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The current study explores the precision enhancement of AISI420 Martensitic Stainless Steel (MSS) using sinking-electrical discharge machining (S-EDM) with Copper electrodes, which is a unique combination of materials and machining process and conducts a comprehensive multivariate analysis to investigate the correlation between machine control variables (MCV) and measured machining performance (MMP) in the context of AISI420 Martensitic Stainless Steel and Sinking-Electrical Discharge Machining. The analysis of variance (ANOVA) establishes the hierarchy of machine control variables influence: Pulse current (B) > Gap voltage (A) > Pulse on Time (C). Remarkably, Pulse current (B) emerges as the paramount parameter, thus constituting a cornerstone of this study's findings. This research article utilizes the RSM–GRA–PCA methodology, which combines response surface methodology (RSM), grey relational analysis (GRA), and principal component analysis (PCA) to optimize the machining process. Using traditional RSM–GRA technique and RSM–GRA–PCA methodology, the experimental Grey Relational Grade (GRGexperiment) are achieved 0.8048 and 0.9817, respectively. The validation test has been performed to confirm the fittest method positions. The percentage significance of significant factor is also improved from 64.63 to 79.71% and error is reduced from 5.22 to 1.68% using RSM–GRA–PCA methodology with improved GRG of 0.068. This integrated approach improves the grey relational grade (GRG) and reduces errors, leading to more accurate and efficient machining. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Consumer preferences refer to the subjective assessments of products and services expressed by individuals. The objective of this investigation aims to examine the preferences of consumers regarding dahi, followed by the development of a corresponding product. The initial phase of the experimental design involves understanding the interests of consumers and the variables that influence their purchasing intentions through the administration of a questionnaire. The subsequent phase entails the development of dahi in accordance with consumer preferences, followed by an assessment of its nutritional value, sensory acceptability, and storage study. Subsequently, a significant proportion of consumers (91%) expressed an interest for the introduction of a pineapple-flavour (61.5%) spoon-able dahi (77%) containing natural sugar (65%) and packaged in a cup (71.5%) within the market. To adjust the sweetness intensity of monk fruit, a series of preliminary experiments were carried out to regulate the concentration to a level that can be considered sensory acceptable, specifically 05 g/100 ml. Afterwards, dahi was prepared by altering the concentration of FPP (freeze-dried pine-apple pomace powder) within the range of 0.5 to 2.5 g/100 ml. Prepared dahi were further subjected to sensory evaluation and storage study. Based on the obtained results and sensory analyst feedback, we conclude that the dahi formulation TPM2 exhibits considerable organoleptic acceptance and also has the potential for industrial-scale production to cater wider consumer demands. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Akt pathway plays a significant role in various diseases like Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, and Diabetes. Akt is the central protein whose phosphorylation controls many downstream pathways. Binding of small molecules to the PH domain of Akt facilitates its phosphorylation in the cytoplasm and upregulates the Akt pathway. In the current study, to identify Akt activators, ligand-based approaches like 2D QSAR, shape, and pharmacophore-based screening were used, followed by structure-based approaches such as docking, MM-GBSA, ADME prediction, and MD simulation. The top twenty-five molecules from the Asinex gold platinum database found to be active in most 2D QSAR models were used for shape and pharmacophore-based screening. Later docking was performed using the PH domain of Akt1 (PDB: 1UNQ), and 197105, 261126, 253878, 256085, and 123435 were selected based on docking score and interaction with key residues, which were druggable and formed a stable protein–ligand complex. MD simulations of 261126 and 123435 showed better stability and interactions with key residues. To further investigate the SAR of 261126 and 123435, derivatives were downloaded from PubChem, and structure-based approaches were employed. MD simulation of derivatives 12289533, 12785801, 83824832, 102479045, and 6972939 was performed, in which 83824832 and 12289533 showed interaction with key residues for a longer duration of time, proving that they may act as Akt activators. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: The objective of the present initiative was to build capacity of health care providers in private sector along with standardisation of care during antenatal period for common antenatal problems of GDM and iron deficiency anaemia in private sector. Methods: A pilot project for all levels of health care providers including doctors, nurses, counsellors and laboratory technicians of 34 private facilities in six districts of Jharkhand was planned. Training modules for GDM and anaemia based on government of India guidelines were developed. End line evaluation included data collection and descriptive analysis of quantitative data quality scores from assessment standards on GDM and anaemia in pregnancy. Results: Knowledge assessment of health care providers and doctors through baseline and end line knowledge assessment survey questionnaire showed that 100% health care providers who were trained scored 85% or more in knowledge assessment questionnaires as seen by baseline and end line questionnaire results. All project hospitals (n = 34) in Jharkhand achieved quality standards of care in intervention period for gestational diabetes mellitus and anaemia in pregnancy. They achieved total score more than 80% and exceeded target of 80% of the quality standards. Conclusion: A systematic strengthening of private health care facilities through a blended tele-mentoring and onsite support is possible. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Microservices has become a buzzword in industry as many large IT giants such as Amazon, Twitter, Uber, etc have started migrating their existing applications to this new style and few of them have started building their new applications with this style. Due to increasing user requirements and the need to add more business functionalities to the existing applications, the web applications designed using the microservices style also face a few performance challenges. Though this style has been successfully adopted in the design of large enterprise applications, still the applications face performance related issues. It is clear from the literature that most of the articles focus only on the backend microservices. To the best of our knowledge, there has been no solution proposed considering micro frontends along with the backend microservices. To improve the performance of the microservices based web applications, in this paper, a new framework for the design of web applications with micro frontends for frontend and microservices in the backend of the application is presented. To assess the proposed framework, an empirical investigation is performed to analyze the performance and it is found that the applications designed with micro frontends with microservices have performed better than the applications with monolithic frontends. Additionally, to predict the performance of microservices based applications, a machine learning model is proposed as machine learning has wide applications in software engineering related activities. The accuracy of the proposed model using different metrics is also presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A trapezoidal-shaped force transducer is designed and demonstrated metrologically for static force measurement. The presented design has been investigated by finite element analysis and validated through experimental measurements. Metrological characterization of the force transducer is done based on guidelines of standard ISO 376: 2011, and relevant factors have been considered for evaluation of uncertainty of measurement of the force transducer. The transducer measures the force with an uncertainty of up to ± 0.05% (k = 2) and 0.10% (k = 2) in strain gauged force transducer and dial gauged force proving instrument, respectively, in the operating range (50–100% of nominal capacity). The superficial design characteristics of the transducer make it very economical for experimental and trade pacts. For a range of modern technologies, force measurement sensors and sensor-enabled industrial infrastructure play a critical role. In Industry 4.0, metrological traceability and the utilization of sensors, instruments, and machinery are in high need, and this demand will grow in the coming years. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examines the precision and durability of samples produced through laser powder bed fusion (LPBF), a widely adopted additive manufacturing technique known for its exceptional performance. This study involved fabricating a flat sample featuring curved elements, with the build direction aligned along the Z-axis, while the flat surfaces were oriented in the XY direction. The sample's width, length, and radius of curvature distances were measured using a coordinate measuring machine (CMM). The nominal values were used as a reference to compare the measured dimensions of the sample. The results indicated that the sample length was slightly shorter than the nominal values. However, all measured values had a percentage error within the allowed ranges. The direction of the dimension that was evaluated, such as the X, Y, or Z direction, may affect the dimensional stability of the sample. Dimensional stability exhibits favourable performance when the energy density falls within the 58 to 81 J/mm3 range. This work studied how the process variables influenced the dimensional stability of heat-treated samples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The current study reports development of an EN 24 steel-based shaped force transducer with simple design/manufacturing considerations for metrological and industrial applications. Analytical and computational investigation have been used to critically examine the force transducer (of square ring shape), and experimental observations have been used to validate the results. Metrological evaluation of force transducer is obtained by dial gauge indicator (resolution 0.1 μm/0.2 μm) and strain gauges arranged in a Wheatstone bridge as per standard ISO 376: 2011 (for class D force transducers) for the nominal capacity of 5 kN. Uncertainty measurement of the force transducer for its working range (50–100%) is around 0.05%, which lies in the acceptable content and makes it suitable for metrological/industrial applications. This paper aims to design, develop, and metrologically validate a square ring force transducer with a nominal capacity of 5 kN. The proposed work involves a systematic approach to design, develop, and ensure consistency between analytical, computational, and experimental methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ten full-length vip3-type genes amplified from the Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) isolates recovered from various Indian agro-climatic zones and two from known Bt strains were cloned, sequenced and confirmed as vip3Aa-type genes based on sequence homology. Comparison of deduced amino acid sequences of these genes compared with previously reported vip3Aa-type genes and other lepidopteran-specific vip3Aa genes revealed new amino acid substitutions, indicating the diversity of Indian Bt isolates. These genes have been grouped into six phylogenetic clusters and assigned names as vip3Aa67–vip3Aa78 by Bt nomenclature committee (www.bpprc.com). Interestingly, the substitution of lysine in the holotype Vip3Aa1 with glutamine at amino acid position 284 was uniformly found in all our Vip3Aa-type proteins, suggesting sequence conservation as well as diversity among these proteins. For evaluation of toxicity, vip3Aa67–vip3Aa72 genes were cloned in pET-29a(+) Escherichia coli expression vector. The immunostrip assays, SDS-PAGE and western blot analysis with Vip3A antibodies confirmed the presence of Vip3Aa67, Vip3Aa68, Vip3Aa69, Vip3Aa70, Vip3Aa71 and Vip3Aa72 proteins of ca. 89 kDa size. The toxicity of these Vip3Aa proteins along with the Vip3Aa44 protein used as a positive control was evaluated against Helicoverpa armigera. LC50 ranged from 0.921 to 8.513 ppm indicating their insecticidal potential. The impact of Vip3A proteins on the life cycle characteristics of H. armigera was studied, and the results showed toxic and sublethal effects on the growth and fecundity of the insect population. Computational analysis of the three-dimensional structure of Vip3Aa proteins revealed the effect of amino acid substitutions on stability, highlighting the importance of flexibility in protein function. This study reveals the potential of the newly identified Vip3Aa proteins in the biological control of H. armigera. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Production of 155Tb radioisotope for medical purposes is still a challenge. In this regard the present study has been done using 16O beam and 146Nd target within the 3–7 MeV/nucleon energy range. The γ-ray spectrometry has been used to identify the residues produced in the reaction. The EF measurements have been done and cross-sections of 155Tb have been reported and compared with the theoretical model code PACE 4. A strong indication of the occurrence of incomplete fusion has been realized within the energy range considered. The highest cross-section of 124 ± 12 mb has been obtained at Elab 101.7 ± 0.5 MeV. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The fusion excitation functions of evaporation residues, populated through complete fusion and/or incomplete fusion, were measured in the 18 O+ 146 Nd system at an incident beam energy of ≈ 3–7 MeV/nucleon. These results were then compared with those obtained from the previously reported 16 O+ 148 Nd system. This comparison is particularly relevant since both systems lead to the population of the same compound nucleus, 164 Er*, in the case of complete fusion, and the same intermediate composite system, 160 Dy*, in the case of incomplete fusion. Significant enhancements in the measured excitation functions of evaporation residues populated via α -emitting channels indicate the population of such residues via incomplete fusion in addition to complete fusion. Further, a comparison of the measured data for 18 O+ 146 Nd and 16 O+ 148 Nd systems shows interesting results. The complete fusion and incomplete fusion cross-sections, reduced by three different procedures, are found to satisfactorily match each other, despite the major difference in the α - breakup threshold values of the projectiles 18 O (6.23 MeV) and 16 O (7.16 MeV). The effect of different α -breakup threshold values of the projectiles 18 O and 16 O was not observed in the comparison of incomplete fusion data for the systems 18 O+ 146 Nd and 16 O+ 148 Nd. This may be attributed to the fact that the residues populated in the exit channel are emitted from the same intermediate composite system 160 Dy* and also there is a high resemblance in the entrance channel mass asymmetry and other structural properties of these systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The rising opportunities of sustainable tourism have brought many policies to control the exploitation of the environment and increase the reach of luxurious, safe, and authentic experiences to the different segments of tourists. This study seeks to prioritize the variables influencing the development of sustainable tourism and pinpoint key success factors that align with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). It adopts a tri-dimensional framework encompassing economic, social, and environmental aspects, further delineated into eleven sub-dimensions, to provide a quantitative evaluation of sustainable tourism. We conducted interviews with 26 tourism industry experts hailing from eight countries, analyzing their responses using interval type-2 fuzzy sets. The results underscore the critical role of specific components in advancing sustainable tourism. In the economic dimension, "financial resources and tourism costs" emerge as vital factors. In the social dimension, "health and safety" takes center stage, while "green infrastructure" plays a pivotal role in the environmental dimension. These findings underscore the significance of these aspects in promoting sustainable tourism. Furthermore, this study explores the strategic importance of sustainable tourism equity in shaping tourism planning and development for emerging markets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Pigeon pea is affected by the cyst nematode Heterodera cajani limiting the production. H. cajani can be managed by biological agents such as Trichoderma harzianum. Thus, the determination of this experiment was to estimate native strains of T. harzianum isolated from pigeon pea fields in India on population of cyst, eggs and juveniles of H. cajani. Pots experiment was conducted at the playhouse of Sam Higginbottom University of Science and Technology, Prayagraj (UP), India, during the year of 2018–2020. Earthen pots were filled with sterilized soil @ 10 kg/pot for each replicate of the treatments. Ten days before sowing of the pigeon pea seed, about 5000 spores of T. harzianum were amended in to the soil for proper colonization. Fifteen days after seed germination, 200 cysts/pot were inoculated near the root zone of pigeon pea plant. The pots were irrigated when required. Observations were recorded of cyst population, eggs and second juveniles of H. cajani/500gm of pigeon pea rhizospheric soil at 90 days after sowing. Results: Among all the isolates of T. harzianum, the treatment (T 7) reduced of cyst population (12), eggs population (234) and juveniles' population (153) as compared with all other treatments including control at 90 days after sowing of pigeon pea seeds in the year 2018–2019. Similarly, in 2019–2020 reduction in cyst population (11), eggs population (189) and juveniles population (160) was observed at 90 days after sowing in Trichoderma isolates (T 7) as compared to control. Conclusions: The findings of this study are very relevant since seven isolates of native T. harzianum were promising to suppress the number of cysts in 79.31 and 83.07%, eggs in 22.00 and 38.83% and juveniles' population in 17.74 and 20.39% of the nematode H. cajani, besides promoting the pigeon pea plant growth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Contagion spread is a common phenomenon observable on a variety of complex networks. The knowledge of key spreaders and contagion dynamics facilitates the design of applications that can either reduce the spread of unwanted contagion or amplify the proliferation of desired ones. Hence, it is essential to identify and rank the influential (key) spreaders in complex networks. Extended neighbourhood coreness (Cnc+) is one such method that uses the k-shell index to identify and rank the influential spreaders. The neighborhood of a node plays a very important role in contagion spread and the combination of local and global topological information of a node can better capture the spreading influence of the nodes. In this paper, a measure, namely, hybrid Cnc+ coreNess (HCN) is proposed that extends Cnc+ by including first and second order neighbourhood of a node (local information) along with the k-shell index. In experiments, HCN is compared with state of the art methods for both real and artificial datasets. The results show that HCN is accurate and better than state of the art methods. Further, least variation in ranking accuracy is observed in experiments of parameter variation for artificial networks. Computational complexity analysis shows that the proposed method achieves high accuracy incurring a small computational penalty. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Nasal morphology remodeling by nasoalveolar molding (NAM) before primary lip repair gives better post-surgery outcomes. However, traditional NAM has high technical sensitivity, a steep learning curve, frequent need for modifications, and interrupts lifting forces on the nasal cartilage during oral movements, thereby reducing overall efficacy of device. To eliminate interaction and interdependency of the nasal bulb with alveolar molding plate, we propose segmenting NAM (SNAM) into nasolabial complex molding (NCM) and alveolar complex molding (ACM). NCM addresses ala-septum, lip-premaxilla via lambda-nasal hook and lip taping. ACM addresses palate-alveolus via Yen-modified feeding plate. When the hook is suspended by elastic traction, nasal complex undergoes a natural rotation, where cleft-side ala lifts and septum medializes. Lip taping and feeding plate augment positive molding of cleft segments and maintain transverse relation. The current study outlines SNAM treatment strategy and assesses the effect on nasal deformity. Design and setting: Retrospective observational cohort study set in a comprehensive cleft care centre. Patients: Twenty patients with unilateral complete cleft lip and palate who underwent SNAM were selected. Main outcome measures: Retrospectively, standardized basilar views, pre-, and post-SNAM therapy were evaluated for nostril height, and nostril width, as a ratio of cleft to non-cleft side along with columellar deviation angle. Results: SNAM resulted in significantly improved nostril symmetry with no complications observed. Nostril height ratio increased from 0.35 ± 0.10 to 0.78 ± 0.17. Nostril width ratio decreased from 3.14 ± 0.66 to 2.18 ± 0.42. Columellar deviation angle increased from 26.5 ± 6.30 to 58.5 ± 9.88 degrees. Conclusions: Dynamic correction of the nasal deformity in UCLP is possible through SNAM therapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Selective laser melting (SLM) is a powder-based process that has gained massive attention due to excellent design flexibility and complex part fabrication with a microscopic resolution. This study focused on the dimensional accuracy analysis of SLM-manufactured parts using 3D scanning technology. The primary objective is to provide a system that integrates the reverse engineering concept with additive manufacturing (AM) design principles. 316L stainless steel (SS) samples are scanned using an EinScan Pro 3D scanner, and the precise details of geometric attributes, such as full length, gauge length, diameter, and thickness, were gathered. Three-dimensional scanning captures many surface data points to produce a more accurate object representation. The gathered information was correlated with the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) E-466 standard. The dimensional stability of parts was investigated to correlate with process parameters. The dimensional error of fabricated part's is investigated at different orientations; every axis and the respective dimensional variations are shown in detail. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) was done to obtain the significant parameter for dimensional stability. It showed that the minimum dimensional stability of the parts was obtained at a high laser power of 300 W, a high scanning speed of 1100 mm/s, and a low hatch distance of 80 μm, corresponding to an energy density of 56.81 J/mm3. Scanning speed significantly affects the dimensional accuracy of SLM fabricated parts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Primary immune deficiencies or inborn errors of immunity (IEI) are a heterogeneous group of disorders that predispose affected individuals to infections, allergy, autoimmunity, autoinflammation and malignancies. IEIs are increasingly being recognized in the Indian subcontinent. Two hundred and eight patients diagnosed with an IEI during February 2017 to November 2021 at a tertiary care center in South India were included in the study. The clinical features, laboratory findings including microbiologic and genetic data, and treatment and outcome details were analyzed. The diagnosis of IEI was confirmed in a total of 208 patients (198 kindreds) based on relevant immunological tests and/or genetic tests. The male-to-female ratio was 1.8:1. Of the 208 patients, 72 (34.6%) were < 1 yr, 112 (53.8%) were 1–18 years, and 24 (11.5%) were above 18 years. The most common IEI in our cohort was SCID (17.7%) followed by CGD (12.9%) and CVID (9.1%). We also had a significant proportion of patients with DOCK8 deficiency (7.2%), LAD (6.2%) and six patients (2.8%) with autoinflammatory diseases. Autoimmunity was noted in forty-six (22%) patients. Molecular testing was performed in 152 patients by exome sequencing on the NGS platform, and a genetic variant was reported in 132 cases. Twenty-nine children underwent 34 HSCT, and 135 patients remain on supportive therapy such as immunoglobulin replacement and/or antimicrobial prophylaxis. Fifty-nine (28.3%) patients died during the study period, and infections were the predominant cause of mortality. Seven families underwent prenatal testing in the subsequent pregnancy. We describe the profile of 208 patients with IEI, and to the best of our knowledge, this represents the largest data on IEI from the Indian subcontinent reported so far. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The shear shallow water model is an extension of the classical shallow water model to include the effects of vertical shear. It is a system of six non-linear hyperbolic PDE with non-conservative products. We develop a high-order entropy stable finite difference scheme for this model in one dimension and extend it to two dimensions on rectangular grids. The key idea is to rewrite the system so that non-conservative terms do not contribute to the entropy evolution. Then, we first develop an entropy conservative scheme for the conservative part, which is then extended to the complete system using the fact that the non-conservative terms do not contribute to the entropy production. The entropy dissipative scheme, which leads to an entropy inequality, is then obtained by carefully adding dissipative flux terms. The proposed schemes are then tested on several one and two-dimensional problems to demonstrate their stability and accuracy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article proposes entropy stable discontinuous Galerkin schemes (DG) for two-fluid relativistic plasma flow equations. These equations couple the flow of relativistic fluids via electromagnetic quantities evolved using Maxwell’s equations. The proposed schemes are based on the Gauss–Lobatto quadrature rule, which has the summation by parts property. We exploit the structure of the equations having the flux with three independent parts coupled via nonlinear source terms. We design entropy stable DG schemes for each flux part, coupled with the fact that the source terms do not affect entropy, resulting in an entropy stable scheme for the complete system. The proposed schemes are then tested on various test problems in one and two dimensions to demonstrate their accuracy and stability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The current work focuses on the synthesis of the biodegradable film made from Sodium alginate (S.A), and then the addition of magnesium oxide nanoparticles (MgO-NPs) was synthesized by sol-gel technique. Glycerol which is a plasticizer is used to enhance the tensile strength (TS) and film expansion due to a decrease in intermolecular forces in the polymer chain. With the addition of olive oil (OE), the functional properties of control films were improved, which results in a lowering of water solubility, and moisture content but the tensile strength slightly decreased. The opacity, moisture absorption, and solubility of the film, thickness, tensile strength (TS), elongation (EB), ultraviolet-vis spectroscopy, scanning electron microscope (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) were used to characterize sodium alginate biofilm with the addition of MgO-NPs (SA1) and without the addition of MgO-NPs (SA2). But considering all other factors, the film (SA1) revealed a slower rate of degradation than the film (SA2). The film's TS and opacity are enhanced by MgO-NPs addition, while moisture content (WVP), solubility, and elongation at break are decreased. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: In India, 22% to 39% of the ageing population suffers from degenerative knee osteoarthritis (OA), making it the most prevalent joint disorder in the knee. MMP-1, MMP-3, and MMP-9 protein expression levels have all been associated with OA. The aim of the present study was to establish a relationship between synovial fluid levels of matrix metalloproteinases (MMP-1, MMP-3, and MMP-9), and tumour necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) with different Kellgren–Lawrence Grading scale as per the severity of knee osteoarthritis (OA). Methods: This hospital-based observational study included 87 individuals with knee osteoarthritis examined at the orthopaedics department outpatient clinic at the tertiary care teaching hospital in rural area of north India. In-person interviews were conducted to gather data, through a semi-structured, pretested interview schedule. To determine the degree and severity of OA, the levels of the enzymes matrix metalloproteinase MMP-1, MMP-3, and MMP-9 as well as tumour necrosis factor (TNF–α) were assessed in the synovial fluid of knee of each study participant. Results: The levels of MMP-1, MMP-3, MMP-9, and TNF-α in synovial fluid were significantly correlated with the severity of osteoarthritis as determined by the Kellgren–Lawrence Grading Scale. Age, duration of symptoms and BMI showed a strong positive and significant correlation with biochemical markers (MMP-1, MMP-3, MMP-9, and TNF-α) in synovial fluid of Knee. Conclusion: Level of biochemical markers (MMP-1, -3, -9, and TNF-α) in synovial fluid act as diagnostic markers and have a positive correlation with the severity of osteoarthritis knee, age, weight/BMI and duration of disease. However, no significant correlation was found between the level of aforementioned biochemical markers with sex, height, inflammation of the knee, morning stiffness, and age of onset of disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Spodoptera frugiperda, fall armyworm (FAW), is one of the notorious insect-pest that has invaded a large number of countries in a short span of time across the globe, causing huge economic losses. FAW has been in the news due to its damage potential and preference for maize crop. Besides maize, this pest is being observed moving to other crops such as sorghum, sugarcane, and many other crops. The damage to cotton caused by this insect has not been documented in any part of India. First, we describe the unusual damage symptoms caused by FAW on cotton during the pre-blooming stage. Typical damage symptoms include dead hearts, drooping main stem leaves, and burrowing. The phylogenetic analysis of the mtCOI gene sequences from the present studies along with earlier reported sequences confirmed their grouping into corn strains. Further bioassays of the F1 individuals with fruiting bodies of Bollgard-II cotton confirmed the high susceptibility of FAW to Cry1Ac and Cry2Ab toxins. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Viruses have killed and infected millions of people across the world. It causes several chronic diseases like COVID-19, HIV, and hepatitis. To cope with such diseases and virus infections, antiviral peptides (AVPs) have been applied in the design of drugs. Keeping in view the significant role in pharmaceutical industry and other research fields, identification of AVPs is highly indispensable. In this connection, experimental and computational methods were proposed to identify AVPs. However, more accurate predictors for boosting AVPs identification are highly desirable. This work presents a thorough study and reports the available predictors of AVPs. We explained applied datasets, feature representation approaches, classification algorithms, and evaluation parameters of performance. In this study, the limitations of the existing studies and the best methods were emphasized. Provided the pros and cons of the applied classifiers. The future insights demonstrate efficient feature encoding approaches, best feature optimization schemes, and effective classification techniques that can improve the performance of novel method for accurate prediction of AVPs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Computer vision for the past two decades has been used to simulate human capabilities and automate tasks, and in the process, has benefited all of us. Specifically, its application within the manufacturing context has garnered ample attention and interest from both academics and practitioners. Due to its large-scale applicability and adoption potential, extensive research has been conducted to understand and appreciate it is working. However, extant research in this domain is rather disjointed, thereby delimiting the otherwise vast scope and knowledge boundaries. Thus, this study utilizes bibliometric analysis to synthesize extant literature within this field to address this lacuna. We analyzed 897 articles from Scopus, entailing contributions from 309 journals, 108 countries, 2138 authors, and 1334 organizations from 1981 to 2022. Additionally, we analyzed citation and co-authorship networks to acknowledge prominent authors, organizations, and countries within this domain. The thematic classification of extant literature through bibliographic coupling identified five major thematic areas: automated visual inspection, object tracking and process controlling, real-time monitoring, roughness inspection, and profile projection. Importantly, we used both knowledge and insights from our findings, and propose scope for future research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An earthquake of magnitude 6.7 M (Latitude 24.834N; Longitude 93.656E) on the Richter scale rocked in the Noney area, Tamenglong district, Manipur on 4th January 2016. The shock was strongly felt in most parts of the Northeastern states of India viz. Manipur, Nagaland, Meghalaya, Assam, and its neighboring countries Myanmar and Bangladesh. Macroseismic study was conducted to assess the intensity of ground motion and related damages caused by the earthquake. The damage incidences were mainly reported in structures constructed over the alluvial fill material. Deformations and development of ground fissures were observed in the epicentral tracts of Manipur and liquefaction phenomenon was observed in the Silchar area Assam. The study revealed that higher damage was confined to the area around Noney, Kabuikhullen, Nungba, Leimakhong, and Imphal valley areas in Manipur and Silchar town areas in Assam. Based on field observation, the degree of damage to building structures, and data gathered from the local population using the standard questionnaire, different intensity values were assigned to each locality. Isoseismal map was prepared by drawing the boundaries between different intensity areas at MSK-64 scale. The result indicates that the intensity was within the range of IV to VII. The maximum intensity was found VII in parts of Imphal, Tamenglong, and Silchar and very close to the epicentral tract area of Noney; and lowest intensity IV was observed in other parts of the northeastern states around Dimapur and Kohima in Nagaland state. The location of the epicenter of main shock (M 6.7) was at the intersection of the two major lineaments trending to ENE-WSW and NW-SE. The trend and shape of isoseismals drawn on seismotectonic/geological maps are elliptical along ENE-WSW direction and are found more closely spaced in the north and southern parts of the affected area. The elliptical nature of the isoseismals indicates that this seismic event was caused by movement along a linear surface. Furthermore, the orientation of elliptical isoseismals with a major axis trend in an ENE-WSW direction is almost parallel to the ENE-WSW trend of major lineament/fault in the area. As a result, the ENE-WSW lineament/ fault trend appears to be the causative fault for this quake. In addition, one of the nodal plane (NP2) striking 83°, with dip 81° and slip (rake) 38° obtained from fault plane solution USGS shows a similar trend to the direction of generated elliptical isoseismals pattern confirming the event ocurred along a major tectonic lineament in a strike-slip mechanism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Stream water plays an important role in the development of habitats. It is one of the important sources of water used for drinking and irrigation in the region. Before using, it is necessary to test the quality of all types of surface water available for various use. A geochemical study of stream water has been conducted in parts of Pratapgarh, Raebareli, and Allahabad districts of Uttar Pradesh to assess its suitability for domestic purposes and establish the baseline concentration of major ions, trace and REEs. 20 samples of stream water from different locations of 1st or 2nd order streams were collected during post-monsoon period, from 18th to 31st October 2021. Different hydrochemical parameters such as pH, electrical conductivity (EC), temperature, dissolved oxygen (DO), salinity, total dissolved solids (TDS), major cations and anions were analysed. In order to obtain maximum quality and purity of water, the stream water samples were analyzed by ICP-MS analytical method in the chemical lab for 47 trace elements including REEs contents. The obtained values of each parameter have been compared with the standard values recommended by BIS and WHO. The value of each element except uranium has been found to be within the desirable and permissible limits prescribed by BIS (2012) and WHO (2006). Selenium and arsenic have been found to be marginally exceed the permissible limits. The pH values of all stream waters in the study area range from 7.14 to 8.86 with an average value of 7.86 indicating an alkaline nature of stream water. The concentration of uranium in stream water varied from 1.5 ppb to 48.67 ppb with a mean value of 7.9 ppb. It is observed that wherever concentration of uranium in the samples increased, the pH as well as the bicarbonate level increased accordingly. Correlation coefficient revealed that uranium is strongly correlated with bicarbonate (r=0.67), moderately with sodium (r=6.1), and low positively correlated with the concentration of pH (r=0.34), EC (r=0.52), and salinity (r=0.52), indicates the same origin. Water quality index (WQI) of water was determined for suitability of drinking purpose, revealed that 65% water samples fall in excellent category and 30% water samples fall in good category while only 5% water sample are in poor category. Trilinear plot of sample shows that most of the stream water samples are Ca-Mg-HCO3 type. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Understanding the explosion mechanism of type Ia supernova is among the most challenging issues in astrophysics. Accretion of matter on a carbon–oxygen (CO) white dwarf (WD) from a companion star is one of the most important keys in this regard. Our aim is to study the effects of WD composition on various parameters during the accretion of helium-rich matter at a slow rate. We have used the computer simulation code Modules for Experiments in Stellar Astrophysics (MESA) to understand the variations in the properties, such as specific heat ( C P ) and degeneracy parameter (η ). The profile of specific heat shows a discontinuity and that of the degeneracy parameter shows a dip near the ignition region. As expected, the size of WD decreases and g increases during the accretion. However, a red-giant-like expansion is observed after the rapid ignition towards the end. Our study explains the reason behind the delay in onset of helium ignition due to the difference in carbon abundance in a CO-WD. We found that WDs of the lower abundance of carbon, accrete slightly longer before the onset of helium ignition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bearing is one of the main components of machines and any defect in bearings, mostly misalignment, leads to sudden breakdown of machines; this review elucidates different techniques for diagnosing misalignment and presents the effect of misalignment on bearing and rotor-bearing system. Online condition monitoring is more focused subject nowadays as it led to alarm even if minor change in spectrum is observed, that further result in preventing sudden breakdown of machines and end up saving productive time and preventing capital loss. AE can be able to detect the faults at early stage as well as can detect the fault in slow speed bearing, whereas vibrational techniques are unable to detect under these conditions. Different techniques are discussed and compared like detection through acoustic emissions, torque measurements, laser-based method, vibration spectrum, are discussed with their advantages and drawbacks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Meteorological data-trend analysis is widely used as statistical method to access long-term changes in time-series of meteorological variables like precipitation, temperature, and evaporation. Understanding meteorological pattern of natural hazards like landslides, avalanches, and tsunami, is tough. Statistical computing, modelling and forecasting meteorological data are key instruments for studying hidden patterns. Long-term time-series of meteorological observations in mountainous terrain are rare in Indian Himalayan. This study proposes a framework including data selection, pre-processing, and knowledge discovery for Manali region in Pir Panjal Range. Pre-processing ensures data quality along with descriptive and inferential statistical methods used to understand data. Both parametric and non-parametric models are developed to investigate variations in 18 parameters. Trend magnitude for these parameters are determined and compared for three field observatories: Bahang, Solang, and Dhundi. An increasing seasonal trend was found for temperature (maximum, dry and wet), total water equivalent from beginning of season, and snow penetration for station data. Across observatories, many variables show no significant trend due to less and fluctuating data. Study also investigate significant relationship between features and the most correlated meteorological variables. It is useful for understanding changing meteorological status in the region for data prediction and interpolation. Correlation results can help in building better statistical regional models. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Additive manufacturing (AM) has transformed the manufacturing industries by providing numerous opportunities for rethinking and remodeling existing systems. Complex fabrication, rapid prototyping, reduced cost of pre-production tools, and customizations are the main features of this technique. Although, the proper and deep understanding of process parameters is required because it significantly influences the microstructure, mechanical properties, and dimensional accuracy of components. In this work, the design-for-metrology (DFM) approach is used to check the dimensional deviations of 316L stainless steel (SS) samples manufactured via selective laser melting (SLM) process. Laser power, scan speed, layer thickness, and hatch spacing are the chosen parameters to check their influence on fabricated parts. The geometric feature such as height, diameter, and cylindricity of samples was measured by a coordinate measuring machine (CMM). The uncertainty of measurement in geometric features is evaluated by the law of propagation of uncertainty (LPU) method. The result shows that dimensional deviation is more at high energy density. Also, the dimensional deviation is not that high for selected geometric features, which shows that the SLM process has good dimensional accuracy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present work investigates the tribological wear characteristics (pin-on-disc) of Al6061composite that has been fabricated via stir casting route of liquid metallurgy technique with varying content of aluminium oxide(Al2O3), zirconia sand (ZrSiO4), silicon carbide (SiC) and rice husk ash (RHA) as reinforcement. The test observations can be observed and appreciated that increasing the reinforcement percentage, the properties like density and hardness increased significantly and monolithically. The dry sliding pin-on-disc (POD) wear test is performed using configuration tribometer by various parameters at 50 N load, 600 RPM, 25 min, and the test results state that composites have greater wear resistance. These tribological wear characteristics are then optimized using the L16 orthogonal array Taguchi method, where a weight loss model was created in terms of applied load, abrasive grain size, which revealed that the reinforcement's weight per cent is the highest influencing factor. Basically, the Al6061 is comparatively soft, and as per dry sliding POD wear concern at the applications of stringers, aircraft wings, seat tracks, floor breams, fuselage of an aircraft's, the wear resistance plays a crucial role in relative movement at contact surfaces; hence, the present work focused on developing Al6061–SiC/Al2O3/RHA/ZrSiO4 metal matrix hybrid composites with enhanced tribological and mechanical properties. Of all the mixtures, the composites having the optimum percentage of reinforcement materials showed improved properties. To do the tribological wear analysis, samples are slide against SiC abrasive grit, and the worn-out surface is then analysed using scanning electron microscope and EDS. Experimentally, it was found that applied load and sliding distance have an almost negligible effect on wear, whereas the abrasive grain size has the highest impact on wear. The predicted material loss of the hybrid composite samples was found to lie near by that of the experimentally observed ones. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative age-related brain disease which diminishes learning and memory. Two main cholinesterases (ChEs), first acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and second one butyrylcholinesterase (BChE) are the major targets to treat this disease. In the current study, six novel pyrazolo-benzothiazole analogues were systematically planned, synthesized, and biological tested for their ChEs activities, antioxidant, enzyme kinetic, self-induced Aβ modulation, PAMPA-BBB, and docking and molecular simulation study. Among all derivatives, compound 4a bearing 3,4-dimethoxypyrazolo-benzothiazole was the potential inhibitor of AChE (IC50 = 8.69 ± 0.42 µM), Aβ modulator and good antioxidant property. Docking studies also clearly revealed that compound 4a fit fully into the active sites of hAChE. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

During this COVID-19 pandemic, except steroid, none of the therapeutic measures have showed any evidence of efficacy. Traditionally jala-neti using lukewarm salted water remains a yogic way of maintaining upper airway hygiene. Saline irrigation decreases the concentration of inflammatory mediators (e.g. histamine, leukotriene etc.) in nasal secretions, reduces the severity and frequency of sinusitis, reduce need of antibiotic therapy and restores competency of nasal mucosa. Jala-neti is an integral part of six cleansing techniques of yogic kriyas practised in India since thousands of years. Jala-neti can clean the upper airways, prevents colonization of infectious agents, removes foreign bodies, prevents stasis of mucous and subsequently enhances the drainage of paranasal sinuses and maintain health. Regular practice of Jala neti improves nasal symptoms and overall health status of patients with sinusitis. Jala-neti sample can even be used for COVID-19 diagnosis. Povidone iodine (PVP-I) has been utilized as a time tested antimicrobial agent with broad spectrum coverage against wide range of bacteria and viruses. Anti-SARS-CoV-2 action of PVP-I was seen at a concentration as low as 0.45%. PVP-I is generally well tolerated upto 5%, however nasal ciliotoxicity is reported at this concentration, however, this toxicity is not reported with lower concentrations(1.25% and 0.5%). So, theoretically, by using neti-kriya with povidone iodine (0.5–1%) as irrigation solution can combine and enhance the protection against COVID-19 and this can be an important armor in the fight against COVID-19. However, this hypothesis needs to be validated in real life clinical trial scenario before implementing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Solid-state diffusion bonding of pseudo-α-Ti alloy and Ti-stabilized stainless steel (SS321), with and without Ni interlayer, was investigated in the temperature range of 800-940 °C for different times. Microstructural investigation of the bond interfaces in the directly bonded diffusion couple showed a distinct diffusion zone which was composed of layers of (1) Fe-Ti intermetallic phases (Fe2Ti and FeTi), (2) transformed β-Ti and (3) (α+β) Ti. Shear strength of the joint was seen to be dependent on the thickness of diffusion zone and intermetallic phase layer. For direct diffusion bonding, maximum shear strength of 223.6 ± 17 MPa was observed for the joints processed at a temperature of 920 °C with a holding time of 8 min under a load corresponding to ~0.8 times yield strength (YS) of Ti alloy. Shear strength results showed that the optimum thickness of the Fe-Ti intermetallic phase layer is approximately 2 ± 0.5 µm. For the diffusion bonding joints in the presence of a Ni interlayer, formation of layers of Ni-Ti intermetallic compounds (Ni3Ti, NiTi and NiTi2) was observed at the interface between Ni and Ti alloys. Joint bonded at 940 °C with a holding time of 1 min under a load of 0.8 × YS showed the maximum shear strength of 180 ± 23 MPa. The optimum thickness of the Ni-Ti intermetallic layers for maximum shear strength was found to be approximately 5 ± 2 µm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The beet-root (Beta vulgaris) and whey powder together, can potentially use as a multifunctional ingredient in the manufacturing of the "Popsicles", due to their biochemical composition that can enhance the concentration of bioactive compounds. In the present study, beet-root juice concentrates were prepared at different time/temperature treatments viz 45 °C, 55 °C, and 65 °C for 120, 80 and 45 min. The effect of different time/temperature treatments on physicochemical composition, colour, antioxidant activity (%), bioactive compounds, spectral data and sensory acceptance were evaluated. The physicochemical parameters of popsicles (PTI, PT2, PT3) including protein, total phenols, betalain, radical scavenging activity %, colour and melting values were significantly affected (p ≤ 0.05) by the different time/temperature treatments. The concentration of betalain and protein in all the popsicles ranged from 1134 to 1299 mg/L and 1.92 to 1.54 g/100 g respectively. The reduction of bioactive components viz betacyanins, betaxanthins, betanin, oxalic and syringic acid was also observed in popsicle (PTI) as compared to control. Furthermore, popsicle (PT1) was prepared with beet-root juice concentrated at 45 °C showed maximum sensory acceptance. The physicochemical and organoleptic attributes of processed popsicles encourage the commercial usage of whey powder and concentrated beetroot juice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the era of Internet of Things (IoT) powered by 5G technologies, Automobile Industry is headed towards a revolution. In Intelligent Transport Systems (ITS), vehicles act as connected entities, and exchange data with each other and with the back-end servers on the mobile network. These communications are often session based and require a light weight protocol for session establishment and continuity. Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) can act as the base for this kind of communication. However, its simplicity also makes the protocol vulnerable to various web attacks such as identity theft and Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS). As 5G technologies will enable high data rates to the users, this will also exponentially increase the threat of high-speed DDoS on the servers originating from different sources. Thus, appropriate solutions need to be developed for securing SIP systems from these threats. Machine Learning (ML) has transpired as a building block in cyber security solutions, and a large number of techniques are available to make quick and robust network defense systems by automating the identification of attack flows in the network. In this paper, a Deep Learning-based model is proposed for the identification and alleviation of DDoS attacks in SIP based networks. The work presented here uses a system that is scalable and highly available with load balancing and failover addressing capabilities. The datasets used for conducting experiments are created by emulating SIP sessions, generating DDoS attacks, capturing the normal and attack flows, and extracting time window-based features from the packets. A stacked autoencoder model is trained on the curated datasets to detect various types of DDoS attacks. Once an attack is detected, the Mitigation Policy Recommender module recommends various actions for threat mitigation. Performance of the system is assessed in terms of Accuracy, Precision, Recall and F1-Score. The proposed model obtains a significant improvement in the performance than the previously existing state-of-the-art techniques in terms of accuracy and detection rate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cotton leaf curl disease (CLCuD), caused by a geminivirus complex, is the most serious disease of upland cotton in northwest India and Pakistan. It results in substantial losses in cotton yield and fibre quality. Due to continuous appearance of new viral strains, all the established CLCuD resistant stocks, extant and obsolete cultivars of upland cotton have become susceptible. Therefore, it became crucial to explore the novel sources of CLCuD resistance, as development of CLCuD resistant varieties is the most practical approach to manage this menace. Here, for the first time, we report introgression and mapping of CLCuD resistance from a ‘synthetic cotton polyploid’ to upland cotton. A backcross population (synthetic polyploid / Gossypium hirsutum Acc. PIL 43/G. hirsutum Acc. PIL 43) was developed for studying inheritance and mapping of CLCuD resistance. Dominance of CLCuD resistance was observed over its susceptibility. Two dominant genes were found to confer resistance to CLCuD. Molecular analysis through genotyping-by-sequencing revealed that chromosomes A01 and D07 harboured one CLCuD resistance gene each. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The identification of critical nodes and edges is essential for understanding the structural and functional aspects of complex networks. Like nodes, edges play a vital role in the structural organization of the complex systems and diffusion of the contagion. However, the identification of critical links traditionally has been given less attention compared to the identification of nodes. In this paper, we propose a new edge centrality measure derived from Betweenness Centrality, Degree, and Common Neighbourhood, namely BC DCN . Experimental analysis on a variety of networks shows that BC DCN is capable of identifying those edges that facilitate Susceptible-Infected-Recovered (SIR) contagion diffusion. BC DCN also shows good and non-degrading performance in experiments designed to study the effect on network size and connectivity under successive edge removal. Theoretically and empirically, the time complexity of BC DCN is comparable to edge betweenness centrality, i.e., O (| E | | V |) . Unlike other measures, BC DCN performs well on all three evaluation criteria, i.e., SIR diffusion simulation, successive edge removal experiments, and time complexity. It shows that the proposed method is fast and effective. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Precise dimensional measurements, predominantly through coordinate metrology, largely influence the quality control in manufacturing industries. Other than the standard coordinate measuring machines (CMMs), coordinate metrology also functions in conjunction with measurement systems utilizing structured light, imaging, laser triangulation, photogrammetry and computer tomography. An articulated arm coordinate measuring machine (AACMM) or portable CMM provides enhanced flexibility and diminished weight as compared to the conventional CMM. Periodic reverification of articulated arm CMM is essential to ascertain accurate and precise dimensional measurements. In the present experimental investigation, an articulated arm coordinate measuring machine has been verified as per ISO 10360–12:2016 using one-dimensional standard artefact (KOBA Step Gauge, 1220 mm). The measurement uncertainty estimation has been carried out using Monte Carlo Simulation (MCS) and compared with ISO GUM (law of propagation of uncertainties: LPU) outcomes. Established expanded uncertainties and measured mean values acquired from the two approaches were observed to be in reasonable concordance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the current timeframe, manufacturing industries and different organizations are paying attention to new manufacturing strategies to sustain their market survival. Metal Additive Manufacturing (MAM) is one of the transforming techniques, which can produce complex and customized products to satisfy its customer presently at a small scale. Over the last few years, it has reconstructed the global production and logistics parts system due to an increase in its utilization in different industries. In AM process, components are fabricated by adding material layers one over another in a line-by-line pattern via a 3D computerized model as a guide. For this, the use of fittings, joints, processing tools, coolants and other supplementary equipment are not needed. Although, this process is limited by poor productivity, low quality, and anisotropic behavior of parts after printing, yet the purpose of this study is to be aware of the currently available MAM techniques based on beam and non-beam energy sources and discussed their process mechanism. This article discussed the importance of process parameters, the analysis of defects and their detection in fabricated components. This study will provide insight view and encourage engineers and researchers in academic and industrial applications to enhance the technology more efficiently. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A great deal of focus has been given to finding a bio-composite film to substitute petroleum-based synthetic plastic in recent years. Many animals in India die after eating the plastic-based film used to cover disposable food items such as sandwiches and burgers. An attempt is made in this paper to make a similar strength bio-composite film that is nature friendly and can substitute the plastic film. In this research, a novel bio-composite film is prepared from coconut coir (CC)/groundnut shell (GS) carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC)–starch and coconut coir (CC)/groundnut shell (GS) carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC)–commercial CMC and the physical, mechanical and microstructural properties of the resulting films are investigated. Coconut coir (CC) and groundnut shell (GS) are agricultural waste (lignocellulosic biomass), composed of cellulose, which can be further converted into carboxymethyl cellulose by mercerization followed by the etherification process and further that CMC is converted into a bio-composite film which can substitute the plastic film. Glycerol as a plasticizer makes film flexible, and olive oil enhances the water barrier properties. Film flexibility and extension usually improve with glycerol. Characterization of carboxymethyl cellulose has been done using XRD, FTIR spectra, and SEM. The antibacterial test was conducted against Gram-positive (Staphylococcus aureus) and Gram-negative (Escherichia coli) bacteria. Water solubility, moisture content, and film opacity improve with an increasing degree of substitution (DS). XRD, FTIR, and SEM results show that the CMCs have been successfully synthesized from coconut coir and groundnut shell. Bio-composite film produced from coconut coir CMC displays higher tensile strength and elongation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Multiple myeloma, the second-most common hematopoietic malignancy in the United States, still remains an incurable disease with dose-limiting toxicities and resistance to primary drugs like proteasome inhibitors (PIs) and Immunomodulatory drugs (IMiDs). We have created a computational pipeline that uses pharmacogenomics data-driven optimization-regularization/greedy algorithm to predict novel drugs ("secDrugs") against drug-resistant myeloma. Next, we used single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNAseq) as a screening tool to predict top combination candidates based on the enrichment of target genes. For in vitro validation of secDrugs, we used a panel of human myeloma cell lines representing drug-sensitive, innate/refractory, and acquired/relapsed PI- and IMiD resistance. Next, we performed single-cell proteomics (CyTOF or Cytometry time of flight) in patient-derived bone marrow cells (ex vivo), genome-wide transcriptome analysis (bulk RNA sequencing), and functional assays like CRISPR-based gene editing to explore molecular pathways underlying secDrug efficacy and drug synergy. Finally, we developed a universally applicable R-software package for predicting novel secondary therapies in chemotherapy-resistant cancers that outputs a list of the top drug combination candidates with rank and confidence scores. Thus, using 17AAG (HSP90 inhibitor) + FK866 (NAMPT inhibitor) as proof of principle secDrugs, we established a novel pipeline to introduce several new therapeutic options for the management of PI and IMiD-resistant myeloma. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Genetic resistance in rice through native traits is an important tactic to manage Brown planthopper (BPH), Nilaparvata lugens Staal (Homoptera: Delphacidae) which is one of the most dreaded pests in the farmer's field causing serious crop losses. Many sources of resistance, both from cultivated and wild accessions, are known with almost 36 resistance genes mapped to different chromosomes through phenotypic and genotypic selections. A majority of resistance genes identified are effective for BPH biotypes prevailing in Southeast Asia and China. For South Asia, very few BPH resistance genes are effective but without their utilization for the development of commercial hybrids and varieties. A new source of resistance HSPP 6417 has been identified in the present paper, which displayed resistance to 11 populations of BPH collected from different rice ecologies of India. The new source HSPP 6417 had an adverse effect on the population dynamics of BPH by inhibiting the population build-up on the plants. The resistance of HSPP 6417 was equivalent to the only source of resistance in India, G7253 used to develop a commercial rice hybrid AZ8433 DT. On crossing HSPP 6417 with other prolific restorer lines of the commercial hybrids, the major genes were found to control its modes of inheritance. Field trials with F4 generation revealed that resistance was stable with good agronomic performance under infestations. The implications of using such a source of resistance for developing BPH resistant hybrids are discussed in the paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pollution of industrial wastewaters containing dyes is a major concern for health in many countries, calling for advanced remediation techniques. Here, we review dye classification, toxicity, and removal with focus on adsorption using nanomaterials and magnetic nanoparticles. We present isotherm modeling and kinetic studies. We discuss factors controlling dye adsorption, such as pH, dye concentration, adsorbent amount, and temperature. Adsorption using magnetic nanoparticles appear as a simple and cost-effective technique. Removal efficiency increases with adsorbent concentration but declines sharply with increasing pH. Temperature is also highly influencing the removal. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Three-dimensional (3D) printing is an outstanding technology and performs a significant role in the fabrication of sensors as compared to conventional methods of fabrication, such as subtractive manufacturing. In this review paper, fabrication of general-purpose sensors using traditional manufacturing and 3D printing has been discussed. All possible sensors, including mechanical sensors, electronic sensors, biosensors, and chemical sensors can be fabricated using 3D printing technologies in a cost-effective, rapid and eco-friendly manner. Among various 3D printing technologies, fused deposition modelling and inkjet printing method have been prominently utilized. With the advent of new materials and flexibility in the printing process, these technologies show immense advantages and potential in the development of sensors. Future sensing applications include advanced biosensors for tissue engineering, high-performance sensing capabilities, such as high power sensors and improvement in multifunctional sensors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]