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Abiotic stresses such as heat, drought and submergence are major threats to global food security. Despite simultaneous or sequential occurrence of these stresses being recurrent under field conditions, crop response to such stress combinations is poorly understood. Rice is a staple food crop for the majority of human beings. Exploitation of existing genetic diversity in rice for combined and/or sequential stress is a useful approach for developing climate‐resilient cultivars. We phenotyped ~400 rice accessions under high temperature, drought, or submergence and their combinations. A cumulative performance index revealed Lomello as the best performer across stress and stress combinations at the seedling stage. Lomello showed a remarkable ability to maintain a higher quantum yield of photosystem (PS) II photochemistry. Moreover, the structural integrity of the photosystems, electron flow through both PSI and PSII and the ability to protect photosystems against photoinhibition were identified as the key traits of Lomello across the stress environments. A higher membrane stability and an increased amount of leaf chlorophyll under stress may be due to an efficient management of reactive oxygen species (ROS) at the cellular level. Further, an efficient electron flow through the photosystems and, thus, a higher photosynthetic rate in Lomello is expected to act as a sink for ROS by reducing the rate of electron transport to the high amount of molecular oxygen present in the chloroplast. However, further studies are needed to identify the molecular mechanism(s) involved in the stability of photosynthetic machinery and stress management in Lomello during stress conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The proliferation of fractal artificial intelligence (AI)-based decision-making has propelled advances in intelligent computing techniques. Fractal AI-driven decision-making approaches are used to solve a variety of real-world complex problems, especially in uncertain sports surveillance situations. To this end, we present a framework for deciding the winner in a tied sporting event. As a case study, a tied cricket match was investigated, and the issue was addressed with a systematic state-of-the-art approach by considering the team strength in terms of the player score, team score at different intervals, and total team scores (TTSs). The TTSs of teams were compared to recommend the winner. We believe that the proposed idea will help to identify the winner in a tied match, supporting intelligent surveillance systems. In addition, this approach can potentially address many existing issues and future challenges regarding critical decision-making processes in sports. Furthermore, we posit that this work will open new avenues for researchers in fractal AI. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this era of the commercialization of sports, various sports leagues are organized across the globe. At the end of the Series, players are awarded for their performances. These awards are decided by human experts or are based on just one performance indicator. However, human decisions are subjective and error-prone, and decisions based on just one criterion are incomplete and inconsistent. This paper identifies the decision-making problem in sports. It proposes a Neutrosophic TOPSIS approach for performance evaluation and recommendation of the best batsman and bowler of the Series. The approach is well-structured, robust, and efficient in handling vagueness, inconsistency, indeterminacy, and imprecision in real-life problems. We present a case study using the data of IPL 2021. In the case study, we calculate the ranks of the players using neutrosophic TOPSIS with two objective weight calculation methods. Then we evaluate and compare the obtained rank lists using Kendal Tau (τ). The values of τ for bowling-ranked lists is 0.83 and for battingranked lists is 0.72, which are impressive and prove the efficiency and effectiveness of the proposed approach. We believe that the proposed approach can be applied to identify and recommend the best resources in other domains of life. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction Comorbidity between substance abuse and other psychiatric disorders has been excessively documented in adults while rarely been investigated in adolescents. Aim The study investigated the prevalence of psychiatric comorbidities among adolescent patients with substance-use disorder attending psychiatric health facilities in Suez Canal region. Patients and methods It was a cross-sectional study conducted on 120 adolescent patients aged 13–19 with substance-use disorder attending psychiatric health facilities in Suez Canal region. Data were collected using comprehensive psychiatric history, MiniInternational Neuropsychiatric Interview, complete physical and neurological examination, and urine toxicology screen. Results Most of the study-sample participants were polysubstance abusers (89.1%). Cannabis was the commonest substance abused (90.8%). More than half of the patients (53.3%) had psychiatric comorbidity with onset before the abuse of the substance, 27.5% had psychiatric comorbidity after abusing the substance, and 19.2% had no psychiatric comorbidity. Major depressive disorder was the most prevalent disorder (40.8%) amongthe patients, followed by conduct disorder (38.3%). Conclusion Depression and conduct disorder are the most common psychiatric disorders among adolescent patients with substance-use disorder. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The problems of cardiovascular diseases are on the rise and the tribal population are also not an exception to it. The present study aims to estimate the prevalence of risk factors of cardiovascular diseases and to find association of hypertension and diabetes with various risk factors among the Tharu tribe of Bihar, India. Methodology: The present study was an observational, cross-sectional study conducted on 252 individuals of 20–60 years age group. Risk factors related to cardiovascular diseases were assessed. Results: Among 252 participants, the prevalence of hypertension and diabetes was 32.5% and 4.8%, respectively. Around 30% of study participants were smokers, 39% were habitual of chewing tobacco, and about half of the population were not involved in active physical activities (49.2%). Raised blood glucose level was significantly associated with gender, age, smoking status, and tobacco chewing while hypertension was significantly associated with age, smoking status, and body mass index. Conclusions: Increased number of various risk factors among the tribal population makes them vulnerable to cardiovascular diseases and other complications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Intensive breeding programs have increased rice yields, strongly contributing to increasing global food security during the post‐green revolution period. However, rice productivity has reached a yield barrier where further yield improvement is restricted by inadequate information on the association of yield components, and morphological and physiological traits with yield. We conducted a field experiment to evaluate (i) the contribution of morphological and physiological traits to yield and (ii) quantify the trade‐off effect between the yield components in rice, using a mini‐core collection of 362 rice genotypes comprising geographically distinct landraces and breeding lines. Our data point towards multiscale coordination of physiological and morphological traits associated with yield and biomass. Considerable trait variations across the genotypes in yield ranging from 0.5 to 78.5 g hill−1 and harvest index ranging from 0.7% to 60.7% highlight enormous diversity in rice across the globe. The natural elimination of trade‐off between yield components revealed the possibility to enhance rice yield in modern cultivars. Furthermore, our study demonstrated that genotypes with larger sink sizes could fix more carbon to achieve a higher yield. We propose that the knowledge thus generated in this study can be helpful for (a) trait‐based modeling and pyramiding alleles in rice‐breeding programs and (b) assisting breeders and physiologists in their efforts to improve crop productivity under a changing climate, thus harnessing the potential for sustainable productivity gains. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction Comorbidity between substance abuse and other psychiatric disorders has been excessively documented in adults while rarely been investigated in adolescents. Aim The study investigated the prevalence of psychiatric comorbidities among adolescent patients with substance-use disorder attending psychiatric health facilities in Suez Canal region. Patients and methods It was a cross-sectional study conducted on 120 adolescent patients aged 13–19 with substance-use disorder attending psychiatric health facilities in Suez Canal region. Data were collected using comprehensive psychiatric history, Mini-International Neuropsychiatric Interview, complete physical and neurological examination, and urine toxicology screen. Results Most of the study-sample participants were polysubstance abusers (89.1%). Cannabis was the commonest substance abused (90.8%). More than half of the patients (53.3%) had psychiatric comorbidity with onset before the abuse of the substance, 27.5% had psychiatric comorbidity after abusing the substance, and 19.2% had no psychiatric comorbidity. Major depressive disorder was the most prevalent disorder (40.8%) among the patients, followed by conduct disorder (38.3%). Conclusion Depression and conduct disorder are the most common psychiatric disorders among adolescent patients with substance-use disorder. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wind energy potential in India has so far not been evaluated state wise. Moreover, the prediction and assessment of wind potential are difficult due to the complexity of its nature. Here, a parametric study is done for the better prediction of wind potential using generalized feed-forward with back-propagation neural networks. Effect of three meteorological parameters (pressure, relative humidity, and temperature) on the wind speed prediction is studied in southern states of India. The meteorological parameters taken here are monthly mean, measured at ground station. These data were obtained at 28 sites over a period of 20 years from the IMD, Pune. Three different architectures of artificial neural network model were designed, trained, and evaluated for the prediction of wind speed. All three models have been optimized for varying neurons in the hidden layer. To evaluate the developed artificial neural network model for test locations, mean absolute percentage error and mean squared error have been calculated. It was found that the model with relative humidity as input parameter and having six neurons in the hidden layer give better prediction of the wind speed. The correlation coefficients were higher than 0.96 and the mean absolute percentage error and mean squared error of all test locations is less than 2.5 and 0.0176, respectively, which show high reliability of the model for the prediction of the wind speed within the region of study. Predicted wind speed has been analyzed and used to create monthly mean maps using geographic information system technology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Edaphic factors such as salinity, sodicity, and drought adversely affect crop productivity, either alone or in combination. Despite soil sodicity being reported as an increasing problem worldwide, limited efforts have been made to address this issue. In the present study, we aimed to generate rice with tolerance to sodicity in conjunction with tolerance to salinity and drought. Using a fusion gene from E. coli coding for trehalose-6-phosphate synthase/phosphatase (TPSP) under the control of an ABA-inducible promoter, we generated marker-free, high-yielding transgenic rice (in the IR64 background) that can tolerate high pH (~9.9), high EC (~10.0 dS m–1), and severe drought (30–35% soil moisture content). The transgenic plants retained higher relative water content (RWC), chlorophyll content, K+/Na+ ratio, stomatal conductance, and photosynthetic efficiency compared to the wild-type under these stresses. Positive correlations between trehalose overproduction and high-yield parameters were observed under drought, saline, and sodic conditions. Metabolic profiling using GC-MS indicated that overproduction of trehalose in leaves differently modulated other metabolic switches, leading to significant changes in the levels of sugars, amino acids, and organic acids in transgenic plants under control and stress conditions. Our findings reveal a novel potential technological solution to tackle multiple stresses under changing climatic conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Cancer remains a significant cause of morbidity and mortality across the globe. A recent report suggests around 14.1 million new cases and 8.2 million cancer-related deaths, which are expected to reach 21.7 million and 13 million by 2030 worldwide, respectively.Materials and Methods: Because of highly complex mechanisms of cancer progression, it is important to explore and develop new innovative technologies which are more efficient compared with presently available treatment options.Results: Currently, chemotherapy, radiation and surgery are the most commonly used cancer treatment methods. In the last decade, nanomedicine emerged as an alternative treatment option that uses specific drug-delivery systems, improves efficacy of drugs and reduces detrimental side effects to normal tissues.Conclusion: In this review, we have summarized cancer nanomedicines (active and passive drug delivery) available in the market. We have also discussed other nanomedicines that are at different stages of clinical trials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Crop plants face a multitude of diverse abiotic and biotic stresses in the farmers' fields. Although there now exists a considerable knowledge of the underlying mechanisms of response to individual stresses, the crosstalk between response pathways to various abiotic and biotic stresses remains enigmatic. Here, we investigated if the cytotoxic metabolite methylglyoxal (MG), excess of which is generated as a common consequence of many abiotic and biotic stresses, may serve as a key molecule linking responses to diverse stresses. For this, we generated transgenic rice plants overexpressing the entire two‐step glyoxalase pathway for MG detoxification. Through assessment of various morphological, physiological and agronomic parameters, we found that glyoxalase‐overexpression imparts tolerance towards abiotic stresses like salinity, drought and heat and also provides resistance towards damage caused by the sheath blight fungus (Rhizoctonia solani) toxin phenylacetic acid. We show that the mechanism of observed tolerance of the glyoxalase‐overexpressing plants towards these diverse abiotic and biotic stresses involves improved MG detoxification and reduced oxidative damage leading to better protection of chloroplast and mitochondrial ultrastructure and maintained photosynthetic efficiency under stress conditions. Together, our findings indicate that MG may serve as a key link between abiotic and biotic stress response in plants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: High salinity is one of the major problems in crop productivity, affecting seed germination as well as yield. In order to enhance tolerance of crops towards salinity, it is essential to understand the underlying physiological and molecular mechanisms. In this endeavor, study of contrasting genotypes of the same species differing in their response towards salinity stress can be very useful. In the present study, we have investigated temporal differences in morphological, physiological and proteome profiles of two contrasting genotypes of rice to understand the basis of salt tolerance. When compared to IR64 rice, Pokkali, the salt‐tolerant wild genotype, has enhanced capacity to cope with stress, better growth rate and possesses efficient antioxidant system, as well as better photosynthetic machinery. Our proteome studies revealed a higher and an early abundance of proteins involved in stress tolerance and photosynthesis in Pokkali in comparison with IR64, which, in contrast, showed greater changes in metabolic machinery even during early duration of stress. Our findings suggest important differences in physicochemical and proteome profiles of the two genotypes, which may be the basis of observed stress tolerance in the salt‐tolerant Pokkali. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

n integrated micro/nano-fluidic system is presented for protein analysis. It is comprised of an integrated micromixer (IMM) and a preconcentrator with a separation column. The passive and planar type of IMM is based on an unbalanced split and the cross collision of the fluidic streams. The IMM can be easily fabricated and integrated to the microfluidic system. The preconcentrator has nanochannels formed by the electrical breakdown of polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) membrane by applying a high electrical shock, but without any nano-lithography. The integrated microdevice was used for sample preparation (mixing with tagging molecules) and subsequent concentration of proteins. Proteins were electrokinetically trapped near the junction of the micro/nanochannels. We show a conceptual design and a simple microfluidic system for purposes of mixing and preconcentration. [Figure not available: see fulltext.] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To assess the validity and reliability of a Numeric Rating Scale (NRS) for the measurement of spasticity in multiple sclerosis. Design: Longitudinal study with multiple comparators over two clinic visits. Setting: Rehabilitation Centre in the North East of England, UK. Subjects: A total of thirty-five patients, with a diagnosis of multiple sclerosis (MS) that were attending a rehabilitation clinic. Results: The test/re-test reliability of the NRS showed there was a high correlation between the two visits (r = 0.672). Construct validity was assessed by examining the relationship between the mean spasticity NRS and each of the other spasticity assessment tools. There was a statistically significant correlation between subject's mean NRS diary scores and the Modified Ashworth Scale scores at both visits (Visit 1, r = 0.459, p = 0.0056; Visit 2, r = 0.446, p = 0.0106). There was a moderate, statistically significant correlation between the mean NRS diary scores and the Tardieu Scale (Visit 1, r = 0.429, p = 0.0113; Visit 2, r = 0.407, p = 0.0209). Conclusions: The spasticity NRS has been shown to be a valid and reliable tool in the assessment of spasticity with a moderate to high level of correlation with other clinician rated instruments used to assess spasticity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cone–rod retinal dystrophy (CORD) characteristically leads to early impairment of vision due to the simultaneous involvement of both cone and rod photoreceptor cells. Several loci/genes have been identified for CORD, including the cone–rod dystrophy (CORD8) locus [OMIM#605549] identified for a Pakistani family. All members of this family underwent detailed clinical re-examination to determine the nature of the dystrophy. All affected individuals suffered from bilateral CORD8 with an autosomal recessive mode of inheritance. The CORD8 locus, mapped on chromosome 1q12–q24, consisted of a very large critical disease region of 21 cM. Analysis with more recently available microsatellite markers within the reported region showed heterozygosity with some of the new markers, and the crossovers lead to a refinement of the disease region from 21 to 11.53 cM. Mutation screening has excluded some of the candidate genes in the region. The disease phenotype of this family could be due to a mutation in a novel gene located within the refined CORD8 locus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: To describe the phenotype of keber congenital amaurosis (LCA) in 26 probands with mutations in aryl hydrocarbon receptor interacting proteinlike 1 protein (AIPL1) and compare it with phenotypes of other LCA-related genes. To describe the electroretinogram (ERG) in heterozygote carriers. Methods: Patients with AIPL1-related LCA were identified in a cohort of 303 patients with LCA by polymerase chain reaction single-strand confirmational polymorphism mutation screening and/or direct sequencing. Phenotypic characterization included clinical and ERG evaluation. Seven heterozygous carrier parents also underwent ERG testing. Results: Seventeen homozygotes and 9 compound heterozygotes were identified. The W278X mutation was most frequent (48% of alleles). Visual acuities ranged from light perception to 20/400. Variable retinal appearances, ranging from near normal to varying degrees of chorioretinal atrophy and intraretinal pigment migration, were noted. Atrophic and/or pigmentary macular changes were present in 16 (80%) of 20 probands. Keratoconus and cataracts were identified in 5 (26%) of 19 patients, all of whom were homozygotes. The ERG of a parent heterozygote carrier revealed significantly reduced rod function, while ERGs for 6 other carrier parents were normal. Conclusions: The phenotype of LCA in patients with AIPL1 mutations is relatively severe, with a maculopathy in most patients and keratoconus and cataract in a large subset. Rod ERG abnormalities may be present in heterozygous carriers of AIPL1 mutations. Clinical Relevance: Understanding and recognizing the phenotype of LCA may help in defining the course and severity of the disease. Identifying the gene defect is the first step in preparation for therapy since molecular diagnosis in LCA will mandate the choice of treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In nature, plants are exposed to an ever-changing environment with increasing frequencies of multiple abiotic stresses. These abiotic stresses act either in combination or sequentially, thereby driving vegetation dynamics and limiting plant growth and productivity worldwide. Plants' responses against these combined and sequential stresses clearly differ from that triggered by an individual stress. Until now, experimental studies were mainly focused on plant responses to individual stress, but have overlooked the complex stress response generated in plants against combined or sequential abiotic stresses, as well as their interaction with each other. However, recent studies have demonstrated that the combined and sequential abiotic stresses overlap with respect to the central nodes of their interacting signaling pathways, and their impact cannot be modelled by swimming in an individual extreme event. Taken together, deciphering the regulatory networks operative between various abiotic stresses in agronomically important crops will contribute towards designing strategies for the development of plants with tolerance to multiple stress combinations. This review provides a brief overview of the recent developments in the interactive effects of combined and sequentially occurring stresses on crop plants. We believe that this study may improve our understanding of the molecular and physiological mechanisms in untangling the combined stress tolerance in plants, and may also provide a promising venue for agronomists, physiologists, as well as molecular biologists. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Inherited cataract is a clinically and genetically heterogeneous disease that most often presents as a congenital autosomal dominant trait. Here we report linkage of a three-generation family of Pakistani origin with autosomal dominant cataract "zonular nuclear" pulverulent type (CZNP) on chromosome 1q21.1. Genome wide-linkage analysis excluded all the known cataract loci except on chromosome 1q. Significantly positive 2-point lod score values ( Z=3.01 at θ=0) were obtained for markers D1S305 and D1S2721, which are known to flank the gene for connexin 50 (Cx50) or gap junction protein alpha-8 ( Gja8). Previously a mutation in this gene has been reported in a British family with zonular pulverulent cataract (CZP).Here we describe a second mutation (E48K) in connexin 50 that confirms the involvement of this gene in cataractogenesis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A correction to this article has been published and is linked from the HTML and PDF versions of this paper. The error has not been fixed in the paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cytoskeleton plays a vital role in stress tolerance; however, involvement of intermediate filaments (IFs) in such a response remains elusive in crop plants. This study provides clear evidence about the unique involvement of IFs in cellular protection against abiotic stress in rice. Transcript abundance of Oryza sativa intermediate filament (OsIF) encoding gene showed 2–10 fold up-regulation under different abiotic stress. Overexpression of OsIF in transgenic rice enhanced tolerance to salinity and heat stress, while its knock-down (KD) rendered plants more sensitive thereby indicating the role of IFs in promoting survival under stress. Seeds of OsIF overexpression rice germinated normally in the presence of high salt, showed better growth, maintained chloroplast ultrastructure and favourable K+/Na+ ratio than the wild type (WT) and KD plants. Analysis of photosynthesis and chlorophyll a fluorescence data suggested better performance of both photosystem I and II in the OsIF overexpression rice under salinity stress as compared to the WT and KD. Under salinity and high temperature stress, OsIF overexpressing plants could maintain significantly high yield, while the WT and KD plants could not. Further, metabolite profiling revealed a 2–4 fold higher accumulation of proline and trehalose in OsIF overexpressing rice than WT, under salinity stress. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]