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In this paper, a nominal SISO (Single Input Single Output) model of PHWR (Pressurized Heavy Water Reactor) type nuclear power plant is developed based on normal moderator pump-up rate capturing the moderator level dynamics using system identification technique. As the plant model is not exact, therefore additive and multiplicative uncertainty modeling is required. A robust perturbed plant model is derived based on worst case model capturing slowest moderator pump-up rate dynamics and moderator control valve opening delay. Both nominal and worst case models of PHWR-type nuclear power plant have ARX (An Autoregressive Exogenous) structures and the parameters of both models are estimated using recursive LMS (Least Mean Square) optimization algorithm. Nominal and worst case discrete plant models are transformed into frequency domain for robust controller design purpose. The closed loop system is configured into two port model form and H? robust controller is synthesized. The H?controller is designed based on singular value loop shaping and desired magnitude of control input. The selection of desired disturbance attenuation factor and size of the largest anticipated multiplicative plant perturbation for loop shaping of H? robust controller form a constrained multi-objective optimization problem. The performance and robustness of the proposed controller is tested under transient condition of a nuclear power plant in Pakistan and found satisfactory.

This study delves into the intricate relationship between carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions and crucial variables in Europe and Central Asia from 1990-2021. By examining the impact of renewable energy, industry value added, foreign direct investment (FDI), gross domestic product (GDP) per capita, and population density on CO2 emissions using the autoregressive distributed lag (ARDL) method, the study uncovers intriguing findings. The study reveals a significant negative correlation between linear per capita income and CO2 emissions in both the short and long run. Moreover, it confirms the inverted N-shaped environmental Kuznets curve (EKC) relationship between the variables. The study further highlights the unfavorable impact of renewable energy and industry value added on CO2 emissions, pointing to the fact that their growth increases CO2 emissions. On the other hand, population density is found to be a vital factor in reducing CO2 emissions. FDI is identified to have a negative and insignificant impact on CO2 emissions, suggesting that it may not be an effective tool for reducing carbon emissions in the region. The insights from this study have significant implications for policymakers in the region to design and implement effective strategies to reduce CO2 emissions.

This paper investigated the impact of velocity variation in wide streets. The building AR (Aspect Ratio) (Street-canyon-width-to-building-height i.e. W/H) has been calculated by varying the width of street canyon. The k-? turbulence model was applied to ideal street canyons of aspect ratio 0.5, 0.75 and 1.0 while the wind speed was varied from 0.5 to 4.0 m/s. The street canyon aspect ratio 1.0 was obtained by increasing the width of the street two times (i.e. W=1) as much as for AR0.5 (i.e. W=0.5). However, different results obtained from AR1 were compared with AR0.5 to analyze the impact of wide streets. Results show that the temperatures reduce with an increase in ambient wind speed. However, the impact of ambient wind speed was comparatively higher in narrow street canyons since temperature reduced by over 1.4 K with an increase of 3.5 m/s in ambient wind speed. On the other hand, in the case of AR1.0 the area weighted average temperature reduced by 1.3 K with an increase of 3.5 m/s in ambient wind speed. It is found that removing heat from narrower street canyons is comparatively difficult. Results show that the temperatures within the target street canyon of AR0.5 with ambient wind speed of 0.5 m/s were around 0.71 K higher than that in AR1.

Research is necessary because environmental law is so intricate on several levels of complexity including legal, scientifical, socio-political, geographical and economical. Environmental jurists, judges, lawyers, legislatures, executives, environmentalists and experts need a rational, intellectual approach and research to understand and highlight these complexities with sustainable solutions. Environmentalists come forward to explain the complex ecological and socio-political nature of environmental problems and the interrelationships between such problems and different aspects of relevant legal systems, including different attempts to regulate these problems through law. The discourse requires redefining the multiple contexts in which environmental laws operates and the perspectives that can be validly brought to bear in the understanding of the subject, as well as the engagement of all participants in effective compliance with the environmental laws of Pakistan. The experts come to provide insight to provoke thinking about environmental laws by exposing the themes, issues, and novel legal problems of the subject, providing good quality research material that illustrates the complexity of environmental problems and the laws that applies to them, and also provide an analytical framework for the understanding of that complexity and compliance of environmental laws of Pakistan.

With the emergence of smart grid (SG), the residents have the opportunity to integrate renewable energy sources (RESs) and take part in demand side management (DSM). In this regard, we design energy management control unit (EMCU) based on genetic algorithm (GA), binary particle swarm optimization (BPSO), and wind driven optimization (WDO) to schedule appliances in presence of objective function, constraints, control parameters, and comparatively evaluate the performance. For energy pricing, real time pricing (RTP) plus inclined block rate (IBR) is used. RESs integration to SG is a challenge due stochastic nature of RE. In this paper, two techniques are addressed to handle the stochastic nature of RE. First one is energy storage system (ESS) which smooths out variation in RE generation. Second one is the trading/cooperation of excess generation to neighboring consumers. The simulation results show that WDO perform more efficiently than unscheduled in terms of reduction in: electricity cost, the tradeoff between electricity cost and waiting time, and peak to average ratio (PAR). Moreover, incorporation of RESs into SG design increase the revenue and reduce carbon emission.

Ever increasing population and urbanization are the major threat to food security. Therefore, it is inevitable to use the scarce resources in an efficient manner. Further the application of different fertilizers prior considering the actual prevailing fertility status of soil and the nutrients requirements of upcoming crops may result permanent soil health issues. In order to meet the food needs of the nation we shall have to enhance the yield per unit area. Hence, a survey was conducted for the evaluation of the fertility status of Dera Ghazi Khan for the execution of recommendations regarding balanced use of fertilizers. Previous five years soil analysis data of 45 villages of Dera Ghazi Khan exhibited the average pH of 8.12, Electrical conductivity of 4.23 dSm-1, about 99.3% soils were low in organic matter (<0.86%), and 07% soil have medium range of Organic matter (0.867 to 1.29), 81.5, 15.5% and 3% soils were found in poor, medium and adequate quantity with respect to available phosphorus. About 36.9%, 28.1% and 35% soils were found in poor, medium and adequate range of available potassium. The results indicated that the majority of the soil of Dera Ghazi Khan District was found to be normal and is good for the growth of different crops.

Conferência internacional realizada em Bogotá, Colombia, de 14-16 de junho de 2017 The world is facing sustainability challenges for which actions and results are needed in a 10 to 15 years time frame. Sustainability Literacy or Education has a crucial role for the Sustainable Development and is a set of different forms of education aiming to create economic, social, cultural and environmental conditions for sustainable development. This study looks at Sustainability Literacy or Education for Sustainable Development as a potential tool to empower individuals and communities to make more informed decisions that are aligned with long-term sustainability goals and can produce the short-term results needed. Any Education for Sustainable Development initiative relies and can greatly benefit from a bottom-up approach in local communities. An active participation of individuals in the community initiatives generates more opportunities for formal and non-formal lifelong learning and creates relevance that is engaging for other community members. The traditional approach of investment in Sustainability Literacy focuses on youth. However, while this approach is important in the long run, it may not yield results for current sustainability challenges. Older age groups (i.e. 50 or older), usually overlooked because they are perceived as not being motivated by sustainability or as being too late in their life span to have a significant impact, may play a crucial role in promoting sustainability within communities. Our study addresses the importance of improved sustainability literacy in older age groups (i.e. 50 or older) as a driver for sustainability. Endorsing a new role for senior citizens, by leveraging their last active years for short term sustainability efforts, we also empower them with the knowledge and tools to raise the sustainability literacy in younger generations. This work is being carried out in a Lisbon suburban community of around 12000 people, half of which are over 50 years old, and analyses some reflections on the importance of sustainability literacy within this age group and its effects on other age groups. It should be stressed that this population of 50+ years of age is actively engaged with the local University of the 3rd Age (U3A), where topics are presented and discussed in the classroom, using videos to generate a guided discussion toward the construction of the concepts by the students. The results from a group attending a life science literacy class show that the students experience increased personal satisfaction and wellbeing, are motivated towards learning and knowledge sharing within families and communities, including younger generations. These students also expressed greater understanding of messages from the media, health professionals and care takers, as well as a more positive health self-assessment and a greater treatment adherence. These results, aligned with the targets for good health and well-being sustainable development goal (SDG) suggest that initiatives to increase literacy lead to immediate behavior changes and knowledge dissemination. Further studies are ongoing regarding other SDGs, such as climate action, responsible consumption and production or affordable and clean energy. FCT - Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia, Ministério da Ciência, Tecnologia e Ensino Superior N/A

Salinity stress is the crucial abiotic stress that limits crop production worldwide. A plant growth promoter, salicylic acid (SA), was used as a foliar application (FA) to allay the toxic influence of NaCl (salt) on growth of winter vegetable pea. Salt stress with two doses (0 and 100 mM NaCl) was applied through the rooting growth medium, while two levels of SA were used through exogenously. Salt in the growth medium impaired the shoot fresh (13.25%) and dry weight (21.20%) as well as the root fresh (22.12%) and dry weight (6.65%) in the pea cultivars "RSK 510" and "Lena Pak." Foliar SA reduced salt-induced effects while increasing the dry and fresh weights of the shoot as well as of the root. Besides these growth attributes, salt accumulation also limits the rate of photosynthesis (35%) and transpiration (13.21%), sub-stomatal CO2 concentration (14.78%), and the stomatal conductance (5%) also, and in the pea cultivars "RSK 510" and "Lena Pak." Here, the foliar spray of SA overcomes these gas exchange parameters and enhances their values. The SA treatment showed higher performance in the cultivar "RSK-510" while lower in the "Lena Pak" under salt stress. Photosynthetic pigment values like the chlorophyll a (15.47%) and b (24.10%) decreased in the cultivars "RSK-510" and "Lena Pak," which were improved by foliar SA treatment. The values of MDA contents were also lessened due to salt accumulation in the plant cell, and that lessened effect was controlled by the foliar spray of SA in both pea cultivars. Overall, it was noted that the cultivation of pea cultivars "RSK-510" and "Lena Pak" showed their growth in regard to biomass production, photosynthetic rate, and transpiration rate, and also that the photosynthetic pigments and foliar spray of SA promoted these growth attributes.

This research study highlights two different existing and modified landslide risk algorithms for the development of landslide susceptibility models. The modified algorithm based landslide risk susceptibility model has highlighted such slope failures which possess the rate of very high velocity of the triggering at the local scale. The case study of this research is Balakot, one of the ruined city by the terrible earthquake induced landslide fissuring there in 2005. One of the previous landslide risk algorithm, developed by Varnes in 1984, was selected was modified by introducing additional parameters and criteria along with the modified landslide risk algorithm. The both algorithms entitled as mathematical models were incorporated in GIS (Geographical Information Systems) and were tested, compared and validated by the previous landslide occurred data, called as landslide inventory data. The statistical tests were applied to quantify various predicted regions in accordance of the verification of the predicted models. This comparison portrayed the significant difference in both models due to the notable difference due to significant control event parameters. It is assured that this research will help the decision makers by applying the modified algorithm based landslide susceptibility models in the field to avoid the landslide hazards for the future.