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We present a novel method for generating optical vortex needle beams (focused optical vortices with extended depth-of-focus) using a compact flat multilevel diffractive lens (MDL). Our experiments demonstrate that the MDL can produce focused optical vortices (FOVs) with topological charges l = 1 − 4 (extendable to other l values), maintaining focus over distances significantly longer than conventional optical vortices. Specifically, FOVs exhibit non-diffracting behavior with a depth-of-focus (DOF) extended beyond 5 cm, compared to conventional optical vortices, which show continuous size increase due to diffraction. When the MDL is illuminated by an optical vortex of 3 mm diameter, it achieves a transmission efficiency of approximately 90 % and extends the DOF several times beyond that of traditional lenses. Increasing the size of the input optical vortex further extends the DOF but introduces additional rings, with their number increasing proportionally to the value of l. Our approach, validated by both experimental results and numerical simulations, proves effective for beams such as optical vortex and Hermite-Gaussian modes and holds potential applications in high-resolution imaging, material processing, optical coherence tomography, and three-dimensional optical tweezers, offering a simple and efficient solution for generating non-diffracting beams. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lead-free piezoelectric ceramics of (1 − x)K0.5Na0.5NbO3-xCaTiO3 were fabricated, and their crystal structure, microstructure, and electrical properties were systematically studied. Rietveld refinement of the x-ray diffraction data and Raman spectroscopic analyses revealed a composition-dependent structural phase transition: three phase transitions, namely, from a pure orthorhombic phase for x ≤ 0.02 to a mixed phase of orthorhombic and tetragonal phases (0.03 ≤ x ≤ 0.08) and finally another mixed phase of tetragonal + cubic for x = 0.10 and 0.15 at room temperature (RT). The morphological study reveals a decrease in grain size along with a more uniform distribution of grains as the concentration of CaTiO3 (CT) increases; notably, a homogeneous distribution of grains is observed for x = 0.05. The temperature-dependent dielectric properties show two phase transitions, from orthorhombic to tetragonal (TO-T) and tetragonal to cubic (TC), for unmodified K0.5Na0.5NbO3 (KNN). However, both the phase transition temperatures (TO-T and TC) decrease, and the transition peaks broaden with an increase in CT substitution, and for x > 0.06, the TO-T shifted below RT. The broadening of the transition peak at TO-T may be due to the relaxation behavior. Among the prepared samples, the 5 mol. % CT-modified KNN shows the optimum electrical properties (d33 = 114 pC/N, ɛr = 412, and 2Pr = 15.25 μC/cm2) at RT. The enhanced electrical properties for x = 0.05 are due to the coexistence of orthorhombic and tetragonal phases, facilitating easy polarization rotation and flattening of the free energy profile. A phase diagram has been constructed based on the information gathered from the temperature-dependent dielectric measurements, RT x-ray diffraction, and Raman spectroscopy data and is discussed in detail. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Digitalization is constantly altering company paradigms and expanding cross-border supply chain prospects. Maritime transportation plays an increasingly essential part in the global supply network. Since maritime shipping services need to exchange a huge number of papers and paperwork across numerous companies, the usage of a unified platform for inter-organisational communication and information sharing is required. To develop an integrative, adaptive, and intelligent container booking system, a multi-agent architecture is designed in this article. The proposed architecture will aid the maritime industry in establishing real-time information interchange between autonomous agents, shippers, freight forwarders, and shipping lines. The process outlined in this paper reveals how the agents communicate with one another to resolve underlying inconsistencies. With the multi-agent framework, the article also presents a container slot optimisation problem considering market segmentation, different booking periods, heterogeneous containers and port congestion scenarios. Using this model the managers can find the booking limit for each type of containers and accordingly they can accept or reject the incoming booking requests. Furthermore, a simulated case study is also provided to validate the model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Geophytic plants synchronize growth and quiescence with the external environment to survive and thrive under changing seasons. Together with seasonal growth adaptation, dormancy and sprouting are critical factors determining crop yield and market supply, as various geophytes also serve as major food, floriculture, and ornamental crops. Dormancy in such crops determines crop availability in the market, as most of them are consumed during the dormant stage. On the other hand, uniform/maximal sprouting is crucial for maximum yield. Thus, dormancy and sprouting regulation have great economic importance. Dormancy–sprouting cycles in geophytes are regulated by genetic, exogenous (environmental), and endogenous (genetic, metabolic, hormonal, etc.) factors. Comparatively, the temperature is more dominant in regulating dormancy and sprouting in geophytes, unlike above-ground tissues, where both photoperiod and temperature control are involved. Despite huge economic importance, studies concerning the regulation of dormancy and sprouting are scarce in the majority of geophytes. To date, only a few molecular factors involved in the process have been suggested. Recently, omics studies on molecular and metabolic factors involved in dormancy and growth regulation of underground vegetative tissues have provided more insight into the mechanism. Here, we discuss current knowledge of the environmental and molecular regulation and control of dormancy and sprouting in geophytes, and discuss challenges/questions that need to be addressed in the future for crop improvement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The use of enzymes in the production of food products is an ancient practice. Microbes provide several enzymes that are involved in improving the taste, texture, as well as aroma of food items, offering several benefits to the food industry. Subsequently, the ease of availability of these microbial enzymes has increased their utilization in the food industry. This cost-effectiveness and ease of commercial-scale production make enzymes ideal tools for various industrial uses. Microbial enzymes are utilized in processing food products such as those associated with the brewery, dairy and bakery industries. In addition, the nutritional value, color, aroma and texture of food products can be improved by using microbial enzymes. With the progress in technology, several novel enzymes in various applications of the food and beverages industry have been developed and demand is constantly increasing. The present review provides a comparative narrative of the applications of some of the predominating enzymes, such as phytases, lipases, lactases, pectinases, and laccases, commonly used as processing aids in the food industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Sophorolipids are glycolipid biosurfactants with potential antibacterial, antifungal, and anticancer applications, rendering them promising for research. Therefore, this study hypothesizes that sophorolipids may have a notable impact on disrupting membrane integrity and triggering the production of reactive oxygen species, ultimately resulting in the eradication of pathogenic microbes. Results: The current study resulted in the isolation of two Metschnikowia novel yeast strains. Sophorolipids production from these strains reached maximum yields of 23.24 g/l and 21.75 g/l, respectively, at the bioreactors level. Biosurfactants sophorolipids were characterized using FTIR and LC–MS techniques and found to be a mixture of acidic and lactonic forms with molecular weights of m/z 678 and 700. Our research elucidated sophorolipids' mechanism in disrupting bacterial and fungal membranes through ROS generation, confirmed by transmission electron microscopy and FACS analysis. The results showed that these compounds disrupted the membrane integrity and induced ROS production, leading to cell death in Klebsiella pneumoniae and Fusarium solani. In addition, the anticancer properties of sophorolipids were investigated on the A549 lung cancer cell line and found that sophorolipid-11D (SL-11D) and sophorolipid-11X (SL-11X) disrupted the actin cytoskeleton, as evidenced by immunofluorescence microscopy. The A549 cells were stained with Acridine orange/Ethidium bromide, which showed that they underwent necrosis. This was confirmed by flow cytometric analysis using Annexin/PI staining. The SL-11D and SL-11X molecules exhibited low levels of haemolytic activity and in-vitro cytotoxicity in HEK293, Caco-2, and L929 cell lines. Conclusion: In this work, novel yeast species CIG-11DT and CIG-11XT, isolated from the bee's gut, produce significant yields of sophorolipids without needing secondary oil sources, indicating a more economical production method. Our research shows that sophorolipids disrupt bacterial and fungal membranes via ROS production. They suggest they may act as chemo-preventive agents by inducing apoptosis in lung cancer cells, offering the potential for enhancing anticancer therapies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study was carried out to assess the genetic parameters and divergence in 38 rice genotypes for important yield and grain quality traits. Phenotypic coefficient of variation (PCV) exceeded genotypic coefficient of variation (GCV) for all the traits taken for the study, while high heritability was recorded for all the traits, except kernel length to breadth ratio and grain iron content. The trait number of grains per panicle exhibited high heritability (91.00%) and high genetic advance as a percentage of mean suggesting simple selection may be followed to improve the traits. Cluster analysis grouped the genotypes into seven clusters. The highest inter-cluster distance was observed between clusters VII and IV (537.17). Five genotypes excelled in grain yield, ten genotypes for grain zinc content and one genotype for grain iron content over the check variety Rajendra Bhagwati. Despite high variability in grain zinc and iron content, no genotype surpassed the check variety for all three crucial attributes i.e. grain yield, grain zinc and iron content. The experimental material’s variability for grain nutrient status suggests their potential use in biofortification programs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The investigation of "Inert Minerals and Botanicals Synergism with Spinosad: co-toxicity against Callosobruchus maculatus in Stored Blackgram" was performed in the Laboratory of the Department of Entomology, Agricultural College, Bapatla, during 2020-21. The inert minerals and botanicals were mixed with Spinosad and used for the bioassay. The data were recorded at 24, 48 and 72 hours after the release of the test insect, and probit analysis was performed to calculate the LD50. By using the LD50 of inert minerals and botanicals alone and in combination with spinosad, the co-toxicity coefficient was calculated. Among all the treatments, the highest co-toxicity coefficient (433.33) was recorded for diatomaceous earth, indicating increased efficacy and synergism between diatomaceous earth and Spinosad. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dengue is one among the acute viral infections with the probability of fatal complications. In 2017; NVBDCP reported 157220 positive dengue cases with 250 deaths in India; 17018 cases and 5 deaths in Karnataka. Most primary infections are uneventful. The critical illness like Dengue Haemorrhagic Fever and Dengue Shock Syndrome are generally attributed to serotype cross-reactivity. Identification of secondary dengue infection in the early onset of illness is beneficial. Therefore, methods to discrepate primary and secondary dengue infection are of significant prognostic value. The current study is a hospital based prospective analytical evaluation and was aimed to discriminate secondary from primary dengue virus infection in clinically suspected dengue cases presenting with fever and thrombocytopenia. Patients of all age groups attending Krishna Rajendra Hospital on outpatient and inpatient basis with clinically suspected dengue fever of less than 5 days associated with thrombocytopenia were included in the study. The samples were tested in the VRDL of the Microbiology Department for dengue NS1 antigen and IgM antibodies, positive for both were further subjected to IgG antibodies. IgM/IgG ratio was used to differentiate primary and secondary dengue infections. Dengue infection was categorized based on WHO guidelines. A total of 17,841 samples were tested from May 2017 to December 2023; out of 17841 samples tested 2111 (60.74%) were positive for dengue NS1 and IgM. Of the 2111 dengue NS1 and IgM positive cases, 1700 (80.5%) were having secondary dengue infection, whereas 411 (19.46%) were having primary infection. Early detection of secondary infection helps the clinician in anticipating dengue related complications with appropriate therapeutic intervention, thereby reducing further complications and mortality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article investigates the concentration of volatile organic compounds (VOC), particularly benzene and derivatives, in edible oils and the effects of heating duration on the behavior of these compounds using high-performance liquid chromatography. The study measures the concentrations of benzene and substituted benzenes in fresh mustard, cottonseed, rice bran and palm oils upon heating. It explores VOC emissions during deep frying with edible oils and its potential health risks.

Background Maternal age is an essential determinant of obstetric and neonatal outcomes. This study aims to evaluate the impact of maternal age on these outcomes in primiparous women in Bihar. Material and methods: A retrospective community-based study was conducted on 50 primiparous women between November 2021 and July 2023 in Murho PHC, Madhepura, Bihar. Data were collected from medical records and included maternal age, obstetric outcomes (e.g., mode of delivery, gestational age at delivery, complications), and neonatal outcomes (e.g., birth weight, Apgar scores, neonatal complications). The participants were categorized into two groups: younger mothers (≤25 years) and older mothers (>25 years). Statistical analyses were performed to compare outcomes between these groups. Results: The study included 30 younger mothers and 20 older mothers. The average gestational age at delivery was 39 weeks in younger mothers and 38 weeks in older mothers. The rate of cesarean deliveries was higher in older mothers (40%) compared to younger mothers (20%). Preterm birth rates were 10% in younger mothers and 15% in older mothers. Neonatal complications, such as low birth weight and low Apgar scores, were more prevalent in infants born to older mothers. The average birth weight was 3.2 kg for younger mothers and 2.9 kg for older mothers. Conclusion: Maternal age significantly impacts obstetric and neonatal outcomes in primiparous women. Older mothers are more likely to experience adverse outcomes, including higher rates of cesarean delivery and neonatal complications. These findings underscore the importance of targeted prenatal care for older primiparous women to mitigate potential risks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new area of biotechnology is nanotechnology. Nanotechnology is an emerging field that aims to develope various substances with nano-dimensions that have utilization in the various sectors of pharmaceuticals, bio prospecting, human activities and biomedical applications. An essential stage in the development of nanotechnology is the creation of nanoparticles. To increase their biological uses, eco-friendly material synthesis processes are becoming increasingly important. Recent years have shown a lot of interest in nanostructured materials due to their beneficial and unique characteristics compared to their polycrystalline counterparts. The fascinating performance of nanomaterials in electronics, optics, and photonics has generated a lot of interest. An eco-friendly approach of creating nanoparticles has emerged in order to get around the drawbacks of conventional techniques. Today, a wide range of nanoparticles have been created by employing various microbes, and their potential in numerous cutting-edge technological fields have been investigated. These particles have well-defined chemical compositions, sizes, and morphologies. The green production of nanoparticles mostly uses plants and microbes. Hence, the use of microbial nanotechnology in agriculture and plant science is the main emphasis of this review. The present review highlights the methods of biological synthesis of nanoparticles available with a major focus on microbially synthesized nanoparticles, parameters and biochemistry involved. Further, it takes into account the genetic engineering and synthetic biology involved in microbial nanobiosynthesis to the construction of microbial nanofactories. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present a derivation of the screening length for a solution containing a charge-regulated macroion, e.g. protein, with its counterions. We show that it can be obtained directly from the second derivatives of the total free energy by taking recourse to the "uncertainty relation" of the Legendre transform, which connects the Hessians or the local curvatures of the free energy as a function of density and its Legendre transform, i.e., osmotic pressure, as a function of chemical potentials. Based on the Fowler–Guggenheim–Frumkin model of charge regulation, we then analyze the "screening resonance" and the "overscreening" of the screening properties of the charge-regulated macroion solution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tetrahedrite, Cu12Sb4S13, an eco-friendly thermoelectric material with earth-abundant and low-cost constituents, has garnered global interest. This study investigated the thermoelectric characteristics of Ag-added tetrahedrites, which were prepared through solid-state synthesis and subsequently hot-pressed. The minimal temperature dependence of the transport coefficient indicated the presence of strong electron–phonon coupling in the samples. It was observed that Ag addition in tetrahedrite could successfully scatter acoustic phonons, reducing the lattice thermal conductivity while minimally affecting the power factor. The enhanced anharmonicity induced by Ag addition is the primary cause of reduced lattice thermal conductivity. Raman spectroscopy data showed that Ag addition could weaken the Sb–S bond, further supporting the previous argument. Consequently, the lattice thermal conductivity was lowered to ∼0.27 W m−1 K−1 and obtained for the composition Ag0.025 added Cu11.975Sb4S13. A relatively high power factor of ∼1.3 mW m−1 K−2 was obtained for the same composition. Owing to the lowest total thermal conductivity ∼1.09 W m−1 K−1, the sample with composition Ag0.025 added Cu11.975Sb4S13 showed the highest thermoelectric figure of merit of 0.87 at 738 K. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aphids (Hemiptera: Aphididae) are small soft bodied plant lice, their number rapidly rise above economic threshold level in suitable climatic condition due to parthenogenetic development. They have great agricultural importance due to polyphagism, polymorphism, parthenogenetic viviparity and remarkable ability to transmit various pathogenic viruses. They damage the crops directly by sucking the nutrients that cause devitalisation of plants. Many coccinellids are predators and major biological control agents of hemipteran pests such as aphids, mealy bugs, scale insects, white flies, as well as thrips and mites and other soft bodied insects. Due to predaceous nature, seasonal synchromy with their specific preys, high foraging performance, immense predation potential and high reproductive efficacy, they possess the potential to be effectively employed in Integrated Pest Management. Globally, more than 6000 ladybird beetle species are known to us, out of which, 261 predaceous species belonging to 57 genera reported from India. In biological control programme, several coccinellids predators are reported as effective bioagent against aphids viz., Aphidecta obliterata on Adelges piceae, Cheilomenes lunata on Aphis craccivora, Coccinella sexmaculata on Aphis aurantii and Myzus persicae, Coccinella transversalis on Aphis aurantii and Myzus persicae, Coccinella undecimpunctata on several aphids. In India, 13 species of coccinellids viz., Coccinella krikkeni Iablokoff-Khnzorian, Coccinella lama Kapur, Coccinella luteopicta (Mulsant), Coccinella magnopunctata Rybakow, Coccinella marussii Kapur, Coccinella nigrovittata Kapur, Coccinella repanda Thunberg, Coccinella saucerottei Mulsant, Coccinella septempunctata Linnaeus, Coccinella transversalis Fabricious, Coccinella transversoguttata Faldermann, Coccinella undecimpunctata Linnaeus and Coccinella undecimpunctata aegyptiaca Reiche are reported. Among these, C. septempunctata and C. transversalis are very common and widely distributed in India. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Removal of water pollutants (methylene blue dye and heavy metals) was achieved by zinc/manganese-doped nickel ferrites (Ni1 − xMxFe2O4, where x = 0.00, 0.025, 0.10). Degradation of dye was achieved under natural solar light illumination. Degradation studies of dye were conducted under different parameters such as contact time—80 min, dye's concentration—5 mg/L, pH—7, and dosage of ferrites—15 mg. The adsorption of dye was studied using non-linear kinetics models (pseudo-first-order and pseudo-second-order) and isotherm models (Langmuir and Freundlich). The adsorption of dye followed pseudo-first-order kinetics (R2 = 0.99377) than second-order kinetics (R2 = 0.98063) and Langmuir isotherm model (R2 = 0.96095) than Freundlich model (R2 = 0.95962) with maximum adsorption efficiency of 29.62 mg/g. Doping of nickel ferrites caused an increase in the removal percentage of methylene blue dye (80 to 90%) and inorganic effluents (75 to 95% for lead and 47 to 82% for cadmium). In addition to this, band gap energy (2.43 to 3.26 eV) (UV–Vis spectroscopy), pore radius (65.2 to 74.8 A°), and specific surface area (16.45 to 27.95 m2/g) (BET analysis) were also increased. Generally, the results of the study revealed that synthesized nanoparticles can act as potential candidate for the removal of effluents from wastewater under optimum parameters along with recyclability, reusability, and separation under the influence of a magnetic field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article, fractional Gabor frames in L2(ℝ) are defined and studied. Also, a finite linear combination of fractional Gabor frames for L2(ℝ) is discussed. It is proved that under certain conditions, a finite linear combination of fractional Gabor frames is a fractional Gabor frame for L2(ℝ). Finally, the stability of fractional Gabor frames is discussed, and some results for the stability of fractional Gabor frames are proved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, theoretical calculations of o‐phenylphenol‐based non‐oxovanadium(IV) and organotin(IV) complexes, previously prepared and reported by our group, have been carried out by density functional theory (DFT). Density functional theory quantum chemical computations were used to explore the structural and spectroscopic characteristics of the complexes in this study. The inhibitory nature of complexes were revealed via molecular docking research, which were performed against selected breast cancer cell proteins, 5NWH and 3HB5. The optimization and stability of complexes 1–6, were conducted using optimized DFT/B3LYP/6–311++G (d, p) level. Simulated computations of the molecular electrostatic potential surface were also performed to analyze the reactive behavior of the non‐oxovanadium(IV) and organotin(IV) complexes. The stability and molecular reactivity of the molecules were computed using the HOMO‐LUMO energies, energy gap, chemical potential (μ), electronegativity (χ), hardness (η), and softness (S) values. In silico analysis through molecular docking, ADMET properties and toxicity evaluation was used to assess its anticancer activity, drug‐likeness property and toxicity. The binding constant value, evaluated from molecular docking, was found to be very promising, −10.1 kcal mol−1 observed for vanadium complex 5 and the complexes were found to exhibit inhibition constant as low as 0.0378 μMol. Root‐mean‐square deviation (RMSD) has been carried out to validate molecular docking studies, which have been found to be below 2.0 Å for the complexes, indicating successful docking of the ligand‐protein complex by the program. The complexes, evaluated for their toxicity behavior in terms of Lethal Dose, based on Globally Harmonized System (GHS), have been found to be chemical safe falling under the category III and V and hence can find use as future metallo‐based drugs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sheath blight (ShB) is the most serious disease of rice (Oryza sativa L.), caused by the soil-borne fungus Rhizoctonia solani Kühn (R. solani). It poses a significant threat to global rice productivity, resulting in approximately 50% annual yield loss. Managing ShB is particularly challenging due to the broad host range of the pathogen, its necrotrophic nature, the emergence of new races, and the limited availability of highly resistant germplasm. In this study, we conducted QTL mapping using an F2 population derived from a cross between a partially resistant accession (IRGC81941A) of Oryza nivara and the susceptible rice cultivar Punjab rice 121 (PR121). Our analysis identified 29 QTLs for ShB resistance, collectively explaining a phenotypic variance ranging from 4.70 to 48.05%. Notably, a cluster of four QTLs (qRLH1.1, qRLH1.2, qRLH1.5, and qRLH1.8) on chromosome 1 consistently exhibit a resistant response against R. solani. These QTLs span from 0.096 to 420.1 Kb on the rice reference genome and contain several important genes, including Ser/Thr protein kinase, auxin-responsive protein, protease inhibitor/seed storage/LTP family protein, MLO domain-containing protein, disease-responsive protein, thaumatin-like protein, Avr9/Cf9-eliciting protein, and various transcription factors. Additionally, simple sequence repeats (SSR) markers RM212 and RM246 linked to these QTLs effectively distinguish resistant and susceptible rice cultivars, showing great promise for marker-assisted selection programs. Furthermore, our study identified pre-breeding lines in the advanced backcrossed population that exhibited superior agronomic traits and sheath blight resistance compared to the recurrent parent. These promising lines hold significant potential for enhancing the sheath blight resistance in elite cultivars through targeted improvement efforts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the current study, the biodiesel form non-edible seed oil of Calotropis procera has been synthesized. Biodiesel is a renewable and cost effective alternate of fossil fuel commonly used. For transesterification of oil we have used Copper oxide nanoparticles as catalyst. CuO nanoparticles were created using the latex of Calotropis procera. The vernacular name of this plant is giant milkweed. This a shrub that grow in the spring season every year, having spiritual as well as medical uses, cannot be eaten. The CuO nanoparticle production was successfully verified by UV-visible spectroscopy, with noticeable peak obtained on 271 nm. Synthesised CuO nanoparticles showed a variety of functional groups, including O-H stretching vibrations, -NH2 bending vibrations, and Cu-O stretching vibrations, according to FTIR analyses. CuO nanoparticles were shown to be spherical in form by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) pictures, with average diameters of 46.87 nm, 35.41 nm, and 25.46 nm corresponding to Cu(a), Cu(b), and Cu(c) samples. TEM supported dispersion of CuO nanoparticles. The study also examined the spectral analysis using FTIR of Calotropis procera seed's oil and found discrete absorption bands that corresponded to various oil constituents, such as alcoholic groups, methylene groups, alkene groups, and aromatic groups. For ascertaining the quality of Calotropis procera oil, synthesized biodiesel and different fatty acid methyl esters (FAMEs) present, gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) was used. Outcomes demonstrate that biodiesel generated using CuO nanoparticles as a catalyst complied with numerous ASTM and other international criteria for fuel characteristics. The study also analysed the catalyst's potential for reuse. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The pervasive utilization of plastic as a cost‐effective packaging material for food has led to environmental concerns, primarily due to its non‐biodegradable nature and the ensuing release of carbon dioxide gas that contributes to global warming. In response to these challenges, researchers have shifted their focus toward biopolymers to develop eco‐friendly packaging solutions. The present study introduces a novel approach to study the release of micronutrient (Fe) from clay free starch‐glycerol film and clay‐starch‐glycerol composite film. The structural composition and characteristics of the synthesized film are meticulously examined using x‐ray diffraction (XRD), ATR, scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy analytical techniques. Notably, XRD analysis reveals a significant interaction between the starch chains and Mt through hydrogen bonding, indicative of starch and glycerol intercalation within the nanoclay gallery—a phenomenon further corroborated by IR spectra analysis. The nanoclay‐infused starch/glycerol composite film exhibits a noteworthy 2.22‐fold increase in water vapor permeability compared to clay free film, attributed to the formation of a convoluted diffusion path indicating the enhancement of the barrier performance of starch‐based films. Comparative evaluations against earlier studies are undertaken to elucidate the advancements in barrier properties, subsequently elucidating the underlying mechanisms through analytical interpretations. From the release study, the release of Fe2+ from the film with clay was observed to be more prolonged compared to a film without clay. As a result, the Montmorillonite clay–polymer composite film was selected for coating rice seeds using the dip‐coating method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The use of both organic and inorganic fertilizers plays a crucial role in farming practices in Nepal, depending on their availability. Applying fertilizers like compost, vermicompost, goat manure, and NPK has shown significant effects on various aspects of plant growth and yield. This study was conducted in Diktel, Khotang district of Nepal, from March 14th to June 7th, 2023, aiming to evaluate how different organic and inorganic sources affect the growth and yield of beetroot (Beta vulgaris L.). The experiment followed a one-factor randomized complete block design (RCBD) with four replications, involving five treatments: T1: 100% Compost manure, T2: 100% Vermicompost, T3: 100% Goat manure, T4: 100% NPK, and T5: Control. The results clearly showed that both vegetative and reproductive traits were significantly varies among several treatments utilized in the experiments at 0.1% level of significance. Compost application consistently showed better results across most growth and yield parameters assessed. Growth parameters included plant height, leaf count per plant, leaf length, and leaf width, while yield parameters included beetroot diameter, beetroot length, root yield, and leaf yield. Organic compost manure particularly stood out, displaying significantly larger beetroot diameter (4.85 cm) and greater beetroot length (9.3 cm). Additionally, compost manure led to notably increased root yield (13.95 t/ha) compared to the control treatment, which recorded a lower root yield (6.28 t/ha). Overall, all treatments outperformed the control in terms of growth and yield parameters. These findings suggest that organic compost manure is the most favorable choice for achieving high-quality beetroot production in the hilly regions of Nepal. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Emotional intelligence (EI) has a positive correlation with the academic performance of medical students. However, why there is a positive correlation needs further exploration. We hypothesized that the capability of answering higher-order knowledge questions (HOQs) is higher in students with higher EI. Hence, we assessed the correlation between EI and the capability of medical students to answer HOQs in physiology. First-year undergraduate medical students (n = 124) from an Indian medical college were recruited as a convenient sample. EI was assessed by the Schutte Self-Report Emotional Intelligence Test (SSEIT), a 33-item self-administered validated questionnaire. A specially designed objective examination with 15 lower-order and 15 higher-order multiple-choice questions was conducted. The correlation between the examination score and the EI score was tested by Pearson's correlation coefficient. Data from 92 students (33 females and 59 males) with a mean age of 20.14 ± 1.87 yr were analyzed. Overall, students got a percentage of 53.37 ± 14.07 in the examination, with 24.46 ± 9.1 in HOQs and 28.91 ± 6.58 in lower-order knowledge questions (LOQs). They had a mean score of 109.58 ± 46.2 in SSEIT. The correlation coefficient of SSEIT score with total marks was r = 0.29 (P = 0.0037), with HOQs was r = 0.41 (P < 0.0001), and with LOQs was r = 0.14 (P = 0.19). Hence, there is a positive correlation between EI and the capability of medical students to answer HOQs in physiology. This study may be the foundation for further exploration of the capability of answering HOQs in other subjects. NEW & NOTEWORTHY: This study assessed the correlation between emotional intelligence (EI) and the capability of medical students to answer higher-order knowledge questions (HOQs) in the specific context of physiology. The finding reveals one of the multifaceted dimensions of the relationship between EI and academic performance. This novel perspective opens the door to further investigations to explore the relationship in other subjects and other dimensions to understand why students with higher EI have higher academic performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the literature, it is well known that there is a bidirectional causality between economic growth and energy consumption. This is why it is crucial to forecast energy consumption. In this study, four deep learning models, i.e., Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM), stacked LSTM, bidirectional LSTM, and Gated Recurrent Unit (GRU), were used to forecast energy consumption in Brazil, Canada, and France. After a training test period, the performance evaluation criterion, i.e., R2, mean square error, root mean square error, mean absolute error, and mean absolute percentage error, was performed for the performance measure. It showed that GRU is the best model for Canada and France, while LSTM is the best model for Brazil. Therefore, the energy consumption prediction was made for the 12 months of the year 2017 using LSTM for Brazil and GRU for Canada and France. Based on the selected model, it was projected that the energy consumption in Brazil was 38 597.14–38 092.88, 63 900–4 800 000 GWh in Canada, and 50 999.72–32 747.01 GWh in France in 2017. The projected consumption in Canada was very high due to the country's higher industrialization. The results obtained in this study confirmed that the nature of energy production will impact the complexity of the deep learning model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Spodoptera frugiperda is known as a highly polyphagous and invasive insect pest of maize and many other important agricultural crops. Spodoptera frugiperda is categorized into two host-adapted strains, namely 'R' (rice) and 'C' (corn). Bacterial communities that inhabit the insect body play various physiological as well as biological roles. To design effective and environmentally safe management strategies, an understanding of the diversity and functions of microbiota harbored across the development stages is essential, specifically strain-specific. The assessment of the diversity of development-associated bacteria and their predicted functions was conducted in C-strain of S. frugiperda using 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing obtained by the Illumina MiSeq technology. The results showed that the unique number of operational taxonomic units (OTUs) was higher in the pupal stage (145 OTUs) and lowest in the third instar larval stage (76 OTUs). Species richness progressively increased with metamorphosis and was significantly higher in adult females. Firmicutes and Proteobacteria were dominant phyla across all developmental stages. Firmicutes were dominant in egg (53.47%) and larval stages (52.38%), and Proteobacteria were dominant in pupa (41.26%) and adult male and female stages (54.69% and 46.49%, respectively). Enterococcus (46.74% and 12.54% in larva and pupa, respectively) was the most dominant genera at the genus level. Clostridium, Enterobacteriaceae, and Erwinia were the dominant genera in the egg and adult stages. The principle coordinate analysis (PCoA) and linear discriminant effect size (LEfSe) results showed significant differences in developmental stages. PICRUSt analysis showed that microbial communities involved in membrane transport were significantly high in third-instar larvae than in the other stages of development. Amino acid metabolism-associated microbial communities were predicted to be highest in eggs and lowest in third-instar larvae. Similarly, microbiota involved in energy metabolism was predicted to be highest in eggs and least in third-instar larvae. Additionally, the replication and repair processes associated with microbial communities were predicted highest in eggs and least in pupae. The current study provides documentation and information on symbiotic bacteria and how they work with strain-specific S. frugiperda. This will also lead to the creation of novel biological management strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The field of nanotechnology has the mysterious capacity to reform every subject it touches. Nanotechnology advancements have already altered a variety of scientific and industrial fields. Nanoparticles (NPs) with sizes ranging from 1 to 100 nm (nm) are of great scientific and commercial interest. Their functions and characteristics differ significantly from those of bulk metal. Commercial quantities of NPs are synthesized using chemical or physical methods. The use of the physical and chemical approaches remained popular for many years; however, the recognition of their hazardous effects on human well-being and conditions influenced serious world perspectives for the researchers. There is a growing need in this field for simple, non-toxic, clean, and environmentally safe nanoparticle production methods to reduce environmental impact and waste and increase energy productivity. Microbial nanotechnology is relatively a new field. Using various microorganisms, a wide range of nanoparticles with well-defined chemical composition, morphology, and size have been synthesized, and their applications in a wide range of cutting-edge technological areas have been investigated. Green synthesis of the nanoparticles is cost-efficient and requires low maintenance. The present review highlights the synthesis of the nanoparticles by different microbes, their characterization, and their biotechnological potential. It further deals with the applications in biomedical, food, and textile industries as well as its role in biosensing, waste recycling, and biofuel production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the present study, ternary hydroxyapatite (HA)-Al2O3-TiO2 nanocomposite coating and HA nano-coating have been developed on Mg alloy by the electrophoretic deposition (EPD) method for temporary bioimplant application. Following this, a post-heat-treatment has been done at 250 °C for 2 h. Detailed microstructural studies indicate uniform deposition of coating with the presence of porosities (area fraction-16%), agglomerated particles of size range 0.3-1.8 μm and micro-cracks in composite coating. However, in HA-coated samples, the presence of porosities (area fraction-25%) and particles of size range 0.2-1.4 μm are observed. The phase evaluation shows the presence of HA, Al2O3, TiO2, and Mg phases in the composite coating, whereas presence of HA and Mg phases in HA coating. The residual stress is tensile in nature with a value 88 MPa for composite coating and compressive in nature with a value − 82 MPa for HA coating. The hydrophilicity increases after applying the coating in terms of a decrease in contact angle from 66° for as received Mg alloy to 20-42°, where 42° for HA coating and 20° for composite coating. Corrosion studies reveal that the corrosion potential (Ecorr) of composite coating is marginally shifted toward the negative direction (− 1.3 V(SCE)) as compared to HA coating (− 1.2 V(SCE)). The corrosion rate decreases from 399 mpy for HA coating to 88 mpy for composite coating. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: labour is a normal physiological process which causes unbearable pain to mothers. There are many methods developed for painless labor, out of which epidural analgesia is one of the commonly followed. The current study aims to evaluate the influence of painless delivery by epidural analgesia on the maternal and neonatal outcomes. Material and Method: This was a hospital based prospective study conducted in Obstetrics and Gynecology department of Anugrah narayan magadh medical College and hospital, Gaya, Bihar. The study subjects were divided into 2 groups. The study group included pregnant patients who underwent for painless labor by epidural analgesia and the control group who were not given epidural analgesia. After applying inclusion and exclusion criteria, we could include 100 study and 100 control subjects. Informed consent was obtained from all the participants. Data was entered in SPSS software version 20, and analysis was done. A pvalue< 0.05 was considered to be statistically significant. Results: The mean age of study group was 26.26±4.56 years while for control group it was 27.01±5.26 years. Mean duration of 2nd stage of labor was found to be significantly higher in study group (28.92±9.12 minutes) as compared to the control group (26.34±8.75 minutes). In the current study, the proportion of women developing post-partum haemorrhage and postpartum urinary retention was lower when compared to control group although neonatal outcome found to be same in both the groups. In study group, women are found to be highly satisfied regarding labor procedure in comparison of control group. Conclusion: Epidural analgesia acts as an important way for painless labor having positive effects on maternal outcome with negligible side effects on foetus. Moreover the satisfaction rate in women who underwent for epidural analgesia is very high. So, the policymaker should focus on developing healthcare to make this option available everywhere. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]