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Cereal based cropping system, an integral part of agricultural food system of India and its nourishment depends on site-specific Integrated Nutrient Management (INM) Practices followed. The smartness or resilience closely linked with four important aspects viz., less yield variability to climate aberrations, higher soil carbon buildup, higher yield and sustainability. Rice–rice, rice–wheat, pearlmillet–wheat, sorghum–wheat, rice–maize, maize–wheat and rice–mustard are the common/predominant cereal based cropping system in South Asia. The long-term permanent plot experimental data of 28 sites representing different agro-ecological zones of India with 25–30 years were investigated. The National yield data during the period 1980–2015 showed an increasing trend for all the crops with different rate, even though there is lot of year-to-year fluctuations. The system yield showed increasing trend with highest rate of 81.3 kg/ha/year in maize–wheat to lowest rate of 48.5 kg/ha/year in sorghum–wheat system at the National level. The Composite Resilient Index (CRI) Matrix based Site Specific Management Practices provide a “mid-way” path/balancing of management practices, which is smart/resilient with respect to sustainability, higher yield, less climate variability and good for soil carbon. Results provide an opportunity to researchers, policy makers, planners and developmental agencies to choose INM options according to resource availability, with a focus towards addressing the food security of the region.

AbstractAeromonas hydrophila,a Gram-negative bacterium, causes diseases in fish, resulting in excessive loss to the aquaculture industry. Aeromonasis a highly heterogeneous group of bacteria, and the heterogeneity of the genus is attributed to variation and diversity in the virulence factors and toxins among various Aeromonasstrains. One of the major toxins aerolysin, secreted by the bacterium, causes hemorrhagic-septicemia and diarrhea and can serve as a drug target. Here, we describe characterization, molecular phylogeny, and homology modeling of the aerolysin of A. hydrophilastrain EUS112 (AhEUS112) cloned in our lab. The encoded aerolysin is 485 amino acids long with an N-terminal signal sequence of 23 amino acids. Phylogenetic analysis of the aerolysin of AhEUS112revealed that it belongs to a diverse group of toxins, showing maximum similarity with aerolysins of other Aeromonasstrains followed by Vibriotoxin. The homology model of the mature aerolysin of AhEUS112was generated using the crystal structure of a mutant aerolysin (PDB#3g4n) as the template, which showed that the encoded aerolysin exists as a channel protein. Validation of the generated model using bioinformatics tool confirmed it to be a good quality model that can be used for drug design. Molecular dock analysis revealed that drugs, aralia-saponin I, cyclamin, ardisiacrispin B, and aralia-saponin II bind to aerolysin with a higher affinity as compared to other drugs and at functionally important amino acids of aerolysin. Hence, these molecules can act as an effective therapeutics for inhibiting the aerolysin pore formation and curtail the severity of Aeromonasinfection.Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to give an overview of artificial intelligence (AI) and other AI-enabled technologies and to describe how COVID-19 affects various industries such as health care, manufacturing, retail, food services, education, media and entertainment, banking and insurance, travel and tourism. Furthermore, the authors discuss the tactics in which information technology is used to implement business strategies to transform businesses and to incentivise the implementation of these technologies in current or future emergency situations. Design/methodology/approach: The review provides the rapidly growing literature on the use of smart technology during the current COVID-19 pandemic. Findings: The 127 empirical articles the authors have identified suggest that 39 forms of smart technologies have been used, ranging from artificial intelligence to computer vision technology. Eight different industries have been identified that are using these technologies, primarily food services and manufacturing. Further, the authors list 40 generalised types of activities that are involved including providing health services, data analysis and communication. To prevent the spread of illness, robots with artificial intelligence are being used to examine patients and give drugs to them. The online execution of teaching practices and simulators have replaced the classroom mode of teaching due to the epidemic. The AI-based Blue-dot algorithm aids in the detection of early warning indications. The AI model detects a patient in respiratory distress based on face detection, face recognition, facial action unit detection, expression recognition, posture, extremity movement analysis, visitation frequency detection, sound pressure detection and light level detection. The above and various other applications are listed throughout the paper. Research limitations/implications: Research is largely delimited to the area of COVID-19-related studies. Also, bias of selective assessment may be present. In Indian context, advanced technology is yet to be harnessed to its full extent. Also, educational system is yet to be upgraded to add these technologies potential benefits on wider basis. Practical implications: First, leveraging of insights across various industry sectors to battle the global threat, and smart technology is one of the key takeaways in this field. Second, an integrated framework is recommended for policy making in this area. Lastly, the authors recommend that an internet-based repository should be developed, keeping all the ideas, databases, best practices, dashboard and real-time statistical data. Originality/value: As the COVID-19 is a relatively recent phenomenon, such a comprehensive review does not exist in the extant literature to the best of the authors’ knowledge. The review is rapidly emerging literature on smart technology use during the current COVID-19 pandemic.

The present study reports the curious catalytic action of a new class of catalyst, quasicrystal of Al65Cu20Fe15on de/rehydrogenation properties of magnesium hydride (MgH2). Catalyzed through this catalyst, the onset desorption temperature of MgH2gets reduced significantly from ∼345 °C (for ball-milled MgH2) to ∼215 °C. A more dramatic effect of the above catalyst has been observed on rehydrogenation. Here, 6.00 wt % of hydrogen storage capacity is observed in just 30 s at 250 °C. Improved rehydrogenation kinetics has been found even at lower temperatures of 200 and 150 °C by absorbing ∼5.50 and ∼5.40 wt % of H2, respectively, within 1 min and ∼5.00 wt % at 100 °C in 30 min. These are some of the lowest desorption temperatures and rehydrogenation kinetics obtained for MgH2through any other known catalyst. The storage capacity of MgH2catalyzed with the leached version of Al65Cu20Fe15quasicrystalline alloy degrades negligibly even after 51 cycles of de/rehydrogenation. The feasible reason for catalytic action has been described and discussed on the basis of structural, microstructural, Fourier transform infrared, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopic studies.

Plant-derived flavonoids have been the focus of research for many years mainly in the last decade owing to their therapeutic properties. So far, about 4000 flavonoids have been identified from plants and diosmin (a flavone glycoside) is one of them. Online databases, previous studies, and reviews have been used to gather information on anti-oxidant, immunomodulatory, anti-cancer, anti-parasitic, and anti-microbialproperties of diosmin. Effects of diosmin in combination with other flavonoids have been reviewed thoroughly and its administrative routes are also summarized. Additionally, we studied the effect of diosmin on critical protein networks. It exhibits therapeutic effects in diabetes and its associated complications such as neuropathy and dyslipidemia. Combination of diosmin with hesperidin is found to be very effective in the treatment of chronic venous insufficiency and haemorrhoids. Diosmin is an exquisite therapeutic agent alone as well as in combination with other flavonoids.