Using a newly developed data set, we analyze the effects of infrastructure investment on economic performance in Portugal. A vector-autoregressive approach estimates the elasticity and marginal products of twelve types of infrastructure investment on private investment, employment, and output. We find that the largest long-term accumulated effects come from investments in railroads, ports, airports, health, education, and telecommunications. For these infrastructures, the output multipliers suggest that these investments pay for themselves through additional tax revenues. For investments in ports, airports and education infrastructures, the bulk of the effects are short-term demand-side effects, while for railroads, health, and telecommunications, the impact is mostly of a long-term and supply-side nature. Finally, investments in health and airports exhibit decreasing marginal returns, with railroads, ports, and telecommunications being relatively stable. In terms of the other infrastructure assets, the economic effects of investments in municipal roads, electricity and gas, and refineries are insignificant, while investments in national roads, highways, and waste and waste water have positive economic effects but too small to improve the public budget. Clearly, from a policy perspective, not all infrastructure investments in Portugal are created equal.

This study uses the opening of the new Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) in stages between 2010 and 2012 in Singapore as the exogenous event to empirically test the impact of the new Circle Line (CL) on housing wealth. Applying a "differences-in-differences" approach to the non-landed private housing transaction data covering the period from 2009 to 2013, we find that the average housing prices increase by 1.6% in the post-opening of the CL. We find significant capitalization of the new CL into housing prices, especially households living within a 400-meter radius (the treatment zone) from the closest MRT stations on the CL. The treatment effects that are measured by the "marginal willingness to pay" for houses located within the treatment zone is 13.2% relative to houses located outside the treatment zone. The new CL opening creates an estimated S$1.23 billion housing wealth effects for households living in close proximity to the CL MRT stations. However, we do not find significant "anticipative" effects on house prices in the six-month window prior to the opening of CL. The strongest treatment effect is found after the opening of the phase 1 of CL, and the treatment intensity declines in phases 2 and 3 of the CL opening.

Hybrid nanofluids have several potential applications in various industries, including electronics cooling, automotive cooling systems, aerospace engineering, and biomedical applications. The primary goal of the study is to provide more information about the characteristics of a steady and incompressible stream of a hybrid nanofluid flowing over a thin, inclined needle. This fluid consists of two types of nanoparticles: non-magnetic nanoparticles (aluminium oxide) and magnetic nanoparticles (ferrous oxide). The base fluid for this nanofluid is a mixture of water and ethylene glycol in a 50:50 ratio. The effects of inclined magnetic fields and joule heating on the hybrid nanofluid flow are considered. The Runge-Kutta fourth-order method is used to numerically solve the partial differential equations and governing equations, which are then converted into ordinary differential equations using similarity transformations. Natural convection refers to the fluid flow that arises due to buoyancy forces caused by temperature differences in a fluid. In the context of an inclined needle, the shape and orientation of the needle have significantly affected the flow patterns and heat transfer characteristics of the nanofluid. These analyses protest that raising the magnetic parameter results in an increase in the hybrid nanofluid thermal profile under slip circumstances. Utilizing the potential of hybrid nanofluids in a variety of technical applications, such as energy systems, biomedicine, and thermal management, requires an understanding of and ability to manipulate these effects.

The effects of Zn2+ stress on seed germination, seedling growth and chlorophyll content were studied in order to better understand the effect of heavy metal Zn on the growth and development of green plants. The concentration gradient of Zn2+ was 20, 50,100,150,200,300,500,700mg / L, and deionized water was used as control. The results showed that under the Zn2+ stress condition, the germination index of the rhubarb seeds increased with the increase of Zn2+ concentration. Germination potential, germination rate and germination index were the highest when Zn2+concentration was 100mg / L, the conductivity was the lowest at zinc concentration of 100mg / L, the root length, stem length and chlorophyll content of Zn2+ gradually reduced. The results showed that the amount of Zn2+ could promote seed germination, but the root length, bud length and chlorophyll content of seedlings could be affected by different degrees. The zinc fertilizer should be used in the production.

Water scarcity, particularly in arid and semi-arid regions, is a critical issue affecting forest management. This study investigates the effects of drought stress on the water requirement and morphological characteristics of two important tree species Turkish pine and Chinaberry. Using a factorial design, the study examines the impact of three age stages (one-year-old, three-year-old, and five-year-old plants) and three levels of drought stress on these species. Microlysimeters of varying sizes were employed to simulate different drought conditions. Soil moisture was monitored to show the effect of the various irrigation schedules. The study also calculated reference crop evapotranspiration (ET₀) using the PMF-56 method and developed plant coefficients (Kc) for the species. Results showed that evapotranspiration increased with soil moisture, peaking during summer and decreasing in winter. Turkish pine exhibited higher plant ET than Chinaberry, particularly among one-year-old seedlings. Drought stress significantly reduced evapotranspiration and water uses for both species, highlighting the importance of efficient water management in afforestation projects. The findings underscore the necessity of selecting drought-resistant species and optimizing irrigation practices to enhance the sustainability of green spaces in arid regions. These insights are crucial for improving urban forestry management and mitigating the impacts of water scarcity in Iran and similar climates globally.

In older adults with disabilities, muscle weakness reduces mobility and causes postural issues. Electrical muscle stimulation (EMS) training is effective for increasing strength by inducing involuntary skeletal muscle contractions. Thus, this study aimed to examine changes in lumbar movement, muscle activity during walking, and maximum muscle strength of lower-limb joints based on an 8-week EMS exercise program for older adults with physical disabilities. Sixteen older adults (aged 56–78 years) with physical disabilities were selected and randomly assigned to either the exercise group (EG, n = 8) or the control group (CG, n = 8). EG participants were instructed to wear EMS suits and participate in an elastic band and bare-body exercise program, whereas CG participants performed the exercise program without the EMS suits. Lumbar range of motion (ROM), body circumference, partial volume, maximum muscle strength, and muscle activity were measured. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS 28.0 for Windows, with the critical value of α = 0.05. Compared to CG participants, EG participants had a superior ROM, body volume, partial volume, maximum muscle strength (knee joints), and muscle activity while walking. These positive outcomes highlight the efficacy of combining EMS with an exercise program for strength and rehabilitation training in older adults with physical disabilities.