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Soft gamma ray irradiation is done on Silver nano colloids prepared using Pepper Nigrum as reducing and stabilizing agent. Change in surface morphology and the structure of the colloid is obtained from Transmission Electron Microscope images and Selected area Electron Diffractogram. Morphology of the gamma irradiated sample is devoid of nano particle clusters and the Selected Area Electron Diffraction pattern confirms the crystal nature as face centered cubic structure of nano silver. UV–visible spectroscopic analysis gives the absorption peaks in the green region. Gamma irradiation results in the reduction in peak intensity without any change in wavelength. A statistical approach is done on treating the gamma irradiated colloidal sample with the as prepared silver nano colloid for measuring the area of affecting fungal infection on a potato-agar medium. It is found that the fungal growth is declined rapidly with the introduction of gamma irradiated silver nano colloid than the as prepared colloid.

Soils should supply nutrients to the plants in accessible forms, in the right level as well as in the absence of toxic substances. The ability of soils to provide nutrients in these required forms is known as soil fertility. It is very crucial to know a way to estimate the soil fertility and so soil fertility plays a vital role in sustainable agriculture. Soil analysis is used for evaluating the availability of nutrients present in a soil sample. Soil analysis helps the farmers or agricultural producers to identify the needed fertilizers and its quantity that should be supplied to the plant for a profitable crop production. The most commonly used method for soil analysis is chemical analysis but it is time consuming, laborious, high costs processes. With the evolution of applied science, several methods have been discovered for the analysis of soil traits. Spectroscopic methods had shown to be a cost-effective, fast, eco-friendly, nondestructive, and repeatable analytical technique for soil analysis. Our project is to develop a cost effective technique and instrument for the analysis of soils in situ to detect nutrients excess and deficient in the sample. The equipment under development is expected to be a useful addition to increase the profit and reduce the risk of small and medium scale farmers across the world. Infrared spectroscopy (IR) has already developed as a popular as well as rapid method to evaluate the fertility of soil. It is precise to organic as well as inorganic materials present in the soil sample. IR spectrum provides significant information about all chemicals present in the soil sample including macro and micro nutrients. In the agriculture and food industry, spot identification of elements are very important. This can be done using nanomaterials based on optical sensors. We apply spectroscopic methods along with the latest commercially available sensors and computational facilities to develop an economical, user convenient, IT enabled appliance for rapid and effortless soil sample analysis.

This investigation aimed to study the corrosion performance of low-carbon steel in a soil environment at different temperatures. The steel specimens in the soil were treated at three temperatures: 5, 25 and 60°C. The specimens were embedded in chloride-free soil for 21 days, and then 3.5% (by weight) sodium chloride (NaCl) was added to the soil. The specimens were then kept in the chloride-contaminated soil for 54 days. The results of electrochemical experiments showed superior corrosion performance of the specimens at 60°C, which had the lowest corrosion activity, followed by the specimens at 5 and 25°C. The slow nature of the kinetics of the corrosion reactions at 5°C compared with that at ambient temperature was the reason for this improvement at 5°C. The lower number of microorganisms, including sulfate-reducing bacteria, in the soil at 60°C compared with that at the other temperatures was attributed to the lower corrosion activity of steel in the soil at 60°C compared with the corrosion activity of steel in the soil at other temperatures.

Reuse of coal fly ash (CFA) as construction materials is one of the sustainable methods for mitigating its environmental impacts. However, the potential leaching of heavy metals and the limited effect on mechanical improvement impede the reuse of CFA. The objective of this research was to investigate the effects of environmental impact and mechanical improvement of the microbially induced calcium carbonate (CaCO3) precipitation (MICP) process on the CFA–soil mixture. Two resources of CFA, named CFA1 and CFA2, were used. CFA1 is classified as off-specification fly ash, and CFA2 is classified as class F-type fly ash. Experimental results showed that the unconfined compressive stress (UCS) of MICP-treated soil increased significantly with the addition of CFA. The MICP-treated 3% CFA1–soil mixture obtained the highest UCS of 2200 kPa, which was much higher than that of the MICP-treated soil (798 kPa). The maximum UCS of the MICP-treated 3% CFA2–soil mixture was 1398 kPa. X-ray diffraction analysis indicated that the main mineral crystal pattern present in the MICP-treated samples was calcite. Scanning electron microscopy images revealed that the formed calcium carbonate worked as a bridge to connect soil particles together, attached to the surface of soil or located in the pore side of soil particles. In addition, the batch leaching test indicated that cadmium (Cd), copper (Cu), magnesium (Mg), nickel (Ni) and zinc (Zn) were detected in the MICP-treated soil. With the addition of CFA, there was no metal exceeding the maximum contaminant level from the MICP-treated CFA1–soil mixture.

Nanotechnology in association with herbal medicine can lead to enhanced therapeutic and diminished adverse effects of medication. In turn, it can lead to synergistic effects of administered compound overcoming its demerits. Nowadays, the trend of herbal compounds to treat even a small illness is gaining momentum. Gone are the days when the ineffectiveness of a compound was impossible to be dealt with. Nevertheless, in this competitive era of science and innovative technology, it has become possible to maximize the usefulness of ineffective yet potent herbal compounds. The demand for herbal compounds is getting amplified because of their ability to treat a myriad of diseases, including COVID-19, showing fewer side effects. The merger of nanotechnology with traditional medicine augments the potential of herbal drugs for devastating dangerous and chronic diseases like cancer. In this review article, we have tried to assimilate the complete information regarding the use of different nanocarriers to overcome the drawbacks of herbal compounds. In addition, all the recent advancements in the herbal field, as well as the future exploration to be emphasized, have been discussed.

Background: Aerosol therapy is used to deliver medical therapeutics directly to the airways to treat respiratory illnesses. A potential side-effect of this form of treatment is the release of fugitive aerosols into the environment and the exposure of caregivers, other patients, and bystanders to potential viral infections. The aim of this work was to use both flow visualisation and aerosol particle characterisation techniques to study the dispersion, concentrations and size distributions of fugitive aerosols emitted during aerosol therapy delivered via a standard mouthpiece.Methods: Aerosol therapy was delivered via a nebuliser, aerosol holding chamber and mouthpiece to a spontaneously breathing adult patient model that could mimic the release of patient-derived bioaerosol. A combination of laser and Schlieren imaging were used to non-invasively visualise the release and dispersion of fugitive aerosol particles. Time varying aerosol particle number concentrations and size distributions were measured with optical particle sizers at clinically relevant positions. Results: The addition of a capture filter to the expiratory port of the mouthpiece significantly reduced the release and spread of fugitive aerosols. Capture filters were effective in curtailing the release of fugitive aerosols of respirable size, ≤ 5 µm in diameter (P ≤ 0.05). Conclusions: The findings suggest that, where possible, capture filters should be added to the expiratory ports of all aerosol therapy devices to prevent airborne transmission of respiratory illnesses and create safer conditions for healthcare workers and patients.

This study reports the synthesis of a kind of biomass-based plasticizer: epoxy eleostearic acid catechol ester (EEAE), originating from biomass resources eleostearic acid and catechol by way of esterification and epoxidation. Its effect on the plasticization, mechanical properties and migration resistance of poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC) film was investigated. The results showed that epoxy groups were covalently bonded on the branched chains of EEAE and the epoxy groups and ester groups of EEAE formed hydrogen bonds with the α-hydrogen of PVC, which had a better plasticizing effect on PVC than commercial diisobutyl phthalate. When the mass of EEAE increased from 0.2 to 0.8 g in PVC films, the glass transition temperature (T g) decreased from 86.7 to 54°C and the elongation at break of the PVC films increased from 124.24 ± 6.00 to 321.12 ± 6.13%, while the tensile strength decreased from 40.12 ± 1.23 MPa to 19.67 ± 2.33 MPa, which illustrated that EEAE had an efficient plasticizing effect on PVC. The plasticizer showed marginal resistance to volatilization and solvent extraction. The thermal stability and compatibility of PVC films plasticized with EEAE were also improved.

Decades of acidic deposition have depleted soil calcium (Ca) stocks over large areas of eastern Canada. The recovery of soil Ca levels has been limited despite substantial reductions in acidic deposition and will likely take many decades because rates of loss (owing to soil leaching, timber harvesting, and forest regeneration) may equal or exceed those of supply (via atmospheric input and natural mineral weathering). As low soil Ca levels may adversely affect local biota with relatively high Ca requirements, affected sites may benefit from supplementation with an alternative Ca source. A growing body of evidence suggests that the application of wood ash to Ca-deficient forest soils can help counteract the loss of Ca and other nutrients from the soil while boosting forest productivity. Yet the use of wood ash as a forest soil amendment is currently restricted in Canada, and the costs of obtaining permits and transporting/applying the ash make landfilling a more economically viable option. Here, we explore the potential of wood ash amendments in terms of their risks and benefits, dose and application frequency, time to see benefits, and longevity of benefits. After considering these topics in the context of Ca-deficient, acidified forest soils across eastern Canada, we propose that the potential benefits of ash amendments in these areas likely outweigh the risks. Future studies are needed to clarify both the short- and long-term effects of wood ash addition on different tree species in both natural and managed forests, as well as the potential benefits for carbon capture and implications for Ca-deficient aquatic ecosystems.

Mixed or intermediate soils are widely used in the construction of embankment dams. Unfavourable climate conditions and poor quality control may result in the use of mixed soils as under-compacted dam cores, with moisture content highly in excess of the optimum. It is thus essential to design safe filters to prevent internal erosion and piping from wet, under-compacted mixed-soil cores in embankment dams. In this study, 87 no-erosion filter tests were performed on seven mixed core soils having dissimilar geotechnical specifications with diverse moisture contents and compaction ratios. The experimental findings showed that the filter performance (success or failure at preventing erosion) depends on moisture in excess of optimum, the filter D15 (particle size with 15% finer in filter gradation) and the fines content of the core soil. An increase in excess moisture necessitates a smaller D15 to inhibit erosion, to the extent that filters respecting accepted criteria may fail to hinder erosion in the case of excessively wet and under-compacted cores. Overall, for group II, cores the criterion of D15 15

An experimental program was undertaken to investigate the effects of lignin fibers and freeze-thaw (FT) actions on the shear strength behavior of an expansive soil. Soil specimens were prepared at five lignin fiber contents. Consolidated undrained triaxial tests were carried out on as-compacted specimens and specimens subjected to 10 FT cycles. Scanning electron microscopy and nuclear magnetic resonance tests were performed to reveal the microstructural characteristics. Test results indicate that the inclusion of lignin fibers leads to a significant increase in the cohesion due to the fact that lignin fibers form spatial networks that increase the bonding among soil aggregates. The cohesion-fiber content relationships are linear and their slope is constant regardless of FT actions, which indicates that the contribution of lignin fibers to the cohesion is not impaired by FT cycles. Lignin fibers alleviate the development of FT-induced cracks and the associated reduction in cohesion. Meanwhile, lignin fibers have little impact on the arrangement and contact stress and roughness among soil particles. Therefore, they have little influence on the friction angle of the soil with or without FT histories.

Torrefaction is a pretreatment method that converts biomass to a fuel-like substance that can replace coal for sustainable power generation. In this work, a thermodynamic-based process simulation model was developed to simulate the gasification of empty fruit bunch (EFB), with torrefaction as pretreatment, to determine the optimum conditions; equivalence ratio, reactor temperature, torrefaction medium concentration, steam-to-biomass (S/B) ratio and system configuration were studied to determine their influence on hydrogen concentration, higher heating value (HHV), syngas ratio and cold gas efficiency (CGE). The highest hydrogen yield was obtained at an S/B ratio of 1.3 at 800 °C, with a syngas ratio of 2.5 and a CGE of 84%. Concentration of torrefaction medium showed no effect on hydrogen concentration due to the simplicity of the model used, but work is in progress in this direction. Therefore, steam gasification is more suitable than air gasification in hydrogen production.

In this research study the effects of calcium and magnesium ions on stabilisation of a clay soil were studied by conducting a set of laboratory tests. A special apparatus was employed for carrying out the tests under constant voltage and time. During the tests, solutions of calcium chloride (CaCl2) or magnesium chloride (MgCl2) with different concentrations were injected into the soil samples. The electro-osmotic and electrokinetics methods were used for stabilisation of the soil and the results were compared with each other. In the electro-osmotic technique, distilled water was used as pore fluid, but in the electrokinetic method, calcium chloride or magnesium chloride solutions with various concentrations were injected into the pores of soil samples. The results revealed an increase in strength of the soil in both methods. In the electrokinetic method, the amount of increase in strength was a function of concentration of the solution that was used. The results also indicated that a solution of calcium chloride is more effective in increasing the strength, discharge flow and electro-osmotic permeability than a magnesium chloride solution at various concentrations. In addition, the variations of these properties are a function of the concentration of the given solution.

Solubility between ethanol and diesel impedes the application of ethanol in diesel engines. The objective of the experiment is to compare combustion and emission characteristics of ethanol/diesel fuels using biodiesel, n-pentanol, tetrahydrofuran (THF) as cosolvents respectively on a diesel engine under variable engine loads, exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) rates, and injection timings. The results show: All tested blends increase the indicated thermal efficiency (ITE) except at low load, and THF/ethanol/diesel fuel exhibits a higher ITE. The Coefficient of Variations of Indicated Mean Effective Pressure (COVIMEP) of ethanol/diesel blends is higher than that of diesel at low load. Under EGR conditions, ethanol/diesel blends run at lower COVIMEP, especially for biodiesel/ethanol/diesel fuel. At higher loads, all ethanol/diesel blends can decrease carbon monoxide (CO) emissions, especially for THF/ethanol/diesel fuel. Excessive retard of injection timing will increase CO and total hydrocarbon (THC) emissions of ethanol/diesel fuels. The soot emissions of THF/ethanol/diesel fuel are lower than those of n-pentanol/ethanol/diesel fuel under higher EGR rates. The effect of injection timing on soot emissions becomes more pronounced at slightly higher EGR rates. Compared to diesel, biodiesel/ethanol/diesel fuel increases nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions, especially at medium-low load, whereas n-pentanol/ethanol/diesel and THF/ethanol/diesel fuels reduce NOxat low and high loads, slightly increase NOxemissions at medium loads. In conclusion, THF may be a more promising ethanol/diesel cosolvent compared with high alcohols and biodiesel in terms of fuel economy and emissions, especially under EGR and heavy load conditions.

Air pollution is a rapidly growing major health concern around the world. Atmospheric particulate matter that has a diameter of less than 2.5 µm (PM2.5) refers to an air pollutant composed of particles and chemical compounds that originate from various sources. While epidemiological studies have established the association between PM2.5 exposure and cardiovascular diseases, the precise cellular and molecular mechanisms by which PM2.5 promotes cardiovascular complications are yet to be fully elucidated. In this review, we summarize the various sources of PM2.5, its components, and the concentrations of ambient PM2.5 in various settings. We discuss the experimental findings to date that evaluate the potential adverse effects of PM2.5 on cardiovascular homeostasis and function, and the possible therapeutic options that may alleviate PM2.5-driven cardiovascular damage.

Locally available marginal soils are of great interest to use as backfill material in geosynthetic reinforced soil structures due to their cost-effectiveness. The advanced stress–strain analysis of these structures necessitates the correct evaluation and the accurate description of marginal soil-geosynthetic interface behaviour. Therefore, the primary objectives of this study are numerical and analytical analysis of the soil-geosynthetic interface behaviour with application of a hyperbolic nonlinear elastic perfectly plastic constitutive model. In this investigation a series of large-scale direct shear tests was performed to evaluate the shear stress-displacement interface behaviour considering two types of marginal soils in contact with five types of geosynthetic materials in different soil moisture conditions. Accordingly, the hyperbolic model was used to simulate the soil-geosynthetic interface behaviour. Moreover, a three-dimensional finite element model of the direct shear test was developed using ABAQUS software and a user-defined subroutine was implemented to consider the hyperbolic interface model. The results indicated a very good agreement between the experimental data and the predicted finite element simulations of the direct shear tests and analytical solutions. Finally, a numerical simulation of a pullout test is presented in this paper with application of the hyperbolic interface model.

Background Total Ankle Arthroplasty (TAA) is increasingly undertaken for the treatment of end-stage ankle arthritis. For each TAA procedure informed consent is required. The consent process should include discussion of the relevant complications, both systemic and regional. There is a lack of data regarding the systemic complications of TAA. This might cause problems in obtaining valid informed consent. Methods We reviewed and summarised the literature regarding the systemic complications and mortality rate of TAA. Results The average rate of systemic medical complications after TAA was 3% (range: 0–7%). The average mortality rate following TAA was 0.3% (range: 0–0.72%). The following were risk factors for systemic medical complications: obesity, diabetes, systemic co-morbidities, preoperative blood transfusion, revision procedures, and long anaesthetic duration. Conclusions When obtaining informed consent for TAA a systemic complication rate of 3% and a mortality rate of 0.3% ought to be included and documented.

NMR is a very powerful tool for identifying and quantifying compounds within complex mixtures without the need for individual standards or chromatographic separation. Stable Isotope Resolved Metabolomics (or SIRM) is an approach to following the fate of individual atoms from precursors through metabolic transformation, producing an atom-resolved metabolic fate map. However, extracts of cells or tissue give rise to very complex NMR spectra. While multidimensional NMR experiments may partially overcome the spectral overlap problem, additional tools may be needed to determine site-specific isotopomer distributions. NMR is especially powerful by virtue of its isotope editing capabilities using NMR active nuclei such as (13)C, (15)N, (19)F and (31)P to select molecules containing just these atoms in a complex mixture, and provide direct information about which atoms are present in identified compounds and their relative abundances. The isotope-editing capability of NMR can also be employed to select for those compounds that have been selectively derivatized with an NMR-active stable isotope at particular functional groups, leading to considerable spectral simplification. Here we review isotope analysis by NMR, and methods of chemoselection both for spectral simplification, and for enhanced isotopomer analysis.

Hydrogels are widely used materials due to their biocompatibility, their ability to mimic the hydrated and porous extracellular microenvironment, as well as their ability to tune both mechanical an...

Mineral dust and sea spray aerosol represent important sources of ice-nucleating particles (INPs), the minor fraction of aerosol particles able to trigger cloud ice crystal formation and, consequently, influence multiple climate-relevant cloud properties including lifetime, radiative properties and precipitation initiation efficiency. Mineral dust is considered the dominant INP source in many parts of the world due to its ice nucleation efficiency and its sheer abundance, with global emission rates of up to 4700 Tg a−1. However, INPs emitted from the ocean surface in sea spray aerosol frequently dominate INP populations in remote marine environments, including parts of the Southern Ocean where cloud-resolving model simulations have demonstrated that cloud radiative properties are likely strongly controlled by INPs. Here we report INP concentrations measured in aerosol and seawater samples during Air Quality and Climate Change in the Arabian Basin (AQABA), a shipborne campaign that spanned the Red Sea, Gulf of Aden, Arabian Sea, Arabian Gulf and part of the Mediterranean. In aerosol samples collected within a few hundred kilometers of the first and second ranked sources of dust globally, the Sahara and Arabian Peninsula, INP concentrations ranged from 0.2 to 11 L−1 at −20 ∘C with observed ice-active surface site densities (ns) 1–3 orders of magnitude below levels predicted by mineral dust INP parameterizations. Over half of the samples (at least 14 of 26) were collected during dust storms with average dust mass concentrations between 150 and 490 µg m−3 (PM10), as simulated by the Modern-Era Retrospective analysis for Research and Application, version 2 (MERRA-2). The impacts of heat and peroxide treatments indicate that organics dominated the observed ice nucleation (IN) activity at temperatures ≥ −15 ∘C with proteinaceous (heat-labile) INPs frequently observed at high freezing temperatures >−10 ∘C. INP concentrations in seawater samples ranged between 3 and 46 mL−1 at −19 ∘C, demonstrating the relatively low INP source potential of seawater in the region as compared to seawater from multiple other regions reported previously. Overall, our results demonstrate that despite proximity to the Sahara and the Arabian Peninsula and the dominance of mineral dust in the aerosol sampled, existing mineral dust parameterizations alone would not skillfully represent the near-surface ns in the observed temperature regime (−6 to −25 ∘C). Future efforts to develop or improve representations of dust INPs at modest supercooling (≥-15 ∘C) would benefit from a characterization of the specific organic species associated with dust INPs. More generally, an improved understanding of the organic species associated with increased IN activity and their variability across dust source regions would directly inform efforts to determine whether ns-based parameterizations are appropriate for faithful representation of dust INPs in this sensitive temperature regime, whether region-specific parameterizations are required, or whether an alternative to the ns approach is necessary.

For many years, only one species of praying mantis in the genus Hierodula, Hierodula patellifera Serville, had been recorded in Japan. In recent years, however, Hierodula chinensis Werner, a larger species than H. patellifera Serville, has been discovered in Japan, and observations and collections in Japan have increased rapidly. There are reports that in some areas, H. patellifera became locally extinct due to the invasion of H. chinensis. Since females of H. patellifera attract conspecific males by volatile with characteristic calling behavior, a sex pheromone-mediated reproductive interference may exist between the two species. Both males of H. patellifera and males of H. chinensis were strongly attracted to conspecific females and crude headspace extract from conspecific females, while they were not attracted to females of allospecific species or crude headspace extract from allospecific females. These results indicate that sex pheromone-mediated reproductive interference may not exist between H. patellifera and H. chinensis.

HPLC-UV-guided fractionation of crude extract from the marine sediment-derived bacterium Streptomyces sp. CNP-944 has yielded two new pyrazine alkaloids, actinopolymorphols E and F (1 and 2), in addition to the previously reported biosynthetic product, actinopolymorphol G (3), and the known actinopolymorphol D (4). The chemical structures of 1-3 were determined based on the interpretation of the 1D, 2D NMR, and MS spectroscopic data. Compound 2 displayed weak antibacterial activities against Kocuria rhizophila, Bacillus subtilis, and Staphylococcus aureus with minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) values of 16, 64, and 64 μg ml

This research study was conducted to improve the properties of highly plastic clay using carbonate minerals produced using carbon dioxide. The carbonates such as magnesite, siderate and calcite were produced using laboratory-scale carbonation experiments and were used to treat clay samples. The index properties, shear strength and consolidation behaviour of the treated clay samples were then investigated. The results showed that the plasticity index and activity of the treated clay decreased, and shear strength and consolidation behaviour improved. The study confirmed that magnesite had improved clay properties due to the uniform and homogeneous distribution of small crystals of magnesite in the clay compared with those of siderite- and calcite-treated soil. As the process sequesters carbon dioxide, it could be developed as an environmentally friendly soil improvement method subject to further research studies.

The cell membrane is a complex mixture of lipids, proteins, and other components. By forming dynamic lipid domains, different membrane molecules can selectively interact with each other to control cell signaling. Herein, we report several new types of lipid-DNA conjugates, termed as "DNA zippers", which can be used to measure cell membrane dynamic interactions and the formation of lipid domains. Dependent on the choice of lipid moieties, cholesterol- and sphingomyelin-conjugated DNA zippers specifically locate in and detect membrane lipid-ordered domains, while in contrast, a tocopherol-DNA zipper can be applied for the selective imaging of lipid-disordered phases. These versatile and programmable probes can be further engineered into membrane competition assays to simultaneously detect multiple types of membrane dynamic interactions. These DNA zipper probes can be broadly used to study the correlation between lipid domains and various cellular processes, such as the epithelial-mesenchymal transition.

The amounts and arrangements of polysaccharides (cellulose and hemicellulose), proteins, phenolic lignin, and pectin that make up plant tissue, in part, determine its decay rate. Lignin-rich and/or nitrogen-poor tissue has been described as biochemically recalcitrant causing a slow decay rate. Although a controversial mechanism for organic matter storage in soils with mineral particles, biochemical recalcitrance is still poorly understood in organic peat soil (Histosols). To investigate the role of Sphagnum in formation of peat soil, we characterize biochemical components for 10 species and examine persistence of the components in soil to 150 cm depth in three peatland ecosystems. We hypothesize that species from hummock microforms have more biochemical structural components and cohesion than species from hollows. Relative proportions of biochemical components changed markedly between plant material and the top 10 cm of peat soil, suggesting that decomposition occurred at the peat soil surface, but thereafter relative proportions of biochemical components did not vary significantly to 150 cm deep. A few differences in biochemical components that distinguished hummock species from hollow species persisted to the deepest depth sampled. Although persistence of the lignin-like component was expected, persistence of soluble and ionically bound pectin compounds was surprising as these biopolymers are thought to be readily decomposable. Our findings indicate that structural components of Sphagnum, specifically polysaccharides and pectin in addition to oft-cited phenolic lignin-like components, persist in peat soil and should not be overlooked in trying to understand carbon dynamics in Sphagnum-dominated ecosystems.

Soil structure plays an important role in edaphic conditions and the environment. In this study, we investigated the effects of organic amendment on soil structure and hydraulic properties. A corn field in a semiarid land was separately amended with sheep manure compost at five different rates (2, 4, 6, 8 and 10 t/ha) and corn stover (6 t/ha) in combination with two decomposing agents. The soil structure of different amended soils was analyzed from the aggregate and pore domain perspectives. The internal pore structure of the soil was visualized through X-ray computed tomography and quantified using a pore-network model. Soil aggregate-size distribution and stability, saturated hydraulic conductivity, and water-retention curves were measured by sampling or in situ. The gas permeability and diffusivity of different amended soils were simulated based on the extracted pore networks. The aggregate stability of the amended soils was improved compared with the control, that is, the mean weight diameter increased and the percentage of aggregate destruction decreased. The stability of soil aggregates varied non-monotonically with the application rate of compost and decreased after treatment with corn stover and decomposing agents. The pore-network parameters including air-filled porosity, pore radius, throat length, and coordinate number increased for the amended soils compared with the control. The mean pore size increased with increasing compost incorporation rate. The saturated hydraulic conductivity of the compost-amended soils was higher than that of the control but varied quadratically with the application rate. The saturated hydraulic conductivity of soil treated with corn stover and decomposing agents was clearly higher than that without the agent and the control. The greater gas diffusivity and air permeability indicate that soil aeration improved following the incorporation of organic amendments. The air permeability versus air-filled porosity relationship followed a power law, and the gas diffusivity versus air-filled porosity relationship was characterized by a generalized density-corrected model regardless of amendment. The findings of this study can help improve the understanding of soil structure and hydrological function to organic fertilizer incorporation and further monitor the quality of soil structure through the pore space perspective.

Long term intensive agricultural farming has impacted negatively the soil health, especially in arid climates. This study aimed to investigate the impact of long-term (1993 to 2020) farming practices on the chemical and biological properties of soil and water of Al-Batinah region. Soil and water samples were collected from eight farms and characterized for their chemical and biological soil properties. The results of soil samples indicated significant (p≤0.05) changes in average soil chemical and biological properties over time. Soil electrical conductivity (ECe) increased from 'low salinity' (1.5 dS m-1 ±0.49) to 'highly saline' (6.6 dS m-1±1.35), and soil pH decreased from 8.4 to 7.5. The organic matter increased from 'very low' (0.2%) to 'medium' (1.9%), and the Olsen phosphorus increased from deficient (6.5 mg kg-1 ±0.9) to excessive (76 mg kg-1 ±10.4). Sodium, magnesium, chloride, and sulfate ions were also significantly increased during this period, while no significant differences was observed in soil potassium, and calcium concentration. The soil (ECe) showed significant positive correlation with soil sodium, magnesium, chloride, sulfate, potassium, calcium, and water electrical conductivity (EC), nitrate, sodium, potassium, and significant negative correlation with soil pH. Soil organic matter showed significant a positive correlation with soil phosphorus. Soil sodium showed significant positive correlations with soil magnesium, chloride, sulfate, potassium, calcium, and water electrical conductivity (EC), nitrate, sodium, and potassium. The Al-Batinah region soils showed some positive changes including an increase in organic matter, and a decrease in soil pH. Also, negative changes occurred such an excessive increase of soil phosphorus, sodium, magnesium, chloride, and sulfate ions. Our findings can be used to inform the public policies and strategies for a more sustainable soil and agricultural management in Oman..

Sound micronutrient management requires an understanding of nutrient interactions and transformation processes in soil–plant systems which can regulate bioavailability and plant uptake. A series of studies were conducted under controlled environment and field conditions to evaluate wheat response to Cu and Zn fertilization on P-deficient soils from western Canada. The grain and straw yields of wheat were reduced in two (Waskada and Tisdale) of three soils used in the controlled environment study, while yield was not affected at the Echo field site in 2016 when both Cu and Zn sulfate fertilizer were applied at 5 kg·ha–1 rates. Zinc concentration in soil and plant tissues was increased to apparent toxic levels with fertilizer addition in Waskada soils. An imbalance in tissue P:Zn concentration related to micronutrient fertilization was observed in Waskada and Tisdale soils. The availability of Cu and Zn in post-harvest soils was increased with increasing rate of these fertilizers' addition. Chemical and spectroscopic speciation using sequential extraction and X-ray absorption near edge structure, respectively, revealed that Cu and Zn were mostly speciated as carbonate phases, and complexation of these elements with carbonate and phyllosilicate minerals is likely the process controlling bioavailability in the soils.

Soil aggregate breakdown is the first key factor that causes soil erosion. At present, research on the mechanisms of soil aggregate breakdown during rainfall is common. However, the research to on quantifying the relative contributions of internal and external forces to aggregate breakdown remains limited. This paper was conducted to analyse the relative contribution of internal and external forces to aggregate disintegration and the factors affecting aggregate stability during rainfall. Soil aggregates with a series of textures were selected as test soil samples; deionized water was employed as the soaking solution and rainfall material in static disintegration experiments and rainfall simulation tests. The effect of internal force (soil hydrophilicity) on aggregate disintegration was analysed by the static disintegration method, and the combined effects of internal force (soil hydrophilicity) and external force (raindrop impact) on soil aggregate breakdown were analysed by rainfall simulation experiments. The results indicated that external force caused more severe soil aggregate breakdown than internal force, and the crushed aggregate was mainly distributed in the range of 2–0.25 mm. With increasing rainfall kinetic energy, the degree of aggregate breakdown increased gradually, and the degree of aggregation of the soil particles decreased gradually. Furthermore, soil aggregates with a high clay content (> 30%) were more stable than medium-clay (20–30%) and low-clay (

The generation of coal fly ash (CFA) in coal-fired power plants worldwide has been a major concern over the past few decades. CFA as a by-product possesses unique properties and chemical composition that could be utilized in resolving mercury contamination issues in Central Asia, particularly in Kazakhstan. This review gives an overview of coal generation capacity and evaluation of the current state of electricity production and ecological concerns related to CFA accumulation. We provide a detailed comparison of the physical properties and chemical compositions of three types of CFAs from Kazakhstani power plants, and present potential approaches to help alleviate mercury contamination issues. Furthermore, this review highlights the current state of mercury contamination in artificial Lake Balkyldak and in the Nura River of the north and central regions of Kazakhstan. Of particular interest is the appropriate utilization of CFAs in resolving mercury contamination issues by highlighting and comparing the state-of-the-art technology of porous and nonporous materials currently reported in the literature.

Ion mobility-mass spectrometry (IM-MS) is a combination of ion mobility separation and mass spectrometry technologies. In IM-MS, analytes are ionized by the ion source to form gas-phase ions, which are then rapidly separated using ion mobility based on their mobility difference, under the influence of both neutral buffer gas and an electric field, and then traversed and detected using mass spectrometry, which can separate ions based on mass-to-charge ratio. Furthermore, IM-MS could provide not only mass-to-charge ratio parameters like MS

Earthquake-induced soil liquefaction can generate excessive damage to building structures due to significant reduction in soil effective stress. With increasing urbanisation and population growth, the performance of closely spaced buildings, such as those in towns and cities, is of greater concern where structure–soil–structure interaction (SSSI) may occur in conjunction with full or partial liquefaction. This study investigates the seismic performance of isolated and adjacent structures built on shallow foundations on soils of different permeability (i.e. with different amounts of drainage and therefore generating different amounts of excess pore water pressure) using a combination of dynamic centrifuge modelling and finite-element modelling. The results demonstrate that the reduction in free-field ground surface intensity measure (specifically, Housner intensity) due to increasing liquefaction can be correlated to an index which is the normalised integral of excess pore pressure ratio (ru) with depth. This index can express the amount of liquefaction uniquely, even when full liquefaction occurs to only partial depth, or where excess pore water pressures are increased but below the level of full liquefaction at all depths. This underlying correlation means that structural demand reduction (e.g. reduction in inter-storey drift ratio) with liquefaction (SSI effect) can be linked to either: (a) the ru–depth index; (b) the depth of the liquefaction front, which can be estimated from a liquefaction triggering analysis; or (c) the ground surface intensity amplification/attenuation in the free field from the results of one-dimensional free-field soil column analyses. Where there are adjacent structures, a strongly beneficial SSSI effect on co-seismic settlement and a detrimental effect on drift in non-liquefied soil, as observed in this and previous studies, reduced towards a null effect in both cases with increased liquefaction, with liquefaction appearing to isolate the structures from each other (at least for the configuration considered herein). This has also been linked to the amount of amplification/attenuation of surface ground motion in the free field (or amount of liquefaction) as a simple indicator of the likely importance of SSSI effects in liquefiable soil.

Recent years have seen rapid growth in utilizing vegetable oils to derive a wide variety of bio-based chemicals and polymer materials to replace petroleum-based chemicals and polymer materials for minimizing environmental impact. Castor oil is a renewable resource and an important platform chemical. The interest in preparation of bio-based chemicals and polymer materials using castor oil as raw material has been increasing. Castor-oil-based chemicals mainly include biodiesel fuels, lubricants, plasticizers and polyols, while castor-oil-based polymers mainly include polyurethane, polyesters, resin, elastomers and cross-linked polymers. With this in mind, the present review summarizes and analyzes castor-oil-based chemicals and polymers in a wide range of industries and provides a perspective on future utilization.

SETD2 catalyzes methylation at lysine 36 of histone H3 and it has many disease connections. We investigated the substrate sequence specificity of SETD2 and identified nine additional peptide and one protein (FBN1) substrates. Our data showed that SETD2 strongly prefers amino acids different from those in the H3K36 sequence at several positions of its specificity profile. Based on this, we designed an optimized super-substrate containing four amino acid exchanges and show by quantitative methylation assays with SETD2 that the super-substrate peptide is methylated about 290-fold more efficiently than the H3K36 peptide. Protein methylation studies confirmed very strong SETD2 methylation of the super-substrate in vitro and in cells. We solved the structure of SETD2 with bound super-substrate peptide containing a target lysine to methionine mutation, which revealed better interactions involving three of the substituted residues. Our data illustrate that substrate sequence design can strongly increase the activity of protein lysine methyltransferases., Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (German Research Foundation), German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD), Egyptian Ministry of Higher Education, Projekt DEAL