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This paper presents a dielectric spectroscopy approach for analysing the quality of food products. This study aimed to detect the adulteration in mustard oil using dielectric spectroscopy in the 1 to 10 MHz frequency range at a temperature of 30 to 50 °C. The dielectric data were used to predict the adulteration in oils at the given frequency range. The finding indicates that using data analysis techniques can further improve the capacity of dielectric sensing to detect adulterated edible oil. Using MATLAB R2021a, linear relationships between the frequency and adulteration percentage variables were obtained to predict the dielectric constant and dielectric loss factor values. A paired sample t-test was used to analyse the effects of the frequency and adulteration on the dielectric parameters, with a significance level of 0.05 being set for the differences. Correlation coefficients (R2) > 0.96 were established using regression equations relating the dielectric constant, dielectric loss, and adulteration.

Data scarcity and unavailability of observed rainfalls in the northeastern states of India limit prediction of extreme hydro-climatological changes. To fill this gap, a data assimilation approach has been applied to re-construct accurate high-resolution gridded (5 km2) daily rainfall data (2001–2020), which include seasonality assessment, statistical evaluation, and bias correction. Random forest (RF) and support vector regression were used to predict rainfall time series, and a comparison between machine learning and data assimilation-based gridded rainfall data was performed. Five gridded rainfall datasets, namely, Indian Monsoon Data Assimilation and Analysis (IMDAA) (12 km2), APHRODITE (25 km2), India Meteorological Department (25 km2), PRINCETON (25 km2), and CHIRPS (25 and 5 km2), have been utilized. For re-constructed rainfall datasets (5 km2), the comparative seasonality and change assessment have been performed with respect to other rainfall datasets. CHIRPS and APHRODITE datasets have shown better similarities with IMDAA. The RF and assimilated rainfall (AR) have superiority based on bias and extremity, and AR data were recognized as the best accurate data (>0.8). Precipitation change analysis (2021–2100) performed utilizing the bias-corrected and downscaled CMIP6 datasets showed that the dry spells will be enhanced. Considering the CMIP6 moderate emission scenario, i.e., SSP245, the wet spell will be enhanced in future; however, when considering SSP585 (representing the extreme worst case), the wet spells will be decreased. HIGHLIGHTS A unique data assimilation approach is applied to construct an accurate high-resolution gridded (5 km2) daily rainfall time series.; Evaluation and bias correction of multisource gridded rainfall datasets were performed.; Random forest and support vector regression machine learning methods were applied for the prediction of rainfall.; Assessment of long-term rainfall changes was done in the wettest regions of the world.;

This article investigates the current institutional arrangement concerning water governance in Nainital, India, located in the Western Himalayas. It assesses the availability of water resources, the functioning of the supply system, and sheds light on the role of institutions in managing water resources, supply, and distribution. Through qualitative methods (such as focus group discussions and key informant interviews with officials from water management institutions, citizens, etc.) supplemented by a literature review, the study reveals a complex network of institutions and stakeholders involved in water management. This complexity results in overlapping jurisdictions, leading to accountability gaps and various issues. The study identifies that in Nainital, existing institutions operate independently, impacting water governance in terms of water supply, resources, and environmental aspects. Considering the fragile biophysical environment of Nainital, the study also recommends integration of nature-centric approaches into institutional frameworks, which can be helpful in improving the resilience of water systems and promoting sustainable water governance. HIGHLIGHTS Issues and challenges in efficient water management.; Impact of overlapping and mismanagement of institutions on water supply, resources, and environment.; The integration of nature-centric approaches into institutional frameworks can be helpful in enhancing the effectiveness of water management authorities and improving environmental conditions.;

IntroductionIndividuals experiencing mental health disorders encounter numerous challenges while accessing mental healthcare services. Despite the inclusion of mental health in the primary healthcare system, screening and managing mental health disorders remain significantly overlooked. Therefore, there is a need to understand the perceptions of healthcare providers in primary care settings, identify the challenges faced, and gather suggestions for effective mental healthcare delivery.MethodsThe present qualitative study was conducted in 13 primary healthcare facilities in the Jodhpur district of Rajasthan, India, from 2023 to 2024 among 25 primary healthcare providers. Semi-structured interview guides were developed for each category of primary healthcare provider, including Medical Officers, Community Health Officers, and General Nurse Midwives, Auxiliary Nurse Midwives and in-depth interviews were recorded, transcribed, and thematically analyzed using codes and sub-codes.ResultsResults are summarized under the themes: (i) Navigating Mental Healthcare in Primary Healthcare Facilities, (ii) Challenges and Barriers in Mental Healthcare Delivery, (iii) Recommendation for Enhancing Mental Healthcare Services, and (iv) Approaches for Comprehensive Capacity Building Training and Module and further findings of each theme are presented under various sub-themes.ConclusionThe findings suggest that despite a perceived competence in providing mental health services, there were substantial levels of negative attitudes towards mental health disorders among participants and provide insights for policymakers and healthcare professionals to develop targeted interventions and improve mental healthcare delivery at primary care facilities.

ABSTRACTWith an increasing interest in dietary fibers (DFs) to promote intestinal health and the growth of beneficial gut bacteria, there is a continued rise in the incorporation of refined DFs in processed foods. It is still unclear how refined fibers, such as guar gum, affect the gut microbiota activity and pathogenesis of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Our study elucidated the effect and underlying mechanisms of guar gum, a fermentable DF (FDF) commonly present in a wide range of processed foods, on colitis development. We report that guar gum containing diet (GuD) increased the susceptibility to colonic inflammation. Specifically, GuD-fed group exhibited severe colitis upon dextran sulfate sodium (DSS) administration, as evidenced by reduced body weight, diarrhea, rectal bleeding, and shortening of colon length compared to cellulose-fed control mice. Elevated levels of pro-inflammatory markers in both serum [serum amyloid A (SAA), lipocalin 2 (Lcn2)] and colon (Lcn2) and extensive disruption of colonic architecture further affirmed that GuD-fed group exhibited more severe colitis than control group upon DSS intervention. Amelioration of colitis in GuD-fed group pre-treated with antibiotics suggest a vital role of intestinal microbiota in GuD-mediated exacerbation of intestinal inflammation. Gut microbiota composition and metabolite analysis in fecal and cecal contents, respectively, revealed that guar gum primarily enriches Actinobacteriota, specifically Bifidobacterium. Guar gum also altered multiple genera belonging to phyla Bacteroidota and Firmicutes. Such shift in gut microbiota composition favored luminal accumulation of intermediary metabolites succinate and lactate in the GuD-fed mice. Colonic IL-18 and tight junction markers were also decreased in the GuD-fed group. Importantly, GuD-fed mice pre-treated with recombinant IL-18 displayed attenuated colitis. Collectively, unfavorable changes in gut microbiota activity leading to luminal accumulation of lactate and succinate, reduced colonic IL-18, and compromised gut barrier function following guar gum feeding contributed to increased colitis susceptibility.

Multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) are at the forefront of nanotechnology-based advancements in cancer therapy, particularly in the field of targeted drug delivery. The nanotubes are characterized by their concentric graphene layers, which give them outstanding structural strength. They can deliver substantial doses of therapeutic agents, potentially reducing treatment frequency and improving patient compliance. MWCNTs’ diminutive size and modifiable surface enable them to have a high drug loading capacity and penetrate biological barriers. As a result of the extensive research on these nanomaterials, they have been studied extensively as synthetic and chemically functionalized molecules, which can be combined with various ligands (such as folic acid, antibodies, peptides, mannose, galactose, polymers) and linkers, and to deliver anticancer drugs, including but not limited to paclitaxel, docetaxel, cisplatin, doxorubicin, tamoxifen, methotrexate, quercetin and others, to cancer cells. This functionalization facilitates selective targeting of cancer cells, as these ligands bind to specific receptors overexpressed in tumor cells. By sparing non-cancerous cells and delivering the therapeutic payload precisely to cancer cells, this therapeutic payload delivery ability reduces chemotherapy systemic toxicity. There is great potential for MWCNTs to be used as targeted delivery systems for drugs. In this review, we discuss techniques for functionalizing and conjugating MWCNTs to drugs using natural and biomacromolecular linkers, which can bind to the cancer cells’ receptors/biomolecules. Using MWCNTs to administer cancer drugs is a transformative approach to cancer treatment that combines nanotechnology and pharmacotherapy. It is an exciting and rich field of research to explore and optimize MWCNTs for drug delivery purposes, which could result in significant benefits for cancer patients.

In this paper, the dielectric behaviour of coconut oil within the frequency range 100 kHz to 30 MHz between temperature 30 °C–50 °C has been observed. The measured values of the dielectric constant and dielectric loss show notable variation with frequency and temperature for pure coconut oil. It is noticed that the dielectric constant (ε՛) and dielectric loss (ε՛՛) of coconut oil decreases with increasing temperature. The variation in the dielectric constant and dielectric loss with frequency also showed decreasing trend with frequency. UV absorbance of coconut oil for wavelengths ranging from 200 nm to 800 nm and FTIR spectra have also been recorded. The viscosity of oil between temperature 30 °C–50 °C has also been reported.

The resistance (R) gene family in plants is a vital component of the plant defense system, enabling host resistance against pathogens through interactions with pathogen effector proteins. These R genes often encode nucleotide-binding (NB-ARC or N) and leucine-rich-repeat (LRR or L) domains, collectively forming the NLR protein family. The NLR proteins have been widely explored in crops from Poaceae and Brassicaceae, but limited studies are available for crops in other families, including Fabaceae. To address this gap, we conducted a comprehensive genome-wide analysis of putative NLR proteins in nine Fabaceae crops, including Glycine max, Lupinus angustifolius, Medicago truncatula, Pisum sativum, Phaseolus vulgaris, Trifolium pratense, Vigna angularis, Vigna radiata, and Vigna unguiculata. Our study revealed a substantial variation in the number of NLR proteins, independent of genome size. Notably, the NB-ARC domain exhibited a preferential co-occurrence with a specific LRR domain (IPR001611) in Fabaceae. Furthermore, through protein signature analysis, we identified both species-specific and shared domains across the nine crops. By classifying the identified proteins into seven distinct classes (N, L, CN, TN, NL, CNL, and TNL), we observed species-specific clustering within the CN, TN, and CNL classes, reflecting the diversification of species within Fabaceae. This genome-wide study enhances our understanding of the NLR protein repertoire and comprehensive protein signatures in nine Fabaceae species and provides valuable insights into plant defense mechanisms.

Introduction: Glomerular diseases (GDs) have varied presentations in adults. The spectrum varies from benign to aggressive presentations. Materials and Methods: We conducted an observational prospective study at a tertiary care teaching hospital in North India from July 2020 to June 2022 to evaluate GD's spectrum and clinicopathological correlation. All kidney biopsies conducted during this period were considered as per inclusion and exclusion criteria, and detailed history and clinical examination were done. Results: One hundred and twenty-six kidney biopsies were evaluated as per inclusion and exclusion criteria. The mean age was 37.77 ± 17.73 years. Overall, the male-to-female ratio was 2.3:1 while the male-to-female ratio in lupus nephritis (LN) is 0.37:1. Primary GD (PGD) dominated among males whereas secondary GD (SGD) was more common in females. Nephrotic syndrome (NS, 44.5%) and acute kidney injury 27% were the most common clinical syndromes. The most common symptoms were edema and frothuria in NS (70%), and hematuria in acute nephritic syndrome 59%, whereas fatigue and gastrointestinal symptoms (44%) dominated in SGDs. The PGD-to-SGD ratio was 61.1:38.9. The most common PGD was immunoglobulin A nephropathy (IgAN, 22.1%), followed by minimal change disease (MCD, 20.8%), whereas LN (22.5%) was the prominent SGD, with Class IV + V (36.4%) being most common. Conclusion: GDs have a multitude of presentations – from asymptomatic urinary abnormalities to crescentic ones. IgAN and MCD were the most common of PGD whereas LN was the most common SGD.

Introduction: Oral cancer is a global health challenge. In India, there is a huge burden on the healthcare system. The prevalence of oral cancer globally and in India, coupled with the specific risk factors associated with the Indian population, necessitates targeted research to improve early detection and treatment outcomes. The present study analysed 93 patients with oral cancer over 5 years to determine the incidence corresponding to different stages of the disease. Materials and Methods: This retrospective cross-sectional study reviewed medical records from the hospital database. The epidemiological data included age, gender, tobacco habit, duration of tobacco use, site of the lesions, stages of cancer and the treatment provided. We analysed the relationship of epidemiological characteristics with age by the Chi-square test. The statistical test significance level was set at P < 0.05. Results: The incidences of oral cancer each year range from 8% to 12%. A male patient over 40 years of age was most affected by oral cancer 42 (45.16%). The most affected sites were buccal mucosa 36 (38.70%) and alveolus 33 (35.48%) amongst patients over 40 years of age. The predominant stage for the majority of cancer cases was Stage IV, accounting for 49 cases (52.68%). Additionally, the largest lesions, exceeding 4 cm in size, were observed in 64 cases (68.81%), and these instances were predominantly found in patients aged 40 years or older. Chewing tobacco emerged as a significant contributing factor to cancer, affecting 41 cases (42.08%), particularly among those with a habit duration exceeding 10 years, representing 48 cases (51.61%) in patients aged 40 years or older. Conclusion: There is an urgent need to spread awareness of oral cancer, followed by extensive screening in India. Tobacco in India is not only used widely but also associated with cultural relevance, and it is the need of the hour to implement the tobacco policy to reach out evenly to all communities.

Introduction: Paediatric maxillofacial trauma poses a significant threat to children and their well-being, with increasing incidence globally, particularly in developing nations. This study, conducted over 5 years at a private medical college and hospital in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, analysed 225 cases of paediatric maxillofacial injuries, providing a comprehensive overview of incidence, challenges and management strategies. Materials and Methods: The male predominance (2:1 ratio) aligns with existing literature, emphasising the higher susceptibility of boys to traumatic injuries. A concerning 40% of cases involved a loss of consciousness, underscoring the severity of these incidents. Timely medical attention is crucial, as revealed by the finding that approximately 20% of patients sought help more than 24 h after the incident. Results: Head injuries, identified in 35 patients, exhibited a positive correlation with delayed admission times, emphasising the need for prompt evaluation, especially for potential intracranial complications. The study explored causes, with self-falls being the most prevalent (45%), while child abuse instances were absent. Age-specific patterns were noted, emphasising the need for targeted preventive measures. Soft-tissue injuries (58% of cases) were dominated by lacerations and abrasions, with age-specific correlations providing insights for clinicians. Hard-tissue injuries, including dentoalveolar and mandibular fractures (229 cases), showcased a prevalence of displaced fractures, primarily managed conservatively. Surgical interventions, especially open reduction and internal fixation, were common for mandibular fractures. Conclusion: This study contributes nuanced insights into paediatric maxillofacial trauma, informing clinical practices and guiding preventive strategies. Statistically significant associations between various factors offer a foundation for evidence-based practices, ultimately aiming to reduce morbidity and mortality rates in the paediatric population.

Abstract The fabrication of a Poly (vinylidene fluoride) membrane (PVDF) and ceramic-assisted bismuth vanadate-polyvinylidene fluoride (BiVO4-PVDF) composite membrane was achieved through the utilization of the electrospinning technique. The composition and structure of the fabricated membranes were characterized by X-ray powder diffraction, Raman analysis, scanning electron microscopy, Thermo gravimetric analyzer, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and UV–Vis spectroscopy techniques. The prepared polymeric membranes were then utilized for catalytic investigation and to explore, how structure affects catalytic activity using 5 mg/L, 10 mL methylene blue (MB) dye solution. Ultrasonication, visible light irradiation, and the combination were used to study piezocatalysis, photocatalysis, and piezo-photocatalysis, moreover, degradation intermediates were also explored using scavengers. Electrospun BiVO4-PVDF (BV-PVDF) composite has been found to have better piezocatalytic and photocatalytic properties than PVDF. The experimental findings reveal that the composite of BiVO4-PVDF demonstrates the highest efficiency in dye degradation, achieving a maximum degradation rate of 61% within a processing time of 180 min. The rate of degradation was calculated to be 0.0047 min−1, indicating a promising potential for the composite in the field of dye degradation.

Direct-seeded rice (DSR) is gaining popularity among farmers due to its environmentally safe and resource-efficient production system. However, managing the rice root-knot nematode (RRKN), Meloidogyne graminicola, remains a major challenge in DSR cultivation. Developing genetic resistance is a pragmatic and effective approach compared to using hazardous pesticides. Pusa Basmati 1121 (PB1121) is the most popular Basmati rice variety, but it is highly susceptible to RRKN. In contrast, Phule Radha (PR) has shown highly resistant reaction to RRKN, as reported in our earlier study. We generated an F2:3 population from the cross of PB1121/PR and evaluated it for RRKN resistance-related traits under artificial inoculation conditions. The distribution pattern of traits in the F2:3 population indicated that resistance may be governed by a few major-effect genes and many minor-effect genes. The molecular markers reported to be associated with QTLs governing RRKN resistance traits were used to test in the current population. Although the simple linear regression identified significant associations between the markers and RRKN resistance-associated traits, these associations were spurious as the LOD score was below the threshold limit. This indicates that PR possesses novel genomic regions for resistance to RRKN as it does not possess any of the earlier reported QTLs.

Abstract Dickeya dadantii is the causal agent of bacterial stalk rot and one of the most destructive and widespread diseases of the sorghum in the world. Here, we explored microbe-based approaches for managing this destructive pathogen, intending to provide alternatives for integrated disease management. The objective of the research was to decipher the effect of antagonistic microbes on systemic defense enzymes, histochemical changes, plant growth attributes, reduction in disease severity, and interaction of these antagonistic microbes with host. Trichoderma, Pseudomonas, and Bacillus isolates were collected from rhizospheric soil and characterized using morphological and molecular tools. ITS and 16S rRNA sequences were analyzed to determine the molecular characterization of all antagonist microbes, and they were identified as T. asperellum, T. viride, T. harzianum, B. subtilis, and P. flourescens. These isolates were evaluated for antibacterial properties against D. dadantii under in vitro conditions and showed the higher inhibition in a dual culture method. Further, the effects of seed bio-priming and soil application of these isolates were tested under glasshouse and field conditions. T. viride outperformed the other isolates, significantly enhancing the plant growth parameters and induced resistance to Dickeya dadantii (BSR). T. viride showed a significantly higher accumulation of defensive enzymes, viz. PAL (1.02), PO (1.70), PPO (1.25), CAT (1.11), and TPC (0.91) at 48 h after pathogen challenge, as compared to the control. Histochemical tests confirmed lignification and callose deposition in the cell walls of the treated plants. Antagonist microbes were further evaluated under field conditions against D. dadantii infection. Compared to the control, there is a significant enhancement of plant growth parameters and yield with a simultaneous decrease in disease severity in T. viride treated plants. Results showed that the potential benefits of T. viride could not only effectively induce resistance in plants, enhance plant growth, increase yield, and suppress pathogen infection but also reduce the use of hazardous pesticides. As a result of correlation, PCA and heat map analyses indicated that T. viride is interconnected to determine the crop ability to sustain its growth under pathogen stress.

Community-acquired infections (CAIs) represent a major burden for health-care system. This directly aids the emergence of antibiotic-resistant organisms. India is not immune to it. This review assessed the current guideline recommendations for the usage of oral cephalosporins in the management of common CAIs. The researchers conducted iterative searches in PubMed, SCOPUS, and Google Scholar for published articles using various keywords. The search was conducted in November 2022 and considered articles published till date. Different CAIs are caused by similar organisms, susceptible to first-line antibiotics such as penicillin and cephalosporins. Most of the guidelines recommend the use of oral cephalosporins for the management of the commonly prevalent CAIs. These antibiotics however should be used as a monotherapy and not as fixed-dose combinations (FDCs), as FDCs with oral cephalosporins lack scientific basis and may be detrimental. For burden of CAIs intensified by anti-microbial resistance, guidelines are useful for the management of CAIs to educate the prescribers and preserve currently available antibiotics.

Abstract Maize (Zea mays L.) is the third most important cereal crop after rice (Oryza sativa) and wheat (Triticum aestivum). Salinity stress significantly affects vegetative biomass and grain yield and, therefore, reduces the food and silage productivity of maize. Selecting salt‐tolerant genotypes is a cumbersome and time‐consuming process that requires meticulous phenotyping. To predict salt tolerance in maize, we estimated breeding values for four biomass‐related traits, including shoot length, shoot weight, root length, and root weight under salt‐stressed and controlled conditions. A five‐fold cross‐validation method was used to select the best model among genomic best linear unbiased prediction (GBLUP), ridge‐regression BLUP (rrBLUP), extended GBLUP, Bayesian Lasso, Bayesian ridge regression, BayesA, BayesB, and BayesC. Examination of the effect of different marker densities on prediction accuracy revealed that a set of low‐density single nucleotide polymorphisms obtained through filtering based on a combination of analysis of variance and linkage disequilibrium provided the best prediction accuracy for all the traits. The average prediction accuracy in cross‐validations ranged from 0.46 to 0.77 across the four derived traits. The GBLUP, rrBLUP, and all Bayesian models except BayesB demonstrated comparable levels of prediction accuracy that were superior to the other modeling approaches. These findings provide a roadmap for the deployment and optimization of genomic selection in breeding for salt tolerance in maize.

Nanostructured NdMnO3:rGO samples were synthesized via the ultrasonicated sol-gel method by adding rGO concentrations (0–20 wt.%). The formation of a pure orthorhombic structure having a “pnma” space group confirmed the absence of any secondary phase of nanocomposites. The bandgap of NdMnO3:rGO was determined from Tauc's plot to be 2.20–1.74 eV concerning the rGO concentrations. The highest photocatalytic degradation rate was achieved to be 0.530 for the particular rGO concentration of 20 wt.%. The enhanced photocatalytic activity of NdMnO3:rGO nanocomposite is attributed to the higher separation efficiency of photo-induced electron-hole pairs and the extensive surface contact between rGO and NdMnO3. These findings convincingly show that the NdMnO3:rGO photocatalysts possess great potential for UV–visible light-driven photodegradation of MB.

Abstract Background and Aim There is an increased risk of colon cancer associated with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Dietary fibers (DFs) naturally present in vegetables and whole grains offer numerous beneficial effects on intestinal health. However, the effects of refined DFs on intestinal health remain unclear. Therefore, we elucidated the impact of the refined DF inulin on colonic inflammation and tumorigenesis. Methods Four‐week‐old wild‐type (WT) mice were fed diets containing insoluble DF cellulose (control) or refined DF inulin for 4 weeks. A subgroup of mice was then switched to drinking water containing dextran sulfate sodium (DSS, 1.4% wt/vol) for colitis induction. In another subgroup of mice, colitis‐associated colorectal cancer (CRC) was initiated with three 7‐day alternate cycles of DSS following an initial dose of mutagenic substance azoxymethane (AOM; 7.5 mg/kg body weight; i.p.). Post 7 weeks of AOM treatment, mice were euthanized and examined for CRC development. Results Mice consuming inulin‐containing diet exhibited severe colitis upon DSS administration, as evidenced by more body weight loss, rectal bleeding, and increased colonic inflammation than the DSS‐treated control group. Correspondingly, histological analysis revealed extensive disruption of colon architecture and massive infiltration of immune cells in the inulin‐fed group. We next examined the effect of inulin on CRC development. Surprisingly, significant mortality (~50%) was observed in the inulin‐fed but not in the control group during the DSS cycle. Consequently, the remaining inulin‐fed mice, which completed the study exhibited extensive colon tumorigenesis. Immunohistochemical characterization showed comparatively high expression of the cell proliferation marker Ki67 and activation of the Wnt signaling in tumor sections obtained from the inulin‐fed group. Gut microbiota and metabolite analysis revealed expansion of succinate producers and elevated cecal succinate in inulin‐fed mice. Human colorectal carcinoma cells (HCT116) proliferated more rapidly when supplemented with succinate in an inflamed environment, suggesting that elevated luminal succinate may contribute to tumorigenesis. Conclusions Our study uncovers that supplementation of diet with refined inulin induces abnormal succinate accumulation in the intestinal lumen, which in part contributes to promoting colon inflammation and tumorigenesis.

We evaluated the genetic diversity of a newly available collection of 94 almond [Prunus dulcis (Mill.) D.A. Webb] accessions from the former Improving Perennial Plants for Food and Bioenergy (IPPFBE) Foundation. Most of the collection (87 accessions) were collected as seeds from trees growing in the central Asian nations of Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan, and included several examples of Prunus bucharica (Korsh.) Hand.-Mazz, and related wild species. Of the remaining accessions, six were sourced from a nursery in northern Utah in the United States, and one was a seedling of ‘Nonpareil’, a major commercial cultivar. DNA fingerprints were generated from 10 simple sequence repeat markers. To evaluate the comparative diversity of these new accessions, 66 accessions from the US Department of Agriculture, National Plant Germplasm System (NPGS) almond germplasm collection near Davis, CA, USA, were also included. These NPGS accessions were chosen to represent those collected in similar regions of Central Asia and the Caucasus. The fingerprints were analyzed via hierarchical clustering, principal components analysis (PCA), and discriminant analysis of principal components (DAPC). Hierarchical clustering suggested that half of the Utah-sourced accessions are closely related to each other and to the ‘Nonpareil’ seedling. Additional close relationships were detected (including at least one duplication or mislabeling), and two P. bucharica accessions from the IPPFBE collection were separated from the rest of the collection. A plot of the first two principal components clearly separated wild almond relatives (P. bucharica and Prunus fenzliana Fritsch) from the remaining accessions. PCA after removal of the wild species separated the ‘Nonpareil’ seedling, the Utah-sourced accessions, and many of the IPPFBE accessions (mostly from Uzbekistan) from nearly all other individuals. The third principal component identified an additional population structure that separated groups of predominantly IPPFBE or NPGS accessions. DAPC showed a considerable admixture of accessions from Azerbaijan, and a little to no admixture of accessions from Georgia and Tajikistan. These results suggest that central Asian/Caucasian almond germplasm is generally distinct from ‘Nonpareil’ and its relatives, and that although there is overlap between the NPGS and IPPFBE collections from this region, the IPPFBE collection does enhance the diversity of available almond germplasm.

Maize (Zea mays) is the most important coarse cereal utilized as a major energy source for animal feed and humans. However, maize grains are deficient in methionine, an essential amino acid required for proper growth and development. Synthetic methionine has been used in animal feed, which is costlier and leads to adverse health effects on end-users. Bio-fortification of maize for methionine is, therefore, the most sustainable and environmental friendly approach. The zein proteins are responsible for methionine deposition in the form of δ-zein, which are major seed storage proteins of maize kernel. The present review summarizes various aspects of methionine including its importance and requirement for different subjects, its role in animal growth and performance, regulation of methionine content in maize and its utilization in human food. This review gives insight into improvement strategies including the selection of natural high-methionine mutants, molecular modulation of maize seed storage proteins and target key enzymes for sulphur metabolism and its flux towards the methionine synthesis, expression of synthetic genes, modifying gene codon and promoters employing genetic engineering approaches to enhance its expression. The compiled information on methionine and essential amino acids linked Quantitative Trait Loci in maize and orthologs cereals will give insight into the hotspot-linked genomic regions across the diverse range of maize germplasm through meta-QTL studies. The detailed information about candidate genes will provide the opportunity to target specific regions for gene editing to enhance methionine content in maize. Overall, this review will be helpful for researchers to design appropriate strategies to develop high-methionine maize.

This paper reports the effect of aging, thickness, and annealing temperature on microstructural and optical properties of sol-gel dip-coated BaTiO3 (BTO) thin films. The absence of any sharp peaks in the XRD pattern confirmed the amorphous nature of thin films regardless of the aging time of the solution and the thickness. Annealed BTO thin films showed the polycrystalline structure of films, which indicated the formation of a single-phase compound, and increased the intensity with respect to the annealing temperature from 550 to 650 °C. The crystallite size of annealed films increased from 19.44 nm to 23.6 nm, while the lattice strain and dislocation density decreased from 6.63 × 10−3 to 5.65 × 10−3 and 2.65 × 1011 to 1.79 × 1011 cm−2 as the annealing temperature increased from 550 to 650 °C, respectively. The bandgap of as-deposited (solution aged from 48 - 96 h) films decreased from 3.90 to 3.87 eV, while the bandgap of annealed films increased from 3.19 to 3.86 eV as the annealing temperature increased from 550 to 650 °C owing to releasing the defects of films. The near band edge emission (NBE) of all annealed samples was observed to be 361 nm which is in close agreement with the estimated bandgap. The variation of aging, thickness, and annealing temperature of BTO thin films can significantly improve the physical properties of optoelectronic applications.

Solar-driven trigeneration system is a most sustainable energy production technique. It produces valuable energy in the forms of heating, cooling, and power generation. Therefore, it meets the energy demands of a residential complex or of smallscale industries. This paper presents a solar-driven trigeneration system for power, cooling, and freshwater generation through a unit of humidification dehumidification desalination under various thermodynamic criteria. The trigeneration system consists of a parabolic trough collector, a storage tank, an organic Rankine cycle for power generation, a vapor absorption refrigeration system for producing a cooling effect, and a humidification and dehumidification desalination unit for producing fresh water. The average work output for the R-123 fluid was 2866.6 kJ, whereas for R-134a it was 2883.275 kJ. The present study had an average production of freshwater of about 157 kg per day from the proposed trigeneration system.

Abstract Finite element studies were conducted on 0.5Ba(Zr0.2 Ti0.8) O3–0.5(Ba0.7 Ca0.3)TiO3 (BCZT) piezoelectric particles embedded in polyethylene matrix to create a piezocomposite having a positive and negative Poisson's ratio of −0.32 and 0.2. Polyethylene with a positive Poisson's ratio is referred to as non-auxetic while those with negative Poisson's ratio are referred to as auxetic or inherently auxetic. The effective elastic and piezoelectric properties were calculated at volume fractions of (4%, 8% to 24%) to study their sensing and harvesting performance. This study compared lead-free auxetic 0–3 piezocomposite for sensing and energy harvesting with non-auxetic one. Inherently auxetic piezocomposites have been studied for their elastic and piezoelectric properties and improved mechanical coupling, but their sensing and energy harvesting capabilities and behavior patterns have not been explored in previous literatures. The effect of Poisson's ratio ranging between −0.9 to 0.4 on the sensing and energy harvesting performance of an inherently auxetic lead free piezocomposite composite with BCZT inclusions has also not been studied before, motivating the author to conduct the present study. Auxetic piezocomposite demonstrated an overall improvement in performance in terms of higher sensing voltage and harvested power. The study was repeated at a constant volume fraction of 24% for a range of Poisson's ratio varied between −0.9 to 0.4. Enhanced performance was observed at the extreme negative end of the Poisson's ratio spectrum. This paper demonstrates the potential improvements by exploiting auxetic matrices in future piezocomposite sensors and energy harvesters.

The presence of toxic compounds in waste leads to unfavorable hazardous properties, there is an urgent urge for the remediation of environmental contamination. This work focuses on the removal of organic pollutants from the water. Piezocatalytic properties of transparent glass nanocomposites of Bi2ZnB2O7 (BBZO) were studied for water-cleaning application. Melt quenching followed by heat treatment of fabricated glass-nanocomposites were able to degrade different organic dyes. To study the microstructure of the samples under consideration, X-ray diffraction (XRD) and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HR-TEM) were performed. To get the elemental composition of the glass nanocomposite samples, XPS (X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy) was utilized. Methylene blue (MB) dye was used as a model dye for degradation, and it is found that heat-treated glass nanocomposite sample at 475 °C for 1 h (HT/475 °C/1hr) gives maximum dye degradation of 78% under 240 min of ultrasonication with a degradation rate of 0.0065min−1. Furthermore, an obtained by-product from degraded dye was used to experiment to study phytotoxicity assessment using brown gram seeds and it has been found that treated water with BBZO HT/475 °C/1hr sample gives less phytotoxicity of water (Germination Index is found to be 88%).

Transparent glass-ceramics of CaO–Bi2O3–B2O3 (CBBO) were fabricated using the conventional melt quench technique. X-ray diffraction and Raman spectroscopy were employed to confirm the phase of the prepared samples. Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) was used to verify that the material was, indeed, glassy. The CBBO glass samples were subjected to heat treatment at 540 °C for 30 min and 1 h based on their crystallization temperature obtained from DSC analysis. This study focused on the piezocatalytic behavior of CBBO glass-ceramic samples. Piezocatalysis experiments were conducted on the fabricated glass-ceramic samples, and it was discovered that the samples heat-treated for 30 min (HT30m) at 540 °C showed maximum dye degradation of 61% under 240 min of ultrasonication. Experiments were repeated multiple times to confirm their reliability. Additionally, a phytotoxicity assessment was performed on the degraded dye using vigna radiata seeds. The antibacterial properties of the CBBO glass-ceramic samples were also investigated via piezocatalysis. It was discovered that the HT30m CBBO glass-ceramic sample removes 98% of Escherichia coli and 99% of Staphylococcus aureus bacteria within 120 min of ultrasonication.

Paper and pencil have shown wide applicability in the area of flexible electronics. Devices based on paper and pencil offer distinctive advantages, including rapid, straightforward, and cost-effective fabrication, as well as recyclability and eco-friendly characteristics. There are several concepts that have been demonstrated using paper and pencil including thermoelectric, strain gauges, capacitive sensors, and biomedical devices. This review article summarizes state of art of pencil-based thermoelectric devices on paper and their future potential.

Air pollution is a key environmental issue affecting the urban population in the urban cities of Hindu Kush Himalaya (HKH) countries. It is particularly detrimental to marginalized occupation groups like street vendors, labourers and drivers who work outdoors for their livelihood. There are mitigation strategies to reduce the brunt of air pollution that work in the long run. However, these strategies will need time to implement and operationalize. Adaptation behaviours and measures, in this context, are urgently required and become vital to cope with the impacts of air pollution exposure especially for highly exposed informal workers who have very little means of avoiding it. Adaptation behaviour is very complex and depends on socioeconomic and psychological factors. In this paper, we assess the impact of psychological factors like perception and motivation on the adaptive behaviour of the informal workers using Protection Motivation Theory (PMT). Our findings from Dehradun show that concern behaviour towards air pollution was strongly affected by motivation and perception factors. Adaptive behaviour in the form of both concern behavior and the extent of use of additional protective measures is dependent on how the risks of air pollution and related adaptation measures are perceived by the workers. In addition to this, certain adaptation behaviours like changing or adjusting the daily normal behaviour to avoid air pollution exposure are not feasible as they have direct implications on daily wage earnings.

Atherosclerosis and resulting cardiovascular disease are the leading causes of death in the US. Hyperhomocysteinemia (HHcy), or the accumulation of the intermediate amino acid homocysteine, is an independent risk factor for atherosclerosis, but the intricate biological processes mediating this effect remain elusive. Several factors regulate homocysteine levels, including the activity of several enzymes and adequate levels of their coenzymes, including pyridoxal phosphate (vitamin B6), folate (vitamin B9), and methylcobalamin (vitamin B12). To better understand the biological influence of HHcy on the development and progression of atherosclerosis, apolipoprotein-E-deficient (apoE−/− mice), a model for human atherosclerosis, were fed a hyperhomocysteinemic diet (low in methyl donors and B vitamins) (HHD) or a control diet (CD). After eight weeks, the plasma, aorta, and liver were collected to quantify methylation metabolites, while plasma was also used for a broad targeted metabolomic analysis. Aortic plaque burden in the brachiocephalic artery (BCA) was quantified via 14T magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). A severe accumulation of plasma and hepatic homocysteine and an increased BCA plaque burden were observed, thus confirming the atherogenic effect of the HHD. Moreover, a decreased methylation capacity in the plasma and aorta, indirectly assessed by the ratio of S-adenosylmethionine to S-adenosylhomocysteine (SAM:SAH) was detected in HHD mice together with a 172-fold increase in aortic cystathionine levels, indicating increased flux through the transsulfuration pathway. Betaine and its metabolic precursor, choline, were significantly decreased in the livers of HHD mice versus CD mice. Widespread changes in the plasma metabolome of HHD mice versus CD animals were detected, including alterations in acylcarnitines, amino acids, bile acids, ceramides, sphingomyelins, triacylglycerol levels, and several indicators of dysfunctional lipid metabolism. This study confirms the relevance of severe HHcy in the progression of vascular plaque and suggests novel metabolic pathways implicated in the pathophysiology of atherosclerosis.

Congenital tracheoesophageal fistula (TEF) is a result of the failed fusion of tracheoesophageal ridges during the 3rd week of gestation. Commonly, TEF is associated with esophageal atresia, which is detected and treated in newborns. Isolated TEF is rare with an overall incidence of 1 in 80,000 live births. Very rarely, they can present in adulthood. This report is adding one such patient at the age of 17 years who presented with the first episode of aspiration pneumonia and a history of retrosternal discomfort and regurgitation since childhood to the limited world experience.

Abstract The world population is expected to be around 9 billion by 2050 which would be 34 per cent greater than the today’s population. This will enhance the food demand to match the rising population. Horticultural commodities in general and fruit in the particular has been designated as the source of nutraceuticals. For reaching up optimum level of production, Biostimulants may come up with and the emerging concept of to meet out with this challenge and over the last decade, utilization of natural plant biostimulants is gaining importance. The use of biostimulants can be extensively exploited under fruit crops as they contribute towards a crucial role in enhancing the anatomical, morphological, physiological, that ultimately ameliorated the fruit productivity, and quality of the fruits. In addition, the application of biostimulants helps in promoting physiological actions like photosynthesis, nutrients metabolism, enzymatic activities, chlorophyll, protein and carbohydrate content. It also helps to mitigate abiotic stress like water stress, salinity, temperature, and changes related to oxidation–reduction reaction, reactive oxygen species detoxification, stress signaling, and hormonal pathways. After much exploration regarding the effects of biostimulants on fruit crops, there is still a void that exists in the area related to its impact on various traits. Henceforth, an appropriate tactics approach is much needed under the areas of research about biostimulants. Graphical Abstract

Abstract In the present numerical simulation work, effective elastic and piezoelectric properties are calculated and a comparative study is conducted on a cement matrix‐based piezocomposite with 0–3 and gyroid triply periodic minimal surface (TPMS) inclusions. The present study compares the effective properties of different piezoelectric materials having two different types of connectivity of the inclusions namely, 0–3 inclusions where the inclusions are physically separated from each other and are embedded within the matrix and the second one is TPMS inclusions having interpenetrating phase type connectivity. Effective properties are calculated for four different materials at five different volume fractions namely, 10%, 15%, 20%, 25%, and 30% volume fractions of inclusion by volume. In terms of effective properties and direct piezoelectric effect, TPMS piezocomposite is found to perform better compared to 0–3 piezocomposite. Lead‐free piezoelectric material 0.5Ba(Ca0.8Zr0.2)O3 − 0.5(Ba0.7Ca0.3)TiO3 demonstrates better performance compared to all other material inclusions studied. The present study attempts to highlight improved piezoelectric effective properties of lead‐free material‐based piezocomposites with TPMS inclusions.

Understanding niche and its parameters including niche breadth and niche overlap hold promise in discerning the needs, tolerances of organisms and also the extent of niche overlap among the sympatric species. Such information is critical to the conservation and management of important forest tree species. In view of the lack of any detailed previous study on this aspect in the Western Himalayan temperate forests of the Indian Himalayan Region, the present study was carried out to characterize niche in respect of their niche breadth, niche overlap and the interspecific association between various dominant species in 13 subtypes of Western Moist Temperate Forest and 4 subtypes of Western Dry Temperate Forest. Our study revealed that the niche breadth was high for Rhododendron arboreum and Cedrus deodara and low for Machilus odoratissima, Pinus wallichiana, Aesculus indica, Quercus lanuginosa and Cornus macrophylla. Niche overlap was high for the conifers (Abies pindrow and Cedrus deodara) followed by evergreen broad-leafed species (Quercus semecarpifolia and Rhododendron arboreum) and low for deciduous species (Aesculus indica). The variance ratio revealed that overall association between tree species of the Western Moist and Dry temperate forests were positive, i.e., tree species were associated with each other for their coexistence. However, the interspecific association between species yielded both positive and negative association between various pairs of dominant species of the forests. The present study provides empirical support and new insights into species cohabitation and adaptation to environmental change. The information is crucial for explaining species coexistence at regional and local scales for sustainable conservation and management of forests under global change.

PURPOSEWe aimed to evaluate the relative contribution of susceptibility weighted imaging (SWI) in the detection of common bile-duct (CBD) stones in comparison to the conventional MRI protocol containing magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography (MRCP), balanced turbo field echo (BTFE), and T2-weighted spin-echo imaging techniques.METHODSMRI data containing MRCP, BTFE, T2-weighted imaging, and abdominal SWI were independently evaluated by 2 sets of experienced radiologists in 44 patients with confirmed CBD stones. Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography, and endoscopic ultrasound where available, was used as the reference gold standard. Evaluation was performed for the visualization of CBD stones in each of the MRI techniques. Relative contribution of SWI was classified into one of four categories for each case: (1) no contribution to CBD stone visualization; (2) same as conventional techniques; (3) improved diagnostic confidence; and (4) critical for diagnosis. Stone size was also assessed.RESULTSInter-rater agreement coefficient for CBD stone visualization was found to be “good” in MRCP (0.77), “very good” in SWI (0.94) and BTFE (0.84), and moderate in T2-weighted imaging (0.54). CBD stones were visualized with SWI in 86.4% and 82%, with MRCP in 70.5% and 70.5% cases, with BTFE in 73% and 61.4% cases, with T2-weighted imaging in 45.5% and 52.3% cases by reviewers 1 and 2, respectively. SWI did not contribute to CBD stone visualization in 2.3% (1/44); was the same as conventional techniques in 31.8% (14/44) cases; improved diagnostic confidence in 34.1%; and was critical for diagnosis in 20.5% cases.CONCLUSIONSWI has the potential to serve as a strong adjunct to conventional MRI protocols used for CBD stone evaluation with very small scan-time penalty.

Ferroelectric materials are known to possess multicatalytic abilities that are nowadays utilized for removing organic pollutants from water via piezocatalysis, photocatalysis, piezo-photocatalysis, and pyrocatalysis processes. The Ba0.85Ca0.15Ti0.9Zr0.1O3 (BCZTO) ceramic is one such ferroelectric composition that has been extensively studied for electrical and electronic applications. Furthermore, the BCZTO ceramic has also shown remarkable multicatalytic performance in water-cleaning applications. The present review explores the potentiality of BCZTO for water-cleaning and bacterial-killing applications. It also highlights the fundamentals of ferroelectric ceramics, the importance of electric poling, and the principles underlying piezocatalysis, photocatalysis, and pyrocatalysis processes in addition to the multicatalytic capability of ferroelectric BCZTO ceramic.

Introduction: The aim of the present study was to analyze the effects of retraction mechanics on torque control when retraction forces were applied on the maxillary anterior dentition in two distinct lingual appliance systems. Materials and Methods: A three-dimensional bilateral maxillary model was created where the first premolar extraction case was included. 150 g (1.47 N) of retraction force was applied on each side from canine (C) hook to molar for both edgewise straight wire system and ribbonarch appliances. Results: In the edgewise appliance, it was observed in the X-axis that there was less amount of tipping of the six anterior teeth of the canine and central incisor (CI) when compared with the lateral incisor (LI) at occlusal point. In the Y-axis, overall extrusion was observed. In the Z-axis, there was less lingual crown movement. In the ribbonarch appliance, it was observed in the X-axis that there was less tipping, prominently in the canine and CI than in the LI. In the Y-axis, overall extrusion was observed. In the Z-axis, there was less lingual crown movement, whereas the CI and canine showed less movement when compared with the LI. Conclusions: It was observed that there was greater torque loss and extrusion in the edgewise appliance along with greater maximum principal stress in the cervical half of the facial side in the periodontal ligament (PDL) and minimum principal stress on the cervical half of the palatal side in the PDL when compared with the ribbonarch appliance.

The wavelet transform is widely used in the task of hyperspectral image compression (HSIC). They have achieved outstanding performance in the compression of a hyperspectral (HS) image, which has attracted great interest. However, transform based hyperspectral image compression algorithm (HSICA) has low-coding gain than the other state of art HSIC algorithms. To solve this problem, this manuscript proposes a curvelet transform based HSIC algorithm. The curvelet transform is a multiscale mathematical transform that represents the curve and edges of the HS image more efficiently than the wavelet transform. The experiment results show that the proposed compression algorithm has high-coding gain, low-coding complexity, at par coding memory requirement, and works for both (lossy and lossless) compression. Thus, it is a suitable contender for the compression process in the HS image sensors.

IntroductionHealthcare workers (HCW) are most vulnerable to contracting COVID-19 infection. Understanding the extent of human-to-human transmission of the COVID-19 infection among HCWs is critical in managing this infection and for policy making. We did this study to estimate new infection by seroconversion among HCWs in recent contact with COVID-19 and predict the risk factors for infection.MethodsA cohort study was conducted at a tertiary care COVID-19 hospital in New Delhi during the first and second waves of the COVID-19 pandemic. All HCWs working in the hospital during the study period who came in recent contact with the patients were our study population. The data was collected by a detailed face-to-face interview, serological assessment for anti- COVID-19 antibodies at baseline and end line, and daily symptoms. Potential risk factors for seroprevalence and seroconversion were analyzed by logistic regression keeping the significance at pResultsA total of 192 HCWs were recruited in this study, out of which 119 (62.0%) were seropositive. Almost all were wearing Personal protective equipment (PPE) and following Infection prevention and control (IPC) measures during their recent contact with a COVID-19 patient. Seroconversion was observed among 36.7% of HCWs, while 64.0% had a serial rise in the titer of antibodies during the follow-up period. Seropositivity was negatively associated with being a doctor (odds ratio [OR] 0.35, 95% Confidence Interval [CI] 0.18-0.71), having COVID-19 symptoms (OR 0.21, 95% CI 0.05-0.82), having comorbidities (OR 0.14, 95% CI 0.03-0.67), and received IPC training (OR 0.25, 95% CI 0.07-0.86), while positively associated with partial (OR 3.30, 95% CI 1.26-8.69), as well as complete vaccination for COVID-19 (OR 2.43, 95% CI 1.12-5.27). Seroconversion was positively associated with doctor as a profession (OR 13.04, 95% CI 3.39-50.25) and with partially (OR 4.35, 95% CI 1.07-17.65), as well as fully vaccinated for COVID-19 (OR 6.08, 95% CI 1.73-21.4). No significant association was observed between adherence to any IPC measures and PPE adopted by the HCW during the recent contact with COVID-19 patients and seroconversion.ConclusionAlmost all the HCW practiced IPC measures in these settings. High seropositivity and seroconversion are most likely due to concurrent vaccination against COVID-19 rather than recent exposure to COVID-19 patients. Further studies using anti-N antibodies serology may help us find the reason for the seropositivity and seroconversion among HCWs.

Abstract For maintaining the healthy metabolic status, vitamin D is a beneficial metabolite stored majorly in its pre-activated form, 25-hydroxyvitamin D3 (25(OH)D3). Due to its important role in bone strengthening, the study was planned to quantify 25(OH)D3 levels in our blood. Quantification techniques for 25(OH)D3 are costly thus requiring a need for a low cost, and sensitive detection methods. In this work, an economic, and sensitive sensor for the detection of 25(OH)D3 was developed using aptamer and graphene oxide (GO). Aptamer is an oligonucleotide, sensitive towards its target, whereas, GO with 2D nanosheets provides excellent quenching surface. Aptamer labeled with fluorescein (5’, 6-FAM) is adsorbed by π–π interaction on the GO sheets leading to quenching of the fluorescence due to Förster resonance energy transfer (FRET). However, in the presence of 25(OH)D3, a major portion of aptamer fluorescence remains unaltered, due to its association with 25(OH)D3. However, in the absence, aptamer fluorescence gets fully quenched. Fluorescence intensity quenching was monitored using fluorescence spectrophotometer and agarose gel based system. The limit of detection of 25(OH)D3 by this method was found to be 0.15 µg/mL whereas when GO-COOH was used, limit of detection was improved to 0.075 µg/mL. Therefore, this method could come up as a new sensing method in the field of vitamin D detection.

Continuous demand for an increase in food production due to climate change and a steady rise in world population requires stress-resilient, sustainable agriculture. Overuse of chemical fertilizers and monoculture farming to achieve this goal deteriorated soil health and negatively affected its microbiome. The rhizosphere microbiome of a plant plays a significant role in its growth and development and promotes the plant’s overall health through nutrient uptake/availability, stress tolerance, and biocontrol activity. The Intermountain West (IW) region of the US is rich in native plants recommended for low water use landscaping because of their drought tolerance. The rhizosphere microbiome of these native plants is an excellent resource for plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) to use these microbes as biofertilizers and biostimulants to enhance food production, mitigate environmental stresses and an alternative for chemical fertilizer, and improve soil health. Here, we isolated, purified, identified, and characterized 64 bacterial isolates from a native plant, Ceanothus velutinus, commonly known as snowbrush ceanothus, from the natural habitat and the greenhouse-grown native soil-treated snowbrush ceanothus plants. We also conducted a microbial diversity analysis of the rhizosphere of greenhouse-grown native soil-treated and untreated plants (control). Twenty-seven of the 64 isolates were from the rhizosphere of the native region, and 36 were from the greenhouse-grown native soil-treated plants. These isolates were also tested for plant growth-promoting (PGP) traits such as their ability to produce catalase, siderophore, and indole acetic acid, fix atmospheric nitrogen and solubilize phosphate. Thirteen bacterial isolates tested positive for all five plant growth-promoting abilities and belonged to the genera Pantoea, Pseudomonas, Bacillus, and Ancylobacter. Besides, there are isolates belonging to the genus Streptomyces, Bacillus, Peribacillus, Variovorax, Xenophilus, Brevundimonas, and Priestia, which exhibit at least one of the plant growth-promoting activities. This initial screen provided a list of potential PGPR to test for plant health improvement on model and crop plants. Most of the bacterial isolates in this study have a great potential to become biofertilizers and bio-stimulants.

Abstract Biologicals have become an integral part of cancer treatment both as therapeutic agents and as supportive care agents. It is important to know that biologics are large, complex molecular entities requiring extensive immunogenicity testing and pharmacovigilance strategies to ensure no immune response is evoked in the body. Oncology's pharmacological market is dominated by biologics; however, their high development and manufacturing costs are burdensome to health care systems. Biologics being the most expensive prescription drugs on the market limit the accessibility for necessary treatment in the case of many patients. As biologics patents expire, the development of biosimilars is underway in an effort to lower costs and enable patients to access new cancer therapies. Regulatory guidelines for biosimilars have now been established and are constantly being revised to address any issues, facilitating their robust development. Moreover, many scientific societies offer guidance to help stakeholders better understand current regulations and biosimilar's safety. Despite the potential cost benefits, lack of knowledge about biosimilars, and the possibility of immunogenicity have created an uncertain environment for healthcare professionals and patients. In this review, we provide an overview of relevant legislation and regulations, pharmacoeconomics, and stakeholder perceptions regarding biosimilars. The article also describes biosimilars in development, as well as the ones currently available on the market.

Ground-based sky imagers (GSIs) are increasingly becoming popular amongst the remote sensing analysts. This is because such imagers offer fantastic alternatives to satellite measurements for the purpose of earth observations. In this paper, we propose an extremely low-cost and miniature ground-based sky camera for atmospheric study. Built using 3D printed and off-the-shelf components, our sky camera is lightweight and robust for use in diverse climatic conditions. With a 63° field of view angle, the camera captures high resolution sky/cloud images for both day and night times at 5 min intervals. The camera is designed to be mounted on a pole-like architecture and with its compact form, it can be installed at any location without requiring any change in the existing infrastructure. For remote areas, the camera also has a local backup facility from which data can be easily accessed manually. We have open-sourced the hardware design of our sky camera, and therefore researchers can easily manufacture and deploy these cameras for their respective use cases.

Ovarian mucinous neoplasms (benign/borderline/malignant), one of the common surface epithelial tumours of ovary, at times can be associated with mural nodules. These mural nodules can either be sarcomatous, sarcoma like or anaplastic carcinomatous. The nodules can be single or multiple and appear solid, white to brown in color. Sarcomatous nodules tend to occur in older patients and microscopically are poorly circumscribed , comprising of a population of pleomorphic spindled cells. Two cases of sarcomatous nodules associated with ovarian mucinous neoplasm are being presented here.

During the last few decades the field of nanotechnology has witnessed tremendous amounts of research on inorganic metal oxide nanoparticles. The magnetic iron oxide nanoparticles have attracted lots of attention due to its unique properties and very wide field of applications. In this regard, present investigation represents a non toxic eco-friendly low cost method for the fabrication of iron oxide nanoparticles. The structural and morphological analyses of fabricated nanoparticles were performed by using some standard analytical procedures like X-Ray diffraction, Scanning electron microscope, UV visible spectroscopy and IR spectroscopy. The X-ray diffraction analysis revealed that the fabricated nanoparticles are crystalline in nature and have 20 nm average particle sizes. The Proposed manuscript highlights the antibacterial antioxidant and photocatalytic activity of the fabricated nanoparticles. The fabricated nanoparticles show significant antibacterial, antioxidant and photocatalytic activity.

Background and Importance: Spinal Subdural Hematoma (SSH) is a rare condition with an unknown incidence in the general population. Iatrogenic spinal subdural hematoma radiologically mimicking a prolapsed dorsolumbar disc has not been published in the literature. Case Presentation: A 65-year-old female presented with altered sensorium and generalized weakness for 3 days evaluated by a neurologist who diagnosed it as a metabolic encephalopathy with Syndrome of Inappropriate Antidiuretic Hormone secretion (SIADH) with severe anemia and hypothyroidism. She underwent a diagnostic lumbar puncture and following which, within 24 hours, she developed weakness of both the lower limbs. MRI of dorsolumbar spine was done which revealed D12-L1 extruded disc causing severe compression to the conus medullaris with D12-L2 subarachnoid lesion and cord edema. On opening the dura, a large organized hematoma on the anterior aspect of the conus was seen and evacuated. Conclusion: Spinal subdural hematoma presents with a spectrum of signs and symptoms. Although MRI is the investigation of choice but SSH presenting like a prolapsed intervertebral disc on MRI is one of its kinds and should be kept in mind since it carries a grave prognosis if not treated early with emergency decompression.

Selenoprotein W (Selenow) is a ~9 kDa selenoprotein suggested to play a beneficial role in resolving inflammation. However, the underlying mechanisms are poorly understood. SELENOW expression in the human GI tract using ScRNAseq Gut Cell Atlas and Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) databases revealed its expression in the small intestine and colonic epithelial, endothelial, mesenchymal, and stem cells and correlated with a protective effect in ulcerative colitis patients. Selenow KO mice treated with 4% dextran sodium sulfate (DSS) showed exacerbated acute colitis, with greater weight loss, shorter colons, and increased fecal occult blood compared to the WT counterparts. Selenow KO mice expressed higher colonic Tnfα, increased Tnfα+ macrophages in the colonic lamina propria, and exhibited loss in epithelial barrier integrity and decreased zonula occludens 1 (Zo-1) expression following DSS treatment. Expression of epithelial cellular adhesion marker (EpCam), yes-associated protein 1 (Yap1), and epidermal growth factor receptor (Egfr) were decreased along with CD24lo cycling epithelial cells in Selenow KO mice. Colonic lysates and organoids confirmed a crosstalk between Egfr and Yap1 that was regulated by Selenow. Overall, our findings suggest Selenow expression is key for efficient resolution of inflammation in experimental colitis that is mediated through the regulation of Egfr and Yap1.