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Abstract This study comprehensively examines the hydro-morphological, topo-hydrological, and physiographic features of the Nandakini catchment in the north-western Himalayas. In the absence of extensive hydrological data, employing morphometric parameters proves to be a crucial and efficient approach for delineating geological structures and assessing hydrodynamic activity in the river basin. Utilizing SRTM DEM, SOI toposheets, and GIS, the study identified twenty watersheds within the catchment, estimating its total area at 540.98 km2. The analysis revealed a 6th-order catchment with a primarily sub-dendritic to dendritic drainage pattern, susceptible to flooding and gully erosion from slow surface runoff. The elongated shape and compactness coefficient indicated delayed peak runoff. Coarse drainage texture and high relief ratio suggested increased vulnerability to erosion. Physiographic indices indicated a later youth stage of basin development, while topo-hydrological indices highlighted significant topographic and spatial variability in water availability, emphasizing erosion potential. This study provides valuable insights for developing sustainable catchment management plans and informing decision-making in water resources management for the Nandakini catchment.

To study the dynamical system, it is necessary to formulate a mathematical model to comprehend the dynamics of the diseases that are prevalent around the world by using fractional calculus. A mathematical model is developed with the hypothesis created by adding control and asymptomatic variables to observe the rate of change of pine wilt and the ABC operator is used to turn the model into a fractional ordered model for continuous monitoring. The Boundedness and uniqueness of the developed model are investigated for bounded findings by using Banach space, which are the key properties of such an epidemic model. A newly developed system is examined both qualitatively and quantitatively to determine its stable position, and the verification of flip bifurcation has been made for developed systems. Derived reproductive numbers using the next-generation technique as well as the sensitivity of each involved parameter are verified. The Atangana–Toufik scheme is employed to find the solution for the developed system using different fractional values, which are advanced tools for reliable bounded solutions. Simulations have been made to see the real behavior and effects of pine wilt disease with control and asymptomatic battels in the community. Also, identify the real situation of the spread as well as the control of pine wilt after employing control and asymptomatic battels due to treatment. Such a type of investigation will be useful in investigating the spread of disease as well as helpful in developing control strategies based on our justified outcomes.

Cadmium (Cd), which accumulates in tobacco leaves, enters the human body through inhalation of smoke, causing harmful effects on health. Therefore, identifying the pivotal factors that govern the absorption and resistance of Cd in tobacco is crucial for mitigating the harmful impact of Cd. In the present study, four different Cd-sensitive varieties, namely, ZhongChuan208 (ZC) with resistance, ZhongYan100 (ZY), K326 with moderate resistance, and YunYan87 (YY) with sensitivity, were cultivated in hydroponic with different Cd concentrations (20 µM, 40 µM, 60 µM and 80 µM). The results indicated that plant growth was significantly decreased by Cd. Irrespective of the Cd concentration, ZC exhibited the highest biomass, while YY had the lowest biomass; ZY and K326 showed intermediate levels. Enzymatic (APX, CAT, POD) and nonenzymatic antioxidant (Pro, GSH) systems showed notable variations among varieties. The multifactor analysis suggested that the ZC and ZY varieties, with higher levels of Pro and GSH content, contribute to a decrease in the levels of MDA and ROS. Among all the Cd concentrations, ZC exhibited the lowest Cd accumulation, while YY showed the highest. Additionally, there were significant differences observed in Cd distribution and translocation factors among the four different varieties. In terms of Cd distribution, cell wall Cd accounted for the highest proportion of total Cd, and organelles had the lowest proportion. Among the varieties, ZC showed lower Cd levels in the cell wall, soluble fraction, and organelles. Conversely, YY exhibited the highest Cd accumulation in all tissues; K326 and ZY had intermediate levels. Translocation factors (TF) varied among the varieties under Cd stress, with ZC and ZY showing lower TF compared to YY and K326. This phenomenon mainly attributed to regulation of the NtNramp3 and NtNramp5 genes, which are responsible for the absorption and transport of Cd. This study provides a theoretical foundation for the selection and breeding of tobacco varieties that are resistant to or accumulate less Cd.

Background & Aims: One of the most popular Anabolic Androgenic Steroids (AAS) among athletes and teenagers is Nandrolone Decanoate (ND), a synthetic testosterone analog. Chronic AAS consumption raises the risk of cardiovascular problems in athletes, however the mechanism causing such changes is not known. This experimental research aims to investigate the impact of nandrolone decanoate administration on heart in white male albino rats. Materials & Methods: Twenty male Albino rats, split into two groups, were used in the study. Group A served as a control, getting peanut oil injections, while Group B received decanoate injections at a dose of 10 mg/kg body weight weekly for eight weeks. After the eighth week, the rats were sacrificed under anesthesia in accordance with the recommendations issued by the Ethical Committee. Following sacrifice, the rats were dissected and their tissues processed using normal histology procedures. Sections were stained with hematoxylin and eosin, and microscopic observations were recorded in groups. In order to properly label and analyze the photos, photographic microscopy was used. Results: After Eighth week, the control group's heart showed no obvious changes under microscopic examination, whereas the ND treated group showed intermuscular hemorrhages, congested myocardial vessels, widely separated cardiomyocytes, fragmented muscle fibers, and cardiomyocytes showing vesicular nuclei and few degenerative changes. These results suggest that ND treatment may cause particular cardiac structural changes in white male albino rats. Conclusion: The study suggests that Nandrolone abuse can lead to cardiac problems such as severe degeneration, myocardial vascular congestion, and intermuscular hemorrhages. The study emphasizes the significance of investigating the long-term effects of these medications, as well as the importance of well-designed studies and proper dosage considerations.

Myocardial infarction (MI) can be tackled by implanting cardiac patches which provide mechanical support to the heart. However, most tissue-engineered scaffolds face difficulty in attenuating oxidative stress, maintaining mechanical stability, and regenerating damaged cardiomyocytes. Here, we fabricated elastic cryogels using polyurethane modified with antioxidant gallic acid in its backbone (PUGA) and further coated them with decellularized extracellular matrix (dECM) to improve adhesiveness, biocompatibility and hemocompatibility. The scaffold was functionalized with exosomes (EXO) isolated from adipose-derived stem cells having regenerative potential. PUGA-dECM + EXO was tested in a rat model with induced MI where echocardiography after 8 weeks of implantation showed significant recovery in treatment group. Histological analysis revealed a decrease in fibrosis after application of patch and promotion of angiogenesis with reduced oxidative stress was shown by immunostaining. Expression of cardiac tissue contractile function marker was also observed in treatment groups. Thus, the proposed biomaterial has a promising application to be utilized as a patch for cardiac regeneration. More detailed studies with larger animal species are needed for using these observations for specific applications.

The refuge effect is critical in ecosystems for stabilizing predator-prey interactions. The purpose of this research was to investigate the complexities of a discrete-time predator-prey system with a refuge effect. The analysis investigated the presence and stability of fixed points, as well as period-doubling and Neimark-Sacker (NS) bifurcations. The bifurcating and fluctuating behavior of the system was controlled via feedback and hybrid control methods. In addition, numerical simulations were performed as evidence to back up our theoretical findings. According to our findings, maintaining an optimal level of refuge availability was critical for predator and prey population cohabitation and stability.

The exponential rise in Cd in the environment has raised concerns for its adequate remediation worldwide. Its non-biodegradable nature and highly migratory feature make it more toxic. Plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) have shown great potential in the remediation of Cd-polluted agricultural lands. PGPR is comparatively efficient, convenient and economical. PGPR application enhances plant growth and development by conferring direct and indirect benefits. This study aimed to evaluate bacterial strains, Pseudomonas putida (Pp) and Pseudomonas fluorescens (Pf), for their PGPR traits, soil physiochemical analyses, and physiological and anatomical traits of B. juncea under Cd stress. Results showed that both microbial strains shared positive interaction and had minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) ranging from 0.8mM and 0.6mM values for Pp and Pf respectively. P. fluorescens displayed better anti-phytopathogenic activity against pathogenic fungal strains (Alterneria brassicae, Alterneria brassicola, Verticillium longisporum, Fusarium oxysporum) than P. putida. They also synthesised plant growth regulators (PGRs) such as IAA (0.146,0.156μg/ml) and GA (2.062, 2.074 μg/ml). The co-inoculation of strains improved soil organic C, P, N, and K by 283.01 %, 100.42 %, 8.89 % and 40.38 %. Also, the interactive effect of Pp and Pf recovered dry matter content (DMC) by 18.13 % in comparison to Cd-stressed plants. Moreover, the strains reduced Cd-induced H2O2 production by DAB (340.38’-3’ diaminobenzidine) staining and hence restored membrane integrity. Also, in Cd-treated B. juncea plants, the anatomical characteristics were negatively affected. However, inoculated strains induce maximum recovery as indicated by well-developed vascular elements. Genes associated with PGPR traits were mined from the NCBI database. The information compiled thereafter indicated that the genes, galU, CadR, and pgl were responsible for biofilm formation, Cd resistance and lactone synthesis. In conclusion, we reported a promising consortium having PGPR traits, that improve soil and B. juncea health under Cd toxicities. Hence, the use of such bioinoculants can be a safer substitute for chemical fertilizers.

Abtract: Climate change; the most concerning issue throughout the globe, is now considered a major cause of heat stress which is deteriorating agricultural crops. A pot experiment was performed to examine the ameliorative role of melatonin foliar spray on growth attributes, physiological attributes and yield and quality attributes of heat-tolerant and heat-sensitive genotypes of tomatoes under heat stress mediated by field environment. The results demonstrated that all the growth parameters of all tomato genotypes such as plant fresh biomass, plant dry biomass, stem girth, leaf area, the number of viable seeds, protein contents as well as physiological attributes including photosynthetic rate, stomatal contents, transpiration rate, chlorophyll contents, water use efficiency (WUE) and synthesis of osmoprotectants including proline and glycine betain (GB) were increased significantly upon foliar application of melatonin @ 25 µM under heat stress except electrolyte leakage (EL), leaf temperature and hydrogen peroxide contents (H2O2) which were decreased in all cultivars of tomato either in heat tolerant or in heat sensitive; as compared to their respective control which remained untreated. Similarly, acivity of enzymatic and non-enzymatic antioxidants including nitric oxide synthase (NOS), glutathione reductase (GR), nitrate reductase (NR) and glutathione S transferase (GST) were also improved upon melatonin foliar application under heat stress. However, the maximum improvement in all measured attributes was observed in all types of tomato genotypes grown under both control and 25 µM melatonine foliar spray treatment. All these findings proved that melatonin spray is capable to address the deteriorative impact of high temperature on tomato growth.

Sustainable agriculture is the backbone of the country, providing food, shelter and employment, along with economic support. Plants are indispensable to life, providing food and medicine to human beings since ancient times. Sesamum indicum, commonly known as sesame or “Till”, having tremendous food medicinal and nutraceutical properties. Sesame contains saturated and unsaturated fatty acids along with lignan, vitamins, proteins and carbohydrates, providing an array of health benefits for humans. 21st century is known as the era of nanotechnology, having tremendous applications which have revolunalized the scientific community. Nanoparticles of different types have the ability to modify the phytochemistry and metabolic profile of the plants, either resulting in new metabolites or increasing the concentration of the existing ones. As most of the research is done with cereal crops which have enough data, but the oil seed crops and especially sesame is ignored. This review provides the nutraceutical and health benefits of sesame along with the potential of nanotechnology to improve oil seed crops especially of sesame. Most of the reviews only provides medicinal benefits of sesame, but this review is aimed to provide a way to improve those nutraceutical properties along the oil yield.

Scientists and epidemiologists have been developing vaccines and immunizing people to stop the spread of COVID-19. Unfortunately, because of the emergence of new strains and persistent infections in different nations, the global effort to combat the disease is still only partially successful. This investigation calculates the epidemiological impact of COVID-19 under mitigation scenarios, which include non-pharmaceutical interventions. In this work, we develop a time-fractional COVID-19 pandemic model using a generalized Mittag-Leffler kernel. The fractal-fractional operator is used to analyze the fluctuation of the infection rate in society. The existence and uniqueness of the proposed scheme are addressed by applying the Banach contraction principle. The Ulam-Hyers stability of the fractal-fractional operator has been confirmed. In the end, numerical simulations of the COVID-19 model of fractional-order are carried out to lower the risk of negative effects of disease on society. As the fractional orders approach 1, the results approach the classical situation, in contrast to all other solutions, which differ and show the same behavior. Consequently, the fractal-fractional order COVID-19 model provides deeper insights into epidemic disease. Such research will help understand the behavior of the virus and help develop COVID-19 prevention strategies for a population.

The current best-known performance guarantees for the extensively studied Traveling Salesman Problem (TSP) of determinate approximation algorithms is 32, achieved by Christofides' algorithm 47 years ago. This paper investigates a new generalization problem of the TSP, termed the Minimum-Cost Bounded Degree Connected Subgraph (MBDCS) problem. In the MBDCS problem, the goal is to identify a minimum-cost connected subgraph containing n=|V| edges from an input graph G=(V,E) with degree upper bounds for particular vertices. We show that for certain special cases of MBDCS, the aim is equivalent to finding a minimum-cost Hamiltonian cycle for the input graph, same as the TSP. To appropriately solve MBDCS, we initially present an integer programming formulation for the problem. Subsequently, we propose an algorithm to approximate the optimal solution by applying the iterative rounding technique to solution of the integer programming relaxation. We demonstrate that the returned subgraph of our proposed algorithm is one of the best guarantees for the MBDCS problem in polynomial time, assuming P≠NP. This study views the optimization of TSP as finding a minimum-cost connected subgraph containing n edges with degree upper bounds for certain vertices, and it may provide new insights into optimizing the TSP in future research.

In the original publication [...]

Exogenously applied trehalose is effective for improving plant tolerance to some abiotic stresses, but whether it has function in alleviating maize (Zea mays) tolerance to chromium (Cr) stress is unknown. This study investigated the effects of exogenous application of trehalose (0, 25 and 50 mM) on the growth, physiological parameters and oxidative defense systems of maize seedlings exposed to chromium (Cr) stress at the rate of 100 and 500 µM. Our results depicted that Cr stress reduced plant growth, biomass, leaf chlorophyll contents, transpiration rate, photosynthetic properties, stomatal conductance and antioxidant enzymes. The Cr-induced increase was observed in oxidative defense system, malondialdehyde, hydrogen peroxide contents and membrane leakage. Although, activities of POD, SOD and CAT enzymes, total phenolics and proline concentrations increased at 100 µM Cr but were significantly diminished at 500 µM compared to non-Cr plants. However, the negative impacts of Cr on plant growth and physiological traits were reduced by the foliar application of trehalose. Trehalose significantly enhanced plant biomass, improved photosynthetic apparatus and antioxidants in addition to ascorbic acid, free proline, GB and total phenolic compounds. The application of trehalose diminished the exudation of organic acids and indicator of oxidative stress in roots and shoots by decreasing Cr retention in plant parts. The findings suggest that 50 mM trehalose spray efficiently mitigated the Cr toxicity in maize plants as compared to 25 m trehalose spray. However, the exogenous application of trehalose alleviated Cr toxicity by regulating Cr uptake in plant tissues by enhancing the antioxidative defense system.

This study was undertaken in the Himalayan basin, in the river Lohawati, Uttarakhand, to study its hydro-morphological characteristics and prioritise the watersheds using geospatial tools. Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection (ASTER-30 m) data and the Survey of India’s topographic sheets were used to analyse the study area comprehensively. Nine watersheds were identified within the basin in order to calculate the hydro-morphological characteristics in terms of basic, shape, texture, and relief aspects. The basin was identified as being elongated, with a total drainage area of 337.48 km2. The interaction between the terrain, rock formations, and precipitation levels produced a branching structure in the areas drainage system that ranged from dendritic to sub-dendritic. The basin had been classified as a fifth-order basin, comprising a network of 500 stream segments spanning a total length of 492.41 km. In each of the watersheds, the primary streams are of the first order, followed by those of the second order, and so forth. The physiography and lithology of the basin have a significant influence on this pattern. The calculated elongation ratio, circulatory ratio, form factor, shape index, and shape factor ranged from 0.57 to 0.80, 0.35 to 0.64, 0.26 to 0.50, 1.98 to 3.89, and 0.57 to 1.77, respectively. These values indicate that watersheds are elongated, suggesting moderate lag times. The parameters, including drainage density (0.98 to 1.62), stream frequency (1.07 to 1.59), infiltration number (1.04 to 2.59), drainage texture (0.67 to 2.82), and drainage intensity (0.93 to 1.12), pointed towards the coarser drainage texture, higher infiltration, and minimal runoff characteristics of the basin. In light of the relief characteristics of the basin, a higher basin relief, relief ratio, and relative relief were observed for the watersheds, indicating the possibility of higher erosion and deforestation rates. Using the Weighted Sum Analysis (WSA) method, the computed factors were utilised to rank the watersheds based on their potential for erosion. Based on the WSA approach, watersheds were classified into high-, moderate-, and low-prioritisation zones. This further indicates that 36.14% (121.95 km2) of watersheds are in the high-priority zone, and that 48.84% (164.91 km2) and 15.00% (50.62 km2) of watersheds are in the moderate- and low-priority zones, respectively. The WSA is a practical strategy to prioritise watersheds when making appropriate decisions.

Chemical kinetics is a branch of chemistry that investigates the rates of chemical reactions and has applications in cosmology, geology, and physiology. In this study, we develop a mathematical model for chemical reactions based on enzyme dynamics and kinetics, which is a two-step substrate–enzyme reversible reaction, applying chemical kinetics-based modeling of enzyme functions. The non-linear differential equations are transformed into fractional-order systems utilizing the constant proportional Caputo–Fabrizio (CPCF) and constant proportional Atangana–Baleanu–Caputo (CPABC) operators. The system of fractional differential equations is simulated using the Laplace–Adomian decomposition method at different fractional orders through simulations and numerical results. Both qualitative and quantitative analyses such as boundedness, positivity, unique solution, and feasible concentration for the proposed model with different hybrid operators are provided. The stability analysis of the proposed scheme is also verified using Picard’s stable condition through the fixed point theorem.

Diabetes is an endocrine illness involving numerous physiological systems. To understand the intricated pathophysiology and disease progression in diabetes, small animals are still the most relevant model systems, despite the availability and progression in numerous invitro and insilico research methods in recent years. In general, experimental diabetes is instigated mainly due to the effectiveness of animal models in illuminating disease etiology. Most diabetes trials are conducted on rodents, while some research is conducted on larger animals. This review will discuss the methodology and mechanisms in detail for preparing diabetic animal models, considering the following important points. The exact pathophysiology of the disease may or may not be replicated in animal models, the correct induction doses must be given and the combination of different approaches for the models is recommended to get desired results. • Animal models are essential to understand diabetes etiology and pathophysiology. • Diabetic models can be developed in both rodents and non-rodents. • Chemically induced and genetic models of diabetes are widely used to study diabetes and diabetic complications.

Soil salinity accelerates osmotic, ionic and oxidative pressure that suppresses plant growth and crop production. The objective of of the present investigation was to analyse protective function of nitric oxide (NO) and hydrogen sulfide (H2S) against salt (NaCl) stress in coriander plants. Different morphological, biochemical parameters, enzymatic and non-enzymatic antioxidants were analysed. Exposure of Coriandrum sativum L. to NaCl reduced length of root and shoot, biomass, relative water content and biochemical attributes. Exogenous use of SNP and NaHS individually or in combined treatment increased all the above-mentioned growth variables and inhibited NaCl incited biochemical alterations and oxidative damages in Coriandrum sativum L. Synergistic treatment (SNP + NaHS) exhibited increase in the morphological parameters, pigment and osmolyte contents. The oxidative stress biomarkers, hydrogen peroxide and superoxide generation were declined by SNP and NaHS as evidenced by reduced peroxidation of lipids. Activities of both glyoxylase as well as antioxidant enzymes were enhanced with presence of SNP and NaHS. Coriander seedlings treated with NaCl + SNP + NaHS exhibited 21 %, 7 %, 31 % and 59 % increase in superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), ascorbate peroxidase (APX), glutathione reductase (GR), respectively over NaCl treated plants. Level of methylglyoxal was decreased in Coriandrum sativum with rise in glyoxalase I and II enzymes. Therefore, synergistic supplementation of NO and H2S alleviates salt stress in coriander plants more efficiently than individual treatment and it might be because of crosstalk mechanism that facilitate salt stress resistance in plants.

The study was conducted to evaluate the effects of increasing doses: 0 (control), 0.20, 0.40, 0.60, 0.80 and 1.00 % DM of an exogenous fibrolytic enzymes (EFE) cocktail preparation on in vitro gas production (GP), nutrient degradability and fermentation characteristics of oats straw based Total Mixed Ration (TMR) with 60:40 roughage to concentrate ratio using sheep rumen liquor. The chemical composition of all the feed ingredients used for preparation of the experimental TMR (containing 16.63% crude protein and 90.51% organic matter) were within the normal ranges. Increasing the incorporation level of enzyme cocktail linearly as well as quadratically increased net GP, metabolisable energy content, short chain fatty acid concentrations and microbial crude protein production up to 0.60% DM level (L3) with no additional improvement at further higher levels. There were significant improvements in degradability of dry matter, organic matter and neutral detergent fibre up to the enzyme dose of 0.60% DM (L3) with constant values thereafter. Fermentation characteristics response to varying incorporation doses of EFE cocktail also revealed improvements up to 0.60% DM level (L3) with no effect on non-protein nitrogen contents. It is recommended that EFE cocktail incorporation dose of 0.60% DM to be used for efficient utilisation of oats straw based complete feed; however, this requires further testing by in vivo studies.

Abstract To investigate the impact of Glutathione (GSH) in mitigating low-temperature stress in Pusa Sheetal cv. of Solanum lycopersicum and imparting low-temperature tolerance by evaluating the different physiological responses. The plant under research was also being studied for its growth and stress tolerance. Low temperatures (LT) stress was applied to seedlings with or without GSH application 12 h before LT stress (prophylactic dose), after 12 h-LT (preemptive dose), and post 12-h recovery (curative dose). Different concentrations of GSH [0, G1 (0.5 mM), G2 (1 mM) and G3 (2 mM)] against LT stress were used. Antioxidant activities, photosynthesis, growth, and stress tolerance indices were quantified. LT stress caused an oxidative burst in S. lycopersicum seedlings of the Pusa Sheetal cv. as indicated by increased peroxidation of lipids and H2O2 concentration. Glutathione reductase (GR), superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), and ascorbate peroxidase (APX) activities were enhanced. The best concentration was G2 (1 mM), which resulted in a rise in antioxidant activity. Moreover, a decline in lipid peroxidation and H2O2 levels was also seen. The purpose of this study is to identify the role of GSH in reducing LT stress and to find the best dose concentration. This is the first report to assess the GSH-mediated LT stress tolerance in S. lycopersicum (Pusa Sheetal cv.). Therefore, exogenous GSH application of optimal concentration of GSH to LT stressed S. lycopersicum can be an effective approach for augmenting the plant detoxification system and promoting its growth and development.

Objective: Leptin has drawn the attention of experts for its role in a myriad of conditions including stroke. However, in the absence of credible evidence linking leptin to stroke, its role as a risk factor is still debatable. We aimed to determine the leptin levels and its relationship with other cardiometabolic risk factors in patients with ischemic stroke in our region. Materials and Methods: It was a hospital based case-control observational study involving 100 patients and 100 age- and sex- matched healthy controls. Leptin levels were measured in both patients and controls in addition to estimation of lipid profile, insulin level and fasting blood glucose. Insulin resistance was calculated using the homeostasis model assessment for insulin resistance model. Carotid intima-media thickness (CIMT) was determined by high-resolution echocolour Doppler system (GE LOGIQ S8). Neuroimaging was also performed. Student’s t-test for continuous variables, chi-square test for categorical variables and Pearson correlation coefficient to determine the correlation of leptin levels with various parameters were used. Results: The mean leptin levels were significantly higher in patients compared to control group (15.36±5.76 vs. 5.72±1.19 ng/ml; p

In this article, we presented a nonlinear time-fractional mathematical model of the Ebola Virus in order to understand the outbreak of this epidemic disease. Ebola virus is a highly contagious disease that can be spread in the population depending upon the number of individuals and their dynamics in the community. The Caputo and Atangana Baleanu fractional derivative operators are employed to get the solution of the system of fractional differential equations. The qualitative analysis has been made for the fractional-order model. Fixed-point theorem and an iterative schemes are used to get the existence and uniqueness. The actual behavior of the time-fractional model has been obtained by employing Laplace Adomian Decomposition technique. Finally, numerical results have been established for the system of fractional differential equations with simulations to demonstrate the impacts of the fractional-order parameters on the proposed system to achieve the theoretical outcomes and a comparison has been made with the Caputo for better analysis.

Although trace elements are essential for life, environmental contamination due to metal accumulation and overuse in various sectors, such as healthcare, agriculture, industry, and cosmetics, poses significant health concerns. Exposure of plants to heavy metals leads to the overproduction of reactive oxygen species (ROS) due to their ability to change mitochondrial membrane permeability and restrict the action of ROS clearance enzymes in the cellular antioxidant system. The interaction of ROS with cellular membranes, heavy-metal-induced interactions directly or indirectly with different macromolecules, and signaling pathways leads to the accumulation of environmental pollutants and oxidative stress in exposed organisms. The heavy metal–ROS–cell signaling axis affects various pathological processes such as ATP depletion, excess ROS production, mitochondrial respiratory chain damage, decoupling of oxidative phosphorylation, and mitochondrial death. This review focuses on discussing the toxic effects of different heavy metals on plants, with particular emphasis on oxidative stress, its consequences, and mitigation strategies.

Background: Inception of emergency medicine as a specialty in India is on a rise. Data on the accuracy of diagnosis made in emergency rooms in India is scarce and with varied results with especially no such data available from our part of the country. Aim: The aim of this study was to evaluate the discrepancy between admission diagnosis in emergency and final diagnosis in ward and its correlation with length of hospital stay and outcome. This study was an observational prospective study. Materials and Methods: Patients were categorised as per the International Classification of Diseases – Version 10. A total of 2000 patients were enrolled in the study. The patients were followed from admission to discharge. Data were categorised into two major groups – 'Concordant' diagnosis and 'Discordant' diagnosis. Univariate analysis was performed using SPSS version 20.0. Results: Five hundred and fifty-three (27.65%) patients had a final diagnosis in ward discordant from the initial diagnosis in the medical emergency room. The frequency of discrepancy was highest for the genitourinary system (39%) and relatively low for neoplasm (16%). The average length of hospital stay in the concordant group of patients was 5.15 days, whereas it was 7.05 days in the discordant group (P = 0.003). There was a statistically significant increase in percentage mortality in patients when initial and final diagnoses did not match (P = 0.0005). Conclusions: A diagnostic discrepancy of 27.65% occurred between admission diagnosis in the medical emergency room and final diagnosis in ward. The diagnostic discrepancy resulted in a significant increase in the length of hospital stay and mortality.

Introduction: Novel coronavirus disease-2019 pandemic continues to rage the world with enormous economic loss, sickness, and deaths. In management of infectious diseases, nurses play crucial roles in rendering care to patients by risking their own lives, going beyond their training and capacities. Frontline nurses are vulnerable for the development of diagnosable and subclinical psychological problems most often triggered with deaths of colleagues, exposure to the mass scale of deaths, perceived inability to save lives despite best efforts, lack of social supports, shift duties, and working in high-risk environment. Aim: The aim of the study is to assess the depression, anxiety, and stress among nurses working in COVID wards versus non-COVID wards. Materials and Methods: A multicenter observational study was done among 176 frontline nurses from seven different referral government hospitals. Psychological ailments were measured on validated instruments of Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale-42 items (DASS-42) and Perceived Stress Scale-10 (PSS-10). Results: Using SPSS version 23.0, data were analyzed using Pearson's Chi-square test, with P < 0.055 being considered statistically significant. On PSS, perceived stress was high in 75% of COVID ward nurses and 67% of non-COVID ward ones. On DASS-42 scale, depression, anxiety, and stress levels among nurses in the COVID-19 wards were 21.64% (n = 21), 32.98% (n = 32), and 20.61% (n = 20) compared to 17.72% (n = 14), 24.05% (n = 19), and 15.18%, (n = 12) in the non-COVID wards, respectively. Conclusions: The amount of reported stress, anxiety, and depression was higher in both groups of nurses, i.e., those working in COVID-19 wards and general wards as compared to general population.

A field study evaluated the safe loading density for live transportation of rainbow trout, Oncorhynchus mykiss (Walbaum, 1792), yearlings in plastic bags of super-oxygenated water. The experimental fish (197.5 ± 40 g) were starved for 72 h and mildly sedated with clove oil (40 µL.L-1 for 2–3 min) before packing. Three loading densities of live rainbow trout (120, 170, 230 g.L-1) were packed in plastic bags containing 6 L of stream water and 10–12 L of medical-grade oxygen gas. Six replicate bags per loading density were then subjected to 10 h of transportation by road at ~10 °C. On arrival at the destination, important water quality indicators and fish survival were recorded from each plastic bag. With increasing fish loading density, there was a corresponding increase in the concentrations of carbon dioxide (CO2), total ammonia nitrogen (TAN), free ammonia (NH3), total dissolved solids (TDS) concentrations and specific conductivity in the transport water, and a decrease in dissolved oxygen (DO, R2 = 0.91-0.99). These differences in vital water quality indicators were significantly more in the 230 g.L-1 group. However, there was no mortality even at the highest loading density, as the critical water quality parameters did not cross the acute lethal thresholds for rainbow trout. Based on the findings, it is recommended that a loading density of 230 g.L-1 is safe for live transportation of rainbow trout yearlings in plastic bags over a transport duration of 10 h at ~10 °C, following adequate starvation and mild sedation.

Abstract Silybum marianum (L.) Gaertn (Astraceae) is a well-reputed medicinal plant mostly utilized for silymarin (Sily) content and oil production, however, the information about Sily contents in achene part is still fragmented under different climatic conditions. In this study four milk thistle ecotypes from Faisalabad (FSD), Gujranwala (GUJ), Quetta (QTA), and Kallar kahar (KK) having an altered achene color were analyzed under salt stress. Application of plant growth promoters (PGPs) is one of the solution for ameliorating the effect of salinity and increasing the quantity and quality traits of milk thistle, so ascorbic acid (AsA), thiourea (TU), and moringa leaf extract (MLE) were soil supplied after developing salinity stress (120 mM with irrigation) at germination stage. Predetermined levels were selected for PGPs such as AsA (500 µM), MLE (3%), and TU (250 µM). Results revealed that all yield related attributes were significantly decreased, while secondary metabolites, pericarp epidermis, pericarp parenchyma, and pericarp seed integument increased under salinity stress. Data suggested that PGPs treatment was helpful to alleviate the deleterious effects of salinity stress and enhance the milk thistle quality and quantity parameters. The ecotypic variations with altered achene color patterns represent an advantage for QTA ecotypes for higher Sily extraction under salt stressed conditions.

The current study assesses the efficacy of thidiazuron and cytokinins (6- benzylamino purine and kinetin) in modulating flower senescence in excised spikes of Consolida ajacis. The spikes harvested at commercial maturity were transported to laboratory and arranged into multiple sets. Each set of spikes was subjected to different treatments of thidiazuron (TDZ), benzylamino purine (BAP) and kinetin (KIN) viz., 25 µM, 50 µM, 75 µM and 100 µM. One set of spikes designated as control was kept in distilled water. Inclusion of these growth regulators significantly improved the postharvest longevity of C. ajacis cut spikes. The enhancement in display life was proportionate with upsurge in the activity of superoxide dismutase (SOD), ascorbate peroxidase (APX) and catalase (CAT). Flowers held in different test solutions of BAP, KIN and TDZ, exhibited higher values of sugars, phenols and proteins. Furthermore, these growth regulators minimized membrane leakiness by reducing lipoxygenase activity (LOX) and improved membrane stability. Among the various growth regulators tested, 50 µM TDZ was found to be highly efficacious in mitigating flower senescence in C. ajacis cut spikes as compared to KIN and BAP.

Abstract Due to their versatile applications, ZnONPs have been formulated by several approaches, including green chemistry methods. In the current study, convenient and economically viable ZnONPs were produced using Elaeagnus angustifolia (EA) leaf extracts. The phytochemicals from E. angustifolia L. are believed to serve as a non-toxic source of reducing and stabilizing agents. The physical and chemical properties of ZnONPs were investigated employing varying analytical techniques (UV, XRD, FT-IR, EDX, SEM, TEM, DLS and Raman). Strong UV–Vis absorption at 399 nm was observed for green ZnONPs. TEM, SEM and XRD analyses determined the nanoscale size, morphology and crystalline structure of ZnONPs, respectively. The ZnONPs were substantiated by evaluation using HepG2 (IC50: 21.7 µg mL−1) and HUH7 (IC50: 29.8 µg mL−1) cancer cell lines and displayed potential anticancer activities. The MTT cytotoxicity assay was conducted using Leishmania tropica “KWH23” (promastigotes: IC50, 24.9 µg mL−1; and amastigotes: IC50, 32.83 µg mL−1). ZnONPs exhibited excellent antimicrobial potencies against five different bacterial and fungal species via the disc-diffusion method, and their MIC values were calculated. ZnONPs were found to be biocompatible using human erythrocytes and macrophages. Free radical scavenging tests revealed excellent antioxidant activities. Enzyme inhibition assays were performed and revealed excellent potential. These findings suggested that EA@ZnONPs have potential applications and could be used as a promising candidate for clinical development.

Abstract Cadmium stress is one of the chief environmental cues that can substantially reduce plant growth. In the present research, we studied the effect of jasmonic acid (JA) and gibberellic acid (GA3) applied individually and/or in combination to chickpea (Cicer arietinum) plants exposed to 150 µM cadmium sulphate. Cadmium stress resulted in reduced plant growth and pigment contents. Moreover, chickpea plants under cadmium contamination displayed higher levels of electrolytic leakage, H2O2, and malonaldehyde, as well as lower relative water content. Plants primed with JA (1 nM) and those foliar-fed with GA3 (10–6 M) showed improved metal tolerance by reducing the accumulation of reactive oxygen species, malonaldehyde and electrolytic leakage, and increasing relative water content. . Osmoprotectants like proline and glycinebetaine increased under cadmium contamination. Additionally, the enzymatic activities and non-enzymatic antioxidant levels increased markedly under Cd stress, but application of JA as well as of GA3 further improved these attributes. Enzymes pertaining to the ascorbate glutathione and glyoxylase systems increased significantly when the chickpea plants were exposed to Cd. However, JA and GA3 applied singly or in combination showed improved enzymatic activities as well as nutrient uptake, whereas they reduced the metal accumulation in chickpea plants. Taken together, our findings demonstrated that JA and GA3 are suitable agents for regulating Cd stress resistance in chickpea plants.

Diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN) is a long-term complication associated with nerve dysfunction and uncontrolled hyperglycemia. In spite of new drug discoveries, development of effective therapy is much needed to cure DPN. Here, we have developed a combinatorial approach to provide biochemical and electrical cues, considered to be important for nerve regeneration. Exosomes derived from bone marrow mesenchymal stromal cells (BMSCs) were fused with polypyrrole nanoparticles (PpyNps) containing liposomes to deliver both the cues in a single delivery vehicle. We developed DPN rat model and injected intramuscularly the fused exosomal system to understand its long-term therapeutic effect. We found that the fused system along with electrical stimulation normalized the nerve conduction velocity (57.60 ± 0.45 m/s) and compound muscle action potential (16.96 ± 0.73 mV) similar to healthy control (58.53 ± 1.10 m/s; 18.19 ± 1.45 mV). Gastrocnemius muscle morphology, muscle mass, and integrity were recovered after treatment. Interestingly, we also observed paracrine effect of delivered exosomes in controlling hyperglycemia and loss in body weight and also showed attenuation of damage to the tissues such as the pancreas, kidney, and liver. This work provides a promising effective treatment and also contribute cutting edge therapeutic approach for the treatment of DPN.

The current study was designed to investigate whether application of irradiated chitosan (ICn), a recently established plant growth promoter, can prove effective in alleviating arsenic (As) stress in peppermint, a medicinally important plant. This study investigated how foliar application of ICn alleviated As toxicity in peppermint (Mentha piperita L.). Peppermint plants were treated with ICn (80 mg L−1) alone or in combination with As (10, 20, or 40 mg kg−1 of soil, as Na2HAsO4·7H2O) 40 days after transplantation (DAT), and effects on the growth, photosynthesis, and antioxidants were assessed at 150 DAT as stress severely decreases plant growth, affects photosynthesis, and alters enzymatic (ascorbate peroxidase, superoxide dismutase) and non-enzymatic (glutathione) antioxidants. When applied at 40 mg kg−1, ICn significantly decreased the content of essential oil (EO) and total phenols in peppermint by 13.8 and 16.0%, respectively, and decreased phenylalanine ammonia lyase (PAL) and deoxy-D-xylulose-5-phosphate reductoisomerase (DXR) activities by 12.8 and 14.6%, respectively. Application of ICn mitigated the disadvantageous effects caused by As toxicity in peppermint by enhancing activities of antioxidative enzymes and photosynthesis and increased accretion of secondary metabolism products (EOs and phenols). An enhancement of total phenols (increased by 17.3%) and EOs (36.4%) is endorsed to ICn-stimulated enhancement in the activities of PAL and DXR (65.9 and 28.9%, respectively) in comparison to the control. To conclude, this study demonstrated that foliar application of ICn (80 mgL−1) effectively promoted the growth and physiology of peppermint and eliminated As-induced toxicity to achieve high production of EO-containing crops grown in metal-contaminated soils.

The agricultural sector is a foremost contributing factor in supplying food at the global scale. There are plethora of biotic as well as abiotic stressors that act as major constraints for the agricultural sector in terms of global food demand, quality, and security. Stresses affect rhizosphere and their communities, root growth, plant health, and productivity. They also alter numerous plant physiological and metabolic processes. Moreover, they impact transcriptomic and metabolomic changes, causing alteration in root exudates and affecting microbial communities. Since the evolution of hazardous pesticides and fertilizers, productivity has experienced elevation but at the cost of impeding soil fertility thereby causing environmental pollution. Therefore, it is crucial to develop sustainable and safe means for crop production. The emergence of various pieces of evidence depicting the alterations and abundance of microbes under stressed conditions proved to be beneficial and outstanding for maintaining plant legacy and stimulating their survival. Beneficial microbes offer a great potential for plant growth during stresses in an economical manner. Moreover, they promote plant growth with regulating phytohormones, nutrient acquisition, siderophore synthesis, and induce antioxidant system. Besides, acquired or induced systemic resistance also counteracts biotic stresses. The phytomicrobiome exploration is crucial to determine the growth-promoting traits, colonization, and protection of plants from adversities caused by stresses. Further, the intercommunications among rhizosphere through a direct/indirect manner facilitate growth and form complex network. The phytomicrobiome communications are essential for promoting sustainable agriculture where microbes act as ecological engineers for environment. In this review, we have reviewed our building knowledge about the role of microbes in plant defense and stress-mediated alterations within the phytomicrobiomes. We have depicted the defense biome concept that infers the design of phytomicrobiome communities and their fundamental knowledge about plant-microbe interactions for developing plant probiotics.

The topic of two-dimensional steady laminar MHD boundary layer flow across a wedge with non-Newtonian hybrid nanoliquid (CuO-TiO2/C2H6O2) with viscous dissipation and radiation is taken into consideration. The controlling partial differential equations have been converted to non-linear higher-order ordinary differential equations using the appropriate similarity transformations. It is demonstrated that a number of thermo-physical characteristics govern the transmuted model. The issue is then mathematically resolved. When the method’s accuracy is compared to results that have already been published, an excellent agreement is found. While the thermal distribution increases with an increase in Eckert number, radiation and porosity parameters, the velocity distribution decreases as porosity increases.

Heavy metal (HM) stress is threatening agricultural crops, ecological systems, and human health worldwide. HM toxicity adversely affects plant growth, physiological processes, and crop productivity by disturbing cellular ionic balance, metabolic balance, cell membrane integrity, and protein and enzyme activities. Plants under HM stress intrinsically develop mechanisms to counter the adversities of HM but not prevent them. However, the exogenous application of abscisic acid (ABA) is a strategy for boosting the tolerance capacity of plants against HM toxicity by improving osmolyte accumulation and antioxidant machinery. ABA is an essential plant growth regulator that modulates various plant growth and metabolic processes, including seed development and germination, vegetative growth, stomatal regulation, flowering, and leaf senescence under diverse environmental conditions. This review summarizes ABA biosynthesis, signaling, transport, and catabolism in plant tissues and the adverse effects of HM stress on crop plants. Moreover, we describe the role of ABA in mitigating HM stress and elucidating the interplay of ABA with other plant growth regulators.

Moyamoya disease (MMD) is caused by stenosis or occlusion of internal carotid artery in brain, thereby reducing its blood supply. To augment blood flow, brain develops abnormal anastomotic vessels with deranged carbon dioxide reactivity and tendency to bleed. Moyamoya syndrome (MMS) is the name given to MMD when the latter results from secondary to some associated disease. Occurrence of MMS secondary to sickle cell anemia (SCA) presents unique challenges to neuroanesthesiologists. Management of various physiological parameters for cerebral revascularization surgery for MMD under general anesthesia necessitates vigilant and balanced control of various physiological variables, as the manipulation of a particular physiological variable for one pathology may adversely impact the same physiological variable for the associated disease, which will result in poor outcome of the patient. Therefore, optimum outcome of MMS is determined by a watchful balancing of various physiological parameters under anesthesia.

Developmental activities have escalated mercury (Hg) content in the environment and caused food security problems. The present investigation describes mercury-incited stress in Lens culinaris (lentil) and its mitigation by supplementation of sodium nitroprusside (SNP) and strigolactone (GR24). Lentil exposure to Hg decreased root and shoot length, relative water content and biochemical variables. Exogenous application of SNP and GR24 alone or in combination enhanced all of the aforementioned growth parameters. Hg treatment increased electrolyte leakage and malondialdehyde content, but this significantly decreased with combined application (Hg + SNP + GR24). SNP and GR24 boosted mineral uptake and reduced Hg accumulation, thus minimizing the adverse impacts of Hg. An increase in mineral accretion was recorded in lentil roots and shoots in the presence of SNP and GR24, which might support the growth of lentil plants under Hg stress. Hg accumulation was decreased in lentil roots and shoots by supplementation of SNP and GR24. The methylglyoxal level was reduced in lentil plants with increase in glyoxalase enzymes. Antioxidant and glyoxylase enzyme activities were increased by the presence of SNP and GR24. Therefore, synergistic application of nitric oxide and strigolactone protected lentil plants against Hg-incited oxidative pressure by boosting antioxidant defense and the glyoxalase system, which assisted in biochemical processes regulation.

Abstract The present study evaluated the effects of exogenous hemin on cadmium toxicity in terms of metal accretion and stress resilience in Vigna radiata L. (Wilczek). One-week-old seedlings were treated with CdCl2 (50 μM) alone and in combination with hemin (0.5 mM) in half-strength Hoagland medium for 96 h. The optimum concentrations of Cd and hemin were determined on the basis of haem oxygenase-1 activity. The results demonstrated that under Cd stress, plants accumulated a considerable amount of metal in their tissues, and the accumulation was higher in roots than in leaves, which significantly reduced the plant biomass and chlorophyll content by increasing the oxidative stress (MDA and H2O2 content). However, hemin supplementation under Cd,-stress improved plant growth by enhancing the harvestable biomass and photosynthetic pigments, increasing antioxidant activities (SOD, APX, POD, HO-1 and proline), lowering oxidative damage and increasing Cd tolerance in plants. Furthermore, the application of hemin enhances the removal efficiency of Cd in V. radiata by increasing the uptake of Cd via roots and its translocation from roots to foliar tissues. Thus, the study suggests that hemin has the potential to improve the stress tolerance and phytoremediation ability of heavy metal-tolerant plants so that they can be used instead of hyperaccumulators for remediation of Cd-contaminated environments.

This work was carried out to observe the combined impact of exogenous applications of Gibberellic acid (GA3) and Silicon (Si) on Brassica juncea under salt (NaCl) stress. Application of GA3 and Si enhanced the antioxidant enzyme activities of (APX, CAT, GR, SOD) in B. juncea seedlings under NaCl toxicity. The exogenous Si application decreased Na+ uptake and enhanced the K+ and Ca2+ in salt stressed B. juncea. Moreover, chlorophyll-a (Chl-a), Chlorophyll-b (Chl-b), total chlorophyll (T-Chl), carotenoids and relative water content (RWC) in the leaves declined under salt stress, which were ameorialated after GA3 and Si supplementation individually and in combination. Further, the introduction of Si to NaCl treated B. juncea help in alleviating the negative effects of NaCl toxicity on biomass and biochemical activities. The levels of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) increase significantly with NaCl treatments, subsequently resulting in enhanced peroxidation of membrane lipids (MDA) and electrolyte leakage (EL). The reduced levels of H2O2 and enhanced antioxidantactivities in Si and GA3 supplemented plants demonstrated the stress mitigating efficiency. In conclusion, it was observed that Si and GA3 application alleviated NaCl toxicity in B. juncea plants through enhanced production of different osmolytes and an antioxidant defence mechanism.

Early blight (EB) is one of the major fungal diseases caused by Alternaria solani that is responsible for destructive tomato production around the globe. Biocontrol agent/s can be adequately implemented in an integrated management framework by using it in combination with vital plant nutrients, e.g., nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium (NPK) and zinc (Zn). The current study was aimed to assess the integrated effect of a biocontrol agent Bacillus subtilis (BS-01) and the selective plant nutrients (NPK and Zn) on EB disease management and tomato crop performance. A field experiment was conducted for the off-season tomato production (under walk-in tunnels) in Punjab, Pakistan. The trial was set in a randomized complete block design (RCBD) and comprised nine treatments of a biocontrol agent (BS-01) either alone or in combination with the plant nutrients, viz., NPK (64:46:50 kg acre–1) and Zn (10 kg acre–1) as sustainable disease managing approach against EB. In addition, the biocontrol efficacy of B. subtilis (BS-01) on a fungal load of A. solani was estimated by quantitative PCR assays, where the foliar application of BS-01 on tomato plants either alone or in combination with the plant nutrients was done as a preventive measure. Our results revealed that the interactive effect of BS-01 with plant nutrients conferred significantly a varying degree of resilience in the infected tomato plants against EB by effectively modifying the content of total chlorophyll, carotenoids, and total phenolics along with the activities of antioxidant enzymes (SOD, CAT, POX, PPO, and PAL). In addition, the integrative effect of BS-01 and plant nutrients proved significantly effective in reducing pathogen load on inoculated tomato foliage, displaying the desired level of protection against A. solani infection. Besides, the complementary interaction of BS-01 + Zn + NPK worked synergistically to improve crop productivity by providing the highest marketable yield (21.61 tons acre–1) and net profit (361,363 Pakistani rupees acre–1). This integrated approach is put forward as a way to reduce the fungicide doses to control EB that would act as a sustainable plant protection strategy to generate profitable tomato production.

Information on reproductive biology and pollination ecology studies of threatened plants are essential to develop strategies for their sustainable utilization and effective conservation. As such, these studies were conducted on Rheum webbianum, a high-value “vulnerable” medicinal herb of the north-western Himalaya. This species presents a unique mode of reproductive behavior through the involvement of different floral events, including the movement of reproductive organs. The plants survive extremely cold conditions through underground perennating rhizomes that sprout into juvenile shoots with the onset of the favorable climatic conditions. The peduncle arises from the axils of the radical leaves, bearing a globular collection of densely arranged hermaphrodite flowers with temporally separated male and female phases; the male phase precedes the female phase (protandry). Anther dehiscence and stigma receptivity is post-anthesis. Anthers dehisce longitudinally along margins, liberating a large mass of spherical and tricolpate pollen with spinulose exine. Pollen viability decreased to < 10% on day 9. Pistil is tristylous, with each style terminating into a fan-shaped stigma lobe. The pollen receptive surface of each stigmatic lobe remains incurved at an angle of 360° and shows upward movement after anthesis, forming a funnel-like structure at an angle of 180° with respect to the ovary. Pollination syndrome is ambophilous. Spontaneous autogamy or geitonogamy to a certain extent is achieved in this species due to the arrangement of flowers in the inflorescence and overlapping of male and female reproductive phases among them. Incurved stigmatic lobes and outward movement of stamens too facilitate outcrossing. Pollen/ovule ratio estimates, results of pollination experiments on breeding behavior, outcrossing, and self-compatibility indices demonstrated that plants are self-compatible and cross-fertile.

HIV is a topic that has been greatly discussed and researched due to its impact on human population. Many campaigns have been put into place, and people have been made aware of the various effects of the disease. This paper considers a fractional-order HIV epidemic model with the inclusion of prostitution in the population and its consequences on the disease transmission. The model describes the spread of HIV disease in a system consisting of a population of susceptible males and the female sex workers. The focus is on the spread of HIV by female sex workers through prostitution, because in the present world sexual transmission is the major cause of the HIV transmission. The fractional derivatives are taken in Caputo sense and the numerical solution of the model is obtained by L1 scheme which involves the memory trace that can capture and integrate all past activity. Positivity and boundedness of the solution and the stability conditions of the fractional-order system are determined. Moreover, model equilibria are determined, and their stability analysis are considered by using fractional Routh-Hurwitz stability criterion and fractional La-Salle's invariant principle. The threshold quantity namely basic reproduction number R0 is calculated and analyzed for the disease status. On the basis of R0, the disease progress can be determined i.e., the population is free from the disease if R01. Meanwhile, by using Lyapunov functional approach, the global dynamics of the endemic equilibrium point is discussed. Further, numerical simulations of the model and their graphical presentations are performed to visualize the effectiveness of our theoretical results and to observe the impact of the arbitrary order derivative. The results obtained show the effectiveness and strength of the applied L1 scheme.

Present study explores native L-asparaginase encapsulated long-acting cross-linker-free PLGA-nanoformulation in an Ehrlich ascites tumor model. L-asparaginase-PLGA nanoparticles for tumor were prepared using a double emulsion solvent evaporation technique, optimized and validated by Box-Behnken Design. L-ASN-PNs showed a particle size of 195 nm ± 0.2 nm and a PDI of 0.2. Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) techniques revealed its smooth morphology and elicited an in-vitro release of 80% of the drug, following the Higuchi drug release model. In-vivo studies of L-ASN-PNs on an Ehrlich ascites tumor (EAT) model were completed and compared with the standard medication of 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) treatment. L-ASN-PN treated mice showed a 51.15% decrease in tumor volume and 100% survival rate with no reduction in body weight, no haemotoxicity and no hepatotoxicity, as evident from the hematological parameters, and liver enzyme parameters that were well within the prescribed limits. Chemotherapy has severe side effects and restricted therapeutic success. Henceforth, the purported L-Asparaginase PLGA nanoparticles are a suitable entity for better tumor regression, intra-tumor accumulation and no hematological side-effects.

Discovery of various antibiotics from the genus Streptomyces attained good attention from Industrialists and Pharmacologists. Streptomyces sp. produce various antibiotics to treat various diseases. The ability of Streptomyces sp. SD1 to synthesize antibiotics using various agro industrial wastes as solid substrate was evaluated. The agro wastes used were pineapple peel, wheat bran, apple pomace, rice bran, tapioca powder, orange peel and green gram husk for the production of antibiotics. The culture medium was optimized by using various carbon, nitrogen, ions, and minerals. To enhance maximum metabolite production, fermentation of Streptomyces sp. SD1 was optimized through response surface methodology. RSM is also used to analyze the interactions among the factors and screening the culture medium components. Streptomyces sp. SD1 had the ability to produce antibiotics at highest level with green gram husk as the substrate. Among the carbon sources, starch, and maltose enhanced the production of antibiotics. However, the selected sources such as, sucrose and glucose negatively influenced on antibiotics production. Beef extract, peptone and yeast extract positively influenced on antibiotics production. However, addition of casein and oat meal inhibited the production of antibiotics. Among the divalent ions, calcium chloride, magnesium sulphate and manganese chloride enhanced the production of antibiotics, however supplementation of cobalt chloride and mercuric chloride affected antibiotics production. All selected mineral sources enhanced the production of antibiotics and the yield was higher than control. 3D response surface graphs showed maximum yield of antibiotics at higher concentration of selected nutrient sources. Antibiotics production enhanced 2.9 fold by Streptomyces sp. SD1 in optimized medium than unoptimized medium. Among the isolates, Streptomyces sp. SD1 showed high antimicrobial activity. The selected actinomycetes utilized green gram husk for antibiotics production. Also addition of nutrient sources stimulated the production of antibiotics. Green gram husk is highly useful for the production of antibiotics in large scale. Keywords: Streptomyces sp., Antibiotics, Agro-residues, Solid state fermentation, Response surface methodology

Silver doped zirconium oxide nanoparticles were synthesized using milk powder via single step solution combustion method and has been examined for the removal of toxic chemicals from an organic dye. Ag doped ZrO2 were intended to play a vital role in the removal of accumulated contaminants in aqueous environment due to high efficiency of visible light triggered photocatalytic activity. The obtained product was analyzed by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, UV–Vis spectroscopy, BET measurements and Scanning electron microscopy (SEM). XRD and FTIR investigation probe the occurrence of silver in the synthesized final nanoparticles. The calculated average crystallite size is about 10–16 nm. Pure ZrO2 and Ag doped ZrO2 nanoparticles were analyzed against Rhodamine B (Rh B), a cataionic dye in visible light irradiation. By the analysis of experiments, silver (6 mol %) doped ZrO2 shows good photocatalyst towards 95% of Rhodamine B degradation with 150 mg photocatalyst and 10 ppm dye within 105 min. Keywords: Ag doped ZrO2, Phototocatalysis, Rhodamine B, BET, Green synthesis, Milk powder

The ever increasing spectrum of microbial disease and emergence of life threatening antibiotic resistant pathogen necessitates more intensive search for microbial antagonistic agents from diverse symbionts and habitats. Lichens from various niches and its associated cohabitates promise derivation of such antimicrobial compounds. In the present study conventionally and genetically identified Streptomyces olivaceus LEP7, one among 36 isolates from tree bark inhabiting lichen Leptogium sp., was assessed for its synthesis of antimicrobial bioactive compounds. Screening of antimicrobial activity was performed as per standard procedures. In vitro production by shake flask culture, solvent based extraction, TLC and GC–MS based separation, purification and identification revealed the presence of cyclopentene, an effective antimicrobial compound against wound inhabiting pathogens.E. coli, P. aeroginosa, S. aureus, Klebsiella sp., Acinetobacter sp., and Candida sp. MIC value of partially purified compound was 7.81 μg/ml against E. coli and P. aeroginosa. In addition, TLC profile of the active extract displayed four different spot with Rf values of 0.64, 0.78, 0.93 and 1.00. This initial lead will add to antimicrobial arsenal on further research. Keywords: Lichen, Streptomyces olivaceus, Antimicrobial activity, Cyclopentene

Variation in tree biomass and carbon (C) stocks in tropical dry forests is important at both regional and global scale to know their contribution in global C cycle. In Indian tropical forests, the information on variation in tree biomass and C stocks at forest type level is scarce and fragmented. In the present study, three tropical dry deciduous forest types: dry deciduous teak forest (DDTF), dry deciduous mixed forest (DDMF) and Boswellia forest (BF) have been selected in Madhya Pradesh, Central India, to assess the biomass and C stocks. The total tree biomass (aboveground + belowground) ranged from 70.4 (DDTF) to 296.6 (BF) Mg/ha with a mean of 184.1 Mg/ha, whereas the tree C ranged from 35.3 (DDTF) to 140.9 (BF) Mg C/ha with a mean value of 87.4 Mg C/ha. The greatest biomass (220.4 Mg/ha) and C stocks (104.7 Mg C/ha) have been observed in BF type, whereas the least biomass (160.9 Mg/ha) and C (76.4 Mg C/ha) have been observed in DDTF type, with the mean biomass and C stock values of 184.1 Mg/ha and 87.4 Mg C/ha, respectively. In both DDTF and DDMF types, Tectona grandis contributed 76.5 and 26.4% of C, whereas in BF type, Boswellia serrata contributed 73.6% of C to the total C stock. A significant positive (R2 = 0.951; p

Aim: Data about polymorphism in tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) and its serum levels in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) are conflicting. We aimed to evaluate the association of TNF-α-308 G > A polymorphism in patients with COPD in Kashmir (North India), a high burden area and also determined the serum TNF-α levels in these patients. Materials and Methods: One hundred spirometrically confirmed COPD patients and 163 controls resident from Kashmir valley (North India) were recruited. Genotyping of the promoter region of TNF-α was carried out using polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism. The serum TNF-α was quantified using the Cytometric Bead Array flex system by flow cytometry. Results were subjected to appropriate statistical treatment andP < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: Ninety-one COPD patients (91%) had G/G (wild homozygous) genotype and nine patients (9%) had G/A (heterozygous) genotype. Among the control population, 150 (92%) had G/G genotype and 13 (8%) had G/A genotype. The variant allele “A” was not detected in either of the two groups. Serum levels of TNF-α were significantly higher in patients compared to control group (8.0 ± 10.1 pg/ml vs. 3.3 ± 0.42 pg/ml, respectively,P = 0.0001). Conclusion: While serum levels of TNF-α are higher in COPD patients compared to the controls, there was no difference in the prevalence of TNF-α-308 polymorphism in the ethnic Kashmiri population with COPD.

This research was carried out to evaluate the effect of biochar and compost application on Spinacia oleracea growth in cadmium contaminated soil. Cd toxicity decreased plant growth and biomass significantly and also negatively affected the physiological and biochemical attributes of plants. However, the application of biochar and compost improved the contaminated soil by reducing Cd toxicity and causing its immobilization, which in turn improved plant growth. The combined application of biochar and compost significantly (p < 0.05) enhanced biomass and photosynthetic pigments development in plants. The treatments also increased membrane stability index by 45.12% and enhanced water using efficiency by 218.22%, respectively. The increase in antioxidant activities was 76.03%, 29.02%, and 123.27% in superoxide dismutase, peroxidase, and catalase, respectively. The combined application also reduced the cadmium content (reduced 40.14% in root and 51.16% shoot), its translocation (19.67% decrease), and bioaccumulation (52.63% and 40.32% decrease in Cd content in shoot and root, respectively) in spinach plant. Among the two selected varieties of S. oleracea, Desi palak (V1) performed better as compared to Kanta palak (V2). It can be concluded that the combined application of biochar and compost is one of the best strategies to reduce the toxicity level of Cd in plants and to improve their growth.

Thiamin is a crucial vitamin with a vast variety of anti-oxidative and physiological roles in plants subjected to abiotic stresses. We examined the efficiency of foliar-applied thiamin (50 and 100 mM) on growth, yield quality and key-biochemical characteristics of two cultivars (FD1 and FD3) of cauliflower (Brassica oleracea L.) under water-deficit stress. Water stress at the rate of 50% field capacity (F.C.) markedly decreased the plant biomass, leaf total phenolics and ascorbic acid (AsA) contents. In contrast, drought-induced increase was noted in the leaf [hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), AsA, proline, malondialdehyde (MDA), glycinebetaine (GB), total soluble proteins and oxidative defense system in terms of high activities of peroxidase (POD), and catalase (CAT) enzymes] and the inflorescence (total phenolics, proline, GB, MDA, H2O2, and activities of SOD and CAT enzymes) characteristics of cauliflower. However, foliar-applied thiamin significantly improved growth and physio-biochemical attributes except leaf and inflorescence MDA and H2O2 contents of both cauliflower cultivars under water stress. Overall, application of thiamin enhanced the plant growth may be associated with suppressed reactive oxygen species (ROS) and upregulated antioxidants defense system of cauliflower.