Pythium irregulare (P. irregulare) is one of the soil-borne pathogens that is the primary cause of damage to several plants each year. The novelty and originality of this work were the ability of Streptomyces gancidicus (S. gancidicus OR229936) to synthesize bimetallic zinc oxide-boron oxide nanoparticles (ZnO-B2O3 NPs) for reducing P. irregulare growth and safeguarding pea plant from damping off disease. The produced bimetallic ZnO-B2O3 NPs' XRD results highlighted the ZnO diffraction peaks at 2 = 27.50 degrees, 31.15 degrees, 45.15 degrees, 56.89 degrees, 67.98 degrees, and 75.25 degrees, which are complemented by the standard card JCPDS number 361451 and correspond to (002), (101), (102), (110), (103), and (201) Bragg's reflections. Along with the standard card JCPDS number 300019, they additionally include the B2O3 NP diffraction peaks at 2 = 15.25 degrees, 28.69 degrees, 31.99 degrees, and 41.28 degrees. Bimetallic ZnO-B2O3 NPs were tested against P. irregular for their antifungal activities. The findings indicated that ZnO-B2O3 NPs exhibited potential anti P. irregulare activity, with an inhibition zone of 33 mm at a concentration of 1000 mu g/mL and a promising MIC of 0.01 mu g/mL. Bimetallic ZnO-B2O3 NPs (0.01 ppm) application appeared to significantly lessen the severity of the pea post-emergence damaging off disease by 10% and to provide significant protection by 88%. In comparison to fungicide (difenoconazole 25%) treatments, all metabolic resistance indicators significantly enhanced after the usage of bimetallic ZnO-B2O3 NPs, ZnO NPs, and B2O3 NPs with ethyl acetate extract of S. gancidicus. The beneficial impacts of the bimetallic ZnO-B2O3 NPs, ZnO NPs, and B2O3 NPs have been broadened to increase the enzyme activities of peroxidase (POD) and polyphenol oxidase (PPO) in both healthy and infected pea plant in comparison to control. Reduction of Malondialdehyde content (MDA) in response to S. gancidius filtrate, bimetallic ZnO-B2O3 NPs, ZnO NPs, B2O3 NPs, and difenoconazole by 41.68%, 36.51%, 26.15, 26.15, and 15.25%, respectively. Also, contents of H2O2 in infected pea plant were diminished by 50%, 45%, 40%, 37.5%, and 22.5% at bimetallic ZnO-B2O3 NPs, S. gancidicus filtrate, ZnO NPs, difenoconazole, and B2O3 NPs comparing to P. irregular-infected pea plant is strong evidence to induce disease recovery. The application of bimetallic ZnO-B2O3 NPs seems to be a significant approach to relieve the toxic influences of P. irregulare on infected pea plant as green and alternative therapeutic nutrients of chemical fungicides.

This paper describes the relevant research activities that are being carried out on the development of a novel shotcrete technology capable of applying, autonomously and in real time, fibre reinforced shotcrete (FRS) with tailored properties regarding the optimum structural strengthening of railway tunnels (RT). This technique allows to apply fibre reinforced concrete (FRC) of strain softening (SSFRC) and strain hardening (SHFRC) according to a multi -level advanced numerical simulation that considers the relevant nonlinear features of these FRC, as well as their interaction with the surrounding soil, for an intended strengthening performance of the RT. Building information modelling (BIM) is used for assisting on the development of data files of the involved design software, integrating geometric assessment of a RT, damages from inspection and diagnosis, and the characteristics of the FRS strengthening solution. A dedicated computational tool was developed to design FRC with target properties. The preliminary experimental results on the evaluation of the relevant mechanical properties of the FRS are presented and discussed, as well as the experimental tests on the bond between FRS and current substrates found in RT. Representative numerical simulations were performed to demonstrate the structural performance of the proposed FRS -based strengthening technique. Computational tools capable of assuring, in real time, the aimed thickness of the layers forming the FRS strengthening shell were also developed. The first generation of a mechanical device for controlling the amount of fibres to be added, in real time, to the FRS mixture was conceived, built and tested. A mechanism is also being developed to improve the fibre distribution during its introduction through the mechanical device to avoid fibre balling. This work describes the relevant achievements already attained, as introduces the planned future initiatives in the scope of this project.

The hydraulic anisotropic behavior of unsaturated soil has not been fully explored in relation to the grain -size distribution. The present study conducted laboratory assessments to examine the hydraulic anisotropy condition of statically compacted specimens in various initial states. The investigation incorporated the concept of hydraulic anisotropy by employing two discrete forms of soil stratification: horizontal-layering (HL) and vertical-layering (VL). The examined soils comprised sandy silt and silty sand, exhibiting either unimodal or bimodal soil-water characteristic curve (SWCC). This study aimed to investigate the potential correlation between the hydraulic anisotropy ratio and soil properties. The present study established a correlation between the hydraulic anisotropy ratio and several soil parameters, including fine content, dry density, plastic limit, and liquid limit. The study results indicate a non -linear relationship between the percentage of fine and dry density in soils with unimodal and bimodal soil-water characteristic curve (SWCC) and hydraulic anisotropy ratio.