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The performance of a juice plant is analyzed by using the base state and the regenerative point graphical technique. The juice plant under consideration consists of three distinct units. It is considered that units A and B may be in a complete failed state through partial failure mode but unit C is in only partially failed state. If one of the units A or B or C partially fails then the system works in a reduced state. When any unit is completely failed then the system is in failed state and no unit can fail further when the system is in a failed state. A technician is always available to repair the failed unit. In this paper, the failure time and repair time follow general distributions. Tables are used to describe the reliability measures such as mean time to system failure, availability and profit values of juice plant. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A comprehensive study was undertaken by collecting 51 samples of termites between July and October 2021 in three distinct zones within the Bhiwani district to analyze the termite diversity of the Bhiwani, Haryana region. The interplay of aeolian dunes characterizes the Bhiwani district’s ecological landscape. Nestled within the Indo-Gangetic alluvial plain, the Loharu Banger zone, and the ruggedness of the Aravalli Hills provide three distinct niches for termite diversity. The study sheds light on the intricate tapestry of termite life inhabiting these diverse ecological niches. Sample identification exhibited termites’ affiliations to two prominent families, Termitidae and Rhinotermitidae and three subfamilies, Amitermitinae, Macrotermitinae, and Coptotermitinae. Further, delving into the taxonomy unveiled a total of ten termite species inhabiting the various locations across the three ecological regions of Bhiwani district including Coptotermes sp., Microtermes mycophagus Desneux, Odontotermes gurdaspurensis Holmgren and Holmgren, Odontotermes redemanni (Wasmann), Odontotermes obesus, Coptotermes kishori, Amitermes belli (Desneux), Microcerotermes sp., Odontotermes guptai Roonwal and Bose, and Odontotermes vaishno Bose. Various diversity indices, including species richness, Simpson’s diversity index, Shannon-Weaver index, and Pielou’s evenness index, were used to determine the relative abundance and distribution of termite species within each zone. These indexes offer a comprehensive view of termite community structure and ecosystem resilience. This pioneering research marks the first-ever documented record of termite biodiversity in Bhiwani district, Haryana. In a region where the study of termites had hitherto been scarce, this endeavor opens doors to a deeper understanding of these soil-dwelling architects of nature. It lays the foundation for future research and pest management strategies in this dynamic ecosystem. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The use of subword embedding has proved to be a major innovation in Neural machine translation (NMT). It helps NMT to learn better context vectors for Low resource languages (LRLs) so as to predict the target words by better modelling the morphologies of the two languages and also the morphosyntax transfer. Some of the NMT models that achieve state-of-the-art improvement on LRLs are Transformer, BERT, BART, and mBART, which can all use sub-word embeddings. Even so, their performance for translation in Indian language to Indian language scenario is still not as good as for resource-rich languages. One reason for this is the relative morphological richness of Indian languages, while another is that most of them fall into the extremely low resource or zero-shot categories. Since most major Indian languages use Indic or Brahmi origin scripts, the text written in them is highly phonetic in nature and phonetically similar in terms of abstract letters and their arrangements. We use these characteristics of Indian languages and their scripts to propose an approach based on common multilingual Latin-based encoding (WX notation) that takes advantage of language similarity while addressing the morphological complexity issue in NMT. Such multilingual Latin-based encodings in NMT, together with Byte Pair Embedding allow us to better exploit their phonetic and orthographic as well as lexical similarities to improve the translation quality by projecting different but similar languages on the same orthographic-phonetic character space. We verify the proposed approach by demonstrating experiments on similar language pairs (Gujarati ↔ Hindi, Marathi ↔ Hindi, Nepali ↔ Hindi, Maithili ↔ Hindi, Punjabi ↔ Hindi, and Urdu ↔ Hindi) under low resource conditions. The proposed approach shows an improvement in a majority of cases, in one case as much as ∼ 10 BLEU points compared to baseline techniques for similar language pairs. We also get up to ∼ 1 BLEU points improvement on distant and zero-shot language pairs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A total of 32 sweet potato genotypes were evaluated to assess the genetic diversity based on quantitative traits and molecular markers, as well as stability for yield and related traits. Wider variability was observed for the traits like vine length (181.2–501.3 cm), number of leaves/plant (103.0–414.0 cm), internodal length (3.20–14.80 cm), petiole length (6.5–21.3 cm), leaf length (8.50–14.5 cm), leaf breadth (8.20–15.30 cm), leaf area (42.50–115.62 cm2), tuber length (7.77–18.07 cm), tuber diameter (2.67–6.90 cm), tuber weight (65.60–192.09 g), tuber yield (7.77–28.87 t ha−1), dry matter (27.34–36.41%), total sugar (4.50–5.70%) and starch (18.50–29.92%) content. Desirable traits such as tuber yield, dry matter and starch content have shown high heritability (>60%) with moderate to high genetic advance. Under molecular analysis, a total of 232 alleles were observed from all 32 microsatellite markers, which ranged from 4 to 14 with an average of 7.77 alleles per locus. In the population, the average observed heterozygosity (0.51) was higher than the expected heterozygosity (0.49). The contribution of genotype, genotype by environment interaction to the total variations was found to be significant. Based on the multi-trait stability index (tuber length, tuber diameter, tuber weight and tuber yield), genotypes X-24, MLSPC-3, MLSPC-5, ARSPC-1 and TSP-12-12 were found to be most stable. Among them, the high-yielding and stable genotypes TSP-12-10 (26.0 t ha−1) and MLSPC-3 (23.9 t ha−1) can be promoted for commercial production or used as parental material in future crop improvement programmes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The single-flash geothermal cycle (SFGC) is not without its limitations, featuring drawbacks like diminished efficiency, restricted power generation capacity, and the incapability to yield multiple outputs concurrently. Furthermore, the SFGC requires a substantial water supply, potentially leading to adverse environmental consequences. In a concerted effort to enhance overall performance and facilitate the concurrent production of multiple valuable products, this study introduces a multigeneration system (MGS). By integrating additional subsystems into the SFGC framework, including a branched GAX cycle enabled by a thermoelectric generator (TEG), a domestic water heater (DWH), and a reverse osmosis unit, the objective is to surmount these limitations effectively. A thermodynamic and exergoeconomic analysis of the system is conducted and a bi-objective optimization is employed to minimize system cost and maximize exergy efficiency. The parametric study reveals that when degassing ranges are in the range of 0.2–0.37, the system product cost varies from $27.07/MWh to $28.44/MWh. In the optimized scenario there is a decrease of 67.7% in cooling provided by the system. This leads to an increase of 3.5% in generated electricity and a 3% increase in water purification compared to the base scenario. Through optimization the exergy efficiency of the system improves from 61.84% to 62.90% while the multigeneration gain output ratio (MGOR) decreases from 1.40 to 1.38. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract This article’s primary focus is on analyzing the impact of heat generation/absorption and nonlinear thermal radiation on the mixed convective flow of hybrid nanomaterials around a rotating sphere. Due to many applications which could be encountered in spin-stabilized missiles, cooling of spinning machinery segments, medication transfer, electrolysis management, and many other industrial applications research into convective flow across a rotating sphere is progressively increasing. A combination of copper and aluminum oxide was added to the base fluid (Al2O3 − Cu/H2O) to improve its thermal conductivity. The current investigation additionally considers nanoparticles of varying shapes. Using a computational technique known as the Keller-Box method, we find a numerical solution to the fluid flow of hybrid nanofluid problem. The study uses graphical representations and in-depth explanations to show how different flow parameters affect temperature and velocity profiles. Additionally, numerical outcomes for the skin friction coefficient and Nusselt number for various parameters are shown in tabular form. Rotational speed of sphere rises because tangential velocity at the boundary of the sphere increases under the influence of rotational parameter and acceleration factor. The ratio of fluid to surface temperatures (temperature ratio) rises, results in acceleration of the heat transfer rate from the hybrid nanofluid to the boundary of the rotating sphere. The findings have a wide range of enticing applications and can be useful in designing and optimizing heat transfer systems involving nanofluid. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Complex structure formation inside or through turbid media is a challenging task due to refractive index inhomogeneity, random light scattering, and speckle noise formation. In this article, we have coupled the data regression model in the R-squared metric and used its advantages as a fitness function in the genetic algorithm to advance the resolution and structural uniformity. As a compatible system with the binary genetic algorithm, we have presented a cost-effective iterative wavefront shaping system-design with binary phase modulation using an affordable ferroelectric liquid crystal (FLC) based binary-phase spatial light modulator (SLM). R-squared metric in the genetic algorithm is analyzed to optimize the binary phase mask, and the prototype system based on iterative binary phase modulation has been validated with a 120-grit ground glass diffuser and fresh chicken tissues of thickness 307 μ m and 812 μ m . The detailed results show that the proposed cost-effective wavefront shaping system with data regression model assisted R-squared fitness function can construct high-resolution multiple complex hetero-structures simultaneously in 3D volume using an optimized single phase-mask. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present pilot study aims to investigate the diagnostic and prognostic efficacy of serum HSP90 beta in Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma (HNSCC) patients subjected to localized hyperthermia therapy (HT). Serum levels of HSP90 beta were measured by ELISA and its diagnostic and prognostic efficacy was determined by receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC) analysis. HNSCC patients showed significantly (P<0.05) higher serum levels of HSP90 beta (65.6±13.08 ng/ml) compared to Healthy Controls (HC: 23.5±3.8 ng/ml). No significant difference was observed in serum HSP90 beta levels between complete responders (CR) and non-responders (NR) in the chemo-radiation therapy (CRT) cohort. However, in CRT+HT cohort, CR showed significantly (P = 0.02) lower serum HSP90 beta levels at 24 h after HT (25.6±9.04 ng/ml) compared to NR (130.5±34.2 ng/ml). Youden's index values between HNSCC versus HC, CR versus NR (CRT) and CR versus NR (CRT+HT) were found to be 0.47, 0.45 and 0.80, respectively. Thus, alterations in the serum HSP90 beta after HT suggest its potential in prognosis of HT response in HNSCC patients. Elevated levels of HSP90 beta may serve as a promising diagnostic serum bio-marker for HNSCC. However, further validation in larger patient samples is needed for clinical translation of HSP90 beta as diagnostic and prognostic biomarker. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cells have evolved their communication methods to sense their microenvironments and send biological signals. In addition to communication using ligands and receptors, cells use diverse channels including gap junctions to communicate with their immediate neighbors. Current approaches, however, cannot effectively capture the influence of various microenvironments. Here, we propose a novel approach to investigate cell neighbor‐dependent gene expression (CellNeighborEX) in spatial transcriptomics (ST) data. To categorize cells based on their microenvironment, CellNeighborEX uses direct cell location or the mixture of transcriptome from multiple cells depending on ST technologies. For each cell type, CellNeighborEX identifies diverse gene sets associated with partnering cell types, providing further insight. We found that cells express different genes depending on their neighboring cell types in various tissues including mouse embryos, brain, and liver cancer. Those genes are associated with critical biological processes such as development or metastases. We further validated that gene expression is induced by neighboring partners via spatial visualization. The neighbor‐dependent gene expression suggests new potential genes involved in cell–cell interactions beyond what ligand‐receptor co‐expression can discover. Synopsis: CellNeighborEX is a computational tool for exploring transcriptomic changes caused by direct cell contact in spatial transcriptomics data. CellNeighborEX provides a new perspective on cellular communication between two adjacent cells.CellNeighborEX identifies neighbor‐dependent genes in spatial transcriptomics data.CellNeighborEX presents new genes potentially involved in cell‐cell interactions, going beyond previous approaches that use ligand‐receptor pairs.Analyses with CellNeighborEX show that niche‐specific gene expression accounts for cellular heterogeneity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ultra-low temperature scanning tunnelling microscopy and spectroscopy (STM/STS) achieved by dilution refrigeration can provide unrivalled insight into the local electronic structure of quantum materials and atomic-scale quantum systems. Effective isolation from mechanical vibration and acoustic noise is critical in order to achieve ultimate spatial and energy resolution. Here, we report on the design and performance of an ultra-low vibration (ULV) laboratory hosting a customized but otherwise commercially available 40 mK STM. The design of the vibration isolation consists of a T-shaped concrete mass block (∼55t), suspended by actively controlled pneumatic springs, and placed on a foundation separated from the surrounding building in a 'room-within-a-room' design. Vibration levels achieved are meeting the VC-M vibration standard at >3 Hz, reached only in a limited number of laboratories worldwide. Measurement of the STM's junction noise confirms effective vibration isolation on par with custom built STMs in ULV laboratories. In this tailored low-vibration environment, the STM achieves an energy resolution of 43 μ eV (144 mK), promising for the investigation and control of quantum matter at atomic length scales. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigates flow boiling heat transfer and pressure drop characteristics of R407C (zeotropic mixture) in newly shaped copper-made horizontal enhanced and smooth evaporator tubes of 1000 mm employing a vapour compression refrigeration cycle at ambient pressure and saturation temperatures of 15 – 45 °C. The enhanced tube has 60 trapezoidal microfins with a helix angle of 20° and a height of 0.22 mm leading to a 1.83 times increase in surface area. The effects of mass fluxes of 50–250 kg/m2s, and heat fluxes of 10—80 kW/m2 on the heat transfer coefficient (HTC) and pressure drop, were examined. 1.55, and 1.35 times higher mean HTCs, and pressure drops are recorded for the enhanced tubes with ± 9% and ± 14.5% mean absolute errors respectively with the established correlations including smooth tube findings. The results emphasize the importance of using accurate and validated correlations in refrigeration systems. Local Nusselt number variation with Jakob subcooling number and locations over the evaporator and parametric variation studies are also incorporated to analyse and capture the experimental trends comprehensively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the present study, Porcine 60K SNP genotype data from 69 Landlly pigs were used to explore Copy Number Variations (CNVs) across the autosomes. A total of 386 CNVs were identified using Hidden Markov Model (HMM) in PennCNV software, which were subsequently aggregated to 115 CNV regions (CNVRs). Among the total detected CNVRs, 58 gain, 49 were loss type while remaining 8 events were both gain and loss types. Identified CNVRs covered 12.5 Mb (0.55%) of Sus scrofa reference 11.1 genome. Comparison of our results with previous investigations on pigs revealed that approximately 75% CNVRs were novel, which may be due to differences in genetic background, environment and implementation of artificial selection in Landlly pigs. Functional annotation and pathway analysis showed the significant enrichment of 267 well-annotated Sus scrofa genes in CNVRs. These genes were involved in different biological functions like sensory perception, meat quality traits, back fat thickness and immunity. Additionally, KIT and FUT1 were two major genes detected on CNVR in our population. This investigation provided a comprehensive overview of CNV distribution in the Indian porcine genome for the first time, which may be useful for further investigating the association of important quantitative traits in Landlly pigs. 115 CNVRs were identified in 69 Landlly pig population. Approximately 75% detected CNVRs were novel for Landlly population. Significant enrichment of 267 well-annotated Sus scrofa genes observed in these CNVRs. These genes were involved in different biological functions like sensory perception, meat quality traits, back fat thickness and immunity. Comprehensive CNV map in the Indian porcine genome developed for the first time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel Zn2+ ion and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) selective fluorescence turn-on sensor L was developed by reacting pyridoxal 5'-phosphate (PLP) with hydrazine. Sensor L shows significant flurescence enhancement at 476 nm due to the formation of a L-Zn2+ complex in 1:1 binding stoichiometry with the association constant of 3.1⋅104 M− 1. Using L, the concentration of Zn2+ can be detected down to 2.34 µM, and the practical utility of L was validated by quantifying Zn2+ in real water samples. Additionally, the receptor L was applied to mimic the dephosphorylation reaction catalysed by the enzyme ALP and the resulted fluorescence change was monitored to detect the ALP activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research article studies the critical issue of the single-server congestion problem with prominent customer impatience attributes and server strategic differentiated vacation. Despite their apparent practical relevance, the proposed congestion problem has yet to be studied from a service/production perspective with transient analysis. The queue-theoretic approach is used for mathematical modeling. The transient queue-size distribution has been derived using a modified Bessel function and generating function technique. A time-dependent solution is advantageous for queueing systems' dynamic behavior over a planning phase and is predominantly valuable within the real-time design process for the state-of-the-art strategic system. The time-dependent explicit expression of variance and mean for the number of waiting customers in the system is also derived for quick statistical insights. Finally, numerical results are also exhibited to study the system's behavior in depth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using the latest National Sample Survey (NSS) education round data, we examine the patterns and determinants of demand and cost of private coaching in higher education in India. Two-step Heckman selection equation results find that students with better household resources (rich and educated) are more likely to take private coaching and tend to spend more on it. Results show that not only pro-male gender discrimination is in existence; there is also caste inequality in the demand and cost of private coaching, with a higher marginal effect among poor households. The study establishes that the market of shadow education, which by its very nature, is highly selective and delivers the service largely to the students of socially and economically well-off families. This article provides a rationale to consider the dynamics of inequalities in access to private coaching while devising educational policies, for making higher education egalitarian. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Berseem plays an important role as fodder, in the health and nutrition of a large livestock population in India. The productivity of green fodder per unit area could be increased by adopting recommended scientific and sustainable packages and practices. Methods: Farmers' participatory front line demonstrations on integrated crop management (ICM) practices and traditional method of sowing as farmers' practice (FP) were conducted during Rabi (2016-17 to 2018-19) under CCS, HAU, Krishi Vigyan Kendra, Fatehabad and Jhajjar, Haryana. Result: The study reveals that on an average 744 q/ha green fodder yield of berseem (var. HB 2) was recorded under ICM as compare to 659 q/ha in FP which was 12.9 per cent higher over that of the FP. The pooled value of extension gap, technology gap and technology index was to the tune of 85, 36 q/ha and 4.6 per cent, respectively. The data on economic parameters reveals that a net return of Rs. 30441 per ha was recorded under ICM compare to Rs. 20065 per ha in FP. The benefit-cost (B:C) ratio was figured 1:1.50 and 1:1.33 in ICM and FP, respectively, suggesting its higher profitability and economic viability of the technology demonstrated. Cluster front line demonstration also helped in replacement of local varieties with improved recommended varieties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Complex structure formation inside or through turbid media is a challenging task due to refractive index inhomogeneity, random light scattering, and speckle noise formation. In this article, we have coupled the data regression model in the R-squared metric and used its advantages as a fitness function in the genetic algorithm to advance the resolution and structural uniformity. As a compatible system with the binary genetic algorithm, we have presented a cost-effective iterative wavefront shaping system-design with binary phase modulation using an affordable ferroelectric liquid crystal (FLC) based binary-phase spatial light modulator (SLM). R-squared metric in the genetic algorithm is analyzed to optimize the binary phase mask, and the prototype system based on iterative binary phase modulation has been validated with a 120-grit ground glass diffuser and fresh chicken tissues of thickness 307 μ m and 812 μ m . The detailed results show that the proposed cost-effective wavefront shaping system with data regression model assisted R-squared fitness function can construct high-resolution multiple complex hetero-structures simultaneously in 3D volume using an optimized single phase-mask. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the current communication, we assessed the current spread and invasion pattern of a new invasive alien plant Wigandia urens along National Highway 58 in the Indian state of Uttarakhand. The population status of this species was assessed using systematic vegetation sampling. Ecological niche modelling was performed using maxent to predict the future spread. The study revealed that W.urens is rapidly invading along the road on rocky eroded slopes. The actual distribution of this species is 30 km. Spatial analysis revealed that a 202 km2 area along river valleys is vulnerable in the near future. It is submitted that the low-lying areas along river catchments between 300 and 1000 m elevations might be the potential niche. Therefore, mechanical removal by uprooting the whole plant at regular intervals and monitoring of invaded sites would be the practical solution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The prohibitive costs of commercially available video laryngoscopes often limit the adoption of this technique for routine airway management in economically weak countries. It has not yet been determined whether cost-effective adjustments improve intubation success rates to the required level of competence. Aims and Objectives: To compare a custom-made low-cost Macintosh video laryngoscope with a standard Macintosh laryngoscope (ML). The primary objectives were to compare laryngoscopy time, intubation time, and procedure time. The secondary objectives were to compare Cormack-Lehane grading (CL), rate of successful tracheal intubation, number of attempts for successful intubation, need for backward, upward, and rightwars pressure (BURP), and perceived ease of intubation based on intubation difficulty scale (IDS). Materials and Methods: Forty adults posted for elective surgery under general anesthesia were randomized to Group (intubated with a standard ML) and Group (intubated with a custom-made, Macintosh video laryngoscope [CMVL]). Results: The laryngoscopy time was 7.5±2.04 s in Group CMVL and 5.85±1.26 s in Group ML (P=0.0039). The intubation time was 7.95±1.73 s in Group CMVL and 7.75±2.35 s in Group ML (P=0.7615). The procedure time was 15.45±2.96 s in group CMVL and 13.6±2.99 s in group ML (P=0.0571). The Group CMVL had significantly lower laryngoscopy time than Group ML. In terms of IDS, CL grading, number of successful intubation, and BURP required both groups were comparable. Conclusion: Both the laryngoscopes provide more or less similar results concerning all the intubation parameters studied in normal airway scenarios. Thus, emphasizing that the mere presence of a camera alone does not improve the intubation characteristics in normal airway patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The precipitation characteristics of tropical cyclone (TC) formed over the Arabian Sea during the onset phase of the Indian summer monsoon (i.e., late‐May and early‐June months) and in the post‐monsoon season were investigated during the period from 2014 to 2021 using the Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM) satellite level 2 V07 data. For the cyclonic precipitation, 2‐D frequency distribution between liquid water content (LWC) and non‐liquid water content, that is, ice water content (IWC) shows significant variation with the rain type and season. A large proportion of rain droplets are within the LWC (IWC) range of 0–800 (0–350) g/m2 for the stratiform precipitation of TCs in both seasons. The average value of the mass‐weighted mean diameter (Dm), for the stratiform and convective precipitation at 2 km above the mean sea level in the monsoon (post‐monsoon) season is 1.29 (1.27) mm and 1.47 (1.31) mm, respectively. A gradual decrease in the normalized intercept parameters (Nw) is found to occur with an increase in Dm, irrespective of cloud type and season. There is an enormously high concentration of supercooled liquid and ice particles observed above the melting layer during the convection precipitation in both seasons. In the stratiform cyclonic cloud, the contribution of the collision‐coalescence and breaking‐up process is about 36.62% (47.58%) and 52.52% (41.52%) during the monsoon (post‐monsoon) season. However, the collision‐coalescence process (63.45% in monsoon and 70.2% in post‐monsoon) is acting as dominating microphysical process in the convective precipitation as compared to the break‐up process. Plain Language Summary: Tropical cyclone, a natural hazard causing significant economic loss and human life in the coastal region. As there is substantial improvement in forecast skill of the tropical cyclone movement and region of landfall, while prediction of the tropical cyclone's intensity is still challenging. The knowledge about the precipitation characteristics of the cyclonic cloud is helpful to improve the intensity of the tropical cyclone through the parameterization in the numerical models. For this, we study the microphysical characteristics of the tropical cyclone formed in the Arabian Sea. Key Points: The cyclonic rainfall characteristics were investigated over the Arabian Sea using Global Precipitation Measurement‐dual‐frequency precipitation radarTropical cyclone formed during the monsoon onset phase, characterized with high fraction of intense rain rate, strong reflectivity and bigger raindropsThe contribution of collision‐coalescence (break‐up) is significantly high in convective (stratiform) rain [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Growth Hormone Deficiency (GHD) is one of the most important treatable endocrine causes of short stature. A problem anywhere in the Growth Hormone (GH) - Insulin-Like Growth Factor-1 (IGF-1) axis can lead to short stature. Childhood GH deficiency can be congenital, acquired, or idiopathic. Hereby, the authors present a case series consisting of five cases of short stature, aimed to provide an overview of the spectrum of GH-related disorders. All five patients presented to the Paediatric Endocrinology Outpatient Department of a tertiary care Institute with complaints of not gaining height. The patients in present case series had significant short stature (Z score for height <-3 SD (Standard Deviation) in each case). These patients were suspected of having GH deficiency based on clinical presentation and investigations. After a proper diagnostic work-up and GH stimulation tests, cases 1 to 4 were found to have GH deficiency. The 5th case was suspected of having Laron Syndrome based on high GH levels and low IGF-1. There were subtle differences in the spectrum of GH deficiency. The 1st case had Multiple Pituitary Hormone Deficiency (MPHD). Cases 2 to 4 had Isolated Growth Hormone Deficiency (IGHD). Case 2 had findings of pituitary stalk interruption on brain imaging. We found a genetic association in the 3rd case, while the 4th case had almost normal brain imaging. Cases 1 to 4 received GH therapy, and all showed appreciable height gain. These subtle differences can sometimes make the diagnosis difficult, and often a different approach to treatment is required. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article, an optical bio-chemical sensor based on D-shaped optical fiber is presented for ethanol detection application. The gold and graphene nanolayers are coated for inducing the SPR over an optical fiber flat surface. The molecularly imprinted polymer (MIP) thin film is also coated over the gold film to enhance the molecular interaction between the sensing fluid and the sensing surface. The ethanol concentration is detected with reference to the 0% concentration and increased to 90% in a sample solution. The shift in resonance wavelength detects the concentration of the ethanol in the fluid sample due to the change in RI. The result shows a very good agreement between the concentration of ethanol in fluid and the resonance wavelength (RW) shift. The maximum obtained average sensitivity is 2.5 nm/concentration (every 10%) or 714 nm/RIU with Au/MIP thin film and 1137 nm/RIU for graphene/Au/MIP thin film. Based on the result and optical properties of the proposed sensor, it might be used as a real-time alcohol detector. This sensor can protect foods and drinks from the imbalance of chemicals and preservatives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The recent COVID-19 pandemic brought the physical and virtual worlds closer and expedited the adoption of online shopping. In the context of pre- and post-COVID-19 scenarios, this paper establishes the relationship between the growth in online shopping, the shift in in-store grocery and non-grocery shopping trips, and the reciprocity among variables. A random sample of 1646 household responses from Nagpur city was used to develop multiple regression models to explore the interrelationship of these activities and their impact on conventional shopping and travel demand. Model results show the complex interplay between socio-demographic and shopping behaviour variables. The findings suggest incorporating the interplay impacts into travel demand forecasting models. It also highlights the possible effects on urban land use and transport planning. Finally, the study suggests integrating urban land use and transport planning at the activity level for a comprehensive approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Gaucher disease (GD) is an autosomal recessive lysosomal storage disorder caused by mutations in the β-glucocerebrosidase (GCase) GBA gene, which result in macrophage dysfunction. CRISPR (clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats) editing of the homozygous L444P (1448T→C) GBA mutation in type 2 GD (GBA −/−) human-induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) yielded both heterozygous (GBA +/−) and homozygous (GBA +/+) isogenic lines. Macrophages derived from GBA −/−, GBA +/− and GBA +/+ hiPSCs showed that GBA mutation correction restores normal macrophage functions: GCase activity, motility, and phagocytosis. Furthermore, infection of GBA −/−, GBA +/− and GBA +/+ macrophages with the Mycobacterium tuberculosis H37Rv strain showed that impaired mobility and phagocytic activity were correlated with reduced levels of bacterial engulfment and replication suggesting that GD may be protective against tuberculosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract The high viscosity of Indian heavy crude oils makes their pipeline transportation highly complicated and challenging. A huge pressure drop is observed while transporting heavy crude through pipelines. The present article addresses this complication by preparing a surfactant stabilized heavy crude oil-in-water (O/W) emulsion of a flowable viscosity to ease flow through pipelines. Different O/W emulsion samples were prepared with varying concentrations of a novel anionic surfactant, linear alkylbenzene sulfonic acid (LABSA), to achieve an optimized formulation based on rheological and stability studies. The article also discusses the effect of varying surfactant concentrations on interfacial tension, droplet size and distribution, and zeta potential of the developed emulsions. The optimized emulsion, having 60 vol% oil and 2 wt% surfactant, was further considered to simulate and analyze the flow characteristics (static pressure and velocity profiles) across the horizontal pipelines of three different inner diameters (0.1, 0.05, and 0.025 m) under three different inlet flow velocities (0.1, 0.05, and 0.001 m/s), using a computational fluid dynamics (CFD) approach. A remarkable decrease in the viscosity of heavy crude was noted after emulsification. Subsequently, the pressure drop across the pipeline was reduced significantly by order of three for the flow of O/W emulsion when compared to that of the heavy crude oil through a pipe diameter of 0.1 m at an inlet velocity of 0.1 m/s. The static pressure drop across the pipeline decreased with the increase in the pipe diameter; in contrast, it increased with the increase in the inlet velocity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Business Information Systems (BIS) is a professional discipline that combines Computer Science, Management, and Business Administration. In this article the researchers evaluate the evolution of BIS curriculum in terms of its past, present and future, considering its historical background, the existing strengths and weaknesses, and how it can be developed to meet market needs. The study reveals the skills required by a BIS graduate and highlights how the existing/existed BIS curricula have made their graduates weaker when compared with Computer Science and Business Administration specialists. The research further compares the existential crisis of BIS with Library and Information Science (LIS) discipline, which have also faced a similar controversial crisis concerning their disciplinary boundaries, whether it belong to Social and Behavioral Sciences or Computer Science and Engineering and yet succeeded in its growth and contributions. This research concludes that the BIS curriculum is still budding and needs to be re-evaluated and updated regularly to meet the changing demands of the market highlighting the need for collaboration between academia and industry to ensure that BIS graduates are equipped with the skills that employers require. The paper finally proposes a balanced model of BIS curriculum that incorporates the latest technology updates. The proposed curriculum model aims to address the current gaps in BIS education and meets the changing demands of the market. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study explores the high-temperature (HT) tensile rupture characteristics of a dissimilar gas-tungsten-arc-welded (GTAW) joint between P92 steel and Alloy 617, fabricated using ER62S-B9 and ERNiCrCoMo-1 fillers. The high-temperature tensile tests were performed at elevated temperatures of 550 °C and 650 °C. An optical microscope (OM) and a field emission scanning electron microscope (FESEM) were utilized to characterize the joint. The high-temperature test results indicated that the specimen failed at the P92 base metal/intercritical heat-affected zone (ICHAZ) rather than the weld metal for the ERNiCrCoMo-1(IN617) filler. This finding confirmed the suitability of the joint for use in the Indian advanced ultra-supercritical (A-USC) program. The fracture surface morphology and presence of precipitates were analysed using an SEM equipped with energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS). The appearance of the dimples and voids confirmed that both welded fillers underwent ductile–dominant fracture. EDS analysis revealed the presence of Cr-rich M23C6 phases, which was confirmed on the fracture surface of the ER62S-B9 weld (P92-weld). The hardness plot was analysed both in the as-welded condition and after the fracture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The 4K × 4K CCD Imager is the first light instrument for the 3.6 m Devasthal Optical Telescope and is producing broad-band imaging observations of many Galactic and extra-galactic sources since 2015–2016. Capabilities of the CCD Imager are demonstrated recently through several publications using the well-calibrated multi-band deep photometric results as expected from other similar facilities globally. In this paper, we summarize some of the recent up-gradations made to improve the Imager, i.e. mounting the new filter wheel casing, replacing stray light baffles and discussing the fringe pattern corrections in redder filters. Some of the new science initiatives like galaxy-embedded faint point sources including WR stars and the observations of low surface brightness galaxy clusters are also discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The reliability of an industrial system plays a significant role in new technological era where everyone is concerned about the performance of associated industry. With the frequent demands of the customers, the job of the production industries becomes more tedious to produce the required products at a high rate. To fulfill the customer's demand, the initial focus of the industries is to work well without any interruption/failure in the entire production process. In this paper, Reliability, Availability, MTTF, MTTR, MTBF, ENOF is proposed for an industrial system namely "Injection moulding machine". For this, the membership function for right triangular generalized fuzzy numbers (RTrGFN) is proposed with the certain level of confidence. The real data of the Injection moulding machine is taken to validate the proposed methodology. The input data is extracted from the records/maintenance sheets of several years and found uncertainty due to the loss of any information or human mistakes. The parameters of the system like failure rate and repair time is retrieved. Based on data, AND-OR combination for the system is constructed. The lambda-tau methodology along with RTrGFN and its corresponding arithmetic operations is used for the performance analysis of the considered "Injection moulding machine". For better understanding the results are discussed with the aid of graphs. Also after seeing the result one can conclude that this methodology is one of the best methodology for the performance analysis of a conventional system. Also authors have added the highlights and future scope of the research work at the end of the manuscript. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We previously reported that the protein-tyrosine phosphatase SHP-1 (PTPN6) negatively regulates insulin signaling, but its impact on hepatic glucose metabolism and systemic glucose control remains poorly understood. Here, we use coimmunoprecipitation assays, chromatin immunoprecipitation sequencing, in silico methods, and gluconeogenesis assay, and found a new mechanism whereby SHP-1 acts as a coactivator for transcription of the phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase 1 (PCK1) gene to increase liver gluconeogenesis. SHP-1 is recruited to the regulatory regions of the PCK1 gene and interacts with RNA polymerase II. The recruitment of SHP-1 to chromatin is dependent on its association with the transcription factor signal transducer and activator of transcription 5 (STAT5). Loss of SHP-1 as well as STAT5 decrease RNA polymerase II recruitment to the PCK1 promoter and consequently PCK1 mRNA levels leading to blunted gluconeogenesis. This work highlights a novel nuclear role of SHP-1 as a key transcriptional regulator of hepatic gluconeogenesis adding a new mechanism to the repertoire of SHP-1 functions in metabolic control. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Allelopathy Journal is the official publication of 'Allelopathy Books' that promotes allelopathy research and publish researches related to plant sciences and health sciences. This study aimed to present an insight about the researches published in this journal, to help the Authors, Readers and Editorial team to understand the journal in depth. We analyzed the scholarly publications published in the Allelopathy Journal, their Citations, focussing on other aspects such as Publication output, Citation analysis, Co-authorship patterns, Collaboration networks, Research productivity, Research topics and International collaboration. This study is useful to identify emerging trends and evaluate research impact. The data for the study was extracted from the Scopus Database for the period from 1996 to 2022. The results showed that the journal has published 1209 papers during this period, which received 9826 citations with an average of 8.13 citations per paper. F.Z. Wu was the most prolific author with 22 papers receiving 127 citations and Prof. S.S. Narwal, with second highest papers in the journal, received the highest number of citations (242). China was the most productive country with 425 papers in the journal, followed by India (243 papers). The Chinese Academy of Sciences was the most productive institute in the journal and published 67 papers with 678 citations. A total of 4870 authors have appeared in 1209 papers with 0.91 degree of collaboration and a collaboration index of 4.03. Thematic maps indicated that the topics represented by keywords such as "Distribution", "Habitat", "Essential Oil", "Lettuce", "Morphology," have potential importance for future research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The additive manufacturing method based on powder feed type laser Directed Energy Deposition (DED) is projected to be able to create objects with intricate structures. The intricate thermal history that occurs during DED causes variations in the top surface roughness, which is an important quality index for DED and has a significant impact on the lifespan of the samples. Surface quality is always desirable, mostly in the case of dynamic loading applications. This article presents a methodical investigation into the top surface roughness of the Inconel 718 alloy during various scanning strategies in the DED. This alloy is utilized extensively in the aerospace, automotive, and military industries. Multilayer cuboid samples are fabricated using four scanning strategies. Using different scan strategy, no significant changes in pore size and amount of porosity was observed, but significant changes were observed for the surface quality of printed Inconel alloy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The cover gas space is an inert isolation layer provided for sodium systems in sodium-cooled fast reactors. During normal reactor operation, sodium aerosols are generated continuously in the cover gas space. Understanding the complex dynamics of the evolution and transport of the aerosol is essential from the perspective of the reactor operation. Such assessments provide vital insights into deposition patterns of aerosols to the components mounted on the roof slab. In the present manuscript, the evolution and transport of aerosol in the cover gas space as well as in roof-slab annular gaps are studied in detail with the help of computational fluid dynamics tool. The present model is validated against the experimental data from the literature. There is good agreement between temperature variation, aerosol number and mass concentration across the cover gas height. Post validation, the study of thermal and aerosol transport in the full-scale reactor cover gas for a medium-sized reference reactor is carried out. It is observed that aerosol sizes greater than ∼31 μm are mostly concentrated near either the sodium pool surface, component wall or near the vessel boundary. It is found that the average mass concentration in the cover gas space is uniform (∼ 29 g/m3). However, the annular regions are found to have a non-uniform distribution of aerosols with heavier particles confined to the lower annular regions in wavy like patterns having the same Count Mean Diameter (CMD) as in the bulk cover gas space. The CMD in the top annular regions is ∼ 2 μm. Copyright © 2023 American Association for Aerosol Research [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study outlines a method for identifying high-quality recycled concrete aggregate (RCA) obtained after mechanical treatment. In the present approach, the physical and mechanical properties of RCA are considered as quality parameters. As a first step, mechanically treated (Los Angeles) RCA is produced with 28 combinations of charges and drum revolutions. Twenty-eight sets of mechanically treated RCA are produced, each with different physical and mechanical properties. Furthermore, the 28 sets of RCAs are compared using the performance-based quality optimization approach. The performance index for each set of RCAs is calculated applying a multicriteria decision-making approach named "technique for order of preference by similarity to ideal solution." This approach considers physical and mechanical properties as a response and the combination of charges and drum revolutions as alternatives to obtain the performance index of alternatives. Based on its performance, the leading rankings RCAs are selected for an experimental study to validate the methodology. As a result of RCA's optimized quality, recycled aggregate concrete (RAC) has excellent physical, mechanical, and durability characteristics that agree with natural aggregate concrete (NAC) composed of parent aggregate. The 28- and 91-day compressive strengths of RAC exceed those of NAC by 8.5% and 30.65%, respectively. Flexural strength, split tensile strength, fracture energy, ultrasonic pulse velocity (UPV) values, rapid chloride-ion penetration test values, water absorption, and abrasion resistance are comparable with NAC. The quality optimization approach identifies RCA with superior shape, texture, and elastic properties. An RCA with optimized qualities also strengthens the new interfacial transition zone and old interfacial transition zone as well as RAC's associated properties. The RAC's dynamic modulus of elasticity is superior to the reported values and is 0.95 fractions of NAC. Optimized quality of RCA reduces the sorptivity of RAC compared with the reported values. The RAC may not have equivalent sorptivity to NAC without lowering RCA parts, whether mortar-attached, mortar-covered, or mortar-only type aggregate or applying other treatments that may increase the production cost. This research presents a standard procedure for identifying mechanically treated recycled concrete aggregate with properties (physical properties and mechanical properties) similar to those of the parent aggregate (natural aggregate). The method demonstrated in this study may be adapted to real-life worksite conditions—but not exactly. In Los Angeles abrasion machines, recycled concrete aggregates obtained from a source can be processed by varying drum revolutions and charges. Based on the charges and drum revolutions selected for treatment, treated recycled concrete aggregate can be prepared with different sets of physical and mechanical properties. Based on the present research, the physical and mechanical properties of treated recycled concrete aggregate can be compared between these sets. In this way, recycled concrete aggregates can be produced that resemble their parent aggregates. Using this process, recycled concrete aggregates may be used to replace natural aggregates without compromising the concrete's physical, mechanical, or durability properties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This work presents the impact generated energy harvesting characteristics of cement/lead zirconate titanate (Pb(Zr0.52Ti0.48)O3; PZT) composites. A soft grade PZT (SP 5 A) with ∼1 µm sized particles in an unpoled state was utilised to prepare cement/PZT composites. The experiments were performed on 28 days' water cured unpoled samples. The total cumulative volume and average pore radius are observed to decrease with PZT concentration in the composite. The values of piezoelectric coefficient and capacitance were, respectively, found to increase by 300 and 275% for cement/PZT composites consisting of 40% PZT compared to that of 5% added PZT. The impact generated voltage and energy increases significantly with increasing PZT-content. The voltage generation from cement/PZT could be because of the oscillations of dipoles and the mobility of ions in the pores of the hydrated cement. The results obtained foreshadow the prospect of utilising cement/PZT composites for energy harvesting from civil structures, structural health monitoring, and as sensors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and aims: Uranium (U), a highly deleterious radionuclide, has attracted global attention because its radiotoxicity and chemical toxicity causes severe damage to terrestrial and marine organisms. In the past few decades, numerous research has been done on immobilization, tolerance, remediation approaches and sources of U in the polluted media, and appraising the uptake and toxicity to the terrestrial plants. There are few literature reviews that elucidated the impact of soil and microbial properties on uranium immobilization and remediation methods to overcome U contamination in the natural environment. In this review, we tried to discuss biogeochemical cycling, sources, impact of soil properties on uranium immobilization and different remediation techniques involved in U treatment. Method: This review synthesized the available evidence of potential sources of Uranium, remediation techniques, and biogeochemical cycling, and further discussed the impact of soil properties on uranium immobilization based on available literature. Results: In this comprehensive review, we presented the key sources of U contamination, their occurrences, utility, and biogeochemical cycling. Moreover, the impact of U on biochemical properties and detoxification mechanisms in plants has been briefly discussed and proposed nanotechnology-based strategic engineering solutions to reduce the U in the natural environment. Conclusions: The information provided and explained in this literature review is useful for the policymakers/decision makers/environmentalists to provide serious challenges, research directions, alternative technologies and methods for recovery of U contamination in the environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on various scientific reports covering topics such as the diversity of trees in India, the potential use of limonin-coated capacitive sensors for COVID detection, the impact of health insurance on maternal healthcare, modifications of hydroxyapatite for supercapacitor electrodes, and the exploration of small chemical molecules to inhibit cholesterol-lowering enzymes.

An experimental investigation examines the flow boiling heat transfer phenomena of a vapour compression refrigeration system employing R-407c refrigerant inside a newly configured enhanced horizontally oriented tube with a 20° helix angle and 52° apex angle at ambient pressure. Experiments were conducted on a 1000 mm enhanced tube of copper at saturation temperatures of 15 – 45 °C with input refrigerant heat fluxes of 5—85 kW/m2 and mass fluxes of 100–250 kg/m2s. The heat transfer coefficients for different configurations are obtained and compared with the established correlations for the heat transport phenomena. The experimental Nusselt number defining the convective heat transfer coefficient captured the established correlations with a mean error of 10%. A Nondimensional Jacob number is introduced to signify the sensible heat transfer effects. Local Nusselt varying with location and Jakob subcooling numbers are also introduced. The area ratio is 1.83 for the enhanced tubes concerning the smooth tube specification. Results predicted the 1.45 times enhancement of heat transfer coefficient for the enhanced tubes. Parametric variation is also incorporated to analyse the experimental nature more comprehensively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The tremendous applications of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), such as inspection in complex environments, search, and rescue missions, have established this area of research. The domain of UAVs autonomous navigation and landing has received considerable amount of interest of robotics researchers in the past decades. Nevertheless, the limited capability of UAVs for autonomous landing severely hampers the use of aerial vehicles specially in GPS-denied areas. Fortunately, with the rapid development of computer vision, vision-based techniques have become an important and cheap tool to be used in UAVs for moving target detection and landing. In this paper, four major vision-based techniques namely PID controller, fuzzy logic, sliding mode control and model predictive control have been investigated and their landing performance is compared to each other. These landing techniques are implemented on a quadcopter for the purpose of ground moving target detection and then landing on it. The Raspberry Pi board with two Pi cameras for 3D scene construction and depth estimation along with ultrasonic sensor have been used in the quadcopter. A wheeled mobile robot with landing platform is taken as the target. The landing performance of different techniques has been observed and compared in terms of landing displacement error, time taken and the distance travelled to finish the operation in an open and obstacle-free environment. The simulation results are further verified by the hardware experiments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Data collected from approximately 1800 male and 1800 female Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats used in 104-week carcinogenicity studies were archived in a historical control database at Labcorp Early Development, Inc, and the neoplastic microscopic observation data from these rats were retrospectively evaluated. Historical control data can provide useful information on the range and incidence of spontaneously occurring background neoplasms in the species and strain of the test animal used in different types of toxicity studies, including studies of differing lengths, delivery of test article, and test animal. Some of the most common malignant findings noted included fibrosarcoma of skin/subcutis and thyroid C-cell carcinoma in males (2.1% each) while mammary gland carcinoma and pituitary carcinoma (25% and 2.6%) were most common in females. Pituitary adenoma of pars distalis was found to be the most prevalent benign neoplasm in both males and females (56.4% and 77.1%). Fibroadenoma of mammary gland (35.6%) and thyroid C-cell adenoma (8.5%) were the second and third most common benign tumors in female SD rats. In males, the thyroid C-cell adenoma (10.9%) and benign pheochromocytoma (8.9%) were the second and third most common tumors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The capacity of aquifers to store water and the stability of infrastructure can each be adversely influenced by variations in groundwater levels and subsequent land subsidence. Along the south bank of the River Thames, the Battersea neighbourhood of London is renovating a vast 42-acre (over 8 million sq ft) former industrial brownfield site to become host to a community of homes, shops, bars, restaurants, cafes, offices, and over 19 acres of public space. For this renovation, between 2016 and 2020, a significant number of bearing piles and secant wall piles, with diameters ranging from 450 mm to 2000 mm and depths of up to 60 m, were erected inside the Battersea Power Station. Additionally, there was considerable groundwater removal that caused the water level to drop by 2.55 ± 0.4 m/year between 2016 and 2020, as shown by Environment Agency data. The study reported here used Sentinel-1 C-band radar images and the persistent scatterer interferometric synthetic aperture radar (PSInSAR) methodology to analyse the associated land movement for Battersea, London, during this period. The average land subsidence was found to occur at the rate of −6.8 ± 1.6 mm/year, which was attributed to large groundwater withdrawals and underground pile construction for the renovation work. Thus, this study underscores the critical interdependence between civil engineering construction, groundwater management, and land subsidence. It emphasises the need for holistic planning and sustainable development practices to mitigate the adverse effects of construction on groundwater resources and land stability. By considering the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) outlined by the United Nations, particularly Goal 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities) and Goal 6 (Clean Water and Sanitation), city planners and stakeholders can proactively address these interrelated challenges. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cytochromes P450 (CYPs) are heme-containing enzymes that are present in all kingdoms of life and share a structurally homologous, globular protein fold. CYPs utilize structures distal to the heme to recognize and coordinate substrates, while the necessary interactions with redox partner proteins are mediated at the opposite, proximal surface. In the current study, we investigated the functional allostery across the heme for the bacterial enzyme CYP121A1, which utilizes a non-polar distal-to-distal dimer interface for specific binding of its dicyclotyrosine substrate. Fluorine-detected Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (19F-NMR) spectroscopy was combined with site-specific labeling of a distal surface residue (S171C of the FG-loop), one residue of the B-helix (N84C), and two proximal surface residues (T103C and T333C) with a thiol-reactive fluorine label. Adrenodoxin was used as a substitute redox protein and was found to promote a closed arrangement of the FG-loop, similar to the addition of substrate alone. Disruption of the protein–protein interface by mutagenesis of two CYP121 basic surface residues removed the allosteric effect. Moreover, 19F-NMR spectra of the proximal surface indicate that ligand induced allostery modulates the environment at the C-helix but not the meander region of the enzyme. In light of the high degree of structural homology in this family of enzymes, we interpret the findings from this work to represent a conserved allosteric network in CYPs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Among various biotic factors limiting pigeon pea yield, weeds are of prime importance which can causes seed yield losses up to 80 per cent. Therefore current study aims to evaluate the impact of imidazolinones on weeds in pigeon pea (Cajanus cajan L.). Methods: The experiment was laid out in randomized block design using eighteen treatments replicated thrice. To control the weeds in pigeon pea, imidazolinones alone and its combination with pendimethalin were applied and rest other cultural practices for cultivation of pigeon pea were adopted according to the package and practices of CCA HAU, Hisar. Result: Among all weed controls treatments, two hoeing at 40 and 70 DAS found most effective to control all kind of weeds. PRE application of imidazolinones was comparatively more effective than POE application. Among different weed species, Cynodon dactylon was not controlled by any of the herbicide treatment and PRE application of pendimethalin @ 1000 g/ha did not control Digera arvensis and Cyperus rotundus. Whereas, PRE application of pendimethalin + imazethapyr @ 1000 + 75 g/ha provided best control of total weeds leads to lowest nutrient uptake by weeds. Therefore, PRE application of pendimethalin + imazethapyr @ 1000 + 75 g/ha proved to be an effective and a profitable alternative to the existing recommendation (two hoeing at 25 and 45 DAS) of weed control in pigeon pea in Haryana locality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The improper disposal of medications and their prolonged presence in the environment damage not only human health but also biological species and ecosystems. Unsafe medicine disposal has been ascribed to a variety of causes. The present study was done with the aim to assess the knowledge attitude and practice regarding safe disposal of medications among medical students A total of 200 MBBS students consented to participate in the study. They received the questionnaire via Google Forms, and the answers were recorded and analysed. Tablets were the least used dosage form, with antibiotics dominating the list of drugs that were unused after their expiration dates. 31% of respondents said that ceasing therapy after a successful outcome was a major factor in the rise of unutilized drugs. 65.5% of those surveyed threw away expired drugs. 96.5% of respondents agreed that there should be a good drug disposal programme. Although there is a lack of accurate information regarding safe disposal methods, the participants had a positive attitude towards learning about good and safe disposal methods. Public education about the right way to dispose of unused medications is essential, and healthcare professionals should inform their patients about both the environmental effects of improper disposal and the proper way to do so. Establishing a take-back programme and looking into incentives for returning unwanted prescriptions to pharmacies are two things that the government and its supporters should do. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]