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Novel use of fava bean stalk ash in ultra-high-performance geopolymer concrete: A sustainable approach to improving strength and durability
No full textUltra-high-performance geopolymer concrete (UHPGC) provides a sustainable alternative to Portland cement by utilizing industrial and agricultural waste, thereby reducing CO2 emissions in the construction sector. This study investigates the incorporation of thermally treated fava bean stalk ash (FBSA), an agricultural byproduct, as a partial replacement (10 %, 20 %, and 30 %) for the primary binder in UHPGC mixtures composed of either 100 % ground granulated blast furnace slag (GGBFS), 100 % fly ash (FA), or a 50:50 GGBFS–FA blend. Mechanical properties (compressive, tensile, and flexural strength), durability (water permeability, sorptivity, and sulfate resistance), and microstructural characteristics using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) were evaluated. Although FBSA reduced workability, it enhanced strength and durability characteristics. The optimal mix, with 10 % FBSA, achieved a 28-day compressive strength of 188.2 MPa, tensile strength of 20.1 MPa, flexural strength of 29 MPa, and modulus of elasticity of 59.86 GPa. It also showed the lowest water permeability (1.05 × 10−11 cm/s) and sorptivity coefficient (2.11 × 10−4 mm/s0.5). After 180 days of exposure to a 150 g/L sulfate solution. Under thermal exposure at 750 °C, OPGC containing 30 % FBSA retained the highest compressive strength of 35.7 % compared to other blends. The use of FBSA as a partial substitute for GGBFS or FA contributed to enhancing the properties of UHPGC
Biohydrogen, a potential roadmap to sustainable green energy supply and carbon sequestrating in the transport sector by 2060
No full textCurrent research goals lead to achieve zero carbon emission in transportation, agricultural, and forest sector through biohydrogen production by biomass residues. To assess the current development status and forecast future technologies, Traffic emission evaluation model of project (TEEMP) was used. Results show that, in 2024 cumulative CO2 emission by forest and agricultural were 3.5 billion metric tonne (BMt) while from transportation 8.47 BMt. Major assessments indicate that globally about 5–10 Gt/year of biomass residues are technically and economically recoverable, mainly from China, India, the U.S., Russia, and Europe, corresponding to roughly 40–60 EJ/year of bioenergy potential. Instead of burning these wastes in fields, they should be collected, converted into biohydrogen, and used as a fossil fuel replacement to reduce CO2 emissions. So far, biological pre-treatment and dark-photo fermentation are well-known techniques for the production of high-quality biohydrogen due to their controllability and low energy consumption. The experimental findings showed that the collection of agricultural 1840 Mt and forest 927 Mt waste residues can produce 15,460 Kt and 929 Kt of biohydrogen respectively, which will help to achieve to reduce the carbon emission of 85.13 Mt agriculture and 57.75 Mt forest by 2040 respectively. Sustainable biohydrogen production can be achieved by enhancing the production capacity by solving collection, transportation, and management challenges. These challenges can be overcome through the development of policies, implementations, laws, government and organization training, satellite monitoring, and electronic media. Lastly, bottom-up accounting framework scenario reflected the overall possibilities of CO2 emissions reduction from 9.699 BMt to 0.03 BMt by 2010 to 2060 can be reduced from the atmosphere by stopping the open field burning of waste residues and using biohydrogen as an alternative to fossil
Urease Inhibition Mechanisms in Soil-Plant Systems Using Coordination Polymers for Sustainable Agriculture
No full textThe increasing demand for sustainable agricultural practices has intensified research into enzyme inhibition mechanisms that can optimize nitrogen utilization efficiency in soil-plant systems. Urease, a critical enzyme responsible for urea hydrolysis in soils, plays a pivotal role in nitrogen cycling but often leads to significant nitrogen losses through ammonia volatilization when not properly regulated. This study investigates the application of coordination polymers as innovative urease inhibitors in soil-plant systems, focusing on their mechanisms of action, environmental stability, and agricultural implications. Coordination polymers, characterized by their unique structural properties and tunable chemical compositions, offer promising solutions for controlled enzyme inhibition while maintaining soil health and supporting plant growth. The research examines various copper-based coordination polymers and their effectiveness in prolonging urease inhibition compared to conventional chemical stabilizers. Results demonstrate that coordination polymers exhibit superior performance in maintaining enzyme inhibition over extended periods, with minimal adverse effects on beneficial soil microorganisms and plant development. The study also evaluates the impact of these inhibitors on soil carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus dynamics, revealing enhanced nutrient retention and improved fertilizer use efficiency. Furthermore, the investigation explores the relationship between coordination polymer structure and inhibition selectivity, providing insights into the design of next-generation agricultural amendments. These findings contribute to the development of environmentally sustainable approaches to nitrogen management in agricultural systems, offering potential solutions to reduce greenhouse gas emissions while maintaining crop productivity
Opera of Vladimir Rebikov 'Yolka'. Its Reception in Great Britain. [Опера Владимира Ребикова «Ёлка». Рецепция «Ёлки» в Великобритании (по материалам русской и англоязычной прессы)]
No full textThe one-act musical-psychological drama The Christmas Tree (Yolka) op. 21 (1900) by V.I. Rebikov (1866-1920) based on the story by F.M. Dostoevsky ‘The Heavenly Christmas Tree’ (also known as ‘The Beggar Boy at Christ’s Christmas Tree’) (1876) was undeservedly forgotten at home for a long time. It is the first version of a literary work by Dostoevsky in the opera genre. In pre-revolutionary Russia, the musical work of Rebikov, who was called the ‘father of Russian modernism’, was perceived with irony and incomprehension, and in Soviet times it was regarded as amusement and decadence. The recently discovered correspondence of the composer opens up new facets in the interpretation of The Christmas Tree and propels Rebikov’s views to a deep philosophical and religious level, consonant with Dostoevsky’s worldview. Little-studied publications in respected British musical outlets since 1907, testify to the interest of the British audience in the composer throughout the twentieth century. An analysis of these archival collections enriches our modern knowledge about turning to Dostoevsky’s work in music
Clinical improvements in temporospatial gait variables after a spinal tap test in individuals with idiopathic normal pressure hydrocephalus
Get PDFBackground: Idiopathic Normal Pressure Hydrocephalus (iNPH) is a neurological condition that often presents gait disturbance in the early stages of the disease and affects other motor activities. This study investigated changes in temporospatial gait variables after cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) removal using a tap test in individuals with idiopathic normal pressure hydrocephalus (iNPH), and explored if the tap test responders and non-responders could be clinically identified from temporospatial gait variables.
Methods: Sixty-two individuals with iNPH were recruited from an outpatient clinic, eleven were excluded, leaving a total of 51 who were included in the analysis. Temporospatial gait variables at self-selected speed were recorded at pre- and 24-hour post-tap tests which were compared using Paired t-tests, Cohen’s d effect size, and percentage change. A previously defined minimal clinical important change (MCIC) for gait speed was used to determine the changes and to classify tap test responders and non-responders. A mixed model ANOVA was used to determine the within-group, between-group, and interaction effects.
Results: Comparisons of the data between pre- and post-tap tests showed significant improvements with small to medium effect sizes for left step length, right step time, stride length and time, cadence, and gait speed. Gait speed showed the largest percentage change among temporospatial gait variables. Within-group and interaction effects were found in some variables but no between-group effect was found. Tap test responders showed significant improvements in right step length and time, stride length and time, cadence, and gait speed while non-responders did not.
Conclusions: Some individuals with iNPH showed clinically important improvements in temporospatial gait variables after the tap test, particularly in step/stride length and time, cadence, who could be classified by gait speed. However, gait-related balance variables did not change. Therefore, additional treatments should focus on improving such variables
Blockchain and PUF-based secure key establishment protocol for cross-domain digital twins in industrial Internet of Things architecture
Get PDFThe Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) is a technology that connects devices to collect data and conduct in-depth analysis to provide value-added services to industries. The integration of the physical and digital domains is crucial for unlocking the full potential of the IIoT, and digital twins can facilitate this integration by providing a virtual representation of real-world entities. By combining digital twins with the IIoT, industries can simulate, predict, and control physical behaviors, enabling them to achieve broader value and support industry 4.0 and 5.0. Constituents of cooperative IIoT domains tend to interact and collaborate during their complicated operations. To secure such interaction and collaborations, we introduce a blockchain-based cross-domain authentication protocol for IIoT. The blockchain maintains only each domain's dynamic accumulator, which accumulates crucial materials derived from devices, decreasing the overhead. In addition, we use the on-chain accumulator to effectively validate the unlinkable identities of cross-domain IIoT devices. The implementation of the concept reveals the fact that our protocol is efficient and reliable. This efficiency and reliability of our protocol is also substantiated through comparison with state-of-the-art literature. In contrast to related protocols, our protocol exhibits a minimum 22.67% increase in computation cost efficiency and a 16.35% rise in communication cost efficiency. The developed protocol guarantees data transfer security across the domain and thwarts IoT devices from potential physical attacks. Additionally, in order to protect privacy, anonymity and unlinkability are also guaranteed. [Abstract copyright: Copyright © 2023. Production and hosting by Elsevier B.V.
Artificial intelligence to predict soil temperatures by development of novel model
Get PDFSoil temperatures at both surface and various depths are important in changing environments to understand the biological, chemical, and physical properties of soil. This is essential in reaching food sustainability. However, most of the developing regions across the globe face difficulty in establishing solid data measurements and records due to poor instrumentation and many other unavoidable reasons such as natural disasters like droughts, floods, and cyclones. Therefore, an accurate prediction model would fix these difficulties. Uzbekistan is one of the countries that is concerned about climate change due to its arid climate. Therefore, for the first time, this research presents an integrated model to predict soil temperature levels at the surface and 10 cm depth based on climatic factors in Nukus, Uzbekistan. Eight machine learning models were trained in order to understand the best-performing model based on widely used performance indicators. Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM) model performed in accurate predictions of soil temperature levels at 10 cm depth. More importantly, the models developed here can predict temperature levels at 10 cm depth with the measured climatic data and predicted surface soil temperature levels. The model can predict soil temperature at 10 cm depth without any ground soil temperature measurements. The developed model can be effectively used in planning applications in reaching sustainability in food production in arid areas like Nukus, Uzbekistan
Project lightspeed: A case study in research ethics and accelerated vaccine development
Get PDFThe COVID-19 pathogen led to a fast expanding pandemic because it proved lethal in certain populations but could be transmitted by persons who appeared healthy. As a result, researchers came under unprecedented time pressure to develop a vaccine. This case study focuses on the first COVID-19 vaccine, which was approved for use in humans, known as Comirnaty, the BioNTech-Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine or Vaccine BNT162b2. With the benefit of hindsight, we show how close collaboration with regulators and trust-based decisions meant that the race for a COVID-19 vaccine was won without purposefully infecting healthy participants with an infectious agent that can cause severe illness or death and for which no rescue therapy had existed
The transition from diet to blood: Exploring homeostasis in the insect haemolymph nutrient pool
Get PDFNutrition is vital to health, but while the link between diet and body nutritional composition is well explored in humans and other vertebrates, this information is not well understood in insects, despite the vital roles they play in ecosystems, and their increasing use as experimental models. Here we used Nutritional Geometry to explore the rapid physiological response to ingested nutrients in the haemolymph nutritional profile of Spodoptera littoralis caterpillars. We ask whether blood nutrients are maintained homeostatically in the face of variable nutritional intake, or if regulation is more flexible for some nutrients than others (allostasis), which allows animals to adapt to stress by responding in a way that prioritises efficiency of responses in the face of trade-offs. Caterpillars were placed on 1 of 20 diets, systematically varying in their nutrient ratios (protein: carbohydrate) and density (calorie content), and their consumption was measured. After 48 h, caterpillars were bled, and the macronutrient (protein, carbohydrates and lipids) and nutrient metabolite (amino acids and simple sugars) content of the haemolymph was measured. Proteins comprised 93% of the haemolymph macronutrient pool on average and their concentration increased with protein eaten. The amino acid (AA) pool was dominated by five AAs, and the total pool increased with total nutrient intake. However, the ratio of essential to non-essential AAs increased as the proportion of protein consumed increased. Carbohydrates were tightly controlled, increasing only on the most extreme carbohydrate intakes. Simple sugars were dominated by glucose and trehalose, and overall, the simple sugar pool showed high levels of homeostasis. Rather than strict homeostasis of blood nutritional properties, an allostatic model seemed to be a better fit for blood nutrient regulation in this generalist herbivore. This flexibility in response to the nutritional composition of the diet may, in part, explain how this species has evolved to extreme dietary generalism and may play a role in its worldwide pest status. Given the range of fitness-related processes affected by the haemolymph, future studies should examine the physiological impacts of blood nutrient variation on reproduction, growth and response to infection and the trade-offs between them