The propagation of plant material in the arracacha crop is commonly done vegetatively through asexual seed, this activity has allowed its multiplication and conservation over time. The plant material available is of low quality, affecting the development and potential yield of the crop and therefore the producer’s income. The objective of the research was to comparatively analyze two technologies for the production of arracacha seed: local technology and Agrosavia technology. The information for the local technology was obtained from surveys applied to farmers and the selection was made using the deterministic sampling technique, and for the Agrosavia technology through the recording of data and production costs in research lots at commercial scale. Descriptive statistics and calculation of economic return indicators were applied for the two situations. The results show that the use of quality seed allows obtaining higher seed production (251,559 unit ha^-1) and tuberous roots (25,875 kg ha^-1), being superior to local technology by 14% and 28% respectively; thus, the arracacha producer acquires greater economic efficiency by obtaining lower unit cost per kilo produced and better net income with a marginal rate of return of 316.45. The results achieved are useful for farmers, companies and entities that wish to produce quality seed and support the arracacha production system in Colombia.

Lattice Boltzmann models for diffusion equation are generally in Cartesian coordinate system. Very few researchers have attempted to solve diffusion equation in spherical coordinate system. In the lattice Boltzmann based diffusion model in spherical coordinate system extra term, which is due to variation of surface area along radial direction, is modeled as source term. In this study diffusion equation in spherical coordinate system is first converted to diffusion equation which is similar to that in Cartesian coordinate system by using proper variable. The diffusion equation is then solved using standard lattice Boltzmann method. The results obtained for the new variable are again converted to the actual variable. The numerical scheme is verified by comparing the results of the simulation study with analytical solution. A good agreement between the two results is established.

The present study demonstrates the fabrication of heterogeneous ternary composite photocatalysts consisting of TiO₂, kaolinite, and cement (TKCe),which is essential to overcome the practical barriers that are inherent to currently available photocatalysts. TKCe is prepared via a cost-effective method, which involves mechanical compression and thermal activation as major fabrication steps. The clay-cement ratio primarily determines TKCe mechanical strength and photocatalytic efficiency, where TKCe with the optimum clay-cement ratio, which is 1:1, results in a uniform matrix with fewer surface defects. The composites that have a clay-cement ratio below or above the optimum ratio account for comparatively low mechanical strength and photocatalytic activity due to inhomogeneous surfaces with more defects, including particle agglomeration and cracks. The TKCe mechanical strength comes mainly from clay-TiO₂ interactions and TiO₂-cement interactions. TiO₂-cement interactions result in CaTiO₃ formation, which significantly increases matrix interactions; however, the maximum composite performance is observed at the optimum titanate level; anything above or below this level deteriorates composite performance. Over 90% degradation rates are characteristic of all TKCe, which follow pseudo-first-order kinetics in methylene blue decontamination. The highest rate constant is observed with TKCe 1-1, which is 1.57 h⁻¹ and is the highest among all the binary composite photocatalysts that were fabricated previously. The TKCe 1-1 accounts for the highest mechanical strength, which is 6.97 MPa, while the lowest is observed with TKCe 3-1, indicating that the clay-cement ratio has a direct relation to composite strength. TKCe is a potential photocatalyst that can be obtained in variable sizes and shapes, complying with real industrial wastewater treatment requirements.

This paper highlights the opportunities as well as challenges posed for Bangladesh by the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) of China. BRI is being considered as the most expensive project ever initiated connecting more than half of the world population from Asia, Europe and Africa. For writing this paper, the authors utilized published sources such as journal articles, newspaper articles and web-based information published from 2013 to 2024. The article proposes that although the involvement of Bangladesh in the BRI is not absolutely free of challenges, it can serve the ultimate national interest through greater connectivity with other countries, increased volume of trade and economic activities and socio-cultural exchange. Although, as the originator and major contributor of the BRI, China will be the principal benefiter, other partner countries can also attain considerable benefits out of this historical mega scheme through the application of appropriate vision and strategic implementation. This paper has highlighted those benefits/opportunities and challenges for Bangladesh that can be beneficial for upcoming research projects particularity aimed at development studies, political economy and international relations. On the other hand, based on the arguments made on this paper, policymakers and businessmen can formulate their best policies as well as trading strategies with mutual benefits for all the stakeholders involved.

In order to replace conventional materials in the existing composite world, there has been a focus on adopting coir fibres, which are lightweight, adaptable, efficient, and have great mechanical qualities. This study describes the creation of environmentally responsible bio-composites with good mechanical characteristics that employ coir powder as a reinforcement, which has good interfacial integrity with an epoxy matrix. And these epoxy-coir composites supplemented with coir particles are predicted to function as a reliable substitute for traditional materials used in industrial applications. Here, untreated and alkali-treated coir fibres powder were employed as reinforcement, with epoxy resin serving as a matrix. An experimental investigation has been carried out to study the effect of coir powder reinforcement at different weight percentages (5 wt%, 10 wt%, 15 wt%, 20 wt%, 25 wt%, and 30 wt%). The morphological study, followed by a scanning electron microscope (SEM) and an optical microscope (OM), demonstrated that the powder and matrix had the strongest adhesion at 20 wt% coir powder-reinforced composite, with no voids, bubbles, or cracks. Based on the entire investigation, the polymer composite with 20 wt% reinforcement exhibited better mechanical qualities than the other combinations.