Activated Carbons derived by Phosphoric acid Activation of Agricultural waste and their Adsorption of Methylene Blue

Agricultural wastes can be considered as suitable raw materials for activated carbon production, as activated carbon is considered as an economical adsorption material. Seeds from biomass of Ziziphus mauritiana Lam, grown in Algerian have been valorized for activated carbon production by the phosphoric acid, activation method with pyrolysis temperatures of 400, 500 and 600 °C. The effect of changes in pyrolysis temperatures on the yield and quality of the prepared activated carbon was studied. The obtained activated carbons were characterized by FT-IR and MB adsorption, a good yield of 38,625 %, a high BET surface area of 915,58 m2/g. The removal rate of methylene blue was strongly influenced by contact time, adsorbent mass and pH. An excellent removal % of methylene blue (MB) was obtained at the preferred temperature of 500 °C (AC 500).

Assessing The Thermal Comfort Conditions In Open Spaces: A Transversal Field Survey On The University Campus In India

Outdoor thermal comfort (OTC) promotes the usage frequency of public places, recreational activities, and people's wellbeing. Despite the increased interest in OTC research in the past decade, less attention has been paid to OTC research in cold weather, especially in arid regions. The present study investigates the OTC conditions in open spaces at the campus area in the arid region. The study was conducted by using subjective surveys(questionnaire) and onsite monitoring (microclimate parameters). The study was conducted at the Deenbandhu Chhotu Ram University of Science and Technology, Murthal, Haryana-India campus during the cold season of 2019. The timings of surveys were between 9:00 and 17:00 hours. The authors processed the 185 valid questionnaire responses of the respondents to analyze OTC conditions. Only 8.6% of the respondents marked their perceived sensation "Neutral." Regression analysis was applied between respondents' thermal sensations and microclimate parameters to develop the empirical thermal sensation model. The air temperature was the most dominant parameter affecting the sensations of the respondents. The empirical model indicated that by increasing air temperature, relative humidity, and solar radiation, the thermal sensations also increased while wind speed had an opposite effect. Physiological equivalent temperature (PET) was applied for assessing the OTC conditions; the neutral PET range was found to be 18.42-25.37°C with a neutral temperature of 21.89°C. The preferred temperature was 21.99 °C by applying Probit analysis. The study's findings could provide valuable information in designing and planning outdoor spaces for educational institutions in India's arid regions

Using the “mean temperature of the catch” to assess fish community responses to warming in a temperate lake

This contribution applies the “mean temperature of the catch” (MTC) concept of Cheung et al. (Nature 497:365–368, 2013) to fish catch data for Lake Peipsi, Estonia/Russia, covering the years 1931 to 2019. The preferred temperature of each of the ten target fish species was obtained from the literature, and combined with the species-specific catch data to obtain MTC values for each year. The analysis of the MTC time series thus obtained with a segmented regression yielded two trend lines, one horizontal at 14.5 °C (1931–1986), and the other (1987–2019) ascending with a slope 0.85 °C·decade−1. Overall, the segmented regression model explains over half of the variance of the MTC data set (multiple R2 = 0.53; adjusted R2 = 0.51). Lake surface water temperatures correlate with MTC, even though weakly (r = 0.30), when considering a 2-year time lag. The fish community of the shallow Lake Peipsi reacts more strongly to temperature changes than marine ecosystems so far studied using the MTC.

Evaluation of sow thermal preference across three stages of reproduction

The metabolic heat production of modern pigs has increased by an average of 16%, compared to sows of thirty years ago. Therefore, it is likely that temperature recommendations require updating to meet the needs of modern pigs. The objective of this study was to evaluate whether different reproductive stages of sows altered thermal preference and if current recommendations required updating. Twenty multi-parous sows (3.4 ± 1.2 parity) in different reproductive stages (non-pregnant: n=7; mid-gestation: 58.5 ± 5.68 d, n=6; and late-gestation: 104.7 ± 2.8 d, n=7) were tested. Thermal preference was individually tested and sows could freely choose a temperature, using a thermal gradient between 10.4 to 30.5°C. Sows were given 24 h to acclimate to the thermal apparatus. Before testing began, sows were given daily feed allotment and returned to the apparatus. Video from the 24 h test period was used to record sow behavior (time spent inactive), posture (upright, sternal and lateral lying), and location using instantaneous scan samples every 15 min. Data were analyzed using PROC MIXED in SAS 9.4. A cubic regression model was used to calculate the sow’s most preferred temperature based on the location, or temperature, in which they spent the most time. The preference range was calculated using peak temperature preference ±SE for each sow. The reproductive stage altered where sows spent their time within the thermal gradient (P < 0.01). Late-gestation sows preferred cooler temperatures (14.0°C) than mid-gestation (14.8°C; P < 0.01) and non-pregnant sows (14.8°C; P < 0.01). In summary, sow thermal preferences were within the lower half of the current recommended range (10 to 25°C). This indicates that temperatures at the higher end of the recommended range could be uncomfortable to sows and that the thermal comfort zone of sows may be narrower than recommendations indicate.

Growth, thermal preference and critical thermal maximum for Totoaba macdonaldi: effect of acclimation temperature and inclusion of soybean meal in the diet

We studied the interaction effect between temperature 23 and 26°C, and replacing fishmeal for soybean meal (SBM): 32, 43, and 56% vs. a diet control on culture performance, thermal behavior, and critical thermal maximum (CTMax) of juvenile Totoaba macdonaldi. Fish were fed to apparent satiation three times daily for 61 days. The results showed that temperature had a significant effect (P < 0.05) on weight gain, percent weight gain, and specific growth rate, which were all higher in fish acclimated at 26°C. The preferred temperature ranged between 26.4 and 27.7°C, significantly influenced by acclimation temperature (P < 0.05) but not by diet. CTMax was influenced by acclimation temperature and SBM in the diet. Fish resistance decreased when the percent SBM in the diet was higher. Information on biological indicators for T. macdonaldi adds to the knowledge of a key Mexican species. Our study demonstrated that the use of SBM as an alternative to fishmeal in the diet and the interaction with temperature as a factor could affect this species' performance.

Thermal Tolerance and Physiological Changes in Mud Crab, Scylla paramamosain Crablet at Different Water Temperatures

This study was carried out to determine the physiological changes (survival, growth, molting cycle, sex differentiation, and gill condition) of mud crab, Scylla paramamosain crablet at different water temperatures of 24, 28 and 32 °C, and ambient temperature of 27 to 30 °C. Thermoregulatory behavior, represented by preferred temperature (29.83 ± SD 2.47 °C), critical thermal minimum (17.33 ± SD 0.58 °C), critical thermal maximum (40 ± SD 0.00 °C), and thermal tolerance interval (22.67 ± SD 0.58 °C), were checked for Crablet 1 stage only (with ambient temperature as acclimation temperature).Both low (24 °C) and high (32 °C) temperatures were associated with lower growth performance, and survival rate (p < 0.05), in comparison with both 28 °C and ambient temperature treatments.Male ratio at low temperaturetreatment (24 °C) was higher (80.09 ± SD 18.86%) than for other treatments (p < 0.05), observed as 44.81 ± D 10.50%, 41.94 ± SD 19.44%, and 76.30 ± SD 5.13% for 28 °C, 32 °C and ambient temperature treatments, respectively. However, there was no significant difference observed between 24 °C, 28 °C, and ambient temperature treatments. Anatomical alterations of gill lamellae of S. paramamosain crablet for both 32 °C, and 24 °C treatments, appeared thinner and paler than at both 28 °C, and ambient temperature treatments. Based on this study, temperature of 28 to 30 °C was recommended as the optimal temperature for the long-term nursery phase of S. paramamosain.

Continental vs. Global Niche-Based Modelling of Freshwater Species’ Distributions: How Big Are the Differences in the Estimated Climate Change Effects?

Thermal response curves that depict the probability of occurrence along a thermal gradient are used to derive various species’ thermal properties and abilities to cope with warming. However, different thermal responses can be expected for different portions of a species range. We focus on differences in thermal response curves (TRCs) and thermal niche requirements for four freshwater fishes (Coregonus sardinella, Pungitius pungitius, Rutilus rutilus, Salvelinus alpinus) native to Europe at (1) the global and (2) European continental scale. European ranges captured only a portion of the global thermal range with major differences in the minimum (Tmin), maximum (Tmax) and average temperature (Tav) of the respective distributions. Further investigations of the model-derived preferred temperature (Tpref), warming tolerance (WT = Tmax − Tpref), safety margin (SM = Tpref − Tav) and the future climatic impact showed substantially differing results. All considered thermal properties either were under- or overestimated at the European level. Our results highlight that, although continental analyses have an impressive spatial extent, they might deliver misleading estimates of species thermal niches and future climate change impacts, if they do not cover the full species ranges. Studies and management actions should therefore favor whole global range distribution data for analyzing species responses to environmental gradients.

Effects of food intake and hydration state on behavioral thermoregulation and locomotor activity in the tropidurid lizard Tropidurus catalanensis

ABSTRACT Theoretical models predict that lizards adjust their body temperature through behavioral thermoregulation as a function of food availability. However, behavioral thermoregulation is also governed by interactions among physiological and ecological factors other than food availability, such as hydration state, and sometimes it can even conflict with the locomotor activity of animals. Here, we aimed to investigate the role of food intake and hydration state on behavioral thermoregulation and voluntary locomotor activity in the lizard Tropidurus catalanensis. We hypothesized that food intake can influence behavioral thermoregulation via an interaction with hydration state. We also hypothesized that lizards should endeavor to spend as little time as possible to reach their preferred body temperature to defend other physiological and/or ecological functions. We collected lizards in the field and brought them to the laboratory to measure the preferred temperature selected in a thermal gradient and the total distance traveled by them in fed and unfed conditions and with variable hydration state. Our results showed that food consumption was the most important predictor of preferred temperature. In contrast, either the hydration state alone or its interaction with food consumption did not have important effects on the lizards’ thermal preference. Also, we found that the total distance traveled by lizards was not affected by food intake and was barely affected by the hydration state. We provide an experimental approach and a robust analysis of the factors that influence behavioral thermoregulation and locomotor activity in a tropical lizard.

Seasonal and Diurnal Variations of Backcalculated Layers Moduli in Flexible Pavements and FWD Testing Guidelines

The seasonal and diurnal changes impact the backcalculated layer moduli for flexible pavements in different climatic regions. The HMA layer moduli showed minimal variation in the spring and fall seasons in every climatic area. Also, the HMA layer moduli were consistently higher, based on the deflections measured before noon. However, temperature correction, generally applied to HMA layer moduli, can eliminate the season, time, and temperature impacts of the FWD measurements. Since the base and subgrade layer moduli are backcalculated from the single measured deflection basins on the surface, temperatures and moisture conditions at the time of measurements can affect those material properties. Temperatures may potentially result in layer moduli values that are close to their representative in-field conditions. Based on the results, the preferred temperature ranges for FWD measurements are 55 to 70ᵒF and 65 to 75ᵒF in freeze and non-freeze regions, respectively, during any time of the day.