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Summary: In this study, ultrasound‐assisted covalent binding method, free radical‐induced method, was used to prepare Moringa protein isolate (MPI) – gallic acid conjugates (MPI‐GAC) to examine the improvement of the sonication application. Additionally, the influence of polyphenol conjugation on functional and structural attributes of MPI was assessed thru spectral analysis, scanning electron microscopy, antioxidant activity, emulsification, foaming, and water and oil holding properties. The enhanced value of grafted polyphenol species was observed after introducing ultrasound treatment during free radical mediation process. The structural changes in protein by gallic acid conjugation were confirmed by using FT‐IR which illustrated the modification in MPI‐GAC with modified peak width of the amide‐I band. Scanning electron microscopy also showed a significant difference in the structure of MPI and MPI‐GAC. The grafting of gallic acid onto MPI directed under ultrasound‐assisted conditions conferred distinctive functional characteristics, containing elevated emulsification capacity (51.4 mg mL−1) along with enhanced water and oil holding capacity by 2.07 and 5.11 g g−1, respectively. Furthermore, conjugation also increased the protein solubility 89.3–97.6% and significant trend (68.04–88.06%) of antioxidant capacity was observed by increasing the concentration. The findings of this research work offer new insights on the effective fabrication of MPI‐GAC with multifaceted functionalities, thus broadening the scope and possibilities of high‐value Moringa seed protein. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigates clayey soil from a road project situated in the district of Lodhran, Punjab, Pakistan. The subgrade prepared with the soil distorted due to heaving after a certain period of its construction. First, laboratory tests were conducted to explore the reason for this problem, examining the fundamental engineering properties of soil. The test results show that the soil acts as a soft material when water content reaches 30%, significantly reducing its strength. The soft soil is generally considered unsuitable for civil work due to its poor performance behaviour. So, the performance of clayey soil was examined in the study at its soft state by coupling it with stronger materials, such as polyethylene polymeric reinforcement and sand, developing laboratory-scale foundation models. Based on the model studies, the study proposes a sustainable polyethylene–sand–soft soil model, which shows 155 and 56% higher ultimate bearing capacity (BC) than soft soil and sand-reinforced soft soil foundations. The changes in BC occur due to the reinforcement action of the polyethylene reinforcement, which is associated with its tensile membrane action effects and interlock bonding at the soil-reinforcement interface. Practically, the study can reduce the dependency of industry practitioners on sand materials. Using polyethylene in civil work is viable for environmental sustainability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The main objective of the current study is to analyze the nexus between public debt, renewable electricity, economic growth, and carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions in emerging economies between 1990 and 2020. The augmented mean group (AMG), fully modified ordinary least square (FMOLS), and dynamic ordinary least square (DOLS) models have been applied to analyze the long-run estimation. The empirical evidence demonstrates that public debt, renewable electricity reduces CO2 emissions. Furthermore, an N-shaped relationship has been identified between per capita CO2 emissions and per capita GDP in emerging nations. Also, the result reveals a bidirectional causal relationship between public debt and economic growth, CO2 emissions and economic growth, public debt and CO2 emissions, and renewable electricity and economic growth. The current study recommends promoting the renewable energy transition, elevating renewable electricity generation capacities, and ensuring greener economic growth by emitting carbon dioxide emissions across emerging countries. The government across each region could incorporate taxes and other incentives to encourage entrepreneurs and citizens to produce equipment that reduces carbon intensity and is ecologically friendly. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]