In the realm of modern education, the integration of technology has emerged as a powerful catalyst for transforming traditional classrooms into dynamic and engaging learning environments. This paper provides a concise overview of the multifaceted ways in which technology contributes to enhanced classroom engagement.

Xylene isomers are notorious chemical hazards, and their efficient removal from water solutions is still challenging. The current study reports a polymer nanocomposite as a potential adsorbent for successfully removing dissolved xylene isomers from contaminated water. Polystyrene-1D multiwall carbon nanotube nanocomposite (PS-MWCNT) adsorbent was prepared using the one-step bulk polymerization method. Mesoporous PS-MWCNT was prepared using the nano-crystallization phase separation method. The sulfonation of the mesoporous PS-MWCNT nanocomposites was carried out by treating the samples with concentrated sulfuric acid at elevated temperatures. The sulfonated PS-MWCNT (HO₃S-PS-MWCNT) was found to be a potential adsorbent for dissolved xylene isomers from water solution. In addition, the HO₃S-PS-MWCNT can be efficiently recycled for up to 10 consecutive cycles with negligible decline in adsorption values. The exhibited equilibrium adsorption, rate of adsorption, and rapid regeneration of the HO₃S-PS-MWCNT are clear indications for the possibility of practical utilization of these adsorbents in large-scale water treatment plants.

In this paper, we modeled and simulated two tandem solar cell structures (a) and (b), in a two-terminal configuration based on inorganic and lead-free absorber materials. The structures are composed of sub-cells already studied in our previous work, where we simulated the impact of defect density and recombination rate at the interfaces, as well as that of the thicknesses of the charge transport and absorber layers, on the photovoltaic performance. We also studied the performance resulting from the use of different materials for the electron and hole transport layers. The two structures studied include a bottom cell based on the perovskite material CsSnI₃ with a band gap energy of 1.3 eV and a thickness of 1.5 µm. The first structure has an upper sub-cell based on the CsSnGeI₃ material with an energy of 1.5 eV, while the second has an upper sub-cell made of Cs₂TiBr₆ with a band gap energy of 1.6 eV. The theoretical model used to evaluate the photocurrent density, current-voltage characteristic, and photovoltaic parameters of the constituent sub-cells and the tandem device was described. Current matching analysis was performed to find the ideal combination of absorber thicknesses that allows the same current density to be shared. An efficiency of 29.8% was obtained with a short circuit current density J_sc = 19.92 mA/cm², an open circuit potential V_oc = 1.46 V and a form factor FF = 91.5% with the first structure (a), for a top absorber thickness of CsSnGeI₃ of 190 nm, while an efficiency of 26.8% with J_sc = 16.74, V_oc = 1.50 V and FF = 91.4% was obtained with the second structure (b), for a top absorber thickness of Cs₂TiBr₆ of 300 nm. The objective of this study is to develop efficient, low-cost, stable and non-toxic tandem devices based on lead-free and inorganic perovskite.

This study employs a transfer matrix, dynamic degree, stability index, and the PLUS model to analyze the spatiotemporal changes in forest land and their driving factors in Yibin City from 2000 to 2022. The results reveal the following: (1) The land use in Yibin City is predominantly characterized by cultivated land and forest land (accounting for over 95% of the total area). The area of cultivated land initially increased and then decreased, while forest land continued to decline and construction land expanded significantly. The rate of forest land loss has slowed (with the dynamic degree decreasing from −0.62% to −0.04%), and ecosystem stability has improved (the F-value increased from 2.27 to 2.9). The conversion of cultivated land to forest land is the primary driver of forest recovery, whereas the conversion of forest land to cultivated land is the main cause of reduction; (2) cultivated land is concentrated in the central and northeastern regions, while forest land is distributed in the western and southern mountainous areas. Construction land is predominantly located in urban areas and along transportation routes. Areas of forest land reduction are mainly found in the central and southern regions with rapid economic development, while areas of forest land increase are concentrated in high-altitude zones or key ecological protection areas. Stable forest land is distributed in the western and southern ecological conservation zones; (3) changes in forest land are primarily influenced by annual precipitation, elevation, and distance to rivers. Road accessibility and GDP have significant impacts, while slope, annual average temperature, and population density exert moderate influences. Distance to railways, aspect, and soil type have relatively minor effects. The findings of this study provide a scientific basis for the sustainable management of forest resources and ecological conservation in Yibin City.

Tropical dry forests are complex and fragile ecosystems with high anthropogenic intervention and restricted reproductive cycles. They harbor unique richness, structural, physiological and phenological diversity. This research was carried out in the upper Magdalena valley, in four forest fragments with different successional stages. In each fragment, four permanent plots of 0.25 ha were established and the light habitat associated with species richness, relative abundance and rarity was evaluated, as well as the forest dynamics that included mortality, recruitment and diameter growth for a period of 5.25 years. In mature riparian forest, species richness was found to be higher than that reported in other studies for similar areas in the Cauca Valley and the Atlantic coast. Values of species richness, heterogeneity and rarity are higher than those found in drier areas of Tolima. Forest structure, diversity and dynamics were correlated with light habitat, showing differences in canopy architecture and its role in the capture and absorption of radiation. The utilization rate of photosynthetic effective radiation in the forest underlayer with high canopy density is low, which is related to the low species richness, while the underlayer under light is more abundant and heterogeneous.