The Trends in Research on the Effects of Biochar on Soil

Analysis of the Current State of COPD Nursing Based on a Bibliometric Approach from the Web of Science

Background and Aim

COPD nursing plays a crucial role in alleviating disease symptoms, prolonging patient survival, and is therefore of paramount importance. However, authoritative research findings, research hotspots, and development trends in the field of COPD are still unclear. This study aimed to examine authoritative research findings, research hotspots, and trends in the field of COPD nursing. Descriptive statistics and bibliometric and visual analyses of the literature were conducted.

Methods

Bibliometric data were obtained from the Web of Science database. Citespace was used to explore publication trends, countries, institutions, journals, authors, keywords, and co-citation characteristics of the included literature in order to summarize the key research in the field of COPD nursing.

Results

In total, 693 articles on COPD nursing were published. 1998-2014 showed a rapid growth period in this research field, which stabilized in 2015-2022. The research content could mostly be summarized into five categories: acute exacerbation, quality of life, risk, evidence-based nursing, and pulmonary rehabilitation. The research hotspots in 1998-2014 included randomized controlled trials, education, elderly patients, nursing home residents, nursing homes, rehabilitation, and prevalence. Research in 2015-2022 focused on impact, palliative care, needs, and predictors. In recent years, research mainly concentrated on symptom management models, cost-effectiveness, and cumulative meta-analysis.

Conclusion

Bibliometric analysis of COPD nursing articles indicates that the focus of COPD nursing research is shifting from tertiary prevention to primary and secondary prevention. Helping patients achieve self-management of symptoms, reducing the financial burden of COPD on healthcare, and summarizing research evidence by meta-analyses will likely remain the focus of future research.

High-Performance Concrete Nanomodified with Recycled Rice Straw Biochar

The development of new and improvement of existing technologies based on the use of waste products from various industries or recyclable materials is a current trend in the construction industry. Including in the composition of binders and concrete by-products of industry, reducing the proportion of Portland cement, it is crucial to maintain and improve the resulting products’ mechanical characteristics and life cycle. The main aim of the study was to investigate the influence of biochar additive on the microstructure and properties of the concrete and obtain the composition with improved characteristics due to nanomodification of rice straw recycled biochar. An environmentally friendly technology for concrete manufacture was obtained, using agricultural waste, rice straw, as its components, developing a composition of concrete nanomodified with processed rice straw biochar, identifying the dependences of concrete properties on their nanomodification with processed rice straw coal. It has been established that the most effective dosage is the addition of rice straw biochar in the amount of 6% by weight of cement. The improvement in the properties of concrete was expressed in the increase in its physical and mechanical characteristics and changes in deformability according to the results of the analysis of the stress-strain diagrams. The increase in strength characteristics ranged from 17% to 25%. The modulus of elasticity increased to 14%. The deformation characteristics decreased from 12% to 24%. Introducing a finely dispersed additive of rice straw biochar modified by the electromagnetic method leads to a decrease in cement consumption by up to 10%.

Research Status and Trends of Underwater Photosynthesis

Underwater photosynthesis is the most important metabolic activity for submerged plants since it could utilize carbon fixation to replenish lost carbohydrates and improve internal aeration by producing O2. The present study used bibliometric methods to quantify the annual number of publications related to underwater photosynthesis. CiteSpace, as a visual analytic software for the literature, was employed to analyze the distribution of the subject categories, author collaborations, institution collaborations, international (regional) collaborations, and cocitation and keyword burst. The results show the basic characteristics of the literature, the main intellectual base, and the main research powers of underwater photosynthesis. Meanwhile, this paper revealed the research hotspots and trends of this field. This study provides an objective and comprehensive analysis of underwater photosynthesis from a bibliometric perspective. It is expected to provide reference information for scholars in related fields to refine the research direction, solve specific scientific problems, and assist scholars in seeking/establishing relevant collaborations in their areas of interest.

The Use of Soil Conditioners to Ensure a Sustainable Wheat Yield under Water Deficit Conditions by Enhancing the Physiological and Antioxidant Potentials

Traditional mulch material (farmyard manure) has long been used in agriculture. However, recent developments have also introduced the scientific community and farmers to advanced chemicals such as potassium polyacrylamide (KPAM), which has revolutionised the concept of the soil water-holding capacity to many compared with other materials being used. To compare the effect of different organic and inorganic soil amendment materials under water stress conditions, a two-year (2018 and 2019) field study was conducted. The main plots consisted of irrigation treatments, i.e., I0 (control irrigation), I1 (drought-induced by skipping irrigation at the 4th leaf stage), and I2 (drought-induced by skipping irrigation at the anthesis stage). The subplots included a control treatment and soil amended with different conditioners such as potassium polyacrylamide (KPAM, 30 kg/ha), farmyard manure (FYM, 4 tons/ha), and biochar (10 tons/ha); these were mixed thoroughly with the soil before sowing. The results showed a significant reduction in the water relation parameters (water potential up to 35.77% and relative water content up to 21%), gas exchange parameters (net CO2 assimilation rate up to 28.85%, stomatal conductance up to 43.18%, and transpiration rate up to 49.07%), and yield attributes (biological yield up to 8.45% and grain yield up to 32.22%) under drought stress conditions. In addition, water stress also induced an increase in the synthesis of osmoprotectants (proline up to 77.74%, total soluble sugars up to 27.43%, and total free amino acids up to 11.73%). Among all the soil conditioners used, KPAM significantly reduced the negative effects of drought stress on the wheat plants. Thus, it could be concluded that the use of soil conditioners is a promising method for dealing with the negative consequences of drought stress for achieving sustainable crop yields.

Influence of Feedstock and Final Pyrolysis Temperature on Breaking Strength and Dust Production of Wood-Derived Biochars

The susceptibility to fragmentation of biochar is an important property to consider in field applications. Physical and mechanical properties of wood-derived biochars from vine shoots and holm oak were studied to evaluate the effect of biomass feedstock, final pyrolysis temperature and application conditions. Vine shoots and holm oak pruning residues were selected for biochar production. Slow pyrolysis experiments were conducted at two different final temperatures (400 and 600 °C). Physical and chemical characteristics of biomass and biochars were determined. Impact strength was evaluated through the measurement of the gravitational potential energy per unit area (J mm−2) necessary for the breakage of biochar fragments. Shear strength (N mm−2) and a combination of shear/compression strengths (N) were analyzed using a Universal Texture Analyzer. A particular mechanical treatment was carried out on biochar samples to simulate the processing bodies of a commercial manure spreader, under two gravimetric moisture contents. Holm oak-derived biochar was more resistant than vine shoot-derived biochar to the applied forces. Vine shoots-derived biochar did not show a significantly different mechanical behavior between temperatures. Holm Oak-derived biochar produced at the higher final pyrolysis temperature showed higher resistance to be broken into smaller pieces. Moistening resulted in an adequate practice to improve mechanical spreading.