(1) Background: Childhood immunization is vital for preventing morbidities and mortalities globally. However, rural Pakistan is facing persistent challenges, particularly after recent global health crises in gauging accurate vaccination coverage estimates. This study aimed to apply a novel Lot Quality Assurance Sampling (LQAS) methodology due to its rapid and reliable estimates of the routine immunization rates among children aged 12-23 months old in Shikarpur, Sindh, and to identify priority areas for future interventions. (2) Methods: A cross-sectional household survey design was adopted for an in-depth assessment of vaccination coverage in a previously under-studied rural context. (3) Results: Data were collected from 1,402 children aged 12-23 months across 47/49 Union Councils in Shikarpur within 141 randomly identified clusters. LQAS was innovatively employed along with GIS Mapping which provided a spatial analysis of the distribution of immunization coverage and the spot map of clusters. The weighted average for fully immunized children was 42.4% after applying Direct Adjustment Method. A steep decline in coverage for each successive vaccine dose was observed, and 39 key priority areas were identified on GIS-based plotting for intensive health interventions. Multivariate Logistic Regression Model further revealed informational gaps and fear of side effects as major barriers to achieving complete immunization. (4) Conclusions: The innovative application of LQAS and GIS Mapping in this study has provided a comprehensive glimpse of its utility in future follow-ups and similar assessments. The findings stress the critical need to tackle the foundational reasons behind the vaccination gaps, with a special focus on enhancing awareness and information dissemination in the key priority areas.

Non-pharmaceutical interventions (NPIs), including social distancing, wearing personal protective equipment, and lockdown measures, have been at the forefront of outbreak control in nursing homes. We used a mixed methodology to assess which NPIs nursing homes in the canton of Geneva, Switzerland, followed for their staff and residents during the first wave of the pandemic, between March 1, 2020 and June 1, 2020. For the qualitative component, we interviewed the attending physicians and/or director of each nursing home. Based on in-vivo codes, NPIs for nursing home workers and residents in each nursing home were thematically classified as: maximally restrictive, moderately restrictive, and minimally restrictive. In the quantitative component, we calculated incident rate ratios (IRR) for infection between the three levels of COVID-19-related measures taken in these nursing homes. We found an equal distribution of maximally (n=4), moderately (n=4), and minimally (n=4) restrictive NPIs. The extent of restriction did not show to be significantly associated with the cumulative incidence of COVID-19 cases among residents (maximally restrictive IRR = 3.90, 95%CI 0.82-45.54, p = 0.184; moderately restrictive IRR = 3.55, 95%CI 0.75-41.42, p = 0.212 ; minimally restrictive IRR = reference). Variabilities in NPIs adopted by nursing homes, and the number of COVID-19 cases appear to be randomly affected.

This study presents the development and pilot implementation of an assessment and shared deci-sion-making methodology called the Gezamenlijk Inschatten van Zorgbehoeften (GIZ), designed for youth (health) care professionals working with children and families. The three-phase approach included a needs assessment, development of the GIZ methodology, and pilot implementation in a preventive youth health care and youth care setting, involving parents, adolescents, and youth (health) care professionals. The needs assessment produced nine criteria that the GIZ methodology needed to meet. Based on these criteria, the GIZ methodology was developed and described using the Template for Intervention Description and Replication (TIDieR). The pilot implementation demonstrated high client engagement, satisfaction, and feasibility in daily practice. The GIZ ap-proach promotes appropriate support for families by improving the joint assessment and shared decision-making process in youth (health) care. This study supports the implementation of GIZ in youth (health) care practice and highlights the need for further focus on implementation and sus-tainability.

This paper presents the development of a housing information system application using the Agile development method. The rapid development of information technology has necessitated the use of systems in various fields for efficient administration and data processing. However, traditional soft- ware development approaches are time-consuming and may not meet user requirements. The Agile methodology, with its flexible and iterative approach, addresses these challenges by focusing on delivering a functional system quickly. In this study, credit scoring and background related to housing information systems are examined, along with an overview of related work in Agile software development methodologies. The methods used in developing the housing information system application are explained, including the Agile development process and the stages involved. The results show that the Agile development method effectively produces user-friendly and functional housing information system applications. The system provides a simple and intuitive interface that facilitates easy navigation and access to information. Overall, the Agile development method is a valuable approach for software development to meet evolving user needs.

A novel approach based on response surface methodology (RSM) was developed to predict and apply the best extraction conditions for the isolation of various-type polyphenolic antioxidants from the dried flower buds of Magnolia x soulangeana Soul.-Bod. var. ‘Lennei’ (Magnoliaceae). As a method of choice, ultrasound-assisted extraction was used and the optimized extraction parameters (temperature, time of extraction, the composition of aqueous-ethanolic extractants and solvent to solid ratio) have been determined using a central composite design factorial analysis, followed by appropriate spectrophotometric methods (with Folin–Ciocalteu and 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl reagents) to determine the antioxidant and antiradical potential of extracts, respectively. The use of 66.8% (V/V) ethanol, as the extraction solvent during the 55.2 min extraction protocol, and the ratio of extractant volume to herbal substance of 46.8 mL/g gave the highest total yield of bioactive antioxidant phenolics in the extract obtained. For this herbal preparation, qualitative and quantitative analysis was performed using combined chromatographic (LC), spectroscopic (PDA) and tandem mass spectrometric (ESI-QTOF–MS/MS) techniques. A detailed phytochemical profiling, conducted for the first time, documented substantial amounts of polyphenolic antioxidants, especially phenylethanoids and flavonoids in the flower buds of M. soulangeana ‘Lennei’. Their average total content exceeded 30.3 and 36.5 mg/g dry weight, respectively.

Green synthesis of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) using raw Whey has never been reported. Silver nanoparticle formation involves a reduction reaction of silver salt solution with Whey extract. Extract and metal salt concentrations, and temperature can control this reaction. In this work, incubation period, extract, AgNO3, and NaOH concentrations were used as the independent factors using central composite design under response surface methodology. The aim was to elucidate the influence these factors have on the measured UV-Vis absorption spectra fitted with a Voigt function, and to optimize the conditions for nanoparticle formation. The fitting parameters, peak wavelength (λ0), peak area (A), and Full Width at Half Maximum (FWHM), were the responses. Silver nanoparticle formation was only possible in an alkaline environment (pH 10). The peak wavelength and the FWHM are influenced mainly by extract and AgNO3 concentrations. In contrast, the peak area is influenced by a total of 33.54 % from the interaction terms of AgNO3 and extract concentrations with NaOH. Metallic AgNPs were formed for the following parameter ranges: a) Whey (0.4 – 1.6 % v/v), b) AgNO3 (0.15 – 0.6 mM), c) NaOH (10 – 50 mM), and d) Time (20 – 60 min). Silver oxide nanoparticles were also observed.

In recent years the field of computer science has experienced great changes, due to the incredible advances in the field of artificial intelligence. Deep Learning models are responsible for most of them since the biggest milestones occurred in 2012 when AlexNet won the image classification challenge called ImageNet. These models have demonstrated great performances in different types of complex tasks like image restoration, medical diagnosis or object recognition. Their disadvantages are related to their high data dependency, which forces experts in the field to follow a precise methodology to obtain accurate models. In this paper, we describe a complete workflow that begins with the management of the raw data until the in-depth interpretation of the performance of the models. This should be taken as a high-level consultation document describing good practices that should be applied. Apart from the step-by-step methodology, we present different use cases that correspond to the two main problems of the field: classification and regression.

A fundamentally new synthetic approach to the synthesis of 2-aminopurine has been developed. It consists in the combination of creation of condensed polyazotic heterocyclic tetrazolopyrimidine structure, it’s transformation into triaminopyrimidine and subsequent cyclization into 2-aminopurine. The structure of the obtained compounds was established based on spectral characteristics and intermediate 5 directly by X-ray diffraction analysis.

With the growing trend of urbanization and the growing number of people migrating to cities, the demand for the development and construction of new buildings as well as the infrastructure has risen, meaning that the construction industry must adapt to the trends. The growing demands with shorter deadlines for an industry already known for high costs and not delivering on time means that productivity must be increased without increasing the cost. The solution for this might lie in the application of the Lean philosophy to the construction industry. This paper analyses the application of the Lean philosophy in order to increase the productivity in the airport construction site. The paper highlights the potential for enhancing productivity in construction workplaces by concurrently fostering continuous improvement and sustainability through the implementation of the A3 methodology and Lean principles, resulting in waste reduction and increased value.

The purpose of this scoping review was to comprehensively clarify the methodology of Mental practice (MP) to date by systematically mapping studies that have performed MP on post-stroke paralytic upper extremity function. Specifically, (1) When is the most common timing of MP in-tervention after stroke onset? (2) What is the MP load (intervention time, number of interven-tion days, and intervention period)? (3) What are the most common methods of Motor Imagery (MI) recall and MI tasks during MP? (4) Is MP often used in conjunction with individual rehabili-tative therapies? (5) What is the paralyzed side's upper limb and cognitive function level at the start of MP intervention? Our scoping review was performed ac-cording to PRISMA-ScR to iden-tify research questions. Then, the PubMed, Scopus, Medline, and Cochrane Library databases were used to screen articles published by July 19, 2022. Eligible articles were selected all study designs were included, including studies involving the use of MP for post-stroke paralytic upper extremity function. Selection of eligible papers was done by two or more independent persons. Data were extracted from the eligible papers for items necessary to identify the research ques-tions. English-language articles identified for this study were 694, of which 62 were accepted. The most common intervention time was 30 minutes or less and the duration of the intervention was 5 times a week in MP. The most common method of recalling MI during MP was using an audio guide. In the future, it will be important to conduct accumulation of research to unify the varied widely MP methodologies identified in this study.

There are laws and rights aimed at people with disabilities, especially those with Mild Intellectual Disability (LDD), who actively participate in society but face barriers in learning and participating in various activities. In Colombia, where 1.3 million people with disabilities are registered, 16.8% correspond to the category of DIL, some of whom are part of the economically active population. Despite this, significant employment gaps persist.In order to address this gap, this research focuses on the analysis of the specific problems related to the labor inclusion of people with IDL in logistics environments, particularly in cold rooms. The aim is to prevent occupational hazards through the application of Industry 4.0 technologies.Through the collaboration of the Analytics and Design Research Seedbed, with entrepreneurs and experts in the field, significant challenges in labor inclusion in low-temperature environments were identified. The agile Scrum methodology was used to develop a prototype of an application that addresses these issues. This prototype meets the functional and non-functional requirements necessary to ensure the protection and prevention of risks for workers with DIL who perform functions in refrigerated rooms.This prototype manages to provide an inclusive alternative for people with disability Intellectual Light, challenging business cultural paradigms, by integrating mobile devices with Industry 4.0 technologies, encouraging greater interaction between machines and human beings, thus prioritizing the health and safety of employees in their daily activities.

Abstract: Building Information Modelling (BIM) methodology has been empowering the quality of the construction activity in all sectors: multidisciplinary designs development; construction planning and monitoring; building management and maintenance. A BIM environment aggre-gates several disciplines and different professional skillsets and in order to control and improve the quality of a BIM project, a BIM manager is required. The BIM manager has the responsibility to coordinate all tasks involved in a building design and associated activities usually workout over the project documents. This professional can access to the distinct discipline models, located in a shared platform, and request for amendments if inconsistencies are detected. The topic of the present study is illustrated with three building cases were distinct specific projects, disciplines and tasks were elaborated: collaboration between disciplines (architecture, structures and con-struction); structural analyses and reinforcement details; quantity take-off of materials and cost estimation; construction scheduling and simulation. Although there are still limitations in the implementation of BIM methodology in all sectors and stages, within the construction industry, BIM has been bringing an important improvement in the quality of a building design, reflected in the quality of the final product. The present study put in evidence the BIM manager role in pro-jects that aggregates several disciplines and experts, bringing an important contribution in the quality of a building design. BIM methodology is a current demand in the construction industry supported on advanced technology and in an adequate management of projects.

Supercritical fluid extraction (SFE) is an innovative green technology for the extraction of phytochemicals from plants. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the application of SFE and to optimize the extraction condition of the Thai herbal formula, Kleeb Bua Daeng (KBD). A Box-Behnken design (BBD) with response surface methodology was used to determine the effect of extraction time, temperature, and pressure on response variables including extraction yield, total phenolic content (TPC), total flavonoid content (TFC), total carotenoid content (TCC) and total anthocyanin content (TAC) of KBD formula. The highest percentage extraction yield, TPC, TFC, and TCC of the extracts were 3.81%, 464.56 mg gallic acid equivalents/g extract, 217.19 mg quercetin equivalents/g extract, and 22.26 mg β-carotene equivalents/g extract, respectively. The results indicated that SFE is a suitable method of extraction for green recovery of some phytochemicals from the KBD formula.

Alginate, a biopolymer promising in food, biomedical, pharmaceutical, and electronic materials industries, is characterized by its biodegradability, biocompatibility, low toxicity, and gel-forming properties. It is most abundantly found in brown algae. However, conventional dilute acid and alkali extraction methods face limitations in commercialization due to their long processing time, low throughput, and high solvent requirements. In this study, a microwave-assisted extraction (MAE) process for sodium alginate was designed to improve extraction efficiency. Solid/liquid ratio, extraction temperature, and extraction solvent concentration were major variables affecting sodium alginate extraction from Undaria pinnatifida(sea mustard). They were then statistically optimized using response surface methodology. Under optimal conditions (13.27 g/L, 91.86 ℃, 2.51 %(w/v), and 15 min), the yield was 38.41 %, which was 93.43 % of the theoretical content of sodium alginate in Undaria pinnatifida. Our work has confirmed the productivity and industrial feasibility of efficient extraction of sodium alginate from marine biomass, and we hope that it will serve as an encouraging case for the application of biopolymers as one of the desirable options for alternative petrochemicals to construct a sustainable society.

Meteorological observations over the last four decades are of paramount importance to investigate the ongoing climate change. The assessment of the reliability of any climatic time series is thus mandatory to draw correct conclusions. This evaluation involves homogeneity tests to detect artificial discontinuities whose identification is facilitated by metadata availability. In this work, daily minimum and maximum temperature measurements collected in Padua, Italy, between 1980 and 2022, are examined. Hourly observations began in 1993 and since the aim is to study long term behavior of the temperature, the focus is on daily averages and extremes. Over this period, the weather station of Padua center underwent many changes, in location or instrument; therefore, some tests have been used to identify and remove the effects of these variations and obtain a homogeneous time series. The homogeneity tests applied must be able to identify change-points both in the middle and at the extremes of the series. Some well-known absolute tests have been applied to investigate shift in the mean value: Standard Normal Homogeneity test (SNH), Buishand U and range tests, Pettitt test, F-test, STARS. Some relative tests have been applied too, which are generally more reliable than absolute tests, because they consider the information from neighboring stations. As relative tests rely on the homogeneity and quality of the reference series, several nearby stations and two reanalysis datasets (ERA5 and MERIDA) have been considered, to enhance the picture of the local situation and provide more robust conclusions. The applied tests identify change-points in the years in which a change in instrument or location of the station have occurred, confirming that these changes have compromised the homogeneity of the series. The sub-series obtained splitting the observations in correspondence of these change-points have been homogenized with respect a selected period; corrections must be applied also to future measurements to extend the time series properly.

Despite significant milestones in armed conflict research generally and climate security research specifically, methodologically tight explanation of naturally caused armed conflict still leaves much to be desired. In this article we unpack the black box of the climate-security nexus and advance causal modelling of armed conflict. To infer effects of natural causes on armed conflict outcomes, we apply recent advances in causal methods to conflict outcomes that have been non-experimentally observed across Iraqi municipalities. Retrieval of an entire empirical causal structure of climate-conflict pathways allows us to corroborate the existence of a cause-and-effect relationship between climatological, environmental, and demographic variables and armed conflict. We confirm that soil temperature, population density, and variability of latent energy cause an increase in fatalities, while rice production decreases fatalities. We discuss our findings, their limitations, and future research directions, and reflect on their relevance for policy interventions.

The interconnection between the objectives of territorial development and the agro-ecological transition highlights the value of past knowledge in the sustainable management of resources and agro-ecological systems. However, retrospection in rural areas presents difficulties due to a lack of data. This paper contributes to the search for such knowledge from the past by developing an interactive methodology capable of combining heterogeneous sources of information and the activation of local collective memory. Its effectiveness is based on ensuring the interoperability of information and communication in an environment simultaneously shaped by geoinformatics and 3D geo-visualizations. This virtual environment fosters participation and interactivity, supported by representations of the paleo-landscape. Furthermore, synergies were achieved between information sources and their integration into local spatial systems. The application example involved identifying a rice field that existed from the 15th to the 19th century in Thessaly, Greece. It is an interesting case because the location and organization of cultivation in combination with its spatio-temporal coordination ensures the sustainable use of natural resources. It appears that the interplay between information and communication facilitates community participation and the activation of its collective memory as a source of information that enriches the search and local intelligence.

Sustainable Forest Management (SFM) can fully use forest resources and improve the economic, environmental and social sustainability of forest areas. Forestry enterprises play a crucial role in the implementation of SFM. To better play the role of forestry enterprises in implementing SFM, it is necessary to establish a comprehensive and reasonable performance evaluation model for SFM in forestry enterprises. However, the previous literature pays little attention to this research question. Taking the Triple Bottom Line (TBL) as a theoretical framework and the Montreal Process Criteria and Indicators (MP C&I) as a basis, this paper constructs an indicator system to evaluate the performance of SFM of forest enterprises from economic, social and environmental aspects. This paper applies the integrated MCDM method, i.e. the BWM method and the VIKOR method, to construct the methodological system for SFM performance evaluation of forestry enterprises. The effectiveness of this SFM performance evaluation model is then demonstrated through its application to a case study of forestry enterprises in China. Through the application of the model, this paper evaluates the enterprise's SFM performance over the five-year period 2017-2021 and proposes appropriate policy recommendations and improvements.

Microencapsulation by atomization can be used to minimize the loss of bioactive compounds, improving the characteristics and applicability of the powdered product. This study evaluates the effect of different encapsulating agents (maltodextrin, gum arabic, and chitosan) and three spray nozzle diameters (1.0, 1.2, and 1.5 mm) on the atomization of guavira (Campomanesia adamantium) pulp with added 6% bocaiuva (Acrocomia aculeata) dehydrated pulp in the green maturation stage. The experiment followed a simplex-centroid mixed design, with carrier agent concentrations and spray nozzle diameters as independent variables and powder yield, solubility, hygroscopicity, and vitamin C content as dependent variables. The results show that gum arabica increased powder yield and vitamin C retention. The addition of maltodextrin resulted in powders with increased solubility and low hygroscopicity. Furthermore, the optimization tool indicated that the best process conditions were achieved with the addition of gum arabic (10.8%) and chitosan (7.2%), resulting in powders with 29.48% yield, 82.96% solubility, 15.90% hygroscopicity and 741.11 mg/100g vitamin C. Furthermore, the 1.0 mm diameter spray nozzle was considered the most suitable for obtaining guavira pulp microparticles with higher ascorbic acid content.

Road-embedded inductive power transfer (IPT) systems have the potential to accelerate the electrification of the transportation sector. For these systems to be economically viable however, they need to have a similar durability and lifespan compared to that of asphalt roads. One area that has lacked investigation is thermally induced stresses in a primary IPT pad, which is caused by the increase in temperature of the pad when it is energized and the differing thermal expansion of the materials within. This paper presents an experimental and a finite-element based methodology for investigating the thermal-mechanical behaviour of a ¼-scale double-D pad, which was energized while suspended in air, as well as energized when embedded in pavement. A focus was placed on the measurement and prediction of strains in the magnetic ferrite cores because of their brittleness. Ferrite strains were measured using a combination of resistive strain gauges and non-metallic Fibre Bragg Grating (FBG) sensors. Coupled electromagnetic-thermal-structural simulations were conducted to predict temperature and strains in the system, with temperature-dependent properties obtained through physical testing. At an ambient temperature of 50°C, the temperature in the middle of the copper litz wire coil was predicted to be 100°C in both the suspended and embedded case. There was excellent correlation to experimental results, with a difference of less than 10% for most temperature measurements. When energized, the pad was predicted to experience an upward bow due to its temperature rise, resulting bending strains in the ferrite cores. At an ambient temperature of 50°C, maximum tensile strain in the ferrites of the embedded pad was measured to be 62 microstrain (με), with a root-mean square error that was 18 με across three sensors. The experimental and validated numerical methodology can be applied to full-scale operational IPT pads to analyse and improve their thermal-mechanical performance.

Friction stir welding (FSW) is a solid state welding process for joining metallic alloys and dissimilar metals. It has emerged as an alternative technology for welding high strength alloys that are difficult to join with conventional techniques. FSW is used to produce products with better mechanical properties. Now a days aluminum alloys have been widely used in several industrial applications such as aerospace, marine, automobile and commercial applications due to their light weight structure, better mechanical properties and high corrosion resistance.In this work, three welding parameters such as spindle speed, welding speed and plunge depth were considered for friction stir welding. FSW was carried out between dissimilar aluminum alloy plates (AA6061 and AA 8011) to produce butt joint.A Box-Behnken design with three factors and three levels was chosen to minimize the number of experimental conditions .The tensile strength and hardness of the welded regions were evaluated. The optimum level settings and the major parameters that influence the joint strength were obtained by Box-Behnken design.

A novel compressible real gas 1D finite volume thermofluid network modelling methodology is proposed that can be applied in the analysis of supercritical CO₂ (sCO2) power cycles. It is applied to simulate centrifugal compressor performance via a mean line approach that directly solves the mass, energy, and momentum balance equations for the discretized flow channels within the machine along with the associated loss models, component characteristics, and applicable compressible real gas equation of state. This can be integrated seamlessly with the rest of the power cycle components like pipes, valves, heat exchangers, etc., thereby eliminating the need for static performance maps and the associated difficulties to ensure similarity over the whole range of operation. This direct simulation of the internal flows also makes it possible to do integrated cycle design optimization that includes the geometry of the compressors, and to simulate fast transients for dynamic analysis. The methodology was applied to simulate well-documented air and sCO2 centrifugal compressors and compared the generated results with that of conventional thermofluid network incompressible and compressible ideal gas approaches. The results indicate that the proposed compressible real gas approach can capture the stagnation pressure changes and isentropic efficiencies with good accuracy for both cases over the whole range of mass flow rates and shaft rotational speeds. In contrast, the conventional thermofluid network incompressible and compressible ideal gas approaches are only applicable in selected regions of the fluid property regime and suffer from discretization errors and inappropriate treatment of the relationship between stagnation and static pressures. Furthermore, comparative analyses between the newly proposed approach and the traditional mechanical energy balance method are performed, showing that the latter approach needs to be discretized more finely through the compression process to correctly capture the polytropic compression path shape, whereas the former more accurately captures the stagnation pressure changes through the analyzed compressors with only a single increment per compressor component.

Brushless Direct Current Motors are significantly improved for using many electrical applications. The design investigation is increased year by year and most of the motor design researchers find out the superior efficiency of the BLDC motor. The traditional motor consumed more electrical power than BLDC motor. The design of BLDC motors that are compact, small, easy to control, save energy and light weight. Due to this fact, the design of BLDC motor should be analyzed to improve the motor characteristics performance. The research focuses on the design of BLDC motor performance using Taguchi Method and Response Surface Methodology (RSM) for Finite Element Method (FEM). Firstly, the Taguchi Method is applied to identify the optimization point of design parameters and consider using the reference model of actual BLDC electric fan motor with a rated power of 26Watts design. Based on the Taguchi Method to create the RSM is used to two-step optimization design performance using in FEM analysis. The performances of motor design proposed approach to provide the effeteness for motor design investigator. In this investigation aims the better structural performances in output power, torque, efficiency and torque ripple. The final design of proposed model achieved an energy efficiency is 10% higher than the reference design of prototype modes, the output power result is 10W higher this reference design. We can reduce the loss of the proposed motor design. Furthermore, the maximum torque can also increase the 0.032Nm of that design. The design simulation results were produced and studied by the FEM analysis of JMAG software. From the evaluation results, the configurations of reference model design are compared with the proposed design by using the three methods of motor design optimization showed the best characteristics for performance of motor investigation design.

Many corporations have now revised their value statements to showcase their commitment to sustainable development and green business due to the pressing issues of climate and environmental damage. Despite the importance of value statements that can direct companies to achieve sustainable goals, what kind of values can be perceived as organizational orientations to sustainability remains unknown. This study explores how the general public views the inclusion of sustainable components in value statements from the listed companies in Hong Kong by using Q-sort methodology (n = 30). Analyzing the final sample of 40 value statements extracted from 27 listed companies, we identified three factors related to sustainability, namely, Empowering business process management, Empowering customer-centric excellence, and Empowering sustainable progress. This study provides an additional component to the traditional triple bottom line by suggesting that internal operation of a company is an emerging idea to understand corporate sustainability.

Open science, accessibility and knowledge sharing, especially of articles and monographs stemming from a publicly funded research, seem to be quite a positive direction in the development of science and have received almost unanimous approval from a scientific community. However, when it comes to data sharing, the data obtained by qualitative methodology deserve special attention and treatment. Although FAIR principles provide ways to anonymise the data and interlocoutors (as explained in Celjak et al 2020) individuals coming from smaller communities or even communities of practice can sometimes be easily regcognized by members of the same communitiy, especially if the data refers to audio files! The researcher is obliged to thoroughly describe the ways in which the data will be managed and used, and if it will state that the data will be managed in line with FAIR principles, this will inevitably impact the narratives collected. The prerogative to make all the data open will inevitably lead to autocesorship i.e. in creating a kind of FAIRy Tales for the future, interlocutors will share with researchers. Having all that in mind I argue for a more vigilant approach when embracing the idea that all the data should be made FAIR. Not all the data should be made FAIR because this could, in the end, compromise the research process itself. Some data must remain in the space of trust created between main actors in the research process. These data should be treated with CARE principles.

This paper presents the results of investigations into the pyrolysis of waste polypropylene in a laboratory fixed-bed batch reactor. The experiments were designed and verified in such a way as to allow the application of the Response Surface Methodology (RSM) in the development of an empirical mathematical model that quantifies the impacts mentioned above. The influence of the mass of the raw material (50, 100 and 150 g), together with the reactor temperature (450, 475 and 500 °C) and the reaction time (45, 50 and 75 min) was examined. It has been shown that the mass of the raw material, i.e. the filling volume of the reactor, has a significant influence on the pyrolysis oil yield. This influence exceeds the influence of reactor temperature and reaction time. This was explained by observing the temperature change inside the reactor at three different spots at the bottom, middle and top of the reactor. Recorded temperature diagrams show that with greater masses of feedstock, local overheating occurs in the middle part of the reactor, which leads to overcracking of vapor products, and from there to an increased formation of non-condensable gases, i.e. reduced yield of pyrolytic oil.

Developing sustainability competences is an important endeavor for education, as competence development can be complex and requires appropriate approaches. In the case of preparing future educators, this becomes even more important, because of their multiplier role. The current study presents how a project, based on living-lab methodology, helped preservice preschool teachers, attending a course on sustainability issues, develop sustainability-specific professional action competence. Students collaborated with an organization and a school and were trained to deliver to 6-year-old pupils, activities concerning the protection of sea turtles. The process included reflection, based on a given template. After the intervention, the preservice preschool teachers reflected upon their role and professional performance and discussed how they, benefited from this project. They further analyzed through a group interview, how the Living Lab methodology raised their professional confidence and self-efficacy, and helped them develop content knowledge, pedagogical content knowledge, and a sense of purpose and motivation for teaching about sustainability. Outcomes indicate that participants felt confident and efficacious to teach about sustainability, and developed their content knowledge, pedagogy content knowledge, motivation, and volition due to a strong sense of purpose and responsibility. The overall process facilitated the development of critical thinking, systemic thinking, reflection, and collaboration..

Road pavement monitoring represents the baseline to the pavement maintenance process. To quickly fix a damaged road, relevant authorities need a high-efficiency methodology that allows them to obtain data describing the current conditions of a network of roads. In urban areas, large-scale monitoring campaigns may be more expensive and not fast enough to describe how pavement degradation has evolved over time. Furthermore, at low speeds, many technologies are inadequate for monitoring the streets. In such a context, employing black box equipped vehicles to perform a routine inspection could be an excellent starting point. However, the vibration-based methodologies used to detect road anomalies are strongly affected by the speed of these vehicles. In this study, a statistical method was to analyze the effects of speed on road pavement conditions at different severity levels through the data recorded by taxi vehicles. Likewise introduced was a process that overcomes the speed effect when considering road surface conditions. The methodology proposed has succeeded in predicting the right damage severity level based on only two recorded parameters: speed and pavement deterioration index.

In order to improve the yield of the therapeutic agent N-methylsansalvamide (SA), optimization of stationary liquid fermentation conditions was carried out on an endophytic strain, Fusarium sp. R1, at flask level. Using a One-Factor-At-a-Time approach, the fermentation conditions for SA production were determined as follows: fermentation time of 13 d, 24 oC, initial pH of 6.5, seed age of 24 h, inoculum size of 5.0% (v/v), loading volume of 50% (v/v), 20.0 g/L salinity, and sucrose, tryptone, and yeast extract were found to be the best sources of carbon and nitrogen. Using response surface methodology, the optimal medium compositions consist of 22.5 g/L sucrose, 16.5 g/L tryptone, and 0.024 g/L yeast extract. Verification tests suggested that the SA yield under these optimal conditions reached up to 536.77 ± 2.67 mg/L, which was increased by almost ten times the initial yield (54.05 ± 3.45 mg/L). The findings indicate that a high SA production yield can be achieved by static culture of strain R1 under the proper fermentation conditions using a low-cost medium. This study paves the way towards industrial-scale SA production by strain R1 for new drug development.

Efficient utilization of biomass requires conversion into forms that can be optimally applied in energy generation. Briquetting involves compaction of biomass into solid blocks that are more efficient than raw biomass and provides for ease of transport and handling. These are improved when the briquettes possess high shatter index and compressive strength. Due to difference in nature and composition, it is imperative to define optimum conditions for the production of quality and durable briquettes for individual biomass compacted into briquettes. This study studied the effects of process variables on the strength and durability of biomass briquettes produced using Abura sawdust. The lateral compressive strength and drop shatter index were investigated whilst varying the temperature (100-150 °C), pressure (9-15 MPa) and hold time (15-30 min). The compressive strength ranged between 2.06 and 5.15 MPa whilst the shatter index was between 50 and 600. The pressure was significant to the determination of the compressive strength (p < 0.1) and the shatter index (p < 0.05). Mechanical characteristics of the binderless Abura sawdust briquettes can be improved by optimizing the densification variables during the briquetting process when moderate pressures are used for compaction.

Spent coffee grounds (SCG) have great potential as a useful, value-added biological material. In this context, activated carbon (AC) was prepared from SCG by an activation process using H3PO4 at 600°C in air and used as an adsorbent for the azo dye AO7, a model molecule for dye colorants found in textile industry effluents. X-ray diffraction, SEM and BET revealed that the AC was predominantly amorphous, consisting of a powder of 20-100 µm particles with mesopores averaging 5.5 nm in pore size. Adsorption kinetics followed a pseudo-second-order law, while the Langmuir model best fitted experimental isotherm data (maximum capacity of 119.5 mg AO7 per AC g). Thermodynamic parameters revealed that adsorption was endothermic and spontaneous. All the characterizations indicated that adsorption occurred by physisorption via mainly - interactions. The best experimental removal efficiency optimized by means of a Box-Behnken design and response surface methodology was 98% for an initial AO7 concentration of 20 mg.L-1 at pH 7.5 with a dose of 0.285 g.L-1 of AC and a contact time of 40 min. These results clearly show that activated carbon prepared from SCG can be a useful material for efficiently removing organic matter from aqueous solutions.