Fabrication of CuO nanoparticle interlinked microsphere cages by solution method

Here we report a very simple method to convert conventional CuO powders to nanoparticle interlinked microsphere cages by solution method. CuO is dissolved into aqueous ammonia, and the solution is diluted by alcohol and dip coating onto a glass substrate. Drying at 80 °C, the nanostructures with bunchy nanoparticles of Cu(OH)2can be formed. After the substrate immerges into the solution and we vaporize the solution, hollow microspheres can be formed onto the substrate. There are three phases in the as-prepared samples, monoclinic tenorite CuO, orthorhombic Cu(OH)2, and monoclinic carbonatodiamminecopper(II) (Cu(NH3)2CO3). After annealing at 150 °C, the products convert to CuO completely. At annealing temperature above 350 °C, the hollow microspheres became nanoparticle interlinked cages

Poverty of Malaysian rice farmers in a changing climate - An empirical investigation in Kedah, Malaysia

This research aims to assess the economic impact of climate change on the poverty of rice farmers in Kedah. A personal interview was conducted in a sample of 400 farm households in Kedah, Malaysia. To achieve the goal of the analysis, a logit model was used. The findings indicate that education and non-farm have major positive effect on the probability of being poor for the rice farmers. For Malaysian policymakers, the evidence from this study may be useful in promoting greater preventive measures during the key and off-seasons to counteract climate instability and vulnerability

Frequency dependent power and energy flux density equations of the electromagnetic wave

The calculation of the power and energy of the electromagnetic wave is important for numerous applications. There are some equations to compute the power and energy density of the electromagnetic wave radiation. For instance, the Poynting vector is frequently used to calculate the power density. However those including the Poynting vector are not perfect to represent the actual values because the equations are frequency independent. In the present study we have derived the frequency-dependent equations to calculate the power and energy flux density of the electromagnetic wave by help of the classical electromagnetic theories. It is seems that the Poynting vector with a certain electric and magnetic fields is correct only for a specific frequency. However our equations are perfect to calculate the values of the power and energy flux density for all frequencies of the electromagnetic radiation. The equations may help to develop the applications of the electromagnetic wave radiation. Keywords: EM wave, EM power density with frequency, EM energy density with frequenc

The effects of visual merchandising and price sensitivity on impulse purchase behaviour among young apparel shoppers in Bangladesh

The intense competition among apparel retail outlets in Bangladesh are on the rise. Due to the increasing number of these outlets, young consumers tend to differentiate the apparel products by visiting stores and compare prices with other outlets and end up with impulse purchase. The purpose of this study is to examine the relationship between visual merchandising, price sensitivity and impulse purchase behavior among young apparel shoppers. For this purpose, the sample of 305 young shoppers in Bangladesh completed the questionnaire. Stimulus Organism and Response (SOR) model was employed. The data were analyzed by deploying partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM). By applying two-step approach for instance, measurement model for indicator loadings, convergent validity, reliability and structural model for path analysis, the result signifies that both visual merchandising and price sensitivity positively and significantly affects shoppers’ shopping enjoyment and impulse purchase behavior, which shoppers’ shopping enjoyment positively affects impulse purchase behavior. Results also found that shopping enjoyment mediates the relationship between visual merchandising, price sensitivity and impulse purchase behavior. The findings are useful for retailers to understand the essence of impulse purchasing behavior and factors, such as visual merchandising and price sensitivity, which can have great impact on impulse purchase behaviors among consumers

Bioactive Potential of Brown Algae

Marine-derived natural products are rich source of secondary metabolites with huge potentials including novel therapeutic agents. Marine algae are considered to be a good source of secondary metabolites with versatile bioactivities. During the last few decades, researches related to natural products obtained from brown algae have remarkably escalated as they contain active compounds with varied biologically activities like antimicrobial, anticancer, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antidiabetic, and antiparasitic properties. The main bioactive components such as phlorotannin, fucoxanthin, alginic acid, fucoidan, and laminarin have been briefly discussed here, together with their composition and biological activities. In this review, the biological function of extracts and the metabolites of brown algae as well as their pharmacological impacts with the description of the possible mechanism of their action are described and discussed. Also, this study is expected to examine the multifunctional properties of brown algae that facilitate natural algal products, including the ability to integrate these functional properties in a variety of applications

Design of efficient off-grid solar photovoltaic water pumping system based on improved fractional open circuit voltage MPPT technique

The main application of off-grid solar photovoltaic (SPV) systems is water extraction in rural areas where access to the grid is restricted. In this application, photovoltaic (PV) and pump system regulation are crucial to increase its overall efficiency. In this context, this work presents a simple and efficient off-grid SPV water pumping system (SPVWPS). The designed system is based on a DC-DC boost converter, a three-phase DC-AC inverter, and a three-phase induction motor (IM) coupled to the centrifugal pump. The proposed solution is operated using a control strategy that associates an improved fractional open-circuit voltage (FOCV) method for maximum power point tracking (MPPT) and closed-loop scalar control. This association avoids the use of a speed sensor/encoder and a current sensor for the IM. Finally, the effectiveness of the proposed off-grid SPVWPS and its control system for both steady-state and dynamic conditions of insolation change is verified using a 1KVA rated prototype. The relevance of the drive is also checked in various operating conditions and is found to be adequate for pumping water. Moreover, the proposed method guarantees a fast response, less oscillations around the MPP, a system efficiency of 99%, and a high flow rate due to the extraction of maximum power