This study focused on the formulation and characterization of silver nanoparticles (AgNP) functionalized with d-limonene. The nanoparticles were functionalized by phase inversion and the synthesis of the nanoparticles was performed in situ; particle size was determined by laser diffraction, zeta potential and optical colloidal stability using Multiscan 20 for a period of 24 hours at 37 °C; the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) of the formulated material on Escherichia coli ATCC 25922, Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 29213, Klebsiella oxytoca ATCC 700324, Enterococcus casseliflavus ATCC 700327, Escherichia coli BLEE, carbapenem-resistant Pseudomona aeruginosa were determined. The nanoparticles showed colloidal stability at a d-limonene concentration of 3.93%, silver ions at 1.61 × 10−3%, non-ionic adjuvant at 24% and ascorbic acid at 5.88%; citric acid/citrate (1:1) 0.48M for a pH of 4.5 was used as a buffer system. The formulation was classified as a polydisperse system (PD = 0.0851), with a zeta potential of −11.6 mV and average particle size of 81.5 ± 0.9 nm. A particle migration velocity of −0.199 ± 0.006 mm∙h−1, a constant transmission profile and backscattering profile with variations of 10% were evidenced, which represents a stable formulation. The nanoparticles presented an MIC and an MBC of 28 μg∙mL−1 (5.6 × 10−2% d-limonene and 4.7 × 10−5% AgNP) against all tested bacteria.
Metamaterial perfect absorber is very important in the study of refractive index sensor. The time domain finite difference method is used to simulate the surface plasmon structure. The double nanorod periodic structure is designed, and the parameters of the top layer structure are optimized according to the impedance matching principle, and the absorption rate of the structure to the light wave reaches 99.6% when the wavelength is about 12 mm. The absorption spectroscopy of the structure is studied with the change of the refractive index of the spatial medium around the structure, and the sensitivity of the double nanorod structure is 4,008 nm/RIU, which can be used to measure the refractive index of the gas.
Seawater desalination has been studied with interest due to the scarcity of fresh water for human consumption. Solar distillation is an old method; the productivity, energy consumption of the process and the cost of the desalinated water thus obtained depend on the efficiency achieved in each of the stages of these systems. The limited capacity to absorb solar radiation and transform it into useful heat for evaporation, interaction with the surrounding medium, and heat losses restrict the overall efficiency of the thermal process and productivity. Since the energy comes from solar radiation, the maximum productivity of this process will be constrained by the magnitude of the total solar radiation available in an area of the planet due to its geographic location, time of year and local climatic conditions. The processes of this energy will be thermodynamically limited by the heat transfer coefficients achieved in the equipment, the maximum value that the evaporation heat can reach, as long as the losses to the environment by convection and radiation are minimal. Comparative analyses of several proposed models, reported data of distillers, reported data of solar radiation that reach average values of up to 7.2–7.4 kwh/m2 in some regions of the planet are presented and estimates are made for productivity of these equipments that they reach between 6.7 and 6.9 kg/m2 day with a theoretical maximum efficiency of about 0.16 of the total solar radiation.
Job satisfaction is a goal of every organization and human resources department. Many studies have shown the relationship between employee satisfaction as a predictive factor for a variety of key organizational indicators such as employee commitment, employee engagement, productivity, attrition, and turnover. Engaging in well-being activities is one strategy that companies can use to boost employee satisfaction. The term “well-being” activities in Hebrew is a bit different from the common use of the word in the literature. It is a combination of the concepts of Fun Activities, Employee Experience and Perks and Benefits. In High-tech companies, there are many activities aimed at creating a positive employee experience and an attractive organizational culture. These activities include a vast range of activities such as: department events, happy hours, company events, holiday gifts, enrichment activities, sports classes (for example, yoga), and more benefits. Despite the considerable investment in this budget, there are not many studies illustrating the contribution of well-being activities to employee satisfaction and their ROI. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between workplace well-being activities and job satisfaction in the Israeli high-tech market. The hypothesis of this study was that there is a positive relationship between well-being activities in the workplace and satisfaction in the workplace, but also to identify which issues within the well-being policy will predict the highest level of employee satisfaction. The study was conducted among 91 employees from a variety of high-tech companies in the Israeli market. The study’s findings supported the hypothesis. Practical suggestions for organizations for the successful implementation of well-being policies are discussed.
The purpose of this study is to investigate whether the strategic orientations of organizations have an impact on the resilience levels of employees in the digitalized world. The sample for this research is based on the convenience sampling method. In this study, the sub-factors of strategic orientation, namely innovation, technological orientation, customer focus, and competitor focus, are examined, and their potential effects on resilience are analyzed. Our research emphasizes the importance of psychological resilience in organizations that undergo continuous changes due to the impact of digital transformation, as it enhances employee performance and has positive implications for firms. The field study associated with this research was conducted on 316 individuals working in the service sector in the context of Turkey. The data collected for the research were analyzed using SPSS 25 software. The research findings indicate that the components of strategic orientation have an impact on the levels of psychological resilience.
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