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This review article comprehensively explores the electrochemical detection of organophosphate-based agents, including warfare agents, pesticides, and simulants. It provides an in-depth analysis of their molecular structures, emphasizing the inherent toxicity and environmental risks posed by these compounds. The review highlights the significant role of flexible sensors in facilitating the electrochemical detection of organophosphate-based agents, offering insights into their design, development, and application in detection methodologies. Additionally, the article critically evaluates the challenges encountered in this field, such as sensor sensitivity and sample complexity, and discusses potential solutions to address these challenges. Furthermore, it outlines the future scope and opportunities for advancement in electrochemical detection technologies, including the integration of novel materials and the exploration of innovative detection strategies. By synthesizing current research findings and identifying future research directions, this review contributes to the ongoing discourse on the detection and mitigation of organophosphate-based agents’ risks to human health and the environment.

With increased worldwide energy demand and carbon dioxide emissions from the use of fossil fuels, severe problems are being experienced in modern times. Energy is one of the most important resources for humankind, and its needs have been drastically increasing due to energy consumption, the rapid depletion of fossil fuels, and environmental crises. Therefore, it is important to identify and search for an alternative to fossil fuels that provides energy in a reliable, constant, and sustainable way that could use available energy sources efficiently for alternative renewable sources of fuel that are clean, non-toxic, and eco-friendly. In this way, there is a dire need to develop technologies for biofuel production with a focus on economic feasibility, sustainability, and renewability. Several technologies, such as biological and thermochemical approaches, are derived from abundant renewable biological sources, such as biomass and agricultural waste, using advanced conversion technologies for biofuel production. Biofuels are non-toxic, biodegradable, and recognized as an important sustainable greener energy source to conventional fossil fuels with lower carbon emissions, combat air pollution, empower rural communities, and increase economic growth and energy supply. The purpose of this review is to explain the basic aspects of biofuels and their sustainability criteria, with a particular focus on conversion technologies for biofuel production, challenges, and future perspectives.

Wastewater contamination by heavy metals and synthetic dyes presents a significant environmental challenge, necessitating effective and sustainable separation techniques. This review article provides a detailed examination of magnesium oxide (MgO) nanoparticles as an innovative nanoadsorbent for wastewater treatment, with a specific focus on heavy metal and dye removal. The review comprehensively explores various aspects of MgO nanoparticles, including their structural characteristics and synthesis techniques. The article delves into the morphology and crystallographic arrangement of MgO nanoparticles, offering insights into their structural attributes. Given the complexity of adsorption processes, the review identifies and analyzes parameters influencing the adsorption efficiency of MgO nanoparticles, such as temperature, pH, contact time, initial concentration, and co-existing ions. The interplay between these parameters and the adsorption capability of MgO nanoparticles emphasizes the importance of optimizing operational conditions. Furthermore, the review assesses various synthesis methods for MgO nanoparticles, including sol-gel, hydrothermal, precipitation, green synthesis, solvothermal, and template-assisted techniques. It discusses the advantages, limitations, and resulting nanoparticle characteristics of each method, enabling readers to grasp the implications of synthesis processes on adsorption efficiency. This comprehensive review consolidates current insights into the effectiveness of MgO nanoparticles as a potent nanoadsorbent for removing heavy metals and dyes from wastewater covering a wide spectrum of aspects related to MgO nanoparticles. Moreover, there is a need to investigate the use of MgO in the treatment of actual wastewater or river water, in order to leverage its cost-effectiveness and high efficiency for practical water treatment applications in real-time.

Recent advancements in thermoelectric (TE) materials have opened up new possibilities for efficient waste heat recovery and renewable energy generation. The latest innovations in thermoelectric materials, including novel composites, nanostructured systems, and low-dimensional materials, have significantly enhanced the thermoelectric performance, thereby enabling higher efficiency in waste heat conversion. Integration strategies, such as incorporating thermoelectric modules into industrial exhaust streams, automotive exhausts, and solar thermal collectors, have demonstrated the feasibility and scalability of thermoelectric energy conversion technologies. Moreover, these advancements not only offer a sustainable energy solution but also contribute to reducing greenhouse gas emissions and enhancing overall energy efficiency, aligning with global efforts towards mitigating climate change. Thermoelectric (TE) materials provide an answer by turning excess heat into electricity through the Seebeck effect. It is crucial to have low thermal conductivity (κ) and high thermoelectric power factor (S2σ) when assessing efficiency using the ZT metric. This review explores the latest developments in thermoelectric (TE) materials spanning diverse categories, including the SnSe series, HH alloys, BiTe series, organic-inorganic composites, Cu2Se series, oxides, and GeTe/PbTe series. Through detailed exploration of preparation methods and TE properties for each material, the review offers insights into their potential for efficient waste heat recovery and renewable energy generation. Additionally, it discusses strategies aimed at enhancing the performance of these TE materials, proposing promising avenues for further improving their properties and applicability in sustainable energy technologies.

Abstract Polypropylene (PP), a commonly used plastic, is used for making the outer layers of a surgical face mask. In 2020, around 3 billion surgical face masks were disposed into the environment, causing a huge threat to wildlife, aquatic life, and ecosystems. In this work, we have reported the sulfonation technique for stabilizing the surgical face masks and their conversion into carbon nanoparticles for application as a supercapacitor electrode. The electrode is fabricated by preparing a slurry paste of carbon nanoparticles and pasting it on a conductive wearable fabric. To investigate the performance of the carbon thin film electrode, electrochemical techniques are employed. The Cyclic Voltammetry (CV) analysis performed at different scan rates in a 6 molar KOH electrolyte reveals that the carbon thin film acts as a positive electrode. At 4 A g−1, the electrode shows a specific capacitance of 366.22 F g−1 and 100% retention of specific capacitance for 8000 cycles. A two-electrode asymmetric device is fabricated using carbon thin film as the positive electrode, NiO thin film as the negative electrode, and a KOH separator between two electrodes. The device shows a specific capacitance of 113.73 F g−1 at 1.3 A g−1 and glows a red LED for 6 min. This work is a step towards upcycling the waste produced from surgical face masks used during the COVID-19 pandemic and its application for energy storage.

Worldwide, a massive amount of agriculture and food waste is a major threat to the environment, the economy and public health. However, these wastes are important sources of phytochemicals (bioactive), such as polyphenols, carotenoids, carnitine, coenzymes, essential oils and tocopherols, which have antioxidant, antimicrobial and anticarcinogenic properties. Hence, it represents a promising opportunity for the food, agriculture, cosmetics, textiles, energy and pharmaceutical industries to develop cost effective strategies. The value of agri-food wastes has been extracted from various valuable bioactive compounds such as polyphenols, dietary fibre, proteins, lipids, vitamins, carotenoids, organic acids, essential oils and minerals, some of which are found in greater quantities in the discarded parts than in the parts accepted by the market used for different industrial sectors. The value of agri-food wastes and by-products could assure food security, maintain sustainability, efficiently reduce environmental pollution and provide an opportunity to earn additional income for industries. Furthermore, sustainable extraction methodologies like ultrasound-assisted extraction, pressurized liquid extraction, supercritical fluid extraction, microwave-assisted extraction, pulse electric field-assisted extraction, ultrasound microwave-assisted extraction and high hydrostatic pressure extraction are extensively used for the isolation, purification and recovery of various bioactive compounds from agri-food waste, according to a circular economy and sustainable approach. This review also includes some of the critical and sustainable challenges in the valorisation of agri-food wastes and explores innovative eco-friendly methods for extracting bioactive compounds from agri-food wastes, particularly for food applications. The highlights of this review are providing information on the valorisation techniques used for the extraction and recovery of different bioactive compounds from agricultural food wastes, innovative and promising approaches. Additionally, the potential use of these products presents an affordable alternative towards a circular economy and, consequently, sustainability. In this context, the encapsulation process considers the integral and sustainable use of agricultural food waste for bioactive compounds that enhance the properties and quality of functional food.

Wearable sensing technology has quickly transformed from a science-fiction vision to a real-life technology in various fields such as defense, medical sciences, aerospace technology, food tech, etc. Wearable devices are drawing attention in the medical field as they provide relevant information about people’s health in real-time. These sensors are flexible, cost-effective, and highly sensitive, which makes them a favorable candidate for future sensing technology. Despite being relatively small, they frequently sense, collect, and upload a variety of physiological data to enhance quality of life. This could lead to a major change in the daily life of people, but for this change to happen, sustainable energy technology that can power flexible wearable devices is needed. Wearable sensors come in a variety of shapes and sizes and require energy for their proper functioning. As a result, it is critical to develop and choose dependable energy supply systems. This review paper discusses different energy sources that are used to power wearable devices along with various challenges that are in the realm of this technology. The future holds great possibilities for wearable sensing technology, which can be explored only if the power sourcing to these devices is more sustainable, eco-friendly, and efficient.

As a result of the depletion of fossil resources, ongoing population growth, and the industrialized economy, energy demand has been rising quickly throughout the world. India is now the world’s third-largest oil consumer, surpassing Japan and Russia. Today, biofuel research is conducted worldwide because surrounding two essential characteristics: sustainability and renewability. Biofuels have gained considerable significance as a result of dwindling oil sources, worries about energy security, and the escalating environmental issues associated with climate change and greenhouse gas emissions. In most cases, biofuels are produced by subjecting materials that have been densified to the process of heat conversion. In the disciplines of research and development, alternative energy development is a top focus. Due to the depletion of fossil fuel resources, it has become important to find innovative replacements for fossil fuels, such as biofuels, to generate heat and power. Biofuels may be generated using several methodologies, encompassing biological, chemical, and physical approaches. The three steps of densification systems’ pre-, during-, and post-pelletization procedures convert biomass into pellets. Several agricultural wastes, such as grain dust, crop leftovers, and fruit tree residues, are available as sources of agricultural energy. Bioenergy from biomass, such as leftovers and energy crops, can be used to produce contemporary energy carriers. This article focuses on an overview of sustainable and renewable biofuel resources and their commercialization.

Abstract Over the course of the last several decades, nanotechnology has garnered a growing amount of attention as a potentially valuable technology that has significantly impacted the food industry. Nanotechnology helps in enhancing the properties of materials and structures that are used in various fields such as agriculture, food, pharmacy, and so on. Applications of nanotechnology in the food market have included the encapsulation and distribution of materials to specific locations, the improvement of flavor, the introduction of antibacterial nanoparticles into food, the betterment of prolonged storage, the detection of pollutants, enhanced storage facilities, locating, identifying, as well as consumer awareness. Labeling food goods with nano barcodes helps ensure their security and may also be used to track their distribution. This review article presents a discussion about current advances in nanotechnology along with its applications in the field of food‐tech, food packaging, food security, enhancing life of food products, etc. A detailed description is provided about various synthesis routes of nanomaterials, that is, chemical, physical, and biological methods. Nanotechnology is a rapidly improving the field of food packaging and the future holds great opportunities for more enhancement via the development of new nanomaterials and nanosensors.

Climate change has impact on agricultural production, because it raises CO2 levels in the atmosphere, which leads to higher temperatures. Agroforestry systems aid in climate change adaptation and mitigation by providing relatively lower temperature beneath the tree canopy. Therefore, diversified agricultural systems are needed to be identified and studied throughout the world that can help annual crops in providing better survival conditions with least effects on yield. Although food crop output in agroforestry systems is lower than in open regions, agroforestry is seen to be capable of supporting food security, soil and water conservation, land use diversification, and micronutrient adequacy and most importantly climate change mitigation. The present study showed that all the tree parameters (i.e., tree DBH, tree height and canopy spread) recorded in the intercropped conditions (Melia dubia based agroforestry system) were found higher compared to the trees devoid of intercrops. Trees with intercrops showed more canopy spread, tree height and DBH (6.9 m, 16.3m, 56.6 m) as compared to pure stand (6.6 m, 16.2 m, 55.6 m) of Melia dubia trees. The canopy temperature depression (CTD) of wheat crop grown with Melia dubia trees was -5.58 0C whereas; -5.27 0C CTD was recorded in non-shaded conditions. Significantly higher biological yield was observed in wheat variety HD 3086 in open and intercropped conditions (134.9 q/ha and 100.5 q/ha respectively). Study revealed that M. dubia based agroforestry provides trees to perform better in intercropped conditions and provides favourable environment for the crop growing beneath in terms of lowering temperature and maintaining apt moisture to the crop raised beneath.

Abstract In this work, a human sweat-based wearable sensor for real-time glucose monitoring has been fabricated on a cotton substrate after treating it with a two-step polymerization of pyrrole. The pyrrole-treated fabric was coated with solution of copper sulphate pentahydrate to grow Cu layer. The cotton/pyrrole/Cu fabric was treated with the solutions of copper acetate and manganese acetate to form Cu–Mn transition-metal alloy via electrochemical deposition technique. Results indicate that the developed sensor is reliable with glucose detection limit of 125 µM and 378 µM. In addition, the sensor output ranged between 50 and 400 µM glucose with coefficient of correlation, R 2 = 0.983, indicating a linear range of output current. The sensor's response is not significantly affected by interferents. The developed sensor is also validated on human sweat with satisfactory results.

Alcohol is a dangerous substance causing global mortality and health issues, including mental health problems. Regular alcohol consumption can lead to depression, anxiety, cognitive decline, and increased risk of alcohol-related disorders. Thus, monitoring ethanol levels in biological samples could contribute to maintaining good health. Herein, we developed an electrochemical sensor for the determination of ethanol in human salivary samples. Initially, the tetra-chloroauric acid (HAuCl4) was chemically reduced using sparfloxacin (Sp) which also served as a stabilizing agent for the gold nanoparticles (AuNPs). As-prepared Sp-AuNPs were comprehensively characterized and confirmed by UV-visible spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), and elemental mapping analysis. The average particle size (~25 nm) and surface charge (negative) of Sp-AuNPs were determined by using dynamic light scattering (DLS) and Zeta potential measurements. An activated screen-printed carbon electrode (A-SPE) was modified using Sp-AuNPs dispersion, which exhibited greater electrocatalytic activity and sensitivity for ethanol (EtOH) oxidation in 0.1 M sodium hydroxide (NaOH) as studied by cyclic voltammetry (CV) and differential pulse voltammetry (DPV). DPV showed a linear response for EtOH from 25 µM to 350 µM with the lowest limit of detection (LOD) of 0.55 µM. Reproducibility and repeatability studies revealed that the Sp-AuNPs/A-SPEs were highly stable and very sensitive to EtOH detection. Additionally, the successful electrochemical determination of EtOH in a saliva sample was carried out. The recovery rate of EtOH spiked in the saliva sample was found to be 99.6%. Thus, the incorporation of Sp-AuNPs within sensors could provide new possibilities in the development of ethanol sensors with an improved level of precision and accuracy.

Posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome (PRES) is a clinical-radiographic syndrome reported in children with hypertension due to renal diseases, immunosuppression after solid organ transplant, cytotoxic agents for chemotherapy, and many others rare instances. We described PRES in a 6-year-old child with hypertension secondary to an incidental postoperative coarctation of the aorta after heart transplantation (HT). Her blood pressure was well controlled with amlodipine during the outpatient visits and home monitoring of blood pressure, but she had hypertension when presented with neurological symptoms. This case's unique feature is that although PRES has been described after pediatric HT, this is the first case report due to a postoperative coarctation of the proximal descending aorta related to scarring from previous multiple sternotomies leading to inadvertent external compression of the aorta with scar tissue. We discussed the risk factors associated with hypertension before PRES and the correlation of brain magnetic resonance imaging findings with clinical outcomes.

Nicotine is the one of the major addictive substances; the overdose of nicotine (NIC) consumption causes increasing heart rate, blood pressure, stroke, lung cancer, and respiratory illnesses. In this study, we have developed a precise and sensitive electrochemical sensor for nicotine detection in saliva samples. It was built on a glassy carbon electrode (GCE) modified with graphene (Gr), iron (III) phthalocyanine-4,4′,4″,4′′′-tetrasulfonic acid (Fe(III)Pc), and gold nanoparticles (AuNPs/Fe(III)Pc/Gr/GCE). The AuNPs/Fe(III)Pc/Gr nanocomposite was prepared and characterized by using FE-SEM, EDX, and E-mapping techniques to confirm the composite formation as well as the even distribution of elements. Furthermore, the newly prepared AuNPs/Fe(III)Pc/Gr/GCE-nanocomposite-based sensor was used to detect the nicotine in phosphate-buffered solution (0.1 M PBS, pH 7.4). The AuNPs/Fe(III)Pc/Gr/GCE-based sensor offered a linear response against NIC from 0.5 to 27 µM with a limit of detection (LOD) of 17 nM using the amperometry (i–t curve) technique. This electrochemical sensor demonstrated astounding selectivity and sensitivity during NIC detection in the presence of common interfering molecules in 0.1 M PBS. Moreover, the effect of pH on NIC electro-oxidation was studied, which indicated that PBS with pH 7.4 was the best medium for NIC determination. Finally, the AuNPs/Fe(III)Pc/Gr/GCE sensor was used to accurately determine NIC concentration in human saliva samples, and the recovery percentages were also calculated.

The performance of potential evapotranspiration (PET) methods such as pan evaporation (physical measurement), empirical formulas (Penman–Monteith (PM), Hargreaves and Thornthwaite) and satellite-derived PET (MOD16) were assessed in a semiarid region of central India. The satellite-based PET was obtained from Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS). The comparisons between different methods were made with observed pan evaporation (ETpan) data to identify the best method for the semiarid region. Further, the future projection of PET was carried out using RCP4.5 emission scenarios of seven CMIP5 models. Two approaches were applied for the projection of PET. In the first approach, RCP4.5 scenario data are directly used in the PM method, and in the second approach, these variables are used as a predictor in the calibrated and validated least square support vector machine (LS-SVM) model. The projection of PET was made using the best-identified model among PM and LS-SVM from the years 2006–2100. The results show that MOD16 and Hargreaves overestimate the PET; however, PM and Thornwaite underestimate the PET. PM based PET is closely related with ETpan and is a good indicator of ETpan in a semiarid region. GFDL-ESM2M is identified as the most skillful CMIP5 model, and results show that PET is projected to increase in future using the LS-SVM model. HIGHLIGHTS The PET estimation methods, namely empirical and satellite-based PET, were evaluated and compared with ground-based observed ET.; Satellite-based PET is closely matching with ground-based PET in wet season.; Satellite-based PET can be used after applying a suitable correction factor in the study area.; The PM method was found suitable for the semiarid region.; PET is projected to increase in future using CMIP5 models.;

Abstract Organic solar cells (OSCs) in terms of power conversion efficiency (PCE) and operational lifetime have made remarkable progress during the last decade by improving the active layer materials and introducing new interlayers. The newly developed wide bandgap organic donor and low bandgap acceptor molecules covered the absorption from the visible to the near‐infrared region. Whereas the incident high energy region (UV) is not in favor of OSCs. Its absorption causes thermalization losses and photoinduced degradation, which hinders the PCE and lifetime of OSCs. Recently, lanthanide and non‐lanthanide‐based down‐conversion (DC) materials have been introduced, which can effectively convert the high‐energy photons (UV) to low‐energy photons (visible) and resolve the spectral mismatch losses that limit the absorption of OSCs in high energy incident spectrum. Furthermore, the DC materials also protect the OSCs from UV‐induced degradation. The DC materials were also proposed to cross the Shockley‐Queisser efficiency limit of the solar cell. In this review, the need for DC materials and their processing method for OSCs have been thoroughly discussed. However, the main emphasis has been given to developing lanthanides and non‐lanthanides‐based DC materials for OSCs, their applications, and their impact on photovoltaic device performance, stability, and future perspectives.

The increasing environmental problems as well as demand of energy encourage the research for safe as well as efficient energy sources. As most of the energy sources are not consistent; thus, there is a requirement for highly efficient energy storing systems. Supercapacitors emerge with great researcher interest because of their very high capacity of storing energy. The performance and efficiency of supercapacitor depends directly on the electrode materials. The oxides of transition metals are highly explored as pseudo capacitors material. Nickel based electrode materials, characterized by ultrahigh theoretical capacitance has gained significant attention. These days nickel oxide-based electrodes owing to their high chemical stability, good theoretical specific capacitance, less cost, easy availability as well as non-toxic nature makes it very popular. This review deals with the recent development in the field of nickel-based supercapacitor electrodes by grouping them on the basis different morphologies such as nanoparticles, nanowires, thin films, nanofibers, etc along with challenges as well as future research.

In this study, for the first time, Phyllanthus Reticulatus fruit extract was utilized as a reducing agent in the synthesis of silver nanoparticles (Ag-NPs). For sample analysis, a number of approaches were employed. The synthesized Ag-NPs have a spherical shape and a homogeneous in size. The well-known crystal structure and optical energy absorption spectrum of Ag-NPs were respectively revealed by the XRD and UV-VIS analysis. This new method is simple and eco-friendly for producing silver and other noble metals in large quantities. The Ag-NPs modified glassy carbon electrode was prepared for nicotine oxidation which indicated that Ag NPs had the ability to enhance the electron transfer rate of the oxidation process. In 0.1 M phosphate buffer (pH of 7.4), a significant increase in the oxidation peak current of nicotine was observed at the modified electrode. Cyclic voltammetry, amperometry, and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy characterizations showed that Ag-NPs had better electrocatalytic performance toward nicotine (NIC) oxidation with good stability, and selectivity. This sensor showed a linear response with the concentration of NIC in the range of 2.5 to 105 μM. The limit of detection (LOD) was estimated to be 0.135 μM. The interference analysis was carried out on the Ag-NPs/GCE with various molecules like acetic acid, ascorbic acid, calcium chloride, glucose, magnesium chloride, urea, and uric acid. Hence, these molecules did not interfere with NIC detection, indicating a perfect selectivity of Ag-NPs/GCE. Moreover, the Ag-NPs/GCE sensor was effectively applied to detect NIC in a real-world sample (saliva) of a tobacco chewer. Furthermore, the Ag-NPs/GCE sensor exhibited very good stability and repeatability in human saliva samples. Finally, Ag-NPs/GCE was also successfully applied to detect spiked nicotine in saliva samples with high recovery value, indicating its high accuracy and effectiveness in NIC analysis.

The successful determination of vitamin B12 (VB12) was achieved by developing an electrochemical sensor that was prepared by the electrophoretic deposition of Au–SnO2 nanoparticles on ITO substrate. Sol gel method was used to synthesize SnO2 and Au–SnO2 nanoparticles. The incorporation of Au with SnO2 was verified by various characterization studies that include XRD, FESEM, EDX, TEM, UV–Vis, FTIR, Raman and XPS. The comparison of the electrochemical performance of Au–SnO2/ITO electrode was done with SnO2/ITO and ITO by cyclic voltammetry (CV), differential pulse voltammetry (DPV) cyclic and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). DPV technique was used to show the electrocatalytic behavior of Au–SnO2/ITO electrode towards VB12. Excellent performance was exhibited by the fabricated sensor in a linear range from 0 to 1500 pM with 71.48 pM and 216.6 pM as the LOD (limit of detection) and LOQ (limit of quantification) values. The synthesized sensor exhibited good storage stability, specificity and reproducibility with RSD 1.73%. Real sample analysis was also done with the fabricated electrode. A graphical user interface has also been designed and proposed for easy handling of data in the graphical form. The results obtained in the form of data sheets can be constructed and compared with ease on this designed user interface platform.

High concentrations of nicotine (40 to 60 mg) are more dangerous for adults who weigh about 70 kg. Herein, we developed an electrochemical transducer using an MXene (Ti3C2Tx)/palladium hydroxide-supported carbon (Pearlman’s catalyst) composite (MXene/Pd(OH)2/C) for the identification of nicotine levels in human sweat. Firstly, the MXene was doped with Pd(OH)2/C (PHC) by mechanical grinding followed by an ultrasonication process to obtain the MXene/PHC composite. Secondly, XRD, Raman, FE-SEM, EDS and E-mapping analysis were utilized to confirm the successful formation of MXene/PHC composite. Using MXene/PHC composite dispersion, an MXene/PHC composite-modified glassy carbon electrode (MXene/PHC/GCE) was prepared, which showed high sensitivity as well as selectivity towards nicotine (300 µM NIC) oxidation in 0.1 M phosphate buffer (pH = 7.4) by cyclic voltammetry (CV) and amperometry. The MXene/PHC/GCE had reduced the over potential of nicotine oxidation (about 200 mV) and also enhanced the oxidation peak current (8.9 µA) compared to bare/GCE (2.1 µA) and MXene/GCE (5.5 µA). Moreover, the optimized experimental condition was used for the quantification of NIC from 0.25 µM to 37.5 µM. The limit of detection (LOD) and sensitivity were 27 nM and 0.286 µA µM−1 cm2, respectively. The MXene/PHC/GCE was also tested in the presence of Na+, Mg2+, Ca2+, hydrogen peroxide, acetic acid, ascorbic acid, dopamine and glucose. These molecules were not interfered during NIC analysis, which indicated the good selectivity of the MXene/PHC/GCE sensor. In addition, electrochemical determination of NIC was successfully carried out in the human sweat samples collected from a tobacco smoker. The recovery percentage of NIC in the sweat sample was 97%. Finally, we concluded that the MXene/PHC composite-based sensor can be prepared for the accurate determination of NIC with high sensitivity, selectivity and stability in human sweat samples.

Cotton based colorimetric sensing offers great potential for the detection of desired analytes due to their easy naked-eye sensing, ease in fabrication, cost effectiveness, rapid recognition, high sensitivity and selectivity. Poly (2-(dimethylamino ethyl) methacrylate) (pDMAEMA) and sodium nitroprusside (SNP) were deposited alternatively on a treated cotton fabric for non invasive calorimetric sensing of ketones. Physical and chemical characterizations such as FESEM, EDS, XRD, UV–vis, FTIR and XPS of the treated cotton based sensor were carried out. Standard colour chart of the targeted ketones is prepared by dissolving appropriate amount of them with distilled water to get down to the final concentration as 80 mM and 10 µL of each solution of analyte was dropped on the surface of treated cotton fabric. The fabricated sensor is also tested for its practicability by analyzing the targeted ketones in human urine and the results obtained were compared with the standard colour chart. The results shows consistency in colours thereby making it a quick, efficient, eco-friendly and reliable monitoring tool to detect various ketones.

Wearable sensors and invasive devices have been studied extensively in recent years as the demand for real-time human healthcare applications and seamless human–machine interaction has risen exponentially. An explosion in sensor research throughout the globe has been ignited by the unique features such as thermal, electrical, and mechanical properties of graphene. This includes wearable sensors and implants, which can detect a wide range of data, including body temperature, pulse oxygenation, blood pressure, glucose, and the other analytes present in sweat. Graphene-based sensors for real-time human health monitoring are also being developed. This review is a comprehensive discussion about the properties of graphene, routes to its synthesis, derivatives of graphene, etc. Moreover, the basic features of a biosensor along with the chemistry of sweat are also discussed in detail. The review mainly focusses on the graphene and its derivative-based wearable sensors for the detection of analytes in sweat. Graphene-based sensors for health monitoring will be examined and explained in this study as an overview of the most current innovations in sensor designs, sensing processes, technological advancements, sensor system components, and potential hurdles. The future holds great opportunities for the development of efficient and advanced graphene-based sensors for the detection of analytes in sweat.

Whole exome sequencing has identified an infant girl with fulminant dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM), leading to severe acute heart failure associated with ribosomal protein large 3-like (RPL3L) gene pathologic variants. Other genetic tests for mitochondrial disorders by sequence analysis and deletion testing of the mitochondrial genome were negative. Secondary causes for DCM due to metabolic and infectious etiologies were ruled out. She required a Berlin-Excor left ventricular assist device due to worsening of her heart failure as a bridge to orthotopic heart transplantation. At three months follow-up after heart transplantation, she has been doing well. We reviewed the literature on published RPL3L-related DCM cases and their outcomes. Bi-allelic variants in RPL3L have been reported in only seven patients from four unrelated families in the literature. RPL3L is a newer and likely pathogenic gene associated with a severe form of early-onset dilated cardiomyopathy with poor prognosis necessitating heart transplantation.

The current study intended to understand the influence of Melia dubia based agroforestry system on soil properties. The research was carried out at Gillan Khera in district Fatehabad, situated in the semi-arid region of Haryana. Analysis of soil samples were done for pH, electrical conductivity (EC), organic carbon, soil moisture and available nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium. The soil pH and EC decreased more under trees than under control (sole wheat crop) i.e, 8.09 to 7.89 and 0.46 to 0.44 dSm-1 respectively. However, the amount of N, P, K, organic carbon (131.38, 16.00, 301.10 (kg/ha) and 0.46 % respectively) and soil moisture content was found higher in intercropped conditions at both soil depths. Extra moisture in shaded conditions resulting in the breakdown of litter, mineralization and nitrogen gain at a faster rate compared to full sunlight conditions justifies the increased amount of nutrients, organic carbon and other favorable changes in the soil under trees. The current study recommends Melia dubia based agroforestry system as an excellent opportunity in order to enhance soil fertility and for environmental sustainability.

Neonatal dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) is rare with high etiologic heterogeneity. Recently, biallelic, autosomal recessive, pathogenic variants in RPL3L (ribosomal protein L3-like) have been reported in the literature with severe early-onset DCM. In the present brief report, we identified two pathogenic RPL3L variants, each harbored in unaffected heterozygous parents: mother (RPL3L c.1076_1080delCCGTG (p.Ala359Glyfs*4)) and father (RPL3L c.80G > A (p.Gly27Asp)). Pathogenic variants were segregated as autosomal recessive to two offspring born with compound heterozygous RPL3L variants and affected by neonatal DCM. This is the second report in the literature to the best of our knowledge and our findings support the pathogenicity of biallelic RPL3L pathologic variants associated with rapidly progressive neonatal DCM and heart failure with a poor prognosis.

The electrochemical biosensors are a class of biosensors which convert biological information such as analyte concentration that is a biological recognition element (biochemical receptor) into current or voltage. Electrochemical biosensors depict propitious diagnostic technology which can detect biomarkers in body fluids such as sweat, blood, feces, or urine. Combinations of suitable immobilization techniques with effective transducers give rise to an efficient biosensor. They have been employed in the food industry, medical sciences, defense, studying plant biology, etc. While sensing complex structures and entities, a large data is obtained, and it becomes difficult to manually interpret all the data. Machine learning helps in interpreting large sensing data. In the case of biosensors, the presence of impurity affects the performance of the sensor and machine learning helps in removing signals obtained from the contaminants to obtain a high sensitivity. In this review, we discuss different types of biosensors along with their applications and the benefits of machine learning. This is followed by a discussion on the challenges, missing gaps in the knowledge, and solutions in the field of electrochemical biosensors. This review aims to serve as a valuable resource for scientists and engineers entering the interdisciplinary field of electrochemical biosensors. Furthermore, this review provides insight into the type of electrochemical biosensors, their applications, the importance of machine learning (ML) in biosensing, and challenges and future outlook.

Abstract Lead halide perovskites have displayed the highest solar power conversion efficiencies of 23% but the toxicity issues of these materials need to be addressed. Lead‐free perovskites have emerged as viable candidates for potential use as light harvesters to ensure clean and green photovoltaic technology. The substitution of lead by Sn, Ge, Bi, Sb, Cu and other potential candidates have reported efficiencies of up to 9%, but there is still a dire need to enhance their efficiencies and stability within the air. A comprehensive review is given on potential substitutes for lead‐free perovskites and their characteristic features like energy bandgaps and optical absorption as well as photovoltaic parameters like open‐circuit voltage (VOC), fill factor, short‐circuit current density (J SC), and the device architecture for their efficient use. Lead‐free perovskites do possess a suitable bandgap but have low efficiency. The use of additives has a significant effect on their efficiency and stability. The incorporation of cations like diethylammonium, phenylethyl ammonium, phenylethyl ammonium iodide, etc., or mixed cations at different compositions at the A‐site is reported with engineered bandgaps having significant efficiency and stability. Recent work on the advancement of lead‐free perovskites is also reviewed.

Finite element method (FEM) based simulation has been carried out, and an analytic model of microcantilevers using piezoelectric excitations is proposed. The model is based on the type of the selected material and geometry of the structure. The investigations are carried out with rectangular microcantilevers using silicon as the substrate. The high frequency analytic signals are applied to the input piezoelectric electrodes, and the resultant signal generated at the output piezoelectric electrode is recorded and analyzed. The analysis of the results showed that the proposed system is capable of generating a low frequency signal. Two microcantilevers with different dimensional aspects are used, and the results verified the application of microcantilever array as a low frequency signal generator.

Hearing threshold was assessed in subjects engaged in different occupations at 250 Hz, 500 Hz, 1000 Hz, 2000 Hz, 4000 Hz and 8000 Hz, for left and right ear. The results revealed that the hearing threshold of truck drivers, auto drivers, traffic policeman, shop keepers, military personals, post office personals are significantly higher than the corresponding value for the normal subjects (persons not engaged in any particular profession). Among the different occupational categories, the truck drivers were found to have maximum hearing loss at higher frequencies which was followed by traffic police, army personals, auto drivers, shopkeepers and tailors.

This paper deals with the estimation of the social benefits accuring from the Sultanpur National Park, Haryana. Sultanpur National Park is an important wetland located about 50 km away from Delhi. Both foreign and domestic visitors arrive at the Park for bird watching and recreational purpose. Economic valuation of the Park was done by ascertaining the Willingness to Pay of the visitors by asking questions to them. The results obtained indicated that the social benefits accuring from the Park are far in excess of the maintenance cost of the Park even though the direct benefits to the Park are quite less. It can be said that the society values the Park highly as a place for recreation and as environmental resource.

A simple chemical route of sol gel method has been followed to synthesize cadmium sulphide (CdS) nanoparticles and cadmium sulphide@zincphosphate (CdS@Zn3(PO4)2 nanocomposites. The structural, morphological, and optical studies have been carried out by using X-ray powder diffraction, FESEM, TEM, PL, UV and CIE graphs. A density functional theory (DFT) study has also been done to compare the experimental and theoretical data. The obtained results show that both the results are in good agreement as they follow the same trend towards the band gap calculations. Moreover, EDS and FTIR techniques have been used to obtain information about the elemental composition and functional groups associated with the synthesized nanoparticles. CdS@Zn3(PO4)2 nanocomposites overcome the problem of agglomeration which is generally associated with CdS nanoparticles. PL of synthesized nanocomposites shows white emission whereas reddish emission is shown by CdS nanoparticles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The transparent ocular lens in the anterior chamber of the eye is responsible for fine focusing of light onto the retina. The lens is entirely cellular with bulk of the tissue composed of fiber cells, and the anterior hemisphere of the lens is covered by a monolayer of epithelial cells. Lens epithelial cells are important for maintaining fiber cell homeostasis and for continual growth of the lens tissue throughout life. Cataracts, defined as any opacity in the lens, remain the leading cause of blindness in the world. Following cataract surgery, lens epithelial cells can undergo a process of epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT), leading to secondary cataracts due to posterior capsular opacification (PCO). Since the epithelial cells make up only a small fraction of the lens, specialized techniques are required to study lens epithelial cell biology and pathology. Studies using native lens epithelial cells often require pooling of samples to obtain enough cells to make sufficient samples for traditional molecular biology techniques. Here, we provide detailed protocols that enable the study of native mouse lens epithelial cells, including immunostaining of the native lens epithelium in flat mounts, extraction of RNA and proteins from pairs of lens epithelial monolayers, and isolation of lens epithelial cells for primary culture. These protocols will enable researchers to gain better insight on representative molecular expression and cellular structure of lens epithelial cells. We also provide comparative data between native, primary culture, and immortalized lens epithelial cells and discuss the advantages and disadvantages of each technique presented.

Defects in the development of the ocular lens can cause congenital cataracts. To understand the various etiologies of congenital cataracts, it is important to characterize the genes linked to this developmental defect and to define their downstream pathways that are relevant to lens biology and pathology. Deficiency or alteration of several RNA-binding proteins, including the conserved RBP Celf1 (CUGBP Elav-like family member 1), has been described to cause lens defects and early onset cataracts in animal models and/or humans. Celf1 is involved in various aspects of post-transcriptional gene expression control, including regulation of mRNA stability/decay, alternative splicing and translation. Celf1 germline knockout mice and lens conditional knockout (Celf1cKO) mice develop fully penetrant cataracts in early postnatal stages. To define the genome-level changes in RNA transcripts that result from Celf1 deficiency, we performed high-throughput RNA-sequencing of Celf1cKO mouse lenses at postnatal day (P) 0. Celf1cKO lenses exhibit 987 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) at cut-offs of >1.0 log2 counts per million (CPM), ≥±0.58 log2 fold-change and Celf1cKO lenses. The DEGs were subjected to various downstream analyses including iSyTE lens enriched-expression, presence in Cat-map, and gene ontology (GO) and representation of regulatory pathways. Further, a comparative analysis was done with previously generated microarray datasets on Celf1cKO lenses P0 and P6. Together, these analyses validated and prioritized several key genes mis-expressed in Celf1cKO lenses that are relevant to lens biology, including known cataract-linked genes (e.g., Cryab, Cryba2, Cryba4, Crybb1, Crybb2, Cryga, Crygb, Crygc, Crygd, Cryge, Crygf, Dnase2b, Bfsp1, Gja3, Pxdn, Sparc, Tdrd7, etc.) as well as novel candidates (e.g., Ell2 and Prdm16). Together, these data have defined the alterations in lens transcriptome caused by Celf1 deficiency, in turn uncovering downstream genes and pathways (e.g., structural constituents of eye lenses, lens fiber cell differentiation, etc.) associated with lens development and early-onset cataracts.

Whole mount imaging of the lens allows for high spatial resolution visualization of lens epithelial structures by using small molecule fluorescent probes. However, the visualization of specific proteins in lens epithelial cells within whole lenses remains a challenge as the capsule that surrounds the lens does not allow penetration of antibodies. Here we describe a whole mount imaging method that allows us to overcome this challenge by digesting the lens capsules of paraformaldehyde fixed lenses using collagenase. This method enables the penetration of antibodies for effective visualization of proteins in the epithelium of whole lenses. • A limitation to lens whole mount imaging is the ability to visualize specific proteins as the collagen capsule surrounding the lens impedes the penetration of antibodies • This protocol helps overcome this limitation by a light collagenase digestion of the capsule of fixed lenses prior to immunostaining • This method allows for the imaging of specific proteins in the epithelium of the whole lens tissue

Nano enabled plant protectant is an advancement approach to deal with the difficulties of dosedependent toxicity, solubility, degradation, leaching and health issues of conventional pesticides. The main idea behind incorporation of nanoformulation is their controlled delivery and release to prevent premature degradation of active ingredient under the influence of changing environment conditions. Nanocarriers (nanocapsules, nanospheres, micelles, nanogels, nanoemulsions, nanodispersion and inorganic material) alters the properties of active ingredients and provide controlled release kinetics with, better dissolvability, low dose, enhanced stability and long lasting pest-control efficiency. This review critically assesses the incredible potential of various nanocarriers, their methods of preparation and biological effectiveness. It additionally features the potential and issues with nanoformulations of botanical insecticides and essential oils. The study also accounts performances of nano-enabled products, their challenges with respect to field application and assessment of new environmental risks.