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A potential new family of adaptable, ecologically acceptable solvent systems are ionic liquids (ILs). This study is the first to offer a new method for using imidazolium-based ILs as affordable, anti-corrosion electrolytes for activated carbon-based electrochemical capacitors (ECs). In this context, the ILs 1-hexyl 3-methylimidazolium bromide ([HMIM]Br) and 1-ethyl 3-methylimidazolium ethyl sulfate ([EMIM]ES) were synthesized. In the region of ambient temperature up to 105 °C, significant features including viscosity, electrical conductivity, and electrochemical tests were investigated. The symmetric ECs in imidazolium-based electrolytes, which display exceptional electrochemical stability at a maximum voltage of up to 3.5 V, deliver high energy. At room temperature, the specific capacitance of the electrolyte containing IL [HMIM]Br drops to 87 F g−1 (with an energy density of 37 Wh kg−1) from 174 F g−1 (with an energy density of 74 Wh kg−1) under 105 °C. In addition, the supercapacitor made using IL [HMIM]Br retained 90.6% of its capacity up to 10,000 cycles at 105 °C. The findings have significant ramifications for extending the use of eco-friendly, non-toxic, and affordable electrolytes for high-performance ECs with broad voltage windows and improved longevity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The measurements of radon concentrations in drinking water sources in and around the Main Central Thrust (MCT) region in Garhwal Himalaya, India, were carried out using the scintillation detector-based SMART RnDuo technique for radiation protection purposes. Radon values in the analyzed samples were observed between 1.1 and 183.9 Bq L−1 (AM = 19.7 Bq L−1). Radon values in 94% of the samples were found well below the World Health Organization (WHO) reference limit. The estimated radiation doses for different age groups were found higher than the WHO safe limit of 100 µSv y−1 (from all sources including radon) except for the age groups of 0–12 months infants and 1–3 years children. The results of this study may be useful for future studies on epidemiology, examining hidden faults, uranium exploration etc. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ionic liquids (ILs) stand out due to the characteristic negligible vapor pressure and molecular design ability, along with several intriguing features like a highly ionized environment, good thermal/chemical stability, and universal solubility/affinity, to satisfy the high-energy request for creating better supercapacitors (SCs). In this context, the ILs of choline acetate ([Ch]Ac) and choline propionate ([Ch]Pr) were synthesized. In the ambient temperature, significant features including viscosity, and electrochemical tests were investigated. The SCs with choline-based ILs electrolytes display exceptional electrochemical stability at a maximum voltage of up to 3.9 V. At room temperature, the specific capacitance of the electrolyte containing IL [Ch]Ac was obtained to 106.52 F/g with an energy density of 47.93 Wh/kg and power density of 450 W/kg at 1 A/g. In addition, the SC made using IL [Ch]Ac retained 90.94% of its capacity up to 3000 cycles at 2 A/g. The findings have significant ramifications for extending the use of eco-friendly, non-toxic, and affordable electrolytes for high-performance SCs with broad voltage windows and improved longevity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study assesses environmental background radiation from radon, thoron, and thoron decay products across distinct geological settings in the Garhwal Himalaya region by using RADUET, CR-39 plastic track detectors, and deposition-based thoron (220Rn)progeny detectors. The measurements were conducted indoors throughout the winter, summer, and rainfall seasons during the year 2013. The annual inhalation doses from 220Rn progenies ranged between 0.83 and 2.99 mSv y−1, averaging 1.94 mSv y−1. The annual effective dose (AED), reflecting biological radiation impact, varied from 0.58 to 2.78 mSv y−1, with an average of 1.75 mSv y−1. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Here, the abilities and potential of nanocages and nanotubes (C60, Al30N30, C42, B21P21, CNT(9, 0), AlNNT(9, 0), CNT(6, 0), BPNT(6, 0), S-C60, S-Al30N30, O-C42, O-B21P21, S-CNT(9, 0), S-AlNNT(9, 0), O-CNT(6, 0) and O-BPNT(6, 0)) as anodes in batteries are calculated by theoretical methods. The O- and S-doped nanocages and nanotubes have higher Vcell and Ctheory than nanocages and nanotubes. The Vcell and Ctheory of nanocages and nanotubes in Mg-ion batteries are higher than Na and K batteries. The Vcell of O- and S-doped nanocages and nanotubes as anodes in K-, Na-, and Mg-ion batteries are lower than carbon nanotubes, BN nanotubes, and graphite derivatives in previous works. The O-BPNT(6, 0) and S-AlNNT(9, 0) in Mg-, Na-, and K-ion batteries have higher Ctheory than other nanocages and nanotubes. The O-BPNT(6, 0) and S-AlNNT(9, 0) are proposed as acceptable materials to use as anodes in in batteries with effective Vcell and Ctheory values. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context: CO2 and CO gas sensors are very important to recognize the insulation situation of electrical tools. ToCO explore the application of noble metal doped of aluminum nitride nanotubes for gas sensors, DFT computations according to the first principal theory were applied to study sensitivity, adsorption attributes, and electronic manner. In this investigation, platinum-doped aluminum nitride nanotubes were offered for the first time to analyze the adsorption towards CO2 and CO gases. Firm construction of platinum-doped aluminum nitride nanotubes (Pt-AlNNT) was investigated in four feasible places, and the binding energy of firm construction is 1.314 eV. Respectively, the adsorption energy between the CO2 and Pt-AlNNT systems was − 2.107 eV, while for instance of CO, the adsorption energy was − 3.258 eV. The mentioned analysis and computations are considerable for studying Pt-AlNNT as a new CO2 and CO gas sensor for electrical tools insulation. The current study revealed that the Pt-AlNNT possesses high selectivity and sensitivity towards CO2 and CO. Methods: In this research, Pt-doped AlNNT (Pt-AlNNT) has been studied as sensing materials of CO and CO2 for the first time. The adsorption process of Pt-AlNNT has been computed and analyzed through the DFT approach. DFT computations by using B3LYP functional and 6–31 + G* basis sets have been applied in the GAMESS code for sensing attributes, which contribute to potential applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Digital watermarking can be used to ensure the authenticity and copyright protection of images. In watermarking balancing the trade-offs between its features is an important issue. To address this issue, in this work an adaptive hybrid domain color image watermarking based on Discrete Wavelet Transform (DWT), Walsh Hadamard Transform (WHT), and Singular Value Decomposition (SVD) is proposed. Here, watermarking is carried on Y C b C r color space. In this work, the embedding factor is calculated adaptively using the visual entropy and edge entropy. For better robustness the watermark is inserted into the Y component of Y C b C r color Space. Further, Arnold Transform (AT) is used to secure the watermark. The average PSNR and SSIM of the proposed hybrid domain adaptive watermarking scheme is 40.0876 dB and 0.9883 respectively. The experimental results compared to the recent hybrid domain color watermarking, illustrate the superiority of the suggested approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) promotes tumorigenic characteristics and activates cancer-associated signaling pathways such as Wnt/-catenin, transforming growth factor (TGF-β), and phosphoinositide-3-kinase (PI3K). Several inhibitors have been reported to suppress the activity of EGFR and are being used in cancer treatment. However, patients in the malignant stage of cancer show resistance to those inhibitors, opening a wide space for research to discover novel inhibitors. Therefore, we carried out machine learning and virtual screening to discover novel inhibitors with high affinity against EGFR-TK. Initially, a library of 2640 chalcones were screened out using a machine-learning model developed based on the random forest algorithm, exhibiting high sensitivity and a Receiver Operating Characteristic curve (ROC area) of 0.99. Furthermore, out of the initial 2640 screened compounds, 412 compounds exhibiting potential activity are subjected to evaluation for drug-likeness properties through different filters: Blood–brain barrier penetration, Lipinski's rule, CMC-50 like rule, Veber rule, and Ghose filter, alongside Cell Line Cytotoxicity Prediction. A total of 30 compounds that successfully pass through all these filters are selected for molecular docking. Of these, 6 compounds display substantial binding affinity and closer interaction with the conserved catalytic residues of the target EGFR-TK compared to the reference molecule (erlotinib). Furthermore, molecular dynamics simulation studies were conducted on four compounds (CID-375861, CID-375862, CID-23636403, and CID-259166) to confirm the stability of the docked complexes over a 100 ns simulation trajectory. Additionally, the binding free energy calculations by MMPBSA reveal that these four chalcone compounds exhibit strong affinity towards the EGFR-TK enzyme, with binding free energies of − 65.421 kJ/mol, − 94.266 kJ/mol, − 80.044 kJ/mol, and − 79.734 kJ/mol, respectively. The findings from this investigation highlight a set of promising chalcone compounds that have the potential to be developed into effective drugs for the treatment of various cancers. Further research and development on these compounds could pave the way for novel therapeutic interventions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study focuses on measuring radon concentrations in soil gas at various depths, radon exhalation rate (surface and mass) from soil samples, and gamma dose rate along and across the Main Central Thrust of Garhwal Himalaya, India. Radon concentration in soil gas, surface, and mass exhalation rates was measured using a portable SMART radon monitor (RnDuo). Furthermore, the gamma dose rate was measured using a pocket radiation monitor. The soil gas radon concentration varied from 15 ± 4 to 579 ± 82 Bq m−3 at a depth of 25 cm, 10 ± 2 to 533 ± 75 Bq m−3 at a depth of 30 cm, and 9 ± 1 to 680 ± 95 Bq m−3 at a depth of 35 cm. The surface and mass exhalation rates were found 3 ± 0.7 to 98 ± 3 Bq m−2 h−1 (with AM ± SD = 36 ± 28 Bq m−2 h−1) and 1 ± 0.2 to 95 ± 2 mBq kg−1 h−1 (with AM ± SD = 30 ± 22 mBq kg−1 h−1), respectively. The gamma dose rate for the present study area varies from 0.11 ± 0.05 to 0.28 ± 0.05 µSv h−1 with a mean value of 0.17 ± 0.05 µSv h−1. The correlation analysis between the exhalation rates (mass and surface) and radon concentration of soil gas at various depths was carried out in the current study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nutrient pollution has a diverse impact on the environment and human health. The presence of nutrients, such as ammonium and phosphate, is ubiquitous in the environment due to their extensive use in agricultural land and leaching through non-point sources. In this context, biochar-based composites could play an essential role in improving the soil's nutrient retention capacity. The present study aims to develop bentonite-biochar composites (BNT@BC 400 and 600) and utilize them as an ameliorating material in the coal mine degraded soil to reduce the leaching of ammonium and phosphate ions. The bentonite-biochar composite (BNT@BC 400 and 600) was synthesized using the pristine rice straw-derived biochar using the solvothermal method. The biochar was produced at two different pyrolytic temperatures, 400 °C and 600 °C, and denoted as BC 400 and 600, respectively. Hence, the bentonite-biochar composite was denoted as BNT@BC 400 and 600. The BNT@BC 400 and 600 were characterized using the elemental, proximate, SEM, XRD, and FTIR analysis. Subsequently, the BNT@BC composites were evaluated for the adsorptive removal of NH4+ and PO43− ions using batch adsorption and column leaching studies. In the soil columns, the BNT@BC 400 and 600 were mixed with the soil at two different application rates, viz. 1 and 2.5% (w/w). The leaching characteristics data were fitted using three different fixed-bed models to predict the maximum adsorption capacity of the amended soil columns and the dominant mechanism of adsorption. Results indicated that the BNT@BC 600 showed the maximum adsorption capacity of 33.77 and 64.23 mg g−1 for the adsorption of NH4+ and PO43− ions, respectively. The dominant adsorption mechanisms in the aqueous solution were the electrostatic attraction, complexation, ion exchange, and precipitation processes. In the soil columns, the sorption of NH4+ and PO43− ions was governed by diffusive mass transfer and electrostatic interaction. Findings of the study indicated that incorporating the BNT@BC composite in the soil can significantly reduce the leaching of the NH4+ and PO43− ions and increase the overall soil fertility. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We introduce a fractal operator on C [ 0 , 1 ] which sends a function f ∈ C (I) to fractal version of f where fractal version of f is a super fractal interpolation function corresponding to a countable data system. Furthermore, we study the continuous dependence of super fractal interpolation functions on the parameters used in the construction. We know that the invariant subspace problem and the existence of a Schauder basis gained lots of attention in the literature. Here, we also show the existence of non-trivial closed invariant subspace of the super fractal operator and the existence of fractal Schauder basis for C (I) . Moreover, we can see the effect of the composition of Riemann-Liouville integral operator and super fractal operator on the fractal dimension of continuous functions. We also mention some new problems for further investigation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Online signature verification is most popular in the field of biometrics and forensics. Due to its popularity and recent demand, the major challenges are to improve its performance and complexity. This paper presents a novel approach for online signature validation based on local weight learning. The different features like, x coordinate, y coordinates time stamp, pen up and down, azimuth, height, pressure, displacement, velocity and acceleration are extracted from online signature. The extracted features are then passed to locally weighted learning classifier algorithms. Our experimentation is performed on local weight learning classifier of a machine learning method. Locally weighted learning classifier is experimentally found to be effective having False acceptance rate and False rejection rate as 1.18 and 0.02, respectively. The proposed methods gives better performance when compared with other well-known existing models for online signature verification. This result demonstrates that the method is suitable for a real-time system.The popular SVC2004 dataset is used in the experiments, which confirms the effectiveness of the proposed method in simultaneously achieving lower false positive and false negative rate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article, we provide a rigorous study on the fractal dimension of the graph of the mixed Riemann-Liouville fractional integral for various choices of continuous functions on a rectangular region. We estimate bounds for the box dimension and the Hausdorff dimension of the graph of the mixed Riemann-Liouville fractional integral of the functions which belong to the class of continuous functions and the class of Hölder continuous functions. We also show that the box dimension of the graph of the mixed Riemann-Liouville fractional integral of two-dimensional continuous functions is also two. Furthermore, we give the construction of unbounded variational continuous functions. Later, we prove that the box dimension and the Hausdorff dimension of the graph of the mixed Riemann-Liouville fractional integral of unbounded variational continuous functions are two. Moreover, we illustrate our results by using some examples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The COVID-19 is still pandemic due to emerging of various variant of concern of SARS-CoV2. Hence, it is devastating the world, causing significant economic as well as social chaos. This needs great effort to search and develop effective alternatives along with vaccination. Therefore, to continue drug discovery endeavors, we used chalcone derivatives to find an effective drug candidate against SARS-CoV2. Chalcone is a common simple scaffold that exists in many diets as well as in traditional medicine. Natural as well as synthetic chalcones have shown numerous interesting biological activities and are also effective in fighting various diseases. Hence, various computational methods were applied to find out potential inhibitors of 3CLPro using a library of 3000 compounds of chalcones. Firstly, the screening by structure-based pharmacophore model yielded 84 hits that were subjected to molecular docking. The top 10 docked compounds were characterized for stability by using 100 ns molecular dynamic (MD) simulation approach. Further, the binding free energy calculation by MMPBSA showed that four compounds bind to 3CLPro enzyme with high affinity, i.e., − 87.962 (kJ/mol), − 66.125 (kJ/mol), − 59.589 (kJ/mol), and − 66.728 (kJ/mol), respectively. Since chalcone is a common simple scaffold that is present in many diets as well as in traditional medicine, we suggest that screened compounds may emerge as promising drug candidates for SARS-CoV-2. These compounds may be investigated in vitro to evaluate the efficacy against SARS-CoV-2. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The use of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) can increase the risk of gastrointestinal (GI) bleeding. Similarly, it is well known that the use of NSAIDs predisposes patients to upper GI bleeding. The aim of this study was to explore if the addition of SSRIs in patients already taking NSAIDs significantly increases their risk for upper GI bleeding. An electronic literature search was conducted using the SCOPUS and MEDLINE databases from inception through September 2020. Cohort and case–control trials that reported patients with upper GI bleeding on NSAIDs with SSRIs, compared to controls on NSAIDs only were included. Newcastle–Ottawa checklist was used to ensure inclusion of high-quality studies. Data was extracted by the lead investigator and cross-checked by the second author. Dichotomous data was pooled to obtain an odds ratio (OR) of the risk of upper GI bleeding in patients on NSAIDs with concomitant SSRI use. The primary endpoint of the study was the risk of upper GI bleeding with SSRIs and NSAIDs compared to NSAIDs alone. A total of 366 citations were reviewed, and 21 were selected for full-text evaluation. 1 cohort and 9 case–control studies were eligible. There was an additional increased risk of upper GI bleeding in patients on NSAIDs with concomitant SSRI use (OR 1.75, 95% CI = 1.32–2.33). In patients already on NSAID therapy, the concomitant use of SSRIs can significantly increase the risk of upper of GI bleeding. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Blocking the main replicating enzyme, 3 Chymotrypsin-like protease (3CLpro) is the most promising drug development strategy against the SARS-CoV-2 virus, responsible for the current COVID-19 pandemic. In the present work, 9101 drugs obtained from the drug bank database were screened against SARS-CoV-2 3CLpro prosing deep learning, molecular docking, and molecular dynamics simulation techniques. In the initial stage, 500 drug-screened by deep learning regression model and subjected to molecular docking that resulted in 10 screened compounds with strong binding affinity. Further, five compounds were checked for their binding potential by analyzing molecular dynamics simulation for 100 ns at 300 K. In the final stage, two compounds {4-[(2s,4e)-2-(1,3-Benzothiazol-2-Yl)-2-(1h-1,2,3-Benzotriazol-1-Yl)-5-Phenylpent-4-Enyl]Phenyl}(Difluoro)Methylphosphonic Acid and 1-(3-(2,4-dimethylthiazol-5-yl)-4-oxo-2,4-dihydroindeno[1,2-c]pyrazol-5-yl)-3-(4-methylpiperazin-1-yl)urea were screened as potential hits by analyzing several parameters like RMSD, Rg, RMSF, MMPBSA, and SASA. Thus, our study suggests two potential drugs that can be tested in the experimental conditions to evaluate the efficacy against SARS-CoV-2. Further, such drugs could be modified to develop more potent drugs against COVID-19. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The goal of this article is to study the box dimension of the mixed Katugampola fractional integral of two-dimensional continuous functions on [ 0 , 1 ] × [ 0 , 1 ] . We prove that the box dimension of the mixed Katugampola fractional integral having fractional order (α = (α 1 , α 2) ; α 1 > 0 , α 2 > 0) of two-dimensional continuous functions on [ 0 , 1 ] × [ 0 , 1 ] is still two. Moreover, the results are also established for the mixed Hadamard fractional integral. Our new results are to improve the existing studies. We pose also some open problems for further research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Plasmonic luminescent solar concentrators (PLSCs) have been shown to enhance the optical performance and power conversion efficiency of LSCs, due to added plasmonic gain in the medium. Despite the promising outlook of a PLSC through plasmonic coupling, device characterization and performance have not been verified in the real outdoor conditions, with varying direct and diffuse solar irradiation. In this work, characterization of a PLSC device of dimensions 4.5 × 4.5 × 0.3 cm3 embedded with Lumogen Red 305 dye and plasmonic gain medium of gold core silver shell nano cuboids was carried out in outdoor conditions of Dublin, Ireland. Optimized PLSC device power output at different solar insolation was compared to a reference photovoltaic (PV) cell and an optimized luminescent solar concentrator (LSC) device. The effect of the solar disc position, solar insolation, PV cell surface temperature, diurnal, and seasonal variation on the performance of the PLSC device is studied. The key observation was that PLSC average power conversion efficiency was 1.4 times more than the PV cell in cloudy and diffuse solar conditions. The PLSC device performed 45% better than a PV cell in December than July, as December has higher diffuse solar irradiation. Even though the PLSC device absorbs only 31% and transmits 69% incident solar irradiation in the concerned visible range of 380–750 nm. The preliminary outdoor characterization on a small-scale PLSC establishes its viability in a diffuse to direct solar radiation ratio throughout the year as well as establishing its benefits for integration in buildings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Loss of seed viability is a serious hurdle in production and ambient seed storage of soybean. Understanding the factors affecting seed viability, and identification of soybean genotype(s) with higher viability is critical for higher soybean production. In this study, seeds of 125 soybean genotypes of three different species [Glycine tomentella Hayata, Glycine max subsp. soja (Siebold & Zucc.) H. Ohashi, and Glycine max(L.) Merr.] and 25 RILs (Glycine soja × Glycine max) were tested for germination immediately after harvest followed by 1, 2 and 3 years of ambient storage. Fresh seeds of all the genotypes recorded 78–99% germination with a mean of 94.02%. However, the mean value of per cent germination of all the genotypes after 1, 2 and 3 years of ambient storage decreased and found to stand at 79.51%, 52.24% and 29.18%, respectively. Among the genotypes tested, G. tomentella accession registered highest seed storability followed by G. soja, RILs and G. max. After 3 years of storage, 14 wild type genotypes and 3 RILs found to maintain > 70% germination and, were identified as 'good storers'. Genetic divergence studies via k-mean clustering and principal component analysis grouped all genotypes in three clusters. Seed viability was significantly and negatively correlated with electrical conductivity. Good storers found to be having slow imbibition rate than poor storers in initial hours of imbibition. The good storing genotypes identified in this study will serve as an elite soybean genetic resource in developing the soybean cultivars with better seed longevity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Breeding for higher yield and wider adaptability are major objectives of soybean crop improvement. In the present study, 68 advanced breeding lines along with seven best checks were evaluated for yield and attributing traits by following group balanced block design. Three blocks were constituted based on the maturity duration of the breeding lines. High genetic variability for the twelve quantitative traits was found within and across the three blocks. Several genotypes were found to outperform check varieties for yield and attributing traits. During the same crop season, one of the promising entries, NRC 128,was evaluated across seven locations for its wider adaptability and it has shown stable performance in Northern plain Zone with > 20% higher yield superiority over best check PS 1347. However, it produced 9.8% yield superiority over best check in Eastern Zone. Screening for waterlogging tolerance under artificial conditions revealed that NRC 128 was on par with the tolerant variety JS 97–52. Based on the yield superiority, wider adaptability and waterlogging tolerance, NRC 128 was released and notified by Central Varietal Release Committee (CVRC) of India, for its cultivation across Eastern and Northern Plain Zones of India. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a new and mathematical method for online signature validation based on machine learning. In this way, the average values of the factors are taken into account to ensure validity. Here, seven different types of features used are x coordinates, y coordinates, time stamp, pen up and down, azimuth, height and pressure. Three new features are extracted from it, i.e., (displacement, velocity and acceleration) using the correlated extraction process to obtain dynamic feature of signature. These features are extracted from the popular dataset SVC2004. The extracted feature is then passed to various classifiers named as Naive Bayes, random forest, J48, MLP, logistic regression and PART. The result of genuine and forge signatures is obtained in terms of precision, true positive rate, false positive rate, F-score, etc. The obtained result is then compared with the existing method with respect to false acceptance rate and false rejection rate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The recovery of gastrointestinal functions is an important determinant of course of acute pancreatitis and the timing of hospital discharge. Here, we evaluated association between fluid resuscitation volume and opioid use with clinically significant ileus development in patients with acute pancreatitis. Consecutive adults admitted with acute pancreatitis between January 2014 and December 2019 to our academic and two community hospital were included. The Bedside Index for Severe Acute Pancreatitis (BISAP) and systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS) were used to predict severity of pancreatitis based on their readily availability. Severity of pancreatitis was determined based on the Revised Atlanta classification. Fluid resuscitation volume and opioid use were collected as administered on day 1 and day 2.Clinically significant ileus was determined based on treating physician's assessment. Forty-nine (11%) of 441 unique patients included in the study developed clinically significant ileus. Demographics of patients with or without ileus were similar between the two groups. On univariate analysis, the presence of SIRS syndrome (< 0.001), a > 3 BISAP score (p < 0.001), and severity of pancreatitis (p < 0.001) were associated with ileus, mean fluid resuscitation volume (5.6L vs 5.5L, p = 0.888) and cumulative median morphine-equivalent units (12 vs 12, p = 0.232) on day 1 and day 2 were not. However, ileus development was associated with increased hospital length of stay and admission to intensive care unit. On observations, clinically significant ileus development is associated with severity of acute pancreatitis, not with fluid resuscitation volume or opioid analgesia dose used in current standard of care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is a known predisposing factor for heart failure (HF). The growing burden of these two conditions and their impact on health of the individual and on society in general needs urgent attention from the health care professionals. Availability of multiple treatment choices for managing T2DM and HF may make therapeutic decisions more complex for clinicians. Recent cardiovascular outcome trials of antidiabetic drugs have added very robust evidence to effectively manage subjects with this dual condition. This consensus statement provides the prevalence trends and the impact of this dual burden on patients. In addition, it concisely narrates the types of HF, the different treatment algorithms, and recommendations for physicians to comprehensively manage such patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Soybean is a temperate photosensitive crop but has adapted to sub-tropical and tropical countries of lower latitudes also. Photoperiodic and maturity genes confer latitudinal adaptation in this crop. Genotyping of accessions of higher latitudes have shown the role of photoinsensitivity, conferred by recessive photoperiodic alleles (e1/e2/e3/e4), in adaptation of the crop to high latitudes but information is not available for lower latitudinal countries like India. We genotyped and calculated the photosensitivity of 101 cultivated Indian soybean varieties and found that majority of the varieties (86) were photosensitive and had the dominant alleles at these loci. Four genotypic classes (e1-as/E2/E3/E4, E1/e2/e3/E4, E1/e2/E3/E4 and E1/E2/e3/E4) were observed for varieties with recessive alleles. Photoinsensitive alleles at E1 and E2 loci significantly reduced the days to flower, maturity and photosensitivity percentage. Adaptive role of photoperiodic alleles was inferred from breeder seed requirement of these varieties for 35 years. Although the photosensitive class contributed 81% to the total seed requirement the weighted mean contribution of this class (380 Q/year) was far less than that of photoinsensitive class (648 Q/year). Photoinsensitivity is essential for perpetuation of crop in higher latitudes. Present report highlights the novel role of photoinsensitive alleles in adaptation of soybean to rainfed, short growing and sub-tropical conditions of lower latitudes by conferring earliness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recently emerged SARS-CoV-2 is the cause of the ongoing outbreak of COVID-19. It is responsible for the deaths of millions of people and has caused global economic and social disruption. The numbers of COVID-19 cases are increasing exponentially across the world. Control of this pandemic disease is challenging because there is no effective drug or vaccine available against this virus and this situation demands an urgent need for the development of anti-SARS-CoV-2 potential medicines. In this regard, the main protease (Mpro) has emerged as an essential drug target as it plays a vital role in virus replication and transcription. In this research, we have identified two novel potent inhibitors of the Mpro (PubChem3408741 and PubChem4167619) from PubChem database by pharmacophore-based high-throughput virtual screening. The molecular docking, toxicity, and pharmacophore analysis indicate that these compounds may act as potential anti-viral candidates. The molecular dynamic simulation along with the binding free energy calculation by MMPBSA showed that these compounds bind to Mpro enzyme with high stability over 50 ns. Our results showed that two compounds: PubChem3408741 and PubChem4167619 had the binding free energy of − 94.02 kJ mol−1 and − 122.75 kJ mol−1, respectively, as compared to reference X77 (− 76.48 kJ mol−1). Based on our work's findings, we propose that these compounds can be considered as lead molecules for targeting Mpro enzyme and they can be potential SARS-CoV-2 inhibitors. These inhibitors could be tested in vitro and explored for effective drug development against COVID-19. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The outbreak of SARS-CoV-2 and deaths caused by it all over the world have imposed great concern on the scientific community to develop potential drugs to combat Coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19). In this regard, lichen metabolites may offer a vast reservoir for the discovery of antiviral drug candidates. Therefore, to find novel compounds against COVID-19, we created a library of 412 lichen compounds and subjected to virtual screening against the SARS-CoV-2 Main protease (Mpro). All the ligands were virtually screened, and 27 compounds were found to have high affinity with Mpro. These compounds were assessed for drug-likeness analysis where two compounds were found to fit well for redocking studies. Molecular docking, drug-likeness, X-Score, and toxicity analysis resulting in two lichen compounds, Calycin and Rhizocarpic acid with Mpro-inhibiting activity. These compounds were finally subjected to molecular dynamics simulation to compare the dynamics behavior and stability of the Mpro after ligand binding. The binding energy was calculated by MM-PBSA method to determine the intermolecular protein–ligand interactions. Our results showed that two compounds; Calycin and Rhizocarpic acid had the binding free energy of − 42.42 kJ mol/1 and − 57.85 kJ mol/1 respectively as compared to reference X77 (− 91.78 kJ mol/1). We concluded that Calycin and Rhizocarpic acid show considerable structural and pharmacological properties and they can be used as hit compounds to develop potential antiviral agents against SARS-CoV-2. These lichen compounds may be a suitable candidate for further experimental analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Natural allelic variation among the genes governing various agronomic and quality traits of plant provides opportunity to develop desirable plant type in crops. In soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.], natural allelic variation is known for many functionally characterized genes conferring superior phenotype for their respective governing trait. Exploring this natural allelic variation in germplasm pool through gene based allele specific multiplex marker genotyping is one way to identify and combine the alleles of multiple traits in desired genetic background. Using known alleles of 15 genes governing 10 different agronomic and quality traits, we have developed two multi-trait allele specific genic marker assays of 22-plex and 7-plex alleles. These two multi-trait allele specific genic marker assays were used to genotype a large set of diverse soybean germplasm accessions, which identified several novel genetic sources of rare alleles conferring superior or desirable phenotype. Selected genetic sources of rare alleles for days to flowering and maturity, hard-seededness, pod shattering and oleic acid content were validated phenotypically. Genotyping and phenotyping in a multi-parent advanced generation intercross population validated the utility of multi-trait allele specific genic marker assays in marker assisted selection of multiple traits from multiple parents. The novel genetic sources identified in this study will help in the selection of parents with multiple desirable traits for hybridization. The multi-trait allele specific genic marker assays developed will speed up selection of multiple traits in routine soybean breeding programmes for cultivar development and improvement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Hill's classification provides a reproducible endoscopic grading system for esophagogastric junction morphology and competence, specifically whether the gastroesophageal flap valve (GEFV) is normal (grade I/II) or abnormal (grades III/IV). However, it is not routinely used in clinical practice. We report a systematic review and meta-analysis to determine association between abnormal GEFV and gastroesophageal reflux disorder (GERD). Methods: A comprehensive literature search of MEDLINE and Scopus databases was conducted to identify studies that reported the association between abnormal GEFV and GERD. The search and quality assessment were performed independently by two authors. Fixed- and random-effects meta-analyses were conducted using symptomatic GERD and erosive esophagitis as outcomes. Results: A total of 11 studies met inclusion criteria that included a total of 5054 patients. In the general population, patients with abnormal GEFV had greater risk of symptomatic GERD compared to patients with a normal GEFV (risk ratio [RR] 1.88, 95% CI 1.57–2.24). Further, in patients with symptomatic GERD, patients with abnormal GEFV had greater risk of erosive esophagitis compared to patients with normal GEFV (RR 2.17, 95% CI 1.40–3.36). Finally, the specificity of abnormal GEFV for symptomatic GERD was 73.3% (95% CI 69.3–77.0%) and 75.7% (95% CI 65.9–83.4%) for erosive esophagitis in symptomatic GERD. Conclusion: Our systematic review and meta-analysis showed consistent association between abnormal GEFV indicated by Hill's classification III/IV and symptomatic GERD and erosive esophagitis. Our recommendation is to include Hill's classification in routine endoscopy reports and workup for GERD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Dosing frequency is an important factor influencing medication compliance in patients with heart failure (HF), which in turn is imperative in achieving the desired therapeutic outcome. Here we assessed the efficacy and safety of ivabradine prolonged-release (PR) once-daily (test) vs. ivabradine immediate-release (IR) twice-daily (reference) formulations in patients with stable chronic HF with systolic dysfunction. Methods: Patients with sinus rhythm and heart rate (HR) ≥ 50 bpm, left ventricular ejection fraction ≤ 40% (HF with reduced ejection fraction), on guideline-based standard care, receiving a stable dose of ivabradine IR 5/7.5 mg twice daily for ≥ 1 month were enrolled in this randomized, double-blind, phase 3 non-inferiority study. Patients were randomly assigned 1:1 to ivabradine PR (10 mg/15 mg) based on the ivabradine IR dosage or continued ivabradine IR (5 mg/7.5 mg). The primary endpoint was change in resting ECG HR from baseline to the end of 3 months, assessed by 12-lead ECG. Safety assessments and 24-h Holter HR monitoring (in a subgroup of patients) were also performed. Non-inferiority was concluded if the upper limit of the 95% CI of the difference between the test and reference was less than the margin of 6.5 bpm in the per-protocol set. Results: A total of 169 out of 180 randomized patients (93.9%) completed the study (PR = 84; IR = 85). The least-square mean (standard error [SE]) for change in HR from baseline to 3 months was 0.76 (1.188; 95% CI −1.59:3.11) in ivabradine PR vs. ivabradine IR, which was within the pre-specified margin of 6.5 bpm, confirming the non-inferiority of ivabradine PR. The change from baseline to 3 months was comparable between the treatment groups for 24-h Holter ECG monitoring (p = 0.3701), mean HR awake (p = 0.3423), and mean HR asleep (p = 0.1501). Thirty-nine treatment-emergent adverse events (TEAEs) were reported; the majority in both groups were of mild or moderate severity and were subsequently resolved. Seven serious adverse events were reported (ivabradine PR = 2; ivabradine IR = 5), of which one was fatal (ivabradine IR group). The bradycardia events reported were comparable between groups. Conclusion: Ivabradine PR was found to be non-inferior to ivabradine IR in the management of patients with stable CHF, with a comparable safety profile. Once-daily ivabradine PR effectively maintained the HR in patients shifted from the ivabradine IR twice-daily regimen, and thus may aid in improving treatment compliance. Trial Registration: CTRI/2018/04/013464 (Trial Registered Prospectively on 24/04/2018) [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Seed coat impermeability (SCI) in soybean is associated with seed viability under storage and quality of processed products. Understanding genetics and identification of linked molecular markers would facilitate need-based utilization of seed coat impermeability. Two impermeable wild type (G. soja Sieb. and Zucc.) accessions viz. PI 424079 and PI 136620 were crossed with a permeable cultivated (G. max) variety JS335 to generate the mapping populations. Genetic analysis of the F1:2 and F2:3 seeds of the crosses indicated that SCI is controlled by a single gene/major QTL, and impermeability is dominant over permeability. Presence of seeds with intermediate permeability indicated role of some minor genes/QTLs. A set of 204 inter-specific recombinant inbred line (RILs) (F7) was used to map SCI with 207 SSR markers. Phenotyping through rapid imbibition approach (seed imbibition for 6 h), seven QTLs were mapped on chromosomes (Chrs.) 2, 5, 12, 13 and 16 in the seeds stored for 1–3 years, while through slow imbibition method (seed imbibition for 7 days), five QTLs were mapped on Chrs. 2, 9, 10 and 20. Phenotypic variation explained (PVE) by the QTLs ranged from 5.96 to 39.67%. Two major and stable QTLs viz., qScI-h2-1 and qScI-h2-2 that mapped in tandem on Chr.2 jointly explained 43.09–62.92% of the variations in impermeability. Seven minor QTLs identified here were novel and two (qScI-h5, and qScI-h16) were consistent. It is the first report of mapping impermeability using two imbibition approaches together in 200 plus inter-specific RILs in soybean. The study will pave the way for developing genotypes with restricted permeability, enhanced seed viability, and improved seeds quality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a novel approach for dynamic signature authentication based on the machine learning approach. In the proposed method, average values of features are taken into consideration for the verification. Here, seven different types (x and y coordinates, time stamp, pen ups and downs, azimuth, altitude and pressure) of features are used. The obtained extracted feature is learned into different classifiers. Different classifiers have been taken into consideration like random tree, Naive Bayes, random forest, J48, etc. These features are extracted from well-known SVC2004 dataset. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Here, a fast and eco-friendly one-pot hydrothermal technique is utilized for the synthesis of nitrogen/sulfur-co-doped fluorescent carbon quantum dots (NS-CQDs) from a simple precursor of citric acid (CA) and thiosemicarbazide (TSC). The obtained NS-CQDs exhibited strong blue emission under UV light, with fluorescence quantum yield (QY) of ~37.8%. The Commission internationale de l'eclairage (CIE) coordinates originated at (0.15, 0.07), which confirmed the blue fluorescence of the synthesized NS-CQDs. Interestingly, the prepared NS-CQDs were successfully used as a selective nanoprobe for the monitoring of environmentally hazardous explosive picric acid (PA) in different nitro- and non-nitro-aromatic derivatives of PA. The mechanism of the NS-CQDs was also explored, and was posited to occur via the fluorescence resonance electron transfer (FRET) process and non-fluorescent complex formation. Importantly, this system possesses excellent biocompatibility and low cytotoxicity in HeLa cervical cancer cells; hence, it can potentially be used for PA detection in analytical, environmental, and pathological applications. Furthermore, the practical applicability of the proposed sensing system to pond water demonstrated the feasibility of our system along with good recovery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Iron (Fe) is one of the key micronutrients essential for plant growth, yield and quality. Wheat (Triticum aestivum) and soybean (Glycine max) are important food crops but have relatively low Fe content in grains/seeds. Foliar application of Fe-invigorated bacteriosiderophore might increase Fe content in grain as well as improve overall plant growth. From a preliminary experiment conducted on soybean using 20 bacterial strains, Arthrobacter sp. (low siderophore producing) and Lysinibacillus fusiformis (high siderophore producing) were selected based on amount of siderophore produced and response of plants. This result was validated on field grown soybean and wheat crops by applying bacteriosiderophore with or without Fe on foliage. Siderophore was applied at flowering stage in both crops and observations were recorded on the sixth day after foliar spray. Significantly higher shoot biomass, area of leaves or flag leaf and tissue Fe concentration was recorded by siderophore produced by L. fusiformis with Fe as compared to Arthrobacter sp. In comparison to control (water), application of Fe fortified bacterial siderophore resulted not only in increased grain yield by 45% and 28% in wheat and soybean, respectively but also enhanced Fe concentration in grains by 1.7-fold in soybean to 2.0-fold in wheat. Partitioning of Fe in grain was higher in wheat as compared to soybean after foliar spray. Thus, we reported for the first time that bacteriosiderophore with added Fe as foliar application could be an economical and targeted agronomic approach towards Fe fortification in crop plants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dust storms affect the primary productivity of the ocean by providing necessary micronutrients to the surface layer. One such dust storm during March 2012 led to a substantial reduction in visibility and enhancement in aerosol optical depth (AOD) up to ~ 0.8 (AOD increased from 0.1 to 0.9) over the Arabian Sea. We explored the possible effects and mechanisms through which this particular dust storm could impact the ocean's primary productivity (phytoplankton concentration), using satellite-borne remote sensors and reanalysis model data (2003–2016). The climatological analyses revealed anomalous March 2012 in terms of dust deposition and enhancement in phytoplankton concentration in the month of March during 2003–2016 over this region. The studied dust storm accounts for increase in the daily average surface dust deposition rate from ~ 3 to ~53 mg m−2 day−1, which is followed by a significant enhancement in the chlorophyll-a (Chl_a) concentration (~ 2 to ~9 mg m−3). We show strong association between a dust storm and an event of anomalously high biological production (with a 4-day forward lag) in the Arabian Sea. We suggest that the increase in biological production results from the superposition of two complementary processes (deposition of atmospheric nutrients and deepening of the mixed layer due to dust-induced sea surface temperature cooling) that enhance nutrient availability in the euphotic layer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Bacteremia due to cholangitis can occur as a complication of biliary instrumentation. Biliary sepsis can result from frequent endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP).Methods: We hypothesized that routine use of antibiotics in patients who require frequent ERCPs leads to cholangitis resistant to empiric antibiotics used to treat biliary sepsis. We retrospectively reviewed patients with frequent biliary instrumentation and blood stream infection due to cholangitis. Conventional empiric antibiotics were defined as broad-spectrum antibacterial agents predominantly used for community-acquired infections and surgical prophylaxis. Broad-spectrum antibacterial agents used for hospital-onset/multidrug-resistant infections were defined as broad-spectrum MDR antibiotics.Results: Seventy-eight patients had bacteremia secondary to cholangitis from biliary obstruction. Over 50% of bacteria were not sensitive to conventional empiric antibiotics for biliary sepsis. Thirty-seven patients did not receive post-procedural antibiotics and forty-one patients did. Of the ones who did, 58% later had a bloodstream infection with bacteria resistant to the antibiotic used for prophylaxis, and 26 patients (63%) required a broad-spectrum MDR antibiotic for treatment. The number of ERCPs was not associated with resistance to prophylactic antibiotics (p 0.7103) or needing broad-spectrum MDR antibiotics for treatment of cholangitis-associated bacteremia (p 0.1868). Routine use of antibiotic prophylaxis after ERCP was associated with trend toward need for broad-spectrum MDR antibiotics for cholangitis-associated bacteremia, Chi-square 3.7, 0 0.0540.Conclusion: Bacterial resistance to conventional empiric antibiotics is an emerging problem. Blood cultures are needed to guide therapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Management of burn injuries are a growing concern, especially in determining the progression of healing. Several techniques are being practiced in clinics and have been considered all-time standard approaches to determine pre- and post-treatment outcomes of a healthy healing. However, these kinds of methods involve repeated biopsies and thereby hindering tissue repair. In view of this, our perspective was to develop a non-invasive tool in an attempt to provide a solution to determine the progression of healing, in vivo. Hence, the present study was designed to investigate the ability of laser-induced fluorescence (LIF) to monitor the variations in collagen intensity at various time points (0, 2, 6, 12, 18, 24, and 30 days) during burn tissue repair in mice, post low-power laser therapy (LPLT). The spectral findings demonstrated a significant change in collagen intensity as observed on day 24 (p < 0.05) and 30 (p < 0.01), when treated with LPLT (830 nm 3 J/cm2) as compared to untreated control. From the observation, it was evident that the LIF could objectively monitor the progression of burn tissue repair in vivo. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper we propose an effective method for static signature recognition from spontaneous handwritten text images. Our method relies on different aspects of writing: the presence of redundant patterns in the writing and its features. Signatures are analyzed at small fragments in which we seek to extract the patterns that an individual employs frequently as he writes. We exploit different features of writing like orientation, centroid and contour by computing a set of features from writing samples at different levels of observations. Orientation like intersecting point, edge point and gradient change of signature achieve great success in feature description. These features are extracted from the standard signature database and extracted features are trained and tested by machine learning (ML) approach. The machine learning approaches like Bagging, Random subspace (RS) and REP tree are used for classification purpose. Bagging with 10 iterations and base learner achieved efficiency upto 88 %. RS randomly selects features from feature set and creates new feature set. It uses decision tree as base classifier with different tree size. RS achieved efficiency same as Bagging but has more statistical errors. However, in case of REP tree we have achieved efficiency upto 75 %. The experimental results show that the Bagging and RS achieves promising results on publicly available data set. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although the System of Rice Intensification (SRI) has been reported to produce higher paddy ( Oryza sativa L.) yields with better-quality grains, little research has addressed the latter claim. This study investigated the interactive effects of rice cultivation methods with different irrigation schedules and plant density on the uptake and concentration of sulfur (S), zinc (Zn), iron (Fe), manganese (Mn) and copper (Cu) in the grain and straw of two rice cultivars during two rainy seasons in the northern plains of India. As the two seasons differed in amounts of rainfall, there were impacts of soil moisture differences on nutrient uptake. Plots with SRI cultivation methods enhanced the grain uptake and concentrations of S, Zn, Fe, Mn and Cu by 36, 32, 28, 32 and 63%, respectively, compared to conventional transplanting (CT). Under SRI management, the highest concentrations of S, Zn and Cu in the grain and straw occurred with irrigation intervals scheduled at 3 days after disappearance of ponded water (DADPW; 3), whereas Fe and Mn concentrations in the grain and straw were higher with irrigation at 1 DADPW (1) compared with plots under 3 or 5 DADPW (5). The higher nutrient uptakes were also manifested in higher grain yield in 1 and 3 plots (by 9 and 6%, respectively) compared with 5. Wider spacing (25 × 25 cm) compared with closer spacing (20 × 20 cm) significantly increased yield and the uptake and concentrations of all the said nutrients in the grains. When comparing the performance of two cultivars, the total uptakes of Zn, Fe, Mn and Cu in both grain and straw were significantly more in Hybrid 6444 than the improved variety Pant Dhan 4. Overall, SRI crop management compared to CT practices led to more biological fortification of rice grains with respect to S and the four micronutrients studied, giving a concomitant yield advantage of about 17% on average in this region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present work reports the photo-biomodulatory effect of red (632.8 nm) and near infrared (785 and 830 nm) lasers on burn injury in Swiss albino mice. Animals were induced with a 15-mm full thickness burn injury and irradiated with various fluences (1, 2, 3, 4, and 6 J/cm2) of each laser wavelength under study having a constant fluence rate (8.49 mW/cm2). The size of the injury following treatment was monitored by capturing the wound images at regular time intervals until complete healing. Morphometric assessment indicated that the group treated with 3-J/cm2 fluence of 830 nm had a profound effect on healing as compared to untreated controls and various fluences of other wavelengths under study. Histopathological assessment of wound repair on treatment with an optimum fluence (3 J/cm2) of 830 nm performed on days 2, 6, 12, and 18 post-wounding resulted in enhanced wound repair with migration of fibroblasts, deposition of collagen, and neovascularization as compared to untreated controls. The findings of the present study have clearly demonstrated that a single exposure of 3-J/cm2 fluence at 830-nm enhanced burn wound healing progression in mice, which is equivalent to 5 % povidone iodine treatment (reference standard), applied on a daily basis till complete healing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study deals with the investigation of different degrees of genetic resistance/resilience of Uttarakhand hill goats to natural infection with gastrointestinal nematodes in order to introduce into breeding schemes. Animals were naturally infected with Haemonchus contortus, Teladorsagia circumcincta, Oesophagostomum spp. and Trichostrongylus spp. Faecal egg counts (FEC) were carried out every month for a period of 1 year and blood samples were collected every third month for the determination of indicator traits such as FEC, packed cell volume (PCV) and haemoglobin (Hb). The mean egg per gram (EPG), PCV and Hb were 1,579.6 ± 346, 35.12 ± 1.1 and 8.7 ± 0.2, respectively. The goats were divided into three groups (<800, 801-2,000 and >2,000) based on EPG. The EPG showed a negative correlation with both Hb and PCV (P<0.01). Therefore, it was concluded that the Hb and PCV value would decrease, if EPG increases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Main conclusion: This study demonstrates a dose-dependent response of Trichoderma harzianum Th-56 in improving drought tolerance in rice by modulating proline, SOD, lipid peroxidation product and DHN / AQU transcript level, and the growth attributes. In the present study, the effect of colonization of different doses of T. harzianum Th-56 strain in rice genotypes were evaluated under drought stress. The rice genotypes treated with increasing dose of T. harzianum strain Th-56 showed better drought tolerance as compared with untreated control plant. There was significant change in malondialdehyde, proline, higher superoxide dismutase level, plant height, total dry matter, relative chlorophyll content, leaf rolling, leaf tip burn, and the number of scorched/senesced leaves in T. harzianum Th-56 treated rice genotypes under drought stress. This was corroborated with altered expression of aquaporin and dehydrin genes in T. harzianum Th-56 treated rice genotypes. The present findings suggest that a dose of 30 g/L was the most effective in improving drought tolerance in rice, and its potential exploitation will contribute to the advancement of rice genotypes to sustain crop productivity under drought stress. Interaction studies of T. harzianum with three aromatic rice genotypes suggested that PSD-17 was highly benefitted from T. harzianum colonization under drought stress. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is one of the deadliest forms of human brain tumors. The infiltrative pattern of growth of these tumors includes the spread of individual and/or clusters of tumor cells at some distance from the main tumor mass in parts of the brain protected by an intact blood-brain-barrier. Pathophysiological studies of GBM could be greatly enhanced by analytical techniques capable of in situ single-cell resolution measurements of infiltrating tumor cells. Magnesium homeostasis is an area of active investigation in high grade gliomas. In the present study, we have used the F98 rat glioma as a model of human GBM and an elemental/isotopic imaging technique of secondary ion mass spectrometry, a CAMECA IMS-3f ion microscope, for studying Mg distribution with single-cell resolution in freeze-dried brain tissue cryosections. Quantitative observations were made on tumor cells in the main tumor mass, contiguous brain tissue, and infiltrating tumor cells in adjacent normal brain. The brain tissue contained a significantly lower total Mg concentration of 4.70 ± 0.93 mmol/kg wet weight (mean ± SD) in comparison to 11.64 ± 1.96 mmol/kg wet weight in tumor cells of the main tumor mass and 10.72 ± 1.76 mmol/kg wet weight in infiltrating tumor cells ( p < 0.05). The nucleus of individual tumor cells contained elevated levels of bound Mg. These observations have established that there was enhanced influx and increased binding of Mg in tumor cells. They provide strong support for further investigation of altered Mg homeostasis and activation of Mg-transporting channels in GBMs as possible therapeutic targets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A 2-year field experiment was conducted during the wet seasons (July-October) of 2008 and 2009 on a Typic Hapludoll Mollisol in Indo-Gangetic Plains Region (IGPR) to: (i) investigate the effects of field water re-ponding intervals and plant spacing on the growth, yield, and water productivity (WP) of two rice cultivars under system of rice intensification (SRI) management, and (ii) assess comparative performance of SRI versus 'best management practices'(BMP) of rice cultivation. This experiment was designed with 14 treatments, 12 under SRI, and 2 BMP (controls). SRI treatments comprised of 3 irrigation regimes viz, irrigation at 1, 3, and 5 day(s) after disappearance of ponded water (DADPW), 2 plant spacings (20 × 20, 25 × 25 cm), and 2 rice cultivars (Pant Dhan 4 and Hybrid 6444). Two BMP (control) treatments comprised of standard cultivation recommendations for flooding and spacing. The experiment was laid-out in a factorial randomized complete block design with three replications. Statistical analysis of data revealed significant variations in root-shoot characteristics and rice yield under SRI between years, reflecting different rainfall patterns. During 2009, a low rainfall year, the panicle numbers m, dry root weight m, root volume m, filled spikelet number panicle, and filled spikelet weight panicle were significantly higher, which resulted in a rice grain yield enhancement by 5.1 % over 2008, when there was unusually heavy rainfall. Climate × irrigation regime interaction revealed a non-significant influence of irrigation regimes on growth and yield during 2008, whereas in 2009, irrigation at 1 DADPW and 3 DADPW increased grain yield by 12.8 and 8 %, respectively over 5 DADPW. Better root-zone soil moisture regimes, balancing water, and oxygen availability were responsible for higher yields under irrigation at 1 and 3 DADPW. In 2008, soil moisture content (SMC) in 0-15 cm layer was 91, 86, and 82 % of field capacity (FC) at panicle initiation, and 88, 80, and 77 % at panicle emergence stage when irrigation was at 1, 3, and 5 DADPW, respectively; the lower layers (15-30, 30-45 cm) retained their SMC between 87 and 94 % of FC at both stages. During 2009, SMC in all the three layers at both stages was more than 85 % of FC when irrigating at 1 DADPW, and a little more than 70 % for the 0-15 cm layer and >80 % for the other two layers when irrigation was done at 3 DADPW. SMC dropped to below 60 % of FC in the 0-15 cm layer and remained between 67 and 77 % of FC in the other two layers, with lower yield resulting when irrigations were applied at 5 DADPW. However, WP was the highest with irrigation at 5 DADPW (38.5 kg ha cm). Wider plant spacing (25 × 25 cm) resulted in generally and significantly higher grain yield and WP. On an average, SRI (6.1 t ha) resulted in yield advantage of 0.9 t ha over BMP (5.2 t ha). Overall, it is inferred that in SRI, wider planting (25 × 25 cm) with field re-ponding at 3 DADPW if there is adequate water availability and at 5 DADPW under limited water supply conditions, may lead to higher rice yields and WP in sub-humid tarai Mollisols of IGPR and comparable agro-climatic conditions in Indian sub-continent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

System of rice intensification (SRI) is a water-saving agro-technique being popularized in Southern Asia including India. A particular key practice in SRI, reduced water application (no continuous flooding), needs to be more farmer-friendly for its mass adoption under traditional and non-traditional cultivation. A field experiment was conducted maintaining different water regimes throughout the crop season (vegetative as well as reproductive stages) by scheduling irrigation applications at 1, 3, or 5 days after disappearance of ponded water (DADPW), using two different plant spacings and two different varieties. With an increase in the period of water stress, tiller production was increased significantly ( P ≤ 0.05) and found to be maximum under prolonged stress, i.e., 5 days after disappearance of ponded water (5 DADPW). Increased tiller production did not result in yield increments, but yield-contributing parameters (panicle weight, grain weight per panicle, filled grain percentage, and test weight) were confirmed as critical determinants of yield. Plant nutrient (NPK) uptake was reduced under stress conditions, but the translocation of phosphorus and potassium from sources to sink was increased significantly in this study. Nutrient utilization efficiency was also enhanced under mild (3 DADPW) to prolonged (5 DADPW) water stress conditions. No significant reduction in yield was recorded under mild water stress, and this resulted in increased water productivity; however, significant yield loss was observed under prolonged water stress (5 DADPW). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]