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Abstract The telecommunication wavelengths are crucial for developing a photonic integrated circuit (PIC). The absorption fingerprints of many gases lie within these spectral ranges, offering the potential to create a miniaturized gas sensor for PIC. This work presents novel double Fano resonances within the telecommunication band, based on silicon metasurfaces for selective gas sensing applications. Our proposed design comprises periodically coupled nanodisk and nanobar resonators mounted on a quartz substrate. Fano resonances can be engineered across the range from λ = 1.52 μm to λ = 1.7 μm by adjusting various geometrical parameters. A double detection sensor of carbon monoxide (CO) at λ = 1.566 μm and nitrous oxide (N2O) at λ = 1.674 μm is developed. The sensor exhibits exceptional refractometric sensitivity to CO of 1,735 nm/RIU with an outstanding FOM of 11,570 at the first Fano resonance (FR1). In addition, the sensor shows a sensitivity to N2O of 194 nm/RIU accompanied by an FOM of 510 at the second Fano resonance (FR2). The structure reveals absorption losses of 6.3% for CO at the FR1, indicating the sensor selectivity to CO. The sensor is less selective at FR2 and limited to spectral shifts induced by each gas type. Our proposed design holds significant promise for the development of a highly sensitive double-sensing refractometric photonic integrated gas sensor.

ABSTRACT: This study evaluated the effects of dietary butyric acid (BA) on the Japanese quail' performance, immunology, lipid profile, cecal microbiota, and antioxidant levels. 250 unsexed, one-week-old quail chicks were divided into 5 groups, each with fifty chicks (5 replicates of 10 chicks). The first group was given the basal diet (BD), while the 2nd to 5th groups were fed BD with 50, 100, 150, and 200 mg BA/kg, respectively. The results indicated that BA improved weight gain and FCR (p < 0.05) and decreased total FI. The 200 mg BA/kg of diet showed the lowest FI (p < 0.05) and the best FCR (p > 0.05). BA boosted immunity through increasing IgA, IgM, IgG, and Complement 3. Significantly lower alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) were observed at 150 and 200 mg BA/kg (P < 0.05) than the control group. The BA-supplemented quail showed lower total cholesterol (TC), triglyceride (TG), low-density lipoprotein (LDL), and very low-density lipoprotein (VLDL) than the control one. This effect was more pronounced for 100 and 200 mg of BA/kg. However, high low-density lipoprotein (HDL) did not differ from the control group (p > 0.05). BA at ≥100 mg/kg diet reduced malondialdehyde (MDA) and induced greater levels of superoxide dismutase (SOD), total antioxidant capacity (TAC), glutathione peroxidase (GPX), globulin, total protein, digestive enzymes than the control group (P < 0.05). BA decreased cecal E. coli, Salmonella, Enterococcus, and Coliforms and increased Lactic acid bacteria (p < 0.05) compared to non-supplemented group. Collectively, the inclusion of 100 mg BA/kg diet is ideal for Japanese quail production and health.

Abstract It has been well documented that the usage of a textured cover layer reduces reflection from the air‐solar cell interface, which ultimately enhances the power conversion efficiency (PCE) of a solar cell. The most commonly used patterns, such as pyramids, micropillars, nanowires (NW), and nanoholes have been widely studied and optimized. Besides using such NWs to enhance light absorption, this work also additionally considers the concept of mimicking the antireflection coating of single or multiple layers in minimizing the reflectance and thus enhancing the total absorptance further. It is shown here that at least one order of magnitude shorter multilayer NW pattern of 268 nm total height can outperform a standard NW of 4270 nm height, which needs less material and can also be fabricated at a reduced cost. Furthermore, the proposed design with reduced height has a significantly lower surface‐to‐volume ratio, which also reduces surface recombination loss than the other textured surface patterns. The results presented in this work have been comprehensively analyzed by initially optimizing optical absorption and then completing the electrical simulations. The optimized design in conjunction with a back reflector offers an efficiency as high as 16.434%.

Abstract In this work, a higher order-to-fundamental mode converter is reported and analyzed based on an asymmetric dual channel waveguide (ADC-WG) on silicon. In the reported structure, one of the two waveguides is infiltrated with nematic liquid crystal (NLC) material to add temperature tunability while the other one is a solid BK7 waveguide. The modal characteristics are obtained using the full vectorial finite difference method (FVFDM). In addition, the structural parameters and optical characteristics of the employed materials are investigated to achieve good wavelength selectivity with a short device length (LD). Thus, a compact mode converter that can work at different wavelengths including the telecommunication wavelength i.e., 1.55 μm with LD ~ 482.31 μm and a low crosstalk of − 19.86 dB is presented. To prove the thermal tunability of the suggested mode converter, its operation is tested through a temperature range between 20 and 35 °C and the results show that the mode conversion process is achieved at each temperature with different phase matching wavelengths (λPMW) but with quite similar coupling length (LC). The proposed device can therefore be effectively utilized in integrated photonic circuits.

The COVID-19 outbreak has had a significant impact on the global health landscape, underscoring the crucial role that vaccinations play in achieving herd immunity and reducing the effects of pandemics. Given the importance of this issue, it is imperative to gain a deeper understanding of the various factors that influence individuals’ decisions to seek vaccination. This study aimed to compare the prediction level of the Health Belief Model (HBM), the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB), and a combined model in explaining the intention of adults to receive COVID-19 immunization. A cross-sectional online survey was conducted among adults (n = 505) in Saudi Arabia. The survey contained variables related to the HBM and TPB. The prediction level of the two models as well as a combined model were evaluated utilizing Structural Equation Modeling (SEM). Among the recruited 505 participants, 88% fell within the 18 to 30 age range, and 54.5% were male. The proposed HBM model accounted for 68% of the variation in intention, whereas the TPB model explained 78.2% of the variation in COVID-19 vaccination intention. The combined model showed greater explanatory power (82%). The variables of susceptibility (β = 0.20, p

Recent advances in artificial intelligence (AI) and computing technologies are currently disrupting the modeling and design paradigms in photonics. In this work, we present our perspective on the utilization of current AI models for photonic device modeling and design. Initially, through the physics-informed neural networks (PINNs) framework, we embark on the task of modal analysis, offering a unique neural networks-based solver and utilizing it to predict propagating modes and their corresponding effective indices for slab waveguides. We compare our model’s predictions against theoretical benchmarks and a finite differences solver. Evidently, using 349 analysis points, the PINN approach had a relative percentage error of 0.69272% compared to the finite differences method, which had a percentage error of 1.28142% with respect to the analytical solution, indicating that the PINN approach was more accurate in conducting modal analysis. Our model’s continuity over the entire solution domain enhances its performance and flexibility while requiring no training data due to its guidance by Maxwell’s equations, setting it apart from most AI approaches. Our model design also flexibly enables simultaneous prediction of multiple modes over any specified intervals of effective indices. In addition, we present a novel reinforcement learning (RL)-based paradigm, employing an actor–critic model for inverse design. We utilize this paradigm to optimize the transmittance of a grating coupler by manipulating the device geometry. Comparing the obtained design to that obtained using the Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO) algorithm, our RL-based approach effectively produced a significant enhancement of 34% in 14 iterations only over the initial design compared to the PSO, which prematurely scored 27% enhancement in 30 iterations, proving that our model navigates the design space more efficiently, achieving a better design than PSO and resulting in a superior design. Based on these approaches, we discuss the future of AI in photonics in forward modeling and inverse design and the untapped potential in bringing these worlds together.

AbstractDiscovering new processing routes to put waste to use in the manufacturing of high-value products is essential to the success of the circular economy. A glass polishing waste containing 16.4% PbO, 0.672% ZnO and 7.296% rare earth elements (REEs) oxides was subjected to this work. The current research looked into the feasibility of adopting a sequential three-stage leaching procedure to selectively recover Pb, Zn, and REEs from hazardous glass polishing waste (HGPW). First-stage leaching with 1 M H2SO4 at 80 °C for 90 min extracted 75–99.9% of contaminant heavy metals such Fe, Ni, Co, and Cu, leaving behind insoluble residue containing the metals of interest. In the second stage of leaching, the sodium hydroxide solution extracted Pb and Zn from the first spend residue. Using shrinking core models, we were able to assess the kinetics of lead and zinc dissolution. The activation energy was determined to be 32.16 kJ/mol for Pb and 34.59 kJ/mol for Zn. In the final step, the REEs were extracted from the dried alkali-treated residue by leaching it with concentrated H2SO4 at higher temperatures. For the technological recovery of Pb, Zn, and REEs from glass polishing waste, a flow chart was created.

IntroductionLupus is a diverse autoimmune disease with autoantibody formation. Lupus nephritis carries a grave prognosis. Complement involvement, namely, C1q deficiency, is linked to activity and renal involvement and could help in their assessment. LN therapies include plasma exchange, immune adsorption, and probably hemodiafiltration with online endogenous reinfusion (HFR), together with traditional immunosuppressive therapies.AimThe aim of this study was to evaluate the role of HFR in improving signs and symptoms of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) activity and laboratory parameters in cases not responding to traditional immunosuppressive therapy.Settings and designA controlled clinical study was conducted on 60 patients with lupus from Group A that was subdivided into two groups: cases 1 (47 patients), those who received traditional medical treatment, and cases 2 (13 patients), those who underwent HFR in addition to medical treatment. Group B consisted of two subgroups: control 1, composed of 20 healthy age- and sex-matched volunteers, and control 2, consisting of 10 cases with different glomerular diseases other than lupus.Methods and materialsSerum C1q was determined before and after the HFR as well as induction by medical treatment. Disease activity was assessed using SLEDAI-2K with a responder index of 50; quality of life was assessed using SLEQOL v2, and HFR was performed for the non-responder group.ResultsC1q was lower in cases. It can efficiently differentiate between SLE patients and healthy controls with a sensitivity of 81.67% and a specificity of 90%. It can also efficiently differentiate between SLE patients and the control 2 group (non-lupus patients with renal glomerular disease) with a sensitivity of 83.33% and a specificity of 100%. C1q was more consumed in proliferative lupus, and correlated with anti-ds DNA, C3, and C4.ConclusionsC1q efficiently discriminates lupus patients and correlates with proliferative forms. HFR might ameliorate lupus activity and restore C1q.

The performance of a new commercial polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) membrane (PERVAPTM 4100HF) was investigated and compared with a standard membrane (PERVAPTM 4100) for the dehydration of isopropanol (isopropyl alcohol) with an azeotropic point using pervaporation process. Both membranes were also characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, and contact angle (CA) goniometer. The results showed that the PERVAP™ 4100HF was thinner (1–1.5 μm) and had a lower degree of cross-linking than the PERVAP™ 4100HF (2–3 μm). The effect of the feed water concentration and operating temperature on the membranes separation performance in terms of the permeation flux, separation factor, selectivity, and permeance was investigated. The water permeates in the PERVAP™ 4100HF (∼3350 GPU) was seven times higher than that in PERVAP™ 4100 (∼463 GPU) at 70 °C and for 7 wt.% of water concentration in the feed. The water/isopropanol selectivity of the new membrane under these operating conditions was very high (∼17,000). The total permeation flux of water and isopropyl alcohol (IPA) was increased with the feedwater concentration (0.0690–1.0275 and 0.0079–0.6384 kg/m2.hr) for PERVAP™ 4100HF and PERVAP™ 4100, respectively with feed water concentration increased from 7 to 18 wt.%. The temperature dependence of the pervaporation behaviors was investigated in detail in terms of the Arrhenius activation energy. The effect of the feedwater concentration on the Arrhenius activation energy was also studied to evaluate the mass transfer across the membrane under other operating conditions, such as high temperatures and low feedwater concentrations. The new membrane PERVAP™ 4100HF exhibited the best dehydration properties at water concentrations in the azeotropic region and below, making it possible to pervaporate even at low feedwater concentrations.

Abstract Background Behçet's disease BD is a rare multisystemic disease, with rare cardiac involvement. This case illustrates a rare cardiac involvement as a giant intracavitary thrombus which was the revealing form of Behçet disease. Case presentation An 15-year-old male admitted to the emergency department for progressive dyspnoea, hemoptysis for which an echocardiogram displayed a large echogenic mass in the right ventricle and angio CT revealed associated bilateral pulmonary embolism. The patient was then proposed for surgery for removal and pathological study the later confirmed its fibrin thrombotic nature. Behçet disease was suspected based on past history of recurrent oral aphthosis and confirmed with a positive pathergy test. Further management by anticoagulants, immunosuppressants and corticosteroids seemed effective to avoid relapse. Conclusions Cardiac involvement during BD can be life-threatening as it is not always diagnosed in timely manner. However, intracardiac thrombus is uncommon with only few case reports. Echocardiography is the key tool for the diagnosis of intracardiac thrombus.

Query by Image Content (QBIC), subsequently known as Content-Based Image Retrieval (CBIR), offers an advantageous solution in a variety of applications, including medical, meteorological, search by image, and other applications. Such CBIR systems primarily use similarity matching algorithms to compare image content to get matched images from datasets. They essentially measure the spatial distance between extracted visual features from a query image and its similar versions in the dataset. One of the most challenging query retrieval problems is Facial Sketched-Real Image Retrieval (FSRIR), which is based on content similarity matching. These facial retrieval systems are employed in a variety of contexts, including criminal justice. The difficulties of retrieving such sorts come from the composition of the human face and its distinctive parts. In addition, the comparison between these types of images is made within two different domains. Besides, to our knowledge, there is a few large-scale facial datasets that can be used to assess the performance of the retrieval systems. The success of the retrieval process is governed by the method used to estimate similarity and the efficient representation of compared images. However, by effectively representing visual features, the main challenge-posing component of such systems might be resolved. Hence, this paper has several contributions that fill the research gap in content-based similarity matching and retrieval. The first contribution is extending the Chinese University Face Sketch (CUFS) dataset by including augmented images, introducing to the community a novel dataset named Extended Sketched-Real Image Retrieval (ESRIR). The CUFS dataset has been extended from 100 images to include 53,000 facial sketches and 53,000 real facial images. The paper second contribution is presenting three new systems for sketched-real image retrieval based on convolutional autoencoder, InfoGAN, and Vision Transformer (ViT) unsupervised models for large datasets. Furthermore, to meet the subjective demands of the users due to the prevalence of multiple query formats, the third contribution of the paper is to train and assess the performance of the proposed models on two additional facial datasets of different image types. Recently, the majority of people have preferred searching for brand logo images, but it may be tricky to separate certain brand logo features their alternatives and even from other features in an image. Thus, the fourth contribution is to compare logo image retrieval performance based on visual features derived from each of the three suggested retrieval systems. The paper also presents cloud-based energy and computational complexity saving approaches on large-scale datasets. Due to the ubiquity of touchscreen devices, users often make drawings based on their fantasies for certain object image searches. Thus, the proposed models are tested and assessed on a tough dataset of doodle-scratched human artworks. They are also studied on a multi-category dataset to cover practically all possible image types and situations. The results are compared with those of the most recent algorithms found in the literature. The results show that the proposed systems outperform the recent counterparts.

Afraa Salah,1 Raghad Hashim,2 Shaymaa Salah,3 Athmar Shakir Majeed,3 Sarah Abdulkareem Al-Hamdan,1 Malaz Mohamed1 1Clinical Sciences, Ajman University, Ajman, United Arab Emirates; 2Basic Sciences, Ajman University, Ajman, United Arab Emirates; 3Psychology Department, Baghdad University, Baghdad, IraqCorrespondence: Afraa Salah, Ajman University, Tel +971507271158, Email a.salah@ajman.ac.aeBackground: Dental care is widely acknowledged as one of the most significant challenges facing individuals with disabilities. These patients cannot care for themselves and more attention should be paid to these individuals, particularly in oral health care.Aim of the Study: This research investigates the knowledge and expertise of the dentists at Ajman University regarding the treatment of individuals with disabilities and the factors influencing their ability to treat these patients in private practice.Materials and Methods: Methods included a descriptive cross-sectional survey employing 18 fixed-choice questions administered to a representative sample of 150 dentists working in the Ajman University area (Both Ajman and Fujairah campuses).Results: Most participants admitted to a lack of ideal expertise in working with individuals with disability. However, being in the minority, such individuals have acceptable experience to provide the first line treatment.Conclusion: The vast majority of participants expressed limitations with their training and limitations with an advanced level of care for this popular one. Other factors influencing the treatment of individuals with disabilities included the time it takes to treat the patients, inability to communicate with such patients, lack of patient collaboration, fear of causing harm to the patient and auxiliary staff and diminished patient compliance.Keywords: dentist, attitudes, individuals with disabilities

This paper reviews earlier studies and shows that the money demand (MD) relationship under a fixed exchange rate (ER) regime differs from that under a floating ER regime, mainly due to the limited role of monetary policy in the former regime. It then empirically demonstrates that an open-economy model augmented with country-specific factors is a better framework for characterizing the MD function under a fixed ER regime by applying cointegration and equilibrium correction modeling to the Saudi data as a case study. The main message for monetary authorities is that there are other factors, besides those theoretically predicted, shaping MD under a fixed ER regime. This information is important for providing adequate money supply to support economic growth and maintain the stability of the fixed ER, as well as for checking the stability of the MD to make appropriate policy decisions.

Abstract In this study, boron carbide (B4C) nanoparticles (NPs) are synthesized by pulsed laser ablation of boron in ethanol at a laser fluence of 6.36 J cm−2 pulse−1. The effect of numbers of laser pulses on the structural, optical, and electrical properties of B4C NPs was studied. X-ray diffraction (XRD) results revealed that all B4C nanoparticles synthesized were polycrystalline in nature with a rhombohedral structure. When the laser pulses increased from 500 to 1500, the optical band gap of B4C decreased from 2.45 to 2.38 eV. Fluorescence measurements showed the emission of two emission peaks. The Raman spectra of B4C nanoparticles exhibit six vibration modes centered at 270, 480, 533, 722, 820, and 1080 cm−1. Field emission scanning electron microscope (FESEM) images show the formation of spherical nanoparticles of an average size of 68, 75, and 84 nm for samples prepared at 500, 1000, and 1500 pulses, respectively. The dark I–V characteristics of B4C/Si heterojunction photodetectors showed rectification characteristics, and the heterojunction prepared at 500 pulses exhibits the best junction characteristics. The illuminated I–V characteristics of B4C/p-Si heterojunction photodetectors exhibited high photosensitivity to white light. The spectral responsivity of the p-B4C/p-Si photodetector shows that the maximum responsivity was 0.66 A W−1 at 500 nm for a photodetector prepared at 500 pulses. The highest specific detectivity and quantum efficiency were 2.18 × 1012 Jones and 1.64 × 102% at 550 nm, respectively, for a heterojunction photodetector fabricated at 500 pulses, The ON/OFF ratio, rise time, and fall time are measured as a function of the number of laser pulses. The photodetector fabricated at 1500 laser pulses showed roughly rise and fall intervals of 1.5 and 0.8 s, respectively.

To examine the association between the theory of planned behavior (TPB) constructs and Health Sciences students’ intentions to receive COVID-19 vaccination. A cross-sectional study was conducted in Saudi Arabia by recruiting Health Sciences students as participants. Using Structural Equation Modeling (SEM), the proposed TPB model was evaluated. The sample of 505 individuals consisted of more males (n = 275; 54.5%) than females and was relatively young (88% were between the ages of 18 and 30). The suggested TPB model explained 78.2% of the variation in intention to get COVID-19 immunization. We found that greater levels of perceived behavioral control (β = 1.58, p

Incremental sheet forming (ISF) is a metal forming technology in which small incremental deformations determine the final shape. The sheet is deformed by a hemispherical tool that follows the required shape contour to deform the sheet into the desired geometry. In this study, single point incremental sheet forming (SPIF) has been implemented in dentistry to manufacture a denture plate using two types of stainless steel, 304 and 316L, with an initial thickness of 0.5mm and 0.8mm, respectively. Stainless steel was selected due to its biocompatibility and reasonable cost. A three-dimensional (3D) analysis procedure was conducted to evaluate the manufactured part's geometrical accuracy and thickness distribution. The obtained results confirm the capability of SPIF to produce thin-walled biomedical components with satisfactory dimensional accuracy, as geometrical deviations between the developed and the actual models are predominantly in the range of ±0.25mm.

Vacuum membrane distillation (VMD) has attracted increasing interest for various applications besides seawater desalination. Experimental testing of membrane technologies such as VMD on a pilot or large scale can be laborious and costly. Machine learning techniques can be a valuable tool for predicting membrane performance on such scales. In this work, a novel hybrid model was developed based on incorporating a spotted hyena optimizer (SHO) with support vector machine (SVR) to predict the flux pressure in VMD. The SVR–SHO hybrid model was validated with experimental data and benchmarked against other machine learning tools such as artificial neural networks (ANNs), classical SVR, and multiple linear regression (MLR). The results show that the SVR–SHO predicted flux pressure with high accuracy with a correlation coefficient (R) of 0.94. However, other models showed a lower prediction accuracy than SVR–SHO with R-values ranging from 0.801 to 0.902. Global sensitivity analysis was applied to interpret the obtained result, revealing that feed temperature was the most influential operating parameter on flux, with a relative importance score of 52.71 compared to 17.69, 17.16, and 14.44 for feed flowrate, vacuum pressure intensity, and feed concentration, respectively.

Maya R Chilbert,1,2 Dylan VanDuyn,3 Sara Salah,1 Collin M Clark,1,2 Qing Ma1 1Department of Pharmacy Practice, School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY, USA; 2Department of Pharmacy, Buffalo General Medical Center, Buffalo, NY, USA; 3Department of Pharmacy, Buffalo Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Buffalo, NY, USACorrespondence: Maya R Chilbert, Department of Pharmacy Practice, University at Buffalo School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, 202 Pharmacy Building, Buffalo, NY, USA, Tel +1 716 829-5172, Fax +1 716-829-6093, Email mayahols@buffalo.eduAbstract: Cardiovascular disease is one of the leading causes of death around the world with various efforts being made to reduce risk in patients through preventive measures. One major method for prevention has been managing cholesterol, particularly low-density lipoprotein to decrease atherosclerotic plaque burden, potentially decreasing future cardiac complications. Statins have been the gold standard therapy for hypercholesterolemia treatment due to their ease of dosing, limited drug interactions, and favorable safety profile. Unfortunately, statin therapy alone is not always effective enough to adequately control a patient’s elevated lipid levels and combination therapy may be warranted. Ezetimibe is commonly added to regimens to help augment cholesterol lowering by inhibiting the absorption of cholesterol. The recent approval of a combination tablet of high-intensity rosuvastatin and ezetimibe has introduced a potentially more beneficial option for cholesterol management in addition to the only available combination of moderate intensity simvastatin and ezetimibe. We aimed to identify potential beneficial effects of ezetimibe by comparing its use in combination with high-intensity rosuvastatin compared to a statin therapy alone or in combination with moderate intensity simvastatin through a literature review. The current evidence indicated that combination therapy outperformed statin monotherapy in reduction of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol and patients were more likely to achieve their target low-density lipoprotein cholesterol goal level. This suggests rosuvastatin/ezetimibe combination holds a potential place in therapy for patients requiring a more aggressive reduction in cholesterol to help prevent atherosclerotic disease.Keywords: hypercholesterolemia, hyperlipidemia, cardiac events, lipid biomarkers, atherosclerosis

The need for efficient remediation solutions to wastewater has risen due to the concerning prevalence of toxic organic pollutants. It is possible for the linked photocatalysis-membrane separation system to concurrently achieve the photoreaction of pollutants and their removal from wastewater in order to accomplish the goal of completely purifying the wastewater. This investigation's objective is to provide analytical overview of the photocatalytic and membrane coupling process, photocatalytic membrane reactors, and the potential applications of these technologies in the treatment of wastewater for the persistent organic matter removal. In the review, an examination of photocatalytic and membrane processes to remove organic compounds from wastewater is presented. Based on the literature analysis, it was observed that the application of photocatalytic membrane reactors is significantly influenced by a wide variety of factors. Some of these factors include pollutant concentration, dissolved oxygen, aeration, pH, and hydraulic retention time. Light intensity is another factor that has a significant influence. It was also revealed how distillation membranes work when integrated with photocatalytic process. This brief overview will help researchers understand how successful coupled photocatalytic and membrane distillation are in the treatment of wastewater containing organic pollutants.

Abstract The electrical characteristics of quad-crescent-shaped silicon nanowire (NW) solar cells (SCs) are numerically analyzed and as a result their performance optimized. The structure discussed consists of four crescents, forming a cavity that permits multiple light scattering with high trapping between the NWs. Additionally, new modes strongly coupled to the incident light are generated along the NWs. As a result, the optical absorption has been increased over a large portion of light wavelengths and hence the power conversion efficiency (PCE) has been improved. The electron–hole (e–h) generation rate in the design reported has been calculated using the 3D finite difference time domain method. Further, the electrical performance of the SC reported has been investigated through the finite element method, using the Lumerical charge software package. In this investigation, the axial and core–shell junctions were analyzed looking at the reported crescent and, as well, conventional NW designs. Additionally, the doping concentration and NW-junction position were studied in this design proposed, as well as the carrier-recombination-and-lifetime effects. This study has revealed that the high back surface field layer used improves the conversion efficiency by $$\sim$$ ∼ 80%. Moreover, conserving the NW radial shell as a low thickness layer can efficiently reduce the NW sidewall recombination effect. The PCE and short circuit current were determined to be equal to 18.5% and 33.8 mA $$/\hbox {cm}^2$$ / cm 2 for the axial junction proposed. However, the core–shell junction shows figures of 19% and 34.9 mA $$/\hbox {cm}^2$$ / cm 2 . The suggested crescent design offers an enhancement of 23% compared to the conventional NW, for both junctions. For a practical surface recombination velocity of $$10^{2}$$ 10 2 cm/s, the PCE of the proposed design, in the axial junction, has been reduced to 16.6%, with a reduction of 11%. However, the core–shell junction achieves PCE of 18.7%, with a slight reduction of 1.6%. Therefore, the optoelectronic performance of the core–shell junction was marginally affected by the NW surface recombination, compared to the axial junction.

The separation performance of commercial crosslinked poly (vinyl alcohol) (PVA) membranes (i.e., the new commercial membrane PERVAP™ 4100 H F and standard membrane PERVAP™ 4100) used for the dehydration of two alcohol-water systems (i.e., ethanol-water and isopropanol-water mixtures, with an azeotropic point) were studied based on pervaporation process (PV) experimental data and mathematical modeling. Pervaporation process experiments proved that these two membranes have excellent applicability for the dehydration of alcohol. A semi-empirical solution-diffusion transport model was developed to describe the mass transport in the PVA membranes, which showed a good agreement with the experimental values. The universal quasi-chemical (UNIQUAC) model was utilized to predict the activity coefficient of nonideal alcohol-water systems in PVA membranes. In addition to the UNIQUAC model, the transport of alcohol-water across the commercial polymeric membrane was modeled using the conventional driving force model. The PV process experimental data with the mathematical model were used to develop the diffusivity correlations for water and alcohol (i.e., ethanol and isopropanol) through the PVA membranes. It was found that for swollen membranes (PVA), the developed correlations of water and alcohol diffusivity were strongly influenced by the feed water activity and feed temperature. Based on the mass transport model and developed diffusivity correlations, the permeation flux of water and alcohol through the PVA membranes was predicted, and the results showed a good agreement between the experimental data and the predictive model. The mean relative errors estimated for the permeate mass fluxes of water were 8.4%, and 3.8%, and for the permeate mass fluxes of ethanol were 18%, and 13.6% for the PERVAP™ 4100 and 4100 H F, respectively, as well as for the IPA-water-PVA system are as follows: 5% and 2.8% for the permeate mass fluxes of water and 14.4%, and 12.6% for the permeate mass fluxes of IPA for the PERVAP™ 4100 and 4100 H F, respectively.

Wide bandgap (WBG) semiconductors, such as silicon carbide (SiC) and gallium nitride (GaN), exhibit superior physical properties and demonstrate great potential for replacing conventional silicon (Si) semiconductors with WBG technology, pushing the boundaries of power devices to handle higher blocking voltages, switching frequencies, output power levels, and operating temperatures. However, tradeoffs in switching performance and converter efficiency when substituting GaN devices for Si and SiC counterparts are not well-defined, especially in a cascode configuration. Additional research with further detailed investigation and analysis is necessitated for medium-voltage GaN devices in power converter applications. Therefore, the aim of this research is to experimentally investigate the impact of emerging 650/900 V cascode GaN devices on bidirectional dc-dc converters that are suitable for energy storage and distributed renewable energy systems. Dynamic characteristics of Si, SiC, and cascode GaN power devices are examined through the double-pulse test (DPT) circuit at different gate resistance values, device currents, and DC bus voltages. Furthermore, the switching behavior and energy loss as well as the rate of voltage and current changes over the time are studied and analyzed at various operating conditions. A 500 W experimental converter prototype is implemented to validate the benefits of cascode GaN devices on the converter operation and performance. Comprehensive analysis of the power losses and efficiency improvements for Si-based, SiC-based, and GaN-based converters are performed and evaluated as the switching frequency, working temperature, and output power level are in-creased. The experimental results reveal significant improvements in switching performance and energy efficiency from the emerging cascode GaN devices in the bidirectional converters.

The corrosion of metals and alloys presents a significant challenge in many industries, demanding constant maintenance, and thereby increasing costs. In response to this problem, the smart corrosion protection coating has emerged as a promising solution. By enabling the immediate detection of, and response to, environmental changes, such as in the temperature and pH, these smart coatings contribute significantly to extending a material’s lifespan, and reducing maintenance expenses. In this study, nanomagnetic [poly(aniline-co-o-toluidine)/Fe3O4] systems were prepared and used as a self-healing corrosion inhibitor, mixed with alkyd paint at different weight percentages (5–25%). The composites were used as a coating on carbon steel (C1010), and their corrosion protection performance was tested in 0.1 mol/L HCl, using electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), scanning electron microscope (SEM), and FTIR analyses. The results showed an adequate corrosion inhibition performance for the developed composites, compared to the alkyd paint alone, reaching an inhibition efficiency of 80% at 20 wt.% of composite. Adding increasing weight percentages of the developed composites to the paints led to a significant increase in the corrosion resistance, accompanied by a remarkable decrease in the double-layer capacitance. Thus, these developed composites show excellent potential as a corrosion protection formulation in paints.

This study aims to evaluate the 3D-printed parts of different materials in terms of the achieved mechanical properties and surface characteristics. Fourteen infill patterns were employed in the 3D printing of polylactic acid (PLA), enhanced polylactic acid (PLA+), and polyethylene terephthalate glycol (PETG) materials. The printed specimens’ mechanical properties and surface characteristics were evaluated and discussed. Ultimate tensile strengths, Young’s modulus, and strain at break % were determined as mechanical properties, while average, maximum, and total height of profiles (Ra, Rz, and Rt) were measured as surface characteristics of the produced specimens. The cubic, gyroid, and concentric patterns were found to be the best infill patterns in terms of the mechanical properties of PLA, PLA+, and PETG materials, where maximum ultimate tensile strengths were recorded for these materials: 15.6250, 20.8333, and 16.5483 MPa, respectively. From the other side, the best Ra, Rz, and Rt were achieved with cross, quarter cubic, and concentric patterns of the PLA, PETG, and PLA+ materials, where the best values were (2.832 µm, 8.19 µm, and 17.53), (4.759 µm, 24.113 µm, and 35.216), and (4.234 µm, 30.136 µm, and 31.896), respectively.

Three new tripod tetradentate phenolate-amines (H2L1, H2L4 and H2L9), together with seven more already related published ligands, were synthesized, and characterized. With these ligands, two new dinuclear doubly-bridged-phenoxido copper(II) complexes (3, 4), and six more complexes (1, 2, 5–8), a new trinuclear complex (9) with an alternative doubly-bridged-phenoxido and –methoxido, as well as the 1D polymer (10) were synthesized, and their molecular structures were characterized by spectroscopic methods and X-ray single crystal crystallography. The Cu(II) centers in these complexes exhibit distorted square-pyramidal arrangement in 1–4, mixed square pyramidal and square planar in 5, 6, and 9, and distorted octahedral (5+1) arrangements in 7 and 8. The temperature dependence magnetic susceptibility study over the temperature range 2–300 K revealed moderate–relatively strong antiferromagnetic coupling (AF) (|J| = 289–145 cm−1) in complexes 1–6, weak-moderate AF (|J| = 59 cm−1) in the trinuclear complex 9, but weak AF interactions (|J| = 3.6 & 4.6 cm−1) were obtained in 7 and 8. No correlation was found between the exchange coupling J and the geometrical structural parameters of the four-membered Cu2O2 rings.

The present research investigates joints welding of 304L austenitic stainless steel using metal inert gas (MIG) welding method. The research explores the effect of process parameters (arc voltage, wire feed rate, and electrode wire diameter) on the mechanical properties of stainless steel. The above variables are varied respectively with 18.5, 19, 19.5 V, 116, 127, 137 mm/s, and 0.8, 1, 1.2 mm, with E308L as a filler electrode. The design matrix of the experiments was determined using the design of experiment (DOE) program Minitab 17 based on the levels of input elements used. The Taguchi orthogonal matrix methodology (Taguchi) technique was used to develop some empirical analysis for the maximum tensile strength and proper surface hardness as a function of the welding parameters mentioned above. The ( ) analysis was used to statistically verify the model's adequacy. The results show that the wire feed rate had the greatest effect on the tensile strength of the welded joints when choosing the medium level of arc voltage (19 V), while the arc voltage had a substantial influence on the micro-hardness of all welded joints. The weld-joint zone is given a higher micro-hardness value compared to the base metal zone.

Curcumin can be isolated from plants (Curcuma longa) and it belongs to the ginger family. It exhibits many useful properties and acts as an antioxidant. The aim of the current study was to prepare eight curcumin analogues and investigate their antioxidant activities to inhibit the thermal degradation of low-density polyethylene (LDPE). The carbonyl index (CI) was measured to test the effectiveness of the curcumin analogues. Various doses (0.5, 1, 2, 4, and 6% wt/wt) of a mixture containing LDPE and curcumin analogues were prepared, and the CI was measured. The eight curcumin analogues were found to have good to excellent antioxidant activity against the degradation of LDPE. It was clear that the curcumin analogue derived from vanillin and acetone has the highest antioxidant activity. The density functional theory study was conducted for the eight curcumin analogues to test their reactivity and stability. Again, the global reactivity descriptors analysis showed that compound derived from vanillin and acetone was the most reactive compound to inhibit thermal degradation of LDPE.

A commercial polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) membrane was employed to separate the soluble toluene compounds (C7H8) from an aqueous solution via the pervaporation (PV) process. The performance and the efficacy of the PDMS PV membrane were evaluated through the estimation of the permeation flux and separation factor under various operating parameters. The response surface method (RSM) built in the Minitab-18 software was used for the design of the experiment in this study, and the responses of the permeation flux and the separation factor were analyzed and optimized based on the operating conditions. A nonlinear regression analysis was applied to the experimental output and input, and as a result, a quadratic equation model with parameters interactions was obtained as mathematical expressions to predict the permeation flux and separation factor. At the optimal conditions of temperature 30 °C, initial toluene concentration 500 ppm, and feed flowrate 3.5 L/min, the toluene permeation flux and separation factor were 125.855 g/m2·h and 1080, respectively. The feed concentration was the most impactful and significant in the improvement of the permeation flux and separation factor of the PDMS membrane.

In this paper, the (2+1)-dimensional nonlinear Schrödinger equation (2D NLSE) abreast of the (2+1)-dimensional linear time-dependent Schrödinger equation (2D TDSE) are thoroughly investigated. For the first time, these two notable 2D equations are attempted to be solved using three compelling pseudo-spectral/finite difference approaches, namely the split-step Fourier transform (SSFT), Fourier pseudo-spectral method (FPSM), and the hopscotch method (HSM). A bright 1-soliton solution is considered for the 2D NLSE, whereas a Gaussian wave solution is determined for the 2D TDSE. Although the analytical solutions of these partial differential equations can sometimes be reached, they are either limited to a specific set of initial conditions or even perplexing to find. Therefore, our suggested approximate solutions are of tremendous significance, not only for our proposed equations, but also to apply to other equations. Finally, systematic comparisons of the three suggested approaches are conducted to corroborate the accuracy and reliability of these numerical techniques. In addition, each scheme’s error and convergence analysis is numerically exhibited. Based on the MATLAB findings, the novelty of this work is that the SSFT has proven to be an invaluable tool for the presented 2D simulations from the speed, accuracy, and convergence perspectives, especially when compared to the other suggested schemes.

Conventional cancer detection and treatment methodologies are based on surgical, chemical and radiational processes, which are expensive, time consuming and painful. Therefore, great interest has been directed toward developing sensitive, inexpensive and rapid techniques for early cancer detection. Optical biosensors have advantages in terms of high sensitivity and being label free with a compact size. In this review paper, the state of the art of optical biosensors for early cancer detection is presented in detail. The basic idea, sensitivity analysis, advantages and limitations of the optical biosensors are discussed. This includes optical biosensors based on plasmonic waveguides, photonic crystal fibers, slot waveguides and metamaterials. Further, the traditional optical methods, such as the colorimetric technique, optical coherence tomography, surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy and reflectometric interference spectroscopy, are addressed.

An unstable bilirubin level in the human blood causes many dangerous health problems, such as jaundice, coronary artery disease, ulcerative colitis, and brain lesions. Therefore, the accurate and early detection of bilirubin concentrations in the blood is mandatory. In this work, a highly sensitive biosensor based on photonic crystal fiber (PCF) for monitoring bilirubin levels is proposed and analyzed. The sensor parameters, including relative sensitivity, effective mode area, confinement loss, and effective material loss, are calculated. The geometrical parameters are studied, and a modal analysis of the suggested sensor is carried out using the full-vectorial finite element method (FEM). The fabrication tolerance of the geometrical parameters is also studied to ensure the fabrication feasibility of the reported design. High sensitivities of 95% and 98% are obtained for the x-polarized and y-polarized modes, respectively. Furthermore, a small material loss of 0.00193 cm−1, a small confinement loss of 2.03 × 10−14 dB/cm, and a large effective mode area of 0.046 mm2 are achieved for the y-polarized mode. It is believed that the presented sensor will be helpful in health care and in the early detection of bilirubin levels in the blood.

ABSTRACT: The present study was performed to evaluate the influence of low crude protein (CP) levels, zinc sources (organic as zinc methionine-Zn-Met and inorganic as zinc oxide-ZnO) and their interactions on growth performance, carcass traits, and blood components of growing Japanese quail. A total of 450 one-wk-old Japanese quail with the same body weights were randomly distributed into 9 groups of 50 birds. The 9-diet treatments comprised 3 levels of CP (20, 22, and 24%) and 3 Zn source (0 g of Zn/kg diet, 0.1 g ZnO/kg diet, and 0.1 g Zn-Met/kg diet). The results obtained from this study showed that there were no significant differences among the groups, except for differences in body weight (BW) and body weight gain (BWG) at 3 to 5 – and 1 to 5 wk of age for quail supplemented with 24% and 20% CP. All the studied biochemical parameters were significantly influenced by different levels of CP and Zn, except urea and creatinine, which were affected by CP levels only. In conclusion, dietary protein level for growing Japanese quails could be reduced to 20% without negative effects on their performance, carcass traits, and blood metabolites.

A developed polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) membrane was used to separate soluble benzene compounds (C6H6) from an aqueous solution via a pervaporation (PV) process. This membrane was characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, contact angle (CA), and energy-dispersive spectroscopy (EDS). To evaluate the performance of the membrane, the separation factor and permeation flux were estimated in various operating conditions, including the feed temperature, initial benzene concentration, and feed flow rate. The experiments to maximize the separation factor and permeation flux were designed using the response surface method (RSM) that is built into Minitab 18. A quadratic model (nonlinear regression equation) was suggested to obtain mathematical expressions to predict the benzene permeation flux and the separation factor according to the effect of the parameters’ interaction. The optimization of the PV was performed using an RSM that was based on the analysis of variance (ANOVA). The optimal values of the benzene permeation flux and separation factor were 6.7 g/m2·h and 39.8, respectively, at the optimal conditions of temperature (30 °C), initial concentration of benzene (1000 ppm), and feed flow rate (3.5 L/min). It was found that the feed concentration was the most influential parameter, leading to a significant increase in the permeation flux and separation factor of the PDMS membrane.

A new design for a tunable multi-channel plasmonic bandpass filter was numerically investigated using the two-dimensional finite element method (2D-FEM). The proposed multi-channel plasmonic bandpass filter consists of a metal-insulator-metal waveguide (MIM-WG) and double-sided arrow-shaped cavities. Silver (Ag) and a non-linear optical medium (InGaAsP) are used in the designed filter. InGaAsP fills the bus waveguide and arrow-shaped cavities. The refractive index of InGaAsP is sensitive to the incident light intensity, therefore the resonance wavelengths can be controlled. Utilizing different incident light intensities (such as 1017 v2/m2 and 2 × 1017 v2/m2) on the InGaAsP, the filter wavelengths can be tuned over a range from 600 nm to 1200 nm. The proposed filter with a confinement area of 0.5 μm2 can be used in wavelength division multiplexing (WDM), photonic systems, coloring filters, sensing, and 5G+ communication.

The vacuum membrane distillation (VMD) process was applied to separate ethanol from a simulated ethanol–water solution using a commercial polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) membrane. The presence of ethanol in the ethanol–water solution with a 2 wt.% ethanol concentration at a temperature above 40 °C during the MD process may result in membrane failure due to an increase in the chance of the PTFE membrane wetting at high temperatures. Therefore, the operating temperature in this study was not higher than 35 °C, with an initial ethanol concentration up to 10 wt.%. This work focuses on optimizing the VMD operating parameters using the Taguchi technique based on an analysis of variance (ANOVA). It was found that the feed temperature was the most-affected parameter, leading to a significant increase in the permeation flux of the PTFE membrane. Our results also showed that the permeate flux was reported at about 24.145 kg/m2·h, with a separation factor of 8.6 of the permeate under the operating conditions of 2 wt.%, 30 °C, 60 mm Hg(abs), and 0.6 L/min feed (concentration, temperature, permeate vacuum pressure, and flow rate, respectively). The initial feed concentration, vacuum pressure, and feed flow rate have a lower impact on the permeation flux.

A novel series of polypyridyl adducts, [Sm(ntfa)3(NN)] (2–4), with ntfa = 4,4,4-trifluoro-1-(naphthalen-2-yl)-1,3-butanedionate, NN = 2,2′-bipyridine (bipy), 4,4′-dimethyl-2,2′-bipyridine (4,4′-Me2bipy), and 5,5′-dimethyl-2,2′-bipyridine (5,5′-Me2bipy) were synthesized from the precursor complex [Sm(ntfa)3(MeOH)2] (1) and the corresponding pyridyl ligands. Single X-ray crystallography showed that the complexes displayed 8-coordinated geometry. The solid pyridyl adducts 2–4 exhibited emission of luminescence in the NIR and visible regions with close quantum yields (QY = 0.20–0.25%). The magnetic data of 1–4 showed larger values than those expected for magnetically noncoupled Sm(III) complexes in the 6H5/2 ground state, with no saturation on the applied high magnetic field static at a temperature of 2 K.

A new series of mononuclear Ho3+ complexes derived from the β-diketonate anions: 4,4,4-trifluoro-1-phenyl-1,3-butanedioneate (btfa−) and 4,4,4-trifuoro-1-(naphthalen-2-yl)-1,3-butanedionate (ntfa−) have been synthesized, [Ho(btfa)3(H2O)2] (1a), [Ho(ntfa)3(MeOH)2] (1b), (1), [Ho(btfa)3(phen)] (2), [Ho(btfa)3(bipy)] (3), [Ho(btfa)3(di-tbubipy)] (4), [Ho(ntfa)3(Me2bipy)] (5), and [Ho(ntfa)3(bipy)] (6), where phen is 1,10-phenantroline, bipy is 2,2′-bipyridyl, di-tbubipy is 4,4′-di-tert-butyl-2,2′-bipyridyl, and Me2bipy is 4,4′-dimethyl-2,2′-bipyridyl. These compounds have been characterized by elemental microanalysis and infrared spectroscopy as well as single-crystal X-ray difraction for 2–6. The central Ho3+ ions in these compounds display coordination number 8. The luminescence-emission properties of the pyridyl adducts 2–6 display a strong characteristic band in the visible region at 661 nm and a series of bands in the NIR region (excitation wavelengths (λex) of 367 nm for 2–4 and 380 nm for 5 and 6). The magnetic properties of the complexes revealed magnetically uncoupled Ho3+ compounds with no field-induced, single-molecule magnet (SMMs).

Highly pathogenic avian influenza A(H5N8) viruses have been detected in several continents. However, limited viral sequence data are available from countries in the Middle East. We report full-genome analyses of highly pathogenic H5N8 viruses recently detected in different provinces in Saudi Arabia.

Ten mononuclear rare earth complexes of formula [La(btfa)3(H2O)2] (1), [La(btfa)3(4,4′-Mt2bipy)] (2), [La(btfa)3(4,4′-Me2bipy)2] (3), [La(btfa)3(5,5′-Me2bipy)2] (4), [La(btfa)3(terpy)] (5), [La(btfa)3(phen)(EtOH)] (6), [La(btfa)3(4,4′-Me2bipy)(EtOH)] (7), [La(btfa)3(2-benzpy)(MeOH)] (8), [Tb(btfa)3(4,4′-Me2bipy)] (9) and (Hpy)[Eu(btfa)4] (10), where btfa = 4,4,4-trifuoro-1-phenylbutane-1,3-dionato anion, 4,4′-Mt2bipy = 4,4′-dimethoxy-2,2′-bipyridine, 4,4′-Me2bipy = 4,4′-dimethyl-2,2′-bipyridine, 5,5′-Me2bipy = 5,5′-dimethyl-2,2′-bipyridine, terpy = 2,2′:6′,2′-terpyridine, phen = 1,10-phenathroline, 2-benzpy = 2-(2-pyridyl)benzimidazole, Hpy = pyridiniumH+ cation) have been synthesized and structurally characterized. The complexes display coordination numbers (CN) eight for 1, 2, 9, 10, nine for 5, 6, 7, 8 and ten for 3 and 4. The solid-state luminescence spectra of Tb-9 and Eu-10 complexes showed the same characteristic bands predicted from the Tb(III) and Eu(III) ions. The Overall Quantum Yield measured (ϕTOT) at the excitation wavelength of 371 nm for both compounds yielded 1.04% for 9 and up to 34.56% for 10.

Six pseudohalide zinc(II) containing a variety of N-donor auxiliary amines were structurally characterized. These include two mononuclear trigonal bipyramidal [Zn(NTB)(N3)]ClO4·½H2O (3) and [Zn(TPA)(NCS)]ClO4 (4), two distorted octahedral [Zn(1,8-damnph)2(dca)2] (5) and [Zn(8-amq)2(dca)2] (6a) as well as two 1D polymeric chains catena-[Zn(isq)2(μ1,5-dca)2] (7) and catena-[Zn(N,N-Me2en)2(μ1,5-dca)]dca (8), where NTB = tris(2-benzimidazolylmethyl)amine, TPA = tris(2-pyridylmethyl)amine, 1,8-damnph = 1,8-diaminonaphthalene, 8-amq = 8-amino-quinoline, isq = isoquinoline (isq) and N,N-Me2en = N,N-dimethylethylenediamine. In general, with the exception of 6 and 8, the complexes exhibited luminescence emission in MeOH associated with red shift of the emission maxima, and the strongest visible fluorescence peak was detected at 421 nm (λex = 330 nm) in the case of Complex 5.

Abstract A crystal superlattice structure featuring nonlinear layers with alternating orthogonal optic axes interleaved with orthogonal poling directions, is shown to generate high-quality hyperentangled photon pairs via orthogonal quasi-phase-matched spontaneous parametric downconversion. We demonstrate that orthogonal quasi-phase matching (QPM) processes in a single nonlinear domain structure correct phase and group-velocity mismatches concurrently. Compared with the conventional two-orthogonal-crystals source and the double-nonlinearity single-crystal source, the orthogonal QPM superlattice is shown to suppress the spatial and temporal distinguishability of the generated photon pairs by several orders of magnitude, depending on the number of layers. This enhanced all-over-the-cone indistinguishability enables the generation of higher fluxes of photon-pairs by means of the combined use of (a) long nonlinear crystal in noncollinear geometry, (b) low coherence-time pumping and ultra-wide-band spectral detection, and (c) focused pumping and over-the-cone detection. While each of these three features is challenging by itself, it is remarkable that the orthogonal QPM superlattice meets all of these challenges without the need for separate spatial or temporal compensation.

90 swabs taken from burn wounds of patients admitted to and attending burn unit in Azadi teaching hospital in Kirkuk from the period (14/12/2014 to 19/3/2015). The age of patients ranged from 11 months to 77 years the burn wounds infected in both sexes of patients, but females more than male (40 females, 27 male). The variable degrees of burn was from first to third degree was observed in the 90 patients. Some of the samples (26.86%) from revealed a mixed bacterial infection and 73.13% were single bacterial infection. Different gram positive and gram negative bacterial were isolated in different percentages as staph. aureus was isolated from 12.79% of cultures, staph. epidermidis isolated in 9.30%. While gram negative bacteria was isolated as follows (pseudomonas aeruginosa in 32.55%, klebsiella pneumoniae and Enterobacter cloacae in 17.44% for each, E.coli in 8.13% and proteus mirabilis in 2.32%). P. aeruginosa was the highest percentage of the all gram positive and gram negative bacteria isolates has been obtained 28 isolation percentage 32.5% from all 86 isolates. P. aeruginosa was isolated from single and mixed isolation (gram negative and gram positive) bacteria (E. cloacae, E.coli, K. Pneumoniae, P. mirabilis, S. aureus, S.spidermidis). Regarding the sensitivity of the P. aeruginosa from the cultures to different antibiotics , Twelve antibacterial agents were used including (Cefotaxime , Imipenem , Gentamicin , Amoxicillin , Auqmentin , Ampicillin , Ceftriaxone , Ceftazidime , Carbencillin , Amikacin , Ciprofloxacin , Tetracyclin ). Out of these antibiotics Pseudomonas aeruginosa were more resistant about 100% to (Augmentin , Amoxicillin , Ampicillin( , 93% to the (Ceftriaxone , Cefotaxime , Carbenicillin , Imipenem Gentamicin, Tetracyclin ) , 89% Ciprofloxacin, while it found less than (64-57)% Amikacin and Ceftazidime respectively. When comparing multiple antibiotic resistance among bacteria isolated from the mixed and individual infections there was a difference in the results, where the proportion of resistant mixed infections for (12) antibiotic was rates of 27.7% while the resistance of individual infection ratio Pseudomonas aeruginosa (12) antibiotic at 23-52 %.

The fungus Aspergillus niger isolated from industrial area in Kirkuk city.was used to study its ability as reducing agent to prepare silver particals .The results showed that Ag NO3 solution 1mM changed in colour to brown ,which indicate the formation of silver nanoparticales. The spectrum of silver nanoparticles solution using Uvi,vis Spectroscopy was used as asecond step to confirm the production of nanoparticls ,Results showed that the absorbance at 430 nm also the X-ray diffraction showed peaks at 111,220,311 at the diffraction angles (31.77,46.11,57.21) respectively .The SEM images showed clear particales.delling with antibacterial activity the particles showed inhibitory effect against multi-antibiotic resistance Escherichia coli and Proteus mirabilis which found (33,33,32)mm and (35,35,34)mm respectively at the concentration 100%

Reconfigurable unidirectional transmission based on the nematic liquid crystal (NLC) layer and 2-D photonic crystal (PhC) platforms is presented and simulated. The suggested one way transmission can be tuned at different wavelengths based on the NLC biasing state. A comprehensive parametric study using plane wave expansion and finite difference time domain (FDTD) methods has been carried out for explaining and optimizing the performance of the proposed structure. The transmission spectra calculations reveal that the reported structure can perform nearly perfect isolation at two different bands (1406-1412 nm and 1416-1421 nm) with an average contrast ratio (Cr) of about 36.9 dB. The investigated unidirectional PhC structure has advantages in terms of compactness and reconfigurability and can be used efficiently in ultrahigh nanoscale integrated circuits.

A novel design of a highly efficient modified grating thin-film solar cell (SC) is reported and analyzed using a 3-D finite difference time domain (3-D FDTD) method. The modified grating has side wings and is covered by 1-D silicon nanorods. The suggested grating has a great potential to harvest the light into the nanoscale active layer. Further, the light trapping through the suggested design is significantly enhanced by the photonic nanorods. The modified grating and nanorods produce an absorption enhancement in different parts of the solar spectrum. Furthermore, the nanorods are considered as a second grating to obtain multiple light trapping which increases the optical path length. Additionally, the nanorods can couple the incident light into the discrete modes of the active layer over an extended wavelength range. Therefore, a broadband absorption enhancement for the suggested SC is achieved. The effects of the structure geometrical parameters on the absorption, ultimate efficiency, and short circuit current of the proposed design are investigated. The performance of the reported SC using crystalline silicon, hydrogenated amorphous silicon, and gallium arsenide is also studied. The numerical results show that high efficiency of 43.114% can be achieved using gallium arsenide with short circuit current density of 35.27 mA/cm2.

In this work, laboratory experiments were carried out to verify direct contact membrane distillation system’s performance in highly saline water desalination. The study included the investigation of various operating conditions, like feed flow rate, temperature and concentration of NaCl solution and their impact on the permeation flux were discussed. 16 cm2 of a flat sheet membrane module with commercial poly-tetra-fluoroethylene (PTFE) membrane, which has 0.22 μm pore size, 96 µm thickness and 78% average porosity, was used. A high salt rejection factor was obtained greater than 99.9%, and the permeation flux up to 17.27 kg/m2.h was achieved at 65°C for hot feed side and 20°C for cold side stream.

Five-coordinate Cu(II) complexes, [Cu(Ln)X]ClO4/PF6, where Ln = piperazine ligands bearing two pyridyl arms and X = ClO4− for Ln = L1 (1-ClO4), L2 (2-ClO4), L3 (3-ClO4), and L6 (6-ClO4) as well as [Cu(Ln)Cl]PF6 for Ln = L1 (1-Cl), L4 (4-Cl), and L5 (5-Cl) have been synthesized and characterized by spectroscopic techniques. The molecular structures of the last two complexes were determined by X-ray crystallography. In aqueous acetonitrile solutions, molar conductivity measurements and UV-VIS spectrophotometric titrations of the complexes revealed the hydrolysis of the complexes to [Cu(Ln)(H2O)]2+ species. The biological activity of the Cu(II) complexes with respect to DNA cleavage and cytotoxicity was investigated. At micromolar concentration within 2 h and pH 7.4, DNA cleavage rate decreased in the order: 1-Cl ≈ 1-ClO4 > 3-ClO4 ≥ 2-ClO4 with cleavage enhancements of up to 23 million. Complexes 4-Cl, 5-Cl, and 6-ClO4 were inactive. In order to elucidate the cleavage mechanism, the cleavage of bis(4-nitrophenyl)phosphate (BNPP) and reactive oxygen species (ROS) quenching studies were conducted. The mechanistic pathway of DNA cleavage depends on the ligand’s skeleton: while an oxidative pathway was preferable for 1-Cl/1-ClO4, DNA cleavage by 2-ClO4 and 3-ClO4 predominantly proceeds via a hydrolytic mechanism. Complexes 1-ClO4, 3-ClO4, and 5-Cl were found to be cytotoxic against A2780 cells (IC50 30–40 µM). In fibroblasts, the IC50 value was much higher for 3-ClO4 with no toxic effect.

Four new Pr(III) mononuclear complexes of formula [Pr(ntfa)3(MeOH)2] (1), [Pr(ntfa)3(bipy)2] (2), [Pr(ntfa)3(4,4′-Mt2bipy)] (3) and [Pr(ntfa)3(5,5′-Me2bipy)] (4), where ntfa = 4,4,4-trifuoro-1-(naphthalen-2-yl)butane-1,3-dionato(1-), 5,5′-Me2bipy = 5,5′-dimethyl-2,2′-dipyridine, 4,4′-Mt2bipy = 4,4′-dimethoxy-2,2′-dipyridine, have been synthesized and structurally characterized. The complexes display the coordination numbers 8 for 1, 3 and 4, and 10 for 2. Magnetic measurements of complexes 1–4 were consistent with a magnetically uncoupled Pr3+ ion in the 3H4 ground state. The solid state luminescence studies showed that the ancillary chelating bipyridyl ligands in the 2–4 complexes greatly enhance the luminescence emission in the visible and NIR regions through efficient energy transfer from the ligands to the central Pr3+ ion; behaving as “antenna” ligands.