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Climate change poses one of the greatest challenges of the 21st century, necessitating a comprehensive investigation into its regional hydroclimatic impacts. This study examines future climatic trends in the Potohar region and hydrological responses across its primary basins (Haro, Soan, and Kanshi) using latest Global Circulation Models (GCMs) and the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) model. We evaluate these changes under three Shared Socioeconomic Pathways (SSPs: 245, 370, and 585) spanning the 21st century. After thoroughly evaluating precipitation and temperature data from 54 GCM runs using performance metrics like Kling-Gupta Efficiency (KGE), Absolute Bias (Abs bias) and Root Mean Square Error (RMSE), we identified the top two models best suited for this study: CNRM-ESM2-1 r1i1p1f2 and EC-EARTH3-VEG r3i1p1f1. These models undergo bias correction via Linear Scaling to provide accurate future climate projections. Our results reveal a warmer and wetter climate over Potohar. Temperature shows a consistent increase across all scenarios, with projections ranging from 0.60 °C to 3.38 °C for SSP245, 0.47 °C to 3.84 °C for SSP370, and 0.57 °C to 6.26 °C for SSP585, intensifying as the century progresses. Precipitation projections, unlike temperature, exhibit significant temporal and spatial variability. However, most SSPs indicate increased precipitation during the monsoon (JJAS) and reduction in winter (DJF). The Potohar region may experience annual precipitation increases of 3–17% for SSP245, 1–28% for SSP370, and − 5–23% for SSP585. Streamflow projections across the Haro (-4–98%) and Soan (-10–44%) Basins generally indicate an annual increase over future periods, while Kanshi (-24–31%) exhibits a mixed trend across the GCMs. Seasonal analysis further reveals distinct flow patterns across the three basins. Additionally, the EC-EARTH model projects the attainment of peak flow one month earlier across all basins in most SSPs. Interannual projections of hydroclimatic variables suggest more frequent extreme events. The changes quantified in this study underscore the urgent need for adaptive water management and region-specific climate action plans to mitigate climate change impacts on water resources, agriculture, urban planning, and disaster risk reduction in the Potohar region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The red fox (Vulpes vulpes) and golden jackal (Canis aureus) frequently coexist and share resources. We investigated the dietary fluctuations of the red fox and the golden jackal over a two-year period to understand their dietary overlap and trophic relationship in Hirpora Wildlife Sanctuary, in the northwestern Himalayas of India. A total of 287 scat samples (red fox = 159 and golden jackal = 128) were analyzed. The scat analysis revealed 13 and 12 food items in the diet of red fox and golden jackal respectively. Domestic sheep contributed maximum in both the canid species with the relative occurrence of 12% in the diet of red fox and 8% in the diet of golden jackal. Livestock contributes maximum to the biomass of both species (red fox: 69% and golden jackal: 66%), while as the contribution of plant matter was negligible (red fox: 4% and golden jackal: 3%). The trophic niche breadth of the jackal (5.33) and red fox (6.29) suggests that both meso-carnivores are generalist feeders. The high level of dietary overlap suggests the presence of competition between the two species. However, their coexistence is facilitated by their preference for different altitudinal ranges within the study area, as well as by the plentiful availability of rodents and carrions. Findings of the present study are expected to act as baseline information on the trophic interactions and trophic overlap between the two meso-carnivores in the northwestern Himalayas, India. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Zinc (Zn) is an important dietary nutrient for the optimum growth performance, feed efficiency, normal metabolism, and fish health. Unfortunately, Zn requirement for mori (Cirrhinus mrigala) is not available. This experiment was designed to assess the impacts of Zn-gluconate levels on growth performance, feed utilization, mineral composition, and enzyme activities of mori and determines the optimum requirement of Zn-gluconate for this species. For this purpose, seven isonitrogenous (29.18%) and isolipidic (10.71%) purified diets were formulated with graded Zn-gluconate levels (0, 10, 20, 30, 40, 50, and 60 mg/kg). A total of 525 juveniles (4.30 ± 0.13 g) were distributed in 21 tanks. All treatments were assessed in triplicates. At the end of the trial (90 days), a progressive increase in final weight (FW) was observed in mori fed with 0–40 mg/kg of Zn-gluconate, remained constant at 50 mg/kg of Zn-gluconate, and significantly decreased at 60 mg/kg of Zn-gluconate. Similarly, weight gain and specific growth rate followed a similar pattern, while weight gain% increased till 40 mg/kg of Zn-gluconate. However, further increase (40–60 mg/kg) had a non-significant effect on weight gain%. Diet supplemented with 40 mg/kg of Zn-gluconate resulted in optimum values for feed intake and feed conversion ratio. Supplementation of Zn-gluconate did not affect dry matter, crude fat, and crude ash at all graded levels. However, whole body crude protein was significant in response to Zn-gluconate supplementation. Furthermore, Zn-gluconate absorption enhanced from 0 to 40 mg/kg of Zn-gluconate and remained constant afterward. Whole body mineral activity also followed a similar pattern. Overall, Zn-gluconate supplementation enhanced (P < 0.05) mineral activity in all parts of the tested parts of mori, including bones, scales, skin, eyes, heart, liver, and kidney. Moreover, the highest (P < 0.05) mineral activity in the skin, heart, liver, and kidney was observed in 60 mg/kg of Zn-gluconate. Supplementation of Zn-gluconate significantly increased the activity of alkaline phosphatase while it reduced thiobarbituric acid reactive substance contents of mori. The optimal dietary requirement of Zn-gluconate was recorded as 43.86 mg/kg through broken-line regression for maximum weight gain% of mori juveniles. Conclusively, 40 mg/kg of Zn-gluconate supplementation significantly enhanced the health of C. mrigala. However, a further increase in Zn-gluconate supplementation from 40 to 60 mg/kg did not significantly improve the above-mentioned parameters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The dawn of mass plastic production in the early 20th century has accelerated the penetration of microplastics into the environment, making them known to be an insidious threat to diverse ecosystems. The current scenario for microplastics is dire, as they pervade living organisms and disrupt vital functions while also affecting the environment by altering soil quality. They pose an inherent risk to human health, making their elimination a multifaceted challenge. Due to factors such as small size, low biodegradability, and ubiquity, microplastics are particularly challenging to detect, and methods for their elimination from terrestrial and marine environments are an ever‐evolving field of research. The detection of such microplastics has necessitated the use of various biotechnological techniques to monitor microplastic pollution. The control of microplastic pollution in natural ecosystems can be met by replacing mass‐produced single‐use plastics with viable bio‐based alternatives. The main objectives of this review are to discuss how microplastic pollution is currently monitored, assessed, and controlled using satellite‐generated imagery complemented with a range of biotechnological and bioremedial techniques. This review also traces the development of a range of bio‐based plastic alternatives that are observed to potentially replace single‐use plastics. Further discussion on the various challenges and prospects for the mitigation of microplastics will also be conducted, stressing the importance of future research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study was conducted to investigate the effects of selenium nanoparticle (Se-NP) supplementation on the growth performance, carcass composition, antioxidant status, hepatic enzyme activities, and immunity of Cirrhinus mrigala. For this purpose, fish with an average initial weight of 7.44 ± 0.04 g were fed five experimental diets containing 0 (control), 0.25, 0.5, 1, and 2 mg kg-1 Se-NPs diets for 90 days. The analysed selenium (Se) contents of the diets were 0.35, 0.64, 0.92, 1.43, and 2.39 mg kg-1. Twenty five fish were randomly distributed in each of 5 aquarium (36 × 23.7 × 24.3 inches) in triplicate. The results showed that supplementation with Se up to 0.92 mg/kg significantly increased (p<0.05) weight gain, weight gain% (WG%), and specific growth rate (SGR) by 34%, 33%, and 16%, respectively, compared to the control diet. Dietary Se concentrations up to 0.92 mg/kg significantly increased the crude protein and crude fat and reduced (p<0.05) the moisture content as compared to the control group. Fish fed 0.92 mg kg-1 Se had significantly lower malondialdehyde (MDA) contents and higher activities of catalase, superoxide dismutase, and glutathione peroxidase in liver and serum as compared to other experimental diets. Moreover, a significant increase (p<0.05) in the level of serum immunoglobulin and lysozyme (LYZ) activity was recorded in fish fed 0.92 mg/kg Se diet. Moreover, the highest (p<0.05) values of aspartate transaminase (AST) and alanine transaminase (ALT) were recorded in fish fed 2.39 mg/kg Se level. However, serum alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity remained unaffected by dietary treatment. Broken-line regression analysis indicated that 0.83 mg/kg Se is required for the optimum growth performance of C. mrigala. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Knee osteoarthritis (OA) joint disease most commonly occurs in the elderly population, and it causes significant pain and functional limitations. Manual therapy, physical therapy modalities, taping techniques, patient education and therapeutic exercises, orthosis, and more recently, extracorporeal shock wave therapy (ESWT) are all used to treat knee OA. Kinesio taping (KT) is a therapeutic technique used to treat knee OA. Material and methods: This is a prospective study, non-probable sampling technique conducted in the Department of Orthopaedics, Sree Mookambika Institute of Medical Sciences, Kulasekharam from June 2023 to December 2023 for a period of 6 months, the study participants which include patient aged >40 and <70 years with Osteoarthritis knee population; Grade 0, I and II Osteoarthritis knee (Kellerman and Lawrence classification) with symptoms for more than 3 months according to the ACR clinical classification criteria and pain score of more than 4 cm on 10 cm visual analog scale (VAS) will be included in this study and exclude the patient with aged < 40 years Grade III and IV- Osteoarthritis knee (Kellerman and Lawrence classification), Active infection in the knee, Secondary Osteoarthritis, Previous knee surgery, Previous intra-articular knee injection. Results: Mean VAS score of 30 patients at pre-procedural, 6 weeks,3 months and 6 months follow up are 7.5±2, 7.0±1.5, 5.6±1.4 and 4.5±1.5 respectively and mean total WOMAC score of 30 patients at at pre-procedural, 6 weeks,3 months and 6 months follow up are 74±8.3, 65±8.1, 60± 7.5 55±12.2 respectively. Which shows a significant reduced in pain and improvement in the functional outcome. Conclusion: KT (kinesio tape) was found to improve pain and physical functioning of subjects with early knee osteoarthritis. The results of this study showed significant kinesio tape effects in the WOMAC subscales: pain, stiffness, and physical function and VAS score. This technique is recommended for early osteoarthritis not for the late stages. This technique is cost effective and easily available. WOMAC and VAS score are useful tool in assessing the Knee functional outcome. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Knee osteoarthritis (OA) joint disease most commonly occurs in the elderly population, and it causes significant pain and functional limitations. Manual therapy, physical therapy modalities, taping techniques, patient education and therapeutic exercises, orthosis, and more recently, extracorporeal shock wave therapy (ESWT) are all used to treat knee OA. Kinesio taping (KT) is a therapeutic technique used to treat knee OA. Material and methods: This is a prospective study, non-probable sampling technique conducted in the Department of Orthopaedics, Sree Mookambika Institute of Medical Sciences, Kulasekharam from June 2023 to December 2023 for a period of 6 months, the study participants which include patient aged >40 and <70 years with Osteoarthritis knee population; Grade 0, I and II Osteoarthritis knee (Kellerman and Lawrence classification) with symptoms for more than 3 months according to the ACR clinical classification criteria and pain score of more than 4 cm on 10 cm visual analog scale (VAS) will be included in this study and exclude the patient with aged < 40 years Grade III and IV- Osteoarthritis knee (Kellerman and Lawrence classification), Active infection in the knee, Secondary Osteoarthritis, Previous knee surgery, Previous intra-articular knee injection. Results: Mean VAS score of 30 patients at pre-procedural, 6 weeks,3 months and 6 months follow up are 7.5±2, 7.0±1.5, 5.6±1.4 and 4.5±1.5 respectively and mean total WOMAC score of 30 patients at at pre-procedural, 6 weeks,3 months and 6 months follow up are 74±8.3, 65±8.1, 60± 7.5 55±12.2 respectively. Which shows a significant reduced in pain and improvement in the functional outcome. Conclusion: KT (kinesio tape) was found to improve pain and physical functioning of subjects with early knee osteoarthritis. The results of this study showed significant kinesio tape effects in the WOMAC subscales: pain, stiffness, and physical function and VAS score. This technique is recommended for early osteoarthritis not for the late stages. This technique is cost effective and easily available. WOMAC and VAS score are useful tool in assessing the Knee functional outcome. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The analysis and sustainable management of water resources have been substantially hampered by the absence of optimum precipitation data in Afghanistan. Using observational data from 68 stations over a 24-year period (1961–1984), this study produces a long-term high spatial resolution monthly gridded precipitation dataset for Afghanistan. The ordinary Kriging tool was utilized to develop the observed gridded dataset with a fine resolution of 0.08°. Comparative analysis of gauge-based and reanalysis products such as the Global Precipitation Climatology Center (GPCC), Asian Precipitation—Highly-Resolved Observational Data Integration Towards Evaluation of Water Resources (APHRODITE), European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts Reanalysis (ERA5-Land) and University of Delaware Terrestrial Precipitation (U-Del) was performed using statistical measures and the best-performing dataset was bias corrected in conjunction with bias correction methods evaluation. Employing the Mann-Kendel test and Sen's slope estimator on the developed dataset, annual and seasonal spatial trends analysis was done. The findings revealed that the GPCC outperformed other datasets for the whole Afghanistan and was bias-corrected using linear scaling to produce a long-term product. In eastern, central, and southern parts of Afghanistan, 40.40% of the area experienced a significant increase in annual precipitation ranging from 0.78 to 16 mm/year. A decrease from 0.31 to 11.85 mm/year was observed in Baghlan, Bamian, Sari Pul, Ghor, Zabul, Badghis, Southern Paktika, and eastern Badakhshan of the study area. Afghanistan's eastern, central, and southern regions mostly have significant increasing trends during the summer and autumn, while other parts of the study area experience negligible decreasing trends in these seasons. Decision makers and researchers may use the developed gridded dataset for hydroclimatic modeling and future projection to develop due policies for the sustainable management of water resources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Apple, a vital fruit crop worldwide and a major crop grown in northern parts of India, acts as a backbone for the survival and livelihood of the farming community. However, it is prone to severe damage from insect pests and diseases. In the past few years, due to erratic weather patterns, there has been an alarmingly increased infestation of different insect pests, both invasive and non-invasive, resulting in substantial economic losses to this industry. One similar case was seen in the Himalayan region of India, where the apple crop in Karewas was heavily damaged by some invasive fruit borer, feeding on pulp and making galleries to reach the seed locules, thereby destroying the seed material. To ascertain the true identity of this pest, a study based on morpho-molecular characterization of this pest was carried out in the Faculty of Agriculture, Wadura, SKUAST Kashmir, India, during the years 2021 and 2022. The invasive fruit samples were collected from apple orchards at different locations (experimental sites) in North India by installing delta sticky traps @ 5 traps/ha for moth collection. The fruit-boring larvae and pupa were also collected and reared in confined chambers of the laboratory with controlled temperature and humidity. All the laboratory investigations were conducted at the Division of Entomology, FoA, Wadura, SKUAST Kashmir. During the investigation, it was confirmed that the invasive borer is a codling moth (Cydia pomonella L.), a member of the family Tortricidae, order Lepidoptera, which was earlier having quarantine importance in India, as it was only present in the Ladakh region of India. From the phylogenetic analysis of sample sequences, the species of codling moth present at all experimental sites was more identical to the codling moth sequence from Leh (the northernmost arid region), India. Further, the study of life cycle and voltinism revealed that codling moth completes three generations per year in Kashmir, with a single cycle lasting up to 2.5 months. However, the timing of various generations varies, depending on prevailing weather conditions at specific locations and times. The number of generations completed by codling moth in Kashmir conditions during apple growing season was three full and a half overwintering generations. The study of the life cycle of this important pest was necessary to know the weak link for its effective management and to prevent the economic loss in apple fruit. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Genetic algorithms (GAs) are very goodmetaheuristic algorithms that are suitable for solving NP-hard combinatorial optimization problems. A simpleGA begins with a set of solutions represented by a population of chromosomes and then uses the idea of survival of the fittest in the selection process to select some fitter chromosomes. It uses a crossover operator to create better offspring chromosomes and thus, converges the population. Also, it uses a mutation operator to explore the unexplored areas by the crossover operator, and thus, diversifies the GA search space. A combination of crossover and mutation operators makes the GA search strong enough to reach the optimal solution. However, appropriate selection and combination of crossover operator and mutation operator can lead to a very good GA for solving an optimization problem. In this present paper, we aim to study the benchmark traveling salesman problem (TSP). We developed several genetic algorithms using seven crossover operators and six mutation operators for the TSP and then compared them to some benchmark TSPLIB instances. The experimental studies show the effectiveness of the combination of a comprehensive sequential constructive crossover operator and insertion mutation operator for the problem. The GA using the comprehensive sequential constructive crossover with insertion mutation could find average solutions whose average percentage of excesses from the best-known solutions are between 0.22 and 14.94 for our experimented problem instances. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The generalized travelling salesman problem (GTSP), a generalization of the well-known travelling salesman problem (TSP), is considered for our study. Since the GTSP is NP-hard and very complex, finding exact solutions is highly expensive, we will develop genetic algorithms (GAs) to obtain heuristic solutions to the problem. In GAs, as the crossover is a very important process, the crossover methods proposed for the traditional TSP could be adapted for the GTSP. The sequential constructive crossover (SCX) and three other operators are adapted to use in GAs to solve the GTSP. The effectiveness of GA using SCX is verified on some GTSP Library (GTSPLIB) instances first and then compared against GAs using the other crossover methods. The computational results show the success of the GA using SCX for this problem. Our proposed GA using SCX, and swap mutation could find average solutions whose average percentage of excesses from the best-known solutions is between 0.00 and 14.07 for our investigated instances. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Messages promoting the benefits of amber necklaces for children are common on social media, despite their health risks. Aim: This study characterized Facebook posts with false content about the efficacy of amber necklaces in teething. Design: A sample of 500 English‐language Facebook posts was analyzed by two investigators to determine the motivations, author's profile, and sentiments of posts. Latent Dirichlet Allocation topic modeling was used to identify salient terms and topics. An intertopic distance map was created to calculate the topic similarity. These data were analyzed using descriptive analysis, the Mann–Whitney U test, Cramer's V test, and multiple logistic regression models, regarding the time since initial posting and interaction metrics. Results: Most posts were made by business profiles and expressed positive sentiments, with social, psychological, and financial motivations. The posts were categorized into the topics "giveaway," "healing features," and "sales." Overperforming scores and total interaction increased with time since the initial posting. Posts with links had higher overperforming scores. Conclusion: The findings suggest that Facebook posts about the efficacy of amber necklaces in teething are motivated by financial interests, using psychological and social mechanisms to achieve greater interaction with their target audience. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climate change poses a significant threat to biodiversity, impacting species distribution and ecological dynamics all across the world. Mammals, including canids, are especially vulnerable to climatic variability which affects their habitat and other ecological processes. This study focuses on the habitat modelling of the Himalayan wolf (Canis lupus chanco) in the Hirpora Wildlife Sanctuary, Western Himalayas, using current and future climate scenarios. Field data collection from 2020-2022 yielded 135 geo-referenced presence locations for Himalayan wolves. Advanced modelling techniques, including nine algorithms, were employed to assess habitat suitability. The models indicate that the northeastern and eastern parts of the sanctuary are most suitable for the Himalayan wolf under current conditions, with a substantial increase in suitable habitats predicted under future climate scenarios, especially under the RCP8.5 2050 scenario. This study underscores the importance of integrated conservation strategies in light of climate change and increasing human pressures in this critical region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Electrospinning provides a simple and versatile method for generating ultrafine fibers from a rich variety of materials that include polymers, composites, and ceramics. Find applications in various fields, including tissue engineering, filter media, reinforcement in nanocomposites, and micro/nano-electro-mechanical systems. In this study the polystyrene fibers in 10%, 20% and 30% (w/v) in THF: DMF solvents were characterized by ATR-FTIR, AFM and SEM. The obtained fibers exhibited a smooth surface with fine structures, emphasizing a ribbon-like morphology with bead-like features within the range of 3 µm to 5 µm in diameter. The aim of this study was to extract the parabens at optimized condition as pH, adsorbent dose, contact time and the elution of solvent. To examine the mechanism of adsorption kinetics, the two most commonly used kinetics models (pseudo-first order and pseudo-second order) were employed to test experimental data along with Morris-Weber diffusion model. The obtained data showed that the maximum sorption efficiency obtained at pH 3.0, adsorbent dose optimized as 10 mg of fiber with time of 24 hours, the methanol was sufficient to elute paraben from fibers met. The experimental data of the adsorption followed by first order reaction with mass transfer-controlled diffusion mechanism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The current study was performed to investigate the impact of different temperatures and protein levels on the growth performance, proximate composition and digestive and hepatic enzyme activities of Labeo rohita fingerlings. For this purpose, healthy fingerlings (average initial weight of 6.40 ± 0.02 g) were acclimatized for 15 days, then reared at three temperatures (25°C, 30°C and 35°C) and fed three levels of crude protein (25%, 30% and 35% crude protein (CP)) twice daily until satiation for 60 days. The results of the study revealed that the highest growth performance was observed in fish fed 35% protein and reared at 30°C. Similarly, fish reared at 35°C and 25°C water temperature showed comparatively better growth performance in fish fed with 35% protein. Furthermore, a significant enhancement in feed intake was observed with increasing culture temperature and increasing CP levels, but at 25°C, increasing CP levels significantly decreased the feed intake. Sligh variations were also observed in proximate composition in terms of moisture, CP, crude fat (CF) and ash contents in fish fed with different CP levels and reared at different temperatures. The hepatosomatic index and viscerosomatic index decreased significantly with increasing levels of protein and temperature. Amylase activities were significantly reduced with increasing culture temperature at each protein level. Increasing culture temperature did not affected the lipase activities. However, lipase activities were enhanced with increasing CP levels at 25°C and activities decreased with increasing CP levels at 30–35°C. Protease activity was enhanced with increasing temperature and CP levels. Significant increases were also observed in serum total proteins and liver functioning enzymes such as alkaline phosphatase, alanine aminotransferase and aspartate aminotransferase in response to increased temperature, and protein had a reciprocal effect. It is concluded that increasing the CP levels increased the growth performance independent of temperature. However, similar growth performance at 30 CP (30°C) and 35 CP (35°C) indicates that L. rohita requires more protein at higher temperature for optimum growth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Himalayan serow (Capricornis sumatraensis thar), a subspecies of the mainland serow is classified as vulnerable according to IUCN. Although the knowledge of their diet selection is essential for understanding this species' ecology and consequent conservation, little is known about the diet selection of Himalayan serow due to its elusive and secretive habits. We investigated the winter diet selection of Himalayan serow at food category level in the temperate forests of Bani Wildlife Sanctuary, the north-western Himalayas, during two winter seasons (November-February) of 2020 and 2021. A total of 1310 plant fragments belonging to six food categories were recorded by micro-histological analysis of faecal samples (n = 30). The majority of the diet comprised deciduous broad-leaved species (33.78%), followed by evergreen broad-leaved species (32.14.), graminoids (12.23%), evergreen conifers (6.05%), and forbs (2.97%). Diet selection value showed that Himalayan serow highly selected deciduous broad-leaved and evergreen broad-leaved species, whereas, graminoids were not preferred. Our findings unambiguously indicate that Himalayan serow is a browser during winter, selecting more digestible food plants within their habitats. Additionally, the availability of these preferred broad-leaved species may be important for the winter survival of Himalayan serow. We recommend that the winter habitat with a significant amount of forage must be well managed to supply the dietary requirements of serow. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Natural herbs are excellent alternatives to synthetic compounds to enhance the growth performance and health status of fish. This study was conducted to evaluate the efficacy of black cardamom (Amomum subulatum) extract (BCE) as an herbal supplement in improving the growth, antioxidant status, haematology, and serum biochemistry of Catla catla. The acclimatized fish (N = 900; average initial weight = 14.44 ± 0.33 g) were allocated into five groups (60 fish/group in triplicate) in hapas (4 × 2 × 2.5 ft) and provided with feed containing 0 (control), 0.5, 1, 2 and 4 g/kg BCE for 90 days before being subjected to 8 days of crowding stress. After 90 days, significantly higher feed utilization and growth were observed in all BCE‐fed treatments compared to the control; however, the maximum values of these parameters were noted in the 2 g/kg BCE‐fed treatment. Moreover, the BCE‐fed groups exhibited a significant increase in antioxidant indices (glutathione peroxidase, superoxide dismutase and catalase), with a significant reduction in malondialdehyde levels, indicating a higher antioxidant capacity compared to the control. Significant improvements in haematological parameters, such as an increase in haematocrit, haemoglobin and red blood cells and a decrease in white blood cells, were observed in BCE‐fed treatments compared to the control. Furthermore, BCE‐fed groups showed a significant decrease in serum glucose, cortisol and triglycerides, while total protein, globulin and albumin levels were significantly higher compared with the control. During the feeding trial of 90 days, no mortality was observed; however, the lowest cumulative mortality was noted in the 2 g/kg BCE group after crowding stress of 8 days. In conclusion, the use of BCE in feed can enhance the growth performance, antioxidant status, haematology, and serum biochemistry of C. catla and improve the resistance against crowding stress. The optimum levels of BCE for C. catla were estimated based on weight gain % (1.78 g/kg; R2 = 0.97), feed conversion ratio (1.65 g/kg; R2 = 0.98), MDA content (1.66 g/kg; R2 = 0.93) and serum lysozyme activity (1.72 g/kg; R2 = 1) using broken‐line regression analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study was to determine the optimal dietary phosphorus (P) requirement and its effects on growth performance, body composition, mineralization and alkaline phosphate (ALP) activity in silver carp (Hypophthalmichthys molitrix). A total of 360 fish with an average initial weight of 7.0 ± 0.15 g were divided into 18 tanks (70 L capacity each) with a stocking density of 20 fish per tank in triplicate. The fish were fed diets containing six levels of P (3.3, 4.4, 5.5, 6.5, 7.5 and 8.6 g/kg) up to satiation for 90 days twice daily at 09:00 and 16:00. The results showed that fish fed diets containing 6.5 and 7.5 g/kg dietary P had significantly higher (p < 0.05) growth performance in terms of final weight gain, average weight gain (AWG), weight gain% (WG%), protein efficiency ratio (PER) and specific growth rate (SGR) than fish fed other diets. The best value of the feed conversion ratio (FCR) was observed in fish fed the 6.5 g/kg P diet, which was not significantly different from the 7.5 g/kg P diet. Increasing P supplementation above 6.5 g/kg significantly reduced (p < 0.05) the feed intake of silver carp. Whole‐body composition analysis indicated that increasing P levels resulted in a decrease (p < 0.05) in crude fat (CF) and an increase (p < 0.05) in crude ash (CA) content, while crude protein (CP) and moisture content remained unaffected (p > 0.05). Fish fed diets containing ≥6.5 g/kg P had significantly higher (p < 0.05) Ca content in the whole body, bones and scales compared to those fed diets containing ≤5.5 g/kg P. A similar trend was observed for P and Mg contents in the whole body, bones and scales. The Zn content tended to decrease (p < 0.05) with increasing P supplementation in the whole body and bones, but fish fed diets containing ≥6.5 g/kg P had significantly higher (p < 0.05) Zn content compared to fish fed diets containing ≤5.5 g/kg P. The Ca/P ratio was significantly affected by P supplementation. Fish fed diets containing ≥6.5 g/kg P had significantly higher (p < 0.05) Ca and P contents in the serum than fish fed other diets. ALP activity increased (p < 0.05) with increasing P levels up to 6.5 g/kg P and decreased (p < 0.05) thereafter. In conclusion, supplementing P up to 6.35 g/kg is recommended for the optimal growth of silver carp. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The fixed fleet heterogeneous open vehicle routing problem (HFFOVRP) is one of the most practical versions of the vehicle routing problem (VRP) defined because the use of rental vehicles reduces the cost of purchasing and routing for shipping companies nowadays. Also, applying a heterogeneous fleet is recommended due to the physical limitations of the streets and efforts to reduce the running costs of these companies. In this paper, a mixed-integer linear programming is proposed for HFFOVRP. Because this problem, like VRP, is related to NP-hard issues, it is not possible to use exact methods to solve real-world problems. Therefore, in this paper, a hybrid algorithm based on the ant colony algorithm called MACO is presented. This algorithm uses only global updating pheromones for a more efficient search of feasible space and considers a minimum value for pheromones on the edges. Also, pheromones of some best solutions obtained so far are updated, based on the quality of the solutions at each iteration, and three local search algorithms are used for the intensification mechanism. This method was tested on several standard instances, and the results were compared with other algorithms. The computational results show that the proposed algorithm performs better than these methods in cost and CPU time. Besides, not only has the algorithm been able to improve the quality of the best-known solutions in nine cases but also the high-quality solutions are obtained for other instances. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The replacement of fishmeal (FM) with economical and nutritious FM alternatives including plant- and animal-based protein ingredients has become a global research priority. However, the presence of several anti-nutritional factors (ANFs) in these alternatives may impair nutrient utilization in fish. The supplementation of exogenous protease as feed additives could be an effective approach to improve the nutrient digestibility of these alternative proteins. Proteases are protein-digesting enzymes that catalyze the hydrolysis of complex protein macromolecules into simpler amino acids. Exogenous protease supplementation stimulates the activities of endogenous proteolytic enzymes for better nutrient digestion and absorption in fish. This review article summarizes the optimum protease supplementation levels in various fish species and its beneficial effects on growth performance, nutrient digestibility, intestinal morphology, digestive enzyme activities, whole-body composition, physiochemical parameters, immunity, and gene expression of fish. Moreover, the interactive effects of exogenous protease with organic acids and probiotics are also discussed. Overall, the supplementation of exogenous protease in fish feed is a viable solution for poor nutrient utilization of FM alternatives. Important gaps, however, exist in the current knowledge, particularly with regard to the effect of protease supplementation in animal-based proteins as most of the studies have focused on the effect of protease supplementation on plant-based proteins as FM alternatives. Moreover, additional studies focused on the effect of protease supplementation on the digestive enzyme activities, immunity, gut microbes and antioxidant parameters of fish will provide the basis for a better understanding of the mode of action of protease. The scarce knowledge in these areas limits the scope of protease supplementation as a feed additive in the aquaculture sector. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wheat powdery mildew possesses a significant threat to wheat crops not only on a global scale but also in the northern region of Pakistan. Recognizing the need for effective measures, the exploration and utilization of exotic germplasm take on critical importance. To address this, a series of trials were made to investigate the response of 30 European (EU) lines, in addition to the local checks (Siran, Atta-Habib (AH) and Ghanimat-e-IBGE) against wheat powdery mildew at the Himalayan region of Pakistan. The study involved field testing from 2018 to 2022 across multiple locations, resulting in 38 different environments (location × year). In addition to field evaluations, molecular genotyping was also performed. The disease was absent on the tested lines during 2018, 2019, and 2020 whereas it ranged from 0 to 100% at Chitral location during 2021, where 100% was observed only for one EU wheat line "Matrix." The disease prevailed only at Gilgit location (0–60% for EU wheat line "F236") and at Nagar location (0–10% for EU wheat lines Substance and Nelson) during the disease season of 2022. Most of the EU wheat lines showed very low ACI values, due to an overall low disease pressure. Matrix showed the maximum ACI (1.54) followed by Ritter (1.25) and Bli_autrichion (0.87), whereas the minimum (0.1) was for Substance, JB_Asano, and KWS_Loft followed by Canon (0.19), all exhibiting partial resistance. The molecular marker-based screening revealed that Pm38 was the most prevalent and detected in 100% of wheat lines followed by Pm39 (60%) and Pm8 (30%). Six wheat lines (20%) possessed all three Pm genes (Pm8, Pm38, and Pm39) concurrently. The variability observed in this study can be utilized in future breeding efforts aimed at developing resistant wheat varieties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An experiment of 90-days was performed to investigate the effects of dietary calcium (Ca), phosphorus (P) and their interaction on growth, whole-body composition, nutrient digestibility and mineralization of silver carp, Hypophthalmichthys molitrix (average initial weight 13.7 ± 0.05 g). Nine isonitrogenous, isocaloric and isolipidic diets with three Ca levels (0, 1 and 2%) combined with three P levels (0, 1 and 2% P) were prepared. Results showed that silver carp fed the diet supplemented with 1% Ca and 1% P level yielded the similar (p > 0.05) growth performance as was recorded for that fed diet containing 2% Ca and 2% P. No significant difference in survival rate was recorded except for the diet containing 1% Ca with 2% P supplement. The feed intake (FI) of juvenile remained unaffected (p > 0.05) by mineral supplementation. Whole body protein content increased (p < 0.05) slightly with Ca and P supplementation. However, moisture, fat and ash contents remained unaffected (p > 0.05). Dietary Ca and P supplementation improved (p < 0.05) the protein and fat digestibility in silver carp. Ca and P contents showed significant increase (p < 0.05) with increasing Ca and P levels in the whole body, bones and scales, achieving the highest (p < 0.05) values at 2% Ca supplemented with 2% P. Whereas, Mg and Zn contents decreased (p < 0.05) with increasing Ca and P supplementation. Fish fed the diet containing 2% Ca level without P supplement had higher (p < 0.05) Ca/P ratio in whole body and bones. However, it decreased (p < 0.05) at 2% Ca level in scales. Further, increase in P supplementation significantly reduced (p < 0.05) Ca/P ratio regardless of Ca level. Conclusively, supplementation of 1% Ca in the presence of 1% P (1:1 ratio) is required for optimum performance of silver carp. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Reliable spatial and temporal meteorological estimates are essential for accurately modeling hydrological, ecological, and climatic processes. High-resolution gridded datasets can be utilized for such applications, particularly in data-sparse regions. However, the validation of the accuracy of these products is necessary before their application in hydrological modeling for the assessment and management of water resources. In this study, high-resolution (0.08° × 0.08°), long-term station-based gridded datasets for precipitation and maximum and minimum temperatures were developed for the Potohar Plateau. Linear regression analysis was performed against the datasets and nearby stations for gap-filling during the base period. The observed gap-filled data were spatially interpolated using the ordinary kriging technique to obtain an observed gridded dataset. Five datasets for precipitation and three datasets for temperature were selected for evaluation in this study. GPCC, APHRODITE, ERA5-Land, MSWEP, and PERSIANN-CDR for precipitation, and CPC, CRU, and ERA5 for temperature were selected. The performance evaluation was performed using widely used statistical parameters (KGE, R2, MAE, and RMSE). Bias correction was performed by selecting the best technique between linear scaling and quantile mapping. The results revealed that GPCC and ERA5 were the best-performing datasets for precipitation and temperature, respectively, among the evaluated datasets. For GPCC, KGE, R2, MAE, and RMSE values were 0.75, 0.79, 21.22 mm, and 35.11 mm correspondingly, whereas, for ERA5, the aforementioned values were 0.87, 0.97, 1.5 mm, and 1.85 mm, and 0.92, 0.98, 1.05 mm, and 1.25 mm, respectively, for maximum and minimum temperature. Furthermore, linear scaling performed better than quantile mapping in bias correction. Finally, the GPCC and ERA5 datasets were bias-corrected to develop the final gridded dataset products for precipitation and temperature. This dataset will be utilized in hydro-climatological studies, which would be helpful in policy-making for sustainable water resources management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The capacitated vehicle routing problem (CVRP) is regarded as an NP-hard problem. Moreover, the CVRP is described as a model that can be used in many applications such as transport, logistics, and distribution. The exact algorithms can find exact optimal solutions on the small-sized problem instances; however, for large-sized instances it is difficult to find the exact optimal solutions in polynomial time. This reason motivated the researchers to present heuristic/metaheuristic algorithms to solve large-sized problem instances within a reasonable computational time. One of the good algorithms that deal with the CVRP is the ant colony optimization (ACO) algorithm. Several ACO algorithms have been suggested in the literature, such as the ant system (AS) algorithm, ant colony system (ACS) algorithm, and so on. On the other hand, ACO is designed to solve the path problem that finds the best way. However, this algorithm still lacks exploratory mechanisms, which results in premature convergence and stagnation issues. Therefore, we propose to develop an enhanced ACS (EACS) algorithm for solving the CVRP based on subpaths. In our proposed algorithm, we propose to utilize the K-nearest neighbour (KNN) algorithm for finding the best initial solution and then enhance the diversity mechanism of the proposed algorithm by avoiding the generation of the same solution using subpaths. This uses the diversity of the generated solution to find a better solution with a shorter route in a reasonable amount of computational time. Furthermore, we propose to apply the three-opt algorithm to the completed subtour and the k-opt algorithm to the subpath gained from the experience of the subpath. Finally, to verify the effectiveness of the proposed EACS algorithm, the algorithm is tested on some CVRP instances and is compared with one of the state-of-the-art methods, namely, the enhanced simulated annealing algorithm. The comparative study showed a better performance of our EACS compared to the enhanced simulated annealing algorithm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we study a new filtration class MF α , β μ , associated with the filtration of infinitesimal generators, by using the nonlinear fractional differential operator and study certain properties, like sharp Fekete–Szegö inequalities and filtration problems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Today, goods transportation is considered to be one of the most important activities of national economics. Logistics and supply chain play an important role in the industry and services, considering the needs of the people, while there is an increase in the population. In addition, the role of logistics in urban areas, especially in restaurants, grocery stores, etc., is clearly visible. Besides, the final price of the goods is the most important factor that is always considered in service and in production. Due to this important factor, transportation has been found to be one of the most significant and influential factors in determining the price of goods. For these reasons, the newest variant of the vehicle routing problem, called the line feeder vehicle routing problem (LFVRP), is considered in this paper, in which various types of vehicles (large and small vehicles) are used for providing services to customers. In this particular type of delivery issue, these vehicles must start from the warehouse, meet customers, and finally return to the depot. In fact, the issue of LFVRP is related to the fast customer service in urban areas because in this case, all that are considered to be of priority are to minimize transportation costs and overall distribution time for fast customer service, especially in urban areas. Due to the many applications of this problem in the real world, a general review of this problem is conducted, and the versions of this problem are described along with the algorithms for its solution in the paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Vitamin supplementation beyond the requirement level show therapeutic effect. Vitamin E being an antioxidant has become very attractive to reduce oxidation and improve overall performance of fish. Two adequate (100, 150 mg/kg) and two high levels (1000, 1500 mg/kg) of vitamin E with a control level (0 mg/kg) were analyzed in this study. Results showed that adequate levels of supplementation increased growth performance compared to higher levels. The minimum value of thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) was recorded in 100 mg/kg vitamin E supplemented group, which started to increase gradually with increase in vitamin E level. Supplementation of vitamin E lowered the antioxidant enzyme (superoxide dismutase, catalase and peroxidase) activities, however the higher doses did not outperform the moderate doses. Saturated fatty acids and monoenes were more in fish fed the control diet compared to vitamin E fed fish. The percentages of 18:3n-6 (linolenic acid), 20:5n-3 (eicosapentaenoic acid), 22:5n-3 (docosapentaenoic acid), 22:6n-3 (docosahexaenoic acid), total n-3 and n-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids were found higher in diets enriched with vitamin E than in the control group. To conclude, dietary supplementation with vitamin E has been shown to improve the growth and antioxidant status of fish. Nevertheless, high doses of vitamin E showed the pro-oxidative effect that favored lipid peroxidation, resulting in a decreased growth rate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, separate and combined ratio type estimators have been proposed in presence of non-response for estimating the population mean under stratified random sampling when the non-response occurs both on study and the auxiliary variables and the population mean of the auxiliary variable is unknown. The expressions for the biases and mean square errors (MSEs) of the proposed estimators have been derived to the first order of approximation. The proposed estimators have been compared with the other existing estimators using MSE criterion, and the condition under which the proposed estimators perform better than existing estimators have been obtained. In addition to the theoretical research, an empirical study was conducted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The cryosphere in high mountain Asia (HMA) not only sustains the livelihoods of people residing downstream through its capacity to store water but also holds the potential for hazards. One of these hazards, avalanches, so far remains inadequately studied, as the complex relationship between climate and potential triggers is poorly understood due to lack of long-term observations, inaccessibility, severe weather conditions, and financial and logistical constraints. In this study, the available literature was reviewed covering the period from the late 20th century to June 2022 to identify research and societal gaps and propose future directions of research and mitigation strategies. Beyond scientific literature, technical reports, newspapers, social media and other local sources were consulted to compile a comprehensive, open-access and version-controlled database of avalanche events and their associated impacts. Over 681 avalanches with more than 3131 human fatalities were identified in eight countries of the region. Afghanistan has the highest recorded avalanche fatalities (1057), followed by India (952) and Nepal (508). Additionally, 564 people lost their lives while climbing peaks above 4500 m a.s.l., one-third of which were staff employed as guides or porters. This makes it a less deadly hazard than in the less populated European Alps, for example, but with a considerably larger number of people affected who did not voluntarily expose themselves to avalanche risk. Although fatalities are significant, and local long-term impacts of avalanches may be considerable, so far, limited holistic adaptation or mitigation measures exist in the region. These measures generally rely on local and indigenous knowledge adapted to modern technologies. Considering the high impact avalanches have in the region, we suggest to further develop adaptation measures including hazard zonation maps based on datasets of historic events and modelling efforts. This should, however, happen acknowledging the already existing knowledge in the region and in close coordination with communities, local government and civil society stakeholders. More research studies should also be attempted to understand the trends and drivers of avalanches in the region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An 8-week feeding trial was conducted to evaluate the effects of β-mannanase supplementation on the growth performance, body composition, nutrient digestibility, and digestive enzyme activities of juvenile rohu, Labeo rohita (7.36 ± 0.13 g) given plant-based feeds. Seven isonitrogenous (35% protein) and isolipidic (13%) feeds were used; F-diet (high fishmeal content), P-diet (high plant content), and five β-mannanase supplemented diets (0.02, 0.04, 0.06, 0.08, and 0.1%) based on P-diet. The fish were fed to apparent satiation twice a day at 9:00 and 16:00 for 56 days. There were 3 tanks of fish for each feed treatment, with 15 fish in each 70 L tank. Fish fed the diet supplemented with 0.06% β-mannanase had significantly higher final weight (FW 26.35 g) than those given the P-diet (FW 22.76 g) and growth was similar (p > 0.05) to the fish given the F-diet (FW 26.35 g). The best (p < 0.05) values of feed intake (FI), feed conversion ratio (FCR), and protein efficiency ratio (PER) were recorded in fish fed the diet containing 0.06% β-mannanase, which were not significantly different to the F-diet. Viscerosomatic index (VSI) and hepatosomatic index (HSI) increased linearly (p < 0.05) with increasing β-mannanase supplementation up to 0.06% (non-significant to F-diet) and decreased thereafter. The highest (p < 0.05) values for whole-body dry matter, crude protein, crude lipid, and crude ash were recorded in fish fed the diet containing 0.06% β-mannanase and F-diet. Furthermore, fish fed the diet containing 0.06% β-mannanase had significantly higher (p < 0.05) apparent digestibility coefficient (ADC) of dry matter (84.12%), crude protein (83.08%), crude lipid (82.90%), and crude ash (79.09%) when compared to the P-diet (66.46%, 72.59%, 69.32%, 62.59%, respectively). The activities of intestinal and hepatopancreatic amylase, protease and lipase showed an increasing trend (p < 0.05) with the increase in β-mannanase supplementation, peaking at 0.06% level (which was non-significant to F-diet) and decreased (p < 0.05) thereafter. Conclusively, β-mannanase supplementation up to 0.06% significantly improved the growth performance, whole-body composition, nutrient digestibility, and digestive enzyme activities of rohu fed plant-based diet. Broken-line regression analysis showed that 0.062% was the optimum β-mannanase level for the maximum growth performance of rohu. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The discrete differential evolution (DDE) algorithm is an evolutionary algorithm (EA) that has effectively solved challenging optimization problems. However, like many other EAs, it still faces problems such as premature convergence and stagnation during the iterative process. To address these concerns in the DDE algorithm, this work aims to achieve the following objectives: (i) investigate the causes of premature convergence and stagnation in the DDE algorithm; (ii) propose techniques to prevent premature convergence and stagnation in DDE, including a quantitative measurement of premature convergence based on the level of mismatching between the population solutions and then divide the population into individual groups based on the level of mismatching between the population solutions and the best solution; and applying the roulette wheel selection (RWS) approach to determine whether a higher degree of nonmatching is more suitable for choosing a population of separate groups to be able to produce a new solution with more options to prevent the occurrence of premature convergence; (iii) evaluate the effectiveness of the proposed techniques through employing the DDE algorithm to solve the quadratic assignment problem (QAP) as a standard to evaluate our results and their effect on avoiding premature convergence and stagnation issues, which led to the enhancement of the algorithm's accuracy. Our comparative study based on the statistical analysis shows that the DDE algorithm that uses the proposed techniques is more efficient than the traditional DDE algorithm and the state-of-the-art methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We study the capacitated vehicle routing problem (CVRP) which is a well-known NP-hard combinatorial optimization problem (COP). The aim of the problem is to serve different customers by a convoy of vehicles starting from a depot so that sum of the routing costs under their capacity constraints is minimized. Since the problem is very complicated, solving the problem using exact methods is almost impossible. So, one has to go for the heuristic/metaheuristic methods and genetic algorithm (GA) is broadly applied metaheuristic method to obtain near optimal solution to such COPs. So, this paper studies GAs to find solution to the problem. Generally, to solve a COP, GAs start with a chromosome set named initial population, and then mainly three operators-selection, crossover andmutation, are applied. Among these three operators, crossover is very crucial in designing and implementing GAs, and hence, numerous crossover operators were developed and applied to different COPs. There are two major kinds of crossover operators-blind crossovers and distance-based crossovers. We intend to compare the performance of four blind crossover and four distance-based crossover operators to test the suitability of the operators to solve the CVRP. These operators were originally proposed for the standard travelling salesman problem (TSP). First, these eight crossovers are illustrated using same parent chromosomes for building offspring(s). Then eight GAs using these eight crossover operators without any mutation operator and another eight GAs using these eight crossover operators with a mutation operator are developed. These GAs are experimented on some benchmark asymmetric and symmetric instances of numerous sizes and various number of vehicles. Our study revealed that the distance-based crossovers are much superior to the blind crossovers. Further, we observed that the sequential constructive crossover with and without mutation operator is the best one for theCVRP. This estimation is validated by Student's t-test at 95% confidence level. We further determined a comparative rank of the eight crossovers for the CVRP. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An 8-weeks feeding experiment was performed to study the requirement of vitamin E for rohu fingerlings. Six practical diets were fed to fingerlings including one control diet (E0) and five test diets (E25, E50, E75, E100 and E125) supplemented with graded vitamin E levels including 0, 25, 50, 75, 100 and 125 mg/kg. After the completion of trial, fish growth, vitamin E, antioxidant enzymes activities and fatty acids profile was determined. From the results it was concluded that the graded supplemental vitamin E levels improve the utilization of feed and fish growth. The antioxidant enzymes activities also showed significant results by increasing vitamin E level in the diet. However, an inverse relation was recorded between the contents of liver thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) and vitamin E level in the diet. Moreover, analysis of fatty acids profile showed decrease in saturated and monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFAs). While, polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) were increased in all vitamin E supplemented diets compared to control group. Furthermore, vitamin E level of 80.62 mg/kg was found optimum for maximum growth performance in L. rohita fingerlings, beyond which no increase in growth was observed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wear parameter optimization is critical for the successful use of materials in load-bearing applications. This study examines the optimization of various wear parameters using the Taguchi technique for the determination of the specific wear rate of alpha-manganese dioxide (α-MnO2)-epoxy nanocomposites. Four factors viz. wt.% loading of α-MnO2, sliding distance, sliding velocity, and normal load, were selected as controllable factors and a suitable L16 orthogonal array was chosen for conducting experiments. An X-ray diffractometer and field emission scanning electron microscope were used to examine phase identification, surface morphology, and chemical composition. With the addition of α-MnO2 in the epoxy, the tensile stress is decreased, while the elastic modulus is increased. The Taguchi result shows that the wear test in optimal condition is carried out with a wt.% loading of α-MnO2 of 0.5%, a sliding distance of 500 m, a sliding velocity of 1.5 m/s, and an applied normal load of 5 N. Analysis of variance shows the wt.% loading of α-MnO2 has the most influential parameter on specific wear rate with a contribution of 87.94%. The analysis also shows that the general linear model accurately describes the effect of sliding wear parameters on specific wear rates. The Monte Carlo simulated model shows that the experimental signal-to-noise ratios are consistent with the simulated model values. The confirmation test result shows that the % error between the predicted and experimental values of the specific wear rate at the optimum level combination is 4.67%. The worm surfaces of different trial runs show that the material removal process is caused by crack propagation. High-resolution scanning electron microscopic images of fractured surfaces show the formation of a stable tribo-layer at 0.5 wt.% α-MnO2 loading resulted in a significant decrease in the specific wear rate of the sample. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Codling moth is being reported in other countries of the world. It is a destructive and direct pest on apples and other fruit crops. The pathway for the occurrence of codling moth in the isolated belt of Baramulla is a cause of concern, and there is a need to contain this insect pest in other fruit-growing areas of Kashmir Valley. Here, we report a codling moth attacking apple and pear plants in the incursion belt.The fruit damage on apple in the belt was recorded more than 10% on delicious varieties. The codling moth was monitored and identified by using species-specific sex pheromone. The morphological and molecular tools were used to identify the codling moth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In higher education institutions (HEI), particularly in biology and medical education, the use of 3D animation, virtual reality, and simulation offers great potential in terms of enhancing learning and engaging students. Higher education researchers are still investigating virtual reality's possibilities and outcomes in various fields. This study focuses on the effects of 3D gamification using an Artificial Intelligence integrated Internet of Medical Things (AIoMT) implemented with virtual reality application for biology and medical students to learn about the human brain. Nowadays, both theoretical and practical education frequently incorporate virtual reality and augmented reality. Virtual tours of the human body's systems are offered to biology students so that they may comprehend such systems' functions. This study focuses on the use of 3D animation, virtual reality, and simulation in medical education, with a specific focus on the effects of a 3D gamification app using the Internet of Medical Things (AIoMT) on medical professionals' passion for learning. This study uses the ARCS model and SEM analysis to examine the impact of virtual reality on students' motivation and learning. The results show that virtual reality positively impacts motivation and the understanding of the concept-to-execution process through practice and simulation-based training. To assess how well students are learning, what they are analyzing, and how well they can understand the objects of analysis, a 3D-simulation-based and user-feedback-based design has been developed using the proposed research methodology. According to this article's findings, a smartphone app that uses virtual reality can help medical professionals better understand the concept-to-execution process through practice. VR simulation-based training, as well as Biology teachers or medical colleges, can offer high-definition 3D VR models rather than organs in jars to understand the human anatomy and its functions more experientially and effectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While employing a phenomenological perspective, the present study aimed to explore the varied experiences of transgender individuals in Kashmir, concerning their health-seeking behavior, and the constraints they face while accessing healthcare resources on a day-to-day basis in their life world. Participants were recruited through the purposive and snowball sampling strategies and the sufficiency of sample size was determined by data saturation. Data were collected using face-to-face in-depth interviews and analyzed through Colaizzi's procedure of extracting recurrent themes and their interwoven relationships in qualitative research. Three main themes of awareness and the preferences for healthcare, gender identity and persistent stigmatization in care settings, and intra-community support and the resultant caregiving were prominent. Results of the study revealed that the transgender individuals in Kashmir experience inappropriate health-seeking behaviour primarily due to their unawareness regarding health, diseases and public healthcare programs/schemes, financial constraints, social exclusion, improper support and social stigma. They often prefer treating their health issues, mostly through local pharmacies or patent medicine vendors (PMVs), instead of visiting the medical professionals in the organized sector. Moreover, in many instances, they were also found to delay their decisions to seek care or simply decided to remain far from any medical intervention. As a result, the transgender individuals in Kashmir usually experience underutilization of formal healthcare services, which undermines their right to proper health and well-being. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nowadays, using a rental fleet to transport goods for delivering to customers at a particular time frame is very important in the services and industry. That is why, in this study, we consider the heterogeneous fixed fleet open vehicle routing problem with time windows, which is one version of the vehicle routing problem with time windows. The problem has not attracted attention so much in the operational research literature than the usual vehicle routing problem. The problem consists of determining the minimum cost routes for a fleet of a fixed number of vehicles with various capacities in order to fulfil the demands of the customer population. Moreover, the vehicles start at the headquarters and terminate at one of the customers. In this study, we introduce a mixed integer programming model and then integrate an exact algorithm to solve this model. Furthermore, a hybrid algorithm (HA) based on modified rank-based ant system is developed and then its efficiency is compared with the exact method and some metaheuristic methods on some standard instances in literature. The results proved the effectiveness of our proposed HA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Immersive technology is one of the emerging trends in education in the twenty-first century, whether that be university training programs, or real-world technical training. However, there has been very little research into the effects and consequences of virtual reality. Various types of eLearning have been used to transmit information in recent years, and especially for medical education, virtual reality plays a vital role in terms of providing effective training; the virtual reality app bridged the gap between traditional learning and practical exposure. This unified reality environment enables users to simulate real-life scenarios and obtain useful information that would otherwise be unavailable. In the real world, it is difficult to grasp. In India's education sector, virtual reality technology is also being researched at an early stage. The goal of this research paper is to assess and explain the impact of virtual reality simulators on medical students' desire to learn. In the classroom, the core motivation hypothesis is used to boost motivation. The attention, relevance, confidence, and satisfaction (ARCS) model influenced the interpretation of virtual reality's impact on student motivation and content update implementation. The study examined the numerous variables of virtual reality simulators and their impact on medical education, using the ARCS model as a factor analysis. According to the study, students wsould learn more and be more motivated if virtual reality simulators were used. Attention, relevance, satisfaction, and confidence indicators were used to develop motivational variables, and the results were significant. We have taken the sample of 607 students' data for this analysis, through which we have identified the potential of VR made available to students, as well as the faculty, which has the potential to transform medical education. Instructors may be wary of incorporating new technology like VR into their curriculums, but with the support of their students' learning habits, this may not be a problem. It may help instructors feel more confident, while also enhancing the relationship between faculty, librarians, and students. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The cryosphere in high mountain Asia (HMA) not only sustains livelihoods of people residing downstream through its capacity to store water but also holds potential for hazards. One of these hazards, avalanches, so far remains poorly studied as the complex relationship between climate and potential triggers is poorly understood due to lack of long-term observations, inaccessibility, severe weather conditions, and financial and logistic constraints. In this study, available literature was reviewed covering the period from the late 20th century to June 2022 to identify research and societal gaps and propose future directions of research and mitigation strategies. Beyond scientific literature, technical reports, newspapers, social media and other local sources were consulted to compile a comprehensive, open access and version controlled database of avalanche events and their associated impacts. Over 681 avalanches with more than 3131 human fatalities were identified in eight countries of the region. Afghanistan has the highest recorded avalanche fatalities (1057) followed by India (952) and Nepal (508). Additionally, 564 people lost their lives while climbing peaks above 4500 m a.s.l., one third of which were staff employed as guides or porters. This makes it a less deadly hazard than in the less populated European Alps for example, but with a considerably larger number of people affected who did not voluntarily expose themselves to avalanche risk. Although fatalities are significant, and local long-term impacts of avalanches may be considerable, so far, limited holistic adaptation or mitigation measures exist in the region. These measures generally rely on local and indigenous knowledge adapted with modern technologies. Considering the high impact avalanches have in the region we suggest to further develop adaptation measures including hazard zonation maps based on datasets of historic events and modelling efforts. This should however happen acknowledging the already existing knowledge in the region and in close coordination with communities and local government and civil society stakeholders. More research studies should also be attempted to understand trends and drivers of avalanches in the region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We study the capacitated vehicle routing problem (CVRP) which is a well-known NP-hard combinatorial optimization problem (COP). The aim of the problem is to serve different customers by a convoy of vehicles starting from a depot so that sum of the routing costs under their capacity constraints is minimized. Since the problem is very complicated, solving the problem using exact methods is almost impossible. So, one has to go for the heuristic/metaheuristic methods and genetic algorithm (GA) is broadly applied metaheuristic method to obtain near optimal solution to such COPs. So, this paper studies GAs to find solution to the problem. Generally, to solve a COP, GAs start with a chromosome set named initial population, and then mainly three operators-selection, crossover and mutation, are applied. Among these three operators, crossover is very crucial in designing and implementing GAs, and hence, numerous crossover operators were developed and applied to different COPs. There are two major kinds of crossover operators-blind crossovers and distance-based crossovers. We intend to compare the performance of four blind crossover and four distance-based crossover operators to test the suitability of the operators to solve the CVRP. These operators were originally proposed for the standard travelling salesman problem (TSP). First, these eight crossovers are illustrated using same parent chromosomes for building offspring(s). Then eight GAs using these eight crossover operators without any mutation operator and another eight GAs using these eight crossover operators with a mutation operator are developed. These GAs are experimented on some benchmark asymmetric and symmetric instances of numerous sizes and various number of vehicles. Our study revealed that the distance-based crossovers are much superior to the blind crossovers. Further, we observed that the sequential constructive crossover with and without mutation operator is the best one for the CVRP. This estimation is validated by Student’s t-test at 95% confidence level. We further determined a comparative rank of the eight crossovers for the CVRP. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A 13‐week feeding trial was conducted to determine the optimum dietary calcium (Ca) requirement of juvenile silver carp, Hypophthalmichthys molitrix (3.20 ± 0.02 g). For this, five isonitrogenous semipurified diets containing 2.3, 5.3, 8.3, 11.1 and 14.2 g/kg Ca levels were formulated. The growth performance of juveniles was significantly affected by Ca supplementation with the maximum increase recorded at 8.3 g/kg Ca and stabilized thereafter (p < 0.05). Whole‐body protein and ash contents were increased (p < 0.05) with increased dietary Ca up to 8.3 g/kg and then levelled off (p < 0.05). However, the moisture and fat contents in whole body were decreased (p < 0.05) with the increased Ca supplementation up to 8.3 g/kg and plateaued thereafter. Calcium and P concentration showed an increasing trend (p < 0.05) with the increasing Ca level up to 11.1 g/kg in whole body and 8.3 g/kg in bones and scales. However, Mg and Zn concentrations were decreased (p < 0.05) with increasing dietary Ca levels. The highest alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity (p < 0.05) was recorded in the fish‐fed diet containing 11.1 g/kg Ca diet; however, serum Ca, P and Ca/P ratio remained unaffected (p > 0.05). Broken line regression showed that 8.45 g/kg Ca is the optimal requirement for the growth of silver carp. Conclusively, an increase in Ca supplementation up to 8.3 g/kg significantly improved the overall performance of silver carp without urging the negative effects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Vitamin C (VC) is a necessary nutrient for normal fish physiology and immunity. Therefore, A 60‐day feeding trial was designed to evaluate the dietary VC requirements of silver carp (Hypophthalmichthys molitrix). Six isocaloric and isonitrogenous diets were formulated by incorporation of VC at 0, 50, 100, 200, 400 and 800 mg kg−1 levels and the analysed VC content in diet was 5.7, 51.1, 95.3, 191.6, 370.7 and 757.5 mg kg−1 respectively. At the trial termination, VC supplementation significantly enhanced the growth and feed utilization. The highest values for whole body crude protein were recorded at 95.3 and 191.6 mg kg−1 of VC. In comparison to the basal diet, VC supplementation improved (p < 0.05) the whole body crude fat. Dietary VC had a dose‐dependent effect on the white blood cell count and haematocrit. A significant increase in the alkaline phosphatase activity was recorded for fish fed 5.7 to 95.3 mg kg−1 of VC, attaining a constant value afterwards (95.3–757.5 mg kg−1 of VC). In comparison, dietary VC decreased (p < 0.05) the aspartate aminotransferase and alanine aminotransferase activities. Similarly, the glucose content also decreased significantly from 5.7 to 95.3 mg kg−1 of VC and became constant thereafter. Dietary VC supplementation significantly affected the antioxidant enzyme activities. The liver VC content showed a dose‐dependent relation, where the VC content increased with the increase in VC supplementation reaching the highest value at 757.5 mg kg−1. Moreover, VC‐fed fish showed an increased (p < 0.05) survival against Aeromonas hydrophila challenge. On the basis of broken‐line regression, the optimum dietary VC requirement of H. molitrix for weight gain% and liver VC content is 61.31 and 241.13 mg kg−1 respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Land Use/Land Cover (LU/LC) change is among the dominant driving factors that directly influence water balance by transforming hydrological responses. Consequently, a thorough comprehension of its impacts is imperative for sustainable water resource planning and development, notably in developing worlds such as Pakistan, where agriculture is a major livelihood. This research intends to assess the continuing changes in LU/LC and evaluate their probable repercussions on the hydrological regime of the Potohar Plateau. The maximum likelihood classification (MLC) algorithm for land use classification of the high-resolution satellite imageries, the Cellular-Automata Markov Chain Model (CA-MCM) for the projection of LU/LC maps, and the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) in tandem with SWAT-CUP for hydrological modeling were employed in this research. The high-resolution climatic dataset (10 × 10 km) was used in SWAT. The LU/LC analysis revealed a continual propagation of agricultural and built-up lands at the detriment of forest and barren land during the last three decades, which is anticipated to continue in the future, too. Hydrological model calibrations and validations were performed on multi-basins, and the performance was evaluated using different statistical coefficients, e.g., the coefficient of determination (R2), Nash–Sutcliffe Efficiency (NSE), Kling–Gupta Efficiency (KGE), and Percent Bias (PBIAS). The results yielded that the model performed very well and demonstrated the model's robustness in reproducing the flow regime. The water balance study revealed that the anticipated LU/LC changes are projected to decrease the mean annual surface runoff, water yield, and streamflow due to an increase in percolation, lateral flow, sub-surface flow, and evapotranspiration. More significant variations of the water balance components were observed at the sub-basin level, owing to the heterogeneous spatial distribution of LU/LC, than at the basin level. The outcome of this study will provide pragmatic details to legislative bodies to develop land and water management ameliorative strategies to harness hydrological changes sustainably. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper aims to identify the optimum level of factors or parameters that affect the energy absorption of conoidal structures by grey relational examination. To optimize crashworthiness parameters of conical structures, the L9 orthogonal array has been adopted to design the experiments. The tailor-made thin-walled conical structures were fabricated by three most important factors, such as base diameter, height, and thickness, as design variables, and they were subjected to axial compression in a quasi-static method. The important responses of crashworthiness indicators such as the mean crushing force and specific energy absorption (SEA) were calculated with the help of a load-displacement curve. Experimental results showed that the crushing behaviours of conical structures were fairly significant. Grey relational analysis (GRA) and analysis of variance are used toobtain the optimal levels of parameters. From the results, the optimum levels of parameters are found to be a base diameter of 180 mm, a height of 120 mm, and a thickness of 1.5 mm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article, a class of Poisson-regression based estimators has been proposed for estimating the finite population mean in simple random sampling without replacement (SRSWOR). The Poisson-regression model is the most common method used to model count responses in many studies. The expression for bias and mean square error (MSE) of proposed class of estimators are obtained up to first order of approximation. The proposed estimators have been compared theoretically with the existing estimators, and the condition under which the proposed class of estimators perform better than existing estimators have been obtained. Two real data sets are considered to assess the performance of the proposed estimators. Numerical findings confirms that the proposed estimators dominate over the existing estimators such as Koc (2021) and Usman et al. (2021) in terms of mean squared error. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this study was to optimize the organic selenium (Se) requirements of intensively reared silver carp (Hypophthalmichthys molitrix). A total of n = 300 juveniles silver carp 11.40±0.52 cm long, and average weighing 25.28±0.18 grams were randomly assigned to 15 aquaria (20 fish/100L aquaria) and subjected to five different dietary Se levels in a completely randomized design. The diets were pelleted supplemented with exogenous Se methionine @ 0.0, 0.3, 0.6, 0.9 and 1.2 mg/kg of the diet. The fourteen days of aquaria acclimatization was given to fish and then an 84-day feeding trial was conducted. The group supplemented with 0.9 mg/kg Se had greater feed intake, gain in length, body weight %, and specific growth rate with a better feed conversion ratio as compared to those fed on the rest of the dietary levels or control (P<0.05). The deposition of Se was greater in the liver, and kidneys of the fishes fed on diets containing 0.9 and 1.2 mg Se levels than in the rest of the treatments (P<0.05). However, dietary Se levels had no effects on the bioaccumulation of Se in muscle tissues (P>0.05). The proximate analysis showed that dry matter, crude protein, and fat contents of meat were not changed (P>0.05) by dietary treatments. Similarly, values of TBARS, RBCs, Hb, and blood glucose contents were similar (P>0.05) across the treatments. However, the concentration of WBCs, HCT, and MCHC was greater in those groups fed on 0.9 and 1.2 Se levels than in those fed on 0.6, 0.3, and 0.0 Se levels respectively (P<0.05). The activities of ALT, AST, and ALP were lowered in the 0.9 mg Se supplemented fishes compared with the rest of the treatments (P<0.05). The SOD, catalases, and GPx levels for muscle, liver, and whole body were greater (P<0.05) in the Se-supplemented groups than in the control. These outcomes indicated that up to 0.9 mg/kg inclusion of methionine-based Se in the diet of juvenile silver carp improved the growth performance, feed conversion ratio, organs Se enrichment, and antioxidant status without any compromise on meat quality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study was planned to determine intestinal digestive enzymes activity and bone mineralization of Ctenopharyngodon idella. Four type food were prepared by using formic acid (%) and vitamin D3 (IU/Kg) in experiment viz, FD1, FD2, FD3 and FD4, respectively. Fish fed with formic acid showed considerable increase in calcium, magnesium potassium, however vitamin D3considerably increase iron and manganese contents (µg/g) in the bones of C. idella. Amylase and protease activity was maximum in fish intestine fed with formic acid followed by fornic acid × vitamin D3, vitamin D3 = control diet. Activity of lipase enzyme was reduced by formic acid supplementation as well as vitamin D3. The observed formic acid and vitamin D3 (interactions) were synergistically bone mineralization of phosphorus, sodium, copper and also showed positive result for the activity of amylase, protease and lipase. Finally, formic acid and vitamin D3improves bone mineralization and digestive enzymes activity in the C. idella. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study was conducted to evaluate the effect of citric acid (CA) treated Moringa oleifera seed meal (MOSM) based diet on mineral absorption, carcass composition and hematological indices in Cirrhinus mrigala fingerlings. Basal diet was supplemented with 0%, 1%, 2%, 3%, 4% and 5% CA resulting in the formulation of six experimental diets. Ten fingerlings were stocked in tanks in triplicate for each treatment. Feed was given at 5% live wet body weight of fingerlings for 90 days. Results showed that diet acidification with CA significantly (p< 0.05) improved the mineral absorption, carcass composition and hematological indices of C. mrigala fingerlings compared to control diet. Data shows that mineral absorption was higher (p=0.05) at medium levels of CA supplementation (2%, 3% or 4% levels) compared to extreme levels (1% and 5%). Maximum body crude protein and crude fat contents were observed in C. mrigala fed 2 % and 3% CA supplemented diets, respectively. Moreover, fingerlings fed CA acidified diets showed significant improvement (p< 0.05) in hematological parameters compared to control diet. Comparison of treatments showed maximum values of RBCs (2.83×106mm-3), WBCs (7.76×10³mm-3), PLT (65.96), Hb (8.47 g/100ml), PCV (24.51 %), and MCV (187.11 fl) in fingerlings fed 3% CA supplemented diet. In conclusion, 3% CA acidified MOSM based diet performed better regarding mineral absorption, carcass composition and hematological indices C. mrigala fingerlings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]