Search

Accident prediction models are mathematical expressions or algorithms used to determine the causal factors for road accidents and road safety engineers are using these models, as well. Modelling this kind of accident is quite challenging and required good quality of data. The results of the artificial neural network model, Gaussian processes model, and support vector machine model are compared for vulnerable road accident frequency in this study. The accident frequency dataset comprises 218 records, with 146 designated for training purposes and 72 reserved for testing. The model's accuracy was contingent on: the mean absolute error, root mean square error and coefficient of correlation. The findings suggest that for predicting the vulnerable road user accidents on roads, the artificial neural network gives better correlation results as (0.912) that the support vector machine (0.879) and Gaussian processes (0.853).

Background: Caesarean section is one of the most common surgery worldwide. In instances when there has already been a caesarean surgery, induction of labour is attempted very cautiously by the obstetrician. In this study we compare the fetomaternal outcomes of natural birth versus induced birth in previous caesarean antenatal women. Objectives: To compare the Fetomaternal outcome of natural birth versus induced birth in cases of previous one caesarean section. Patients and Methods: A one-year prospective study on 100 antenatal women who had lower segment caesarean sections in the past were planned at a tertiary care facility. The cases were split into two groups, with 50 going into natural birth and the other 50 being induced labour in a previous one caesarean section. Their fetomaternal outcomes were compared for the following factors in both groups: demographic profile, indication of prior caesarean delivery and induction in the current pregnancy, and safety profile for vaginal delivery. Results: The cases' demographic profiles were comparable, 52% of induced labour cases resulted in a vaginal delivery, compared to 78% of natural birth cases. The group receiving induced labour experienced a higher rate of repeat LSCS. Induced labour was more frequently associated with the need for augmentation of labour, mean duration of active labour (hours), and mother's hospital stay. In 22% of cases, induction was found to have failed. Both groups' prior vaginal deliveries were noted to be favourable variables for vaginal delivery. There was no difference between the two groups in the frequency of uterine rupture. Conclusion: Comparison of natural versus induced labour in previous one caesarean section showed comparable perinatal, maternal morbidity and mortality profiles and no increase in complications. Safe induction of labour can be tried with judicious selection of cases at a set up with facilities for emergency caesarean section.

Sustainable management of municipal solid waste (MSW) is the utmost importance not only because of the health and environmental concerns but also due to its disposal issues of large quantities of waste generated and to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Improper management of MSW causes hazards to inhabitants. Environmental and economic implications linked with the proper eco-friendly disposal of modern-day waste, has made it essential to come up with alternative waste management practices. Several studies revealed that approximately 90% of MSW disposed of unscientific manner as open dumps and landfilling, and created severe enigma to human health and the environment as well as contaminating the food chain cycle. It has been observed that urban local bodies (ULBs) in India have a big challenge in handling huge quantities of MSW; due to high density of population and insufficient infrastructure. Door to door collection of waste, methodologies for recycling MSW, and scientific treatments are some of the challenges. Considering these facts, the Union Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change (MoEF&CC) India notified the new Solid Waste Management Rules (SWM), 2016 which would be revamped solid waste management in the country. Several steps of waste management/treatments are being adopted, i.e., incineration, pyrolysis, bio-refining and biogas plants, recycling and composting, composting is a sustainable low-cost option for MSW management, however, very less amount 6–7% of MSW was recycled through it. The present study emphasized a comprehensive review of the characteristics, production, collection, disposal and effective treatment technologies of MSW practiced in India.

Rice followed by wheat is the dominant cropping system in the middle Indo-Gangetic plains (IGP). Lower productivity (4.8 t ha−1) of this cropping system in Bihar, compared to the national average (6.8 t ha−1) due to several climate- and production-related issues, is a matter of concern for the farmers and the policymakers. Keeping all these in view, an experiment with rice–wheat cropping system was carried out during 2020–21 and 2021–22 in 17 adopted villages of 13 districts of Bihar under the Project “Climate Resilient Agriculture Program (CRAP)” to evaluate the feasibility of early transplanting of rice in the month of June with the aim of achieving higher system productivity by early harvesting of rice and subsequent timely sowing of wheat before 15 November with the provision of assured irrigation. In this study, the concept of an innovative community irrigation approach and single-phase 3-hp submersible pump was employed. Long-duration rice variety (150 days) Rajendra Mahsuri-1 was sown during 20–25 May in the nursery and transplanted through puddling operation during 15–20 June in 17 locations. Under delayed conditions, the nursery sowing and transplanting window were 10–15 June and 10–15 July, respectively. Timely sown rice grown with the provision of a community irrigation system achieved a grain yield of 5.2 t ha−1 and 85.8% higher water productivity, compared to late-sown crops. Following the harvest of rice, the HD-2967 variety of wheat was planted in the first fortnight of November and harvested in the first week of April, yielding 4.9 t ha−1 with the application of 2–3 irrigations based on soil type and evaporative demand. Timely harvesting of wheat facilitated farmers of the region to take an additional crop of summer green gram. With an assured irrigation system and shifting planting dates and thereby managing climatic risks, the overall productivity of the rice–wheat cropping system was achieved to the tune of 10.1 t ha−1 with a cropping intensity of 300% for better adaptation and sustainable production.

Abstract Background A form of cancer called astrocytoma can develop in the brain or spinal cord and sometimes causes death. A detailed overview of the precise signaling cascade underlying astrocytoma formation has not yet been revealed, although various factors have been investigated. Therefore, our objective was to unravel and summarize our current understanding of molecular genetics and associated signaling pathways with some possible therapeutic strategies for astrocytoma. Recent Findings In general, four different forms of astrocytoma have been identified in individuals, including circumscribed, diffuse, anaplastic, and multiforme glioblastoma, according to a recent literature review. All types of astrocytoma have a direct connection with some oncogenic signaling cascade. Common signaling is MAPK cascade, including Ras‐Raf‐ERK, up‐regulated with activating EGFR/AKT/PTEN/mTOR and PDGFR. Recent breakthrough studies found that BRAF mutations, including KIAA1549: BRAF and BRAF V600E are responsible for astrocytoma progression. Additionally, cancer progression is influenced by mutations in some tumor suppressor genes, such as the Tp53/ATRX and MGMT mutant. As synthetic medications must cross the blood–brain barrier (BBB), modulating signal systems such as miRNA is the primary option for treating patients with astrocytoma. However, available surgery, radiation therapy, and experimental therapies such as adjuvant therapy, anti‐angiogenic therapy, and EGFR‐targeting antibody drug are the usual treatment for most types of astrocytoma. Similar to conventional anticancer medications, some phytochemicals slow tumor growth by simultaneously controlling several cellular proteins, including those involved in cell cycle regulation, apoptosis, metastatic spread, tyrosine kinase, growth factor receptor, and antioxidant‐related proteins. Conclusion In conclusion, cellular and molecular signaling is directly associated with the development of astrocytoma, and a combination of conventional and alternative therapies can improve the malignancy of cancer patients.

Background: COVID-19 lockdown's impact on physical and mental health includes increased prevalence of alexithymia (difficulty recognizing emotions) among university students. Alexithymia is strongly correlated with eating disorders and disrupted eating behaviors. Understanding these associations is crucial for assessing the well-being of students during lockdown. Aims: The aim was to evaluate the prevalence of alexithymia and eating disorders in relation to sleep disturbance during this lockdown phase amongst university students. Settings and Design: This study employed an online cross-sectional design to collect data from participants. The study included adolescents of either gender, aged between 20 and 27 years, who were enrolled in the faculty of Allied Health Sciences at Manav Rachna International Institute of Research & Studies. Methods and Material: The study comprised 419 university students during the COVID-19 lockdown. Alexithymia was assessed using the Toronto Alexithymia Scale-20, eating disorders with the Eating Aptitude Test-26, and sleep patterns with a modified Pittsburgh Sleep Scale. Statistical Analysis Used: Descriptive statistics, including Mean±SD for continuous variables and frequency/percentages for categorical data, were calculated. Statistical analysis involved Student t-test and chi-square. Reliability of the questionnaire was assessed using Cronbach's Alpha. Results: This study involved 77.8% (n=326) female students as compared to 22.2%(n=93) male students. The prevalence of alexithymia was found to be considerably higher(30.5%) in the present study, with female students more affected than males. An eating disorder was found to be only 16.7%, and the majority of students (65.4%) had BMI in the range of normal weight. Further, the students reported the absence of sleep apnea with 41% of students having a sleep duration of 6-7 hours and 32% more than 7 hours. Only 19% of students reported poor sleep quality. Trouble sleeping during the initial 30 minutes prior to lying down, waking up in the middle of the night, and waking up to use the bathroom were the main factors causing sleep disturbances. Conclusions: This study reported a high alexithymia prevalence since there were under house arrest and going through psychological stress during lockdown phase of COVID-19 pandemic. Eating disorders was not prevalent because the students ate healthy balanced diets at home rather than junk food. Sleep patterns were also significantly improved and did not show any relation to the increased prevalence of alexithymia.

Badminton is one of the world's most popular racquet sports, demanding motor skills such as agility and vertical jump mainly for striking a shuttlecock. This study compared the effects of four weeks of plyometric training and electromyostimulation of knee extensor and ankle plantar flexor muscles on agility, 30-m sprint, lower limb explosive power and jumping ability amongst badminton players. State-level badminton players (n ​= ​90) were randomly allocated into three groups: plyometric (PG), electromyostimulation (EG) and control group (CG), each with 30 players. Randomized-to-Groups Pretest-Posttest Design with two experimental (plyometric and electromyostimulation) groups and a control group was used. The plyometric training was carried out two times/week while the EMS training was four times/week for four weeks. The control group did not receive any intervention. All three groups continued their general badminton training throughout the study. Players were assessed for agility, a 30-m sprint, a standing broad jump and a vertical jump height before and after four weeks. A significant improvement (p ​= ​0.01) in 30-m sprint time was observed (3.83%) in PG as compared to controls. Jumping ability was significantly improved in both the PG and EG in comparison to the controls (4.45%, p ​= ​0.003 for PG and 3.95%, p ​= ​0.048 for EG). No significant improvement was found in agility and lower limb explosive power in either of the PG or EG groups in comparison to the controls. Plyometric training showed significant improvement in sprint time and jumping ability, whereas electromyostimulation training showed significant improvement only in jumping ability.

Developing countries need infrastructure for development thereby increasing the demand for concrete. The production of raw materials, manufacturing of concrete, and transportation process emit a large amount of greenhouse gases and particulate matters in the atmosphere which has increased energy consumption as well as global warming potential (GWP), acidification potential (AP), and eutrophication potential (EP) impact. In the present study, a comparative Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) is performed on five types of concrete mix and two fuels like coal and agricultural waste. The controlled mixed concrete CM-O was prepared by 100% OPC and the other four types of agricultural waste concrete were prepared by partial replacement of cement with agricultural waste ash in one cubic meter concrete. Optimum replacement level of cement was obtained based on 28 days compressive strength of concrete. LCA was evaluated by using CML methodologies on Microsoft excel for Cradle - to - gate boundary system. Similarly, environmental load due to the burning of coal and agricultural waste was evaluated. The results indicated that agricultural waste concrete has the potential to decrease the environmental load of the manufacturing of concrete. The environmental load is 1701.985 kwh, 501.051kg, 4.327kg and 466.091g for energy consumption, GWP, AP, and EP respectively for one cubic meter of controlled mix concrete. The results indicated that Rice husk ash at a replacement level of 12.5% of cement has 4.3%, 10%, 7.1%, and 3.7% lesser environmental impact for energy, GWP, AP, and EP respectively when compared with controlled mixed concrete. Further, the use of agricultural waste as fuel emits very less amounts of greenhouse gases mainly CO2, SO2, and NOx, and has an overall less impact on environmental compared to coal. This study would encourage the industrialists to make decisions about the use of agricultural waste as supplementary cementitious materials (SCMs) and fuel.

BackgroundFunctional liver reserve is an important determinant of survival in cirrhosis. The traditional indocyanine green test (ICG) is cumbersome. Hence, we developed and validated a novel liver imaging, a hybrid of SPECT and CT (Q-SPECT/CT), for evaluating disease severity, outcomes, and response to treatment in decompensated cirrhosis (DC).MethodsWe recruited a cohort of DC patients at a tertiary institute between 2016–2019. First, we standardized the Q-SPECT/CT across a predefined range of volumes through phantom experiments. Then we performed clinical and laboratory evaluations, ICG test (retention at 15 min), and Q-SPECT/CT at baseline and 12 months of granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) and standard medical treatment (SMT).ResultsIn 109 DC patients, 87.1% males, aged 51 ± 10 years, MELD: 14 (7–21), the percent quantitative liver uptake (%QLU) on Q-SPECT/CT exhibited a strong correlation with CTP (r = −0.728, p 0.05). %QLU > 25 (adj.H.R.: 0.234, p = 0.003) and G-CSF treatment (adj.H.R.: 0.414, p = 0.009) were independent predictors of better 12-months survival in DC.ConclusionQ-SPECT/CT (%QLU) is a novel non-invasive, diagnostic, prognostic, and theragnostic marker of liver reserve and its functions in cirrhosis patients.Clinical trial registrationClinicaltrials.gov, NCT02451033 and NCT03415698.

Introduction: According to Ayurveda, tobacco plant (Sthavara Patra Visha) has properties such as Tikta and Katu rasa, Laghu, Tikshna, Vyavayi, Sara, Vikashi, and Ushna guna; all the properties match with Dushi visha (slow poison) induces chronic toxicity to the gastrointestinal tract on chronic use. Tobacco chewing causes Mukhapaka (Sarvasara roga) which is the clinical condition identified with Paka, Lalima (redness), Daha (burning sensation), Sphota (mouth ulcers/blisters), Ksharokshit kshatsam (erosion of buccal mucosa), Vedna (pain), Tikta vaktrata (bitter taste), difficulty in chewing, and enlargement of lymph nodes. Mukhapaka is a Pitta Pradhana Sansargaja vyadhi. Gandusha and Virechaka drugs are found effective to treat Mukhapaka. Triphaladi vati and Jatyadi gandusha are defined as Mukha roga treatment as the both Yogas have Rasayana (immunity booster), Deepana (appetizer), Vishaghna (detoxifier), Vranaropana (wound healing), Pittasamsrana (anti-inflammatory), and Sandhanakara (healing) properties useful in Mukhapaka (stomatitis). This study aims to access and compare the efficacy of Triphaladi vati and Jatyadi gandusha in Mukhapaka treatment. Methods: (i) Design: Open-labeled randomized comparative clinical trial of 30 patients of either sex. (ii) Intervention: 30 clinically diagnosed and Rajasthan Ayurved University (Jodhpur) outpatient department-registered patients of Mukhapaka (stomatitis) who were randomly divided into two groups (Group A and Group B) of 15 patients each. (iii) Duration: 45 days. Results: Both the selected preparations were found very effective in the treatment of Mukhapaka, but the most efficacy was seen in Group B which was given Jatyadi gandusha. Conclusion: The present study supports the use of both Yogas in treating Mukhapaka with the good acceptance by all treated patients.

In the last few decades, the deficiency of sulfur (S) has been noticed in the agricultural soils of India. Meanwhile, researchers reported that S plays a significant role in the productivity of the rice-wheat cropping system (RWCS). For the quantification of S response, a long-term field experiment was started at the Indian Council of Agricultural Research-Indian Institute of Farming Systems Research (ICAR-IIFSR), Modipuram, India. In total, 7 nutrient supply options were applied, i.e., organic, mineral fertilizer in the combination of integrated plant nutrition system (IPNS), and IPNS + berseem (B)/IPNS + cowpea (C) in the S availability of the soil in the RWCS. The results showed that the highest contribution in S availability by the total S (39%) is followed by the organic S (35%), sodium bicarbonate extractable sulfur (NaHCO3-ES; 7%), heat-soluble sulfur (SS; 7%), water-soluble sulfur (WSS; 4%), available S (4%), and inorganic S (4%) under different long-term nutrient supply options of RWCS. The continuous application of organic fertilizer and various IPNS options, such as the inclusion of pulses, significantly improved all S fractions in the soil and also offers an additional benefit in terms of sustainability of production and soil health as compared to the inorganic fertilizer fields. Overall, the results showed that IPNS showed its superiority over the rest of the treatment. The results also supported that the inclusion of pulses gives a further gain in terms of sulfur availability in soil systems under RWCS.

Introduction: Newer coexisting conditions should be identified in order to modify newer risk factors. Aim was to identify patients with non-classical or less common coexisting conditions in patients infected of COVID 19. Method: Single centred study from June 2020 to May 2021 at a tertiary centre in North India. A preformed questionnaire was used to record clinical and laboratory parameters and to identify cases which are in addition to CDC list and Indian data. Results: 0.67% (46) cases out of 6832 patients were identified to have non-classical coexisting illness. It was divided into 2 groups-infections A (60.1%) and non-infections B (39.9%). Group A included-tuberculosis- pulmonary (14.3%) & extra pulmonary (32.9%), bacterial (25.0%) viral infections [dengue, hepatitis B & C] (14.3%), HIV disease (10.7%) and malaria (3.6%). Group B included- organ transplant (27.8%), autoimmune [myasthenia gravis, polymyositis, psoriasis] (22.6%), haematologic [Haemophilia, ITP, Aplastic anaemia, APML, CML] (27.8%), uncommon malignancies [disseminated sacral chordoma and GTN] (11.1%) and snakebite (11.1%). Serum Procalcitonin was not helpful for diagnosis of bacterial infection in COVID-19 disease. Group A had significantly longer duration of illness, hepatitis and elevated CRP. The mortality in group A & B were 32.1% and 43.8% respectively. Death in non-severe COVID cases was in tetanus and snakebite. 30.7% death among tuberculosis patients. More than 70% of deaths were attributable to COVID 19 in both the groups. Conclusion: In Indian settings, comorbidities like tuberculosis and bacterial infections can precipitate severe COVID 19 unlike other parts of the world where tuberculosis is relatively uncommon.

Objectives Gastric varices (GV) have been classified by the Sarin classification for over two decades. However, a subset of these varices does not fit into this classification. We share our experience on GV in past 20 years and propose a modification. Materials and Methods Consecutive patients with portal hypertension (PHT) posted for esophagogastroduodenoscopy were screened for GV between 1996 and 2016 at a tertiary-care hospital. GV were categorized as gastroesophageal varices (GOV1, GOV2) and isolated gastric varices (IGV1, IGV2) by Sarin’s classification. Patients with varices in esophagogastric region as well as distally in the stomach or duodenum, thus having efferent drainage into the superior as well as inferior vena cava simultaneously, remain unclassified and were coined as GOV3. Statistical Analysis Descriptive data was represented as mean (standard deviation) or median (interquartile range) or number (percentage). Chi-squared test, t-test, and logistic regression were done to compare groups and identify outcomes of interest. Results GV were recognized in 400 (11.5%) of 3,476 patients with PHT. Underlying disease was cirrhosis in 301 (75.2%), extrahepatic portal venous obstruction in 78 (19.5%), noncirrhotic portal fibrosis in 18 (4.5%) and Budd–Chiari syndrome in 3 (0.75%) patients with GV. GOV1, GOV2, IGV1, IGV2, and combined GOV1 with GOV2 were seen in 170 (42.5%), 154 (38.5%), 17 (4.3%), 5 (1.3%), and 12 (3.0%) patients; respectively. GOV3 were identified in 42 (10.5%) patients. Ninety-three patients with GV presented with gastrointestinal bleed and frequency of GOV2 was higher and GOV1 and GOV3 were lower among bleeders than non-bleeders. Conclusions A significant proportion of patients with GV remain uncategorized by current classification among PHT patients. Addition of GOV3 in Sarin’s classification will make it more comprehensive, uniform, and reproducible for future studies.

Coronavirus is a large virus family consisting of diverse viruses, some of which disseminate among mammals and others cause sickness among humans. COVID-19 is highly contagious and is rapidly spreading, rendering its early diagnosis of preeminent status. Researchers, medical specialists and organizations all over the globe have been working tirelessly to combat this virus and help in its containment. In this paper, a novel neural network called WisdomNet has been proposed, for the diagnosis of COVID-19 using chest X-rays. The WisdomNet uses the concept of ‘Wisdom of Crowds’ as its founding idea. It is a two-layered convolutional Neural Network (CNN), which takes chest x-ray images as input. Both layers of the proposed neural network consist of a number of neural networks each. The dataset used for this study consists of chest x-ray images of COVID-19 positive patients, compiled and shared by Dr. Cohen on GitHub, and the chest x-ray images of healthy lungs and lungs affected by viral and bacterial pneumonia were obtained from Kaggle. The network not only pinpoints the presence of COVID-19, but also gives the probability of the disease maturing into Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS). Thus, predicting the progression of the disease in the COVID-19 positive patients. The network also slender the occurrences of false negative cases by employing a high threshold value, thus aids in curbing the spread of the disease and gives an accuracy of 100% for successfully predicting COVID-19 among the chest x-rays of patients affected with COVID-19, bacterial and viral pneumonia.

Background: Suicide results from complex interactions of various risk factors—reasons for dying (RFD)—and protective factors—reasons for living (RFL). Suicide is not necessarily a wish to die but may be an appeal for help. We analyzed RFD and RFL in persons who had attempted suicide, through their clinical records at a Crisis Intervention Clinic (CIC). Methods: We retrospectively analyzed demographic and clinical data, and classified RFD and RFL, among patients with either ideas or attempt of suicide registered at our CIC ( N = 83). Using two open-ended questions from the clinical history data, we derived their RFD or RFL; ( n = 53) completed these questions regarding RFD-RFL. Results: In the total sample, males and females were equally represented and educated, but males were significantly older. Most common diagnosis was nonpsychotic mood disorder. Commonest mode of suicide attempt was hanging. Family conflict vs. family responsibility, hope vs. hopelessness, stressful life events, and negative cognitions about the self and the world were important RFD. RFL included feeling responsible, love for family and for self, hope, career success, and religious beliefs, Conclusion: RFD and RFL could both be grouped in similar categories related to family, career, hope, etc.

A better understanding of the genetic and metabolic mechanisms that confer stress resistance and tolerance in plants is key to engineering new crops through advanced breeding technologies. This requires a systems biology approach that builds on a genome-wide understanding of the regulation of gene expression, plant metabolism, physiology and growth. In this study, we examine the response to drought stress in Sorghum, as we leverage the tools for transcriptomics and plant metabolic modeling we have implemented at the U.S. Department of Energy Systems Biology Knowledgebase (KBase). KBase enables researchers worldwide to collaborate and advance research by uploading private or public data into the KBase Narrative Interface, analyzing it using a rich, extensible array of computational and data-analytics tools, and securely sharing scientific workflows and conclusions. We demonstrate how to use the current RNA-seq tools in KBase, applicable to both plants and microbes, to assemble and quantify long transcripts and identify differentially expressed genes effectively. More specifically, we demonstrate the utility of the platform by identifying key genes differentially expressed during drought-stress in Sorghum bicolor, an important sustainable production crop plant. We then show how we can use KBase tools to predict the membership of genes in metabolic pathways and examine expression data in the context of metabolic subsystems. We demonstrate the power of the platform by making the data, analysis and interpretation available to the biologists in the reproducible, re-usable, point-and-click format of a KBase Narrative thus promoting FAIR (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable and Reusable) guiding principles for scientific data management and stewardship.

Two-year field experiments were conducted to study the effect of different levels of inorganic fertilizers, farmyard manure (FYM), and bio-inoculants on wheat productivity and profitability. Results specified that judicious application of inorganic fertilizers, FYM, and bio-inoculants significantly increased the productivity and profitability of wheat. Data suggested that the aggregate levels of fertilizer up to 100% NPK ha−1 resulted in significant increases in all growth attributes, grain yield (+206%), straw yield (+177%), and harvest index (+7%) as compared to control. Meanwhile, plots with the application of 10 t ha−1 FYM significantly (p < 0.05) increased grain yield (+26%) and straw yield (+22%) as compared to the control. Similarly, significant enhancement in grain and straw yields was observed with the application of PGPR + VAM over no-inoculation. Results showed that the significantly higher grain and straw yield attained by application of 75% NPK fertilizer + 10 t ha−1 FYM was at par with the application of 100% NPK fertilizer alone. Further, net returns (profitability) and B:C ratio (2.37) were significantly higher with fertilization with 75% NPK + 10 t ha−1 FYM along with PGPR + VAM as compared to 100% NPK alone. Overall, it can be concluded that the combination of 75% NPK and 10 t ha−1 FYM along with PGPR + VAM represented the optimum for net return and B:C ratio and reduced (25%) dose of NPK as compared to the rest of the treatment combinations.

Gravity retaining walls are a vital structure in the area of geotechnical engineering, and academicians in earlier studies have conveyed substantial uncertainties involved in calculating the factor of safety against overturning, using a deterministic approach. Hence, to enhance the accuracy and eliminate the uncertainties involved, artificial intelligence (AI) was used in the present research. The main aim of this study is to propose a high-performance machine learning (ML) model to determine the factor of safety (FOS) of gravity retaining walls against overturning. The projected methodology included a novel hybrid machine learning model that merged with an adaptive neuro-fuzzy inference system (ANFIS) and meta-heuristic optimization techniques (particle swarm optimization (PSO), genetic algorithm (GA), firefly algorithm (FFA) and grey wolf optimization (GWO)). In this research, four hybrid models, namely ANFIS-PSO, ANFIS-FFA, ANFIS-GA and ANFIS-GWO, were created to estimate the factor of safety against overturning. The proposed hybrid models were evaluated on two distinct datasets (training 70% and testing 30%) with three input combinations, namely cohesion (c), unit weight of soil (Υ) and angle of shearing resistance (φ). To access the prediction power of different hybrid models, various statistical parameters such as R2, AdjR2, VAF, WI, LMI, a-20 index, PI, KGE, RMSE, SI, MAE, NMBE and MBE were computed for training (TR) and testing (TS) datasets. The overall performance of the models indicated that ANFIS-PSO provided better results among all four models. The reliability index was computed using the first-order second-moment (FOSM) method for all models, and the probability of failure was also computed. A Williams plot was drawn to check the applicability domain of the hybrid model and to check the influence of different input parameters on the prediction of the factor of safety, and the Gini index was also computed.

Continuing soil degradation remains a serious threat to future food security. Soil aggregation can help protect soil organic matter from biodegradation; it affects soil physical (aeration), chemical (water infiltration), and biological (microbial) activities. The integrated plant nutrition system (IPNS) and organic farming (OF) options have been contemplated as a sustainable strategy to sustain soil aggregate stability under adverse climatic conditions and a possible tool to restore degraded soil systems. Results suggested that the application of plant nutrients based on IPNS and soil test crop response (STCR) including mineral fertilizers and organic manure (farmyard manure: FYM) improved soil aggregate stability and mean weight diameter (MWD) under rice–wheat cropping systems. A long-term (19 year) cropping system (rice–wheat) experiment was examined to identify best nutrient management practices. Seven nutrient supply options were applied: organic, mineral fertilizer in combination with IPNS, IPNS + B/IPNS + C to improve soil aggregate stability and MWD after completing 19 cropping cycles of rice–wheat cropping systems. Results showed that significantly higher (+31%) macroaggregates were dominant in the surface soil layer than in the subsurface soil. The significantly highest macroaggregates were observed under OF (60.12 g 100 g−1 dry soil) management practices followed by IPNS options. The MWD was significantly increased (+17%) between surface and subsurface soil. Maximum MWD was reported with OF (0.93 mm) management practices followed by the IPNS + C (0.78 mm), IPNS + B (0.77 mm), IPNS (0.70 mm), STCR (0.69 mm), NPK (0.67 mm), and unfertilized control (0.66 mm) plots. Overall, results suggest that the adoption of IPNS options, such as organic farming (OF), RDF, STCR, and inclusion of pulses (berseem and cowpea), significantly improved all soil aggregation fractions in the soil system and also offered an additional benefit in terms of soil sustainability.

In plants, vegetative and reproductive development are associated with agronomically important traits that contribute to grain yield and biomass. Zinc finger homeodomain (ZF-HD) transcription factors (TFs) constitute a relatively small gene family that has been studied in several model plants, including Arabidopsis thaliana L. and Oryza sativa L. The ZF-HD family members play important roles in plant growth and development, but their contribution to the regulation of plant architecture remains largely unknown due to their functional redundancy. To understand the gene regulatory network controlled by ZF-HD TFs, we analyzed multiple loss-of-function mutants of ZF-HD TFs in Arabidopsis that exhibited morphological abnormalities in branching and flowering architecture. We found that ZF-HD TFs, especially HB34, negatively regulate the expression of miR157 and positively regulate SQUAMOSA PROMOTER BINDING–LIKE 10 (SPL10), a target of miR157. Genome-wide chromatin immunoprecipitation sequencing (ChIP-Seq) analysis revealed that miR157D and SPL10 are direct targets of HB34, creating a feed-forward loop that constitutes a robust miRNA regulatory module. Network motif analysis contains overrepresented coherent type IV feedforward motifs in the amiR zf-HD and hbq mutant background. This finding indicates that miRNA-mediated ZF-HD feedforward modules modify branching and inflorescence architecture in Arabidopsis. Taken together, these findings reveal a guiding role of ZF-HD TFs in the regulatory network module and demonstrate its role in plant architecture in Arabidopsis.

Despite the growing importance of soil and water conservation and watershed development projects as an approach to rural development and natural resource management, there has been relatively little research on devising site-specific best management practice (BMP) to check the soil erosion losses within permissible limits, especially in hilly regions. For a sustainable watershed management programme and implementation, site specific BMPs assume importance and hold the promise of making conservation planning and watershed management simpler and more effective. The study was attempted to develop a methodology to obtain BMPs, aiming to reduce the erosion losses in erosion risk areas of the northwestern Himalayas by employing Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP). The AHP technique was employed to prioritise the potential technologies and select the BMP suitable for a particular land area. The prioritization of technologies was performed with four criteria viz. soil erosion resistance, cost, benefit, maintenance and environment friendliness of conservation measures. The soil erosion scenario of the study area located in the northwestern Himalayas was generated with each selected measure in a SWAT model using DEM, land use maps, a soil map and climate data of the study area. Then, the resultant erosion scenario of the conservation measures was compared and used for the AHP analysis. However, other criteria were assessed based on the judgement of a group of experts as well as farmers. In this study, four conservation measures, viz. Bench Terraces (BT), Vegetative Barrier (VB), Contour Farming (CF) and Zero Tillage + Live Mulch (ZL), were considered for BMP selection. Three scenarios, viz. experts’ judgement, farmers’ opinions and combined expert and farmer opinion, were analyzed to uncover the BMP for the different zones. The result revealed that experts and farmers unanimously preferred ZL as a BMP because of its low-cost implementation value and lower maintenance requirement while significantly controlling the erosion level as well as being environment friendly. The BT was the second most preferred technology for the study area. However, BMP was recommended for different zones having high to very severe erosion (soil loss > 10 t/ha/yr). Therefore, ZL was recommended for the areas with low altitude, whereas BT was recommended for the areas having high slopes because of its high capability for erosion control in the high slopping area. The methodology will act as a useful strategy for decision makers to prioritize the technology and recommend the best management for any region after considering suitable criteria. Future work may consider more criteria for inclusion to thus recommend the technology for a region in a more realistic way.

Introduction: Preparing future mothers for the birth of newborn is an important part of birth preparedness counseling and one of major responsibility of health care provider. Objectives: The aim of this study was to assess awareness of antenatal mothers for birth preparedness and complication readiness and find association of awareness with socio demographic variables. Methodology: This descriptive study was conducted using cross sectional research design. Total 200 antenatal mothers were selected using the purposive sampling technique who was attending antenatal OPD at Pt. B. D. Sharma PGIMS, Rohtak, and Haryana, India. Data was collected by using semi structured questionnaire. Result: The majority of antenatal mothers were belongs to age group of 18-25 years and were secondary level educated. Most of antenatal mothers (54%) had poor knowledge of birth preparedness and complication readiness. Chi square test showed a significant association among awareness level of antenatal mothers with age (0.002*), educational level of self (0.003*) and husband (0.000*), gravida (0.03*), time to reach to health care facility (0.015*) and mode of transportation in emergency (0.005*). Odd ratios showed that antenatal mother who did not done their antenatal register had a 0.81 times more chances for less awareness than registered mothers. Conclusion: Awareness of antenatal mothers for birth preparedness and complication readiness was poor. There are various hindering factors which must be explored for betterment of maternal outcome and success of birth preparedness and complication readiness programs.

Introduction: There are certain uncommon large thoracic masses sharing overlapping radiological features with commoner ones except few salient characteristic features. Diagnosing these uncommon tumours has practical implications for patient management and prognosis including obviating unnecessary surgeries. Aim: To demonstrate characteristic Computed Tomography (CT) features of large common and certain uncommon intrathoracic masses Materials and Methods: A retrospective cross-sectional search was done in January 2020, from the archives of patients record in Radiology Department from December 2017 to January 2019 for intra-thoracic tumours. Those tumors or masses meeting inclusion criteria were analysed by two radiologists who were blinded about the histopathologic reports. A probable radiological diagnosis was made and it was later matchedup with the histopathologic reports to reach to a confirmed diagnosis. The unique CT features were separately tabulated and their p-value for a particular diagnosis was calculated using Fisher’s-exact test. Results: Out of total 23 cases studied, 12 bronchogenic carcinomas and 11 uncommon diagnoses including Solitary fibrous tumour, Synovial sarcoma, Pulmonary blastoma, Askin’s tumour, Schwannoma and Metastasis were found. Subtle rib erosion in Askin’s tumour (p-value=0.004), intra-tumoural vessels in Synovial sarcomas (p-value=0.0006) and intense enhancement in some non-bronchogenic tumours (p-value=0.0137) were found to be significantly associated features. Conclusion: When encountering an opaque hemithorax on chest radiograph and a large mass on CT, one should look for certain peculiar features of these unusual lung masses to suggest them as a differential diagnosis, as “Our eyes see only what our mind knows”.

The treatment of methyl methane sulfonate (MMS) increases sensitivity to the DNA damage which, further leads to the cell death followed by a cell cycle delay. Delay in the cell cycle is because of the change in global transcription regulation which results into proteome change. There are several microarray studies on the transcriptome changes after MMS treatment, but very few studies are reported related to proteome change. The proteome analysis in this report identified subgroups of proteins, belonging to known cell cycle regulators, metabolic pathways and protein folding. About 53 proteins were identified by MS/MS and found that 36 of them were induced, 10 were repressed and few of them showed insignificant change. Our results indicated the change in the interactome as well as phosphorylation status of carboxy terminal domain (CTD) of RNA Polymerase II (RNAP-II) after MMS treatment. The RNAP-II complex was affinity purified and ~1640 peptides were identified using nano LC/MS corresponding to 27 interacting proteins along with the twelve RNAP-II subunit. These identified proteins participated in the repair of the damage, changes the function of the main energetic pathways and the carbon flux in various end products. The main metabolic enzymes in the glycolysis, pyruvate phosphate and amino acid biosynthesis pathways showed significant change. Our results indicate that DNA damage is somehow related to these pathways and is co-regulated simultaneously.

Gramene (http://www.gramene.org) is an online, open source, curated resource for plant comparative genomics and pathway analysis designed to support researchers working in plant genomics, breeding, evolutionary biology, system biology, and metabolic engineering. It exploits phylogenetic relationships to enrich the annotation of genomic data and provides tools to perform powerful comparative analyses across a wide spectrum of plant species. It consists of an integrated portal for querying, visualizing and analyzing data for 44 plant reference genomes, genetic variation data sets for 12 species, expression data for 16 species, curated rice pathways and orthology-based pathway projections for 66 plant species including various crops. Here we briefly describe the functions and uses of the Gramene database.

Introduction: The cases of cryptococcal meningitis and other forms of cryptococcosis have increased in recent time and the present scenario of the condition with significant morbidity and mortality is actually posing a serious threat to the community, so an early and prompt diagnosis is necessary to prevent serious complications and thus improving the overall disease outcome. Aim: Comparison of diagnostic efficacy of nested Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) with Latex Agglutination Test (LAT) in the Cerebro Spinal Fluid (CSF) samples of the cases of meningitis in HIV positive and negative cases. Materials and Methods: We have compared the diagnostic efficacy of Latex Agglutination Test (LAT) with nested Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) in 200 Cerebrospinal Fluid (CSF) samples, including 14 HIV positive also, in the cases of suspected cryptococcal meningitis. Nested PCR was done in all cases reporting positive by LAT and results were then compared with that of India ink and culture on Sabouraud Dextrose Agar (SDA), and the isolates were further identified by urease, nitrate and sugar assimilation tests. Results: Of the 200 cases, including 14 HIV positive, LAT was positive in 46 cases while 154 were negative. Out of these 46 LAT positive cases, nested PCR was positive in 40 cases only, while culture and India ink was positive in 38 and 33 cases respectively. Majority of the cases, 30 (65.2%) were between age group 21-50 years, while 2 (4.3%) in 0-20, and 14 (30.4%) in 51-80 years age group. Conclusion: Although negative staining like India ink and nigrosin are most widely used techniques, but these suffer with subjective error. Rapid method like LAT is available but it always has the scope of false positive and negative results. In such cases nested PCR can help in establishing final diagnosis.

Introduction. Premenstrual syndrome presents with vague psychological, somatic, or biological symptoms. It may be seen more commonly in a specific profile of patients. We try to evaluate the patterns and predictors of premenstrual symptoms among females working in a tertiary care psychiatry hospital. Methodology. We recruited working females at a tertiary care psychiatry hospital in India, through purposive sampling, and assessed them cross-sectionally. Premenstrual Symptom Checklist was used to assess the frequency and distribution of premenstrual symptoms, which were correlated with various sociodemographic variables to evaluate the predictors for premenstrual symptoms. Results. 150 working females were included, belonging to different sociodemographic profile. Somatic symptoms (backache, joint and muscles pain, and fatiguability) were most commonly reported followed by psychological (irritability and losing temper easily) and biological symptoms (increased micturition). Premenstrual symptoms were seen more commonly in women with higher educational status and nursing profession and residing in nuclear families (p

Transcription initiation, essential to gene expression regulation, involves recruitment of basal transcription factors to the core promoter elements (CPEs). The distribution of currently known CPEs across plant genomes is largely unknown. This is the first large scale genome-wide report on the computational prediction of CPEs across eight plant genomes to help better understand the transcription initiation complex assembly. The distribution of thirteen known CPEs across four monocots (Brachypodium distachyon, Oryza sativa ssp. japonica, Sorghum bicolor, Zea mays) and four dicots (Arabidopsis thaliana, Populus trichocarpa, Vitis vinifera, Glycine max) reveals the structural organization of the core promoter in relation to the TATA-box as well as with respect to other CPEs. The distribution of known CPE motifs with respect to transcription start site (TSS) exhibited positional conservation within monocots and dicots with slight differences across all eight genomes. Further, a more refined subset of annotated genes based on orthologs of the model monocot (O. sativa ssp. japonica) and dicot (A. thaliana) genomes supported the positional distribution of these thirteen known CPEs. DNA free energy profiles provided evidence that the structural properties of promoter regions are distinctly different from that of the non-regulatory genome sequence. It also showed that monocot core promoters have lower DNA free energy than dicot core promoters. The comparison of monocot and dicot promoter sequences highlights both the similarities and differences in the core promoter architecture irrespective of the species-specific nucleotide bias. This study will be useful for future work related to genome annotation projects and can inspire research efforts aimed to better understand regulatory mechanisms of transcription.

Waterlogging of plants leads to low oxygen levels (hypoxia) in the roots and causes a metabolic switch from aerobic respiration to anaerobic fermentation that results in rapid changes in gene transcription and protein synthesis. Our research seeks to characterize the microRNA-mediated gene regulatory networks associated with short-term waterlogging. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small non-coding RNAs that regulate many genes involved in growth, development and various biotic and abiotic stress responses. To characterize the involvement of miRNAs and their targets in response to short-term hypoxia conditions, a quantitative real time PCR (qRT-PCR) assay was used to quantify the expression of the 24 candidate mature miRNA signatures (22 known and 2 novel mature miRNAs, representing 66 miRNA loci) and their 92 predicted targets in three inbred Zea mays lines (waterlogging tolerant Hz32, mid-tolerant B73, and sensitive Mo17). Based on our studies, miR159, miR164, miR167, miR393, miR408 and miR528, which are mainly involved in root development and stress responses, were found to be key regulators in the post-transcriptional regulatory mechanisms under short-term waterlogging conditions in three inbred lines. Further, computational approaches were used to predict the stress and development related cis-regulatory elements on the promoters of these miRNAs; and a probable miRNA-mediated gene regulatory network in response to short-term waterlogging stress was constructed. The differential expression patterns of miRNAs and their targets in these three inbred lines suggest that the miRNAs are active participants in the signal transduction at the early stage of hypoxia conditions via a gene regulatory network; and crosstalk occurs between different biochemical pathways.

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small, non-coding RNAs that play essential roles in plant growth, development, and stress response. We conducted a genome-wide survey of maize miRNA genes, characterizing their structure, expression, and evolution. Computational approaches based on homology and secondary structure modeling identified 150 high-confidence genes within 26 miRNA families. For 25 families, expression was verified by deep-sequencing of small RNA libraries that were prepared from an assortment of maize tissues. PCR-RACE amplification of 68 miRNA transcript precursors, representing 18 families conserved across several plant species, showed that splice variation and the use of alternative transcriptional start and stop sites is common within this class of genes. Comparison of sequence variation data from diverse maize inbred lines versus teosinte accessions suggest that the mature miRNAs are under strong purifying selection while the flanking sequences evolve equivalently to other genes. Since maize is derived from an ancient tetraploid, the effect of whole-genome duplication on miRNA evolution was examined. We found that, like protein-coding genes, duplicated miRNA genes underwent extensive gene-loss, with approximately 35% of ancestral sites retained as duplicate homoeologous miRNA genes. This number is higher than that observed with protein-coding genes. A search for putative miRNA targets indicated bias towards genes in regulatory and metabolic pathways. As maize is one of the principal models for plant growth and development, this study will serve as a foundation for future research into the functional roles of miRNA genes.