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The use of chemical pesticides can have many detrimental side effects, including environmental pollution, and be a threat to human health. Carbon dioxide (CO2) treatment, a relatively new method for storage pest management, can replace harmful chemicals. Dates, an important food worldwide, contains many minerals, fiber, and a variety of vitamins and are an important dried fruit export from Iran annually. Thus, control of the pests of dried dates by using eco-friendly agents that do not affect quality features are critical. In this study, larval mortality of the Indian meal moth (Plodia interpunctella (Hübner)) and the greater wax moth (Galleria mellonella (L.)), two key pests of stored products, especially dried dates, was studied after exposure to different CO2 pressures within 24 h. Mortality percentages of the third-instar larvae of both pests were increased with an increase in CO2 pressure. Sensory tests on the qualitative characteristics of the dates revealed that CO2 pressures did not affect their aroma, color, sweetness, sourness, crispness, firmness, and overall acceptance. The highest tested pressure (33.4 mol%) of CO2 also had no significant effects on the chemical properties of the date samples, including moisture content, pH, acidity, Brix value, reducing sugar, and total sugar. We conclude that atmospheric CO2 gas can provide a cost-effective and environmentally friendly method for controlling the insect pests of dried dates in addition to preserving their sensory and quality properties.

This study investigated the impact of soil compaction owing to cotton picker traffic, and the impact of this compaction on cotton yield on a row-by-row basis across the field under both random traffic farming (RTF) and controlled traffic farming (CTF) systems. Measurements of soil water content, dry bulk density and soil penetration resistance were taken and compared with a depth of 80 cm both before and after traffic. It was found that the traffic of JD7760 round-bale cotton picker caused significant compaction in cotton rows and furrows located between, adjacent to, and in wheel tracks under both RTF and CTF systems, particularly for the top 30-cm depth. Because of the soil compaction, the yield was more significantly reduced (7~10% by the machine-pick method) in the rows between the dual-wheel than in those adjacent to the wheel track. Adopting CTF reduces the area of soil compaction and ensures the maintenance of soil characteristics of the cultivated portions of the farm, hence enhancing cotton yield.

Moisture variation and fissure formation of rice kernels during multi-stage intermittent drying (MSID) were simulated and analyzed based on the experimental data obtained in a laboratory-scale infr...

Background Combined infrared and convective drying is a promising technology in dehydrating heat‐sensitive foods, such as fruits and vegetables. This novel thermal drying method, which involves the application of infrared (IR) energy and hot air during a drying process, can drastically enhance energy efficiency and improve overall product quality at the end of the process. Understanding the dynamics of what goes on inside the product during drying is important for further development, optimization and upscaling of the drying method. In this study, a multiphase porous media model considering liquid water, gases and solid matrix was developed for the combined infrared and hot‐air drying (CIR‐HAD) of sweet potato slices in order to capture the relevant physics and obtain an in‐depth insight on the drying process. The model was simulated using MATLAB with user‐friendly GUI interface for easy coupling and faster computational time. Results The gas pressure for CIR‐HAD was higher centrally and decreased gradually towards the surface of the product. This implies that drying force is stronger at the product core than at the product surface. Phase change from liquid water to vapour occurs almost immediately after the start of the drying process for CIR‐HAD. The evaporation rate as expected was observed to increase with increased drying time. Evaporation during the CIR‐HAD increased with increasing distance from the centerline of the sample surface. The simulation results of water and vapour flux revealed that moisture transport around the surfaces and sides of the sample is as a result of capillary diffusion, binary diffusion and gas pressure in both the vertical and horizontal directions. The nonuniform dominant infrared heating caused the heterogeneous distribution of product temperature. These results suggest that CIR‐HAD of food occur in a non‐uniform manner with high vapour and water concentration gradient between the product core and the surface. Conclusions This study provides better insight into the physics and phase changes of food during CIR‐HAD. The multiphase model has the advantage that phase change and impact of CIR‐HAD operating parameters can be swiftly quantified. Such modelling approach is thereby significant for further development and process optimization of CIR‐HAD towards industrial upscaling.

In this study, prediction and analysis of energy and exergy in a combined hot air-infrared dryer with ultrasound pretreatment for organic blackberry was carried out. The effect on product color and...

Osteosarcoma (OS) is the most common bone tumor in children and adolescents and is characterized by high metastatic and recurrence rates. In the past, it has been shown that microRNAs may play critical roles in hypoxia-related OS proliferation and invasion. However, the mechanisms by which OS cells acquire this malignant phenotype have remained largely unknown. In the present study, we report that let-7f-5p and TARBP2 were expressed in lower amounts in human OS cell lines when compared with the hFOB normal human osteoblastic cell line; however, both types of cells were repressed by hypoxia. let-7f-5p and TARBP2 significantly inhibited the proliferation and invasion of OS cells. Furthermore, TARBP2 as a downstream and functional target of let-7f-5p regulated the expression of let-7f-5p, and there was a regulatory feedback loop between let-7f-5p and TARBP2. This loop reduced the expression of let-7f-5p and TARBP2 in OS cells to a very low level, which was induced by hypoxia. Furthermore, the hypoxia-induced let-7f-5p/TARBP2 feedback loop contributed to activation of the Wnt signaling pathway. Taken together, our data clearly showed that the feedback loop between let-7f-5p and TARBP2 induced by the hypoxia-promoted OS cell malignant phenotype increased with activation of the Wnt signaling pathway.

Objective To describe delivery of recommended HIV care and work satisfaction among infectious disease (ID) physicians, non-ID physicians, nurse practitioners (NPs), and physician assistants (PAs). Data sources Medical Monitoring Project 2013-2014 HIV Provider Survey. Study design Population-based complex sample survey. Data collection/analysis methods We surveyed 2208 HIV care providers at 505 US HIV care facilities and computed weighted percentages of provider characteristics, stratified by provider type. Rao-Scott chi-square tests and logistic regression used to compare characteristics of ID physicians with each other provider type. Principal findings The adjusted provider response rate was 64 percent. Among US HIV care providers, 45 percent were ID physicians, 35 percent non-ID physicians, 15 percent NPs, and 5 percent PAs. Satisfaction with administrative burden was lowest among non-ID physicians (27 percent). Compared with ID physicians, satisfaction with remuneration was lower among non-ID physicians and higher among NPs (37, 28, and 51 percent, respectively). NPs were more likely than ID physicians to report performing four of six services that are key to providing comprehensive HIV care, but more NPs planned to leave clinical practice within 5 years (19 vs 7 percent). Conclusion Addressing physician dissatisfaction with remuneration and administrative burden could help prevent a provider shortage. Strengthening the role of NPs may help sustain a high-quality workforce.

The world population is predicted to increase from the present 7 [...]

Osteoporosis (OP) has the characteristics of a systematically impaired bone mass, strength, and microstructure. Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) are longer than 200 nt, and their functions in osteoporosis is yet not completely understood. We first harvested the bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) from ovariectomy (OVX) and sham mice. Then, we systematically analyzed the differential expressions of lncRNAs and messenger RNAs (mRNAs) and constructed lncRNA–mRNA coexpression network in order to identify the function of lncRNA in osteoporosis. Totally, we screened 743 lncRNAs (461 upregulated lncRNAs and 282 downregulated lncRNAs) and 240 mRNAs (128 upregulated and 112 downregulated) with significantly differential expressions in OP compared to normal. We conducted Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) functional analyses to investigate the functions and pathways of the differential expression of messenger RNAs (mRNAs), a coexpressed network of lncRNA/mRNA. Quantitative PCR (qPCR) validated that the expressions of NONMMUT096150.1, NONMMUT083450.1, and NONMMUT029743.2 were all downregulated, whereas NONMMUT026970.2, NONMMUT051734.2, NONMMUT003617.2, and NONMMUT034049.2 were all upregulated in the OVX group. NONMMUT096150.1, as a key lncRNA in OP, was identified to modulate the adipogenesis of BMSCs. Further analysis suggested that NONMMUT096150.1 might modulate the adipogenesis of BMSCs via the peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR) signaling pathway, AMPK signaling pathway, and the lipolysis regulation in adipocyte and adipocytokine signaling pathway. Our study expands the understanding of lncRNA in the pathogenesis of OP.

The effect of seven drying methods (freeze (FD), hot air (HA), infrared (IR), microwave (MW), hot air‐infrared (HA‐IR), hot air‐microwave (HA‐MW), and sun drying (SD) methods on the drying time, the physical, qualitative and antioxidant properties, and the extraction of phenolic and flavonoid compounds in green peas was studied. Six mathematical models were also utilized to predict the moisture content of dried green peas. The results showed that the shortest and longest drying times were obtained by the HA‐MW and FD methods, respectively. For all drying methods, the Page model had the best ability in predicting the drying curve. The lowest amount of specific energy consumption was achieved by the MW method. The highest color changes and the lowest amount of shrinkage occurred in the FD method. The lowest rehydration ratio was 1.23 in the SD method. The highest pH value of 6.08 was also obtained in the SD method. The amount of antioxidant capacity changes and the total phenol and flavonoid contents varied between 42.47%–88.28%, 4.52–14.59 mg GAE/gDW, and 244.62–322.44 mg QE/gDW for different methods. The FD method was found to be the best way to preserve the product properties. It was further suggested that the HA‐MW method can be a promising technology for drying the green peas due to the relatively lower energy consumption, shorter drying time, and higher quality.

Objective The activation of NLRP3 inflammasome is critical for rheumatoid arthritis (RA), however, the role of gasdermin D (GSDMD), a newly identified pyroptosis executioner downstream of NLRP3/ASC/Caspase-1, in RA has not been well defined. Methods Genetically susceptible mice (DBA/1J) are immunized with a type II bovine collagen emulsion in complete Freund's adjuvant (CFA). Peripheral blood neutrophils were isolated from healthy volunteers and RA patients; cells were treated with serum from RA patients. The activation of GSDMD was analyzed by confocal and western blot. Proinflammatory cytokines in joint of mice were detected by qPCR and ELISA. Results The expression of cleaved GSDMD-N terminal in peripheral blood neutrophils from RA patients and the expression of GSDMD-N was positively correlated with the level of IL-1β and IL-18 from RA patients. GSDMD was required for the pathogenesis of RA, and GSDMD inhibition disulfiram significantly suppressed proinflammatory cytokines production and joint damage, leading to reduced arthritis severity score and loss of cartilage in collagen-induced arthritis (CIA) mouse model. Mechanistically, the activation of GSDMD significantly promotes neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs), which are highly immunogenic and decorated with HMGB1 and MMPs. Furthermore, GSDMD-dependent NETs formation facilitated fibroblast-like synoviocytes (FLS) activation and proliferation, driving cartilage and bone destruction, and promoting disease activity in RA. Conclusions GSDMD-dependent NETs formation promotes FLS activation during RA pathogenesis.

In a tropical rainforest environment, different storage strategies are often adopted in the preservation of primary processed food crops, such as maize, sorghum, etc., after drying and dehulling to increase shelf-life. For breadfruit seeds (Treculia Africana), the current challenge is identifying the most appropriate short-term storage and packaging methods that can retain the quality of stored products and extend shelf-life. In this regard, we compared the performance of a plastic container, a weaved silo bag and a locally developed silo bin for the short-term storage of parboiled, dehulled and dried breadfruit seeds treated with locally sourced and affordable alligator pepper (Zingiberaceaeaframomum melegueta) and bitter kola (garcinia) powder as preservatives. We show that the concentration of CO2 was lower in the silo bin treated with 150 g alligator pepper and higher in the silo bag-treated with 100 g bitter kola nut. A higher CO2 concentration resulted in limited oxygen availability, higher water vapor, and a higher heat release rate. Non-treated bag storage had the highest average mold count of 1.093 × 103 CFU/mL, while silo bin-stored breadfruit treated with 150 g of alligator pepper had the lowest mold count of 2.6 × 102 CFU/mL. The storage time and botanical treatments influenced both the crude protein and crude fiber content. Average insect infestations were low (0–4.5) in the silo bin with breadfruits treated with alligator pepper powder, as the seeds seemed to continue to desorb moisture in storage, unlike in other treatments. The obtained results revealed the high potential of alligator pepper (Zingiberaceaeaframomum melegueta) as a botanical insecticide in preventing insect infestation and mold growth in stored breadfruit instead of using synthetic insecticide. An aluminum silo bin with alligator pepper powder is recommended to store dried and dehulled breadfruit seeds as a baseline for other tropical crops.

The repetitive part of the genome (the repeatome) contains a wealth of often overlooked information that can be used to resolve phylogenetic relationships and test evolutionary hypotheses for clades of related plant species such as Pelargonium. We have generated genome skimming data for 18 accessions of Pelargonium section Ciconium and one outgroup. We analyzed repeat abundancy and repeat similarity in order to construct repeat profiles and then used these for phylogenetic analyses. We found that phylogenetic trees based on read similarity were largely congruent with previous work based on morphological and chloroplast sequence data. For example, results agreed in identifying a “Core Ciconium” group which evolved after the split with P. elongatum. We found that this group was characterized by a unique set of repeats, which confirmed currently accepted phylogenetic hypotheses. We also found four species groups within P. sect. Ciconium that reinforce previous plastome-based reconstructions. A second repeat expansion was identified in a subclade which contained species that are considered to have dispersed from Southern Africa into Eastern Africa and the Arabian Peninsula. We speculate that the Core Ciconium repeat set correlates with a possible WGD event leading to this branch.

In this study, a hybrid drying system incorporating a compound parabolic concentrator (CPC) solar collector and an electric auxiliary heater was developed to make advances in sustainable tomato drying. The proposed dryer was designed to operate in a combined mode with solar energy as the prime source of energy, and the auxiliary unit was only used in the cases with the absence of solar radiation or limitation in generated solar power. Experimental tests were carried out to investigate the drying performance at different levels of sample thickness, airflow rate, and drying temperature. Using image processing and high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) techniques, the quality of the dried products was also evaluated in terms of the changes in color, shrinkage, and vitamin C content. Results indicated that the average drying time was about 231 min, while the shortest time was obtained as 83 min, suggesting an improved performance compared to similar works. It was found that drying temperature is the key factor influencing the rate of color changes, and shrinkage is only affected by the thickness of tomato slices. The experimental data further showed that the destruction of vitamin C was mostly influenced by the drying air temperature and sample thickness. The maximum energy and exergy efficiencies of the solar collector were determined as 25 and 6% at the maximum and minimum airflow rates, respectively.

Fruits and vegetables are highly nutritious agricultural produce with tremendous human health benefits. They are also highly perishable and as such are easily susceptible to spoilage, leading to a reduction in quality attributes and induced food loss. Cold chain technologies have over the years been employed to reduce the quality loss of fruits and vegetables from farm to fork. However, a high amount of losses (≈50%) still occur during the packaging, pre-cooling, transportation, and storage of these fresh agricultural produce. This study highlights the current state-of-the-art of various advanced tools employed to reducing the quality loss of fruits and vegetables during the packaging, storage, and transportation cold chain operations, including the application of imaging technology, spectroscopy, multi-sensors, electronic nose, radio frequency identification, printed sensors, acoustic impulse response, and mathematical models. It is shown that computer vision, hyperspectral imaging, multispectral imaging, spectroscopy, X-ray imaging, and mathematical models are well established in monitoring and optimizing process parameters that affect food quality attributes during cold chain operations. We also identified the Internet of Things (IoT) and virtual representation models of a particular fresh produce (digital twins) as emerging technologies that can help monitor and control the uncharted quality evolution during its postharvest life. These advances can help diagnose and take measures against potential problems affecting the quality of fresh produce in the supply chains. Plausible future pathways to further develop these emerging technologies and help in the significant reduction of food losses in the supply chain of fresh produce are discussed. Future research should be directed towards integrating IoT and digital twins for multiple shipments in order to intensify real-time monitoring of the cold chain environmental conditions, and the eventual optimization of the postharvest supply chains. This study gives promising insight towards the use of advanced technologies in reducing losses in the postharvest supply chain of fruits and vegetables.

The cycling interaction between climate change and buildings is of dynamic nature. On one hand, buildings have contributed significantly to the process of human-induced climate change. On the other hand, climate change is also expected to impact on many aspects of buildings, including building design, construction, and operation. In this entry, these two aspects of knowledge are reviewed. The potential strategies of building design and operation to reduce the greenhouse gas emissions from buildings and to prepare the buildings to withstand a range of possible climate change scenarios are also discussed.

As a subclass of noncoding RNAs, circular RNAs (circRNAs) have been demonstrated to play a critical role in regulating gene expression in eukaryotes. Recent studies have revealed the pivotal functions of circRNAs in cancer progression. Nevertheless, how circRNAs participate in osteosarcoma (OS) development and progression are not well understood. In the present study, we identified a circRNA circFAT1(e2) with an upregulated expression level in OS tissues. By functional experiments, we found that circFAT1(e2) depletion significantly suppressed the proliferation and reduced migration in OS. In terms of mechanism, we found that circFAT1(e2) inhibited miR-181b, while miR-181b targeted HK2. By releasing the inhibition of miR-181b on HK2 expression, leading to attenuated OS progression. Mechanistic investigations suggested that circFAT1(e2) served as a competing endogenous RNA (ceRNA) of miR-181b to enhance HK2 expression. On the whole, our study indicated that circFAT1(e2) exerted oncogenic roles in OS and suggested the circFAT1(e2)/miR-181b/HK2 axis might be a potential therapeutic target.

Intermittent infrared and convective drying (IIRCD) is a novel drying method that can enhance energy efficiency and quality of dried product. The mechanism of drying using this method is not yet fully understood. Mathematical models that describe the drying process of IIRCD for agricultural crops do not exist. In this study, a physics based mathematical model was developed to understand the mechanism of drying sweet potato using IIRCD. The model was based on shrinkage dependent diffusivity and evaporation phenomenon. COMSOL Multiphysics finite element software was employed for the model simulation. The simulation results of moisture and temperature distribution were validated by experimental drying data. The results fitted closely with experimental data. Drying of sweet potato using IIRCD was found to be more efficient in terms of final product quality compared to convective hot-air drying method.

Osteosarcoma is a malignant tumor that seriously threatens human health. Numerous studies have pointed out the potential of long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) as new therapeutic targets for various human cancers. Therefore, we mainly investigate whether there is a new type of lncRNA pathway involved in regulating the development of osteosarcoma. The present study shows the higher expression levels of LINC00511 correlates to a shorter overall survival and disease-free survival time in patients with sarcoma. It is significantly higher in the clinical samples of osteosarcoma patients than in normal adjacent cancer tissues. We used U373 and SW1353 osteosarcoma cells to determine the effect of lncRNA on osteosarcoma proliferation and invasion by knocking down LINC00511 compared with controls. The results showed that the LINC00511 knockdown significantly suppressed osteosarcoma cell growth and metastasis. To explore the mechanisms of LINC00511 in osteosarcoma, we tested whether LINC00511 could competitively stimulate miR-185-3p and regulate E2F1 as a ceRNA. The results showed that LINC00511 knockdown induced the increased level of miR-185-3p levels; however, miR-185-3p overexpression suppressed LINC00511 levels. In addition, the results also demonstrated that LINC00511 knockdown or miR-185-3p overexpression could reduce E2F1 levels in osteosarcoma cells. The dual-luciferase reporter assay verified the direct interaction between miR-185-3p and LINC00511 or E2F1. These results may offer an explanation of how the lncRNA affects the progression of osteosarcoma, and our study shows that LINC00511 can be a novel biomarker in osteosarcoma.

Although silica aerogel is an excellent thermal insulation material, the poor mechanical property limits its application. The glass fiber reinforced silica aerogel with excellent mechanical property through facile sol-gel process is reported. Innovatively, during the experiments, ethanol was introduced as the main solvent in the water glass based silica sol through ion concentration adjustion to get rid of the conventional solvent exchange. To improve the mechanical property of the product, glass fiber was introduced during the gelation process. Catalyzed by hydrogen chloride, hexamethyldisiloxane was utilized as the modificaton agent. The glass fiber reinforced silica aerogel with low thermal conductivity (0.024 W/m·K) was obtained after ambient pressure drying. Three-point loading tests indicated excellent anti-flexure ability of the as-prepared glass fiber reinforced silica aerogel. Moreover, the entire preparation period can be reduced to ~20 h.

A massive amount of energy is needed to generate clean and safe potable drinking water. Malaysia, strategically located on the earth’s equator, is turning to solar energy as a solution. This study focuses on the integration of a solar photo voltaic system with the existing solar still technology. It is designed by harvesting the heat energy directly from the Sun and partially combining it with the shaded section using PV modules together with the PV Water Purification System (PvWPS). The experiment was conducted for three days in November 2017, in Malaysia. A stainless steel basin of 1 m long and 0.54 m wide together with a clear glass cover of 0.33 m long and 0.54 m wide served as a new solar still. Results showed that the internal temperature of the still basin increased by more than 5% above the average temperature, accelerating the evaporation process in the purification system. The power efficiency increased by 0.325%, increasing the expected PV module efficiency to 14.15%. Water production using the PV Water Purification System (PvWPS) was expected to increase by 10%. This study also discusses the cooling mechanism justification, the water quality produced and the cost involved to observe the social and economic benefits of the system.

This study examined the performance of different combined infrared (IR) and hot-air drying (HAD) strategies for sweet potato. Experiments were conducted for simultaneous infrared and hot-air drying, two-stage sequential hot-air and infrared drying, two-stage sequential infrared and hot-air drying, and intermittent infrared and hot-air drying in a laboratory scale combined infrared and hot-air dryer. The drying air temperature varied between 50 and 70 °C, the infrared intensity was 1100 W/m2, the air-velocity was 1.5 m/s, and the pulse ratio (PR) ranged from 1 to 3. Results indicated that the drying rate, drying time, effective moisture diffusivity, shrinkage, specific energy consumption (SEC), colour attributes and phytochemical compounds of sweet potato were affected by the different drying combination strategies. The drying kinetics, product shrinkage, and sample temperature were also influenced by drying time and air temperature. The two-term exponential model adequately explained the drying behaviour of sweet potato for all the different combination strategies. The intermittent IR and HAD combination strategy proved to be the most suitable based on the combined effect of total drying time (113–120 min), SEC (27.67–41.44 kWh/kg), total colour change (17.15–26.48) and bioactive compounds.

Hydrophobic silica aerogels were heat treated under various conditions. Physical and chemical analyses were conducted to study the effect of the heat treatments on the silica aerogels. The O/Si and C/Si values in the hydrophobic silica aerogels increased and decreased, respectively, with the increase in the heating temperature. C–O, −OH, and CO were detected during pyrolysis. Pyrolysis of the silica aerogels in air could be divided into 3 steps: the hydroxylation of methyl groups, the splitting of the alcoholic hydroxyl, and the oxidisation of CO. When the heat treatment temperature was lower than 350 °C, the properties of the silica aerogels showed little change. With further increase in the heat treatment temperature, the variation in the relevant parameters became more prominent. The secondary particles coalesced with one another, and the mesopores were destroyed. Consequently, the thermal conductivity and bulk density rose greatly. The carbon within the silica aerogels was released after heat treatment. As a result, the heat released in the thermal gravimetry and oxygen bomb analyses dropped remarkably with the increase in the heat treatment temperature.

Circular RNAs (circRNAs) serve as competing endogenous RNAs (ceRNAs) and indirectly regulate gene expression through shared microRNAs (miRNAs). However, the potential circRNAs functioning as ceRNAs in osteoporosis remain unclear. The bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) were isolated from ovariectomy (OVX) mice and controls. We systematically analyzed RNA‐seq and miRNA‐microarray data, miRNA‐target interactions, and prominently coexpressed gene pairs to identify aberrantly expressed circRNAs, miRNAs, and messenger RNAs (mRNAs) between the OVX mice and controls. A total of 45 circRNAs, 22 miRNAs, and 548 mRNAs were significantly dysregulated (fold change > 1.5; p

The share of fossil-based resources in the implementation of agricultural activities in Iran is very high. In this context, it is important to determine the environmental impacts of energy use in agricultural activities. The purpose of this study was to evaluate and compare the energy consumption and total environmental impacts of irrigated and rainfed wheat production in central Iran, Mahyar plain. For this purpose, data were collected from 120 irrigated and 90 rainfed wheat farms in three different farm size (

Fiber needle felt–silica aerogel composite was successfully prepared by via sol–gel process based on water glass. The thermal conductivity show V-type variation tendency with the increase of water to Si. Thermogravimetric analysis-differential scanning calorimetry analysis revealed that the thermal stability was up to approximately 390.58 °C. It has been found that the fire hazard of the composites decreased with the increased ratio of water to Si according to the cone calorimeter test, which can be characterized by peak heat release rate, fire performance index, and fire growth rate index. The fiber needle felt/aerogels present greatly improved compressive and flexural strength (elastic modulus: 0.1–0.97 MPa; flexural modulus: 0.33–0.66 MPa) while keeping inherent properties of pure silica aerogel: low bulk density (0.166 g/cm3), low thermal conductivity of 0.0236 W/m·K, and high specific surface area (1091.62 m2/g). As a result, the as-prepared composite shows a great potential to be applied in the thermal insulation field.

Energy crisis is the worldwide main concern since fossil fuels are facing rapid depletion and its consumption contributes to the rise in the average global temperature. Among the challenges to be embedded lately with agricultural activities is to explore clean and renewable energy resources. Electrical energy generation via solar technology, or known also as photovoltaic (PV) technology, has been the most economical viable green resource, especially in tropical-based countries. The most notable problem revealed by conventional PV in greenhouses, however, is due to the antagonistic factor lying in both photovoltaic roofs and plants. As such, the divergence subsequently decreases the growth and productivity of the cultivated crops. The Dye Sensitized Solar Cell (DSSC) is thus of great importance to human as it possesses several attractive features. For instance, the fabrication of DSSC is cheap. It is also flexible, transparent, and sensitive to low light levels. Besides its easiness to be used in larger applications, makes DSSC an ideal candidate that could function greatly as energy buildings. This review article aims to explore the DSSC technology's potential and its effectiveness as a shading greenhouse. Further, in-depth understanding on the uniqueness and advantages of this technology is thoroughly assessed. In comparison to conventional PV, the DSSC technology especially on solar radiation manipulation through the optimum choice of photosensitizer is well described. This paper also consolidates all the materials employed for DSSC fabrication for greenhouse shading. Detailing photosensitizer and light harvesting within PAR wavelength for sustenance growth have been provided. This technology has the potential to improve farming productivity while contribute to a significant reduction of CO2 emission.