Search results for: Ecological restoration

Authors: Megan Alkazoff, Charles Ruffner

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Tallgrass prairies and sand savannas, once covering northern to central Illinois, are ecosystems in need of restoration and conservation in the Midwestern United States. The Nature Conservancy manages five sites containing fragments of remaining tallgrass prairies and sand savannas within the Kankakee Sands using techniques such as prescribed burning and invasive species removal. The objective of this study was to conduct a ten-year resampling of transects established on these five sites during previous studies to assess whether the management tools applied there are helping maintain the tallgrass prairie and sand savannas. During the summer of 2020, permanent transect lines were sampled using a quadrat to determine the % Cover Class of each species rooted in the quadrat. Data gathered was analyzed using linear regression to illustrate the relationship between fire occurrence and species composition on the landscape. The fire frequency had a highly significant effect (P= 0.0025) on the species richness of all sites. The frequency of fire had a non-significant effect (P>0.05) on the Floristic Quality Index, percent C value 4-10, and bare-ground percentage of a site. These results suggest that fire on the landscape, both wild and prescribed, have increased biodiversity on all five sites but has not affected the Floristic Quality Index, percent C value 4-10, and the percentage of bare-ground on the sites.

Keywords: fire, floristic quality assessment, sand savanna, species richness, tallgrass prairie

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Authors: Danutė Jablonskytė-Raščė, Audronė MankevičIenė, Laura Masilionytė

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During the period 2009–2015, in Joniškėlis Experimental Station of the Lithuanian Research Centre for Agriculture and Forestry, the effect of ecologic fertilizers Ekoplant, bio-activators Biokal 01 and Terra Sorb Foliar and their combinations on the formation of the productivity elements, grain yield and quality of winter wheat, spelt (Triticum spelta L.), and common wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) was analysed in ecological agro-system. The soil under FAO classification – Endocalcari-Endo-hypogleyic-Cambisol. In a clay loam soil, ecological fertilizer produced from sunflower hull ash and this fertilizer in combination with plant extracts and bio-humus exerted an influence on the grain yield of spelt and common wheat and their mixture (increased the grain yield by 10.0%, compared with the unfertilized crops). Spelt grain yield was by on average 16.9% lower than that of common wheat and by 11.7% lower than that of the mixture, but the role of spelt in organic production systems is important because with no mineral fertilization it produced grains with a higher (by 4%) gluten content and exhibited a greater ability to suppress weeds (by on average 61.9% lower weed weight) compared with the grain yield and weed suppressive ability of common wheat and mixture. Spelt cultivation in a mixture with common wheat significantly improved quality indicators of the mixture (its grain contained by 2.0% higher protein content and by 4.0% higher gluten content than common wheat grain), reduced disease incidence (by 2-8%), and weed infestation level (by 34-81%).

Keywords: common and spelt-wheat, ecological fertilizers, bio-activators, productivity elements, yield, quality

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Authors: Mourad Morsli, Mohamed Tahiri, Azzedine Samdi

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The Cities are the urbanized territories most favorable to the consumption of resources (materials, energy). In Morocco, the economic capital Casablanca is one of them, with its 4M inhabitants and its 60% share in the economic and industrial activity of the kingdom. In the absence of legal status in force, urban development has favored the generation of millions of tons of demolition and construction waste scattered in open spaces causing a significant nuisance to the environment and citizens. Hence the main objective of our work is to valorize concrete waste. The representative wastes are mainly concrete, concrete, and fired clay bricks, ceramic tiles, marble panels, gypsum, and scrap metal. The work carried out includes: geolocation with a combination of artificial intelligence, GIS, and Google Earth, which allowed the estimation of the quantity of these wastes per site; then the sorting, crushing, grinding, and physicochemical characterization of the collected samples allowed the definition of the exploitation ways for each extracted fraction for integrated management of the said wastes. In the present work, we proceeded to the exploitation of the fractions obtained after sieving the representative samples to incorporate them in the manufacture of new ecological materials for construction. These formulations prepared studies have been tested and characterized: physical criteria (specific surface, resistance to flexion and compression) and appearance (cracks, deformation). We will present in detail the main results of our research work and also describe the specific properties of each material developed.

Keywords: demolition and construction waste, GIS combination software, inert waste recovery, ecological materials, Casablanca, Morocco

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Authors: Thomas, Daniel Tajo, Kish

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Sight is primarily associated with the function of gathering and processing near and extended spatial information which is largely used to support self-determined interaction with the environment through self-directed movement and navigation. By contrast, hearing is primarily associated with the function of gathering and processing sequential information which may typically be used to support self-determined communication through the self-directed use of music and language. Blindness or the lack of vision is traditionally characterized by a lack of capacity to access spatial information which, in turn, is presumed to result in a lack of capacity for self-determined interaction with the environment due to limitations in self-directed movement and navigation. However, through a specific protocol of FlashSonar education developed by World Access for the Blind, the function of hearing can be expanded in blind people to carry out some of the functions normally associated with sight, that is to access and process near and extended spatial information to construct three-dimensional acoustic images of the environment. This perceptual education protocol results in a significant restoration in blind people of self-determined environmental interaction, movement, and navigational capacities normally attributed to vision - a new way to see. Thus, by expanding the function of hearing to process spatial information to restore self-determined movement, we are not only changing the meaning of blindness, and what it means to be blind, but we are also recasting the meaning of vision and what it is to see.

Keywords: echolocation, changing, sensory, function

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Authors: Hakim Bachiri, Mohammed Znari, Moulay Abdeljalil Ait Baamranne

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Population characteristics of Atlas Barbary sheep (Ammotragus lervia lervia) were investigated 20 years following the 1999 introduction of 10 individuals into the fenced nature reserve of Amassine, High Atlas range, Morocco, for promoting wildlife watching and tourism. Population age-sex structure and density were determined in late winter-early spring during four consecutive years (2016-2019) by direct observation before the dispersal of the herd. In this latter case, the line transect distance sampling was successfully applied. Population size increased from 37 to 62 animals during the four-year study period; the maximal population size being 82 individuals recorded in 2006. An estimated population density ranged from 0.25 to 0.41 Barbary sheep/ha during the study period. The adult sex ratio varied from 91 to 67 per 100 females. The apparent birth rate was 14 to 73/100 females. Juveniles and subadults comprised 27-43% of the population, adult males 26-31% and adult females 29-45%. The survival rate from birth to 1 year of age approximated 35%, for adult males was estimated to average 69%/year. The obtained results would be helpful for developing sustainable population management and habitat restoration plan and assessing the feasibility of potential reintroduction/restocking in other areas of the Atlas range.

Keywords: atlas mountains, barbary sheep, demography, management

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Authors: Zegrar Ahmed, Ghabi Mohamed

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The degradation of arid and semi-arid ecosystems in Algeria has become a palpable fact that only hinders progress and rural development. In these exceptionally fragile environments, the decline of vegetation is done according to an alarming increase and wind erosion dominates. The ecosystem is subjected to a long hot dry season and low annual average rainfall. The urgency of the fight against desertification is imposed by the very nature of the process that tends to self-accelerate, resulting when human intervention is not forthcoming the irreversibility situations, preventing any possibility of restoration state of these zones. These phenomena have led to different degradation processes, such as the destruction of vegetation, soil erosion, and deterioration of the physical environment. In this study, the work is mainly based on the criteria for classification and identification of physical parameters for spatial analysis and multi-sources to determine the vulnerability of major steppe formations and their impact on desertification. we used Landsat data with two different dates March 2010 and November 2014 in order to determine the changes in land cover, sand moving and land degradation for the diagnosis of the desertification Phenomenon. The application, through specific processes, including the supervised classification was used to characterize the main steppe formations. An analysis of the vulnerability of plant communities was conducted to assign weights and identify areas most susceptible to desertification. Vegetation indices are used to characterize the steppe formations to determine changes in land use.

Keywords: remote sensing, SIG, ecosystem, degradation, desertification

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Authors: Sholeh Motaghian, Pekka Toivanen, Keiji Haataja

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The swift expansion of the transportation industry and its associated emissions have captured the focus of policymakers who are dedicated to upholding ecological sustainability. As a result, understanding the key contributors to transportation emissions is of utmost significance. Amidst the escalating transportation emissions, the significance of electric vehicles cannot be overstated. Electric vehicles play a critical role in steering us towards a low-carbon economy and a sustainable ecological setting. The effective integration of electric vehicles hinges on the development of energy consumption models capable of accurately and efficiently predicting energy usage. Enhancing the energy efficiency of electric vehicles will play a pivotal role in reducing driver concerns and establishing a vital framework for the efficient operation, planning, and management of charging infrastructure. In this article, the works done in this field are reviewed, and the advantages and disadvantages of each are stated.

Keywords: deep learning, electrical vehicle, energy consumption, machine learning, smart grid

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Authors: Thuy Hang Le

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Traditional agroforestry systems are land-use practices still widespread in tropical and subtropical countries, while in Europe have significantly decreased due to land-use intensification, land abandonment, and urbanization. Nevertheless, scientific evidence reveals that traditional agroforestry systems significantly support biodiversity and ecosystem services and may positively contribute to socioeconomic rural regional development. We worked out a review that follows the PRISMA approach and compiled comprehensive information on traditional agroforestry systems in Europe. Based on the differentiation of different land-use systems, also considering the agricultural as well as forestry components, we compiled information regarding current distribution, management (agrodiversity), biodiversity and agrobiodiversity, ecosystem and landscape services, threats, and restoration initiatives. From a total of 3,304 studies that dealt with agroforestry systems in Europe, both “modern” (e.g., buffer strip) and “traditional” (e.g., meadow orchards), we filtered out 158 studies from 35 European countries which represent the basis for in-depth investigation. We found, for example, that the traditional pastoral agroforestry system in the Mediterranean region, the so-called Dehesa, can harbor up to 300 plant species as well as 238 bird species, of which 134 are breeding birds. With regard to carbon storage, the traditional orchard agroforestry system in Germany stocks ranged between 6.5 and 9.8 Mg C ha−1, showing significantly higher values compared to an intensively used grassland with around 3.4 to 6.7 Mg C ha−1. With the remarkably high benefit for biodiversity and ecosystem services provided, the important role and multifunctionality of traditional agroforestry systems in Europe should be acknowledged and promoted.

Keywords: biodiversity, ecosystem services, landscape services, traditional agroforestry systems

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Authors: A. A. Adebayo, A. O. Ogunkeyede, A. O. Adeigbe

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Digital globalisation and yarn of Nigeria society to overcome the digital divide have resulted in contamination of soil by heavy metals (HMs) from e-waste activities at Alaba international market, Lagos, Nigeria. The aim of this research was to determine the concentration of various metals {Cadmium (Cd), Chromium (Cr), Copper (Cu), and Lead (Pb)} and identify their ecological and health risks for the people within the study area. A total of 60 soil samples were collected at Alaba market study area. Two types of samples were collected from each sampling points: topsoil (0-15 cm), subsoil (15 -30 cm). The metal concentration results showed that the soils were heavily contaminated by HMs at topsoil and subsoil. The geoaccummulation and ecological risk indices revealed high pollution level from all studied site. The health risk assessment results suggested that there is high possibility of carcinogenic risk to humans because the carcinogenic risk via corresponding exposure pathways exceeded the safety limit of 10-6 (the acceptable level of carcinogenic risk for human). Furthermore, inhalation of soil particles is the main exposure pathway for Cr to enter the human body for all ages. Children in the vicinity are exposed more to ingestion of Pb since they tend to eat earth (pica) and repeatedly suck their fingers. This study provides basic information to create awareness for a need to introduce pollution control measures and the need to protect the ecosystem and human health within the study area at Alaba international market.

Keywords: contaminated soil, ecological risk, hazard index, risk factor, exposure pathways, heavy metals

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Authors: Fatemeh Yazdandoust

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Sustainability is a growing concern in architecture and urban planning due to the environmental impact of the built environment. Ecological challenges persist despite the proliferation of sustainable design strategies, prompting a critical reevaluation of existing approaches. This study examines sustainable design practices, focusing on the origins and processes of production, environmental impact, and socioeconomic dimensions. It also discusses ‘cleantech’ initiatives, which often prioritize profitability over ecological stewardship. The study advocates for a paradigm shift in urban design towards greater adaptability, complexity, and inclusivity, embracing porosity, incompleteness, and seed planning. This holistic approach emphasizes citizen participation and bottom-up interventions, reimagining urban spaces as evolving ecosystems. The study calls for a reimagining of sustainability that transcends conventional green design concepts, promoting a more resilient and inclusive built environment through an open system approach grounded in adaptability, diversity, and equity principles.

Keywords: sustainability, clean-tech, open system design, sustainable design

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Authors: Dagem Alemayehu, Samson Gebersilassie, Jan Frank

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Climate change is impacting nutrition through reducing food quantity and access, limiting dietary diversity, and decreased nutritional food content as well as strongly affecting seasonal rainfall in Ethiopia. Nevertheless, only a few data is available on the impacts of seasonality in Infant, and Young Child Feeding (IYCF) practices undernutrition among 6-23 months old children in different agro-ecological zones of poor resource settings of Ethiopia. Methods: Socio-demographic, anthropometry, and IYCF indicators were assessed in the harvest and lean seasons among children aged 6–23 months of age randomly selected from rural villages of lowland and midland agro-ecological zones. Results: Child stunting and underweight increased from prevalence of 32.8 % and 23.9 % (lowland &midland respectively) in the lean season to 36.1% and 33.8 % harvest seasons, respectively. The biggest increase in the prevalence of stunting and underweight between harvest and lean seasons was noted in the lowland zone. Wasting decreased from 11.6% lean to 8.5% harvest, with the biggest decline recorded in the midland zone. Minimum meal frequency, minimum acceptable diet, and poor dietary diversity increased considerably in harvest compared to a lean season in the lowland zone. Feeding practices and maternal age were predictors of wasting, while women's dietary diversity and children's age was a predictor of child dietary diversity in both seasons. Conclusion: There is seasonal variation in undernutrition and IYCF practices among children 6-23 months of age with more pronounced effect lowland agro-ecological zone.

Keywords: agroecology, seasonality, stunting, wasting

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Authors: Carla Maria Furuno Rimkus

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The technologies related to virtual reality and augmented reality in combination with mobile technologies, are being more consolidated and used each day. The increasing technological availability along with the decrease of their acquisition and maintenance costs, have favored the expansion of its use in the field of historic heritage. In this context it is focused, in this article, on the potential of mobile applications in the dissemination of the architectural heritage, using the technology of Augmented Reality. From this perspective approach, it is discussed about the process of producing an application for mobile devices on the Android platform, which combines the technologies of geometric modeling with augmented reality (AR) and access to interactive multimedia contents with cultural, social and historic information of the historic building that we take as the object of study: a block with a set of buildings built in the XVIII century, known as "Quarteirão dos Trapiches", which was modeled in 3D, coated with the original texture of its facades and displayed on AR. From this perspective approach, this paper discusses about methodological aspects of the development of this application regarding to the process and the project development tools, and presents our considerations on methodological aspects of developing an application for the Android system, focused on the dissemination of the architectural heritage, in order to encourage the tourist potential of the city in a sustainable way and to contribute to develop the digital documentation of the heritage of the city, meeting a demand of tourists visiting the city and the professionals who work in the preservation and restoration of it, consisting of architects, historians, archaeologists, museum specialists, among others.

Keywords: augmented reality, architectural heritage, geometric modeling, mobile applications

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Authors: Abdelfatah Elsenosy, Mahmoud Ebrahim

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Background: Distal radius fractures are commonly encountered in orthopedic practice, especially in elderly patients. A number of clinical papers have supported the idea that anatomic restoration of the distal end of the radius is essential to gain superior results. Aim and objectives: The aim of the study is to systematically review the literature for the management of distal end radius in elderly persons (conservative treatment versus percutaneous wire fixation) as regards radiological and functional outcomes. Subjects and methods: Studies were identified from the Medline, Cochrane, EMBASE, and Google Scholar databases were searched until 2019 using combinations of the following search terms: distal radius fracture, conservative treatment, non-operative treatment, and nonsurgical treatment, surgical treatment, operative, elderly, and older. Reference lists of relevant studies were manually searched. Results: There was no statistical significance difference between CI and PKF groups’ frequency of complication in all of the selected studies. Based on the results, we recommend more analysis regarding every parameter of the radiographic and functional results and specific complications related to each fixation need to be accomplished, which requires more Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) with high quality. Conclusion: Surgical treatment seems to be more effective distal radius fracture compared with conservative treatment when the radiographic outcomes were analyzed, and no significant differences were detected in the functional outcomes and complication rate.

Keywords: radius, fracture, surgical, RCTs, conservative, radiographic, outcomes, orthopedic

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Authors: Pietro D'Ambrosio, Roberta D'Ambrosio

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The upgrading of the architectural and urban heritage of the urban historic centers almost always involves the planning for the reuse and refunctionalization of the structures. Such interventions have complexities linked to the need to take into account the urban and social context in which the structure and its intrinsic characteristics such as historical and artistic value are inserted. To these, of course, we have to add the need to make a preliminary estimate of recovery costs and more generally to assess the economic and financial sustainability of the whole project of re-socialization. Particular difficulties are encountered during the pre-assessment of costs since it is often impossible to perform analytical surveys and structural tests for both structural conditions and obvious cost and time constraints. The methodology proposed in this work, based on a multidisciplinary and data-driven approach, is aimed at obtaining, at very low cost, reasonably priced economic evaluations of the interventions to be carried out. In addition, the specific features of the approach used, derived from the predictive analysis techniques typically applied in complex IT domains (big data analytics), allow to obtain as a result indirectly the evaluation process of a shared database that can be used on a generalized basis to estimate such other projects. This makes the methodology particularly indicated in those cases where it is expected to intervene massively across entire areas of historical city centers. The methodology has been partially tested during a study aimed at assessing the feasibility of a project for the reuse of the monumental complex of San Massimo, located in the historic center of Salerno, and is being further investigated.

Keywords: evaluation, methodology, restoration, reuse

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Authors: Yue Sun, Yuan Wang

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Most of the earliest national industries in Wuhan are located along the Hanjiang River, and Qiaokou is considered to be a gathering place for Dahankou old industrial base. Zongguan Waterworks, Pacific Soap Factory, Fuxin Flour Factory, Nanyang Tobacco Factory and other hundred-year-old factories are located along Hanjiang River in Qiaokou District, especially the Gutian Industrial Zone, which was listed as one of 156 national restoration projects at the beginning of the founding of the People’s Republic of China. After decades of development, Qiaokou has become the gathering place of the chemical industry and secondary industry, causing damage to the city and serious pollution, becoming a marginalized area forgotten by the central city. In recent years, with the accelerated pace of urban renewal, Qiaokou has been constantly reforming and innovating, and has begun drastic changes in the transformation of old cities and the development of new districts. These factories have been listed as key reconstruction projects, and a large number of industrial heritage with historical value and full urban memory have been relocated, demolished and reformed, with only a few factory buildings preserved. Through the methods of industrial archaeology, image analysis, typology and field investigation, this paper analyzes and summarizes the spatial characteristics of industrial heritage in Qiaokou District, explores urban renewal from the perspective of industrial heritage protection, and provides design strategies for the regeneration of urban industrial sites and industrial heritage.

Keywords: industrial heritage, urban renewal, protection, urban memory

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Authors: Jia-Yu Wu, Chih-Han Chang, Shu-Fen Chuang, Rong-Yang Lai

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Objective: This study was to examine the stress distribution of tooth with different class V restorations under different loading situations and geometry by 3D finite element (FE) analysis. `Methods: A series of FE models of mandibular premolars containing class V cavities were constructed using micro-CT. The class V cavities were assigned as the combinations of different cavity depths x occlusal -gingival heights: 1x2, 1x4, 2x2, and 2x4 mm. Three alveolar bone loss conditions were examined: 0, 1, and 2 mm. 200 N force was exerted on the buccal cusp tip under various directions (vertical, V; obliquely 30° angled, O; oblique and parallel the individual occlusal cavity wall, P). A 3-D FE analysis was performed and the von-Mises stress was used to summarize the data of stress distribution and maximum stress. Results: The maximal stress did not vary in different alveolar bone heights. For each geometry, the maximal stress was found at bilateral corners of the cavity. The peak stress of restorations was significantly higher under load P compared to those under loads V and O while the latter two were similar. 2x2mm cavity exhibited significantly increased (2.88 fold) stress under load P compared to that under load V, followed by 1x2mm (2.11 fold), 2x4mm (1.98 fold) and 1x4mm (1.1fold). Conclusion: Load direction causes the greatest impact on the results of stress, while the effect of alveolar bone loss is minor. Load direction parallel to the cavity wall may enhance the stress concentration especially in deep and narrow class cavities.

Keywords: class v restoration, finite element analysis, loading situation, stress

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Authors: Meshal Al-Samhan, Abdullah Al-Marshed

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Recently, there has been a tremendous increase in interest in nanotechnology applications and nanomaterials in the oilfield. In the last decade, the global increase in oil production resulted in large amounts of produced water, causing a significant problem for all producing countries and companies. This produced water deserves special attention and a study of its characteristics to understand and determine how it can be treated and later used for suitable applications such as water injection for Enhance Oil Recovery (EOR) without harming the environment. This work aims to investigate the prepared compatible mixed water (seawater and effluent water) response to nanoparticles for EOR water injection. The evaluation of different mix seawater/effluent water ratios (60/40,70/30) for their characteristics prior to nanofluid preparation using Inductive Couple Plasma (ICP) analysis, potential zeta test, and OLI software (the OLI Systems is a recognised leader in aqueous chemistry). This step of the work revealed the suitability of the water mix with a lower effluent-water ratio. Also, OLI predicted that the 60:40 mix needs to be balanced around temperatures of 70 ºC to avoid the mass accumulation of calcium sulfate and strontium sulfate. Later the prepared nanofluid was tested for interfacial tension (IFT) and wettability restoration in the sandstone rock; the Al2O3 nanofluid at 0.06 wt% concentration reduced the IFT by more than 16% with moderate water wet contact angle. The study concluded that the selected nanoparticle Al2O3 had demonstrated excellent performance in decreasing the interfacial tension with respect to the selected water mix type (60/40) at low nanoparticles wt%.

Keywords: nano AL2O3, sanstone, nanofluid, IFT, wettability

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Authors: Istijabatul Aliyah, Bambang Setioko, Rara Sugiarti

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Surakarta is one of the cities which are formed with the concept of Javanese cosmology. As a traditional town of Java, Surakarta is known as ‘the paradise’ of traditional markets. Since its establishment, Surakarta is formed with Catur Gatra Tunggal or Four Single-Slot concept (palace, square, mosques, and markets). Current development in Surakarta downtown today indicates that traditional markets have improved themselves in both physical and non-physical aspects. The efforts start from the market façade revitalization, restoration and the overall development of market; up to social activities, competition between traders or large celebrations in the neighbourhood market. This research was conducted in Surakarta, which is aimed at: identifying the role of traditional market revitalization efforts in the development of a city. This study employs several methods of analysis, namely: 1) Spatial analysis for mapping the distribution of traditional markets in the city constellation, 2) Category-Based Analysis (CBA) to classify the revitalization of traditional markets that has an influence in the development of the city, and 3) Interactive Method of Analysis. The results of this research indicate that the presence of a constellation of traditional markets in Surakarta is dominated by the presence of Gede Market, not only as the oldest traditional market, but also as a center of economic and socio-cultural activities of the community. The role of traditional market revitalization in the development of a town is as an Urban Catalyst towards a MICE city in the sense that the revitalization effort, even done in a relatively short time and not yet covering the overall objects, is able to establish brand image of Surakarta as a city of culture which is friendly and ready to be MICE tourism city.

Keywords: traditional market revitalization, urban catalyst, MICE tourism, Surakarta

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Authors: Odeyemi Ifeoluwayemi, Maha Joushua, Fulani Omoyeni

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In the search for sustainability, over time, architectural approaches to design have moved from just nature inspired design to the study of nature’s principles to produce effective designs that solve the issue of sustainability. Nature has established materials, shapes and processes that are effective right from a minor scale to an enormous scale. A branch of human knowledge that studies nature is called biology. Biology helps us to grasp and understand nature. Biomimicry is a new way of viewing and valuing nature, based not on what we can extract from the natural world but on what we can learn from it. Life has sustained on the earth for the last 3.85 billion years, and it is necessary for us to find out how life has been able to stay sustained for that long. The building must teach the society new ecological morals, thus, a better understanding of how nature works can usefully inspire architectural designs to resolve issues that have already been resolved by nature. This will not only help in creating a healthy environment but will also produce positive environmental impacts. Biomimetic Architecture connects and reproduces the ideologies found in nature in order to create built environment which benefit people and other living creatures as well as preserving it for the future. Understanding the bioprocess would lead to the establishment of ecological approaches that serve as a platform for creating a built environment that goes beyond sustaining current settings but also mimic nature’s regenerative ecosystem. This paper aims to explain these design methods under the name of biomimicry and biomimetic architecture by reviewing literature and research works done by examining these approaches classified as forms, processes and ecosystems. It is expected that this research will provide information that would, therefore, lead to the creation of buildings that are eco-friendly and provide greater comfort to the populaces.

Keywords: biomimetic architecture, biomimicry, ecological design, nature

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Authors: Xiaoxian Zhang

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Guidelines of ecological risk assessment (ERA) and food safety assessment (FSA) used nowadays, based on an S-shaped threshold dose-response curve (SDR), fail to consider hormesis, a reproducible biphasic dose-response model represented as a J-shaped or an inverted U-shaped curve, that occurs in the real-life environment across multitudinous compounds on cells, organisms, populations, and even the ecosystem. Specifically, in SDR-based ERA and FSA practice, predicted no effect concentration (PNEC) is calculated separately for individual substances from no observed effect concentration (NOEC, usually equivalent to 10% effect concentration (EC10) of a contaminant or food condiment) over an assessment coefficient that is bigger than 1. Experienced researchers doubted that hormesis in the real-life environment might lead to a waste of limited human and material resources in ERA and FSA practice, but related data are scarce. In this study, hormetic effects on bioluminescence of Aliivibrio fischeri (A. f) induced by sulfachloropyridazine (SCP) under 40 conditions to simulate the real-life scenario were investigated, and hormetic effects on growth of human MCF-7 cells caused by brown sugar and mascavado sugar were found likewise. After comparison of related parameters, it has for the first time been proved that there is a 50% probability for safe concentration (SC) of contaminants and food condiments to fall within the hormetic-stimulatory range (HSR) or left to HSR, revealing the unreliability of traditional parameters in standardized (eco)toxicological studies, and supporting qualitatively and quantitatively the over-strictness of ERA and FSA resulted from misuse of SDR. This study provides a novel perspective for ERA and FSA practitioners that hormesis should dominate and conditions where SDR works should only be singled out on a specific basis.

Keywords: dose-response relationship, food safety, ecological risk assessment, hormesis

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Authors: Metodi Mladenov

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Heavy metals contamination of soils is a big problem mainly as a result of industrial production. From this point of view, this is of interests the processes for decontamination of soils for crop of production with low content of heavy metals and suitable for consumption from the animals and the peoples. In the current article, there are presented data for established changes in chemical composition and ecological state on soils contaminated from non-ferrous metallurgy manufacturing, for seven years time period. There was done investigation on alteration of pH, conductivity and contain of the next elements: As, Cd, Cu, Cr, Ni, Pb, Zn, Co, Mn and Al. Also, there was done visual observations under the processes of recovery of root-inhabitable soil layer and reforestation. Obtained data show friendly changes for the investigated indicators pH and conductivity and decreasing of content of some form analyzed elements. Visual observations show augmentation of plant cover areas and change in species structure with increase of number of shrubby and wood specimens.

Keywords: conductivity, contamination of soils, chemical composition, inductively coupled plasma–optical emission spectrometry, heavy metals, visual observation

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Authors: Sovit Pujari

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In the developing countries like Nepal, the community-based forest management approach has often been glorified as one of the best forest management alternatives to maximize the forest benefits. Though the approach has succeeded to construct a local level institution and conserve the forest biodiversity, how the local communities perceived about the forest benefits, the question always remains silent among the researchers and policy makers. The paper aims to explore the understanding of forest benefits from the perspective of local communities who used the forests in terms of institutional stability, equity and livelihood opportunity, and ecological stability. The paper revealed that the local communities have mixed understanding over the forest benefits. The institutional and ecological activities carried out by the local communities indicated that they have a better understanding over the forest benefits. However, inequality while sharing the forest benefits, low pricing strategy and its negative consequences in the valuation of forest products and limited livelihood opportunities indicating the poor understanding.

Keywords: community based forest management, low pricing strategy, forest benefits, livelihood opportunities, Nepal

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Authors: Vaishali Anagal, Vasudha Gokhale, Sharvey Dhongde

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Old buildings have significance in many aspects. The manifold significance may include historic, architectural and cultural aspects. In a cultural city like Pune, India, numerous residential buildings exist in the core city whose age may range between 60-100 years. These represent the city’s history and culture. Most of them are still in use as residential buildings with adaptations in various degrees. Some of these buildings are enlisted as ‘Heritage Buildings’ by local municipal authority. However, there are number of buildings that have heritage value although they are not enlisted as heritage sites. A lot of these buildings have already been pulled down for several reasons such as end of technical life, inadequacy for users, increasing floor area ratios, inflating land prices and changing lifestyles etc. Literature suggest that place attachment and residential satisfaction are positively related. It also indicates that length of residency is positively correlated with the place attachment. Residential satisfaction is associated with number of factors including socio demographic characteristics of users, housing characteristics, neighborhood characteristics and behavioral characteristics. This research paper poses an inquiry about the dynamics of co-relation between place attachment and residential satisfaction in case of old residential buildings. The motive of this enquiry is to examine if place attachment can serve as a strong ground for restoration of these old buildings and evade the devastation of emblems of cultural heritage of the city. The methodology includes questionnaire survey of users as well as a qualitative assessment regarding place attachment and residential satisfaction. About 20 residential buildings in the core city of Pune are selected for this purpose. The results of survey are analyzed and conclusions are drawn.

Keywords: place attachment, residential satisfaction, old residential buildings, housing characteristics, cultural heritage

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Authors: Lauren B. Birney

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The envisioned long-term outcome of this three-year research, and implementation plan is for 1) teachers and students to design and build their own computational models of real-world environmental-human health phenomena occurring within the context of the “Human Harbor” and 2) project researchers to evaluate the degree to which these integrated Computer Science (CS) education experiences in New York City (NYC) public school classrooms (PreK-12) impact students’ computational-technical skill development, job readiness, career motivations, and measurable abilities to understand, articulate, and solve the underlying phenomena at the center of their models. This effort builds on the partnership’s successes over the past eight years in developing a benchmark Model of restoration-based Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) education for urban public schools and achieving relatively broad-based implementation in the nation’s largest public school system. The Billion Oyster Project Curriculum and Community Enterprise for Restoration Science (BOP-CCERS STEM + Computing) curriculum, teacher professional developments, and community engagement programs have reached more than 200 educators and 11,000 students at 124 schools, with 84 waterfront locations and Out of School of Time (OST) programs. The BOP-CCERS Partnership is poised to develop a more refined focus on integrating computer science across the STEM domains; teaching industry-aligned computational methods and tools; and explicitly preparing students from the city’s most under-resourced and underrepresented communities for upwardly mobile careers in NYC’s ever-expanding “digital economy,” in which jobs require computational thinking and an increasing percentage require discreet computer science technical skills. Project Objectives include the following: 1. Computational Thinking (CT) Integration: Integrate computational thinking core practices across existing middle/high school BOP-CCERS STEM curriculum as a means of scaffolding toward long term computer science and computational modeling outcomes. 2. Data Science and Data Analytics: Enabling Researchers to perform interviews with Teachers, students, community members, partners, stakeholders, and Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) industry Professionals. Collaborative analysis and data collection were also performed. As a centerpiece, the BOP-CCERS partnership will expand to include a dedicated computer science education partner. New York City Department of Education (NYCDOE), Computer Science for All (CS4ALL) NYC will serve as the dedicated Computer Science (CS) lead, advising the consortium on integration and curriculum development, working in tandem. The BOP-CCERS Model™ also validates that with appropriate application of technical infrastructure, intensive teacher professional developments, and curricular scaffolding, socially connected science learning can be mainstreamed in the nation’s largest urban public school system. This is evidenced and substantiated in the initial phases of BOP-CCERS™. The BOP-CCERS™ student curriculum and teacher professional development have been implemented in approximately 24% of NYC public middle schools, reaching more than 250 educators and 11,000 students directly. BOP-CCERS™ is a fully scalable and transferable educational model, adaptable to all American school districts. In all settings of the proposed Phase IV initiative, the primary beneficiary group will be underrepresented NYC public school students who live in high-poverty neighborhoods and are traditionally underrepresented in the STEM fields, including African Americans, Latinos, English language learners, and children from economically disadvantaged households. In particular, BOP-CCERS Phase IV will explicitly prepare underrepresented students for skilled positions within New York City’s expanding digital economy, computer science, computational information systems, and innovative technology sectors.

Keywords: computer science, data science, equity, diversity and inclusion, STEM education

Procedia PDF Downloads 33

Authors: Kristin Drexler

Abstract:

Climate change has exacerbated food and livelihood insecurity for Mayan milpa farmers in Central America. For centuries, milpa farming has been sustainable for subsistence; however, in the last 50 years, milpas have become less reliable due to accelerating climate change, resource degradation, declining markets, poverty, and other factors. Using interviews with extension leaders and milpa farmers in Belize, this qualitative study examines the capacity for increasing climate-smart agriculture (CSA) aspects of existing traditional milpa practices, specifically no-burn mulching, soil enrichment, and the use of cover plants. Applying community capitals and socio-ecological systems frameworks, this study finds four key capitals were perceived by farmers and agriculture extension leaders as barriers for increasing CSA practices: (1) human-capacity, (2) financial, (3) infrastructure, and (4) governance-justice capitals. The key barriers include a lack of CSA technology and pest management knowledge-sharing (human-capacity), unreliable roads and utility services (infrastructure), the closure of small markets and crop-buying programs in Belize (financial), and constraints on extension services and exacerbating a sense of marginalization in Maya communities (governance-justice). Recommendations are presented for government action to reduce barriers and facilitate an increase in milpa crop productivity, promote food and livelihood security, and enable climate resilience of Mayan milpa communities in Belize.

Keywords: socio-ecological systems, community capitals, climate-smart agriculture, food security, milpa, Belize

Procedia PDF Downloads 66

Authors: M. López-Moreno, L. Lugo Avilés, F. Román, J. Lugo Rosas, J. Hernández-Viezcas Jr., Peralta-Videa, J. Gardea-Torresdey

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Degradation of agricultural soils has increased rapidly during the last 20 years due to the indiscriminate use of pesticides and other anthropogenic activities. Currently, there is an urgent need of soil restoration to increase agricultural production. Utilization of sewage sludge or municipal solid waste is an important way to recycle nutrient elements and improve soil quality. With these amendments, nutrient availability in the aqueous phase might be increased and production of healthier crops can be accomplished. This research project aimed to achieve sustainable management of tropical agricultural soils, specifically in Puerto Rico, through the amendment of water treatment plant sludge’s. This practice avoids landfill disposal of sewage sludge and at the same time results cost-effective practice for recycling solid waste residues. Coriander sativum was cultivated in a compost-soil-sludge mixture at different proportions. Results showed that Coriander grown in a mixture of 25% compost+50% Voladora soi+25% sludge had the best growth and development. High chlorophyll content (33.01 ± 0.8) was observed in Coriander plants cultivated in 25% compost+62.5% Coloso soil+ 12.5% sludge compared to plants grown with no sludge (32.59 ± 0.7). ICP-OES analysis showed variations in mineral element contents (macro and micronutrients) in coriander plant grown I soil amended with sludge and compost.

Keywords: compost, Coriandrum sativum, nutrients, waste sludge

Procedia PDF Downloads 370

Authors: Benedict O. Ayomanor, Cookey Iyen, Ifeoma S. Iyen

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Rice hull (RH) biomass product gives feasible silica for exact temperature and period. The minimal fabrication price turns its best feasible produce to metallurgical grade silicon (MG-Si). In this work, to avoid ecological worries extending from CO₂ release to oil leakage on water and land, or nuclear left-over pollution, all finally add to the immense topics of ecological squalor; high purity silicon > 98.5% emerge set from rice hull ash (RHA) by solid-liquid removal. The RHA derived was purified by nitric and hydrochloric acid solutions. Leached RHA sieved, washed in distilled water, and desiccated at 1010ºC for 4h. Extra cleansing was achieved by carefully mixing the SiO₂ ash through Mg dust at a proportion of 0.9g SiO₂ to 0.9g Mg, galvanised at 1010ºC to formula magnesium silicide. The solid produced was categorised by X-ray fluorescence (XRF), X-ray diffractometer (XRD), and Fourier transformation infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. Elemental analysis using XRF found the percentage of silicon in the material is approximately 98.6%, main impurities are Mg (0.95%), Ca (0.09%), Fe (0.3%), K (0.25%), and Al (0.40%).

Keywords: siliceous, leached, biomass, solid-liquid extraction

Procedia PDF Downloads 40

Authors: Leveque Benjamin, Rabaud Suzanne, Anest Hugo, Catalan Caroline, Neveux Guillaume

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Human products consumption is one of the main drivers of biodiversity loss. However, few pertinent ecological indicators regarding product life cycle impact on species and ecosystems have been built. Life cycle assessment (LCA) methodologies are well under way to conceive standardized methods to assess this impact, by taking already partially into account three of the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment pressures (land use, pollutions, climate change). Coupling LCA and ecological data and methods is an emerging challenge to develop a product biodiversity footprint. This approach was tested on three case studies from food processing, textile, and cosmetic industries. It allowed first to improve the environmental relevance of the Potential Disappeared Fraction of species, end-point indicator typically used in life cycle analysis methods, and second to introduce new indicators on overexploitation and invasive species. This type of footprint is a major step in helping companies to identify their impacts on biodiversity and to propose potential improvements.

Keywords: biodiversity, companies, footprint, life cycle assessment, products

Procedia PDF Downloads 298

Authors: Olatunde Sunday Eludoyin, Charles Obiechina Olisa

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The study examined the spatial interactions between earthworm abundance (EA) and tree growth characteristics in ecological belts of Western Niger Delta, Nigeria. Eight 20m x 20m quadrat were delimited in the natural vegetation in each of the rainforest (RF), mangrove (M), fresh water swamp (FWS), and guinea savanna (GS) ecological belts to gather data about the tree species (TS) characteristics which included individual number of tree species (IN), diversity (Di), density (De) and richness (Ri). Three quadrats of 1m x 1m were delineated in each of the 20m x 20m quadrats to collect earthworm species the topsoil (0-15cm), and subsoil (15-30cm) and were taken to laboratory for further analysis. Descriptive statistics and inferential statistics were used for data analysis. Findings showed that a total of 19 earthworm species was found, with 58.5% individual species recorded in the topsoil and 41.5% recorded in the subsoil. The total population ofEudriliuseugeniae was predominantly highest in both topsoil (38.4%) and subsoil (27.1%). The total population of individual species of earthworm was least in GS in the topsoil (11.9%) and subsoil (8.4%). A total of 40 different species of TS was recorded, of which 55.5% were recorded in FWS, while RF was significantly highest in the species diversity(0.5971). Regression analysis revealed that Ri, IN, DBH, Di, and De of trees explained 65.9% of the variability of EA in the topsoil, while 46.9 % of the variability of earthworm abundance was explained by the floristic parameters in the subsoil.Similarly, correlation statistics revealed that in the topsoil, EA is positively and significantly correlated with Ri (r=0.35; p<0.05), IN (r=0.523; p<0.05) and De (r=0.469; p<0.05) while DBH was negatively and significantly correlated with earthworm abundance (r=-0.437; p<0.05). In the subsoil, only Ri and DBH correlated significantly with EA. The study concluded that EA in the study locations was highly influenced by tree growth species especially Ri, IN, DBH, Di, and De. The study recommended that the TSabundance should be improved in the study locations to ensure the survival of earthworms for ecosystem functions.

Keywords: interactions, earthworm abundance, tree growth, ecological zones, western niger delta

Procedia PDF Downloads 70

Authors: Arpita Banerjee

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We now live in a world where half of the human population is city dwellers. The migration of people from rural to urban areas is rising continuously. But, the promise of a greater wage and better quality of life cannot keep up with the pace of migration. The rate of urbanization is much higher in developing countries. The UN predicts that 95 percent of this urban expansion will take place in the developing world in the next few decades. The population in the urban settlements of the developing nations is soaring, and megacities like Mumbai, Dhaka, Jakarta, Karachi, Manila, Shanghai, Rio de Janeiro, Lima, and Kinshasa are crammed with people, a majority of whom are migrants. Rural-urban migration has taken a new shape with the rising number of smaller cities. Apart from the increase in non-agricultural economic activities, growing demand for resources and energy, an increase in wastes and pollution, and a greater ecological footprint, there is another significant characteristic of the current wave of urbanization. This paper analyses that important marker of urbanization. It is the invisibility of production sites. The growing urban space ensures that the producers, the production sites, or the process stay beyond urban visibility. In cities and towns, living is majorly about earning money in either the informal service and small scale manufacturing sectors (a major part of which is food preparation), or the formal service sector. In the cases of both the informal service and small scale manufacturing or the formal service sector, commodity creation cannot be seen. The urban space happens to be the marketplace, where nature and its services, along with the non-urban labour, cannot be seen unless it is sold in the market. Hence, the consumers are now increasingly becoming disengaged from the producers. This paper compares the rate of increase in the size of and employment in the informal sector and/or that of the formal sector of some selected urban areas of India. Also, a comparison over the years of the aforementioned characteristics is presented in this paper, in order to find out how the anonymity of the producers to the urban consumers have grown as urbanization has risen. This paper also analyses the change in the transport cost of goods into the cities and towns of India and supports that claim made here that the invisibility of production is a crucial marker of modern-day urban-centric economic development. Such urbanization has an important ecological impact. The invisibility of the production site saves the urban consumer society from dealing with the ethical and ecological aspects of the production process. Once the real sector production is driven out of the cities and towns, the invisible ethical and ecological impacts of the growing urban consumption frees the consumers from associating themselves with any responsibility towards those impacts.

Keywords: ecological impact of urbanization, informal sector, invisibility of production, urbanization

Procedia PDF Downloads 107