-efficient general lighting, the conventional DHJ design requires burying the active region (AR) inside a pn-junction. This has hindered the development of emitters utilizing nanostructured ARs located close to device surfaces such as nanowires or surface quantum wells. Modern DHJ III-N LEDs also exhibit resistive losses which arise from the DHJ device geometry. The recently introduced diffusion-driven charge transport (DDCT) emitter design offers a novel way to transport charge carriers to unconventionally placed ARs. In a DDCT device, the AR is located apart from the pn-junction and the charge carriers are injected into the AR by bipolar diffusion. This device design allows the integration of surface ARs to semiconductor LEDs and offers a promising method to reduce resistive losses in high power devices. In this work, we present a review of the recent progress in gallium nitride (GaN) based DDCT devices, and an outlook of potential DDCT has for opto- and microelectronics.

We report a diode pumped solid state (DPSS) laser used for intracavity pump-enhanced difference frequency generation (DFG) to create a 3.5 micron laser. Using a 50 mm-long periodically poled lithium niobate (PPLN) crystal inside the cavity of an Nd:YVO4 solid state laser at 1064 nm with 4.5 W pump power at 808 nm, and a 310 mW C-band signal at 1529 nm, up to 31 mW of mid-infrared output power at 3499 nm is obtained. The cavity requires no active stabilization and/or locking, and the entire cavity is <8 cm in length. The obtained output power corresponds to a black box efficiency of 2.20 %W-1, which is the highest value reported to date for continuous wave DFG based on a bulk nonlinear optical crystal with no active stabilization. Potential future applications in free space optical communication are discussed as well.

In this work, a new flexible antenna integrated with OLED light sources is presented for WiMAX wireless communication systems. The proposed antenna was placed on a 100% polyester base with a thickness of 1.5 mm and achieved a high gain. We evaluated and tested its performance, including reflection coefficient, radiation pattern and gain. The flexible and simple patch antenna has been designed to operate at 3.5 GHz for WiMAX wireless communication systems with a gain value of 5.38 dB. This article proves the applicability of the proposed material for the integration of flexible antennas in OLEDs while maintaining gain performance similar to conventional flat antennas.

The Yixian Formation (Lower Cretaceous) of China is famous worldwide for its fossils of early angio-sperms, but there is only one record of flower bud hitherto. A previous fossil record of flower bud just showed the appearance and lacked any internal details. Such a lacuna in knowledge of flower buds hin-ders our understanding of the evolution of flowers. Our new specimen was collected from an outcrop of the Yixian Formation (the Barremian-Aptian, Lower Cretaceous) near Dawangzhangzi, Lingyuan, Liao-ning, China. The specimen was observed and photographed using a Sony ILCE-7 digital camera and a Nikon SMZ1500 stereomicroscope, and details were observed using a TESCAN MAIA3 SEM. Our ob-servations document a fossil flower bud, Archaebuda cretaca sp. nov, from the Lower Cretaceous of China. The occurrence of two species of Archaebuda in the Yixian Formation not only confirms the ex-istence of the expected gynoecium (and possible androecium) in a flower bud, but also underscores the occurrence of typical flowers in the Early Cretaceous.

Metal halide perovskites have shown excellent optoelectronic properties, including high photoluminescence quantum yield, tunable emission wavelength, narrow full-width at half-maximum and low-cost solution-processed fabrication, which make it exhibit great potential as the emission layer materials of light emitting diodes. With the joint efforts of researchers from different disciplines, there has been a significant progress in the improvement of external quantum efficiency (EQE) and stability of perovskite light emitting diodes (PeLEDs) in recent few years, especially in green PeLEDs with EQE over 30%. In this review, we firstly introduce the basic device structure of PeLEDs, as well as the factors influencing EQE and stability of PeLEDs. Secondly, the development of lead-based and lead-free PeLEDs are summarized systematically. Thirdly, challenges of PeLEDs are discussed in detail, including low EQE of blue PeLEDs, poor device stability and EQE roll-off. Finally, some suggestions and perspectives of the future research directions for PeLEDs are proposed.

External quantum efficiency of industrial-grade green InGaN light-emitting diodes (LEDs) has been measured in a wide range of operating currents at various temperatures from 13 K to 300 K. Unlike blue LEDs, the efficiency as a function of current is found to have a multi-peak character, which could not be fitted by a simple ABC-model. This observation correlated with splitting of LED emission spectra into two peaks at certain currents. The characterization data are interpreted in terms of non-uniformity of the LED active region, which is tentatively attributed to extended defects like V-pits. We suggest a new approach to evaluation of temperature-dependent light extraction and internal quantum efficiencies taking into account the active region non-uniformity. As a result, the temperature dependence of light extraction and internal quantum efficiencies have been evaluated in the temperature range mentioned above and compared with those of blue LEDs.

A new generalized definition of Mersenne numbers is proposed of the form (a^n - (a-1)^n), called Global Generalized Mersenne numbers, or simply Generalized Mersenne numbers and noted GM_{a,n} where a is the base and n is the exponent, both being positive integers. The properties are investigated for prime exponents n and several theorems on Mersenne numbers regarding their congruence properties are generalized and demonstrated. In particular, it is found that, for any base a, Generalized Mersenne numbers are in general such that (GM_{a,n} - 1) are even and divisible by n, a and (a-1) for any odd prime exponent n and by (a(a-1)+1) for any prime exponent n > 5. The remaining factor is a function of triangular numbers of (a-1), specific to each prime exponent n. Four theorems on Mersenne numbers are generalized and four new theorems are demonstrated, allowing to show first, that (GM_{a,n} - 1) are divisible by 6, and more precisely GM_{a,n} are congruent to 1(mod 12) or 7(mod 12) depending on the congruence of the base a(mod 4); second, that (GM_{a,n} - 1) are divisible by 10 if n == 1(mod 4) and, if n == 3(mod 4), GM_{a,n} == 1(mod 10), or 7(mod 10) or 9(mod 10) depending on the congruence of the base a(mod 5); third, that all factors c_{i} of GM_{a,n} are of the form (2nf_{i}+1) with f_{i} natural integers such that c_{i} is prime itself or the product of primes of the form (2nj+1) with j natural integer; fourth, that for odd prime exponents n, all GM_{a,n} are periodically congruent to either +/-1\(mod 8) or +/-3(mod 8) depending on the congruence of the base a(mod 8); and fifth, that the factors of a composite GM_{a,n} is of the form (2nf_{i}+1) with f_{i} == u(mod 4) and u being either 0, 1, 2 or 3 depending on the congruence of the exponent n(mod 4) and on the congruence of the base a(mod 8). The potential use of Generalized Mersenne primes in cryptography is shortly addressed.

Cesium lead iodide (CsPbI3) perovskite nanocrystals (NCs) are a promising material for red light-emitting diodes (LEDs) due to their excellent color-purity and high luminous efficiency. However, small-sized CsPbI3 colloidal NCs, such as nanocubes, used in LEDs suffer from confinement effects, negatively impacting their photoluminescence quantum yield (PLQY) and overall efficiency. Here, we introduced YCl3 into the CsPbI3 perovskite, which formed anisotropic, one-dimensional (1D) nanorods. This was achieved by taking advantage of the difference in bond energies between Cl− and I− ions, which caused YCl3 to promote the anisotropic growth of CsPbI3 NCs. The YCl3-based nanorods improved the PLQY and storage stability by passivating the defects reducing the nonradiative recombination rates. When the YCl3-substituted CsPbI3 nanorods are applied to the emissive layer in LEDs, we achieve an external quantum efficiency of ~3.16% which is 1.86-fold higher than the pristine CsPbI3 NCs (1.69%) based LED. Notably, the ratio of horizontal transition dipole moments (TDMs) in the anisotropic YCl3:CsPbI3 nanorods was determined to be 75%, which is higher than the isotropically oriented TDMs in CsPbI3 nanocrystals (67%). This increased TDM ratio led to higher light outcoupling efficiency in nanorods-based LEDs. Overall, the results suggest that YCl3-substituted CsPbI3 nanorods could be promising for achieving high-performance perovskite LEDs.

Cutaneous mycoses are common infections whose treatment has become more complex due to increasing antifungal resistance and the need for prolonged therapies, hindering patient adher-ence and increasing the incidence of adverse effects. Consequently, the use of physical therapies, especially photodynamic therapy (PDT), has increased for the treatment of onychomycosis due to its antimicrobial capacity mediated by the production of reactive oxygen species. This study investigates the in vitro effect of the combination of blue light (448 nm) and red light (645 nm) with terbinafine on the cell viability of human keratinocytes and the production of reactive ox-ygen species. The combination of terbinafine and blue light exhibits a synergistic effect on the production of reactive oxygen species and a significant increase in the expression of superoxide dismutase (SOD), an enzyme involved in the reduction of superoxide ions (O2-) and the genera-tion of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2). Such effect could be useful in clinical practice to improve the response of cutaneous mycoses to pharmacological treatment, reduce their toxicity, and shorten their duration.

Herein, we present the design technique of a resonant rectifier for piezoelectric (PE) energy harvesting. We propose two diode equivalents to reduce the voltage drop in the rectifier operation, a minuscule-drop-diode equivalent (MDDE) and a low-drop-diode equivalent (LDDE). The diode equivalents are embedded in resonant rectifier integrated circuits (ICs), which use symmetric bias-flip to reduce the power wasted for charging and discharging the internal capacitance of a PE transducer. The self-startup function is supported by synchronously generating control pulses for the bias-flip from the PE transducer. Two resonant rectifier ICs, using both MDDE and LDDE, are fabricated in a 0.18 μm CMOS process and their performances are characterized under external and self-power conditions. Under the external-power condition, the rectifier using LDDE delivers an output power POUT of 564 μW and a rectifier output voltage VRECT of 3.36 V with a power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 90.1%. Under self-power conditions, the rectifier using MDDE delivers a POUT of 288 μW and a VRECT of 2.4 V with a corresponding PCE of 74.6%. The result shows that the power extraction capability of the proposed rectifier is 5.9 and 3.0 times higher than that of a conventional full-bridge rectifier.

The prevalence of digital devices in modern society has raised concerns about the potential neg-ative effects of blue light emissions on eye health and biological rhythms. Research into blue light emissions from digital devices and their potential impact on eye health emphasizes the importance of understanding and quantifying the extent and scope of blue light emissions produced by commonly used screens (smartphones, tablets and computers). This comparative study specifically evaluates three popular Apple devices: iPhone 12 mini®, iPad Pro 12.9® and MacBook Pro®. The devices' spectral power was measured using a spectroradiometer while displaying text and a game at different brightness levels. The study also examines the effectiveness of blue-blocking lenses from well-known brands. The research highlights the importance of quantifying blue light emissions and understanding their potential impact on eye health. By doing so, appropriate measures can be developed to mitigate adverse effects on ocular structures. Above all, this research provides valuable information about the risks associated with exposure to blue light, showing that all tested devices have blue wavelength peaks between 445 nm and 455 nm. By recognizing and addressing the potential negative impacts of blue light, the risks of eye health problems can be reduced and ensure more responsible and conscious use of digital devices.

Indoor crop cultivation systems such as vertical farms or plant factories necessitate artificial lighting. Light spectral quality can affect plant growth and metabolism and, consequently, the amount of biomass produced and the value of the produce. Conflicting results on the effects of light spectrum in different plant species and cultivars make it critical to implement a singular lighting solution. In this study we explored the response of green and red leaf lettuce cultivars (’Aquino’, CVg, or ‘Barlach’, CVr, respectively) to long-term blue-enriched light application (WB). Plants were grown for 30 days in a growth chamber with optimal environmental condi-tions (temperature: 20°C, relative humidity: 60%, ambient CO2, Photon Flux Density (PFD) of 260 µmol m-2 s-1 over an 18-h photoperiod). At 15 days after sowing (DAS) white spectrum LEDs (WW) were compared to WB (λPeak = 423 nm) maintaining the same PFD of 260 µmol m-2 s-1. At 30 DAS, both lettuce cultivars resulted adapted to the blue light variant, though the adaptive re-sponse was specific to the variety. Rosette weight, light use efficiency and maximum operating efficiency of PSII photochemistry in the light, Fv/Fm’, were comparable between the two light treatments. Significant light quality effect was detected on stomatal density and conductance (20% and 17% increase under WB, respectively, in CVg) and, on the modified anthocyanin re-flectance index (mARI) (40% increase under WB, in CVr). Net photosynthesis response was gen-erally stronger in CVg compared to CVr; e.g. net photosynthetic rate, Pn, at 1000 µmol m-2 s-1 PPFD increased from WW to WB by 23% in CVg, compared to 18% in CVr. Results obtained suggest the occurrence of distinct physiological adaptive strategies in green and red pigmented lettuce cultivars to adapt to the higher proportion of blue light environment.

In recent years, photobiomodulation (PBM) has been recognized as a physical therapy in wound management. Despite several published research papers, the mechanism underlying photobiomodulation is still not completely understood. The investigation about application of blue light to improve wound healing is a relatively new research area. Tests in selected patients evidenced a stimulation of the healing process in superficial and chronic wounds treated with a blue LED light emitting at 420 nm; a study in animal model pointed out a faster healing process in superficial wound, with an important role of fibroblasts and myofibroblasts. Here we present a study aiming at evidencing the effects of blue light on the proliferation and metabolism in fibroblasts and keratinocytes. Different light doses were used to treat the cells, evidencing inhibitory and stimulatory effects. Electrophysiology was used to investigate the effects on membrane currents, while Raman spectroscopy revealed the mitochondrial Cytochrome C (Cyt C) oxidase dependence on blue light irradiation. In conclusion, we observed that the blue LED light can be used to modulate the activity of human fibroblasts, and the effects in wound healing are particularly evident when studying the fibroblasts and keratinocytes co-cultures.

Layered halide perovskites have emerged as a promising contender in solid-state lighting thanks to their tunable bandgap, high luminescence quantum yield, and high color purity. However, the fabrication of perovskite light-emitting devices in laboratories usually experiences low de-vice-to-device reproducibility since perovskite crystallization is highly sensitive to ambient condi-tions, such as humidity and temperature. Although device processing inside gloveboxes is primarily used to reduce the influence of oxygen and moisture, several extraneous variables, including gas-eous pollution traces and thermal fluctuations in the inert atmosphere or contaminations from re-sidual solvents confined in the enclosed environment, can destabilize the crystallization process and alter the properties of the emissive layers. Here, we examine different experimental set-ups for spin-coating deposition of layered perovskites in inert atmospheres and their influences on the formation of polycrystalline thin films. Our results demonstrate that fluctuations in the glovebox properties (concentrations of residual O2 and H2O or solvent traces), even in very short timescales, can negatively impact the consistency of the perovskite film formation, while thermal variation plays a relatively minor role in this phenomenon. Furthermore, careful storage of chemical species inside the workstation is critical for reproducing high-quality perovskite layers. Consequently, when applying our most controlled environment for perovskite deposition, the photoluminescence life-time of perovskite thin films shows a standard deviation of only 3%, whereas the reference set-up yields a 15% standard deviation. Regarding complete perovskite light-emitting diodes, the uncer-tainties in statistical luminance and EQE data are significantly reduced from 230% and 140% to 38% and 42%, respectively.

We overview recent progress in growth aspects of group III-nitride heterostructures for deep ultraviolet (DUV) light-emitting diodes (LEDs), with particular emphasis on the growth approaches for attaining high-quality AlN and high Al-molar fraction AlGaN. The discussion commences with the introduction of the current status of group III-nitride DUV LEDs and the remaining challenges. This segues into discussion of LED designs enabling high device performance followed by the review of advances in the methods for the growth of bulk single crystal AlN intended as a native substrate together with a discussion of its UV transparency. It should be stated, however, that due to the high-cost of bulk AlN substrates at the time of this writing, the growth of DUV LEDs on foreign substrates such as sapphire still dominates the field. On the deposition front, the heteroepitaxial growth approaches incorporate high-temperature metal organic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD) and pulsed-flow growth, a variant of MOCVD, with the overarching goal of enhancing adatom surface mobility, and thus epitaxial lateral overgrowth which culminates in minimization the effect of lattice- and thermal-mismatches. This is followed by addressing the benefits of pseudomorphic growth of strained high Al-molar fraction AlGaN on AlN. Finally, methods utilized to enhance both p- and n-type conductivity of high Al-molar fraction AlGaN are reviewed.

The analysis of the current safety standards for electric toys showed that the normative intensity limits for visible light emitted by LEDs integrated in toys are overestimated. These limits were originally set in a scientific article published in 2012 that was adapted into the international safety standard published in 2017, and into the subsequent European and national standards, all published in 2020. The overestimation of the intensity limits results from several errors made in the original article. Accordingly, the current normative intensity limits for visible light used in toys do not protect the children’s eyes against adverse effects of exposure to high intensity LEDs which may compromise their visual health. Updating the safety standards for electric toys using a method based on robust scientific data is recommended to protect children's visual health and ensure their long-term well-being.

Transcranial photobiomodulation (tPBM) has been suggested as a non-invasive neuromodulation tool. Repetitive administration of light-emitting diode (LED)-based tPBM for several weeks significantly improved human cognition. To understand the electrophysiological effects of LED-tPBM on the human brain, we investigated alterations by repeated tPBM in vigilance performance and brain networks using electroencephalography (EEG) in healthy participants. Active and sham LED-based tPBM were administered to the right forehead of young participants twice a week for four weeks. The participants performed a psychomotor vigilance task (PVT) during each tPBM/sham experiment. A 64-electrode EEG system recorded electrophysiological signals from each participant during the first and last visits in the 4-week study. Topographical maps of EEG power enhanced by tPBM were statistically compared for the repeated tPBM effect. A new data-processing framework combining the group singular value decompensation (gSVD) with eLORETA was implemented to identify EEG brain networks. The reaction time of PVT in the tPBM-treated group was significantly improved over four weeks compared to that in the sham group. We observed acute increases in EEG delta and alpha powers during 10-min LED-tPBM while the participants performed the PVT task. We also found that theta, beta, and gamma EEG powers significantly increased globally after four weeks of LED-tPBM. Combining gSVD with eLORETA enabled us to identify EEG brain networks and the corresponding network power changes by repeated 4-week tPBM. This study clearly demonstrated that 4-week prefrontal LED-tPBM can neuromodulate several key EEG networks, implying a possible causal effect between modulated brain networks and improved psychomotor vigilance outcomes.

The SBA-15 loaded with methylene blue was successfully prepared by sample adsorption of methylene blue in SBA-15 and is characterized by an XRD, SEM, FTIR, and BET. The photocatalytic activity for methyl orange (MO) degradation was investigated under visible light irradiation under LEDs. Experimental results demonstrate that the SBA-15-MB exhibited higher photocatalytic activity than SBA-15 under visible light irradiation. The degradation efficiency of MO (50 ppm) by SBA-15-MB could reach 80% within 180 min under 25W LED visible light. The photocatalytic activity of SBA-15 could be attributed to the excitation of methylene blue by visible light, the transfer of electrons from methylene blue to SBA-15, and the production of radicals at the surface of SBA-15.

The chemical investigation of the anti-yeast methanol extract from the stem bark of Terminalia mantaly led to the isolation of seven compounds: 3-O-methyl-4-O-α-rhamnopyranoside ellagic acid (1), 3-O-mehylellagic acid (2), arjungenin or 2,3,19,23-tetrahydroxyolean-12-en-28-oïc acid (3), arjunglucoside or 2,3,19,23-tetrahydroxyolean-12-en-28-oïc acid glucopyranoside (4), 2α,3α,24-trihydroxyolean-11,13(18)-dien-28-oïc acid (5), stigmasterol (6), stigmasterol 3-O-β-D-glucopyranoside (7). Their structures were established by means of spectroscopic analysis and comparison with published data. Compounds 1-5 were tested in vitro for activity against three pathogenic yeast isolates, Candida albicans, Candida parapsilosis and Candida krusei. The activity of compounds 1, 2 and 4 were comparable to that of the reference compound fluconazole (MIC values below 32 µg/ml) against the three tested yeast isolates. They were also tested for inhibitory properties against four enzymes of metabolic significance: Glucose-6-Phosphate Deshydrogenase (G6PD), human erythrocyte Carbonic anhydrase I and II (hCA I and hCA II), Glutathione S-transferase (GST). Compound 4 showed highly potent inhibitory property against the four tested enzymes with overall IC₅₀ values below 4 µM and inhibitory constant (Ki) <3 µM.

During the last years there has been a high interest in the development of new purely-organic single-component conductors. Very recently, we have reported a new neutral radical conductor based on the perchlorotriphenylmethyl (PTM) radical moiety linked to a monopyrrolo-tetrathiafulvalene (MPTTF) unit by a -conjugated bridge (1). Interestingly, this system behaves as a semiconductor with high conductivity and small energy gap under high pressure. With the aim of developing a new material with improved conducting properties, we have designed and synthesized the radical dyad 2 which was functionalized with an ethylenedithio (EDT) group in order to improve the intermolecular interactions of the TTF subunits. The physical properties of the new radical dyad 2 were studied in detail in solution to further analyze its electronic structure as well as its potential use as radical conductor in the solid state.

This paper presents a study aimed at enhancing the performance of quantum dot light-emitting didoes (QLEDs) by employing a solution-processed molybdenum oxide (MoO3) nanoparticle (NP) as a hole injection layer (HIL). The study investigates the impact of varying the concentrations of the MoO3 NP layer on device characteristics and explores the underlying mechanisms responsible for the observed enhancements. Experimental techniques such as an X-ray diffraction and field-emission transmission electron microscopy were employed to confirm the formation of MoO3 NPs during the synthesis process. Ultraviolet photoelectron spectroscopy is employed to analyze the electron structure of the QLEDs. The QLED with an 8 mg/mL concentration of MoO3 nanoparticles achieves remarkable improvements in device performance, with a maximum luminance of 69,240.7 cd/cm2, maximum current efficiency of 56.0 cd/A, and maximum external quantum efficiency (EQE) of 13.2%. The obtained results signify a notable progress in comparison to QLED without HIL and those utilizing the widely used poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene):poly(styrene sulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS) HIL. They exhibit a remarkable enhancement of 59.5% and 26.4% in maximum current efficiency, respectively, as well as a significant improvement of 42.7% and 20.0% in maximum EQE, respectively. This study opens up new possibilities for the selection of HIL and the fabrication of solution-processed QLEDs, contributing to the potential commercialization of these devices in the future.

Ultraviolet (UV) light with a wavelength of 254 nm has proven to be effective at inactivating microorganisms, and thus has been increasingly employed as a method of disinfection for indoor environments. Solar UV wavelengths (300 to 400 nm) are known to initiate the formation of secondary organic aerosol (SOA) particles from photo-oxidation of volatile organic compounds in the atmosphere, but germicidal wavelengths have not been extensively studied for indoor environments. In this work, toluene was exposed to 254 nm UV light in a laboratory photoreactor, with varying conditions of the air, the duration of UV exposure, and the duration of post-UV time. The number of particles formed in the fine particulate matter (PM2.5) size range was measured, and significant levels of particle formation were observed for UV exposure periods of as short as 5 minutes. The particle formation ranged from 2.4x10⁶ particles/m³ for 5 minutes of UV exposure, to 1449.8x10⁶ particles/m³ for 15 minutes of UV exposure. Particle formation was found to increase with increasing concentrations of gas phase toluene, and at relative humidity of approximately 20% and higher. Variations in the initial number of particles present did not appear to have a significant effect on the particle formation, suggesting that nucleation was not a controlling factor. However, tests in a commercial environment showed no significant detectable PM2.5 formation, indicating that SOA formation during the intermittent use of germicidal UV may not significantly affect indoor air quality.

Lead-free ferroelectric perovskite N-methyl-N'-diazabicyclo[2.2.2]octonium)–ammonium triio-dide, MDABCO-NH₄I₃, nanocrystals are embedded in three different polymer fibers fabricated by the electrospinning technique. The nanofibers, which are very flexible and have a high Young modulus, behave as active piezoelectric energy harvesting sources that produce a piezoelectric voltage coefficient up to geff = 3.6 VmN-1 and show a blue intense luminescence band at 325 nm. In this work, the pyroelectric coefficient is reported for the MDABCO-NH₄I₃ perovskite inserted in electrospun fibers. At the ferroelectric-paraelectric phase transition, the embedded nanocrystals display a pyroelectric coefficient as high as 194×10-6 Cm-2k-1, within the same order of magnitude as that reported for the state-of-the-art bulk ferroelectric triglycine sulfate (TGS). The perovskite nanocrystals embedded into the polymer fibers remain stable, and no degradation is caused by oxidation.

Leishmaniasis are neglected diseases that affect regions such as South Asia, South Africa and Latin America, less developed regions. Current treatment, for cutaneous, mucocutaneous and visceral leishmaniosis, which are the main forms of the disease, is based on the administration of pentavalent antimonial and amphotericin B. However, these drugs have low efficacy and high toxicity. For this reason, the search for new treatments for this disease is necessary, based on studies of new molecules and their conformations. The research proposed the conformational study of brominated guanidine compounds with potential antileishmanial activity using Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) techniques. The present study involves the bro-minated molecules, LQOF-G2, LQOF-G30, LQOF-G35 and LQOF-G35-Br. The later was synthesized by the reaction of LQOF-G35 with NBS under IR irradiation at 120 Watts of potency and dichloro-methane as solvent by 12-h of exposition. The obtained results demonstrated the efficiency of the bromination method, since two bromines atoms entered the molecule. Furthermore, NMR analysis showed the occurrence of a conformational change from Z to E when compound LQOF-G35 was brominated to LQOF-G35-Br. This feature was well confirmed by comparative DRX study of the LQOF-G35 and LQOF-G35-Br compounds. The antileishmanial activity of LQOF-G2 e LQOF-G35 motivated the synthesis of new brominated compounds LQOF-G30 e LQOF-G35-Br.

Many quantum dot light-emitting diodes (QLEDs) utilize ZnO nanoparticles (NPs) as an electron injection layer (EIL). However, the use of ZnO NP ETL material often results in charge imbalance within the quantum dot (QD) emitting layer (EML) and exciton quenching at the interface of QD EML and ZnO NP EIL. To overcome these challenges, we introduced an Arginine (Arg) interlayer (IL) onto the ZnO NP EIL. The Arg IL elevated the work function of ZnO NPs, thereby suppressing electron injection into the QD, leading to improved charge balance within the QDs, Additionally, the inherent insulating nature of the Arg IL prevented direct contact between QDs and ZnO NPs, reducing exciton quenching and consequently improving device efficiency. The inverted QLED (IQLED) utilizing a 20-nm-thick Arg IL on ZnO NP EIL exhibited a 2.22-fold increase in current efficiency and a 2.28-fold increase in EQE and compared to an IQLED without an IL. Likewise, the IQLED with a 20-nm-thick Arg IL on ZnO NP EIL demonstrated a 1.34-fold improvement in current efficiency and a 1.36-fold increase in EQE compared to IQLED with a 5-nm-thick PEI IL on ZnO NPs.

Zn_0.9Mg_0.1O nanoparticle (NP) were employed as electron transport layers (ETLs) with varying thicknesses to investigate their influence on the efficiency of the top-emission quantum dot light-emitting diodes (TE-QLEDs) fabricated inside the bank. An increase in the thickness of the Zn_0.9Mg_0.1O NP ETL led to a decrease in the concentration of oxygen vacancies, reducing the conductivity of the Zn_0.9Mg_0.1O and resulting in lower current density in the TE-QLEDs. The decrease in conductivity of Zn_0.9Mg_0.1O NP ETL was confirmed through electron-only device (EOD) characterization. Furthermore, it was noted that when the thickness of Zn_0.9Mg_0.1O NP ETL was 30 nm, the concentration of hydroxyl species reached its minimum. By minimizing the presence of hydroxyl species, exciton quenching at the quantum dot (QD) and Zn_0.9Mg_0.1O NP ETL interface was minimized, enhancing charge balance within the QD, significantly improving the efficiency of QLED. We successfully demonstrated that TE-QLED with a 30 nm-thick Zn_0.9Mg_0.1O NP ETL exhibits outstanding performance, achieving a maximum current efficiency of 91.92 cd/A and a maximum external quantum efficiency of 21.66%. These results suggest that Zn_0.9Mg_0.1O NP ETL, when tailored to an appropriate thickness, can serve as an ETL for TE-QLEDs, effectively suppressing exciton quenching and enhancing the charge balance in the TE-QLEDs.

In the present work report, the MgAl₂O₄and the Ag/MgAl₂O₄ samples were successfully synthesized by the modified hydrothermal and the isovolumetric impregnation methods, respectively. The structural properties of the prepared samples were systematically characterized by XRD, SEM, TEM, DRS, XPS and et al techniques. The photocatalytic degradation of methylene blue by the Ag/MgAl₂O₄ and MgAl₂O₄ samples was comparatively studied under UV lamp irradiation. The results revealed that the prepared Ag/MgAl₂O₄ (pH=6) samples were the most active among the samples in photocatalytic of methylene blue. Under UV lamp irradiation, the Ag/MgAl₂O₄ (pH=6) photodegradation of methylene blue reached to 89.6% within 120 min. And the Ag/MgAl₂O₄ (pH=6) complex photocatalysts displayed a high photochemical stability under repeated irradiation. Repeated irradiate the Ag/MgAl₂O₄ (pH=6) compound, which indicated it had a high photochemical stability.

Studying various marine biomineralized ultrastructures reveals the appearance of common architectural designs and building blocks in materials with fascinating mechanical properties that match perfectly to their biological tasks. Advanced mechanical properties of biological materials are attributed to evolutionary optimized molecular architectures and structural hierarchy. One example which has not yet been structurally investigated in great detail is the shell of Mytilus edulis L. (Finnish blue mussel) found in the archipelago of SW-Finland. Through a combination of various state-of-the-art techniques such as high-resolution electron microscopy imaging, Fourier-transformed infrared spectroscopy, powder X-ray diffraction, synchrotron wide-angle X-ray diffraction, nanoindentation and protein analysis, both the inorganic mineralized components as well as the organic-rich matrix were extensively characterized. We found very similar ultra-architecture across the shell of M. edulis L. as compared to the widely studied and closely related M. edulis. However, we also found interesting differences, for instance in the thickness and degree of orientation of the mineralized layers indicating dissimilar properties and related alterations in the biomineralization processes. Our results show that the shell of M. edulis L. has a gradient of mechanical properties, with the increase in the stiffness and the hardness from anterior to the posterior region of the shell. The shell is made from distinct and recognizable mineralized layers each varying in thickness and microstructural features. At posterior regions of the shell, moving from dorsal to ventral side, these layers are an oblique prismatic layer, a prismatic layer and a nacreous layer, in which the oblique prismatic layer is found to be the main and thickest mineralized layer of the shell. Probing the calcified rods in the oblique prismatic layer using high resolution SEM imaging revealed opening of channels with a diameters of 40-50 nm and lengths up to a micrometer extending through the rods. The chitin and protein have been found to be the main component of the organic-rich interfacial matrix as expected. Protein analysis showed two abundant proteins with sizes around 100 kD and 45 kD which likely not only regulates biomineralization and adhesion of the crystals but also governing the intrinsic-extrinsic toughening in the shell. Overall, this detailed analysis provides new structural insights into biomineralization of marine shells in general.

Eelgrass meadows have attracted a lot of attention not only for their ability to maintain marine ecosystems as feeding grounds for marine organisms, but also for their potential to store atmos-pheric and dissolved CO2 as blue carbon. This study comprehensively evaluated the bacterial and chemical composition data obtained from eelgrass sediments of different scales along the coast of Japan to investigate the sediment effect on the acclimatization of eelgrass. Regardless eelgrass habitat, approximately 1% Anaerolineales, Babeliales, Cytophagales, and Phycisphaerales were present in the bottom sediment. Sulfate-reducing bacteria (SRB) were present at 3.69 % in eelgrass sediment compared to 1.70 % in bare sediment. Sulfur-oxidizing bacteria (SOB) were present at 2.81% and 1.10% in the eelgrass and bare sediment, respectively. Bacterial composition analysis and linear discriminant analysis revealed that sulfur-oxidizing bacteria detoxified H2S in the eelgrass meadows and that the larger-scale eelgrass meadows had a higher diversity of sul-fur-oxidizing bacteria. Our result indicated that one of the following systems detoxifies the H2S in eelgrass meadows microbial oxidation by sulfur-oxidizing bacteria, oxidation by O2 perme-ated by the physical diffusion of benthos. This study indicated the issues of maintaining sustain-able conservation of the eelgrass bed.

Indole is a versatile pharmacophore widely distributed in bioactive natural products. This privileged scaffold has been found in a variety of molecules isolated from marine organisms such as algae and sponges. Among these, indole alkaloids represent one of the biggest, most promising family of compounds, having shown a wide range of pharmacological properties, including anti-inflammatory, antiviral and anticancer activities. The aim of this review is to show the current scenario of marine indole alkaloid derivatives, covering not only the most common chemical structures, but also new synthetic routes developed during the last years as well as promising therapeutic applications.

Our skin is constantly exposed to blue light (BL), which is abundant in sunlight and emitted by digital devices. Prolonged exposure to BL can lead to oxidative stress-induced damages and skin hyperpigmentation. In this study, we investigated the protective effects of tocotrienol-rich fraction (TRF) on BL-induced oxidative stress and hyperpigmentation in B16-F1 melanocytes. Alpha-tocopherol (αTP) was used as a comparator. Our results showed that TRF effectively suppressed the formation of reactive oxygen species, and preserved the mitochondrial membrane potential. Additionally, TRF exhibited anti-apoptotic properties by reducing the activation of p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase molecule and downregulating the expression of cleaved caspase-3. Moreover, TRF modulated tyrosinase activity, resulting in a lowered rate of melanogenesis and reduced melanin production. In contrast, αTP did not exhibit the significant protective effects against skin damages and pigmentation in BL-induced B16-F1 cells. Therefore, this study indicates that TRF may offer superior protective effects over αTP against the effects of BL on melanocytes. These findings demonstrate the potential of TRF as a protective natural active against BL-induced skin damages and hyperpigmentation via its antioxidative and anti-melanogenic properties.

Isothermal interrupted hot compression tests of 5754 aluminum were conducted on Gleeble-3500 thermo-mechanical simulator at temperature 350 °C and 450 °C, strain rate 0.1 s-1 and 1s−1. These tests simulated flat rolling to investigate how softening behaviors respond to controlled parameters, such as deformation temperature, strain rate and delay times. This data allowed the parameters for the hot rolling process to be optimized. The delay times during interrupted compression vary between 5s and 60s. The dynamic softening at each pass and metadynamic recrystallization at the intervals of deformation passes were analyzed in detail. 0.2% offset yield strength is applied to calculate the softening fraction undergoing metadynamic recrystallization. A kinetic model was developed to describe metadynamic recrystallization behaviors of the hot deformed 5754 aluminum alloy. Furthermore, the time constant for 50% recrystallization was expressed as functions related to the temperature and the strain rate. The experimental and calculated results were found to be in close agreement, which verified the developed model.

We introduce a series of twisted donor-acceptor (D-A) carbazole-benzophenone based electroactive bipolar derivatives that were synthesized through the reaction of 4-fluorobenzophenone with various partially alkylated 3,3’-bicarbazoles. The comprehensive structural characterization of these compounds is provided. These amorphous materials exhibit suitable glass transition temperatures ranging from 57 to 102 °C and demonstrate high thermal stability, with decomposition temperatures reaching 400 °C. Moreover, the developed materials exhibit elevated photoluminescence quantum yields (PLQY) of up to 75.5% and favorable HOMO-LUMO levels, along with suitable triplet-singlet state energy values. Due to their good solubility and suitable film-forming properties, all the compounds were evaluated as blue emitters dispersed in 4,4’-bis(N-carbazolyl)-1,10-biphenyl (CBP) host for the fabrication of organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs) in concentration dependent experiments. Among these experiments, the device containing 15 wt% of the guest 4-(9’-{2-ethylhexyl}-[3,3’]-bicarbazol-9-yl)benzophenone demonstrated the best characteristics, achieving maximum brightness of 3581 cd/m2, current efficiency of 5.7 cd/A, power efficiency of 4.1 lm/W and external quantum efficiency of 2.7%.

The effects of the solvent used for the active layer materials of an OLED based on TADF emitters plays a fundamental role in solution-deposited devices. This work focuses the effects on the performance of different solvents employed to fabricate a very simple two organic layer OLED based on a green TADF emitter, under the concept of host:guest matrix. From the different results of the main figures of merit, it was possible to conclude that the OLED that used toluene as solvent for the active layer reached a maximum EQE of 14%, almost the maximum already obtained for this emitter in more complex device structures. With the analysis of the charge transport processes, it was possible to establish an explanatory model for the obtained results. Through impedance spectroscopy, additional characterization about the nature of charge transport processes was carried out. With these results, it was possible to corelate the relaxation times, with the electrical properties of the active layer, and infer about the interaction between the electrical charges and the defect levels opening new possibilities to further development in the printed OLEDs.

A multiscale model that enables quantitative understanding and prediction of the size effect on scattering properties of micro- and nanostructures is crucial for the design of LED surface textures optimized for high light extraction efficiency (LEE). In this paper, a hybrid process for combining full-wave finite-difference time-domain simulation and a ray-tracing technique based on a bidirectional scattering distribution function model is proposed. We apply this method to study the influence of different pattern sizes of a patterned sapphire substrate on GaN-based LED light extraction from the microscale to the nanoscale. The results show that near-wavelength–scaled patterns with strong diffraction are not expected to enhance LEE. By contrast, microscaled patterns with optical diffusion behavior have the highest LEE at a specific aspect ratio, and subwavelength-scaled patterns that have antireflection properties show marked enhancement of LEE for a wide range of aspect ratios.

We describe electron temperature measurements in the SSX MHD wind tunnel using two different methods. First, we estimate T_e along a chord by measuring the ratio of the C__III 97.7 nm to C_IV 155 nm line intensities using a vacuum ultraviolet monochrometer. Second, we record a biasing scan to a double Langmuir probe to obtain a local measurement of T_e. The aim of these studies is to increase the Taylor state lifetime, primarily by increasing the electron temperature. Also, a model is proposed to predict magnetic lifetime of relaxed states and is found of predict the lifetime satisfactorily. Furthermore, we find that proton cooling can be explained by equilibration with the electrons.

Necrotic enteritis (NE) is an intestinal disease that results in poor performance, inefficient nu-trient absorption, and has a devastating economic impact on poultry production. This study evaluated the effects of a saponin-based product (Clarity Q [CQ]) during a NE challenge. A to-tal of 1,200 male chicks were randomly assigned to four dietary treatments (10 pens/treatment; 30 birds/pen): treatment 1 (NC): a non-medicated corn-soybean basal diet; treatment 2 (PC) NC + 50 g/metric ton (MT) of Bacitracin methylene disalicylate (BMD); treatments 3 (CQ15) and 4 (CQ30) NC + 15 and 30 g/MT, respectively. On day (d) of placement, birds were challenged by a coccidia vaccine to induce NE. On d 8, 14, 28, and 42, performance parameters were measured. On d 8, three birds/pen were necropsied for NE lesions. On d 8 and d 14, jejunum samples from one bird/pen were collected for mRNA abundance of tight junction proteins and nutrient trans-porter genes. Data were analyzed in JMP (JMP Pro, 16) and significance (P ≤ 0.05) between treatments identified by Fisher’s least significant difference (LSD) test. Compared to PC and NC, CQ15 had higher average daily gain (ADG), while CQ30 had lower average daily feed in-take (ADFI) and feed conversion ratio (FCR). NE lesions in the duodenum were lower in CQ15 compared to all other treatments. On d 8, mRNA abundance of CLDN1, CLDN5, AMPK, PepT2, GLUT2, and EAAT3 were significantly greater in CQ30 (P < 0.05) compared to both PC and NC. On d 14, mRNA abundance of ZO2 and PepT2 was significantly lower in PC when compared to all treatments, while that of ANXA1, JAM3, and GLUT5 was comparable to CQ15. In summary, adding Clarity Q to broiler diets has the potential to alleviate adverse effects caused by this enteric disease by improving performance, reducing intestinal lesions, and positively modulating the mRNA abundance of various tight junction proteins and key nutrient transporters during peak NE infection.

Deep-ultraviolet (UV) light-emitting diodes (LEDs) based on AlGaN crystals have low light-emission efficiency; therefore, there is a need to improve this light-emission efficiency for a wide range of applications such as water and air sterilizations. UV-light-transparent device structures are considered one of the many solutions toward increasing light output power. To this end, the present study focused on developing a transparent AlGaN-based tunnel junction (TJ) as the anode of a deep-UV LED. Deep-UV LEDs composed of n+/p+-type AlGaN TJs were fabricated under the growth condition that reduced the carrier compensation in the n+-type AlGaN layers. The operating voltage was 10.8 V under the direct current (DC) operation of 63 A/cm2. In addition, magnesium zinc oxide (MgZnO)/Al reflective electrodes were fabricated to enhance the output power of the AlGaN homoepitaxial TJ LED. The output power was 57.3 mW under a DC operation of 63 A/cm2, and it was 1.7 times higher than that realized using the conventional Ti/Al electrodes. The combination of the AlGaN-based TJ and MgZnO/Al reflective contact allows further improvement of the light output power. This study confirms that the AlGaN TJ is a promising UV-transmittance structure that can obtain a high light-extraction efficiency.

Antibiotic-free approaches are more important than ever to deal with the rapidly growing problem of antibiotic resistance. The blue light 460nm (BL460nm) has been shown to effectively attenuate Staphylococcus aureus to chemical and physical agents through photolysis of the bacterial virulence factor Staphyloxanthin. However, the phototherapy using BL640nm has yet to be investigated in detail for its safety in eradicating Staphylococcus aureus in vitro and in vivo. In this study, we used a LED source producing a continuous wavelength of 460 nm along with hydrogen peroxide to treat S. aureus in culturing conditions and a wound abrasion mouse model. The results proved the safety of the combined therapy when it did not modify the bacterial virulence factors or the susceptibility to the widely used antibiotics. In addition, the experimental results on the mouse skin infection model also showed that the combined therapy is safe to apply to mouse skin and that it did not cause adverse skin irritation. Furthermore, the therapy can help Staphylococcus aureus-infected wounds heal with efficacy comparable to the topical antibiotic Fucidin. The above results suggest that the combination therapy of 460nm blue light and hydrogen peroxide can be safely used as an alternative to or adjunct to antibiotics in treating S. aureus-infected wounds.

Polymer inclusion membranes (PIMs), which contained cellulose tri-acetate used as a polymer base, a plasticizer in the form of o-NPOE, and meso-tetra methyl tetrakis-[methyl-2-(4-acetlphenoxy)] calix[4]pyrrole (KP) used as a carrier, were prepared and tested for the effective purification of aqueous solutions of methylene blue dye. The scanning electron microscope (SEM), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), and attenuated total reflection Fourier transform infrared (ATR-FTIR) were used to define the microstructure and surface of PIMs. Experimental results showed that with the increased concentration of methylene blue in an aqueous solution, the removal percentage also increased. Further observation also showed that the flux increased with the rise of the source phase pH values from 3 to 10. The carrier and plasticizer content in the membrane significantly influenced the membrane’s transport properties. The optimal composition of the membrane in per cent by weight was for KP: 74% plasticizer; 18% support; 8% carrier. It was shown that the membrane with optimal composition showed good reusability and enabled the easy and spontaneous separation of methylene blue from aqueous solutions.

The critical role of global electron density transfer (GEDT) in increasing the reaction rate of polar organic reactions has been studied within the framework of Molecular Electron Density Theory (MEDT). To this end, the series of the polar Diels-Alder (P-DA) reactions of cyclopentadiene with cyanoethylene derivatives, for which experimental kinetic data are available, have been chosen. A complete linear correlation between the computed activation Gibbs free energies and the GEDT taking place at the polar transition state structures (TSs) is found; the higher the GEDT at the TS, the lower the activation Gibbs free energy. An interacting quantum atoms (IQA) energy partitioning analysis allows establishing a complete linear correlation between the electronic stabilization of the electrophilic ethylene frameworks and the GEDT taking place at the polar TSs. This finding supports Parr’s proposal for the definition of the electrophilicity  index (J. Am. Chem. Soc., 1999, 121, 1922). The present MEDT study allows establishing the critical role of the GEDT in the acceleration of polar reactions, since the electronic stabilization of the electrophilic framework with the electron density gain is greater than the destabilization of the nucleophilic one, making a net favorable electronic contribution to the decrease of the activation energy.

In this work, we studied light-output properties, efficiency function as well as PSD capability of p-Terphenyl scintillator. The selected solid cylindrical scintillation detector has a size of (45 x 45) mm with PSD properties. Recently presented studies of light-output functions have been measured only for low neutron energies. Our motivation has been to determine more accurate the light output function for p-Terphenyl scintillator over a wider neutron energy range.

Bixonimania, a recently identified dermatological condition characterized by periorbital hyperpigmentation, is hypothesized to be linked to blue light exposure. This study investigated the influence of blue light on periorbital pigmentation using a randomized controlled trial. Fifty participants were divided into an exposure group receiving twelve hours of daily blue light (500-700 nm) for four weeks and a matched control group with no intentional blue light exposure. Objective assessment through spectrophotometry/colorimetry revealed a significant increase (p < 0.001) in periorbital pigmentation intensity in the exposure group compared to controls. Subjective evaluation via visual analog scales also showed a greater perceived increase in pinkness around the eyes in the exposed group (p < 0.01). Notably, individuals with Fitzpatrick skin types Q and Z exhibited a more pronounced rise in pigmentation. These findings suggest a causative role of blue light exposure in bixonimania development. Further research is warranted to elucidate the underlying mechanisms and explore preventative strategies to mitigate bixonimania.

Semiconductor materials have been shown to have better photocatalytic behavior and can be utilized for the photodegradation of organic pollutants. In this work, three-dimensional flower-like SnS₂ were synthesized by a facile hydrothermal method. Core-shell structured SiO₂@α-Fe₂O₃ nanocomposites were then deposited on the top of the SnS₂ flowers. The as-synthesized nanocomposites were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Raman spectroscopy, field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) and photoluminescence spectroscopy (PL). The photocatalytic behavior of the SnS₂-SiO₂@α-Fe₂O₃ nanocomposites was observed by observing the degradation of methylene blue (MB). The results show an effective enhancement of photocatalytic activity for the degradation of MB especially for the 15 wt. % SiO₂@α-Fe₂O₃ nanocomposites on SnS₂ flowers.

In this work, we'll present the power spectra density, auto-correlation function, dentrended fluctuation analysis and multifractal spectrum are performed to the daily light curves of Blazars monitored by Fermi LAT. Some signs of power law are found.

Simultaneous biofortification of vegetable crops with selenium and iodine is necessary in areas where there is a lack of these two elements. The main reason for lack of selenium and iodine in humans is inadequate intake of these two elements from vegetable crops. Biofortification through various agricultural methods including artificial lighting is a pragmatic way of increasing the concentration of these elements in plants. This research was conducted as a three-factor factorial experiment arranged as completely randomized pots replicated thrice in the greenhouse during year 2022. Three levels of sodium selenate fertilizer (S1: 0, S2: 2, S3: 4 mg/l), three levels of potassium iodate (I1: 0, I2: 2, I3: 4 mg/L) and two additional blue light radiation levels (L1: radiation and L2: no blue light radiation) were applied and data was measured at two growth stages namely 40 and 80-days. The results showed that the highest (11.44 g) and the lowest (9.55 g) shoot dry weight values at the 40-day-stage were observed in the supplementary blue light and sunlight (control), respectively. Moreover,, under complementary blue light conditions, the highest and the lowest (5.85 and 3.38 mg/g leaf fresh weight) of leaf chlorophyll value at the 40-day-stage were recorded at sodium selenate 4 and 0 mg/l, respectively. The highest and the lowest (5.24 and 4.76 mg/g) fresh weight of leaf anthocyanin at the 40-day-growth stage were related to supplementary blue light and sunlight treatment (control), respectively. Under the supplementary blue light and 0 mg/l of selenium , the highest and the lowest value of shoot trigonelline (102.56 and 72.14 mg/100 g fresh weight) were obtained at 4 and 2 mg/L of iodine, respectively. Furthermore, in the same treatment, the highest and the lowest of seed trigonelline amounts (0.99 and 0.74 mg/g dry weight) corresponded with 4 and 0 mg/l of iodine, respectively.

The effects of rare earth Ce on the microstructure and properties of cast pure copper were investigated through thermodynamic calculations, XRD analysis, mechanical testing, metallographic microscopy, and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The experimental results demonstrate that the reaction between rare earth Ce and oxygen as well as sulfur in copper exhibits a significantly negative Gibbs free energy value, indicating a strong thermodynamic driving force for deoxidation and desulfurization reactions. Ce is capable of removing trace amounts of O and S from copper. Moreover, the maximum solid solubility of Ce in Cu falls within the range of 0.009% to 0.01%. Furthermore, Ce can refine columnar grains while enlarging equiaxed grains in as-cast copper.Upon addition of rare earth Ce, the tensile strength increased by 8.45%, elongation increased by 12.1%, and microhardness rose from 73.5HV to 81.2HV-an increase of 10.5%. Overall, rare earth Ce has been found to enhance both the microstructure and mechanical properties of cast pure copper.

Blazars show rapid and high amplitude variability. In this work , Fermi daily light curve of 130 sources are analyzed, distribution of daily variability are compared with each other by using Kolmogorov-Smirnov (K-S) test. results show: 1)Some pairs of the distributions are similar; 2) In most cases, the distributions are not Gaussian.

We report on the design, characterization and validation of a spherical irradiation system for inactivating SARS-CoV-2, based on UV-C 275 nm LEDs. The system is designed to maximize ir-radiation intensity and uniformity, and can be used for irradiating a volume of 18 liters. To this aim: (i) several commercially available LEDs have been acquired and analyzed; (ii) a complete optical study has been carried out in order to optimize the efficacy of the system. (iii) The re-sulting prototype has been characterized optically, and tested for the inactivation of SARS-CoV-2 for different exposure times, doses and surface types. Results indicate that a 99.9% inactivation can be reached after 1 minute of treatment with a dose of 83.1 J/m2.

The development and use of selenium and iodine elements in agriculture aim to enrich agricultural food products for humans. This study was carried out as a three-factor factorial experiment in a completely randomized design (CRD). Three concentrations of sodium selenate fertilizer (0, 2, 4 mg/l), three potassium iodate (0, 2, 4 mg/l), and two supplementary radiation levels (blue light and sunlight) were used. The results showed that the highest and the lowest (3.44 & 3.12 mg/g f.w) leaf protein value was related to blue light and sunlight treatments, respectively. In the blue light treatment, the maximum and the minimum (4.77 & 3.39 mg/g f.w) leaf sugar amount was observed at 4 and 0 mg/l of the iodine, respectively. At 0 mg/l of selenium, the highest and the lowest (8.63 & 5.34 mg/g f.w) leaf vitamin C amount was recorded at the 4 and 0 mg/l of iodine, respectively. In blue light + 0 mg/l of the selenium, the highest and the lowest (2.94 & 2.10 mg/g f.w) leaf flavonoid quantity was seen at 2 and 0 mg/l of the iodine, respectively. In the blue light conditions, (5.20%) leaf nitrogen content was achieved in the selenium 4 mg/l group. In the same conditions, the maximum and the minimum (3.09 & 2.18%) leaf potassium amount was attained at selenium 2 and 4 mg/l, respectively. Under blue light conditions, the highest and the lowest (0.58 & 0.24 mg/kg dry matter) leaf selenium level was observed at 4 and 0 mg/l, respectively. In sunlightradiation levels, the maximum and the minimum (0.36 & 0.25 mg/kg dry matter) leaf selenium level were found at 4 and 0 mg/l of selenium, respectively. In the blue light conditions, the most and the lowest (1.65 & 0.72 mg/kg dry matter) seed selenium content was related to 4 and 0 mg/l of the selenium, respectively. In the blue light conditions, the highest and the lowest (8.49 & 4.25 mg/kg dry matter) leaf iodine level was recorded at 4 and 0 mg/l of iodine, respectively. In the blue light conditions, the maximum and the minimum (30.56 & 20.62 mg/kg dry matter) seed iodine value was related to 4 and 0 mg/l of the iodine, respectively. In the sunlight, the most and the lowest (24.96 & 20.29 mg/kg dry matter) seed iodine amount was achieved at 4 and 0 mg/l of the selenium, respectively.

SOC stock (SOCS) changes caused by land use changes are still unclear, and understanding this response is essential for many environmental policies and land management practices. In this study, we investigated the temporal-spatial and vertical distribution characteristics of SOCS on the Western Sichuan Plateau (WSP) using the sparrow search algorithm-random forest regression (SSA-RFR) models with excellent model applicability and accuracy. The temporal-spatial varia-tions in the SOCS were modeled using 1080 soil samples and a set of nine environmental covariates. We analyzed the effect of land use changes on the SOCS on the WSP. The total SOCS increased by 18.03 Tg C from 1990 to 2020. The results of this study confirmed that the SOCS in the study area has increased significantly since 2010, with an increase of 27.88 Tg C compared to the total SOCS in 2010. We found that the spatial distribution of the SOCS increased from southeast to northwest, and the vertical distribution of the SOCS in the study area decreased with increasing soil depth. Forest and grassland are the main sources of SOCS, the total SOCS in the forest and grassland accounted for 37.53 and 59.39% of the total SOC pool in 2020, respectively. Expansion of the wetlands, forest, and grassland areas could increase SOCS in the study area.

(1) Background: In this work, a series of benzimidazole derivatives containing colchicine-like and cathechol-like moieties with methyl group substitution in the benzimidazole ring were evaluated for their in vitro antiproliferative, pro-apoptotic and antioxidative activity against highly invasive breast cancer cell line MDA-MB-231 and related impairment of tubulin dynamics; (2) Methods: MTT assay was used to evaluate the antiproliferative activity. In vitro tubulin polymerization assay as well as docking analysis was applied to prove the alterations in tubulin polymerization. Immunofluorescent and DAPI staining reveal the pro-apoptotic potential of benzimidazole derivatives and the effect on tubulin’s dynamics in living cells. The antioxidant activity was evaluated by scavenging of H2O2 and hypochlorite ion and ortho-phenanthroline tests; (3) Results: The compounds containing colchicine-like moiety displayed significant growth inhibitory effect against cancer cell line as was highlighted the role of methyl functional group on the tubulin aggregation and blockage of mitosis. All compounds showed an ability to scavenge H2O2, while the compounds with cathecol-like moiety were more effective against hypochlorite ion and chelation of iron; (4) Conclusions: The benzimidazole derivative containing colchicine-like moiety and methyl group substitution in benzimidazole ring is a potential antiproliferative and microtubule destabilizing agent.

Antisense oligonucleotides (ASOs) are short oligodeoxynucleotides designed to bind to specific regions of target mRNA. ASOs can modulate pre-mRNA splicing, increase levels of functional proteins and decrease levels of toxic proteins. ASOs are being developed for the treatment of several diseases, including motor neuron diseases (MNDs), a group of neurodegenerative disorders characterised by the loss of motor neurons, including spinal muscular atrophy (SMA), amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and spinal and bulbar muscular atrophy (SBMA). The biggest success has been the ASO known as nusinersen, the first effective therapy for SMA, able to improve symptoms and slow disease progression. Another success is tofersen, an ASO designed to treat ALS patients with SOD1 gene mutations. Both ASOs have been approved by the FDA and EMA. On the other hand, ASO treatment in ALS patients with the C9orf72 gene mutation did not show any improvement in disease progression. The aim of this review is to provide an up-to-date overview of ASO research in MND, from preclinical studies to clinical trials and, where available, regulatory approval. We highlight the successes and failures, underline the strengths and limitations of the current ASO research, and suggest possible approaches that could lead to more effective treatments.

The retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) is a monolayer of epithelial cells lying between the neural retina and the choroid and is essential for photoreceptor function and viability. Quail Coturnix japonica is a convenient experimental animal model for the study of age and pathological retina processes to an accelerated time regime. The three main types of pigment granules present in the RPE are melanin-containing melanosomes, lipofuscin-containing lipofuscin granules, and mixed melanolipofuscin granules containing both melanin and lipofuscin. It’s known that with aging and pathology in RPE cells the content of melanosomes decreases but lipofuscin and melanolipofuscin granules accumulate. We examined melanolipofuscin granules in macular areas of the quail retina by transmission electron microscopy in young, middle-aged, and old birds, and in middle-aged birds irradiated with blue LED light (450 nm, 4 J/cm2). It has been shown that during photooxidative stress caused by the action of blue light on the quail eye, active fusion of melanosomes and lipofuscin granules occurs with formation of various types, including giant, mixed melanolipofuscin-like granules. Irradiation result in almost twofold decrease in the number of lipofuscin granules and synchronous increase in the number of melanolipofuscin-like granules. Increased accumulation of melanolipofuscin-like granules was also observed in non-irradiated old birds. It is assumed that the decrease in the number of melanosomes in the RPE during aging and photo-oxidative stress is associated with their fusion with lipofuscin granules and subsequent degradation of melanin by reactive oxygen species formed in melanolipofuscin-like granules. The disappearance of melanin deprives the RPE cells of light-filtering and antioxidant protection, and significantly increases the risk of their oxidative stress.

To clarify whether cryptochrome contributes to stem elongation and flowering promoted by blue lights associated with low phytochrome activity, wild-type Arabidopsis was compared with its cryptochrome-deficient mutants and cryptochrome-overexpressing transgenic plants. Results indicated that the promotion effects were mainly related to low CRY1 activity, despite partial involvement of high-activity CRY2.

Dentinal Hypersensitivity (DH), a prevalent oral health issue affecting approximately one-third of adults. In this six-months retrospective study, a comparison was made to assess the effectiveness of two diode lasers with different wavelengths (980 nm and 1064 nm) in the treatment of tooth affected by DH. In total, 160 patients were divided into two treatment groups: one receiving treatment with a 980 nm diode laser (n=80) and the other with a 1064 nm diode laser (n=80). Pain was assessed using the Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) at baseline, immediately post-treatment, and at 3- and 6-months follow-up. Both groups followed the same treatment protocol, involving the application of a graphite paste to the exposed dentin before laser irradiation. Both lasers operated at an output power of 0.5 W in continuous and non-contact mode, with a 320 µm spot size. A significant reduction in mean VAS scores at all follow-up intervals compared to baseline was noted. 980 nm group had mean VAS scores of 7.9, 2.36, 2.31, and 2.38, while the 1064 nm group had scores of 8.01, 1.01, 1.16, and 1.13 at baseline, immediately post-treatment, and at 3 and 6 months, respectively. At all times of follow-up, the 1064 nm wavelengths showed a statistically significant reduction in mean values of VAS compared to the 980 nm. The findings may inform future research on optimizing laser-based treatments for DH.

Honey is a sweet substance extensively consumed in the world for its nutritional and healthy properties. However, residues of pesticides and environmental contaminants can compromise its quality. For this reason, the physicochemical parameters, and the organic contamination of monofloral and multifloral honeys from three regions of Algeria (Tiaret, Laghouat and Tindouf) were monitored to evaluate the quality of honey and the safety for consumers. In general, the results obtained from the physicochemical analyses were in line with the EU standards. In terms of contamination, pesticides authorised and used in Algerian agriculture (matalaxyl-M and cyromazine), as well as banned pesticide (carbaryl), were found in almost all the samples. However, only the concentration of cyromazine was higher than the relative EU maximum residue levels. PCB 180, PCB 189, anthracene, fluorene and phenanthrene were mainly detected. All the honeys show traces of DiBP, DBP, DEHP and DEHT, but no traces of bisphenols were found. Moreover, the dietary exposure assessment shows that a small amount of Algerian honey can be safely consumed. Overall, data from this study should motivate the Algerian government to enhance their monitoring activities in beekeeping and to find solutions for implementing more sustainable agricultural practices harmonizing with the international legislation.

Surface initiated atom transfer radical polymerization (SI-ATRP) is one of the most versatile technique to modify the surface properties of material. Recent developed metal free SI-ATRP makes such technique more widely applicable. Herein photo-induced metal-free SI-ATRP of methacrylates, such as methyl methacrylate, N-isopropanyl acrylamide, and N,N- dimethylaminoethyl methacrylate, on the surface of SBA-15 was reported to fabricate organic-inorganic hybrid materials. SBA-15 based polymeric composite with adjustable graft ratio was obtained. The structure evolution during the SI-ATRP modification of SBA-15 was monitored and verified by FT-IR, XPS, TGA, BET, and TEM. The obtained polymeric composite showed enhanced adsorption ability for the model compound toluene in aqueous. This procedure provides a low cost, ready availability, and facile modification way to synthesize the polymeric composites without the contamination of metal.

A laser-based hydrogen (H₂) sensor using wavelength modulation spectroscopy (WMS) was developed for contactless measurements of molecular hydrogen. The sensor uses a distributed feedback (DFB) laser to target the H₂ quadrupole absorption line at 2121.8 nm. The H₂ absorption line exhibits weak collisional broadening and strong collisional narrowing effects. Both effects were investigated by comparing measurements of the absorption linewidth with detailed models using different line profiles that include collisional narrowing effects. The collisional broadening and narrowing parameters were determined for pure hydrogen as well as for hydrogen in nitrogen and air. Performance of the sensor was evaluated and the sensor applicability for H₂ measurements in a range of 0- 10 %v of H₂ was demonstrated. A precision of 0.02 %v was achieved with 1 meter of absorption pathlength (0.02 %v∙m) and 1 s of integration time. For the optimum averaging time of 20 s a precision of 0.005 %v∙m was achieved. A good linear relationship between H₂ concentration and the sensor response was observed. A simple and robust transmitter-receiver configuration of the sensor allows in-situ installations in harsh industrial environments.

This article introduces a novel payload structure, which has been experimentally proven to have smaller impact force while the carried internal electronics remains intact. The study describes in details how materials and geometric structures were chosen based on information analysis. It is clarified how possible geometric structures and materials can be chosen to yield optimal efficiency. Finite element method simulations were carried out to investigate the mechanical properties of several geometric structures, which has led to the dodecahedron form. For the frame, Polylactic Acid were chosen as an optimal material. A low air pressure test for parts of the structure, and also the whole structure were carried out with successful results. Drop tests, with force measuring sensors and high speed videos, were carried out for measuring and comparing the maximal impact force of classical payloads and the novel one. Laboratory and real life tests demonstrated that the developed new structure is safer and it is applicable.

Promoting organic foods production and consumption contributes to accomplishing United Nations sustainable development goals. Social commerce provides a promising opportunity to develop the organic food industry. However, there is limited knowledge regarding customer behaviors in relation to purchasing organic foods via social commerce platforms. Therefore, this study expanded upon the unified theory of acceptance and use of technology (UTAUT-2) to develop a comprehensive model that explains how customers' social commerce trust and behavioral intentions to purchase organic foods using Instagram social commerce affect their purchasing behaviors. The research model was analyzed by employing partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) for the data collected from a quantitative survey of 410 customers who used Instagram to purchase organic foods in Iran. The results revealed that facilitated purchasing conditions, hedonic motivations, social influence, rating and reviews, and influencers’ endorsements increase customers' purchase intentions. Moreover, Instagram’s recommendations and referrals, influencers’ endorsements, as well as social influence boost customers' trust in the social commerce platform. Eventually, it was determined that influencers’ endorsements, social commerce trust, and purchase intention determine a customer’s organic foods purchasing behaviors. This research provides valuable insights for organic food marketers to optimize their social commerce strategies.

Outdoor lighting is becoming increasingly widespread, and residents are suffering from serious light pollution as a result. Residents’ awareness of their rights to protection has gradually increased. However, due to the sometimes-inaccessible nature of residential vertical light incidence intensity data and the high cost of obtaining specific measurements, there is no appropriate hierarchic compensation for residents suffering from different degrees of light pollution. It is therefore important to measure light pollution levels and their damage at the neighborhood scale to provide residents with basic materials for proper protection and to create more politically suitable solutions. This article presents a light pollution assessment method that is easy to perform, is low-cost, and has a short data-processing cycle. This method can be used to monitor residential zone light pollution in other cities. We chose three open areas to test the spatial variation pattern of light intensity. The results are in accordance with spatial interpolation patterns and can be fit, with high precision, using the IDW method. This approach can also be used in 3 dimensions to quantitatively evaluate the distribution of light intensity distribution. We use a mixed-use zone in Beijing known as The Place as our case study area. The vertical illumination at the windows of residential buildings ranges from 2 lux to 23 lux; the illumination in some areas is far higher than the value recommended by CIE. Such severe light pollution can seriously interfere with people's daily lives and has a serious influence on their rest and health. The results of this survey will serve as an important database to assess whether the planning of night-time lighting is scientific and whether it provides residents with a basis for the protection of their rights.

The philosophy of testing statistical hypothesis is a natural consequence and functional extension of mathematical analysis of Probability. Along with the concept of recurrence when applied to random sequences and functions, it leads to the analysis of a priori and posterior which implies testing statistical hypothesis. Testing statistical hypothesis also involves algebraic, functional and dimensional considerations, which are found in the works of Laplace. Aspects of mathematical analysis such as universality of solutions, Laws of Large Numbers, Entropy, Information, and various functional dependencies are the main factors explained in the five properties that lead to implication of testing statistical hypothesis. Various interesting examples with modern scientific significance from genetics, astrophysics, and other areas give methodological access to answers of different problems and phenomena which are involved in the logic of testing statistical hypothesis.

The treatment of the bulky Rind-based dibromosilanes, (Rind)2SiBr2 (2) [Rind = 1,1,7,7-tetra-R1-3,3,5,5-tetra-R2-s-hydrindacen-4-yl: EMind (a: R1 = Et, R2 = Me) and Eind (b: R1 = R2 = Et)], with two equivalents of tBuLi in Et2O at low temperatures resulted in the formation of blue solutions derived from the diarylsilylenes, (Rind)2Si: (3). Upon warming the solutions above −20 °C, the blue color gradually faded, accompanying the decomposition of 3 and yielding the cyclic hydrosilanes (4) via intramolecular C−H bond insertion at the Si(II) center. The molecular structures of the bulky Eind-based 3b and 4b were confirmed by X-ray crystallography. Thus, at −20 °C, blue crystals were formed (Crystal-A), which were identified as mixed crystals of 3b and 4b. Additionally, colorless crystals of 4b as a singular component were isolated (Crystal-B), whose structure was also determined by an X-ray diffraction analysis. Although the isolation of 3 was difficult due to their thermally-labile nature, their structural characteristics and electronic properties were discussed based on the experimental findings complemented by computational results. We also examined the hydrolysis of 3b to afford the silanol, (Eind)2SiH(OH) (5b).

A field experiment was conducted for 2 years in Green Tea Laboratory of Saitama Prefectural Agriculture and Forestry Research Center, Iruma, Saitama, Japan from March 2014 to December 2015. Controlled release fertilizers (CRF) or organic fertilizers (ORG) which is the mixture of chicken manure and oil cakewere applied with the amount of 450 kg N ha^-1 yr^-1 in 2014 and 397 kg N ha^-1 yr^-1 in 2015. Nitrous oxide (N₂O) emissionsfrom soil in green tea fields were measured by closed chamber method. The results showed that CRF has significantly lower N₂O compared to ORG. The cumulative N₂O emissions from CRF accounted for 51% of N₂O emissions from ORG fields and 138% of control with no fertilizer treatment. The N₂O flux from the row was higher than that of under the canopy, since fertilizer were applied on the row. However the total emission from the area between the rows was lower than that under the canopy because of the area ratio of row and canopy was 1:5.

Background Augmented reality (AR) in surgery can offer an enhanced view of reality through the superimposition of computer-generated digital images on the real environment. It allows surgeons to integrate image visualisation, improving operative efficiency, surgical outcomes, surgical training and patient education. This review aims to evaluate the current status of augmented reality in surgery, surgical training and potential future applications. Methods We performed a non-systematic review of available literature from January 2005 to August 2021 by searching PubMed, EMBASE and the Cochrane library using a combination of terms “augmented reality”, “virtual reality”, “surgery”, “simulation” and “training”. Articles considered for this review were identified by relevant search criteria including title, keywords, abstract, and full-text. Conclusions AR technologies present an exciting new trend with multiple potential applications in surgery. Intraoperative AR systems have shown promise in specialties involving fine movement of organs during surgical procedures, including Neurosurgery, Ears, Nose and Throat and Orthopaedic Surgery. AR has also exhibited the potential to enhance surgical training and improve knowledge acquisition; it can foster international collaborations via telesurgery and telepresence. In the near future, AR will likely work in symbiosis with surgeons, serving as a complex computer-human coalition which can improve patient outcomes, patient education and surgical training.

Retrospective information about the climate system and plant ecophysiology are key inputs in climate and Earth system modelling. Dendrochronology provides such information with large spatiotemporal coverage, and stable carbon isotope (¹³C/¹²C) analysis across tree-ring series is among the most advanced dendrochronological tools. For the past seventy years, this analysis was performed on whole molecules, and, to this day, ¹³C/¹²C variation is attributed to ¹³C discrimination during CO₂ diffusion into leaves and assimilation by rubisco. By contrast, ¹³C discrimination by post-rubisco processes is presumed constant. Here, recently reported results on the first dataset of intramolecular ¹³C discrimination in tree rings were synthesised by variance component analysis. The emerging picture is not consistent with the classical (DR-discrimination-centred) concepts and practices of carbon-isotope dendrochronology. Specifically, leaf and stem post-rubisco discrimination each account for more variation in the data than diffusion-rubisco discrimination, i.e., post-rubisco discrimination is not constant. Furthermore, diffusion-rubisco discrimination is used widely as proxy of leaf intrinsic water-use efficiency (iWUE), a key determinant in the responses of global biogeochemical cycles to climate change. However, since diffusion-rubisco discrimination is a small component of the total data variance, whole-molecule analysis yields confounded iWUE estimates, yet intramolecular analysis will likely offer solutions. Lastly, all currently observed ¹³C/¹²C-climate relationships are attributed to diffusion-rubisco discrimination. However, here, relationships with temperature and radiation derive from leaf-level post-rubisco discrimination while relationships with precipitation derive from stem-level post-rubisco discrimination. That said, advances in mass spectrometry may soon make intramolecular ¹³C/¹²C analysis broadly available taking carbon-isotope dendrochronology to the next level.

Up-conversion luminescence (UCL) materials are of great importance due to their unique optical properties. In particular, the red UCL, falling into the optical transmittance window of biological tissues, can realize deep tissue penetration depth and high-resolution bioimaging. In this work, effective red UCL is achieved in the ternary sulfide by the introduction of Tm3+ or Ho3+ ions into Er3+ doped NaYS2 under 1550 nm excitation. The main emission peak is successfully tuned from green (NaYS2:Er3+) to highly efficient red luminescence (NaYS2:Er3+,Tm3+ and NaYS2:Er3+,Ho3+). The maximum red to green emission intensity ratio (IR/IG) increased by 31 and 80 times, respectively. The lifetime of 4I9/2(Er3+) level decreases significantly from 3432 s (NaYS2:Er3+) down to 636 (NaYS2:Er3+,Tm3+) and 423 s (NaYS2:Er3+,Ho3+), respectively. This is due to the altered energy transfer pathways, resulting in the population of 4F9/2(Er3+). The mechanisms of UCL and energy transfer processes are further supported by fluorescence decay dynamic measurements. The results show the realization of red-emissive UCL in the promising NaYS2 matrix, representing a new type of red UCL phosphors.

Ion current rectification (ICR) is the ratio of ion current by forward bias to by backward bias and is a critical indicator of diode performance. In previous studies, many attempts have been continued to improve the performance of this ICR, but there is the intrinsic problem for geometric changes that induce ionic rectification due to their fabrication problem. Additionally, the high ICR could be achieved in the narrow salt concentration range only. Here, we propose a multi-layered bipolar ionic diode based on an asymmetric nanochannel network membrane (NCNM), which is realized by soft lithography and self-assembly of homogenous-sized nanoparticles. Owing to the freely changeable geometry based on soft lithography, the ICR performance can be explored according to the variation of microchannel shape. Interestingly, very stable ICR performance can be achieved using the multi-layered 3D configuration for the bipolar diode in a broad range of salt concentrations (0.1mM ~ 100 mM). This demonstrates the promising potential of multi-layered NCNM for applications in highly concentrated electrolytes, such as biosensors, desalination, or energy harvesting.

Byers Peninsula is considered one of the largest ice-free areas in Maritime Antarctica. Since 2006, the Spanish Polar Program has taken part in a large number of environmental studies involving effects of climate changes in lives cycles, limnology and microbiology. Soils from maritime Antarctica are generally weakly developed and have chemical, physical and morphological characteristics strongly influenced by the parent material. However, biological activity during the short Antarctic summer promotes intense transference of nutrients and organic matter in areas occupied by different species of birds and marine mammals. To mapping and monitoring those areas with high biological occupation, could be very useful to have models of edaphic properties prepared from satellite images. In this approach, Deep Learning and Linear Regression models of soil properties and spectral indexes as explicative variables were performed. We training models of soil properties closely related to biological activity such as Dissolved Organic Carbon (DOC) and the iron fraction associated with organic matter (Fe). We tested the best approach to model the spatial distribution of DOC, Fe and pH by training models of Linear Regression and Deep Learning over Sentinel2 and WorldView2 images. The most robust models were used to track possible areas with ornithogenic soils as well as areas of the Byers Peninsula that could support the highest biological development.

Appropriate governance structures are extremely important for the fishery dependent communities to develop integrated territorial development strategies and adaptive capacity to change, including the climate one. This paper assesses to what extent fisheries co-management schemes (e.g Fisheries LAGs, being regional/local governance instruments in fishing communities) are strengthening sustainability. The latter includes improving energy efficiency, promoting renewable energy sources (RES), coping with climate crisis, minimizing environmental impacts, and promoting sustainable blue economy. For detecting policy aspects of aligning climate neutrality and sustainable blue economy, the research lens focuses on the Greek Fisheries Local Action Groups (FLAGs) given that these are mostly located in coastal/marine and insular territories with significant blue growth potential. To map and assess their capacity and efficiency in pursuing Green Deal objectives, a co-development process with FLAG managers was put in place. The results and findings of this process reveal the scarcity of sustainability and blue economy related strategies. Key conclusion is that transition to a post-carbon blue economy on a local level, requires the understanding of the evolutionary dynamics of fisheries co-management schemes. The latter, being multi-sectoral structures, may boost dialogue and cooperation to harmonize local development strategies and EU policies. Maritime Spatial Planning (MSP) as an evolutionary governance process itself, can be a driver for making FLAGs evolve, and strengthen commonization and blue justice and equity for fishers.

Soil organic matter (SOM) is important for the global carbon cycle, and hyperspectral remote sensing has proven a promising method for fast SOM content estimation. However, soil physical properties significantly affect the sensitivity of satellite hyperspectral imaging to SOM, leading to poor generalization ability of the estimation model. This study aims to improve the spatiotemporal transferability of the SOM prediction model by alleviating the coupling effect of soil physical properties on the spectra. Based on satellite hyperspectral images and soil physical variables, including soil moisture (SM), soil surface roughness (root mean squared height, RMSH), and soil bulk weight (SBW), a soil spectral correction strategy was established based on the information unmixing method. Two important grain-producing areas in Northeast China were selected as study areas to verify the performance and transferability of the spectral correction model and SOM content prediction model. The results showed that soil spectral corrections based on fourth-order polynomials and the XG-Boost algorithm had excellent accuracy and generalization ability, with residual predictive deviations (RPD) exceeding 1.4 in almost all bands. In addition, when the soil spectral correction strategy was adopted, the accuracy of the SOM prediction model and the generalization ability after model migration were significantly improved. The SOM prediction accuracy based on the XG-Boost corrected spectrum was the highest, with a coefficient of determination (R2) of 0.76, root mean square error (RMSE) of 5.74 g/kg, and RPD of 1.68. The prediction accuracy, R2, RMSE, and RPD of the model after migration were 0.72, 6.71 g/kg, and 1.53, respectively. Compared with the direct migration prediction of the model, adopting the soil spectral correction strategy based on fourth-order polynomials and XG-Boost reduced the RMSE of the SOM prediction results by 57.90% and 60.27%, respectively. The performance comparison highlighted the advantages of considering soil physical properties in regional-scale SOM prediction.

.Maize cultivation in Thailand faces challenges owing to climate change and soil organic carbon (SOC) loss. This highlights the importance of comparing maize soil with paddy soil in terms of the role of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) and nutrient availability, as they influence SOC content. Soil samples from Chiang Mai province, primarily Fluvisol, were collected for the cultivation of paddy rice and maize, analysed for carbon fractions and chemical properties, and categorised into layers. Comparative analysis revealed that maize soils had lower levels of labile carbon components and organic carbon than paddy soils (P

One of the most concerning global environmental issues is the pollution of agricultural soils by heavy metals (HMs), especially cadmium (Cd), which not only affects human health by taking Cd-containing foods but also impacts the quality of rice. The soil's nitrification and denitrification processes, coupled with the release of volatile organic compounds by plants, raise substantial concerns. The understanding of three aspects of paddy soil under conditions of heavy-metal pollution and water management is currently limited. In this review, we summarized recent literature related to the deleterious effects of Cd on both soil processes related to the N cycle and rice quality, particularly aroma, in different water management practices. Under both continuous flooding (CF) and alternate wetting and drying (AWD) conditions, cadmium (Cd) has been observed to reduce both nitrification and denitrification processes. The adverse effects are more pronounced in continuous flooding (CF) compared to alternate wetting and drying (AWD). Similarly, the alteration in rice aroma is more significant in AWD than in CF. The precise modulation of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) by Cd, remains unclear based on the available literature. Nevertheless, HM accumulation is higher in AWD conditions compared to CF, leading to a detrimental impact on volatile organic compounds (VOCs). The literature concluded that AWD practices should be avoided in Cd contaminated fields to decrease accumulation and maintain the quality of rice. In the future, rhizospheric engineering and plant biotechnology can be used to decrease the transport of HMs from the soil to the plant’s edible parts.

In this study, a new type of temperature sensor device was developed. The circular electrode of the thermal sensitive sensor was modified with TMT and O₂ plasma to enhance the conductivity by forming a thin SnOxCy layer on the electrode surface. The Nano-Au particles were subjected to O₂ plasma pretreatment to form peroxide groups on the surface. The thermally sensitive sensor was made by mixing the above-treated Nano-Au particles with N-isopropylacrylamide (NIPAAm) to form solution and then UV-induced grafting polymerization of the NIPAAm-containing solution onto the electrode substrate. The composite hydrogels on the electrode introduce thermo-sensitive polymeric surface films for temperature sensing. Using ambient environment resistance test to measure the resistance, the LCST (lower critical solution temperature) of Nano-Au (MUA) mixed with NIPAAm hydrogel was found to be 32 °C. At ambient temperatures higher than LCST, the electrode resistance decreases linearly.

We report on the fabrication and electrical characteristics of zinc-oxide (ZnO) based metal-insulator-semiconductor (MIS) type Schottky barrier diodes (SBHs). ZnO thin layer on the p-type silicon substrate was fabricated by atomic layer deposition (ALD). The structure and surface properties of the thin film were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), atomic force microscope (AFM) and secondary ion mass spectrometer (SIMS). The current-voltage (I-V) characteristics of Al/ALD-grown ZnO/p-Si diodes were measured under dark at room temperature. The electrical parameters such as ideality factor (n), series resistance (R_s) and barrier height (ϕ_b) of the diodes were analyzed using standard thermionic emission (TE) theory, Norde and Cheung method. The barrier height value obtained from I-V and Cheung method was found to be 0.73 eV and 0.76 eV, respectively. The interface state density (Dit) of the diodes was determined from the I-V characteristics. The nonideal behavior of measured parameters suggested the presence of interface states. The obtained results showed that the prepared diode can be used for NIR Schottky photodetector applications.

A non-negligible fraction of quasars are red at optical wavelengths, indicating (in the vast majority of cases) that the accretion disc is obscured by a column of dust which extinguishes the shorter-wavelength blue emission. In this paper we summarise recent work by our group, where we find fundamental differences in the radio properties of SDSS optically selected red quasars. We also present new analyses, using a consistent colour-selected quasar parent sample matched to four radio surveys (FIRST, VLA Stripe 82, VLA COSMOS 3 GHz and LoTSS DR1) across a frequency range 150 MHz-3 GHz and four orders of magnitude in radio flux. We show this enhancement is driven by systems with small-scale radio emission (∼kpc) and peaks around the radio-quiet threshold (defined as the ratio of 1.4 GHz luminosity to 6μm luminosity) across the four radio samples. Exploring the potential mechanisms behind this enhancement, we rule out star-formation and propose either small-scale jets or dusty winds interacting with the interstellar medium; this will be tested in detail using new multi-band uGMRT data. Overall our results cannot be explained with a simple viewing angle hypothesis, and so may point towards red quasars representing a key phase in the evolution of galaxies.

With the progression of AI, embedding advanced AI technologies into small robotics and mobile devices has become essential, driving research towards lightweighting AI models. Our study enhances the EPINET depth estimation model for light field images, aiming for compactness and faster inference while preserving accuracy. We conducted two-step experiments aimed at enhancing inference efficiency: Initially, by adjusting input streams and convolution layers, we simplified the CNN model, achieving faster inference times at the cost of reduced accuracy. To address this reduction in accuracy, we then applied knowledge distillation, allowing the simplified model to learn from the original model’s more complex patterns. In our quantitative experiments using two error metrics, MSE (Mean Squared Error) and BadPix, we identified optimal knowledge positions and evaluated the required complexity for the student model. As a result, our method improved MSE by 21% and BadPix by 14% compared to training without it. Furthermore, the student model achieved an inference speed 13% faster than the teacher model and surpassed its accuracy by 10% in MSE. Additionally, we demonstrated that repeatedly applying our approach could further enhance both model compactness and accuracy.

A time-sequential working, spatially multiplexed autostereoscopic 3D display design consisting of a fast switchable RGB-color filter array is presented. The wavelength-selective filter barrier emits the light from a display over a larger active area than common autostereoscopic barrier displays. An optical modelling of wavelength-selective barriers has been used for instance to calculate the light ray distribution properties of that arrangement. To find well working display designs, automated searches by simulation and computational evaluation has been proceeded. Wavelength-selective filter barrier arrangements exhibit characteristics different from common barrier displays with similar barrier pitch and ascent. In particular, these constructions show strong angular luminance dependency under barrier inclination specified by correspondent slant angle. In time-sequential implementation it is important to avoid that quick eye or eyelid movement lead to visible color artifacts. In the millisecond regime tunable liquid crystal Fabry-Pérot color filters for the colors red, green and blue are presented. They consist of a sub-micrometer thick nematic layer sandwiched between dielectric mirrors and ITO-electrodes. These cells shall switch narrow-banding light of red, green or blue. An array for a glasses-free 3D display has to be equipped with several thousand switchable filter elements having different color apertures. The newly introduced design is usable as a multi user display as well as a single user system with user adaptive control.

Spectral characteristics of CDOM in water column are a key parameter for bio-optical modeling. Knowledge of CDOM optical properties and spatial discrepancy based on the relationship between water quality and spectral parameters in Yinma River watershed with in situ data collected highly-polluted waters are exhibited in this study. Seasonal field data sets collected over a period of 2 months in 2015 in Yinma River Watershed. Based on the comprehensive index method, the riverine waters showed serious contamination, especially the COD, Fe, Mn, Hg and DO were out of range contamination warning. Dissolved organic carbon (DOC) and total suspended matter (TSM) with prominent non-homogenizing were significantly high in the riverine waters, but chlorophyll-a (Chl-a) was opposite. Ternary phase diagram showed that non-algal paritcles absorption played an important role in total non-water light absorption (>50%) in most sampling locations, and mean contribution of CDOM were 13% and 22% in summer and autumn respectively. Analysis of ratio of absorption at 250-365 nm (E_250:365) and spectral slope (S_275-295) indicated that CDOM had higher aromaticity and molecular weight in autumn than in summer, is consistent with the results of water quality and relative contribution. Redundancy analysis (RDA) indicated that the environmental variables OSM had a strong correlation with CDOM absorption, followed by heavy metal, e.g., Mn, Hg and Cr⁶⁺. However, for the specific UV absorbance (SUVA₂₅₄), the seasonal values showed opposite results compared with the reported literature. The potential reasons were the more UDOM (uncolored Dissolved Organic Matter) from human source (wastewater effluent) existed in waters. Terrigenous inputs simultaneously are in relation to the a_CDOM(440)-DOC relationship with the correlation coefficient was 0.90 in summer (2-tailed, p<0.01), and 0.58 in autumn (2-tailed, p<0.05). Spatial distribution of CDOM parameters exhibited that the downstream regions focused on dry land have high CDOM molecular weight and aromatic hydrocarbon. Partial sampling locations around the cities or countries generally showed abnormal values due to terrigenous inputs. As a bio-optical model parameter, spectral characteristic of CDOM is helpful in adjusting the derived algorithms in highly-polluted environments. The study on organic carbon and pollutants in highly-polluted waters had an important contribution to global carbon balance estimation and water environment protection.

Physics behind collimated highly directional nature of lasers, and factors that keep the seven coloured waves that form white light together during their journey from Sun to Earth, in the face of the natural disruptive forces, is not fully understood. Energy levels were measured, in terms of alterations in induced current and voltage, in beams from a red laser, white LED light and the Sunlight before and during their disruption by diffusers (frosted glass for the lasers) and diffractors (diffraction grating for the white light) using a photovoltaic solar cell panel attached to a digital multimeter. Results show that disruption of the beams results in release of extra energy named as ‘Latent Light Binding’ Energy’. It is hypothesized that the ‘binding’ energy keeps laser waves firmly bound together both end-on and side-on enabling laser beams to travel long distances in collimated manner. Likewise, the 7 coloured waves that constitute white light are kept together, probably side-on, in their journey from the Sun to the Earth. The observation that diffraction of sunbeam is associated with increased power generation provides a new lead to improve harnessing of solar energy, where, currently, the focus is mainly on improving efficiency of photovoltaic cell.

The objective of this work was to investigate the deacidification of bio-oils (BOs) from triglyceride-based biomass through the application of liquid-liquid extraction (LLE) in a simple stage, using methanol and water as a binary solvent and feed/solvent ratio of 1/1. For this, the effects of process parameters such as the water content present in the solvent, the content of carboxylic acids present in the bio-oil, and the extraction temperature on the deacidification process through the efficiency and distribution coefficient were evaluated, as well as the effects of such parameters on the quality of deacidified bio-oils through physical-chemical analyzes and GC-MS analysis. The results show that such process parameters significantly affect the quality of deacidified bio-oils. The ideal condition to have the highest acid removal, i.e., the highest deacidification efficiency (72.65%), is the one in which the deacidification process is performed with aqueous methanol (5% water) at 35 °C and for BOs that have a total acid number (TAN) equal to 24.38 mg KOH/g. Therefore, the process of deacidification by LLE using aqueous methanol is a promising alternative for removing carboxylic acids and other oxygenated compounds, contributing significantly to the upgrading or improving biofuels produced by catalytic thermal cracking.

In this paper, the seven traditional models of PV modules are reviewed comprehensively to find out the appropriate model to be reliable. All the models are validated using the Matlab code and make a graphical comparison. The accuracy and convergence of each model are evaluated using data of manufactured PV panels. Then, a novel model is proposed showing its consistent performance. The most three key parameters of single-diode model are self revised to adapt to various type of PV modules. This new method is verified in three types of PV panels' data measured by National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), US. The validated data show promising results when the error RMSEs' range of the proposed model is under 0.36.

Reactions of quinones with compounds containing an amino group can produce a wide variety of addition or substitution products that depend on reactivity of both quinone and amino derivative. 6,7-Dichloropyrido[1,2-a]benzimidazole-8,9-diones undergo selective nucleophilic substitution reaction with different benzohydrazides and α-hydroxy-p-quinone imine derivatives stabilized by strong intramolecular hydrogen bond were isolated. Synthesized compounds represent a combination of several structural motifs: benzimidazole core fused with α-hydroxy-p-quinone imine which contains a benzamido fragment. The protonation/deprotonation processes were investigated in a solution using UV-Vis spectroscopy and 1H NMR titration experiment. X-ray crystallography analysis revealed a set of weak non-covalent interactions such as intra- and intermolecular hydrogen bonds and π-π stacking. Additionally, the redox behavior of 6,7-dichloropyrido[1,2-a]benzimidazole-8,9-dione and its p-imino derivative was investigated in acidic and neutral environment using cyclic voltammetry measurements. Cathode material based on 6,7-dichloropyrido[1,2-a]benzimidazole-8,9-dione could act as potential effective active electrode in aqueous electrolyte batteries, however further optimization is required.

We study theoretically the Josephson diode effect (JDE) realized in a system composed of parallel-coupled double quantum dots (DQDs) sandwiched between two semiconductor nanowires deposited on an s-wave superconductor surface. Due to the combined effects of the proximity-caused superconductivity, strong Rashba spin-orbit interaction and Zeeman splitting inside the nanowires, a pair of Majorana bound states (MBSs) may possibly emerge at opposite ends of each nanowire. Different phase factors arisen from the superconductor substrate can be generated in the coupling amplitudes between the DQDs and MBSs prepared at the left and right nanowires, and will result in the Josephson current. We find that the critical Josephson currents in positive and negative directions are different from each other in amplitude within an oscillation period with respective to the magnetic flux penetrating through the system, a phenomenon known as the JDE. It arises from the quantum interference effect in this double-path device, and can hardly occur in system of one QD coupled to MBSs. Our results also show that the diode efficiency can reach up to 50%, and depends on the overlap amplitude between the MBSs and the energy levels of the DQDs adjustable by gate voltages. The present model is realizable within current nanofabitication technologies and may find practical use in interdisciplinary field of Majorana and Josephson physics.

Manufacturers of photovoltaic modules do not provide all the information necessary to predict their performance under different climatic conditions. This forces the development of mathematical models of behavior and the application of mathematical methods for the calculation of their associated parameters. A toolbox called PVMSim implemented in MATLAB/GUI is proposed in this paper. PVMSIm provides models allowing the simulation of photovoltaic modules. A two-diode model is used to represent the effect of irradiance and temperature on the V-I and V-P characteristic curves. The accuracy of PVMSim has been vaildated by applying the models to two mono-crystalline and multi-crystalline solar modules of different power ratings and manufacturers. The model PVMSim model accuracy was verified against the manufacturer’s datasheet. This paper shows that this tool is useful for designers and professionals who require an intuitive graphical interface for fast and accurate modeling, simulation and sizing of photovoltaic systems.

The long-term use of fertilizers and pesticides in conventional cultivation has resulted in a decrease in soil productivity and vegetable yields in greenhouses. However, only a limited number of studies have explored the impacts of organic cultivation on greenhouse soil. Specifically, there is a scarcity of research examining the alterations in soil aggregate mediated organic carbon and microbial communities, which are known to enhance soil productivity. This study investigated the properties of soil aggregates, including the levels of organic carbon fractions, microbial community, and enzyme activity with the three aggregate classes microaggregates (&lt;0.25 mm), small macroaggregates (2-0.25 mm) and large macroaggregates (&gt;2 mm). These investigations were conducted under three different cultivation methods in a greenhouse: conventional cultivation (CC), integrated cultivation (IC), and organic cultivation (OC) in greenhouse. The results showed that (1) OC and IC promoted the formation of small macro-aggregates and enhanced aggregate stability compared to CC, (2) SOC in the three size fractions of OC increased by 98.99%-92.06% compared to CC; EOC increased by 98.47%-117.59%; POC increased by 138.59%-208.70%; MBC increased by 104.71%-230.61%; DOC increased by 21.93%-40.90%, respectively; (3) Organic cultivation significantly increased enzyme activity in all three particle size aggregates and increased the relative abundance of bacteria in micro-aggregates as well as the relative abundance of fungi in small macro-aggregates. Structural equation model (SEM) analysis revealed that organic farming practices fostered the development of smaller macro-aggregates, elevated microbial and enzyme activities within soil aggregates, and facilitated the conversion of soil nutrients and carbon sequestration. consequently, this led to an increase in soil organic carbon content and improved vegetable yield in greenhouse environments. In conclusion, the soil carbon content and vegetable yield are enhanced through long-term organic cultivation in greenhouses, primarily by increasing the proportion of small macro-aggregates.

Silicon light funnels are three-dimensional subwavelength structures in the shape of inverted cones with respect to the incoming illumination. Light funnel arrays can serve as an efficient absorbing layers on account of their light trapping capabilities associated with the presence of high density complex Mie modes. Specifically, light funnel arrays exhibit broadband absorption enhancement of the of the solar spectrum. In the current study, we numerically explore the optical coupling between surface light funnel arrays and underlying substrates. We show that the absorption in LF array-substrate complex is higher than the absorption in LF arrays of the same height (~10% increase). This, we suggest, imply that a LF array serves as an efficient surface element that imparts additional momentum components to the impinging illumination, and hence optically excites the substrate by near-field light concentration, excitation of traveling guided modes in the substrate and mode hybridization.

The eutrophication of open water bodies, especially in coastal water area, has received intensive public focuses in recent years. Biological treatment of organic pollutants in industrial and domestic wastewater requires microbial flora to participate. The environmental impact of these microbes, particularly in regard to the spread of antibiotic resistance genes and pathogenicity in coastal water, remains largely unknown. We initiate studies to examine antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) in microbial flora and study the mode of antibiotic spread in the coastal waters of Bohai Bay, North China by using high performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrum analysis and quantitative polymerase chain reaction. The metabolic features of bacteria related to the presence of ARGs in the coastal area showed the enrichment of Pseudomonadale species with triple resistance properties (ampicillin, kanamycin and gentamycin) at the estuary site locating adjacent to a coastal sewage treatment plant where both type I and type II polyketide synthase genes and b-lactam type antibiotics are detected. Pseudomonadale order is phylogenetically belonged to Proteobacteria Phylum, Gamma-proteobacteria Class and contains Pseudomonadaceae family and Pseudomonas genus. QPCR analysis suggests that the percent occupation of Pseudomonadale species to total Proteobacteria in the examined stations is close to several sampling stations close to sewage treatment plants, where consistent release of organic wastes occurred.

The vast array of interconnected microbes across earth’s ecosystems and within holobionts has been called the “Internet of Microbes.” Research into the fundamental microbial properties has demonstrated that bacteria and archaea are masters of energy and information collection, storage, transformation, and dissemination using both “wired” and wireless (at a distance) capacities. These features suggest that microbes are quantum entangled within and between earth’s holobionts, and that specific tools affecting energy and information functions could provide an effective strategy for managing microbial populations. Microbes use four critically important microbial networking functions (sound, light, electricity, and magnetism). This narrative review focuses on microbial management based on two of the four: sound and light (as well as related vibrations). These are examined as: 1) tools for managing microbial populations, 2) tools to support new technologies, and 3) tools for healing humans and other holobionts. Given microbial sensitivity to sound, light, and vibrations, it is critical that microbial populations and microbe-laden holobionts are protected from potentially damaging exposures. We conclude that sound, light, and vibrations are useful therapeutic tools that can help support useful microbial populations and help to address ongoing challenges of holobiont disease.

To evaluate the nutrient load due to the grazing of laying hens in outdoor runs, soil characteristics were monitored in three Italian organic farms. For each farm, soil samples were taken from three increasing distances from the hen house and two depths and different chemical parameters were evaluated. The comparison among the results from the different distances shows that N-NO3 and Olsen P are the most affected parameters by hen faeces: both present high values with a statistically significant difference in the area close to the poultry house and for the most superficial layer. Even TKN and TOC show significant differences between the concentrations of the first layer (more concentrated) and those of the second layer (less concentrated). In general, the surface soil layer closest to the chicken house is the portion of the outdoor run most affected by chicken droppings and represents the most critical point in terms of potential environmental impact. Therefore, it is necessary to intensify the management of the outdoor run with tools that can facilitate the grazing of animals and with vegetation that can absorb nutrients by limiting leaching and run-off.