Restoration Method Research Articles

Seeds technologies: performance of sodium alginate and calcium chloride as seed coating

Direct seeding is a restoration method that can benefit from the use of seed coating techniques to increase efficiency in the field. This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of sodium alginate as a seed-encapsulating agent and calcium chloride as a crosslinking agent for a model species. Three concentrations of alginate (1.5%, 2%, and 3%) and two concentrations of calcium chloride (5% and 10%) were used. Encapsulation occurred through a drip process. The treatments consisted of ten replications of ten Solanum lycopersicum L. (Solanaceae) seeds, totaling 600 seeds. We counted the number of seeds emitting radicle (SER), the mean germination time (MTG), the germination speed index (GSI), and the synchronization index (Z). Encapsulation using an alginate concentration of 2% and the lowest concentration of calcium chloride (5%) showed the best results for SER (66±18.5), MGT (10.5), GSI (0.63), and Z (-0.3562). The combination of a 2% alginate concentration with the lowest concentration of calcium chloride (5%) shows potential for applications in seed encapsulation.

Coral reef rehabilitation following Hurricane Irma using nano-engineered artificial reefs in Sint Maarten

Artificial reefs are being increasingly deployed as a coral reef restoration strategy. Additional reef habitats made from conventional substrates (e.g., metal, concrete, etc.) have had limited success in addressing conservation objectives on degraded coral reefs due to structure size and lack of standardized monitoring, and inability to enhance select ecological, and species variables. Technological advances and new restoration methods must be quickly tested and applied on a large scale to curb further deterioration of coral reefs. Here, we present the results of the first deployment of Oceanite artificial reefs (ARs). We compare the composition of the benthic community and associated fish assemblages on Oceanite ARs 14 months after deployment in a marine protected area (MPA) and two unprotected sites in Philipsburg, Sint Maarten. We also examined fish abundance and behaviour on the ARs. The initial results from this pilot study suggest that Oceanite mineral matrices can enhance local biodiversity, attract coral recruits, provide food and protection for large fish communities, and develop an early stage, healthy coral reef community in 14 months. We suggest that further research and testing of Oceanite capabilities will allow us to develop site-, species-, and function-specific nanotechnology-enabled substrates to optimize AR conservation goals. Oceanite mix designs can be tuned to precise parameters to promote reef restoration and stressor mitigation (e.g., pH, leachate emissions, surface texture, porosity, void structure, and hydrophobic, heat-absorbing, and disease-fighting properties). Using both bottom-up and top-down restoration processes, we suggest that deploying bio-enhancing habitats with targeted microclimate stressor treatments on the world’s critical reefs will allow to build global refuges resilient to climate change and provide much needed ecosystem services.

A SET OF SMALL-SIZED EQUIPMENT FOR CARRYING OUT RESTORATION WORK ON SEGMENTS OF SEWAGE COLLECTORS

The urban sewage system is the basis for ensuring environmental safety and viability of cities. However, in the context of today's conditions, which include military aggression and limited funding, maintaining the viability of these systems faces numerous challenges. The article is devoted to the study of actual methods of restoration of reinforced concrete structures of sewage collectors, which are important elements of the infrastructure that ensure the collection and transportation of wastewater to treatment facilities. Given the complex location of many sewage facilities, their restoration requires the use of specialized mobile equipment capable of functioning effectively in limited conditions. The article analyzes modern methods of restoration work, including methods of injection and injection concrete (dry and wet). Various technological approaches to the restoration of damaged areas, which ensure reliable sealing and return of the object to its original state, are considered. The peculiarities of using shotcrete as one of the most effective methods of applying the concrete mixture to the prepared surface are also discussed. It is noted that this technology allows for a high level of adhesion and uniform coverage, which is important to prevent further destruction. The study highlights the importance of choosing quality equipment for the preparation and delivery of concrete mixes, such as concrete mixers, compressor units and flexible pipes. The characteristics of the equipment are considered, which allow to perform work on the application of a concrete mixture under pressure in difficult conditions, in particular in the limited space of underground tunnels or collectors of small diameter. Technological schemes of restoration work are described, including various options for the location of equipment depending on the conditions of access to the damaged area. The results of the study indicate that the choice of appropriate equipment and methods of work depends on the type of damage, the condition of the surface and the conditions of the restoration. The use of small-sized mobile kits allows you to increase the productivity and quality of restoration work, ensuring speed and efficiency even in difficult conditions of limited access. Thanks to the use of modern technologies, such as shotcrete, restored areas of reinforced concrete structures are able to maintain their integrity and resistance to the influence of external factors, including microbiological corrosion and mechanical damage. The article concludes that the integration of mobile, multi-functional equipment and the latest repair methods is a key factor in ensuring the effective restoration of sewage systems, which is the basis for the stable functioning of urban infrastructure. Key words: sewage collectors, restoration, destruction, concreting, shotcrete work, small-sized equipment, concrete mixture

Assessing the Impact of Grazing and Restoration Methods on Pannonian Grasslands

Our study examined the impact of grazing by Hungarian Grey cattle on plant communities in grasslands restored and established through different methods. The grasslands were established and restored in 2009 using five methods: (I) naturally regenerating fallow, (II) hay-mulch addition, (III) seeded grassland following soil preparation, (IV) grazing on abandoned alfalfa fields, and (V) overseeded fallow initiated in 1989. From 2009 to 2011, all sites were uniformly mowed, after which they were grazed using free-ranging Hungarian Grey cattle starting in 2012. This project aims to restore traditional land use and dry grassland grazing in the region. Phytosociological recordings were conducted in 2012, the first year following grazing initiation, and again in 2020, nine years later. We assessed the botanical composition and grassland management value across sites in a 260-hectare experimental area within the Pannonian biogeographic region. The current study seeks to determine how different grassland restoration techniques have influenced the botanical composition and grassland management values of pastures and to identify the most suitable restoration methods. Statistical analyses were conducted using R to assess species count differences across four vegetation categories. The results indicate that the overseeded fallow established in 1989 and the hay-mulch addition method were the most effective techniques. Directly seeded grasslands and abandoned alfalfa fields differed most significantly from these areas. Across all types, species richness and total cover increased relative to the initial conditions in 2012, and the naturalness of the species composition also improved. Returning to traditional land use improved the ecological state of all sites. Restoration of the grazed areas proved optimal over the elapsed period, with two years of mowing followed by grazing. Grazing with Hungarian Grey cattle, a low-impact rustic breed, yielded successful grassland restoration outcomes. Among the restoration methods, direct seeding and the use of alfalfa fields proved uneconomical and ineffective in promoting the desired species composition. Natural regeneration and, particularly, the hay-mulch addition method, were the most effective for conservation and grassland management.

Ancient ceramics restoration method based on image processing texture stitching

This study addresses the issue of the existence of a considerable number of ancient ceramic fragments within the gene pool of ancient ceramics in Jingdezhen, as well as the limited efficacy of manual restoration techniques. To this end, an ancient ceramic restoration method based on the stitching of ancient ceramic textures through image processing is proposed. By employing the optimal single responsiveness matrix and state transfer equation, coupled with a random sampling strategy to ascertain the precise matching points and a consistency checking mechanism to preclude erroneous matching, the optimal single responsiveness matrix is devised to meticulously transform and stitch ancient ceramic textures. The dynamic programming idea is employed to identify the optimal stitching path, thereby enhancing the quality of the stitching and facilitating the precise, seamless, and natural integration of the ancient ceramic texture. The average peak signal-to-noise ratio of the stitched image of ancient ceramics is 58.7554, and the mean square error is 0.0866, which demonstrates the efficacy of image processing technology in the restoration of ancient ceramics and facilitates the intelligent advancement of cultural protection.

Effective combination therapy for telogen hair loss

Background. Telogen hair loss is one of the most common forms of alopecia, associated with a disruption in the phases of the hair growth cycle – specifically, the premature transition of the hair follicle into the telogen phase. The primary causes are the influence of triggering factors such as increased stress levels and previous illnesses. The main goal of therapy is to prolong the anagen phase and stimulate hair growth through the use of topical peptides and a multivitamin complex.Objective. To study the effectiveness of a hair growth restoration method in the treatment of telogen alopecia using cosmetic hair growth products and dietary supplements.Methods. The study involved 20 patients diagnosed with telogen alopecia who received treatment with the topical cosmetic products «Time to Grow» and the dietary supplement «Thick and Strong Hair» for 9 weeks. The effectiveness of the treatment was assessed at 3, 6, and 9 weeks after the start of therapy.Results. The analysis of the study showed statistically significant changes in trichoscopy indicators in patients with telogen alopecia, demonstrating the effectiveness of using hair growth cosmetics (p<0.05). At the final assessment point, a reduction in hair loss was observed in 100 % of the subjects, along with improvements in hair quality and volume. A survey evaluating the participants’ subjective experiences demonstrated satisfaction with the treatment and adherence to the therapy.Conclusion. The use of hair growth products and the dietary supplement «Time to Grow» has proven effectiveness in the treatment of telogen hair loss.

Restoration of UAV image blurring based on inertial measurement unit

Abstract UAV image restoration technology is widely used for rescue work in extreme vibration environments. In this paper, an image restoration method based on an inertial measurement unit (IMU) is proposed to effectively overcome the image blurring problem caused by the specific motion of the UAV. The technique utilizes IMU data to analyze the attitude and vibration information of the UAV, calculates the point spread function (PSF) of the blurred image, and combines it with the all-variable regularization method to correct the image blurring problem. Experiments show that this method improves 7.32% over the blind source recovery results in recovering two-axis rotational blurred images. It also avoids the image misfit problem due to specific motion and improves computational efficiency. In addition, we discuss the application of this method in vibration environments and the potential of dynamic carrier image processing.

Technogenically Disturbed Lands of Coal Mines: Restoration Methods

The issues of human impact on the environment are evident and pose a threat to the health and well-being of future generations. Technogenic disturbances in coal mining sites, such as open pits, excavations, and industrial waste, pose risks to both human health and the environment. Open-pit coal mines not only frequently cause the destruction of natural ecosystems, including landscapes, vegetation, and biodiversity, but they also significantly contribute to greenhouse gas emissions into the atmosphere. Addressing the carbon footprint necessitates not only the use of renewable energy but also the restoration of disturbed landscapes and vegetation, including trees and shrubs. All of this is achieved by implementing biological remediation within technogenically disturbed territories. This process fosters a return of biological balance and establishes favorable conditions for plant and animal life, while at the same time reducing carbon footprint indicators. The biological remediation of areas affected by the mining activities of coal mines can create new economic opportunities. The reclaimed land can be utilized for various purposes such as agriculture, forestry, park development, and tourism, thereby contributing to local economic growth and job creation. When planning measures for land bioremediation, it is essential to analyze all quality indicators of the land. In this case, the selection of technologies such as plants, fertilizers, and microorganisms can effectively restore territories.

DifFace: Blind Face Restoration With Diffused Error Contraction.

While deep learning-based methods for blind face restoration have achieved unprecedented success, they still suffer from two major limitations. First, most of them deteriorate when facing complex degradations out of their training data. Second, these methods require multiple constraints, e.g., fidelity, perceptual, and adversarial losses, which require laborious hyper-parameter tuning to stabilize and balance their influences. In this work, we propose a novel method named DifFace that is capable of coping with unseen and complex degradations more gracefully without complicated loss designs. The key of our method is to establish a posterior distribution from the observed low-quality (LQ) image to its high-quality (HQ) counterpart. In particular, we design a transition distribution from the LQ image to the intermediate state of a pre-trained diffusion model and then gradually transmit from this intermediate state to the HQ target by recursively applying a pre-trained diffusion model. The transition distribution only relies on a restoration backbone that is trained with L1 loss on some synthetic data, which favorably avoids the cumbersome training process in existing methods. Moreover, the transition distribution can contract the error of the restoration backbone and thus makes our method more robust to unknown degradations. Comprehensive experiments show that DifFace is superior to current state-of-the-art methods, especially in cases with severe degradations.

Methods of Voice Restoration following Laryngectomy

In Germany, approximately 950-1200 laryngectomies are performed annually due to extensive hypopharyngeal and laryngeal carcinomas. The removal of the larynx results in significant life changing functional losses, particularly in voice production and communication, resulting in psychological issues and social withdrawal. Rehabilitation requires a multidisciplinary team focusing on restoring communication skills. Methods include pseudowhispering, esophageal speech, external mechanical and electromechanical aids, and tracheoesophageal speech prostheses. Pseudowhispering uses air from the mouth and pharynx, while esophageal speech requires controlled release of esophageal air to produce sound. External aids include devices like the Electrolarynx. Tracheoesophageal speech prostheses, the current gold standard, offer superior phonation time and clarity but require frequent visits to the healthcare system to address complications due to the limited lifespan of the prosthesis. Despite high success rates with transoesophageal prostheses, some patients may face significant challenges. In conclusion, voice rehabilitation post-laryngectomy is crucial for social reintegration. Comprehensive patient education on the benefits and challenges of different methods is essential for making an informed decision tailored to their lifestyle.

VAE-Based 3D Image Restoration Method for PCB Profilometry

VAE-Based 3D Image Restoration Method for PCB Profilometry

Integrated model and automatically designed solver for power system restoration

Power system restoration strategies schedule the power plants to re-energize the power network and loads after a blackout. These strategies are of great significance to ensure a resilient power system. Most power system restoration models consider either certain restoration stage(s) or all stages, with each or some of the stages managed independently. They destroy the essential characteristics of the interaction among the restoration stages and lead to sub-optimal solutions. To address this issue, in this paper, we first propose an improved integrated power system restoration (IPSR) model covering the entire restoration process without decoupling and sectionalization. We then develop both mathematical and metaheuristic solvers for the proposed model. In particular, we introduce the automated solver design paradigm to the highly non-linear constrained restoration problem-solving. By the paradigm, we automatically design the metaheuristic solver that gains enhanced performance beyond handcrafted solvers without algorithmic expertise. It is suggested that the automatically designed metaheuristic solver is a promising new option in variable and complicated power system operation scenarios without algorithmic expertise. Finally, a comprehensive case study demonstrates the proposed model’s significance and the proposed solver’s efficiency. Numerical tests show that the proposed IPSR model and solver obtained over 20% lower restoration time than current restoration methods, demonstrating IPSR’s and the proposed solver’s efficiency and effectiveness.

Social Determinants of Wellbeing Children in Need of Care and Protection at Crossroads

Abstract: The Juvenile Justice Act in India in the past two decades been amended several times to make it more child friendly and to preserve the dignity and best interests of the child. There have been notable changes with changes in nomenclature, increased age limits, adding categories and methods of restoration and continuing protections. This study takes up the issue of the children in need of care and protection and attempts to examine the relevance and application of the amended Juvenile Justice legislation in their lives. It focuses on children in need of care and protection for two reasons. Firstly, if they can be taken care of, will it prevent the emergence of children in conflict with law to some extent? Secondly, neglect of the youngest and the most vulnerable population is something that must be addressed urgently. It is an exploratory cum descriptive study that aims to describe and examine the state and nature of the quality of life of children in need of care and protection in four State Government run correctional institutions in two districts of Delhi; West and North. Data was collected through semi-structured interview and observation method along with case studies. While examining in detail the socio-economic backgrounds of the children in institutional care under the Juvenile Justice Act in Delhi, there was an attempt to study the perceptions of the children about the institutional services. It sheds light on the factors that forced these children to leave their families and their entry into the institutions and their experiences outside and within the institutions. An attempt to understand the Juvenile Justice System through the eyes of the institutionalised children now free and on the streets again adds a required dimension to this study, making it relevant all times. It helps to provide a fair picture of what the children on streets and in need, want from the institutions. If institutionalized services are serving their purpose or community based correctional services are a better option? The findings of the study reveal various issues and challenges in the child care institutions while rehabilitating children. Apart from bringing out some additional problems than what have been known so far, it helps in identifying new areas of research in this field – Similar exhaustive studies of juvenile institutions and street children in other States where the amended Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act has been implemented, (ii) Study of the NGO managed institutes under the Juvenile Justice System in the Capital and other states of the country to understand innovative strategies. Secondly, the information generated can be effectively used in future planning for the children. The study advocates for the end of de facto criminalization of street children and by placing the relevant legislation outside the criminal justice system and by transferring, their care and protection to agencies — whether governmental or non-governmental — whose personnel are trained in social work, not correction. Greater emphasis, in particular, must be placed on the rehabilitation and personal development of former street children

Cascaded frameworks in underwater optical image restoration

Optical imaging and vision technology have become crucial research topics in the field of underwater and ocean scenes. These technologies play a vital role in advancing underwater exploration, scientific research, and smart aquaculture. Despite their importance, optical systems face substantial challenges in complex water environments, especially in turbid conditions where light absorption and scattering by water and suspended particles drastically reduce the quality of captured images. This degradation highlights the need for sophisticated image restoration algorithms that can effectively recover the quality of images impaired by turbid water conditions. Cascaded frameworks, which incorporate multiple modules, including that of color correction, detail enhancement, and information fusion, have emerged as particularly efficacious, offering significant improvements over traditional direct or end-to-end restoration methods. This review elaborates on the comparative benefits of various cascading structures — serial, parallel, and hybrid — and examines different restoration algorithms that utilize intrinsic image features, physical models, prior knowledge, and deep learning technologies. Furthermore, it provides a comprehensive overview of publicly available datasets and evaluation metrics, both referential and non-referential, which are crucial for developing, validating, and optimizing underwater image restoration algorithms. Additionally, by conducting experimental comparative studies of several open restoration algorithms, the effectiveness and applicability of different methods are validated. Finally, the review proposes potential research directions, aiming to deliver valuable insights to scholars in underwater application and computer vision, thereby inspiring innovative research initiatives that could further enhance the capabilities of underwater optical imaging.

Soil seed bank resilience in passively restored endangered Sand Fynbos following a century of pine plantations

Societal Impact StatementEcosystems are rapidly being transformed, pushing us towards irreversible losses and even extinctions. The Kunming‐Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework aims to curb biodiversity decline. An intriguing solution lies in seed banks—where plants store seeds in the soil. Restoration efforts can revive lost ecosystems by leveraging these seed banks. In the fynbos of South Africa, this study found that it is possible to bring back ecosystems that were lost as long ago as 100 years if conditions are right. Managers can achieve best results by applying a dry season prescribed burn following removal of the driver of degradation (e.g. pine plantations or invasions).Summary Soil‐stored seed banks are a critical evolutionary strategy for plants as they can stabilize population dynamics in response to environmental fluctuations such as droughts and natural disturbances such as fires, thus improving ecosystem resilience. This study aimed to assess resilience during the first restoration cycle of endangered Sand Fynbos following pine harvesting and a prescribed burn in South Africa. We compared above ground populations and soil‐stored seed bank composition and focused on six perennial fynbos focal species in five 1 m2 plots. All six species are obligate reseeders with soil‐stored seed banks but represent a variety of important fynbos growth forms and seed types. We found that native soil‐seed bank density following over a century of plantation forestry and 10 years after the first fynbos restoration burn was comparable to, or exceeded, densities measured in other fynbos studies, especially seed banks of alien‐invaded fynbos ecosystems. The early years following pine harvesting and a restoration burn likely provide a pest‐ and predator‐free window of opportunity in which plants may re‐establish and flourish. Our results show that even for old forestry plantation areas, ecological restoration to the historic vegetation community is feasible, where there is retained seed bank resilience, through a combination of passive and active restoration methods. Ecological restoration in cases where soil seed banks persist is therefore a viable and critically important method to attain 30% conservation of terrestrial land in ecosystems with less than 30% remaining, as part of the Kunming‐Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework.

Short-term Traffic Flow Prediction：A Method of MEA-LSTM Model Based on Chaotic Characteristics Analysis

To effectively improve the accuracy of short-term traffic flow prediction, an improved Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM) method is proposed using the Mind Evolution Algorithm (MEA). Firstly, to address the issues of abnormal and missing traffic flow data, a Neighborhood Stacked Denoising AutoEncoder (NSDAE) is used for data repair. Then, the maximum Lyapunov exponent is used to determine the chaotic characteristics. Meanwhile, based on Bayesian estimation theory, the features of three-parameter sequences are fused in high-dimensional space using phase space reconstruction technique to obtain reconstructed multi-parameter fused traffic flow data. Finally, by taking advantage of the fact that MEA can divide the data into several subpopulations for optimal search separately, a prediction model based on MEA to improve LSTM is proposed. The results show that compared to the other two traditional data restoration methods, the NSDAE has higher accuracy, with the lowest average values of RMSE, MAE, and MAPE. Through the phase space reconstruction technique, the feature fusion of three parameters of traffic flow is realized in high-dimensional space, which makes up for the insufficiency of a single time-series data that cannot comprehensively levy the characteristics of traffic flow. The MEA-LSTM model outperforms the LSTM model in terms of prediction accuracy, computational efficiency, and generalization ability, and its RMSE, MEA, and MAPE are reduced by 24.3%, 28.9%, and 30.1%, respectively.

Restoration and evaluation for severed streams in high-density urban areas based on a multi-objective framework: A case study of Heping Stream in Nanjing

Numerous severed streams that emerge during rapid urbanization has been negatively impacting regional water systems and urban environments. Traditional restoration efforts are prone to focus on water quality, overlooking the complex of urban severed stream as natural-social ecosystems. However, current literature indicates a lack of systematic restoration methods and post-implementation evaluations tailored to severed streams, which adversely affects water resource management and sustainable urban development. This study bases on research of the severed streams in Nanjing’s Hexi New District to develop methods for the restoration and evaluation of severed streams in high-density urban areas. Taking the Heping Stream as a case study, it took three years to complete a full-process study encompassing the design, implementation, and post-occupancy evaluation of the restoration of the severed stream. We developed a multi-objective framework, including five measures for the restoration of severed streams, along with performance evaluation indicators from environmental, social, and economic perspectives to compare the state of the severed-stream before and after the restoration. So as to assess the effectiveness of the restoration methods and to put forward suggestions for the improvement of the restoration measures. The results showed that the method had a positive effect on the quality of the water environment, public evaluation, capital investment and energy consumption. Some of the environmental performance indicators were significantly improved after the restoration, especially the dissolved oxygen content, water flow. Most of the social performance indicators were better after the restoration than before. In terms of economic performance indicators, the use of photovoltaic energy resulted in significant savings in electricity and pumping costs. Performance evaluation confirmed comprehensive benefits of the method, with Run off Control, Waterfalls Construction and Riverbank Ecological Restoration being most effective. To improve the benefits of restoration, diverse strategies should be combined together, including runoff control, artificial wetlands, vegetated buffers, and riverbank restoration. This research can support the optimization of future restoration measures and scientific decision-making in urban severed-stream restoration.

Archaeological Ceramics as an Object of Study and Restoration

The article considers the problems of preserving the information potential of archaeological ceramics during their restoration. A review of sources containing fundamental information on achievements in the field of archaeological ceramics research and the results obtained with their help, which are of interest to researchers from different fields of knowledge, is made. A retrospective of the study of ancient ceramics as a historical source clearly demonstrated the possibilities of revealing the information potential inherent in the products of ancient pottery production depending on the formulation of new tasks and the use of instrumental research methods of related disciplines. Not all archaeological ceramics extracted from an excavation are well preserved, and therefore need restoration. Over the course of its existence, restoration has developed its own methods for saving destroyed objects, giving them a "second birth". However, not all of them are safe. Some modern restoration methods lead to a change in the physicochemical properties of ancient artifacts and introduce new materials into their structure. A change in the authenticity of ancient objects leads to a distortion of the information contained in them. This is a big problem for both restoration and other sciences, because ceramics is considered one of the most durable materials and therefore much less attention is paid to new methods of its restoration than to other materials. Awareness of the specifics of archaeological objects made of ceramics and the role they played in primitive society and continue to play in the modern world should contribute to the development of a new strategy for the preservation of this type of cultural heritage using new restoration approaches and technologies.

Theoretical Analysis of Restorative Justice and Social Healing in India: A Sociological and Legal Perspective

Through the perspectives of sociology and law, this study investigates the theoretical underpinnings of restorative justice and its potential to foster social healing in India. The goal of restorative justice is to make amends for the harm that crime has caused by encouraging communication and understanding between victims, offenders, and the community. A different way to dealing with crime and conflict is provided by restorative justice in India, where the legal system is frequently criticized for its punishing nature and inefficiency. This essay explores how restorative justice methods, in particular the ideas of community-based conflict resolution, reconciliation, and collective healing, mesh with India's cultural and social ethos. The study assesses how community involvement affects conflict resolution and how restorative justice can aid in mending trust and cohesiveness in communities that have fallen apart, using theories from sociology. It critically evaluates the legal gaps in Indian jurisprudence about restorative justice, the likelihood of its incorporation into the Indian legal system, and the difficulties in striking a balance between it and models of punitive justice. Through the integration of legal analysis and sociological insights, this research provides a thorough knowledge of how restorative justice might aid in societal healing in modern-day India.

Tannins and copper sulphate as antimicrobial agents to prevent contamination of Posidonia oceanica seedling culture for restoration purposes.

Seed-based restoration methods are increasingly recognized as a relevant tool contributing to halt and reverse the loss of seagrass meadows while providing genetic and evolutionary benefit for the conservation of these habitats. Ad-hoc protocols aimed at maximizing the survival of plantlets obtained from seeds in cultivation systems are therefore required. Previous trials of seedling culture of Posidonia oceanica, the dominant seagrass of the Mediterranean Sea, recorded up to 40% loss due to mould development. In this study we aim to (i) identify the putative causal agents of seed decay and (ii) test the efficacy of copper sulphate (0.2 and 2 ppm) and of tannin-based products derived from chestnut, tara and quebracho in reducing seed and seedling decay, while assessing possible phytotoxic effects on plant development. Halophytophthora lusitanica, H. thermoambigua and a putative new Halophytophtora species were identified as possible causal agents of seed loss. The antimicrobial agents (copper and tannins) reduced seed contamination by 20%, although copper sulphate at 2 ppm strongly inhibited the root growth. Among tannins, chestnut and tara reduced seeds germination by up to 75% and decreased shoot and root development, while quebracho showed a less severe phytotoxic effect. The use of copper sulphate at 0.2 ppm is therefore recommended to prevent P. oceanica seedling loss in culture facilities since it reduces seed contamination with no phytotoxic effects. Our results contribute to improving the seedling culture of one the key species of the Mediterranean Sea, increasing propagule availability for restoration purposes.