Sharif Digital Repository

Nanoparticulated TiO 2 fibers as one-dimensional long structures were introduced into TiO 2 P25 nanoparticle films using coelectrophoretic deposition. This prevented the usual crack formation occurring in wet coatings, and resulted in less porosity and higher roughness factor of the films that provided more favorable conditions for electron transport. The films used as the photoanode of a dye solar cell (DSC) produced 65% higher photovoltaic efficiency. TiO 2 fibers can be excellent binders in single-step, organic-free electrophoretic deposition of TiO 2 for DSC photoanode  

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the galvanic corrosion of nitinol orthodontic wires with six dental alloys in artificial saliva and consider the effect of initiated localized corrosion and real surfaces of anode and cathode on galvanic current. Design/methodology/approach: Linear polarization and cyclic polarization curves for each alloy in de-aerated Duffo and Castillo's artificial saliva are obtained. Galvanic corrosion investigation is conducted by polarization curve intersection and mixed potential theory methods. In order to verify the initiation of localized corrosion, scanning electron microscopy is used. Findings: Initiation of localized corrosion on the anode... 

The influence of an externally applied bias on photocatalytic performance of crystallized TiO2/Ti nanotubular electrode formed by anodization in fluoride-based electrolyte were investigated and compared to the behavior of multiporous TiO2 electrode. The photoelectrocatalytic oxidation behavior of methanol over the nanotubular electrode has been studied by measuring photocurrent response, potentiodynamic polarization spectroscopy and using electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). It was found that the photoelectrocatalytic oxidation and the charge transfer rate constant of reaction on TiO2/Ti nanotubular electrode can significantly be increased by applying electrochemical bias. Moreover,... 

TiO2 deposited on a membrane of Ag fibers was prepared as a photoelectrochemical cell electrode. Ag fibers were made by reduction of Ag complexes on cellulose fibers, followed by burning out the template. TiO 2 photocatalyst layers were grown on the fibers by electrophoretic deposition of TiO2 nanoparticles. Ag fibers could be uniformly deposited. Photocatalytic tests by dye decomposition and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) under UV illumination demonstrate that Ag fibers act as a good substrate that provides both high surface area and good separation of photogenerated electron-hole pairs and causes the enhancement of photocatalytic activity in comparison with a thin film of... 

The goal of this work is to propose a hybrid algorithm called real-coded self-organizing migrating genetic algorithm by combining real-coded genetic algorithm (RCGA) and self-organizing migrating algorithm (SOMA) for solving bound-constrained nonlinear optimization problems having multimodal continuous functions. In RCGA, exponential ranking selection, whole-arithmetic crossover and non-uniform mutation operations have been used as different operators where as in SOMA, a modification has been done. The performance of the proposed hybrid algorithm has been tested by solving a set of benchmark optimization problems taken from the existing literature. Then, the simulated results have been... 

The hard corona, the protein shell that is strongly attached to the surface of nano-objects in biological fluids, is recognized as the first layer that interacts with biological objects (e.g., cells and tissues). The decoration of the hard corona (i.e., the type, amount, and conformation of the attached proteins) can define the biological fate of the nanomaterial. Recent developments have revealed that corona decoration strongly depends on the type of disease in human patients from which the plasma is obtained as a protein source for corona formation (referred to as the 'personalized protein corona'). In this study, we demonstrate that graphene oxide (GO) sheets can trigger different... 

In this manuscript, the sequel of agglomeration on the vibration of fiber metal laminated (FML) cylindrical shell in the micro phase using developed couple stress theory (MCST). Hamilton's principle has been carried out for deriving the non-classical equations of motion of size-dependent thin micro cylindrical shell on the basis of Love's first approximation theory. Mori-Tanaka and extended rule of mixture are utilized to estimate the mechanical attributes of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) and equivalent fiber, respectively. These four phases CNTs/fiber/polymer/metal laminated (CNTFPML) micro cylindrical shell is analyzed applying beam modal function model for several boundary limitations. Then, an... 

Water shortage is the main limitation for agricultural production in many parts of the world. Drought or unavailability of water may seriously limit plant growth as well as yield. A pot experiment was carried out to evaluate the effects of various irrigation strategies, i.e., Full (FI), deficit (DI) and partial root-zone drying (PRD) on physiological, biochemical and yield-related attributes of cotton crop. Irrigation treatments started 60 days after planting and lasted for 60 days. For FI and DI, 100% and 50% of evapotranspiration (ET) was replaced by irrigating the entire pot surface every 4–5 days. For PRD, root system was split into two equal halves and during each irrigation event, only... 

To mitigate environmental pollution and food contamination caused by inappropriate and excessive herbicide usage, most potent herbicides should be screened to control rice weeds. A research trial was executed for assessing the comparative efficacy of different herbicides to control rice field weeds and to evaluate the toxicity on rice under normal (distilled water) as well as different salinity levels (4 and 8 dS m-1). The study was designed to select the most potent herbicide and its appropriate dose for weed control of rice crop in coastal areas. Fourteen herbicidal treatments were included weed free crop, Pretilachlor (0.25, 0.50, 0.375 and 0.75 kg a.i. ha-1), Propanil + Thiobencarb (0.6... 

Background: Hearing loss affects access to spoken language, which can affect cognition and development, and can negatively affect social wellbeing. We present updated estimates from the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) study on the prevalence of hearing loss in 2019, as well as the condition's associated disability. Methods: We did systematic reviews of population-representative surveys on hearing loss prevalence from 1990 to 2019. We fitted nested meta-regression models for severity-specific prevalence, accounting for hearing aid coverage, cause, and the presence of tinnitus. We also forecasted the prevalence of hearing loss until 2050. Findings: An estimated 1·57 billion (95% uncertainty... 

Exclusive breastfeeding (EBF)—giving infants only breast-milk for the first 6 months of life—is a component of optimal breastfeeding practices effective in preventing child morbidity and mortality. EBF practices are known to vary by population and comparable subnational estimates of prevalence and progress across low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) are required for planning policy and interventions. Here we present a geospatial analysis of EBF prevalence estimates from 2000 to 2018 across 94 LMICs mapped to policy-relevant administrative units (for example, districts), quantify subnational inequalities and their changes over time, and estimate probabilities of meeting the World Health... 

Background: Measuring routine childhood vaccination is crucial to inform global vaccine policies and programme implementation, and to track progress towards targets set by the Global Vaccine Action Plan (GVAP) and Immunization Agenda 2030. Robust estimates of routine vaccine coverage are needed to identify past successes and persistent vulnerabilities. Drawing from the Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study (GBD) 2020, Release 1, we did a systematic analysis of global, regional, and national vaccine coverage trends using a statistical framework, by vaccine and over time. Methods: For this analysis we collated 55 326 country-specific, cohort-specific, year-specific,... 

Background: Combating viral hepatitis is part of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and WHO has put forth hepatitis B elimination targets in its Global Health Sector Strategy on Viral Hepatitis (WHO-GHSS) and Interim Guidance for Country Validation of Viral Hepatitis Elimination (WHO Interim Guidance). We estimated the global, regional, and national prevalence of hepatitis B virus (HBV), as well as mortality and disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs) due to HBV, as part of the Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study (GBD) 2019. This included estimates for 194 WHO member states, for which we compared our estimates to WHO elimination targets. Methods: The primary...