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This paper aims to investigate the prepared modified alkyd and poly(ester-amide) (PEA) resins as antimicrobial and insecticide binders for surface coating applications.

Salicylic diethanolamine and 4-(N, N-dimethylamino) benzylidene glutamic acid were prepared and used as new sources of polyol and dibasic acid for PEA and alkyd resins, then confirmed by: acid value, FT-IR and 1H-NMR. The coating performance of the resins was determined using measurements of physico-mechanical properties. The biological and insecticide activities of the prepared resins were investigated.

The tests carried out revealed that the modified PEA and alkyd enhanced both phyisco-mechanical and chemical properties in addition to the biological and insecticide activities. The results of this paper illustrate that the introduction of salicylic diethanolamine and 4-(N, N-dimethylamino) benzylidene glutamic acid within the resin structure improved the film performance and enhanced the antimicrobial activity performance of PEA and alkyd resins.

The modified alkyd and PEA organic resins can be used as biocidal binders when incorporated into paint formulations for multiple surface applications, especially those that are exposed to several organisms.

Modified alkyd and PEA resins based on newly synthesized modifiers have a significant potential to be promising in the production and development of antimicrobial and insecticide paints, allowing them to function to restrict the spread of insects and microbial infection.

Providing improved access to nature within educational settings can promote stronger child–nature connections and is conditional on making evidence-based decisions for the planning, design and refurbishment of school architecture. The study offers insight into ways of reconnecting children with nature by examining the distribution and classification of diverse natural elements for enhancing children's visual and non-visual experiences of educational environments.

This study combines quantitative and qualitative analysis of data gathered through measurement and observation at three schools in Glasgow, with a total of 75 students, to identify key issues influencing child–nature multi-sensorial connections within indoor and outdoor environments and on building envelopes and layouts. It applies children's open-questions and diagrams to investigate children's discovery of nature, their feelings around natural attributes and their environmental preferences within school contexts.

This study's findings reveal that architectural features and landscape settings have significant influence on the quantitative and qualitative degrees of children's natural exploration through visual and non-visual sensorial modalities and environmental preferences.

The limitations of this study are that the data was gathered in the Spring season and with different groups of children from The Glasgow Academy who received the same educational curriculum. Thus, there is a need for further investigation on children's experiences of nature based on temporal and contextual differences, and varying educational-socio-cultural and economic factors.

The findings suggest that applications of natural diversity, accessible and flexible pathways and indoor natural settings, are potential approaches to connect children with nature within their study and play environments.

The authors provide a deeper understanding of how nature-based settings, including indoor and outdoor environments, constructively benefit children's multi-sensorial experiences, knowledge and biophilic feelings toward nature.

Climate change increases systematic risk for firms, especially those in the agricultural industry. Therefore, the need to examine the consequences of climate-related risks on agribusiness companies' financial performance across the globe and emerging markets has risen. In this context, the paper aims to investigate the effects of climate change risks on the financial performance of agriculture listed firms in Vietnam.

The study sample includes 77 Vietnamese listed firms in the agricultural industry in the period of 2015–2019. The authors chose temperature, wind, rainfall and humidity proxies to measure climate change. The OLS regression, random regression and sub-sample analysis have been used to examine the impacts of climate risks on firms' financial performance.

Empirical results show that rain and temperature have positive impacts on financial performance of Vietnamese agriculture listed firms, while wind and humidity have insignificant impacts on financial performance.

The research helps researchers, businesses, practitioners and policymakers interested in the agricultural industry, especially those in developing and emerging countries, to develop a deep understanding of the impact of climate change risks on firm performance and therefrom prepare necessary measures to reduce the negative impacts.

This study adds to the literature stream on the impacts of climate change on financial performance. It is the first study to investigate this impact in Vietnam, a country which depends mainly on agriculture.

Bales of cotton run through the gins and textile mill instruments, stick to them and make it cumbersome for the ginning mill workers. This is so because more time and money have to be invested in cleaning these instruments. The stickiness of cotton causes health hazards to the workers, decreases the yarn quality and economic loss to the textile industry. The effect of cotton stickiness on textile ginning, various methods for cotton stickiness detection and the steps for reduction are discussed.

The different methods that are available for detecting and measuring cotton stickiness are described. The sugars that cause stickiness are either of plant origin (physiological sugars) or from the feeding insects (entomological origin). The methods for stickiness detection and reduction are discussed under physical, chemical and biological categories.

This review suggests possible ways to mitigate cotton stickiness.

One of the major issues of the textile industry is honeydew-contaminated cotton stickiness. However, there are few papers on detection methods for analyzing honeydew cotton stickiness along with the approaches to reduce stickiness. This paper summarizes different methods along with a study for detection as well as reduction of cotton stickiness.

The purpose of this study is to evaluate whether a diversification by grape varieties may help wine producers reduce uncertainty in quantity and quality variations due to increasingly erratic climate conditions.

This study hand-collects granular quantity and quality data from wine harvest reports for vintages 2003 to 2017 for the Valais region in Switzerland. The data allows us to obtain detailed data on harvested kilograms/liters and Oechsle/Brix degrees. It is then merged with precise meteorological data over the same sample period. The authors use this data set to capture weather conditions and their impact on harvested quantities and quality. Finally, they build portfolios including different grape varieties to evaluate whether this reduces variations in quality and quantity over vintages.

The findings highlight that the weather varies relatively strongly over the sample period and that climate hazards such as hail, frost or ensuing vine diseases effectively occur. These strongly impact the harvested quantities but less the quality of the wine. The authors further show that planting different grape varieties allows for a significant reduction in the variation of harvested quantities over time and thus acts as a good solution against climate risk.

The effect of climate change on viticulture is becoming increasingly important and felt and bears real economic and social consequences. This study transposes portfolio diversification which is central to reducing risk in the finance industry, into the wine industry and shows that the same principle holds. The authors thus propose a novel idea on how to mitigate climate risk.

This study aims to evaluate the state of preservation of one of the most famous manuscripts dated back to the 15th century using some analytical techniques to identify the manuscript components, explain its deterioration mechanisms and produce some solutions for conservation processes in future studies.

The analytical techniques used were visual assessment, digital microscope, scanning electron microscope (SEM) with EDX, pH measurement, attenuated total reflection – Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (ATR/FTIR) and cellulose crystallinity.

Stains, missed parts and scratching were the most common aspects of deterioration. Some insects were observed by digital microscope. The SEM showed that linen fibers and goat skin were used to manufacture paper sheets and leather binding. Energy dispersive X-ray analysis proved that niobium and tantalum were added during the manufacture of paper sheets. Carbon black ink was the main writing material. The other pigments used were cinnabar in red ink, gold color from brass and blue color from lapis lazuli. FTIR analysis proved that some chemical changes were noticed. Low crystallinity of the historical paper was obtained. There was a reduction in the pH value of the historical bookbinding.

The importance of the analytical techniques used to detect the main components, forms and mechanism of deterioration of the studied manuscript. The elements of niobium and tantalum were added to paper sheets, which protected them from deterioration. The insects such as house flies and Sitophilus granarius were found in the manuscripts.

The authors designed a science and engineering curricular program that includes design features that promote student interest and motivation and examined teachers' and students' views on meaningfulness, motivation and interest.

The research approach consisted of mixed methods, including content analyses and descriptive statistics.

The curricular program successfully included all four of the US National Academies of Sciences' design features for promoting interest and motivation through scientific investigation and engineering design. During interviews, teachers and students expressed evidence of design features associated with interest and motivation. After experiencing the program, more than 60% of all students scored high on all four science and engineering meaningfulness and interest survey items.

A curricular program that extends science learning through the engineered design of solutions is an innovative approach to foster both conceptual knowledge development and interest and motivation in science and engineering.

Ecotourism has emerged as a new hope of the tourism sector and is expected to overcome past pitfalls of mass tourism. Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to assess the potentials and challenges of ecotourism development in the historic and sacred sites of North Shewa Zone, Ethiopia.

Data were collected through interview, household questionnaire, field observation and focused group discussion. The collected data were analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS version 23) and Excel.

Based on household’s perception, churches and monasteries were mentioned as the main (17.58%) ecotourism attractions that have crucial role in ecotourism development in the area followed by biodiversity resources (17.23%) and Holy Water (16.01%). These existing ecotourism potentials and opportunities were discussed on the basis of five dimensions, i.e. historical and sacred attractions, biological attractions, cultural attractions, infrastructures and institutional potentials. The mean score values of a five-point Likert scale level of agreement or disagreement of respondents were between 2 and 4.5, implying overall responses of respondents spread between agree and strongly agree.

The findings reveal that although the historic and sacred sites of the area have potential ecotourism opportunities, different anthropogenic activities are affecting its development. The researchers recommended awareness creation programs, promotion of sites, development of infrastructures, employments of well-trained professionals and allocation of sufficient budgets as a mechanism to use the ecotourism potential and solving the existing challenges.

This research examines the association of physical development density, prevalence and types of microbes in colonized façade finishes of buildings in Enugu metropolis, Nigeria.

Survey and experimental research designs were adopted. A total of 383 buildings were investigated with samples collected from those with colonized façade finishes. The microbes were identified using the standard procedure for genomic sequencing with descriptive statistics, and the chi-square test used to analyse the data.

The results revealed a 64% prevalence of microbial colonization and a significant association between this and physical development density with 71.0% of the colonized buildings located in high-density neighbourhoods of the metropolis. The sequencing also showed 24 different microbes with Trichophyton tonsurans, Trichophyton mentagrophytes and Trichoderma harzianum species being the most common in the colonized façade finishes.

The research informs building professionals and owners of the specific microbes involved in the colonization of façade finishes of buildings in high-density urban areas. It also provides a clue about the nature of damages and defects associated with microbial colonization of building façades and the type of biocide additives required for the production of microbial-resistant façade finishes in the hot-humid tropical environment of Nigeria and beyond.

The study has shown that there is a significant relationship between the intensity of urban land use and microbial colonization of façade finishes of buildings. It also identified some new or less known microbes responsible for the biodeterioration of façade finishes and the effects this has on the buildings and public health in the hot-humid tropics of Enugu, Southeast Nigeria.

The present work highlights the outstanding properties of Cannabis sativa that can be harnessed for various utilitarian functions and its climate friendly properties.

In this paper, the authors reviewed current research on all possible utilities from household work to manufacturing of various products that are environmentally sustainable. The authors have presented some of their research on this materials and also exploration of hemp as an archaeological material based on the findings from wall paintings of Ellora caves.

There are references of hemp use in mixing with earthen/lime plaster of western Indian monuments. Around 1,500 years of Ellora’s earthen plaster, despite harsh climatic conditions, survived due to the presence of hemp in the plaster that adds durability, fibrosity and its capacity to ward off insects and control humidity. Furthermore, the outstanding quality of Cannabis as carbon sequestrant was harnessed by Indians of ancient times in Ellora mural paintings.

This work discusses some relevant literature on the potential use of hempcrete aligned with Agenda 2030 of sustainable development goals.

There are several research going on in producing sustainable materials using hemp that have the least environmental impact and can provide eco-friendly solutions.

The authors impress upon the readers about multifarious utility of the hemp and advices for exploration of this material to address many environmental issues.

This paper presents both review of the existing papers and some components coming directly from their laboratory investigations.