The need for global energy conservation has become more urgent because of the negative effects of excessive energy use, such as higher fuel consumption, greater environmental pollution, and depletion of the ozone layer. There has been a significant increase in the demand for central and high-capacity household air conditioning systems in Muscat in recent years. The need for this is influenced by factors such as arid climate, increasing temperatures, air pollution, and population increase. As a result, there has been a significant increase in electricity use, putting a strain on power resources. To tackle this difficulty, the incorporation of solar collectors as supplementary thermal compressors in air conditioning systems offers a chance to utilise renewable energy sources. The objective of this hybrid technique is to enhance the effectiveness of cooling systems, hence minimising the need for electricity and lowering the release of environmental pollutants.

Zinc oxide (ZnO) hollow spheres are gaining attention due to their exceptional properties and potential applications in various fields. This study investigates the impact of different zinc precursors Zinc Chloride (ZnCl₂), Zinc Nitrate [Zn(NO₃)₂], and Zinc Acetate [Zn(CH₃COO)₂] on the hydrothermal synthesis of ZnO hollow spheres. A comprehensive set of characterization techniques, including Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy (FE-SEM), X-ray Diffraction (XRD), Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), and Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) analysis, was utilized to assess the structural and morphological features of the synthesized materials. Our findings demonstrate that all samples exhibit a high degree of crystallinity with a wurtzite structure, and crystallite sizes range between 34 to 91 nm. Among the different precursors, ZnO derived from Zinc Nitrate showed markedly higher porosity and a well-defined mesoporous structure than those obtained from Zinc Acetate and Zinc Chloride. This research underscores the significance of precursor selection in optimizing the properties of ZnO hollow spheres, ultimately contributing to advancements in the design and application of ZnO-based nanomaterials.

Infrastructure decision-making has traditionally been focused on the use of cost-benefit analysis (CBA) and multicriteria decision analysis (MCDA). Nevertheless, there remains no consensus in the infrastructure sector regarding a favored approach that comprehensively integrates resilience principles with those tools. This review focuses on how resilience has been evaluated in infrastructure projects. Initially, 400 papers were sourced from Web of Science and Scopus. After a preliminary review, 103 papers were selected, and ultimately, the focus was narrowed down to 56 papers. The primary aim was to uncover limitations in both CBA and MCDA, exploring various strategies for amalgamating them and enhancing their potential to foster resilience, sustainability, and other infrastructure performance aspects. Results were classified based on different rationalities: i) objectivist, ii) conformist, iii) adjustive, and iv) reflexive. The analysis revealed that while both CBA and MCDA contribute to decision-making, their perceived strengths and weaknesses differ depending on the chosen rationality. Nonetheless, embracing a broader perspective, fostering participatory methods, and potentially integrating both approaches seem to offer more promising avenues for assessing the resilience of infrastructures. The goal of this research proposal is to devise an integrated approach for evaluating the long-term sustainability and resilience of infrastructure projects and constructed assets.

The article highlights Malaysia’s multicultural history, the advancement of Internet technology, and the worldwide appeal of Chinese food, all of which serve as a good basis for the project. This study focuses on Malaysian Chinese takeout systems. The research’s primary goals include developing new business options for the Chinese food sector, as well as enhancing customer happiness and efficiency of takeout systems. As a result, the project intended to create a Web-based system for managing several tasks associated with meal ordering by users. For the system development, an Object-Oriented System Development (OOSD) methodology was used, mostly with the Java programming language. Model-View-Control (MVC) framework was employed throughout development to improve system administration. Redis and HTTP session technologies were included for user login to increase system security. For database operations, MyBatis and MyBatis Plus were also employed to enhance ease and security. The system adheres to design principles and leverages technologies like ElementUI and jQuery to further fulfill this criterion to provide a user-friendly interface. The results of this study demonstrate significant improvements in the overall efficiency of the takeout process, leading to enhanced user experiences and greater customer satisfaction. In addition to streamlining operations, the system opens new avenues for the Malaysian Chinese food industry to capitalize on the growing demand for online food ordering. This research provides a solid foundation for future innovations in takeout systems and serves as a reference point for enhancing the Chinese gastronomy sector in a rapidly digitizing world.

The objective of this work was to evaluate the combined effect of bovine manure, Pseudomonas putida and Trichoderma aureoviride on the development of lettuce (Lactuca sativa). The promotion of plant growth by microorganisms may be a viable and sustainable alternative for lettuce crop management. The experimental design was entirely randomized with five treatments: T0 (witness without fertilization, P. putida and T. aureoviride), TE (cattle manure), TEB (cattle manure + P. putida), TEF (cattle manure + T. aureoviride), TEFB (cattle manure + P. putida + T. aureoviride) and ten repetitions each. The following variables were analyzed: germination velocity index (GVI), first count (FC), germination percentage (GP), leaf area index and productivity. The TEFB treatment proved to be a viable alternative for the production of lettuce, especially for small producers, since all the vegetable production in the region comes from family farming.

Flood risk analysis is the instrument by which floodplain and stormwater utility managers create strategic adaptation plans to reduce the likelihood of flood damages in their communities, but there is a need to develop a screening tool to analyze watersheds and identify areas that should be targeted and prioritized for mitigation measures. The authors developed a screening tool that combines readily available data on topography, groundwater, surface water, tidal information for coastal communities, soils, land use, and precipitation data. Using the outputs of the screening tool for various design storms, a means to identify and prioritize improvements to be funded with scarce capital funds was developed, which combines the likelihood of flooding from the screening tool with a consequence of flooding assessment based on land use and parcel size. This framework appears to be viable across cities that may be inundated with water due to sea-level rise, rainfall, runoff upstream, and other natural events. The framework was applied to two communities using the 1-day 100-year storm event: one in southeast Broward County with an existing capital plan and one inland community with no capital plan.