Lakes provide a wide range of ecological, cultural, and economic benefits and prime opportunities for recreation, tourism, and livelihoods in the Upper Indus Basin (UIB). In the wake of growing anthropogenic actions and climate change impacts, an appraisal of the lake water quality is essential to determine the health of the ecosystem and assist resource conservation initiatives in the region. An attempt has been made to establish a preliminary physicochemical baseline for eight high-altitude lakes in the UIB, Pakistan, to characterize their spatial hydrochemical variability and identify potential water quality concerns in the region. At the time of sampling, the lakes exhibited a slightly alkaline condition with pH ranging between 7.7 and 8.2 (mean 8.0). The lower alkalinity detected in the lakes, like Sheosar (42 mg/L), may indicate limited buffering capacity and more sensitivity to nutrient pulses or potential acidification. Nitrate-N concentration was low in most lakes, with many below detection limits. The Gibbs diagram indicated seven samples in the rock dominance zone, i.e., chemical weathering of rocks as the major factor contributing ions to the lake water, while in one sample, i.e., Borith Lake, evaporation-crystallization was the main source of dissolved chemical ingredients. The Spearman correlation analysis indicated a higher positive relationship (r > 0.9) between Ca and Mg, likely due to carbonate rock weathering. The observed variations in the water quality parameters may have significant effects on both the ecosystem and human health, necessitating further research and future attention. In-depth research on glacio-hydrological dynamics and limnology can support sustainable management and conservation of the freshwater ecosystems in the region.
The influence of mooring system parameters on the hydrodynamic characteristics of waves of the Fishery-Photovoltaic complementary integrated platform formed by installing aquaculture cages on the Huaneng ‘Huanghai No.1’ floating photovoltaic platform is studied. It systematically investigates the influence of mooring system parameters on the wave-induced hydrodynamic performance of the integrated platform. A fully coupled numerical model for the integrated platform-mooring system is established using the OrcaFlex11.4c software. The reliability of the proposed numerical method is validated against the Cylindrical Floating Production, Storage and Offloading (CFPSO) wave basin model test and the net cage flume test. Through 17 simulation cases with gradient mooring radius settings, this study elucidates the response pattern of the mooring system as it transitions from a catenary configuration to a taut configuration. The results indicate that a relative mooring length of approximately 0.73 corresponds to the critical threshold. At this threshold, mooring stiffness rises abruptly, platform motion responses are markedly suppressed, cage volume variation is mitigated, and mooring line tensions remain within a controllable range. This mooring radius achieves an optimal trade-off among platform motion performance, mooring tension safety, and aquaculture stability. Further increasing the mooring radius yields only marginal improvements in motion response and cage volume performance, while causing a notable rise in mooring tension and a sharp decline in system cost-effectiveness. This study provides a theoretical foundation for the design of mooring systems for deep-sea fishery-photovoltaic complementary integrated platforms.
Merging nanotechnology with biology, diatoms reveal an extraordinary capacity to fabricate iron nanoparticles (INPs) while simultaneously acting as nutrient carriers for crops. The marine diatom Halamphora subturgida was employed for the first time to synthesize INPs and evaluate their application as a nanophycofertilizer (NPF) for rice (Oryza sativa L.). The diatom facilitated both intra- and extracellular formation of spindle-shaped nanoparticles (70–100 nm) as confirmed by UV–Vis, DLS, TEM, SEM-EDAX, FTIR, and fluorescence analyses. Biochemical profiling revealed dynamic metabolic shifts during nanoparticle synthesis, with transient increases in pigments, proteins, and lipids followed by their decline, while iron and carbon content rose steadily. Antioxidant enzyme assays indicated early oxidative stress followed by metabolic adaptation, underscoring the diatom’s resilience as a biofactory. When applied to rice seedlings, the INP-loaded diatoms significantly outperformed diatoms or nanoparticles alone, increasing shoot length by approximately 45%, root length by 50%, fresh biomass by 18%, chlorophyll content by 42%, iron accumulation by nearly twofold, and silica uptake by about 43% compared with the untreated control. These synergistic effects highlight the dual role of diatoms as both stabilizers and nutrient carriers, delivering iron in a highly bioavailable form while simultaneously contributing silica for structural strength. The findings position diatom-mediated nanofertilizers as sustainable alternatives to chemical fertilizers, offering a multifaceted strategy to boost crop vigor, nutrient density, and early-stage resilience in rice.
This essay examines the understanding of artificial intelligence, humanoid robots, and biohybrid systems—or synthetic life forms—from an indigenous perspective in the Americas. Building on a critical examination of the ontological turn, this essay explores the significance of relationality for indigenous peoples beyond concepts such as animism or new animism. The ontological turn does not establish substantive connections to the modern world regarding these entities. However, techno-animism seems to suggest an ontological approach to artificial intelligence, though it does not explain how ontology develops in practice for humans and nonhumans alike. Based on reflections on indigenous perspectives in the Americas, this essay attempts to develop an alternative foundation for ontology regarding artificial intelligence, humanoid robots, and biohybrid systems or synthetic life forms—entities that are more than just tools or machines.
