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The strength of the asphalt mixture increased as the size of the copper slag increased, especially under variable moisture and ageing conditions. Superior behaviour compared to a reference mixture was obtained when replacing the size of aggregate No. 8 with copper slag, increasing its indirect tensile strength and retained strength, reducing its stiffness under all the ageing periods, and being equally effective at the different temperatures, which results in mixtures with improved durability and delayed cracking. Furthermore, it would help to reduce between 15 and 20% of the virgin aggregate needed to produce asphalt mixes and it would also allow reducing the accumulated volume of this waste, decreasing the environmental impact of both industries.Energy intensive traditional cereals based monoculture often lead to high greenhouse gas emissions and degradation of land and environmental quality. Present study aimed at evaluating the energy and carbon budget of diversified groundnut (Arachis hypogea L) based cropping system with over existing traditional practice towards the development of a sustainable production technology through restoration of soil and environmental quality and enhancement of farming resiliency by stabilizing farmers’ income. The trials comprised of three introduced groundnut based systems viz. groundnut- pea (Pisum sativum), groundnut-lentil (Lens esculenta) and groundnut-toria (Brasssica campestris var. Toria) replacing three existing systems viz. maize (Zea mays L) – fallow, maize – toria, and rice (Oryza sativa L)-fallow systems. Four years study revealed that adoption of groundnut based systems reduced non-renewable energy input use (fertilizers, chemical, machinery and fossil fuels) by 25.5%, consequently that reduced the cost n technology for enhancing resource use efficiency, reduce carbon emission, energy intensiveness and cost of production in the Eastern Himalaya region of India and similar ecosystems.With population growth driving urban expansion in many cities in the United States, there is a need for a sustainable way to manage stormwater. Green stormwater infrastructure (GSI) is considered an innovative way to handle stormwater because of its potential to provide multiple ecosystem services (ES) beyond flooding reduction. However, there is limited research regarding the society’s perceived value for GSI practices’ co-benefits. This study utilized stated-preference data obtained from a choice experiment in an online survey of 1159 South Carolina (SC) residents to estimate a monetary value for the ES provided by wet detention ponds- the most widely adopted stormwater practice in coastal counties of SC. The benefits examined are flooding reduction, water quality, wildlife habitat, recreation, and scenic beauty. The data were analyzed using a Mixed logit formulation. Considering the differences across the state, the model was estimated separately for five counties. Findings indicate that residents are willing to pay $13.8 to $37.8 annually for a 50% improvement in pollutant removal efficiency of ponds in addition to their current stormwater fee. Also, they are willing to pay $12.5 to $42.9 per year for the nearest pond to have buffer vegetation and wildlife. They are also likely to pay $5 to $22.5 for ponds to contribute to their neighborhood’s scenic beauty. Furthermore, the results indicate that respondents from three counties are willing to pay $5.4 to $13.2 for a 50% improvement in flooding reduction, while those from two counties are likely to pay $3.9 to $4.9 for ponds to have recreational benefits. The findings of the study could help stormwater managers in designing their stormwater management programs, especially for better evaluation of stormwater utility fees.Urban green infrastructure (UGI) has gained increasing attention for its potential to provide numerous benefits. Cultural ecosystem services (CES) refers to those non-materials benefits that play an important role in improving the quality of human life and environmental sustainability. However, to date, a comprehensive study on status quo of CES generated by UGI is limited, especially evaluation methods and indicators specific for UGI. In this study, we reviewed 67 empirical studies on this topic in order to identify the geographic distribution of research; the UGI types that supply CES; the addressed CES subcategories; the effective methods and indicators for assessing CES; and the challenges and directions for future CES and UGI research. ZK53 The results revealed that (1) the majority of the studies were more focused on certain specific UGI types, such as parks, waters, and gardens, while studies that consider UGI as a network are lacking; (2) the studies tend to focus on recreation and ecotourism, followed by aesthetic values, educational values, and cultural heritage values; (3) they employed various methods and their authors tended to combine different methods in evaluation; and (4) various indicators were developed to assess CES in UGI. Based on those findings, we recommend (1) examining more UGI types and particulars on the UGI network; (2) taking into account all services during evaluation; (3) developing more methods for evaluating CES to address specific UGI situations, especially when dealing with the evaluation boundary and the relationships between CES; and (4) focusing more on increasing the quantity and quality of indicators, which need to communicate UGI characteristics clearly without ambiguity.Short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), such as propionic and butyric acids have been touted as potential therapeutic interventions that can ameliorate diabetic pathogenesis. However, SCFAs are low-molecular-weight (LMW) compounds that have limited clinical use due to unfavorable pharmacokinetics, off-target effects, poor palatability and unpleasant odor. Hence, to improve the therapeutic utilization of SCFAs, the enzyme metabolizable block copolymers, [poly(ethylene glycol)-b-poly(vinyl ester)s], possessing propionate and butyrate esters were synthesized, which formed stable nanoparticles by self-assembling under physiological conditions. In this study, the therapeutic efficacy of propionic acid- and butyric acid-based self-assembling nanoparticles (PNP/BNP) was evaluated in a mouse model of type 2 diabetes mellitus through ad libitum drinking. The conventional antidiabetic drug, exenatide- and BNP-treated mice showed the highest glucose tolerance, whereas LMW SCFAs remained ineffective in normalizing glucose homeostasis.