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Monsoon is crucial for human sustenance and economic stability. This study explores the correlation between long-term climatic conditions and major invasions on the Indian subcontinent. The study utilizes paleoclimate records of 2500 years for different locations across South and Central Asia. The findings reveal that invasions often occurred during periods of favourable Indian Summer Monsoon. The study highlights how these favourable conditions made the region an attractive target for external forces seeking wealth and control. The presence of trade routes further facilitated invasions by providing access to valuable resources. Understanding this complex relationship between climate and invasions deepens our understanding of the historical dynamics of the region and highlights the role of climate in shaping the socio-political landscape. Overall, the study emphasizes the importance of considering climatic factors when analysing historical events and provides insights into the motivations behind invasions in the Indian subcontinent. The correlation between good monsoon seasons, agricultural prosperity, and external interest in the region indicates the influence of climatic conditions on the course of history. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We have developed a reduced-cost algebraic diagrammatic construction (ADC) method based on state-specific frozen natural orbital and natural auxiliary functions. The newly developed method has been benchmarked on the GW100 test set for the ionization problem. The use of state-specific natural orbitals drastically reduces the size of the virtual space with a systematically controllable accuracy and offers a significant speedup over the standard ionization potential (IP)-ADC(3) method. The accuracy of the method can be controlled by two thresholds and nearly a black box to use. The inclusion of the perturbative correction significantly improves the accuracy of the calculated IP values, and the efficiency of the method has been demonstrated by calculating the IP of a molecule with 60 atoms and more than 2216 basis functions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present investigation reports the development and characterization of a clay-polymer composite loaded with urea and Trichoderma harzianum (UTCPC) to enhance soil moisture and nitrogen availability and manage wilt-nematode complex in lentil grown in residual moisture after rainfed rice. The Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) characterization proved successful synthesis of UTCPC. The bentonite clay (8% w w−1) and Th concentration (10% w w−1) were optimized based on the maximum spore count of the UTCPC and viability of the Th spores at one month of storage at room temperature. The incubation and pot culture experiments were laid out in a completely randomized design (CRD) with six N levels replicated thrice in combinations with UTCPC. Under incubation experiment, the treatment of 100% N through farmyard manure (FYM) along with UTCPC application (T3) resulted in the highest soil moisture (18.5%) and lowest nitrate (NO3-N) content (42%) at 6 and 10 days after incubation, respectively, suggesting its sustained moisture-retaining and slow nitrate (NO3-N) release properties of the UTCPC. Under pot experiment, the treatment T3 expressed the highest soil moisture (28.8%) and NO3-N (17.6 kg ha−1) content even at 60 days after sowing. The disease severity index of all the treatments comprising UTCPC with or without nutrient application was significantly lower than the untreated soil. The lowest population of Fusarium spp. (13.8%) and Meloidogyne spp. (8%) were observed in T3. Therefore, UTCPC can be considered as an eco-friendly agri-input in enhancing moisture retention and sustaining nutrient release to the soil as well as providing biocontrol agents to manage Fusarium-Meloidogyne complex in lentil. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effect of cold working on hydrogen embrittlement of Monel-400 alloy has been investigated in this report. Monel-400 alloy having 50 and 60% cold working has been selected for this study. A part of these cold-worked materials is annealed. A series of slow strain rate tensile tests of the cold-worked as well as annealed materials are carried out in two different environmental conditions—air and with hydrogen charging in 3.5% NaCl solution. Alloy with 60% cold working exhibits the highest reduction in ductility with hydrogen charging. The reduction in ductility is lower for the annealed materials compared to that of cold-worked materials when tested with hydrogen charging. The results lead to infer that (i) the alloy becomes more detrimental to hydrogen embrittlement with the increase in percentage cold working, which reduces ductility significantly with increasing strength under hydrogen charging, (ii) annealing of cold-worked materials decreases their susceptibility to hydrogen embrittlement, and (iii) hydrogen damage promotes brittle fracture for the cold-worked materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Vaginatispora acrostichi sp. nov. was isolated from submerged stems of Acrostichum aureum (Pteridaceae) collected from the mangrove habitats of Pranburi District, Prachuap Khiri Khan, Thailand. Phylogenetic analyses based on the combined dataset of LSU, SSU, ITS, tef1-α, rpb2, and β-tub sequences placed the novel species within Vaginatispora. Vaginatispora acrostichi formed a well-supported sister clade with V. lignicola but differs from it morphologically and phylogenetically. Vaginatispora acrostichi is distinguishable from V. lignicola by ascospore size, septation and colour. The ascospores of V. acrostichi turn light brown at maturity and have a single septum with a minute constriction, while those of V. lignicola appear yellowish at maturity and have 1–3 septa with pronounced constriction. Vaginatispora acrostichi is introduced in this paper as a novel species with a comprehensive description and illustration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The distinctive physicochemical attributes of ultra-small metal nanoclusters (MNCs) resembling those of molecules make them versatile constituents for self-assembled frameworks. This critical review scrutinizes the influence of assembly on the photoluminescence (PL) properties of MNCs and investigates their utility in biosensing applications. The investigation is initiated with an assessment of the shift from individual MNCs to assemblies and its repercussions on PL efficacy. Subsequently, two distinct biosensing modalities are explored: assembly-driven detection mechanisms and detection predicated on structural modifications in assembled MNCs. Through meticulous examination, we underscore the potential of self-assembly methodologies in tailoring the PL behavior of MNCs for the detection of diverse biological analytes and diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this paper is to examine the combined effects of unsteadiness and thermal radiation on the flow of a mixture nanoliquid due to a shrinking disk. Investigation of flow near a stagnation-point naturally arises in several industrial sectors and is useful owing to its significance in thermal enhancement. The motion is persuaded by a radially stretched/shrinked exterior of the disk in adding to the flow near a stagnation point. As a result, this research examines the thermophysical belongings of the unsteady flow near a stagnation-point past a stretching/shrinking disk by using twin-kind nanoelements, viz. a mixture nanoliquid. Cu and Al2O3 nanoparticles have been considered in water to produce hybrid nanofluid. The numerous uses like electronic cooling system, heat exchangers and radiators are available. Using similarity transformations, self-similar equations have been obtained which are then solved numerically using MATHEMATICA software. Comparisons have been made with the available data in the literature and found a complete agreement for some special case of the problem. Double solutions subsist for equally stretched and shrinked disks, whereas a unique solution exists for the static disk. For flow past a stretching or a shrinking disk, a 27.79% of increase in warmth transport speed is noted for mixture nanofluid, contrasted to the nanoliquid. Hence, this study will be of interest to several scientists and engineers, owing its capability to augment the speed of heat transport in contrast to the regular nanofluids. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A numerical analysis has been presented for stream of a mixture nanoliquid over a slendering stretched sheet in company of an external magnetic meadow under boundary layer approximations. This investigation is performed to look at the impacts of variable thickness on balanced two-dimensional (2D) flow of a hybrid nanofluid under border-level approximations as it has wider technological applications in various industries. A variable magnetic field has been considered here. An effort has been taken in this piece to report the joint impacts of variable thickness and MHD on hybrid nanoliquid flow over a slendering stretched sheet as no one has reported such effects. Here lies the novelty of the work. By applying appropriate similarity transformations, the leading partial differential equations (PDEs) are converted to ordinary differential equations (ODEs) and the solutions of the nonlinear equations are subsequently obtained numerically using shooting technique. To hold up the soundness of the statistical outcomes, an assessment is completed with the accessible known outcomes for a few meticulous cases of this study. The consequences of a variety of parameters on motion of fluid and heat transport are analyzed and talked about exhaustively with the help of tabular and graphical representations. It is found that Lorentz force slows down the border-level flow and thickens the momentum border level width. Skin-friction coefficient reduces with the decreasing values of m for m > 0 which is obvious as superior values of m help the liquid to move faster over the exterior and the thickness of the boundary layer augments with the mounting values of m (m > 0). Thus, it can be concluded that the fluid motion is controlled by the power-law index m (m < 1) since the motion slows down for m < 1 and goes faster for m > 1. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For a simple, simply connected, complex group |$G$|⁠ , we prove an explicit formula to compute the Atiyah class of parabolic determinant of cohomology line bundle on the moduli space of parabolic |$G$| -bundles. This generalizes an earlier result of Beilinson-Schechtman. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present a catalyst‐free route for the reduction of carbon dioxide integrated with the formation of a carbon‐carbon bond at the air/water interface of negatively charged aqueous microdroplets, at ambient temperature. The reactions proceed through carbanion generation at the α‐carbon of a ketone followed by nucleophilic addition to CO2. Online mass spectrometry reveals that the product is an β‐ketoacid. Several factors, such as the concentration of the reagents, pressure of CO2 gas, and distance traveled by the droplets, control the kinetics of the reaction. Theoretical calculations suggest that water in the microdroplets facilitates this unusual chemistry. Furthermore, such a microdroplet strategy has been extended to seven different ketones. This work demonstrates a green pathway for the reduction of CO2 to useful carboxylated organic products. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To assess the feasibility of recovering water from the unsaturated zone, the soil data from this zone at three sites in an agricultural research station in Kuwait and the meteorological data from the station at the nearby location were analysed to investigate the variation of soil properties with depth and any relationship that might exist between these and some of the meteorological parameters. Automatic sensors were set at several depths within the three boreholes installed at the sites, to record the soil water content, temperature, and electrical conductivity (EC) at one-hour intervals. The results of the grain size analysis of the drill cuttings from different depths of these boreholes were used to determine the lithology of the sediment sequence penetrated. The extracts from the drill cuttings were chemically analysed. Graphical and statistical methods were used for the analysis of these data. It was concluded that down to the depth investigated (25 m), the depth and meteorology did not have much influence on the quantity and quality of the soil water content. A continuous increase in the soil water content with time was, however, observed over the monitoring period that was surmised to be related to the infiltration of winter rain and the irrigation water that might lead to water mounding. It was further concluded that there would be sufficient quantity and quality of soil water in the unsaturated zone of the study area that could be profitably recovered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this research work is to establish the theory of the domain of influence of diffusion disturbance with potential-temperature disturbance under the theory of generalized thermo-elastic diffusion using Lord and Shulman model. For a finite time t > 0, it has been proved that the potential due to displacement, temperature and diffusion effect does not produce any disturbances outside a bounded domain and the domain of influence is dependent on the support of thermo-elasto-diffusive load, the thermo-elasto-diffusive coupling constant and the phase-lag parameters. It has been shown that the domain of influence of the present case reduce to the domain of influence for classical thermo-elasticity theory with or without diffusion and the thermo-elasticity theory with one relaxation parameter without diffusion. Also, the effect of diffusion on thermal wave propagation is shown. This theorem will be applicable to analyze the deformation occur in elastic solids due to internal and external loads for the thermo-elasto-diffusive models and problems based on it in the field of engineering physics like solid-state-physics, physical metallurgy (fabrication of semi-conductor devices in mixture metals and molten semi-conductor), material engineering (separation of polymers), aircraft engineering, mechanical engineering and also in the industries like oil extraction from hydrocarbon and manipulation of macro-molecules like DNA etc. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present a catalyst‐free route for the reduction of carbon dioxide integrated with the formation of a carbon‐carbon bond at the air/water interface of negatively charged aqueous microdroplets, at ambient temperature. The reactions proceed through carbanion generation at the α‐carbon of a ketone followed by nucleophilic addition to CO2. Online mass spectrometry reveals that the product is an α‐ketoacid. Several factors, such as the concentration of the reagents, pressure of CO2 gas, and distance traveled by the droplets, control the kinetics of the reaction. Theoretical calculations suggest that water in the microdroplets facilitates this unusual chemistry. Furthermore, such a microdroplet strategy has been extended to seven different ketones. This work demonstrates a green pathway for the reduction of CO2 to useful carboxylated organic products. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Analogous to the Erdos–Gallai inequalities that give necessary and sufficient conditions for the existence of a graph on n vertices with prescribed vertex degrees, the Ryser–Fulkerson inequalities give necessary and sufficient conditions for the existence of a digraph on n vertices with prescribed indegrees and outdegrees of the vertices. In this note, we give a short constructive proof of the sufficiency of the Ryser–Fulkerson inequalities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The unifying hypothesis of competing endogenous RNA (ceRNA) wherein crosstalk between coding (mRNAs) and long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) via microRNA (miRNA) response elements, creates a pervasive regulatory network across the transcriptome, has been implicated in complex disorders including schizophrenia. Even with a wide range of high-throughput data, the etiology of schizophrenia remains elusive, necessitating a more holistic understanding of the altered genetic landscape, shifting focus from solely candidate gene studies and protein-coding variants. Objective: We developed lncRNA-associated ceRNA networks to elucidate global molecular/regulatory signatures underlying schizophrenia using diverse data in the public domain. Methods: Microarray dataset associated with peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) of schizophrenia and control patients was used to identify differentially expressed mRNAs. Weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA) was used to identify highly correlated hubs, and genes from these overlapping Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) and gene ontology (GO) term genesets were considered key mRNA players. StarBase, Human MicroRNA Disease Database, and miRWalk were used to derive mRNA-miRNA and miRNA-lncRNA relationships. Finally, the key mRNAs, interacting lncRNAs and miRNAs were chosen to reconstruct sub-ceRNA networks based on network centrality scores. Results: Bioinformatics analysis revealed the involvement of three differentially expressed mRNAs, namely ADRA1A, HAP1 and HOMER3 in the schizophrenia ceRNA networks with lncRNAs NEAT1, XIST, and KCNQ1OT1 modulating their activity by a suggestive sequestering of miR-3163, miR-214-3p and miR-2467-3p, respectively. Conclusions: Furthermore, based on contextual evidence, we propose how ceRNAs could orchestrate crosstalk between neurostructural dynamics and immune/inflammatory processes and enable unifying these disparate models of schizophrenia etiology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An investigation is carried out to analyze the flow, heat and mass transport phenomena of nanofluids over a disk stretched radially in a porous medium. Besides nonlinear radiative heat flux and Arrhenius activation energy, multiple slips are considered in this model. This ensures the novelty of the present research. The main goal of the current investigation is to explore the mutual impacts of nonlinear radiative heat flux, various slip factors and Arrhenius activation energy on flow, heat and mass transfers. The highly nonlinear central equations which are partial differential equations (PDEs) are transformed into nonlinear ordinary ones (ODEs) by employing suitable similarity alterations and then for finding the approximate numerical solutions, shooting technique with 4th order “Runge–Kutta method” are applied. The impact of a variety of parameters on “skin friction coefficient,” “Nusselt number,” “Sherwood number,” velocity of the fluid, heat and mass transfers are computed and presented graphically. It is interesting to observe that fluid velocity diminishes with the growing porosity, suction and velocity slip parameters. Nanofluid's temperature reduces for enhanced values of thermal slip parameter but for rising thermal radiation parameter, temperature is boosted up. Also, nanoparticle concentration diminishes for increasing values of mass slip parameter. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In quantum computing there are quite a few universal gate sets, each having their own characteristics. In this paper we study the Clifford+CS universal fault-tolerant gate set. The CS gate is used is many applications and this gate set is an important alternative to Clifford+T. We introduce a generating set in order to represent any unitary implementable by this gate set and with this we derive a bound on the CS-count of arbitrary multi-qubit unitaries. Analysing the channel representation of the generating set elements, we infer J n CS ⊂ J n T , where J n CS and J n T are the set of unitaries exactly implementable by the Clifford+CS and Clifford+T gate sets, respectively. We develop CS-count optimal synthesis algorithms for both approximately and exactly implementable multi-qubit unitaries. With the help of these we derive a CS-count-optimal circuit for Toffoli, implying J n Tof = J n CS , where J n Tof is the set of unitaries exactly implementable by the Clifford+Toffoli gate set. Such conclusions can have an important impact on resource estimates of quantum algorithms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Plasmodiophora brassicae (Woronin, 1877), a biotrophic, obligate parasite, is the causal agent of clubroot disease in brassicas. The clubroot pathogen has been reported in more than 80 countries worldwide, causing economic losses of hundreds of millions every year. Despite its widespread impact, very little is known about the molecular strategies it employs to induce the characteristic clubs in the roots of susceptible hosts during infection, nor about the mechanisms it uses to overcome genetic resistance. Here, we provide the first telomere-to-telomere complete genome of P. brassicae. We generated ∼27 Gb of Illumina, Oxford Nanopore, and PacBio HiFi data from resting spores of strain Pb3A and produced a 25.3 Mb assembly comprising 20 chromosomes, with an N50 of 1.37 Mb. The BUSCO score, the highest reported for any member of the group Rhizaria (Eukaryota: 88.2%), highlights the limitations within the Eukaryota database for members of this lineage. Using available transcriptomic data and protein evidence, we annotated the Pb3A genome, identifying 10,521 protein-coding gene models. This high-quality, complete genome of P. brassicae will serve as a crucial resource for the plant pathology community to advance the much-needed understanding of the evolution of the clubroot pathogen. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Insufficient analysis of carriers and their interaction with biocontrol agents can lead to ineffective formulations. Therefore, it is important to thoroughly study the compatibility and interactions between carriers and biocontrol agents for high-quality biological formulations. The present study aimed to evaluate the effect of four different formulation compositions containing gum katira biogel, vermiculite, and diatomaceous earth on the survival and infectivity of infective juveniles (IJs) of two entomopathogenic nematodes (EPNs) species namely, Steinernema abbasi and Heterorhabditis indica at 25 and 35 °C. The physicochemical analysis of the prepared formulations revealed their slightly acidic nature with pH ranging from 5.65 to 6.10. Rheological studies validated the solid-like behavior of the developed formulations. The highest survival of S. abbasi IJs was observed in the case of gum katira biogel-vermiculite blended composition at both 25 °C (94.2%) and 35 °C (88.4%) after 90 days of storage. Interestingly, gum katira biogel alone sustained maximum survival percentage (63.5%) of H. indica as compared to control (41.5%) after 90 days at 25 °C. The formulation compositions failed to retain alive H. indica IJs at 35 °C even after seven days of storage. Moreover, the gum katira singly or in combination with vermiculite resulted in superior infectivity against Galleria mellonella (4th instar larvae) as compared to the other treatments in case of both the nematode species. The presence of diatomaceous earth in all the compositions irrespective of moisture and EPN species showed a negative impact on the survival and infectivity of IJs after 90 days of storage. Gum katira biogel alone or in combination with vermiculite was favorable to sustaining the survivability and infectivity of test EPN IJs at ambient storage temperatures. These formulants can further be used to develop biocontrol EPN formulations for organic farming and integrated pest management programs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The squeezing flow bears a major importance in everyday phenomena and has vast industrial and biomedical applications. The current study looks at the nanofluid flow among two infinite "parallel plates" that are squeezed. The velocity slip and first‐order compound response have been considered in this problem for a clear understanding of their consequences in the flow of nanofluid and heat transport mechanism. This fluid replica thinks about "Brownian motion" and the influences of "thermophoresis" of nanofluid. The novelty of this work lies in exploring the combined effects of first‐order chemical reaction and the velocity slip on unsteady squeezing flow of nanofluid between two parallel plates as one has not yet reported such effects. The prevailing equations are altered into simplified forms by deploying suitable similarity transformations. Then "numerical solutions" of these equations are obtained by applying the fourth‐order "Runge–Kutta method" with the help of the shooting technique. The accuracy is verified by using two different methods and also comparing our data with the available existing literature. The main goal is to study heat and mass transfer through unsteady squeezing plates by the influence of velocity slip and chemical reaction. The consequences of diverse pertinent parameters on fluid flow, thermal, and concentration fields have been explored in this study. With the rise in "velocity slip parameter" from 0 to 1, 81.37% decrease in skin friction coefficient, 15.81% increase in Nusselt number, and 29.13% increase in Sherwood number are observed. Rising values of the chemical reaction parameter from 0.3 to 0.5, the mass transfer coefficient increases by 66.94%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Given a simple, simply connected, complex algebraic group G, a flat projective connection on the bundle of non-abelian theta functions on the moduli space of semistable parabolic G-bundles over any family of smooth projective curves with marked points was constructed by the authors in an earlier paper. Here, it is shown that the identification between the bundle of non-abelian theta functions and the bundle of WZW conformal blocks is flat with respect to this connection and the one constructed by Tsuchiya–Ueno–Yamada. As an application, we give a geometric construction of the Knizhnik–Zamolodchikov connection on the trivial bundle over the configuration space of points in the projective line whose typical fiber is the space of invariants of tensor product of representations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: The incidence of Acute Coronary Syndrome (ACS) in the young population has begun to rise. There is not enough data regarding the characteristics of young patients with ACS. Aim: To evaluate risk factors, clinical and angiographic profile of young patients with ACS. Materials and Methods: A prospective observational study was conducted from December 2017 to December 2020 at SSWH, Burdwan Medical College and Hospital, Burdwan, West Bengal, Kolkata, India among 100 patients. Patients with ACS and aged =45 years were enrolled in the study. Patients were divided into two groups: patients with and without obstructive Coronary Artery Disease (CAD). Clinical parameters and coronary angiography data were collected and analysed. The p-value <0.05 was considered significant. Results: The mean age of the study participants was 37.42±5.18 years, and 82 (82%) participants were male. Smoking was the most common risk factor observed in 71 (71%) of the study population, and the majority of these patients had obstructive CAD. The young population suffered more with a high incidence of ST-segment Elevation Myocardial Infarction (STEMI), with 37 (56.06%) had Anterior Wall Myocardial Infarction (AWMI). When analysed angiographically, Obstructive CAD was most commonly found 82 (82%); among those with obstructive CAD, Single-vessel diseases were predominant in 47 (47%) individuals. The percentage of stable angina was significantly higher among patients with obstructive CAD (53.6%) compared to non obstructive CAD (11.1%), (p=0.001). Conclusion: Two leading risk factors, smoking, and tobacco, were significantly associated with the onset of young ACS. The prevalence of single-vessel disease was higher in young patients with ACS compared to double and triple-vessel disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article proposes a methodological departure. It makes a case for foregrounding interactions between users and transport systems as a methodological departure to move beyond institutional perspectives in history of transport. This wider point is examined in this article through the illustrative example of how at an everyday level users negotiate/contest exclusionary practices and transport disadvantage. The article acknowledges the challenges of this methodological shift, especially the difficulties of recovering "everyday" experiences of transport users. It also recognises that users' mediation and responses sit at the interstices of operational policies of transport infrastructure, individual/collective agency, and the workings of capital. Notwithstanding these caveats, the article suggests that innovative and explicit foregrounding of transport users has the potential to disaggregate the institutional perspective in writing histories of transport. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Obesity is a risk factor for anxiety and depression. Obesity is also a risk factor for severe COVID‐19 disease and therefore may have contributed to adverse mental health outcomes in this vulnerable population during the COVID‐19 pandemic. We compare the trajectory of mental health outcomes of people with obesity with normal‐weight people before and during the COVID‐19 pandemic using nationally representative individual‐level longitudinal data from the National Health Interview Survey and Difference‐in‐Difference regressions. Our results indicate that severe anxiety increased by 2.75 (95% CI: 0.0056–0.0494; p‐value 0.014) percentage points, representing a 31.3% relative increase, and anxiety‐related prescription drug usage increased by 2.75 (95% CI: 0.0076–0.0473; p‐value<0.01) percentage points, representing a 19.2% relative increase among people with obesity, compared to normal‐weight people. We conclude that people with obesity experienced an increase in the incidence of severe anxiety and anxiety‐related prescription drug usage during the COVID‐19 pandemic, which was not observed among normal‐weight individuals. Furthermore, women, less‐educated, and rural residents with obesity disproportionately bore the burden of the pandemic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The interfacial Dzyaloshinskii–Moriya (iDMI) interaction which arises at the interface between a heavy metal (HM) and a ferromagnet (FM) can stabilize chiral Néel type domain walls in ultrathin perpendicularly magnetized multilayers. Dissimilar HMs are required on both bottom and top sides of the FM layer in order to introduce the structural inversion asymmetry which ensures an effective iDMI in the FM layer. HMs like Pt, Ir, Ta etc are very well known for developing large iDMI in the interface with Co, whereas noble metals like Au can produce negligible iDMI. Therefore, a multilayer Pt/Co/Au is chosen to determine the individual iDMI in the Pt/Co interface. Some procedures like field-induced domain wall motion study, spin–orbit torque efficiency estimation study are well established to quantify the effective field due to the iDMI ( H DMI ) which in turn gives the strength of the iDMI ( D eff ). Besides these procedures, a current-induced switching of magnetization was studied to construct a switching phase diagram where the critical current density of magnetization switching has been plotted as a function of the applied in-plane magnetic field. The experimentally constructed diagram and the simulated diagram using a micromagnetic study have revealed the possibility to quantify H DMI . Thus, a systematic and unified estimation of D eff has been done on all-metallic Ta/Pt/Co/Au multilayers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article reappraises nature of technology transfer in a colonial context by underlining how the colonised mediated and shaped what was ostensibly an imposition by the imperial administration. This wider point is illustrated by demonstrating the ways in which in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, different groups of Indians used newly introduced railways to reconceptualise meanings of travel by adding new categories of travel while significantly modifying the extant ones. Crucially deviating from both ‘technology as imperialism’ and ‘technology as subversion’ historiographical paradigms, this article argues for a more nuanced appraisal of technology transfer, especially emphasising the role of users in shaping the impact of technology. Examining a diverse range of sources, viz., railway records (Annual Railway Reports and railway passenger statistics), newspaper reports and travelogues and pamphlets written by Indian railway travellers, the article claims Indians not only mediated the impact of trains on travel in late colonial India; but they shaped the outcome of this technology transfer in ways that reveals agency and remarkable involvement with a new mode of transit. In short, the article demonstrates dynamic interaction between imperial policies and responses of the colonised through the lens of technology transfer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Let G be a semisimple complex algebraic group with a simple Lie algebra 픤, and let ℳG0 denote the moduli stack of topologically trivial stable G-bundles on a smooth projective curve C. Fix a theta characteristic κ on C which is even in case dim 픤 is odd. We show that there is a nonempty Zariski open substack 풰κ of ℳG0 such that Hi(C,ad(E G) ⊗ κ) = 0, i = 1, 2, for all EG ∈풰κ. It is shown that any such EG has a canonical connection. It is also shown that the tangent bundle TUκ has a natural splitting, where Uκ is the restriction of 풰κ to the semi-stable locus. We also produce an isomorphism between two naturally occurring ΩMGrs1-torsors on the moduli space of regularly stable MGrs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aluminum nitride (AlN), a versatile ceramic with high thermal conductivity, high electrical resistivity, and a coefficient of thermal expansion compatible with silicon, is well‐suited for direct‐to‐chip cooling applications of electronics, implementation in wide bandgap semiconductors, and for high‐temperature heat exchangers. Despite multiple advantages, AlN's implementation in liquid‐cooling applications is often hindered by surface‐degrading effects of working‐fluid‐induced hydrolysis. Herein, a scalable ‐but highly tunable‐ wettability engineering approach is introduced, that allows effective implementation of bulk AlN substrates in enhanced two‐phase cooling of electronics. The approach prevents hydrolysis of AlN by aqueous media and establishes control over surface roughness, all the while maintaining bulk integrity and material properties of the underlying substrate. Demonstration of the new approach is presented in spontaneous, pumpless, surface liquid transport, a necessity if such ceramics are to play an integral role as components of sealed, phase‐change, wickless thermal‐management devices (e.g., vapor chambers or heat pipes) that require rapid working‐fluid transport in their multi‐phase interior. The novelty of this work lies in establishing a scalable methodology for utilizing and further enhancing the properties of this non‐oxide ceramic material for phase‐change heat‐transfer hermetic devices, thereby paving the way toward the implementation of this intriguing material in next‐generation heat spreaders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, the shaft-loaded blister test (SLBT) is employed to investigate the de-bonding of a poly-metha-methyl-acrylate (PMMA) layer adhesively bonded to a steel layer. During de-bonding, the mode-mixity does not remain constant in this test; hence, the variation of mode-mixity with the change in de-bond size (blister radius) and the out-of-plane displacement of the PMMA layer is established through Finite Element Analysis (FEA). Experiments are performed in which the load, load-point displacement, and de-bond size is recorded synchronously. Three different thicknesses of PMMA layer are considered in experiments. The variation in toughness as a function of mode-mixity is evaluated. FE simulations with embedded cohesive zone model (CZM) are carried out, and the mixed-mode cohesive zone modelling parameters are identified by comparing the numerical results with experimental observations. By using this approach, the toughness variation as a function of mode-mixity and the CZM parameters is determined using the SLBT. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Entomopathogenic nematodes (EPNs) are well-known biocontrol agents to control both above- and below-ground insect pests. EPNs can also control plant parasitic nematodes by releasing allelochemicals through symbiotic bacteria present in their guts. This study aimed to evaluate the bio-efficacy of a novel powder formulation comprising of infective juveniles (IJs) of a heat-tolerant indigenous EPN species of India, Steinernema abbasi, against subterranean termites (Odontotermes obesus) in wheat and chickpea fields. The bioefficacy of test formulation in field study for three rabi seasons (2020-2023) in wheat and chickpea grown in field heavily infested with subterranean termites decreased the plant damage from termite attack, monitored as relative number of infested tillers in wheat and infested plants in chickpea fields. The reduced damage in test crops caused by termites increased growth, yield attributes and yield of test crops. This present research validated the prepared formulation's potential as a biopesticide ideal for organic farming and integrated pest management practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Image fusion refers to the process of synergistic combination of useful sensory information from multiple images to synthesize a composite image with greater information content and increased practical value. It aims to maximize pertinent information specific to a sensor while minimizing uncertainty and redundancy in the fused output. In this paper, the authors have proposed a simple yet cohesive framework for 2D greyscale image fusion using morphological differential features. The features are extracted using morphological open–close filters applied at multiple scales using an isotropic structuring element which brings out categorical bright and dark features from the source images. At each scale, the bright (and dark) differential features are mutually compared using higher-valued AC coefficients obtained in the DCT domain within a block. The scale-specific fused features are recursively added to form an image containing high-frequency information from all conceivable scales. The fused image is achieved by superimposing the cumulative feature image onto a suitable base image. The base image is obtained by using a morphological weighted version of pseudomedian filter over the source images using the largest homothetic of the structuring element. The superiority of the framework is empirically verified in different domains of fusion, i.e. multi-focus, multi-sensor, multi-exposure, and multi-spectral image fusion. The proposed approach has surpassed the state-of-the-art unified fusion algorithms in terms of qualitative and quantitative evaluation with a perfect resource-time trade-off. Furthermore, the proposed method has been extended to greyscale–colour and colour–colour image pairs qualifying it for anatomical–functional image fusion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, the implementation of an integrated system of half adder and half subtractor based on 2D Si-air photonic crystal is proposed. The structure includes two input ports, one control port, and two output ports. When light is absent in the control port, the structure operates as a half adder and when light is present in the control port, it functions as a half subtractor. The operation of the structure is based on the phenomenon of constructive and destructive interference of light waves. The novelty of the proposed structure is that using a single control signal, both half adder and half subtractor operations can be realized. Since no nonlinear material has been used to design the structure, the power consumption of the structure is very low. Another advantage of the structure is that same materials have been used for all the rods which makes the fabrication process easier. The structure has been simulated by utilizing PWE and FDTD methods. Different performance parameters such as contrast ratio, rise time, delay time, fall time, response time, and bit rate for the designed structure have been obtained as 14.78 dB, 0.25 ps, 0.3 ps, 0.11 ps, 0.44 ps, and 2.27 Tb/s respectively. Due to its high contrast ratio, fast response time, high bit rate, and smaller dimension, the designed structure can be a promising candidate for realizing high speed optical integrated circuits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Imaging Flow Cytometry based understanding of cellular heterogeneity. • Application of a CNN based image classifier to differentiate between hMSCs. • Development of machine-learning aided quality assurance platform for hMSCs. The multipotent stem cells of our body have been largely harnessed in biotherapeutics. However, as they are derived from multiple anatomical sources, from different tissues, human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs) are a heterogeneous population showing ambiguity in their in vitro behavior. Intra-clonal population heterogeneity has also been identified and pre-clinical mechanistic studies suggest that these cumulatively depreciate the therapeutic effects of hMSC transplantation. Although various biomarkers identify these specific stem cell populations, recent artificial intelligence-based methods have capitalized on the cellular morphologies of hMSCs, opening a new approach to understand their attributes. A robust and rapid platform is required to accommodate and eliminate the heterogeneity observed in the cell population, to standardize the quality of hMSC therapeutics globally. Here, we report our primary findings of morphological heterogeneity observed within and across two sources of hMSCs namely, stem cells from human exfoliated deciduous teeth (SHEDs) and human Wharton jelly mesenchymal stem cells (hWJ MSCs), using real-time single-cell images generated on immunophenotyping by imaging flow cytometry (IFC). We used the ImageJ software for identification and comparison between the two types of hMSCs using statistically significant morphometric descriptors that are biologically relevant. To expand on these insights, we have further applied deep learning methods and successfully report the development of a Convolutional Neural Network-based image classifier. In our research, we introduced a machine learning methodology to streamline the entire procedure, utilizing convolutional neural networks and transfer learning for binary classification, achieving an accuracy rate of 97.54%. We have also critically discussed the challenges, comparisons between solutions and future directions of machine learning in hMSC classification in biotherapeutics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: India experiences a growing aging population and prioritizing the comprehension of respiratory health concerns among the elderly becomes crucial. Those in the elderly demographic residing in urban slums confront notable socioeconomic obstacles and encounter restricted healthcare accessibility, heightening their vulnerability to respiratory illnesses. Therefore, examining respiratory health in this specific urban context provides insights into how living conditions impact the health of vulnerable populations. Objectives: The present study aims to evaluate the occurrence of respiratory abnormalities among slum-dwelling elderly women and also to determine the concomitant factors responsible for respiratory abnormalities among them. Material and Methods: The study includes a total of 261 elderly women aged 60 years and above living in slum areas of Kolkata. The standard protocols were followed to collect spirometry and anthropometric data. Descriptive and inferential statistical analyses were performed to satisfy the study objectives. Results: The majority of the participants show forced vital capacity (FVC) and forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV0.1) below the predicted level, indicating the presence of mild-to-moderate respiratory abnormality. Chronic obstructive respiratory disease (COPD) was observed in 15.2% of elderly women, significantly higher than the national average. The study identified significant correlations between age and respiratory abnormalities. Factors such as overcrowded living conditions, the absence of a separate kitchen, and the use of certain cooking fuels increased the likelihood of COPD. Body fat percentage was found to be inversely related to FVC, FEV0.1, and COPD. Conclusion: The poor living conditions and a few other associated factors are indicative of developing respiratory problems among elderly individuals. As the global population ages, this study contributes valuable insights for public health strategies, emphasizing the need for tailored approaches to address the specific challenges faced by elderly women in urban slums in the megacity of Kolkata. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Red Sea Passive Margin (RSPM) in SW Saudi Arabia is characterized by two morphological provinces; the Red Sea Coastal Plains (RSCP) and the Hijaz-Asir Escarpment Zone (HAEZ) at the Arabian Shield Edge (ASE). Of these, the HAEZ is conspicuous by its seaward-facing heights of > 3 km. Based on the available receiver function analysis (REF) results from 25 seismic stations, we first present the Moho relief map underlying the RSPM to demonstrate that: (i) the transitional crust under the coastal region is 20–25 km thick which steadily increases landward to attain a thickness of ∼40 km below ASE, across an intervening region of depressed Moho with depths of 45–52 km. The latter exhibits significant regional extent and displays a close correlation with the topography of the HAEZ, suggesting a tectonic control on its formation. Eight rheological parameters for the upper as well as the lower crust are computed from the REF data, namely; Vp, Vp / Vs , density (ρ), Lame's first constant (λ), Lame's second constant (μ), Poisson's ratio (σ), bulk modulus (K) and acoustic impedance (AI). Their 2-D distribution for the lower crust unravels, for the first time, a high velocity lower crust (HVLC) underneath the HAEZ. The rheological character of the HVLC is further elucidated by investigating the relations between six rheological parameters: Vp – Vp / Vs, Vp / Vs– lower crustal thickness (h LC), Vs /ρ– h LC, λ–ρ, σ–ρ and λ–μ. The results indicate that lithology of the lower crust varies from diorite–felsic gneiss under RSCP to gabbro–diabase and mafic gneiss under HAEZ. We conjecture that the HVLC is an outcome of the exchange of materials from the subcrust at the hinterland of the RSPM directly underlying the HAEZ. Deep seismic control can only resolve the finer details of such crustal transformation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Heavy metal/ferromagnet interfaces in systems with perpendicular magnetic anisotropy (PMA) hosts chiral Néel wall with the assistance of interfacial Dzyaloshinskii–Moriya interaction (iDMI). We have investigated field induced domain wall motion in the creep regime to estimate the effective iDMI strength, D eff of sputter-deposited Ta/Pt/Co/Pt and Ta/Pt/Co/Au/Pt thin films that exhibit PMA. Two similar Pt/Co interfaces on either side of the Co layer in the Ta/Pt/Co/Pt system lead to a small D eff with a negative sign that supports the Néel type domain wall of right-handed chirality. Ultrathin Au layers of different thicknesses have been deposited at the top Co/Pt interface to introduce asymmetry around the Co layer and control the D eff . Here, two interfaces (Pt/Co and Au/Co) of opposite iDMI polarity have been chosen to invert the domain wall chirality to the left-handed chirality instead of the right-handed chirality found in the Ta/Pt/Co/Pt system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AbstractNatural convection inside a cylindrical enclosure is important in many industrial applications. Laminar natural convective heat transfer in the annular space between heated semi-circular cylinder in a horizontal concentric cylindrical enclosure, which has relevance to cooling of electronic components, is studied in this work. Constant wall temperature (CWT) and constant wall heat flux (CWHF) boundary conditions are considered on the inner cylinder, whereas the outer cylindrical enclosure is maintained at a fixed lower temperature. The Finite Volume Method (FVM) is used for the computations. The effect of the Rayleigh number (Ra=102 to 105) and the angular orientation of the semi-circular cylinder on the convective heat transfer is investigated. The fluid flow, temperature profile, and heat flow are visualized via streamlines, isotherms, and heatlines. Further, the overall heat transfer is explained based on the local and average Nusselt number on the inner cylinder wall. The effect of the angular orientation of the inner cylinder is noticeable for Ra≥103. The angular orientation ϕ = 90° greatly enhances the heat transfer as compared to all other orientations for all Ra≥103 for both CWT and CWHF boundary conditions. The correlation between the average Nusselt and Rayleigh numbers for a particular orientation is proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present the observational mass–radius (M–R) relation for a sample of 47 magnetized white dwarfs (WDs) with the magnetic field strength (B) ranging from 1 to 773 MG, identified from the SDSS data release 7 (DR7). We derive their effective temperature, surface gravity (log g), luminosity, radius, and mass. While atmospheric parameters are derived using a Virtual Observatory Spectral Energy Distribution Analyzer (VOSA), the mass is derived using their location in the HR diagram in comparison with the evolutionary tracks of different masses. We implement this mass measurement instead of a more traditional method of deriving masses from log g , which is unreliable as is based on SED and generates errors from other physical parameters involved. The main disadvantage of this method is that we need to assume a core composition of WDs. As it is complicated to identify the exact composition of these WDs from low-resolution spectra, we use tracks for the masses 0.2 to 0.4 M⊙ assuming a He-core, 0.5 to 1.0 M⊙ assuming CO core, and above M⊙ assuming O–Ne–Mg core. We compare the observed M–R relation with those predicted by the finite temperature model by considering different B , which are well in agreement considering their relatively low-surface fields, ≲109 G. Currently, there is no direct observational detection of magnetized WDs with B > 109 G. We propose that our model can be further extrapolated to higher B , which may indicate the existence of super-Chandrasekhar mass (M > 1.4 M⊙) WDs at higher B. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aerobic reaction between the pyridine-2-carboxamide-2-aminophenol N3O ligand (H3L1) and Zn(ClO4)2·6H2O in CH3CN affords an N3 phenoxazinylate coordinated Zn(II) complex; its diradical electronic structure [ZnII{(L1*)˙−}2] has been elucidated from redox, spectroscopic (UV-VIS and EPR), and magnetic measurements and DFT calculations. Isolation and characterization of the metal-assisted redox-driven modified N3 ligand as a radical cation (H2L1*)˙+ and its Ni(II)-diradical complex [NiII{(L1*)˙−}2] have also been achieved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Doping of organic semiconductors has served as an effective method to achieve high electrical conductivity and large thermoelectric power factor. This is of importance to the development of flexible/wearable electronics and green energy‐harvesting technologies. The doping impact of the Lewis acid tris (pentafluorophenyl) borane (BCF) on the thermoelectric performance of poly(2‐(4,4′‐bis(2‐methoxyethoxy)‐5′‐methyl‐[2,2′‐bithiophen]‐5‐yl)‐5‐methylthieno[3,2‐b]thiophene (pgBTTT), a thiophene‐based polymer featuring oligoethylene glycol side chains is investigated. Tetrafluorotetracyanoquinodimethane (F4TCNQ), a well‐established dopant, is utilized as a comparison; however, its inability to co‐dissolve with pgBTTT in less polar solvents hinders the attainment of higher doping levels. Consequently, a comparative study is performed on the thermoelectric behavior of pgBTTT doped with BCF and F4TCNQ at a very low doping level. Subsequent investigation is carried out with BCF at higher doping levels. Remarkably, at 50 wt% BCF doping level, the highest power factor of 223 ± 4 µW m−1 K2 is achieved with an electrical conductivity of 2180 ± 360 S cm−1 and a Seebeck coefficient of 32 ± 1.3 µV K−1. This findings not only contribute valuable insights to the dopant interactions with oxygenated side chain polymers but also open up new avenues for high conductivity thermoelectric polymers in flexible electronic applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

2D organic–inorganic hybrid lead halide perovskite films are fascinating optoelectronic materials for white‐light emission and lasing applications. Here, it is demonstrated that nano‐meter‐thick films of perovskites can be formed at room temperature using Langmuir–Schaefer (LS) deposition technique. In situ X‐ray measurements reveal a self‐assembly process of the 2D perovskite formation at the air–water interface. This formation process requires the presence of stearic acid monolayer on the water subphase having a solution of lead‐perovskite in dimethylformamide. Microscopy and X‐ray measurements of these nanofilms transferred onto substrates show crystalline phase formation that deviates from the known orthorhombic structure of the bulk crystals. The nanofilms exhibit novel broad optical emission with sharp band‐edge transition in temperature‐dependent photoluminescence studies. Also, their band‐edge emission is distinctly blue‐shifted compared to that of thicker 2D perovskite flakes prepared by the slow‐cooling chemical synthesis process. 2D flakes exhibit lasing that cannot be obtained in the LS nanofilms as their thicknesses are lower than the lasing wavelength prohibiting wave‐guide formation. The results show that the 2D single‐crystalline nature of the LS films and flakes are suitable materials to develop broad‐band white light emission across the entire visible range and to obtain lasing without external cavities, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Clinical laboratories and the total testing process are major consumers of energy, water, and hazardous chemicals, and produce significant amounts of biomedical waste. Since the processes in the clinical laboratory and the total testing process go hand in hand it mandates a holistic, and comprehensive approach towards sustainability.This review article identifies the various sources and activities in Laboratory Medicine that challenge sustainability and also discusses the various approaches that can be implemented to achieve sustainability in laboratory operations to reduce the negative impact on the environment.The article highlights how the integration of technological advancements, efficient resource management, staff training and sensitization, protocol development towards sustainability, and other environmental considerations contributes significantly to a sustainable healthcare ecosystem.Variables and resources that negatively impact the environment must be identified and addressed comprehensively to attain a long-lasting level of carbon neutrality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Let S = { a 1 , a 2 , ⋯ , a n } be a finite set of non-zero integers. In [5], Karthick Babu and Anirban Mukhopadhyay calculated the explicit structure of the Galois group of multi-quadratic field Q (a 1 , a 2 , ⋯ , a n) over Q . For a positive integer d ⩾ 3 , ζ d denotes the primitive d-th root of unity. In this paper, we calculate the explicit structure of the Galois group of Q (a 1 , a 2 , ⋯ , a n , ζ d) over Q in terms of its action on ζ d and a i for 1 ⩽ i ⩽ n . [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We consider a model of binary opinion dynamics where one opinion is inherently "superior" than the other, and social agents exhibit a "bias" toward the superior alternative. Specifically, it is assumed that an agent updates its choice to the superior alternative with probability α > 0 irrespective of its current opinion and opinions of other agents. With probability $1-\alpha$ , it adopts majority opinion among two randomly sampled neighbors and itself. We are interested in the time it takes for the network to converge to a consensus on the superior alternative. In a complete graph of size n , we show that irrespective of the initial configuration of the network, the average time to reach consensus scales as $\Theta(n\,\log n)$ when the bias parameter α is sufficiently high, that is, $\alpha \gt \alpha_c$ where α c is a threshold parameter that is uniquely characterized. When the bias is low, that is, when $\alpha \in (0,\alpha_c]$ , we show that the same rate of convergence can only be achieved if the initial proportion of agents with the superior opinion is above certain threshold $p_c(\alpha)$. If this is not the case, then we show that the network takes $\Omega(\exp(\Theta(n)))$ time on average to reach consensus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sampling strategies with fractional acceleration 0 < ρ < 1 achieve substantial operational savings compared with purely sequential counterparts. But, acceleration customarily yielded second-order (s.o.) lower and upper bounds for requisite characteristics when ρ − 1 was not an integer. First time in the literature, we have recently designed acceleration with asymptotic s.o. expansions in normal mean problems with ρ − 1 arbitrary. In this article, a general unified theory is now developed leading to asymptotic s.o. expansions for customarily studied characteristics with arbitrary ρ − 1 . That is, the previously known s.o. lower/upper bounds can be replaced with appropriate s.o. expansions in a variety of inference problems with prescribed accuracy. We emphasize the theoretical foundation and ensuing analyses with a series of interesting inference problems from (a) a number of non-normal distributions as well as (b) one- and two-sample distribution-free scenarios. These prove a desirable breadth of coverage under our proposed big tent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The problem of testing composite hypotheses with respect to the equal parameters of a normal distribution using the constrained Bayesian method is discussed. Hypotheses are tested using the maximum likelihood and Stein's methods. The optimality of our decision rule is shown by the following criteria: the mixed directional false discovery rate, the false discovery rate, and the Type I and Type II errors, under the conditions of providing a desired level of constraint. The algorithms for implementing the proposed methods and the computational tools for their application are included. Simulation results show validity of the theoretical results along with their superiority over the classical Bayesian method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present work aims at describing the reflection of thermoelastic waves under a recently proposed thermoelasticity theory by Quintanilla [Some solutions for a family of exact phase-lag heat conduction problems. Mech Res Commun. 2011;38:355–360.]. Here the author has highlighted the condition for well-posedness by treating the three-phase-lag heat conduction theory differently and extended the results to obtain an alternative thermoelasticity theory with a single-delay term. In the present work, we formulate a mathematical model under this new theory to investigate the reflection of thermoelastic waves at the boundary of an elastic medium. The work is discussed for an isotropic medium with temperature-dependent elastic parameters. Unified field equations for Quintanilla's theory along with three other theories, namely, classical thermoelasticity theory, Lord-Shulman theory and Green-Naghdi theory, are considered for the analysis. The three waves, i.e. elastic-mode longitudinal wave, thermal-mode wave and transverse wave are found, among which only the first two are observed to be coupled. The amplitude ratio and phase velocity for various waves are obtained for incident longitudinal and incident transverse wave cases. The results are presented graphically for various angles of incidence and temperature dependence index parameter. Some important observations are highlighted and comparison between the considered theories is presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to assess the level of microbial contamination in raw cow milk samples collected from farms in rural and urban regions of Raisen and Bhopal districts, Madhya Pradesh, India. Recent data are gathered to investigate the microbial quality of the milk samples directly, rather than relying on reported findings from other sources. The results reveal that both rural and urban milk samples exhibit significantly higher bacterial colony counts compared to acceptable limits for total viable count. The average total viable count for urban samples is 8.699 log CFU mL−1, with a standard deviation of 0.821 log CFU mL−1, using a sample size of 1 mL. Moreover, urban samples show a higher initial incubation count (8.728 ± 0.431 log CFU mL‐1), indicating potential unsanitary milk handling practices in urban areas. In contrast, rural milk samples demonstrate significantly lower bacterial counts (8.0778 ± 0.079 log CFU mL−1) and exhibit superior laboratory sanitization measures. Enteric bacteria such as Escherichia coli, Enterobacter species, Klebsiella species, and Shigella are found in both urban and rural milk samples after isolation. However, strains of bacterial culture specific to Pseudomonas and Salmonella species are exclusively detected in urban samples, suggesting a higher contamination level in urban areas compared to rural regions. These findings highlight the urgent need for improved milk production and handling practices in both rural and urban areas, particularly in urban settings where the contamination levels are found to be significantly higher. The results of this study contribute to the understanding of microbial quality in raw cow milk and emphasize the importance of implementing appropriate interventions to ensure the safety and quality of milk consumed by the population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Software-defined networking will be a critical component of the networking domain as it transitions from a standard networking design to an automation network. To meet the needs of the current scenario, this architecture redesign becomes mandatory. Besides, machine learning (ML) and deep learning (DL) techniques provide a significant solution in network attack detection, traffic classification, etc. The DDoS attack is still wreaking havoc. Previous work for DDoS attack detection in SDN has not yielded significant results, so the author has used the most recent deep learning technique to detect the attacks. In this paper, we aim to classify the network traffic into normal and malicious classes based on features in the available dataset by using various deep learning techniques. TCP, UDP, and ICMP traffic are considered normal; however, malicious traffic includes TCP Syn Attack, UDP Flood, and ICMP Flood, all of which are DDoS attack traffic. The major contribution of this paper is the identification of novel features for DDoS attack detection. Novel features are logged into the CSV file to create the dataset, and machine learning algorithms are trained on the created SDN dataset. Various work which has already been done for DDoS attack detection either used a non-SDN dataset or the research data is not made public. A novel hybrid machine learning model is utilized to perform the classification. The dataset used by the ML/DL algorithms is a collection of public datasets on DDoS attacks as well as an experimental DDoS dataset generated by us and publicly available on the Mendeley Data repository. A Python application performs the classification of traffic into one of the classes. From the various classifiers used, the accuracy score of 99.75% is achieved with Stacked Auto-Encoder Multi-layer Perceptron (SAE-MLP). To measure the effectiveness of the SDN-DDoS dataset, the other publicly available datasets are also evaluated against the same deep learning algorithms, and traffic classification accuracy is found to be significantly higher with the SDN-DDoS dataset. The attack detection time of 216.39 s also serve as experimental evidence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]