Britain International of Exact Sciences (BIoEx) Journal

Study, Design and Development of an Electric Crucible Furnace for Laboratory Use from Local Malagasy Raw Materials

2026-08-07T07:35:28+00:00

This study addresses the critical challenge of high-temperature laboratory equipment acquisition in developing regions by validating the technical and economic feasibility of fabricating an electric crucible furnace utilizing regional Malagasy resources. The physicochemical and mineralogical traits of four local raw materials—refractory clay, Vontovorona kaolin, Mahela graphite, and rice husk ash—were systematically characterized to establish an unprecedented regional materials database. Six distinct ternary composite formulations were developed and fired under localized protocols to produce high-temperature insulating bricks. Microstructural testing revealed that all configurations achieved excellent thermal stability, marked by residual mineral ash yields exceeding 95.00% and an optimized open porosity framework spanning 38.13% to 45.50%. Formulation E6, composed of an equimass clay-to-kaolin ratio, demonstrated the highest structural consolidation, exhibiting relative increases of 72.6% in splitting tensile strength and 90.8% in uniaxial compressive strength (reaching 1.845 MPa) compared to the baseline mixture. Practical operational validation was successfully achieved through aluminum scrap recycling trials, during which the integrated Proportional-Integral-Derivative (PID) control loop, solid-state relays, and Type-S thermocouple maintained a stable process temperature of 800°C. Economically, the total production cost of 653,410 MGA represents a tenfold reduction compared to imported commercial counterparts. By bridging traditional low-cost artisanal fabrication methods with high-precision electronic thermal regulation, this research introduces a highly transferable intermediate technology model. This prototype successfully fosters circular economy pathways via localized non-ferrous metallurgy while providing a reproducible framework for equipping academic and research laboratories across the sub-region at minimal cost.

Study of fertility and oocyte characteristics of Macrobrachium sollaudii (DE MAN, 1912) (CRUSTACEA, PALAEMONIDAE) in a natural environment: Case of the lower sub-basin of the Tshopo River

2026-08-20T03:34:47+00:00

This article focused on the fertility and egg characteristics of Macrobrachium sollaudii in their natural environment, specifically in the lower basin of the Tshopo River. Data were collected using a net made from mosquito mesh, suitable for shallow areas. Collecting was often done at night, the time when the shrimp are active. After capture, all individuals were preserved in 70% alcohol and then taken to the laboratory for measurement and identification. Holthuis's dichotomous key (1980) was used for identification. The results show that the fertility of Macrobrachium sollaudii varies depending on the size of the females, and egg size increases with the embryonic stage. There is a positive correlation between the size of the females and that of the eggs. Finally, the comparison between the surveyed rivers shows significant differences in terms of fertility and oocyte size, likely linked to local ecological conditions.

Cooperative Multi-View Sensing with Hybrid Fusion and Channel-Aware Encoding for Environment-Aware 6G Networks

2026-08-20T06:19:24+00:00

The 6G network technology aims to achieve environment-aware intelligence through ISAC. The single-node-based sensing scheme has inherent limitations related to occlusion, angle, and interference, making the solution unreliable in mission-critical scenarios. In this paper, we present the concept of Cooperative Multi-View Sensing (CMS), which leverages geographically scattered base stations, user equipment, and reconfigurable intelligent surfaces for creating a highly accurate map of the environment. The proposed CMS approach creatively merges three capabilities: (1) neural networks at edge devices are developed to detect semantic features from OFDM signals; (2) channel-aware adaptive encoding of communications lowers the latency by 42% at 15 dB due to compression based on the current signal-to-noise ratio; and (3) a hybrid fusion mechanism along with edge-level processing of local submaps using multi-view fusion networks. Results: The CMS obtains an 81.2% reduction in latency (293 ms to 55 ms) over the baselines and beats single-node sensing in terms of accuracy by 33%. An ablation study proves that adaptive encoding and hybrid fusion are equally important because removing either would result in up to 39-116% degradation in latency and 2-10% in accuracy. The scalability analysis proves O(n) scalability, in which the latency is 90 ms for 50 nodes, whereas the centralized (1290 ms) and distributed (622 ms) approaches become unmanageable. The statistical analysis based on 50 Monte Carlo runs validates the robustness of the approach (p < 0.001), with the optimal number of nodes being 8-12. CMS is the template for 6G wireless communication systems that are environmentally conscious and support real-time applications using collaborative multi-view sensors. Future implementations of 6G must ensure hybrid fusion with a number of 8 to 12 nodes and channel-aware encoding for adaptive compression.

Drivers and Global Teleconnections of Accelerated Arctic Amplification: A Multimodel Ensemble Analysis of the 2023–2026 Observational Anomalies

2026-08-24T09:00:07+00:00

The 2023–2026 period has witnessed unprecedented acceleration in Arctic climate change, fundamentally challenging previous scientific understanding of the pace and trajectory of polar amplification. This study synthesises observational evidence, radiative feedback analysis, and coordinated multimodel experiments from CMIP6 and the Polar Amplification Model Intercomparison Project (PAMIP) to identify the physical drivers of this acceleration and evaluate its global teleconnections. Between October 2024 and September 2025, Arctic surface air temperatures reached their highest levels since 1900, with the Arctic warming at approximately 0.75°C per decade, more than twice the global average. The winters of 2025 and 2026 produced consecutive record-low sea ice maxima, with the 2025–2026 declines representing the largest single-year winter reduction on record. We demonstrate that this acceleration arises from the convergence of four interacting drivers: long-term radiative forcing from greenhouse gas accumulation, favourable internal atmospheric variability, remote ocean forcing from North Pacific warming and AMOC weakening, and feedback amplifications including albedo-lapse rate coupling, BKS anticyclone intensification, and the seasonal sea ice–ocean heat release cascade. Global teleconnections link Arctic amplification to equatorward shifts in the North Atlantic jet stream, intensification of European heat waves, and modulation of tropical circulation through Rossby wave trains. Observationally constrained projections reduce end-century Arctic warming under SSP2-4.5 from 5.5°C to 4.6°C, underscoring the importance of emergent constraints. The Arctic remains Earth's most sensitive barometer of anthropogenic climate change, and the 2023–2026 observations demand urgent scientific attention.

Bridging Ethnobotany and Ethno-Astronomy: A Systematic Review of Ethiopia's Medicinal Plant Diversity (1950–2024) and the Unexplored Potential of Celestial Harvesting Cues in Traditional Healthcare

2026-08-25T07:55:33+00:00

Ethiopia's rich biocultural heritage encompasses extraordinary medicinal plant diversity and sophisticated indigenous astronomical knowledge systems, yet the intersection between these domains remains critically understudied. This systematic review synthesizes ethnobotanical data from 59 studies (2010–2022) documenting 525 medicinal plant species across 113 families and 333 genera, with 44 endemic species and nine (27.3%) endangered. The review uniquely bridges ethnobotany with ethno-astronomy, introducing the emerging paradigm of ethno-astrobotany, the study of celestial influences on plant selection, harvesting, and medicinal efficacy. The Borana Oromo lunar-stellar calendar, developed around 300 BC, demonstrates remarkable predictive skill (r = 0.889 for rain onset, RMSE = 3.3 days) through observation of 12 anchor stars, while similar systems among the Amhara, Tigray, Afar, Somali, Sidama, and Konso communities guide seasonal forecasting and agricultural timing. Global evidence indicates that lunar phases significantly influence phytochemical composition, full moon harvests yield higher essential oils and bioactive compounds, as demonstrated in Withania somnifera and Oliveria decumbens. However, in Ethiopia, no systematic study has examined the relationship between ethno-astronomically determined harvesting times and pharmacological properties of medicinal plants. Urgent threats include elder attrition, modernization, climate variability, and habitat loss, accelerating biocultural erosion. This review establishes an integrated research agenda combining ethnographic documentation, phytochemical validation, longitudinal monitoring, and participatory approaches with traditional healers. Policy implications include evidence-based harvesting guidelines, conservation planning integrating celestial calendars, culturally responsive STEM education, and protection of indigenous knowledge rights. Preserving Ethiopia's interwoven biological and cultural heritage demands immediate, interdisciplinary action.