Search Results (26)

Faced with environmental challenges posed by traditional building materials and the management of agricultural waste, this study uses dwarf hulls, an abundant waste product in West Africa, as a natural stabilizer for earth bricks. Three mixtures were studied: soil + water (reference), soil + néré husk decoction, and soil + decoction with weekly sprinkling. The results show a significant improvement in compressive strength with the decoction. At 28 days, it increases from 0.967 MPa (reference) to 1.251 MPa with decoction and 1.360 MPa with sprinkling. At 90 days, these values reach 1.060 MPa, 1.39 MPa, and 1.502 MPa, respectively, confirming the beneficial effect of tannins and humidification. On the other hand, the tensile strength decreased from 0.10 MPa for the reference mixture to 0.08 MPa and 0.08 MPa with decoction and sprinkling. This study highlights the potential of using néré husk as a durable stabilizer. However, further research is needed, particularly on the addition of plant fibers, to improve tensile strength. Full article

Integrating local, bio-sourced materials, such as earth and agricultural waste like dwarf hulls, is a sustainable solution to the challenges of climate change and increasing urbanization. The use of bio-based materials such as néré husk (Parkia biglobosa) in the manufacture of compressed earth bricks is a sustainable alternative for improving their thermal performance. This study assesses the impact of adding hulls in different forms (fine powder < 0.08 mm, aggregates from 2 mm to 5 mm, and aqueous maceration) on the thermal conductivity and effusivity of bricks. The tests were carried out using the asymmetric hot plane method, applying a constant heat flux and measuring the temperature variation via a thermocouple. Three samples of each formulation were analyzed to ensure the reliability of the results. The results show that the addition of fine powdered husk reduces the thermal conductivity of the bricks to 0.404 W/m.K and their effusivity to 922.2 W/(Km²) s¹/², compared with 0.557 W/m.K and 1000.32 W/(Km²) s¹/² for the control bricks. The addition of coarser aggregates (2 mm–5 mm) gives intermediate values (0.467 W/m.K and 907.99 W/(Km²) s¹/²). Aqueous maceration, on the other hand, results in an increase in thermal conductivity to 0.614 W/m.K. These results confirm that the shape and method of incorporation of the husk influence the thermal performance of the bricks, with fine powder offering the best thermal insulation. This approach highlights the potential of bio-based materials for eco-responsible construction. Full article

The objective of this study was to determine how application of dolomitic limestone and stocking methods (continuous stocking or deferred stocking) affect the soil compaction, sheep grazing location, height, and nutritional value of pastures when the pasture growth rate is at its maximum. A 4 ha field at Mitra farm—University of Évora—was divided into four plots: P1 and P2—without application of dolomitic limestone, continuous stocking (CS), and deferred stocking (DS), respectively—and P3 and P4—with application of dolomitic limestone, DS (2.3 AUE), and CS (1 AUE), respectively. In DS, animals were placed and removed from the plots depending on the height of the pasture (entry ≥ 10 cm; removal ≤ 5 cm). Throughout the pasture’s vegetative cycle, several measurements of pasture height and cut were carried out. From the beginning of March to the beginning of June, animal behavior was observed (animals’ activity grazing and location) by trained observers through binoculars on six dates. The results show the following: (i) the application of dolomitic limestone combined with CS provided higher values of pasture height; (ii) there were no significant differences in pasture quality between treatments; (iii) DS led to 50% more sheep grazing days that CS; (iv) there were no significant differences in soil compaction between CS and DS; and (v) the stocking methods and the application of dolomitic limestone did not seem to change the grazing pattern between treatments. This study constitutes a basis to support more informed decisions by agricultural managers and may also contribute to maintaining balance in the Montado ecosystem, as well as increasing the efficiency of livestock production systems based on rainfed pastures. Full article

Background and objectives: New technologies provide the opportunity to understand the complex systemic background of multidimensional diseases and allow for a personalised approach. Continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) sensors and their broad use have been key in the discovery of the metabolic heterogeneity surrounding many disorders such as diabetes type II, and have placed the scientific community a step closer to determining which factors contribute to their complications and evolution. However, gathering data extending beyond glucose levels linked to lifestyle factors, such as nutrition, physical activity, sleep quality, and stress, poses a significant challenge in terms of representation, considering the substantial amount of data involved. To comprehend the relationship between these variables in a practical manner that empowers individuals to make choices enhancing their quality of life, there is a need for new graphics. These graphics would enable the observation of the overall framework in a contextualised manner and assist in establishing clear visual goals. Methods: This article introduces glycaemic matrix and metabolic segmentation, a new method for representing and evaluating functional profiles by combining glucose and lifestyle data. Results: In this early-phase trial, the potential of this approach to represent the complete glycaemic spectrum within its context and adapt to a diverse range of objectives is demonstrated. Discussion: We propose a promising tool to finally be able to cluster metabolic types through artificial intelligence (AI) and adapt clinical interventions to metabolic heterogeneity. This research is private research conducted under Glucovibes company R&D initiatives. Full article

This study is focused on the fact that in the context of increasing global aging and cancer diagnoses, additional challenges arise in clinical care. Adequate functionality and body composition are key to coping with antineoplastic treatment, which can lead to better treatment tolerance, survival, and quality of life. This is a cross-sectional comparative study focused on the assessment and comparison of body composition and functionality between cancer patients and a reference population, with the aim of establishing meaningful baseline values. Techniques such as manual dynamometry, the Five-Times Sit-to-Stand test, and bioimpedance were used to collect data from 374 oncologic patients and 1244 reference individuals. The results reveal significant disparities in functionality and body composition among participants, and provide age group-specific adjusted baseline values for those diagnosed with cancer. These findings may have crucial clinical implications for applying particular cut-off points designed for this population group, which makes the assessment process faster and more accurate, enhances the capacity of medical personnel to act quickly, and improves the management of frailty in cancer patients. Full article

The aim of this work was to investigate several durum wheat genotypes (eleven landraces, two old varieties and seven modern cultivars) for salt tolerance at germination and early growth stages. Seeds were tested under two different concentrations of NaCl solution (50 mM and 100 mM) and a control (T) with distilled water. Experiments were laid out in a two-factorial design with three replications. Two-way ANOVA was performed and means were compared with Duncan’s Multiple Range test. Seven parameters were measured under laboratory conditions: germination, mean germination time, shoot length, root length, root number, shoot dry matter and root dry matter. Rusticano, with the highest value of root number (5.44), was statistically different from all other genotypes. Timilia reste bianche, Timilia reste nere, Ciciredda and Cappelli are highlighted for the best root length performance at 100 mM. Full article

The condition monitoring of an overhead contact line (OCL) is investigated by developing an innovative monitoring system for a pantograph on an electrical multiple unit of a regional line. Kinematic and dynamic modelling of the pantograph is conducted to support the designed monitoring system. The modelling is proved through rigorous test-rig experiments, while the proposed methodology is then validated through extensive field tests. The field tests serve a dual purpose: First, to validate the monitoring system using benchmark measurements of the tCat^® trolley, and second, to assess the reproducibility of measurements in a realistic case. This paper presents the OCL monitoring system developed in the framework of the H2020 project SIA. The accuracy of our results is not far from that of other commercial systems, with just 12 mm of absolute error in the height measurement. Therefore, they provide reliable information about trends in various key performance indicators (KPIs) that facilitates the early detection of failures and the diagnosis of anomalies. The results highlight the importance of model calibration and validation in enabling novel health monitoring capabilities for the pantograph. By continuously monitoring the parameters and tracking their degradation trends, our approach allows for optimized scheduling of maintenance tasks for the OCL. Full article

The phase angle, an increasingly studied healthcare tool, was studied to explore its relationship with psychological factors in cancer patients. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between the phase angle (PhA), obtained by the bioimpedance analysis of body composition, and psychological factors measured by questionnaire in cancer patients. The study included 311 patients who underwent bioimpedance testing to determine their PhA value; their psychological profiles were assessed using SF-36, FACIT, QLQ-C30, and GHQ-12 questionnaires. Mixed linear regression models were used to analyze the relationship between PhA and the psychological tests. The results showed a statistical correlation between PhA and the GHQ-12, FACIT, and SF-36 questionnaires, with higher PhA values associated with better results on the questionnaires. In the QLQ-C30 questionnaire, a correlation was observed between PhA and the functioning scales (p < 0.001), except for emotional and cognitive functioning (p = 0.148 and p = 0.544, respectively), but not in most of the symptom scales. The PhA is a useful tool for assessing the subjective health perception of cancer patients, especially with regard to psychological factors. While there is a statistically significant correlation, further research is required before confidently applying it in clinical practice. The current predictive value of this predictor for certain psychological aspects is limited, underscoring the need for additional research. Full article

Due to their long history and extensive applications within modern society, foams have always been a popular topic of study. These systems are present everywhere in our life. They are also valuable in many industrial applications. For this reason, it is essential to continue investigating their properties and develop new materials to fabricate them. In this paper, we demonstrate a new way to create 3D foams by using an ordered viscoelastic material, the smectic liquid crystal (LC). Because of their lamellar structure, which is similar to soap, and their tunable properties that can be controlled via geometric confinement and external fields, smectic LCs are suitable for the fabrication of bubbles and foams. In this work, we present a compelling study of the parameters that influence the fabrication of LC foams in 3D. Particularly, we analyze the effects of the airflow rate and the geometry of confining boundaries on the assembly of their cells. We also compare our results to foams made with sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) and discuss the difference between their behaviors. Finally, we discuss how LC elasticity can substantially affect the stability and organization of foams. This work paves the way to exploiting new materials to fabricate foams with better monodispersity, uniformity, and controlled ordering that are useful in a wide range of industrial applications for which the tuning of properties is required. This includes the fields of oil recovery, decontamination, architecture, and design. Full article

Maintaining the physical performance of cancer patients is increasingly considered due to the growing number of cancer patients and the aggressiveness of the treatments. For this reason, bioimpedance is now being used to record patients’ body composition by obtaining the phase angle (PhA). Although there is a direct relationship between PhA, age, sex and disease prognosis, it has not been measured as an analysis of physical performance in oncology patients and is a valid tool in the follow-up of cancer patients. For this purpose, 311 patients were evaluated, and both bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) and physical performance measurements were performed. The modification of the results concerning PhA was found to be highly relational, as a variation in one of the variables affected the other. It was concluded that each degree increase in PhA modified −22.57 s [−27.58; −17.53] in 400-m walking test (400 mWT); 13.25 kg [10.13; 16.35] in upper-body strength (UBS); 6.3 [4.95; 7.65] in lower-body strength (LBS); 1.55 mL/kg/min [0.98; 2.12] in VO_2peak; 6.53 Watts [3.83; 9.20] in ventilatory threshold 1 (VT1); 10.36 Watts [7.02; 13.64] in ventilatory threshold 2 (VT2). It was also noted that age was a factor that affected the relationship between PhA and 400 mWT; the older the age, the higher the relationship. PhA data has been shown to be highly correlated with physical performance. This is of great importance in clinical practice because a cancer patient’s physical performance levels can be assessed during treatment. Full article

As the topic of gender and forests gains international attention through programs related to addressing the Sustainable Development Goals, we focus on a case study of the African Locust Bean (Parkia biglobosa) in the savannah landscape of northern Ghana. Although this tree holds high cultural significance for Dagomba women, it is unfortunately becoming scarcer in our study area near Tamale. We investigate the reasons for this decline in relation to the agricultural, ecological, and cultural landscape and discuss the gendered impacts of these changes. Research in these communities was conducted between 2018 and 2021 as part of a transdisciplinary action research approach to process underutilized species with women’s groups. The research started with a survey that included 27 women’s groups in 13 communities with 524 women participants. Out of a selected number of groups, our research team has worked more intensively with three women’s groups near Nyankpala, which selected for their processing focus the African Locust Bean, locally known as dawadawa. More than 45 group sessions were organized with seven groups in a collaborative learning process in 2019. Additionally, the three groups in Kpachi who chose to process the African Locust Bean sustained facilitation of group activities until the end of 2021. Specifically, on the topic of the decline of this tree, 19 semistructured interviews were conducted in August 2020 with 8 female farmers, 7 male farmers and 4 chiefs in the local governance system. Our results show the cultural significance of the African Locust Bean for women in the Dagomba culture as well as practical uses of all parts of the tree. Specifically, the seeds are used for making a fermented condiment and tea. Although seeds of the African Locust Bean are considered a women’s crop, their access to this tree is mediated by the local chiefs and often male land-users. Most farmers interviewed reported a reduction in trees in their fields. The reasons for the decrease can be summarized in six different categories, (1) aging tree populations, (2) challenge caring for saplings until maturity, (3) agricultural changes with increased mechanization and pesticide use, (4) over-use as a firewood resource, (5) usufruct rights between traditional chiefs, male land-owners, and women who should be granted access to the trees according to Dagomba cultural values, and (6) reduced water availability inhibits seed yield. In conclusion, there is an urgent need for action to protect and restore the African Locust Bean within northern Ghana’s savannah landscape to ensure continued access and benefits of the tree to women in the region. Full article

Satellites can be used for producing maps of within-field crop and soil parameters and, consequentially, spatially variable rate crop input application maps. The plant vegetative vigour index (i.e., Normalised Difference Vegetation Index—NDVI) and the leaf water content index (i.e., Normalised Difference Water Index—NDWI) maps were used to study—through both time and space—the phenological phases of two plots, with Syrah and Nero d’Avola grapevine varieties, in a Sicilian vineyard farm, located in Naro (Agrigento, Sicily, Italy). The aim of this work is to produce spatially variable rate nitrogen fertiliser maps to be applied in the two vineyard plots under study as well as to understand when they should be fertilised or not according to their target crop yields. The average plant vegetative vigour and leaf water content of both the plots showed a high temporal and spatial variability during all phenological phases and, according to these results, the optimal fertilisation time should have been 12 April 2021. In fact, this crop operation is aimed at supporting the vegetative activity but must be performed when the soil water and, therefore, the plant leaf water content are high. Therefore, spatially variable rate fertilisation should have been performed around 12 April 2021 in both plots, using previous NDVI maps and taking into consideration two management zones. This work demonstrates the usefulness of remote sensing data as Decision Support Systems (DSS) for nitrogen fertilisation in order to reduce the production cost, environmental impact and climate footprints per kg of produced grapes, according to the European Green Deal challenges. Full article

Erosion is a major problem on agricultural lands in Europe. Erosion measurement tools have traditionally been focused on delocalized quantification but without mapping the real places inside the basin where the erosion took effect. In this article, we use new space missions, such as Sentinel-1, and the opportunity they offer to obtain SAR (Synthetic Aperture Radar) images with high frequency, resolution, range, and, above all, availability to enable the application of techniques, like differential interferometry, in new fields. We propose to measure ground deformation caused by water and tillage erosion in small agricultural basins using TopSAR (Terrain Observation with Progressive Scans SAR, Synthetic Aperture Radar) images acquired by the Sentinel-1 mission, after previously verifying the accuracy of these measurements through comparison with measurements from a LIDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) system. The results of this work confirm the potential of monitoring erosion in agricultural basins with differential interferometry over Sentinel-1 TopSAR images. Its capabilities have been successfully tested in different conditions related to agricultural tasks without precipitation or storm events. This technique makes it possible to study both water and tillage erosion and sedimentation processes and even to test the efficiency of anti-erosion measures in the field or to verify the results of different management practices over time. Full article

The Montado is an agro-silvo-pastoral ecosystem characteristic of the Mediterranean region. Pasture productivity and, consequently, the possibilities for intensifying livestock production depend on soil fertility. Soil organic matter (SOM) and phosphorus (P₂O₅) are two indicators of the evolution of soil fertility in this ecosystem. However, their conventional analytical determination by reference laboratory methods is costly, time consuming, and laborious and, thus, does not meet the needs of current production systems. The aim of this study was to evaluate an alternative approach to estimate SOM and soil P₂O₅ based on near infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) combined with multivariate data analysis. For this purpose, 242 topsoil samples were collected in 2019 in eleven fields. These samples were subjected to reference laboratory analysis and NIRS analysis. For NIRS, 165 samples were used during the calibration phase and 77 samples were used during the external validation phase. The results of this study showed significant correlation between NIRS calibration models and reference methods for quantification of these soil parameters. The coefficient of determination (R², 0.85 for SOM and 0.76 for P₂O₅) and the residual predictive deviation (RPD, 2.7 for SOM and 2.2 for P₂O₅) obtained in external validation indicated the potential of NIRS to estimate SOM and P₂O₅, which can facilitate farm managers’ decision making in terms of dynamic management of animal grazing and differential fertilizer application. Full article

Given the continuous increase in the global population, the food manufacturers are advocated to either intensify the use of cropland or expand the farmland, making land cover and land usage dynamics mapping vital in the area of remote sensing. In this regard, identifying and classifying a high-resolution satellite imagery scene is a prime challenge. Several approaches have been proposed either by using static rule-based thresholds (with limitation of diversity) or neural network (with data-dependent limitations). This paper adopts the inductive approach to learning from surface reflectances. A manually labeled Sentinel-2 dataset was used to build a Machine Learning (ML) model for scene classification, distinguishing six classes (Water, Shadow, Cirrus, Cloud, Snow, and Other). This models was accessed and further compared to the European Space Agency (ESA) Sen2Cor package. The proposed ML model presents a Micro-F1 value of $0.84$, a considerable improvement when compared to the Sen2Cor corresponding performance of $0.59$. Focusing on the problem of optical satellite image scene classification, the main research contributions of this paper are: (a) an extended manually labeled Sentinel-2 database adding surface reflectance values to an existing dataset; (b) an ensemble-based and a Neural-Network-based ML models; (c) an evaluation of model sensitivity, biasness, and diverse ability in classifying multiple classes over different geographic Sentinel-2 imagery, and finally, (d) the benchmarking of the ML approach against the Sen2Cor package. Full article