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This review article delves into the promising yet challenging realm of nuclear fusion reactors as a potential future energy source. The paper provides a comprehensive overview of global fusion research, highlighting its potential benefits and the technical obstacles that have hindered its widespread commercial adoption. Fusion energy, with its abundant resources, minimal waste generation, and low emissions, emerges as a long-term solution for a sustainable energy future. However, its technical complexities suggest that its widespread commercialization may not be realized until the end of the century. The article further explores the environmental compatibility, safety, and resource implications of fusion energy. A significant emphasis is placed on the paramount importance of safety in the development of fusion power reactors. The review underscores the need for robust safety cases, accident identification methods, and the establishment of internationally recognized safety standards. Additionally, the paper identifies knowledge gaps and areas necessitating further research, ensuring that fusion power stations meet rigorous safety objectives while minimizing environmental impact. Through a holistic examination of fusion’s potential and challenges, this review offers insights into its role in shaping the future energy landscape.

Non-wires alternatives and microgrid technologies are maturing and present great opportunities for electric utilities to increase the benefits they offer to their customers. They have the potential to decrease the cost of resolving traditional electrical system loading issues, contribute to carbon emissions reductions, and improve the electrical distribution system's resilience to extreme weather events. The authors of this manuscript present a review of the research on microgrids and their practical applications. This is leveraged with the past work of the authors of this manuscript and other authors to develop specific objectives for microgrids, practical criteria for engineers to consider when deploying microgrids, stochastic methods to optimize microgrid designs, and black start requirements. This guidance is then used for the design of actual networked microgrids being deployed with adaptive boundaries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper describes the development of the Safety Performance Indicators (SPIs), the methodology for assessment of the safety culture of radiotherapy institutions using SPIs and common strengths and common areas for improvement. SPIs were categorized into eight sections which all together contain 23 attributes and each attribute has scoring criteria from 0 to 2 (in steps of 0.5). The maximum absolute cumulative score of SPIs was 46. A relative cumulative SPIs score of >80% indicates an institution strong commitment towards safety while score <50% indicates need for additional guidance to enhance safety culture. The assessment using SPIs was conducted for 17 radiotherapy institutions. The methodology of assessment includes interactive discussion, direct observations and document analysis. The relative cumulative SPIs score of seven institutions was found to be >80% while it was found in the range of 67.0% to 80% for the remaining ten institutions. Institutions were communicated about the cumulative SPIs score, areas of strengths, and areas for improvement. SPIs were found to be a good tool for safety culture assessment and can be utilized by the radiotherapy institutes for self-assessment to identify the areas of improvement. Based on SPIs score, regulatory body can grade the institutions from a radiation safety compliance point of view. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Byline: Smriti. Sharma, D. Dixit, S. Sharma, Amit. Sharma, G. Sahani, Ritu. Upreti, R. Kinhikar, P. Dash Sharma Aim: This article aimed to present the salient features of the in-house [...]

The residue and dissipation studies of diafenthiuron, its metabolites and cyantraniliprole were carried out on okra under field conditions after two applications of Cyantraniliprole 7.3% w/w + Diafenthiuron 36.4% w/w SC @ 60 + 300 g a.i./ha. Okra fruit samples were collected at 0 (2 hr), 1, 3, 5, 7, 10 and 15 days after second spray. The samples were processed using QuEChERS methodology and analysed on LCMS/MS. The total initial residues of diafenthiuron (diafenthiuron + CGA 177960, CGA 227352, CGA 140408) in okra fruit were 0.28 and 0.55 mg kg−1 at single and double dose, respectively. The total residues of diafenthiuron dissipated below limit of quantification (LOQ) of 0.01 mg kg−1 at 10 days of application at both the doses. The initial residues of cyantraniliprole in okra were 0.23 and 0.42 mg kg−1 at single and double dose, respectively. The residues dissipated below −1 at 7 and 10 days in both the dosages. For safe consumption of okra, waiting period of 10 days is suggested. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Persistence of spirotetramat and imidacloprid residues on tomato and onion after three applications of a combination formulation, spirotetramat 12% + imidacloprid 12%, @ 625 and 1250 mL ha−1 is reported. An easy and simple methodology was standardised for the extraction of residues in tomato, onion and soil followed by estimation and confirmation on LC-MS/MS using C18 column by keeping the positive mode of electrospray. The methodology was validated for selectivity, linearity, precision, repeatability, reproducibility and its limit of detection and quantification. The limit of quantification (LOQ) was worked out to be 0.05 mg kg−1. The results of recovery studies were consistent and more than 80% in all the matrices. No residues above LOQ were detected in tomato sample after 3rd day and after 7th day for onion samples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the present work, helium serves as the primary working fluid within the supercritical Brayton cycle, employed to generate power through a solar power tower system. The conventional Brayton cycle for recovering the wasted heat is combined with a cascaded vapor absorption-compression refrigeration system to increase the overall system's performance. Additional benefits of this integrated system include the ability to supply enhanced heating and cooling for food storage applications at lower temperatures. A comprehensive analysis of the combined system was conducted based on exergy, energy, and exergo-environmental (3E) factors a using computational technique engineering equation solver. The combined system's energy, exergy efficiency, and power output were determined to be 28.82%, 39.53%, and 14.865 kW, respectively. The coefficient of performances for cooling and heating were observed as 0.5391 and 1.539 respectively. Approximately 78.18% of the total exergy destruction within the entire plant can be attributed to the solar subsystem, which amounts to 22.763 kW. As direct normal irradiance rises, the environmental impact index decreases from 1.6504 to 0.6801, while the system's environmental stability factor improves, increasing from 0.3773 to 0.5952. Moreover, the parametric assessment highlights the substantial influence of heliostat and receiver efficiencies, as well as the helium turbine's inlet temperature, on the trigeneration system's performance. In addition, compared to previously published research, the current proposed system outperforms supercritical CO2 cycle systems and the conventional steam Rankine cycle systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Direct air capture (DAC) systems that capture carbon dioxide (CO2) directly from the atmosphere are garnering considerable attention for their potential role as negative emission technologies in achieving net-zero CO2 emission goals. Common DAC technologies are based either on liquid–solvent (L-DAC) or solid–sorbent (S-DAC) to capture CO2. A comprehensive multi-factor comparative economic analysis of the deployment of L-DAC and S-DAC facilities across various United States (U.S.) cities is presented in this paper. The analysis considers the influence of various factors on the favorability of DAC deployment, including local climatic conditions such as temperature, humidity, and CO2 concentrations; the availability of energy sources to power the DAC system; and costs for the transport and storage of the captured CO2 along with the consideration of the regional market and policy drivers. The deployment analysis in over 70 continental U.S. cities shows that L-DAC and S-DAC complement each other spatially, as their performance and operational costs vary in different climates. L-DAC is more suited to the hot, humid Southeast, while S-DAC is preferrable in the colder, drier Rocky Mountain region. Strategic deployment based on regional conditions and economics is essential for promoting the commercial adoptability of DAC, which is a critical technology to meet the CO2 reduction targets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study was done to determine additive, maternal and common permanent environmental effects and best‐suited model for some production traits using six univariate animal models that differed in the (co)variance components fitted to assess the importance of maternal effect using likelihood ratio test in Murrah buffaloes. Data from 614 Murrah buffaloes related to production traits were collected from history pedigree sheets maintained at the buffalo farm, Department of Livestock Production and Management (LPM), LUVAS, Hisar. The production traits under this study were 305 days milk yield (305DMY), peak yield (PY), lactation length (LL), dry period (DP), lactation milk yield (LMY) and wet average (WA). The heritability estimates were in the range of 0.33–0.44 for 305DMY, 0.25–0.51 for PY, 0.05–0.13 for LL, 0.03–0.23 for DP, 0.17–0.40 for LMY and 0.37–0.66 for WA. Model 1 was considered best for most of the traits, viz., 305DMY, PY, LL, LMY and WA followed by model 2 for DP. Covariance and correlated values within the traits caused inflation of heritability in model 3 and model 6. The maximum covariance between the additive and maternal effect was found in trait LMY, which was 14,183.90 in model 3 and the minimum value was also reported in the same trait for model 6, valued at −3522.37. Multivariate analysis showed that all production traits were moderate to high and positively correlated with each other except for DP, which was low and negative genetic and phenotypic correlated. Spearman's rank correlation coefficients of breeding value among all six models were high and significant, ranged from 0.78 to 1.00 for all the traits except DP, therefore any of the models could be taken into account depending upon the availability of data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]