Asia Pacific Academy of Science Pte. Ltd.
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Use of biochar as an alternative material for the treatment of polluted wastewater
Get PDFBiochar is the product of biomass decomposition, whose physicochemical characteristics are associated with its origin and the combustion method used. Among these properties, the surface area, the formation of macro and micropores, and the presence of functional groups stand out. Due to these characteristics, biochar becomes an alternative material with high adsorption capacity of toxic compounds present in contaminated wastewater. This work provides information on the generation mechanisms of biochar and how they interfere in its physicochemical characteristics. It also describes the parameters involved in the pollutant removal processes and mentions the treatments under which biochar can be subjected to improve its adsorption capacity. Finally, the possible uses or the appropriate final disposal of biochar in order to contribute to the circular economy strategy are indicated
Mathematical aspects of digital technologies: The problem of the absent-minded passenger
Get PDFThe example of the absent-minded passenger problem illustrates the fundamental difficulty of estimating practical values of probabilistic parameters on the basis of general theorizing and allows us to give more accurate and subtle estimates of various parameters, as well as their practical computable approximation. This article is important for building systems of artificial intelligence and artificial consciousness, as well as for modern didactics of higher education, especially for the disciplines of “applied mathematics” and “theoretical computer science”. It is shown that a detailed study of a random process provides more significant applied materials than formally correct theoretical calculations
Digital economy empowers urban green transformation for sustainable development
Get PDFWith the acceleration of urbanization and the intensification of environmental issues, China is actively transitioning to a digital green economy development model, covering the application of digital technologies, sustainable economies, environmental protection, green infrastructure and transportation, digital management, and social inclusion. The model aims to improve urban efficiency through digital innovation, reduce resource waste, achieve a balance between economic growth and environmental protection, and improve residents’ quality of life. Despite some progress, challenges remain, such as the digital divide, financial pressures, and inadequate environmental regulation. This paper selects the data from 2008 to 2022 for research and uses Eviews software to conduct multiple linear regression analysis and testing. It aims to explore the application of digital technology in urban management, promote the development of the green economy, and analyze and improve the problems in the digital green economy so as to promote sustainable urban development
Measuring the positive effects of the pandemic disease in the environmental planning of healthy cities
Get PDFThe city as a living system and a dynamic structure throughout history, from birth to the present day, has shown a flexible attitude to the challenges ahead and has been constantly trying to overcome the challenges and reproduce its elements for the opportunity to become efficient and usable in the future. In the face of the corona pandemic challenge, the city has acted in the same way, shown reciprocal behavior, and tried to overcome this crisis effectively. Therefore, city planners and managers must approach the healthy city and its elements with a different approach and perspective. Apart from the destructive effects it has had on the human body and soul, the corona pandemic has also changed the quality of life in cities and their environments so much that new living patterns have been formed and some of the past structures have been discarded. For this purpose, after studying the literature review and the international experiences, the dimensions, factors, and effective indicators of the corona pandemic have been identified. The present study is a descriptive-analytical type, and the desired findings have been explained through a questionnaire using quantitative and qualitative methods and confirmatory factor analysis tools. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the concept of healthy cities has been compromised. It has unveiled the need to give more prominence to caring tasks while addressing intersectional social inequities and environmental injustices. The results of the analysis indicate that 14 indicators including lifestyle changes and health protocols, increase in virtual socialization, reduction of inequality among different groups of people in access to the internet, promotion, and expansion of digital tourism (virtual trips), starting development of apps and start-ups, increasing small-scale commercial markets, upgrading medical equipment, increasing countries interaction in the field of health, the importance of planting trees, using public transportation, increasing public transportation capacity, designing more open and green spaces in the city, more attention to deprived areas and slums and redesign of public spaces based on the prevailing conditions will provide positive effects during the pandemic of Tehran. Therefore, in order to improve and enhance the quality of life in healthy cities, especially during pandemics, suggestions have been made
Troubled waters? The disproportionate impact of lead water pollution: Evidence from three American communities
Get PDFAlthough water is considered essential to life and an important natural resource, disadvantaged communities, such as low-income and minority communities, are disproportionately burdened by lead exposure in drinking water. In this paper, we highlight case studies that have received national press coverage as well as recent examples of community lead poisoning hazards that are still ongoing across various regions of the US. We show through these three case studies of Flint, Michigan, Washington, D.C., and Birmingham, Alabama, that the severity and frequency of this pervasive public health problem are highly concentrated in minority and low-income populations, and thus they bear the brunt of the socio-economic impacts. We identify the use of sensors to improve detection of hazardous materials and decrease inequities in drinking water contamination. To address water-related equity issues, we call for a sustainable community capacity approach that consists of shared governance between those who live in a community and stakeholders, such as businesses and health services, who have vested interests in it. We conclude by highlighting ways that a community could build collective social capital, safeguarding its environment from lead poisoning through health literacy education. Promoting water literacy is highly significant since water knowledge is crucial towards achieving water sustainability and equity
A research on the people’s perception and expectations and the behaviours of the cooperative partners in Balıkesir
Get PDFThe study attempts to learn the perceptions of people living in Balıkesir about cooperatives and their expectations from cooperatives. It also aims to learn the thoughts of cooperative members about cooperative activities and the behavior of each member. Within the scope of the research, 724 people from Balıkesir were interviewed. Meetings were held for discussions. The public’s perception of cooperatives in Balıkesir is generally positive. However, unsuccessful attempts and the difficulty of establishing a joint business also cause negative criticism. The public expects supervision and educational assistance from the government and financial support from the municipality. There are many reasons to become a member of cooperatives. However, the first thing to do is to facilitate the work related to the activity. Acting in solidarity with other people is also an important motivation for becoming a member. In Balıkesir, it is not regular for cooperative members to attend cooperative general assembly meetings. At the same time, their desire to take part in cooperative management and control bodies is low. The success level of cooperatives varies according to the expectations of the members. In Balıkesir, 36.7% of the members find the technical information provision activity of the cooperative sufficient, while 32.7% find the product marketing activity sufficient. The majority of cooperative members in Balıkesir find the financial aid activities of cooperatives incomplete. At the same time, they generally find the product purchase price of cooperatives inadequate
Sustainability through digital transformation: EU practices
Get PDFThe significance of sustainability efforts has been reaffirmed by negative circumstances, such as the escalating visible consequences of climate change, floods resulting from erratic weather patterns in certain areas, and fires and extreme droughts in other regions. The logical rationale behind employing digital tools for sustainability purposes lies in the efficiency of digital transformation, supported by artificial intelligence, in improving remote access, control, and decision-making processes, as well as accomplishing tasks that are unachievable through human effort alone. Upon analyzing practices worldwide, it becomes apparent that the European Union (EU) is the singular entity that places utmost importance on digitalization as a means to ensure sustainability. Additionally, it provides comprehensive allocations for projects pertaining to this subject and supports the collective wisdom of its members through the established union. Hence, the purpose of this study is to examine the current literature in detail via a systematic review to extract the EU practices of sustainability through digitalization. Findings reveal the particular EU focuses and key themes on achieving sustainability with a visual representation of the results. Besides, the EU practices with other well-known countries on sustainability through digitalization efforts are compared and discussed. Thus, a practitioner can understand the findings of this research to use as the first step when generating research questions to start a new study
Evaluating the ecological consequences of heavy metal contamination in soil induced by spent engine oil and palm oil mill effluents for sustainable development
Get PDFThis study assessed the ecological consequences of heavy metal contamination in soil induced by spent engine oil (SEO) and palm oil mill effluents (POME) in Ebonyi State, Nigeria. Concentrations of zinc, nickel, mercury, manganese, lead, iron, copper, chromium, and cadmium were analyzed across contaminated and uncontaminated sites. The research, conducted at Ebonyi State University’s Presco Campus, employed rigorous sampling and analytical methods. Results revealed that soil contaminated with spent engine oil effluent exhibited elevated mean concentrations of zinc, nickel, manganese, lead, iron, copper, chromium, and cadmium compared to the palm oil mill effluent and control sites. Conversely, mercury concentrations were higher in soil contaminated with palm oil mill effluent. Comparative analyses highlighted unique dynamics, such as lead concentrations being highest at the control site, challenging general trends observed for other metals. Importantly, none of the mean concentrations exceeded the WHO acceptable limits at the time of the study, indicating compliance with internationally recognized safety thresholds. The findings underscore the need for tailored environmental management strategies, considering specific contaminants associated with each effluent type. Continuous monitoring is crucial to ensure sustained adherence to safety standards and prevent potential future exceedances. This study contributes a valuable understanding of the nuanced ecological impact of industrial effluents on soil quality in Nigeria, emphasizing the importance of sustainable practices for environmental protection
CORE: Counteracting overwhelming requests effectively—A method for interest flooding attack mitigation in NDNoT
No full textThe Named Data Network (NDN) is a promising architecture for the near future. NDN communicates by naming data, unlike IP-based Internet architecture. Architectural understandability, ease of use, security, content presentation, and simplicity of data exchange logic make this architecture preferable. The NDNoT approach, which recently combines IoT and NDN, enables Internet of Things applications using NDN naming conventions and basic data structure. However, increasing technological applications bring security vulnerabilities. In this study, we propose a new method called CORE that will secure the intended data transfer. The presented CORE mechanism was developed as a countermeasure against the Interest Flooding attack, one of the NDN security attacks. Tests were carried out in the Cooja simulation environment using three different topology scenarios. CORE’s performance metrics were evaluated based on success rate, average delay, and interest traffic. The results showed that when the CORE mechanism was active, there was an improvement in the success rate and average delay. In terms of interest traffic, at least a 70% success rate was achieved compared to scenarios in which the CORE mechanism was not operated
Why the big bang never happened
Get PDFIf general relativity is correct, then the origin of the universe is a simple mathematical problem. The Friedmann equation in cosmology is a well-structured ordinary differential equation, and the global properties of its solutions can be qualitatively analyzed by the phase-trajectory method. In this paper we show that the total energy density of matter in the universe is positive, and the total pressure near the Big Bang is negative. By analyzing the global properties of the solutions to the Friedmann equation according to these two conditions of state functions, we find that the Big Bang is impossible, and the space must be a closed 3-dimensional sphere, the cosmological constant is likely to be zero, and the evolution of the universe should be cyclic. The analysis and the proof are simple and straight forward, therefore these conclusions should be reliable