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AbstractThe residual effect of low doses of lantana, pine needles and wheat straw phyto-biochars pyrolyzed at 300 °C and 450 °C and enriched with 0, 50, 75 and 100% of recommended doses of fertilizers (RDF) of micronutrients and S was studied on the yields, nutrient concentration and uptake of second crop, i.e. rice (Oryza sativa L.) after fodder maize to validate their nutrient slow-release characteristics. The residual effect of phyto-biochars averaged over different RDF increased rice grain yield significantly under lantana and pine needles phyto-biochars pyrolyzed at 300 °C, but decreased with pine needles biochar pyrolyzed at 450 °C as compared to the control. The highest grain yield (9.43 g pot−1) was under pine needles phyto-biochar pyrolyzed at 300 °C and enriched initially with 75% of RDF, which was 7.8 per cent higher than that with 75% of RDF applied through conventional fertilizer sources. The residual effect of some treatments significantly increased the readily oxidizable C and extractable Zn, Cu, Fe, Mn, B and S in the soil after rice harvest. For fodder maize + rice crops together, pine needles phyto-biochar pyrolyzed at 300 °C or lantana phyto-biochar pyrolyzed at 450 °C with enrichment of 75% RDF of micronutrients and S gave the higher apparent per cent utilization of Zn, Fe, Mn, and S, but numerically closer per cent utilization values for Cu and B in comparison to the conventional chemical fertilizer sources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AbstractThis research emphasizes enhancing air conditioning (AC) system performance through the integration of a phase change material (PCM)-based annulus heat exchanger (HEX) within the condenser unit. The present study delves into how aspect ratio (AR), inlet velocities, and inlet air temperature impact the coefficient of performance (COP) and melting rate. Moreover, it considers the variable specific heat of the PCM, a less-explored aspect in AC-integrated PCM systems. Results have revealed that the AR notably affects the complete melting time. Specifically, an increase in the AR from 15 to 21 has led to a noteworthy reduction of 30.07% in the total melting time under fixed velocity conditions at 2.55 m/sec and θ = 0.429. The present study has also established a correlation to demonstrate how total melting time is influenced by AR, inlet air temperature, and inlet velocity. Also, modifying AR and inlet velocity to the HEX could lead to lower outlet temperatures from the HEX. Initially, at a given velocity of 2.55 m/sec and θ of 0.429, increasing the AR from 15 to 18 leads to a 1.61% decrease in the outlet air temperature from the HEX, while increasing AR from 15 to 21 results in a 3.12% decrement. PCM-enhanced AC systems consistently exhibit improved COP values, especially in low-velocity scenarios, outperforming systems without PCM. At the onset of melting, for a given velocity of 2.55 m/sec and θ of 0.429, the percentage increase in the COP for the altered system compared to a system without the PCM is found to be 11.28%, 12.84%, and 14.01% for ARs of 15, 18, and 21, respectively. Configurations with higher ARs are found to be more suitable for higher cooling loads with shorter working periods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Soft ferrimagnetic spinel lithium based oxides were prepared with additives like V2O5 and Na2SiO3 and sintered with the efficient microwave sintering technique. Tetravalent metal ions substituents like Mn+4, Ti+4 were used to enhance the important properties like D. C. resistivity, saturation magnetization, permeability, hysteresis and dielectric behavior. The ferrites were sintered at different sintering temperatures viz., 900, 950 and 1000 °C for 10 min by microwave technique and by conventional technique at 1050 °C for 4h. X-ray diffraction (XRD) studied the structural behavior which confirmed the spinel characteristics, Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and EDAX revealed the microstructural and elemental compositions respectively of the ferrites. The use of additives and the microwave sintering significantly influencing the microstructural behavior and subsequently on the electromagnetic properties could be observed. Studies of initial permeability and initial permeability loss found to remain nearly constant with change in frequency until at certain frequency they showed resonance behavior. The resonance frequency's dependence on the microstructures of the ferrites could be observed. Temperature dependence behavior of the dielectric parameters and the B-H loop traced from torroidal samples of the ferrites were studied. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present research work approaches the accumulation of fluoride ions from contaminated water using an aquatic plant Monochoria hastate L. in hydroponic culture. A design of experiment (DOE) has been adopted and an analysis of variance has been conducted to establish the statistical significance of various process parameters. The different experimental factors are root and shoot (Factor A), fluoride concentration (Factor B), and experimental days (Factor C) largely influence the output response. Plants treated with 5 mg/L of fluoride solutions accumulated the highest concentration in root biomass 1.23 mg/gm, and shoot biomass 0.820 mg/gm, dry weight after 21 days' experimentation. The accumulation mechanism and potentiality of treated plants depend on root cells of the plasma membrane and energy-capturing molecules of adenosine triphosphate. Monochoria hastate L. root biomass was characterized to confirm the accumulation of fluoride ions in the experimented plants using scanning electron micrographs-energy dispersive spectrum (SEM-EDS), and Fourier transforms infrared analysis (FTIR) analysis. The novelty of this study is the high fluoride accumulation efficiency in hydroponic treatment by Monochoria hastate L an excellent choice for phytoremediation technique. The Design of Experiment (DOE) has a good approach for the optimization of fluoride in the accumulation process. The maximum absorption of fluoride ions in root biomass is 1.23 mg/gm, and shoot biomass is 0.820 mg/gm, dry weight after 21 days of treatment. To know the fluoride ions in shoot and root biomass are characterized using scanning electron micrographs-energy dispersive spectrum (SEM-EDS), and Fourier transforms infrared analysis (FTIR). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background This systematic review evaluated the available medical literature on the prevalence and trends of waterpipe tobacco smoking among adolescents and youth in jurisdictionally representative populations. Methods PubMed, Embase, and Scopus were searched for relevant studies from inception until 31 December 2022 that reported the burden of waterpipe smoking among adolescents and youth (10–24 years of age). We extracted qualitative data on the demographic characteristics, burden, and correlates of waterpipe smoking (PROSPERO ID: CRD42022310982). Results A total of 2,197 articles were screened and 62 were included in the analysis. The majority (29) of the studies was from the United States of America and there were no studies from the south-east Asian region. The prevalence of ever waterpipe smoking among the 10–24 years age group was noted to be 18.16% (95% CI, 18.03–18.29). The prevalence of current (30-day) waterpipe smoking was 6.43% (95% CI, 6.34–6.50). The age of initiation of waterpipe smoking was variable. The prevalence of waterpipe smoking was higher among males, among those who belong to the high- and middle-income groups, and among university students. The common risk factors of waterpipe smoking included cigarette smoking, alcohol, and substance use. Waterpipe smoking resulted in increased susceptibility to the use of conventional forms of tobacco (e.g. smoking) among those who were never smokers. Conclusion Waterpipe smoking usage was significantly high among adolescents and young adults. Developing regulatory guidelines for water-pipe smoking, surveillance of its use, intervention, and specific policy frameworks may be considered a public health priority. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aims to identify the antecedents of community identity, ensuring social well-being, a feeling of inclusiveness and a sense of belonging ensuring its core of existence. The study has been carried out in the famous Baliyatra which has immense importance from the cultural point of view. The study has taken the views of the participants who has visited post covid with a feeling of belongingness and cultural identify. The research hypotheses were tested with a sample of 379 participants attending the Baliyatra Festival held in Cuttack, Odisha, India. The results indicated that sense of belongingness and feeling of inclusion are crucial predictors of participants' level. The results are expected to assist festival planners in managing and designing festivals that can appeal to participants who make up a significant percentage of cultural festival market. The study adds to the knowledge of how cultural identity can influence festival participants in Baliyatra, Cuttack, Odisha. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A pot culture experiment was conducted to examine the effect of low doses (equivalent to 0.5 t ha−1) of phyto-biochars (lantana, pine needles and wheat straw) pyrolyzed at 300 and 450 °C which were enriched with 0, 50, 75 and 100% of recommended doses of fertilizers (RDF) (micronutrients and S) prior to soil application on yield, nutrient concentration and uptake of fodder maize (Zea mays L.). The dry matter yields of fodder maize increased significantly with the application of enriched phyto-biochars in comparison to direct soil application of all the corresponding levels of RDF. The highest dry matter yield (24.05 g pot−1) was obtained with wheat straw biochar pyrolyzed at 450 °C enriched with 75% of RDF; which was 140.0% higher over the control (10.02 g pot−1) and 34.6% higher over the direct application of 75% of RDF, respectively. The concentrations of micronutrients and S in maize tissue and their total uptakes by maize were differentially influenced by different enriched phyto-biochars, however, the application of some enriched phyto-biochar significantly increased the total uptakes of Zn, Fe, Mn, and B by maize. The changes in soil pH, electrical conductivity and readily oxidizable soil organic C contents after the harvest of maize crop have been reported. The use of enriched phyto-biochars significantly increased the contents of soil extractable Zn, Fe, Mn, B and S in soil after the harvest of maize. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Delayed–release dimethyl fumarate (DMF), Tecfidera®, is approved globally for treating relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis. The disposition of DMF was determined in humans after administration of a single oral dose of [14C]DMF, and the total recovery was estimated to be between 58.4% to 75.0%, primarily through expired air. The absorption of [14C]DMF-derived radioactivity was rapid, with Tmax at 1h postdose. Glucose was the predominant circulating metabolite, accounting for ∼60% of the total extractable radioactivity. Cysteine and N-acetylcysteine conjugates of mono- or di-methyl succinate were found to be the major urinary metabolites. In vitro studies showed that [14C]DMF was mainly metabolised to MMF, and fumarase exclusively converted fumaric acid to malic acid and did not catalyse the conversion of fumaric acid esters to malic acid. DMF was observed to bind with human serum albumin through Michael addition to the Cys-34 residue when exposed to human plasma. These findings indicate that DMF undergoes metabolism via hydrolysis, GSH conjugation, and the TCA cycle, leading to the formation of citric acid, CO2, and water. These ubiquitous and well-conserved metabolism pathways minimise the risk of drug-drug interactions and reduce variability related to pharmacogenetics and ethnicity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article has implemented a robust type-II fuzzy PID controller for automatic generation control (AGC) of a diverse energy source-based multi-area power system under various operating conditions. The AGC aims to make stability over frequency and tie-line power of the power system. The proposed controller is accessed with Type-II Fuzzy systems with trapezoidal-based membership functions. In controller design concern, a novel soft computing algorithm called an improved-grey wolf optimizer (I-GWO) is approached for this study. The performance of the proposed trapezoidal membership function-based type-II fuzzy controller (TM-T2FC) has been extensively compared with the existing triangular membership-function based fuzzy-II controller (TrM-T2FC), type-I fuzzy controller (T1FC) and PID controller for AGC of the multi-area power system. Furthermore, the viability and effectiveness of the anticipated I-GWO algorithm have been separately assessed through suitable comparative studies. The robustness of the proposed TM-T2FC controller is investigated through different sensitive analyses and further assessment has been carried out by extending the proposed controller to a five area power system. It is observed from extensive studies and performance assessment that the proposed TM-T2FC controller can be a potential candidate for the AGC of the multi-area power system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effect of simultaneous substitution of La3+ and Fe3+ ions on structural, dielectric, ferroelectric and piezoelectric properties of BaTiO3 was studied. Polycrystalline ceramic samples with composition Ba1-xLaxTi1-xFexO3 with x = 0, 0.005, 0.015 and 0.020 were prepared by the solid-state route and sintered at 1325°C. X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis confirmed the single phase with tetragonal perovskite structure in all the prepared ceramics. Dielectric constant 'ϵ' and tangent loss 'tanδ' was measured as a function of temperature (25–200°C). The value of ϵ increases with an increase in La and Fe contents. A very small value of tanδ (<4%) was observed. The temperature coefficient of capacitance 'Tcc' was found to be around 10% for all the samples. PE hysteresis loops were recorded at room temperature for all samples. The maximum value of ϵ and piezoelectric coefficient 'd33' was found to be 3735 (at 30°C, 100 kHz) and 140pC/N, respectively for x = 0.020. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A heterogeneous, inexpensive and eco-friendly graphene oxide (GO) catalyst empowered the formation of bioactive biscoumarin derivatives involving domino Knoevenagel–Michael condensation using 4-hydroxycoumarin and aromatic aldehydes in H2O: EtOH solvent system. The prepared GO was well characterized by Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR), X-ray diffraction spectroscopy (XRD), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM) and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). In this efficient, green, and sustainable one-pot synthesis, the target products were obtained in excellent yields (76–97%) in short reaction time (10–20 min.) and the catalyst can be easily recoverable and reusable for five consecutive cycles. Moreover, the use of economical and easily available substrate, low catalyst loading, shorter reaction time, gram scale applicability and high atom economy are the additional advantages of this greener approach. The inhibitory activity of the synthesized compounds was tested against two species of Gram-negative bacteria (E.Coli MTCC 46 and P. aeruginosa MTCC 2488), two species of Gram-positive bacteria (S. aureus MTCC 6980 and B. megaterium MTCC) and fungus (A. niger MTCC 1344) using the broth microdilution method. The electron withdrawing substituents like -CN, –F, and –Cl exhibited excellent activity against gram negative bacteria as compared to gram positive bacteria. Additionally, in silico studies were carried out on the selected DNA gyrase (1KZN) and human lanosterol 14 alpha-demethylase CYP51 (3LD6) to study the docking interactions of the synthesized compounds. It was observed that out of all the docked compounds, 4e (−23.966 kcal/mol) and 4i (−24.976 kcal/mol) showed highest docking score against 1KZN and 3LD6 protein, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effect of three plant biomasses and two pyrolysis temperatures were investigated on physical and structural properties of biochar. Biochars produced from woody species (lantana and pine needles) had higher mass yields (18.5%–47.8%), C (599.8–623.2 g kg−1), N (8.6–15.4 g kg−1), humin-like C component (486.8–536.4 mg g−1), B (14.5–42.5 mg kg−1) and Mo (1.3–2.4 mg kg−1) contents than wheat straw biochar. Wheat straw biochar had higher ash content (23.01%–36.14%), specific density (1.45–1.70 g cc−1), surface area (295.0–397.4 m2 g−1), O (672.1–753.2 g kg−1) content and CEC (0.93–1.43 m.e. g−1) compared to biochars from woody species. Compared to 300°C pyrolysis temperature of 450°C significantly increased apparent- and specific-density, ash content, pH, EC, O, P, K, water-soluble C, fulvic acid-like C, humic acid-like C, and carbonyl group contents and the content of all micronutrients except Mo, but decreased mass yield, surface area and the contents of humin-like C and some O-containing functional groups and CEC. The interaction effect between biomass sources and temperature influenced all investigated properties of biochars except H, N, S, Cu, Mo and C:N contents. Different carbon components and functional groups in biochar were correlated with biochar properties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A greener, scalable and mild mechanochemical protocol has been developed using readily available aromatic aldehydes and o-phenylenediamine in the presence of urea nitrate catalyst to afford 1,2-disubstituted benzimidazoles in few seconds. The highly efficient urea nitrate catalyzed synthesis proceeded via carbonyl activation-cyclization-atmospheric oxidation pathway. The method involved short reaction time (20–30 s), solvent free, easy preparation of catalyst, recyclable catalyst, easy isolation, high yield (92%–99%) at room temperature. Green chemistry matrix of synthesized compounds exhibited low e-factor (0.11), high atom-economy (90.74%), high reaction mass efficiency (89.9%) and excellent eco-score (78.5%). The molecular docking study of all the synthesized compounds for antibacterial and centromere associated protein inhibitor activity gave potential hits via presence of high interaction pattern. Compound 3b (−26.7009 kJ/mol) and 3k (−25.0285 kJ/mol) exhibited highest docking score with the selected 2XCS and 1T5C proteins, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The fruit of Garcinia is a rich and valuable source of bioactive compounds and is traditionally used for treating wounds and ulcers. The present study was carried out to investigate the protective effect of chromatographically standardized fruit extract of Garcinia cowa (GCE) on ethanol-induced gastric lesions in rats and its possible mechanisms. The effect of GCE (200 and 400 mg/kg body weight) was evaluated by determining various gastric ulcer parameters like gastric wall mucus, non-protein sulfhydryls (NP-SH) content, microvascular permeability, endogenous antioxidant enzyme, and gastric histopathological study. Oral administration of GCE at doses of 200 and 400 mg/kg exhibited significant (p <.01) dose-dependent inhibition of ulcer index by 18.94–44.02%, respectively. Pre-treatment of rats with GCE (400 mg/kg) significantly restored the depleted gastric wall mucus level by 34.09% and NP-SH content by 33.35% induced by ethanol administration. In addition, GCE (400 mg/kg) showed a significant decrease in microvascular permeability of Evans Blue by 47.43%, rationalizing its protective effect. Furthermore, a significant increase in oxidative enzyme levels with reduction in malondialdehyde level and elevation of superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity was observed in the GCE treated group as compared to the ulcer control group. The histopathological assessment also confirmed the protective nature of GCE. HPTLC analysis showed the presence of 0.27%, 0.11% w/w gallic acid, and amentoflavone, respectively in GCE. The content of α-mangostin and xanthochymol in the G. cowa extract sample quantified by HPLC-PDA method was 0.72 and 8.46%, respectively. The results obtained indicate that the protective effect of GCE against gastric ulcers in rats through multiple actions confirmed by the reduction of oxidative stress and restoration of adhered gastric mucus, NP-SH content, and histological architecture. Ethanol is the most typical ulcerogenic agent and has been shown to extend the risk of ulcer in humans. Natural products are promising alternative medication for the development of new drugs to regulate gastrointestinal diseases. Garcinia cowa protects the gastric mucosa through multiple actions that include restoration of adhered gastric mucus and inhibition of lipid peroxidation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The uncertain nature of renewable sources and load demand makes modern power systems highly complex and causes the active power imbalance and frequency fluctuations. Intelligent controllers are to be designed for active power management to keep frequency steady and nominal under any uncertainty. Therefore, this article proposes a robust fractional ordered three-degree of freedom PID (3DOF-FOPID) controller for active power management of a wind/solar farm-integrated hybrid power system under various disturbances. The optimum parameters of the suggested 3DOF-FOPID controller are selected with employing a novel artificial intelligence (AI) technique-based modified-cuckoo search algorithm (M-CSA) under various operating. The performance of the suggested 3DOF-FOPID controller over 3DOF-PID and PID controller has been investigated in a common power system model and technique. The suggested 3DOF-FOPID controller offers more flexibility and controllability over other controllers in response to frequency regulation of hybrid power system. It is revealed from outcomes that under common M-CSA technique, the percentage improvement  in settling time of deviation in area-one frequency (ΔF1 ) with 3DOF-FOPID controller over 3DOF and PID are 122.4% and 328.6% respectively. Finally, it is verified that proposed 3DOF-FOPID approach is an efficient tool to regulate frequency of the hybrid power system under any operating situations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The current research presents a case study of optimal allocation of water for irrigation and power generation at Hirakud reservoir with the application of meta-heuristic algorithm. Hirakud is a multipurpose project, which is situated in the Sambalpur district of Odisha, India. As the inflow to the reservoir is uncertain, it creates difficulties and complexities in dealing with the reservoir operation. In this work, an effort has been made to build a policy for reservoir operation in Hirakud multipurpose reservoir with a view to satisfying the aim of irrigation and hydropower generation. The conventional methods are not suitable to solve these types of problems involving complexity and nonlinearity in demand and supply. The advantages of using evolutionary algorithm for reservoir optimization are that they deal with objective function information and avoid complications associated with determining derivate or other auxiliary information. The optimization techniques like genetic algorithms, particle swarm optimization, ant colony optimization, etc., have been applied to find optimal release for irrigation and hydropower generation. The analysis indicates performance of ACO a meta-heuristics-based algorithm that provides better result as compared to other methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study investigates the prevailing cropping pattern, adopted by the farmers of the study area under consideration. It aims at improving the net benefits from the farming activities with present irrigation water allocation. To arrive at the optimal cropping pattern, various swarm intelligence techniques, genetic algorithm (GA), cuckoo search (CS) and particle swarm optimization (PSO) techniques are used to formulate an efficient cropping pattern for maximizing net return for the part of Hirakud command area, in India. Maximum available land area, water for irrigation and cropping area for different crops were considered as constraints. The results are compared with the output from linear programming (LP) to evaluate the efficiency of the models. The results reveal that the net economic return arrived at by adopting the optimal cropping pattern derived with the use of PSO works out to be 230.120 Billion Rupees, whereas it is 132.2 Billion Rupees from the prevailing crop pattern adopted by farmers; 199.271 Billion Rupees with the application of LP; 210.19 billion rupees with GA and 229.895 billion rupees with CS. Weightage is given to a given crop under consideration by allocating suitable land area as per the type of land and water availability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A safe use of herbicide in the environment can be assessed by it's adsorption – desorption behavior in soil. In the present work laboratory studies were performed to examine adsorption-desorption behavior of penoxsulam herbicide on six soils having widely different properties. Adsorption kinetics of penoxsulam was best accounted by pseudo-first order model. Among acidic soils, soil having the lowest pH (5.36) showed highest partition coefficient (kd) whereas, in case of alkaline soils, soil of relatively less alkaline pH (7.88) and higher silt and organic content had higher kd value. The kd of penoxulam showed a highly significant and negative correlation with soil pH (r = −0.987, significant at p ≤ 0.01). Adsorption-desorption data fitted well to Freundlich isotherm model. Percent desorption of penoxsulam showed a highly significant and positive correlation with soil pH (r = 0.973, significant at p ≤ 0.01). Step-wise multiple regression analysis revealed that kd, Freundlich adsorption-desorption isotherm constants and hysteresis of penoxulam in soils could be successfully predicted by soil properties. The fourier transformed infrared spectral comparisons showed that adsorption of penoxsulam on soil occurred through H-bonding of several polar moieties with soil constituents besides a likely complex reaction of triazole group with some transition metals present on soil exchange complex. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present research article has proposed a robust type-2 fuzzy PID (T2-FPID) controller to obtain automatic generation control (AGC) of a diverse energy source-based multiarea power system under various operating conditions. The AGC aims to make necessary control actions over frequency and tie-line power of the power system. The proposed T2-FPID controller is accessed with triangular membership functions for getting improved performance of fuzzy controllers. The parameters of proposed controller are optimally designed with suggesting a deep Q-network (DQN) algorithm under various operating conditions. The performance of proposed T2-FPID controller is validated over type-I fuzzy PID (T1-FPID) controller and PID controller in response to AGC of the multiarea power system. To justify superiority, the performance of DQN algorithm over particle swarm optimization (PSO) and genetic algorithm (GA) has been synthesized through suitable comparative studies. Performance analysis demands superiority of proposed T2-FPID controller for AGC of multiarea power system. The robustness of proposed T2-FPID controller is investigated under wide variation of system parameters and has been carried out through sensitive study. It has been conferred through various simulation results that proposed DQN-based T2-FPID controller gracefully improves the system performances in regard to the AGC of multiarea power system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bioconjugation of therapeutic agents has been used as a selective drug delivery platform for many therapeutic areas. Bioconjugates are prepared by the covalent linkage of active compounds (small or large molecule) to a carrier molecule (lipids, proteins, peptides, carbohydrates, and polymers) through a chemical linker. The linkage of the active component to a carrier molecule enhances the therapeutic window through a targeted delivery and by reducing toxicity. Bioconjugates also possess improved pharmacokinetic properties such as a long half-life, increased stability, and cleavage by intracellular enzymes/environment. However, premature cleavage of the bioconjugates and the resulting metabolites/catabolites may produce undesirable toxic effects and, hence, it is critical to understand cleavage mechanisms, metabolism of bioconjugates, and translatability to human in the discovery stages. This article provides a comprehensive overview of linker cleavage pathways and catabolism/metabolism of antibody–drug conjugates, glycoconjugates, polymer–drug conjugates, lipid–drug conjugates, folate-targeted small molecule–drug conjugates, and drug–drug conjugates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The main motto behind the performance assessment of an irrigation system is to utilize the available water resources in an efficient and effective manner. In recent times there has been a growing concern that performance in the context of irrigated agriculture is less than that had been anticipated. Deficit water supply results in loss of production, while excess water delivery leads to waterlogging and salinity. Water supply at any given location is often poorly matched to crop need and is highly variable in both time and discharge. Good performance is not only a matter of high output, but also one of efficient use of available resources. In the present study, evaluating the performance of a canal system was conducted in two parts of Hirakud canal system namely Paramanpur distributary and Senhapali distributary. The flow measurement was done using flow tracker ADV, an instrument which measures the flow with relatively more accuracy. Various indicators of performance in a flow irrigation system, such as adequacy, variability, efficiency, inequity, conveyance performance, and irrigation performance were used to evaluate the performance of the canals. The evaluation indicates that more attention should be given for the canal operation strategy to get optimal output from the system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An incubation study was undertaken to examine the periodic release of some macronutrients and micronutrients in a sandy loam treated with different organic amendments (farmyard manure, mushroom compost, poultry manure, vermicompost, biogas slurry, and biochar of Lantana weed) added @ 15 t ha−1 for 120 d through entrapment of released nutrients on ion exchange resins. Among organic amendments, the highest total contents were recorded for Ca, Mg, and S in farmyard manure, for K, Fe, and Mn in mushroom compost, for P, Zn, and Cu in biogas slurry, for B in biochar. The highest average release was recorded for P, Zn, Mn, and B from poultry manure, for Cu from biogas slurry, for Fe from vermicompost, for Ca, Mg, and S from mushroom compost, and for K from farmyard manure. The kinetics of mineralization and release of these nutrients conformed well to the zero-order kinetics and also to a power function equation. The initial release amount and release rate coefficient estimated by the power function equations were correlated significantly to the general properties of organic amendments and also to the type of C species present in organic amendment. Organic amendments having relatively higher content of water soluble C or fulvic or humic acids are likely to release nutrients through an early mineralization/solubilization from soil reserve. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, an experimental investigation on heat and fluid flow characteristics of artificially roughened solar air heater duct has been carried out. The roughness and operating parameters covered a range of Reynolds number (Re) from 2000 to 20000, relative roughness pitch (P/e) from 15 to 30, relative rib length (r/g) from 0.4 to 1.0, and relative rib pitch (Pr/P) from 0.2 to 0.8. Other parameters, i.e., relative roughness height (e/D), angle of attack (α), and relative roughness gap are kept constant. Results show that the considerable enhancement in Nusselt number and Thermo-hydraulic performance has been obtained with an increase in friction factor using roughened surface. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article presents the numerical solution of a system of linear fourth-order boundary value problems using a different amalgamation of non-polynomial splines. A novel approach was developed using quintic spline function together with exponential and trigonometric functions. Our method is convergent and second-order accurate. Numerical examples show that the method congregates with sufficient accuracy to the exact solutions. Our methodology has the advantages over some existing quintic spline method, direct method, and finite difference method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

HCC has been reported to be immensely occurring carcinoma worldwide. Recent days the mortality occurred due to liver cancer has also been found to be increased at an alarming speed affecting mostly the young patients. The aim of the current study was to decipher the role of calcium and vitamin K3 in the treatment of chemically induced hepatocarcinogenesis in the male Wistar rats. Liver cancer was induced via a subnecrogenic dose of 160 mg/kg body weight, diethylnitrosamine (DENA) when associated with fasting/refeeding in male Wistar rats. It elevated the serum glutamate oxaloacetate (SGOT), serum glutamate pyruvate transaminase (SGPT), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), bilirubin, total cholesterol (CH), triglycerides (TG), alfa-fetoprotein (AFP) and reduced high-density lipoprotein (HDL). Histopathological examination of liver tissue showed marked carcinogenicity of the chemical carcinogen. Food, water intake and animal weights were also assessed, respectively. The animals exposed to DENA showed a significant decrease in the body weight. The elevated levels of serum SGOT, SGPT, ALP, AFP, TC and TG were restored by administration of calcium and Vit K (ad libitum) combination at higher dose than the normal dietary requirement (3 mg/kg) daily for 12 weeks p.o. Physiological and biochemical analysis showed the beneficial effects of calcium and vitamin K3 combination in the animals exposed to DENA. The results deciphered the beneficial effects of calcium and vitamin K3 in combination. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The performance characteristics of a solar air heater can effectively be improved by providing artificial roughness in the form of protrusions and dimples of various shapes, sizes, and orientations on the underside of heated surface. An extensive literature review on artificial roughness elements has been carried and the correlations developed for heat transfer and friction factor for roughened solar air collector have been discussed and presented in this paper. The performance parameter has also been computed and compared with various kinds and shapes of roughness geometries using correlations developed by various investigators. The optimum values of the roughness parameters obtained by several investigators have also been discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Microwave Dielectrics (MD) are the special class of ceramics which have very low dissipation factor and very low temperature co-efficient of dielectric constant and very high densification (> 95%). Microwave Dielectric materials are used as the basis for resonators and filters for the microwave carrying the desired information. For achieving the high speed, miniature size components, higher value dielectric materials with very high quality factor which are temperature stable is required. Magnesium and titanium based compounds such as MgTiO3 and Mg2TiO4 are widely used as microwave dielectric based devices because of their stable nature at microwave frequencies. In the present work the effect of Al3+ and Ca2+ substitution on the dielectric properties (ε' and Q factor) of the microwave dielectric material- MgTi2O4 is studied. The structural, microstructural and dielectric properties in the high frequency and low frequency region are studied. The temperature variation of the dielectric constant in the low frequency shows the temperature stability of the ceramics prepared. In all the samples studied dielectric tangent loss is of the order of 10−4 range. FESEM studies showed the densely packed grains for all the ceramics (grain size ranging from 5 µm-10 µm). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Different layers of Transition Metal Dichalcogenide (TMDC) based compound MoS2 have been grown on SiO2/Si substrate by using the CVD technique. Raman spectra analysis of the samples showed that monolayer, bilayer and few layers of MoS2 are grown when the duration of growth is varied. From the photoluminescence studies direct band gap of the samples are determined - band gap of the monolayer is highest and with the increase of number of layers there is a decrease in the value of the bandgap. The observed change in the band structure of MoS2 with layer thickness is explained due to the quantum confinement effect. Microstructural studies are done using Scanning Electron Microscopy, distribution of triangular shape grains over the surface of the film is observed. Density, thickness and population of these grains are changed when the duration of growth is changed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to environmental concerns, lead free ceramics such as KNN- NBT and BT have growing interest in applications such as actuators and sensors. Among them Barium Zirconate Titanate (BZT) has become most attractive because it is derived from two perovskite lattice i.e. Barium Titanate (BaTiO3) and Barium Zirconate (BaZrO3). It has been reported that Zirconium substitution in titanium lattice enhances the material properties. In the present paper BZT was prepared using solid state route. By adding a mixture of Li2CO3 as a sintering aid, the sample could be sintered at 1150 °C having around 94% of the theoretical density. Prepared samples were then subjected to XRD analysis. X-ray diffraction revealed the formation of single phase material. It is observed that the electrical properties of such low-temperature sintered samples are comparable with BZT samples prepared via conventional sintering at a high temperature. It is also observed that the curie temperature shift towards room temperature for a samples sintered at low temperature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Here we report comparison of dielectric properties of composition synthesized by microwave and conventional sintering. Microwave sintering requires less time and temperature to achieve the same quality of materials as sintered by conventional route. The material sample was prepared by conventional solid state method and sintered in conventional & microwave furnace. Sintered samples were then subjected to XRD analysis. X-ray diffraction revealed the formation of single phase material. The dielectric and ferroelectric properties were recorded for both the samples and properties were found to improve in microwave sintered samples. There is also a significant improvement in density by microwave processing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Adolescence, the transition period between childhood and adulthood, is a period of great risks and possibilities. Teen years comprise a period of intense growth not only physically but also morally and intellectually. The adolescence has traditionally been portrayed as a state of internal civil war. In the period of revolutionary change, social competence refers to the social, emotional, and cognitive skills and behaviors that child need for successful social adaptation. So in this critical period of change, parents have to deal their child with proper guidance, love, and sympathy to enable his or her to tackle various problems of adolescence of his or her life. This may successfully bring about the welfare of the society and help the child to grow into the distinct individual. In this paper, an attempt is made to explore the connection between parental role and development of social competence among adolescents using effective tools covering various dimensions. A sample of 160 adolescent students of various schools of Ajmer district of India in the age group of 13 to 18 years was randomly selected covering male-female students, rural-urban students, and students of government and private schools. Tools developed for parental role scale and social competence scale were administered. Various statistical techniques were applied on the data collected. ANOVA test results show that three groups of parental role, e.g., higher parental role group, average parental role group, and lower parental role group, significantly differ in achieving social competence. Based on the findings, the paper presents educational implications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A study was undertaken to investigate the remedial effect of some soil amendments (farmyard manure (FYM), press mud compost (PMC), cereal straw (CS) at 5 t ha−1 and fresh cow dung slurry (FCD) @ 0.5 t ha−1) on dissipation kinetics of imidacloprid and sulfosulfuron under laboratory conditions. Incorporation of CS or FCD was found to be most effective in degrading both the pesticides at faster rates. Dissipation of both the pesticides could be well accounted by two component (1 + 1) first order kinetics. The computed values of parameters revealed that use of organic amendments increased the dissipated fraction of imidacloprid and sulfosulfuron. Incorporation of CS or FCD in soil maintained relatively higher dissipation rate constants for both faster and slower dissipation processes of pesticides in comparison to control. Hence, eco-friendly practices of CS or FCD incorporation as soil amendment in soil can play a vital role in preventing soil and water pollution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Prunus amygdalusBatsch (almond) is a classical nutritive traditional Indian medicine. Along with nutritive with anti-oxidant properties, it is, clinically, used in the treatment of various diseases with underlying anti-oxidant mechanism. This study is an effort to scrutinise the renal protective effect ofP. amygdalusBatsch or green almond (GA) seed coat extract and its underlying mechanism in animal model of Ferric nitrilotriacetate (Fe-NTA) induced renal cell carcinoma (RCC). RCC was induced in Swiss Albino Wistar rats by intraperitoneal injection of Fe-NTA. The rats were then treated with ethanolic extract ofGA(25, 50 and 100 mg/kg per oral) for 22 weeks. Efficacy of GA administration was evaluated by change in biochemical, renal, macroscopical and histopathological parameters and alterations. Additionally, interleukin-6 (IL-6), tumour necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin-1β (IL-1β) and inflammatory mediator including prostaglandin E2 (PGE2), nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB) were also observed to explore the possible mechanisms. The oral administration ofGAsignificantly (p < .001) altered the Fe-NTA induced RCC in rats by inhibition of renal nodules, decolourisation of tissues, tumour promoter marker including thymidine3[H] incorporation, ornithine decarboxylase, renal parameters and anti-oxidant parameters in serum. Additionally,GAtreatment significantly (p < .001) down-regulated the IL-6, IL-1β, TNF-α, inflammatory mediators PGE2and NF-κB in a dose-dependent manner. Histopathology observation supported the renal protective effect ofGAby alteration in necrosis, size of Bowman capsules and inflammatory cells. Hence, it can be concluded thatGApossesses observable chemo-protective action and effect on Fe-NTA induced RCC via dual inhibition mechanism one by inhibiting free radical generation and second by inhibiting inflammation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Long-term storage of carbon dioxide (CO2) and other forms of carbon in non-atmospheric reservoirs is called carbon sequestration. Selective anthropogenic enrichment of the atmospheric carbon pool is causing dire environmental problems, thereby necessitating remediation by mitigation. Algae possess efficient carbon concentrating mechanisms and consequently high photosynthetic rates which make them suitable candidates for biosequestration of CO2. Globally, nearly half of the atmospheric oxygen is generated by algal photosynthesis despite the fact that algae account for less than 1% of photosynthetic biomass. In water bodies, algae are responsible for creating the ‘biological pump’ that transports carbon from the upper sunlit waters to the depth below. A diverse array of photoautotrophs ranging from prokaryotic cyanobacteria to eukaryotic algae such as Chlorophytes, and even protists like euglenoids, contribute to this ‘biological pump’. It operates in a variety of aquatic ecosystems ranging from small freshwater ponds to the oceans where it has been most extensively studied. Two separate but intricately linked processes constitute this ‘biological pump’, viz. the ‘organic carbon pump’ and the ‘calcium carbonate pump’. The present review discusses the natural CO2sequestration processes carried out by algae and cyanobacteria in their native ecosystems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An analysis has been carried out for reflection and transmission of a plane SH-wave incident at a corrugated interface between two anisotropic magnetoelastic half-spaces. Rayleigh’s method of approximation is applied to derive the reflection and transmission coefficients for first order approximation of corrugation. The expressions for reflection and transmission coefficients for first order approximation of corrugation are obtained in closed form for a special type of interface. It is found that these coefficients are proportional to the amplitude of corrugation and are functions of magnetoelastic properties of materials of the half-spaces as well as the angle of incidence. Special cases are deduced for anisotropic and isotropic materials for particular case of corrugation. Numerical computations are performed for a specific model of two different anisotropic magnetoelastic media. The effects of anisotropic magnetoelastic coupling parameter, the angle at which wave crosses the magnetic field, frequency factor, wave length of corrugation, and the amplitude of corrugation are shown through figures. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Oxidative stress-mediated mitochondrial dysfunction is considered the major mechanism of arsenic-induced neurotoxicity. With the present study, the regulation of the 13 subunits of cytochrome c oxidase in rat brain following arsenic exposure was evaluated. Rats were exposed to sodium arsenite (2.5 mg/kg b.wt., by gavage) for 12 weeks. The mRNA expression of the subunits was analysed using reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction. The mRNA expression of all the mitochondria-encoded subunits and selective nuclear-encoded subunits was downregulated. Analysis of mRNA expression of nuclear respiratory factor-1 and nuclear respiratory factor-2 also showed downregulation. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

To study the effect of initial stress on the propagation behavior of Love waves in a layered functionally graded piezoelectric structure, a mathematical model is established. The piezoelectric layer is taken as exponentially graded material where as half-space is taken as simply elastic substratum. The coupled electromechanical field equations are solved analytically to obtain the mechanical displacements and electrical potential functions for the piezoelectric layer and elastic substrate. The dispersion relations are obtained for electrically open and short cases. The higher mode Love wave propagation has been considered. For numerical interpretation of the results, four sets of piezoelectric layer and elastic substrate have been taken into consideration. Graphical representation reveals about the effect of initial stress and the effect of inhomogeneity parameter on the phase velocity against wave number for electrically open and electrically short cases, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Field screening of wheat (Triticum aestivumL.) lines for zinc (Zn)-use efficiency (ZUE) is a time consuming exercise. In the present experiment, we examined some important and early crop stage phenotypic and physiological trait(s), which could be used for a rapid screening of a large number of wheat lines for ZUE. Four wheat cultivars of varying ZUE (‘UP2628ʹ, ‘UP262ʹ, ‘PBW175ʹ, and ‘UP2554ʹ) were screened for dry matter accumulation, root characteristics, tissue partitioning of Zn, and kinetic parameters of Zn uptake under Zn-deficient (–Zn) and Zn-sufficient (+Zn) conditions in a sand culture. Under –Zn condition, ‘UP262ʹ (Zn-use inefficient) had maintained relatively higher pH (>6.6) around roots in contrast to ‘UP2628ʹ (Zn-use efficient) that maintained relatively lower pH (<6.2) and also produced relatively finer roots with higher number of forks and crossings and had higher cation exchange capacity as compared to other cultivars. Under –Zn, ‘UP262ʹ accumulated more dry matter and Zn in roots with poor translocation to shoots than under +Zn. Time-dependent uptake of Zn in the roots and shoots of all wheat cultivars conformed to the first-order kinetic equation and the computed intercepts and slopes were also related to their Zn uptake and translocation behavior. In contrast to ‘UP262ʹ cultivar, ‘UP2628ʹ showed higher translocation of Zn to the shoots under –Zn condition. In short-term sand cultures, Zn translocation index (Zn uptake in shoot/Zn uptake in roots) could be used as an important criterion for selection of Zn-use efficient wheat lines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Here, we report the structural, dielectric, ferroelectric, piezoelectric and magnetic properties of ME composites of Lead Zirconate Titanate (PZT) and Cobalt ferrite (CF) with compositional formula (1−x) PbZr0.55Ti0.45O3+ (x) CoFe2O4, (x = 0.00, 0.05, 0.10, 0.15 and 1.00 by weight). The samples were synthesized by conventional solid state reaction. The formation of perovskite tetragonal and spinel structure in the composites are confirmed by X-ray diffraction studies. Microstructural study of all samples was done by SEM analysis and average grain size was also calculated. The dielectric properties of samples were studied as a function of frequency and as a function of temperature (30°C – 500°C) respectively. P-E hysteresis loop at room temperature and piezoelectric coefficient were measured to study the ferroelectric and piezoelectric properties. To confirm the ferromagnetic behavior of the composites M-H hysteresis loop measurement was carried out. The Magnetoelectric voltage coefficient (dE/dH) was measured as a function of applied DC magnetic field. The maximum ME output of 389μV/ (cm.Oe) was observed for the composite with x = 0.15. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The aim of the study was to evaluate the degradation and persistence of 2-amino 4-chloro 6-methyl pyrimidine (AM), nitrification inhibitor at 1 and 2 µg g−1application rates in soil. The extraction of AM was done by QuEChER’s (Quick, Easy. Cheap. Rugged and Safe) method and the quantitative analysis by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). AM decreased with time at both the levels of application with the decline being faster in the beginning up to 7 d. Dissipation of AM occurred in a single phase with the persistence data fitting well to the first-order kinetics. Half-lives of AM were determined to be 14.33 and 16.7 d at 1 and 2 µg g–1levels application rates. Since AM remains effective for an adequate period of time, it can be used for increasing efficiency of nitrogenous fertilizers in rice–wheat cropping systems as well as a safeguard for controlling environmental pollution in subtropical soils. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In light of renewed emphasis on service quality, customer expectations, rapidly changing technologies, and the global nature of the commercial aviation industry, airports are trying to offer the best services to their customers. They have begun to concentrating on customer touch points (ASQ enablers), with the aim of improving service quality to lead travellers to select these airports for future travel. This article presents a model based on AHP- Fuzzy TOPSIS for evaluation of ASQ enablers and ranking of the airports. An Indian case analysis is presented to show the application of the proposed approach. Finally, a sensitivity analysis is performed to check the robustness of the model. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The fatigue crack growth model is expressed as a function of mechanical properties. The uncertainties associated with the crack growth process are incorporated assuming them as random variable following a statistical distribution. The effect of material nonhomogeneity is included in the model through a random process parameter of Gaussian type. Assuming fatigue life as a random variable, probabilityconfidence bounded mean crack growth relation is developed and an algorithm is presented. The model is validated through the experimental and predicted results from several data sets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Apparent utilization of zinc (Zn) and potassium (K) fertilizers was examined in rice (Oryza sativaL.)-wheat (Triticum aestivumL.) using combinations of no K; soil applied K levels and no Zn; soil and foliar applied Zn. Application of 33.2 kg K ha−1in rice and 24.9 kg K ha−1in wheat along with foliar spray of 2 kg Zn ha−1at 30 and 60 days gave the highest mean grain yields. Foliar application of zinc increased Zn concentration in flag leaves, grain, and straw of rice and wheat and K concentration in flag leaves of rice and straw of wheat significantly. Potassium application increased Zn concentration in rice grain and straw and K concentration in wheat straw significantly. Zinc and K increased the uptake of each other in grain; straw and total uptake by both crops significantly. Zinc fertilizer enhanced the utilization of soil K. Potassium fertilizer enhanced the utilization of applied Zn. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study astaxanthin production byPhaffia rhodozymawas enhanced by chemical mutation using ethyl methane sulfonate. The mutant produces a higher amount of astaxanthin than the wild yeast strain. In comparison to supercritical fluid technique, high-pressure homogenization is better for extracting astaxanthin from yeast cells. Ultrasonication of dimethyl sulfoxide, hexane, and acetone-treated cells yielded less astaxanthin than β-glucanase enzyme-treated cells. The combination of ultrasonication with β-glucanase enzyme is found to be the most efficient method of extraction among all the tested physical and chemical extraction methods. It gives a maximum yield of 435.71 ± 6.55 µg free astaxanthin per gram of yeast cell mass. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Arsenic (As) is an ubiquitously distributed environmental toxicant predominantly contaminating drinking water. A number of studies indicated that oral exposure of humans to inorganic As produced damage to various body tissues including liver. Oxidative stress is thought to play a major role in As-induced hepatotoxicity. In this study, Fourier transforms infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy approach was applied to determine whether chronic As exposure at 25 ppm, intragastrically for 12 weeks, affected oxidative stress status in rat liver. Data demonstrated that chronic As administration exacerbated oxidative stress as was evidenced by suppressed antioxidant defense system and increased lipid peroxidation and protein oxidation. The FTIR study showed that peak area value of amide A decreased significantly followed by reduced amide I and amide II peak area in an As-treated rat liver suggesting altered protein profile. The change of Olefinic˭CH stretching band and C˭O stretching of triglycerides band indicated the altered lipid levels due to metallic exposure. The fall in the peak area of PO2−asymmetric stretching in the As-treated group might be due to compositional changes of nucleic acids. Hence, the results of this study indicate that As-induced oxidative stress was associated with structural and molecular modifications in proteins, lipids, and glycogen in a rat liver that may help to elucidate molecular mechanisms underlying metal-mediated hepatic damage. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

In this paper, we are reporting structural, dielectric, ferroelectric and magnetic properties of polycrystalline composites (ferrite and ferroelectric) of PZT (PbZr0.55Ti0.45O3) + CNFO (Co0.8Ni0.2Fe2O4). The sample with composition x CNFO + (1-x) PZT (x = 0.00, 0.05, 0.10, 0.15 and 1.00) were prepared using the solid state double sintering method. Here the ratio x: (1-x) of two components is by weight. X-ray diffraction (XRD) studies show that lattice constant and tetragonality decreases with increasing ferrite content. Dielectric constant was found to decrease with increase in amount of CNFO. The value of tangent loss (tanδ) was reasonably low (< 0.04) for all the samples. Ferroelectric and ferrimagnetic behavior was confirmed by observing P-E and M-H hysteresis loop, respectively. The room temperature magnetoelectric coupling coefficient (α = dE/dH) was measured as a function of applied DC magnetic field. The value of α was observed to be maximum (855 μV/(cm.Oe)) at DC magnetic field of 1.7 kOe for sample with 5% CNFO. Value of piezoelectric coefficient ‘d33’ decreases from 133 to 60 pC/N. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Context: The leaf of Careya arborea Roxb. (Lecthidaceae) has been advocated in Ayurveda for the treatment of various disorders, including ulcers, healing of wounds and several skin diseases. Objective: The 70% ethanol (EtOH) extract of C. arborea leaves (CALE) was investigated for its gastroprotective effect in different gastric ulcer models. Materials and methods: CALE (100, 200, and 400 mg/kg body weight) was administered orally, twice daily for 5 d, for preventing aspirin (ASP)-, EtOH-, pylorus ligation (PL)-, and cold restraint stress (CRS)-induced ulcer in rats. The status of the antioxidant enzymes in CRS-induced ulcers, H+K+ATPase activity, gastric wall mucous in EtOH-induced ulcer, and gastric secretion parameters were estimated in the PL-induced ulcer model. Results: CALE exhibited significant ( p < 0.01) dose-dependent inhibition of ulcer index in ASP 12.90-51.61%, EtOH 11.97-40.35%, PL 28.63-63.92%, and CRS 38.30-66.37%, respectively. A significant ( p < 0.001) decrease occurred in the level of H+K+ATPase, volume of gastric juice, and acid output. Simultaneously, the level of gastric wall mucus was increased significantly ( p < 0.05). The antioxidant enzyme levels of LPO and SOD were decreased with concomitant increase in catalase activity in CRS-induced ulcers. High-performance thin-layer chromatography (HPTLC) showed the presence of quercetin, ellagic acid, and gallic acid (0.31%, 0.24%, and 0.71% w/w, respectively) in CALE. Conclusions: Our results show that C. arborea possesses significant gastro-protective activity, probably due to its free radical scavenging activity, and validate the folklore claim. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chemical fractions of soil Zn namely: water soluble (WS), exchangeable (EX), Pb displaceable (Pb-disp.), acid soluble (AS), Mn oxide occluded (MnOX), organically bound (OB), amorphous Fe oxide occluded (AFeOX), crystalline Fe oxide occluded (CFeOX), residual (RES) were determined in 20 surface (0-15 cm) samples of acidic soils from the provinces of Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh, India. The chemical fractions of soil Zn in acidic soils were found to be in the following descending order of Zn concentration: RES > CFeOX > Pb-Disp. > AFeOX > MnOX > AS > OB > EX > WS. These soil samples were also extracted by: DTPA (pH 7.3), DTPA (pH 5.3), AB-DTPA (pH 7.6), Mehlich 3 (pH 2.0), Modified Olsen, 0.01 N CaCl2, 1 M MgCl2 and ion exchange resins. Chemical fractions and the soil extractable content of Zn estimated by different soil extractants were significantly correlated with some general soil properties. Maize (cv. Pragati) plants were grown in these soils for 35 days after emergence and Zn uptake by plants was compared with the amount of Zn extracted by different soil extractants and chemical fractions of Zn. Among chemical fractions of soil Zn, Pb-displaceable and acid soluble chemical fractions of soil Zn showed a significant and positive correlation with Zn uptake by maize. Path coefficient analysis also revealed that the acid soluble Zn fraction showed the highest positive and direct effect on Zn uptake (P=0.960). Among different multinutrient soil extractants evaluated for their suitability to assess Zn availability in acidic soils, DTPA (pH=5.3) was most suitable soil extractant, as the quantity of soil Zn extracted by this extractant showed a significant and positive correlation with the dry matter yield, Zn concentration and uptake by maize plants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]