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The advent of high-spatial-resolution hyperspectral imagery from unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) made a breakthrough in the detailed retrieval of crop traits for precision crop-growth monitoring systems. Here, a hybrid approach of radiative transfer modelling combined with a machine learning (ML) algorithm is proposed for the retrieval of the leaf area index (LAI) and canopy chlorophyll content (CCC) of wheat cropland at the experimental farms of ICAR-Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI), New Delhi, India. A hyperspectral image captured from a UAV platform with spatial resolution of 4 cm and 269 spectral bands ranging from 400 to 1000 nm was processed for the retrieval of the LAI and CCC of wheat cropland. The radiative transfer model PROSAIL was used for simulating spectral data, and eight machine learning algorithms were evaluated for hybrid model development. The ML Gaussian process regression (GPR) algorithm was selected for the retrieval of crop traits due to its superior accuracy and lower associated uncertainty. Simulated spectra were sampled for training GPR models for LAI and CCC retrieval using dimensionality reduction and active learning techniques. LAI and CCC biophysical maps were generated from pre-processed hyperspectral data using trained GPR models and validated against in situ measurements, yielding R2 values of 0.889 and 0.656, suggesting high retrieval accuracy. The normalised root mean square error (NRMSE) values reported for LAI and CCC retrieval are 8.579% and 14.842%, respectively. The study concludes with the development of optimized GPR models tailored for UAV-borne hyperspectral data for the near-real-time retrieval of wheat traits. This workflow can be upscaled to farmers' fields, facilitating efficient crop monitoring and management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The World Health Organization identifies tuberculosis (TB), caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis, as a leading infectious killer. Although conventional treatments for TB exist, they come with challenges such as a heavy pill regimen, prolonged treatment duration, and a strict schedule, leading to multidrug-resistant (MDR) and extensively drug-resistant (XDR) strains. The rise of MDR strains endangers future TB control. Despite these concerns, the hunt for an efficient treatment continues. One breakthrough has been the use of nanotechnology in medicines, presenting a novel approach for TB treatment. Nanocarriers, such as lipid nanoparticles, nanosuspensions, liposomes, and polymeric micelles, facilitate targeted delivery of anti-TB drugs. The benefits of nanocarriers include reduced drug doses, fewer side effects, improved drug solubility, better bioavailability, and improved patient compliance, speeding up recovery. Additionally, nanocarriers can be made even more targeted by linking them with ligands such as mannose or hyaluronic acid. This review explores these innovative TB treatments, including studies on nanocarriers containing anti-TB drugs and related patents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The integration of distributed generation (DG) into a power distribution network allows the establishment of a microgrid (MG) system when the main grid experiences a malfunction or is undergoing maintenance. In this case, the power-generating capacity of distributed generators may be less than the load demand. This study presents a strategy for the effective utilization of deployed active and reactive power sources under power mismatch conditions in the islanded distribution networks. Initially, the DGs' and capacitors' optimal placement and capacity were identified using the Jaya algorithm (JA) with the aim to reduce power losses in the grid-connected mode. Later, the DG and capacitor combination's optimal power factor was determined to withstand the islanded distribution network's highest possible power demand in the event of a power mismatch. To assess the optimal value of the DG–capacitor pair's operating power factor ( p f s o u r c e ) for the islanded operation, an analytical approach has been proposed that determines the best trade-off between power losses and the under-utilization of accessible generation. The test results on 33-bus and 69-bus IEEE distribution networks demonstrate that holding the islanded network's load power factor ( p f l o a d ) equal to p f s o u r c e during the power imbalance conditions allows the installed distributed sources to effectively operate at full capacity. As expected, the proposed strategy will assist the utility companies in designing efficient energy management or load shedding schemes to effectively cope with the power mismatch conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rising air temperature is a major constraint for crop productivity under the current climate change scenario. Rice crops are known to be sensitive to high-temperature (HT) stress at anthesis and post-anthesis stages. Photosynthesis is an important metabolic process and is affected by HT stress. A pot study was planned to screen a set of seventy-three Indian rice accessions based upon changes in the rate of photosynthesis (Pn) and related gas exchange traits under HT, and to characterize the contrasting rice accessions for component traits of HT stress tolerance. All accessions were raised under ambient temperature (AT) until the booting stage and exposed to HT using controlled chambers at anthesis and post-anthesis. HT exposure led to a large reduction (up to 50%) in Pn, but stomatal conductance (gs) and the rate of transpiration (E) increased significantly across the rice accessions. Based on the photosynthetic response under HT, two contrasting rice accessions (IRGC 135883, tolerant, and IRGC 127222, sensitive) were selected and characterized for HT tolerance, along with an NL-44 check. Among them, Pn decreased marginally but gs and E showed significant increases under HT in the tolerant accession, while sensitive accession showed an up to 50% reduction in Pn and marginal increase in gs and E. No significant changes were recorded for chlorophyll fluorescence (Fv/Fm) in both the genotypes, but tissue temperature depression (TTD) was higher in IRGC 135883 accession under HT. Endogenous abscisic acid (ABA) content increased under HT in the flag leaf of both the accessions, and the highest increase was observed in the sensitive accession. Similarly, spikelet fertility and grain yield showed large reductions in sensitive rice accession under HT. A large increase in ABA concentration in the leaves of the sensitive rice accession might be affecting its gs and cooling capacity under an HT environment. Finally, the study concludes that tolerant rice accessions can be recommended as donors and exploited in future rice breeding programs for developing climate-resilient rice genotypes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper reviews the optimization strategies for the optimal simultaneous allocation of distributed generation (DG) and shunts capacitor banks (SCBs) in electrical distribution networks. These optimization strategies aim to determine the optimal size, location, and combination of DGs and SCBs to constitute a techno-economic system while satisfying the constraints and energy demand of the load. The optimization strategies explicitly reviewed include the problem formulations, optimization techniques, restrictions posed for optimization problems, decision variables, and network operating modes typically assumed while allocating the DGs and SCBs. In addition, there is an attempt to highlight the limitations of the existing literature and future research directions. This study undertakes a comprehensive review of the literature that systematically considers the simultaneous application of DGs and SCBs to advance the existing literature, which lacks such a review. Expectedly, this review will serve as a principle platform for researchers intending to explore the subject area for further improvement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For over a decade, distributed generations (DGs) have sufficiently convinced the researchers that they are the economic and environment-friendly solution that can be integrated with the centralized generations. The optimal planning of distributed generations requires the appropriate location and sizing and their corresponding control with various power network types to obtain the best of the technical, economical, commercial, and regulatory objectives. Most of these objectives are conflicting in nature and require multi-objective solutions. Therefore, this paper brings a comprehensive literature review and a critical analysis of the state of the art of the optimal multi-objective planning of DG installation in the power network with different objective functions and their constraints. The paper considers the adoption of optimization techniques for distributed generation planning in radial distribution systems from different power system performance viewpoints; it considers the use of different DG types, distribution models, DG variables, and mathematical formulations; and it considers the participation of different countries in the stated DG placement and sizing problem. Moreover, the summary of the literature review and critical analysis of this article helps the researchers and engineers to explore the research gap and to find the future recommendations for the robust optimal planning of the DGs working with various objectives and algorithms. The paper considers the adoption of uncertainties on the load and generation side, the introduction of DGs with energy storage backups, and the testing of DG placement and sizing on large and complex distribution networks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rhizoctonia solani is a soil-borne fungus causing sheath blight disease in cereal crops including rice. Genetic resistance to sheath blight disease in cereal crops is not well understood in most of the host(s). Aside from this, a comparative study on the different hosts at the biochemical and proteomic level upon R. solani infection was not reported earlier. Here, we performed proteomic based analysis and studied defense pathways among cultivated rice (cv. Pusa Basmati-1), wild rice accession (Oryza grandiglumis), and barley (cv. NDB-1445) after inoculation with R. solani. Increased levels of phenol, peroxidase, and β-1, 3-glucanase were observed in infected tissue as compared to the control in all of the hosts. Wild rice accession O. grandiglumis showed a higher level of biochemical signals than barley cv. NDB 1445 and cultivated rice cv. Pusa Basmati-1. Using two-dimensional polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (2D-PAGE) and mass spectrometry (MS), differently expressed proteins were also studied in control and after inoculation with R. solani. Wild rice accession O. grandiglumis induced a cysteine protease inhibitor and zinc finger proteins, which have defense functions and resistance against fungal pathogens. On the other hand, barley cv. NDB-1445 and cultivated rice cv. Pusa Basmati-1 mainly induce energy metabolism-related proteins/signals after inoculation with R. solani in comparison to wild rice accession O. grandiglumis. The present comprehensive study of R. solani interaction using three hosts, namely, Pusa Basmati-1 (cultivated rice), O. grandiglumis (wild rice), and NDB-1445 (barley) would interpret wider possibilities in the dissection of the protein(s) induced during the infection process. These proteins may further be correlated to the gene(s) and other related molecular tools that will help for the marker-assisted breeding and/or gene editing for this distressing disease among the major cereal crops. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to their simple synthesis method and excellent properties, such as superior adsorption and regeneration capabilities, with a large surface area and tunable pores, metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) have emerged as a suitable option for wastewater treatment. Although an exponential growth in MOF literature has been observed in recent years, conducting a quantitative literature analysis of MOF application in wastewater treatment is a novelty. To fill this gap, a total of 1187 relevant publications were extracted from the Web of Science, published during the last 50 years, and analyzed using bibliometric and content analysis techniques. A bibliometric analysis was conducted to reveal growing publication trends, leading journals, prolific countries, and organizations; whereas, a content analysis was used to highlight key research themes and hot topics in this field. The analyses revealed that there is a strong international collaboration among authors, countries, and organizations. Chemical Engineering Journal, Journal of Hazardous Materials, and Journal of Environmental Chemical Engineering are the most prolific journals in this field. Furthermore, the use of MOFs for removing antibiotics from wastewater was identified as a recent hot topic. In addition, performance enhancements of MOFs, in terms of a higher adsorption capacity and water stability, were identified as topics of great interest. To cater to these issues, the application of graphene, graphene oxides, nanoparticles, and quantum dots was also observed in the research fronts in this field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, renewable types of distributed generation in the distribution system have been much appreciated due to their enormous technical and environmental advantages. This paper proposes a methodology for optimal placement and sizing of renewable distributed generation(s) (i.e., wind, solar and biomass) and capacitor banks into a radial distribution system. The intermittency of wind speed and solar irradiance are handled with multi-state modeling using suitable probability distribution functions. The three objective functions, i.e., power loss reduction, voltage stability improvement, and voltage deviation minimization are optimized using advanced Pareto-front non-dominated sorting multi-objective particle swarm optimization method. First a set of non-dominated Pareto-front data are called from the algorithm. Later, a fuzzy decision technique is applied to extract the trade-off solution set. The effectiveness of the proposed methodology is tested on the standard IEEE 33 test system. The overall results reveal that combination of renewable distributed generations and capacitor banks are dominant in power loss reduction, voltage stability and voltage profile improvement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Red-fleshed dragon fruit offers an array of bioactive compounds. Its cultivation is gaining momentum in India, including in arid and semi-arid conditions. Among various factors, the fruit developmental stages and climatic conditions of locations greatly influence the biosynthesis and actual contents of different bioactive compounds and mineral contents of the fruit. The changes in physical attributes, and bioactive and mineral content in red-fleshed dragon fruit grown in semi-arid conditions in India were assessed and quantified at six developmental stages. Significant changes occurred in the physical attributes of the fruit and the bioactive compounds and mineral content during the fruit maturation stages of the red-fleshed dragon fruit. The fruit physical characteristics, such as fruit size, fruit and pulp weight gain, peel thickness, and fruit firmness, along with eating quality parameters, such as soluble solids, sugars, acidity and soluble proteins, were observed at optimum at 35 days after anthesis (DAA). The decrease in total phenolics (29.96%), total flavonoids (41.06%), and vitamin C (75.3%) occurred throughout the fruit development stages, whereas the content of betalains, which was detected initially at 25 DAA, increased (48.6%) with the progression of the fruit development stages. However, the antioxidant capacity and free radical scavenging activity demonstrated variable trends throughout the fruit maturation period. There was an increasing trend in all the minerals up to 35 days, followed by a slight decrease, except for phosphorus content, which increased until the last stage of evaluation. The colour characteristics, in conjunction with the bioactive and antioxidant potential determined in the present study, suggest that red-fleshed dragon fruit can be harvested at 35 DAA for long-distance transportation, and from 35 to 40 DAA for local marketing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abiotic stresses, including drought, extreme temperatures, salinity, and waterlogging, are the major constraints in crop production. These abiotic stresses are likely to be amplified by climate change with varying temporal and spatial dimensions across the globe. The knowledge about the effects of abiotic stressors on major cereal and legume crops is essential for effective management in unfavorable agro-ecologies. These crops are critical components of cropping systems and the daily diets of millions across the globe. Major cereals like rice, wheat, and maize are highly vulnerable to abiotic stresses, while many grain legumes are grown in abiotic stress-prone areas. Despite extensive investigations, abiotic stress tolerance in crop plants is not fully understood. Current insights into the abiotic stress responses of plants have shown the potential to improve crop tolerance to abiotic stresses. Studies aimed at stress tolerance mechanisms have resulted in the elucidation of traits associated with tolerance in plants, in addition to the molecular control of stress-responsive genes. Some of these studies have paved the way for new opportunities to address the molecular basis of stress responses in plants and identify novel traits and associated genes for the genetic improvement of crop plants. The present review examines the responses of crops under abiotic stresses in terms of changes in morphology, physiology, and biochemistry, focusing on major cereals and legume crops. It also explores emerging opportunities to accelerate our efforts to identify desired traits and genes associated with stress tolerance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper primarily focuses on an advance control strategy to enhance the low voltage ride through (LVRT) capability in doubly fed induction generator (DFIG) based wind energy conversion system (WCES). In the proposed control strategy, the captured wind energy during grid faults circumstances is stored timidly in the rotor's inertia kinetic energy. Though a minimal amount of energy is available in the grid, stator current and DC-link voltage are set beneath the perilous levels. However, both the required stator voltage and stator current are kept within a tolerable range of rotor side converter (RSC), through state feedback linearization technique for maintaining the accurate control to suppress the overvoltage and overcurrent. Furthermore, stator current oscillations are significantly suppressed during fault transient. The input mechanical energy from the wind turbine can be resumed after the fault clearance. In spite of being dissipated in the resistors of crowbar circuit, as in the conventional LVRT assemblies, torque balancing among electrical and mechanical measures is attained; DC-link voltage instabilities and rotor speed inconsistencies are substantially reduced. As a result, a noticeable reduction in the requirement of reactive power and swift restoration of terminal voltage on fault clearance is acquired successfully. Correspondingly, several tests are conducted to validate the effectiveness and enhancement in the performance of the DFIG based wind farms, when the proposed control strategy is implemented over it during numerous fault ride-through circumstances. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]