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The quest for solar-blind photodetectors with outstanding optoelectronic properties and weak signals detection capability is essential for their applications in the field of imaging, communication, warning, etc. To date, Ga2O3 has demonstrated potential for high-performance solar-blind photodetectors. However, the performance usually decays superlinearly at low light intensities due to carrier-trapping effect, which limits the weak signal detection capability of Ga2O3 photodetectors. Herein, a Ga2O3 solar-blind photodetector with ultra-thin absorbing medium has been designed to restrain trapping of photo-generated carriers during the transporting process by shortening the carrier transport distance. Meanwhile, multiple-beam interference is employed to enhance the absorption efficiency of the Ga2O3 layer using an Al/Al2O3/Ga2O3 structure. Based on the ultra-thin absorbing medium with enhanced absorption efficiency, a 7 × 7 flexible photodetector array is developed, and the detectivity can reach 1.7 × 1015 Jones, which is among the best values ever reported for Ga2O3 photodetectors. Notably, the performance of the photodetector decays little as the illumination intensity is as weak as 5 nW/cm2, revealing the capacity to detect ultra-weak signals. In addition, the flexible photodetector array can execute the functions of imaging, spatial distribution of light source intensity, real-time light trajectory detection, etc. Our results may provide a route to high-performance solar-blind photodetectors for ultra-weak light detection.

Hybrid upconversion nanosystems have been reported to improve the low absorption efficiency of lanthanide-doped upconversion nanoparticles (UCNPs). However, the low quantum yield and poor photostability of NIR dyes pose challenges for practical uses. Here, we introduce a bulky moiety, 4-(1,2,2-triphenylvinyl)-1,1'-biphenyl (TPEO), to enhance its quantum yield by suppressing the bond rotation and improve the stability by deactivating the photoinduced oxidization. Compared with the conventional IR806, the formed NIR dye, TPEO-Cy, has been characterized to deliver three times higher quantum yield and seven times better photostability. Moreover, we take advantage of the strong affinity of sulfonate chains on the TPEO-Cy to bind to the surface of UCNPs. Taking together the synergistic effect, we have achieved a 242-fold upconversion emission enhancement over the benchmark of IR806-sensitized system and an ∼800 000-fold increase than the bare UCNPs. Our design of the NIR dyes suggests a new scope to search for more efficient upconversion nanohybrids.

Lanthanide (Ln3+)-doped near infrared (NIR)-II luminescent nanoprobes have shown great promise in many technological fields, but are currently limited by the low absorption efficiency of Ln3+ due to the forbidden 4f→4f transition. Herein, we report a novel NIR-II luminescent nanoprobe based on efficient energy transfer from Ce3+ to Er3+ and Nd3+ in sub-10 nm SrS nanocrystals (NCs), which are excitable by using a commercial blue light-emitting diode (LED). Through sensitization by the allowed 4f→5d transition of Ce3+, the NCs exhibit strong NIR-II luminescence from Er3+ and Nd3+ with quantum yields of 2.9% and 2.3%, respectively. Furthermore, by utilizing the intense NIR-II luminescence of Er3+ from the thermally coupled Stark sublevels of 4I13/2, we demonstrate the application of SrS:Ce3+/Er3+ NCs as blue-LED-excitable NIR-II luminescent nanoprobes for ratiometric thermal sensing. These findings reveal the unique advantages of SrS:Ln3+ NCs in NIR-II luminescence, which may open up a new avenue for exploring novel and versatile luminescent nanoprobes based on Ln3+-doped sulphide NCs.

Nitrogen oxide (NOx) is one of the polluting gases harmful to humans and the environment. Nitrous oxide gas is mostly found in air, namely nitrogen monoxide (NO) and nitrogen dioxide (NO2). Nitrogen oxide gas in the air, which mostly comes from exhaust gases, needs to be reduced to minimize the threats to humans and the environment and comply with applicable regulations regarding hazards. The absorption process with a membrane contactor is an alternative to reduce NOx concentrations in the air. This study evaluates the hollow fiber membrane modules' performance in the NOx absorption process using sodium chlorate (NaClO3) and sodium hydroxide (NaOH) together as an absorbent solution. Based on the experimental results, the NOx reduction efficiency increased from 96.3 to 99.2% and from 99.4 to 99.7% with an increase in the concentration of NaClO3 from 0.02 to 0.05 M and the number of fibers in the membrane module from 50 to 150. However, the absorption efficiency declined from 99.7 to 99.2% by increasing the feed gas flow rate from 100 to 200 mL/min. The highest value of NOx reduction efficiency, the overall mass transfer coefficient, the flux, and the NOx loading obtained in the study were 99.7%, 0.01743 cm s-1, 9.510´10-8 mmole cm-2 s-1, and 0.026 mole NOx/mole NaClO3, respectively.

Due to a turn toward to functional foods with improved nutritional value, rosehip could be an appropriate candidate to create formulations using a milk matrix. In the present study, the influence of bovine or almond milk fortification on the bioaccessibility and intestinal absorption of rosehip infusion phenolics, mainly catechin, were investigated by a combined method of an in vitro gastrointestinal digestion/Caco-2 cell culture model. The results indicated that bovine (IB) or almond milk (IA) fortification enhanced the retention of total phenolics (TPC; increase of 8.1% and 20.3% for IB and IA, respectively), while there was a decline in the total flavonoids (TFC; decrease of 64% and 17% for IB and IA, respectively) and antioxidant capacity measured by CUPRAC assay (decrease of 15% and 4% for IB and IA, respectively) throughout the gastrointestinal tract in comparison with the control sample (IC). Then, based on the cytotoxicity (SRB) assay, 1/5 times diluted digests were subjected to transepithelial transportation of Caco-2 cells. According to the results, the bovine milk matrix positively affected the transportation of phenolics across the epithelial cell layer. It could be concluded that it is possible to produce functional infusion drinks with improved stability, bioaccessibility, and absorption efficiency of rosehip phenolics in the formulations containing milk matrix.

The nutrient use efficiency of perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.) (PR) and white clover (Trifolium repens L.) (WC) cultivars can affect the grass-legume compatibility of different cultivar combinations, thus impacting the sustainability of animal production systems, especially on marginal soils. The objective of this work was to evaluate N, P, and K absorption efficiency (NAE, PAE, and KAE) and use efficiency (NUE, PUE, and KUE). This study included two experiments with the same full factorial treatment structure (4 PR cultivars × 3 WC cultivars) in a randomized complete block design under field conditions and a completely randomized pot design. The field cutting experiment was carried out on sites with two contrasting soil depths and the pot experiment was conducted under shade conditions. Results showed nonsignificant (P > 0.05) factor interactions for DM yield and both nutrient absorption and use efficiency. The NAE and PAE of PR ‘Extreme’ and ‘Bealey’ were higher under field conditions than pot conditions. In the field experiment, NAE of WC ‘Will’ (2.33 kg DM ha-1/mg N kg-1) tended to be similar (P < 0.05) to other cultivars in deep soil, but was significantly higher (P < 0.001) than ‘Ladino’ and ‘Bounty’ in shallow soil (0.70 kg DM ha-1/mg kg-1). The evaluation of NUE and PUE under field conditions and KUE under pot conditions showed that PR ‘Bealey’ and WC ‘Ladino’ reached higher values. In conclusion, results showed a cultivar effect on nutrient use efficiency in PR/WC mixtures, which had an impact on PR- WC compatibility, mainly due to the higher absorption efficiency of PR ‘Bealey’ and WC ‘Will’, both of which exhibited the highest degree of compatibility for total DM yield.

This work presents the influence of geometrical parameters on the absorption efficiency (Qabs), external quantum efficiencies (EQEs), and short-circuit current (JSC), and the efficiency of InGaP cylindrical core–shell nanowire (NW) solar cells with a circular cross-section was investigated. Numerical results obtained through finite-difference time-domain simulation showed that NW diameters ranging from 100 to 200 nm affected the absorption efficiency of the solar cells and leading to higher short-circuit current densities. The results enhance the efficiency of the solar cell that can be controlled by tuning the physical dimensions of InGaP NWs.

Cocoa and coffee are natural sources of phenolic compounds, which are degraded during beans processing of both. For this reason, there is an interest in obtaining extracts of these bio compounds. The aim of this study was uncovering the radical scavenging activity (AC) of mixtures of cocoa and coffee extracts, and the bioavailability of their phenolic compounds, resorting to in vitro models: DPPH and ORAC antioxidant methods, and the characterization of the trans-epithelial transport of cocoa and coffee phenolics through Caco-2 cells monolayer model of the intestinal barrier. The cocoa displayed a higher AC than the coffee regarding both DPPH and ORAC assays, while the mixtures increased in parallel with the percentage of cocoa in the blends. The combination index was calculated to set up the type of interaction in the cocoa-coffee mixtures, obtaining that the mixture 25:75 was moderately antagonistic, 50:50 nearly additive, and 75:25 slightly synergistic. The absorption efficiency of the cocoa phenolic compounds was between 87.9%–97.4%, in the coffee compounds was 100%. The mixtures varied according to the proportion of cocoa and coffee. The results obtained allowed concluding that the phenolic compounds present in cocoa and coffee, respectively, are featured by high bioavailability and a valuable antioxidant capacity, while no pattern was found in the mixtures concerning the real benefit of using them combined.

Photoelectrochemical (PEC) water splitting is one of the most promising approaches toward achieving the conversion of solar energy to hydrogen. Hematite is a widely applied photoanode material in PEC water splitting because of its appropriate band structure, non-toxicity, high stability, and low cost. Nevertheless, its relatively low photochemical conversion efficiency limits its application, and enhancing its PEC water splitting efficiency remains a challenge. Consequently, increasing efforts have been rendered toward improving the performance of hematite photoanodes. The entire PEC water splitting efficiency typically includes three parts: the photon absorption efficiency, the separation efficiency of the semiconductor bulk, and the surface injection efficiency. This review briefly discusses the recent advances in studies on hematite photoanodes for water splitting, and through the enhancement of the three above-mentioned efficiencies, the corresponding strategies toward improving the PEC performance of hematite are comprehensively discussed and summarized.

Ultisol is one type of soil that has a very wide distribution in Indonesia, but the use of this soil faces many obstacles. The main problem in ultisol utilization is the low availability of phosphorus (P) and the low absorption efficiency. Coal fly ash (CFA) is a material that can overcome these problems. The objective of this study was to examine the effect of Application CFA on several soil chemical properties (pH, exchangeable Al, exchangeable Ca and available P), plant growth, yield, and absorption efficiency of P fertilizer. This study used a completely randomized factorial design consisting of two factors. The first factor was CFA that consisted of three levels of treatment, namely: A0 = 0 t ha -1 or without CFA, A1 = 40 t CFA ha -1 , A2 = 80 t CFA ha -1 . The second factor was P fertilizer that consisted of four levels of treatment, namely: P0 = 0 kg ha -1 , P1 = 30 kg P ha -1 , P2 = 60 kg P ha -1 and P3 = 90 kg P ha -1 . The results of the study showed that the application of 80 t CFA ha -1 increased the pH by 13.41%, reduced exchangeable Al by 59.53% and increased exchangeable by Ca 192.66% compared to control. The combination 80 t CFA ha -1 and 90 kg P ha -1 increased available P by 986.79% compared to control. The application of 80 t CFA ha -1 resulted in the highest total plant dry weight and total P uptake. The treatment resulted in total plant dry weight of 172.96 g and total P uptake of 187.62 mg plant -1 , increased 62.39% and 100.21% respectively compared to the control. The application of 90 kg P fertilizer ha -1 resulted in the highest total dry weight of maize, and total P uptake, namely 167.49 g and 174.39 mg plant -1 , respectively, which means that the total plant dry weight increased by 51.00% and the total uptake P increased 69.79% compared to control. The highest seed dry weight was obtained in the combination of 80 t CFA ha -1 and 90 kg P ha -1 , namely 39.33 g, an increase of 715.53% compared to the control. The combination of 40 t CFA ha -1 and 30 kg P ha -1 resulted in the highest absorption efficiency of P fertilizer, namely 30.43%. This means that in this treatment, maize can absorb 30.43% of the applied P fertilizer.

Design and development of cheap and eco-friendly microwave absorber are one of the challenging and interesting topics for the scientific community nowadays. This paper proposes the design and fabrication of corn husk-based low cost, light-weight, and flexible microwave absorber treated as a promising eco-friendly microwave absorber. In this work, an extensive study on microwave absorption efficiency of corn husk at different thicknesses is performed in the frequency range of 1–20 GHz. The absorber at 5.21 mm thickness possesses a return loss (RL) of −32.72247 dB at 2.255 GHz. The measured RL values agree well with simulated ones, indicating the utility of proposed absorber for various practical microwave absorption applications.

Wastewater contains various types of hazardous chemical compounds that can cause environmental pollution such as heavy metals Zn, Pb, Cu, Cr, Cd, Co, Fe, Mn, Ni, Hg, and As. For this reason, it is necessary to treat waste before it is discharged into the river. Wastewater treatment that can be done by biosorption methods, because it is more efficient and economical. The purpose of this study is to determine the benefit of tea leaves as a biosorbent to absorb heavy metals in wastewater. In this study the biosorption method was used using untreated tea leaves biosorbents, as well as activated and modified chemicals. The results of this study found that untreated tea leaves biosorbent were able to absorb heavy metals Zn, Pb, Cu, and Cr with absorption efficiency of 59,46 – 99,7%, activated and chemically modified tea leaves biosorbents were able to absorb heavy metals Zn, Cd, Co, Pb, Cu, Fe, Mn, Ni, Cr, Hg, and As with absorption efficiency of 68,68-100%. Keywords: Heavy Metals, Biosorbents, Biosorption, Efficiency, and Tea Leaves

The quality and quantity of coke oven gas depend on the properties of charged coal blend and cokemaking technology. In general, the raw coke oven contains naphthalene vapor in the range of 1500–2000 g per 100 Nm3 of gas which starts condensing directly into the solid form if the temperature of the gas goes down. Therefore, removal of naphthalene from coke oven gas is vital for ease of transporting through pipelines and its use as fuel. The removal process consists of scrubbing system followed by a stripping system. The scrubbing system requires efficient wash oil for absorbing the naphthalene, and the rich wash oil needs to be stripped for recycling the wash oil in the scrubbing system. In the present study, four different sources of wash oils were chosen for detailed characterization followed by aspen simulation. The stripping of naphthalene from rich wash oils shows that the HWO has better efficiency, followed by CTWO. The SWO and IWO are also having satisfactory performance. The SWO contains less sulfur and specific gravity compared to CTWO, HWO and IOWO. The characterization temperature of SWO at 5% distilled is very high (347.5°C) as compared to IOWO (330.6°C), HWO (280.3°C), and CTWO (252.1°C). Also, the temperature at 95% distilled is 373.3°C is low compared to other tested oils. The result shows that properties of SWO oil are superior for absorbing naphthalene.

Performance of natural zeolites can be improved through the process of activation and impregnation. Activation process using HCl and impregnation with Mg2+ have carried out in this study. The activation process was performed out for 30 minutes with a 0.5M HCl solution and impregnation of MgCl2.6H2O 2.5M for 2 hours. Natural zeolites which have been activated and impregnated are then analyzed by the Scanning Electron Microscope-Energy Dispersive Spectrophotometer (SEM-EDS). The results of zeolite surface profile characteristics activated and impregnated using SEM-EDS showed that there were changes in morphology and functional groups. Then, activated and impregnated zeolites were used to absorb ammonia at various contact times of 5 minutes, 10 minutes, 15 minutes, 20 minutes, 25 minutes, 30 minutes, 35 minutes, 40 minutes and 45 minutes. The equilibrium point was obtained at 25 minutes contact time with adsorption capacity of 30.444 mg/g and absorption efficiency of 85.2352%. The dosage of adsorbent varied with 0.01% size; 0.03%; 0.05%; 0.07%; 0.09%; 0.11%, 0.13% m/v. The concentration of ammonia absorbed was performed out using an Uv-Vis Spectrophotometer. The best efficiency of ammonia absorption is 90.106% with particle size 110-120 mesh, adsorbent dose 0.09% and adsorbent impregnation treatment.

The effects of homogenisation, heat treatment and their order on in vitro gastric/pancreatic digestions, and in vitro absorption of milk lipids, expressed as free fatty acids, were investigated. Milk, cream or mixture of homogenised/heat-treated cream and skim milk were subjected to gastric digestion at pH 2 or 6, followed by pancreatic digestion and cell absorption by CaCo-2 cells. Heat treatment after or prior to homogenisation affected in vitro digestion efficiencies of milk lipids. The presence of milk proteins led to reductions in the levels of gastric/pancreatic digestion of homogenised milk lipids. Absorption of FFA was not affected by gastric digestion pH.

Background Better methods are needed for determining vitamin A absorption efficiency in humans to support development of dietary recommendations and to improve the accuracy of predictions of vitamin A status. Objectives We developed and evaluated a method for estimating vitamin A absorption efficiency based on compartmental modeling of theoretical data on postprandial plasma retinyl ester (RE) kinetics. Methods We generated data on plasma RE and retinol kinetics (30 min to 8 h or 56 d, respectively) after oral administration of labeled vitamin A for 12 theoretical adults with a range of values assigned for vitamin A absorption (55–90%); we modeled all data to obtain best-fit values for absorption and other parameters using Simulation, Analysis, and Modeling software. We then modeled RE data only (16 or 10 samples), with or without added random error, and compared assigned to predicted absorption values. We also compared assigned values to areas under RE response curves (RE AUCs). Results We confirmed that a unique value for vitamin A absorption cannot be identified by modeling plasma retinol tracer kinetics. However, when RE data were modeled, predicted vitamin A absorptions were within 1% of assigned values using data without error and within 12% when 5% error was included. When the sample number was reduced, predictions were still within 13% for 10 of the 12 subjects and within 23% overall. Assigned values for absorption were not correlated with RE AUC (P = 0.21). Conclusions We describe a feasible and accurate method for determining vitamin A absorption efficiency that is based on compartmental modeling of plasma RE kinetic data collected for 8 h after a test meal. This approach can be used in a clinical setting after fasting subjects consume a fat-containing breakfast meal with a known amount of vitamin A or a stable isotope label.

Microalgae have the potential to contribute to carbon dioxide utilization, resulting in the production of valuable chemical products. This study reports a novel PhotoBioCREC prototype able to evalu...

The integrated multi-trophic aquaculture also known as the “IMTA” system is one of a sustainable and eco-friendly approach among aquaculture activities. This aquaculture practice does not compromise the well-being of the natural ecosystem because of the synergistic functions of different extractive species where both inorganic and organic waste have been regulated into an optimum level. The recycling of waste within the system is the most vital strategy to alleviate the impact on the neighboring natural habitats. However, the selection and good combination of the extractive species should be considered for an efficient and effective IMTA system. Thus, this review paper investigated several extractive species used in the IMTA system. Overall studies suggest that viable extractive species of mussel, sea cucumber, sea urchins, and macroalgae carried out different strategies in converting waste from aquaculture fed-species. However, among suspension extractive species, sea cucumber showed exemplary performance in the reduction of feces of the cultured fed-species. Thus, a combination of sea-cucumber, macroalgae and finfish is highly recommended in the IMTA system.

International audience; An important yet largely unexamined issue is how the interaction between deforestation and pollution affects economic and environmental sustainability.This article seeks to bridge the gap by introducing a dynamic model of pollution accumulation where polluting emissions can be mitigated and the absorption efficiency of pollution sinks can be restored. We assume that emissions are due to a production activity, and we include deforestation both as an additional source of emissions and as a cause of the exhaustion of environmental absorption efficiency. To account for the fact that the switching of natural sinks to a pollution source can be either possible, and in such a case even reversible, or impossible, we consider that restoration efforts can be either independent from or dependent on environmental absorption efficiency, i.e., state-independent versus state-dependent restoration efforts. We determine (i) whether production or deforestation is the most detrimental from environmental and social welfare perspectives, and (ii) how state-dependent restoration process affects pollution accumulation and deforestation policies and the related environmental and social welfare consequences.

Retinol isotope dilution (RID) is a well-accepted technique for assessing vitamin A status [i.e., total body stores (TBS)]. Here, in an effort to increase understanding of the method, we briefly review RID equations and discuss their included variables and their coefficients (i.e., assumptions that account for the efficiency of absorption of an orally administered tracer dose of vitamin A, mixing of the dose with endogenous vitamin A, and loss due to utilization). Then, we focus on contributions of another technique, model-based compartmental analysis and especially the “super-person” approach, that advance the RID method. Specifically, we explain how adding this modeling component, which involves taking 1 additional blood sample from each subject, provides population-specific estimates for the RID coefficients that can be used in the equation instead of values derived from the literature; using model-derived RID coefficients results in improved confidence in predictions of TBS for both a group and its individuals. We note that work is still needed to identify the optimal time for applying RID in different groups and to quantify vitamin A absorption efficiency. Finally, we mention other contributions of modeling, including the use of theoretical data to verify the accuracy of RID predictions and the additional knowledge that model-based compartmental analysis provides about whole-body vitamin A kinetics.

In this letter, a swastika-shaped ultrabroadband metamaterials absorber is proposed. The designed absorber can be fabricated with the polylactic acid by 3-D printing, and packaged after filling with water. The absorber can achieve greater than 90% absorption in the frequency band of 9.3–49.0 GHz, with a relative bandwidth of 136%, which has been well demonstrated in the microwave experiment. Moreover, it also performs well at wide angles of incidence and the absorption efficiency has almost no obvious changes over the water temperature range of 0 °C–100 °C. The absorber proposed in this letter benefits from ultrawideband absorption, low cost and environment-friendly materials, it can be applied in the fields of electromagnetic (EM) stealth and EM energy harvesting.

Object of research: vortex mass transfer device for the effective absorption of ammonia by brine in soda production. Investigated problem: intensification of mass transfer processes and ensuring effective absorption of ammonia with small dimensions of the device and low hydraulic resistance. Main scientific results: studies of ammonia absorption efficiency in a laboratory device are carried out, which confirm the operability of the proposed device design. The dependences of the efficiency of the vortex device on the ammonia concentration and the brine consumption are revealed. The flow velocity and pressure in the device are simulated at various capacities. Scope of practical use of the research results: the research results can be used in the design of mass transfer equipment, primarily equipment for purifying emissions from ammonia and gas breakers from soda ash columns. Innovative technological product: the design of the vortex device, which allows achieving a high degree of absorption in ammonia with a concentration of up to 130 g/m3 of the order of 99 % at low operational (due to low hydraulic resistance) and capital (due to the compactness and small size of the installation) costs. Scope of the innovative technological product: the vortex device of the proposed design can be used to clean emissions, absorption of ammonia vapor or other mass transfer processes. Об'єкт дослідження: вихровий масообмінний пристрій для ефективного поглинання аміаку розсолом в содовому виробництві. Досліджена проблема: інтенсифікація процесів масообміну і забезпечення ефективної абсорбції аміаку при малих габаритах пристрою і низькому гідравлічному опорі. Основні наукові результати: вивчена ефективність поглинання аміаку в лабораторній установці, які підтверджують працездатність запропонованої конструкції пристрою. Виявлено залежності ККД вихрового пристрою від концентрації аміаку і витрати розсолу. Швидкість потоку і тиск в пристрої моделюються при різних потужностях. Сфера практичного використання результатів дослідження: результати досліджень можуть бути використані при проектуванні массообменного обладнання, в першу чергу обладнання для очищення викидів від аміаку і газових викидів з колон кальцинованої соди. Інноваційний технологічний продукт: конструкція вихрового пристрою, що дозволяє домогтися високого ступеня поглинання аміаку з концентрацією до 130 г / м3 близько 99% при низьких експлуатаційних (через низький гідравлічного опору) і капітальних (через компактності) і невеликий розмір установки) витрат. Сфера застосування інноваційного технологічного продукту: вихровий пристрій пропонованої конструкції може використовуватися для очищення викидів, абсорбції парів аміаку або інших масообмінних процесів.

This work presents the preparation and characterization of some nanocomposite materials based on reduced graphene oxide (rGO) (Al2O3/rGO, Fe3O4/rGO, Fe3O4–Al2O3/rGO). Thermal sorption ability of prepared nanocomposite materials in salty water were measured. Results showed that all investigated materials that were dispersed in salty water raised the thermal absorption ability of solutions. Fe3O4-Al2O3/rGO gived the highest thermal absorption efficiency (the temperature difference between the blank sample and the sample containing Fe3O4-Al2O3/rGO with content of 0.5 mg/mL is 8°C). The thermal sorption increased with increasing the concentration of materials in solution and the suitable concentration of 5 mg/mL was found. The addition of Fe3O4 increased the thermal sorption and created magnetic property of material. Fe3O4-Al2O3/rGO was recovered by magnet with high yield up to 98%; Olny a minor decrease in thermal sorption ability of recovered material was abserved. The distillation rate of salty water dispersed Fe3O4-Al2O3/rGO using solar energy was four times higher than without dispersing it. The results showed that these nanocomposite materials can be used to increase the efficiency of thermal absorption in the process of distilling salty water into fresh water.

In this work, gallium arsenide (GaAs), which has an adjustable band gap and low cost, was adopted as an absorption layer in which KNbO3, having good dielectric, photoelectric, and piezoelectric properties, served as a scattering element for the improvement in absorption efficiency of solar cells. Benefited by the high absorption efficiency of KNbO3, the utilization of the ultraviolet and infrared bands for solar cells can be strengthened. In addition, the ferroelectric and photovoltaic characteristics of KNbO3 enable the realization of decreased thickness of solar cells. Based on the simulation of the shape, width, and period of the scattering element, the effect of the thickness of the scattering element on the absorption efficiency, quantum efficiency, and total efficiency of absorption efficiency was comprehensively simulated. The results show that the absorption layer delivers the optimal performance when using a hexagonal KNbO3 scattering element. The absorption efficiency of the GaAs absorption layer with KNbO3 as the scattering element is increased by 28.42% compared with that of a GaAs absorption layer with empty holes. In addition, the quantum efficiency is maintained above 98% and the total efficiency is 91.59%. At the same time, the efficiency of such an absorption layer is still above 90% when the angle ranges from 0 to 70°. This work provides theoretical guidance for the rational design of solar cells based on photonic crystal structures.

Special issue Diversity and Ecology of Marine Benthic Communities.-- 15 pages, 6 figures, 2 tables, 1 appendix.-- Data Availability Statement: The data presented in this study are available on request from the corresponding author, Shellfish reefs have been lost from bays and estuaries globally, including in the Swan-Canning Estuary in Western Australia. As part of a national program to restore the ecosystem services that such reefs once provided and return this habitat from near extinction, the mussel Mytilus galloprovincialis was selected for a large-scale shellfish reef construction project in this estuary. To assess the potential filtration capacity of the reef, estuary seston quality, mussel feeding behavior, and valve gape activity were quantified in the laboratory and field during winter and summer. In general, estuary water contained high total particulate concentrations (7.9–8.7 mg L−1). Standard clearance rates were greater in winter (1.9 L h−1; 17 °C) than in summer (1.3 L h−1; 25 °C), the latter producing extremely low absorption efficiencies (37%). Mussel valves remained open ~97% and ~50% of the time in winter and summer, respectively. They often displayed erratic behavior in summer, possibly due to elevated temperatures and the toxic microalgae Alexandrium spp. Despite numerous stressors, the reef, at capacity, was estimated to filter 35% of the total volume of the estuary over winter, incorporating 42.7 t of organic matter into mussel tissue. The reefs would thus make a substantial contribution to improving estuary water quality, This project was funded by Lotterywest, The Minderoo Foundation, and the Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions, With the institutional support of the ‘Severo Ochoa Centre of Excellence’ accreditation (CEX2019-000928-S)

WOS: 000519806700073, In this study, composites composed of glass fiber reinforced-epoxy laminates interleaved with electrospun polyvinylchloride (PVC) nano-fibres were designed for radar absorption investigations. The laminated composites which were produced in special molds were obtained by placing woven glass fibers between each of PVC nanofiber mats, and the composites were produced in three different forms as pure, multi-walled carbon nanotubes doped and graphene doped. The morphologies of the PVC nanofiber mats were analyzed by scanning electron microscope. The radar absorption efficiencies of the composites in the individual and different combinations were measured in the 3-8 GHz frequency band. Experimental results show that the produced graphene-added composite material has improvable microwave absorption effect at several points in 3-8 GHz band to provide excellent absorption in future studies. The graphene doped structure was found to have a certain absorption characteristic up to 33.82% at a constant frequency. Besides, various strong absorption frequency points have been obtained in the related frequency range. The cascaded graphene doped composite layers can provide broadband absorption for stealth technology.

To improve absorption efficiency (AE) and subsequently improve external quantum efficiency (EQE) remains one of the significant challenges for Mn4+-doped red-emitting fluoride phosphors. In this st...

Esta investigacion tuvo como objetivo, evaluar el proceso de adsorcion del CN- contenido en solucion acuosa sintetica, usando carbon activo obtenido de residuo de cafe; estudiando su eficiencia y los modelos de equilibrio y cinetico. Analisis de infrarrojo con transformada de Fourier (FTIR), difraccion de rayos X (DRX) y determinacion del numero de yodo se realizaron para caracterizar al carbon activo. Se aplico un diseno central compuesto (DCC) con tres factores adaptados a tres niveles cada uno y 6 puntos centrales para estudiar el efecto del pH (A), el tiempo de contacto (B) y la dosificacion de adsorbente (C); segun el analisis de varianza, todos los factores principales y la interaccion AA fueron significativas en la eficiencia de adsorcion de cianuro sobre el carbon activo, cuyo valor maximo alcanzado fue de 54,68% y de 67,65% para el nivel predictivo. De acuerdo al coeficiente de determinacion (R2), el modelo isotermico de Freundlich (0,954) y las tres ecuaciones cineticas de pseudo segundo orden (0,991, 0,993, 0,993) se ajustaron al proceso experimental. De los resultados obtenidos, el carbon activo preparado de residuo de cafe puede ser utilizado como potencial adsorbente de CN-, contenido en soluciones acuosas de bajas concentraciones.

Thin-walled structures are widely used as energy absorbers in automotive vehicles due to their lightweight and high-energy absorption efficiency. In order to improve the energy absorption characteristics of thin-walled structures subjected to different loading angles, different types of novel multi-cell structures are proposed in this paper. The numerical method is used to study the crushing behaviors of the proposed multi-cell structures under different loading angles. It is found that the proposed multi-cell structures have considerably small initial peak force under axial load and avoid the appearance of global buckling deformation mode under oblique loads. Moreover, reasonably distributed wall thickness for each square tube in the thin-walled structure can enhance its energy absorption capacity under different loading angles.

The MEA-DEA blended amine solvents have been a hot research topic recently. This study focused on the absorption efficiency tests of 5 mol/L MEA-DEA blended solvents in a batch and semi-batch process, with the aid of solid chemicals CaCO3 and MgCO3. 5.0 mol/L MEA solvent was used as benchmark. The absorption profiles and initial absorption rates were plotted to select the optimized mix ratio. The results indicated that 2+3M MEA-DEA had good performance in absorption with the aid of CaCO3. After comprehensive consideration, the 2+3M MEA-DEA with solid alkaline chemical (CaCO3) in the absorber and blended catalysts (γ-Al2O3/H-ZSM-5 = 2:1) in the desorber was selected as the energy efficient solution (among 1+4, 2+3, 3+2, and 4+1M MEA-DEA) for the pilot plant. It contained 72–75% of the absorption efficiency but only 46.5–50% of the heat duty compared with 5M non-catalytic MEA.

We report a new V activated ZnO host co-doped with Yb3+ and Eu3+ downconversion (DC) phosphor to convert the UV photons to near Infra-red (NIR) photons. The absorption efficiency of the ZnO host with activator Yb3+ is found to get significantly enhanced with V doping. The NIR emission at 980 nm of Yb3+ is enhanced at an optimal concentration of 3 mol% V in ZnO host (ZV). Further, with an additional sensitizer Eu3+, enhanced NIR emission is observed at 980 nm for the corresponding excitation of Eu3+. The mechanisms for the energy transfer from the host (ZV) and sensitizer (Eu3+) to the activator (Yb3+) are discussed in detail. This enables ZV:Eu3+,Yb3+ as an efficient DC phosphor which could enhance the spectral response of Si-solar cells in the UV range.

3D hierarchical structure BiOX(X ═ Cl, Br)-(CMC) assembled from 2D nanosheets with {010} facets exposed have been successfully synthesized by the assistance of biomass solvent CMC-Na. All the nitrogen adsorption isotherms and photoelectrochemical results reflected that BiOX(X Cl, Br)-(CMC) exhibit higher specific surface area, superior optical absorption efficiency and separation efficiency of photoinduced electron-hole than BiOX(X═Cl, Br) 2D nanosheets exposed with {001} facets. Besides, 96.5% and 60.3% of tetracycline hydrochloride (TC) were photodegradated in 60 minutes under the visible light irradiation catalyzed by BiOBr-(CMC) and BiOCl-(CMC), which is much better than BiOBr and BiOCl. The formation and enhanced photocatalytic activity of 3D hierarchical structure BiOX-(CMC) may be ascribe to the bi-functional groups of CMC, which can affect the crystallization process and morphology of BiOX. According to the merit of environmental friendly and improved photocatalytic activity of the 3D hierarchitecture, we believe that this work broadens the possibility of designing efficient BiOX photocatalyst with {010} facets exposed.

Based on the two-film theory, mass transfer absorption model and absorption efficiency model of sodium aerosols in turbulent contact absorber (TCA) were successfully established. The structure of TCA and the primary parameters for the TCA have been designed and determined. An industrial TCA was accordingly built and process flow of sodium aerosols absorption system was designed and put into use. The validation of the models have been conducted, comparisons between the model calculation efficiencies and the industrial data of Na2O absorption under different liquid–gas ratios demonstrated that the model calculations compared favorably with the industrial test data. The gas–liquid mass transfer behavior in the turbulent contact absorber can be well reflected via the models, and the designed turbulent contact absorber has provided industrial applications for sodium aerosols removal in reality.

Microwave absorption has been very critical for many civil and military applications. In this study, we report for the first time the porous plasmonic Cu9S5 nanonets possessing an excellent microwave absorption performance with a large reflection loss (RL) of −55.03 dB (over 99.999% absorption efficiency) and a maximal effective bandwidth of 4.15 GHz (RL ≤ −10 dB). The impressive microwave absorption performance is attributed to the large pore volume, multireflection of electromagnetic waves, and increased microwave absorption sites on the unique porous structure and the impressive plasmonic properties of Cu9S5 nanonets. The results have demonstrated potentially promising prospects of plasmonic Cu9S5 nanonets as a new material candidate for microwave absorption.

The results of penetration of a high-speed metal jet (with a velocity of 3–7 km/s) into brittle materials (ceramics and glass) have been analyzed. The data on jet destabilization as a result of the response of the brittle material to the high-speed penetration are presented. The generalized dependence of the high-speed jet absorption efficiency on the bending strength of the brittle material has been constructed in the hydrodynamic approximation.

CH3NH3PbBr3 (MAPbBr3), one of the classical members in the organic–inorganic hybrid perovskite family that presents excellent advantages in high photon absorption efficiency and long carrier transp...

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Understanding the kinetics of Zn absorption by roots and its effect on morphology of this organ is relevant for improving crop management, but still poorly studied for common beans. Therefore, an experiment was conducted in a hydroponic system with five initial concentrations of Zn (CZnI): 0.0; 1.0; 4.0; 16.0 and 48.0 µmol L-1. The experiment was installed with plants at V3 stage of development and aliquots of the solution collected over 24 h. The maximum absorption rate (Vmax), Michaelis-Menten constant (Km) and the absorption power (α) increased as a function of CZnI. The minimum concentration of Zn estimated for its absorption (Cmin) was at 0.0028 mg L-1. The influx of Zn (Imax) was higher in higher CZnI, 16,0 µmol L-1. Root length, root volume, root Zn content and Zn absorption efficiency increased with the increase of CZnI. Therefore, the increase of CZnI positively influenced kinetic parameters of root Zn absorption and common bean root morphology, characteristics that favor Zn absorption by roots and improves overall plant nutrition, favoring agronomical biofortification practices for Zn and other nutrients.

The present paper is about an investigation on the temperature dependence of efficiencies of individual energetic process (Absorption efficiency, Thermalization efficiency, Thermodynamic efficiency and Fill factor) and overall conversion efficiencies of a polycrystalline silicon solar cell which has been investigated in temperature range 10–50 °C. All these individual efficiencies present a decrease versus the increase of the temperature. However, the thermodynamic efficiency and the fill factor are more sensitive to the temperature increase more than the absorption and thermalization efficiencies. The thermodynamic efficiency and the fill factor degradation is explained by decrease of open circuit voltage in temperature. The performance parameters as open circuit voltage, maximum power and the overall efficiencies are found to decrease with temperature while the short circuit current is observed an increase. The resistance of the semiconductor decreases with the increase of the temperature. The minoritary carriers charge acquire excessive kinetic energy which can exceed the gap energy causing an over-excitement when the temperature increase. However, this over-excitement of the minoritary carriers charge does not participate to the external current improvement.

This preliminary study presents theoretical and experimental investigation on the absorption of CO2 into KOH solution. The study provides variation of KOH concentrations at 1, 2, 3, 4, dan 5 N. The value of pH was observed for each increment of sample volume. The absorbed CO2 was measured by applying titration. The amounts of CO2 resulted from every provided KOH concentration are respectively 0.0075, 0.0075, 0.0232, 0.0305, and 0.0395 mol. The results reveal an increase in absorbed CO2 with each increment of KOH concentration. The absorption efficiency values of each KOH concentration were 0.3750, 0.4000, 0.3861, 0.3813, and 0.3950 mol total CO2/mol KOH, respectively. The difference values of experimental and theoretical absorbed CO2 may be caused by the formation of other compounds.

A high pressure carbon dioxide (CO2) absorption from a specific gas in a conventional column has been evaluated by the Aspen HYSYS simulator using a wide range of single absorbents and blended solutions to estimate the outlet CO2 concentration, absorption efficiency and CO2 loading to choose the most proper solution in terms of CO2 capture for environmental concerns. The property package (Acid Gas-Chemical Solvent) which is compatible with all applied solutions for the simulation in this study, estimates the properties based on an electrolyte non-random two-liquid (E- NRTL) model for electrolyte thermodynamics and Peng-Robinson equation of state for the vapor and liquid hydrocarbon phases. Among all the investigated single amines as well as blended solutions, piperazine (PZ) and the mixture of piperazine and monoethanolamine (MEA) have been found as the most effective absorbents respectively for CO2 absorption with high reactivity based on the simulated operational conditions.

Dietary modifications including plant stanol ester consumption are recommended measures to control serum and low-density lipoprotein (LDL)-cholesterol concentrations, but obesity can affect their responses. We investigated whether body mass index (BMI) affects serum cholesterol levels during plant stanol (mainly sitostanol) ester consumption. This ad hoc analysis was based on earlier results of a cross-over, randomized controlled trial of postmenopausal women consuming rapeseed oil-based margarine without or with plant stanol ester (3 g plant stanols/day) for seven weeks. We classified the subjects as normal-weight (BMI ≤ 25 kg/m2, n = 9, mean 22.6 kg/m2) or overweight/obese (BMI > 25 kg/m2, n = 11, mean 28.4 kg/m2), and recalculated the results, focusing on cholesterol absorption, cholesterol synthesis, and fecal steroid outputs. Serum cholesterol levels were similar in the groups during the control diet. Plant stanol ester reduced serum cholesterol by 0.63 ± 0.19 mmol/L (11%) in normal-weight and by 0.75 ± 0.13 mmol/L (12%) in overweight/obese subjects (p < 0.05 for both), and cholesterol absorption was reduced in both groups. However, relative and dietary cholesterol absorption were more effectively reduced in normal-weight subjects. In conclusion, overweight/obesity did not interfere with the serum cholesterol response to plant stanol ester consumption despite substantial differences in cholesterol metabolism between the groups.

In order to reduce the environmental impact caused by CO2 emissions from ships and achieve the goal of green shipping, a spray tower using NaOH solution for the absorption of CO2 has been established in this paper. Using the characteristics of a 6135G128ZCa marine diesel engine, the CO2 absorption system was designed and mathematical models of CO2 absorption efficiency were developed. The effects of the variation in engine exhaust gas temperature, the concentration of NaOH solution, the exhaust gas velocity, different load conditions, and different nozzle types on the absorption efficiency of CO2 were thoroughly investigated experimentally. Moreover, the mechanism of CO2 absorption was analyzed. The developed model was verified by comparing the test results with the simulation results. The results of the study proved that using NaOH solution to absorb CO2 from ship exhausts could reduce the level of CO2 emissions from ships by more than 20%, which indicates that this technology could be used in the future to reduce the level of CO2 emissions from ships.

Agar, a gelatinous polysaccharide which is in the cell wall of many red algae, is widely used as food and gelling agent. Agar oligosaccharides (AOs), the hydrolysate of agar, show much more kinds of bio-activities because of its lower molecular weight, better water solubility and higher absorption efficiency. It is indicated that AOs with different structure and degree of polymerization, i.e. series of agaro-oligosaccharides and neoagaro-oligosaccharides, can be obtained under different preparation conditions. In addition, the biological activities of AOs are diversely and closely correlated to the composition and structure. This review aims to comprehensively summarize the preparation, structural characteristics and bio-activities of AOs, so as to provide a reference for applications of AOs as marine natural products in pharmacological, cosmetics and nutraceutical fields.

Melt quenching technique is used for preparing glasses with chemical formula (70P2 O5)– (16 − x)CdO–(14ZnO)–(xEr2 O3), (x = 1–6 mol%). These glasses were named Er1, Er2, Er3, Er4, Er5, and Er6, respectively. Photon buildup factors, fast neutron absorption, and electron stopping of the prepared glasses were examined. Glasses’ density was varied from 3.390 ± 0.003 for the Er1 glass sample to 3.412 ± 0.003 for the Er6 glass sample. The Buildup factor (BUF) spectra have relatively higher values in the Compton Scattering (CS) dominated areas compared to both Photoelectric effect (PE), and Pair Production (PP) dominated energy regions. The highest BUF appeared at the Er atom K-absorption edge, whose intensity increases as the molar concentration of Er2 O3 in the glasses increases. The photon absorption efficiency (PAE) of the glasses increases according to the trend (PAE)Er1 < (PAE)Er2 < (PAE)Er3 < (PAE)Er4 < (PAE)Er5 < (PAE)Er6. Fast neutron removal cross-section, FNRC (ΣR) values of the glasses obtained via calculation varied from 0.1045–0.1039 cm−1 for Er1–Er6. Furthermore, the continuous slowing down approximation mode (CSDA) range enhances the kinetic energy of electrons for all glasses. Generally, results revealed that the investigated glasses could be applied for radiation shielding and dosimetric media. © 2021 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. Taif University Researchers Supporting Project number (TURSP-2020/23), Taif University, Taif Saudi Arabia. "The APC was covered by "Dunarea de Jos" University of Galati, Romania, through grant no. RF3621/2021.

The threat of environmental pollution caused by spilled oil is rapidly increasing along with the expansion of oil exploration, the development of the maritime activities, and the industrial growth. Oil spill incidents usually affect seriously the ecosystem, people, and human life. Therefore, the treatment and recovery of oil spill has been considered as an ultra-important issue to protect the environment and to minimize its negative impacts on socioeconomic activities. Among methods of oil spill recovery, porous materials have emerged as potential absorbents possessing the capacity of absorbing spilled oil at a fast rate, high adsorption capacity, good selectivity, and high reusability. In this review paper, two types of polymer-based porous absorbents modified surface and structure were introduced for the treatment strategy of the oil- polluted water. In addition, the absorption mechanism and factors affecting the adsorption capacity for oils and organic solvents were thoroughly analyzed. More importantly, characteristics of polymer-based porous materials were discussed in detail based on microstructure analysis, absorption efficiency, and reusability. In general, this paper has provided an overview and a comprehensive assessment of the use of advanced polymer-based porous materials for the treatment of oil-polluted water, although the impacts of environmental factors such as wind, wave, and temperature should be further investigated in the future.

Tuning optical properties of plasmonic nanostructures, including their absorption, scattering, and local-field distribution is of great interest for various applications that rely on optical energy regulated by plasmonic effects. Conventional plasmonic nanostructures enhance light scattering and absorption simultaneously, leading to compromise for either surface-enhanced spectroscopy or thermoplasmonic applications. In this paper, a dual functional platform based on a hyperbolic meta particles (HMP) substrate that exhibits separate and tuneable wavelengths of absorption and scattering resonances for both thermoplasmonics and surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS), is demonstrated. Significantly, either light-to-heat conversion efficiency at the absorption resonance band or SERS performance at the scattering resonance band of the HMP substrate is improved in comparison to those of plasmonic gold nanoparticles. Taking advantage of the flexible control of the separate scattering and absorption channels, the influence of the absorption resonance band position on the SERS signal is also investigated. The platform shows unique potential for in vitro biosensing in thermal modulation and in situ monitoring.

International audience; In this paper, we propose an origami-based auxetic tunable Helmholtz resonator by controlling the volume of the cavity to allow a real-time tunability of the resonance frequency. The design is inspired by the waterbomb origami base, which expands when stretched and contracts when compressed. Such a foldable structure offers a wide range of volume variation, which corresponds to a larger frequency shift in the bandwidth of interest. Based on the design of the origami resonator, multi-physical models are established to understand and predict the parameters' effect on the device's behavior. After fabrication, experimental tests are conducted on physical prototypes to validate the models and illustrate the effectiveness of the concept

It is well known that meso-tetraarylporphyrins are obtained readily by condensation reactions between pyrroles and aromatic aldehydes. The 2+2 type condensation of aryldipyrrylmethanes and the second aromatic aldehyde is useful for synthesizing porphyrins with mixed meso-aryl groups, and further transformations of the porphyrin periphery are performed conveniently by using organometallic methodology. Some meso-aryl substituted porphyrins are designed for supramolecular application and photosensitizing effect. Porphyrins substituted at pyrrole β-positions are obtainable by using Barton–Zard synthesis, and these compounds are further converted into benzoporphyrins that are structurally similar to phthalocyanines and play an important role in the development of a variety of photo-functional materials. Porphyrins more heavily π-extended than benzoporphyrin are focused in the last part of this chapter. Multiple porphyrin cores are directly bridged by π-units or aromatic substituents at the porphyrin periphery are forced to come into π-conjugation with the porphyrin π-system by Scholl reactions, leading to strong infrared absorption bands at longer wavelength beyond 1000 nm, very small HOMO–LUMO gap, and very high two-photon absorption efficiency.