scholarly journals Sunflower Husk Biochar as a Key Agrotechnical Factor Enhancing Sustainable Soybean Production

Agriculture ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (4) ◽  
pp. 305
Author(s):  
Agnieszka Klimek-Kopyra ◽  
Urszula Sadowska ◽  
Maciej Kuboń ◽  
Maciej Gliniak ◽  
Jakub Sikora

Climate change has a decisive impact on the physical parameters of soil. To counteract this phenomenon, the ongoing search for more effective agri-technical solutions aims at the improvement of the physical properties of soil over a short time. The study aimed to assess the effect of biochar produced from sunflower husks on soil respiration (SR), soil water flux (SWF), and soil temperature (ST), depending on its dose and different soil cover (with and without vegetation). Moreover, the seed yield was assessed depending on the biochar fertilization. Field experiments were conducted on Calcaric/Dolomitic Leptosols (Ochric soil). SR, ST, and SWT were evaluated seven times in three-week intervals during two seasons, over 2018 and 2019. It was found that the time of biochar application had a significant effect on the evaluated parameters. In the second year, the authors observed significantly (p < 0.005) higher soil respiration (4.38 µmol s−1 m−2), soil temperature (21.2 °C), and the level of water net transfer in the soil (0.38 m mol s−1 m−2), compared to the first year. The most effective biochar dose regarding SR and soybean yield was 60 t ha−1. These are promising results, but a more comprehensive cost-benefit analysis is needed to recommend large-scale biochar use at this dose.

Author(s):  
Valentin Tablan ◽  
Ian Roberts ◽  
Hamish Cunningham ◽  
Kalina Bontcheva

Cloud computing is increasingly being regarded as a key enabler of the ‘democratization of science’, because on-demand, highly scalable cloud computing facilities enable researchers anywhere to carry out data-intensive experiments. In the context of natural language processing (NLP), algorithms tend to be complex, which makes their parallelization and deployment on cloud platforms a non-trivial task. This study presents a new, unique, cloud-based platform for large-scale NLP research—GATECloud. net. It enables researchers to carry out data-intensive NLP experiments by harnessing the vast, on-demand compute power of the Amazon cloud. Important infrastructural issues are dealt with by the platform, completely transparently for the researcher: load balancing, efficient data upload and storage, deployment on the virtual machines, security and fault tolerance. We also include a cost–benefit analysis and usage evaluation.


Author(s):  
Linda Little ◽  
Pam Briggs

Certain privacy principles have been established by industry, (e.g. USCAM, 2006). Over the past two years, we have been trying to understand whether such principles reflect the concerns of the ordinary citizen. We have developed a method of enquiry which displays a rich context to the user in order to elicit more detailed information about those privacy factors that underpin our acceptance of ubiquitous computing. To investigate use and acceptance Videotaped Activity Scenarios specifically related to the exchange of health, financial, shopping and e-voting information and a large scale survey were used. We present a detailed analysis of user concerns firstly in terms of a set of constructs that might reflect user-generated privacy principles; secondly those factors likely to play a key role in an individual’s cost-benefit analysis and thirdly, longer-term concerns of the citizen in terms of the impact of new technologies on social engagement and human values.


2020 ◽  
Vol 2020 ◽  
pp. 1-16
Author(s):  
Ali Rahim Taleqani ◽  
Chrysafis Vogiatzis ◽  
Jill Hough

In this work, we investigate a new paradigm for dock-less bike sharing. Recently, it has become essential to accommodate connected and free-floating bicycles in modern bike-sharing operations. This change comes with an increase in the coordination cost, as bicycles are no longer checked in and out from bike-sharing stations that are fully equipped to handle the volume of requests; instead, bicycles can be checked in and out from virtually anywhere. In this paper, we propose a new framework for combining traditional bike stations with locations that can serve as free-floating bike-sharing stations. The framework we propose here focuses on identifying highly centralized k-clubs (i.e., connected subgraphs of restricted diameter). The restricted diameter reduces coordination costs as dock-less bicycles can only be found in specific locations. In addition, we use closeness centrality as this metric allows for quick access to dock-less bike sharing while, at the same time, optimizing the reach of service to bikers/customers. For the proposed problem, we first derive its computational complexity and show that it is NP-hard (by reduction from the 3-SATISFIABILITY problem), and then provide an integer programming formulation. Due to its computational complexity, the problem cannot be solved exactly in a large-scale setting, as is such of an urban area. Hence, we provide a greedy heuristic approach that is shown to run in reasonable computational time. We also provide the presentation and analysis of a case study in two cities of the state of North Dakota: Casselton and Fargo. Our work concludes with the cost-benefit analysis of both models (docked vs. dockless) to suggest the potential advantages of the proposed model.


1985 ◽  
Vol 31 (109) ◽  
pp. 214-219
Author(s):  
Y. S. Kim ◽  
R. K. Moore ◽  
R. G. Onstott ◽  
S. Gogineni

AbstractVarious field experiments have shown that microwave radars can be used to distinguish multi-year from first-year ice, although optimum radar parameters are not yet fully defined.This paper presents the results from two theoretical models that, using selected physical parameters of sea ice, are able to predict the backscattering from multi-year and first-year ice under cold conditions. The possible ranges of the backscattering coefficient under various conditions (surface roughness, salinity, temperature, density, and air-bubble size) are calculated for multi-year and first-year ice by adjusting the parameters within the reported range of values.Although the calculations show no specific resonance that would favor any particular frequency or incidence angles, the results confirm the experimental findings that Ku- and X-band frequencies, and incidence angles greater than 30°, are better for distinguishing sea-ice types than lower frequencies.


2012 ◽  
Vol 31 (3) ◽  
pp. 59-83 ◽  
Author(s):  
Piriya Pholphirul

Migration is one of the top debate topics in terms of the national policy agendas of middle-income countries, and Thailand is no exception. The segmentation of its labour market explains why Thailand is experiencing large-scale immigration and a simultaneous emigration of low-skilled workers. Immigration inflows from its less-developed neighbour countries -namely, Laos, Cambodia and Myanmar – pose a challenge for Thailand. Wage differentials between Thailand and other migrant-receiving countries, which are mostly more economically developed than Thailand, also stimulate emigration from there. Due to regional disparities within the country and to a lack of employment and educational opportunities in rural areas, internal migration is also common and encouraged. In this paper I first analyse the economic pros and cons of migration both to and within Thailand before formulating labour migration policies that aim to maximize beneficial outcomes while minimizing economic costs. The cost–benefit analysis of labour migration is key to addressing relevant gaps in formulating and implementing effective policies.


2017 ◽  
Vol 68 (2) ◽  
pp. 284-290
Author(s):  
Gheorghe Zecheru ◽  
Ionut Lambrescu

The paper presents the particularities of accomplishing risk analyses with the purpose of establishing the safety distances � SD, between the pipes belonging to the natural gas national transmission system � NTS and facilities (people, animals, buildings, crops, orchards, forests etc.) placed in the their vicinity. In order to check if the distances between the National Gas Transportation Pipeline- NGTP and neighboring facilities are SD, the authors developed a procedure and a software for the risk assessment, which make use of a set of formulas validated by experimental results presented in the paper and information from the data base (built by the authors and presented briefly in our work) regarding the supervision of the technical state and recording of the accidents that took place in the last 19 years on the NGTP from NTS. Also, in the paper, one describes the way the technical solutions verified using the procedure and the software built by the authors can be selected and ranked (in view of implementation) by applying the ALARP principle and the cost � benefit analysis.


Author(s):  
Kenneth Murphy ◽  
Steven John Simon

The goal of this chapter is to demonstrate how cost benefit analysis can be applied to large-scale ERP projects, and that these methods can incorporate the intangible benefits, e.g., user satisfaction. Detailed information on the business case utilized by a large computer manufacturer in their decision to implement the SAP system R/3 is presented. We illustrate how this organization utilized techniques to include intangibles in the implementation project’s cost benefit analysis. The chapter concludes with a discussion on the state of valuing ERP projects and questions to be answered in the future.


2014 ◽  
Vol 2014 ◽  
pp. 1-11 ◽  
Author(s):  
G. S. B. Ganandran ◽  
T. M. I. Mahlia ◽  
Hwai Chyuan Ong ◽  
B. Rismanchi ◽  
W. T. Chong

This paper reports the result of an investigation on the potential energy saving of the lighting systems at selected buildings of the Universiti Tenaga Nasional. The scope of this project includes evaluation of the lighting system in the Library, Admin Building, College of Engineering, College of Information Technology, Apartments, and COE Food court of the university. The main objectives of this project are to design the proper retrofit scenario and to calculate the potential electricity saving, the payback period, and the potential environmental benefits. In this survey the policy for retrofitting the old lighting system with the new energy saving LEDs starts with 10% for the first year and continues constantly for 10 years until all the lighting systems have been replaced. The result of the life cycle analysis reveals that after four years, the selected buildings will bring profit for the investment.


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