In Germany, the phloem sucking planthopper Pentastiridius leporinus (Hemiptera: Cixiidae) currently represents the epidemiological driver for the spread of the syndrome “Basses Richesses” in sugar beet, which results in a reduced sugar content and an economic loss for the farmers. This disease is associated with the γ-proteobacterium ‘Candidatus Arsenophonus phytopathogenicus’ and the Stolbur phytoplasma ‘Candidatus Phytoplasma solani’. Recently, P. leporinus was found in potato fields in Germany associated with Stolbur-like symptoms in this crop. In this study, we confirmed that the vector completes its lifecycle on sugar beet as well as on potato when reared under controlled conditions. Transmission experiments with adults of this vector combined with molecular analyses showed for the first time that both pathogens are transmitted by this vector to potato. For an accurate assessment of the Ca. P. solani and Ca. A. phytopathogenicus titers in the vector and host plants, gBlocks derived from the hsp20- and 16S rRNA gene were employed, respectively. For Ca. P. solani the limit of detection was determined in potato and sugar beet material. The results of this study will further research on the epidemiology of the syndrome “Basses Richesses” and “Stolbur” diseases and the response of host plants and vector insects to both pathogens.

Vernonia mespilifolia is widely used in folk medicine in the Eastern Cape Province, South Africa. The aim of this study was to evaluate the biological activity of the acetone, aqueous and ethanol extracts of Vernonia mespilifolia using brine shrimp hatchability and lethality assay. The result showed hatching success in this order: aqueous extract (48.6%) > acetone extract (38.2%) > ethanol extract (26.8%). The LC₅₀ of the lethality assay were in this order: acetone extract (67.8 µg/mL) > aqueous extract (132 µg/mL) > ethanol extract (383 µg/mL). According to Meyer’s toxicity index (using brine shrimps), LC₅₀ < 1000 µg/ mL is toxic. Therefore, the results of the three solvent extracts could be said to be toxic as do have LC₅₀ < 1000 µg/ mL. However, the toxicity of the crude extracts could suggest or confer some antitumor properties, hence further in vitro, in vivo and antitumour assays are recommended to further substantiate these claims.

Cinnamomum tamala leaf (CTL), also known as tejpat and Indian bay leaf, is used all over the world for seasoning, flavouring, and medicinal purposes. Numerous researchers are interested in exploring the nutritional and medicinal benefits of CTL due to their potential as nutraceuticals. These characteristics could be explained by the presence of several essential bioactive substances and lipid derivatives. There are no reports available on this species about its metabolites profile. In this work, rapid screen and identify chemical compounds in supercritical (SC)-CO2 extracts of CTL by use of UPLC-Q-TOF-MSE with multivariate statistical analysis approach was established in both negative and positive mode. As a results, a total of 166 compounds, including 66 monocarboxylic fatty acids, 52 dicarboxylic fatty acids, 27 fatty acid amides, and 21 others were tentatively identified based on accurate mass, and the mass spectrometric fragmentation pattern, out of which 142 compounds are common and found in all five CTL extracts. They displayed robust [M+H]+ and/or [M-H]- ions in both low- and high-energy collision-induced dissociations (CIDs). Based on chemical profiling and chemometric analysis, CTL4 (300bar/55°C) extract was found significantly more potent in other CTL’s extracts. A new mono- and di-carboxylic fatty acids, fatty acid amides and other essential bioactive compounds were separated within 20 min runtime and identified in CTL for the first time. The combination of UPLC-Q-TOF-MSE and chemometric analysis is a powerful method to rapidly screen the metabolites profile for the quality control of C. tamala leaf.

It is well known that working PV plants show several maintenance needs due to wiring and modules degradation, mismatches, dust and PV cells defects and faults. There are a wide range of studies that show the theoretical and some laboratory tests of how these circumstances may affect the PV production. Thus, it results mandatory to evaluate the whole PV plant performance and, then, it’s payback time, profitability and environmental impact or carbon footprint. However, very few studies include a systematic procedure to quantify and supervise the real degradation effects and faults impacts on the field. In this paper, the authors first conduct a brief review of the most frequent PV faults and degradation that can be found on real conditions operative PV Plants. Then, they propose and develop an innovative Geographic Information System application to locate and supervise them. The designed tool has been applied to either a large PV plant of 108 kWp and a small PV plant of just 9 kWp installed on a home rooftop. For the large PV plant, 24 strings of PV modules have been modelized and introduced into the GIS application and every module in the power plant has been studied including voltage, current, power, series and parallel resistance, fill factor, normalized PV curve to STC, thermography and visual analysis. For the small PV installation 3 strings of PV panels have been studied identically. It must be noticed that PV modules in this case include power optimizers. The precision of the study allows the researchers to locate and supervise up to a third part of every PV cell in the system, which are adequately georreferenciated. The developed tool allows both the researchers and the investors to increase control on the PV plant performance and conducts to a better planification of maintenance actuations and to evaluate several PV modules replacement strategies in a preventive maintenance programme. Found PV faults include hot spots, snail tracks, EVA discoloration, PV cells fractures, busbars discoloration, bubbles and Si discoloration.

The present study aims at investigating the relationship between Initial Public Offerings (IPOs) variables mainly underpricing on one hand, and the brand value measures on the other. Our final data set is 104 international brand companies. We implement empirical approach using hierarchical OLS regression and descriptive statistics. We show that underpricing is positively related to brand value which emphasizes the marketing role of going public and underpricing in enhancing brand equity through the product market, which additionally confirms some information asymmetry models. We also find that on average brand companies had not been recognized as brands at the IPO time. Moreover, we show the positive role of private equity in enhancing brand value, additionally, the non-linear association between underpricing and brand value is not evident. Finally, we draw some policy implication and suggestions for future research.

The present study aimed at investigating the in vitro and in vivo susceptibility of malaria parasites to crude extracts and fractions from Polyalthia suaveolens, Uvaria angolensis, and Monodora tenuifolia. The ethanolic extracts were prepared by maceration, and were further partitioned using water, dichloromethane, hexane, and methanol. The most promising fraction was subjected to column chromatography and the sub-fractions tested for activity in vitro. The antiplasmodial effect of extracts and fractions was tested against the Chloroquine resistant (PfK1) strain in 96 wells microtiter plate format using SYBR green florescence assay. The promising fraction was further assessed for cytotoxicity and acute toxicity in Swiss albino mice and subsequently against the rodent malaria parasite, P. berghei. Qualitative phytochemical screening was also performed on the promising fraction. The methanol fractions exerted the overall better effect with that of the twigs of P. suaveolens (PStw(Ace)) showing the highest potency with a IC50 value of 3.24 µg/mL followed by the fractions of leaf of M. tenuifolia (MoTel(Ace), IC50= 3.84 µg/ml) and stem bark of P. suaveolens (IC50= 4.90 µg/ml). The phytochemical screening showed the presence of alkaloids, lactones, and phenols in the more active fraction of P. suaveolens (PStw(Ace)). The chromatographic fractionation of this fraction led to 12 sub-fractions with PS8 sub-fraction being the most active (IC50= 4.42 µg/mL). In vivo, oral administration of 2000 mg/kg b.w of fraction PStw(Ace) in mice showed no signs of toxicity. Also, fraction PStw(Ace) at 400 mg/kg b.w exerted the highest suppressive effect against P. berghei strain B throughout the 4 days experiment (% parasitaemia below 5.2%). Overall, the results achieved supported the use of the three plants in the traditional treatment of malaria in Cameroon. More interestingly, the methanolic fraction of the twigs extract from P. suaveolens might be of interest in future development of an antimalarial phytodrug.

In this paper a novel and flexible solution for fault prediction based on data collected from Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) system is presented. Generic fault/status prediction is offered by means of a data driven approach based on a self-organizing map (SOM)and the definition of an original Key Performance Indicator (KPI). The model has been assessed on a park of three photovoltaic (PV) plants with installed capacity up to 10 MW, and on more than sixty inverter modules of three different technology brands. The results indicate that the proposed method is effective in predicting incipient generic faults in average up to 7 days in advance with true positives rate up to 95%. The model is easily deployable for on-line monitoring of anomalies on new PV plants and technologies, requiring only the availability of historical SCADA data, fault taxonomy and inverter electrical datasheet.

A method based on ultra performance liquid chromatography with diode array detector (UPLC-DAD) was developed for quantitative analysis of five active compounds and chemical fingerprint analysis of Rosa rugosa. Ten batches of Rosa rugosa collected from different plantations in the Xinjiang region of China were used to establish the fingerprint. The feasibility and advantages of the used UPLC fingerprint were verified for its similarity evaluation by systematically comparing chromatograms with professional analytical software recommended by State Food and Drug Administration (SFDA) of China. In quantitative analysis, the five compounds showed good regression (R²=0.999 5) within the test ranges and the recovery of the method was in the range of 94.2–103.8%. The similarities of the fingerprints of 10 batches of the samples were more than 0.981. The developed UPLC fingerprint method is simple, reliable and validated for the quality control and identification of Rosa rugosa. Additionally, simultaneous quantification of five major bioactive ingredients in the Rosa rugosa samples was conducted to interpret the consistency of the quality test. The results indicated that the UPLC fingerprint as a characteristic distinguishing method combining similarity evaluation and quantification analysis, can be successfully used to assess the quality and to identify the authenticity of Rosa rugosa.

Zanthoxylum armatum is an forest tree with apomixis characteristic, and RWP-RKs are plant-specific transcription factors known to regulate nitrogen response and embryonic development. However, the genome-wide analysis of RWP-RK family genes in Z.armatum is unclear. In this study, 36 ZaRWP-RK transcription factors were identified in the genome of Z.armatum, among which 15 genes were belonged to the RKD subfamily and 21 belonged to the NLP subfamily. Duplication events of ZaRWP-RK genes were mainly segmental duplication, and synteny analysis revealed close phylogenetic relationship between Z.armatum and Arabidopsis. The analysis of cis-elements indicated that ZaRWP-RK genes may be involved in the regulation of embryonic development of Z.armatum by responding to plant hormones such as abscisic acid, auxin, and gibberellin. Real-time PCR showed that the expression levels of most ZaRWP-RK genes were significantly increased from flowers to young fruits. Protein-protein interaction network analysis further revealed the potential roles of the ZaRWP-RK proteins in apomixis. Collectively, this study provide a theoretical basis for future investigations into the ZaRWP-RK genes and their regulatory mechanisms in the apomixis process of Z.armatum.

In this paper, a study of modeling PV cell (solar cell), PV module (solar modules) and PV array solar array) using Matlab/Simulink software is presented. This study is focused on the study to design photovoltaic cell, photovoltaic modules, photovoltaic panels and PV array (solar array) and to analyze the change in PV performance according to changes in different parameters such temperature, solar irradiation, reverse saturation current, series resistance and shunt resistance. This study shows the PV and IV characteristics curve for each model from which MPP (maximum power point) is determined. In this study, different PV and IV characteristic curves are gained for varying temperatures with specified solar irradiation conditions,s and then the MPP is tracked. The highest power output is also compared between the designed PV module and the selected PV module (MX Solar USA MX60-245)

P-band radar remote sensing applied during the Airborne Microwave Observatory of Subcanopy and Subsurface (AirMOSS) mission has shown great potential for estimation of root zone soil moisture. When retrieving the soil moisture profile (SMP) from P-band radar, a mathematical function describing the vertical moisture distribution is required. Because only a limited number of observations are available, the number of free parameters of the mathematical model must not exceed the number of observed data. For example, a second order polynomial that contains 3 free parameters was presumed based on in-situ SMP data. The polynomial is currently parameterized based on 3 backscatter observations provided by AirMOSS (i.e. one frequency at three polarizations of HH, VV and HV). In this paper, a more realistic, physically-based SMP model containing 3 free parameters is derived based on a solution to Richards’ equation for unsaturated flow in soils. Evaluation of the new SMP model based on both numerical simulations and measured data revealed that it exhibits greater flexibility for fitting measured and simulated SMPs than the currently applied polynomial. It is also demonstrated that the new SMP model can be reduced to a second order polynomial at the expense of fitting accuracy.

Oilseed plants of the Brassicaceae plant family are cultivated for food, feed and industrial purposes on large-scale in Europe. This review gives an overview of current market-oriented applications of new genomic techniques (NGTs) in relevant Brassicaceae oilseed crops based on a literature survey. In this respect, changes in oil quality, yield, growth and resistance to biotic and abiotic stress are goals in oilseed rape (B. napus) and camelina (C. sativa). Environmental risk assessment scenarios are developed for specific NGT applications in Brassicaceae oilseed crops with either a changed oil composition or with fitness related traits. In case of a changed oil composition an increase or decrease of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) demonstrates risks for health and survival of pollinators. In case of fitness related traits other risks were identified, i. e. an increased risk of spread and persistence of NGT plants. Furthermore, there are indications for potential disturbance of interactions with the environment, involving signalling pathways and reaction to stress conditions. It is shown that for a comprehensive risk assessment the technological potential of NGTs, the plants’ biology and the scale of releases have to be considered in combination. Therefore, the release of NGT plants into the environment for agricultural purposes will require risk assessment and monitoring of single traits as well as of combinatorial and long-term cumulative effects. In addition, risk management should develop concepts and measures to control and potentially restrict the scale of releases. This is especially relevant for NGT Brassicaceae in Europe which is a centre of diversity of this plant family.

Retiring coal power plants can reduce air pollution and health damages. However, the spatial distribution of those impacts remains unclear due to complex power system adjustments and pollution chemistry and transport. Focusing on coal retirements in Pennsylvania (PA), we analyze six counterfactual scenarios for 2019 that differ in retirement targets (e.g., reducing 50% of coal-based installed capacity vs. generation) and priorities (e.g., closing plants with higher cost, closer to Environmental Justice Areas, or with higher CO₂ emissions). Using a power system model of the PJM Interconnection, we find that coal retirements in PA shift power generation across PA and the Rest of PJM region leading to scenario-varying changes in the plant-level release of several air pollutants. Due to air pollution chemistry and transport and socio-demographics, these changes in turn give rise to a reduction of 10 to 182 PM_2.5-attributable deaths in PJM across the six scenarios, with most reductions occurring in PA. Scenarios that reduce more coal power generation yield greater aggregate health benefits due to air quality improvements in PA and adjacent downwind regions. In addition, vulnerable populations—in both PA and Rest of PJM—benefit most in scenarios that prioritize plant closures in PA near Environmental Justice Areas. These results demonstrate the importance of considering cross-regional linkages and socio-demographics in designing equitable retirement strategies.

Preventive Maintenance (PM) is a periodic maintenance strategy, which has great results for devices in extending their life, increasing productivity, and most importantly, help avoid unexpected breakdowns and their costly consequence. A preventive maintenance scheduling (PMS) is determining the time for carrying out PM, and it represents a sensitive issue in terms of impact on production if the time for the PM process is not optimally distributed. In this study, hybrid heuristic methods were used to solve the PMS problem, as genetic algorithm and Tabu research were adopted. The optimal solution was reached in a short time compared to previous studies in which optimal methods were used, integer programming and nonlinear integer programming. Also, sensitivity analysis was applied to measure the robustness and strength of the method used, where an optimal solution was obtained for all experiments and in record time. This method can be used for power plants in privet or public sectors, to generate an optimal PMS, to save money, and to avoid water or electricity cuts.

The Australian tropical montane cloud forest (TMCF) is home to approximately 18 percent of the nation’s total vascular plant species. Over the past century, human activity and industrial development have caused global climate changes, posing a severe and irreversible danger to the entire land-based ecosystem, and WTWHA is no exception. The current average annual temperature of WTWHA in FNQ is 24 °C. However, in the coming years (by 2030), the average annual temperature increase is estimated to be between 0.5 and 1.4 °C compared to the climate observed between 1986 and 2005. Looking further ahead to 2070, the anticipated temperature rise is projected to be between 1.0 and 3.2 °C, with the exact range depending on future emissions. We identified 84 plant species endemic to the WTWHA in FNQ, which are already experiencing climate change threats. Few of these plants are used in herbal medicines. This study comprehensively reviewed metabolomics studies conducted on these 84 plant species until now toward understanding their physiological and metabolomics responses to global climate change. This review also discusses: i) recent developments in plant metabolomics studies that can be applied to study and understand the interactions of wet tropical plants with climatic stress, ii) medicinal plants and isolated phytochemicals with structural diversity, and iii) reported biological activities of crude extracts and isolated compounds.

Genetic engineering has become an essential element in developing climate-resilient crops and environmental sustainable solutions to respond to the increasing need for global food security. Genome editing using CRISPR/Cas [Clustered regulatory interspaced short palindromic repeat (CRISPR)-associated protein (Cas)] technology is being applied to a variety of organisms, including plants. This technique has become popular because of its high specificity, effectiveness, and low production cost. Therefore, this technology has the potential to revolutionize agriculture and contribute to global food security. Over the past few years, increasing efforts have been seen in its application in developing higher-yielding, nutrition rich, disease resistant, stress-tolerant “crops” fruits and vegetables. Cas proteins such as Cas9, Cas12, Cas13, and Cas14, among others, have distinct architectures and have been used to create new genetic tools that improve features that are important for agriculture. The versatility of Cas has accelerated genomic analysis and facilitated the use of CRISPR/Cas to manipulate and alter nucleic acid sequences in cells of different organisms. This review provides the evolution of CRISPR technology exploring its mechanisms and contrasting it with traditional breeding and transgenic approaches to improve different stress tolerance. We have also discussed the CRISPR/Cas system and explored three Cas proteins that are currently known to exist: Cas12, Cas13, and Cas14 and their potential to generate foreign DNA free or non-transgenic crops that could be easily regulated for commercialization in most countries.

Vertical Indoor Farming (VIF) with hydroponics offers a promising perspective for sustainable food production. Intelligent control of VIF system components plays a key role in reducing operating costs and increasing crop yields. Modern machine vision (MV) systems use Deep Learning (DL) in combination with camera systems for various tasks in agriculture, such as disease and nutrient deficiency detection, and flower and fruit identification and classification for pollination and harvesting. This study presents the applicability of MV technology with DL modelling to detect the growth stages of chilli plants using YOLOv8 networks. The influence of different bird’s eye and side view datasets and different YOLOv8 architectures was analysed. To generate the image data for training and testing the YOLO models, chilli plants were grown in a hydroponic environment and imaged throughout their life cycle using four camera systems. The growth stages were divided into growing, flowering and fruiting classes. All trained YOLOv8 models showed reliable identification of growth stages with high accuracy. The results indicate that models trained with data from both views show better generalisation. YOLO’s middle architecture achieved the best performance.

The chemical investigation of the anti-yeast methanol extract from the stem bark of Terminalia mantaly led to the isolation of seven compounds: 3-O-methyl-4-O-α-rhamnopyranoside ellagic acid (1), 3-O-mehylellagic acid (2), arjungenin or 2,3,19,23-tetrahydroxyolean-12-en-28-oïc acid (3), arjunglucoside or 2,3,19,23-tetrahydroxyolean-12-en-28-oïc acid glucopyranoside (4), 2α,3α,24-trihydroxyolean-11,13(18)-dien-28-oïc acid (5), stigmasterol (6), stigmasterol 3-O-β-D-glucopyranoside (7). Their structures were established by means of spectroscopic analysis and comparison with published data. Compounds 1-5 were tested in vitro for activity against three pathogenic yeast isolates, Candida albicans, Candida parapsilosis and Candida krusei. The activity of compounds 1, 2 and 4 were comparable to that of the reference compound fluconazole (MIC values below 32 µg/ml) against the three tested yeast isolates. They were also tested for inhibitory properties against four enzymes of metabolic significance: Glucose-6-Phosphate Deshydrogenase (G6PD), human erythrocyte Carbonic anhydrase I and II (hCA I and hCA II), Glutathione S-transferase (GST). Compound 4 showed highly potent inhibitory property against the four tested enzymes with overall IC₅₀ values below 4 µM and inhibitory constant (Ki) <3 µM.

In response to the problem of increasing climate change and energy security, investment in renewable energy sources has increased significantly both in Europe and globally. Wind and solar power plants are expected to be the largest contributors to global decarbonization, ranking first and second in projected capacity by 2050. Since all power plants have some impact on the environment, this also applies to photovoltaic power plants. Because of the large capacities projected for PV installed capacity, their environmental impacts should be evaluated. The environmental impacts of PV power plants change over time. Improving the manufacturing technology of PV system components, increasing the efficiency of solar cells, and using materials that are less harmful to the environment will reduce these impacts. Manufacturing PV system components is a highly energy-intensive process that involves greenhouse gas emissions. As new renewable energy capacity is built, the amount of "green" electricity on the grid increases, reducing CO2 emissions per kWh consumed. The objective of this paper is to analyze the current status of the environmental impact of PV power plants under these changing conditions in terms of CO2 emissions, land use, pollutant and noise emissions, and water consumption. The capacity installed to date will reach the end of its lifetime by 2050, which means that the amount of waste associated with it will increase over time. This can have a significant impact on the environment, which is why part of the work is dedicated to this problem. In addition to the available information from the literature, in the part related to land use, the authors also made their own estimates based on data on newly installed PV power plants and PV modules available on the market. The results of the analysis show that there is enough land both in Europe and worldwide to install the planned capacities of rooftop and ground-mounted PV power plants. CO2 emissions are at the same level as for concentrated solar power, with a decreasing trend. Pollutant emissions, noise and water consumption are not a major problem compared to other types of power plants. Overall, it can be concluded that the expansion of PV capacity has a very positive impact on the environment.

Pakistan flora is enriched with potent bioactive compounds that must be explored while Alzheimer's disease (AD) poses a global challenge driven by neurochemical imbalances. Acetylcholinesterase (AChE) inhibitors traditionally alleviate symptoms, but addressing the root cause remains elusive. This gap has led to the exploration of herbal sources for interventions. In this context, we analyzed fifty 50 medicinal plants for their phytochemical composition and antioxidant and acetylcholinesterase inhibition activities. AChE activity was measured using Ellman’s method. Santalum album exhibited significant AChE inhibition (86.2%), surpassing galantamine hydrobromide (81.8%). Promising inhibition was also seen in Bombax ceiba (77.8%), Acacia karoo (52.9%), and Phaseolus lunatus (50.1%). Detailed analysis revealed Santalum album's abundance in terpenoids, flavonoids, tannins, and phenolics, potentially correlating with its antioxidant and AChE inhibitory effects. Acacia karoo demonstrated elevated levels of total alkaloids, antioxidants, terpenoids, and tannins. Both Acacia karoo and Santalum album show promise for AD intervention due to their AChE inhibitory activities and unique phytochemical attributes, warranting further exploration, particularly for Acacia karoo's novel potential in AChE inhibition, to advance targeted AD therapeutics utilizing natural resources. This study contributes to the search for effective AD strategies from nature's pharmacological resources.

Recent advances in artificial intelligence combined with behavioral sciences have led to the development of cutting-edge tools for recognizing human emotions based on text, video, audio, and physiological data. However, these data sources are expensive, intrusive, and regulated, unlike plants which have been shown to be sensitive to human steps and sounds. A methodology is proposed to use plants as human emotion detectors. Electrical signals from plants are tracked and labeled based on video data. Labeled data are then used for classification. MLP, biLSTM, MFCC-CNN, MFCC-ResNet, and additionally, Random Forests, 1-Dimensional CNN, and biLSTM without windowing models are set using a grid search algorithm with cross-validation. Finally, best-parameterized models are trained and used with the test set for classification. The performance of this methodology is measured with a case study with 54 participants, who were watching an emotionally charged video, as ground truth their facial emotions were simultaneously measured using face emotion analysis. The Random Forest model shows the best performance, particularly in recognizing high-arousal emotions, achieving an overall weighted accuracy of 55.2% and demonstrating high weighted recall in emotions such as fear 61.0% and happiness 60.4%. The MFCC-ResNet model offers decently balanced results, with Accuracy(MFCC-ResNet)=0.318 and Recall (MFCC-ResNet)=0.324. With the MFCC-ResNet model fear and anger are recognized with 75% and 50% recall respectively. Thus, using plants as an emotion recognition tool seems worth investigating, addressing both cost and privacy concerns.

One of the key areas of the International Renewable Energy Agency’s (IRENA) programme of work is the analysis of renewable technology costs and performance and the dissemination of these results to as wide an audience as possible. In addition to analysis, IRENA seeks to engage a broad range of stakeholders in the context of this work through the Renewable Costing Alliance. The Costing Alliance brings together companies, industry association, governments and researchers to share, confidentially, data for real-world renewable energy project cost and performance, helping to build further on IRENA’s costing work to date. In this context the authors analyse the current cost differentials and cost reduction potentials for solar PV in Japan compared to best practice levels and identify the reasons for higher costs in Japan and how to reduce them. This study analyses the current installed cost differentials for utility-scale, commercial and residential rooftop solar PV systems. In addition to identifying the reasons for the cost differentials, potential policy recommendations to reduce the cost differential are identified.

Structural and functional asymmetries are traceable in every form of life and, at all cases, are a phenomenon of homology. Functionally speaking, the division of labour between the two halves of the brain is a basic characteristic of the nervous system that arose even before the appearance of vertebrates. The most prominent consequence of this specialization in humans and animals is handedness. Even if handedness is far more commonly associated with the presence of a nervous system, it is also observed in aneural organism such as plants. To date, little is known regarding the possible functional significance of handedness in plants, and many questions remain open (among these, whether it reflects a generalized behavioural asymmetry). Here, we propose a comparative perspective to the study of handedness, including plants, by taking advantage of the experimental models and paradigms already used to study laterality in humans and various animal species. By taking this approach, we aim to enrich our knowledge on the concept of handedness across natural kingdoms.

As the global demand for renewable energy continues to rise, biogas technology has emerged as a promising solution for sustainable energy generation. This review article presents the advantages of biogas technologies and extensively discusses the main principles of biogas production in the methane fermentation process. In this respect, the main parameters of the process, which require monitoring and are at the same time decisive for its course and efficiency are described, the principles of substrate selection are discussed and the necessity and advantages of the use of organic waste according to the model of a circular economy and the concept of sustainable development, are indicated. The part on biogas production is summarised with an explanation of the necessity to treat and purify biogas, taking into account the share of methane extracted. A special place in this paper is devoted to the design, construction, functioning and operation of biogas plants, based on both scientific and practical aspects. In conclusion of this chapter, the economic aspects and profitability of operating biogas plants are discussed, taking into account, in a theoretical balance sheet – in addition to investment and operating costs and the availability and cost of raw materials – the possibilities of producing and using electricity and heat, as well as environmental and social benefits. The article concludes with a discussion of opportunities and barriers to the development of biogas plants, pointing to: financial issues, access to feedstock, political regulations, public awareness and the geopolitical situation as key factors issues related to biogas plants – in different regions of the world.

This article presents an in-depth review of Virtual Power Plant (VPP), its organization in the energy system and its prospects in the face of the promising future of the increasing bidirectional complexity exposed in the current scenario. A new paradigm for the operations of modern power distribution and transmission systems requires greater grid flexibility that is accompanying an extensive change in the structure of electricity markets, the fruit of the development of the renewable industry and of the growing photovoltaic systems popularized, but in contrast due to the intermittent nature cause variable uncertainties in the power system. Innovative concepts like VPP are becoming a reality, establishing an efficient and effective mechanism. The objectives and components are described in a comprehensive way, and some of the most important are pointed out and presented in detail to contribute with a description of the energy systems and the implicit research needed for sustainability and resilience in the eminent energy scenario with this technology. In addition, the literature and studies of this technology already indicate a direction of this new tool as a promising solution to manage the uncertainties of the renewable energies.

Solar energy is one of the most important renewable energy sources for many settings, such as households, solar-powered vehicles, power grid support, etc. However, the amount of solar energy produced is directly proportional to the surface area of the solar panel exposed to the sun rays, and so the challenges arise for the space required to install solar panels in order to get maximum area coverage of sun radiation energy absorption in constricted spaces such as vehicles powered by solar, small residential apartments, etc. The challenge with solar energy is that once a plate is installed, the space under it or above it cannot be used for another solar panel installation. This is due to the fact that the shadow cast by the above solar panel or structure prevents sun rays from reaching the below solar panel. The introduction of flexible solar panels that can take on any shape has given us the opportunity to explore the possibility of maximising solar plate surface area using surface manifold techniques. In this optimisation study, the constraint is that we have a space with fixed dimensions of length, width, and height, and the objective is to maximise the surface area of the panel within the given space dimensions to maximise solar energy absorption. Thus, this paper then proposes curving the panel surface and/or protruding the surfaces of the panel using the concept of a topology surface manifold to maximise the surface area: Protruding panel surface with shapes such as pyramidal, cone, hemisphere, sinusoidal wavy curve, etc. are analysed to check if the panel surface increases at all. The geometrical design result shows that the panel surface can increase by more than 20%. Although this paper only presents concept work and details of experimental design are yet to be performed, it should also be noted that curving surfaces have drawbacks, such as some protruding parts of solar panels when the plate is tilted, not facing the sun directly, which may cast shadows on parts of the solar panel, causing hindrance.

This research presents a maximum power point tracking of traditional single-ended primary converter (SEPIC) with the aid of fuzzy logic controller (FLC) for regulating the voltage and perturbation and observation(P&O) algorithms for regulating the reference voltage and reaching the maximum power point tracking. This is a promising technique for the conventional SEPIC converter to achieve maximum power point tracking with much less error. Moreover, the method is simple, reliable, and understandable for photovoltaic systems.

The Himalaya is well known for high diversity and ethnobotanical uses of medicinal plants. However, not all areas of the Himalayas are well studied. In particular, studies on ethnobotanical uses of plants from the Eastern Himalayas are rare and lacking for many tribes. Past studies primarily focused on listing plants name and their traditional medicinal uses. However, studies on traditional ethnopharmacological practices on medicine preparation had not yet been reported in published literature from the Eastern Himalaya. In this study, we are reporting the first time ethnopharmacological used 24 medicines, their procedures of preparation and listed 53 plant species used for those medicines for Monpa tribe. Such documentations had not yet been done for other tribes in India. Our research demonstrates the urgent need to documents traditional medicine preparation procedures from the local healers before rapid cultural modernization forgets them in transforming country like India. This study should motivate national and international researchers to do more works on ethnopharmacology and bioprospecting.

High-penetration of Distributed Energy Resources (DER) in low voltage distribution grids, mainly photovoltaics (PV), might lead to overvoltage in the point of common coupling. Volt-VAr is one of the common control functions for DER power converters used to enhance the stability and the reliability of the voltage in the distribution system and, thus, fulfilling the network operator requirements. In this study, a centralized algorithm will provide local Volt-VAr control parameters to each PV inverter, based on the electrical grid characteristics where each equipment is installed. Since accurate information of grid characteristics is typically not available, the parametrization of the electrical grid is done using power meter data in DER location and a voltage sensitivity matrix. The algorithm has different optimization modes to both minimize voltage deviation and line current. In order to validate the effectiveness of the algorithm and its deployment in real infrastructure, it has been tested in an experimental setup with PV emulators in a set of 5-day tests. Volt-VAr control algorithm successfully adapted its parameters based on grid topology and PV inverter characteristics, achieving a voltage reduction up to 25% of the allowed voltage deviation.

This paper proposes a novel model for a PV cell with parameters variance dependency on temperature and irradiance included. The model relies on commercial available data, calculates the cell parameters for standard conditions and then extrapolates them for the whole operating range. An up-to-date review of the PV modeling is also included with series and parallel parasitic resistance values and dependencies discussed. The parameters variance is analyzed and included in the proposed PV model, where the self-heating phenomenon is also considered. Each parameter variance is compared to the results from different authors. The model includes only standard components and can be run on any SPICE-based simulator. Unlike other approaches that consider the internal temperature as a parameter, our proposal relies on air temperature as an input and computes the actual internal temperature accordingly. Finally, the model is validated via experiments and comparisons to similar approaches are provided.

Integration of battery energy storage in photovoltaic (PV) systems can reduce the electricity costs and provide desirable flexibility and reliability to these systems decreasing renewable energy fluctuations. This paper presents a review of the PV-battery application in Brazil, highlighting the challenges and prospects based on the state-of-art. A PV-battery systems description is presented in this work, as well as the most applied battery technology and its comparison. The paper also describes the set of applications such as voltage and frequency regulation, renewable energy integration, power quality, etc. In the Brazilian scenario, there are applications of PV-battery systems, most of them part of research and development projects (R&amp;D’s), and some real cases are shown, including its goals, applied equipment, operation modes, strategies, and perspectives. Additionally, this work evaluates the Brazilian scenario regarding the energy storage systems implementation challenges, such as regulatory barriers, business models, and opportunities for R&amp;D in the energy market. In conclusion, it is need develop proper regulatory models to expand PV-battery systems and make them visible to the agents in the electricity sector.

Due to the high solar irradiance or energy price, certain regions in the U.S. may reach 100% PV penetration and experience degradation of frequency response greater than the interconnection as a whole. Therefore, in this section, the 100% PV penetration region in each interconnection is simulated to study the local high PV penetration effects. The study was performed by quantifying RoCoF, frequency nadir, and settling frequency at different regional PV penetration levels. The impact of high regional PV penetration on the compliance of grid code on frequency response is also studied.

Metabolomics is now considered to be a wide-ranging, sensitive and practical approach to acquire useful information on the composition of a metabolite pool present in any organism, including plants. Investigating metabolomic regulation in plants is essential to understand their adaptation, acclimation and defense response to environmental stresses through the production of numerous metabolites. Moreover, metabolomics can be easily applied for the phenotyping of plants; and thus, it has great potential to be used in molecular breeding and genome editing programs to develop superior next generation crops. This review describes the recent analytical tools and techniques available to study plants metabolome, along with their significance of sample preparation using targeted and non-targeted method. Advanced analytical tools, like gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS), liquid chromatography mass-spectroscopy (LC-MS), capillary electrophoresis-mass spectrometry (CE-MS), fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance-mass spectrometry (FTICR-MS) and matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization (MALDI) have speed up metabolic profiling in plants. Further, we deliver a complete overview of bioinformatics tools and plant metabolome database that can be utilized to advance our knowledge to plant biology.

The antioxidant properties and polyphenol content of some selected aromatic plants grown in Greece were studied. Plants were refluxed with 60% methanol after acid hydrolysis. The phenolic substances were quantified by HPLC-DAD. The antioxidant capacity of the extracts was determined with the Rancimat test using sunflower oil as substrate. Free radical scavenging activity was measured using the stable free radical 1, 1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH). Results were compared with standard BHT and ascorbic acid. Total phenol concentration of the extracts was estimated with Folin-Ciocalteu reagent using gallic acid as standard.

The assessment of Photovoltaic (PV) systems, a key component of sustainable energy solutions, is of paramount importance in the pursuit of a greener future. This abstract provides an overview of environmental assessments associated with PV systems, considering their life cycle, energy production, and ecological impact. The study explores various methodologies and tools employed in the evaluation of PV systems’ environmental performance, addressing issues such as material sourcing, manufacturing, installation, and end-of-life disposal. Additionally, it delves into the trade-offs and challenges in achieving sustainability objectives in the solar energy sector. By critically examining the environmental implications of PV systems, this research contributes to informed decision-making and the sustainable integration of solar power into our energy landscape.

Bifacial PV modules have become the pervasive choice for utility-scale solar photovoltaic (PV) installations. Understanding bifacial PV performance for commercial deployments is, therefore, critically important. Although there have been studies on the modeling of Bifacial PV performance, to the best of our knowledge, the comprehensive integration of racking and mounting geometry for Bifacial PV performance simulation is yet to be reported. In this work, we modeled the racking and mounting geometry for a field-deployed operational PV array. We then applied optical ray-trace simulation to study the impact of those structures on array performance. The study reveals that the support structures have a considerable impact on the rear surface irradiance and overall bifacial PV performance, amounting to as much as 30% shading in certain situations. The work analyzes the impact of installation parameters such as tilt, height, and row spacing on the bifacial PV array’s performance. Thus, a novel holistic approach to studying the sensitivity of various installation parameters’ impact on bifacial PV array performance, with the racking and mounting structure’s geometry integrated, has been demonstrated through the work. This knowledge and its practice enables site-specific design optimization for utility-scale bifacial solar PV arrays and synergistic PV applications such as agrivoltaics and carports, where maximizing power generation is not necessarily the sole objective.

The vegetation in constructed wetlands (CWs) plays an important role in wastewater treatment. Popularly, the common emergent plants in CWs have been vegetation of natural wetlands. However, there are ornamental flowering plants that have some physiological characteristics similar to the plants of natural wetlands that can stimulate the removal of pollutants in wastewater treatments; such importance in CWs is described here. A literature survey of 87 CWs from 21 countries showed that the four most commonly used flowering ornamental vegetation genera were Canna, Iris, Heliconia and Zantedeschia. In terms of geographical location, Canna spp. is commonly found in Asia, Zantedeschia spp. is frequent in Mexico (a country in North America), Iris is most commonly used in Asia, Europe and North America, and species of the Heliconia genus are commonly used in Asia and parts of the Americas (Mexico, Central and South America). This review also compares the use of ornamental plants versus natural wetland plants and systems without plants for removing pollutants (COD, BOD, nitrogen and phosphorous compounds). The removal efficiency was similar between flowering ornamental and natural wetland plants. However, pollutant removal was better when using ornamental plants than in unplanted CWs. The use of ornamental flowering plants in CWs is an excellent option, and efforts should be made to increase the adoption of these system types and use them in domiciliary, rural and urban areas.

Building integrated photovoltaics (BIPV) consists of PV panels that are integrated into the building as part of the construction. This technology has advantages such as the production of electricity without necessary additional land area. This paper provides a literature review about the recent developments in urban building energy modelling, including tools and methods, and how they can be used to predict the effect of PV systems on building outdoor and indoor environments. It is also intended to provide a critical analysis on how PV systems affect the urban environment, both from an energy and a comfort point of view. The microclimate, namelly the urban heat island concept, is introduced and related with the existence of PV systems. It is concluded that urban building energy modelling (UBEM) can be effective to study the performance of PV systems in the urban environment. It allows to simultaneously predict the building energy performance and the microclimate effect. However, there is a need to develop new methodologies to overcome the challenges associated to UBEM, especially in what concerns non-geometric data, which leads to a major source of errors. and to find an effective method to predict the effect of PV systems in the urban environment.

Swarm electrification-driven communities face significant challenges, including implementing advanced distributed control in areas with limited ICT access and establishing trust among villagers hesitant to grant access to their assets. This paper proposes a distributed DC microgrid architecture for P2P energy exchange in these communities, ensuring stability and effective exchange operation. By implementing a Blockchain marketplace specifically designed to suit the rural context, the proposed architecture ensures tracing of exchange transactions to fairly settle participants. Validation experiments demonstrate its efficacy in achieving peak shaving. It provides 11% of the requester's total demand from the community even while maintaining the constraint of reducing discharge-charge cycles to one per day, thereby preserving battery life. Additionally, the solution reduces prosumer production losses by 16% of the total PV production.

Based on collected power generation data associated with solar irradiance, PV system conversion efficiency and cell temperature, an hourly solar PV power estimation model by a parallel artificial neural network (ANN) and particle swarm optimization (PSO) algorithm is proposed. Weight matrices related to different seasons and geographic areas for estimation power generations have been trained by real measured operation data. The parallel PSO algorithm with heuristic global optimization technique assists the ANN training process to get near optimal solutions precisely. The accuracy and reliability of estimation is audited by actual details of photovoltaic power stations in various regions and scales. The results of estimation model can not only assist the electricity dispatcher to explicitly monitor the trend of solar power generation in different areas, but also coordinate with traditional power plants to meet load demand more accurately. The presented model will bring benefits to power dispatching for larger scales of intermittent and unstable solar power generation.

This paper studied the solar PV frequency control in the U.S. Eastern Interconnection (EI) and Texas Interconnection (ERCOT) systems. The studied frequency control approaches include droop frequency control, inertia control, and droop-inertia-combined frequency control. The control effects of different frequency controls of PV in the EI and ERCOT are studied using actual high PV penetration interconnection grid models to provide suggestions to the future revision of future PV frequency control standards.

In this paper, an extensive study on the operation, control and performance of a hybrid photovoltaic and wind turbine (PV-WT) system is presented. The study includes the operation of the hybrid systems under different weather conditions which are reflected on a change in the wind speed and irradiance. Various loading conditions are investigated such a change in active and reactive power demands for static and dynamic loads. The performance of the hybrid system is examined via MATLAB/SIMULINK simulations.

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.

Efficient implementation of clean energy technologies, including pioneering solutions like mobile solar PV systems mounted on trailers (MSPT), is pivotal for addressing energy challenges, especially in regions with constrained power grid access. This endeavour is vital for meeting escalating elec-tricity demands and aligning with the UN Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) aimed at ensuring dependable and sustainable energy provision in developing countries. This paper investigates the aerodynamic behaviour of a designed MSPT using numerical and experimental approaches. Spe-cifically, the study focuses on the effects of wind velocity and tilt angels on the drag and lift forces, as well as drag and lift coefficients on the panel used in the MSPT system. Additionally, the overall wind force acting on the entire MSPT (including 9 large solar PV panels) was examined, considering the combined effects of wind flow and the system's geometry. The simulations were conducted using ANSYS-Fluent software and experimental testing was performed utilizing scaled-down models to validate the accuracy of the simulation. The insights and the knowledge from this study can be utilized to optimize the design, installation, and operation of such systems, ultimately enhancing their performance, reliability, and paving ways for further improvements in mobile solar PV technology.

One of the most crucial and economically beneficial tasks for energy customer is peak load curtailment. On account of the fast response of renewable energy resources (RERs) such as photovoltaic (PV) units and battery energy storage system (BESS), this task is closer to be efficiently implemented. Depends on the customer peak load demand and energy characteristics, the feasibility of this strategy may warry. When adaptive neuro-fuzzy inference system (ANFIS) is exploited for forecasting, it can provide many benefits to address the above-mentioned issues and facilitate its easy implementation, with short calculating time and re-trainability. This paper introduces a data driven forecasting method based on fuzzy logic for optimized peak load reduction. First, the amount of energy generated by PV is forecasted using ANFIS which conducts output trend, and then, the BESS capacity is calculated according to the forecasted results. The trend of the load power is then decomposed in Cartesian plane into two parts, left and right from load peak, searching for BESS capacity equal. Network switching sequence over consumption is provided by a fuzzy logic controller (FLC) with respect to BESS capacity and PV energy output. Finally, to prove the effectiveness of the proposed ANFIS-based peak shaving method, offline digital time-domain simulations have been performed on a real-life practical test micro grid system in MATLAB/Simulink environment and the results have been experimentally verified by testing on a practical micro grid system with real-life data obtained from smart meter and also, compared with several previously-reported methods.

In order to ensure food security worldwide in the face of current climatic changes, a higher quality and quantity of crops is necessary to sustain the growing human population. By developing a sustainable circular economy and biorefinery approaches, we can move from a petroleum-based to a bio-based economy. Plant biostimulants have long been considered an important source of plant growth stimulants in agronomy and agro-industries with both macroalgae (seaweeds) and microalgae (microalgae). There has been extensive exploration of macroalgae biostimulants. A lack of research and high production costs have constrained the commercial implementation of microalgal biostimulants, despite their positive impact on crop growth, development and yields. The current knowledge on potential biostimulatory compounds, key sources and their quantitative information from algae is summarized in the present review. Our goal is to provide a brief overview of the potential for microalgal biostimulants to improve crop production and quality. A number of key aspects are discussed, including the biostimulant effects caused by microalgae extracts, as well as the feasibility and potential for cocultures and coapplication with other biostimulants and biofertilizers. This article also discusses the current knowledge, recent developments and achievements in extraction techniques, types of applications, timings of applications. Ultimately, this review highlights the potential for microalgal biostimulants for sustainable agricultural practices, the algal biochemical components contributing to these traits, and finally bottlenecks and involved prospects in commercializing microalgal biostimulants.

Besides a diffuse research activity on drug discovery and biodiversity carried out in natural contexts, more recently investigations concerning endophytic fungi have started considering their occurrence in crops based on the major role that these microorganisms have been recognized to play in plant protection and growth promotion. Fruit growing is particularly involved in this new wave, by reason that the pluriannual crop cycle implies a likely higher impact of these symbiotic interactions. Aspects concerning occurrence and effects of endophytic fungi associated with citrus species are revised in the present paper.

This paper describes preliminary results of measuring the impact of human body movements on plants. In particular, we analyze the influence of eurythmic gestures of human actors on lettuce and beans. In an eight week experiment, we exposed rows of lettuce and beans to weekly eurythmic movements (similar to Qi Gong) of a eurythmist, while at the same time measuring changes in voltage between the roots and leaves of lettuce and beans using the plant spikerbox (https://backyardbrains.com/products/plantspikerbox). We compared this experimental group of vegetables with a control group of vegetables whose voltage differential was also measured while never being exposed to eurythmy. Using t-tests, we found a clear difference between the experimental and the control group which was also verified with a machine learning model. In other words, the vegetables showed a noticeably different pattern in electric potentials in response to eurythmic gestures.

Living walls (LWs) are a climate change adaptation strategy for cities, as they have a cooling effect. Previous studies of the cooling effect of LWs were carried out in different climatic zones. These studies differed in their experimental design, or simulated data via models. Plants’ cooling capacity is explained by shading and transpiration, and depends on physical plant parameters, environmental factors, and system-related influences. A three-year-long trial was carried out between 2017 and 2019 at an experimental garden in Geisenheim, Germany. We chose a textile-based LW system with high water demand and plants from a wet/fresh habitat. We assumed that this would achieve high evaporative cooling. The experimental setup included four experimental walls which were exposed to the north, south, east, and west, respectively. The plant choice was divided into three plant mix variants (Cascade, Ground cover, and Meadow) and a Control with no vegetation. We measured the temperature with sensors and a thermal imaging (IR) camera in different setups. The main results were that the measured vegetation temperature (TV) depends on air temperature (TA), measurement position, plant mix variant, and plant species. We could detect the cooling effect only at a small distance from the LW (microclimatic). Our methodological approaches should be continued in further studies.

Preventing the rebound of black and odorous water bodies is critical for improving the ecological environment of water bodies. This study investigated the effect and mechanism of in-situ improvement of sediment microenvironment by nitrate in tailwater of wastewater treatment plants combined with aerobic denitrifying bacteria under low-DO regulation (TailN+CFM+LDO). On the 60th day of remediation, the dissolved oxygen and oxidation-reduction potential in the overlying water increased to 5.6 mg/L and 300 mV, respectively, the acid volatile sulfide in the sediment decreased by 70.4%, and the organic matter in the sediment was reduced by 62.7%, in which the HFOM was degraded from 105 g/kg to 56 g/kg, and the potential risk of water reverting to black and odorous conditions significantly decreased. Amplicon sequencing analysis revealed that the relative abundance of electroactive bacteria Thiobacillus and Pseudomonas with denitrification capacity was found to be significantly higher in the TailN+CFM+LDO group than in the other remediation groups. Functional prediction of 16S sequencing results indicated that both the quantity and activity of critical microbial enzymes involved in nitrification and denitrification processes could enhance in the TailN+CFM+LDO group. These results improved our understanding of the improvement of the sediment microenvironment and could thus facilitate its application.

We investigate the performance of a novel flat photovoltaic-thermal (PV-T) module under high-vacuum through a 1D numerical model based on steady-state energy balance, with the aims of optimizing the simultaneous production of thermal and electrical energy. In the proposed design, the photovoltaic (PV) cell is positioned directly above the selective solar absorber (SSA), in a multilayer or fully integrated PV-SSA structure, which allows full exploitation of spectral solar radiation. In fact, in this configuration the losses related to non-absorption of low-energy photons and thermalization, typical of a classical single-junction PV cell, are reduced. The present study is conducted as the emittance and energy bandgap of the PV layer varied, thus admitting a wide variety of materials into the analysis. The dependence of the temperature coefficient, β(%/K), on the energy bandgap of the PV cell is also included. In the last part of the work, we discuss the performance of the proposed evacuated PV-T equipped with a SSA layer and thin film solar cells, namely those made of CdTe, CdS and GaAs. Overall, the paper highlights the great advantage of using high vacuum insulation, which suppresses conductive losses, and the versatility of the proposed system, which could be adapted to the user's needs simply by choosing the appropriate material for the photovoltaic layer.

Around 14% of the global population does not have access to electricity. About 95% of those are living in rural Sub-Saharan Africa. Often in these regions, diesel generators are the only source of electricity. The operating cost of these diesel generators is high. However, solar and wind energy are available in most of African countries. This study presents the analysis of designing an off-grid hybrid system with a wind turbine, PV, diesel generator, and battery to power a hospital, school, and 200 household village in four locations across Somalia. The research investigated the availability of wind-solar resources in selected locations. Designing of the system and economic-technical calculations were performed using HOMER. The selection of the optimum design was based on the Cost of Electricity and Net Present Cost. The results show that for Kabaal and Ceel Buur, a WT-PV-DG-Battery is the optimal system as the wind resource in these regions is high. For Saakov and Baki, a PV-DG-Battery system proves to be optimum as the wind resource is limited here. The study also evaluated the control strategy and proved that combined dispatch was the most cost-effective for these locations. The study concluded that hybrid systems are more economical than diesel systems.

This article proposes a new photovoltaic (PV) solar tracker design based on the advantage that installation latitude offers according to efficiency in function of orientation (EFO) of PVs. First, is described a methodology to let incorporate a low-precision, low-cost and high-availability solar tracking mechanism and control system. The design methodology considers the installation location (latitude and azimuth) as a starting point for establishing an adequate angular range of EFO, simultaneity the aspects of available technology and the knowledge accords to developer. Finally, the design technique is experimentally validated by the implementation of a solar tracker at latitude of 28° longitude of 109° and evaluates the efficiency on a specific day. According to result the feasibility of this type of solar tracker for latitudes close to or greater than 30° is highlighted, given that this tracking system costs 30% less than traditional commercial systems as slew drive with its incorporation of lower-resolution azimuth tracking mechanisms. It also increases collection efficiency by 26%, just as continuous or time-based dual-axis solar trackers do, without the more complex controls and mechanisms of these designs.

This study investigates how root environment acidification impacts tea seedlings and the role of magnesium (Mg) in mitigating these effects. We examine varying pH and Mg levels' influence on tea seedlings' resistance to abiotic stress, focusing on antioxidant capacity and nutritional content. In a hydroponic experiment, we varied root pH (3.5, 5.0, 6.5) and Mg concentrations (0.01, 0.4, 0.8 mM), assessing parameters like antioxidant capacity, peroxidative damage, and nutritional content at 1, 7, 15, and 30 days post-treatment. Root environment acidification and Mg deficiency worsened peroxidative damage in tea plant leaves and roots. Increased Mg supplementation enhanced antioxidant enzyme activity, reducing malondialdehyde and mitigating oxidative damage from root environment acid stress. Under acid stress, 0.8 mM Mg significantly increased tea leaf polyphenols, amino acids, and water-soluble extracts. Mg notably boosted chlorophyll content, surpassing lower Mg levels at pH 5. Additionally, Mg reversed root vitality inhibition induced by acid stress, leading to increased nitrogen, potassium, and Mg concentrations in leaves, promoting balanced nutrient absorption. Mg supplementation is crucial for enhancing tea plant antioxidant capacity, alleviating growth inhibition from root environment acid stress, and improving chlorophyll content and root vitality, highlighting Mg's significance in tea cultivation and broader agricultural practices.

Objective: Main purpose of this study is to identify the ruderal plant species which spontaneously grows on the wall and roof surfaces in urban and sub-urban areas due to their limited ecological needs and to contribute to the creating of the sustainable green areas in urban environments by understanding the parameters that ruderals depend on while they require little maintenance and irrigation support if not no. Material and Methods: The main material of this study is the ruderal plants which were collected from totally 60 walls and 36 roof surfaces within six districts of Trabzon city –Akçaabat, Arsin, Çaykara, Of, Ortahisar and Yomra in Turkey. From these 96 habitats, 1540 plants samples form the walls and 448 plant samples from the roofs were collected. All the plant samples collected from the research area were identified in the herbarium of the faculty of forestry in Karadeniz Technical University. Apart from this, parametres affecting coverage rate of common species on three different habitats were analysed.Results: It was found that 448 samples from the roof surfaces distributed into 61 species while 1540 samples from the walls distributed into 196 species. Plus, according to the analyses, 28 species were found on all three different habitats. As a result of the observations, measurements and analyses, it is clear from the study that coverage rate of the plant species depends on anthropogenic interaction, daylight period and depth of the media but there is no relation with the number of the species on the surfaces.Conclusion: Ruderal plants are definitely important to study on, if the world wants the term sustainability to find its real meaning as they require nearly nothing to grow in hard conditions. In urban life, maintenance is getting more and more expensive for green areas in urban life and this makes it difficult for them to survive especially when cities have limited budget on this, which has often occurred all over the world recently. There is no doubt that ruderal plants offer a great opportunity for modern era urban areas with their limited needs to grow in hard conditions. Furthermore, when thinking about the fact a serious amount of the ruderal plants detected on all three basic habitats has a great landscape plant characteristics, the approaches to their usage in urban areas are really critical.

Systematics plays the most crucial role in biodiversity conservation which is at stake due to anthropogenic activities and environmental degradations. The ever-increasing decline of classical taxonomic expertise drives the need to develop molecular marker-based tools for quick, efficient, and reliable detection of organisms, to assess their ecological impacts for deepening our understanding of systematic and evolutionary relationships between organisms which is central to biology. The pace of alpha taxonomy has quickened by its integration with an increasingly fashionable and novel concept called DNA barcoding which utilizes a short genetic marker or barcode to categorize species for enhanced biodiversity assessment. As a supplementary but not complete alternative of systematics research, DNA barcoding, however, not error-free, brings precision in identification by solving existing problems of classical taxonomy and phylogenetics, irrespective of the growth stage of organisms, particularly for known taxa rather than unknown ones. Mitochondrial gene Cytochrome C Oxidase 1 (COI) serves as a universal animal barcode but there is no such universal barcode for plants and developing a suitable one is more challenging. With the recent advancement of Next Generation Sequencing (NGS), DNA metabarcoding technology is advancing rapidly. Still, ambiguity and error prevail with the correct identification of species due to some problems. After extensive analysis of the existing DNA barcoding papers, this review discusses commonly used DNA barcodes in plants and animals, their roles, advantages, limitations to solve existing problems of conservation biology and add the author’s views and recommendations.

Fast neutron (FN) radiation mediated mutagenesis is a unique approach among the several induced mutagenesis methods being used in plant science in terms of impacted mutations. The FN mutagenesis usually creates deletions from a few bases to several million bases (Mb). A library of random deletion generated using FN mutagenesis lines can provide indispensable resources for the reverse genetic approaches. In this review, information from several efforts made using FN mutagenesis has been compiled to understand the type of induced mutations, frequency, and genetic stability. Concerns regarding the utilization of FN mutagenesis technique for a plant with different level of ploidy and genome complexity are discussed. We have highlighted the utility of next-generation sequencing techniques which can be efficiently utilized for the characterization of mutant lines as well as for the mapping of causal mutations. Pros and cons of Mut-map, MutChromSeq, exon capture, whole genome sequencing, MutRen-Seq, and different tilling approaches can be used for the detection of FN-induced mutation has also been discussed. Genomic resources developed using the FN mutagenesis have been catalogued wooing to meaningful utilization of the available resources. The information provided here will be helpful for the efficient exploration for the crop improvement programs and for better understanding of genetic regulations.

Photovoltaic(PV) power generation is highly nonlinear and stochastic. Accurate prediction of PV power generation plays a crucial role in grid connection as well as the operation and scheduling of power plants. To predict the PV power combination model, this paper suggests a method based on Empirical Mode Decomposition (EMD), Ensemble Empirical Mode Decomposition (EEMD), Complete Ensemble Empirical Mode Decomposition with Adaptive Noise (CEEMDAN), Nonlinear Auto-Regressive Neural Networks with Exogenous Input (NARXNN), Long Short Term Memory (LSTM) Neural Network, and Light Gradient Boosting Machine (LightGBM) algorithms. To attempt to reduce the non-smoothness of PV power, the weather variable features with the greatest effect on PV power are first identified by correlation analysis. Following this, the PV power modal decomposition is split and reorganized into a new feature matrix. Finally， a NARX is used to obtain preliminary PV power components and residual vector features， and the PV power is predicted by combining three models of LightGBM， LSTM, and NARX and then the final prediction results are obtained by combining the PV power prediction results using error inverse method weighted optimization. The prediction results demonstrate that the model put forth in this paper outperforms those of other models and validate the model's validity by utilizing real measurement data from Andre Agassi College in the United States.

The optimization of photovoltaic (PV) systems is vital for enhancing efficiency and economic viability, especially under Partial Shading Conditions (PSCs). This study focuses on the development and comparison of traditional and advanced algorithms, including Perturb and Observe (P&O), Incremental Conductance (IC), Fuzzy Logic Control (FLC), Grey Wolf Optimization (GWO), Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO), and Artificial Neural Networks (ANN), for efficient Maximum Power Point Tracking (MPPT). Simulations conducted in MATLAB/SIMULINK evaluated these algorithms’ performance under various shading scenarios. The results indicate that while traditional methods like P&O and IC are effective under uniform conditions, advanced techniques, particularly ANN-based MPPT, exhibit superior efficiency and faster convergence under PSCs. The study concludes that integrating AI and ML into MPPT algorithms significantly enhances the reliability and efficiency of PV systems, paving the way for broader adoption of solar energy technologies in diverse environmental conditions. These findings contribute to advancing renewable energy technology and support the green energy transition.

Stable isotope concentrations in the soil, rain and ground water have been used to trace the water extraction zones of plants in different environments. The need to identify the plant water use by plants in afforestation programs to control desertification increases the importance of sap water partitioning of plants in sand dune areas. However, the introduction of new plant covers exerts pressure on the water resources and can affect the local soil water conditions. In this study, we analyzed the isotope concentrations in rain, soil, sap, and ground water after the summer of 2010. Two experimental plots established in the Hailiutu catchment (Shaanxi province, northwest China) were selected to gather the water samples between September and October 2010. One plot is dominated by Salix bushes (Salix psammophila C. Wang \& Chang Y. Yang) and the other by the tree species Willow (Salix matsudana Koidz.). The total precipitation at the experimental site was 401 mm/yr during 2010, while 88.7 mm was collected in total for the period September to October. Willow trees transpired 12.82 kg/d being almost three times larger than Salix shrubs (4.57 kg/d). Despite the transpiration rates of both plant species and the few rain events in the region, the soil water beneath the plant covers is not depleted. Stable isotope signature of soil water beneath both covers shows the fractionation front in Salix at 20 cm depth and at Willow at 40 cm depth. However, soil water signature is closer to the groundwater than the collected rain water.

Abstract: Like other plants, every PV power plant will one day reach the end of its service life. Calculations show that 20,400 tons of PV waste will be generated worldwide by 2030 and 60.2 million tons by 2050, not including the mass of the support structure. Such large amounts of waste pose a potential threat to the environment and people if not properly managed. The paper analysed the options for dealing with PV waste, namely reuse, recycling and landfilling. For recycling as the best option in terms of environmental protection and circular economy, an overview of recycling technologies and the percentage of achievable recycling for the materials contained in each PV system component is given. In addition, the current situation of legislation and recycling of PV modules in Europe was examined with special reference to the Balkan countries. There are a small number of factories for recycling PV modules in Europe, but none in the Balkan countries. The main reason for this is the small amount of PV waste in these countries and consequently the economic unprofitability. For this reason, PV modules (after dismantling the aluminum frame and cables) are mostly disposed of as non-hazardous waste in landfills in these countries. Finally, the main barriers to faster implementation of PV module reuse and recycling are listed, along with guidelines for their removal. The cost of recycling Si modules is about ten times higher than the cost of disposal. To change this ratio in favor of recycling, cheaper recycling methods need to be developed and taxes on landfill disposal need to be increased.

Cellular communications play pivotal roles in multi-cellular species, but they do so also in uni-cellular species. Moreover, cells communicate with each other not only within the same individual but also with cells in other individuals belonging to the same or other species. These communications occur between two unicellular species, two multicellular species, or between unicellular and multicellular species. The molecular mechanisms involved exhibit diversity and specificity, but they share common basic features which allow common pathways of communication between different, and sometimes very different species. These interactions have been made possible by the high degree of conservation of the basic molecular mechanisms of interaction of many ligand-receptor pairs in evolutionary remote species. These inter-species cellular communications played crucial roles during Evolution and must have been positively selected, particularly when collectively beneficial in hostile environments. We think that communications between cells did not arise after their emergence but was part of the very nature of first cells. Synchronization of populations of non-living protocells through chemical communications may have been a mandatory step towards their emergence as populations of living cells and explain the large commonality of cell communication mechanisms among microorganisms, plants, and animals.

Current environmental conditions have prompted agri-food systems to explore new strategies for improving the production of crops in a sustainable manner. The use of omeprazole (OMP) and melatonin (MEL) have been proposed as innovative strategy for crop improvement when applied as biostimulants. However, although their role in the growth of several species has been studied, the results in photosynthetic efficiency parameters are still scarce. Therefore, the objec-tive of the present study was to evaluate the effect of foliar application of OMP and MEL on bi-omass, yield, SPAD values, leaf chlorophyll fluorescence (Fv/Fm), photochemical quenching (qP), Non-photochemical quenching (NPQ), quantum yield of photosystem II (PhiPSII) and elec-tron transport rate (ETR) in bean plants. Treatments were applied separately at doses of 1, 10, and 100 µM, plus a control without application. The results obtained indicate that OMP and MEL were able to increase biomass, yield, SPAD values, as well as photochemical quenching, fluores-cence, and PhiPSII coefficients. Finally, it is concluded that foliar application of OMP and MEL at a dose of 1 and 10 µM can increase photosynthetic efficiency and decrease photoinhibition, which is reflected in higher biomass accumulation and yield in green bean plants cv. Strike.

With the increasing demand for medicinal plants and the increasing shortage of resources, improving the quality and yield of medicinal plants and making more effective use of medicinal plants has become an urgent problem to be solved. In the process of growth and development of medicinal plants, due to the threat of various adversity, there are problems such as nutrient loss and yield decline. Using traditional chemical pesticides to control the stress resistance of plants will cause serious pollution to the environment and even endanger human health. Therefore, it is necessary to find suitable pesticide substitutes from natural ingredients. As an important part of the microecology of medicinal plants, endophytes can promote the growth of medicinal plants, improve the stress resistance of hosts, and promote the accumulation of active components of hosts. Because it has a more positive and direct impact on the host, and can metabolize rich medicinal ingredients, so researchers pay attention to it. This paper reviews the research in recent five years, aiming to provide ideas for improving the quality of medicinal plants, developing more microbial resources, exploring more medicinal natural products, and providing help for the development of the research on medicinal plants and endophytes.

Flavonoids are a biochemically diverse group of specialized metabolites in plants that are derived from phenylalanine. While the biosynthesis of the flavonoid aglycone is highly conserved across species and well characterized, numerous species-specific decoration steps and their relevance remained largely unexplored. The flavonoid biosynthesis takes place at the cytosolic site of the endoplasmatic reticulum (ER), but accumulation of various flavonoids was observed in the central vacuole. A universal explanation for the subcellular transport of flavonoids has eluded researchers for decades. Current knowledge suggests that a glutathione S-transferase-like protein (ligandin) protects anthocyanins and potentially proanthocyanidin precursors during the transport to the central vacuole. ABCC transporters and to a lower extend MATE transporters sequester anthocyanins into the vacuole. Glycosides of specific proanthocyanidin precursors are sequestered through MATE transporters. A P-ATPase in the tonoplast and potentially other proteins generate the proton gradient that is required for the MATE-mediated antiport. Vesicle-mediated transport of flavonoids from the ER to the vacuole is considered as an alternative or additional route.

In this review article, the occurrence of nor-lignans and their biological activities are explored and described. Nor-lignans have proven to be present in several different families also belonging to chemosystematically distant orders as well as to have many different beneficial pharmacological activities. This review article represents the first one on this argument and is thought to give a first overview on these compounds with the hope that their study may continue if not raise after this.

This study was undertaken to elucidate the role of trehalose (Tre) in mitigating oxidative stress under salinity and low P in maize. Eight-day-old maize seedlings of two maize varieties, BARI Hybrid Maize-7 and BARI Hybrid Maize-9 were subjected to salinity (150 mM NaCl), low P (5 µM KH2PO4) and their combined stress with or without 10 mM Tre for 15-d.Salinity and combined stress significantly inhibited the shoot length, root length, and root volume, whereas, low P increased the root length and volume in both genotypes. Exogenous Tre in the stress treatments increased all of the growth parameters as well as decreased the salinity, low P and combined stress-mediated Na+/K+, ROS, MDA, LOX activity and MG in both genotypes. Under salinity and low P stress, the SOD activity increased in both genotypes, but the activity decreased in combined stress. POD activity increased in all stress treatments. Interestingly, Tre application enhanced the SOD activity in all the stress treatments but inhibited the POD activity. Both CAT and GPX activity were increased by saline and low P stress while the activities inhibited in combined stress. Similar results were found for APX, GR, and DHAR activities in both genotypes. However, MDHAR activity was inhibited in all the stresses. Interestingly, Tre enhanced CAT APX, GPX, GR, MDHAR and DHAR activities suggesting the amelioration of ROS scavenging in maize under all the stresses. Increased GST activity in presence or absence of Tre might involve in detoxification of hydroperoxides as well as leaf senescence. On the other hand, increased glyoxalase activities in saline and low P stress in BHM-9 suggested better MG detoxification system because of down-regulation of Gly-I activity in BHM-7 in those stresses. Tre also increased the glyoxalase activities in both genotypes under all the stresses. Tre improved the growth in maize seedlings by decreasing Na+/K+, ROS, MDA, and MG through regulating antioxidant and glyoxalase systems.

The growing interest in the use of energy storage systems to improve the performance of tramways has prompted the development of control techniques and optimal storage devices, displacement, and sizing to obtain the maximum profit and reduce the total installation cost. Recently, the rapid diffusion of renewable energy generation from photovoltaic panels has also created a large interest in coupling renewable energy and storage units. This study analyzed the integration of a photovoltaic power plant, supercapacitor energy storage system, and railway power system. Random optimization was used to verify the feasibility of this integration in a real tramway electric system operating in the city of Naples, and the benefits and total cost of this integration were evaluated.

Building energy consumption is the main urban energy consumption component, which mainly serves people-centered work and living energy demands. Based on the physical requirements of humans in urban buildings and to determine the comfortable body temperature in each season, this paper establishes a sizing optimization model of building-type integrated energy systems (IES), where the cooling and heating loads required to maintain indoor somatosensory body comfortable temperature are calculated. Depending on the external energy price, internal power balance and other constraints, the model develops an optimal sizing and capacity panning method of energy conversion and storage unit in a building-type IES with PV generation. The operating principle is described as follows: the PV generation is fully consumed, a gas engine satisfies the electric and thermal base load requirements, while the power system and a heat pump supply the remaining loads. The gas price, peak-valley electricity price gap and heat-topower ratio of gas engines are considered as important factors for the overall techno-economic analysis. The developed method is applied to optimize the economic performance of building-type IES and verified by practical examples. The results show that using the complementary characteristics of different energy conversion units is important to the overall IES cost.

Recent years have seen a rapid uptake in distributed energy resources (DER). Such technologies pose a number of challenges to network operators, which can ultimately limit the amount of rooftop solar photovoltaics (PV) systems that can be connected to a network. The objective of this industry-based research was to determine the potential network effects of forecast levels of customer owned rooftop solar PV on Energy Queensland’s distribution network and formulate functions that can be used to determine such effects without the requirement for detailed network modeling and analysis. In this research, many of Energy Queensland’s distribution feeders were modelled using DIgSILENT PowerFactory and analyzed with forecast levels of solar PV and customer load. Python scripts were used to automate this process and quasi dynamic simulation (QDSL) models were used to represent the dynamic volt-watt and volt-var response of inverters, as mandated by the Australian Standard AS/NZS 4777. In analyzing the results, linear regression was used to form trend equations that represent various network characteristics against the number of PV connections. The trend equations provide a way of approximating network characteristics for other feeders under various levels of customer owned rooftop solar PV without the need for detail modeling.

The battery energy storage systems (BESS) are most promising solution for increasing efficiency and flexibility of distribution networks (DNs) with significant penetration level of photovoltaic (PV) systems. There are various issues related to the optimal operation of DNs with integrated PV sys-tems and BESS that need to be addressed to maximize DN performance. This paper deals with the day-ahead optimal active-reactive power dispatching in unbalanced DNs with integrated sin-gle-phase PV generation and BESSs. The objectives are the minimization of cost for electricity, en-ergy losses in the DN and voltage unbalance at three-phase load buses by optimal managing of active and reactive power flows. To solve this highly constrained nonlinear optimization problem, a hybrid particle swarm optimization with sigmoid-based acceleration coefficients (PSOS) and cha-otic gravitational search algorithm (CGSA), called PSOS-CGSA algorithm, is proposed. A scenario based approach encompassing the Monte Carlo simulation (MCS) method with the simultaneous backward reduction algorithm is used for the probabilistic assessment of the uncertainty of PV generation and power of loads. The effectiveness of the proposed procedure is evaluated through the series test cases in a modified IEEE 13-bus feeder.

This work deals with the performance evaluation of novel flat photovoltaic-thermal (PV-T) modules under vacuum. Through a 1D (dimensional) steady-state-energy-balance numerical model developed in MATLAB, two different layouts are studied: the first consisting of a photovoltaic (PV) cell installed just below the glass encapsulating the flat panel, and the second where the PV cell is placed on the selective solar absorber (SSA). In both cases the thermal and electrical efficiencies have been evaluated at different SSA operating temperatures, in the range of 323 K to 423 K. The analysis has been conducted at different energy bandgap (E_bg) of the PV cell and assuming a variable transmittance or emittance of the PV cell, depending on the design. The two systems efficiency comparison has been carried out at the same operating temperature. Overall, this work highlights the importance of high vacuum insulation, which guarantees the reduction of convective thermal losses, and shows that the maximum energy is produced for PV cells with E_bg ≈1.5-1.7 eV, depending on layout and operating temperature, by including the thermal output in the PV-T optimization. The energy and exergy efficiencies obtainable using the proposed PV-T systems are considerably improved compared to the results previously reported in the literature.

In this paper, the seven traditional models of PV modules are reviewed comprehensively to find out the appropriate model to be reliable. All the models are validated using the Matlab code and make a graphical comparison. The accuracy and convergence of each model are evaluated using data of manufactured PV panels. Then, a novel model is proposed showing its consistent performance. The most three key parameters of single-diode model are self revised to adapt to various type of PV modules. This new method is verified in three types of PV panels' data measured by National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), US. The validated data show promising results when the error RMSEs' range of the proposed model is under 0.36.

Power semiconductor devices are essential from the operation point of view, size, efficiency and cost, these components are used in a myriad of applications, providing features that make them an important part of the system in which they are operating. This document analyzes and compares the basic structure, properties, design aspects, as well as temperature performance, stability and switching losses, present in devices on silicon (Si), silicon carbide (SiC) and new generation devices fabricated in gallium nitride (GaN) applied in renewable energy systems. The main objective is determinate the viability of the new generation components, which present a superior performance in view of an increase in efficiency, conductivity, decreases in switching losses, lower resistances and parasitic capacitances as well as higher operating frequency range. Therefore demonstrating the GaN components are a strong and viable candidate to solve some of the problems present in renewable energy systems.

This research work deals with the modeling and control of hybrid photovoltaic (PV) - Wind micro-grid using Quasi Z-Source inverter. This inverter provides better buck/boost characteristics, able to regulate the phase angle output, less harmonic content, no requirement of the filter and has high power performance characteristics over conventional inverter as major benefits. A SEPIC converter as dc-dc switched power apparatus is employed for maximum power point tracking (MPPT) functions which provides high voltage gain throughout the process. Moreover, a modified power ratio variable step (MPRVS) based perturb & observe (P&O) method has been proposed in the PV MPPT action which forces the operating point close to maximum power point (MPP). Practical responses justify the performance of hybrid PV-Wind micro-grid with Quasi Z-Source inverter structure.

This paper aims to establish a current relationship between pharmaceutical sciences and the development of perfumes and fragrances, which bring significant economic benefits and whose added value is among other professionals, the one made by professionals in Pharmacy. For this purpose, historical data are used as a starting point and galenic, chemical and botanical aspects are discussed in a transversal way. In this sense, it must be taken into account that in the case of Spanish pharmacy, it is closely linked to the knowledge and use of plants. Sources such as Web of Science (WOS) and databases such as Scopus, monographs and various web pages (where scientific-technical documents appear) have been used. The results and discussion are based on the selection of the 50 plant species most commonly used in high quality fragrances. Therefore, this publication should be considered as an approach to this subject based on an analysis of a representative sample of data. Some characteristics of perfumes (classification according to the concentration of essential oils and combination of plant extracts) are presented beforehand. They also briefly compile the traditional and modern ways in the treatment of these extracts. The main focus of this work is the botanical and chemical analysis of these described plants, pointing out their common name, correct botanical name, geographical place of origin, used part of the plant and main molecules. The 50 botanical species belong to 27 families of angiosperms and are represented in a large part of the phylogenetic tree of botanical systematics. The most significant families are aromatic: Rutaceae (16.7%), Lamiaceae (16.7%) and Apiaceae (6.5%). The most represented genus is Citrus (with seven species or hybrids). However, it should be noted that natural extracts of good quality natural fragrances may be supplemented with chemically synthesized molecules. Of the 50 botanical species selected, 84% of the extracts have their origin in Tropical Asia, the Middle East and the Mediterranean region. This figure generally coincides with the percentage of medicinal plants (or their extracts) admitted by the European Pharmacopoeia. All parts of a plant (depending on which one it is) can be a source of molecules for the elaboration of these products. The most commonly used parts to obtain extracts are flowers (34%) and leaves (30%), a biological circumstance that is explained in this work. On the opposite side are the resins (10%), rhizomes and roots (8%). In this work, 110 molecules have been found that are part of the essences of perfumes and fragrances, the most frequent are: linalool, limonene, 1,8-cineole, eugenol and derivatives, geraniol, vanillin and derivatives, β-cariophyllene, p-cmene and farnesene and derivatives (3.64%). However, in order to elaborate a quality perfume, many other molecules must be taken into account, according to the creative experience of the perfumer, which is subject to confidentiality and chemical analysis according to current legislation, which would avoid fraud, allergy and dermatitis problems.

This article analyzes and compares the integration of two different maximum power point tracking (MPPT) control methods, which are tested under partial shading and fast ramp conditions. These MPPT methods are designed by Improved Particle Swarm Optimization (IPSO) and a combination technique between Neural Network and Perturb & Observe method (NN_P&O). These two methods are implemented and simulated for photovoltaic systems (PV), where various system responses, such as: voltage and power are obtained. The MPPT techniques were simulated using Matlab/Simulink environment. A comparison of the performance of IPSO and NN_P&O algorithms is carried out to confirm the best accomplishment of the two methods in terms of speed, accuracy and simplicity.

There are ~200.000 households living in the detached houses and ger (yurt) with the small-coal stove which burns a raw coal in the Ulaanbaatar city. The proper heating system and improvement on the energy efficiency of residential dwellings is vital important for Ulaanbaatar city to reduce an air pollution as well as for the operation of current central energy system. This study shows the experimental results of two Gers with two different heating system and different thermal insulation. Technical availability of the system consisting of ETS heater with daytime charging schedule and areal PV system is also examined by using a simulation of MATLAB programming. As a result of the experiment, the indoor comfort level and energy efficiency of the Ger with added insulation and ETS heater with nighttime charging was enhanced to compare with the reference Ger. The Ger with added insulation and ETS heater consumed 3169 kWh for electric appliances and 5989 kWh for the heating season. The simulation was resulted that the ETS heater to be installed in the Ger 2 had prospected to increase the PV self-consumption rate by 76% because of the daytime charging schedule of ETS heater. The PV system supplied 31% of the total energy consumption with remained 69% of the main grid.

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.

With a high proportion of distributed photovoltaic and lower fossil energy integrated into the distribution network, it is very difficult to ensure the reliability of power supply. The distributed photovoltaic planning model based on big data is proposed. According to the impact stochastic photovoltaics and loads on reliability planning, the static and dynamic capacity-load ratios are proposed. The big data analysis model of distributed photovoltaic planning is established. The big data multi-scenario generation and reduction algorithm of stochastic distributed photovoltaic and load planning is studied, and a source-load big data scenario matching model is proposed. Ac-cording to the source load big data scenario, the dynamic capacity-load ratio of the distribution network is obtained. The static capacity-load ratio calculation method in distribution network planning is studied to ensure the reliability of power supply. Finally, the IEEE 33-bus system is used as an example. The results show that distributed photovoltaic planning based on big data and multi-scenario methods can improve photovoltaic utilization and power supply reliability.

This paper focuses on designing and assessing Pumped Hydroelectric Energy Storage Systems (PHES), connected to the grid and PV system for self-consumption structured at Mutah university in an area of high solar potential. In focusing on PHES and PV literature was made to have data on the field, based on the grid code needed in Jordan. Next, a prospection to find the proper location for the installation was done. Afterward, a load profile was inserted to know the energy demand of the university. Then The productivity of the solar power plant of Mutah University was included. Finally, MATLAB software was used to realize the amount of energy to be stored, this data was used to implement the system which was chosen and sized. PHES layout was created to find the most accurate values for parameters to optimize the system performance, and to investigate the loss analysis. The system attains 9230.89 MWh/year. An annual load yields 4430 MWh/year, which covers the Mutah university demand with an estimated saving of 2039773 JD.

In view of the diminishing contribution of natural products from plants to the discovery of new chemical structures, the aim of this study was to compile the articles from 2021 to 2022, assessing: (1) which classes of compounds these new structures belong to; (2) which plants and families these compounds belong to and (3) assessing the degree of novelty of the compound with an already known structure. The review was elaborate following the Preferred Reporting Items for System-atics Reviews and Meta-analyses (PRISMA) statement checklist for guide reporting of systematic reviews. A total of 464 articles were selected for the new compounds of natural origin survey. We included 117 complete articles in this review and reported approximately 109 new structures elucidated during the years 2021 and 2022. Many of the compounds showed small structural var-iations in relation to already known molecules. For some, however, this small modification was decisive for the biological activity reported, demonstrating the importance of descriptive phytochemical studies.

The study of angiosperm flora, endemic plants in the literature, and investigations of ‘POWO Build a checklist’ were used to compile an updated list of Bangladesh's endemic plants. According to the study, at least 49 (1.24%) of Bangladesh's 3,956 plant species are endemic to the country including 5 varieties, belonging to 41 genera in 26 families. Magnoliopsida account for thirty of them, Liliopsida for the remaining sixteen, and Pteridohpytes for the final three. The four families Zingiberaceae (9 taxa), Araceae (6 taxa), Rubiaceae (4 taxa), and Euphorbiaceae (3 taxa), include the most endemic taxa. The five most numerous endemic taxa belong to the Curcuma genus. The endemic flora, which is mostly found in the districts of Chattogram, Moulvibazar, and Rangamati, consists of 13 tree species, 4 shrubs, 5 climbers, and 27 herbaceous plant species.

This review compiles research findings pertaining to Nuclear Distribution C (NudC) genes and their involvement in various cellular processes, including nuclear migration, intracellular transport, nuclear positioning and cell cycle progression. Structural and functional similarities of NudC pro-teins across diverse organisms highlight their evolutionary conserved nature and pivotal roles in upholding cellular functions. Special attention is given to the growing importance of NudC family members in plants, elucidating their contributions to plant growth, development and responses to environmental challenges. Within this framework, we spotlight two Arabidopsis NudC genes, BOB1 and NMig1, for their indispensable roles in embryo and postembryonic development, and involvement in stress responses and tolerance mechanisms. Furthermore, we accentuate the chaperone activity of plant NudC family members, a crucial function in mitigating the adverse effects of stress and bolstering plant resilience in the face of environmental challenges. These insights underscore the promising potential of NudC members as valuable targets for enhancing crop performance, particularly when directed towards optimizing plant morphology and fortifying en-vironmental resistance to enhance overall crop productivity.

To investigate this suitability of Black Mustard (Brassica Nigra L.) and Camelina (Camelina Sativa L.) for pulp manufacturing the nitrate-alkaline method was used. The non-wood plants were characterized by chemical analysis, especially lignin, cellulose, ash, extractives and alpha-, beta-, gamma-cellulose. The pulp was cooked in 6% nitric acid and then underwent the extraction by 5% sodium-hydroxide and neutralized by 1% acetic acid. The cooked pulp was characterized by delignification degree – Kappa number. The laboratory sheets were made from this cooked pulp and they were characterized by tensile index, breaking length, smoothness and compared with commonly available papers.

The solar heat pump system based on photovoltaic photothermal (PV/T) modules is a new technology that integrates photovoltaics and heat reutilization. It can improve the efficiency of photovoltaic conversion and recovery the remaining heat generated during the photoelectric conversion process, thereby improving the comprehensive efficiency of the whole system. Simulink software is a visual simulation tool, which has the advantages of strong applicability, clear simulation structure and calculation process. The design of its graphical programming greatly simplifies the user modeling process and allows for direct viewing of results, therefore improving the simulation efficiency. At present, there is little research on simulation of solar heat pump systems with PV/T modules based on Simulink software. In this paper, the mathematical models of each component contained in the PV/T solar heat pump system were established based on the system working principle, energy conservation equations and some empirical formulas, and then the operation of the system was simulated by the Simulink software. Due to the operation characteristic of PV/T modules is the key influencing factor for the whole system performance, the model and simulation process for PV/T modules were introduced in detail. The results showed that the surface temperature of PV/T modules under different operating conditions was significantly lower than that of ordinary photovoltaic panels, and the temperature change amplitude was lower. As results, the power generation and photovoltaic conversion efficiency were significantly improved.

This research emphasizes a meta-heuristic Modified Ant Lion Optimizer (MALO) optimization approach for simultaneous utilization of DSTATCOM devices and distributed Photovoltaic (PV) sources with network reconfiguration in a radial power distribution scheme. In a radial power distribution network with network reconfiguration majority of the research is based on Constant Power model analysis. However, it is noticed that load models have a substantial impact on the distributed PV sources and the D-STATCOM device's optimal size and position. The effect of the Constant Power (CP) and Polynomial (ZIP) with load growth load models for the simultaneous insertion of distributed PV sources and DSTATCOM devices with network reconfiguration examined in this research work for power system planning. The penetration levels of distributed PV sources considered for the investigation are 25%, 50%, 75%, and 100%. The principal objective of this research is to reduce network total power losses, enhance the voltage magnitude profile at all buses, and reduce the overall operating cost while adhering to equality and inequality constraints. The proposed algorithm verified on 118-node test systems. The investigation is carried out for planning network upgradation to a High Voltage Distribution System(HVDS) on 317 nodes in the rural Bangalore Electricity Supply Company Limited(BESCOM) radial distribution scheme. Simulated results obtained by this method are validated with the BAT algorithm and available techniques in the literature.

Nearly Zero Energy Buildings (NZEBs) play a key role in the world energy transition and this is motivating the scientific community to develop innovative electrical and thermal systems, characterized by very high efficiency to specifically address the energy needs of modern buildings. Naturally, the integration on buildings of latest generation PV-systems helps to satisfy this need and, having in mind this objective, an innovative and highly efficient BIPV-system is presented and discussed in this paper. First, the proposed PV-system is purpose-built to be fully integrated into a variety of buildings and, preferably, into their rooftop. It is based on a certain number of innovative rotating and bifacial PV-modules which are specifically made to be installed “under-glass”, within a likewise custom-made transparent casing. Each of the aforementioned PV-module has the form of single row of bifacial PV-cells and is equipped with two special terminations; the PV-modules are then installed inside their transparent casing, side by side and suitably spaced from each other. Thanks to the aforementioned properties, the PV-modules can rotate around their central longitudinal axis, by using a very low-power, reliable and efficient mono-axial solar tracking system. Finally, by the aforementioned way, the proposed PV-system assumes – de facto - the form of a transparent BIPV-generator (PV-skylight), equipped with an innovative “under-glass” single axis solar tracking system. Once the proposed PV-generator is fully integrated into a building, it generates electricity and, additionally, helps to improve both the whole energy performances and the aesthetic appearance of the building. The electricity generation and illuminance performances of the proposed BIPV-generator are experimentally tested by using a low-power home-made prototype driven by different solar tracking logics and under different operating conditions; the most relevant results are summarized and extensively discussed.

Accurately predicting the power of solar power generation can greatly reduce the impact of the randomness and volatility of power generation on the stability of the power grid system, which is beneficial for the balanced operation and optimized dispatch of the power grid system, and reduces operating costs. Solar PV power generation depends on weather conditions, which are prone to large fluctuations under different weather conditions. Its power generation is characterized by randomness, volatility and intermittency. Recently, the demand for further investigation and effective use on the uncertainty of short-term solar PV power generation prediction has been getting increasing attention in many application of renewable energy sources. In order to improve the predictive accuracy of output power of solar PV power generation and develop a precise predictive model, the authors worked predictive algorithms for the output power of a solar PV power generation system. Moreover, since short-term solar PV power forecasting is one of the important aspects for optimizing the operation and control of renewable energy systems and electricity markets, this review focuses on the predictive models of solar PV power generation, which can be verified in the daily planning and operation of a smart grid system. In addition, the predictive methods in the reviewed literature are classified according to the input data source used for accurate predictive models, and the case studies and examples proposed are analyzed in detail. The contributions, advantages and disadvantages of the predictive probabilistic methods are compared. Finally, the future studies of short-term solar PV power forecasting is proposed.

The outdoor field test of the 4-terminal on Si tandem photovoltaic module (specifically, InGaP/GaAs on Si) was investigated and performance model, considering spectrum change affected by fluctuation of atmospheric parameters, was developed and validated. The 4-terminal on Si tandem photovoltaic module had about 40 % advantage in seasonal performance loss compared with standard InGaP/GaAs/InGaAs 2-terminal tandem photovoltaic module. This advantage is expanded in (subarctic zone) < (temperate zone) < (subtropical zone). The developed and validated model used all-climate spectrum model and considered fluctuation of atmospheric parameters, and can be applied every type of on-Si tandem solar cells.

Fourteen (14) rack-mounted polycrystalline modules installed on the concrete roof of the solar energy applications laboratory at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) in Ghana, a hot humid environment were assessed after 19 years of continuous outdoor expodure. The physical state of the modules was documented using a visual inspection checklist. They were further assessed by current-voltage (I-V) characterization and thermal imaging. The modules were found to be in good physical state, except some bubbles on front side and minor discolouration/corrosion at edge of the cells. Compared with reference values, the performance decline of the modules observed over the exposure period was: nominal power (P_nom), 21% to 35%; short circuit current (I_sc), 5.8% to 11.7%; open circuit voltage (V_oc) 3.6% to 5.6% and 11.9% to 25.7% for fill factor (FF). It is hoped that this study will provide some helpful information to project developers, manufacturers and the research community on the long-term performance of PV modules in Ghana.

Plants are subjected to abiotic stresses throughout their developmental period. Abiotic stresses include drought, salt, heat, cold, heavy metals, nutritional element and oxidative stresses. Improving plant response to various environmental stresses is critical for plant survival and perpetuation. The WRKY transcription factors have special structure (WRKY structural domains), which enable WRKY transcription factors to have different transcriptional regulatory functions. The WRKY transcription factors can not only regulate abiotic stresses response and plant growth and development by regulating phytohormone signalling pathways, but also promote or suppress the expression of downstream genes by binding to the W-box [TGACCA/TGACCT] in the promoters of their target genes. In addition, WRKY transcription factors not only interact with other families of transcription factors to regulate plant defence responses in abiotic stresses, but also self-regulate by recognizing and binding to W-boxes in their own target genes to regulate their defence responses to abiotic stresses. However, in recent years, research reviews on the regulatory roles of WRKY transcription factors in higher plants are scarce and shallow. In this review, we focus on the structure and classification of WRKY transcription factors, as well as the identification of their downstream target genes and molecular mechanisms involved in the response to abiotic stresses, which can improve the tolerance ability of plants in abiotic stress and we also look forward to their future research directions, with a view to providing theoretical support for the genetic improvement of crop abiotic stresses tolerance.

Climate change and the increasing frequency of high-temperature events are significant threats to global crop yields. To address this, a comprehensive understanding of how plants respond to heat shock (HS) is essential. Signaling pathways involving calcium (Ca2+), a versatile second messenger in plants, encode information through temporal and spatial variations in ion concentration. Ca2+ is detected by Ca2+-sensing effectors, including channels and binding proteins, which trigger specific cellular responses. At elevated temperatures, the cytosolic concentration of Ca2+ in plant cells increases rapidly, making Ca2+ signals the earliest response to HS. In this review, we discuss the crucial role of Ca2+ signaling in raising plant thermotolerance and we explore its multifaceted contributions to various aspects of the plant HS response.

The growing population meet the challenge for agricultural production. CRISPR/Cas9 technology is based on plant research for the development of the new varieties as well as disease resistance crops. In addition the deletion of significant characters makes the new alleles from the CRISPR/Cas9. Recent and reliable molecular scissor for genetic engineering. The review is focused on the various application of the CRISPR/Cas9 technology in plant enhancement of plant disease resistance, stress burden in plant, nutritional improvement, and quality of crops from the CRISPR/Cas9 system. The clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeat (CRISPR)-associated protein9 (cas9) is adopted from the prokaryotic type II system. CRISPR/Cas9 is simplicity and efficiency than ZENs and TALENs for the genome engineering. Due to rapid growing of the CRISPR/Cas9 system has been formulate the adaptation of many plant species. The current advancement of plants and future schemes of improve of CRISPR technology has been presented in contest of multiplex editing, knowledge on induced mutation whether the factor effect in CRISPR/Cas9 technology in plant. Remarkable perspective and challenges of CRISPR/Cas9 technology in significance of plant genetic modification.

Abiotic stress in plants is an increasingly common problem in agriculture, and thus, studies on plant treatments with specific certain compounds that may help to mitigate these effects have increased in recent years Melatonin (MET) application and its role in mitigating the negative effects of abiotic stress in plants have become important in the last few years. MET, a derivative of tryptophan, is an important plant-related response molecule involved in the growth, development, and reproduction of plants, and the induction of different stress factors. In addition, MET plays a protective role against different abiotic stresses such as salinity, high/low temperature, high light, waterlogging, nutrient deficiency and stress combination by regulating both the enzymatic and non-enzymatic antioxidant defense systems. Also, MET interacts with many signaling molecules, among these, reactive oxygen species (ROS) and nitric oxide (NO), and participates in a wide variety of physiological reactions. It is well known that NO produces S-nitrosylation and NO2-Tyr of important antioxidant-related proteins, being this an important mechanism for maintaining the antioxidant capacity of the AsA/GSH cycle under nitro-oxidative conditions, being extensively reviewed here under different abiotic stress conditions. Lastly, in this review, we show the coordination between NO and MET as a long-range signaling molecule, regulating many responses in plants, including plant growth and abiotic stress tolerance. Despite all the knowledge acquired over the years, there is still more to know about how MET and NO act on tolerance to abiotic stresses.

This study surveyed the variation in Perfluorinated Compounds (PFCs) concentration entering urban wastewater treatment plants and proposed an optimal PFCS treatment method. The PFCS concentration in influent was shown to be affected by the types of industries and operating rate. The concentration of PFCs in the wastewater treatment effluent was slightly lower than that of influent. Thus, PFCs were considered to have barely been removed by the existing biological treatments. The pilot test result showed that about 10% of PFCs were removed by coagulation and precipitation, and the ozone and chlorine test also showed that few PFCs were removed regardless of the amount of injection. The activated carbon adsorption test showed that the removal was significantly increased by the empty bed contact time, with about a 60% removal in five minutes and over a 90% removal in 15 minutes. Therefore it is determined that a more stable and higher PFCs removal would result from the continuous oxidation processes such as ozone and adsorption processes such as activated carbon rather than a single biological treatment.

A novel hybrid CSP-PV power plant is presented. Instead of the integration used in current hybrid power plants, where part of the PV production is charged into the thermal energy storage system through electrical resistors, the proposed system integrates both PV and thermal solar fields using a high-temperature heat pump. Both the heat pump and the heat engine are based on Brayton supercritical CO2 thermodynamic cycles. Such integration allows for charging the molten salts storage as if a central tower receiver field supplied the thermal energy, whereas parabolic trough collectors are employed. Unlike conventional hybrid plants, where the storage of PV production leads to a decrease in power injected into the grid throughout the day, the power injected by the proposed system remains constant. The heat engine efficiency is 44.4%, and the COP is 2.32. The LCOE for a 50 MWe plant with up to 12 hours of storage capacity is 171 $/MWh, which is lower than that of existing CSP power plants with comparable performance. Although the cost is higher compared to a PV plant with batteries, this hybrid system offers two significant advantages: it eliminates the consumption of critical raw materials in batteries, and all the electricity produced comes from a synchronous machine.

Due to an increase of the monocrystalline PV systems installations, for a drive towards the sustainable smart cities in the hot arid developing country such as Pakistan, pose challenges of the performance and degradation issues. Monocrystalline PV module efficiencies are declining and damaging under the continuous exposure to higher surface day-time temperatures in the different parts of the country. A MATLAB simulations were performed based on the validated mathematical approach. This paper investigates the hot arid surface temperature impacts on the performance of PV modules during the summer and winter seasons in Pakistan. The investigations are performed examining the power generating efficiency of the PV system. This paper also investigates the influence of installations of PV-system in the North, South, East and West regions of Pakistan. It was examined that the northern areas of Pakistan are more suitable for maintaining the long-term durability of the PV system. Investigations are performed for the peak summer and peak winter days. During summer months, cooling strategies have to be implemented to overcome the heating effects whilst reducing degradation effect on installed PV-system.

In contrast to animals, adult organs in plants are not determined during embryogenesis but gen-erated from meristematic cells as plants advance through development. Plant development in-volves a succession of different phenotypic stages and the transition between these stages is termed phase transition. Phase transitions need to be tightly regulated and coordinated to ensure they occur under optimal seasonal, environmental conditions. Polycarpic perennials transition through vegetative stages and the mature, reproductive stage many times during their lifecycles and, in both perennial and annual species, environmental factors and culturing methods can re-verse the otherwise unidirectional vector of plant development. Epigenetic factors regulating gene expression in response to internal cues and external (environmental) stimuli influencing the plant’s phenotype and development have been shown to control phase transitions. How develop-mental and environmental cues interact to epigenetically alter gene expression and influence these transitions are not well understood and understanding this interaction is important considering the current climate change scenarios, since epigenetic maladaptation could have catastrophic con-sequences for perennial plants in natural and agricultural ecosystems. Here we review studies focussing on the epigenetic regulators of the vegetative phase change and highlight how these mechanisms might act in exogenously induced plant rejuvenation and regrowth following stress.

One of the major problem of photovoltaic grid integration is limiting the solar-induced imbalances since these can undermine the security and stability of the electrical system. Improving the forecast accuracy of photovoltaic generation is becoming essential to allow a massive solar penetration. In particular, improving the forecast accuracy of large solar farms generation is important both for the producers/traders to minimize the imbalance costs and for the Transmission System Operators to insure stability. In this article, we provide a benchmark for the day-ahead forecast accuracy of utility scale PV plants in 1325 locations spanning the country of Italy. We then use these benchmarked forecasts and real energy prices to compute the economic value of forecast accuracy and accuracy improvement in the context of the Italian energy market regulatory framework. Through this study, we further point out some several important criticisms of the Italian “single pricing” system that brings to paradoxical and counterproductive effects regarding the need to reduce the imbalance volumes. Finally, we propose a new market-pricing rule and innovative actions to overcome these undesired effects of the current dispatching regulations.