Plasma thermal gasification can be one of the most relevant and environmentally friendly technologies for waste treatment and has gained interest for its use in thethermos-conversion of biomass. In this perspective, the objective of this study is to evaluate the gasification of sugarcane bagasse by studying the effective areas of operation of this process and to establish a comparison with conventional autothermal gasification. A thermochemical equilibrium model was used to calculate the indicators that characterize the performance of the process on its own and integrated with a combined cycle. As a result, it was obtained that plasma and gasification of bagasse is technically feasible for the specific net electrical production of 4 MJ with 30 % electrical efficiency, producing a gas with higher calorific value than autothermal gasification. The operating points where the electrical energy production and the cold gas efficiency reach their highest values were determined; then the effects of the operational parameters on these performance indicators were analyzed.

This paper uses Public Choice analysis to examine the case for and experience with Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs). A PPP is a contractual platform which connects a governmental body and a private entity. The goal is to provide a public sector program, service, or asset that would normally be provided exclusively by a public sector entity. This paper focuses on PPPs in developed countries, but it also draws on studies of PPPs in developing countries. The economics literature generally defines PPPs as long-term contractual arrangements between a public authority (local or central government) and a private supplier for the delivery of services. The private sector supplier takes responsibility for building infrastructure components, securing financing of the investment, and then managing and maintaining this facility.

However, in addition to those formed through contracts, PPPs may take other forms such as those developed in response to tax subvention or coercion, as in the case of regulatory mandates. A key element of PPP is that the private partner takes on a significant portion of the risk through a schedule of specified remuneration, contingency payments, and provision for dispute resolution. PPPs typically are long-term arrangements and involve large corporations on the private side, but may also be limited to specific phases of a project.

The types of PPPs discussed in this paper exclude arrangements which may result from government mandates such as the statutory emission mandates imposed on automobile manufacturers and industrial facilities (e.g., power plants). It also excludes PPP-like organizations resulting from US section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, which provides tax subsidies for certain public charities, scientific research organizations, and organizations whose goals are to prevent cruelty to animals or erect public monuments at no expense to the government. This paper concludes that an array of Public Choice tools are applicable to understanding the emergence, success, or failure of PPPs. Several short case studies are provided to illustrate the practicalities of PPPs. 

The properties of the beta batteries are compared, which are made on the basis of the different β-isotopes with beta decay. Tritium and Ni-63 make it possible to make β-sources of high activity, without harmful associated emissions, with low self-absorption, emitting high-energy β-electrons that penetrate deep into the semiconductor and generate a large number of electron-hole pairs. The efficiency of beta batteries needs to be analyzed based on the real energy distribution of β-electrons. It makes possible to obtain the real value of the energy absorbed inside the β-source, correctly estimate the amount of self-absorption of the β-electrons and part of the β-electronsthere is a penetrate into the semiconductor, the number of electrons and holes that are generated in the semiconductor, and the magnitude of the idling voltage. Formulas for these quantities are calculated in this paper.

Soil salinization is a difficult challenge for agricultural productivity and environmental sustainability, particularly in arid and semi-arid coastal regions. This study investigates the spatial variability of soil electrical conductivity (EC) and its relationship with key cations and anions (Na⁺, K⁺, Ca²⁺, Mg²⁺, Cl⁻, CO₃²⁻, HCO₃⁻, SO₄²⁻) along the southeastern coast of the Caspian Sea in Iran. Using a combination of field-based soil sampling, laboratory analyses, and Landsat 8 spectral data, linear Multiple Linear Regression and Partial Least Squares Regression (MLR, PLSR) and nonlinear Artifician Neural Network and Support Vector Machine (ANN, SVM) modeling approaches were employed to estimate and map soil EC. Results identified Na⁺ and Cl⁻ as the primary contributors to salinity (r = 0.78 and r = 0.88, respectively), with NaCl salts dominating the region’s soil salinity dynamics. Secondary contributions from Potassium Chloride KCl and Magnesium Chloride MgCl₂ were also observed. Coastal landforms such as lagoon relicts and coastal plains exhibited the highest salinity levels, attributed to geomorphic processes and anthropogenic activities. Among the predictive models, the SVM algorithm outperformed others, achieving higher R² values and lower RMSE (RMSE_Test = 27.35 and RMSE_Train = 24.62, respectively), underscoring its effectiveness in capturing complex soil-environment interactions. This study highlights the utility of digital soil mapping (DSM) for assessing soil salinity and provides actionable insights for sustainable land management, particularly in mitigating salinity and enhancing agricultural practices in vulnerable coastal systems.

The flipped classroom (FC) model has long brought significant benefits to higher education, secondary, and elementary education, particularly in improving the quality and effectiveness of learning. However, the implementation of FC model to support elementary students in developing self-learning skills (autonomous learning, independent study, self-directed learning) through technology still faces numerous challenges in Vietnam due to various influencing factors. Data for the study were collected through direct questionnaires and online surveys from 517 teachers at elementary schools in Da Nang, Vietnam. Based on SEM analysis, the study identified factors such as perceived usefulness, accessibility, desire, teaching style, and facilitating conditions. The research findings indicate that factors like the perceived effectiveness of the model, teaching style, and facilitating conditions have a positive correlation with the decision to adopt the FC model. Therefore, to encourage the use of the FC model in teaching, it is essential to raise awareness of the model’s effectiveness, improve teaching styles, and create favorable conditions for implementation.

Despite Cameroon’s immense sand reserves, several enterprises continue to import standardized sands to investigate the properties of concretes and mortars and to guarantee the durability of built structures. The present work not only falls within the scope of import substitution but also aims to characterize and improve the properties of local sand (Sanaga) and compare them with those of imported standardized sand widely used in laboratories. Sanaga sand was treated with HCl and then characterized in the laboratory. The constituent minerals of Sanaga sand are quartz, albite, biotite, and kaolinite. The silica content (SiO₂) of this untreated sand is 93.48 wt.%. After treatment, it rose 97.5 wt.% for 0.5 M and 97.3 wt.% for 1 M HCl concentration. The sand is clean (ES, 97.67%–98.87%), with fineness moduli of 2.45, 2.48, and 2.63 for untreated sand and sand treated with HCl concentrations of 0.5 and 1 M respectively. The mechanical strengths (39.59–42.4 MPa) obtained on mortars made with untreated Sanaga sand are unsatisfactory compared with those obtained on mortars made with standardized sand and with the expected strengths. The HCl treatment used in this study significantly improved these strengths (41.12–52.36 MPa), resulting in strength deficiencies of less than 10% after 28 curing days compared with expected values. Thus, the treatment of Sanaga sand with a 0.5 M HCl concentration offers better results for use as standardized sand.