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Perovskite solar cells (PSCs) are advancing swiftly due to their remarkable increase in power conversion efficiency (PCE) compared to traditional photovoltaic technologies. The main purpose of this study is to investigate the efficiency of two distinct PSCS structures that use as an inorganic perovskite active layer. The calculations are based on the optoelectronic model of the solar cell and the use of the finite element method to solve the continuity equations for current and charge density. Therefore, the layer thicknesses of different materials (as ETL and Active layer) are modified to find the better power conversion efficiency of these solar cells. The obtained results of simulation calculations illustrate that the first structure FTO/ITO/ /PEDOT: PSS/Au exhibits a maximum power conversion efficiency of 11.37%, with a short circuit current of 14.47 (mA/cm^2) and an open circuit voltage of 0.96 (V) and while the FTO/TiO2/ /Spiro- OMETAD/Au structure shows a maximum power conversion efficiency of 10.57%. The greatest power conversion efficiency for the aforementioned designs is 80 nm for the electron transporting layer is 80 nm and 200 nm for the inorganic active layer, respectively. The results of this article can be useful in the design of new-generation solar cells based on inorganic perovskite layers.

In this research, linear and non-linear optical properties of silver oxide nanoparticles in graphene oxide medium have been investigated. First, graphene oxide is prepared by the improved method of Hammers. Then the synthesis of silver oxide nanoparticles is carried out in the environment of graphene oxide diluted with deionized water, by the electric arc method. The electric arc was applied at 200, 300, 400, and 500 volts with a three-second pulse duration of one minute. The results of ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy show that the resulting solution contains nanoparticles of graphene oxide and silver oxide. Then, a CW 532 nm beam with a maximum power of 300 mW was used to determine the linear absorption of samples. Then, the z-scanning method was used to determine the nonlinear characteristics of the samples. After analyzing the graphs, the refraction and nonlinear absorption coefficients of each sample have been calculated. The results show that with increasing voltage, the concentration of nanoparticles produced in the samples increases and the linear absorption coefficient increases with it. The lowest value of linear absorbance is 1.31 (cm-1) and nonlinear absorbance is negative for all samples and its lowest value is 7.86 *10-3. Also, the nonlinear refractive index is negative for all the samples and its maximum value is 1. 61 *10-14. The thermo-optical coefficients of each of the samples have also been obtained.

The switch to online learning required a creative solution to allow for the experiential learning outcomes of the program to be satisfied when access to physical spaces and equipment was restricted. This paper describes a collaborative process between technical and support staff as well as research and teaching faculty that led to the creation of meaningful experiential learning opportunities for over one thousand stakeholders. The implemented solutions included the development of hardware and software, the creation of documentation and training procedures for teaching assistants and designing a support system for the students. [Articles in this journal were presented at the University of Calgary Conference on Postsecondary Learning and Teaching.]

The advance in the development of augmented reality technologies has attracted interest in their applicability in rescue scenarios. The characteristics of the different missions covered by First Responders, as well as the different objectives they can cover in a rescue operation, condition the importance of the additional information they can receive in these rescue processes through technology. This white paper aims to analyze the difficulties encountered when converging on the design of an interface that is adaptable to the professional and contextual circumstances in a rescue task.

Partial Discharges (PDs) are a significant factor in reducing the insulation life of traction transformers. In recent years, the Acoustic Emission (AE) method has become the most advanced method for detecting PD signals in transformers. The AE method utilizes AE sensors placed on the transformer tank to detect ultrasonic signals emitted by PD and determine the Time Of Arrival (TOA) of the head wave. The windings and cores of a traction transformer consist mainly of metal, which greatly affects the propagation of PD ultrasonic waves. This paper establishes a 110 kV “pressure acoustic, transient” physical field model of the traction transformer with dimensions of 4.63 × 1.48 × 2.84 m3. The model is used to carry out the PD pressure acoustic physical field simulation study of the traction transformer, to clarify the physical characteristics of the ultrasound of the PD defects, and to establish observation points on the transformer tanks to receive ultrasonic time-domain waveforms for PD detection. The simulation results indicate that PD ultrasonic waves exhibit complex propagation characteristics, including reflection, refraction, and reverberation, as they pass through the windings and cores to the observation points. The TOA of the head wave in the ultrasound time-domain waveform is indicated by the first maximum value of the wave crest line. Finally, this paper proposes a multi-level localization method based on the AE method to determine which winding generates the PD in the large-scale traction transformer using only four dynamically moving observation points.

A significant increase in the consumption of recycled fiber products has been observed worldwide, and the industry is forced to solve the challenges of recycled fiber quality and add strength agents and/or virgin fibers to reach sufficient properties. In order to investigate whether the mechanical and air permeability properties of waste fiber (WF) material can be significantly improved by adding wood kraft fibers (KF), hemp soda fibers (HF), and ammonium persulfate oxidated cellulose nanofibrils (CNF), different fiber blends were prepared and tested. Results revealed the excellence of hemp fibers over wood fibers regarding the improvement of WF products. The results of WF after the addition of 10% mixed fibers (KF + HF) were higher than the results of a 50% KF addition. The impact of CNF depended on fiber composition and properties. A formula for modeling the CNF impact on different fiber compositions was proposed. Obtained fiber material samples showed suitability for home composting, thus contributing to the goals of the European Green Deal regarding reducing landfill waste and the development of cleaner products.

In this paper, the behavior of the double pendulums has been studied by considering the effect of initial conditions (angular displacement of the outer pendulum for four cases 12, 30, 90, and 150 degrees) and the influence of system geometry (increasing rod length and mass of the second pendulum), also. After extracting motion equations using the Lagrangian method, in order to deal with the frequency spectrum, traces of bobs, and understanding the system behavior for every case, the Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) technique and Poincare sections have been applied. The obtained results show that the consequence of the rising angular displacement the outer pendulum is to increase the energy level of the system and the change of its behavior from quasi-periodic for angular displacement is less than 90 degrees to chaotic when it is 150 degrees. Therefore, the energy level, in this case, has increased more than twice compared to the first. In addition, it seems a quasi-periodic behavior is forming at the heart of chaotic behavior. On the other hand, the results indicate a very significant effect of geometrics on a system's behavior. According to the calculations, the consequence of increasing the length of the rod of the second pendulum has only led to a different behavior from its similar case (case number 3) completely. however, their energy level is the same. Increasing the mass of the outer by twice not only to lead decrease energy level of the system by 330J but also has shown chaotic behavior (in comparison to the case3).

A popular measure for citation inequalities of individual scientists has been the Hirsch index (h). If for any scientist the number nc of citations is plotted against the serial number np of the papers having those many citations (when the papers are ordered from the highest cited to the lowest), then h corresponds to the nearest lower integer value of np below the fixed point of the non-linear citation function (or given by nc = h = np if both np and nc are a dense set of integers near the h value). The same index can be estimated (from h = s = ns) for the avalanche or cluster of size (s) distributions (ns) in the elastic fiber bundle or percolation models. Another such inequality index called the Kolkata index (k) says that (1 − k) fraction of papers attract k fraction of citations (k = 0.80 corresponds to the 80–20 law of Pareto). We find, for stress (σ), the lattice occupation probability (p) or the Kolkata Index (k) near the bundle failure threshold (σc) or percolation threshold (pc) or the critical value of the Kolkata Index kc a good fit to Widom–Stauffer like scaling h/[N/log⁡N] = f(N[σc−σ]α), h/[N/log⁡N]=f(N|pc−p|α) or h/[Nc/logNc]=f(Nc|kc−k|α), respectively, with the asymptotically defined scaling function f, for systems of size N (total number of fibers or lattice sites) or Nc (total number of citations), and α denoting the appropriate scaling exponent. We also show that if the number (Nm) of members of parliaments or national assemblies of different countries (with population N) is identified as their respective h − indexes, then the data fit the scaling relation Nm∼N/log⁡N, resolving a major recent controversy.

The sparse literature on the use of imperatives in research papers suggests that they are relatively common in a small number of disciplines, but rare, if used at all, in others. The present study addresses the use of imperatives in a corpus of upper-level A-graded student papers from 16 disciplines. A total of 822 papers collected within the past 5 years were analyzed for imperative use, with particular emphasis placed on the main text of papers from the five disciplines with the highest proportion of imperatives. In each of these disciplines, text-based interviews were conducted with faculty members to establish disciplinary contexts. Results show that imperatives are used frequently in physics, philosophy, economics, mechanical engineering, and linguistics, though in quite varying ways. The interview data suggest that successful and experienced student writers adopt the potentially "high risk strategy" (Hyland 2012) of initiating a sentence with an imperative for various strategic purposes that are discipline-specific. Such insights have implications for writing instructors and materials designers in both L1 and L2 contexts.

Teachers' professional knowledge is assumed to be a key variable for effective teaching. As teacher education has the goal to enhance professional knowledge of current and future teachers, this knowledge should be described and assessed. Nevertheless, only a limited number of studies quantitatively measures physics teachers' professional knowledge. The study reported in this paper was part of a bigger project with the broader goal of understanding teacher professional knowledge. We designed a test instrument to assess the professional knowledge of physics teachers (N = 186) in the dimensions of "content knowledge" (CK), "pedagogical content knowledge" (PCK), and "pedagogical knowledge" (PK). A model describing the relationships between these three dimensions of professional knowledge was created to inform the design of the tests used to measure CK, PCK, and PK. In this paper, we describe the model with particular emphasis on the PCK part, and the subsequent PCK test development and its implementation in detail. We report different approaches to evaluate the PCK test, including the description of content validity, the examination of the internal structure of professional knowledge, and the analysis of construct validity by testing teachers across different school subjects, teachers from different school types, pre-service teachers, and physicists. Our findings demonstrate that our PCK test results could distinguish physics teachers from the other groups tested. The PCK test results could not be explained by teachers' CK or PK, cognitive abilities, computational skills, or science knowledge.

Many teachers like to introduce the Bohr atom toward the end of an introductory physics course. This is an excellent idea, given the historic importance of Bohr's 1913 work, which provided the bridge from Planck's quantized interaction of matter and radiation (1900) to the full theory of quantum mechanics (1925-28). Unfortunately, the version of the Bohr atom that appears in many textbooks and is no doubt often presented to students is more wrong than right and may leave both teachers and students wondering why, more than a hundred years later, it is still being taught. This "pedagogic" version postulates that an electron in a stationary state moves in a circular orbit with an angular momentum that is an integral multiple of h/2p (L = nh/2p = nh)--h for the lowest-energy state, 2h for the next state, and so on. This picture of the hydrogen atom is wrong in two senses. First it doesn't conform to our present understanding of the hydrogen atom. This, in itself, is not a reason to scrap it, for the historical development of quantum physics is certainly of interest. But second, it doesn't conform to the essence of what Bohr actually did. That "is" a reason not to teach about circular orbits and L = nh. Much excellent scholarship has been devoted to Bohr's 1913 work. This article is not intended to extend or enrich that scholarship. Rather, I want to draw the attention of teachers of introductory physics to the high points of Bohr's classic first 1913 paper on the hydrogen atom and to clarify what in that paper is right and what is wrong (as well as what is weird). As I have pointed out in an earlier short communication, there is more right and less wrong than is widely recognized. As to what is weird, well, it is interesting.

Abstract In this study, we present a promising and facile approach toward the fabrication of non-toxic, water-stable, and eco-friendly luminescent fiber paper composed of polycaprolactone (PCL) polymer and CsPbBr3@SiO2 core–shell perovskite nanocrystals. PCL-perovskite fiber paper was fabricated using a conventional electrospinning process. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) clearly revealed incorporation of CsPbBr3@SiO2 nanocrystals in the fibers, while scanning electron microscopy (SEM) demonstrated that incorporation of CsPbBr3@SiO2 nanocrystals did not affect the surface and diameter of the PCL-perovskite fibers. In addition, thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and contact angle measurements have demonstrated that the PCL-perovskite fibers exhibit excellent thermal and water stability. The fabricated PCL-perovskite fiber paper exhibited a bright green emission centered at 520 nm upon excitation by ultra-violet (UV) light (374 nm). We have demonstrated that fluorescent PCL-perovskite fiber paper is a promising candidate for anti-counterfeiting applications because various patterns can be printed on the paper, which only become visible after exposure to UV light at 365 nm. Cell proliferation tests revealed that the PCL-perovskite fibers are cytocompatibility. Consequently, they may be suitable for biocompatible anti-counterfeiting. The present study reveals that PCL-perovskite fibers may pave way toward next generation biomedical probe and anti-counterfeiting applications. Graphical Abstract

In this research, the symmetry of high-order harmonics resulting from the interaction of a single-layer WSe2 with a linearly polarized laser in both zigzag and armchair directions have been investigated using time-dependent density functional theory in real space. The dependence of the cutoff frequency behavior with the increase of the electric field amplitude and the behavior of the harmonic yield with the laser wavelength has been analyzed. The results show the linear dependence of the cutoff frequency with the electric field and the exponential behavior of the harmonic yield with the laser wavelength. Also, the effect of the input laser field polarization on the high-order harmonic spectrum and harmonic yield has been investigated. Changing the rotation angle of laser polarization to 30 degrees for elliptically polarized light with an ellipticity parameter of 0.1 creates the highest harmonic yield. Also, the results of this research show that by changing the polarization of the input electric field, the polarization of high-order harmonics also changes, which leads to the production of high-order harmonics with different polarization.

At the stagnation time, fuel may impact by a variety of paths, including ablator materials, Hohlraum wall, the interaction of the cone-guided lateral surface with imploding fuel, and cone tip material, releasing and mixing their constituent elements into corona plasma and even inside the pure dense fuel. Here, we have parametrically studied the impact of some well-known ionic impurities such as carbon and gold on the physical condition of DT hot spot ignition. The admissible zone of DT hot spot ignition was plotted on the HsTs plane, and it was shown that for a given percentage of gold impurities, the boundaries of the ignition zone gradually increased with increasing internal implosion velocity and at implosion velocities smaller than 1.7×107 cm/s, there exist two individual ignition islands. In the context of the fast ignition approach to ICF, the areal density of hot spots ignition of deuterium-tritium doped with a small concentration of impurity ions of carbon and gold was then extracted by a non-equilibrium ignition model. Accordingly, for a given value in this range, the contour plot of the allowed areal density parameter in the two-temperature model was plotted on the Te-Ti plane. It has been shown that as the impurity fraction increases, the permissible range of ignition decreases rapidly and the ignition conditions become more difficult. The sensitivity of these changes is directly associated with the coefficient of increase in radiation loss power, which is a function of the parameter of the impurity percentage α and the ionization state of the impurity ion, Zimp. Moreover, in each contour plot, the minimum permissible ignition parameter of ion temperature of contaminated DT fuel is also visible.

A hybrid system including a quantum emitter in the vicinity of a plasmonic core-shell nanostructure in the air is considered, and the spontaneous emission process of the emitter is investigated. The aim is to examine the effect of the plasmonic system on the quantum speed limit and the non-Markovian dynamics of the system. Using the dyadic Green's function of the system, the impact of geometric parameters such as the thickness of the plasmonic nanostructure shell and the distance between the emitter and the nanostructure on the evolution and physical behavior of the desired parameters has been investigated. According to the obtained results, by increasing the distance of the emitter from the nanostructure, the dynamics of spontaneous emission change from non-Markovian to Markovian, and the value of the non-Markovian measure tends to zero. In this condition, the quantum speed limit increases and becomes equal to the evolution time of the system. In addition, as the thickness of the shell increases, the mean value of the non-Markovian measure decreases.

The valorization of wastes as an alternative or secondary raw material in various products and processes has been a solution for the implementation of sustainability, a safer environment, and the concept of circular economy in the efficient use and management of natural resources. To promote sustainability through a circular economy approach, this work tries to demonstrate the environmental gains that are obtained by bringing together, in an industrial symbiosis action, two large industrial sectors (the pulp and paper and the road pavement sectors) responsible for generating large amounts of wastes. A sustainability assessment, based on a life cycle and circular economy approach, is presented here, and discussed using a simple case study carried out on a real scale. Two wastes (dregs and grits) from the pulp and paper industry (PPI) were used to partially replace natural fine aggregates in the production of bituminous mixtures used on the top surface of road pavements. The impacts at a technical, environmental, economic, and social level were assessed and it was shown that this simple waste valorization action is not only positive for the final product from a technical point of view, but also for the environment, causing positive impacts on the different sustainability dimensions that were evaluated.

The academic community has witnessed a notable increase in paper publications, whereby the rapid pace at which modern society seeks information underscores the critical need for literature mapping. This study introduces an innovative automatic model for categorizing articles by subject matter using Machine Learning (ML) algorithms for classification and category labeling, alongside a proposed ranking method called SSS (Scientific Significance Score) and using Z-score to select the finest papers. This paper’s use case concerns industry productivity. The key findings include the following: (1) The Decision Tree model demonstrated superior performance with an accuracy rate of 75% in classifying articles within the productivity and industry theme. (2) Through a ranking methodology based on citation count and publication date, it identified the finest papers. (3) Recent publications with higher citation counts achieved better scores. (4) The model’s sensitivity to outliers underscores the importance of addressing database imbalances, necessitating caution during training by excluding biased categories. These findings not only advance the utilization of ML models for paper classification but also lay a foundation for further research into productivity within the industry, exploring themes such as artificial intelligence, efficiency, industry 4.0, innovation, and sustainability.

Expansive soil exhibits significant swellings and shrinkages, which may result in severe damage or the collapse of structures built upon it. Calcium-based admixtures, such as lime, are commonly used to improve this problematic soil. However, traditional chemical additions can increase significant environmental stress. This paper proposes a sustainable solution, namely, the use of lignin fiber (LF) from the paper industry to partially replace lime as an amendment for expansive soils. Both the macroscopic and microscopic characteristics of the lignin fiber-treated expansive soil are extensively studied. The results show that the mechanical properties of expansive soil are improved by using lignin fiber alone. Under the condition of an optimal dosage of 8%, the compressive strength of lignin fiber-modified soil can reach 193 kPa, the shear strength is increased by 40% compared with the untreated soil, and the water conductivity is also improved with the increase in dosage. In addition, compared with 2% lime-modified soil, the compressive strength of 8% lignin fiber- and 2% lime composite-treated expansive soil increased by 50%, the cohesion increased by 12%, and the water conductivity decreased significantly. The microstructure analysis shows that at an 8% lignin fiber content, lignin fibers interweave into a network in the soil, which effectively enhances the strength and stability of the improved soil. Simultaneously, the fibers can form bridges across the adjacent micropores, leading to the merging of pores and transforming fine, dispersed micropores into larger, connected macropores. Lime promotes the flocculation of soil particles, forming larger aggregates and thus resulting in larger pores. The addition of fibers exerts an inhibitory effect on the flocculation reaction in the composite-improved soil. In conclusion, lignin fibers are an effective addition used to partially replace calcium admixture for the treatment of expansive soil, which provides a sustainable and environmentally friendly treatment scheme for reducing industrial waste.

This study evaluated the impact of soil modifiers on seed germination and soil quality. Mixtures of paper mill sludge (PMS) with camellia oilseed cake (CO) and peat moss (P), as well as with oilseed cake of toothache tree (TO) and peat moss (P), showed promising results as biostimulants for seed germination. The addition of PMS increased the germination index, indicating its beneficial effects on seed performance. The pH levels remained optimal, and the electrical conductivity values stayed within acceptable ranges, suggesting minimal hindrance to plant growth. The cation exchange capacity increased with PMS, enhancing nutrient availability. Composted mixtures exhibited increased phosphorus levels, contributing to soil fertility. While the organic matter content decreased after composting, the carbon-to-nitrogen ratio remained balanced. The bulk density increased after composting, potentially improving soil drainage. Overall, the TO-containing mixture demonstrated superior growth rates compared to the P. These findings support the use of PMS-based soil modifiers for enhancing seed germination and improving soil quality.

This paper investigates the effects of cold plasma radiation on the percentage, velocity, average germination per day, germination index, and prose and growth of green cumin roots. A factorial experiment was performed in a randomized design in 5 repetitions. Test factors included pretreatment of cold plasma irradiation time at 0, 3, 6, 9, and 12 minutes by 7 and 14 kV and 800 Hz plasma generators. The results of this work showed that the treatment time and the applied voltage of cold plasma significantly affect the percentage, velocity, average of germination per a day, germination index, and prose and root of the green cumin seed. Among all treatments, a dose of treatment with time of 6 minutes at a peak voltage of 14 kV had the greatest effect on the referred characteristics, except increasing root in which plasma treatment with a dose of 3 minutes has the most effect. Cold plasma has been generated with a dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) is a hand-made and designed in on desk dimensions, in which air is used as plasma active gas.

Transformers play a crucial role in power systems. In this respect, fault diagnosis and aging state assessment have garnered significant attention from researchers. Herein, accelerated thermal aging and Raman scattering experiments are conducted on oil–paper insulation samples to accurately detect aging states. The samples are categorized into different aging stages based on the polymerization degree of the insulating paper. Principal component analysis (PCA), multi-dimensional scale change method (MDS), and isometric mapping algorithm (Isomap) are employed to extract features from the Raman spectra. Subsequently, the XGBoost strong classifier, optimized through Bayesian hyperparameter optimization (BO-XGBoost), is utilized to distinguish between four and ten states among 175 groups of samples after feature extraction. The subsequent classification results of the three feature-extraction methods are compared. The results indicate that Isoamp, which pertains to the manifold dimension transformation, achieves the highest average discriminative accuracy after feature extraction. The discriminative accuracies for aging states four and ten are 97.0% and 95.1% respectively, demonstrating that Raman spectroscopy manifold dimension transformation enhances the distinctiveness between samples of different aging states in the feature-extraction process. The diagnostic model constructed with Isomap and BO-XGBoost enables accurate discrimination of the aging states of oil–paper insulation.

Oil-impregnated paper condenser transformer bushings are an important part of transformer equipment, and partial discharge (PD) occurred when defects exist on the condenser aluminum foil layers. Firstly, to study the PD process of the oil-paper insulated capacitance graded bushing with the defect of broken aluminum foil, a defective oil-paper bushing discharge sample is constructed to study the PD parameters and capacitance, and to discharge carbonization traces at different voltage levels. Then, in order to verify the process of condenser aluminum foil layer discharge and the space charge variation in the oil-paper insulation system of a sample model, the surface flashovers of a needle-plane discharge model based on the bipolar charge transport model and the hydrodynamic model was built. The simulation, by Transport of Diluted Species physics of COMSOL Multiphysics software, points out the discharge process of aluminum foil electrode caused by space charge action and electric field distortion under an electric field at different voltages. The results of simulation and sample bushing experiments showed that the PD process of the defective condenser foil layer is mainly divided into three stages: tip corona discharge, streamer in oil, and surface flashovers. The voltage amplitude is larger the more electrical branches are discharged and the shorter the discharge time is. The findings of the article have important implications for the discharge of the foil layer inside the oil-paper bushing.

Reports related to incidences of drug facilitated crimes (DFCs) have notably increased in recently. In such cases, victims report being assaulted or robbed while under the influence of drugs. Lorazepam (LZ) is frequently used in DFCs as it can easily make victims docile owing to its potent numbing effect. Therefore, a straightforward and green analytical method to analyze LZ in spiked food matrices in connection with criminal acts becomes important. The current study reports a simple, green, and high sample throughput analytical method for determining LZ in food and drink matrices commonly encountered in DFCs, based on recently introduced cellulose paper sorptive extraction (CPSE). For the extraction of LZ from food matrices, pristine cellulose paper (CP, commonly used laboratory filter paper) was used as a sorptive medium. Five pieces of CP (1.5″ × 1.5″ each) were dipped into diluted food matrices (cream biscuits and tea) and stirred on a rotary shaker for 30 min at 200 rpm. The CPs were then dried, and the adsorbed LZ was back-extracted into 2 mL of methanol. The extract was then subjected to GC–MS analysis in selected ion monitoring (SIM) mode. Several parameters, including CP size and number, back-extraction solvent type and volume, sample volume, extraction time and stirring speed, pH, ionic strength, elution time and speed, were thoroughly screened and optimized. Under the optimized conditions, the method was found to be linear in the range of 0.2–10 µg·mL−1 (or µg·g−1) with a coefficient of determination (R2) ranging from 0.996–0.998. The limit of detection and limit of quantification for cream biscuits were 0.054 and 0.18 µg·g−1 whereas they were 0.05 and 0.16 µg·mL−1 for tea samples. For all measurements, the relative standard deviations (%RSD) were always below 10%. Two mL of methanol per sample was used during the entire sample preparation process. The greenness of the proposed procedure was evaluated using Analytical Eco-Scale and GAPI greenness assessment tools. Finally, the CPSE–GC–MS method has been applied for the determination of LZ in forensic food samples which were used in DFCs.

A growing research interest currently exists in the use of paper as a building material. This work aims to present the results of a measurement campaign developed on innovative waste paper-based building components. The research was carried out in Southern Italy and used some local by-product aggregates. Three different mixture designs were developed in the laboratory by adding three kinds of biomass to a pulp paper blend: fava bean residues (FB), sawdust powder (SP) and coffee grains (CG) extracted from exhausted chaffs. A physical characterization was carried out measuring the bulk density and bulk porosity. Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) analysis of the single aggregates was followed by a microstructure analysis of the final components. Bulk density evaluation showed a range between 200 and 348 kg·m−3. Furthermore, thermal performances were measured; the thermal conductivity of the experimented samples ranged from 0.071 to 0.093 W·m−1·K−1, thus it is possible to classify the tested materials as thermal insulators. Moreover, the acoustic properties were evaluated and tested. The normal incidence sound absorption coefficient was measured by the impedance tube on cylindrical specimens. In general, a different behavior was observed between the upper and lower base of each specimen due to the manufacturing process and the shrinkage caused by the different interactions occurring between the aggregates and the pulp paper waste; for example, the presence of sawdust reduced shrinkage in the final specimens, with consequent smaller physical variations among the two faces. The correlation existing between the manufacturing process and the microstructural properties was also investigated by the estimation of the non-acoustical parameters using the inverse method and taking into account the JCA (Johnson, Champoux and Allard) model as a reference.

The development of industry and of the Internet of Things (IoTs) have brought energy issues and huge challenges to the environment. The emergence of triboelectric nanogenerators (TENGs) has attracted wide attention due to their advantages, such as self-powering, lightweight, and facile fabrication. Similarly to paper and other fiber-based materials, which are biocompatible, biodegradable, environmentally friendly, and are everywhere in daily life, paper-based TENGs (P-TENGs) have shown great potential for various energy harvesting and interactive applications. Here, a detailed summary of P-TENGs with two-dimensional patterns and three-dimensional structures is reported. P-TENGs have the potential to be used in many practical applications, including self-powered sensing devices, human–machine interaction, electrochemistry, and highly efficient energy harvesting devices. This leads to a simple yet effective way for the next generation of energy devices and paper electronics.

The ‘novel’ complex material KBiMn2O5 described in the paper “Structural, morphological, dielectric, and electrical characteristics of a brownmillerite material for electronic devices: KBiMn2O5” written by Debasish Panda, Sudhansu Sekhar Hota & R. N. P. Choudhary (Chemical Physics Impact 8 (2024) 100540), does not exist at all. The studied sample was mainly the sillenite Bi24Mn2O40 instead of brownmillerite KBiMn2O5. The comments present the erroneous approach to the processing of diffraction data. Thus, the data from subsequent experiments are without scientific value as measured on a mixture of at least two phases.

In this research, first the bismuth ferrite nanostructure doped with Cu = 0.20 was prepared and then, its (Bi1-xYxFe0.80Cu0.20O3) doping with Y = 0.0, 0.05, 0.10, 0.15, 0.20, 0.25, and 0.30 by a sol-gel method at a temperature of 650 ºC and a 1 h were studied. The structural properties of the samples have been characterized using XRD, FESEM, FT-IR, and EDX. Investigations of the structural properties showed that by increasing the Y percentage, the peaks are broader and partly have disappeared due to their small size. The magnetic and dielectric properties of the samples using the analyses of VSM, and LCR meters have been investigated. Investigations of the magnetic properties showed that by increasing Y content, the sample's ferromagnetic properties gradually increased. So that the saturation magnetism of our work (2.5 emu/g) compared to the work of others (0.85 emu/g) significantly has increased. Also, the substitute of bismuth ferrite with yttrium and copper has led to the change of the site of Fe in the octahedral center of FeO6 and the change of the bond angle in O-Fe-O. It has created an asymmetry in the structure, which has improved the dielectric properties of the samples. The results of the dielectric properties showed that the dielectric constant, dielectric loss and electric conductivity in the samples doped with Y and Cu are more than in samples without doping.

Gene is a factor encoding genetic information and the basic unit of inheritance. Gene expression is a phenomenon consisting of two complex stages of transcription and translation. In this study, the yeast cell of Saccharomyces cerevisiae evolution is investigated due to the importance of the gene expression phenomenon. To clarify the accuracy of the obtained results, we have used experimental data on the Saccharomyces cerevisiae yeast cell from the gene bank. We are using chaos theory to study gene expression due to the nonlinear dynamics of the phenomenon. The obtained results predict that, by increasing the rate of degradation in the messenger arena to 0.03, we have reached the threshold value for the gene expression phenomenon. Also, we have recognized that increased transcription is associated with an increased mRNA degradation rate. The optimal values of transcription delay rate (18.2 min) and protein degradation rate (0.03) were obtained. There was a good agreement between the experimental and theoretical results.

This study investigates the effect of the filter on the visibility of fringes in single-photon interference. A pair of photons by spontaneous parametric down-conversion is produced using a nonlinear crystal. One of them passes through a Mach-Zehnder interferometer due to the principle of indistinguishability of the paths, which interferes with itself. By changing the length of the paths of the Mach-Zehnder arms with the help of a stage, the interference happens in the coincidence pattern. In order to align the optical elements and minimize the optical path difference in the interferometer arms, interferometry with laser and white light has been used before single photon interferometry. By placing filters with different bandwidths in the signal and idler photons path, we see interference fringes with different visibility. An interference pattern is obtained by recording the coincidence between the correlated photons. The results show that the frequency bandwidth of filters affects the coherence length of generated photons and so the visibility of interference fringes.

The electronic and transport properties of the zigzag and armchair borophene nanoribbons β12 with different edge geometries using the multi-band tight-binding model and Landauer Butticker formalism were investigated by the mode matching model. Our results show that nanoribbons with different edge geometries show different electronic behaviors from metal phase to semiconductor according to and under thermal gradient or voltage poetical produce electrical current from nano ampere to microampere (most of them have ohmic behavior). Also, vacancy defects with controlling energy gaps could change the phase from metal to semiconductor or from semiconductor to metal in different edge geometries. Moreover, vacancy defects could control the values of electrical currents. Finally, the edge geometries; and defect engineering with application thermal gradient or electrostatic potential could control the electronic and transport properties and convert borophene nanoribbons into a good candidate for application in nano-electronic devices.

The penning trap, invented in 1959 by H. Dehmelt, is a combination of an inner electric dipole field and a constant magnetic field. A charged particle trapped in the Penning trap is called a geonium atom. The energy levels of the geonium atom are known in the non-relativistic limit, using the solutions of the Schrodinger equation, and for the case when the gravitational field of the Earth is negligible. In this article we write the Dirac equation for the geonium atom, coupled to the weak gravitational field of the Earth, and study its energy levels using perturbation techniques. If the Newtonian gravitational potential is , the dimensionless perturbing parameter is , where c is the velocity of light. It is found that the effect of these perturbations affects the energy levels by a factor of almost . This tiny shift in the energy levels may be used to investigate the effect of the gravitational field on earth.

Paper-based microfluidic devices based on electrowetting principle, more specifically electrowetting on dielectric (EWOD), have attracted increasing attention due to their powerful liquid handling capability as compared to continuous-flow paper-based analytical devices (μPAD) that use capillary effects to control liquids. Here, we demonstrate fabrication of paper-based EWOD devices using cellulose paper as substrate and paraffin wax as dielectric hydrophobic layer by a simple pressing treatment for the cellulose paper and melting or spray-coating of paraffin wax. We optimized the key fabrication parameters according to the surface morphology and hydrophobicity of the obtained wax film, including the pressing pressure, thermal annealing temperature and amount of paraffin wax. Moreover, the EWOD devices fabricated by the spray-coating method demonstrate larger contact angle changes but with smaller contact angle hysteresis under DC electric field when compared with the devices fabricated by the melting method. Our study opens up potential fabrication of hybrid paper-based microfluidic device combining advantages of continuous-flow and electrowetting using cellulose paper and paraffin wax.

Electronic paper (E‐paper) relies on reflecting ambient light to achieve information display, which mimics the appearance of printed papers, but owns the features of conventional electronic displays. The outstanding characters of E‐paper including visual health, comfortable outdoor viewing and ultra‐low power consumption, attracts increasingly interests in display society. E‐paper technology has evolved slowly in the field of color reproduction and video frame rate, until the arise of electrowetting display (EWD) technology. Benefits from the innately high speed response of microfluidics, EWD enables the displaying of color video content. In this report, the basic physics of electrowetting displays, including electro‐optical response and color reproduction method will be discussed. In this presentation, recent progress on above topics, including printed conductive pillar directed oil motion control and parallax issue in CMY stacked EWD device will also be discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) derived nanostructures receive immense research focus due to its high porosity, conductivity, and structural tailrolability features. In this work, porous Zeolitic Imidazole Framework‐67 (ZIF‐67) to synthesize cobalt phosphide/carbon composite (ZCoPC) that serves as a positive electrode is utilized. Furthermore, porous and conductive office paper derived carbon (OPC) are utilized as a negative electrode to make a hybrid system. The metalloid characteristics, high conductivity, and good porosity of ZCoPC material makes it a high‐performance battery like electrode. ZCoPC electrode achieves maximum specific capacity of 192.6 mAh g−1 at 1 A g−1 using 1 m potassium hydroxide (KOH) electrolyte. Furthermore, surface and diffusion charge participation investigation are also undergone for ZCoPC electrode that helps in determining the actual charge dynamics occurring in the electrode. In addition, a supercapattery device is assembled using ZCoPC as battery electrode and OPC as supercapacitor electrode. The as fabricated OPC//ZCoPC hybrid supercapattery device delivers extraordinary energy density of 31.6 Wh kg−1 with a power density of 700 W kg−1 and also a long cycle life of 92.3% even after 10,000 charge–discharge cycles. Hence, these outcomes demonstrate that the synergy of porous MOF derived metal phosphide and OPC electrodes are beneficial for supercapattery devices.

Carbon fiber paper (CFP) is one of the most important units of gas diffusion layer (GDL) in proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs). The binder used in the wet-laid technique has a significant effect on the properties of CFP. In this work, the polyvinyl butyral/phenol-formaldehyde resin (PVB/PF) composite fibers firstly prepared by a dry spinning method were applied for CFP fabrication to replace traditional binders during the papermaking process and remove the PF impregnation process. In the composite fibers with a mass ratio of 5:5, PF phase with a size of about 2~3 μm evenly distributed in PVB matrix. PVB and PF were miscible to some degree, which was beneficial for their binding effect during hot-press. These composite fibers can successfully bind carbon fibers (CFs) during the papermaking process, and their residual carbon efficiently welded the CFs after heat treatment. The content and length of composite fibers in the mat affected the binding structure among CFs, which influenced the properties of CFP, increased the composite fibers’ content and reduced their length, significantly improving the strength of CFP. Therefore, the application of this solid fiber binder could enhance the comprehensive properties of CFP by adjusting the fibers’ parameters in the mat and also make the fabrication of CFP more environmentally friendly and low-cost.

The article presents a new technique for analyzing phenomena occurring during the measurement of the strength properties of paper in the conditions of compression of the tested samples with forces acting in the paper plane. The technique is based on collecting data on the current distance of the clamps holding the tested sample and the force exerted on the sample using a universal testing machine and on the simultaneous recording of image sequence of the sample during the measurement. Next, the resulting images are subjected to processing and analysis, the purpose of which is to extract information about the shape of the sample edge in all phases of the measurement. Its advantage is the ability to determine the deflection arrow of the sample and describe its shape using the selected function given by the analytical parametric formula. It will be helpful in further research on the development of an analytical model describing the phenomena occurring during paper compression, and a method to determine the mechanism of paper destruction and the corresponding maximum force that destroys a paper sample.

The effective Hamiltonian describing indirect exchange interactions of type Ruderman- Kittel-Kasuya-Yosida [RKKY] between the magnetic impurities near the Dirac Points is based on the first-order energy. Besides, the points where the impurities are located are important in identifying the oscillatory behaviour of these interactions. Then in this paper, we first intend to obtain the effective Hamiltonian elements near the Dirac points for 2D graphene structures using the tight-binding approximation and then the phase factors between neighbor Dirac points are noticed. The obtained results are extended to obtain the effective Hamiltonian and then the first-order energy for carbon nanotubes. Using the quantized wave vector in the circumferential direction of nanotubes at Dirac Points, we examine the condition for nanotubes to be metallic or semiconductors. The obtained results based on the tight binding could be used to study the magnetic interactions at low energy for graphene structures as well as carbon nanotubes.

In this paper, the optical properties of GaP in different phases have been investigated. The calculations were performed by using pseudopotential in the framework of density functional theory and using the PWscf code. The pseudopotentials applied here are generated using norm-conserving conditions within GGA for the exchange-correlation function. The optical properties of the Zincblend and Cinnabar phases reveal the conformity between the band structure and the imaginary part of the dielectric function, and the band gap and optical gap are almost equal. The refractive index obtained from the real part of the dielectric function in Zincblend is 3.306 and in the Cinnabar phase is 4.235 and 3.808 in the x and z directions, respectively.

This paper uses the Jaynes-Cummings model to investigate the entanglement of a two-qutrit state in a cavity. The entanglement is analyzed as a function of decoherence rate, coupling constant, and frequency of atomic transition. We note that this entanglement is decreased passing time and the negativity is an increasing function of the frequency of atomic transition. The negativity at first is an increasing function of the coupling constant, then for higher values of the coupling constant, the negativity decreases with the increase of the coupling constant and over time it tends to zero. We also investigate the influence of intrinsic decoherence on quantum teleportation via this two-qutrit state. We plot the fidelity as a function of the decoherence rate, the coupling constant, and the atomic transition frequency. The results show that the fidelity decreases with an increasing decoherence rate. Moreover, the frequency of fidelity oscillations is an increasing function of the atomic transition frequency. The fidelity is relatively independent of the coupling constant, especially at a higher value of the coupling constant.

The study and advancement of crank-slide actuating mechanisms based on four-link structural groups are promising for the development of new designs of crank presses and other stamping and forging machines [...]

Abstract Electronic paper devices, also known as electrochromic devices, are known for their ability to change color and remain in a particular color state even after the electric power is turned off. Traditional devices such as electrochromic windows use mechanisms such as electrophoresis or intercalation and use special materials such as anhydrous electrolytes and transparent conductive materials (TCMs). As a result, these devices can sometimes be relatively difficult to assemble, especially in developing countries where such materials are difficult to obtain. Recently, some improvements are made by using alternative electrode positioning that do not require TCM. Here, a novel multicolor display module that is recyclable, can be fabricated from readily available materials, and can be scaled according to the desired screen size is presented. The presented device is a semi‐open electrochemical device that uses pH indicator dyes and an aqueous electrolyte solution in combination with readily available stainless steel sheet.