Search

Engineering a single material with multidirectional applications is crucial for improving productivity, low cost, flexibility, least power consumption, etc. To achieve these requirements, novel design structures and high-performance materials are in urgent need. Lanthanide-doped nanophosphors have the greatest strengths and ability in order to tune their applications in various dimensions. However, applications of nanophosphor in latent fingerprints visualization, anti-counterfeiting, and luminescent gels/films are still in their infancy. This study demonstrated a simple strategy to enhance the luminescence of Tb3+ (1–11 mol %) doped La2Zr2O7 nanophosphors by conjugating various fluxes via a simple solution combustion route. The photoluminescence emission spectra reveal intense peaks at ~ 491, 546, 587, and 622 nm, which arises from 5D4 → 7FJ (J = 6, 5, 4, 3) transitions of Tb3+ ions, respectively. The highest emission intensity was achieved in the NH4Cl flux assisted nanophosphor as compared to NaBr and NH4F assisted samples. The colorimetric images of fingerprints visualized using the optimized nanophosphor on forensic related surfaces exhibit level –III ridge details, including sweat pores, the width of the ridges, bifurcation angle, and the successive distance between sweat pores, etc. These results are decisive parameters that clearly support the statement "no two persons have ever been found to have the same fingerprints". The anti-counterfeiting security ink was formulated using optimized nanophosphor and various patterns were designed by simple screen printing and dip pen technologies. The encoded information was decrypted only under ultraviolet 254 nm light. All the designed patterns are exhibit not just what it looks/feel like and how better it works. As a synergetic contribution of enhanced luminescence of the prepared nanophosphor, the green-emissive films were fabricated, which display excellent flexibility, uniformity, and transparency in the normal and ultraviolet 254 nm light illumination. The aforementioned results revealed that the prepared NH4Cl flux-assisted La2Zr2O7: Tb3+(7 mol %) NPs are considered to be the best candidate for multi-dimensional applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Carbonate sediments are often regarded as problematic in geotechnical engineering due to the high variability of their properties. Understanding and quantifying this variability will become increasingly critical in the years ahead, notably with respect to upcoming developments in offshore renewable energy, for which limited in-situ data are typically available to characterise large areas. Here, six intervals from the North West Shelf of Australia, each composed of similar carbonate grains but accumulated in different environments, are investigated to better understand how the post-depositional cementation, alteration and dissolution of sediments, known as diagenesis, impact their geotechnical properties. Intervals are primarily affected by mineralogy-driven meteoric diagenesis, comprising in-situ dissolution of metastable grains and subsequent precipitation of cement that occurred when the shelf was exposed during lower sea-levels, and by marine diagenesis. In both cases, increased diagenesis results in a higher cement-to-solid ratio and compressive strength. However, while marine diagenesis is associated with a reduction in void ratio, this is not initially observed with mineralogy-driven meteoric diagenesis. Additionally, for a similar cement-to-solid ratio, microcrystalline cement results in higher compressive strength than sparite cement. The data further reveal that the level of meteoric cementation and the compressive strength increase as a function of the duration of exposure and of the regional climate, along with a reduction of the specific gravity related to the replacement of aragonite by calcite. However, increased meteoric diagenesis also leads to the formation of macro-scale heterogeneities such as calcrete layers and karsts that can affect the holistic geotechnical behaviour of such deposits., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) are RNA molecules with a length greater than 200 nucleotides that do not code for functional proteins. Although, genes play a vital role in immune response against a disease, it is less known that lncRNAs also contribute through gene regulation. Bovine tuberculosis is a significant zoonotic disease caused by Mycobacterium bovis (M. bovis) in cattle. Here, we report the in-silico analysis of the publicly available transcriptomic data of calves infected with M. bovis. A total of 51,812 lncRNAs were extracted across all the samples. A total of 216 genes and 260 lncRNAs were found to be differentially expressed across all the 4 conditions-infected vs uninfected at 8- and 20-week post-infection (WPI), 8 vs 20-WPI of both infected and uninfected. Gene Ontology and Functional annotation showed that 8 DEGs were annotated with immune system GOs and 2 DEGs with REACTOME immune system pathways. Co-expression analysis of DElncRNAs with DEGs revealed the involvement of lncRNAs with the genes annotated with Immune related GOs and pathways. Overall, our study sheds light on the dynamic transcriptomic changes in response to M. bovis infection, particularly highlighting the involvement of lncRNAs with immune-related genes. The identified immune pathways and gene-lncRNA interactions offer valuable insights for further research in understanding host-pathogen interactions and potential avenues for genetic improvement strategies in cattle., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

The present study investigated the relationship between MSH3 and MSH6 genes in lung cancer patients. Genotyping of lung cancer patients and healthy controls was performed. Odds ratio values were calculated and survival analysis performed. Patients with mutant genotype (TT) for MSH6 polymorphism have 1.5-fold risk for the development of lung cancer (p = 0.03). For non-smokers, the mutant-type genotype had a threefold increased risk of lung cancer (p = 0.01). Patients administered with docetaxel and carbo/cisplatin and carrying GT genotype for MSH6 polymorphism, patients reported a decrease in median survival time (4.9 vs 9.13 months). MSH3 and MSH6 polymorphisms are involved in modulating the risk towards lung cancer. MSH6 polymorphism is associated with high mortality rate for patients undergoing cisplatin and docetaxel chemotherapy., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Late blight is a serious disease of potato worldwide. Our study aimed to unveil genes involved in late blight resistance in potato by RNA-seq analysis after artificial inoculation under controlled conditions. In this study, two potato somatic hybrids (P7 and Crd6) and three varieties such as Kufri Girdhari, Kufri Jyoti and Kufri Bahar (control) were used. Transcriptiome analysis revealed statistically significant (p < 0.05) differentially expressed genes (DEGs), which were analysed into up-regulated and down-regulated genes. Further, DEGs were functionally characterized by the Gene Ontology annotations and the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathways. Overall, some of the up-regulated genes in resistant genotypes were disease resistance proteins such as CC-NBS-LRR resistance protein, ankyrin repeat family protein, cytochrome P450, leucine-rich repeat family protein/protein kinase family, and MYB transcription factor. Sequence diversity analysis based on 38 peptide sequences representing 18 genes showed distinct variation and the presence of three motifs in 15 amino acid sequences. Selected genes were also validated by real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction analysis. Interestingly, gene expression markers were developed for late blight resistant genotypes. Our study elucidates genes involved in imparting late blight resistance in potato, which will be beneficial for its management strategies in the future., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) induces neuroinflammatory response that can initiate epileptogenesis, which develops into epilepsy. Recently, we identified anti-convulsive effects of naltrexone, a mu-opioid receptor (MOR) antagonist, used to treat drug addiction. While blocking opioid receptors can reduce inflammation, it is unclear if post-TBI seizures can be prevented by blocking MORs. Here, we tested if naltrexone prevents neuroinflammation and/or seizures post-TBI. TBI was induced by a modified Marmarou Weight-Drop (WD) method on 4-week-old C57BL/6J male mice. Mice were placed in two groups: non-telemetry assessing the acute effects or in telemetry monitoring for interictal events and spontaneous seizures both following TBI and naltrexone. Molecular, histological and neuroimaging techniques were used to evaluate neuroinflammation, neurodegeneration and fiber track integrity at 8 days and 3 months post-TBI. Peripheral immune responses were assessed through serum chemokine/cytokine measurements. Our results show an increase in MOR expression, nitro-oxidative stress, mRNA expression of inflammatory cytokines, microgliosis, neurodegeneration, and white matter damage in the neocortex of TBI mice. Video-EEG revealed increased interictal events in TBI mice, with 71% mice developing post-traumatic seizures (PTS). Naltrexone treatment ameliorated neuroinflammation, neurodegeneration, reduced interictal events and prevented seizures in all TBI mice, which makes naltrexone a promising candidate against PTS, TBI-associated neuroinflammation and epileptogenesis in a WD model of TBI., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

The inhibition of tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α trimer formation renders it inactive for binding to its receptors, thus mitigating the vicious cycle of inflammation. We designed a peptide (PIYLGGVFQ) that simulates a sequence strand of human TNFα monomer using a series of in silico methods, such as active site finding (Acsite), protein-protein interaction (PPI), docking studies (GOLD and Flex-X) followed by molecular dynamics (MD) simulation studies. The MD studies confirmed the intermolecular interaction of the peptide with the TNFα. Fluorescence-activated cell sorting and fluorescence microscopy revealed that the peptide effectively inhibited the binding of TNF to the cell surface receptors. The cell culture assays showed that the peptide significantly inhibited the TNFα-mediated cell death. In addition, the nuclear translocation of the nuclear factor kappa B (NFκB) was significantly suppressed in the peptide-treated A549 cells, as observed in immunofluorescence and gel mobility-shift assays. Furthermore, the peptide protected against joint damage in the collagen-induced arthritis (CIA) mouse model, as revealed in the micro focal-CT scans. In conclusion, this TNFα antagonist would be helpful for the prevention and repair of inflammatory bone destruction and subsequent loss in the mouse model of CIA as well as human rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients. This calls upon further clinical investigation to utilize its potential effect as an antiarthritic drug., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

In winter, the paddy residues become wet during morning and late evening due to dew, which restricts the operation of sowing machines (Happy Seeder and Super Seeder) into paddy residues, as wet residues do not slide on furrow openers/tines. A PAU Smart Seeder (PSS) was developed and evaluated for a four-wheel tractor that can sow wheat with optimum crop establishment in combined harvested rice fields. The PSS were evaluated for its performance under varying straw load, forward speed, and rotor speed in terms of fuel consumption, field capacity, seed emergence, and grain yield. The crop establishment and wheat yield of PSS was also compared with the existing straw management machines Happy Seeder (HS) and Super Seeder (SS) under heavy paddy residue conditions. The effect of the straw load was more pronounced on dependent variables than the effect of the speed index. PSS performance was best at a forward speed of 2.6 km h -1 , rotor speed of 127.5 rpm, and a straw load of 6 t ha -1 . Average fuel consumption using PSS was lower than SS but higher than HS. Wheat emergence was higher by 15.6 and 25.7% on the PSS plots compared to HS and SS, respectively. Average wheat grain yield in PSS plots was significantly higher by 12.7 and 18.9% than SS and HS, respectively in one experiment, while the grain yield was similar for both PSS and HS in other experiments. PSS has a novel mechanism to manage paddy straw and simultaneously sow wheat into a heavy straw load (> 8 t ha -1 ) mixture of anchored and loose straw. In conclusion, PSS showed promise for in-situ management of rice straw as it eliminates most of the operational problems encountered by the existing seeders (HS and SS)., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

This investigation reflects an examination of Oldroyd-B fluid flow over a permeable surface subjected to the effects of melting, slip effect, inclined magnetic field and chemical reactions. The governing equations are resolved using the bvp4c inbuilt MATLAB tool, the arithmetic computation for the momentum, thermal and concentration equations are executed. The results are exhibited graphically. Numerical outcomes are graphically depicted by aid of velocity, concentration, temperature profiles for several model variables. The achieved results exhibit a promising agreement with the previously established findings available in the open literature. The results obtained indicated that Deborah number β 1 reduces the momentum boundary layer thickness whereas Deborah number β 2 enhances the adjacent momentum boundary layer. Furthermore, temperature profile declined for melting parameter Me . The application of this study transcends various engineering disciplines, offering practical solutions and optimization opportunities in polymer processing, coating technologies, cooling systems, materials processing, biomedical and environmental engineering., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Health implications of indoor air quality (IAQ) have drawn more attention since the COVID epidemic. There are many different kinds of studies done on how IAQ affects people's well-being. There hasn't been much research that looks at the microbiological composition of the aerosol in subway transit systems. In this work, for the first time, we examined the aerosol bacterial abundance, diversity, and composition in the microbiome of the Seoul subway and train stations using DNA isolated from the PM 10 samples from each station (three subway and two KTX stations). The average PM 10 mass concentration collected on the respective platform was 41.862 µg/m 3 , with the highest average value of 45.95 µg/m 3 and the lowest of 39.25 µg/m 3 . The bacterial microbiomes mainly constituted bacterial species of soil and environmental origin (e.g., Acinetobacter, Brevundimonas, Lysinibacillus, Clostridiodes) with fewer from human sources (Flaviflexus, Staphylococcus). This study highlights the relationship between microbiome diversity and PM 10 mass concentration contributed by outdoor air and commuters in South Korea's subway and train stations. This study gives insights into the microbiome diversity, the source, and the susceptibility of public transports in disease spreading., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

We present a temporary keyword search over sensitive and confidential health data in a cloud environment. The cloud constitutes a semi-trusted domain, making it necessary for data owners to secure their data before outsourcing it through techniques like encryption. Attribute-based keyword search techniques tend to perform a search operation using a search token generated by an authorized user. These search tokens can lead to serious privacy threats, as they can extract all ciphertexts that may have been generated along with their keyword. Therefore, restricting search tokens to extract ciphertexts generated within a time interval is a more promising solution. In this paper, we present a novel ciphertext policy fine-grained temporary keyword that prevents the misuse of these search tokens. Further, it mitigates the risk of insider threats within healthcare organizations by limiting the window of opportunity for unauthorized access to minimum. To assess the security, our proposed scheme is formally proven to be secure against Selectively Chosen Keyword Attacks in the generic bilinear group model. Additionally, we demonstrate that the encryption algorithm's complexity is linear in relation to the number of attributes. Our scheme's significance and practicality are revealed by the performance evaluation., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Hepatic fibrosis is driven by the activation of hepatic stellate cells (HSCs). The Hippo pathway and its effectors, YAP and TAZ, are key regulators of HSC activation and fibrosis. However, there is a lack of mechanistic understanding of YAP/TAZ regulation in HSCs. Here we show that AMPK activation leads to YAP/TAZ inhibition and HSC inactivation in vitro, while the expression of a kinase-inactive mutant reversed these effects compared to wild type AMPKɑ1. Notably, the depletion of LATS1/2, an upstream kinase of YAP/TAZ signaling, rescues YAP/TAZ activation, suggesting that AMPK may be mediating YAP/TAZ inhibition via LATS1/2. In the carbon tetrachloride mouse model of fibrosis, pharmacologic activation of AMPK in HSCs inhibits YAP/TAZ signaling and reduces fibrosis. The findings implicate AMPK as a critical regulator of YAP/TAZ signaling and HSC inactivation and highlight AMPK activation as a therapeutic target for the treatment of hepatic fibrosis., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Deposition of high entropy alloy FeCoNiMnCu on SS-304 was carried out by microwave energy for application in "solid oxide fuel-cell (SOFC) interconnects". The ball-milling has been performed by taking "Fe, Co, Ni, Mn, and Cu" in equal 20 wt. % of before deposited on SS-304 substrate. The deposited steel with 20% Fe 20% Co 20% Ni 20% Mn 20% Cu high entropy alloy (HEA) was exposed to thermal-exposure in the air for up to 10 weeks at 800 °C. The uniform cladding distribution of 20% Fe 20% Co 20% Ni 20% Mn 20% Cu HEA particles can be apparently observed on SS-304 substrate by utilizing Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM), and Optical microscopy analysis. Homogeneity in the interfacial layer was evident by employing Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) characterization. Results have indicated that after the thermal exposure of deposited steel with 20% Fe 20% Co 20% Ni 20% Mn 20% Cu in the air for up to ten weeks at 800 °C, a "protective Cr 2 O 3 layer", and "high-entropy spinel coating" of (Fe, Co, Ni, Mn, Cu) 3 O 4 have been formed. During microwave cladding, the emergence of harder-phases has contributed to the raised hardness. The wear behavior after coating of 20% Fe 20% Co 20% Ni 20% Mn 20% Cu HEA on SS-304 substrate has significantly enhanced due to the strengthened wear resistance and hardness of the coatings. Findings have exhibited that the formation of (Fe, Co, Ni, Mn, Cu) 3 O 4 phase is a potential coating material for "SOFC interconnects" applications. Moreover, the cladding of SS304 with a composition of 20% Fe, 20% Co, 20% Ni, 20% Mn, and 20% Cu has demonstrated remarkable stability under thermal expansion studies. As the findings have revealed that the composite cladding has efficiently withstand significant variations in volume when subjected to elevated temperatures for a prolonged period of time, thus, exhibiting its superior thermal stability for SOFC-interconnect applications. Furthermore, the SEM images of the cladding surface, surface hardness, and tribocorrosion behavior of the coated material have been observed to identify the 20% Fe 20% Co 20% Ni 20% Mn 20% Cu HEA coating effect on SS-304 steel-substrate., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Nanotechnology appears to be a promising tool to redefine crop nutrition in the coming decades. However, the crucial interactions of nanomaterials with abiotic components of the environment like soil organic matter (SOM) and carbon‒sequestration may hold the key to sustainable crop nutrition, fortification, and climate change. Here, we investigated the use of sugar press mud (PM) mediated ZnO nanosynthesis for soil amendment and nutrient mobilisation under moderately alkaline conditions. The positively charged (+ 7.61 mv) ZnO sheet-like nanoparticles (~ 17 nm) from zinc sulphate at the optimum dose of (75 mg/kg blended with PM (1.4% w/w) were used in reinforcing the soil matrix for wheat growth. The results demonstrated improved agronomic parameters with (~ 24%) and (~ 19%) relative increases in yield and plant Zn content. Also, the soil solution phase interactions of the ZnO nanoparticles with the PM-induced soil colloidal carbon (- 27.9 mv and diameter 0.4864 μm) along with its other components have influenced the soil nutrient dynamics and mineral ecology at large. Interestingly, one such interaction seems to have reversed the known Zn-P interaction from negative to positive. Thus, the study offers a fresh insight into the possible correlations between nutrient interactions and soil carbon sequestration for climate-resilient crop productivity., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

The present investigation has employed recycled waste glass powder (WGP) and silicon nitride (Si 3 N 4 ) as reinforcing-agents within AZ91D-matrix composites. The composites were fabricated by employing the vacuum stir casting technique to mitigate the effects of oxidation and to ensure homogeneity, uniformity, and superior wettability among the AZ91D-matrix and reinforcements. A microscopic study provided confirmation of a uniform dispersion of WGP and Si 3 N 4 particles throughout the AZ91D-matrix. The tensile strength of the AZ91D/WGP/Si 3 N 4 composites rise with the inclusion of WGP particulates by up to 1.5 percent in AZ91D/7.5% Si 3 N 4 . However, the tensile strength of the AZ91D/9%Si 3 N 4 composite have showed maximum value as compared to other chosen formulations/combinations in the current investigation. The tensile strength of AZ91D/1.5% WGP/7.5% Si 3 N 4 composites has strengthened up to 12.13 percent with the comparison of base alloy AZ91D-matrix. In A1 formulated composite, the amount of WGP particulate has enhanced the hardness of the AZ91D-alloy by up to 1.5 percent. Findings, nevertheless has exhibited that the A6 formulated composite had superior outcomes in terms of hardness. The incorporation of "reinforcing-constituent particulates" with 1.5%WGP + 7.5%Si 3 N 4 combination within the AZ91D-matrix, has further increased fatigue-strength by around 57.84 percent. A weight-loss of 0.312 mg was being unveiled for the A1 formulated fabricated composite. The weight-loss for the A6 formulated fabricated composite, however, was reported to be 0.294 mg. At 5 N loads, 2 m/s sliding speed, and 1000 m of sliding distance, the developed 1.5%WGP/7.5%Si 3 N 4 /AZ91D composites was reported to have a rate of wear, and frictional coefficient of 0.0025 mm 3 /m and 0.315, respectively. The investigation employing scanning electron microscopy (SEM) identified the presence of corrosion pits on the surfaces that had undergone corrosion. These pits were found to be a result of localised surface assaults occurring in corrosive environments. Additionally, SEM pictures of the worn surfaces indicated the emergence of microcracks, which may be associated to the conditions of cyclic loading. Moreover, the tensile-fractography examination for the developed 1.5%WGP/7.5%Si 3 N 4 /AZ91D composites has exhibited the brittle fracture failure, including cracks and debonding phenomena. In addition, the EDS spectra-analysis have revealed an apparent existence of the observed Mg-peak, Si-peak, Al-peak, Ca-peak, and O-peak for the 1.5%WGP/7.5%Si 3 N 4 /AZ91D composites. Furthermore, the utilisation of X-ray diffraction analysis effectively determined the existence of hard phases inside the AZ91D-matrix, which significantly contributed to the reported enhancement in wear resistance. The development of harder-phases has included, α-Mg, Al 12 Mg 17, SiO 2 , Si 3 N 4 , MgO, and CaO phases within the composite has been accountable for the enhancement of the tribomechanical, and wear-resistance characteristics of the AZ91D/WGP/Si 3 N 4 composites. The Si 3 N 4 has been discovered to have a substantial impact on enhancing mechanical performance and raising the resistance to wear., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

G-quadruplex (G4) structures have emerged as singular therapeutic targets for cancer and neurodegeneration. Autophagy, a crucial homeostatic mechanism of the cell, is often dysregulated in neurodegenerative diseases and cancers. We used QGRS mapper to identify 470 G4 sequences in MTOR, a key negative regulator of autophagy. We sought to identify a functional context by leveraging the effect of G4-targeting ligands on MTOR G4 sequences. The effect of Bis-4,3, a G4 selective dimeric carbocyanine dye, was compared with the known G4-stabilizing activity of the porphyrin, TMPyP4 in HeLa and SHSY-5Y cells. Our results show that treatment with G4-selective ligands downregulates MTOR RNA and mTOR protein expression levels. This is the first report describing G4 motifs in MTOR. This study indicates a possible role of G4 stabilizing ligands in induction of autophagy by downregulation of mTOR levels, albeit not precluding MTOR independent pathways., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a complex condition where heterogeneity impedes the advancement of care. Understanding the diverse presentations of TBI is crucial for personalized medicine. Our study aimed to identify clinically relevant patient endotypes in TBI using latent class analysis based on comorbidity data. We used the Medical Information Mart for Intensive Care III database, which includes 2,629 adult TBI patients. We identified five stable endotypes characterized by specific comorbidity profiles: Heart Failure and Arrhythmia, Healthy, Renal Failure with Hypertension, Alcohol Abuse, and Hypertension. Each endotype had distinct clinical characteristics and outcomes: The Heart Failure and Arrhythmia endotype had lower survival rates than the Renal Failure with Hypertension despite featuring fewer comorbidities overall. Patients in the Hypertension endotype had higher rates of neurosurgical intervention but shorter stays in contrast to the Alcohol Abuse endotype which had lower rates of neurosurgical intervention but significantly longer hospital stays. Both endotypes had high overall survival rates comparable to the Healthy endotype. Logistic regression models showed that endotypes improved the predictability of survival compared to individual comorbidities alone. This study validates clinical endotypes as an approach to addressing heterogeneity in TBI and demonstrates the potential of this methodology in other complex conditions., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Extreme rainfall prior to a flood event is often a necessary condition for its occurrence; however, rainfall alone is not always an indicator of flood severity. Antecedent wetness condition of a catchment is another important factor which strongly influences the flood magnitudes. The key role of soil moisture in driving floods is widely recognized; however, antecedent conditions of deeper saturated zone may contribute to river floods. Here, we assess how closely the flood magnitudes are associated to extreme rainfall, soil moisture and baseflow in 70 catchments of Peninsular India for the period 1979-2018. Annual flood magnitudes have declined across most of the catchments. Effect of flow regulations is also assessed to understand the impact of human interventions on flood characteristics. Reservoir regulation has positive effect by reducing the flood peak and volume, whereas the duration of flood events has increased after the construction of dams. Baseflow exhibits similar patterns of trends as floods, whereas trends in rainfall and soil moisture extremes are weakly correlated with trends in flood magnitudes. Baseflow is found to be more strongly influencing the flood magnitudes than soil moisture at various time lags. Further analysis with event coincidence analysis confirms that baseflow has stronger triggering effect on river floods in Peninsular India., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Predictive sports data analytics can be revolutionary for sports performance. Existing literature discusses players' or teams' performance, independently or in tandem. Using Machine Learning (ML), this paper aims to holistically evaluate player-, team-, and conference (season)-level performances in Division-1 Women's basketball. The players were monitored and tested through a full competitive year. The performance was quantified at the player level using the reactive strength index modified (RSImod), at the team level by the game score (GS) metric, and finally at the conference level through Player Efficiency Rating (PER). The data includes parameters from training, subjective stress, sleep, and recovery (WHOOP straps), in-game statistics (Polar monitors), and countermovement jumps. We used data balancing techniques and an Extreme Gradient Boosting (XGB) classifier to predict RSI and GS with greater than 90% accuracy and a 0.9 F1 score. The XGB regressor predicted PER with an MSE of 0.026 and an R 2 of 0.680. Ensemble of Random Forest, XGB, and correlation finds feature importance at all levels. We used Partial Dependence Plots to understand the impact of each feature on the target variable. Quantifying and predicting performance at all levels will allow coaches to monitor athlete readiness and help improve training., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

India has occupied third position in biscuit manufacturing with an average production of 1.95 million tonnes. The major ingredients in biscuit manufacturing are refined wheat flour, sugar and fat. Fat to be used must be chosen carefully as it affects quality of final product in terms of fatty acid composition and oxidative stability. Therefore, the present work was planned to study fatty acid profile of highly consumed baked products of biscuit family such as biscuits and cookies available in market. The study was carried out to do fatty acid profiling of a range of highly consumed baked products of biscuit family as a primary objective and also, to determine oxidative stability of these products by analysing peroxide value and free fatty acid content. The most commonly consumed packaged and unpackaged bakery products were selected and were bought from the local market of Ludhiana city on the basis of a survey conducted on 200 subjects. The selected products were analysed for fatty acid composition and oxidative stability using standard methods. Fatty acid profiling of 22 bakery products of biscuit family was done. Palmitic acid was the most abundant among all fatty acids in packaged and unpackaged samples. Peroxide value of all the products even after storage period of three months was found below the permissible limits (< 10 meq/kg). Free fatty acids value of all the products also did not cross acceptable level of 0.5 percent. Out of total selected eight brands, six were national and two were international. Amount of palmitic acid was higher in the products belonging to local brands., (© 2023. The Author(s).)

Considering the major source of plant-derived low/non-calorie steviol glycosides (SGs), comprehensive physiological, biochemical, and deep transcriptional investigations were conducted to explicit deeper insight into multiple abiotic stress responses in Stevia rebaudiana. The physiological indicators including photosynthesis, chlorophyll, relative water content, shoot growth, electrolyte leakage, and SG biosynthesis were negatively impacted under drought (DS), followed by salinity (SS) and waterlogging (WS). Global transcriptional analysis revealed significant upregulated expression of the genes encoding for ROS detoxification (GST, SOD, APX, glutathione peroxidase), osmotic adjustment (alpha-trehalose-phosphate and S-adenosylmethionine decarboxylase), ion transporters (CAX, NHX, CNGS, VPPase, VATPase), water channel (PIP1, TIP) and abiotic stress-responsive candidate genes (LEA, HSPs, and Dehydrins) regulating abiotic stress response in S. rebaudiana. These inferences were complemented with predicted interactome network that revealed regulation of energy metabolism by key stress-responsive genes (GST, HKT1, MAPKs, P5CSs, PIP), transcription factors (HSFA2, DREB1A, DREB2A), and abiotic stress responsive pathways (ABA, ethylene, ion stress). This is the first detailed study to comprehend the molecular regulation of stress response and their interplay under DS, SS, and WS. The key genes and regulators can be functionally validated, and will facilitate targeted gene editing for genetic improvement of crop sustainability under changing environmental conditions in S. rebaudiana., (© 2023. The Author(s).)

Malaria prevalence has become medically important and a socioeconomic impediment for the endemic regions, including Purulia, West Bengal. Geo-environmental variables, humidity, altitude, and land use patterns are responsible for malaria. For surveillance of the endemic nature of Purulia's blocks, statistical and spatiotemporal factors analysis have been done here. Also, a novel approach for the Pf malaria treatment using methanolic leaf extract of Morus alba S1 has significantly reduced the parasite load. The EC 50 value (1.852) of the methanolic extract of M. alba S1 with P. falciparum 3D7 strain is close to the EC 50 value (0.998) of the standard drug chloroquine with the same chloroquine-sensitive strain. Further studies with an in-silico model have shown successful interaction between DHFR and the phytochemicals. Both 1-octadecyne and oxirane interacted favourably, which was depicted through GC-MS analysis. The predicted binary logistic regression model will help the policy makers for epidemiological surveillance in malaria-prone areas worldwide when substantial climate variables create a circumstance favourable for malaria. From the in vitro and in silico studies, it can be concluded that the methanolic extract of M. alba S1 leaves were proven to have promising antiplasmodial activity. Thus, there is a scope for policy-driven approach for discovering and developing these lead compounds and undermining the rising resistance to the frontline anti-malarial drugs in the world., (© 2023. Springer Nature Limited.)

We detected a cocktail of Mycobacterium tuberculosis lipoarabinomannan (LAM) and MPT-64 biomarkers within urine extracellular vesicles (EVs) of genitourinary TB (GUTB) patients by nano-based immuno-PCR (I-PCR) assay, i.e., magnetic bead-coupled gold nanoparticle-based I-PCR (MB-AuNP-I-PCR) and compared the results with I-PCR and Magneto-ELISA. The size (s) of urine EVs ranged between 52.6 and 220.4 nm as analyzed by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and nanoparticle tracking analysis. Functionalized AuNPs (coupled with detection antibodies/oligonucleotides) were characterized by UV-vis spectroscopy, TEM, ELISA, PCR, Atomic Force Microscopy and Fourier Transform Infrared spectroscopy, while conjugation of capture antibodies with MBs was validated by UV-vis spectroscopy and Magneto-ELISA. Our MB-AuNP-I-PCR exhibited sensitivities of 85% and 87.2% in clinically suspected (n = 40) and total (n = 47) GUTB cases, respectively, with 97.1% specificity in non-TB controls (n = 35). These results were further authenticated by the quantitative SYBR Green MB-AuNP-real-time I-PCR (MB-AuNP-RT-I-PCR). Concurrently, I-PCR and Magneto-ELISA showed sensitivities of 68.1% and 61.7%, respectively in total GUTB cases, which were significantly lower (p < 0.05-0.01) than MB-AuNP-I-PCR. Markedly, a wide range (400 fg/mL-11 ng/mL) of LAM+MPT-64 was quantified within urine EVs of GUTB cases by SYBR Green MB-AuNP-RT-I-PCR, which can assess the disease dynamics. This study will certainly improve the current algorithms used in GUTB diagnostics., (© 2023. The Author(s).)