The Covid-19 pandemic impacted the increasing use of Android smartphones in teaching and learning. This study aims to build markerless VR-AR (Virtual Reality-Augmented Reality) as Android-based teaching materials for construction engineering students at Polytechnic. VR-AR-based teaching materials that have been established can reduce the risk of spreading Covid-19 without reducing learning quality. This research used the V-model method, which is divided into two parts, particularly development and testing activities. Testing is performed by developers and examiners using ISO 25010. The test results of VR-AR-based teaching materials that have been established show that the teaching materials were very feasible in terms of functional suitability, compatibility, and usability. All functions of the VR-AR application operate smoothly and work successfully on various Android operating systems with different screen resolutions. Moreover, users were satisfied with the developed VR-AR-based teaching materials. They felt comfortable, fun, and excited when using the AR application. © 2022. All Rights Reserved.

Drinking water samples from eight districts of Almaty, Kazakhstan was collected and physical and chemical analysis of the samples was carried out. Quality indicators of drinking water, such as organoleptic characteristics of water (smell, taste, color, and turbidity), general characteristics (pH, total hardness, permanganate demand, and dry residue), inorganic substances (cations and anions) and contaminants (heavy metals and total petroleum hydrocarbons) were determined, except pesticide residues which will be analyzed for further analysis with a wide range of pollutants. According to all indicators obtained for all districts of Almaty, the anthropogenic impact on drinking water in Almaty districts is assessed as low, not exceeding the permissible maximum allowable concentrations (MAC) values, and drinking water in Almaty corresponds to the approved standards and rules for drinking water of Kazakhstan. Despite of the fact that studied pollutants are below their MAC values, they still pose threat to public health due to their accumulative properties. The study of drinking water in the districts of Almaty made it possible to assess the ecological state in the studied districts of Almaty, as well as to propose recommendations for improving the quality of drinking water in areas where water quality indicators are closer to their MAC values. © 2022 The Author(s). Published by al-Farabi Kazakh National University..

The mechanical properties of a polycarbonate matrix composite with glass fiber reinforcements used for the manufacture of a multistage centrifugal pump impeller are researched in this article. The material properties are modelled using DIGIMAT (The Material Modelling Platform) to determine the strain resistance of the composite with different proportions of reinforcements. The Tsai–Hill failure criterion is used to determine the strength in all cases. The results have been verified by physical testing to determine the influence of the shape and mass proportion of reinforcements on its mechanical properties. The strength of the manufactured part is correlated to technological factors using the MARC MENTAT solver, and the most and the least favorable combinations of these factors are determined © © 2022 Published by Shahid Chamran University of Ahvaz

Engineers in the Creative and Cultural Industries (CCIs) are underrepresented, despite high demand for their expertise resulting from digitalization. Increasing the quantity of engineers in CCIs has emerged as a policy goal, since experiments have shown that combining engineering and creative abilities enhances productivity and innovation output. It is therefore unsurprising that the high and unmet demand for engineers in CCIs is well documented. However, the factors contributing to them not taking up jobs in these sectors are not well understood. The existing knowledge mostly comes from the analysis of deficiencies within the CCIs, including cultural disparities, skill profiles and economic factors. But why engineers themselves consider CCIs to provide inappropriate career tracks is little understood. The present study aims to bridge this knowledge gap through two main pillars. First, it develops a novel theoretical framework that aims to provide a taxonomy operationalizing the reasons for which engineers do not engage with the CCIs. This framework categorizes the social and economic barriers that keep engineers from pursuing careers in the CCIs. It includes economic factors, educational path dependencies, integration and interest. Second, our study offers preliminary quantitative insights into how the framework operates in practice, identifying key barriers without drawing definitive classifications. This analysis serves to highlight patterns and considerations for the future. The data source used is a survey among 104 university engineering and STEM students. Our results indicate that economic factors, such as poor salaries and job instability that are both prevalent in the CCIs are not the major barriers keeping engineers from the CCIs. They do not feel that educational investment would bear insufficient return. Instead, they feel ill-equipped to integrate into CCIs because of perceived deficiencies in artistic abilities. Furthermore, educational path dependencies for engineers do not necessarily support multidisciplinary education or counseling toward careers in the CCIs. These further exacerbate their worries regarding integration in the CCIs. These issues identified by our exploratory study can be resolved, predominantly because engineering students demonstrate inherent interest in arts and culture. Our research identifies the need for implementing specific changes to promote education and career guidance that span several disciplines. Copyright © 2024 Turegeldinova, Amralinova, Fodor, Rakhmetullina, Konurbayeva and Kiizbayeva.

The growing demand for clean energy has spotlighted biomass as a promising resource for sustainable hydrogen production, providing a carbon-neutral alternative to traditional fossil fuels. This review examines the latest advancements in converting biomass to hydrogen, focusing on thermochemical methods like gasification and pyrolysis, catalyst development, and biotechnological approaches such as dark fermentation and biophotolysis. While these methods offer substantial environmental benefits, including waste reduction and renewable energy generation, challenges persist in optimizing feedstock diversity, enhancing catalyst stability, and achieving cost-effective scalability. Innovations in plasma-assisted reforming, advanced nanocatalysts, and integrated reactor designs show promise in overcoming these barriers. By fostering collaboration across academia, industry, and government, these advancements can pave the way for a viable, sustainable hydrogen economy and contribute significantly to reducing global carbon emissions. © 2025 Hydrogen Energy Publications LLC

A novel self-powered and flexible enzymatic biofuel cell (EBFC)-based aptasensor was developed for the sensitive and selective detection of 17 β-estradiol (E2). A flexible polyvinyl alcohol (PVA)-tannic acid‑carbon nanotube/reduced graphene oxide (PTCR) substrate was modified with gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) and thiolated aptamer 1 (Apt1) to yield Apt1@AuNPs/PTCR. A copper-based metal-organic framework (Cu-MOF) with peroxidase mimicking activity was employed to anchor glucose oxidase (GOD) and Apt2, forming the Cu-MOF@GOD/Apt2 tag. When E2 was recognized by Apt1, the anchored E2 quantitatively recognized Cu-MOF@GOD/Apt2 to create a Cu-MOF@GOD/Apt2-E2-Apt1 sandwich structure for glucose oxidation to generate electrical power. Increased E2 concentrations enhanced Cu-MOF@GOD/Apt2 capture and amplified the electrical signal. The electrical power increased linearly as the E2 concentration increased from 1.0 pM to 1.0 nM. The sensor was successfully applied to various food samples and blood serum detection. This work promoted the application of novel self-powered biosensors for food safety analysis. © 2024 Elsevier Ltd

Climate change from anthropogenic activities had resulted in devastating disruptions in Kazakhstan. This includes drought in 2023 and flooding in 2024, with widespread water pollution. The field surveys and water-soil sampling were carried out in 2013 to study West Kazakhstan’s (WK) groundwater and soil. From this, preliminary classifications were made. The water was categorized into three groups: (1) potable household, (2) technical irrigation, and (3) unsuitable for use. WK is under intensive oil and gas exploration and processing activities, thus, groundwater in the region faces contamination risks. As a result, proper, permanent groundwater quality monitoring is needed. Along with these efforts, the groundwater and soil samples were collected and analyzed. This included measuring for different anions and cations concentration, hydrogen ions pH concentration, total dissolved salts (TDS), total water hardness С, sodium adsorption ratio (SAR), and sodium content (SC). The Piper and Durov Diagrams illustrate water-soil quality. The WK region was categorized into three groups by the water-soil quality outputs; the (1) group of the WK North-East region with the smallest salinity level, suitable for the household use; the (2) group of the WK South-East, suitable for irrigation, as technical water, which is unsuitable as the potable water and requires purifications for the household needs; the (3) group of the WK North-West, unsuitable for irrigation and high salt content, which requires substantial purification for the household or irrigation use. Among the salinity chemistry levels, the most common are chloride-sulfate, soda-sulfate, sulfate-soda by anions; next sodium and sodium-calcium by cations. Soda-saline lands were identified in some areas of the WK region. The upgrading of melioration for sufficient water quality improvement will require substantial efforts. The content of petroleum products in some soil samples significantly exceeds the maximum permissible concentration. A further, more detailed investigation is required with more permanent soil water monitoring efforts, especially following the recent flooding events. © The Author(s) 2025.

Biphasic lithium ceramics based on lithium orthosilicate Li4SiO4 and lithium metatitanate Li2TiO3 is one of the most promising materials for breeder blankets of future fusion reactors. One of the important issues of biphasic lithium ceramics application in the fusion reactor blanket is to determine the parameters and mechanisms of tritium transfer within and from the ceramics. This paper continues the analysis of irradiation experiments carried out at the WWR-K reactor (Almaty, Kazakhstan) with a sample of biphasic lithium ceramics Li4SiO4-Li2TiO3 (pebbles of lithium orthosilicate with 35 mol% lithium metatitanate with diameter 250––1250 μm). The section of the experiment in which the reactor was temporarily shutdown for 1.5 h was investigated in detail. During this period of time the sample temperature rapidly decreased from 665 °C to 100 °C, generation of tritium and helium in the lithium ceramic sample ceased, but the desorption of previously generated gases from the ceramic surface continued. The experiments were carried out by the vacuum extraction method. The nature of tritium-containing molecules and helium release for that specified time interval was analyzed. The kinetics of tritium release from ceramics in the experiment during reactor shutdown was simulated and the expression for the effective diffusion coefficient D = 5e-11(m2/s)∙exp(-20(kJ/mole)/RT) was determined. It was suggested that one the most realistic mechanisms for tritium release is the mechanism associated with both diffusion and desorption of tritium from the pebbles surface and release from the open pores of the pebble. This mode of the experiment made it possible to estimate the parameters of tritium release immediately after irradiation, which imitates the conditions of breeding blanket operation in the fusion reactor. © 2023

Purpose. The research is aimed at substantiation of the effective method for mining thin slope ore bodies occurring in soft unstable host rocks by optimizing the breaking process, while determining the patterns of blast energy impact on the disturbed mass by explosive charges with controllable density, taking into account the geomechanical rock mass state. Methods. The research uses a comprehensive approach, including analysis of literature sources, practical experience of mining the slope ore bodies in difficult mining-geological conditions, modeling of the energy characteristics of blasts and wave action on the mass using software, as well as conducting experimental-industrial tests in the Akbakai mine. Findings. An innovative method for effective and safe ore mining from thin slope ore deposits in masses with weakened host rocks has been substantiated and developed. It implies the use of a new construction and location in the blast-holes of a charge consisting of mixed low-density explosives with widely controllable characteristics and with which the blast-holes are charged in two layers with different densities of explosives and detonated at different delay intervals. The optimum delay intervals have been determined, which improve the conditions for controlling the blast energy by changing the direction of the blast action vector towards the newly outcropped surfaces formed in the rock mass after the blasting the first stage charges. The main factors influencing the ore delivery range when mining thin slope ore bodies with blast delivery system have been revealed and methods for increasing this process efficiency are proposed. Originality. New parameters of drilling and blasting operations have been determined for the conditions of mining thin slope ore bodies of the Akbakai deposit: a rational charge construction with controllable blast characteristics has been deve-loped; the optimum range of blast-hole charging density with mixed low-density explosives and delay intervals have been substantiated; a new exponential dependence of the ore delivery range on the specific blasting agent consumption and the angl e of the ore body occurrence has been revealed. Practical implications. Practical significance is in increasing the efficiency of blast breaking of minerals, improving the quality of blast delivery of broken ore to loading sites while maintaining the host rock mass continuity and reducing the ore mass dilution, eliminating the formation of large-sized pieces that complicate the blast delivery of the broken ore. © 2023. Y. Serdaliyev, Y. Iskakov, A. Alibayev Mining of Mineral Deposits.

Polyampholyte hydrogels exhibit great antibacterial and antifouling properties, which make them attractive for biomedical applications, such as drug delivery, wound healing, and tissue engineering. They also have potential applications in food safety, wastewater treatment, and desalination. Since they are based on ionic interactions, polyampholytes are known to require lower amounts of chemical cross-linkers as compared with traditional gels. However, the effects of both chemical and physical interactions on the material’s performance are yet to be fully understood and were examined in the present work. Here, four series of equimolar polyampholyte hydrogels were synthesized with anionic (acrylamidomethylpropane sulfonic acid sodium salt) and cationic monomers (acrylamidopropyl-trimethylammonium chloride) along with a cross-linker (N,N′-methylenebisacrylamide). The mechanical and rheological properties of the gels were characterized following changes to the initial monomer concentration and crosslinker ratios, which led to gels with different toughness, stretchability, and compressibility. The direct correlation of the cross-linking degree with the initial monomer concentration showed that the chemical crosslinker could be further reduced at a high monomer concentration of 30% by weight, which creates an inter-chain network at a minimal crosslinker concentration of 0.25%. Lastly, N′N-dimethylacrylamide was added, which resulted in an increase in the number of H-bonds in the structure, noticeably raising material performance. © 2023 by the authors.