The University of Agriculture (UAF) is a public research university in Faisalabad, Pakistan. UAF is the oldest and a pioneer 'Agriculture Institute' in South Asia.
The aviation sector is essential for global connectivity and economic growth but remains one of the most difficult industries to decarbonize due to its reliance on energy-dense liquid fuels and the anticipated increase in both carbon dioxide (CO2) and non-CO2 climate impacts. As the industry pursues net-zero emissions by 2050, Sustainable Aviation Fuels (SAFs) have emerged as the most practical near- and medium-term decarbonization pathway because they are compatible with existing aircraft and fuel infrastructure. However, uncertainties persist regarding the sustainability, scalability, economic viability, and long-term climate benefits of different SAF production routes. This review provides a comprehensive assessment of SAFs by integrating feedstock availability, conversion technologies, fuel properties, life-cycle greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, techno-economic performance, and future deployment prospects within a unified sustainability framework. Major SAF pathways, including Oil-to-Jet (OTJ), Gas-to-Jet (GTJ), Alcohol-to-Jet (ATJ), and Sugar-to-Jet (STJ), are critically evaluated, with particular focus on ASTM D7566-certified fuels such as Fischer–Tropsch Synthetic Paraffinic Kerosene (FT-SPK), Hydroprocessed Esters and Fatty Acids (HEFA-SPK), and Hydroprocessed Algae-Based Fuels (HC-HEFA). Comparative analysis reveals significant differences in feedstock requirements, process efficiencies, production costs, fuel composition, and scalability. Life-cycle assessment (LCA) studies indicate GHG emission reductions ranging from 60% to over 100% relative to conventional jet fuel, with FT-SPK and FT-SPK/A offering the highest mitigation potential. Feedstock cultivation, resource extraction, and fuel conversion are identified as the most emission-intensive stages, underscoring the need for upstream process optimization. The review further examines critical barriers to large-scale SAF deployment, including feedstock scarcity, supply variability, high energy and hydrogen requirements, infrastructure constraints, and high production costs. While HEFA dominates current commercialization, scalable aviation decarbonization will require accelerated deployment of FT, ATJ, and Power-to-Liquid (PtL) pathways, supported by technological innovation, sustainable feedstock expansion, and enabling policies.
The Thar Desert, one of South Asia largest arid ecosystems, is renowned for its rich cultural heritage and ecological diversity. It supports unique indigenous communities whose livelihoods depend on agriculture, animal husbandry, and traditional crafts such as woodworking, wool weaving, and jewelry making. Despite its ecological and medicinal significance, much of the region’s ethnobotanical knowledge remains undocumented. To systematically characterize the distribution, diversity, and medicinal potential of Thar Desert flora, an extensive literature review was conducted using scientific databases including Flora of Pakistan, Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF), and Plants of the World Online (POWO), as well as search engines such as Google Scholar, Scopus, PubMed, Web of Science, and ScienceDirect (1980–2024). A total of 162 plant species belonging to 69 families were documented and evaluated for their phytochemical composition, ethnomedicinal relevance, and conservation status across the Thar Desert. The dominant families—Poaceae (27
The crosslinked biopolymers along with metal oxide nanoparticles are biodegradable source of controlled drug release. In this research work, the natural and synthetic biopolymers, oxidized starch (OS) and polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) were crosslinked by using borate ions to prepare hydrogel 3D matrix. The zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO-NPs) were integrated by immersion method by using different concentrations (0, 1
Herein, a novel NiWO4/ZnFe2O4 (NW/ZF) S-scheme heterojunction was fabricated via a precipitation–thermal treatment route and investigated for solar-light-driven photocatalysis, antibacterial performance and hydrogen evaluation. Structural analysis (XRD, FTIR, SEM, and EDX) of NW/ZF confirmed the formation of a well-defined heterointerface, while UV–Vis DRS and PL studies revealed a narrowed band gap (3.07 eV) and reduced charge-carrier recombination compared to pristine ZnFe2O4 (3.19 eV) and NiWO4 (3.30 eV). The band edge positions (ECB = − 0.23 eV for ZF; EVB = 3.43 eV for NW validated the S-scheme configuration, enabling strong redox potentials for radical generation. Under solar irradiation, the NW20/ZF exhibited 99
Asthma remains a major health challenge affecting over 300 million people worldwide, with severe, steroid-resistant phenotypes affecting 5–10
