Search Results (23)

Salinity is considered to be a global problem and a severe danger to modern agriculture since it negatively impacts plants’ growth and development at both cellular- and whole-plant level. However, cobalt (Co) and titanium (Ti), multifunctional non-essential micro-elements, play a crucial role in improving plant growth and development under salinity stress. In the current study, Co and Ti impact on the morphological, biochemical, nutritional, and metabolic profile of Pennisetum divisum plants under three salinity levels which were assessed. Two concentrations of Co (Co-1; 15.0 mg/L and Co-2; 25.0 mg/L), and two concentrations of Ti (Ti-1; 50.0 mg/L and Ti-2; 100.0 mg/L) were applied as foliar application to the P. divisum plants under salinity (S1; 200 mM, S2; 500 mM, and S3; 1000 mM) stress. The results revealed that various morphological, biochemical, and metabolic processes were drastically impacted by the salinity-induced methylglyoxal (MG) stress. The excessive accumulation of salt ions, including Na⁺ (1.24- and 1.21-fold), and Cl⁻ (1.53- and 1.15-fold) in leaves and roots of P. divisum, resulted in the higher production of MG (2.77- and 2.95-fold) in leaves and roots under severe (1000 mM) salinity stress, respectively. However, Ti-treated leaves showed a significant reduction in ionic imbalance and MG concentrations, whereas considerable improvement was shown in K⁺ and Ca²⁺ under salinity stress, and Co treatment showed downregulation of MG content (26, 16, and 14%) and improved the antioxidant activity, such as a reduction in glutathione (GSH), oxidized glutathione (GSSG), Glutathione reductase (GR), Glyoxalase I (Gly I), and Glyoxalase II (Gly II) by up to 1.13-, 1.35-, 3.75-, 2.08-, and 1.68-fold under severe salinity stress in P. divisum roots. Furthermore, MG-induced stress negatively impacted the metabolic profile and antioxidants activity of P. divisum’s root and leaves; however, Co and Ti treatment considerably improved the biochemical processes and metabolic profile in both underground and aerial parts of the studied plants. Collectively, the results depicted that Co treatment showed significant results in roots and Ti treatment presented considerable changes in leaves of P. divism under salinity stress. Full article

We investigated biochar-induced drought tolerance in Leptocohloa fusca (Kallar grass) by exploring the plant defense system at physiological level. L. fusca plants were exposed to drought stress (100%, 70%, and 30% field capacity), and biochar (BC), as an organic soil amendment was applied in two concentrations (15 and 30 mg kg⁻¹ soil) to induce drought tolerance. Our results demonstrated that drought restricted the growth of L. fusca by inhibiting shoot and root (fresh and dry) weight, total chlorophyll content and photosynthetic rate. Under drought stress, the uptake of essential nutrients was also limited due to lower water supply, which ultimately affected metabolites including amino and organic acids, and soluble sugars. In addition, drought stress induced oxidative stress, which is evidenced by the higher production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) including hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂), superoxide ion (O₂⁻), hydroxyl ion (OH⁻), and malondialdehyde (MDA). The current study revealed that stress-induced oxidative injury is not a linear path, since the excessive production of lipid peroxidation led to the accumulation of methylglyoxal (MG), a member of reactive carbonyl species (RCS), which ultimately caused cell injury. As a consequence of oxidative-stress induction, the ascorbate–glutathione (AsA–GSH) pathway, followed by a series of reactions, was activated by the plants to reduce ROS-induced oxidative damage. Furthermore, biochar considerably improved plant growth and development by mediating metabolites and soil physio-chemical status. Full article

In this study, the flexural performance of a new composite beam–slab system filled with concrete material was investigated, where this system was mainly prepared from lightweight cold-formed steel sections of a beam and a deck slab for carrying heavy floor loads as another concept of a conventional composite system with a lower cost impact. For this purpose, seven samples of a profile steel sheet–dry board deck slab (PSSDB/PDS) carried by a steel cold-formed C-purlins beam (CB) were prepared and named “composite CBPDS specimen”, which were tested under a static bending load. Specifically, the effects of the profile steel sheet (PSS) direction (parallel or perpendicular to the span of the specimen) using different C-purlins configurations (double sections connected face-to-face, double separate sections, and a single section) were investigated. The research discussed the specimens’ failure modes, flexural behavior, bending capacity, bending strain relationships, and energy absorption index of specimens. Generally, the CBPDS specimens with the PSS slab placed in a parallel direction achieved approximately a 13–40% higher bending capacity compared with the corresponding specimens with a perpendicular PSS direction (depending on the configuration of the beam). Fabricating the beam of the CBPDS specimen with double C-purlins (face-to-face) led to more effective concrete confinement behavior compared with the double separate C-purlins beam. The related specimen recorded a 10% higher bending capacity. Finally, the suggested composite CBPDS system exhibited a sufficient energy absorption capability of the static bending load because it demonstrated high strength and high ductility. Full article

Curved veins and arteries make up the human cardiovascular system, and the peristalsis process underlies the blood flowing in these ducts. The blood flow in the presence of hybrid nanoparticles through a tapered complex wavy curved channel is numerically investigated. The behavior of the blood is characterized by the Casson fluid model while the physical properties of iron (Fe₃O₄) and copper (Cu) are used in the analysis. The fundamental laws of mass, momentum and energy give rise the system of nonlinear coupled partial differential equations which are normalized using the variables, and the resulting set of governing relations are simplified in view of a smaller Reynolds model approach. The numerical simulations are performed using the computational software Mathematica’s built-in ND scheme. It is noted that the velocity of the blood is abated by the nanoparticles’ concentration and assisted in the non-uniform channel core. Furthermore, the nanoparticles’ volume fraction and the dimensionless curvature of the channel reduce the temperature profile. Full article

The use of cost-effective construction design approaches is an emerging concept in the field of sustainable environments. The design of the foundation for the construction of any infrastructure-related building entails three basic requirements, i.e., serviceability limit state (SLS), ultimate limit state (ULS), and economics. Engineering economy coupled with safety are the two main essentials for a successful construction project. The conventional design approaches are based on hit and trial methods to approach cost-effective design. Additionally, safety requirements are prioritized over the economic aspect of foundation design and do not consider safety requirements and cost simultaneously. This study presents a design approach that considers foundation construction costs while satisfying all the technical requirements of a shallow foundation design. This approach is called an optimization process in which the cost-based isolated foundation design charts were developed based on the field SPT N data. The design charts are the first of their kind for the robust design of foundations and can be used to compare the economic impact of different bearing capacity models. Furthermore, the design framework considers the quantitative impact of the different applied factors of safety values in terms of cost. The results show that Vesic’s equation yields higher values of bearing capacities than Terzaghi and Meyerhof. On the other hand, Vesic’s theory offers a 37.5% reduction in cost as compared to the conventional design approach of the foundation for isolated footing. Full article

The energy consumption due to urbanization and man-made activities has resulted in production of waste, heat, and pollution in the urban environment. These have further resulted in undesirable environmental issues such as the production of excessive Anthropogenic Heat Emissions (AHE), thus leading to an increased Urban Heat Island (UHI) effect. The aim of this study was to estimate the total AHE based on the contribution of three major sources of waste heat generation in an urban environment, i.e., buildings, vehicular traffic, and human metabolism. Furthermore, a comparison of dominating anthropogenic heat factor of Darwin with that of other major international cities was carried out. Field measurements of microclimate (temperatures, humidity, solar radiation, and other factors of climate measures) were conducted along Smith Street, Darwin City. Then, surveys were conducted to collect information regarding the buildings, vehicle traffic and Human population (metabolism) in the study area. Each individual component of AHE was calculated based on a conceptual framework of the anthropogenic heat model developed within this study. The results showed that AHE from buildings is the most dominant factor influencing the total AHE in Darwin, contributing to about 87% to 95% of total AHE. This is followed by vehicular traffic (4–13%) and lastly, human metabolism (0.1–0.8%). The study also shows that Darwin gains an average of 990 Wm⁻² solar power on a peak day. This study proves that building anthropogenic heat is the major dominating factor influencing the UHI in tropical urban climates. Full article

The aim of this paper is to investigate the flexural performance of a new steel–concrete composite beam system, which is required to carry higher loads when applied in flooring systems with less self-weight and cost compared with conventional composite beams. This new composite member is prepared by filling a single cold-formed steel C-section with concrete material that has varied lightweight-recycled aggregates. In addition, varied stiffening scenarios are suggested to improve the composite behavior of this member, since these cold-formed C-sections are of a slender cross-section and more likely to buckle and twist under high bending loads than those of hot-rolled C-sections. The influence of using four different lightweight-recycled aggregates that combine together in the infill concrete material was investigated. These recycled aggregates are recycled concrete aggregate (RCA), expanded polystyrene (EPS) beads, crumb rubber aggregates (CRA) and fine glass aggregates (FGA). For this purpose, 14 samples of cold-formed galvanized steel C-purlin were filled with concrete material (containing 0 to 100% recycled aggregates) which are experimentally tested under pure bending load, and 1 additional sample was tested without the filling material. Further numerical models were prepared and analyzed using finite element analysis software to investigate the effects of additional parameters that were not experimentally examined. Generally, the results confirm that filling the C-sections with concrete material that contains varied percentages of recycled aggregates offer significantly improved the flexural stiffness, bending capacity, and ductility performances. For example, using infill concrete materials with 0% and 100% recycled aggregate replacement increased the bending capacity of hollow C-section by about 11.4 and 8.6 times, respectively. Furthermore, stiffening of the concrete-filled C-sections with steel strips or screw connectors eventually improved the composite behavior of the specimens which led to an increase in their bending capacities accordingly, and this improvement enhanced more with an increased number of these strips and connectors. Full article

Diabetic kidney disease (DKD) remains the leading cause of end-stage kidney disease despite decades of study. Alterations in the glomerulus and kidney tubules both contribute to the pathogenesis of DKD although the majority of investigative efforts have focused on the glomerulus. We sought to examine the differential expression signature of human DKD in the glomerulus and proximal tubule and corroborate our findings in the db/db mouse model of diabetes. A transcriptogram network analysis of RNAseq data from laser microdissected (LMD) human glomerulus and proximal tubule of DKD and reference nephrectomy samples revealed enriched pathways including rhodopsin-like receptors, olfactory signaling, and ribosome (protein translation) in the proximal tubule of human DKD biopsy samples. The translation pathway was also enriched in the glomerulus. Increased translation in diabetic kidneys was validated using polyribosomal profiling in the db/db mouse model of diabetes. Using single nuclear RNA sequencing (snRNAseq) of kidneys from db/db mice, we prioritized additional pathways identified in human DKD. The top overlapping pathway identified in the murine snRNAseq proximal tubule clusters and the human LMD proximal tubule compartment was carboxylic acid catabolism. Using ultra-performance liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry, the fatty acid catabolism pathway was also found to be dysregulated in the db/db mouse model. The Acetyl-CoA metabolite was down-regulated in db/db mice, aligning with the human differential expression of the genes ACOX1 and ACACB. In summary, our findings demonstrate that proximal tubular alterations in protein translation and carboxylic acid catabolism are key features in both human and murine DKD. Full article

A total of 40% of the world’s energy produced is utilized to maintain thermal comfort for the occupants of the building. Governments are taking measures collectively to regulate energy efficient buildings to reduce carbon emissions globally. Windows account for more than half of total energy losses in the buildings. The employment of energy efficient glazing in the construction industry is not common in Australia. This paper investigates several types of commercially available windows and their effectiveness in the hot and humid climate of Darwin. Although extensive literature is available for cold regions, these windows have not been studied in hot and humid climates such as the climate in Darwin. Building cooling loads of an academic building were calculated using Autodesk Revit Architecture and Carrier HAP. Double glazed variants offered approximately a 5% reduction in cooling loads and had a payback period of nearly 7 to 9 years, depending on the type of gas used to fill the pane cavity. The results indicate that triple glazed, or aerogel-based windows will provide about 11–12 % of energy saving in cooling loads. These can be a viable alternative and have a payback period of 11 years, while their average service life expectancy is 30 years. It was found that the feasibility of efficient glazing depends on market price, building usage, and energy efficiency of an overall building envelope. Full article

Groundwater supplies approximately half of the total global domestic water demand. It also complements the seasonal and annual variabilities of surface water. Monitoring of groundwater fluctuations is mandatory to envisage the composition of terrestrial water storage. This research provides an overview of traditional techniques and detailed discussion on the modern tools and methods to monitor groundwater fluctuations along with advanced applications. The groundwater monitoring can broadly be classified into three groups. The first one is characterized by the point measurement to measure the groundwater levels using classical instruments and electronic and physical investigation techniques. The second category involves the extensive use of satellite data to ensure robust and cost-effective real-time monitoring to assess the groundwater storage variations. Many satellite data are in use to find groundwater indirectly. However, GRACE satellite data supported with other satellite products, computational tools, GIS techniques, and hydro-climate models have proven the most effective for groundwater resources management. The third category is groundwater numerical modeling, which is a very useful tool to evaluate and project groundwater resources in future. Groundwater numerical modeling also depends upon the point-based groundwater monitoring, so more research to improve point-based detection methods using latest technologies is required, as these still play the baseline role. GRACE and numerical groundwater modeling are suggested to be used conjunctively to assess the groundwater resources more efficiently. Full article

Shock waves are generated downstream of spillways during flood operations, which have adverse effects on spillway operations. This paper presents the physical model study of shock waves at the Mohmand Dam Spillway project, Pakistan. In this study, hydraulic analysis of shock waves was carried out to investigate its generation mechanism. Different experiments were performed to analyze the rooster tail on a flat spillway chute and to examine the factors affecting the characteristics of the rooster tail. The study results show that shock wave height is influenced by spillway chute slope, pier shape, and flow depth. Moreover, the height of the shock wave can be minimized by installing a semi-elliptical pier on the tail part of the main pier. Further modifications in the geometry of the extended tail part of the pier are recommended for the elimination of the shock wave. Based on observed data collected from the model study, an empirical equation was developed to estimate the shock wave height generated on the flat slope spillway chutes (5° to 10°). Full article

Despite spending ample resources and procedural development in flood management, flood losses are still increasing worldwide. The losses caused by floods and costs incurred on management are two components of expected annual damages (EAD) due to floods. This study introduces a generalized approach for risk-based design where a range of probable floods are considered before and after a flood mitigation measure is implemented. The proposed approach is customized from the ISO Guide 31000 along with additional advantages of flood risk visualization. A Geographic Information System (GIS)-based design of a flood-protection dike is performed to exhibit the risk redistribution. The Chenab River is selected for the existing dike system. Detailed hazard behaviour and societal vulnerability are modelled and visualized for a range of all probable floods before and after the implementation of flood-protection dikes. EAD maps demonstrate the redistribution of induced and residual risks. It can be concluded that GIS-based EAD maps not only facilitate cost-effective solutions but also provide an accurate estimate of residual risks after the mitigation measures are applied. EAD maps also indicate the high-risk areas to facilitate designing secondary measures. Full article

Methylmercury (MeHg) is a well-known neurotoxicant; however, its role in metabolic diseases has been gaining wider attention. Chronic exposure to MeHg in human populations shows an association with diabetes mellitus and metabolic syndrome (MS). As the incidences of both obesity and MS are on the rise globally, it is important to understand the potential role of MeHg in the development of the disease. There is a dearth of information on dietary interactions between MeHg and lipids, which play an important role in developing MS. We have previously shown that MeHg increases food seeking behaviors, lipid levels, fat storage, and pro-adipogenic gene expression in C. elegans fed the standard OP50 Escherichia coli diet. However, we hypothesized that these metabolic changes could be prevented if the worms were fed a bacterial diet lower in lipid content. We tested whether C. elegans developed metabolic alterations in response to MeHg if they were fed two alternative E. coli strains (HT115 and HB101) that are known absorb significantly less lipids from their media. Additionally, to explore the effect of a high-lipid and high-cholesterol diet on MeHg-induced metabolic dysfunction, we supplemented the OP50 strain with twice the standard concentration of cholesterol in the nematode growth media. Wild-type worms fed either the HB101 or HT115 diet were more resistant to MeHg than the worms fed the OP50 diet, showing a significant right-hand shift in the dose–response survival curve. Worms fed the OP50 diet supplemented with cholesterol were more sensitive to MeHg, showing a significant left-hand shift in the dose–response survival curve. Changes in sensitivity to MeHg by differential diet were not due to altered MeHg intake in the worms as measured by inductively coupled mass spectrometry. Worms fed the low-fat diets showed protection from MeHg-induced metabolic changes, including decreased food consumption, lower triglyceride content, and lower fat storage than the worms fed either of the higher-fat diets. Oxidative stress is a common characteristic of both MeHg exposure and high-fat diets. Worms fed either OP50 or OP50 supplemented with cholesterol and treated with MeHg had significantly higher levels of reactive oxygen species, carbonylated proteins, and loss of glutathione than the worms fed the HT115 or HB101 low-lipid diets. Taken together, our data suggest a synergistic effect of MeHg and dietary lipid levels on MeHg toxicity and fat metabolism in C. elegans, which may affect the ability of MeHg to cause metabolic dysfunction. Full article

Metal oxide nanoparticles synthesized by the biological method represent the most recent research in nanotechnology. This study reports the rapid and ecofriendly approach for the synthesis of CeO₂ nanoparticles mediated using the Abelmoschus esculentus extract. The medicinal plant extract acts as both a reducing and stabilizing agent. The characterization of CeO₂ NPs was performed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy (UV-Vis), and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). The in vitro cytotoxicity of green synthesized CeO₂ was assessed against cervical cancerous cells (HeLa). The exposure of CeO₂ to HeLa cells at 10–125 µg/mL caused a loss in cellular viability against cervical cancerous cells in a dose-dependent manner. The antibacterial activity of the CeO₂ was assessed against S. aureus and K. pneumonia. A significant improvement in wound-healing progression was observed when cerium oxide nanoparticles were incorporated into the chitosan hydrogel membrane as a wound dressing. Full article

A series of cobalt-inserted copper zinc ferrites, Cu_0.6Co_xZn_0.4−xFe₂O₄ (x = 0.0, 0.1, 0.2, 0.3, 0.4) having cubic spinel structure were prepared by the coprecipitation method. Various characterization techniques, including XRD, FTIR, UV-vis and I–V were used to investigate structural optical and electrical properties, respectively. The lattice constant was observed to be decreased as smaller ionic radii Co²⁺ (0.74 Å) replaced the higher ionic radii Zn²⁺ (0.82 Å). The presence of tetrahedral and octahedral bands was confirmed by FTIR spectra. Optical bandgap energy was determined in the range of 4.44–2.05 eV for x = 0.0 to 0.4 nanoferrites, respectively. DC electrical resistivity was measured and showed an increasing trend (5.42 × 10⁸ to 6.48 × 10⁸ Ω·cm) with the addition of cobalt contents as cobalt is more conductive than zinc. The range of DC electrical resistivity (10⁸ ohm-cm) makes these nanomaterials potential candidates for telecommunication devices. Full article