For the last two decades, an increasing demand for low-cost adsorbents for drinking water treatment has been challenged in the rural areas of developing countries that have problems with arsenic (As) contamination. In this work, spent bleaching earth (SBE), a residual material that is formed during the process of refining vegetable oil, has been utilized to prepare the new magnetic adsorbent Fe-SBE/C by modifying its surface area through calcination and co-precipitation with iron. The experimental results demonstrate that Fe-SBE/C exhibits a substantial adsorption capacity towards both arsenite (As(III)) and arsenate (As(V)). Optimal pH conditions were found to be pH 10 for As(III) and pH 3 for As(V), resulting in adsorption percentages of 76.7% and 94.1%, respectively. Other experimental parameters such as calcination conditions, adsorbent dosage, iron-loading ratio, and the presence of co-existing ions were thoroughly investigated. The kinetic study revealed that the adsorption processes follow the Elovich and intraparticle diffusion models, suggesting a combined adsorption mechanism of boundary layer control and chemisorption. Furthermore, the isotherm followed the Langmuir model with a maximum adsorption capacity of 202.61 μg g-1 for As(III) and 187.61 μg g-1 for As(V). Through thermodynamic analysis and reinforcement by activation energy data, this research validates that the observed adsorption process is indicative through chemisorption. The regeneration study revealed the potential for multiple cycles of arsenic removal, highlighting the practical applicability of Fe-SBE/C in environmental contexts. In conclusion, the findings of this study underscore the efficacy of Fe-SBE/C in arsenic removal and present it as a promising and environmentally friendly solution for mitigating arsenic pollution.

Among the rust diseases, leaf rust of wheat caused by Puccinia triticina, is the most prevalent worldwide and causes significant yield losses. This study aimed to determine the genomic location of loci that control adult plant resistance (APR) to leaf rust in the pre-Green Revolution landrace accession, Aus27506, from the ‘Watkins Collection’. An Aus27506/Aus27229-derived F7 recombinant inbred (RIL) population was screened under field conditions across three cropping seasons and genotyped with the iSelect 90K Infinium SNP bead chip array. One QTL on each of chromosomes 1BL, 2B and 2DL explained most of the leaf rust response variation in the RIL population and were named QLr.sun-1BL, QLr.sun-2B and QLr.sun-2DL, respectively. QLr.sun-1BL and QLr.sun-2DL were contributed by Aus27506. QLr.sun-1BL is likely Lr46, while QLr.sun-2DL appeared to be a new APR locus. The alternate parent, Aus27229, carried the putatively new APR locus QLr.sun-2B. Comparisons of average severities among RILs carrying these QTL in different combinations indicated that QLr.sun-2B does not interact with either of the other two QTL; however, the combination of QLr.sun-1BL and QLr.sun-2DL reduced disease severity significantly. In-planta fungal quantification assays validated these results. The RILs carrying QLr.sun-1BL and QLr.sun-2DL did not differ significantly from parent Aus27506 in resistance. Aus27506 can be used as a source of adult plant leaf rust resistance in breeding programs.

SOC stock (SOCS) changes caused by land use changes are still unclear, and understanding this response is essential for many environmental policies and land management practices. In this study, we investigated the temporal-spatial and vertical distribution characteristics of SOCS on the Western Sichuan Plateau (WSP) using the sparrow search algorithm-random forest regression (SSA-RFR) models with excellent model applicability and accuracy. The temporal-spatial varia-tions in the SOCS were modeled using 1080 soil samples and a set of nine environmental covariates. We analyzed the effect of land use changes on the SOCS on the WSP. The total SOCS increased by 18.03 Tg C from 1990 to 2020. The results of this study confirmed that the SOCS in the study area has increased significantly since 2010, with an increase of 27.88 Tg C compared to the total SOCS in 2010. We found that the spatial distribution of the SOCS increased from southeast to northwest, and the vertical distribution of the SOCS in the study area decreased with increasing soil depth. Forest and grassland are the main sources of SOCS, the total SOCS in the forest and grassland accounted for 37.53 and 59.39% of the total SOC pool in 2020, respectively. Expansion of the wetlands, forest, and grassland areas could increase SOCS in the study area.

Lignocellulosic biomass, an abundant and renewable resource, serves as a crucial raw material for the production of biofuels, biochemicals, and various value-added products. This paper aims to develop and optimize a mild alkaline treatment of sawdust assisted by ultrasound, along with enzymatic hydrolysis of the pretreated material. The sonochemical pretreatment with alkali emerged as the optimal approach to enhance the susceptibility of cellulose to subsequent enzymatic hydrolysis, thereby increasing the yield of reducing sugars. A comparative study was performed using various ultrasonic applicators (horn and bath) and conventional assisted alkaline pretreatment. The ultrasonic assisted pretreatment revealed a higher delignification as 68% (horn) and 57% (bath) comparing with conventional pretreatment. Processes were optimized using a statistical analysis based on a 23 factorial design. The ratio between sawdust and alkanine solution (RSL = 0.5–1.5 g/100 mL), US amplitude (A = 20–60%), and working temperature (t = 30–50 °C) were selected as process factors. The optimal operating conditions to maximize the reducing sugar yield (138.15 mg GE /gsubstrate) were found as following: solid/liquid ratio RSL,opt = 1.25 g/100 mL, US amplitude Aopt = 60%, and and pretreatment temperature topt = 50 °C. The overall outcomes clearly confirmed the intensification of delignification by ultrasound assisted alkaline pretreatment

The European Union's recent decision to renew the authorization for the use of glyphosate until 15 December 2033 stimulates the scientific discussion all around the world regarding its toxicity or otherwise for humans. Glyphosate is a chemical used by millions of tons in the last 50 years worldwide to drying weeds in cultivated fields, greenhouses, roadsides. Concern has been raised in many quarters about the possible presence in the food chain and the consequent adverse effects on health: both aspects that argue in favor of toxicity and those that instead may indicate limited toxicity of glyphosate are here discussed. The great debate that has been generated requires further investigations and field measurements to understand its fate once dispersed in the environment and its concentration in the food chain. Hence the need for validated analytical methods that are available to analysts in the field. In the present review, methods for the analytical determination of glyphosate and its main metabolite, AMPA, are discussed, with a specific focus on chromatographic techniques applied to cereal products. The experimental procedures are explained in any detail, including cleanup, derivatization, and instrumental conditions to give the laboratories involved enough information to proceed with the implementation of this line of analysis. The prevalent chromatographic methods used are LC-MS/MS, GC-MS/SIM, and GC-MS/MS but sufficient indications are also given to those laboratories that wish to use the simpler HPLC-FLD, HPLC-UV, GC-NPD or GC-FPD techniques for screening purposes. Concentrations from literature measured in wheat, corn, barley, rye, oats, soybean, and cereal-based foods are reported together with the regulatory status in various parts of the world and the accumulation mechanism. As for the accumulation in cereals, available data show that glyphosate tends to accumulate more in wholemeal flours than in refined ones, that its concentration in the product strictly depends on the treatment period (the closer it is to the time of harvesting, the higher the concentration) and that in cold climates the herbicide tends to persist in the soil for a long time.

This study provides a detailed investigation into the pathways through which microplastics from urban sources are transported to marine ecosystems, their distribution across different environments, and their impacts on marine life. Utilizing a combination of water and sediment sampling across urban, riverine, and marine environments, the research quantitatively assesses the concentration and types of microplastics present, and evaluates the ecological consequences of their accumulation in marine ecosystems. The findings reveal a significant concentration of microplastics in all examined environments, with the highest levels detected in urban areas, closely linked to industrial activities and inadequate waste management practices. The study documents a variety of microplastic polymers, with polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP), and polyethylene terephthalate (PET) being the most prevalent. A substantial impact on marine organisms was observed, including evidence of microplastic ingestion across a wide range of species and indications of stress and physical damage to coral reefs. Seasonal variations indicate that microplastic concentrations peak during periods of high rainfall, suggesting urban runoff as a critical pathway for microplastic transport. The study concludes with recommendations for improving waste management practices, enhancing public awareness and engagement in plastic recycling efforts, and implementing policies aimed at reducing the production and use of single-use plastics. This research underscores the urgent need for coordinated actions to mitigate the pervasive issue of microplastic pollution, highlighting the role of urban management and policy interventions in safeguarding marine ecosystems.

Hybrid reinforcement in a composite material (CM), in many situations, allows better govern material mechanical properties. Polymer matrix CM plate is reinforced with small particles and macro-fibers. Particles are oil shale ash (OSA) powder, macro-fibers – basalt fiber threads im-pregnated by matrix material. With the goal to find out elastic properties of the matrix- polymer with OSA, samples with its different concentrations were experimentally fabricated and their elastic properties were experimentally measured. Obtained data were used in numerical model-ling. Was observed polymer matrix composite slab, reinforced with OSA and three-dimensional (3D) basalt fiber fabric. Fabric are forming threads impregnated by matrix (polymer resin mixed with OSA particles). Damage accumulation in the stretched slab was modelled. Impregnated thread, in the modelling, is observed as a macro-fiber (MF) with averaged elastic properties. With the load increase MF in the material began to break. At first, appeared isolated single breaks. A probabilistic sequential MF rupture accumulation model was accepted and numerical-ly realized. The geometry of the reinforcing knitted fabric was modeled using the Leaf and Glaskin approach. In the knitted fabric highly, stressed MF cross-sections are observed as po-tential location where thread breakage can occur. If one thread breaks, the cross-sections of the adjacent threads experience the overload caused by this rupture. More overloaded crossection in the adjacent overloaded thread breaks and we obtain two adjacent broken MF designated as a defect with the size j=2. The probabilities of obtaining defect consisting of at least 2, 3, … j adjacent broken MF in the plate were calculated. The calculations continued until the rupture process becomes unstable (j→∞). The overstresses on adjacent threads in the CM were calculat-ed using the FEM three-dimensional numerical approach. Analytical and stochastic methods were used for the load-carrying capacity determination and different size defects accumulation in the hybrid composite material (HCM) plate. Also, was calculated the probability of the plate rupture.

Hydrogen has a leading role in accomplishing a net zero green-house gas emission future. Today’s challenge is producing green hydrogen to cover the fuel demand of transportation and industry, to gain independence from fossil fuels. This review’s goal is to demonstrate critically the existing methods of biomass treatment and assess their ability to scale up. Biomass is an excellent hydrogen carrier and biomass-derived processes are the main target for hydrogen production as it is an innovative pathway to green hydrogen production. Comparing the existing processes, thermochemical treatment is found to be far more evolved than biological or electrochemical treatment especially with regard to scaling prospects.

Abstract: Field studies with large-stemmed plants Artemisia dubia (wormwood) have been carried out at Vėžaičiai Branch LAMMC since 2018. According to three years of experimental results, annual dry matter (DM) yield varied from 7.94 to 10.14 t ha-1. Growing conditions, nitrogen ap-plication level and harvesting time had significant impacts on Artemisia dubia productivity. This article presents the results of research on preparation and use of Artemisia dubia biomass for en-ergy conversion and evaluation of technological-technical and environmental parameters of these plants utilization for solid biofuel. For experiments were used 6 variants of Artemisia dubia samples, which were grown in 2021: plants were cut three times and two fertilization options were used: (1) no fertilization and (2) fertilization with 180 kg ha-1 of nitrogen fertilizer. These harvested plants were chopped, milled and were pressed into the pellets. The physi-cal-mechanical characteristics (mоisture content, density and strength) of Artemisia dubia pellets were investigated. During this study, it was found that the density in dry mass (DM) of pellets ranged from 1119.86 to 1192.44 kg m-3. The pellet moisture content ranged from 8.80 to 10.49%. After testing of pellet strength, it was found that the pellets which were made from plant bio-mass PK-1-1, were the most resistant to compression, they withstood 560.36 N of pressure. Dry fuel lower heating value (LHV) of pellets was sufficiently high and was very close to pine saw-dust pellets, it varied from 17.46±0.25 MJ kg-1 to 18.14±0.28 MJ kg-1. The ash content of burned pellets ranged from 3.62±0.02% to 6.47±0.09%. Emissions of harmful pollutants – CO2, CO, NOx and unburnt hydrocarbons (CxHy) did not exceed the maximum permissible levels. Summariz-ing the results of investigated properties, cоmbustion and emissiоns of Artemisia dubia pellets, it can be concluded that this biofuel can be used for production of pressed biofuel and it is charac-terized by sufficient high quality, efficient combustion and permissible emissions to the envi-ronment.

Accurately estimating shrub biomass in arid and semi-arid regions is critical for understanding ecosystem productivity and carbon stocks at both local and global scales. However, capturing the shrub biomass accurately by satellite observations is challenging due to the short and sparse features of shrubs. In this study, we presented a framework to estimate shrub biomass at a 10m spatial resolution by integrating ground in-situ data, unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), Sentinel-2, and Sentinel-1 observations. The pilot study was conducted in the Helan mountains of Ningxia province, China. First, the spatial distribution map of shrubland and other land cover types was generated in 2023. Then, a prediction model of shrub biomass was developed in a Random Forest Regression (RFR) approach driven by different predicted variable datasets based on in-situ measurements, UAV, and satellite images. Finally, the developed model was used to produce the biomass map of shrubland in 2023. The uncertainty was characterized by creating a standard deviation (SD) map using the Leave-One-Out Cross-Validation (LOOCV) method in the shrub biomass estimates. The resultant shrubland distribution map in 2023 has an F1 score of 0.92. The shrub biomass model driven by spectral bands and vegetation indices (R2= 0.62) demonstrated superior performance than that only driven by spectral bands (R2=0.33) or vegetation indices (R2=0.55). The uncertainty of the estimated biomass was lower than 4%, with the lowest values (<2%) happening in the high shrub coverage (>30%) and biomass production (>30kg/m2) regions. Furthermore, the findings show that the magnitude of shrub biomass was affected by the aridity and precipitation significantly in the study region. This study provides a workflow to accurately monitor the biomass of shrublands in a complicated environment based on remote sensing images from multi-platform observations.

Biochar is a carbonaceous material derived from the thermochemical conversion of biomass under oxygen-lean conditions. Its properties render it many applications in agriculture, environmental remediation, and catalysis. Commonly produced by pyrolysis under a nitrogen atmosphere, the biochar composition is influenced mainly by residence time, heating rate, and process temperature. The existing literature primarily assesses biochar properties, such as ultimate, proximate, calorific, porosity, and combustibility, generated under various thermo-conversion conditions. However, there is a notable lack of sufficient investigation and attention given to the practical application of biochar. This article seeks to bridge that gap by enhancing the comprehension of the necessary experimental assessment for specific biochar applications and proposing process optimization methods using Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis (MCDA). By delving into these aspects, the study offers a concise overview of biochar production and presents a comprehensive panorama based on articles and patents. Additionally, the research explores the physicochemical characterization techniques associated with biochar and its various applications in conjunction with MCDA. This comprehensive approach aims to uncover valuable insights that could further advance the practical and sustainable utilization of biochar in a wide range of fields.

The long-term use of fertilizers and pesticides in conventional cultivation has resulted in a decrease in soil productivity and vegetable yields in greenhouses. However, only a limited number of studies have explored the impacts of organic cultivation on greenhouse soil. Specifically, there is a scarcity of research examining the alterations in soil aggregate mediated organic carbon and microbial communities, which are known to enhance soil productivity. This study investigated the properties of soil aggregates, including the levels of organic carbon fractions, microbial community, and enzyme activity with the three aggregate classes microaggregates (&lt;0.25 mm), small macroaggregates (2-0.25 mm) and large macroaggregates (&gt;2 mm). These investigations were conducted under three different cultivation methods in a greenhouse: conventional cultivation (CC), integrated cultivation (IC), and organic cultivation (OC) in greenhouse. The results showed that (1) OC and IC promoted the formation of small macro-aggregates and enhanced aggregate stability compared to CC, (2) SOC in the three size fractions of OC increased by 98.99%-92.06% compared to CC; EOC increased by 98.47%-117.59%; POC increased by 138.59%-208.70%; MBC increased by 104.71%-230.61%; DOC increased by 21.93%-40.90%, respectively; (3) Organic cultivation significantly increased enzyme activity in all three particle size aggregates and increased the relative abundance of bacteria in micro-aggregates as well as the relative abundance of fungi in small macro-aggregates. Structural equation model (SEM) analysis revealed that organic farming practices fostered the development of smaller macro-aggregates, elevated microbial and enzyme activities within soil aggregates, and facilitated the conversion of soil nutrients and carbon sequestration. consequently, this led to an increase in soil organic carbon content and improved vegetable yield in greenhouse environments. In conclusion, the soil carbon content and vegetable yield are enhanced through long-term organic cultivation in greenhouses, primarily by increasing the proportion of small macro-aggregates.

Biomass materials have received attention for energy storagebecaused of the advantage of low-cost, easy-to-prepare, and eco-friendliness. Three-dimensional carbon materialswith abundant pore structure gradually becomeresearch hotspot in high-performance energy storage. In this study, an easy-to-prepare, green, light and elastic activated carbon was present using the biomass Juncus effusus (JCE) via high-temperature pyrolysis, followed by activation in air. Compared with previously reported bio-carbons, the proposed air-activated bio-carbon contributes in the fabrication of pores to preserve the interconnected, reticular and tubular structure. Moreover, the interconnected porous material also inherits the excellent tenacity of the original JCE such as the material can be bended to below 90^o under an external force while maintaining structural integrity. The activated porous carbon material exhibits an enhanced electric double-layer capacitance (~210 F g^-1 at 1 A g^-1), with capacitance retention of ~78.62% at 10 A g^-1. The interconnected porous carbon microtubes electrode as a double-layer symmetric capacitor exhibits considerable capacitance retention (84%) after 2000 cycles at 1 A g^-1. The improved energy storage performance was proposed to be attributed to the shortened ionic diffusion distance and sufficient contact between the interface of the carbon electrode and electrolyte, which is resulted from the elastic, undamaged structure and types of pores. These results demonstrated that as-preparedcarbon materials have potentional application in symmetric capacitors.

The expanding global population has increased the demand for sustainable protein sources, and microbial protein (MP) has emerged as a promising alternative. However, conventional carbon (glucose) and nitrogen (ammonia, urea) sources needed for MP production pose environmental and economic issues. This study aims to produce protein using lignocellulosic biomass (LCB) as a carbon source and the nitrogen fixation ability of Klebsiella oxytoca M5A1 as a nitrogen source. The study investigates the pretreatment of LCB (switchgrass), enzymatic hydrolysis, protein quantification, and high-performance liquid chromatography system (HPLC) analysis to track glucose utilization and organic acid production. K. oxytoca M5A1 harnessed free nitrogen from the atmosphere through nitrogen fixation and used abundant, cheap glucose from LCB to produce MP and organic acids as by-products. Protein production occurred in two phases: first within the initial 8 hours and secondly, within the last 16 hours. The highest protein concentration was at 40 hours, with approximately 68.3% protein content. HPLC analysis revealed a dynamic profile of glucose utilization and organic acids (Lactic acid, Propionic acid, Acetic acid, and Succinic acid). K. oxytoca M5A1 exhibited an early high rate of glucose consumption, and conversion to organic acids that were later used for second-phase protein production. The acids profile revealed intra-conversion from one acid to another via metabolic pathways (glycolysis and tricarboxylic acid cycle). Overall, leveraging LCB and the nitrogen-fixing ability of K. oxytoca M5A1 for MP production offers an eco-friendly and cost-effective alternative to traditional protein sources, contributing to a sustainable circular economy.

In this paper, the integrated performance of a modular biomass boiler with an existing industrial Rankine steam heat and power cycle and a supplementary supercritical-CO2 (sCO2) Brayton cycle is analyzed. The aim is to leverage the high efficiency supplementary sCO2 cycle to increase net generation and energy efficiency from the existing biomass boiler. Two sCO2 heater configurations situated within the flue gas flow path are investigated, namely a single convective-dominant heater, and a dual heater configuration with a radiative and a convective heater. A quasi-steady-state 1D model was developed to simulate the integrated cycle, including detailed component characteristics for the Rankine and Brayton cycles. The model solves the mass, energy, momentum, and species balance equations. The system is analyzed for three cases: (i) the existing Rankine cycle without the sCO2 integration, (ii) with the single convective-dominant sCO2 heater configuration, and (iii) the dual sCO2 heater configuration. The results show the required rate of overfiring for the sCO2 configurations, with a 15.3% increase in fuel flowrate resulting in an additional 21.2% in net power output. The model quantifies the impact of the sCO2 heaters, with reduced heat uptakes for downstream boiler heat exchangers. Furnace water wall heat uptake increased due to overfiring, offsetting the reduced heat uptakes at downstream evaporative heat exchangers. The dual configuration has more impact on Rankine cycle operation due to the radiative sCO2 heater placement in front of the second superheater, absorbing some of the direct radiation from the furnace.

A theoretical model to translate the evolution over time, in early stages, of growth and accumulation of biofilm bacterial mass is introduced. The model implies the solution of a system of differential-difference master equations. The application of an algorithm like Miller´s tree term recurrence, already known for Bessel functions of first kind, allows an exact calculation of the solutions of such equations, for a wide range of parameters values and time. For biofilm model a five term recurrence is deduced and applied in a backwards computation. A suitable normalisation condition completes the reach of the solution.

The relationship between metabolic changes occurring in the developing internodes of sugarcane and the final yield and sugar characteristics is poorly understood. This is due to the lack of integration between phenotypic and metabolic data. To address this issue, a study was conducted where sugarcane metabolism was modelled based on the measurement of cellular components in the top internodes at two stages of crop development. The study also looked at the effects of Trinexapac-ethyl (Moddus®) on growth inhibition. The metabolome was measured using GC-analysis while LC-MS/MS was used to measure proteome changes in the developing internodes. The data was then integrated with the metabolic rates. The study revealed that the duration of internode growth is independent of the growth rate and is probably controlled by the accumulation of heat units (degree days). In contrast, sucrose and lignin accumulation is sensitive to the growth rate. Sucrose accumulation only occurs once the cell wall synthesis slow down. The data suggest that sucrose accumulation is controlled a reduction in sucrose breakdown for metabolic activity and a reduction in demand for carbon for cell wall polysaccharide synthesis. This study also found that nucleotide sugar metabolism appears to be a key regulator in regulating carbon flow during internode development.

The article presents a model for optimizing biomass supply chains using the linear programming framework integrated with a Geographic Information System. Based on the distance from a given type of biomass resource, its calorific value, price, and transportation costs, the model identifies the optimal source of biomass, allowing it to cover the demand for the required total energy value with the lowest possible costs. The case study includes the Połaniec power plant in southeastern Poland and potential sources of forest biomass and agricultural straw within 100 km of the plant. Unit costs of biomass varied depending on biomass availability and energy demands. For energy demand on the level of 1 PJ yearly, the lowest unit costs of biomass (4.08 €/MJ) were when all kinds of biomass were available, and the highest (5.47 €/MJ) was when only stacked wood was available. As energy demand increased, unit costs increased, and the ability to meet this demand with just one type of biomass decreased. The energy biomass sector can utilize the model to benefit both biomass producers and their final buyers.

Insulin signaling plays a crucial role in cellular uptake of glucose and different metabolic pathways. Impairment in cellular insulin sensitivity due to various molecular pathways leads to Insulin resistance (IR) as well as fatty liver. In this review, mechanisms by which zinc involved in decreasing IR are described, focusing on oxidative stress, inflammation, immune system, gut flora and hepatic lipophagy. This study reviews the cause of IR and highlights the role of zinc in mechanisms diminishing IR and fatty liver.

The pace of implementation of renewable electricity storage in Europe is disappointingly slow. Several factors influence it, but there is a need to speed up the rate and increase the volumes in order to promote a 100% transition to renewable energy resources, expand the practice of using renewable energy, and contribute to the improvement of the user's quality of life. Also, an important factor is significantly reducing the global impact on the environment and climate change. Electricity from renewable energy sources such as solar and wind has a seasonal nature that cannot provide the necessary electricity consumption and cover peak loads. Also, the so-called "energy resource crisis" is a very topical problem at the moment, which reinforces the global need to increase the share of renewable energy resources in the overall balance of primary energy resources. It is precisely the wider integration of renewable electricity storage in practice that can help stimulate this. The availability of renewable electricity is constantly increasing and the level of technological innovation is rapidly developing, therefore it is valuable to analyze, look for connections and at the same time the main differences in the ways of accumulation in order to promote its availability from a private house to the national and European scale as a whole. Therefore, this article analyses and compares the different options for renewable electricity storage, from small batteries to large storage systems, arriving at the best solution according to needs, using analysis methods such as multicriteria decision analysis (MCDA) and TOPSIS. After comparing nine criteria, such as the amount of investment required, existing power density, efficiency, duration of operation and others, in both groups, it was concluded that lithium-ion batteries are currently the best solution among batteries, while in the group of large accumulation systems – pumped hydro storage.

Lignocellulosic biomass has garnered attention as an abundant and sustainable alternative energy source that can facilitate reliable and environmentally friendly energy generation. Energy security improves, and environmental impacts diminish when bioethanol, a biofuel produced via lignocellulose-based processes, is utilized. The lignocellulosic biomass of Thysanolaena latifolia has considerable potential as a bioethanol feedstock due to its high carbohydrate content (62.4 ± 0.7%). In this study, feedstock derived from T. latifolia was pretreated with various concentrations of H3PO4 to determine the ideal conditions for enzymatic hydrolysis to convert the feedstock to fermentable sugar. The findings revealed that hydrolysis efficiency and glucose recovery yields were substantially improved compared to those of the untreated sample. Pretreated samples were enzymatically digested to produce a liquid hydrolysate. This hydrolysate was fermented without detoxification using Saccharomyces cerevisiae TISTR 5339 to produce ethanol. The results indicated that T. latifolia biomass hydrolysate is a promising long-term carbon source for ethanol production from cellulosic biomass. Furthermore, the morphological and crystallographic characteristics of the treated T. latifolia biomass were influenced by H3PO4 concentration, as indicated by the SEM images, X-ray diffractogram patterns, and crystallinity index values. Therefore, utilizing T. latifolia feedstock to produce bioethanol can enhance bioenergy sustainability.

The focus of our study was the changes in the composition of semi-natural dry grasslands in Hungary. Since these valuable habitats were created with the help of humans, their preservation also requires regular treatment. Our mowing experiment aimed to investigate the suppression of the native Calamagrostis epigejos L. Roth. In Hungary, in the Cserhát Mountains, eight permanent plots were mowed twice a year. The vegetation was sampled annually between 2001 and 2011. The effects of mowing were investigated with repeated measures analysis of variance (ANOVA). After 10 years, the C. epigejos cover of the mowed plots decreased significantly, from the initial average of 62.38 to 7.50%. Surprisingly, we also experienced a similar decrease in the control plots. Regular treatment also had a positive effect on the number of species and diversity. Species richness increased continuously in both treatment types, which indicates the combined effect of vegetation succession and treatment. The biomass growth of other Poaceae and Fabaceae species, which are important from a grassland management perspective, was also facilitated by mowing. Our results suggest that long-term in situ experiments and continuous botanical studies are needed to establish a reliable utilization of grasslands.

Extant research pays little attention to migrant workers’ skill accumulation/upgrading from the perspective of the labor supply. This paper takes China as an example to explore the factors influencing skill accumulation of rural-urban migrant workers (RUMWs), with a purpose to discover how to sustain or reshape regional competitive advantage through improving RUMWs’ skill accumulation. Structured questionnaire surveys were adopted for data collection in Suzhou City, Jiangsu Province and Taizhou City, Zhejiang Province located in the Yangtze River Delta in the east of China. 900 questionnaires were issued and 491 effective questionnaires were recovered totally. This paper takes a perspective of global production networks, and gets a broad viewpoint containing intra-firm coordination, inter-firm partnership and extra-firm bargaining with non-firm actors, beyond what the extant literature on laborers’ human capital focuses on. The finding indicates that firms’ skill-oriented preference, which concerns about employees’ skills and innovation ability and stimulates them to learn initiatively, have a significant influence on RUMWs’ skill accumulation. In terms of collective efficiency based on co-competitive relationship between local firms, the more intensive interactions are, the more opportunities of skill accumulation RUMWs get. The accessibility of local institutions and favorable policies benefit RUMWs’ skill accumulation. Besides, the place itself, as a synthesized space of labor-management relations inside a firm and inter-organization relations, exerts an influence on and cause the regional differences in RUMWs’ skill accumulation.

A non-destructive analysis of proximate parameters (moisture content, MC; volatile matter, VM; fixed carbon, FC; and ash content) for a variety of chipped and ground biomasses was investigated through a combination of thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) with partial least squares regression (PLSR). In this study, the thermogravimetric method was employed as a tool to determine the proximate analysis data of biomass samples through TG and DTG curves, which were generated by tracking changes in biomass mass loss over time or temperature. NIRS non−destructively scanned the chipped biomass in diffuse reflectance while ground biomass using transflectance mode, covering the wavenumber range of 3594.87 to 12,489.48 cm−1. The PLSR−based models: Full−PLSR, genetic algorithm (GA)−PLSR, successive projection algorithm (SPA)−PLSR, the spectral multi−preprocessing (MP) PLSR− 5 range method, and the MP PLSR−3 range method were developed. Model performance was assessed, compared, and selected based on the coefficient of determination in the prediction set (R2P), root mean square error in the validation set (RMSEP), and the ratio of prediction to deviation (RPD). Based on the comprehensive analysis of model performance, MC and FC models of chip biomass have demonstrated satisfactory performance which makes it applicable cautiously in any application, including research. The optimum models for MC and FC in chip biomass were constructed using GA−PLSR with 2nd derivative and Full−PLSR with a constant offset, resulting in R2P values of 0.8654 and 0.8773, RMSEP values of 0.85% and 2.12%, and RPD values of 2.9 and 3.0, respectively. Other parameters such as MC and FC in ground biomass as well as VM and ash content in both chip and ground biomass were found suitable for rough screening. The sensitivity of the selected model was assessed by calculating the limit of quantification (LOQ), and the results indicated that the calculated LOQ values for VM in both chip and ground biomass and FC in chip biomass are lower than the minimum reference values used during model development, signifying a high level of sensitivity. However, for the remaining parameters, the LOQ values surpass the established minimum reference value, suggesting the model could not predict the future samples with reference value lower than the calibration range. Nevertheless, enhancing the models by incorporation an ample number of representative biomass samples and consistently validating the models with unknown samples is imperative to ensure accurate predictions.

Optical sensor data can be used to determine changes in anthocyanins, chlorophyll and soluble solids content (SSC) in apple production. In this study, visible and near-infrared spectra (729 to 975 nm) were transformed to SSC values by advanced multivariate calibration models i.e. partial least square regression (PLSR) in order to test the substitution of destructive chemical analyses through non-destructive optical measurements. Spectral field scans were carried out from 2016 to 2018 on marked ’Braeburn’ apples in Southwest Germany. The study combines an in-depth statistical analyses of longitudinal SSC values with horticultural knowledge to set guidelines for further applied use of SSC predictions in the orchard to gain insights into apple carbohydrate physiology. The PLSR models were investigated with respect to sample size, seasonal variation, laboratory errors and the explanatory power of PLSR models when applied to independent samples. As a result of Monte Carlo simulations, PLSR modelled SSC only depended to a minor extent on the absolute number and accuracy of the wet chemistry laboratory calibration measurements. The comparison between non-destructive SSC determinations in the orchard with standard destructive lab testing at harvest on an independent sample showed mean differences of 0.5 % SSC over all study years. SSC modelling with longitudinal linear mixed-effect (LME) models linked high crop loads to lower SSC values at harvest and higher SSC values for fruit from the top part of a tree.

Maintaining sufficient levels of plant nutrients in the soil and controlling certain heavy metals, which can be toxic to the environment, are critical to ensure sustainable agricultural production. The study aimed to assess the linkage of crop-specific agricultural practices established by farmers in the Kvemo Kartli region (Georgia) with metal accumulation in soils of agricultural lands being subject to influence from polluted irrigation water in the past. In particular, we tried to identify the primary sources of micronutrients, including iron (Fe), copper (Cu), manganese (Mn), nickel (Ni), and zinc (Zn), and toxic elements such as cadmium (Cd) and lead (Pb), and share of the contaminated irrigation water and other factors related to agricultural practices under different land uses, such as intensive and extensive arable farming, vineyards, orchards, and permanent pastures having the least disturbed soil. Based on principal component analysis, five primary sources were identified and categorized according to farmers' interviews and previous studies conducted in the region. The results showed that increased concertation of plant-available Cu, Zn, Cd and Pb were mainly associated with irrigation water and intensive use of fungicides; Fe, Mn, and Ni were closely linked to several factors, such as the mineralogical composition of soils, mineral and organic fertilizers inputs, and atmospheric deposition from diffuse sources, where exhausts from transport are probably the primary source. During our study, we attempted to differentiate irrigation water inputs from fungicides using simulation based on irrigation pattern and irrigation water quality on the one hand and fungicide application rate and their metal content on the other. The simulation revealed that the intensive application of fungicides, especially in vineyards, is more significant in enriching soils with Cu and Zn than irrigation water. Identification of factorial dependences was supported by statistical analysis and application of a number of contamination assessment methods: Contamination Factor (CF), Pollution Load Index (PLI), single-factor Pollution Index (PI), Nemerow’s comprehensive pollution index (PIN), Enrichment Factor (EF), and Geo-Accumulation Index (Igeo). Applied environmental indices indicate that the soils under the former and existing vineyards are the most enriched with Cu and Zn, highlighting the significance of agricultural practices on heavy metals accumulation in soils of agricultural lands.

Nitrogen (N) strongly affects plant growth and metabolism. For shikonin biosynthesis, although the ammonium toxicity phenomenon has been reported, the effects of nitrogen on the shikonin synthesis remains obscure. In this study, we carried out four different concentrations of NH4+ treatments on Arnebia euchroma hairy roots (AEHR) to clarify the influence of NH4+ on the growth and shikonin accumulation in A. euchroma and the possible mechanism. The results showed that compared with the 0% NH4+ treatment (only nitrate as nitrogen source), 10% NH4+ treatment increased the fresh weight and the dry weight of AEHR, and promoted the synthesis of shikonins; 20% NH4+ treatment started to show the inhibition effects on growth and shikonin accumulation of AEHR and 30% NH4+ treatment exhibited the strongest inhibition effects. With increased percentage of NH4+, AEHRs became shorter and thicker with more branches. To further elucidate the mechanism, we analyzed the time-course of nitrogen assimilation, gene expression level of key enzymes involved in the shikonin biosynthesis pathway, and contents of various endogenous hormones under NH4+ toxicity condition. Results indicated that auxin and cytokinin might regulate the growth and architecture of AEHR under NH4+ toxicity, and jasmonate level was reduced along with the inhibition of shikonin biosynthesis. This first comprehensive investigation into the effects of ammonium/nitrate ratio on shikonin biosynthesis not only provided valuable data for optimizing the in vitro culture and shikonin production in A. euchroma, but also suggested potential fertilizer strategies for its cultivation.

Flavonoids are major secondary metabolites in plants, which play important roles in maintaining the cellular redox balance in cells. Chalcone synthase (CHS) is the key enzyme in the flavonoids biosynthesis pathway, and has been proved to monitor the changes to drought stress tolerance. In this work, we overexpressed a CHS gene in tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum). The transgenic tobacco plants were more tolerant than the control plants to drought stress. The transcription levels of the key genes involved in the flavonoids pathway and the contents of seven flavonoids were also significantly raised in the transgenic tobacco plants. In addition, overexpression of the CHS gene lead to a lower concentration of the oxidative stress product malondialdehyde. Overall, the NtCHS gene studied in this work was considered as a candidate gene for genetic engineering to enhance drought tolerance of plants and improve response to oxidative stress.

The use of biomass as a source of energy has been identified to be energy intensive which involves high cost of handling. However, pelletization reduces the bulk density of biomass, thereby reducing the cost of handling and enhancing ease of use. This study modified and evaluated an existing hand operated fish feed pelleting machine. The parts of the machine that were redesigned are hopper and power transmission unit. Corncob was used to evaluate the modified machine using die hole diameter (5,6 and 7 mm) and binder quantity (0, 2.5 and 5 wt%) as factors. The average results obtained for machine efficiency, throughput, pellet length and bulk density were 58.83%, 4.24 kg/h, 15.51 mm and 0.160 g/cm3. Die hole diameter had significant effect on pellet length only. Binder quantity had significant effect on machine efficiency, throughput and pellet length. Machine efficiency and throughput reduces as the quantity of binder increases and pellet length increases with increasing quantity of binder.

The paper investigated the components of savings accumulation in Nigeria over the period 1980 to 2017. Secondary data were collated from World Development Index (WDI). In evaluating the objectives, the study employed the Auto Regressive Distributive Lag (ARDL) and Vector Error Correction Model (VECM) estimation methods. The key findings of the study show that the components of savings identified in literature understudied in the paper specifically, GDP per capita, foreign direct investment, financial deepening, interest rate, inflation rate exchange rate significantly influence savings accumulation in Nigeria either in short run, long run or both. Financial deepening was found statistically significant but influences savings negatively. Inflation rate was statistically insignificant although negative. The result from the VECM causality test revealed that short run and long run causal relationship exist between savings and the afore mentioned components in Nigeria. Hence, the study recommends careful manipulation of the identified savings components in a manner that they will not yield a counterproductive result in the economy rather contribute to the growth of savings and ultimately, the growth of Nigeria economy as a whole. It further recommends that the Nigerian government through its financial institutions encourage savings from both small and big savers which to large extent will assuage the perceived undeserved influence of financial deepening on savings accumulation.

The present study aimed at utilizing technically hydrolyzed lignin (THL), industrial biomass residue, derived in high-temperature diluted sulphuric acid hydrolysis of softwood and hardwood chips to sugars. The THL was carbonized in horizontal tube furnace at atmospheric pressure, in inert atmosphere and at three different temperatures (500, 600 and 700 ºC). Biochar chemical composition was investigated along with its HHV, thermal stability (thermogravimetric analysis) and textural properties. Surface area and pore volume were measured with nitrogen physisorption analysis often named upon Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET). Increasing the carbonization temperature reduced volatile organic compounds (40 ÷ 96 wt. %), increased fixed carbon (2.11 to 3.68 times the wt. % of fixed carbon in THL), ash and C-content. Moreover, H and O were reduced, while N- and S-content were below the detection limit. This suggested biochar application as solid biofuel. The biochar Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectra revealed that the functional groups were gradually lost thus, forming materials having merely polycyclic aromatic structures and high condensation rate. The biochar obtained at 600 and 700 ºC proved having properties typical for microporous adsorbents, suitable for selective adsorption purposes. Based on the latest observations another biochar application was proposed - as catalyst.

The paper presents the results of experimental studies and mathematical modeling of the effect of stress accumulation in thermosetting epoxy polymer "hot" curing on anhydride hardener. Stress accumulation occurs under cyclic thermomechanical action in a locked rod, similar effects are observed, for example, in thermoplastic elements subjected to the combined effect of mechanical loads and variable temperatures. Experimental results have shown that under cyclic thermomechanical loading during exploitation it is possible to accumulate residual stresses in the thermosetting polymer. A multi-element structural mathematical model with memory for thermomechanical load, which allows to consider the accumulation of residual thermal stresses, has been proposed. The results of modeling and experiment are compared. Based on the results, corrections are made in the approach to the application of this model to thermosetting polymers such as the epoxy resin under study. Considering the corrections, a good agreement (the difference is from 1 to 6%) with the results of experimental determination of stresses under complex cyclic thermomechanical load was obtained.

Plastic pollution of the ocean is currently one of the most serious environmental threat. Analysis of observations in the Arctic ocean shows that microplastic particles have been found in Arctic snow cover, sea ice, water and sediments. Possible pathways and deposition locations of microplastics in the Arctic Ocean can be assessed based on 3D numerical modeling of thermohaline structure and water circulation, sea ice conditions and drift. The problem is that in addition to transport by currents, a number of other processes affect the state of microplastics. These include mechanical fragmentation, freezing into sea ice and release back into the water, biofouling, adsorption of contaminants and other factors. In this study, based on scenario calculations for a 5-year period, we analyzed the possible spread of microplastics brought by Siberian rivers to the Kara Sea shelf. The Lagrangian particle model used daily 3D numerical simulation data to simulate microplastic transport by ocean currents and by sea ice drift. The results of a series of scenario calculations show how the distribution of particles and their subsequent deposition depend on their type (density), size, processes of freezing into the ice and biofouling.

Based on the plate tectonic theory, using seismic, geology, and public literature data, the proto-type basins and lithofacies paleogeography during the main geological periods of the passive continental margin of East Africa are restored, and the architecture characteristics of the basins and the differences in sedimentary fillings are analyzed. Combined with the dissection of discovered oil and gas reservoirs, four types of hydrocarbon accumulation models are established, the favorable hydrocarbon accumulation combinations (plays), and the next exploration directions in this region are explored. The passive continental margin basins in East Africa experienced three proto-type stages: intracontinental aborted rift during the Late Carboniferous-Triassic Karoo period, intracontinental-intercontinental rift during the Jurassic period, and passive continental margin basin since the Cretaceous period. Affected by the difference in sedimentary filling thickness between the rift period and depression period, four types of passive continental margin basins are formed: rifted type, depressed type, faulted depression type, and reformed delta type. The maximum sedimentary thickness of the rifted basins during the rift period is greater than 3500 m, and that during the depression period is less than 4000 m, forming a "single-source structure type" hydrocarbon accumulation model. The exploration of rifted basins should focus on giant structural traps at the top of the rifted sequences. The maximum sedimentary thickness of the depressed basins during the depression period exceeds 4000 m, forming a "single-source fan group type" hydrocarbon accumulation model. The dominant exploration directions of depressed basins are sedimentary sand bodies and structural-lithologic traps during the depression and drift periods. The maximum sedimentary thickness of the faulted depression basins during the rift period is greater than 3500 m, and that during the depression period is greater than 4000 m, forming a "double-source and double-combination type" hydrocarbon accumulation model. The exploration of rifted basins should focus on giant slip-collapse-debris flow sedimentary sand bodies on the upper and middle slopes. In addition to the large sedimentary thickness of the early rift and the central depression, the delta thickness of the reformed delta basins during the late depression period since the Miocene is more than 4000 m, and four structural belts (growth fault, mud diapir, thrust fold, and foredeep gentle slope) were formed from onshore to offshore, forming a "three-source and multi-combination type" hydrocarbon accumulation model. All four structural belts can form giant oil and gas fields.

Heavy metals have adverse effects on microalgae growth and metabolism. Photosynthesis and lipid profile are quite sensitive to heavy metal toxicity. The impact of chromium (Cr) on growth and photosynthetic activity of Dictyosphaerium pulchellum and Micractinium pusillum exposed to different concentrations (0 – 500 μg L-1) was investigated for 11 days. The influence of Cr on cell density and cell number followed similar trends, indicating a possible correlation among these growth responses. A significant (p &lt; 0.05) increase in lipid content was observed with the increasing concentration of Cr however, growth was suppressed at higher concentrations exceeding 100 μg L-1. Addition of Cr in the cell culture medium showed a negative effect on quantum yield (Fv/Fm) and a photosynthetic inhibition of &gt; 65% was noted in both species at 500 μg L-1. However, the lipid gravimetric analysis presented inner cell lipid content up to 36% and 30% of dry weight biomass for D. pulchellum and M. pusillum, respectively. The effects of chromium on growth and lipid accumulation in both microalgae species was concentration and exposure time dependent. This shows that an appropriate concentration of chromium in culture medium could be beneficial for higher lipid accumulation in freshwater eukaryotic microalgae species.

Plastic production is escalating tremendously throughout the globe and the reason behind this is its durability and multipurpose utility. But there is a severe scarcity of its management. Tonnes of plastics are dumped into water bodies across the world. These plastics breakdown because of different reasons and results in the plastic debris of size <5mm termed as microplastics (MPs) which are hazardous to aquatic life. They are a potential source of toxins as they offer a large surface area to various chemicals present in the water body when these MPs are ingested by fishes it causes serious health issues leading to mortality of the fishes. Therefore, we comprehensively reviewed the sources of MPs in freshwater systems and its various types and how they get accumulated inside the body of fishes. We found that fishes ingest these particles by mistaken for food or accumulated these particles by consuming from lower trophic organisms. Some of the commonly studied MPs are PE, PS, and PVC, examined from the body of fishes. MPs can cause various ecotoxicological effects on fishes like behavioral change, cytotoxicity, neurotoxicity effects, and liver stress etc. Our review study finds that there is a paucity of information on the accumulation of MPs by freshwater fishes and there are very few studies on its effects also there is a debate whether this accumulation is subjected to the bio-magnification process which ultimately affects human life.

The production of biomass fly ash has been increasing every year in Europe, reaching 5.5 million tons in 2020. Biomass fly ash is not yet accepted in the standards as a substitute material for cement in mortar and concrete. In a first approach, the substitution limit of biomass fly ash is determined by comparing the mechanical strengths, fresh state properties and hardened properties of mortars produced with biomass fly ash to those of mortars produced with classical coal fly ash. Then, masonry and rendering mortars have been designed with different substitution rates of biomass fly ashes from wood combustion in thermal power plant. Although there is an overall decrease in performance, mortars made with biomass ash retain properties that make them suitable for use in masonry or rendering.

The aim of the present study is to provide new insights into the CO2 and CH4 adsorption using a set of biomass-based activated carbons obtained by physical and chemical activation of olive-stones. The adsorption behavior is analyzed by means of pure gas adsorption isotherms up to 3.2 MPa at two temperatures (303.15 and 323.15 K).The influence of the activation method on the adsorption uptake is studied in terms of both textural properties and surface chemistry. For three activated carbons the CO2 adsorption was more important than that of CH4. The chemically activation resulted in higher BET surface area and micropore volume that lead to higher adsorption for both CO2 and CH4. For methane the presence of mesopores seems to facilitate the access of the gas molecules into the micropores while for carbon dioxide, the presence of oxygen groups enhanced the adsorption capacity.

Low-temperature accumulation is one of the essential stages in the growth process of woody ornamental plants. In this study, two different low-temperature treatments, 6℃ and 10℃, were used to analyze the effects of different low-temperature treatments on dormancy release and flowering of the 'Gulihong' plant using artificial low temperatures. Based on the experimental results, four typical early-blooming Prunus mume cultivars widely planted in Yangling area of Henan Province, China, including 'Zaoyudie', 'Zaohualve', 'Nanjing gongfen', and 'Gulihong', were selected as the experimental materials. The effects of low-temperature accumulation on the flowering characteristics of different cultivars were analyzed using a 6℃ artificial low-temperature treatment. The suitable cultivation temperature for early-blooming P. mume cultivars was screened to provide a theoretical basis for further exploration of P. mume bonsai cultivation techniques. The results showed that the flowering rate, flower diameter, flowering quantity, flowering uniformity, and bud development in the 6℃ treatment were significantly better than those in the 10℃ treatment. The flowering rate and quality of different cultivars gradually increased with the accumulation of low-temperature. Therefore, chill accumulation plays a significant role in promoting flowering quality.

The dimensional effect of the accumulation of an electric charge with a density of up to 270 μF/g by the system of compacted zirconium dioxide nanoparticles during exposure in an electric field (5000 V/m) under normal physical conditions is determined. Based on a qualitative complex analysis of the forms of appearance of the effect, it is shown that the place of localization of different charge carriers is the surface of nanoparticles. The supposed mechanism of this effect is considered using the theory of dispersed systems, the band theory, and the theory of contact phenomena in semiconductors. It was concluded that this mechanism is due to the phenomenon of localization of electron-type charge nanoparticles in the near-surface zone of the material in contact with the adsorption ion atmosphere. This effect is relevant for modern nanoelectronics, microsystem technology, and printed electronics.

Enzymes are biological molecules produced by living entities for carrying out biological processes. The application of enzymes for waste treatment has been gaining pace commercially to solve concerns related to agricultural residues, wastewater, replacement of synthetic processes with natural ones, etc. The application of enzymes for waste management has been an environmentally reliable and sustainable process. Treatment of waste with enzymes such as xylanase, proteases, hydrolases, cellulose, peroxidases, chitinases, laccases, etc. has been studied to be effective. These enzymes act upon the waste products and transform them into biodegradable forms that can be recycled, reused and converted to value-added products. They have wide applications and utility as it has been an effective approach, economically cheaper and sustainable techniques. Application of such enzymes for waste management would be beneficial for reducing the quantity of waste, diminishing the negative effects of waste and pollution on the environment, and would be beneficial in bio-converting the waste products into alternate sources of energy. The current chapter focuses on different types of enzymes, their applications for waste management, and their limitations. This chapter also emphasizes the usage of some prominent microorganisms, their secreted enzymes and their proposed mechanisms of action involved with the degradation of the waste products.

The reagents and raw materials used, as well as the products obtained (bio-oil, reaction condensates, polyols and sugar phases) were characterized by elemental analysis, infrared spectroscopy, thermogravimetry and high performance liquid chromatography with mass spectrometry. The heating value of the bio-oils is higher than that of the original biomass (higher heating value of Eucalyptus sawdust bio-oil 29 MJ/kg versus 19.5 MJ/kg of the original Eucalyptus sawdust). The analyses of the bio-oils allowed to identify the presence of high added-value compounds, such as levulinic acid and furfural. Finally, a study of the accelerated aging of the liquefied biomass showed that the biofuel density increases with the storage time due to the occurrence of repolymerization reactions.

Bifunctional catalysts consisting of mono- or bimetallic nanoparticles (NPs) and zeolite supports received considerable attention due to excellent catalytic properties in numerous reactions including direct and indirect biomass processing. Here, we discuss major approaches to the preparation of NPs in zeolites, concentrating on methods allowing the best interplay (synergy) between metal and acid sites which is normally achieved for small NPs well-distributed through zeolite. We focus on modification of zeolites to provide structural integrity and controlled acidity which can be accomplished by incorporation of certain metal ions or elements. The other modification avenue is the adjustment of the zeolite morphology including creation of numerous defects for the NP entrapment and designed porosity. In this review we also provide examples of synergy between metal and acid sites and emphasize that without density functional theory calculations many assumptions about interactions between active sites stay unvalidated. Finally, we describe the most interesting examples of direct and indirect biomass (waste) processing for the last five years.

The combination of snowfall, snow water equivalent (SWE), and precipitation rate measurements from 39 Snow Telemetry (SNOTEL) sites in Alaska are used to assess the performance of various precipitation products from satellites, reanalysis, and rain gauges. Observation of precipitation from two water years (2018-2019) of the high resolution radar/rain gauge data (Stage IV) product was also utilized to add insights into scaling differences between various products. The outcomes were also used to assess two popular methods for rain gauge undercatch correction. It was found that SWE and precipitation measurements at SNOTELs, as well as precipitation estimates based on Stage IV data, are generally consistent and can provide a range in which other products can be assessed. Time-series of snowfall and SWE accumulation suggests that most of the products can capture snowfall events; however, differences exist in their accumulation. Reanalysis products tend to overestimate snow accumulation in the study area, while current combined passive microwave remote sensing products (i.e., IMERG-HQ) underestimate snowfall accumulation. We found that corrections factors applied to rain gauges are effective in improving their undercatch, especially for snowfall. However, no improvement in correlation is seen when correction factors are applied, and rainfall is still estimated better than snowfall. Even though IMERG-HQ has less skill in capturing snowfall than rainfall, analysis using Taylor plots showed that the combined microwave product does have skill in capturing the geographical distribution of snowfall and precipitation accumulation, so bias adjustment might lead to reasonable precipitation estimates. This study demonstrates that other snow properties (e.g., SWE accumulation at the SNOTEL sites) can complement precipitation data to estimate snowfall. In the future, gridded SWE and snow depth data from GlobSnow and Sentinel-1 can be used to assess snowfall and its distribution over broader regions.

In order to better understand the source-sink flow and relationships of Zinc (Zn) and other nutrients in wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) plants for biofortification and improving grain nutritional quality, effects of reducing photoassimilate source (through the flag leaf removal and spike shading) or sink (through 50% spikelets removal) in the field on accumulation of Zn and other nutrients in wheat grains of two cultivars (Jimai 22 and Jimai 44) were investigated under two soil Zn application levels. The single panicle weight (SPW), kernel number per spike (KNPS), thousand kernel weight (TKW), total grain weight (TGW), concentrations and yields of various nutrient elements (Zn, Fe, Mn, Cu, N, P, K, Ca and Mg), phytate phosphorus (phytate-P), phytic acid (PA) and phytohormones (ABA: abscisic acid, and the ethylene precursor ACC: 1-aminocylopropane-1-carboxylic acid), and C/N ratios were determined. Soil Zn application significantly increased concentrations of grain Zn, N and K. Cultivars showing higher grain yields had lower grain protein and micronutrient nutritional quality. SPW, KNPS, TKW (with an exception of TKW in half spikelets removal), TGW, and nutrient yields in wheat grains were most severely reduced by half spiklets removal, secondly by spike shading, and slightly by flag leaf removal. Grain concentrations of Zn, N and Mg consistently showed negative correlations with SPW, KNPS and TGW, but positively with TKW. There were general positive correlations among grain concentrations of Zn, Fe, Mn, Cu, N and Mg, and bioavailability of Zn and Fe (estimated by molar ratios of PA/Zn, PA × Ca/Zn, PA/Fe, or PA × Ca/Fe). Although concentrations of Zn and Fe were increased and Ca was decreased in treatments of half spikelets removal and spike shading, the simultaneously increased PA limited the increase in bioavailability of Zn and Fe. In general, different nutrient elements interact with each other and are affected to different degrees by source-sink manipulations. Elevated endogenous ABA levels and ABA/ACC ratios were associated with increased TKW and grain-filling of Zn, Mn, Ca and Mg, and inhibited K in wheat grains. However, effects of ACC were diametrically opposite. These results provide basis for wheat grain biofortification to alleviate human malnutrition.

Wet anaerobic storage of algal biomass is a promising preservation approach which can ensure continuous supply of these feedstocks to biorefineries year-round. An effective solution to preservation must ensure minimal dry matter loss and change in biochemical composition during storage. Therefore, the objective of this study was to investigate the preservation of Nannochloropsis gaditana biomass through wet anaerobic storage and its impact on biomass quality. Prior to storage, algae sample was inoculated with two different strains of lactic acid bacteria and thereafter stored for 30 and 180 days. Each inoculant limited dry matter loss to &lt;10% (dry basis) after the storage durations. Final pH values (4.3 - 4.8) indicate that the biomass samples were properly ensiled, achieving the acidic conditions necessary for preservation. Compositional analysis of the biomass after storage showed a reduction in carbohydrate content, a relative increase in lipid content, and no significant change to the protein fraction. Glucose and galactose were the prevalent sugar monomers. The low dry matter loss and minimal compositional change indicates that wet anaerobic storage is an effective means of preserving algal biomass, ensuring a constant supply of algal biomass feedstock to a biorefinery.

In the end, this paper analyzed the economy from the investment in plant construction, raw material collection, product production and product sales. The resulting products include pyrolytic carbon, pyrolytic oil, pyrolysis gas. The results showed that when the treatment scale was 1 ton h−1, the pyrolysis plants with three loading modes will always be in a state of loss during the 20-year running time. When the processing scale was 9 ton h−1, the pyrolysis plant can be profitable in the first year. In the sensitivity analysis, the influence of three pyrolysis products on the total return on investment was explored. The results showed that the price change of pyrolysis oil has the greatest influence on the total return on investment (Total ROI) under the three loading methods, The price change of pyrolysis gas has minimal impact on the Total ROI. This study provides basic data and basis for the commercialization of coal-biomass co-pyrolysis technology and investment in plant construction.

Net CO2 emissions and sequestration from European forests are the result of removal and growth of flora. To arrive at aggregated measurements of these processes at a country's level, local observations of increments and harvest rates are up-scaled to national forest areas. Each country releases these statistics through their individual National Forest Inventory using their particular definitions and methodologies. In addition, five international processes deal with the harmonization and comparability of such forest datasets in Europe, namely the IPCC, SOEF, FAOSTAT, HPFFRE, FRA (definitions follow in the article). In this study, we retrieved living biomass dynamics from each of these sources for 27 European Union member states. To demonstrate the reproducibility of our method, we release an open source python package that allows for automated data retrieval and analysis, as new data becomes available. The comparison of the published values shows discrepancies in the magnitude of forest biomass changes for several countries. In some cases, the direction of these changes also differ between sources. The scarcity of the data provided, along with the low spatial resolution, forbids the creation or calibration of a pan-European forest dynamics model, which could ultimately be used to simulate future scenarios and support policy decisions. To attain these goals, an improvement in forest data availability and harmonization is needed.

In this study, the physical properties of briquettes produced from two different biomass feedstocks (sawdust and date palm trunk) and different plastic wastes were investigated, without using any external binding agent. The biomass feedstocks were blended with different ratios of two WEEE plastics (halogen-free wire and print circuit boards (PCB)) and automotive shredder residues (ASR). The briquettes production is studied at different waste proportions (10-30%), pressures (22-67 MPa) and temperatures (room-130 ˚C). Physical properties as density and durability rating were measured, usually increasing with temperature. Palm trunk gave better results than sawdust in most cases, due to its moisture content and the extremely fine particles that are easily obtained.

United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) has recently established the Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and forest Degradation (REDD+) program that requires countries to report their carbon emissions and sink estimates through national greenhouse gas inventories (NGHGI). Thus, developing automatic systems capable of estimating the carbon absorbed by forests without in-situ observation becomes essential. To support this important need, in this work we introduce ReUse, a simple but effective deep-learning approach to estimate the carbon absorbed by forest areas based on remote sensing. The novelty of the proposed method is in the use of the public above-ground biomass (AGB) data from the European Space Agency's Climate Change Initiative Biomass project as ground truth to estimate the carbon sequestration capacity of any portion of land on Earth using Sentinel-2 images and a pixel-wise Regressive UNet. The approach has been compared to two literature proposals, using a private dataset and human-engineered features. The results show a greater generalization ability of the proposed approach, with a decrease in Mean Absolute Error and Root Mean Squared Error, respectively, of 16.9 and 14.3 in the area of Vietnam and 4.7 and 5.1 in the area of Myanmar over the runner-up. Finally, as a case study, we reported an analysis made for the Astroni area, a nature reserve located near the metropolitan area of Naples in southern Italy, struck by a large fire, producing predictions consistent with values found by experts in the field. These results further support the use of such an approach for the early detection of AGB variations, both in urban and rural areas.

This paper aims to investigate the coal thickness change area of the combined rock strata energy accumulation law. The method of connecting a uniaxial compression experiment with a theoret-ical analysis is used in this work. We employ a combination of coal and rock to carry out our studies. We investigate how different lithologies and ratios of coal-rock height affect the me-chanical properties of the mixture and the law governing energy accumulation. We have deter-mined the following facts: (1) The combination's peak strength and elastic modulus exceed that of coal and are inferior to that of rock but are nearer to that of coal. (2) When the coal-rock height ratios are dissimilar, the peak strength and modulus of elasticity of the combination show a negative correlation with the coal-thickness share, and the pre-peak energy accumulation and impact energy index of the combination shows a positive correlation with the coal-thickness share. (3) For the combination with the same coal-rock height ratio, the peak strength, elastic modulus, pre-peak energy accumulation, and impact energy index all increase with greater rock strength and elastic modulus. The presence of a hard rock layer affects the accumulation of pre-peak energy. ( 4 ) The stress in the surrounding rock gradually decreases as the coal thick-ness increases. In the area where coal thickness declines, the stress in surrounding rock is higher than that in the region where it thickens. The energy stored in the surrounding rock is directly proportional to the coal in the zone. Conversely, areas with thinner coal deposits exhibit a lower energy storage capacity in the surrounding rock than those with thicker coal deposits. The stress distribution of surrounding rock in coal thickness change is abnormal; substantial energy accu-mulation can swiftly initiate dynamic disasters, such as rock bursts. This study has important reference significance for preventing and controlling rock burst in coal thickness change areas.

This paper constructs a model of climate-related damage for small island developing states (SIDS). We focus on the loss of private productive capital stocks through extreme climate events. In contrast to most economic analyses of climate impacts, which assume temperature-dependent damage functions, we draw on the engineering literature to allow for a greater or lesser degree of anticipation of climate change when designing capital stocks and balancing current adaptation expenditure against future loss & damage. We apply the model to tropical storm damage in the small island developing state of Barbados and show how anticipatory behavior changes the damage to infrastructure for the same degree of climate change. Thus, in the model, damage depends on behavior as well as climate variables.

Cadmium accumulation in rice grain poses a serious threat to people’s health. Understanding the genetic basis on grain cadmium accumulation facilitates efforts to reduce it. Here, we show that OsCd1 is involved in Cd uptake and contributes to grain accumulation in rice. Natural variation in OsCd1 with a missense mutation Val449Asp is responsible for the divergence of rice grain cadmium accumulation between japonica and indica. Notably, near-isogenic line tests confirmed that the indica variety carrying the OsCd1^V449 allele could reduce the grain cadmium accumulation. The favorable allele OsCd1^V449 may be an important genetic resource to reduce grain cadmium accumulation for indica.

Neurodegeneration with brain iron accumulation (NBIA) is a group of rare neurogenetic dis-orders frequently associated with iron accumulation in the basal nuclei of the brain. Among NBIA subtypes, β -propeller protein-associated neurodegeneration (BPAN) is associated with mutations in the autophagy gene WDR45. The aim of this study was to demonstrate autophagic defects and secondary pathological con-sequences in cellular models derived from two patient harboring WDR45 mutations. Both protein and mRNA expression levels of WDR45 were decreased in patient-derived fibro-blasts. In addition, the increase of LC3B upon treatments with autophagy inducers or inhibitors was lower in mutant cells compared to control cells, suggesting decreased autophagosome formation and impaired autophagic flux. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) analysis showed mitochondrial vacuolization associated with accumulation of lipofuscin-like aggregates containing undegraded material. Autophagy dysregulation was also associated with iron ac-cumulation and lipid peroxidation. In addition, mutant fibroblasts showed altered mitochon-drial bioenergetics. Antioxidants such as pantothenate, vitamin E and α-lipoic prevented lipid peroxidation and iron accumulation. However, antioxidants were not able to correct the ex-pression levels of WDR45 neither the autophagy defect nor cell bioenergetics. Our study demonstrated that WDR45 mutations in BPAN cellular models impaired autophagy, iron metabolism and cell bioenergetics. Antioxidant partially improved cell physiopathology, however autophagy and cell bioenergetics remained affected.

Gliomas are one of the most aggressive and treatment-resistant types of human cancer. One of the most promising field in gliomas cancer therapy is identification and evaluation of anticancer properties of compounds found in plants i.a. naringenin (N) and 8-prenylnaringenin (8PN). The prenyl group seem to be crucial to the anticancer activity of flavones, which may lead to enhanced cell membrane targeting and thus increased intracellular activity. Unfortunately, 8PN content in hop cones is from 10 to 100 times lower compared to other flavonoids i.e. xanthohumol. In this study we used a simple method for the synthesis of 8PN from isoxanthohumol, via O-demethylation with high, 97% of the isolated yield. Cellular accumulation and cytotoxicity of naringenin and 8-prenylnaringenin in normal (BJ) and cancer cells (U-118 MG) were also examined. Obtained data indicated that 8-prenylnaringenin exhibited higher toxicity against used cell lines than naringenin and both flavones inhibited stronger glioblastoma U-118 MG cells than normal fibroblasts. The anticancer properties of 8PN correlated with its significantly greater (37%), accumulation in glioblastoma cells than in normal fibroblasts. Additionally, naringenin indicated higher selectivity for glioblastoma as it was over 6 times more toxic for cancer than normal cells. Our results provide evidence that examined prenylated and non-prenylated flavanones have different biological activity against normal and cancer cell lines and this phenomenon may be useful in clinical practice to construct new, anticancer drugs for glioblastoma.

Assessing the economic supply of biomass in a geospatial context while accounting for risk from natural disasters was studied. Risk levels were estimated from a component of factors which included: population density, road density, federal ownership, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency ecoregions, and Presidential Disaster Declarations. The Presidential Disaster Declarations included risks due to: coastal storm, drought, fire, flood, freezing, hurricane, mud land slide, severe ices, severe storms, snow, tornado, and tropical storm. Presidential Disaster Declarations included summaries based on a short-term time period from 2000-2011, and on a long-term time period from 1964-2011. Risk categories were developed as a function of the number of disaster declarations, agricultural-to-forest land ratio, average road density, and average population density. A significant contribution of the research was the allocation of spatially explicit data using GIS technology at the 5-digit zip code tabulation area. The average area for 5-digit ZCTAs in the Eastern U.S. study region was approximately 169 kilometers². Long-term risk (1964-2011) from disaster declarations had a greater impact on the economic availability of biomass supply relative to short-term declarations (2000-2011). The greatest risk to biomass supply came from population density relative to the other risk factors studies. Of the 25,044 total ZCTAs, 12,256 ZCTAs were in locations that did not include population density ≥ 150/km², road density ≥ 14 km/km², federal ownership, and US Environmental Protection Agency Level III ecoregions. Of the remaining 12,256 ZCTAs, 26.8% were considered to be moderate-to-high risk based on short-term declarations (2000-2011) and 29.4% were considered to be moderate-to-high risk based on long-term declarations (1964-2011). Lower risk locations for procuring biomass supply for both short-term and long-term declarations, across all risk factors, were in southern Georgia, South Carolina, and Texas.

The biomethane accumulation of several combinations of whey and sugarcane molasses, inoculated with sludge from a treatment facility of one of the dairy enterprises of Imbabura, was assessed in the current experiment at a concentration of 0.5 g/l COD. The whey: molasses (W: M) ratios for each treatment were 0:100, 25:75, 50:50, 75:25, and 100:0, with a constant temperature of 37°C and an initial pH adjustment of 7.5. Half a litre of total mixes was used for each treatment in duplicate. Six kinetic models were evaluated to account biomethane accumulation in anaerobic co-digestion processes in batch of whey and sugarcane molasses. Five of these have been tested by other researchers, and one was developed by modifying a first-order model to consider changes in the biomethane accumulation profile. This proposed model, along with the modified two-phase Gompertz model, resulted in the ones that were best able to adjust the experimental data, obtaining in all cases an R² ≥ 0.949, indicating the accuracy of both models. In addition, the proposed here model has five parameters, one less than the modified two-phase Gompertz model, making it more straightforward and robust.

Metal hyperaccumulating plants should have extremely efficient defence mechanisms, enabling growth and development in a polluted environment. Brassica species are known to display hyperaccumulation capability. Brassica juncea (Indiana mustard) v. Malopolska plants were exposed to trace elements, i.e., cadmium (Cd), copper (Cu), lead (Pb), and zinc (Zn), at a concentration of 50 M and were then harvested after 96 hours for analysis. We observed a high index of tolerance (IT), higher than 90%, for all B. juncea plants treated with the four metals, and we showed that Cd, Cu, Pb and Zn accumulation was higher in the above-ground parts than in the roots. We estimated the metal effects on the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and the levels of protein oxidation as well as on the activity and gene expression of antioxidant enzymes, including superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT) and ascorbate peroxidase (APX). The obtained results indicate that organo-specific ROS generation was higher in plants exposed to essential metal elements (i.e., Cu and Zn), compared with non-essential ones (i.e., Cd and Pb), in conjunction with SOD, CAT and APX activity and expression at the level of encoding mRNAs and existing proteins. In addition to the potential usefulness of B. juncea in the phytoremediation process, the data provide important information concerning plant response to the presence of trace metals.

Microalgae have emerged as potential feed stock for third generation biofuel and other bioactive compounds. In the present investigation we have evaluated the two native strains of Oscillatoria (O. subbrevis MTC-20702 and O. sancta MTC-20703) isolated from two different fresh water biotopes of Meerut, U.P., India and were subjected for the characterization of generation time, biomass, bio-molecules including Chlorophyll-a, carotenoids, carbohydrate, lipids, phycobilins and proteins. Both strains of Oscillatoria were grown in batch culture till the initiation of declining phase and were harvested on every 10th day of incubation till the starting of declining phase. Result of the present investigation revealed that O. subbrevis MTC-20702 can be potentially exploited for the production of high algal biomass, feed stock for biofuel, Chl-a, carotenoids, c-Allophycocyanin and maximum yield of these bioactive compounds can be achieved on 20th day. However, O. santa could be very good source for c-Phyocyanin, c-Phycoerythrin, carbohydrate and protein and these also can be achieved highest on 20th day of incubation. In addition, as these two strains were isolated from water reservoirs and they can be cultivated in large scale for the production of desired bio-molecules.

The emergence of cloud computing, big data analytics, and machine learning has catalysed the use of remote sensing technologies to enable more timely land management of sustainability indicators such as ground cover and grassland biomass, given the uncertainty of future climate and drought conditions. Here, we examine the potential of “regenerative agriculture”, as an adaptive grazing management strategy to minimise bare ground exposure while maximising pasture biomass productivity. High-intensity sheep grazing treatments were conducted in small fields (less than 1 hectare) for short durations (typically less than 1 day). Paddocks were subsequently spelled to allow pasture biomass recovery (treatments comprising 3, 6, 9, 12, and 15 months) with each compared with control treatments with lighter stocking rates for longer periods (2,000 DSE). Pastures were composed of wallaby grass (Austrodanthonia species), kangaroo grass (Themeda triandra), Phalaris (Phalaris aquatica, and cocksfoot (Dactylis glomerata) were destructively sampled to estimate total standing dry matter (TSDM), standing green biomass, standing dry biomass and trampled biomass. We then invoked a machine learning model using Sentinel-2 imagery to quantify TSDM, standing green biomass and standing dry biomass. Faced with La Nina conditions, regenerative grazing did not significantly impact pasture productivity, with all treatments showing similar TSDM and green biomass. However, regenerative treatments significantly impacted litter fall and trampled material, with the high intensity grazing treatments causing more dry matter trampling, increasing litter, enhancing decomposition rates and surface organic matter. Pasture digestibility was greatest for treatments with minimal spelling (3 months), whereas both standing senescent and trampled material were significantly greater for the treatment with 15-month spell periods. Estimates of TSDM using machine learning with Sentinel-2 imagery underestimated TSDM in treatment plots but explained spatiotemporal variability associated within and across treatments. The root mean square error between the measured and modelled TSDM was 903 kg DM/ha, which was less than the variability measured in the field. We conclude that regenerative grazing with short recovery periods (3-6 months) are most conducive to increasing pasture production under high rainfall conditions, and we speculate that high intensity grazing is likely to positively impact on soil organic carbon through increased litterfall and trampling. Our study paves the way forward for using machine learning with satellite imagery to quantify pasture biomass at small scales, enabling management of pastures from afar.

Pyrolysis has been applied in the human economy for many years, and it has become a significant alternative to the production of chemical compounds, including biofuels. The article focuses mostly on recent achievements in the technical and processing aspects of pyrolysis. This review provides an overview of the recent advanced pyrolysis technology used in gas, bio-oil, and biochar production. The key parameters to maximize the production of specific chemical compounds were discussed and considered during the construction of the reactors. The emphasis is put on optimizing the process parameters, technical requirements, and renewable energy use in the process and conception to improve the efficiency of product production. The application of pyrolysis gas, oil, and biochar as valuable chemical compounds are related to the intensifying effects of climate change, biofuel production, and waste management in accordance with the principles of sustainable development.

The purpose of this work is to define optimal growth conditions for batch culture of the cyanobacterium Arthrospira maxima and the microalgae Chlorella vulgaris, Isochrysis galbana and Nannochloropsis gaditana. Thus, we study the effect of three variables on algae growth: i.e., inoculum:culture medium ratio, light:darkness photoperiod and type of culture medium, including both synthetic media and wastewaters. The results showed that the initial inoculum volume did not affect the amount of biomass at the end of the growth (14 days), whereas an excess (18 h) or defect (6 h) in the number of hours of light is determinant for its development. The contribution of nutrients from different culture media modified the growth of the different species. A. maxima was favoured in seawater enriched with Guillard's F/2 as well as C. vulgaris and N. gaditana but in fresh water medium. I. galbana had the greatest growth in the marine environment enriched with Walne’s media. Nitrate was the limiting growth reagent at the end of the exponential phase of growth for C. vulgaris and N. gaditana, while iron was for A. maxima and I. galbana. All species demonstrated their capability to grow in effluents from a wastewater treatment plant and they efficiently consume nitrogen, especially the three microalgae species.

This study aims to analyze various types of pellet fuels used as energy sources in Bulgaria, focusing on their energy characteristics and the consumer preferences. Both standard and specialized methods such as thermogravimetry (TG) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) are used for the analyses. The results from TG and DSC indicate that during the drying of the samples, moisture is evaporated from their surface, along with the release of volatile substances. The processes during the analysis are accompanied by energy absorption, with the main stage being combustion, where the primary amount of heat is generated. Standard analysis methods show that wood pellets usually contain about 7.31% moisture, 0.72% ash and have a calorific value of 18.33 kJ/kg, while sunflower pellets contain about 7.62% moisture, 2.42% ash and have a calorific value of 19.63 kJ/kg. Mixed pellets contain about 7.07% moisture, up to 0.69% ash and have a calorific value of 18.05 kJ/kg. A specialized marketing research was conducted to investigate consumer attitudes and preferences toward purchasing different types of solid biomass fuels on Bulgarian market. This study provides information on the quality of pellets as fuel by offering a detailed analysis of their fuel properties and ensuring their effective utilization as an energy source.

Chlorella vulgaris has considerable promise as a raw material for biofuel production since it has a high productivity per unit area, has a minimum influence on the environment, and does not significantly affect food security. Nevertheless, the low fatty content of their biomass poses a considerable economic obstacle for commercialization. Increasing the amount of biomass and lipids produced by these algae is essential for improving the economic feasibility of using them as biofuel sources. This review highlights the significance of identifying appropriate algal strains, namely those found in local environments, and utilising mutagenesis and genetic engineering techniques to create 'platform strains'. Prior endeavours have primarily concentrated on altering environmental and dietary parameters to enhance the production of biomass and lipids. Here, we review a scientific literature that examines biotechnological approaches and develops methodologies designed to increase lipid production, emphasising the importance of aligning engineering efforts with breakthroughs in DNA manipulation tools. In addition, the review research evaluates the present economic and commercial situation of algal biorefineries, including any related disadvantages. In summary, this thorough research highlights the importance of using creative methods to tackle the intricacies of lipogenesis and enhance the economic viability of producing biofuels from algae.

In terms of sustainability, there is a pressing need to evaluate agricultural and forestry leafy biomass that has no current economic value or may pose a threat to the environment. In this aspect, leafy biomass, which represents around 5% of the total tree, can be used for purposes that would be more profitable and ecofriendly. To this end, biorefinery of leafy biomass in the way of extracting valuable health compounds such as phenolics would ensure a valuable societal health ingredient besides alleviating waste disposal problem. However, during the biorefinery process, the primary challenges start with ensuring the feedstock to produce phenol rich leaves extract followed by their isolation and commercialization of this leaves extract. This current review aims to detail the types of biomasses, biorefinery approach of leafy biomass towards the phenolic extraction, leaves commercialization followed by the marketing strategy of the application of phenol rich leaves extract. The outcome of this overview will serve researchers and relevant industries in understanding the process for feedstock collection and the suitable sectors to apply leafy biomass derived healthy compounds.

Pyrolysis is a thermochemical conversion process designed for biomass decomposition in an oxygen-free environment. It typically operates within a temperature window of 200 to 800°C and generates various byproducts, including gases, liquid fractions (both aqueous and organic) such as bio-oil, and solids like char. Bio-oil is a significant product of pyrolysis. It is characterised by a complex blend of organic compounds. The acidic nature of bio-oil primarily originates from volatile acids, such as acetic acid. The recovery of acetic acid from bio-oil facilitates the use of the extracted substance as a precious resource, hence enhancing its significance in the framework of a circular bioeconomy. Acetic acid finds widespread application in manufacturing commercially important chemicals like vinyl acetate monomers and formulating phytosanitary products due to its inherent herbicidal and antifungal properties. However, to be used, acetic acid has to be separate from the raw bio-oil. Separation methodologies, including nanofiltration and reverse osmosis, demonstrate potential in recovering acidic constituents from bio-oil due to their high selectivity and effective system management. This article offers a concise review about acetic production from lignocellulosic biomass from pyrolysis and its recovery through various membrane separation processes.

The exploitation of bio-based foams implies an increase in the use of renewable biological resources to reduce the rapid consumption of petroleum-derived resources. Both tannins and furfuryl alcohol are derived from forestry resources and are therefore considered as attractive precursors for the preparation of tannin-furanic foams. In addition, toughening modification of tannin-furanic foams using polyvinyl alcohol (PVOH) resulted in a more flexible network-like structure, which imparts excellent flexibility to the foams with acquirement of relative properties that are even close to those of polyurethane foams, which are the most used polymers for fabrication of insoles for athletes. In addition, the addition of PVOH did not affect the thermal insulation of the foams, resilience and elongation at break, while reducing the brittleness of the samples and improving the mechanical properties. Also the observation of the morphology of the foam indicated that the compatibility between PVOH and tannin-furanic resin is good, and the cured foam does not show fragmentation or collapse, while the bubble pore structure is uniform. The developed flexible foam derived from biomass resources endowed the foam good thermal insulation properties and high mechanical properties, and the samples exhibited suitable physical parameters to be used as flexible insoles for athletes.

The aim of this research was to test recent developments in the use of Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems or Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV) to map pasture biomass yield and nutrient status, across a selected range of field sites throughout the rangelands of Queensland. Improved pasture management begins with an understanding of the state of the resource base, UAV based methods can potentially achieve this at improved spatial and temporal scales. This study developed predictive models of both pasture yield and pasture nutrient status. An automated pasture height surface modelling technique was developed, tested and used along with field site measurements of pasture yields, to predict further estimates across each field site. Both prior knowledge and automated predictive modelling techniques were employed to predict pasture yield and nutrition. Pasture height surface modelling was assessed against field measurements using a rising plate meter, results reported correlation coefficients (R2) ranging from 0.2 to 0.4 for both woodland and grassland field sites. Accuracy of the predictive modelling was determined from further field measurements of pasture yield and on average indicated an error of 0.8 t ha-1 in grasslands and 1.3 t ha-1 in mixed woodlands across both modelling approaches. Correlation analyses between measures of pasture quality, acid detergent fibre and crude protein (ADF, CP), and spectral reflectance data indicated the visible red (651 nm) and red-edge (759 nm) regions were highly correlated (ADF R2 = 0.9 and CP R2 = 0.5 mean values). These findings agreed with previous studies linking specific absorption features with grass chemical composition. These results conclude that the practical application of such techniques, to efficiently and accurately map pasture yield and quality, is possible at the field site scale, however further research is needed, in particular further field sampling of both yield and nutrient elements across such a diverse landscape, with the potential to scale up to a satellite platform for broader scale monitoring.

The present article discusses the institutional model adopted in Brazil regarding energy production through biomass. The theoretical-empirical method is used to conclude that the model's difficulties can be overcome by adopting a network of contracts capable of subjecting renewable energy generation to an energy compensation model.

The case for demand-driven research and development has received important considerations among governments, donors and programme implementing partners in development planning and implementation. Addressing demand is believed to be a bottom-top approach for designing and responding to development priorities and is good for achieving development outcomes. In this paper, we discuss the concept and application of demand driven research for development (DDRD) in Africa. We use evidence of six projects implemented under the BiomassWeb Project in Africa. We focus on parameters on level of engagement of stakeholders - whose demand is being articulated, the processes for demand articulation, capacity building and implementation processes, innovativeness of the project, reporting and sustainability of the project. We find that the nature of the institutions involved in articulation and implementation of demand-driven research and development projects and their partnerships influence the impact and reporting of demand-driven projects.

This manuscript addresses the phenomenon of masked priming in bilingual individuals. We employed a lexical decision task with masked translation priming, which serves as a valuable tool for elucidating the orthographic and lexical processes involved in the initial stages of reading. Our study builds upon previous research conducted on monolingual masked priming, which consistently demonstrates shifts in the response time (RT) distributions when comparing related and unrelated primes. Within the framework of a diffusion model, we implemented two theoretical positions. First, we posited that translation priming operates at the orthographic level, resulting in enhanced efficiency during the encoding process. Second, we explored the possibility that translation priming operates at the semantic level, influencing the accumulation of evidence during the lexical decision task. Our findings indicate that translation priming elicits outcomes similar to those observed in monolingual priming paradigms. Specifically, we observed that translation priming facilitation is manifested as shifts in the RT distributions. We interpret these findings as suggesting that the benefits derived from the encoding process are not specific to the accessed lexicon following brief stimulus presentation.

With permafrost degenerating caused by climate change, water accumulation increases in permafrost regions during last decades. Water accumulation will deteriorate existing status of engineering in cold regions. Water accumulation can make a thermal effect on permafrost under construction, even result in failure of the subgrade. Moreover, the thermal effect is related to water temperature. However, temperature variation of water accumulation is complex, and its influence factors include air temperature, environment, scope of water accumulation and so on. In order to make analysis of the damage mechanism of water accumulation on permafrost, it is necessary to explore the internal temperature change of water accumulation. This paper proposes a review about temperature calculation method of water accumulation in cold environment. The thermal calculation method between air and water boundary of water accumulation is summarized. Water temperature change of water accumulation with various type is analyzed. The thermal calculation considering phase transformation in water accumulation is discussed, and heat transfer from the bottom of water accumulation to the underlying soil is further studied. Finally, the key factors which are advantageous to make research about the thermal effect of water accumulation in permafrost is proposed to optimize calculation method.

Phytoene is a colourless natural carotenoid that absorbs UV light and provides antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities as well as protection against photodamage. It is therefore valued for its skin health and aesthetic benefits by the cosmetic industry, as well as by the health food sector. The halotolerant green microalga Dunaliella salina is one of the richest sources of natural carotenoids. We have previously investigated over-production of phytoene in D. salina after cultivation with the well-characterised mitosis inhibitor, chlorpropham. In this study, 15 herbicides with different modes of action were tested for their potential to promote phytoene accumulation. All herbicides showed different levels of capabilities to support phytoene over-production in D. salina. Most significantly, the two mitosis inhibitors tested in this study, propyzamide and chlorpropham, showed similar capacities to support over-production of phytoene by D. salina cultures, as phytoene desaturase inhibitors. The cellular content of phytoene increased by over 10-fold within 48 h after treatment with the mitosis inhibitors compared to untreated cultures. Results indicate a general effect of mitosis inhibitors on phytoene accumulation in D. salina. Furthermore, red light was found to significantly enhance the phytoene yield when used in combination with effective inhibitor treatments. Red light can be applied to maximize the production of phytoene from D. salina.

Wooden breast is a muscle disorder affecting modern commercial broiler chickens that causes a palpably firm pectoralis major muscle and severe reduction in meat quality. Most studies have focused on advanced stages of wooden breast apparent at market age, resulting in limited insights into the etiology and early pathogenesis of the myopathy. Therefore, the objective of this study was to identify early molecular signals in the wooden breast transcriptional cascade by performing gene expression analysis on the pectoralis major muscle of two-week-old birds that may later exhibit the wooden breast phenotype by market age at 7 weeks. Biopsy samples of the left pectoralis major muscle were collected from a subset of 101 birds randomly selected from a total of 302 birds at 14 days of age, after which all birds were raised to 7 weeks of age for scoring of wooden breast. RNA sequencing was performed on 5 unaffected and 8 affected female chicken samples, selected based on wooden breast scores (0 to 4) assigned at necropsy where affected birds had scores of 2 or 3 (mildly or moderately affected) while unaffected birds had scores of 0 (no apparent gross lesions). Differential expression analysis identified 60 genes found to be significant at an FDR-adjusted p value of 0.05. Of these, 26 were previously demonstrated to exhibit altered expression or genetic polymorphisms related to glucose tolerance or diabetes mellitus in mammals. Additionally, 9 genes have functions directly related to lipid metabolism and 11 genes are associated with adiposity traits such as intramuscular fat and body mass index. This study suggests that wooden breast disease is first and foremost a metabolic disorder characterized primarily by ectopic lipid accumulation in the pectoralis major.

We investigate wealth accumulation in forestry, assuming that revenues are re-invested. Three different optimization criteria are compared, two of which are based on cash flows, the third financially grounded. Direct optimization of wealth appreciation rate always yields best results. Procedures gained by maximizing internal rate of return are only slightly inferior. With external discounting interest rate, the maximization of net present value yields arbitrary results, with at worst devastating financial consequences.

According to the IPCC guidelines, CO₂ emissions from biomass should be excluded from the entire amount of CO₂ emissions when calculating CO₂ emissions and should be separately reported due to the “carbon neutrality.” Sewage sludge is one of the representative biomass fuels. And it is mixed with fossil fuels in terms of greenhouse gas reduction or is used as fuel to replace fossil fuels by itself. According to the results of this study, biomass contents of both the sewage sludge and the sewage sludge incineration exhaust gases did not amount to 100%. At present, in many countries(South Korea, Japan, and Germany), when calculating greenhouse gas emissions from sewage sludge incinerator, all CO₂ emissions from sewage sludge are judged to be biomass and only those greenhouse gas emissions that correspond to Non-CO₂ gases are calculated as greenhouse gas emissions. However, since, according our results, the content of sewage sludge is not 100% biomass, if CO₂ emissions are excluded according to the existing greenhouse gas emission calculation method, the amount of emissions may be underestimated. Therefore, to accurately calculate greenhouse gas emissions from sewage sludge incinerator, CO₂ emissions should be calculated in consideration of the fossil carbon contents of sewage sludge.

Lake Malombe fish stocks have been depleted by chronic overfishing. Various management approaches (co-management, command control, and ecosystem-based management to fisheries) have been used to manage the fishery. However, the lack of an accurate predictive model has hampered their success. Therefore, we developed and tested a time series model for Lake Malombe fishery. The seasonal fish biomass and CPUE trends were first observed and both were non-stationary. The second-order differencing was applied to transform the non-stationary data into stationary. Autocorrelation functions (AC), partial autocorrelation function (PAC), and Akaike information criterion (AIC) were estimated, which led to the identification and construction of autoregressive integrated moving average (ARIMA) models, suitable in explaining the time series and forecasting. The results showed that ARIMA (1,2,1) provided a better prediction than its counterparts. The model satisfactorily predicted that by 2032, both fish biomass and CPUE will decrease to 3204.6 tons and 59.672 respectively, signifying the potential threat to Lake Malombe fishery. The model justified the necessity of taking precautionary measures to avoid the total collapse of the fishery.

Based on recent interest and on the importance of the ongoing climate change catastrophe, this article provides the basics of global carbon cycle modelling as required for the assessment of the degree of carbon neutrality of biomass energy, and its underlying dynamics. It is aimed at clari-fying the question “Are biomass fuels carbon neutral?”. The "Combined Energy and Biosphere Model" (CEBM) computes annual carbon flows including growth and decay of plants on 2.52.5° grid elements of the continents’ surface and offers detailed results on the changes of after implementation of large-scale biomass energy strategies world-wide. The main (and possibly unexpected) effect is the long-term depletion of the soil organic compartment after extraction of biomass fuels. When comparing CEBM model runs using (i) biomass energy sources and (ii) carbon-free energy sources (such as solar or wind), it becomes quantitatively clear already on the theoretical level (i.e., even without taking into account effi-ciency losses) that biomass is only “half as carbon neutral” as ideally assumed, to express a rule of thumb – mainly because of soil carbon depletion. Still, biomass energy will play an important role when fighting global warming, even if efforts to lower energy demand are preferable as a fundamental strategy.

Biomass gasification acquired great interest over the past decades as an effective and trustable technology to produce energy and fuels with net-zero carbon emissions. Moreover, using biomass waste as feedstock enables to recycle organic wastes and to fit the circular economy goals thus reducing the environmental impacts of waste management. Even if many studies have been already carried on, this kind of process must still be investigated and optimized with the final aim to develop industrial plants for different applications, from the hydrogen production to net-negative emission strategies. Modeling and developing of process simulations became an important tool to investigate the chemical and physical behavior of the plant, allowing to make a first raw optimization of the process and to define heat and material balances of the plant as well as to define optimal geometrical parameters with cost and time effective approaches. The present review paper focuses on the main literature models developed until now to describe biomass gasification process, and in particular on kinetic models, thermodynamic models, and computational fluid dynamic models. The aim of this study is to point out the strengths and the weakness of those models, comparing them and indicating in which situation is better to use an approach instead of another. Moreover, theoretical shortcut models and software simulations, not explicitly addressed by prior reviews, are taken into account. For researchers and designers this review provides a detailed methodology characterization as a guide to develop innovative study or project.

Keywords: Wood residuals; Forest biomass; Wood composite; Wood floor; Life Cycle Assessment.

Chaparral shrublands are the dominant wildland vegetation type in southern California and the most extensive ecosystem in the state. Disturbance by wildfire and climate change have created a dynamic landscape in which biomass mapping is key in tracking the ability of chaparral shrub-lands to sequester carbon. Despite this importance, most national and regional scale estimates do not account for shrubland biomass. Employing plot data from several sources, we built a random forest model to predict above ground live biomass in southern California using remote sensing data (Landsat NDVI) and a suite of geophysical variables. By substituting the NDVI and precipi-tation predictors for any given year we were able to apply the model to each year from 2000-2019. Using a total of 980 field plots, our model had a k-fold cross validation R2 of 0.51 and a RMSE of 3.9. Validation by vegetation type ranged from R2 = 0.17 (RMSE=9.7) for Sierran mixed conifer to R2 = 0.91 (RMSE = 2.3) for sagebrush. Our estimates showed an improvement in accuracy over a two other biomass estimates that included shrublands, with an R2 = 0.82 (RMSE = 4.7) compared to R2 = 0.068 (RMSE = 6.7) for a global biomass estimate and R2 = 0.29 (RMSE = 5.9) for a regional biomass estimate. Given the importance of accurate biomass estimates for resource managers we calculated the mean year 2010 shrubland biomass for the four national forests which ranged from 3.5 kg/m2 (Los Padres) to 2.3 kg/m2 (Angeles and Cleveland). Finally, we compared our estimates to field-measured biomass from the literature summarized by shrubland vegetation type and age class. Our model provides a transparent and repeatable method to generate biomass measure-ments in any year, thereby providing data to track biomass recovery after management actions or disturbances such as fire.

Many corporations aspire to become Net Zero Carbon Dioxide by 2030-2050. This paper examines what it will take. It requires understanding where energy is produced and consumed, the magnitude of CO2 generation, and the Carbon Cycle. Reviews are provided for prior technologies for reducing CO2 emissions from fossil to focus on their limitations and to show that none offer a complete solution. Both biofuels and CO2 sequestration reduce future CO2 emissions from fossil fuels. They will not remove CO2 already in the atmosphere. Planting trees has been proposed as one solution. Trees are a temporary solution. When they die, they decompose and release their carbon as CO2 to the atmosphere. The only way to permanently remove CO2 already in the atmosphere is to break the Carbon Cycle by growing biomass from atmospheric CO2 and sequestering biomass carbon. Permanent sequestration of leaves is proposed as a solution. Leaves have a short Carbon Cycle time constant. They renew and decompose every year. Theoretically, sequestrating a fraction of the world’s tree leaves can get the world to Net Zero without disturbing the underlying forests. This would be CO2 capture in its simplest and most natural form. Permanent sequestration may be achieved by redesigning landfills to discourage decomposition. In traditional landfills, waste undergoes several stages of decomposition, including rapid initial aerobic decomposition to CO2, followed by slow anaerobic decomposition to methane and CO2. The latter can take hundreds to thousands of years. Understanding landfill chemistry provides clues to disrupting decomposition at each phase.

This study compares the physico-chemical characteristics of three different types of biochar produced from biomass residues in Vietnam as a basis for optimising their application in water purification and soil fertilisation. Wood biochar (WBC), rice husk biochar (RBC), and bamboo biochar (BBC) were produced under limited oxygen conditions using equipment available locally in Vietnam, known as a Top-Lid Updraft Drum (TLUD). The resulting biochars were characterised using a suite of state-of-the-art methods to understand their morphology, surface chemistry and cation exchange capacity. Surface areas (measured by BET) for WBC and BBC were 479.34 m²/g and 434.53 m²/g, respectively, significantly higher than that of RBC which was only 3.29 m²/g. The morphology as shown in SEM images corresponds with the BET surface area, showing a smooth surface for RBC, a hollow surface for BBC, and a rough surface for WBC. All three biochars produced alkaline, with pH values around 10, and all have high carbon contents (47.95 - 82.1 %). Cation exchange capacity (CEC) was significantly different (p<0.05) among the biochars, being 26.70 cmol/kg for RBC, 20.7 cmol/kg for BBC, and 13.53 cmol/kg for WBC, which relates to the cations (Ca, Mg, K) and functional groups with negative charge (carboxyl, hydroxyl) present on the biochar surfaces. The highest contents of Ca, Mg and K in rice husk BC may explain its highest CEC values. Thus, although the biochars were produced by the same method, the various feedstocks lead to quite different physico-chemical properties. Ongoing work is linking these physico-chemical properties to the biochar efficiencies in terms of nitrate and ammonia capture capacities for use as fertilisers, and for adsorption of heavy metals (Zn, Cu) or water filtration, in order to design optimal biochar properties for specific applications.

Distinguishable annual growth rings produce in Pinus roxburghii are an asset to find out the age of individual tree. This paper aimed to determine the age of P. roxburghii through coring samples and test the relationship with forest production. The biomass estimated, girths measured at two different sections and heights measured which allowed to determine the rate of tapering of the stand. The regression analysis was performed to test the relationship between various variables. The mean age of the P. roxburghii stand was found to be 23.97 (~24 years). The result showed the significant (p<0.05) positive correlation coefficient has been seen between age with girth at breast height, biomass, volume and carbon stock. However, no significant (p>0.05) correlation (r = 0.08) was found between age and height of the stand. In contrast, a correlation between diameter at breast height (DBH) was significant (p<0.05) and positive with volume, biomass, but no significant (p>0.05) correlation (r = 0.14) found between DBH and height of the stand. However, height has a significant (p<0.05) positive correlation with biomass. The mean biomass was 375 kg and mean annual increment (MAI) was 15 kg per tree. Rate of tapering of the studied stand predicted to be 3 cm diameter decreased with trunk height running at 100 cm from base to upward of P. roxburghii stand and vice versa. Result suggests that height-age relation is very weak whereas age, DBH, biomass and carbon has a significant correlation signifies that time-based forests' production and potential production estimation can be obtained in a relatively accurate way by utilizing the age of stand. The time-based forest production analysis is pioneer work in Nepal. The study affirms the tree ring count in P. roxburghii would be a credible and accurate method to determine the age of standing trees.

Optimizing the nitrogen (N) timings and rate can improve nutrient uptake, and nutrient-efficiencies, especially of N in wheat under the changing climate scenario. Climatic stress in the form of high temperature and drought resulted in the decreased crop physiology and, ultimately, grain yield. Taking the example of rainfed wheat, we quantified the impact of N application rates as full and split-dose at three variable sites of rainfed Pothwar, Pakistan by conducting field experiments for two years (2013-14 and 201-15). Treatments include, T1 = Control (No fertilizer applied), full dose of N applied at the time of crop sowing, i.e. T2 = 50 kg N ha^-1, T3 = 100 kg N ha^-1 and T4 = 150 kg N ha^-1 and split application of N at different timings during different stages of the crop called as split application of N, i.e. T5: Application of 50 kg N ha^-1 (15 kg N ha^-1 (Sowing) : 20 kg N ha^-1 (Tillering) :15 kg N ha^-1 (Anthesis), T6: Application of 100 kg N ha^-1 (30 kg N ha^-1 (Sowing): 40 kg N ha^-1 (Tillering) : 30 kg N ha^-1 (Anthesis) and T7: Application of 150 kg N ha^-1(45 kg N ha^-1 (Sowing) : 60 kg N ha^-1 (Tillering) : 45 kg N ha^-1 (Anthesis). Three study sites include viz. Islamabad (High rainfall with optimum temperature), University Research Farm (URF)-Koont (Medium rainfall with moderate temperature), and Talagang (low rainfall with high temperature). Results showed that the highest stomatal conductance (0.80 mole m^-2 sec^-1), net photosynthetic rate (20.07 μmole m^-2s^-1), transpiration rate (9.58 mmole m^-2s^-1), intercellular CO2 concentration (329.25 μmole CO₂ mol^-1 air), SPAD values (58.86 %) and proline contents (35.42 μg g^-1) were obtained for split application of N (T6 = Split N100) compared to control and full dose of N treatments. Among sites, these physiological traits remained highest at Islamabad and lowest at Talagang, while among years, maximum values of the measured parameters were obtained in 2013-14. A similar trend was observed for crop total N, N efficiencies, and agronomic traits of the crop. Our results suggest that optimum N application rate and its suitable timings can help to harvest real benefits of N as in our findings, split dose resulted in the maximum performance of the crop from physiological parameters to the agronomic traits of the rainfed wheat crop.

Fusarium graminearum is a dangerous pathogen of the cereals producing mycotoxins (trichothecene and zearalenone) harmful for human and animal health. There were evaluated sixteen winter wheat varieties for their response in conditions of natural infection with F. graminearum in the epidemic year 2019, being well known that accumulation of mycotoxins (DON, ZON and T-2) is induced by different biotic and abiotic factors. Field plot was organized in Latin rectangle randomized with three replicates. For all evaluated wheat varieties were collected field data (incidence, severity and infection degree of the fungus F. graminearum) and laboratory data (mycotoxins concentration in grains) that have been processed using the software JASP (Version 0.14) for descriptive statistics, and exploratory factor analysis (EFA). Microsoft Excel 2019 was used to calculate Pearson’s correlation coefficients. The results showed negative corelation between plants’ density and F. graminearum attack frequency. Positive correlations were found between DON and T-2 and between DON and fungus attack intensity. This work highlights that during a F. graminearum epidemic year some of the most influential factors in the contamination with harmful mycotoxins (DON, ZON and T-2) are: plants density, frequency of the attack on ear, diseased ears and attack intensity on ears.

Aflatoxins (AFs) contamination of cereals is considered one of the greatest food safety concerns worldwide. Occurrence of AFs in maize, wheat, rice and sorghum is highly prevalent with each commodity accounting for more than 10% of world’s AF exposure. Their occurrence as food contaminants is also associated with huge economic losses. AFs are highly stable compounds that cannot be eliminated by regular processing of grains. Hence, prevention of AFs in food and feed is now considered more important than the subsequent interventions to mitigate the deleterious health effects of AFs in human and animals. However, the development of an effective preventive strategy hinges on a clear understanding of the underlying factors influencing AFs production. Therefore, the present review aims to highlight the most significant factors influencing AFs contamination of cereals at pre-and post-harvest stages. This is crucial for effective monitoring of critical control points and optimisation of preventive strategies in food and feed supply chains. Several intrinsic and extrinsic factors have been reported of which nutritional composition, environmental factors (temperature, water activity and relative humidity) and climate change have been identified as primary factors, while pH of the substrate, carbon dioxide (CO2) levels in the gaseous environment, and agronomic and socioeconomic status are the main secondary factors promoting AFs biosynthesis in cereals. Additionally, an overview of global occurrence of AFs in cereals, with their health impacts and various preventive measures have also been highlighted.

Loess was deposited in the Negev during the Pleistocene, but such sediments seem to be missing for the Holocene. This could be due to erosion unless structures such as ruins offered protection. We studied soils developed on archaeological hilltop ruins in the Negev and the Petra region and compared them with local soils, paleosols, geological outcrops, and current dust. The ruin soils in both regions were found to consist of similarly complex mixtures of local and remote sediment sources. They differ from sediments deposited during current dust storms. This seems due to fixation processes: average accretion rates are estimated to ~0.14 mm/a, suggesting that only ~3% of the current dust that can be trapped with dry marble dust collectors is stored in the soils. Vegetation, biocrusts, and/or clast pavements associated with vesicular layers seem to act as sediment-fixing agents. As well, climate might play a role: rain, and in particular one snowstorm in the Petra region brought a high amount of sediment that was more similar to the ruin soils. Wet deposition and snow might catalyze dust deposition and enhance fixation by fostering vegetation and crust formation. Frequent snow during the Pleistocene might be one explanation of enhanced loess deposition.

Reducing CO2 emissions is urgently needed to slow down the impacts of climate change. CO2 capture using an amine solution has been developed and implemented on pilot and commercial scales. However, amine scrubbing, in particular, produces a lot of degraded solvent as waste and is energy intensive. Solid sorbents have been called to overcome those drawbacks. In this work, waste biomass-derived carbon materials were developed and tested for CO2 capture and conversion. Advanced thermal chemical processes i.e. hydrothermal and pyrolysis were applied to produce materials from agri-food waste such as soybean and okara. It was found that the number of functional groups (-C=O and -OH) in activated carbon appears in the synthesized materials, implying the generation of surface oxygenated groups. Preliminary results showed that the synthesized activated carbons are obtained with good yields, and a relatively high surface area, which may be applied as CO2 adsorption materials to solve the CO2 emission problems.

Biogeochemical models estimate soil organic carbon (SOC) sequestration, crop growth, and yield. The DeNitrification and DeComposition (DNDC) model was used to simulate soil SOC dynamics and harvested C-biomass in rice-wheat rotation under organic/inorganic fertilizations with conventional tillage (CT) and reduced tillage (RT). Before calibration, DNDC under-predicted harvestable grain C-biomass of rice by 29.22% to 42.14% and over-simulated grain C-biomass of wheat by 55.01% with equal amounts of NPK and animal manure applied under CT. However, after calibration by adjusting default values of soil/crop parameters, DNDC simulated harvestable grain C-biomass of both crops very close to observed values (only -2.81% to -6.17% less). DNDC also predicted effects of nutrient management practices on grain C-biomass of rice/wheat under CT/RT using d-index (0.76 to 0.96) and the calculated root mean squared error (RMSE of 165.36 to 494.18 kg C ha-1). DNDC simulated SOC trends for rice-wheat using measured values of several statistical indices. Regression analysis between modeled and observed SOC dynamics was significant with R2 ranging from 0.35 to 0.46 (p < 0.01), and intercept ranging from 0.30 to 1.34 (p < 0.65). DNDC demonstrated that combined inorganic and organic fertilization may result in higher C-biomass and more SOC sequestration in rice-wheat systems.

In the ground-based infrared optical remote sensing system, the target signal is very weak due to the dynamic strong light background and the movement of small and small targets. In order to improve the limit detection capability, the background suppression and target enhancement methods are required to be more suitable for this scene. To solve this problem, we first analyze the image features in the current scene, and propose a more perfect point target and noise model. Then, we propose a new WY distribution function based on the Fermi Dirac distribution function, and propose an anisotropic filtering method based on this function, and further suppress the back-ground through the difference results of two steps. Then, based on the distribution function, we further designed an energy concentration accumulation strategy in 9 scale directions, through which the SNR of the target is effectively improved and the suppression ability of the background is enhanced. Through quantitative and qualitative experimental analysis, compared with the same type of algorithms, the proposed method has better robustness against extremely weak targets and dynamic backgrounds.

Balanced nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) rates coupling with rational fertilization methodology could promote crop N accumulation, N use efficiency and yield production, particularly in semi-arid and arid regions. To test these characteristics, a two-year (2018 and 2019) pot experiment was therefore performed by growing summer maize in a rain-proof glass greenhouse, under 9 combined N (112, 150 and 187 kg ha-1, urea) and P (45, 60, 75 kg ha-1, calcium superphosphate) rates and three contrasting fertilizer placements. The fertilizers were placed by broadcast on soil surface (Broadcast), side band on 4 cm strip soil surface within 7 cm from sowing line (Side band) and deep band on 4 cm strip below 7 cm soil depth within 7 cm from sowing line (Deep band). Results from three maize growth stages (eight-leaf, 45 days after sowing, DAS; tasseling, 60 DAS; and harvest, 115 DAS) showed that leaf, stem, root N accumulation and total soil N were significantly increased under Deep band than under both Side band and Broadcast at N150P60, N187P60, N150P75 and N187P75, but not at N112P45, N150P45, N187P45, N112P60 and N112P75. Significantly greater leaf, stem, and root N accumulations were also displayed at N150 and N187 than at N112 for the same P60 or P75 under Deep band at 60 DAS and 115 DAS, while were for leaf and stem N accumulations at P75 and P60 than at P45 for the same N150 under Deep band at 45 DAS, 60 DAS and 115 DAS. Significantly greater agronomy N use efficiency, partial factor productivity and N use efficiency exhibited under Deep band than under Side band and Broadcast at N150P75 and N187P75, but at N150P60 and N187P60 for NUE only. In addition, leaf, stem, seed, root N concentrations positively correlated with their own N accumulations or soil N concentration at tasseling and harvest stages. Our results demonstrate that a synchronized N150P60, N187P60, N150P75 or N187P75 fertilization rate with Deep band placement can improve soil N availability and root N uptake, and hereby greater aboveground N accumulation, N use efficiency and yield production of maize particularly practical for small-holder farmers globally.

Recently, the difficulties in recycling and environmental pollution caused by metal-based electrode materials have limited the further development of batteries. Therefore, biomass carbon materials, with their environmental friendliness and stable performance, are the key to solving this problem. Many advances have been achieved by researchers for the application of biomass porous carbon materials in batteries. Nevertheless, the same biomass carbon materials in batteries face problems such as low utilization, low yield, and a cumbersome preparation process. This paper thus aims to summarize the recent progress of biomass carbon materials in the field of batteries and provide a detailed description of the battery performance of biomass carbon materials from three perspectives: synthesis, structure and application of carbon materials. We believe that biomass carbon composites are in line with future development and have a broad application prospect. Finally, we will give our in-depth prospect on developing biomass carbon materials.

The microorganisms able of accumulating lipids in high percentages, known as oleaginous microorganisms, have been widely studied as an alternative for producing oleochemicals and biofuels. Microbial lipid, so called Single Cell Oil (SCO), production depends on several growth parameters, including the nature of the carbon substrate, which must be efficiently taken up and converted into storage lipid. Οn the other hand, substrates considered for large scale applications must be abundant and of low acquisition cost. Among others, lignocellulosic biomass is a promising renewable substrate containing high percentages of assimilable sugars (hexoses and pentoses). However, it is also highly recalcitrant and therefore it requires specific pretreatments in order to release its assimilable components. The main drawback of lignocellulose pretreatment is the generation of several by-products that can inhibit the microbial metabolism. In this review, we discuss the main aspects related to the cultivation of oleaginous microorganisms using lignocellulosic biomass as substrate, hoping to contribute to the development of a sustainable process for SCO production in the near future.

Carbohydrate composition of lignocellulosic biomass is one of the main factors for production of biofuel from the plant biomass. Various methods like Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), near infrared spectroscopy (NIR) often used in determination of polysaccharide component of the plant biomass. However, used of such tools is based on the prediction and very costly. This paper discussed about the determination of carbohydrate composition (cellulose, hemicellulose and lignin) using the automatic fibre estimation system. The protocol was developed for the estimation of cellulose, hemicellulose and lignin component of lignocellulosic biomass. This protocol explains a simple method to estimate the polysaccharide component of lignocellulosic biomass. This protocol can be used not only lignocellulosic biomass but also for other hardwood biomass. The advantages and techniques, procedures are presented below.

Antioxidant activity is an essential feature required for oxygen-sensitive merchandise and goods, such as food and corresponding packaging as well as materials used in cosmetics and biomedicine. For example, vanillin, one of the most prominent antioxidants, is fabricated from lignin, the second most abundant natural polymer in the world. Antioxidant potential is primarily related to the termination of oxidation propagation reactions through hydrogen transfer. The application of technical lignin as a natural antioxidant has not yet been implemented in the industrial sector, mainly due to the complex heterogeneous structure and polydispersity of lignin. Thus, current research focuses on various isolation and purification strategies to improve the compatibility of lignin material with substrates and enhancing its stabilizing effect. This contribution presents antioxidant capacity studies of various lignins depending on purification degree of the raw material. In detail, the antioxidant potential of lignin-based compounds is studied using the DPPH (2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl) assay. The purification procedure was monitored by thin layer chromatography (TLC) and showed that double-fold selective extraction is the most efficient purification procedure (confirmed by UV-Vis, FTIR, HSQC and 31P NMR spectroscopy, SEC and XRD analysis). Results are discussed regarding the dependency of antioxidant activity on lignin structure and biomass source. Thus, lignins obtained from industrial black liquor are compared with beech wood samples. In addition, the influence of lignin isolation (kraft versus organosolv) is discussed. Values of the antioxidant activity (DPPH inhibition) of kraft lignin fractions were 62-68% while beech and spruce/pine-mixed lignins showed values between 26, 64 and 42%, respectively. TPC values of the different isolated kraft lignin fractions varied between 26-35%, while beech, spruce/pine lignins were 34, 30 and 34%, respectively. Storage decreased the TPC values and increased the DPPH inhibition.

Malaysia generates significant quantities of Oil Palm Wastes (OPW) which can be potentially valorised into sustainable bioenergy as envisaged by the National Biomass Strategy (NBS-2020). Despite significant investments, policy directives and government support, the valorisation of OPW into bioenergy has remained low exacerbating waste management challenges. Therefore, the strategies and impediments to the rapid bioenergy development and bioelectricity generation from OPW require practical assessment. Therefore, this paper examines the level of development and diffusion of the biomass innovation system in Malaysia based on the Functions of Innovations Systems (FIS) approach developed by Dutch and Swedish researchers. Furthermore, the key factors hindering biomass energy technologies implementation in Malaysia and potential solutions were identified, highlighted and examined. Based on the FIS analysis the functions; entrepreneurial activities, knowledge development, and resources mobilization functions are well established in the Malaysian biomass innovation system (BIS). However, the functions of guidance of search; creation of legitimacy; knowledge diffusion and market formation are underdeveloped resulting in the low penetration of bioenergy in Malaysia. Other factors include; fossil fuel subsidies, numerous or conflicting energy policies and weak collaboration between academia and the industry. The outlined challenges can be addressed by revising fuel subsidies, Feed-in tariffs, RETs implementation, roles of supervisory agencies, and bureaucratic procedures for access to funds for research and development of bioenergy in Malaysia.

Eryngium foetidum L., a biennial herb with diverse applications in food and traditional medicine, holds economic and pharmacological significance. Given its growing commercial interest, implementing biotechnological approaches like plant tissue culture is vital for sustainable propagation and metabolite production. In this study, we investigated the in vitro photoautotrophic potential of E. foetidum, examining growth, chlorophyll a fluorescence, photosynthetic pigments, and anatomical features under different sucrose concentrations and gas exchange rates. Acclimatization and survival rates of plants after ex vitro transfer were also assessed. E. foetidum exhibited robust growth in both photoautotrophic and photomixotrophic conditions, with natural ventilation significantly enhancing plant development. Chlorophyll a fluorescence and photosynthetic performance were influenced by sucrose and gas exchange, highlighting the importance of these factors in plant micropropagation. Moreover, the species demonstrated remarkable plasticity during acclimatization, with high survival rates and rapid inflorescence emission. The research provides valuable insights into optimizing in vitro cultivation conditions for E. foetidum, emphasizing the potential for large-scale clonal propagation and exploring secondary metabolites. The observed phenotypic plasticity underscores the adaptability of the species to diverse environments. These biotechnological strategies open avenues for future studies, including the application of elicitors for enhanced secondary metabolite production.

Lignocellulosic biomass has demonstrated great potential as feedstock for pellet production, notwithstanding the fact that the industrial production of pellets is faced with some economic challenges. This study presents a technoeconomic analysis of six case scenarios to develop a process model for pellet production from sawdust and oat straw that employs torrefaction and steam explosion pretreatment prior to pelletization. SuperPro Designer was used to carry out this evaluation. The pellet plants were designed to have a capacity of 9.09 t/h of sawdust and oat straw each. The pellet yield ranged from 59 kt– 72 kt/year. Scenarios analyzed included variations of steam explosion and torrefaction. In some scenarios materials were lost in the form of liquid and gas due to the pretreatment process. The breakdown of equipment purchase cost showed that the torrefaction reactor is the most expensive unit with about 51% of the purchase cost. Facility-dependent and feedstock costs were the major significant contributors to the pellet production cost. The profitability of pellet production as determined by the net present value (NPV), internal rate of return (IRR), and payback period and was found to be sensitive to variations in feedstock cost.

Dipteryx spp. is an important species in reforestation in the Amazon. The objective of this study is to characterize and compare the relationships between dendrometric variables in Dipteryx spp. stands in the Western Amazon by fitting linear regression equations for total height and crown diameter. Six forest stands were evaluated in three municipalities. Dendrometric variables collected included diameter at 1.3 m height (dbh), total height (ht) and crown diameter (dc). Simple and multiple linear regression equations were fitted to characterize the relationships between ht and dc. The total aboveground biomass of Dipteryx spp. trees and the carbon stock of the stands were estimated. The general equations showed higher R² values, exceeding 0.7. The general equations for estimating ht and dc were significant for all coefficients. The trees averaged 22 t/ha of aboveground biomass in the stands. There was a variation in carbon sequestration potential among stands, ranging from 5.12 to 88.91 t CO2.ha-1. Single-input equations using dbh as an independent variable are recommended for estimating dc and ht for individual Dipteryx spp. stands. Stands in the Western Amazon play a significant role in carbon sequestration and accumulation. Trees can sequester an average of 4.8 tons of CO2 per year.