Nanoscale Study of Perovskite Solar Cells for Efficient Charge Transport

The effect of temperature, humidity and water on the grain boundary potential and charge transport within the grains of pervoskite films prepared by sequential deposition technique. Grain boundary potential of perovskite films exhibited variation in electrical properties with humidity level, temperature and water concentration in methyl ammonium iodide solution. X-ray diffraction (XRD) indicates the formation of PbI2 phase in perovskite film with increasing temperature, humidity and adding larger quantity of water in methyl ammonium iodide solution. It is found that optimum amount of lead iodide helps for the passivation of perovskite film. Spatial mapping of surface potential in the perovskite film exhibits higher positive potential at grain boundaries compared to the surface of the grains. Back recombination barrier between TiO2- perovskite increases to 378 meV for perovskite film annealed at 100 ºC for 15 min. Grain boundary potential barrier were found to increase from ~35 meV to 80 meV for perovskite film exposed to 75% RH level compared to perovskite film kept inside glove box. Optimum amount of water which increases the solar cell performance by increasing the crystallinity of perovskite film was found to be 5% by volume of IPA. Results show strong correlation between temperature, humidity level, electronic grain boundary properties and device performance of perovskite solar cells

In-vitro Analysis of Different Trichoderma spp. Against Fusarium Rhizome Rot of Ginger (Zingiber officinale Roscoe)

This study evaluated the effectiveness of four isolates of Trichoderma spp. obtained from various plant protection divisions and commercial products for the biocontrol of Fusarium rhizome rot of ginger (Zingiber officinale Roscoe). Experiments were designed in a completely randomized design (CRD) with five treatments and ten replications. The National Agriculture Research Council (NARC) isolates of Trichoderma spp. were multiplied through direct inoculation on PDA media. Meanwhile, the commercial products of T. harzianum (TRICHO-HR) and T. viride (Biocide Trivi) were prepared as spore suspension. The dual culture technique was used to evaluate the interaction between Trichoderma spp. and Fusarium pathogen. The radial diameter of both Trichoderma and Fusarium was measured every 24 h for 7 days. The experiments in dual cultures demonstrated that various Trichoderma isolates and commercial products significantly inhibited Fusarium mycelial growth. Among the isolates tested, T1-NARC showed the highest efficacy at 57.91% growth inhibition, followed by T2-RPPL (52.50%) and T4-Biocide Trivi (40.98%). However, T3-TRICHO HR displayed lower performance with an inhibition rate of 24.75%. These findings offer valuable insights for the use of Trichoderma spp. as biocontrol agents in ginger cultivation, contributing to improved disease control and enhanced crop health. The observed differences in performance could be attributed to the genetic variations among the isolates

Effect of Triazole and Strobilurin Fungicide Against Alternaria Leaf and Pod Blight (Alternaria raphani) in Radish (Raphanus sativus var. Mino Early)

A field experiment was conducted to evaluate the effect of Triazole and Strobilurin fungicides on Alternaria leaf and pod blight (Alternaria raphani) of radish (Raphanus sativus var. Mino Early). The experiment lasted from November 2021 to March 2022 following a completely randomized block design (RCBD) with three replications. Seven treatments were evaluated, including T1 (Propiconazole 25% EC), T2 (Tebuconazole 25% WDG), T3 (Azoxystrobin 23% SC), T4 (Propiconazole 13.9% + Difenoconazole 13.9% EC), T5 (Azoxystrobin 11% + Tebuconazole 18.3% SC), T6 (Tebuconazole 50% + Trifloxystrobin 25% WP), and T7 (control). Analysis of the data showed that T4 had the lowest disease severity in radish leaves with a mean value of 22.67±1.76. T1 followed closely with a mean disease severity of 27.11±1.16, while T3 had a mean severity of 29.67±1.73. Regarding pod infection, T4 also showed the most effective control with a mean infection level of 17.56±1.76. This was followed by T1 with a mean infection level of 19.78±1.16 and T3 with a mean infection level of 21.33±1.73. Overall, the results indicate that the application of T4 (Propiconazole 13.9% + Difenoconazole 13.9% EC) significantly reduced disease severity in both radish leaves and pods, demonstrating its efficacy in managing Alternaria leaf and pod blight. These results suggest that T4 may be a suitable fungicide treatment option for the control of Alternaria blight in radish crops. Further research and field trials are required to validate these results and to investigate the long-term effects of treatments on radish growth, yield, and quality

Star varietal cube: A New Large Scale Parallel Interconnection Network

This paper proposes a new interconnection network topology, called the Star varietalcube SVC(n,m), for large scale multicomputer systems. We take advantage of the hierarchical structure of the Star graph network and the Varietal hypercube to obtain an efficient method for constructing the new topology. The Star graph of dimension n and a Varietal hypercube of dimension m are used as building blocks. The resulting network has most of the desirable properties of the Star and Varietal hypercube including recursive structure, partionability, strong connectivity. The diameter of the Star varietal hypercube is about two third of the diameter of the Star-cube. The average distance of the proposed topology is also smaller than that of the Star-cube

Efficacy of chemical fungicides against the fusarium rhizome rot of Ginger (Zingiber officinale)

The present investigation was conducted to analyze efficacy of different commercially available fungicides against the Fusarium spp. causing rhizome rot of ginger adopting poison food technique. The experiment was carried out in a completely randomized design (CRD) with 8 treatment and 3 replications. The fungicides SAAF (Carbendazim 12% WP + Mancozeb WP 63%), Nativo (Tebuconazole 50% WP + Trifloxystrobin 25% WP), Caviet (Tebuconazole 25% WP), Kingsin M (Thiophanate –methyl 70%WP), Moximate (Cymoxil 8% WP + Mancozeb 64% WP), Custodia (Azoxystrobin 11% SC + Tebuconazole 18.3% SC), Melody duo (Iprovalicarp 5.5% WP + Probineb 61.5% WP) were used as a treatment for poison food technique. The results of this study indicated that there was a highly significant difference (p≤0.001) among the treatments in mycelial growth of the pathogen and inhibition of pathogen by different fungicides. The maximum mycelial growth of pathogen was observed on control plate (79.67mm) which was followed by melody duo and Moximate with the radial mycelial growth of 57.33mm and 55.83mm, respectively. Whereas the least mycelial growth of pathogen was recorded in SAAF (0.00mm) which was followed by Nativo, Custodia, Caviet and Kingsin M with the radial mycelial growth of 10.33mm, 14.83mm, 15.50, 21.83mm, respectively. Therefore, SAAF fully inhibited the growth of pathogen and found most effective which was followed by Nativo, Custodia, and Caviet with 87.04%, 81.40%, 80.55%, respectively

Effects of Gibberellic acid (GA3) on shelf life and physiochemical properties of mango (Mangifera indica L. var Bombay green)

The present study investigated the effect of GA3 on the physicochemical properties and shelf life of mango (Mangifera indica L. var. Bombay green) from 31st May 2022 to 8th June 2022 at the Central Laboratory of GPCAR collage Gothgaun, Morang, Nepal. The study's goal was to find the right gibberellic acid concentration to use in mangoes that were collected at a mature stage to delay fruit ripening, preserve quality, and lengthen shelf life. The experiment was laid out in a Completely Randomized Design (CRD) with five treatments and four replications. Mature freshly harvested mango fruits of uniform size were dipped into an aqueous solution of gibberellic acid at 0 ppm (T1), 100 ppm (T2), 200 ppm (T3), 300 ppm (T4) and 400 ppm (T5) for 10 minutes. Data on physicochemical parameters (mango pulp pH, total soluble solids, titratable acidity, physiological weight loss, and shelf life) were statistically analyzed through biochemical analyses. Further, fruits treated with 400 ppm of GA3; resulted in the lowest physiological loss in weight (22.08%), the minimum pulp pH (5.02), and the minimum titratable acidity (0.14%) on the 8th day after storage. The highest total soluble solid (19.85°B) was recorded with GA3 @400ppm, while the lowest soluble solids (16.90°B) were recorded with control ppm on the 8th day after storage. Fruits treated with GA3 at 400 ppm had the longest shelf life (7.17 days), while fruits treated with GA at 300 ppm had the shortest shelf life (7.19 days). Therefore, the best results were obtained when gibberellic acid was applied at 400 ppm, which extended the shelf life and physiochemical traits of mango fruits

Efficacy of different doses of NPK on growth and yield of rice bean (Vigna umbellata) in Khadbari, Sankhuwasabha, Nepal

An essential cultural technique for ensuring correct development and maximizing output is administering fertilizer sources for the crops. The experiment was carried out from February 2022 to May 2022 at Khadbari-3, Maruwa, Sankhuwasabha, to determine the efficacy of various dosages of NPK on the growth performance of the rice bean variety (Sunehri). The trial used a Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) with seven treatments replicated three times. The treatments were listed and named as T1 (0:0:0 kg NPK/ha); T2 (20:30:10 kg NPK/ha) (Recommended dose); T3 (10:20:15 kg NPK/ha); T4 (40:80:40 kg NPK/ha); T5 (20:20:20 kg NPK/ha); T6 (80:100:60 kg NPK/ha); and T7 (20:0:30 kg NPK/ha), respectively. The experimental results revealed that the highest yield/plant (39g) was obtained from the plot treated with T4 (40:80:40 kg NPK/ha), followed by 24.93 g and 24.13 g from the plot receiving T2 (20:30:10 kg NPK/ha) and T6 (80:100:60 kg NPK/ha), respectively. The lowest yield of 14.07 g was obtained from the control plot, followed by 15.27 g and 21.20 g from the plot receiving T7 (20:0:30 kg NPK/ha) and T3 (10:20:15 kg NPK/ha), respectively. Vegetative parameters such as plant height, branch numbers, and leaves numbers were recorded as a maximum of 19.72 cm, 6.88, and 18.97 in plots treated with T5 (20:20:20 kg NPK/ha), T7 (20:0:30 kg NPK/ha), and T1 (0:0:0 kg NPK/ha), consecutively, and corresponding minimum values were found 18.12 cm, 5.36 and 15.63 in T3 (10:20:15 kg NPK/ha), T1 (0:0:0 kg NPK/ha), and T7 (20:0:30 kg NPK/ha), respectively. Conclusively, the study's findings suggest that the rice bean crop responds to fertilizers and applying T4 (40:80:40 kg NPK/ha) enhances crop production considerably

Comprehensive review of LCA studies in Civil Engineering

This review paper explores the application of Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) within the domain of civil engineering, aiming to provide a comprehensive overview of current research, methodologies, challenges, and future trends. LCA serves as a pivotal tool for assessing the environmental impact of infrastructure projects, yet gaps persist in its integration with socioeconomic dimensions, regional considerations, and dynamic modeling. By analyzing existing literature and scholarly discussions, this review identifies research gaps and proposes directions for enhancing the applicability and effectiveness of LCA in civil engineering. Moreover, it examines future trends such as the integration of advanced technologies, stakeholder engagement, and policy implementation, poised to shape the landscape of LCA practices in the civil engineering sector. Ultimately, this review paper contributes to the understanding of LCA's potential to drive sustainable decision-making in infrastructure development, paving the way for more informed and environmentally conscious practices

Comprehensive review of LCA studies in Civil Engineering

This review paper explores the application of Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) within the domain of civil engineering, aiming to provide a comprehensive overview of current research, methodologies, challenges, and future trends. LCA serves as a pivotal tool for assessing the environmental impact of infrastructure projects, yet gaps persist in its integration with socioeconomic dimensions, regional considerations, and dynamic modeling. By analyzing existing literature and scholarly discussions, this review identifies research gaps and proposes directions for enhancing the applicability and effectiveness of LCA in civil engineering. Moreover, it examines future trends such as the integration of advanced technologies, stakeholder engagement, and policy implementation, poised to shape the landscape of LCA practices in the civil engineering sector. Ultimately, this review paper contributes to the understanding of LCA's potential to drive sustainable decision-making in infrastructure development, paving the way for more informed and environmentally conscious practices

Sc3N@C80 and La@C82 doped graphene for a new class of optoelectronic devices

This is the Author Manuscript version of an article presenting high-performance hybrid graphene photodetectors prepared with endohedral fullerenes deposited on graphene using electrophoretic methods for the first time