Value Of Factor Research Articles

Performance simulation of the perovskite solar cells with Ti3C2 MXene in the SnO2 electron transport layer

MXenes, a class of two-dimensional (2D) transition metal carbides and nitrides, have a wide range of potential applications due to their unique electronic, optical, plasmonic, and other properties. SnO2–Ti3C2 MXene with different contents of Ti3C2 (0.5, 1.0, 2.0, 2.5 wt‰), experimentally, has been used as electron transport layers (ETLs) in Perovskite Solar Cells (PSCs). The SCAPS-1D simulation software could simulate a perovskite solar cell comprised of CH3NH3PbI3 absorber and SnO2 (or SnO2–Ti3C2) ETL. The simulation results like Power Conversion Efficiency (PCE), Open circuit voltage (VOC), Short circuit current density (JSC), Fill Factor (FF), and External Quantum Efficiency (EQE) have been compared within samples with different weight percentages of Ti3C2 MXene incorporated in ETL. Reportedly, the ETL of SnO2 with Ti3C2 (1.0 wt‰) effectively increases PCE from 17.32 to 18.32%. We simulate the role of MXene in changing the ideality factor (nid), photocurrent (JPh), built-in potential (Vbi), and recombination resistance (Rrec). The study of interface recombination currents and electric field shows that cells with 1.0 wt‰ of MXene in SnO2 ETL have higher values of ideality factor, built-in potential, and recombination resistance. The correlation between these values and cell performance allows one to conclude the best cell performance for the sample with 1.0 wt‰ of MXene in SnO2 ETL. With an optimization procedure for this cell, an efficiency of 27.81% is reachable.

Characterization of Metal Elements in Atmospheric PM2.5 and Health Risk Assessment in Heze in Winter from 2017 to 2018

Atmospheric PM2.5 samples were collected in Heze, Shandong Province, from a total of three sampling sites at Heze College, Huarun Pharmacy, and a wastewater treatment plant between October 15, 2017 and January 31, 2018, to determine the concentrations of 21 metal elements in PM2.5 using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). The degree of elemental enrichment was also discussed, the health risks and potential heavy metal ecological risks were assessed. The results showed that ρ (PM2.5) ranged from 26.7 to 284.1 μg·m-3 at the three sampling sites during the sampling period, and the concentration values did not differ significantly, all of which were at high pollution levels. The highest concentrations of K were found in the three sampling sites, accounting for 31.03%, 39.47%, and 38.43% of the total, respectively, mainly due to the high contribution of biomass burning in autumn and winter in Heze, a large agricultural city. The highest concentrations of Zn, 89.70, 84.21, and 67.68 ng·m-3, were found in the trace elements at the three sampling sites, respectively. The enrichment factor results showed that the enrichment factor values of Zn, Pb, Sn, Sb, Cd, and Se were higher than 100, among which the enrichment factors of Cd and Se were higher than 2 000 and 4 000, respectively, which were significantly influenced by anthropogenic activities and might have been related to industrial production, metal smelting, road sources, and coal combustion emissions. The health risk results showed that there was some potential non-carcinogenic risk (HQ>0.1 for children and adults) for As and a combined potential non-carcinogenic risk (HI>0.1) and some potential carcinogenic risk (CRT>1×10-6) for both children and adults at the three sampling sites. There was a more significant carcinogenic risk (CRT>1×10-4) for adults at the wastewater treatment plant, and the slightly higher carcinogenic risk for adults than that for children may have been related to the longer outdoor activity and higher PM2.5 exposure for adults. The elements with the highest potential ecological risk values were Cd, As, and Pb, with Cd exhibiting a very high potential ecological risk that should be taken seriously. All three sampling sites showed a very high combined potential ecological risk, with the intensity spatially expressed as Heze College>Huarun Pharmacy>wastewater treatment plant.

Prediction of future insulin-deficiency in glutamic acid decarboxylase autoantibody enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay-positive patients with slowly-progressive type 1 diabetes.

This study aimed to identify risk factors that contribute to the progression of slowly-progressive type 1 diabetes by evaluating the positive predictive value (PPV) of factors associated with the progression to an insulin-dependent state. We selected 60 slowly-progressive type 1 diabetes patients who tested positive for glutamic acid decarboxylase autoantibodies (GADA) at diagnosis from the Japanese Type 1 Diabetes Database Study. GADA levels in these patients were concurrently measured using both radioimmunoassay (RIA) and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) techniques. Compared with the non-progressor group (fasting C-peptide [F-CPR] levels maintained ≥0.6 ng/mL), the progressor group showed a younger age at diagnosis, lower body mass index (BMI), lower F-CPR levels and a higher prevalence of insulinoma-associated antigen-2 autoantibodies (IA-2A). The PPV of RIA-GADA increased from 56.3 to 70.0% in the high titer group (≥10 U/mL), and further increased to 76.9, 84.2, 81.0 and 75.0% when combined with specific thresholds for age at diagnosis <47 years, BMI <22.6 kg/m2, F-CPR <1.41 ng/mL and IA-2A positivity, respectively. In contrast, the PPV of ELISA-GADA (71.8%) remained the same at 73.1% in the high titer group (≥180 U/mL), but increased to 81.8, 82.4 and 79.0% when evaluated in conjunction with age at diagnosis, BMI and F-CPR level, respectively. Our findings show that, unlike RIA-GADA, ELISA-GADA shows no association between GADA titers and the risk of progression to an insulin-dependent state. The PPV improves when age at diagnosis, BMI and F-CPR levels are considered in combination.

Heat Transfer Enhancement of Impinging Jet-Corrugated Solar Air Heaters

Abstract Solar air heater (SAH) is one of many applications of solar energy, but it has low thermal performance. To cater to this issue, a novel corrugated jet-impinging channel has been proposed for the absorbing plate of SAHs. The Nusselt number, pressure loss pumping power, and friction factor were computed by experimental and numerical studies for three different arrangements of jets, i.e., 1 × 1 square, 2 × 2, and 3 × 3 jet array with three target plates, i.e., smooth, trapezoidal, and sinusoidal corrugated plates over the Reynolds number range of 1740–2700 and jet-to-target plate spacing of 5.1–14.6. It was observed that jet-to-target plate distance and multiple jets impinging can affect the heat transfer enhancement significantly. An optimization study has been performed using the statistical Taguchi method. The optimum value of Nusselt number was found for the trapezoidal corrugated target plate, with 3 × 3 multiple jet impingement, jet-to-target plate distance of 5.1, and Reynolds number value of 2700, while the optimum value of friction factor was found for 3 × 3 jet impingement. Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) and experimental data are found to be in good agreement. An increase of 11 times was observed in the thermal performance factor as compared to the base case. Trapezoidal corrugation seems to be the effective profile for SAHs.

Acaricide resistance status of deltamethrin and coumaphos in Hyalomma anatolicum ticks collected from different districts of Haryana.

To study the acaricide resistance status and possible mechanisms of action in conferring resistance to commonly used acaricides (deltamethrin and coumaphos), Hyalomma anatolicum ticks were collected from 6 dairy farms of Hisar and Charkhi Dadri districts of Haryana. By using standard larval packet test, H. anatolicum tick larvae of Charkhi Dadri isolates were found to be susceptible (100% mortality) to both the acaricides. Level-I resistance against coumaphos was recorded from four isolates, whereas, level-II was observed in only one isolate, collected from Hisar. One isolates (Kaimri) from Hisar also showed level-I resistance against deltamethrin. Biochemically, the ticks having higher values of resistance factor (RF) against coumaphos were found to possess increased enzymatic activity of α-esterase, β-esterase, glutathione-S-transferase (GST) and mono-oxygenase enzymes, whereas, the monoamine oxidase did not show any constant trend. However, the RF showed a statistical significant correlation with GST only. Native PAGE analysis of H. anatolicum ticks revealed the presence of nine types of esterases (EST-1h to EST-9h) by using napthyl acetate as substrate. In the inhibitory assay, esterases were found to be inhibited by PMSF, indicating the presence of serine residue at catalytic triad. The partial cds of carboxylesterase and domain II of sodium channel genes were sequenced to determine any proposed mutations in resistant isolates of H. anatolicum ticks, however, no mutations were observed in either gene, indicating that increased expression of detoxification enzymes as a possible mechanism for resistance development, in the current study.

An Improved Sparrow Search Algorithm for the Optimization of Variational Modal Decomposition Parameters

Variational modal decomposition (VMD) is frequently employed for both signal decomposition and extracting features; however, the decomposition outcome is influenced by the quantity of intrinsic modal functions (IMFs) and the specific parameter values of penalty factors. To tackle this issue, we propose an algorithm based on the Halton sequence and the Laplace crossover operator for the sparrow search algorithm–VMD (HLSSA-VMD) to fine-tune the parameters of VMD. First, the population initialization by the Halton sequence yields higher-quality initial solutions, which effectively addresses the issue of the algorithm’s sluggish convergence due to overlapping and the lack of diversity of the initial solutions. Second, the introduction of the Laplace crossover operator (LX) to perturb the position of the best individual in each iteration helps to prevent the algorithm from becoming ensnared in a local optimum and improves the convergence speed of the algorithm. Finally, from the simulation of 17 benchmark test functions, we found that the HLSSA exhibited superior convergence accuracy and accelerated convergence pace, as well as better robustness than the particle swarm optimization (PSO) algorithm, the whale optimization algorithm (WOA), the multiverse optimization (MVO) algorithm, and the traditional sparrow search algorithm (SSA). In addition, we verified the effectiveness of the HLSSA-VMD algorithm on two simulated signals and compared it with PSO-VMD, WOA-VMD, MVO-VMD, and SSA-VMD. The experimental findings indicate that the HLSSA-VMD obtains better parameters, confirming the superiority of the algorithm.

Phytochemical profiles and evaluation of the biological potential of ethyl acetate and n-butanol fractions of the aerial parts of Cistus albidus L.

The phytochemical profiles of the ethyl acetate (EAFCA) and n-butanol (BFCA) fractions of the aerial parts of Cistus albidus L., were characterised by a developed LC-ESI-MS/MS method, using 53 fingerprint phytochemicals, revealing the presence of 26 and 22 compounds, respectively with quinic acid, gallic acid, protocatechuic acid, catechin, gentisic acid, tannic acid, ellagic acid, quercitrin, astragalin as the major compounds of the EAFCA, in very higher amounts than in the BFCA. The antioxidant activity was evaluated using six methods (DPPH•, ABTS•+, GOR•, CUPRAC, FRAP and Phenanthroline). In agreement with its highest polyphenolic content (430.12 ± 1.02 µg GAE/mg of extract) and largest amounts of identified polyphenolics, the EAFCA exhibited a higher antioxidant activity than the BFCA. Additionally, the EAFCA showed the highest acetylcholinesterase (AChE) inhibition (IC50 of 25.1 ± 2.58 µg/mL). Moreover, both EAFCA and BFCA demonstrated high photoprotective activity, with sun protection factor (SPF) values of 36.49 and 36.52, respectively.

Sustainable solar energy development in Zakho, Iraq: a techno-economic and environmental assessment

This study presents a solar energy roadmap aimed at attracting investors to capitalize on the abundant solar resources in Zakho, Iraq, for clean energy technology. The objective is to mitigate global warming effects caused by fossil fuel combustion and promote sustainable technological development. To end this, the study employs RETScreen Expert software to validate the techno-economic and environmental viability of a grid-connected solar photovoltaic system utilizing climatic data from the Astronaut Office Information System (NASA) Database. Additionally, the Photovoltaic Geographical Information System (PVGIS) modeling method determines optimal angles for installing residential rooftop Photovoltaic (PV) systems across selected locations. Results indicate that all selected locations are suitable for solar photovoltaic projects, with Rezgari identified as the optimal district due to its highest annual solar radiation of 1863.117 kWh/m2 and the highest annual electricity production at 7905.38 kWh. The capacity factor (CF) values fall within the range of 17.395-17.574%. The study reveals an annual greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reduction ranging from 6.9876 to 7.1123 (tCO2) across four districts. Considering the financial and environmental indicators, Rooftop Photovoltaic Systems emerge as a sustainable and efficient solution to enhance the environment and prove economically viable in Zakho City.

Stability analysis of slopes with cracks using the finite element limit analysis method

There are numerous slope projects involved in railway and highway constructions, and ensuring the stability of slopes, especially those with cracks, is very important. Compared with the limit equilibrium method, the limit analysis method takes into account the soil’s stress-strain behavior and boundary conditions, thereby yielding more rigorous and accurate results. The stability of slopes with cracks was examined using the finite element limit analysis method in this study. Results indicate that the stability of the slope decreases with the crack length, especially for slope with small slope ratio (i.e., α ≤ 1:1.5) and when lc/H exceeds 25%. The influence of crack inclination angle on slope stability increases with crack length, and the safety factor is larger in cases of negative inclination value cases as compared to those in positive inclination value cases when lc/H ≥ 0.33. Values of safety factor are larger in cases of slope with reinforcement as compared to those without reinforcement, and the values of F increase by about 20%. Additionally, the slip planes for slopes with reinforcement are located 10% further away from the slope surface compared to those without reinforcement, and reinforcements enhance the slope integrity.

Socio‐techno‐economic‐environmental sizing of hybrid renewable energy system using metaheuristic optimization approaches

AbstractElectricity supply reliability in an electricity distribution network is majorly affected due to unexpected power failures and power cuts. A hybrid renewable energy system (HRES) with the optimal size of renewable energy sources can substantially improve power reliability. Therefore, this article develops an objective function incorporating socio‐techno‐economic‐environmental (STEE) factors for HRES optimal sizing to supply reliable power to a rural village. The factors considered in the objective function are namely social (employment generation factor, human progress index, and land cost), technical (excess energy factor, renewable energy portion, and loss of power supply probability), economical (total net present cost, cost of energy, and annualized cost of system), and environmental (emission cost). In this article, for the first time, marine predators algorithm (MPA) based metaheuristic optimizer is devised to address the sizing optimization problem of HRES. Three HRES configurations, having different arrangements of diesel generator (DG), biogas generator (BG), battery (BAT), wind turbine (WT), and photovoltaic (PV), are examined utilizing MPA, particle swarm optimization (PSO), salp swarm algorithm (SSA), and genetic algorithm (GA) for optimal configuration. Due to the lowest value of economical and environmental factors and the highest value of the social factor, the PV‐WT‐BAT‐BG‐DG configuration is optimal compared to other investigated configurations with MPA. Comparing the four optimizers, MPA has the best STEE factor values, as well as stronger convergence, greater ability to escape from local minima, and higher ability to approach the global optimum. Additionally, by contrasting it with the PSO result for the three HRES configurations, the MPA result quality is confirmed. Furthermore, the cost of energy (0.1799 $/kWh) of the optimal configuration is less than the latest addressed in the literature.

Carapace Length-weight, Carapace Width-weight Relationships, Condition Factor and Sex Ratio of Freshwater Crab Sartoriana spinigera (Wood-Mason, 1971) from the River Burhi Gandak, North Bihar, India

Background: The Burhi Gandak river origins in the Chautarwa Chaur region near Bisambharpur in the West Champaran district of Bihar and flows through the East Champaran, Muzafarpur, Samastipur and Begusarai districts. It falls into the river Ganga near Khagaria district. Its coordinates are 25°51'40''N latitudes and 85°48'36''E longitudes. The total area of catchment is 12500 sq. km in size overall, of which 9601 sq. km are in Bihar and the rest in Nepal. The study will be helpful for stock estimation, developing conservation and choosing appropriate species for aquaculture. The present data can be used to develop conservation plans while providing biological data needed for an effective management of this fishery. Methods: The carapace length-weight, carapace width-weight relationship, condition factor and sex ratio of freshwater crab Sartoriana spinigera (n=663) collected from River Burhi Gandak, North Bihar, between July 2020 to June 2021. In the present investigation, freshwater crabs were collected from different types of techniques, including hand-picking, digging, setting traps and taking them from their nest. Result: Total of 663 specimens of Sartoriana spinigera (Wood-Mason, 1971) of both sexes (male and female) were collected in which 363 female and 300 male. The carapace length-weight of Sartoriana spinigera females were calculated as W = 0.9122.521 with R2 = 0.875, male W = 0.43102.505 with R2 = 0.853 and length-weight of combined sex (male and female) were calculated as W = 0.6612.701 with R2 = 0.954. The carapace width-weight of female were calculated as W = 0.5542.331 with R2 = 0.831, male W = 0.7912.421 with R2 = 0.802 and carapace length-weight of combined sex (male and female) were calculated as W = 0.18122.601 with R2 = 0.900. From this study showed it could be stated that crabs have allometric growth pattern. The Fulton’s condition factor (Kn) value were calculated as 1.10 and sex ratio calculated was 1:1.49. This paper provides information.

The Influence Of Certification, Competence, Education, Discipline, And Work Motivation On The Performance Of Kindergarten Heads In Islamic Kindergartens Throughout The City Of Serang

This study aims to investigate the influence of certification, competence, education, discipline, and work motivation on the performance of kindergarten heads. This research is included in survey-type research and is quantitative. The collected data were analyzed quantitatively. The analysis method used in this research is the Structural Equation Model (SEM) using the SmartPLS 4.0 application. The results obtained in the validity test state the loading factor value ? 0.7 and the AVE value ? 5 so that it can be declared valid, in the composite reliable test and Cronbach alpha ? 0.7 so that it can be declared reliable. The results showed that the certification variable (X1) had a positive and significant influence on the discipline variable (Z1). The certification variable (X1) has a positive and significant influence on the work motivation variable (Z2). The certification variable (X1) has a positive and significant influence on the performance variable (Y). The competency variable (X2) has a positive and significant effect on the discipline variable (Z1). The competency variable (X2) has a positive and significant influence on the work motivation variable (Z2). The competency variable (X2) has a positive and significant effect on the performance variable (Y). The education variable (X3) has a positive and significant effect on the discipline variable (Z1). The education variable (X3) has a positive and significant influence on the work motivation variable (Z2). The education variable (X3) has a positive and significant influence on the performance variable (Y).

Erodibility Indices and Soil Loss from Different Land uses in Owukpa and Okaba Bioregion of Lower Coal Measures Geological Sediments of the Anambra Basin, Nigeria

The study on erodibility indices and soil loss from different land uses in Owukpa and Okaba bioregion of lower coal measures geological sediments of the Anambra Basin, Nigeria was conducted forested, cultivated and residential lands. Thirty-nine (39) representative soil samples were collected at a depth of 0 – 20 cm using auger, labeled and preserved to the laboratory for standard laboratory procedures. The percentage of different grain sizes Moisture content, organic carbon, organic matter content, soil pH, bulk density, particle density, porosity, soil structural index, specific gravity, particle size and permeability were verified. The three land uses were predominantly sandy soil and classified as sandy loam, moderate Permeability, low moisture and clay contents. Dispersion, Erosion, Clay and Modified Clay ratios where high, while Water Stable Aggregates was low. Cultivated land use has the highest value of erodibility factor K (0.12) and predicted soil loss was 18.22 tons/ha/yr. Residential land use value of erodibility factor K was 0.10 and the predicted soil loss of 14.80 Tons/ha /yr while forested land use K was lowest (0.08) with predicted soil loss of 11.84 tons/ha/yr. Using one way ANOVA at p ? 0.05 the different land use patterns did not significantly influence erodibility factor and soil loss in the study area.

Enhancing Cookie Formulations with Combined Dehydrated Peach: A Machine Learning Approach for Technological Quality Assessment and Optimization.

This study focuses on predicting and optimizing the quality parameters of cookies enriched with dehydrated peach through the application of Support Vector Machine (SVM) and Artificial Neural Network (ANN) models. The purpose of the study is to employ advanced machine learning techniques to understand the intricate relationships between input parameters, such as the presence of dehydrated peach and treatment methods (lyophilization and lyophilization with osmotic pretreatment), and output variables representing various quality aspects of cookies. For each of the 32 outputs, including the parameters of the basic chemical compositions of the cookie samples, selected mineral contents, moisture contents, baking characteristics, color properties, sensorial attributes, and antioxidant properties, separate models were constructed using SVMs and ANNs. Results showcase the efficiency of ANN models in predicting a diverse set of quality parameters with r2 up to 1.000, with SVM models exhibiting slightly higher coefficients of determination for specific variables with r2 reaching 0.981. The sensitivity analysis underscores the pivotal role of dehydrated peach and the positive influence of osmotic pretreatment on specific compositional attributes. Utilizing established Artificial Neural Network models, multi-objective optimization was conducted, revealing optimal formulation and factor values in cookie quality optimization. The optimal quantity of lyophilized peach with osmotic pretreatment for the cookie formulation was identified as 15%.

The Effects of Surface Oxidation and H-Termination Processes Applied to Si Using Electrolytic Hydrogen Peroxide Solution to The Produced Cu/p-Si Schottky Contact Parameters

By using electrolytic hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) solution, oxidation and H-termination processes were applied to the p-Si crystal surface, which will be used for Cu/p-Si Schottky contact production, in a selective and controlled manner. Before the oxidation and H-termination processes, the p-Si(100) wafer used in this study was subjected to conventional chemical cleaning, and ohmic contact was made using pure aluminum (99.99%) metal on its back surface. The p-Si/Al with ohmic back contact was divided into three parts. A rectifying contact was immediately made to the front surface of one of them by using pure copper (99.98%) metal and called the REF (Reference) sample. The front surface of one of the remaining two p-Si/Al parts was oxidized, and the front surface of the other was H-Terminated. Rectifier contacts were made for both using pure copper (99.98%) metal and were named MIS (metal-insulator-semiconductor) and SP (surface passivated), respectively. Current-voltage (I-V) measurements of Schottky diodes of REF, MIS, and SP samples were performed at room temperature and in the dark. From the obtained data, the ideality factor (n), barrier height (Fbo), and series resistance (Rs) values of the samples were determined. As a result of the investigations, it was observed that the surface oxidation and H-Termination processes caused a decrease in the rectification factor and Fbo values of MIS and SP samples. These interesting situations were interpreted by the double-layer theory, which Bardeen predicted could exist on the surface of a semiconductor crystal and contribute to its work function.

Construction of prediction model for fetal growth restriction during first trimester in an Asian population.

To construct a prediction model for fetal growth restriction (FGR) during the first trimester of pregnancy and evaluate its screening performance. This was a prospective cohort study of singleton pregnancies that underwent routine ultrasound screening at 11 to 13 + 6 weeks at the Affiliated Suzhou Hospital of Nanjing Medical University between January 2019 and April 2022. Basic clinical information, ultrasound indicators and serum biomarkers of pregnant women were collected. Fetal weight assessment was based on the fetal growth curve for the Southern Chinese population. FGR was diagnosed according to Delphi consensus criteria. Least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (lasso) regression was used to select variables for inclusion in the model. Discrimination, calibration and clinical effectiveness of the model were evaluated in training and validation cohorts. A total of 1188 pregnant women were included, of whom 108 had FGR. Lasso regression identified seven predictive features, including history of maternal hypertension, maternal smoking or passive smoking, gravidity, uterine artery pulsatility index, ductus venosus pulsatility index and multiples of the median values of placental growth factor and soluble fms-like tyrosine kinase-1. The nomogram prediction model constructed from these seven variables accurately predicted FGR, and the area under the receiver-operating-characteristics curve in the validation cohort was 0.82 (95% CI, 0.74-0.90). The calibration curve and Hosmer-Lemeshow test demonstrated good calibration, and the clinical decision curve and clinical impact curve supported its practical value in a clinical setting. The multi-index prediction model for FGR has good predictive value during the first trimester. © 2023 The Authors. Ultrasound in Obstetrics & Gynecology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of International Society of Ultrasound in Obstetrics and Gynecology.

Uptake and translocation of brominated flame retardants in tomato plants (Solanum lycopersicum L.): Results from a standard soil-based biotest

The uptake and translocation of four polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) and four novel brominated flame retardants (NBFRs) in tomato plants (Solanum lycopersicum L.) were investigated via the RHIZOtest, a standard soil-based biotest, optimized for organic compounds. Tomato plants were exposed to soil samples spiked with 0 (i.e. control), 5.00 or 50.00 ng g−1dw of each compound. Compared of those of the control, exposure to increasing spiking concentrations resulted in average reductions of 13% and 26% (w/w) in tomato plant biomass. Higher concentrations of NBFRs were analyzed both in roots, ranging from 0.23 to 8.01 ng g−1dw for PBDEs and from 1.25 to 18.51 ng g−1dw for NBFRs, and in shoots, ranging from 0.09 to 5.58 ng g−1dw and from 0.47 to 7.78 ng g−1dw for PBDEs and NBFRs, respectively. This corresponded to an average soil uptake of 5% for PBDEs and 9% for NBFRs at the lower soil-spiking level, and 3% for PBDEs and 6% for NBFRs at the higher soil spiking level. Consequently, among both initial spiking levels, the soil-root concentration factor (RCF) values were lower on average for PBDEs (0.13 ± 0.05 g dw soil g−1dw roots) than for NBFRs (0.33 ± 0.16 g dw soil g−1dw roots). Conversely, nondifferent values of the root-shoot transfer factor (TF) were calculated for both PBDEs (0.54 ± 0.13 g dw roots g−1dw shoots) and NBFRs (0.49 ± 0.24 g dw roots g−1dw shoots). The differences and similarities reported in the RCF and TF between and within the two groups of compounds can be explained by their properties. The calculated RCF and TF values of the PBDEs exhibited a decreasing trend as the number of bromine atoms increased. Additionally, a robust negative linear correlation was observed between RCF values and the respective logKow values for the PBDEs, at both soil-spiking levels. The root uptake of NBFRs exhibited a negative correlation with their hydrophobicity; however, this was not observed in the context of root-to-shoot transfer. The presence of a second aromatic ring appears to be the key factor influencing the observed variations in NBFRs, with biphenyl NBFRs (BTBPE and DBDPE) characterized by lower uptake and reduced translocation potential than monophenyl PBEB and HBB. Understanding the transfer of these compounds to crops, especially near plastic recycling waste sites, is crucial for understanding the risks of their potential inclusion in the human food chain.

Quantification of seismic performance factors of mixed concrete/steel buildings using the FEMA P695 methodology

The concurrent utilization of both concrete and steel stories within buildings results in the establishment of a hybrid lateral load-resistant system throughout its height. Different seismic codes do not provide specific values for the seismic factors to be used in the design of mixed concrete/steel buildings. Through these parameters, the nonlinear responses of the structure are estimated. In this study, an investigation was conducted into the seismic design parameters' quantification, encompassing the response modification factor (R), the system over-strength factor (Ωo), and the deflection amplification factor (Cd). Whether to apply the transition story or not in the transition zone between the concrete and steel sections along with considering the different ratios between the number of concrete-based stories and steel-based stories, 18 archetypes in the form of three performance groups of 7, 13, and 19 stories were studied. Pushover curves of all archetypes were achieved. Then, to evaluate the system's behavior and measure the adequacy of the assumed R factor, Incremental Dynamic Analysis (IDA) was used and fragility curves were also extracted to investigate the collapse probability of different archetypes. The results showed that the values of R = 8, Ω0 = 3, and Cd = 5.5 were suitable for the mixed concrete/steel buildings studied. Therefore, a unique R can be assigned to archetypes in different concrete-to-steel floor ratios and the two transition methods. Taking overall uncertainty into account, R= 8 was entirely adequate to satisfy the acceptance criteria of the FEMA P695 methodology.

Significance of Vibronic Coupling that Shapes Circularly Polarized Luminescence of Double Helicenes

AbstractThe circularly polarized luminescence (CPL) spectra of S‐ and X‐shaped double helicenes exhibit distinct vibrational structures and overall shape variations. In this study, we conducted an in‐depth investigation into the vibronic effects influencing the CPL spectra of two double helicenes, namely DPC and DNH. Employing state‐of‐the‐art computations utilizing the FC‐HT1|VH model at the CAM−B3LYP/def2‐TZVP level, we unveiled the paramount impact of Franck–Condon (FC), Herzberg‐Teller (HT), and Duschinsky effects on their chiroptical responses. Our research underscores the pivotal role of structural deformations associated with the S1‐to‐S0 electronic transition in molding CPL spectra and wavelength‐dependent dissymmetry (g) factor values, as well as the significance of HT effects in shaping and enhancing CPL responses. This extensive investigation not only advances our comprehension of the vibronic characteristics in configurationally distinct double helicenes but also offers valuable insights for the design of chiral molecules featuring controllable or finely‐tunable CPL responses.

Increasing the Q-factor of resonant cantilevers in magnetic force microscopy through helium gas flow

To obtain high-resolution magnetic force microscopy (MFM) images, it is essential to have a cantilever with a high-quality factor. However, conventional vibrating cantilevers typically have quality factor values in the range of a few hundred, which limits their sensitivity for MFM measurements. To address this limitation, numerous studies have explored methods to enhance the quality factor in different environments, including vacuum, air, and liquid. This study introduces a novel approach for improving the quality factor using flowing helium gas. By selecting helium gas with a low viscosity coefficient, we successfully achieved a higher quality factor (Q-factor) of MFM microcantilever oscillations at room temperature in one atmosphere compared with the Q-factor in air. This provides a potential approach for achieving high-resolution MFM measurements under room temperature conditions. By optimizing the gas flow rate at room temperature in one atmosphere, we successfully obtained a higher MFM cantilever oscillation Q-factor and clearer MFM images compared with the air. The experimental results revealed a long and narrow resonant curve, and the quality factor significantly increased to 778.2, which is 3.8 times higher than that observed in air 205.4. Furthermore, systematic investigations demonstrated the capability of this approach to produce high-resolution MFM images of videotape track patterns under the optimized helium gas flow rate of 60 mm/s.