We have fabricated a dye-sensitized solar cell (DSSC) with a pair of carbon-based electrodes using a transparent, conductive carbon nanotubes (CNTs) film modified with ultra-thin titanium-sub-oxide (TiOx) as the working electrode and a bilayer of conductive CNTs and carbon black as the counter electrode. Without TiOx modification, the DSSC is almost nonfunctional whereas the power conversion ef...

A low cost poly(vinylidene fluoride-co-hexafluoropropylene) (PVDF-HFP) phase inversion coating was developed as a cathode diffusion layer to enhance the performance of microbial fuel cells (MFCs). A maximum power density of 1430 ± 90 mWm 2 was achieved at a PVDF-HFP loading of 4.4 mg cm 2 (4:1 polymer:carbon black), with activated carbon as the oxygen reduction cathode catalyst. This power dens...

Since Renaissance, the natural ecosystems have fallen into a complete state ofdisarray due to the rise in the amount of carbon dioxide. Soil, the unsparing stuff, is one of themajor sources of carbon storage, and plays a paramount role in the global equilibrium ofcarbon as well as carbon sequestration. Given that Iran is benefiting from vast steppes, therate of carbon sequestration in them dese...

There is an increasing demand for convenient and accurate point-of-care tools that can detect and diagnose different stages of a disease in remote or impoverished settings. In recent years, lateral flow immunoassays (LFIA) have been indicated as a suitable medical diagnostic tool for these environments because they require little or no sample preparation, provide rapid and reliable results with...

Background In view of the increasing heart failure epidemic and awareness of the adverse impact of environmental pollution on human health, we investigated the association of left ventricular structure and function with air pollutants in a general population. Methods In 671 randomly recruited Flemish (51.7% women; mean age, 50.4 years) we echocardiographically assessed left ventricular systolic...

Extended Abstract Direct ink writing or printing techniques offer an attractive alternative for satisfying the demanding design rules and form factors required for metallic electrodes in printed electronic and optoelectronic devices. Traditionally, the micro-fabrication of conductive patterns by electroplating and etching processes accompanied by lithography is time-consuming and expensive proc...

Background: Particulate air pollution has been associated with increased cardiovascular deaths and hospital admissions. To help understand the mechanisms, the types of particles most involved, and the types of persons most susceptible, the association between exposure to summertime air pollution and heart rate variability (HRV) was examined in a panel study of 28 elderly subjects. Methods: Subj...

BACKGROUND Particulate air pollution has been associated with increased cardiovascular deaths and hospital admissions. To help understand the mechanisms, the types of particles most involved, and the types of persons most susceptible, the association between exposure to summertime air pollution and heart rate variability (HRV) was examined in a panel study of 28 elderly subjects. METHODS Subj...