Environmental Stability Research Articles

Genotype by environment interaction and stability study in bread wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) genotypes in Guji Zone, Southern Ethiopia

Genotype by environment interaction and stability study in bread wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) genotypes in Guji Zone, Southern Ethiopia

War and Financial Statements: Assessing the Impact of the Russia-Ukraine Conflict on International Accounting and Reporting Standards

Purpose: This study aims to assess the impact of the Russia-Ukraine conflict on international accounting and reporting standards. The focus is on understanding how geopolitical tensions influence regulatory divergence, enforcement challenges, financial reporting practices, and market dynamics. Research Design and Methodology: A qualitative methodology was employed, involving a systematic review of scholarly articles, books, reports, and other academic sources. Data were collected from comprehensive searches on databases like Google Scholar and JSTOR, with thematic analysis used to identify recurring themes and patterns. Triangulation, member checking, and reflexivity ensured the validity and reliability of the findings. Findings and Discussion: The findings reveal that the Russia-Ukraine conflict exacerbates regulatory divergence, complicates enforcement of international accounting standards, and increases complexities in financial reporting. Geopolitical tensions lead to fragmented regulatory responses, undermining efforts toward harmonization. Corporations adopt enhanced risk disclosures and conservative reporting approaches to navigate uncertainties and reassure stakeholders. Investor sentiment and market perceptions are significantly influenced, resulting in increased market volatility and shifts in investment strategies. Implications: This study highlights the need for adaptive regulatory responses and collaborative efforts to promote harmonization of accounting standards. Technological innovations, such as blockchain and artificial intelligence, offer promising avenues for enhancing regulatory compliance and transparency. The findings underscore the importance of interdisciplinary research and longitudinal studies in informing policy interventions, corporate strategies, and regulatory reforms, promoting financial stability, transparency, and resilience in conflict-affected environments.

Zinc–cobalt bimetallic metal-organic framework (Zn/Co-MOF) nanoparticles as potent pH stimuli anti-corrosive agent for development of a self-healable epoxy composite coating

The impressive BET-surface area and the design versatility have made Z67(ZIF-67) MOF a potent nanomaterial for anti-corrosion applications. Despite excellent anti-corrosion features the Z67(ZIF-67) suffers poor stability in water media, making it improper for application in polymeric systems. One strategy to enhance the stability of Z67 is its structure modification via a mixed-metal organic framework approach. This study involved the synthesis of a series of Z67 nanoparticles through the incorporation of zinc cation (Zn) at different percentages. Specifically, three different compositions were synthesized: Zn10-Z67, Zn20-Z67, and Zn30-Z67 denoting the addition of 10 %, 20 %, and 30 % molar percent of Zn, respectively. FTIR, FE-SEM, XRD, TEM, ICP-OES, and XPS, as well as BET analyses, were conducted for the Zinc–Cobalt bimetallic MOF structure. Subsequently, the properties attributed to the particles' active and barrier anti-corrosion feature in solution (NaCl) as well as coating (epoxy) phases were investigated. The EIS test performed in the solution phase, after 72h of metal exposure to Zn30-Z67 containing saline media, revealed a 590 % and 30 % increase in total resistance, respectively, compared to the uninhibited sample. Due to the increased stability of Zn10-Z67 in a saline environment, the active corrosion inhibition of the scratched coating containing these particles was increased by approximately 140 % compared to the Z67-containing composite. The incorporation of zinc cations into the structure of Z67 has enhanced the stability and control release features in aqueous environments, thereby enhancing the barrier properties of the epoxy coating. The reduction rate of log|Z|0.01Hz of the Zn10-Z67/EPC was 9 % which was lower than that of the Neat EPC (epoxy coating) (24 %).

Intrinsically Stretchable Floating Gate Memory Transistors for Data Storage of Electronic Skin Devices.

To propel electronic skin (e-skin) to the next level by integrating artificial intelligence features with advanced sensory capabilities, it is imperative to develop stretchable memory device technology. A stretchable memory device for e-skin must offer, in particular, long-term data storage while ensuring the security of personal information under any type of deformation. However, despite the significance of these needs, technology related to stretchable memory devices remains in its infancy. Here, we report an intrinsically stretchable floating gate (FG) polymer memory transistor. The device features a dual-stimuli (optical and electrical) writing system to prevent easy erasure of recorded data. An FG comprising an intermixture of Ag nanoparticles and elastomer and with proper energy-band alignment between the semiconductor and dielectric facilitated sustainable memory performance, while achieving a high memory on/off ratio (>105) and a long retention time (106 s) with the ability to withstand 50% uniaxial or 30% biaxial strain. In addition, our memory transistor exhibited high mechanical durability over multiple stretching cycles (1000 times), along with excellent environmental stability with respect to factors such as temperature, moisture, air, and delamination. Finally, we fabricated a 7 × 7 active-matrix memory transistor array for personalized storage of e-skin data and successfully demonstrated its functionality.

Microbial nanomaterials: Role in sustainable agricultural practices

The increased use of chemical fertilizers, pesticides, soil-based heavy metals to improve productivity in agriculture results into higher pollution level in agroecosystem. It has become a major issue on a global scale that seriously jeopardizes people’s health and welfare as well as affects society and overall economy. In view of this, there is an urgent need to detect pollutants in the agroecosystem so that remediation practices can be implemented in time. The evolution of more responsive, affordable and precise technology is needed to create nano-sensors or nanodevices that can be used to monitor agricultural pollution, and the processes involved in pollution control. Major focused ones are those that can detect pollutants at very low concentration levels, as well as point-to-point sensing, in situ, and uninterrupted monitoring devices that offer synchronized data. These sensors are readily available in the market for the detection of organic pollutants, gases, volatile organic molecules, heavy metal ions, hazardous metal ions, etc. but they consume a lot of power and lack sophisticated technologies for improved selectivity and sensitivity. Their precision, sensitivity, response speed and environmental stability under actual operating conditions can all be improved with the aid of nanotechnology. In this study an attempt was made to describe how microbial biosensors can be used to detect toxic materials in agroecosystems. Additionally, an application of nanomaterials as pesticides and antimicrobial agent has also been discussed.

Organic-inorganic hybrid interfaces with π-d electron coupling for preventing metal and sulfur leaching toward enhanced oxygen evolution reaction

Transition metal sulfides (TMSs) catalysts with high catalytic oxygen evolution reaction (OER) activity have been extensively studied, especially Fe and Co-based sulfides. Fe and Co active sites with a strong synergistic effect, which can adjust the electron density distribution and effectively improve the electrocatalytic OER activity. However, TMSs has poor stability in alkaline environment caused by metal ions and sulfur elements are facilitated to dissolve. In this work, TMSs was modified by polyaniline (PANI) to inhibit the precipitation of iron, cobalt, and sulfur elements and enhance its stability under alkaline conditions. Moreover, π-d structure can also be formed by the coating of polyaniline, which can further adjust its own electronic structure on the basis of stabilizing the TMSs structure, so as to improve the electrochemical performance, rendering them to stably operate at harsh environment for more than 90 h. These findings offer new guidance for improving the electrocatalytic stability of TMSs.

Robust Optical Physical Unclonable Function Based on Total Internal Reflection for Portable Authentication.

Physical unclonable functions (PUFs) utilize uncontrollable manufacturing randomness to yield cryptographic primitives. Currently, the fabrication of the most generally employed optical PUFs mainly depends on fluorescent, Raman, or plasmonic materials, which suffer inherent robustness issues. Herein, we construct an optical PUF with high environmental stability via total internal reflection (TIR-PUF) perturbed by randomly distributed polymer microspheres. The response image is transformed into encoded keys via an iterative binning procedure. The concentration of the polymer solution is optimized to debias the bit nonuniformity and maximize encoding capacity. The constructed TIR-PUF shows significantly high encoding capacity (2370) and markedly low total authentication error probability (1.614 × 10-23). The intra-Hamming distance is as low as 0.068, indicating the excellent readout reliability of TIR-PUF. The environmental stability of TIR-PUF has demonstrated promising results under a range of challenging conditions such as ultrasonic washing, high temperature, ultraviolet irradiation, and severe chemical environments. Moreover, the challenge-response pairs of our TIR-PUFs are demonstrated on an authentication system with low-power dissipation, lightweight components, and wireless imaging capture, rendering the possibility of portable authentication for practical applications.

Cement kiln dust and polypropylene fiber in expansive clay improvement

For civil engineers, expansive soils pose a great deal of difficulty because of their sensitivity to volume changes with different moisture levels. These difficulties are compounded by the widespread occurrence of swelling clay, which can seriously harm infrastructure, especially in arid or semi-arid areas. The geotechnical qualities of these soils have been improved through the use of various additives and techniques, resolving this problem and making the soils suitable for building. Numerous stabilization techniques, nevertheless, may have negative environmental effects. Therefore, it is imperative to investigate the use of local waste or by-products to stabilize soil in order to preserve the environment and lower stabilization costs, especially in road construction projects.To address these issues, an experiment was conducted to determine how locally obtained cement kiln dust (CKD), both alone and combined with polypropylene fibers, affected the properties of plastic clay soil, also referred to as expansive clay from Cheffia.The main objective of this study is to assess how well different CKD percentages (from 5% to 25%) stabilize soil while improving its mechanical and physical properties. The study also aims to explain how the addition of polypropylene fiber affects the unconfined compressive strength and compaction behavior of the soil in the optimal CKD-soil mixture. The results of the analysis show that the addition of cement kiln dust (CKD) significantly improved the studied soil's workability, compaction, and strength. Additionally, adding polypropylene fibers strengthens the clay's resistance to compression, which presents encouraging opportunities for reducing the difficulties brought on by expansive soils in civil engineering applications.

Optical properties of lead-free Cs3Bi2I9 nanowire arrays prepared by template

Bismuth-based (Bi) perovskites have garnered significant interest as alternatives to lead-based (Pb) perovskites in photoelectric applications due to their non-toxicity and diverse structural properties. However, the inherent high limitation of electrons presents a significant challenge to their further utilization in various applications. Herein, all-inorganic Cs3Bi2I9 nanowire arrays have been successfully prepared by AAO template combined with the two-step method of low-temperature solution. Compared to the Cs3Bi2I9 film, the Cs3Bi2I9 nanowire arrays obtained the higher photoluminescence intensity, indicating a strong interaction between Cs3Bi2I9 and AAO, resulting from the significant weakening of the high electron confinement in the valence band of Cs3Bi2I9, which presenting as the valence band of the Cs3Bi2I9-AAO is mainly contributed by the O 2p orbital, while the conduction band does not change significantly. In addition, the Cs3Bi2I9 nanowire arrays have been demonstrated with the enhanced environmental and thermal stability, which maintain 90 % of their initial photoluminescence intensity after 120 h (in a vacuum) heating at 80 °C or after 10 days in the air (relative humidity of 40 %).

Enhanced Charge Transfer in Quasi-2D Perovskite by Formamidinium Cation Gradient Incorporation for Efficient and Stable Solar Cells.

Quasi-2D perovskites have attracted much attention in perovskite photovoltaics due to their excellent stability. However, their photoelectric conversion efficiency (PCE) still lags 3D counterparts, particularly with high short-circuit current (JSC) loss. The quantum confinement effect is pointed out to be the sole reason, which introduces widened bandgap and poor exciton dissociation, and undermines the light capture and charge transport. Here, the gradient incorporation of formamidinium (FA) cations into quasi-2D perovskite is proposed to address this issue. It is observed that FA prefers to incorporate into the larger n value phases near the film surface compared to the smaller n value phases in the bulk, resulting in a narrow bandgap and gradient structure within the film. Through charge dynamic analysis using in situ light-dark Kelvin probe force microscopy and transient absorption spectroscopy, it is demonstrated that incorporating 10% FA significantly facilitates efficient charge transfer between low n-value phases in the bulk and high n-value nearby film surface, leading to reduced charge accumulation. Ultimately, the device based on (AA)2(MA0.9FA0.1)4Pb5I16, where AA represents n-amylamine renowned for its exceptional environmental stability as a bulky organic ligand, achieves an impressive power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 18.58% and demonstrates enhanced illumination and thermal stability.

The procedure for implementing the compliance system in the bank

In today's conditions of globalization and increased competition in the financial sector, the introduction of a compliance system in the bank is becoming an extremely urgent task. As banking institutions are leading participants in the financial system, their stability is important for the economy of the state. The activities of banking institutions are aimed at preventing financial crimes, such as money laundering and terrorist financing, through compliance, which consists in checking customers, monitoring financial transactions and identifying suspicious transactions, preventing crises and financial failures. With the growing requirements of regulatory authorities, as well as taking into account potential financial risks and threats from unscrupulous customers or criminal groups, banks need to improve their risk management system and ensure compliance of all operations with legislation and standards. This creates the need to develop and implement an effective compliance system that ensures compliance with all legal and ethical norms in the bank's financial activities. In this context, the study and analysis of the process of implementation of the compliance system becomes an important task that requires careful research and determination of the optimal course of action to achieve successful results in ensuring internal control and compliance in the bank. The compliance system, or internal control, is defined as a set of procedures, policies, and standards that are aimed at ensuring the fulfillment of all internal and legal requirements in the bank, as well as at identifying, evaluating, and managing various risks associated with the bank's activities. In this scientific study, we will consider the process of implementing a compliance system in a bank in the context of regulatory requirements and international standards, as well as investigate the practical aspects of its implementation, including the structure of the compliance team, monitoring and reporting tools, as well as the impact of the compliance system on the bank's business strategy and reputation. Our study will emphasize the importance of properly organizing the process of implementing the compliance system to ensure customer trust and maintain the bank's stability in the modern financial environment.

Genotype by environment interaction and stability analysis of three agronomic traits in Kersting's groundnut (Macrotyloma geocarpum) using factor analytic modeling and environmental covariates

AbstractUnderstanding genotype by environment interaction (GEI) represents a challenge in Kersting's groundnut [Macrotyloma geocarpum (Harms) Maréchal and Baudet] breeding for selecting high‐performing and stable lines across environments. Here, we investigated GEI and stability in Kersting's groundnut using factor analytic (FA) based linear mixed models and environmental covariates. A total of 375 accessions were evaluated across 3 years (2017, 2018, and 2019) and two locations (Sékou and Savè) in Benin, generating five environments (E1, E2, E3, E4, and E5). The traits measured included days to 50% flowering (DFF), grain yield (YLD), and 100‐seed weight (HSW). The study generated multi‐environment values for grain yield and its components in Kersting's groundnut. The genetic correlations between pairs of environments ranged from −0.71 to 0.99. The genetic correlations between YLD and HSW indicated positive and moderate to high correlations in all environments. The FA analysis revealed that FA2 structure accounted for 93.9% of the genetic variability in DFF with factor 1 accounting for more than 90% of the environments variations. Two factors explained 87% of the genetic variance in grain yield, and 70% of the environments variability were clustered by factor 1. For HSW, two factors explained 85% of the genetic variance of the environments, and factor 1 accounted for 72.7%. Combining environmental covariates to FA models revealed that precipitation, temperature, and growth cycle duration were highly correlated to the environmental loadings of factor 1. Relative humidity and solar radiation showed moderate to high correlations with factor 2 loadings. Those covariates explained the high GEI among environments clustered by a given factor. Precipitations and temperatures affected the variations in grain yield. Finally, based on latent regression analysis, the accessions AF202, AF221, AF223, AF225, and AF256 were identified as accessions combining best performance for grain yield, early flowering, and 100‐seed weight, showing adaptability across environments and stability to some environments.

Managing Interfacial Defects and Charge-Carriers Dynamics by a Cesium-Doped SnO2 for Air Stable Perovskite Solar Cells.

A high-quality nanostructured tin oxide (SnO2) has garnered massive attention as an electron transport layer (ETL) for efficient perovskite solar cells (PSCs). SnO2 is considered the most effective alternative to titanium oxide (TiO2) as ETL because of its low-temperature processing and promising optical and electrical characteristics. However, some essential modifications are still required to further improve the intrinsic characteristics of SnO2, such as mismatch band alignments, charge extraction, transportation, conductivity, and interfacial recombination losses. Herein, an inorganic-based cesium (Cs) dopant is used to modify the SnO2 ETL and to investigate the impact of Cs-dopant in curing interfacial defects, charge-carrier dynamics, and improving the optoelectronic characteristics of PSCs. The incorporation of Cs contents efficiently improves the perovskite film quality by enhancing the transparency, crystallinity, grain size, and light absorption and reduces the defect states and trap densities, resulting in an improved power conversion efficiency (PCE) of ≈22.1% with Cs:SnO2 ETL, in-contrast to pristine SnO2-based PSCs (20.23%). Moreover, the Cs-modified SnO2-based PSCs exhibit remarkable environmental stability in a relatively higher relative humidity environment (>65%) and without encapsulation. Therefore, this work suggests that Cs-doped SnO2 is a highly favorable electron extraction material for preparing highly efficient and air-stable planar PSCs.

Genotype × environment interactions and stability analysis for grain yield in pearl millet [Pennisetum glaucum (L.) R. BR.

Genotype × environment interactions and stability analysis for grain yield in pearl millet [Pennisetum glaucum (L.) R. BR.

Designed Additive to Regulated Crystallization for High Performance Perovskite Solar Cell

It is a crucial role for enhancing the power conversion efficiency (PCE) of perovskite solar cells (PSCs) to prepare high‐quality perovskite films, which can be achieved by delaying the crystallization of perovskite film. Hence, we designed difluoroacetic anhydride (DFA) as an additive to regulating crystallization process thus reducing defect formation during perovskite film formation. It was found DFA reacts with DMSO by forming two molecules, difluoroacetate thioether ester (DTE) and difluoroacetic acid (DA). The strong bonding DTE·PbI2 and DA·PbI2 retard perovskite crystallization process for high‐quality film formation, which was monitored through in situ UV‐vis and PL tests. By using DFA additives, we prepared perovskite films with high‐quality and low defects. Finally, a champion PCE of 25.28% was achieved with excellent environmental stability, which retained 95.75% of the initial PCE after 1152 h at 25 °C under 25% RH.

Novel Environmentally Friendly RNAi Biopesticides: Targeting V-ATPase in Holotrichia parallela Larvae Using Layered Double Hydroxide Nanocomplexes.

RNA interference (RNAi)-based biopesticides offer an attractive avenue for pest control. Previous studies revealed high RNAi sensitivity in Holotrichia parallela larvae, showcasing its potential for grub control. In this study, we aimed to develop an environmentally friendly RNAi method for H. parallela larvae. The double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) of the V-ATPase-a gene (HpVAA) was loaded onto layered double hydroxide (LDH). The dsRNA/LDH nanocomplex exhibited increased environmental stability, and we investigated the absorption rate and permeability of dsRNA-nanoparticle complexes and explored the RNAi controlling effect. Silencing the HpVAA gene was found to darken the epidermis of H. parallela larvae, with growth cessation or death or mortality, disrupting the epidermis and midgut structure. Quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction and confocal microscopy confirmed the effective absorption of the dsRNA/LDH nanocomplex by peanut plants, with distribution in roots, stems, and leaves. Nanomaterial-mediated RNAi silenced the target genes, leading to the death of pests. Therefore, these findings indicate the successful application of the nanomaterial-mediated RNAi system for underground pests, thus establishing a theoretical foundation for developing a green, safe, and efficient pest control strategy.

Effects of Soils on Environmental Stability of Spent Mg-Based and Ca-Based Adsorbents Containing Arsenite

Effects of Soils on Environmental Stability of Spent Mg-Based and Ca-Based Adsorbents Containing Arsenite

Designed Additive to Regulated Crystallization for High Performance Perovskite Solar Cell.

It is a crucial role for enhancing the power conversion efficiency (PCE) of perovskite solar cells (PSCs) to prepare high-quality perovskite films, which can be achieved by delaying the crystallization of perovskite film. Hence, we designed difluoroacetic anhydride (DFA) as an additive to regulating crystallization process thus reducing defect formation during perovskite film formation. It was found DFA reacts with DMSO by forming two molecules, difluoroacetate thioether ester (DTE) and difluoroacetic acid (DA). The strong bonding DTE·PbI2 and DA·PbI2 retard perovskite crystallization process for high-quality film formation, which was monitored through in situ UV-vis and PL tests. By using DFA additives, we prepared perovskite films with high-quality and low defects. Finally, a champion PCE of 25.28% was achieved with excellent environmental stability, which retained 95.75% of the initial PCE after 1152 h at 25 °C under 25% RH.

2D Hybrid Perovskites: From Static and Dynamic Structures to Potential Applications.

2D perovskites have received great attention recently due to their structural tunability and environmental stability, making them highly promising candidates for various applications by breaking property bottlenecks that affect established materials. However, in 2D perovskites, the complicated interplay between organic spacers and inorganic slabs makes structural analysis challenging to interpret. A deeper understanding of the structure-property relationship in these systems is urgently needed to enable high-performance tunable optoelectronic devices. Herein, this study examines how structural changes, from constant lattice distortion and variable structural evolution, modeled with both static and dynamic structural descriptors, affect macroscopic properties and ultimately device performance. The effect of chemical composition, crystallographic inhomogeneity, and mechanical-stress-induced static structural changes and corresponding electronic band variations is reported. In addition, the structure dynamics are described from the viewpoint of anharmonic vibrations, which impact electron-phonon coupling and the carriers' dynamic processes. Correlated carrier-matter interactions, known as polarons and acting on fine electronic structures, are then discussed. Finally, reliable guidelines to facilitate design to exploit structural features and rationally achieve breakthroughs in 2D perovskite applications are proposed. This review provides a global structural landscape of 2D perovskites, expected to promote the prosperity of these materials in emerging device applications.

Robust Flexible Electret Tactile Sensor for Identification on Mushy Material in Harsh Environment

AbstractIn traditional food industry, the assessment of mushy materials plays an important role in high‐quality food production, which still relies heavily on human tactile perception. In this work, to address this issue for enhancing food production efficiency, a flexible electret tactile sensor that can mimic expert touch is developed. The sensor consists of a pair of electrodes, a microstructural spacer, and a pre‐charged electret. Benefiting from the electrostatic induction‐based working mechanism, the sensor attains high sensitivity and is ideal for precise sensing in actions similar to those of skilled Baijiu distillers. Due to its hermetic and electromagnetic interference‐resistant encapsulation with polypropylene/aluminum/parylene films, the sensor remained durable in vinasse in the real distillery, with its high water and alcohol content, for over 21 days. This demonstrates its long‐term stability in harsh environment. Based on the proposed flexible electret tactile sensor, an automated and intelligent vinasse identification system is built, mimicking the actions of Baijiu distillers in vinasse assessment. Combining tactile sensing data with machine learning, the system can distinguish 8 kinds of vinasses with different ingredient ratios, achieving an accuracy of 98%. This work significantly demonstrates the practical potential of the sensor in the food industry.