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This study investigates the influence of nanoparticle volume fraction, nanoparticle diameter, and Richardson number on the heat transfer across an array of cylinders arranged in inline and staggered formation in a heat exchanger. The Richardson number and the diameter of the nanoparticles varied from −1.5 to 1.5 and from 10 to 50 nm, respectively. The Reynolds number is fixed at 100. The investigation involves exploring different volume fractions of nanoparticles dispersed in the nanofluid, ranging from 0 to 0.05. The results show a stark increase in heat transfer rates when opposing buoyancy is introduced. A combination of opposing buoyancy, small nanoparticle diameter, and high volume fraction of nanoparticles can cause a significant increment in heat transfer rates. Opposing buoyancy induces chaotic flow with larger recirculation zones, leading to higher temperature gradients near the cylinders and elevated heat transfer rates. However, the rate of heat transfers in all operating conditions is notably lower when aiding buoyancy prevails. This behavior can be attributed to the stabilizing effect of aiding buoyancy in the flow, consequently reducing temperature gradients in the vicinity of cylinders and the nanofluid. The heat transfer rates are quantified using the mean Nusselt number of the arrays and the local Nusselt numbers on each cylinder within the arrays. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To compare the cold steel method and bipolar diathermy in tonsillectomies in terms of posttonsillectomy hemorrhage. Study Design: Randomized Controlled Trial. Setting: Department of ENT, Head & Neck Surgery, Ayub Teaching Hospital, Abbottabad. Period: 29th October 2020 to 1st June 2022. Methods: A total of 102 patients of both genders with ages 3 to 59 years undergoing tonsillectomy were included. Patients undergoing antiplatelet therapy, experiencing bleeding diathesis, possessing a high anesthetic risk, having uncontrolled medical conditions, suffering from anemia, or currently dealing with acute infections were not included in the study. Patients were divided into two groups A & B. Group A patients were operated by the Cold steel method and Group B were operated by Bipolar diathermy. All the surgeries were performed by the same surgical team. Both tonsils were fully exposed by Boyl Devi's mouth gag under general anesthesia. Complete removal of both tonsils was done with the Cold steel method in group A and by using Bipolar diathermy in group B. Post-operative hemorrhage (occurring 24 hours after surgery) without the necessity to return to the operation theatre for intervention was assessed. Results: The mean age of patients in group A was 20.0 ± 13.83 years and in group B was 19.12 ± 13.17 years. The majority of the patients 79 (77.45%) were between 3 to 30 years of age. Out of 102 patients, 63 (61.76%) were males and 39 (38.24%) were females with male to female ratio of 1.6:1. Frequency of secondary hemorrhage in Group A (cold steel method) was found in 01 (1.96%) while in Group B (bipolar diathermy) was 06 (11.76%) (p-value = 0.050). Conclusion: This study concluded that the frequency of post-tonsillectomy hemorrhage is higher in patients operated by bipolar diathermy as compared to the cold steel method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: In the exploration of nematode diversity within the coal mine spoil of Sonebhadra district, an isolate of Ironus dentifurcatus Argo & Heyns, 1972 was collected from the soil surrounding the roots of Prosopis juliflora. This study aims to unravel taxonomic intricacies of I. dentifurcatus through analysis of morphometric data, morphological characteristics utilising both light and scanning electron microscopy, and genetic scrutiny employing the SSU 18s rDNA gene marker. The study adds valuable information to the evolutionary history of I. dentifurcatus by constructing a comprehensive phylogenetic tree. This analysis is further augmented by an exploration of phylogeography and genetic divergence within the genus Ironus Bastian, 1865. The results reveal the genetic variability within the species of Ironus and the possible adaptative radiations in the group. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The current work is an experimental study, with the primary goal of investigating and exploring ways to improve thermal contact conductance through a detailed examination and analysis of metallic contacts and discovering opportunities for enhancement, increased efficiency, and thus heat dissipation using thermal interface materials. The steady-state experiments have been carried out on a simple and calibrated experimental set-up. A comprehensive investigation was conducted to assess the thermal performance of Cu-Al contacts for the selected range of contact pressures and temperatures to suit the electronic industry's distinctive characteristics and technical requirements. As a thermal interface material, graphene paste has been tested under various combinations of interface pressure and heating circumstances against the bare metallic contacts. Error analysis has also been performed for the current experimental investigation. It has been demonstrated that using graphene paste as a thermal interface material thermal contact conductance is improved, significantly enhancing heat dissipation. The results of thermal contact conductance for graphene paste have been compared with the same for silicon grease from literature. The present results thus demonstrate the application and suitability of the selected thermal interface material in the specified range of heating and contact pressure conditions in the context of particularly thermal management applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to predict the bankruptcy risk of companies listed on the National Stock Exchange (NSE) in India using the Altman Z-score model. By examining the impact of variable factors such as market value equity/book value of total liabilities, retained earnings/total assets, working capital/total assets, earnings before interest and taxes/total assets, and sales/total assets, the research sought to assess their influence on the financial condition of listed companies. The Altman Z-score model is a widely accepted tool for predicting bankruptcy risk and has been utilized in various industries across different countries. The model comprises five financial ratios that capture a company's liquidity, profitability, leverage, solvency, and activity. By analyzing these ratios, the model calculates a composite Z-score, which can be used to classify companies into different risk categories. Using a sample of NSE-listed companies, this study employed the Altman Z-score model to predict bankruptcy risk and examined the impact of the five variable factors on the firms' financial health. The findings provided insights into the relationship between these financial ratios and the companies' bankruptcy risk, offering valuable information for investors, policymakers, and other stakeholders in the Indian financial market. The study demonstrated the applicability of the Altman Z-score model in predicting bankruptcy risk for NSE-listed companies in India and highlighted the importance of each variable factor in assessing a firm's financial condition. These findings can help stakeholders make informed decisions regarding investment, risk management, and policy formulation in the Indian financial market. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study proposes using date palm biomass to remove emerging industrial contaminants, such as 2,4,6-Trichlorophenol (2,4,6-TCP) from water, promoting sustainable waste utilization and a more cost-effective technology. To investigate the potential of using raw date palm fiber and Triethylamine-modified date palm fibers (RDPF and TEA-MDPF) for 2,4,6-TCP removal in batch adsorption experiments. The residual concentration of 2,4,6-TCP in the effluents was examined using UV-visible spectroscopy. The structural and chemical composition of the raw and modified biomass materials was determined using various techniques, including BET, FTIR, Elemental analyzer (CHN), Particle size analysis, FESEM-EDX, and TGA analysis. The optimal pH for the highest 2,4,6-TCP uptake capacity in batch equilibrium adsorption studies was found to be 2.0 for RDPF and 6.0 for TEA-MDPF biomass. The sorption kinetics of 2,4,6-TCP onto both adsorbents was excellent, designated by the pseudo-second-order (R² = 0.93-0.99) and Elovich models (R² = 0.86-0.97). This indicates that adsorption was regulated by chemisorption. The results of the experiment exhibited a good correlation (R²) between the PSO and the maximum (qm) uptake capacities of the Langmuir isotherm model for the remediation of 2,4,6-TCP from aqueous media, which was 115.50 mg/g and 191.75 mg/g for RDPF and TEA-MDPF, respectively. TEA-MDPF biomass exhibits superior adsorption capacity compared to RDPF, making it a promising candidate for the remediation of 2,4,6-TCP from aqueous contaminated wastewater. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

52 -adenosine monophosphate (AMP)-activated protein kinase (AMPK) is an enzyme that regulates cell homeostasis and is associated with modulating diabetes, cancer, obesity, and viral infections. This makes the enzyme a promising target for treating multiple diseases all at once. Interestingly, bioactive compounds (like curcumin) and drugs (like metformin) that are linked with the treatment of COVID-19 disease and post-coronavirus complications, also activate AMPK signaling. Note that the long-term post-COVID-19 health issues are under study and can have lingering effects like the onset of diabetes, cancer, and other cardiac diseases. Here for the first time, the therapeutic potential of AMPK enzyme in the treatment of post-COVID-19 symptoms has been reviewed. We have also discussed the natural compounds that regulate AMPK activity and computational studies that have been conducted for the identification of AMPK activators. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to avoid the food vs. fuel debate, other than food-based products, agricultural products are effective sources for fuel development. Various parts of plants and trees are used to produce sustainable, low-viscous biofuels, which are gaining much attraction due to their superior burning abilities. The turpentine biofuel produced from pine tree oil has been used for gasoline engines because of its better calorific value and other notable benefits. An attempt has been made to investigate the suitability of turpentine biofuel as a 50% replacement for gasoline in automotive applications to identify the optimum blend ratio. In this study, the experiments are conducted in the port-fuel-injected gasoline engine at different loading conditions of 0 kg to 15 kg at 1800 rpm. Using turpentine blends in a port-fuel-injected SI engine, performance characteristics have been observed with up to a 3–5% improvement in brake thermal efficiency and fuel economy for all concentrations of turpentine biofuel due to their higher calorific value. However, the implementation of turpentine biofuel has shown remarkable reductions in unburnt hydrocarbons by 50% and carbon monoxide emissions by 90% due to its superior burning ability. However, this reduction is not witnessed in oxides of nitrogen and carbon dioxide emissions due to the lower octane number and higher viscosity, which result in a 30% and 5% increase, respectively. Interestingly, the combustion characteristics are observed to be better at part load operations for lower concentrations (30%) of turpentine biofuel in the blends, and this trend has not been noticed at higher concentrations of turpentine biofuel. Finally, it has been concluded that turpentine biofuel would be a better option for the partial replacement of gasoline by up to 30%. However, for further investigation, the anti-knocking characteristics of the turpentine biofuel need to be improved, especially in 40% and 50% turpentine biofuel blends using suitable anti-knocking agents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Understanding the flow dynamics of chemical species is important for characterizing, analyzing, and designing chemical reactors. Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) provides accurate flow patterns, but this approach can be computationally expensive for large or complex geometries. To overcome this limitation, a new Lagrangian‐based method is developed using smoothed particle hydrodynamics (SPH) to forecast the flow patterns and residence time distribution of two different fluids for various reactor geometries: (laminar, fractal, T‐mixer, Hartridge–Roughton (H‐R) mixer and packed bed with a gyroid internal packing) and compared the results with computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations. The SPH method is less accurate than the CFD analysis, but it obtained the approximate flow behavior much faster. Consequently, the SPH method has significant potential as a first screening technique to optimize reactor topologies and internal packing structures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This study aims at modelling the enablers of dairy supply chain (DSC) in Indian context. Design/methodology/approach: Interpretive structural modelling (ISM) approach has been used to model the enabler of dairy supply chain. The opinion has been taken from the industry experts and experienced academicians. Further, Matrix Cross-Reference Multiplication Applied to a Classification (MICMAC) used to classify the enablers based on driving and dependence power. Findings: Findings show that stakeholder trust and top management support/leadership are the very crucial enablers in dairy supply chain; they are at a lower level of hierarchical structure and work as primary enablers to development of DSC. While customer satisfaction and financial performance are at top of the digraph, it shows these enablers are the outcome of a smooth supply chain. The MICMAC analysis suggests that the identified enablers are largely classified into dependent and independent enablers; there are no autonomous enablers in the dairy supply chain. Practical implications: The study can aid businesses in the dairy processing industry in managing demand fluctuations, enhancing product quality, implementing effective information systems and adapting procedures, thereby enhancing supply chain performance. Originality/value: There is very limited study on enablers of the dairy supply chain in general, while in the Indian context, there is no specific study on modelling the enablers of dairy supply chain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One of the most significant areas of local government in the world is the municipality sector. It provides various services to the residents and businesses in their areas, such as water supply, sewage disposal, healthcare, education, housing, and transport. Municipalities also promote social and economic development and ensure democratic and accountable governance. It also helps in encouraging the involvement of communities in local matters. Workers of Municipalities need to maintain their services regularly to the public. The productivity of the employees is just one of the main important factors that influence the overall organizational performance. This article compares various machine learning algorithms such as XG Boost, Random Forest (RF), Histogram Gradient Boosting Regressor, LGBM Regressor, Ada Boost Regressor, and Gradient Boosting Regressor on the dataset of municipality workers. The study aims to propose a machine learning approach to predict and evaluate the productivity of municipality workers. The evaluation of the overall targeted and actual productivity of each department shows that out of 12 different departments, only 5 departments were able to meet their targeted productivity. A 3D Scatter plot visually displays the incentive given by the department to each worker based on their productivity. The results show that XG Boost performs best in comparison with the other five algorithms, as the value of R Squared is 0.71 and MSE (Mean Squared Error) is 0.01. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Heterocyclic compounds have been the subject of extensive research due to their diverse pharmacological effects. Among these molecules are quinazolinone analogs, which have demonstrated a range of pharmacological potentials. In search of novel therapeutic pharmaceutical molecules, medicinal chemistry researchers are drawn to the quinazolinone nucleus. This article aims to provide an overview of the many pharmacological activities of the quinazolinone moiety. Based on the quinazolinone moiety, more modern molecules have been developed and synthesized. These compounds show negligible toxicity and outstanding anti-disease capabilities. This paper reviews several different quinazolinone analogs and makes recommendations for future research paths in the quest to create effective quinazolinone drugs for a range of biological objectives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new species, Achromadora porosa, is described and illustrated based on morphology, morphometric and molecular characterization supplemented with scanning electron microscopic observations. Achromadora porosa sp. n. was extracted from the soil around the roots of Prosopis juliflora. The new species is characterized by numerous linearly arranged pores over the body on lateral sides, and occasionally on ventral side, indiscernible in LM; somatic setae absent; six lips, with six inner and six outer labial small, setose sensilla, nearly of equal shape and size, in two circlets and four slender, small, setose cephalic sensilla arranged closely to the circle of outer labial sensilla; amphidial fovea large, spiral with 1.5-2.0 coils, at the stoma base or 7–11 annules from anterior end; stoma funnel-shaped, asymmetrical, cheilostom divided into twelve ribs, a pair of ribs arranged in between two lips; prerectum absent; tail strongly arcuate ventrally with terminal spinneret. The phylogenetic analyses based on Bayesian inference and Maximum-likelihood method using partial SSU 18s rDNA showed close relationships among congeners of the genus besides revealing the status of family Achromadoridae with regard to families Cyatholaimidae, Selachinematidae and Ethmolaimidae. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In Industry 4.0, sustainability is the heart, and governance is the soul of the business, but diversity washing, greenwashing, and SDG washing are skeptical. This is due to the reactive/normative approach in dealing with sustainability and governance, which has created an amounting number of greenhouse gases, waste generation, and several business washing challenges. This study has explored the Scopus and Web of Science databases and searched for the keywords "Sustainable Development Goals" AND "Director," which provided 76 documents. However, when the authors added the third keyword, "ISO 37001–2021," along with the above two keywords, the database provided no study investigating the moderation role of ISO 37001–2021. Therefore, the study advocates the adoption of newly developed ISO 37000:2021 good governance standards for greenwashing, SDG washing, and diversity washing challenges without failing to contribute to the firm sustainable development goal performance and earning management. Secondly, the independent director attribute's role is vital due to the potential, power, position, and evidence to adopt ISO 37000:2021 standards. Thirdly, the scoping review study has proposed a conceptual model to extend the reporting discloser and transparency. It goes beyond mere compliance, contributes towards societal development, and promotes adopting sustainable development goal performance and reporting as a new non-financial parameter for evaluating the firm's performance. Lastly, this will boost firm sustainability and adopt the circular economic model, creating a unique competitive edge and green governance goodwill among the business's external stakeholders and attracting sustainably responsible investors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The development of multifunctional devices could represent a significant advancement in meeting the need for nano and micro technologies. Therefore, we have developed a Ag/Sb2Se3/FTO-based multifunction device having nanostructures, which works as an ultraviolet (UV) photodetector and a switching device. Our theory suggests how oxygen formation leads to detection in the UV range rather than detection in the infrared range, which is the natural detection range of Sb2Se3. The m–s–m photodetector device is based on the photoconductive phenomenon, and ultrafast transient absorption spectroscopy has been extensively used to investigate the charge carrier dynamics of Sb2Se3 films of 500 nm. At two distinct excitations, 375 nm UV and 532 nm visible light, and a pulse energy of 1 J per pulse, the effect of annealing on the charge carrier relaxation of the films was investigated. The kinetics of the hot charge carrier's decay and recombination were studied for both as-grown and annealed films. The proposed theory is analyzed with the help of X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and density functional theory studies. The device shows external quantum efficiency values of 2.9 and 1.3 at 375 and 386 nm, respectively. The rise time to fall time ratio was 0.29/0.30 s at 375 nm irradiation at 2 V bias at a power density of 32 mW/cm2. The same device shows bipolar resistive switching, in which resistance shifts from a high resistance state to a low resistance state in a voltage sweep from −1 to 0 V and then 0 to 1 V. The result of the switching phenomenon is reasonably justified by the electrochemical metallization phenomenon. An outstanding accomplishment in electronic devices is combining two different features on a single device. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The development of cost-effective technologies for the treatment of water contaminated by petrochemicals is an environmental priority. This issue is of paramount importance for countries like Saudi Arabia owing to its scarce water resources. Of particular concern are automobile fuels, such as gasoline and diesel, that can contaminate water aquifers from leaking underground fuel storage tanks. Owing to the cost-effectiveness of adsorption-based technologies, low-cost high surface-area commercial activated carbon was used for the adsorptive removal of contaminants from the emulsified fuel-contaminated water. Batch equilibrium experiments showed a high efficacy of the adsorbent. Even with small amounts of the adsorbent, a removal efficiency of more than 97% was obtained for both gasoline as well as diesel. Three different well-known batch adsorption isotherm models, namely the Langmuir, Freundlich, and Temkin, were used for describing the experimental data. The best results were obtained using the Freundlich isotherm followed by the Langmuir model. The maximum capacity was found to be 8.3 g gasoline and 9.3 g diesel per gram of the adsorbent at ambient conditions for a neutral contaminated aqueous solution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nanoscale ZnO is a vital semiconductor material whose versatility can be enhanced by sensitizing it with metals, especially noble metals, such as gold (Au). ZnO quantum dots were prepared via a simple co-precipitation technique using 2-methoxy ethanol as the solvent and KOH as the pH regulator for hydrolysis. The synthesized ZnO quantum dots were deposited onto glass slides using a simple doctor blade technique. Subsequently, the films were decorated with gold nanoparticles of different sizes using a drop-casting method. The resultant films were characterized via various strategies to obtain structural, optical, morphological, and particle size information. The X-ray diffraction (XRD) reveals the formation of the hexagonal crystal structure of ZnO. Upon Au nanoparticles loading, peaks due to gold are also observed. The optical properties study shows a slight change in the band gap due to Au loading. Nanoscale sizes of particles have been confirmed through electron microscope studies. P.L. studies display blue and blue-green band emissions. The significant degradation efficiency of 90.2% methylene blue (M.B.) was attained in natural pH in 120 min using pure ZnO catalyst while one drop gold-loaded catalysts, ZnO: Au 5 nm, ZnO: Au 7 nm, ZnO: Au 10 nm and ZnO: Au 15 nm, delivered M.B. degradation efficiency of 74.5% (in 245 min), 63.8% (240 min), 49.6% (240 min) and 34.0% (170 min) in natural pH, respectively. Such films can be helpful in conventional catalysis, photocatalysis, gas sensing, biosensing, and photoactive applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The date palm tree is extensively cultivated in Middle Eastern countries such as Saudi Arabia, generating a large amount of waste in the form of leaves, seeds, and fibrous materials. This study examined the feasibility of using raw date palm fiber (RDPF) and NaOH chemically modified date palm fiber (NaOH–CMDPF) obtained from discarded agricultural waste for the removal of phenol in an aqueous environment. The adsorbent characterization was performed by using different techniques, i.e., particle size analysis; elemental analyzer (CHN); and BET, FTIR, and FESEM-EDX analysis. The FTIR analysis revealed the presence of various functional groups on the surface of the RDPF and NaOH–CMDPF. The results showed that chemical modification by NaOH increased the phenol adsorption capacity that was well-fitted by the Langmuir isotherm. Higher removal was obtained with NaOH–CMDPF (86%) than with the RDPF (81%). The RDPF and NaOH–CMDPF sorbents' maximum (Qm) adsorption capacities were more than 45.62 mg/g and 89.67 mg/g and were comparable to the sorption capacities of various other types of agricultural waste biomass reported in the literature. The kinetic studies confirmed that the adsorption of phenol followed the pseudo-second-order kinetic process. The present study concluded that the RDPF and NaOH–CMDPF were eco-friendly and cost-effective in promoting sustainable management and the reuse of the Kingdom's lignocellulosic fiber waste material. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study reports and discusses the genesis of zincian chromite in the ultramafic xenoliths from the Dongripali area, Bastar craton, Central India. The zincian chromite is in the ultramafic xenoliths of Bengpal supracrustal rock hosted by Neoarchaean Bundeli gneisses. Compositionally zincian chromite shows a range of Cr2O3 (39.69 to 51.66 wt%), Al2O3 (05.30 wt% to 08.71 wt%), FeO (21.74 wt% to 27.51 wt%), Fe2O3 (10.19 wt% to 19.36 wt%) with higher ZnO content ranging from 1.73 wt% to 4.08 wt%. Accordingly, their Cr# [Cr/(Cr + Al)] varies in a narrow range from 0.83 to 0.85. Its calculated melt composition supports metamorphic or post-magmatic nature rather than common occurrences such as inclusion in diamonds, meteorites, and association with any sulfide-rich mineralised belt. This reveals that the post-magmatic processes play a vital role in transforming chromite to zincian chromite. The empirical thermometric calculation from chromite, amphibole, and pyroxene support their metamorphic origin and formed during low-P and high-T amphibolite grade facies of metamorphism (~ 700 °C). The Neoarchaean granitic magmatism has a significant role in generating and transferring the heat during contact metamorphism with hydration of ultramafic xenoliths and further alteration, i.e., serpentinisation. The olivine is a major repository for Mn, Zn, and Co in peridotite/ultramafic; these elements get mobilised during the metamorphism and serpentinisation. This is a possible reason for the mobilisation of zinc and incorporation in the chromite within altered ultramafic. As a result, chromite-rich ultramafic xenolith subjected to metamorphic process gets enrichment of Zn and Fe due to elemental exchange. It converts common chromite into zincian chromite, as reported in altered ultramafics elsewhere. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A series of 4-arylidene-2-phenyl-6-(aryl)-4,5-dihydropyridazin-3(2H)-one derivatives (3a–3g and 3a'–3g') have been synthesized and evaluated as antimycobacterial agents by microplate alamar blue assay (MABA) method. Title compounds 3a–3g and 3a'–3g' were synthesized by reaction of 6-aryl-2-phenyl-4,5-dihydropyridazin-3(2H)-one (2a, 2b) with various aromatic aldehydes. Compounds 2a and 2b were synthesized from 4-aryl-4-oxobutanoic acids (1a,1b) by reaction ofphenyl hydrazine with appropriate aromatic compounds and succinic anhydride. The structures of synthesized compounds have been established by IR, 1H NMR, and mass spectroscopy and elemental analysis. All synthesized compounds (3a–3g and 3a'–3g') exhibited significant antimycobacterial activity. Compound 3g showed maximum activity and compounds 3b, 3b', 3e, 3e', 3g'showed moderate activity as compared to the reference drugsisoniazid (MIC 3.125 µg/mL) and streptomycin (MIC 6.25 µg/mL). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) highlight the most pressing issues that need to be resolved by the global community, including the Islamic banking industry, to ensure social equity, economic viability, and environmental protection. Accordingly, this study aims to develop a practical framework for evaluating the sustainability reporting performance of Islamic banks in the purview of the SDGs. This study employed the most recent Global Reporting Initiative and religious sustainability indicators to establish the measurement framework for evaluating sustainability reporting in relation to the SDGs. Centering on the Malaysian Islamic banks, this study found that overall performance on corporate sustainability reporting is quite low, though it has increased over time from 2011–2020. The bank-wise analysis implies that the SDGs reporting differs for Islamic banks, where most of the banks outperform on SDGs disclosure scores. Further, the SDG-wise analysis indicates that SDG-9, SDG-17, SDG-11, and SDG-1 appear to have the highest disclosure scores. Nevertheless, SDG-16 revealed the least SDG disclosure score, indicating that the sampled Islamic banks do not provide complete information about addressing sustainability-related issues. The outcome of the study might be useful to the regulators and managers of Islamic banks in embedding sustainability into their strategy for reporting on SDGs. This will help in recognizing the strong and weak points of their sustainability reporting procedures regarding the SDGs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Energy and electricity are critical prerequisites for every nation and critical components of social and economic growth. The monetary policy economist has been debating the issue of relying on core inflation or headline inflation, which includes energy, because the energy price is so volatile that it obscures the trend in inflation and dilutes the objectives of monetary policy. This paper aims at analyzing the impact of the twin deficit on energy inflation within a linear and nonlinear framework in India using time series data covering the period from 1971 to 2021. ARDL and NARDL approaches are employed to investigate the linear/symmetric response of energy inflation due to the twin-deficit in India. Estimates show a negative relationship between the twin-deficit and energy inflation in a symmetric model. The results of the asymmetric model reveal that the response of energy inflation due to expansionary fiscal policy (increment in CFD) and contractionary fiscal policy (decline in CFD) is diverse, in terms of size of the coefficient. Further, estimates of NARDL show the distinct impact of increases and decreases in CAD on energy inflation. The study offers several implications for policymakers and energy economists. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examines the impact of green process innovation (GPI), green entrepreneurial orientation (GPO), and proactive sustainable strategy (PSS) on environmental performance (EP). Data were collected from 294 Indian agriculture technology firms. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was used to analyze the data using Lisrel 8.80. This study aimed to analyze how green entrepreneurial orientation, sustainability strategies, and green process innovation improve the environmental performance of agricultural technology firms. The results show that green process innovation, sustainability strategy, and entrepreneurial orientation play a significant role in enhancing agricultural technology firms' environmental performance. Agricultural technology firms achieve high environmental performance primarily through strategy or sustainability. In every green process, innovation is crucial and essential. This research offers several practical implications that can be utilized by managers of agricultural technology firms to develop systems with cleaner production techniques in agribusiness. The novelty of the study lies in analyzing the direct relationships among green entrepreneurial orientation, strategy, and innovation in promoting the environmental performance of agricultural technology firms by drawing data from an agriculturally oriented developing country such as India. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background/Objectives: Vision 2030 of Saudi Arabia is an important project that mainly targets the reduction in dependency on the oil economy through the growth of non-oil Industries. This study investigates Saudi Arabia's effort for Vision 2030 to incentivise investment in the non-oil industry's growth. Material and Methods:A sample of 225 employees of the non-oil industries of Saudi Arabia was selected as sample participants. A survey was conducted for data collection, and SPSS software was used to analyse the data. Findings:The findings indicate that sig values for all tests were 0.000 < 0.05 to support the selection of an alternative hypothesis. Therefore, it can easily be determined from the analysis that a more robust relationship is present between Vision 2030 with incentivised investment, economic stability, and financial accommodation.The advantages of reform programs have been effective in non-oil industries of Saudi Arabia to increase production standards and obtain more customer engagement.Conclusion: This research contributes to providing a straightforward concept in Vision 2030, which is Saudi Arabia's reform program to develop the economic condition of Non-Oil Sectors. Hence, reform in the policy for economic stability can help to maintain the growth of different sectors and can further support financial assets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An innovative form of 2D/0D g-C3N4/CeO2 nanostructure was synthesized using a simple precursor decomposition process. The 2D g-C3N4 directs the growth of 0D CeO2 quantum dots, while also promoting good dispersion of CeO2QDs. This 2D/0D nanostructure shows a capacitance of 202.5 F/g and notable rate capability and stability, outperforming the g-C3N4 electrode, reflecting the state-of-the-art g-C3N4 binary electrodes. The binary combination of materials also enables an asymmetric device (g-C3N4/CeO2QDs//AC) to deliver the highest energy density (9.25 Wh/kg) and power density (900 W/kg). The superior rate capacity and stability endorsed the quantum structural merits of CeO2QDs and layered g-C3N4, which offer more accessible sites for ion transport. These results suggest that the g-C3N4/CeO2QDs nanostructure is a promising electrode material for energy storage devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Gulf countries experience an imbalance between water supply and demand, which leads to a dramatic decline in the amount of groundwater. Solar energy for water desalination is an attractive option in this region, where the climate is sunny all year. A very basic solar device called a single basin solar still is commonly used to convert available seawater into drinkable water. The issue of producing drinking water may be resolved by using this technique, but because of its low productivity, it is rarely used. The experiments were carried out on a south-facing, single slope solar still with a 23-degree inclination of the condensing cover from October to November 2022, on different days for different water depths. According to the findings, the solar still with 4 cm of depth (as compared to 5, 6, and 7 cm) exhibited the maximum water productivity (2.680 L/day) with an efficiency of 30%. When the solar still was equipped with an external mirror, the temperature in the basin was raised, and water productivity increased to 3.075 L/day with an improved efficiency of 35%. Further, the effects of wind velocity, ambient temperature, inner glass temperature, and intensity of solar radiation on daily productivity have been studied. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

India's financial inclusion has significantly improved during the last several years. In recent years, there has been a rise in the number of Indians who have bank accounts, with this figure believed to be close to 80% at present. Fintech businesses in India are progressively becoming more noticeable as the Government of India (GoI) continues to strive for expanding financial services to the underbanked sector of the population. To reach the underbanked segments of the population and provide a stable operating environment for fintech businesses, India must seek to increase financial inclusion. In this study, regression and correlation were employed, together with secondary data gathered from the RBI, to analyze this influence. The aim was to determine the impact of fintech and digital financial services on financial inclusion in India. According to the results, fintech businesses have significantly aided financial inclusion in this nation, especially for the middle class. These findings will be helpful for policy-makers working hard to bring every individual in this country into an organized financial system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The use of fluidization assistance can greatly enhance the fluidization hydrodynamics of powders that exhibit poor fluidization behavior. Compared to other assistance techniques, pulsed flow assistance is a promising technique for improving conventional fluidization because of its energy efficiency and ease of process implementation. However, the inlet flow configuration of pulsed flow can significantly affect the bed hydrodynamics. In this study, the conventional single drainage (SD) flow strategy was modified to purge the primary flow during the non-flow period of the pulse to eliminate pressure buildup in the inlet flow line while providing a second drainage path to the residual gas. The bed dynamics for both cases, namely, single drainage (SD) and modified double drainage (MDD), were carefully monitored by recording the overall and local pressure drop transients in different bed regions at two widely different pulsation frequencies of 0.05 and 0.25 Hz. The MDD strategy led to substantially faster bed dynamics and greater frictional pressure drop in lower bed regions with significantly mitigated segregation behavior. The spectral analysis of the local and global pressure transient data in the frequency domain revealed a pronounced difference between the two flow strategies. The application of the MDD inlet flow strategy eliminated the disturbances from the pulsed fluidized bed irrespective of the pulsation frequency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Urolithiasis is a medical condition that, despite substantial research in the field of urology, has yet to find a cure within the allopathic medical approach. The process of stone development, known as nephrolithiasis, can occur within the kidney or any segment of the urinary tract, encompassing the ureters and bladder. Material and Methods: The seeds of Cassia auriculata (Linn.) were obtained in June 2021 from Mettukadai hamlet, located in the Erode District of Tamilnadu, India. The herbarium of the plant was meticulously assembled, verified, and afterwards deposited as a voucher specimen. The voucher specimen was retained within the college premises for future reference. Results: The current investigation involved conducting a preliminary phytochemical analysis on the ethanolic seed extract of Cassia auriculata Linn. The research revealed the existence of many phytochemical constituents, including Alkaloids, Flavanoids, Carbohydrate, Sterols, Phytosterols, Phenols, Terpenoids, Amino acids, and Anthraquinones. The acute toxicity experiments revealed that rats exhibited tolerance to a maximum dose of 2000 mg/kg body weight, and no discernible alterations in behavior were detected across all experimental groups. Hence, fractions equivalent to one-fourth and one-eighth of the maximum tolerated dose of 200 mg/kg body weight were selected for subsequent investigations. Conclusion: In summary, the findings suggest that the application of an ethanolic seed extract derived from Cassia auriculata Linn effectively decreased the progression of urinary stone formation. Additionally, it appears that the efficacy of the treatment impact surpasses that of its preventative counterpart. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Injection of CO2 and subsequent desorption of CH4 is considered to be the most efficient enhanced coalbed methane (ECBM) recovery technique to date. Meanwhile, CO2-ECBM is an excellent option for CO2 geo-sequestration for an extended period. Despite ongoing research efforts and several field applications of this technology, the mechanisms of the process have yet to be fully understood. The coalbed heterogeneity, the fluid interactions with coal, the CO2 induced swelling, and the continuous pressure and composition changes require outright insights for optimal application of the technique. Furthermore, intermolecular interactions of CO2 and CH4, their competitive adsorption on the dry/wet coal surface, and the dispersion and advection processes play an important role in defining the CO2-ECBM recovery process. An attempt has been made here to understand the key mechanisms of CO2-ECBM recovery in coalfields, particularly the adsorption of CO2 in the supercritical state at the recommended sequestration depth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Perilla frutescens seeds contain fixed oil that is used as edible oil. Perilla seed oil is a good source of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) such as alpha or a-linolenic acid (ALA/omega-3 FAs) and monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFAs) like oleic acid (LA). This work was devoted to physicochemical characterization, gas chromatography (GA) analysis of the chemical composition, and estimation of the health benefits of fatty acids contained in the perilla seed oil. The seed oil was extracted with petroleum ether by using the Soxhlet apparatus. Petroleum ether extract of perilla seeds contained about 35 – 38% oil. The oil had a specific gravity of 0.924 g/cm3 at 31°C, 180.92 saponification values, 1.68 acid value, 1.68 peroxide value, 135.0 iodine value, and 1.8% unsaponifiable matter. Methyl ester of perilla oil prepared for the GC analysis showed the presence of alpha-linolenic acid (omega-3-FA/ω-3-FA), linoleic acid (omega-6-FA/ω-6-FA), oleic acid (omega-9/ω-9 FA), stearic acid, and palmitic acid. Experiments on animals revealed laxative effects of P. frutescens seed oil taken orally in doses of 5 and 10 mL/kg body weight. The effects of laxatives were measured in terms of feces consistency (percentage), quantity of feces pellets, and stool frequency (times per day). According to the findings, perilla seed oil has a laxative effect. It may be concluded that perilla seed oil contain a significant amount of PUFAs and MUFAs, which is beneficial for human health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study was commenced to assess the antiulcer effect of the ethanol extract of Zingiber officinale rhizomes (EEZOR) against pylorus ligation-, aspirin-, and ethanol-induced ulcer models in diabetic rats. Diabetes and ulcers were induced in rats as per reported methods. The ulcer index, free acidity, pH and total acidity in pylorus ligated induced ulcer model in diabetic rats was examined using variable dosage of EEZOR and the ulcer index, % protection, and antioxidant activity parameters were studied. It was found that EEZOR inhibited the acid secretion in diabetic rats (p < 0.001) as compared to control rats with diabetes and ulcers. EEZOR also showed significant mucosal protection and antioxidant properties. It has been concluded that the EEZOR protective effect against different model ulcers in diabetic rats may be due to the presence of flavonoids and polyphenolic compound in ginger. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Winter fog is a complex issue affecting human health and is responsible for higher numbers of traffic accidents in North India, which is further aggravated due to atmospheric pollutants. An indigenous glass-plate fog collector was used to collect fog water from December 2020 to February 2021. Thirty samples of fog water were collected from the rooftop of an academic building at Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar, in order to study the chemistry of fog water. The studied parameters were pH, electrical conductivity (EC), sodium (Na+), calcium (Ca2+), magnesium (Mg2+), potassium (K+) sulphate (SO42−), nitrate (NO3−), chloride (Cl−), aluminum (Al), lead (Pb) and zinc (Zn). The average values were as follows: pH (4.6–7.5), EC (135 µS/cm), SO42− (77.5 ppm), Cl− (9.9 ppm), NO3− (9.3 ppm), Ca2+ (8.1 ppm), Mg2+ (2.0 ppm), K+ (2.0 ppm), Na+ (1.6 ppm), Zn (218 ppb), Al (60.8 ppb) and Pb (8.8 ppb). Cation–anion balance was used to assess the data's reliability. The enrichment factor (EF) was utilized to distinguish between crustal and anthropogenic sources. SO42−, NO3−, Cl− and K+ originated from anthropogenic sources, whereas Mg2+ and Na+ came from crustal sources. The molar ratio of sulphate to nitrate was 10.6, which indicates a greater contribution from the combustion of fossil fuels and stack emissions. Ionic species were subjected to principal component analysis (PCA) as a dimensionality reduction approach and to group species with comparable behavior. Three principal components (PC) that together accounted for 77.5 percent of the total variance were identified by PCA. Backward trajectory analysis of air masses was performed to determine their origin, and two major clusters explained 89 percent of the contribution of air masses, primarily from the north-east and north directions. To gain a comprehensive understanding of fog water, a global perspective on pH, EC and ionic species is considered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The main purpose of this study is to model and measure the impact of development and non-development expenditure on the carbon dioxide emissions (per capita metric tons) in India over 1980–2018. The Asymmetric ARDL approach (NARDL), an advanced econometric technique, was applied to examine the nexus between CO2 emissions, development and non-development expenditure, national income, energy consumption and population. The short-run and long-run results establish a statistically significant relationship between carbon emissions and the explanatory variables. The long-run asymmetrical results indicate that energy consumption and national income growth pollute the environment. However, we did not find any significant long-run impact of population on pollution levels in India. Furthermore, the results reveal that increase in development expenditure leads to environmental degradation and non-development expenditure mitigates pollution. No evidence of the applicability of EKC was found in India. The authors conclude that a reasonable method of tackling the threat of environmental degradation is to remove distortions in public expenditure policy. We recommend the government to phase out fiscal benefits to pollution-prone economic activities and thus spend the money saved on pollution abatement efforts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Finite element analyses (FEA) are flexible and advanced approaches, which are utilized to address difficult problems of aerospace materials that exhibit both structural symmetrical and structural asymmetrical characteristics. Frictional behavior effects are used as a crucial element in this multidisciplinary study, and other structural, thermal properties are computed using FEA. Primary lightweight materials such as glass fiber reinforced polymer (GFRP), carbon fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP), kevlar fiber reinforced polymer (KFRP), titanium alloy, tungsten carbide, steel alloys, and advanced lightweight materials, such as silicon carbide (SiC) mixer, based on aforesaid materials underwent comprehensive investigations on aircraft disc brake, two-wheeler disc brake, and ASTM general rotating test specimen (G-99). Standard boundary conditions, computational sensitivity tests, and theoretical validations were conducted because the working nature of FEA may impair output dependability. First, FEA calculations were performed on a standard rotating disc component with two separate material families at various rotational velocities such as 400 RPM, 500 RPM, 600 RPM, 800 RPM, and 10 N of external frictional force. Via tribological experiments, frictional force and deformation of FEA outcomes were validated; the experimental outcomes serve as important boundary conditions for real-time simulations. Second, verified FEA was extended to complicated real-time applications such as aircraft disc brakes and automobile disc brakes. This work confirms that composite materials possess superior properties to conventional alloys for aircraft and vehicle disc brakes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Some pyrazinamide derivatives (2a-2e, 2a′-2e′, and 2a″-2e″) were synthesized and evaluated as antimycobacterial agents against Mycobacterium tuberculosis H37Rv strain. These derivatives were designed by structural modification of pyrazinamide with alkyl chains and six-membered hetereocylic rings, respectively. The title compounds were synthesized using pyrazinamide as the starting material for haloakylation (1a-1c), and then halo-alkylpyrazinamides were reacted with appropriate heterocyclic rings. The structures of compounds were confirmed by 1H NMR, 13C NMR, mass spectroscopy, and elemental analysis. The activity of pyrazinamide derivatives was assayed using microplate alamar blue assay (MABA) and characterized by minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs). Results showed that the obtained pyrazinamide derivatives exhibited high inhibitory effect on M. tuberculosis. The antimycobacterial activity of compounds 2b′, 2d′, and 2e′ was the best among all compounds tested, and their MIC values were about 6.25 mμ/mL. These compounds have ethylene chain between pyrazinamide moiety and six-membered hetereocylic rings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To examine the perception of students regarding an e-learning system adopted by various educational institutions in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methodology: A web-based-survey was conducted among selected university students in Saudi Arabia. A total of 294 students were randomly chosen to determine the utilities and credibility of the adopted e-learning mode of education. The reliability of latent constructs was assessed according to Cronbach's alpha, and confirmatory factors analysis was conducted via AMOS software (version 24) to measure the students' perceptions of online learning. Results: The outcomes of the present study reveal that e-learning has been very useful throughout the pandemic period among selected Saudi Arabian universities. The students have a positive view of the online system of education, which has many benefits, including flexibility, low cost, self-learning, and convenience. Implications: The results of the present study will be beneficial for all educational institutions that are largely dependent on the findings of the online survey. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Assisted fluidization techniques can significantly improve the hydrodynamics of difficult- to-fluidize solids. Among these techniques, the pulsed flow strategy is highly promising owing to its cost-effectiveness and amenability to implementation for largescale processing. Using commercial-grade, highly porous nanosilica that shows strong agglomeration behavior, we implemented the pulsed flow with square-wave pulsation schemes of 0.05, 0.10, and 0.25 Hz frequencies, and compared their effectiveness in each case. Besides the conventional approach of assessing their efficacy using the pressure drop data, we have proposed a new approach in this work that consists of computing the power of the overall pressure drop transient signals. Using the theoretical value, i.e., the effective bed weight per unit area as a reference, the percentage increase in the power was 27 ± 4, 71 ± 5, and 128 ± 4, respectively, for 0.05, 0.10, and 0.25 Hz pulsation frequencies. In fact, the average pressure drop values were substantially higher when the partial bed collapse occurred between successive pulsations when compared with the case of low-frequency pulsations. The pulsation frequency also affected the evolution of local bed dynamics in various bed regions during the expansion and collapse of the bed. Moreover, the local and global pressure transients have shown interesting mutual correlations which were otherwise not evident from their individual transient profiles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bed collapse experiments provide vital information about fluidized bed hydrodynamics. In this study, the region-wise bed collapse dynamics of glass beads, titania (TiO2), and hydrophilic nanosilica (SiO2) particles with widely different voidages (ε) of 0.38, 0.80, and 0.98, respectively, were carefully investigated. These particles belonged to different Geldart groups and exhibited varied hysteresis phenomena and fluidization indices. The local collapse dynamics in the lower, lower-middle, upper-middle, and upper regions were carefully monitored in addition to the distributor pressure drop to obtain greater insight into the deaeration behavior of the bed. While the collapse dynamics of glass beads revealed high bed homogeneity, the upper middle region controlled the collapse process in the case of titania due to the size-based segregation along the bed height. The segregation behavior was very strong for nanosilica, with the slow settling fine agglomerates in the upper bed regions controlling its collapse dynamics. The collapse time of the upper region was 25 times slower than that of the lower region containing mainly large agglomerates. The spectral analysis confirmed the trend that was observed in the pressure transients. The clear presence of high frequency events at 20 and 40 Hz was observed in the nanosilica due to agglomerate movements. The residual air exiting the plenum was strongly affected by the bed voidage, being lowest for the nanosilica and highest for the glass beads. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]