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This study aims to systematically review the health risk assessment of the concentration of heavy metals in Pistacia species globally.

The authors systematically searched PubMed, Science Direct, Scopus and Google Scholar to identify all articles published between 1 January 2002 and 20 August 2022. A total of 33 studies met the authors’ inclusion criteria, and their data were extracted. Additionally, the potential risk to human health was assessed by calculating the target hazard quotient and hazard index for both child and adult consumers.

The estimated daily intake for heavy metals in the included studies ranged from 9.72 × 10^–9 to 7.35 (mg/day) in the following order: zinc (Zn) > mercury (Hg) > iron (Fe) > lead (Pb) > copper (Cu) > aluminum (Al) > nickel (Ni) > chromium (Cr) > manganese (Mn) > cadmium (Cd) > arsenic (As) > selenium (Se) > cobalt (Co). Among the studies that investigated heavy metals in Pistacia species around the world, the non-carcinogenic risk for all species of Pistacia was determined to be less than 1, except for Pb and Hg in Pistacia lentiscus.

The soil near the industrial area contained excessive amounts of heavy metals, which led to the transfer of heavy metals to plants. Owing to the insufficiency of the number of studies that examined heavy metals in Pistacia species, further monitoring and investigations were recommended.

Thermal protection of a flange is critical for preventing tower icing and collapse of wind turbines (WTs) in extremely cold weather. This study aims to develop a novel thermal protection system for the WTs flanges using an electrical heat-tracing element.

A three-dimensional model and the Poly-Hexacore mesh structure are used, and the fluid-solid coupling method was validated and then deployed to analyze the heat transfer and convection process. Intra-volumetric heat sources are applied to represent the heat generated by the heating element, and the dynamic boundary conditions are considered. The steady temperature and temperature uniformity of the flange are the assessment criteria for the thermal protection performance of the heating element.

Enlarging the heating area and increasing the heating power improved the flange's temperature and temperature uniformity. A heating power of 4.9 kW was suitable for engineering applications with the lowest temperature nonuniformity. Compared with continuous heating, the increased temperature nonuniformity was buffered, and the electrical power consumption was reduced by half using pulse heating. Pulse heating time intervals of 1, 3 and 4 h were determined for the spring, autumn and winter, respectively.

The originality of this study is to propose a novel electrical heat-tracing thermal protection system for the WTs flanges. The effect of different arrangements, heating powers and heating strategies was studied, by which the theoretical basis is provided for a stable and long-term utilization of the WT flange.

The purpose of this study is to reveal the friction reduction performance and mechanism of granular flow lubrication during the milling of difficult-to-machining materials and provide a high-performance lubrication method for the precision cutting of nickel-based alloys.

The milling tests for Inconel 718 superalloy under dry cutting, flood lubrication and granular flow lubrication were carried out, and the milling force and machined surface quality were used to evaluate their friction reduction effect. Furthermore, based on the energy dispersive spectrometer (EDS) spectrums and the topographical features of machined surface, the lubrication mechanism of different granular mediums was explored during granular flow lubrication.

Compared with flood lubrication, the granular flow lubrication had a significant force reduction effect, and the maximum milling force was reduced by about 30%. At the same time, the granular flow lubrication was more conducive to reducing the tool trace size, repressing surface damage and thus achieving better surface quality. The soft particles had better friction reduction performance than the hard particles with the same particle size, and the friction reduction performance of nanoscale hard particles was superior to that of microscale hard particles. The friction reduction mechanism of MoS₂ and WS₂ soft particles is the mending effect and adsorption film effect, whereas that of SiO₂ and Al₂O₃ hard particles is mainly manifested as the rolling and polishing effect.

Granular flow lubrication was applied in the precision milling of Inconel 718 superalloy, and a comparative study was conducted on the friction reduction performance of soft particles (MoS₂, WS₂) and hard particles (SiO₂, Al₂O₃). Based on the EDS spectrums and topographical features of machined surface, the friction reduction mechanism of soft and hard particles was explored.

The main purpose of this paper was to evaluate the validation process of food safety control measures.

The validation of control measures has been analyzed at 50 food companies in Serbia. The sample included companies that produce food of both plant and animal origin and have certified food safety management systems. A total of 156 control measures that combat physical hazards (41.6%), followed by microbial hazards (34.0%) and chemical hazards (24.4%), have been analyzed. To enable quantification of the validation protocols, each control measure was assigned a score.

The validation scores showed that the highest level of validation was observed in large companies, as opposed to small and medium-sized companies (p < 0.05). The type of food safety hazards and the food sector did not reveal any statistical differences in-between the scores. The main approach to validating control measures was referring to the technical documentation of equipment used (52.6%), followed by scientific and legal requirements (30.7%). Less than 20% of the analyzed control measures were validated with operational data collected on-site. No mathematical modeling was observed for the sampled food companies. Future steps should include the development of validation guides for different types of control measures and training modules.

This study can serve as an improvement guide for food safety consultants, food safety auditors, certification bodies, inspection services, food technologists and food managers.

This study is one of the first to provide an insight into how food companies validate their control measures to combat microbial, chemical and physical food safety hazards.

In the developing field of nano-materials synthesis, copper oxide nanoparticles (NPs) are deemed to be one of the most significant transition metal oxides because of their intriguing characteristics. Its synthesis employing green chemistry principles has become a key source for next-generation antibiotics attributed to its features such as environmental friendliness, ease of use and affordability. Because they are more environmentally benign, plants have been employed to create metallic NPs. These plant extracts serve as capping, stabilising or hydrolytic agents and enable a regulated synthesis as well.

Organic chemical solvents are harmful and entail intense conditions during nanoparticle synthesis. The copper oxide NPs (CuO-NPs) synthesised by employing the green chemistry principle showed potential antitumor properties. Green synthesised CuO-NPs are regarded to be a strong contender for applications in the pharmacological, biomedical and environmental fields.

The aim of this study is to evaluate the anticancer potential of CuO-NPs plant extracts to isolate and characterise the active anticancer principles as well as to yield more effective, affordable, and safer cancer therapies.

This review article highlights the copper oxide nanoparticle's biomedical applications such as anticancer, antimicrobial, dental and drug delivery properties, future research perspectives and direction are also discussed.

This chapter traces the origin of racism and reviews the historical and contemporary debates around race and racialisation in western thought. There are persistent disagreements surrounding the origin and nature of racism. Because of the evolution of racist ideas, behaviours and institutional practices and policies, there are various views about the meaning and analytical application of racism. This chapter explores how ideas of race – understood as innate and immutable human differences that can be classified and ranked hierarchically based on race – has emerged in western history and evolved over time. It examines how this has influenced social and political practices and associated policies across the evolution of modernity. The chapter specifically discusses the Atlantic slave trade and how it shaped the historical development of race and racism within the context of colonialism. It concludes with a discussion and critical review of some of the racist systems and policies which have been enforced across different multiracial countries.

This study aims to propose an analytical tool based on the activities–resources–actors (ARA) model to understand the coordination mechanisms in humanitarian action. The tool identifies the phases of humanitarian action and analyzes the underlying mechanisms that facilitate coordination among organizations.

This study uses a literature review to develop analytical grids and theoretical propositions based on the ARA model.

The ARA model is a useful tool for understanding coordination mechanisms in humanitarian action. The study identifies key elements of interaction systems and characterizes the phases of humanitarian action. Effective coordination among organizations is essential for successful aid delivery. The study provides four theoretical propositions.

Future research could validate the propositions formulated in this study through case studies.

The analytical grids proposed in this study can be used by humanitarian organizations to improve their coordination mechanisms and aid delivery processes.

Effective humanitarian action can help alleviate the suffering of individuals affected by crises and contribute to the overall well-being of communities. The analytical tool proposed in this study can improve the effectiveness of humanitarian action and ultimately benefit society.

This paper presents an original approach by leveraging the ARA model to develop an analytical tool for humanitarian action, which is useful for both practitioners and researchers. In addition, the paper attempts to overcome the siloed vision of humanitarian action by highlighting “emergency-development” aspect.

The final properties of ductile iron are decided by the inoculant processing while pouring the melt. The shape and size of nodules generated during solidification are of paramount importance in solidification of ductile cast iron. The purpose of this study is to examine the effect of different inoculant addition on the solidification of ductile cast iron melt through thermal analysis.

Thermal analysis has recently grown as a tool for modeling the solidification behavior of ductile cast irons. Iron properties will be predicted by analyzing the cooling curve patterns of the melts and predicting the related effectiveness of inoculant processing. In this study, thermal analysis is used to evaluate the need for inoculation.

The amount and type of inoculation will affect the amount of undercooling during the solidification of ductile cast iron. It is found that the addition of 0.1 to 0.4 Wt.% inoculant lowers the austenite dendrite formation starting temperature while increasing the eutectic freezing temperature. Microstructure analysis revealed that the addition of inoculation increases the nodule count from 103 to 242 nodules. The beneficial effects of inoculation are sustained by an improved graphitization factor, which shows the formation of graphite nodules in the second phase of the eutectic reaction.

The inoculation treatment has improved metallurgical occurrences such as carbide to graphite conversion, graphite microstructure control, graphite nodule count at the start of solidification and the last stage of solidification, which determines the soundness of casting. The foundry industry can follow these steps for monitoring the solidification of ductile iron castings.

This study aims to analyze how conventional Bedouin weaving techniques have changed through the history of Israel, offering knowledge on the craft’s cultural relevance and historical development among the Bedouin people and how their weaving and embroidery differ based on the three main geographic characteristics. It tries to comprehend the causes of the transition from organic to synthetic materials and the part played by the Lakiya Negev Bedouin Weaving women’s cooperative in maintaining this legacy.

The main goal of this study is to trace the emergence of Bedouin weaving traditions in the Negev Desert using a qualitative research methodology that combines historical analysis and ethnographic investigation. A thorough grasp of the subject’s significance is provided through the data gathering, which consists of interviews, archival research and field observations.

Through the years, Bedouin weaving techniques have significantly shifted away from using traditional organic materials in favor of synthetic replacements, according to the research. It emphasizes the crucial part played by the Lakiya Negev Bedouin Weaving women’s organization in safeguarding this traditional legacy and giving Bedouin women access to economic prospects.

The limitation of the study includes its emphasis on the Negev region and the Israeli Bedouin community, which may not accurately reflect all Bedouin weaving techniques. Greater regional settings may be explored in future studies.

The investigation emphasizes the value of investing in initiatives for cultural preservation and the empowerment of underprivileged groups through economic possibilities.

By preserving ancient weaving techniques, this research enables Bedouin women in the Negev Desert to maintain their cultural identity and socioeconomic well-being.

By emphasizing the socio-cultural dimensions and the organization’s role in preserving traditional craftsmanship in a changing socio-economic environment, this research presents a unique investigation of the evolution of Bedouin weaving techniques in Israel.

Vision, audition, olfactory, tactile and taste are five important senses that human uses to interact with the real world. As facing more and more complex environments, a sensing system is essential for intelligent robots with various types of sensors. To mimic human-like abilities, sensors similar to human perception capabilities are indispensable. However, most research only concentrated on analyzing literature on single-modal sensors and their robotics application.

This study presents a systematic review of five bioinspired senses, especially considering a brief introduction of multimodal sensing applications and predicting current trends and future directions of this field, which may have continuous enlightenments.

This review shows that bioinspired sensors can enable robots to better understand the environment, and multiple sensor combinations can support the robot’s ability to behave intelligently.

The review starts with a brief survey of the biological sensing mechanisms of the five senses, which are followed by their bioinspired electronic counterparts. Their applications in the robots are then reviewed as another emphasis, covering the main application scopes of localization and navigation, objection identification, dexterous manipulation, compliant interaction and so on. Finally, the trends, difficulties and challenges of this research were discussed to help guide future research on intelligent robot sensors.