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The availability of productive land is significantly impacted by the global phenomenon of urbanization. The amount of land available for food production and other essential activities decreases as cities grow because the urban perimeter encroaches on rural and natural areas. Conducting research on urban sprawl analysis and land use land cover (LULC) change assessment is essential in ensuring sustainable urban growth. Bengaluru, a rapidly expanding metropolitan city, has a significant impact on the area around it, making it a prime location for this kind of study. In this study, authors sought to assess how urban sprawl affected LULC in the Bengaluru rural district that surrounds the city of Bengaluru. The study evaluated changes in LULC over a two-decade period using remote sensing data and GIS tools. Five LULC classes were used to categorize the study area: settlement, waterbody, vegetation, agriculture, and barren land. The maximum likelihood technique was used to classify Landsat images from three different time periods using the supervised image classification method in the ERDAS software. Accuracy assessment was used to gauge the classified images’ accuracy. The study’s important findings showed how the LULC classes in the study area have been negatively impacted by the urban sprawl. The study emphasizes the significance of ongoing research in LULC change assessment and urban sprawl analysis to ensure sustainable urban growth and safeguard the availability of productive land.

Stone mastic asphalt (SMA) mix amended with sugarcane bagasse fibers (SBFs) as a stabilizer was investigated experimentally in the present study. The SBF content in the combination mix was varied (0, 0.15%, 0.30%, 0.45% and 0.60%) to produce different mixtures. The prepared mixtures were then assessed for different properties, such as the Marshall stability, tensile strength, and draindown, which are crucial for the performance of the mix in flexible/bituminous pavements. The experimental results revealed enhanced stability and flow value, greater filling of voids in the bitumen, and reduced air voids in the prepared SMA mix amended with SBF. In addition, improvement in the tensile strength of the SMA mix amended with SBF was observed. An increase in the tensile strength ratio of the amended SMA mix was also observed. The susceptibility to the entry of moisture into the pores of the SMA mix was assessed by performing the draindown test, which revealed that the amended SMA mix exhibited reduced draindown due to the presence of SBF. Therefore, it was inferred that the inclusion of SBF into the SMA mix was beneficial for enhancing the stability and tensile strength of the mix and achieving higher resistance to moisture penetration. The present study demonstrated that the use of sugarcane bagasse as an active ingredient in the SMA mix would result in improved performance of flexible pavements while also reducing the waste burden of landfills and aiding in effective waste management.

The primary objective of this study is to offer a comparative picture to assess the potential environmental impact and to reduce the energy required for concrete preparation. For this investigation, concrete is prepared with industrial wastes like PVC waste powder (PWP) and ground granulated blast furnace slag (GGBS) vis-a-vis conventional concrete. This investigation mainly focuses on the experimental study and environmental impacts of green versus conventional concrete using the life cycle assessment (LCA) approach. LCA models are prepared for green concrete by considering industrial waste by-products materials like GGBS and PWP. For this study, green concrete is considered by using 30% constant GGBS for all the mixes. In contrast, PWP is considered in varying percentages like 0%, 5%, 10%, 15%, 20%, 25%, and 30% by weight of cement and compared with conventional concrete prepared. To compare the environmental impacts of green and conventional concrete, initially, authors compared the physical and chemical properties of materials, fresh and hardened properties of concrete for all the mixes. Based on test results, LCA models are prepared by using SimaPro software and the Ecoinvent database. The originality of this study lies in offering a comparative picture for researchers and practitioners. Experimental investigation of this study exhibits that concrete prepared with PWP (15–20%) and fixed contents of GGBS helps to improve the structural performance and durability properties of green concrete. This investigation also indicates that green concrete prepared with PWP and GGBS helps to reduce environmental damage substantially.

This paper addresses the problem of estimation of hydrogen gas concentration using current output from a sensor chip, integrated with a thin film of ZnO as a sensing layer and inbuilt microheater to obtain desired operating temperature by proposing an appropriate algorithm. The proposed algorithm minimizes the estimation delay while maximizing the estimation accuracy. The proposed algorithm also accounts for the variation in sensor performance with relative humidity. The key features of the proposed algorithm are low computational complexity, low memory requirements, compatibility with any metal-oxides-based hydrogen sensors with independent calibration or turning points, and minimal requirements to the calibration time. As proof of concept, a demonstration of the algorithm efficiency is evaluated by estimating hydrogen concentration using ZnO thin film-based gas sensor device and comparing its performance with available state-of-the-art hydrogen sensor algorithm outputs., Author(s): Jitthu Joseph [sup.1] , G. Uma [sup.2] , M. Umapathy [sup.2] , C. S. Prajapati [sup.3] , M. Manjunatha Nayak [sup.1] Author Affiliations: (1) https://ror.org/05j873a45, grid.464869.1, 0000 0000 9288 [...]

Oxy-hydrogen gas is a mixture of hydrogen and oxygen gas in 2:1 molar proportion. Oxy-hydrogen gas can be easily and economically produced from electrolysis of water by using dry cell electrolysers. Oxy-hydrogen gas is one of the alternative fuel options which can replace conventional fossil fuels like gasoline, diesel, etc., because of its high-octane number (>130) and moderate calorific value (21.4 MJ/kg). Current research work consists of both experimental and simulation parts. Experiments focussed on studying the performance and emission characteristics of spark ignition engine fuelled with gasoline (petrol) and dual fuel (gasoline + Oxy-hydrogen) mixture at variable load and constant speed condition with three different oxy-hydrogen flow rates. Comparative findings suggest that NOx emission and brake thermal efficiency increased by 1.75% and 800 PPM, respectively, at full load and at a flow rate of 1.54 lit/min. Carbon monoxide emission dropped by 0.25% at full load and at a flow rate of 1.54 lit/min. A two-zonequasi dimensional modelling of spark ignition engine was carried out in order to understand the combustion process efficiently. The predicted values accord well with the experimental data, with just a small variance. Commercially available software MATLAB R2021a is used to develop code for the engine simulation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Use of bricks and their manufacturing process plays an important role in the construction sector. Despite its various methods of manufacturing, still large quantities of bricks are used in the building construction. Manufacturing of bricks consumes large quantities of natural resources, and it is energy intensive. Similarly, due to rapid industrialization large quantities of waste industrial byproducts are generated and causes handling and disposal challenges of these wastes. This review work attempts the possibilities and potential use of various types of waste industrial byproducts in fired and unfired bricks. This study also highlights the importance of waste and its usage guidelines in bricks manufacturing to enhance the strength and durability properties. To overcome the challenges associated with bricks manufacturing, firing is still considered as the most preferred method of making bricks. Use of industrial waste byproducts to the mix matrix of fire and unfired bricks will overcome the disposal challenges and reduce the depletion of natural resources. Since sustainability is a key factor that is considered when it comes to making bricks, innovative methods are needed to produce them using sustainable materials. The production and application of bricks and their usage guidelines are reviewed further in various aspects such as environment, social, economic, and technology to meet global standards and policies of the local government for sustainable development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Zebrafish are increasingly becoming popular as promising new model species for translational research in a variety of neurological fields. Because of their complex behaviors across all major neurobehavioral domains and strong genetic and physiological similarities to humans, zebrafish are well-suited to modelling many aspects of anxiety-related states. In this paper, we first summarized the behavioral models available in zebrafish, such as novel tank test, light/dark box test, open field test, and social preference test, and their efficacy in discovering anxiety-like indices in zebrafish, followed by highlighting the key neurotransmitter systems, such as glutamate and GABA. In addition, cortisol levels and gene expression were explored as well. Overall, this review discusses the benefits of using the zebrafish model for anxiety research and examines current research in the field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, diesel fuel and two hundredth by volume of synthesised biodiesel from waste coconut oil (WB20) were used as fuel in unmodified, naturally aspirated, single cylinder compression ignition engine to study their performance and combustion characteristics at full load condition. Numerical studies were carried out with the use of CFD and compiled with the experimental results. FORTE software was used for CFD simulation. Methyl-palmitate (MPA) and Dodecane (C12H26) were used as surrogate fuels for biodiesel and diesel fuel respectively. The variation of special parts for diesel fuel and WB20 with CI engine in-cylinder pressure, in- cylinder temperature and mass fraction of O2, CO and NO emission at 10p and 20p ATDC were analysed. The mass fraction contours of in-cylinder temperature, O2, CO and NO for diesel fuel and WB20 were found to be decreased with increase in crank angle from 10o to 20° ATDC. The maximum BTE, in-cylinder pressure, in-cylinder temperature, O2, CO2 and NO were obtained for WB20 at 10° ATDC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract In this article, we investigate the charged gravastar under conformal motion with the background of Finsler geometry. Mazur and Mottola pioneered the concept of the gravastar (gravitational vacuum star) for the first time. This vacuum object consists of three distinct regions, that is, (i) interior de Sitter region, (ii) thin shell consisting of ultrarelativistic stiff, and (iii) exterior vacuum Schwarzschild region. The nature of these regions can be analyzed by considering different equations of state parameters. We have studied various physical features of the gravastar, such as length, energy, entropy, stability, and the adiabatic index, both graphically and analytically within the Finslerian framework. Also, we have obtained the exact and non-singular solution for the gravastar model.

ABSTRACT: Watershed management is an essential part to achieve sustainability. In the case of large watersheds, management and conservation practices cannot be implemented efficiently over the entire area due to inadequate human resources and financial support. Therefore, prioritizing the sub-watersheds and implementation of management practices would be a viable technique to ensure sustainability within the watershed. In this study, sub-watershed prioritization is carried out for the Kalinadi basin based on erosion susceptibility using morphometric analysis. SRTM DEM is used to extract stream network and delineate the sub-watersheds using ArcGIS software. Further, the Kalinadi basin is divided into eight sub-watersheds and morphometric analysis performed. In the current study, for prioritizing the sub-watersheds, nineteen morphometric parameters are considered which include linear, aerial and relief aspects. The results of linear, aerial and relief parameters of every sub-watershed are given with ranks based on their influence on soil erosion and then subjected to compound parameter analysis which is used to prioritize each sub-watershed. The morphometry-based prioritization findings demonstrate that Sub watershed-8 (SW-8), SW-4 and SW-5 face high risk, SW-6, SW-7 and SW-2 face medium risk whereas SW-3 and SW-1 face a low risk of soil erosion. The results can be used by the decision-making authorities to plan and implement the watershed management practices optimally to control soil erosion.

Pest arthropods cause significant crop damage or are vectors of pathogens for both plants and animals. The current standard of pest management prevents against crop losses and protects human and animal health, but shortcomings exist, such as insecticide resistance and environmental damage to nontarget organisms. New management methods are therefore needed. The development of new tools, such as site-specific gene editing, has accelerated the study of gene function and phenotype in nonmodel arthropod species and may enable the development of new strategies for pathogen and arthropod control. Here, the most recent developments in gene editing in arthropod pests are briefly reviewed. Additionally, technological advances that could be applicable to new species or enhance the success rates of gene editing in species with already established protocols are highlighted., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare no conflict of interest. This work has not been previously published and has not been submitted to another journal for publication. No artificial intelligence tools have been used in the generation of this manuscript. All authors have provided their approval for this submission., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

The emerging global problem of antimicrobial resistance needs immediate attention. In this regard, this work demonstrates the use of expanded polystyrene waste in the synthesis of immobilized photocatalytic films for the treatment of antibiotics as well as for bacterial disinfection. A boron-cerium codoped TiO 2 catalyst (of specific composition: B 0.8 Ce 0.2 TiO 2 ) was immobilized in an expanded polystyrene (EPS) film prepared from waste EPS beads. These films were studied for the degradation of ciprofloxacin (CIP) and disinfection of E. coli under sunlight. The film with a catalyst loading of 20 wt% showed a maximum degradation of 89% in 240 min with a corresponding TOC reduction of 84%. A 7.4 and 6.3 log reduction from the bacterial inactivation studies in the presence and absence of antibiotics, respectively, was obtained. The EPS film was stable after five times of reuse, and no significant chemical changes in the used film were observed from FTIR analysis. The average thickness of the prepared film was found from FESEM analysis to be 1.09 mm. These EPS films were also tested for degradation of other antibiotics, such as norfloxacin, levofloxacin and moxifloxacin. The EPS films were tested in two different reactor volumes at optimum conditions. Also, the effectiveness of B 0.8 Ce 0.2 TiO 2 /EPS film in real water samples indicates its potential in large-scale and real-world applications. Thus, these B 0.8 Ce 0.2 TiO 2 /EPS films can be effectively employed for both degradation of ciprofloxacin and the disinfection of E. coli under solar light to solve the increasing problem of antimicrobial resistance., (© 2023. Springer Nature Limited.)

Since its use for photochemical water splitting reported first in 1972, TiO 2 is one of the most extensively studied photocatalysts for a diverse range of applications. Monodoping or codoping of the catalyst is a proven strategy to enhance the functionality of TiO 2 under solar or visible light. However, the use of three or more dopants in the development of more efficient and visible light active photocatalysts has not been investigated widely, especially for microbial disinfection. Boron/cerium/silver tridoped TiO 2 photocatalysts with curated amounts of the dopants (B = 1, 2 at.%, Ce = 0.1 at.%, Ag = 0.06 at.%), synthesized by the ecofriendly EDTA-citrate method, were evaluated for the disinfection of water using Enterococcus faecalis under UV-A irradiation and degradation of levofloxacin antibiotic under solar light. The catalyst characterization revealed that the spherical nanoparticles had a crystallite size of ~ 13 nm and bandgap energy values of 2.8-2.9 eV. 2B-0.1Ce-0.06Ag-TiO 2 is the best catalyst for microbial disinfection with a log reduction and kinetic rate constant ~ 30 and ~ 4.5 times higher than those values determined for the other codoped or monodoped catalysts, confirming an enhanced performance. Regarding levofloxacin degradation, the best performing catalyst is 1B-0.1Ce-0.06Ag-TiO 2 with degradation of 99% and 83% COD reduction in 100 min. The tridoped photocatalysts are very effective in the inactivation of Enterococcus faecalis, thus solving the problem of antimicrobial resistance in waters containing antibiotic residues., (© 2022. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

Heat shock proteins (HSPs) are available and/or induced for the survival of all organisms, including eukaryotic, prokaryotic, and plants, from higher temperature stresses. They are the chaperone proteins that protect all cells against heat, as the name implies. In addition to thermal stress, they also protect them from chemical, physical, and other stresses, including exposure to oxidative stress, nutritional deficiencies, ultraviolet radiation, ethanol, viral infection, ischemia-reperfusion injury, and cancer-related stresses. They are classified based on their molecular weights in kDa, such as HSP90 and HSP70. In our label-free, high-throughput, quantitative LC-MS/MS-based proteomic studies of MDA-MB-231, human, triple-negative breast cancer cells, treated with electrical pulses (EP) and cisplatin (CsP), we identified a number of HSPs, such as HSP90AA1, and others to be significantly downregulated in EP + CsP, compared to CsP alone. This indicates that cells will undergo apoptotic cell death and hence could cause effective cancer cure/treatment. Considering that over 2 million new cases and over 600,000 deaths in 2020, of which ~ 15% are TNBC, heat shock proteins could be the untapped resources, available for the next biomarkers and/or inhibitors for new/additional therapies., (© 2021. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.)