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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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