The objective of this study was to utilize agro-lignocellulosic wastes for growing oyster mushroom which become problematic for disposal. Pleurotus ostreatus was cultivated on five agro-industrial wastes: rice straw (RS), wheat straw (WS), corncobs (CC), saw dust and rice husk @ 3:1 (SR) and sugarcane bagasse (SB). Approximately 500 g sized polypropylene bags (20.32 × 30.48 cm) were used for each substrate. The SR significantly improved the number of fruiting body (27.80), size of the fruiting body (5.39 g), yield (115.13 g/packet), ash and shortened the days for stimulation to primordial initiation and harvest (9.2 days). The maximum percentage of visual mycelium growth with the least time (15.0 days) to complete the mycelium running was found in SB, whereas the highest biological efficiency value (56.5) was calculated in SR. The topmost value of total sugar (33.20%) and ash (10.87 g/100 g) were recorded in WS, whereas the utmost amount of protein (6.87 mg/100 g) and total polyphenolics (196.88 mg GAE/100 g) were detected from SB and SR, respectively. Overall SR gave the highest amount of the fruiting body with the topmost polyphenols and ash, moderate protein and total sugar, and secured maximum biological efficiency too. The results demonstrate that saw dust with rice husk could be used as an easy alternative substrate for oyster mushroom cultivation.
Red Sea coastal development has rapidly accelerated in recent decades that has led to a rise in the anthropogenic heavy metal levels in sediments. A total of 80 surficial sediment samples were collected from the shallow waters along the eastern Red Sea coast near Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. These samples were collected from three locations, designated as North, Middle and South of Jeddah, to assess the concentrations of six heavy metals: chromium (Cr), manganese (Mn), nickel (Ni), copper (Cu), zinc (Zn), and lead (Pb). The results showed that the concentrations (mg/kg) of these metals in the studied sediments follow this order: Pb (77.34 ± 150.59) > Mn (36.52 ± 37.72) > Zn (18.02 ± 23.94) > Cr (9.56 ± 5.81) > Cu (9.18 ± 13.67) > Ni (3.68 ± 4.54). The majority of the polluted sediments were recorded in the Middle and South locations. Pollution and enrichment indices such as Geo-accumulation indices (Igeo), Enrichment Factors (Ef), Contamination Factors (Cf), Pollution Load Indices (PLI), Potential Ecological Risk Indices (PERI) and Potential Toxicity Response Indices (RI) were calculated from the measured metals to establish baselines for the region and assess specific metal enrichments by location along the Jeddah coastline. The Igeo values showed that 30% of the Southern location stations are considered moderately to highly polluted. The Ef for all the studied sediments followed this order: Pb (extremely severe enrichment) > Zn > Cu > Cd > Cr (severe enrichment) > Ni (moderate enrichment).
Mass and cost tradeoffs by deploying three optimized spars, made of all-glass, hybrid and all-carbon composites, applied to a publicly available large-scale composite blade of 100 m in length for a 13.2 MW wind turbine, are explored. The blade mass and cost minimizations are calculated for two design load cases, generating the worst aerodynamic loads for parked and rotating rotor blades, while meeting the stiffness, strength, stability and resonance design requirements, as recommended by the wind turbine standards. The optimization cases are formulated as a single-objective, multi-constraint optimization problem, while taking into account the manufacturability of hybrid spars in particular, and it is solved using a genetic algorithm method. The blade mass lowers in the range of 8.1–13.3%, 18.5–20.7% and 25.7–26.4% for the optimized all-glass, hybrid and all-carbon spars, respectively, while the cost decreases for the optimized all-glass spars only. The cost increases in a range of 1.2–13.6% and 24.5–31.5% when the optimized hybrid and all-carbon spars are used. Further, the hybrid spar optimization using the blade mass and cost objective functions, as well as the effects of spar optimization on the blade’s structural performance in terms of tip deflection, strength, buckling resistance and first natural frequency, are discussed.
Deodorization of vegetable oils may introduce potentially carcinogenic, as well as genotoxic contaminants, generating health risks for consumers. However, the deodorization step of the refining process leads to the formation of 3-monochloro-1,2-propanediol (3-MCPD). 3-MCPD has been classified as potentially carcinogenic to humans by the World Health Organization (WHO). The purpose of this study was to optimize recently updated oil treatment techniques using Instant Controlled Pressure Drop (DIC) to improve 3-MCPD elimination in edible palm oil. Based on the central composite (CCD-DoE), response surface methodology (RSM) was developed to find the best combination of two variables at five levels to remove 3-MCPD from the palm oil. Samples of palm oil were split into two groups. The first group was treated only by the traditional method, including refining, degumming, deacidification, decolorization, deodorization, dehydration, filtration, and dewaxing processes. The second group was first treated by the traditional method, followed by the DIC technique during different periods at various temperatures and pressures. In the experiment, the effect of 3-MCPD removal in palm oil was examined by varying the oil inlet pressure and reaction time from 200 to 325 kPa and from 8.66 to 26.34 s/cycle, respectively. The 3D surface graphs showed that the optimum reduction of 3-MCPD occurs with a reaction time of 26.34s and a pressure value of 413 kPa. Samples of palm oil were analyzed using a GC-MS/MS method to determine 3-MCPD concentrations. It was found that the DIC technology reduces oil contamination with 3-MCPD when used after the traditional oil treatment process.
The study shows that oil production and consumption in the various sectors accounted for over 80% of the rising GHG emissions, especially CO2. Additionally, the study examines the solar PV potential of Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, using computational modelling. The results show that the yearly average global horizontal irradiation (GHI), direct normal radiation (DNI), and diffuse horizontal irradiations (DHI) are 2244 kW/m2, 1967 kW/m2, and 863.3 kWh/m2, respectively. Other results are the yearly sum of monthly global tilted irradiation (GTI) and an average yearly daily sum of GTI are 2348.4 (kWh/m2) and 6.44 (kWh/m2), respectively. These results show that Jeddah has huge solar PV potential.
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