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A field experiment was carried out in a private greenhouse farm located in Al-Madaen city / old Diyala Bridge / Western Tuwaitha village (N 44, 29,47-E 36, 33,11) in the agricultural season 2020/2021 to study the effect of micronutrient absorption efficiency and yield of sweet pepper was grown in calcareous soil, Dutch Olombus sweet pepper was planted and used the nutrients (manganese at a concentration of 30 mg.l-1, copper at ca concentration of 25 mg.l -1 . Iron at a concentration of 50 mg.l -1, zinc at a concentration of 60 mg.l-1, The factorial experiment was carried out according to the split-plot design with two methods of nutrients application, one by spraying on shoots foliar application and the other with irrigation water, 16 treatments were used for each method of addition, which consisted of single, double, triple and quadruple addition of the nutrients that used in the experiment, with the control treatment for each method of addition and with three replicates for each treatment, there were 30 additions duration of the experiment, the first edition took place after two weeks of cultivation in the field, the period between each addition was one week, and the macronutrients N, P, K were used in concentrations (425 Kg N ha-1,175kg P ha-1 and 250 kg K ha-1 ), the results of highest cumulative yield was for the Fe+ Zn+ Mn treatment which added by spraying on shoots, which amounted to 159.15 Mg h -1 ., It also showed a highly significant superiority for all treatments of adding micronutrients sprayed on the shoot over the corresponding treatments of adding these nutrients with irrigation water on the efficiency of absorption of micronutrients in the fruits of the sweet pepper plant. The Fe+ Mn treatment gave the highest value for the iron absorption efficiency of 341.3%, while the Zn+ Mn+ Cu treatment gave the highest value for the zinc absorption efficiency of 113.17%. As for the manganese absorption efficiency, the Fe+ Mn treatment gave the highest value of 517.2%. As for the absorption efficiency of copper, the Fe+ Mn+ Cu treatment gave the highest value of 217.2%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Development of sorbent compositions from industrial waste is a promising and economically feasible method for solving environmental problems. Power industry enterprises experience an acute need for the development of new environmentally friendly and cheap sorbents for gaseous fuel desulfurization purposes. Owing to removal of sulfur compounds from the fuel, the latter becomes less corrosive in nature, due to which it becomes possible to increase the equipment's service life and also to decrease the deposits of sulfides on the surfaces of power installations. Based on a review of literature sources, the most important developments for sorbents consisting of industrial waste were determined. The waste of a thermal power plant (TPP) water-treatment facility (WTF) in the form of sludge water is of the greatest interest for removing sulfur compounds from fuel. Sludge water has a complex composition, which depends directly on the source water quality and water-treatment technology. Sludge water is produced at the natural water pretreatment stage, during which suspended matter is removed from source water by adding coagulants, flocculants, and other chemical agents that are specified by the process regulation. The article presents the composition of a sorbent produced from the WTF sludge at one of the Kazan combined heat and power plants (CHPP) for gaseous fuel desulfurization. Laboratory experiments were carried out with this sorbent, as a result of which the sulfur compound absorption efficiency and the strength characteristics of the prepared and formed sorbent were determined. A new method for indicating the extent to which the adsorbent absorption efficiency is decreased by using an indicating sorbent is also proposed. It is very difficult to monitor the level of sulfur compounds in purified gas by means of automatic sensors in view of a high measurement error, due to which an inaccurate result is obtained. An indicating sorbent composition that makes it possible to detect nonadsorbed sulfuric compositions by showing a color change from light to deep yellow is proposed. A method for using this indicating sorbent is described, and experimental data on its ability to absorb sulfur compounds are given. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study explores highly efficient waveguide detectors for Si/SiGe lasers utilizing Si1-x-y GexCy. By precisely tailoring properties such as temperature, structure, composition, thickness, and doping, we aim to reduce light losses and improve performance by increasing light overlap with the active region. This approach overcomes Si/SiGe lattice mismatch limitations, especially in medium and high germanium SiGe. Incorporating carbon (C) into Si1-x-y GexCy enables perfect light detection and improved confinement, addressing a major challenge in diode lasers. The proposed detector design comprises an active zone sandwiched between lightly doped silicon layers (Si(n) and Si(p)) and heavily doped confinement layers (Si1- xGex (n+) and Si1-xGex (p+)). We study three Si1-x-y GexCycompositions (Si0.675Ge0.3C0.025, Si0.74Ge0.25- C0.01 and Si0.79Ge0.2C0.01) with absorption wavelengths of 1.42 µm, 1.35 µm, and 1.29 µm, respectively, and active layer thicknesses ranging from 150-600 nm. For each design, we propose an optimized waveguide structure with appropriate doping. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study is to determine the total iodine content in Korean abalone (Haliotis discus hannai) and to investigate the bioavailability of iodine using an in vitro method. This research paper focuses on total iodine quantification in abalone (Haliotis discus hannai) and its components (viscera and muscle) using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). Additionally, an in vitro bioavailability study explored iodine absorption potential. Abalone pretreatment involved both the European standard method (ES) and microwave-assisted extraction method (MAE). The limits of detection (LOD) were 0.11 ng/g for both ES and MAE, with a limit of quantification (LOQ) of 5.4 ng/g for MAE. Accuracy, assessed using a reference material (fish muscle, ERM—BB422), showed values of 1.5 ± 0.010 mg/kg for ES and 1.6 ± 0.066 mg/kg for MAE, within an acceptable range of 1.4 ± 0.42 mg/kg. Precision, evaluated using the Horwitz ratio (HorRat) with a reference material, was determined to be 0.45 for ES and 0.27 for MAE. Therefore, total iodine contents were estimated as 74 ± 2.2 µg/g for abalone viscera and 17 ± 0.77 µg/g for abalone muscle with ES, and 76 ± 1.0 µg/g for abalone viscera and 17 ± 0.51 µg/g for abalone muscle with MAE. Recovery tests demonstrated an acceptable range of 90–110%. In the in vitro bioavailability assessment, digestion efficiency yielded ranges of 42–50.2% for viscera and 67–115% for muscle. Absorption efficiency variations were determined as 37–43% for viscera and 48–75% for muscle. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The work is devoted to the study of the effect of variation of the ratio of oxides in the composition of (1-x)ZnO-0.25Al2O3-0.25WO3-xBi2O3 glass-like ceramics on shielding characteristics when employed as materials to mitigate the adverse effects of gamma radiation with different energy. The primary incentive behind these investigations is to discover novel protective shielding materials that lack lead or its oxide forms yet possess high shielding efficiency. Additionally, the aim is to identify the most promising compositions for potential practical applications in shielding. During the studies of shielding characteristics, it was observed that partial replacement of zinc oxide with bismuth oxide leads to a pronounced increase in shielding for low-energy gamma rays, for which, according to the data obtained, an increase in the concentration of bismuth oxide leads to an increase in the linear and mass coefficient by more than 0.8 - 1.2 times. An analysis of the influence of variations in the ratio of zinc and bismuth oxides in the composition of glass-like ceramics on the shielding characteristics revealed that the replacement of zinc oxide with bismuth oxide, leading to an elevation in density of the order of 10 - 15 %, leads to a steep rise in the shielding efficiency for low-energy gamma rays (more than 120 %), and to a 15 - 17 % growth in shielding efficiency in the case of gamma-quanta shielding for which the main interaction mechanisms are the Compton effect and the formation of electron - positron pairs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Biochar is the carbon-rich product obtained when biomass is anaerobically heated. In this study, different materials (corn straw and peanut shell) and pyrolysis temperatures (350, 450 and 550 °C) affect the elemental composition, surface structure, and biochar properties. The results showed that the carbon (C) content in biochar increased as the temperature increased, but hydrogen (H) and nitrogen (N) did not change. The alkane overpressure of corn straw and peanut shell increased first and then decreased with the increased temperature; the fatty alkyl chain disappeared, but the ash content increased at 550 °C. At high temperatures, the aromaticity (H/C ratio) and hydrophobicity (O/C ratio) of biochar become "carbon-rich particles", while the polarity (O + N)/C decreases significantly. The pore wall of biochar became thinner with the increase in pyrolysis temperature, the internal pore structure became larger, and a large number of micropores appeared in biochar. Biochar pyrolysed at 550 °C has much higher C, ash content, pore, and stronger buffering capacity, and thus is more promising to improve soil health.

This study proposes a polarization-independent narrowband absorber based on silicon dioxide and gold composition, which can work for both TE and TM polarizations. The transverse electric polarization absorption efficiency of the absorber at 731 nm is 99.34%, and the transverse magnetic polarization absorption efficiency at 741 nm is 94.82%. We studied the normalized electromagnetic field distribution at resonance wavelengths under TE polarization and TM polarization, which could illustrate the electromagnetic intensity distribution in the absorber. Finally, the parameter tolerance of the absorber was studied and analyzed, and it was found that this polarization-independent narrowband absorber has great application prospects. It can be applied in fields such as high-sensitivity sensors and optical detection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is extremely difficult to clean up accidental oil spills in water since conventional oil sorbents absorb much more water in addition to the oil. Alternatively, cleanup techniques might lead to secondary contamination. This study examines and measures the oil absorption capacities of two hydrophobic natural fibers: water hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes) and lotus (Nelumbo nucifera). At the laboratory scale, the absorption of engine oil, vegetable oil, and diesel oils onto various dry biomass materials, including water hyacinth and lotus with different particle sizes (BSS-44, BSS-60, BSS-100, BSS-120, BSS-160, and BSS-200), was investigated. Water hyacinth shows a higher absorption efficiency for all samples as compared to the lotus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Soil Cd is absorbed by roots and accumulated in cocoa plants, which represents a problem in the commercialization of beans. In order to evaluate whether the exogenous application of macronutrients (N, N-P, N-P-K, N-P-K-S, N-P-K-S-Mg, and N-P-K-S-Mg-Ca) mitigates the absorption, translocation, and accumulation of Cd in plants, soil pH and electric conductivity, dry root and shoot biomass, leaf gas exchange, chlorophyll content, and macronutrient bioaccumulation were evaluated in two cocoa clones (CCN-51 and EET-103) grown in a greenhouse. An increase in macronutrients gradually increased the extraction capacity of Cd in both clones, with the highest Cd values being obtained with the application of N-P-K-S-Mg-Ca. Macronutrient fertilization did not affect leaf gas exchange; however, it caused significant reductions of 30, 40, and 60% in chlorophyll content, shoot, and root dry biomass, respectively. The greatest translocation of Cd from the root to the shoot was obtained with treatments that included N in clone EET-103 and Ca in clone CCN-51. Fertilization with macronutrients did not decrease the absorption and accumulation of Cd in the cocoa seedlings, because a greater removal force of Cd from the adsorption complex towards the soil solution was caused by the exogenous application of Ca and Mg and an increase in soil acidity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Antarctic krill (Euphausia superba) is the world's largest resource of animal proteins and is thought to be a high-quality resource for future marine healthy foods and functional products. Therefore, Antarctic krill was degreased and separately hydrolyzed using flavourzyme, pepsin, papain, and alcalase. Protein hydrolysate (AKH) of Antarctic krill prepared by trypsin showed the highest Ca-chelating rate under the optimized chelating conditions: a pH of 8.0, reaction time of 50 min, temperature of 50 °C, and material/calcium ratio of 1:15. Subsequently, fourteen Ca-chelating peptides were isolated from APK by ultrafiltration and a series of chromatographic methods and identified as AK, EAR, AEA, VERG, VAS, GPK, SP, GPKG, APRGH, GVPG, LEPGP, LEKGA, FPPGR, and GEPG with molecular weights of 217.27, 374.40, 289.29, 459.50, 275.30, 300.36, 202.21, 357.41, 536.59, 328.37, 511.58, 516.60, 572.66, and 358.35 Da, respectively. Among fourteen Ca-chelating peptides, VERG presented the highest Ca-chelating ability. Ultraviolet spectrum (UV), Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR), and scanning electron microscope (SEM) analysis indicated that the VERG-Ca chelate had a dense granular structure because the N-H, C=O and -COOH groups of VERG combined with Ca2+. Moreover, the VERG-Ca chelate is stable in gastrointestinal digestion and can significantly improve Ca transport in Caco-2 cell monolayer experiments, but phytate could significantly reduce the absorption of Ca derived from the VERG-Ca chelate. Therefore, Ca-chelating peptides from protein hydrolysate of Antarctic krill possess the potential to serve as a Ca supplement in developing healthy foods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study is to determine the total iodine content in Korean abalone (Haliotis discus hannai) and to investigate the bioavailability of iodine using an in vitro method. This research paper focuses on total iodine quantification in abalone (Haliotis discus hannai) and its components (viscera and muscle) using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). Additionally, an in vitro bioavailability study explored iodine absorption potential. Abalone pretreatment involved both the European standard method (ES) and microwave-assisted extraction method (MAE). The limits of detection (LOD) were 0.11 ng/g for both ES and MAE, with a limit of quantification (LOQ) of 5.4 ng/g for MAE. Accuracy, assessed using a reference material (fish muscle, ERM—BB422), showed values of 1.5 ± 0.010 mg/kg for ES and 1.6 ± 0.066 mg/kg for MAE, within an acceptable range of 1.4 ± 0.42 mg/kg. Precision, evaluated using the Horwitz ratio (HorRat) with a reference material, was determined to be 0.45 for ES and 0.27 for MAE. Therefore, total iodine contents were estimated as 74 ± 2.2 µg/g for abalone viscera and 17 ± 0.77 µg/g for abalone muscle with ES, and 76 ± 1.0 µg/g for abalone viscera and 17 ± 0.51 µg/g for abalone muscle with MAE. Recovery tests demonstrated an acceptable range of 90–110%. In the in vitro bioavailability assessment, digestion efficiency yielded ranges of 42–50.2% for viscera and 67–115% for muscle. Absorption efficiency variations were determined as 37–43% for viscera and 48–75% for muscle.

More than two billion people around the world are affected by zinc deficiency, mainly due to the inadequate intake and absorption of zinc. Based on recent research findings, the bioactive peptides could potentially be used to combat zinc deficiency particularly due to their Zinc chelating ability. The main aim of this review was to present current findings, supporting the potential use of bioactive peptides based on their ability to enhance zinc absorption. In-vivo, in-vitro, and ex-vivo studies have demonstrated that zinc chelating peptides can enhance the retention, transportation, and absorption of zinc. Comparative studies on zinc bioavailability from protein hydrolysates and zinc salts have demonstrated that the protein hydrolysates-zinc complexes are more bioavailable than the zinc salts. Data from the structure-function relationship of zinc chelating peptides suggest that the zinc chelating capacities of peptides increase in the following order; the position of zinc chelator > zinc chelator strength > abundance of zinc chelators > net charge > molecular weight. in addition, the transport mechanism of peptide-zinc complex is hypothesized, and the potential use of bioactive peptides based on their safety and taste and limitations to their commercialization are also discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRAK Biopolimer kitosan memiliki banyak aplikasi diantaranya sebagai biosorben, scaffold, bahan pengawet ikan, dan anti mikroba pada makanan. Dalam beberapa penelitian, kitosan sangat efektif dalam mengadsorpsi ion zat warna Metilen biru. Adapun tujuan dari penelitian ini untuk identifikasi karakteristik kitosan hasil isolasi dari cangkang kerang Mutiara. Proses isolasi biopolimer kitosan menggunakan metode deasetilasi bertahap. Dimana proses isolasi dilakukan dengan tiga proses yaitu deproteinasi, demineralisasi, dan deasetilasi. Serbuk hasil isolasi diidentifikasi rendemennya, diukur densitasnya, analisis gugus fungsi yang terbentuk dengan FTIR, dan menghitung kemampuan dalam mengadsorbsi zat warna metilen blue dengan Uv-Vis. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa kitosan yang dihasilkan berbentuk serbuk berwarna putih keabuan, rendemen 33,71%, densitas curah kitosan sebesar 1,21 gr/, serta didapat derajat deasetilasi dari kitosan sebesar 57,50 %. Efisiensi penyerapan zat warna Metilen biru oleh kitosan di setiap konsentrasi rata-rata bernilai 90 %. Oleh karena itu, biopolimer kitosansangat efektif dalam mengadsorbsi zat warna metilen blue. Kata kunci: deasetilasi bertahap; efisiensi penyerapan; karakteristik kitosan. ABSTRACT Chitosan biopolymer has many applications including as a biosorbent, scaffold, fish preservative, and antimicrobial in food. In several studies, chitosan was very effective in adsorption of methylene blue dye ions. The purpose of this study was to identify the characteristics of chitosan isolated from pearl shells. The process of isolation of chitosan biopolymer uses the stepwise deacetylation method. Where the isolation process is carried out by three processes, namely deproteination, demineralization, and deacetylation. The isolated powder was identified its yield, measured its density, analyzed the functional groups formed by FTIR, and calculated the ability to adsorb methylene blue dye with UV-Vis. The results show that the chitosan is a grayish-white powder, the yield is 33.71%, the bulk density of chitosan is 1.21 gr/cm3, and the degree of deacetylation of chitosan is 57.50%. The absorption efficiency of methylene blue dye by chitosan at each concentration averaged 90%. Therefore, chitosan biopolymer is very effective in adsorbing methylene blue dye. Keywords: gradual deacetylation; absorption efficiency; chitosan characteristics.

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

The efficient 810 nm laser energy conversion of glass frit had been proven to be the key to the long‐term hermetic encapsulation of Organic Light Emitting Display (OLED). A direct laser energy conversion laser‐assisted Bi2O3‐B2O3‐ZnO‐Nd2O3 sealing glass material without extra laser absorbent such as carbon black, was designed and systematically investigated. The addition of Nd2O3, as glass modifiers with higher cationic field strength, could be conducive to enhancing the polymerization of glass network structure, manifesting that the glass‐transition temperature Tg, onset‐crystallization temperature Tc and thermal stability ΔT (ΔT = Tc‐Tg) increased, while thermal expansion coefficient CTE dropped to 9.72×10−6/°C and advantageously matched with the glass substrate (8±1×10−6/°C). More importantly, the absorption rate of BBZ‐Nd glass was more than 50 % between 800∼810 nm owing to the 4f‐4f electron transition of Nd3+ ions, and yet the reflectivity and transmittance of the wavelength at 800–810 nm were lower. As optimal compositions, the addition of 3.0 wt% Nd2O3 in Bi2O3‐B2O3‐ZnO‐Nd2O3 glass frit with higher absorption coefficients (80 %) led to instantaneous bonding encapsulation between glass substrates without interfacial cracks or pores with the 808 nm wavelength of the laser at 20 W and 2.4 mm/s. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, higher requirements have been placed on the response characteristics of X-ray detectors in the field of medical diagnostic imaging. Due to this, high sensitivity, high attenuation coefficient and low cost detection materials need to be developed. In this paper, the geometric model of a detector was established by Geant4 code. The absorption efficiency and mass attenuation coefficient of MAPbBr3 crystals were calculated in the energy range of 30 keV to 100 keV. Compared with the mass attenuation coefficient of the NIST database, the deviation was within 1.39%. The signal charge number and detection sensitivity of the X-ray interaction with the MAPbBr3 crystal ware calculated. Compared with the CdTe crystal and α-Se, the MAPbBr3 crystal still had a larger detection sensitivity under a smaller applied electric field, which was approximately 9 times higher than that of α-Se. This result indicated that the detection sensitivity could be greatly improved by using a high atomic number and high charge mobility-lifetime product. Based on the simulation results, the 2 mm thick MAPbBr3 crystal exhibited the highest detection sensitivity at 60 keV X-rays, which was in agreement with the experimental results.

In this study, the effect of coating material and coating thickness on the variations in coated black carbon (BC) optical properties has been studied at an incident wavelength of 0.55 μm. The simulation has been performed based on the core-shell Mie theory model for BC in the accumulation mode under various coating conditions. Six coating materials, non-absorbing and strongly absorbing spices produced from three different sources of burning emissions, have been considered: (1) sulfate, (2) nitrate, (3) non-absorbing organic aerosols and organic aerosols descent from, (4) Hardwood OAK fuel, (5) Pocosin Pine fuel, and (6) Galberry OCG fuel. For each mixing state, the variations in extinction, scattering, absorption efficiencies, single scattering albedo, and absorption enhancement have been evaluated for five values of the relative coating thickness R = 1.1, 1.5, 1.9, 2.3, and 2.7. The simulation results show that the thicker the coat the more the absorption efficiency gets reduced. The scattering efficiencies are almost enhanced when BC is coated by non-absorbing materials. For the absorbing materials (BC coated by absorbing shells), the absorption enhancement is more important than for non-absorbing species (BC coated by non-absorbing shells) and ranges within (1.085–2.352) and (1.109–6.288), respectively. The present results may be useful for understanding the dependence of optical properties of coated aerosol on physical and optical properties of both core and shells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Shellfish reefs have been lost from bays and estuaries globally, including in the Swan-Canning Estuary in Western Australia. As part of a national program to restore the ecosystem services that such reefs once provided and return this habitat from near extinction, the mussel Mytilus galloprovincialis was selected for a large-scale shellfish reef construction project in this estuary. To assess the potential filtration capacity of the reef, estuary seston quality, mussel feeding behavior, and valve gape activity were quantified in the laboratory and field during winter and summer. In general, estuary water contained high total particulate concentrations (7.9–8.7 mg L−1). Standard clearance rates were greater in winter (1.9 L h−1; 17 °C) than in summer (1.3 L h−1; 25 °C), the latter producing extremely low absorption efficiencies (37%). Mussel valves remained open ~97% and ~50% of the time in winter and summer, respectively. They often displayed erratic behavior in summer, possibly due to elevated temperatures and the toxic microalgae Alexandrium spp. Despite numerous stressors, the reef, at capacity, was estimated to filter 35% of the total volume of the estuary over winter, incorporating 42.7 t of organic matter into mussel tissue. The reefs would thus make a substantial contribution to improving estuary water quality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A hybrid system is proposed, where a floating breakwater (FB) is positioned downstream of the backward bent duct buoy (BBDB) oscillating water column (OWC) wave energy converter (WEC). The efficient wave energy absorption and wave blocking performance are achieved by the system. The coupling mathematical model of the BBDB device and FB is established based on the potential flow theory, which allows the BBDB device to move in the direction of surge, heave, and pitch. The results show that the FB downstream arrangement can improve the absorption performance of the BBDB device, and the wave period with an absorption efficiency exceeding 0.8 can be widened by 69 %. The transmission coefficient of the hybrid system is 60 % smaller than that of the isolated FB. By adjusting the distance between the BBDB device and FB, the transmission coefficient can be maintained below 0.1 when the period is less than 8.2 s. Increasing the stiffness of the mooring system in the pitch direction of the BBDB device can help in reducing the transmission coefficient when the wave period is between 9–10 s when the pitch motion is fully restricted, the transmission coefficient is less than 0.41 during this period. • A hybrid system with a backward bent duct buoy and a breakwater is proposed. • A coupled mathematical model is established. • The existence of the floating breakwater can improve the wave energy absorption. • The transmission coefficient of the hybrid system is smaller. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • CO 2 absorption in NaOH solution is experimentally studied in FKSM. • FKSM has higher absorption performance with lower Δ P than that of Ross LPD. • Empirical correlations of pressure drop are obtained with/without reaction. • The energy consumption performance of FKSM is evaluated. • The scrubbing factor in FKSM has a wider range of 0.267–0.689 mol/mol·L. The mass transfer processes of multi-phase flow are extensively studied in energy, chemical engineering, and production fields. The carbon dioxide absorption efficiency (y CO 2) is utilized to evaluate the mass transfer performance of the static mixer with four twisted leaves (FKSM) and the Ross LPD in NaOH-CO 2 system under different operating conditions. The automatic potentiometric titration method is applied to analyze carbonate concentration in the samples. Meanwhile, the pressure drop (Δ P), specific power consumption (E CO2), and volume-averaged energy dissipation rate (ε) are used to evaluate the energy consumption performance of the FKSM. The experiment empirical correlations among Darcy friction factor (f), liquid superficial velocities (U L) and gas superficial velocities (U G) are proposed under NaOH-CO 2 and Water-Air systems. The predictions have better accuracy with the maximum deviations of ± 1.2 % and ± 0.61 %, respectively. The ideal absorption efficiency could be obtained after seven segments with lower power consumption. The optimized condition can be obtained at U L = 0.362 m/s and U G = 0.169 m/s with E CO2 = 60.1 kWh/tCO 2. Additionally, the absorption performance of FKSM is evaluated by the scrubbing factor (S F). The estimated range of the S F is 0.267–0.689 mol/mol·L. Because of insufficient investigation on bubble swarm evolution with chemical reaction, the effect of FKSM elements number on the flow patterns and bubble distribution in the visualization pipeline will be explored in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Soil Cd is absorbed by roots and accumulated in cocoa plants, which represents a problem in the commercialization of beans. In order to evaluate whether the exogenous application of macronutrients (N, N-P, N-P-K, N-P-K-S, N-P-K-S-Mg, and N-P-K-S-Mg-Ca) mitigates the absorption, translocation, and accumulation of Cd in plants, soil pH and electric conductivity, dry root and shoot biomass, leaf gas exchange, chlorophyll content, and macronutrient bioaccumulation were evaluated in two cocoa clones (CCN-51 and EET-103) grown in a greenhouse. An increase in macronutrients gradually increased the extraction capacity of Cd in both clones, with the highest Cd values being obtained with the application of N-P-K-S-Mg-Ca. Macronutrient fertilization did not affect leaf gas exchange; however, it caused significant reductions of 30, 40, and 60% in chlorophyll content, shoot, and root dry biomass, respectively. The greatest translocation of Cd from the root to the shoot was obtained with treatments that included N in clone EET-103 and Ca in clone CCN-51. Fertilization with macronutrients did not decrease the absorption and accumulation of Cd in the cocoa seedlings, because a greater removal force of Cd from the adsorption complex towards the soil solution was caused by the exogenous application of Ca and Mg and an increase in soil acidity.

Antarctic krill (Euphausia superba) is the world’s largest resource of animal proteins and is thought to be a high-quality resource for future marine healthy foods and functional products. Therefore, Antarctic krill was degreased and separately hydrolyzed using flavourzyme, pepsin, papain, and alcalase. Protein hydrolysate (AKH) of Antarctic krill prepared by trypsin showed the highest Ca-chelating rate under the optimized chelating conditions: a pH of 8.0, reaction time of 50 min, temperature of 50 °C, and material/calcium ratio of 1:15. Subsequently, fourteen Ca-chelating peptides were isolated from APK by ultrafiltration and a series of chromatographic methods and identified as AK, EAR, AEA, VERG, VAS, GPK, SP, GPKG, APRGH, GVPG, LEPGP, LEKGA, FPPGR, and GEPG with molecular weights of 217.27, 374.40, 289.29, 459.50, 275.30, 300.36, 202.21, 357.41, 536.59, 328.37, 511.58, 516.60, 572.66, and 358.35 Da, respectively. Among fourteen Ca-chelating peptides, VERG presented the highest Ca-chelating ability. Ultraviolet spectrum (UV), Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR), and scanning electron microscope (SEM) analysis indicated that the VERG-Ca chelate had a dense granular structure because the N-H, C=O and -COOH groups of VERG combined with Ca2+. Moreover, the VERG-Ca chelate is stable in gastrointestinal digestion and can significantly improve Ca transport in Caco-2 cell monolayer experiments, but phytate could significantly reduce the absorption of Ca derived from the VERG-Ca chelate. Therefore, Ca-chelating peptides from protein hydrolysate of Antarctic krill possess the potential to serve as a Ca supplement in developing healthy foods.

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

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

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

The Photovoltaic (PV) system is often installed near the telecommunication antenna without takes account the performance degradation that the electromagnetic field can cause. The present work provides the recognition about the greatest losses occur which can cause the overall efficiency drop. In fact, the absorption and the thermodynamic processes are more sensitive to the variation of the electromagnetic field more than FF and thermalization processes in presence of the electromagnetic field. The absorption and thermodynamic mechanism are the main cause of the degradation of the polycrystalline silicon PV cell outputs. The PV cell having height base doping level to get a better resistivity to the electromagnetic field must be chosen to improve theses outputs. Then a low electromagnetic field zones must be searched to install the PV system improving its electrical production performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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

Apparent trace metal absorption and tissue retention upon incremental levels of supplemental Zn, Cu, and Mn were studied in growing cattle. A total of 60 Holstein bulls were enrolled for the study and fed for 28 d a diet consisting of barley straw (15%), molasses (10%) and pelleted concentrate (75%; Zn = 78 ppm, Cu = 15 ppm, Mn = 91 ppm). Thereafter, 20 bulls were randomly selected and slaughtered for determination of baseline tissue trace metal composition. The remaining 40 bulls [body weight (BW) = 394 ± 20 kg] were then blocked based on BW in 8 blocks of 5 bulls each. Bulls within a block were randomly assigned one of the diets differing in supplemental levels of Zn, Cu, and Mn (all from sulfate form) with the following dietary contents of Zn, Cu and Mn, respectively: No supplement (38, 7, and 47 ppm), Dose 1 (61, 11, and 68 ppm), Dose 2 (78, 15 and 91 ppm), Dose 3 (123, 26, 136 ppm) or Dose 4 (195, 43, and 214 ppm). These diets were fed for 12 wk, and complete collection of feces and urine were performed on wk 4, 8 and 12 for assessment of trace metals balance and apparent absorption. Gastrointestinal tissues, whole organs (heart, liver, spleen, and kidney), bile, cervical vertebra, and tibia were collected at slaughterhouse from all bulls. All samples were dried, ground, and analyzed for minerals. Data were processed using dietary treatment as a continuous variable and also as categorial variable. Both approaches adjusted for the fixed effect of block (Proc Mixed, SAS 9.4). Whole-body Zn, Cu and Mn balance quadratically increased (P < 0.05) with supplementation, with a significantly higher values for Dose 4 compared with all other dietary treatment (Figure 1, P < 0.05). Dose 4 also led to a 2-fold increase in urinary Zn and Cu excretions (P < 0.05), and a 4-fold increase in urinary Mn excretion (P < 0.01). Although magnitudes of change were moderate (8 to 15%), increasing dietary Zn supply linearly increased spleen Zn content (P = 0.03), and tended to increase ruminal and hepatic Zn content (P < 0.10). Hepatic Cu linearly increased from 264 to 667 mg/kg DM with increasing dietary Cu supply (P < 0.01), whereas Cu concentration in bile only increased at Doses 4 and 5 (P < 0.01). Increasing Mn supply resulted in quadratic increase of ruminal and biliary Mn content from 340 to 1140 mg/ kg DM, and from 0.32 to 1.38 mg/L, respectively. Small intestine and cecum Mn concentrations linearly and quadratically increased (about 2-fold increase, P < 0.05) with incremental supply of Mn. Homeostatic regulation mechanisms were apparently overwhelmed at the greatest Zn, Cu and Mn supplementation levels evaluated in this study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, epsilon-near-zero (ENZ) plasmonic resonances of graphene material are employed to design efficient, compact, and narrowband optical absorbers. These resonances occur around the negative to positive permittivity transition frequencies. The geometry under consideration is hollow-core graphene shell spherical particles assembled as dense and sparse square arrays. It is observed that, unlike the ordinary plasmonic graphene-based nano-particle-assisted absorbers, an increase of the core radius blue shifts the operating resonance frequency. The underlying physics is discussed based on the resonant scattering condition in the metal shell dielectric particles in the framework of Mie's theory. Based on this observation, the smaller particles are found to be more efficient optical absorbers in the ENZ regime due to their small geometrical and scattering cross-sections. Then, a comprehensive parametric study is conducted considering graphene optical parameters and the possibility of absorption enhancement based on the available graphene material quality is revealed. The tunability of the absorption spectrum by applying an external bias is also discussed. The proposed shells can be potentially used as a high figure of merit refractive index sensing medium and also for enhancing the radiation of the dipole emitter. Furthermore, using a metal-backed dielectric reflector, perfect absorbers with high-quality factors are achieved with both dense (Q ∼ 620.43) and sparse (Q ∼ 3019.9) arrays in the subwavelength regime. The proposed polarization-insensitive absorber tolerates a wide range of incident angles up to around 60 degrees due to its spherical symmetry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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

Acute toxicity of commercial grade organophosphate insecticide, Quinalphos (25% Emulsified concentration) to common carp (Cyprinus carpio) was tested through bioassay. The acute toxicity of Quinalphos to the fingerlings exposed for 96 hr was found to be 2.75ppm. For the sub lethal toxicity study, the fishes were exposed to two concentration viz., 1/10th of LC50 (0.275 ppm) and 1/5th of LC50 (0.55 ppm) along with lethal concentration (2.75 ppm) for 48 hr. The carps were under stress and mortality was insignificant in both sub lethal and lethal concentrations. Considerable variation in absorption efficiency and O: N ratio was noticed. The alteration observed Indicated deficiencies in the functioning of the digestive system in fishes exposed to the pollutant. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As a type of gas that contributes to air pollution, nitrogen oxide (NOx) has harmful effects on humans and the environment. Among several types of NOx, nitric oxide (NO) and nitrogen dioxide (NO2) are most commonly found in air. The utilization of membranes as reactors is a system that combines chemical reactions with the separation process through membranes to increase the conversion of the reaction. This study investigated the absorption process by utilizing a hollow fiber membrane module (polysulfone) as a bubble reactor with H2O2 (0.5 wt.%) and HNO3 (0.5M) as the absorbent. NOx feed gas was flown into the tube side of the membrane; the shell side was filled with static H2O2 and HNO3 and the shell input and the tube output flow were closed to create gas bubbles. The experimental results showed that the absorption efficiency increased, but the mass transfer coefficient and flux decreased as the number of fibers in the membrane module increased at the same feed gas flow rate. The NOx loading is relatively constant as the amount of fiber in the membrane module increased at the same feed gas flow rate. The experimental results also showed that the mass transfer coefficient, flux, and NOx loading increased with increasing feed gas flow rate, but the absorption efficiency decreased when using the same number of fibers in the membrane module. The maximum NOx absorption efficiency achieved in this study was 94.6% at the feed gas flow rate of 0.1 L/min, using a membrane module with 48 fibers.

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

Shellfish reefs have been lost from bays and estuaries globally, including in the Swan-Canning Estuary in Western Australia. As part of a national program to restore the ecosystem services that such reefs once provided and return this habitat from near extinction, the mussel Mytilus galloprovincialis was selected for a large-scale shellfish reef construction project in this estuary. To assess the potential filtration capacity of the reef, estuary seston quality, mussel feeding behavior, and valve gape activity were quantified in the laboratory and field during winter and summer. In general, estuary water contained high total particulate concentrations (7.9–8.7 mg L−1). Standard clearance rates were greater in winter (1.9 L h−1; 17 °C) than in summer (1.3 L h−1; 25 °C), the latter producing extremely low absorption efficiencies (37%). Mussel valves remained open ~97% and ~50% of the time in winter and summer, respectively. They often displayed erratic behavior in summer, possibly due to elevated temperatures and the toxic microalgae Alexandrium spp. Despite numerous stressors, the reef, at capacity, was estimated to filter 35% of the total volume of the estuary over winter, incorporating 42.7 t of organic matter into mussel tissue. The reefs would thus make a substantial contribution to improving estuary water quality.

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

Absorption is an effective way to control volatile organic compound (VOC) industrial air pollution, and the key variable in this process is the selection of suitable liquid absorbents to absorb as many organic pollutants as possible. The objective of this study was to prepare a series of high-efficiency absorbents with different proportions of vegetal oil, mineral oil, and waste engine oil, which can be used for toluene absorption. The absorption efficiency (AE), saturated absorption (SA), and effective absorption time (EAT) of various absorbents were systematically analyzed. The results showed that when the inlet concentration of toluene was 8000 mg/m3 and the inlet flow was 1 L/min, the SA capability of vegetal oil, mineral oil, and waste engine oil was 7.15, 12.43, and 18.16 mg/g, respectively. With the 4000 mg/m3 inlet concentration, the SA of the absorber which was made in the ratio of 2:3:1 was increased to 50.93 mg/g. According to the thermodynamic equilibrium and absorption results, it is proved that the influence of the composition of the absorbent on absorption is greater than viscosity. It is also to be noted that the AE of the composite absorbent can still reach more than 80% after three times of heating and air purification. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using limit transitions in the general relations for the surface relaxation and radiation damping rates in a prolate and an oblate ellipsoidal nanoparticle, the corresponding expressions for rod-shaped and disk-shaped particles are obtained. The frequency dependences of the statistically averaged efficiencies of the absorption and scattering of electromagnetic radiation by nanoparticles of different shapes are calculated. Calculations were performed for Au, Ag, Cu, and Pt nanostructures. The effect of the shape and material of the nanoparticle on the number and position of the maxima and the absorption and scattering efficiency is analyzed. It is found that the presence of two maxima in the frequency dependence of the scattering efficiency for nanodisks is associated with the manifestation of a longitudinal and transverse surface plasmon resonance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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

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

Male 5-week-old F344 rats were fed four types of experimental diet with different Ca and protein sources for 30 days, and the effect of feeding retort-treated herring bone on Ca absorption and bone metabolism were examined. The experimental diets were as follows: AIN-93G (casein-based standard breeding diet) containing 0.5% Ca from CaCO3 (C); modified AIN-93G containing 0.25% Ca from CaCO3 (L); retorted herring meat with bone containing 0.25% Ca from edible bones (PHB); and retorted deboned herring meat containing 0.06% and 0.19% Ca from retorted bones and CaCO3 (PH). There was no difference in weight increase among the groups during the feeding period. The Ca absorption rate (CAR) in the PHB and PH groups after 4 weeks was slightly lower than that of L, whereas CAR did not differ between PHB and PH. Furthermore, the involvement of absorbed calcium in bone metabolism, as assessed using the bone turnover markers, did not differ between the PHB, PH, and L groups. In conclusion, fish bones rendered edible after retort treatment are a good source of Ca, the nutritional value of which is similar to that of CaCO3, indicating that retort treatment is a suitable cooking method for using fish as a Ca source. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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

A periodic array of core–shell Cu@TiO2 nanoparticle for plasmonic dye sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) in the wavelength range between 350 and 750 nm was studied. The size of copper nanospheres was 70 nm while the length and diameter of the copper nanorods were 100 and 10 nm, respectively. The UV–Visible absorption spectrum showed that the photo-anode based copper added TiO2 has 29.3% absorption capability compared with copper-free TiO2. TiO2 with shell thickness of 5 nm coated copper exhibited the absorption efficiency of 71.9%, while short circuit current density of 17.52 mA cm−2 for Ci@TiO2 photo-anode. This was attributed to a strong localized electric field around ultra-thin TiO2-coated copper nanospheres. The UV–Visible results of different geometries indicated that the spherical-shaped Cu@TiO2 nanoparticles induced the high absorption capability of 3.4% compared to rod-shaped Cu@TiO2 nanoparticles. The hybrid nanorods/nanospheres bilayer photo-anode showed the high optical UV–Visible absorption of 11.42% as compared with nanospheres/nanorods, ascribed to the large surface area for dye-loading excellent light scattering. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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

Curcumin is a chemical compound that has low solubility and bioavailability and, for these reasons, limited biological effectiveness. For improvement, the solubility needs to be increased by nanotechnology and nanoparticles, among others. Nanostructured Lipid Carrier (NLC) is a new drug delivery system that offers several advantages, including a significant increase in drug solubility and entrapment efficiency. This study aimed to formulate curcumin into curcumin-loaded NLC preparation and determine its characteristics, absorption efficiency, and drug loading. The formulation used evaporation and solvent diffusion methods with three different concentrations, namely 5%, 10%, and 15%. Spectrophotometry and HPLC were employed to test the absorption efficiency and drug loading capacity. The results showed that the curcumin-loaded NLC preparation containing 10% curcumin had stable characteristics and produced particles sized 17.4 nm with a polydispersity index of 0.574 and zeta potential of -63.43 mV. Based on the spectrophotometry results, the entrapment efficiency was 93.212%, and the drug loading capacity was 0.708%. Meanwhile, the HPLC showed that the entrapment efficiency was 93.007%, and the drug loading capacity was 0.795%.

In microwave drying technology, research into the dynamic absorbing properties of the powder is indispensable. In this study, the reflection loss coefficient of paracetamol powder under different temperature, water content, and thickness was calculated based on the principle of electromagnetic wave transmission. The results show that the absorption performance of powder fluctuates dynamically with a series of absorption peaks, and the position of the absorption peak shifts toward the smaller thickness direction as the water content increases or the temperature rises. Because of the influence of the powder thickness on absorbing efficiency, the powder thickness should be adjusted in real time to increase drying efficiency. This study provides the thickness range for which the absorption performance of paracetamol powder under different conditions is over 99%. This study is of great significance for understanding the drying mechanism and optimizing process parameters for microwave drying of pharmaceutical powder.

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

Aim: The temperature constraint hypothesis proposes that marine herbivorous fishes are rare at high latitudes relative to carnivorous fishes because low temperatures impair the digestion of plant material. To test this hypothesis, we compared the effects of temperature on the digestive performance and investment in digestion of marine fishes across trophic groups. Location: Global marine ecosystems. Major taxa studied: Marine fishes. Methods: We analysed data from 304 species consuming a range of diets to quantify the effects of temperature on three indicators of digestive performance and investment: gut passage time, absorption efficiency, and gut length. Results: Decreasing temperatures increase gut passage time in fishes consuming macroalgae more than fishes consuming other fish or invertebrates. Low temperatures do not impair absorption efficiency in fishes regardless of diet, but herbivores have lower absorption efficiencies than carnivores overall. Gut length decreases with decreasing temperature in all trophic groups. Main conclusions: Our analyses reveal limited evidence to support the temperature constraint hypothesis. Low temperatures slow digestion more in fishes consuming macroalgae than those consuming animal prey; however, this may not reflect a meaningful disadvantage for herbivores but rather could be explained by greater representation of fishes relying on microbial fermentation at high latitudes. Herbivorous fishes absorb nutrients and energy from their food in similar proportions regardless of temperature, in contrast to the expectations of the temperature constraint hypothesis. Decreased gut length was associated with decreasing temperature across all trophic groups, likely due to improved food quality at high latitudes, which should benefit all trophic groups by reducing their required investment in gut tissues. Altogether, our findings run counter to the general hypothesis that low temperatures disadvantage the digestion of plant material and suppress the diversity and abundance of herbivorous fishes at high latitudes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, we investigate a physical mechanism to improve the light absorption efficiency of graphene monolayer from the universal value of 2.3% to about 30% in the visible and near-infrared wavelength range. The physical mechanism is based on the diffraction coupling of surface plasmon polariton resonances in the periodic array of metal nanoparticles. Through the physical mechanism, the electric fields on the surface of graphene monolayer are considerably enhanced. Therefore, the light absorption efficiency of graphene monolayer is greatly improved. To further confirm the physical mechanism, we use an interaction model of double oscillators to explain the positions of the absorption peaks for different array periods. Furthermore, we discuss in detail the emerging conditions of the diffraction coupling of surface plasmon polariton resonances. The results will be beneficial for the design of graphene-based photoelectric devices.