11 research outputs found
Impact of polyethylene terephthalate microplastics on feed digestive efficiency in ruminants
No full textThe increasing accumulation of microplastics (MPs) in agricultural systems poses a significant threat to the digestive efficiency in ruminants. This study investigated the effects of adding polyethylene terephthalate (PET) MPs at concentrations of 5 and 10 g/L in buffer-ruminal gastrointestinal solutions on ruminal degradability, gastrointestinal digestibility of rumen-undegraded residue, and total tract digestibility of corn silage and mixed hay using an in vitro model.
Results showed that at the highest PET MP concentration (10 g/L), crude protein degradability decreased by 9% for corn silage and 8% for mixed hay. A reduction in neutral detergent fiber degradability was observed exclusively in mixed hay at the highest PET MP concentrations, with a decrease of 5%. Dry matter and acid detergent fiber degradability remained unaffected. In the gastrointestinal phase, crude protein digestibility of rumen-undegraded residue was reduced by 9% in mixed hay at the lowest PET MP concentration (5 g/L), while dry matter digestibility of rumen-undegraded residue remained unchanged. The total digestibility of crude protein in mixed hay decreased by 5% at both PET MP levels, while for corn silage, it decreased by 3% only at the highest PET MP concentration. Total dry matter digestibility remained unaffected.
These findings demonstrate that PET MPs are not inert within the ruminant digestive system and can impair digestive efficiency, with more significant effects observed in mixed hay
Degradation of Microplastics in an In Vitro Ruminal Environment
No full textMicroplastic (MP) pollution is an emerging concern in ruminant production, as animals are
exposed to MPs through air, water, and feeds. Ruminants play a key role in MP transmission
to humans via animal products and contribute to MP return to agricultural soil through
excreta. Identifying effective strategies to mitigate MP pollution in the ruminant sector is
crucial. A promising yet understudied approach involves the potential ability of rumen
microbiota to degrade MPs. This study investigated the in vitro ruminal degradation of
three widely distributed MPs—low-density polyethylene (LDPE), polyethylene terephthalate
(PET), and polyamide (PA)—over 24, 48, and 72 h. PET MP exhibited the highest
degradation rates (24 h: 0.50 ± 0.070%; 48 h: 0.73 ± 0.057%; and 72 h: 0.96 ± 0.082%),
followed by LDPE MP (24 h: 0.03 ± 0.020%; 48 h: 0.25 ± 0.053%; and 72 h: 0.56 ± 0.066%)
and PA MP (24 h: 0.10 ± 0.045%; 48 h: 0.02 ± 0.015%; and 72 h: 0.14 ± 0.067%). These
findings suggest that the ruminal environment could serve as a promising tool for LDPE,
PET, and PA MPs degradation. Further research is needed to elucidate the mechanisms
involved, potentially enhancing ruminants’ natural capacity to degrade MPs
Bioclimatic Influence on the Nutritional Composition, In Vitro Ruminal Fermentation Dynamics, and Greenhouse Gas Emissions of Urtica dioica
No full textClimate change, feed shortages, and rising production costs highlight the need for alternative
and sustainable forages for ruminants. This study aimed to evaluate the nutritional
composition, in vitro ruminal fermentation, and methane emissions of Urtica dioica ecotypes
originating from contrasting bioclimatic zones in Tunisia. Aerial parts of Urtica
dioica were harvested at the early flowering stage from arid, semi-arid, and sub-humid
regions. Samples were subjected to chemical composition in vitro ruminal fermentation to
determine dry matter degradability (DMD), neutral detergent fiber degradability (NDFD),
metabolizable energy (ME), and methane production. The results demonstrate that Urtica
dioica is a promising protein-rich forage, with a stable crude protein content across ecotypes
(18.58–20.97% of dry matter). In contrast, NDFD, DMD, ME, and methane emissions varied significantly according to origin. The arid ecotype, characterized by the highest fiber, ether
extract, and polyphenol content, exhibited the lowest DMD (53% vs. 61% and 60%), NDFD
(45% vs. 55% and 56%), and ME (7.2 vs. 8.6 and 9.0 MJ/kg dry matter) but produced the
lowest methane emissions (38.8 vs. 53.2 and 74.2 mL CH4/kg DMD) compared with the
semi-arid and sub-humid ecotypes. The semi-arid and sub-humid ecotypes had comparable
DMD, NDFD, and ME values; however, methane emissions were higher in the sub-humid
ecotype. Overall, the semi-arid ecotype provided the most favorable balance between
nutritive quality and environmental sustainability. These findings highlight the critical role
of ecological origin in determining the feeding value and greenhouse gas footprint of Urtica
dioica, providing a scientific basis for its potential use as a sustainable forage in ruminant
feeding systems
Boosting the efficiency of an inverted structure halide perovskite solar cell: a numerical investigation
No full text[EN] Inverted solar cells have attracted significant attention because they have low hysteresis and are resistant to environmental variables, such as oxygen and humidity, making them more stable and long-lasting. Herein, we investigate the performance optimisation of an inverted design based on MAPbI3-xClx with the structure ITO/PTAA/MAPbI3-xClx/PC60BM/BCP/Ag by utilising SCAPS-1D, a simulation tool. Accordingly, a substantial improvement in efficiency can be achieved by optimising several factors linked to each layer's performance in a perovskite solar cell (PSC). Total defect density, work function, thickness, and electron affinity have a significant impact on the photovoltaic response. Specifically, the impact of optimisation of the charge transport layers and the perovskite layer on the device's performance parameters was discussed, resulting in a milestone within a remarkable increase in PCE of 21.59%, whereas the original structure's efficiency was 6.9%. Additionally, it has been shown that aluminium can substitute silver in the top electrode of a solar cell without affecting its efficiency, allowing the development of cost-effective solar cells. The present study provides an insight in the creation of a highly stable low-cost and higher-efficiency perovskite solar cell.Tlili, W.; Bouazizi, S.; Kadri, B.; Bouich, A.; Issaoui, R.; Ghrissi, A.; Amlouk, M.... (2024). Boosting the efficiency of an inverted structure halide perovskite solar cell: a numerical investigation. Physica Scripta. 99(9). https://doi.org/10.1088/1402-4896/ad69d6S99
DMSO-Free Tin Halide Perovskites for Indoor Photovoltaics
No full textPanda DP, Issaoui R, Iqbal Z, et al. DMSO-Free Tin Halide Perovskites for Indoor Photovoltaics. ACS Energy Letters . 2025.Indoor photovoltaic (IPV) technology has emerged as an effective strategy to sustainably power batteryless Internet of Things (IoT) devices. Though tin perovskite solar cells offer competitive IPV performance, their effectiveness is often compromised by Sn2+ oxidation, particularly when processed with dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) solvent. This work explored the IPV performance of DMSO-free tin perovskites FASnI3-x Br x by tuning the halide composition. Notably, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy confirms no traces of Sn4+, highlighting the critical role of eliminating DMSO. Under 1000 lx indoor illumination, the power conversion efficiency (PCE) increases with Br content, reaching a maximum of 11.1% for FASnI2Br without introducing any reducing agent. Remarkably, after six months of storage, it exhibited an impressive indoor PCE of 11.9%, demonstrating the effectiveness of the DMSO-free processing route for the intrinsic stability of the tin perovskite. These findings provide crucial insights for developing high-performance, lead-free perovskite materials for sustainable energy applications and IoT devices
Prevalence and genetic lineages of Staphylococcus aureus nasal colonization and urinary tract infection among people living with HIV/AIDS in Nigeria: A systematic review
No full textTo provide an empirical insight on Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) nasal colonization and urinary tract infection (UTI) among people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) in Nigeria, a quantitative synthesis and systematic review were executed. A comprehensive bibliometric search was conducted for published articles using the keywords ‘nasal S. aureus carriage’, ‘Urinary S. aureus’, ‘nasal MRSA’, ‘staphylococci-HIV coinfection’, ‘urinary MRSA’ and ‘all states of Nigeria’. Eligible studies and the number of subjects (n) were analysed according to the PRISMA criteria. Out of the 79 examined studies, only 6 (n=1181) and 6 (n= 1350) on nasal and urine samples, respectively, were eligible. The pooled prevalence of nasal carriage and UTI of S. aureus were 29.6% and 6.8%, respectively. However, the pooled nasal MRSA carriage was 13.4%. The pooled prevalence of luk-F/S-PV-carrying S. aureus among nasal samples was 13.0%. Molecular typing from 3 studies showed MRSA-ST8-t064 and MSSA-ST15-t084 as the predominant genetic lineages. The S. aureus isolates from both sample types had the highest (>50%) resistance to penicillin, sulfamethoxazole-trimethoprim, erythromycin, and tetracycline. Multi-drug resistance was not significantly higher among S. aureus isolates from urine than nasal samples (60% versus 40.0% of eligible studies) (p= 0.5271). A moderate and high pooled prevalence of genetically diverse MRSA and luk-F/S-PV-carrying S. aureus were obtained from PLWHA, respectively. These findings emphasize the importance of routine screening for MRSA among PLWHA in Nigeria and other HIV endemic countries
Monetizing Personal Data: A Two-Sided Market Approach
No full textAbstractMobile phone-based sensing is a new paradigm that aims at using smartpohnes to answer sensing requests and collect useful data. Nowadays, a wide variety of domains ranging from health-care applications to pollution monitoring are benefiting from such collected data. However, despite its increasing popularity and the huge amount of data provided by users, there is no platform where mobile phone owners can effectively sell their data. In this paper, we propose the idea of a data monetization platform using two-sided market theory. In this platform, the data is viewed as an economic good and the data sharing activity is considered as an economic transaction. The proposed platform considers the case of abundant data. An experimental analysis is conducted to compare our approach against the peer-to-peer model using a real case study from the health care domain. We show that our proposed platform has the potential to generate higher profit for both data providers and data consumers
In Vitro Assessment of the Nutritional Value of Seed Crop Plants Damaged by Hailstorms and Strong Winds as Alternative Forages for Ruminants
No full textThe increasing frequency of extreme weather events, exacerbated by climate change, has caused significant physical damage to crops worldwide. This study explores the potential of repurposing crop plants that exhibit structural breakage due to hailstorms and strong winds and were originally cultivated for seed production (amaranth, borage, camelina, flax, quinoa, soybean, and white lupin) as alternative forages for ruminants. Their nutritional value was assessed by analyzing chemical composition, in vitro dry matter degradability (DMD), in vitro neutral detergent fiber degradability (NDFD), estimated dry matter intake (DMI), and relative feed value (RFV) compared to conventional forages (alfalfa and ryegrass hay from undamaged plant). Results revealed significant variability among the damaged crops. Borage, amaranth, and white lupin exhibited superior DMD, NDFD, estimated DMI, and RFV, positioning them as promising forage alternatives. Soybean and quinoa showed protein content, DMD, NDFD, estimated DMI, and RFV comparable to alfalfa hay, suggesting their suitability as substitutes. However, camelina exhibited limited NDFD, while flax had low DMD, NDFD, estimated DMI, and RFV, indicating the need for pre-treatment strategies to optimize their nutritional value. Overall, repurposing weather-damaged borage, amaranth, white lupin, soybean, and quinoa as alternative forages for ruminants provides a promising approach to mitigating feed shortages, improving feed resource utilization, and optimizing resource utilization in livestock production
Low-Density Polyethylene Microplastics in the Rumen: Implications for Rumen Fermentation Dynamics and Utilization of Concentrate Feed
No full textMicroplastics (MPs) have emerged as a significant environmental threat, infiltrating livestock systems. This study presents the first in vitro investigation of the effects of low-density polyethylene (LDPE) MP contamination on rumen fermentation dynamics and feed utilization in a simulated ruminal digestive system. Concentrate feed was incubated in buffered rumen fluid collected from lambs, supplemented with LDPE MPs at concentrations of 3.3 g/L and 6.6 g/L and compared to the concentrate incubated in the buffered rumen fluid without MP contamination. The results demonstrate that both levels of LDPE MPs significantly altered rumen fermentation dynamics by reducing asymptotic gas production by 11% and 15% and increasing the constant rate of gas production by 16% and 19% at low and high addition levels, respectively, compared to the control. However, the early-stage fermentation dynamics remained unaffected. Furthermore, both levels of LDPE MPs reduced rumen protozoal populations (20% and 23%) and ammonia-nitrogen levels by 11% at both of addition levels. Despite these disruptions, rumen pH remained unaffected. Increasing the addition level of LDPE from 3.3 to 6.6 g/L did not exacerbate the disruptions. The results of this study highlight the potential risks posed by LDPE MPs in ruminal nutrition. Further in vivo investigations are essential to validate these findings and assess their impact on animal performance
