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In order to identify a potential surrogate of planktonic ciliate communities for marine bioassessments and evaluating biological conservations, the different taxonomic/numerical resolutions and taxa as surrogates were studied in Jiaozhou Bay, northern China during a 1-year cycle (June 2007-May 2008).Samples were collected biweekly from a depth of 1 m at each of five sites. A range of physicochemical parameters were also measured in order to determine water quality.The genus- and family-level resolutions maintained sufficient information to evaluate the ecological patterns of the ciliate communities in response to environmental status. The non-loricate oligotrichous ciliate assemblages in both abundance and occurrence may be used as a surrogate of planktonic ciliate communities. Heavy data transformations were an optimal strategy for the species level of planktonic ciliates, while mild data transformations were for the higher. The ordination patterns based on species biomass, occurrence, and biomass/abundance ratio matrices were significantly consistent with that of species abundance data.The results suggest that the use of simplifications at both taxonomic and numerical resolutions are time-efficient and would allow improving sampling strategies of large spatial/temporal scale monitoring programs and biological conservation researches in the marine ecosystem with a relative paucity of scientists.

As smart cities become a global topic, interest in smart mobility, the core of smart cities, is also growing. The technology that comes closest to general users is “autonomous driving”. In particular, the successful market entry and establishment of some private companies proved that “autonomous driving” is not technology of the future but imminent reality. However, safety in autonomous vehicles that rely on sensors instead of the driver’s five senses has been the focus of attention from the beginning and continues to be so. In this study, we attempted to counter this interest. Based on the actual data of thirty traffic accidents, assuming the AEBS (Autonomous Emergency Braking System) was installed to assist the driver in safe driving, it was reinterpreted through simulation to see what changes occurred in the accident. In the computer program, PC-Crash, the results were first analyzed through simulation using Euro NCAP (New Car Assessment Program)’s AEBS test standards. Subsequently, the other variables in the AEBS were controlled and the accident was reinterpreted by changing only the angle of the radar detection sensor. As a result, it was confirmed that a total of 27 accidents out of thirty accidents could have been prevented with the AEBS. In addition, it proved that the crash avoidance rate of vehicles gradually increased as the radar angle increased.

Removal of Reactive Black 5 (RB5) dye from an aqueous solution was studied by its adsorption on banana peel biochars (BPBs). The factors affecting RB5 dye adsorption such as pH, exposure time, RB5 dye concentration, adsorbent dose, particle size and temperature were investigated. Maximum 97% RB5 dye removal was obtained at pH 3 with 75 mg/L adsorbate concentration by banana peel biochars. Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) were used to characterize the adsorbent material. The data of equilibrium were analyzed by Langmuir and Freundlich isotherm models. The experimental results were best reflected by Langmuir isotherm with maximum 7.58 mg/g adsorption capacity. Kinetic parameters were explored and pseudo-second order was found suitable which reflected that rate of adsorption was controlled by physisorption. Thermodynamic variables exhibited that the sorption process was feasible, spontaneous, and exothermic in nature. Banana peel biochar showed excellent regeneration efficiency up to five cycles of successive adsorption-desorption. Banana peel biochar maintained >38% sorption potential of RB5 dye even after five cycles of adsorption-desorption. The phytotoxic study exhibited the benign nature of BPB-treated RB5 dye on tomato seeds.

Heat energy storage systems were fabricated with the impregnation method using MgO and Mg(OH)2 as supporting materials and polyethylene glycol (PEG-6000) as the functional phase. MgO and Mg(OH)2 were synthesized from the salt Mg(NO3)·6H2O by performing hydrothermal reactions with various precipitating agents. The precipitating agents were NaOH, KOH, NH3, NH3 with pamoic acid (PA), or (NH4)2CO3. The result shows that the selection of the precipitating agent has a significant impact on the crystallite structure, size, and shape of the final products. Of the precipitating agents tested, only NaOH and NH3 with PA produce single-phase Mg(OH)2 as the as-synthesized product. Pore size distribution analyses revealed that the surfaces of the as-synthesized MgO have a slit-like pore structure with a broad-type pore size distribution, whereas the as-synthesized Mg(OH)2 has a mesoporous structure with a narrow pore size distribution. This structure enhances the latent heat of the phase change material (PCM) as well as super cooling mitigation. The PEG/Mg(OH)2 PCM also exhibits reproducible behavior over a large number of thermal cycles. Both MgO and Mg(OH)2 matrices prevent the leakage of liquid PEG during the phase transition in phase change materials (PCMs). However, MgO/PEG has a low impregnation ratio and efficiency, with a low thermal storage capability. This is due to the large pore diameter, which does not allow MgO to retain a larger amount of PEG. The latent heat values of PEG-1000/PEG-6000 blends with MgO and Mg(OH)2 were also determined with a view to extending the application of the PCMs to energy storage over wider temperature ranges.

In this study, the freshwater microalgae Selenastrum sp. was assessed for the effective degradation of pyrene and simultaneous production of biodiesel from pyrene-tolerant biomass. The growth of algae was determined based on the cell dry weight, cell density, chlorophyll content, and biomass productivity under different pyrene concentrations. Further, lipids from pyrene tolerant culture were converted into biodiesel by acid-catalyzed transesterification, which was characterized for the total fatty acid profile by gas chromatography. Increased pyrene concentration revealed less biomass yield and productivity after 20 days of treatment, indicating potent pyrene biodegradation by Selenastrum sp. Biomass yield was unaffected till the 20 mg/L pyrene. A 95% of pyrene bioremediation was observed at 20 days of culturing. Lipid accumulation of 22.14%, as evident from the estimation of the total lipid content, indicated a marginal increase in corroborating pyrene stress in the culture. Fatty acid methyl esters yield of 63.06% (% per 100 g lipids) was noticed from the pyrene tolerant culture. Moreover, fatty acid profile analysis of biodiesel produced under 10 mg/L and 20 mg/L pyrene condition showed escalated levels of desirable fatty acids in Selenastrum sp., compared to the control. Further, Selenastrum sp. and other freshwater microalgae are catalogued for sustainable development goals attainment by 2030, as per the UNSDG (United Nations Sustainable Development Goals) agenda. Critical applications for the Selenastrum sp. in bioremediation of pyrene, along with biodiesel production, are enumerated for sustainable and renewable energy production and resource management.

Structural, optoelectronic, photovoltaic, and supplementary characterization data for “Benzylammonium-Mediated Formamidinium Lead Iodide Perovskite Phase Stabilization for Photovoltaics”, DOI:10.1002/adfm.202101163. Figure_2_XRD.zip: Data described in Figure 2 (XRD patterns) as Origin (.opj) software file. Figure_3_NMR_data.zip: Data described in Figure 3 (NMR spectra) in the file structure of the TopSpin software, which is available from Bruker. Figure_4_spectra.zip: Data described in Figure 4 (UV-vis absorption, PL and IPCE spectra) as Origin (.opj) software files. Figure_5_PV.zip: Data described in Figure 5 (photovoltaic characterization) as Origin (.opj) software files. Figure_6_spectra.zip: Data described in Figure 6 (PLQY and TRPL) as Origin (.opj) and *.csv files. Figure_7_stability.zip: Data described in Figure 7 (stability analysis) as Origin (.opj) software files. Figure_SI.zip: Data described in the Supporting Information Figures S1, S2, S3, S5, and S6 (XRD data, reciprocal space maps, radial profiles of q-maps, UV-vis absorption spectra, PL spectra, and additional photovoltaic characterization) as Origin (.opj), text (.txt), and image (.tiff) files.

In this paper, stochastic scheduling of a hybrid system (HS) composed of a photovoltaic (PV) array and wind turbines incorporated with a battery storage (HPV/WT/Batt) system in the distribution network was proposed to minimize energy losses, the voltage profile, and the HS cost, and to improve reliability in shape of the energy-not-supplied (ENS) index, considering energy-source generation and network demand uncertainties through the unscented transformation (UT). An improved escaping-bird search algorithm (IEBSA), based on the escape operator from the local optimal, was employed to identify the optimal location of the HS in the network in addition to the optimal quantity of PV panels, wind turbines, and batteries. The deterministic results for three configurations of HPV/WT/Batt, PV/Batt, and WT/Batt were presented, and the results indicate that the HPV/WT/Batt system is the optimal configuration with lower energy losses, voltage deviation, energy not supplied, and a lower HS energy cost than the other configurations. Deterministic scheduling according to the optimal configuration reduced energy losses, ENS, and voltage fluctuation by 33.09%, 53.56%, and 63.02%, respectively, compared to the base network. In addition, the results demonstrated that the integration of battery storage into the HPV/WT enhanced the various objectives. In addition, the superiority of IEBSA over several well-known algorithms was proved in terms of obtaining a faster convergence, better objective value, and lower HS costs. In addition, the stochastic scheduling results based on the UT revealed that the uncertainties increase the power losses, voltage deviations, ENS, and HPV/WT/Batt cost by 2.23%, 5.03%, 2.20%, and 1.91%, respectively, when compared to the deterministic scheduling.

Shading the greenhouses is necessary in summer to reduce the solar radiation load. This however generates a considerable amount of thermal radiation heat load that needs to be removed via cooling systems. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of different shading configurations on the solar and thermal radiation in a greenhouse. Nets at four different locations were employed to shade the roof and side-walls of a polycarbonate, mechanically ventilated greenhouse. The spectral radiative properties of all these plastic materials were measured in short and long wave spectrum bands. The net solar and thermal radiations and air temperature were measured outside and inside two identical shaded and unshaded greenhouses. The results showed that external roof-shading is desirable, as it reduced the generated thermal radiation in the greenhouse by 21% and 15% during the day and night time, respectively and reduced the greenhouse air temperature during the day. The internal shading (roof and side walls) is undesirable, since it drastically increased the generated thermal radiation in the greenhouse by 147% and strongly increased the greenhouse air temperature during the day. Shading the side-walls is not recommended because it significantly reduces the transmitted solar radiation in the morning and afternoon (when the outside irradiance is low) and is useless at around noon when the outside irradiance is extremely high.