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A cell's fate involves transitions among its various states, each defined by a distinct gene expression profile governed by the topology of gene regulatory networks, which are affected by 3D genome organization. Here, we develop thermodynamic models to determine the fate of a malignant cell as governed by the tumor suppressor p53 signaling network, taking into account long-range chromatin interactions in the mean-field approximation. The tumor suppressor p53 responds to stress by selectively triggering one of the potential transcription programs that influence many layers of cell signaling. These range from p53 phosphorylation to modulation of its DNA binding affinity, phase separation phenomena, and internal connectivity among cell fate genes. We use the minimum free energy of the system as a fundamental property of biological networks that influences the connection between the gene network topology and the state of the cell. We constructed models based on network topology and equilibrium thermodynamics. Our modeling shows that the binding of phosphorylated p53 to promoters of target genes can have properties of a first order phase transition. We apply our model to cancer cell lines ranging from breast cancer (MCF-7), colon cancer (HCT116), and leukemia (K562), with each one characterized by a specific network topology that determines the cell fate. Our results clarify the biological relevance of these mechanisms and suggest that they represent flexible network designs for switching between developmental decisions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the present study, we have investigated the effect of magnetic Cr doping on the transport properties of a sputtered Bi2Se3 thin film on the SrTiO3 (110) substrate. The high-resolution x-ray diffraction and Raman spectroscopy measurements revealed the growth of rhombohedral Bi2Se3 thin films. Further electronic and compositional analysis was done by x-ray photoemission spectroscopy and Rutherford backscattering spectroscopy, and the x-value was estimated to be 0.18 in the Bi2−xCrxSe3 thin film. The variation in the resistivity with temperature (2–300 K) revealed the metallic nature in undoped Bi2Se3 up to 30 K and upturn resistivity below 30 K. The Cr-doped Bi2Se3 resistivity data show a traditional semiconducting nature up to 25 K and take an abrupt upturn resistivity below 25 K. The resistivity behavior of both samples was explained by adopting a model that consists of the total resistance, a combination of bulk and surface resistance in parallel. The bulk bandgap value determined by this method is obtained to be 256 meV in an undoped Bi2Se3 thin film. Magnetoconductance data of the undoped thin film revealed a weak anti-localization (WAL) effect, while the Cr-doped thin film showed a weak localization (WL) effect at low temperatures (<50 K). At low magnetic field and low temperature, a competing nature of WAL and WL effects was prominent in the Cr-doped film. A drastic increase in the electrical resistance suggests that Cr doping can significantly modify the electrical properties of Bi2Se3 thin films, which could have potential applications in futuristic devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We propose and investigate a novel coherent laser array design based on laterally coupled photonic crystal surface-emitting lasers (PCSELs). As a new type of semiconductor laser technology, PCSELs have field confinement in a planar cavity and laser beam emission in the surface normal direction. By engineering lateral couplings between PCSELs with heterostructure photonic crystal designs, we can achieve coherent operations from an array of PCSELs. In this paper, we demonstrate coherent operation from a passively coupled PCSEL array design. We fabricated PCSEL array devices on a GaAs-based quantum well heterostructure at a target wavelength of 1040 nm. Experimental results show that the 2-by-2 PCSEL arrays have spectral linewidth of 0.14–0.22 nm. Beam combining performance was characterized by self-interference experiments. Similar coherency between the PCSEL array and single PCSEL device was observed. Our compact PCSEL array designs by passive lateral coupling have potential applications in fields of on-chip photonic computing, quantum, and information processing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the growing hydrogen economy, hydrogen is expected to play a significant part in the decarbonization of the world's energy supply. However, the use of hydrogen technologies necessitates the implementation of rigorous safety measures, such as the deployment of accurate hydrogen gas detection systems. Tin oxide (SnO 2) has been mainly studied to detect H 2 gas-sensing applications due to its significant chemical and thermal stability properties. The present review article aims to provide state-of-the-art knowledge of current developments of low-cost, eco-friendly hydrogen (H 2) gas sensors (HGS) based on functionalized tin oxide (SnO 2) nanostructures (SNS), offering greater efficiency and enhanced precision. The review article discuss the various technologies with their fundamental mechanism of hydrogen gas sensing. In this review article, the different fabrication routes of SNS coupled with modifications in their structural, surface, chemical, and electrical properties via metal doping, heterojunctions, ion implantation, light-assisted, carbon, and polymer-based hybrids are taken into account. Further, the study emphasized factors affecting sensing performance, recent technological advancements, and prevailing challenges in the area of SNS-inspired HGS. The review presents a few knowledge gaps, translated herewith as future perspectives and recommendations to instant possibility for future research and development. Hence, the present study could foster novel initiatives that may pave the way to revolutionizing SnO 2 -based HGS. [Display omitted] • The review proves a state-of-the-art of current advances in SnO 2 -based H 2 sensor. • Article includes a comprehensive study of different hydrogen sensing technologies. • Different fabrication routes of SnO 2 -based H 2 sensors are summarized. • SnO 2 modifications via heterojunction, ion & light irradiation, etc. are explained. • Recent technological advancements, and prevailing challenges are well defined. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Electrospinning is a cost-effective but very intricate method of producing polymeric nanofibers at room temperature. Unfortunately however, it is extremely difficult to predict the diameter or other properties of the fibers produced via electrospinning a prior. In this paper, we present a new approach to simulate fiber formation during electrospinning. Our work builds on the mathematical framework that was originally developed by Reneker and Yarin in 2000. Our approach incorporates the 3D electrostatic field that surrounds the fiber in a Lagrangian discrete particle tracking algorithm that tracks the trajectory of the fiber in air and predicts its deposition velocity and diameter. We investigate the effects of electrostatic field spatial variation on fiber electrospinning and compare our results with those obtained using a constant electrostatic field, the traditional approach, and with experiments (conducted using polyurethane). We considered three different electrospinning configurations of single-needle-plate-collector, single-needle-drum-collector, and two-needles-drum-collector to investigate how different electrostatic fields impact fiber formation. The computational model developed in this work helps to advance the current state of the art in modeling the electrospinning process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The rapid advancement of internet technology has raised attention to the importance of electronic voting in maintaining democracy and fairness in elections. E-voting refers to the use of electronic technology to facilitate the casting and counting of votes in elections. The need for designated verification arises from concerns about voter privacy, auditability, and the prevention of manipulation. Traditional e-voting systems use cryptographic techniques for security but lack verifiable proof of integrity. Integrating e-voting with a quantum designated verifier could address these challenges by leveraging the principles of quantum mechanics to enhance security and trustworthiness. In light of this, we propose a quantum e-voting scheme that uses a designated verifier signature. To ensure the confidentiality and authenticity of the voting process, the scheme uses quantum features like the no-cloning theorem and quantum key distribution. The proposed scheme has security properties like source hiding, non-transferability, and message anonymity. The proposed scheme is resistant to many quantum attacks, such as eavesdropping and impersonation. Due to designated verification, the scheme minimizes the risk of tempering. This paper provides a detailed description of the proposed scheme and analyzes its security properties. Therefore, the proposed scheme is efficient, practical, and secure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to the increase in severe consequences of mild steel corrosion, the development of coatings with improvement in corrosion-resistant properties has become very essential. In this work, benzotriazole (BTA) was encapsulated into halloysite nanotubes (HNTs) for inhibiting the corrosion of mild steel surface. The BTA-encapsulated HNT exhibits pH-responsive properties over a wide range of pH. It was found that a large amount of BTA was released at pH 3 (48 %), followed by pH 7 (30 %) and least in the case of pH 10 (20 %). At neutral pH, a rapid release of BTA was observed during initial exposure, reaching a steady-state later, with no significant release further. A salt immersion test was carried out after immersing mild steel (MS) substrates in BTA-HNT nanopowder dispersion in 3.5 wt% NaCl at different pH. SEM images and EDS maps confirmed that corrosion product formation on MS surface at pH 3 was significantly more with corrosion pits along with HNTs throughout the surface. At pH 7 and 10, corrosion pits were observed with very few halloysite nanotubes on the surface. An optimum amount of BTA is required to inhibit corrosion, excessive release may cause more Cl− ions to penetrate, leading to more corrosion. Electrochemical data also reveals the same trend, where the i corr value was maximum for pH 3 (1.09 × 10−5 A/cm2) > pH 7 (4.74 × 10−6 A/cm2) > pH 10 (3.43 × 10−6 A/cm2). Therefore, results suggest that BTA-encapsulated HNT can be efficiently incorporated into the coating matrix for their controlled release to provide corrosion protection under varying neutral and alkaline marine environments. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Psoriasis is chronic autoimmune inflammatory skin disorder affecting millions of people worldwide (2–3% of world population). Treatment of psoriasis ranges from use of topicals to biologicals. Although topical treatments are preferred for mild to moderate cases of psoriasis, the thickened, inflamed skin, and the absence of moisturizing properties make conventional topical treatment challenging, hindering the effective management of the condition. The hydrogel-based systems are reported to be excellent vehicles and carriers for overcoming the barriers in topical delivery of drugs by hydrating the thick plaques and providing controlled release of medicament into the tough scaly skin. Recently, many nanocarrier loaded hydrogels-based system has gained popularity for effective delivery of drugs across psoriatic skin. The present review focuses on psoriasis, the deviation from normal skin in psoriatic condition which renders the effective delivery of drugs through topical route a greater challenge and how hydrogels-based system can effectively help alleviate psoriasis through effective drug delivery across the hyperkeratinized skin. In summary, hydrogels have emerged as effective carriers in psoriasis treatment as they provide a soothing effect, better patient acceptance, good penetration, controlled, sustained, and even smart drug release thus providing relief along with treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Necrotic enteritis (NE) is an economically important disease of broiler chickens caused by Clostridium perfringens (CP). The pathogenesis, or disease process, of NE is still not clear. This study aimed to identify the alterations of metabolites and metabolic pathways associated with subclinical or clinical NE in CP infected birds and to investigate the possible variations in the metabolic profile of birds infected with different isolates of CP. Methodology: Using a well-established NE model, the protein content of feed was changed abruptly before exposing birds to CP isolates with different toxin genes combinations (cpa, cpb2, netB, tpeL; cpa, cpb2, netB; or cpa, cpb2). Metabolomics analysis of jejunal contents was performed by a targeted, fully quantitative LC-MS/MS based assay. Results: This study detected statistically significant differential expression of 34 metabolites including organic acids, amino acids, fatty acids, and biogenic amines, including elevation of butyric acid at onset of NE in broiler chickens. Subsequent analysis of broilers infected with CP isolates with different toxin gene combinations confirmed an elevation of butyric acid consistently among 21 differentially expressed metabolites including organic acids, amino acids, and biogenic amines, underscoring its potential role during the development of NE. Furthermore, protein-metabolite network analysis revealed significant alterations in butyric acid and arginine-proline metabolisms. Conclusion: This study indicates a significant metabolic difference between CP-infected and non-infected broiler chickens. Among all the metabolites, butyric acid increased significantly in CP-infected birds compared to non-infected healthy broilers. Logistic regression analysis revealed a positive association between butyric acid (coefficient: 1.23, P < 0.01) and CP infection, while showing a negative association with amino acid metabolism. These findings suggest that butyric acid could be a crucial metabolite linked to the occurrence of NE in broiler chickens and may serve as an early indicator of the disease at the farm level. Further metabolomic experiments using different NE animal models and field studies are needed to determine the specificity and to validate metabolites associated with NE, regardless of predisposing factors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Reliable hydrological simulations require accurate precipitation data. However, data uncertainties due to the indirect nature of satellite estimates can propagate through hydrological models and lead to simulation errors. This study assesses the accuracy of Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM) Integrated Multi-satellite Retrievals for GPM (IMERG) products, comparing them directly with ground-based precipitation data and evaluating their performance in rainfall–runoff modelling across Great Britain. Three IMERG V06 products (IMERG-Early, IMERG-Late, and IMERG-Final) are examined. Utilizing the simple water balance model (SWBM), the analysis covers 250 basins, revealing that the SWBM performs well in over 50% of the basins. Runoff estimations show that European Observation (E-OBS) ground-based data yield the highest Nash-Sutcliffe efficiency (NSE) score (0.91), followed by IMERG-Final (0.85), IMERG-Late (0.82), and IMERG-Early (0.73). The findings underscore IMERG's utility in hydrological modelling for ungauged or poorly gauged basins. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As a major staple food crop for the global human population, climate-resilient wheat is the key to global food security. In this context, there is an urgent need to combine advances in genomic technologies and cutting-edge tools in the crop breeding pipelines. The genetic improvement of wheat starts with a clear understanding of genes and genomic components. The past 4–5 years have seen unprecedented growth in wheat genomes, pangenomes, and functional genomics studies. More than 50 reference-level genome assemblies are available for wheat and its wild and related species. Wheat's wild and related species provide a rich source of new genes and alleles to improve wheat. Reference genome assemblies of wheat's wild and related progenitor species have provided a new, helpful resource for targeted gene discovery for wheat improvement. This review explores the journey of wheat genomics starting in 2003. There is an urgent need to improve wheat for upcoming challenges, including biotic and abiotic stresses. Sustainable wheat improvement requires the introduction of new genes and alleles in high-yielding wheat cultivars. Using new approaches, tools, and technologies to identify and introduce new genes in wheat cultivars is critical. High-quality genomes, transcriptomes, and pangenomes provide essential resources and tools to examine wheat closely to identify and manipulate new and targeted genes and alleles. Wheat genomics has improved excellently in the past 5 years, generating multiple genomes, pangenomes, and transcriptomes. Leveraging these resources allows us to accelerate our crop improvement pipelines. This review summarizes the progress made in wheat genomics and trait discovery in the past 5 years. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Temporal Lobe Epilepsy (TLE) is a severe neurological condition characterized by recurrent seizures that often do not respond well to available anti-seizure medications. TLE has been associated with epileptogenesis, a process that starts during the latent period following a neurologic insult and is followed by chronic phase. Recent research has linked canonical Wnt signaling to the pathophysiology of epileptogenesis and TLE. Our previous study demonstrated differential regulation of canonical Wnt signaling during early and late stage post status epilepticus (SE) induction. Building on these findings, our current study utilized Wnt modulators: GSK-3β inhibitor 6-bromoindirubin-3'-oxime (6-Bio) and disheveled inhibitor niclosamide and investigated their impact on canonical Wnt signaling during the early (30 days) and later stages (60 days) following SE induction. We assessed several parameters, including seizure frequency, astrogliosis, synaptic density, and neuronal counts in hippocampal tissue. We used immunohistochemistry and Nissl staining to evaluate gliosis, synaptic density, and neuronal counts in micro-dissected hippocampi. Western blotting was used to examine the expression of proteins involved in canonical Wnt/β-catenin signaling, and real-time PCR was conducted to analyze their relative mRNA expression. Wnt modulators, 6-Bio and Niclosamide were found to reduce seizure frequency and various other parameters including behavioral parameters, hippocampal morphology, astrogliosis and synaptic density at different stages of TLE. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study evaluates the performance of conforming and non-conforming transition graded finite elements dealing with graded materials. Two-dimensional 5-node non-conforming quadrilateral element (Q5) is used to transition from one large 4-node linear quadrilateral to two small 4-node linear quadrilateral elements (Q4). In addition, a conforming Q5 element is used in between one Q4 and one 8-node quadratic elements (Q8). A single element test of Q5 graded element is done. Then, the accuracy and convergence study of Q5 graded element are examined. We found that the use of Q5 transition elements improved computational efficiency while maintaining the accuracy of the solutions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article presents a socio-hydrological investigation of the paradoxical increase in flood-related damages despite the growing economic investments in flood protection structures (FPS) in the Brahmaputra and Ganga basins. The change in socio-economic activities in the floodplains is studied, followed by conceptualizing a high-resolution socio-vulnerability index (SoVI) based on data acquired from remote sensing sources. There is a noticeable increase in socio-economic activities triggered by the construction of FPS. Moreover, factors such as proximity to FPS, type and cost of structure, and regional attributes have been found to significantly influence the community’s perception of flood risk and, consequently, the presence of the levee effect. Hence, this study establishes a correlation between the increased SoVI and the growing FPS investments. The findings are expected to help stakeholders identify the critical characteristics that escalate social vulnerability in the floodplains and thereby strategize investments in flood protection measures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, Sulfonyl hydrazides have emerged as powerful reagents for sulfonyl sources because of their easy availability, stability, and non-toxic nature. The hydrazinyl group can be easily detached from sulfonyl hydrazides using oxidative, thermal, radical, basic, or metal-catalyzed conditions. In this review, we have collected recent protocols for preparing sulfones, sulfides, and sulfoxides from the ideal starting material, sulfonyl hydrazides using various transition metals or in metal-free conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: The absence of a barrier in an open root apex makes endodontic treatment challenging as root‐filling material can easily reach the surrounding tissue. The aim of the study was to compare the apical microleakage associated with mineral trioxide aggregate (MTA), biodentine, custom‐made gutta‐percha with MTA plus and custom‐made gutta‐percha with Adseal in immature permanent teeth by dye penetration method. Methods: Apical 2 mm of 60 single‐rooted mandibular premolar teeth was resected to create divergent open apices and 10 teeth each were filled with Biodentine plug, MTA plug, custom‐made gutta‐percha with MTA plus sealer and custom‐made gutta‐percha with Adseal sealer. Ten teeth each acted as positive and negative controls. All the samples were stored at 37°C at 100% humidity for 5 weeks and then immersed in 2% Rhodamine B dye for 24 h. Transverse sectioning was done apically at 1 mm and 3 mm to evaluate dye penetration under a fluorescence microscope using ImageJ software. Results: There was a significantly greater microleakage at 1 mm cross section compared to 3 mm (p < 0.0001). At 1 mm cross section, the apical microleakage was the highest for the MTA plug with a mean leakage percentage of 48.08 ± 16.38, a mean depth of leakage of 0.46 ± 0.10 mm and a mean area of leakage of 1.35 ± 0.74 mm2, compared to other groups, and the difference was statistically significant. However, at a 3 mm cross section, MTA plus sealer with gutta‐percha demonstrated the highest mean leakage percentage (25.01 ± 7.77) compared to other groups and the difference was statistically significant (p = 0.03). Conclusion: It can be concluded that the 3‐mm‐thick apical plug provided better sealing of the open apex compared to the 1 mm apical plug and there was no significant difference in microleakage among the Biodentine plug, MTA plug and Adseal sealer with gutta‐percha plug at 3 mm cross section. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

SUMMARY Lipid droplets (LDs) are unusual organelles that have a phospholipid monolayer surface and a hydrophobic matrix. In oilseeds, this matrix is nearly always composed of triacylglycerols (TGs) for efficient storage of carbon and energy. Various proteins play a role in their assembly, stability and turnover, and even though the major structural oleosin proteins in seed LDs have been known for decades, the factors influencing LD formation and dynamics are still being uncovered mostly in the “model oilseed” Arabidopsis. Here we identified several key LD biogenesis proteins in the seeds of pennycress, a potential biofuel crop, that were correlated previously with seed oil content and characterized here for their participation in LD formation in transient expression assays and stable transgenics. One pennycress protein, the lipid droplet associated protein‐interacting protein (LDIP), was able to functionally complement the Arabidopsis ldip mutant, emphasizing the close conservation of lipid storage among these two Brassicas. Moreover, loss‐of‐function ldip mutants in pennycress exhibited increased seed oil content without compromising plant growth, raising the possibility that LDIP or other LD biogenesis factors may be suitable targets for improving yields in oilseed crops more broadly. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Liquid fuel, such as 2,5‐dimethylfuran (DMF), from biomass, is an efficient, potential alternative to fossil‐based fuels due to its exceptional properties, including lower volatility, a remarkable octane number, heightened energy density, and immiscibility with water. DMF can be the starting substrate for producing bio‐based p‐xylene through the Diels‐Alder reaction with ethylene to produce biobased polyethylene terephthalate (PET). This review, thus, discusses the catalytic role of various precious and non‐precious metals on different supports, such as carbon, metal‐oxide, zeolite, and hydrotalcite, for the production of DMF via catalytic hydrodeoxygenation (HDO) of 5‐hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) based on the previously reported literature. Various characteristic properties of the employed catalytic materials, such as particle size, metal‐support and substrate interaction, surface area, porosity, and acidic and basic sites, are delineated, playing a crucial role in the HDO of HMF to DMF. The influence of various reaction parameters, such as hydrogen atmosphere, solvents‐ including hydrogen donor solvents‐ and temperature are also discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the importance of subscores in educational and psychological testing, particularly in response to demands for more detailed information about examinees' knowledge and skills. It highlights the challenges and limitations of subscores, such as their reliance on few items and high correlation with total scores. The article reviews a book that provides a comprehensive guide to producing and interpreting subscores, offering practical recommendations for testing practitioners. The book covers the history of subscores, methods of reporting them, evaluating their quality, and making decisions about their use based on psychometric standards. It also addresses the issue of subscore equating and provides a flowchart for decision-making on reporting subscores. [Extracted from the article]

Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) have a profound impact on individuals, shaping their long-term health and life opportunities. This study delves into the complex ties between ACEs and the socioemotional development of Australian children and youth by examining the relationships between adverse childhood experiences and externalizing, internalizing, and prosocial behaviors. This study utilized data from the Longitudinal Study of Australian Children and employed the generalized estimating equation method to investigate the relationships between adverse childhood experiences and externalizing, internalizing, and prosocial behaviors in Australian children and adolescents. Adverse childhood experiences such as physical punishment, hostile parenting, parental conflicts, separation, financial strain, and parental mental health issues increased the risk of externalizing and internalizing behaviors while reducing prosocial behaviors. The risk increases with the number of ACEs, as evidenced by the incidence ratio (IR); for example, for externalizing behaviors, an ACEs score of one leads to IR = 1.69, while an ACEs score of 4 results in IR = 3.34. Similar trends were observed for internalizing and prosocial behaviors. The presence of imbalanced longitudinal data, arising from variations in the number of observations across different time points, challenges robust inferences. Furthermore, this study investigates the relationship between ACEs and behavioral problems, without establishing causality. Consequently, the results should be interpreted with caution. The findings of this study highlight that adverse childhood experiences significantly influence behavioral outcomes in children and adolescents. These findings underscore the critical need for early detection and intervention to mitigate the consequences of traumatic childhood experiences. • Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) significantly impact the socioemotional development of children and adolescents. • Higher ACEs scores correspond to an elevated risk of externalizing, and internalizing, while diminishing prosocial behaviors. • Early detection and intervention are needed to reduce the detrimental effects of ACEs on children's behavior. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Colloidal cesium lead halide (CsPbX3, X = Cl, Br, I) perovskite nanocrystals (NCs) hold promises in photovoltaic and optoelectronic applications. However, their poor long‐term stability results in degradation of optical properties under ambient conditions. Various methods have been explored to address these issues. In this study, we demonstrate that following 3‐precursor hot‐injection method employing ethylenediammonium dihalide (EDAX2) as an additional ligand/halide source one can obtain phase‐pure, monodispersed, stable, and highly luminescent CsPbX3 NCs. Our violet‐emitting CsPbCl3, blue‐emitting CsPbClBr2, Green‐emitting CsPbBr3, yellow‐emitting CsPbBr2I, and red‐emitting CsPbI3 NCs show PLQYs of 53%, 97%, 96%, 93%, and 95%, respectively. Moreover, the CsPbI3 NCs, which are known for their phase instability, exhibit stability for up to two months under ambient conditions. The enhanced stability and photoluminescence are attributed to strong binding of the bidentate ligand (EDA2+) to the surface of the NCs and effective removal of the halide‐deficiency trap states by X−. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Current global burden of respiratory tract infections (RTIs) has thrown new challenges for researchers to design and develop efficient and multifaceted face masks. Airborne pathogens are highly transmissible through droplet nuclei/aerosol (<5 μm) which can be significantly reduced by wearing masks. Currently available disposable surgical masks have disparate limitations in terms of surface wettability, microbial penetration, dermal infections due to anaerobic reactions beneath the surface, discomfort, and eruption of chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases (COPD). These mask surfaces get contaminated with airborne pathogens along with commensal bacterial strains. Generation of high temperature and humidity during repetitive breathing allow bacteria to penetrate from the masks to respiratory tract causing serious complications. Till date, functionalized face masks with different microbicidal agents including nanomaterials experience restricted leaching of antimicrobial agents, cytotoxic effects, short‐lived microbicidal effects, inflammatory responses, negative impact on ecosystem, etc. To address these limitations, here, we have attempted fabrication of mussel mimetic biopolymer (PDA) and its aminoglycoside‐nanoconjugate‐coated face masks. Formation of a uniform layer on the surface not only acted as a potential barrier for infectious pathogens but also inhibited their entry, deactivated the adhered bacteria, imparted non‐immunogenic response with no harmful effects on the wearer's skin owing to the biocompatible nature and pH compatibility of PDA and their conjugates. Amongst all, PDA‐kanamycin (PDA−K)‐coated masks exhibited excellent microbicidal activity with the least bacterial infiltration efficiency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study presents the use of novel Ganga-sand-encapsulated polyaniline granules for effective remediation of textile and pharmaceutical wastewater. The prepared Ganga-sand-encapsulated polyaniline granules were characterised using scanning electron microscope (morphology) and Fourier transform infrared techniques. The effect of adsorbent dose, contact time, pH and concentration influence on the adsorption performance of Ganga-sand-encapsulated polyaniline granules for the removal of methylene blue dye (textile waste) and doxycycline antibiotic (pharmaceutical waste) was studied. Kinetic and isotherm studies were also carried out to investigate the adsorption process further. The maximum adsorptive removal efficacy of methylene blue and doxycycline was found as 98.2% and 85.1%, respectively, at the optimised condition of adsorbent dose: 8 g/L, time: 120 min, pH: 12 and concentration: 50 ppm. From adsorption kinetics, it was established that the adsorption process followed pseudo-second-order (PSO) rather than pseudo-first-order (PFO). The correlation coefficient values for PFO and PSO models were 0.9012 and 0.9992, respectively, for methylene blue dye adsorption on Ganga-sand-encapsulated polyaniline granules. The adsorption isotherm study established that the adsorption process followed the Langmuir model rather than the Freundlich model. This study found that Ganga-sand-encapsulated polyaniline granules can be a promising adsorbent for textile and pharmaceutical wastewater treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article, we study the linear instability and the nonlinear stability (through energy functional) analyses of thermal convection in an inclined Darcy–Brinkman porous layer considering uniformly heated horizontal rigid, impermeable walls from below and above. The effects of a uniform internal heat source and anisotropy in effective thermal diffusivity on heat transfer are also considered. Heating the porous layer from below yields the temperature gradient, influencing the buoyancy and making the convection happen. This temperature gradient also impacts the base state. The basic solution for velocity incorporates both hyperbolic and polynomial functions, significantly increasing the complexity of linear and nonlinear analyses. The Chebyshev-tau method, together with the QZ algorithm, is used to solve the linear and nonlinear perturbed system of equations numerically. The region of subcritical instability is obtained by comparing the linear and nonlinear thresholds for the longitudinal and transverse rolls, respectively. We found that perturbations for longitudinal and transverse rolls do not grow after inclination is more than 30.3 ° and 31.3 ° , respectively. It has been noted that in transverse roll scenarios, the flow becomes stabilized when the inclination angle, ϕ , is equal to or exceeds 60 ° , where ϕ plays a leading role in surpassing the impact of internal heating. However, when the inclination angle is ϕ < 60 ° , then internal heating dominates and destabilizes the flow. For the longitudinal rolls, the internal heating dominates the whole range of ϕ , destabilizing the system. Furthermore, it can be seen that the Darcy number (Da) and the anisotropic thermal diffusivity (ξ) delay the onset of convection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This experimental study investigates the fluid dynamic function of butterfly scales to reduce friction drag below that experienced in a laminar boundary layer. A previous study on flight-testing live monarch butterflies showed that the removal of the scales from the wings had a significant effect on reducing flying efficiency. Monarch butterfly scales have a typical size of 0.1 mm in length, where the tips of the scales extend slightly upward to create microscopic grooves within a roof-shingle patterned surface. The hypothesis was tested that flow passing transverse to the grooves, for very low Reynolds number flow (Red < 10, based on cavity depth) as would occur on a butterfly wing, would result in the formation of cavity vortices that result in a partial slip condition to the outer boundary layer flow, resulting in reduced surface or skin friction drag. This flow phenomenon is designated the "roller-bearing effect." Tow tank studies, using both water and high viscosity mineral oil to vary the Reynolds number, measured the flow over various butterfly scale inspired grooves, or transverse cavity, models. A flow visualization study first proved the presence of an entrapped vortex inside each cavity that can act as a fluidic bearing. Drag measurements, using a momentum analysis of the velocity field obtained by digital particle image velocimetry, confirmed the presence of sub-laminar drag at low Reynolds numbers for multiple groove geometries. Results also confirmed that drag reduction is lost, as the Reynolds number increases an order of magnitude, due to instabilities developing for the embedded cavity flow. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Promoting intergenerational learning (IGL) is one of the 10 Age-Friendly University (AFU) principles, which facilitates the reciprocal sharing of expertise between learners of all ages. This PRISMA scoping review explored IGL initiatives involving older adults at institutions of higher education (IHE). Articles published from 2000 to 2022 were searched in the databases: CINAHL, SocINDEX, Chronicle of Higher Education, ERIC, PubMed, PsycINFO, SpringerLink, and Google Scholar. Twenty-five articles that met the inclusion criteria were reviewed. Three themes were identified: Institutional growth strategy, emerging practices, and IGL benefits. The organization's strategic planning and policy impact the strategies used to engage older adults in IGL. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Osteoporosis (OP) is an osteometabolic disorder characterized by a lesser bone mineral density (BMD) and the disruption of bone tissue micro—architecture, resulting in a greater bone fragility and higher likelihoods of fractures. OP emerges once the bone mass declines faster than the body's capacity to replenish it, leading to a significant reduction in the strength of bone. OP impacts each and every bone throughout the body and provides no clinical signs until a fracture happens. Aging leads to the reduction in BMD, and the rate of percentage of fractures rises over time, usually causing mortality and morbidity. Numerous BMD evaluation methods are available, and they are used in a variety of settings by considering the location of the fracture. Dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry (DEXA/DXA) is recognized as the gold standard for predicting the fracture, since it is the most advanced, technologically affirmed, and also has excellent performance. According to the findings, most researchers do not endeavour the identification and the segmentation of low bone masses from DEXA images. Medical image segmentation supports in analyzing and visualizing the bone's low bone mass. The envisaged hybrid approach, that integrates GLCM for feature extraction and AlexNet for a low bone mass variation classification, provides segmented images that assist in categorizing bone health as normal, osteopenia, or osteoporosis. The developed algorithm's performance metrics, including Dice Co-efficient, Sensitivity, and Specificity, were 92.35, 90.26, and 92.42%, respectively. The Orthopedicians ascertained the efficacy of the outcomes rendered by the proposed algorithm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Vanguard Russet, a fresh market potato developed by the Texas A&M Breeding Program, has been reported to be heat tolerant based on previous greenhouse and field studies. Until now, no studies have been conducted to understand the mechanisms involved in its heat tolerance. We compared Vanguard Russet and the heat-sensitive potato variety Russet Burbank using contrasting conditions in growth chambers (normal, 25/15⁰C day/night vs. high-temperature, 25/15⁰C day/night for four weeks, followed by 35/25⁰C day/night). Differences in tuber initiation time, bulking, tuber number, plant height, leaf area, stem thickness, leaf angle, plant biomass, and photosynthetic parameters were sequentially documented at five-time points: 30, 45, 60, 75, and 100 days after planting. Although having slower above-ground plant growth under both conditions, Vanguard Russet initiated tuber formation significantly earlier (< 30 days) than Russet Burbank (30–45 days). This indicates its ability to quickly channel photoassimilates toward tubers, employing early tuberization as a possible heat escape strategy. Screening for early tuberization could be considered as an initial approach to identify varieties able to escape heat stress. In addition to early tuberization, heat-tolerant varieties must produce a high yield of marketable tubers with few internal and external defects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study investigates the structure-property relationship of gravity die-cast and rheocast in situ processed 1wt%TiB2/Al-3.5Mg-0.15Sc-0.075Zr composites. The reinforcement was synthesized via the reaction of fluoride salts (K2TiF6 and KBF4) in the melt at 750 °C for an hour. The cooling slope technique was used for rheocasting, wherein the melt (pouring temperature of 700 °C) was allowed to flow over the cooling slope at an angle of 60°. Thereafter, all samples (gravity die cast and rheocast) were aged at 300 °C for 5 h. Microstructural characterization, hardness measurements, tensile tests, and fractography were necessary supplements to this investigation. The results obtained from this investigation infer: (a) The presence of nano-TiB2 particles increases the ductility (15%) of the gravity die-cast specimens; (b) rheocasting increases the strength of the specimen due to transformation from dendritic to equiaxed dendritic morphology and uniform particle distribution (reduced agglomeration). (c) Rheocast and aged specimens show maximum strength and adequate ductility due to the combined effects of structure refinement, reduced agglomeration, and the formation of fine precipitates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Given a graph G = (V , E) , the problem of Graph Burning is to find a sequence of nodes from V , called a burning sequence, to burn the whole graph. This is a discrete-step process, and at each step, an unburned vertex is selected as an agent to spread fire to its neighbors by marking it as a burnt node. A burnt node spreads the fire to its neighbors at the next consecutive step. The goal is to find the burning sequence of minimum length. The Graph Burning problem is NP-Hard for general graphs and even for binary trees. A few approximation results are known, including a 3 -approximation algorithm for general graphs and a 2 -approximation algorithm for trees. The Graph Burning on directed graphs is more challenging than on undirected graphs. In this paper, we propose (1) A 2. 7 5 -approximation algorithm for a cactus graph (undirected), (2) A 3 -approximation algorithm for multi-rooted directed trees (polytree) and (3) A 1. 9 0 5 -approximation algorithm for the single-rooted directed tree (arborescence). We implement all three approximation algorithms, and the results are shown for randomly generated cactus graphs, multi-rooted directed trees and single-rooted directed trees. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Phototropin (Phot), a blue light‐sensing LOV domain protein, mediates blue light responses and is evolutionarily conserved across the green lineage. Klebsormidium nitens, a green terrestrial alga, presents a valuable opportunity to study adaptive responses from aquatic to land habitat transitions. We determined the crystal structure of Klebsormidium nitens Phot LOV1 domain (KnLOV1) in the dark and engineered different mutations (R60K, Q122N, and D33N) to modulate the lifetime of the photorecovery cycle. We observed unusual, slow recovery kinetics in the wild‐type KnLOV1 domain (τ = 41 ± 3 min) compared to different mutants (R60K: τ = 2.0 ± 0.1 min, Q122N: τ = 1.7 ± 0.1 min, D33N: τ = 9.6 ± 0.1 min). Crystal structures of wild‐type KnLOV1 and mutants revealed subtle but critical changes near the protein chromophore that is responsible for modulating protein dark recovery time. Our findings shed light on the unique structural and biochemical characteristics of the newly studied KnLOV1 and its evolutionary importance for phototropin‐mediated physiology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tuberculosis (TB), caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis (M.tb), is a major global health concern, particularly affecting those with weakened immune systems, including the elderly. CD4+ T cell response is crucial for immunity against M.tb, but chronic infections and aging can lead to T cell exhaustion and senescence, worsening TB disease. Mitochondrial dysfunction, prevalent in aging and chronic diseases, disrupts cellular metabolism, increases oxidative stress, and impairs T‐cell functions. This study investigates the effect of mitochondrial transplantation (mito‐transfer) on CD4+ T cell differentiation and function in aged mouse models and human CD4+ T cells from elderly individuals. Mito‐transfer in naïve CD4+ T cells is found to promote protective effector and memory T cell generation during M.tb infection in mice. Additionally, it improves elderly human T cell function by increasing mitochondrial mass and altering cytokine production, thereby reducing markers of exhaustion and senescence. These findings suggest mito‐transfer as a novel approach to enhance aged CD4+ T cell functionality, potentially benefiting immune responses in the elderly and chronic TB patients. This has broader implications for diseases where mitochondrial dysfunction contributes to T‐cell exhaustion and senescence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The carbon is an important element which belongs to group 14 of the periodic table and shows multiple applications in our daily life as well as at the industrial scale. It is a promising element which represents the liquid–liquid phase transition (LLPT) phenomena. Additionally, it shows interesting anomalous behavior with some usual thermodynamic properties such as heat capacity (Cp) near about the liquid–liquid phase coexistence temperature (Tc). Hence, it is quite challenging and difficult to simulate carbon at or near the liquid–liquid phase coexistence temperature. This anomalous behavior also creates complications in computing the precise and equilibrated thermodynamic properties close to Tc. Therefore, we have studied the thermodynamic behavior of liquid and solid (diamond) states of carbon at liquid–liquid phase coexistence temperature (Tc) while transforming from liquid to solid state and achieving the equilibrated liquid and solid states individually. Additionally, we have also performed a similar analysis on melting temperature (Tm) to compare the system trends and its thermodynamics behavior in liquid and solid states, respectively. Furthermore, all the predicted thermodynamic results are quite consistent and able to show the equilibrium changes at the liquid–liquid phase coexistence temperature (Tc) and melting temperature (Tm), respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Herein, a novel hydrogel (HG-cl-poly(AA)) was synthesized by grafting acrylic acid (AA) onto Hing gum (HG) using methylene-bis-acrylamide (MBA) as a cross-linker and ammonium persulfate (APS) as an initiator in a hot air oven. The percentage swelling of the hydrogel was examined by optimizing various reaction parameters to ensure its maximum swelling percentage. The formation of crosslinked networks was confirmed using Fourier-Transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) techniques. The surface area and hydrophilicity of the prepared hydrogel were determined using Brunauer–Emmett–Teller analyzer and wettability studies, demonstrating a clear correlation with adsorption. The adsorption of crystal violet (CV) dye on the prepared hydrogel was studied via a batch adsorption system based on the amount of adsorbent, immersion time, pH level, and initial dye concentration. The prepared hydrogel showed a 99% removal rate and an excellent adsorption capacity of 492.61mg/g due to the electrostatic, H-bonding, and dipole–dipole interactions between the adsorbent surface and dye molecules. The results were further analyzed using the Langmuir, Freundlich, and Tempkin isotherm models. The study suggests consistency with the pseudo-second-order kinetic model (R2=0.998), further supported by the best data fit with the Langmuir isotherm model (R2=0.991). The thermodynamic study results indicated that the adsorption process is endothermic and spontaneous. Regeneration (desorption) studies showed that the prepared hydrogel could remove CV dye from an aqueous solution and maintain the highest adsorption capacity even after multiple adsorption and desorption cycles. Therefore, the prepared HG-cl-poly(AA) hydrogel could be a potential adsorbent for dye removal and have an admirable capacity for cleaning the aquatic environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Communication is essential for social organisms. In eusocial insects, olfaction facilitates communication and recognition between nestmates. The study of certain model organisms has led to the hypothesis that odorant receptors are expanded in eusocial Hymenoptera. This has become a widely mentioned idea in the literature, albeit with conflicting reports, and has not been tested with a broad comparative analysis. Here we combined existing genomic and new neuroanatomical data, including from an approximately 100 Myr old fossil ant, across a phylogenetically broad sample of hymenopteran lineages. We find no evidence that variation in the size and evolutionary tempo of odorant receptor repertoires is related to eusociality. Post hoc exploration of our data hinted at loss of flight as a possible factor shaping some of the variation in OR repertoires in Hymenoptera. Nevertheless, our analyses revealed a complex pattern of evolutionary variation, and raise new questions about the ecological, behavioural and social factors that shape olfactory abilities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The halogen-free synthesis of oligosilazanes has been observed upon dehydrocoupling silanes with ammonia at 25 °C using [(2,6-iPr2PhBDI)Mn(µ-H)]2. Extending this methodology to polymethyl-hydrosiloxanes afforded thermally robust polysiloxazane solids, and the dehydrocoupling of 1,3,5,7-tetra-methylcyclotetrasiloxane with ammonia afforded a polysiloxazane having a weight-average molecular weight of 4300 g mol-1. A representative oligosilazane has been applied to a copper surface and found to afford a 20 μm thick coating that resists corrosion after 24 h under water. Addition of ammonia to [(2,6-iPr2PhBDI)Mn(µ-H)]2 allowed for characterization of the catalyst resting state, [(2,6-iPr2PhBDI)Mn(µ-NH2)]2, which has been found to mediate Si-N dehydrocoupling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AbstractThe unmanaged waste disposal, coupled with the increased industrialization and urbanization, has aggravated the problem of heavy metal contamination in the environment, especially in the agricultural soils. In view of this, the present study was planned to evaluate the effectiveness of zinc (Zn) in the amelioration of cadmium (Cd) toxicity in plants, thereby sustaining the crop productivity in near future. The experiment was performed in two parts. The first part focused on calculating the EC50 (half-effective concentration) of Cd, for which the potted experimental plants (Amaranthus cruentus L.) were treated with different doses of Cd (10, 20, 30, 40, and 50 mgL−1). In the second part, the EC50 Cd dose was combined with different Zn doses (100, 200, 300, 400, and 500 mgL−1) and the effect of Zn supplementation on Cd exposed plants was studied by evaluating the response of different biochemical, physiological and yield parameters. The EC50 Cd dose was calculated to be 26.5 mgL−1. Plant yield increased significantly with reduced Zn dosages. Biochemical parameters improved more than physiological parameters after Zn treatment in Cd-stressed plants. At higher Zn doses, its toxic effects exacerbate Cd toxicity. The study indicates that Zn partially decreases Cd toxicity in Amaranthus plants. The results suggest that 300 mgL−1 Zn dose was sufficient to bring about maximum recorded mitigation of Cd toxicity. However, since the synergistic effects of high doses of Zn with Cd cannot be ruled out, the selection of the applied Zn dose should be carefully selected. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: As a consequence of continuing demand for additional capacity and higher quality data transmission, channel coding as a key component of a digital communication network has progressed from a classical single pair, point‐to‐point information theoretic application to a class of coding techniques with diverse parameters. The heterogeneous requirements of B5G/6G networks technology have made flexibility of code parameters the main desired feature while designing channel codes. Owing to this, channel coding techniques have evolved to support enabling applications that depend on different factors such as latency, reliability, energy efficiency and throughput. We review and discuss the application of new techniques, modifications in the design and construction of modern channel coding schemes, including block, convolutional, rateless and space‐time codes. Further, the error correction performance of mainstream channel decoders for LDPC, polar and turbo codes is compared and analysed for their attainable error rate. The aim of this study is to highlight the adaptability of the discussed coding schemes for the forthcoming cellular network landscape. This article also addresses the implementational challenges of high throughput, low latency and machine type communication scenarios. Moreover, some recent studies exploring the role of machine learning for optimisation of B5G/6G networks are classified and discussed. Concluding, research areas pertaining to the scalability of error control coding for next generation networking are addressed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Redox flow batteries (RFBs) with high energy densities are essential for efficient and sustainable long‐term energy storage on a grid scale. To advance the development of nonaqueous RFBs with high energy densities, a new organic RFB system employing a molecularly engineered tetrathiafulvalene derivative ((PEG3/PerF)‐TTF) as a high energy density catholyte was developed. A synergistic approach to the molecular design of tetrathiafulvalene (TTF) was applied, with the incorporation of polyethylene glycol (PEG) chains, which enhance its solubility in organic carbonate electrolytes, and a perfluoro (PerF) group to increase its redox potential. When paired with a lithium metal anode, the two‐electron‐active (PEG3/PerF)‐TTF catholyte produced a cell voltage of 3.56 V for the first redox process and 3.92 V for the second redox process. In cyclic voltammetry and flow cell tests, the redox chemistry exhibited excellent cycling stability. The Li|(PEG3/PerF)‐TTF batteries, with concentrations of 0.1 M and 0.5 M, demonstrated capacity retention rates of ~94 % (99.87 % per cycle, 97.52 % per day) and 90 % (99.93 % per cycle, 99.16 % per day), and the average Coulombic efficiencies of 99.38 % and 98.35 %, respectively. The flow cell achieved a high power density of 129 mW/cm2. Furthermore, owing to the high redox potential and solubility of (PEG3/PerF)‐TTF, the flow cell attained a high operational energy density of 72 Wh/L (100 Wh/L theoretical). A 0.75 M flow cell exhibited an even higher operational energy density of 96 Wh/L (150 Wh/L theoretical). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Redox flow batteries (RFBs) with high energy densities are essential for efficient and sustainable long‐term energy storage on a grid scale. To advance the development of nonaqueous RFBs with high energy densities, a new organic RFB system employing a molecularly engineered tetrathiafulvalene derivative ((PEG3/PerF)‐TTF) as a high energy density catholyte was developed. A synergistic approach to the molecular design of tetrathiafulvalene (TTF) was applied, with the incorporation of polyethylene glycol (PEG) chains, which enhance its solubility in organic carbonate electrolytes, and a perfluoro (PerF) group to increase its redox potential. When paired with a lithium metal anode, the two‐electron‐active (PEG3/PerF)‐TTF catholyte produced a cell voltage of 3.56 V for the first redox process and 3.92 V for the second redox process. In cyclic voltammetry and flow cell tests, the redox chemistry exhibited excellent cycling stability. The Li|(PEG3/PerF)‐TTF batteries, with concentrations of 0.1 M and 0.5 M, demonstrated capacity retention rates of ~94 % (99.87 % per cycle, 97.52 % per day) and 90 % (99.93 % per cycle, 99.16 % per day), and the average Coulombic efficiencies of 99.38 % and 98.35 %, respectively. The flow cell achieved a high power density of 129 mW/cm2. Furthermore, owing to the high redox potential and solubility of (PEG3/PerF)‐TTF, the flow cell attained a high operational energy density of 72 Wh/L (100 Wh/L theoretical). A 0.75 M flow cell exhibited an even higher operational energy density of 96 Wh/L (150 Wh/L theoretical). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The van der Waals interaction enables atomically thin layers of exfoliated 2D materials to be interfaced in heterostructures with relaxed epitaxy conditions, however, the ability to exfoliate and freely stack layers without any strain or structural modification is by no means ubiquitous. In this work, the piezoelectricity of the exfoliated van der Waals piezoelectric α‐In2Se3 is utilized to modify the magnetic properties of exfoliated Fe3GeTe2, a van der Waals ferromagnet, resulting in increased domain wall density, reductions in the transition temperature ranging from 5 to 20 K, and an increase in the magnetic coercivity. Structural modifications at the atomic level are corroborated by a comparison to a graphite/α‐In2Se3 heterostructure, for which a decrease in the Tuinstra‐Koenig ratio is found. Magnetostrictive ferromagnetic domains are also observed, which may contribute to the enhanced magnetic coercivity. Density functional theory calculations and atomistic spin dynamic simulations show that the Fe3GeTe2 layer is compressively strained by 0.4%, reducing the exchange stiffness and magnetic anisotropy. The incorporation of α‐In2Se3 may be a general strategy to electrostatically strain interfaces within the paradigm of hexagonal boron nitride‐encapsulated heterostructures, for which the atomic flatness is both an intrinsic property and paramount requirement for 2D van der Waals heterojunctions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Type III interferon (IFN), also known as IFN-λ, is an innate antiviral protein. We retrieved the sequences of IFN-λ and their receptors from 42 tetrapod species and conducted a computational evolutionary analysis to understand the diversity of these genes. The copy number variation (CNV) of IFN-λ was determined through qPCR in Indian cattle and buffalo. The tetrapod species feature intron-containing type III IFN genes. Some reptiles and placental mammals have 2 IFN-λ loci, while marsupials, monotremes, and birds have a single IFN-λ locus. Some placental mammals and amphibians exhibit multiple IFN-λ genes, including both intron-less and intron-containing forms. Placental mammals typically possess 3–4 functional IFN-λ genes, some of them lack signal peptides. IFN-λ of these tetrapod species formed 3 major clades. Mammalian IFN-λ4 appears as an ancestral form, with syntenic conservation in most mammalian species. The intron-less IFN-λ1 and both type III IFN receptors have conserved synteny in tetrapod. Purifying selection was noted in their evolutionary analysis that plays a crucial role in minimizing genetic diversity and maintaining the integrity of biological function. This indicates that these proteins have successfully retained their biological function and indispensability, even in the presence of the type I IFNs. The expansion of IFN-λ genes in amphibians and camels have led to the evolution of multiple IFN-λ. The CNV can arise from gene duplication and conversion events. The qPCR-based absolute quantification revealed that IFN-λ3 and IFN-λ4 have more than 1 copy in buffalo (Murrah) and 6 cattle breeds (Sahiwal, Tharparkar, Kankrej, Red Sindhi, Jersey, and Holstein Friesian). Overall, these findings highlight the evolutionary diversity and functional significance of IFN-λ in tetrapod species. Graphical Abstract [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Membrane lipid composition is crucial for growth and adaptation in organisms. This study examines the changes in membrane lipids during the development of the moss Physcomitrium patens. We found that during vegetative stages, especially in the protonema, the moss exhibits high lipid content and a significant presence of very long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids, like arachidonic acid (C20:4). These lipids, not found in vascular plants, likely help mosses adapt to cold climates and other stresses by maintaining membrane fluidity. Additionally, galactolipids such as monogalactosyldiacylglycerol are abundant, supporting chloroplast formation. As the moss transitions to the sporophyte stage, lipid composition shifts. Galactolipids decrease, while phospholipids, particularly phosphatidylcholine (PC) and phosphatidic acid increase. These changes are linked to stress protection and gametangia formation. The increased PC relative to phosphatidylethanolamine in sporophytes suggests a protective mechanism against environmental stresses. Our findings highlight the importance of membrane lipids in moss development and adaptation. Future research should explore the role of lipids in stress responses and evolutionary adaptations in bryophytes, offering insights into plant lipid biology and evolution. Membrane lipid composition is critical for an organism's growth, adaptation, and functionality. Mosses, as early non-vascular land colonizers, show significant adaptations and changes, but their dynamic membrane lipid alterations remain unexplored. Here, we investigated the temporal changes in membrane lipid composition of the moss Physcomitrium patens during five developmental stages and analyzed the acyl content and composition of the lipids. We observed a gradual decrease in total lipid content from the filamentous protonema stage to the reproductive sporophytes. Notably, we found significant levels of very long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids, particularly arachidonic acid (C20:4), which are not reported in vascular plants and may aid mosses in cold and abiotic stress adaptation. During vegetative stages, we noted high levels of galactolipids, especially monogalactosyldiacylglycerol, associated with chloroplast biogenesis. In contrast, sporophytes displayed reduced galactolipids and elevated phosphatidylcholine and phosphatidic acid, which are linked to membrane integrity and environmental stress protection. Additionally, we observed a gradual decline in the average double bond index across all lipid classes from the protonema stage to the gametophyte stage. Overall, our findings highlight the dynamic nature of membrane lipid composition during moss development, which might contribute to its adaptation to diverse growth conditions, reproductive processes, and environmental challenges. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigated the relationship between the cosmic ray intensity (CRI) and the horizontal component of Earth's magnetic field (dH) during two intense geomagnetic storms that occurred on September 8, 2017, and August 26, 2018, and a moderate storm on February 18, 2020 over three stations: IRKT, YKTK, and HRMS. The findings of this study indicate that the CRI and dH do not exhibit a simple association over each station. A significant decrease in CRI and dH was seen during the intense geomagnetic storm on September 8, 2017, over all stations as compared to the other two storm events. The decrease was more pronounced over the YKTK station, which has low cutoff rigidity (1.65 GV), than the HRMS (4.58 GV) and IRKT (3.64 GV) stations with high cutoff rigidity. Furthermore, the cross-wavelet analysis reveals that the relationship between CRI and dH varies with the strength of the storm, the location, and the cutoff rigidity of the station. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The peach tree “Prunus persica” is widely cultivated in India, and its fruits which have been used for centuries in traditional Indian medicine, are also known as the Queen of the Fruits. Prunus persica has immense therapeutic potential, widespread use in folklore and ancient systems of medicine for its anti-urolithic and other medicinal properties, and is included in the Pashanbheda group of herbs mentioned in Ayurveda for the treatment of kidney stones. Moreover, with growing interest in phytopharmaceuticals in the present world, there always remains an urge for a comprehensive understanding of the phytochemicals responsible for the medicinal activity of herbal drugs, giving rise to the importance of conducting bioassay-guided fractionation. In this study, the anti-urolithiasis activity of different fractions of Prunus persica fruit extracts was evaluated via Nucleation, Aggregation, and Growth assays, and fraction III showed the highest effects in vitro. This study provides a pharmacological basis for using Prunus persica fruit extract in treating kidney stones. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Key Clinical Message: MDMA and cocaine can result in acute onset rhabdomyolysis. However, delayed onset rhabdomyolysis and its pathophysiology is of concern Early therapeutic intervention improves prognosis. Such cases should be promptly referred and managed in centers equipped with critical care and renal replacement therapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Glioblastoma (GBM), which is a heterogeneous and aggressive type of brain tumor, is known for its poor survival outcomes. The treatment of GBM remains challenging primarily due to the drug resistance to the current standard therapeutic option, temozolomide (TMZ). Researchers are currently focusing on developing an appropriate alternative combinatorial therapeutic to enhance treatment outcomes. D-limonene (DL) is a monoterpene derived from citrus fruit. This study aims to assess the impact of combining DL with TMZ and explore its potential mechanism of action in U87MG and LN229 GBM cells. Methods: The effects of the combined treatment of DL and TMZ were assessed on various cellular aspects, including cell viability, anchorage-independent cell growth, and DNA damage. Furthermore, the influence of this combination on cell cycle progression, cell migration, and cell death was also investigated. Results: The combination of DL+TMZ demonstrated a synergistic effect, resulting in reduced cell proliferation and suppressing the colony formation ability of a single cell. Treatment with DL and TMZ arrested the cells in G0/G1 phase. Furthermore, the DL+TMZ combination induced apoptosis by upregulating the expression of Bax, and Caspase (CASP)-3, while reducing the expression of the Bcl-2 gene in GBM cells. In addition, the combined treatment of DL+TMZ significantly decreased the expression of matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-2 and MMP-9, expression, indicating inhibition of cell migration in GBM cells. Conclusion: In conclusion, the combination of DL and TMZ demonstrated a synergistic effect in reducing cell proliferation, suppressing colony formation, inducing apoptosis, and inhibiting cell migration in GBM cells. These findings suggest the potential of DL+TMZ combination therapy as an effective treatment for GBM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Antibiotic-associated diarrhea (AAD) is a prevalent adverse effect of antibiotic therapy, disrupting the gut microbiota and leading to gastrointestinal complications. Probiotics have been suggested as a preventive measure against AAD, but comprehensive clinical trials are needed to confirm their efficacy and elucidate the underlying microbiological mechanisms. Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of a multi-strain probiotic formulation in preventing AAD in adult patients undergoing antibiotic therapy, focusing on the impact on gut microbiota composition and immune response. Methods: A double-blind, placebo-controlled randomized trial was conducted over 12 months in a tertiary care hospital in North India. Two hundred adult patients receiving antibiotic therapy were randomly assigned to receive either a multi-strain probiotic formulation (Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG, Bifidobacterium lactis, and Saccharomyces boulardii) or a placebo. The primary outcome was the incidence of AAD during and up to 4 weeks’ post-antibiotic therapy. Secondary outcomes included changes in gut microbiota composition, assessed through 16S rRNA sequencing, and immune response, measured by fecal IgA and cytokine levels. Stool samples were collected at baseline, end of therapy, and 4 weeks’ post-therapy. Statistical analysis compared incidence rates, microbiota changes, and immune markers between groups. Results: The probiotic group exhibited a significantly lower incidence of AAD (15%) compared to the placebo group (35%) (p < 0.05). The probiotic group also maintained higher levels of beneficial bacteria (Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium) and lower levels of pathogenic bacteria (Clostridioides difficile). Immune response markers indicated a significant increase in fecal IgA levels and a favorable cytokine profile (IL-10 and TNF-α) in the probiotic group compared to the placebo group. Discussion: The findings demonstrate that multi-strain probiotics significantly reduce the incidence of AAD by preserving gut microbiota balance and enhancing immune function. This study supports existing literature, such as McFarland (2006) and Snydman (2008), and provides detailed microbiological and immunological insights into probiotic action. Our results align with other randomized controlled trials and highlight the importance of probiotics in clinical practice to prevent AAD. Conclusion: Probiotics, particularly multi-strain formulations, are effective in preventing AAD by maintaining gut microbiota integrity and boosting immune responses. These findings advocate for the use of probiotics as a complementary therapy during antibiotic treatment to mitigate adverse gastrointestinal effects. Further research should explore personalized probiotic therapies based on individual microbiota profiles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the escalation of multimedia data, cloud technology has played a very important role in its management with its promising computing and storage capabilities. Cloud computing leverages high scalability, resources, and on-demand services, which have a remarkable impact on assisting multimedia data storage. Meanwhile, any alteration in the outsourced multimedia data is a severe menace. Numerous researchers have focused on providing validation of integrity through the auditing mechanism. Regrettably, their mechanisms are focused on the traditional public-key cryptosystem and cannot withstand quantum attacks. Additionally, the centralised approach of completely relying on a third-party auditor (TPA) of existing mechanisms may lead to biased auditing results. Hence, employing the advantage of resistance against quantum attack and removing the liability of certificates with lattice cryptography and an identity-based cryptosystem, we have presented a new auditing framework by utilising blockchain technology. Blockchain technology is employed in order to track the activities of the cloud service provider and TPA, resulting less dependency on TPA. Security analysis portrays security of the framework under the random oracle model, which depends is based on the Shortest Integer Solution (SIS) problem of the lattices. Reduced computation, communication and storage overheads with efficient features and performance is observed for the proposed mechanism through analysis conducted with similar mechanisms. As a result, better operability is achieved by the proposed mechanism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper implements the stochastic filters for state and parameter estimation of nonuniform transmission lines (NTL). In general, transmission line (TL) problem is a continuous time and space problem. By taking the line loading noise into account, the TL equations become a stochastic partial differential equation (PDE) rather than a simple set of coupled finite stochastic differential equations (SDE). By transforming the spatial variables into the Fourier domain, the stochastic PDE can be transformed into an infinite sequence of SDE. After truncation to a finite set of Fourier series coefficients, it becomes a finite set of coupled linear SDE, which is the required domain in which extended Kalman filter (EKF) and unscented Kalman filter (UKF) can be applied. For state space equation of EKF and UKF, the voltage and current of periodic NTL are expanded into an infinite set of spatial harmonics. In this way, the voltage and current measurement of NTL become an eigenvalue problem. The NTL is considered as cascade of small infinite NTL and the four distributed primary parameters of the periodic NTL are expressed using Fourier series expansion. Finally, the Kalman filter (KF)-based state estimation and the EKF- and UKF-based parameter estimation have been compared with recursive least squares (RLS) method. The simulation results present the superiority of the method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]