Pyrops candelaria is one of the common pests of fruit trees, but the research on the pathogenic microorganisms it may carry is very limited. Therefore, it is essential to reveal the pathogenic microbes it carries and their potential hazards. This study found a new virus from the transcriptome of P. candelaria, which was first reported in P. candelaria and named as PyCaV (Pyrops candelaria associated virus). RACE and bioinformatics assay revealed that the full-length of PyCaV is 10855 bp with the polyA tail, containing a single open reading frame (ORF) encoding a polyprotein consisting of 3171 amino acid (aa). The virus has a typical Iflavirus structure, including two rhv domains, a RNA helicase domain (HEL), a 3C cysteine protease domain (Pro), and a RNA-dependent RNA polymerase domain (RdRp). Further phylogenetic analysis revealed that this virus belongs to family Iflaviridae and sequence alignements analysis suggedted PyCaV is new member in unassigned genus of family Iflaviridae. Further in-depth analysis of virus-infection-part showed that PyCaV is distributing in the whole longan lanternfly, including its head, chest, and abdomen, but more PyCaV was identified in the chest. The distribution of PyCaV in different parts of P. candelaria was further explored, which showed that more PyCaV were detected in its piercing-sucking mouthparts and chest viscera. Statistical analysis showed that the PyCaV infection was affected by time and locations.

The Simultaneous Localization And Mapping (SLAM) scanner is an easy and portable Light Detection And Ranging (LiDAR) data acquisition device. Its main output is a 3D point cloud covering the scanned scene. Regarding the importance of accuracy in the survey domain, this paper aims to assess the accuracy of two SLAM scanners: the NavVis VLX and the BLK2GO Scanner. This assessment is conducted for both outdoor and indoor environments. In this context, two types of reference data are used: the Total Station (TS) and the static scanner Z+F Imager 5016. To carry out the assessment, four comparisons are tested: cloud to cloud, cloud to mesh, mesh to mesh, and edge detection board assessment. However, the results of the assessments confirm that the accuracy of indoor SLAM scanner measurements (5 mm) is greater than that of outdoor ones (between 10 mm and 60 mm). Moreover, the comparison of cloud to cloud provides the best accuracy regarding direct accuracy measurement without manipulations. Finally, based on the high accuracy, scanning speed, flexibility, and the accuracy differences between tested cases, it is confirmed that SLAM scanners are effective tools for data acquisition.

Lignin is insoluble in water, limiting its use in the synthesis of adhesives. Therefore, in order to increase the amount of lignin raw materials used in the synthesis of adhesives, a kind of aminated lignin compounds was prepared through lignin amination reaction, and conducting structural analysis in this paper. The particle size of the amino lignin is about 100 nm, with the weight average molecular weight of 57,627 g/mol and a water solubility of 0.45g/100ml. The reaction mechanisms were proposed that the phenolic hydroxyl groups of lignin react with ammonia molecules, and thereby successfully introducing amino groups to generate the aminated lignin compounds. Therefore, this article enriches the scientific theory of lignin reactions and provides reference for the widespread application of lignin raw materials in the field of adhesives.

Climate change has altered the frequency and severity of extreme weather, which can affect vegetation condition and habitat quality for wildlife. Declines in vegetation productivity during droughts and heatwaves can negatively impact animals that depend on vegetation for water and nutrition. The ability to detect such effects on habitat suitability can reveal refugia, which can be prioritised for protection to improve threatened species conservation. We used the normalised difference vegetation index (NDVI) to look at relationships between vegetation productivity and the presence of koalas (Phascolarctos cinereus) in potential habitat throughout much of their range. Using a large, long-term koala presence dataset, we tested the hypothesis that locations where koalas had been observed would exhibit higher NDVI values than a random, representative sample from the same vegetation group (i.e. woodlands, open forests or tall open forests). We also identified the minimum NDVI threshold at which koalas occurred across time for each vegetation group and compared these to the minimum NDVI values observed across potential koala habitat before and during the millennium drought; one of the worst recorded in Australia. Additionally, we investigated whether vegetation above the minimum NDVI thresholds was significantly closer to perennial water than unsuitable vegetation. We found that koalas tend to occur at locations exhibiting higher NDVI than average for all vegetation groups. We also found that 49% of all vegetation groups maintained a minimum NDVI above the koalas’ NDVI threshold before drought, equating to 190,227 km2, which declined to 166,746 km2 during drought (a 12% reduction). We also found that unsuitable vegetation tended to occur farther from perennial water than suitable vegetation for some vegetation groups. Areas that remained above the NDVI thresholds during the drought should be considered potential refugia for populations during an event of similar magnitude and could indicate future core habitat extent.

Highly diverse agroecosystems are increasingly of interest as the realization of farms' invaluable ecosystem services grows. Simultaneously there has been an increased use of uncrewed aerial systems (UAS) in remote sensing as drones offer a finer spatial resolution and faster revisit rate than traditional satellites. With the combined utility of UAS and the attention on agroecosystems, there exists an opportunity to assess UAS practicality in highly biodiverse settings.  In this study, we utilized UAS to collect fine-resolution 10-band multispectral imagery of coffee agroecosystems in Puerto Rico. We created land cover maps through a pixel-based supervised classification of each farm and assembled accuracy assessments for each classification. To bolster our understanding of the classifications, we interviewed farmers to understand their thoughts on how these maps may be best used to support their land management. The average overall accuracy (53.9%), though relatively low, was expected for such a diverse landscape with fine-resolution data. After sharing imagery and land cover classifications with farmers, we found that while the prints were often a point of pride or curiosity for farmers, integrating the maps into farm management was perceived as impractical. These findings highlight that while remote sensing of diverse agroecosystems may provide a detailed way of estimating land cover classes and ecosystem services for researchers and government agencies for example these maps may be of limited use to land managers without additional interpretation.

Measuring the impact of land use regulation on the land market involves identifying and classifying relevant impact factors related to the land market. The objective of this study was to identify land market impact factors in the context of the introduction of land use regulation in Nepal. A desktop review was carried out to identify preliminary set of impact factors, which were reclassified through intuitive analysis based on the degree of thematic closeness. Perspective-based impact factors were identified through the qualitative analysis of primary data collected through semi-structured interviews with the Nepalese land market stakeholders. These independently derived impact factors were compared with the desktop literature review impact factors resulting in fourteen land market impact factors across four dimensions, including transaction cost, valuation, mortgage availability, taxation, and compensation across the economic dimension; lot size, subdivision restrictions, and coordination across the institutional dimension; awareness, expectation and proximity across the social dimension; and risk reduction, quality of residential land, and suitability of zoning classification across the environmental dimension. There was significant overlap and commonality across factors identified from both the literature review and semi-structured interviews. The land market impact factors determined in the study may be adapted and generalized across other countries and could be utilized to better understand the impacts of land policy decisions on urban planning and development. Further research is recommended on the process to operationalize the use of these factors to quantify the impact of land use regulation on different land markets.

Dynamic time history analysis is a powerful and effective method to study the seismic response of tunnels, the dynamic time history to analyze the seismic response of the tunnel in the typical subway in this paper. The analysis results show that the overall levelling of the tunnel will not affect the tunnel too much, and the seismic response of the tunnel is mainly related to the relative displacement of the ground around the tunnel. The analysis results show that the internal force of the tunnel and the tunnel inclination have a good linear relationship, and the tunnel inclination can be used to measure the magnitude of the seismic response of the tunnel.

Flooding, exacerbated by climate change, poses a significant threat to certain areas, increasing in frequency and severity. In response, the construction of supplementary dams has emerged as a reliable solution for flood management. This study employs a Remote Sensing (RS) approach integrated with GIS to assess the feasibility of constructing a supplementary dam near Linville, Brisbane, Australia, with the aim of mit-igating floods and preventing overtopping failure at the Wivenhoe Dam. Using QGIS software and a 25-meter resolution DEM from the Queensland Spatial Catalogue ‘QSpatial’ website, four potential dam sites were analysed, considering cross-sections, watershed characteristics, and water volume calculations. Systematic selection criteria were applied to identify the most optimal option based on dam wall di-mensions, volume-to-area, and volume-to-cost ratios. The selected option was further assessed against predefined criteria, yielding one optimal choice. The study provides insights into the feasibility and ef-fectiveness of supplementary dam construction for flood mitigation in the region, with recommendations for future research and implementation.

The construction sector of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), valued at USD 152 billion and employing 2.54 million people by 2023, is crucial to its economy. However, it faces challenges such as delays, disputes, and cost overruns. This study aims to address these issues by implementing Building Information Modeling (BIM) in the KSA, based on an extensive literature review highlighting the role and significance of BIM in mitigating construction claims. BIM improves collaboration, communication, and data integration among stakeholders. Hence, this study proposes a comprehensive BIM package framework comprising Revit Architecture, Microsoft Project, and Cost-X to reduce claims effectively. Validated through a KSA claims case study with a USD 1,870,000 claims value and 360-day delay, the BIM package significantly reduced the claims value to USD 188,000 and saved 275 days. Interview sessions were conducted to validate the effectiveness of the BIM package; 95% favored the use of BIM, 86% supported NEC4 contract adoption alongside BIM, 100% acknowledged BIM's potential in reducing design errors, 95% were confident in the case study's accuracy, and 82% were satisfied with data accuracy. This study confirms that BIM is an effective approach for minimizing construction claims in the KSA.

Many children who live in the interior and mountainous areas of Papua-Indonesia do not get the right of education. This research aims to formulate a theoretical concept of boarding school-based character education by implementing Papuan cultural contextual education in the process of education. The method used is a qualitative method with a grounded theory approach. The research participants were 14 people. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews and textual analysis of the interview results. The data analysis technique uses the Atlas.ti application by using three levels of coding: open coding, axial coding, and selective coding. The research results show that there are six main concepts as a model of boarding school character education: personal development, spiritual development, extracurricular activities, clean and healthy lifestyles, learning from inspirational figures, and academic development. These six theoretical concepts can be divided into internal and external character building. One of the uniqueness of character education is the integration of local cultural values in the whole process of character education of the children, both in the school environment and in the dormitory. The results of the study provide insights for educators, schools, and government on different forms of character education models.

With the rapid development of new energy vehicles and the digital electronics industry, the demand for lithium has surged, necessitating advanced lithium extraction technologies. Electrochemical methods, noted for their high selectivity and efficiency in extracting target ions from liquid sources in an environmentally friendly manner, have become increasingly vital. These methods are versatile, applicable in scenarios such as lithium extraction from saline lakes, mother liquor separation, and lithium enrichment. They include electrochemical deintercalation, electrochemical ion pumps, and electrodialysis, each offering unique benefits and challenges depending on the application context. This review provides a detailed exploration of the research progress in lithium extraction using electrochemical methods and discusses future prospects for these technologies, emphasizing their potential to meet the growing demand for lithium.

Bearing component damage contributes significantly to rotating machinery failures. It is vital for the rotor-bearing system to be in good condition to ensure proper functioning of the machine. Over recent decades, extensive research has been devoted to the condition monitoring of rotational machinery, with a particular focus on bearing health. This paper provides a comprehensive literature review of recent advancements in intelligent condition monitoring technologies for rolling element bearings. Fundamental monitoring strategies are introduced, covering various sensing, signal processing, and feature extraction techniques for detecting defects in rolling element bearings. While vibration-based monitoring remains prevalent, alternative sensor types are also explored, offering complementary diagnostic capabilities or detecting different defect types compared to accelerometers alone. Signal processing and feature extraction techniques, including time domain, frequency domain, and time-frequency domain analysis, are discussed for their ability to provide diverse perspectives for signal representation, revealing unique insights relevant to condition monitoring. Special attention is given to information fusion methodologies and the application of intelligent algorithms. Multisensor systems, whether homogeneous or heterogeneous, integrated with information fusion techniques, hold promise in enhancing accuracy and reliability by overcoming limitations associated with single sensor monitoring. Furthermore, the adoption of AI techniques, such as machine learning and metaheuristic optimisation, has led to significant advancements in condition monitoring, yielding successful outcomes in various studies. Finally, avenues for further advancements to improve monitoring accuracy and reliability are identified, offering insights into future research directions.

Digital Twin (DT) technology is a pivotal innovation within the built environment industry, facilitating digital transformation through advanced data integration and analytics. DTs have demonstrated significant benefits in building design, construction, and asset management, including optimizing lifecycle energy use, enhancing operational efficiency, enabling predictive maintenance, and improving user adaptability. By integrating real-time data from IoT sensors with advanced analytics, DTs provide dynamic and actionable insights for better decision-making and resource management. Despite these promising benefits, several challenges impede the widespread adoption of DT technology, such as technological integration, data consistency, organisational adaptation, and cybersecurity concerns. Addressing these challenges requires inter-disciplinary collaboration, standardization of data formats, and the development of universal design and development platforms for DTs. This paper provides a comprehensive review of DT definitions, applications, capabilities, and challenges within the Architecture, Engineering, and Construction (AEC) industries. This paper provides important insights for researchers and professionals, helping them gain a more comprehensive and detailed view of DT. The findings also demonstrate the significant impact that DTs can have on this sector, contributing to advancing DT implementations and promoting sustainable and efficient building management practices. Ultimately, DT technology is set to revolutionize the AEC industries by enabling autonomous, data-driven decision-making and optimizing building operations for enhanced productivity and performance.

This paper discusses the design and implementation of a portable IoT station. Communication and data synchronization issues in several installations are addressed here, making possible a detailed analysis of the entire system during its operation. The system proposed is interpreted as an additional tool which can be utilized in several applications, where the system operator requires a synchronized data stream, combining multiple communication protocols into one single time stamp. The hardware selected for the portable IoT station complies with the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) industrial standards. A short discussion regarding interface customization shows how easily the hardware can be modified so that it is integrated with almost any system. A Programmable Logic Controller enables the Node-Red to be utilized. This open-source programming tool employs flows to define operations for each global variable nominated in the Modbus register. Two applications are presented and discussed in this paper, each application has a distinct methodology utilized to publish and visualize the acquired data. The portable IoT Station is highly customizable, consisting of a modular structure and providing the best platform for future research and development of dedicated algorithms.

The utilization of natural waxes to form oleogels has emerged as a new and efficient technique for structuring liquid edible oil into solid-like structures for diverse food applications. The objective of this study was to investigate the interaction between sunflower wax (SW) and monoglycerides (MGs) in olive oil oleogels and to assess their physical characteristics and storage stability. To achieve this, pure SW and a combination of SW with MGs in a 1:1 ratio were examined within a total concentration range of 6-12% w/w. The formed oleogels were characterized based on their microstructure, melting and crystallization properties, textural characteristics, and oxidative stability during storage. All the oleogels were shelf-stable, and as the concentration increased, the hardness of the oleogels also increased. The crystals of SW oleogels were long needle-like, while the combination of SW and MGs led to the formation of crystal aggregates and rosette-like crystals. The differential scanning calorimetry and FTIR showed that the addition of MGs led to different crystal structures. The oxidation results revealed that oleogels had low peroxide and TBARS values throughout the 28-day storage. These results provide useful insights about the utilization of SW and MGs oleogels for potential applications in the food industry.

The control of the fine particle emission from the coal-fired power plants has been a big challenge in china. Either the conventional electrostatic precipitator or the fabric filter has some shortages. The electrostatic precipitator is hard to keep high efficiency for the submicron particles. The fabric filter could keep high efficiency but with very high pressure drop. One solution is to combine them together. Several types of hybrid particle collectors (HPC) combining the electrostatic precipitator and the fabric filter together have been developed and applied in a number of projects in China. In recent years, numerical simulation technology has been widely used in the design of the collectors. In this paper, an unsteady numerical model is used to investigate the particle deposition characteristics in a scale hybrid collector. The fluid field is modeled by using incompressible Navier-Stokes equations with the RNG turbulence equations. The corona discharge is solved by using a finite volume method. The particle charging is modeled by using a filed-diffusing combined model. And an unsteady cake formation model is used to simulate the filtration process.

Volcanic activity essentially consists of the transfer of heat from the Earth’ interior to the surface. The precise signature of this heat transfer relates directly to the processes underway at and within a particular volcano and this can be observed, at a safe distance, remotely, using infrared sensors that are present on Earth-orbiting satellites. For over 50 years, scientists have perfected this art using sensors intended for other purposes, and they are now in a position to determine the particular sort of activity that characterizes different volcanoes. This review will describe the theoretical basis of the discipline and then discuss the sensors available for the task and the history of their use. Challenges and opportunities for future development in the discipline are then discussed.

Lake sediment records are of great importance for understanding the evolution of watershed environments. Various studies have been carried out to constrain the depositional ages of lake sediments and examine their physical, chemical, and biological characteristics, aiming to construct historical vegetation, environment and climate patterns in Chinese lake watersheds. In this study, we obtained relevant literature on lake sediment records by searching the key word 'age-depth' from the databases – Web of Science and China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI, the largest Chinese academic database). We analyzed the literature based on its type (published in a Chinese/English journal or as a Master’s/PhD thesis), period of publication, journal (if published in a journal), key authors, study area, dating scale, and main aims. The results suggest that the lakes in the plateau regions are the most popular research topic typically covering 100–200 years (short-term) and 500–30,000 years (long-term). The literature focuses on a wide range of topics, from past environmental evolution in the watershed to lake ecology, and provides a solid foundation for better understanding regional climate change and the preservation of lake environments and ecosystems. In the future, resulting data from environmental reconstruction with lake sediments will be needed to integrate with emerging information processing technologies (e.g., artificial intelligence and meta-analysis), to disentangle the complex interplay between Earth surface processes and global climate change; furthermore, strengthening interdisciplinary collaboration will deepen our comprehension of man-land relationship and promote the sustainable management of lake ecosystems in the context of global climate change.

In India, particularly within its North-Eastern territories, the occurrence of landslides triggered by post-dry period rainfall events is a significant concern, with the phenomena persistently causing extensive damage to both life and infrastructure. Despite the inevitability of such natural disasters, it is understood that the impact they exert can be substantially mitigated through the implementation of pre-emptive measures. Critical to the endeavour of landslide prevention is the application of a spectrum of mitigation strategies, predicated upon a foundational analysis of slope stability to ascertain critical surfaces for intervention. This investigation delves into the dynamics of partially saturated soils, a condition commonly resultant from the prolonged dry periods preceding the monsoonal rains. The study's focal point is an experimental examination conducted on soil samples to assess parameters such as soil matric suction and unconfined compressive strength across varying degrees of saturation and density, alongside performing analyses of slope failure incidents after dry period during the 2017 monsoon in the Lunglei district, Mizoram based on some established data. The Soil-Water Characteristic Curve (SWCC), derived from soil suction measurements employing the ASTM D5298-10 standard, utilizes a contact filter paper method and serves to delineate the moisture transition phases of the slope. To replicate the desiccation of the soil slope after monsoonal rains, a microwave drying technique based on the ASTM standard was employed to prepare unsaturated soil samples for Unconfined Compressive Strength (UCS) testing. The integrity of the slope was evaluated in a temporal context, before and after rainfall events of varied intensities throughout the calendar year, utilizing a blend of numerical modeling and empirical laboratory investigations. The persistence of real onsite slope failures underscores the necessity for a numerical analysis approach to unravel the underlying factors causing slope instability, especially given the absence of prior stability assessments for the landslide in question. An evaluation of SWCC curves, UCS tests on partially saturated soil at different densities and saturation and the utilization of the benchmark data collected in 2017 on the shallow transitional landslide in Lunglei, Mizoram caused by intense monsoonal precipitation, are central key data and information used to carry out this research. Rainfall data for Lunglei, sourced from the Mizoram Meteorological Department, facilitated a real-time monsoonal data-driven numerical analysis. This analysis elucidated the pivotal role of rainfall in inducing slope failure, indicating a marked destabilization of the slope after precipitation events. The implications of these findings are far-reaching, suggesting a foundational basis for the development of an advanced landslide early warning system, thereby enhancing disaster preparedness, and mitigating potential damages.

In an era marked by swift technological progress, the pivotal role of Artificial Intelligence (AI) is increasingly evident across various sectors, including local governments. These governmental bodies are progressively leveraging AI technologies to enhance service delivery to their communities, ranging from simple task automation to more complicated engineering endeavours. While more and more local governments are adopting AI, it is imperative to understand the functions, implications, and consequences of AI. Despite the growing importance of this domain, a significant gap persists within the scholarly discourse. This study strives to bridge this void by exploring the applications of AI technologies within the context of local government service provision and using this inquiry to generate lessons and best practices for similar smart city initiatives. Through a comprehensive grey literature review, we analysed 262 real-world AI implementations across 170 local governments worldwide. The findings underscore several key points: (a) There has been a consistent upward trajectory in the adoption of AI by local governments over the last decade; (b) Local governments from China, the US, and the UK are at the forefront of AI adoption; (c) Among local government AI technologies, Natural Language Processing and Robotic Process Automation emerge as the most prevalent ones; (d) Local governments primarily deploy AI across 28 distinct services; (e) Information management, back-office work, and transportation and traffic management are leading domains in terms of AI adoption. This study enriches the extant body of knowledge by providing an overview of existing AI applications within the sphere of local governance. It offers insights for smart city policymakers and decision-makers considering the adoption, expansion, or refinement of AI technologies in urban service provision. Additionally, it underscores the importance of using these insights to guide the successful integration and optimisation of AI in future smart city projects, ensuring they meet the evolving needs of communities.

Alternative fertilizations are essential to minimize the deteriorating effects of chemical fertilizers on soil and water quality/health. Accordingly, the present work investigated the effects of combined organic-inorganic fertilization (COIF) on wheat and rice yields, soil nutrients, and soil Cd accumulation. Hence, seven different treatments were set up: control (CK); conventional fertilization (CF); optimized fertilization (OF); organic fertilizer replacing 25% (T1) and 50% (T2) of OF; and organic nitrogen (N) replacing 25% (M1) and 50% (M2) of OF-N. Overall, significant increases occurred in the yields of COIF crops. Compared with the CF, the highest wheat and rice yields happened in M1 treatment (approximately by18.5%) (P < 0.05). COIF slightly alleviated soil acidification, and improved the cation exchange capacity (CEC) of the study soils. Besides, COIF treatments significantly increased the contents of total phosphorus, total potassium, available phosphorus, and available potassium by 6.35 to 16.9 %, 3.17 to 10.9 %, 5.53 to 28.7 %, and 2.6 to 12 %, respectively (P <0.05). Nevertheless, negligible increases took place in Cd content of COIF soils compared with the CK. Altogether, our results concluded on 25% replacement of OF-N by organic N (M1) to effectively improve the fertility/ecological sustainability of the study soils.

Abstract: Dispersal strategies of a species can affect its invasion success. Investigation into the dispersal strategies of invasive species in relation to different factors helps our understanding of the invasion mechanisms and provides knowledge for population management and invasion evaluation. Tetranychus ludeni Zacher (Acari: Tetranychidae) is an invasive species, which is native to Europe but now cosmopolitan. Here, we examined the effects of age and density on dispersal in mated females. Our results show that older females with more eggs were more likely to disperse and moved longer distances than younger ones with fewer eggs. Older females spread most of their eggs out of the natal habitats and over longer distances, which reduced competition and increased offspring fitness. Females significantly increased dispersal probability and distance with the increase of population density to avoid crowding. The synchronization of dispersal and reproduction, along with the positive density-dependent dispersal strategy, may facilitate habitat colonization and invasion speed of T. ludeni.

The research on the excavation mechanical properties of underpass tunnels has already had certain results, but fewer of them consider the effects of dynamic and static loads on the excavation mechanical properties of underground tunnels at the same time, especially the lack of research cases of double-line highway tunnels with angled underpasses of existing railway tunnels. In this paper, based on the tunnel project of the new double-line Shiqian Highway Tunnel passing under the Hurong Railway at an oblique angle, the mechanical parameters of the rock body in the cross-tunneling area under the influence of static and dynamic load coupling are obtained by using the disturbance quantification coefficients and the Hoek-Brown criterion based on the method of over-advanced geological prediction and the investigation of the surrounding rock on the palisade face, and the engineering-scale finite element model is constructed and the mechanical characteristics of the excavation in the tunnel of the double-lane highway tunnel passing under the existing railroad under the influence of the static and dynamic loads are analyzed. The results show that: the new tunnel rock movement law for the top of the arch sinking, bottom plate bulging, side wall to move outward, the height and width of the arch and bottom plate arch with the tunnel excavation and increase, the side wall rock displacement effect is smaller; left and right lines of the tunnel disturbed area of the rule of change is similar; the existing tunnel bottom plate displacement is more than the top plate and the left and right side walls by the excavation of the time step influence is larger. Typical profile displacement is mainly determined by the distance from the excavation surface; the new tunnel in the four types of calculation conditions of the rock disturbance angle is the same; the existing tunnel roof and side wall Von Mises stress extreme occurs in the tunnel structure, the bottom plate there are pressure relief and pressure-bearing areas; based on the displacement control criteria, the recommended upper and lower step blasting method.

This paper introduces a novel method for accurately calculating the upper biomass of single trees using Light Detection And Ranging (LiDAR) point cloud data. The proposed algorithm involves classifying the tree point cloud into two distinct ones: the trunk point cloud and the crown point cloud. Each part is then processed using specific techniques to create a 3D model and determine its volume. The trunk point cloud is segmented based on individual stems, with each stem further divided into slices that are modeled as cylinders. On the other hand, the crown point cloud is analyzed by calculating its footprint and gravity center. The footprint is further divided into angular sectors, with each being used to create a rotating surface around the vertical line passing through the gravity center. All models are represented in a matrix format, simplifying the process of minimizing and calculating the tree’s upper biomass, consisting of crown biomass and trunk biomass. To validate the proposed approach, both terrestrial and airborne datasets are utilized. A comparison with existing algorithms in the literature confirms the effectiveness of the new method. The study shows that the proposed algorithm achieves an average fit between 0.01 m and 0.49 m for individual trees.

Existing research indicates that mineralization of Carlin-type gold deposit is related to geological structures, but current studies mostly focus on the qualitative association, and lack quantitative analysis of the relationship between mineralization and structural features, which limits the potential for predictive mineral exploration. In this study, the Nibao Carlin-type gold deposit was selected as the research area to conduct three-dimensional geological modeling, spatial analysis, and three-dimensional prospectivity modeling. Spatial analysis revealed that the majority of gold ore bodies are situated near the main fault, with gold mineralization primarily occurring within a spatial range of approximately -80 meters to 20 meters from the main fault plane. This spatial distribution predominantly aligns in a SW-NE direction. Spatial characteristic extraction of fault slope indicators suggests that the slope angles are conducive to the migration and accumulation of ore-forming hydrothermal fluids, with ore body metal content rapidly increasing within an angle range of approximately 20° to 60°. The shape analysis of the mainfault indicates that the principal spaces of mineralization enrichment are within -10m to 20m of the fault plane undulations, where gold resources are concentrated in a relatively flat area. However, the degree of mineralization is more pronounced in the protruding sections than in the depressed areas. The areas with significant dip changes in faults display higher variations in orebody attitudes, with mineralization noticeably weaker in areas where the fault steepness changes markedly. Ore-bearing units exhibit significantly higher grades within the -17° to 3° interval of fault steepness transition. This interval also sees a rapid accumulation of gold resources. The Nibao gold mine's mineralization is derived from deep, ore-bearing hydrothermal fluids ascending along major fractures, precipitating, and accumulating in favorable ore-hosting spaces (faults, anticline cores) and lithological combinations (sedimentary tuffs, tuffs). Three deep potential gold targets were identified, highlighting the deep western edge of the F1 fault and the deep southeast-trending lower plate as prospective areas for future exploration. This study underscores the effectiveness of 3D prospective modeling as an indispensable tool for elucidating the spatial distribution of fault-controlled Carlin-type gold deposits and their tectonic determinants.

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

Effective waste elimination is critical for the success of construction projects. Although several studies have focused on various aspects of construction waste, limited efforts have investigated the dynamic effect of Making-Do (MD) practices on productivity, rework, defects, and materials wastage. From a lean construction perspective, this study aims to address MD waste using the Last Planner System (LPS) and BIM. First, the casual structure that can cause MD in construction projects was expressed in a casual loop diagram (CLD), and thematic analysis uncovered the strategies of LPS-BIM to eliminate MD identified by reviewing the literature. Secondly, twenty-five strategies from the LPS and BIM strategies to address MD using Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) were assessed. Subsequently, a system dynamics model (SDM) for investigating LPS-BIM strategies on MD decisions in a construction project was formulated based on the underlying causal loop diagrams and the mathematical relations among the variables. Finally, the model was applied to three projects, and simulations for four LPS-BIM scenarios were carried out. The findings show that dynamic interactions among diverse production planning and control factors are critical in evaluating MD impacts on a construction project. The results demonstrate that the LPS-BIM approach resulted in an average 43.8% reduction in the tasks performed with MD, 45.3% of constraints, 66.5% of construction waste, increasing 13.7% completion rate, and 29.3% cost reduction, demonstrating that LPS-BIM as a more efficient solution for MD mitigation and construction planning.

In Greece, as in most European countries, the heterogeneity of students leads to conflicts resulting in a general inability of the educational process to function. This review study is focused on modern issues affecting youth and school education procedures such as internet addiction, student behaviour expressed as bullying, and adolescent sexuality development. All sides agree that the most essential purposes of education are to emphasize the cultivation of interpersonal relationships, the development of sociability, and self-esteem, and the prevention. Teachers wanting to respond to the spirit of the times to rationalize the pedagogical process introduced the pedagogical contract as a school practice as a valuable tool in taking control of the class and gaining students' attendance. The teacher's positive attitude will create added value to their knowledge and experiences while helping them to integrate into society.

Indoor environmental comfort is fundamental to human health as people spend 90% of their time indoors. This aspect is even more crucial in hospitals, where the concept of health is closely linked to well-being, ethics, and environmental aspects. Emerging methodologies and technologies such as Digital Twin, Building Information Modeling, the Internet of Things, sensing technologies, and data analytics offer new opportunities to ensure healthier environments and more efficient building management. This paper provides an assessment of how digitalization can support decision-making processes related to maintaining high levels of indoor environmental comfort in hospital settings, particularly by analyzing how real-time data processing and the application of machine learning can promote proactive interventions in these facilities. The methodological approach was based on four phases: defining the objectives of the digital twin, identifying the input data to build and feed the digital model, defining the KPIs to evaluate the system's correct functioning, and identifying the enabling technologies to be integrated into the system to achieve the set goal. The result is a digital twin for managing the operating room and its related services, with the aim of guiding decisions based on accurate data and improving operational efficiency, levels of environmental comfort, and safety regarding the diffusion of medical gases.

By repeated unloading and loading of the excavation dynamic and static loads, repeated train dynamic and static loads of multi-factors, the underpass tunnel, cross tunnel engineering influence area rock layer, the existing tunnel structure of the three constitutes a multifaceted structure, multi-factor interaction system. Existing tunnels into the prediction theory model of the new tunnel excavation process of dynamic and static loads, dynamic and static loads of existing tunnels are mostly analyzed individually, the results of synergistic analysis needs to be improved. Based on the theory of the current layer method, the paper comprehensively considers the stiffness of the existing tunnel, the stiffness of the new tunnel, the excavation method load and the existing tunnel load, coupled with Peck's empirical formula, the theoretical model of deformation prediction for excavation of a two-lane highway tunnel under the tunnel through the existing railroad is proposed, and verified and optimized by numerical calculations and monitoring data, which proves the applicability and reliability of the theoretical model in the similar strata and the project promotion.

Studies have demonstrated the critical role that safety plays in preserving favourable working conditions in the construction industry, which is necessary to accomplish goals. The aim of this research was to inform stakeholders in the construction industry in developing nations about the value of safety and possible strategies for influencing their opinions regarding safety protocols. The importance of safety to the construction sector, which is crucial to the advancement of the country, has also been emphasized. However, due to a lack of adequate safety understanding among stakeholders in the construction sector, the construction industry is characterized by a great deal of instability and hazard. To determine what factors, affect productive working conditions in the construction production, this study examined safety. A conceptual framework for safe working conditions in the construction sector was developed by considering several aspects, including the person dimension, environment factor, safety behaviour, organization features, technology, and incentives. It is now imperative to bring in these dimensions to improve the safe working conditions in the construction industry, particularly in the developing countries. By putting these safety factors into practice, the construction industry can reduce safety risks, lower the number of accidents and fatalities, cut expenses related to subpar safety performance, safeguard the reputation of construction companies, boost employee morale and satisfaction with their work, enhanced employee retention, reduced absenteeism, and enhanced sustainability goals. Additionally, the proposed conceptual framework is assured to be new and to be widely accepted in the developing nations. Based on this assumption the conceptual framework is designed.

Plastic contamination of small dimensions (

The catastrophic twin earthquakes that struck southern Turkey and northern Syria on February 6 2023, caused massive casualties and extensive damage to infrastructure, with the province of Hatay bearing the brunt of the impact. To investigate the potential of nighttime light (NTL) data for earthquake disaster assessment, we performed an analysis of pre- and post-earthquake NPP-VIIRS and SDGSAT-1 NTL data. The NTL change ratio (NCR) was employed to identify the extent of damage in Hatay Province following the earthquake to assess the impact on affected buildings and populations. NPP-VIIRS daily NTL Time-series data was used to establish an economic recovery framework for earthquake disasters in Hatay Province, assessing regional economic recovery after earthquake. The results revealed a strong correlation between the total reduced NTLs of NPP-VIIRS and SDGSAT-1 and the presence of severely and moderately damaged buildings. Conversely, the correlation with slightly damaged buildings was relatively weaker. Furthermore, the reduced NTLs of NPP-VIIRS provide a more precise identification of all earthquake damage compared to the SDGSAT-1 data, achieving an overall accuracy of 86.21% in earthquake damage identification and a Kappa coefficient of 0.72. In accordance with the earthquake economic recovery framework, as of the end of March 2024, neither the provincial economy nor any of its districts have fully restored to their pre-earthquake levels. The findings offered new and valuable insights into earthquake disaster assessment, assisting decision-makers in accurately assessing the level of disaster risk following an earthquake and efficiently allocating post-earthquake relief funds.

Hyperspectral images (HSI) contain abundant spectral information. Efficient extraction and utilization of this information for image classification remain prominent research topics. Previously, hyperspectral classification techniques primarily relied on statistical attributes and mathematical models of spectral data. Deep learning classification techniques have recently been extensively utilized for hyperspectral data classification, yielding promising outcomes. This study proposes a deep learning approach that uses polarization feature maps for classification. Initially, the polar coordinate transformation method is employed to convert the spectral information of all pixels in the image into spectral feature maps. Subsequently, the proposed Deep Context Feature Fusion Network (DCFF-NET) is utilized to classify these feature maps. The model is validated using three open-source hyperspectral datasets: Indian Pines, Pavia University, and Salinas. The experimental results indicated that DCFF-NET achieves excellent classification performance. Experimental results on three public HSI datasets demonstrate that the proposed method accurately recognizes different objects with an overall accuracy (OA) of 86.68%, 94.73%, and 95.14% based on the pixel method, and 98.15%, 99.86%, and 99.98% based on the pixel-patch method.

Reference evapotranspiration (ET0) plays an irreplaceable role in regional dry/wet conditions under the background of climate change. Based on the FAO Penman-Monteith method and daily climate variables, ET0 was calculated for 22 stations in and around Songnen Grassland, northeast China, during 1960-2014. The temporal and spatial variations of ET0 and precipitation (P) were comprehensively analyzed at different time scales by using the Mann-Kendall test, Sen’s slope estimator, and linear regression coupling with break trend analysis. Sensitivity analysis was used to detect the key climate parameter attributed to ET0 change. Then, the role of ET0 in regional dry/wet conditions was discussed by analyzing the relationship between ET0, P and aridity index (AI). Results shown a higher ET0 in the southwest and a lower in the northeast, but P was opposite to that of ET0. Evidently decreasing trend of ET0 at different time scales was detected in almost the entire region, and the significant trend mainly distributed in the eastern, northeastern and central. For the whole region, sensitivity analysis indicated decreasing trend of ET0 was primarily attributed to relative humidity and maximum air temperature. The positive contribution of increasing temperature rising to ET0 was offset by the effect of significantly decreasing relative humidity, wind speed and sunshine duration. In addition, the value of ET0 shown higher in drought years and lower in wet years.

This research critically examines the dichotomies in urban public space and discussions on city evolution over the past two centuries. The original discourse identified amplifies the importance that inclusivity needs to address issues deeper than physical accessibility. The growing diversity and changes seen in urban public open spaces are followed throughout history along a timeline of important socio-political and planning injectors in the Western world. These public spaces are the important spine connecting all the private and semi-private parts of the city. Urban public spaces have seen population changes due to globalisation, resulting in mobility and changes due to the different needs of its diverse user base. In this paper, a rigorous quasi-chronological investigation is presented. Firstly, the context of the evolution of space is established. Secondly, a closer focus on inclusion research provides a thorough analysis of the utopian city plans, the development of Haussmann's Paris and the later plans of the Centrist and the Decentrist. Thirdly, a critical and analytical understanding of the effect these precursors have had on the city's public spaces, and the hierarchies it established in a nuanced manner are made explicit. The culmination of this research process is the identification of outcomes associated with inclusivity. Findings are established across three significant themes—a) Understanding public space as social space, b) Components of inclusivity, and c) Values of inclusivity including accessibility, sense of place, conviviality and resilience. Key insights and guidance for inclusivity as a key constituent of social sustainability are the unique contribution.

Researchers have explored primary colour-geometric shape associations since Kandinsky's correspondence theory. However, there is a gap in the literature regarding interior colour applications on surface shapes. To address this gap, an online study was employed to gather data with one hundred participants who were asked to choose their preferred colours for shapes on bedroom walls with follow-up questions on the colour-shape semantic associations, their preference of colours and shapes on bedroom walls independently in addition to their favourite colour, their favourite shape, and colour-shape pairs without interior context. The results revealed that colour-shape preferences in interiors differ from those found in psychology studies, other colour applications on bedroom walls, and other preferences, indicating that colour preference is context-dependent. Interestingly, the most popular colour for surface shapes on bedroom walls is purple, followed by brown and blue. The study contributes to the existing literature by providing colour charts for bedroom applications for professionals in the industry, their clients/users, and future studies.

To clarify effects of weathered coal humic acid on water-stable aggregates and pore characteristics of reclaimed cambisol, this research analyzed the evolution characteristics of soil aggregates and pores. Effects of different humic acid dosages (0, 1%, 3%, and 5% by weight) and application period (1 year, 2 years, and 3 years) on soil aggregates and organic carbon components in soil water-stable aggregates were investigated. The results showed that water-stable macroaggregates (>0.25 mm) had the highest content in the first year; but in the third year, water-stable microaggregates (0.053–0.25 mm) had the highest content, and silt and clay (<0.053 mm) were at a maximum. In the third year of 5% treatment, mean weight and geometric mean diameters were the largest, soil structure was the most stable, and TOC and water-stable microaggregates (0.053–0.25 mm) in soil had the highest proportions. For 5% treatment, the majority of irregular pores were independent in the first year, and number of pores decreased in the second year, but average pore volume increased, forming robust connected pores. In the third year, the number of elongated and irregular pores increased. In the third year of 5% treatment, most pores were irregular and of size >100 μm, and soil structure was the most stable.

The protection and regulation of international trade of Australia’s native species is legislated by its Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act of 1999. In response to overwhelming evidence that the Act is ineffective at protecting biodiversity, the Australian Government is currently reforming its environmental laws. One problematic component of the Act is in cases where threatened species interact with multiple regulatory and management frameworks, such as commercially fished marine species that are traded as seafood. Here, we analyzed international seafood trade data and found that Australia exports four threatened fish species listed under the Act and additional species acknowledged as globally threatened. In light of our analysis, we have three recommendations for Australia’s new environmental legislation: 1) apply the same precautions to commercially harvested species as to other threatened species; 2) review the status of all threatened species annually; and 3) assess species listed on global conservation conventions. These recommendations will help ensure that Australia’s marine biodiversity is protected, despite its commercial value.

Heavy metal pollution poses a significant threat to ecosystems and human health worldwide. In response to this pressing issue, bioremediation has emerged as a promising approach for mitigating contamination. This paper adopts a bibliographic method to explore the key techniques and applications of bioremediation. Furthermore, we delve into the most prominent threats to human environmental health and the corresponding remediation methods. Additionally, we discuss the future trajectory of bioremediation research, with a particular focus on the integration of big data and machine learning technologies. These advanced methodologies hold great potential for enhancing the effectiveness and efficiency of environmental remediation efforts in the face of escalating pollution challenges.

Microplastic pollution (MP) in marine environments around the globe is severe and enough precautions have not been taken so far for its prevention. The focus of this study is to quantify MPs from beach sediment and seawater samples and to identify their distribution and types along the western coast of Sri Lanka from the Kelani River estuary to the Mahaoya estuary. Nine sites along this 42 km stretch were selected and random sampling was employed to collect a minimum of 8 sediment samples from each site between October and December 2021. Water samples were also collected, parallel to the sediments, from the ocean surface. FTIR analysis revealed that most of the MPs found were polyethylene(PE), polypropylene(PP), polystyrene(PS), polyethylene terephthalate(PET), and phenol formaldehyde resin. The mean abundance of MPs varied from 2.0 ± 0.6 items/L to 161.0 ± 15.7 items/L in water samples and, from 3.0 ± 0.3 items/m2 to 656.0 ± 34.5 items/m2 in sediment samples. The MPs found were identified in different shapes as fragments (80.2%), pellets (14.9%), fibers (2.7%) and foams (2.5%). Analysis revealed that the beach sediments were contaminated with PS, phenol formaldehyde resin, PET, PP and PE, while surface seawater is dominated by phenol formaldehyde resin, PS, PP and PE.

Coilia nasus is an important fish resource in the Yangtze River, and the Yangtze River Estuary is a crucial migration pathway for it. In this study, we used otolith microchemistry to analyze the strontium/calcium (Sr/Ca) ratios and Sr contents in the sagitta otolith of C. nasus from the south branch (SB) and north branch (NB) of the Yangtze River Estuary, and obtained the diversity of migration patterns and spawning grounds distribution for C. nasus. The results indicate that C. nasus from both branches include two types of habitat history: freshwater (F)-brackish water (B) (Type I) and F-B-seawater (S) (Type II), with Type I being dominant at 62.50% in both branches. The C. nasus from SB comprises six migration patterns, while that from NB has seven migration patterns. The C. nasus from both branches hatch in F habitats. At the time of capture, the C. nasus from SB predominantly remain in F, accounting for 62.5%, while C. nasus from NB primarily stay in B, accounting for 87.5%. Throughout the migration process, C. nasus from both branches switch between different habitats, with C. nasus from NB exhibiting more frequent transitions between F and B, showing a greater reliance on the estuarine brackish habitat. The radius of the first blue region near the core (Lf) and freshwater coefficient (Fc) of otolith for C. nasus from both branches are divided into three groups: Long-distance freshwater dependence (LD), medium-distance freshwater-dependent (MD), and short-distance freshwater dependence (SD), with the LD only appearing in the SB, while the NB is primarily represented by the MD. There is a correlation between the differences in Lf among different groups of C. nasus and the differences in the distance from the spawning grounds of C. nasus in different sections of the Yangtze River to the Estuary (DYRE), reflecting the distribution pattern of C. nasus spawning grounds in different sections of the Yangtze River. This study provides theoretical guidance for the protection of migration pathway and maintenance of spawning grounds for C. nasus, which has significant practical value in the precise management of C. nasus resources in the Yangtze River Estuary.

Hypophthalmichthys nobilis are widely distributed in the Yangtze River basin and its related lakes. They are an important economic fish species and are a famous cultured species known as the "Four Famous Domestic Fishes" in China. Currently, with the fishing ban in the Yangtze River basin, fishing for H. nobilis in natural water bodies of the Yangtze River basin has been completely prohibited. In order to identify the sources of H. nobilis appearing in the market, further control and accountability, it is necessary to trace the sources of H. nobilis in the Yangtze River basin and its related water bodies. Therefore, this study identified and traced different sources of H. nobilis through muscle element fingerprint analysis (EFA). The results show that H. nobilis from different stations have characteristic element compositions. The characteristic element of H. nobilis from Wuhan (WH) is Pb, which is significantly higher than that in other stations; the characteristic element from Anqing (AQ) is Hg, which is significantly higher than that in other stations; and the characteristic element from Taihu (TH) is Al, which is significantly higher than that in other water areas. Multivariate analysis selected different spatial distribution patterns of 4 discriminant elements ratios (Pb/Ca, Cr/Ca, Na/Ca, Al/Ca) in the muscle of H. nobilis in the Yangtze River basin and its related lakes. The study suggests that the screened discriminative elements can be used to visually distinguish different sources of H. nobilis, and to quickly trace and verify the origin of newly emerging samples. Therefore, the use of selected discriminant element fingerprint features to trace the origin of new samples has been proven to be feasible. By further discriminating and verifying the muscle element fingerprints of new samples, the discrimination rate is high. Therefore, Multivariate analysis for muscle element fingerprint can be used for origin traceability of samples of unknown origin in market supervision.

Cultural routes are a composite set of heritage, referring to any ancient routes of human communication. As one of the key products of cultural tourism, they providing visitors with a rich cultural experience across regions. We systematically review reports and studies related to the tourism development of 38 cultural routes cases around the world, with a special focus on their distribution, typology, planning patterns and tools for cultural tourism. We summarized eight tools, there are some differences in how often these eight tools are used by the different types of routes and different planning patterns for routes tourism. The study also made an evaluation system based on the conservation principles of cultural routes to find out how different tools of tourism affect the conservation and development of the historical region. It was found that although many efforts have been made by tourism decision-makers to protect and develop cultural routes there are still many problems and challenges in the process of tourism development along cultural routes. We close the paper by making a few recommendations for decision makers and researchers concerning future routes’ tourism planning and study.

Artisanal and small-scale gold mining (ASGM) has been an important source of income for communities in the Madre de Dios River Basin in Peru for hundreds of years. However, in recent decades, the scale of ASGM activities in the region has increased dramatically, and exposures to a variety of occupational and environmental hazards related to ASGM, including mercury, are becoming more widespread. The aims of our study were to: (1) examine patterns in the total hair mercury level of human participants in several communities in the region and compare these results to the 2.2 µg/g total hair mercury level equivalent to the World Health Organization (WHO) Expert Committee of Food Additives (JECFA)’s Provisional Tolerable Weekly Intake (PTWI); and (2), to measure the mercury levels of paco (Piaractus brachypomus) fish raised in local aquaculture ponds, in order to compare these levels to the EPA Fish Tissue Residue Criterion of 0.3 µg Hg/g fish (wet weight). We collected hair samples from 80 participants in four communities (one control and three where ASGM activities occurred) in the region, and collected 111 samples from fish raised in 24 local aquaculture farms. We then analyzed the samples for total mercury. Total mercury levels in hair were statistically significantly higher in the mining communities than in the control community, and increased with increasing distance away from the Madre de Dios headwaters (as the crow flies), did not differ by sex, and frequently exceeded the reference level. Regression analyses indicated that higher hair mercury levels were associated with residence in ASGM communities. The analysis of paco fish samples found no samples that exceeded the EPA tissue residue criterion. Collectively, these results align with other recent studies showing that ASGM activities are associated with elevated human mercury exposure. The fish farmed through the relatively new process of aquaculture in ASGM areas appeared to have little potential to contribute to human mercury exposure. More research is needed on human health risks associated with ASGM to discern occupational, residential, and nutritional exposure, especially through tracking temporal changes in mercury levels as fish ponds age, and assessing levels in different farmed fish species. Additionally, research is needed to definitively determine that elevated mercury levels in humans and fish result from the elemental mercury from mining, rather than from a different source, such as the mercury released from soil erosion during deforestation events from mining or other activities.

A space charge density wireless measurement system based on the idea of distributed measurement is proposed for collecting and monitoring the space charge density in an ultra-high-voltage direct-current (UHVDC) environment. The proposed system architecture is composed of a number of wireless nodes connected with space charge density sensors and a base station. The space charge density sensor based on atmospheric ion counter method is elaborated and developed, and the ARM microprocessor and Zigbee radio frequency module are applied. The wireless network communication quality and the relationship between energy consumption and transmission distance in the complicated electromagnetic environment is tested. Based on the experimental results, the proposed measurement system demonstrates that it can adapt to the complex electromagnetic environment under the UHVDC transmission lines and can accurately measure the space charge density.

Danyore Valley area is a new prospect of copper-gold mineralization in the Gilgit-Baltistan province, Kohistan terrane, northern Pakistan. The mineralization is Cu-Au vein-type, localized within quartz veins and controlled by a fracture system mainly trending NW and NE. The host units belong to the Ladakh-Kohistan arc terrane, which covers northern Pakistan and north-western India and mainly comprises Precambrian basement units, Paleozoic to Cenozoic magmatic rocks, and sedimentary strata. The mineralized wall rocks consist of Mesozoic gabbro and diorite, which have undergone an intensive hydrothermal alteration. The study area, Danyore Valley, has yet to be explored. The geological background and mineralization type in literature are scarce. Moreover, the tectonic setting, petrogenesis, age, and magmatic evolution of the gabbro-diorite hosting unit still need to be better understood. Furthermore, the sources of metals and mineralized fluids and the types of mineralization and alteration are also unexplored. This research's contribution presents the field investigation, microscopic observations, whole rock geochemistry (major, trace, and REE), mineral analysis (EPMA), in situ LA–ICP–MS zircon U–Pb age dating, and zircon trace elements data for Danyore Valley Cu-Au prospect of Kohistan Batholith. The current research work's objectives are to (a) constrain the emplacement ages of the Danyore Valley host rocks, (b) determine the petrogenesis and tectonic environment of the gabbro-diorite wall rocks, and (c) identify the mineralization style and alteration patterns of Cu-Au occurrences. The U-Pb isotopic data of studied zircons from Danyore Valley diorite specimens yielded concordia ages from 111.60 ± 0.90 Ma to 112.18 ± 0.74 Ma. Correspondingly, the gabbro rock sample displayed a concordia age of 110.21 ± 0.99 Ma, indicating the crystallization time of the host bodies is mainly the early cretaceous period (∼110 Ma). The findings of this study reveal that the calc-alkaline affinity and arc-like geochemical characteristics of the gabbro and diorite rocks have been characterized by a significant enrichment in large-ion lithophile elements and an apparent depletion in high-field strength elements. The parent magma probably originated from a partial melting process of mantle depletion, and geochemical traits are characteristic of magmas associated with subduction zones. The Danyore Valley area of Kohistan terrane is defined by the existence of several mineralized quartz veins, which are mainly sulfide assemblages. The sulfide ore is mainly comprised of chalcopyrite, pyrite, and bornite, with a smaller amount of covellite and sphalerite and significant traces of gold, which are distributed mainly in sulfides. Copper and gold mineralization of Danyore Valley is associated with phyllic, propylitic, and carbonatization alteration assemblages. Metal-rich quartz veins exhibit a spatial correlation with diorite and gabbro rocks. The discovery of several surface Cu-Au vein-type mineralized areas accompanying outcrops of copper supergene enrichment at the Danyore Valley prospect is significant evidence (predictor patterns) of porphyry-style deposits in the Gilgit district, Kohistan terrane, northern Pakistan. This work also advocates the importance of the Danyore Valley prospect and Kohistan Batholith region for further detailed geological studies.

Social character is the key for someone to interact with the surrounding community. Interaction and socialization need to be introduced early by parents. If the results turned in reverse, then there must be other ways to be learned and practiced in family life. This study aims to cultivate social characters to children in the Juvenile Rehabilitation Institution through poetry learning. Changes continue to occur in handling and coaching juvenile delinquency in Indonesia. Regulations for the management of coaching continue to be carried out from Law No. 3 of 1997 concerning the Law on Juvenile Justice, then it was changed to Act No. 11 of 2012 concerning the System of Juvenile Criminal Justice. Characteristics of this relatively new law contain the main mechanisms of protecting children, who have problems with the law and following the Convention on the Rights of the Child. Education in the Juvenile Rehabilitation Institution has been carried out with all the limitations and can bring changes in the correctional behavior of children to be better that makes education restore the child's identity. Education held at this institution is expected to be able to achieve the ideals of children to be more beneficial after completing a kind of inclusive education. By applying a pragmatic approach, the study expects that there will be a change in children since they can learn the contents of poems, and at the same time, they are able to express their feeling by writing poems as well. From the process of learning, social characters in children such as honesty, openness, tolerance, cooperation, will be growing step by step.

Cocoa (Theobroma Cacao, L.) represents an important market that gained relevance and became an esteemed commodity thanks to cocoa powder, chocolate, and other related products. This work has analyzed 59 cocoa powder samples from the European market. Three distinct subgroups were identified: organic or conventional, alkalized or not alkalized, and raw or roasted processing. The impact of the technological process was evaluated on the pH, color, and compositional traits, as content of biogenic amines and salsolinol. The phenolic fraction was also investigated trough both common and emerging methods. Results depict that the influence of the agronomical practices (organic/conventional) did not affect significatively (p<0.05) the composition of cocoa powders; similarly, the roasting process was not discriminative for the compounds traced. On the other hand, the alkalinization process greatly impacted on color, and pH, no matter of cocoa provenience, obtention, or other processes, also resulting reducing the phenolic fraction of treated samples. Principal components analysis confirmed that the alkali process acts on pH, color, and phenolic composition, but not on other bioactives molecules (BAs and salsolinol). All samples resulted safe while alkalized powders have a great reduction in beneficial biocompounds. A novel strategy could be to emphasize non-alkalized powders in the label, to meet the demand for more beneficial products.

Background: The control of energy metabolism is fundamental for cell growth and function, and anomalies are implicated in complex diseases and ageing. It is important for cells to carefully tune metabolic pathways to optimize their function in response to different nutrient or physiological conditions. Metabolism in yeast cells can be easily manipulated by supplying different carbon sources: on glucose yeast rapidly proliferates by fermentation, analogous to tumour cells growing by aerobic glycolysis, whereas on non-fermentable carbon sources metabolism shifts towards respiration. Results: We screened deletion libraries of fission yeast to identify over 200 genes required for respiratory growth. The growth medium and auxotrophic mutants strongly influenced respiratory metabolism. Most genes uncovered in the mutant screens have not been implicated in respiration in budding yeast. We applied gene expression profiling approaches to compare steady-state fermentative and respiratory growth and to analyse the dynamic adaptation to respiratory growth. The transcript levels of most genes functioning in key energy metabolism pathways were coherently tuned, reflecting anticipated differences in metabolic flows between fermenting and respiring cells. We show that the acetyl-CoA synthase, rather than the citrate lyase, is essential for acetyl-CoA synthesis in fission yeast. We also investigated the transcriptional response to mitochondrial damage by genetic or chemical perturbations, defining a retrograde response that involves the concerted regulation of distinct groups of nuclear genes that may avert harm from mitochondrial malfunction. Conclusions: These systematic and targeted analyses provide a rich framework of the genetic and regulatory basis of fundamental metabolic states to guide future studies on energy metabolism in fission yeast and beyond. Our study pinpoints weaknesses of commonly used auxotroph mutants for investigating energy metabolism. As a model for cellular energy regulation, fission yeast provides an attractive and complementary system to budding yeast.

Outdoor lighting is becoming increasingly widespread, and residents are suffering from serious light pollution as a result. Residents’ awareness of their rights to protection has gradually increased. However, due to the sometimes-inaccessible nature of residential vertical light incidence intensity data and the high cost of obtaining specific measurements, there is no appropriate hierarchic compensation for residents suffering from different degrees of light pollution. It is therefore important to measure light pollution levels and their damage at the neighborhood scale to provide residents with basic materials for proper protection and to create more politically suitable solutions. This article presents a light pollution assessment method that is easy to perform, is low-cost, and has a short data-processing cycle. This method can be used to monitor residential zone light pollution in other cities. We chose three open areas to test the spatial variation pattern of light intensity. The results are in accordance with spatial interpolation patterns and can be fit, with high precision, using the IDW method. This approach can also be used in 3 dimensions to quantitatively evaluate the distribution of light intensity distribution. We use a mixed-use zone in Beijing known as The Place as our case study area. The vertical illumination at the windows of residential buildings ranges from 2 lux to 23 lux; the illumination in some areas is far higher than the value recommended by CIE. Such severe light pollution can seriously interfere with people's daily lives and has a serious influence on their rest and health. The results of this survey will serve as an important database to assess whether the planning of night-time lighting is scientific and whether it provides residents with a basis for the protection of their rights.

Modular steel buildings (MSBs) interlocking inter-module connections (IMCs) have piqued researchers’ interest. However, the existing literature has not yet studied the optimisation of its plate thicknesses. This paper, therefore, focuses on optimising interlocking (IMCs) plate thickness in (MSBs), leveraging previous experimental and numerical simulation methodologies. Various numerical models for four MSBs interlocking (IMCs) with plate thicknesses (4 mm, 6 mm, 10 mm, and 12 mm) were developed under compression loading conditions. The study’s novelty lay in its comprehensive parametric analysis, which evaluated the slip phenomenon in (MSBs) connections and introduced a slip prediction model validated against empirical data. Further innovative machine learning approach was utilised to predict slip values based on applied force through a random forest regression model trained using the 'Treebagger' function. Sensitivity analysis and comparisons with alternative methods were utilised to underscore the reliability and applicability of the findings. The results showed that 11.03 mm was the optimal plate thickness for interlocking (IMCs) in modular steel buildings, with up to 8.08% reduced material costs. Increasing plate thickness boosts its deformation resistance by up to 50.75%. ‘TreeBagger’ random forest for anomaly detection and machine learning improves slip prediction up to 7% at higher force levels.

With the increasingly online exposure of urban public spaces, the new concept of "Internet-celebrity cities" has emerged in China. The online internet-famous sites are the main characteristics of "Internet-celebrity cities". To fully understand online users' preferences in such kind of public spaces, this article took 27 typical riverfront internet-famous sites (RIFS) in Changsha city (China), as an example. Through the online images and review comments on social media platform "Xiaohongshu", the study analyzed users’ perception of RIFS specially on visual and emotional preferences. It revealed the following findings:(1) The popularity of RIFS had a significant head effect and there were far more positive emotions than neutral and negative emotions in review comments. (2) According to 5 different categories of RIFS: modern buildings with river views, restaurants with strong visual impact became the main attractions on commercial RIFS. The art exhibition RIFS attracted visitors to experience traditional culture and highlight their aesthetic pursuits. In the historical and cultural RIFS, people preferred to see the historical buildings with surrounding natural environment, as well as river and mountains views. Ecological Recreational RIFS showed the similar results with the uncultivated RIFS, for the main focus was on the ecological environment, a broader vision and the specific atmosphere. Moreover, the uncultivated RIFS showed more diversified attraction points. This study can provide a new perspective on the waterfront vitality and can offer a targeted and attractive manner for waterfront regeneration that are different from traditional methods.

Cybersecurity is a crucial concern for local governments, as they serve as the primary interface between public and government services, managing sensitive data and critical infrastructure. While technical safeguards are integral to cybersecurity, the role of well-structured policy is equally important, as it provides structured guidance to translate technical requirements into actionable protocols. This study reviews local governments’ cybersecurity policies to provide a comprehensive assessment of how these policies align with NIST CSF, which is a widely adopted and commonly used cybersecurity assessment framework. The review offers local governments a mirror to reflect on their cybersecurity stance, identifying potential vulnerabilities and areas needing urgent attention. The study further extends to developing a cybersecurity policy framework, which local governments can use as a strategic tool. It provides valuable information on crucial cybersecurity elements that local governments must incorporate into their policies to protect confidential data and critical infrastructure.

Precise monitoring of individual crop growth and health status is crucial for precision agriculture practices. However, traditional manual inspection methods are time-consuming, labor-intensive, and often lack the spatial resolution required for detailed analysis. This research addresses the need for efficient and high-resolution crop monitoring by leveraging Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) imagery and advanced computational techniques. The primary objective was to develop a methodology for precise identification, extraction, and monitoring of individual corn crops throughout their growth cycle. This was achieved by integrating UAV-derived data with image processing, computational geometry, and machine learning techniques. UAV imagery was ac-quired bi-weekly at altitudes of 40m and 70m, capturing the entire growth cycle of a corn crop from planting to harvest. A time-series Canopy Height Model (CHM) was generated by analyzing the differences between the Digital Terrain Model (DTM) and the Digital Surface Model (DSM) derived from the UAV data. Local spatial analysis and image processing techniques were em-ployed to determine the local maximum height of each crop. Subsequently, a Voronoi data model was developed to delineate individual crop canopies, successfully identifying 13,000 out of 13,050 corn crops in the study area. For enhanced accuracy in canopy size delineation, vegetation indices were incorporated into the Voronoi model segmentation, refining the initial canopy area esti-mates by eliminating interference from soil and shadows. The proposed methodology enables precise estimation and monitoring of crop canopy size, height, biomass reduction, lodging, and stunted growth over time, providing valuable insights for precision agriculture practices. This work contributes to the scientific community by demonstrating the potential of integrating UAV technology, computational geometry, and machine learning for accurate and efficient crop mon-itoring at the individual plant level.

: The activated carbons (ACs) derived from okara powder waste with high surface areas were modified with ammonia aqueous solution impregnation in an autoclave to enhance their CO2 adsorption properties toward CO2. The impregnated ACs were characterized in which surface chemical composition and properties of the ACs were analyzed by SEM-EDX, FTIR. Activated carbons were functionalized with ammonia aqueous solution (25%) through a hydrothermal process within 24; 48, and 72 hours. The adsorption performance of CO2 onto carbon samples was experimentally evaluated through a TPD CO2 measurement. FTIR spectra confirm the N-containing in N-modified activated carbons and the presence of the –C = O stretch and N-H groups. CO2 uptakes of N-modified activated carbons are 0.24; 1.78; 2.24 and 1.26 mmol/g, which are relatively comparable with those of activated carbons studied in in the literature.

The inter-tip times (ITTs) of tipping-bucket rain gauges potentially provide the highest-resolution intensity data that can be acquired from this type of gauge. At an intensity of 100 mm h-1, a typical gauge with a sensitivity of 0.2 mm of rainfall would be expected to tip every 7.2 seconds. However, TBRGs are often equipped with syphons, to reduce the dynamic calibration error that results from continued (and unmeasured) inflow to a bucket as it tips. This increases the accuracy of rainfall depth recording, but the time to fill and empty the syphon can reduce the ability of a TBRG to respond to (and for the ITTs to reflect) short-term intensity fluctuations. This ability is already limited by the discretisation arising from the filling and emptying of the buckets themselves. Laboratory tests with controlled water inflow rates were performed using two high-quality TBRGs, one a 'straight-through' design and the other syphon-equipped. These confirmed that at all intensities at which the syphon operates, a regular sequence of fixed-duration ITTs (such as the 7.2 s mentioned above) does not occur. Rather, the ITTs are perturbed by the syphon cycling. The gauges were also co-located in the field, and linked to carefully synchronised event data loggers. Data collected during several rainfall events revealed differences in the ITTs, and again confirm that the ITT sequence of a syphon-equipped TBRG exhibits artefacts related to syphon operation, that are not present in the 'straight-through' data. These artefacts can result in ITT differences of many minutes, depending on the rainfall intensity, and are problematic for the use of ITTs to estimate intensity. Peaks and troughs in the intensity profile also differed between the two gauges. It is recommended that in the application of TBRGs for studies where short-term intensity data are required, 'straight-through' gauges should be used, and syphon-equipped gauges avoided.

Automatic Number Plate Recognition is a computer vision technology that provides a way to recognize the vehicles number plates without direct human intervention. Developing Automatic Number Plate Recognition methodologies is a widely studied topic among the computer vision community to increase the accuracy rates. Although there are many studies, the research in character segmentation and improving the recognition accuracy remains limited. In this study, a new methodology is proposed to reduce the character recognition errors of Automatic Number Plate Recognition systems. To achieve this, it will be determined whether the characters are letters or numbers, and the number plates will be expressed in the form of letters - digit. The method suggested for segmenting blobs correctly worked with an accuracy of 96.12% on the test dataset. The method suggested for generating letter-digit expression for the number plates correctly worked with an accuracy of 99.28% on the test dataset. The proposed methodology can work only on Turkish number plates. In the future studies, the proposed methodology can be expanded by using the number plate dataset of a different country.

European strategic policy directions towards a sustainable blue economy have strengthened interest in maritime investments, thus increasing sectoral competition for marine space. Emerging repercussions out of such a rising interest need to be handled by Marine Spatial Planning (MSP) as a means for: properly allocating marine space to diverse uses; managing conflicts and promoting synergies among them; and pursuing a multi-use perspective of this space. A critical stage of each MSP exercise is the exploration of land-based spatial/developmental directions and their current or potential repercussions in the marine environment in order for constraints but also perspectives in policy choices/maritime uses in the MSP context to be featured; and attainment of a successful coherence or coordination between land and marine spatial/developmental policies to be ensured, by analyzing Land-Sea-Interaction (LSI) and embedding it in the MSP. The latter is the focus of this paper aiming to illuminate critical issues emerging from land-based (terrestrial) policy frameworks for feeding MSP endeavors; and is accomplished in the Northern Aegean Sea, Greece. Towards this end, a multilevel approach is adopted, delving into diverse policy contexts at the local, regional and national/European level and aiming to attain more informed MSP decisions in the specific study region.

The recent COVID-19 pandemic has led to a reassessment of workplace necessities. It has resulted in the current shift from traditional workplace design to creating work experiences - a new par-adigm in workplace management. Hence, while some conventional workplace factors remain important to the experiences of workers and, thus, to their well-being, comfort and productivity, recent studies suggest other factors, not widely known, as important in creating the appropriate work experience. Our study explores these other factors in the workplace that contribute to, or may be very important to, workers’ comfort, well-being and productivity. These include working mode, facilities, sustainability practices and Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) – cultural connection. A sample of 149 occupants across offices in New Zealand was conveniently collected for the study and analysed using descriptive and content analysis in SPSS vs 24. The results show that the occupants prefer to have private offices in the workplace and separate meeting rooms for better concentration on work. In terms of working mode, a combined model of remote working and in-office working is preferred. Furthermore, occupants prefer to have access control and fire safety systems essentially in the workplace and for their offices to be cleaned daily. For sustainable measures in the workplace, the respondents choose the following as practical and convenient: turning off computers outside work hours, using more LED light bulbs in the office, opening windows and doors when required and using a motion sensor lighting system. Interestingly, most of the respondents did not think having a cultural connection in their workplace was important. The study findings represent significant progress in identifying the needs of contemporary office workers. These findings assist facility managers and workplace designers in developing more proactive approaches to anticipated user issues in buildings.

The collapsible loess will rapidly soften and lose its bearing capacity when soaked in water. Under a mild condition (20°C), the biomimetic inorganic agent, Diammonium phosphate (DAP), reacts with calcite in the collapsible loess, producing a stronger bonding material, hydroxyapatite (HAP), to modify and stabilize the soil. Uniaxial compression, permeability tests and morphological analysis using XRD and SEM/EDX microscopy were carried out to assess the effectiveness of DAP stabilization on the collapsible loess. The results indicated that HAP improved the inter-particle bonding within loess, filled the pores within particles, reduced the permeability, and consequently mitigated collapsibility of loess. The compressive strength of DAP-treated loess increased as DAP concentration increased. Following 28-days curing, the compressive strength of the loess treated with a 3.0 mol/L DAP solution was six times greater than that of the untreated group. DAP's reinforcement effect on loess was superior to that of cement. The compressive strength of DAP-treated loess was about double that of cement-treated loess and the permeability coefficient was reduced by more than 50% at equivalent solid content. Furthermore, DAP generated 68% fewer carbon emissions compared to Portland cement. Considering eco-friendly and sustainable development, DAP offers a more competitive alternative for modification and stabilization of loess.

This study investigated the accuracy and precision of a commercially available PNT solution that uses DGNSS-SBAS technology. Time and position data were sampled at a frequency of 20Hz during both short and long trajectory of a simulated controlled dry-land slalom, as well as during a real-world on-water slalom exercise. The primary objective was to assess the positional accuracy, availability, integrity, and service continuity of the PNT solution while evaluating its ability to differentiate between trajectories. Additionally, the simulated results were compared with an on-water real-world slalom test to validate the findings. The results of the controlled dry-land slalom test indicate that the PNT solution provided accurate measurements with an overall mean±SD Hrms of 0.20±0.02m. The integrity measures, HDOD and PDOP were found to be ideal to excellent, with values of 0.68±0.03, and 1.36±0.07, respectively. The PNT solution utilised an average of 20±1 satellites from the constellation, resulting in an accuracy of

In practice, a post-extractivist vision for farmer communities in the Amazon demands the study and demonstration, in the field, of alternative economic activities that are not based on resource extraction but on adding value to currently generated residual biomass. Following principles of bioeconomy, this study presents an experimental analysis of a retort burner and a pilot-scale auger-type pyrolysis reactor used to convert coffee husks generated in a post-harvesting facility of a farmer´s cooperative into thermal energy and biochar, respectively. The study shows that use of coffee husks, whether for combustion or pyrolysis processes, can supply the thermal energy required by the post-harvesting processes. The combustion or pyrolysis of coffee husks avoids its accumulation and decomposition while replacing the fossil fuels used in post-harvesting operations, reducing costs and making the farmers independent of fossil fuel subsidies. Unlike combustion, the CO concentration in the flue gas during the pyrolysis process was below the eco-design standard of 500 mg/Nm3. According to the European Biochar Certificate, carbonized coffee husks can be regarded as biochar for soil amendment and carbon sequestration. A study is required to assess the ability of cooperatives to generate and trade carbon credits linked with the application of biochar in their cropping systems.

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

International research has highlighted the relationship between the physical environment of schools and the perceived well-being of different actors in the educational community. Although these studies pointed out a relationship between these variables, there is little research that delves into the nature and quality of this relationship. The present study aimed to analyse the mediating effect of the perception of the physical environment of the classroom (considering aspects such as lighting, acoustics, visibility, size, order, and aesthetic features) on the perception of school climate and subjective well-being of students in state-funded schools in Chile. A total of 19.567 students (48,77% female) between fifth and eighth grade from 425 vulnerable schools in Chile participated. Through a simple statistical mediation model, it was identified that the perception of the physical environment mediates about 50% of the total effect on subjective well-being and school climate (c' = 0.09 (0.01); p < 0.001). There is an urgent need to incorporate indicators and evaluations addressing the perceptions of the infrastructure and physical environment in schools, especially when this has been expressed as an explicit and historical demand of the Chilean student movements. This type of approach, including multiple factors, could favour a more articulated vision of the quality of the educational environment, contributing to the academic and emotional development of students.

The Upper Hunter Valley is a major coal mining area containing approximately 40% of the currently identified total coal reserves in New South Wales (NSW), Australia. Due to the ongoing increase of mining activities, PM10 (air-borne particle with an aerodynamic diameter less than 10 micrometres) pollution has become a major air quality concern in local communities. This paper summarises the spatial and temporal variability modes of PM10 pollution in the region, based on long-term multi-site monitoring data and the application of the rotated principal component analysis (RPCA) and wavelet analysis techniques. RPCA identified two distinct air quality clusters/subregions in the valley, one in the west/northwest, the other in the southeast. Wavelet analysis revealed the annual cycle to be most persistent temporal mode of PM10 variability in both subregions, with intermittent signals observed at time scales of around 120, 30~90 and under 30 days. How these variation modes are related to the effects of local PM10 emissions and the influence of meteorology at different time scales deserves further attention in future work. The findings will be used in air quality reporting and forecasting in NSW. The methodology and results can also be useful for air quality research in similar regions elsewhere.

This research described the fundamental inspiration behind the implementation of a humanistic approach to the principal's leadership and the steps of the principal's humanistic approach that have an impact on optimizing the implementation of the program for strengthening character education. This research used a qualitative approach, a case study design. The data collection was performed through in-depth interviews, participant observation, and documentation studies to achieve the research objectives. Data analysis used a modified analytic analysis method. The level of credibility, transferability, dependability, and confirmability was the basis of data validity. The research findings explained that personal excellence (integrity, wholeness, and self-authenticity) and the humanistic spirituality of inspirational figures inspired the principal’s humanistic approach. In addition, the application of the principal's humanistic approach had adequate impacts on optimizing the implementation of a program for strengthening character education and influenced the strengthening of the student's character. Through the principal's humanistic approach, school becomes an environment for empowering the character of the students.

The construction industry is a resource and energy intensive industry and thus, has been criti-cized due to rising environmental concerns. As a result of that it has gained heightened interest in the concept of Circular Economy (CE) over the last decade to its ability to promote the slowing, reducing, and closing production and consumption cycles of materials and products used in the construction practices. Digital technologies hold potential to enhance the construction industry's ability to integrate the concept of CE in its practices. However, a clear understanding of digital technology (DT) related barriers that hinder practical implementation of CE, appears to be lacking within the sector. In light of this, this study aims to identify the barriers to adopting DTs to im-plement CE practices in the construction industry. To achieve this aim, a systematic literature review was conducted by reviewing twenty-three (23) relevant papers published until January 2024 in Scopus database. The VOS viewer software was used to perform a co-occurrence analysis of keywords to identify new and popular study areas in the field and content analysis was used to analyse the major barriers to adapt DTs to implement CE in the construction industry. The study identified thirty-four (34) barriers to use DTs to implement CE and these were categorized into nine areas such as: infrastructure, organizational, regulatory, standardization, investment, nature of the construction industry, technological, stakeholder and data related barriers. These findings will be beneficial for construction practitioners and policy makers to adopt DTs to integrate CE practices in the construction industry.

The Upper Hunter Valley is a major coal mining area in New South Wales (NSW), Australia. Due to the ongoing increase of mining activities, PM10 (air-borne particle with an aerodynamic diameter less than 10 micrometres) pollution has become a major air quality concern in local communities. The early part of this study identified two air quality subregions in the valley. This paper aims to provide a holistic summarisation of the relationships between elevated PM10 pollution in two subregions and the local- and synoptic-scale meteorological conditions for spring and summer, when PM10 pollution is relatively high. A catalogue of twelve synoptic types and a set of six local meteorological patterns have been quantitatively derived and linked to each other using the self-organising map (SOM) technique. The complex meteorology-air pollution relationships have been visualised/interpretated on the SOM planes for two representative locations. It was found that the influence of local meteorological patterns differed significantly for mean PM10 levels vs the occurrence of elevated pollution events and between air quality subregions. In contrast, synoptic types showed generally similar relationships with mean vs elevated PM10 pollution in the valley. Two local meteorological patterns, the hot-dry-northwesterly wind conditions and the hot-dry-calm conditions, were found most PM10 pollution conducive in the valley when combined with a set of synoptic counterparts. These synoptic types are featured with the influence of eastward migrating continental high pressure system and westerly troughs, or a ridge extending northwest towards coastal northern NSW or southern Queensland from the Tasman Sea. The method and results can be used in air quality research for other locations of NSW, or similar regions elsewhere.

In Yaoundé, Cameroon, where walking is a leading transport mode, pedestrian safety remains an issue as they account for a fair share of road traffic casualties, partly due to the lack of walking policies and data on pedestrian facilities safety, hindering targeted intervention. This study investigated road segments using the Pedestrian Safety Index (PSI) and the Global Walkability Index (GWI) across 12 key roads frequented by diverse pedestrian groups, especially students. The indexes were graded from E to A and analyzed using description and rank correlation analysis. Only one segment (R7) achieved a grade C, while the remainder scored D or E, indicating poor pedestrian safety conditions and unpleasant walking experience. The strong correlation coefficient (0.69) between the PSI and GWI at a 99% significance level validated the safety assessment, providing confidence in the safety results. Leveraging these findings, a seven-year (2024-2030) safety strategy was developed aiming to upgrade all roads to grade B. This strategy contains interventions including engineering improvement, proven effective. The study offers evidence for city officials to improve pedestrian safety and informs walking policies development and upcoming projects implementation. Future research should include more road segments and validate indexes with crash or conflict data.

The Predicted Mean Vote (PMV) and the Predicted Percentage of Dissatisfied (PPD) indices are used to assess the indoor environment in terms of human thermal comfort-discomfort. In this study, an experimental combined objective and subjective investigation of thermal comfort perception has been performed in students between 16-18 years old, in a non-air-conditioned school building. The objective approach included instrumentation measurements and data processing according to ISO 7730, whereas, the subjective one was based on answers collection following ISO 10551. The study is mainly devoted to the verification of Fanger’s approach in a building, in free running conditions, under a mild (moderate) climate.The comparison between instrumentation data and questionnaire results presented an underestimation of the mean vote, predicting a cooler sensation than the actual one.

Mycoviruses are highly genetically diverse, can significantly change their fungal host’s phenotype, yet, they are generally under-described in genotypic and biological studies. We propose Botrytis cinerea as a model mycovirus system in which to develop a deeper understanding of mycovirus epidemiology including diversity, impact, and the associated cellular biology of the host and virus interaction. Over 100 mycoviruses have been described in this fungal host. B. cinerea is an ideal model fungus for mycovirology as it has highly tractable characteristics – it is easy to culture, has a worldwide distribution, infects a wide range of host plants, can be transformed and gene-edited, and has an existing depth of biological resources including annotated genomes, transcriptomes, and isolates with gene knockouts. Focus on a model system for mycoviruses will enable the research community to address deep research questions that cannot be answered in a non-systematic manner. Since B. cinerea is a major plant pathogen, new insights may have immediate utility as well as creating new knowledge that complements and extends the knowledge of mycovirus interactions in other fungi, alone or with their respective plant hosts. In this review we set out some of the critical steps required to develop B. cinerea as a model mycovirus system and how this may be used in the future.

Quaking aspen (Populus tremuloides Michx.) landscapes are valued for their biodiversity, water retention, fire mitigation, aesthetics, and recreation opportunities. Across North America, some aspen populations are experiencing population declines as they face uninhibited ungulate browsing, drought, fire suppression, insects, disease, and inappropriate management. Increased human development and recreational use within aspen landscapes can serve as additive stressors, though there is a dearth of literature examining these elements. At a popular recreational area in Utah, USA, identifying the cause of apparent decline within a larger aspen community is complicated by development upstream and recreation-related activities. We sought to: 1) assess the overall condition of the aspen at the site, 2) understand key variables that influence aspen conditions, and 3) elucidate how aspen fitness varies across the site. We collected data from forty-five plots using established aspen sampling methods, including ungulate presence, tree characteristics, soil chemistry, and environmental descriptors. Results suggest that a combination of higher levels of browsing and elevated soil sodium may be causing premature mortality and limiting aspen recruitment in a portion of the study area. These findings will inform future management at this site, as well as similar recreational forest settings experiencing compound stressors.

In this systematic review, the PRISMA method was applied to examine publications from the last two decades that have investigated the noxious gaseous emissions from dairy barns. The aim was to analyse the outcomes from literature studies estimating the quantities of polluting gases produced in dairy barns, with specific focus on ammonia (NH₃) emissions. The review also explores proposed methods to reduce the associated effects through mitigation strategies. Estimation of NH₃ emissions is significantly influenced by the complex interactions among several factors, including animal management practices, such as controlling animal behavioral activities; manure management, like utilising practices for floor manure removal; the type of structure housing the animals, whether it is naturally or mechanically ventilated; and environmental conditions, such as the effects of temperature, wind speed, relative humidity, and ventilation rate on NH₃ release in the barn. These influential components have been considered by researchers, identifying targeted mitigation strategies. Despite growing attention to the issue, gaps in the scientific literature were identified and discussed, particularly regarding the analysis of mitigation strategies and their long-term impacts (i.e., environmental, economic and productivity-wise).

As Li-ion batteries use is spreading, incidents in large energy storage systems (stationary storage containers, …) or in large-scale cell and battery storages (warehouse, recyclers, …), often leading to fire, are occurring on regular basis. Water remains one of the most efficient fire extinguishing agents for tackling those battery incidents and large quantities are usually necessary. Since bat-teries contains various potentially harmful components (metals and their oxides or salts, sol-vents…) and that thermal runway induced battery incidents are accompanied with complex and potentially multistage fume emissions (containing both gas and particles) the potential impact of fire run-off water on the environment should be considered and assessed carefully. The tests presented in this paper focus on the analysis of the composition of run-off waters used to spray NMC Li-ion modules under thermal runaway. It highlights that waters used for fire-fighting are susceptible to contain many metals, including Ni, Mn, Co, Li and Al mixed with other carbonaceous species (soot, tarballs) and sometimes undecomposed solvents used in the elec-trolyte. Extra-polation of pollutant concentrations compared with PNEC values showed that, for large scale incidents, run-off water could be potentially hazardous to the environment.

The oscillating heat pipe (OHP) is a new member in the family of heat pipes, and it has great potential applications in energy conservation. However, the fluid flow and heat transfer in the OHP as well as the fundamental effects of inner diameter on them have not been fully understood, which are essential to the design and optimization of the OHP in real applications. Therefore, by combining the high-speed visualization method and infrared thermal imaging technique, the fluid flow and thermal performance in the OHPs with inner diameters of 1, 2 and 3 mm are presented and analyzed. The results indicate that three fluid flow motions, including small oscillation, bulk oscillation and circulation, coexist or, respectively, exist alone with the increasing heating load under different inner diameters, with three flow patterns occurring in the OHPs, viz. bubbly flow, slug flow and annular flow. These fluid flow motions are closely correlated with the heat and mass transfer performance in the OHPs, which can be reflected by the characteristics of infrared thermal images of condensers. The decrease in the inner diameter increases the frictional flow resistance and capillary instability while restricting the nucleate boiling in OHPs, which leads to a smaller proportion of bubbly flow, a larger proportion of short slug flow, a poorer thermal performance, and easier dry-out of working fluid. In addition, when compared with the 2 mm OHP, the increasing role of gravity induces the thermosyphon effect and weakens the 'bubble pumping' action, which results in a little smaller and bigger thermal resistances of 3 mm OHP under small and bulk oscillation of working fluid, respectively.

We present a very computationally light and fast approximation algorithm and then verify it with genetic algorithm and simulated annealing. We show that our algorithm is on par with GA and SA in terms of output produced while having a tightly bounded time complexity. Our algorithm works best when there is a strong positive correlation between the reliability of a component and its cost. We present two algorithms with the same essence. One of them is system cost bounded and the other is target reliability bounded. Our proposed algorithm works on a subsystem level redundancy instead of component level redundancy.

Food and Agricultural Organisation estimates from 2014 suggest 64% of the high seas migratory stocks are either overfished or undergoing overfishing. Illegal fishing exacerbates the damage to marine ecosystems, human rights, and food security, and is yet to be included in the recent United Nations (UN) draft agreement to protect high seas biodiversity. We used catch data from the Sea Around Us Project to determine trends in fishing gear use and the catches of countries fishing in the high seas. Using Two-way ANOVA, Principal Coordinates Analysis, and SIMPER Test, we found that Spain, Taiwan, Japan, Indonesia, and Ecuador had the highest catches in 2004-2014. Each decade, only 1 in 10 countries (10.8%) caught over 500,000 tonnes, leaving the remaining 90% of countries catching less than 500,000 tonnes. Further analysis showed the mean high seas catch per fishery decreased 55% between the 2000s and the 2010s. Purse seine and longline were increasingly used towards the 2010s. Catch from purse seine and longline accounted for 70.5% and 78.4% of total high seas catch in 1950-2014 and 2004-2014, respectively. Discards were unreported throughout 1950-2014, and the reporting levels of landings varied greatly between countries and gears. We call for immediate action and recommend (1) including international, overarching high seas governance to end illegal and unsustainable fishing in the high seas in the UN draft agreement, and (2) using large mobile marine protected areas in high seas fisheries management through the UN draft agreement.

The surface characterization of indium tin oxide (ITO) films was processed by oxygen (O2) plasma gas using a magnetron sputtering method of varying O2-plasma gas from 20 sccm to 100 sccm for potentially fostering in electronic devices applications on dye-sensitize solar cells (DSSC) in this work. In order to gain an outstanding performance rate with high-quality thin films, the affect of correlation between the electrical, optical, and morphology properties was significantly investigated. Clearly, the content of investigation exhibited that the films properties was changed by variation of the gas composition. These changes have contemporary relevance to the sputtering gas during the deposition process. To conclude, the greatest electrical properties was displayed by O2 -plasma gas flow rate of 20 sccm, which showed the lowest resistivity. In addition to this, the final products were practically fabricated to active layers for dye-sensitize solar cells (DSSC) applications. The highest efficiency of DSSC device was indicated of approximately 0.35% which was located by 40 sccm of the O2-plasma gas. Consequently, the study could be a possibility way of preparing ITO thin films with improved special properties of substantial applications for solar cells devices in the near future.

In mesoscale eddies, chemical properties and biological composition are different from those in surrounding water, due to their unique physical processes. It is unclear how physical-biological coupling occurs in warm-core eddies, particularly since no study has examined the relationship between bacteria and viruses. The purpose of the present study was to examine the influence of anticyclonic warm eddy on the relationship between bacterial and viral abundances as well as viral activity (viral production) in different depths. In the core of warm eddy, bacterial abundance (0.48 to 2.82 ×105 cells mL−1) fluctuated less than that of the outside eddy (1.12 to 7.03×105 cells mL−1). In particular, there was four-folds higher of viral-bacterial abundance ratio (VBR) estimated within the eddy below DCM than the outside eddy. We suggest that prevailing physical forces with downwelling at the center of the anticyclonic warm eddy, viruses can also be transmitted into the deep ocean directly through adsorption on particulate organic matter during sinking. Overall, our findings provide valuable insights into the interaction between bacterial and viral communities and their ecological mechanism within the warm eddy.

The new digital infrastructure has become an important basis for the green development of agriculture. This paper selects provincial sample data from 2006 to 2022, constructs an indicator system to measure new digital infrastructure and agricultural green total factor productivity, and explores how new digital infrastructure can promote agricultural green development. The results show that: (1) the new digital infrastructure has a significant role in promoting the green development of agriculture, and this conclusion is still valid after processing endogeneity and heteroscedasticity; (2) Technology and land factors play an intermediary role in the promotion of green agricultural development by the new digital infrastructure, that is, the new digital infrastructure helps to improve the quality and technical level of cultivated land and thus promote green agricultural development; (3) Labor force factors optimize the mediating role of technology factors, that is, the higher the quality of labor force, the stronger the role of the new digital infrastructure in promoting the green development of agriculture through the technological path; (4) The effect of new digital infrastructure on the green development of agriculture is obviously heterogeneous, and the effect is more obvious in northwest China and the regions with lower marketization level, higher environmental regulation level. This study is helpful to clarify the relationship between new digital infrastructure and agricultural green development in China, and provide corresponding policy suggestions for promoting regional agricultural green development.

Sinojackia Hu. comprises five to eight Chinese endemic species with high ornamental and medicinal value. However, the generic limits, interspecific relationships and evolutionary history of the genus remain unresolved. In this study, we newly sequenced and assembled three plastomes of S. oblongicarpa and compared them with those of the other congeneric species to explore the taxonomic delimitation of the species and the evolutionary history of the genus. Plastomes structure of Sinojackia species were extremely conserved in terms of number of genes, sequence length and GC content. Codon usage patterns revealed that natural selection may be the main factor shaping codon usage bias. Our phylogenetic tree shows that Sinojackia is monophyletic and can be divided into two clades. Sinojackia oblongicarpa as a distinct species is supported for it is distantly related to S. sarcocarpa. The evolutionary analysis of morphological features indicates that woody mesocarp is an ancestral feature, while mesocarp undeveloped, spongy and fleshy are the later derived. Sinojackia originated in Central-Southeast China during the early Miocene. In this period, it experienced elevated diversification and migrated from the Central-Southeast China to Hunan Province and Sichuan Province with the development of the Asian monsoon and East Asian flora. Sinojackia experienced elevated diversification at intraspecies levels that mainly occurred in the Quaternary. Glacial-interglacial interactions with the monsoon climate may provide favorable expansion conditions for Sinojackia on a small-scale.

Accurate estimation of livestock carrying capacity (LCC) and implementing an appropriate actual stocking rate (ASR) is key to sustainable management of grazing adapted alpine grassland ecosystems. Reliable determination of aboveground biomass is fundamental to these determinations. Peak aboveground biomass (AGBP) captured from satellite data at the peak of the growing season (POS) is widely used as a proxy for annual aboveground biomass (AGBA) to estimate LCC of grasslands. Here we demonstrate limitations of this approach and highlight the ability of POS in the estimation of ASR. We develop and trail new approaches that incorporate remote sensing phenology timings of grassland response to grazing activity, considering relations between biomass growth and consumption dynamics, in efforts to support more accurate and reliable estimation of LCC and ASR. Results show that based on averaged values from large-scale studies of alpine grassland on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau (QTP), differences between AGBP and AGBA underestimate LCC by about 31%. Findings from a smaller-scale study that incorporate phenology timings into estimation of annual aboveground biomass reveal that Haibei alpine meadows were overgrazed by 11.5% during the study period from 2000-2005. The methods proposed can be extended to map grassland grazing pressure by predicting LCC and tracking ASR, thereby improving sustainable resource use in alpine grasslands.

Solid-state batteries (SSBs) have emerged as a promising alternative to conventional lithium-ion batteries, with notable advantages in safety, energy density, and longevity, yet the environmental implications of their lifecycle, from manufacturing to disposal, remain a critical concern. This review paper examines the environmental impacts associated with the production, use, and end-of-life management of SSBs, starting with the extraction and processing of raw materials which highlights significant natural resource consumption, energy use, and emissions. A comparative analysis with traditional battery manufacturing underscores the environmental hazards of novel materials specific to SSBs. The review also assesses the operational environmental impact of SSBs by evaluating their energy efficiency and carbon footprint in comparison to conventional batteries, followed by an exploration of end-of-life challenges including disposal risks, regulatory frameworks, and the shortcomings of existing waste management practices. A significant focus is placed on recycling and reuse strategies, reviewing current methodologies like mechanical, pyrometallurgical, and hydrometallurgical processes, along with emerging technologies that aim to overcome recycling barriers, while also analyzing the economic and technological challenges of these processes. Additionally, real-world case studies are presented, serving as benchmarks for best practices and highlighting lessons learned in the field. In conclusion, the paper identifies research gaps and future directions for reducing the environmental footprint of SSBs, underscoring the need for interdisciplinary collaboration to advance sustainable SSB technologies and contribute to balancing technological advancements with environmental stewardship, thereby supporting the transition to a more sustainable energy future.

We analyze a time-delayed SIQR model that considers the transportation-related infections and entry-exit screening. This model aims to determine the measures for preventing and controlling major emergent infectious diseases and the associated costs. We calculate the basic reproduction number (R0), apply the linearization method, and construct an appropriate Lyapunov function to determine the stability of the disease-free equilibrium in the local and global. We collect COVID-19 infection data from two regions in the United States in 2020 for data fitting, obtain a set of optimal parameter values, and show that the model is suitable for simulating the outbreak and spread of emerging infectious diseases. We find that transportation-related infections increase the basic reproduction number, enhancing the impact on disease spread. Entry-exit screening effectively suppress the spread of disease by reducing the basic reproduction number. Furthermore, we investigate the influence of the incubation period on disease and find that a shorter incubation period results in a shorter duration but a larger scale of infection, and the peaks are reduced. We conduct a sensitivity analysis of the R0 and propose three measures to prevent the spread of new infectious diseases based on the most sensitive parameters: wearing masks, implementing urban closures, and administering medication to sick but not yet hospitalized patients promptly. In the case of COVID-19, we use Pontryagin’s minimum principle to get time-varying control measures to control the spread of the outbreak. Optimal control effectively controls the development and deterioration of the disease. Finally, several control measures are compared through cost-effectiveness analysis, and the results show that wearing masks is the most cost-effective measure. Our study provides some practical guidance for controlling the spread of major emerging infectious diseases.

This study explores the current landscape of social value (SV) research in the construction industry, analyzing global trends and identifying future research directions. Using bibliometric analysis, research published in Elsevier Scopus database from 2013 to 2023 was extracted using the keywords "social value" AND "construction industry." Results indicate a focus on social value indicators, socioeconomic impacts, project management, innovative practices, and cross-sector collaborations. The study also reveals a lack of attention to SV in African countries' construction sectors. By highlighting research areas and identifying gaps, this study contributes to academic literature, suggesting the need for guidelines, particularly in developing countries, and advocating for further research on SV in the built environment and strategies for global social value creation.

Long term Precipitation and temperature variations are one of the main determinants of climate variability of one’s area. The aim of this study is to determine trends variation in climatic elements of temperature and precipitation in the southern zone of Tigray regional state, Ethiopia. The station is assumed for the study of climatic records over southern zone of the region in detection for probable trends. The daily, monthly and annual precipitation totals and temperature observed at korem meteorological station were used for the period of 1981-2010 for Precipitation and 1985 – 2010 for minimum and maximum temperature. Summary of descriptive statistics and Mann Kendall test methods were employed for the observed data analysis to demonstrate any existence of possible trends. The main findings of the study indicated that the mean and maximum temperature had a general increasing trend; however, minimum temperature showed decreasing trend. In general annual temperature from 1985 – 2010 of the area showed a warming trend. Moreover analysis of the 30 years (1981-2010) annual precipitation showed a coefficient of variation ranging from 33.77 – 233 %. It indicated that the precipitation dissemination is not normal with large year to year variances.

Coxsackievirus A6 (CV-A6) has emerged as the predominant causative agent of hand, foot, and mouth disease (HFMD) in young children. Since the declaration of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) as a global pandemic, the incidence of infectious diseases, including HFMD, has decreased markedly. When social mitigation was relaxed during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2022, re-emergence of HFMD was observed in Gwangju, South Korea, and seasonal characteristics of the disease appeared to have changed. To investigate the molecular characteristics of enterovirus (EV) associated with HFMD during 2022, 277 specimens were collected. Children aged under 5 years accounted for the majority of affected individuals. EV detection and genotyping were performed using real-time RT-PCR and nested RT-PCR followed by sequence analysis. EV detection rate was found to be 82.3%, and the main genotype identified was CV-A6. Sixteen CV-A6 samples were selected for whole genome sequencing. According to phylogenetic analysis, all CV-A6 strains from this study belonged to the sub-genotype D3 clade based on VP1 sequences. Analysis of 3D polymerase phylogeny showed that only the recombinant RF-A group was identified. In conclusion, circulating EV types should be continuously monitored to understand pathogen emergence and evolution during the post-pandemic era.

This review paper presents a comprehensive synthesis of current knowledge on the contamination of water systems by polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). PAHs, organic contaminants characterized by two or more fused aromatic rings, are notably problematic due to their persistence, bioaccumulation, and significant health risks. The review commences with an examination of various sources of PAHs in aquatic environments, encompassing both anthropogenic activities, such as industrial discharges, urban runoff, and oil spills, and natural phenomena including volcanic eruptions and wildfires. Subsequently, the discussion shifts to the distribution patterns of PAHs within different aquatic ecosystems, with an analysis of factors that influence their transport. Considerable focus is placed on the entry mechanisms of PAHs into water systems and their interactions with diverse environmental matrices. Additionally, the ecotoxicological effects of PAHs on aquatic life are scrutinized, with particular emphasis on molecular, individual, and ecosystemic impacts. This includes an exploration of PAH bioaccumulation in aquatic organisms and their potential mutagenic and carcinogenic consequences. The review further addresses the challenges associated with detecting and quantifying PAHs in aquatic settings, reflecting on the advancements in analytical methodologies and the complexities introduced by their varied physicochemical properties. The paper concludes with a summary of existing regulatory frameworks and guidelines governing PAH contamination in water systems, underscoring the imperative for global collaboration in the monitoring and management of PAH pollution.

Sinkhole formation caused by leaking pipes in karst soluble rocks is a significant concern, leading to infrastructure damage and safety risks. In this paper, an experiment was conducted to investigate sinkhole formation in dense sand induced by a leaking pipe. Fibre Bragg gratings (FBGs) sensors were used to record the strain. A balloon was gradually deflated within a bed of wet silica sand to create an underground cavity. Eighteen FBG sensors, with a wavelength range between 1550 nm and 1560 nm, were embedded horizontally and vertically in the physical model at different levels to monitor deformation at various locations. A leaking pipe was installed to induce the collapse of the formed arch above the cavity. The strain measurements suggest four phases in the sinkhole formation process: (1) cavity formation, (2) progressive weathering and erosion, (3) catastrophic collapse, and (4) subsequent equilibrium conditions. The results showed differences in strain signatures and distributions between horizontal and vertical measurements. During the critical phase of sinkhole collapse, horizontal measurements primarily showed tension, while vertical measurements indicated compression. This investigation demonstrates the effectiveness of FBGs as advanced monitoring tools for sinkhole precursor identification. The study also suggests using FBGs in geotechnical monitoring applications to improve understanding and mitigation of sinkholes and related geohazards.

Packaged water consumption has grown rapidly in urban areas of many low and middle income countries, but particularly in Ghana. However, the sources of water used by this growing packaged water industry and its implications for water resource management and transport-related environmental impacts have not been described. This study aimed to assess the spatial distribution of regulated packaged water production in Ghana, both in relation to demand and for natural mineral water, to hydrogeological characteristics. 764 addresses for premises licenced to produce packaged water from 2009-2015 were mapped and compared to regional sachet water consumption and beverage import/export data examined. We find evidence to suggest packaged water is transported shorter distances in Ghana than in developed countries. For natural mineral waters, producers should be able to address the most widespread water quality hazards (including high salinity, iron and nitrates) in aquifers used for production through reverse osmosis treatment. The study suggests there is scope to integrate beverage product and groundwater regulatory databases to support groundwater management.

Ammonium sulfate has been utilized in agriculture; however, there is a dearth of research on its application in maize cultivation subsequent to the implementation of nitrification inhibitors or coating. This study aims to analyze the impacts of various combinations of ammonium sulfate fertilizers on soil nutrients, plant nutrient uptake, yield, and fertilizer utilization efficiency in maize cultivation to ascertain the optimal and stabilized disposal method for ammonium sulfate. A completely randomized design was employed with five treatments (AU, the control using urea; AS, treatment using ammonium sulfate; ASN, treatment using ammonium sulfate with a nitrification inhibitor; ASG, treatment using oil-coated ammonium sulfate; ASD, treatment using oil-humic acid-coated ammonium sulfate). Results showed that: (1) Compared with AU and AS, ASN, ASG and ASD decreased the leaching rates of TN, NH4+-N and NO3-N to the 10-20 cm soil layer, and more residual N was obtained in 0-10 cm soil layer. The first-order kinetic equation Nt=N0(1-e-kt) can better fit the process of nitrogen accumulation and release, and the N release rate constant is AU>CK>AS>ASH>ASN>ASD; (2) Compared with AU and AS treatments, the plant dry weight, grain dry weight, spike width, spike length, and yields of maize increased by 8.85-11.08%, 12.98-14.15%, 2.95-3.52%, 5.50-5.65%, and 43.21-51.10% under ASG treatment respectively. The impact of effective spike number on maize yield was found to be significant, as demonstrated by the path analysis conducted in this study. Furthermore, the accumulation levels of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium within above-ground plants significantly increased under the ASG treatment compared to the AU and AS treatments. The partial productivity of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium increased by 1.43-1.51-fold under ASG treatment, while grain nitrogen balance, grain phosphorus balance, and grain potassium balance increased by 1.41-1.58-fold, 1.51-1.95-fold, and 1.15-l.96-fold respectively. The oil-coated ammonium sulfate, therefore, exhibited the optimal slow-release effect of nutrients, thereby achieving superior performance in enhancing maize production and efficiency.

This manuscript offers a concise overview of paper microfluidics, emphasizing its sustainable sensing applications in healthcare, environmental monitoring, and food safety. Researchers have developed innovative sensing platforms for detecting pathogens, pollutants, and contaminants by leveraging the paper’s unique properties, such as biodegradability and affordability. These portable, low-cost sensors facilitate rapid diagnostics and on-site analysis, making them invaluable tools for resource-limited settings. The review discusses fabrication techniques, principles, and applications of paper microfluidics, showcasing its potential to address pressing challenges and enhance human health and environmental sustainability.

There is no doubt that seagrass beds constitute one of the most productive ecosystems in shallow coastal waters. Despite this, picoplankton in seagrass ecosystems has received relatively little attention. The purpose of this study was to compare picoplankton growth and mortality rates between seagrass and unvegetated habitats using chamber incubations. We tested two main hypotheses: (i) incubation with seagrass would result in higher bacterial growth rates due to increased DOM release from seagrass photosynthesis, and (ii) Synechococcus spp. would be lower in the presence of seagrass due to competition for inorganic nutrients. Our results showed bacterial growth rates of 2.31 and 2.44 d–1 without and with seagrass, respectively. In seagrass chambers, bacterial growth was higher than that in non-seagrass chambers, suggesting that organic carbon coming from the seagrass community may support bacterial production. Furthermore, we observed a negative Synechococcus spp. growth rate (-0.9 d–1) in the seagrass treatment, likely reflecting nutrient competition with the seagrass. Small-scale chambers proved to be a useful tool for studying the factors controlling spatial and temporal patterns of picoplankton across different habitats. Furthermore, future studies should examine picoplankton growth over a wider range of spatial scales in seagrass beds and adjacent unvegetated sediment.

Over the last two decades, a considerable amount of equipment has been acquired (spreaders, seeders, sprayers, among others) to respond to the challenges of Precision Agriculture (PA) concept. Most of this equipment has been purchased at a high cost. However, many of them, despite still being functional and equipped with sensors, actuators, and electronic processing units capable of adjusting to variations in speed, have become obsolete in terms of communication, and incompatible with new monitoring and control systems based on the “Isobus” protocol. This work aims to present a solution for updating the control system (“Ferticontrol”) of a “Vicon RS-EDW” spreader with variable rate application (VRA), making it compatible with the “InCommand” system from “Ag Leader”. The solution includes low-cost “Arduino” and “Raspberry Pi” microcontrollers and open-source software. The development shows that it is possible to implement a solution that is accessible to farmers in general. It also provides a niche business opportunity for young researchers to set up small technology-based enterprises associated with universities and research centers. These partnerships guarantee permanent innovation and represent a decisive step towards modern, technological, competitive, and sustainable agriculture.

In our study, we assessed the effects of verbenone, the most widely studied bark beetle aggregation inhibitor, on saproxylic beetles of a Mediterranean pine forest in Tuscany. Verbenone pouches were devised in the laboratory and then applied to Ips sexdentatus pheromone traps so that catches could be compared to those of traps with just the bait. The trial was carried out in spring-summer 2023, collecting insect catches every two weeks. A total of 9440 beetles were collected, belonging to 32 different families and 57 species. About 80% of captures were bark beetles, mainly Orthotomicus erosus. Beetle predators accounted for about 17% of the captures, with a total of 12 species. Some of these predator species had never been studied yet in relation to verbenone effects, like other saproxylic beetles recorded in this study. A significant reduction of captures was recorded for some beetles (e.g. I. sexdentatus and O. erosus), for other species no differences emerged, and in some cases captures increased significantly when verbenone was present in the traps (i.e.. Hylurgus ligniperda, Corticeus pini, Aulonium ruficorne). The diversity of caught saproxylic beetles increased significantly in verbenone traps, highlighting possible implications of the use of verbenone when managing bark beetle outbreaks.

Measurement of Globe temperature is essential for investigating thermal comfort in street canyon. Globe thermometer is the most common instrument used to measure globe temperature (GT), however its application in scale models is still uncertain and not thoroughly investigated as of today. Therefore, this study is explicitly conducted to investigate globe thermometer measurements and proposed an improvised customization of the globe thermometer size to enhance reliability in scale models. The experiments were carried out outdoors using a typical street canyon model (scale 1:100) with East-West street orientation. The experiment presented a comparison between a low solar reflective street canyon (albedo of 0.4) and a high solar reflective canyon (albedo of 0.6) in terms of surface temperatures, heat flux and globe temperature. Furthermore, this study also investigated the influence of solar orientation on the globe temperature using both experimental using scale models and microclimatic modelling using ENVI-met. It is observed that although the surface temperatures are lower with high solar reflective canyon compared to that with low solar reflective canyon, GT is higher in high reflective canyon during daytime, which could be due to combined effect of direct radiation and shortwave reflection. However, for hours after the sun set, GT becomes lower (up to 1°C) in the case of high reflective canyon compared to low reflective canyon.

Vitamin D receptor (VDR) is an important candidate gene in musculoskeletal phenotypes. Polymorphisms in VDR have been previously associated with several pathologies and muscular strength in athletes and elderly people, however literature reported contradictory results. The object of this research is to verify the association between the most studied VDR variants (rs2228570, rs7975232, and rs1544410) and the increase of muscle mass in elite young soccer players. A sample of 55 soccer players (15-18 years old) form a professional team was selected for this study. DNA was extracted by salting out method and polymorphisms were genotyped by PCR-RFLP, followed by 2% agarose gel electrophoresis. To test the effect of the three SNPs, logistic regression analysis was applied. Body composition was carried out through skinfold thickness method, and muscular area of arm and lower limb were calculated using Frisancho formulas. All three polymorphisms met Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium (p &gt; 0.05) and their frequencies fell within the worldwide variability. A significant correlation between rs1544410 and increase of calf muscle mass was observed. Individuals carrying A allele showed higher calf muscular mass than those carrying the G allele (p = 0.034). Moreover, haplotype analysis applied to the two SNPs in linkage disequilibrium (rs7975232 and rs1544410), showed that AG haplotype resulted negatively correlated to calf muscle area. In conclusion, we confirm an association between VDR polymorphisms and muscular mass that could encourage the genetic screening of VDR gene to identify a potential risk of injury and for individual nutritional interventions.

Chlorophyll-a (Chl-a), a proxy for phytoplankton biomass, is one of the few biological water quality indices detectable using satellite observations. However, models for estimating Chl-a from satellite signals are currently unavailable for many lakes. The application of Chl-a prediction algorithms may be affected by the variance in optical complexity within lakes. Using Lake Winnipeg in Canada as a case study, we demonstrated that separating models by the lake’s basins [north basin (NB) and south basin (SB)] can improve Chl-a predictions. By calibrating more than 40 commonly used Chl-a estimation models using Landsat data for Lake Winnipeg, we achieved higher correlations between in situ and predicted Chl-a when building models with separate Landsat-to-in-situ matchups from NB and SB (R² = 0.85 and 0.76, respectively; p &lt; 0.05), compared to using matchups from the entire lake (R² = 0.38, p &lt; 0.05). In the deeper, clearer waters of the NB, a green-to-blue band ratio provided better Chl-a predictions, while in the shallower, highly turbid SB, a red-to-green band ratio was more effective. Our approach can be used for rapid Chl-a modeling in large lakes using cloud-based platforms like Google Earth Engine with any available satellite or time series length.

New antiviral agents are essential to improving treatment and control of SARS-CoV-2 infections that can lead to the disease COVID-19. Antimicrobial peptoids are sequence-specific oligo-N-substituted glycine peptidomimetics that emulate the structure and function of natural antimicrobial peptides but are resistant to proteases. We demonstrate antiviral activity of a new peptoid (TM9) against the coronavirus, murine hepatitis virus (MHV), as a closely related model for the structure and antiviral susceptibility profile of SARS-CoV-2. This peptoid mimics the human cathelicidin LL-37, which has also been shown to have antimicrobial and antiviral activity. In this study TM9 was effective against three murine coronavirus strains, demonstrating the therapeutic window is large enough to allow use of TM9 for treatment. All three isolates of MHV generated infection in mice after 15 min of exposure by aerosol using the Madison aerosol chamber and all three viral strains could be isolated from the lungs throughout the 5-day observation period post-infection, with the peak titers on day 2. MHV-A59 and MHV-A59-GFP were also isolated from liver, heart, spleen, olfactory bulbs, and brain. These data demonstrate that MHV serves as a valuable natural murine model of coronavirus pathogenesis in multiple organs, including the brain.