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In this study, powder-mixed electrical discharge machining (PMEDM) was employed using two carbon-based nanopowders (multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) and nano-graphene) to enhance the machining characteristics of Udimet-720. Pulse-on-time, pulse-off-time, and current were selected as control variables, with material removal rate (MRR), tool wear rate (TWR), and surface roughness (SR) as output responses. Taguchi's L9 design was utilized to conduct experimental trials. Empirical models were generated, and the output responses were optimized using the heat-transfer search algorithm technique. An objective function was formulated for simultaneous optimization, and the obtained solution was utilized to investigate the influence of carbon-based nanopowders (MWCNTs and nano-graphene). Results of simultaneous optimization have given the optimal parameter settings at Ton of 4 µs, Toff of 3 µs, and current of 18 A with optimal response values of MRR at 26.22 mg/min, TWR at 0.4759 mg/min, and SR at 5.91 μm. Under the same machining conditions, nano-graphene-based EDM at a 1 g/L concentration has yielded higher MRR and the lowest TWR and SR compared to MWCNTs-based EDM and conventional EDM. The machined surfaces were also investigated for surface defects through scanning electron microscopy. The surface defects, in terms of the formation of globules and micro-pores, were observed to be less pronounced for the use of graphene powder than for MWCNTs. The authors believe that the present work will be useful for machining hard materials, which are widely used in aeronautical applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In 2023, wildfires burned 15 million hectares in Canada, more than doubling the previous record. These wildfires caused a record number of evacuations, unprecedented air quality impacts across Canada and the northeastern United States, and substantial strain on fire management resources. Using climate models, we show that human-induced climate change significantly increased the likelihood of area burned at least as large as in 2023 across most of Canada, with more than two-fold increases in the east and southwest. The long fire season was more than five times as likely and the large areas across Canada experiencing synchronous extreme fire weather were also much more likely due to human influence on the climate. Simulated emissions from the 2023 wildfire season were eight times their 1985-2022 mean. With continued warming, the likelihood of extreme fire seasons is projected to increase further in the future, driving additional impacts on health, society, and ecosystems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we discuss singularly perturbed time-dependent convection–diffusion problems that arise in computational neuroscience. Specifically, we provide approaches for one-dimensional singularly perturbed parabolic partial differential difference equations (SPPPDDEs) with mixed shifts in the spatial variable using fitted operator spline in compression and adaptive spline. Temporal discretization is done by backward Euler's method, and spline methods with exponential fitting on uniform mesh are implemented in the spatial domain. For better approximations, the Richardson extrapolation technique is used, which is demonstrated by two numerical examples. The convergence of the proposed methods is investigated and found to be uniform with respect to the perturbation parameter. Graphical representations are provided to show how the shifts affect the proposed solution to the problem. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report the measurement of X-ray polarization in the high synchrotron peaked blazar 1ES 1959 + 650. Of the four epochs of observations from the Imaging X-ray Polarimetry Explorer, we detected polarization in the 2–8 keV band on two epochs. From the model-independent analysis of the observations on 28 October 2022, in the 2–8 keV band, we found the degree of polarization of Π X = 9.0 ± 1.6 % and an electric vector position angle of Ψ X = 53 ± 5 deg. Similarly, from the observations on 14 August 2023, we found Π X and ψ X values as 12.5 ± 0.7 % and 20 ± 2 deg, respectively. These values are also in agreement with the values obtained from spectro-polarimetric analysis of the I, Q, and U spectra. The measured X-ray polarization is larger than the reported optical values, ranging between 2.5% and 9% when observed from 2008 to 2018. Broadband spectral energy distribution constructed for the two epochs is well described by the one-zone leptonic emission model with the bulk Lorentz factor (Γ ) of the jet larger on 14 August 2023 compared to 28 October 2022. Our results favor the shock acceleration of the particles in the jet, with the difference in Π X between the two epochs being influenced by a change in the Γ of the jet. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cancer-derived exosomes, a subset of extracellular vesicles, carry vital information about tumor progression, metastasis, and drug resistance, making them attractive targets for cancer diagnostics and therapeutics. The identification of these cancer exosomes with high sensitivity and specificity has enormous promise for early diagnosis and prognosis. Nano-mediated biological sensors are establishing themselves as innovative techniques for detecting cancer exosomes based on the distinctive physicochemical attributes of nanomaterials to improve detection sensitivity and specificity. This article presents an overview of the recent developments in nano-mediated biosensors directed particularly toward the detection of cancer exosomes. The development of ultrasensitive sensors has been enhanced by using nanomaterials such as magnetic nanoparticles, quantum dots, and gold nanoparticles. Surface modifications of these nanomaterials by conjugating the cancer-specific antibodies or aptamers facilitate target recognition and binding of cancer exosomes, thus increasing the sensitivity of detection. This review compiles different detection techniques, including SERS, Electrochemical, SPR, Chemiluminescence, and Fluorescence-based biosensor detection, in combination with different nanomaterials that are currently being researched or utilized as biosensors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new and efficient method has been developed to synthesize dispiro[oxindole/acenaphthylenone-benzofuranone]pyrrolidine compounds. This is done by triggering the 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition reaction of azomethine ylides by reacting isatin/acenaphthoquinone with L-picolinic acid/L-proline/sarcosine/L-thioproline/tetrahydroisoquinolines, in a highly regioselective manner in an ionic liquid [DBU][Ac] with 4′-chloro-auron[2-(4-chlorobenzylidene)benzofuran-3(2H)-one]. Single-crystal X-ray diffraction data support the proposed structures of the new compounds. The heterocycles derived from amino acids such as L-picolinic acid, L-proline, and L-thioproline showed significant inhibitory effects against six human solid tumors, including lung, breast, cervix, colon, and others. These new structures were also tested in the active sites of the MDM2 receptor to further study their antiproliferative effects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wildfire impacts the global carbon cycle, property, harvestable timber, and public health. Canada saw a record fire season in 2023 with 14.9 Mha burned—over seven times the 1986–2022 average of 2.1 Mha. Here we utilize a new process-based wildfire module that explicitly represents fire weather, fuel type and availability, ignition sources, fire suppression, and vegetation's climate response to project the future of wildfire in Canada. Under rapid climate change (shared socioeconomic pathway [SSP] 370 & 585) simulated annual burned area in the 2090 s reaches 10.2 ± 2.1 to 11.7 ± 2.4 Mha, approaching the 2023 fire season total. However, climate change below a 2 °C global target (SSP126), keeps the 2090 s area burned near modern (2004–2014) norms. The simulated area burned and carbon emissions are most sensitive to climate drivers and lightning but future lightning activity is a key uncertainty. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The build-up of arsenic in agricultural soil through contaminated irrigational groundwater is a concern. Metagenomic analysis of such contaminated sites may provide a remarkable opportunity to extensively investigate the responses and adaptation of microbial communities to different levels of arsenic. The study focuses on the comparative analysis of microbial community composition and associated functions in paddy soil samples with a gradient of arsenic contamination (4.88 to 43.67 mg kg−1). Actinobacteria was found to dominate the bacterial phyla in all four samples with abundance ranging from 39.77% to 49.39% followed by Proteobacteria (20.71–38.24%). Whereas the fungal phylum Ascomycota (92.42–95.29%) dominated all the samples studied. In the study, bacteria were found to be abundant in the mid-level (15.89 and 24.84 mg kg−1) of arsenic, which included genera Gaiella, Nocardioides, Solirubrobacter, Microvirga, and Nitrospira. Fungi Beauveria, Talaromyces, Aspergillus, Pyrenophora, and Valsa were higher in relative abundance corresponding to soil arsenic concentration. Verticillium, previously reported for Pb, Zn, and Cd removal, was found in the soil sample with the mid-arsenic concentration (15.89 mg kg−1). The relative abundance of the arsenic metabolizing/ transport genes of native microbial communities also varied with the soil arsenic gradient, the genes arsJ, arsM, aioR, arsH, and arsC being the most affected. The study is the first report of Gaiella, Solirubrobacter, Beauveria, and Verticillium present in arsenic-contaminated soil, and further studies are required to explore their potential role in arsenic bioremediation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

3-Methyl indanones are key synthetic building blocks for a variety of natural and useful synthetic compounds. Their synthesis is exceedingly difficult. Herein, we described a palladium (II) mediated intramolecular one-pot redox-relay cyclization of aromatic homoallylic alcohols to cyclic keto compounds. This catalytic system enabled direct conversion of homoallylic alcohols to corresponding indanones (3-methyl-1-indanones). Homoallylic alcohols were synthesized by reacting allyl magnesium bromide with corresponding aromatic aldehydes. The optimized reaction yielded up to 88% 3-methylindanones. Our findings enabled us to device a plausible mechanism for this one pot reaction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of the research is to validates the integrated Lean, Green, and Six Sigma (LGSS) model for continuous and incremental improvement in the Indian manufacturing industry to find out the benefits that the firm gained. Validation of the statistically proven framework has been done in the Indian manufacturing industry giving the structural instruments to 35 members of the organization to assess the results from LGSS practices. The approved outcomes are in the Indian perspective; in any situation, the instrument produced can be utilized in a worldwide location. To improve the operational and sustainable performance the manufacturing organizations should adopt this integrated LGSS framework into their operation process. This research is unique that presents an integrated framework of Lean, Green, and Six Sigma to fulfill the need of the Indian manufacturing industry that provides operational and sustainable benefits to the industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A comprehensive test program was performed to experimentally investigate the effect of CFRP strengthening on the axial strength and stability of CFS plain angle short columns subjected to monotonic axial compression. A total of 28 specimens were tested by varying the CFRP strengthening configurations for different column heights. Both uni-directional (CF_UD) and bi-directional (CF_BD) CFRP were considered. The influence of various parameters such as the type of CFRP, fiber orientation, and number of CFRP layers was investigated and discussed in detail. For single layer (ply) of CFRP, CF_UD-0° strengthening configuration resulted in maximum increase of axial capacity by 58.33% and 45.72% (in comparison to bare steel specimens), corresponding to 0.5 m and 1.0 m column lengths respectively. All the bare steel and skin-strengthened specimens failed predominantly due to torsional–flexural buckling mode. Additional layer of CFRP wrapping was found to enhance the axial capacity further and CF_UD-0°/BD was found to possess greater capacity in the case of double layer of CFRP. Adopting cardboard in-fill in addition to CF_UD-0° wrap has prevented the torsional mode of buckling and resulted in a peak increase of axial capacity by 192.55% and 240.61% corresponding to 500 mm and 100 mm long specimens, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We develop a new l-proline-Brønsted acid deep eutectic mixture (DEM)-driven straightforward protocol for the synthesis of (aryl/heteroarylmethylene)bis(3-hydroxy-5,5-dimethylcyclo-hexenone) derivatives with broad functional group compatibility using one-pot consecutive Claisen–Schmidt and Michael addition reactions. These derivatives are obtained under very mild reaction conditions with good yields (65–92%) in a short span (20–30 min). Significantly, a newly developed l-proline-Brønsted acid catalyst system was characterized using D2O exchange proton NMR spectroscopy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This work describes an efficient, concise, and green sonochemical synthesis of benzylidene derivatives of enolizable carbonyls featuring barbituric acid derivatives, pyrazole-5-one, and rhodanine in aqueous ethanol using an organocatalyst. This method enables the synthesis of various benzylidene derivatives via a direct sp3 C–H olefination reaction of enolizable carbonyls. We remarkably emphasize the synthetic utility of these derivatives and validate the molecular structures using 1H-NMR and 13C-NMR spectroscopy (APT) as well as SC-XRD investigation of representative compounds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Citrus is one of the most widely grown fruits globally, because of its remarkable organoleptic features, nutritional content and bioactive ingredients. Microbial spoilage and other factors such as physiological disorder, mechanical and physical damage, and fruit senescence are the major factors of postharvest loss to citrus industry. The postharvest losses in citrus are directly have negative impcats on the economy, environment and healths due to production of carbon emission gases. The fungal pathogens such as Penicillium digitatum, Penicillium italicum and Geotrichum candidum are the major cause of postharvest spoilage in citrus fruits. These pathogens produce different mycotoxins such as citrinin, patulin, and tremorgenic. These mycotoxins are secondary metabolites of molds; they employ toxic effects on the healths. The acuteness of mytoxin on toxicity is dependings on the extent exposure, age and nutritional status of individual. The toxicity of mytoxins are directly related to the food safety and health concern including damage DNA, kidney damage, mutation in RNA/DNA, growth impairment in childs and immune system etc. Several attempts have been made to extend the shelf-life of citrus fruits by controlling physiological decay and fungal growth which has got limited success. In recent years, nanotechnology has emerged as a new strategy for shelf life prevention of citrus fruits. The biopolymer based nano-formulations functionalized with active compounds have shown promising results in maintaining the postharvest quality attributes of fruits and vegetables by retarding the moisture loss and oxidation. This review exclusively discloses the postharvest losses in citrus fruits and their causes. In addition, the use of biopolymer based nanoformulations functionalized with active agents and their developing technologies have been also discussed briefly. The effects of nano-formulation technologies on the postharvest shelf life of citrus is also described.The finding of this review also suggest that the natural biopolymers and bioactive compounds can be used for developing nanoformulations for extending the shelf-life of citrus fruits by minimizing the fungal growth and as an alternatives of fungicides. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cervical cancer is the most prevalent reproductive malignancy that affects the female reproductive system. A myriad of anti-cancer compounds has been used for its treatment, but the increasing mortality rates are still devastating. Currently, organic metal complexes are gaining popularity due to their anti-cancer attributes. Therefore, the current work was designed to assess the therapeutic efficacy of non-functionalized multi-walled carbon nanotubes (N-MWCNT) and functionalized MWCNTs (F-MWCNT) against cervical cancer. Initially, N-MWCNTs and F-MWCNTs were structurally characterized by various parameters, including FTIR, XRD, TEM, SEM, AFM, and EDAX. Our comparative study revealed that F-MWCNTs have a larger surface area and the presence of OH and COOH as functional groups, which are uniformly distributed in the tubular and crystalline structure. Furthermore, the MTT assay revealed IC50 values of 47.70 µg/ml and 61.94 µg/ml of N- MWCNTs and F-MWCNT, respectively; in that relation, our immunoblot results show upregulation of BAX and downregulation of BCL-2 in either of the cases, with N-MWCNT having 2.92 and 0.45 folds in comparison to 2.68 and 0.41 folds of F-MWCNT. Our results revealed that both materials inhibited cell proliferation and induced apoptosis in a dose-dependent manner. Still, the effect of N-MWCNTs was more prominent as compared to F-MWCNTs. The overall conclusions of this study indicated that doses of F-MWCNTs could be explored for the safe drug delivery vehicle used as an effective biocompatible nanoformulation agent and this will open a new door for cervical cancer treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This document is a correction notice for an article titled "Sonochemical synthesis of benzylidene derivatives of enolizable carbonyls and their analogues in aqueous ethanol" published in the journal Research on Chemical Intermediates. The correction addresses an error in the original publication where the triple bond of the cyano (CN) group was incorrectly depicted as a quarter bond in several graphical abstracts and schemes. The correct versions of the graphical abstract and schemes have been provided in the correction notice. The correction was made by Palak J. Patel, Hiren R. Chaudhary, Vivek K. Gupta, and Divyang M. Patel. [Extracted from the article]

X-ray polarimetry is a powerful tool to probe the geometry of the hot X-ray corona in active galactic nuclei (AGN). Here, we present our results on the characterization of the X-ray polarization of the radio-quiet Seyfert-type AGN IC 4329A at a redshift of z = 0.016 . This is based on observations carried out by the Imaging X-ray Polarimeter (IXPE). IXPE observed IC 4329A during 5–15 January 2023, for a total observing time of 458 ks. From the model-independent analysis, we found a polarization degree ( Π X ) of 3.7 ± 1.5 % and a polarization position angle ( Ψ X ) of 61 ∘ ± 12 ∘ in the 2–8 keV energy range (at 68% confidence). This is also in agreement with the values of Π X and Ψ X of 4.7 ± 2.2 % and 71 ∘ ± 14 ∘ , respectively, obtained from spectro-polarimetric analysis of the I, Q and U Stokes spectra in the 2–8 keV energy band (at 90% confidence). The value of Π X in the 2–8 keV band obtained from the model-independent analysis is lower than the minimum detectable polarization (MDP) value of 4.5%. However, Π X obtained from spectro-polarimetric analysis in the 2–8 keV band is larger than the MDP value. In the 3–5 keV band, we found Π X of 6.5 ± 1.8 , which is larger than the MDP value of 5.5%. The observed moderate value of Π X obtained from the analysis of the IXPE data in the 3–5 keV band argues against a spherical lamp-post geometry for the X-ray corona in IC 4329A; however, considering simulations, the observed polarization measurements tend to favor a conical shape geometry for the corona. This is the first time measurement of X-ray polarization in IC 4329A. Measurements of the X-ray polarization in many such radio-quiet AGN will help in constraining the geometry of the X-ray corona in AGN. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Escherichia coli encounter variety of environmental and processing stresses during their growth, survival, and infection. Herein, the thermotolerance behavior and transcription of virulent genes responsible for the pathogenicity in isolated strains of pathogenic E. coli were evaluated. Among 176 E. coli isolates, 4 isolates (2.27%) were confirmed to be pathogenic E. coli, out of which 2 isolates were positive for EHEC and 2 were positive for EPEC based on their virulence factors. Thermotolerance was induced under thermal adaptation at higher temperature, regardless of the pathotypes. Cells grown and adapted at 42 °C, exhibited highest transcription of genes associated with adhesion (eae), hemolysis (hlyA), and shiga toxin production (stx1). However, expression of these genes was downregulated in cells adapted at lower temperature of 4 °C and 25 °C compared to control. Further, transcription of stx2 was upregulated by 70% and 17% at 4 °C and 25 °C, respectively, while the transcription level was reduced by 44% relative to control at 42 °C. The findings indicate that expression of virulent genes in pathogenic E. coli at elevated temperature do not be depend on thermotolerance of the strain harboring these genes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Cardiac arrest in the operating room is a rare but potentially life-threatening event with mortality rates of more than 50%. Contributing factors are often known, and the event is recognised rapidly as patients are usually under full monitoring. This guideline covers the perioperative period and is complementary to the European Resuscitation Council guidelines. Material And Methods: The European Society of Anaesthesiology and Intensive Care and the European Society for Trauma and Emergency Surgery jointly nominated a panel of experts to develop guidelines for the recognition, treatment, and prevention of cardiac arrest in the perioperative period. A literature search was conducted in MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials. All searches were restricted to publications from 1980 to 2019 inclusive and to the English, French, Italian and Spanish languages. The authors also contributed individual, independent literature searches. Results: This guideline contains background information and recommendation for the treatment of cardiac arrest in the operating room environment, and addresses controversial topics such as open chest cardiac massage, resuscitative endovascular balloon occlusion and resuscitative thoracotomy, pericardiocentesis, needle decompression, and thoracostomy. Conclusions: Successful prevention and management of cardiac arrest during anaesthesia and surgery requires anticipation, early recognition, and a clear treatment plan. The ready availability of expert staff and equipment must also be taken into consideration. Success not only depends on medical knowledge, technical skills and a well-organised team using crew resource management, but also on an institutional safety culture embedded in everyday practice through continuous education, training, and multidisciplinary co-operation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Brassicaceae family includes many economically important species that are grown worldwide and used mainly for vegetable oils. Sclerotinia stem and leaf rot, caused by Sclerotinia sclerotiorum, is a devastating disease that affects many Brassicaceae species and threatens their long-term productivity and profitability. There are currently no genetic sources known to have a high level of resistance to this pathogen. In this study, 338 accessions from 13 cultivated and wild Brassicaceae species, including 266 accessions from Brassica juncea, were evaluated for Sclerotinia rot resistance and stem physical strength attributes. Large variation of resistance was found in Brassicaceae, with maximum differences of 23.08- and 8.25-folds in stem and leaf resistance, respectively. B. juncea IC 589660, D. tenuisiliqua and S. alba SA 1 showed high level of resistance to stem rot while B. carinata HC 0214, B. juncea IC 589660, B. juncea IC 491160, B. juncea IC 73231, and B. juncea IC 491463 exhibited high level of resistance to leaf rot. These accessions showed significantly lower disease scores than the resistant control. Among all the evaluated accession, B. juncea IC 589660 is the only genotype exhibited high resistance to both stem and leaf rot and could prove useful for S. sclerotiorum resistance breeding programs. The lack of association between leaf lesion size and stem lesion length revealed separate genetic regulation for stem vs leaf resistance. While, significant negative correlation detected between stem lesion length, and stem physical strength attributing traits indicated that stem physical strength-mediated resistance (SPSMR) factors were responsible for Sclerotinia stem rot resistance in Brassicaceae. Hard and woody stem is a prominent resistance factor that could be targeted in durable resistance breeding programs against stem rot. These findings pave the door for further research into the molecular basis of SPSMR's response to Sclerotinia stem rot in Brassica oilseeds and other hosts. Sclerotinia stem and leaf rot resistant accessions identified in this study will be of considerable benefit not only in increasing our understanding of resistance mechanisms across different Brassicaceae species, but also in generating resistant cultivars against Sclerotinia sclerotiorum. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Globally prevalent renal stone diseases are extremely painful and affect people all over the world. Given the importance of the role of elements in their formation and the fact that the growth and genesis of renal stones are imprinted in their morphology, the etiology of lithiasis could be studied with relevant analytical tools. The prime objective of this investigation is to describe the compositional structure and morphology of nineteen surgically removed renal stones. Scanning electron microscopy coupled with energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy is used to obtain the chemical and structural compositions of the stones. Thermal gravimetric and differential scanning calorimetry analyses were also performed to understand their thermal behaviors. Calcium oxalate monohydrate, along with some traces of calcium phosphate, uric acid, and sodium urate, represents the main mineralogical phase of the renal stones used in the present study. A scanning electron microscopic study showed that calcium oxalate monohydrate crystals had a sphere-like, clumping-like morphology with irregularities in their sizes and orientations and were more tightly packed and regularly ordered in comparison to the uric acid crystals. Elemental imaging and mapping of the main and trace elements within the renal stones were also obtained, which reveals the heterogeneous nature of stones. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tetrahydrocannabinols (THCs) antagonize the CB1 and CB2 cannabinoid receptors, whose signaling to the endocannabinoid system is essential for controlling cell survival and proliferation as well as psychoactive effects. Most tumor cells express a much higher level of CB1 and CB2; THCs have been investigated as potential cancer therapeutic due to their cannabimimetic properties. To date, THCs have been prescribed as palliative medicine to cancer patients but not as an anticancer modality. Growing evidence of preclinical research demonstrates that THCs reduce tumor progression by stimulating apoptosis and autophagy and inhibiting two significant hallmarks of cancer pathogenesis: metastasis and angiogenesis. However, the degree of their anticancer effects depends on the origin of the tumor site, the expression of cannabinoid receptors on tumor cells, and the dosages and types of THC. This review summarizes the current state of knowledge on the molecular processes that THCs target for their anticancer effects. It also emphasizes the substantial knowledge gaps that should be of concern in future studies. We also discuss the therapeutic effects of THCs and the problems that will need to be addressed in the future. Clarifying unanswered queries is a prerequisite to translating the THCs into an effective anticancer regime. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hard X-rays from atoll sources either can be emitted from the compact corona or the boundary layer around the neutron star surface. For the first time, we report the lags of the order of a few hundred seconds between soft and hard energy bands observed in an atoll source 4U 1728-34 using the AstroSat LAXPC data. We fitted the spectra with various models and found that the source was in the soft banana state during the observations and the inner disc radius was found to be ∼16 km. Based on a thermal Comptonization model, the electron temperature was found to be low (∼3 keV) with an index of Γ = 1.82 , indicating that the corona was compact in nature. We noted that the boundary layer emission was relatively more than the disc emission component. Based on the reflection model, we noted that the inner disk front was at R in ∼ 1.45 R ISCO with an electron temperature ∼2.72 keV. Based on the observed lags, the coronal height was estimated to be around 3-20 km assuming that the disc is close to the ISCO. We noted that the detected lags are similar to the depletion time scale of the boundary layer. These results indicate that the hard X-ray emission can arrive from the corona or boundary layer and the observed lags are due to readjustment time scales of either or both the physical structures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The ability to form reconstructions beyond line-of-sight view could be transformative in a variety of fields, including search and rescue, autonomous vehicle navigation, and reconnaissance. Most existing active non-line-of-sight (NLOS) imaging methods use data collection steps in which a pulsed laser is directed at several points on a relay surface, one at a time. The prevailing approaches include raster scanning of a rectangular grid on a vertical wall opposite the volume of interest to generate a collection of confocal measurements. These and a recent method that uses a horizontal relay surface are inherently limited by the need for laser scanning. Methods that avoid laser scanning to operate in a snapshot mode are limited to treating the hidden scene of interest as one or two point targets. In this work, based on more complete optical response modeling yet still without multiple illumination positions, we demonstrate accurate reconstructions of foreground objects while also introducing the capability of mapping the stationary scenery behind moving objects. The ability to count, localize, and characterize the sizes of hidden objects, combined with mapping of the stationary hidden scene, could greatly improve indoor situational awareness in a variety of applications. Most non-line-of-sight imaging requires scanned illumination, limiting applicability for dynamic scenes. Here the authors exploit occlusion and a sensor array to estimate locations and sizes of moving foreground objects and a static background map. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hair and nails are human biomarkers capable of providing a continuous assessment of the concentrations of elements inside the human body to indicate the nutritional status, metabolic changes, and the pathogenesis of various human diseases. Laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) and X-ray fluorescence (XRF) spectrometry are robust and multi-element analytical techniques able to analyze biological samples of various kinds for disease diagnosis. The primary objective of this review article is to focus on the major developments and advances in LIBS and XRF for the elemental analysis of hair and nails over the last 10-year period. The developments in the qualitative and quantitative analyses of human hair and nail samples are discussed in detail, with special emphasis on the key aspects of elemental imaging and distribution of essential and non-essential elements within the hair and nail tissue samples. Microchemical imaging applications by LIBS and XRF (including micro-XRF and scanning electron microscopy, SEM) are also presented for healthy as well as diseased tissue hair and nail samples in the context of disease diagnosis. In addition, main challenges, prospects, and complementarities of LIBS and XRF toward analyzing human hair and nails for disease diagnosis are also thoroughly discussed here. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Alzheimer's disease (AD) pathologies were discovered in the accessible neurosensory retina. However, their exact nature and topographical distribution, particularly in the early stages of functional impairment, and how they relate to disease progression in the brain remain largely unknown. To better understand the pathological features of AD in the retina, we conducted an extensive histopathological and biochemical investigation of postmortem retina and brain tissues from 86 human donors. Quantitative examination of superior and inferior temporal retinas from mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and AD patients compared to those with normal cognition (NC) revealed significant increases in amyloid β-protein (Aβ42) forms and novel intraneuronal Aβ oligomers (AβOi), which were closely associated with exacerbated retinal macrogliosis, microgliosis, and tissue atrophy. These pathologies were unevenly distributed across retinal layers and geometrical areas, with the inner layers and peripheral subregions exhibiting most pronounced accumulations in the MCI and AD versus NC retinas. While microgliosis was increased in the retina of these patients, the proportion of microglial cells engaging in Aβ uptake was reduced. Female AD patients exhibited higher levels of retinal microgliosis than males. Notably, retinal Aβ42, S100 calcium-binding protein B+ macrogliosis, and atrophy correlated with severity of brain Aβ pathology, tauopathy, and atrophy, and most retinal pathologies reflected Braak staging. All retinal biomarkers correlated with the cognitive scores, with retinal Aβ42, far-peripheral AβOi and microgliosis displaying the strongest correlations. Proteomic analysis of AD retinas revealed activation of specific inflammatory and neurodegenerative processes and inhibition of oxidative phosphorylation/mitochondrial, and photoreceptor-related pathways. This study identifies and maps retinopathy in MCI and AD patients, demonstrating the quantitative relationship with brain pathology and cognition, and may lead to reliable retinal biomarkers for noninvasive retinal screening and monitoring of AD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis is a potentially fatal complication of severe dengue fever. Here we evaluated the serum soluble IL-2R levels as potential biomarker for identifying HLH in patients with dengue fever. Methods: In this cross-sectional study conducted in a tertiary care center of a teaching hospital, subjects with dengue and fever of more than 5 days, leukopenia/thrombocytopenia and/or hepatosplenomegaly were studied. Data were collected to compare sIL-2R values and serum ferritin with Hscore and Histiocyte Society 2004 criteria. Relevant statistical methods were used. Results: 80 subjects with severe dengue fever were analyzed with relevant investigations. Mean H score was 219.2 ± 17.6 in 18 dengue patients with HLH v/s 166.2 ± 11.2 in 62 patients without HLH (p = < 0.001). Serum ferritin (11,230.5 v/s 7853.5, p = 0.013) and sIL-2R (32,917.5 v/s 6210, p = < 0.001) were significantly higher in those patients with HLH. sIL-2R correlated very well with HScore (r = 0.98, p < 0.001) compared to ferritin (r = 0.51, p < 0.001) with an AUROC of 1.00 compared to 0.694 (95% CI 0.557–0.831) of serum ferritin for diagnosing HLH. A cut-off value of 10,345 pg/ml for sIL-2R had a sensitivity and specificity of 100% for HLH, whereas, a ferritin value of 8613 ng/ml had only 67% sensitivity and 55% specificity. Conclusion: sIL-2R could be a single most useful biomarker to differentiate dengue fever patients who are likely to progress to HLH, from those that are not. Full workup for HLH could be limited only to those patients with elevated sIL-2R, especially in resource limited settings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Global net land carbon uptake or net biome production (NBP) has increased during recent decades1. Whether its temporal variability and autocorrelation have changed during this period, however, remains elusive, even though an increase in both could indicate an increased potential for a destabilized carbon sink2,3. Here, we investigate the trends and controls of net terrestrial carbon uptake and its temporal variability and autocorrelation from 1981 to 2018 using two atmospheric-inversion models, the amplitude of the seasonal cycle of atmospheric CO2 concentration derived from nine monitoring stations distributed across the Pacific Ocean and dynamic global vegetation models. We find that annual NBP and its interdecadal variability increased globally whereas temporal autocorrelation decreased. We observe a separation of regions characterized by increasingly variable NBP, associated with warm regions and increasingly variable temperatures, lower and weaker positive trends in NBP and regions where NBP became stronger and less variable. Plant species richness presented a concave-down parabolic spatial relationship with NBP and its variability at the global scale whereas nitrogen deposition generally increased NBP. Increasing temperature and its increasing variability appear as the most important drivers of declining and increasingly variable NBP. Our results show increasing variability of NBP regionally that can be mostly attributed to climate change and that may point to destabilization of the coupled carbon–climate system.Increasing variability of net biome production over recent decades may be due to climate change and points to destabilization of the carbon–climate system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Peptides are small polymers composed of 40 or fewer amino acids and are an increasingly important class of drugs. Therapeutic peptides are less immunogenic and more economical than biologics while offering greater safety, selectivity, efficacy, and specificity than small molecule drugs. Despite this, they are challenging to mold in a stable formulation due to their susceptibility to degradation. By understanding the degradation behavior of such peptide drugs, researchers and pharmaceutical manufacturers can design safe, effective, and stable peptide formulations. From a scientific standpoint, forced degradation studies are an indispensable tool to forecast the stability of any molecule during its development phase. Being structurally diverse, the degradation of peptide drugs is different from the small molecules. This review provides a practical summary of strategies adopted to perform the stress stability testing for different peptide therapeutics including a selection of stress conditions, degradation products formed, and an analytical methodology used for the characterization of degradation products. Hence, it will help in developing a protocol for performing forced degradation studies on peptide therapeutics of interest. In-depth discussions of the different peptide degradation mechanisms are also included, along with preventive measures. The information presented here in the form of case studies on the degradation profile of existing peptide drugs will help in designing more resistant peptide drugs by chemical modifications, as well as aid in the advancement of generic peptide drug product development. In brief, this review presents the way of controlling peptide degradation from synthesis to formulation development based on their constituted amino acids. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Lung cancer is one of the highly lethal forms of cancer whose incidence has worldwide rapidly increased over the past few decades. About 80–85% of all lung cancer cases constitute non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), with adenocarcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma and large cell carcinoma as the main subtypes. Immune checkpoint inhibitors have led to significant advances in the treatment of a variety of solid tumors, significantly improving cancer patient survival rates. Methods and Results: The cytotoxic drugs in combination with anti-PD-(L)1 antibodies is a new method that aims to reduce the activation of immunosuppressive and cancer cell prosurvival responses while also improving direct cancer cell death. The most commonly utilized immune checkpoint inhibitors for patients with non–small cell lung cancer are monoclonal antibodies (Atezolizumab, Cemiplimab, Ipilimumab, Pembrolizumab etc.) against PD-1, PD-L1, and CTLA-4. Among them, Atezolizumab (TECENTRIQ) and Cemiplimab (Libtayo) are engineered monoclonal anti programmed death ligand 1 (PD-L1) antibodies that inhibit binding of PD-L1 to PD-1 and B7.1. As a result, T-cell proliferation and cytokine synthesis are inhibited leading to restoring the immune homeostasis to fight cancer cells. Conclusions: In this review article, the path leading to the introduction of immunotherapeutic options in lung cancer treatment is described, with analyzing the benefits and shortages of the current immunotherapeutic drugs. In addition, possibilities to co-administer immunotherapeutic agents with standard cancer treatment modalities are also considered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The past several decades have witnessed the emergence and re-emergence of many infectious viral agents, flaviviruses, influenza, filoviruses, alphaviruses, and coronaviruses since the advent of human deficiency virus (HIV). Some of them even become serious threats to public health and have raised major global health concerns. Several different medicinal compounds such as anti-viral, anti-malarial, and anti-inflammatory agents, are under investigation for the treatment of these viral diseases. These therapies are effective improving recovery rates and overall survival of patients but are unable to heal lung damage caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Therefore, there is a critical need to identify effective treatments to combat this unmet clinical need. Due to its antioxidant and immunomodulatory properties, stem cell therapy is considered a novel approach to regenerate damaged lungs and reduce inflammation. Stem cell therapy uses a heterogeneous subset of regenerative cells that can be harvested from various adult tissue types and is gaining popularity due to its prodigious regenerative potential as well as immunomodulatory and anti-inflammatory properties. These cells retain expression of cluster of differentiation markers (CD markers), interferon-stimulated gene (ISG), reduce expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines and, show a rapid proliferation rate, which makes them an attractive tool for cellular therapies and to treat various inflammatory and viral-induced injuries. By examining various clinical studies, this review demonstrates positive considerations for the implications of stem cell therapy and presents a necessary approach for treating virally induced infections in patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the recent past year of 2020–2021, researchers proposed many swarm intelligence based algorithms. In the present work, an effort has been made to compare the performance of these algorithms for the real-life constraint optimization problem. Swarm intelligence-based algorithms developed during 2020–2021 such as GEO, WHO, MPA, JSO, ChoA, MA, BWO, AO, COOT, and TSA are considered in the present work. These algorithms are implemented for the performance optimization of the Sterling cycle operated refrigeration/liquefaction system. Four operating variables and two output constraints of the Sterling cycle based system are considered for optimization. Comparative results are presented with statistical data to judge the performance of the algorithm and subsequently identify the statistical significance and rank of the algorithm. The effect of various constraint handling methods on the performance of algorithms is evaluated and presented. The behaviour of constraint handling methods is analyzed and presented with statistical data. Statistical analysis is also performed to observe whether the constraint handling methods produce a significant difference on the output of the considered algorithm. The effect of output constraints on the performance of algorithms is also evaluated and presented. Finally, the convergence behaviour of the competitive algorithms is obtained and demonstrated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The genesis and growth of the stones formed inside the human body are imprinted in their structure. Thus, the pathogenesis of lithiasis must potentially be read using the proper analytical technique. Scanning electron microscopy–energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (SEM–EDS) is a highly suitable analytical technique that reveals a detailed description of the morphology and compositional structure and, to some extent, the formation cause of the stones such as gallbladder and kidney stones. In the present review article, we presented detailed spectroscopic investigations on the morphological and chemical compositional analysis of gallstones and kidney stones using the SEM–EDS technique. We also covered some fundamental principles of SEM techniques for understanding the new beginners in this vital field. The advanced use of SEM–EDS in gastroenterology and in nephrology is relatively new to other analytical techniques. SEM–EDS has not been used extensively in the aforementioned field. In addition to SEM–EDS, we have also highlighted using ED-XRF to analyze stone samples. This review paper will be highly beneficial to understanding the formation and growth of the stones inside the human body for its diagnosis, therapeutic strategies, and proper treatment management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigates the performance of a mixed free-space optical (FSO)/radio frequency (RF) amplify and forward (AF) one-way full-duplex relay (FDR) system by considering the impact of feedback delay and co-channel interference (CCI) at the relay node. Of course, apart from CCI, the FDR operation introduces self-interference (SI) in the relay hardware. The relay selection using the selection cooperation technique is performed based on imperfect channel state information (CSI). Importantly, the statistics of the RF link with outdated CSI for α - μ distribution have been derived, and then the exact closed form expressions for the outage probability and bit error rate (BER) have been developed for non-zero boresight error on the FSO link. In addition to this, an approximate analysis of ergodic capacity along with the diversity order of the considered system model has also been derived. Finally, the numerical results are presented to corroborate the findings, and Monte-Carlo simulations are used to validate them. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This communication is devoted to the X-ray diffraction study of a single crystal of the compound N '-acetyl-4-formyl-N '-phenylbenzohydrazide. The compound crystallizes in the triclinic space group P . The crystal structure has been solved by direct methods and refined by full matrix least squares procedure to a final R value of 0.0855 for 1886 reflections. The crystal structure is stabilized by hydrogen bonds N–H⋅⋅⋅O, C–H⋅⋅⋅O, and O–H⋅⋅⋅O with the participation of a water solvent molecule. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Longhole stoping is a productive exploitation technique for underground metalliferous deposits. The method consists of deep-hole blasting with increased explosive charges to excavate larger volume of ore from a single blast. However, large scale blasting produces hazards in terms of blast-induced vibration. The underground structures viz. drivages, cross-cuts, shaft pillar, shaft, decline, etc. in the proximity of blasting face need to be safeguarded from damages due to blast vibration. This paper is a case study on investigating the influence of the charging parameters on the safety of nearby underground structures at Sindesar-Khurd Lead-Zinc underground mine. Experimental blasts with variations in charging parameters were performed at the mine for this purpose. The ground vibration data were recorded from the experiment and analysed using neural network analysis and regression analysis. The importance of different charging parameters on ground vibration magnitude has been identified using importance analysis. Regression analysis has been carried out to establish predictor equations correlating different charging parameters with peak particle velocity (PPV). The influence of charging parameters has also been investigated using Probability-value (P-value) approach. The neural network and regression analysis approaches have identified the zones from the blasting face where, distance, maximum charge weight per delay, total explosive charge in a ring and total explosive charge in a blasting round has significant impact. Accordingly, the predictors consisting of different charging parameters have been established. The optimum charging parameters have been suggested based on these predictors for blasting at the mine. The suggested charging parameters are focused on to reduce vibration near underground structures within the safe limit. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Polypropylene (PP) is one of the most widely used commodity plastic materials worldwide in terms of the production and its consumption. At commercial scale, PP is produced in various grades like homopolymer and copolymer (random and impact) by the polymerization of propylene and mixture of propylene-ethylene monomers using Ziegler–Natta catalysts and alkyl aluminum as co-catalysts. The present study deals with the colored lump formation of polypropylene random copolymer (PPCP) during storage at large scale and its probable route cause analysis for the lump formation. The lump samples were collected and characterized using FTIR, TGA, DSC and molecular weight determination and compared with pure PPCP. FTIR data show all the signature peaks of PPCP with additional > C=O stretching near 1720 cm−1 in colored lump sample, TG analysis revealed degradation of PPCP polymer and formation of volatile organic compounds in the temperature range 200–250 °C, the DSC analysis of the colored lump and pure PPCP showed that the melting peak was broader for colored lump of PPCP (i.e., PPCP_Y) which is an indicative that polymer molecules were having different chain length and the molecular weight analysis showed that the colored sample was having very low molecular weight with some bimodal character as compared to pure polymer. Based on these data and observations, the possible reason for the colored lump formation was also discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presented an adaptive two-way relay (TWR) based mixed visible light communication (VLC)/radio frequency (RF) network to improve the accessibility to the mobile user. The VLC link is constrained by a geometrical channel model based on intensity modulation (IM)/direct detection (DD), while the RF link is modelled by a nakagami- m fading distribution. It is considered that the VLC-link in the first-hop is decoded and forwarded (DF) by the relay (R) to the RF signal in the second-hop. Thereafter, selection combining (SC) and switch-and-examine combining (SEC) are implemented at R. The novel closed form expressions of outage probability (OP) and bit error rate (BER) for both SC and SEC schemes are derived and the performance results of both the schemes are compared. The SC is found to be ∼ 3 dB more power efficient than the SEC at a target BER of 10 - 3 . Moreover, the performance of this DF based TWR scheme is compared with other transmission schemes including amplify and forward TWR (AF-TWR), one-way relaying (OWR), uplink, downlink, direct VLC, and RF transmissions. The considered TWR scheme increases the spectral efficiency significantly as compared to OWR while maintaining the same outage performance. Furthermore, the performance of the system is determined based on different system parameters such as Nakagami- m fading parameter, path loss exponent, half illumination angle, switching threshold, VLC field of view (FOV) angle, distance between LED source and photo-detector (PD), and number of LED luminaries. In addition, all the theoretical results are obtained asymptotically at high signal-to-noise ratios (SNRs) in simple elementary functions, and that are validated by the simulation results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The diverse capabilities of nickel-based super-alloy (Udimet 720), like robust mechanical strength, ductility, resistance to excessive temperature deformation, and advanced corrosion and oxidation resistance, make it suitable for use in multiple applications. These super-alloys are identified as extremely difficult materials for machining to meet feature and manufacturing requirements. In the present work, we demonstrated the machining of Udimet 720 by employing the wire-electrical discharge machining (WEDM) technique. Pulse-on-time (Ton), pulse-off-time (Toff), current, and MWCNT amount were preferred as input variables. The effect of selected design variables was studied on material removal rate (MRR), surface roughness (SR), and recast layer thickness (RLT). Box-Behnken design was utilized to design an experimental matrix. For statistical analysis, analysis of variance (ANOVA) was employed. From ANOVA, the current had the highest contributor with 35.85% to affect MRR, while MWCNT amount was found to be the highest contributor for deciding the values of both SR and RLT with contributions of 42.66% and 40.07%, respectively. The addition of MWCNT at 1 g/L has substantially improved MRR from 0.8546 to 1.2199 g/min, SR reduced from 5.88 µm to 2.98 µm, and reduction in RLT from 17.8 to 11.61 µm. The passing vehicle search (PVS) algorithm was implemented, and the results of single-objective optimization presented the largest MRR of 1.8883 g/min, least SR of 1.89 µm, and least RLT of 9.70 µm. Additionally, a set of non-dominated solutions was obtained through Pareto optimal fronts. A small acceptable deviation was detected among the actual and forecasted results from PVS algorithm. It clearly reveals the acceptance of the PVS technique in the present study for Udimet 720. Lastly, the significance of MWCNT amount on surface textures was revealed by employing scanning electron microscopy (SEM). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is increasing evidence suggesting the role of microbiome alterations in relation to pancreatic adenocarcinoma and tumor immune functionality. However, molecular mechanisms of the interplay between microbiome signatures and/or their metabolites in pancreatic tumor immunosurveillance are not well understood. We have identified that a probiotic strain (Lactobacillus casei) derived siderophore (ferrichrome) efficiently reprograms tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) and increases CD8 + T cell infiltration into tumors that paralleled a marked reduction in tumor burden in a syngeneic mouse model of pancreatic cancer. Interestingly, this altered immune response improved anti-PD-L1 therapy that suggests promise of a novel combination (ferrichrome and immune checkpoint inhibitors) therapy for pancreatic cancer treatment. Mechanistically, ferrichrome induced TAMs polarization via activation of the TLR4 pathway that represses the expression of iron export protein ferroportin (FPN1) in macrophages. This study describes a novel probiotic based molecular mechanism that can effectively induce anti-tumor immunosurveillance and improve immune checkpoint inhibitors therapy response in pancreatic cancer. The probiotic-derived siderophore, ferrichrome, enhances anti-tumor immunity and improves the efficacy of checkpoint immunotherapy in a model of pancreatic cancer by repolarizing tumor-associated macrophages to a immunostimulatory M1 phenotype. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Optically transparent organic single crystals of (E)-N'-(2,4-dimethoxybenzylidene) benzohydrazide (DMBBH) have been grown by slow evaporation technique. The detailed crystal structure of DMBBH was determined from Single crystal X-ray diffraction (SCXRD) study. The presence of active functional groups in the compound was identified by the experimental and computational Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) and NMR analyses. The UV–Vis Spectrum reveals the optical transparency of the grown crystal in the visible region. The natural bond orbital (NBO) analysis results show that the interaction between the donor π(C2-C7) and acceptor π*(C1-N8) has the highest stabilization energy (111.9 kJ/mol) and it shows the hyperconjugation within the –CONH‒ group. The first order hyperpolarizability value β0 = 2.8501 × 10–30 esu of the synthesized compound was eight times greater than that of urea (0.3728 × 10–30 esu). The Z-scan approach revealed the nonlinear optical (NLO) behaviour and optical limiting characteristics of the molecule. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The observed global net land carbon sink is captured by current land models. All models agree that atmospheric CO2 and nitrogen deposition driven gains in carbon stocks are partially offset by climate and land-use and land-cover change (LULCC) losses. However, there is a lack of consensus in the partitioning of the sink between vegetation and soil, where models do not even agree on the direction of change in carbon stocks over the past 60 years. This uncertainty is driven by plant productivity, allocation, and turnover response to atmospheric CO2 (and to a smaller extent to LULCC), and the response of soil to LULCC (and to a lesser extent climate). Overall, differences in turnover explain ~70% of model spread in both vegetation and soil carbon changes. Further analysis of internal plant and soil (individual pools) cycling is needed to reduce uncertainty in the controlling processes behind the global land carbon sink. The global net land sink is relatively well constrained. However, the responsible drivers and above/below-ground partitioning are highly uncertain. Model issues regarding turnover of individual plant and soil components are responsible. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tight regulation of immediate early gene (IEG) expression is important for synaptic plasticity, learning, and memory. Recent work has suggested that DNA double strand breaks (DSBs) may have an adaptive role in post-mitotic cells to induce IEG expression. Physiological activity in cultured neurons as well as behavioral training leads to increased DSBs and subsequent IEG expression. Additionally, infusion of etoposide—a common cancer treatment that induces DSBs—impairs trace fear memory. Here, we assessed the effects of hippocampal infusion of 60 ng of etoposide on IEG expression, learning, and memory in 3–4 month-old C57Bl/6J mice. Etoposide altered expression of the immediate early genes cFos and Arc in the hippocampus and impaired hippocampus-dependent contextual fear memory. These data add to the growing evidence that DSBs play an important role in IEG expression, learning, and memory, opening avenues for developing novel treatment strategies for memory-related disorders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Agrobacterium tumefaciens is one of the most serious pathogenic bacteria. It is responsible for one of the most devastating crown diseases that account for the maximum yield loss and quality attributes of the ber (Ziziphus mauritiana) fruit plant. Powdery mildew of ber incited by Oidiumerysiphoides f. sp. ziziphi is the most important disease that causes maximum reduction in yield and quality of ber fruits. In the present work, we have carried out the spectroscopic investigations on healthy and bacterial crown gall diseased ber fruits (Ziziphus mauritiana) in order to detect the chemical changes that may take place in the elemental and molecular composition of the ber fruits with the occurrence of crown gall on their surface. Laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) was used for the elemental analysis and FTIR spectroscopy was employed to understand the change in molecular components such as sugar and starch, carbohydrates, fats, lipids, and proteins. LIBS results revealed the decreasing trends of mineral elements calcium (Ca), and increasing trends of magnesium (Mg), potassium (K), silicon (Si), manganese (Mn), and sodium (Na) in diseased samples as compared with healthy samples. Partial least square discriminant analysis (PLS-DA) of the LIBS data has been carried out to find out the differences among the different sample classes. We were able to distinguish healthy fruit samples as compared with diseased ones on the basis of their elemental differences using PLS-DA method. It has been concluded that the chemical changes (elemental and molecular) observed in the ber fruit samples were basically due to the infestation by Agrobacterium tumefaciens, which was further confirmed by the isolation method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, the study of mixed radio frequency (RF)/ free space optical (FSO) communication decode and forward (DF) two way relaying (TWR) has been presented. In fact, it has been considered that multiple relays are present out of which the best operational relay is selected as per the partial relay selection (PRS) methodology in the presence of outdated channel state information (CSI). Importantly, the relay nodes are assumed to operate in the presence of in phase (I) quadrature phase (Q) imbalance (IQI). The atmospheric turbulence on the FSO link has been modeled using the Malaga distribution with pointing errors. In addition to this, the impact of type of optical demodulation has been considered in the analysis. For the system model, outage probability expression has been derived in terms of Meijer-G and Fox's H-functions. In addition to this, for the TWR system, the outage probability expressions have been modified to present asymptotic results in terms of elementary functions. The numerical analysis of the research work suggests that the overall mixed RF/FSO DF TWR system is impacted by the image rejection ratio (IRR) due to IQI, correlation between outdated CSI, atmospheric turbulence, pointing error and type of optical demodulation in addition to the amount of fading on the RF link. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) are modern tool for various scientific research areas such as agriculture, disaster management, mining and surveying. Among them, remote sensing is utilizing UAVs to acquire high-resolution digital images of ground surface. In remote sensing and photogrammetric operations, the geometric quality of the imagery basically depends on the relation between pixel size and the map scale, contrast information, atmosphere and the sun elevation, the printing technology, screen resolution and the visual acuity (ISPRS Int J Geo-Inf, Liu et al. Liu et al., ISPRS International Journal of Geo-Information 7:333, 2018; Eur Assoc Geosci Eng 1–5, Zatserkovnyi et al. Zatserkovnyi et al., European Association of Geoscientists and Engineers 25:1–5, 2020). In this study, accuracy has been assessed and compared of true digital orthoimages generated by two different software with same configuration. Three datasets of different places called dense urban, urban slum and forest mountains have been collected from field with area covering 0.061, 0.130 and 2.040 km2 and ground sampling distance 1.79, 2.19 and 11.86 cm, respectively. The orthoimages were generated using Pix4D and AgiSoft Photoscan software and then randomly distributed checkpoints, and visual angular distortion on the orthoimage was used to verify its precision. It was observed that in dense urban and urban slum Pix4D accuracy is more than AgiSoft Photoscan, but in forest mountain, it is vice versa. However, the process and mapping accuracy to generate TDOI require further improvement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Present work explores the quantitative and qualitative performance investigation of nine recently developed optimization algorithm along with state-of-the-art differential evolution and its variants for the economic optimization of cooling tower. Quantitative performance of the competitive algorithms evaluated based on the best solution, mean solution, success rate, and standard deviation results. Qualitative performance comparison of competitive algorithms obtained through statistical analysis of the obtained results. Statistical analysis is carried out with two different scenarios to identify the qualitative performance of recently developed algorithms alone and in the presence of stat-of-art differential evolution and its variants. The effect of different constraint handling methods on the performance of the competitive algorithms is identify and presented. The behaviour of all competitive algorithms is verified for sensitiveness of constraints. Finally, the convergence behaviour of the competitive algorithm in obtaining the minimum total cost solutions is also obtainable and discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The crystal structure of the title compound is determined by single crystal X-ray structure analysis. The crystals are monoclinic, space group P21/c, a = 13.607(3) Å, b = 13.352(3) Å, c = 9.700(2) Å, β = 92.085(3)°, Z = 4, and R = 0.0543 for 3111 observed reflections. The dihedral angle between the coumarin nucleus and pyridine ring is 1.41(3)°, confirming the perfect planarity of the pyrido coumarin moiety. Ring D deviates significantly from planarity. The observed conformation for ring D is a half chair (ΔC2(C5–C6) = 6.26). The supramolecular aggregation in the title compound is extremely simple and involves just one intermolecular hydrogen bond. Molecules are also reinforced by π–π stacking interactions involving pyrido coumarin moiety of the molecule. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]