Natural forests and abandoned agricultural lands are increasingly replaced by monospecific forest plantations that have poor capacity to support biodiversity and ecosystem services. Natural forests harbour plants belonging to different mycorrhiza types that differ in their microbiome and carbon and nutrient cycling properties. Here we describe the MycoPhylo field experiment that encompasses 116 woody plant species from three mycorrhiza types and 237 plots, with plant diversity and mycorrhiza type diversity ranging from one to four and one to three per plot, respectively. The MycoPhylo experiment enables us to test hypotheses about the plant species, species diversity, mycorrhiza type, and mycorrhiza type diversity effects and their phylogenetic context on soil microbial diversity and functioning and soil processes. Alongside with other experiments in the TreeDivNet consortium, MycoPhylo will contribute to our understanding of the tree diversity effects on soil biodiversity and ecosystem functioning across biomes, especially from the mycorrhiza type and phylogenetic conservatism perspectives.

Nanoparticle V₂O₅ is prepared by the measurement of X-ray diffraction (XRD) and atomic force microscopy (AFM) analyses. The crystallite size = 19.59 nm, optical energy gap = 2.6 eV, an average particle size of 29.58 nm and, RMS roughness of ~6.8 nm. Also, Fourier transformer infrared spectrophotometer (FTIR) showed a porous free morphology with homogeneity and uniformity on the sample surface. The film surface exhibited no apparent cracking and, the grains exhibited large nicely separated conical columnar growth combined grains throughout the surface with coalescence of some columnar grains at a few places. The fabrication of a thin film of V₂O₅ NPs/PSi heterojunction photodetector was characterized and investigated.

This study analyzes the dynamic relationships between tourism, gross domestic product (GDP) per capita, exports, imports, and carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions in five South Asian countries. A VAR-based Granger causality test is performed with time series data from Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka. According to the results, both bidirectional and unidirectional relationships among tourism, economic growth, and carbon emissions are investigated. Specifically, tourism significantly impacts GDP per capita in Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and Nepal, yet it has no effect in Bangladesh or India. However, the GDP per capita shows a unidirectional relationship with tourism in Bangladesh and India. The unidirectional causal relationship from exports and imports to tourism in the context of India and a bidirectional relationship in the case of Nepal. In Pakistan, it is observed that exports have a one-way influence on tourism. The result of the panel Granger test shows a significant causal association between tourism, economic growth, and trade (import and export) in five South Asian economies. Particularly, there is a bidirectional causal relationship between GDP per capita and tourism, and a significant unidirectional causal relationship from CO₂ emissions, exports, and imports to tourism is explored. The findings of this study are helpful for tourism stakeholders and policymakers in the region to formulate more sustainable and effective tourism strategies.

This paper aims to investigate local communities’ participation in eco-tourism projects by using the community of Situ Cisanti located in Tarumajaya Village, West Java as a case. Data were gathered through observation, in-depth interviews, and documentation analysis. Observations and in-depth interviews were conducted simultaneously for two months, from September to October 2021. In-depth interviews were conducted with 15 informants from the elements; village government officials of Tarumajaya, Perhutani, and local communities who participated in the Situ Cisanti eco-tourism project, which was completed through a documents analysis. According to the findings, local community participation in Situ Cisanti eco-tourism consists of conservation and economic participation. Conservation participation is demonstrated by their participation in restoration and greening activities such as reforestation, etc. in Situ Cisanti and its surroundings, whereas economic participation is demonstrated by the establishment of stalls, culinary, coffee, souvenir, and homestay businesses as a result of Situ Cisanti eco-tourism. Furthermore, the existence of this eco-tourism has empowered women because new business opportunities that arise are not only run by men but also by women. As a result, this study implies that the participation of local eco-tourism communities not only has an impact on empowering conservation knowledge and economics, but it can also imply women empowerment.

This study addresses the crucial question of the macroeconomic impact of investing in railroad infrastructure in Portugal. The aim is to shed light on the immediate and long-term effects of such investments on economic output, employment, and private investment, specifically focusing on interindustry variations. We employ a Vector Autoregressive (VAR) model and utilize industry-level data to estimate elasticities and marginal products on these three economic indicators. Our findings reveal a compelling positive long-term spillover effect of these investments. Specifically, every €1 million in capital spending results in a €20.84 million increase in GDP, a €17.78 million boost in private investment, and 72 new net permanent jobs. However, these gains are not immediate, as only 14.5% of the output increase and 38.8% of the investment surge occur in the first year. In contrast, job creation is nearly instantaneous, with 93% of new jobs materializing within the first year. A short-term negative impact on the trade balance is expected as new capital goods are imported. Upon industry-level analysis, the most pronounced output increases are witnessed in the real estate, construction, and wholesale and retail trade industries. The most substantial net job creation occurs in the construction, professional services, and hospitality industries. This study enriches the empirical literature by uncovering industry-specific impacts and temporal macroeconomic effects of railroad infrastructure investments. This underscores their dual advantage in bolstering long-term economic performance and counteracting job losses during downturns, thus offering valuable public policy implications. Notably, these benefits are not evenly distributed across all industries, necessitating strategic sectoral planning and awareness of employment agencies to optimize spending programs and adapt to industry shifts.

Endosulfan (6,7,8,9,10,10-Hexachloro-1,5,5a,6,9,9a-hexahydro-6,9-methano-2,4,3-benzodioxathiepine-3-oxide) is an off-patent insecticide used in agricultural farms. Its usage as a pesticide has become highly controversial over the last few decades. This is due to its reported hazardous nature to health and side effects like growth retardation, hydrocephalus, and undesired changes in the male and female hormones leading to complications in sexual maturity. Endosulfan is the main culprit among all pesticide poisoning incidents around the world. Though the usage of this dreaded pesticide is banned by most countries, the high stability of this molecule to withstand degradation for a long period poses a threat to mankind even today. So, it has become highly essential to detect the presence of this poisonous pesticide in the drinking water and milk around these places. It is also advisable to check the presence of this toxic material in the blood of the population living in and around these places so that an early and appropriate management strategy can be adopted. With this aim, we have developed a sensor for endosulfan that displayed high selectivity and sensitivity among all other common analytes in water and biological samples, with a wide linear concentration range (2 fM to 2 mM), a low detection limit (2 fM), and rapid response. A citrate-functionalized cadmium-selenium quantum dot was used for this purpose, which showed a concentration-dependent fluorescence enhancement, enabling easy and sensitive sensing. This sensor was utilized to detect endosulfan in different sources of water, human blood serum, and milk samples with good recoveries. It is also noted that the quantum dot forms a stable complex with endosulfan and is easy to separate from the contaminated source, paving the way for purifying the contaminated water. More detailed tests and validation of the sensor are needed to confirm these observations.