The first detection of gypsum (CaSO4.2H2O) by the Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) rover Curiosity in the Gale Crater, Mars created a profound impact on planetary science and exploration. The unique capability of plasma spectroscopy involving in situ elemental analysis in extraterrestrial environments, suggesting the presence of water in the red planet based on phase characterization and providing a clue to Martian paleoclimate. The key to gypsum as an ideal paleoclimate proxy lies in its textural variants, and in this study terrestrial gypsum samples from varied locations and textural types have been analyzed by Laser Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS) technique. Petrographic, sub-microscopic and powder X-ray diffraction characterizations confirm the presence of gypsum (hydrated calcium sulphate; CaSO4.2H2O), bassanite (semi-hydrated calcium sulphate; CaSO4.1/2H2O) and anhydrite (anhydrous calcium sulphate; CaSO4) along with accessory phases (quartz and jarosite). The principal component analysis of LIBS spectra from texturally varied gypsums can be differentiated from one another because of the chemical variability in their elemental concentrations. The concentration of gypsum is determined from the partial least-square regressions model. Rapid characterization of gypsum samples with LIBS is expected to work well in extraterrestrial environments.

In this paper, the experimental results of the thermal sub-system of a reliable and cost-effective polygeneration solar system are presented. This polygeneration system produces heating, cooling and electricity from solar energy, which are used in an existing test-building. Heat is generated in four evacuated tube solar collectors (ETC). The heat may be used for space cooling, through a variable geometry ejector (VGE) heat pump. In order to reduce the mismatches between generation and consumption, two thermal storage tanks were added. The performance of a new thermal storage, with 400 l, able to storage both sensible and latent heat, was tested. Heating performances of the test-building were assessed. Ejector cycle tests were also performed.

The aim of this work is to provide a full description of how air temperature and solar radiation induce changes in the land cover over an Antarctic site. We use shortwave broadband albedo (albedo integrated in the range 300-3000 nm) from a spaceborne sensor and from field surveys to calculate the monthly relative abundance of landscape units. Field albedo data were collected using a portable albedometer over seven landscape units: clean fresh snow; clean old snow; rugged landscape composed of dirty snow with disperse pyroclasts and rocky outcrops; dirty snow; stripes of bare soil and snow; shallow snow with small bare soil patches; bare soil. MODIS MCD43A3 daily albedo product was downloaded using the Google Earth Engine API from the 2000-2001 season to the 2020-2021 season. Each landscape unit was characterized by an albedo normal distribution. The monthly relative abundance of the landscape units were calculated by fitting a linear combination of the normal distributions to the histogram of the MODIS monthly mean albedo. The monthly relative abundance of the landscape unit consisting of rugged landscape composed of dirty snow, with dispersed clasts and small rocky outcrops exhibits a high linear positive correlation with the monthly mean albedo (R2=0.87) and a high linear negative correlation with the monthly mean air temperature (R2= 0.69). The increase of the solar radiation energy flux from September to December coincides with the decrease of the relative abundance of the landscape unit composed of dirty snow with dispersed clasts and small rocky outcrops. We propose a mechanism to describe the evolution of the landscape: uncovered pyroclasts act as melting centres favouring the melting of surrounding snow. Ash does not play a decisive role in the melting of the snow. The results also explain the observed decreasing of the thaw depth of the permafrost on the island in the period 2006-2014, resulting from an increase in the snow cover over the whole island.

The energy transition to wind and solar opens opportunities for green hydrogen as the wind and solar generation tends to bring electricity prices down to very low levels. This paper evaluates whether green hydrogen can integrate well with wind and solar PV to help with improved management of the South Australian electricity grid. Green hydrogen can use membrane electrolysis plants during surplus renewable energy periods. This hydrogen can then be electrified or used in industry. The green hydrogen system was analysed to understand the financial viability and technical impact of integrating green hydrogen. We also used systems engineering techniques to understand the system holistically, including the technical, social, environmental, and economic impacts. The results show opportunities for the system to provide seasonal storage, grid firming, and reliability services. Financially, it would need changes to electricity rules to be viable, but without those changes, our modelling suggested it would be financially viable within this decade

Cork oak mortality has reached alarming proportions in the last decades, exacerbated by climate change. Understanding this phenomenon is crucial in finding mitigation or adaptation strategies. This study conducts a diachronic analysis of cork oak mortality over 10 years using GIS tools, focusing on Portugal's Tagus Lezíria region. Topographic, edaphic and climatic variables were employed to create maps of edaphoclimatic aptitude for cork oaks. Dead trees were identified using remote sensing techniques and crown coverage was determined to calculate the mortality index. The diachronic analysis aimed to explore climate change effects on cork oak mortality. A decrease in precipitation was observed, significantly impacting stands with canopy cover below 40%. Furthermore, a negative effect of solar radiation identified only in stands with canopy cover of 40% suggested its role in cork oak decline. This study introduces a novel perspective, highlighting the protective effect of denser canopy cover (above 40%) against excessive solar radiation and the impact of reduced precipitation. The integrated and diachronic approach provides valuable information for adapting management strategies to climate change challenges.

One of the most important sources of energy is the sun. Taiwan is located at north 22-25° latitude. Due to its proximity to the equator, it experiences only a small angle of sunlight incidence. Its unique geographical location which can obtain sustainable and stable solar resources. This study takes research on the forecast of solar radiation to maximize the benefits of solar power generation, and develops methods that can predict the future solar radiation pattern to help reduce the costs of solar power generation. This study builds supervised machine learning models, known as deep neural network (DNN) and long short-term memory neural network (LSTM). The hybrid supervised and unsupervised model, namely cluster-based artificial neural network (k-means clustering and fuzzy C-means clustering-based models), was developed. After establishing these models, the study evaluated their prediction results. For different prediction periods, the study selected the best-performing model based on the results and proposed combining them to establish a real-time updated solar radiation forecast system capable of predicting the next 12 hours. The study area covered Kaohsiung, Hualien, and Penghu in Taiwan. Data from ground stations of the Central Weather Administration, collected between 1993 and 2021, as well as the solar angle parameters of each station, were used as input data for the model. The results of this study show that different models have their advantages and disadvantages in predicting different future times. Therefore, the hybrid prediction system can predict future solar radiation more accurately than a single model.

Solar concentration is the ability to harness solar radiation to increase the temperature of a receiver. The receiver is the component into which a heat transfer fluid can be flowed for an ORC system and produce electricity, or it can be used for high-temperature thermal storage, or even to implement thermochemical cycles. The choice of material is critical to ensure optimal performance and long-lasting operation. It is also essential that such material can operate at high temperatures and high thermal gradients. In short, material identification involves high thermal stresses that result in structural deformation. Different metal alloys were used to verify that the yield strength limit was not exceeded due to thermal stress induced by concentrated solar radiation. The problem was implemented in Matlab starting from the general heat equation. The purpose is to test whether thermal stress exceeds the yield strength, which is the condition in which elastic bonds in the material are changed, causing deformation. The best material identified was Inconel 740H, which had a high yield strength value and the lowest temperature difference. Under extreme working conditions, it can withstand thermally induced shocks.

Concentrator photovoltaic (CPV) technology offers an alternative to conventional photovoltaic systems, focusing on the concentration of solar radiation through the optics of the system onto smaller and more efficient solar cells. However, the surface on which the solar beam is incident must remain oriented towards the position of the sun, which requires the use of large and heavy external elements known as solar trackers. In addition to their size, these elements must be as accurate as possible to avoid misalignment. To avoid the need of these solar trackers, the concept of tracking-integrated concentrating systems has been developed. This technology has been researched to make CPV systems accessible in places where conventional systems are not viable, such as building roofs or agrivoltaic fields. This review presents a detailed classification of the existing designs in the literature and providing an overview of this type of system. By eliminating the need for external solar trackers, tracking-integrated CPV systems offer a promising solution to increase the adoption of this technology. Therefore, it is expected that these systems will be a viable and effective option for solar power generation.

The power conversion efficiency (PCE) of polymer solar cells (PSCs) are strongly depended on the bulk-heterojunction active layer. Here, the 1,8-diiodooctane (DIO) additives have been added into the PCDTBT: PC70BM blend PSCs. Based on the higher boiling point than host solvent ODB and better solubility of PC71BM, the device photovoltaic properties with DIO additive were changed obviously. The investigations of EQE indicate that the DIO can influence the charge recombination and transportation process, and absorption studies demonstrate that the charge carriers generation process can also be affected by DIO. The overall impact reflected on the decreased equivalent resistant. With 3% v/v DIO, the Jsc, Voc and FF are both increased. Correspondingly, a highest PCE is achieved of 6.15%, while the reference device without DIO only has a PCE of 5.23%. Hence, adding DIO solvent additive is a effective method for the photovoltaic properties improving of PCDTBT: PC70BM blend PSCs.

Due to increased energy intensive human activities resulting accelerated demand for electric power coupled with occurrence of natural disasters with increased frequency, intensity, and duration, it becomes essential to explore and advance renewable energy technology for sustainability of the society. Addressing the stated problem and providing a radical solution has been attempted in this study. To harvest the renewable energy, among variety of solar cells reported, a composite a-Si/CZTS photovoltaic devices has not yet been investigated. The calculated parameters for solar cell based on the new array of layers consisting of a-Si/CZTS are reported in this study. The variation of i) solar cell efficiency as a function of CZTS layer thickness, temperature, acceptor, and donor defect concentration; ii) variation of the open circuit current density as a function of temperature, open circuit voltage; iii) variation of open circuit voltage as a function of the thickness of the CZTS layer has been determined. There has been no reported study on a-Si/CZTS configuration-based solar cell, analysis of the parameters, and study to address the challenges imped efficiency of the photovoltaic device and the same has been discussed in this work. The value of the SnO2/a-Si/CZTS solar cells obtained from the simulation is 23.9 %.

Fossil fuels are non-renewable sources of energy, used particularly in developing countries. There are insufficient fossil fuels and their availability is gradually declining. This leads to a steady increase in prices. Renewable energy is clean, cost-effective and limitless. The considerable population growth and industrial growth have made the construction of solar power plants essential in developing countries. The study used Boolean logical-AHP techniques to select a suitable site for solar power in Duhok Governorate. The result indicated that 68.5% of the area in the governorate of Duhok is available for solar power station construction, especially the most appropriate zone which has 132.2 sq. km and can provide more than 8000 megawatts of solar energy. Most of the appropriate areas are in the south and southwest regions of the governorate, located mostly in the districts of Bardarash, Shekhan and Semel, situated between the major cities of Mosul, Erbil and Duhok. These locations can supply a significant amount of clean, renewable energy for these areas.

We revisit the argument that link the efficiency of a solar cell to its reverse operation as a LED, in the case where the material is organic. In organic cells, exciton transport is an intermediate process between sunlight absorption and the generation of electric current. We show that quenching exciton radiation can be beneficial to cell efficiency, without contradicting the general rule prevailing for semiconductor cells. Our treatment allows us to discuss both bulk heterojunction and planar junctions.

One of the major problem of photovoltaic grid integration is limiting the solar-induced imbalances since these can undermine the security and stability of the electrical system. Improving the forecast accuracy of photovoltaic generation is becoming essential to allow a massive solar penetration. In particular, improving the forecast accuracy of large solar farms generation is important both for the producers/traders to minimize the imbalance costs and for the Transmission System Operators to insure stability. In this article, we provide a benchmark for the day-ahead forecast accuracy of utility scale PV plants in 1325 locations spanning the country of Italy. We then use these benchmarked forecasts and real energy prices to compute the economic value of forecast accuracy and accuracy improvement in the context of the Italian energy market regulatory framework. Through this study, we further point out some several important criticisms of the Italian “single pricing” system that brings to paradoxical and counterproductive effects regarding the need to reduce the imbalance volumes. Finally, we propose a new market-pricing rule and innovative actions to overcome these undesired effects of the current dispatching regulations.

The Photovoltaic modules are usually installed on the ground which exposes it to surface deposition of foreign particles. In the Middle East and North Africa region, the primary culprit is dust and sand. They form an insulating and opaque layer on the surface of the glass, which obstructs its heat transfer and optical properties, thereby reducing the overall yield efficiency of the solar panel. Cleaning of this layer is critical to the operation of the solar panel and often requires great effort and energy on a large-scale solar array. In this paper, we propose a novel self-cleaning mechanism for solar panels, with an understanding of the structural integrity of the Photovoltaic laminate and application of external mechanical vibration. By applying an external source of vibration, the solar panels vibrate, excites its fundamental frequencies and cleans by its own. The method is analyzed using finite element analysis method and tested using experiments. Our simulation results based on IEC 61215 show that the maximum principal stress and deformation in the critical layers is within limits. Our experimental results prove the proposed theory is feasible and can be extended to large scale solar arrays. Our proposed method is retrofittable and could save money, energy and effort in cleaning the solar arrays, which can replace current techniques.

The fact that Thailand’s energy policy has set a new renewable energy target of 30% of total final energy consumption by 2036. It also has the potential of solar energy and community demands in remote areas. However, most of the renewable energy technology will still be able to achieve renewable energy goals, similar to the case of the national policy that promotes Solar Home System (SHS) in remote areas, lack of good handling. Therefore, achieving the goal of the renewable energy policy should be in position using the right strategy. This article presents the result of a case study in the Akha upland community, northern Thailand, where we used the mixing method and factor analysis to analyze strategies for SHS related criteria. The key scopes and challenge included bottom-up planning concepts and subsidies from expert persons, while contributions to factors have an impact on developing sustainable SHS, include the creating approval of SHS technologies, developing of SHS management, promoting of SHS technologies, and supporting of SHS policies, respectively. Mainly, social factors provide positive effects, which thus influence the sustainable development of process SHS in terms of the creation of approval. Furthermore, there should be managed appropriately for each community, for the positive imagery of solar power.

Band-gap alignment engineering has now been extensively studied due to its high potential application. Here we demonstrate a simple route to synthesize two metal oxide layers and align them together according to their bandgaps on surface of crystalline silicon (c-Si) solar cells. The metal oxide layers can not only extend absorption spectrum to generate extra carriers but also serve to separate electron-hole pairs more efficiently. As a consequence, the photovoltaic performance of SnO₂/CdO /Si double-layer solar cell (DLSC) is highly improved compared to CdO/Si and SnO₂/Si single-layer solar cells(SLSCs) and SnO₂/CdO/Si double-layer solar cell (DLSC). By the alignment engineering, the SnO₂/CdO/Si DLSC produces a short circuit photocurrent (J_sc) of 38.20 mA/cm², an open circuit photovoltage (V_oc) of 0.575 V and a fill factor (FF) of 68.7%, corresponding to a light to electric power conversion efficiency (η) of 15.09% under AM1.5 illumination. These results suggest that with the use of metal oxide layers by band-gap alignment engineering, new avenues have been opened for developing high-efficiency and cost-effective c-Si solar cells.

On June 8 and June 9, 2017, we gave two invited lectures at the Zelinsky Institute of Organic Chemistry (ZIOC) of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow. The first lecture, “Sol-Gel Catalysts: Making Green Chemistry Possible”, focused on the practical outcomes of 25 years of research on sol-gel entrapped catalysts. The second, “Chemistry for the Bioeconomy: From Discussion to Action”, offered a critical insight to the forthcoming bioeconomy. Both lectures aroused much interest in the audience and ended with a vigorous discussion lasting about one hour. An outlook is provided herein.

Introduction the outbreak of the Israel-Gaza conflict, initiated by a major attack on the civilian population in Israel provided a tragic opportunity to study the community wide association between severe emotional stressors related to acts of war and the incidence and clinical characteristics of Takotsubo cardiomyopathy (TCM) in this scenario. Methods Eight consecutive cases of TCM diagnosed during the first 50 days of the Israel-Gaza conflict were retrospectively collected from two southern medical centers who provided care to most of the war victims throughout the period of monitoring. The medical records were thoroughly reviewed and analyzed. Results During the monitoring period, the incidence of TCM increased substantially compared to the control period. Eight patients were included in the analysis. All patients were female and 100% of patients presented within the first 3 weeks of conflict whereas after this initial phase, despite the continuing war, the incidence of TCM reverted to pre-conflict levels. Two patients (25%) were under 50 years of age. All patients had hazardous clinical characteristics including severe left ventricular (LV) dysfunction (≤35%) and prolonged QTc interval (>500 ms). Five patients (62.5%) experienced complications. Nevertheless, no in-hospital mortality was reported. Conclusions Repeated exposure to severe emotional stress, on both personal and national level, due to mass crisis such as war is associated with an increased incidence of TCM potentially with high-risk phenotype in comparison to TCM following other, less potent, psychological insults.

Familial Alzheimer’s disease (FAD) can be caused by mutations in PSEN1 that encodes presenilin-1, a component of the gamma-secretase complex that cleaves amyloid precursor protein. Alterations in calcium (Ca2+) homeostasis and glutamate signaling are implicated in the pathogenesis of FAD, however it has been difficult to assess in humans whether or not these phenotypes are the result of amyloid or tau pathology. This study aimed to assess early calcium and glutamate phenotypes of FAD by measuring the Ca2+ response of induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC)-derived neurons bearing PSEN1 mutations to glutamate and the ionotropic glutamate receptor agonists NMDA, AMPA and kainate compared to isogenic control and healthy lines. The data shows that in early neurons, even in the absence of amyloid and tau phenotypes, FAD neurons exhibit increased Ca2+ responses to glutamate and AMPA, but not NMDA or kainate. Together this suggests that PSEN1 mutations alter Ca2+ and glutamate signaling as an early phenotype of FAD.

In contemporary construction, the prevalence of vibration serviceability issues in lightweight and slender structures has become increasingly common, owing to advancements in building materials and construction methods. While these structures often meet the criteria for ultimate limit states, they can still elicit complaints due to excessive vibrations induced by human activity. To address this challenge, the Integral Resonant Control (IRC) technique has emerged as a favored approach for actively damping vibrations in various systems. This study introduces a fresh perspective on implementing a multi-input multi-output (MIMO) IRC scheme for active vibration control (AVC) specifically tailored for pedestrian structures utilizing inertial mass actuators. Building upon a common framework and design methodology outlined in previous research, this work presents a novel application of MIMO IRC for AVC. The designed controller is rigorously tested and implemented on a laboratory floor structure to validate its efficacy.

Hiccups can significantly reduce the quality of life of patients and can occur as a drug side effect. Previous report using the Drug Adverse Event Database revealed sex-specific differences in the incidence of drug-induced hiccups. However, the pathogenesis of drug-induced hiccups remains unknown, and there is limited evidence on its treatment or prevention. This study examined molecular initiating events (MIEs), which are the starting point of adverse events, to investigate the drug-induced pathways of hiccups. We extracted drugs suspected to cause hiccups using FDA Adverse Event Reporting System, a large database on adverse drug reactions. Information on drugs suspected to be associated with hiccups were extracted from the overall population and sex-specific subgroups divided. In each data table, the predicted activity values of nuclear receptors (NRs) and stress response pathways (SPs) for each drug were calculated using the toxicity predictor, a machine-learning model. Univariate analysis extracted NRs and SPs associated with hiccups, and a multivariate analysis was performed to evaluate independent factors. Transforming growth factor-beta and antioxidant response element were considered an independent factor for hiccups in the male and female subgroups, respectively. This report first examined one of the mechanisms of drug-induced hiccups and identified MIEs associated with drug-induced hiccups.

Contrast-Induced Acute Kidney Injury (CI-AKI) remains a frequent iatrogenic condition since radiological procedures using intra-vascular iodinated contrast media (CM) are being widely administered for diagnostic and therapeutic purposes. Despite the improvement of the medical healthcare system worldwide, CI-AKI is still associated with direct short-term and indirect long-term outcomes including increased morbidity and mortality, specially, in patients under-lying pre-existing renal function impairment, cardiovascular disease or diabetes that could rap-idly progress into Chronic Kidney Disease. Although the RIFLE (Risk, Injury, Failure, Loss, End-Stage Kidney Disease), AKIN (Acute Kidney Injury Network) and KDIGO (Kidney Disease Improving Global Outcomes) clinical criteria and recommendation guidelines are based on tra-ditional “gold standard” biomarkers known as serum creatinine, glomerular filtration rate and urinary output, new reliable serum and urinary biomarkers are still needed for an effective uni-fied diagnostic strategy for AKI. Starting from previous and recent publications on the benefits and limitations of validated biomarkers responding to kidney injury, glomerular filtration and inflammation among others, this review unravels the role of new emerging biomarkers used alone or in combination, as reliable tools for early diagnosis and prognosis of CI-AKI, taking into account patients and procedures-risk factors towards a new clinical perspective.

Lichens are unique extremophilic organisms due to their phenomenal resistance to adverse environmental factors, including ultraviolet (UV) irradiation. Melanization plays a special role in the protection of lichens from UV-B stress. In present study, we analyzed the binding of melanins with the components of cell walls of mycobiont of upper cortex in the melanized lichen thalli Lobaria pulmonaria. Using scanning electron and atomic force microscopy, the morphological and nanomechanical characteristics of melanized layer of mycobiont cells were visualized. Melanization of lichen thalli led to the smoothing the surface relief and thickening mycobiont cell walls and resulted in the increase of deformation values and reduction of adhesion properties of lichen thallus. Treatment of thalli with hydrolytic enzymes, especially chitinase and lichenase, enhanced the yield of melanin from melanized thalli and release of carbohydrates, while treatment with pectinase increased the release of carbohydrates and phenols. Our results suggest that melanin by firmly binding with hyphal cell wall carbohydrates, particularly chitin and 1,4-β-glucans, can form associations, strengthen the melanized upper cortex of lichen thalli, and thereby can contribute to lichen survival under UV stress.

Controlled deposition of CoCrFeNiMo0.2 high entropy alloy (HEA) micro-particles was achieved using laser induced forward transfer (LIFT). Ultra-short laser pulses, 230 fs of 515 nm wavelength, were tightly focused into ∼ 2.4 μm focal spots on the ∼50 nm thick plasma-sputtered films of CoCrFeNiMo0.2. The HTA films were transferred onto glass substrates by magnetron sputtering in vacuum (10−8 atm) from the thermal spray coated substrates. The absorption coefficient of CoCrFeNiMo0.2 α ≈ 6 × 105 cm−1 was determined at 600 nm wavelength. The real and imaginary parts of refractive index (n + iκ) of HEA were determined from reflectance and transmittance using nano-films.

Granular superconductivity at high temperatures in graphite can emerge at certain two-dimensional (2D) stacking faults (SFs) between regions with twisted (around the c-axis) or untwisted crystalline regions with Bernal (ABA...) and/or rhombohedral (ABCABCA...) stacking order. One way to observe experimentally such 2D superconductivity is to measure the frozen magnetic flux produced by a permanent current loop that remains after removing an external magnetic field applied normal to the SFs. Magnetic force microscopy was used to localize and characterize such a permanent current path found in one natural graphite sample out of ∼50 measured graphite samples of different origins. The position of the current path drifts with time and roughly follows a logarithmic time dependence similar to the one for flux creep in type II superconductors. We demonstrate that a ≃10nm deep scratch on the sample surface at the position of the current path causes a change in its location. A further scratch was enough to irreversibly destroy the remanent state of the sample at room temperature. Our studies clarify some of the reasons for the difficulties of finding a trapped flux in remanent state at room temperature in graphite samples with SFs.

Since the discovery of the aggregation-induced emission effect in 2001, diaminodicyanoquinone derivatives (DADQs) have presented interesting fluorescence properties, allowing them to be considered fluorescent dyes capable of showing quantum yields above 90%. Besides, the diaminodiacyanoquinone core represents a versatile building block propense either to modification or integration into different systems to obtain and provide them unique photophysical features. Herein, we carried out a theoretical study on the fluorescence properties of three different diaminodicyanoquinodimethane systems. Therefore, time-dependent density functional theory (TD-DFT) was used to obtain the values associated with the dipole moments, oscillator strengths, and the conformational energies between the ground and the first excited states of each molecule. The results suggest that only two of the three studied systems possess significant luminescent properties. In a further stage, the theoretical insights were confirmed by means of experimental measurements, which not only retrieved the luminescence of the DADQs, but also suggest a preliminary and promising antibacterial activity of these systems.

Pregnancy-induced hypertension and preeclampsia are associated with significant maternal and fetal mortality. A better understanding of those diseases, delineation of molecular pathomechanism, and efficient treatment development are some of the most urgent tasks in obstetrics and gynecology. Recent findings indicate a crucial role of inflammation in the development of hypertension and preeclampsia. Although the mechanism is very complex and needs further explanation, it appears that high levels of cholesterol, urate, and glucose activates NLRP3 inflammasome, which produces IL-1β, IL-18 and gasdermin D. Production of these proinflammatory chemokines is a beginning of local and general inflammation, what results in sympathetic outflow, angiotensin II production, proteinuria, hemolysis, liver damage, immunothrombosis, and coagulopathy. NLRP3 inflammasome is a critical complex in the mediation of inflammatory response, which makes it crucial for the development of pregnancy-induced hypertension and preeclampsia, as well as its complications, such as placental abruption and HELLP syndrome. Herein presented the article delineate molecular mechanisms of those processes, indicating directions of future advance.

China historically exhibits spatial differentiation from population distribution to ecological or economic development, and the forest pest control work is an epitome of this tendency. In recent times, global warming, man-made monoculture tree plantations, increasing human population density and intensified international trade aggravate forest pest outbreaks. Although Chinese government has complied with the internationally recommended practices, few stones remain unturned due to existing differential regional imbalance of forest pest distribution and control abilities. Evidence shows that the high-income provinces in the south have taken advantage of economic and technological superiority, resulting in the adoption of more efficient pest-control measures. To the contrary, in economically underdeveloped provinces of the northwest, a paucity of financial support has led to serious threats of pest damage that almost mirrored the demarcations of the Hu Huanyong Line. In this paper, we propose introducing public-private partnership (PPP) model into forest pest control and combining the national strategies to enact regional prevention measures in order to break the current spatially differentiated trends in China.

To gain insight into riser motions and associated fatigue damage due to vortex-induced vibration (VIV), data loggers such as strain sensors and/or accelerometers are sometimes deployed on risers to monitor their motion in different current velocity conditions. Accurate reconstruction of the riser response and empirical estimation of fatigue damage rates over the entire riser length using measurements from a limited number of sensors can help in efficient utilization of the costly measurements recorded. Several different empirical procedures are described here for analysis of the VIV response of a long flexible cylinder subjected to uniform and sheared current profiles. The methods include weighted waveform analysis (WWA), proper orthogonal decomposition (POD), modal phase reconstruction (MPR), a modified WWA procedure, and a hybrid method which combines MPR and the modified WWA method. Fatigue damage rates estimated using these different empirical methods are compared and cross-validated against measurements. Detailed formulations for each method are presented and discussed with examples. Results suggest that all the empirical methods, despite different underlying assumptions in each of them, can be employed to estimate fatigue damage rates quite well from limited strain measurements.

Ionizing radiation-induced bystander effects (RIBE) encompass a number of effects with potential for a plethora of damages in adjacent non-irradiated tissue. The cascade of molecular events is initiated in response to the exposure to ionizing radiation (IR), something that may occur during diagnostic or therapeutic medical applications. In order to better investigate these complex response mechanisms, we employed a unified framework integrating statistical microarray analysis, signal normalization and translational bioinformatics functional analysis techniques. This approach was applied to several microarray datasets from Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) related to RIBE. The analysis produced lists of differentially expressed genes, contrasting bystander and irradiated samples versus sham-irradiated controls. Furthermore, comparative molecular analysis through BioInfoMiner, which integrates advanced statistical enrichment and prioritization methodologies, revealed discrete biological processes, at the cellular level. For example, negative regulation of growth, cellular response to Zn2+- Cd2+, Wnt and NIK/NF-kappaB signalling, which refine the description of the phenotypic landscape of RIBE. Our results provide a more solid understanding of RIBE cell-specific response patterns, especially in the case of high-LET radiations like α-particles and carbon-ions.

The adsorption of surfaces exposed to sunlight results in increased temperature that can cause physical damage and increase in energy consumption. The infrared reflective coatings that keep objects cooler have significant benefits in a wide variety of application by reflecting the infrared lights, reducing the operating costs, improving energy efficiency of buildings and vehicles (roofs, walls and windows), extend the objects’ lifespan. Our research focused on the elaboration of coatings with minimum adsorption in the infrared wavelength range. This was achieved by production of coatings that have infrared transparent and infrared reflective ability. The infrared reflection and surface warm up was investigated in the function of concentration and composition of pigments in the coatings. With investigation of different coating compositions the pigments and the binding systems were optimized. The coatings with different compositions were characterized by total solar reflection in the UV, visible and infrared wavelength range as well as by infrared reflection. Different coatings were produced in RAL7016 anthracite green color but with much better infrared reflectance, transparency as well as with heat reflectance.

This study advances the field of solar irradiance nowcasting by introducing a discrete-level classification approach, diverging from traditional continuous measurement methods. Grounded in a need for cost-effective and modular solutions, the research employs high-resolution computer vision coupled with a deep learning framework to predict Direct Normal Irradiance (DNI). By harnessing the capabilities of a Logitech C900 1080p HD camera and an NVIDIA Jetson module, the study achieves real-time data processing, pivotal for CSP systems' operational efficiency. The core of the methodology is the ResNet-50 convolutional neural network, refined via transfer learning on a bespoke dataset, culminating in a predictive accuracy of 85.78%. This discrete classification model contrasts with conventional, costly instruments like the MS-57, offering a novel and accessible alternative for DNI estimation. Such innovation not only demonstrates high predictive accuracy but also signifies a shift towards less resource-intensive and more adaptable solar energy forecasting tools, contributing a significant leap towards optimizing renewable energy systems.

The pointing accuracy of large radio telescopes is affected by antenna structure errors, installation errors, servo errors, gravity, and varying environmental factors. It is hard to estimate the pointing error of radio telescopes under solar radiation via the traditional multi-parameter static pointing models, due to the time-varying characteristics of the dynamic pointing error. There is still no effective way to estimate the dynamic pointing error of large radio telescopes under solar radiation up to now. To estimate the dynamic pointing error of large radio telescopes under solar radiation, a new way based on digital twin(DT) is tried in this paper. The operational framework of the DT system of large radio telescopes is introduced first. Then, the Wuqing 70-m radio telescope(WRT70) is taken as the research object, the digital models of which are created. Finally, the reliability of the WRT70's DT system is verified and the dynamic pointing error of WRT70(staying at the position of the elevation angle of 90° and the azimuth angle of 180°) on two sunny days in different seasons is estimated by the created DT system. The research results show that the pointing error of large radio telescopes under solar radiation fluctuates greatly and the seasonal differences are very striking. The maximum elevation pointing error of WRT70 under solar radiation around the winter solstice is over 40 arcsec, which should never be ignored. The way is feasible to estimate the dynamic pointing error of large radio telescopes staying at a specific position under solar radiation via constructing a DT system in this paper, but it is not yet able to estimate effectively the dynamic pointing error of large radio telescopes being in action. It is expected to establish a dynamic pointing error model and calibrate the dynamic pointing errors of large radio telescopes being in action by DT technology in the future.

Presently, Jordan confronts a double substantial challenge of enhancing energy security and mitigating greenhouse gas emissions. One of the most encouraging avenues to attain the objectives of sustainable development, energy security, and environmental conservation is to enhance the integration of renewable energy into the generation of electricity. In pursuit of this goal, the Jordanian government intends to expand investments in the green energy sector, with solar and wind energy poised to play a key role in satisfying energy demands and cultivating an environmental sustainability. This paper aims to examine the distinctive dynamics, challenges, obstacles, and potential solutions corresponding to the establishment of community solar and wind farms in Jordan suburban areas. It aims to highlight the opportunities and barriers influencing the track of sustainable energy adoption in the country. Through a comprehensive analysis of the Jordanian context, the goal is to extract insights that can guide policies and practices. Additionally, the findings may serve as a valuable benchmark for other regions confronting similar challenges on their pursuit for a sustainable energy future.

Technological advancements must keep pace with earth’s rising demand for energy, while minimizing the carbon footprint on earth. One such option is using space based solar (SBS) radio frequency (RF) microwave power beaming. This innovative and novel technology is currently being explored to address terrestrial photovoltaic (PV) intermittency and provide a method to transmit power to other spacecraft in various orbits. This modality of power generation and distribution presents a new way to power terrestrial off-grid applications and earth orbiting spacecraft. In 1968, Dr. Peter Glaser published "Power from the Sun: Its Future", which serves as the foundation of this paper to revitalize scientific interest and efforts in this topic. This paper will primarily focus on the reliance of SBS initiatives on reusable launch vehicles (RLV) to place SBS spacecraft in a designated orbit, as well as the technological, economic, and operational challenges associated with power beaming to earth and other spacecraft. This includes a discussion of the variables from the operational environment that contribute or accelerate spacecraft end of life.

The solar heat pump system based on photovoltaic photothermal (PV/T) modules is a new technology that integrates photovoltaics and heat reutilization. It can improve the efficiency of photovoltaic conversion and recovery the remaining heat generated during the photoelectric conversion process, thereby improving the comprehensive efficiency of the whole system. Simulink software is a visual simulation tool, which has the advantages of strong applicability, clear simulation structure and calculation process. The design of its graphical programming greatly simplifies the user modeling process and allows for direct viewing of results, therefore improving the simulation efficiency. At present, there is little research on simulation of solar heat pump systems with PV/T modules based on Simulink software. In this paper, the mathematical models of each component contained in the PV/T solar heat pump system were established based on the system working principle, energy conservation equations and some empirical formulas, and then the operation of the system was simulated by the Simulink software. Due to the operation characteristic of PV/T modules is the key influencing factor for the whole system performance, the model and simulation process for PV/T modules were introduced in detail. The results showed that the surface temperature of PV/T modules under different operating conditions was significantly lower than that of ordinary photovoltaic panels, and the temperature change amplitude was lower. As results, the power generation and photovoltaic conversion efficiency were significantly improved.

The transition region is a very thin but most peculiar layer in the solar atmosphere, located between the solar chromosphere and the corona. It is a key region for understanding the coronal heating, the solar eruptions triggering, and the origin of solar winds. Here, the gradients of all physical parameters are very high, including plasma density, ionization degree, temperature, and magnetic fields, etc. Therefore, the transition region should be highly dynamic, such as fast energy releasing and transporting, plasma heating, and even particle accelerating. They include two physical aspects: thermal and non-thermal processes. The thermal processes can be observed from the ultraviolet (UV) and extreme ultraviolet (EUV) emission by multi-wavelength images. The non-thermal processes, however, should be related to radio emissions especially at millimeter wavelengths, and the frequency range should span from several GHz to beyond 300 GHz, and the emission mechanism should be highly related to the magnetic fields and variations. The ultra-wide broadband spectral observations at millimeter wavelengths with high spectral resolutions may provide rich dynamic information about the transition region, such as non-thermal energy release and transmission, the flows of plasma and energetic particles, the magnetic fields and their variations, the generation and transportation of various waves, and the formation and evolution of the source regions of solar eruptions. Here, we discussed the spectral characteristics of millimeter-wave emission from the transition region and proposed a new conception of ultra-wide broadband millimeter-wave spectrometers to observe them.

This paper is devoted to the analysis of fluctuations in the solar wind plasma and interplanetary magnetic field parameters observed by Solar Orbiter and WIND spacecraft at different scales, ranging from ~10^3 to 10^7 km. We investigated two long observation intervals when the spacecraft were near the Sun-Earth line, during which the distance between the spacecraft was 0.1 and 0.5 AU respectively. It is analyzed how the fluctuation properties in different types of SW, associated with quasi-stationary and transient solar phenomena, transform on the way from the Sun to the Earth. It is shown that the time series behavior of the bulk speed subject to the least change even at the large distance between the observation points, while the time series of the IMF magnitude, components and proton density were significantly transformed even at the relatively short distance. Regardless of the assumed change in the absolute value of the parameters, the conducted statistical analysis shows that the characteristics of their fluctuations (including the level of intermittency) remains near constant regardless of the distance between the observation points and depends mostly on the type of the solar wind.

Vertical III-V semiconductor nanowires have shown promising absorption of light for solar cell and photodetector applications. The absorption properties can be tuned through the choice of III-V materials and geometry of the nanowires. Here, we review recent progress in the design of the absorption properties of both individual nanowires and nanowire arrays. Future directions for the research field are proposed.

Currently there are strong and sustained growth trends observed in multi-disciplinary industrial technologies such as building-integrated photovoltaics and agrivoltaics, where renewable energy production is featured in building envelopes of varying degrees of transparency. Novel glass products can provide a combination of thermal energy savings and solar energy harvesting, enabled by either patterned-semiconductor thin-film energy converters on glass substrates, or by using luminescent concentrator-type approaches to achieve high transparency. Significant progress has been demonstrated recently in building integrated solar windows featuring visible light transmission of up to 70%, with electric power outputs of up to Pmax ~ 30-33 Wp/m2. Several slightly different designs were tested during 2021-2023 in a greenhouse installation at Murdoch University in Perth, Western Australia. The objective of this paper is to report on the field performance of these PV windows in the context of agrivoltaics, and to provide some detail of the performance differences measured in several solar window designs related to their glazing structure materials. Methods for the identification and quantification of long-term field performance differences and energy generation trends in solar windows of marginally different design types are reported. The paper also aims to outline the practical application potential of these transparent construction materials in built environments, focussing on the measured renewable energy figures and seasonal trends observed during the long-term study.

Electric energy is one of the driving forces in every country. The supply of electrical energy continues to present various challenges, such as high costs associated with procuring raw materials for generation, sparsely populated areas that are not connected to the main grid, and the need for infrastructure to support generation and network delivery. These challenges have contributed to the growing adoption of renewable energy sources, particularly solar photovoltaics (PV).In this study, we have developed a practical method to assess the spatial PV potential in a selected urban area. The methodology combines data collected from an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) photogrammetry, Geographic Information System (GIS), and the energy output from three remote photovoltaic systems installed at different locations. The results obtained from this approach not only provide the energy generated per square meter, per year (kWh m-2 yr-1), but also provides a base to calculate the potential distance that electric cars could travel based on the energy generated. To illustrate the application of this method, two practical cases were selected: Senglea, Malta, and Munxar, Gozo. These examples highlight the versatility and effectiveness of our approach for evaluating and harnessing solar energy through photovoltaic panels in different contexts.

Herein we foremost detailed the numerical modeling of the double absorber layer- methyl ammonium lead iodide– carbon nitride layer solar cell and subsequently provided in-depth insight on the active layer associated with dominant radiative and non-radiative recombination losses limiting the efficiency ( ) of the solar cell. Under recombination kinetics phenomena, we explored the influence of Radiative recombination, Auger recombination, Shockley Read Hall recombination, the energy distribution of defects; Band Tail recombination (Hoping Model), Gaussian distribution, metastable defect states including single donor (0/+), single acceptor (-/0), Double Donor (0/+/2+), double acceptor (2/-/0-), and the interface layer defects on the output characteristics of the solar cell. Setting defect (or trap) density to with uniform energy distribution of defects for all the layers, we achieved the of 24. 16 %. A considerable enhancement in power conversion efficiency was perceived as we reduced the trap density to for the absorber layers. Further, it was observed that for the absorber layer with double donor defect states, the active layer should be carefully synthesized to reduce crystal order defects to keep the total defect density as low as to achieve efficient device characteristics

: Solar sails use radiation from the sun to generate thrust without any fuel or propellant. Since this is a form of propulsion that has theoretically infinite use, we would like to test its capability on long-term missions by simulating a spacecraft equipped with solar sails to the Sun-Earth L5 Lagrange point. To control the sail angle, which is the main form of control we have over the sail’s performance, we will devise a form of optimal control based on Pontryagin’s Minimum Principle. Simulating the dynamics in MATLAB SIMULINK, we find that such a control method relies on iterating over initial conditions for the co-states to find the necessary parameters for the trajectory to reach the desired point. Therefore, an autonomous control scheme that uses this form of optimal control will need a way to numerically find said initial conditions in order to find the control angle needed at any point in time, which may be computationally intensive.

Interface solar steam generation (ISSG) are charming for its applications in desalination and wastewater treatment. Biomass is an attractive substrate for utilizing solar vapor evaporators because of its natural pore structure and water transportability. Polymers like polydopamine (PDA) and polypyrrole (PPy) with broadband spectrum absorption are fascinating in photothermal materials (PTMs). Herein, PDA coated daikon-based (PDA-DK) and PPy coated daikon-based (PPy-DK) PTMs have been exploited for solar steam generation. When polyethylene foam (PEF) was used as an insulating layer to limit heat loss from the PTMs to bulk water, the evaporation rate of PDA-DK and PPy-DK was raised from 0.82 kg m–2 h–1 and 0.96 kg m–2 h–1 to 1.50 kg m–2 h–1 and 1.60 kg m–2 h–1, respectively. Meanwhile, the corresponding photothermal conversion efficiency was increased to 89.01% and 98.97%, which was increased by nearly 40% under 1-sun irradiation. In addition, PDA-DK and PPy-DK exhibited remarkable stability for the solar steam generation without significant change through 15 cycles. Furthermore, PDA-DK and PPy-DK could effectively desalt seawater and purify dyeing wastewater. All the results indicate that PDA-DK and PPy-DK have great potential in real-world applications for solar steam generation.

Developing new technologies is essential for advancement in solar cell technologies due to their ability to only absorb light mainly in the visible light spectrum. Super crystals Nd³⁺- Eu³⁺ optical characteristics display higher absorption of light waves than single crystals of Eu³⁺ and Nd³⁺ due to a two-photon absorption energy transfer mechanism known as upconversion. Super crystals Nd³⁺- Eu³⁺ display higher absorption due to fewer light waves being transmitted through materials as reported in spectra data. Transmission spectra data reflects that Nd³⁺- Eu³⁺ nanoparticles are great candidates to enhance light absorption in solar cell devices.

As Solar Photovoltaics in buildings reaches maturity, grid integration and economic yield are topics of greater interest. The traditional design of photovoltaic installations has considered the optimal orientation of photovoltaic modules to be that which yields the maximum annual energy production. The influence of the consumption patterns and the hourly-variable electricity prices implies that this traditional optimal design might not be the most profitable. Using a full-year dataset for a residential installation, alternative installations using canopies and modules attached to the façades are simulated. Simulating the energy balances for different annual consumptions, it is found that the canopy and façade installations offer better self-consumption of the PV produced energy, reflected in a 9% higher self-consumption degree using modules on façades and a 5% using canopies. The economic evaluation under the new electricity tariffs in Spain shows a better profit for PV self-consumption, reducing by more than 2 years the time of return on investment. The analysis of different alternatives for an industrial PV has allowed us to identify several benefits for these orientations, such as an increase in annual energy production of up to 59% over the optimal-producing orientation, that are confirmed after several months of operation.

This study aimed to focus on how to design a low-cost greenhouse for the cultivation of crops, to propose the cost-effectiveness analysis of small agribusiness, and to promote sustainable agricultural production during and after the COVID-19 crisis for helping grassroots and anyone who lost their job. This article is qualitative engineering research, studying of literature reviews of greenhouse farming concept and Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises, then, designing low-cost greenhouse model which was preliminarily adapted for hot climate countries. Three plants that were selected as representative plants of this model include sunflower, water spinach, and wheat. The greenhouse model, measuring 5 x 7 x 4 m (W x L x H), was designed for this mission. The total cost of one building is approximately 97,994 THB. For the worthiness of the investment, farmers should build at least three greenhouse buildings, which will return total income to farmers approximately 34,666.09 THB per month. The suggestion includes further knowledge and financial supports from the government sectors among farmers, then, boost them up using high-level technology and also planting high-price agribusiness production to promote the local economy to be strong and sustainable.

Solar Insolation is the major contributor of earth’s radiation and energy budget. The insolation reaching the surface is a prime input for eco-physiological processes such as evapotranspiration and photosynthesis. Therefore, it is as critical component to assess bio-energy and bio-fuel resources. It is also a crucial input to crop simulation model for yield forecasting and its further applications in solar energy solutions. Although ground observations are better for accuracy purpose, they have challenges of maintenance, regular calibration and upkeeping etc. This call for the continuous spatio-temporal satellite based observations barring the acceptable accuracy. In case of INSAT3D/3DR, Bhattacharya et al. (2015) have derived the surface insolation product which is being used widely. We propose a method of improvement in this product. It is envisaged that a correction applied with the help of ground truth estimates may enhance the utilization of insolation products derived from INSAT3D/3DR datasets. In the present study, surface insolation product derived from INSAT 3D/3DR data at an interval of 30 minutes each (collectively 15 minutes interval) with 4 km spatial resolution was used for duration from May-2017 to Apr-2019 over Nagpur. Ground truth observations for same duration were carried out with CNR4, which were used to correct the INSAT 3D/3DR surface insolation product using the statistical best-fit method. Corrected INSAT 3D/3DR products are found correlating with the ground values well with differences of approximately < 1 W/m2. Best-fit parameters evolved in the present study uses only 2 years of simultaneous ground and satellite data which can be further improved by multi-year data base. We propose better utilization of INSAT 3D/3DR based surface insolation products in the assessment of solar resource mapping over Nagpur (and possibly other regions, such as Bhandara) with the help of best-fit parameters as assessed in the present study.

Perovskite based solar cells have achieved tremendous progress reaching record efficiency in the past 5 years. Numerous new processes and chemistry have been reported and contribute to the perovskite rapid progress. Continuous efficiency improvements are still necessary for perovskite solar cells, and an exploratory data analysis on devices performance over multiple studies could boost the technology development. Such analysis could identify patterns or provide insights that are not obvious in a single study. Here we present a high quality dataset containing only independently certified Pb-based perovskite solar cells summarizing their efficiency, relevant I-V metrics, manufacturing processes and materials used. Analysis over the dataset provides insights on how aperture size, perovskite deposition methods and materials used in each functional layer affect the final solar cell efficiency and I-V metrics. Future directions are also suggested for efficiency improvements.

The high environmental impact of conventional methods of cooling and heating has increased the need for renewable energy deployment for covering thermal loads. Towards that direction, the proposed system aims at offering an efficient solar powered alternative, coupling a zeolite-water adsorption chiller with a conventional vapor compression cycle. The system is designed to operate under intermittent heat supply of low-temperature solar thermal energy (<90 °C) provided by evacuated tube collectors. A prototype was developed and tested in cooling mode operation. The results of separate components testing showed that the adsorption chiller was operating efficiently, achieving a maximum coefficient of performance (COP) of 0.65. With respect to the combined performance of the system, evaluated on a typical week of summer in Athens, the maximum reported COP was approximately 0.575, mainly due to the lower driving temperatures at a range of 75 °C. The corresponding mean energy efficiency ratio (EER) obtained was 5.8.

Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM) is implementing the concept of green campus by various means including through elements in its sustainable campus development plan. With regards to several factors related to Energy and Climate Change indicators set by UI GreenMetric, this research examined the existing condition of the area of UGM which belongs to academic zone in order to construct a proposal based on a building mass reconfiguration. This proposal was aimed to improve the implementation of energy-specific green campus concept within the Forestry cluster area as a sample case study. This selection was based on the average value of the Building Coverage Ratio (BCR) values in all of the clusters; thus, the scenario was relevant for generalization and could be replicated in other clusters in the university. The study was done in three stages of simulation, and was based on a series of digital simulation of sunlight hour and solar radiation run in Grasshopper using Lady Bug environmental analysis plug-in for a period of five summer months during the building office hours. Following the reconfiguration, results had shown a similar downtrend between the amount of sunlight hour and solar radiation in the area (up to 49% and 45% respectively on building envelopes, and up to 44% and 42% respectively on landscaping surfaces). This reduction indicated a potential of energy efficiency by applying selective building mass reconfiguration as a passive design strategy that goes hand in hand with the campus’s development policy to optimize the use of BCR for a greener UGM campus through its many undergoing and upcoming redevelopment projects.

In this paper, by developing a mathematical model, the operating temperature of perovskite solar cells (PSCs) under different operating conditions has been calculated. It is found that by reducing the density of tail states at the interfaces, acting as recombination centres, through some passivation mechanisms, the operating temperature can be reduced significantly at higher applied voltages. The results show that if the density of tail states at the interfaces is reduced by three orders of magnitude through some passivation mechanisms, then the active layer may not undergo any phase change up to an ambient temperature 300 K and it may not degrade up to 320 K. The calculated heat generation at the interfaces at different applied voltages with and without passivation shows that the heat generation can be reduced by passivating the interfaces. It is expected that this study may provide a deeper understanding of the influence of interface passivation on the operating temperature of PSCs.

One of the key areas of the International Renewable Energy Agency’s (IRENA) programme of work is the analysis of renewable technology costs and performance and the dissemination of these results to as wide an audience as possible. In addition to analysis, IRENA seeks to engage a broad range of stakeholders in the context of this work through the Renewable Costing Alliance. The Costing Alliance brings together companies, industry association, governments and researchers to share, confidentially, data for real-world renewable energy project cost and performance, helping to build further on IRENA’s costing work to date. In this context the authors analyse the current cost differentials and cost reduction potentials for solar PV in Japan compared to best practice levels and identify the reasons for higher costs in Japan and how to reduce them. This study analyses the current installed cost differentials for utility-scale, commercial and residential rooftop solar PV systems. In addition to identifying the reasons for the cost differentials, potential policy recommendations to reduce the cost differential are identified.

Two region asymmetric polymers PR2F and PR1F with three repeat units of A-D-A, π-D-A, and π-D-π along the polymer backbone were attained by polymerizing different fluorinated benzothiadiazole-thiophene units, FBT-T and 2FBT-T units (A–π), with benzodithiophene unit (D), respectively. Here, the new region asymmetric polymers were in contrast to the traditional polymers featuring a D–A or D–π–A–π backbone. Both the region asymmetric polymers showed a low lying of HOMO energy level in relation to that of the PC61BM acceptor and then obtained the high open-circuit voltage of ~1 V in both PR2F and PR1F devices. Bulk-heterojunction devices based on PR2F with difluorinated BT exhibited an appreciable power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 4.73% due to the relatively high and balanced charge carrier mobilities, while the mono-fluorinated BT polymer PR1F-based devices gave a lower PCE of 2.92%. These results indicate that the region asymmetric conjugated polymer is a promising class of materials for polymer solar cell applications, and it is significant to further understand the influence of polymer structure on optoelectronic properties.

We report on the effects of the film morphology on the fluorescence spectra for a thin film including a quinoxaline-based co-polymer (TQ1) and a fullerene derivative (PC₇₀BM). The ratio between the polymer and the fullerene derivative, as well as the processing solvent were varied. Beside the main emission peak at 700 nm in the fluorescence spectra of thin films of this phase-separated blend, a broad emission band is observed with a maximum at 520 - 550 nm. The intensity of this emission band decreases with an increasing degree of mixing in the film and becomes most prominent in thicker films, films with high PC₇₀BM content, and films that were spin-coated from solvents with lower PC₇₀BM solubility. We assign this emission band to aggregated PC₇₀BM.

Today with enhancement in technology, sciences, there is also an increase in global heating rate. There is an urgent need of any alternate efficient source to reduce the wastage of energy and to utilize it efficiently. The advanced preparation of Expanded graphite ,lauric acid, stearic acid as shape stabilized phase change material deals with different energy harvesting applications. The main reason behind the need for synthesis of this matrix is to prepare a material that can be used in low temperature energy storage applications. Mixture of lauric acid , stearic acid impregnated in expanded graphite through vacuum impregnation followed by Vacuum Drying and Microwave acid treatment serves as novel shape stabilized phase change material of its type. The microwave acid treatment was done in order to increase the removal of moisture from the sample thus initiating proper bonding of its constituents. The mixture was produced in 1:1:1 ratio where all expanded graphite, lauric acid , stearic acid has one proportions of each other. The product obtained after microwave acid treatment was subjected to SEM, DSC analysis

The attributes of electroplating as a low-cost, simple, scalable and manufacturable semiconductor deposition technique for the fabrication of large-area and nanotechnology-based device applications are discussed. These strengths of electrodeposition are buttressed experimentally using techniques such as X-ray diffraction, Ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy, Scanning electron microscopy, Atomic force microscopy, Energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy and photoelectrochemical cell studies. Based on the structural, morphological, compositional optical, and electronic properties evaluated results, it is evident that electroplating possesses the capabilities of producing high-quality semiconductors usable in producing excellent devices. In this paper, we will describe the progress of electroplating technique mainly for the deposition of semiconductor thin film materials, their treatment processes and fabrication of solar cells.

Large-scale integration of solar energy technologies in Rome’s built environment epitomizes the needed general adoption of distributed generation via functionalization of buildings of all size and end use across the world, to become active energy generators and no longer energy users only. This paper identifies selected technology solutions and critical policy and educational initiatives to effectively achieve within the next decade (2018-2027) the widespread uptake of decentralized solar energy systems in the built environment on a global scale.

The focus of this research is to improve the performance of dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSC) through the adoption of high-quality FTO thin films and incorporation of graphene with DSSC photoanode to enhance its electrical transport. In this research, nanostructured FTO films were first grown with homemade Streaming Process for Electroless and Electrochemical Deposition technology (SPEED) using Tin (II) chloride dihydrate and ammonium fluoride and other chemical formulations. The FTO structural property was measured by X-ray diffraction (XRD); the films’ optical property was determined with transmittance spectra to curve over the wavelength range of 200-1000 nm measured with a spectrophotometer while scanning electron microscope (SEM) was used to determine the morphological properties of the samples. The electrical transport was evaluated by Hall Effect measurements at room temperature with a four-point probe. The FTO samples with the best structural, optical and electrical properties were employed as electrodes and counter electrodes of DSSC along with titanium dioxide. Thus, effect of graphene on the efficiency of DSSC was investigated. It was shown that a graphene-based DSSC showed an efficiency of 7.98% which is slightly higher than that of DSSC prototype without graphene (6.02%). The higher efficiency obtained with graphene can be credited to the ultrahigh surface area and thermal conductivity of graphene which tend to enhance the charge mobility and photovoltaic performance of DSSC. More research is however required to determine the exact amount of graphene that could achieve optimal DSSC performance. Further studies will also offer an adequate clarification for starting point of the better incorporation of graphene in DSSCs.

The role of natural factors mainly solar eleven-year cycle variability, and volcanic eruptions on two major modes of climate variability the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) and El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO) are studied for around last 150 years period. The NAO is the primary factor to regulate Central England Temperature (CET) during winter throughout the period, though NAO is impacted differently by other factors in various time periods. Solar variability indicates a strong positive influence on NAO during 1978-1997, though suggests opposite in earlier period. Solar NAO lag relationship is also shown sensitive to the chosen times of reference and thus points towards the previously proposed mechanism/ relationship related to the sun and NAO. The ENSO is influenced strongly by solar variability and volcanic eruptions in certain periods. This study observes a strong negative association between the sun and ENSO before the 1950s, which is even opposite during the second half of 20th century. The period 1978-1997, when two strong eruptions coincided with active years of strong solar cycles, the ENSO, and volcano suggested a stronger association, and we discussed the important role played by ENSO. That period showed warming in central tropical Pacific while cooling in the North Atlantic with reference to the later period (1999-2017) and also from chosen earlier period. Here we show that the mean atmospheric state is important for understanding the connection between solar variability, the NAO and ENSO and associated mechanism. It presents a critical analysis to improve knowledge about major modes of variability and their role in climate. We also discussed the importance of detecting the robust signal of natural variability, mainly the sun.

Fourteen (14) rack-mounted polycrystalline modules installed on the concrete roof of the solar energy applications laboratory at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) in Ghana, a hot humid environment were assessed after 19 years of continuous outdoor expodure. The physical state of the modules was documented using a visual inspection checklist. They were further assessed by current-voltage (I-V) characterization and thermal imaging. The modules were found to be in good physical state, except some bubbles on front side and minor discolouration/corrosion at edge of the cells. Compared with reference values, the performance decline of the modules observed over the exposure period was: nominal power (P_nom), 21% to 35%; short circuit current (I_sc), 5.8% to 11.7%; open circuit voltage (V_oc) 3.6% to 5.6% and 11.9% to 25.7% for fill factor (FF). It is hoped that this study will provide some helpful information to project developers, manufacturers and the research community on the long-term performance of PV modules in Ghana.

In this paper, a method of charging lead acid battery with solar power by flyback converter is proposed. The basic system consists of a buffer circuit, auxiliary power circuit, control circuit, voltage feedback circuit and current feedback circuit. The system is capable of monitoring battery voltage and the current, charging the coupling inductor and automatic control of output duty cycle, overcharging and over-discharging protection. The experiment proves that the charging efficiency is improved by about 83% at full load.

The tumor necrosis factor receptor associated factor 1 (TRAF1) plays a key role in promoting lymphocyte survival, proliferation, and cytokine production. Recent evidence showed that TRAF1 plays opposing roles in monocytes and macrophages where it controls NF-B activation and limits pro-inflammatory cytokine production as well as inflammasome-dependent IL-1 secretion. Importantly, TRAF1 polymorphisms have been strongly linked to an increased risk of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). However, whether and how TRAF1 contributes to RA pathogenesis is not fully understood. Moreover, investigating the role of TRAF1 in driving RA pathogenesis is complicated by its multifaceted and opposing roles in various immune cells. In this study, we show that intraarticular injection of TRAF1 deficient macrophages into knee joints of wildtype (WT) mice subjected to the collagen antibody induced arthritis (CAIA) model of RA significantly exacerbated joint inflammation, immune cell infiltration and tissue damage compared to mice injected with WT macrophages. This study may lay the groundwork for novel therapies for RA that target TRAF1 in macrophages.

This study aimed to evaluate a cantilever beam-type piezoelectric energy harvester operating on train-induced vibrations for powering Wireless Sensor Networks (WSNs) used in railway track monitoring systems. The harvester's behaviors under different conditions are simulated in MATLAB using the analytical model. Natural frequency, maximum deflection, and stress were calculated with greater precision using eigenfrequency and stationary analysis using COMSOL Multiphysics. At a base excitation of 2 g and a resonant frequency of 4.38 Hz, the simulated results showed that the developed energy harvester prototype could generate up to 14 V of AC output voltage and 550 mW of output power. These findings highlight the promising potential of the proposed energy harvester for transforming train mechanical energy into electrical power. This energy harvester's viability and dependability for real-world applications in monitoring railway tracks are supported by developed analytical and simulation models.

Drugs are known to cause substantial liver injury, with hepatotoxicity ranging from asymptomatic increase of liver enzymes to hepatic failure. HIV/AIDS patients, with compromised immune systems, are especially vulnerable to opportunistic infections such as tuberculosis (TB). Patients with co-infection frequently get combined antiretroviral (ART) and antitubercular (ATD) regimens, which can cause hepatotoxicity. Hepatotoxicity has been linked to commonly administered antiretroviral drug regimens as well as first-line antitubercular agents such isoniazid, rifampin, and pyrazinamide, which are required for the treatment of both drug-sensitive and drug-resistant tuberculosis. As a result, there is an urgent need to investigate treatments based from traditional herbs known for their hepatoprotective abilities against ART and ATD-induced liver injury. Many researchers have investigated the effectiveness of medicinal plants in treating chemically caused hepatotoxicity. Medicinal plants are high in phytochemicals and secondary metabolites, both of which have a variety of medicinal benefits. Currently, there is a lack of specific therapeutic regimens to address this adverse effect, and management often relies on symptomatic treatment or therapy withdrawal. Traditional medicinal plants may have the potential to restore normal liver function, enzyme activity, and cellular structure in response to ART and ATD-induced hepatotoxicity. This review aims to examine the scientific evidence supporting the use of medicinal plants as hepatoprotective agents against liver damage induced by ART and ATDs.

Inflammation is a cause of number of disorders. Many anti-inflammatory drugs are available to cure and prevent inflammation and its related disorders. Some of the drugs are from plant and animal origin. Among animals snake venom is also utilized as treatment option of certain disorders. In the current study the venom of N. oxiana from Northern areas of Pakistan is assayed to determine its anti-inflammatory activity. The Naja oxiana is also called central Asian cobra is endemic to Central Asia. Naja oxiana belong to family Elapidae and it is highly venomous snake. The venom has many enzymatic proteins as well as nonenzymatic proteins that is neurotoxins. The venom is lethal having very high mortality rate and the death may occur due to respiratory failure in 45 minutes to 24 hrs depending upon the nature and amount of venom. As the venom is highly toxic so initially after venom milking its protein estimation was done and toxicity profile and LD50 was determined to find out its therapeutic dose at which anti-inflammatory activity was observed. The toxicity and anti-inflammatory activity was determined on mice model. Inflammation was induced by carrageenan induced peritonitis method. The inflammatory markers ROS, TNF-α and IL-β were determined by ELIZA in peritoneal fluid. The LD50 of crude venom, fraction 1 and fraction 2 was found as 34 µg/kg, 7.4 µg/kg and 416 µg/kg respectively. Anti-inflammatory activity crude venom, fraction 1 and fraction 2 was found at dose 19 µg/kg, 1.8 µg/kg and 267 µg/kg respectively. The levels of inflammatory markers reduced after therapeutic dose administration of venom and its fractions that indicates that it can be utilized as anti-inflammatory agent and so can be effective in various disorders.

This paper presents a comprehensive analysis of the SEIRS COVID-19 pandemic model with saturated incidence rate. By modifying the existing model and proposing a new simplified version, we investigate the dynamics of disease transmission, including the impact of saturation terms on disease spread. Through stability analysis at disease-free and endemic equilibria, we aim to enhance understanding of the spread of COVID-19 and inform effective control strategies. Drawing on mathematical models and epidemiological insights, this study contributes to the ongoing efforts to combat the global pandemic.

To investigate the associated mechanisms concerning collagen and the expression of apoptosis-related proteins in porcine skin injuries induced by laser exposure, pig skin was treated with a 1064 nm laser. The healing process of the laser-treated areas, alterations in collagen structure, and changes in apoptosis were continuously observed and analyzed from 6 hours to 28 days post-irradiation. On the 28th day following exposure, wound contraction and recovery were notably sluggish in the medium-high dose groups, displaying more premature and delicate type III collagen within the newly regenerated tissues. The collagen density in these groups was roughly 37-58% of that in the normal group. Between days 14 and 28 after irradiation, there was a substantial rise in apoptotic cell count in the forming epidermis and granulation tissue of the medium-high dose group, in contrast to the normal group. Notably, the expression of proapoptotic proteins bax, caspase-3, and caspase-9 surged significantly 14 days after irradiation in the medium-high dose groups and persisted at elevated levels on the 28th day. During the later stage of wound healing, the augmented apoptotic cell population and insufficient collagen generation in the newborn skin tissue of the medium-high dose groups were closely associated with delayed wound recovery.

Circadian rhythm disruption is increasingly considered an environmental risk factor for the development and exacerbation of inflammatory bowel disease. We have reported in a previous study that nychthemeral dysregulation is associated with an increase in intestinal barrier permeability and inflammation in mice with dextran sulfate sodium (DSS)-induced colitis. To investigate the effect of circadian rhythm disruption on the composition and diversity of the gut microbiota (GM). Sixty male C57BL/6J mice were divided initially to two groups, the shifted group (n=30) exposed to circadian shifts for three months and the non-shifted group (n=30) under a normal light-dark cycle. The mice of the shifted group were cyclically housed for five days under the normal 12:12 hour light-dark cycle followed by another five days under reversed light-dark cycle. At the end of the three months a colitis was induced by 2 % DSS given in the drinking water of 30 mice. Animals were then divided into four groups (n=15 per group), sham group non-shifted (Sham-NS), sham group shifted (Sham-S) and DSS non-shifted (DSS-NS) and DSS shifted (DSS-S). Fecal samples were collected from rectal content to investigate changes in GM composition by DNA extraction followed by high-throughput sequencing of the bacterial 16S rRNA gene. The mouse GM was dominated by three phyla: Firmicutes, Bacteroidetes and Actinobacteria. The Firmicutes/Bacteroidetes ratio decreased in mice with induced colitis. The richness and diversity of the GM were reduced in the colitis group, especially in the group with inverted circadian rhythm. Moreover, GM composition was also modified in the inverted circadian rhythm group, with an increase in Alloprevotella, Turicibacter, Bacteroides and Streptococcus genera. Circadian rhythm inversion exacerbates GM dysbiosis to a less rich and diversified extent in a DSS-induced colitis model. These findings shows a possible interplay between circadian rhythm disruption, GM dynamics, and colitis pathogenesis.

Silkworm ovary-derived BmN4 cells rely on chromatin-induced spindle assembly to form microtubule-based square mitotic spindles that ensure accurate segregation of holocentric chromosomes during cell division. The chromosome passenger protein Aurora B regulates chromosomal condensation and segregation, spindle assembly checkpoint, and cytokinesis; however, its role in holocentric organisms needs further clarification. This study examined the architecture and dynamics of spindle microtubules during prophase and metaphase in BmN4 cells and those with siRNA-mediated BmAurora B knockdown using immunofluorescence labelling. Anti-α-tubulin and anti-γ-tubulin antibodies revealed faint γ-tubulin signals co-localized with α-tubulin in early prophase during nuclear membrane rupture, which intensified as prophase progressed. At this stage, bright regions of α-tubulin around and on the nuclear membrane surrounding the chromatin suggested the start of microtubule assembling in the microtubule organizing centers (MTOCs). In metaphase, the number and size of γ-tubulin foci increased and were detected on both sides of the chromosomes. This resulted in a distinctive multipolar square spindle with holocentric chromosomes aligned at the metaphase plate. siRNA-mediated BmAurora B knockdown significantly reduced the γ-tubulin foci during prophase, impacting microtubule nucleation and spindle structure in metaphase. Spatiotemporal BmAurora B expression analysis provided new insights into the regulation of this mitotic kinase in silkworm larval gonads during gametogenesis. Our results suggest that BmAurora B is crucial for the formation of multipolar square spindles in holocentric insects, possibly through the activation of γ-tubulin ring complexes in multiple centrosome-like MTOCs.

(1) Background: National health system databases represent one of the most obvious sources of information about epidemiology of adverse drug reactions including drug-induced allergy and anaphylaxis. (2) Methods: Retrospective analysis of data from national database of pharmacovigilance in the Russian Federation (analyzed period 02.04.2019 - 21.06.2023) was performed. The prevalence of anaphylactic reactions (ARs) was determined, the structure of drugs involved was estimated together with patients’ characteristics. (3) Results: ARs were reported in 8.3% of drug-induced allergic reactions (2304/27,727), mean age of patients was 48.2 ± 15.8 years, 53.2% were females. Main causative groups of drugs were antibiotics, ABs (44.62%), local anesthetics, (19.97%), and cyclooxygenase (COX)-inhibitors (10.07%). Fatal ARs was reported in 9.5% (218/2304), mean age 48.0 ± 16.7 years, 56.2% females. Pediatric population accounted for 5.8% (133/2304), mean age 11.8± 4.5 years, 51.9% females. Elderly population accounted for 2.8% (65/2304), mean age 73.0±5.3 years, 43.5% (27/65) females. ABs were the leading causative groups of ARs in the elderly (40%), children (42.86%), and among fatal cases (50%). (4) Conclusions: ARs accounted for 8.3% of all drug-induced allergic reactions, and ABs were the most common causative agents. Females predominated in all groups except elderly patients.

The oscillation of an elastically mounted rigid cylinder excited by steady fluid flow is investigated. Regarding the nonlinearity of real practical structures like marine risers and the stay cable of a long-span bridge, the dynamic behavior of the circular cylinder is described by double Duffing equations and the aerodynamic force performance of the wake flow is expressed by wake oscillator equation. Unlike previous studies, in the present investigation, attention is focused on coupling the wake oscillator equations, taking into account quadratic terms. Following this approach, the cylinder's combined cross-flow and in-line Vortex-Induced Vibrations (VIV) are modeled more accurately. Empirical coefficients are adjusted through comparison with previous credible experimental studies and the effects of changing coefficients of the quadratic terms on major VIV parameters are investigated. The oscillating amplitude calculated by the present model is close to that of the experiment. The relative error of results obtained by the present coupled model is lower than the previous model. Moreover, the present model successfully predicts the moving trajectories of a circular cylinder under VIV in a figure-of-eight shape.

Legumes play a significant role in the alleviation of food insecurity, maintaining soil fertility and achieving sustainable crop production under adverse environmental conditions. The increased demand in legume production contemplates that attention on the genetic improvement of these crops through various means such as genetic engineering and mutation breeding should take a centre stage in global agriculture. Therefore, this paper provides succinct analysis of currently available literature on morphological and physiological traits in polyploidised leguminous plants to counter the adverse effects of drought stress. The effects of colchicine on various morphological and physiological traits of polyploidised legumes compared to their diploid counterparts were examined. Numerous reports revealed variations in these traits such as improved root and shoot growth, plant biomass, chloroplastidic content, protein, RNA and DNA. The differences observed were also associated with the strong relationship between plant ploidy-induction and colchicine application. Furthermore, the analysis indicated that polyploidisation remains dose-dependent, and may be achievable at a shorter space of time as this antimitotic chemical interferes with chromosome separations in somatic plant cells. The efficiency of this process also depends on the advancement of treatment conditions (in vitro, in vivo or ex vitro) and successful regeneration of polyploidised plants for adaptation under drought stress conditions. As such, the improvement in metabolite profile and other essential growth characteristics serves as a clear indication that induced polyploidy needs to be further explored to confer resilience to environmental stress, and improve crop yield under drought stress conditions in leguminous plants.

Background: Muscle wasting is a common phenomenon in oncology and appears to be alleviated by exercise training. This study aims to determine the degree of aggressiveness of cancer-induced muscle wasting in two different phenotypic muscles, and whether exercise training can attenuate this muscle dysfunction. Methods: Fifty Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly assigned to four experimental groups, two control groups (sedentary and exercised) and two breast cancer model groups (sedentary and exercised) induced by 1-methyl-1-nitrosoureia (MNU). After 35 weeks of endurance training the animals were sacrificed and the gastrocnemius and soleus muscles were harvested for morphometric analysis. Results: A significant reduction in cross-sectional area (P < 0.05) was found in both muscles of sedentary tumor-bearing animals. Interstitial fibrosis was significantly higher in the gastrocnemius of sedentary tumor-bearing animals (P < 0.05), but not in the soleus. A shift from large to small fibers was observed in the gastrocnemius of sedentary tumor-bearing animals. Long-term exercise training was able to prevent this cancer-related mus-cle dysfunction. Conclusions: The Gastrocnemius muscle showed a very pronounced reduction in cross-sectional area and marked interstitial fibrosis in sedentary animals with tumors. The soleus muscle showed a less pronounced but significant reduction in cross-sectional area, and collagen deposition did not differ between tumor groups. These contrasting results confirm that can-cer-induced muscle wasting can affect specific fiber types, and specific muscles, namely fast glycolytic muscles, and that exercise training can act to improve it.

Epithelial cells can undergo apoptosis by manipulating the balance between pro-survival and apoptotic signals. In this work, we show that TRAIL-induced apoptosis can be differentially regulated by the expression of α(1,6)fucosyltransferase (FucT-8), the only enzyme in mammals that transfers the (1,6)fucose residue to the pentasaccharide core of complex N-glycans. Specifically, in the cellular model of colorectal cancer (CRC) progression formed using the human syngeneic lines SW480 and SW620, knockdown of the FucT-8-encoding FUT8 gene significantly enhanced TRAIL-induced apoptosis in SW480 cells. However, FUT8 repression did not affect SW620 cells, which suggests that core fucosylation differentiates TRAIL-sensitive premetastatic SW480 cells from TRAIL-resistant metastatic SW620 cells. In this regard, we provide evidence that phosphorylation of ERK1/2 kinases can dynamically regulate TRAIL-dependent apoptosis and that core fucosylation can control the ERK/MAPK pro-survival pathway in which SW480 and SW620 cells participate. Moreover, the depletion of core fucosylation sensitises primary tumour SW480 cells to the combination of TRAIL and low doses of 5-FU, oxaliplatin, irinotecan or mitomycin C. In contrast, combination of TRAIL and oxaliplatin, irinotecan or bevacizumab reinforces resistance of FUT8-knockdown metastatic SW620 cells to apoptosis. Consequently, FucT-8 could be a plausible target for increasing apoptosis and drug response in early CRC.

When there are multiple key strata in the overburden of deep coal seam and the surface subsid-ence coefficient after mining is small, it indicates that the overlying key strata fail to break com-pletely after mining. On this occasion, the stress concentration on the working face occurs easily, which in turn leads to the occurrence of dynamic disasters such as rock burst. This study adopted a comprehensive analysis method of field monitoring and numerical simulation to explore the in-fluence of key stratum on the evolution law of mining-induced stress in the working face. Dis-tributed optical fiber sensor (DOFS) and surface subsidence GNSS monitoring system were re-spectively arranged inside and at the mouth of the ground observation borehole. According to the monitoring results of strain obtained from DOFS, the height of broken stratum inside the overlying strata was obtained; according to the monitoring results of surface subsidence, the sur-face subsidence coefficient was proved to be less than 0.1, indicating that the high key stratum does not break completely, but enters a state of bending subsidence instead. In order to reveal the influence of key stratum on the mining-induced stress of working face, two 3DEC numerical models with and without key stratum were established for comparative analysis. As the numeri-cal simulation results show, when there are multiple key strata in the overburden, the stress in-fluence range and stress concentration coefficient of coal seam after mining are relatively large. The study revealed the working mechanism of rock burst accidents after large-scale mining and predicted the potential area of rock burst risk after the mining of the working face, which has been verified by field investigation. The research results are of great guiding significance for the revelation of the working mechanism of rock burst in deep mining condition and its prevention and control.

Potato tubers are susceptible to wounding during post-harvest processes, leading to quality decline, perishability and large economic losses. In this study, the potato cultivar, ‘Longshu No.7’, was foliar-sprayed with 3% chitosan (w/v) three times during the pre-harvest period after flowering to evaluate the effect of foliar spraying with chitosan on suberization processing at wounds of harvested potato tubers. Our results demonstrate that foliar-sprayed with chitosan significantly reduced wound-induced fresh weight loss and dry rot disease index by 37.34% and 41.60% on the 28 day after wounding, respectively. Foliar-sprayed with chitosan accelerated the deposition of suberin polyphenolics and lignin at the wound sites of potato tubers with the formation of thicker cell layers. This occurred with increased localized activities of key enzymes in the suberin polyphenolics and lignin pathways, including phenylalanine ammonia lyase, 4-coumaryl-coenzyme A ligase, cinnamyl alcohol dehydrogenase and peroxidase (33.90–64.32%), as well as the contents of cinnamic acid, sinapic acid, flavonoids, lignins and total phenolics (19.70–23.46%) at wound sites of potato tubers on the 7 day after wounding. Our results indicated that foliar application of chitosan accelerated wound-induced suberization of potato tubers and could mitigate post-harvest product damages.

Here we investigated the acute effects of an exhaustive intermittent exercise session on immunological parameters of the elderly and the subsequent incidence of upper respiratory tract infections and compare with the moderate-intensity. To do so, ixty-three old subjects were divided into three groups HIIT (n=21) submitted at one High-intensity interval training, SCG (n=21) kept in a sedentary state, and MICT (n=21) submitted at moderate intensity walking. Blood were collected at 5 time points, before, immediately after, 2h, 24h, and 48h after the intervention. In result the IL-6 and TNF-α were overexpressed immediately after the IL-10 stood overexpressed and correlated with IL-17, denoting an inflammatory process, and evidencing an immunologic competence without enhancement of the prevalence of upper respiratory infection tract (URTIs). So a modulation in the balance of Th1/Th2/Th17 cytokines and leukocytes, these modifications did not cause the effect characterized as an immunological window. Perhaps, the typical inflammation process, with IL-10 and IL-17 participation could also produce benefits to combat infections, a pertinent discussion during a post-pandemic time; we consider it a safe exercise program for older adults.

The polygenic and multifactorial nature of many psychiatric disorders has hampered the personalized medicine approach implementation in clinical practice. However, induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) technology has emerged as an innovative tool for patient-specific disease modeling to expand the pathophysiology knowledge and treatment perspectives in the last decade. Current technologies enable adult human somatic cell reprogramming into induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) to generate neural cells and direct neural cell conversion to model organisms that exhibit phenotypes close to human diseases, thereby effectively representing relevant aspects of neuropsychiatric disorders. iPSCs reflect patient pathophysiology and pharmacological responsiveness, particularly when cultured under conditions that recapitulate spatial tissue organization in brain organoids. Recently, the application of iPSCs has been frequently associated with gene editing that targets the disease-causing gene to deepen the illness pathophysiology and conduct drug screening. Moreover, gene editing has provided a unique opportunity to repair the putative causative genetic lesions in patient-derived cells. Here, we review the use of iPSC technology to model and potentially treat neuropsychiatric disorders by illustrating the key studies on a series of mental disorders, including schizophrenia, major depression disorder, bipolar disorder, and autism spectrum disorder. The future perspective will involve the development of organ-on-a-chip platforms that control the microenvironmental conditions to reflect individual pathophysiological by adjusting physiochemical parameters according to personal health data. This strategy could open new ways to build a disease model that considers individual variability and tailors personalized treatments.

Chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN) develops as a challenging nerve-damaging adverse effect of anticancer drugs used in chemotherapy. The disorder may require a dose reduction of chemo-therapy and its most common sensory symptoms are severe pain, tingling, and numbness in the hands and feet. CIPN affects dramatically the patient's quality of life (QoL). Pain and sensory abnormalities may occur for months, or even years after the termination of chemotherapy. This disease has complicated pathophysiology featured by underlying mechanisms not completely known. Although many pharmaco-logical and non-pharmacological therapeutic approaches have been tested to overcome these symptoms, there is currently no standardized cure to prevent or treat CIPN. According to current guidelines, Duloxe-tine is the only recommended agent for painful neuropathic symptoms. Therefore, finding effective thera-pies for CIPN is mandatory. The purpose of this review is to dissect CIPN, the target and immunothera-py-based approaches to this disorder, as well as to offer new insights for novel therapeutic perspectives.

Seismic monitoring in areas where induced earthquakes could occur is a challenging topic for seismologists due to generally very low signal to noise ratio. Therefore, the seismological com-munity is devoting several efforts to the development of high-quality networks around the areas where fluid injection and storage and geothermal activities take place, also following the national induced seismicity monitoring guidelines. The use of advanced data-mining strategy, such as template matching filters, auto-similarity search and deep-learning approaches is recently further fostering such a monitoring enhancing the seismic catalogues and lowering the magnitude of completeness of these areas. In this framework, we carried out an experiment where a small-aperture seismic array was installed around the gas reservoir of Collalto, in North Italy. The continuous velocimetric data, acquired for 25 days, were analysed through the application of the optimized auto-similarity search technique FAST. The array was conceived as a cost-effective network, aimed at integrating, right above the gas storage site, the permanent high-resolution Collalto Seismic Network. The analysis allowed to detect micro-events down to magnitude Ml=-0.4 within a distance of ~15km from the array. Our results confirmed that the system based on the array installation and the FAST data-analysis might contribute to lower the magnitude of completeness around the site of about 0.7.

The development of gamma rays mutant rice lines would be a solution for introducing variability in already farmer using varieties. In vitro gamma (60Co) mutagenesis reduces chimeras and allows a faster selection of desired traits but requires laboratory process optimization. The objective of the present work was the in vitro establishment of a recalcitrant rice embryogenic calli, the determination of its sensitivity to gamma radiation (Co-60), sequencing MATK and Rubisco for identification purposes, as well as generation optimization. The radiosensitivity of embryogenic calli resulted in an LD50 of 110Gy, while the 20% lethal dose was 64Gy. All sequenced genes matched perfectly with already reported MATK and Rubisco O. sativa genes with a clear SNP that identifies the local variety related to the southeast Asia Region. Callus induction improves with an MS with 2mg/L 2,4D, and the regeneration was achieved with an MS medium with 3mg/L BAP and 0,5mg/L NAA. The optimized radiation condition was 60Gy with an 83% regeneration in a semisolid medium, allowing a balance between mutation and regeneration. When increased to 80Gy, the regeneration rate falls to 29%. An immersion system (RITA®) of either 60 or 120 seconds every 8hours allowed a systematic and homogeneous total regeneration of the recalcitrant line, in contrast with the semisolid medium that resulted in positive but irregular regeneration. Other well-known recalcitrant cultivars, CR1821, CR1113 also had an improving regeneration in the immersion system, demonstrating its potential use for recalcitrant materials. To our knowledge, this is the first report on using an immersion system to allow regeneration of gamma-ray mutants from recalcitrant rice materials.

The tri-trophic interactions between plants, insects, and insect predators and parasitoids are often mediated by chemical cues. The attraction to Herbivore-Infested Plant Volatiles (HIPVs) has been well documented for arthropod predators and parasitoids, and more recently for insectivorous birds. The attraction to plant volatiles induced by the exogenous application of methyl jasmonate (MeJA), a phytohormone typically produced in response to an attack of chewing herbivores, have provided controversial results, both in arthropod and avian predators. In this study, we aimed to examine whether potential differences in the composition of bouquets of volatiles produced by Herbivore-infested and MeJA-treated Pyrenean oak trees (Quercus pyrenaica) were related to differential avian attraction, as results from a previous study suggested. Results showed that the overall emission of volatiles produced by MeJA-treated and Herbivore-infested trees did not differ, and were higher than emissions of Control trees, although MeJA treatment showed more significant reaction and released several specific compounds in contrast to Herbivore-induced trees. These slight differences in the volatile composition may explain why avian predators were not so attracted to MeJA-treated trees as observed in a previous study in this plant-herbivore system. Unfortunately, the lack of avian visits to the experimental trees in the current study does not allow us to confirm this result and points out the need to perform more robust predator studies.

The inherent trace quantity of primary fatty acid amides found in biological systems presents challenges for analytical analysis and quantitation, requiring a highly sensitive detection system. The use of microfluidics provides a green sample preparation and analysis technique through small-volume fluidic flow through micron-sized channels embedded in a PDMS device. Microfluidics provides the potential of having a micro total analysis system where chromatographic separation, fluorescent tagging reactions, and detection are accomplished with no added sample handling. This study describes the development and optimization of a microfluidic-laser indued fluorescence (LIF) analysis and detection system that can be used for the detection of ultra-trace levels of fluorescently tagged primary fatty acid amines. A PDMS microfluidic device was designed and fabricated to incorporate droplet-based flow. Droplet microfluidics have enabled on-chip fluorescent tagging reactions to be performed quickly and efficiently, with no additional sample handling. An optimized LIF optical detection system provided fluorescently tagged primary fatty acid amine detection sub-fmol (436 amol) LODs. The use of this LIF detection provides unparalleled sensitivity, with detection limits several orders of magnitude lower than currently employed LC-MS techniques and might be easily adapted for use as a complementary quantification platform for parallel MS-based -omics studies.

Direct laser writing based on non-linear 3D nanolithography (also known as 3D laser lithography, 3DLL) is a powerful technology to manufacture polymeric micro-optical components. However, practical applications of these elements are limited due to the lack of knowledge of their optical resilience and durability. In this work, we employ 3DLL for the fabrication of bulk (i.e. fully filled) and woodpile structures out of different photopolymers. We then characterize them using S-on-1 laser induced damage threshold (LIDT) measurements. In this way, quantitative data of LIDT values can be collected. Furthermore, this method permits to gather damage morphologies. The results presented in this work demonstrate that LIDT values depend on the material and the geometry of the structure. Bulk non-photosensitized hybrid organic-inorganic photopolymer SZ2080 structures are found to be the most resilient with a damage threshold being of 169±15 mJ/cm².

Traditional winglets are designed as fixed devices attached at the tips of the wings. The primary purpose of the winglets is to reduce the lift-induced drag, therefore improving aircraft performance and fuel efficiency. However, because winglets are fixed surfaces, they cannot be used to control lift-induced drag reductions or to obtain the largest lift-induced drag reductions at different flight conditions (take-off, climb, cruise, loitering, descent, approach, landing, and so on). In this work, we propose the use of variable cant angle winglets which could potentially allow aircraft to get the best all-around performance (in terms of lift-induced drag reduction), at different flight phases. By using computational fluid dynamics, we study the influence of the winglet cant angle and sweep angle on the performance of a benchmark wing at Mach numbers of 0.3 and 0.8395. The results obtained demonstrate that by adjusting the cant angle, the aerodynamic performance can be improved at different flight conditions.

This work examines atomic and molecular signatures in laser-induced plasma in standard ambient temperature and pressure environments, including background contributions to the spectra that depend on the laser pulse-width. Investigations include solids, gases, and nano-particles. Abel inversions of measured line-of-sight data reveal insight into the radial plasma distribution. For nominal 6 nanosecond laser pulses and for pulse-energies in the range of 100 to 800 mJ, expansion dynamics and turbulence due to shock phenomena are elucidated to address local equilibrium details that are frequently assumed in spatially averaged emission spectroscopy. Chemical equilibrium computations reveal temperature dependence of selected plasma species. Specific interests include atomic hydrogen (H) and cyanide (CN). Atomic hydrogen spectra indicate axisymmetric shell structures and isentropic expansion of the plasma kernel over and above the usual shockwave. The recombination radiation of CN emanates within the first 100 nanoseconds for laser-induced breakdown in a 1:1 CO2:N2 gas mixture when using nanosecond laser pulses to create the micro-plasma. The micro-plasma is generated using 1064 nm, 150 mJ, 6 ns Q-switched Nd:YAG laser radiation. Measurements of the optical emission spectra utilize a 0.64 m Czerny-Turner type spectrometer and an intensified charge-coupled device.

The steady streaming (SS) phenomenon is gaining increased attention in the microfluidics community, because it can generate net mass flow from the zero-mean vibration. We developed numerical simulation and experimental measurement tools to analyze this vibration induced flow, which has been challenging due to its unsteady nature. Validity of these analysis methods is confirmed by comparing the three-dimensional (3D) flow field induced around a cylindrical micropillar under circular vibration. In the numerical modeling, we directly solved the flow in the Lagrangian frame so that the substrate with a micropillar becomes stationary, and the result was converted to the Eulerian frame to compare them with the experimental results. The present approach enables to avoid the introduction of moving boundary or small perturbation approximation. The flow field obtained by the micro particle image velocimetry (PIV) measurement supported the three-dimensionality observed in the numerical results, which could be important for controlling the mass transport and manipulating particulate objects in the microfluidic systems.

The resonance spectra of neutral silver indicate self-absorption for the studied Ag I lines at the wavelengths of 327.9 nm and 338.2 nm. The center dip is associated with self-reversal due to self-absorption in the plasma. The Q-switched radiation of 355 nm, 532 nm, or 1064 nm from a Nd:YAG laser device generates the plasma at the surface of silver nano-material targets, with experiments conducted in standard ambient temperature and pressure laboratory air. Procedures for recovery of the spectral line shapes confirm that over and above the effects of self-reversal, line shape distortion are important in the analysis. The work discusses parameters describing self-absorption when using fluence levels of 2 to 33 J/cm² to generate the plasma. Furthermore, subsidiary calibration efforts that utilize the hydrogen alpha line of the Balmer series show that the Ag I lines at 827.35 nm and 768.7 nm are optically thin.

Pre-existing fracture and secondary cracks in rock mass are formed by natural power, such as magma condensed to igneous rocks and tectonic movement. The orientation and inclination of these fractures obey certain laws relating to the stress, temperature, minerals, water and so on. Therefore, cracks react differently under the same external loading on the condition of various inclination, fissure apertures, stiffness and joint roughness. To simulate the crack propagation, experiments on hollow cylinder cut by one oblique interface mimicking single fracture accumulated numerous data discovering the failure criterion in accordance with the Mohr-Coulomb criterion. And theory on the Terzaghi’s effective principle take an essential role in controlling the behavior of triggering fault. This paper introduced a series of oblique plane cutting the cylinder regarded as fractures at different inclination to concentrate on how the fracture characteristics effect the stress and strain distribution inside the specimen, especially, the relationship between displacement and water head. The key point of this numerical simulation is coupling the solid phase and the fluid phase, specifically, the mechanic and seepage field. According to the statics, curves referring to deformation and water head could be described as increasing lines. Besides, simulation on coupling solid phase and fluid phase can supply crucial evaluation on activating existing fault, and thus predicting induced seismicity in reservoirs or estimating damage in shale gas exploration.

This review paper explores the innovative realm of transparent solar panels, investigating their properties, applications, challenges, and recent advancements. Transparent solar panels, designed to harvest solar energy while allowing visible light to pass through, have gained significant attention due to their potential to revolutionize renewable energy technologies. The paper delves into the working mechanisms of various types of transparent solar panels, including Organic Photovoltaic (OPV) panels, Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells (DSSC), Perovskite Solar Cells, and Transparent Thin-Film Silicon Solar Cells. It discusses their integration into diverse applications, such as building-integrated photovoltaics, consumer electronics, the automotive industry, and aerospace. The review identifies challenges, including low efficiency, durability concerns, production costs, and integration hurdles, that currently hinder their widespread adoption. Moreover, the paper emphasizes the transformative potential of transparent solar panels in shaping the future of renewable energy, not only as energy generators but also as aesthetically pleasing and multifunctional components of our built environment. Finally, the paper underscores the need for continued research and development efforts to enhance efficiency, improve stability, and address integration challenges, paving the way for transparent solar panels to play a central role in the transition toward a more sustainable and energy-efficient future.

The paper examines design and operating data of current concentrated solar power (CSP) solar tower (ST) plants. The study includes CSP with or without boost by combustion of natural gas (NG), and with or without thermal energy storage (TES). The latest, actual specific costs per installed capacity are very high, 6085 $/kW for Ivanpah Solar Electric Generating System (ISEGS) with no TES, and 9227 $/kW for Crescent Dunes with TES. The actual production of electricity is very low and much less than the expected. The actual capacity factors are 22% for ISEGS, despite combustion of a significant amount of NG largely exceeding the planned values, and 13% for Crescent Dunes. The design values were 33% and 52%. The study then reviews the proposed technology updates to produce better ratio of solar field power to electric power, better capacity factor, better matching of production and demand, lower plant’s cost, improved reliability and increased life span of plant’s components. The key areas of progress are found in materials and manufacturing processes, design of solar field and receiver, receiver and power block fluids, power cycle parameters, optimal management of daily and seasonal operation of the plant, new TES concepts, integration of solar plant with thermal desalination, integration of solar plant with combined cycle gas turbine (CCGT) installations and finally, specialization and regionalization of the project specification.

Solar radiation prediction is an important process in ensuring optimal exploitation of solar energy power. Numerous models have been applied to this problem, such as numerical weather prediction models and artificial intelligence models. However, well-designed hybridization approaches that combine numerical models with artificial intelligence models to yield a more powerful model can provide a significant improvement in prediction accuracy. In this paper, we propose novel hybrid machine learning approaches that exploit auxiliary numerical data. The proposed hybrid methods invoke different machine learning paradigms, including feature selection, classification, and regression. Additionally, numerical weather prediction (NWP) models are used in the proposed hybrid models. Feature selection is used for feature space dimension reduction to reduce the large number of recorded parameters that affect estimation and prediction processes. The rough set theory is applied for attribute reduction and the dependency degree is used as a fitness function. We investigate the effect of the attribute reduction process with thirty different classification and prediction models in addition to the proposed hybrid model. Then, different machine learning models are constructed based on classification and regression techniques to predict solar radiation. Moreover, other hybrid prediction models are formulated to use the output of the numerical model of Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) as learning elements in order to improve the prediction accuracy. The proposed methodologies are evaluated using a data set that is collected from different regions in Saudi Arabia.

This review proposes an overview on the use of organic functionalized carbon nanostructures (CNSs) into solar energy conversion schemes. Our attention has focused in particular on the contribution given by organic chemistry to the development of new hybrid materials that find application in dye sensitized solar cells (DSSC), organic photovoltaics (OPV), perovskite solar cells (PSC) and also in photocatalytic fuel production, focusing in particular on the most recent literature. The request for new materials able to accompany the green energy transition that are abundant, low cost, with low toxicity, from renewable sources has further increased the interest in CNSs that meet all these requirements. The inclusion of an organic molecule, thanks to both covalent and non-covalent interactions, into a CNS, leads to the development of a completely new hybrid material able of combining and improving the properties of both starting materials. Besides the numerical data, which unequivocally state the positive effect of the new hybrid material, we hope that these examples can be inspiring for further research in the field of photoactive materials from an organic point of view.

Solar flares are characterized by sudden bursts of electromagnetic radiation from the Sun’s surface, and caused by the changes in magnetic field states in solar active regions. Earth and its surrounding space environment can suffer from various negative impacts caused by solar flares ranging from electronic communication disruption to radiation exposure-based health risks to the astronauts. In this paper, we address the solar flare prediction problem from magnetic field parameter-based multivariate time series (MVTS) data using multiple state-of-the-art machine learning classifiers that include MINImally RandOm Convolutional KErnel Transform (MINIROCKET), Support Vector Machine (SVM), Canonical Interval Forest (CIF), Multiple Representations SEQuence Learner (Mr-SEQL), and Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM)-based deep learning model. Our experiment is conducted on the on the Space Weather ANalytics for Solar Flares (SWAN-SF) benchmark data set, which is a partitioned collection of MVTS data of active region magnetic field parameters spanning over 9 years of operation of the Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO). The MVTS instances of the SWAN-SF dataset are labeled by GOES X-ray flux-based flare class labels, and attributed to extreme class imbalance because of the rarity of the major flaring events (e.g., X and M). As a performance validation metric in this class-imbalanced dataset, we used the true skill statistic (TSS) score. Finally, we demonstrate the advantages of the MVTS learning algorithm MINIROCKET, which outperformed the aforementioned classifiers without the need for essential data preprocessing steps such as normalization, statistical summarization, and class imbalance handling heuristics.

Solar energy adoption worldwide has expanded exponentially due to a surge in international interest in producing clean energy and the declining cost of solar power plants and their technology. It is anticipated that by 2050, solar will have surpassed fossil fuels to become the primary source of energy. However, one of the main challenges associated with solar energy production is the instability of photovoltaic (PV) power generation because of weather changes. Short-term forecasting of the power output of photovoltaic systems is essential for efficient management of the power grid and energy markets. This paper aims to evaluate the ability of deep learning (DL) models to provide accurate forecasting of hourly global horizontal irradiance (GHI) using different sets of features, including weather and aerosol variables along with solar radiation components. The results show that the best forecast skills are achieved by the long short-term memory autoencoder (LSTM-AE) model.

A widely used material for the photovoltaic (PV) arrays is crystalline silicon. The PV conversion losses of a power plant as a yearly average, include: light reflection losses (3,1%), low radiation and shadowing losses (3,2%), DC board losses (1,2%), DC/AC conversion losses (4%), mismatching losses (5,7%), temperature losses (7,6%), it can be stated that the major fraction of losses is related to the temperature increase of the sili-con solar cells. In real operating conditions, solar cells and modules operate at different temperatures, either due to changes in ambient temperature (atmospheric conditions changing with the seasons) and cooling rate, depending on wind speed and insolation, rain, snow, etc., or due to changes in the amount of heat (electrical power lost on the internal resistance of the cell), emitted during their operation. The possibility of operation of these devices in ground applications in the temperature range from -20 to +70C should be taken into account. The given range, of course, does not apply to work in the tropics. The detailed studies of the temperature on the electrical parameters of crystalline silicon solar cells have been presented. The theoretical justification of the temperature influence mechanism on the exploitation parameters of the silicon solar cells was submitted. Photovoltaic cells and modules are of better quality, the lower the value of temperature coefficients, in particular, attention should be paid to the decrease in maximum power with increasing temperature.The experimental results were compared with the theoretical predictions and the results, obtained by other authors and producers.

Near space environment is the airspace at an altitude of 20 km-100 km, where complex conditions such as low temperature, low pressure, high wind speed and solar radiation exist. As one of the important meteorological parameters, temperature is crucial for space activities, but the influence of the complex environment makes the error of conventional temperature measurement methods large. Therefore, a new microbridge temperature sensor was designed that can reduce solar radiation and achieve a fast response. And through simulation analysis, the three factors influencing the temperature errors of Joule heat, solar radiation heat and aerodynamic heat were investigated. And the influence of temperature error is reduced by optimizing the installation position of the sensor. Through the temperature error model, the error value in the actual measurement value is removed, to realize the high accuracy detection of near-space temperature.

Currently, the Israeli energy industry faces the challenge of a considerable increase in solar electricity production. Being a relatively isolated system, the significant expansion of solar electricity may cause problems with electricity quality. The electrical storage installation can resolve this problem. In Israel's situation, the optimal solution can be the creation of a channel between the Mediterranean and the Dead Sea. The channel can solve three closely related problems: the increased production of desalinated water for domestic, industrial, and agricultural needs; the prevention of a permanent Dead Sea level decline and its imminent disappearance; the development of hydro-pumping electrical storage stations; and the creation of numerous PV facilities in the Negev area for national electricity generation. However, a detailed analysis should be done for the estimation of the possible increase of solar electric generation with the consideration of a stochastic PV outcome and a potential ability to use the Dead Sea for the brine discharge from electrical hydro-storage plants.

Several studies have shown that combining TiO2 and Cu2O enhances the photocatalytic activity of the material by generating a heterojunction capable of extending the light absorption in the visible and reducing the electron-hole recombination rate. Ball milling has been chosen as an alternative methodology for photocatalyst preparation, among the several techniques documented in the literature review. The results of a previously reported investigation enabled the identification of the most effective photocatalyst that can be prepared for hydrogen generation by combining Cu2O and TiO2 (i.e., 1%wt Cu2O in TiO2 photocatalyst prepared by ball-milling method at 200 rpm and 1 min milling time). To optimize photocatalytic hydrogen generation in the presence of the greatest photocatalyst, the effects of (i) sacrificial species and their concentration, (ii) temperature, and (iii) pH of the system are taken into account, resulting in a light-to-chemical energy efficiency of 8% under the best-tested conditions. Last but not least, the possibility of using the present photocatalytic system under direct solar light irradiation is evaluated: the results indicate that nearly 60% of the hydrogen production recorded under sunlight can be attributed to the visible component of the solar spectrum, while the remaining 40% can be attributed to the UV component.