Current Journal of Applied Science and Technology

Techno-economic Sizing of a Grid-connected Photovoltaic-battery System for a Slaughterhouse in Mbour, Senegal

2026-10-08T11:33:27+00:00

Background: Electricity costs and supply reliability are important constraints for refrigeration-dependent meat-processing facilities.

Aims: This study assessed a grid-connected photovoltaic (PV)-battery system for the Mbour slaughterhouse in Senegal using facility electricity records and a simulated operating profile.

Methods: Electricity bills, monthly energy consumption, maximum demand, and meat-production records for the available reference period were analysed. System sizing and techno-economic simulation were conducted in the System Advisor Model (version 2026.7.3). Technical evaluation considered annual generation, specific yield, capacity factor, performance ratio, grid interaction, and PV/BESS contribution. Economic evaluation considered capital cost, net present value (NPV), levelised cost of energy (LCOE), and payback.

Results: The proposed configuration comprised approximately 92 kWp of PV, about 70 kW of inverter capacity, and a battery system sized at 45 kW/180 kWh. Simulated PV generation was about 152 MWh/year, with a specific yield of 1,658 kWh/kWp, a capacity factor of 18.90%, and a performance ratio of 74%. The estimated CAPEX was $219,278. Under the stated tariff, replacement, and discount-rate assumptions over 25 years, the model yielded an NPV of −$14,948 and an LCOE of 15.90 ¢/kWh.

Conclusion: The configuration can reduce grid electricity expenditure, although economic performance remains sensitive to battery costs and replacement, electricity tariffs, export compensation, and financing conditions.

First-principles Investigation of Phonon, Elastic, and Thermodynamic Properties of Co₂MnSi, FeCo₂Si, and CrCo₂Si Heusler Compounds

2026-10-08T12:41:40+00:00

Co-based full-Heusler compounds provide a useful platform for examining how transition-metal substitution modifies lattice dynamics and mechanical response. In this work, a comparative analysis is presented for Co₂MnSi, Co₂FeSi, and Co₂CrSi using the crystallographic, phonon, elastic-tensor, and harmonic-thermodynamic datasets supplied for the three compounds. The structural files describe four-atom cells with nearly identical metrics (a = 3.94914 Å, b = 3.94914 Å, c = 3.94914 Å; α ≈ β ≈ γ = 60°), corresponding to an equivalent cubic parameter of approximately 5.585 Å. Each phonon dataset contains 12 branches sampled at 1,010 reciprocal-space points. No negative entries occur along the supplied phonon paths, with maximum phonon energies of 43.3971, 42.3177, and 43.8669 meV for Co₂MnSi, Co₂FeSi, and Co₂CrSi, respectively. In contrast, analysis of the complete displayed 6 × 6 stiffness matrices gives six positive eigenvalues for Co₂MnSi and Co₂CrSi, whereas Co₂FeSi has two negative eigenvalues (−4.330 and −3.571 GPa), indicating loss of positive definiteness with respect to homogeneous strain. The smallest positive stiffness eigenvalues are 25.85 GPa for Co₂MnSi and 3.44 GPa for Co₂CrSi, demonstrating markedly different soft-strain responses. The reported harmonic thermodynamic functions show increasing entropy and heat capacity and decreasing vibrational Helmholtz free energy with temperature. A systematic normalisation discrepancy is identified in the exported phonon density of states: direct integration gives approximately 49–50 modes, whereas a four-atom primitive cell must contain 12 modes. Division by 4.13567, the approximate THz-to-meV conversion factor, recovers 11.93–12.08 modes, strongly suggesting a frequency-axis/DOS-amplitude conversion inconsistency. The study therefore provides a rigorous comparative assessment of the supplied computational outputs while distinguishing path-specific dynamical behaviour from complete stability and identifying the additional calculations required for a fully reproducible first-principles study.

Carbon-Catalysed Carbon Deposition via Hydrocarbon Cracking

2026-10-12T07:22:18+00:00

Packed-bed reactors are commonly used to measure global kinetic parameters such as conversion, yield, and selectivity in hydrocarbon pyrolysis and catalytic decomposition studies. However, these reactors can suffer from several limitations, such as non-uniform gas residence time, concurrent gas-phase and surface reactions, and potential disruption of deposited carbon structures during post-reaction sampling. This study introduces an alternative approach using a seeded aerosol method, in which carbonaceous catalysts are suspended in a reactive gas stream and subjected to pyrolysis at high temperatures. The resulting carbon aerosols are collected and analysed using transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Results show that the structure of the collected carbon particles is strongly influenced by the initial nanostructure and chemical state of the seed catalyst. This technique offers new insights into the controlled growth of carbon nanomaterials and holds promise for the design of functional carbon blacks with novel morphologies. Combined with ReaxFF simulations, this approach lays the groundwork for the rational design of functional carbon materials with tailored properties. By avoiding the limitations of packed-bed reactors, the method enables direct correlation between catalyst nanostructure and the resulting carbon morphology. The findings suggest that seed-particle reactivity and surface features play crucial roles in carbon deposition.

Vegetation Recovery and Biodiversity Enhancement Following Ecological Restoration of a Degraded Rocky Hill in the Indian Thar Desert

2026-10-13T08:07:09+00:00

Aims: To assess early vegetation recovery and biodiversity enhancement following ecological restoration of a degraded rocky hill at Lunawas Bhakhar, Jodhpur, western Rajasthan.

Study Design: A comparative site-level assessment was conducted between a plantation/restoration field (PF) and an adjoining outside plantation field (OPF).

Place and Duration of Study: Lunawas Bhakhar, Jodhpur, western Rajasthan, India; restoration began in 2022 and vegetation was surveyed in 2024.

Methodology: Vegetation was sampled using nested 30 × 30 m plots for trees, 5 × 5 m plots for shrubs and 1 × 1 m quadrats for herbaceous vegetation. Thirty sampling units were examined, with 15 in each field. Species density, frequency and abundance were recorded, and species richness, Shannon diversity and evenness were compared descriptively because only species-level summary data were available.

Results: Thirty-four plant species were recorded in PF and six in OPF, giving PF approximately 5.7 times the recorded species richness. Shannon diversity was 2.088 in PF and approximately 1.635 in OPF, whereas evenness was 0.592 and approximately 0.913, respectively. The PF community included planted woody species together with spontaneously occurring grasses, herbs, legumes and shrubs, and the herbaceous layer was dominated by Aristida funiculata.

Conclusion: After two years, the protected restoration field supported a richer and more functionally varied plant community than the adjoining outside field. The findings represent an early site-level restoration response rather than natural recruitment alone.

A Framework for a Smart Construction Project: Machine Learning Approach

2026-10-14T11:44:44+00:00

Smart construction project management integrates advanced technologies, data analytics, and digital tools to support the planning, execution, and monitoring of construction projects. This study aimed to identify critical success factors (CSFs) influencing construction project success in Tanzania and to examine how machine learning can be integrated into project management to support a smart construction approach. A mixed-methods design was adopted. Quantitative data were collected through structured questionnaires from 100 construction experts and stakeholders, while qualitative data were obtained through interviews with 10 professionals. The study identified 41 CSFs, which were rated and used as input features for machine learning model development. Data pre-processing and feature selection were undertaken, and the dataset was expanded using generative adversarial networks. Logistic regression, random forest, support vector classifier, and decision tree models were evaluated using accuracy, precision, recall, F1-score, and receiver operating characteristic metrics. Results showed that the random forest and support vector classifier models had identical performance across the evaluation metrics, with approximately 0.97 for accuracy, 0.99 for precision, 0.97 for F1-score, and 1.00 for ROC; both outperformed the logistic regression and decision tree algorithms. The developed model was deployed in a Streamlit-based web application that allows users to rate CSFs and obtain project success predictions. The framework demonstrates how locally identified CSFs and machine learning can support pre-implementation assessment of construction project success in the Tanzanian context.

Serological Investigation of Orf Virus in Small Ruminants with Clinical Signs of Contagious Ecthyma

2026-10-15T11:15:43+00:00

Contagious ecthyma is a zoonotic disease of small ruminants caused by orf virus (ORFV). This study characterised ORFV antibody seropositivity in 200 clinically affected animals from Burdur, Türkiye: 50 sheep, 50 goats, 50 lambs, and 50 kids. ORFV-specific IgM was assessed in lambs and kids, whereas ORFV-specific IgG was assessed in sheep and goats using qualitative ELISA. Seropositivity was examined by age, sex, and breed using Fisher's exact test for 2 x 2 comparisons and Fisher-Freeman-Halton exact tests for larger contingency tables. Group-specific seropositivity was 28% (14/50) in lambs, 16% (8/50) in kids, 16% (8/50) in sheep, and 20% (10/50) in goats; the aggregate proportion across the clinically selected sample was 20% (40/200). In lambs, IgM seropositivity differed by age (p = 0.021), sex (p = 0.004), and breed (p = 0.011). In kids, breed differences were significant (p < 0.001), whereas age (p = 0.222) and sex (p = 0.247) were not. Among adults, age and sex were not significantly associated with IgG seropositivity in sheep or goats; sheep breed was also not significant (p = 0.222), while goat breed showed an exploratory association (p = 0.045). Overall lamb-kid and sheep-goat comparisons were not significant. These findings describe antibody patterns within a symptomatic clinical sample and should not be interpreted as population prevalence or aetiological confirmation of current lesions. ELISA can support serological assessment, while molecular detection is required for direct confirmation of ORFV.

An in silico Molecular Docking Study of Andaliman (Zanthoxylum acanthopodium DC.) Phytochemicals against the HER2 Kinase Domain through Re-Docking Validation

2026-10-16T11:50:57+00:00

Aims: To evaluate the predicted interactions of six andaliman (Zanthoxylum acanthopodium DC.) phytochemicals, namely quercetin, 4-coumaric acid, isorhamnetin, berberine, ferulic acid, and kaempferol, with the HER2 kinase domain using a molecular docking protocol validated by re-docking.

Study Design: A computational in silico study using a structure-based molecular docking approach.

Place and Duration of Study: Computational analysis using molecular structures obtained from the RCSB Protein Data Bank and PubChem. No physical study site was involved.

Methodology: Chain A of the HER2 kinase structure (PDB ID 3PP0) was used as the receptor. The docking protocol was validated by re-docking the co-crystallised ligand 03Q using AutoDock Vina 1.1.2. The grid box was centred at 17.098971, 16.548676, and 26.600647 Å with a size of 20 × 20 × 20 Å³ and an exhaustiveness of 16. Heavy-atom RMSD was calculated using Open Babel obrms. The six phytochemicals, together with the reference ligands lapatinib and TAK-285, were then docked into the same binding site. Binding affinity and ligand–protein interactions were analysed using PyMOL.

Results: Re-docking of 03Q yielded a heavy-atom RMSD of 0.70355 Å, below the 2.0 Å threshold. The phytochemicals showed binding affinities ranging from −6.5 to −9.9 kcal/mol, compared with −10.6 and −12.1 kcal/mol for lapatinib and TAK-285, respectively. Berberine showed polar contacts with ASP863, MET801, and GLY804, while kaempferol formed one confirmed hydrogen bond with ASP863. Both reference ligands formed confirmed hydrogen bonds with SER728. No geometrically supported π–π interactions were identified.

Conclusion: The docking protocol satisfied the operational validation criterion. The findings provide initial structural insights into andaliman phytochemical interactions with HER2; however, the results remain predictive and require further computational and experimental validation.