Natural Features Research Articles

The gravity of Paleolithic hunting

Topographic relief potentially played an important role in Stone Age hunting from the Middle Paleolithic onwards. Natural physical features like arroyos and cliffs, among many others, likely served as traps to stop or hinder animal movement. Yet, the presence of elevation and slope variation on a landscape means that hunters also may have been able to use terrain to hunt from on high. Here, we explored via archaeological experiment how an elevated position would have interacted with projectile weaponry via the force of gravity to influence a missile’s functional efficacy. We assessed the velocity and kinetic impact energy of two Paleolithic projectile weapon systems, the thrown javelin and the atlatl (spearthrower) and dart, at ground level and then at three-, six-, and nine-meter launch heights. The experimental results of the javelin supported our predictions. Velocity and kinetic impact energy increased as launch height increased. Unexpectedly, however, atlatl-propelled darts did not conform to our predictions, not only failing to increase dart velocity or kinetic impact energy as launch height increased but also decreasing both variables’ values. These results suggest that Paleolithic hunting with an atlatl in certain contexts likely came with consequential, and previously undocumented, opportunity costs. Our results also have implications for several aspects of archaeological interpretation in Paleolithic and post-Paleolithic contexts.

Analysis of Natural Vibration Characteristics of Permanent Magnet Linear Synchronous Motor Considering Elastic Contact

Analysis of Natural Vibration Characteristics of Permanent Magnet Linear Synchronous Motor Considering Elastic Contact

Study on vibration control performance of pendulum TMD with additional stoppers and its application on high-rise buildings

Although pendulum tuned mass damper (PTMD) is one of the most classic and commonly used vibration control devices, it has clear limitation due to the natural feature of linear TMD. Additional stoppers for the pendulum string (PTMD-AS) were proposed and introduced to improve the PTMD's performance by triggering its nonlinearity. A 2-DOF model was established to analyze the dynamic response of the system subjected to harmonic excitation, and the governing equations were formulated using the Lagrange equation. The extended incremental harmonic balance (EIHB) method and the Runge-Kutta (R-K) method were utilized to calculate the frequency response and time history of the system. Nonlinear dynamic characteristics of the pendulum with stiffness hardening were explored in detail. Sensitivity analyses were performed to investigate the effect of stopper position. It was found that aperiodic responses or multiple solutions could be induced when the pendulum underwent significant stiffness hardening upon passing the additional stoppers. Finally, the effectiveness and robustness of PTMD-AS are demonstrated in a numerical simulation of a high-rise building subjected to random wind excitation based on wind tunnel experiments.

Intelligent Manufacturing in Wine Barrel Production: Deep Learning-Based Wood Stave Classification

Innovative wood inspection technology is crucial in various industries, especially for determining wood quality by counting rings in each stave, a key factor in wine barrel production. (1) Background: Traditionally, human inspectors visually evaluate staves, compensating for natural variations and characteristics like dirt and saw-induced aberrations. These variations pose significant challenges for automatic inspection systems. Several techniques using classical image processing and deep learning have been developed to detect tree-ring boundaries, but they often struggle with woods exhibiting heterogeneity and texture irregularities. (2) Methods: This study proposes a hybrid approach combining classical computer vision techniques for preprocessing with deep learning algorithms for classification, designed for continuous automated processing. To enhance performance and accuracy, we employ a data augmentation strategy using cropping techniques to address intra-class variability in individual staves. (3) Results: Our approach significantly improves accuracy and reliability in classifying wood with irregular textures and heterogeneity. The use of explainable AI and model calibration offers a deeper understanding of the model’s decision-making process, ensuring robustness and transparency, and setting confidence thresholds for outputs. (4) Conclusions: The proposed system enhances the performance of automatic wood inspection technologies, providing a robust solution for industries requiring precise wood quality assessment, particularly in wine barrel production.

Geoenvironmental and geophysical methods applied to identify natural attenuation process on a complex hydrogeological environment contaminated by hydrocarbons

Environmental contamination found in urban areas generally has a chemical composition that favors the generation of a variety of physical, chemical and biological processes that differ from natural soil parameters. Thus, understanding natural attenuation processes in tropical environments is still a challenge, as is understanding how biogeochemical processes can influence and modify natural soil characteristics. The study aimed to apply methods that are not commonly used in investigations of contaminated areas, in order to assess the applicability of non-invasive methodology for detailed stratigraphic characterization and biogeochemical changes resulting from contamination by hydrocarbons in a complex hydrogeological environment site. To date, few studies have presented results obtained using non-invasive techniques to understand biochemical processes. The research was based on the interpretation of results obtained by high-resolution physical environment characterization techniques (such as gamma geophysical profiling and electrical conductivity surveys) and chemical analysis of groundwater. The data was interpreted to obtain a detailed characterization of the study area and evidence of the occurrence of natural attenuation of creosote contamination. The results indicated that the combination of geoenvironmental and geophysical methods is an interesting alternative for obtaining data and understanding the mineralogical and stratigraphic variation of the contaminated area. The physical parameters variations obtained by the methods suggested the presence of local geochemical alterations resulting from natural processes of attenuation of contamination by aliphatic and aromatic hydrocarbons in a tropical environment. The natural attenuation processes were confirmed through groundwater samples, biological analysis and metagenomic classification.

Forest-Based Health Practices: Social Representations of Nature and Favorable Environmental Characteristics

Forest frequentation is associated with benefits for human health, warranting the importance of forest-based health practices. These practices can be classified into four categories: connection with nature (e.g., Shinrin-Yoku, yoga, and meditation); sports, outdoor, and adventure activities; Indigenous health practices on the land; and professional consultations in a natural environment. The aim of this research was to better understand the social representations of the forest supporting these practices and the environmental characteristics that are favorable to them, as well as to examine the effects of these practices on the forests. We interviewed 28 forest-based health practitioners in Quebec and conducted four participant observation activities. Data analysis led us to five forest representations: an entity in its own self, an unfamiliar area, a place of attachment, a land at the heart of Indigenous cultures, and a tool to improve health. The results showed that favorable environmental characteristics varied according to the type of health practice. The presence of water (e.g., drinking water, lakes, and rivers) is favorable to all forest-based health practices and access to nature seems to be an issue for many practitioners. We also found that forest-based health practices were leaving traces in the forest and attempting to redefine the place of humans in nature.

Assessing the impacts of land use and climate change on the distribution patterns of Ulex europaeus L. (Fabaceae) in the Canary Islands

AbstractBiological invasions are one of the major threats to biodiversity, but their impact is particularly detrimental on oceanic islands like the Canary Archipelago. The common gorse (Ulex europaeus L. (Fabaceae)) is a highly invasive shrub with established populations in Tenerife, the sole island of the archipelago where it is present. Understanding the habitat preferences of U. europaeus is essential for predicting its current and potential future distribution across Tenerife and other Canary Islands, guiding effective local management practices. In 2019 and 2020, we surveyed different populations of U. europaeus in Tenerife, retrieving information on its abundance, presence of other invasive species and most frequent natural and anthropogenic characteristics of the landscape. We used this information to build explanatory and predictive models to identify the key natural and anthropogenic drivers of U. europaeus abundance in Tenerife and estimate the potential distribution of the species across the whole archipelago under current and future climatic conditions. Our findings showed that U. europaeus thrives in humid areas impacted by human activities where other invasive species persist. Both current and future climatic conditions do not support the presence of the species in the more arid islands of the archipelago (i.e., Fuerteventura and Lanzarote), rather highlight that the windwards, and thus more humid, areas of the other islands might support the species also under future warmer climatic scenarios. These findings deepen our understanding of U. europaeus local dynamics and are crucial to inform targeted management strategies to mitigate its impact across the Canary Archipelago and, ultimately, oceanic islands.

Model Lanskap Permukiman Tradisional Masyarakat Adat Rejang Provinsi Bengkulu Berbasis Budaya Lokal

Rejang is one of the original tribes of Bengkulu Province. This tribe mostly lives in the Bukit Barisan area. Some of their settlements are undergoing changes due to the rapidly growing flow of information and communication today. Conservation efforts need to be made, especially about their traditional settlement landscape model. The purpose of this study is to identify and analyze the character of traditional settlement landscapes and their constituent elements and compile a model of traditional settlement landscapes of the indigenous Rejang people. This research uses a descriptive method through a literature study approach, interviews, and field observations. The analysis was carried out descriptively and spatially. The landscape character of the indigenous Rejang tribe settlement is in the form of hilly landforms with land cover in the form of forests, gardens, and terraced rice fields, with the valley floor in the form of small and medium rivers. Traditional settlements stretch over ridges to mountain peaks. The character-forming features of landscapes include both natural and artificial features. Natural features consist of the elements of hills, forests, and rivers. Artificial features consist of terraced rice fields, gardens/fields, and settlements. The settlement itself includes traditional houses (including traditional chiefs' houses), circulation paths, public open spaces, and tombs. The elements that make up the Residential Garden include residential houses, rice barns (tangkiang), kitchens, fence plants, vegetable and flower plants, trees, yards, mortar (places to pound rice). Traditional ceremonial activities are held inside and outside the home, as well as communal activities such as planting and harvesting rice held in rice fields. The landscape model of the traditional settlement of the indigenous people of Rejang Lebong is linear with the center of the settlement along the main road on the ridge. The settlement is surrounded by gardens/fields and rice fields. The forest is on the outside away from settlements.

The contingent impact of wind farms on game mammal density demonstrated in a large-scale analysis of hunting bag data in Poland

Wind farms are still developing dynamically worldwide, with promising prospects for further growth. Therefore, the assessment of their impact on animals has been carried out. So far, few studies have been conducted on game mammals, and their results are divergent. Previous studies on the impact of wind farms on game species were typically based on regional research covering one or, at most, several wind farms. In this study, we aimed to verify the effect of wind farms on the density of game mammals through a large-scale analysis at the country level, using lowland Poland as an example. The study was based on hunting bag data from open-field hunting districts. It covered seven game species: roe deer (Capreolus capreolus), wild boar (Sus scrofa), red fox (Vulpes vulpes), raccoon dog (Nyctereutes procyonoides), European badger (Meles meles), European polecat (Mustela putorius), and European hare (Lepus europaeus). We used Corine Land Cover to account for differences in land cover and the area covered by wind farms in generalized linear mixed models. The study showed that in agricultural landscapes, mainly herbivorous species of game mammals were related to land cover types. These species tend to exhibit higher densities in agricultural areas containing more natural landscape features. Conversely, mesocarnivores are primarily driven by the abundance of prey with little to no observable effects from land cover types. Only roe deer and wild boar presented lower densities with an increase in the area covered by wind farms (for roe deer: estimate: − 0.05, 95% CI: − 0.1–0.0; for wild boar: estimate: − 0.03, 95% CI: − 0.11–0.05), while no effect was observed for mesocarnivores or European hare. The underlying reasons for these relationships remain unclear and require more specific studies. The uncertainty regarding the cause of the observed effects did not allow for a large-scale assessment of the impact of further wind energy development on the studied game mammals.

Synthesis and application of WO3/PVA Nano composite for Antibacterial and Thermal Insulation

Abstract A nanoparticle of tungsten trioxide (WO3) offers significant potential in enhancing both energy efficiency and human health, due to its natural antibacterial characteristics. The primary objective of this project revolves around the synthesis of Nano Tungsten trioxide particles via the chemical precipitation method. Developed WO3 NPs Characterized by using X-ray diffraction for; crystal structure, compound composition, and average crystalline size. Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) employed to analyze the shape and dimensions of the WO3 NPs. Explored the potential thermal insulation and antibacterial attributes by coating 1%, 3%, 5% and 7% concentration of synthesized WO3 NPs in polyvinyl alcohol onto a sodium silicate glass substrate (4x4 inches; 2 mm thickness) by using 50µm doctor blade. WO3/PVA solution showed the antibacterial properties measure by agar disc diffusion method on gram positive and negative bacterial culture S. coli and E. bacterial culture and the obtained results after incubation were showing very minor zone of incubation as compare to previous studies. Thermal insulation of coated glass samples were increased with % of WO3 NPs concentration in PVA and validate by significant coefficient of determination (R2=0.98).

A graphics-based digital twin (GBDT) framework for accurate UAV localization in GPS-denied environments

Autonomous navigation of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) is crucial for effective assessment of large-scale civil infrastructure, as manual UAV control is time consuming and prone to mishaps. Autonomous navigation outdoors typically employs GPS signals to enable accurate localization and reduce long-term drifts. However, in many civil engineering applications, GPS signals are either poor or unavailable due to interference and/or multi-path effects. Current approaches for UAV localization in GPS-denied environments, track geometric features such as corners; however, these natural features can be misrepresented due to the presence of occlusions and/or image processing errors, resulting in significant localization errors that can grow with time. AprilTags can reduce localization errors, but installation on large-scale civil infrastructure can be challenging. Therefore, this paper proposes a framework that leverages the wealth of visual and geometric information encoded in a Graphics-Based Digital Twin (GBDT) of a target infrastructure to provide accurate localization of a UAV. The GBDT is comprised of a computer graphics model that faithfully represents a target structure’s geometry, structural features, and visual textures. The visual details of the GBDT are exploited to design an object recognition algorithm that detects GBDTtags, which are distinctive objects (or a collection of components) on the target structure in advance; GBDTtags provide functionality similar to AprilTags. When the camera attached to a UAV detects one or more GBDTtags, the vertices of the GBDTtags are mapped from the image plane into the GBDT coordinate system, allowing for the UAV to be localized. The framework, termed herein as GBDTpose, is first validated numerically using Blender, Gazebo, and Mavros software-in-the-loop (SITL). Subsequently, field validation is carried out using the Kavita and Lalit Bahl Smart Bridge at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (UIUC). Results show that localization in GPS-denied environments can be achieved with 5-50 cm accuracy without the need for physical markers being placed on the structure.

Green synthesis of highly fluorescent carbon quantum dots from almond resin for advanced theranostics in biomedical applications

Fluorescent Carbon Quantum Dots (CQDs) are being used in medical applications, particularly in theranostics. These Carbon Quantum Dots have been gaining more attention lately due to their potential as an effective replacement for hazardous synthetic organic dyes in a variety of biomedical applications, including live cell imaging and diagnostics. In this study, highly fluorescent Carbon Quantum Dots by one pot microwave based green route with a size of less than 10 nm, was prepared from commercially available almond resin, Prunus dulcis and conjugated with honey as additional reagent for surface functionalization. They exhibit a deep blue emission on excitation at 350 nm with an elevated quantum yield at 61%. They possess atomic nature and basic features such as high photo-stability, varying fluorescence, greater biocompatibility, and better water solubility. These fluorescent labels exhibit faster cellular invagination without disturbing the cell stability. The CQDs present cell imaging capacity with multi-coloration for visualizing the fine architecture of the nucleus naming, the nuclear membrane and nucleolus, which is linked with their varied, surface structures such as amphiphilic property and higher positive charges. These characteristics with minimal invasion have made carbon quantum dots to become the spotlight in theranostics. They can be used as alternatives to synthetic dyes for fluorescence- related cell-imaging. The intriguing fact about this approach is that it opens the possibility of combining therapy and diagnostics into one unit, which can alter how some diseases are handled and, in turn, transform the field of healthcare.

Green Strategy for a Large-Format, Superhard, and Insulated Electromagnetic Wave Absorber Inspired by a Natural Feature of a Conch Shell.

Due to the intensification of electromagnetic pollution and energy shortages, there is an urgent need for multifunctional composites that can absorb electromagnetic waves and provide insulation. However, developing low-cost electromagnetic wave-absorbing composites that are lightweight, high strength, heat-insulating, and large-format for special environments remains challenging. Inspired by the conch shell, this article proposes a green strategy of hydration recrystallization self-assembly. Highly biologically active hydroxyapatite (HAP) was used to lock in free water to prevent porous carbon fibers from absorbing a large amount of water. Meanwhile, HAP underwent ion exchange and recombined with hydrated crystals of magnesium oxychloride to form a gelatinous HAP-5 phase crystal. The cementitious HAP-5 phase crystal was interwoven and interlocked with the support skeleton carbon fibers and metal Ni powder to form conch shell composites (Bio-CSC) with multiple interfaces via electrostatic adsorption and metal complexation. This strategy utilized inorganic substances as bridges to uniformly disperse conductive materials such as carbon fibers to construct a conductive network with an enriched interface polarization. The prepared Bio-CSC was composed of multiple heterogeneous interfaces and was lightweight and high strength, with a specific strength increase of 300%. It also provided excellent thermal insulation and electromagnetic wave absorption. Its thermal conductivity was 0.071 W·m-1·k-1, and the lowest RLmin value of -21.88 dB, with a matching thickness of only 1.2 mm. The composites in this study overcame the limitations of traditional absorption materials such as high magnetism and single function and may be used in fields such as building energy conservation and electromagnetic safety.

Core-Periphery Multi-Modality Feature Alignment for Zero-Shot Medical Image Analysis.

Multi-modality learning, exemplified by the language-image pair pre-trained CLIP model, has demonstrated remarkable performance in enhancing zero-shot capabilities and has gained significant attention recently. However, simply applying language-image pre-trained CLIP to medical image analysis encounters substantial domain shifts, resulting in severe performance degradation due to inherent disparities between natural (non-medical) and medical image characteristics. To address this challenge and uphold or even enhance CLIP's zero-shot capability in medical image analysis, we develop a novel approach, Core-Periphery feature alignment for CLIP (CP-CLIP), to model medical images and corresponding clinical text jointly. To achieve this, we design an auxiliary neural network whose structure is organized by the core-periphery (CP) principle. This auxiliary CP network not only aligns medical image and text features into a unified latent space more efficiently but also ensures alignment driven by principles of brain network organization. In this way, our approach effectively mitigates and further enhances CLIP's zero-shot performance in medical image analysis. More importantly, the proposed CP-CLIP exhibits excellent explanatory capability, enabling the automatic identification of critical disease-related regions in clinical analysis. Extensive experiments and evaluation across five public datasets covering different diseases underscore the superiority of our CP-CLIP in zero-shot medical image prediction and critical features detection, showing its promising utility in multimodal feature alignment in current medical applications.

Drinking water treatment through Optimising Phosphate Coagulation collected from four villages in Srikakulam, India: a Response Surface Methodology approach

ABSTRACT The drinking water quality is highly affected by industrialisation and by natural geographical features of the region. This work highlights on the quality survey and treatment of drinking water collected from four villages (Kalyanipeta, Kesavadasupuram, Arinam Akkivalasa, and Chilakapalem) near Nagarjuna Agrichem Limited in Srikakulam district, Andhra Pradesh. Physicochemical parameters of the samples were analysed. The presence of phosphates in the samples (3.15 mg/L P) were found to be above the permissible limits (1 mg/L P) which required instant treatment by coagulation process. Various influencing factors like temperature, dosage, mixing speed, and mixing time were considered for optimization of the process. The statistical experimental design was done using central composite approach of response surface methodology to optimise phosphate removal via coagulation and flocculation technique. An optimised removal of phosphates was determined to be 79.5% and 76.06% at a temperature of 27°C and 28°C, dosage of 13.412 and 14.906 mg/L, mixing speed of 91 and 78 rpm, and mixing time of 14.25 and 11.62 min for coagulants ferric chloride and aluminium sulphate respectively. Ferric chloride was found to be a better coagulant with a removal efficiency of 79.5% and the treated water contained 0.645 mg/L of phosphate.

Potential Use of Organoids in Regenerative Medicine.

In vitro cell culture is crucial for studying human diseases and development. Compared to traditional monolayer cultures, 3D culturing with organoids offers significant advantages by more accurately replicating natural tissues' structural and functional features. This advancement enhances disease modeling, drug testing, and regenerative medicine applications. Organoids, derived from stem cells, mimic tissue physiology in a more relevant manner. Despite their promise, the clinical use of regenerative medicine currently needs to be improved by reproducibility, scalability, and maturation issues. This article overviews recent organoid research, focusing on their types, sources, 3D culturing methods, and applications in regenerative medicine. A literature review of "organoid" and "regenerative medicine" in PubMed/MEDLINE highlighted relevant studies published over the past decade, emphasizing human-sourced organoids and their regenerative benefits, as well as the availability of free full-text articles. The review uses descriptive data, including tables and text, to illustrate the challenges and potential of organoids in regenerative medicine. The transition from 2D to 3D models, particularly organoids, has significantly advanced in vitro research. This review covers a decade of progress in various organoid types-such as liver, cholangiocyte, intestinal, pancreatic, cardiac, brain, thymus, and mammary organoids-and their 3D culture methods and applications. It addresses critical issues of maturity, scalability, and reproducibility and underscores the need for standardization and improved production techniques to facilitate broader clinical applications in regenerative medicine. Successful therapy requires increased scalability and standardization. Organoids have enormous potential in biological research, notwithstanding obstacles.

Using nature-based solutions to improve coastal resilience

As Nature-Based Solutions (NBS) are implemented more widely, it is essential to be clear in our definition of NBS and understand the performance of the various approaches. In this paper we focus on Coastal NBS which involve using natural features to offer or improve coastal protection while producing additional economic, environmental, and social benefits. We illustrate that there are a broad range of solutions spanning the creation of large expanses of habitats, hybrids of habitats and harder engineered structures, and ecological enhancements of existing infrastructure. The performance of these different approaches varies widely, and not all NBS are low-cost or self-maintaining. In many instances, the capacity for sedimentary habitats to self-maintain will depend on sediment availability, a factor that needs to be considered in the whole life costs of these approaches. The incorporation of habitat components can, however, bring multiple benefits for both nature and people. Implemented correctly, Coastal NBS therefore have the potential to be ‘no regret’ solutions in many locations.

Teptyars in the legislation of the Russian Empire in the 1790s

This article is devoted to the study of one of the key moments in the social history of the Teptyars in the 18th–19th centuries – the process of their transition from the peasant class to the military class. The article, based on published legislative acts of the Russian Empire of the 1790s, reconstructs the sequential chain of events that marked the formation of the Teptyars in a new social status. The details and features of the socio-economic nature of their class transformation are revealed. For citation: Sharafiev E.I. Teptyars in the legislation of the Russian Empire in the 1790s. From History and Culture of Peoples of the Middle Volga Region. 2024, vol.14, no.3, pp.86–95. https://doi.org/10.22378/2410-0765.2024-14-3.86-95 (In Russian)

THE LEGAL NATURE OF PUBLIC PROCUREMENT AGREEMENTS AND THE FEATURES OF CONTRACTING IN ELECTRONIC FORM

In the article, based on the analysis of the contractual process, with the help of analytical, formal-logical and comparative legal methods, the legal nature of the peculiarities of public procurement contracts and their difference from other civil-law and economic contracts is clarified, as well as the peculiarities of concluding contracts in electronic form. The relevance of the article is due to the significant importance of contracts on public procurement and the study of the features of concluding contracts in electronic form for the interests of state customers and the state as a whole. In the course of the study, the properties and nature of public procurement contracts and the peculiarities of concluding contracts in electronic form were clarified in the analysis of compliance with the principle of freedom of contract from the beginning of the pre-contractual process stage to the moment of concluding the procurement contract. When clarifying the legal nature of contracts on public procurement and the features of concluding contracts in electronic form, an analysis of the possibility of applying the concept of “a contract as a source of law” to these contracts is carried out. According to the results of the study, the transparency and openness of the entire contractual process, which is controlled by the public and state bodies in order to meet the needs of customers acting in the interests of the state, has been established. Important features of the legal nature of procurement contracts are their mandatory planning, consensuality and payment. The subject structure of these contracts is special, given the competitive nature of these contracts, which are mostly concluded as a result of competitive procedures or simplified procurement. The state takes a special role in these treaties as “a kind of treaty agent.” When concluding contracts on public procurement, the principle of economic profitability and compliance with the requirements of the customer in accordance with current legislation applies. According to the results and conclusions of the study, participants of the contractual process - customers and participants (service providers, contractors, sellers of goods) and specialists in the field of law are suggested to use in their work. Based on the results of the research, it is proposed to supplement Article 640 of the Civil Code of Ukraine with the fifth paragraph, in which to define the registration of procurement contracts in the state treasury bodies, which is mandatory, but is not specified in any legislative act. Also, in paragraph five of the specified article, it is proposed to determine the moment of conclusion of the purchase contract, which is different from the moment of conclusion of other contracts.

Silage Making of Napier Grass and Sugarcane Top at Different Proportions: Evolution of Natural Fermentation Characteristics, Chemical Composition, and Microbiological Profile

The co-ensiling technique is widely used to improve silage quality; however, it remains unclear as to what high-quality silages can be made by co-ensiling Napier grass (NG) with Sugarcane top (ST). The aim of this study was to evaluate the fermentation characteristics, chemical composition, and microbiological profile of silage produced from mixtures of NG and ST in varying ratios. Silage was prepared using a small-scale fermentation system, and treatments were designed as control silage (NG ensiled alone) or with 10%, 20%, 30%, 40%, 50%, 60%, 70%, 80%, 90%, and 100%ST on a fresh matter basis with six replicates, respectively. Increasing ST in the silage reduced the contents of crude protein, ash, acetic acid, butyric acid, ammonia-N, as well as pH, but increased the contents of dry matter, ether extract, neutral detergent fiber, acid detergent fiber, water-soluble carbohydrate, lactic acid, and lactic acid bacteria. Lactobacillales and Enterobacterales were the dominant orders, with Lactiplantibacillus and Weissella as the dominant genera. Co-ensiling NG with ST enhanced microbial diversity and richness. ST, as a local by-product, is a viable additive to improve NG silage quality and nutrition. This study suggests that good-quality silages can be produced with NG: ST ratios of 40:60 to 20:80 and that these silages offer an opportunity to optimize the nutrient supply for ruminants.