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In the previous work [Reddy et al., J. Chem. Phys. 151, 044307 (2019)], we have analyzed the dynamics of the intramolecular singlet fission process in a series of prototypical pentacene-based dimers, where the pentacene monomers are covalently bonded to a phenylene linker in ortho, meta, and para positions. The results obtained were qualitatively consistent with the experimental data available, showing an ultrafast population of the multiexcitonic state that mainly takes place via a mediated (superexchange-like) mechanism involving charge transfer and doubly excited states. Our results also highlighted the instrumental role of molecular vibrations in the process as a sizable population of the multiexcitonic state could only be obtained through vibronic coupling. Here, we extend these studies and investigate the effect of the laser field on the dynamics of intramolecular singlet fission by explicitly including the coupling to the laser field in our model. In this manner, and by selectively tuning the laser field to the different low-lying absorption bands of the systems investigated, we analyze the wavelength dependence of the intramolecular singlet fission process. In addition, we have also analyzed how the nature of the initially photoexcited electronic state (either localized or delocalized) affects its dynamics. Altogether, our results provide new insights into the design of intramolecular singlet fission-active molecules. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a comprehensive study on the implementation and analysis of PID controllers in an automated voltage regulator (AVR) system. A novel tuning technique, Virtual Time response-based iterative gain evaluation and re-design (V-Tiger), is introduced to iteratively adjust PID gains for optimal control performance. The study begins with the development of a mathematical model for the AVR system and initialization of PID gains using the Pessen Integral Rule. Virtual time-response analysis is then conducted to evaluate system performance, followed by iterative gain adjustments using Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO) within the V-Tiger framework. MATLAB simulations are employed to implement various controllers, including the V-Tiger PID controller, and their performance is compared in terms of transient response, stability, and control signal generation. Robustness analysis is conducted to assess the system's stability under uncertainties, and worst-case gain analysis is performed to quantify robustness. The transient response of the AVR with the proposed PID controller is compared with other heuristic controllers such as the Flower Pollination Algorithm, Teaching–Learning-based Optimization, Pessen Integral Rule, and Zeigler-Nichols methods. By measuring the peak closed-loop gain of the AVR with the controller and adding uncertainty to the AVR's field exciter and amplifier, the robustness of proposed controller is determined. Plotting the performance degradation curves yields robust stability margins and the accompanying maximum uncertainty that the AVR can withstand without compromising its stability or performance. Based on the degradation curves, robust stability margin of the V-Tiger PID controller is estimated at 3.5. The worst-case peak gains are also estimated using the performance degradation curves. Future research directions include exploring novel optimization techniques for further enhancing control performance in various industrial applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper introduces an effective blind watermarking algorithm for double-color images utilizing the Walsh–Hadamard Transform (WHT) with symmetric embedding locations to enhance imperceptibility. The proposed algorithm leverages the energy accumulation capability and significant correlations among coefficients of the WHT. First, the color host image undergoes partitioning into its respective red (R), green (G), and blue (B) channels, followed by further subdivision into 4 × 4 blocks. Through research, the algorithm determines which WHT coefficients are least visually sensitive to embedding a color image, and as a result, optimizes the embedding locations to achieve better imperceptibility. The extensive simulation results verify the superior performance of the proposed algorithm compared to other related approaches, showcasing its excellence not only in imperceptibility but also in embedding capacity and robustness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, the emission and performance characteristics of single-cylinder diesel engines were tested using various biodiesel blends prepared by mixing diesel with mango seed oil biodiesel (MSOB). Furthermore, the effect of n-amyl and n-hexanol alcohol additions on the performance and emission results of manufactured biodiesel blends is investigated and compared with diesel fuel. On the other hand, a hybrid deep neural network (DNN) based on the manta ray foraging optimization (MRFO) method is developed to forecast ideal biodiesel blends in order to reduce emissions from diesel engines while improving performance. The optimal brake thermal efficiency (BTE) and brake specific fuel consumption (BSFC) for this study were 32.3916 % for 75 % diesel + 20 % MSOB + 5 % n-hexanol fuel and 0.0453 kg/kWh for 75 % diesel + 20 % MSOB + 5 % n-amyl fuel, respectively. The optimal emissions from the test engine were 0.1034 % CO from 60 % diesel + 20 % MSOB + 20 % n-hexanol and 28.886 ppm HC from 75 % diesel + 20 % MSOB + 5 % n-hexanol fuel. The optimal smoke and NOx levels are achieved with a blend of 60 % diesel, 20 % MSOB, 5 % n-amyl, and 5 % n-hexane. Moreover, the developed DNN-MRFO achieved 0.9979, 0.9992 and 0.9975 overall regression coefficients during training, validation and testing. The root mean square error (RMSE) of DNN-MRFO also ranges from 0.019 to 0.032. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a comprehensive study on the implementation and analysis of PID controllers in an automated voltage regulator (AVR) system. A novel tuning technique, Virtual Time response-based iterative gain evaluation and re-design (V-Tiger), is introduced to iteratively adjust PID gains for optimal control performance. The study begins with the development of a mathematical model for the AVR system and initialization of PID gains using the Pessen Integral Rule. Virtual time-response analysis is then conducted to evaluate system performance, followed by iterative gain adjustments using Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO) within the V-Tiger framework. MATLAB simulations are employed to implement various controllers, including the V-Tiger PID controller, and their performance is compared in terms of transient response, stability, and control signal generation. Robustness analysis is conducted to assess the system's stability under uncertainties, and worst-case gain analysis is performed to quantify robustness. The transient response of the AVR with the proposed PID controller is compared with other heuristic controllers such as the Flower Pollination Algorithm, Teaching–Learning-based Optimization, Pessen Integral Rule, and Zeigler-Nichols methods. By measuring the peak closed-loop gain of the AVR with the controller and adding uncertainty to the AVR's field exciter and amplifier, the robustness of proposed controller is determined. Plotting the performance degradation curves yields robust stability margins and the accompanying maximum uncertainty that the AVR can withstand without compromising its stability or performance. Based on the degradation curves, robust stability margin of the V-Tiger PID controller is estimated at 3.5. The worst-case peak gains are also estimated using the performance degradation curves. Future research directions include exploring novel optimization techniques for further enhancing control performance in various industrial applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the current scenario, renewable energy sources (RES) are used in transport applications to minimise the dependency on fossil fuels. The electrical vehicle (EV) has contributed a vital role in smart grids with the penetration of RES. The battery connected EVs have increased in the past few years owing to numerous benefits. Thus, it is necessary to develop an optimum charging controller for the charging station to meet the energy demand. In order to accomplish this goal, hybrid fuzzy fractional order proportional integral derivative (HF2OPID) is proposed. Meanwhile, the controlling parameters of the HF2OPID are tuned by all member based optimisation algorithms (AMBO). Alongside, a hybrid honey badger recurrent neural network (H2B-RNN) provides peak power from the solar photovoltaic (SPV) module. The honey badger optimisation algorithm examines the optimum weights of the layers. The proposed method is implemented on the MATLAB/Simulink platform, and the results are compared with the existing methods. The obtained results demonstrate the proposed method's compatibility with the available techniques in the literature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Herein we demonstrate the influence of aliovalent (Ca2+) substitution in the single-phase orthorhombic La 1-x Ca x FeO 3 (with x = 0.01, 0.03, 0.05, 0.07, 0.09) nanoparticles prepared by simple combustion method. The samples were systematically studied using XRD, SEM-EDS, and UV–Vis-DRS characterization techniques for their structural, microstructural-elemental, and optical (band structure) characteristics. Also, the catalytic attributes were evaluated through photocatalytic studies against indigo carmine in the presence of visible light. It was observed that La 1-x Ca x FeO 3 nanoparticles crystallized in orthorhombic structure at its as-synthesized form. The SEM analysis showed that the spherical nanoparticles with high porosity and agglomerations were further reduced with increasing Ca2+ concentration. The inclusion of Ca2+ also demonstrated the change in the band structure, as the band gap of the material reduced from 2.24 eV to 1.75 eV while the Ca2+ content increased from 1 mol% to 9 mol%. Furthermore, elevating the Ca2+ levels in the La 1-x Ca x FeO 3 resulted in enhanced photocatalytic decomposition of the indigo carmine dye, exhibiting a maximum efficacy of 96.5 % at neutral pH and a stabilization period of 120 min under visible light. The increase in photocatalysis is attributed to the formation of Fe4+ ions and oxygen vacancies induced by the aliovalent cation (Ca2+) replacement at the La3+ site in the LaFeO 3 host matrix. The results suggest that the prepared LaFeO 3 nanoparticles are potential nano-catalysts for photocatalytic activities against indigo carmine under visible light. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Herein we demonstrate the influence of aliovalent (Ca2+) substitution in the single-phase orthorhombic La 1-x Ca x FeO 3 (with x = 0.01, 0.03, 0.05, 0.07, 0.09) nanoparticles prepared by simple combustion method. The samples were systematically studied using XRD, SEM-EDS, and UV–Vis-DRS characterization techniques for their structural, microstructural-elemental, and optical (band structure) characteristics. Also, the catalytic attributes were evaluated through photocatalytic studies against indigo carmine in the presence of visible light. It was observed that La 1-x Ca x FeO 3 nanoparticles crystallized in orthorhombic structure at its as-synthesized form. The SEM analysis showed that the spherical nanoparticles with high porosity and agglomerations were further reduced with increasing Ca2+ concentration. The inclusion of Ca2+ also demonstrated the change in the band structure, as the band gap of the material reduced from 2.24 eV to 1.75 eV while the Ca2+ content increased from 1 mol% to 9 mol%. Furthermore, elevating the Ca2+ levels in the La 1-x Ca x FeO 3 resulted in enhanced photocatalytic decomposition of the indigo carmine dye, exhibiting a maximum efficacy of 96.5 % at neutral pH and a stabilization period of 120 min under visible light. The increase in photocatalysis is attributed to the formation of Fe4+ ions and oxygen vacancies induced by the aliovalent cation (Ca2+) replacement at the La3+ site in the LaFeO 3 host matrix. The results suggest that the prepared LaFeO 3 nanoparticles are potential nano-catalysts for photocatalytic activities against indigo carmine under visible light. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examined the phenomenon of particle segregation in lean-phase binary mixtures, with a specific focus on the effect of particle size variations while flowing over a continuous liquid fluidized bed (LFB). The experimental configuration included a cylindrical column with a 72 mm internal diameter and 3 m vertical height. The binary mixture considered for this investigation was made up of solid materials that were rich in flotsam and jetsam. The study encompassed various factors, including liquid velocity, solid feed rate, and feed composition, in order to examine the separations containing flotsam and jetsam. A segregation index was calculated for each of the various combinations. On the other hand, the fluidization of the blend consisting of two solid components displayed notable differences in its behavior when compared to the reported effects of particle separation in any of the mixtures. Empirical correlations have been employed to establish relationships between variables, particularly with respect to solid entrainment and top and bottom product purity levels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study is motivated by the vital role of dissipating thermal energy in the physiological system where energy depletion can lead to severe health complications. These complications encompass a range of issues, including sudden death, anemia, hypothermia, blood pressure fluctuations and the necessity for cardiac surgery. Biomedical engineers and clinicians have recognized the significance of analyzing entropy generation to quantify energy loss in biological systems. Furthermore, this study acknowledges the importance of understanding the thermodynamic state of entropy generation, particularly in evaluating cancer cells during chemotherapy treatment and enhancing heat transfer in tissues. The primary objective of this study is to evaluate the heat transfer characteristics of a magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) tangent hyperbolic hybrid nanofluid near a heat source and thermal radiation as it flows over a porous plate. The research methodology utilizes the MATLAB program bvp4c for solving the momentum and temperature equations. These equations are subsequently transformed into ordinary differential equations using the appropriate self-similarity variables. An elevation in the heat source parameter leads to heightened internal energy of liquid particles, resulting in an increase in temperature. Additionally, the magnetic field parameter is directly proportional to the entropy generation; as it increases, so does the entropy generation. Moreover, nanoparticles, owing to their high surface area-to-volume ratio, have the capacity to hinder heat transport within the fluid. The specific application of this study lies in the field of biomedical engineering and clinical practices. The findings can contribute to developing advanced heat-transfer techniques for medical applications, such as improving chemotherapy treatments for cancer cells and enhancing tissue heat-transfer efficiency. Moreover, using silver and copper nanoparticles as heat-transfer agents could hold promise in treating blood-related health conditions and facilitating the healing of injured tissue. Investigating incompressible tangent hyperbolic hybrid nanofluid flow over a geometric structure with thermal radiation and heat generation. Exploring blood-like rheological properties with copper and silver nanoparticles suspension. Incorporating viscous dissipation and joule heating effects into the analysis. The nonlinear equations are solved using the MATLAB bvp4c solver, and the results are presented in 2D tables and graphs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study explores the performance and emissions characteristics of a diesel engine fuelled with blends of Juliflora biodiesel, specifically B10, B20, and B30, both with and without a nano titanium dioxide (TiO2) coated cylinder. The results clearly demonstrate that blending Juliflora biodiesel at a 20% ratio (B20) leads to enhanced engine efficiency compared to using pure diesel fuel. Specifically, B20 exhibits a remarkable 9.03% improvement in Brake Thermal Efficiency (BTE) over pure diesel operation without the coated cylinder, whereas, with the coated cylinder, B20 displays an even more significant increase in BTE of around 10.23% compared to pure diesel operation. Furthermore, when employing a nano TiO2 coated cylinder with the B30 blend (30% Juliflora biodiesel), notable reductions in emissions are being observe with the exception of nitrogen oxides (NOx). These findings underscore the potential advantages of utilizing Juliflora biodiesel blends in combination with a Nano TiO2 coated cylinder to improve engine performance and decrease emissions. This advancement offers promising prospects for a more sustainable and eco-friendly transportation sector. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Significant optical nonlinearities in amorphous nanocomposites are essential for developing advanced communications and photonic devices. In this regard, the borate glasses are considered substantial and readily available commercial hosts. The present work demonstrates the white light emission and decay properties in lithium bismuth boro-phosphate glasses reinforced with gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) prepared via melting and quenching technique. Also, their non-linear optical properties are evaluated in the present study. Numerous characterization methods were used to extensively examine the produced glasses, including XRD, HR-TEM, FTIR, XPS, MAS-NMR, DSC, UV–Visible, Photoluminescence, and Z-scan techniques. Following the addition of AuNPs into the glass matrix, an increase in the refractive index and density of the glasses was observed. The amorphous features of the glass sample are disclosed by XRD examination, and DSC research demonstrates the thermal stability of the glasses after the addition of AuNPs, as shown by the rise in T g values from 459 °C to 486 °C. HR-TEM results reveal the presence of Au metal nanoparticles having a cubic crystal structure with an average size of 14 nm, while XPS analysis shows that the valence of Au is 0, i.e. Au0 or, in other words, the metallic nature of gold in glasses. FTIR, MAS-NMR, and UV–Visible spectral studies demonstrate the substantial modifications in the physical, structural, and optical properties brought about by incorporating AuNPs into the glass matrix. The PL spectra of glasses containing AuNPs show three distinct, sharp emissions at 494, 611, and 738 nm, out of which the blue emission (494 nm) is found to be predominant and has an overall emission in the region of yellow on the CIE diagram with an average lifetime of 12.23 μs. Glasses containing AuNPs have a white light correlated colour temperature (CCT) of 5129 K and CIE chromaticity (x, y) coordinates of (0.346, 0.413). Additionally, we utilized a Z-scan technique to measure the nonlinear absorption coefficient and nonlinear refractive index. Our experimental data show that the values obtained are consistent with the theoretical closed and open aperture values. Based on our findings, it appears that the glasses we prepared have the potential to be utilized in optical switching applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: The aim of this study was to demonstrate the quicker onset of sensory and motor blockade, increased duration of postoperative analgesia and lesser incidence of tourniquet pain following addition of dexmedetomidine to lignocaine compared to lignocaine alone in IVRA for upper limb surgeries. Methods: A randomized prospective study conducted in 60 ASA grade I and II patients, of either sex, between 20-60 years, scheduled for either elective or emergency surgeries of upper limb were included in the study. All patients were divided into two groups by computer generated randomization of 30 each, into group A and group B. Group A received 3mg/kg lignocaine diluted with saline to a total volume of 40ml with dexmedetomidine 0.5 microgram/kg added as an adjunct. Group B received 3mg/kg lignocaine diluted with saline to a total volume of 40 ml. Pain score was evaluated using visual analog scale (VAS) of 0 to 10. Sensory and motor block onset and recovery times, onset of tourniquet pain, time to first analgesic requirement was noted. Result: Both groups are comparable with demographic details ie age, gender are weight. type and duration of surgery are insignificant in between groups. Sensory, motor blockade onset time are significantly less in lignocaine and Dexmedetomidine added groups. Sensory blockade recovery time and motor recovery time after the release of tourniquet was significantly longer Group A than for Group B (2.53 ± 0.51 minutes) which is statistically significant with a 'p' value of 0.0001. VAS reached a score of 3 at 416.2 ± 45.73 minutes in Group A and at 33 ± 0.96 minutes in Group B. This difference was statistically significant with a 'p' value of 0.0001. In group A, 7 cases had a sedation score of 1 and 23 had a score of 2. In group B, 30 cases had sedation score of 1. Conclusions: Dexmedetomidine 0.5micrograms/kg is added to lignocaine for Intravenous regional anesthesia, it provided quicker onset of sensory and motor blockade, lesser incidence of tourniquet pain, increased duration of post operative analgesia and better haemodynamic stability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The resilience of nursing students has a positive impact on their wellbeing and completion of courses, especially during pandemics like Covid-19. However, research on resilience factors among nursing students is limited to India. Aim: This qualitative study aimed to explore senior nursing students' perceptions of resilience factors in recovery from Covid-19 infection. Methods: The virtual focus group discussions (FGDs) were conducted among final year undergraduate nursing students at a tertiary care center. We used an interview guide with semi-structured questions to collect the data. Results: A narrative content analysis revealed four dominant themes: experiences and concerns while caring for patients with Covid-19 infection (subtheme: lack of adequate knowledge and skills, support by clinical preceptors, inadequate supply of personal protective equipment (PPE) kits, fear of acquiring and spreading of Covid-19 infection to friends and other patients), reactions to Covid-19 infection (subtheme: anxiety, fear of rejection, academic worries, and uncertainty of illness), resilience (subtheme: support by seniors, teachers, friends, family support, positive self-concept, relaxation techniques, and organization support), and willingness to serve patients with Covid-19 infection (subtheme: professional responsibility, personal experiences, role models, and supportive working environment). Conclusions: The findings suggest that it is crucial to prepare nursing students for adversity through resilience training. Further, studies that develop and evaluate effective strategies to promote resilience among nursing students are urgently needed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A series of new carbamates and sulfonamide derivatives of cis-tramadol 5(a-e) and 7(a-e) have been synthesized in high yields by the reaction of cis-tramadol with various chloroformates 4(a-e) and sulfonyl chlorides 6(a-e). All the newly synthesized compounds were characterized by IR, NMR (1H and 13C), mass and elemental analyses. The synthesized compounds were evaluated for their antibacterial and antifungal activities. Compounds 5a, 5b, 7a and 7c exhibited potent antibacterial and antifungal activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The ultimate goal of this study is to find a better method for minimizing hazardous emissions from a diesel engine. For this reason, emission parameters such as smoke, nitrogen oxides (NOX), unburned hydrocarbons, and carbon monoxide from a single‐cylinder diesel engine were analyzed using various biodiesel blends. The biodiesel was extracted from mango seed oil through trans‐esterification and combined with pure diesel at a 2:8 ratio. The prepared biodiesel (MSME20) was further mixed with 50, 100, and 150 ppm of either cerium oxide (CeO2) or magnesium oxide (MgO) nano‐particles through ultra‐sonication to prepare various fuel blends. The results reported that the addition of nano‐particles significantly lowered CO, HC, and smoke opacity by 25%, 25%, and 28% when compared with diesel. Also, there was a nearly 16% brake thermal efficiency gain from 50 ppm nano‐particle‐added MSME20 than pure MSME20. But for NOX emission, MSME20 fuel produced 106 ppm more NOX than diesel. Later, it was reduced up to 24 ppm while adding 50 ppm nano‐particles into MSME20 fuel. Further, a hybrid deep belief network‐coupled sandpiper optimizer was developed to optimize fuel blends. The proposed algorithm showed 37.5 ppm nano‐particle added 17.5% MSME as an optimal mix for the tested engine while running with 50% load. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The kinetics of catalytic reduction of U(VI) by H 2 over Pt/SiO 2 was investigated as a function of various parameters. The effect of agitation speed and particle size on the reduction of U(VI) was studied initially to eliminate the mass transfer resistance. Later, the effect of catalyst loading, concentration of U(VI), HNO 3 , N 2 H 4 , H 2 pressure and temperature on the reduction of U(VI) was studied. Langmuir–Hinshelwood– Hougen–Watson (LHHW) approach was employed to derive kinetic model equations and understand the reaction mechanism. Among the various models, the model – IX corresponding to the adsorption of nitric acid on the catalyst surface was found to be suitable for explaining the concentration profiles of U(VI) and HNO 3 in all the temperature and pressure range. The activation energy of the reaction was determined to be around 22.6 kJ mol−1 indicating the reduction of U(VI) with H 2 was falling in chemical and diffusion controlled regime. [Display omitted] • Synthesis and characterization of Pt/SiO 2 catalyst for the reduction of U(VI) by H 2. • Effect of various parameters on the kinetics of U(VI) reduction. • Modelling the kinetics of U(VI) reduction by LHHW approach and validation. • Mechanism of U(VI) reduction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Peripheral arterial disease (PAD) is a complete or partial obstruction of blood flow in arteries excluding the cerebral and coronary arteries. The most common causes are atherosclerosis, thrombosis, thromboembolism, and some secondary causes like diabetes mellitus, smoking etc. PVD presents with a variety of symptoms and it is associated with many risk factors. In this study we aim to analyze the clinical profile and the risk factors of PVD. Aims and objectives: To investigate the clinical and demographic profile of patients with peripheral vascular disease and to identify the various risk factors for PVD in this population Methodology: The study was a hospital based cross-sectional study. A total of 62 patients were recruited. A detailed history and clinical examination was done. The severity of PVD was determined on the basis of Ankle Brachial Pressure Index (ABPI) . Doppler studies were performed on both upper and lower limbs and the ABI was calculated. Results: Majority of the subjects were males and belonged to the older age group (57-66yrs). Most of them had history of smoking, diabetes and hypertension. A large proportion of patients were obese. 85.5% of the patients had ABI<0.9. Patients with ABI <0.9 were found to have a significantly higher mean weight, height, WHR, LDL and RBS than people with normal ABI. Conclusion: Patients with PVD have a wide range of clinical symptoms and many comorbidities. As a result, they have a risk for various complications. Identification and prevention of risk factors is very crucial to the treatment of the disease and to avoid complications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Backed by advances in digital electronics, signal processing, computation and storage technologies, aperture arrays, which had strongly influenced the design of telescopes in the early years of radio astronomy, have made a comeback. Amid all these developments, an international effort to design and build the world's largest radio telescope, the Square Kilometre Array (SKA), is ongoing. With its vast collecting area of 1 km 2 , the SKA is envisaged to provide unsurpassed sensitivity and leverage technological advances to implement a complex receiver to provide a large field of view through multiple beams on the sky. Many pathfinders and precursor aperture array telescopes for the SKA, operating in the frequency range of 10–300 MHz, have been constructed and operationalized to obtain valuable feedback on scientific, instrumental and functional aspects. This review article looks explicitly into the progression of digital-receiver architecture from the Murchison Widefield Array (precursor) to the SKA1-Low. It highlights the technological advances in analog-to-digital converters (ADCs), field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs) and central processing unit–graphics processing unit (CPU–GPU) hybrid platforms around which complex digital signal processing systems implement efficient channelizers, beamformers and correlators. The article concludes with a preview of the design of a new generation signal processing platform based on radio frequency system-on-chip (RFSoC). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In continuation with Paper I [S. R. Reddy et al., J. Chem. Phys. 151, 054303 (2019)], the vibronic structure and dynamics of the 1 Σ u + electronic state of C15, C17, C19, and C21 chains in the coupled manifold of 1 Σ u + –1Πg–1Πu– 1 Σ g + electronic states have been investigated in this paper. The model vibronic Hamiltonian developed through extensive ab initio quantum chemistry calculations in Paper I is employed, and first principles nuclear dynamics calculations are carried out to obtain the photoabsorption band of the 1 Σ u + electronic state. Both time-independent and time-dependent quantum mechanical calculations are carried out to precisely locate the vibrational levels, assign them with the progression of vibrational modes, and elucidate the impact of both Renner-Teller and pseudo-Renner-Teller couplings on them. The nonradiative decay of the 1 Σ u + electronic state is studied, and it is found that the decay rate is comparable with the prediction made for them to be qualified as a carrier of diffuse interstellar bands in the literature. The theoretical results are found to be in good accord with the available experimental results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Carbon chains have been predicted to be potential carriers of diffuse interstellar band features in astrophysical observations. Motivated by numerous predictions, we set out to carry out extensive ab initio quantum chemistry calculations to establish the ground and excited electronic potential energy surfaces and their coupling surfaces for carbon chains containing an odd number of carbon atoms (C2n+1, n = 7–10). Vibronic coupling models are established with the aid of the calculated electronic energies to investigate nuclear dynamics from first principles. The latter are reported in Ghosh et al. [J. Chem. Phys. 151, 054304 (2019)]. The mentioned carbon chains possess a linear cumulenic structure at the equilibrium minimum of their electronic ground state, and an electronic excited state of the Σ u + 1 term appears to be extremely bright optically and absorbs in the visible region of the electromagnetic spectrum. Vertical excitation energy of this state decreases and transition dipole moment increases, and as a result, the oscillator strength of this state linearly increases with an increase of the chain length. There are states belonging to 1Πg, 1Πu, Σ g + 1 , 1Δg, and 1Δu terms, in the immediate vicinity of the Σ u + 1 state, which are optically dark but can gain intensity through vibronic coupling with the optically bright Σ u + 1 state. Construction of a coupling scheme considering the Renner-Teller coupling within the degenerate Π states and pseudo-Renner-Teller coupling between the Renner-Teller split component states as well as with the nondegenerate Σ states is another motivation of this work. The coupled-state Hamiltonian is constructed in a diabatic electronic basis in terms of the dimensionless normal coordinates of the vibrational modes of the carbon chains. Both Renner-Teller and pseudo-Renner-Teller types of couplings are included in the Hamiltonian. The theoretical results are discussed in relation to the experimental findings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We analyze the dynamics of intramolecular singlet fission in a series of pentacene-based dimers consisting of two pentacene-like chromophores covalently bonded to a phenylene linker in ortho, meta, and para positions. The study uses a quantum dynamical approach that employs a model vibronic Hamiltonian whose parameters are obtained using multireference perturbation theory methods. The results highlight the different role of the direct and mediated mechanism in these systems, showing that the population of the multiexcitonic state, corresponding to the first step of the intramolecular singlet fission process, occurs mainly through a superexchange-like mechanism involving doubly excited or charge transfer states that participate in the process in a virtual way. In addition, the systems investigated provide insight into the roles that built-in geometrical constraints and the electronic structure of the spacer play in the intramolecular singlet fission process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Effective capture of fugitive actinides and daughter radionuclides constitutes a major remediation challenge at legacy or nuclear accident sites globally. The ability of double-layered, anionic clay minerals known as hydrotalcites (HTC) to contemporaneously sequester a range of contaminants from solution offers a unique remedy. However, HTC do not provide a robust repository for actinide isolation over the long term. In this study, we formed HTC by in-situ precipitation in a barren lixiviant from a uranium mine and thermally transformed the resulting radionuclide-laden, nanoscale HTC. Atomic-scale forensic examination of the amorphized/recrystallised product reveals segregation of U to nanometre-wide mineral interfaces and the local formation of interface-hosted mineral grains. This U-phase is enriched in rare earth elements, a geochemical analogue of actinides such as Np and Pu, and represents a previously unreported radionuclide interfacial segregation. U-rich phases associated with the mineral interfaces record a U concentration factor of ~ 50,000 relative to the original solute demonstrating high extraction and concentration efficiencies. In addition, the co-existing host mineral suite of periclase, spinel-, and olivine-group minerals that equate to a lower mantle, high P–T mineral assemblage have geochemical and geotechnical properties suitable for disposal in a nuclear waste repository. Our results record the efficient sequestering of radionuclides from contaminated water and this novel, broad-spectrum, nanoscale HTC capture and concentration process constitutes a rapid solute decontamination pathway and solids containment option in perpetuity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The data on the characteristics of patients with idiopathic intracranial hypertension (IIH) following levothyroxine (LT4) replacement are limited. Here, we report a case and systematically review published cases of idiopathic intracranial hypertension (IIH) following levothyroxine (LT4) replacement. The systematic review was performed as per the PRISMA guidelines. Our patient is a 46-year-old lady with hypothyroidism (thyrotropin: 319 mIU/L, free thyroxine: 0.04 ng/dl), treated with 100 μg.d of LT4 and presented a month later with headache, visual diminution, bilateral lateral rectus palsies, and papilledema. Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) pressure was 32 cmH2O. Drainage of CSF, oral acetazolamide, and modification of LT4 dose resulted in prompt symptomatic improvement and complete reversal of IIH. In the systematic review (n = 21), the median age of patients (7 males) was 13 (IQR: 8.8- 26.5) years. The median duration of hypothyroid symptoms was 4 (n = 10, IQR: 0.44-6.25) years whereas that from initiation of LT4 replacement to the diagnosis of IIH was 2 (n = 20, IQR: 1.17-4) months. Initial median serum thyrotropin and thyroxine were 100 (n = 14, IQR: 72.5-421.6) mIU/L, and 1.13 (n = 12, IQR: 1.0-2.45) μg/dl which changed to 2.2 (n = 7; IQR: 0.23-3.40) mIU/L and 8.90 μg/dl (n = 8, IQR: 6.43-14.85 μg/dl), respectively at diagnosis of IIH after LT4 treatment with median daily LT4 doses of 0.89 (n = 8, IQR: 0.60 – 1.17) times the maximum recommended dose for age. To conclude, we report an adult woman with IIH following LT4 replacement for primary hypothyroidism, a rare entity. Pediatric age, prolonged symptom duration, and use of higher LT4 replacement dose may be associated with IIH following LT4 replacement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The tachycardia was regular at initiation and before spontaneous termination with a transient period of irregularity interposed by narrow QRS beats. shows the patient-triggered continuous rhythm ECG from the Holter (with annotations). Demonstration of ventricular preexcitation (delta waves) during the wide QRS tachycardia and in isolated QRS beats provided an invaluable clue in support of preexcited atrial fibrillation (; arrow depicts preexcited beat in rhythm strip 7). In fact, the wide QRS tachycardia is from preexcited atrial fibrillation - that is, atrial fibrillation occurring in the setting of ventricular preexcitation is responsible for fast, irregular, wide QRS tachycardia with varying QRS morphologies (; rhythm strips 7 and 8). [Extracted from the article]

Neurological conditions such as neurodegenerative diseases and mental health disorders are a result of multifactorial underpinnings, leading to individual-based complex phenotypes. Demystification of these multifactorial connections will promote disease diagnosis and treatment. Personalized treatment rather than a one-size-fits-all approach would enable us to cater to the unmet healthcare needs based on protein–protein and gene-environment interactions. Gut–brain axis, as the name suggests, is a two-way biochemical communication pathway between the central nervous system (CNS) and enteric nervous system (ENS), enabling a mutual influence between brain and peripheral intestinal functions. The gut microbiota is a major component of this bidirectional communication, the composition of which is varied depending on the age, and disease conditions, among other factors. Gut microbiota profile is typically unique and personalized therapeutic intervention can aid in treating or delaying neurodegeneration and mental health conditions. Besides, research on the gut microbial influence on these conditions is gaining attention, and a better understanding of this concept can lead to identification of novel targeted therapies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present carbon-encapsulated CdTe nanorods synthesized through a well-established hydrothermal method. The impact of varying weight percentages of carbon on CdTe nanorods has been explored. XRD, HR-TEM, XPS, Raman and UV-Vis characterization techniques are used to examine the physicochemical and optical properties of prepared compounds. The loading of the carbon layer can be regulated by varying the quantity of sucrose utilized during the synthesis process. The optimized photocatalyst exhibits a superior rate of hydrogen evolution at 247.7 mmol. h−1. g−1 cat compared to bare CdTe nanorods. Here, the carbon layer serves a dual purpose as a photocorrosion inhibitor and facilitates electron tunneling for surface reactions. This combined effect of carbon on CdTe is responsible for the observed improvement in the hydrogen evolution rate. As the loading of carbon varies, the activity is aligning closely with the light penetration effect in photocatalysis. Furthermore, we investigated the durability of the optimized photocatalyst, revealing that it retains 89 % of its initial activity even after five cycles. After the activity experiments, essential characterizations such as XRD, Raman and XPS were also analyzed, and the solar to H 2 conversion efficiency was computed. [Display omitted] • Carbon composited CdTe nanorods were synthesized by hydrothermal process. • The CdTe@C composite formation was observed and verified using TEM analysis. • Carbon integration and loading effects were optimized to attain the best system. • Achieved better H 2 rate of 247.7 mmol. h−1.g−1 cat for 10 wt% carbon loaded CdTe NR. • Stability following the activity was revealed through XRD, Raman, and XPS analyses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Plutella xylostella L. is one of the world's major pests of cruciferous crops. The indiscriminate use of synthetic insecticides has led to insecticide resistance and resurgence, and has been harmful to non-target organisms and the environment. Botanical insecticides are the best alternatives to synthetic pesticides for the management of pests in organic agriculture and integrated management. T. sebifera is an invasive species and has good potential as an insecticide due to the availability of plant material in some parts of India. The antifeedant activities of T. sebifera have not been reported against P. xylostella and other lepidopteron insects to date. Therefore, the current study targeted the characterization of leaf and bark extracts, feeding deterrence, synergistic and detoxification enzyme activities of leaf/bark ethanolic extracts/fractions, seed oil, and isolated compounds. UHPLC-QTOF-IMS analysis showed that shikimic acid, xanthoxylin, quercetin, kaempferol, methyl gallate, and stigmasterol are common metabolites identified in leaf and bark extracts. The combination of seed oil with bark extract showed higher deterrence (DC50 = 317.10 mg/L) as compared to leaf/bark extracts alone. Gallic acid showed higher deterrence (67.48%) than kaempferol and quercetin. The n-butanol fraction of bark was more repellent (RC50 = 414.61 mg/L). Based on DC50, the seed oil with leaf extract (1:1 ratio) alone with choice and seed oil with leaf and bark extract without choice showed synergistic interaction, but seed oil with bark extract with choice showed additive interaction. The ethanol extract of leaf, bark, and seed oil inhibited GST and AChE in P. xylostella. The leaf extract and seed oil or their combinations may be recommended as antifeedants to reduce damage by P. xylostella based on persistence, antifeedant, phytotoxicity, safety to predators/parasitoids, etc., under field conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This review paper provides a perspective on residue generation, reasons for on-site burning of residue, its ill effects on soil properties, environment, soil biota, challenges faced by the farmers in managing a huge quantity of residue and various schemes, policies, and punishments undertaken by the government to curb the problem of on-site residue burning. Several studies show that crop residue burning in the field has a negative impact on soil organic carbon, soil fertility, soil microbes, and environment and also hinders the long-term sustainability of crop production. Crop residue is a good source of carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, and sulfur; on burning, these cause the loss of nutrients as CO, CO2, NO, particulate matter, and smoke, which are lost into the atmosphere, thereby creating the problem of air pollution and global warming, which will also pose threat to human health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The physiology system loses its thermal energy in the form of blood perfusion to the neighbour cells. Such lost energy causes severe hypothermia, sudden death in heart surgeries, anaemia and high or low blood pressure. Therefore, physicians and biomedical engineers are increasingly interested in examining entropy generation to quantify biological systems' energy loss. Further, entropy generation is employed as the thermodynamic state to approach the cancer cells during the chemotherapy treatment. Because of these applications, the current mathematical model illustrates the entropy generation of gold-blood pseudoplastic nanofluid flow in a microchannel with electrokinetic force and electro-conductive heating. The dimensional form of momentum and thermal equations are transformed into the dimensionless form using long-wavelength and small Reynolds number approximations. HPM computations have been executed to solve the influences of various parameters such as radiation, Weissenberg number, Helmholtz–Smoluchowski velocity, Joule heating parameter, Hartmann number and electroosmotic parameter on velocity, temperature, pressure drop, streamlines, and heat transfer rate and are portrayed through graphs. The results elucidate that the Hartmann number diminishes the blood pseudoplastic velocity in the channel centre. The gold-blood temperature expresses the decreasing nature by elevating the electro-osmosis parameter. The streamlines are dissipated from the channel centre due to the negative value of the Helmholtz–Smoluchowski parameter. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Molecular genetic diversity was assessed among 32 dual purpose and land races of pigeonpea using 20 pigeonpea specific SSR markers. Among 20 markers, 15 markers revealed polymorphism, while five markers exhibited a monomorphic banding pattern. The polymorphic markers produced a total of 43 alleles with an average of 2.15 alleles per marker. The markers CcM 0008 and CcM 1026 produced the highest number of alleles (4). The Polymorphic Information Content (PIC) value of the markers ranged from 0.06 (PGM 16) to 0.64 (CcM 0008) with an average of 0.19. A dendrogram constructed using UPGMA distinguished 32 genotypes into 10 clusters. Cluster I was the largest with 15 genotypes followed by cluster V with five genotypes. The Neighbour- joining tree produced based on the weighted average for dissimilarity matrix grouped the 32 genotypes into eight groups. Among them group II was the largest comprising of 10 genotypes. Based on the molecular genetic diversity study using SSR markers, the genotypes Kunnathur local, CRG 13-01, BSR 1 and Pillayakothur local were found diverse among the genotypes and had good grain and vegetable pigeonpea traits could be used in the breeding programme. The results indicated that SSR markers provide a more definitive separation of clusters indicating a higher level of efficiency for determining the relationship among pigeonpea genotypes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A series of new benzamidine derivatives have been synthesized in good yields by involving 1-(1H-benzimidazol-2-yl)-2-bromoethanone, 4-(1H-benzimidazol-2-yl)-1,3-thiazol-2-amine, and N-benzyli-dene-4-(1H-benzimidazol-2-yl)-1,3-thiazol-2-amine as reactive intermediates. The synthesized compounds were characterized by spectral data. Molecular docking study of N-(4-(1H-benzimidazol-2-yl)-1,3-thiazol-2-yl]-1-[(E)-phenyldiazenyl]-1-phenylmethanimine has been carried out as a representative case. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, the distribution of dissolved inorganic nitrate (DIN), phosphorus (DIP), and silicate (DSi) in surface waters of 70 coastal rivers in India's Western Ghats (WG) has been determined. The nutrient concentrations in individual rivers appear to be influenced by catchment geology, land use, and climate. The entire WG region contributes 0.31 Tg of DIN, 0.03 Tg of DIP, and 5.65 Tg of DSi annually to the coastal Arabian Sea. The annual ratios of N:P, Si:N, and Si:P suggest that most of these rivers are limited by P rather than N, and there is an excess supply of Si, primarily from natural sources. P limitation is severe during monsoon periods, while N limitation is observed in the Deccan Traps region. The annual export of 0.31 Tg of DIN from WG rivers could support 2.05 Tg of carbon (new production) on the Arabian Sea coast, indicating that the riverine export of DIN can significantly remove atmospheric CO 2 through biological pumps in the Arabian Sea. The study also confirms that the excess input of Si from natural processes relative to the anthropogenic supply of limited P and N further supports the idea that riverine nutrient inputs from small west-flowing tropical mountainous rivers do not contribute to coastal eutrophication along the Eastern Arabian Sea coast. • Soil acts as a major source for DIN and DIP; intense chemical weathering favors high silicate loads. • These nutrient fluxes represent a significant land-based supplier of nutrients to the coastal region of the eastern Arabian Sea. • The west-flowing coastal rivers of India carry 0.31 Tg of DIN and have a potential of 2.05 Tg of carbon (primary) production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Internet of Things (IoT) is commonly employed to detect different kinds of diseases in the health sector. Presently, disease detection is performed using MRI images, X-rays, CT scans, and so on for diagnosing the diseases. The manual detection process is found to be time-consuming and may result in detection errors that affect the diagnosis. Hence, there is a need for an automatic system for which the deep learning methods gain a major interest. Hence, the idea to combine deep learning and disease prediction to effectively predict the disease is initiated. In this research, the deep learning method is combined with deep learning for the effective prediction of diseases, where the IoT network is employed in the data collection from the patients. The proposed cuckoo-based deep convolutional long-short term memory (deep convLSTM) classifier is employed for disease prediction, where the cuckoo search optimization is utilized for tuning the deep convLSTM classifier. The proposed method is compared with the conventional methods, and it achieved a training percentage of 97.591%, 95.874%, and 97.094%, respectively, for accuracy, sensitivity, and specificity. The comparative analysis proved that the proposed method obtained higher accuracy than other methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent decade, the inventions association with technologies like biotechnology and genetics has surmounted. Biotechnology in an advanced upfront technologies that enables the investors to focus on brining sustainable development in the country. However, the factors like capital, resources and work force is a powerful factors that provides an influential candidate in country's economy. The innovations in biotechnology creates rapid wealth in the society via wide variety of applications. In this study, innovations in biotechnology is regarded as a serious factor that gets influenced by various other factors like government policies, research development polices and collaborative policies with corporates. The study reports the data collected from various respondents of biotechnology firms in India. Based on which, the hypothesis are framed and tested. The research shown significant impact of all the related factors with innovations activities and the implications are provided to advance the flaws associated with innovations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Because street trash can appear at any time, the mayor frequently spends a lot of time and money cleaning the roadways. A key component of computer vision is object detection, which has applications in the planning and development of smart cities. The amount of training data that is currently available often sets limits on the depth and complexity of deep network solutions. The Open Images dataset has been freely shared by Open Curriculum Vitae or Google AI in order to promote improvements in viewing and comprehending images. A dizzying array of PASCAL VOC, Photo Internet, and COCO approaches are used by Open up Photos nowadays. In this profession, using the resulting visual road tidiness analysis is absolutely crucial. The collection of data on road litter is not automated, and the best method for quickly identifying things is not available for data on road hygiene. These are just a few of the obvious flaws in the current analysis methods. Last but not least, the findings are directly included into the framework for evaluating street tidiness to undoubtedly imagine street cleanliness levels, giving city authorities confidence to efficiently assign clean-up workers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]