Explore the vast range of titles available.

The aim of this study was to assess the characteristics of fly ash foam concrete containing two varying temperature ranges of microencapsulated phase change materials (PCMs): PCM28D (26–30 °C) and PCM43D (41–45 °C). In total, five different fly ash foam concrete samples were prepared, and the unit weight of cement was substituted with varying percentages of PCM (0%, 10% and 30%). As a result, differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) analysis revealed that PCM43D-30% exhibited a heat storage capacity of 45.32 °C and 37.89 °C with 42.87 J/g and 41.01 J/g in its liquid and solid phases, respectively. Furthermore, thermocycle analysis indicated that PCM43D-30% maintained the temperature within the stated phase change range for a duration of 7 h. In conclusion, the incorporation of PCMs (28D and 43D) in fly ash foam concrete shows promise in reducing indoor temperature fluctuations, thereby improving energy efficiency. The improved thermal performance can be suitable for various applications such as inner and outside walls of energy-efficient construction designs.

In recent years, geopolymers have gained a wide attention as highly ecological-friendly building materials, having a capability to cut down 70% of CO 2 emissions in comparison to the ordinary cement concrete. In this study, geopolymer mortars are proposed as repair materials for reinforced concrete structures, due to their superior acid resistance, heat resistance and high strength in comparison to the existing repair materials. The objective of this study is to investigate the adhesion properties of geopolymer mortars to concrete substrates with different surface treatments, steel plates and rebars. As a result, the geopolymer mortars are found to have excellent adhesion properties to dry concrete substrates, steel plates and rebars. Concrete substrates treated with grinder, further enhanced the adhesion properties of geopolymer mortars. On the other hand, poor adhesion of geopolymer mortars to wet concrete substrates was observed due to the presence of water on the interfacial zone, which decreased the alkali concentration of the geopolymer, resulting in lower adhesion strength. In general, geopolymer mortars are found to have suitable adhesion properties to the concrete substrates, steel plates and rebars and can be applied as repair materials for reinforced concrete structures.

Phase change materials (PCMs) have the ability to absorb and release a large amount of energy during the process of transforming physical properties (i.e., phase transition process). PCMs are suitable for thermal energy storage and reducing energy consumption in buildings. The aim of the study is to assess the basic material properties and thermal behavior of fly ash foam concrete mixed with two different types of microencapsulated PCMs (PCM6D and PCM18D). We made five different varieties of fly ash foam concrete by replacing the equivalent unit weight of cement with PCM 0%, PCM 10% and PCM 30%. The results show that using a new type of mixer, the microencapsulated PCMs kept their spherical shapes without any cracks or damage in the foam concrete matrix. Differential scanning calorimetry analysis showed that PCM18D-30% had a latent heat capacity of 19.2 °C and 44.7 J/g, in liquid and solid phase with melting and freezing temperatures of 9.46 °C and 41.7 J/g respectively. Additionally, thermocycle analysis showed that it had maintained the temperature for 8 h within the phase change range. In conclusion, PCMs can reduce indoor temperature fluctuations and exhibit the potential for enhancing energy savings and thermal comfort of buildings.

In terms of recent corporate governance studies nationally in India, Chandra, Veni and Pasumarti (2020) study the influence of socio-economic profile of bank executives on the corporate governance initiatives in urban cooperative banks in India. Section 7 does a comparative analysis of the results of the 3 countries while Section 8 concludes the discussion. 2.WHY INDEPENDENT DIRECTORS MATTER AND WHY INDEPENDENCE MATTERS The term \"independent director\" refers to a director other than the managing director or executive directors who is unrelated to the management and can exercise decision making independently in the best interests of the shareholders. Else the best interest of the organization will be compromised. 3.HYPOTHESIS DEVELOPMENT Given the number of frauds and other scams as cited earlier, increasing the representation of independent directors on corporate boards is quite important and the topic has sparked intense discussion around the world and regulations in different countries are changing to emphasise the importance and greater role of independent directors in the Board. Comparative Analysis of India vis a vis UK and USA Null Hypothesis: The number and proportion of independent directors in India is same as compared to USA and UK Alternative Hypothesis: The number and proportion of indpendent directors in India is lesser as compared to USA and UK which are far more advanced countries.

The objective of this paper is to do a comparative analysis of ESG / CSR / BRR reporting practices in 30 biggest companies of India, UK and USA. For the study, the countries chosen are all common law countries. In particular, the Indian Companies Act, 2013 has placed responsibility on Indian companies pertaining to CSR practices and their disclosures. The Indian Companies Act, 1956 was originally based on the British Company Law, though it has evolved over the years. On the other hand, in USA, the Model Business Corporation Act is not applicable in all states though stock exchange regulations are applicable for companies listed on those exchanges. This paper follows the methodology of Guo and Yang (2014) who study the sustainability reporting in Dow Jones 30 companies. However, this paper extends the study into an international comparison of sustainability reporting practices of top 30 companies of India, UK and USA. The study extends the literature on international comparison of corporate governance practices and contributes to a better understanding of sustainability reporting practices in these countries, specially among the big companies.

Ruminant enteric methane, the largest agricultural source of CH₄, is a key target in global climate policies. We developed a biowaste-derived live fed microbial (LFM) from fruit- and vegetable residues and evaluated its potential as a scalable intervention to reduce enteric methane while improving animal performance. In controlled in vitro assays and a 98 days in vivo feeding trial in bovine calves ( n  = 15), LFM at 2% dietary inclusion (dry-matter basis) improved feed efficiency by 30.9%, reduced modelled methane emissions by 25.2%, increased total volatile fatty acids by 45.5%, and lowered NH₃–N by 28.4%. At 3% inclusion, feed efficiency improved by 25.5%, methane emissions decreased by 30.4%, total VFA increased by 43.0%, and NH₃–N declined by 11.7%. Methane abatement was estimated by integrating in vitro and in vivo measurements using an empirically fitted conversion factor and Tier-2–compatible intake models. The IPCC (2006) Tier-2 equivalents indicated ~19% reduction. Scaling to India’s livestock herd suggested abatement of 15.4 Mt CH₄ yr⁻¹ (432.3 Mt CO₂-eq yr⁻¹; GWP₁₀₀ = 28) under full adoption, corresponding to ~US$494.1 million annually under the carbon-price assumption used. These findings position biowaste-derived LFM as a circular-economy feed technology capable of simultaneously improving productivity and reducing enteric methane emissions at scale.

Martynia annua L. is a roadside weed commonly known as Tiger’s claw, Cat’s claw, and Devil’s claw have been used as a medicinal plant from ancient times. This review aimed to collect and compile information on Martynia annua L., covering its botanical characteristics, phytochemical composition, ethnomedicinal uses, pharmacological properties, and toxicological aspects. Traditional treatments often utilize various parts and compounds of this plants to address diverse ailments. M. annua L. stands out as an exceptionally versatile medicinal plant due to its rich array of bioactive compounds. M. annua L. possess pharmacological activities such as Antibacterial, Antifertility, Antifungal, Anti-anthelmintic, Antioxidant, Antidiabetic, Anti-inflammatory, Anticancer, Anticonvulsant, Anti-Muscular, Gastroprotective, Hepatoprotective, Immunomodulatory, and Wound healing activity. The phytoconstituents, including carbohydrates, phenols, tannins, glycosides, anthocyanins and flavonoids have been integral in traditional practices for treating various diseases such as epilepsy, tuberculosis, sore throats and inflammatory disorders. Plants remain a vital source of medicine for a large part of the global population, particularly in rural areas where access to effective and affordable treatments remains challenging. Future investigations into other bioactive compounds derived from M. annua L. may unveil its distinct therapeutic potential.

Purpose The electronic nose is an array of chemical or gas sensors and associated with a pattern-recognition framework competent in identifying and classifying odorant or non-odorant and simple or complex gases. Despite more than 30 years of research, the robust e-nose device is still limited. Most of the challenges towards reliable e-nose devices are associated with the non-stationary environment and non-stationary sensor behaviour. Data distribution of sensor array response evolves with time, referred to as non-stationarity. The purpose of this paper is to provide a comprehensive introduction to challenges related to non-stationarity in e-nose design and to review the existing literature from an application, system and algorithm perspective to provide an integrated and practical view. Design/methodology/approach The authors discuss the non-stationary data in general and the challenges related to the non-stationarity environment in e-nose design or non-stationary sensor behaviour. The challenges are categorised and discussed with the perspective of learning with data obtained from the sensor systems. Later, the e-nose technology is reviewed with the system, application and algorithmic point of view to discuss the current status. Findings The discussed challenges in e-nose design will be beneficial for researchers, as well as practitioners as it presents a comprehensive view on multiple aspects of non-stationary learning, system, algorithms and applications for e-nose. The paper presents a review of the pattern-recognition techniques, public data sets that are commonly referred to as olfactory research. Generic techniques for learning in the non-stationary environment are also presented. The authors discuss the future direction of research and major open problems related to handling non-stationarity in e-nose design. Originality/value The authors first time review the existing literature related to learning with e-nose in a non-stationary environment and existing generic pattern-recognition algorithms for learning in the non-stationary environment to bridge the gap between these two. The authors also present details of publicly available sensor array data sets, which will benefit the upcoming researchers in this field. The authors further emphasise several open problems and future directions, which should be considered to provide efficient solutions that can handle non-stationarity to make e-nose the next everyday device.