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Greener products, particularly natural colorants have attracted the globe due to the spread of toxic awareness of synthetic dyes. This study investigates the use of bixin, a natural dye extracted from annatto seeds (Bixa orellana), as a sustainable alternative for dyeing silk fabrics. The objectives were to optimize the extraction and dyeing processes, evaluate the effects of mordants, and assess the biological activities of the dyed fabrics. Microwave-assisted extraction (MW) was employed to improve dye yield, with optimal conditions determined using response surface methodology through formulated central composite design under ANOVA analysis. Dyeing parameters were optimized, and the effects of eco-friendly mordants (Al, Fe salts, pomegranate, and myrobalan) were evaluated. After experiments, it has been found that 30 mL extract of 8 pH after MW treatment upto 4 min, if used to dye silk at 55 °C for 55 min in presence of 1 g/100 mL of salt, highest yield can be obtained. Spectral analysis has been performed for morphological and chemical changes in extract and fabrics before and after irradiation respectively. Under these conditions, 0.5 % pre and 0.5 % as post Al chemical mordant and 1.5 % pre and 2 % as post pomegranate bio-mordant has potential to developed colorfast shades. Dyeing kinetics followed a pseudo-second-order model, while the Langmuir isotherm best described the adsorption process. The dyed silk fabrics exhibited notable antibacterial activity against S. aureus and E. coli. The annatto extract showed up to 82.09 % antioxidant activity. As a result, this study demonstrates the potential of annatto-based bixin as an eco-friendly alternative to synthetic dyes, offering both coloration and functional properties to silk fabrics.

Reinforcement learning has been employed in recent research articles to optimize the energy storage system scheduling in microgrids, aiming to reduce overall system costs. However, applying reinforcement learning in real-time scenarios introduces uncertainties and delays due to the extensive training required to develop the optimal policy for the storage system. This work addresses these challenges and explores potential solutions for real-time dispatch control actions of the battery in a grid-tied microgrid. The study considers different approaches for training the agent, distinguishing between online and offline scheduling of the energy storage system. The limitations of these approaches and their implications on real-time performance are also analyzed. By developing a comprehensive microgrid model and comparing two training approaches, this research contributes to novel insights for efficient real-time scheduling of energy storage systems in grid-tied microgrids. The proposed approach presents a promising path towards addressing uncertainties and achieving optimal operation in grid-tied microgrids. In terms of average cost per year, the difference between the two approaches is 4% if foresight of the real data is perfect, otherwise the real-time approach is more cost-effective.

The fast depletion of conventional fuel supplies has forced the world to find suitable substitutes to overcome the expected energy crisis. Fossil fuels also contribute to global warming because of their harmful emissions. Biofuels are sustainable and environment friendly. Biodiesel can be sourced from both edible and non-edible oils to replace fossil fuels. To avoid a shortage of food supply, it is preferred to produce biodiesel from non-edible oils. In this research, Litchi chinensis seed oil (LSO) is used as a feedstock to synthesize biodiesel employing transesterification using a microwave oven. The catalyst, potassium hydroxide (KOH), used in this research was extracted from potato waste. Sundried potato waste was converted into ash. The produced ash is then dissolved in distilled water, leading to a 34% yield of KOH. The transesterification achieves a 92.9% conversion rate under the conditions: 30% microwave power utilization, a catalyst loading of 15% (W/W), a stirring speed of 700 RPM, and a methanol concentration of 70% (V/V) with an 8-min reaction time. Response surface methodology (RSM), in comparison with artificial neural networks (ANNs), has been utilized for the optimization of biodiesel yield, giving efficient results with errors of 0.003% for RSM and 0.005% for ANN. Consequently, the study reports optimized biodiesel yields of 92.9% (experimental), 93.27% (RSM), and 92.40% (ANN). Physicochemical properties such as kinematic viscosity (4.4 mm2/s) at 40°C, density (875kg/m3) at 15°C, cetane number (53.2), calorific value (38.8 MJ/kg), flash point (175°C), oxidative stability (6.1 h), and cold flow properties were determined with respect to the ASTM and EN standards. The findings reveal that biofuels primarily support Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 7 and 13, with the prime focus on "affordable and clean energy" and "climate action," respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to document stomatal characters which are significant in taxonomy, a detailed microscopic study on leaf epidermis of the selected taxa from Asteraceae was carried out. The plant species were Sonchus oleraceus, Bidens bipinnata, Centaurea iberica, Conyza bonariensis, Helianthus annuus, Lectuca serriola, Parthenium hysterophorus, Tagetes erecta, Cosmos sulphureus, Launaea procumbens, Zinnia elegan, Galinsoga parviflora and Conyza canadensis. All the species were amphistomatic and four types of stomata i.e., tetracytic, anomocytic, anisocytic and tricytic were recognized. Tetracytic stomatal type was dominant followed by anomocytic. Stomatal density was high on abaxial epidermis than adaxial epidermis except in Conyza bonariensis and Conyza canadensis. Highest stomatal density was in Tagetes erecta while lowest in Conyza canadensis. In lower epidermis stomatal index was higher in Sonchus oleraceus followed by Bidens bipinnata and Tagetes erecta while in upper epidermis highest index was shown by Cosmos sulphureus. Stomatal aperture and guard cell size and density were also significant features in these species.

This document is a corrigendum for an article titled "Microwave-assisted transesterification of Litchi chinensis seed oil using extracted KOH from potato waste for sustainable development." The corrigendum addresses errors in the funding statement and acknowledgments of the original article. The authors apologize for the errors and state that they do not affect the scientific conclusions of the article. The corrigendum also includes a note from the publisher stating that the claims expressed in the article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the views of their affiliated organizations or the publisher. The article was written by authors from various institutions in Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, and Australia. [Extracted from the article]

In this investigation, biodiesel was produced from Moringa oleifera oil through a transesterification process at operating conditions including a reaction temperature of 60 °C, catalyst concentration of 1% wt., reaction time of 2 h, stirring speed of 1000 rpm and methanol to oil ratio of 8.50:1. Biodiesel blends, B10 and B20, were tested in a compression ignition engine, and the performance and emission characteristics were analyzed and compared with high-speed diesel. The engine was operated at full load conditions with engine speeds varying from 1000 rpm to 2400 rpm. All the performance and exhaust pollutants results were collected and analyzed. It was found that MOB10 produced lower BP (7.44%), BSFC (7.51%), and CO2 (7.7%). The MOB10 also reduced smoke opacity (24%) and HC (10.27%). Compared to diesel, MOB10 also increased CO (2.5%) and NOx (9%) emissions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Stress corrosion cracking (SCC) behavior of Alloy 617 was studied to evaluate its suitability for Generation IV supercritical water reactor concept. A series of slow strain rate tensile (SSRT) tests at a constant strain rate of 5 × 10−7 s−1 were carried out in superheated steam and supercritical water over a pressure range of 0.1–25 MPa at 650 °C. SSRT test in dry N2 gas was also performed to compare the results in non‐corrosive environment with corrosive medium environment. Intergranular cracks were observed for all specimens regardless of the test environment. Alloy 617 showed susceptibility to SCC at the tested experimental conditions. The dominance of intergranular SCC was observed on the gage surface and fracture surface by using scanning electron microscope analysis. The effect of varying environmental conditions on SCC susceptibility is further discussed. Stress corrosion cracking (SCC) behavior of Alloy 617 was studied to evaluate its suitability for Generation IV supercritical water reactor concept. A series of slow strain rate tensile (SSRT) tests at a constant strain rate of 5 × 10−7 s−1 were carried out in superheated steam and supercritical water. Intergranular cracks were observed for all specimens regardless of the test environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The crack growth rate (CGR) tests of austenitic steel TP347HFG were conducted under <10‐8000 ppb dissolved oxygen (DO) in steam, the alternating environment of air and steam and supercritical water (SCW) at 600–650 °C. A constant stress intensity factor (K) method and direct current potential drop technique were used in the tests to evaluate its environmentally assisted cracking (EAC) properties as superheater and reheater boiler tubes in ultra‐supercritical power plants. CGR increases monotonically with temperature and DO content. CGR in SCW is greater than that in the high‐temperature steam which indicates that exposure pressure has an obvious effect on crack propagation. The varying CGR in different experimental environments show that exposure medium participates in the cracking process. Fracture surface and cross‐sectional surface of compact tension specimen were analyzed by scanning electron microscope. The mechanism of crack propagation in different exposure environment is further discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, waste cooking oil (WCO) was used as a feedstock for biodiesel production, where the pretreatment of WCO was performed using mineral acids to reduce the acid value. The response surface methodology (RSM) was used to create an interaction for different operating parameters that affect biodiesel yield. The optimised biodiesel yield was 93% at a reaction temperature of 57.50 °C, catalyst concentration 0.25 w/w, methanol to oil ratio 8.50:1, reaction stirring speed 600 rpm, and a reaction time of 3 h. Physicochemical properties, including lower heating value, density, viscosity, cloud point, and flash point of biodiesel blends, were determined using American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) standards. Biodiesel blends B10, B20, B30, B40, and B50 were tested on a compression ignition engine. Engine performance parameters, including brake torque (BT), brake power (BP), brake thermal efficiency (BTE), and brake specific fuel consumption (BSFC) were determined using biodiesel blends and compared to that of high-speed diesel. The average BT reduction for biodiesel blends compared to HSD at 3000 rpm were found to be 1.45%, 2%, 2.2%, 3.09%, and 3.5% for B10, B20, B30, B40, and B50, respectively. The average increase in BSFC for biodiesel blends compared to HSD at 3500 rpm were found to be 1.61%, 5.73%, 8.8%, 12.76%, and 18% for B10, B20, B30, B40, and B50, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Our study evaluates the effect of gamma radiation treatment on detoxification of textile effluents. The effluents were tested for cytotoxicity and mutagenicity using Allium cepa, heamolytic, brine shrimp, and Ames tests before and after gamma radiation treatment. The collected wastewater samples were irradiated to the absorbed doses of 5kGy, 10kGy, and 15kGy, and subjected to toxicity tests. The gamma radiation showed promising efficiency for detoxification of pollutants in wastewater. The microbial load was reduced to zero, and increases in root length (RL) and root count (RC) were 31.10% and 38.34%, respectively, at 5 kGy. The reduction in cytotoxicity was recorded to be 39.56%, 49.65%, and 79.63% in the case of human and sheep red blood cells (RBC) and brine shrimp, respectively. Before treatment, the samples were mildly mutagenic and after treatment mutagenicity was not detected. Results showed that gamma radiation has promising efficiency for the degradation of toxic agents present in effluents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]