Intra-regional trade serves as a key growth engine for East Asian economies. Accompanying the rapid growth of bilateral and intra-regional trade ties, the East Asian economies are becoming increasingly connected and interdependent. Infrastructure connectivity plays a crucial role in bridging different areas of the East Asian region and enabling them to reap the full socioeconomic benefits of economic cooperation and integration. Nevertheless, further improvement of infrastructure in the region faces major challenges due to the lack of effective mechanisms for coordination and dialogue on regional integration through funding infrastructure projects, as well as the serious trust deficit among member states that has arisen from the on-going territorial and historical disputes.

This investigation derives formulas to predict the mixed convective surface conductance of a flat isotropic surface roughness having a convex perimeter in a Newtonian fluid with a steady forced flow in the plane of that roughness. Heat transfer measurements of a 30.5 cm square rough plate with forced air velocities between 0.1 m/s and 2.5 m/s were made by the present apparatus in two inclined and all five orthogonal orientations. The present work’s formulas are compared with 104 measurements in twelve data-sets. The twelve data-sets have root-mean-square relative error (RMSRE) values between 1.3% and 4% relative to the present theory. The present work’sformulas are also compared with 78 measurements in 28 data-sets on five vertical rough surfaces in horizontal flow from prior work. The five stucco data-sets have RMSRE values between 2.5% and 6.5%; the other data-sets have RMSRE values between 0.2% and 5%. 

Gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) have been known to possess exceptional electric, biochemical, and optical characteristics and are ‘the topic of discussion’ these days, especially relating to the field of biomedicine. Several plants, bacteria, and fungi have been utilized for the generation of AuNPs, besides other physical and chemical methods. While some studies have been reported with gold nanoparticles, less are aimed at fungi and its optimization factors. These parameters can allow us to design AuNPs of our choice depending on the use. The present review focuses on and inspects AuNPs with green synthesis through fungus optimization parameters followed by applications, aiming specifically at their antibacterial activity. Their antibacterial characteristics can open new doors for the pharmaceutical industry in the future.

Low temperature is one of the most significant environmental factors that threaten the survival of subtropical and tropical plant species. By conducting a study, which was arranged in a completely randomized design with three replicates, the relative freezing tolerance (FT) of four Iranian pomegranate cultivars, including ‘Alak Torsh’, ‘Tabestaneh Torsh’, ‘Poost Sefid’, and ‘Poost Syah’, as well as its correlation with some biochemical indices, were investigated. From each cultivar, pieces of one-year-old shoot samples were treated with controlled freezing temperatures (−11, −14, and −17 ℃) to determine lethal temperatures (LT₅₀) based on survival percentage, electrolyte leakage, phenolic leakage, and tetrazolium staining test (TST) methods. Results showed that FT was higher in the second year with a lower minimum temperature and a higher concentration of cryoprotectants. The stronger correlation of electrolyte leakage with survival percentage (r = 0.93***) compared to the other three indices explained that this index could be the most reliable injury index in determining the pomegranate FT to investigate freezing effects. Of all four cultivars, ‘Poost Syah’ was the hardest by presenting a higher FT than ~ −14 ℃ in mid-winter. Accordingly, this pomegranate cultivar seems to be promising to grow in regions with a higher risk of freezing and to be involved in breeding programs to develop novel commercial cultivars.

Local scour, a complex phenomenon in river flows around piers with movable beds, can damage bridge piers during high floods. Predicting scour depth accurately is vital for safety and economic reasons, especially for large bridges. This study using hydraulic flume laboratory experiments compared diamond, square, and elliptical pier models of different sizes under steady clear-water conditions considering different flow rates and discharge levels to identify the most efficient shape with less local scour. Local scour, a complex phenomenon in three-dimensional flow around piers in rivers with movable beds, can lead to detrimental effects on bridge piers due to high flood velocities. Accurate prediction of scour depth is crucial for economic and safety reasons, especially for large bridges with complex piers. Hydraulic engineers are keen on forecasting the equilibrium scour depth. To achieve this, laboratory testing compared diamond, square, and elliptical pier models under steady clear-water conditions to identify the most efficient pier shape with less local scour. This research provides valuable insights for optimizing pier design to enhance bridge stability and resilience against scour-induced risks. A variety of configurations, including different sizes and shapes of piers were experimented with in the flume using diamond, square, and elliptical shapes. The test results showed that the local scour depth around elliptical piers was around 29.16% less, and around diamond piers, it was approximately 16.05% less compared to the scour depth observed around square piers with the same dimensions. The researchers also observed distinct patterns of scouring around different pier shapes. Specifically, the square-shaped piers displayed the highest level of scouring depth, that is, 48 mm, followed by the diamond-shaped pier which experienced a scouring depth of 48 mm while the elliptical-shaped piers experienced the least amount of scouring depth, that is, 34 mm. The test results also demonstrated that pier size significantly influences scouring, with an increase in pier size from 3 × 3 cm2 to 5 × 5 cm2 leading to a rise in scour depth by 26.04%. Moreover, this study findings also elucidated that an increase in flow results in an increase of in scouring depth i.e., elevating the discharge from 0.0026 cumecs to 0.0029 cumecs led to a 28.13% increase in scouring depth for the identical pier size. These findings provide valuable insights into the hydraulic behavior of various pier shapes and can aid in the optimization of bridge design and hydraulic engineering practices. The investigations further revealed that local scouring is sensitive not only to pier dimensions but also to other critical parameters, including flow rate, time of exposure, and the size of a pier.