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Calculus represents a mineralized form of bacterial plaque, commonly developing on natural tooth surfaces exposed to a continuous supply of saliva. The salivary composition significantly influences the degree of calculus formation in individuals, exerting a pivotal role in this aspect. Reduced salivary output elevates vulnerability to oral diseases. Numerous contributing elements might be associated with the development of significant calculus, potentially implicating the existence of a salivary gland tumor, notably related to the left parotid gland. This report stands as notable documentation of an extraordinary and infrequent occurrence of calculus formation associated with a salivary gland tumor, presenting an exceptional case within the scope of medical literature.

Abstract The proposed work contains three major contribution, such as smart data collection, optimized training algorithm and integrating Bayesian approach with split learning to make privacy of the patent data. By integrating consumer electronics device such as wearable devices, and the Internet of Things (IoT) taking THz image, perform EM algorithm as training, used newly proposed slit learning method the technology promises enhanced imaging depth and improved tissue contrast, thereby enabling early and accurate disease detection the breast cancer disease. In our hybrid algorithm, the breast cancer model achieves an accuracy of 97.5 percent over 100 epochs, surpassing the less accurate old models which required a higher number of epochs, such as 165.

Introduction: To enhance the success of dental implants, it is crucial to understand the factors contributing to implant failure. Practitioners should carefully evaluate the relevance and impact of critical risk factors associated with the mandibular anterior region to gauge the potential for implant failure. Aim: To assess the rates of implant failure for implants placed in the mandibular anterior region. Materials and Methods: For this systematic review, the eligibility criteria for present study included randomised and non randomised clinical trials, prospective cohort studies, and retrospective studies published in the English language between 2000 and 2022. These studies specifically documented dental implant failure rates in the anterior mandible, excluding reviews, in-vitro, cadaveric, and animal studies, as well as case series studies. The participants considered were systemically and mentally healthy individuals aged 18-90 years who had undergone oral restoration using dental implants in the anterior mandibular area. Exclusion criteria involved patients who did not undergo oral restoration with dental implants in the anterior mandibular region, those with systemic diseases affecting implant success, serious cardiac diseases, deficient homeostasis, blood dyscrasias, and psychological diseases. The intervention focused on patients rehabilitated with cortical dental implants in the mandibular anterior region, without a specific comparator or control. Based on the mentioned criteria, nine studies were included. The main outcome of interest was the dental implant failure rate. Results: The review's included studies indicated the placement of 3,718 implants in the mandibular anterior region, with 86 failures, resulting in a 2.31% failure rate, suggesting an approximate 3% failure rate for implants in this area. Conclusion: Given the multifactorial nature of implant failure, the available literature does not support the designation of the mandibular anterior region as a specific risk factor for such failures.

The valorization and dissolution of lignin using ionic liquids (ILs) is critical for developing sustainable biorefineries and a circular bioeconomy. This review aims to critically assess the current state of computational and machine learning methods for understanding and optimizing IL-based lignin dissolution and valorization processes reported since 2022. The paper examines various computational approaches, from quantum chemistry to machine learning, highlighting their strengths, limitations, and recent advances in predicting and optimizing lignin-IL interactions. Key themes include the challenges in accurately modeling lignin’s complex structure, the development of efficient screening methodologies for ionic liquids to enhance lignin dissolution and valorization processes, and the integration of machine learning with quantum calculations. These computational advances will drive progress in IL-based lignin valorization by providing deeper molecular-level insights and facilitating the rapid screening of novel IL-lignin systems.

In recent years, an increase in weed infestation, which is adversely affecting crop growth and productivity has been a major challenge facing the farmers of South Asia. The adoption of a permanent bed in combination with residue retention-based crop management practices may reduce weed abundance and increase crop productivity. In a two-year field study, we evaluated the responses of different organic weed management practices with contrasting tillage and residue (R) management strategies to weed dynamics and crop productivity under rice-maize rotation. The main plot treatments consisted of zero-tillage direct seeded rice and zero-tillage maize (ZTR fb ZTM); ZTDSR and maize both on permanent raised beds with residue (PBDSR + R fb PBDSM + R); PBDSR and PBM without residue (PBDSR-R fb PBDSM-R) and conventional tillage puddled transplanted rice and conventional tillage maize (CTR fb CTM). The subplots comprised unweeded control; vermicompost mulch; P- enriched vermicompost mulch; live mulch with Sesbania spp. in rice and Pisum sativum in maize and weed-free. Total weed density and biomass in rice and maize at 30 days after sowing (DAS) were minimum for PBDSR + R fb PBDSM + R compared to remaining tillage and residue management practices in both years. Apart from weed-free treatment, the highest weed control index was found with live mulch. Yield of rice and maize were found higher in permanent beds along with residue retention-based practices. In rice, the weed-free treatment showed the highest grain yield and live mulch reported 9.8 and 6.8 % higher grain yield than vermicompost mulch and P-enriched vermicompost mulch respectively. Our study shows that conservation agriculture practices under rice-maize rotation is one of the ways to reduce weed density and improve crop productivity in South Asia and other similar agro-ecologies.

Abstract The indoor cultivation of lettuce in a vertical hydroponic system (VHS) under artificial lighting is an energy-intensive process incurring a high energy cost. This study determines the optimal daily light integral (DLI) as a function of photoperiod on the physiological, morphological, and nutritional parameters, as well as the resource use efficiency of iceberg lettuce (cv. Glendana) grown in an indoor VHS. Seedlings were grown in a photoperiod of 12 h, 16 h, and 20 h with a photosynthetic photon flux density (PPFD) of 200 µmol m−2 s−1 using white LED lights. The results obtained were compared with VHS without artificial lights inside the greenhouse. The DLI values for 12 h, 16 h, and 20 h were 8.64, 11.5, and 14.4 mol m−2 day−1, respectively. The shoot fresh weight at harvest increased from 275.5 to 393 g as the DLI increased from 8.64 to 11.5 mol m−2 day−1. DLI of 14.4 mol m−2 day−1 had a negative impact on fresh weight, dry weight, and leaf area. The transition from VHS without artificial lights to VHS with artificial lights resulted in a 60% increase in fresh weight. Significantly higher water use efficiency of 71 g FW/L and energy use efficiency of 206.31 g FW/kWh were observed under a DLI of 11.5 mol m−2 day−1. The study recommends an optimal DLI of 11.5 mol m−2 day−1 for iceberg lettuce grown in an indoor vertical hydroponic system.

A long-term field experiment was conducted to study the effects of different combinations of integrated nutrient management (INM) on carbon sequestration and wheat yield in a rice-wheat cropping system. The experiment consisted of 11 treatments that were replicated three times. The organic manures used in the study included farmyard manure (FYM), wheat straw (WS), and green manure (GM) with Sesbania aculeata. The results of the experiment revealed that the application of 50% of the recommended dose of fertilizers (RDF) along with 50% nitrogen (N) through FYM during rice cultivation, and RDF during wheat cultivation, led to a significant increase in soil organic carbon (SOC). Specifically, the SOC content was enhanced by 46.4% (18.29 Mg ha-1) compared to RDF in rice and wheat, resulting in a C sequestration rate of 0.22 Mg ha-1 year-1. These increases were higher in treatments that combined organic and inorganic inputs. Additionally, the application of 50% RDF and substituting 50% of the nitrogen with FYM during wheat cultivation resulted in a 24.7% increase in grain yield compared to RDF in rice and wheat. The INM treatments, showed significantly (p ≤ 0.05) higher agronomic efficiency (AE) of nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P) and potassium (K), partial factor productivity (PFP) of N, P and K, and carbon pool index (CPI) compared to the application of inorganic fertilizers at the recommended dose. Moreover, the INM treatments also exhibited lower greenhouse gas (GHG) emission intensity. Application of neither chemical fertilizers nor organic manure (T1) resulted in maximum GHG emission intensity (328.1 kg CO2 eq Mg−1 yield). Based on these findings, it can be concluded that the combined use of inorganic fertilizers and organic manures significantly increased crop yield and soil organic carbon sequestration while reducing GHG emissions in a rice-wheat cropping system in the eastern Indo-Gangetic Plains (EIGP) of India.

The present experiment was carried out to examine the effect of aflatoxin exposure through experimentally contaminated feed (48 or 98 μg/kg of feed) on hematological parameters, and gross and histopathology of liver, kidneys, thymus, spleen and bursa of fabricious in ducks, and to assess the prophylactic efficacy of bentonite clay at three different dose levels (1, 2 or 3g/kg of feed) in protecting the birds from the toxic effects of aflatoxin. The experiment was carried out on 9 weeks old white pekin ducks for a period of six weeks. The experimental ducks (n=72) were randomly divided into six equal groups. Group 1 birds served as healthy controls and were continued with basal diet without addition of toxin or bentonite clay. The birds of Group 2 were provided with a diet containing 48 μg toxin/kg of feed. The diet of the grower ducks of Group 3 to 6 were added with 96 μg of toxin/kg of feed. The birds of Group 4, 5, and 6 were provided with aflatoxin-contaminated feed and the diet was supplemented with bentonite clay @ 1, 2 or 3g/kg of feed, respectively. The hematological parameters such as Hb, PCV, TLC and Differential Leukocyte Count were estimated at 4th and 6th week post exposure. Haemoglobin, PCV and TLC reduced significantly in ducks fed with aflatoxin-contaminated feed. The birds fed with 48 μg aflatoxin/kg of feed had moderate gross lesions in different internal organs. The feed supplementation with bentonite clay in aflatoxin-exposed birds reduced the inflammation of hepatocytes.

Background: Oral cancer is one of the most common life-threatening conditions. Lack of awareness, knowledge, risk factors and early sign and symptom of oral cancer .Thus the aim of present study was to to evaluate the awareness and knowledge about oral cancer among patients. Materials and Methods: The descriptive cross-sectional study was done in Nobel Medical College Teaching Hospital, Biratnagar, Nepal from December 2020 to February 2021. Approval was acquired from Institutional Review Committee. A total of 300 patients above 25years of age group were included in the study. Self -administered questionnaire was prepared and distributed to obtain information about patient’s age, gender, education level and occupation. The questions regarded habits, awareness of oral cancer, knowledge of the risk factors, signs and symptoms and source of information about oral cancer. Results: A total of 300 patients participated in this study out of which male was 70%, and the female was 30%. The result of awareness questionnaire showed that 65% of the respondents were heard about oral cancer. The study revealed that 70.3% and 62.6% respectively patients were sable to correctly identify tobacco and smokeless tobacco as risk factor and 64% and 53.5% respectively was able to correctly identify white patch and red patch as signs and symptom of oral cancer. Majority of the respondent 46% yielded awareness and knowledge of oral cancer from media. Conclusion: The present study shows the dental patients had lack of awareness and knowledge about the risk factors and signs and symptom of oral cancer.

A Hildoglochiceras-rich horizon is reported from a thin carbonate intercalation within the siliciclastic Upper Jurassic Jhuran Formation of the Jara Dome, western Kachchh Mainland. The Hildoglochiceras specimens have been used for the first population-level study of the genus based on a multivariate analysis. High phenotype instability in the large sample confirms the occurrence of transient forms between morphospecies. Key morphological traits for interpreting Hildoglochiceras are stated, and the morphospecies Hildoglochiceras kobelli (Oppel) and H. kobelliforme (Bonarelli) are interpreted as a dimorphic pair. The ammonite-rich level is interpreted as a Hildoglochiceras Horizon, which is related to a transgressive pulse and maximum flooding zone interrupting largely restrictive conditions for ammonites. The endemic character of Hildoglochiceras is confirmed and related to its environmental restriction to shelf areas on the palaeomargins of the Trans-Erythraean Trough. A comprehensive review of biostratigraphic interpretations of Hildoglochiceras shows the influence of natural and experimental forcing factors. The uppermost Kimmeridgian to lowermost Upper Tithonian interval is the widest biostratigraphic range assumable for Hildoglochiceras based on existing reports, but most probably it was restricted to, or at least better represented in, Lower Tithonian horizons. The Hildoglochiceras Horizon described here is correlated with a lower part of the Albertinum/Darwini Zone in the Secondary Standard Scale for ammonite-based bio-chronostratigraphy in European and West-Tethyan areas. According to the current state of knowledge, a local rather than wide regional significance is favoured for Hildoglochiceras records before its significance for precise correlation across the Trans-Erythraean Trough.

Periodontal treatment modalities have evolved since the 20th century. This era of periodontal treatment is progressing towards minimally invasive techniques. Nowadays, microscopes and surgical loupes are being used in different fields of dentistry. Periodontal surgeries like root coverage procedures, esthetic surgeries, scaling & root planing have also incorporated these methods for better esthetic results and patient compliance. Unlike in other fields of dentistry, there is more to be explored in the periodontal field with microsurgical methods. This article aims to discuss the evolution of periodontal treatment with microsurgical procedures and its principles. The literature concerning the efficacy of microsurgical approaches in treating periodontal diseases has been evaluated.

Background: Dental school is a stressful experience for students as they face wide-ranging challenges related to patient care and pursuing academic excellence. Aim: The aim of the study is to estimate the psychological stress levels and its sources among undergraduate students at dental colleges in India. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted among a sample of 308 undergraduate students in their 3rd year, 4th year, and internship from three private dental schools in Odisha. A self-administered questionnaire was designed and distributed where participants marked the stress levels caused by various academic and nonacademic stressors on a five-point Likert scale (strongly disagree to strongly agree). Demographic data of gender and year of study were also collected on the same questionnaire. Statistical Analysis Used: SPSS v27 was used to compute descriptive statistics, to perform tests for reliability and validity of the survey instrument and to perform two sample t-test for comparison of stressors with gender and one-way ANOVA for comparison of stressors year of study as factors. Results: Of the 300 completed questionnaires submitted, 49.7% of the participants were males (n = 151) and 50.3% were females (n = 149). Third-year students reported moderate stresses (mean stress >=3) due to factors related to curriculum structure, long classroom hours, reduced recreation time, homesickness, and hostel food. Fourth-year students reported severe stress (mean stress >=4) originating from stressors like completion of clinical quota and comparison with other professions. Interns reported severe stress (mean stress >=4) originating from stressors like family's expectations and fear of failure. There was a statistically significant difference in female participants who reported elevated stress compared to their male counterparts in dealing with stress related to workload and training (P = 0.008, two-tailed two-sample t-test). Conclusions: Students reported most stress originating from issues related to clinical workload burden, comparison with peers, family expectations, and personal relationship issues. We recommend that dentistry schools act with urgency to alleviate severe stressors with the formation of student advisory committees and appointment of counselors who can advocate for dental students' psychological well-being.

Context: Automated detection of COVID-19 in real time can greatly help clinicians to handle increasing number of cases for preliminary screening. Deep CNN models trained with sufficiently large datasets may become best candidates to meet the purpose. Aims: This study aims for automated detection and classification of COVID-19 and viral pneumonia diseases by applying deep CNN model using chest X-ray images. The proposed model performs multiclass classification to meet the purpose. Settings and Design: The proposed model is built on top of VGG16 architecture with pretrained ImageNet weights. The model was fine-tuned using additional custom layers to deliver better performance specific to the target. Subjects and Methods: A total of 15,153 samples are used in this work. These samples include chest X-ray images of COVID-19, viral pneumonia, and normal cases. The entire dataset was split into train and test sets, with a ratio of 80:20 before training the model. To enhance important image features, image preprocessing and augmentation were applied before feeding the image batches to the model. Statistical Analysis Used: Performance of the model is evaluated through accuracy, precision, recall, and F1 score performance metrics. The results produced by the model are also compared with other recent leading studies. Results: The proposed model has achieved a classification accuracy of 98% with 98% precision, 96% recall, and 97% F1 score on the test dataset for multiclass classification. The area under receiver operating characteristic curve score was 0.99 for all three cases of multiclass classification. Conclusions: The proposed classification model may be highly useful for the preliminary diagnosis of COVID-19 and viral pneumonia cases, especially during heavy workloads and large quantities.

Background: Various modifications of the coronally displaced flap have been proposed in the literature with the attempt of treating gingival recession. This study is undertaken to evaluate the predictability of the modified coronally positioned flap in isolated gingival recession not only in terms of root coverage but also with the esthetic outcome. Materials and Methods: Fifteen isolated gingival recessions with at least 1mm of keratinized tissue apical to the defect were treated with a modified coronally advanced flap. All recessions fall into Miller class I. The clinical re-evaluation was performed 3 months and 1year after the surgery. Statistical analysis was performed using statistical application software (SPSS16.0). Multivariate ANOVA was used for analysis. Results: At the 1-year examination, the average root coverage was 94.6% of the pre-operative recession depth. There was a mean clinical attachment gain of 3.3±0.1 mm at 1 year follow-up.The average increase of keratinized tissue between the baseline and the 1-year follow-up amounted to 1.53±0.13 mm. Root coverage esthetic score (RES) was recorded at the end of follow-up period. 13/15 cases showed RES score of 9 and 2/15 cases showed RES score of 6. Conclusion: The modified coronally advanced surgical technique is effective in the treatment of isolated gingival recession in the upper jaw.

ABSTRACT Environmental DNA uptake by certain bacteria and its integration into their genome create genetic diversity and new phenotypes. DNA processing protein A (DprA) is part of a multiprotein complex and facilitates the natural transformation (NT) phenotype in most bacteria. Deinococcus radiodurans, an extremely radioresistant bacterium, is efficient in NT, and its genome encodes nearly all of the components of the natural competence complex. Here, we have characterized the DprA protein of this bacterium (DrDprA) for the known characteristics of DprA proteins of other bacteria and the mechanisms underlying the DNA-RecA interaction. DrDprA has three domains. In vitro studies showed that purified recombinant DrDprA binds to both single-strand DNA (ssDNA) and double-strand DNA (dsDNA) and is able to protect ssDNA from nucleolytic degradation. DrDprA showed a strong interaction with DrRecA and facilitated RecA-catalyzed functions in vivo. Mutational studies identified DrDprA amino acid residues crucial for oligomerization, the interaction with DrRecA, and DNA binding. Furthermore, we showed that both oligomerization and DNA binding properties of DrDprA are integral to its support of the DrRecA-catalyzed strand exchange reaction (SER) in vitro. Together, these data suggested that DrDprA is largely structurally conserved with other DprA homologs but shows some unique structure-function features like the existence of an additional C-terminal Drosophila melanogaster Miasto-like protein 1 (DML1) domain, equal affinities for ssDNA and dsDNA, and the collective roles of oligomerization and DNA binding properties in supporting DrRecA functions. IMPORTANCE Bacteria can take up extracellular DNA (eDNA) by natural transformation (NT). Many bacteria, including Deinococcus radiodurans, have constitutive competence systems and can take up eDNA throughout their growth phase. DprA (DNA processing protein A) is a transformation-specific recombination mediator protein (RMP) that plays a role in bacterial NT, and the absence of this gene significantly reduces the transformation efficiencies of both chromosomal and plasmid DNA. NT helps bacteria survive under adverse conditions and contributes to genetic diversity in bacteria. The present work describes the characterization of DprA from D. radiodurans and will add to the existing knowledge of DprA biology.

Accurate estimation of evapotranspiration plays a vital role in judicious irrigation scheduling. Keeping this in view, a study was undertaken to compare the performance of five methods, viz. Penman method (PM), FAO Penman Monteith (FAO-PM), Priestley-Taylor (PT), FAO Radiation method (FAO-RM) and Hargreaves methods (HM) for Sultanpur District of Uttar Pradesh, India using the daily weather data acquired from automatic weather station during 2016-17. The performance evaluation of selected methods was carried out using linear regression and simple statistical analysis to suggest a substitute of FAO-PM for estimation of reference evapotranspiration using minimal climatic parameters available at regional scales. It was observed that the PM method performed the best and was in line with estimated ET0 by FAO-PM method with coefficient of determination (R2), Root Mean Square Error (RMSE), Mean Absolute Error (MAE), Modified Nash-Sutcliffe Coefficient (EMNS), Percent Bias (PBIAS) estimated as 0.94, 0.54, 0.40, 0.73, 3.74 for the year 2016 and 0.95, 0.44, 0.36, 0.73, 6.01 in 2017, respectively. Nonetheless, it was observed form this study that the PM method which requires four parameters, viz. daily solar radiation, maximum and minimum air temperature, and wind speed can be a substitute to FAO-PM that require more parameters for ET0 estimation in data scarce situations.

The present study was initiated with the purpose to evaluate possible health risks associated with pesticide residues through consumption of vegetables and fruits by general population of Gujarat, India. A total of 1075 samples comprising of twelve different varieties of commonly consumed food commodities were collected from twenty-five divergent locations in Gujarat. The collected samples were extracted using QuEChERS method and analyzed for the presence of organophosphorus (OPs), organochlorine (OCs) and synthetic pyrethroids (SPs) pesticides using UHPLC-HR/MS, GC-μECD and GC-MS/SIM. The results indicated that 2.3% of vegetable and fruit samples showed the presence of pesticide residues exceeding maximum residue limits (MRLs). The results suggested that, detected residue levels in samples were within safe limits and their consumption will not pose any significant health risk to human. The outcomes present significant information regarding the status of vegetable and fruit contamination and pointed out the prerequisite for further studies with reference to monitoring of pesticides and other toxic contaminants in different samples for assessing cumulative health risk.

Genetic parameters and trends are very important to know about the genetic gain and effectiveness of the selection. The present study was conducted on 8,872 records of Rambouillet sheep maintained at Government Sheep Breeding and Research Farm, Reasi, Jammu, Jammu and Kashmir, India over a period of 20 years from 1996 to 2015. The performance traits studied in the present investigation were birth weight (BW), weaning weight (WW), nine-month body weight (9BW), twelve month body weight or yearling weight (YW) and annual wool production (AWP). Heritability, genetic correlations and genetic trends were estimated. Estimates of heritability ranged from medium (0.192 for AWP) to very high (0.720 for 9BW). The highest genetic and phenotypic correlations were obtained between 9BW and YW indicating that early selection on the basis of 9BW will improve the YW simultaneously. AWP had negative genetic correlations with all other traits except for WW. The genetic trends over the years were positive for BW and WW; and negative for 9BW, YW and AWP. The phenotypic trends for all the performance traits in the present study were negative. The effect of genetic trend was non-significant for all the traits. The R2 value was very low to medium. The phenotypic trends over the years were negative for all the traits except for YW. The genetic and phenotypic trends of the present study indicate that environment plays an important role in controlling different performance traits of Rambouillet sheep.

Chickpea (Cicer arientinum L.) is one of the most dominant pulse crops in India, which contributes 38 percent of the area and 50 percent production of pulses compare to the total pulse production of India. Chickpea contains protein-2.1%, carbohydrates-61.5%, and fat-4.5% and more iron, calcium and niacin content. The main constrain of chickpea production due to parasitic nematodes (Meloidogyne incognita) is about 14% of total global production in annual yield loss. Pseudomonas fluorescens is a bacterial bio-agent that can help in nematode suppression in chickpea plants. This experiment was conducted to experience the differences, if any, in manganese content concerning chickpea inoculated with M. incognita with a combination of Pseudomonas fluorescens as a bioagent, where different treatments of nematode, bacteria, and chemicals are used sustaining the enhancement of disease resistance in chickpea cultivars RSG 974, GG 5, GNG 2144. The total manganese content of chickpea variety GNG 2144 was found highest in treatment, where only bacteria (P. fluorescens) was inoculated, i.e., 6.44 mg/100g of a root, followed by GG 5, i.e., 5.63 mg/100g of root and RSG 974 was, i.e., 4.14 mg/100g of root respectively. Application of Pseudomonas fluorescence combined or alone gradually increased the manganese concentration in roots of chickpea plants i.e., RSG 974 (4.14 mg/100g), GG 5(5.63 mg/100g), GNG 2144 (6.44 mg/100g) compared to the health check.

A three-year field experiment was carried out to assess the efficacy of various tillage and residue management practices, as well as weed management approaches, in a rice–wheat–green gram rotation. The treatments included: conventional till transplanted rice–conventional till wheat–fallow (T1); conventional till transplanted rice–zero-till wheat–zero-till green gram (T2); conventional till direct-seeded rice—conventional-till wheat—zero-till green gram (T3); zero-till direct-seeded rice—zero-till wheat—zero-till green gram (T4); zero-till direct-seeded rice + residue zero-till wheat + residue zero-till green gram (T5). In weed management, three treatments are as follows: recommended herbicides (W1); integrated weed management (W2); and unweeded (W3). The integrated weed management treatment had the lowest weed biomass, which was 44.3, 45.3, and 33.7% lower than the treatment W3 at 30 and 60 days after sowing and harvest, respectively. T1 grain and straw yielded more than T2 in the early years than in subsequent years. The conventional till transplanted rice–zero-till wheat–zero-till green gram system produced 33.6, 37.6, and 27.7% greater net returns than the zero-till direct-seeded rice—zero-till wheat—zero-till greengram system, respectively. Conventional till transplanted rice–conventional till wheat–fallow had the biggest reduction (0.41%) in soil organic carbon from the initial value. The findings of the study demonstrated that adopting the transplanting method for rice, followed by zero tillage for wheat and green gram, enhanced productivity and profitability, while simultaneously preserving soil health.

Total 21 high zinc rice genotypes were evaluated under five different locations for 14 different yield attributing traits, including grain yield/plant (gm) to determine the pattern of variation, the relationship among the individuals and their characteristics through Principal Component Analysis (PCA) during the Kharif-2017. PCA was done for all the locations individually as well as pooled analysis for all locations using R software. Out of the 14 PCs, the initial four PCs contributed more to the total variability. The highest cumulative variability of the first four PCs found at Bhikaripur (81.11%) followed by BHU Agriculture research farm-II (79.23%) etc. and Pooled variability was 76.61%. Pooled data analysis indicates PCA biplot or loading plot of first two principal components revealed that days to maturity, days to 1st flowering date and days to 50% flowering loaded more on the first component and number of spikelets per panicles, number of grains/panicles, grain weight per panicle, grain yield/plant accounted more variation in the second component compared to the other parameters. Thus, the pooled analysis of principal component analysis revealed the characters contributing to the variation and genetic variability that exists in these rice genotypes. This is because the genotypes BRRIdhan 72, Sambamahsuri and Swarna were identified in different principle components related to grain yield and grain quality, and were also located farthest away from biplot origin in individual PCA based biplot. So they may be employed to improve yield attributing factors like total effective tiller number. PC1, PC2 and PC3 have days to first flowering and days to 50% flowering, hence their genotypes may be valuable in producing early maturing cultivars. Thus, the results revealed that wide range of variability was shown by different traits of the genotypes which can be utilized in rice improvement programmes.

The purpose of this research is to investigate the MHD flow of Williamson fluid through a non-Darcy porous medium with micro-rotation. The governing equations are first converted into a coupled system of ODEs with initial and boundary conditions. The shooting procedure with the Runge-Kutta method is used to solve the ODEs, and determine the impact of various parameters for heat and momentum transfer of boundary layer flow. Finally, all findings are graphed and compared with earlier results to ensure that the current outputs are perfectly valid. Furthermore, it can be seen from the characteristic graph that the system parameters, magnetic field M and non-Darcy F tend to reduce the fluid velocity. Also, a comparison between the two fluid models, Williamson fluid and micropolar fluid have been obtained via the effects of various parameters on skin friction and Nusselt number.

ABSTRACT Vulvovaginal candidiasis (VVC) is a common clinical condition with symptoms and signs of vaginal inflammation in the presence of Candida species. At least one episode of VVC is experienced in up to 75% of women in the reproductive age group during their lifetime, and 5% to 8% of such women suffer from the chronic form. Most cases of VVC are still caused by C. albicans. However, the incidence of VVC cases by non-albicans Candida (NAC) species, such as C. parapsilosis, is continuously increasing. Despite the prevalence of VVC from NAC, little is known about these species and almost nothing about the mechanisms that trigger the VVC. Lactobacillus spp. are the most widely before represented microorganisms in the vaginal microbiota of healthy women. Here, cell-free supernatants (CFS) obtained from L. acidophilus, L. plantarum, L. rhamnosus, and L. reuteri were assessed for their effect on C. parapsilosis virulence traits. Moreover, we assessed if such an effect persisted even after the removal of the CFS (CFS preincubation effect). Moreover, a transwell coculture system was employed by which the relevant antifungal effect was shown to be attributable to the compounds released by lactobacilli. Our results suggest that lactobacilli can work (i) by reducing C. parapsilosis virulence traits, as indicated by the reduced fungal proliferation, viability, and metabolic activity, and (ii) by improving epithelial resistance to the fungus. Overall, these data suggest that, in the context of the vaginal microbiota, the lactobacilli may play a role in preventing the onset of mucosal C. parapsilosis infection. IMPORTANCE The incidence of VVC by non-albicans Candida (NAC) species, such as C. parapsilosis, is increasing. Treatment failure is common in NAC-VVC because some species are resistant or poorly susceptible to the antifungal agents normally employed. Research on C. parapsilosis’s pathogenic mechanisms and alternative treatments are still lacking. C. albicans triggers the VVC by producing hyphae, which favor the loss of epithelial tolerance. Differently, C. parapsilosis only produces pseudohyphae. Hence, different virulence factors may trigger the VVC. Likewise, the therapeutic options could also involve different fungal targets. Substantial in vitro and in vivo studies on the pathogenicity mechanisms of C. parapsilosis are lacking. The data presented here ascribe a novel beneficial role to different Lactobacillus spp., whose CFS provides a postbiotic-like activity against C. parapsilosis. Further studies are needed to unravel the mechanisms involved in the bioactivities of such compounds, to better understand the role of single postbiotics in the CFS.

The Kachchh Rift Basin of western India is known for several geological findings and revelations for more than a century. Earth scientists from India and the globe have played a significant role in placing the Kachchh Basin's geology at a global level. A basin is a place for geologists to understand typical geological processes with textbook examples of resultant landforms. The Mesozoic and Cenozoic sedimentary sequences of Kachchh have preserved significant diversity in fossil flora and fauna, ranging from marine to terrestrial environment accompanied by volcanic, structural, and sedimentary processes. Due to lack of attention from the authorities and the absence of any legislation in India, the geologically important sites of the Kachchh Basin have been subjected to unauthorized and undocumented fossil collection and scraping of geological strata for mining and infrastructural development. Due to the noteworthy preservation of the geological features at Kanthkot area in the Wagad highland of the eastern Kachchh Basin, two key geosites, i.e., Trambau River bed and Kanthkot Fort hill are proposed, which have immense potential to be recognized as the first ‘Jurassic Geopark’ of the Kachchh Basin. The proposed geosites hold great significance in scientific, educational, and geotourism aspects like palaeontology, sequence stratigraphy, sedimentology, volcanism, structures, and geomorphology with historical and cultural heritage. SWOT analysis for the geosite suggests good potential for development, conservation, and geotourism. The conservation of the geological heritage along with self-sustainable economic development through awareness and collaborative approach between the locals and experts from the scientific community is the primary motive of this work.

Cases of diphtheria have increased in recent years. Here, the authors analyse the genomes of 502 Corynebacterium diphtheriae isolates across 16 countries and territories over 122 years, describing an increase in antimicrobial resistance genes and identifying toxin variants.

Oral microbial infections produce a significant rise in systemic inflammatory responses, manifested by acute-phase cytokines and acute-phase inflammatory reactants. Therapeutic oral manipulations or the inappropriate or absence of intervention of progression periodontal disease could have a significant influence on these systemic diseases. Periodontal pathologies usually refer to common inflammatory disorders known as gingivitis and periodontitis, which are caused by pathogenic microorganisms present in the subgingival dental plaque, and cause an inflammatory response. These Inflammatory response process results in the destruction of periodontium, and eventually in tissue, which further leads to tooth loss. The present article explains the role and significance of the host response in periodontal diseases.

Gingival hyperpigmentation can be defined as a darker gingival color beyond what is normally expected. Several by-products of the physiological process such as melanin, oxyhemoglobin, carotene, reduced hemoglobin, and iron and/or pathological diseases and conditions are most commonly the contributors of pigmentation. Either it can be due to melanin pigmentation results produced by melanoblasts or environmental risk factors such as tobacco smoking. Pigmentation of the gingiva not just has an impact on esthetics and may range from physiologic reasons (e.g. racial pigmentation) to manifestations of systemic illnesses (e.g. Addison's disease) to malignant neoplasms (e.g. melanoma and Kaposi's sarcoma). Therefore, an insight understanding is necessary of the cause for mucosal pigmentation before planning the treatment. Gingival depigmentation can be achieved using a wide range of procedures, i.e. depigmentation such as bur abrasion, scraping, cryotherapy, electrosurgery, and laser. In the present case report, a laser depigmentation technique was used which is simple and yields good results along with good patient satisfaction.

Introduction: Lichen planus is a mucocutaneous disease of unknown aetiology. Topical corticosteroid has been widely used for the treatment purpose so far. In order to overcome the side-effects of corticosteroid, Photodynamic Therapy (PDT) has been proposed, but very few studies have been done to evaluate the effect of PDT and corticosteroid on lichen planus using computerised photometric analysis. Aim: To compare the efficacy, using computerised photometric analysis and Red Green Blue (RGB) scoring, of triamcinolone acetonide and PDT in the treatment of erosive lichen planus. Materials and Methods: This prospective interventional study was done in the Department of Oral Medicine and Radiology, Kalinga Institute of Dental Sciences, Bhubaneswar, Odisha, India, from January 2021 to February 2021. There were 10 patients of erosive lichen planus who were divided into two groups. Patients of group A were treated with triamcinolone acetonide, and group B patients were treated with PDT, for four weeks. Visual Analogue Score (VAS), Reticular Erosive Ulcerative (REU) Score, Oral Mucositis Index (OMI), photometric analysis using RGB scoring were recorded at baseline, after two weeks and four weeks of treatment. Mann-Whitney U test was used for intergroup comparison, and paired t-test for intragroup comparison. Results: In the study, there was no significant difference (p-value=1.00) in age among the patients of two groups. At baseline, VAS mean score of group A patients (5.20±0.837), group B patients (6.40±1.140) and the p-value was 0.101; REU mean score of group A patients (5.90±1.245), group B patients (9.00±2.00) and p-value was significant (0.028); OMI mean score of group A patients (1.20±0.447), group B patients (1.60±0.548) and p-value was 0.221; RGB mean score for group A (110.80±1.212) and group B (116.52±1.194). After four weeks of treatment, VAS mean score of group A patients was (0.80±0.84), group B patients was 0, with p-value=0.05; REU mean score in group A (2.70±1.04), group B (1.00±0.71), p-value=0.031; OMI mean score of both group A and B was 0; RGB mean score for group A (113.22±1.89), group B (121.58±0.96), p-value=0.009. Conclusion: It was found that PDT was better in treating erosive lichen planus and it can be used as an alternative to the standard treatment modalities.

Professor Krishna K. Tewari (1937–2017) was a pioneer in plant molecular biology and biochemistry. He was a professor and served as the Chairman of the Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry at the University of California, Irvine, and was the founder-director of the International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, New Delhi, India. His research was focused on understanding the structure and function(s) of plant mitochondrial and chloroplast genomes, identification of aminoacyl-tRNA in the chloroplast genome, identification, and characterization of the large subunit of RUBISCO, chloroplast DNA polymerase, and topoisomerase I and II. Krishna Tewari also mentored and trained several young scientists. Here, Krishna's students, friends, and colleagues from the community of plant biology have put together a tribute commemorating his memory as a loving human being, a great leader and administrator, and above all an excellent plant biologist.

Objective: To study the occurrence of brucellosis in small ruminants in a district of Southern India. Methods: A total of 425 serum samples (215 sheep and 210 goats) were collected from January to March 2022 using a multistage sampling method. The serum samples were subjected to three serological tests that were employed in this study, namely RBPT (Rose Bengal Plate Test), STAT (Standard Tube Agglutination Test), and I-ELISA. The risk factors were determined by collecting data through a questionnaire and establishing correlations between the responses and seropositivity within a specific flock. Result: Among the 425 samples collected, 91 samples (21.4%) were positive by RBPT, 124 samples (29.2%) by STAT and 156 samples (36.7%) by I-ELISA in sheep and goats. Sheep showed higher seropositivity in all three tests than goats. Analysis of multivariable logistic regression showed that age (>3 vs.

Introduction: Cerebral Palsy (CP) is one of the most common causes of disability in children. Neuroimaging is useful in determining structural or functional relationships in children with CP. It provides an opportunity to link various CP types to the localisation of the brain maldevelopment or lesion. Aim: To study association of motor function and brain structure on neuroimaging Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) in CP children. Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional observational study was conducted in a tertiary care hospital from August 2015 to December 2016. A total of 50 diagnosed cases of CP were included after satisfying inclusion and exclusion criteria. After detailed history and clinical examination, MRI of brain was advised. All parameters were assessed in terms of Gross Motor Functional Classification System (GMFCS), Manual Ability Classification System (MACS) and MRI Grading. Categorical variables were presented as numbers and percentage and association was checked using Chi-square test or Fischer’sexact test. A p-value of

In India, the medical system is developed in terms of “Ayurveda.” It is an unconventional medicinal system developed in India many years ago, now being practiced as alternative medicine worldwide. The understanding of medicinal plants has been gathered for hundreds of years, based on different curative methods such as Ayurveda, Unani, and Siddha. The field of dentistry has also started making use of the medicinal properties of herbal plants for the purpose of relieving dental pain, periodontal problems, and canker sores. Antiseptics, antibacterial, antimicrobial, antifungal, antioxidant, antiviral, and analgesic agents derived from plants are of extensive interest in dentistry. Herbal plant extracts are also available in many forms which can be utilized. As the herbal medicines do not cause addiction or allergic reactions, they can be used for a long time with properly prescribed dosage and time. However, some of the herbal plants may also cause some side effects to the human population.

Chemical poisoning is considered a common medico-social problem that, in addition to causing extensive morbidity and mortality, dominates the valuable health care service resources. Therefore, this study was conducted to explore the extent and frequency of chemical poisoning events among adults in Qassim region as well as the most common poisoning agents involved. A retrospective method of data collection was used employing medical record review for chemical poisoning cases that occurred in Qassim region during the 8-year period from January 2008 to December 2015. Data were collected using a standardized, validated data collection sheet. The study revealed that there is no steady trend (either decreasing or increasing) of the number of poisoning cases through time. There is a statistically significant association between the type of poisoning agent and gender (χ2 = 14.3104, p < 0.05). Moreover, there is a statistically significant association between the type of poisoning agent and period in years (χ2 = 19.7565, p < 0.05). It can be concluded that poisoning cases are distributed, to some extent, evenly between males and females, with no pattern through time. Educational programs are needed to raise public awareness about poisoning, especially among women.

Silicon (Si) is the most abundant element on earth after oxygen and is very important for plant growth under stress conditions. In the present study, we inspected the role of Si in the mitigation of the negative effect of salt stress at three concentrations (40 mM, 80 mM, and 120 mM NaCl) in two wheat varieties (KRL-210 and WH-1105) with or without Si (0 mM and 2 mM) treatment. Our results showed that photosynthetic pigments, chlorophyll stability index, relative water content, protein content, and carbohydrate content were reduced at all three salt stress concentrations in both wheat varieties. Moreover, lipid peroxidation, proline content, phenol content, and electrolyte leakage significantly increased under salinity stress. The antioxidant enzyme activities, like catalase and peroxidase, were significantly enhanced under salinity in both leaves and roots; however, SOD activity was drastically decreased under salt stress in both leaves and roots. These negative effects of salinity were more pronounced in WH-1105, as KRL-210 is a salt-tolerant wheat variety. On the other hand, supplementation of Si improved the photosynthetic pigments, relative water, protein, and carbohydrate contents in both varieties. In addition, proline content, MDA content, and electrolyte leakage were shown to decline following Si application under salt stress. It was found that applying Si enhanced the antioxidant enzyme activities under stress conditions. Si showed better results in WH-1105 than in KRL-210. Furthermore, Si was found to be more effective at a salt concentration of 120 mM compared to low salt concentrations (40 mM, 80 mM), indicating that it significantly improved plant growth under stressed conditions. Our experimental findings will open a new area of research in Si application for the identification and implication of novel genes involved in enhancing salinity tolerance.

Background: Erectile dysfunction (ED) is one of the most common psychosexual disorders in clinical practice, and it results in significant distress, interpersonal impairments, poor quality of life, and marital disharmony. However, there is limited research on ED in India. Therefore, this study aimed to assess the sociodemographic and clinical profile of patients presenting with ED. Method: Cross-sectional evaluation of patients with ED presenting to the psychosexual outpatient department (OPD) of psychiatry department in a tertiary care hospital was done on structured clinical pro forma, Mini-International Neuropsychiatric Interview, International Index of Erectile Function-5, Arizona Sexual Experience, Hamilton rating scale for depression, and Hamilton rating scale for anxiety. Results: The sample included 102 patients. The mean age was 33.38 years. The majority of the patients were married (81.4%), Hindu (82.4%), residing in a rural area (60.8%), and belonging to a nuclear family (62.7%). The majority of the patients had a moderate level of ED (50%) followed by mild-to-moderate ED (26.5%) and severe ED (23.5%). Premature ejaculation (46.1%) and depression (28.4%) were the most common sexual and psychiatric comorbidities. Obesity was common (62.7%), and only a minority had other metabolic dysfunction, namely dyslipidemia (7.8%), diabetes (5.9%), and hypertension (4.9%). Tobacco dependence and alcohol dependence were present in 37.3% and 6.9% cases, respectively. Conclusion: Young adults with moderate-to-severe ED were present for treatment at a tertiary center. Comorbidities of other sexual disorders, psychiatric disorders, and substance use are commonly encountered in such patients. Promotion of early help-seeking should be encouraged. Clinicians should thoroughly assess even the young patients for other sexual, psychiatric, and medical comorbidities.

Foodborne illness caused by pathogenic Vibrios is generally associated with the consumption of raw or undercooked seafood. Fish and other seafood can be contaminated with Vibrio species, natural inhabitants of the marine, estuarine, and freshwater environment. Pathogenic Vibrios of major public health concerns are Vibrio cholerae, Vibrio parahaemolyticus, and Vibrio vulnificus. Common symptoms of foodborne Vibrio infection include watery diarrhea, stomach cramping, nausea, vomiting, fever, and chills. Administration of oral or intravenous rehydration salts solution is the mainstay for the management of cholera, and antibiotics are also used to shorten the duration of diarrhea and to limit further transmission of the disease. Currently, doxycycline, azithromycin, or ciprofloxacin are commonly used for V. cholerae, and doxycycline or quinolone are administered for V. parahaemolyticus, whereas doxycycline and a third-generation cephalosporin are recommended for V. vulnificus as initial treatment regimen. The emergence of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in Vibrios is increasingly common across the globe and a decrease in the effectiveness of commonly available antibiotics poses a global threat to public health. Recent progress in comparative genomic studies suggests that the genomes of the drug-resistant Vibrios harbor mobile genetic elements like plasmids, integrating conjugative elements, superintegron, transposable elements, and insertion sequences, which are the major carriers of genetic determinants encoding antimicrobial resistance. These mobile genetic elements are highly dynamic and could potentially propagate to other bacteria through horizontal gene transfer (HGT). To combat the serious threat of rising AMR, it is crucial to develop strategies for robust surveillance, use of new/novel pharmaceuticals, and prevention of antibiotic misuse.

The mechanisms underlying specific TSS selection in mammals remain unclear. Here the authors show that the ubiquitously expressed transcription factor NF-Y regulate fidelity of transcription initiation at gene promoters, maintaining the region upstream of TSSs in a nucleosome-depleted state, while protecting this region from ectopic transcription initiation.

The liner materials in coal fired tube mills are less promising due to lower combination of abrasion wear resistance, hardness and impact toughness properties, thus giving service life of 25,000 to 35,000 hours. In this study, focus was given to develop a high Cr-V cast iron of high abrasion wear resistance with higher hardness and impact strength for ball tube mill liner application. The developed liner possesses high abrasive wear resistance and impact resistance simultaneously with expected service life of 40,000 to 50,000 hours. This grade was made using induction melting and sand casting method. The casting was heat treated in two stages to achieve higher abrasion wear resistance and mechanical properties. Various tests like chemical analysis, abrasion wear, hardness and impact tests were conducted on the above developed material. Abrasion wear test results show a low wear loss value (2.7 to 4.4 mg/min). Hardness and impact tests show a high combination of hardness (57 to 64 HRC) and impact strength (44 to 57 J/cm2). Prototype tube mill liners were manufactured and tested in a tube mill at 250MW site. Results obtained from site testing are also discussed in this study.

Any interaction of plants with phytopathogens involves the generation of various chemical molecules that are critical for activation of their defense machinery. One of the chemicals, salicylic acid (SA) induces systemic acquired resistance (SAR) in plants. The activation of SAR provides a broad-spectrum resistance against a wide range of related or unrelated pathogens. There has been considerable progress in the biochemical and molecular understanding of SAR activation in various plants. In addition, several chemicals including SA and its analogs are known to provide a direct or indirect defense against pathogens when applied to plants. Molecular mechanism of plant defense induced by synthetic chemical inducers is not very well understood. This review highlights the importance of salicylic acid and its most studied analog, Acibenzolar-S-methyl in inducing SAR and it also provides a description of other major chemical elicitors of plant defenses and their possible molecular mechanism. Keywords: SA, SAR, Acibenzolar-S-methyl, Chemical elicitors, Defense signaling

The management of water resources is a priority problem in agriculture, especially in areas with a limited water supply. The determination of crop water requirements and crop coefficient (Kc) of agricultural crops helps to create an appropriate irrigation schedule for the effective management of irrigation water. A portable smart weighing lysimeter (1000 × 1000 mm and 600 mm depth) was developed at CPCT, IARI, New Delhi for real-time measurement of Crop Coefficient (Kc) and water requirement of chrysanthemum crop and bulk data storage. The paper discusses the assembly, structural and operational design of the portable smart weighting lysimeter. The performance characteristics of the developed lysimeter were evaluated under different load conditions. The Kc values of the chrysanthemum crop obtained from the lysimeter installed inside the greenhouse were Kc ini. 0.43 and 0.38, Kc mid-1.27 and 1.25, and Kc end-0.67 and 0.59 for the years 2019–2020 and 2020–2021, respectively, which apprehensively corroborated with the FAO 56 paper for determination of crop coefficient. The Kc values decreased progressively at the late-season stage because of the maturity and aging of the leaves. The lysimeter’s edge temperature was somewhat higher, whereas the center temperature closely matched the field temperature. The temperature difference between the center and the edge increased as the ambient temperature rose. The developed smart lysimeter system has unique applications due to its real-time measurement, portable attribute, and ability to produce accurate results for determining crop water use and crop coefficient for greenhouse chrysanthemum crops.

DrRecA and PprA proteins function are crucial for the extraordinary resistance to γ-radiation and DNA strand break repair in Deinococcus radiodurans. DrRecA mediated homologous recombination help in DNA strand break repair and cell survival, while the PprA protein confers radio-resistance via its roles in DNA repair, genome maintenance, and cell division. Genetically recA and pprA genes interact and constitute an epistatic group however, the mechanism underlying their functional interaction is not clear. Here, we showed the physical and functional interaction of DrRecA and PprA protein both in solution and inside the cells. The absence of the pprA gene increases the recombination frequency in gamma-irradiated D. radiodurans cells and genomic instability in cells growing under normal conditions. PprA negatively regulates the DrRecA functions by inhibiting DrRecA mediated DNA strand exchange and ATPase function in vitro. Furthermore, it is shown that the inhibitory effect of PprA on DrRecA catalyzed DNA strand exchange was not due to sequestration of homologous dsDNA and was dependent on PprA oligomerization and DNA binding property. Together, results suggest that PprA is a new member of recombination mediator proteins (RMPs), and able to regulate the DrRecA function in γ-irradiated cells by protecting the D. radiodurans genome from hyper-recombination and associated negative effects.

Multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) are of multidisciplinary scientific interest due to their exceptional physicochemical properties and a broad range of applications. However, they are considered potentially toxic nanoparticles when they accumulate in the environment. Given their ability to oxidize resistant polymers, mycorremediation with lignocellulolytic fungi are suggested as biological alternatives to the mineralization of MWCNTs. Hence, this study involves the ability of two fungi specie to MWCNTs biotransformation by laccase and peroxidases induction and evaluation in vivo of its toxicity using Caenorhabditis elegans worms as a model. Results showed that the fungi Penicillium chrysogenum and Pleurotus ostreatus were capable to grow on media with MWCNTs supplemented with glucose or lignin. Activities of lignin-peroxidase, manganese-peroxidase, and laccase in cultures of both fungi were induced by MWCNTs. Raman, FTIR spectroscopy, HR-TEM, and TGA analyses of the residue from the cultures of both fungi revealed structural modifications on the surface of MWCNTs and its amount diminished, correlating the MWCNTs structural modifications with the laccase-peroxidase activities in the fungal cultures. Results indicate that the degree of toxicity of MWCNTs on the C. elegans model was enhanced by the structure modification associated with the fungal ligninolytic activity. The toxic effect of MWCNTs on the in vivo model of worms reveals the increment of reactive oxygen species as a mechanism of toxicity. Findings indicate that the MWCNTs can be subject in nature to biotransformation processes such as the fungal metabolism, which contribute to modify their toxicity properties on susceptible organisms and contributing to environmental elimination.