Transformation of recovered cobalt from lithium-ion batteries into zeolitic imidazolate framework-67

Journal of Material Cycles and Waste Management - Electrical and electronic equipment with axillaries at their end of life are considered as e-waste. Utilization/reutilization of e-waste especially...     

Recent Advancement of Biopolymers and Their Potential Biomedical Applications

Journal of Polymers and the Environment - Recently, the advantages of biopolymers over conventional plastic polymers are unprecedented, provided that they are used in situations in which they raise...     

Semi-analytical study on environmental dispersion of settling particles in a width-independent wetland flow

Environmental Fluid Mechanics - Predicting the evolution of environmental dispersion of settling particles in wetland flows has a wide range of applications in ecological engineering. In the...     

Pulling force prediction using neural networks

Purpose. In ergonomics and human factors investigations, pulling force (PF) estimation has usually been achieved using various types of biomechanical models, and independent approximation of PF was done with the help of upper extremity joints. Recently, multiple regression methods have gained importance for task-relevant inputs in predicting PF. Artificial neural networks (ANNs) also play a vital role in fitting the data; however, their use in work-related biomechanics and ergonomics is inadequate. Therefore, the current research aimed to accomplish comparative investigation of ANN and regression models by assessing their capacity to predict PF values. Methods. Multipositional PF data were acquired from 200 subjects at three different handle heights and body locations. ANN and regression models were formed using a random sample of three subsets (75% training, 15% selection, 10% validation) for proving the outcomes. Results. The comparison of ANN and regression models shows that the predictions of ANN models had a profoundly explained variance and lower root mean square difference values for the PF data at three handle heights. Conclusions. These outcomes advise that ANNs offer a precise and robust substitute for regression methods, and should be considered a useful method in biomechanics and ergonomics task assessments.     

Piscicidal effect of some common plants of India commonly used in freshwater bodies against target animals

Mortality caused by the aqueous extracts of leaf and stem bark of four plants belonging to family Euphorbiaceae and Apocynaceae against freshwater fish Channa punctatus has been reported. It was found that dilute aqueous solutions of leaf and stem bark were active in killing the fishes. The toxic effect of stem bark of all the plants were time as well as dose dependent. There was significant negative correlation between LC50 and exposure periods. Thus, the LC50 values of stem bark extracts of Euphorbia royleana, Jatropha gossypifolia, Nerium indicum and Thevelia peruviana were decreased from 0.050 g/l (24 h) > to 0.020 g/l (96 h); 4.61 g/l (24 h) > to 4.34 g/l (96 h); 0.097 g/l (24 h) > to 0.041 g/l (96 h) and 4.05 g/l (24 h) > to 3.17 g/l (96 h), respectively. It has been suggested that these plant products cannot be used directly in freshwater bodies, without their detailed studies on long-term effects on non-target organism as well their structure activity relationship.     

Assessment of the effect of the toxicity of a textile dye on Nostoc muscorum ISU, a diazotrophic cyanobacterium

The impact of graded concentrations (5, 10, 15 and 20 mg dm(-3) of acid mordant Metomega Chrome Orange GL, a common dye used in woollen, carpet and textile industries, was studied on protein and pigment content and photosynthetic oxygen evolution in a diazotrophic cyanobacterium Nostoc muscorum. The lower concentration of 5 mg dm(-3) showed a negligible effect on protein and pigment content and photosynthetic oxygen evolution, whereas at higher concentrations a drastic decrease in the above parameters was observed. The highest concentration of 20 mg dm(-3) resulted in a decrease of protein, chlorophyll a, phycocyanin and carotenoid content by 72, 76, 54 and 17% of the control, respectively. Photosynthetic oxygen evolution also decreased by 92% of the control at this concentration of the dye.