Use Of Alternative Sources Research Articles

Sustainable halal food production: Locusta migratoria as unused potential

Growing world population, limited agricultural resources for food production and global pollution represent an imperative to find an alternative to conventional food production (primarily meat). In order to achieve this goal, it is necessary to establish a sustainable diet with a reduction in meat consumption and / or the use of alternative sources of protein. Locusta migratoria (locusts) are a species believed to be one of the oldest living things in the world. In some Islamic countries, they are used as food (e.g. Indonesia and Malaysia) and have untapped potential in Western countries. Grasshoppers represent a long-term sustainable solution due to significantly lower prices of cultivation and production, but also a much smaller impact on the environment (primarily greenhouse gas emissions and waste generation-zero waste). In addition to the positive impact on the environment, their nutritional values make them an attractive alternative (high content of protein, unsaturated fatty acids and minerals). The EU has recognized the potential for commercialization of alternative protein sources by approving Locusta migratoria as a novel food, safe for human consumption. Given the skepticism of Western consumers, the approval by European Member States is a turning point as it guarantees that locusts are a safe source of food for humans and that all legal provisions are in place to ensure quality and safety.

Effect of Fish Meal Replacement by Unconventional Meal in the Post-Larval Diet of Clarias Gariepinus in Benin (West Africa)

To reduce the pressure on aquatic resources due to the use of fishmeal in fish feed, the mastery and use of alternative sources of fishmeal in all stages of fish development are essential. Five diets including 4 experimental and one control diet were considered. Experimental diets of post-larvae were developed from unconventional ingredients in which fishmeal was completely replaced by a mixture of brewer’s yeast, chicken viscera and maggots. These foods were tested on Clarias gariepinus post-larvae with an initial average weight of 80 ± 1 mg. 1500 fish individuals were equally distributed in 15 concrete basins with a volume of 500 L forming five treatments in triplicate. Fish individuals were fed, manually at a ration rate of 20%, four times per day. The specific growth rates were 8.38%/day in imported food and 6.35%/day in the experimental food receiving 45.5% of protein from unconventional meal. Similar results were obtained with the feed consumption index. These encouraging results show that it is possible to partially or completely replace fishmeal in catfish feed and obtain an economically profitable production. The recovery of waste such as chicken viscera, brewer’s yeast and soybean meal in fish food formulation as tested in this study is a good contribution to environmental sanitation.

«ЗЕЛЕНА» ЕНЕРГЕТИКА ЯК ІНСТРУМЕНТ НАБУТТЯ ЕНЕРГЕТИЧНОЇ НЕЗАЛЕЖНОСТІ ВІТЧИЗНЯНИМИ ПІДПРИЄМСТВАМИ

The article is devoted to the study of the issue of preventing the energy crisis in the country and providing domestic enterprises with energy independence. Modern realities have demonstrated the possibility of nuclear terror and the world's dependence on extractive resources - oil, natural gas, and coal. This dependence is detrimental because such resources are non-renewable and their price is increasing every day, so replacing these resources should be the main concern of all civilized countries today. In this regard, alternative energy sources were analyzed in detail, namely, the current state of «green» energy in Ukraine, the legislative basis, the most effective type of renewable energy sources for the vast majority of enterprises, the advantages and disadvantages of this type of power plant. The prospects and feasibility of transition to ecological ones were determined types of energy, taking into account the peculiarities of the economy and the current political situation. The article also provides and analyzes the energy balance of the country, its structure, explores the possibilities of using «green» energy as a tool for providing companies with stable electricity for their own production facilities, the amount of necessary investments in terms of the planned capacity, their payback and feasibility in general, the main influencing factors on payback. An example of the domestic enterprise's use of alternative sources both for its own consumption and for sale to the state at a "green" tariff is considered. Since the investment is significant and obstacles such as the rising dollar make it difficult, not all businesses can afford to use renewable energy sources. The war adjusted the plans of all citizens of Ukraine, and the process of attracting investment slowed down significantly, which is due to the fear of investors to invest. In this regard, the world experience in the implementation of projects in the field of renewable energy was considered, the issue of creating energy cooperatives was investigated, and the possibility of their creation in Ukrainian realities, the main advantages, were determined.

Review of the basic mechanisms of energy efficiency management and emissions control from ships

Increasing relevance of the problem of energy conservation and use of alternativesources of energy in connection with global and local resource crises led to the formation of adeveloped system of international standards in the field of energy management, which is aimed atregulating and disclosing the content of the principles of energy efficient processes and development.Rational policy in enterprises of various industries and the implementation of energy-savingmeasures, particularly in the maritime transport. The dynamics of implementation of projects aimedat increasing the efficiency of energy use is growing steadily at different levels and in different sectorsof industry. It is widespread in the fields of design, modernization and reconstruction of energyefficient buildings and structures, construction of industrial infrastructure elements, technologicalproduction processes. Implementation of such projects is a priority line of activity for enterprises andcompanies of various types of economic activity. Accordingly, the leading sectors of industry develop strategies to improve environmental safety and energy efficiency - ship navigation is no exception.Indeed, the process of increasing energy efficiency is achieved by reducing fuel consumption, whichwithout exception leads to a reduction in the amount of waste products discharged into theatmosphere. Therefore, the problems of energy efficiency in order to increase requirements forenvironmental safety of transport and increasing responsibility of shipowners become the centralobject of research of current theory and practice of operation of maritime transport means. Anotherurgent issue is the improvement of universal principles of energy efficiency within the framework ofindividual ship-owning companies and the development of tools for economic analysis of energyefficiency of the own fleet, search for new ways to form professional competencies of shipcrewmembers in the field of energy conservation.

ENVIRONMENTAL TENDENCIES FOR THE ARCHITECTURE FORMATION OF MODERN EXHIBITION AND EDUCATIONAL STRUCTURES

The ecological tendencies of forming of architecture of modern exhibition and educational buildings for revealing of ways of creation of ecological design decisions of this type of structures and expedient use of leading principles of eco-design of interior spaces are highlighted. The analysis of architectural decisions of existing ecological exhibition and educational institutions is carried out. It is revealed that the main task in designing buildings of this type is to ensure speed, ease and accessibility of human perception of information to initiate the process of thinking, analyzing and invoking positive feelings, as well as ensuring the predicted impact of contemporary art on the subconscious, while creating eco-safety of visitors and environment. This is achieved through the rational design of the building's multifunctionality, the use of environmentally friendly materials for construction and decoration, energy conservation, the use of alternative sources of energy, energy-saving and advanced technologies, environmental waste management, efficient use of natural lighting, design and phyto design, the location of the building on the site, to create an unbroken connection between the interior and exterior space, etc.

Alternative sources of cautery may improve post-operative hematoma rates but increase operative time in thyroid surgery

A retrospective risk-adjusted analysis was completed using data from the National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (NSQIP) to (1) compare the risks of post-operative hematoma for thyroid surgery using conventional cautery compared alternative energy devices (defined as LigaSure and Harmonic Scalpel), and (2) compare operative times for the same. The primary outcome variable was post-operative hematoma occurrence. The secondary outcome variable was operative time. The exposure variable was use of conventional or alternative sources of cautery. All adult patients who underwent a total thyroidectomy, subtotal thyroidectomy or completion thyroidectomy between 2016 and 2018 were included. Multivariable linear and logistic regression analyses were performed to control for potentially confounding variables. A total of 13,330 cases were analyzed; 4342 used conventional cautery, and 8988 used alternative sources. There was a statistically significant decrease in post-operative hematoma risk using alternative sources of cautery compared to conventional cautery (OR 0.75; 95% CI 0.58–0.98) (p = 0.04). Use of alternative sources of cautery added 4.95 min onto operative time (95% CI 2.45–7.45) which was statistically significant (p < 0.0001). After controlling for confounding variables, there was a statistically significant lower rate of post-operative hematoma in thyroidectomies performed using alternative sources of cautery compared to those performed with traditional hemostatic methods. Alternative sources of cautery increased operative time by 4.95 min.

Energy sources in diets for lambs in confinement

Context The use of alternative sources in ruminant feeding features advantages such as diminished dependence on traditional cereals that can be used for human consumption or monogastric animals. Aims This study was conducted to examine nutrient intake, apparent digestibility, mean growth rate, nitrogen balance, and microbial protein synthesis in lambs fed diets containing different energy sources in the concentrate. Methods The experiment involved five uncastrated Santa Inês lambs, with an initial BW of 22.85 ± 1.0 kg, which were allocated individual metabolic cages and randomly assigned to one of the following five experimental treatments: maize (MA), wheat bran (WB), sorghum (SO), mesquite pod meal (MP) and peach palm meal (PP) in a 5 × 5 Latin square design, with five replicates each. Diets were isoenergetic with a roughage:concentrate ratio of 60:40. Key results The energy sources in the concentrate influenced (P &lt; 0.0001) the intakes of DM and nutritional components. The apparent digestibility coefficients of the ether extract and NDFap were significantly (P &lt; 0.05) different between WB and the other diets. The different energy sources in the concentrate (MA, WB, SO and MP) increased (P &lt; 0.0001) the mean growth rate of the lambs. The diet containing PP as an energy source provided a smaller (P = 0.0002) N intake than that from any other diet, and the PP diet resulted in a negative N balance (P = 0.0200). Lambs fed with diets containing MP (80.38 g day−1) as an energy source showed a larger (P = 0.0007) microbial protein synthesis than did those fed with PP (24.47 g day−1). Conclusions Wheat bran, sorghum, and mesquite pod meal can completely replace maize for lambs fed diets based on 270 g kg−1 of maize. Implications A variety of unusual feed ingredients facilitates the raising of lambs in various regions, with ingredients being local and of the lowest cost, promoting benefits to sheep producers.

Optimization of acetylated starch films from purple sweet potato: effect of glycerol, carboxymethylcellulose, and stearic acid

The objective of this study was to ascertain the optimal additive conditions to develop a film from an alternative source of modified starch, using the response surface methodology. The central composite design + points used factors to evaluate the effect of the independent variables (glycerol concentration: 0.3, 0.35, and 0.40 g g−1 starch; carboxymethylcellulose: 0.5, 0.75 and 1 g/5 g starch; stearic acid 0.025, 0.05, and 0.075 g/5 g starch) on the response variables (solubility, swelling, opacity, luminosity, tensile strength, elongation, water vapor permeability, and water activity). A simultaneous optimization was achieved using concentrations of glycerol 0.30 g g−1 starch, CMC 0.32 g/5 g starch, and stearic acid 0.007 g/5 g starch, which generated interesting properties validated through experimentation. Therefore, an ecological film was obtained that can be considered for food coating because it presented a low permeability to water vapor (0.0055 g ms−1MPa−1), a high percentage of elongation (91%), and a decrease in solubility (23%). This will also allow the incorporation of other compounds such as antioxidants, reinforcements, and sensors with favorable results, and with a positive perspective on the use of alternative sources of starch.

Energy consumption, economic development and environmental degradation nexus for Nigeria

This study tests the existence of the Environmental Kuznets Curve (EKC) hypothesis for Nigeria using two environmental indicators vis-à-vis ecological footprint and carbon dioxide emissions. Data was sourced from World Development Indicators (WDI) and the Global Footprint Network for the period spanning from 1981 to 2019.The Auto Regressive Distributed Lag (ARDL) method was employed. It was observed that short-run and long-run relationships exist among the variables. Findings revealed that in the short and long run, energy consumption has positive effects on CO2 emissions in Nigeria. However, for ecological footprint, only energy consumption in the three lagged period has a positive relationship with EFP in the short run without any significant effect being observed in the long run. Similarly, an inverted U-shaped environmental degradation-economic development relationship was established in the study which validated the EKC hypothesized inverted U-shape for CO2 emissions. However, for EFP, there was no evidence of the EKC. As such, the shape of the EKC curve is subject to the environmental indicators employed. The study therefore recommends an increase in the use of alternative sources of energy that are relatively free from pollutant emissions as an alternative and viable option for Nigeria.

Effect of tert-butylhydroquinone on biodiesel properties during extreme oxidation conditions

The use of alternative sources for fuel production has been gaining attention in the past years. Thus, the role of biodiesel seems to be crucial, as it can contribute to the sustainable economic growth of developing countries. The main raw materials for biodiesel production are vegetable oils, obtaining fatty acid methyl (or ethyl) esters through transesterification with methanol (or ethanol). The properties of these natural feedstocks can influence the quality of biodiesel. Specifically, its oxidative stability is usually low, not complying with the lower limit established by standards. As a consequence, some properties of biodiesel (especially viscosity and acid number) can vary during storage due to oxidation. In order to avoid these undesirable effects, antioxidant addition, as well as the selection of stable oils, is necessary. Among them, tert-butylhydroquinone (TBHQ) is one of the most popular additives. The aim of this work was to assess the evolution of some properties of biodiesel from different sources (cardoon, waste cooking, rapeseed and high-oleic safflower oil) during extreme oxidation conditions, evaluating the effectiveness of TBHQ addition on quality maintenance. As a result, the most unstable samples (cardoon and waste cooking biodiesel) required higher amounts of TBHQ (750 and 450 ppm, respectively) to comply with the standard (induction point = 8 h), whereas high-oleic safflower did not require any addition (induction point = 8.35 h). During extreme oxidation conditions, all the samples kept their viscosity and acid number values when the right amount of TBHQ was added, assuring their quality parameters during storage.

Comparison of prices and consumer price indices: traditional data collection and alternative data sources

One of the major challenges official statistics is faced with in the 21st century is the use of alternative sources of price data in order to modernise consumer price statistics and, as a result, to improve the accuracy and reliability of inflation data. Data collecting based on the traditional method encountered numerous difficulties caused by COVID-19 (distance-keeping restrictions limiting price collectors’ fieldwork, closures of points of sale). As a consequence, the work on alternative data sources intensified. The article presents the results of an experimental study involving the use of prices collected by means of the traditional method (by price collectors), and scanner and web scraped data from one of the retail chains operating in Poland. The aim of the study was to investigate the occurrence of differences in prices and price indices of selected food products and to estimate them, using the traditional method and alternative data sources, i.e. scanner and web scraped data. An additional goal was set to identify sourcebased reasons for these differences. The empirical study covered the period of February and March 2021. The results based on data from different sources were compared using both graphical methods (histograms, box plots) and the calculation of elementary price indices according to the Dutot, Carli and Jevons formulas. The findings revealed certain, sometimes serious discrepancies in the distributions of prices obtained from various data sources, which suggests that the application of scanner and web scraped data may lead to the over- and understating of price indices obtained via the traditional method. The article also discusses the main methodological aspects of obtaining and applying data from alternative sources, and indicates the probable causes of the differences observed both in distributions of product prices and in monthly price indices calculated using data from various sources.

Characterization of codfish gelatin: A comparative study of fresh and salted skins and different extraction methods

The use of alternative sources for gelatin extraction is in demand in today's industries. Fish skins are an economical and sustainable source option. However, there is a lack of information about the preservation state of skins (fresh, frozen, salted, etc.) and how that affects the gelatin yield and properties, and therefore, compromise the final product.In this study we present a comparative analysis between different reported gelatin extraction processes for fresh and salted codfish (Gadus morhua) skins. The extracted products were characterized based on yield of extraction, amino acid composition, molecular weight distribution, rheological properties and gel strength, as well as the cell compatibility of the gelatins envisaging future biomedical applications.Results showed that extraction method affected the yield and gelatin properties within the same type of fish skin. Thus, it was found that water acidification step, demonstrated higher extraction yield, while other methods produced gelatins rich in OH-proline + proline, promoting enhanced gel strength and rheological properties. There is thus a compromise between yield and gelatin properties that industries need to understand before selecting their gelatin extraction method. Results, also showed that gelatins derived from salted skins demonstrated lower viscoelastic properties and gel strength, when compared with gelatins from fresh skins.Our research represents a unique comparative compilation of different extraction methods in cod skins differently conserved, as a tool on the quest for the sustainable valorization of fish by-products, included in a circular economy framework.

The Effects of Storage on Nutrient Composition and Mycoflora of Stored Guinea Corn (Sorghum bicolor) Grains

Aims: This research work aims to determine the changes in nutritional (proximate, mineral) composition and mycoflora of Sorghum bicolor grains stored for 5 months in order to determine its fitness in meeting nutritional demand. &#x0D; Study Design: Experimental study design was carried out&#x0D; Place and Duration of Study: Department of Microbiology, Ekiti State University, Ado-Ekiti, from February 2017 to August 2018.&#x0D; Methodology: The grain was procured from Usi market in Usi-Ekiti. It was further sundried for seven days and stored in an airtight container in the laboratory at room temperature. They were visually examined for external changes on the caryopsis and cultured to determine the spoilage fungi. Mineral and proximate analyses were routinely carried out to determine the changes in nutrient composition. These analyses were carried out monthly for five months to determine the changes in physicochemical properties and mycoflora associated with Sorghum bicolor on storage. Results: During storage, spoilage such as external mouldiness, discoloration, musty odour and progressive depletion of external caryopsis were observed on the grain. Seven species of fungi namely Penicillium glabrum, Aspergillus flavus, Penicillium spp., Fusarium spp., Alternaria spp., Aspergillus niger and Saccharomyces cerevisiae were isolated using a combination of direct plating, dilution and washing method. The colony count of the mycoflora population increased from 6 to 16 spore-forming units per gram. The proximate component comprising ash, moisture, crude protein, fat and fiber content decreased but an increase in carbohydrate content was recorded. A negative Pearson correlation (r = - .990) between crude protein and carbohydrate content was recorded. This was attributed to the presence of resistant starch in Sorghum bicolor and the use of alternative source(s) of carbon for energy by the fungi. The entire mineral component decreased during storage. Copper was the barest mineral while magnesium was the most stable mineral in the stored grain.&#x0D; Conclusion: Sorghum bicolor grains contain vital minerals and nutrients. Prolonged storage of Sorghum bicolor increased the mycoflora population and consequently decreased the nutrient composition excluding the carbohydrate component. Some minerals and proximate components of the grain were relatively stable while others experienced pronounced depletion. Nutritionally deficient grains may lead to malnutrition especially in growing animals and human populations were adequate minerals and nutrients are required for rapid growth.

The Effectiveness of Digestate Use for Fertilization in an Agricultural Cropping System.

The need to find and maximize the use of alternative sources of nutrients for plants and soil environment have been on the forefront of research in sustainable agriculture. These alternatives have to be affordable, accessible, reproduceable, and efficient to compete with established inorganic fertilizers while at the same time reduce any potential negative impacts on the environment. We aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of digestate fertilization in an agricultural system over a period of three years. The digestate utilized in the study consisted of animal waste-based digestates, namely pig manure digestate, chicken manure digestate, and cow manure digestate, and were compared with synthetic nitrogen fertilizer. Every year, the digestate and the synthetic nitrogen fertilizer were split applied at the rate of 90 and 80 kg N ha−1. The soil chemical composition after three years of fertilization showed a slight decrease, significantly different nitrogen and carbon changes while phosphorus and potassium were significantly higher in the digestate treatments. The third year of digestate application showed higher grain yield than previous years and the yield from the digestate treatments were significantly different from the synthetic nitrogen fertilizer. The nitrogen use efficiency for the three years was in the range of 20–25 percent in the digestate treatments, with a strong correlation between the nitrogen use efficiency and the grain yield. There were varied results in the grain quality and straw quality in the digestate and synthetic nitrogen fertilizer with no clear trend observed. Our results showed a relatively high potential of animal waste digestates over the short to mid-term use with a positive result obtained in comparison to synthetic nitrogen fertilizer under favorable climatic conditions.

Preservative Lubricants and Oils Used to Protect Equipment Products

Purpose of research. Analysis of preservation agents for the protection of technical products to determine the direction for the modification of preservation materials.Methods. To achieve this goal, we have reviewed the modern scientific and technical literature in this area. The conservation method using lubricants is used to maintain the stored products in working order and use them as intended,. Lubricants for various purposes are usually subdivided into lubricants, oils and specialty liquids.Results. The currently used preservatives not only fails to provide reliable protection of the materials of products, but in most cases they themselves are power sources for microorganisms, provoking the development of microbiological and corrosive damage. One of the new directions in the modification of preservation materials is the use of alternative sources for modification based on plant origin materials (essential oils). The conducted analysis shows that many of the foreseen means of conservation are not produced for objective reasons, and the use of other means is often ineffective. The solution to this problem is associated with the use of essential oils for modifying existing preservation materials. which should increase their protective properties against the effects of biodegradable microorganisms, and, as a result, create effective protection against corrosion and biological damage. Conclusion. The presented results can be used to create resource-saving processing processes, frictional interaction, storage and preservation of metal systems, taking into account the operating conditions of a particular part for various weather conditions.

The Socio-economic and Environmental Implications of Supplying Charcoal in Yaounde City

This article aims to identify and assess the socio-economic and environmental implications of supplying charcoal in the city of Yaounde. To achieve the above-mentioned goal, investigations based on a standardized questionnaire (130 charcoal producers and sellers), formal interviews (7 resource persons), informal discussions, field observations and floristic survey were carried out in Bikok between the last quarter of 2016 and the second quarter of 2017. Bikok, a subdivision located in the neighbourhood of Yaounde is one of the most important supply sites of charcoal for the city. Investigations revealed that, accelerated demographic growth over the past fifty years, unemployment and poverty constitute the main factors for the increase in the production and consumption of charcoal in the city. Poverty, unemployment and the urge for the satisfaction of basic needs constituted the main reasons for involvement of 98.8% of charcoal producers in the activity. The increase in urban demand for charcoal is at the origin of several significant biophysical impacts, including the degradation of forests and soils as well as the decrease in the availability of some Non-Timber Forest Products and animal species. In the survey villages, a total area of 3.1 hectares of forest is cut each year and the average distances from inhabited areas to harvesting areas, increased from 0.8 to 5 km in 10 years. 76.6% of charcoal producers believe that some animal species are increasingly rare in the locality. On the socio-economic level, this activity creates jobs, generates income thereby increasing the living standards of producers and sellers. More than 300 people are involved in this activity who earns on average an income of 3000 to 6000 Central African Franc (XAF) per day. Decrease in the availability of certain NTFPs and damage to the health of producers constituted some of the negative socio-economic impacts of this activity. It is imperative to adopt measures to limit the negative impacts of this activity while ensuring a sustainable supply of charcoal in the city or the use of alternative sources of fuel.

Sustainability assessment of building life cycle costing: A case study of Calabar International Conference Center

This work presents a study of sustainability assessment of building life cycle (LCC). The analysis was conducted, information model developed. The LCC analysis was forecast for 50 years with the following discount rates 4%, 5%, 6%, 8%, 10%, 12% and 13%. The result showed, the lower the discount rates the higher the cost value and via vasa. The product of net present value (NPV) is &gt; 0, indicating a significant benefit at the end of the study period. The construction cost was 73% of the total forecast costs of the building while operation, maintenance/repair, replacement and decommissioning cost ranks 2%, 8%, 13% and 4% respectively of the building costs. The total forecast life cycle costs ranked 30.24% of the construction cost. The energy costs contributed 54.78% of the total forecast cost. The energy costs were the most cost incurring factor, the use of alternative sources of power supply such as solar will serve as the best and more cost friendly alternative source of energy. The decommissioning costs at the end of CICC building life cycle stand at ₦355,807,000. The study explains a practical analysis on how a life cycle costing of Calabar International Conference Center project was analysed and forecast for a period of 50 years using different discount rates.

The Utilization of Lamtoro leaves (Leucaena leucocephala L.) Extract as an Alternative Nitrogen Source on The Formation of Nata de Soya Cellulose from Tofu Whey Waste

Nata is not only made from coconut water; it is also possible to produce it from other raw materials. In our study, nata de soya has successfully made using tofu whey as raw material. Research focused is on the utilization of lamtoro (Leucaena leucocephala L.) leaves as an alternative source of nitrogen in addition to the use of ammonium sulphate and urea which have generally been used in nata production. The selected research method was experimental. First, the Lamtoro leaves were mashed and then inserted into the medium and cooked until it boils. The medium was incubated at room temperature for 12-14 days and the thickness of the cellulose was then measured. The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of the using of lamtoro leaf extract (Leucaena leucocephala L.) as an alternative source of nitrogen for nata de soya cellulose formation. The optimization of pH and nitrogen contentration have been obyained. Three types of formula have been arranged, i.e. 1⁄2 of the control nitrogen concentration, equivalent, and 2 times of the control nitrogen concentration, to provide the variation concentration. Results found that the optimum pH was 3 and the optimum nitrogen concentration was ½ of the control nitrogen level. Nata de soya has then prepared using optimum condition of pH and nitrogen concentration. The maximum average of nata de soya thickness was 7.6 mm. In addition to leveraging the ability of medicinal plants and reducing the use of chemicals in the food processing, the use of alternate sources of nitrogen may also be adopted in the wider cellulose nata application.

X-ray CT Analysis of FNS Mortars Mixed with Converter Slag Fine Aggregate

Aggregate is an indispensable component in concrete occupying nearly 65-80% of the total volume, whose effects on concrete performance are rarely studied [1]. Due to their inert and impervious characteristics, the durability of concrete is also influenced by the quality of aggregates. To meet the global demand for concrete in the future, it is becoming a more challenging task to find suitable alternatives to natural aggregate for preparing concrete [2]. Hence, the use of alternative sources for natural aggregates is becoming increasingly important.

Plant and soil microbial community responses to different water management strategies in an almond crop.

Climate change is one of the main challenges facing the agricultural sector as it strives to meet global food needs. In arid and semiarid areas, the scarcity of water imposes the use of alternative sources - such as reclaimed water (RW) or desalinated water (DW) - and of deficit irrigation strategies, such as regulated deficit irrigation (RDI), in order to maintain productivity. The impact of both alternative water sources and RDI strategies on soil microbial communities in conjunction with the crop response has been little studied, and far less in fruit trees. Here, we evaluated the effects of the irrigation water quantity (RDI or the optimal water amount) and quality (DW or saline RW) on: i) the biomass, composition, and activity of the soil microbial community, and ii) the plant agro-physiological response at the level of the water status, nutrients, vegetative growth, and yield of almond trees. The DW-RDI treatment had a lower vegetative growth than the rest, reducing the nutrient requirements and increasing the contents of organic carbon and nitrogen in soil. This coincided with a significant increase in the bacterial biomass and enzyme activities in soil, as well as with a decrease in plant nutrient use efficiencies and yield. Irrigation with RW increased the fungal biomass. When there were no water restrictions (RW-FI), none of the plant agro-physiological parameters were affected; when RDI was applied (RW-RDI), the highest soil sodicity was reached and vegetative growth and yield were negatively affected, although the plant nutrient use efficiencies did not decrease as much as with DW-RDI. In addition, the plant nutrient use efficiencies were negatively correlated with the soil enzyme activities. These results improve our knowledge of the functioning of plant-soil interactions in Mediterranean crops subjected to different irrigation strategies.