Optical, vibrational, and photoluminescence properties of holmium-doped boro-bismuth-germanate glasses.

Holmium (Ho3+)-doped boro-bismuth-germanate glasses having the chemical composition (30-x)B2O3 + 20GeO2 + 20Bi2O3 + 20Na2O + 10Y2O3 + xHo2O3, where x = 0.1, 0.5, 1.0, and 2.0 mol% were prepared by melt-quenching technique. The prepared glasses were examined for thermal, optical, vibrational, and photoluminescent properties. The prepared glasses were found to be thermally very stable. The optical bandgap and Urbach energies of 0.1 mol% Ho2O3-doped boro-bismuth-germanate glass were calculated to be 3.3 eV and 377 MeV, respectively, using the absorption spectrum. The Judd-Ofelt analysis was performed on the 0.1 mol% Ho2O3-doped glass and compared the obtained parameters with literature. The branching ratio (ß) and emission cross-section (σem) of the green band were determined to be 0.7 and 0.24 × 10-20 cm2, respectively. Under 450 nm excitation, a strong green emission around 550 nm was observed and assigned to the (5S2 + 5F4) → 5I8 (Ho3+) transition. Upon an increase of Ho2O3 content from 0.1 to 2.0 mol%, the intensities of all observed emission bands as well as decay time of the (5S2 + 5F4) → 5I8 transition have been decreased gradually. The reasons behind the decrease in emission intensity and decay time were discussed. The strong green emission suggests that these glasses may be a better option for display devices and green emission applications.

Automated in-season rice crop mapping using Sentinel time-series data and Google Earth Engine: A case study in climate-risk prone Bangladesh.

High-resolution mapping of rice fields is crucial for understanding and managing rice cultivation in countries like Bangladesh, particularly in the face of climate change. Rice is a vital crop, cultivated in small scale farms that contributes significantly to the economy and food security in Bangladesh. Accurate mapping can facilitate improved rice production, the development of sustainable agricultural management policies, and formulation of strategies for adapting to climatic risks. To address the need for timely and accurate rice mapping, we developed a framework specifically designed for the diverse environmental conditions in Bangladesh. We utilized Sentinel-1 and Sentinel-2 time-series data to identify transplantation and peak seasons and employed the multi-Otsu automatic thresholding approach to map rice during the peak season (April-May). We also compared the performance of a random forest (RF) classifier with the multi-Otsu approach using two different data combinations: D1, which utilizes data from the transplantation and peak seasons (D1 RF) and D2, which utilizes data from the transplantation to the harvest seasons (D2 RF). Our results demonstrated that the multi-Otsu approach achieved an overall classification accuracy (OCA) ranging from 61.18% to 94.43% across all crop zones. The D2 RF showed the highest mean OCA (92.15%) among the fourteen crop zones, followed by D1 RF (89.47%) and multi-Otsu (85.27%). Although the multi-Otsu approach had relatively lower OCA, it proved effective in accurately mapping rice areas prior to harvest, eliminating the need for training samples that can be challenging to obtain during the growing season. In-season rice area maps generated through this framework are crucial for timely decision-making regarding adaptive management in response to climatic stresses and forecasting area-wide productivity. The scalability of our framework across space and time makes it particularly suitable for addressing field data scarcity challenges in countries like Bangladesh and offers the potential for future operationalization.

Optical analysis of RE3+ (RE = Nd or Er):B2 O3 -P2 O5 -CaF2 -ZnO-(Li2 O/Na2 O/K2 O) glasses.

Calcium boro fluoro zinc phosphate glasses modified using alkali oxide and doped with Nd3+ and Er3+ ions with the chemical composition of 69.5 (B2 O3 ) + 10 (P2 O5 ) + 10 (CaF2 ) + 5 (ZnO) + 5 (Na2 O/Li2 O/K2 O) + 0.5 (Er2 O3 /Nd2 O3 ) were prepared using a conventional melt quenching technique. The results of X-ray diffraction patterns indicated the amorphous nature of all the prepared glasses. The visible-near-infrared red (NIR) absorption spectra of these glasses were analyzed systematically. The NIR emission spectra of Er3+ and Nd3+ :calcium boro fluoro zinc phosphate glasses showed prominent emission bands at 1536 nm (4 I13/2 →4 I15/2 ) and 1069 nm (4 F3/2 →4 I11/2 ) respectively with λexci = 514.5 nm (Ar+ laser) as the excitation source.

An update on the evolutionary origin of aglomerular kidney with structural and ultrastructural descriptions of the kidney in three fish species.

The kidney of fish contains numerous nephrons, each of which is divided into the renal corpuscle and renal tubules. This glomerular structure is the filtration unit of the nephron and is important for the kidney function, but it has been reported that the renal corpuscle was lost in at least four independent linages of fish (i.e., aglomerular kidney). In this study, the authors newly described renal structures for three species by histological and ultrastructural observations: two aglomerular kidneys from a seahorse Hippocampus barbouri and a toadfish Allenbatrachus grunniens and a glomerular kidney from a snake eel Pisodonophis boro. The renal development of H. barbouri was also described during 1-35 days after birth. In all species tested, the anterior kidney was comprised of haematopoietic tissues and a few renal tubules, whereas the posterior kidney contained more renal tubules. Although the glomerular structure was present in P. boro, light microscopic observations identified no glomeruli in the kidney of H. barbouri and A. grunniens. Ultrastructurally, abundant deep basal infoldings with mitochondria in the renal tubules were observed in A. grunniens compared to H. barbouri and P. boro, suggesting the possible role of basal infoldings in maintaining the osmotic balance. By integrating the results from the three species and comprehensive literature search, the authors further showed that 56 species have been reported to be aglomerular, and that the aglomerular kidney has evolved at least eight times in bony fishes.

Asymmetric Intramolecular Hydroalkoxylation of 2-Vinylbenzyl Alcohols with Chiral Boro-Phosphates.

Asymmetric intramolecular hydroalkoxylation of alkenes represents a very important approach to access optically active cyclic ethers. It was found that B(C6 F5 )3 could catalyze the cyclization of 2-vinylbenzyl alcohols with only 0.05 mol % catalyst loading, affording the desired product in high yields. To accomplish the asymmetric reaction, a novel type of chiral boro-phosphates was developed by treating chiral phosphoric acid with Piers' borane, in which the oxygen atom of P=O and the boron atom act as Lewis base and acid centers, respectively. A highly enantioselective hydroalkoxylation was successfully realized to give optically active 1,3-dihydroisobenzofuran derivatives in 78-99 % yields with 60-97 % ee's, in which an activation of O-H bond of alcohols by the boro-phosphate species is hypothesized.

Understanding clients, providers and the institutional dimensions of irrigation services in developing countries: A study of water markets in Bangladesh.

Bangladesh is one of the most densely populated nations that nonetheless has largely achieved staple self-sufficiency. This development has been enabled in part by the rapid proliferation of small-scale irrigation pumps that enabled double rice cropping, as well as by a competitive market system in which farmers purchase water at affordable fee-for-service prices from private irrigation pump owners. Excess groundwater abstraction in areas of high shallow tube-well density and increased fuel costs for pumping have however called into question the sustainability of Bangladesh's groundwater irrigation economy. Cost-saving agronomic methods are called for, alongside aligned policies, markets, and farmers' incentives. The study assesses different institutions and water-pricing methods for irrigation services that have emerged in Bangladesh, each of which varies in their incentive structure for water conservation, and the level of economic risk involved for farmers and service providers. Using primary data collected from 139 irrigation service providers and 556 client-farmers, we empirically examine the structure of irrigation service types and associated market and institutional dimensions. Our findings demonstrate that competition among pump owners, social capital and personal relationships, and economic and agronomic risk perceptions of both pump owners and farmers significantly influence the structure of irrigation services and water pricing methods. Greater competition among pump owners increases the likelihood of pay-per-hour services and reduces the likelihood of crop harvest sharing arrangements. Based on these findings, we explore policy implications for enhancing irrigation services and irrigation sustainability in Bangladesh.

Remote Sensing-Based Quantification of the Impact of Flash Flooding on the Rice Production: A Case Study over Northeastern Bangladesh.

The northeastern region of Bangladesh often experiences flash flooding during the pre-harvesting period of the boro rice crop, which is the major cereal crop in the country. In this study, our objective was to delineate the impact of the 2017 flash flood (that initiated on 27 March 2017) on boro rice using multi-temporal Landsat-8 OLI and MODIS data. Initially, we opted to use Landsat-8 OLI data for mapping the damages; however, during and after the flooding event the acquisition of cloud free images were challenging. Thus, we used this data to map the cultivated boro rice acreage considering the planting to mature stages of the crop. Also, in order to map the extent of the damaged boro area, we utilized MODIS data as their 16-day composites provided cloud free information. Our results indicated that both the cultivated and damaged boro area estimates based on satellite data had strong relationships while compared to the ground-based estimates (i.e., r² values approximately 0.92 for both cases, and RMSE of 18,374 and 9380 ha for cultivated and damaged areas, respectively). Finally, we believe that our study would be critical for planning and ensuring food security for the country.

Structural, optical, and thermoluminescence characterizations of 1 mol% Dy3+ion-activated Fluro Boro-phosphate glass for photonic devices.

A novel Fluro boro-phosphate host matrix doped with the 1 mol% of Dy3+ ions (50B2O3 + 20P2O5 + 10TiO2 + 10SrCO3 + 4BaF2 + 5BaCO3 + 1Dy2O3) was prepared using a conventional melt-quenching mechanism, and its structural characteristics were explored through the Powder-XRD, FT-IR, FT-Raman, EDAX and SEM spectroscopic analysis. The XRD spectrum of the glass confirmed its non-crystalline or amorphous structure. FT-IR and FT-Raman spectrum studies revealed that various borate and phosphate groups present with a variety of stretching and bending vibrations. Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) and Energy Dispersive X-ray analysis (EDAX) analysis have been used to examine the surface morphology and the presence of elements, respectively in the prepared glass. The optical absorption spectrum was used to explore the electronic band structure through the measurements of optical band-gap energy and Urbach energy. The luminescence spectrum reveals the emission characteristics of Dy3+ ions due to the electric-dipole and magnetic-dipole transitions. It is found that the decay time of the 4F9/2 excited level at a concentration of 1 mol% Dy3+ in the glass matrix is tri-fit non-exponential. The CIE chromaticity coordinates and the concentration influence on Y/B intensity ratios were computed for the creation of white light from the luminescence spectrum. The present work also discusses the findings after figuring out the correlated color temperature associated (CCT) with the color purity (Pe). The Thermoluminescence (TL) characteristics and the kinetic parameters of the glass were studied after the γ-irradiation with a dose of 2 kGy. EPR investigation revealed the paramagnetic characteristics through the hyperfine structure of Dy3+ ions and the electron-hole pair formation upon irradiation in the glass matrix.

Green- and Blue-Emitting Tb3+-Activated Linde Type A Zeolite-Derived Boro-Aluminosilicate Glass for Deep UV Detection/Imaging.

Tb3+-activated LTA zeolite-derived boro-aluminosilicate glass samples with a composition of xTb2O3-68(Na2O-Al2O3-SiO2)-32B2O3 (x = 0.2, 1.0 and 10 extra wt%) were prepared using the melt-quenching method. The emission spectra recorded upon ultraviolet (UV) excitation with two different wavelengths of 193 and 378 nm showed blue light (5D3 to 7FJ=6,5,4 and 5D4 to 7F6 transitions of Tb3+) and green light (5D4 to 7F5 transition of Tb3+) emissions with comparable intensities up to a Tb3+ concentration of 10 extra wt%. Of note, the mean decay times of the green luminescence of the glass samples were relatively fast (<20 µs). The synthesized glass has potential in applications concerning UV imaging, UV detection, and plasma display panels.

NLRP1B allele 2 does not respond to Val-boro-Pro (VbP) in intestinal epithelial cells.

The intestinal mucosa must balance tolerance to commensal microbes and luminal antigens with rapid detection of enteric pathogens in order to maintain homeostasis. This balance is facilitated through the regulation of epithelial layer integrity by innate immune receptors. Certain NOD-like receptors (NLRs) expressed in intestinal epithelial cells, including NLRC4 and NLRP9B, form inflammasomes that protect against pathogens by activating caspase-1 to cause extrusion of infected cells. NLRP1B is a murine NLR encoded by five alleles of a highly polymorphic gene homologous to human NLRP1. NLRP1B forms inflammasomes in response to a variety of pathogens that cause intestinal infections, but it has almost exclusively been studied in immune cells and has not been characterized in cells of the intestinal epithelium. Here, we show that Nlrp1b allele 2 is expressed in ileal and colonic organoids derived for C57BL/6J mice, while the related gene Nlrp1a was not expressed. Nlrp1b was upregulated by interleukin-13 in organoids and by the protozoan Tritrichomonas muris in vivo, suggesting that NLRP1B may be involved in defense against enteric parasites. Surprisingly, while Val-boro-Pro (VbP) activated C57BL/6J-derived bone marrow-derived macrophages, which expressed both Nlrp1a and Nlrp1b, it did not activate intestinal organoids of the same genotype. We furthermore did not detect Nlrp1b in organoids derived from Balb/cJ mice, which express a different allele than the one expressed in C57BL/6J mice. Together, our results suggest that NLRP1B may have an allele-dependent function in murine IECs whose regulation is distinct from that of macrophages, and that the response to VbP might be exclusively driven by NLRP1A in C57BL/6J mice.

Efficacy of yellow gypsum application on mitigating arsenic bioavailability in groundnut and Boro-rice grown under arsenic contaminated soil.

Agricultural soils naturally enriched with Arsenic (As) represent a significant global human health risk. In the present investigation, a series of pot experiments were conducted to study the efficacy of three levels of Yellow Gypsum (YG) application on bioavailability of As to kharif groundnut followed by boro-rice grown under 17 different levels of soil As contamination for two consecutive years. The results revealed that application of YG @ 60 kg ha-1 effectuated the lowest soil As content and the highest percent decline in soil extractable As at pegging (9.42 mg kg-1 and 9.81%) and harvesting (8.81 mg kg-1 and 11.85%) in groundnut, maximum tillering (7.52 mg kg-1 and 16.95%) and harvesting (6.77 mg kg-1 and 19.85%) in boro-rice respectively. It was also observed that irrespective of its level, the extractable As content of soil decreased significantly (P < 0.05) with increasing dosage of YG. Increase in YG dose effectuated a significant (P < 0.05) increasing trend and increase in As content in soil indicated a decreasing trend of Ca:As, Fe:As and S:As ratios which pointed out the potentiality of YG for reducing As bio-availability in contaminated soils and thus could be a good option for mitigating the risk of As contamination in food chain.

Effect of soil and water salinity on dry season boro rice production in the south-central coastal area of Bangladesh.

Salinity varies with location and time of the year. It can significantly impact crop production. The level of negative impacts depends on the salt concentration and time of its occurrence, which, however, has not been studied for many crops, especially for rice grown in the coastal area of Bangladesh. Our study explored the impact of spatio-temporal fluctuations in soil and water salinity on boro rice production in the south-central coast of Bangladesh. Here, we simulated the soil salinity from November 2020 to May 2021 for fourteen locations classes using the SWAP-WOFOST model. The model was calibrated and validated with measured secondary data. Next, the yield of two salt-tolerant boro rice varieties (BRRI dhan47 and BRRI dhan67) was simulated using the customized soil, weather, and crop data. We also simulated the yield by adopting agronomic management practices (i.e., changing planting time and using fresh irrigation water). Our results showed that salinity levels varied with different soil textural classes, soil depth, location, and time of the year, and that had a significant influence on boro rice production, giving spatial variability. Specifically, boro rice had a higher yield in coarse texture soil than in fine texture soil. Simulated yields in areas proximate to the sea ranged from 668 to 1239 kg ha-1, yields that are significantly lower than those simulated in moderate (2098-4843 kg ha-1) and low salinity zones (4213-4843 kg ha-1). Moreover, the simulation of yield with sowing/planting rice earlier by fifteen days provided a higher yield than the current planting practice since it could avoid salinity at later stages of growth. For a similar reason, growing rice inside the polder provided a higher yield than outside the polder. The insights gained from our study carry significant implications for contemporary crop-level adaptation strategies and policy-making in coastal districts.

High Entropy Borides Synthesized by the Thermal Reduction of Metal Oxides in a Microwave Plasma.

Metal oxide thermal reduction, enabled by microwave-induced plasma, was used to synthesize high entropy borides (HEBs). This approach capitalized on the ability of a microwave (MW) plasma source to efficiently transfer thermal energy to drive chemical reactions in an argon-rich plasma. A predominantly single-phase hexagonal AlB2-type structural characteristic of HEBs was obtained by boro/carbothermal reduction as well as by borothermal reduction. We compare the microstructural, mechanical, and oxidation resistance properties using the two different thermal reduction approaches (i.e., with and without carbon as a reducing agent). The plasma-annealed HEB (Hf0.2, Zr0.2, Ti0.2, Ta0.2, Mo0.2)B2 made via boro/carbothermal reduction resulted in a higher measured hardness (38 ± 4 GPa) compared to the same HEB made via borothermal reduction (28 ± 3 GPa). These hardness values were consistent with the theoretical value of ~33 GPa obtained by first-principles simulations using special quasi-random structures. Sample cross-sections were evaluated to examine the effects of the plasma on structural, compositional, and mechanical homogeneity throughout the HEB thickness. MW-plasma-produced HEBs synthesized with carbon exhibit a reduced porosity, higher density, and higher average hardness when compared to HEBs made without carbon.

Biochemical and molecular properties of Boro rice (Oryza sativa L.) cultivars under abiotic stresses.

The present investigation was conducted so as to unravel the various underlying antioxidant enzyme and non-enzyme defence mechanisms in some selected Boro rice cultivars that differ in temperature stress tolerance. Oxidative injury under heat and cold stress, H2O2 level showed a decline in roots and shoots of Boro in stressed condition whilst significant rise in the susceptible varieties was observed under both the stresses. However, susceptible varieties, such as Disang (shoots), Moricha (shoots) and China Boro (roots), showed a decreased H2O2 content at recovery. Under cold stress, roots and shoots of Boro and Laal Bihari showed a decreased level of lipid peroxidises and Boro and Kolong under heat stress. In contrast, significant enhancement of lipid peroxidase was revealed in the susceptible varieties. Remarkable increase in non-enzymatic antioxidants like proline, glutathione and ascorbate content was seen in the shoots of Boro in the treated and the recovery conditions. On the other hand, in enzymatic antioxidants like ascorbate peroxidase, guaiacol peroxidase, superoxide dismutase, catalase, and glutathione reductase activity, marked enhancement in ascorbate peroxidase activity was seen in the roots and the shoots of Boro and Kolong in treated and recovery samples and decreased in Swarnabh under heat stress. The guaiacol peroxidase activity of roots and shoots increased in Boro and Kolong under heat stress, and decreased in China boro and Swarnabh. The superoxide dismutase activity in the roots and shoot of Boro increased significantly under both the stress conditions in treated and recovery. Root and shoots of Swarnabh and Moricha showed decline in SOD activity in stressed conditions. The catalase activity in the case of Boro, showed a significant increase in both its roots and shoots under cold and heat stresses in the treated and the recovery samples. Moreover, under heat stress, the root and the shoots of Boro and Kolong showed the maximum glutathione activity, whilst Swarnabh and China Boro showed reduced glutathione activity at 96 h and recovery. On the other hand, the gene expression pattern of the cold-responsive genes (OsHAN1/OsCYP9B4 and FeSOD1) showed significant upregulation in the tolerant than the sensitive cultivars. Similarly, heat-responsive genes (OsTT1/OsPAB1 and OsHsfC1b) are also highly upregulated in the tolerant than the susceptible ones. Thus, the findings would provide a thorough insight into various non-enzymatic and enzymatic antioxidants and stress-responsive genes of Boro rice that could help in the future rice breeding programmes for cold and heat stresses.

Overcoming barriers to adapt rice farming to recurring flash floods in haor wetlands of Bangladesh.

Climate change resultant hazards have become a major threat to farming, food production systems and agricultural sustainability globally. Like many other countries, Bangladesh is also the prey of climate change extremities. Haor wetlands of this country, a major rice growing area, are subjected to extreme climate tremors where millions of inhabitants lose their boro rice production due to recurring flash flood events. This study examined the barriers to adapt rice farming to recurring flash floods in the haor wetlands of Bangladesh. The ways of overcoming barriers to adapt rice farming to recurring flash floods in the haor wetlands of Bangladesh were also explored during the research work. The research was conducted in the Sunamganj district of Bangladesh and data was collected through a mixed-method approach. A survey was conducted with 115 haor farmers and FGD and key informant interviews were conducted with 32 and 4 respondents respectively. The results showed that the lack of availability of submergence tolerant variety (a rice variety that can survive and continue growing after being completely submerged in water for several days) is the major barrier to farmers' adaptation to flooding events followed by limited market access and lack of access to inputs. A total of 85% of respondents reported encountering moderate to severe barriers to adapt to flash flooding. Besides, some socio-economic traits, including annual family income, extension media exposure, and perception on climate change have been identified to be influencing farmers' adaptation behaviour to adapt their rice farming system to recurring flash flood events. This study elaborated pathways and suggested policy recommendations to adapt to flash flooding and to ensure sustainability in the agricultural system in the haor wetlands of Bangladesh.

Assessing the impact of current tropospheric ozone on yield loss and antioxidant defense of six cultivars of rice using ethylenediurea in the lower Gangetic Plains of India.

Climate change influences the current tropospheric ozone (O3) budget due to industrialization and urbanization processes. In recent years, the impact of elevated O3 on crop development and yield loss has emerged as one of the most important environmental issues, particularly in rural and suburban areas of the lower Indo-Gangetic Plains of India. The impact of the current tropospheric ozone (O3) on the crop yield, photosynthetic yield, and enzymatic antioxidants of six rice (Oryza sativa L.) cultivars (IR 36, MTU 1010, GB 3, Khitish, IET 4786, and Ganga Kaveri) was investigated with and without the application of ethylenediurea (EDU). The results revealed that O3 stress significantly affected crop yield, photosynthetic yield, and antioxidant enzymes. The findings showed that O3 toxicity induces oxidative stress biomarkers, i.e., malondialdehyde (MDA) content, and was manifested by increasing the enzymatic antioxidants, i.e., superoxidase dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT) in four rice cultivars (IR 36, GB 3, IET 4786, and Ganga Kaveri). At the same time, the results also illustrated that the rice cultivars MTU 1010 and Khitish are more tolerant to O3 stress as they had less oxidative damage, greater photosynthetic SPAD value, SOD and CAT activities, and lower MDA activity. The results also elucidated that the application of EDU decreased O3 toxicity in sensitive cultivars of rice by increasing antioxidant defense systems. The current O3 level is likely to show an additional increase in the near future, and the use of tolerant genotypes of rice may reduce the negative impacts of O3 on rice production.

The Supported Boro-Additive Effect for the Selective Recovery of Dy Elements from Rare-Earth-Elements-Based Magnets.

Liquid metal extraction (LME) for recycling rare-earth elements from magnets is studied, in the present study, to examine its suitability as an environmentally friendly alternative for a circular economy. While Nd (neodymium) extraction efficiency can easily reach almost 100%, based on the high reactivity of Mg (magnesium), Dy (dysprosium) extraction has been limited because of the Dy-Fe intermetallic phase as the main extractive bottleneck. In the present paper, the boro-additive effect is designed thermodynamically and examined in the ternary and quinary systems to improve the selectivity of recovery. Based on the strong chemical affinity between B (boron) and Fe, the effect of excess boron, which is produced by the depletion of B in FeB by Mg, successfully resulted in the formation of Fe2B instead of Dy-Fe bonding. However, the growth of the Fe2B layer, which is the reason for the isolated Mg, leads to the production of other byproducts, rare-earth borides (RB4, R = Nd and Dy), as the side effect. By adjusting the ratio of FeB, the extraction efficiency of Dy over 12 h with FeB addition is improved to 80%, which is almost the same extraction efficiency of the conventional LME process over 24 h.

Replacing winter rice in non-traditional areas by strawberry reduces arsenic bioaccumulation, and improves water productivity and profitability.

Use of huge amount (1450-1650 mm) of arsenic contaminated (14.0-24.5 mg l-1) ground water to irrigate winter rice resulted in high deposition of arsenic (As) in the topsoil and in rice grains, posing a serious threat to soil and human health of the Bengal basin. Strawberry (Fragaria × ananassa Duch.) requires 250 mm irrigation and fetches 3.5 times more net return over the winter rice, and can be grown as an alternate crop in place of winter rice to save the environment. In comparison to rice As load in edible parts of strawberry reduced from 865 to 39 µg kg-1. Deficit irrigation (0.8 and 0.6 crop evapotranspiration, ETc) to strawberry further reduced total as well as different As species load in fruits. Jute and straw mulches recorded lower As in fruits over other mulches. Drip irrigation to recharge full or 80% of ETc loss and use of jute agrotextile surface mulch maximized root growth and yield in strawberry, benefit:cost ratio, and energy efficiency and productivity. Results demonstrate that strawberry cultivation in non-traditional winter rice growing areas of Bengal basin can potentially benefit millions of people by reducing As load in food chains, ensuring higher returns, and aid in reviving the local jute agrotextile industry.

The Influence of CoO/P2O5 Substitutions on the Structural, Mechanical, and Radiation Shielding of Boro-Phosphate Glasses.

A new glass system (50-x)P2O5-20B2O3-5Al2O3-25Na2O-xCoO was manufactured using a standard melt quenching procedure, where 1≤ x ≤ 12 mol%. The characteristics of boro-phosphate-glasses containing CoO have been studied. The effect of CoO on the radiation-protective properties of glasses was established. The density of the prepared glasses as a function of CoO increased. XRD was used to check the vitreous structure of samples. Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy was used to study the structure of each sample. FTIR demonstrated that connections grew as CoO/P2O5 levels increased, and the FTIR spectra shifted to higher wavenumbers. The increment of CoO converts non-bridging oxygens associated with phosphate structural units into bridging oxygens. This process increases the concentration of BO4 structural units and creates new, strong and stable bonds B-O-P, i.e., there is polymerization of the boro-phosphate glass network. With an increase in the ratio of CoO/P2O5 in the produced samples, ultrasonic velocities and elastic moduli were observed to increase. The coefficients of linear and mass attenuation, the transmittance of photons in relation to the photon energy, the efficiency of radiation protection in relation to the photon energy, and the thickness of the absorber were modeled using these two methods (experimental and theoretical). From the obtained values, it can be concluded that the 12Co sample containing 12 mol% will play the most influential role in radiation protection. An increase in the content of cobalt-I oxide led to a significant increase in the linear and mass attenuation coefficient values, which directly contributes to the development of the radiation-protective properties of glass.

The importance of farmers' perceptions of salinity and adaptation strategies for ensuring food security: Evidence from the coastal rice growing areas of Bangladesh.

Coastal salinity causes substantial adverse impacts on agricultural productivity and food security. Farmers' choice of salinity adaptation strategies might depend on how they perceive the problem. This research examined rice farmers' perceptions of salinity, adaptation strategies, and its implications for policy initiatives to sustain rice production in the affected coastal areas of Bangladesh. Boro rice growers (n = 109) randomly selected from two coastal sub-districts were interviewed using a semi-structured survey. Awareness of salinity and its increase over the past 20 years was widespread among rice farmers. A high proportion of farmers (90%) perceived the reproductive (e.g. booting, heading, and flowering) stages of the rice plant as the most sensitive to salinity problems. Salinity (ECe) was measured in the farmers' fields and were categorized according to farmers' perceptions and scientific interpretation (e.g. high or low). Farmers perceived a field affected by high salinity at a lower EC reading than the scientific interpretation of the salinity level. Most of the farmers (67%) were undertaking early transplanting and applying irrigation in order to adapt to salinity problems which occur later in rice crop growth during Boro season. Thus, farmers' actions demonstrated that their perceptions of salinity and adaptation responses were pre-emptive of when salinity was most likely to have an impact on the rice crop. Farmers' perceptions of salinization and measures to manage salinity need to be considered in research prioritization and policy formulation by the government. This action could potentially secure rice production and thus contribute to the achievement of Sustainable Development Goals (SDG-1, 2 and 3).