Controlling the morphology of trioctyl phosphine oxide-coated cadmium selenide/poly 3-hexyl thiophene composite active layer for bulk hetero-junction solar cells

Bulk hetero-junction solar cells with CdSe nanoparticles-P₃HT (poly 3-hexyl thiophene) composite active layer were fabricated, and the control of morphological feature of the nanoparticle-polymer composite thin films was investigated. A binary solvent composed of a primary solvent with intermediate polarity and a secondary solvent with high polarity was found to be effective in controlling the dispersion of the CdSe nanocrystals in the P₃HT matrix, and the modification of the nanocrystal surface by liquid-liquid extraction process was found to be effective in achieving the desired composite film morphology. Surface roughness of the active layer was optimized for various loadings of CdSe nanoparticles and could be reproducibly controlled to less than 10 nm.     

Association of subjective health symptoms with indoor air quality in European office buildings: The OFFICAIR project

The aim of this study was to explore the association between the building-related occupants’ reported health symptoms and the indoor pollutant concentrations in a sample of 148 office rooms, within the framework of the European OFFICAIR research project. A large field campaign was performed in 37 office buildings among eight countries, which included (a) 5-day air sampling of volatile organic compounds (VOCs), aldehydes, ozone, and NO₂ (b) collection of information from 1299 participants regarding their personal characteristics and health perception at workplace using online questionnaires. Stepwise and multilevel logistic regressions were applied to investigate associations between health symptoms and pollutant concentrations considering personal characteristics as confounders. Occupants of offices with higher pollutant concentrations were more likely to report health symptoms. Among the studied VOCs, xylenes were associated with general (such as headache and tiredness) and skin symptoms, ethylbenzene with eye irritation and respiratory symptoms, a-pinene with respiratory and heart symptoms, d-limonene with general symptoms, and styrene with skin symptoms. Among aldehydes, formaldehyde was associated with respiratory and general symptoms, acrolein with respiratory symptoms, propionaldehyde with respiratory, general, and heart symptoms, and hexanal with general SBS. Ozone was associated with almost all symptom groups.     

Effect of sulfur annealing on the morphological,structural, optical and electrical properties of iron pyrite thin films formed from FeS<Subscript>2</Subscript> nano-powder

Iron pyrite (FeS₂) thin films were fabricated by spin coating the solution of FeS₂ nanocrystals of ～40 nm in size on glass substrates, followed by annealing in a sulfur environment at different temperatures. The effect of sulfurization temperature on the morphology, structural, optical and electrical properties was investigated. With increase of the sulfurization temperature, the grain size and crystallinity of the films was improved, although some cracks and voids were observed on the surface of thin films. The band gap of the FeS₂ films was decreased at higher sulfurization temperature. The electrical properties were also changed, including the increasing in resistivity and the decrease in Hall mobility, with increase of sulfurization temperature. The change in the optical and electrical properties of the FeS2 thin films was explained based on the changes of phase, morphology, surface, and grain boundary property.     

The effect of an obstacle plate on the spontaneous ignition in pressurized hydrogen release: A numerical study

Spontaneous ignition of a pressurized hydrogen release has important implications in the risk assessment of hydrogen installations and design of safety measures. In real accident scenarios, an obstacle may be present close to the release point. Relatively little is known about the effect of such an obstacle on the salient features of highly under-expanded hydrogen jets and its spontaneous ignition.In the present study, the effect of a thin flat obstacle on the spontaneous ignition of a direct pressurized hydrogen release is investigated using a 5th-order WENO scheme and detailed chemistry. The numerical study has revealed that, for the conditions studied, the presence of the obstacle plays an important role in quenching the flame following spontaneous ignition for the release conditions considered.     

High-Frequency Ultrasonic Hydrophone Based on a Cladding-Etched DBR Fiber Laser

Distributed-Bragg-reflector (DBR) fiber-laser-based ultrasonic hydrophone has been found to possess increased detectable frequency range due to the improved sensitivity in the high-frequency region when the fiber cladding thickness was reduced. A wet etching technique is utilized to reduce the fiber diameter of the DBR laser. The peak response frequency moves from 21 to 40 MHz when the fiber diameter was reduced from 125 to 68 m.     

Further Evidence of the Anti‐inflammatory Effects of Silver Nanoparticles

The production of pure silver in nanoparticle size has opened new dimensions in the clinical use of this precious metal. We and others have demonstrated previously that silver nanoparticles (nAg) possess efficient antimicrobial activity. Herein we show they may also have significant anti‐inflammatory effects in a postoperative peritoneal adhesion model. This finding provides further insight into the biological actions of nAg as well as a potentially novel therapy for peritoneal adhesions in clinical surgery.

     

NRZ-DPSK and RZ-DPSK Signals Signed Chromatic Dispersion Monitoring Using Asynchronous Delay-Tap Sampling

In this paper, we demonstrated a signed chromatic dispersion (CD) monitoring method of 10 GHz nonreturn-to-zero differential phase-shift keying (NRZ-DPSK) and return-to-zero differential phase-shift keying (RZ-DPSK) signals by using asynchronous delay-tap sampling and an imperfect tuned delay interferometer. This method could monitor not only the value but also the polarity of residual CD. The demodulated signals show amplitude shoulders on the rising edge or the trailing edge with CD accumulation. Delay-tap sampling scatter plots could reflect this signal distortion by a unique characteristic and realize the signed CD monitoring. The monitoring range can be up to plusmn400 and plusmn720 ps/nm for NRZ-DPSK and RZ-DPSK signals, respectively. Simulation and experimental results are also proposed.     

An analysis of light-pipe system via full-scale measurements

Daylighting is an effective sustainable development strategy to alleviating the problems in energy and the environment, and improving the qualities for visual comfort and health. In Hong Kong, many buildings are high-rise blocks constructed close to each other resulting in severe sky obstructions. Recently, a great deal of attention has been paid to the development of natural daylight exploitation products. One invention is the light-pipe system that transports natural light efficiently from outdoor into rear part of a room. However, this innovative daylighting device is not popular in subtropical Hong Kong. The main reason for such unenthusiastic responses is the lack of local data to indicate the visual performance, energy savings and design implications. A research project was initiated to evaluate these issues. The study includes field measurements of daylight illuminance in a corridor installed a number of light pipes. The results demonstrate that the light-pipe system can provide sufficient illuminance, improve the daylight uniformity and have a high potential to reduce the electric lighting energy consumption.