Nodulation Compatibility and Symbiotic Performance of Rhizobia spp. With Different Landraces of Bambara Groundnut (Vigna Subterranea (L.) Verdc.) Collections

The symbiosis of the legume bambara groundnut (Vigna subterranean L.Verde) with its rhizobial partners has not been studied sufficiently compared to several other legumes throughout Africa. In this study, a nodulation compatibility screening was conducted on 16 different landraces of this legume using five Rhizobia strains previously isolated from active nodules of Desmodium uncinatum, Arachis hypogaea, Cyamopsis tetragonoloba, Glycine max and Phaseolus vulgaris and deposited at the South African Rhizobium Culture Collection (SARCC). A screening assay was conducted under glasshouse to select compatible rhizobia strains that nodulate and enhance growth in one or more genotypes of V. subterranean (L.) Verdc. Pre-germinated seeds of each landraces planted in sterile river sand medium were inoculated with 108 cfu ml-1 of the rhizobial strains (2ml/seed) and monitored with regular watering for six weeks. Parameters such as nodule number, nodule color and positions, plant biomass were determined in test genotypes. Significant differences were observed among landraces in nodule number and plant biomass, and among rhizobial strains in nodule number. Principal component analysis (PCA) showed that root nodule rhizobia strains SARCC-388 and SARCC-578 characterized as Bradyrhizobium zhangiangens and Bradyrhizobium centrosematis, respectively exhibited the highest nodulation compatibility with one or more bambara groundnut landraces. This study demonstrated that many of the bambara landraces did not show nodulation preference to a unique group of rhizobia, confirming that V. subterranean (L) Verdc can be nodulated by more than one species of rhizobia, especially by rhizobia belonging to the cowpea miscellany cross inoculation group.

Fracture Behavior of Long Fiber Reinforced Geopolymer Composites at Different Operating Temperatures

The aim of this article was to analyze the fracture behavior of geopolymer composites based on fly ash or metakaolin with fine aggregate and river sand, with three types of reinforcement: glass, carbon, and aramid fiber, at three different temperatures, approximately: 3 °C, 20 °C, and 50 °C. The temperatures were selected as a future work temperature for composites designed for additive manufacturing technology. The main research method used was bending strength tests in accordance with European standard EN 12390-5. The results showed that the addition of fibers significantly improved the bending strength of all composites. The best results at room temperature were achieved for the metakaolin-based composites and sand reinforced with 2% wt. aramid fiber—17 MPa. The results at 50 °C showed a significant decrease in the bending strength for almost all compositions, which are unexpected results, taking into account the fact that geopolymers are described as materials dedicated to working at high temperatures. The test at low temperature (ca. 3 °C) showed an increase in the bending strength for almost all compositions. The grounds of this type of behavior have not been clearly stated; however, the likely causes of this are discussed.

Influence of Particle Size of River Sand on the Decontamination Process in the Slow Sand Filter Treatment of Micro-Polluted Water

Slow sand filters (SSFs) have been widely used in the construction of water plants in rural areas. It is necessary to find river sand of suitable particle size to improve SSF treatment of micro-polluted water so as to ensure the effective and long-term operation of these plants. In this study, SSF1# (particle size of 0.1–0.5 mm), SSF2# (particle size of 0.5–1 mm), and SSF3# (particle size of 1–1.5 mm) were selected. The physical absorption, CODMn and NH4+-N removal effect, and microbial community were analyzed. According to Langmuir and Freundlich adsorption model fitting, the smaller the particle size of the river sand, the more pollutants are adsorbed under the same conditions. SSF1# has the shortest membrane-forming time, highest CODMn and NH4+-N removal rate, and highest Shannon estimator, indicating that there are more abundant microbial species in the biofilm. Mesorhizobium, Pannonibacter, Pseudoxanthomonas, Aquabacterium, Devosia, and other bacteria have different proportions in each system, each forming its own stable biological chain system. The effluent quality of the three SSFs can meet drinking water standards. However, river sand with a particle size range of 0.1–0.5 mm is easily blocked, and thus the recommended size range for SSF is 0.5–1 mm.

Characterisation of Fibre Reinforced Resin Concrete

Resin Concrete uses polymeric resin to replace cement concrete. Four types of polyester resins were identified with Methyl methacrylate as catalyst, calcium carbonate and fly ash as fillers along with river sand and coarse aggregate size of 10mm, 6mm were used to produce resin concrete. Seventy-two trial batches were carried out for preliminary investigation targeting compressive strength of more than 80 MPa (11.6 ksi) and four batches were shortlisted. These four batches along with the addition of glass fiber were taken for detailed investigation of stress strain behavior, young�s modulus, Poisson ratio, various correlative equations among their mechanical properties and durability properties. Developed mix can be recommended for manufacturing various polymer products.

Sand Auditing for Sustainable River Sand Miningin Kerala, India– An Overview

Sand Auditing is the process that evaluates the health status of rivers subjected to sand mining. This study reviews the river sand audit methodology applied in Kerala, India, from 2011 to 2019 in terms of geographical coverage, results, and applications. It demonstrates the sand audit methodology, the agencies and authorities involved in implementation, and the current status of the State’s sand audit implementation. The current regulatory framework of Kerala that ensures sustainable sand mining and prevents illegal sand mining is also demonstrated. In total, 21 of the 44 Kerala’s rivers have been surveyed during 2011-2019, and the State’s agencies have hence acquired great experience and expertise in sand auditing. A major outcome of Kerala’s sand auditing is the collection of large datasets of river cross-sectional information that can be used, inter alia, in flood modeling studies to formulate sustainable river basin management strategies in Kerala.

A Multivariate Regression Model for Predicting the 28days Flexural Strength of Lime-Cement Concrete Beam

In this study, a multivariate regression model for predicting the 28days flexural strength of lime-cement concrete prototype beam was developed. The response function is a multivariate function of the proportions of the component materials of concrete. A total of twenty mix ratios, consisting of water, Portland cement, hydrated lime, river sand and granite chipping were used in the prediction process. The first ten mix ratios were used for model development while the remaining ten mix ratios were used as check points for model validation. The model developed was tested for adequacy at 95% level of confidence using the t-statistic. Calculated t-value was -1.3342 and this was less than the critical t-value of 2.2622. Thus, the model was found to be adequate. An average percentage difference of 14.303% was observed between the model prediction and the experimental values. A visual basic program using the Visual studio 2015 software was developed based on the regression model. It was invoked to quicken the process of selecting the mix ratios of the component materials corresponding to any desired flexural strength value that falls within the region of experimentation and vice versa Keywords— Concrete , flexural strength, multivariate regression model, response function.

Study and Application of Similar Material Ratio in Collapsible Loess

The similar material of collapsible loess is the basis and premise of the experimental study on the surface movement and deformation law of coal seam mining in collapsible loess-covered areas. The orthogonal experiment is used to make up similar material with different proportions using river sand and barite powder as aggregate, clay and gypsum as cementing material, and diatomite as adjusting material. The reasonable proportion of similar material in collapsible loess is studied by using range analysis, similar simulation, and field measurement. The results show that the content of diatomite plays a leading role in the collapsibility coefficient of similar material, and the collapsibility coefficient is positively correlated with the content of diatomite; moisture content is the main control of the cohesion of the material, and cohesion is negatively correlated with the moisture content; the ratio of bone-to-glue has the most significant effect on the internal friction angle, and the internal friction angle is positively correlated with the ratio of bone-to-glue. The reasonable ratio of the similar material in collapsible loess is 8 : 2 of the ratio of bone-to-glue, the ratio of clay-to-gypsum is 9 : 1, the barite powder content is 6%, the diatomite content is 23%, and the moisture content is 13%, and the mechanical parameters of the collapsible loess are 5.3%–6.3% different from the target value of similar material through laboratory tests, which can meet the experimental requirements. It is verified by a similar simulation experiment that the maximum surface subsidence value and the surface fracture width in the simulation results are 6.9% and 7.8% different from the field measured results, indicating a high degree of agreement. The results of the study have important references and guiding significance for the preparation of similar material with similar models.

Effect of varying silica-limestone sand fines on the physical-mechanical performance of concrete

The use of crushed limestone sand in the concrete industry will be quite possible and imperative for environmental reasons. Many researchers around the world have found that concrete based on 50% substitution of river sand by limestone sand gives better physico-mechanical characteristics. The main objective of this investigation is to search for an optimal percentage of silica-limestone fines resulting from the substitution of half in quantity of alluvial sand by crushed limestone sand in ordinary concrete. The proportions of fines that were tested in this work are 6%, 8%, 10%, 12% and 14%. The obtained results revealed that concrete based on silica-limestone sand and containing 14% of the same type of fines strongly improves the different mechanical strengths and participates in the reduction of 10% and 13%, of the coefficient of capillary absorption and of the porosity accessible to water, respectively, compared to the control concrete. In addition, good statistical relationships between the studied parameters were also found