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Abstract The aim of this study was to investigate powder mechanics upon compression using data obtained from force-displacement (F-D) curves. The Kawakita model of powder compression analysis was adopted in order to compare the pressure-volume reduction relationship of the drug powders in relation to the F-D curves. Experiments were carried out on six model drugs (metronidazole, metformin, secnidazole, ciprofloxacin, norfloxacin, and mebeverine). The drugs were compressed at different pressures in the non-processed or processed (using a roller compactor) forms. Results indicate the similarity between the F-D curves and a rearranged form of the Kawakita model. The foregoing enables the calculation of two important powder parameters, “a” (maximum powder volume reduction) and “P k ” (pressure required to achieve half of the maximum volume reduction) from the F-D curves without the need, as in the case of the conventional Kawakita model, to compress powders into tablets at different compression forces. Graphical abstract

Exhaust emissions from internal combustion engines are due to incomplete combustion of fuel in the combustion chamber. This incomplete combustion results in a significant increase in the amount of Carbon Mono-oxide and hydrocarbons in the exhaust stream. Several techniques such as catalytic converters, Exhaust gas recirculation, Selective catalytic reduction and etc are used to reduce the emissions. This study proposes a new approach to minimize the amount of pollutant emitted by internal combustion engines using a device known as post-combustor which consist of heating elements known as glow plugs that degrade carbon mono-oxide and hydrocarbons using a high temperature. This post-combustor can be retrofitted in any existing vehicle's exhaust line without any alterations. Moreover, it is designed such that there is no increase in fuel consumption; it only utilizes electrical energy from the vehicle's electrical system. Exhaust emission characteristics were measured using portable emission tester and exhaust gas temperature using a thermometer, it was found that there was an average reduction of 16.35% in the amount of carbon monoxide and 3.8% average reduction in the amount of hydrocarbons whereas there was an average increase of 9.29% in the amount of oxides of nitrogen and there was a slight increase in exhaust gas temperature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Metabolism controls cellular phenotype and fate. In this report, we demonstrate that nicotinamide N-methyltransferase (NNMT), a metabolic enzyme that regulates developmental stem cell transitions and tumor progression, is highly expressed in human idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) lungs, and is induced by the pro-fibrotic cytokine, transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1) in lung fibroblasts. NNMT silencing reduces the expression of extracellular matrix proteins, both constitutively and in response to TGF-β1. Furthermore, NNMT controls the phenotypic transition from homeostatic, proregenerative lipofibroblasts to pro-fibrotic myofibroblasts. This effect of NNMT is mediated, in part, by the downregulation of lipogenic transcription factors, TCF21 and PPARγ, and the induction of a less proliferative but more differentiated myofibroblast phenotype. NNMT confers an apoptosis-resistant phenotype to myofibroblasts that is associated with the downregulation of pro-apoptotic members of the Bcl-2 family, including Bim and PUMA. Together, these studies indicate a critical role for NNMT in the metabolic reprogramming of fibroblasts to a pro-fibrotic and apoptosisresistant phenotype and support the concept that targeting this enzyme may promote regenerative responses in chronic fibrotic disorders such as IPF. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The unique properties of NB, such as its nano-size effect and greater adsorption capacity, have the potential to mitigate ammonia (NH3) emission, but may also pose threats to soil life and their associated processes, which are not well understood. We studied the influence of different NB concentrations on NH3 emission, soil microbial biomass, nutrient mineralization, and corn nutrient uptake from farmyard manure (FM). Three different NB concentrations i.e., 12.5 (NB1), 25 (NB2), and 50% (NB3), alone and in a fertilizer mixture with FM, were applied to corn. NB1 alone increased microbial biomass in soil more than control, but other high NB concentrations did not influence these parameters. In fertilizer mixtures, NB2 and NB3 decreased NH3 emission by 25% and 38%, respectively, compared with FM alone. Additionally, NB3 significantly decreased microbial biomass carbon, N, and soil potassium by 34%, 36%, and 14%, respectively, compared with FM. This toxicity to soil parameters resulted in a 21% decrease in corn K uptake from FM. Hence, a high NB concentration causes toxicity to soil microbes, nutrient mineralization, and crop nutrient uptake from the FM. Therefore, this concentration-dependent toxicity of NB to soil microbes and their associated processes should be considered before endorsing NB use in agroecosystems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fibrosis involving the lung may occur in many settings, including in association with known environmental agents, connective tissue diseases, and exposure to drugs or radiation therapy. The most common form is referred to as 'idiopathic' since a causal agent or specific association has not been determined; the strongest risk factor for idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis is aging. Emerging studies indicate that targeting certain components of aging biology may be effective in mitigating age-associated fibrosis. While transforming growth factor-ß1 (TGF-ß1) is a central mediator of fibrosis in almost all contexts, and across multiple organs, it is not feasible to target this canonical pathway at the ligand-receptor level due to the pleiotropic nature of its actions; importantly, its homeostatic roles as a tumor-suppressor and immune-modulator make this an imprudent strategy. However, defining targets downstream of its receptor(s) that mediate fibrogenesis, while relatively dispenable for tumor- and immune-suppressive functions may aid in developing safer and more effective therapies. In this review, we explore molecular targets that, although TGF-ß1 induced/activated, may be relatively more selective in mediating tissue fibrosis. Additionally, we explore epigenetic mechanisms with global effects on the fibrogenic process, as well as metabolic pathways that regulate aging and fibrosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Air pollution has serious environmental and human health-related consequences; however, little work seems to be undertaken to address the harms in Middle Eastern countries, including Saudi Arabia. We installed a continuous air quality monitoring station in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia and monitored several air pollutants and meteorological parameters over a 2-year period (2018–2019). Here, we developed two supervised machine learning models, known as quantile regression models, to analyze the whole distribution of the modeled pollutants, not only the mean values. Two pollutants, namely NO2 and O3, were modeled by dividing their concentrations into several quantiles (0.05, 0.25, 0.50, 0.75, and 0.95) and the effect of several pollutants and meteorological variables was analyzed on each quantile. The effect of the explanatory variables changed at different segments of the distribution of NO2 and O3 concentrations. For instance, for the modeling of O3, the coefficients of wind speed at quantiles 0.05, 0.25, 0.5, 0.75, and 0.95 were 1.40, 2.15, 2.34, 2.31, and 1.56, respectively. Correlation coefficients of 0.91 and 0.92 and RMSE values of 14.41 and 8.96, which are calculated for the cross-validated models of NO2 and O3, showed an acceptable model performance. Quantile analysis aids in better understanding the behavior of air pollution and how it interacts with the influencing factors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chromatin remodeling, specifically the tissue-specific regulation in mineralized tissues, is an understudied avenue of gene regulation. Here we show that Baf45a and Baf45d , two Baf45 homologs belong to ATPase-dependent SWI/SNF chromatin remodeling complex, preferentially expressed in osteoblasts and odontoblasts compared to Baf45b and Baf45c. Recently, biochemical studies revealed that BAF45A associates with Polybromo-associated BAF (PBAF) complex. However, the BAF45D subunit belongs to the polymorphic canonical BRG1-associated factor (cBAF) complex. Protein profiles of osteoblast and odontoblast differentiation uncovered a significant increase of BAF45A and PBAF subunits during early osteoblast and odontoblast maturation. Chromatin immunoprecipitation sequencing (ChIP-seq) during the bone marrow stromal cells (BMSCs) differentiation showed higher histone H3K9 and H3K27 acetylation modifications in the promoter of Baf45a and Baf45d and increased binding of bone and tooth specific transcription factor RUNX2. Overexpression of Baf45a in osteoblasts activates genes essential for the progression of osteoblast maturation and mineralization. Furthermore, shRNA -mediated knockdown of Baf45a in odontoblasts leads to markedly altered genes responsible for the proliferation, apoptosis, DNA repair, and modest decrease in dentinogenic marker gene expression. Assay for Transposase-Accessible Chromatin sequencing (ATAC-seq) assay in Baf45a knockout osteoblasts revealed a noticeable reduction in chromatin accessibility of osteoblast and odontoblast specific genes, along with transcription factor Atf4 and Klf4. Craniofacial mesenchyme-specific loss of Baf45a modestly reduced the mineralization of the tooth and mandibular bone. These findings indicated that BAF45A-dependent mineralized tissue-specific chromatin remodeling through PBAF-RUNX2 crosstalk results in transcriptional activation is critical for early differentiation and matrix maturation of mineralized tissues. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An efficient synthetic route for the synthesis of functionalized 2-benzyl benzo[b]furans via a regioselective 5-exo-trig intramolecular oxidative cyclization of ortho-cinnamyl phenols using [PdCl2(CH3CN)2] as catalyst and benzoquinone as an oxidant, is disclosed. Further, a sequential ortho-cinnamylation of phenols using cinnamyl alcohols catalyzed by Re2O7, followed by an oxidative cyclization using the above Pd catalyst, is performed. The reaction shows broad substrate scope with good to excellent yields.

Human society or civilization is constantly faced with various tests. One such test is the COVID-19 pandemic, which is associated with the spread of a special type of coronavirus. Therefore, humanity is forced to find adequate measures to protect against the COVID-19 pandemic. For this purpose it is needed to know the reliable statistics. Additionally, it is important to know the features of the spread of COVID-19, to be able to make effective forecasts. This can be possible only by using various models. Different models take into account with specific features for the future prediction of the spread of the pandemic. These basic aspects are discussed in this work, which helps people for making better decisions for future strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pakistan has been facing an electricity shortage since the year 2005, which is negatively affecting the country's agricultural, industrial, and services sectors growth. In this study, Low Emissions Analysis Platform (LEAP®) software was used for forecasting energy mix of Pakistan for the period of 2022–2050 under the baseline and transformation scenarios. Baseline scenario emphasizes to enhance the share of hydro while transformation scenario emphasizes to enhance the share of biomass in total energy mix of Pakistan. Transformation scenario is recommended because hydro plants will retire in future and delay in construction of new hydro plants is noticed due to limited budget. In this regard, electrical energy is harvested using biomass based distributed power generation (BBDPG) for the sustainable economic development of Pakistan. The aggregate capacity of biomass is used which includes agriculture residue, forest residue, municipal waste, and animal waste. The results of this study show that the share of hydro at around 54.09% (614.14 TWh) is dominated over other renewable sources in the baseline scenario, whereas, in transformation scenario the share of biomass at around 33.3% (378 TWh) is dominated over other renewable sources till 2050. Pakistan could generate a total of 1135.20 TWh energy units in 2050, which would be enough to meet the future energy demand of 966.05 TWh by 2050. • Modeling of Pakistan's energy systems for the period 2022 to 2050. • Create balance between power demand and supply for economic development. • Role of biomass in energy mix is significant. • Provide sufficient power at competitive price and avoid capacity shortfall. • Proposed an energy policy for achieving renewable energy supply. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An enantioselective hetero-Diels–Alder reaction of alkylidene- oxindoles and 2-aza-3-silyloxy-1,3-butadienes, catalyzed by divalent transition metal complexes with N , N ′-dioxide ligands offered an efficient access to natural-product-based 3,3′-piperidinoyl spiroox-indole class of small molecules. exo -Cycloadducts formed via stereospecific cycloaddition with Z -olefin displayed potent activity in modulation of hedgehog pathway. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article describes a unique dehydrative C- C bond formation between unprotected anilines with benzyl alcohols. [Re.sub.2][O.sub.7] is used as a catalyst which provides C-benzylanilines with high to excellent yields and good chemoselectivities.

India has emerged as a key player with a high potential to develop a biomass and biobased economy due to its large geographic size and the massive amounts of agricultural and non agricultural biomass produced. India has joined hands with Europe to synchronize its efforts to create and facilitate the development of a biobased economy in this country. This paper aims to examine common research and development actions between the European Union (EU) and India to facilitate the development of these biobased economies. As a base, a thorough study has been performed considering the biomass potential and current status of the bioeconomy in both the EU and India based on the distillation of a series of 80 potential recommendations. The recommendations were grouped into four major categories: (1) biomass production, (2) by-products/waste, (3) biorefineries and (4) policy, market, and value-added products. A questionnaire was designed and distributed to key stakeholders belonging to: academia, industry, and policymakers in both India and the EU. A total of 231 responses were received and analyzed, based on the key recommendations made for the essential research and development topics that are of prime importance to develop biobased economies in both the EU and India. The findings of this study suggest recognizing the value-added contributions made by biobased products such as: food, feed, valuable materials and chemicals in both regions. It is important to reduce the overall process costs and minimize the environmental impacts of such a biobased economy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This work highlights how the treatment of ZSM-5 (parent Zeolite Socony Mobil-5, Si/Al = 23) with different surfactant templates and alkaline solution, improved the catalytic performance in the Friedel-Crafts acylation of anisole with a propionic anhydride to obtain p-methoxypropiophenone. Themodifiedmicroporous tomesoporous zeolite catalystswere characterized using different analytical techniques, including X-ray diffraction (XRD), nitrogen porosimetry, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), temperature-programmed desorption (ammonia-TPD) and field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM) to analyze the crystallographic structure, surface acidity, surface area, porosity, morphology, and particle size. The results showed that the formed mesoporous zeolite by NaOH solution had smaller mesopores (ca. 3.7 nm) as compared to the mesoporous zeolites obtained by surfactant templates, such as, CTAB (ca. 14.9 nm), TPAOH (ca. 11.1 nm) and mixture of CTAB/TPAOH (ca. 15.2 nm). The catalytic acylation reaction was conducted in a batch glass reactor at various temperatures and the products were analyzed using off-line gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). It was found that the activity of treated ZSM-5 withmixed surfactant templates (CTAB/TPAOH) exhibited enhanced selectivity towards the main product (p-methoxypropiophenone) by a factor 1.7 or higher than unmodified ZSM-5 due to its increased surface area by 1.5 times and enhanced acid sites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In today's digital economy, web-based integration of the enterprises to form an e-supply chain is a critical weapon for orchestrating the whole supply chain towards competitiveness. This paper intends to discuss the requirements for forming an e-supply chain from different perspectives, such as integration with the legacy systems, timing and prior presence of ERP (enterprise resources planning) systems, BPR (business process re-engineering) needs of internal and external business processes and business intelligence/decision support needs. A look at technical knowledge and structure to construct an e-supply chain is provided. Challenges involved in forming an e-supply chain are also briefly mentioned as a separate section in this paper. During the study, requirements are gathered by making a review of recent literature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to the recent climate change, organizations all over the globe are developing plans for reducing carbon emissions by developing clean energy technologies and energy efficient devices. In this regard, the developments have not been done over the past two decades on green energy in Pakistan and in general, the representation of renewable sources especially biomass feedstock supply such as agriculture residue, forest residue, municipal waste and animal waste for green energy transition pathways is limited. Using the Low Emissions Analysis Platform (LEAP®) software, path for green energy transition is analyzed in Pakistan by incorporating the biomass feedstock under the ongoing and sustainable energy scenarios from 2022 to 2050. Results showed that the bioelectricity production will increase from 18.73 TWh (in the ongoing scenario) to the 265.20 TWh (in the biomass based sustainable energy scenario) till 2050. Furthermore, the development of biomass plants would help in reducing the CO 2 emissions from 138.47 million metric tonnes in the current scenario to 8.71 million metric tonnes in the sustainable energy scenario by 2050. This study will provide the fundamental data and aid the policy makers and other stakeholders to shift toward developing renewable and sustainable energy systems in Pakistan. • Role of biomass in energy mix is significant for Pakistan. • Pakistan is producing 560.19 million tons of biomass resource annually. • Bioelectricity production will increase from 18.73 to 265.20 TWh using biomass till 2050. • LEAP® model is developed for sustainable climate change. • Bioelectricity will reduce CO 2 emissions from 138.47 to 8.71 million metric tonnes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recently, solar photovoltaic (PV) technology has shown tremendous growth among all renewable energy sectors. The attractiveness of a PV system depends deeply of the module and it is primarily determined by its performance. The quantity of electricity and power generated by a PV cell is contingent upon a number of parameters that can be intrinsic to the PV system itself, external or environmental. Thus, to improve the PV panel performance and lifetime, it is crucial to recognize the main parameters that directly influence the module during its operational lifetime. Among these parameters there are numerous factors that positively impact a PV system including the temperature of the solar panel, humidity, wind speed, amount of light, altitude and barometric pressure. On the other hand, the module can be exposed to simultaneous environmental stresses such as dust accumulation, shading and pollution factors. All these factors can gradually decrease the performance of the PV panel. This review not only provides the factors impacting PV panel's performance but also discusses the degradation and failure parameters that can usually affect the PV technology. The major points include: 1) Total quantity of energy extracted from a photovoltaic module is impacted on a daily, quarterly, seasonal, and yearly scale by the amount of dust formed on the surface of the module. 2) Climatic conditions as high temperatures and relative humidity affect the operation of solar cells by more than 70% and lead to a considerable decrease in solar cells efficiency. 3) The PV module current can be affected by soft shading while the voltage does not vary. In the case of hard shadowing, the performance of the photovoltaic module is determined by whether some or all of the cells of the module are shaded. 4) Compared to more traditional forms of energy production, PV systems offer a significant number of advantages to the environment. Nevertheless, these systems can procure greenhouse gas emissions, especially during the production stages. In conclusion, this study underlines the importance of considering multiple parameters while evaluating the performance of photovoltaic modules. Environmental factors can have a major impact on the performance of a PV system. It is critical to consider these factors, as well as intrinsic and other intermediate factors, to optimize the performance of solar energy systems. In addition, continuous monitoring and maintenance of PV systems is essential to ensure maximum efficiency and performance. [Display omitted] • Environmental factors influencing performance of photovoltaic panels are reviewed. • Waste and pollution emissions evaluated during lifecycle of solar energy systems. • Recommendations and way forward to sustainable solar energy production systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Small-scale industries account for a large proportion of jobs and play a vital role in most countries' economic growth and prosperity. Due to the very low use of personal protective equipment (PPEs), employees are exposed to numerous physical, chemical, and accidental hazards in small-scale industries. PPEs are very effective in minimizing occupational injuries, accidents, and other hazards which otherwise result in substantial manpower and financial losses. The study objective was to assess the availability and use of PPEs as well as self-reported occupational exposures among workers in surveyed small industries in Jeddah. The study involved 102 workers from 28 small-scale industries (vehicle repair, welding, and paint). A survey was conducted to gather data of socio-demographic characteristics, self-reported occupational exposures, and frequency of PPEs used by workers. The occupational exposures (never exposed, sometimes exposed and always exposed) were reported in percentages including; noise exposure (19.6, 73.5 and 6.9%); dust/smoke exposure (9.8, 69.6 and 20.6%); vapors/fumes exposure (11.8, 60.8 and 27.5%); and direct sunlight (43.1, 56.9 and 0%), respectively. The reported use of different PPEs in descending order was; knee joints mats (50%), welding shields (50%), safety glasses (33.3%), gloves (27.5%), face masks (26.5%), safety shoes (10.8%) and earplugs/ muffs (8.8%). On the basis of this study findings, hand hygiene and general OSH awareness like interventions can be developed which will help in minimizing workplace exposures among small-scale industry workers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The octane enhancement of light straight run naphtha is one of the significant solid acid catalyzed processes in the modern oil refineries due to limitations of benzene, aromatics, and olefin content in gasoline. This paper aims to examine the role of various catalysts that are being utilized for the isomerization of light naphtha with an ambition to give an insight into the reaction mechanism at the active catalyst sites, and the effect of various contaminants on catalyst activity. In addition, different technologies used for isomerization process are evaluated and compared by different process parameters.Graphical abstract: [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study aims to investigate the thermal and catalytic pyrolysis of CD case wastes over natural zeolite catalyst. The effect of temperature and catalyst on product yields have been investigated for each condition. The thermal pyrolysis experiments were carried out at the reactor temperature of 400, 450, and 500°C. Furthermore, the effect of natural zeolite (NZ) catalyst on pyrolysis products was also studied at various catalyst to feedstock ratio. The results showed that the temperature and catalyst affected the products yield and liquid composition. CD case pyrolysis produced highest liquid fraction at the temperature of 450°C. Furthermore an estimated 5.74 kW of electricity can be generated by pyrolysis oil produced from CD case wastes at a recycling site in Yogyakarta city, Indonesia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aims to examine the economic and environmental benefits of recovered paper and potential contribution of the recovered paper to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) Vision 2030. The Vision 2030 is an inclusive development policy, recently launched, with the objectives to build the best future for the country. The Vision 2030 is based on three ambitious goals: making the country a vibrant society, a thriving economy and an ambitious nation. It is estimated that by 2030, 5.05 million ton of waste paper would be recovered in the country. About 11.3 billion SAR (US $3.01 billion) would be added to the country’s GDP and would create about 16,536 new jobs if the recovered paper industry is built in the country. Moreover, a net environmental benefit of 9.6 million crude barrel oil savings and 4.5 million ton of CO 2 savings from GHG emissions could be achieved by 2030 only from the paper waste recovery in the country. The potential benefits of paper waste recycling in KSA highlight the needs of effective measures to optimize the economic and environmental opportunities inherited in the waste paper industry. These measures should focus on capitalizing the local waste paper processing industry, restrict the export of raw waste paper materials, and enhance the waste paper collection process and quantity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The concept of energy from waste is getting popular nowadays across the globe, as being capable of producing multi fuels and value-added products from different fractions of municipal solid waste (MSW). The energy recovery technologies under this concept are anaerobic digestion (AD), pyrolysis, transesterification, refuse derived fuel (RDF) and incineration. This concept is very relevant to implementation in countries like Saudi Arabia, who wants to cut their dependence on oil. Moreover, the waste to energy becomes the imperative need of the time because of new governmental policy ‘Vision 2030’ that firmly said to produce renewable energy from indigenous sources of waste, wind and solar and due to given situations of Hajj and Umrah with massive amounts of waste generation in a short period. This study focused on two waste to energy technologies, AD and pyrolysis for food (40% of MSW) and plastic (20% of MSW) waste streams respectively. The energy potential of 1409.63 and 5619.80 TJ can be produced if all of the food and plastic waste of the Madinah city are processed through AD and pyrolysis respectively. This is equivalent to 15.64 and 58.81 MW from biogas and pyrolytic oil respectively or total 74.45 MW of continuous electricity supply in Madinah city throughout the whole year. It has been estimated that the development of AD and pyrolysis technologies will also benefit the economy with net savings of around US $63.51 and US $53.45 million respectively, totaling to an annual benefit of US $116.96 million. Therefore, in Saudi Arabia and particularly in Holiest cities of Makkah and Madinah the benefits of waste to energy are several, including the development of renewable-energy, solving MSW problems, new businesses, and job creation and improving environmental and public health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The fossil fuels accomplish almost 80% of the world energy needs. The ever increasing exploitation of fossil fuels has led to environmental pollution, global climate change and health problems to living beings. Hence to meet the needs of the future energy and to mitigate the environmental pollution, it is critical to look for the alternate fuels. Global energy infrastructure in the future is believed to be accomplished by the energy generated from the low-cost renewable resources. Algae biomass has emerged as a promising biofuel source, as microalgae-based biofuels are biodegradable, renewable, and eco-friendly in comparison to fossil driven fuels. This study aims to examine the importance of microalgae as an alternative renewable energy source and evaluate the key challenges in the production of microalgae biofuel. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aims to examine the nonsterilized fermentation conditions for coproduction of pectinases and lipase enzymes using several fruit wastes as an energy source. Thermophilic fungal strain, Penicillium expansum CMI 39671 was used as a fermenting strain. The effect of process conditions including; nitrogen sources, pH, temperature, time and moisture contents, on the production of both enzymes were studied. The highest activities of pectinase and lipase (2817, 1870 U/g dry substrate) enzymes were found with orange peel feedstock, whereas the lowest activities of 1662 U/g and 1266 U/g were found with banana peel and papaya peel feedstocks respectively. Overall, pectinase showed higher enzymatic activities than lipase enzymes, both having similar increasing and decreasing trends, at all studied conditions. The optimum process conditions of peptone as a nitrogen source, pH 7, 40°C, 5 days and 70% moisture contents, were found to show highest enzymatic activities for both enzymes. The orange peel feedstock showed no significant difference in both enzymes’ activities at sterilized and nonnotarized process conditions. Pectinase and lipase enzymes showed (13791 U/g) and (8114 U/g) for sterilized and (14091 U/g) and (8324 U/g) for nonnotarized process conditions respectively. In addition, the fungal strains also produce bacteriocin-like compounds that could inhibit microbial growth. These findings will help to design and develop robust, cost-effective and less energy intensive enzyme production processes and consequently an efficient fruit waste to energy system through open fermentation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), millions of worshippers come from across the globe to perform religious rituals of Pilgrimage (Hajj) and Umrah. Madinah-tul-Munawara is one of the holiest city, where pilgrims come after performing rituals in Makkah. In this city, most of the collected municipal solid waste (MSW) is disposed of in the landfills after a partial recycling of paper, cardboard, and metals (~10-20% of total MSW). The Saudi’s government has recently launched a new policy of Vision 2030, which outlined the safeguard of local environment through increased efficiency of waste recycling and management, pollution prevention strategies and generating renewable energy from indigenous sources, including the waste. Currently, the recycling practices in KSA are mainly regulated by an informal sector through waste pickers or waste scavengers. This has led to the need of recycling schemes, especially in the holiest cities of Makkah and Madinah through a public-private partnership (PPP). Huge amounts of energy can be conserved, that would otherwise be spent on raw material extraction, transportation, and manufacturing of materials, through recycling into the same materials. Around 10,009 TJ of energy can be saved through recycling of 24.21% of MSW in Madinah city, including glass, metals, aluminum, cardboard, and paper. It is estimated that around 10,200 tons of methane (CH 4 ) emissions and 254,600 Mt.CO 2 eq. of global warming potential (GWP) can also be saved. In addition, carbon credit revenue of US $5.92 million, and landfill diversion worth of US $32.78 million can be achieved with a net revenue of US $49.01 million every year only by recycling 24.21% of MSW in Madinah city. The waste recycling doesn’t require high technical skills and labor, and complicated technologies for large-scale implementation, and therefore, can be implemented easily in the holiest cities of Makkah and Madinah to achieve multiple economic and environmental benefits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pulp mills without black liquor recovery cycle could play a major role in employing black liquor gasification (BLG) to produce transport fuels. In conventional chemical pulp mills, black liquor is burnt in recovery boilers to generate steam and electricity to meet energy demands. The inorganic chemicals are reused for the digestion process. However, the energy content and inorganic chemicals are not recovered in small scale pulp mills especially in the developing countries which do not employ recovery cycle. This study investigates the potential of synthetic natural gas (SNG) production by integrating BLG island with a reference pulp mill without chemical recovery cycle. The improvements in overall energy efficiency are evaluated using performance indicators such as biofuel production potential, integrated system’s efficiency, and energy ratios. The oxygen-blown circulating fluidized bed (CFB) gasification with direct causticization is integrated with reference pulp mill. The results showed considerable SNG production without external biomass import. However to compensate total electricity deficit, the electricity will be imported from the grid. There is a substantial CO 2 abatement potential of combining CO 2 capture using seloxol absorption, and CO 2 mitigation from SNG by replacing gasoline. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It has been globally recognized as necessary to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions for mitigating the adverse effects of global warming on earth. Carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) capture and storage (CCS) technologies can play a critical role to achieve these reductions. Current CCS technologies use several different approaches including adsorption, membrane separation, physical and chemical absorption to separate CO 2 from flue gases. This study aims to evaluate the performance and energy savings of CO 2 capture system based on chemical absorption by installing an intercooler in the system. Monoethanolamine (MEA) was used as the absorption solvent and Aspen HYSYS (ver. 9) was used to simulate the CO 2 capturing model. The positioning of the intercooler was studied in 10 different cases and compared with the base case 0 without intercooling. It was found that the installation of the intercooler improved the overall efficiency of CO 2 recovery in the designed system for all 1-10 cases. Intercooler case 9 was found to be the best case in providing the highest recovery of CO 2 (92.68%), together with MEA solvent savings of 2.51%. Furthermore, energy savings of 16 GJ/h was estimated from the absorber column alone, that would increase many folds for the entire CO 2 capture plant. The intercooling system, thus showed improved CO 2 recovery performance and potential of significant savings in MEA solvent loading and energy requirements, essential for the development of economical and optimized CO 2 capturing technology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aims to examine the biogas potential for animal manure, wheat straw, food waste and rice straw. Batch experiments were performed at a laboratory scale using biomethane potential (BMP) assays for a period of 50 days. The biogas yield was observed higher when using rice straw (0.51 m 3 /kg VS added ) as a substrate, as compared to wheat straw (0.44 m 3 /kg VS added ) and animal manure (0.31 m 3 /kg VS added ) substrates. Around 12-25% of biogas was produced in the initial phase of 5 days for manure, wheat straw, and rice straw feedstocks. During the middle phase of 33 days for these feedstocks, 68-80% of biogas was produced. Less than 8% of biogas was produced during the final phase of last 12 days of the experiment. The biogas production from food waste was found lowest (0.17 m 3 /kg VS added ) among all substrates. Therefore, the co-digestion of food waste and animal manure is more appropriate with wheat straw and rice straw than mono-digestion for achieving higher biogas production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The massive production and extensive use of fossil-based non-biodegradable plastics are leading to their environmental accumulation and ultimately cause health threats to animals, humans, and the biosphere in general. The problem can be overcome by developing eco-friendly ways for producing plastics-like biopolymers from waste residues such as of agricultural origin. This will solve two currently prevailing social issues: waste management and the efficient production of a biopolymer that is environmentally benign, polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHA). The current study assesses the environmental impact of biopolymer (PHA) manufacturing, starting from slaughterhouse waste as raw material. The Material Input Per Service Unit methodology (MIPS) is used to examine the sustainability of the PHA production process. In addition, the impact of shifting from business-as-usual energy provision (i.e., electricity from distribution grid network and heat provision from natural gas) to alternative renewable energy sources is also evaluated. As a major outcome, it is shown that the abiotic material contribution for PHA production process is almost double for using hard coal as an energy source than the petro-plastic low-density-poly(ethene) (LPDE), which PHA shall ultimately replace. Likewise, abiotic material contribution is 43 % and 7 % higher when using the electricity from the European electricity mix (EU-27 mix) and biogas, respectively, than in the case of LDPE production. However, PHA production based on wind power for energy provision has 12 % lower abiotic material input than LDPE. Furthermore, the water input decreases when moving from the EU-27 mix to wind power. The reduction in water consumption for various electricity provision resources amounts to 20 % for the EU-27 mix, 25 % for hard coal, 71 % for wind, and 70 % for biogas. As the main conclusion, it is demonstrated that using wind farm electricity to generate PHA is the most environmentally friendly choice. Biogas is the second-best choice, although it requires additional abiotic material input. • Assessment of environmental impact of biopolymer (PHA) manufacturing. • Conversion of waste and surplus materials towards value-added bioproducts. • Environmental analysis using Material Input Per Service Unit (MIPS) methodology. • Comparative analysis of PHA with the fossil-based competitor LDPE. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study first reviews and discusses mobile technology issues from a global perspective, and then investigates the impact of demographic (gender, age, income), personal (ICT experience, work experience), and organisational (sector) factors related to employees on adopting mobile commerce (m-commerce) and mobile services (m-services). A survey is conducted among employees from government- and private-sector organisations for this purpose, assuming that this group plays an important role in helping to adopt new technologies in societies. Based on this survey, the results indicate that gender, experience, and sector have an impact on attitude towards using m-technologies and that such attitude has a significant effect on the actual use of m-technologies. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

In recent years, attention has been given to obtaining methane gas from natural gas hydrates (NGHs) sediment; but its production, economics, and safety are still far away from being commercially viable for many years, and so more research is needed. NGHs are nonstoichiometric crystalline solid compounds that form from mixtures of water molecules and light weight natural gases such as methane, ethane, propane, and carbon dioxide. They are formed in specific thermodynamic conditions, low temperatures (5–15°C) and high pressures (2–3 MPa), and are found in (a) onshore polar regions beneath permafrost and (b) offshore deep-sea sediments. Methane, NG, is the cleanest fossil fuel and its huge amounts in NGHs have carbon quantities more than double of all fossil fuels. The methods that have been proposed for NG extraction from NGHs include: (a) depressurization, (b) thermal stimulation, and (c) chemical inhibitor injections. The authors review the potential of methane gas from NGHs as an unconventional source of future energy. The formation of NGHs as well as extraction of methane from NGHs coupled with technical and environmental challenges are also addressed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An unprecedented approach for the synthesis of homo- and hetero-1,2,4-triaryl benzenes has been developed using a simple base-mediated reaction of either α-aryl cinnamyl alcohols or α,γ-di-aryl propanones. The salient feature of this strategy involves the sequential hydride transfer, regiospecific condensation, regiospecific dearylation, and aromatization under metal-free reaction conditions. The synthesis of unsymmetrically substituted triphenylenes by oxidative coupling of the synthesized 1,2,4-triaryl benzenes has also been demonstrated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wax deposition is one of the chronic problems in the petroleum industry. The various crude oils present in the world contain wax contents of up to 32.5%. Paraffin waxes consist of straight chain saturated hydrocarbons with carbons atoms ranging from C18 to C36. Paraffin wax consists mostly with normal paraffin content (80–90%), while, the rest consists of branched paraffins (iso-paraffins) and cycloparaffins. The sources of higher molecular weight waxes in oils have not yet been proven and are under exploration. Waxes may precipitate as the temperature decreases and a solid phase may arise due to their low solubility. For instance, paraffinic waxes can precipitate out when temperature decreases during oil production, transportation through pipelines, and oil storage. The process of solvent dewaxing is used to remove wax from either distillate or residual feedstocks at any stage in the refining process. The solvents used, methyl-ethyl ketone and toluene, can then be separated from dewaxed oil filtrate stream by membrane process and recycled back to be used again in solvent dewaxing process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An efficient synthesisof 2-aryl 4-substituted quinolines fromstable and readily available o-cinnamylanilines,prepared from anilines and cinnamylalcohols, has been developed. Thereaction occurred via a regioselective 6-endo-trigintramolecular oxidative cyclization using KOtBu as amediator and DMSO as an oxidant at rt. The reaction showed a broadsubstrate scope with good to excellent yields. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]