This study focuses on synthesizing Niobium pentoxide (Nb2O5) thin films on silicon wafers and quartz substrates using DC reactive magnetron sputtering for NO2 gas sensors. The films undergo annealing in ambient air at 800 °C for 1 hr. Various characterization techniques, including X-ray diffraction (XRD), atomic force microscopy (AFM), energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), Hall effect measurements, and sensitivity measurements, are employed to evaluate the structural, morphological, electrical, and sensing properties of the Nb2O5 thin films. XRD analysis confirms the polycrystalline nature and hexagonal crystal structure of Nb2O5. The optical band gap values of the Nb2O5 thin films demonstrate a decrease from 4.74 to 3.73 eV as the sputtering power is increased from 25 to 75 W. AFM images illustrate a progressive increase in particle size ranging from (41.86) to (45.56) nm, with varying sputtering power between 25 and 75 W. Additionally, EDS analysis validates the rise in Nb content, increasing from 12.2 at. % to 20.1 at. %, corresponding to the increase in sputtering power. Hall effect measurements show that all films exhibit n-type charge carriers, and increasing sputtering power leads to decreased carrier concentration and enhanced mobility. The gas sensor's sensitivity, response, and recovery time were evaluated at various operating temperatures. The NO2 sensor exhibited an optimal sensitivity of 28.6% at 200 °C when the sputtering power was set to 50 W.
This study introduces a highly sensitive trapezium-shaped PCF based on an SPR refractometric sensor with unique design features. The structure of a sensor was designed and analyzed using COMSOL Multiphysics v5.6 based on Finite Element Method (FEM) with a focus on investigating the influence of various geometric parameters on its performance. The two channels were coated with a metallic gold layer to provide chemical stability, and a thin layer of TiO₂ improved the gold's adhesion to the fiber. The findings indicate that the proposed sensor achieves maximum amplitude and wavelength sensitivities of 1,779 RIU⁻¹ and 30,500 nm/RIU, respectively, with corresponding resolutions of 3.2
Maximum power point tracking (MPPT) is used in photovoltaic (PV) systems to enhance efficiency and maximize the output power of PV module, regardless the variation of temperature, irradiation, and the electrical characteristics of the load. A new MPPT system has been presented in this research, consisting of a synchronous DC-DC step-down Buck converter controlled by an Arduino microcontroller based unit. The MPPT process with Perturb and Observe method is performed with a DC-DC converter circuit to overcome the problem of voltage mismatch between the PV modules and the loads. The proposing system has high efficiency, lower cost and can be easily modified to handle more energy sources. The test results indicate that the u
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Objectives: The main objective of this study is to find the influence level of nursing incivility on psychological well-being among nurses in southeastern Iraq.
Methods: In this descriptive correlational study, a convenience sample of 250 nurses working in three government hospitals in Missan province in the south of Iraq were surveyed using the nursing incivility scale (NIS) and Ryff's psychological well-being scale (PWB) from November 2021, to July 2022. A multivariate multiple regression analysis was done to analyze the multivariate effect of workplace incivility on the psychological well-being of nurses.
Results: The study results show a
... Show MoreWe prepared polythiophene (PTH) with single wall carbon nanotube (SWCNT) nanocomposite thin films for Nitrogen dioxide (NO2) gas sensing applications. Thin films were synthesized via electrochemical polymerization method onto (Indium tin oxide) ITO coated glass substrate of thiophene monomer with magnesium perchlorate and different concentration from SWCNT (0.012 and 0.016) % in the presence130mL of Acetonitrile used. X-ray diffraction (XRD), Field Emission Scanning Electron microscopy (FE-SEM), Atomic Force Microscope (AFM) and Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FT-IR) were used to characterized these nanocomposite thin films. The response of these nanocomposite for NO2 gas was evaluated via monitoring the change
... Show MoreThe fluctuation and expansion ratios have been studied for cylindrical gas-solid fluidized columns by using air as fluidizing medium and Paracetamol as the bed material. The variables were the column diameter (0.0762, 0.15, and 0.18 m), static bed height (0.05, 0.07, and 0.09 m), and air velocity to several times of minimum fluidization velocity. The results showed that both the fluctuation and expansion ratios had a direct relation with air velocity and an inverse one with column diameter and static bed height. A good agreement was between the experimental results and the calculated values by using the correlation equations from the literature.
In this work, a fiber-optic biomedical sensor was manufactured to detect hemoglobin percentages in the blood. SPR-based coreless optical fibers were developed and implemented using single and multiple optical fibers. It was also used to calculate refractive indices and concentrations of hemoglobin in blood samples. An optical fiber, with a thickness of 40 nanometers, was deposited on gold metal for the sensing area to increase the sensitivity of the sensor. The optical fiber used in this work has a diameter of 125μm, no core, and is made up of a pure silica glass rod and an acrylate coating. The length of the fiber was 4cm removed buffer and the splicing process was done. It is found in practice that when the sensitive refractive i
... Show MoreThe influence and hazard of fire flame are one of the most important parameters that affecting the durability and strength of structural members. This research studied the influence of fire flame on the behavior of reinforced concrete beams affected by repeated load. Nine self- compacted reinforced concrete beams were castellated, all have the same geometric layout (0.15x0.15x1.00) m, reinforcement details and compressive strength (50 Mpa). To estimate the effect of fire flame disaster, four temperatures were adopted (200, 300, 400 and 500) oC and two method of cooling were used (graduated and sudden). In the first cooling method, graduated, the tested beams were leaved to cool in air while in the second method, sudden, water splash was use
... Show MoreHelicobacter pylori (HP) is the etiopathogenic agent of gastric and duodenal disorders ranging from gastritis to malignancy. It is also associated with many extraintestinal diseases, including cardiovascular disease and its associated risk factors. To evaluate the link between HP infection and some cardiovascular risk factors by studying the effects of HP infection on body mass index, blood pressure, and serum lipid profile among patients having gastritis with and without HP infection. A crosssectional study included 1214 patients who had gastritis diagnosed by gastroscopy examination. Those patients were in the age range of 30-65 years and they were divided according to their gender into 725 females and 489 males depending on the 1
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