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Creation, protection and management of intellectual property (IP) will be a key factor in successful knowledge or technology management in the twenty first century knowledge based economy. This economy is heavily driven by innovations and technological competitiveness. Management of Intellectual Property Rights (IPRs) and its strategies would determine positions of any institutions, industries and their chronological changes. Its role in global equilibrium emanating from changing technologies need to be understood by scientists, technologists, managers, governments and industries. The growth of any knowledge based industries is driven by the creativity and knowledge of their people, effective IP management, which provide incentives for innovation and create structures for sharing the results, are key to unlocking this human potential. IP denotes the specific legal rights which inventors and other IP holders may hold and exercise. IP includes Patents, Trademarks, Copyrights and Industrial Designs each differ in its scope, purpose and effects. IPR aims to exclude third parties from exploiting protected subject matter for a certain specified duration of time without explicit authorization from the right holder. IPR owners can use or disclose their creations without fear of loss of control over their usage during the course of dissemination of their creation/invention. IP confers a bundle of exclusive rights in relation to the particular form or manner in which ideas/information are expressed/manifested in the following and related items. Technological innovation is a continuing process associated with the evolution of life. With the increasing demands of the population, the process of innovation needs to be accelerated and widened. India faces unique challenges in the field of education, infrastructure, security, environment, water, energy, food chain and many more and hence needs an innovation ecosystem made up of public and private institutions, technology developers, universities, industries, government agencies and nongovernmental organizations, to harness the available knowledge and resources in an optimum manner for the benefit of the people. Invention stimulates entrepreneurship and technological innovations bring invention into wide spread usage through creative thinking, investment & marketing. Technological innovation has always played a key role in socio-economic development as it accelerates industrial development, enhances productivity of the enterprises, creates market for skilled manpower and helps industries to compete in the international markets. The emerging frontier technologies are driving globalization, increasing competition and compelling organizations to incorporate and adopt new developments into their manufacturing and services applications. Those who are able to create new ideas, develop new technologies and harness the capabilities generated by those technologies are setting the standards and leading the way for the rest of the world. There is a need to enhance our understanding of the incentives and barriers in for effective technology utilization, flexibility, transfer and diffusion of innovation associated with the current and expected global issues of technology management and transfer. The paper would be emphasizing the need for universities and R&D organizations to address design and develop intellectual property policies in their innovation or knowledge management. This will enable them to identify and to manage properly the IP rights in research findings and other academic works produced by university. As a result, it is expected that there will be greater collaboration between the university and R&D systems, and industry as a whole, thus ensuring the foundation for knowledge-based economic development. Most universities and R&D institutions in India s are now entering a stage where they will be expected to interact more with industry as well as governmental and nongovernmental organizations, in terms of consultancy, research contracts and commercialization of inventions, innovations and research findings. Collaboration between universities and industry is very much important in this hour. What perhaps will be new is the increased reliance of universities and R&D institutions on industry as a source of income. Industry and other public institutions will increasingly see such collaboration as a source of new technologies as well as expert support for their tasks of product, process and policy development. Institutional/Universities intellectual property policy (IPP) is very much essential to highlight the issues that may be addressed when developing an IPP. It also enabling on how to handle various issues related to commercial exploitation of intellectual property generated by universities. The issues addressed include coverage of intellectual property policy, ownership, disclosure of inventions and licensing as well as distribution of income. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The main purpose of the seed industry is to cater seeds with desired strength and viability, for which seed coating is a basic requirement. Herein, a hybrid coating of an electrosprayed protein (collagen) on electrospun nanofibers having a multidentate zinc-reinforced carbohydrate (pectin)/PVA composite (PVA/Pec/Zn/Col-NF) was developed. The zinc ensured covalent binding with the -OH in pectin/PVA in addition to the native galvanic binding between the polymers. Along with this, hydrogen bonding interactions between the -NH 2 groups of electrosprayed collagen and the -OH groups in PVA/pectin further enabled the formation of a highly stable nanostructure. Controlled electrodeposition of collagen nanoparticles on the PVA/Pec/Zn-NF led to a decreased surface roughness scale with enhanced moisture resistance. The humidity resistance of the coating and the participation of zinc as a nutrient delayed the germination by 8 days and accelerated the tomato seedling's growth by approximately two times, respectively. The presence of zinc in the coating formulation enabled oxidative stress protection by boosting the superoxide dismutase activity. Moreover, the fungal resistance of the coating enabled the seeds to germinate even in the presence of phytopathogens. Thus, the approach of using the developed PVA/Pec/Zn/Col-NF coating material to construct a tight packing without affecting viability of the seed demonstrates a pioneering seed coating technique for increasing global food security amidst climate change and global warming.

The rapid growth in power demand, integration of renewable energy sources (RES), and intermittent uncertainties have significantly challenged the stability and reliability of interconnected power systems. The integration of electric vehicles (EVs), with their bidirectional power flow, further exacerbates the frequency fluctuation in the power system. So, to mitigate the frequency & power deviations as well as to stabilize the power system integrated with distributed generators (DGs) and EVs, robust & intelligent control strategies are indispensable. This study dedicates a novel Fuzzy-Sliding Mode Controller (FSMC) utilized for load frequency control (LFC). First, the dynamic response has been evaluated by using a Sliding Mode Controller (SMC), showcasing its robustness against external disturbances and parameter uncertainties. Second, to enhance the performance, fuzzy logic is integrated with SMC, leveraging its adaptability to create the FSMC controller. This FSMC has achieved the superiority by handling non-linearities, communication delays and parameter variations in the system. A significant contribution like the design and tuning of the controllers using a Modified Gannet Optimization Algorithm (MGOA) has been established. The potential of MGOA over GOA has been corroborated by convergence speed and precision through benchmark functions. Furthermore, the paper extensively analyzes the impact of EV integration to the frequency and tie-line power dynamics under varying regulation capacities and uncertain operating conditions. Comparative studies demonstrate that the MGOA-tuned FSMC achieves faster settling times, reduced overshoot, and improved stability metrics compared to conventional and state-of-the-art methods. Finally, the MATLAB-based simulation results are validated through real-time implementation on the OPAL-RT 4510 platform, confirming the robustness and practicality of the proposed methodology in addressing modern power system challenges involving high renewable penetration and EV integration., Competing Interests: Declarations. Competing interests: The authors declare no competing interests., (© 2025. The Author(s).)

Implementing a suitable load frequency controller to maintain the power balance equation for a multi-area system with many power generating units poses a challenge to a power system engineer. Incorporation of renewable energy sources along with non-renewable units is another challenge while maintaining the stability of the system. Hence a robust intelligent controller is an essential requirement to achieve the objective of automatic load frequency control. This article introduces a novel and efficient controller designed for a three-control area within a deregulated multi-source energy system. The three areas include diverse power generation sources: Area 1 integrates thermal units, hydro units, and solar thermal power plants. In Area 2, there is a combination of distributed solar technology (DST) with thermal and hydro units. Area 3 incorporates a geothermal power plant alongside thermal and hydro unit. The proposed controller is a parallel combination of the tilted integral derivative controller (TID) and the integral derivative with a first-order filter effect (IDN). The controller's parameters are optimized using an advanced Coatis Optimization Algorithm (COA). High effective efficiency and absence of control parameters are the key advantages of Coatis Optimization Algorithm. The article highlights the superior performance of the newly developed TID + IDN controller in comparison to standalone TID and IDN controllers. This assessment is based on the observation of dynamic responses across different controller configurations. Additionally, the study examines the system's behaviour when incorporating energy storage units such as Redox Flow Batteries (RFB). Furthermore, the research investigates the system under various power transactions in a deregulated environment, considering generation rate constraints and governor dead bands. The proposed approach's robustness is demonstrated by subjecting it to extensive variations in system parameters and random load fluctuations. In summary, this paper presents an innovative TID + IDN controller optimized using a novel Coatis Optimization Algorithm within a three-area hybrid system operating in a deregulated context. Considering the poolco transaction and implementing the COA optimized TID + IDN controller with an error margin of 0.02%, the value of the objective function, ITAE for the transient responses is 0.1233. This value is less than the value obtained in other controllers optimized with different optimization techniques. In case of poolco transaction, the settling time of deviation of frequency in area-1, deviation of frequency in area-2, and deviation of frequency in area-3 are 8.129, 3.72, and 2.254 respectively. As compared to other controllers, the transient parameters are better in case of this proposed controller., Competing Interests: Declarations. Competing interests: The authors declare no competing interests., (© 2025. The Author(s).)

Identifying the parameters of a solar photovoltaic (PV) model optimally, is necessary for simulation, performance assessment, and design verification. However, precise PV cell modelling is critical for design due to many critical factors, such as inherent nonlinearity, existing complexity, and a wide range of model parameters. Although different researchers have recently proposed several effective techniques for solar PV system parameter identification, it is still an interesting challenge for researchers to enhance the accuracy of the PV system modelling. With the above motivation, this article suggests a stage-specific mutation strategy for the proposed enhanced differential evolution (EDE) that adopts a better search process to arrive at optimal solutions by adaptively varying the mutation factor and crossover rate at different search stages. The optimal identification of PV systems is formulated as a single objective function. It appears in the form of the Root Mean Square Error (RMSE) between the PV model current from the experimental data and the current calculated using the identified parameters considering the parameter constraints (limits). The I-V (current-voltage) characteristics/data with identified parameters are validated with the experimental data to justify the proposed approach's accuracy and efficacy for different cells and modules. Extensive simulation has been demonstrated considering two different PV cells (RTC France & PVM-752-GaAs) and three different PV modules (ND-R250A5, STM6 40/36 & STP6 120/36). The results obtained from the proposed EDE technique show Root Mean Square Errors (RMSE) of 7.730062e-4, 7.419648e-4, and 7.33228e-4 respectively, in parameter identification of RTC France PV cell models based on single, double, and triple diodes. Also, the RMSE involved in parameter identification of PVM-752-GaAs PV cell models based on single, double, and triple diodes are 1.59256e-4, 1.408989e-4, and 1.30181e-4, respectively. The parameters identification of ND-R250A5, STM6 40/36 and STP6 120/36 PV modules involve RMSE values of 7.697716e-3, 1.772095e-3, and 1.224258e-2, respectively. All these RMSE values obtained with proposed EDE are the least as compared to other well-accepted algorithms, thereby justifying its higher accuracy., Competing Interests: Declarations. Competing interests: The authors declare no competing interests., (© 2025. The Author(s).)

Switched Reluctance Motor (SRM) has a very high potential for adjustable speed drive operation due to their cost-effectiveness, high efficiency, robustness, simplicity, etc. Now a days SRMs are widely used in automotive industries as traction motors in electric vehicles and hybrid electric vehicles, air-conditioning compressors, and for other auxiliary services. In this article, a novel super twisting sliding mode controller (STSMC) is proposed to improve the performance of an SRM for reducing the ripple in speed and torque. Initially, a novel Modified Electric Eel Foraging Optimization (MEEFO) technique is developed by incorporating a quasi-oppositional phase and its performance is compared with the conventional Electric Eel Foraging Optimization (EEFO) technique with four popular benchmark functions. Then, both MEEFO and EEFO techniques are implemented to optimally design PI, SMC and STSMC controllers to effectively control the speed of an SRM. The study is carried in three different scenarios such as during starting, during a torque change and during a speed change. Finally, performance of the SRM in real time is studied with OPAL-RT 4510 simulator. It is observed that MEEFO based STSMC exhibits significant improvements in effectively controlling speed of the SRM, as compared to its other proposed counterparts., Competing Interests: Declarations. Competing interests: The authors declare no competing interests., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Per‑oral endoscopic myotomy (POEM) is the preferred endoscopic modality for managing achalasia cardia. However, there are no recommendations on the role of POEM in non‑achalasia esophageal dysmotility disorders (NAEMD), including esophagogastric junction outflow obstruction (EGJOO), distal esophageal spasm (DES), and hypercontractile esophagus (HE). The present systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to assess the safety and efficacy of POEM in the treatment of NAEMD. MEDLINE, Embase, and Scopus were searched from inception to August 2023 for studies analyzing the outcome of POEM in NAEMD. Clinical success and adverse events were the main outcomes assessed. The event rates and their 95% confidence interval were calculated using a random effects model. A total of 11 studies with 271 patients were included in the final analysis. The pooled clinical success rate with POEM in NAEMD was 86.9% (82.9-90.9). On subgroup analysis, the pooled clinical success rates of POEM in DES and EGJOO were 97.8% (90.9-100.0) and 92.7% (86.3-95.1), which were significantly higher than in HE 81.2% (73.5-88.8). Data from limited studies showed that the pooled rate of improvement in dysphagia and chest pain was 88.5% (83.0-93.9) and 87.4% (80.5-94.4). The pooled incidence of overall AEs and serious AEs was 12.6% (5.7-19.5) and 0.3% (0.0-1.9), respectively. On follow-up, the pooled incidence of new-onset heartburn was 18.7% (11.1-26.2). POEM is a safe and efficacious treatment modality for the management of NAEMD with a lower clinical success in patients with HE. Further large-scale studies are required to validate the findings of the present analysis., (© 2024. The Author(s) under exclusive licence to The Japan Esophageal Society.)

In recent times, photovoltaic (PV) power generation has been growing due to increase in energy demand. In grid-connected mode, achieving maximum power (MP) from the PV array is difficult by using conventional techniques due to various reasons like low tracking efficiency, stability issues, etc. This motivates the design of an appropriate control strategy to obtain the maximum power point tracking (MPPT) to harvest MP from the PV array. This paper proposes a combined higher order sliding mode observer (HOSMO)-super-twisting control (STC) for a grid-connected scenario. A perturb and observe (P &O) technique is employed to generate reference voltage, and a HOSMO is proposed to drive the STC by estimating the inductor current of the PV boost converter. The proposed controller performance is evaluated based on response time across various scenarios, including generation changes, dynamic faults, islanding and resynchronization, and load variations in comparison to other existing controllers. These microgrid test cases have been thoroughly simulated, and their effectiveness has been validated in real-time using OPAL-RT (OP4510)., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

The incorporation of artificial intelligence into agriculture presents challenges, particularly due to hardware limitations, especially in sensors. Currently, pest detection relies heavily on manual scouting by humans. Therefore, the objective of this study is to create a chemoresistive sensor that enables early identification of the characteristic volatile compound, viz ., methyl jasmonate, released during pest infestations. Given the lower reactivity of esters, we have fine-tuned a composite consisting of SnO 2 nanoparticles and 2D-MXene sheets to enhance adsorption and selective oxidation, resulting in heightened sensitivity. The optimized composite demonstrated a notable response even at concentrations as low as 120 ppb, successfully confirming pest infestations in tomato crops.

Porous materials are highly explored platforms for fertilizer delivery. Among porous materials, metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) are an important class of coordination polymers in which metal ions and organic electron donors as linkers are assembled to form crystalline structures with stable nanoporosity. Selected amino acids were inherently found to have the capacity to hold the leaf cuticle. Hence, MOF synthesis was attempted in the presence of amino acids, which can act as surface terminators and can assist as hands to hold to the leaf for a controlled nutrient supply. By serendipity, the amino acids were found to act as modulators, resulting in well-stabilized porous MOF structures with iron metal nodes, which are often noted to be unstable. Thus, the composite, i.e., (MOF@aa) MOF modulated with amino acids, has efficient nutrient-feeding ability through the foliar route when compared to the control., Competing Interests: The authors declare no competing financial interest., (© 2024 The Authors. Published by American Chemical Society.)

Injuries from animal attacks usually occur when animals feel provoked, surprised or threatened. They may range from minor bruises and contusions to deep extensive injuries caused by biting, kicking or trampling, etc. The scenario differs from animal to animal and between species; by comparing the pattern of injuries it may be possible to work out the animal involved. We present a case where a story of an animal attack was conceived for monetary benefits. Determining the circumstances surrounding death may not be possible in all post-mortem cases but a medical examiner should strive to elicit as much information as possible from the dead body.

Drylands are one of the most sensitive areas to climate change. Despite being characterized by water scarcity and low precipitation, drylands support a wide range of green biodiversity and nearly 40 % of the global population. However, the climate change impacts on dryland characteristics and vegetation dynamics are debatable as the reasons remain poorly understood. Here, we use hydro-meteorological variables from ERA5 reanalysis and GIMMS-NDVI to analyze the changes in dryland aridity and vegetation greenness in the eight selected global dryland regions. The total dryland area (excluding hyperarid) has increased by 12 %, while arid, semiarid, and dry sub-humid areas have increased by 10.5 %, 8 %, and 25 %, respectively. We find a significant increase in aridity in drylands across the globe, except for South Asia. A decrease (increase) in precipitation is the major driver for a significant increase (decrease) in dryland aridity, with a notable contribution from climate warming. Despite decreasing trends in precipitation, vegetation greenness has significantly increased in most dryland regions due to increased soil moisture. Cropland expansion in Europe, Asia, and Australia resulted in the maximum increase in NDVI (Normalized Difference Vegetation Index) in dryland regions. The highest increase, with a ΔNDVI of 0.075, was observed in South Asia. The enhanced vegetation greenness observed is attributed to the expansion of croplands in recent decades, which has increased soil moisture. Overall, we show that monitoring soil moisture variability can provide a more robust explanation for vegetation greenness in the global drylands than aridity change. Moreover, human interventions of climatic alteration through land use change practices, such as cropland expansion, cannot be ignored while explaining the ecosystem dynamics of the drylands., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors have no relevant financial or non-financial interests to disclose., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

The most widespread neurodegenerative disorder, Alzheimer's disease (AD) is marked by severe behavioral abnormalities, cognitive and functional impairments. It is inextricably linked with the deposition of amyloid β (Aβ) plaques and tau protein in the brain. Loss of white matter, neurons, synapses, and reactive microgliosis are also frequently observed in patients of AD. Although the causative mechanisms behind the neuropathological alterations in AD are not fully understood, they are likely influenced by hereditary and environmental factors. The etiology and pathogenesis of AD are significantly influenced by the cells of the central nervous system, namely, glial cells and neurons, which are directly engaged in the transmission of electrical signals and the processing of information. Emerging evidence suggests that exposure to organophosphate pesticides (OPPs) can trigger inflammatory responses in glial cells, leading to various cascades of events that contribute to neuroinflammation, neuronal damage, and ultimately, AD pathogenesis. Furthermore, there are striking similarities between the biomarkers associated with AD and OPPs, including neuroinflammation, oxidative stress, dysregulation of microRNA, and accumulation of toxic protein aggregates, such as amyloid β. These shared markers suggest a potential mechanistic link between OPP exposure and AD pathology. In this review, we attempt to address the role of OPPs on altered cell physiology of the brain cells leading to neuroinflammation, mitochondrial dysfunction, and oxidative stress linked with AD pathogenesis., (© 2024 Wiley Periodicals LLC.)

Over the past years, the use of renewable energy sources (RESs) has grown significantly as a means of providing clean energy to counteract the devastating effects of climate change. Reducing energy costs and pollution have been the primary causes of the rise in solar photovoltaic (PV) system integrations with the grid in recent years. A load that is locally connected to a GCPV requires both active and reactive power control. In order to control both active and reactive power, MAs and advanced controllers are essential. Researchers have used one of the recently developed MAs, known as the CAOA, which is based on mathematical arithmetic operators to tackle a few real-world optimization problems. Some disadvantages of CAOA include its natural tendency to converge to a local optimum and its limited capacity for exploration. By merging the PSO and CAOA methodologies, this article suggests the IAOA. To show how applicable IAOA is, its performance has been evaluated using four benchmark functions. The implementation of an IAOA-based ST-SMC for active and reactive power control is addressed in this article, which offers an innovative approach of research. In comparison to PSO-based ST-SMC and CAOA-based ST-SMC, the proposed IAOA-based ST-SMC appears to be superior, with settling time for active and reactive power control at a minimum of 0.01012 s and 0.5075 s. A real-time OPAL-RT 4510 simulator is used to validate the performance results of a 40 kW GCPV system after it has been investigated in the MATLAB environment., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Temperature influences the survival, growth, and development of insects including the antlion. In the present study, we examined the 24-h rhythm in the pit-building behavior of the antlion larvae at three different temperature conditions, high (37°C), low (17°C), and room temperature (Control: 25.9 ± 0.2°C). We recorded pit-building activities by monitoring two variables: the Time Lag for the Initiation of Pit Reconstruction (TLIPR) after the demolition of the pit, and the Total Time for Pit Construction (TTPC). We monitored TLIPR and TTPC at four different time points with equidistant intervals (i.e. 08:00-10:00 h, 14:00-16:00 h, 20:00-22:00 h, and 02:00-04:00 h) each day over three consecutive days. We employed single Cosinor rhythmometry to evaluate the characteristics of 24-h rhythm in TLIPR and TTPC. We used one-way ANOVA to find out the effects of the temperature on TLIPR and TTPC. We detected a statistically significant 24-h rhythm in TLIPR at the group level, irrespective of the temperature conditions. 24-h rhythm in TTPC was abolished at high and low temperatures. Temperature significantly affected TLIPR and TTPC in general. It also significantly affected the mesor of the rhythms in both variables as well as the amplitude of TTPC. Finally, we noted that although high and low temperatures affected the pit-building behavior in general, the thermal conditions did not lead to a complete cessation of pit-building activities. The 24-h rhythmic pattern associated with TTPC is more susceptible to the effects of thermal regimes (17°C or 37°C) unlike that associated with TLIPR.

In agriculture, pest management is a major challenge. Crop releases volatiles in response to the pest; hence, sensing these volatile signals at a very early stage will ease pest management. Here, binary catalyst-loaded SnO 2 nanoparticles of <5 nm were synthesized for the repeated capture and oxidation of the signature volatile and its products to amplify the chemoresistive signal to detect concentrations as low as ≈120 ppb. The sensitivity may be due to the presence of the elements in the Sn-Fe-Pt bond evidenced by extended X-ray absorption fine-structure spectroscopy (EXAFS) that captures and oxidize the volatile without escaping. This strong catalyst may oxidize nontarget volatiles and can cause false signals; hence, a molecular sieve filter has been coupled to ensure high selectivity for the detection of Tuta absoluta infestation in tomato. Finally, with the support of a mobile power bank, the optimized sensor has been assembled into a lightweight handheld device.

Purpose: A sudden surge of Mucormycosis cases during the second wave of Covid 19 was observed in certain parts of India. The reasons for this upsurge remain unknown. However its impact on the overall healthcare system was quite overwhelming. In this context this study was decided to estimate and assess the spectrum of orbital involvement in patients with Mucormycosis, to find its association with coexisting disease entities if any, and at the same time evaluate the therapeutic response to established treatment regimens., Materials and Methods: This descriptive longitudinal study was conducted over a period of six months. Patients presenting with symptoms of Mucormycosis were jointly evaluated by a multi speciality team. After confirmation of diagnosis, patients were treated with intravenous Amphotericin B, surgical debridement of affected sinuses and orbital exenteration when indicated. They were followed up for three months after discharge., Results: Forty-three patients were enrolled in this study. Thirty-seven (86.04%) were COVID positive. All of them had history of steroid exposure during COVID treatment. Ninety five percent of study participants had diabetes mellitus. Twenty-seven (62.79%) patients had orbital involvement. Most common clinical presentation was peri-orbital or facial pain and edema. Besides medical treatment, thirty-nine patients (90.69%) required sinus debridement and nine patients (20.9%) required orbital exenteration. Thirteen patients (30.23%) expired during the follow up period. With treatment disease regressed in twenty patients (46.51%)., Conclusion: Diabetes and use of steroids to prevent anticipated cytokine storm may be the inciting factors for Orbital Mucormycosis in COVID patients. Early diagnosis, treatment and control of risk factors are keys for recovery and survival.., Competing Interests: The authors declare that there are no conflicts of interest in this paper., (Copyright: © 2024 Taiwan J Ophthalmol.)

Background: Brucellosis is a public health concern that affects multiple organs. However, cardiovascular problems arise infrequently, affecting fewer than 2% of cases, typically presenting as endocarditis., Case Presentation: A 50-year male was admitted with low-grade fever, night sweats, weight loss (13 kg), malaise, and generalized weakness for the past 6 months. On clinical examination, he was febrile with 39.0°C, an average heart rate of 54 bpm, and 100/40 mmHg blood pressure. On cardiovascular examination, S1 and S2 were soft with pan systolic murmur present in the mitral area, and the early diastolic murmur was present in the left third intercostal space. Electrocardiography was suggestive of third-degree heart block with AV dissociation. Transthoracic echocardiography showed mobile vegetations attached to multiple valves- an aortic valve (18.2x11.9 mm) and a mitral valve (2.9x7.5 mm) with perivalvular abscess. He was given oral doxycycline (100 mg B.D.) and rifampicin (600 mg/day); the patient responded, but the AV block did not resolve., Conclusion: This report has drawn attention to multivalvular involvement and cardiac rhythm abnormalities in Brucellosis (in this case, A.V. dissociation was present) because early diagnosis and treatment can cause a significant decrease in morbidity as well as mortality by appropriate treatment., (Copyright© Bentham Science Publishers; For any queries, please email at epub@benthamscience.net.)

The combination of 2D materials and noble metallic nanostructure is becoming an attractive research domain for label-free, highly sensitive surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) applications. This study demonstrated photocatalysis degradation and SERS enhancements of organic fluorophore (Rhodamine 6G) on two-dimensional (2D) TiSe 2 using Raman spectroscopy. The Au nanoparticles (NPs) were decorated on TiSe 2 thin films by thermal annealing at variable temperatures. The selective deposition of Au NPs on the hexagonal TiSe 2 nanocrystals increases surface roughness, creating a larger surface area for molecule adsorption. It has been observed that the Au decoration at 250 °C on TiSe 2 exhibits efficient detection capabilities for R6G with the Raman intensity enhancement factors of the order of ≈10 5 along with the significantly improved visible light-induced photodegradation efficiency. The optimized Au NP size creates large electromagnetic hot spots produced by strong plasmon coupling that assists in the charge transfer mechanism among TiSe 2 , Au NPs, and R6G for enhanced SERS and photocatalysis activities. It has been observed that the intensity of Raman scattering decreases as the Au NP size increases on the TiSe 2 material. A possible charge transfer mechanism is proposed with an energy band diagram. The simultaneous measurement of SERS and photocatalytic dye degradation in Au decorated TiSe 2 can be used as a sensitive technique for water pollution treatment and biodegradable organic contaminants for the environmental ecosystem., (© 2023 IOP Publishing Ltd.)

The generation of clean and drinkable fresh water from seawater and contaminated water holds great potential to mitigate water scarcity. Herein, a floating spherical hydrogel evaporator (SHE) is designed to achieve sunlight-driven desalination, self-salt cleaning, and removal of environmental contaminants. The spherical lightweight polystyrene is coated with a porous carbon-embedded sodium alginate/PVA/CMC photothermal hydrogel to generate a spherical hydrogel evaporator (SHE) that floats naturally. The SHE is very sensitive to the weight imbalance (500 mg) and can respond quickly to the accumulation of salt by rotation to the fresh evaporation surface, realizing excellent antisalt fouling performance. Remarkably, with energy localization by porous carbon, the spherical floating evaporator achieved a high evaporation rate of 2.65 kg m -2 h -1 with an evaporation efficiency of 98%. At the same time, SHE is also capable of adsorbing both organic contaminants and heavy metal ions through functional groups of the hydrogel, attaining 99% removal efficiency. Overall, this low-cost spherical floating evaporator may offer solution for eco-friendly and sustainable production of fresh water on a large scale.

Quick leaching of urea fertilizer encourages different coatings, but achieving a stable coating without toxic linkers is still challenging. Here, the naturally abundant bio-polymer, i.e., starch, has been groomed to form a stable coating through phosphate modification and the support of eggshell nanoparticles (ESN) as a reinforcement agent. The ESN offers a calcium ion binding site for the phosphate to cause bio-mimetic folding. This coating retains hydrophilic ends in the core and gives an excellent hydrophobic surface (water contact angle 123°). Further, the phosphorylated starch+ESN led the coating to release only ∼30 % of the nutrient in the initial ten days and sustained for up to 60 days to show ∼90 % release. The stability of the coating has been attributed to its resistance to major soil factors viz., acidity and amylase degradation. The ESN also increases elasticity, cracking control, and self-repairing capacity by serving as buffer micro-bots. The coated urea enhanced the yield of rice grain by ∼10%., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Crop diseases cause the release of volatiles. Here, the use of an SnO 2 -based chemoresistive sensor for early diagnosis has been attempted. Ionone is one of the signature volatiles released by the enzymatic and nonenzymatic cleavage of carotene at the latent stage of some biotic stresses. To our knowledge, this is the first attempt at sensing volatiles with multiple oxidation sites, i.e. , ionone (4 oxidation sites), from the phytovolatile library, to derive stronger signals at minimum concentrations. Further, the sensitivity was enhanced on an interdigitated electrode by the addition of platinum as the dopant for a favorable space charge layer and for surface island formation for reactive interface sites. The mechanistic influence of oxygen vacancy formation was studied through detailed density functional theory (DFT) calculations and reactive oxygen-assisted enhanced binding through X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) analysis.

Lycopene, a natural colorant and antioxidant with a huge growing market, is highly susceptible to photo/thermal degradation, which demands real-time sensors. Hence, here a transparent upconversion nanoparticles (UCNPs) strip having 30 mol % Yb, 0.1 mol % Tm, and β - NaYF 4 UCNPs, which shows an intense emission at 475 nm, has been developed. This strip has been found to be sensitive to lycopene with a detection limit as low as 10 nM using a smartphone camera, which is due to static quenching that is confirmed by the lifetime study. In comparison to previous paper strips, here the transparent strip has minimal scattering with maximum sensitivity in spite of not using any metal quenchers. An increase in strip hydrophobicity during the fabrication process complements the strip to selectively permeate and present an extraction-free substitute analysis for chromatography. Hydrophobicity endows the strip with the capability to reuse the strip with ∼100% luminescence recovery.

Nitrogen fertilizers, namely urea, are prone to leaching that causes inefficiency in crop production and environmental pollution; hence porous particles were explored for slow release. Nevertheless, discrete particles add cost; therefore, jute cellulose has been tested as twine to tether silica together for reusability. On the other hand, silica serves as an exoskeleton to give pore memory property to cellulose, which otherwise is susceptible to loss of porosity during irrigation. The composite shows ∼70% more absorption capacity in the fifth cycle than the fiber without silica coating. The urea release kinetics shows only <1/3 and 3/4 of urea release from the jute-silica composite compared to naked porous silica and cellulose, respectively. The slow and sustained release of fertilizer from the composite results in a continuous increase in the chlorophyll content in rice crops., Competing Interests: The authors declare no competing financial interest., (© 2022 The Authors. Published by American Chemical Society.)

Stock index price forecasting is the influential indicator for investors and financial investigators by which decision making capability to achieve maximum benefit with minimum risk can be improved. So, a robust engine with capability to administer useful information is desired to achieve the success. The forecasting effectiveness of stock market is improved in this paper by integrating a modified crow search algorithm (CSA) and extreme learning machine (ELM). The effectiveness of proposed modified CSA entitled as Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO)-based Group oriented CSA (PGCSA) to outperform other existing algorithms is observed by solving 12 benchmark problems. PGCSA algorithm is used to achieve relevant weights and biases of ELM to improve the effectiveness of conventional ELM. The impact of hybrid PGCSA ELM model to predict next day closing price of seven different stock indices is observed by using performance measures, technical indicators and hypothesis test (paired t -test). The seven stock indices are considered by incorporating data during COVID-19 outbreak. This model is tested by comparing with existing techniques proposed in published works. The simulation results provide that PGCSA ELM model can be considered as a suitable tool to predict next day closing price., Competing Interests: Conflict of interestThe authors declare that they have no conflict of interest., (© The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag London Ltd., part of Springer Nature 2021.)

Introduction: Madura foot is a rare infective granulomatous foot disease. The burden of this disease has significantly declined in recent years due to better generalized living conditions. Hence, the diagnosis can be quite often missed by the new generation orthopedic surgeon for other more similar conditions. Early diagnosis and prompt treatment is crucial for better outcome and limb survival. We here present the clinical picture of three such Madura foot cases., Case Series: In this study, three Indian males aged between 40 and 60 years of rural background presented to our department with chronic multiple discharging sinuses of the foot. They were initially treated for several months in their local health centers without any improvement. Finally, they came to our institution where they were thoroughly inspected and underwent various investigations such as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and histopathological examination. They were referred across various departments such as dermatology, general surgery and orthopedics, and eventually got correct diagnosis. Treatment was promptly started with oral itraconazole, an antifungal drug, and one patient undergoing additional surgical debulking of the disease which lead to gradual healing of the disease as evident by disappearance of sinuses and return of normal skin in 6-12 months., Conclusion: Madura foot is very characteristic, although it may mimic more prevalent infectious conditions. The characteristic multiple discharging sinuses with extrusions of sulphur granules and MRI findings of "dot in circle" should clinch the diagnosis quickly. Medical therapy should be continued for at least 12 months even if there is resolution of disease in the early or mid-phase of treatment. Debulking of the disease will aid in early recovery and reduce abnormal swelling or appearance of the foot., Competing Interests: Conflict of Interest: Nil, (Copyright: © Indian Orthopaedic Research Group.)

Graphene oxide (GO) with beneficial functional groups regulates the surface chemistry for catalytic applications. However, the low electrical conductivity of GO invokes further treatments that compromise the above-valued properties. We report an interfacial engineering of GO decorated with SnO 2 quantum dots (QDs) for the visible-light-driven catalysis of dye degradation. Retention of beneficial functional features of GO and QDs in the GO-SnO 2 composite is established by using TEM, FTIR, and Raman spectroscopy techniques. Further, investigations with EXAFS and lifetime-measurements provide the local structure and defects distributions in QDs which are correlated with the improved conductivity. PL and electrochemical impedance spectroscopic measurements help unraveling the charge-transfer across the interface of the GO-SnO 2 composite. The unique ability of ∼94% degradation of MB using only 0.5 mg of GO-SnO 2 catalyst within half an hour under the visible light is demonstrated for the first time with insights on the photocatalytic mechanism., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Coral reefs are fragile and endangered ecosystems in the tropical marine and coastal environment. Thermal stress due to marine heat waves (MHW) could cause significantly negative impacts on the health conditions, i.e., bleaching of the coral ecosystem. The current study is an attempt to quantify the intensity of coral bleaching in the Andaman region in recent decades using the intensity of marine heat wave (IMHW) estimated from satellite measured sea surface temperature (SST). A linear regression model was developed between IMHW and in situ observations of percent coral bleaching (PCB) which has the slope 7.767 (of IMHW unit) and intercept (- 141.7). Further, an attempt was also made to establish the relationship between PCB and the ratio between the remote sensing reflectance (Rrs) at 443 and 531 nm to upscale the percentage of coral bleaching at synoptic scales. A significant positive correlation between the PCB and band ratio index was found (R 2  = 0.72). This approach can be used for the operational monitoring of coral reef beaching in this region., (© 2021. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature Switzerland AG.)

Occurrence of phytoplankton bloom in the northern Arabian Sea (NAS) during the winter monsoon is perplexing. The convective mixing leads to a deeper and well-oxygenated (> 95% saturation) mixed layer. We encountered low chlorophyll conditions though the nutrient conditions were favorable for a bloom. The mean ratio of silicate (Si) to DIN (Dissolved Inorganic Nitrogen: nitrate + nitrite + ammonium) in the euphotic zone was 0.52 indicating a "silicate-stressed" condition for the proliferation of diatoms. Also, the euphotic depth was much shallower (~ 49 m) than the mixed layer (~ 110 m) suggesting the Sverdrup critical depth limitation in the NAS. We show that the bloom in this region initiates only when the mixed layer shoals towards the euphotic zone. Our observations further suggest that two primary factors, the stoichiometric ratio of nutrients, especially the Si/DIN ratio, in the mixed layer and re-stratification of the upper water column, govern the phytoplankton blooming in NAS during the later winter monsoon. The important finding of the present study is that the Sverdrup's critical depth limitation gives rise to the observed low chl-a concentration in the NAS, despite having enough nutrients.

The variability in zooplankton density and species composition in response to tidal oscillations were investigated in the lesser saline upper reaches (E1) and higher saline lower reaches (E2) of the Mahanadi Estuary, located at the mouth of the third largest river in Indian Peninsula. This is the first of its kind high frequency observation over the tidal cycle ranging from highest high tide to lowest low tide in this estuary revealing dynamic variability of zooplankton assemblages. Zooplankton abundance was higher during high tide in comparison to low tide, irrespective of salinity regimes. On the diurnal scale, it was higher at night in comparison to the day at both E1 and E2. The higher abundance of zooplankton groups such as Copepoda, Cladocera, and planktonic larvae during the night at E1 as well as E2 indicating an upward migration. Many of the zooplankton taxa (e.g., Pseudodiaptomus serricaudatus, Pseudodiaptomus sp., Acartia danae, Acrocalanus longicornis, Oithona sp., Corycaeus andrewsi) migrated towards E1 due to tidal effect during high tide and maintained their position even during low tide. In contrast, the prevalence of limnetic taxa (e.g., Brachionus rubens, Polyarthra vulgaris, Bosminopsis deitersi, Moina micrura, Heliodiaptomus sp.) at E2 during low tide indicated a predominant riverine source. The tidal variability of Brachyura (zoea and megalopa) revealed different emergence times that indicated dispersal of zoeas to the adjacent Bay of Bengal and the return of magalopa to the Mahanadi Estuary. Species diversity index was higher during high tide, and prominent at E2. At E1, marine, fresh, marine-brackish, and marine-brackish-fresh zooplankton species dominated during high tide, while brackish-fresh taxa dominated during low tide. Differently, E2 was enriched with marine, marine-brackish, and marine-brackish-fresh taxa during high tide, whereas fresh, brackish-fresh, and marine-fresh dominated during low tide. Salinity and suspended matter influenced the dominant zooplankton taxa at E2 and E1, respectively. Zooplankton assemblages exhibited a pattern of prominent diurnal-spatial variation in comparison to the tidal scale in the Mahanadi Estuary. Overall, this study documented a very high zooplankton diversity (92 taxa belonging to 13 groups) and significant variations in species abundance which highlighted the importance of carrying out sampling over the tidal cycle at contrasting salinity regimes.

Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest None declared.

Cattle are cosmopolitan in distribution. They are economically and ecologically significant. The cattle menace on the urban streets of developing and underdeveloped countries is challenging. The number of road accidents is increasing rapidly over time, in the urban areas of most of the developing countries, like India. In the present study, we estimated the population of cattle wandering on the streets/roads/highways of Raipur city of India using the direct headcount method and advanced Photographic Capture-Recapture Method (PCRCM). We compared these two methods of population estimation to check their suitability and adequacy. We superimposed 163 grids (1.0 x 1.0 km each) on the map of Raipur city using Quantum Geographic Information System (QGIS) software. We randomly selected 20 grids for the estimation of the street cattle population. We used both line transect and block count sampling techniques under the direct headcount method. The estimates of visibly roaming cattle on the Raipur city streets were 11808.45 and 11198.30 using the former and the latter sampling techniques, respectively. Further, advanced PCRCM indicated an estimated 35149.61 and 34623.20 cattle using the line transect and block counting sampling techniques, respectively. We observed a female-biased sex ratio in both mature and immature cattle. The frequency of mature cattle was significantly higher than that of naive cattle, followed by the calf. Further, we noticed the frequency of cattle in a grid in the following order: cow > bull > heifer > immature male > female calf > male calf. We concluded that the estimated population of street cattle in Raipur city is about 35 thousand. The results of both the techniques, i.e., direct headcount method and PCRCM, are consistent for population estimation. The direct headcount method yields the number of cattle visibly roaming on the street at a particular time. In contrast, advanced PCRCM gives the total population of street cattle in the city. Active surveillance of the urban cattle population might be of critical importance for municipal and city planners. A better understanding of the urban cattle population might help mitigate the cattle menace on the street, eventually preventing cattle-human conflict and minimizing road accidents. The techniques adopted in this study will also help estimate the population of free-ranging dogs and other wildlife animals in any target location., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

Mushrooms are rich in ergosterol, a precursor of ergocalciferol, which is a type of vitamin D 2 . The conversion of ergosterol to ergocalciferol takes place in the presence of UV radiation by the cleavage of the "B-ring" in the ergosterol. As the UV radiation cannot penetrate deep into the tissue, only minimal increase occurs in sunlight. In this study, upconversion nanoparticles with the property to convert deep-penetrating near-infrared radiation to UV radiation have been cast into a disk to use sunlight and emit UV radiation for vitamin D conversion. An engineered upconversion nanoparticle (UCNP) disk with maximum particles and limited clusters demonstrates ∼2.5 times enhanced vitamin D 2 conversion.

Estuaries receive the anthropogenic pollutants of their watershed area. Dhamra estuary, on the east coast of India, is such an estuary that receives a huge amount of pollutants, and it will eventually pose a threat to the ecological sensitive areas in its vicinity. Therefore, a study was carried out on physico-chemical parameters and chlorophyll-a to delineate the sources of variation during pre-monsoon and post-monsoon seasons. Surface water sampling was carried out from 12 stations in the estuarine and coastal area. Factor analysis and cluster analysis were applied to seasonal data to understand the sources of variation. From the study, it was observed that the chemical parameters are severely affected by anthropogenic influences such as sediment dredging, aquaculture effluent, and waste from industry and sewage from upstream. In the long run, this will affect the nearby nesting ground of vulnerable Olive Ridley turtles, high bio-diverse mangrove forests, and saltwater crocodile habitat., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Defects and deformation potential in quantum dots (QDs) were found to control the Raman modes however the disorder activated phonon (DAP) mode could not be seen in the cubic phase ZnS. With a maiden observation of a DAP mode the crucial role of surface defects, in particular, elemental 'S' is reported. The DAP mode was seen with significant intensity at 153 cm -1 along with the LO mode at 347 cm -1 for the cubic ZnS. ZnS nanoparticles (NPs) of 3 to 5 nm were synthesized to understand origin of the DAP mode and its correlation with defects. The strongest DAP mode was observed in ZnS QDs of 3 nm size which showed the highest surface defects, in particular, the elemental type sulfur as revealed by the photoluminescence study. With increase in crystal size, the bulk-like property set in with the appearance of a weak DAP mode. Further, the reason behind the unclear observation of the mode in a cubic ZnS crystal near room temperature and effects of unaltered surface defects were investigated by the chemical functionalization with oleic acid and the heat treatment studies. The results revealed existence of a strong correlation between surface defects and synthesis conditions for observation of a DAP peak in cubic ZnS NPs., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2020. Published by Elsevier B.V.)

Would you ever purposefully advise an abdominal computed tomography scan in a pregnant woman? We present the case of a pregnant woman who presented with hematochezia requiring multiple transfusions., (© 2020 The Authors. JGH Open: An open access journal of gastroenterology and hepatology published by Journal of Gastroenterology and Hepatology Foundation and John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd.)

Defect chemistry in SnO 2 is well established for resistive sensors but remains to be elusive for photoluminescence (PL) sensors. It demands a comprehensive understanding of the role of cationic and oxygen defects as well as the creation of abundant such defects to provide a selective PL signal. To accomplish it, SnO 2 quantum dots (QDs ∼ 2.4 nm) are prepared without a capping agent along with other dimensions. Then, the relationship of defects with the blue-emission PL is unfolded by electron energy loss spectroscopy, lifetime measurements, X-ray absorption, and Raman spectroscopic measurements. The defects acting as Lewis acid sites are utilized for selective ammonia detection. Huge enhancements of the obscured blue luminescence at 2.77 and 2.96 eV from the SnO 2 QDs are observed because of interaction with ammonia. The linear variation of PL intensities with analyte concentrations and the recovery of the sensor are elaborated with detection up to 5 ppm. The interplay of defects in SnO 2 is further established theoretically for site-specific interactions with ammonia by density functional theory (DFT) calculations. Thus, the unique mechanism revealed for the superlative performance of the PL sensor with uncapped SnO 2 QDs provides a novel platform for defect-engineering-based optoelectronic applications.

The utility of different types of surface defects in SnO₂ nanoparticles (NPs) for the detection of low concentration (50 ppm) of methane (CH₄) at relatively low temperature of 50 °C is established. Chemically synthesized SnO₂ quantum dots are annealed in air and Ar environments at 800 °C to make two different sets of SnO₂ NPs. Variation in dimension, morphology and optical properties due to the annealing conditions are elaborated using X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy and UV Visible spectroscopy respectively. Electron energy loss spectroscopy provides an insight of defect distribution in NPs. Detailed temperature dependent photoluminescence and the Raman studies allow understanding the interplay of in-plane oxygen and bridging oxygen vacancies in above two samples for low concentration CH₄ detection at low temperature. The sensor response was about 1-2% due to low operating temperature. The decisive role of in-plane oxygen vacancy to detect low concentrations of gas and utility of bridging oxygen vacancy for improved response at high temperature are further corroborated from the analysis of sensor response and Arrhenius type plots.

In the current study, we studied behavioral patterns, such as foraging, activity, standing, and laying in a population of cattle wandering on streets of Raipur city. We also determined the effects of four environmental factors (temperature, humidity, light, and noise intensities) on these behaviors. We recorded all four behavioral variables at four time points each day over a period of three consecutive days at 10 randomly selected locations using on-site human observation method, digital video, and still camera. We used Cosinor rhythmometry to analyze the time series data on all four behavioral variables. One-way ANOVA was performed to determine the impact of the factor "time of the day" on all observed behavioral variables. Pearson correlation was also employed to evaluate the relationship between the environmental and behavioral variables. Cosinor analyses revealed statistically significant 24-h rhythms in all observed behavioral variables, at the group level, with peaks of foraging, activity, standing, and laying located at 11.54 h, 14.54 h, 18.66 h, and 23.88 h, respectively. Factor "time of the day" had statistically significant effect on all observed behavioral variables. Foraging and activity were found to be positively correlated with temperature, light, and noise intensities; and negatively correlated with humidity. The laying behavior was found to be negatively associated with temperature, light, and noise intensities; and positively correlated with humidity. The findings of this study might be helpful in the management of cattle menace that has become an annoying phenomenon on the streets and highways of almost all Indian cities.

Anterior hip dislocation is uncommon, comprising only 5%-15% of hip dislocations. It usually occurs following a severe external rotation and abduction injury. These injuries are occasionally associated with acetabular fractures, which generally occur in the direction of dislocation. We describe a rare case of pubic-type anterior hip dislocation with concomitant anterior and posterior acetabular wall fractures in a young male following a road traffic accident. The dislocation could not be reduced by closed means and open reduction had to be performed. Reduction of the hip allowed the wall fragments to fall back to their place and the hip remained stable. At the one-year follow-up, the clinical and radiological results were excellent. This case also emphasizes the importance of early diagnosis and prompt reduction in the successful management of these types of injury., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.