The field of water management is continually changing. Water has been subject to external shocks in the form of climate change and globalization. Analysis of water management is subject to disciplinary developments and inter-disciplinary interactions. Are these developments well documented in the literature? Initial observations on interdisciplinary literature suggest that results are fragmented, implying that a state-of-the-art review is needed. The objective of this paper is to close this gap by reviewing recent developments in water economics that address the increasing perceptions of water scarcity by looking first at changes in supply and quality of water, and then at impacts of climate change on water extremes. Among responses to such challenges, the paper identifies changes to water use patterns by including and co-managing water from different sources—surface and groundwater, wastewater, and desalinated water. Technological advancements also are among the resources that address water challenges. Water challenges reflect also on management of internationally shared water. A recent surge in scientific work identified international treaties as playing a significant role in water management. The paper reviews recently employed economic tools, such as experimental economics, game theory, institutional economics, and valuation methods. And finally, it explores modeling approaches, including hydro-economic and computable general equilibrium models that are being used to deal with water challenges.

Research with deuterium-depleted water (DDW) in the last two decades proved that deuterium/hydrogen ratio has a key role in cell cycle regulation and cellular metabolism. The present study aimed to investigate the possible effect of deuterium-depleted organic compounds (DDOC) alone and in combination with DDW on cancer growth in two in vivo mouse models. To produce DDOC, drinking water of laying hens was replaced with DDW (25 ppm) for 6 weeks, resulting in 60 ppm D level in dried egg yolk that was used as deuterium-depleted food additive. In one model, 4T1, a cell line with high metastatic capacity to the lung, was inoculated in the mice’s mammary pad. After three weeks of treatment with DDW and/or DDOC, the tumor volume in the lungs was smaller in all treated groups vs. controls with natural D level. Tumor growth and survival in mice transplanted with MCF-7 breast cancer cell line showed that the anticancer effect of DDW was enhanced by food containing the deuterium-depleted yolk. The study confirmed the importance of D/H ratio not only in consumed water but also in metabolic water produced by the mitochondria while oxidizing nutrient molecules. This is in line with the concept that initiation of cell growth requires the cells to generate a higher D/H ratio, but DDW, DDOC, or the naturally low-D lipids in a ketogenic diet, have significant effect on tumor growth by preventing the cells from raising D/H ratio to the threshold.

This study presents the development and implementation of a remote monitoring system for a dual-axis solar tracker, integrating Industry 4.0 technologies such as IoT, SCADA, and MQTT. The system, which combines a Siemens S7-1200 PLC, an IoT gateway, and a SCADA platform based on Ignition, demonstrated significant increases in solar capture efficiency, with production gains of 25-30% compared to fixed systems, reaching up to 67.65% under ideal conditions. In addition to improving operational management through predictive monitoring and early fault detection, the study identified areas for improvement, such as the need for real-world testing and the integration of weather predictions. In conclusion, the research validates the feasibility and effectiveness of automated IoT and SCADA-based systems to optimize solar trackers, significantly contributing to improved energy efficiency in photovoltaic installations.

The amount of solar energy produced is directly proportional to the surface area of solar panels exposed to sun rays. To increase the productivity of solar panels, a number of techniques are proposed by curving the surface or protruding the panel surface to maximise the surface area, e.g. Protruding panel surfaces with shapes such as pyramidal, cone, spherical cap, sinusoidal wavy curve, etc. These techniques are analysed to determine whether the panel surface area increases. The geometrical design analysis showed that, depending on the chosen surface curving method, the panel can achieve a remarkable increase in surface area.The system advisor model was used to assess a sample of solar cells with standard measurements of 6 by 6 inches that were organised in a zigzag pattern with different angles of inclination (10°, 15°, 20°, 25°, 30°, and 35°). Overall, the maximum power pump and annual AC energy performance increase by 1.4%, 4.2%, 6.8%, 10.8%, 14.9%, and 21.6%, respectively, over a one-year period of productivity. However, by applying the concept of solar panel efficiency degradation due to tilting solar panels at an angle by Mamun et al. (2022), for each 5° increase in tilt angle beyond the ideal 10°, the efficiency decreases by approximately 0.76%. In conclusion, the overall efficiency is greater than that of standard flat solar panels, provided the tilt angle is within a reasonable range.

It’s very well known that the world's attention is currently focused on the energy transition. The energy security, in addition to the drive to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in order to limit global warming, and the generalization of the access to energy, have contributed to adoption of the Moroccan Energy Strategy with a strong focus on Renewable Energies (RE). Morocco is notoriously poor in conventional fossil primary energy resources with an energy dependence on the order of 90%. The energy crisis and that resulted from Covid-19 pandemic and the geopolitical conflicts, combined compounded with steady increase in demand have heavily affected the security and the stability of the country's energy situation. The transition to RE, by strongly engaging in the implementation of several solar, wind and hydro energy projects benefiting from the country's excellent solar and wind energy potential, has made the country the leader in RE in Africa. By 2030, the share of RE in the installed capacity is expected to reach 52%. In this work, an overview of the current situation of RE (particularly solar energy) in Morocco is provided, including, the potentials, obstacles and challenges, and future perspectives. Thanks to its high solar potential location, it’s predictable that Morocco effort will be focused on this field: the Erasmus Plus Innomed Project is a virtuous example of international cooperation, aiming at create a Solar Energy Network, in synergy with EU Partners.

The accurate forecasting of solar power output is essential for ensuring the stable and efficient operation of grid-connected photovoltaic (PV) systems, especially when faced with variable weather patterns. This research focuses on the integration of Machine Learning (ML) methodologies and climatic parameters to predict solar panel energy generation, with a specific emphasis on addressing consumption-production imbalances. Leveraging a dataset sourced from the Kaggle platform, the study is conducted in the context of Estonia, aiming to optimize solar energy utilization in this geographic region. The dataset, obtained from Kaggle, encompasses comprehensive information on climatic variables, including sunlight intensity, temperature, and humidity, alongside corresponding solar panel energy output. Leveraging machine learning algorithms, including XGBoost regression and neural networks, our model aims to identify complex patterns and relationships within the datasets. By tailoring the model to Estonia's climatic nuances, we seek to enhance the accuracy of energy production forecasts and, consequently, better manage the challenges associated with consumption-production imbalances. Furthermore, the research investigates the adaptability of the proposed model to diverse climatic conditions, ensuring its applicability for similar endeavors in other geographical locations. The performance of the forecasting model will be evaluated using error metrics like mean absolute error (MAE) and root mean squared error (RMSE). This study leverages a comprehensive dataset from Kaggle and utilizes advanced machine learning techniques to generate valuable insights. These insights can inform the development of sustainable energy policies and practices, ultimately leading to a more efficient and reliable renewable energy infrastructure.

In 2023, residential and commercial sectors together consumed approximately 27.6% of total U.S. energy, equivalent to about 20.6 quadrillion Btu. Factoring in the electrical system energy losses, the residential sector represented approximately 19.7% of total U.S. energy consumption during that time. There were approximately 144 million housing units in the United States in 2023, which is increasing yearly. In this study, information on energy usage in the United States (U.S.) residential sector has been analyzed and then represented as energy intensities to establish benchmark data and to compare energy consumption of varying sizes and locations. First, public sources were identified, and data from these previously published sources were aggregated to determine the energy use of the residential sector within the US. Next, as part of this study, the energy data for seven houses/apartments from five different United States climate zones were collected firsthand. That data was analyzed, and the energy intensity of each home was calculated and then compared with the energy intensities of the other homes in the same states using RECS data. The energy intensity for each facility was calculated based on the actual energy bills. Finally, the study evaluated the carbon footprint associated with residential energy consumption in all 50 states to reinforce the importance of sustainable development initiatives.

This paper investigates the theoretical foundation for developing renewable geothermal resources locally. For this reason, we pay attention to the role of communities in geothermal development. This study presents arguments for a framework that approaches the geothermal resources as an endogenous factor of community development. To analyse it, we create a model that explains the local economic characters of the geothermal exploitation beyond its geological conditions. It aims to conceptualise a community based geothermal development standard referring to the endogeneity principle. Geothermal energy is given attention since the characteristics of this resource determine its use locally. We argue that the role of communities in geothermal exploitation is pivotal in the process of green growth for further expansion of geothermal energy use.

This paper offers a theoretical and experimental examination of the concurrent production of electricity and heat using photovoltaic thermal (PV/T) technology. The efficiency performance of the PV/T system is meticulously analyzed using MATLAB/Simulink software environments. Notably, the proposed PV/T system shows reliable performance, and its validity is confirmed through experimental validation on a test stand with a single PV/T panel positioned at a 45-degree angle to the horizontal and a 0-degree azimuth angle.

Amidst the recent energy crisis, the pivotal role of resource efficiency and renewable energy sources (RES) for sustainable development has become apparent. Transition to sustainability involves decentralized energy solutions empowering local communities to generate, store, and utilize their energy, diminishing reliance on centralized systems and potentially transforming them into power flexibility resources. This is particularly crucial in non-interconnected island systems that primarily rely on imported oil for electricity generation. Such reliance not only implies high production costs but also threatens energy security and adds to the environmental footprint of local economic activities. Addressing the above necessitates, amongst other elements, the adoption of advanced energy management with sophisticated forecasting and demand-side management (DSM) strategies. In response, we introduce a versatile algorithm investigating the impact of DSM at the community scale, designed to maximize the utilization of renewable energy produced from local installations. Integrated as an ancillary module in an advanced energy management platform, the algorithm undergoes testing using datasets collected from end-consumers and a small-scale RES installation on the island of Tilos, Greece. This study not only offers insights for energy stakeholders but also establishes theoretical parameters that can inform subsequent decision-making processes.

We introduce quantum spatio-temporal dynamics (QSD) as modeled by the Nexus Paradigm (NP) of quantum gravity to resolve the problem of energy- momentum localization in a gravitational field. Currently, the gravitational field as described using the language of geometry modeled under General Relativity (GR) fails to provide a generally accepted definition of energy-momentum. Attempts at resolving this problem using geometric methods have resulted in various energy-momentum complexes whose physical meaning remain dubious since the resulting complexes are non-tensorial under a general coordinate transformation. In QSD, the tangential manifold is the affine connection field in which energy-momentum localization is readily defined. We also discover that the positive mass condition is a natural consequence of quantization and that dark energy is a Higgs like field with negative energy density everywhere. Finally, energy-momentum localization in quantum gravity shows that a free falling object will experience large vacuum fluctuations (uncertainties in location) in strong gravity than in weak gravity and that the amplitudes of these oscillations defines the energy of the free falling object.

The growing adoption of distributed energy production technologies, and the potential of energy underutilization when it is produced by non-connected groups, has raised interest in ‘sharing economy’ concepts in the electricity sector. We suggest that mechanisms, such as peer-to-peer (P2P) energy trading, will allow users to exchange their surplus energy for mutual benefits, stimulate the adoption of renewable energy, encourage communities to ‘democratically’ control their own energy supplies for local development, and improved energy efficiency, and create many other benefits This approach is receiving increasing attention across the world, particularly in Germany, the Netherlands and Australia. Nevertheless, the actual development and implementation of these platforms is slow and mostly limited to trial activities. This study investigates the challenges and barriers facing P2P energy trading developments based on previous academic and industry studies. We provide a comprehensive multidimensional barrier analysis through a PESTLE approach to assess the barriers from a variety of perspectives, including the political (P), economic (E), social (S), technological (T), legal (L), and environmental (E) aspects. This approach clarifies the many intersecting problem fields of P2P trading in renewable energy, and the paper identifies a list of such barriers, and discusses the prospects for addressing these issues. We also elaborate on the importance of incentive-based P2P market design.

The surprisingly high catalytic activity of gold has been known to the heterogeneous catalysis community since the mid-1980s. Significant effort has been directed towards improving the reactivity of these surfaces towards important industrial reactions. One such strategy is the introduction of small amounts of other metals to create Au-based surface alloys. In this work, we investigate the synergistic effect of Pt doping of the Au(111) surface towards decreasing the activation barrier of the methanol dehydrogenation elementary step, within first-principles density functional theory. To this aim we construct several models of \ce{Pt}-doped Au(111) surfaces, including a full \ce{Pt} overlayer and monolayer. The effect of \ce{Pt} surface doping is then investigated via the computation of adsorption energies of the various chemical species involved in the catalytic step, and the estimation of activation barriers of methanol dehydrogenation. Both electronic and strain effects induced by \ce{Pt} surface doping concur in substantially lowering the activation energy barrier of this important reaction elementary step. Morever, in the presence of preadsorbed atomic oxygen, \ce{Pt} surface doping can be used to reduce the activation energy for methanol dehydrogenation to as low as 0.1 eV.

The relative proportions between nutrients affects the fate of them for metabolic interconversion, storage and turnover or, essentially for energy, in a process of partition modulated by hormonal and metabolic factors. A basic common chow model was used: ST or standard diet, HF high-fat and HP or high-protein had a common substrate. A CF cafeteria-type diet was added for comparison. Rats (female and male) received the diet for 30d. Nutrient intake and body composition were measured. Plasma glucose, lactate, testosterone (T) and estradiol (E2) were measured. Common groups energy intake, was largely based in carbohydrates CH, yielding 6C units, which were fully oxidized or stored as 2C fragments (fatty acids). Lactate (3C) was partially stored as glycerol of TAG. Accrual of 2C far exceeded about ten-fold that of 3C. Amino acid (AA) catabolism yielded 2C, 3C and 4C-5C fragments, the latter acting as Krebs cycle anaplerotic intermediates (KCAI), that facilitated the oxidation of 2C in detriment of TAG accumulation Lactate levels, were related to lactic dehydrogenase activities in muscle and liver. TAG accrual was maximal in CF, quite differently from HF with similar diet lipid proportion. Maximal rates of lipid storage were found in ST (and CF) groups. Females showed a higher ability to oxidize CH and to store less TAG. T increased N and protein deposition, whilst E2 decreased them favoring AA oxidation and the availability of KCAI. In the rat, an effective energy partition scheme requires that about half of the energy is provided by CH (polysaccharide), and needs enough protein to provide KCAI for a smooth 2C oxidation.

Currently, the district heating (DH) in Poland is facing many challenges. The business model used hitherto was very simple—in most cities, heating plants produced heat, and centralized heating systems supplied the "product" at a price approved annually by the president of the Energy Regulatory Office (URE). However, recent years have brought significant changes on the market. EU regulations force the elimination of old coal-fired plants that were still built in the Polish People's Republic (PRL), moreover, high prices of CO2 emission allowances aggravate the financial situation of companies. In addition, in the heating sector, the trend observed in the power sector is becoming increasingly visible—limiting the role of large sources in favor of energy generated locally, closer to the customer. One of the biggest challenges is achieving the targets set by the EU for the share of renewable energy sources (RES) in the heating sector. The war in Ukraine and problems with the supply of coal and gas are an additional impulse to turn to RES. Thus, the development of sustainable and innovative solutions for energy production and supply at the level of urban networks is currently one of the main technical challenges. The purpose of the paper is to present the current situation and perspectives of development of district heating systems in Poland with a view to the status of district heating in the world, and some deeper insight into European conditions. The review presents energy sources with particular emphasis on renewable energy sources (RES) and their cogeneration for heat production. The examples of existing heating network solutions using renewable energy sources, based on the selected published case studies, are also discussed.

Well-intentioned regulations to protect Canada’s most productive farmland restrict large-scale so-lar photovoltaic (PV) development. The recent innovation of agrivoltaics, which is the co-development of land for both PV and agriculture, makes these regulations obsolete. Burgeoning agrivoltaics research has shown agricultural benefits including increased yield for a wide range of crops, plant protection from excess solar energy and hail, improved water conservation while maintaining agricultural employment and local food supplies. In addition, the renewable electricity generation decreases greenhouse gas emissions while increasing farm revenue. As Canada in general, and Ontario in particular, is at a strategic disadvantage in agricultural without agrivoltaics, this study investigates the policy changes necessary to capitalize on the benefits of using agrivoltaics in Ontario. Land use policies in Ontario are reviewed. Then, three case studies (peppers, sweet corn and winter wheat) are analyzed for agrivoltaic potential in Ontario. These results are analyzed in conjunction with potential policies that would continue to protect the green-belt of the Golden Horseshoe, while enabling agrivoltaics in Ontario. Four agrivoltaic policy areas are discussed: increased research and development, enhanced education/public awareness, mechanisms to support Canada’s farmers converting to agrivoltaics and using agrivoltaics as a potential source of trade surplus with the U.S.

The energy potential of long-period oscillations is estimated by comparing it with watercourse power. The relaxation time of long-period waves is chosen for the estimation time interval, during which their amplitude decreases e (Euler's number) times from the initial one. According to calculations, the amount of energy produced during this time by the watercourse is 9.35–18.71 million kW×h, while the amount of energy of long-period oscillations is 3–6 times less – 1.60–5.48 million kW×h. The components of the economic factor of using long-period waves and currents for electricity production are the predictability of their magnitudes and location of maxima, long-term availability, concentration.

Microgrid is one of the promising green transition technologies that will provide enormous benefit to the seaport, as a solution to the major concerns in this sector, namely energy crisis, economical and environmental pollution. However, finest design of the microgrid is a challenging task considering different objectives, constraints and uncertainties involved. To ensure the optimal operation of the system, determining the right configuration framework and size for each component in the seaport microgrid at the minimum cost is a vital decision at the design stage. This paper aims to design a hybrid system of seaport microgrid with optimally sized component .The selected case study is the Port of Aalborg, Denmark. The proposed grid-connected structure consists of renewable energy sources (photovoltaic system and wind turbines), an energy storage system and cold ironing as seaport’ loads. The architecture is then optimized by utilizing HOMER to meet the maximum load demand by considering a few parameters such as solar global horizontal irradiance, temperature and wind resources. Then, the best configuration framework is analyzed in terms of economic feasibility, energy reliability and environmental impact.

The last half of the 20th century was characterized by the most impactful ecosystem changes throughout regulations and guidelines minimalizing environmental harms. Many of them emphasize the importance of enterprise sustainability for renewable energy policy. When dealing with numerous alternatives for the implementation of renewables-based policy, decision-makers need to analyze their impacts on environmental, economic, and social dimensions from a long-term perspective. The aim of this paper is to highlight a challenge to apply the multi-criteria sustainability decision-making framework (MDCA) to mainstream energy policy. The integrative framework covers an approach for the needs of analyzing factors influencing the energy technology selection. In this study, the MDCA-approach combines lifecycle-based methods, Analytical Hierarchy Process, PESTEL (Political, Economic, Social, Technological, Environment and Legal). To demonstrate the applicability and usability of the method three photovoltaic technologies are assessed. The results showed that string ribbon technology is the most sustainable along its life cycle, with a 0.503 sustainability score. The study highlighted the need to embody robust methodologies assessing sustainability-oriented technologies, not used anymore for supporting energy policies. This challenge regarding example evidence can give energy decision-makers a tool to realize their energy policy and in consequence, enhance enterprise sustainability.

The concept of DC power distribution has gained interest within the research community in the past years; especially due to rapid prevalence of solar PVs as a tool for distributed generation in DC microgrids. Various efficiency analyses have been presented for the DC distribution paradigm, in comparison to the AC counterpart, considering a variety of scenarios. However, even after a number of such comparative efficiency studies, there seems to be a disparity in the results of research efforts - wherein a definite verdict is still unavailable: 'Is DC distribution a more efficient choice as compared to the conventional AC system?' A final verdict is absent primarily due to conflicting results. In this regard, system modeling and the assumptions made in different studies play a significant role in affecting the results of the study. The current paper is an attempt to critically observe the modeling and assumptions used in the efficiency studies related to the DC distribution system. Several research efforts will be analyzed for their approach towards the system upon which they have performed efficiency studies. Subsequently, the paper aims to propose a model that may alleviate the shortcomings in earlier research efforts and be able to give a definite verdict regarding the comparative efficiency of DC and AC networks for residential power distribution.

Large office buildings are responsible for a substantial portion of energy consumption in urban districts. However, thorough assessments regarding the Nordic countries are still lacking. In this paper we analyse the largest dataset to date for a Nordic office building, by considering a case study located in Stockholm, Sweden, that is occupied by nearly a thousand employees.Distinguishing the lighting and occupants’ appliances energy use from heating and cooling, we can estimate the impact of occupancy without any schedule data. A standard frequentist analysis is compared with Bayesian inference, and the according regression formulas are listed in tables that are easy to implement into building performance simulations (BPS). Monthly as well as seasonal correlations are addressed, showing the critical importance of occupancy.A simple method, grounded on the power drain measurements aimed at generating boundary conditions for the BPS, is also introduced; it shows how, for this type of data and number of occupants, no more complexities are needed in order to obtain reliable predictions. For an average year, we overestimate the measured cumulative consumption by only 4.7%. The model can be easily generalised to a variety of datasets.

Almost fifty years after the first installations, I identify the main lessons learned from fighting drought and poverty in Africa with direct solar-powered pumps thanks to Father Bernard Verspieren and Mali Aqua Viva. Six main findings and three main recommendations emerge from the present analysis. They are of direct relevance to all Africa’s countries whose population has gone from 438 million in 1977 to 1,308 million in 2019, with about 600 million still having no access to electricity. In place of “awareness campaigns” and extraordinary courses held by international organizations, I recommend to establish national solar energy institutes whose task will include the education of solar energy professionals giving practice-oriented workshops on solar-powered drip irrigation and rainwater harvesting throughout each Africa’s country. Said education will critically include the economic and social aspects of distributed “generation” of energy and water from sunlight and rainfall.

Over the last two decades, residential buildings have accounted for nearly 50 percent of total energy use in New Zealand. In order to reduce household energy use, the factors that influence energy use should be continuously monitored and managed. Building researchers and professionals have made efforts to investigate the factors that affect energy use. However, few have concentrated on the association between household energy use and the cost of residential buildings. This study examined the correlation between household energy use and residential building cost. Analysis of the correlation between energy use data and residential building cost indicated that residential building cost in the construction phase and energy use in the operation stage were significantly correlated. These findings suggest that correct monitoring of building costs can help to identify trends in energy use. Therefore, this study proposes a time series model for forecasting residential building costs of five categories of residential building (one-story house, two-story house, townhouse, apartment, retirement village) in New Zealand. The primary contribution of this paper is the identification of the close correlation between household energy use and residential building costs and provide a new area for optimize energy management.

Solar green roofs, namely rooftops functionalized with properly selected living vegetation and photovoltaic modules, achieve an ideal symbiotic relationship in which promotion of biodiversity and onsite renewable energy production are both enhanced whereas the roof provides a wide range of environmental, health, aesthetic and economic benefits. This study provides a unified outlook of this eminent sustainable technology at the dawn of its uptake across the world, especially in polluted urban areas.

Considering the need to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, onshore wind energy is certain to play a major role in future energy systems. This topic has received significant attention from the research community, producing many estimations of Europe's onshore wind potential for capacity and generation. Despite this focus, previous estimates have relied on distribution assumptions and simulation schemes that summarily under predict both the amount of available future wind capacity as well as its performance. Foremost in this regard is the common use of contemporary, or at least near-future, turbine designs which are not fitting for a far-future context. To fulfill this role, an improved, transparent, and fully reproducible work flow is presented for determining European onshore wind potential. Within a scenario of turbine cost and design in 2050, 13.5 TWof capacity is found to be available, allowing for 34.4 PWh of generation. By sorting the explicitly-placed potential generation locations by their expected generation cost, national relations between turbine cost and performance versus a desired capacity are exposed. In this way, it is shown that all countries possess some potential for onshore wind energy generation below 4 €_ct kWh^-1. and, furthermore, that it is unlikely for these costs to exceed 6 €_ct kWh^-1.

The research field of energy system analysis is dealing with increasingly complex energy systems and their respective challenges. Moreover, the requirement for open science has become a focal point of public interest. Both drivers have triggered the development of a broad range of (open) energy models and frameworks in recent years. However, there are hardly any approaches on how to evaluate these tools in terms of their capabilities to tackle energy system modelling challenges. This paper describes a first step towards a flexible evaluation of software to model energy systems. We propose a qualitative approach as an useful supplementary to existing model fact sheets and transparency checklists. We demonstrate the applicability by evaluating the newly developed “Open Energy Modelling Framework” with respect to existing challenges in energy system modelling. The case study results highlight that challenges related to complexity and scientific standards can be tackled to a large extent while the challenges of model utilization and interdisciplinary modelling are only tackled partially. However, the challenge of uncertainty remains for the most part unaddressed at present. Advantages of the evaluation approach lie in its simplicity, flexibility and transferability to other tools. Disadvantages mostly stem from its qualitative nature. Our analysis reveals that some challenges in the field of energy system modelling cannot be addressed by a software as they are on meta level like model result communication and interdisciplinary modelling.

This paper proposes an optimization method for the scheduling of a multi-energy virtual power plant supply-demand balance in the power market environment of Jiangxi Province. The objective of this method is to enhance the operational efficiency of the power grid, reduce energy costs, and facilitate economical and efficient energy distribution in the power market. The method comprehensively considers the characteristics and uncertainties of renewable energy sources such as solar and wind energy, and incorporates advanced multi-objective optimization algorithms. Additionally, real-time market price feedback is integrated to achieve accurate allocation of power supply and demand. Through a case study of a multi-energy virtual power plant in Jiangxi Province, this paper examines the optimal combination model for various energy sources within VPP, and analyzes the impact of different market environments on supply-demand balance. The results demonstrate that the proposed scheduling optimization method significantly improves economic benefits while ensuring grid stability. Compared with traditional power supply models, it reduces average electricity costs by 15% and increases renewable energy utilization efficiency by 20%.

Electrifying off-grid and isolated islands in the Philippines remains one of the challenges that hinders community development. One of the solutions seen to ensure energy security, expand energy access and promote a low carbon future in this isolated islands is the use of renewable energy sources. This study wishes to determine the nearshore wave energy resource during monsoon seasons in Cuyo Island using a 40-year wave hindcast and 9-year on-site wind speed data to develop high resolution wave energy model using SWAN wave model, and assessed its annual energy production through matching with wave energy devices. Results shows that average significant wave height (Hs), peak period (Tp) and wave power density (Pd) during northeast monsoon are Hs = 1.35 m, Tp = 4.79 s and Pd = 4.05 kW/m respectively, while southwest monsoon which is sheltered by the mainland resulted to a lesser outcome, Hs = 0.52 m, Tp = 3.37 s and Pd = 0.34 kW/m. While the simulated model was observed to overestimate the wave energy resource (Bias = 0.398, RMSE = 0.54 and SI = 1.34), it has a strong relationship with the observed values (average r = 0.9). Its annual energy production is highest at Station 5, with AEPWaveBouy = 43.761 MWh, AEP-Pelamis = 216.786 MWh and AEPWave Dragon = 2462.66 MWh. At present, the minimum requirement for a wave energy development to be feasible is 5 kW/m, which in this case, Cuyo Island falls short, but with the continuous evolution of wave energy converters, applications on milder re-sources will soon materialized.

This paper examines the role of public enterprises in providing safe drinking water in developing countries and analyses the factors influencing households' water source choices using a revealed preference model. The study, conducted in rural Nepal, reveals a substantial willingness to pay for convenient access to safe water, challenging the notion that rural households, especially women, do not value time savings from improved water access. The findings suggest that the predominant supply-driven, heavily subsidised approach of public water utilities warrants reconsideration. The paper argues that the willingness to pay exists but the willingness to charge is stymied. This policy creates a vicious cycle of poor service and poor cost recovery. The paper suggests a paradigm shift towards a more demand-responsive approach, allowing households to choose and pay for their desired service levels while ensuring a minimum level of safe water for all. This could enhance sustainability, welfare, and financial viability of public water utilities. The study concludes that public enterprises have a critical role in ensuring universal access to safe water but should adopt a more dynamic, accountable, and service-oriented approach, incorporating user preferences and contributions while retaining their core public mandate.

A study was conducted to determine the estimated parasitic infestation and associated risk factors (Water quality, Farm management practices and External factors such as Intermediate hosts and Wild fish entry) of farmed Nile tilapia in Pond grow-out, Cage grow-out (lake), Cage grow-out (reservoir) farms and Hatcheries in the Lake Victoria Crescent, Uganda. Sixteen parasite genera and 65% (418/640) infestation rate were obtained. However, Pond grow-out farms and Hatcheries did not only constitute 81% and 63% of the parasite genera, but also had the highest mean number of parasite genera per farm of 1 to 7 and 4 to 8 respectively. Cage grow-out (reservoir) farms and Hatcheries had the highest mean prevalence of >0.7. Water quality parameters, farm management practices and external factors varied across the 4 farming systems, with Cage grow-out farms (lake) with the best water quality parameters, farm management practices and control over intermediate hosts and wild fish entry. Using Spatial Areal Unit Modelling with Conditional Autoregressive Priors, out of 16 risk factors, only Intermediate hosts had a significant effect on estimated parasitic infestation. Estimated parasitic infestation of 0.28 (low) or 0.55 (high) prevalence was obtained. All Cage grow-out (reservoir) farms and Hatcheries, and 78% (14/18) of Pond grow-out farms had high estimated parasitic infestation despite their locations, while 75% (3/4) of Pond grow-out farms that had low estimated parasitic infestation were located in Masaka (an area with many minor and less polluted rivers). Fifty-six percent (5/9) of Cage grow-out (lake) had low estimated parasitic infestation and were located in the Southern part of Wakiso, Southern part of Mukono and Southern part of Jinja but far from the Napoleon Gulf. The Cage grow-out farms with high estimated parasitic infestation were found in the Southeastern part of Buikwe (an area with sugar cane plantations and factories) and Southern part of Jinja in the polluted Napoleon Gulf. Therefore, the type of farming system and its location (spatial component) need to be given at-most importance when coming up with management and sanitary control strategies to encounter parasite infestation.

Unevenly distributed rainfall leads to reduced potato water productivity (WP) under rainfed production. Understanding practices that can increase WP is vital. Objectives were to (i) understand seasonal variables that influence WP under rainfed conditions and (ii) the effect of the integration of cultivar, locality, mulch on potato WP. The study was under two agroecological zones Appelsbosch (Mbalenhle locality), and Swayimane (Stezi, and Mbhava locality), under smallholder. A split plot, in a randomized complete block design experiment, consists of mulching (mulch and not mulch), and selected cultivars. Soil water content (SWC), yield, and climatic conditions were collected, water use (ET) and WP were calculated. Rainfall, ET, and SWC had a significant influence on seasonal WP. Cultivar x mulch x locality had an insignificant effect on WP, however, locality x cultivars significantly altered potato WP. Localities that had lower vapor pressure deficit (VPD), low relative humidity, and sandy soil had higher potato WP of 14.53 kg m-3. The findings suggest that localities that have less atmospheric dryness and cultivars that show stability of yield across seasons can be an easy-to-apply practice for increasing potato WP under a resource-limited environment. Mulch is important when the distribution of intra-annual rainfall does not match crop water requirements.

Traditional chemical research often relies on trial-and-error synthesis and characterization methods. Now, modern machine learning (ML) offers data-driven approaches for predicting properties, like water solubility, directly from chemical structure. But with various data representation schemes for molecular structure and model approaches to select from, it can be difficult for non-experts to determine best practices for utilizing ML. To clarify this landscape of choices, this study uses the ESOL molecular solubility dataset to compare the performance of a selection of different models on different data representations. First, we compare three classical regression methods (linear, ridge, LASSO) on three common data representations (RDKit fingerprint, Morgan fingerprint, intuition-selected molecular features). Then, we demonstrate how two distinct deep learning approaches (multilayer perceptron, graph convolution) can achieve accurate predictions even when prior intuition about feature-property correlations are absent. Finally, we outline a modern attention-based approach, inspired by successes in language modeling and fine-tuned by Bayesian optimization, to achieve a prediction methodology that is more general and performant than the previous approaches. This attention-based approach operates directly on the common SMILES string molecular representation, without requiring as many model parameters as other deep learning approaches or preprocessing into a representative fingerprint or vector of intuitively selected features. In short, when selected molecular features are known to likely correlate with a feature of interest, it may be possible to achieve good predictive modeling without turning to massive deep learning approaches. When particular features are not known a priori, graph approaches are a common solution, and we further demonstrate how a modern hyperparameter optimized attention approach can perform even better.

Hydrogen has the potential to decarbonize the energy and industrial sector in the future, mainly if it is generated by water electrolysis. Proton Exchange Membrane water electrolysis (PEMWE) system is regarded as a propitious technology to produce green hydrogen from water using power supplied by renewable energy sources. It offers many benefits such as high performance, high proton conductibility, quick response, compact size, and low working temperature. Many conceptual and functional parameters influence the effectiveness of PEM, including temperature, pressure of anode and cathode regions, water content and wideness of layer, and cathode and anode exchange current density. In addition, the anodic half reaction (known as oxygen evolution reaction (OER)), and cathodic half reaction (known as the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER)) perform an important function in the development of PEMWE. The current paper aims at presenting these parameters and discussing their impacts on the performance of PEM. Also, the PEM efficiency is presented. The different methods used to enhance the scattering of OER electrocatalyst and minimizing catalyst loading to minimize the price of PEMWE are also highlighted. Moreover, the alternative of noble metals that could be used as electrocatalyst in HER and OER to minimize the cost of PEM are reviewed and presented.

The present study investigates the impact of electrode surface roughness on the electrofreezing of water. This research focuses on how the electrode roughness induced by a laser treatment affects the nucleation and growth of ice crystals under controlled electric fields. To achieve this, a series of experiments were conducted using deionized water samples placed between electrodes with varying surface roughness. The electrodes, fabricated with the Al6061 T6 alloy were structured via the Laser Shock Processing (LSP) method. For this purpose, the pulsed densities during the LSP process were varied from 900 to 2500 pulses/cm2. The increase of the pulse density was correlated to the surface structuring and to the microstructural features and average roughness of the LSP-treated Al6061 alloy. A wavy-like microstructure was induced upon the LSP treatment with average roughnesses between ~ 3.5 and 6 µm at the selected pulse densities. The results indicate that electrode roughness significantly influences the electrofreezing process. Rougher electrodes were found to lower the nucleation temperature compared to smoother ones, suggesting enhanced ice nucleation activity. The findings are attributed to the increased electric field concentration at the asperities of the rough surfaces, which may facilitate the alignment of water molecules and the formation of critical ice nuclei.

While the beneficial effects of using magnetic and electromagnetic treatment (ET) of brackish and saline waters on soil salinity reduction in the root zone were widely reported more studies are needed to answer questions about the soil salt leaching efficiency and the effect of the duration of the exposure to ET. For this aim, pot experiments were conducted using an Aqua-4DR physical water treatment device. The first experiment included two trials. The first considered 5 concentrations: C0:1.0; C1:4.5; C2:9; C3:13.5; and C4:18 dSm-1. The results revealed that the volume and the salt concentrations of the drained waters were significantly higher under irrigation with ET saline waters than those provided by untreated waters. The drained fraction of water varied from 20 to 26% under irrigation with untreated water and increased from 33 to 56% under irrigation with electromagnetized water indicating an improvement of salt leaching. The second trial was carried out with different irrigation doses. The result showed that the higher the dose, the more obvious and significant ET effect. The different treatment durations of water exposure revealed that the volume and salinity of drained water significantly increase as the ET duration increases. An increase in ET duration induces also an increase in soil water content of around 2.5%. Based on the experimental findings, we may conclude that the ET of saline water can reduce the adverse effect of salinity on the top soil, but these leached salts are carried away in depth and there is no concentration limit of water to the effect of the ET.

The water exit problem, which is ubiquitous in ocean engineering, is one of the significant research topics in the interaction between navigators and water. The study of the water exit problem can help to improve the structure design for marine ships and underwater weapons for better strength and movement status. However, the water exit problem involves complex processes such as gas-liquid-solid three-phase coupling, cavitation, water separation, liquid surface deformation and fragmentation, making it challenging to study. According to the works carried out by many researchers towards this issue, we summarize the recent developments from three aspects, i.e. theoretical research, numerical simulation and experimental results. In theoretical research, the improved von Kaman model and linearized water exit model are introduced. Several classical experimental devices, data acquisition means and cavitation are introduced in experimental development. Three methods, namely, BEM(boundary element method), FVM(finite volume method) and LES(large eddy simulation) are concluded for numerical simulation. The limitations and shortcomings of these three aspects are then analyzed. Finally, an outlook on the future research improvements and developments of the water exit problem is provided.

The study investigates the economic feasibility and farmer acceptance of utilizing treated wastewater (TWW) for agricultural irrigation, particularly in the Northern Jordan Valley. Despite its potential to mitigate water scarcity, concerns persist regarding its impact on soil health, crop yield, and land utilization, hindering widespread adoption. The research aims to measure farm profitability and farmers' willingness to embrace TWW through various blending scenarios with traditional surface water sources. The yield response function to salinity was incorporated into profit function to simulate crop profitability and water values. Results indicate that the introduction of TWW negatively affects salt-sensitive crops like citrus but positively impacts others such as date palm, olives, tomatoes, and peppers due to increased fertilizer content in irrigation water. Economic performance indicators reveal a gradual decrease in water net productivity for citrus with increasing blending ratios of TWW, with the water value decreasing accordingly. Higher percentages of treated water do not consistently lead to increased productivity, profitability, or net value added, emphasizing the need for careful consideration and understanding of economic risks associated with specific crops and water quality. To mitigate the impact of water salinity on citrus production, growers are advised to improve soil quality, periodically flush the soil with low-salinity water, and use salt-tolerant rootstocks. Regular monitoring of soil and water salinity levels is crucial for informed decision-making. While using TWW, water may offer cost savings.

The flooding phenomenon in Pekanbaru City is an interrelated problem between socio-economic and environmental problems. Changes or conversion of land from non-built areas to residential areas or other uses result in the area of water catchment areas being reduced. Another no less important factor is socio-economic factors. One of the socio-economic problems that causes flooding every year in Pekanbaru City is waste management. Garbage thrown carelessly by Pekanbaru people obstructs drainage channels and river flows and causes flooding. Another socio-economic problem is water use behavior. The majority of water used for daily needs, bathing and washing toilets comes from groundwater. The use of groundwater in large and continuous quantities results in land subsidence and contributes to an increase in flood inundation. Analysis of spatial planning strategies and community behavior towards flood control efforts using Participatory Prospective Analysis (PPA). Prospective analysis in this study was used to determine the dominant variables that influence strategy determination. This method is a tool designed to find out or investigate and anticipate changes with the participation of experts or stakeholders. The prospective method is a tool used for policy analysis, especially in research involving sustainable development, because it can facilitate the anticipation of change in an unstable environment. The results of the research show that spatial planning strategies and community behavior in flood control are carried out with the coordination of technical stakeholders related to flood control, flood management includes before a disaster occurs, during a disaster and after a disaster, flood plain management, includes determining flood boundaries, determining zoning, supervision and monitoring as well as community involvement.

To clarify effects of weathered coal humic acid on water-stable aggregates and pore characteristics of reclaimed cambisol, this research analyzed the evolution characteristics of soil aggregates and pores. Effects of different humic acid dosages (0, 1%, 3%, and 5% by weight) and application period (1 year, 2 years, and 3 years) on soil aggregates and organic carbon components in soil water-stable aggregates were investigated. The results showed that water-stable macroaggregates (>0.25 mm) had the highest content in the first year; but in the third year, water-stable microaggregates (0.053–0.25 mm) had the highest content, and silt and clay (<0.053 mm) were at a maximum. In the third year of 5% treatment, mean weight and geometric mean diameters were the largest, soil structure was the most stable, and TOC and water-stable microaggregates (0.053–0.25 mm) in soil had the highest proportions. For 5% treatment, the majority of irregular pores were independent in the first year, and number of pores decreased in the second year, but average pore volume increased, forming robust connected pores. In the third year, the number of elongated and irregular pores increased. In the third year of 5% treatment, most pores were irregular and of size >100 μm, and soil structure was the most stable.

This study was conducted to investigate heavy metal contamination and potential health risk of ground water of selected municipal solid waste (MSW) disposal sites of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Pakistan. For this purpose a total of 30 composite samples of both surface and ground water were collected from dumpsites of Abbottabad, Bannu and Peshawar. The collected samples were analyzed for physico-chemical parameters and heavy metals by following standard methods. Results indicated that pH values were found within the acceptable limits specified by national environmental quality standards (NEQS) and world health organization (WHO). Mean concentrations of heavy metals were within NEQS and WHO limits, except for Ni which exceeded the NEQS and WHO limit of 0.02 mg/L in all samples, Similarly, Mn exceeded the limit set by NEQS and WHO (0.5 mg/L) in the ground water samples collected from Bannu dumpsite. The multivariate analysis indicated that the heavy metal contamination of the groundwater of the selected dumpsites was anthropogenic. The pollution index (PI) values (PI≥100) of Mn and Ni indicated very high pollution at individual levels while collectively based on heavy metals pollution index (HPI) values (HPI ≥ 200) the ground water of all the selected dumpsites were found highly polluted. Whereas, the hazard index (HI) values (HI ≥ 5) suggested adverse health effects. It was concluded that the ground water of all the dumpsites was highly polluted with heavy metals particularly Ni and Mn thus, posing a high health risk.

Due to the genotype-dependent effects of water deficit (WD) on coffee physiology, climate change raises the risk of coffee yield. The aim of the study was to assess the effect of WD on physiological and growth traits in arabica coffee (Coffea arabica L.). Water status, photosynthetic response to in-tercellular concentration of CO2 (A/Ci curves) and growth parameters were evaluated in seedlings of four genotypes (Catimor ECU 02, Cavimor ECU, red Caturra and Sarchimor 4260). Most of the physiological traits evaluated differed significantly among genotypes. Between control and WD plants, there were significant differences in A/Ci parameters, showing a wide range of values for photosynthetic rate, stomatal conductance, and water use efficiency, with decreases ranging from 4 to 74%. Maximum rate of carboxylation by RuBisCO, maximum electron transport rate through photosystem II, and triose phosphate utilization rate were all strongly reduced by WD 61 % (red Caturra and Sarchimor 4260), followed by Cavimor ECU (35 %) and 24 % in Catimor ECU 02. Differences in response to WD among genotypes suggest possible genotypic differences in toler-ance. The results indicated that Catimor ECU 02 and Cavimor ECU were less sensitive to WD, while red Caturra and Sarchimor 4260 were the most susceptible.

Dams significantly impact the environment, industry, residential areas, and agriculture. Efficient dam management can mitigate negative impacts and enhance benefits such as flood and drought reduction, energy efficiency, water access, and improved irrigation. This study tackles the critical issue of predicting dam occupancy levels precisely within the framework of Integrated Water Resource Management (IWRM). Our research proposes that combining the physical model of evapotranspiration using the Penman–Monteith equation with data-driven models based on historical reservoir data, weather data, and consumption data is essential for accurately predicting occupancy levels. We implemented various prediction models, including Random Forest, Extra Trees, Long Short-Term Memory, Orthogonal Matching Pursuit CV, and Lasso Lars CV. To strengthen our proposed model with robust evidence, we conducted a statistical test on the MAPE values. We achieved a remarkable accuracy in predicting the occupancy level one month ahead, with an error margin of just 1% using Extra Trees. This study represents a pioneering effort in providing guidance and proposing a hybrid model in this field.

In recent years, using pre-sprouted seedlings for sugarcane establishment has been developed in Brazil. Despite yielding promising results, the optimal irrigation management for this method during the Brazilian winter planting season has yet to be determined. Additionally, information regarding water demand and seedling behavior when subjected to different irrigation levels remains unclear. This study aimed to assess the response of pre-sprouted sugarcane seedlings to different irrigation levels during the winter in southeastern Brazil. Pre-sprouted sugarcane seedlings were subjected to different irrigation levels during the winter season in the region of Piracicaba, using a sprinkler irrigation system. Periodic evaluations were conducted, such as seedlings mortality rate, root size, root dry mass, number of sugarcane tillers sprouted per meter, total number of tillers, plant height, leaf area index, shoot dry mass, and total leaf chlorophyll index. The findings of this investigation indicate that a 10 mm irrigation level facilitated optimal fixation depth and achieved a 97.8% survival rate. Moreover, a correlation between seedling mortality rate and irrigation management was observed, emphasizing the critical role of irrigation in establishing and developing seedlings. Based on these findings, a 10 mm irrigation may represent the optimal irrigation strategy for pre-sprouted sugarcane seedlings in this scenario.

Elemental sulfur, commonly known for its wide range of biological activity, has a long history of being used to protect all garden and vegetable crops from a range of pests and diseases, including powdery mildew, ascochyta blight, clubroot, plant mites, oidium, anthracnose, and scab. In the present study, a quick and environmentally friendly approach has been developed for the synthesis of sulfur nanoparticles with antibacterial activity. Sulfur nanoparticles (SNPs) were prepared by modifying the surface of elemental sulfur using various polyelectrolyte-surfactant mixtures (PSM) including NaCMC-SDBS and PHMG-CTAB. The SNPs were characterized by UV–visible spectrophotometry, X-ray diffraction (XRD), and thermogravimetric analysis (TG/DSC), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), with the SNPs showing an almost spherical shape with an average size in the range of 150-200 nm. The antibacterial activity of the sulfur nanoparticles was tested using against gram-positive S. aureus and E. faecium and gram-negative E. coli and P. aeruginosa bacteria. From this, it could be seen that SNPs exhibited significant antimicrobial activity against gram-positive bacteria, i.e., S. aureus and E. faecium. The in vitro cytotoxicity of the SNPs-1 and SNPs-2 studied to normal (MeT-5A) and tumorous (MCF-7) human cell lines was assessed in the concentration range from 500 μg/ml to 0.12 mg/ml, from which it was determined as being non-cytotoxic. The received products can be considered for potential application in agriculture and medicine.

The rapid urban expansion requires an effective management of water resources in small basins, where data are often limited. This article addresses a combination of an empirical hydrological model and Steven Method, a flow extrapolation method that considers the morphological char-acteristics of the cross-section. It also proposes an approach for overcoming the challenges asso-ciated with the lack of information on small water basins in rural to urban transition. A rain-fall event occurred in Pau de Caixeta stream basin (33,7 km²), in the Federal District (DF), in De-cember 2022, was evaluated. The simulation was carried out on the decision support system, Analysis of Complex Basins (ABC), using the rainfall registred by the rain gauge instaled within the monitered area with 3 hours duration and 38 mm of total rainfall, in addiction to the mor-phological and hydraulics characteristics of the study section. The basin presented in this study, has a classification regarding land use: i) urban area: horizontal and vertical residential neigh-borhoods (in the study phase) and rapidly expanding urban infrastructure, ii) rural areas and iii) environmental preservation areas. The results were within the acceptable range of flow extrap-olation errors (16%), indicating the integration of the proposed approaches can guide the devel-opment of impact mitigation strategies and promote sustainable practices in sub-basins.

For some persistent pollutants, such as recalcitrant pesticides, the polluted water (urban, agricultural and/or industrial) treated by conventional wastewater treatment plants is in some cases insufficient to achieve the legally required level of purity. This issue is of particular concern in areas where low rainfall does not provide sufficient water resources to meet the needs of agriculture, requiring increased reuse of water from wastewater treatment plants. In this context, Advanced Oxidation Processes (AOPs) hold great promise for the removal of organic pollutants. This study first evaluates the effectiveness of UV/S2O8= compared to heterogeneous photocatalysis using UV/TiO2 processes on the degradation of two commonly used herbicides (terbutylazine and isoproturon) in aqueous solutions using a photoreactor. In addition. the effect of UV wavelength on the degradation efficiency of both herbicides was investigated. Although degradation rate was higher under UV-254/S2O8= nm than under UV-365/S2O8= nm, complete degradation of the herbicides (0.2 mg L-1) was achieved within 30 min under UV-366 nm using a Na2S2O8 dosage of 250 mg L-1 in the absence of inorganic anions. To assess the impact of water matrix, the individual and combined effects of sulphate, bicarbonate and chloride were evaluated. They can react with hydroxyl and sulphate radicals formed during AOPs to form new radicals with a lower redox potential. The results showed negligible effects of sulphate, while the combination of bicarbonate and chloride seemed to be the key for the decrease in herbicide removal efficiency found when working with complex matrices. Finally, the main intermediates detected during the photodegradation process were identified and the likely pathways are proposed and discussed.

Hydrogen is now recognized as the primary alternative to fossil fuels due to its renewable, safe, high energy density and environmentally friendly properties. Efficient hydrogen production through water splitting has laid the foundation for sustainable energy technologies. However, when hydrogen production is scaled up to industrial levels, operating at high current densities introduces unique challenges. It is necessary to design advanced electrocatalysts for hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) under high current densities. This review will briefly introduce chal-lenges posed by high current densities on electrocatalyst, including catalystic activity, mass dif-fusion and catalyst stability. In an attempt to address these issues, various electrocatalyst design strategies are summarized in detail. In the end, our insights into future challenges for efficient large-scale industrial hydrogen production from water splitting are presented. This review is expected to guide the rational design of efficient high current density water electrolysis electro-catalysts and promote the research progress of sustainable energy.

Benveniste’s experiments – known in the lay press as the “water memory” phenomenon – are generally considered to be a closed case. However, the amount of data generated by twenty years of well-conducted experiments prevents closing the file so simply. An issue, which has been little highlighted so far, merits to be emphasized. Indeed, if Benveniste failed to persuade his peers of the value of his experiments, it was mainly because of a stumbling block, namely the difficulty of convincingly proving the causal relationship between the supposed cause (“informed water”) and the experimental outcomes in different biological models. To progress in the understanding of this phenomenon, we abandon the idea of any role of water in these experiments (“water memory” and its avatars). In other words, we assume that “control” and “test” conditions to be evaluated were physically identical and differed only by their respective designations. We show in this article how simple probabilistic considerations allow to build a model that accounts for all aspects of Benveniste’s experiments. In this model based on probability amplitudes, constructive and destructive interferences emerge – or not – according to the experimental context. The recording of a statistical regularity shapes the intertwined whole constituted by the probability amplitudes of the states of the experimenter’s cognitive structures and of the experimental system. This model provides an alternative explanation to Benveniste’s experiments where water plays no role and where the place of the experimenter is central.

This study investigates the concentrations of physicochemical and heavy metal contaminants in the groundwater of the Middle Awash Basin, Ethiopia, to inform targeted water management strategies. A total of 32 groundwater samples were collected from 16 stations via piezometers and boreholes at the end of both the dry (June 2021) and wet (October 2021) seasons. Utilizing Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS), Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy (AAS), and in situ metering, 22 physicochemical and 24 heavy metal parameters were analyzed. The data revealed significant levels of contamination; notably, sample GW11 had extraordinarily high concentrations of total dissolved solids (10,826 mg/L), strontium (908 µg/L), molybdenum (802.4 µg/L), zinc (6060 µg/L), and electrical conductivity (15,645 µS/cm), while GW12 exhibited elevated levels of aluminum (2615 µg/L), zinc (4446 µg/L), and arsenic (117.2 µg/L). Contaminants such as arsenic, vanadium, gallium, lithium, rubidium, chromium, manganese, copper, and zinc were found enriched in groundwater near Lake Beseka, influenced by agricultural runoff from sugarcane plantations and agro-industry activities. Over half of the groundwater sources were unsuitable for drinking, posing significant health risks to local communities that rely heavily on these sources due to limited access to clean surface water. The findings emphasize the urgent need for comprehensive groundwater management and remediation plans in the Middle Awash region to ensure safe and sustainable water use, particularly addressing the variation in contamination levels influenced by Lake Beseka. These measures are critical to protect public health and support local development in the face of ongoing environmental and anthropogenic pressures.

In arid and semi-arid regions like Tunisia, irrigation water is typically saline, posing a soil and crop salinization risk and yield reduction. This research aims to study the combined effects of soil matric and osmotic potential stresses on tomato root water uptake. Plants were grown in pot and field experiments in loamy-clay soils and were irrigated with three different irrigation water qualities: 0, 3.5, and 7 dS/m. The Hydrus-1D model was used to simulate the combined dynamics of subsurface soil water and salts. Successful calibration and validation of the model against measured water and salt profiles enabled the examination of the combined effects of osmotic and matric potential stresses on root water uptake. Relative yields, indirectly estimated from actual and potential transpiration, indicated that the multiplicative stress response model effectively simulated measured yields and the impact of saline water irrigation on crop yields. The gradual salinization of the root zone further evidenced this effect. The scenario considering a temperature increase of 2°C had no significant impact on crop yields in the pot and field experiments.

Nowadays, the identification and characterization of grapevine cultivars resilient to climate and water stress while preserving quality traits is crucial for the wine industry. Therefore, the objective of this work was to characterize according to their aromatic potential 9 white and 6 red minority cultivars recently recovered from Castilla-La Mancha region (Spain), subjected at two different water deficit regimes: rainfed, with subsistence irrigation, and irrigated. For this, the varietal aromatic potential index (IPAv) and the detailed aromatic composition were analyzed by HS-SBSE-GC/MS, in extracts of two different ph. For IPAv values, red varieties did not show a clear trend with respect to irrigation. However, in white minority varieties, higher values were obtained under irrigation conditions. Thus, a clear differentiation of the minority varieties in comparison to the references was observed, primarily attributed to the content of esters and acids, in both white and red varieties. A notable contrast was observed at different pH, indicating a greater extractability of certain compounds like linalool, under more acidic conditions. This suggests that some recovered minority cultivars could be promising for cultivation in semi-arid regions with limited water, contributing to the wine sector sustainability in the future.

Financing frameworks for Public Private Partnerships (PPPs) are lacking in developing countries. This study develops and recommends a financing framework for water and sanitation PPP infrastructure projects in Zimbabwe. The framework model integrates the Public Private Partnership models, sources of finance for water and sanitation PPPs, and the drivers of water and sanitation PPP finance. Both the public and private sources of finance are instrumental for financing water and sanitation PPP projects. Tobit econometric models are applied on data collected from both international and domestic data banks. The time frame for the analysis is a 25-year period running from 1996 ending 2021. Capital market variables, bank market development and economic affluence drive the financing of water and sanitation Public Private Partnership infrastructure projects in Zimbabwe. The study recommends the application of the developed framework in the water and sanitation Public Private Partnership infrastructure financing policy, for developing countries.

Using a detailed atmospheric radiative transfer model, we derive macroscopic relationships of downwelling and outgoing longwave radiation, useful for hydrological practice. We validate them using empirical formulae based on downwelling radiation data, which are in common use in hydrology, as well as satellite data for the outgoing radiation. We use the macroscopic relationships to infer the relative importance of carbon dioxide and water vapour in the greenhouse effect. The results show that the contribution of the former is 4% – 5%, while water and clouds dominate with a contribution of 87% – 95%. The minor effect of carbon dioxide is also confirmed by the small, non-discernible effect of the recent escalation of atmospheric CO2 concentration from 300 to 420 ppm, which is quantified at 0.5% for both downwelling and outgoing radiation. Water and clouds also perform other important functions in climate, such as regulating the heat storage and the albedo, as well as cooling the Earth’s surface though latent heat transfer, with a contribution of 50%. By confirming the major role of water on climate, these results suggest that hydrology should have a more prominent and more active role in climate research.

Technological advances in the last decades have led to the realization of the concept of a smart environment. A significant part of this development is decentralized ledger technology and its variant, a blockchain. The blockchain database is immutable, open to all stakeholders, secure by architecture and robust. Applying a blockchain in water supply sanitary control creates opportunities for optimization, higher quality of service, cost reduction, better sanitary standards and public control. Physical, chemical, and biological water supply contamination is a great source of public health hazards. Implementation of a blockchain for water supply IoT, from the source point to the consumption point, enables effective response to changing environments, possible cross-contamination, stormwater management or disaster and emergency action. The chapter encompasses all fundamental elements and principles of water collection, distribution and consumption, with a focus on the health hazards and sanitary requirements for potable water. The chapter listed the main contaminants, methods of their registration and elimination, and requirements for drinking water in accordance with WHO, EU Drinking Water Directive and EPA standards. Blockchain technology solutions are described for smart water supply, including smart supply management, smart contracts, tokenization, smart compliance systems, and, most importantly, effective utilization of distributed ledger technologies for sanitary monitoring of water sources, water treatment, and water distribution systems.

Microplastics, which are plastic particles smaller than 5 mm in size, are a growing environmental concern since they have been found in oceans, rivers, lakes, and even on land. These tiny particles can escape water filtration systems and end up in water bodies as well as through the degradation of the larger plastic products causing serious environmental and food safety concerns. This research represents the magnitude of this pollution, characterization of microplastic contamination, its type of polymer, and possible sources of this pollution in the rivers around Dhaka, Bangladesh. Quantitative analyses were done following the method suggested by the NOAA and other conventional methods. Among the rivers, Buriganga has the highest microplastic pollution with 3.654 items/L in surface water and 43.125 items/kg in sediment. The concentration in Shitalakshya and Turag rivers are 3.011 items/L and 2.051 items/L in surface water and 34.875 and 17.875 items/kg in sediment respectively. ANOVA test revealed a significant difference between the concentration level of microplastic in the surface water of the Burigana and Turag rivers. A positive correlation between the concentration level of microplastic in the surface water and the sediment was also found. On average 58% of the microplastics were found to be fibrous in surface water. Qualitative analyses were done to find the characteristics and chemical composition of the microplastics. Through the use of FTIR spectroscopy, the study identified different kinds of synthetic polymers in the sample including polyamide (Nylon), polyethylene (PE), polystyrene (PS), polypropylene (PP), polyethersulfone (PES), polyvinyl chloride (PVC), and polyethylene terephthalate (PET) and polyethylene were the most abundant polymer in the samples. This study involved the investigation of three distinct rivers located in the vicinity of Dhaka city

Hydrogen is considered as an ideal substitute to the traditional fossil fuels because of its widespread sources, high calorific value of combustion, and zero carbon emissions. The electrocatalytic water-splitting to produce hydrogen is also deemed to be the best approach, however, it is a challenge to make high-efficient and low-cost electrocatalysts. Single-atom catalysts (SACs) are considered the most promising candidate to replace the traditional noble-metal catalysts. Compared with SACs, the dual-atom catalysts (DACs) are of greater attraction including higher metal loading, more versatile active sites, and excellent catalytic activity. In the review, several general synthetic strategies and structural characterization methods of DACs are introduced, and the mechanisms of hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) and oxygen evolution reactions (OER) are discussed. The authors hope that the review has given some insights and inspiration to the researchers about DACs in electrocatalytic water-splitting.

Water plays a vital role in the healthy growth of pears. Early detection of water stress can play a significant role in the timely management of water deficiency for pear yield. Most current methods are labour-intensive, time-consuming, only provide point measurements, and could be destructive. In this research, a real-time non-destructive method using a push-broom hyperspectral system (400-1000nm) was used to collect hyperspectral image data and detect the water stress of the pear seedling leaves. To build a reliable prediction model, machine learning techniques were used. The Successive Projections Algorithm (SPA) was applied for optimal wavelength selection. In particular, CNN was applied to obtain the features of key wavelengths. Both the CNN features and key wavelengths were put into RR-MLR, BLR and ENN for analysis. The training accuracy of the three modellings all reach the accuracy above 70% after about 100 epochs, while combination of CNN features outperformed the mere main spectra analysis. This research demonstrated that hyperspectral imaging coupled with machine learning techniques could be applied to predict the water content of pear leaves predict non-destructively.

Unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) photogrammetry allows the generation of orthophoto and digital surface model (DSM) rasters of a terrain. However, DSMs of water bodies mapped using this technique often reveal distortions in the water surface, thereby impeding the accurate sampling of water surface elevation (WSE) from DSMs. This study investigates the capability of deep neural networks to accommodate the aforementioned perturbations and effectively estimate WSE from photogrammetric rasters. Convolutional neural networks (CNNs) were employed for this purpose. Two regression approaches utilizing CNNs were explored: direct regression employing an encoder and solution based on prediction of the weight mask by an encoder-decoder architecture, subse-quently used to sample values from the photogrammetric DSM. The dataset employed in this study comprises data collected from five case studies of small lowland streams in Poland and Denmark, consisting of 322 DSM and orthophoto raster samples. Each sample corresponds to a 10 by 10 meter area of the stream channel and adjacent land. A grid search was employed to identify the optimal combination of encoder, mask generation architecture, and batch size among multiple candidates. Solutions were evaluated using two cross-validation methods: stratified k-fold cross-validation, where validation subsets maintained the same proportion of samples from all case studies, and leave-one-case-out cross-validation, where the validation dataset originates entirely from a single case study, and the training set consists of samples from other case studies. The proposed solution was compared with existing methods for measuring WSE in small streams using a drone. The results indicate that the solution outperforms previous photogrammetry-based methods and is second only to the radar-based method, which is considered the most accurate method available. The solution is characterized by a high degree of explainability and generalization.

A parallel shallow water flow model is introduced in this paper. The explicit-time finite volume approach is adopted to solve the 2D shallow water equations on an unstructured triangular mesh. The proposed scheme is second-order accurate in temporal and spatial terms using the two-stage Runge-Kutta and the monotone upwind scheme for conservation law (MUSCL) methods, respectively. Based on Message Passing Interface (MPI) and OpenACC, a multi-GPU model is presented with the METIS library to produce the domain decomposition. A CUDA-aware MPI library through GPUDirect for peer-to-peer (P2P) transfer between two GPUs and overlapping computation and MPI communication are used to speed up MPI memory exchange and the performance of the code. A 2D circular dam break test with wet and dry downstream beds and grid resolutions of about 2 million cells is considered to verify the accuracy of the code, and good results were achieved compared to the numerical simulations of published studies. Compared with the multi-CPU version of the 6-core CPU, maximum speedups of 56.18 and 331.51 were obtained using the single-GPU and multi-GPU versions, respectively. Results indicate that acceleration performance improves as the mesh resolution increases.

Free-Living Amoebae (FLA) are widely distributed protozoa in both nature and artificial environments such as drinking water. Besides the ability of all FLA to transport various pathogenic microorganisms, certain species, Acanthamoeba spp. or Balamuthia mandrillaris, have intrinsic pathogenic abilities and cause severe cerebral infections. Previous work has shown an enrichment of FLA cysts in biofilm developed in upper levels of Drinking Water Storage Towers (DWST), suggesting that differences in densities of FLA cysts may play a role in their unequal distribution in the water column. To evaluate this hypothesis, a model of a water column was created for this study and used to analyze the vertical distribution of cysts of the FLA Acanthamoeba castellanii, Vermamoeba vermiformis and Balamuthia mandrillaris from 0 to 23 weeks. Interestingly, our data showed that the cysts of both A. castellanii and V. vermiformis were enriched in upper water levels during their aging. However, B. mandrillaris cysts were equally distributed in the water column during the entire study. These results showed that, besides the role of the water level variation in the DWST, some FLA cysts can become less dense during their aging, which contributes to their enrichment in upper water, and thus biofilm levels.

There is a deep link existing between symmetry and nature that may be best apprehended by using group theory. In physics, giving a symmetry group is entirely equivalent to fix natural laws (Noether’s theorem). Within such a framework, it follows that all fundamental mechanical laws may be given by defining a group of symmetry operations belonging to the Gal(3,1) symmetry group having ten generators (3 + 3 + 3 + 1 = 10). The move to special relativity amounts simply to substitute another group ISO(3,1) to Gal(3,1) and having the same number of generators. In both cases, one immediately perceives that we live in universe with 3 dimensions of space and 1 dimension of time. A further progress could be made by looking for the symmetry group that leaves Maxwell’s equations invariant. The answer to this fundamental question is the group ISO(4,2)⊗U(2)⊗U(2) characterized by 23 generators : 15 = 10 + 5 for the conformal group ISO(4,2), 4 for U(2) and hence 8 = 4 + 4 for the compact part U(2)⊗U(2) that could be related to the existence of quantum physics besides relativity. As ISO(3,1) is a sub-group of ISO(4,2), the two numbers 4 and 2 suggests that, taking into account the existence of light besides matter, we live in an universe having 4 spacelike dimensions and 2 time-like dimensions. Here, it is proposed that, as music is characterized by a scale-invariant symmetry operation (transposition by octaves) and that as time may be perceived differently in shamanic trance for instance, the two “new” dimensions of our universe may be related to music and consciousness. Related to the fifth dimension of music, the notion of diapason linking physical frequencies to a musical note is revisited. It is thus proposed to adopt a new A4 = 429.62 Hz value based on universal physical constants of our universe and on the mass of the water molecule H₂O, the most abundant molecule in the universe. Demonstration is done that this new diapason is superior to other diapasons based on frequencies of 440 Hz or even 432 Hz

Achieving sustainable development will require improved water management, but the main framework to address it, Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM), lacks clarity and acceptance among a diverse community of many stakeholders. This creates communication problems and obscures issues that people care about like drinking water and pollution prevention. As a process within IWRM, the concept of water resources assessment also suffers from a lack of clarity, which leads to ambiguity and reports that are too general to lead to action. This lack of acceptance of IWRM and water resources assessment saps support for essential data collection, analysis, and reporting. Clarifying IWRM will require work within the water community and better messaging to stakeholders. Methods for water resources assessment can be clarified by linking outcomes to higher level reporting of policy and issues. Acceptance of the role of water resources assessment can be facilitated by adding it to the management instruments in the IWRM Toolbox. Stovepipes among water management agencies require coordination to achieve this, usually through framework studies. Improved messaging will involve what people and stakeholders care about and will require changed approaches to presentation of outcomes by categories, such as drinking water, pollution prevention, and flood risk reduction. Researchers can report outcomes with technical messaging that trends toward uniform language and definitions and the water resources management community can nudge its media outlets to carry unifying messages.

Highly transparent, conductive nanosheets are extremely attractive for advanced optoelectronic applications. Previously, we have demonstrated that transparent, conductive Au nanosheets can be prepared by UV irradiation of Au nanoparticle (AuNP) monolayers spread on water, which serves as the subphase. In this study, we show that this UV irradiation technique can easily be extended as a nanosheet modification method by using subphases containing metal ions. That is, aqueous solutions containing Au and Ag ions are effective in modifying Au nanosheets. HAuCl4 solutions increased Au nanosheet thickness, which improved conductivity, but reduced transparency. On the other hand, use of aqueous AgNO3 and CH3COOAg solutions yielded Au-Ag hybrid nanosheets; however, their morphologies depended on the electrolytes used. Homogeneous Au-Ag nanosheets from AgNO3 and AuNPs covered with an Ag nanosheet from CH3COOAg were also produced. Further, these Au-Ag hybrid nanosheets had high conductivity without reduced transparency. Therefore, this UV irradiation method, modified by adding metal ions is quite effective at improving and diversifying properties of Au nanosheets.

Wheat is widely grown in the Mediterranean region, where plants frequently face water shortages. Recently, more attention to rationalizing irrigation water has been increased due to the adoption of sustainable agricultural systems. Therefore, two field trials were conducted at the Agriculture Research Station of Nubaria, Egypt, in two consecutive seasons (2017/2018 and 2018/2019) to examine three irrigation regimes' effects, i.e., 60, 80, and 100% of crop evapotranspiration (ETc) combined with foliar ascorbic acid (AsA) or vitamin B2 (VB2) on yield and water productivity of wheat in two separate experiments. A split-plot design was used with three replicates. Irrigation treatments occupied the main plots, while the subplot in the first experiment was placed by ascorbic acid (AsA) and vitamin B2 in the second experiment. Results indicated that 100% ETc produced higher wheat yield and its attributes and insignificantly surpassed 80% ETc. Compared to the unsprayed plots, the foliar application of 6 mM ascorbic acid or 2.0 mM vitamin B2 significantly increased grain yield, components, and water use efficiency. The interaction between irrigation regimes (100% ETc or 80% ETc) and foliar application of 6.0 mM ascorbic acid or 2.0 mM vitamin B2 resulted in the highest values with no significant difference. Foliar application of ascorbic acid or vitamin B2 saved 20% of irrigation water while yielding a reduction that did not exceed 10%. The biplot graph of treatments x traits (TT) was a useful statistical tool for examining the impact of treatments on yield and its characteristics and identifying the links between these factors. Results suggest that riboflavin or ascorbic acid may have a potential role as an effective antioxidant for enhancing the tolerance for drought stress in wheat.

The South of France is a biodiversity hotspot within Europe. Here, we present a comprehensive review of surveys conducted in the Cent Fonts aquifer, an overlooked subterranean biodiversity hotspot embedded in a region rich in stygobiotic species and threatened by climate change and water abstraction projects. Key studies, spanning from 1950 to 2006, show a progression in survey methods and results, although troglobiotic species remain poorly documented. With 43 stygobiotic species recorded, the Cent Fonts is the second richest stygobiont hotspot in Europe. Most species are regional endemics, a quarter of which are considered vulnerable by the IUCN. The Cent Fonts also hosts several relict species and is the type locality of four species. Such a high biological value clearly deserves to be preserved. Our analysis warns of a possible decline in biodiversity, as 8 of the species recorded in the 20th century were absent from the 2006 survey, suggesting potential threats of unknown origin. The capture of the Cent Font springs for water abstraction is discussed as a potential threat to this ecosystem and its unique biodiversity. Three new species of stygobiotic molluscs are described, one of which was collected in the Cent Fonts.

Although hydrogen gas (H2) treated soil improves crop biomass, this approach appears difficult for the field application due to the flammability of H2 gas. In this report, we investigated whether and how H2 applied in hydrogen nanobubble water (HNW) improves the yield and quality of cherry tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum var. cerasiforme) with/without fertilizers. Two-year field trials showed that compared to corresponding controls, HNW without/with fertilizers improved cherry tomato yield per plant by 39.7% and 26.5% in 2021 (Shanghai), and 39.4% and 28.2% in 2023 (Nanjing). Compared to surface water (SW), HNW increased soil available nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and potassium (K) consumption regardless of fertilizer application, which may be attributed to the increased NPK transport related genes in roots (LeAMT2, LePT2, LePT5, and SlHKT1,1). Also, HNW-irrigated cherry tomato displayed higher sugar-acid ratio (8.6%) and lycopene content (22.3%) than SW-irrigated plants without fertilizers. Importantly, the beneficial effects of HNW without fertilizers on yield per plant (9.1%), sugar-acid ratio (31.1%), volatiles (20.0%) and lycopene contents (54.3%) were stronger than those achieved by fertilizers alone. In short, this study clearly indicated that HNW-supplied H2 not only exhibited fertilization effect on enhancing tomato yield, but also improved fruit quality with a lower carbon footprint.

Over the last ten years, the integrated pond aquaculture (IPA) has been developing rapidly as a new aquaculture mode, and mechanical power oxygenator is a common oxygenation device in this aquaculture mode. However, with the gradual expansion of the application range of this aquaculture mode, the problems of low efficiency, poor oxygenation uniformity, and low applicability of mechanical power oxygenators, which can produce water reflux and suction pollution accumulation, have gradually emerged. Therefore, we designed a new type of push-water aerator device (NPWAD) applicable to the integrated recirculating water aquaculture mode of ponds. Mainly, the specific parameters of the key components were clarified through the selection calculation and structural design, and the experiments were carried out in the self-constructed pond integrated aquaculture system at the experimental base. The experiments were carried out on the water in the tank for grass carp culture, and the oxygenation and water pushing effects of the type of push-water aerator device under 15 groups of different operating parameters were carried out by using multiple types of high-precision water quality monitoring sensors, with the rotational speed of the device, the operating time (0-30 min) and the height of the water (0.5-1.5 m) as the independent variables, and the oxygenation amount R, the oxygenation power efficiency E_s and the surface layer of the water as the evaluation indexes, average flow velocity V_f were used as its evaluation indexes of oxygenation and water pushing. The results show that the optimal parameters of the NPWAD are impeller water lifting component speed n_1=1000r/min, small-hole aeration component speed n_2=2280r/min. At this time, the average oxygen increase of this device is R=1.96mg/L, the average oxygenation power efficiency is E_s=3.8 kg·(h·kW)-1, the DO uniformity of the water M_1=95.3%, and the average flow velocity V_f=190.8mm/s, which can effectively promote the water directional flow and achieve the water circulation and layer exchange, and it is in line with the preferred swimming speed of grass carp at various growth stages. The new type of push-water aerator device is able to enhance the DO concentration of the water faster, but also to achieve the purpose of promoting the directional flow of the water and renewing the water in the tank, as well as in a short period of time to improve the uniformity of the DO of the water faster, for the improvement of the pond aquaculture production efficiency has practical significance.

: Kentucky is one of the largest coal producing states and surface coal mining has led to changes in natural land cover, soil loss, and water quality. This study explored relationships between actively mined and reclaimed areas and vegetation change and water quality parameters. The study site evaluated 58 watersheds with Landsat-derived variables (reclamation age, mining percentage, reclaimed forest percentage, and reclaimed woods percentage) as well as topographic variables (such as elevation, slope, drainage density, and infiltration). Water samples were collected in spring (n=9), summer (n=14), and fall (n=58) 2017 to study changes in water quality variables (SO42-, alkalinity, conductivity, Ca2+, Mg2+, Mn2+, Al3+, and Fe2+,Fe3+) in response to changes in land cover. Pearson correlation analyses indicated conductivity has strong to very strong relationships with other variables of water quality variables related to coal mining (except Al3+, Fe2+,Fe3+, Mn2+, elevation, slope, and drainage density) and land cover variables. In addition, separate multivariate regression analyses were performed with conductivity values based on samples collected in the fall. First, conductivity response to mining percentage, reclamation age and topographic variables were examined (adjusted R2=0.818, p < 0.01). Next, vegetation cover change parameters were added to the same model, which yielded slightly improved R2 (adjusted R2 = 0.826, p < 0.01). Finally, reclamation age and mining percentage were used to explain the quantity of reclaimed forested areas as a percentage of watersheds. The model was significant (p < 0.01) with an adjusted R2 value of 0.641. Results suggest that the quantity (area as a percentage) of reclaimed forests may be a predictor of mining percentage and reclamation age. This study indicated that conductivity is a predictable water quality indicator that is highly associated with Coal Mine Related Stream Chemistry in areas where agriculture and urban development are limited. These findings may help the scientific community and key state and federal agencies improve their understanding of water quality attributes in watersheds affected by coal mining as well as refining land reclamation practices.

E-waste is considered the fastest-growing global waste stream and has become an emerging environmental challenge. The widespread usage of digital devices has generated a large amount of e-waste. According to the Ministry of Commerce, India annually generates ~14.5 lakh metric tons of e-waste and recycles only ~5 % of e-waste. Annually, the global production of e-waste has been expected to increase by 4–5 %. Advancements in IT and communication divisions have improved the usage of electronic equipment. Heavy metals such as (Pb), mercury (Hg), arsenic (As), tin (Sn), and organic chemicals such as polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), polybrominated biphenyls (PBBs), polybrominated dibenzo-p-dioxins (PBDDs), polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) are subsequently released from e-wastes and contaminates soil and water sources. These toxic compounds are hazardous to human health and the environment. They are capable of entering various biological systems and causing alterations in respiratory functions of the lungs, DNA damage, impaired functioning of the thyroid, and increased risk of chronic diseases such as cancer and cardiovascular ailments. Such concerns raise the quintessential need to manage e-waste to prevent future hazards. This manuscript critically reviews the sources, health and environmental impact, disposal techniques, recycling, and regulation of e-waste.

Nanoscience is a rapidly growing science stream that has been one of the cost-effective and energy-efficient approaches with wide applications. Water pollution is a major issue that is increasing continuously due to anthropogenic activities and several organic and inorganic contaminants. To overcome this issue, nanoparticles (NPs) have been successfully used to treat water. These NPs possess many beneficial applications in many fields like agriculture, cosmetics, photoconductors, environmental biotechnology, glass and alloy production, solar cells, nanomedicine and drug deliveries, biosensors, food industries, etc. The properties comprising high surface area, greater chemical reactivity, and mechanical properties play a vital role in imparting such beneficiary properties. As a result, there has been an increasing demand for the synthesis of NPs. However, excess usage of NPs further creates toxic by-products. Therefore, scientists and researchers are now focussing on the biogenic synthesis of NPs. The biological routes of NP synthesis have been crucial because they are eco-friendly and environmentally safe. This chapter highlights the usage of different approaches and biogenic sources for the production of NPs. It also discusses the recent advancement in the use of biogenic NPs with respect to applications for wastewater treatment.

The residue of chestnut processing generates a large amount of waste material, a resource not adequately exploited. The phenolic composition of water extracts from discarded pericarp of four (MURG, LOCG, ILDP and COEV) chestnut accessions and one marron variety belonging to the Sardinian biodiversity was studied. The antioxidant capacity of cold and hot water extracts was determined by DPPH, ABTS and cyclic voltammetry tests. The antiproliferative effect on normal cells (fibroblasts), and colon (RKO and SW48), breast (MCF7) and melanoma (B16F10) cancer cells, was evaluated by biological assays. MTT test demonstrated that temperature and different extraction times significantly influenced the growth of cells, both normal and tumor. The fibroblast viability was significantly reduced by moderate doses of cold extracts, but only by doses greater than 250 µg/ml of hot extracts, regardless of the accession or cultivar. An even more marked effect was observed when RKO and SW48 were treated with cold extracts, while treatments on B16F10 melanoma cells resulted less effective. Differently, the cold extracts of all accessions induced a significant increase in MCF7 cell viability starting from moderate doses (50 µg/ml), whereas hot extracts had a similar, but less evident, effect compared to reference fibroblasts.

In Ethiopia, climate change risks are anticipated to have significant consequences for agriculture and food security. This study investigated the past (1981-2010) and the future (2041-2070) climate change trends and their influence on crop length of growing seasons in North-Western (NW) Ethiopian highlands. Climate data were obtained from National Meteorological Agency of Ethiopia and the most valid and high resolution CMIP5 rcp6 (Coupled models Intercomparison Project representative concentration path six) model data were extracted and applied for the analysis purpose. Standard statistical methods are then applied to compute soil water content as well as to evaluate climate variability and trends and their impact on crop Length of Growing Season (LGS). Maximum temperature (tasmax) and minimum temperature (tasmin) inter-annual variability anomalies show the region has experienced coolest years than hottest years during the past. However, in the future the coolest years will highly decrease by -1.2oC while the hottest years increase by +1.3oC. During the major rainfall season (JJAS), the area has received an adequate amount of rainfall in the past and is very likely to get similar rainfall in the future. Whereas the February to May (FMAM) season assists only for early planting and October to January (ONDJ) season for lengthen growing season of JJAS if properly utilized. Otherwise, the season will have the possibility to destroy crops before and during the harvesting time. The soil water content change in the future remains close to past condition, The length of growing seasons has less variable onset and cessation dates while the projected length of growing period (LGP) 174 to 177 days will be suitable for short, long cycle crops and double cropping that could benefit crop production yield of NW-Ethiopian highlands in the future.

As one of the important wastes, waste PET pollutes human living and natural environment seriously. PET is an important solid waste that needs to be recycled at present. The complete degradation of PET was realized at low temperature. The lipophilic hydrophobic membrane was formed on the surface of stainless steel mesh (SSM) by a simple dip coating method, and the oil-water separation material was successfully prepared. Due to the load of degradation products, the surface roughness of SSM increased from 19.09 μm increased to 62.33 μm. The surface changed from hydrophilic to hydrophobic, and the water contact angle increased to 123o. The oil-water separation flux of modified SSM is 9825 L/(m2·h) and the separation efficiency is 98.99%. The modified SSM has good reuse performance. This hydrophobic modification method can also be used to modify other porous substrates, such as activated carbon, filter paper, foam, and other materials. In this study, the porous substrate modified by the degradation product of waste PET was used to prepare oil-water separation materials, which not only solved the problem of white pollution, but also reduced the dependence on non renewable resources in the conventional preparation methods of oil-water separation materials. The research provided new raw materials and methods for the industrial production of oil-water separation materials, and had important application prospects.

By definition, a cell is the smallest unit of biological life. This means that every living thing can be fundamentally narrowed down to a composition of cells working together for the furtherance of that being in existence. With the dawn dawn of the evolutionary theory that bespeaks of life commencing some 〜3.8 billion years ago with RNA strands that underwent evolution to become DNA, which led to what we have now as life in the world, or with the Panspermia hypothesis, assuming that life on Earth was seeded from space, what is being considered in this work pertains to the origin of life. In addition to the plethora of intuitive stances that concern the origin story of life, this work will only add to the these. The major hypothesis in this work is that the continuity of life, as pertaining to its procession from parent to offspring provides fundamental links to the origin of life and this is the major consideration that will be given. It is thus apparent that the cells that would be considered are germ cells and not somatic cells. A cursory look at the continuity of life, should give us clues as regards how life originated. We nonetheless, take into consideration the fact that some features due to its non-use have gone extinct, thus taking with them the needed knowledge to breaking even as regards our inquiry. Even at that, we propose that conjectures, hypothetically, can be made based on the physical evidence that is available to us today.

The protection of all environmental compartments (water, soil, air) is of great interest for the normal functioning of life on Earth. Namely, the environment is systematically polluted with different concentrations of physical, biological and chemical pollutants. For the purpose of environmental protection, numerous in situ and ex situ biological, chemical and physical remediation techniques have been developed. Most techniques have limitations such as high costs, processing time and environmental feasibility. In general, biological techniques have proven to be the most environmentally friendly compared to chemical and physical techniques. Furthermore, remediation is an extremely complex procedure due to the complexity of the pollutant composition. Therefore, the implementation of individual physical, biological or chemical remediation techniques is often not sufficient for adequate remediation of the polluted environment. Accordingly, for more economical and efficient environmental remediation, it is recommended to use a combination of techniques that should meet the requirements of efficiency and treatment duration. Ultimately, this short review presents a concise overview of the recent application of physical, biological and chemical remediation techniques to all compartments of the polluted environment (water, air, soil). A critical review of existing knowledge on environmental remediation through a search of relevant literature helped to assess the basic challenges and limitations that arise in the issue of environmental remediation, as well as providing recommendations and guidelines for future research.

Water resource pollution, particularly in river channels, presents a grave environmental challenge that necessitates a comprehensive and systematic approach encompassing assessment, forecasting, and effective management. This article provides a comprehensive exploration of the methodology and modeling tools employed to scrutinize the process of river channel pollution due to silting, rooted in the fundamental principles of hydrodynamics and pollutant transport dynamics. The study's methodology seamlessly integrates numerical simulations with state-of-the-art neural network techniques, with a specific focus on the Physics-informed neural networks (PINN) method. This innovative approach represents a groundbreaking fusion of artificial neural networks (ANN) and physical equations, offering a more efficient and precise means of modeling a wide array of complex processes and phenomena. The proposed mathematical model, grounded in the Euler equation, has been meticulously implemented using the Ansys Fluent software package, ensuring accuracy and reliability in the computations. In a pivotal phase of the research, a thorough comparative analysis was conducted between the results derived from the PINN method and those obtained through conventional numerical approaches using the Ansys Fluent software package. The outcomes of this analysis revealed the superior performance of the PINN method, characterized by the generation of smoother pressure fluctuation profiles and significantly reduced computation time, underscoring its potential as a transformative modeling tool. The calculated data originating from this study assumes paramount significance in the ongoing battle against river sedimentation. Beyond this immediate application, these findings also serve as a valuable resource for creating predictive materials pertaining to river channel silting, thereby empowering decision-makers and environmental stakeholders with essential information. The utilization of modeling techniques to address pollution concerns in river channels holds the potential to revolutionize risk management and safeguard the integrity of our vital water resources. However, it is imperative to underscore that the effectiveness of such models hinges on ongoing monitoring and frequent data updates, ensuring that they remain aligned with real-world conditions. This research not only contributes to the enhanced understanding and proactive management of river channel pollution due to silting but also underscores the pivotal role of advanced modeling methodologies in the preservation of our invaluable water resources for present and future generations.

Poly-DADMAC (PD) is a commonly used organic polymer in water treatment, known for its effectiveness as a coagulant. However, its presence as a residue in water raises concerns related to membrane fouling and the potential formation of carcinogenic compounds. Therefore, fast and simple quantification is necessary to efficiently control and monitor the optimal dose of poly-DADMAC with minimal negative effects. This study introduces a new colorimetric quantification method for poly-DADMAC, based on complexation with a cationic dye (fast green- FG). The method was examined through varying conditions which included different analytical and commercial poly-DADMAC formulations and concentrations. The experiments confirm its effectiveness in quantifying poly-DADMAC with a detection limit of 3.22 µg L^-1 (0.02 µM based on monomers' molecular weight), which is one order of magnitude lower than regulatory requirements (50 µg L^-1). To validate the method, the effect of pH was examined, and implementation demonstrations were conducted on cyanobacteria and cowshed polluted water samples. This research introduces a fast, cost-effective innovative method to accurately quantify poly-DADMAC, enhancing water treatment strategies for high-quality purification and water reuse

The sugar company Valdez S.A. Entity located within the geographical limits of the city of Milagro, needs to reduce its emissions to the environment and does not always comply with the air emissions standards for stationary combustion sources, which indicates that for equipment installed before 2003 they have a maximum limit of 300 mg / m³. A mist eliminator was designed to work inside the original wet gas scrubber of the water-tube cauldron #10, which uses Bagasse as fuel, for the generation of steam for industrial use. The research is documentary and field. The methodology used was mixed. focusing on the comparison of three types of technologies to meet the objectives, the fog eliminators types: Demister, Cyclone and Chevron. To find the appropriate complement, a comparison sheet was made, which is a table of contents evaluated quantitatively, analyzing indicators formulated in each of the contents. The results, supported by the Multiple Criteria Decision Analysis methodology, select the Chevron type fog eliminator, with the best efficiency for capture. Using AutoCAD, allows to visualize in 3D, the structural design in the gas scrubber.

The accumulation of microplastics in the world oceans is one of the main global problems of the modern world. The Black Sea is the main source of seafood for people from several countries, including Bulgaria. The pollution of the Black sea is a result of various factors, especially anthropogenic. The present study demonstrated detailed MPs contamination of five fish species important for the commercial fishing (Garfish, Мullet, Knout goby, Pontic shad and Mediterranean horse mackerel) collected from the Sozopol area on the Bulgarian Black Sea coast. Within each microplastic morphological group, three size classes were recognized: 100-200 µm, 25-100 µm, and ≤ 25 µm. Microplastics were found in the soft tissues of all studied specimens but in a different ratio of pellets, fibers and fragments. Generally, the pellets were the most often registered particles, followed by irregularly-shaped fragments, whereas fibers were less numerous. The dominant part of the isolated plastics are made of polyethylene (PE), and polyethylene terephthalate (PET). Our results pointed out serious pollution with plastic particles in the Bulgarian Black Sea aquatory, which in the future may seriously affect the health of the fish population and also human health.

The experiment was carried out during October 2022 to January 2023 at Mae Hea Agricultural Research, Demonstration and Training Center, Faculty of Agriculture, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai Province, Thailand; latitude: 18° 44′ 36″ North, Longitude: 98° 57′ 50″ East, and an al-titude 304 msl. Evaporative greenhouse, 9.6 x 40 square meters, with 8 planting troughs was prepared, Sensors and Internet of Things (IoT) system were installed to monitor continuously vital parameters, collect data, and send timely alerts to facilitate problem resolution. The data were displayed via IoT platform dashboard. An average air temperature, light intensity, media moisture and CO2 concentration in the greenhouse during 4 months was 21.1 ◦C, 12,948 Lux, 2 kPa and 495 ppm, respectively. The average maximum temperature in the evaporative greenhouse was 29.6 ◦C, which 4.2 ◦C lower than outside; 33.8 ◦C. Root-zone cooling of the strawberry planting was de-signed as factorial 3x4 in completely randomized design (CRD). Factor A was the short-day strawberry cultivars: 1) “Pharachatan 88” 2) “Pharachatan 80” and 3) “Akihime”. Factor B was the root-zone cooling treatments: 1) normal water dripping (NWD) 2) cold water dripping (CWD) 3) cold water dripping + cold water piping (CWD+CWP) and 4) normal water dripping + cold water piping (NWD+CWP). The results revealed that there was an interaction between the two factors on canopy width, leave width, crown diameter, number of flowers, fruit qualities and fruit color, whereas plant height, leaves length, SPAD and number of inflorescences were not affected by the interaction between the two factors. Four months after the experiment, the root-zone cooling treatments had no effect on chlorophyll contents, whereas “Pharachatan 80” had lower chlorophyll content than others. The CWD+CWP treatment could reduce 2 °C of root-zone temperature and leading to promote vegetative and reproductive growth in strawberry plants. Anyhow, without the root-zone cooling treatment, “Akihime”and “Pharachatan 88” still could produce flowers and yield, but “Pharachatan 80” could not. Furthermore, “Akihime” seemed appreciable in flowering, TSS and yield as compared to others.

This study aimed to analyse the variation of recreational water quality in Plettenberg Bay in an attempt to comprehend the effects of pollution on the environment, and more specifically the potential impacts on the quality of surface water used for recreational activities. Plettenberg Bay is a major destination for tourists in South Africa, with recreational water activities representing an important attraction. For this study, data were obtained from Bitou Municipality, the local au-thority in charge of the water monitoring program in Plettenberg Bay. The selected datasets contained water quality data collected by the Bitou Municipality waterworks department in three sampling sites in Plettenberg Bay. The samples were tested for six water quality parameters namely, Ammonia, Suspended Solids, Conductivity, Nitrates/Nitrites, pH, and E coli. Water quality trends appeared stabile over the five years, with only a few parameters showing variation in their concentration levels. It is recommended that the Bitou Municipality increase the sampling frequency to allow a clearer understanding of water quality variation and to minimise potential uncertainties.

Water scarcity is a worldwide concern, considering that water is a limited resource and essential for life. In Brazil, approximately 30% of its population lives in one of the areas that most suffer from lack of water, the semi-arid region covering about 20% of the country's territorial extension. The lack of water, mainly in the northeast of the country, has been a problem for years, where people who live in this territory have been suffering for months from the lack of water and the poor distribution of the resource, which increases the degree of inequality between the regions of the country. The research aims to show the effect of the hydrological cycle on the quality of vegetation and how such processing can end up affecting people's lives and the environment. The municipality of Floresta is within the scope of sub-basin 73, the territory is part of the municipalities benefited from the PISF- São Francisco River integration project works, and the study has raised discussion on the part of the scientific community regarding the effectiveness of the population project and the possible risks caused to the environment. This study carried out a temporal analysis, 1961-2021, to investigate water availability and how the hydrological system can affect society, raising the degree of its importance for a better quality of life and consequently reducing hydric inequalities. It was also evaluated how climate changes can interfere with these environmental changes and the quality of life at the local scale. The hydrological model system used to assess water availability was the Pernambuco Hydrological Response Units SUPer-System. In addition, this system helped to understand the changes that occurred in the studied sub-basin. Yet was used UAV-Unmanned Aerial Vehicles to view relationship between lives in house and environment conditions. The study can obtain accurate and necessary information to understand the dynamics of the hydrological system and the possible changes of social hydric inequalities. Thus, it is concluded that climate change will have different impacts on small scales and lives conditions due to different characteristic's environment. It is very important to carry out studies on a detailed scale to provide better public policies for mitigating the effects of climate change on people's lives.

Research has been actively conducted on the materials used to commercialize finished products that use hydrogen energy. Hydrogen embrittlement that occurs when hydrogen atoms penetrate metals is the largest problem that must be addressed first regarding safety. Because liquefied hydrogen has an 800 times higher density than hydrogen gas, hydrogen has been stored and transported through liquefaction at -253℃ using helium gas as a refrigerant. However, even if extreme temperatures below zero are maintained, natural vaporization loss that reduces liquefied hydrogen by 3 to 5% of the tank storage capacity per day occurs. In addition, when liquefied hydrogen is converted into high-pressure hydrogen gas for use, it is difficult to completely prevent the loss of the gas, even if sealing technology is applied to prevent gas leaks in transport and storage tanks. Therefore, methods to minimize the loss of hydrogen, establishment of assessment criteria for the embrittlement caused by a small amount of hydrogen gas, and related research are essential. We researched the hydrogen embrittlement resistance of SUS316L rods according to the tensile speed by conducting water electrolysis testing at room temperature, at which hydrogen gas is used to present hydrogen embrittlement assessment criteria for primary ring-shaped forged products.

: Flotation performance in plants can significantly be affected by seasonal variations in different parts of the world. This is generally attributed to the changes in water temperature and pulp temperature in flotation plants, type and concentration of dissolved ions in process water. Extreme temperature conditions may be the major factor affecting flotation performance and mask the influence of water chemistry. Therefore, the interactive effects of the temperature and water chemistry should be taken into consideration, particularly for mine sites experiencing extreme temperature conditions. In this paper, effects of temperature, sulphate (SO42-), thiosulphate (S2O32-) and calcium (Ca2+) ions on the flotation performance of a Cu-Pb-Zn complex sulfide ore were investigated using a statistical experimental design and modelling approach. Batch scale kinetic flotation tests were conducted using the sequential flotation flowsheet of a bulk Cu-Pb flotation stage followed by a zinc rougher flotation stage. The results of the zinc flotation section were used for the statistical evaluation since the zinc concentrate was the product with an economic value for the mine. The results were evaluated using ANOVA analysis and regression analysis to determine the significant parameters and derive individual regression models for each flotation response with Design Expert software version 6.0.8. Individual regression models were developed using the significant main effects and their interactions for each flotation response. Then, the models were used to determine the concentration of the dissolved ions and pulp temperature required to achieve the maximum zinc recovery, maximum zinc grade or the optimum zinc grade and recovery. The details of statistical experimental design, discussions on the effects of the experimental factors and their interactions on the flotation performance and development of regression models are discussed in this paper.

This study examines the geopolitical dynamics of water conflicts in Central Asia, with a specific focus on Uzbekistan and its neighbors. Drawing upon a mixed methods approach within the framework of political geography, the research investigates the interactions among regional nations and the implications of population growth, agricultural industrialization, and economic competition, which heavily rely on shared irrigation systems and watersheds. The study establishes clear research objectives aimed at evaluating the water crisis in the region, addressing challenges in water management, and analyzing contentious issues. By uncovering historical and contemporary factors influencing water conflicts, regional power dynamics, and the complexities of water governance, the study highlights the potential for conflict, regional instability, and disruptions to peace resulting from population growth and economic competition within shared watersheds. The study concludes by providing recommendations to enhance regional cooperation, promote sustainable water management, and foster peacebuilding efforts. These recommendations draw on “soft power theory” and advocate for collaborative approaches. The findings of this research offer valuable insights for policymakers, researchers, and stakeholders involved in water management and regional cooperation amid evolving geopolitical challenges. By contributing to informed decision-making and promoting strategies for sustainable development in the region, this study aims to support efforts toward effective water resource management and long-term stability in Central Asia. The implications of this research extend beyond the immediate region, serving as a reference for other areas facing similar water-related conflicts and providing a foundation for future studies in the field of geography.

The purpose of this study is to identify the steps involved in fabricating silica/chitosan composite membranes and their suitability in fuel cell application. It also intends to identify the physical characteristics of chitosan composite membranes, including their degree of water absorption, proton conductivity, methanol permeability, and functional groups. In this investigation, composite membranes were fabricated using the solution casting method with chitosan content of 5 g and silica variations dosage of 2% and 4% while stirring at a constant speed for 2h. According to the findings, the analysis of composite membranes produced chitosan membranes that were successfully modified with silica. The optimum membrane was found to be 4% s-SiO2 from the Sol-gel method with composite membrane's optimal condition of 0.234 cm/s proton conductivity, water uptake of 56.21%, and reduced methanol permeability of 0.99 × 10 -7 cm2/s in the first 30 minutes and 3.31 × 10-7 in the last 150 minutes. Maintaining lower water uptake capacity at higher silica content is still a challenge that needs to be addressed. However, the fabricated membranes showed exceptional results in terms of proton conductivity and methanol permeability.

This study explores the geopolitical dynamics of water conflicts in Central Asia, focusing on Uzbekistan and its neighboring countries. Using a mixed methods approach within the framework of political geography, the research analyzes interactions among regional countries and the implications of population growth, agricultural industrialization, and economic competition, which heavily rely on shared irrigation systems and watersheds. It establishes research objectives, evaluates the water crisis, addresses challenges in water management, and examines contentious issues like hydropower, resource hegemony, and ethnic conflict. Also, the study uncovers historical and contemporary factors influencing water conflicts, regional power dynamics, and the complexities of water governance. The findings highlight the potential for conflict, regional instability, and disruptions to peace resulting from population growth and economic competition within shared watersheds. The study concludes with recommendations to enhance regional cooperation, sustainable water management, and peacebuilding, drawing on soft power theory and advocating for collaborative approaches. This research provides valuable insights for policymakers, researchers, and stakeholders involved in water management and regional cooperation amid evolving geopolitical challenges, contributing to informed decision-making, and promoting strategies for sustainable development in the region.

With the development of free trade port in Hainan Island, the construction of tourist roads around the island is also in full swing. Under the weather conditions of strong typhoon and rainstorm in Hainan, the highway cutting slope built on the coastal weak sandy terraces has strong sand loss and is easy to be scour by rainfall. MICP green spray irrigation solidification technology is used to strengthen the sandy cutting, and pore water pressure monitoring is carried out on the slope model during MICP solidification and rainfall scour. Combined with the model pore water pressure and flow slip failure pattern, dynamic analysis was carried out. The results show that MICP sprinkler irrigation technology can solidified the surface of the slope model in a short time, and the cementation depth of the model reaches 4cm after three sets of rotation reinforcement. The surface reinforcement effect is good, and the sand samples are closely connected. Under the erosion effect of simulated rainfall intensity, the sand loss of the slope is weakened, and no sand binding damage occurs, and the integrity is enhanced. Due to the cementation between sand grains, most of the rainfall was converted into runoff, and the slope slid after 150s. When the slope began to slip, the leading edge of the slope model lost sand and unloaded, and the failure mode was graded creep slip failure. Finally, the slope was divided into several blocks due to the continuous expansion of cracks after the slope failure. The erosion stability of the sandy slope under heavy rains is optimized and the sand loss is prevented effectively. In this study, a new method of MICP remediation techniques is proposed, which provides a new test basis for the application of MICP technology in practical engineering.

Global warming has led to the increase in chalky grains of rice, which has also caused the deteriorations of physicochemical and cooking qualities of rice grains. These chalky rice grains are characterized by high α-amylase activity, high protease activity, and low apparent amylose contents, low degree of hardness and stickiness of boiled rice than those of the whole rice grains. In the present paper, we evaluated 14 Japonica unpolished rice grains harvested in Japan in 2021, and these samples (original grains) were divided to two groups (whole grain group and chalky grain one). We found that the chalky rice grains showed higher values of xylanase activity than those of the whole rice grains, while cellulase activity were lower than that of whole rice grains. Using rice grains blended with 30 % of chalky grains as material, we compared sugar and mineral contents and textural properties of the boiled rice grains soaked and boiled in the ordinary water or in the hard water, such as Evian or Contrex. It was shown that the hard water is useful for the prevention of the texture deterioration of the boiled rice grains due to the inhibition of the reduction of endogenous hydrolytic enzymes, such as amylase, proteinase, and xylanase. Furthermore, we found that hard water is useful for the increase of calcium and magnesium intake through the meal with the boiled rice grains soaked and cooked using hard water.

In recent years, since flood disasters have brought immeasurable losses to the city, it is urgent to prevent and solve the flood of stagnant water. Considering the shortage of real-time and accuracy of hydrological analysis, Opencv technology is used in this paper to process the obtained data in real time. For improved Yolov5, BoTNet and GAMAttention Transformer are used to improve Yolov5 to enhance its ability of recognition and prediction to better identify surface gathered water. The prediction rate of the improved Yolov5 is 7.1% higher than that of Yolov7 and 1.7% higher than that of Yolov5.After that, contour preprocessing of the image is carried out through the cropping technology of the identification frame to eliminate relatively unstable factors. The principle of binocular distance measurement is used to measure the three-dimensional coordinates of the actual distance, better constrain the contour proportion of the picture, and then the Opencv technology is used to get the outline of the water, and HSV is combined with better color processing pictures for the identification of the water and contour generation, and the area is obtained to correspond to the corresponding parameters of flood to provide important help in flood prevention and storm drainage.

The biodegradability of water hyacinth for biogas and biofertiliser production was studied under mesophilic conditions. The effects of water hyacinth pre-treatments were also included in this investigation. It was found that water hyacinth has a low biodegradability of 27% when monodigested while at a 3:1 ratio with cow manure, the biodegradability increases to 46%. At this elevated biodegradability, the water hyacinth biomethane potential was 185 LCH4/kgVS, while that of cow manure was 216 LCH4/kgVS. The Gompertz kinetic model had superior parameters than the Logistic model for most of the water hyacinth-cow manure combined substrate digestion. Based on the Gompertz model, the lag phase and daily maximum methane production rate were 5.5 days and 22.9 ml /day respectively for the 3:1 codigestion (R2 of 0.99). These values were 6.7 days and 15.2 ml/day respectively, in the case of water hyacinth monodigestion (R2 = 0.996). The dominant microbial species detected in the digestates were Bacteroidetes and Proteobacteria. A few microbial species were indigenous to water hyacinth but a more diverse consortia which is key to efficient substrate biodegradation, came from cow manure. The digestate contained ammonium nitrogen at 68 mg/kg with phosphorous and potassium at 73 and 424 mg/kg respectively. Nitrogen was lower but phosphorous and pottasium were comparable to previously studied digestates of other substrates. Only water hyacinth pretreated through aerobic composting proved to unlock a higher methane yield that matched a 3:1 codigestion with cow manure. Other pretreatments induced better biodegradation performance than that observed on untreated water hyacinth but this improvements were not as good as that of the 3:1 codigestion scheme. It was concluded that water hyacinth sourced from the Hartbeespoort dam, could be treated through anaerobic digestion to recover biogas and biofertilizer. However, more experiments are required to fully understand and harness the optimisation opportunities available in applying this technology to manage water hyacinth.

Photocatalytic technology based on specific band structure of semiconductors offers a promising way to solve the urgent energy and environmental issues in modern society. In particular, hydrogen production from water splitting over semiconductor photocatalysts attracts great attention owing to the clean source and application of energy, which highly depends on the performance of photocatalysts. Among the various photocatalysts, TiO2 has been intensively investigated and used extensively due to its outstanding photocatalytic activity, high chemical stability, non-toxicity and low cost. However, pure TiO2 has a wide band gap of approximately 3.2 eV, which limits its photocatalytic activity for water splitting to generate hydrogen only under ultraviolet light, excluding most of the inexhaustible sunlight for human beings. Fortunately, the band gap of semiconductors can be manipulated, in which introducing oxygen defects is one of the most effective measures to narrow the band gap of titanium oxides. This review starts out by the fundamentals of photocatalytic water splitting for hydrogen production over TiO2, discusses the latest progress in this field, and summarizes the various methods and strategies to induce oxygen defects in TiO2 crystals. Then, the next section outlines the modification approaches of oxygen-deficient titanium oxide (TiO2-δ) to further improve its photocatalytic performance. Finally, a brief summary and outlook of the researches on TiO2-δ photocatalysts for water splitting to produce hydrogen were presented.

The intrinsic non-linearity and complexity of suspended sediment dynamics, which are impacted by the geographical variability of basin parameters and temporal climatic patterns, make it difficult to estimate suspended sediment concentration (SSC) accurately in hydrological processes. Deep neural networks (DNNs), a cutting-edge modeling method that can capture the innate non-linearity in hydrological systems, have emerged as a solution to this problem. Using primary data on discharge, SSC, and turbidity, the long short-term memory method of DNNs was employed in this study to simulate the discharge-suspended sediment connection for the Esopus Creek, NY, USA as the first objective. To develop effective modeling strategies, multiple scenarios of feature selection, including combinations of discharge, turbidity and SSC for preceding days, were considered. Secondly, the variations in SSC and discharge between the three USGS gages along Esopus Creek that were upper stream, lower stream, and downstream, adjacent to the pourpoint were analyzed. Statistical metrics and scenarios of feature importance were used to evaluate the effectiveness of the DNN-based models. The study shows that among 24 DNN approaches feature selection is crucial in simulating the daily SSC, and discharge and presenting novel research directions for utilizing machine learning algorithms in water quality.

Hydrogeological maps must synthesize the scientific knowledge about the hydraulic features and the hydrogeological behavior of a specific area, and, at the same time, they must meet the expectations of land planners and administrators. Thus, especially in complex interconnected systems, hydrogeological maps can be fully effective when they are purpose-designed. In these contexts, usual graphical approaches in creating hydrogeological maps could result uncomplete and/or ineffective. Therefore, in case of complex systems and/or specific management/protection aims, new and purpose-designed graphical solutions must be applied to enhance the maps effectiveness. In the case study, these solutions show and emphasize all the hydraulic interconnections playing significant roles in recharging the multilayered alluvial aquifer, where the majority of wells have been drilled for drinking/industrial/agricultural purposes, artificial channels are used for agricultural purposes, and the shallow groundwater feeds protected groundwater-dependent-ecosystems. The hydrogeological map was then designed to be the synthesis of three different and hydraulically interconnected main contexts: (i) the main heterogeneous alluvial aquifer (the main target of the purpose-designed map), (ii) the hydrographic basin of a losing river that feeds the main alluvial aquifer, and (iii) those hard-rock aquifers (mainly turbiditic and ophiolitic) whose springs feed the same river.

Phytochemicals are gaining popularity due to their antioxidant effects and potential protection against inflammation, cardiovascular disease, and certain types of cancer. The retention of these phytochemicals during extraction must be maximized. This research focused on extracting bioactive compounds from Psidium guajava Linn leaves using solvent extraction (SE), microwave-assisted extraction (MAE), ultrasound-assisted extraction (UAE) with distilled water (DW) or 60% (v/v) ethanol/water (ET). Phytochemical screening demonstrated that all of the screening showed positive results in all extraction methods, except glycoside. There were no significant (p>0.05) differences in total phenolic (TPC) and flavonoid content (TFC) during MAE, SE, and UAE in case of ET. However, SE shows better (p<0.05) extraction of TPC and TFC than UAE and MAE in case of DW. ET shows better (p<0.05) extraction of TPC and TFC than DW. Antioxidant analysis shows the same trend though both DPPH and FRAP values were higher in MAE and SE for ET and DW, respectively. MAE/ET showed the highest inhibitory activity and dose-dependent response using SW480 cell via MTT assay. HPLC and TLC analysis reveal the fingerprint of morin, might function as an anticancer agent. In conclusion, MAE/ET is the most efficient among the extraction techniques in terms of anticancer activity.

The development of mineral deposits causes changes that are comparable to natural exogenous geological processes, and in local areas of intensive mining activity prevail over them. In this article, a diamond deposit is selected, developed by quarries of great depth, and a forecast is made of the impact of drainage water discharge on changes in the composition of surface water and bottom sediments during the entire period of development of the deposit. Modeling was per-formed according to various scenarios, taking into account changes in the total dissolved solids of groundwater from 0.5 to 21.7 g/kg H2O. Thermodynamic calculations were carried out using the HCh software package. The role of dissolved organic carbon in the migration of chemical elements and the effect of DOC on the precipitation of chemical elements from mixing solutions is given. It has been established that fulvic acid completely binds to Fe in the Fe(OH)2FA– complex in all types of natural waters and under all mixing scenarios. With humic acid, such a sharp competitive complex formation does not occur. It is distributed among the various elements more evenly. It was determined that the mass of precipitating iron in the presence of DOC decreases by 18-27%, and its precipitation in winter is more intense. In contrast to Fe, precipitation of Ca, Mg, and C from solution with DOC is higher in summer, and there are more of them in solution in winter. This study contributed to a better understanding of the behavior of heavy metals in surface waters and sediments under anthropogenic pressures in order to improve the sustainable management of water resources in the face of anthropogenic activities.

As the most commonly used hydrogel material in contact lenses, the amount of water in a lens affects its optical properties and comfort for the wearer. Therefore, an important challenge is to determine the safety and efficacy of contact lenses by accurately and non-destructively measuring the water content in real time. In this study, we demonstrate the accurate detection of water content in hydrogel contact lenses using a high-precision ATR format in a portable terahertz time-domain spectroscopy system. The technique can resolve small variations in the dielectric constant in solution, which is difficult to achieve with traditional transmission and reflection measurement modes. Information is obtained from the interaction between the sample and the swift waves propagating along the prism surface. The swift waves can excite longitudinal modes that are not directly accessible by conventional techniques. It is worth noting that the reference wave can be measured by removing the sample without disturbing the optical path. We also enhance the plasma effect at the interface with the hydrogel by using PVDF dielectric films of different polarities. We observed that the water content and refractive index changes in the ATR mode show different response patterns for nonpoled PVDF and poled PVDF membranes. This suggests that reflection and relative phase can be accurately evaluated in the THz-ATR technique, resulting in an accurate method for determining complex dielectric constants in the reflection geometry. This will allow accurate measurement of both surface and in vivo water content in hydrogels in the future and is a potential technical route for application in bioaqueous tissue measurements.

Abstract: This work is presenting a water level control and monitoring system in a tank, by using the development boards Arduino Uno, NodeMCU ESP8266 and the ultrasonic sensor HC-SR04. The water tank is supplied through a pump controlled by the development board Arduino Uno by means of a relay. The author has issued a control algorithm for controlling the water level and a program in the development environment Arduino IDE that has been implemented and validated on the experimental stand. For monitoring the development board NodeMCU ESP8266 has been used that takes the information from the ultrasonic sensor HC-SR04 and sends it through Wi-Fi to the platform ThingSpeak. Based on the experimental results it has been found out that the water level control system in the tank provides the performances imposed through the designing stage, and the pump running has been automatically stopped when the limit, settled through the program for the water maximum level in the tank, has been reached. The measured value of the water level is shown on the LCD 1602 display. In the water circuit of the home consumers or irrigation systems supplied from the tank a pump controlled by means of a mobile phone has been installed. In order to implement this control system, the author has issued a program for another development board Arduino Uno, whilst for the mobile phone he used the application Arduino Bluetooth Control. The advantage of this water level control and monitoring system in the tank is given by the very low costs in comparison to the cost of an industrial type control system.

A novel flexible humidity sensor, incorporating gold nanoparticles (Au NPs) and a trifunctional organosilica compound, has been developed through the integration of sol-gel processing, free radical polymerization, and self-assembly techniques. The trifunctional organosilica was initially synthesized by modifying (3-mercaptopropyl)trimethoxysilane (thiol-MPTMS) with 3-(trimethoxysilyl)propyl methacrylate (vinyl-TMSPMA). Subsequently, a hydrophilic polyelectrolyte, [3(methacryloylamino)propyl]trimethyl ammonium chloride (MAPTAC), was grafted onto the MPTMS-TMSPMA gel. The Au NPs were assembled onto the thiol groups present in the MPTMS-TMSPMA-MAPTAC gel network. The compositional and microstructural properties of the Au NPs/MPTMS-TMSPMA-MAPTAC composite film were investigated utilizing Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The presence of thiol groups and mesoporous silica skeletons ensured the stability of the humidity-sensing film on the substrate under highly humid conditions, while the hydrophilic groups functioned as humidity-sensitive sites. This innovative humidity sensor demonstrated high sensitivity, acceptable linearity, minimal hysteresis, and rapid response time across a broad range of working humidity levels. Based on the complex impedance spectra analysis, hydronium ions (H₃O⁺) were determined to govern the conductance process of the flexible humidity sensor.

Currently, the Israeli energy industry faces the challenge of a considerable increase in solar electricity production. Being a relatively isolated system, the significant expansion of solar electricity may cause problems with electricity quality. The electrical storage installation can resolve this problem. In Israel's situation, the optimal solution can be the creation of a channel between the Mediterranean and the Dead Sea. The channel can solve three closely related problems: the increased production of desalinated water for domestic, industrial, and agricultural needs; the prevention of a permanent Dead Sea level decline and its imminent disappearance; the development of hydro-pumping electrical storage stations; and the creation of numerous PV facilities in the Negev area for national electricity generation. However, a detailed analysis should be done for the estimation of the possible increase of solar electric generation with the consideration of a stochastic PV outcome and a potential ability to use the Dead Sea for the brine discharge from electrical hydro-storage plants.