An in-depth investigation of lead-free KGeCl perovskite solar cells employing optoelectronic, thermomechanical, and photovoltaic properties: DFT and SCAPS-1D frameworks.

Potassium germanium chloride (KGeCl) has emerged as a promising contender for use as an absorber material for lead-free perovskite solar cells (PSCs), offering significant potential in this domain. In this study, we conducted a density functional theory (DFT) investigation to analyze and assess the structural, electronic, thermomechanical, and optical characteristics of the cubic KGeCl absorber. The positive phonon dispersion curve confirmed the dynamical stability of KGeCl.

A systematic first-principles investigation of the structural, electronic, mechanical, optical, and thermodynamic properties of Half-Heusler ANiX (ASc, Ti, Y, Zr, Hf; XBi, Sn) for spintronics and optoelectronics applications.

This paper is the first to look at the structural, electronic, mechanical, optical, and thermodynamic properties of the ANiX (ASc, Ti, Y, Zr, Hf; XBi, Sn) half-Heusler (HH) using DFT based first principles method. The lattice parameters that we have calculated are very similar to those obtained in prior investigations with theoretical and experimental data. The positive phonon dispersion curve confirm the dynamical stability of ANiX (ASc, Ti, Y, Zr, Hf; XBi, Sn).

Point-of-use chlorine residuals and disinfection byproduct occurrences in rural households served by public water utilities in Appalachian Virginia.

We characterized concentrations of trihalomethanes (THMs), a measure of disinfection byproducts (DBPs), in tap water samples collected from households with utility-supplied water in two rural counties in Appalachian Virginia, and assessed associations with pH, free chlorine, and metal ions which can impact THM formation. Free chlorine concentrations in all samples ( = 27 homes) complied with EPA drinking water guidelines, though 7% ( = 2) of first draw samples and 11% ( = 3) of 5-min flushed-tap water samples exceeded the US Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) maximum contaminant level (MCL) for THM (80 ppb). Regression analyses showed that free chlorine and pH were positively associated with the formation of THM levels above SDWA MCLs (OR = 1.

Drinking water sources, quality, and associated health outcomes in Appalachian Virginia: A risk characterization study in two counties.

Objectives: In the US, violations of drinking water regulations are highest in lower-income rural areas overall, and particularly in Central Appalachia. However, data on drinking water use, quality, and associated health outcomes in rural Appalachia are limited. We sought to assess public and private drinking water sources and associated risk factors for waterborne pathogen exposures for individuals living in rural regions of Appalachian Virginia.

A novel investigation of pressure-induced semiconducting to metallic transition of lead free novel BaSbI perovskite with exceptional optoelectronic properties.

The structural, electronic, mechanical, and optical characteristics of barium-based halide perovskite BaSbI under the influence of pressures ranging from 0 to 10 GPa have been analyzed using first-principles calculations for the first time. The new perovskite BaSbI material was shown to be a direct band gap semiconductor at 0 GPa, but the band gap diminished when the applied pressure increased from 0 to 10 GPa. So the BaSbI material undergoes a transition from semiconductor to metallic due to high pressure at 10 GPa.

Spatial distribution of heavy metal abundance at distance gradients of roadside agricultural soil from the busiest highway in Bangladesh: A multi-index integration approach.

Bangladesh is currently experiencing significant infrastructural development in road networking system through the construction or reconstruction of multiple roads and highways. Consequently, there is a rise in traffic intensity on roads and highways, along with a significant contamination of adjacent agricultural soils with heavy metals. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the ecological risk, health risk and the abundance of seven heavy metals (Cu, Mn, Pb, Cd, Cr, As, and Ni) in three distance gradients (0, 300, and 500 m) of agricultural soil along the Dhaka-Chattogram highway.

Assessment of marketing mix associated with consumer's purchase intention of dairy products in Bangladesh: Application of an extended theory of planned behavior.

Despite persistent challenges, Bangladesh's dairy sector has been noticeable for a few decades. Although agriculture is the major contributor to GDP, dairy farming may play a crucial role in the economy by creating jobs, ensuring food security, and boosting the protein content of people's diets. This research aims to identify the direct and indirect factors influencing dairy product purchase intention amongst Bangladeshi consumers.

Microbiological and chemical drinking water contaminants and associated health outcomes in rural Appalachia, USA: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

In rural areas of the United States, an estimated ~1.8 million people lack reliable access to safe drinking water. Considering the relative dearth of information on water contamination and health outcomes in Appalachia, we conducted a systematic review of studies of microbiological and chemical drinking water contamination and associated health outcomes in rural Appalachia.

Perovskite-structure TlBO (B = Cr, Mn) for thermomechanical and optoelectronic applications: an investigation a DFT scheme.

First-principles-based DFT calculations have been carried out to analyze the structural, mechanical, elastic anisotropic, Vickers hardness, electronic, optical, and thermodynamic properties of TlBO (B = Cr, Mn) for the first time. We determined the lattice parameters, which are in good agreement with the previous results. The Born criteria was ensured by the elastic constants, which also confirms the ductility of the solid.

Bottled and Well Water Quality in a Small Central Appalachian Community: Household-Level Analysis of Enteric Pathogens, Inorganic Chemicals, and Health Outcomes in Rural Southwest Virginia.

Consumption of unsafe drinking water is associated with a substantial burden of disease globally. In the US, ~1.8 million people in rural areas lack reliable access to safe drinking water.

Global and local mutations in Bangladeshi SARS-CoV-2 genomes.

Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) warrants comprehensive investigations of publicly available Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) genomes to gain new insight about their epidemiology, mutations, and pathogenesis. Nearly 0.4 million mutations have been identified so far among the ∼60,000 SARS-CoV-2 genomic sequences.

Required water temperature in hotel plumbing to control Legionella growth.

Legionella spp. occurring in hotel hot water systems, in particular Legionella pneumophila, are causing serious pneumonic infections, and water temperature is a key factor to control their occurrence in plumbing systems. We performed a systematic review and meta-analyses of the available evidence on the association between water temperature and Legionella colonization to identify the water temperature in hotel hot water systems required for control of Legionella.

Exploring the genomic and proteomic variations of SARS-CoV-2 spike glycoprotein: A computational biology approach.

The newly identified SARS-CoV-2 has now been reported from around 185 countries with more than a million confirmed human cases including more than 120,000 deaths. The genomes of SARS-COV-2 strains isolated from different parts of the world are now available and the unique features of constituent genes and proteins need to be explored to understand the biology of the virus. Spike glycoprotein is one of the major targets to be explored because of its role during the entry of coronaviruses into host cells.

Temporal dynamics of land use/land cover change and its prediction using CA-ANN model for southwestern coastal Bangladesh.

Change analysis of land use and land cover (LULC) is a technique to study the environmental degradation and to control the unplanned development. Analysis of the past changing trend of LULC along with modeling future LULC provides a combined opportunity to evaluate and guide the present and future land use policy. The southwest coastal region of Bangladesh, especially Assasuni Upazila of Satkhira District, is the most vulnerable to natural disasters and has faced notable changes in its LULC due to the combined effects of natural and anthropogenic causes.

Rapid identification of enterovirulent Escherichia coli strains using polymerase chain reaction from shrimp farms.

Although, Escherichia coli is widely distributed in the environment, only a small percentage is pathogenic to humans. The most commonly encountered are those belonging to the Enterotoxigenic (ETEC), Enteroinvasive (EIEC), Enterohaemorrhagic (EHEC) and Enteropathogenic (EPEC) subtypes. Aquaculture premises specially shrimp farm in tropical and subtropical countries largely susceptive to different types of E.