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The study assessed natural radioactivity in Rohtak and Jind districts, Haryana, India. Concentrations of radionuclides in soil and building materials were measured using gamma-ray spectroscopy. The "Canister Technique" was employed to estimate radon mass exhalation and surface exhalation rates. Results showed low radiation doses from soil radioactivity, with activity concentrations ranging from 3.7 to 51.7 Bq/kg for radium, 7.3 to 96 Bq/kg for thorium, and 52.2 to 585 Bq/kg for potassium. The findings also calculated radium equivalent activity, annual effective dose rate, hazard indices, and excess life time cancer risk. This research highlights the importance of understanding natural radioactivity for assessing environmental radiation exposure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, we use two newly powerful and efficient techniques, the unified method and the unified Riccati equation expansion (UREE) method, to derive solitary wave solutions for the (1 + 1)-dimensional longitudinal wave equation (LWE), presenting a systematic approach to reveal the underlying dynamics. By incorporating mathematical analysis and numerical simulations, we investigate the behavior and properties of these solitary wave solutions in various fields of science. The derived solutions are entirely new, and these findings show the essential complexities of the longitudinal wave equation. These obtained solutions shed light on the fundamental mechanisms governing solitary waves in the longitudinal wave equation, contributing to a deeper understanding of nonlinear wave phenomena. We present effective visualizations of the dynamical wave structures using various graphs, such as 3D, 2D, and contour plots in the obtained solutions to improve our comprehensive understanding. Consequently, numerous types of wave profiles, including periodic wave, interaction between periodic wave and kink wave, W-shape wave, kink wave, interaction between breather wave and kink wave, traveling wave, mixed periodic, singular soliton, and some new types of soliton profiles were found. Consequently, this work presents a comprehensive study of solitary wave solutions using the unified method and UREE method for the (1 + 1)-dimensional LWE equation. The outcomes of the current study manifest that the considered methods are significant and systematic in solving nonlinear evolution equations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Cervical pedicle screw-rod fixation presents a complex approach in spinal surgery, offering enhanced spine stabilization in variable conditions considering traumatic injuries, degenerative changes, as well as orthopaedic and oncological ailments. This technique employs small diameter screw implants strategically placed to bolster the mechanical integrity of the spine. Notably, it involves minimally invasive procedures, resulting in smaller incisions and reduced patient discomfort. This study aims to assess the effects of trapezoidal thread screws in pedicle sections of the cervical spine during flexion-extension loadings, focusing on factors such as range of motion (ROM), implant stress, and stress on adjacent bone. Methods: Utilizing CT scan data, a finite element model of the cervical spine (C2-C7 vertebrae) was prepared. Trapezoidal thread screws were integrated into a single-level pedicle screw-rod fixation at the C5-C6 vertebrae. The C2 vertebra were given a compressive load of 50 N along with a moment of 1 Nm, resulting in the immobilization of the C7. Results and Discussion: The results indicate a reduction in ROM at the C5-C6 level by 69% to 77% compared to the intact spine during flexion-extension loading, with a slight increase in ROM observed at adjacent cervical spine levels. Stress analysis revealed that the trapezoidal thread screws induced stresses ranging from 24 MPa to 29 MPa in PEEK trapezoidal screw-rod implants, which fall below the material's yield stress. Conclusions: This suggests that the trapezoidal thread profile may be advantageous in minimizing stress concentration, attributed to its larger contact area with the vertebrae bone between the threads. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Unfavourable operating conditions of equipment in the energy industry resulting from high-temperature loads determine the need to use special materials and technological solutions, including welding procedures. In this article, buttering using IN82 (ERNiCr-3) consumables was proposed as a method to improve the weldability of grade 92 steel joined by the gas tungsten arc welding (GTAW) process with AISI 304L (IN617 filler). The microstructural characterization of samples was carried out using an optical microscope, scanning electron microscope (SEM) and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy. The welded joint was further characterized by hardness, tensile (room temperature and at 620 °C temperature) and impact tests. Additionally, the fracture surfaces of tensile and impact tests were studied by SEM. Despite the confirmation of the diffusion of alloying elements and significant changes in their concentration, which indicates the formation of Ti and Nb-rich phases, no welding imperfections were detected and favourable joint structures and acceptable properties were obtained. In particular, this concerns the limitation of the formation of brittle structures and the elimination of the untempered martensitic layer. At the same time, there was a significant decrease in the maximum hardness of heat-affected zone (HAZ) on the grade 92 steel side to a relatively low value of 310 HV, and a minimum tensile strength criterion of 600 MPa was achieved with a simultaneous increase in ductility (35% elongation) of the joint. Comparatively, when compared to a non-buttered welded joint, the joint produced with a buttering layer exhibited an increase in the elongation and impact toughness of the welded joint without any compromise in ultimate tensile strength (Sut). The fracture surface of tensile and impact-tested specimens was also characterized using SEM/EDS. Summarizing all the results, it can be concluded that the proposed GTAW procedure of grade 92 and 304L steels can be used in extreme working conditions, in ultra-supercritical power units or the petrochemical and chemical industries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climate change poses significant challenges to human societies and natural ecosystems, necessitating comprehensive vulnerability assessments to develop appropriate adaptation stratigies. This study focuses on Central India and employs a multidimensional approach to evaluate the composite vulnerability at the district level. By integrating environmental (8 indicators) and socio-economic (5 indicators) factors, this study offers a nuanced understanding of vulnerability patterns in the region. The methodology involves the selection of indicators based on past literature and preliminary investigation, followed by secondary data collection from environmental and socio-economic factors. The data is analysed using an indicator-based approach, normalisation, weighting, and developing vulnerability indexes. This analysis is structured in three phases: Environmental Vulnerability Index (EVI), Socio-economic Vulnerability Index (SVI), and Composite Vulnerability Index (CVI). The results of CVI revealed that districts with a lower CVI (0.321–0.378), such as Gwalior, Jabalpur, and Bhopal, exhibited decreased vulnerability because of a lower level of climatic extremes affected areas, reduced percentage of socially deprived population and a higher value of HDI. Districts with medium CVI (0.381–0.407), such as Damoh, Indore, and Shahdol, exhibited moderate resilience. On the other hand, districts with high (0.409–0.402) and very high CVI (0.448–0.540), such as Narsimhapur, Betul, Balaghat, Chhindwara, Alirajpur, and Barwani, encountered notable susceptibility because of factors such as dependence on agriculture, a substantial proportion of socially deprived population, occurrences of droughts and floods. Hierarchical cluster analysis validated vulnerability classifications, enhancing the credibility of assessments. The research underscores the importance of considering climate change vulnerability assessments for effective policy formulation and adaptive strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present article deals with the optimization of additives used to improve penetration resistance of Himalayan soil and designing the pavement thickness. Eggshell powder, polypropylene fiber and sodium chloride were used as additives in a fine-grained soil for improvement in soil properties as a subgrade material. Optimization of additives was done using Taguchi method and MINITAB 21 software was employed for the analytical analysis of the responses obtained from the laboratory tests. The test results showed that the additives have potential for improvement in penetration resistance of fine-grained soil by 2.26 and 2.0 times that of untreated soil under unsoaked and soaked conditions respectively leading to considerable reduction in pavement thickness. The correlations given by the US Army Corps of Engineers and Indian Road Congress were used for determining the pavement thickness. Pavement thickness offered by US Army Corps of Engineers method is less and misleading to consider for pavement construction, whereas Indian Road Congress method has proved far better by offering rational lateral dimension for designing Indian rural hilly roads. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Restrictive operating conditions (even exceeding 700 °C) of materials in advanced ultra super critical (AUSC) power plants and the need to minimize manufacturing and maintenance costs require the production of dissimilar metal welded joints (DMW). Significant differences in the physical and chemical properties of welded materials lead to phenomena that reduce the weldability of the metals used and force the search for solutions that limit unfavorable phenomena, e.g., the use of buttering layers. The study presents a comparison of two types of joints with Alloy 617 (UNS N06617) and ferritic P92 (UNS K92460) steel made using Inconel 82 (ENiCrFe-3) and Inconel 617 (ERNiCrCoMo-1) alloys buttering layer and the corresponding chemical composition of filler metals. All areas of the joints made with the gas tungsten arc welding process were subjected to structural investigations (optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) and mechanical tests (microhardness, room and high temperature tensile, and toughness testing). Despite the more complicated welding procedure, sound welded joints were obtained with favorable properties resulting, inter alia, from the reduced thickness of the martensite layer in HAZ of P92 steel and the limited diffusion of alloy components compared to welded joints without the buttering layer. This also resulted in a reduction of the maximum hardness (especially in the case of Inconel 82 buttering—by 15–30 HV0.5 in comparison with Inconel 617 buttering) and an increase in strength while limiting the decrease in plasticity (even 663 MPa tensile strength and 21% of elongation for Inconel 617 buttered joint). Moreover, improved high-temperature performance (approximately 70–100 MPa) of the welded joint following the application of the buttering layer was confirmed. The presented results allow for drawing general conclusions that both proposed welding procedures can be recommended for use in the working conditions occurring at AUSC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The photovoltaic thermal systems can concurrently produce electricity and thermal energy while maintaining a relatively low module temperature. The phase change material (PCM) can be utilized as an intermediate thermal energy storage medium in photovoltaic thermal systems. In this work, an investigation based on an experimental study on a hybrid photovoltaic thermal (PV/T) system with phase change material has been carried out under the weather condition of north India to compare its output with a standalone photovoltaic system. The organic phase change material (melting point range 37 °C to 42 °C) was utilized to store thermal energy on the backside of the photovoltaic module. A sheet and tube type absorber was constructed with a spiral-shaped cooling water circulation channel within a PCM container to extract the stored heat. The energy and exergy-based analyses were performed to evaluate the performance of the PV/T PCM system in comparison to the regular PV module. A maximum reduction of 27% in module temperature was found at a water flow rate of 1 LPM. PV/T PCM system achieved the highest electrical, exergy, and thermal efficiencies of 14.32%, 15.59%, and 53.78%, respectively, while the regular PV module achieved the highest electrical efficiency of 12%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

This paper is on the concept of quantum steering and quantum entanglement of two observers. The concept is applied to a multi-view computer vision system that incorporates two cameras. Three separate multi-view static camera setups are used to compare the recognition accuracy and to improve the arrangement of cameras in gesture recognition and classroom organisation applications. Prominent features which are partially hidden from a viewpoint can increase performance if given attention. In view of that, this paper proposes an entanglement-based ranking technique that updates the weights of attentive features to improve the classification rate. Principles of entanglement are also used to optimise the position of cameras such that the authoritative hidden features are visible. The proposed technique has a high recognition rate with static cameras. It also shows a low error rate in the field of view when switching to other applications. The results are validated with derangement and Bland–Altman agreement test. The entanglement approach for determining the fine-tuned position of static cameras in a recognition task outperforms many active camera networks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to investigate the effects of different functional groups on graphene on the mechanical behavior of carbon fiber reinforced epoxy composites were fabricated by hand layup technique. In this study, three different variety of functionalized graphene (–NH2, –COOH, and –OH) with varying weight percent (i.e. 0.1, 0.3, and 0.5 wt%) was considered. Tensile, interlaminar, and three-point flexural tests were conducted to evaluate the effects of graphene concentration and fiber stacking sequence (i.e. 0/90° and 0/90/ ± 45°) on composites. The microstructures of the composites were characterized by a scanning electron microscope. Experimental results showed that pristine and functionalized graphene significantly improved the mechanical properties of carbon fiber epoxy composites. Compared to neat carbon fiber epoxy composites, the maximum tensile strength of 33.34% and 26.35% were noticed for 0/90°–COOH–0.5 and 0/90/ ± 45°–NH2–0.3 stacked functionalized graphene modified carbon fiber epoxy composites, respectively. Moreover, 48.44% and 59.1% flexural strength were recorded for 0/90°–COOH–0.3 and 0/90/ ± 45°–OH–0.5 stacked functionalized graphene modified carbon fiber epoxy composites, respectively. Furthermore, maximum interlaminar shear strength (ILSS) of 120.25% was observed for 0/90/ ± 45° stacked carbon fiber epoxy composites. Finally, the results obtained with graphene as reinforcement filler can cause a significant improvement in the mechanical performance of fiber composites. Henceforth, they can also be considered as a promising candidate for designing composites for structural applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This work focuses on enhancing the photocatalytic activity of Co1−xZnxFe2O4 (cobalt-zinc nanoferrite) via peroxymonosulfate (PMS) activation for high-performance sulfosalicylic acid (SSA) degradation. The optimal Co0.7Zn0.3Fe2O4 (C2) sample led to the best photocatalytic performance for PMS activation under visible light. The photoluminescence and electrochemical impedance measurements confirmed the higher charge separation for C2 catalyst. The radical quenching and ESR tests revealed that SO4−• and •OH radicals were the dominant reactive species with little contribution from singlet oxygen for SSA degradation. The presence of Fe3+/Fe2+ and Co3+/Co2+ redox cycles enhanced the PMS activation to a great extent. Interestingly, the hydroxyl radicals were generated via the PMS activation route and contributed to degradation. As a result, photocatalysis and PMS activation complemented one another and improved performance. The best catalyst was also tested for the photocatalytic activity coupled with PMS activation for other pollutants including bisphenol A, tetracycline, rhodamine B, and 2,4-dichlorophenol. Additionally, due to their strong ferromagnetism and stability, the ferrites can be readily isolated magnetically from treated waste water, indicating their potential application in large-scale wastewater treatment for various contaminants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, we use two extremely efficient methods, generalized Kudryashov (GK) and generalized Riccati equation mapping (GREM), to extract various optical wave soliton solutions to the (2+1)-dimensional Davey-Stewartson Fokas (DS-Fokas) system, which is an ideal model for nonlinear pulse propagation in monomode optical fibers. The employed methods are very efficient and robust mathematical approaches for solving various nonlinear models of a variety of nonlinear Schrödinger's equations (NLSEs) in mathematical physics and sciences. Firstly, the traveling wave transformation converts the given nonlinear equation with a partial derivative into an ordinary differential equation (ODE). Then, different novel types of optical soliton solutions are attained using the abovementioned methods. Indeed, the obtained solutions are beneficial and important for explaining the physical phenomena of the DS-Fokas model. In the literature survey, we have found that these acquired solutions are very new and have not been discussed earlier. Some numerical simulations of the solutions have been performed for a better understanding of the results obtained with the use of symbolic computations. Furthermore, these obtained solutions are discussed graphically to attain a deep knowledge and vision of the mechanisms of all nonlinear phenomena. As a result, the wave profiles of the lump soliton, bell-shaped soliton, anti-bell-shaped soliton, periodic soliton, multisoliton, and other solitons have been displayed using three-dimensional (3D) contour plots and two-dimensional (2D) plots created with the computer software Mathematica 11.3. Moreover, the above-utilized techniques have been assumed to be essential tools for describing some nonlinear physical phenomena, namely, the nonlinear pulse propagations in monomode optical fibers, fluid mechanics, and plasma physics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aims to evaluate the performance of rotating aluminum electrodes in the electrocoagulation reactor for removing hexavalent chromium (Cr6+) from synthetic tannery wastewater. Taguchi and Artificial Neural Network (ANN) based models were developed to obtain the optimum condition for maximum Cr6+ removal. The optimum working condition obtained by Taguchi approach for the maximum Cr6+ removal (94%) was: Initial Cr6+ concentration (Cr6+i) = 15 mg/L; Current Density (CD) = 14.25 mA/cm2; Intial pH = 5; Rotational Speed of Electrode (RSE) = 70 rpm. In contrast, the optimal condition for maximum Cr6+ ions removal (98.83%) obtained from the BR-ANN model was: Cr6+i = 15 mg/L; CD = 14.36 mA/cm2; pHi = 5.2; RSE = 73 rpm. Compared to the Taguchi model, the BR-ANN model outperformed in terms of providing higher Cr6+ removal (+ 4.83%); reduced energy demand (-0.035 KWh/gm Cr6+ remove); lower error function value (χ2 = -7.9674 and RMSE = -3.5414); and highest R2 value (0.9991). The data for the conditions 91,007 < Re < 227,517 and Sc = 102.834 were found to fit the equation for the initial Cr6+ concentration of 15 mg/l; Sh = 3.143Re0.125 Sc0.33. The Cr6+ removal kinetics was best described by Pseudo 2nd Order model, as validated by high R2 and lower error functions value. The SEM and XRF analysis confirmed that Cr6+ was adsorbed and precipitated along with metal hydroxide sludge. The rotating electrode led to lower SEEC (10.25 kWh/m3), as well as maximum Cr6+ removal (98.83%), compared to EC process with stationary electrodes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Tuberous sclerosis is an autosomal dominant neurocutaneous disorder characterized by hamartoma formation in various organ systems leading to highly variable clinical presentation. These patients pose a challenge to anesthesiologists due to multisystem involvement. Case presentation: Herein, we report the successful anesthetic management of a 25-year-old parturient with tuberous sclerosis who underwent an emergency cesarean section in view of cephalopelvic disproportion. She had a seizure disorder, bilateral renal angiomyolipomas, angiofibroma over the cheeks, periungual fibroma on the right toe, and nodular lesions near the base of the tongue and oropharynx. We opted for regional anesthesia to avoid airway instrumentation, drug interaction, and renal insult. Conclusions: Anesthetic management of tuberous sclerosis depends upon the extent and severity of the involvement of various organs. Careful assessment, thorough evaluation, and preoperative planning are crucial for dealing with the difficulties and complications encountered during the management of these cases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this study is to synthesise the findings of clinical studies in order to derive evidence for use of the mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) therapy in the treatment of neurodegenerative cerebellar ataxias. In order to find relevant studies for the systematic review, we searched through Medline (1985 to July 2020), PubMed and Clinical trial register. We included both single-arm and comparative studies in which MSCs were given as intervention in neurodegenerative ataxia patients at any time after the diagnosis. We used Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) quality scale to evaluate the methodological qualities of the included studies. Our literature search obtained 81 publications. Three articles comprising a total of 47 patients were included in the meta-analysis. None of them were randomised controlled trials (RCTs). Pooled analysis noted that there was a decrease in the Berg Balance Scale (BBS)/Scale for the Assessment and Rating of Ataxia (SARA) score from pre to post assessment; however, the difference was statistically not significant (standardised mean difference (SMD) − 0.20; 95% CI − 0.78 to 0.38). No significant side effects were reported in any of the studies. We did not observe any statistically significant difference in the pooled mean difference in the International Cooperative Ataxia Rating Scale (ICARS) score between pre and post assessment in patients with ataxia after receiving the stem cells (SMD 0.36, 95% CI − 0.08 to 0.81). Our systematic review and meta-analysis concluded that MSC cell therapy appeared safe but provided insufficient evidence to support the use of MSCs to treat patients with neurodegenerative cerebellar ataxia at present. No l RCTs was available in the literature to test efficacy; therefore, well-designed RCTs are needed to ascertain the effectiveness of MSCs in patients with neurodegenerative cerebellar ataxias. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article establishes a few sufficient conditions of the forward-order law for the core inverse of elements in rings with involution. It also presents the forward-order law for the weighted core inverse and the triple forward-order law for the core inverse. Additionally, we discuss the hybrid forward-order law involving different generalized inverses like the Moore–Penrose inverse, the group inverse, and the core inverse. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The work is focused on examining the effect of the weld groove geometry on microstructure, mechanical behaviour, residual stresses and distortion of Alloy 617/P92 steel dissimilar metal weld (DMW) joints. Manual multi-pass tungsten inert gas welding with ERNiCrCoMo-1 filler was employed to fabricate the DMW for two different groove designs: Narrow V groove (NVG) and Double V groove (NVG). The microstructural examination suggested a heterogeneous microstructure evolution at the interface of the P92 steel and ERNiCrCoMo-1 weld, including the macrosegregation and element diffusion near the interface. The interface structure included the beach parallel to the fusion boundary at the P92 steel side, the peninsula connected to the fusion boundary and the island within the weld metal and partially melted zone along Alloy 617 fusion boundary. An uneven distribution of beach, peninsula and island structures along the fusion boundary of P92 steel was confirmed from optical and SEM images of interfaces. The major diffusion of the Fe from P92 steel to ERNiCrCoMo-1 weld and Cr, Co, Mo, and Ni from ERNiCrCoMo-1 weld to P92 steel were witnessed from SEM/EDS and EMPA map. The Mo-rich M6C and Cr-rich M23C6 phases were detected in inter-dendritic areas of the weld metal using the weld's SEM/EDS, XRD and EPMA study, which formed due to the rejection of Mo from the core to inter-dendritic locations during solidification. The other phases detected in the ERNiCrCoMo-1 weld were Ni3(Al, Ti), Ti(C, N), Cr7C3 and Mo2C. A variation in the microstructure of weld metal from top to root and also along the transverse direction in terms of composition and dendritic structure and also due to the composition gradient between dendrite core and inter-dendritic areas, a significant variation in hardness of weld metal was observed from both top to root and also in the transverse direction. The peak hardness was measured in CGHAZ of P92 while the minimum was in ICHAZ of P92 steel. Tensile test studies of both NVG and DVG welds joint demonstrated that failure occurred at P92 steel in both, room-temperature and high-temperature tensile tests and ensured the welded joint's applicability for advanced ultra-supercritical applications. However, the strength of the welded joint for both types of joints was measured as lower than the strength of the base metals. In Charpy impact testing of NVG and DVG welded joints, specimens failed in two parts with a small amount of plastic deformation and impact energy of 99 ± 4 J for the NVG welds joint and 91 ± 3 J for the DVG welded joint. The welded joint met the criteria for boiler applications in terms of impact energy (minimum 42 J as per European Standard EN ISO15614-1:2017 and 80 J as per fast breeder reactor application). In terms of microstructural and mechanical properties, both welded joints are acceptable. However, the DVG welded joint showed minimum distortion and residual stresses compared to the NVG welded joint. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the present work, performance analysis of solar air heaters comprised of winglet type roughness element embedded on the surface plate has been presented using liquid crystal thermography (LCT) approach to evaluate the collector heat transfer enhancement as well as the pressure drop characteristics across the rectangular test section. The important factors that directly affect heat transfer enhancement value and the pressure characteristics are based on the present case of roughened surface which is compared with the smooth surface under a similar flowing condition. The non-dimensional parameters for the roughness element considered as relative roughness pitch (P/e) of 5–12, attack angle (alpha) values of 30°–75°, relative roughness width(W/w) of 3–7, and Reynolds number (Re) range between 3000 – 22,000 in terms of different values of air mass flow rate (m) has also been evaluated. The following values of parametric condition and its effect on Nusselt number, friction factor, and the pressure drop characteristics across the given test section were analyzed. Thus, its optimum improved value due to roughened surface has been compared with the smooth surface. However, the higher value of pressure drop across the test section is also compared to that of the smooth one under the given condition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The ongoing search for therapeutic interventions in Alzheimer disease (AD) has highlighted the complexity of this condition and the need for additional biomarkers, beyond amyloid-β (Aβ) and tau, to improve clinical assessment. Astrocytes are brain cells that control metabolic and redox homeostasis, among other functions, and are emerging as an important focus of AD research owing to their swift response to brain pathology in the initial stages of the disease. Reactive astrogliosis — the morphological, molecular and functional transformation of astrocytes during disease — has been implicated in AD progression, and the definition of new astrocytic biomarkers could help to deepen our understanding of reactive astrogliosis along the AD continuum. As we highlight in this Review, one promising biomarker candidate is the astrocytic α7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (α7nAChR), upregulation of which correlates with Aβ pathology in the brain of individuals with AD. We revisit the past two decades of research into astrocytic α7nAChRs to shed light on their roles in the context of AD pathology and biomarkers. We discuss the involvement of astrocytic α7nAChRs in the instigation and potentiation of early Aβ pathology and explore their potential as a target for future reactive astrocyte-based therapeutics and imaging biomarkers in AD. This Review highlights how two discoveries — expression of α7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (α7nAChRs) by astrocytes and a correlation between astrocytic α7nAChR overexpression and amyloid-β pathology — are bridging the gap between the cholinergic and amyloid cascade hypotheses of Alzheimer disease pathogenesis. Key points: Overexpression of α7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (α7nAChRs) in astrocytes correlates with amyloid-β (Aβ) pathology in the brain of individuals with Alzheimer disease (AD). Experiments in animal models of AD indicate that α7nAChRs contribute to Aβ spreading and deposition. Reactive astrocytes characterized by α7nAChR overexpression hold promise as an early biomarker for AD. Experimental work using α7nAChRs agonists suggests that through the modulation of reactive astrogliosis, Aβ spreading might be prevented at an early stage of AD. A multitracer imaging approach with astrocyte and α7nAChR PET radiotracers is essential to further explore the role of α7nAChRs and their interplay with reactive astrogliosis across the AD continuum. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A thermoregulating smart textile based on phase change material (PCM) polyethylene glycol (PEG) was prepared by chemically grafting carboxyl-terminated PEG onto cotton. Further deposits of graphene oxide (GO) nanosheets were made on the PEG grafted cotton (PEG-g-Cotton) to improve the thermal conductivity of the fabric and to block harmful UV radiation. The GO-PEG-g-Cotton was characterized by Attenuated total reflectance-Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR), Raman spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction (XRD), x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and field emission-scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM). With an enthalpy of 37 and 36 J/g, respectively, the DSC data revealed that the functionalized cotton's melting and crystallization maxima occurred at 58 °C and 40 °C, respectively. The thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) presented that GO-PEG-g-Cotton was thermally more stable in comparison to pure cotton. The thermal conductivity of PEG-g-Cotton increased to 0.52 W/m K after GO deposition, while pure cotton conductivity was measured as 0.045 W/m K. The improvement in the UV protection factor (UPF) of GO-PEG-g-Cotton was observed indicating excellent UV blocking. This temperature-regulating smart cotton offers a high thermal energy storage capability, better thermal conductivity, thermal stability, and excellent UV protection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A dissimilar joint of martensitic grade P92 and Ni-based Inconel 617 (IN617) alloy are employed commonly in advanced ultra-supercritical (AUSC) units to fabricate thick section components such as steam pipes and turbine rotors. This study investigated the weldability of the IN617 alloy and P92 steel dissimilar welds. Ni-based superalloy ERNiCrMo-3 filler was used to attempt the dissimilar joining for conventional V groove and narrow groove design by employing the gas tungsten arc welding (GTAW) process. The weld metal for the capping pass, backing pass, and near the interface showed the columnar and cellular grains while equiaxed grains are observed corresponding to root and filling passes. The energy dispersive spectroscopy and Electron probe micro-analyzer (EMPA) study confirmed the segregation of the Nb and Mo particles in inter-dendritic spaces and resulted in the formation of the Nb-rich NbC and laves phases and Mo-rich phases. The EDS line map and EPMA study of the P92 interface showed a sharp increase in Cr, Mo, and Ni concentration and a steep decrease in Fe concentration as moving from P92 base metal to weld metal. A negligible diffusion from filler weld to IN617 or vice versa across the IN617 interface was detected. The microhardness gradient along the weldments indicated a sharp rise in hardness value near the P92 fusion boundary due to the formation of the unmixed zone of lower hardness and the P92 coarse-grained heat-affected zone of higher hardness. The weld metal hardness results showed a great variation with an average hardness value for V groove and narrow groove welds of 227 and 262 HV, respectively. The mechanical tests were conducted at the ambient temperatures and data obtained for the weldments were compared with the base metals. The room temperature tensile tests showed the failure from the region of the P92 BM or the interface of P92 BM/weld metal, with joint strength of 646 ± 6 MPa and 747 ± 4 MPa in AW conditions for V groove and narrow groove, respectively. The Charpy impact test (CIT) also showed the variation in impact toughness along the weldments, and the ERNiCrMo-3 filler weld was identified as the weakest region of the welded joint in terms of impact toughness for both the groove designs. The residual stress variation along the thickness of the weld plate was measured using the deep hole drilling (DHT) methods, and the results indicated the peak magnitude of the residual stress for the V groove welded joint. The test results indicated that welded joint produced using ERNiCrMo-3 filler was safe for AUSC power plants' boiler applications for both the groove weld while optimum mechanical properties were measured for narrow groove weld. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Schizophrenia is a neurological disorder that alters the behavior and affects the quality of life of a patient. It is characterized by hallucinations, disorganized behavior, cognitive dysfunction, hyperlocomotion, and loss of the reward system. Schizophrenia constitutes three symptoms' domains, viz. positive, negative and cognitive. Typical and atypical antipsychotics do not fully resolve all the symptoms' domains thus paving the way to the genesis of the glutamatergic hypothesis, i.e. N-methyl-d-aspartate (NMDA) receptor hypofunction in the pathophysiology of schizophrenia. Positive modulation of NMDA receptors by enhancing co-agonist, glycine effect is proposed to produce a therapeutic effect in schizophrenia. Hence, sarcosine (N-methyl glycine), natural amino acid, and a glycine transporter inhibitor (GlyT-1) which also acts on NMDA receptors were used in the present study. The present study unravels the role of sarcosine in the attenuation of ketamine-induced three symptom domains in a rat model through modulation of oxidative stress, mitochondrial dysfunction, and neuroinflammatory pathways. The animal model of schizophrenia was established by injecting ketamine intraperitoneal (ip) at a 30 mg/kg dose for 10 consecutive days, after which sarcosine (300, 600 mg/kg, ip) as a treatment was given for 7 days followed by behavioral, biochemical, molecular, and histopathological analysis. It was revealed that sarcosine reversed ketamine-induced behavioral impairments. Moreover, sarcosine ameliorated oxidative and nitrosative stress, mitochondrial dysfunction, and neuroinflammation and showed protective effects in histopathological examination by hematoxylin and eosin staining. Hence, conclusively, sarcosine was regarded to attenuate the behavioural symptoms of schizophrenia by alleviating oxidative stress, neuroinflammation, and mitochondrial dysfunction established by the ketamine. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, substantial increase in electromagnetic (EM) shielding of polystyrene–polyaniline (PS-PANI) composite by way of addition of carbon nanofibers has been achieved. PANI was synthesized through chemical root using chemical oxidative polymerization method. Copolymer of PS with conducting polymer PANI and carbon nanofiber (CF) were prepared using solution mixing method. The synthesized PS-PANI-CF composites were characterized using X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, and D-shore hardness tester while thermal stability was determined by thermogravimetric analysis. Shielding effectiveness of the composites was investigated in the frequency range of 8.2–12.4 GHz (X-band region) using a vector network analyzer. Synthesized PS-PANI-CF composite exhibits an absorption dominated EM shielding value of 39 dB at 8.4 GHz frequency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Consistent production of bioactives from microbial sources remains a big challenge for fermentation based bio-processes. Setomimycin, a rare 9,9'-bianthrylanthracene antibiotic reported to be active against Gram positive bacteria i.e. Staphyloccocus aureus, Bacillus subtilis, Bacillus cereus, and Mycobacterium smegmatis, including mycobacteria is one of the least exploited antibiotic. Present work aims to enhance and maximize setomimycin production using One Factor at a Time (OFAT) approach, followed by Taguchi L9 orthogonal array (OA) design in 30L fermenter. Four most influential parameters, namely carbon source, nitrogen source, air and agitation were selected for optimization studies. The optimized production medium supplemented with 150 g/L glycerol and 7.5 g/L soyabean meal with an agitation rate of 100 RPM and air flow rate of 20 LPM (Liters Per Minute) resulted in 675 mg/L setomimycin production within 96–108 h of fermentation as compared to the initial production i.e. 40 mg/L. Thus, an overall enhancement of 16.8 folds was achieved in setomimycin production after optimization in 30L fermenter. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tonsillectomy is one of the commonest ENT procedures done in paediatric population, the technique of which has evolved over years to decrease the morbidity associated with the surgery. This prospective randomized comparative study is done to evaluate the efficacy of two different techniques of this surgery, conventional cold dissection and laser tonsillectomy based on operative time, blood loss, post-operative pain and occurrence of secondary complications. The study was done in 68 patients of paediatric age group, 34 in each group underwent cold dissection and laser tonsillectomy. Operative time and bleeding were significantly low for laser group. Pain score was comparable in early post-operatives days, but was high towards the end of first week. Our study reported only one incidence of complication in the form of a secondary bleeding. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To the best of author's knowledge, only three approaches are proposed in the literature to solve fully fuzzy linear fractional transportation problems. (Linear fractional transportation problems in which each known parameter is represented by a fuzzy number.) In this paper, it is pointed out that it is inappropriate to use any of these existing approaches as some mathematical incorrect assumptions are considered in these existing approaches. Also, a new approach (named as Mehar approach) is proposed to solve fully fuzzy linear fractional transportation problems. Furthermore, an exact fuzzy optimal solution of an existing fully fuzzy linear fractional transportation problem is obtained by the proposed Mehar approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Isolated lesions of the sphenoid sinus are uncommon. Cavernous sinus thrombosis is generally sought due to a systemic disease rather than a local pathology. It may be due to hidden primary pathology like isolated acute sphenoid fungal rhinosinusitis. In present study, we have discussed the early management of such hidden lesions with complication. A retrospective review of 5 cases of isolated acute sphenoidal fungal rhinosinusitis leading to cavernous sinus thrombosis was carried out. All cases were managed as emergency cases. Diagnostic nasal endoscopy was normal in all cases, with sinus disease evident in radiology in only 60% cases. Diagnostic endoscopic sinus surgery was performed in 40% cases. All patients underwent urgent surgical debridement along with IV antifungals. Complete recovery was seen in ocular movements in 40% and partially in 40%, whereas only 25% had complete improvement in vision. While four cases showed favourable outcome, one patient could not be saved despite all efforts. Exploring the sinus in cavernous sinus syndrome or orbital apex syndrome despite non-conclusive imaging, is warranted as early intervention may significantly impact the chances of survival. "Time is vision" in cases with acute fungal sinusitis and is equal to the aphorism of cardiologists i.e. "time is muscle. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An experimental study has been done to evaluate the thermo-hydraulic performance of solar air heater having roughness element over the absorber plate in the form of a winglet type vortex generator. LCT technique is used to measure the Nusselt number over the absorber surface for Reynolds number (Re) of 3000–22,000 and roughness parameters such as relative roughness pitch (P/e) of 5–12, angle of attack (α) ranges of 30°–75° and relative roughness width (W/w) of 3–7. The Nusselt number and friction factor with this roughness are compared with smooth surface for similar flow condition. The maximum enhancement in Nusselt number and friction factor are obtained to be 2.91 and 2.85 times that of smooth surface, respectively. The optimum values of the roughness parameters are evaluated based on the thermo-hydraulic performance parameter criterion. The optimum roughness parameters obtained as the relative roughness pitch (P/e) of 8, angle of attack (α) of 60° and relative roughness width (W/w) of 5. The maximum value of the thermo-hydraulic performance parameter (THPP) is observed to be 2.95. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The microphysics behind the formation of rain droplets is an important feature influencing orographic precipitation at any location. The raindrop microphysics were determined for the precipitation in Mahabaleshwar, the orographic region of the Western Ghats in the Indian subcontinent, using Joss–Waldvogel Disdrometer (JWD) observational data for the period from 2013 to 2019. Smaller (< 1 mm) rain droplets were found to be dominant in monsoon seasons, while in the pre-monsoon and post-monsoon, a higher concentration of medium-sized (1–3 mm) and larger (> 3 mm) rain droplets were observed. In each season, the peak rain droplet concentration moved toward giant rain droplets with increasing rain rate. The probability density function of mass-weighted mean diameter (Dm), normalized-intercept parameter (log10Nw), rain rate (log10R), liquid water content (log10W), shape parameter (µ), and slope parameter (Λ) indicate a clear distinction in all three seasons. High Dm and lower log10Nw mean values were observed during the convective precipitation, while the opposite was observed during the stratiform rainfall of each season, except for the post-monsoon convective precipitation. Monsoon rainfall of both convective and stratiform nature had the lowest Dm and highest log10Nw compared to the respective cloud structure of pre-monsoon and post-monsoon. The Dm and log10Nw values in post-monsoon stratiform rain lay between the values observed in the monsoon and post-monsoon seasons. At the same time, the convective precipitation in the post-monsoon had the highest Dm value, with a larger log10Nw than the pre-monsoon convective precipitation. A unique µ-Λ quadratic equation was also determined for the pre-monsoon, monsoon, and post-monsoon season rain events. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Primary effusion lymphoma (PEL) is an aggressive form of non-Hodgkin lymphoma of B cells caused by Kaposi's Sarcoma-associated Herpes Virus (KSHV). KSHV encoded latent and lytic antigens promote oncogenic transformation and evade apoptosis through the modulation of various host cellular signaling pathways. Nm23-H1 is a known metastatic suppressor whose expression inversely correlates with the metastatic potential of different cancers. Here, we set out to assess the role of Nm23-H1 in PEL development. Methods: Flow cytometry and real-time PCR assays were performed for Nm23-H1 expression analysis. Induction of apoptosis was assessed using Western blotting and flow cytometry-based assays in Nm23-H1 overexpressing cells. Co-immunoprecipitation assays, confocal microscopy and imaging flow cytometry were performed to determine Nm23-H1 and vFLIP K13 protein-protein interaction. A PEL cell-induced xenograft model was established in non-obese diabetic/severely combined immunodeficient (NOD/SCID) mice to validate the effect of Nm23-H1 overexpression. Results: We found that Nm23-H1 expression was significantly downregulated both at transcriptional and protein levels in PEL cell lines and that its overexpression triggered mitochondrial-mediated caspase-dependent apoptosis. We revealed Nm23-H1 interacts with the latent protein vFLIP K13 and that Nm23-H1 overexpression leads to inhibition of vFLIP K13 driven nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB) signaling with concurrent inhibition of autocrine and paracrine growth factors and downregulation of latent KSHV antigens without induction of active lytic reactivation. We also confirmed the effects of Nm23-H1 overexpression in a PEL cell-induced xenograft model in NOD/SCID mice. Conclusion: Downregulation of Nm23-H1 expression in KSHV-infected PEL cells and its overexpression trigger apoptosis by impairing vFLIP K13-driven NF-κB signaling, suggesting therapeutic implications of Nm23-H1 for primary effusion lymphomas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Khatter (Soft Comput 24:6847–16,867, 2020) pointed out that although several approaches are proposed in the literature to solve single-valued neutrosophic linear programming problems (SVNLPPS) (linear programming problems in which all the parameters except decision variables are either represented by single-valued triangular neutrosophic numbers (SVTNNS) or single-valued trapezoidal neutrosophic numbers (SVTrNNS)). However, all the methods for comparing single-valued neutrosophic numbers (SVNNS), used in existing approaches, are independent from the attitude of the decision-maker towards the risk. To fill this gap, Khatter (2020), firstly, proposed a method for comparing two SVNNS by considering the attitude of the decision-maker towards the risk. Then, using the proposed comparing method, Khatter (2020) proposed an approach to solve SVNLPPS. In this paper, it is pointed out that a mathematical incorrect result is considered in Khatter's approach. Hence, it is inappropriate to use Khatter's approach. Also, it is pointed out that some mathematical incorrect results are considered in other existing approaches for solving SVNLPPS. Hence, it is inappropriate to use other existing approaches for solving SVNLPPS. Furthermore, to resolve the inappropriateness of Khatter's approach and other existing approaches, a new approach (named as Mehar approach) is proposed to solve SVNLPPS. Finally, correct optimal solution of some existing SVNLPPS is obtained by the proposed Mehar approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This present study demonstrated the preparation of a highly crystalline anatase (ana) form of titanium oxide (TiO2) doped silk nanocrystal (SNC) nanohybrid (ana-TCS) of diameter (7.5 ± 1.4 nm) by the sol–gel method using titanium (IV) butoxide as the hydrolysis material. This prepared nanohybrid with surface hydroxyl groups acted as a co-initiator for the synthesis of poly(L-lactic acid) (PLLA)-g-ana-TSC nanocomposite with grafted PLLA chains via the in situ polymerization technique, using tin-octoate as a catalyst. The fabricated nanocomposite had a high number average molecular weight of 83 kDa with good processibility. This prepared nanocomposite was hydrophobic in nature, with a contact angle of 105°, which was further enhanced to 122 ± 1° when processed via electrospinning technique into a non-woven fabric. The prepared nanocomposite could degrade up to 43% methylene blue dye in 15 days. This nanocomposite showed no significant molecular weight reduction after 1 h of aqeous treatment, which could be attributed to its hydrophobic nature, inhibiting its degradation. However, 50% degradation was observed for the nanocomoposite whereas, PLLA demonstrated 25% degradation in 15 days, after its end-of-life. Thus, this study revealed that the in situ synthesized PLA-ana-TCS nanocomposite could be targeted for use as a hydrophobic, self-cleaning, dye-degradable fabric. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) penalizes hospitals for higher than expected 30-day mortality rates using methods without accounting for condition severity risk adjustment. For patients with stroke, CMS claims did not quantify stroke severity until recently, when the National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) reporting began. Objective: Examine the predictive ability of claim-based NIHSS to predict 30-day mortality and 30-day hospital readmission in patients with ischemic stroke. Design: Retrospective cohort study of Medicare claims data. Patients: Medicare beneficiaries with ischemic stroke (N=43,241) acute hospitalization between October 2016 and November 2017. Measurements: All-cause 30-day mortality and 30-day hospital readmission. NIHSS score was derived from ICD-10 codes and stratified into the following: minor to moderate, moderate, moderate to severe, and severe categories. Results: Among 43,241 patients with ischemic stroke with NIHSS from 2,659 US hospitals, 64.6% had minor to moderate stroke, 14.3% had moderate, 12.7% had moderate to severe, and 8.5% had a severe stroke,10.1% died within 30 days, 12.1% were readmitted within 30 days. The NIHSS exhibited stronger discriminant property (C-statistic 0.83, 95% CI: 0.82–0.84) for 30-day mortality compared to Elixhauser (0.74, 95% CI: 0.73–0.75). A monotonic increase in the adjusted 30-day mortality risk occurred relative to minor to moderate stroke category: hazard ratio [HR]=2.92 (95% CI=2.59–3.29) for moderate stroke, HR=5.49 (95% CI=4.90–6.15) for moderate to severe stroke, and HR=7.82 (95% CI=6.95–8.80) for severe stroke. After accounting for competing risk of mortality, there was a significantly higher readmission risk in the moderate stroke (HR=1.11, 95% CI=1.03–1.20), but significantly lower readmission risk in the severe stroke (HR=0.84, 95% CI=0.74–0.95) categories. Limitation: Timing of NIHSS reporting during hospitalization is unknown. Conclusions: Medicare claim–based NIHSS is significantly associated with 30-day mortality in Medicare patients with ischemic stroke and significantly improves discriminant property relative to the Elixhauser comorbidity index. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, calcium phosphate nanoparticles-based (STCNV) and montanide oil adjuvant vaccine (STOAV) containing outer membrane proteins (Omps) of S. Typhi were evaluated for inducing oxidative stress indicators [reduced glutathione (GSH), lipid peroxidation (LPO), catalase, superoxide dismutase (SOD), and total protein] in the tissues of mice after vaccination. The GSH levels though slightly high in the liver, kidney, and lungs of STCNV group were not significantly different from STOAV and the control group (STC). There was no significant difference in LPO levels in any group for any tissue. The significantly lower activities of catalase were observed in the kidney and lungs of the STCNV group as compared to STOAV and STC group, while in the liver, STCNV group revealed lower catalase activity in comparison to the control group. No significant difference in the SOD activities between the two vaccinated groups was observed. The total protein contents in all the organs showed no significant difference in the vaccinated and the control group. The vaccines may induce long-term inflammatory response and consequently damage vital organs; this study revealed no long-term oxidative stress in all the three vital organs, suggesting that these vaccines may not cause oxidative damages in the vital organs of mice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The exact solution of the Euler equation, which describes the time evolution of a blast wave created by an intense explosion, is a classic problem in gas dynamics. However, it has been found that the analytical results do not match with results from molecular dynamics simulation of hard spheres in two and three dimensions. In this paper, we show that the mismatch between theory and simulations can be resolved by considering the Navier–Stokes equation. From the direct numerical simulation of the Navier–Stokes equation in two and three dimensions, we show that the inclusion of heat conduction and viscosity terms is essential to capture the results from molecular dynamics simulations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Crocus sativus L. (saffron) is a globally used expensive spice. There are a few countries like Iran, Greece, Morocco, Spain, Italy, Turkey, France, Switzerland, Pakistan, China, Japan and Australia where this spice is cultivated and exported to other countries. India contributes 5% of the world's total production of which 90% is supplied only from its Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) regions. In India, the production of saffron from J&K is 3.83 tonnes whereas its annual demand is approximately 100 tonnes. In this country, there are geographical regions that have similar environmental and ecological conditions to J&K and possess the possibility of introducing this crop. Identification of such regions can be made using Ecological Niche Modelling (ENM). Therefore, 'MaxEnt' ENM was carried out using 103 environmental variables, 20 presence data and topographic parameters (elevation, slope and aspect) to find suitable regions for saffron production in unconventional areas of India. The achieved area under the curve for the model was 0.99. The precipitation and temperature were the main environmental variable influencing its cultivation. The saffron was sowed in these new modelled locations in India representing its various states such as Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Arunachal Pradesh, Sikkim, Manipur and Tamil Nadu. The quality, as well as yield of saffron produced in some of these regions, were evaluated and found at par with the saffron grown traditionally in India. Based on the promising results obtained in this work, we are expanding saffron cultivation to more modelled areas in India to meet our national demand. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pollution and the rising energy demand are two major society issues, requiring urgent solutions. Here, we review the simultaneous production of hydrogen and removal of pollutants, with a focus on mechanisms, synthesis of photocatalysts, and applications. Remarkably, this method utilizes organic pollutants as sacrificial agents for photocatalytic hydrogen production, thus both reducing pollution and producing energy. Metal-doped, cocatalyst-loaded, organic and inorganic composite, heterostructure and heterojunction photocatalysts are described. We present applications to the removal of antibiotics and organic dyes. Pollutant degradation rates range from 5.3 to 100%, with hydrogen evolution of 13.7–2724.89 μmol·g–1h–1. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Desalination, which converts saline water into freshwater, has been proposed as a possible alternative to address the worldwide freshwater scarcity problem. The humidification–dehumidification (H–DH) desalination technique can provide appropriate quantity of freshwater to the population residing in water-stressed regions. The aim of the current study is to investigate the solar H–DH desalination system performance which consists of a solar air heater based on double-ends open evacuated tube collector, a packed bed humidifier, and a dehumidifier. The packing material used in humidifier is aspen pads. The performance is assessed based on system overall efficacy, gained output ratio (GOR), yield, and efficacy of humidifier and dehumidifier at three distinct process air flow rates. The average overall system efficacy, yield, and GOR are 11.97%, 4.1 kg day-1, and 0.84, respectively, for open-loop system. The closed-loop system reports better performance at low mass flow rate. The average overall system efficiency, daily yield, and GOR at 100 kg h−1 are 32.48%, 11.9 kg day-1, and 2.44, respectively, for a closed-loop system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, we employ explainable machine learning (ML) models to predict daily streamflow (Qflow\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}\usepackage{amsmath}\usepackage{wasysym}\usepackage{amsfonts}\usepackage{amssymb}\usepackage{amsbsy}\usepackage{mathrsfs}\usepackage{upgreek}\setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt}\begin{document}$$Q_{\rm{flow}}$$\end{document}) by leveraging hydro-meteorological parameters. The predictive matrix incorporates crucial factors such as daily rainfall, temperature, relative humidity, solar radiation, wind speed, and the one-day lag value of Qflow\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}\usepackage{amsmath}\usepackage{wasysym}\usepackage{amsfonts}\usepackage{amssymb}\usepackage{amsbsy}\usepackage{mathrsfs}\usepackage{upgreek}\setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt}\begin{document}$$Q_{\rm{flow}}$$\end{document}. Notably, among these parameters, the one-day lag value of Qflow\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}\usepackage{amsmath}\usepackage{wasysym}\usepackage{amsfonts}\usepackage{amssymb}\usepackage{amsbsy}\usepackage{mathrsfs}\usepackage{upgreek}\setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt}\begin{document}$$Q_{\rm{flow}}$$\end{document}, along with rainfall, solar radiation, temperature, and relative humidity emerge as highly influential predictors. We apply various ML models, including bagging ensemble learning, boosting ensemble learning, Gaussian process regression (GPR), and automated machine learning (Auto ML). Following a rigorous evaluation, the bagging ensemble learning model stands out as the most effective with a correlation coefficient (R = 0.80) and root-mean-square error (RMSE = 218). Further, we compare the Qflow\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}\usepackage{amsmath}\usepackage{wasysym}\usepackage{amsfonts}\usepackage{amssymb}\usepackage{amsbsy}\usepackage{mathrsfs}\usepackage{upgreek}\setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt}\begin{document}$$Q_{\rm{flow}}$$\end{document} predicted using ML models with a process-based hydrological model (SWAT) that was executed using a similar set of climatic variables as the input parameters. In our case, the predictive strength of the ML model (R = 0.80; RMSE = 218) to estimate (Qflow\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}\usepackage{amsmath}\usepackage{wasysym}\usepackage{amsfonts}\usepackage{amssymb}\usepackage{amsbsy}\usepackage{mathrsfs}\usepackage{upgreek}\setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt}\begin{document}$$Q_{\rm{flow}}$$\end{document}) is greater than the SWAT (R = 0.82; RMSE = 281). In conclusion, by emphasizing the importance of explainable ML models and highlighting the significance of specific hydro-meteorological parameters, our study contributes to advancing the field of hydrology and water resource management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rice blast disease is one of the most disastrous diseases causing significant losses to the crop. In the humid weather conditions of north-eastern Himalayan region, the situation is highly devastating as the climate is very favorable to the fungus Magnaporthe oryzae. Development of resistant rice varieties is the most effective, economical, and environment-friendly way to control this disease. The study aimed to identify novel sources of resistant donor using agro-morphological and gene-based markers for their utilization in development of blast-resistant varieties with high yield potential. Phenotypic evaluation has classified the hundred landraces into resistant (13), moderately resistant (43), moderately susceptible (24), and susceptible (20). Fifty-nine genotypes were found to carry genes responsible for blast resistance, either singly or in combination. The genotype MN-62 was found to have a blast score of zero in field screening. The genetic frequencies of the major blast resistance genes ranged from 28 to 97%. The cluster analysis grouped the landraces into three major groups. Additionally, the association between blast genes was computed with blast score using a general linear model (GLM) and mixed linear model (MLM), revealing that the markers AP4007, AP56595, C1454, and RM208 were found to be associated with the trait. The landraces with six blast R-genes like Nungshang Phou, Ratkhara, Anandhi, RCPL 1–44, Ching Phou Khong Nombi, MN-31, Rona Yang, and RCPL-128 were also superior for agro-morphological traits. Similarly, the landraces MN-62, Tara Bali, Rato Bhan Joha, MN-47, RCPL 1–411, and CAU-R1 were promising regarding yield and blast resistance. The resistant lines with various combinations of blast resistance genes can be utilized for introgression of genes into the commercial varieties for durable resistance using marker-assisted backcrossing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the present work, recent characterization results of the 4K × 4K CCD imager (a first light instrument of the 3.6m devasthal optical telescope; DOT) and photometric calibrations are discussed along with measurements of the extinction coefficients and sky brightness values at the location of the 3.6m DOT site based on the imaging data taken between 2016 and 2021. For the 4K × 4K CCD imager, all given combinations of gains (1, 2, 3, 5 and 10 e - /ADU) and readout noise values for the three readout speeds (100 kHz, 500 kHz and 1 MHz) are verified using the sky flats and bias frames taken during early 2021; measured values resemble well with the theoretical ones. Using color–color and color–magnitude transformation equations, color coefficients (α ) and zero-points (β ) are determined to constrain and examine their long-term consistencies and any possible evolution based on UBVRI observations of several Landolt standard fields observed during 2016–2021. Our present analysis exhibits consistency among estimated α values within the 1 σ and does not show any noticeable trend with time. We also found that the photometric errors and limiting magnitudes computed using the data taken using the CCD imager follow the simulated ones published earlier. The average extinction coefficients, their seasonal variations and zenith night-sky brightness values for the moon-less nights for all ten Bessell and SDSS filters are also estimated and found comparable to those reported for other good astronomical sites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]