In decision-making problems, the researchers’ application of parametric tests is the first choice due to their wide applicability, reliability, and validity. The common parametric tests require the validation of the normality assumption even for large sample sizes in some cases. Jarque-Bera test is among one of the methods available in the literature used to serve the purpose. One of the Jarque-Bera test restrictions is the computational limitations available only for the data in exact form. The operational procedure of the test is helpless for the interval-valued data. The interval-valued data generally occurs in situations under fuzzy logic or indeterminate state of the outcome variable and is often called neutrosophic form. The present research modifies the existing statistic of the Jarque-Bera test for the interval-valued data. The modified design and operational procedure of the newly proposed Jarque-Bera test will be useful to assess the normality of a data set under the neutrosophic environment. The proposed neutrosophic Jarque-Bera test is applied and compared with its existing form with the help of a numerical example of real gold mines data generated under the fuzzy environment. The study’s findings suggested that the proposed test is effective, informative, and suitable to be applied in indeterminacy compared to the existing Jarque–Bera test.

(1) Background: Nowadays, technological advancement plays a key role in the economic uplift of developing countries, and it is paramount that the youth of these countries are well-equipped with both vocational and technical skills to bring about sustainability in their careers. (2) Methods: The present study aims to investigate the perception gap between vocational students and industrial employers with regard to employability skills. In this regard, data were collected from 683 vocational students from urban/rural areas studying in the public/private vocational institutions of a developing country. Similarly, 82 vocational employers were contacted about their perception of employability skills. A questionnaire comprising 20 questions was administered online to both students and employers for registering their responses. Data were analyzed with the help of descriptive statistics, interval plots, and an Ishikawa diagram. (3) Results: The findings reveal that vocational employers give maximum importance to interpersonal, technical, and entrepreneurial skills, while students perceive that their technical and computing skills are vital for sustainable careers. Similarly, the rural/public students showed minimum levels of competency in these skills as compared with their counterparts living in rural areas and studying in the private institutions. Furthermore, structured interviews were conducted with the concerned stakeholders to develop a remedial framework for the sustainable careers of these vocational students. (4) Conclusions: The results of the study not only bring sustainability to the vocational sector of developing countries, but to all those countries enjoying similar socioeconomic backgrounds.

The individual and combined effects of micronutrients and hormones on freshwater-borne microalgae growth were investigated for biofuel feedstock in this experimental study. Five algal strains of Chlorella sp., Chlorococcum sp., Phormidium sp., Chlorella sp. and Cosmarium sp., AZH, AZS, ZAA1, ZAA2, and ZAA3, respectively, have been investigated. These strains were treated using different concentrations of micronutrients (iron chloride, manganese chloride, and sodium molybdenum oxide) and hormone (salicylic acid). The different treatments’ growth effects were as follows: iron chloride > sodium molybdenum oxide ˃ manganese chloride > salicylic acid. The order of the increases in the number of microalgal strain cells achieved by the application of the micronutrients and hormone was AZH > AZS > ZAA3 > ZAA2 > ZAA1. The combined treatments produced higher growth rates than the individual treatments, with the order of their effects being micronutrients + hormone > all three micronutrients > hormone alone. The increase in the number of microalgal strain cells under combined treatment was ZAA3 > AZH > AZS > ZAA2 and assessed using one-way ANOVA.

Anaerobic co-digestion provides a promising solution for converting inexpensive carbon from wastes to biogenic methane. We used microalgae (Nannochloropsis oculata) with cow manure and sludge to produce a better quantity and quality of biogas. To further improve the gas production, microalgae were pretreated with ultrasonication, hot water, and a combination of both. Interestingly, the results showed that the pretreatment of microalgae decreased biogas production by 5 to 30%. The no-pretreatment runs produced a maximum of 118 L of biogas. The relative content of biogenic methane was higher in the pretreated feedstock (48 to 52%) in comparison with the no-pretreatment runs (44%). The conversion of volatile suspended solids present in the feedstock to total biogenic methane production was highest in hot-water-treated runs. The carbon content in the gas produced by the pretreated microalgae peaked (38%) in the middle of the experiment (i.e., at 45 days), whereas for no-pretreatment runs, the content remained constant from the start to the middle and declined (from 36 to 34%) at the end of the experiment (i.e., at 90 days). We also report the chemical structure of microalgae with and without pretreatments.

The decarbonization of transportation plays a crucial role in mitigating climate change, and biodiesel has emerged as a promising solution due to its renewable and eco-friendly nature. However, in order to maintain the momentum of the “green trend” and ensure energy security, an ecologically friendly pathway is important to produce efficient biodiesel. In this work, activated carbon (AC) obtained from rice husk (RH) is hydrothermally prepared and modified through cobalt transition metal for catalyst support for the transesterification process. The physicochemical characteristics of the synthesized catalysts are examined using XRD, FTIR, SEM and EDS, TGA, and BET, while the produced biodiesel is also characterized using Gas Chromatography and Mass Spectroscopy (GC-MS). To optimize the transesterification process, Fatty Acid Methyl Esters (FAME) are produced by the conversion of waste cooking oil. Response Surface Methodology (RSM) is used to validate temperature (75 °C), the methanol-to-oil molar ratio (1:9), catalyst weight percentage (2 wt.%), and retention time (52.5 min). The highest conversion rate of waste cooking oil (WCO) to biodiesel was recorded at 96.3% and tested as per American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) standards. Based on the results, it is clear that cobalt-loaded rice husk-based green catalyst (RHAC-Co) enhanced catalytic activity and yield for biodiesel production. Further research should focus on engine performance evaluation and scaling up of the catalyst by optimizing it for the industrial scale.