Search results for: long-term polymer degradation

Authors: Hsiao-Chien Tsai, Yu-Pin Chen, Ruei-Ming Chen

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Introduction: Osteoarthritis (OA) is characterized by joint destruction and causes chronic disability. One of the prominent symptoms is pain. Alleviating the pain is necessary and urgent for the therapy of OA patients. However, currently, understanding the mechanisms that drive OA-induced pain remains challenging, which hampers the optimistic management of pain in OA patients. Semaphorin 4D (Sema4D) participates in axon guidance pathway and bone remodeling, thus, may play a role in the regulation of pain in OA. In this study, we have established a rat model of OA to find out the mechanisms of OA-induced pain and to deliberate the roles of Sema4D. Methods: Behavioral changes and the pro-inflammatory cytokines (IL-1β, TNF-α, and IL-17) associated with pain were measured during the development of OA. Sema4D expression in cartilage and synovial membrane at 1, 4, and 12 weeks after inducing OA was analyzed. To assess if Sema4D is related to the neurogenesis in OA as an axon repellant, we analyzed the expression of PGP9.5 as well. Results: Synovitis and cartilage degradation were evident histologically during the development of OA. Mechanical hyperalgesia was most severe at week 1, then persisted thereafter. It was associated with stress coping strategies. Similar to the pain behavioral results, levels of IL-1β and TNF-α in synovial lavage fluid were significantly elevated in the OA group at weeks 1 and 4, respectively. Sema4D expression in cartilage and the synovial membrane was also enhanced in the OA group and was correlated with pain and pro-inflammatory cytokines. The marker of neurogenesis, PGP9.5, was also enhanced during the development of OA. Discussion: OA induced mechanical hyperalgesia, which might be through upregulating IL-1β/TNF-α-mediated Sema4D expressions. If anti-Sema4D treatment could reduce OA-induced mechanical hyperalgesia and prevent the subsequent progression of OA needs to be further investigated. Significance: OA can induce mechanical hyperalgesia through upregulation of IL-1β/TNF-α-mediated Sema4D and PGP9.5 expressions. And the upregulation of Sema4D may indicate the severity or active status of OA and OA-induced pain.

Keywords: traumatic osteoarthritis, mechanical hyperalgesia, Sema4D, inflammatory cytokines

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Authors: Rabindranath Jana, Plabani Basu, Keka Rana

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Nucleating agents are widely used to modify the properties of various polymers. The rate of crystallization and the size of the crystals have a strong impact on mechanical and optical properties of a polymer. The addition of nucleating agents to the semi-crystalline polymers provides a surface on which the crystal growth can start easily. As a consequence, fast crystal formation will result in many small crystal domains so that the cycle times for injection molding may be reduced. Moreover, the mechanical properties e.g., modulus, tensile strength, heat distortion temperature and hardness may increase. In the present work, multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWNTs) as nucleating agents for the crystallization of poly (e-caprolactone)diol (PCL). Thus nanocomposites of PCL filled with MWNTs were prepared by solution blending. Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) tests were carried out to study the effect of CNTs on on-isothermal crystallization of PCL. The polarizing optical microscopy (POM), and wide-angle X-ray diffraction (WAXD) were used to study the morphology and crystal structure of PCL and its nanocomposites. It is found that MWNTs act as effective nucleating agents that significantly shorten the induction period of crystallization and however, decrease the crystallization rate of PCL, exhibiting a remarkable decrease in the Avrami exponent n, surface folding energy σe and crystallization activation energy ΔE. The carbon-based fillers act as templates for hard block chains of PCL to form an ordered structure on the surface of nanoparticles during the induction period, bringing about some increase in equilibrium temperature. The melting process of PCL and its nanocomposites are also studied; the nanocomposites exhibit two melting peaks at higher crystallization temperature which mainly refer to the melting of the crystals with different crystal sizes however, PCL shows only one melting temperature.

Keywords: poly(e-caprolactone)diol, multiwalled carbon nanotubes, composite materials, nonisothermal crystallization, crystal structure, nucleation

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Authors: Jegede Kehinde Jacob, Ola Akeem Bayonle, Adewale Yemi Yekeen

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The rapid rate of urban growth in most developing countries of the world in recent times is alarming. Mass movement of people from rural areas to the urban centres, the consequence of the uncontrolled rapid urbanisation resulting to many un-conforming environmental challenges such as inadequate infrastructure, land, water and air pollution, poor environmental sanitation, poor and inadequate housing, urban degradation, sprawl and slums, urban violence, crime, robbery and prostitution as well as many other social vices that make the cities unsustainable. The resultant effects of all these are abysmal failure in the management of cities on the part of the governing authorities and other relevant stakeholders as well as unconducive and unwholesome condition of living of the people. This paper attempts to examine holistically the issue of environmental planning management (EPM) process development and management concept with a view for dynamic and interactive approach for various stakeholders as partners in achieving sustainable cities of our dream. The areas of discussion including conceptual and contextual issues, sustainable cities concept, good urban governance including literature review. The paper goes further to examine opportunities and challenges of built environment generally, the nature and context of environmental problems in particular, the role and duties of environmental planning and management (EPM) process in sustainable urban development. The paper further reviewed briefly the various levels of institutionalisation of EPM process with a typical case study of sustainable Ibadan project (SIP). The paper concludes with a list of recommendations to ensure effective and lasting solutions to cities problems through initiation of EPM process achievable in a sustainable manner.

Keywords: built environment, environmental planning, sustainable cities, sustainable development, urbanization

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Authors: Reza E. Sedgh, Rajesh P. Dhakal

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Shear walls have been used extensively as the main lateral force resisting systems in multi-storey buildings. The recent development in performance based design urges practicing engineers to conduct nonlinear static or dynamic analysis to evaluate seismic performance of multi-storey shear wall buildings by employing distinct analytical models suggested in the literature. For practical purpose, application of macroscopic models to simulate the global and local nonlinear behavior of structural walls outweighs the microscopic models. The skill level, computational time and limited access to RC specialized finite element packages prevents the general application of this method in performance based design or assessment of multi-storey shear wall buildings in design offices. Hence, this paper organized to verify capability of nonlinear shell element in commercially available package (Sap2000) in simulating results of some specimens under monotonic and cyclic loads with very oversimplified available cyclic material laws in the analytical tool. The selection of constitutive models, the determination of related parameters of the constituent material and appropriate nonlinear shear model are presented in detail. Adoption of proposed simple model demonstrated that the predicted results follow the overall trend of experimental force-displacement curve. Although, prediction of ultimate strength and the overall shape of hysteresis model agreed to some extent with experiment, the ultimate displacement(significant strength degradation point) prediction remains challenging in some cases.

Keywords: analytical model, nonlinear shell element, structural wall, shear behavior

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Authors: Jamila Mohammed Makarfi, Yontem Sonmez

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Developing countries like Nigeria have recently been affected by conflicts characterized by violence, high levels of risk and insecurity, resulting in loss of lives, livelihoods, displacement of communities, degradation of health, educational and social infrastructure as well as economic underdevelopment. The Nigerian government’s response to most of these conflicts has mainly been reactionary in the form of military deployments, as against precautionary to prevent or address the root causes of the conflicts. Several studies have shown that at various points of a conflict, conflict regions can benefit from the resources and expertise available outside the government, mainly from the private sector through mechanisms such as corporate social responsibility (CSR) by businesses. The main aim of this study is to examine the role of businesses in peacebuilding in Northern Nigeria through CSR in the last decade. The expected contributions from this will answer research questions, such as the key business motivations to engage in peacebuilding, as well as the degree of influence exerted from various stakeholder groups on the business decision to engage. The methodology of the study adopts a multiple case study of over 120 businesses of various sizes, ranging from small, medium and large-scale. A mixed method enabled the collection of quantitative and qualitative primary data to augment the secondary data. The results indicated that the most important business motivations to engage in peacebuilding were the negative effects of the conflict on economic stability, as well as stakeholder-driven motives. On the other hand, out of the 12 identified stakeholders, micro-, small- and medium-scale enterprises (MSMEs) considered the chief executive officer’s interest to be the most important factor, while large companies rated the government and community pressure as the highest. Overall, the foreign stakeholders scored low on the influence chart for all business types.

Keywords: conflict, corporate social responsibility, peacebuilding, stakeholder

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Authors: Benjamin L. Freidman, Sally L. Gras, Ian Snape, Geoff W. Stevens, Kathryn A. Mumford

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Increasing transportation and storage of petroleum hydrocarbons in Antarctic and sub-Antarctic regions have resulted in frequent accidental spills. Migrating petroleum hydrocarbon spills can have a significant impact on terrestrial and marine ecosystems in cold regions, as harsh environmental conditions result in heightened sensitivity to pollution. This migration of contaminants has led to the development of Permeable Reactive Barriers (PRB) for application in cold regions. PRB’s are one of the most practical technologies for on-site or in-situ groundwater remediation in cold regions due to their minimal energy, monitoring and maintenance requirements. The Main Power House site has been used as a fuel storage and power generation area for the Macquarie Island research station since at least 1960. Soil analysis at the site has revealed Total Petroleum Hydrocarbon (TPH) (C9-C28) concentrations as high as 19,000 mg/kg soil. Groundwater TPH concentrations at this site can exceed 350 mg/L TPH. Ongoing migration of petroleum hydrocarbons into the neighbouring marine ecosystem resulted in the installation of a ‘funnel and gate’ PRB in November 2014. The ‘funnel and gate’ design successfully intercepted contaminated groundwater and analysis of TPH retention and biodegradation on PRB media are currently underway. Installation of the PRB facilitates research aimed at better understanding the contribution of particle attached biofilms to the remediation of groundwater systems. Bench-scale PRB system analysis at The University of Melbourne is currently examining the role biofilms play in petroleum hydrocarbon degradation, and how controlled release nutrient media can heighten the metabolic activity of biofilms in cold regions in the presence of low temperatures and low nutrient groundwater.

Keywords: groundwater, petroleum, Macquarie island, funnel and gate

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Authors: Saman Namvarrechi, Armin A. Dormeny, Javad Dargahi, Mojtaba Kahrizi

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Since last two decades, minimally invasive surgery (MIS) has grown significantly due to its advantages compared to the traditional open surgery like less physical pain, faster recovery time and better healing condition around incision regions; however, one of the important challenges in MIS is getting an effective sensing feedback within the patient’s body during operations. Therefore, surgeons need efficient tactile sensing like determining the hardness of contact tissue for investigating the patient’s health condition. In such a case, MIS tactile sensors are preferred to be able to provide force/pressure sensing, force position, lump detection, and softness sensing. Among different pressure sensor technologies, the piezoelectric operating principle is the fittest for MIS’s instruments, such as catheters. Using PVDF with its copolymer, TrFE, as a piezoelectric material, is a common method of design and fabrication of a tactile sensor due to its ease of implantation and biocompatibility. In this research, PVDF-TrFE polymer is deposited via spin-coating method and treated with various post-deposition processes to investigate its piezoelectricity and amount of electroactive β phase. These processes include different post thermal annealing, the effect of spin-coating speed, different layer of deposition, and the presence of additional hydrate salt. According to FTIR spectroscopy and SEM images, the amount of the β phase and porosity of each sample is determined. In addition, the optimum experimental study is established by considering every aspect of the fabrication process. This study clearly shows the effective way of deposition and fabrication of a tactile PVDF-TrFE based sensor and an enhancement methodology to have a higher β phase and piezoelectric constant in order to have a better sense of touch at the end effector of biomedical devices.

Keywords: β phase, minimally invasive surgery, piezoelectricity, PVDF-TrFE, tactile sensor

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Authors: Yatimah Alias, Tilagam Marimuthu, M. R. Mahmoudian, Sharifah Mohamad

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The rapid growth of science and technology in energy and environmental fields has enlightened the substantial importance of the conducting polymer and metal composite materials engineered at nano-scale. In this study, polypyrrole-cobalt composites (PPy-Co Cs) and polypyrrole-nickel oxide composites (PPy-NiO Cs) were prepared by a simple and facile chemical polymerization method with an aqueous solution of pyrrole monomer in the presence of metal salt. These composites then fabricated into non-enzymatic hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) and glucose sensor. The morphology and composition of the composites are characterized by the Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscope, Fourier Transform Infrared Spectrum and X-ray Powder Diffraction. The obtained results were compared with the pure PPy and metal oxide particles. The structural and morphology properties of synthesized composites are different from those of pure PPy and metal oxide particles, which were attributed to the strong interaction between the PPy and the metal particles. Besides, a favorable micro-environment for the electrochemical oxidation of H2O2 and glucose was achieved on the modified glassy carbon electrode (GCE) coated with PPy-Co Cs and PPy-NiO Cs respectively, resulting in an enhanced amperometric response. Both PPy-Co/GCE and PPy-NiO/GCE give high response towards target analyte at optimum condition of 500 μl pyrrole monomer content. Furthermore, the presence of pyrrole monomer greatly increases the sensitivity of the respective modified electrode. The PPy-Co/GCE could detect H2O2 in a linear range of 20 μM to 80 mM with two linear segments (low and high concentration of H2O2) and the detection limit for both ranges is 2.05 μM and 19.64 μM, respectively. Besides, PPy-NiO/GCE exhibited good electrocatalytic behavior towards glucose oxidation in alkaline medium and could detect glucose in linear ranges of 0.01 mM to 0.50 mM and 1 mM to 20 mM with detection limit of 0.33 and 5.77 μM, respectively. The ease of modifying and the long-term stability of this sensor have made it superior to enzymatic sensors, which must kept in a critical environment.

Keywords: metal oxide, composite, non-enzymatic sensor, polypyrrole

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Authors: Raheb Mirzanamadi, João Patrício

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Asphalt rubber (AR) was initially developed in Sweden in the 1960s by replacing crumb rubber (CR) as aggregates in asphalt pavement. The AR produced by this method had better mechanical properties than conventional asphalt pavement but was very expensive. Since then, different technologies and methods have been developed to use CR in asphalt pavements, including blending CR with bitumen at a high temperature in the mixture, called the wet method, and blending CR with bitumen in the refinery, called the terminal blending method. In 2006, the wet method was imported from the USA to Sweden to evaluate the potential of using AR on Swedish roads. 154 km AR roads were constructed by the wet method in Sweden. The evaluation showed that the AR had, in most cases, better mechanical performance than conventional asphalt pavements. However, the terrible smoke and smell led the Swedish Transport Administration (STA) to stop using AR in Sweden. Today, there are few focuses on AR, despite its good mechanical properties and environmental aspects. Hence, there is a need to study the drives and barriers of using AR mixture in Sweden. The aims of this paper are: (i) to study drivers and barriers of using AR pavements in Sweden and (ii) to discover knowledge gaps for further research in this area. The study was done using a literature review and completed by interviews with experts, including three researchers from Swedish National Road and Transport Research Institute (VTI) and two experts from STA. The results showed that AR can be an alternative not only for conventional asphalt pavement but also for polymer modified asphalt (PMA) due to the same mechanical properties but the lower cost for production. New technologies such as terminal blending and using warm mix asphalt (WMA) methods can lead to reducing the energy and temperature during production processes. From this study, it is found that there is not enough experience and knowledge about AR in Sweden, and more research is needed, including the lifespan of AR, mechanical properties of AR using new technologies, and the impact of AR on spreading and leaching substances into nature. More studies can lead to standardization of using AR in Sweden, a potential solution for the use of end-of-life tyres, with better mechanical properties and lower costs, in comparison with conventional asphalt pavements and PMA.

Keywords: asphalt rubber, crumb rubber, terminal blending method, wet method

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Authors: Nichole Patricia Pedrina, Karl Jasper Sumande, Alice Joan Ferrer

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Nogas Island situated in the municipality of Anini-y in the province of Antique is endowed with natural resources especially a thriving marine ecosystem that attracts tourists all year round. But despite its beauty and emerging popularity, the island and its surrounding waters remain vulnerable to degradation brought about by anthropocentric activities. An emphasis on the protection and conservation is paramount in order to ensure environmental sustainability over time. This study was conducted in order to determine the willingness-to-pay (WTP) of the local residents of Anini-y, Antique for the conservation of Nogas Island and its surrounding waters. The Contingent Valuation Method (CVM) was used to determine the WTP of the study participants. In addition, the study also described the socio-demographic and economic characteristics, the level of awareness, knowledge and attitude towards the conservation and the reasons for the willingness to pay off the residents for the conservation of the island and its surrounding waters. A pilot-tested interview schedule was used to collect data from 320 randomly selected study participants in 8 barangays in the municipality of Anini-y from January to December 2017. Binary logit regression was conducted in order to identify factors affecting the study participants’ WTP. The results revealed that 54.69 percent of the study participants were willing to pay (with adjustment to the level of certainty) for the conservation program. The sex, monthly household income, randomly assigned bid price and the knowledge index were the variables that affected the willingness-to-pay of the study participants for both with and without adjustment to the level of certainty. The monthly mean WTP of the study participants with and without adjustment to the level of certainty were P115 and P104.5, respectively. This study can serve as a guide for the municipality of Anini-y in creating a policy or program that aims to conserve and protect Nogas Island and its surrounding waters.

Keywords: economic valuation, environmental conservation, total economic value, willingness to pay

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Authors: Akram Khelaifia, Salah Guettala, Nesreddine Djafar Henni, Rachid Chebili

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Reinforced concrete shear walls are pivotal in protecting buildings from seismic forces by providing strength and stiffness. This study highlights the importance of strategically placing shear walls and optimizing the shear wall-to-floor area ratio in building design. Nonlinear analyses were conducted on an eight-story building situated in a high seismic zone, exploring various scenarios of shear wall positioning and ratios to floor area. Employing the performance-based seismic design (PBSD) approach, the study aims to meet acceptance criteria such as inter-story drift ratio and damage levels. The results indicate that concentrating shear walls in the middle of the structure during the design phase yields superior performance compared to peripheral distributions. Utilizing shear walls that fully infill the frame and adopting compound shapes (e.g., Box, U, and L) enhances reliability in terms of inter-story drift. Conversely, the absence of complete shear walls within the frame leads to decreased stiffness and degradation of shorter beams. Increasing the shear wall-to-floor area ratio in building design enhances structural rigidity and reliability regarding inter-story drift, facilitating the attainment of desired performance levels. The study suggests that a shear wall ratio of 1.0% is necessary to meet validation criteria for inter-story drift and structural damage, as exceeding this percentage leads to excessive performance levels, proving uneconomical as structural elements operate near the elastic range.

Keywords: nonlinear analyses, pushover analysis, shear wall, plastic hinge, performance level

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Authors: Derin Ureten

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Plastic pollution does not disappear, it gets smaller and smaller through photolysis which are caused mainly by sun’s radiation, thermal oxidation, thermal degradation, and biodegradation which is the action of organisms digesting larger plastics. All plastic pollutants have exceedingly harmful effects on the environment. Together with the COVID-19 pandemic, the number of plastic products such as masks and gloves flowing into the environment has increased more than ever. However, microplastics are not the only pollutants in water, one of the most tenacious and toxic pollutants are heavy metals. Heavy metal solutions are also capable of causing varieties of health problems in organisms such as cancer, organ damage, nervous system damage, and even death. The aim of this research is to prove that microplastics can be used in wastewater treatment systems by proving that they could adsorb heavy metals in solutions. Experiment for this research will include two heavy metal solutions; one including microplastics in a heavy metal contaminated water solution, and one that just includes heavy metal solution. After being sieved, absorbance of both mediums will be measured with the help of a spectrometer. Iron (III) chloride (FeCl3) will be used as the heavy metal solution since the solution becomes darker as the presence of this substance increases. The experiment will be supported by Pure Nile Red powder in order to observe if there are any visible differences under the microscope. Pure Nile Red powder is a chemical that binds to hydrophobic materials such as plastics and lipids. If proof of adsorbance could be observed by the rates of the solutions' final absorbance rates and visuals ensured by the Pure Nile Red powder, the experiment will be conducted with different temperature levels in order to analyze the most accurate temperature level to proceed with removal of heavy metals from water. New wastewater treatment systems could be generated with the help of microplastics, for water contaminated with heavy metals.

Keywords: microplastics, heavy metal, pollution, adsorbance, wastewater treatment

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Authors: Soheil Heydari, Ailar Hajimohammadi, Nasser Khalili

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The application of plastic waste for asphalt modification is a sustainable strategy to deal with the enormous plastic waste generated each year and enhance the properties of asphalt. The modification is either practiced by the dry process or the wet process. In the dry process, plastics are added straight into the asphalt mixture, and in the wet process, they are mixed and digested into bitumen. In this article, the effects of plastic inclusion in asphalt mixture, through the dry process, on the permanent deformation of the asphalt are investigated. The main waste plastics that are usually used in asphalt modification are taken into account, which is linear, low-density polyethylene, low-density polyethylene, high-density polyethylene, and polypropylene. Also, to simulate a plastic waste stream, different grades of each virgin plastic are mixed and used. For instance, four different grades of polypropylene are mixed and used as representative of polypropylene. A precisely designed mixing condition is considered to dry-mix the plastics into the mixture such that the polymer was melted and modified by the later introduced binder. In this mixing process, plastics are first added to the hot aggregates and mixed three times in different time intervals, then bitumen is introduced, and the whole mixture is mixed three times in fifteen minutes intervals. Marshall specimens were manufactured, and dynamic creep tests were conducted to evaluate the effects of modification on the permanent deformation of the asphalt mixture. Dynamic creep is a common repeated loading test conducted at different stress levels and temperatures. Loading cycles are applied to the AC specimen until failure occurs; with the amount of deformation constantly recorded, the cumulative, permanent strain is determined and reported as a function of the number of cycles. The results of this study showed that the dry inclusion of the waste plastics is very effective in enhancing the resistance against permanent deformation of the mixture. However, the mixing process must be precisely engineered to melt the plastics, and a homogenous mixture is achieved.

Keywords: permanent deformation, waste plastics, low-density polyethene, high-density polyethene, polypropylene, linear low-density polyethene, dry process

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Authors: Svitlana Antonenko, Gennady Telegeev

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Introductive statement: The development of chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) is caused by Bcr-Abl oncoprotein. Modern treatments with tyrosine kinase inhibitors are greatly complicated by the mutational variability of the Bcr-Abl oncoprotein, which causes drug resistance. Therefore, there is an urgent need to develop new approaches to the treatment of the disease, which will allow modeling the level of Bcr-Abl oncoprotein in the cell. Promising in this direction is the identification of proteases that can selectively promote cellular proteolysis of oncoproteins. The aim of the study was to study the effect of the interaction of Bcr-Abl with deubiquitinase USP1 on the level of oncoprotein in CML cells. Methodology: K562 cells were selected for the experiment. Сells were incubated with ML323 inhibitor for 24 hours. Precipitation of endogenous proteins from K562 cell lysate was performed using anti-Bcr-Abl antibodies. Cell lysates and precipitation results were studied by Western blot. Subcellular localization of proteins was studied by immunofluorescence analysis followed by confocal microscopy. The results were analyzed quantitatively and statistically. Major findings: The Bcr-Abl/USP1 protein complex was detected in CML cells, and it was found that inhibition of USP1 deubiquitinating activity by the compound ML323 leads to disruption of this protein complex and a decrease in the level of Bcr-Abl oncoprotein in cells. The interaction of Bcr-Abl with USP1 may result in deubiquitination of the oncoprotein, which disrupts its proteasomal degradation and leads to the accumulation of CML in cells. Conclusion: We believe that the interaction of oncoprotein with USP1 may be one of the prerequisites that contribute to malignant cell transformation due to the deubiquitination of oncoprotein, which leads to its accumulation and disease progression. A correlation was found between the deubiquitinating activity of USP1 and the level of oncoprotein in CML cells. Thus, we identify deubiquitinase USP1 as a promising therapeutic target for the development of a new strategy for the treatment of CML by modulating the level of Bcr-Abl in the cell.

Keywords: chronic myeloid leukemia, Bcr-Abl, USP1, deubiquitination Bcr-Abl, K562 cell

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Authors: Nataliya Apanovich, Mark Wright

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Uganda is among the poorest but fastest growing populations in the world. Its annual population growth of 3% puts additional stress through land fragmentation, agricultural intensification, and deforestation on already highly weathered tropical (Ferralsol) soils. All of these factors lead to decreased agricultural yields and consequently diminished food security. The central region of Uganda, Buganda Kingdom, is especially vulnerable in terms of food security as its high population density coupled with mismanagement of natural resources led to gradual loss of its soil and even changes in microclimate. These changes are negatively affecting livelihoods of smallholder farmers who comprise 80% of all population in Uganda. This research focuses on biochar for soil remediation in Masaka District, Uganda. If produced on a small scale from locally sourced materials, biochar can increase the quality of soil in a cost and time effective manner. To assess biochar potential, 151 smallholder farmers were interviewed on the types of crops grown, agricultural residues produced and their use, as well as on attitudes towards biochar use and its production on a small scale. The interviews were conducted in 7 sub-counties, 32 parishes, and 92 villages. The total farmland covered by the study was 606.2 kilometers. Additional information on the state of agricultural development and environmental degradation in the district was solicited from four local government officials via informal interviews. This project has been conducted in collaboration with the international agricultural research institution, Makerere University in Kampala, Uganda. The results of this research can have implications on the way farmers perceive the value of their agricultural residues and what they decide to do with them. The underlying objective is to help smallholders in degraded soils increase their agricultural yields through the use of biochar without diverting the already established uses of agricultural residues to a new soil management practice.

Keywords: agricultural residues, biochar, central Uganda, food security, soil erosion, soil remediation

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Authors: Gulyas Erzsebet

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The multimerisation of proteins is a common feature of many cellular processes; however, it could also impair protein functions and/or be associated with the occurrence of diseases. Thus, development of a research tool monitoring the appearance/presence of multimeric protein forms has great importance for a variety of research fields. Such a tool is potentially applicable in the ante-mortem diagnosis of certain conformational diseases, such as transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSE) and Alzheimer’s disease. These conditions are accompanied by the appearance of aggregated protein multimers, present in low concentrations in various tissues. This detection is particularly relevant for TSE where the handling of tissues derived from affected individuals and of meat products of infected animals have become an enormous health concern. Here we demonstrate the potential of such a multimer detection approach in TSE by developing a facile approach. The Biospiral-Detect system resembles a traditional sandwich ELISA, except that the capturing antibody that is attached to a solid surface and the detecting antibody is directed against the same or overlapping epitopes. As a consequence, the capturing antibody shields the epitope on the captured monomer from reacting with the detecting antibody, therefore monomers are not detected. Thus, MDS is capable of detecting only protein multimers with high specificity. We developed an alternative system as well, where RNA aptamers were employed instead of monoclonal antibodies. In order to minimize degradation, the 3' and 5' ends of the aptamer contained deoxyribonucleotides and phosphorothioate linkages. When compared the monoclonal antibodies-based system with the aptamers-based one, the former proved to be superior. Thus all subsequent experiments were conducted by employing the Biospiral -Detect modified sandwich ELISA kit. Our approach showed an order of magnitude higher sensitivity toward mulimers than monomers suggesting that this approach may become a valuable diagnostic tool for conformational diseases that are accompanied by multimerization.

Keywords: diagnosis, ELISA, Prion, TSE

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Authors: Haider Al-Zubaidy, Xiao-Ling Zhao, Riadh Al-Mahaidi

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In recent years, the technique adhesively-bonded fibre reinforced polymer (FRP) composites has found its way into civil engineering applications and it has attracted a widespread attention as a viable alternative strategy for the retrofitting of civil infrastructure such as bridges and buildings. When adopting this method, adhesive has a significant role and controls the general performance and degree of enhancement of the strengthened and/or upgraded structures. This is because the ultimate member strength is highly affected by the failure mode which is considerably dependent on the utilised adhesive. This paper concerns with experimental investigations on the effect of the adhesive used on the bond between CFRP patch and steel plate under medium impact tensile loading. Experiment were conducted using double strap joints and these samples were prepared using two different types of adhesives, Araldite 420 and MBrace saturant. Drop mass rig was used to carry out dynamic tests at impact speeds of 3.35, 4.43 and m/s while quasi-static tests were implemented at 2mm/min using Instrone machine. In this test program, ultimate load-carrying capacity and failure modes were examined for all loading speeds. For both static and dynamic tests, the adhesive type has a significant effect on ultimate joint strength. It was found that the double strap joints prepared using Araldite 420 showed higher strength than those prepared utilising MBrace saturant adhesive. Failure mechanism for joints prepared using Araldite 420 is completely different from those samples prepared utilising MBrace saturant. CFRP failure is the most common failure pattern for joints with Araldite 420, whereas the dominant failure for joints with MBrace saturant adhesive is adhesive failure.

Keywords: CFRP/steel double strap joints, adhesives of different ductility, dynamic tensile loading, bond between CFRP and steel

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Authors: Abdul-Razak Saeed

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Addressing the climate change crisis that this generation faces has evolved to include the consideration of a policy mechanism referred to as reduced emissions from deforestation and forest degradation with plus components of conservation, sustainable forest management and enhancement of forest carbon stocks (REDD+). REDD+ emerged from the International level of UNFCCC but its implementation is by developing countries. It challenges the development paradigm of nations that depend on the unsustainable clearing of forests and land use change for economic development whilst posing as an opportunity or risk for forest community livelihoods, institutions and their interaction with the forest resources. As a novel policy mechanism, it is imperative to gain global insight into local contexts of its implementation and to understand local level mobilization of their agency for institutional sustainability as reconfigured by new carbon economy initiatives like REDD+. Using a systematic review process, as the initial stages of this study, secondary data of REDD+ projects across the globe were evaluated to pick up gaps in research and that of on ground REDD+ implementation. Primary data was gathered from 30 actors in the government, NGO, private sector and traditional authorities using face-to-face semi structured interviews in Ghana; participation in meetings and workshops and policy and strategy document reviews. Preliminary findings of the study include REDD+ knowledge being a key determinant of power distribution and affects who shapes the process; in Ghana, informal relationships are playing key roles in advancing REDD+ unlike in traditional forestry and a subjectivity shift of local communities from an 'emotive-link' of environmental care to one of 'economic self-seeking and enriching' domain of thought.

Keywords: climate change, communities, forests, REDD+

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Authors: Seungho Shin, Keunwoo Choi, Ali Akbar, Sukkee Um

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In this study, the nanoscale transport properties and catalyst utilization of vertically aligned carbon nanotube (VACNT) catalyst layers are computationally predicted by the three-dimensional lattice Boltzmann simulation based on the quasi-random nanostructural model in pursuance of fuel cell catalyst performance improvement. A series of catalyst layers are randomly generated with statistical significance at the 95% confidence level to reflect the heterogeneity of the catalyst layer nanostructures. The nanoscale gas transport phenomena inside the catalyst layers are simulated by the D3Q19 (i.e., three-dimensional, 19 velocities) lattice Boltzmann method, and the corresponding mass transport characteristics are mathematically modeled in terms of structural properties. Considering the nanoscale reactant transport phenomena, a transport-based effective catalyst utilization factor is defined and statistically analyzed to determine the structure-transport influence on catalyst utilization. The tortuosity of the reactant mass transport path of VACNT catalyst layers is directly calculated from the streaklines. Subsequently, the corresponding effective mass diffusion coefficient is statistically predicted by applying the pre-estimated tortuosity factors to the Knudsen diffusion coefficient in the VACNT catalyst layers. The statistical estimation results clearly indicate that the morphological structures of VACNT catalyst layers reduce the tortuosity of reactant mass transport path when compared to conventional catalyst layer and significantly improve consequential effective mass diffusion coefficient of VACNT catalyst layer. Furthermore, catalyst utilization of the VACNT catalyst layer is substantially improved by enhanced mass diffusion and electric current paths despite the relatively poor interconnections of the ion transport paths.

Keywords: Lattice Boltzmann method, nano transport phenomena, polymer electrolyte fuel cells, vertically aligned carbon nanotube

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Authors: Aimite Jorge, Leenekela Usebiu

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In recent years the International Community has seen a rise of what can be termed as ‘actio popularis”;that is to say lawsuits brought by third parties in the interest of the public or the world community as a whole, such as in cases of genocide and terrorism prosecutions under international law. It is equally clear that under current globalized world the effect of multinational activities on the environment is often felt beyond the borders of the territories where they operate. Equally true is the fact that the correspondence of citizens self-determination with national government is increasingly upset by the increasing willingness of states to share some ‘sovereign powers’ in order to address new economic, environmental and security interdependencies. The ‘unbundling’ of functional governance from fixed territories sees continuously citizens give up their formal approval of key decisions in exchange for a more remote, indirect say in supra-national or international decision-making bodies. The efforts to address a growing transnational flow of ecological harm are at the forefront of such indirect transformations, as evidenced by a proliferation of multilateral environmental agreements (MEAs) over the past three decades. However, unlike the defence of the global commons in cases of terrorism and genocide, there is still to be a clear application of action popularis in the case of environment, despite acknowledgement that the effect of the activities of several multinationals on the environment is as destructive to the global commons as genocide or terrorism are. Thus, this paper looking at specific cases of harmful degradation of the environment by certain multinationals transcending national boundaries, argues that it is high-time for a serious consideration of the application of the actio-popularis to environmental concerns. Although it is acknowledged that in international environmental law the challenge to reach a “critical mass” of recognition and support for an ‘actio-popularis’ for environment damage is particularly demanding, it is worth the try.

Keywords: actio popularis in environment law, global commons, transnational environmental damage, law and environment

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Authors: Narayana Murthy Akurathi, Vijaya Lakshmi Marella

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The literature is reviewed with regard to online Super critical fluid extraction (SFE) coupled directly with supercritical fluid chromatography (SFC) -mass spectrometry that have typically more sensitive than conventional LC-MS/MS and GC-MS/MS. It is becoming increasingly interesting to use on-line techniques that combine sample preparation, separation and detection in one analytical set up. This provides less human intervention, uses small amount of sample and organic solvent and yields enhanced analyte enrichment in a shorter time. The sample extraction is performed under light shielding and anaerobic conditions, preventing the degradation of thermo labile analytes. It may be able to analyze compounds over a wide polarity range as SFC generally uses carbon dioxide which was collected as a by-product of other chemical reactions or is collected from the atmosphere as it contributes no new chemicals to the environment. The diffusion of solutes in supercritical fluids is about ten times greater than that in liquids and about three times less than in gases which results in a decrease in resistance to mass transfer in the column and allows for fast high resolution separations. The drawback of SFC when using carbon dioxide as mobile phase is that the direct introduction of water samples poses a series of problems, water must therefore be eliminated before it reaches the analytical column. Hundreds of compounds analysed simultaneously by simple enclosing in an extraction vessel. This is mainly applicable for pharmaceutical industry where it can analyse fatty acids and phospholipids that have many analogues as their UV spectrum is very similar, trace additives in polymers, cleaning validation can be conducted by putting swab sample in an extraction vessel, analysing hundreds of pesticides with good resolution.

Keywords: super critical fluid extraction (SFE), super critical fluid chromatography (SFC), LCMS/MS, GCMS/MS

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Authors: Sarra Haouala, Issam Doghri

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In this work, a multiscale computational strategy is proposed for the analysis of structures, which are described at a refined level both in space and in time. The proposal is applied to two-phase viscoelastic-viscoplastic (VE-VP) reinforced thermoplastics subjected to large numbers of cycles. The main aim is to predict the effective long time response while reducing the computational cost considerably. The proposed computational framework is a combination of the mean-field space homogenization based on the generalized incrementally affine formulation for VE-VP composites, and the asymptotic time homogenization approach for coupled isotropic VE-VP homogeneous solids under large numbers of cycles. The time homogenization method is based on the definition of micro and macro-chronological time scales, and on asymptotic expansions of the unknown variables. First, the original anisotropic VE-VP initial-boundary value problem of the composite material is decomposed into coupled micro-chronological (fast time scale) and macro-chronological (slow time-scale) problems. The former is purely VE, and solved once for each macro time step, whereas the latter problem is nonlinear and solved iteratively using fully implicit time integration. Second, mean-field space homogenization is used for both micro and macro-chronological problems to determine the micro and macro-chronological effective behavior of the composite material. The response of the matrix material is VE-VP with J2 flow theory assuming small strains. The formulation exploits the return-mapping algorithm for the J2 model, with its two steps: viscoelastic predictor and plastic corrections. The proposal is implemented for an extended Mori-Tanaka scheme, and verified against finite element simulations of representative volume elements, for a number of polymer composite materials subjected to large numbers of cycles.

Keywords: asymptotic expansions, cyclic loadings, inclusion-reinforced thermoplastics, mean-field homogenization, time homogenization

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Authors: Yuchen LI, Martyn Kurr, Peter Golyshin

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Biological invasion is a global problem. Invasive species can threaten local ecosystems by competing for resources, consuming local species, and reproducing faster than natives. Sargassum muticum is an invasive algae in the UK. It negatively impacts local algae through overshading and can cause reductions in local biodiversity. One possibility for its success is herbivore release. According to the Enemy Release Hypothesis, invasives are less impacted by local herbivores than natives. In many species, gastrointestinal (GI) tract microbes have been found as a key factor in food preference and similar mechanisms may exist in the relationship between local consumers and S. muticum. Some populations of native Littorina snails accept S. muticum as a food source, while others avoid it. This project aims to establish the relationship between GI tract microbes and the feeding preferences of L. littorea, when offered both native algae and S. muticum. Individuals of L. littorea from a site invaded by S. muticum around 18 years ago were compared to those from an un-invaded site nearby. Sargassum-experienced snails are more likely to consume it than those naïve, and pronounced differences were found in the GI-tract microbial communities through 16S (prokaryote) and 18S (eukaryote) sequencing. Sargassum-naïve snails were then exposed to a faecal pellets from experienced snails to ‘inoculate’ them with microbes from the exposed snails. Preliminary results suggest these faecal-pellet-exposed but otherwise Sargassum-naïve snails subsequently begun consuming S. muticum. It is unclear if these results are due to genuine changes in GI-tract microbes or through some other mechanism, such as behavioural responses to chemical cues in the faecal pellets, but these results are nevertheless of significance for invasive ecology, suggesting that foraging preferences for an invasive prey type are malleable and possibly programmable in laboratory settings.

Keywords: invasive algae, sea snails, gut microbiome, biocontrol

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Authors: H. F. Shi, C. L. Zhang

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Visible-light-responsive g-C3N4/NaNbO3 nanowires photocatalysts were fabricated by introducing polymeric g-C3N4 on NaNbO3 nanowires. The microscopic mechanisms of interface interaction, charge transfer and separation, as well as the influence on the photocatalytic activity of g-C3N4/NaNbO3 composite were systematic investigated. The HR-TEM revealed that an intimate interface between C3N4 and NaNbO3 nanowires formed in the g-C3N4/NaNbO3 heterojunctions. The photocatalytic performance of photocatalysts was evaluated for CO2 reduction under visible-light illumination. Significantly, the activity of g-C3N4/NaNbO3 composite photocatalyst for photoreduction of CO2 was higher than that of either single-phase g-C3N4 or NaNbO3. Such a remarkable enhancement of photocatalytic activity was mainly ascribed to the improved separation and transfer of photogenerated electron-hole pairs at the intimate interface of g-C3N4/NaNbO3 heterojunctions, which originated from the well-aligned overlapping band structures of C3N4 and NaNbO3. Pt loaded NaNbO3-xNx (Pt-NNON), a visible-light-sensitive photocatalyst, was synthesized by an in situ photodeposition method from H2PtCl6•6H2O onto NaNbO3-xNx (NNON) sample. Pt-NNON exhibited a much higher photocatalytic activity for gaseous 2-propanol (IPA) degradation under visible-light irradiation in contrast to NNON. The apparent quantum efficiency (AQE) of Pt-NNON sample for IPA photodegradation achieved up to 8.6% at the wavelength of 419 nm. The notably enhanced photocatalytic performance was attributed to the promoted charge separation and transfer capability in the Pt-NNON system. This work suggests that surface nanosteps possibly play an important role as an electron transfer at high way, which facilitates to the charge carrier collection onto Pt rich zones and thus suppresses recombination between photogenerated electrons and holes. This method can thus be considered as an excellent strategy to enhance photocatalytic activity of organic decomposition in addition to the commonly applied noble metal doping method.

Keywords: CO2 reduction, NaNbO3, nanowires, g-C3N4

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Authors: Roike Iwan Montolalu, Henny Adeleida Dien, Feny Mentang, Kristhina P. Rahael, Tomy Moga, Ayub Meko, Siegfried Berhimpon

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In the last 20 years, packaging materials derived from petrochemicals polymers were widely used as packaging materials. This due to various advantages such as flexible, strong, transparent, and the price is relatively cheap. However, the plastic polymer also has various disadvantages, such as the transmission monomer contamination into the material to be packed, and waste is non-biodegradable. Edible film (EF) is an up to date materials, generated after the biodegradable packaging materials. The advantages of the EF materials, is the materials can be eat together with food, and the materials can be applied as a coating materials for a widely kind of foods especially snack foods. The aims of this research are to produce and to analyze the characteristics of smoked EF made from carrageenan, myofibril and collagen of Black Marlin (Makaira indica) industrial waste. Smoked EF made with an addition of 0.8 % smoke liquid. Three biopolymers i.e. carrageenan, myofibril, and collagen were used as treatments, and homogenate for 1 hours at speed of 1500 rpm. The analysis carried out on the pH and physical properties i.e. thickness, solubility, tensile strength, % elongation, and water vapor transmission rate (WVTR), as well as on the sensory characteristics of texture i.e. wateriness, firmness, elasticity, hardness, and juiciness of the coated products. The result shown that the higher the concentration the higher the thickness of EF, where as for myofibril proteins appeared higher than carrageenan and collagen. Both of collagen and myofibril shown that concentration of 6% was most soluble, while for carrageenan were in concentration of 2 to 2.5%. For tensile strength, carrageenan was significantly higher than myofibril and collagen; while for elongation, collagen film more elastic than carragenan and myofibril protein. Water vapor transmission rate, shown that myofibril protein film lower than carrageenan and collagen film. From sensory assessment of texture, carrageenan has a high elasticity and juiciness, while collagen and myofibril have a high in firmness and hardness.

Keywords: edible film, collagen, myofibril, carrageenan

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Authors: Hadi Allafta, Christian Opp

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Soil erosion is a major concern in the Shatt Al-Arab basin owing to the steepness of its topography as well as the remarkable altitudinal deference between the upstream and downstream parts of the basin. Such conditions resulted in soil vulnerability to erosion; huge amounts of soil are annually transported, creating enormous implications such as land degradation, structure damage, biodiversity loss, productivity decline, etc. Thus, evaluation of soil erosion risk and its spatial distribution is crucial to build adatabase for efficient control measures. The present study used revised universal soil loss equation (RUSLE) model integrated with Geographic Information System (GIS) for depicting soil erosion hazard zones in the Shatt Al-Arab basin. The RUSLE model incorporated several parameters such as rainfall-runoff erosivity, soil erodibility, slope length and steepness, land cover and management, and conservation support practice for soil erosion zonation. High to medium soil loss of 100 to 20 ton perhectare per year represents around 25% of the basin area, while the areas of low soil loss of less than 20 ton per hectare per year occupied the rest of the total area. The high soil loss rates are linked to areas of high rainfall levels, loamy soil domination, elevated terrains/plateau margins with steep side slope, and high cultivation activities. The findings of the current study can be useful for managers and policy makers in the implementation of a suitable conservation program to reduce soil erosion or to recommend soil conservation acts if development projects are to be continued at regions of high soil erosion risk.

Keywords: geographic information system, revised universal soil loss equation, shatt Al-Arab basin, soil erosion

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Authors: Wahiba Boudraa, Farah Chettibbi, Meriem Aberkane, Fatma Djamaa, Moussa Houhamdi

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The intensity of human activities in regions surrounding the Mediterranean Sea always has a strong long-term environmental impact resulting in coastal and marine degradation, as well as an aggravated risk of more serious damage. The available data on water quality show that most water resources in Algeria are polluted by uncontrolled discharges from municipal sewage and untreated industrial effluents. Annaba is a coastal town in Algeria; The Gulf of Annaba, responds to these changes as it receives the continental inputs and urban waste, industrial without prior treatment of a highly industrialized and urbanized city, subject to the same environmental problems that know the rest of the Algerian coast. In later year, the beaches of bacterial enumeration process waters showed relatively high levels of bacterial indicators of fecal contamination (group D streptococci, total and fecal coliforms), which reflect the risks to people attending these beaches. During the twelve months of our study, we isolated from three beaches in the city of Annaba (St. Cloud, El-Kettara, and Djenane El Bey) a number of pathogenic microorganisms considered, namely: Salmonella, Aeromonas, Citrobacter, Yersinia, Enterococcus, and E.coli. The microbial count revealed elevated levels of coliform bacteria, fecal coliforms and fecal streptococci quite high especially in urban beaches (St. Cloud and El-Kettara). They are widely popular during the summer by many vacationers. For the physico-chemical parameters, there exist some weak values which increase during the pluvial period, hivernal and festival saison. These values remain, nevertheless, weak to be able to cause an organic or metallic pollution.

Keywords: quality microbiology, pollution of water, fecal contamination, physico-chemistry, beaches of Annaba city, Algeria.

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Authors: Gargi Ghoshal, Ashay Jain, Deepika Thakur, U. S. Shivhare, O. P. Katare

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The main objectives of this work were the rheological characterization of dispersions, emulsions at different pH used in the microcapsules preparation and the microcapsules obtain from gum arabic (A), guar gum (G), casein (C) and whey protein isolate (W) to keep β-carotene protected from degradation using the complex coacervation microencapsulation technique (CCM). The evaluation of rheological properties of dispersions, emulsions of different pH and so obtained microencapsules manifest the changes occur in the molecular structure of wall materials during the encapsulation process of β-carotene. These dispersions, emulsions of different pH and formulated microencapsules were subjected to go through various conducted experiments (flow curve test, amplitude sweep, and frequency sweep test) using controlled stress dynamic rheometer. Flow properties were evaluated as a function of apparent viscosity under steady shear rate ranging from 0.1 to 100 s-1. The frequency sweep test was conducted to determine the extent of viscosity and elasticity present in the samples at constant strain under changing angular frequency range from 0.1 to 100 rad/s at 25ºC. The dispersions and emulsion exhibited a shear thinning non-Newtonian behavior whereas microencapsules are considered as shear-thickening respectively. The apparent viscosity for dispersion, emulsions were decreased at low shear rates 20 s-1 and for microencapsules, it decreases up to ~50 s-1 besides these value, it has shown constant pattern. Oscillatory shear experiments showed a predominant viscous liquid behavior up to crossover frequencies of dispersions of C, W, A at 49.47 rad/s, 57.60 rad/s and 21.45 rad/s emulsion sample of AW at pH 5.0 it was 17.85 rad/s and GW microencapsules 61.40 rad/s respectively whereas no such crossover was found in G dispersion, emulsion with C and microencapsules still it showed more viscous behavior. Storage and loss modulus decreases with time also a shift of the crossover towards lower frequencies for A, W and C was observed respectively. However, their microencapsules showed more viscous behavior as compared to samples prior to blending.

Keywords: viscosity, gums, proteins, frequency sweep test, apparent viscosity

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Authors: Hatem I. Mokhtar, Randa A. Abd-El-Salam, Ghada M. Hadad

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An improved nano-composite of self-doped polyaniline nanofibers and silica-coated magnetite nanoparticles were prepared and evaluated for suitability to magnetic dispersive micro solid-phase extraction. The work focused on optimization of the composite capacity to extract four fluoroquinolones (FQs) antibiotics, ciprofloxacin, enrofloxacin, danofloxacin, and difloxacin from water and improvement of composite stability towards acid and atmospheric degradation. Self-doped polyaniline nanofibers were prepared by oxidative co-polymerization of aniline with anthranilic acid. Magnetite nanopariticles were prepared by alkaline co-precipitation and coated with silica by silicate hydrolysis on magnetite nanoparticles surface at pH 6.5. The composite was formed by self-assembly by mixing self-doped polyaniline nanofibers with silica-coated magnetite nanoparticles dispersions in ethanol. The composite structure was confirmed by transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Self-doped polyaniline nanofibers and magnetite chemical structures were confirmed by FT-IR while silica coating of the magnetite was confirmed by Energy Dispersion X-ray Spectroscopy (EDS). Improved stability of the composite magnetic component was evidenced by resistance to degrade in 2N HCl solution. The adsorption capacity of self-doped polyaniline nanofibers based composite was higher than previously reported corresponding composite prepared from polyaniline nanofibers instead of self-doped polyaniline nanofibers. Adsorption-pH profile for the studied FQs on the prepared composite revealed that the best pH for adsorption was in range of 6.5 to 7. Best extraction recovery values were obtained at pH 7 using phosphate buffer. The best solvent for FQs desorption was found to be 0.1N HCl in methanol:water (8:2; v/v) mixture. 20 mL of Spiked water sample with studied FQs were preconcentrated using 4.8 mg of composite and resulting extracts were analysed by HPLC-UV method. The prepared composite represented a suitable adsorbent phase for magnetic dispersive micro-solid phase application.

Keywords: fluoroquinolones, magnetic dispersive micro extraction, nano-composite, self-doped polyaniline nanofibers

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Authors: Aleksandra Dragojlov

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Since the election of Aleksandar Vučić and the Progressives, Serbia has witnessed a slow decline in media freedom, which has been worse than in the 1990s. Although the government adopted a package of three laws in August 2014 to bring the media landscape up to European standards, the implementation of the laws has been limited and marginal, with the progressives engaging in fake compliance. The adoption of the new media strategy for 2020-2025 in 2020 has not led to genuine domestic reform and compliance with EU conditionality. In fact, the EU Commission and journalists’ associations in Serbia have criticised the decline in Serbia’s media freedom citing continued attacks on journalists and indirect political and economic control through advertising and project co-financing, which continue to be features of the Serbian media landscape. In the absence of clear and credible EU conditionality, the decline of media freedom is in the eye of the beholder, where the gap between public engagements with Serbian politicians and the critical stance of progress reports regarding the degradation of the media have enabled Serbian elites to exploit this ambiguity to continue their strategy of fake compliance vis-a-vis rule of law. This study used a mixed methods approach combining both primary and secondary sources with those semi-structured interviews via Zoom, email, and in person with EU and Serbian officials and journalists. Our findings add to the studies where the lack of clear and credible conditionality has allowed Serbia politicians to exploit them in a manner that would suit their own interests, finding new means to retain their control over the media. We argued and concluded that it is this discrepancy between public engagements with Serbia and the progress reports in the area of freedom of expression that has not led to genuine domestic media reforms in Serbia and instead allowed Serbian elites to engage in a strategy of fake and even non-compliance towards media freedom conditionality.

Keywords: media freedom, EU conditionality, Serbia, fake compliance, EU integration, Chapter 23, justice and fundamental rights

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