Dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSC) create imitation photosynthesis by using chemical reactions to produce electricity from sunlight. DSSC has been pursued in numerous studies due to its capability to achieve efficiencies of up to 15% with artificial photosensitizer in diffuse light. However, artificial photosensitizers present a limitation because of the complex processing of metal compound. Therefore, various types of sensitizers were developed and synthesized to surpass the artificial sensitizer performances such as natural sensitizers from bio-based materials including plants, due to simple processing techniques and low environmental impact. Thus, this study examines the potential and properties of natural sensitizers from the waste of bio-based materials from Garcinia mangostana (mangosteen fruit) and Archidendron pauciflorum (jering fruit). Both fruits pericarps have dark color pigments as dark purple and dark brown, respectively, which promise a good absorption and has potential to be used as sensitizer for DSSC. Each pericarps dye extracted using cold extraction method in methanol solvent. Electrochemical properties and photovoltaic properties of the natural photosensitizers were studied. The highest peaks of photoluminescence spectra of mangosteen and jering sensitizers were at 490 and 670 nm, respectively, due to their different types of dye pigment extracted. We also obtained the absorption spectra for both mangosteen and jering sensitizers at 380-500 and 400-600 nm, respectively, in blue shift behavior. The redox reaction was also studied using cyclic voltammetry and identify their energy levels. The DSSC device with mangosteen sensitizer achieved an efficiency of 0.38% with 35.43% (IPCE at 337 nm) and 37.75 Ω (Rs), whereas that with jering sensitizer has efficiency of 0.07% with 25.31% (IPCE at 337 nm) and 490.70 Ω (Rs). Performance studies for both photosensitizers were weak due to their HOMO-LUMO levels, but the results show that both natural dyes can be potentially applied as photosensitizer in DSSC.
In this paper, a miniaturized 2 × 2 electro-optic plasmonic Mach– Zehnder switch (MZS) based on metal–polymer–silicon hybrid waveguide is presented. Adiabatic tapers are designed to couple the light between the plasmonic phase shifter, implemented in each of the MZS arms, and the 3-dB input/output directional couplers. For 6 µm-long hybrid plasmonic waveguide supported by JRD1 polymer (r33= 390 pm/V), a π-phase shift voltage of 2 V is obtained. The switch is designed for 1550 nm operation wavelength using COMSOL software and characterizes by 2.3 dB insertion loss, 9.9 fJ/bit power consumption, and 640 GHz operation bandwidth
Background: Multidrug-resistant (MDR) enterococci have become a major problem in recent times and have been reported increasingly around the world. Lytic phages infect bacteria leading to rapid host death with limited risk of phage transduction, underlining the increasing interest in potential phage therapy in the future. Objective (s): The aim of this study is to use phage therapy as alternative approach for treatment of Enterococcus faecalis infections that recorded as MDR in Iraq to tackle this problem. Materials and Methods: Thirty E. faecalis isolates were collected from patients with different infectious diseases such as urinary tract infection (UTI), diabetic foot, septicemia, and wound infections. The isolation of specific l
... Show MoreIn the geotechnical and terramechanical engineering applications, precise understandings are yet to be established on the off-road structures interacting with complex soil profiles. Several theoretical and experimental approaches have been used to measure the ultimate bearing capacity of the layered soil, but with a significant level of differences depending on the failure mechanisms assumed. Furthermore, local displacement fields in layered soils are not yet studied well. Here, the bearing capacity of a dense sand layer overlying loose sand beneath a rigid beam is studied under the plain-strain condition. The study employs using digital particle image velocimetry (DPIV) and finite element method (FEM) simulations. In the FEM, an experiment
... Show MoreBackground: One common undesirable side effect of orthodontic treatment with fixed appliances is the development of incipient caries lesions around brackets, particularly in patients with poor oral hygiene. Different methods have been used to prevent demineralization; the recent effort to improve the resistance against the demineralization is by the application of lasers. Materials and method: Thirty human premolars extracted for orthodontic purposes were used to test the effect of two energy level of ER-YAG laser on enamel resistance to demineralization. The brackets were bonded on the teeth and all the labial surface excluding 2 mm area gingival to the brackets were painted with acid resistance varnish. Three groups were generated. The fi
... Show MoreBackground: Anaemia is a major public health concern and is one of the most prevalent health issue in women within reproductive age group.
Objective: to assess maternal knowledge related to anaemia during pregnancy.
Type of the study: A cross –sectional study.
Method: The study including 200 mothers who attended selected primary health care centres, Baghdad during November and December 2015, they completed a previously prepared questionnaire coveringsocio-demographic characteristics and knowledge regarding anaemia in 4 main domains. The responses were analysed by using frequency, percentage and percent score for each statement a
... Show MoreIn light of increasing demand for energy consumption due to life complexity and its requirements, which reflected on architecture in type and size, Environmental challenges have emerged in the need to reduce emissions and power consumption within the construction sector. Which urged designers to improve the environmental performance of buildings by adopting new design approaches, Invest digital technology to facilitate design decision-making, in short time, effort and cost. Which doesn’t stop at the limits of acceptable efficiency, but extends to the level of (the highest performance), which doesn’t provide by traditional approaches that adopted by researchers and local institutions in their studies and architectural practices, limit
... Show MoreThe study aimed to establish the association of miR-153-3p expression with treatment response to IM in CML patients. Sixty CML patients were included and divided into two groups consistent with their response to treatment whether sensitive or resistant to IM. Ten healthy normal participants were enrolled as control group. RNA was extracted from serum to work out miR-153-3p expression utilizing real-time quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction. The primers were supplied by Macrogen Inc. Twenty seven patients were sensitive to imatinib and 33 were resistant to imatinib. The ratio of male to female was 1.14:1. The bulk (58%) of patients were within the age range of 41-60 years. Weight and gender did not significantly diffe
... Show MoreObjectives: This study aims to evaluate the role of social media in promoting awareness of green university initiatives and assess the effectiveness of sustainability reports in engaging students at Baghdad University. In alignment with Sustainable Development Goal 12 (Responsible Consumption and Production),It seeks to provide recommendations for enhancing digital platforms for sustainability communication. Theoretical Framework: The study is grounded in the Green University Model, Social Media Engagement Theory, and the Sustainability Reporting Framework, which emphasize integrating sustainable practices in education, using digital platforms for community engagement, and leveraging sustainability reports for transparency and
... Show MoreBackground: Tooth wear is one of the most common problems in the older dentate population which results from the interaction of three processes (attrition, abrasion and erosion) and it affects all societies, different age groups, and all cultures. This study was achieved to evaluate the prevalence and distribution of tooth wear among institutionalized residents in Baghdad city\ Iraq. Subjects and Methods: This survey was accomplished on four private and one governmental institution in Baghdad city. One-hundred twenty three (61 males, 62 females) aged 50-89 years were participated in this study. The diagnosis and recording of tooth wear were according to criteria of Smith and Knight. Results: The prevalence of tooth wear was 100% with a mean
... Show MoreObjective: to identify the effect of the Instruction program on the knowledge of pregnant women who suffering anemia.
Methodology: A quasi-experimental design was carried out with the application of pre- post test for the study and the control group. Purposive sample, consists of (60) pregnant women diagnosed with anemia attending four health care centers in Baquba city.
Result: The findings indicate that the level of hemoglobin is increasing post instructional program among women in the study group, in which (46.7%) of women are reveal a level of (8.1-9) g/dl that is less than normal pre instructional program and the level is increased to normal level post instructional
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