Hasil untuk "Environmental protection"

DENISA MARICA , MARIA LIDIA IANCU, MIHAELA ADRIANA TIȚA et al.

The cloudy apple juice obtained from 6 varieties of apples is analyzed in this study (EJ7). Organography and analytical determinations highlighted the Sirius apple variety. Using the prediction model of the values of the quality indicators, it was possible to estimate: soluble dry matter (TTS), titratable acidity (TTA), total anthocyanins content (AT), ascorbic acid content (AA) in the blend. These values are closely related to the actual ones. Thus for the blend (EJ7): TTA = 15.5 oBx, TA = 0.5 g/100mL expressed in malic acid, AT = 6.8 mg·L-1 cyanidin-3-glucoside. The content of ascorbic acid decreases compared to that of apples. By generating the linear regression equation for the correlation of relative density and kinematic viscosity values, a correlation index of 58 % was obtained. When blending cloudy juices, the influencing factors for the values of the quality indicators are: the size of the particles of the turbidity, the variety of apple and the proportion of the blend, exposure to high temperature, the action of oxygen. Blending juices obtained from different apple varieties, from the small production of an orchard is beneficial because it is possible to obtain a juice variant with superior sensory characteristics, as was also obtained in this study (EJ7 obtained a maximum score of 5 points) and with quality indicators with values corresponding to the assortment and predictive. A larger quantity of juice with constant quality characteristics is also obtained.

O. A. Bubnova, V. A. Miroshnyk, R. V. Markul et al.

Purpose. The aim of this study is to develop mathematical models for predicting the processes of contamination of the aeration zone and groundwater in the event of leachate leakage from a solid waste landfill. The mathematical models take into account typical hydrological parameters: porosity of the aeration zone, aquifer, filtration coefficient of the aeration zone, filtration coefficient of the underground aquifer, intensity of leachate infiltration into the aeration zone and underground aquifer. Methodology. A one-dimensional filtration equation and a one-dimensional mass transfer equation were used to model the process of infiltrate migration in the aeration zone. The modeling of the process of contamination of the underground aquifer, which receives infiltrate from the landfill, was carried out on the basis of a two-dimensional equation (planned model) of geomigration. For the numerical integration of the model equations, a variable-triangular finite-difference splitting scheme was used. The numerical integration of the two-dimensional geomigration equation is performed using the splitting scheme. The peculiarity of the proposed numerical models is that the value of the unknown function can be determined by an explicit formula. Findings. Numerical models have been developed to solve the complex problem of predicting the contamination of the aeration zone and underground flow in the case of infiltration of an impurity from a solid waste landfill. Originality. Numerical models of filtration and mass transfer of impurities in the case of migration of infiltrate from a municipal solid waste landfill through the aeration zone and into groundwater are proposed. To apply these mathematical models, standard hydrological information is required. The models are aimed at solving complex problems in the field of environmental safety and protection. They make it possible to determine the negative impact of landfills on the environment at the stage of justifying the location of future landfills and their size. Practical value. The proposed mathematical models use standard hydrological information, which is important for serial calculations in design organizations, and can be useful for assessing the impact of landfills on environmental pollution.

AbdulLateef Olanrewaju, Kafayat Shobowale

Abstract Sustainable construction practices are implemented to ensure that buildings contribute positively to environmental protection, social well-being, and economic viability throughout their entire life cycle, from design and construction to operation and eventual decommissioning. However, construction companies have documented instances of rework in sustainable buildings, despite the advantages and potential of sustainable buildings. The systemic solution to prevent rework in sustainable buildings is to predict the occurrence of rework. This research pursues two key objectives: first, to prioritise the primary predictors of rework in sustainable buildings; second, to evaluate the most suitable machine learning algorithms for accurately modelling rework occurrences by classifying the extent of rework in the sustainable buildings. The dataset consisted of 75 responses, with 17 rework predictors. Feature scaling and normalisation were performed across the dataset to standardise the features. Six machine learning models that comprised support vector machine, Adaboost, Logistic regression, a K-nearest neighbour, neural network and random forest classifier were trained to predict the occurrence of reworks in sustainable buildings. Six feature selection techniques were used to identify the most relevant predictors. Model performance was evaluated using k-fold cross-validation to ensure generalizability. The results revealed that Random Forest and AdaBoost outperformed the other algorithms. The Adaboost achieved an accuracy of 90%, with a precision of 0.80, a recall of 0.76, and an F1-score of 0.77. The random forest model achieved a slightly higher accuracy of 90%, with a precision of 0.82, a recall of 0.81, and an F1-score of 0.81. Random Forest outperforms other models, particularly in identifying "Yes–Small" rework cases, and shows solid performance across all classes. AdaBoost also performs well, especially detecting "Yes–Very Large" cases. The research finds the degree of variation, the characteristics of the client involved, the extent of time and cost overruns experienced during project execution, adherence to performance specifications, the classification of contractors engaged, the size of the projects, and the experience of clients with the nuances of the construction sector were the main predictors of reworks. The results have important theoretical and practical ramifications for further studies on the market for sustainable buildings.

Naveen Joseph

Abstract Previous studies have reported that around 33 million people in the United States are food insecure, potentially leading to several health outcomes. This study aimed to evaluate the geospatial variation of food insecurity and its association with adverse human health outcomes at the state resolution in the United States. The adverse human health outcomes include diabetes and cardiovascular diseases. Data sets on diabetes and cardiovascular diseases were compiled from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Wonder database on chronic conditions. The food insecurity data was accessed from the USDA, which compiles the responses to household surveys from the Census Bureau. Mixed‐effects regression models were used in this study to analyze the relationships between food insecurity and diabetes, and food insecurity and cardiovascular diseases. The incidence rate ratio was also estimated with 95% confidence intervals for both diabetes and cardiovascular diseases, comparing high food insecurity profiles to low food insecurity profiles. Food insecurity, diabetes, and cardiovascular diseases showed significantly higher rates in the southern part of the United States relative to other regions. Food insecurity showed significant associations with diabetes and cardiovascular diseases at a p‐value < 0.001. The 95% confidence interval of the incidence rate ratio was estimated as [1.198 1.234] for diabetes incidence and [1.033 1.091] for cardiovascular diseases, indicating a significant increase in both health outcomes while moving from a low food insecurity to a high food insecurity profile.

Mateusz Kciuk, Katarzyna Wanke, Weronika Kruczkowska et al.

The PD-1/PD-L1 pathway has emerged as a critical target in colorectal cancer (CRC) immunotherapy, with pembrolizumab, nivolumab, and dostarlimab demonstrating significant clinical efficacy, particularly in microsatellite instability-high (MSI-H) and mismatch repair-deficient (dMMR) tumors. However, a growing number of additional PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors, including AMP-224, atezolizumab, avelumab, camrelizumab, durvalumab, envafolimab, sintilimab, spartalizumab, tislelizumab, and toripalimab, are currently under investigation, offering new possibilities for the expansion of treatment options. This review evaluates the therapeutic potential of these emerging agents, assessing their clinical development, mechanisms of action, and potential advantages over established therapies. Additionally, it explores key challenges such as primary and acquired resistance, limited efficacy in microsatellite-stable (MSS) CRC, and the complexities of combination strategies aimed at enhancing immunotherapeutic responses. By addressing these obstacles and highlighting prospects, this review provides insights into the evolving landscape of PD-1/PD-L1-targeted therapies in CRC and their potential to improve patient outcomes.

Yang Huang, Chau-Wa Lau

Digital transformation constitutes a crucial component of the digital economy and represents a microcosmic manifestation, playing a vital role in advancing enterprise sustainable development from the perspective of green innovation quality. Using the panel data of Chinese listed companies from 2011 to 2020, the study examines the impact of digital transformation on the quality of green innovation. The study finds that digital transformation significantly increases the green innovation quality of enterprises. Moreover, the positive effect of digital transformation on green innovation quality is strengthened by the executive with digital knowledge experience and in regions with high-level intellectual property protection. The study findings contribute to digitalization research and the literature on green innovation, and provide suggestions for managers and policymakers seeking to improve the quality of environmental sustainability through digital transformation in developing economies.

Arsalan Rahmani, Meysam Hosseini, Amir Sahami

The growth of world population has fueled environmental, legal, and social concerns, making governments and companies attempt to mitigate the environmental and social implications stemming from supply chain operations. The state-run Environmental Protection Agency has initially offered financial incentives (subsidies) meant to encourage supply chain managers to use cleaner technologies in order to minimize pollution. In today’s competitive markets, using green technologies remains vital. In the present project, we have examined a class of closed-loop supply chain competitive facility location-routing problems. According to the framework of the competition, one of the players, called the Leader, opens its facilities first. The second player, called the Follower, makes its decision when Leader’s location is known. Afterwards, each customer chooses an open facility based on some preference huff rules before returning the benefits to one of the two companies. The follower, under the influence of the leader’s decisions, performs the best reaction in order to obtain the maximum capture of the market. So, a bilevel mixed-integer linear programming model is formulated. The objective function at both levels includes market capture profit, fixed and operating costs, and financial incentives. A metaheuristic quantum binary particle swarm optimization (PSO) is developed via Benders decomposition algorithm to solve the proposed model. To evaluate the convergence rate and solution quality, the method is applied to some random test instances generated in the literature. The computational results indicate that the proposed method is capable of efficiently solving the model.

W. Harrington

Jaime Benavides-Guerrero, Debika Banerjee, Dawit Gedamu et al.

Chromate conversion coatings have been in service for decades providing robust corrosion protection to a wide variety of aluminum alloys. However, it is also known that anti-corrosive coatings containing Cr6+ contributes to DNA damage, cause cancer and are not environmentally friendly. Consequently, regulatory restrictions over the use Cr6+ were established to mitigate the environmental damage and health problems. To answer to this hurdle and to meet the emergent need for environmentally friendly anti-corrosive coatings, we have successfully developed an innovative coating that combines anti-corrosive, low electrical resistance, and self-healing properties. First, we present two different coatings, that aim to display low electrical resistance properties: one containing only graphene and the other containing Zn nanoparticles and graphene. Confocal laser imaging and SEM microscopy was used to observe the morphology of the coatings. The electrical resistance was measured using the 4-wire connection Kelvin method. We compare the anticorrosive response for both coatings under neutral salt spray test (NSSt). Raman spectroscopy was performed before and after to understand the effect of NSSt corrosive species on the coatings. Then, we select the coating with lower electrical resistance, and we program on it a self-healing mechanism to boost its life service. Finally cyclic voltammetry is performed to confirm the excellent blocking properties of the tested coatings. All the coatings presented in this work are applied on aluminum AA 2024T351 and the optimal spray parameters for nanofillers dispersion are obtained. Our findings show great potential for preventing corrosion and compatibility with fully automated large-scale applications in different fields such as aerospace, automotive, construction, submarines and many more.

Jiwon Kim, Mehwish Roy, Sung-Ho Ahn et al.

Seed-borne pathogens in crops reduce the seed germination rate and hamper seedling growth, leading to significant yield loss. Due to the growing concerns about environmental damage and the development of resistance to agrochemicals among pathogen populations, there is a strong demand for eco-friendly alternatives to synthetic chemicals in agriculture. It has been well established during the last few decades that plant seeds harbor diverse microbes, some of which are vertically transmitted and important for plant health and productivity. In this study, we isolated culturable endophytic bacteria and fungi from soybean seeds and evaluated their antagonistic activities against common bacterial and fungal seed-borne pathogens of soybean. A total of 87 bacterial isolates and 66 fungal isolates were obtained. Sequencing of 16S rDNA and internal transcribed spacer amplicon showed that these isolates correspond to 30 and 15 different species of bacteria and fungi, respectively. Our antibacterial and antifungal activity assay showed that four fungal species and nine bacterial species have the potential to suppress the growth of at least one seed-borne pathogen tested in the study. Among them, Pseudomonas koreensis appears to have strong antagonistic activities across all the pathogens. Our collection of soybean seed endophytes would be a valuable resource not only for studying biology and ecology of seed endophytes but also for practical deployment of seed endophytes toward crop protection.

Magdalena Woźniak

The biodegradation of wood and wood products caused by fungi is recognized as one of the most significant problems worldwide. To extend the service life of wood products, wood is treated with preservatives, often with inorganic compounds or synthetic pesticides that have a negative impact on the environment. Therefore, the development of new, environmentally friendly wood preservatives is being carried out in research centers around the world. The search for natural, plant, or animal derivatives as well as obtaining synthetic compounds that will be safe for humans and do not pollute the environment, while at the same time present biological activity is crucial in terms of environmental protection. The review paper presents information in the literature on the substances and chemical compounds of natural origin (plant and animal derivatives) and synthetic compounds with a low environmental impact, showing antifungal properties, used in research on the ecological protection of wood. The review includes literature reports on the potential application of various antifungal agents including plant extracts, alkaloids, essential oils and their components, propolis extract, chitosan, ionic liquids, silicon compounds, and nanoparticles as well as their combinations.

F. Micheli, A. Saenz-Arroyo, A. Greenley et al.

Establishment of marine protected areas, including fully protected marine reserves, is one of the few management tools available for local communities to combat the deleterious effect of large scale environmental impacts, including global climate change, on ocean ecosystems. Despite the common hope that reserves play this role, empirical evidence of the effectiveness of local protection against global problems is lacking. Here we show that marine reserves increase the resilience of marine populations to a mass mortality event possibly caused by climate-driven hypoxia. Despite high and widespread adult mortality of benthic invertebrates in Baja California, Mexico, that affected populations both within and outside marine reserves, juvenile replenishment of the species that supports local economies, the pink abalone Haliotis corrugata, remained stable within reserves because of large body size and high egg production of the protected adults. Thus, local protection provided resilience through greater resistance and faster recovery of protected populations. Moreover, this benefit extended to adjacent unprotected areas through larval spillover across the edges of the reserves. While climate change mitigation is being debated, coastal communities have few tools to slow down negative impacts of global environmental shifts. These results show that marine protected areas can provide such protection.

Agata Mesjasz-Lech

Municipal authorities increasingly view environmental protection as one of the goals of city management. The pro-environmental orientation of cities can, therefore, foster the creation of new management methods and instruments and promote reorganization of determining material flows in a municipal system. Activities of this kind should result not only in the reduction of generated waste but also in the creation of closed material cycles. Considering the tasks of Polish local governments, municipalities should pay the most attention to municipal waste. Accordingly, the goal of this study was to identify the problem of mixed municipal waste in cities and assess the influence of investments into fixed assets for environmental protection in the scope of waste management on the quantity of mixed municipal waste in cities. This article also identifies activities for circular resource management that need to be realized by Polish municipalities. The analysis was performed using the panel model, dynamic indexes, and critical analysis of city documents. The conducted research revealed positive trends in cities with respect to the amount of waste collected non-selectively that is conducive to circular resource management. The fact that municipal waste quantity is on the increase should encourage urban authorities to promote pro-environmental waste management behaviors among city dwellers.

Felicita Urzi, Boštjan Pokorny, Boštjan Pokorny et al.

Despite strong evidence of an inheritable component of muscle phenotypes, little progress has been made in identifying the specific genetic factors involved in the development of sarcopenia. Even rarer are studies that focus on predicting the risk of sarcopenia based on a genetic risk score. In the present study, we tested the single and combined effect of seven candidate gene variants on the risk of sarcopenia. Single nucleotide polymorphisms in candidate genes were genotyped using the KASP assay. We examined 190 older adults that were classified as non-sarcopenic or sarcopenic according to the diagnostic criteria of the European Working Group on Sarcopenia in Older People. Sarcopenia was associated with Methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase, Alpha-actinin-3, and Nuclear respiratory factor 2 genotypes. The combined effect of all three polymorphisms explained 39% of the interindividual variation in sarcopenia risk. Our results suggest that the single and combined effect of Methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase, Alpha-actinin-3, and Nuclear respiratory factor 2 polymorphism is associated with sarcopenia risk in older adults. Nowadays, as the population is getting older and older, great efforts are being made to research the etiology, diagnosis and treatment of sarcopenia. At the same time, small progress has been made in understanding the genetic etiology of sarcopenia. Given the importance of research on this disease, further genetic studies are needed to better understand the genetic risk underlying sarcopenia. We believe that this small-scale study will help to demonstrate that there is still much to be discovered in this field.

E. Paoletti, A. De Marco, D. Beddows et al.

Peerapol Kaoien, Wipawee Dechapanya, Attaso Khamwichit et al.

Photocatalytic oxidation purposes an economical and environmental friendly process to remove benzene from indoor air pollution. However, the process efficiency is primarily dependent on catalytic-film. The main purpose of this study is to synthesize pre-vulcanized latex impregnated with TiO2 (PVL-TiO2 thin film) from natural rubber to be used in photo-catalytic oxidation for benzene removal in a reactor. PVL-TiO2 thin films were synthesized for 3 different dosages of TiO2, which were 5%, 15%, and 25% The outcome of this study offers the new application of modified natural rubber in terms of environmental and health care protection. Morphology of the synthesized films was analyzed by SEM. The results showed that TiO2 particles could be well dispersed all over the surface of the film, in which the best distribution could be found for the PVL-TiO2 15% thin film. Tensile stress of the films was analyzed using ASTM D412. Results showed that the stress of the films got higher with the increasing amount of TiO2 content. This indicates that TiO2 strengthened the PVL-TiO2 film because the uniformly distribution of TiO2 on the inner surface increased the strength of the film. The decomposition of PVL and PVL-TiO2 thin films was analyzed using thermo gravimetric analysis. The maximum weight loss rates in the range of 1.536–1.145 wt%/°C attained at between 380 - 382 °C TiO2 particles enhanced thermal stability of PVL-TiO2 thin films due to the high decomposition temperature of its properties and also acted as barrier for the heat transfer of the films. Specific surface area (SSA) of the films was analyzed using Brunauer-Emmett-Teller. Specific surface area increased as the increasing content of TiO2, which corresponded to the morphology analysis by SEM. The analysis of chemical functional group of thin films was performed using ATR-FTIR. The results of Crystal identification using XRD clearly showed good attachment of rutile TiO2 on the films. Finally, results of absorbance spectrums and band gap energy showed that PVL not only peg TiO2 particles but also reducing band gap energy which induced by S and ZnO. Therefore, PVL-TiO2 thin films could be used under visible light condition. The films were then used in the study of benzene removal in annular reactor. The highest removal efficiency (83%)for the PVL-TiO2 15% thin film was obtained. Comparing to the maximum removal efficiency for PVL film (28%), roughly 60% increase in efficiency was achieved. The PCO kinetics were well fit by a first order Langmuir-Hinshelwood model. The calculation of oxidation rate and percentage of residual intermediates indicated that accumulation of residual intermediates can occur on the active site and the gas phase, resulting in increasing of residual intermediates. The successful synthesis of PVL-TiO2 thin film provides new opportunity to use natural rubber in terms of environmental and health care protection.

Miriam Adelman

Brazil is one of the world’s “horse giants”, home to the world’s fourth largest equine population, and to a popular equestrian culture that has yet to be duly recognized as heritage.   This culture, emerging from its historic link to cattle ranching and agriculture, is also reshaped by currently expanding sport and leisure uses of the horse. With a focus on the needs and predicaments of rural communities in which horses are an important symbolic and cultural resource – perhaps more than an economic one – I provide a description and discussion of my ethnographic research within the village of São Luiz do Purunã, located in a region of environmental protection in southern Brazil.  As a case study that examines the different social actors involved in turistification processes, my research contributes to debates on the patrimonialisation of traditional equestrian culture, its promise and its contradictions.

Kimberly J Reeder, Susan O'Donnell, Adje Prado

Many rural communities across Canada are experiencing or anticipating climate change effects. Our study, a contribution to the limited social science research on adaptation in rural regions in this country, focused on a rural, forest-dependent, francophone region of New Brunswick on unceded Wolastoqiyik territory. In collaboration with a regional governance organization, we developed and administered a survey to gather the perspectives and experiences of rural community leaders on climate change adaptation. The study results are intended to provide a basis for discussion to support regional adaptation planning. They may also be used as a baseline for measuring future advances in climate adaptation efforts. Theories of new social movements, Indigenous resurgence, and organizational leadership informed our investigation and analysis. Our study focuses on three themes identified in the literature review critical to supporting environmental action: leadership, communication processes, and relationships. Our core research question is: To what extent are community leaders in the rural study region engaging in these functions? We conclude with reflections on how climate change adaptation is occurring in this rural region and the role of regional governance in this process. Keywords: rural, climate, adaptation, leadership, Wolastoq

Z. Tan, Z. Tan, K. Lu et al.

<p>Atmospheric oxidation capacity is the basis for converting freshly emitted substances into secondary products and is dominated by reactions involving hydroxyl radicals (OH) during daytime. In this study, we present in situ measurements of <span class="inline-formula">RO_<i>x</i></span> radical (hydroxy OH, hydroperoxy <span class="inline-formula">HO₂</span>, and organic peroxy <span class="inline-formula">RO₂</span>) precursors and products; the measurements are carried out in four Chinese megacities (Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, and Chongqing) during photochemically polluted seasons. The atmospheric oxidation capacity is evaluated using an observation-based model and radical chemistry precursor measurements as input. The radical budget analysis illustrates the importance of HONO and HCHO photolysis, which account for <span class="inline-formula">∼50</span>&thinsp;% of the total primary radical sources. The radical propagation is efficient due to abundant NO in urban environments. Hence, the production rate of secondary pollutants, that is, ozone (and fine-particle precursors (<span class="inline-formula">H₂SO₄</span>, <span class="inline-formula">HNO₃</span>, and extremely low volatility organic compounds, ELVOCs) is rapid, resulting in secondary air pollution. The ozone budget demonstrates its high production in urban areas; also, its rapid transport to downwind areas results in rapid increase in local ozone concentrations. The <span class="inline-formula">O₃</span>–<span class="inline-formula">NO_<i>x</i></span>–VOC (volatile organic compound) sensitivity tests show that ozone production is VOC-limited and that alkenes and aromatics should be mitigated first for ozone pollution control in the four studied megacities. In contrast, <span class="inline-formula">NO_<i>x</i></span> emission control (that is, a decrease in <span class="inline-formula">NO_<i>x</i></span>) leads to more severe ozone pollution. With respect to fine-particle pollution, the role of the <span class="inline-formula">HNO₃</span>–<span class="inline-formula">NO₃</span> partitioning system is investigated using a thermal dynamic model (ISORROPIA 2). Under high relative humidity (RH) and ammonia-rich conditions, nitric acid converts into nitrates. This study highlights the efficient radical chemistry that maintains the atmospheric oxidation capacity in Chinese<span id="page3494"/> megacities and results in secondary pollution characterized by ozone and fine particles.</p>

M. Eisenbud