Hot Season Research Articles

Developments and thermal properties of thermochromic microcapsule and thermochromic asphalt-based composite coatings

The black appearance of asphalt pavement easily absorbs a large amount of solar radiation in hot summer to lower its anti-deformation ability, and asphalt pavement cools down quickly in cold winter to cause cracks. To solve these problems, thermochromic core material (TCM) was encapsulated by the shell material of urea-formaldehyde (UF) resin to prepare thermochromic microcapsule (TM) using situ-polymerization. Then the surface morphology, particle size distribution, chemical composition, phase change property and thermal stability of TM were characterized. After that, emulsified asphalt and acrylic emulsion were selected as film-forming substances to prepare thermochromic asphalt-based composite coating (TACC) after adding different dosages of TM. The surface morphology, chemical composition, thermal storage capacity, phase change property and spectral reflectance of TACC were studied. The results show that TCM is successfully encapsulated by shell material which restricts the thermal conductivity of TCM, making heat transfer process of TM become gentler. Also, the phase change property of TM is still better due to excellent phase change property of TCM. Further, TM particles with the size range of 3.2–4.8 μm are uniformly distributed on TACC surface and show better dispersion in emulsified asphalt. Additionally, TM enhances the thermal storage capacity and thermal stability of TACC. The heat exchange efficiency between asphalt pavement and surrounding environments is increased by added TM particles, improving the thermal stability of TACC. Finally, the increased spectral reflectance in the near-infrared region reflects more solar radiation in hot season because of high reflectivity of TACC on asphalt pavement, which lowers asphalt pavement temperature to improve its anti-deformation ability.

Night‐restricted feeding improves colonic barrier function and reduces inflammation by optimizing gut microbial composition in growing pigs during the hot season

Night‐restricted feeding improves colonic barrier function and reduces inflammation by optimizing gut microbial composition in growing pigs during the hot season

Optical responsive asphalt coating with temperature-sensitive TiO2 quantum dots: Formula and temperature adaptability

The application of conventional asphalt contributes to extremely high pavement temperature in hot season as its black color entails large solar absorption. In this study, optical responsive asphalt is proposed to control pavement temperature, which is developed by introducing temperature-sensitive TiO2 quantum dots (TiO2 QDs) into traditional asphalt. Temperature-sensitive TiO2 QDs are prepared by blending thermochromic polymer and TiO2 quantum dots with varied concentrations. Optical characterizations on temperature-sensitive TiO2 QDs have demonstrated that peak value of solar absorption in temperature-sensitive TiO2 QDs at 45 °C is 14.29 %–22.86 % higher than that at 15 °C; the maximum fluorescent intensity of temperature-sensitive TiO2 QDs at 45 °C is 8.5 % higher than that at 15 °C. The results from optical characterizations on temperature-sensitive TiO2 QDs modified asphalt show that the incorporation of temperature-sensitive TiO2 quantum dots endows asphalt low solar reflectance at high temperature and high solar absorption at low temperature. Fluorescent intensity of modified asphalt at 45 °C is increased by 21.6 %, 10.2 % and 5.7 % than that at 15 °C for asphalt containing 5 %, 10 %, and 20 % temperature-sensitive TiO2 QDs, respectively. Indoor solar radiation simulation tests have revealed that compared with traditional asphalt, temperature-sensitive TiO2 QDs modified asphalt coating could yield cooling effectiveness of 6.4 °C at high temperature. Meanwhile, outdoor solar radiation test indicates TiO2 QDs modified asphalt coating could realize warming effectiveness of 0.7 °C at low temperature. The outcomes on temperature-sensitive TiO2 QDs modified asphalt with temperature-adaptability properties makes an advancement in functional pavement.

Exploring the dynamics of human scent in forensic canine analysis: Factors shaping identification accuracy

Using specially trained canines in forensic analysis to identify individual human scents is a well-established method, capitalizing on dogs' exceptional olfactory abilities. This study investigates the survival of human scent under extreme weather conditions in the Kingdom of Bahrain. Five experienced German Shepherd police dogs, trained for human scent tracking, participated in the experiments. The study was conducted during Bahrain's hot summer season, characterized by high temperatures, high humidity, and occasional strong winds. Three common surfaces—sand, grass, and asphalt—were selected to represent scenarios where human scent might be detected.The findings revealed that human scent persisted for approximately 8–11 hours on sand and grass but only 1–3 hours on asphalt, highlighting the impact of surface type on scent survival. The research also examined the effect of temperature on scent survival, testing at three different temperatures: 30°C, 40°C, and 50°C. The results demonstrated that scent durability varied across types of articles and temperature conditions. For instance, at 30°C, human scent remained detectable for up to 93 days on leather but only 27–28 days on silk cloth. At 40°C, leather allowed the scent to last 64–65 days, while wood surfaces had the shortest duration. The scent lasted 37–39 days on jeans cloth at a temperature of 50°C but only 3–4 days on wood. The data gathered can be beneficial for forensic investigations in semi-desert areas involving canine olfaction, offering guidance on the timing and likelihood of scent detection.

RANCANG BANGUN JEMURAN KERUPUK OTOMATIS BERBASIS IOT UNTUK PRODUSEN KERUPUK IKAN DI SIDAYU GRESIK

Gresik Regency is one of the regencies in East Java province with a geographical location directly adjacent to the coast of the Java Sea. The amount of milkfish cultivation that can be produced from ponds located on the north coast of Gresik Regency has a high potential value to be utilized as processed fish products. One of the most widely produced processed fish products is milkfish crackers. The availability of easily obtained raw materials does not make it difficult to process fish crackers. Drying crackers by drying in the sun will run smoothly in hot weather or dry season. However, when entering the rainy season, there are often many obstacles, namely the heat of the sun that does not match what is needed, such as cloudy weather and even if it suddenly rains, which sometimes causes mold on the crackers because there is not enough time to take the crackers that are being dried. The drying process must always be supervised directly by humans, besides that there are several types of crackers with different compositions that have different drying times. This tool is enabled to recognize the weather including light intensity, air temperature, and rainfall so that it is considered more efficient to use during the rainy season. The user simply puts the fish crackers on the clothesline and when the tool recognizes rainy or cloudy conditions, the fish cracker clothesline will be pulled by an electric motor to be put into the room. When the user is away, the clothesline can also be monitored and controlled remotely. As a result, the IoT-based Automatic Cracker Clothesline System can recognize whether the weather is sunny, hot, or rainy. The system can also extend the clothesline automatically when the weather is sunny or hot, the system can pull the clothesline when it rains or cloudy automatically. The system can send notifications to the smartphone according to the weather conditions and the position of the clothesline being pulled or extended in realtime, the system can display the indicators of each sensor to the smartphone. Users can also enter the drying time and minimum temperature range into the system. As a result, the system can run well to recognize the weather around the cracker clothesline and can insert crackers when it is raining, cloudy or when the drying time has expired automatically.

Potassium Nutrition in Rice (Oryza sativa L.) for Higher Yield with Lower Sodium Uptake under Saline Conditions of Central Vietnam

Background: Potassium (K) is an essential macronutrient, improves rice yield and contributes to salt stress tolerance. This study determined the best potassium (K) application level on yield formation and the saline resistance capability of rice under salinity field conditions of central Vietnam. Methods: Experiments were comprised of five K fertilizer application rates (0, 25, 50, 75 and 100 kg K2O/ha) and two rice varieties, viz, OM8104 and MNR3 for two growing seasons of 2021 and 2022. All treatments were arranged in a split-plot design with 3 replicates in Duy Vinh commune, Duy Xuyen district, Quang Nam province. Result: Potassium application affected the number of panicles per unit area, filled grain per panicle and actual grain yield of both rice varieties in both seasons under saline condition. Application of 50 kg K2O/ha reduced the soil salinity over the monitoring periods compared to the other K rates. EC values of soil were significantly higher during the hot season than the wet season showing high temperature effects. Application of 50 kg K2O/ha also accumulated maximum dry matter at different crop stages and produced the highest rice yield with 7.57 and 5.25 tons/ha for OM8104 and 7.35 and 5.18 tons/ha for MNR3 in both wet and hot seasons respectively. The harvest index could not affect significantly by K application irrespective of seasons and varieties. These increases in actual grain yields using 50 kg K2O/ha were attributed to increased filled grains per panicle, accumulation of high K+ content and K+/Na+ ratios in rice varieties in both seasons under saline field condition.

Spatio-Temporal Analysis of Surface Urban Heat Island and Canopy Layer Heat Island in Beijing

Studying urban heat islands holds significance for the sustainable development of cities. This comprehensive study analyzed the temporal characteristics of a Surface Urban Heat Island and Canopy Layer Heat Island by employing Moderate-Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer image data spanning from 2003 to 2020 over Beijing, China. Leveraging the Gaussian capacity model, the geometrical characteristics of the Surface Urban Heat Island and Canopy Layer Heat Island, such as intensity, center, direction, and range, were examined among three different timescales of day, month, and year. Results indicate that the intensities of the Surface Urban Heat Island and Canopy Layer Heat Island tend to have bigger seasonal variations during winter nights and summer daytime. In addition, at night the centers of Surface Urban Heat Island and Canopy Layer Heat Island are mainly concentrated in the range of 116.3°~116.4° E in longitude and 39.90°~39.95° N in latitude, while during the daytime they are more scattered, mainly in the range of 116.2°~116.5° E in longitude and 39.7°~40.0° N in latitude. In the hot season, the center of the heat island moves east to north, while in the cold season it moves west to south. Monthly average ellipse areas of Surface Urban Heat Island and Canopy Layer Heat Island vary more during the day than that at night, the maximum daytime differences were 2662 km2 and 2293 km2, while the maximum nighttime differences were 484 km2 and 265 km2. Overall, the average area is increasing, with the heat island center moving eastward and deflecting towards the northeast-southwest direction. The expansion of urban areas will continue to influence the movement and extent of heat islands. The study offers insights to inform strategies for mitigating urban heat islands.

A switchable dual-mode film with designed intercalated and hierarchical structures for highly efficient passive radiation cooling and solar heating

A single-mode solar heating (SH) and passive radiative cooling (PRC) have been fast developed in outdoor thermal management. However, they hardly change with the temperature fluctuations of the hot and cold seasons. Herein, a flexible and stable dual-mode film with photo responsibility was engineered by integrating heating coating and cooling coating on the opposite surfaces of a porous polypropylene (PP) membrane. Flip the surfaces of the dual-mode film-facing solar light to switch between PRC and SH. The cross-linked heating side was fabricated from reduced graphene oxide (rGO) nanosheets intercalated with carbon black (CB) particles via spraying. A thick intercalated film can enhance solar absorptivity (96.4 %) and low infrared emissivity (8.0 %) due to the multiple solar reflections and adsorption between the interlayers, leading to high solar heating. The cooling side was derived from polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) coating embedded micro-nano Al2O3 particles via water vapor-induced phase separation (VIPS). The hierarchical coating with a pore size of 8.4 ± 0.1 µm and roughness of 4.0 ± 0.3 µm exhibits high solar reflectivity (92.2 %) and infrared emissivity (96.9 %), resulting in excellent passive radiative cooling. The net heating power (Pheating) and net cooling power (Pcooling) of the dual-mode film are 845.9 and 96.7 W m−2. Moreover, the dual-mode film exhibits outdoor thermoregulation capacity upon covering buildings, cars, and ice. In outdoor environments under solar radiation of 611 ∼ 716 W m−2, it has a temperature increase/decrease of 17.8/5.3 °C to the ambient temperature. Owing to the scalable fabrication processes and excellent thermoregulation characteristics, the dual-mode film is promising for applications in personal thermal management, energy-efficient buildings, in-car temperature control, and food freezing-thawing.

Influence of water quality and seasonal variations on freshwater macroinvertebrate diversity and community structure in wastewater treatment ponds, Phetchaburi Province, Thailand

Wastewater originating from the Phetchaburi municipality undergoes treatment in a series of five distinct stages at the King’s Royally Initiated Leam Phak Bia Environmental Research and Development Project (LERD) in Phetchaburi province, Thailand. These stages involve a sedimentation (pond 1), three oxidation ponds (ponds 2 to 4), and a final stabilization pond (pond 5). These ponds serve as habitats for macroinvertebrates; consequently, their diversity and composition might be influenced by fluctuations in water quality and seasonal variations. The primary aim of this research was to analyze the diversity and species composition of macroinvertebrate communities concerning varying levels of organic contamination across the five wastewater treatment ponds at LERD. This investigation spanned three seasons: cold season (December 2019), rainy season (July 2020), and hot season (April 2021). The findings revealed that the diversity and species composition of macroinvertebrate communities displayed distinct alterations across multiple environmental gradients, especially identifying the significant influence of organic loading levels observed in ponds 1 to 5. The macroinvertebrate communities exhibited two distinct groupings, with the Chironomidae and Candonidae or ostracods prevailing prominently in ponds 1 and 2 (heterogenous environments). This prevalence was attributed to the high levels of detrital food and the robust resilience of chironomid larvae and ostracods to organic pollution, thriving even in environments characterized by low dissolved oxygen levels. Conversely, the prevalence of snails from the Thiaridae family in ponds 3 to 5 (homogenous environments) indicated improved water quality conditions, notably lower organic matter levels, and a higher dissolved oxygen content. In addition, the study identified seasonal variations in macroinvertebrates, likely influenced by the differing organic loading and environmental conditions. Thus, this research provided insights into the factors shaping macroinvertebrate communities in a wastewater treatment system.

Participatory Evaluation of Thirty (30) New Rice (Oryza Sativa L.) Lines Developed from Anther Culture under Senegal River Valley Growing Conditions

Rice is one of the most widely used staple foods in the world. However, its production is still very limited compared to the exponentially growing demand. Senegal, with an average consumption of 90 kg/habitant, is the third largest importer of rice in Africa. Aware of the impact of imports on the population, Senegal has set itself the objective of achieving food self-sufficiency by 2022 with an average yield of 5 tonnes/ha. ISRA, through its research, contributes to the achievement of this objective by developing adapted technologies. It is within this framework that a participatory evaluation of 30 new anther culture lines was conducted at the ISRA research station in Fanaye during the hot dry season of 2020. Surveys were conducted among producers through guided tours, while observations and measurements were made to collect agro-morphological parameters and characteristics preferred by producers. The agronomic results analysed and combined with the surveys made it possible to select the 10 best performing varieties. Among these 10 best performing lines, 6 were chosen by the producers. They are KF18134, KF18040, KF18068, KF18103, KF18124, KF18048, KF18005, KF18017, KF18001, KF18024. Crop yield is the first characteristic chosen by the growers. It was followed by short cycle characteristics, panicle load, low bird damage and medium height.

Liquid feeding does not suppress drinking motivation in heavy pigs

The experiment aimed to obtain information on the water requirements, drinking behavior and drinking motivation of liquid-fed pigs and was conducted during the hot season. Eighty castrated male pigs (initial body weight: 36 kg) fed a liquid diet (water:feed ratio of 3:1), capable of guaranteeing the fulfilment of the theoretical water requirements, were assigned to two experimental groups either receiving drinking water via nipple drinkers (CON, Control) or having non-functioning drinkers available (RW, Restricted Water). The availability of extra water did not affect the pigs' growth parameters (ADG - average daily gain, DMI -dry matter intake and FCR -feed conversion ratio) nor the quality of the carcasses and meat, including the sensory properties of hams cured over 18 months. Similarly, no significant differences were found in the lesions detected in the body and stomach surfaces and the neutrophils to lymphocytes ratio. Also, general behavior was not modified by the treatment except for the percentage of observed time spent drinking, which was significantly higher in the CON pigs (0.42 vs 0.21%; P<0.01) and resulted in a greater water consumption (13.54 vs. 7.39 l/day; P<0.01) that increased sharply as animal age and environmental temperature increased. Additionally, even though their drinkers did not dispense water, the animals in the RW group maintained some motivation to use the drinkers throughout the trial. The apparent lack of effect of prolonged water rationing on most of the parameters observed and, on the other hand, the evident impact of fresh water supply on drinking behaviour warrant more specific measurements applicable to farm conditions that may help identify animals suffering from prolonged thirst.

Seasonal Variation and Dietary Effects in the Fatty Acid Composition of Bulk Tank Milk in Taiwan

Background: Information about seasonal variation in the fatty acid (FA) composition of bulk tak milk and its relationship with dietary factors in Taiwan remains to be completed. This study aimed to determine the average FA composition of milk in different seasons and collect dietary information to investigate the relationship between dietary characteristics and lactation performance, including FA concentration in bulk tank milk. Methods: Bulk tank milk samples were collected monthly from 90 dairy farms across Taiwan for two years to capture seasonal variations. Additionally, 36 bulk tank milk samples from three farms were collected monthly from August 2022 to July 2023. Result: Milk production (kg/day), fat (%), crude protein (%), true protein (%), lactose (%) and solids-not-fat (%) were significantly higher in the cold season than in the hot and warm seasons (P less than 0.05) over the studied period. In contrast, somatic cell counts were significantly lower in the cold season than in the hot and warm seasons (P less than 0.05). Total saturated FA and C14:0 concentrations were significantly higher in the cold season than in the hot and warm seasons (P less than 0.05). In contrast, the C18:1 concentration was significantly higher in the hot and warm seasons than in the cold season (P less than 0.05). However, the C18:0 concentration did not differ significantly by season. Fat and FA concentrations varied significantly among three selected dairy farms (P less than 0.05). Milk fat only differed significantly between the three farms in the hot season, with Farm B having the lowest milk fat concentration (P less than 0.05). FA concentrations showed significant seasonal effects at all three farms. These results provide an overview of milk FA variation and identify the critical factors influencing variation in bulk tank milk fat and individual farm FA concentrations: dietary ether extract content and forage choice.

Working Fluid Selection and Thermodynamic Optimization of the Novel Renewable Energy-Based RESTORE Seasonal Storage Technology

Abstract Seasonal-based energy storage is expected to be one of the main options for the decarbonization of the space heating sector by increasing the renewables dispatchability. Technologies available today are mainly based on hot water and can only partially fulfill the efficiency, energy density and affordability requirements. This work analyzes a novel system based on pumped thermal energy storage (PTES) concept to maximize renewables and waste heat exploitation during summer and make them available during winter. Organic fluid-based cycles are adopted for the heat upgrade during hot season (heat pump (HP)) and to produce electricity and hot water during cold season (power unit (PU)). Upgraded thermal energy drives an endothermic reaction producing dehydrated solid salts, which can be stored for months using inexpensive and high energy density solutions. This paper focuses on thermodynamic cycles design, comparing the performance attainable with several working fluids. Two different configurations are investigated: coupled systems, sharing the fluid and heat exchangers in both operating modes, and decoupled systems. A preliminary economic assessment completes the study, including a sensitivity analysis on electricity and heat prices. Cyclopentane is identified as a promising working fluid for coupled systems, reaching competitive round trip efficiencies (RTEs), maximizing the ratio between performance and HX surfaces, without excessive turbomachinery volume ratios and volumetric flows. Economic analysis shows that solutions with lower efficiency, but also lower capital cost, can achieve competitive payback times (PBT). On the contrary, decoupled systems are less attractive, as they reach slightly higher thermodynamic performance, but require higher capital costs, possibly being of interest only in specific applications.

Groundwater vulnerability assessment of elevated heavy metal contamination related health hazard in coastal multi-aquifers of Sundarban Biosphere Reserve, India

The concept of groundwater (GW) vulnerability emerged as a response to the escalating contamination of GW globally. Over recent decades, both scholars and policymakers have extensively utilized GW vulnerability assessments to safeguard groundwater from pollution. Within the Sundarban Biosphere Reserve (SBR), inhabitants residing near coastal aquifers face significant challenges, notably the scarcity of fresh water during the hot and dry season. Furthermore, there is a concern regarding the presence of heavy metals (HMs) in this region, adversely impacting GW quality. In both Indian and global contexts, HM contamination, including arsenic (As), fluoride (F‾), and nitrate (NO3–), and its repercussions on human health (HH) in coastal districts, represent critical issues. In light of these challenges, this study aims to assess GW vulnerability and its implications for HH in SBR utilizing the Hazard Quotient (HQ) approach. Fifteen hydro-geochemical parameters have been selected for this research endeavor. Various statistical indices, such as “groundwater quality index (GWQI)”, “degree of contamination (CD)”, “index of ecological risk (ERI)”, and “human health hazard index (HHHI)”, have been employed to accomplish the study objectives. Piper's and Box plot diagrams were utilized to assess hydrogeochemical properties and GW quality. The findings reveal average concentrations of HMs, such as As, NO3–, and F‾ in the study area, to be 0.204 mg/l, 6.28 mg/l, and 0.79 mg/l, respectively. Among all variables, a positive correlation of 0.876 is observed between electrical conductivity (EC) and sodium ions (Na+). Eventually, the outcomes of this study can provide valuable insights for planners and policymakers to make informed decisions regarding the sustainable management of water resources.

Expanded Graphite (EG) Stabilization of Stearic and Palmitic Acid Mixture for Thermal Management of Photovoltaic Cells

In this work, passive cooling systems for the revamping of existent silicon photovoltaic (PV) cells were developed and analysed in order to mitigate the efficiency loss caused by temperature rise in the hot season. For this purpose, expanded graphite (EG) was used to stabilize a phase change material (PCM) with a melting temperature close to 53 °C in order to realize thermal management systems (TMSs) able to store heat at constant temperature during melting and releasing it in crystallization. In particular, stearic and palmitic acid mixture (PA-SA) was shape-stabilized in EG at different concentrations (10, 12 and 14 part per hundred ratio) under vacuum into a rotary evaporation apparatus followed by cold compaction; PA-SA leakage was reduced due to its intercalation between the graphite lamellae, and the thermal conductivity necessary to maximize the heat transfer to a bulk TMS was improved via powder cold compaction, which minimizes voids and creates preferential thermal conductive patterns. The composite materials, stable till 150 °C, were tested by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) at 1 °C/min to precisely determine the phase transition temperatures and the enthalpic content, which was only slightly reduced from 196 J/g of the neat PCM to 169 J/g due to the very low EG fraction necessary for the stabilization. Despite only the 14:100 EG-to-PA-SA ratio, the system’s thermal conductivity was enhanced 40 times with respect to the neat PCM (from 0.2 to 8.3 W/(m K), value never reached in works present in the literature), with a good convergence of the values evaluated through hot disk tests and laser flash analysis (LFA), finding correlation with both graphitic content and density. In order to completely avoid leaking with the consequent dispersion of PCM in the environment during the final application, all the samples were encapsulated in a PE-made film. The mechanical properties were evaluated with compression tests at 30 °C and 80 °C simulating a possible compressive stress deriving from the contact needed to maintain the TMS position on the rear of the PV cells. Finally, the material response was simulated by imposing thermal cycles into a climatic chamber and reproducing the three hottest and coldest days of summer 2022 of two Italian locations, Verona (Veneto, 45° N, 11° E) and Gela (Sicily, 37° N, 14° E), thus highlighting the thermal management effects with delays in temperature increase and daily peak temperature smoothing. The role of EG is strategic for the processing and the properties of the resulting composites in order to realize a proper compromise between the melting enthalpy of PCM and the thermal conductivity enhancement given by EG.

Enhancing liquefied petroleum gas production through debutanizer column optimization

Debutanizer columns are important in natural gas processing as they are crucial in generating Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG). LPG is well recognised for its environmentally benign combustion properties, making it a desirable fuel option for cooking, heating, and transportation. The optimisation of debutanizer units has significant relevance in improving the efficiency of LPG separation. This study aims to enhance the separation efficiency of a butane removal tower by modelling and optimising its operation using HYSYS software. The research aims to introduce innovation in this field. A series of comprehensive simulations were carried out to achieve this goal, resulting in outcomes that nearly corresponded to the findings obtained from natural gas units. Moreover, a thorough examination was conducted to examine the impact of temperature, pressure, feed flow rate, and reflux ratio on the production yield of n-butane. The study reached this conclusion by optimising tower conditions, with a particular emphasis on improving the performance of the condenser during the hot summer season. In ideal circumstances, the distillate demonstrated a butane concentration ranging from 70% to 74%, while all overhead gas is condensed in all instances. This study highlights the importance of optimising the debutanizer column in enhancing the quality and efficiency of LPG production in the natural gas processing sector.

Incidence of Seromucous Otitis in Schools in Southern Algeria

Introduction: Seromucous otitis (SMO) is a very common pathology, affecting almost 50% of children. It is a benign condition, but should be investigated in adults for neoplasia of the nasopharynx. It is bilateral in 85% of cases, with an average age of 5 years. Although the evolution of this pathology is often favorable in children, with a tendency to spontaneous regression, in adulthood these ears can evolve into simple or dangerous chronic otitis. Aim: To assess the incidence of seromucous otitis in children in southern Algeria (Laghouat), where the hot season is longer than in temperate or cold regions, and to detect and treat chronic forms. Materials &amp; Methods: This is a monocentric, prospective study involving all schoolchildren aged between 3 and 12, with no history of otitis (chronic otitis) or sensorineural hearing loss, over a 13- month period (October 2020 to October 2021). The diagnosis of sensorineural hearing loss is based on anamnesis and confirmed by clinical examination and functional hearing tests. Results: Of the 340 children examined over a one-year period, 28 presented with seromucous otitis, i.e. 8.2% of the sample size, with a peak in frequency between the ages of 4 and 6. There was also a slight male predominance. Promiscuity was the most frequent risk factor, observed in 64% of cases. Spontaneous regression of seromucous otitis was observed in 10 children (35.7%), and surgical treatment with a trans-tympanic aerator with or without adenoidectomy was instituted in 13 children. Conclusion: The natural evolution of SMO does not always lead to spontaneous regression, and many cases require early management and strict monitoring to prevent complications. It is therefore necessary to introduce screening as part of school hygiene in order to reduce the incidence of chronic otitis in adults.

Impact of windbreak design on microclimate in hot regions during cold waves: Numerical investigation

Winter cold wave adaptation strategies in hot climates due to climate change didn’t receive the deserved attention from previous studies. Therefore, this study comprehensively investigates the impact of various windbreak parameters on mitigating winter cold stress in hot steppe-arid climate. A microclimate model for a residential campus was built and validated through on-site measurement on a typical winter day to assess thirty-two scenarios for tree characteristics and spatial configuration windbreak parameters based on PET, wind speed, and Air Temperature (AT). Moreover, four configurations, that had best results on mitigating cold stress in winter, were tested during typical summer conditions to couple the assessment of cold and hot seasons. Additionally, environmental analysis for all scenarios was conducted. The results revealed that the most effective parameters for mitigating cold stress are tree distribution, Leaf Area Density (LAD), row number, spacing, and shape. Double rows of high LAD and medium height trees with small spacing yielded the best cold stress mitigation effect. Furthermore, the windbreak reduced the cold stress in the morning and night by 19.31% and 18.06%, respectively. It reduced AT and wind speed at night by 0.79 °C and 2.56 m/s, respectively. During summer, very hot PET area was reduced by 21.79% and 19.5% at 12:00 and 15:00, respectively.

Identification of Molecular Profile of Ear Fibroblasts Derived from Spindle-Transferred Holstein Cattle with Ooplasts from Taiwan Yellow Cattle under Heat Stress.

Global warming has a significant impact on the dairy farming industry, as heat stress causes reproductive endocrine imbalances and leads to substantial economic losses, particularly in tropical-subtropical regions. The Holstein breed, which is widely used for dairy production, is highly susceptible to heat stress, resulting in a dramatic reduction in milk production during hot seasons. However, previous studies have shown that cells of cows produced from reconstructed embryos containing cytoplasm (o) from Taiwan yellow cattle (Y) have improved thermotolerance despite their nuclei (n) being derived from heat-sensitive Holstein cattle (H). Using spindle transfer (ST) technology, we successfully produced ST-Yo-Hn cattle and proved that the thermotolerance of their ear fibroblasts is similar to that of Y and significantly better than that of H (p < 0.05). Despite these findings, the genes and molecules responsible for the different sensitivities of cells derived from ST-Yo-Hn and H cattle have not been extensively investigated. In the present study, ear fibroblasts from ST-Yo-Hn and H cattle were isolated, and differentially expressed protein and gene profiles were compared with or without heat stress (hs) (42 °C for 12 h). The results revealed that the relative protein expression levels of pro-apoptotic factors, including Caspase-3, -8, and -9, in the ear fibroblasts from the ST-Yo-Hn-hs group were significantly lower (p < 0.05) than those from the H-hs group. Conversely, the relative expression levels of anti-apoptotic factors, including GNA14 protein and the CRELD2 and PRKCQ genes, were significantly higher (p < 0.05) in the ear fibroblasts from the ST-Yo-Hn-hs group compared to those from the H-hs group. Analysis of oxidative phosphorylation-related factors revealed that the relative expression levels of the GPX1 gene and Complex-I, Complex-IV, CAT, and PGLS proteins were significantly higher (p < 0.05) in the ear fibroblasts from the ST-Yo-Hn-hs group compared to those from the H-hs group. Taken together, these findings suggest that ear fibroblasts from ST-Yo-Hn cattle have superior thermotolerance compared to those from H cattle due to their lower expression of pro-apoptotic factors and higher expression of oxidative phosphorylation and antioxidant factors. Moreover, this improved thermotolerance is attributed, at least partially, to the cytoplasm derived from more heat-tolerant Y cattle. Hence, using ST technology to produce more heat-tolerant H cattle containing Y cytoplasm could be a feasible approach to alleviate the negative impacts of heat stress on dairy cattle in tropical-subtropical regions.

Detection of Nature and Content of Bioenergy from Aquatic Macro Weeds

Detection of Nature and Content of Bioenergy from Aquatic Macro Weeds