The effect of protic solvents in the conversion of lignin from Earleaf Acacia tree

Lignin is one of main components of lignocellulosic along with cellulose and hemicellulose. It is a by-product of the paper and pulp industry, and has aromatic backbones making them an ideal renewable feedstock of aromatic compounds for a range of applications. Catalytic conversion of lignin from Earleaf Acacia tree was performed using high pressure/temperature reactor with Ru/C catalyst and protic solvents. The results showed that the conversion of lignin depends on the solvent polarity of protic solvents, and Ru/C catalyst enhanced the lignin conversion. Phenolic compounds are the main components of lignin conversion. Those compounds can be applied as a basement for bulk chemical and fuels.

Comparison of the Structure and Diversity of Root-Associated and Soil Microbial Communities Between Acacia Plantations and Native Tropical Mountain Forests

Deforestation of native tropical forests has occurred extensively over several decades. The plantation of fast-growing trees, such as Acacia spp., is expanding rapidly in tropical regions, which can contribute to conserve the remaining native tropical forests. To better understand belowground biogeochemical cycles and the sustainable productivity of acacia plantations, we assessed the effects of vegetation (acacia plantations vs. native forests) and soil types (Oxisols vs. Ultisols) on soil properties, including the diversity and community structures of bacteria- and fungi-colonizing surface and subsurface roots and soil in the Central Highlands of Vietnam. The results in surface soil showed that pH was significantly higher in acacia than in native for Oxisols but not for Ultisols, while exchangeable Al was significantly lower in acacia than in native for Ultisols but not for Oxisols. Bacterial alpha diversity (especially within phylum Chloroflexi) was higher in acacia than in native only for Oxisols but not for Ultisols, which was the same statistical result as soil pH but not exchangeable Al. These results suggest that soil pH, but not exchangeable Al, can be the critical factor to determine bacterial diversity. Acacia tree roots supported greater proportions of copiotrophic bacteria, which may support lower contents of soil inorganic N, compared with native tree roots for both Oxisols and Ultisols. Acacia tree roots also supported greater proportions of plant pathogenic Mycoleptodiscus sp. but appeared to reduce the abundances and diversity of beneficial ECM fungi compared with native tree roots regardless of soil types. Such changes in fungal community structures may threaten the sustainable productivity of acacia plantations in the future.

Fractionation of lignin produced from the Earleaf Acacia tree by sequential industrial organic solvents

Introduction: Understanding the fractions of lignin is important for further conversion of lignin into valuable products. Herein, the “home-made” lignin from Earleaf Acacia tree was extracted by sequential industrial organic solvent and characterized each fraction to reveal its properties for further catalytic applications. Methods: In this work, lignin was prepared from the Earleaf Acacia tree using the soda method. Then, the prepared lignin was fractionated by sequential solvents of ethyl acetate, ethanol, methanol, and acetone. Each lignin fractions were characterized by FT-IR and GPC. Results: The FT-IR results confirmed the soda method can produce lignin from woodchips. The fractionation of lignin separated the lignin mixture into different molecular weight fraction from light – medium into heavy compounds. Conclusion: Lignin was produced from woodchips using the soda method successfully. The fractionation using the sequential organic solvents showed the separation of different molecular weight of lignin, which allow to apply for the further conversion into useful products.

Climate change and conflict in the Sahel: the acacia gum tree as a tool for environmental peacebuilding

Environmental stress contributes to food insecurity, poverty, forced migration and violent conflict in the Sahel, with climate change aggravating the situation. The production of gum arabic from the acacia tree increasingly aligns with the community stakeholders’ efforts to promote climate change mitigation, adaptation and resilience. Based on expert interviews and field observations in Niger, and a reading of relevant documents, I found that gum arabic production is valuable for conflict mitigation because it helps tackle the root causes of violent conflicts. The acacia gum tree is a natural soil fixer and multinational companies have coveted the resin from the tree, which is a rising commodity and a promising source of revenue for the local inhabitants. As different communities work together and cooperate with outside actors (government agencies, international partners, NGOs and businesses), the opportunities to build social cohesion around the tree increase. By facilitating ecological improvement, social inclusion and poverty alleviation, the promotion of gum arabic production, despite other issues such as bad natural resource governance, is a critical environmental peacebuilding strategy. Hence, suitable funding of massive afforestation with the acacia tree fits with community-based natural climate solutions to global humanitarian issues by protecting and restoring the local environment.

REVIEW OF AUTONOMY IN TODAY'S EDUCATION

Our decision making power without interfering with others is known as truth. And if it is studded with education, then a very important issue comes up. Today many political influences and other interventions can also be seen in the field of education. Which also raises questions about the future of the country. Today, there is a need for such revenge which prevents the autonomy of education from being chaotic. Here my focus in this article is from Badlau on the ground level. Neither I will disclose the reports of any commissions here nor give any statistics related to education nor present references based on research related to UGC or any other institute. Rather, these are purely articles based on my own personal experiences, observations and suggestions.The form of today's education system has become very distorted. Business has become more than education service. Today's teachers are nothing more than monthly salary. I would like to start with the example of Rabindranath Tagore. He himself was estranged in childhood due to rote studies of schooling system and beating of teacher. Which made an impact on his Balaman for a lifetime which later became the brick of the foundation for his establishment of Santiniketan. He was well acquainted with the education system and education. It is important to have both students and teachers in education. But here if the independence becomes anarchy and anarchy, then the future is bound to be perverted. Where is the mango sown from Acacia tree. Under the guise of this system, both teachers and students are arbitrary. दुसरो से हस्तक्षेप किये बिना हमारे स्यम के फैसले लेने की शक्ति को स्यायत्तता के रूप मे जाना जाता है। और यदि यह शिक्षा से जड़ी है तो बहुत ही महत्वपूर्ण मुद्दा बनकर सामने आती हैं। आज शिक्षा के क्षेत्र मे भी कई राजनीतिक प्रभाव व अन्य हस्तक्षेप देखे जा सकते हैं। जो देश के भविष्य पर भी प्रश्न चिन्ह खड़ा करते हैं। आज जरूरत हैं ऐसे बदलाओ की जो शिक्षा की स्वायत्तता को अराजक होने से भी रोके। यंहा इस लेख में मेरा केंद्र बिंदु जमीनि स्तर पर बदलाओ से है। ना तो मैं यहाँ किन्ही आयोगों की रिपोर्टों के खुलासा करूँगी न ही शिक्षा से जुड़े कोई आंकड़े बताउंगी और ना ही यूजीसी अथवा अन्य किसी संस्थान से जुड़े शोध पर आधारित सन्दर्भ पेश करूँगी। बल्कि यह पूरी तरीके से मेरे अपने निजी अनुभवो अवलोकनों व सुझावों पर आधरित लेख हैं।आज की शिक्षा पद्धति का रूप बेहद विकृत हो चुका है। शिक्षा सेवा की बजाय व्यवसाय अधिक हो गयी हैं। आज के शिक्षक मासिक तन्ख्वाह पाने वाले चाकर से अधिक कुछ नही है। मैं अपनी बात रवीन्द्रनाथ ठाकुर के उदाहरण से आरंभ करना चाहूंगी। स्वयं उन्हें भी बचपन मे ही स्कूली शिक्षा पद्धति की रटाऊ पढ़ाई व शिक्षक की पिटाई की वजह से विलगाव हो गया था। जिसने उनके बालमन पर जीवनभर के लिए प्रभाव डाला जो आगे चलकर उनके द्वारा शांतिनिकेतन की स्थापना के लिए नीवं की ईंट बना। वे शिक्षा व्यवस्था व शिक्षा की स्यायत्तता से भलिभांति परिचित थे। शिक्षा में छात्रों व शिक्षको दोनो की स्यायत्तता होना जरूरी हैं। परंतु यहीं स्यायत्तता अगर स्वछंदता व अराजकता बन जाये तो भविष्य का विकृत होना तय है।मैं इस पंक्ति को आज की शिक्षा व्यवस्था मे चरितार्थ होता पाती हूँ कि . बोया पेड़ बबूल का आम कहाँ से होय। इस व्यवस्था की आड़ मे शिक्षक व छात्र दोनो ही मनमानी कर रहे हैं।

Contribution Concerning the Behaviour Knowledge before Natural Swarming in Honeybees (Apis mellifera carpathica, Linnaeus)

In this study we followed the way in which evolves the behaviour of some honeybee families (Apis mellifera carpathica, Linnaeus), maintained in vertical beehives (modified Dadant type), in conditions of stationary bee keeping, having in view the natural queen cell’s build rhythm after the second acacia tree harvest (Robinia pseudoacacia L.) in Jucu area of Cluj County. There were taken into observation 20 biological units with queen bees of different ages. It was monitored the development rhythm of natural queen cells, which are in attendance by the working bees, and to put into evidence the swarming instinct strength, so in bee keeping practice to be known and to be avoided the natural swarming. The determination of occupied surfaces with covered brood and larval was effected with the Netz framework. The aim of our study was to understand how the swarming in honeybees occurs. By detailed observation, we want to describe and to explain the behaviour of honeybees before the swarming process. The obtained results are quantified in absolute values and expressed graphically in relative values, but in the next three apicultural years (2020, 2021 and 2022), the experiment will be repeated for a variance analysis, which will provide a statistical assurance. We hope that these data will give contribution for the apicultural practice, keeping attention on queen bees’ importance during active season and on careful supervision on development rhythm of the honeybee units during the natural swarming.