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A super-structure system for probability densities, covering not just typical types but also fractional ones, was developed using the time scale theory. From a mathematical point of view, we discover duals of the Poisson process on the time scale T = R for the time scales T = Z and T = q Z , evaluating ∇ - calculus and Δ - calculus. Also, we search the fractional extensions of the Poisson process on these time scales and detect duals of them. A simulation allows for comparing the nabla and delta types of the observed distributions, not just typical types but also fractional ones. As an application, we also propose new substitution boxes (S-boxes) using the proposed stochastic models and compare the performance of S-boxes created in this way. Given that the S-box is the core for confusion in Advanced Encryption Standard (AES), the formation of these new S-boxes represents an interesting application of these stochastic models. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Optical bistability is investigated for optomechanical system composed of an ensemble of inhomogeneously broadened two-level atoms embedded between the two mirrors of the optical cavity, that is subjected to two input (strong and probe) fields. We consider two types of inhomogeneous broadened distributions, namely, Lorentzian and Gaussian line shapes. The first order harmonic components of the output fields (due to the presence of probe field) show reversed and knotted bistability shapes simultaneously with the standard bistable shape of the fundamental component of the field at frequency ω c . The inhomogeneous broadened line width for both Lorentzian and Gaussian distribution affects the dispersive switching of the system, as well as the bistable behavior. Locations of the maxima of photon numbers associated with higher harmonics of the output fields are identified with respect to the probe field frequency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Constantly eaten foods (such as fruits, vegetables, cereal, etc.) that contain excessive concentrations of heavy metals pose a major risk to human health and deplete the food supply. The amounts of heavy metals in different date varietiies were measured after they were collected from three wholesale markets in the major cities of Dhaka, Bangladesh, and Medina. In order to look at the health risks associated with heavy metal consumption after intake of dates, the Average Daily Intake (ADI), Hazard Quotient (HQ), and Hazard Index (HI) were also calculated. Results: Copper (Cu), Cadmium (Cd), Chromium (Cr), Iron (Fe), Lead (Pb), Manganese (Mn), Nickel (Ni), and Zinc (Zn) levels were evaluated. Several analyses of date fruit exhibited levels of Pb and Cd in different date varieties that beyond the Maximum Permissible Limit (MPL). In the majority of the samples, ADI was below the upper authorized tolerated daily consumption. The likelihood of a health risk from the regular eating of the investigated date fruits is revealed by the hazardous indexes of samples taken from New Market and Badamtali that surpassed unit value as a result of excessive air pollution brought on by greater industrial and vehicle traffic. According to the study, the majority of the analyzed heavy metals were identified in date samples and those from later samples at levels that were less harmful than the maximum acceptable threshold (MAL). Conclusions: Some samples included higher levels of Pb and Cd. As a result, eating dates that contain more metal has a higher chance of harming your health. Additionally, it has been recommended that regular testing for heavy metals in date fruits may be useful in preventing health risks associated with eating fruits that are contaminated with heavy metals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lignocellulosic abaca is a plausible choice as a green material due to the growing demand for eco-friendly products and the ever-increasing knowledge of sustainable alternatives to synthetic materials. Abaca fibre is extracted from the plant through tuxying, stripping, and drying processes. The yield and properties of abaca fibre are governed by the extraction techniques. In order to ensure the optimum performance of abaca fibre, alkali treatment is the single most critical step after fibre extraction. The partial elimination of unnecessary chemical constituents of abaca fibre is beneficial to the load-transferring efficiency between fibre and matrix, thus uplifting the overall performance of the composites. The addition of abaca fibre undeniably improves the mechanical properties and structural integrity of the composites to a greater extent if the fibre-matrix adhesion is excellent. The distinctive features of lignocellulosic abaca fibre make it a great choice for a variety of applications across many sectors. When developing green composite materials, thermoplastic polymers, such as PLA, PHB, and polyurethane, have been preferable matrix materials due to their excellent recyclability and ease of processing. Since abaca fibre is one of the largest sources of agricultural waste, the combination of lignocellulosic abaca fibre and thermoplastic polymers is speculated to enhance the economic value and eco-friendliness of the sustainable composite materials, which is in line with the principle of zero waste strategy. With increasing research studies focusing on optimising material performance, it can be foreseen that lignocellulosic abaca fibre-reinforced thermoplastic composites will be subjected to continuous growth in a broad range of engineering applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we propose a first-order non-negative integer-valued autoregressive (INAR(1)) model with one-misrecorded Poisson (OMP) marginal via a combination of the generalized binomial thinning and mixture Pegram operators for zero-inflated and one deflated count time series. The suggested model is suitable for multimodal, equi- and over-dispersed data modeling. It contains two particular cases: the mixture of Pegram and thinning of a first-order integer-valued autoregressive (MPT(1)) with Poisson and one-misrecorded Poisson. The distribution of the innovation term is derived as a mixture of degenerate distributions at 0 and 1, and two Poisson distributions with certain parameters. Regression and several statistical properties of the proposed model are discussed. We investigate the distribution of the runs (the lengths of zeros and ones). The parameters of the model are estimated using the maximum-likelihood, modified Yule–Walker, and modified conditional least squares methods. The estimation of the parameters, their behavior, and their performance are presented through a simulation study. Two practical data sets on the monthly cases of criminal records and weekly sales are applied to check the proposed process’s performance against other relevant INAR(1) models, showing its capabilities in the challenging case of over-dispersed count data. Furthermore, the proposed model discusses data forecasting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we derive the exact expressions, as well as recurrence relations, for the single and product moments of the order statistics (OSs) and record values of the Topp-Leone Lomax (TLLo) distribution proposed by Oguntunde et al. (Wirel Person Commun 109:349–360, 2019). In addition, we study the corresponding L-moments. We estimate the distribution parameters through these L-moments and compare our results to those obtained in other models. Subsequently, motivated by the study of Okorie and Nadarajah (Wirel Person Commun 115:589–596, 2020), we fit the flood level data to the TLLo distribution. Finally, we reveal a relationship between the entropy and the upper and lower record values, as well as OSs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Silicon nanoparticles (Si NPs) have long been acknowledged for their ability to enhance plant defense against various biotic and abiotic stresses. Maize (Zea mays L.), among the plants known to accumulate Si NPs, is enhanced under stress conditions like alkalinity. In Pakistan's soils, sodium (Na+) is a dominant cation, and alkalinity (pH > 7) owing to Na+ salt is a big issue in the soil solution of agricultural soils of Pakistan. This study aimed to investigate the effects of different concentrations of Na2CO3 (0 and 75 mM) on maize seeds, along with varying levels of silicon nanoparticles (Si NPs) seed priming 0, 1.5 mM, and 3 mM over 25 days. The alkaline stress significantly impaired growth parameters, leaf relative water content (LRWC), and the concentrations of photosynthetic pigments, soluble sugars, total phenols, and potassium ions (K+), as well as the potassium/sodium ion (K+/Na+) ratio. However, this stress led to increased levels of soluble proteins, total free amino acids, proline, and sodium ions (Na+), and elevated the activities of antioxidant enzymes superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), and peroxidase (POD) in the stressed plants. Conversely, applying silicon nanoparticles through seed-priming mitigated the growth impediments in stressed plants. This intervention resulted in improved LRWC, higher levels of photosynthetic pigments, soluble sugars, soluble proteins, total free amino acids, and potassium ions (K+). Moreover, Si NPs enhanced the activities of SOD, CAT, and POD enzymes. Si supplementation also led to decreased levels of proline and sodium ions (Na+), which in turn facilitated a more favorable adjustment of the K+/Na+ ratio in stressed plants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, a comparison was conducted involving novel chitosan/polyvinyl alcohol-based membranes comprising carbon nanotubes and molybdenum trioxide nanoparticles. This comparison's primary focus was to assess synthesized membranes' effectiveness in removing methyl red from aqueous solutions. The Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy confirmed the presence of specific functional groups and homogeneous dispersion of carbon nanotubes and molybdenum trioxide nanoparticles within the membranes, respectively. The membranes underwent additional characterization using various swelling parameters to assess mechanical strength and cross-linking. These parameters included swelling over time in water, swelling in electrolyte solutions, and different pH solutions and gel fraction analysis. Furthermore, the diffusion of water adhered Fickian diffusion principle. Various adsorption parameters were employed, including batch studies, isotherm studies at different pH levels, and temperature studies. The results of the batch study highlighted that chitosan/polyvinyl alcohol/carbon nanotubes membrane exhibited the highest adsorption, reaching approximately 9.7 mM/g (98%) and achieving equilibrium within 60 min. The maximum adsorption of methyl red was observed at pH 7 and decreased with increasing temperature. Moreover, the experimental data were simulated using kinetic models (pseudo-first-order, pseudo-second-order, Elovich model, and diffusion model) and isothermal models (Freundlich, Langmuir, and Langmuir Freundlich). Data indicated that pseudo-first order was the best-fitted model, which confirms physisorption. Among the isothermal models, Langmuir exhibited the most suitable fit, confirming that single-layer adsorption had taken place on the adsorbent surface. Thermodynamic parameters were studied, ensuring the adsorption process was exothermic and spontaneous. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Here, we report the synthesis of CeO2 and a reduced graphene oxide (rGO)/CeO2 nanocomposite prepared through a facile single-step hydrothermal procedure. Modern measurement techniques, including x-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), high-resolution (HR)-TEM, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), UV–Vis spectroscopy, photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopy, and photocatalytic and electrochemical measurements, were utilized to analyze the as-obtained CeO2 nanoparticles (NPs) and rGO/CeO2 nanocomposite. XRD patterns for the synthesized CeO2 and rGO/CeO2 revealed a pure cubic phase of CeO2. Field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM) images showed nanocrystalline CeO2 NPs almost uniformly anchored on the rGO surface. The results of UV–Vis absorption spectra of the synthesized nanocomposite showed a prominent red shift of the optical absorption edge. The photocatalytic performance of the prepared CeO2 and rGO/CeO2 was examined for rhodamine B (RhB) dye degradation under sunlight irradiation. The rGO/CeO2 nanocomposite demonstrated high photocatalytic activity against RhB dye in 100 min under sunlight irradiation. This enhancement was attributed to the significant suppression of the recombination of photo-generated electron–hole pairs and rapid transport through rGO sheets, and the lower band gap energy of the rGO/CeO2 nanocomposite. The electrochemical characteristics of the prepared CeO2 nanoparticles and rGO/CeO2 nanocomposite were examined by cyclic voltammetry (CV), galvanostatic charge/discharge (GCD), and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) techniques. The results indicated that the rGO/CeO2 nanocomposite showed better capacitive behavior than pure CeO2 NPs, possibly owing to the excellent electrical conductivity and substantial specific surface area attributable to rGO. The desirable features attained in the rGO/CeO2 nanocomposite make it suitable for use in applications such as environmental pollution remediation and electrochemical energy storage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Influenza epidemic data are seasonal in nature. Zero-inflation, zero-deflation, overdispersion, and underdispersion are frequently seen in such number of cases of disease (count) data. To explain these counts' features, this paper introduces a flexible model for nonnegative integer-valued time series with a seasonal autoregressive structure. Some probabilistic properties of the model are discussed for general seasonal INAR(p) model and three estimation methods are used to estimate the model parameters for its special case seasonal INAR(1) model. The performance of the estimation procedures has been studied using simulation. The proposed model is applied to analyze weekly influenza data from the Breisgau- Hochschwarzwald county of Baden–Württemberg state, Germany. The empirical findings show that the suggested model performs better than existing models. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Premature failure of two upward-inclined underground pipes carrying sewage caused sinkhole formation in a busy urban road. Metallurgical failure analysis revealed that the pipes were made of ductile cast iron. External and internal coatings were appropriate to protect the pipes from external soil and internal sewage slurry corrosion. Partial filling of sewage slurry during the pumping recess allowed turbulent flow in the empty section during pumping, and the impact of turbulence eroded the internal coating, i.e., mortar lining, introduced erosion–corrosion and progressively reduced the pipe wall thickness in the upper half of the pipes resulting to weakening. Intermittent turbulence led to some localized corrosion fatigue-induced fracture in the weakened pipe wall. Erosion–corrosion with the assistance of corrosion fatigue led to the premature failure of the ductile cast iron pipes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Currently, the conversion of biomass to produce high-valued biofuels such as biodiesel and bio-jet fuel has attached booming interests, when used for partial replacement of petroleum fuels in different ratios is a promising solution due to the problem of depleting petroleum reserves and environmental purposes. Non-edible Jatropha oil can be transformed to biofuel when subjected to were hydrocracking at hydrogen pressure using an activated natural clay as a catalyst in a high pressure batch reactor. The type of product and its quality and quantity depend on the process conditions such as reaction time, temperature, and catalyst type, form, and amount. The present work aims to study the hydrocracking process of Jatropha oil at different operating conditions. The catalyst is characterized using SEM, FTIR, XRF, and XRD. The effect of process conditions variation have been studied and discussed. The results showed the highest yield of 40% bio-jet fuel was achieved at a temperature of 350 °C, H2 pressure of 4 bar, and reaction time of 18 min. the bio-jet fuel products were tested and their specifications were conformed to ASTM D1655 specifications, viz the freezing point (−56 °C), the flash point (53 °C), and existent gum content (5.9 mg/100 ml). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study aims to assess groundwater resources in Sinai's central area using remote sensing, geoelectric, and well-logging data, utilising techniques for modelling hydrogeological frameworks and evaluating desert regions' groundwater potential. Its utilized satellite image sources, soil maps, and geological maps to map the effects of various factors on groundwater potentiality recharge, dividing it into five zones. Eighteen deep VES stations were used to examine the upper part of the groundwater aquifer in Central Sinai, Egypt, comparing it with available borehole information (Well-1, and JICA-1) to establish subsurface geology and hydro-geology positioning. Borehole data, VES interpretation results, hydro-geophysical maps, and four geoelectrical cross-sections were used to visualize the rearward expansion of eight lithological units, groundwater-bearing sections, and aquifer-filled thicknesses. From interpretation data output reveal three zones with significant recharge and storage potential, including two groundwater aquifers. The shallow aquifer has a saturation thickness of the fractured limestone of 35–250 m, while the deep aquifer Nubian sandstone is detected at depths ranging from 660–1030 m. NW–SE and NE–SW faults likely recharge conduits connecting shallow and deep aquifers, providing sites with acceptable groundwater potential for living, agriculture, and development in Sinai. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, a versatile model, called α -monotone inverse Weibull distribution (α IW), for lifetime of a component under stress is introduced by using the α -monotone concept. The α IW distribution is also expressed as a scale-mixture between the inverse Weibull distribution and uniform distribution on (0, 1). The α IW distribution includes α -monotone inverse exponential and α -monotone inverse Rayleigh distributions as submodels and converenges to the inverse Weibull, inverse exponential, and inverse Rayleigh distributions as limiting cases. Also, slash Weibull, slash Rayleigh, and slash exponential distribuitons can be obtained under certain variable transformation and parameter settings. The α IW distribution is characterized by its hazard rate function and characterizing conditions are provided as well. Maximum likelihood, maximum product of spacing, and least squares methods are used to estimate distribution parameters. A Monte-Carlo simulation study is conducted to compare the efficiencies of the considered estimation methods. In the application part, two practical data sets, Kevlar 49/epoxy and Kevlar 373/epoxy, are modeled via the α IW distribution. Modeling performance of the α IW distribution is compared with its rivals by means of some well-known goodness-of-fit statistics and results show that α IW distribution performs better modeling than them. Results of comparison also indicate that obtaining the α IW distribution by using the α -monotone concept is cost effective since the new shape parameter added to the distribution by using the α -monotone concept significantly increases the modeling capability of the IW distribution. As a result of this study, it is shown that the α IW distribution can be an alternative to the well-known and recently-introduced distributions for modeling purposes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

On the basis of power and exponential transformations, an original family of distributions is created and studied. Thanks to two tuning parameters, it has the capacity to generalize a few of the present families, which have been widely used in recent data. As a first contribution of this paper, a theoretical result is demonstrated on the admissible values of these parameters. Then, some of the properties of the family are established, including functional series expansions, quantile function, and moments. After that, we exemplify the theory; a special case based on the Weibull distribution is emphasized. It can be described as a new two-parameter lifetime distribution. It is of interest because of its original and flexible functionalities in terms of probability density and hazard rate shapes, and manageable properties, including a closed form expression of the quantile function. Five different and efficient estimation methods are examined for the point estimation of the parameters of this special distribution. A simulation work is performed to compare these estimation methods. Finally, we apply the special distribution to two real-world datasets to illustrate its usefulness, and compare it to some competitors, including some based on the Weibull distribution. According to the data analysis, the proposed distribution works well. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the past ten years, trigonometric-type distributions have drawn a lot of attention due to their excellent capacity to assess a wide range of data types thanks to their oscillatory characteristics. In this article, we contribute to the development of such distributions by providing a flexible version of the sine-generated family of distributions. It is elaborated by combining the famous "sine-generated family" with a newly introduced family: the modified power generalized family. In the first part, we study its main theoretical properties, providing the corresponding probabilistic functions, quantiles, and tractable series expansions for moments, among others. An emphasis is put on the member of the family defined with the exponential distribution as the baseline distribution; a new two-parameter lifetime exponential distribution is thus created. The second part is devoted to inference and statistical applications. The maximum likelihood, least squares, weighted least squares, Cramér–von Mises, and Anderson–Darling methods are examined to estimate the unknown parameters of the new exponential distribution. To assess the performance of these estimates, a Monte Carlo simulation is run. Two real-life data sets are analyzed to demonstrate the flexibility of the proposed family. It is found that the new exponential model is more flexible than the comparable models, including the modified power exponential models. In the last part, we use some members of this new family to compute the ruin probabilities in the insurance company problems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, Nb2CTx MXene reinforced commercially pure magnesium composite was processed using traditional blend-press-sinter technique. The added one volume percentage of Nb2CTx MXene was fairly dispersed around the magnesium particles despite having sporadic clustering. Nb2CTx MXene reinforcement was stable and developed defect free strong interfacial bonding with the magnesium matrix. The small amount of chemically compatible and thermally stable Nb2CTx MXene reinforcement was successful in enhancing the bulk hardness and compressive yield strength, compressive strength, ductility and fracture toughness of the commercially pure magnesium. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Natural resource extraction has raised serious environmental-related concerns among policy analysts and environmental economists. To further clarify whether or not natural resource rent affects environmental sustainability, this study investigates the potential impact of natural resource rent on environmental sustainability by addressing the interaction effect of urbanization and natural resource rent for data spanning from 1971 to 2017 in the context of Pakistan. Ecological footprint, carbon emissions, and carbon footprint are used as indicators for environmental sustainability. The application of the dynamic autoregressive distributive lag method infers that the natural resource rent contributes to carbon emission and alternatively urbanization helps pollution mitigation. The interaction between urbanization and natural resource rent plays a moderating role in reducing carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions, ecological and carbon footprint. The co-efficient value of natural resources, urbanization and interaction effect of urbanization with natural resource ranging from 0.021 to 0.788; 0.287 to 1.689 and 0.033 to 0.320, respectively. The study invites the attention of policymakers toward more sophisticated policies regarding sustainable natural use, controlling environmental pollution, and keeping urbanization intact. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to investigate waste-tea's pyrolysis kinetics and thermodynamics to assess its potential for thermochemical processes. In this study, three primary samples of tea-waste are prepared for investigation: raw, torrefied at 200 °C, and torrefied at 600 °C. Under a nitrogen environment, thermogravimetric analyses (TGA) were conducted at seven heating rates (10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35, and 40 °C/min) to investigate the effect of heating rates on the kinetic parameters at temperatures ranging from 27 to 1000 °C. Using seven heating rates was beneficial to take advantage of multiple heating rates techniques alongside single heating rate techniques. These heating rates were combined, forming four heating rate groups (HRG). The pyrolysis kinetic parameters are determined using two model-fit-methods, direct Arrhenius and Coats-Redfern methods, and two model-free methods, Flynn-Wall-Ozawa (FWO) and Kissinger-Akahira-Sunose (KAS) methods. Thermodynamic data comprising ΔH, ΔG, and ΔS are addressed. The X-ray fluorescence (XRF) and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectrum are used to assess the presence of natural minerals in tea-waste. The results indicated that the tea-waste material has the potential to produce syngas. The torrefaction process at 600 °C shows a 53% increase in the energy content compared to the raw biomass. The Coats-Redfern is shown to be more reliable than the direct Arrhenius method. The activation energy (Ea) witnesses rising with the heating rate (β) from Ea = 55.27 kJ mol−1 at β = 10 °C min−1 to 60.04 kJ mol−1 at β = 40 °C min−1 for raw tea-waste using Coats-Redfern method. For model-free approaches, the minimum activation energy values of the raw tea-waste samples are 82 kJ/mol for FWO and 78 kJ/mol for KAS, whereas the peak values are 420 kJ/mol for KAS and 411 kJ/mol for FWO. A comparison of the effect of heating rate groups for FWO method in raw material case indicated that HRG1 has the maximum activation energy average value. The resulting values of HRG1, HRG2, HRG3, and HRG4 were 269 kJ/mol, 145 kJ/mol, 174 kJ/mol, and 202 kJ/mol, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Heavy metal pollution is a serious threat to the environment. The current study aims to assess the role of Bacillus anthracis PM21 for the adsorption of cadmium Cd(II), chromium Cr(VI), and nickel Ni(II) from contaminated water. Possible mechanisms and bacterial surface changes during the adsorption process were evaluated at constant temperature (35 ± 2 °C). The maximum biosorption (q) values 22, 57.04, and 5 mg/g for Cd, Cr, and Ni were observed at pH 8, 6, and 4, respectively. The optimum contact time for biosorption was 60 min at 50 mg L−1 concentration of heavy metals. Isotherm models were used to simulate the metals biosorption onto Bacillus anthracis PM21 surface at equilibrium. Langmuir's model gave the best fit with R2 values for Cd = 0.997, Cr = 0.996, and Ni = 0.976. The adsorption kinetics followed the pseudo-second-order kinetic model. The Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy analysis showed that different surface ligands: OH, C–O–C, C=O, S=O, N–O, CH2, and C–H, could be involved in the biosorption of metals on to Bacillus anthracis PM21. The scanning electron microscope analysis showed that bacterial cells exposed to Cd, Cr, and Ni were rough and exhibited more cell size relative to the unexposed cells. There was adhesion of polymeric substances on the bacterial cell wall. Results revealed a variation in cell size, but cells maintained their shape. It is concluded that the B. anthracis PM21 is a promising biosorbent for the elimination of Cd(II), Cr(VI), and Ni(II) from aqueous solutions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article introduces the Fréchet log-logistic distribution (FLD) model, which offers a notable, bounded, and flexible distribution for modeling increasing and bathtub shapes failure rate phenomena. Compared to well-known distributions like Weibull and Fréchet distributions, the proposed FLD model provides a more adaptable solution to lifetime data modeling. Various mathematical and statistical characteristics of the model, including the hazard function, percentile function, moment generating function, entropy, and characterization, are considered. Real-life data applications of the FLD model are also explored using four data sets, and the results show that the proposed model is a viable alternative to existing lifetime probability models. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple hydrothermal process was used to successfully produce two-dimensional (2D) MoS2 powder flower-like nanosheets. The structure of the end product 2D-MoS2 is altered by changing the preparation conditions of reaction time and pH value with a constant autoclave temperature. Via annealing at 500°C, all samples transfer into 2H-MoS2 instead of 1T-MoS2. X-ray diffraction patterns showed that the peaks along (002) planes shifted dramatically from 14.2° to 9.4°. Field emission scanning electron microscopy and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy images revealed that the prepared samples have a flower-like structure composed of spheres of nanosheets with a good polycrystalline structure. The energy gap for pristine and annealed samples is calculated from diffuse reflectance measurements and found to be 1.3 and 0.68 eV, respectively. Differential scanning calorimeter curves showed an impressive exothermic peak at 318°C, suggesting a structural to the stable 2H-MoS2 phase. The Brunauer–Emmett–Teller technique showed rapid decreases in the samples surface area at nearly 48 m2 g–1 with the structural transformation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, a new truncated (0, b)-F family of lifetime distributions is introduced. Its main interest is to provide simple and flexible probability density functions with a bounded support without introducing non-explicit normalization constants, unlike the family based on the classical truncation technique. A detailed examination of a subdistribution known as the (0, b)-exponential distribution is carried out. Among its features, this distribution has unimodal, left-skewed, and decreasing shapes for the probability density function, while it has increasing and convex shapes for the corresponding hazard rate function. The distribution's properties are studied in depth, including moments, quantiles, and first-order stochastic dominance. Maximum likelihood estimates of the distribution parameters are obtained. Furthermore, a simulation study is conducted to gain some information on the performance of these estimates. Fitting two reliability data sets demonstrates the model's utility among alternative models via some measures of goodness-of-fit. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Air pollution caused by burning fossil fuel is a threat to human health and climatic change. Traffic congestion increases vehicle emissions and the resulting air pollution. This research examines the ambient air quality around the university highway of Northern Technical University (NTU), Mosul city, Iraq. Major pollutants such as benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylene (BTEX), fine particulate matter (PM2.5), carbon monoxide (CO), nitric oxides (NO), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), nitrogen oxides (NOx), and ozone (O3), were measured for a period of 90 days using mobile laboratory devices. Meteorological sensors were also utilized to record air temperature, wind speed and direction, humidity, and pressure, and all the data were analyzed. The pollutants concentrations were further analyzed using Pearson correlation analysis (PCA). The results revealed that the levels of NOx, PM2.5, and O3 were high, and the maximum benzene value was found to be 9.84 µg/m3 exceeding the established annual limit value of 5 µg/m3 by air quality guidelines and standards. The study is a valuable reference for air pollution and air quality data for Mosul city. The result could be helpful in monitoring and development of the most affordable strategy for air pollution remediation and implementation of control measures for the city of Mosul. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wireless sensor network (WSN) is the predominantly used technology in building real-time event monitoring and dissemination frameworks for the internet of things (IoT) applications. However, WSN being power-hungry, fragile, and highly susceptible to loss of connectivity, it becomes vital to strengthen the network's communication reliability and energy efficiency. In this paper, a power-efficient compressive data fusion and cluster-based multi-hop relay-assisted protocol (PECDF-CMRP) for IoT sensor networks is proposed. Firstly, K-means algorithm is adapted to assign the nodes into unequal cells. Then cluster heads are nominated by multi-weight functions. Next, relays are chosen from the K cells to establish cooperative networks for data broadcast from the event sectors to the central gateway. The relay allocation is formulated as a maximization problem regarding the node's energy and path loss. The data aggregation is realized with single-level wavelet sparsity-based fusion. Experimental results confirm the supremacy of the proposed PECDF-CMRP in terms of reduced delay and energy consumption with enhanced lifetime and reception-ratio well above related models. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The charged particle multiplicity as a function of pseudorapidity (η ), transverse momentum spectra ( p T ), average transverse momentum ( ⟨ p ⊥ ⟩ ), and multiplicity as a function of the number of charged particles have been studied using various cosmic rays and non-cosmic rays Monte Carlo (MC) event generators in pp collisions at s = 13 TeV. The distributions are investigated for transverse momentum, p T > 0.5 GeV, pseudorapidity | η | < 2.5 and requirement of at least one charged particle produced in an event. Additionally, these measurements for reduced phase space region with a requirement of | η | < 0.8 are also performed. We show the models' predictions in contrast with the experimental data from ATLAS and CMS. It has been observed from these measurements that none of the discussed model-based event generators completely predict the experimental results except EPOS, which, in general, has excellent agreement with the data. The cosmic-ray (CR) simulation models can cover the central region of rapidity density distributions. Gribov's Reggeon Field Theory (RFT)-based models treat the diffractive scattering more advanced than the CR models. The model-based observations can be constructive to re-tune some basic parameters and help to study the extrapolation at the highest possible energies. These observations can also help put possible constraints on improving the pQCD and non-pQCD-based hadronic event generators. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we present a generator function-based mapping called the generalized omega function. We show that a particular class of exponential functions is the asymptotic generalized omega function class. Owing to this property of the new function, it can be utilized for constructing bounded alternatives to cumulative distribution functions and density functions of some well-known random variables, including the Weibull, exponential and standard normal. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The goal of present study is determining subsurface structural elements by analyzing geomagnetic data sets aiming to examine their impacts on geological surface structures characterizing the western region in Beni-Suef Governorate, Western Desert, Egypt. A land-magnetic survey is conducted by two exceedingly sensitive proton magnetometers to measure the total intensity of geomagnetic field at the region under investigation. The measurements of regional gradients and time variation were applied to get the required reduction of daily variation. The regional expansions of subsurface structural units were obtained after applying the reduction to north magnetic pole (RTP) method to the corrected magnetic data acquired from land-magnetic survey along with Bouguer maps (1:100,000 scale and 1-mGal contouring interval). Regional-residual technique was applied depending on the power spectrum analysis. Moreover, the edge detection approach is conducted to depict the structures and subsurface hidden anomalies. Different handling processes were applied for acquired land magnetic datasets such as Euler deconvolution and trend analysis. The results of current study revealed that four significant structural forces across the N-S, NW–SE, NE-SW, and E-W directions affected the region. Estimating the basement depth was accomplished using a number of spectral analysis techniques. The values of estimated depths are used for creating a basement relief map. Moreover, the achieved results show that depths to the basement at the region under study vary between 2.3 and 4.7 km. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This work reports on the formation kinetics of magnesium aluminate spinel (MAS), from α-Al2O3 and MgO nanopowders. A non-isothermal kinetic analysis was performed by the thermodilatometric analysis (TDA) for the first time. The measurements were carried out using a dilatometer on compact samples with heating rates from 3 to 11 °C min–1. Phases formed during the spinelisation process, in specimens heat-treated in both the dilatometer and furnace, were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD). The use of pure nano-oxide powders to produce spinel reduced the formation temperature and activation energy. MAS started to form, in the furnace heat-treated specimens, at 1000 °C and its formation was complete at 1400 °C. For specimens heated in the dilatometer, MAS formation temperature increased from 1002 to 1061 °C with the increase in heating rate from 3 to 11 °C min−1. The activation energy for spinelisation, under non-isothermal conditions, was calculated by linear reaction models (Integral isoconversional methods) using Flynn–Wall–Ozawa (FWO) method. Boswell, and Kissinger equations. The average activation energy (Ea), correlation coefficient (R2), Avrami parameter (n), and dimensionality of crystal growth (m) were equal to 293.31 kJ mol−1, 0.99, 1.22, and 0.98, respectively. The Johnson–Mehl–Avrami (JMA) reaction model, following Ligero method (Differential isoconversional methods), was used to analyze spinelisation kinetics under non-isothermal conditions. The average activation energy (Ea), correlation coefficient (R2), Avrami parameter (n), and the frequency factor (k0) were found to be 283.90 kJ mol−1, 0.99, 1.2, and 4.17 × 108 s−1, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article, we introduce a notable bounded distribution based on a modification of the epsilon function that creates an upper bound on the domain of a distribution. Further, a key feature of the distribution is to have asymptotic connections with the famous Lindley distribution, which is a weighted variant of the exponential distribution and also a mixture of exponential and gamma distributions. In some ways, the proposed distribution provides a flexible solution to the modeling of bounded characteristics that can be almost well-fitted by the Lindley distribution if the domain is restricted. Moreover, we have also explored its application, particularly with reference to lifetime and environmental points of view, and found that the proposed model exhibits a better fit among the competing models. Namely, we demonstrate the practical applicability of the new distribution on two data sets containing lifetime data, as well as on two other data sets of rainfall data. Further, from the annual rainfall analysis, the proposed model exhibits a realistic return period of the rainfall. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Recognizing the importance of effective pronunciation training for English as a Foreign Language (EFL) learners is paramount for improving their comprehensive language proficiency and communication skills. This study investigated the influence of High Variability Pronunciation Training (HVPT) with and without captions, on the accuracy of English diphthong pronunciations among Saudi EFL learners. A total of 56 undergraduate EFL learners participated in the study, undergoing multiple sessions of high-variability (HV) and low-variability (LV) pronunciation training. Various assessments were conducted to measure the learners’ performance, including pretests, posttests, generalized tests, and delayed tests. Additionally, a survey was conducted to gain insights into the participants’ perceptions of using YouGlish, a multimodal tool, as part of the training process. Data analysis used statistical techniques such as t-tests, ANOVA tests, and descriptive and inferential statistics. The findings indicate that both HV and LV improved the learners’ performance in English pronunciation, regardless of captioning. LV without captions consistently yielded the highest scores. The students also had positive perceptions of YouGlish as a multimodal tool. These results offer valuable insights into the efficacy of HV and LV in facilitating EFL learners’ speech production and offer implications for educators and practitioners involved in designing effective instructional strategies for enhancing EFL learners’ pronunciation skills.

The development of efficient carbon monoxide (CO) gas sensors with earth abundance and low cost is very important in gas sensing applications. The cobalt oxide material with various morphologies and structures demonstrates different gas sensing properties. In this work, different morphologies of nanostructured spinel cobalt oxide (Co3O4) have been synthesized by pulsed laser ablation in liquid media (PLAL) using high-purity cobalt as a target in several ethanol/water mixtures. The gas properties of the fabricated Co3O4-based sensors were investigated toward CO gas at various gas concentrations and operating temperatures. Several characterization techniques including TEM, XRD, XPS, and Raman spectroscopy were utilized to study the chemical and physical properties of the fabricated samples. The obtained results displayed that the morphology of the nanostructured Co3O4 could be controlled by altering the ethanol concentrations in the ablation media. Compared with the Co3O4 nanoparticles prepared by laser ablation in water, the Co3O4 nanosheets/flakes prepared at 70% ethanol exhibited superior sensitivity characteristics. A sensitivity of 360% was achieved at 300 °C and 200 ppm of CO. These results reordered for Co3O4 nanosheets/flakes demonstrate a brand-new approach for the fabrication of low-detection-limit CO sensors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study is aimed at investigating whether overexpression of the heat shock protein gene (AsHSP70) isolated from Agave sisalana will improve the heat stress tolerance in plants. AsHSP70 gene with a full-length cDNA of 1800 bp, encoding 282 amino acids, was functionally characterized. Bioinformatics tools showed the theoretical isoelectric point is pI = 4.780, located in the nucleus with 76.8% reliability having an N-terminal signal domain. 3D model, showed an ATP and ADP ligands with –6.2 and 6.5 kJ/mol binding affinity respectively. AsHSP70 was cloned in Plant expression vector in fusion with Green Florescent Protein from pGWB5 vector. Syringe agroinfiltration of Agrobacterium tumefaciens harboring AsHSP70/GFP was done into leaf of Nicotiana benthamiana. Spermidine was applied to the infiltrated tobacco plants for exogenous induction of polyamines under heat stress. Relative expression of AsHSP70 was significant in tobacco leaf under heat stress. Membrane stability index was about 95.59 and 96.53% and leaf relative water content was 4.43 and 3.44% respectively in infiltrated and polyamine-induced plants. Proline and sugar content were also increased under heat stress. Hence, we established that AsHSP70 is expressing transiently under heat stress in tobacco as model species and further genetic transformation of this gene will lead to induce the stress tolerance in agriculturally important crops. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This work deals with the synthesis of zinc oxide nanoparticles/activated carbon (ZnO NPs/AC) nanocomposites with different weight ratios (3:1, 1:1, and 1:3), where the antimicrobial, antiviral, and cytotoxicity impact of the formulated nanocomposites were evaluated versus the crude ZnO and AC samples. The formula (3:1; designated Z3C1) exhibited the utmost bactericidal effect against Gram positive group, unicellular and filamentous fungi. Regarding Gram negative group, the sample (Z3C1) was remarkably effective against Klebsiella pneumonia, unlike the case of Escherichia coli. Moreover, the whole samples showed negligible cytotoxicity against the human WI38 cell line, where the most brutality (4%) was exerted by 1000 µg/mL of the formula (Z1C3). Whilst, the formula (Z3C1) exerted the apical inhibition impact against Herpes simplex (HSV1) virus. Consequently, the synthesized (Z3C1) nanocomposite was sorted out to be fully characterized via different physicochemical techniques including FTIR, XRD, SEM, TEM, Zeta potential, TGA, and BET. XRD indicated a predominance of the crystalline pattern of ZnO NPs over the amorphous AC, while the FTIR chart confirmed an immense combination between the ZnO NPs and AC. SEM, TEM, and size distribution images illustrated that the fabricated ZnO NPs/AC was in the nanoscale size swung from 30 to 70 nm. The distinctive surface area of composite material, recording 66.27 m2/g, clearly disclosed its bioactivity toward different bacterial, fungal, and virus species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, a microalloyed low carbon steel was subjected to quenching and partitioning (Q&P) heat treatment processes. The primary ferrite-pearlite microstructure of the steel was transformed into a bainitic microstructure containing interlath and sporadic blocks of retained austenite. The applied heat treatment process partitioned the carbon into the retained austenite to a weight percentage of 0.136. The microalloyed low-carbon steel acquired a continuous yield with high yield strength, a gigapascal level of ultimate tensile strength (i.e., ~ 1.1 GPa), and a very low yield ratio (i.e., 0.55) while retaining reasonable ductility and toughness when compared to the preheat-treated values. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To contrast older and younger adults' prefrontal cortex (PFC) neural activity (through changes in oxygenated hemoglobin) during single and dual tasks, and to compare decrements in task performance. Methods: Changes in oxygenated hemoglobin of dorsolateral PFC were monitored using functional near-infrared spectroscopy during single tasks of spelling backwards (cognitive task) and 30 m preferred paced walk; and a dual task combining both. Gait velocity was measured by a pressure sensitive mat. Results: Twenty sex-matched younger (27.6 ± 3.5 years) and 17 older adults (71.2 ± 4.9 years) were recruited. The left PFC oxygenated hemoglobin decreased from start (1st quintile) to the end (5th quintile) of the walking task in younger adults (– 0.03 ± 0.03 to – 0.72 ± 0.20 µM; p <.05) unlike the non-significant change in older adults (0.03 ± 0.06 to – 0.41 ± 0.32 µM, p >.05). Overall, oxygenation increased bilaterally during dual versus single walk task in older adults (Left PFC: 0.22 ± 0.16 vs. – 0.23 ± 0.21 µM, respectively; Right PFC: 0.17 ± 0.18 vs. – 0.33 ± 0.22 µM, respectively), but only in right PFC in younger adults (– 0.02 ± 0.15 vs. – 0.47 ± 0.13 µM). Older adults exhibited lower velocity during the dual task compared to younger adults (1.03 ± 0.16 vs. 1.20 ± 0.17 m/s, respectively). Older age was associated with dual task cost on velocity during walking after adjusting for confounding variables. Conclusions: Age-related cognitive decline in older adults may increase neural activity for cognitive tasks and diminish walking automaticity that may lead to decrements during dual tasking; the greater PFC increases in the oxygenated hemoglobin and lower velocity may be due to increased cognitive load and limited attentional resources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The physical properties of La3+-doped Cu–Cd ferrites (CCF ferrites) were investigated with an aim to analyze the effect of large-sized La3+ cations on the structure, morphology, magnetization, permeability, and dielectric parameters. Temperature-dependent permeability and permittivity of CCF ferrites are in good agreement with locomotion of grains and grain boundaries. The CCF ferrites are synthesized by a sol–gel method. The Rietveld refinement promoted for the structural confirmation reveals the cubic spinel structure of CCF ferrites. The morphology of all ferrites investigated by surface scanning analysis images indicates the presence of cubical and triangular crystallites. The analysis of magnetic parameters of CCF ferrites measured through a high-field magnetization evidences magnetic transition from paramagnetic to ferrimagnetic phase. The magnetic permeability increases and magnetic loss decreases on enhancing La3+ content from 0.0 to 0.20. When temperature is stepped up from 25 to 150 °C, the permeability is improved. The increase in permittivity and decrease in ac conductivity is assigned to increase of grain size and reduction of grain boundaries as explained by Maxwell–Wagner model. The magnetic and electrical performance of CCF ferrites demonstrate their potential use in microwave devices. The CCF ferrites possessing soft magnetic behavior along with low magnetic and dielectric losses are promising nanomaterials for high-frequency applications too. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Text non-text separation is one of the most essential pre-processing steps for any optical character recognition (OCR) system. As an OCR engine can only process texts, the non-texts present in an input document image are required to be suppressed at the initial level. Therefore, to build a complete OCR system, an efficient text non-text separation module needs to be developed. To this end, we have proposed a texture-based feature descriptor followed by a novel feature selection technique for region-based text non-text classification. First, we have incorporated rotation invariant property with local ternary pattern to form a new texture-based feature descriptor, rotation invariant local ternary pattern (RILTP). Next, a novel feature selection technique is proposed which is a modified version of binary particle swarm optimization (BPSO). For the evaluation of the proposed text non-text classification method, we have initially constructed a database consisting of 690 images of text and non-text regions extracted from 70 pages of RDCL 2015 and 75 pages of RDCL 2017 page segmentation competitions databases. In this database, each class contains 345 data samples. The proposed texture-based feature descriptor has obtained an accuracy of 97.09% on this database. Whereas, after applying BPSO, the feature dimension is reduced by approximately 55% and at the same time, the accuracy reaches 97.5%. Furthermore, in this work, another database is also created from Media team document pages to validate the robustness of this method. The second database comprises 100 text and 100 non-text images. The method has achieved 96.28% accuracy when it is trained with the first database and tested with the second database. The comparative study reveals the robustness and strength of the proposed method as it outnumbers many state-of-the-art texture-based features. Besides, the proposed feature selection method is also compared with various standard feature selection methods, and it has been observed that the proposed one outperforms all those methods considered here for comparison. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cost management and toxic waste generation are two key issues that must be addressed before the commercialization of perovskite optoelectronic devices. We report a groundbreaking strategy for eco-friendly and cost-effective fabrication of highly efficient perovskite solar cells. This strategy involves the usage of a high volatility co-solvent, which dilutes perovskite precursors to a lower concentration (<0.5 M) while retaining similar film quality and device performance as a high concentration (>1.4 M) solution. More than 70% of toxic waste and material cost can be reduced. Mechanistic insights reveal ultra-rapid evaporation of the co-solvent together with beneficial alteration of the precursor colloidal chemistry upon dilution with co-solvent, which in-situ studies and theoretical simulations confirm. The co-solvent tuned precursor colloidal properties also contribute to the enhancement of the stability of precursor solution, which extends its processing window thus minimizing the waste. This strategy is universally successful across different perovskite compositions, and scales from small devices to large-scale modules using industrial spin-coating, potentially easing the lab-to-fab translation of perovskite technologies. A universal strategy is reported for formation of very low concentration of perovskite precursor inks that yields high-efficiency photovoltaics while substantially reducing toxic waste generation, fabrication cost and process complexity, thus taking a step closer towards commercialization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

By release of nanoparticles with toxic potentials into environment, there is an urgent need for development of keen procedures for their removal. In this research, unmodified iron oxide nanoparticles were applied for the separation of the Ag/AgCl nanoparticles, Ag nanoparticles, Ag–Cu nanoparticles and Cu nanoparticles from the aqueous environment. The samples were subjected to different characterization and spectroscopic analyses before and after being exposed to magnetic separation. Scanning electron microscopy/energy-dispersive x-ray spectroscopy analysis showed the attachment of the biogenic nanoparticles onto the magnetic nanoparticles which were observed by the obvious shift in the color and the turbidity between the sample and its control. The Ag and Cu contents of the separated nanoparticles were measured by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry, presenting the highest recovery efficiency for Ag–Cu nanoparticles (96%). However, the other rest of the nanoparticles were trapped by a removal efficiency of more than 80%. When compared to the previous studies, the efficiency of this method was among the highest ones. The ability of this type of the magnetic nanoparticles for the adsorption of the biogenic nanoparticles enunciates them as a fast, green, convenient and keen tool for trapping and the removal of the biogenic nanoparticles from an aqueous media. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, a heterogeneous microstructure was developed in commercially pure magnesium using traditional blend-press-sinter powder metallurgy process, followed by hot extrusion process. Microstructure and mechanical properties were studied on sintered and extruded samples. Microstructural characterization revealed distinct large grain domains surrounded by fine grain domains in the sintered samples; the pattern was preserved in the extruded samples with substantial grain refinement. Mechanical properties' characterization revealed reasonably good hardness values for the heterogeneous magnesium, which significantly improved due to the extrusion process. It also revealed that heterogeneous magnesium possessed high strength and remarkable ductility in the sintered samples, which reached an extraordinarily high level in the extruded samples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new weighted exponential distribution is proposed with the feature to use a logarithmic weight function. Among the merits, this distribution shows a remarkable flexibility with respect to the probability density and hazard functions shapes. Mathematical properties are studied, including moments, residual life function, order statistics and record values. A parametric estimation is performed using the maximum likelihood method. Applications are provided using four practical data sets. It is shown that the new distribution works better than a number of classical and recent distributions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study reports the characterization of reverse osmosis (RO) technology at water treatment plant Cogen-2 in paper and Board mills, Pakistan. RO is a commonly used process to obtain de-mineralized water for high-pressure boiler operation in thermal power plants. Scaling and fouling in three-stage RO plants is a major challenge in chemical industry due to the use of raw brackish water in the power plant of paper and board mills. In our study, the feed water quality of RO was changed from soft water to raw water to make it economical. The cleaning frequency was increased three times than normal, which was unsafe for operation and it was required to control scaling and fouling to achieve the desired result. Differential pressures behavior of all stages for 2-month data was observed without acid treatment, and the results of Langelier Saturation Index (LSI) control parameters (temperature, pH, total dissolved solids, calcium hardness, and alkalinity) clearly showed the abnormality. To optimize scaling and fouling of RO, the LSI factor was controlled in total reject water for the next 2 months by acid treatment in feed water. Duration of chemical cleaning and membranes' life has been extended by fouling and scaling control. Understanding the effect of operational parameters in RO membranes is essential in water process engineering due to its broad applications in drinking water, sanitation, seawater, desalination process, wastewater treatment, and boiler feed water operation. The product flow increased from 18.3 to 19.9 m3/h, and this was due to a decrease in the rejection flow from 8.2 to 6.7 m3/h. The total reject stream pressure also increased from 8.1 to 9 bar. A lower value of LSI of 1.6 is obtained in the reject water stream after the acid treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We investigate the absorption and dispersion spectra of the light pulse propagation through Doppler broadened driven qubit by exponentially weak decaying field in the presence of an off-resonant broadband squeezed vacuum (SV) reservoir. Combined effects of Doppler broadening and SV reservoir parameters induce enhanced sub- and super-luminal behavior of light through the qubit medium, as compared with the normal vacuum (NV) and thermal field (TF) reservoir cases. The SV phase, as a control parameter, induce enhanced sinusoidal (positive and negative) peaks of group index of the Doppler broadened medium. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, we propose a novel compact bio-sensing platform based on defected photonic crystal waveguide for cancerous blood detection. The introduction of the defect layer in the middle of the structure leads to a sharp resonant peak in the photonic band gap of the transmittance spectrum. It is found using the Transfer Matrix Method that the resonant wavelength of the biosensor is red shifted on increasing the refractive index of the blood sample placed in the defect layer of the structure. The optimized thickness of the defect layer leading to well-defined, sharp and highly distinguishable resonant peaks is found to be 7μm. At this defect thickness, comparatively higher sensitivity and performance have been achieved. Our proposed structure exhibits a sensitivity of 244.4 nm/RIU and a quality factor as high as of 9138 for a refractive index of 1.392 at normal incidence. Furthermore, at the incidence angle ranges from 40° to 60° the sensitivity of the sensor improved from 291 to 344 nm/RIU. The structure has the potential to detect and sense cancerous blood samples with high efficacy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]