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The molecular structure of dielectric elastomers dictates their mechanical, electrical, and properties to react under external stimuli, influencing their suitability for applications such as actuators, sensors, and energy harvesting devices. The molecular structure of polymers can be tailored by incorporating plasticizers and particulate fillers to achieve multifunctional properties. However, achieving a balance between flexibility and maintaining mechanical strength due to incorporation of fillers induced phase separation and compromised intermolecular interactions remains challenging. In the present work, polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) composites are synthesized using plasticizer and particulate fillers, polyethylene glycol (H‐(OCH2CH2)nOH) and titanium diboride (TiB2) respectively in various concentrations using shear mixing and doctor blade casting technique. Molecular structure of synthesized PDMS composite is confirmed by observing peaks of Raman spectra sift, which exhibits robust CO bonds dominating for both fillers. Chain entanglement due to filler incorporation significantly affects the crosslink density of PDMS composite, it increases with the concentration of plasticizer and possesses inverse relation for particulate. Furthermore, interdependence of the filler types and concentration are found on the mechanical as well as electrical properties. The specific deformation energy exhibits a significant increase of 118.9% when comparing particulate to the plasticizer at concentration of 8 wt.%. Although plasticizer increases the actuation strain and energy conversion efficiency but decreases the electrical breakdown voltage in comparison to particulate. By systematically varying fillers concentration, subtle changes in multifunctional properties are achieved. Overall, this investigation provides a framework for tailoring dielectric elastomer composites with desired electromechanical characteristics through the amalgamation of filler types and crosslinking densities, all intricately tied to the molecular architecture for electromechanical sensors. Highlights: Filler incorporation changes DE molecular structure and materials properties.Formation of additional bonds and micro‐capacitors in DE enhances capacitance.Actuation strain in DE depends on filler type and concentration.Energy conversion efficiency varies with the concentration of filler. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nepal harbors a rich diversity of cultures and traditions, including the unique practice of creating an indigenous grain called Marcha by various ethnic groups such as Newar, Tamang, Sherpa, Rai, Limbu, Gurung, Magar, and Tharu people. In the eastern region of Nepal, Marcha producers utilize over 42 different plants, including Vernonia cinerea, Clematis grewiae, Polygala arillata, Buddleja asiatica, Inula sp., Scoparia, and more, which shows regional diversity. The primary objective of the study was to explore the diversity of yeast present in Marcha samples. The studied Marcha samples were collected from 10 different geographic regions of Nepal, which included altogether 27 samples. The isolates were grouped into Groups A, B, and C based on morphological and physiological characteristics. Notably, Group B yeast displayed high amylase production, an enzyme responsible for starch breakdown, and exhibited the ability to produce ethanol. To further investigate the potential of these isolates, stress exclusion tests were conducted, with 30 isolates (70%) showing positive responses. The yeast isolates demonstrated resilience to high glucose concentrations of up to 36% (w/v) at a pH above 3 and a temperature of 37°C, which is the ideal growth condition. The study observed a direct correlation between the yeast isolates' ethanol production capabilities and their tolerance to different ethanol concentrations. Considering that all tested Marcha samples contained yeast capable of starch degradation and ethanol production, it was expected that these yeast isolates would actively participate in the fermentation of starch‐based alcohol. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Key Clinical Message: Tuberous sclerosis (TSC) is an autosomal dominant neurocutaneous disorder. This case highlights rare isolated neurologic finding in a TSC patient emphasizing the need for heightened suspicion even in the absence of any cutaneous findings and family history. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hypertension is a global health challenge, especially in low‐to‐middle‐income countries, where awareness and control are suboptimal. Despite available treatments, poor medication adherence hampers blood pressure control, leading to adverse outcomes and increased costs. In response, the GOI has initiated national action plans to address noncommunicable diseases, including hypertension. The study aimed to analyze patient retention rates in hypertension treatment across healthcare levels and understand providers' and patients' perspectives on control factors. Using a mixed‐method concurrent design in a North Indian district, retrospective data collection covered hypertensive patients registered from January 2020 to July 2020, followed for a year (August 2020–July 2021). Quantitative data included socio‐demographic characteristics and patient follow‐up rates. Qualitative data comprised focus group discussions (FGD) and in‐depth interviews (IDI) with healthcare providers (HCPs) and patients. Findings identified challenges in patient retention and medication adherence, notably among females and at higher‐level healthcare facilities, leading to substantial loss of follow‐up. Only 63% of hypertensive outpatients maintained controlled blood pressure in the past year. Male patients exhibited more consistent attendance than females. Despite sufficient HCP knowledge, patient retention was better at Health and Wellness Centers (HWCs) levels, while blood pressure control was poorer at higher facilities. Barriers such as medication side effects, pill burden, and limited healthcare access hindered hypertension control, highlighting the need for improved primary care services, including extended clinic hours and diagnostic facilities. Improving hypertension control requires addressing medication adherence and healthcare access barriers. Strengthening primary care services and implementing patient‐centered interventions are crucial steps. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aluminum metal matrix composite (AMMC) is employed in all engineering applications, most notably as a substitute for conventional metals in the fields of defense, automotive, and aerospace. AMMC should have a wide variety of structural, mechanical, thermal, wear, and corrosion qualities that may require mutually exclusive features at an optimal level to achieve this. The current research focuses on the stir casting process for producing SiC and cenosphere reinforced Al7075 alloys. The response surface method's (RSM) face‐centered central composite design (CCD) was used to design the number of experimental trials, and a response surface technique was enforced to forecast the optimum combination of processing variables in the wear process. The SiC reinforcement improved the wear resistance of Al7075‐SiC‐cenosphere composites substantially. Overall, the experiments show that Al7075‐6 wt% SiC‐5 wt% cenosphere has excellent tribological properties. The hybrid Al7075/SiC/Cenosphere composites were shown to be effective, fit, and suitable in the ideal wear process parameters (load of 10 N, sliding distance of 1000 m, and sliding velocity of 1.5 m/s) for lowering wear rate (0.38035 × 10−3 mm3/m) at 6wt% SiC reinforced composite. This suggests that the combination of SiC and cenosphere improves the wear resistance of AMMC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Seafoods are susceptible to microbial contamination due to their high moisture, nutrient contents and neutral pH. Among various microorganisms, biofilm‐forming bacteria pose a severe threat to the seafood supply chain as well as consumer health. Bacterial biofilm formation in seafood is primarily caused by Aeromonas hydrophila, Vibrio cholerae, V. vulnificus, V. parahaemolyticus, Salmonella spp., and Listeria monocytogenes. Biofilm formation is an important protective mechanism of microorganisms causing spoilage of seafood and disease threats to consumers. The attachment of microbes on the surface of seafood followed by the growth and proliferation of bacterial cells leads to the production of exopolymer compounds and the formation of biofilm. This biofilm is difficult to destroy or inhibit through conventional prevention/destruction techniques. The occurrence of bacterial strains/biofilms with more resistance to different preventive strategies is a big challenge for the seafood processing industry. This review covers the mechanisms of biofilm formation by bacteria and various non‐thermal processing approaches to prevent microbial contamination and biofilm formation in seafood products. The aforementioned non‐thermal processing techniques for the destruction of biofilm and quality control of seafood products include cold plasma treatment, irradiation, pulsed electric field technology, hydrostatic pressure processing, photosensitisation, natural bioactive compounds and so on. All these techniques effectively inhibit the bacterial biofilm and microbial growth without altering sensorial properties. However, further research validation and applications at the industry level are still required. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The leaf rust (Puccinia triticina f. sp. tritici), stripe rust (Puccinia striiformis f. sp. tritici), and stem rust (Puccinia graminis f. sp. tritici) are major fungal constraints affecting wheat production worldwide. Identifying and deploying wheat varieties with diverse resistance are the best ways to manage all the rusts. Therefore, a continuous search goes on to identify diverse germplasm with effective rust resistance that expresses at different stages of plant growth (seedling and adult plant). A set of 22 rust resistant wheat genotypes and 4 checks (controls), viz., Avocet‐Yr10, Avocet ‐Yr15, Agra Local, and respective positive checks were studied for characterising rust resistance genes using host–pathogen interactions complemented by molecular markers. Among 22 elite genotypes, 05 genotypes amplified 191 bp fragment with marker PSY1E1, confirmed the presence of gene Lr19/Sr25. These genotypes also expressed resistance to most virulent leaf rust pathotypes, 77‐5 and 77‐9 in host–pathogen interaction test (HPI). Seven genotypes showed the presence of Lr34/Yr18/Sr57/Pm38/Ltn1 in homozygous state, whereas G4 showed its presence in heterozygous condition. Among 22 genotypes, 16 genotypes possessed Yr10. Five genotypes (22.7%) exhibited two gene combinations, Lr19/Sr25, and Yr10 as revealed through the detection of 191 bp fragment with marker PSY1E1 and 260 bp fragment with co‐dominantly inherited microsatellite marker Xpsp3000, respectively. All five genotypes (G2, G3, G8, G9, and G18) also expressed brown glumes controlled by the gene Rg1 tightly linked to Yr10 on the 1BS chromosome. Broad spectrum rust resistance present in these lines in good agronomic backgrounds could be used as potent genetic donors for diverse and durable rust resistance breeding programmes in wheat. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present research work reported the study of nanocomposites of undoped and Mg‐doped ZnO with CNT as electrode materials for supercapacitor application. The undoped ZnO/CNT and Mg‐doped ZnO/CNT nanocomposites (i.e., 10 % Mg‐doped and 20 % Mg‐doped) were synthesized using a cost‐effective blending‐assisted hydrothermal method. The morphological (FESEM & TEM) studies revealed that the diameter of CNT was ~7 nm and the ZnO nanoparticles were spherical in shape with an average particle size of ~5 nm. In addition, it was also found that 10 % Mg‐ZnO and 20 % Mg‐ZnO had a sheet‐like structure. XRD and FTIR studies further confirmed the successful doping of Mg in ZnO and CNT nanocomposites. BET analysis showed that the value of specific capacitance increased with the increase in surface area. Further, the electrochemical performance of these nanocomposites revealed that the higher doping percentage, 20 % Mg‐ZnO/CNT nanocomposite achieved the highest specific capacitance value i.e., 458.5 F/g at 0.1 A/g current density in 3M H2SO4 electrolytic solution, having a retention of 99.8 % after 12,00 long cycles. In addition, the charge storage mechanism revealed that the as‐synthesized nanocomposites showed both the diffusion‐controlled and capacitive‐controlled behaviors. Thus, a higher value of specific capacitance with excellent cyclic stability indicated the higher efficiency of Mg‐doped ZnO/CNT nanocomposite for future supercapacitor applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aggressive thoracic hemangiomas are rare, benign tumors that extend into the spinal canal and cause neurological symptoms. Delayed diagnosis and treatment, due to a paucity of literature on optimal treatment strategies, can increase morbidity. This case report describes a 19‐year‐old male patient with aggressive thoracic hemangioma who presented with upper back pain and progressive weakness of the lower extremities. The patient underwent preoperative embolization and sclerotherapy, followed by decompression, posterior instrumentation, and stabilization. The final diagnosis was confirmed by biopsy, and there was a significant improvement in neurology after the surgical intervention. The diagnosis of rare lesions, such as aggressive hemangiomas, requires a high level of clinical suspicion and the assistance of imaging modalities in patients with features of compressive myelopathy. A combination of endovascular and surgical approaches can lead to optimal outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mitapivat is a novel, first‐in‐class orally active pyruvate kinase activator approved by the US Food and Drug Administration in 2022 for the treatment of hemolytic anemia. There is no literature available regarding the identification of degradation impurities of mitapivat. The present study deals with the degradation behavior of mitapivat under various stress conditions such as hydrolytic, photolytic, thermal, and oxidative stress. The multivariate analysis found that the independent variables, that is, molarity, temperature, and time, are interacting with each other to affect the degradation of mitapivat. A specific, accurate, and precise high‐performance liquid chromatographic (HPLC) method was developed to separate mitapivat from its degradation products. The separation was achieved on the C‐18 column (250 mm × 4.6 mm × 5 µm) using the combination of 0.1% formic acid buffer and acetonitrile in gradient elution profile. The method was validated as per the International Council for Harmonization of Technical Requirements for Pharmaceuticals for Human Use Q2(R2) guideline. LC‐electrospray ionization‐Quadrupole‐time of flight was employed to identify degradation products. A total of seven novel degradation products of mitapivat were identified based on tandem mass spectrometry and accurate mass measurement. In‐silico toxicity of mitapivat and its degradation products was qualitatively evaluated by the DEREK toxicity prediction tool. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tropical ecosystems face escalating global change. These shifts can disrupt tropical forests' carbon (C) balance and impact root dynamics. Since roots perform essential functions such as resource acquisition and tissue protection, root responses can inform about the strategies and vulnerabilities of ecosystems facing present and future global changes. However, root trait dynamics are poorly understood, especially in tropical ecosystems. We analyzed existing research on tropical root responses to key global change drivers: warming, drought, flooding, cyclones, nitrogen (N) deposition, elevated (e) CO2, and fires. Based on tree species‐ and community‐level literature, we obtained 266 root trait observations from 93 studies across 24 tropical countries. We found differences in the proportion of root responsiveness to global change among different global change drivers but not among root categories. In particular, we observed that tropical root systems responded to warming and eCO2 by increasing root biomass in species‐scale studies. Drought increased the root: shoot ratio with no change in root biomass, indicating a decline in aboveground biomass. Despite N deposition being the most studied global change driver, it had some of the most variable effects on root characteristics, with few predictable responses. Episodic disturbances such as cyclones, fires, and flooding consistently resulted in a change in root trait expressions, with cyclones and fires increasing root production, potentially due to shifts in plant community and nutrient inputs, while flooding changed plant regulatory metabolisms due to low oxygen conditions. The data available to date clearly show that tropical forest root characteristics and dynamics are responding to global change, although in ways that are not always predictable. This synthesis indicates the need for replicated studies across root characteristics at species and community scales under different global change factors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the present work, a novel composite of nickel sulfide (NiS) and potato peel‐derived carbon spheres (NiS/PPCS) with higher specific capacitance and cyclic performance was synthesized as electrode material for supercapacitor applications. The composite was deposited on a graphite rod to be use as an electrode. The electrochemical performance studies using CV, GCD, and EIS revealed that the prepared electrode showed an improved current response and higher specific capacitance than the pristine NiS electrode. The maximum specific capacitance for the NiS/PPCS electrode was found to be 2185 F/g at 0.2 A/g current density. More precisely, it was observed that the NiS/PPCS composite exhibited an excellent retention capacity of 95.04% after 20 000 continuous charge‐discharge cycles, showing its exceptional cyclic performance. The impedance studies revealed that the reaction between the NiS/PPCS electrode and electrolyte was rapid and highly reversible. Based on the findings of the electrochemical performances, NiS/PPCS electrode appears to be a potential candidate for highly efficient and economical asymmetric supercapacitors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To incorporate root traits that improve water use efficiency (WUE) in cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) variety development, harnessing the genetic variability for root traits is essential. The objectives of this study were to characterize the US upland cotton core set for root traits and WUE and determine the traits associated with WUE. The core set includes 23 of the 381 accessions of the cotton diversity panel and represents 74% of the allelic diversity in US upland cotton. Plants were grown in polyvinyl chloride columns (125‐cm height, 15‐cm diameter) in a greenhouse in 2021–2022 and 2022–2023. Half of the columns contained a synthetic hardpan (1 cm thickness, 300 PSI penetration resistance) at a depth of 25 cm. Plants were harvested when >50% of the population opened bolls. Based on 16 root‐ and shoot‐traits, water use, and WUE, Deltapine 14, Station Miller, and Southland M1 were the best performers, and Toole, Paymaster HS200, Western Stormproof, CD3HCABCUH‐1‐89, and PD 2164 were the poor performers irrespective of the presence or absence of hardpan stress to root growth. The WUE of the core set genotypes was positively correlated with very fine root (diameter <0.25 mm) length, surface area, and volume and total root weight (correlation coefficient ≥0.45). These traits serve as beneficial root traits for developing new varieties with enhanced WUE. The identified genotypes and traits will be valuable for developing the next generation of water‐use‐efficient cotton varieties with a broad genetic base through advanced breeding techniques involving genomic tools and genetic diversity. Core Ideas: The US upland cotton core set includes significant genetic variability for water use efficiency and root traits.Root weight and very fine root (diameter <0.25 mm) length, surface area, and volume improve water use efficiency.Deltapine 14, Station Miller, and Southland M1 possessed beneficial root traits and high water use efficiency.The identified root traits and genotypes would be useful resources for cotton variety development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper aims to derive a new set of sufficient conditions for the existence and approximate controllability of neutral‐type fractional stochastic integrodifferential inclusions with infinite delay and non‐instantaneous impulse in a separable Hilbert space using the Atangana–Baleanu Caputo fractional derivative. We investigate the existence of a mild solution for the Atangana–Baleanu Caputo fractional neutral‐type delay integrodifferential stochastic system while taking into account the non‐instantaneous impulses. For this purpose, the Atangana–Baleanu Caputo fractional neutral‐type impulsive delay stochastic system is transferred into an equivalent fixed point problem via an integral operator, and then, the Bohnenblust–Karlin fixed point approach is applied. Further, the approximate controllability results of the proposed nonlinear stochastic impulsive control system are established under the consideration that the corresponding linear system is approximately controllable. The set of sufficient conditions is established by using the concepts of stochastic analysis, fractional calculus, fixed point technique, semigroup theory of bounded linear operators, and the theory of multivalued maps. To illustrate the abstract results, we provide an example at the end of the paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is scanty data about the comparative morphological features between the pecten oculi of two carnivorous birds with different visual active clock hours: the diurnal common kestrel and the nocturnal little owl. This study illustrated the comparative gross, scanning electron microscopy, and histological characteristics between pecten oculi of kestrel and little owl. This study first attempts to describe the scanning electron microscopy‐energy dispersive x‐ray (SEM–EDX) elemental analysis at the parts (apex, middle, and base) of the pecten oculi of these two birds. The present study results observed the same position, origin, directions, parts, convoluted outer pleat surfaces, and SEM–EDX elemental analysis, but there were some minor variations due to the different visual active clock hours. These minor variations were summarized in the following points: pleat number (21–23 in the kestrel and 10–11 in the owl), shape (fan rhomboid in the kestrel and accordion in the owl), inter‐pleat spaces (wider in the kestrel than in the owl), pigmentations (highly black pigmented in the owl than in the kestrel), hyalocyte cell aggregations (highest in the middle and dwindling at the apex and base in the kestrel, while highest in the middle and base and dwindling at the apex in the owl), and SEM–EDX elemental analysis percentage. SEM/EDX elemental analysis confirmed the presence of oxygen (the highest one), carbon, nitrogen (the second one), nitrogen (the third one), and aluminum (the lowest one) in varying percentages within the pecten oculi; these findings contribute to our understanding of its structural, adaptations with different visual active clock hours, and functional characteristics. Research Highlights: This study compared the pecten oculi of two carnivorous birds with different visual active clock hours: the diurnal common kestrel and the nocturnal little owl.Anatomically, the characteristic features were similar in both the birds, but some minor variations were observed adapted to their visual active clock hours.The pecten oculi of both birds were analyzed using SEM–EDX for elemental analysis, and it revealed that oxygen was the highest elemental concentration, followed by carbon and nitrogen. Aluminum concentrations were small as per SEM–EDX analysis.The study suggested that the pecten oculi of these birds are related to their active visual clocks and adaptive nutritional mechanisms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dengue virus (DENV) is an arbovirus that comprises four antigenically different serotypes. Aedes aegypti (Diptera: Culicidae) acts as the principal vector for DENV transmission, and vector control is crucial for dengue fever epidemic management. To design effective vector control strategies, a comprehensive understanding of the insect vector and virus interaction is required. Female Ae. aegypti ingests DENV during the acquisition of a blood meal from an infected human. DENV enters the insect midgut, replicates inside it and reaches the salivary gland for transmitting DENV to healthy humans during the subsequent feeding cycles. DENV must interact with the proteins present in the midgut and salivary glands to gain entry and accomplish successful replication and transmission. Ae. aegypti midgut cDNA library was prepared, and yeast two‐hybrid screening was performed against the envelope protein domain III (EDIII) protein of DENV‐2. The polyubiquitin protein was selected from the various candidate proteins for subsequent analysis. Polyubiquitin gene was amplified, and the protein was purified in a heterologous expression system for in vitro interaction studies. In vitro pull‐down assay presented a clear interaction between polyubiquitin protein and EDIII. To further confirm this interaction, a dot blot assay was employed, and polyubiquitin protein was found to interact with DENV particles. Our results enable us to suggest that polyubiquitin plays an important role in DENV infection within mosquitoes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Microneedle‐based electrodes have attracted significant attention due to their potential applications in high‐quality, long‐term electrophysiological monitoring. In this study, micromoulding technology is used to develop a flexible, conductive fabric microneedle (CF–MN) electrode by bonding a conductive textile to polymeric microneedle arrays. The resulting electrode conforms to the curved surfaces of the body, and the use of a conductive textile backing reduces metallization time and costs by 50% over double‐sided dry electrodes. The electrode‐skin impedance of the CF–MN electrodes is significantly lower than that of gel electrodes over a wide frequency range, and tests on healthy volunteers, both at rest and under a range of ambulatory conditions, showed that the electrodes are capable of acquiring electrocardiography (ECG) and electromyography (EMG) signals that have a comparable kurtosis and signal‐to‐noise ratio to those recorded using conventional electrodes, but without the need for skin preparation or the use of a wet gel. The biomechanical properties of the electrode are also characterized. This is the first demonstration of CF–MN electrodes that can ultimately be integrated into clothing, which in turn can facilitate personalized cardiac health management by enabling continuous, long‐term ECG/EMG monitoring during daily activities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This experiment was designed to investigate the postnatal development of the ovary in the Uttara fowl chicken and was conducted on 54 apparently healthy female birds divided into different age groups, namely Day 1 and Weeks 1, 4, 8, 12, 16, 20, 24, 28 with six birds each. During postnatal development, the left ovary gradually increased in size and complexity. The segmentation of the ovary started by 4 weeks, follicular eruption by 8 weeks, small liquor follicles (1–5 mm) appeared by 16 weeks, pre‐hierarchical follicles by 20 weeks and hierarchical follicles by 24 weeks of age. The cortex was distinctly differentiated from the medulla in the early stage of ovarian development. However, the division between cortex and medulla was gradually obscured with age (transitional stage) and distinction was completely lost in the mature ovary. The different stages of follicular development in the chicken ovary were classified as primordial, primary, growing at Stage I, II and III stromal follicles besides pre‐hierarchical and hierarchical surface follicles. The primordial and primary follicles showed cytoplasmic sudanophilic substances, especially in the Balbiani's yolk body, indicating the presence of lipids (Sudan Black B) with no activity for neutral polysaccharides (periodic acid Schiff method). It was observed that apoptotic changes may affect any stage of developing follicle resulting in arrested growth and atrophy. An early form of follicular atresia was the fate of the growth‐arrested primordial and primary follicles, whereas the glandular form of atresia was commonly observed in growing follicles arrested at Stages I and II. The scanning electron micrographs unveiled the follicles as hollow oval structures with a follicular lumen lined by the perivitelline membrane (glycoprotein membrane) having lacunae giving a honeycomb‐like appearance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Targeted drug delivery is one of the most promising aspects of cancer diagnosis and treatment. Gold nanoparticles are widely used for drug delivery and in the treatment of tumors, but due to the low absorption of infrared light, tumor cells get destroyed. However, iron‐oxide‐coated gold nanoparticles could be used for drug delivery to a targeted spot with the help of an external magnetic field. The present article aims to investigate the thermal instability of the blood flow transporting gold and iron‐oxide nanoparticles through the artery. The Casson fluid model is used to characterize the blood flow, and Maxwell equations, together with Navier–Stokes equations, are used to describe the flow behavior. Further, the linear stability theory and normal mode analysis are used to obtain the secular equation of the thermal Rayleigh number. The influence of pertinent flow governing parameters such as heat source parameter, Chandrashekhar number, the diameter of nanoparticles, and volume fraction of nanoparticles are discussed graphically on the convective instability of the system. The addition of gold nanoparticles makes the system unstable due to their large size and heat generation within the system. On the other hand, the magnetic field stabilizes the system by controlling the trajectory of the nanoparticles injected into the blood vessels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The current study investigated the sublingual floor of Rahmani sheep (Ovis aries). Samples from nine healthy adult sheep have been analysed using morphometrical, scanning electron microscopic (SEM), and histological examination. The sublingual floor of the sheep was formed of a rostral prefrenular part (spatula‐shaped) and two lateral sublingual recesses. Right and left sublingual caruncles were asymmetrical in length and each one had a serrated border, divided into three papillae. At higher magnifications, the three papillae of the sublingual caruncle's edge were variable in shape, with other two papillae were demonstrated underneath the caruncle. Each sublingual recess had a sublingual fold (plica sublingualis) extended from the level of frenulum linguae till the glossopalatine arch, bordered with caudolaterally directed papillae till the level of first lower molar cheek teeth. The sublingual salivary glands were mixed (seromucoid) type. The glandular lobule consisted of mucous acini and sporadic serous acini, as well as the presence of some mucous acini capped by acidophilic cells, serous demilunes. The mucous acinus was formed of pyramidal mucous cells with pale stained cytoplasm and basally located nuclei. Two ducts; major sublingual and submandibular ducts were observed within the submucosa of the sublingual caruncle. The sublingual ductal pseudostratified columnar epithelium was interspersed by more goblet cells than that of the submandibular duct. Collagen fibres around the glandular lobules, intralobular and interlobular excretory ducts as well as the connective core of the papillae were noticed. By SEM, two epithelium‐lined pits on the surface of the sublingual floor mucosa caudal to the central incisive teeth were termed orobasal organ. As the first study to give a comprehensive analysis of the sheeps' sublingual floor, this one serves as a baseline for future clinical studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Desired ratio of relative permittivity and elastic modulus limits the application of silicone rubbers as flexible electromechanical actuators. The relative permittivity can be improved by incorporating varieties of high‐k (high dielectric constant) particles and polymer reagents as plasticizers and crosslinkers into elastomer matrix. The present work investigates the effect of polyethylene glycol (PEG) flakes, as a soft filler, and titanium diborides (TB) particles, as a hard filler, on electromechanical actuation performance of polydimethylsiloxane elastomer for soft actuator. Elastomer composites with various concentrations of fillers are prepared to compare the influences on optical, dielectric, and mechanical properties. Uniform dispersion of fillers is confirmed by field emission scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive x‐ray spectrometer, and Fourier transform‐infrared spectroscopy analysis. Results show that the elastic modulus and relative permittivity are significantly influenced by filler contents. The elastic modulus increases with lower concentrations of PEG fillers, and at 8 wt%, it becomes comparable to the base material. Soft fillers aid in maintaining low elastic modulus, whereas hard fillers increase electrical breakdown strength as well as dielectric loss with almost equal changes in relative permittivity for both composites. The maximum actuation strain of 30.8% and 26.2% is attained for an in‐house fabricated linear actuator with 8 wt% of PEG and TB particles, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This work reviews the microscopic anatomy of the preen gland in laughing dove (Streptopelia senegalensis aegyptiaca) using light, scanning, and transmission electron microscopes. The gland possessed two large pea‐shaped lobes. The glandular lobules of each lobe were huddled in elliptical, triangle, round shapes, connected with each other by strands of connective tissue septae. The lobule was composed of glandular follicles, each follicle folded and enclosed by a sheath of connective tissue connected with the neighboring ones by interfollicular septae. The gland's parenchyma was coated with a dense connective tissue capsule composed of collagen, elastic, and reticular fibers. The secretory tubules were divided into peripheral tubules and central tubules. The central ones were located close to the major cavity and lined with thin epithelium, whereas the peripheral tubules were adjacent to the capsule and characterized by taller epithelium. The central secretory tubules were lined with four cell layers: flattened basal, large‐sized polyhedral intermediate, and secretory cell layers, as well as a degenerative cells layer that formed of small cells with pale cytoplasm and pyknotic nuclei. Variable sizes and shapes of Herbst corpuscles were detected alongside the papillary duct and near the glandular lobe. Transmission electron microscopy view revealed that the cytoplasm of the intermediate cells contained a dense population of mitochondria, while the secretory and degenerative cells contained fewer mitochondria. In conclusion, these structures will be beneficial for understanding the habitat differences of laughing doves. Research Highlights: Grossly, the preen gland (PG) of the laughing dove formed of two large pea‐shaped lobes.The glandular lobule was composed of glandular follicles, each follicle was folded and enclosed by a sheath of connective tissue connected with the neighboring ones by interfollicular septae.The central secretory tubules were lined with four cell layers: basal, intermediate, secretory, and degenerative cell layers.Variable sizes and shapes of Herbst corpuscles were detected alongside the papillary duct and near the glandular lobe of the PG.In transmission electron microscopic analysis, the cytoplasm of the intermediate cells contained a dense population of mitochondria, while the secretory and degenerative cells contained fewer mitochondria. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Ultrastructural information regarding the peripheral blood cells of local (Zovawk) pigs from Mizoram, India, is not available in the scientific literature. Objectives: The present study was designed to reveal the fine structural details of the blood cells from these local pigs using a transmission electron microscope (TEM). Methods: Blood samples were collected from 12 healthy Zovawk pigs of either sex and processed according to a standard protocol. Processed blood samples were then sent to the All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, for further processing and imaging under TEM. Different types of blood cells were viewed under TEM, and different characteristics of these cells were assessed. Results: In the present study, erythrocytes are elongated, biconcave, and nucleated without cytoplasmic organelles. Neutrophils are round with 2‐5 lobed nuclei surrounded by cytoplasm with an indistinct bilayered nuclear membrane. The cytoplasm is packed with membrane bound round, oval, and elongated cytoplasmic granules. Eosinophils are round to oval with 2‐3 lobed nuclei with distinct nuclear membranes. Basophils are spherical and contained small, medium, and large electron‐dense granules. Lymphocytes are small, medium, and large and contained all cellular components. Monocytes are irregularly spherical with slight nuclear indentations. The platelets are elongated, oval, or rounded, with a few pseudopods at the cell surface. Conclusions: From the present study, we can conclude that the ultrastructural morphology of blood cells from Zovawk pigs resembles those of other domestic animals. However, a few differences have been observed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Due to the remarkable development of Internet technologies, a great deal of valuable digital data is now transmitted over public networks. To guarantee the security of this data during the transfer process, the authentication of its integrity is extremely important. This paper introduces a robust and secure dual‐watermarking‐based fusion of watermarking, optimization, and a compression method utilizing non‐sub‐sampled contourlet transform (NSCT), redundant discrete wavelet transform (RDWT), and singular value decomposition (SVD). In our method, we first apply the NSCT to a higher entropy sub‐band of the host image. Then, our method uses RDWT‐SVD on higher frequency coefficients of the NSCT image. A similar procedure is followed for both mark images. Finally, an appropriate scaling factor, as obtained by fuzzy inference system, is used to invisibly embed the singular values of both mark data into the host image. Here, any more important mark data are scrambled before the embedding process. The simulation tests reveal that the proposed technique is not only imperceptible and secure but also robust against common attacks. The suggested method has a superior ability to extract hidden information than previous conventional techniques. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

KLR‐1 scientific deep borehole, drilled in the 1993 Killari earthquake region of Maharashtra (India), penetrated 8 m thick infratrappean sediments below a 338 m‐thick column of Deccan volcanics that rested over Neoarchean amphibolite to granulite facies mid‐crustal basement. Detailed palynological studies revealed the presence of characteristic Gondwana palynomorphs in sedimentary succession that include Plicatipollenites indicus, P. trigonalis, Parasaccites korbaensis, P. diffusus, Microbaculispora indica, Cyclobaculisporites minimus, Cyclogranisporites barakarensis, C. gondwanensis, Jayantisporites pseudozonatus, Leiosphaeridia bokaroensis, Latosporites sp., Verrucosisporites sp., cf. V. ambiplicatus and Striatopodocarpites gondwanensis. Qualitative analyses of palynomorphs would suggest an Asselian age (298–295 Ma) for their formation and burial in dysoxic to anoxic conditions. Recorded palynological assemblages correlate well with continental Lower Gondwana (Early Permian) sediments of India, as well as other Gondwana continents, indicating a larger extent of Gondwana sedimentation than hitherto known today. Petrological studies indicate the presence of two types of carbonate units that overly the crystalline basement. A relatively coarse‐grained sparry carbonate rock immediately overlies the basement (Sample KIL‐7). The size of the carbonate crystals in the sparite vary from 100 to 500 μm. This unit is overlain by an extremely fine‐grained micrite resembling lime mud (Sample KIL‐6). Micrite is made of carbonate grains with an average size of 10 μm. X‐ray diffraction studies indicate that calcite is the dominant carbonate mineral, while dolomite and quartz occur in minor amounts. Geochemical analyses indicate that in these two samples of carbonate rock that overlie the basement, CaO (33.38 to 38.16 wt %) is higher than MgO (16.0–23.85 wt%). These infratrappeans sediments are also characterized by stable carbon (δ13C) and oxygen (δ18O) isotopic ratios ranging from −1.59 to −8.74‰ and −9.12 to −13.50‰ versus PDB, respectively, thereby conforming to non‐marine fresh water deposits. These findings provide first evidences of reactivation and rifting of Dharwar intracratonic regions during earliest Permian Gondwana Period, which led to severe lithospheric mantle destruction, and massive regional uplift and erosion of the granitic‐gneissic upper crust. Large scale inland‐rifting during the Gondwana sedimentation period was possibly a prelude to India‐Antarctic breakup during the early Cretaceous. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the restructured electricity markets, transmission usage, usage costs, and loss allocation are critical issues for recovering network embedded and maintenance costs from network users. However, because of the integration of the flexible alternating current transmission system (FACTS) and the occurrence of power system contingencies, this allocation is more complex and critical from the utility's perspective, as it may cause volatility in transmission network costs. In this work, the unified power flow controller (UPFC) is utilized to show the effect of its integration on the system cost and cost allocation. Further, contingency conditions are common in power systems. Therefore, for determining usage, usage cost, and loss allocation volatility under UPFC‐integrated system and N‐1 contingency conditions, this work utilized a power flow tracing‐based transmission usage allocation technique. Reliability factors are used to determine transmission line flows in the event of a failure. Furthermore, contingency line flows are employed to assess transmission tariff volatility in terms of risk premiums. The cost of transmission utilization is recovered using a modified MW‐mile technique. The devised approach was put to the test on a 6‐bus system and an IEEE 14‐bus system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper designed a protection scheme for utility grid with high share of renewable energy (RE) generated from wind energy and solar energy plants. This is based on extraction of features from the current using Stockwell transform (ST), Hilbert transform (HT), and alienation coefficient. A Stockwell index (SI) is designed by extracting current features using ST, a Hilbert index (HI) is designed by extracting current features using HT, and an alienation index (AI) is designed by extracting current features using an alienation coefficient. A fault index (FI) is formulated by multiplying the SI, HI, AI, and WF (weight factor). This FI is implemented for fault detection. Fault classification is achieved considering number of fault phases and ground fault index (GFI). This GFI is designed by processing zero sequence currents applying ST. GFI effectively identifies the ground involved during event of a fault. A designed protection scheme is effective to identify faults in the scenario of high RE share and during various cases of study which includes the variations of fault impedance, different fault occurrence angles (FOA), fault incident at different nodes, and noisy condition. This protection scheme effectively discriminates the fault events from the operational events such as feeder operation, load, and capacitor switching. Performance of hybrid protection method formulated in this paper is better relative to alienation coefficient-based protection scheme (ACPS) reported in literature. The ACPS has maximum error and mean error of fault detection equal to 9.54% and 5.99%, respectively, which is relatively high compared to the respective values for the proposed method which are 1.89% and 0.978%, respectively. ACPS is effective for detecting the fault events in noise level of 30 dB SNR (signal-to-noise ratio) whereas the proposed method effectively identifies the faults in the high noise scenario of 20 dB SNR. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The load frequency control (LFC) is a most important tool for the frequency regulation mechanism in the widely spread modern power system. The LFC system consists of a communication structure to transmit the measurement and control signal. Usually the controllers in LFC systems are designed and implemented in continuous mode of operation. This article investigates the discrete mode load frequency control (LFC) mechanism, by employing the concept of the periodic output feedback (POF)-based controller with varying input and output sampling frequencies. Both the optimal sampling frequency and the optimal POF controller gain matrix are found by using the particle swarm optimization (PSO) method. The POF-based controller is intended for usage in two-area multisource LFC systems, with varying input and output sampling frequencies. The performance analysis takes into account a variety of scenarios, including those without a conventional stabilizer, with conventional continuous and corresponding discrete mode PSS, and a proposed discrete mode POF controller. Furthermore, the efficacy of the discrete mode POF controller is evaluated on the MATLAB/Simulink platform. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Herein, the effect of composition on the optical and photocatalytic performance of ZnS–ZnO composite is described. The composite samples are synthesized by chemical precipitation method using (NaOH + Na2S) mixture as the precipitating agent. The chemical composition of precipitating agent results in in situ formation of ZnO and ZnS. Lower content of NaOH in precipitating agent solution (1:3 by volume) exhibits the formation of ZnS, while, its higher concentration induces the phase separation with higher volume fraction of ZnO as observed from X‐ray diffraction patterns. Optical studies suggest the enhancement of visible absorption along with redshift in the absorption edge of composites as compared with bare ZnS nanoparticles (NPs). Moreover, the incorporation of ZnO with ZnS is also supported by optical emission spectra in which intense emission around 507 nm is associated with S‐species. ZnO encapsulation on ZnS NPs exhibits higher emission associated with O‐ defects as compared to S‐species. Since both are near‐UV excited semiconductors, both contribute toward the generation of charge carriers to produce radicals and hence photo‐oxidation of crystal violet dye. Further, little concentration of ZnO with ZnS NPs exhibits comparable photocatalytic efficiency (≈88%) that is observed with other ZnS–ZnO nanocomposite samples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Campus crisis management remains an understudied topic in the context of COVID‐affected higher education. In this paper, we contrasted the ability to tame the wicked problems brought by the pandemic of COVID‐19 in private and public universities in Bangladesh, Cambodia, Colombia, India, Kazakhstan, Uganda, and Ukraine. The cross‐country analysis and diversity of institutional types allowed us to consider a wide range of challenges faced by academic leaders and their institutions during the global pandemic. By drawing on institutional policy reviews and interviews with university administrators, we have examined tensions between the human and institutional agencies on these crisis‐stricken campuses given differing institutional coupling, sizes, resources, and missions. The focus on agential co‐dependencies and institutional coupling lays the ground for conceptualizing campus crisis management as a culturally specific construct in the context of higher education affected by the global pandemic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents grid-oriented multiobjective harmony search algorithm (GOMOHSA) to incorporate the multiple grid parameters for minimization of the active power loss, reactive power loss, and total voltage deviations (TVD) in a part of practical transmission network of Rajasthan Rajya Vidyut Prasaran Nigam Limited (RVPN) in southern parts of Rajasthan state of India. This is achieved by optimal deployment of optimally sized renewable energy (RE) generators using GOMOHSA. Performance indexes such as active power loss minimization index (APMLI), the reactive power loss minimization index (RPMLI), and the total voltage deviation improvement index (TVDII) are introduced to evaluate the health of the test network with different load scenarios. Performance of proposed GOMOHSA has been tested for five different operating scenarios of loads and RE generation. It is established that the proposed GOMOHSA finds the optimal deployment of optimally sized RE generators, and the investment cost of deployment of these RE generators can be recovered within a time period that is less than 5 years. Performance of GOMOHSA is superior compared to a conventional genetic algorithm (GA) in terms of performance indexes, RE generator capacity, payback period, and parameter sensitivity. Study is performed using MATLAB software for loading scenario of base year 2021 and projected year 2031. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study was undertaken to characterize the ultrastructural morphology of the blood cells of commonly reared chickens in the state of Mizoram, India under backyard poultry farming. For this study, 2 ml of whole blood was aseptically collected from the wings veins of 12 chickens of three different breeds namely the Zoar, Aseel and Rhode Island Red and processed for ultrastructural imaging under standard protocols. Under scanning electron microscopy (SEM) the matured erythrocytes of Zoar, Aseel and Rhode Island Red appeared elliptical in shape while the leukocytes and thrombocytes appeared round in shape with variable surface modifications. Under transmission electron microscopy (TEM) the granules of the heterophils of Zoar, Aseel and Rhode Island Red appeared predominantly fusiform in shape, the granules of the eosinophils appeared round in shape and that of the basophils appeared pleomorphic in shape. The cytoplasm of the monocytes, medium‐to‐large lymphocytes and thrombocytes of Zoar, Aseel and Rhode Island Red under TEM appeared to be vacuolated and granular while that of the small lymphocytes appeared to be granular but non‐vacuolated. The study concluded that the ultrastructural characteristics of the blood cells of the three breeds of chicken studied were almost similar to the blood cells of other birds reported earlier. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The literature on the blood cells of Zovawk pigs is scanty; thus, this study was designed to elaborate the light microscopy (LM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) characterization of blood cells of Zovawk pigs by LM and SEM. Twelve different blood samples were aseptically obtained from adult healthy Zovawk pigs, irrespective of sex. To determine the cytomorphological and cytochemical structures of the many produced constituents of blood, blood smears were stained with various stains. The blood samples were treated with various substrates for cytoenzymatic research, and the alterations were noted. A 1000× magnification Olympus Trinocular Research microscope was used to examine the smears. The blood samples were prepared for electron microscopy according to the standard procedure. The prepared samples were delivered to the Sophisticated Analytical Instrumentation Facility (SAIF), All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), New Delhi, for SEM imaging. On LM, pig erythrocytes were spherical and nonnucleated. The cytoplasm of the neutrophils was spherical and included cytoplasmic granules. The eosinophils had prominent cytoplasmic granules and were round. Basophils were infrequently present and had cytoplasmic granules that were clear blue. The sizes of small, medium and large lymphocytes were noted. The monocytes were oval or circular. The platelets ranged in form from asymmetric to round. The blood samples were stained for cytochemical analyses using acid ferrocyanide stain for iron, Sudan black blue stain for lipids, toluidine blue stain for mucopolysaccharides, and periodic acid Schiff's stain for glycogen. The cytoenzymatic characteristics were evaluated and compared with substrates treated with acid phosphatase, alkaline phosphatase, peroxidase, arylsulfatase, cytochrome oxidase, beta‐glucuronidase, and succinate dehydrogenase. Erythrocytes appeared as biconcave disks under SEM. Two forms of leukocytes were observed, having a rough and pointed cell surface like a flower. It can be concluded that the LM and SEM morphology of blood cells of Zovawk pigs resembled other domestic animals, however, few differences were observed among the discussed animals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Melanoma is the most prevalent type of skin cancer, affecting skin surface cells. The risk features of the disease are minimized by finding the disease at time or in the initial stage. Even through, various skin cancer detection methods are developed, detecting the disease using discriminative features still results a challenging task. An efficient detection strategy based on the proposed Lion Cat Swarm Optimization‐based Deep Neuro Fuzzy Network (LCSO‐based DNFN) is created to identify skin cancer in its early stages. The LCSO is the integration of the lion optimization algorithm (LOA) and cat swarm optimization (CSO) algorithm. To make treatment measure at right time increases the probability of survival and so detecting the disease using deep learning classifier is performed with hybrid optimization algorithm. The segmentation result is effective through the fusion model and it ensures to achieve accurate detection process. Rather than extracting the features, the proposed method generates optimal result through data augmentation. The performance of the proposed LCSO‐based DNFN is determined using skin disease dataset, and the introduced approach obtained outstanding performance with the measures of accuracy, sensitivity, and specificity with the values of 93.10%, 92.95%, and 92.87%, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Siamese‐based trackers have received global recognition for target tracking. However, these trackers employ batch‐normalized networks for feature extraction, which has been sensitive to batch size and hard to replicate on different hardware. Therefore, to meliorate tracking performance and effectively address this issue, the present work proposes a Normalization free Siamese (NfS) tracker by introducing normalization‐free networks in target tracking. The developed NfS has been trained end‐to‐end with large‐scale datasets such as COCO, TrackingNet, LaSOT, VID, DET, and GOT10k. Extensive experimentation has been carried out on six challenging benchmark datasets (OTB100, LaSOT, VOT2018, VOT2019, UAV123, and GOT10k), revealing that NfS ensures comparable performance with state‐of‐the‐art (SOTA) trackers on most of the benchmarks. It pushed the performance bar by a minimum of 2.88% and 2.37% on UAV123 for both precision and success scores. Also, it overshadows the compared trackers by a significant minimum margin of 11.88% and 8.14% on the LaSOT for similar metrics, demonstrating the higher discrimination capability of the NfS tracker for both natural and aerial target tracking tasks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The spatial distribution of the b‐value has been determined using a homogeneous earthquake catalogue from 1964 to 2018 to examine the characteristics of structural heterogeneities and their bearing on the style of faulting in the Indo‐Burma region of Northeastern India. The study region is associated with an uneven distribution of structural heterogeneities and demonstrates the mixed type of faulting, nature where the majority of earthquakes resulted mainly by thrust and strike‐slip fault. Our critical analysis demonstrates that the existence of two prominent zones is associated with high b‐values and low b‐values where the mixed type of faulting resulted in the genesis of seismicity in the study area. The high b‐values in the study area contain a large number of smaller earthquakes whilst the low b‐values comprise a smaller number of larger earthquakes distributed along with the Naga‐Disang Thrust, Kabaw Fault, and Sagaing fault systems. A close comparison between b‐values and different faulting styles reveals that the area containing a low b‐value suggests stronger seismogenic zones, where an accumulation of strain energy leads to the genesis of seismicity by thrust faulting with slight slip component whilst Indo‐Burma Ranges regions connected with b‐values (0.5–0.9) demonstrate strike‐slip to the normal mode of faulting, indicating relatively weak seismogenic zones where tensional forces are prevalent. The depth sections illustrate that lower b‐values for the upper part of the subducting slab correspond to more stress generated by tectonics compared to that of the lower part, and interestingly the deeper part of the subducting Indian slab is coupled with conspicuously very high‐b values, suggesting the weakening of the Indian subducting slab through dehydration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]