Effect Of Different Proportions Research Articles

Efficient Perovskite Solar Cells via Phenethylamine Iodide Cation-Modified Hole Transport Layer/Perovskite Interface.

Perovskite solar cells (PeSCs) were fabricated by using CsxFA1–xPbI3–xClx as the photoactive layer, and the effects of different proportions of cesium chloride (CsCl)/formamidinium iodide on perovskites were investigated. Cesium (Cs) can stabilize the α phase of the perovskite, while chlorine (Cl) can increase the size and crystallinity of perovskite crystals and reduce non-radiative cladding, thereby improving the performance of the overall device. The maximum power conversion efficiency (PCE) measured for Cs0.2FA0.8PbI2.8Cl0.2-based PeSCs was 18.9%. To further improve the photovoltaic characteristics of PeSCs, Cs0.2FA0.8PbI2.8Cl0.2-based PeSCs were introduced into different concentrations of phenethylammonium iodide (PEAI) to modify the interface between the NiOx hole transport layer (HTL) and the perovskite photoactive layer, which can simultaneously promote excellent crystallinity of the perovskite layer and passivated interfacial defects, reducing recombination near the perovskite/HTL interface in PeSCs, thereby increasing the efficiency of the device. Compared with the control Cs0.2FA0.8PbI2.8Cl0.2-based PeSC, the PCE of PeSC with the PEAI (10 mg/mL)-modified NiOx/perovskite interface increased significantly from 18.9 to 20.2%.

Effect of H2 for Growing Germanium–Lead Alloys By Magnetron Sputtering Epitaxy

Si and Ge are indirect bandgap materials, and their low light emission efficiency limits the development of silicon-based optoelectronics. Studies have shown that the introduction of Pb into Ge can make the Γ valley decrease faster than the L valley, and GePb alloys can be transformed into direct bandgap materials, thereby realizing high-efficiency luminescence of silicon-based materials. Since Pb atoms have a larger core and can provide a greater electronegativity difference for Ge, GePb alloys can be transformed into direct bandgap materials with only about 3.4% Pb. In addition, the maximum optical gain of GePb alloys is much higher than that of GeSn alloys, as revealed by first principal calculations. Therefore, the epitaxial investigation of GePb alloys is of great significance for Si photonics. In this work, Ge1- x Pb x (1.2% < x < 2.4%) alloys were grown by magnetron sputtering epitaxy using H2 and Ar mixture. The effects of different proportions of H2 and Ar on the growth of GePb were studied in detail. High crystal quality Ge0.984Pb0.016 alloys without Pb surface segregation were successfully fabricated. The results show that the increase of H2/Ar ratio contributes to the increase of Pb composition in GePb alloys. Figure 1

Effect of starch and fibre on faba bean protein gel characteristics

Faba bean is a promising alternative to soybean for production of protein-rich plant-based foods. Increased understanding of the gelling behaviour of non-soy legumes can facilitate development of novel plant-based foods based on other legumes, such as faba bean. A mixture design was used in this study to evaluate the effect of different proportions of protein, starch and fibre fractions extracted from faba beans on gelation properties, texture and microstructure of the resulting gels. Large deformation properties, in terms of fracture stress and fracture strain, decreased as fibre and/or starch replaced protein. In contrast, Young's modulus and storage modulus increased with substitution of the protein. Light microscopy revealed that for all gels, protein remained the continuous phase within the region studied (65–100% protein fraction, 0–35% starch fraction, 0–10% fibre fraction in total flour added). Swollen and deformed starch granules were distributed throughout the mixed gels with added starch. Leaked amylose aggregated on starch and fibre surfaces and in small cavities (<1 μm) throughout the protein network. No clear difference between samples in protein network structure was observed by scanning electron microscopy. The reduction in large deformation properties was tentatively attributed to inhomogeneities created by the added starch and fibre. The increase in small deformation properties was hypothesised to be affected by water adsorption and moisture stability through the starch and fibre, increasing the effective protein concentration in the surrounding matrix and enhancing the protein network, or potentially by starch granules and fibre particles acting as active fillers reinforcing the gel structure. • Partly replacing protein with starch and/or fibre reduce the fracture stress. • Partly replacing protein with starch and/or fibre increase the storage modulus. • Addition of starch and/or fibre did not largely alter the protein network structure.

Effects of Hydroxypropyl Methylcellulose on Physicochemical Properties and Microstructure of κ-Carrageenan Film.

We investigated the effects of different proportions of hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (HPMC) on the properties of κ-carrageenan film. Biodegradable κ-carrageenan/HPMC films (κCHM film) were prepared by the solution casting method and their physicochemical properties were evaluated. The results show that the addition of HPMC enhanced oxygen barrier capacity, mechanical properties (tensile strength and elongation at break) and thermal stability. Notably, when the addition of HPMC increased to 6% of κ-carrageenan (w:w), the κCHM-6 film not only effectively improved water resistance, including lower water solubility, water vapor permeability and higher water contact angle, but also made the structure of the κCHM-6 film more compact. Moreover, rheological measurement and atomic force microscopy characterization showed that κ-carrageenan had suitable compatibility with HPMC. Attenuated total reflection–Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy analysis further confirmed the enhancement of hydrogen bond interactions. This finding could contribute to promoting the potential application of κCHM film in food packaging.

Energy and Nutrients from Apple Waste Using Anaerobic Digestion and Membrane Technology.

The worldwide increment of food waste requires innovative management solutions, aligned with sustainability, energy, and food security. Anaerobic digestion (AD), followed by nutrient recovery, may be considered an interesting approach. This study proposed a co-digestion of apple pomace (AP) with swine manure (SM) to study the effect of different proportions of AP (0, 7.5, 15, and 30%, on a volatile solids (VS) basis) on the methane production and the stability of the process. Subsequently, the gas-permeable membrane (GPM) technology was applied to recover nitrogen (N) as ammonium sulfate (bio-based fertilizer) from the digestates produced after the AD of 7.5% of AP and SM, and SM alone. The results showed that the co-digestion of 7.5% and 15% of AP with SM presented a methane production similar to the AD of SM alone (with 412.3 ± 62.6, 381.8 ± 134.1, and 421.7 ± 153.6 mL g VS−1 day−1, respectively). The later application of the GPM technology on the resulting digestates, with SM alone and with 7.5% of AP with SM, showed total ammoniacal N recovery rates of 33 and 25.8 g N m−2 d−1, respectively. Therefore, the AP valorization through the AD process, followed by N recovery from the digestate, could be a good management strategy.

Development of polyamide12 composite foam by supercritical CO2: The effect of flame retardants on foaming behavior and properties

In this work, aluminum phosphonate (AlPi) and melamine cyanurate (MCA) were used as flame retardants, a modified polyamide12 (PA12) foam with excellent flame retardancy was prepared by supercritical CO2. The effects of different proportions of flame retardants on the volume expansion ratio were explored. Then the effect of different flame retardants on PA12 foaming was studied at the largest expansion ratio (at a density of 0.08 g/cm3). The results showed that AlPi and MCA could promote heterogeneous nucleation and increase the volume expansion ratio of PA12 foam. The ignition time of the PA12 foam was doubled in the cone calorimeter test and the total heat release was halved. In addition, the flame retardant performance reached HF-1.

Effect of fructooligosaccharides on the colonization of Lactobacillus rhamnosus AS 1.2466T in the gut of mice

Lactobacillus rhamnosus and fructooligosaccharides (FOS) have been widely studied so far. However, the effects of L. rhamnosus on the intestinal microecological environment at the species level and the effect of different proportions of FOS on L. rhamnosus colonization in different parts of mice intestine are still unclear. The study results indicated that the specific bands of enterobacterial repetitive intergenic consensus polymerase chain reaction (ERIC-PCR) in the L. rhamnosus (LR) group significantly increased at 7 days. Although the number of bands was similar to the natural recovery (NR) group, the brightness of few bands significantly enhanced in the later stage of recovery. Besides, Southern-blot maps showed strong signals, indicating that the ERIC-PCR fingerprint could accurately reflect the changes in the mouse gut microbiota diversity. Further, the high-throughput results confirmed that the Lactobacillus and Akkermansia had different changes at different periods, but all of them showed an upward trend, while the Klebsiella were inhibited, thereby maintaining the intestinal microecology balance. Moreover, FOS exerted a positive effect on L. rhamnosus colonization in the gut.

A study to investigate the effect of different proportion of ultrafine slag and calcium-based activator for sustainable crack mitigation of marine soil

Marine soils are prone to cracking and shrinkage during drying. Various infrastructure facilities constructed on marine soils may experience safety and stability issues due to cracking of soil, that results in accelerated ingress of water, increase in compressibility of soil, reduction in bearing capacity of soils, slope erosion and reduction in its stability. Hence studies focused on sustainable crack mitigation are necessary to improve its engineering properties. In this regard, the present study explores the role of ultrafine slag (US) with calcium-based activator (lime(L)/cement (C)) for sustainable crack mitigation of marine soil (MS). Crack and shrinkage intensity factor (CSIF) has been utilized to quantify the cracking and shrinkage characteristics for unstabilized and stabilized marine soil. The study confirms CSIF reduction upto 50 % for MS + 12 %US + 3 %L, while crack mitigation has been achieved for different combinations (MS + 7 %US + 3 %L, MS + 12 %US + 3 %L, MS + 13 %US + 2 %L, MS + 9 %US + 1 %C, MS + 13.5 %US + 1.5 %C). It has also been observed based on indirect stability test (crumb test) that MS + 12 %US + 3 %L exhibits enhanced stability to water inundation, followed by MS + 7 %US + 3 %L, as compared to other combinations of stabilized soil that exhibited effective crack mitigation. The evaluation of cone penetration resistance (an indirect measure of shear and tensile strength of soil) of unstabilized and stabilized marine soil specimen, at different water contents, suggests that tensile strength of soil shall be higher than tensile stresses at all times, for crack mitigation. The findings of the study may be useful towards possible utilization of ultrafine slag with lime/cement for stabilization of in situ marine soil/dredged material in offshore/near shore environment.

Exploring Transferable Techniques to Retrieve Crop Biophysical and Biochemical Variables Using Sentinel-2 Data

The current study aimed to determine the spatial transferability of eXtreme Gradient Boosting (XGBoost) models for estimating biophysical and biochemical variables (BVs), using Sentinel-2 data. The specific objectives were to: (1) assess the effect of different proportions of training samples (i.e., 25%, 50%, and 75%) available at the Target site (DT) on the spatial transferability of the XGBoost models and (2) evaluate the effect of the Source site (DS) (i.e., trained) model accuracy on the Target site (i.e., unseen) retrieval uncertainty. The results showed that the Bothaville (DS) → Harrismith (DT) Leaf Area Index (LAI) models required only fewer proportions, i.e., 25% or 50%, of the training samples to make optimal retrievals in the DT (i.e., RMSE: 0.61 m2 m−2; R2: 59%), while Harrismith (DS) →Bothaville (DT) LAI models required up to 75% of training samples in the DT to obtain optimal LAI retrievals (i.e., RMSE = 0.63 m2 m−2; R2 = 67%). In contrast, the chlorophyll content models for Bothaville (DS) → Harrismith (DT) required significant proportions of samples (i.e., 75%) from the DT to make optimal retrievals of Leaf Chlorophyll Content (LCab) (i.e., RMSE: 7.09 µg cm−2; R2: 58%) and Canopy Chlorophyll Content (CCC) (i.e., RMSE: 36.3 µg cm−2; R2: 61%), while Harrismith (DS) →Bothaville (DT) models required only 25% of the samples to achieve RMSEs of 8.16 µg cm−2 (R2: 83%) and 40.25 µg cm−2 (R2: 77%), for LCab and CCC, respectively. The results also showed that the source site model accuracy led to better transferability for LAI retrievals. In contrast, the accuracy of LCab and CCC source site models did not necessarily improve their transferability. Overall, the results elucidate the potential of transferable Machine Learning Regression Algorithms and are significant for the rapid retrieval of important crop BVs in data-scarce areas, thus facilitating spatially-explicit information for site-specific farm management.

Effect of Different Proportions of Phenolics on Antioxidant Potential: Pointers for Bioactive Synergy/Antagonism in Foods and Nutraceuticals.

Phenolic compounds include a broad variety of antioxidant plant substances such as flavonoids that have in common an aromatic ring with one or more hydroxyl groups. Nutraceuticals and health food supplements are designed from flavonoids as well as pure phytochemicals, often in isolation. However, studies on synergistic and antagonistic effects of such compounds are relatively few. In the current study, dual combinations prepared from five phenolic compounds (flavonoid and non-flavonoid) including rutin hydrate, quercetin dihydrate, hydroquinone, kaempferol, and resveratrol were tested for their antioxidant activities using DPPH· radical scavenging assay. The synergistic antioxidant interactions among these phenolics were evaluated by comparing their individual antioxidant effect with that obtained by a mixture of two compounds in various ratios. Quercetin dihydrate showed the highest antioxidant activity. Many combinations were found statistically synergistic in particular ratios. Rutin hydrate and resveratrol showed maximum synergy (1:1, 2:1, and 3:1 ratio). Antagonistic interactions were also identified. The results of this study could be used by industries to develop more potent nutraceutical supplements or guide the researchers for further bioactivity validation using in vivo assays.

Live cells are not affected by dead sperm in liquid boar semen: New insights based on a thermo-resistance test.

This study evaluated the effect of different proportions of dead spermatozoa on the quality of liquid boar semen during a thermo-resistance test (TRT). After 3 days of storage (17°C), 54 conventional artificial insemination semen doses (~23 × 106 sperm/ml in ~88 ml of BTS) were split into three 15 ml-treatments (25%, 50%, and 75% dead sperm cells) by mixing two subsamples containing 75% (I) and 0% (II) of live cells. Spermatozoa were evaluated after TRT at 30 (on-test) and 300 min (off-test) incubation at 38°C. At the on-test, treatments of 25%, 50%, and 75% dead sperm cells showed medians for total sperm motility of 77.6%, 50.2%, and 25.6%, respectively. Considering the absolute variation of sperm motility during TRT, doses with 25% dead sperm lost more percentage points (pp) (-9.4pp) compared to doses containing 50% (-8.2pp) and 75% dead sperm (-4.5pp). The lowest loss was observed for doses with 75% dead sperm (p < .01). However, data showed that treatments lost similar proportion of motile cells over the TRT: 25% dead sperm=-11.9%, 50% dead sperm=-16.0%, and 75% dead sperm=-17.5% (p=.31). Regarding the flow cytometry parameters (plasma and acrosomal membrane integrity, mitochondrial activity of cells with intact plasma membrane, high degree of lipid disorder, and apoptotic cells), the absolute variations did not surpass values of -1.8, 3.4, -5.4, and 4.7pp, respectively. Furthermore, the relative variation suggested that dead sperm did not substantially change their values over the TRT. In conclusion, dead sperm cells did not influence the quality of contemporary live cells during the period and in conditions of a TRT.

Preparation and Characterization of Screen-Printed Cu2S/PEDOT:PSS Hybrid Films for Flexible Thermoelectric Power Generator.

In recent years, flexible thermoelectric generators(f-TEG), which can generate electricity by environmental temperature difference and have low cost, have been widely concerned in self-powered energy devices for underground pipe network monitoring. This paper studied the Cu2S films by screen-printing. The effects of different proportions of p-type Cu2S/poly 3,4-ethylene dioxythiophene-polystyrene sulfonate (PEDOT:PSS) mixture on the thermoelectric properties of films were studied. The interfacial effect of the two materials, forming a superconducting layer on the surface of Cu2S, leads to the enhancement of film conductivity with the increase of PEDOT:PSS. In addition, the Seebeck coefficient decreases with the increase of PEDOT:PSS due to the excessive bandgap difference between the two materials. When the content ratio of Cu2S and PEDOT:PSS was 1:1.2, the prepared film had the optimal thermoelectric performance, with a maximum power factor (PF) of 20.60 μW·m−1·K−1. The conductivity reached 75% of the initial value after 1500 bending tests. In addition, a fully printed Te-free f-TEG with a fan-shaped structure by Cu2S and Ag2Se was constructed. When the temperature difference (ΔT) was 35 K, the output voltage of the f-TEG was 33.50 mV, and the maximum power was 163.20 nW. Thus, it is envisaged that large thermoelectric output can be obtained by building a multi-layer stacking f-TEG for continuous self-powered monitoring.

Preparation and gas sensing properties of ZnO/MXene composite nanomaterials

In this paper, ZnO/Ti3C2Tx composites containing different proportions of Ti3C2Tx were synthesized by hydrothermal method. The effects of different proportions of MXene content on the gas sensing properties of ZnO/Ti3C2Tx composites were studied. It is found that ZnO/Ti3C2Tx composites show a good response to acetone and excellent reversibility and the ZnO/Ti3C2Tx composites containing 2 wt% Ti3C2Tx had the highest response to acetone. The gas-sensing performance of ZnO/multi-layer MXene and ZnO/few-layer MXene were compared. The results showed that ZnO/Ti3C2Tx composites with few-layer MXene had a higher response to acetone, 14.4, indicating that the few-layer MXene solution has better dispersion for ZnO and gas-sensing properties. Finally, the gas sensing mechanism of few-layer MXene/ZnO was suggest.

Effect of Different Proportions of Ropivacaine on Maternal Anesthesia Effect by Cesarean Section

Effect of Different Proportions of Ropivacaine on Maternal Anesthesia Effect by Cesarean Section

Mycorrhization of strawberry plantlets potentiates the synthesis of phytochemicals during ex vitro acclimatization

Ex vitro strawberry plantlets from micropropagation and coinoculated with arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) and biochar can provide beneficial health effects. In the present study, we evaluated the effects of different proportions of biochar in the presence and absence of AMF on the production of secondary metabolites in the leaves and roots of strawberry plantlets during ex vitro acclimatization. Additionally, the enzymatic activity of the substrate enriched with AMF and biochar was analyzed. The experiment consisted of the control (absence of the mycorrhizal community) and four biochar proportions (0, 3, 6, and 9% of the volume of the container) coinoculated with AMF. Plantlets produced on substrates enriched with AMF showed higher levels of polyphenols, flavonoids, phenolic acids, and tannins in the tissues analyzed than control plantlets. The combination of AMF and 9% biochar increased the content of total flavonoids in the leaves of strawberry plantlets and increased the activity of phosphatase. The substrate with up to 6% biochar and mycorrhizae showed increased β-glucosidase activity. In conclusion, mycorrhizae are excellent tools to improve the phytochemical quality of strawberry plantlets acclimatized ex vitro. The association between host plants, mycorrhizal symbionts, and bioactivators of these fungi potentiates properties beneficial to health, which can be exploited efficiently in sustainable agriculture.

Effect of magnesia-calcium hexaaluminate refractories on the quality of low-carbon alloy steel

High-performance alloy steel is distinguished by its purity. Inclusion contamination and oxygen addition to the steel due to long contact between the refractories of the tundish and the steel should be avoided. In this study, the static crucible method was used in the interaction experiments between MgO–CA6 composite and low carbon alloy steel. The effects of different proportions of MgO–CA6 on the content of alloying elements in steel were analyzed. Morphology, quantity, size, and distribution of inclusions were also examined. The results indicated that more inclusions (e.g., MnO, FeO, and MnS) were generated between the MgO material and alloy elements (e.g., Fe and Mn) in molten steel. The oxygen content in molten steel of CA6, MgO–0.28CA6, and MgO–0.70CA6 materials, as well as the number of inclusions, were sharply reduced. The particle size was smaller, resulting in good molten steel purification ability. The oxygen content of the steel in contact with the MgO–0.28CA6 material was relatively low, characterized by a reduction in the proportion of inclusion area and particle.

Bacterial adhesion of Streptococcus mutans to cobalt chromium recast alloys

Cobalt chromium (CoCr) alloys are utilized to make dental prosthesis. Casting CoCr alloys is a common operation in dentistry laboratories due to its low cost. Casting surplus (metal remaining in the sprue and crucible former) is frequently reused by dental laboratories to reduce and recycle metal waste. However, the quality and safety of these recast alloys require further information. Microbial attachment to the surface of metal prostheses may affect its quality and safety. Biofilm formation on metal surface can cause biocorrosion and secondary infection. The effects of different proportions of recast Cobalt Chromium alloy on the bacterial adhesion are not clear. The purpose of this study was to investigate how recasting affects the Streptococcus mutans (S. mutans) adhesion. Twenty disk-shaped specimens (n= 20, allocated for 5 groups) were prepared from CoCr alloys (Remanium GM; Dentaurum) with different proportions (100% new alloy, 25% recast alloy, 50% recast alloy, 75% recast alloy, and 100% recast alloy). After the immersion of the specimens in bacterial suspension for 24 hours, the number of bacteria that adhere to the specimen’s surface was counted using Colony Forming Units. Data were analyzed with one-way ANOVA (α = 0.05). The bacterial adhesion was significantly affected by the recast alloys (p &lt; 0.05). An increased proportion of CoCr recast alloys showed an increase in S. mutans adhesion to the specimen surface.

Biochar enhanced polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons degradation in soil planted with ryegrass: Bacterial community and degradation gene expression mechanisms

Biochar and ryegrass have been used in the remediation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs)-contaminated soils; however, the effects of different biochar application levels on the dissipation of PAHs, bacterial communities, and PAH-ring hydroxylating dioxygenase (PAH-RHDα) genes in rhizosphere soil remain unclear. In this study, enzyme activity tests, real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (PCR), and high-throughput sequencing were performed to investigate the effects of different proportions of rape straw biochar (1%, 2%, and 4% (w/w)) on the degradation of PAHs, as well as the associated changes in the soil bacterial community and PAH-RHDα gene expression. The results revealed that biochar enhanced the rhizoremediation of PAH-contaminated soil and that 2% biochar-treated rhizosphere soil was the most effective in removing PAHs. Furthermore, urease activity, abundance and activity of total bacteria, and PAH-degrading bacteria were enhanced in soil that was amended with biochar and ryegrass. Additionally, the activity of 16S rDNA and PAH-RHDα gram-negative (GN) genes increased with increasing biochar dosage and had a positive correlation with the removal of PAHs. Biochar changed the rhizosphere soil bacterial composition and α-diversity, and promoted the growth of Pseudomonas and Zeaxanthinibacter. In addition, the relative abundance of Pseudomonas was positively correlated with PAH removal. These findings imply that rape straw biochar can enhance the rhizoremediation of PAH-contaminated soil by changing soil bacterial communities and stimulating the expression of PAH-RHDα GN genes. The 2% of rape straw biochar combined with ryegrass would be an effective method to remediate the PAH-contaminated soil.

A highly selective and fast-responding triethylamine sensor based on Mo-SnO2 nanomaterials

The detection of triethylamine gas is of great importance to human health, the environment and food safety. In this paper, a simple and economical hydrothermal method for the synthesis of Mo-SnO2 composites is proposed. The structure and morphology were characterized in detail by XRD, TEM, SEM, etc. The effects of different proportions of Mo on SnO2 were studied and the results show that SnO2 in 5%Mo-SnO2 nanomaterials has small grain size. The gas-sensitive properties of Mo-SnO2 samples to triethylamine gas were systematically tested. The results show that the 5%Mo-SnO2 nanomaterials have great gas-sensitive properties. It has not only fast response and recovery time (Tres/Trec=15 s/25 s) but also good selectivity and reproducibility for 100 ppm triethylamine gas at an optimum operating temperature of 250 °C. Triethylamine gas can also be detected at a minimum concentration of 375 ppb. Therefore, the 5%Mo-SnO2 nanomaterials synthesized in this experiment have some prospects for application in the field of triethylamine gas detection.

Experimental investigation of pore structure during high sodium coal ash sintering with and without calcium oxide additive through XCT technology

AbstractThis article investigates the evolution of morphology and pore structure during sintering at 1200°C for a high sodium coal ash, with and without using a calcium oxide additive. The effect of different proportions of calcium oxide additive was studied. The ratios of height and area of samples were calculated, and representative sintering time points of morphological changes were captured. Meanwhile, frequencies of diameter, pore numbers, and porosities were obtained by processing images. The maximum ratio of height and area reached at 15 min, 4 min, and 10 min for the sintering process of coal ash sample without additive, with 5% and 10% CaO, proving that CaO accelerates the sintering process. In comparison, the maximum porosities were 52.4%, 39.5%, and 47.0% for sintering samples after 10 min, 6 min, and 40 min. Besides, X‐ray diffraction analysis of the minerals of the condensed white matter was conducted.