Avenues of decarbonisation in the dynamics of processed food supply chains: Towards responsible production consumption

Nowadays, the demand for processed food items is surging. To fulfil the enhanced demand, a significant impact is laid on the environment, which enhances the carbon footprint being generated. Hence, to overcome this, the avenues of decarbonisation need to be explored. The presented work is aimed at promoting the decarbonisation of the existing practices within the processed food supply chains. It finds strong compliance with the sustainable development goal (SDG-12), focusing on responsible production-consumption mechanisms. For the same, key enactors of decarbonisation are identified and mapped with the practices at various stages of food supply chains, i.e. upstream, downstream, and other allied practices. Based upon these enactors, a relational, hierarchical framework is developed to provide a comprehensive perspective on complex intricacies. This framework is analysed with an innovative approach which comprises the fundamentals of Interval-Valued Intuitionistic Hesitant Fuzzy Set with the Entropy measures. It results in the outranking of the enactors relative to its importance in the decarbonisation of processed food supply chains. Furthermore, the empirical findings are validated by the sensitivity analysis to felicitate robust decision-making. The outcomes of the presented work provide a roadmap and stepped approach to achieve the decarbonisation goals and make production-consumption mechanisms sustainable. It finds implications in the development of the framework, policy formulation, and decisional attributes for the decarbonisation of food supply chains. It focuses on the adoption of strategies that align with global efforts to mitigate climate change and promote a sustainable future.

Porosity-Engineered CNT-MoS2 Hybrid Nanostructures for Bipolar Supercapacitor Applications

Bipolar supercapacitors that can store many fold higher capacitance in negative voltage compared to positive voltage are of great importance if they can be engineered for practical applications. The electrode material encompassing high surface area, better electrochemical stability, high conductivity, moderate distribution of pore size, and their interaction with suitable electrolytes is imperative to enable bipolar supercapacitor performance. Apropos of the aforementioned aspects, the intent of this work is to ascertain the effect of ionic properties of different electrolytes on the electrochemical properties and performance of a porous CNT-MoS₂ hybrid microstructure toward bipolar supercapacitor applications. The electrochemical assessment reveals that the CNT-MoS₂ hybrid electrode exhibited a two- to threefold higher areal capacitance value of 122.3 mF cm^-2 at 100 μA cm^-2 in 1 M aqueous Na₂SO₄ and 42.13 mF cm^-2 at 0.30 mA cm^-2 in PVA-Na₂SO₄ gel electrolyte in the negative potential window in comparison to the positive potential window. The CNT-MoS₂ hybrid demonstrates a splendid Coulombic efficiency of ∼102.5% and outstanding stability with capacitance retention showing a change from 100% to ∼180% over 7000 repeated charging-discharging cycles.

A review of the techno-economic potential and environmental impact analysis through life cycle assessment of parabolic trough collector towards the contribution of sustainable energy

Parabolic trough collectors (P.T.Cs) are efficient solar energy harvesting devices utilized in various industries, for instance, space heating, solar cooling, solar drying, pasteurization, sterilization, electricity generation, process heat, solar cooking, and many other applications. However, their usage is limited as the high capital and operating costs; according to the International Renewable Energy Agency's 2020 report, the global weighted average levelized cost of electricity (L.C.O.E) for P.T.Cs was 0.185 $/kWh in 2018. This work analyses the economic, technical, and environmental potential of sustainable energy to increase the use of P.T.Cs in different sectors. To study how self-weight, heat loss, and wind velocity affect P.T.C performance, prototype testing, and wind flow analysis were used. Although P.T.Cs outperform in capacity factor, gross-to-net conversion, and annual energy production, improving their overall efficiency is crucial in reducing total energy production costs. Wire coils, discs, and twisted tape-type inserts can enhance their performance by increasing turbulence and heat transfer area. Improving the system's overall efficiency by enhancing the functioning and operation of individual components will also help decrease total energy production costs. The aim is to minimize the L.C.O.E associated with a P.T.C in order to enhance its economic viability for an extended period. When the nanofluid-oriented P.T.C was included in the conventional P.T.C workings, there was a decrease in the L.C.O.E by 1%. Of all the technologies available, ocean, geothermal, and C.S.P parabolic trough plants generate lower amounts of waste and harmful gases, with average emissions of 2.39%, 2.23%, and 2.16%, respectively, throughout their lifespan. For solar-only and non-hybrid thermal energy storage plants, the range of greenhouse gas emissions is between 20 and 34 kgCO₂ equivalents per megawatt-hour. Coal, natural gas steam turbines, nuclear power plants, bioenergy, solar PV, geothermal, concentrated solar power, hydropower reservoir, hydropower river, ocean, and wind power plants all release greenhouse gases at rates of 1022, 587.5, 110.5, 633, 111, 48, 41, 82.5, 7.5, 12.5, and 41.5 gCO₂-e/kWh, respectively. This information is useful to compare the environmental effect of various energy sources and help us to choose cleaner, more sustainable options for the production of electricity. The ongoing advancements and future scope of P.T.Cs could potentially make them more economically viable for domestic, commercial, and industrial applications.

P-094 Fundamental understanding of sperm motion in viscoelastic media

Study question

How does viscosity influence the flagellar beating behaviour of free-swimming bull, mouse, and human sperm?

Summary answer

Sperm flagellar beating behaviour exhibits a transition from an irregular three-dimensional (3D) beating at 5 mPa·s to an organized two-dimensional (2D) waveform at 20 mPa·s.

What is known already

Sperm migrate in a complex viscoelastic environment through the female reproductive tract. The viscoelastic properties of the oviductal fluid significantly influence the progressive motility of sperm, acting as one of the key guidance mechanisms in vivo. However, the biomechanics of sperm flagellar activity in response to varying viscosity of the oviductal fluid is poorly understood. Understanding sperm flagellar behaviour in physiologically relevant environments is crucial to understanding reproduction and may help to describe unknown causes of infertility. Lack of high-speed high-resolution imaging techniques and automated image-analysis capabilities have been the main barriers to fully describe the flagellar beating behaviour.

Study design, size, duration

We used a custom-built high-speed high-resolution dark-field microscopy platform to resolve the flagellar dynamics of human, bull, and mouse sperm near surfaces in viscoelastic media ranging in viscosity from 1 to 250 mPa·s. The imaging system includes an automated image analysis algorithm to quantify sperm flagellar waveform and motility characteristics by extracting the flagellar centreline, reconstructing the waveform and calculating tangent-angle profiles. 20 sperm from 3 different bull, mice and humans were analyzed.

Participants/materials, setting, methods

Bull, mouse, and human sperm were used in this study. In each experiment, a diluted sperm sample in a buffer supplemented with methylcellulose was used and free-swimming sperm were imaged using dark-field microscopy at 200 frames per second. An automated image analysis algorithm was used to extract sperm flagellar centreline and Proper Orthogonal Decomposition (POD) was then used to study sperm flagellar waveform. Statistical analysis was performed using one-way ANOVA.

Main results and the role of chance

The reconstructed flagellar beating pattern was different for sperm swimming in low and high-viscosity media. Bull sperm exhibited a lower flagellar beating amplitude along the end piece when swimming in a high-viscosity media, a potential energy-efficient strategy to navigate a high viscosity fluid. The first two dominant POD modes (shape modes) describe more than 90% of the beating pattern for all species. Bull sperm exhibited a transition mode with irregular loops in 5 mPa·s buffer, but the flagellar shape cycle created an organised repetitive circular cycle in 1 mPa.s (3D beating) buffer and at viscosities higher than 5 mPa·s (2D beating). Human sperm also indicated a similar behaviour but with the transition happening at higher viscosities. Mouse sperm in high-viscosity media had a lower flagellar beating amplitude across the principal piece and higher beating amplitude across the end piece. The flagellar shape cycle in mouse sperm showed a periodic flagellar beating behaviour at high-viscosities (>20 mPa·s), but a shape cycle with distorted loops at lower viscosities. Our results showed in quantitative detail that increasing viscosity alters sperm flagellar beating pattern, and how sperm migration behaviour in low viscosity media can be distinct from their swimming behaviour in vivo.

Limitations, reasons for caution

A more comprehensive study of sperm motility parameters such as curvilinear velocity, average path velocity and straight line velocity with a larger sample size is required to fully characterise sperm swimming behaviour as a function of viscosity.

Wider implications of the findings

The increasing viscosity of the oviductal fluid regulates the sperm flagellar beating behaviour to switch from a 3D swimming behaviour with irregular shape cycles at lower viscosities to a 2D slithering mode with repetitive circular shape cycles at higher viscosities to achieve a more energy-efficient beating pattern for navigation.

Trial registration number

Not applicable

Costing Analysis of Scalable Carbon-Based Perovskite Modules Using Bottom Up Technique

In recent years, perovskite solar cells (PSCs) have achieved a remarkable power conversion efficiency of 25.5%, indicating that they are a promising alternative to dominant Si photovoltaic (PV) technology. This technology is expected to solve the world's energy demand with minimal investment and very low CO₂ emissions. The market has shown a lot of interest in PSCs technology. A technoeconomic analysis is a useful tool for tracking manufacturing costs and forecasting whether technology will eventually achieve market-driven prices. A technoeconomic analysis of a 100 MW carbon-based perovskite solar module (CPSM) factory located in India is presented in this paper. Two CPSMs architectures-high-temperature processed CPSMs (Module A) and low-temperature processed CPSM's (Module B)-are expected to offer minimum sustainable prices (MSPs) of $ 0.21 W^-1 and $ 0.15 W^-1. On the basis of MSP, the levelized cost of energy (LCOE) is calculated to be 3.40 ¢ kWh^-1 for module A and 3.02 ¢ kWh^-1 for module B, with a 10-year module lifetime assumption. The same modules with a 25-year lifespan have LCOEs of 1.66 and 1.47 ¢ kWh^-1, respectively. These estimates are comparable to market dominant crystalline silicon solar modules, and they are also favorable for utilizing perovskite solar cell technology.

Numerical investigation of the effect of air supply on cook stove performance

Objectives: In a domestic biomass cook stove, the air supply plays a significant role in improving the overall combustion characteristics. The present research aims to numerically investigate the effect of air supply, division of air intake into primary and secondary air, and its optimization. > In a domestic biomass cook stove, the air supply plays a significant role in improving the overall combustion characteristics. The present research aims to numerically investigate the effect of air supply, division of air intake into primary and secondary air, and its optimization. Methods: The geometries of cook stove combustion chamber were prepared and simulated using species transport model with eddy-dissipation turbulent mixing. The stoichiometric amount of air was split into different ratios varying from 50:50 to 10:90 and simulations were carried out for each case. The computational model was validated and the concentration of CO2, H2O, O2, wood volatile and resultant temperature were compared and analyzed. Results: Species transport in the form of conservation of mass along with momentum conservation and energy conservation gave the spatial distribution of resultant species and spatial temperature distribution. The computational domain with feedstock inlet corresponding to the pyrolysis regime has yielded good results compared to that in the front. In this domain, the primary to secondary air ratio of 50:50 showed the best results due to the dominance of primary air utilization and, thus, less secondary air use even at higher elevations. With the maximum temperature near 1300 K, maximum relative CO2 production, and maximum feedstock utilization, the primary to secondary air ratio of 50:50 observed to be optimum. Conclusions: Due to the adequate intermixing of reactant species and uniform diffusion of product species along the combustion chamber's height, the computational domain with feedstock inlet corresponding to the pyrolysis regime has shown realistic conditions. The temperature profile and mole fraction of various species, thus obtained, can be used to design an efficient cook stove as the cross-section and dimensions of the combustion chamber and chimney relates to approach the desired division of air.

Catalytic Activity and Impedance Behavior of Screen-Printed Nickel Oxide as Efficient Water Oxidation Catalysts

We report that films screen printed from nickel oxide (NiO) nanoparticles and microballs are efficient electrocatalysts for water oxidation under near-neutral and alkaline conditions. Investigations of the composition and structure of the screen-printed films by X-ray diffraction, X-ray absorption spectroscopy, and scanning electron microscopy confirmed that the material was present as the cubic NiO phase. Comparison of the catalytic activity of the microball films to that of films fabricated by using NiO nanoparticles, under similar experimental conditions, revealed that the microball films outperform nanoparticle films of similar thickness owing to a more porous structure and higher surface area. A thinner, less-resistive NiO nanoparticle film, however, was found to have higher activity per Ni atom. Anodization in borate buffer significantly improved the activity of all three films. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy showed that during anodization, a mixed nickel oxyhydroxide phase formed on the surface of all films, which could account for the improved activity. Impedance spectroscopy revealed that surface traps contribute significantly to the resistance of the NiO films. On anodization, the trap state resistance of all films was reduced, which led to significant improvements in activity. In 1.00 m NaOH, both the microball and nanoparticle films exhibit high long-term stability and produce a stable current density of approximately 30 mA cm(-2) at 600 mV overpotential.

Child-to-parent education: a pilot study

A controlled study carried out in the hilly Konkan region on the West coast of India showed that school children have the potential for transmitting their newly acquired knowledge to their parents. Though the results indicate that acquisition of knowledge does not mean a change in attitudes concerning leprosy, child-to-parent education may show promising results in leprosy education in developing countries where most parents of school children are illiterate and are not easily reached by conventional methods of health education.