Naturally occurring radionuclides can be categorized into two main groups: primordial and cosmogenic, based on their origin. Primordial radionuclides stem from the Earth’s crust, occurring either individually or as part of decay chains. Conversely, cosmogenic radionuclides originate from extraterrestrial sources such as space, the sun, and nuclear reactions involving cosmic radiation and the Earth’s atmosphere. Gamma-ray spectrometry is a widely employed method in Earth sciences for detecting naturally occurring radioactive materials (NORM). Its applications vary from environmental radiation monitoring to mining exploration, with a predominant focus on quantifying the content of uranium (U), thorium (Th), and potassium (K) in rocks and soils. These elements also serve as tracers in non-radioactive processes linked to NORM paragenesis. Furthermore, the heat generated by radioactive decay within rocks plays a pivotal role in deciphering the Earth’s thermal history and interpreting data concerning continental heat flux in geophysical investigations. This paper provides a concise overview of current analytical and measuring techniques, with an emphasis on state-of-the-art mass spectrometric procedures and decay measurements. Earth scientists constantly seek information on the chemical composition of rocks, sediments, minerals, and fluids to comprehend the vast array of geological and geochemical processes. The historical precedence of geochemists in pioneering novel analytical techniques, often preceding their commercial availability, underscores the significance of such advancements. Geochemical analysis has long relied on atomic spectrometric techniques, such as X-ray fluorescence spectrometry (XRFS), renowned for its precision in analyzing solid materials, particularly major and trace elements in geological samples. XRFS proves invaluable in determining the major constituents of silicate and other rock types. This review elucidates the historical development and methodology of these techniques while showcasing their common applications in various geoscience research endeavors. Ultimately, this review aims to furnish readers with a comprehensive understanding of the fundamental concepts and potential applications of XRF, HPGes, and related technologies in geosciences. Lastly, future research directions and challenges confronting these technologies are briefly discussed.

Building cooling load depends on heat gains from the outside environment. Appropriate orientation and masonry materials play vital roles in the reduction of overall thermal loads buildings. A net-zero energy building performance has been analyzed in order to ascertain the optimum orientation and wall material properties, under the climatic conditions of Owerri, Nigeria. Standard cooling load estimation techniques were employed for the determination of the diurnal interior load variations in a building incorporating renewable energy as the major energy source, and compared with the situation in a conventionally powered building. The results show a 19.28% reduction in the building’s cooling load when brick masonry was used for the wall construction. It was observed that a higher heat gain occurred when the building faced the East-West direction than when it was oriented in the North-South direction. Significant diurnal cooling loads variation as a result of radiation through the windows was also observed, with the east facing windows contributing significantly higher loads during the morning hours while the west facing windows contributed higher amounts in the evening. The economic analysis of the net-zero energy building showed an 11.63% reduction in energy cost compared to the conventional building, with a 7-year payback period for the use of Solar PV systems. Therefore, the concept of net-zero energy building will not only help in energy conservation, but also in cost savings, and the reduction of carbon footprint in the built environment.

Quantum dot can be seen as an amazing nanotechnological discovery, including inorganic semiconducting nanodots as well as carbon nanodots, like graphene quantum dots. Unlike pristine graphene nanosheet having two dimensional nanostructure, graphene quantum dot is a zero dimensional nanoentity having superior aspect ratio, surface properties, edge effects, and quantum confinement characters. To enhance valuable physical properties and potential prospects of graphene quantum dots, various high-performance nanocomposite nanostructures have been developed using polymeric matrices. In this concern, noteworthy combinations of graphene quantum dots have been reported for a number of thermoplastic polymers, like polystyrene, polyurethane, poly(vinylidene fluoride), poly(methyl methacrylate), poly(vinyl alcohol), and so on. Due to nanostructural compatibility, dispersal, and interfacial aspects, thermoplastics/graphene quantum dot nanocomposites depicted unique microstructure and technically reliable electrical/thermal conductivity, mechanical/heat strength, and countless other physical properties. Precisely speaking, thermoplastic polymer/graphene quantum dot nanocomposites have been reported in the literature for momentous applications in electromagnetic interference shielding, memory devices, florescent diodes, solar cells photocatalysts for environmental remediation, florescent sensors, antibacterial, and bioimaging. To the point, this review article offers an all inclusive and valuable literature compilation of thermoplastic polymer/graphene quantum dot nanocomposites (including design, property, and applied aspects) for field scientists/researchers to carry out future investigations on further novel designs and valued property-performance attributes.

The exploitation of timber has had a profound impact on tropical forest areas and their structures. This study assessed the effect of selective logging on natural regeneration and soil characteristics in post-loading bay sites at the Pra-Anum forest reserve in Ghana, West Africa. The results showed no difference in the number of species enumerated in the loading bays and the undisturbed area. More trees were observed in the RAT and RNT plots than in the undisturbed area. Relative to the RAT plot, species on the RNT and the undisturbed area were less diverse and less evenly distributed. Mean tree height, diameter, and basal area were higher in the RAT and RNT plots than in the undisturbed plots. Soil bulk density was lower in the RAT and undisturbed plot than in the RAT plot and increased with increased depth. Soil organic matter was 44% and 27% more in the undisturbed and RAT plots, respectively, than in the RNT plot and accounted for 84.75%, 83.97% and 45.33% of variations in soil bulk density, pH, and CEC. The study provides insight into the need to rehabilitate highly disturbed areas in forests, particularly the addition of topsoil on loading bays, skid trails, roads, and gaps after logging to improve the productivity of the forest soils.

Total factor productivity (TFP) is essential for disentangling the determinants of economic growth, productivity, and the standard of living. Understanding the variations in TFP, however, is greatly challenging because of the many assumptions that comprise the theoretical growth framework. In this paper, we aim to explore the determinants of TFP growth for countries at different stages of information and communication technology (ICT) development. To address the endogenous nature of the associated growth variables, we implement a three-stage-least (3SLS) square panel regression to improve the efficiency and asymptomatic accuracy of the estimators. We find that transmission channels, such as financial openness and trade globalization, have contributed substantially to growth in both advanced and developing countries. However, we also discover that greater financial openness can undermine a country’s TFP growth if the financial system is not sufficiently developed. When time horizons are decomposed into pre-ICT development and post-ICT development periods, a significant crowding-out effect is observed between ICT investment and financial openness in the pre-period, implying that the allocation of resources is critical for countries in the developing stage. Trade and finance policies that are adopted by advanced and developed countries might not be ideal for underdeveloped countries. Discretion in choosing adequate policies regarding financial integration and trade liberalization is advised for these emerging countries.

Soil salinity is a major abiotic stress that drastically hinders plant growth and development, resulting in lower crop yields and productivity. As one of the most consumed vegetables worldwide, tomato (Solanum lycropersicum L.) plays a key role in the human diet. The current study aimed to explore the differential tolerance level of two tomato varieties (Rio Grande and Agata) to salt stress. To this end, various growth, physiological and biochemical attributes were assessed after two weeks of 100 mM NaCl treatment. Obtained findings indicated that, although the effects of salt stress included noticeable reductions in shoots’ and roots’ dry weights and relative growth rate as well as total leaf area, for the both cultivars, Rio Grande performed better compared to Agata variety. Furthermore, despite the exposure to salt stress, Rio Grande was able to maintain an adequate tissue hydration and a high leaf mass per area (LMA) through the accumulation of proline. However, relative water content, LMA and proline content were noticeably decreased for Agata cultivar. Likewise, total leaf chlorophyll, soluble proteins and total carbohydrates were significantly decreased; whereas, malondialdehyde was significantly accumulated in response to salt stress for the both cultivars. Moreover, such negative effects were remarkably more pronounced for Agata relative to Rio Grande cultivar. Overall, the current study provided evidence that, at the early growth stage, Rio Grande is more tolerant to salt stress than Agata variety. Therefore, Rio Grande variety may constitute a good candidate for inclusion in tomato breeding programs for salt-tolerance and is highly recommended for tomato growers, particularly in salt-affected fields.