Increase In Demand Research Articles

Point-of-care testing: a critical analysis of the market and future trends

Point-of-care testing (POCT) involves conducting diagnostic tests outside the laboratory. These tests are utilized for their quick and reliable results in detecting chronic diseases and acute infections. We examined the historical market value trends of the POCT industry and projected its future growth. POCT devices offer several advantages, such as portability, no specific storage requirements, and simplicity of use. However, issues such as inaccurate results can reduce demand for POCT compared to traditional laboratory testing alternatives. While the benefits of POCT are clear, it’s important to acknowledge the challenges. The accuracy of POCT devices can be compromised due to factors such as user error, environmental conditions, and limitations in technology. Furthermore, the cost-effectiveness of these devices is often a concern, particularly in resource-limited settings. The regulatory landscape for POCT is also complex and varies by region, which can pose challenges for manufacturers and end-users. Improvements in POCT devices’ sensitivity, specificity, cost, and turnaround time for test results could enhance their utility. Enhancements to a POCT device should be considered if they are economically viable and lead to a significant increase in demand. Our financial analysis of the POCT market revealed a positive growth trend. We identified potential areas for growth that could help the industry progress and expand in line with its projected growth in the coming years. The industry could focus on integrating intelligent technologies into POCT devices and collaborating with the innovative technology sector to increase revenue. It could also develop more sensitive and accurate POCT devices for non-communicable diseases. Another potential area of growth is in diseases that require continuous patient monitoring but where conventional clinical testing is time-consuming. Enhancing the POCT devices used in these areas could revolutionize medical diagnosis and potentially save many lives, provided they meet clinical standards.

“We might not have been in hospital, but we were frontline workers in the community”: a qualitative study exploring unmet need and local community-based responses for marginalised groups in Greater Manchester during the COVID-19 pandemic

BackgroundThe response to the COVID-19 pandemic saw a significant increase in demand for the voluntary, community, faith and social enterprise (VCFSE) sector to provide support to local communities. In Greater Manchester (GM), the VCFSE sector and informal networks provided health and wellbeing support in multiple ways, culminating in its crucial supportive role in the provision of the COVID-19 vaccination rollout across the GM city region. However, the support provided by the VCFSE sector during the pandemic remains under-recognised. The aims of the study were to: understand the views and experiences of marginalised communities in GM during the COVID-19 pandemic; explore how community engagement initiatives played a role during the pandemic and vaccine rollout; assess what can be learnt from the work of key stakeholders (community members, VCFSEs, health-system stakeholders) for future health research and service delivery.MethodsThe co-designed study utilised a participatory approach throughout and was co-produced with a Community Research Advisory Group (CRAG). Focus groups and semi-structured interviews were conducted remotely between September-November 2021, with 35 participants from local marginalised communities, health and care system stakeholders and VCFSE representatives. Thematic framework analysis was used to analyse the data.ResultsLocal communities in GM were not supported sufficiently by mainstream services during the course of the COVID-19 pandemic, resulting in increased pressure onto the VCFSE sector to respond to local communities’ need. Community-based approaches were deemed crucial to the success of the vaccination drive and in providing support to local communities more generally during the pandemic, whereby such approaches were in a unique position to reach members of diverse communities to boost uptake of the vaccine. Despite this, the support delivered by the VCFSE sector remains under-recognised and under-valued by the health system and decision-makers.ConclusionsA number of challenges associated with collaborative working were experienced by the VSCE sector and health system in delivering the vaccination programme in partnership with the VCFSE sector. There is a need to create a broader, more inclusive health system which allows and promotes inter-sectoral working. Flexibility and adaptability in ongoing and future service delivery should be championed for greater cross-sector working.

Heavy metals and potential health risk assessment of Lactuca sativa and Daucus carrota from soil treated with organic manures and chemical fertilizer

The large-scale production of food crops with heavy application of chemical fertilizers in the effort to meet the astronomical increase in food demands may be counterproductive to the goal of food security. This study investigated the effect of different soil treatments on the levels of heavy metals (Cr, Cu, Fe, Ni, Pb, and Zn) in two types of vegetables Lactuca sativa (lettuce) and Daucus carrota (carrot). The potential carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic health risks from their consumption were also evaluated. Planting experiment was set up in a randomized block design, with different soil treatments of soil + cow dung (CD), soil + sewage sludge (SS), soil + chemical fertilizer (nitrogen-phosphorus-potassium (NPK)), and untreated soil (UNTRD). The vegetables were harvested at maturity, washed with distilled water, and subjected to an acid digestion process before the levels of heavy metals were measured by inductively coupled plasma spectrometry (ICP-MS). The mean concentrations of the metals in the vegetables across all treatments were below the maximum permissible limits. The pattern of heavy metal accumulation by the vegetables suggested that the lettuce from SS treatment accumulated higher concentrations of heavy metals like Cr (0.20 mg/kg), Cu (3.91 mg/kg), Ni (0.33 mg/kg), and Zn (20.44 mg/kg) than carrot, with highest concentrations of Fe (90.89 mg/kg) and Pb (0.16 mg/kg) recorded in lettuce from NPK treatment. The bioaccumulation factor (BAF) showed that lettuce, a leafy vegetable, has bioaccumulated more heavy metals than carrot, a root vegetable. The BAF was generally below the threshold value of 1 in both vegetables, except in lettuce from NPK and CD treatments and carrot from NPK treatments, with BAF values of 1.6, 1.69, and 1.39, respectively. The cancer risk assessment factors were well below the unacceptable maximum range of 10−4 suggesting that consuming these vegetables might not expose an individual to potential risk of cancer development. The hazard quotient estimations were below the threshold values of 1 for all heavy metals; however, the hazard index (HI) values of 1.27 and 1.58 for lettuce from NPK and SS treatments indicate a potential non-carcinogenic health risk to consumers from intake of all the heavy metals.

Economic complexity and income inequality in Russian regions

Although economic growth leads to a reduction in poverty, the growing income inequality and its possible consequences are of some concern. The level of economic complexity has recently been increasingly viewed as an important predictor of income inequality. In this paper, using pool and models with time fixed effects, the impact of the economic complexity index on income inequality in Russian regions for 2013 and 2015 was estimated. The results of the evaluation of econometric models show that regions with more complex economies showed a higher level of income inequality compared to others. The explanations for the effect obtained include an increase in demand for highly qualified labor as a result of the development of high-tech industries and an increase in wage differentiation between high-skilled and low-skilled workers, as well as the migration of high-skilled workers to economically more complex regions. The main conclusion is that economic complexity is a significant factor of the variation in income inequality and should also be taken into account while conducting economic and social policy in Russian regions.

„Našlaičiams vaikams reikalinga pagalba“: pamestinukų žindyvės Vilniuje XVIII amžiaus antrojoje pusėje

The article focuses on the wet-nurses for foundlings in Vilnius in the second half of the eighteenth century when the number of children abandoned by their parents grew significantly. Wet-nurses who nursed foundlings have already received some attention in previous historiography, however, there have been no attempts to more thoroughly explore who were the women employed by hospitals and other charitable institutions as wet-nurses, what were the conditions of their employment, and how important could the income earned from this work have been in supporting their households. The research, based primarily on two distinct lists of foundlings and wet-nurses from 1789 and 1790 (see apendices), reveals that the wet-nurses were married Catholic women who had given birth several months earlier. The sources show that, throughout the second half of the eighteenth century, their monthly payment of 8 złotys remained unchanged despite inflation or other economic processes as well as the the increase in demand of women able and willing to work as wet-nurses for foundlings when the numbers of abandoned children grew significantly. Nevertheless, such employment provided women with, albeit low, but permanent and–if the nursling did not perish early–lasting income. The research demonstrates that at least some of the wet-nurses were married to artisans and merchants, and resided in Vilnius and its suburbs, not, as was usual in other European regions, the countryside, although there are indications in later sources that foundlings were actually placed with nurses of the surrounding countryside. The registers of baptisms and marriages reveal that at least some of these women were married, baptized their own children at the parish church of St John, and acted as godmothers to the children of other parishioners. However, the data on the social status of women employed as wet-nurses for foundlings is insufficient to confirm that–just like in other European cities–they were destitute and came from the lowest strata of society.

Microbial and insect oils: A sustainable approach to functional lipid

AbstractThe increasing global population, coupled with the effects of climate change on agricultural activities has spurred a demand for sustainable food production to meet human needs. In response to this, there has been a growing interest in sustainable food production initiatives. One of such initiatives is harnessing microbial and insect lipids as valuable ingredients to address increase in demand for lipids across various sectors, including functional food, nutritional supplements, and biodiesel production. Over the last decades, there has been increasing scientific investigations exploring lipid from algae, microbes, and insects as alternatives to traditional agro‐ and marine‐based sources. This review, therefore, presents progress made in microbial and insect oils production, with emphasis on sustainability. Emerging extraction techniques, regulatory and safety requirements, and challenges that exist in the production and utilization of these new lipids are also discussed. The review shows that lipids from a wide range of oleaginous microorganisms and insect species have the potential to serve as a valuable ingredient for healthful food preparation. However, challenges such as cultural acceptance, lack of standardized regulations, high cost, and low yield associated with most emerging environmentally friendly extraction technologies continue to hinder widespread use or adoption of microbial and insect lipids on a global scale. These challenges call for innovations to reduce cost of production and improve lipids yield. So far, a substantial progress has been made in the utilization of readily available feedstocks such as industrial food wastes and sugar‐rich industrial wastewater to grow insects and microorganisms which will significantly reduce the processing costs.

Edible insects as a sustainable protein source: a meta-analysis

Abstract With the global population set to reach 9.7 billion by 2050, posing a potential 75% increase in food demand, this study examined the viability of edible insects as a sustainable protein source compared with beef. Employing a meta-analysis approach, data were synthesized from studies conducted over the past 13 years, using Hedges’ d effect size and mixed model methods. The parameter values included the nutritional, environmental, and economic aspects of edible insects. Out of 10,119 articles screened, 222 were selected for analysis, revealing 135 different species. Subsequently, 10 species were selected, based on the most comprehensive data available, for mixed model analysis. Although the protein content of these 10 edible insect species was generally lower than that of beef, certain species exhibited amino acid scores surpassing those of beef. Edible insects also exhibited significantly higher calcium, iron, and zinc content compared with beef. Environmental aspects may enhance the value of edible insects as they exhibited greater advantages compared with beef. Despite some identified risks in incorporating edible insects into the diets of humans and animals, there remain potential areas for further investigation and development, such as addressing fat content, indigestible carbohydrate, availability, and sustainability aspects. Further research is required to promote local edible insect products as nutritious food and feed.

Negawatt-Driven Sustainable Energy Management Based-on Nanomaterial-Enhanced Batteries

With the dramatic increase of energy demand around the world, it has become a necessity to monitor and optimize energy consumption to conserve its use and decrease carbon emissions. This paper presents a comprehensive analysis of MicroGrids (MGs) that encompass a diverse array of energy sources, including renewable energy, Diesel Generators (DGs), and Battery Storage Systems (BSS). In this study, critical constraints are addressed such as distributed generator limits and grid power exchange. Moreover, the potential integration of nanomaterials within BSS to enhance energy efficiency and achieve Negawatt energy are explored. The main objectives are to evaluate the performance of various energy system configurations, with a specific focus on nanomaterial-enhanced batteries, and identify the optimal strategy to minimize operating costs while maximizing Negawatt energy production. By considering technical, economic, and environmental factors, this research aims to provide valuable insights into sustainable and efficient Microgrid solutions for future energy management.

Water for Food in the Tigris–Euphrates River System

Water scarcity is an important threat to food security in the Tigris–Euphrates river system. Water scarcity is a huge worldwide problem that results from the rapid increase in water demand, which exceeds the amount of available water. The most significant problems currently affecting countries are food insecurity water scarcity. The Tigris–Euphrates river system countries suffer from different political issues, such as the Syrian war and internal civil conflicts in Iraq. In addition, this area consists of only three countries: Iraq, Syria, and Turkey, but it affects the entire Middle East. Turkey has established many irrigation projects compared to Iraq, which still suffers from the previous American invasion. Therefore, this study examines the Tigris–Euphrates river system (using two countries) to examine the relationship between water scarcity and food security from 1992 to 2020. This study will be conducted using a fixed and random regression approach over 18 years. The results show a negative relationship between water scarcity and food security in the short run, at a 10% significance level, and a long-term positive relationship of 1%. Thus, the use of research and development and the encouragement of investments will help policymakers to develop a nexus between water scarcity and food security.

In Case You Haven't Heard…

Can pharmacists help ease the mental health workforce shortage? Pharmacists are not new to health care, but Ray Love, psychiatric pharmacist and past president of the College of Psychiatric and Neurologic Pharmacists, says they're underutilized, according to an article published in the April 23 issue of #CrisisTalk. “Within pharmacy, we can serve a whole array of clinical roles in patient care settings,” he said. As behavioral healthcare demands increase and the workforce continues to plummet, Love believes psychiatric pharmacists can help address these shortages, the article stated. In recent years, the pandemic has pushed community pharmacists into the spotlight, with those working at retail pharmacies like Walgreens and CVS administering vaccines and long‐acting injectables like antipsychotic medications and naltrexone for substance use disorders. “Community pharmacists were the unsung heroes of Covid — they did all the vaccinations in assisted living and nursing homes and then administered them in the community,” he said. The National Center for Health Workforce Analysis at the Health and Human Services Department has projected that by 2036, there will be shortages throughout the behavioral health workforce, including addiction counselors, psychiatrists, psychologists, social workers, school counselors and psychiatric physician assistants. As workforce shortages rise, Love believes psychiatric pharmacists can help. “We're skilled in behavioral health medications and are complementary team members,” he said.

The chiropractors' dilemma in caring for older patients with musculoskeletal complaints: Collaborate, integrate, coexist, or separate?

The world's elderly population is growing at a rapid pace. This has led to an increase in demand on the health and welfare systems due to age-related disorders, with musculoskeletal complaints driving the need for rehabilitation services. However, there are concerns about health services' ability to meet this demand. While chiropractic care is gaining recognition for its benefits in treating older adults with musculoskeletal disorders, there is limited scientific literature on chiropractors' role and experiences in this area. To bridge this gap, we interviewed 21 chiropractors in Great Britain, the Netherlands, Norway, and Sweden. Inductive qualitative content analysis was used to analyse the interviews, and despite differences in integration and regulation between the countries, several common facilitators and barriers in caring for and managing older patients with musculoskeletal complaints emerged. While participants expressed optimism about future collaborations with other healthcare professionals and the integration of chiropractic into national healthcare systems, they also highlighted significant concerns regarding the existing healthcare infrastructure. The participants also felt that chiropractors, with their non-surgical and holistic approach, were well-positioned to be the primary point of contact for older patients. However, there were some common barriers, such as the affordability of care, limited integration of chiropractic, and the need to prioritise musculoskeletal complaints within public healthcare. Our findings suggest that chiropractors experience their clinical competencies as an underutilised resource in the available healthcare systems and that they could contribute to and potentially reduce the escalating burden of musculoskeletal complaints and associated costs among older patients. Additionally, our findings highlight the desire among the participants to foster collaboration among healthcare professionals and integrate chiropractic into the national public healthcare system. Integrating chiropractors as allied health professionals was also perceived to improve coordinated, patient-centred healthcare for older adults.

Developing a Bankruptcy Theory to Resolve Stakeholders’ Conflict over Optimal Water Allocation: The Case of Hirmand Catchment

The growing increase in demand for water and the lack of balance between water supply and demand have led to conflicts among the downstream stakeholders of the international Hirmand River. This river is shared between Iran and Afghanistan and is located in the southeast of Iran, in the Sistan region. The Vardkhaneh is divided into two branches, Parian and Sistan, and it is the only main source of water in the Sistan region of Iran. The inner part of Hirmand catchment is considered bankrupt concerning its water resources, so there is a need to take the current status and resulting issues into account in order to resolve conflicts. In Hirmand catchment, four different games of bankruptcy theory, namely proportional (Pr), adjusted proportional (AP), constrained equal award (CEA), and constrained equal losses (CEL), were developed as optimization models based on genetic algorithms. For this purpose, the catchment was simulated with 26 scenarios using the WEAP 2022 version software for an average time period. The results of the bankruptcy game modeling showed that water could be effectively allocated to resolve conflicts among stakeholders. It is therefore recommended to use such a model to resolve fights and optimally allocate resources, even in bankrupt catchments.

OxySaver: highly conserving demand oxygen delivery system with increased throughput

Since the beginning of the twentieth century, oxygen has been an essential therapeutic drug. Patients with chronic lung disease and other conditions rely on supplemental oxygen provided by oxygen cylinders for treatment. Because of the sudden increase in oxygen demand caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, combined with a lack of oxygen supply, new methods of oxygen delivery have been investigated as a potential solution. We propose OxySaver, a novel low-cost (∼60$) demand oxygen delivery system that may significantly reduce oxygen consumption. The proposed system consists of a pressure sensor that detects the patient’s demand for oxygen, a normally open solenoid valve that switches the supply ON/OFF on demand, and a processing unit that ensures the supply of oxygen only during the patients’ inhalation. It is simple to install using existing oxygen cylinders and oxygen pipelines in hospitals. The preliminary prototype tests have been promising, with OxySaver able to save up to 67% more oxygen than conventional methods. OxySaver’s pulse setting can reach 18 LPM, as opposed to the 0.2–4 LPM typically found in oxygen concentrators. The system only needs 3.72 W at 50 bpm, which is less than other similar devices. OxySaver in multiplexing mode has the potential to reduce the logistical challenges associated with oxygen refilling and transport. The device is now ready for clinical testing at the bedside.

Lithium Toxicity in Lepidium sativum L. Seedlings: Exploring Li accumulation’s Impact on Germination, Root Growth, and DNA Integrity

The predicted increase in demand for minor metals for modern technologies raises major concerns regarding potential environmental concentration increases. Among the minor metals, lithium (Li) is particularly noteworthy due to growing demand for battery production. Concerns have been raised about the impact on biota of increasing Li concentrations in the environment. To expand the knowledge of the effects of Li on plants, garden cress (Lepidium sativum L.), a model plant for ecotoxicity assay, was tested in a 72 h test in Petri plates. The results showed a stimulation effect of Li at the lowest concentration (Li chloride 10 mg L−1) on seed germination and primary root elongation. Conversely, higher Li concentrations (50 and 150 mg L−1) caused a progressive impairment in both parameters. A genotoxic effect of Li on root cells, evaluated through the alkaline comet assay, was observed at each concentration tested, particularly at 150 mg L−1 Li chloride. Elemental analysis showed that Li accumulated in the seedlings in a dose–concentration relationship, confirming its ability to be readily absorbed and accumulated in plants. Given the likely increase in Li levels in the environment, further research is required to clarify the toxicity mechanisms induced by Li on growth and nucleic acids.

Varied Attributes of Jalapeño Pepper Cultivars Influence Fresh-cut Product Quality

During the past 40 years, the US fresh-cut product market has experienced a consistent increase in demand because consumers prioritize health and convenience. Increased interest in fresh-cut products and ready-to-eat vegetables has led to innovations in breeding, product selection, and packaging. However, despite the increased popularity of bell pepper and chile pepper (Capsicum annuum L.), research of fresh-cut jalapeño pepper is limited. This study was conducted to identify jalapeño cultivars that could be suitable as a raw fresh-cut product and explore measures beyond tissue membrane electrolyte leakage (EL) of processed products that may be useful for the identification of cultivars suitable for fresh-cut applications. A total of 22 fresh-cut parameters were examined across five cultivars of jalapeño peppers and 10 intercrosses of these cultivars, including visual quality based on an image analysis via a computer vision system, package headspace gas composition, tissue membrane EL, and texture. Based on our results, the genotypes were grouped into five clusters using a cluster analysis. Variables including tissue softening (r2 = 0.95), EL (r2 = 0.95), total energy of the mesocarp (r2 = 0.95), and package headspace carbon dioxide (CO2) partial pressure (r2 = 0.94) had strong associations with the cluster. A principal component analysis with biplots further confirmed the results. Cultivars Goliath and Emerald Fire and their hybrids in the first and second clusters showed good quality for fresh-cut applications. The fifth cluster, represented by a single cultivar, Jalapeño M, had the smallest physical size, rapid shelf-life decline, accumulated CO2 partial pressures, increased EL, and rapid tissue softening in comparison with the other genotypes. All jalapeño cultivars except Jalapeño M maintained good quality until day 14 postprocessing, and some maintained good quality until 21 days postprocessing. Hybrid crosses suggested that two of the cultivars evaluated, Goliath and Emerald Fire, were useful as parents when transferring superior fresh-cut quality traits to progeny. Traditionally, the EL level has been used as an index of freshness (or tissue deterioration). Our results showed that other quality analyses, including measurements of tissue softening via an imaging analysis, and physical analyses of tissue firmness can also be used as indices for the freshness of fresh-cut jalapeños. The results suggest that fruit size, wall thickness, and skin toughness might be useful as predictive measures in the field for the selection of jalapeño genotypes with superior fresh-cut quality.

Efficiency neglect: Why people are pessimistic about the effects of increasing population.

Efficiency neglect: Why people are pessimistic about the effects of increasing population.

Proposal of coefficients for performance analysis of reservoirs for rainwater storage

In Brazil, the existing regional disparity in water availability makes it essential to search for alternative solutions that guarantee the supply complies with water quality parameters, affordable cost and adaptation to local conditions and needs. Rainwater may satisfy these requirements. The existence, however, of numerous methods for sizing the reservoir of the system adds some subjectivity to the calculation of the storage volume and can lead to the determination of a storage value that does not meet the project's needs. In this context, this work aims to propose two coefficients, the Volumetric Idleness Coefficient (VIC) and the Volumetric Overflow Coefficient (VOC), which can be used as criteria for determining optimal volumes of reservoirs for rainwater storage. To this end, we considered three reservoir sizing methodologies, already existing in the literature, in different scenarios of catchment area and demand, with data from daily rainfall series of 37 years throughout the Brazilian territory. Additionally, an algorithm in Python was developed to obtain the values of these coefficients for the selected reservoir sizing methods for any point in Brazil, considering different scenarios of catchment area and demand. Results showed that the rainfall characteristics influence the values obtained for VIC and VOC, especially when the reservoirs are sized by a method that considers a water balance. Furthermore, an increase in demand in the catchment area causes a decrease in the values of both coefficients. Both coefficients presented in this article can be applied as reservoir sizing criteria through the comparative analysis between different sizing methods within a scenario since the method that allows a minimum coefficient is associated with an optimal reservoir volume, either for the project that aims to maximize the use of the useful storage volume (VIC) or maximize the use of the volume of water captured by the system (VOC).

The Changing Influence of Precipitation on Soil Moisture Drought With Warming in the Mediterranean and Western North America

AbstractAnthropogenic climate change has already affected drought severity and risk across many regions, and climate models project additional increases in drought risk with future warming. Historically, droughts are typically caused by periods of below‐normal precipitation and terminated by average or above‐normal precipitation. In many regions, however, soil moisture is projected to decrease primarily through warming‐driven increases in evaporative demand, potentially affecting the ability of negative precipitation anomalies to cause drought and positive precipitation anomalies to terminate drought. Here, we use climate model simulations from Phase Six of the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project (CMIP6) to investigate how different levels of warming (1, 2, and 3°C) affect the influence of precipitation on soil moisture drought in the Mediterranean and Western North America regions. We demonstrate that the same monthly precipitation deficits (25th percentile relative to a preindustrial baseline) at a global warming level of 2°C increase the probability of both surface and rootzone soil moisture drought by 29% in the Mediterranean and 32% and 6% in Western North America compared to the preindustrial baseline. Furthermore, the probability of a dry (25th percentile relative to a preindustrial baseline) surface soil moisture month given a high (75th percentile relative to a preindustrial baseline) precipitation month is 6 (Mediterranean) and 3 (Western North America) times more likely in a 2°C world compared to the preindustrial baseline. For these regions, warming will likely increase the risk of soil moisture drought during low precipitation periods while simultaneously reducing the efficacy of high precipitation periods to terminate droughts.

Global potential nitrogen recovery from anaerobic digestion of agricultural residues

Meeting the anticipated 50% increase in global food demand by 2050 requires a crucial reassessment of agricultural practices, particularly in terms of nitrogen fertilizers inputs. This study analyzes the technical potential of nitrogen recovery from livestock manure and crop residues, bringing attention to the often-overlooked resource of digestate derived from anaerobic digestion. Our analysis highlights the significant capacity of the anaerobic digestion process, yielding approximately 234 ± 5 million metric tons (Mt) of nitrogen annually, sourced 93% from livestock manure and 7% from crop residues. Additionally, we estimated that substituting synthetic nitrogen with nitrogen from anaerobic digestion has the potential to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 70% (185 Mt CO2-eq yr−1). Lastly, 2.5 billion people could be sustained by crops grown using nitrogen from anaerobic digestion of manure and crop residues rather than synthetic nitrogen fertilizers. Although agricultural residues have double the technical potential of current synthetic nitrogen fertilizer production, 30% of croplands encounter difficulties in satisfying their nitrogen needs solely through crop residues and anaerobic digestion manure. This deficiency primarily results from inefficient reuse attributed to geographical mismatches between crop and livestock systems. This underscores the urgent need to reconnect livestock and cropping systems and facilitate the transport and reuse of manure in crop production. In conclusion, the mobilization of these large amounts of nitrogen from livestock manure and crop residues will require to overcome the nitrogen from anaerobic digestion green premium with incentives and subsidies.

Fresh and mechanical properties of ground granulated blast furnace slag-based concrete: A review

The surge in global urbanization and developmental activities has led to a significant increase in the worldwide demand for concrete. Cement composites, such as concrete and mortar, are among the world's most extensively used construction materials. Cement manufacturing accounts for about 90% of overall carbon footprints in concrete that leads to demand for alternate binding materials derived from industrial by-products. Steel manufacturing is one of the fastest expanding sectors in construction, resulting in massive slag creation. Slag, a solid waste generated during the extraction of iron from its ore, exhibits varying qualities determined solely by the cooling process employed. One of its forms, Ground Granulated Blast Furnace Slag (GGBFS), has characteristics comparable to cement and hence it is a possible alternative. This study gives a comprehensive report on GGBFS as a cement substitute based on previously published research on the effect of GGBFS on various concrete qualities as well as its manufacture. The impact of GGBFS on concrete characteristics such as workability, setting time, flexural strength, compressive strength, and split tensile strength is explored in this study. It has been determined that integrating GGBFS up to a particular level successfully matches the characteristics of standard concrete. The current state-of-the-art evaluation aims to provide a consolidated, complete source that incorporates the general trends, discoveries, areas of study that require additional investigation, and prospective future applications of concrete based on GGBFS.