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In this study, the chemical composition, repellent, and oviposition deterrent effects of five plant essential oils (EOs) extracted from Lantana camara (Verbenaceae), Schinus terebinthifolia (Anacardiaceae), Callistemon viminalis (Myrtaceae), Helichrysum odoratissimum (Asteraceae), and Hyptis suaveolens (Lamiaceae) were evaluated against Aedes aegypti, Anopheles gambiae, and Culex quinquefasciatus. When tested at 33.3 µg/cm2, L. camara, S. terebinthifolia, C. viminalis, and H. odoratissimum were effective repellents against Ae. aegypti (89%, 91%, 90%, and 51% repellency, respectively), but they were less repellent against An. gambiae (66%, 86%, 59%, and 49% repellency, respectively). Interestingly, L. camara, S. terebinthifolia, C. viminalis, and H. odoratissimum exhibited 100% repellency against Cx. quinquefasciatus at 33.3 μg/cm2. In time-span bioassays performed at 333 μg/cm2, the EO of L. camara exhibited 100% repellence against Ae. aegypti and An. gambiae for up to 15 min and against Cx. quinquefasciatus for 75 min. The oviposition bioassays revealed that L. camara exhibited the highest activity, showing 85%, 59%, and 89% oviposition deterrence against Ae. aegypti, An. gambiae, and Cx. quinquefasciatus, respectively. The major compounds of L. camara, S. terebinthifolia, and C. viminalis were trans-β-caryophyllene (16.7%), α-pinene (15.5%), and 1,8-cineole (38.1%), respectively. In conclusion, the L. camara and S. terebinthifolia EOs have the potential to be natural mosquito repellents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Boron cluster sheets are two-dimensional boron atom-based formations called borophene. They are similar to the two-dimensional sheet known as graphene, which is composed of carbon atoms arranged in a hexagonal lattice. The unique electrical, mechanical, and thermal properties of borophene make it a sought-after substance for a variety of uses, such as catalysis, energy storage, and electronics. There are two ways to manufacture borophene: chemical vapor deposition and molecular beam epitaxy. Vertex-edge valency-based topological descriptors are a great example of a molecular descriptor that provides information on the connection of atoms in a molecule. These descriptions are based on the notion that a node's value in a molecular network is the sum of the valency of those atoms that are directly connected to that node. In this article, we discussed some novel vertex-edge (ve) and edge-vertex (ev) topological descriptors and found their formulations for the boron cluster or borophene sheets. Also, we show the numerical and graphical comparison of these descriptors in this article. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

r, s, t-spherical fuzzy (r, s, t-SPF) sets provide a robust framework for managing uncertainties in decision-making, surpassing other fuzzy sets in their ability to accommodate diverse uncertainties through the incorporation of flexible parameters r, s, and t. Considering these characteristics, this article explores sine trigonometric laws to enhance the applicability and theoretical foundation for r, s, t-SPF setting. Following these laws, several aggregation operators (AOs) are designed for aggregation of the r, s, t-SPF data. Meanwhile, the desired characteristics and relationships of these operators are studied under sine trigonometric functions. Furthermore, we build a group decision-making algorithm for addressing multiple attribute group decision-making (MAGDM) problems using the developed AOs. To exemplify the applicability of the proposed algorithm, we address a practical example regarding laptop selection. Finally, parameter analysis and a comprehensive comparison with existing operators are conducted to uncover the superiority and validity of the presented AOs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Complex networks are difficult to understand and deal with, yet building a graph of any complex and huge structure, whether chemical or computer-related, is quite straightforward. In the form of a graph theory view, it becomes simple to design networks. Each component's recognition is aided by the ease of its production in the form of graph theory. Finding a vertex (node or atom) in a structure is similarly difficult; in this instance, resolvability parameters come into play. This technique plays a significant role in managing or allowing access to each vertex in relation to some chosen vertices called a resolving set that shapes an entire cluster of vertices into a unique form and every single vertex is easy to recognise or locate, whether the small or large the structure. This article contributes the bounds on the parameter of partition dimension of chemical complexes in dialkyltin of supramolecular chain from N-Salicylidene-L-Valine. We supposed the complexes of chains from 2,3,4 and another chemical network, and we demonstrated that the number of vertices has a significant impact on the composition of resolving partition sets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: While melanoma accounts for 4% of skin cancer cases, it causes 75% of skin-cancer-related deaths. The survival rate for melanoma is higher for early-identified cases, so improved access to diagnosis and screening programs is essential for addressing skin cancer deaths. Computer-aided diagnosis utilizing machine learning can be used to differentiate malignant and benign skin lesions. There is significant research into the use of convolutional neural networks to classify skin lesions from dermoscopic images. However, to provide cost-effective and accessible options for early detection of malignant melanoma, smartphone applications capable of accurately classifying skin lesions from images taken on a smartphone would be beneficial. This research investigates a previously underexplored dataset of smartphone images and develops a novel multi-layer deep convolutional neural network model, named SkinLesNet, to classify three types of skin lesions, including melanoma. Further studies to validate the model should be conducted as other image datasets become available. Skin cancer is a widespread disease that typically develops on the skin due to frequent exposure to sunlight. Although cancer can appear on any part of the human body, skin cancer accounts for a significant proportion of all new cancer diagnoses worldwide. There are substantial obstacles to the precise diagnosis and classification of skin lesions because of morphological variety and indistinguishable characteristics across skin malignancies. Recently, deep learning models have been used in the field of image-based skin-lesion diagnosis and have demonstrated diagnostic efficiency on par with that of dermatologists. To increase classification efficiency and accuracy for skin lesions, a cutting-edge multi-layer deep convolutional neural network termed SkinLesNet was built in this study. The dataset used in this study was extracted from the PAD-UFES-20 dataset and was augmented. The PAD-UFES-20-Modified dataset includes three common forms of skin lesions: seborrheic keratosis, nevus, and melanoma. To comprehensively assess SkinLesNet's performance, its evaluation was expanded beyond the PAD-UFES-20-Modified dataset. Two additional datasets, HAM10000 and ISIC2017, were included, and SkinLesNet was compared to the widely used ResNet50 and VGG16 models. This broader evaluation confirmed SkinLesNet's effectiveness, as it consistently outperformed both benchmarks across all datasets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Biochar-derived dissolved organic matter (BDOM) plays key roles in soil ecosystem by affecting soil physicochemical and biological properties and supplying nutrients to soil microbes. It can either enhance or suppress the growth of certain soil microorganisms, depending on its composition and content of labile organic compounds. This review aims to discuss and summarize the role of BDOM in modifying soil microbial functioning, microbial community structure, and enzymatic activity. We mainly focus on the role of BDOM as a function of its concentration, type of feedstock biomass, and pyrolysis temperature (PT). Results show that saw dust- and manure-based biochars produce higher BDOM concentrations than straw-, bone-, and sludge-based biochars. The types of feedstock biomass and its PT determine BDOM characteristics and its interaction with soil microbial communities. Plant-derived biochar with pyrolysis temperature ≤300 °C often results in a more aliphatic BDOM than that with pyrolysis temperature ≥500 °C, which yields a more aromatic BDOM. BDOM of plant biochar contains higher specific ultraviolet absorbance (SUVA) and humification index (HIX) than that of manure biochar. The SUVA and HIX of BDOM positively correlate (R2=0.68–0.96) with the content of total fatty acid methyl esters, but negatively correlate with the abundances of actinomycetes, arbuscular mycorrhizae, and fungal communities. However, the environmental fate of BDOM in biochar amended soil requires long-term experiment, both in laboratory and field scales, to provide a full understating of BDOM interaction with soil organic matter and microorganisms and help to tailor a safe utilization of biochar in agroecosystems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In social surveys, the randomized response technique can be considered a popular method for collecting reliable information on sensitive variables. Over the past few decades, it has been a common practice that survey researchers develop new randomized response techniques and show their improvement over previous models. In majority of the available research studies, the authors tend to report only those findings which are favorable to their proposed models. They often tend to hide the situations where their proposed randomized response models perform worse than the already available models. This approach results in biased comparisons between models which may influence the decision of practitioners about the choice of a randomized response technique for real-life problems. We conduct a neutral comparative study of four available quantitative randomized response techniques using separate and combined metrics of respondents' privacy level and model's efficiency. Our findings show that, depending on the particular situation at hand, some models may be better than the other models for a particular choice of values of parameters and constants. However, they become less efficient when a different set of parameter values are considered. The mathematical conditions for efficiency of different models have also been obtained. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In sample surveys, refusals and untruthful reporting by the respondents are serious issues often faced by the researchers during the data collection process. Over the past few decades, randomized response models have gained wide popularity among survey statisticians as a tool to reduce the non‐response rate. The existing literature on quantitative randomized response models utilize the scrambling variable either as an additive term or as a multiplicative factor. This paper introduces the novel idea of the use of the exponential function of scrambling variable in quantitative randomized response models. Two new quantitative randomized response models are proposed based on exponential scrambling variable. It is found that the new randomized response models are more efficient than the existing quantitative randomized response models. The mathematical properties of the mean estimator of the sensitive variable under the new proposed methods have been discussed. Moreover, the joint and separate measures of privacy protection and efficiency of the proposed and existing models have also been discussed. Further, to illustrate the practical implementation of the suggested models, an example of data collection is also presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study of the maximum and minimal characteristics of graphs is the focus of the significant field of mathematics known as extreme graph theory. Finding the biggest or smallest graphs that meet specified criteria is the main goal of this discipline. There are several applications of extremal graph theory in various fields, including computer science, physics, and chemistry. Some of the important applications include: Computer networking, social networking, chemistry and physics as well. Recently, in 2021 exponential multiplicative Zagreb indices were introduced. In generalization, we introduce the generalized form of exponential multiplicative Zagreb indices for α ∈ R + \ { 1 }. Furthermore, to see the behaviour of generalized first and second exponential Zagreb indices for α ∈ R + \ { 1 } , we used a transformation method. In term of the two newly developed generalized exponential multiplicative Zagreb indices, we will investigate the extremal bicyclic, uni-cyclic and trees graphs. Four graph transformations are used and some bounds are presented in terms of generalized exponential multiplicative Zagreb indices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Artificial neural networks (ANNs) ability to learn, correct errors, and transform a large amount of raw data into beneficial medical decisions for treatment and care has increased in popularity for enhanced patient safety and quality of care. Therefore, this paper reviews the critical role of ANNs in providing valuable insights for patients' healthcare decisions and efficient disease diagnosis. We study different types of ANNs in the existing literature that advance ANNs' adaptation for complex applications. Specifically, we investigate ANNs' advances for predicting viral, cancer, skin, and COVID-19 diseases. Furthermore, we propose a deep convolutional neural network (CNN) model called ConXNet, based on chest radiography images, to improve the detection accuracy of COVID-19 disease. ConXNet is trained and tested using a chest radiography image dataset obtained from Kaggle, achieving more than 97% accuracy and 98% precision, which is better than other existing state-of-the-art models, such as DeTraC, U-Net, COVID MTNet, and COVID-Net, having 93.1%, 94.10%, 84.76%, and 90% accuracy and 94%, 95%, 85%, and 92% precision, respectively. The results show that the ConXNet model performed significantly well for a relatively large dataset compared with the aforementioned models. Moreover, the ConXNet model reduces the time complexity by using dropout layers and batch normalization techniques. Finally, we highlight future research directions and challenges, such as the complexity of the algorithms, insufficient available data, privacy and security, and integration of biosensing with ANNs. These research directions require considerable attention for improving the scope of ANNs for medical diagnostic and treatment applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In localization, some specific nodes (beacon set) are selected to locate all nodes of a network, and if an arbitrary node stops working and still selected nodes remain in the beacon set, then the chosen nodes are called fault‐tolerant beacon set. Due to the variety of metric dimension applications in different areas of sciences, many generalizations were proposed, fault‐tolerant metric dimension is one of them. A resolving (beacon) set Bf$$ {B}_f $$ is fault tolerant, if Bf\ν$$ {B}_f\backslash \nu $$ for each ν∈Bf$$ \nu \in {B}_f $$ is also a resolving set; it is also known as a fault‐tolerant beacon set; the minimum cardinality of such a beacon set is known as the fault‐tolerant metric dimension of a graph G$$ G $$. In this paper, we find the fault‐tolerant beacon set of hexagonal Möbius ladder network H(α,β)$$ H\left(\alpha, \beta \right) $$ and proved that all the different variations of α$$ \alpha $$ and β$$ \beta $$ in H(α,β)$$ H\left(\alpha, \beta \right) $$ has constant fault‐tolerant metric dimension. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper will introduce novel techniques for a fractional-order model of the human liver involving the Atangana–Baleanu, Atangana–Toufik, and the Fractal fractional method with the nonsingular kernel. These techniques give more accurate and appropriate results. Existence and uniqueness have been developed with the help of fixed-point theory results. Numerical simulations are done from the developed algorithm of the model to elaborate the effect of fractional values and justify the theoretical results. Such kind of analysis will be useful for further investigation of epidemic diseases, and also provide a better understanding of disease dynamics to overcome the effect of disease in a community. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this report we have developed different fabrication parameters to tailor the optical bandgap of graphene oxide (GO) nanosheets to make it operational candidate in electronic industry. Here we performed two ways to reduce the bandgap of GO nanosheets. First, we have optimized the oxidation level of GO by reducing amount of oxidizing agent (i.e. KMnO4) to control the sp2/sp3 hybridization ratio for a series of GO nanosheets samples. We noticed the reduction in primary band edge 3.93–3.2 eV while secondary band edge 2.98–2.2 eV of GO nanosheets as the amount of KMnO4 is decreased from 100 to 30%. Second, we have fabricated a series of 2-dimensional nanocomposites sample containing GO/Iron-oxide by using a novel synthesis process wet impregnation method. XRD analysis of synthesized nanocomposites confirmed the presence of both phases, α -Fe2O3 and Fe3O4 of iron-oxide with prominent plane (001) of GO. Morphological investigation rules out all the possibilities of agglomerations of iron oxide nanoparticles and coagulation of GO nanosheets. Elemental mapping endorsed the homogeneous distribution of iron oxide nanoparticles throughout the GO nanosheets. Raman spectroscopy confirmed the fairly constant ID/IG ratio and FWHM of D and G peaks, thus proving the fact that the synthesis process of nanocomposites has no effect on the degree of oxidation of GO flakes. Red shift in G peak position of all the nanocomposites samples showed the electronic interaction among the constituents of the nanocomposite. Linear decrease in the intensity of PL (Photoluminescence) spectra with the increasing of Iron oxide nanoparticles points towards the increased interaction among the iron oxide nanoparticles and GO flakes. Optical absorption spectroscopy reveals the linear decrease in primary edge of bandgap from 2.8 to 0.99 eV while secondary edge decrease 3.93–2.2 eV as the loading of α -Fe2O3 nanoparticles is increased from 0 to 5% in GO nanosheets. Among these nanocomposites samples 5%-iron-oxide/95%-GO nanosheet sample may be a good contestant for electronic devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In survey sampling, the randomized response technique is a useful tool to collect reliable data in many fields including sociology, education, economics, and psychology etc. Over the past few decades, many variants of quantitative randomized response models have been developed by researchers. The existing literature on randomized response models lacks a neutral comparative study of different models to help the practitioners choose the appropriate model for a given practical problem. In most of the existing studies, the authors tend to show only the favorable results by hiding the cases where their suggested models are inferior to the existing models. This approach often leads to biased comparisons which may badly misguide the practitioners when choosing a randomized response model for a practical problem at hand. This paper attempts a neutral comparison of six existing quantitative randomized response models using separate as well as joint measures of respondent-privacy and model-efficiency. The findings suggest that one model may perform better than the other model in terms of efficiency but may perform worse when other metrics of model quality are taken into account. The current study guides practitioners in choosing the right model for a given problem under a particular situation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Herein, a series of pH-responsive composite hydrogels based on carrageenan (CG) and synthetic polymer poly (N-vinyl-2-pyrrolidone) (PVP) was developed by using 3-aminopropyl triethoxysilane (APTES) as cross-linker. The formation of the hydrogel was confirmed with the help of Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). The FTIR spectra revealed the presence of all functionalities at their specific wavenumbers. The thermal stability of the as prepared composite hydrogels and pristine carrageenan and PVP was evaluated with the help of thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). The obtained thermo-grams portrays that the composite hydrogels are thermally more stable as compared to the pristine hydrogels. Furthermore, antibacterial investigations exhibit good activities against S. aureus a gram-positive strain indicating that the as prepared hydrogels can be employed for the biological applications. Additionally, the time-dependent sustainability of the composite hydrogels was confirmed by biodegradation analysis. The results obtained are in well agreement with the reported results. Also, the swelling behavior of the hydrogels was examined against different media using different concentrations of the APTES. The percentage of swelling in water for hydrogel samples was increased with the quantity of APTES. The different pH of the same solutions explains the swelling behavior in dependable way as hydrogels exhibit inverse relation of swelling with pH; in acidic medium, i.e., at low pH, maximum swelling was observed and vice versa. This idiosyncratic behavior of these synthesized hydrogels and its sustainability favors their use for control release of fertilizers. The release pattern was studied by spectrophotometer using indophenol blue at 640 nm showed 86.82% of fertilizer release over a period of 216 h in a phosphate buffer saline (PBS) in a controlled manner. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In social surveys on sensitive characteristics, optional randomized response models give the respondents the option to either report the true response or report the scrambled response. If any respondent finds that the question being asked does not feel sensitive, he/she reports the true response. In the existing variants of optional randomized response models, the researcher doesn't know whether the respondent opted for the correct response or for a scrambled response. In practice, some of the respondents may have no problem in disclosing to the researcher that they are giving the true response and hence not opting for scrambling. This paper presents an alternative procedure to optional scrambling randomized response models, where each respondent has the choice whether or not to disclose to the researcher that he/she is giving the true response. Alternative modified versions of three existing scrambling randomized response models are presented. It is found that the efficiency of the quantitative randomized response models improves if the exact number of respondents who are opting for scrambling, is known to the researcher. Besides improvement in efficiency, the level of the respondent-privacy is the same as that of the existing models, thus resulting in an improvement in the overall quality of the existing models. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Moringa oleifera Lam. is a common edible plant, famous for several nutritional and therapeutic benefits. This study investigates the salt -induced modulations in plant growth, physio-biochemical responses, and antioxidant performance of M. oleifera grown under 0, 50, and 100 mM NaCl concentrations. Results showed that the plant effectively managed moderate salinity (50 mM NaCl) by maintaining succulence, weight ratios, and biomass allocation patterns of both shoot and root with minimal reduction in dry biomass. However, high salinity (100 mM NaCl) remarkably declined all growth parameters. The plant accumulated more Na+ and Cl−, while less K+ under salinity as compared to the control. Consequently, osmotic potentials of both root and leaf decreased under salinity, which was corroborated by the high amount of proline and soluble sugars. Increased level of H2O2 with significantly unchanged membrane fluidity indicating its role in perceiving and managing stress at moderate salinity. In addition, increased activities of superoxide dismutase, and catalase, with increased glutathione and flavonoid contents suggest an integrated participation of both enzymatic and non-enzymatic antioxidant components in regulating ROS. On the other hand, high salinity caused an outburst of ROS indicated by high H2O2, MDA, and electrolyte leakage. As a response, moringa drastically increased the activities of all antioxidant enzymes and contents of antioxidant molecules including ascorbic acid, glutathione, total phenols, and flavonoids with high radical scavenging and reducing power capacities. However, a considerable amount of energy was used in such management resulting in a significant growth reduction at 100 mM NaCl. This study suggests that moringa effectively resisted moderate salinity by modulating physio-biochemical attributes and effectively managing ion toxicity and oxidative stress. Salt stress also enhanced the medicinal potentials of moringa by increasing the contents of antioxidant compounds including ascorbic acid, glutathione, total phenols, and flavonoids and their resulting activities. It can be grown on degraded/ saline lands and biomass of this plant can be used for edible and medicinal purposes, besides providing other benefits in a global climate change scenario. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The act of accessing the exact location, or position, of a node in a network is known as the localization of a network. In this methodology, the precise location of each node within a network can be made in the terms of certain chosen nodes in a subset. This subset is known as the locating set and its minimum cardinality is called the locating number of a network. The generalized hexagonal cellular network is a novel structure for the planning and analysis of a network. In this work, we considered conducting the localization of a generalized hexagonal cellular network. Moreover, we determined and proved the exact locating number for this network. Furthermore, in this technique, each node of a generalized hexagonal cellular network can be accessed uniquely. Lastly, we also discussed the generalized version of the locating set and locating number. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Repellents are effective personal protective means against outdoor biting mosquitoes. Repellent formulations composed of EOs are finding increased popularity among consumers. In this study, after an initial screening of 11 essential oils (EOs) at the concentration of 33 μg/cm2, five of the most repellent EOs, Perovskia atriplicifolia, Citrus reticulata (fruit peels), C. reticulata (leaves), Mentha longifolia, and Dysphania ambrosioides were further investigated for repellent activity against Aedes aegypti mosquitoes in time span bioassays. When tested at the concentrations of 33 μg/cm2, 165 μg/cm2 and 330 μg/cm2, the EO of P. atriplicifolia showed the longest repellent effect up to 75, 90 and 135 min, respectively, which was followed by C. reticulata (peels) for 60, 90 and 120 min, M. longifolia for 45, 60 and 90 min, and C. reticulata (leaves) for 30, 45 and 75 min. Notably, the EO of P. atriplicifolia tested at the dose of 330 μg/cm2 showed complete protection for 60 min which was similar to the commercial mosquito repellent DEET. Gas chromatographic-mass spectrometric analyses of the EOs revealed camphor (19.7%), limonene (92.7%), sabinene (24.9%), carvone (82.6%), and trans-ascaridole (38.8%) as the major constituents of P. atriplicifolia, C. reticulata (peels), C. reticulata (leaves), M. longifolia, and D. ambrosioides, respectively. The results of the present study could help develop plant-based commercial repellents to protect humans from dengue mosquitoes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cancer is dangerous and one of the major diseases affecting normal human life. In this paper, a fractional-order cancer model with stem cells and chemotherapy is analyzed to check the effects of infection in individuals. The model is investigated by the Sumudu transform and a very effective numerical method. The positivity of solutions with the ABC operator of the proposed technique is verified. Fixed point theory is used to derive the existence and uniqueness of the solutions for the fractional order cancer system. Our derived solutions analyze the actual behavior and effect of cancer disease in the human body using different fractional values. Modern mathematical control with the fractional operator has many applications including the complex and crucial study of systems with symmetry. Symmetry analysis is a powerful tool that enables the user to construct numerical solutions of a given fractional differential equation in a fairly systematic way. Such an analysis will provide a better understanding to control the of cancer disease in the human body. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climate change threatens the existence of humankind on the planet Earth. Owing to its arid climate and poor natural resources base, Saudi Arabia is particularly susceptible to the negative impact of ongoing climate change. Farmers' understanding of this global phenomenon is extremely important as it may help determine their adaptation behavior. This study was designed to analyze farmers' beliefs and concerns about climate change as well as their views about adaptation different obstacles. Data were collected from 80 randomly farmers of the Al-Ahsa region in Eastern Province using structured interviews. The findings revealed that farmers believed that climate change is mainly occurring due to anthropogenic activities. Drought, insects, crop diseases, and heat stress were their main concerns regarding adverse impacts of climate change. Lack of knowledge about adaptation practices, and poor government and financial support are perceived as the major obstacles to adaptation. The results of non-parametric analysis identified no significant differences in farmers' climate change beliefs and concerns, and their views about obstacles to adaptation in relation to their demographic characteristics. Based on the findings, we suggest that capacity building programs should be undertaken by the government for enhancing the adaptive capacity of the farmers as well the provision of financial incentives wherever deemed necessary for promoting the adoption of sustainable agricultural practices and building a resilient national food system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study was conducted to evaluate the effects of plant ash based ammonia stripping process on removal and recovery of ammonia-nitrogen (NH3-N) in biogas slurry (BS), in order to provide theoretical reference for the feasibility of plant ash, as replacement of sodium hydroxide. The best mixing ratio of plant Ash and biogas slurry, gas-liquid ratio, stripping time and stripping temperature was also determined to optimize the process. The results showed that the (NH3-N) removal rate was 85.27% and the recovery rate was 76.45%, at 10:2 biogas slurry and plant ash mixing ratio, the gas-liquid ratio of 2000, the stripping temperature of 30°C and the stripping time of 2 h. Compared with sodium hydroxide as stripping promoter the removal rate and recovery rate of ammonia nitrogen in biogas slurry were increased by 4.15% and 6.49% respectively, and the operation cost of ammonia nitrogen stripping process was reduced by plant ash replacing sodium hydroxide. The comprehensive analysis suggested that it is feasible to combine the plant ash with biogas slurry to remove ammonia nitrogen. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Present research reveals the effect of different soil environment modifications on population dynamic tendency of fecal Escherichia coli (E. coli). Various soil environments were created by varying the temperature regimes, relative water content, pH, C/N ratio and ammonium content. The result showed that population dynamics of E. coli with all treatments increased initially and then decreased with the passage of time. Maximum population of E. coli at higher temperature regime (37°C and 45°C) was observed on 8th day of incubation, whereas, at low temperature regime (0.6°C and 25°C), it reached the peak after 15 days of incubation, other treatments (soil relative water content, pH, C/N, ammonium content) reached the peak all after 8 days of incubation. At the end of the incubation period (60 days), maximum population of E. coli was observed in the soil treated with 0.6°C, 80% of relative soil water content, pH 7.0, 135 mg-ammonium/kg and C/N of 25:1. The results indicated that 45°C, 90% of relative water content, pH 9.0, 125 mg-ammonium/kg, C/N of 10:1 inhibited E. coli growth, whereas, 37°C, 80% of relative soil water content, pH 7.0, 135 mg-ammonium/kg and C/N of 25:1 stimulated E. coli growth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Flavonoids are present naturally in many fruits and vegetables including onions, apples, tea, cabbage, cauliflower, berries and nuts which provide us with quercetin, a powerful natural antioxidant and cytotoxic compound. Due to antioxidant property, many nutraceuticals and cosmeceuticals products contain quercetin as a major ingredient nowadays. Current review enlightened sources and quercetin's role as an antioxidant, antimicrobial, antidiabetic, anticancerous and anti-inflammatory agent in medical field during last 5 to 6 years. Literature search was systematically done using scientific for the published articles of quercetin. A total of 345 articles were reviewed, and it was observed that more than 40% of articles were about quercetin's use as an antioxidant agent, more than 25% of studies were about its use as an anticancer agent, and articles on antimicrobial activity were more than 15%. 10% of the articles showed anti-inflamamatory effects of quercetin. Literature search also revealed that quercetin alone and its complexes with chitosan, metal ions and polymers possessed good antidiabetic properties. Thus, the review focuses on new therapeutic interventions and drug delivery system of quercetin in medical field for the benefit of mankind. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Environmental issues are rising day by day in the global community due to the cumulative effects of hazardous effluent load and due to the introduction of biological active natural products into all aspects of life. In this study, the waste tea-leaves-based tannin natural dye has been extracted under the influence of microwave treatment and employed onto bio-mordanted wool fabric. For extraction of dye, microwave (MW) irradiation up to 6 min has been employed and for improvement in color strength, bio-mordants in comparison with chemicals mordants. It has been found that acidic extract of tea leaves after MW treatment for 6 min has given excellent color depth (K/ S) on MW treated wool at 80°C. Using bio-mordants, it has been found that 4% of acacia extract, 1% of pomegranate extract and 5% of turmeric extract as pre bio-mordant, whereas 5% of acacia and 2% of pomegranate and turmeric as post bio-mordants have given excellent color strength, whereas in comparison, ferrous sulfate (2%) has given excellent results. It has been concluded that microwave treatment as an environmentally sustainable tool has not only improved the color strength of tannins dye onto wool fabric but also with the addition of bio-mordants has made the process more sustainable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Probiotics possess many health-endorsing properties; however, their viability and stability under detrimental condition is uncertain. Encapsulation technology provides protection under various stressed conditions. Furthermore, combination of different wall materials ensures the target delivery of core materials. In the current study, probiotic was encapsulated using solid lipid micro particles (SLMP) that were prepared by high shear homogenization. Whey protein and gum Arabic were used as wall material to encapsulate the probiotics. Obtained micro beads were subjected for size, zeta potential, and encapsulation efficiency measurement. Scanning electron microscopy was used for morphological characterization of the microbeads. Molecular characterization of obtained micro beads was done by Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and X-ray diffraction (XRD). Furthermore, the viability and stability were assessed under simulated gastrointestinal conditions. Free and encapsulated probiotics were incorporated in chocolate to evaluate the stability of probiotics. The results in this study indicated that encapsulated probiotics showed significant (P <.05) viability under simulated gastrointestinal and technological conditions compared to free probiotics. A log reduction of 3.54 CFU/mL and 2.52 CFU/mL was detected for SLMW and SLMG after 120 min under simulated gastric condition while 2.42 CFU/mL log reduction and 4.13 log CFU/mL log reduction was detected under intestinal conditions. Likewise, chocolate containing encapsulated probiotics showed better viability at 4°C after 30 days of storage duration and showed significant (p <.05) results. A log reduction of 1.08 log CFU/g was observed in chocolate with Gum Arabic in SLMP as and encapsulating material. In conclusion, solid lipid particles have a strong potential to extend the viability of probiotics under detrimental circumstances. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Let G be a connected graph with V(G) and E(G) be the vertex set and edge set. For a vertex u ∈ V(G) and a subset W ⊂ V(G), the distance between u and W is (u, W)=min {d(u, x): x ∈ W}. Let ∏ ={ W1, W2, W3, ... , Wt} be an ordered t-partition of V(G), the representation of v with respect to ∏ is the t-vector. If the representations of the all vertices of G with respect to ∏ are distinct, then t-partition ∏ is a resolving partition. The minimum t for which there is a resolving t-partition of V(G) is the partition dimension pd(G) of G. In this paper, we determined the upper bound of partition dimension for convex polytopes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Excessive use of chemical fertilizers in agriculture contributes substantially to greenhouse gas emissions and underground water pollution. Therefore, there is an urgent need to reduce the use of chemical fertilizers without compromising agricultural productivity. Biochar and plant growth-promoting bacteria (PGPR) could be an environment-friendly and cheaper solution in this regard. We evaluated the effect of a sugarcane-bagasse derived biochar on Spinacia oleracea under 75% or 50% of the recommended fertilizers, in presence or absence of a PGPR i.e., Bacillus cereus. Spinach was grown on a sandy clay loam soil in pots for 60 days. Biochar was mixed at 1 or 2% (w: w basis) with soil in all possible combinations of 75% or 50% of the recommended fertilizers. Plants receiving 100% of recommended fertilizers served as control. Biochar significantly increased fresh leaf biomass, with the maximum increase of 152% found where 2% biochar + 75% fertilizer were added. Moreover, coapplication of biochar with PGPR further increased the leaf biomass, with the maximum increase of 208% found when 2% biochar and PGPR were co-applied under 50% fertilizer regime. Biochar significantly increased the soil nitrate content, with the maximum increase of 529% found in 2% biochar addition under 50% fertilizer application. Co-application of PGPR and biochar further increased soil nitrate content with the maximum increase of 750% found in 1% biochar application under 75% fertilizer regime. Phosphorus availability was only increased by 1% biochar application with maximum increase of 250% under 75% fertilizer regime. Co-application of PGPR with 1% biochar increased the microbial biomass by 91% and 75% under 75% and 50% fertilizer application respectively. Principal component analysis showed that the soil nutrients i.e., nitrate, and available phosphorus and microbial biomass, which were overwhelmingly improved under co-application of biochar and PGPR, were closely related to spinach leaf and root biomass. We concluded that the co-application of biochar and the PGPR acted synergistically in increasing the nutrient availability for plants thereby leading to higher productivity. Therefore, we recommend that this technique can be a viable solution for reducing the input costs on fertilizer in addition to boosting plant productivity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: RF transceiver module is considered a vital part of any wireless communication system. This module consists of two important parts the RF transceiver and analog-to-digital converter (ADC). Usually, both these parts – RF transceiver and ADC – are used to enhance the perspective of size and power. The data processing in 4G communication makes hurdles and need research attention to make it faster and smaller in size. Accuracy and fast processing are the critical challenges in the modern communication system. Design/methodology/approach: After theoretical and practical investigations, this research work proposes key new techniques for the RF transceiver module. These techniques will make RF transceiver small, power-efficient and on the other hand, make dual SAR-ADC more effective as well. The proposed design has no intermediate frequency where the RF transceiver is reduced its major blocks from five to four, which includes crystal oscillator, phase lock loop, power amplifier and low noise amplifier. Moreover, the shared circuitry is introduced in the architecture of the SAR-ADC for the production of dual outputs, specifically in bootstrapped switch and comparator. Findings: The miniaturized RF transceiver and SAR-ADC are well tested separately before the plantation on the printed circuit board (PCB). The operating voltage and frequency of the RF transceiver module are 1.2 V and 5.8 GHz, where the sampling rate, bandwidth and output power are 25 MHz, 200 MHz and 5 dBm, respectively. The core area of the PCB is 58.13 mm2. The bandwidth efficiency is 93% using surface acoustic wave less transmitter. The circuit is based on the library of 90 nm CMOS technology. Originality/value: The entire circuit is highly synchronized with the input and reference clocks to avoid self-interference. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Metagenomics is a contemporary discipline in science that introduces a new horizon in biomolecular and genetic studies and provides a standard method for understanding biological diversity. In this context, we can only assess the functional potential of a certain community through metagenomics, but by understanding the metaphenomics, we can assign the functional genetic potential with respect to environmental resources. Metaphenomics studies the phenome of soil, plants or other organisms through a meta-analysis with the primary goal of establishing dose–response relationships across a wide range of phenotypic characteristics and abiotic environmental factors. Rather than conjecturing gene functions by metagenomes, the metaphenomic approaches can assist in understanding the substantial functioning of the microbiome. Coupling metagenomics with metaphenomics has the potential to overcome practical challenges in agriculture and ecological sustainability. On the grounds, this review was performed to present a deep understanding of soil metagenomics linked with metaphenomics, i.e. the phenotypic response of the soil microbiome. It also discusses how metagenomic applications and basic methods help study the phenotypic response of uncultured soil microbiomes to external factors. Metaphenomics can apply an untargeted multiomics approach to decipher the soil microbiome metaphenotypic response to environmental perturbations, and its application is also reviewed in this article. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to the recent economic crisis of the world, producing low-cost objects in every field of science and engineering is the main topic of research. Making small in-sized objects, low in budget and weight, and efficient in quality is necessary for the present and future world. In this whole scenario, nanotechnology contributing more than enough. Nanomaterials and nano-objects are highly preferable, carbon nanotubes are one of the highly chosen structures of nanomaterials, which is used in different chemical, biological, and technological fields. This thought leads us to study its different aspects of physical and chemical properties. Topological descriptors are used to characterize different molecular structures by making its numerical quantitative analysis. This article deals with different carbon nanotube structures, studying their chemical and physical characterizations and comparing armchair, semicapped, and capped carbon nanotubes. It provides the best option by making comparative analysis with different tools and algorithms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Current work aimed to examine the influence of soaking solution (citric acid, calcium chloride and ascorbic acid) and high hydrostatic pressure (100, 200 and 400 MPa) on gelatinization properties of flour and antioxidant activity alongwith in vitro - digestibility of β-carotene in orange-fleshed sweet potato flour (OSPF) noodles. With the intensity of the HHP application, water absorption capacity increased linearly whereas water swelling capacity decreased in OSPF. Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) of OSPF indicated a remarkable reduction in peak enthalpy due to gelatinization of starch and denaturation of protein. Hardness and cohesion of OSPF noodles at 400 MPa remarkably decreased whereas springiness increased. Antioxidant capacities of OSPF was gradually increased with the 400 MPa and ascorbic acid-treated OSPF due to the immense contribution of higher contents of TPC. After in vitro digestibility, noodles from OSPF prepared with 400 MPa treated flour exhibited maximum β-carotene retention. Thus, OSPF treated with 400 MPa might be potentially used for the production of noodles with acceptable texture and functional properties. • High pressure and soaking solution modified the properties of orange-fleshed sweet potato flour (OSPF) and OSPF noodles. • Pressurization at 400 MPa improved the texture and elasticity of noodles. • Pressurization at 400 MPa and ascorbic acid increased the total polyphenol content and antioxidant activity of OSPF. • Starch gelatinization induced for superior quality of noodles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Numerous domains, including all branches of science and technology, database theory, data mining, neural networks, expert systems, cluster analysis, control theory, and image capture, have employed graph theory, which can be used to represent interactions among multiple individuals. An extension of fuzzy sets, specifically intuitionistic fuzzy sets, is the concept of single-valued neutrosophic sets. We extend to graphs the notion of single-valued neutrosophic sets, which is an instance of neutrosophic sets. Neutrosophic fuzzy graphs are generalizations of fuzzy graphs, intuitionistic fuzzy graphs, and interval-valued fuzzy graphs. When in the case of fuzzy or intuitionistic fuzzy graphs relation between atoms in problems is indeterminate, then the neutrosophic fuzzy graph serves as a potent tool for dealing with partial, ambiguous, and inconsistent information in the actual world. In single-valued neutrosophic fuzzy graphs, each vertex is allocated a triplet in which the first element represents membership value, second and third elements as indeterminacy and non-membership value, respectively. In this work, we generalize the conclusions relating crisp graphs and fuzzy graphs by applying graph theory to single-valued neutrosophic sets and exploring a novel type of graph structure known as single-valued neutrosophic graphs. Sombor numbers are an effective and efficient tool in describing the topology of the graph in a numerical value. The main aim of this article is to define the first six Sombor numbers for single-valued neutrosophic fuzzy graphs. Then, degree of vertices of different graph families is determined in single-valued neutrosophic fuzzy framework and calculate the six Sombor numbers for these fundamental graph families for single-valued neutrosophic fuzzy graphs. In the end, an application to show the trade flows between different countries via sea route is presented to prove that single-valued neutrosophic fuzzy graphs are more generalized and efficient. First, we calculated the six Sombor numbers for crisp graph and then in SVNS fuzzy framework. Illustrated cases are then provided to show the applicability, viability, efficacy, and benefits of the suggested ways. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A carbon nanotube is made up of a molecular structure of a regular hexagonal lattice. This tube can be extended by closing one- or both end of the tube, denoted by semi-capped and capped nanotube. Due to its different structures, it is categorized into three forms, despite every form or shape, it has a wide range of usage. As a memory device, current-carrying device, regenerative study of medicines, and highly recommended in tissue engineering. Due to its numerous applications, there is immense interest to study its physical and chemical properties. As nanotube and its shape is motivated by a molecular structure and topological descriptors are also tools to study different molecular structures, we use this tool to analyze different nanotube structures like armchair carbon, semi-capped, and capped nanotube by Zagreb indices and its co-indices. Moreover, we also compared capped (semi or full) and uncapped armchair carbon nanotube and provided sufficient results of the comparison. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The fruit fly is one of the most damaging pest of fruits and is mainly managed by integrated pest management. In current study efficacy of seven treatments viz., (Hoeing, Hoeing+ sanitation, Hoeing+ pheromone (methyl eugenol) traps, Spray of Diptrex 80 WP, Hoeing + sanitation+ spray of insecticide (spinosad), Hoeing + sanitation + Diptrex spray, Hoeing + bait application) were analyzed in citrus orchards. Experiment was conducted in three citrus producing districts of Punjab i.e., Sargodha, Toba Tek Singh and Nankana Sahib. Data of % fruit infestation, larval population and market value of fruits was collected at regular intervals. The experimental results indicated that the combined application of hoeing, sanitation, and the spray of spinosad indicated minimum fruit infestation (6.15%) and maximum reduction in fruit infestation is (76.63%) with a cost-benefit ratio (1: 8.43) and after applying the hoeing highest fruit infestation (17.82%) and lowest reduction in fruit infestation (32.29%) with the lowest CBR (1:3.8) were recorded. The maximum reduction in larva population was recorded in the block where the spray of spinosad was applied along with hoeing and sanitation (2.84 larvae/fruit) while integrated application of hoeing, sanitation, and diptrex was showed (3.43 larva/fruit) followed by application of hoeing and pheromone traps (3.63 larvae/fruit) and spray of diptrex alone demonstrated (4.76 larvae/fruit), respectively. In conclusion, integrated application of hoeing, sanitation, and spinosad spray proved better application for suppression of fruit flies larva and reduction of fruit infestation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we develop a time-fractional order COVID-19 model with effects of disease during quarantine which consists of the system of fractional differential equations. Fractional order COVID-19 model is investigated with ABC technique using sumudu transform. Also, the deterministic mathematical model for the quarantine effect is investigated with different fractional parameters. The existence and uniqueness of the fractional-order model are derived using fixed point theory. The sumudu transform can keep the unity of the function, the parity of the function, and has many other properties that are more valuable. Solutions are derived to investigate the influence of fractional operator which shows the impact of the disease during quarantine on society. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Systematic sampling is one of the simplest and popular methods for selecting a random sample from a finite population. The diagonal systematic sampling scheme is a type of systematic sampling design which has gained the attention of researchers during the last two decades. In this paper, a modification to the conventional diagonal systematic sampling design is proposed for use in situations where population units follow a linear trend. It is found that the proposed strategy reduces the variance of the diagonal systematic sampling thus resulting in an efficient sampling design. The mathematical conditions under which the suggested modified diagonal systematic sampling design is more precise than some of the available sampling designs are derived. With the help of a numerical illustration using milk yield data, it is shown that the proposed sampling scheme is more efficient than some of the available sampling schemes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report antiferromagnetic order in gadolinium nickel zinc ferrite (GNZF) nanoparticles with insulating characteristics. Two samples defined by stoichiometries, Gd 1.39 Ni 0.1 Zn 0.02 Fe 0.89 O 4 and Gd 1.53 Ni 0.12 Fe 0.79 O 4 , with varying Gd to Fe ratios are prepared. Major phases identified in the GNZF nanoparticles are GdO and GdFeO 3 , exhibiting antiferromagnetic coupling. Optical absorption onset occurs at 1.9 eV and 1.7 eV for the respective samples. An additional absorption edge, situated 0.1 eV above the fundamental onset, is attributed to the split-off valence band induced by spin-orbit interaction. Néel temperatures (T N) are determined to be 17 K and 18 K for the two stoichiometries, respectively. Optical absorption analysis suggests the presence of spin excitons, indicating quantum confinement effects on electrons and holes in GNZF nanoparticles. We propose that the spin excitons mediate the antiferromagnetic exchange coupling within the nanoparticles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Salinity stress severely limits crop production globally. The plant rhizosphere harbors diverse microbial communities that can positively influence plant growth and stress tolerance. Therefore, we examined the rhizosphere bacterial populations of Brassica napus under normal and saline conditions using high-throughput 16S rRNA gene sequencing. The objectives were set to identify key taxa enriched in the rhizosphere and evaluate variations in community structure between control and salt-stressed Brassica napus plants. Proteobacteria , Actinobacteria , Chloroflexi, and Bacteroidetes were the predominant phyla. Key genera enriched in the rhizosphere included Sphingomonas , Streptomyces , Bacillus, and Pseudomonas. Salinity stress increased the abundances of Chloroflexi and Acidobacteria while decreased Actinobacteria. Rhizosphere communities of salt-treated plants showed lower diversity but separate clusters from controls, indicating salinity-induced shifts. Predictive functional analysis revealed that amino acid/carbohydrate metabolism and membrane transport pathways in salt-stressed rhizospheres were elevated. This study provides novel insights into the rhizosphere bacteriome of Brassica napus under salinity, highlighting potential plant-growth-promoting taxa for stress amelioration. • Bacteriome diversity and abundance of Brassica was influenced by salinity. • Salt stress conditions increased the abundance of some genera while reduced other genera. • There was a huge difference in the bacteriome of bulk soil and Brassica rhizosphere. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Power function is amougst the most suitable probability models for survival or failure times analysis, particularly of electronic components and product reliability. The article proposes some new modified moment estimators for parameter estimation of the power function distribution. The proposed estimators are based on some non-conventional descriptive measures like harmonic mean, quartile deviation, Shannon entropy and Gini index. The performance of the proposed estimators is compared with the traditional moment and existing modified moment estimators. Performance is assessed through the Monte Carlo simulation and three real-life data sets representing failure and survival times of components and infected animals, respectively. Some common accuracy measures are used as performance indicators. From both, Monte Carlo simulation and all real-life applications, the results show better performance of proposed modified moment estimators based on the Gini index and harmonic mean. Hence, the use of these modified estimators is recommended for parameter estimation of the power function distribution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Influence of particle size distribution on nutritional composition, microstructural, physicochemical, and antioxidant properties of orange and purple‐fleshed sweet potato flour (SPF) with particle sizes 75–355 µm were investigated. As particle size decreased, protein content, water absorption capacity, and water solubility index of both SPF decreased, whereas starch, reducing sugar, and crude fat increased. Total polyphenol contents (TPC) in purple‐fleshed SPF (8.25–9.27 mg GAE/g DW) were higher than orange ones (0.22–0.28 mg GAE/g DW), whereas vitamin C contents in orange‐fleshed SPF (23.59–29.26 mg/100 g DW) were higher than purple ones (4.24–4.89 mg/100 g DW). Antioxidant capacities of both SPF were gradually increased with decrease of particle size due to the contribution of higher TPC and vitamin C contents. All SPF fractions exhibited irregular‐shaped surface. SPF with particle size 75 µm might be used to produce novel food products with desired nutrients and functional properties. Novelty Impact Statement: Both orange and purple‐fleshed SPF with different particle sizes possessed significant difference in nutritional composition and antioxidant properties. TPC contents in purple‐fleshed SPF were higher than orange ones, whereas vitamin C contents in orange‐fleshed SPF were higher than purple ones. SPF with particle size 75 µm with higher polyphenols and vitamin C contents and stronger antioxidant activities might be used to produce novel food products. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dietary supplementation is prevalent in our daily life, in which tablet form plays an important role due to its long-term stability and cost-effectiveness. In the pharmaceutical industry, coordination polymer-based tablets are widely produced for dietary supplementation. The mechanical properties of such dietary supplements are very crucial for the tableting process and need to be broadly studied. In this study, the mechanical properties of a copper supplement, namely copper glycinate hydrate (Cu[O2CCH2NH2]2·H2O), have been studied via high-pressure synchrotron powder X-ray diffraction and density functional theory calculations. This material is a 1D coordination polymer, and adjacent chains are linked via hydrogen bonding in the structure. The measured bulk modulus (Ko) is ∼13.9 GPa, which is comparable to that of small organic drug crystals and far smaller than that of inorganic dietary supplements. The calculated Young's moduli (13.55–35.75 GPa) indicate a significant elastic anisotropy, and the directional dependent Young's modulus can be substantiated with the underlying atomic structure. Our experimental and calculated results provide useful quantitative information for tableting and formulating this dietary supplement in the pharmaceutical industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Foliar application of essential minerals is considered as an economical approach to enhance growth and productivity of crop plants. This study aims to assess the individual and combined effects of potassium (KNO3; K+= 4.5 Kg ha−1) and boron (H3BO3; B3+ = 0.15 Kg ha−1) on growth and yield of salt stressed Cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L. var. CIM 496). Plants were grown in lysimeters and irrigated with 0, 6 and 12 dS m−1 sea salt solutions, for 12 weeks. Foliar application of K+, B3+ and K++B3+ improved plant height and biomass under both non-saline and saline conditions. Foliar enrichment of minerals not only reduced sodium (Na+) entry but also enhanced K+ availability, hence maintained a favorable ion relation (K+/Na+) in photosynthetic tissues. Such regulations along with maintained succulence and production of organic osmolytes (e.g., sugars) helped plant in osmotic adjustment. Salt induced inhibition of reproductive growth was also significantly reverted by foliar application of K+, B3+ and K++B3+. Number of cotton bolls, lint weight, number and weight of seeds and seed cotton yield were significantly improved by K+, B3+ and K++B3+ application. Combined application (K++B3+) showed maximum plant growth and productivity even at higher salinity (12 dS m−1). This approach can be adopted to obtain a considerable crop yield from less productive soils using saline water irrigation and can provide profitable outcomes by converting vast degraded lands into lucrative resources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Building on conservation of resources theory, this study investigates the relationship between employees' exposure to coworker incivility and their job performance ratings, while also considering the mediating role of their deviant work behaviors and the moderating role of their ingratiation skills. Results based on multisource, three-wave data from employees and their supervisors in Pakistani organizations show that disrespectful coworker treatment diminishes employees' performance evaluations, because they seek purposefully to cause harm to their employing organization, as a way to vent their frustrations. This mediating role of organizational deviance is mitigated to the extent that employees have a greater ability to ingratiate with others though. This study accordingly identifies a key mechanism – deviant work behaviors that undermine organizational well-being – through which coworker incivility leads to negative performance consequences, and it reveals how organizations can subdue this process by honing pertinent personal resources within their ranks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Iron deficiency has become a common nutritional problem of developing countries, especially in children. This study approached to tackle the issue of iron deficiency by inexpensive fortified food such as chewing gums, which is commonly consumed by children. In this study, iron-fortified chewing gums were prepared by adding ferrous sulfate (FeSO4) and sodium iron EDTA (NaFeEDTA) 30 mg/100 g. An efficacy trial was conducted to determine the impact of iron-fortified chewing gums on the blood profile and iron status of school-going children (n = 300). Results showed maximum increase in blood profile and iron status that is, serum ferritin (10.43%), hemoglobin (3.22%), hematocrit (3.42%), red blood cells (3.05%), mean cell volume (1.55%), mean cell hemoglobin (5.43%), total white blood cells count (9.09%), and platelets count (4.40%) as compared with control whereas decrease in mean cell hemoglobin concentration (1.90%) and neutrophils (3.33%) was also observed. The study concluded that FeSO4 and NaFeEDTA (1:1) fortification of chewing gums is an appropriate approach for mitigating iron deficiency among the target population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We examined the effect of a labile soil amendment, compost, and recalcitrant biochar on soil microbial community structure, diversity, and activity during turfgrass establishment. Two application rates of biochar (B1 at 12.5 t ha-1and B2 at 25 t ha-1), a 5 centimeter (cm) green waste compost treatment (CM) in top soil, a treatment with 12.5 t ha-1 biochar and 5 cm compost (B1+CM), and an unamended control (CK) treatment were prepared and seeded with tall fescue. Overall, results of phospholipid fatty acid analysis (PLFA) profiling and Illumina high-throughput sequencing of 16S rRNA genes amplified from soil DNA revealed significant shifts in microbial community structures in the compost amended soils whereas in biochar amended soils communities were more similar to the control, unamended soil. Similarly, increases in enzymatic rates (6–56%) and nitrogen-induced respiration (94%) were all largest in compost amended soils, with biochar amended soils exhibiting similar patterns to the control soils. Both biochar and compost amendments impacted microbial community structures and functions, but compost amendment, whether applied alone or co-applied with biochar, exhibited the strongest shifts in the microbial community metrics examined. Our results suggest application of compost to soils in need of microbiome change (reclamation projects) or biochar when the microbiome is functioning and long-term goals such as carbon sequestration are more desirable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The emphasis since the 1990s in the neoliberal paradigm on the non-interventionist state, and the theoretical disinterest in the state by critical scholarship, has negatively affected the prospects for political and social change. The fragmented and dispersed social movements analysed by critical scholars have proven insufficiently counter-hegemonic. All this invites us to reconsider the postcolonial state at a new theoretical level to guide better choices for political practice. This article analyses the prevalent academic literature on the postcolonial Pakistani state. In these analyses, an omnipresent and omnipotent military state decides the fate of democracy, now and again replacing politicians at the helm and also promoting Islam. Political practice remains confined to inter-elite struggles for the restoration of democracy, whereas imperialist hegemony and the role of marginalised classes as reservoirs of counter-hegemony are largely missing. This article critically builds on the legacy of the renowned Pakistani scholar Hamza Alavi to show, historically and empirically, how imperialist powers (from the United States to China) have used the military as a seat of power to bring the local elite under their hegemony. A political theoretical practice and the building of a counter-hegemony which goes beyond and beneath inter-elite struggles is much needed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, a field winding vernier (FWV) machine is proposed to get higher back electromotive force (EMF) than surface permanent magnet vernier (SPMV) machine. First, the magneto motive force (MMF) equation of FWV machine is derived to obtain the requisite field current to produce the same back EMF as SPMV machine. Using the derived equation, the surface current density is also estimated and compared with the maximum allowable current density to examine the possibility of improving the back EMF of the FWV machine and find the slot-pole combination that is advantageous for the FWV structure. Using the obtained information, three models of SPMV and FWV machines are designed, finite element analysis are performed, and it is verified that proposed FWV machine has the capability of producing higher back EMF than SPMV machine. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines the influence of pole and slot combinations on the electromagnetic performance of the flux-switching permanent magnet (FSPMs) machine. For this purpose, first the production of air gap flux density in machine analytically discussed. Next, five different pole and slot combination are selected by using the knowledge of air-gap flux density expression. The performances of the different combinations are analyzed and compared using the finite element analysis (FEA), and optimal pole and slot combination is suggested. It is found that the pole and slot combination has a dominant effect on machine performance and needs to be considered during the design stage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]