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Background: Comatose is a perilous state that is contemplated as a medical emergency. Coma impacts the primary caregiver’s daily living that has debilitating effects. Informal caregivers of comatose patients experience emotional symptoms or grief due to the prolonged illness of an individual. As there is a lack or deficient awareness and knowledge regarding the condition, the attitude toward the condition or grief could be a contributory factor. Considering these factors, the knowledge, attitude, awareness-comatose caregiver questionnaire (KAA-CCQ) was developed for evaluation. Methodology: The KAA-CCQ was developed in two stages. Stage 1 - Development of the questionnaire included conceptualization and item generation. Stage 2: - Expert review, content validity, and item modification. Content validity index (CVI) was analyzed using Microsoft Excel sheet 2013. Results: The computed CVI final score for the questionnaire was 0.91. Conclusion: The KAA-CCQ developed to assess the knowledge, attitude, and awareness regarding coma in informal caregivers of comatose patients achieved a statistically satisfactory content validity.

Polymers have swiftly replaced conventional metallic materials in aviation due to their lightweight and easy processability. Usages of polymers are presently mostly limited to non-critical components. Flight safety is paramount in aviation and overrides all other factors. The aviation industry is averse to the usage of polymeric materials in critical component applications owing to the nature of failure being catastrophic. The review has covered various polymeric component failures and their root cause reasons. To overcome the inherent weakness in polymers currently used, a strategy to mimic nature is being explored by researchers. Self-healing polymers can overtake metals if coupled with safe fail technology. Such materials have additional advantages in terms of enhanced longevity and ultimate life cycle. This review critically analyzed various factors driving research and development of self-healing material for aviation applications. Various extrinsic and intrinsic self-healing materials have been reviewed in the present work. Composites with an extrinsic self-healing mechanism possess good healability and strength and can potentially replace current materials. Further, candidate polymeric materials with intrinsic self-healing capability for the aviation field are extensively reviewed. Various aviation-grade polymers like epoxy, Poly(methyl methacrylate), polycarbonate, and elastomeric materials with possible chemistries of intrinsic healing like Diel-Alder reaction, Shape memory assisted self-healing and covalently adaptable networks have been critically examined. Authors believe that extrinsic self-healing technology is mature enough for use in the secondary structure of aircraft. At the same time, present technologies of intrinsic materials are not mature enough for flight safety reasons in aircraft; however, they are candidate materials for UAVs. Fast-growing aviation field, coupled with the entry of UAVs, calls for environmentally sustainable material support. Therefore, this review explores materials within the sphere of high mechanical properties coupled with a low environmental impact. KEYWORDS aviation applications, environmental impact, extrinsic self-healing, flight safety, intrinsic self-healing, self-healing, 1 | INTRODUCTION The automobile and aviation sectors are one of the major consumers of polymeric materials. Polymeric materials are used in various forms in these prime sectors. Polymers and [...]

Background: Sleep deprivation and cognitive impairment represent significant issues among cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy, significantly impacting their daily activities and treatment journeys. The side effects of chemotherapy frequently contribute to disturbances in sleep and cognitive functions in these individuals. Recognizing the scope of these difficulties is essential for developing tailored interventions that cater to the specific requirements of cancer patients, ultimately improving their quality of life and treatment results. Materials and Methods: The research took place at a tertiary cancer care hospital, where 83 eligible chemotherapy patients were enlisted and assessed for sleep quality using the PSQI questionnaire and cognition using MoCA. Each questionnaire was administered only once. A PSQI total score of ≤5 indicated good sleep quality, while a score exceeding 5 indicated poor sleep quality. Similarly, a MoCA score below 26 suggested impaired cognition. Results: Among the entire sample, sleep deprivation was observed in 80.7% of chemotherapy patients, while cognitive impairment was identified in 44.6% of chemotherapy patients. Conclusion: The study deduces that sleep deprivation and cognitive impairment are exceedingly prevalent among cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy.

BACKGROUND: Disorders of consciousness (DOC) incorporate stages of awareness and arousal. Through coma arousal therapy sensory deprivation experienced by patients with DOC can be mitigated. Nevertheless, consensus concerning its effectiveness on these patients is still fractional. PURPOSE: This review aims to investigate the effectiveness of coma arousal therapies on patients with DOC. METHODS: A meta-analysis was performed by searching electronic databases using search terms, the studies investigating the effect of coma arousal therapy in patients with DOC using the Coma Recovery Scale-Revised and Glasgow Coma Scale as outcome measures were included. The risk of bias was assessed, using Cochrane and Joanna Briggs Institute critical appraisal tools. Further, analysis was conducted for the included studies. RESULTS: Out of 260 studies, 45 trials were reviewed and assessed for bias, with 31 studies included for analysis. The analysis demonstrates a significant difference in pre- and post - sensory stimulation, vagus nerve stimulation, transcranial magnetic stimulation, and transcranial direct current stimulation. Sensory stimulation showed the greatest mean difference of −4.96; 95% CI = -5.76 to - 4.15. The patients who underwent intervention after 3 months of illness showed significant improvement. CONCLUSION: The result shows that sensory stimulation, transcranial magnetic stimulation, and transcranial direct stimulation can improve behavioral outcomes of patients with DOC, wherein sensory stimulation is found to be more effective.

Abstract Subseasonal prediction fills the gap between weather forecasts and seasonal outlooks. There is evidence that predictability on subseasonal timescales comes from a combination of atmosphere, land, and ocean initial conditions. Predictability from the land is often attributed to slowly varying changes in soil moisture and snowpack, while predictability from the ocean is attributed to sources such as the El Niño Southern Oscillation. Here we use a set of subseasonal reforecast experiments with CESM2 to quantify the respective roles of atmosphere, land, and ocean initial conditions on subseasonal prediction skill over land. These reveal that the majority of prediction skill for global surface temperature in weeks 3–4 comes from the atmosphere, while ocean initial conditions become important after week 4, especially in the Tropics. In the CESM2 subseasonal prediction system, the land initial state does not contribute to surface temperature prediction skill in weeks 3–6 and climatological land conditions lead to higher skill, disagreeing with our current understanding. However, land-atmosphere coupling is important in week 1. Subseasonal precipitation prediction skill also comes primarily from the atmospheric initial condition, except for the Tropics, where after week 4 the ocean state is more important.

PLNC8 αβ is a cationic antimicrobial peptide that previously has been reported to express both antibacterial and antiviral properties. This study aimed to further elucidate the antiviral effects of PLNC8 αβ and its impact on virus-induced cytotoxicity and inflammatory signaling in human alveolar epithelial cells (A549) infected with the flavivirus Kunjin. Complementary in silico analyses using molecular dynamics (MD) simulation were conducted to investigate the mechanism of action of PLNC8 αβ by studying the interaction of PLNC8 α and β with models of a flavivirus membrane and a eukaryotic plasma membrane, respectively. Our findings demonstrated that PLNC8 αβ significantly reduces both extracellular and intracellular viral loads, as confirmed by plaque reduction assays and RT-PCR. The peptide also mitigated virus-induced cytotoxicity and inflammation. Notably, PLNC8 αβ modulated the virus-induced dysregulation of key signaling and inflammatory genes, such as TLR9, TLR3, NOD2, FOS, JUN, IL6, and CXCL8. MD simulation revealed that PLNC8 αβ exhibits higher binding affinity for a flavivirus membrane model compared to a model of the plasma membrane, likely due to stronger electrostatic interactions with anionic phospholipids. This selective interaction possibly accounts for a potent antiviral activity of PLNC8 αβ combined with a minimal cytotoxicity toward human cells. Overall, PLNC8 αβ shows significant promise as an antiviral agent against flavivirus infections and warrants further exploration for peptide-based antiviral therapies.

Introduction Menopause is a challenging stage of a woman’s life, with increased occurrences of musculoskeletal issues and obesity that need to be tackled early and effectively. Less is known about the effect of HIIT & hatha yoga on musculoskeletal parameters in post-menopausal females. Both exercise approaches differ and are comparable in many ways. Thus, the objective of the study is to determine and compare the effects of 12 weeks of HIIT and yoga training protocols in postmenopausal females with central adiposity, sarcopenia, dynapenia, and knee alignment. The present research article presents a study protocol comparing yoga and HIIT protocols prescribed for postmenopausal females. Methods This is an open-label, randomised, parallel-armed, assessor-blinded clinical trial that will be conducted on 160 postmenopausal females between 46 and 70 years randomly assigned to either the HIIT or yoga group. The intervention will be in the form of group therapy for 5 sessions per week for 12 weeks. The outcomes include sarcopenia by lean muscle mass using a bioelectric impedance analyser, a radiological measure of the Hip-Knee-Ankle angle, and the perceived stress scale and 36-item short form questionnaires assessed twice (pre & post). The outcomes, including gait speed, hand grip strength, waist circumference, and body mass index, will be assessed at pre, post-4th week, post-8th week, and post-12th week. Discussion The study outcomes will provide confirmatory evidence on the effects of Hatha yoga and HIIT exercise training protocols in managing menopausal weight gain, musculoskeletal issues (sarcopenia and knee malalignment), physical and functional capacity, as well as mental health in postmenopausal females. Conclusions

Introduction: The Total Hip Replacement (THR) procedure is indicated to the treatment of choice in chronic refractory joint pain and some types of proximal femoral fractures. Component malalignment is a major cause of THR failure, making it crucial to position the components anatomically for long-term joint survival. Aim: To assess the radiological parameters of uncemented THR surgery. Materials and Methods: This retrospective cohort study was conducted in the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, King’s George Medical University (KGMU), Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, India, from June 2017 to May 2021. It included 72 patients who underwent unilateral uncemented THR for isolated hip diseases. Data was collected over the first two years and analysed. Demographic information and radiographic characteristics such as acetabular cup inclination and anteversion, femoral stem placement, vertical and horizontal centers of rotation, and limb length discrepancy were determined. Data was entered into Microsoft Excel 2018-19, and Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) software version 28.0 was used for statistical analysis. Results: The average age of the patients was 50.75±9.1 years. Comparison of acetabular cup inclination (preoperative 41.4±3.9° and postoperative 42.2±5.1°) and anteversion (preoperative 13.1±2.96° and postoperative 14.5±3.75°) showed non significant differences following treatment with a normal hip. However, there was a significant difference in the horizontal and vertical Centers Of Rotation (COR) following treatment with a normal hip. Conclusion: Preoperative radiological characteristics of the damaged hip were significantly restored to normal anatomy and alignment following surgery.

This study aims to comprehend the use of Environmental Socio-scientific issues (ESSI) contexts in science education. This qualitative study has used systematic literature review techniques to answer the research questions. The review comprised 61 studies. The research questions focused on the type of methodology used, nature of studies and participants, skills developed through ESSIs, issues taught as ESSI, geographical spread and implication mentioned for student learning, teacher preparation, and suggestions for curriculum. Findings claim that qualitative methods are mainly used; argumentation and decision-making are the most targeted skills. Climate change, followed by nuclear power, is the most reported ESSI. Further, the United States of America and Turkey are the two leading countries where most of the research in this field has occurred, while South Asian countries and the African continent lag. The influence of cultural values in understanding such issues by students, teaching the integration of local socioscientific issues (SSIs) in lesson plans to pre-service and in-service teachers, and evaluation of science textbook curriculum on the frameworks of scientific literacy are some of the unexplored aspects in the domain.

Purpose: The aim of the study was to evaluate and compare the effects of Rhythmic Stabilization and a combination of isotonic technique on grip strength, pinch strength, and dexterity of hand among middle aged healthy individuals. Methods Forty middle aged healthy individuals were selected on the basis of inclusion and exclusion criteria. Participants were randomly allocated to two groups, with 20 in group A (Rhythmic Stabilization) and 20 in group B (Combination of Isotonic Technique). Treatment was given for 4 weeks, thrice a week. Outcome measures: grip strength, pinch strength, and dexterity were assessed by the Jamar hand dynamometer, the Pinch gauge, and the Perdue peg board, respectively. Outcome measures were assessed at baseline and after 4 weeks of treatment. Results Notably, Group A participants showed a significant improvement in all outcome measures compared to Group B (p

Purpose: This paper intends to contemplate the evolution and growth of green intellectual capital over the period 2008 to 2022, consequences of green intellectual capital, its sectoral classification, current trends and future scope of research. Design/Methodology/Approach: For a better understanding of this concept, a systematically arranged review was performed following PRISMA framework. For this, data has been extracted from Scopus and Web of Science databases. Collected data were confined on the basis of inclusion and exclusion criteria. The paper was sectioned into two types of analysis: bibliometric analysis and content analysis. Findings: Results highlighted that green intellectual capital has important meanings in influencing organisational performance, namely economic, social and financial performance. Findings also deduced that researchers were mainly focused on the manufacturing sector. Practical implications: This study will provide useful insights to researchers, practitioners, managers and policymakers. Findings suggest intangible resource-green intellectual capital should be managed efficaciously which will provide competitive benefits and also contribute to undertakings’ financial, social and environmental performance. Originality/value: The existing literature needs to be apprehended and streamlined for enabling synergy in deciphering its explicit outcomes. Also, there are only a few studies focusing on this construct and on its systematic literature review.

Abstract Cloud computing is an extremely important infrastructure used to perform tasks over processing units. Despite its numerous benefits, a cloud platform has several challenges preventing it from carrying out an efficient workflow submission. One of these is linked to task scheduling. An optimization problem related to this is the maximal determination of cloud computing scheduling criteria. Existing methods have been unable to find the quality of service (QoS) limits of users- like meeting the economic restrictions and reduction of the makespan. Of all these methods, the Heterogeneous Earliest Finish Time (HEFT) algorithm produces the maximum outcomes for scheduling tasks in a heterogeneous environment in a reduced time. Reviewed literature proves that HEFT is efficient in terms of execution time and quality of schedule. The HEFT algorithm makes use of average communication and computation costs as weights in the DAG. In some cases, however, the average cost of computation and selecting the first empty slot may not be enough for a good solution to be produced. In this paper, we propose different HEFT algorithm versions altered to produce improved results. In the first stage (rank generation), we execute several methodologies to calculate the ranks, and in the second stage, we alter how the empty slots are selected for the task scheduling. These alterations do not add any cost to the primary HEFT algorithm, and reduce the makespan of the virtual machines’ workflow submissions. Our findings suggest that the altered versions of the HEFT algorithm have a better performance than the basic HEFT algorithm regarding decreased schedule length of the workflow problems.

Today the patients and their families are 'powerless' recipients of healthcare services. The healthcare services are siloed and fragmented and getting worse with an increasing array of specialists and subspecialists who “patch up” patients and send them back home. It is important for healthcare providers to become involved in the process of health promotion, prevention, and recovery. For successful implementation of this family-level care needs to be recognized and integrated into all policies, guidelines of the government, and healthcare providers reoriented through in-service and basic training.

PURPOSE: Stroke lies among the most disabling diseases and is world-wide a leading cause of death. Most of the stroke patients experience cognitive deficits associated with executive dysfunction (decision making, problem solving, working memory, and cognitive flexibility). Executive dysfunction in stroke makes the patients vulnerable to depression, anxiety as their daily activities like personal, social, cultural and occupational are severely affected. Thus, the dependency increases and their quality of life decreases. Problem solving is one such important executive function required in day-to-day life. Puzzle solving reflects onto ones problem-solving ability that requires understanding, conceptual knowledge recruitment, novel and insightful thinking, and processing a solution. The purpose of this study was to determine if noninvasive brain stimulation has any effect on puzzle-solving ability of stroke patients and to assess their performance on the same. METHOD: A 3-week interventional study on 11 stroke participants was done. The samples were assessed at baseline for cognitive impairment using Montreal Cognitive Assessment Scale. Participants with scores

In this study, an attempt is made to investigate how the operational parameters such as capacitance, voltage, feed rate, and rotating speed affect the material removal rate, tool wear, overcut, and taper angle for micro-EDM drilling of aluminium 6061 utilizing brass C360 electrode. A novel Taguchi-GRA-CRITIC hybrid optimization methodology is used to obtain the optimal combination of micro-EDM drilling process parameters. The experiment was designed using the Taguchi L18 orthogonal array, and responses were recorded for each experiment. Grey Relational Analysis (GRA) is applied to improve the multi-response of the planned experiment. The weighting values corresponding to various responses are determined using CRITIC (criterion importance through intercriteria correlation) analysis. The hybrid methodology determines the best combination of process parameters for different responses. ANOVA was used to discover the most critical parameters. Finally, confirmation experiments were conducted with optimal parameters to identify improvement in grey relational grade over the initial parameters. The study's findings indicate that, compared to the initial process parameter setting, the grey relational grade (GRG) increased by 92.36% with the optimal parameter setting.

Background and Aim: Two-point discrimination (TPD) is a useful test for assessing cutaneous sensation. Sensory testing devices for testing TPD values have shown to be valid and reliable in the measurement of the functional sensitivity of the hand and its relativity to touch perception. Evaluation of TPD in the lower extremities is debatable because of dearth of information available in the literature about normative values. The aim of this study is to identify the normative values of TPD of lower limb dermatomes in young, healthy individuals and analyze its relationship with body mass index (BMI) and gender. Materials and Methods: A total of 150 participants of the age group 18–25 undergoing graduation program were included in this study. They underwent TPD test for lower limb (L1 to S2) dermatomes, using a baseline esthesiometer. The Spearman's ratio test was used to find the relationship between BMI and TPD values. The Mann–Whitney U-test was used to compare TPD values according to gender. Results: The normative value ranged from 1.46 ± 1.27 to 2.61 ± 1.45 in lower limb dermatomes. The minimum value noted was at the S1 dermatome (left) and the maximum at the L2 dermatome (left). In the sidewise analysis of TPD, the median values of both sides were approximately the same. There was a definite correlation (P < 0.05) between female gender and TPD; however, there was no significant correlation between BMI and TPD. Conclusion: This study suggested that women are more perceptive in appreciating TPD values than men. Moreover, TPD values do not vary according to BMI or right and left sides.

Cancer is a leading cause of mortality worldwide, and conventional cancer therapies such as chemotherapy and radiotherapy often result in undesirable and adverse effects. Natural products have emerged as a promising alternative for cancer treatment, with comparatively fewer side effects reported. Opuntia ficus-indica (L.) Mill., a member of the Cactaceae family, contains a diverse array of phytochemicals, including flavonoids, polyphenols, betalains, and tannins, which have been shown to exhibit potent anticancer properties. Various parts of the Opuntia plant, including the fruits, stems/cladodes, and roots, have demonstrated cytotoxic effects against malignant cell lines in numerous studies. This review comprehensively summarizes the anticancer attributes of the phytochemicals found in Opuntia ficus-indica (L.) Mill., highlighting their potential as natural cancer prevention and treatment agents. Bibliometric metric analysis of PubMed and Scopus-retrieved data using VOSviewer as well as QDA analysis provide further insights and niche to be explored. Most anticancer studies on Opuntia ficus-indica and its purified metabolites are related to colorectal/colon cancer, followed by melanoma and breast cancer. Very little attention has been paid to leukemia, thyroid, endometrial, liver, and prostate cancer, and it could be considered an opportunity for researchers to explore O. ficus-indica and its metabolites against these cancers. The most notable mechanisms expressed and validated in those studies are apoptosis, cell cycle arrest (G0/G1 and G2/M), Bcl-2 modulation, antiproliferative, oxidative stress-mediated mechanisms, and cytochrome c. We have also observed that cladodes and fruits of O. ficus-indica have been more studied than other plant parts, which again opens the opportunity for the researchers to explore. Further, cell line-based studies dominated, and very few studies were related to animal-based experiments. The Zebrafish model is another platform to explore. However, it seems like more in-depth studies are required to ascertain clinical utility of this biosustainable resource O. ficus-indica.

Background: Chronic Achilles tendon ruptures are defined as tears that occur 4–6 weeks after injury and also those that fail to heal at 6–12 weeks. Reduced plantar flexion, discomfort, trouble walking, chronic pain, poor wound healing, and rerupture are all problems of chronic tears. The V-Y flap, turndown flap, peroneus tendon graft, flexor digitorum graft, and flexor hallucis longus (FHL) graft are just a few of the operations proposed and claimed to have great post-operative clinical results. Aims and Objectives: This study aims to evaluate the functional outcome of tendon debridement, gastrocnemius turndown flap, and augmentation with FHL tendon to reconstruct a chronic Achilles tendon tear. Materials and Methods: This study included 12 patients with chronic Achilles tendon rupture. The gastrocnemius turndown flap, which was augmented with FHL tendon, was used to treat all of the patients in the study. The American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society (AOFAS) score, Achilles Tendon Total Rupture Score (ATRS) score, and ability to do repetitive single affected side heel raises were the outcomes evaluated in this study. Results: After a year of follow-up, the mean AOFAS score increased from 61.17 points preoperatively to 86.67 points. The mean ATRS improved significantly from 41.91 points preoperatively to 84.41 points at the most recent follow-up (P

Abstract Cloud technology is not immune to bugs and issue tracking. A dedicated system is required that will extremely error prone and less cumbersome and must command a high degree of collaboration, flexibility of operations and smart decision making. One of the primary goals of software engineering is to provide high-quality software within a specified budget and period for cloud-based technology. However, defects found in Cloud-Based Bug Tracking software’s can result in quality reduction as well as delay in the delivery process. Therefore, software testing plays a vital role in ensuring the quality of software in the cloud, but software testing requires higher time and cost with the increase of complexity of user requirements. This issue is even cumbersome in the embedded software design. Early detection of defect-prone components in general and embedded software helps to recognize which components require higher attention during testing and thereby allocate the available resources effectively and efficiently. This research was motivated by the demand of minimizing the time and cost required for Cloud-Based Bug Tracking Software testing for both embedded and general-purpose software while ensuring the delivery of high-quality software products without any delays emanating from the cloud. Not withstanding that several machine learning techniques have been widely applied for building software defect prediction models in general, achieving higher prediction accuracy is still a challenging task. Thus, the primary aim of this research is to investigate how deep learning methods can be used for Cloud-Based Bug Tracking Software defect detection with a higher accuracy. The research conducted an experiment with four different configurations of Multi-Layer Perceptron neural network using five publicly available software defect datasets. Results of the experiments show that the best possible network configuration for software defect detection model using Multi-Layer Perceptron can be the prediction model with two hidden layers having 25 neurons in the first hidden layer and 5 neurons in the second hidden layer.

Abstract Blockchain is the latest boon in the world which handles mainly banking and finance. The blockchain is also used in the healthcare management system for effective maintenance of electronic health and medical records. The technology ensures security, privacy, and immutability. Federated Learning is a revolutionary learning technique in deep learning, which supports learning from the distributed environment. This work proposes a framework by integrating the blockchain and Federated Deep Learning in order to provide a tailored recommendation system. The work focuses on two modules of blockchain-based storage for electronic health records, where the blockchain uses a Hyperledger fabric and is capable of continuously monitoring and tracking the updates in the Electronic Health Records in the cloud server. In the second module, LightGBM and N-Gram models are used in the collaborative learning module to recommend a tailored treatment for the patient’s cloud-based database after analyzing the EHR. The work shows good accuracy. Several metrics like precision, recall, and F1 scores are measured showing its effective utilization in the cloud database security.

Background Alcoholic liver disease (ALD) is a major source of alcohol-related morbidity and mortality. Heavy drinkers and alcoholics may progress from fatty liver to alcoholic hepatitis to cirrhosis. The enzyme γ-glutamyltranspeptidase (GGT) is a membrane-bound glycoprotein which catalyzes the transfer of the γ-glutamyl group from γ-glutamyl peptides to other peptides, amino acids, and water. Serum GGT activity mainly attributed to hepatobiliary system and thus is an important marker of ALD. Hence the present study is conducted to estimate and correlate the levels of GGT and osteopontin (OPN) in ALD. Aims and Objectives The objective of this study is to estimate and correlate the levels of GGT and OPN in ALD. Materials and Methods Sixty clinically diagnosed cases of ALD and sixty age- and gender-matched healthy controls were recruited for the study. Blood samples were collected from them and serum aspartate aminotransferase, serum alanine transaminases (ALTs), serum ALP levels, and plasma OPN levels were measured. Estimation of serum aspartate transaminases (AST), ALTs, and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) was assayed by standard photometric methods in autoanalyzer ERBA-XL (EM-200) using commercially available kits. OPN was estimated by using commercial kit based on enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Results The parameters of the liver function tests such as AST, ALT, and ALP were significantly increased in patients with ALD (p

The signal-to-noise ratio paradox is interpreted as the climate model’s ability to predict observations better than the model itself. This view is counterintuitive, given that climate models are simplified numerical representations of complex earth system dynamics. A revised interpretation is provided here: the signal-to-noise ratio paradox represents excessive noise in climate predictions and projections. Noise is potentially reducible, providing a scientific basis for improving the signal in regional climate projections. The signal-to-noise ratio paradox was assessed in long-term climate projections using single-model and multi-model large ensemble climate data. A null hypothesis was constructed by performing bootstrap resampling of climate model ensembles to test its ability to predict the 20th-century temperature and precipitation trends locally and compare it with the observations. The rejection of the null hypothesis indicates the existence of a paradox. The multi-model large ensemble does not reject the null hypothesis in most places globally. The rejection rate in the single-model large ensemble is related to the model’s fidelity to simulate internal climate variability rather than its ensemble size. For regions where the null hypothesis is rejected in the multi-model large ensemble, for example, India, the paradox is caused by a smaller signal strength in the climate model’s ensemble. The signal strength was improved by 100% through ensemble selection and based on past performance, which reduced uncertainty in India’s 30-year temperature projections by 25%. Consistent with previous studies, precipitation projections are noisier, leading to a paradox metric value 2–3 times higher than that of the temperature projections. The application of ensemble selection methodology significantly decreased uncertainty in precipitation projections for the United Kingdom, Western Australia, and Northeastern America by 47%, 36%, and 20%, respectively. Overall, this study makes a unique contribution by reducing uncertainty at the temporal scale, specifically in estimating trends using the signal-to-noise ratio paradox metric.

Abstract Distillery industry is amidst the top source of surface water pollution owing to its very high content of recalcitrant organics, inorganics, and persistent turbidity contents. Melanoidins are the chief dark brown-colored complex contaminant existing in the distillery generated effluent with a very high organic load. The present investigation examined the melanoidin elimination from a model wastewater system utilizing Cu-impregnated activated carbon derived from waste leaves of Mangifera indica. With the initial surface characterization utilizing SEM equipped with EDX and FTIR, the Box-Behnken design of experiments was engaged for determining the influence of different factors for the melanoidin removal from the aqueous system. Adsorbent dose, initial melanoidin concentration, and contact time have imposed the maximum effect on to the melanoidin removal (73%) using the synthesized activated carbon, clearly showing its ability for the melanoidin removal from the aqueous contaminated system.

Objectives: To determine the prevalence and predictors of Retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) and severe ROP. Methods: A prospective observational study (April 2019–May 2020) was conducted at a tertiary care center in preterm newborns with; 1) birth-weight

Pectin methylesterases (PMEs) are a class of carbohydrate-active enzymes that act on the O6-methyl ester groups of the homogalacturonan component of pectins, resulting in de-esterification of the substrate polymers and formation of pectate and methanol. PMEs occur in higher plants and microorganisms, including fungi, oomycetes, bacteria, and archaea. Microbial PMEs play a crucial role in pathogens’ invasion of plant tissues. Here, we have determined the structural and functional properties of Pi-PME, a PME from the oomycete plant pathogen Phytophthora infestans. This enzyme exhibits maximum activity at alkaline pH (8.5) and is active over a wide temperature range (25–50 °C). In silico determination of the structure of Pi-PME reveals that the protein consists essentially of three parallel β-sheets interconnected by loops that adopt an overall β-helix organization. The loop regions in the vicinity of the active site are extended compared to plant and fungal PMEs, but they are shorter than the corresponding bacterial and insect regions. Molecular dynamic simulations revealed that Pi-PME interacts most strongly with partially de-methylated homogalacturonans, suggesting that it preferentially uses this type of substrates. The results are compared and discussed with other known PMEs from different organisms, highlighting the specific features of Pi-PME.