The global demand for valuable metals and minerals necessitates the exploration of alternative, sustainable approaches to mineral recovery. Seawater mining has emerged as a promising option, offering ...a vast reserve of minerals and an environmentally friendly alternative to land-based mining. Among the various techniques, Nanofiltration (NF) has gained significant attention as a preliminary treatment step in Minimum Liquid Discharge (MLD) and Zero Liquid Discharge (ZLD) schemes. This study focused on the potential of two underexplored commercial polyamide based NF membranes, Synder NFX and Vontron VNF1, with enhanced divalent over monovalent separation factors, in optimizing the extraction of magnesium hydroxide (Mg(OH)2) from seawater and seawater reverse osmosis (SWRO) brines. The research encompassed a thorough characterization of the membranes utilizing advanced physic-chemical analytical techniques, followed by rigorous experimental assessments using synthetic seawater and SWRO brine in concentration configuration. The findings highlighted the superior selectivity of NFX for magnesium recovery from SWRO brine and the promising concentration factors of VNF1 for seawater treatment. Cross-validation of experimental data with a mathematical model demonstrated the model's reliability as a process design tool in predicting membrane performance. A comprehensive techno-economic evaluation demonstrates the potential of NFX, operating optimally at 23 bar pressure and 70% permeate recovery rate, to yield an estimated annual revenue of 5.683 M€/yr through Mg(OH)2 production from SWRO brine for a plant with a nominal capacity of 0.8 Mm3/y. This research shed light on the promising role of NF membranes in enhancing mineral recovery taking benefit of their separation factors and emphasizes the economic viability of leveraging NF technology for maximizing magnesium recovery from seawater and SWRO brines.
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•NFX and VNF1 membranes were tested for seawater/brine valorization.•Tests were conducted at 20 bar and permeate recovery p.r (0–80%).•NFX showed higher Mg selectivity than VNF1 in both scenarios.•Mg(OH)2 purity >97% was reached (NFX, SWRO brine, 10 bar and p.r 80%).•The highest achieved revenue was 5.7 M€/yr (NFX, SWRO brine, 23 bar, p.r 70%).
Taking into account the premise of rational expectations and the necessity of allocative efficiency, financial resources are expected to flow in the direction that would create the most efficiency. ...Also, given the asymmetry of information and the ethical risk raised between the providers of financial information and its users, external users are expected to have the required and sufficient knowledge of the final product of the financial reporting process, i.e., audited financial statements, the quality of financial statements, and the possibility of biased reporting, and also to optimally use the information contained in it for their economic decisions. Financially distressed firms are naturally expected to lose the trust of suppliers, and suppliers are reluctant to grant trade credit to such firms. The statistical population of the present research consists of all the companies listed on the Tehran Stock Exchange that have submitted their financial statements during the period of 1390 to 1400 (2011 to 2021). The present research, therefore, can also be helpful for standard-setting institutions (auditing organizations) to develop standards concerning the conditions by considering the financial situation of companies such as financial distress as exceptional conditions that may distort the effective implementation of some accounting standards. They can also revise and make adjustments to the stricter accounting rules affecting earnings management, especially in situations where managers are under a lot of pressure.
Ephestia kuehniella Zeller, is a major pest in stored products, and a host resurgence for rear natural enemies. Understanding the relation between temperature variations and the life table parameters ...of E. kuheniella is necessary to predicting its population dynamics and improve the efficiency of mass rearing through determining the optimal temperature. The influence of seven temperatures (15, 17.5, 20, 22.5, 25, 27.5 and 30 °C) on the development, reproduction and survival of E. kuehniella were tested under laboratory conditions. Development time of almost all immature stages in E. kuheniella was the shortest at temperatures of 30, while the longevity of male and female decreased with increasing temperatures. At 27.5 °C E. kuheniella females had the highest intrinsic rate of natural increase (0.07111 d−1), and finite rate of increase (1.077 d−1). All demographic parameters showed a parabolic relation with temperature. The consequences of the present research showed that the temperatures between 25 °C to 27 °C, were most favorable for the reproduction and development of E. kuheniella and that for mass rearing in this species and predict E. kuheniella population phenology and dynamics.
•Ephestia kuehniella, is a major pest in stored products, and a host resurgence for rear natural enemies. Understanding the relation between temperature and the life table parameters of E. kuheniella is necessary to predicting its population dynamics and improve the efficiency of mass rearing.•The consequences of the present research showed that the temperatures between 25°C to 27°C, were most favorable for the reproduction and development of E. kuheniella and that for mass rearing in this species and predict E. kuheniella population phenology and dynamics.•The results of this research might be utilized to describe dynamics of population as a temperate function and could be estimated optimal temperature conditions for mass rearing of E. kuheniella populations.
In this study, we examined the fecundity, survival, and adult longevity of Ephestia kuehniella (Zeller) at different temperatures (15, 17.5, 20, 22.5, 25, 27.5, and 30 °C), and developed a model of ...oviposition. The fecundity, survival, and adult longevity of E. kuehniella were affected by temperature. Longevity reduced from 15.7 d at 15 °C to 8.79 d at 30 °C. Total fecundity was lowest (160.54 eggs) at 30 °C and highest (351.75 eggs) at 25 °C. The relationship between temperature and total fecundity was described by a nonlinear function. Cumulative age-specific egg laying fitted well to the two-parameter Weibull equation and survival of adults fitted well to a reverse logistic curve. These three temperature-dependent attributes (age-specific cumulative egg laying, temperature-dependent total fecundity, and age-specific survival rate) were integrated into a model of oviposition. Simulation of oviposition using the model has the potential to be useful for predicting patterns of occurrence of E. kuehniella egg populations in stores.
The development of the Mediterranean flour moth, Ephestia kuehniella (Zeller), was evaluated at 10, 15, 17.5, 20, 22.5, 25, 27.5, 30 and 32.5°C with no lighting. None successfully completed ...development at 10 and 32.5°C. The total development time from egg to adult emergence was 164, 140, 98, 76, 61, 62 and 50 days, respectively, at the remaining temperatures. The developmental rate of E. kuehniella was described by the common linear model and six non-linear models. The lower temperature threshold for the immature stages and the thermal constant for E. kuehniella were 9°C and 1111 degree-days (DD) to complete development from egg to newly emerged adult. Non-linear models estimated the lower and upper thermal thresholds (Tmin and Tmax) and optimal temperature (Topt). The values of Tmax calculated by three nonlinear models ranged from 34°C to 46°C; Topt for each stage of development varied from 24 and 31°C, consistent with the temperature (30°C) at which the most rapid development occurred. Information on the threshold temperatures for development and thermal requirements can be utilized to predict E. kuehniella population dynamics and phenology and to evaluate optimal temperature conditions for mass rearing in stored products.
Objective: This study sought to establish a conceptual framework for explaining organizational resilience against corruption in Iranian governmental economic organizations. Methods: Glaserian ...emerging grounded theory method was used to identify factors of organizational resilience against corruption as a new concept in literature. In order to find a deeper understanding of the concept and its generative factors in three layers (event, mechanism, and structure), in an integrated framework, the critical realistic ontology was used. Results: "Anticipating", "monitoring", "response", "reassurance", "reducing impacts of corruption on staff", and "improvement" were recognized as principal categories in the empirical layer. Categories of "intelligence and dynamic organism", "strong control" and "resilient staff" were recognized as generative mechanisms in the actual layer. Categories of "open system", "organizational culture" and "attitude to corruption and reform" were recognized as structures in the real layer. These 12 factors with other conditional factors shape organizational resilience against corruption. Conclusion: According to these categories, organizational resilience against corruption is a meta-capability that includes what organizations should have and do before, during, and after corruption.
Two signed graphs are called switching isomorphic if one of them is isomorphic to a switching equivalent of the other. To determine the number of switching non-isomorphic signed graphs on a specific ...graph, we will establish a method based on the action of its automorphism group. As an application and computational results, we classify all the switching non-isomorphic signed graphs arising from the complete graph K5 and the generalized Petersen graph GP(7; 2). Moreover, some results on the automorphism groups of the target signed graphs are obtained.
Iodine is the main ingredient produced by the thyroid hormone, which playa a central role in the metabolism and the immune system. The present study aims to evaluate the effects of feeding Artemia ...fransiscana enriched with potassium iodide on antioxidant and immune gene expression in zebra fish (Danio rerio). Zebra larvae with an average weight of 2±0.01 mg were randomly distributed into 4 treatments with 3 replicates. The treatments were larvae fed 0.2, 0.5 and 1 mg/L potassium iodide enriched Artemia for 2 months. Result showed that potassium iodide significantly (P≤0.05) increased antioxidant and immune gene expression in zebra fish and the intensity of changes followed a dose- dependent manner. The 1 mg/L potassium iodide treated fish showed the highest gene expression in all studied genes. Due to changes in the expression of immune and antioxidant related genes, it appeared that potassium iodide could improve immune and antioxidant function in zebrafish.
