The Interplay of Conjugation and Metal Coordination in Tuning the Electron Transfer Abilities of NTA-Graphene Based Interfaces

An artificial leaf is a concept that not only replicates the processes taking place during natural photosynthesis but also provides a source of clean, renewable energy. One important part of such a device are molecules that stabilize the connection between the bioactive side and the electrode, as well as tune the electron transfer between them. In particular, nitrilotriacetic acid (NTA) derivatives used to form a self-assembly monolayer chemisorbed on a graphene monolayer can be seen as a prototypical interface that can be tuned to optimize the electron transfer. In the following work, interfaces with modifications of the metal nature, backbone saturation, and surface coverage density are presented by means of theoretical calculations. Effects of the type of the metal and the surface coverage density on the electronic properties are found to be key to tuning the electron transfer, while only a minor influence of backbone saturation is present. For all of the studied interfaces, the charge transfer flow goes from graphene to the SAM. We suggest that, in light of the strength of electron transfer, Co2+ should be considered as the preferred metal center for efficient charge transfer.

Leaf surface characteristics affect the deposition and distribution of droplets in rice (Oryza sativa L.)

We studied the effects of leaf surface characteristics on canopy droplet behaviour using two rice cultivars with similar leaf shapes but significantly different leaf surface characteristics: Jia58 (glabrous rice; smooth leaf surface and no burrs) and Yongyou12 (hairy-leaved rice; rough leaf surface covered with burrs). The plants were subjected to spray tests with different spray pressures and nozzle apertures. The results showed that the deposition amount per unit leaf area was significantly higher in the Yongyou12 canopy than in the Jia58 canopy. The diameter, volume median diameter, number median diameter, and coverage of droplets were significantly higher in Yongyou12 than in Jia58, while the coverage density of droplets was significantly lower. The proportion of small droplets of Jia58 is higher than that of Yongyou12. Thus, a larger amount of large-sized droplets could retain on the leaf surface of hairy-leaved rice, and a larger number of small-sized droplets were retained on the leaf surface of glabrous rice. Smaller pressure and larger flow nozzle were conducive to the retention of the Jia58, while Yongyou12 required larger pressure and larger flow nozzles. Ultrastructural analyses revealed that the leaf surface of glabrous rice had no trichomes and more wax than hairy-leaved rice, and the critical surface tension was lower, resulting in the retention of mainly small droplets on its leaf surface and a lower deposition amount. Therefore, in order to increase the deposition of pesticide droplets on the leaf surface in production, glabrous rice should choose nozzles with smaller spray pressure and large flow rate.

Describing chain-like assembly of ethoxygroup-functionalized organic molecules on Au(111) using high-throughput simulations

Due to the low corrugation of the Au(111) surface, 1,4-bis(phenylethynyl)-2,5-bis(ethoxy)benzene (PEEB) molecules can form quasi interlocked lateral patterns, which are observed in scanning tunneling microscopy experiments at low temperatures. We demonstrate a multi-dimensional clustering approach to quantify the anisotropic pair-wise interaction of molecules and explain these patterns. We perform high-throughput calculations to evaluate an energy function, which incorporates the adsorption energy of single PEEB molecules on the metal surface and the intermolecular interaction energy of a pair of PEEB molecules. The analysis of the energy function reveals, that, depending on coverage density, specific types of pattern are preferred which can potentially be exploited to form one-dimensional molecular wires on Au(111).

Analisis Kesesuaian Ekosistem Lamun sebagai Pendukung Ekowisata Bahari Pulau Panjang Kabupaten Jepara

Ekowisata bahari adalah kegiatan wisata berkelanjutan yang memanfaatkan sumberdaya pesisir dan laut. Sumberdaya tersebut dapat dibagi menjadi sumberdaya alam dan manusia yang keduanya bersinergi dan berintegrasi untuk pemanfaatan ekowisata tersebut. Ekowisata lamun merupakan salah satu ekowisata berpotensi dimana potensi ekosistem lamun yang merupakan salah satu ekosistem di wilayah pesisir dengan peran penting untuk melindungi wilayah pesisir tersebut. Tujuan dilakukannya penelitian ini adalah untuk mengetahui potensi ekosistem lamun untuk dijadikan pendukung ekowisata bahari dengan melihat presentase tutupan, parameter lingkungan, dan kelimpahan biota yang berasosiasi. Metode penelitian yang digunakan adalah metode observasi langsung. Metode observasi langsung adalah metode pengumpulan data yang dilakukan dengan mengamati dan mengukur langsung objek yang diamati. Metode pengambilan data menggunakan metode transek garis LIPI dengan transek kuadran 50 x 50 cm. Hasil dari penelitian menunjukkan bahwa setidaknya terdapat lima spesies lamun yang dapat ditemukan di Perairan Pulau Panjang, yaitu: Thallasia hemprichii, Cymodocea rotundata, Cymodocea serrulata, Enhalus acoroides, dan Halophila ovalis. Kerapatan jenis lamun tertinggi adalah spesies Thallasia hemprichii di stasiun 1 dan kerapatan terendah adalah spesies Halophila ovalis di stasiun 1. Perairan Pulau Panjang juga memiliki potensi biota yang berasosiasi dalam ekosistem lamun, dimana terdapat berbagai jenis ikan karang, Mollusca, Cnidaria, dan Echinodermata yang meningkatkan daya dukung ekowisata lamun yang juga didukung dengan hasil persepsi masyarakat yang mendukung dan ingin berpartisipasi dalam kegiatan ekowisata pada ekosistem lamun. Marine ecotourism is a sustainable tourism activity that utilized coastal and marine resources. These resources can be devided into natural resources and human resources that both of which can be sinergized and integrated for ecotourism use. Seagrass ecotourism is one of the potential ecotourism that seagrass ecosystem is one of the ecosystems in coastal areas with an important role in protecting the coastal area. The purpose of this research is to determine the potential of seagrass ecosystem to support marine ecotourism in Panjang Island by also looking at the coverage percentage, environmental parameters, and the abundance of associated biotas. The research method used is direct observation method. Direct observation method is a method of collecting data by directly observing and measuring the object that being observed. The data collection method uses method by LIPI that uses quadrant transects of 50 x 50 cm. The results indicate that there’s at least five species of seagrass can be found in Panjang Island Waters, which is: Thallasia hemprichii, Cymodocea rotundata, Cymodocea serrulata, Enhalus acoroides, and Halophila ovalis. The highest coverage density of seagrass is Thallasia hemprichii in station 1, and the lowest coverage density is Halophila ovalis in station 1. Panjang Island Waters also have the potential of associated biotas in the seagrass ecosystem, where there are various types of reef fishes, Molluscas, Cnidarias, and Echinodermatas that can increase the potential of seagrass ecotourism which are also supported by the results of the community’s perception that support and want to participate in ecotourism activities in the seagrass ecosystem of Panjang Island.

Silicone loop alternative for posterior bitewing radiography

Background: Bitewing radiography is a technique that depicts the crown of the maxillary and mandibular teeth and the crest of the alveolar bone in the same receptor. The use of film holders and paper loops in bitewing techniques is very helpful in standardising radiographs, but it has some disadvantages, including the lack of efficiency and discomfort. Therefore, silicone has been widely used in the medical field as a replacement for paper loops. Purpose: This study was conducted to describe the compatibility of the silicone material as an alternative for bitewing radiography. Methods: This research is experimental and a one-shot case study. It used the Mann–Whitney (P < 0.05) test for statistical analysis to compare the results of the radiographs using silicone loops and paper loops and to analyse the quality of each radiograph: object coverage, density, contrast, sharpness, geometry, and overlapping. Results: The images where silicone loops were used show adequate results in six radiograph quality assessments. There was no significant difference between the radiographs that were obtained using the silicon loop and the paper loop (p > 0.05). Conclusion: Silicone loops can be an alternative tool for bitewing radiography because they result in optimal image quality.

Infrastructure Sharing for 5G Deployment: A Techno-Economic Analysis

<p>Fifth-generation wireless (5G) mobile communication technology has been classified as a high wireless standard that is capable of handling internet of things, machine-to-machine, and device-to-device communication. Consequently, there is a need to meet the very sensitive requirements of 5G, which include high coverage density, high speed, high capacity and low end-to-end delay. Of crucial importance is 5G’s passive infrastructure. This paper therefore presents a techno-economic analysis of the current telecommunication infrastructure, as well as investigating and determining the suitable passive infrastructure for 5G technology deployment. The paper outlines all the passive infrastructure elements and proposes a mathematical model to calculate the capital expenditure, operational expenditure, total cost of investment (TCI) or total cost of ownership (TCO) and net present value (NPV). Experiments are performed using market prices from the national communication authority, the mobile network operators and the tower company of Ghana. Furthermore, a sensitivity analysis is performed to identify the variables that increase the TCO or TCI, NPV and return on investment, and to propose the most economical passive infrastructure architecture for easy implementation of 5G technology in Ghana and Africa.</p>

Longitudinal Associations Between Neighborhood Park and Open Space Access and Children’s Accelerometer-Assessed Measured Physical Activity: The Evidence From the MATCH Study

Background: Cross-sectional studies have shown positive associations between neighborhood park access and children’s physical activity (PA); however, research that examines the relationship longitudinally is lacking. This study investigates how neighborhood park access affects the longitudinal trajectory of PA in 192 children across 3 years. Methods: Accelerometer-assessed PA data of children (N = 202) were collected across 6 semi-annual waves (7 d each) between 2014 and 2018. Geographical information systems was used to measure neighborhood park access (ie, coverage, density, and proximity) at baseline. Mixed-effects models examined the associations of park access with children’s baseline and trajectory of moderate to vigorous PA (MVPA) minutes across 3 years and whether the associations differed by sex or weekends versus weekdays. Results: Higher neighborhood park density, coverage, and proximity were positively associated with children’s baseline MVPA minutes per day. Longitudinally, higher park coverage was associated with smaller decreases in children’s MVPA minutes per day, but only during weekends. Park density and proximity were not associated with change in MVPA minutes per day. The above associations did not differ by sex. Conclusions: Having access to more neighborhood parklands protected against age-related declines in children’s PA. These findings suggest that neighborhood park coverage should be considered by urban planners when evaluating the health impacts of their policies.

Facile aptamer immobilization strategy to fabricate robust affinity monolith for highly specific in-tube solid phase microextraction

Developing functional affinity monolithic column towards in-tube solid-phase microextraction (IT-SPME) for the selective sample pretreatment is critical. Herein, a high-performance capillary affinity monolithic column with ultra-high aptamer coverage density was...