Search Results (23)

This comprehensive review investigates the potential of cyanobacteria, particularly nitrogen-fixing strains, in addressing global challenges pertaining to plastic pollution and carbon emissions. By analyzing the distinctive characteristics of cyanobacteria, including their minimal growth requirements, high photosynthetic efficiency, and rapid growth rates, this study elucidates their crucial role in transforming carbon sequestration, biofuel generation, and biodegradable plastic production. The investigation emphasizes cyanobacteria’s efficiency in photosynthesis, positioning them as optimal candidates for cost-effective bioplastic production with minimized land usage. Furthermore, the study explores their unconventional yet promising utilization in biodiesel production, mitigating environmental concerns such as sulfur emissions and the presence of aromatic hydrocarbons. The resulting biodiesel exhibits significant combustion potential, establishing cyanobacteria as a viable option for sustainable biofuel production. Through a comprehensive assessment of both achievements and challenges encountered during the commercialization process, this review offers valuable insights into the diverse contributions of cyanobacteria. Its objective is to provide guidance to researchers, policymakers, and industries interested in harnessing bio-inspired approaches for structural and sustainable applications, thereby advancing global efforts towards environmentally conscious plastic and biofuel production. Full article

Low temperature combustion (LTC) mitigates the nitrogen oxide (NO_x) and particulate matter (PM) trade-off in conventional compression ignition engines. Significant research on LTC using partially premixed charge compression ignition (PPCI) has typically reduced the compression ratio of the engine to control combustion phasing and lower peak temperatures. This study investigates LTC using PPCI with a high-compression-ratio (=21.2) engine by varying fuel injection timing (FIT) from 12.5° to 30.0° before top dead center (BTDC) while modulating EGR (0%, 7%, 14%, and 25%). Advancing FIT led to a gradual rise in the equivalence ratio of the mixture, in-cylinder pressure, temperature, and rate of heat release due to energy losses associated with ignition occurring before the end of the compression stroke. PPCI was successfully achieved with minimal performance impact using a combination of FIT advancements in the presence of high rates of EGR. Specifically, fuel injected at 25.0° BTDC and 25% EGR reduced PM emissions by 59% and total hydrocarbons by 25% compared with conventional FIT (12.5°) without EGR. Moreover, carbon monoxide and NO_x emissions were comparable across set points. As a result, PPCI using high compression ratios is possible and can lead to greater thermal efficiencies while reducing emissions. Full article

The symbiotic relationship between nitrogen-fixing cyanobacteria and plants offers a promising avenue for sustainable agricultural practices and environmental remediation. This review paper explores the molecular interactions between nitrogen-fixing cyanobacteria and nanoparticles, shedding light on their potential synergies in agricultural nanotechnology. Delving into the evolutionary history and specialized adaptations of cyanobacteria, this paper highlights their pivotal role in fixing atmospheric nitrogen, which is crucial for ecosystem productivity. The review discusses the unique characteristics of metal nanoparticles and their emerging applications in agriculture, including improved nutrient delivery, stress tolerance, and disease resistance. It delves into the complex mechanisms of nanoparticle entry into plant cells, intracellular transport, and localization, uncovering the impact on root-shoot translocation and systemic distribution. Furthermore, the paper elucidates cellular responses to nanoparticle exposure, emphasizing oxidative stress, signaling pathways, and enhanced nutrient uptake. The potential of metal nanoparticles as carriers of essential nutrients and their implications for nutrient-use efficiency and crop yield are also explored. Insights into the modulation of plant stress responses, disease resistance, and phytoremediation strategies demonstrate the multifaceted benefits of nanoparticles in agriculture. Current trends, prospects, and challenges in agricultural nanotechnology are discussed, underscoring the need for responsible and safe nanoparticle utilization. By harnessing the power of nitrogen-fixing cyanobacteria and leveraging the unique attributes of nanoparticles, this review paves the way for innovative, sustainable, and efficient agricultural practices. Full article

The demand for ethical foods is rising, with halal foods playing a significant role in this trend. However, halal standards vary globally, which can have substantial implications. Multiple Halal Certification Bodies (HCBs) can approve food products but they often prioritize national regulations over international alignment. To explore the similarities and differences in halal standards, we conducted a critical analysis of various standards, including Pakistan’s halal standards, the Standards and Metrology Institute for Islamic Countries, Majlis Ugama Islam Singapore, Majelis Ulama Indonesia, GCC Standardization Organization, Jabatan Kemajuan Islam Malaysia, ASEAN General Guideline, and the halal standards of Thailand, Iran, and Brunei, through a literature survey. While some commonalities exist, differences stemming from various Islamic schools of thought pose challenges for regulators, consumers, and food producers. Controversial issues include stunning, slaughtering, aquatic animals, insects, and labeling requirements. For example, all standards except the GSO allow non-Muslim slaughterers, and stunning is permitted in all standards except those of Pakistan. These disparities underscore the need for standardization and harmonization in the halal food industry to meet the growing demand for ethical foods. Full article

Drought stress restricts the growth of okra (Abelmoschus esculentus L.) by disrupting its biochemical and physiological functions. The current study was conducted to evaluate the role of selenium (0, 1, 2, and 3 mg Se L⁻¹ as a foliar application) in improving okra tolerance to drought (control (100% field capacity-FC), mild stress (70% FC), and severe stress (35% FC)) imposed 30 days after sowing (DAS). Drought (severe) markedly decreased chlorophyll (32.21%) and carotenoid (39.6%) contents but increased anthocyanin (40%), proline (46.8%), peroxidase (POD by 12.5%), ascorbate peroxidase (APX by 11.9%), and catalase (CAT by 14%) activities. Overall, Se application significantly alleviated drought stress-related biochemical disturbances in okra. Mainly, 3 mg Se L⁻¹ significantly increased chlorophyll (21%) as well as anthocyanin (15.14%), proline (18.16%), and antioxidant activities both under drought and control conditions. Selenium played a beneficial role in reducing damage caused by oxidative stress, enhancing chlorophyll and antioxidants contents, and improved plant tolerance to drought stress. Therefore, crops including okra especially, must be supplemented with 3 mg L⁻¹ foliar Se for obtaining optimum yield in arid and semiarid drought-affected areas. Full article

The use of beneficial microbes as biofertilizer has become fundamental in the agricultural sector for their potential role in food safety and sustainable crop production. A field trial was conducted to study the influence of beneficial microbes on the efficiency of organic and inorganic sources. The experiment was conducted in two consecutive years (2008–2009 and 2009–2010) in a farmer’s field at Dargai Malakand Division. A randomized complete block design was used with four replications. The results revealed a significantly higher straw and grain nitrogen concentrations for the treatments receiving 50% N from urea + 50% N from FYM + BM, followed by the treatments receiving 50% N from urea + 50% N from (FYM + PM) + BM and 120 kg N ha⁻¹ from urea fertilizer, respectively. Comparing the relevant treatments with and without BM, an increasing trend in N concentrations in straw and grain was observed with BM. The results revealed the highest grain total nitrogen, straw total nitrogen and total nitrogen uptake by wheat crop for the treatments receiving 120 kg N ha⁻¹ from urea, followed by the treatments receiving 50% N from urea + 50% N from PM + BM and 50% N from urea + 50% N from (FYM + PM) + BM. Moreover, after comparing the relevant treatments with and without BM, for the parameters mentioned, an increasing trend in nitrogen uptake was observed. Significantly higher total soil nitrogen was obtained for treatment with 50% N from urea + 50% N from FYM + BM, followed by the treatment with 50% N from urea + 50% N from (FYM + PM) + BM or 50% N from urea + 50% N from PM + BM, respectively, as compared to the control treatment plot. Markedly higher soil mineral nitrogen was obtained for the 50% N from urea + 50% N from (FYM + PM) + BM treatment, followed by the treatment with 50% N from urea + 50% N from FYM + BM and 50% N treatment from urea + 50% N from PM + BM, compared to the control treatment. Comparing the relevant treatments with and without BM, an increasing trend in total soil N (g kg⁻¹ soil) and soil mineral N (mg kg⁻¹ soil) was noted with BM application. From the results, a significant increase in soil organic matter status (g kg⁻¹ soil) due to application of organic and inorganic fertilization was summarized. Significantly higher soil organic matter (g kg⁻¹ soil) was recorded for the treatment receiving 50% N from urea + 50% N from FYM + BM compared to untreated control plots. Our study further revealed an increasing trend in soil organic matter status (g kg⁻¹ soil) when comparing the relevant treatments with and without BM. Full article

Internal combustion engines face increased market, societal, and governmental pressures to improve performance, requiring researchers to utilize modeling tools capable of a thorough analysis of engine performance. Heat release is a critical aspect of internal combustion engine diagnostic analysis, but is prone to variability in modeling validity, particularly as engine operation is pushed further from conventional combustion regimes. To that end, this effort presents a comprehensive open-source, zero-dimensional equilibrium heat release model. This heat release analysis is based on a combined mass, energy, entropy, and exergy formulation that improves upon well-established efforts constructed around the ratio of specific heats. Furthermore, it incorporates combustion using an established chemical kinetics mechanism to endeavor to predict the global chemical species in the cylinder. Future efforts can augment and improve the chemical kinetics reactions for specific combustion conditions based on the radical pyrolysis of the fuel. In addition, the incorporation of theoretical calculations of energy and exergy based on the change in chemical species allows for cross-checking of combustion model validity. Full article

Plant growth regulators (PGRs) are naturally occurring signaling molecules that modulate numerous phenological traits and physicochemical features of plants throughout their life cycles. Exogenous supplementation of PGRs is an effective strategy for improving the productivity of important agricultural crops. This research was planned to evaluate the effects of six PGRs, namely indole-3-acetic acid (IAA), 24-epibrassinolide (EBL), gibberellic acid (GA₃), putrescine (put), salicylic acid (SA) and triacontanol (Tria), on morphology, photosynthesis, nutrient acquisition, and the yield and quality characteristics of three mustard cultivars, i.e., Chutki, Nath Sona, and Rohini. Two foliar sprays each of water, IAA (10⁻⁶ M), EBL (10⁻⁶ M), GA₃ (10⁻⁵ M), put (10⁻³ M), 10⁻⁵ M SA, and Tria (10⁻⁶ M) were applied to plants at fifty and seventy days after sowing (DAS). The crops’ phenological, physicochemical and microscopic parameters were evaluated at ninety DAS, and yield characteristics were evaluated at harvest (120 DAS). The observations of this study indicated that foliar feeding with PGRs increased all studied parameters, relative to water-spray treatment. The Nath Sona cultivar displayed a stronger response than Rohini and Chutki. Among the leaf-applied PGRs, 24-EBL, followed by IAA and GA₃, proved the most effective and improved all the studied parameters. Moreover, the exogenous application of PGRs, especially EBL, significantly enhanced stomatal dimensions and root cell longevity. Treatment with EBL enhanced plant dry weight by 34.7, 35.4, and 37.6%, the net photosynthetic rate by 65.3, 64.7, and 60.2%, seed yield per plant by 67.1, 65.2, and 67.3%, and oil yield per plant by 42.6, 48.2, and 41.1%, in the Chutki, Nath Sona, and Rohini cultivars, respectively, relative to the water-spray treatment. It may be concluded that of the tested PGRs, 24-EBL proved most effective at enhancing the morphological, physicochemical, and yield features of the mustard cultivars. Full article

With the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic, access to physical education on campus became difficult for everyone. Therefore, students and universities have been compelled to transition from in-person to online education. During this pandemic, online education, the use of unfamiliar digital learning tools, the lack of internet access, and the communication barriers between teachers and students made precision education more difficult. Customizing models from previous studies that only consider a single course in order to make a prediction reduces the predictive power of the model because it only considers a small subset of the attributes of each possible course. Due to a lack of data for each course, overfitting often occurs. It is challenging to obtain a comprehensive understanding of the student’s participation during the semester system or in a broader context. In this paper, a model that is flexible and more generalizable is developed to address these issues. This model resolves the problem of generalized models and overfitting by using a large number of responses from college and university students as a dataset that considered a broader range of attributes, regardless of course differences. CatBoost, an advanced type of gradient boosting algorithm, was used to conduct this research, and enabled the developed model to perform effectively and produce accurate results. The model achieved a 96.8% degree of accuracy. Finally, a comparison was made with other related work to demonstrate the concept, and the experimental results proved that the Catboost model is a viable, accurate predictor of students’ performance. Full article

Agroforestry integrates woody perennials with arable crops, livestock, or fodder in the same piece of land, promoting the more efficient utilization of resources as compared to monocropping via the structural and functional diversification of components. This integration of trees provides various soil-related ecological services such as fertility enhancements and improvements in soil physical, biological, and chemical properties, along with food, wood, and fodder. By providing a particular habitat, refugia for epigenic organisms, microclimate heterogeneity, buffering action, soil moisture, and humidity, agroforestry can enhance biodiversity more than monocropping. Various studies confirmed the internal restoration potential of agroforestry. Agroforestry reduces runoff, intercepts rainfall, and binds soil particles together, helping in erosion control. This trade-off between various non-cash ecological services and crop production is not a serious constraint in the integration of trees on the farmland and also provides other important co-benefits for practitioners. Tree-based systems increase livelihoods, yields, and resilience in agriculture, thereby ensuring nutrition and food security. Agroforestry can be a cost-effective and climate-smart farming practice, which will help to cope with the climate-related extremities of dryland areas cultivated by smallholders through diversifying food, improving and protecting soil, and reducing wind erosion. This review highlighted the role of agroforestry in soil improvements, microclimate amelioration, and improvements in productivity through agroforestry, particularly in semi-arid and degraded areas under careful consideration of management practices. Full article

The digital economy plays a vital role in promoting sustainable development. Out of different measurement indices, this research uses the DESI dimension, i.e., connectivity, human capital, the use of internet services, the integration of digital technology, and digital public services, to investigate the impact on the promotion of SGDI in the European Union countries. Previous research studies investigated the indirect impact of the DESI dimension on SGDI in different countries and regions. In this research, we investigate the direct impact of DESI dimensions on SGDI by using panel regression modeling. The results show that DESI sub-dimensions influence SGDI differently. Connectivity, human capital, and the use of internet services have more influence on SGDI compared to the integration of digital technology and digital public services. However, the impact is negative in most cases, but this is in line with the previous studies in other regional studies. Thus, the current research paper reveals that standard views on the influence of the digital economy are not always true. Policymakers need to make the necessary amendments while implementing each DESI dimension on any level for better promotion of SGDI. Full article

The Martian topography needs to be investigated in greater detail for human habitations, and this can be accomplished faster using unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). In this regard, the RQ-11B Raven appears suitable for remote sensing and topography-mapping applications on Mars, due to its popularity in surveillance and reconnaissance applications on Earth. As a result, this study investigates the flight of this UAV in the Martian atmosphere with the assumptions that it employs an NACA S7012 airfoil and its electric propulsion technology is replaced with a four-stroke oxy-methane fueled Saito FG-11 internal combustion engine (ICE). This ICE is estimated to supply 367.8 W resulting in an engine speed of 6891 revolutions per minute. Based on this speed, the UAV must fly at least 72 m/s (Re = 18,100) at a 5° angle of attack to support flight under calm conditions. To achieve this speed will be difficult; thus, a weather balloon or German V1-style launch system should be employed to launch the UAV successfully. Furthermore, the UAV must operate below 165 m/s (Re = 41,450) to prevent transonic conditions. Finally, the vehicle’s fuel and oxidizer tanks can be refueled using an in situ methane and oxygen production system, enabling its sustainable use on Mars. Full article

Understanding the differences in cool-season turfgrass responses to shade is critical for future turfgrass management and breeding for improved shade tolerance. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the shade-tolerance mechanisms of two cool-season turfgrass species in terms of turf performance, growth, and physiological characteristics. Two turfgrass species, namely, ’SupraNova’ (Poa. supina Schrad.) and ‘Lark’ (Lolium perenne L.), were subjected to 0 (CK, unshaded), 35% (LS), 70% (MS), and 92% (HS) shade, respectively. Compared with ‘Lark’, ‘SupraNova’ showed better turf quality (TQ) and turf color intensity (TCI) under shade. The total length and surface area of the roots of ‘Lark’ gradually decreased as the shade increased, while those of ‘SupraNova’ increased and then decreased with increasing shade. The chlorophyll fluorescence photochemical quenching coefficient (qP), electron transport rate (ETR), and maximum quantum yield of primary photosystem II (PSII) photochemistry (Fv/Fm) decreased significantly under HS; however, these decreases were more significant in ‘Lark’ than in ‘SupraNova’. The leaf reflectance of the two turfgrasses under shade was lower than that under CK, but the leaf reflectance of ‘Lark’ was higher than that of ‘SupraNova’ in the visible light band. The normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) of the two grasses first decreased and then increased. The NDVI of ‘Lark’ under shade was slightly higher than that under CK. ‘SupraNova’ showed strong tolerance on the basis of malondialdehyde (MDA), hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂), superoxide anion (O₂·⁻), and ascorbic acid (AsA) contents and superoxide dismutase (SOD), peroxidase (POD), and catalase (CAT) activity. The MDA, H₂O₂, O₂·⁻, and AsA contents and SOD, POD, and CAT activity (which represent indicators) changed the most under MS. Taken together, the results indicated that the adaptability of ‘SupraNova’ to shade was better than that of ‘Lark’. Full article

Cotton is a major cash crop of Pakistan that provides high foreign exchange and plays an important role in agriculture, industry, and economic development. The plant population is important in achieving high cotton yield and fiber quality attributes in irrigated conditions. Most farmers maintain plant spacing according to their local tradition, and often ignore the varietal characteristics in Pakistan that cause low yield and poor quality of products. Therefore, standardization of plant spacings according to varietal characteristics is important to achieve higher yield and fiber quality. A field experiment was carried out at the Agronomic Research Area, Muhammad Nawaz Shareef University of Agriculture, Multan, Pakistan in 2017, in order to evaluate the performance of four cotton cultivars (MNH-1016, FH-Lalazar, NIAB-878, and Cyto-124) under five plant spacings (15.0, 22.5, 30.0, 37.5, and 45.0 cm), comparing them with and without nitrogen application. Nitrogen fertilization was applied at the rate of 197 kg ha⁻¹. The experiment was replicated thrice, as per Randomized Complete Block Design with factorial arrangements. The results showed that nitrogen application of 197 kg ha⁻¹ showed a positive impact on all crop parameters compared to plots where no nitrogen fertilizer was applied. The wider plant spacing (45 cm) increased the values of many cotton parameters compared with other plant spacings (22.5, 30.0, 37.5 and 45.0 cm), but the seed cotton yield was found to be higher in the narrow plant spacing (15 cm). However, fiber quality parameters such as GOT, staple strength, and micronaire showed higher values under wider plant spacing (45.0 cm). The varieties showed a mixed effect on cotton productivity and fiber quality. The MNH-1016 significantly impacted yield-contributing parameters such as bolls plant⁻¹, boll weight and seed cotton yield. The NIAB-878 showed a higher photosynthetic rate and stomatal conductance compared to other varieties. Therefore, the wider plant spacing with nitrogen application could be a better strategy to increase cotton growth, yield, physiology, and fiber quality. However, long-term studies under different climatic conditions are suggested for wider plant spacing with nitrogen fertilizers. Full article

Coffee is a Rubiaceae coffee plant ranked as the first of the three most important beverages in the world, with effects including lowering blood sugar, protecting the liver, and protecting the nerves. Coffee contains many chemical components, including alkaloids, phenolic acids, flavonoids, terpenoids, and so on. Chemical components in coffee are the basis of its biological function and taste. The chemical components are the basis of biological activities and form the characteristic aroma of coffee. The main chemical components and biological activities of coffee have been extensively studied, which would provide a relevant basis and theoretical support for the further development of the coffee industry. Full article