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The EU prioritizes transitioning to a circular economy, aiming to boost sustainable resource management through policies promoting recycling and reuse, benefiting both the environment and the economy. Many successful case studies demonstrate using various incineration waste by-products (ashes) as substitutes for natural materials, yielding environmental advantages and showcasing sustainable resource management practices. While extensive literature covers ash characterization and applications, the direct links between the properties of the main components, the amorphous phase, and research findings remain elusive. Analysis predominantly centers on microstructural phase development, influencing mechanical, physical, and chemical properties and guiding research interpretations. Existing standards for ash use primarily address coal-derived fly ash, with SIST EN 13282-2 allowing alternative sources like circulating fluidized bed and paper sludge incineration residues. Yet, beyond this standard, no regulations mandate using different ash types. Nonetheless, the applicability of ashes for the geotechnical composite materials has already been confirmed in the field since numerous geotechnical projects have been carried out in Slovenia. Such composites have been recognized as beneficial practices, and the majority of them also possess legal permission for usage according to the Slovenian Technical Approvals. Given the varying value and complexity of ashes, detailed characterization before use is crucial. Assessing the recycling potential of different ashes requires a precise definition of basic properties such as microstructure, minerals, and chemical composition. Emphasis should be placed on characterizing the hydraulic properties and gaining detailed insights into the amorphous phase, ensuring informed decision-making regarding their recycling processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High phosphate concentrations in natural waters are associated with eutrophication problems that negatively affect the fauna and flora of ecosystems. As an alternative solution to this problem, we evaluated the adsorptive capacity of the fruit peel ash (PPA) of Caryocar coriaceum Wittm and its efficiency in removing phosphate (PO43−) from aqueous solutions. PPA was produced under an oxidative atmosphere and calcinated at 500 °C. The XRF and EDS analyses of PPA after contact with an aqueous PO43− solution showed an increase in its PO43− content, thus confirming the adsorption of PO43−. The Elovich and Langmuir models are the ones fitting the kinetics and the equilibrium state of the process, respectively. The highest PO43− adsorption capacity was approximately 79.50 mg g−1 at 10 °C. PO43− adsorption by PPA is a spontaneous, favorable, and endothermic process involving structural changes. The highest removal efficiency was 97.08% using a 100 mg.L−1 PO43− solution. In sight of this, PPA has shown potential as an excellent natural bioadsorbent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Extreme events are important determinants of environmental changes at multiple geographical and temporal scales, influencing the ecology and evolution of species. Volcanism in particular can modify entire landscapes through ash deposition, affecting the survival and abundance of susceptible species and favouring tolerant ones. However, there is still a lack of information for predicting which species will be more or less affected by volcanic disturbances. We test the hypothesis that the effect of volcanic ash will differentially affect taxa according to their morphological traits. We used a ground‐dwelling beetle community that was sampled before and immediately after the last eruption of the Puyehue‐Cordón Caulle (PCC) volcano. We measure traits that might help predicting responses to the ash deposition in insect species susceptible to the PCC volcanic eruption – i.e., their abundance decreased considerably – and compared them to others that were tolerant. We examined cuticle thickness, its structures (i.e., hairs) and microsculptures, and body size. We found that traits associated with smoothness of the cuticle (fewer hairs and microsculptures) and a small body enables species to better tolerate the negative effects of volcanic ash. These results are the first to explicitly test for traits that could help to predict which species will be more tolerant to volcanic ashes, a widespread disturbance associated with volcanism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Six soil samples from three layers of an archaeological investigation profile from a pre-industrial ash deposit place have been investigated by NGS analyses of 16 S rRNA. The three pairs of sample originate from top soil (internal reference), from an intermediate ash layer and from a lower ash layer, formed about two centuries ago. In addition to general abundant bacteria, special genera known as halophilic or alkaline-tolerant have been found as expected from the history of the place and from the measured pH-value and conductivity measurements. The close relations between samples of pairs and the differences between the three soil layers are clearly indicated by abundance correlation and PCA-diagrams. Comparative PCA correlation plots including samples from an archaeological excavation site dedicated to pre-industrial coal mining illustrate the high distinguishability of investigated soils. These relations are particular clearly shown when lower abundant bacteria are regarded. The investigations are a further example for the "ecological memory of soil" reflecting the strong human impact on this pre-industrial embossed place. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Biochemistry, hematology and serology laboratories produce very heterogeneous discharges capable of polluting water, soil and the environment. The aim of this study is to evaluate the physico-chemical quality of the ashes, effluents and the range of equipment that produce the much effluent and pollutions.This is a descriptive and cross-sectional study of 82 laboratories followed by the sampling of effluents from automatons. The physico-chemical parameters and trace elements are determined according to French Standardization Association (AFNOR) standards and used atomic absorption spectrometers and molecular absorption spectrometers. The Mindray hematology automaton is used for 64.7% and 81.5% of the cans are used to collect waste. Semehow 77.8% of discharges are released into sinks without adequate treatment in 42.6% of cases. Chemical analyses show that trace elements (TE) levels in effluents range from 5.89 ± 0.21 to 105.80 ± 0.96 μg/L for Arsenic; from 5.62 ± 0.34 to 6.53 ± 0.49 μg/L for Cadmium; 0.70 ± 0.01 to 10.63 ± 1.17 μg/L for Mercure and 35.72 ± 1.88 to 61.98 ± 5.15 μg/L for Plomb. pH ranges from 7.17 ± 0.65 to 8.3 ± 1.35 with total dissolved salts (TDS) range from 3260.20 ± 401.68 to 17117.41 ± 265.37 mg/L. All averages of contamination indices (CI) and polymetallic contamination indices (PCI) for post-incineration ashes are greater than 1.5 with the exception of Hg (0.22). For effluents, in addition to polymetallic contamination indices (PCI), CI in hematology effluents (1.09), all CI are less than 1. Hematology effluents have a lower pH and are much more mineralized and concentrated in trace elements while those from biochemistry and serology appear to be similar. However, the effluents of Biochemistry and Serology are more basic and concentrated in Suspended Solids with higher values obtained in Biochemistry. Although the physico-chemical parameters comply with WHO standards, discharges from automatons deserve appropriate treatment before their disposal.

The article reflects on the possible dystopian world described by Cormac McCarthy. In his novel The Road, McCarthy employs a cinematic way of framing images and an interesting method of using filters and screens. How and by means of what objects do the characters experience the views of an agonal world? Is there still room for a sensual relationship between man and (residual) nature? What role do traces play? Further issues examined include defining the function of monochromatic colour schemes in the novel and references to charcoal and coffee painting techniques. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Biochemistry, hematology and serology laboratories produce very heterogeneous discharges capable of polluting water, soil and the environment. The aim of this study is to evaluate the physico-chemical quality of the ashes, effluents and the range of equipment that produce the much effluent and pollutions. This is a descriptive and cross-sectional study of 82 laboratories followed by the sampling of effluents from automatons. The physico-chemical parameters and trace elements are determined according to French Standardization Association (AFNOR) standards and used atomic absorption spectrometers and molecular absorption spectrometers. The Mindray hematology automaton is used for 64.7% and 81.5% of the cans are used to collect waste. Semehow 77.8% of discharges are released into sinks without adequate treatment in 42.6% of cases. Chemical analyses show that trace elements (TE) levels in effluents range from 5.89 ± 0.21 to 105.80 ± 0.96 lg/L for Arsenic; from 5.62 ± 0.34 to 6.53 ± 0.49 lg/L for Cadmium; 0.70 ± 0.01 to 10.63 ± 1.17 lg/L for Mercure and 35.72 ± 1.88 to 61.98 ± 5.15 lg/L for Plomb. pH ranges from 7.17 ± 0.65 to 8.3 ± 1.35 with total dissolved salts (TDS) range from 3260.20 ± 401.68 to 17117.41 ± 265.37 mg/L. All averages of contamination indices (CI) and polymetallic contamination indices (PCI) for post-incineration ashes are greater than 1.5 with the exception of Hg (0.22). For effluents, in addition to polymetallic contamination indices (PCI), CI in hematology effluents (1.09), all CI are less than 1. Hematology effluents have a lower pH and are much more mineralized and concentrated in trace elements while those from biochemistry and serology appear to be similar. However, the effluents of Biochemistry and Serology are more basic and concentrated in Suspended Solids with higher values obtained in Biochemistry. Although the physico-chemical parameters comply with WHO standards, discharges from automatons deserve appropriate treatment before their disposal. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article focuses on ongoing contestations around burned human remains originating from the Holocaust, their changing meanings and dynamics, and their presence/absence in Holocaust-related debates, museums and memorial sites. It argues that ashes challenge but also expand the notion of what constitutes human remains, rendering them irreducible to merely bones and fleshed bodies, and proposes that incinerated remains need to be seen not as a ‘second rate’ corporeality of the dead but as a different one, equally important to engage with – analytically, ethically and politically. Challenging the perception of ashes as unable to carry traces of the personhood of the of the dead, and as not capable of yielding evidence, I posit that, regardless of their fragile corporality, incinerated human remains should be considered abjectual and evidential, as testifying to the violence from which they originated and to which they were subjected. Moreover, in this article I consider incinerated human remains through the prism of the notion of vulnerability, meant to convey their susceptibility to violence – violence through misuse, destruction, objectification, instrumentalisation and/or museum display. I argue that the consequences of the constantly negotiated status of ashes as a ‘second rate’ corporeality of human remains include their very presence in museum exhibitions – where they, as human remains, do not necessarily belong.

Belite cement was prepared using nano-silicas extracted from three different agricultural wastes – black rice husk ash (BRHA), bagasse ash (BA), and palm oil fuel ash (POFA) – which were reacted at 1200 − 1400 °C with CaC2 residue as calcium source. The product was compared with that from CaCO3. Nano-silica extracted from BRHA was of very fine particle size (surface area 312.4 m2/g and V/S ratio 0.35 × 106 cm) and being highly reactive, forms β-C2S at lower firing temperatures; however, at higher temperatures, less-desirable γ-polymorphs are formed. Nano-silica extracted from POFA contains Na2O, Al2O3, and K2O impurities, which stabilize the β and α-forms and delay the transformation to γ-phase. This is reflected in relatively high compressive strength at firing temperature above 1200 °C, compared to other mixtures. Thus, these results indicate that the best combination of these waste materials for the preparation of belite cement phases is POFA ash and CaC2 residue. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Floating wind turbine is one of the promising technology due to its consistent and powerful wind sources in deep-sea zone resulting in high power generation. In the present study a 5 MW baseline spar-type offshore wind turbine is considered for modelling and modal analysis. Sub-systems viz., rotor, nacelle, supporting tower, platform and mooring lines are developed using Ashes software. Commercial software which is specially dedicated for the analysis on onshore and offshore wind turbine. Structural steel is considered for the material properties of the sub-systems. Considering the wind speed and wave effects on the live conditions, modal analysis is carried out. The natural frequencies up to six modes and respective mode shapes are established and reported. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Apart from the sampling errors related to the sample preparation protocol in a laboratory to determine the ash and sulfur content of the coal, the delimitation/extraction errors (recovery, among other geological factors) and the "extension" error must be considered. As the collection time interval increases, the extension error also increases, so that even automatic sampling has an error that is often completely ignored. The extension error was determined via a variographic test, which was specifically designed for this study. This test was proposed to be carried out at the mining company to check the uncertainties (bias and reproducibility errors), regarding the sampling at the client. In the latter, sampling is done in piles with manual samplers. At the mining company, there are automatic collectors, but the sample interval is not considered when calculating the total error. To redeem reconciliation problems between the mining company and the client, as well as to avoid contractual fines, it was decided to compare the results of the variographic analysis carried out in the mining company with those obtained by the client. These showed considerable bias and extension errors according to the collection time intervals in the mining company, especially regarding sulfur. In shorter time intervals, 30 minutes, extension errors have resulted in a range of [0.18% to 1.52%] and [29% to 59%] for sulfur and ashes respectively (CI = 95%). For longer intervals, there would be a doubt about accepting or not the lot: maximum limits are 1.5% for sulfur and 55% for ashes. Also, as extension errors are elevated and possibly higher for "true mass flows," which exceed 2,000 t/h, it was recommended to adapt the automatic samplers of the mining company at shorter intervals than it was used to do (2/2 hours). Then, it will improve the processes control, including blending, avoiding reconciliation problems, and subsequent contractual fines. The client was alerted to the problem of bias which occurs when the coal is sampled manually in piles. For both, it is important to know the intrinsic variance of the material/lot and the errors related to the sampling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Composition of the biomixture is crucial for the success of a bio-purification system. The rice straw-compost biomixture (BM) was mixed with the rice husk ash (RHA, 5 and 10%), sugarcane bagasse ash (SBA, 5 and 10%) and wheat straw biochar (WBC, 1, 5 and 10%) and adsorption of atrazine and fipronil was studied. Fipronil was more sorbed than atrazine in all biomixtures. Both ashes and biochar increased sorption of atrazine, but the effect varied with the level of the amendment. The adsorption coefficient (Kd) values for atrazine in biomixtures were 6.82 (BM), 8.64 (RHA5%), 8.80 (RHA10%), 7.26 (SBA5%), 7.66 (SBA10%), 8.26 (WBC1%), 26.79 (WBC5%) and 46.68 (WBC10%). Ashes did not have much effect of fipronil sorption [48.92 (BM), 49.68 (RHA5%), 54.04 (RHA10%), 45.35 (SBA5%), 46.11 (SBA10%)]; however, WBC1% biomixture showed 100% fipronil sorption. The adsorption data were subjected to the Freundlich, the Langmuir and the Temkin isotherms. Among the three isotherms used for adsorption data modelling, the Freundlich isotherm best explained the pesticide sorption. This study suggested that ashes/biochar mixed rice straw-compost biomixtures can be exploited in bio-purification systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to ensure that byproducts are environmentally friendly and fit for purpose, their chemical composition must be determined, with special attention to elements at trace level. The large variability in the type of matrices demands a versatile analytical technique, compatible with sample preparation methods allowing both fast composition screenings and accurate quantitative analysis. In this work, byproducts derived from carbon-rich matrices, including coal fly ash and activated carbon from coconut and almond shells, were investigated by means of total reflection x-ray spectrometry and different sample preparations. Suspension, acid digestion, solid-liquid extraction and ashing were performed and assessed as to their complexity and detection capabilities, ranging from 0.01 mg/kg to 16 mg/kg, depending on the element and sample preparation. The internal standard quantification with gallium, aided by a variation of the standard additions method to take into account its possible presence in the samples, allowed to determine elements of environmental and technological interest, including K, Ca, Ti, V, Mn, Cr, Ni, Cu, Zn, Ga, As, Sr, Pb. Assets, limits and possible developments are presented and discussed. [Display omitted] • Hazardous and strategic elements were detected in coal fly ash and activated carbon. • Sample treatments were compared as regards complexity and detection capabilities. • An adapted standard additions method aided the quantification by internal standard. • TXRF proved to be a versatile technique to characterize diverse valuable byproducts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Canary Islands are an active volcanic archipelago. In the last decade, volcanic activity has occurred twice on the youngest and western most islands: El Hierro (submarine eruption) in 2011-12, and La Palma (subaerial eruption) in 2021. 70 fish specimens of different species from El Hierro volcano and 14 from La Palma were necropsied. A notable high and early mortality of fishes was registered during the submarine eruption of El Hierro. In most of them, generalized congestion in the gills, liver, spleen, kidney, heart and rete mirabile of the swim bladder was observed. Some specimens also presented exophthalmia, gastric eversion, ocular haemorrhages, over-inflation of swim bladder and gas bubbles mainly on the skin and cornea. The eruption of La Palma volcano was characterized by the emission of large amounts of lava flows and pyroclastic deposits (mainly ash in size) both, on land and sea. Lava flowed on land and eventually reached the sea, forming lava deltas in the coastline of La Palma. This event was also associated with an increase in fish mortality in locations near to the lava deltas. Fishes presented ash particles in opercula/oral cavities and gills. In addition, several fishes presented an intense intestinal impaction composed of volcanic material including ashes and hyaloclastites fragments. To our best knowledge this study describes, for the first time, pathological findings in dead fishes associated with two different styles of recent volcanic eruptions in the Canary Islands.

Emission of air pollutants constitutes one of the major hazards to human health and life. Particulate matter and harmful gases emitted by residential heating, especially, occupy a significant position among the sources of air pollution. This paper presents the research results concerning the composition of ashes obtained from the combustion of fuel samples composed of wood pellets, eco-pea coal, and coal pellets (trade name—VARMO) with various admixtures of waste materials. The study stand was equipped with a boiler having a nominal power of 18 kW. Several of the most characteristic chemical elements identified in the ash were used as the basis to classify the combustion of waste. A model based on a statistical method was designed. Within the framework of the research, a statistical multivariate technique, discriminant analysis, was applied. The statistical model was constructed for two groups of ash samples and 19 chemical elements indicating their contamination. The high prediction power of the model and the validation (fitting was 90.00% and 85.19%, respectively) confirmed the possibility of the practical application of this proprietary method. It permitted identification of the markers (chemical elements) in the ash. It confirms that the fuel is combusted with the admixture of waste materials in a given boiler. Based on the analyses performed, it was found that from among the 19 elements, five, namely K, Ti, Zn, Ca, and Rb, were selected as the markers because they are characterised by the highest discrimination ability. In addition, they are the best indicators of the contamination level of the ash samples that were examined. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Thermal analysis technique was used to study the combustion characteristics of lignite, corn cob biomass, and their mixtures. Ignition, reactivity, peak and burnout temperatures, combustion time, and interactions between blend components were determined. Ashes were characterized by chemical, mineralogical, and fusibility analyses in order to assess their environmental impact, as well as slagging and fouling propensities. Combustion of corn cobs occurred between 220°C and 500°C, while that of lignite between 220°C and 730°C. When corn cobs were blended with lignite at percentages up to 30%, mutual interactions were less favored and the two fuels ignited and burned independently, presenting a high degree of additivity. Although corn cob ash was rich in K and P, ash melting of the mixture occurred 25°C lower as compared to lignite; however, the fouling rate was also lower. The similarity in burning characteristics of the fuels and the improved reactivity of the blends provide advantages for their co-firing in existing lignite infrastructures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Phytolith is widely known as a silica structure in numerous silicon (Si) accumulator plants, e.g., rice, and it contains various nutrients and other beneficial elements. When rice straw is returned to paddy fields, the silica structure of phytolith can be dissolved, thereby releasing its occluded nutrients. While the intrinsic characteristics and dissolution properties of phytoliths under the effect of solution chemistry have been intensively studied, the effect of gas phases, especially CO2, on phytolith stability and the implications for nutrient release are not fully known. Here, dissolution properties of phytolith ashes obtained from dry ashing of rice straw at 400, 600 and 800 °C were investigated by quantifying Si release together with other nutrients under two atmospheric conditions, i.e., without and with CO2 support (aeration). In a time span of 6 days, the releases of nutrients (K, P, Ca, Mg) showed high dependence on the overall dissolution of the phytolith ashes. CO2 significantly reduced the dissolution rate of the phytolith ashes but increased the release rates of cationic as well as anionic nutrients. The aeration of CO2 shifted the carbonate equilibrium (H2CO3, HCO3− and CO32−) towards H2CO3, reducing solution pH, thereby decreasing the dissolution rate of phytoliths. Following this, intensification of H+ exchange promoted nutrient releases from the phytolith ashes. This indicates contrasted responses of phytoliths and their occluded nutrients to CO2, and provides a better insight on the fate of soil phytoliths and the tendency of nutrient budgets from rice straw phytoliths in soils. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The remarkable properties of garlic A. sativum L. have been described, but little is known about Snow mountain garlic. Understanding general aspects of this garlic composition, including the presence of phenolics, will establish its possible use for health or infer which compounds can contribute to improving it. This study aimed to determine the ash content, lipid profile, and characterization of phenolics in Snow mountain garlic. The organic content was obtained by common techniques (oven drying, calcination, Kjeldahl method, etc.). The quantitative analysis of the ashes was made by Inductively Coupled Plasma Emission Spectrometry. The fatty acid profile was determined by Gas Chromatography. The presence of phenolics was determined by foam, Libermann–Burchard, Dragendorff, Salkowski, ferric chloride, vanillin, catechin, Constantinescu, and Shinoda reactions. The total phenolic content was determined via the Folin–Ciocalteu method, and antioxidant activity was determined using the DPPH radical method. The bromatological analysis showed a 51.1% humidity, and the main organic compounds were carbohydrates (46.7%). Ash analysis showed 287.46 g/kg of potassium. The fatty acid profile showed 75.61% of polyunsaturated fatty acid. Phenolics like saponins, alkaloids, triterpenes, tannins, and flavonoids were present. Antioxidant activity was found by radical DPPH of 25.64 (±0.78) µmol TE/1 g dw. Snow mountain garlic shares a composition similar to those found in other garlic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Cenozoic tephroid deposits as products of explosive phreatic eruptions of maar volcanoes in the southwestern part of the Primorye region are studied. These deposits represent rhyolitic ash and pumice pyroclastic layers with a high terrigenous component, including tephroid pseudoconglomerates. Isotopic dating of tephroid layers has made it possible to identify two time pulses of explosive volcanism: 30–34 and 23–24 Mya. The first time pulse coincides with the beginning of the formation of marginal seas and continental coal basins. It corresponds to the most productive coal accumulation stage, accelerated wood waste burial and coalification, and the development of a high-temperature geothermal field, and it can be compared with the well-known catastrophic eruption of Mount St. Helens in the United States of America. The second time pulse of explosive volcanism is regional in nature. It is characterized by the formation of green tuff complexes on submarine elevations of the Sea of Japan as well as along the western and eastern coasts of Japan. The volcanic activity is accompanied by the accelerated sinking of the bottom of the Sea of Japan in response to the active rising of asthenospheric diapirs. The estimated isotopic ages do not conform to those determined for fossil leaves and pollen from the deposits likely due to the climate-forming type of this explosive process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents the formulation of anti-mosquito soap from indigenous lye prepared from plantain peels ash. Neem oil is employed as the key repellent in this formulation. The study investigates the mosquito repelling power of the formulated soaps. The plantain peels ash was found to contain 9.72% of sodium and 76.93% of potassium, indicating its suitability for soap formulation purposes. Out of the 40 individuals supplied with the formulated soaps to measure the mosquito repelling power, 19 individuals (47.5%) reported 4 hours protection from mosquito sting, 8 individuals (20.0%) reported 3 hours protection from a mosquito bite. The results obtained from this study will inform local soap manufactures and the cosmetic industries to consider soap production with mosquito-repelling properties to lessen the possibility of people being bitten by mosquitoes which may result in malaria.

This article proposes a reading of Pasolini's The Ashes of Gramsci (Le ceneri di Gramsci) as a crucial reflection on the inheritance of Gramsci's notion of collective man in post-war Italy and the different ways in which instances of power and hegemony are expressed through language and lived within the spaces of a newly rebuilt city. While the concepts of collective man and multitudes will become the central paradigms shaping the Italian cultural left in the late 20th and 21st century, these notions are here explored for their linguistic and visual power. The poem brings forth some of the keywords destined to dominate the Italian political and intellectual discourse, while its meticulous construction mirrors, as well as contradicts, the scattered and disorderly Roman architecture that constitutes its setting. For this reason, the poem represents what Jacques Derrida has called a hauntology, or an ontology that is at once what is and what is not. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The main intention of the work is to show the characters mother and sister in trilogy-Family circus by Danilo Kiš. This trilogy contains novels: Garden, ashes (Bašta, pepeo), Hourglass (Peščanik), Early sorrows (Rani jadi). We aim to show that thecharacter of the sister, although not shown in detail in the trilogy like the figure of the father, is important because it reflects the childhood of his brother Andreas Sam. That is why the descriptions of sister's character and appearance are best seen in the works Garden, ashes and Early sorrows. We can conclude that she represents a companion through all stages of her brother's life. Although different from him, Ana Sam supports her younger brother and shares with him all the hardships that befell them during the Holocaust. On the other hand, the mother is portrayed as a character opposite to the father, devoid of flaws. In addition, there is no feeling of frustration in the relationship between mother and son, like those present towards the father, but also the sister who shares his characteristics. Thus, analysis of the trilogy has the goal to demonstrate the attachment to the mother and the perspective of a person who is not a Jew but feels the consequences of anti-Semitism and the Holocaust suffered by her family. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Volcanic ashes features, such as their shapes, textures and sizes, influence their aerodynamic behavior, travel distances, sedimentation and dispersion rates. In particular, their morphology provides information about the fragmentation mechanisms during an eruption, different eruptive styles, magma properties and also is a valuable tool for modeling volcanic plumes. In this work, digital holographic microscopy is used in order to perform a morphological analysis of ashes. A morphological, textural and granulometric 2D and 3D characterization is developed through the calculation of shape and size parameters along with a classification according to the fragmentation mechanism of the eruptive process.

This article has two aims: to examine the effects of victim proximity to crematoria ashes and ash pits both consciously and unconsciously in a subset of Holocaust survivors, those who were incarcerated at the dedicated death camps of Belzec, Sobibor, Treblinka, as well as Auschwitz-Birkenau; and to contrast these effects, the subject positions they produce, with their suppression as the basis both for a strategy of survival during incarceration and for a reimagined identity after the war. Within a cohort of four survivors from Rudolf Reder (Belzec), Esther Raab (Sobibor), Jacob Wiernik (Treblinka) and Shlomo Venezia (Auschwitz), I trace the ways in which discrete memories and senses became constitutive in the formation of the subject prior to and after escape – the experience of liberation – so that essentially two kinds of subjects became visible, the subject in liberation and the subject of ashes. In conjunction with these two kinds of subjects, I introduce the compensatory notion of a third path suggested both by H. G. Adler and Anna Orenstein, also Holocaust survivors, that holds both positions together in one space, the space of literature, preventing the two positions from being stranded in dialectical opposition to each other.

The reuse of residues from agroindustrial processes is an ecological alternative that allows implementing nutrient cycling in agriculture and saving fertilizers; for this purpose the potential of the ashes generated by the combustion of sugarcane bagasse in the five sugar industries of the province of Granma was evaluated. The best potentials of Phosphorus and Potassium (mg/kg) correspond to the ashes of the industries "Arquímides Colina" (380,87 and 2625) and "Bartolomé Masó" (1056,75 and 1500)) with the lowest content of heavy metals. The use of the ashes in the cultivation of Lactuca sativa L. (Lettuce) in controlled and field conditions; showed a positive effect on the variables of plant growth and agricultural yield. In addition, the ashes replace the losses of the macronutrients; which together with the availability and low cost of the ash allows its use as a natural mineral fertilizer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This essay threads the striking images of the couple's embrace at the beginning of Hiroshima mon amour through an examination of the film's exploration of memory and victim and perpetrator traumas. Duras and Resnais render the lovers almost indistinguishable as, they hold each other, encased in ash. As they embrace, something gently falls on them, encrypts them, isolates them from their surroundings but simultaneously embeds them in their respective histories. If, for Derrida, ash becomes the paradigm for the trace, we can see how this image becomes paradigmatic for memory's unspooling threads; the film rejects an either/or memory or forgetting when it is a question of traumatic pasts. By re-reading Hiroshima mon amour through the powerful metaphorics of ash and against echoes of the international and dramatic rise in racist discourse, an increased anxiety about nuclear catastrophe, and a return to Duras's wartime "memoir" La douleur, I show that these texts' representation of memory and the rotating axes of perpetration and victimization open up larger questions about the trauma of both sides of the culpability line. This reading reveals the fluid border between victimization and perpetration in ways that help explain how both victims and perpetrators are traumatized. Interpreting the film and memoir in this way helps to blaze a path to envisioning an understanding of committing crimes as itself inflicting (self-imposed) trauma. The most optimistic possible implication (one that is completely unlikely) is that if perpetration is also viewed as traumatizing then perpetrators would no longer fling nuclear bombs at the racialized other and expect to sleep well. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article is a result of an interdisciplinary, mixed-methods effort to understand the context of "milhos aferventados" dish (nixtamalized maize meal stew), found in the "barrocal" and mountains area, from the Algarve, the most southern continental region of Portugal. "Milhos aferventados", a two-stepped preparation dish, makes use of a nixtamalization technique, singular in the overall context of the Continental Portuguese gastronomic scene: maize is firstly nixtamalized and then it would be stewed with salt-cured/smoked pork meats and vegetable products. Nixtamalization, a classic Mesoamerican technique used to increase the bioavailability of maize nutrients and to soften maize's kernel pericarp, is popularly used in the region to remove kernel's tip cap ("olho preto" [black eye]) avoiding culinary unpleasant texture on the final dish. This work is a result of an historical, culinary, and biochemical structured, triangulated approach to the dish, exploring the introduction of Zea mays L., the culinary aspects, and the cultural/biochemical reasons behind the use of this technique. Regarding the reasons that justify the culinary use of nixtamalization, hypothesis for further research are raised. However, evidence of non-dissemination of pellagra disease was found in the region in the early 20th century, unlike what was happening in other regions of Portugal where maize was eaten without nixtamalization, and pellagra was disseminating. Besides, the popular preference for fig tree ashes in this specific nixtamalization process was also studied. We found that pH of fig tree ash (12.63 ± 0.02) and the ion calcium content (75.19 ± 0.06ppm) were higher than, e.g., the carob tree ash (12.35 ± 0.03 and 55.31 ± 0.04ppm respectively), an alike available wood in the region, but only calcium ion present a significant difference, allowing the destruction of the maize pericarp, being the reason behind the usage of this technique. • A mixed-methods approach to a popular cuisine' dish using nixtamalization in the Algarve region (Portugal). • Reason of empirical selection of fig wood tree is based on its mechanical and chemical properties. • Nixtamalization as a generational transmitted culinary technique. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The remarkable properties of garlic A. sativum L. have been described, but little is known about Snow mountain garlic. Understanding general aspects of this garlic composition, including the presence of phenolics, will establish its possible use for health or infer which compounds can contribute to improving it. This study aimed to determine the ash content, lipid profile, and characterization of phenolics in Snow mountain garlic. The organic content was obtained by common techniques (oven drying, calcination, Kjeldahl method, etc.). The quantitative analysis of the ashes was made by Inductively Coupled Plasma Emission Spectrometry. The fatty acid profile was determined by Gas Chromatography. The presence of phenolics was determined by foam, Libermann–Burchard, Dragendorff, Salkowski, ferric chloride, vanillin, catechin, Constantinescu, and Shinoda reactions. The total phenolic content was determined via the Folin–Ciocalteu method, and antioxidant activity was determined using the DPPH radical method. The bromatological analysis showed a 51.1% humidity, and the main organic compounds were carbohydrates (46.7%). Ash analysis showed 287.46 g/kg of potassium. The fatty acid profile showed 75.61% of polyunsaturated fatty acid. Phenolics like saponins, alkaloids, triterpenes, tannins, and flavonoids were present. Antioxidant activity was found by radical DPPH of 25.64 (±0.78) µmol TE/1 g dw. Snow mountain garlic shares a composition similar to those found in other garlic.