Superior stability and efficiency in triboelectric nanogenerators with dual metal coating on nylon

In this study, we report a method for fabricating high-performance triboelectric nanogenerators (TENGs) using a combination of conductive nylon fabrics and dual metal deposition. The nylon fabrics were synthesized with varying weave designs (dense and loose) to investigate the effect of fabric structure on air stability. Copper (Cu) and nickel (Ni), two transition metals, were deposited on the nylon fabrics using an electroless deposition (ELD) technique. We introduced a novel dual NiCu metal deposition process to address the issue of poor air stability observed in Cu-deposited fabrics. The TENGs were fabricated using Cu, Ni, and CuNi-Nylon electrodes. The performance of the TENGs was evaluated by measuring their output voltage and current. The results showed that CuNi-Nylon TENGs exhibited the highest output performance, generating 15.5 volts and 17.4 nA, respectively. This performance was significantly better than the TENGs made with single metal electrodes (Cu or Ni). Furthermore, the CuNi-Nylon TENGs demonstrated remarkable stability, retaining a maximum output voltage of 16.3 volts and a current of 14.8 nA after one month, demonstrating the effectiveness of the dual metal deposition process in improving air stability. This research paves the way for the development of high-performance and stable TENGs for various applications, including wearable electronics, energy harvesting, and self-powered sensors. The combination of conductive nylon fabrics with dual metal deposition offers a promising approach for creating next-generation TENG devices.

Anwar Ibrahim: Tenacious in Dissent, Hopeful in Power Khoo Boo Teik. Kuala Lumpur: Strategic Information and Research Development Centre, 2023.

Emerging niosomal formulations for skin-targeted drug delivery: strategies, applications, and limitations

Nanomaterials has garnered significant interest in drug delivery owing to their ability to enhance targeted delivery to diseased tissues while minimizing exposure to surrounding healthy cells. However, achieving both safety and efficient delivery in therapeutic delivery remains a persistent challenge in pharmaceutical science. Niosomes, which are self-assembled vesicular nanocarriers formed by hydrating nonionic surfactants with cholesterol or other stabilizers, have emerged as a promising platform. These nanocarriers offer versatility in drug delivery applications, ranging from topical administration to targeted therapies. Similar to liposomes, niosomes are capable of encapsulating both hydrophilic and hydrophobic compounds. Moreover, they offer advantages such as simpler preparation methods, lower production costs, and enhanced stability, thereby overcoming several limitations of liposomal systems. This review presents an in-depth synthesis in emerging niosomal formulations, emphasizing strategies, therapeutic applications and limitations for improved skin-targeted drug delivery. Additionally, it highlights the therapeutic potential of niosomal drug delivery systems while addressing the challenges that may hinder their clinical translation. Compared to other nanocarriers such as liposomes and ethosomes, emerging niosomal systems exhibit superior structural stability, scalability, and adaptability for skin-targeted therapy, representing a critical step toward translational dermatological applications.

On a new generalization of Condition ( E )

In this paper we will present a new generalization of Condition( E )on acts and here it is called Condition( E 0 ). Then we give a classification of monoids by comparing this condition of their acts with other conditions and properties. One of the important aims in introducing Condition( E 0 )is that it helps us to present a new equivalence for property strongly flat which it is an important property of acts over monoids.

Investigation of photocatalytic degradation of methyl orange using zinc oxide-supported chitosan hydrogel beads

In this study, chitosan-based ZnO supported hydrogels (CZ–H) were synthesized to evaluate their photocatalytic degradation performance against methyl orange (MO) dye. The composite hydrogels were characterized using X-ray Diffraction (XRD), UV–Vis DRS, Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM-EDS), Thermogravimetric Analysis (TGA), and Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR). These characterization results confirmed the successful formation of the CZ–H composite structure. The band gap of the composite was approximately 2.77 eV, supporting enhanced photocatalytic activity. Photocatalytic experiments showed that CZ–H removed 74% of MO within 60 min, compared to 42% for pure chitosan beads, with reaction rate constants of 0.0237 min −1 and 0.0113 min −1 , respectively. Moreover, the CZ–H beads demonstrated good reusability with minimal loss in efficiency over multiple cycles. These findings highlight the potential of CZ–H as a stable, effective, and reusable photocatalyst for the efficient removal of dyes from wastewater.

Enhancing membrane performance through photocatalyst-integrated core/shell nanocomposites a review

Improvements in membrane separation methods have been made possible by recent developments in photocatalytic core-shell nanocomposites for the treatment of water and wastewater. Semiconductor photocatalysts (such as TiO 2 , ZnO, CuO, CNTs, and Fe 2 O 3 ) can be embedded in polymeric or ceramic membranes and integrated into core-shell structures to simultaneously improve antifouling performance under light irradiation and encourage pollutant breakdown. This review explains the mechanisms behind flux enhancement, selectivity improvement, and irradiation-induced antifouling behavior, summarizes important synthesis techniques (such as hydrothermal growth, oxidative coating, and in-situ templating), and addresses structure–performance relationships pertaining to shell morphology, charge separation, and band-gap tuning. Lastly, issues and potential paths are discussed, such as long-term stability, visible-light activation, scalability, environmental safety, and new foulants. All things considered, photocatalyst-integrated core-shell nanocomposite membranes exhibit great promises for more sustainable separation techniques, self-cleaning operation, and high-quality water purification.

A cross-sectional study of psychological safety: Barriers and facilitators in a non-western clinical setting

Psychological safety is a cornerstone of effective clinical learning. While extensively studied in Western contexts, little is known about its barriers and facilitators, as well as its relationship to feedback-seeking and competence development in high power-distance, non-Western residency programs. This study explored barriers and facilitators of psychological safety and examined its associations with residents’ feedback-seeking behaviors and self-perceived clinical competence. We conducted a cross-sectional study in a large Lebanese academic medical center. An online survey assessed psychological safety, feedback-seeking behaviors, and self-perceived clinical competence. Open-ended questions explored barriers and facilitators in the clinical environment. Descriptive statistics, correlation, and mediation analyses were performed, along with inductive qualitative ‘conventional content analysis’ of narrative responses. Of 340 residents, 235 (69.1%) consented to participate, 204 (86.8%) completed the survey, and 160 (68.1%) provided narrative responses. Psychological safety was positively associated with direct feedback-seeking ( rho  = 0.194, p =.005) and perceived competence ( rho  = 0.184, p =.008). Adjusted mediation analysis suggested that direct inquiry may partially account for the association between psychological safety and competence ( b  = 0.2886, BootSE = 0.1479, 95% CI [0.0478, 0.6188]), whereas reflective appraisal and indirect inquiry were not significant mediators. Five themes shaped residents’ sense of psychological safety [1]: hierarchy and psychological distance [2], social belonging and interpersonal safety [3], workload, burnout, and learning identity [4], leadership responsiveness and institutional climate, and [5] feedback and day-to-day communication. Residents’ experiences of psychological safety were linked to more proactive feedback-seeking, which was in turn associated with higher self-perceived competence. However, more passive feedback strategies appeared less sensitive to psychological safety, likely reflecting cultural norms and hierarchical barriers. These safety perceptions were shaped by interpersonal relationships, leadership accessibility, workload pressures, and broader institutional culture, with hierarchy emerging as a dominant concern. Multi-level interventions, including leadership training, faculty development, and structural reforms, are needed to foster psychologically safe learning environments that promote resident growth, team functioning, and patient safety.

Enhancing construction site layout planning using hybrid Ant Colony and simulated annealing algorithms

Effective construction site layout planning (CSLP) is critical for enhancing logistics efficiency, safety, and space utilization in complex construction environments. In practice, planners must evaluate multiple layout alternatives under spatial, operational, and safety constraints within limited decision time. However, traditional optimization approaches often struggle with the nonlinear and constraint-rich nature of real construction sites, either requiring excessive computational time or compromising solution quality. To address these challenges, this study proposes a hybrid metaheuristic framework that integrates Ant Colony Optimization (ACO) with Simulated Annealing (SA) to support CSLP decision-making. The approach leverages the global search capability of ACO and the local refinement strength of SA to generate high-quality layout solutions with improved computational efficiency. The hybrid mechanism employs adaptive pheromone updating alongside local search enhancement to balance exploration and exploitation effectively. The framework is validated through application cases, including a benchmark problem and a large-scale multi-building construction site. Results demonstrate that the proposed method achieves up to a 95% reduction in computational time compared with standalone approaches, while maintaining or improving solution quality. Beyond algorithmic performance, the study offers managerial value by enabling structured comparison of layout alternatives and supporting data-driven decision-making.

Co-administered chitosan and ivy leaf extract reduce deltamethrin-induced testicular toxicity

Deltamethrin, a synthetic pesticide, is toxic to both mammalian and nonmammalian animal species. Despite its widespread use in agriculture, food safety, and disease vector control, it poses a threat to a variety of organisms. The current study was designed to investigate the potential protective effects of chitosan, ivy leaf extract, or both on testicular toxicity when coadministered with the pesticide deltamethrin. Forty-eight rats were divided into eight groups of six each. All the animals were subjected to intragastric incubation for 90 days and received either saline (the control) or one of the following substances: the polysaccharide chitosan, ivy leaf extract, a combination of these two substances, deltamethrin alone, or a combination of deltamethrin with chitosan and ivy leaf extract. After the rats were euthanized, blood was drawn for biochemical assessment, and the testes were dissected for histological and immunohistochemical assessment. This study revealed that deltamethrin toxicity in rats resulted in reduced body weight, decreased sex hormones, increased oxidative activity, and decreased antioxidant defenses. Histopathological analysis revealed abnormal seminiferous tubules and damaged spermatogenic cells. The coadministration of chitosan and ivy leaf extract with deltamethrin reversed these effects by increasing body weight, reducing oxidative stress, and preventing histologic damage.

Possible genotoxic effects of dapagliflozin using SMART and comet tests, and behavioral toxicity in Drosophila melanogaster

Dapagliflozin (DAPA) is a sodium-glucose cotransporter (SGLT) inhibitor used in the treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus. DAPA, used in the treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), has been shown to cause liver damage in clinical studies, and has raised concerns due to drug-related breast and bladder cancer cases. However, due to the lack of information regarding its potential effects on humans, genotoxicity assessments of DAPA are necessary, and its use should be reconsidered following these assessments. For all these reasons, this study aimed to determine the possible cytotoxic and genotoxic effects of DAPA on Drosophila melanogaster . Four DAPA concentrations (0.1, 1, 5, and 10 mM) were assessed for behavioral toxicity and DNA damage detection using the Comet assay. Furthermore, the genotoxic potential of three DAPA concentrations (0.225, 0.45, and 0.9 mM) was assessed using the Drosophila SMART assay. According to the results of behavioral toxicity experiments, changes in larval weight, larval crawling, negative geotaxis, and adult individual formation success at specific doses were found to be statistically significant. However, changes in pupal formation success, pupal position, and adult individual weight were not found to be statistically significant. In the Comet test results, changes were found in all treatment groups compared to the control group, while in the SMART test, only the frequency increases in the 0.9 mM treatment group were found to be statistically significant. Molecular techniques are needed to explain the exact mechanism of the changes observed in the test systems.