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An intrusion detection system (IDS) is a system that monitors network traffic for malicious activity and generates alerts. In anomaly-based detection, machine learning (ML) algorithms exploit various statistical and probabilistic methods to learn from past or historical experience and detect valuable patterns from large, unstructured, and complex datasets. ML-based network intrusion detection aims to identify malicious behavior and alert a system administrator when an intruder tries to penetrate the network. This paper deals with the study, strategic construction, and implementation of a network intrusion detection model based on ML methods. Among the available IDS datasets, five of the most relevant are chosen for the experimental analysis, which are NSL-KDD-2009, CIC-IDS2017, CIC-IDS2018, IoTID20, and UNSW-NB15 datasets. In order to reduce the computation time in the training sample and achieve computational complexity O (N 2.38 ± δ) , we propose a computationally efficient and feasible algorithmic framework for analyzing the network traffic data. The developed approach mainly consists of two phases, i.e., "Scatter Matrices and Eigenvalue Computation based feature Selection" and "Classification procedure for the reduced dimension data." Experimental evaluation of various test case scenarios for the chosen datasets is carried out in the simulation setting. It is observed that the test results outperform the existing intrusion detection methods for detecting certain attack categories. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This review article provides an overview of the study on several forms of solar stills conducted by several scholars. Solar stills are becoming more popular for desalination and water purification, particularly in locations where clean water is scarce. This review study analyses the advantages and limits of several solar still designs, including passive single slope, double slope, and other forms of active solar still with varied configurations. Furthermore, the paper investigates the elements that influence solar still performance, such as solar radiation, water depth, and ambient temperature. Furthermore, the report discusses current advancements in solar still technology, such as the incorporation of nanofluids, sensible storage materials, phase change materials, and other hybrid techniques, all of which have the potential to improve the efficiency of solar stills. Finally, the paper finishes with a discussion of the potential of solar still technology, as well as the need for additional research to improve their performance and make them more generally available in water-stressed areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A differential diagnosis with emphasis on the common indications for revision should be utilized in the workup of painful total knee arthroplasty (TKA). The physician should identify the exact etiology of the patient's pain to maximize outcomes from treatment. Evaluation for infection should be completed using the Musculoskeletal Infection Society (MSIS) criteria. When common causes of revision TKA do not appear to be the cause of the pain, less likely causes should be not be ignored. Further advancements such as pressure sensing devices may be able to improve patient satisfaction and decrease the incidence of pain following TKA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Accurate and quantitative regional estimates of the carbon budget require an integration of eddy covariance (EC) flux-tower observations and remote sensing in ecosystem models. In this study, a simple remote sensing driven light use efficiency (LUE) model was used to estimate the primary productivity for major cropping systems using multi-temporal satellite data over the Saharanpur district in India. The model is based on radiation absorption and its conversion into biomass. The LUE model was implemented for major crop rotations derived from the time-series of Sentinel-2 and Landsat 8 with monthly satellite-based spatially explicit fields of photosynthetically active radiation (PAR), fraction of absorbed PAR (fAPAR) and down-regulated light use efficiency. Incident PAR and fAPAR were estimated on monthly basis from the ground-calibrated empirical equation using INSAT-3D insolation product and remote sensing–based vegetation indices, respectively. Spatial LUE maps created by down-regulating maximum LUE (EC tower-based) with water and temperature stressors derived from land surface water index (LSWI) and EC-based cardinal temperature, respectively. LUE-based modeled GPP over the sugarcane-wheat system was found higher than the rice-wheat system in Saharanpur district. This is because C4 crop (sugarcane) has very high photosynthetic efficiency compared to C3 crops (rice and wheat). Modeled GPP over the sugarcane-wheat system was found in good agreement with observed EC tower-based GPP (Index of Agreement = 0.93). Further regionally calibrated remote sensing–based LUE model well captures gross photosynthesis rates (GPP) over cropland ecosystem compared to globally modeled MODIS GPP product. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: As part of the wide adoption of minimally invasive surgery, intracorporeal anastomosis is becoming increasingly common. The benefits of minimally invasive versus open right colectomy are well known although the additional benefits of an intracorporeal anastomosis, performed laparoscopically or robotically, are unclear. The aim of this study was to assess the current literature comparing intracorporeal and extracorporeal anastomosis in the setting of laparoscopic and robotic-assisted right colectomy. Methods: A systematic review and meta-analysis was conducted according to PRISMA and AMSTAR methods. Studies included were randomized controlled trials and prospective or retrospective cohort studies, between January 1 2010 and July 1 2021, comparing intracorporeal and extracorporeal anastomosis with laparoscopic and robotic approaches. Four groups were identified: laparoscopic extracorporeal anastomosis (L-ECA), laparoscopic intracorporeal anastomosis (L-ICA), robotic extracorporeal anastomosis (R-ECA), and robotic intracorporeal anastomosis (R-ICA). Operative time, rate of conversion to an open procedure, surgical site infection, reoperation within 30 days, postoperative complications within 30 days, and length of hospital stay were assessed. Results: Twenty-one retrospective cohort studies were included in the final analysis. R-ICA and R-ECA had comparable operative times, but a robotic approach required more time than laparoscopic (68 min longer, p < 0.00001). Conversion to open surgery was 55% less likely in the R-ICA group vs. L-ICA, and up to 94% less likely in the R-ICA group in comparison to the R-ECA group. Length of hospital stay was shorter for R-ICA by a half day vs. R-ECA, and up to 1 day less vs. L-ECA. There were no differences in postoperative complications, reoperations, or surgical site infections, regardless of approach. However, the included studies all had high risks of bias due to confounding variables and patient selection. Conclusion: Robotic-assisted right colectomy with intracorporeal anastomosis was associated with shorter length of hospitalization and decreased rate of conversion to open surgery, compared to either laparoscopic or extracorporeal robotic approaches. Prospective studies are needed to better understand the true impact of robotic approach and intracorporeal anastomosis in right colectomy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sugarcane is a major cash crop grown in India. Several empirical, semi-empirical and mechanistic models have been used to compute and predict sugarcane yield using satellite data. Reliable data predictions are necessary for important decision-making situations. This study attempted a semi-empirical Light Use Efficiency (LUE) model to compute the field-level sugarcane yield for a mill catchment in Uttar Pradesh, India. The phenology parameters, Start of Season and End of Season, for each field were derived by fitting the Sentinel-1 VH backscatter data using the Savitzky–Golay filter. Later these fields were grouped into four classes based on their key phenology parameters. Photosynthetically Active Radiation (PAR) was computed from INSAT- 3D data and calibrated based on the ground information. The fraction of absorbed PAR was computed using Sentinel-2 images and ground truth Leaf Area Index observations. The model was limited to using temperature and water stress factors. Water stress was computed using the Land Surface Water Index from Sentinel-2. ERA5's 2 m temperature data were used to compute the stress caused by temperature. LUE and Harvest index were used as constants. The study yielded very satisfying results. The observed and predicted data had an agreement index of 0.91 and a Root Mean Square Error of 46.6 q/ha. The results improved substantially after the calibration of the INSAT-3D insolation. This study overcomes the limitation of varying planting and harvesting dates which are usually not accounted for in LUE-based yield estimation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In Mauritius, the sterile insect technique (SIT) is being developed to manage the Peach fruit fly, Bactrocera zonata (Saunders) (Diptera: Tephritidae). Novel and economical larval diets are needed to produce millions of artificially reared sterile flies needed to ensure the success of this programme. We assessed the efficacy of conventional (solid) and gel diets with formulations containing modified waste brewery yeast (WBY), an alternative low cost protein source. The WBY is obtained freely from the manufacturing plant located at the Entomology Division of the Ministry of Agro Industry & Food Security, Réduit, Mauritius. Its chemical composition is highly comparable to those of the imported commercial yeast. Formulations of both diet types varied in the ratio of WBY (%) to commercial yeast (CY) (%) (Control: 0:100, A: 25:75, B: 30:70; C: 40:60; D: 50:50). The quality parameters of flies reared on the modified gel larval diets i.e. volume of pupae, pupal weight, pupal recovery, percentage adult emergence and percentage fliers were comparatively better on the gel diet formulations B, C and D, while no significant difference in percentage egg hatch was observed between the conventional diet and the gel diet. The optimum egg seeding rate (larval density) for selected gel diets B, C and D was determined. Formulation C using 0.15 ml of eggs/100 g of diet resulted in the highest pupal recovery, pupal weight, emergence and flight ability. A five-year cost benefit analysis revealed a net cost saving of 38% (US$ 53 418.20) by using the gel diet with WBY instead of the solid diet. The cost for the production for one million flies is US$ 310.67. Our results demonstrate that the selected gel diet formulation in which commercial yeast is partially replaced by waste brewery yeast is a viable alternative to the conventional solid diet for rearing of B. zonata. There are also the added benefits in terms of reduced cost with respect to storage and disposal, due to the elimination of bulking agents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ischemia-reperfusion injury (IRI) after hemorrhage is potentiated by aortic occlusion or resuscitative endovascular balloon occlusion of the aorta (REBOA). Given the central role of mitochondrial injury in shock, we hypothesized that Elamipretide, a peptide that protects mitochondria, would mitigate IRI after hemorrhagic shock and REBOA. Twelve pigs were subjected to hemorrhagic shock and 45 min of REBOA. After 25 min of REBOA, animals received either saline or Elamipretide. Animals were transfused with autologous blood during balloon deflation, and pigs were resuscitated with isotonic crystalloids and norepinephrine for 4.25 h. Elamipretide-treated animals required less crystalloids than the controls (62.5 [50–90] and 25 [5–30] mL/kg, respectively), but similar amounts of norepinephrine (24.7 [8.6–39.3] and 9.7 [2.1–12.5] mcg/kg, respectively). Treatment animals had a significant reduction in serum creatinine (control: 2.7 [2.6–2.8]; Elamipretide: 2.4 [2.4–2.5] mg/dL; p = 0.04), troponin (control: 3.20 [2.14–5.47] ng/mL, Elamipretide: 0.22 [0.1–1.91] ng/mL; p = 0.03), and interleukin-6 concentrations at the end of the study. There were no differences in final plasma lactate concentration. Elamipretide reduced fluid requirements and protected the kidney and heart after profound IRI. Further understanding the subcellular consequences of REBOA and mitochondrial rescue will open new therapeutic avenues for patients suffering from IRI after hemorrhage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This study aims to evaluate the outcomes of first-time parathyroidectomy for primary hyperparathyroidism using intraoperative PTH (IOPTH) assay in the light of the UK National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidelines for the management of primary hyperparathyroidism. Method: This is a retrospective cohort analysis of a prospectively maintained database of endocrine surgery in a tertiary centre. Preoperative radiological localisation (concordance and accuracy), intraoperative PTH parameters and adjusted serum calcium at minimum 6-month follow-up were analysed. The accuracy of IOPTH to predict post-operative normocalcaemia and the number needed to treat (NNT) within the cohort when IOPTH was utilised were determined. Differences between groups were evaluated with Chi-squared and Fisher’s exact test. Results: Between January 2004 and September 2018, 849 patients (75.4% women), median age 64 years (IQR 54–72), were analysed. The median preoperative adjusted serum calcium was 2.80mmol/l (IQR 2.78–2.90), and the median preoperative PTH was 14.20pmol/l (IQR 10.70–20.25). The overall first-time cure (normocalcaemia) rate was 96.4%. The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value and negative predictive values of IOPTH were 96.8%, 83.2%, 97.6% and 78.8%, respectively, with an accuracy of 95.1%. For patients with concordant scans (48.3%), a targeted approach without IOPTH would have achieved a cure rate of 94.1% compared with 98.0% using IOPTH (p<0.01) Conclusion: The use of IOPTH assay significantly improved the rate of normocalcaemia at 6 months. The low NNT to benefit from IOPTH, particularly those patients with a single positive scan, and the inevitable reduction in the potential costs incurred from failure and reoperation justify its utilisation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Femoral intramedullary nailing is traditionally performed with the patient supine on a fracture table. We aimed to describe a case series of femoral intramedullary nailing for fracture in the lateral position, with discussion of the operative technique. Methods: A retrospective analysis identified 52 patients who underwent femoral intramedullary nailing performed in a lateral position without traction over a 5-year period at a single level 1 trauma center. Medical records were reviewed for demographics, blood loss including need for transfusion, operative duration, complications, length of stay, fracture union, re-operation and death. Results: There were 24 subtrochanteric, 16 peri-trochanteric and 12 diaphyseal femoral fractures. Mean operative time was 136.2 ± 101.4 min with a mean estimated blood loss of 372.5 ± 349.6 ml. Seventeen patients required blood transfusion. Mean length of stay was 10.3 ± 8.1 days. There were 3 (5.8%) surgical (compartment syndrome, infection and retained drain) and 12 (23.1%) medical complications, with a 30-day mortality rate of 3.8% (2). Mean follow-up was 9.9 ± 8.7 months. The union rate was 94.2% (49) and 3.8% (2) patients required revision fixation (hardware exchange for irritation and exchange nailing for non-union). Discharge destination was home, rehabilitation center and specialized nursing facility in 21 (40.4%), 16 (30.8%) and 15 (28.8%) patients, respectively. Discussion and conclusion: Femoral intramedullary nailing in the lateral decubitus position is a useful technique of managing peri-trochanteric, subtrochanteric and diaphyseal femoral fractures. We describe a known technique with technical tips, which has distinct advantages over traditional supine positioning especially in certain patient and fracture types. In addition, operative times, blood loss, length of stay, revision and outcomes were comparable to the literature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sclerotium rolfsii is one of the most challenging pathogens among fungal phytopathogens. Botanicals and biopesticides projected as alternatives to the synthetic fungicides also don't serve the purpose for S. rolfsii control pertaining to its vast host range and high adaptability. Present project therefore, focused on the preparation of Silver nanoemulsion (AgNE) having optimum stability and bestowed with significant antifungal properties and growth promoting abilities for the mungbean plants. The influence of different AgNE concentrations on growth pattern of S. rolfsii was tested under in vitro and in vivo conditions. Surprisingly, 100 ppm of AgNE could culminate the fungal progression completely by inhibiting both hyphal as well as sclerotial growth in plate and broth assays. Results of in planta application of AgNE at100 ppm on mungbean plants also coincided with the in vitro findings in terms of controlling the pathogen progression; however the internalization of Ag ions was observed in root, stem and leaves. Toxicity indications were apparent in the form of stunted and broadened root growth at 100 ppm AgNE concentration, but the above ground plant parts appeared perfectly normal. In inference, 50 ppm AgNE was found to be the most significant and safe concentration in relation to the phytopathogen control and plant growth promotion. These results revealed the evolving role of AgNE as a promising nanofungicide and nanofertilizer to accelerate overall mungbean productivity. Awaiting complications lies in the stability improvement of AgNE, scaled up production, phytotoxicity studies and their possible applications in several crops and multilocational field trials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study evaluated the effects of water stress on rice yield over Punjab and Haryana across North India by integrating Weather Research Forecasting (WRF) and Decision Support System for Agrotechnology Transfer (DSSAT) models. Indian Remote Sensing Satellite datasets were used to define land use/land cover in WRF. The accuracy of simulated rainfall and temperature over Punjab and Haryana was evaluated against Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission and automated weather station data of Indian Space Research Organization, respectively. Data from WRF was used as weather input to DSSAT to simulate rice yield in Punjab and Haryana for 2009 and 2014. After simulated yield has been evaluated against district-level observed yield, the water balance components within the DSSAT model were used to analyze the impact of water stress on rice yield. The correlation (R2) between the crop water stress factor and the rice yield anomaly at the vegetative and reproductive stage was 0.64 and 0.52 for Haryana and 0.73 and 0.68 for Punjab, respectively. Severe water stress during the flowering to maturity stage inflicted devastating effects on yield. The study concludes that the regional climate simulations can be potentially used for early water stress prediction and its impact on rice yield. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Around 60% dairy animals developed moderate to severe hepatic lipidosis at the time of parturition or during early lactation stage. Most of clinician suspect the hepatic lipidosis during above time window only. However, negative energy balance or feeding of high concentrate diet can lead to hepatic lipidosis at any phase of life. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the potential for diagnosis of hepatic lipidosis by means of hemato-biochemical parameters and ultrasonography of the liver at any stage of life. Here, ultrasonographic back fat thickness measurement was correlated with ultrasonographic features of hepatic lipidosis. A total 60 buffaloes were included under the study and sampled for hematological and biochemical parameters. Hematological parameters did not exhibit any significant difference between healthy and hepatic lipidosis-affected buffaloes. Biochemical parameters like beta hydroxy butyric acid, non esterified fatty acid, aspartate amino transferase, gamma glutamyl transferase and alkaline phosphatase revealed a significant increase, while triglyceride, cholesterol, and glucose declined significantly in hepatic lipidosis-affected buffaloes. Total protein, albumin, and total bilirubin levels did not exhibit any significant difference. Based on ultrasonographic findings, the hepatic lipidosis-affected buffaloes were further sub divided into mild, moderate, and severe groups. Portal vein diameter and depth of portal vein were also estimated in current study. Ultrasonographic examination could diagnose 53.33% hepatic lipidosis cases in buffaloes. Among it, 37.50% buffalo had mild hepatic lipidosis, 33.33% had moderate hepatic lipidosis, and 29.16% had severe hepatic lipidosis. Depth of portal vein significantly increased in hepatic lipidosis cases. However, portal vein diameter exhibited a non-significant difference in mild, moderate, and severe groups of hepatic lipidosis. Back fat thickness also revealed a non-significant difference in mild, moderate, and severe hepatic lipidosis. Above study indicate that B mode ultrasonography of the liver can be employed to differentiate various grades of hepatic lipidosis in buffaloes. Biochemical parameters like NEFA, BHBA, AST, GGT, ALP, TG, cholesterol, and glucose can be helpful to screen the hepatic lipidosis at farm level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two new copper(II) complexes [Cu(L1)2(NO3)]NO31 and [Cu(L2)(H2O)2](NO3)22(L1 = 2(2-pyridyl)benzimidazole and L2 = 2-benzoylpyridine) have been prepared and characterized by elemental and spectral (UV–visible, FTIR and epr) techniques. Crystal structures of these complexes were determined using single crystal X-ray diffraction analysis. The low value of magnetic moments 1.75 BM for 1 and 1.73 BM for 2 and unusual X-band epr spectral pattern authenticate the antiferromagnetic behavior of complexes. The single crystal X-ray analysis reveals the development of supramolecular architectures through various non-covalent weak interactions such as CH ⋯ π and lp ⋯ π interactions. In order to see the stability of complexes, density functional theory (DFT) calculations were carried out. From the energy gap (ΔE) of frontier molecular orbitals (various molecular descriptors were also evaluated. In addition, superoxide dismutase SOD) activities of both complexes were also determined. The enhanced SOD activity of 1 is due to loosely bound nitrate ion. Two new copper(II) complexes [Cu(L1)2(NO3)]NO3 and [Cu(L2)(H2O)2](NO3)2 (L1= 2(2-pyridyl)benzimidazole and L2= 2-benzoylpyridine) have been prepared and characterized by elemental, spectral, and single crystal diffraction techniques [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Forests play a pivotal role in carbon and water cycles by governing the exchanges of CO2 and H2O between the terrestrial biosphere and the atmosphere. The evapotranspiration (ET) is the variable, which links these cycles. The eddy covariance (EC) method provides direct, high-frequency observations of ET of an ecosystem. The present study was carried out in a moist deciduous plant functional type (PFT) of northwest Himalayan foothills of India to estimate ET using the EC flux tower measurements and to study its biophysical controls from 2016 to 2018. The variability of sensible (H) and latent (LE) heat fluxes was also studied. The mean diurnal variation in H was from − 1.31 to 109.35 Wm−2 whereas LE ranged from 4.47 to 186.89 Wm−2. The mean annual ET for 2016–2018 was found to be 693.67 ± 46.70 mm year−1. The highest diurnal variability in ET was witnessed during the post monsoon season followed by the monsoon, winter, and dry summer seasons. A relative weight analysis with multiple regression model was implemented to understand the control of biophysical variables on ET at an 8-day time scale. A combination of incoming solar radiation (Rg), leaf area index (LAI), vapour pressure deficit (VPD), air temperature (Tair), soil water content (SWC), and precipitation was able to explain 73% of the variability of ET at 8-day time scale. The analysis revealed that in the moist deciduous PFT the ET was limited by the availability of energy. The present study is the first-ever attempt to report the direct estimates of ET for an Indian forest. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sugarcane (Saccharum officinarum) is a major cash crop in India that needs to be monitored cautiously as it contributes significantly to the national exchequer and provides employment to over a million people mainly through sugar and renewable bioenergy production. The objective of this study is to predict the regional sugarcane crop yield for the Uttar Pradesh (UP) province using analysis-ready moderate-resolution satellite images. The four machine learning regression algorithms, namely support vector regression (SVR), gradient boosting regression (GBR), eXtreme gradient boosting regression (XGB), and random forest regression (RF), were used to train and predict the district-wise sugarcane yield in UP. Standard MODIS data products such as leaf area index (LAI), fraction of photosynthetically active radiation (FPAR), normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI), enhanced vegetation index (EVI), evapotranspiration (ET), potential evapotranspiration (PET), latent heat flux (LE), and gross primary product (GPP) were obtained for a period of eighteen years, and their monthly average was extracted and used as features in the model. The models were trained using eighty percent of the observations with the annual district-wise sugarcane yield as the response variable. Iterative feature selection was done based on correlation factor and feature importance to reduce the dimensionality of the data from around a hundred features to twenty-four. The R2 metric was used as the evaluation metric to choose the best predictive model. The study showed results with moderate accuracy and was used to estimate the sugarcane crop yield for the year 2019. The highest R2 of 0.66 and an RMSE value of 7.15 t/ha were obtained using the GBR algorithm by using seven variables and 24 features. The model was very closely followed by the XGB model with an R2 of 0.65 and an RMSE value of 7.20 t/ha. The FPAR-based features contributed the most to the model followed by the LAI and NDVI features. The simple methodology used in the study uses ready-to-use satellite products and has operationalization potential. The model can be improved by incorporating more satellite-derived parameters and an accurate crop mask to avoid spectral interference from other cropland. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The crop detection and classification using satellite imagery can be helpful in crop management. Therefore, it is needed to be explored for effective crop detection and classification. In this study, the phenological metrics derived from dense Landsat Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) time-series from January 2017 to June 2018 were used to classify sugarcane crop type. The Savitzkey–Golay method was employed as curve fitting method for smoothening and filtering of the pre-processed NDVI time-series data. Thereafter, the phenological metrics extracted from TIMESAT were used to classify planted and ratoon sugarcane using the decision-tree approach. The overall accuracy was 84.5%, and the kappa coefficient was 0.7. The results showed that the classification method was consistent and robust which has the potential to increase the classification accuracy by the use of better resolution satellite imagery time-series. Moreover, the phenological metrics have the potential to explain the spatial distribution of agricultural pattern, use of crop varieties and management practices that can be useful in better understanding of agricultural practices in the region along with crop diversification and crop yield modelling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An efficient protocol has been reported for the synthesis of a series of novel disperse dyes based on 3,4-dihydropyrimidin-2-(1H)-one derivatives via a simple one-pot multicomponent reaction between the natural naphthoquinone 2-hydroxy-1,4-dihydronaphthalene-1,4-dione (Lawsone), urea, and various aromatic aldehydes. The target compounds were isolated in up to 98% yield and were characterized by various spectral techniques. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An effective secondary amine catalysed approach to the diastereoselective synthesis substituted cyclohexanols was proposed. A steric hindrance driven diastereoselective cross domino reaction gave manifold heteroaryl substituted cyclohexanols with five asymmetric centres in 92–98% yields. The sequence of inter- and intramolecular domino reactions includes Claisen–Schmidt condensation followed by 1,4-Michael addition of heteroaryl carbaldehydes and heteroaryl acetyl derivatives. HPLC study of the reactions shows outstanding self diastereoselectivity (dr > 99%) in the formation of one set of enantiomers out of sixteen possible enantiomeric pairs. The structures of all the synthesized molecules were confirmed by HRMS, NMR and IR spectroscopy methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mixed transition-metals oxide electrocatalysts have shown huge potential for electrochemical water oxidation due to their earth abundance, low cost and excellent electrocatalytic activity. Here we present Co–Fe–B–O coatings as oxygen evolution catalyst synthesized by Pulsed Laser Deposition (PLD) which provided flexibility to investigate the effect of morphology and structural transformation on the catalytic activity. As an unusual behaviour, nanomorphology of 3D-urchin-like particles assembled with crystallized CoFe2O4 nanowires, acquiring high surface area, displayed inferior performance as compared to core–shell particles with partially crystalline shell containing boron. The best electrochemical activity towards water oxidation in alkaline medium with an overpotential of 315 mV at 10 mA/cm2 along with a Tafel slope of 31.5 mV/dec was recorded with core–shell particle morphology. Systematic comparison with control samples highlighted the role of all the elements, with Co being the active element, boron prevents the complete oxidation of Co to form Co3+ active species (CoOOH), while Fe assists in reducing Co3+ to Co2+ so that these species are regenerated in the successive cycles. Thorough observation of results also indicates that the activity of the active sites play a dominating role in determining the performance of the electrocatalyst over the number of adsorption sites. The synthesized Co–Fe–B–O coatings displayed good stability and recyclability thereby showcasing potential for industrial applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Crop mapping and acreage estimation are the simplest yet the most critical issues in agriculture. Remote sensing technology has been extensively used in the past few decades for executing these tasks. The objective of this study is to map sugarcane fields at a catchment level and segregate the plant and ratoon fields using the freely available Sentinel-1 and Sentinel-2 data. The study is carried out at the Kisan Sahkar Chini Mill catchment in the Saharanpur district of Uttar Pradesh. The objective was achieved by a two-step process where firstly the sugarcane fields are identified using Random Forest and SVM classifiers over temporal optical and microwave images. The most accurate result is used as a crop mask to separate the plant and ratoon fields. This was achieved by attempting a phenology based classification and spectral based classification. The results revealed that temporal Sentinel-2 data are highly competent in classifying sugarcane at farm level and segregating the plant and ratoon fields. The sugarcane crop mask was created with a kappa coefficient of 0.95 using the SVM classifier, and the plant and ratoon fields were discriminated using the Random Forest classifier with a kappa coefficient of 0.81. The sugarcane crop area was estimated to be approximately 535 acres of plant crop and 560 acres of the ratoon crop while the mill estimate was 520 acres and 540 acres, respectively. The results showed that Sentinel-2 has promising capabilities and is a convenient asset in delineating small-sized farms and classifying sugarcane and its crop types. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One of the critical variables characterizing the energy and water cycle at the earth's surface is near-surface air temperature. This has massive significance in agrometeorological applications aimed at achieving sustainable agriculture. Remote sensing data can solve this problem both globally and regionally, particularly with non-weather station areas. This study investigated the temperature vegetation index (TVX) approach's applicability to estimate air temperature at a satellite overpass in Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka. Land surface temperature (LST) and surface reflectance products on an 8-day composite basis from MODIS were used for selected days in 2008. The TVX method used for a 9 × 9 moving window and the respective intercept and slope relation between the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) and the LST were obtained. Thus, the relation was extrapolated to the maximum NDVI (NDVImax) received for this window to calculate the air temperature. Validation was performed over observations from four automatic weather stations (AWS). The overall results for the mapping of instantaneous air temperature were satisfactory for the Julian days corresponding to three months, i.e., February, September, and October, due to adequate vegetation cover. An overall comparison of observed and calculated values identified a root mean square error (RMSE) of 1.1 °C. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Novel terpyridine derivatives of benzothiazole were synthesised by simple multicomponent one-pot reaction of benzothiazole-2-carbaldehyde, ammonium hydroxide, and isomeric acetyl pyridines with isolated yields of 92–98%. All the prepared derivatives were characterized by NMR, IR, and high-resolution mass spectra. A copper(II) complex was prepared selectively from the terpyridine derivative obtained from 2-acetyl-pyridine and was characterized by single-crystal X-ray analysis. UV-visible spectra were recorded for all the synthesized compounds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A series of novel terpyridine derivatives of benzofuran (NP1–NP3) were synthesised by simple multicomponent one pot reaction among benzofuran-2-carbaldehyde, ammonium hydroxide and three different derivatives of acetyl pyridine with isolated yield up to 98%. All the synthesised molecules were characterised by NMR, HRMS, IR spectroscopies and single crystal XRD (CIF file CCDC no. 2078532 for TP1). Cu(II) complexes were prepared selectively with terpyridine derivative of 2-acetyl pyridine and characterised by single crystal XRD (CIF file CCDC no. 1525025 for TP-Cu). UV−Vis spectral studies were performed with all the prepared molecules. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Estimation of terrestrial gross primary productivity (GPP) is critical for global climate and ecological studies. However, the lack of multi-model studies for GPP estimation over agroecosystem in India limits the carbon budgeting at the regional scales. Satellite-derived parameters [(e.g., land surface temperature (LST), Enhanced Vegetation Index (EVI), Land Surface Water Index (LSWI)] combined with meteorological variables offer a promising tool for regional estimates of the GPP. In this study, site-specific GPP was evaluated based on the eddy-covariance (EC) tower data and satellite-derived parameters. Four satellite-based GPP models, (a) greenness and radiation (GR) model, (b) VI × VI model, (c) photosynthetic capacity model (PCM), and (d) temperature and greenness (TG) model have been compared for the estimation of GPP in Saharanpur Flux tower site (SFS) from April 2014 to April 2015 using meteorological variables from EC and the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) satellite images. Among the predictive GPP models, TG models performed best with the RMSE of 2.03 g C m−2 day−1. The relationship of MODIS-LST with photosynthetically active radiation (PAR), GPP and air temperature (Ta) indicates that the climate variables are imperative for GPP estimation. In the VI × VI model series, the combination of EVI × EVI × PAR provided the best GPP estimates with an RMSE of 2.99 g C m−2 day−1. The comparative analysis of the GPP models has the potential for GPP estimates over agroecosystems and further carbon flux predictions at the regional scale. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Crop phenology plays a vital role in crop productivity and has been emphasized as the key indicator of crop growth stages. Time-series 16 day composite of Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) data from 2011 to 2018 were quantified to study the spatiotemporal and inter-annual changes in crop phenology with smoothening of NDVI curve by Savitzky–Golay filtering method to drive phenological metrics and predict the yield of cotton for the part of Maharashtra state. Two dates of Landsat-8 datasets with supervised classification-based maximum-likelihood classifier were used to generate crop inventory map. The overall accuracy of the map was 89.1% with a 0.79 kappa coefficient and further used in the generation of cotton crop mask. A correlation was established between cotton yield and the phenological metrics. A multiple regression model constructed with phenological metrics from the year 2011–2016 produced a correlation with 0.85 adjusted R2, 46.97 standard estimated error, 10–6p value. The fitted model was used to estimate the cotton yield of 2016–2018 with 82.29 kg ha−1 root mean square error, 36.13% mean absolute percentage error, and 0.81 Index of Agreement. The results have shown the potential of the model in capturing the variation in the sowing time, end of the crop season, length of growing period, peak NDVI time, peak NDVI value and amplitude in spatiotemporal scale for drought and normal years on a long-term basis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, a novel approach defined for drought severity of Bundelkhand region of India, especially for rabi (winter) season crops using analytical hierarchy process established a Multi-Criteria Decision-Making approach based combined drought index (CDI). The remote sensing multi-sensor derived datasets, as long-term MODIS satellite data, rainfall from CHIRPS datasets and soil moisture from Era Interim datasets, used for quantification for the 2001–2018 period. The CDI is generated by integrated multi-spectral indices as Vegetation Condition Index, Temperature Condition Index, Precipitation Condition Index, Soil Moisture Condition Index using analytical hierarchy process derived weightage with a consistency ratio of 4.2% and consistency index of 0.038 value. The results show that Jalaun, Hamirpur and Banda districts as Northern part affected more as compared to Lalitpur and parts of Jhansi districts as the Southern part of the study area. The statistical analysis illustrated a significant correlation between crop yield anomaly and CDI for all districts for rabi pulses crops. Thus, a geospatial platform-based approach using historical earth observations with analytical hierarchy process integrated expert advice to finalize variables and their weighing will make this methodology more realistic, easier and quicker to apply in future at any region. Eventually, remote sensing can address the drought risk or severity for all kind of crop ecosystem by using cohesive approach derived from multi-sensor satellite datasets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The neonatal period is the most vulnerable period for a child. There is a paucity of data on the burden of neonatal surgical disease in our setting. The aim of this study was to describe the frequency with which index neonatal surgical conditions are seen within our setting and to document the 30-day outcome of these patients. Methods: This was a single-centre prospective observational study in which all neonates with paediatric surgical pathology referred to the paediatric surgical unit with a corrected gestational age of 28 days were included. Results: Necrotising enterocolitis was the most frequent reason for referral to the paediatric surgical unit (n = 68, 34.34%). Gastroschisis was the most frequent congenital anomaly referred (n = 20, 10.10%). The overall morbidity was 57.58%. Surgical complications contributed to 18.51% of morbidities. The development of gram negative nosocomial sepsis was the most frequent cause of morbidity (n = 98, 50.78%). Mortality at 30 days was 21.74% (n = 40). Sepsis contributed to mortality in 35 patients (87.5%), 16 of which had gram negative sepsis. Conclusion: Gram-negative sepsis was a major contributing factor in the development of morbidity and mortality in our cohort. Prevention and improvement in infection control are imperative if we are to improve outcomes in our surgical neonates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, CO2 exchange over sugarcane and wheat growing season was quantified by continuous measurement of CO2 fluxes using eddy covariance (EC) system from January 2014 to June 2015. We also elaborated on the response of CO2 fluxes to environmental variables. The results show that the ecosystem has seasonal and diurnal dynamics of CO2 with a distinctive U-shaped curve in both growing seasons with maximal CO2 absorption reaching up to −8.94 g C m−2 day−1 and −6.08 g C m−2 day−1 over sugarcane and wheat crop, respectively. The ecosystem as a whole acted as a carbon sink during the active growing season while it exhibits a carbon source prior to sowing and post-harvesting of crops. The cumulative net ecosystem exchange (NEE), gross primary productivity (GPP), and ecosystem respiration (Reco) were −923.04, 3316.65, and 2433.18 g C m−2 over the sugarcane growing season while the values were −192.30, 621.47, and 488.34 g C m−2 over the wheat growing season. The sesbania (green manure) appeared to be a carbon source once it is incorporated into soil. The response of day-time NEE to photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) under two vapor pressure deficit (VPD) sections (0–20 h Pa and 20–40 h Pa) seems more effective over sugarcane (R2 = 0.41–0.61) as compared to the wheat crop (R2 = 0.25–0.40). A decrease in net CO2 uptake was observed under higher VPD conditions. Similarly, night-time NEE was exponentially related to temperature at different soil moisture conditions and showed higher response to optimum soil moisture conditions for sugarcane (R2 = 0.87, 0.33 ≤ SWC < 0.42 m3 m−3) and wheat (R2 = 0.75, 0.31 ≤ SWC < 0.37 m3 m−3) crop seasons. The response of daily averaged NEE to environmental variables through path analysis indicates that PAR was the dominant predictor with the direct path coefficient of −0.65 and −0.74 over sugarcane and wheat growing season, respectively. Satellite-based GPP products from Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (GPPMOD) and Vegetation Photosynthetic model (GPPVPM) were also compared with the GPP obtained from EC (GPPEC) technique. The seasonal dynamics of GPPEC and GPPVPM agreed well with each other. This study covers the broad aspects ranging from micro-meteorology to remote sensing over C4-C3 cropping system [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Human life has come to a standstill when the countrywide lockdown was imposed to curb the infection of the highly contagious COVID-19 pandemic. Mass transportation and industrial activities were prohibited, which has proven advantageous for the environmental quality. This study was conducted to investigate the impact of lockdown on the environmental parameters measured over agricultural ecosystems in the Himalayan foothills [Saharanpur Flux Site (SFS) and Palampur Flux Site (PFS)], India. The UV–Aerosol Index obtained from the Sentinel-5 Precursor satellite falls drastically after imposing lockdown particularly in both the agricultural regions. It reached up to −3.082 and −3.522 during the first lockdown in SFS and PFS, respectively. Furthermore, due to the lesser availability of aerosols into the atmosphere, the availability of direct radiant energy increased, thus led to warming the earth's surface. Improvement in direct radiant energy and normalized difference vegetation index positively increases the gross primary productivity in SFS and PFS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The UK government introduced a nationwide lockdown on the 23rd March 2020 to prevent the spread of COVID-19. All elective hospital and dental practice assessments and procedures were mandated to stop. Key hospital dental workers were required to work, and Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust became a designated Urgent Dental Care Centre (UDC) for the greater London area. The paediatric dental emergency walk-in service was suspended and replaced with a telephone triage system and evaluation of digital images sent by parents/carers when needed. The aim of this paper is to describe the emergency service provided by staff in the department of Paediatric Dentistry at St Thomas' Hospital during the first lockdown. Methods: A prospective service evaluation of the modified paediatric dental emergency service was carried out between 25th March and 29th May 2020. Results: Four-hundred and sixty-four patients accessed the paediatric dental emergency service via telephone during the service evaluation period. Of these, 192 (41%) had dental pain, 121 (26%) had pain and swelling of dental origin, and 89 (19%) had trauma. Conclusions: Remote telephone consultations and digital photographs were useful to screen emergency paediatric dental patients, but lack of face-to-face consultations with radiographic assessment and access to general anaesthetic services were major limiting factors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Bundelkhand region situated in the central part of India has a long history of droughts. Although recurrent drought events in this region are controlled by the climatic variables, its unique soil, and physiography, the adversities associated with this devastating hazard largely depend upon the coping capacity of the local communities. Hence, estimating the socio-economic vulnerability of drought is necessary for adopting specific mitigation strategies to reduce the adverse impacts of drought. In this study, we explored the potentiality of geographical information system (GIS)-based analytic hierarchy process (AHP) for assessing drought risk in the Bundelkhand region from socio-economic perspective. The 10-day composite Satellite Pour l'Observation de la Terre Vegetation (SPOT-VGT) Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) (1998–2013) dataset was used for computing the Vegetation Condition Index (VCI), a satellite-derived agricultural drought index for monitoring spatio-temporal dynamics of drought. NDVI maps of each year were assessed for mapping drought frequency. On the other hand, the socio-economic vulnerability of drought was estimated using five relevant parameters, viz. population density, marginalized population, cultivators, agricultural labours, and literacy rate, with employing AHP in a GIS platform. The pairwise comparison method was used for estimating the weights of each criterion. Most of the districts under hot semi-arid agro-climatic zone located in the Uttar Pradesh (UP) part of Bundelkhand are highly vulnerable to socio-economic drought, mainly due to high density of population and extensive agricultural activities. Out of the total area under highly vulnerable zone (27.8%), about 20% fall under semi-arid agro-ecological zone covering a large part of UP. The Madhya Pradesh (MP) part of Bundelkhand, located under the hot sub-humid agro-ecological zone, is comparatively less vulnerable to socio-economic drought. A substantial portion of this area is covered by forest, and the percentage of the total population involved in agricultural activities is relatively less. The study reveals that near about half of the total area is under threat to high (20.1%) and very high (29.1%) risk of socio-economic drought. Most of this drought risk zone falls under UP part of Bundelkhand. It is a matter of deep concern as this extensive fertile plain produces various cash crops, as well as cereals; therefore, high drought risk over this region needs a suitable strategy to mitigate the adversities of the hazard. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Forest aboveground biomass (AGB) plays an indispensable role in the terrestrial carbon cycle and its dynamics. It also provides baseline data for developing sustainable management strategies in the region. In the present study, a decision-tree based random forest (RF) algorithm was used to estimate AGB for the different forest types in Doon valley, situated in the Himalayan foothills of India. Fifty-one spectral and textural variables were initially extracted using Landsat 8 Operational Land Imager and Sentinel-1A, which were further reduced to twenty optimum variables using the recursive feature elimination (RFE) method. These optimum variables were finally used to map AGB. Results showed that the spatial distribution of AGB ranged from 46.36 to 596.15 Mg ha−1 with good correlation (R2 = 0.87, RMSEr = 18.7%, RMSE = 62.56 Mg ha−1) between the observed and predicted AGB. This study validated the synergistic use of remote sensing, field data, and RF algorithm to precisely predict the spatial distribution of AGB. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Femoral head fractures with associated acetabular fractures are uncommon injuries usually resulting from high-energy mechanisms such as motor vehicle collisions. Outcomes of Pipkin type IV fractures have been historically poor, with high rates of osteonecrosis, post-traumatic arthritis, and heterotopic ossification. The objective of this study was to define the outcomes of operatively treated Pipkin type IV fractures In addition, we reviewed the available literature of this uncommon injury pattern. Methods: A retrospective chart review at a single level 1 trauma center from 2007 to 2016 identified 10 patients with Pipkin IV femoral head fractures. Demographic information, fracture type, associated injuries, operative details, and complications were evaluated. Clinical and radiological outcomes were assessed at latest follow-up including conversion to total hip arthroplasty. Results: Six of the seven patients were treated with open reduction and internal fixation of the femoral head fracture and acetabular fracture through a Kocher–Langenbeck approach aided by a trochanteric flip and one had fragment excision. Six patients (87.5%) developed post-traumatic arthritis. Four (57.1%) later underwent conversion to total hip arthroplasty (THA) a mean of 20.5 months after index procedure. Conclusion: Our study shows a rate of osteonecrosis and osteoarthritis that is even higher than the previously reported studies. The former may relate to longer-term follow-up and the latter possibly due to associated comminuted posterior wall fracture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

India has committed to increase carbon sequestration by forests under the Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC). However, the CO2 carbon exchange characteristics (Gross Primary Productivity, Net Ecosystem Exchange, and Ecosystem respiration) of Indian forests are poorly understood. Immense carbon sequestration opportunities exist with the natural as well as planted forests. Therefore, it becomes vital to assess the potential of existing forests (natural and planted) by means of the most accurate and reliable methods of eddy covariance (EC). It is also important to know the eco-physiological response of the forests towards diurnal, seasonal, and yearly changes in the prevailing environmental conditions. We analyzed CO2 carbon exchange characteristics of a mature moist deciduous forest and a young mixed deciduous plantation located in the sub-tropical climate regime in the western Himalayan foothills of India with the help of co-located EC measurements (2016 to 2018). The study reveals that both the mature forest (− 719.43 gCm− 2year− 1) and young plantation (− 467.49 gC m− 2 year− 1) are absorbing a significant amount of atmospheric CO2 carbon. The maximum uptake of atmospheric CO2 occurred during the post-monsoon season in both the forests. The minimum NEE of the mixed deciduous plantation was observed during the leaf fall period while the NEE of the moist deciduous forest was the lowest in monsoon due to a higher respiration rate during monsoon. Among the environmental factors, soil moisture showed maximum control on the productivity of both the forest ecosystems. The value reported in this study can help Forest Survey of India in establishing/assessing emission factor for these particular forest types. This study can also help forest managers in carbon assessment of plantation under NDC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The environmental severity of large impacts on Earth is influenced by their impact trajectory. Impact direction and angle to the target plane affect the volume and depth of origin of vaporized target, as well as the trajectories of ejected material. The asteroid impact that formed the 66 Ma Chicxulub crater had a profound and catastrophic effect on Earth's environment, but the impact trajectory is debated. Here we show that impact angle and direction can be diagnosed by asymmetries in the subsurface structure of the Chicxulub crater. Comparison of 3D numerical simulations of Chicxulub-scale impacts with geophysical observations suggests that the Chicxulub crater was formed by a steeply-inclined (45–60° to horizontal) impact from the northeast; several lines of evidence rule out a low angle (<30°) impact. A steeply-inclined impact produces a nearly symmetric distribution of ejected rock and releases more climate-changing gases per impactor mass than either a very shallow or near-vertical impact. The authors here present a 3D model that simulates the formation of the Chicxulub impact crater. Based on asymmetries in the subsurface structure of the Chicxulub crater, the authors diagnose impact angle and direction and suggest a steeply inclined (60° to horizontal) impact from the northeast. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A study on spatiotemporal variability of soil organic carbon content (SOC) over India is carried out based on a remote sensing data-driven terrestrial ecosystem model and the regional databases. The model is initialized with the equilibrated solutions corresponding to undisturbed balanced biosphere condition and then marched forward with realistic forcing for the recent decades. Both the model solution and regional data show a good agreement between them with a large SOC values with mean 12 kg m−2 for the forest and cropland-dominated regions, a moderate value (8 kg m−2) for the mixed shrub and grassland, and small for the grassland regions (4 kg m−2) correspondingly for 30 m upper active layer of the soil. The model SOC shows a significant seasonal variability across all the vegetation types with peak value during spring season (March–April) and trough during the autumn (September–October). The SOC budget of the country is around 13 Pg for the top active layer of the soil. It has shown a significant increasing trend of 22 Tg year−1 for the study period resulted from the positive growth rate of 25 Tg year−1 for the cropland and negative growth rate of 3 Tg year−1 for the forest region. The extrapolated annual national SOC budget is 25 Pg correspondingly for 1 m depth soil layer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Drought is a creeping natural hazard commencing from lack of rainfall and generally associated with various climatic aspects. Drought-related water deficiency has severe consequences upon environmental processes and socioeconomic activities. In the past few decades, a number of drought indices have been developed for assessing the extent, onset, duration and intensity of drought. The Bundelkhand region located in the central part of India has been affected by recurrent drought events during the past few decades. This study seeks to examine hydrometeorological drought stress of that area using remote sensing and meteorological indicators, i.e., standardized precipitation index (SPI), hydrology-based rainfall anomaly index (RAI) and standardized water-level index (SWI). Daily rainfall data from Climate Hazards Group InfraRed Precipitation with Stations (CHIRPS) and Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) were integrated with station-based groundwater datasets (1998–2015) to analyze the hydrometeorological drought condition of the area. In addition, groundwater datasets were used to evaluate the long-term hydrological drought situation and compared with meteorological drought indices. The study reveals a good agreement among all hydrometeorological drought indices distinctly in few years (2002 and 2013). However, the findings were not coherent in all years due to high rate of runoff and poor groundwater recharge. In spite of having normal rainfall, the undulating terrains of this rugged land confine the infiltration process and cause hydrological drought stress in several parts of the area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Forests play a crucial role by regulating the global and local weather through the exchange of atmospheric gases and water vapor. The present study aims to study the intra-annual variability of net ecosystem exchange (NEE) of carbon dioxide in a sal (Shorea robusta) dominated moist deciduous forest in India by integrating eddy covariance (EC) data and Biome-Biogeochemical Cycle (Biome-BGC) model. The study also attempts to address the spatial variability of NEE with respect to phenology. Monthly average NEE were estimated using a calibrated Biome-BGC model and the spatial NEE was mapped using random forest (RF) regression algorithm. Phenology metrics were generated using the moderate resolution imaging spectrometer (MODIS) enhanced vegetation index product (MOD13A2) and its relationship with the estimated NEE was studied. RF regression model for monthly average spatial NEE estimation was built with an R2 of 0.84 and % RMSE of 3.68%. The study revealed that the NEE at the regional scale can be estimated using the basic meteorological variables like mean temperature, vapor pressure deficit, minimum temperature and total precipitation. Biome-BGC model output showed that the sal forest of the study area acted as a net sink of carbon in almost all months of 2015, except April to June. Peak NEE value (− 2.80 to − 2.96 g C m−2 day−1) was observed during October month. Annual NEE of sal forest in 2015 was found to be − 526.87 g C m−2 year−1. With the start of season (end of June), sal forest showed an increasing trend in NEE while decreasing trend was observed at the end of season (end of October). The study showed the applicability of Biome-BGC model in Indian forest when integrated with EC data. The study also highlighted the utility of RF in capturing the spatial variability of NEE over large area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: PET/CT is now integral to the staging pathway for potentially curable esophageal cancer (EC), primarily to identify distant metastases undetected by computed tomography. The aim of this study was to analyze the effect of PET/CT introduction on survival and assess patterns of recurrence after esophagectomy. Methods: A longitudinal cohort of EC patients staged between 1998 and 2016 were considered for inclusion. After co-variate adjustment using propensity scoring, a cohort of 496 patients (273 pre-PET/CT and 223 post-PET/CT) who underwent esophagectomy [median age 63 years (31–80), 395 males, 425 adenocarcinomas, 71 squamous cell carcinomas, 325 neoadjuvant therapy] were included. The primary outcome measure was overall survival (OS) based on intention to treat. Results: Three-year OS pre-PET/CT was 42.5% compared with 57.8% post-PET/CT (Chi2 6.571, df 1, p = 0.004). On multivariable analysis, pT stage (HR 1.496 [95% CI 1.28–1.75], p < 0.0001), pN stage (HR 1.114 [95% CI 1.04–1.19], p = 0.001) and PET/CT staging (HR 0.688 [95% CI 0.53–0.89] p = 0.004) were independently associated with OS. Recurrent cancer was observed in 125 patients (51.4%) pre-PET/CT, compared with 74 patients post-PET/CT (37.8%, p = 0.004), and was less likely to be distant recurrence after PET/CT introduction (39.5 vs. 27.0%, p = 0.006). Conclusions: Enhanced PET/CT staging is an important modality and independent factor associated with improved survival in patients undergoing esophagectomy for cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Starch from potato was converted to carboxypropyl starch (CPS) by etherification using Monochloropropanoic acid and sodium hydroxide. The reaction was optimized against temperature, concentration and reaction time. The optimizedproduct has a large degree of substitution of 0.734, which compared favorably to other forms of starch. Fourier Transform Infrared spectra were used to characterize the product and potato starch. Digital photographs of starch and product showed the expected amorphous structure while that of the CPS converted beads and smooth surface morphology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A study on seasonal and inter-annual variability of the atmospheric CO2 is carried out based on National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Carbon Tracker (NOAACT) re-analysis and satellite measurements of midtroposphere CO2 by Atmosphere Infrared Sounder on board NASA's Aqua and lower troposphere CO2 by Greenhouse-gas Observing Satellite. Seasonal and nonseasonal components of each time series were extracted by means of least square based harmonic analysis procedure. The data of surface CO2 fluxes used in the NOAACT are also analyzed to examine its relationship with the atmosphere CO2 variability at different time scales. There exists good consistency between NOAACT analysis and satellite observations in their respective seasonal harmonics and climatology. Surface layer CO2 exhibits large climatological mean over the regions of major anthropogenic sources together with strong seasonal cycle over the humid and cold climatic terrestrial regions especially over the northern hemisphere. Existence of high coherency with the different components of the surface fluxes shows that surface layer atmosphere CO2 seasonality is primarily contributed from the terrestrial ecosystem exchanges and secondarily by anthropogenic and oceanic exchanges. The mid-troposphere CO2 exhibits large values associated with climatology and amplitudes of semi-annual and annual cycles over the northern extra tropics and Polar Regions along with a gradual decreasing trend from northern to southern hemisphere. Inter-annual variability of atmospheric CO2 in the NOAACT in some extent is consistent with the satellite observations. Large scale circulation patterns, its fluctuations associated with ENSO events and large scale ecosystem disturbances have significant influence on the inter-annual variability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The network of eddy covariance (EC) based flux-towers is growing rapidly in India to accurately account carbon source/sink capacity of forest and managed ecosystems. Sal (Shorea robusta) forests representing about 16% of the total Indian forested area, a very important component of Indian carbon budget. One year observation on ecosystem scale CO2/H2O flux and other micrometeorological observations were analysed for elucidating diurnal and seasonal pattern of fluxes along with their response to biophysical and environmental factors of an Indian sal forest. Daily average air temperature ranged between 10.31 °C to 32.36 °C. Maximum Net Ecosystem Exchange (NEE) of -5.51 g C m-2 day-1 occurred on the 244 DOY due to ideal condition for photosynthesis. Environmental factors governing carbon flux components agreed with the incident of maximum and minimum NEE, Gross Primary Productivity (GPP) and Ecosystem Respiration (Re) in Barkot Flux Site (BFS). Clear variation in monthly NEE, GPP and Re was observed during the study. Higher LAI and sufficient moisture condition resulted to higher absorption of carbon during September-March. During pre-monsoon (April-June) NEE was lowered due to reduce LAI and high VPD. During the rainy season (July-August) the carbon sequestration potential was highly reduced due to cloudy condition and rain accelerated Re. Annual GPP, Re and NEE of BFS was 2916.19 g C m-2 yr-1, 2408.32 g C m-2 and -507.89 g C m-2 yr-1. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Owing to its impact on global ecosystem, climate change and related effects is being perceived as a serious issue worldwide especially in the arid and semi-arid regions. Climatic variability has been considered as a major cause for degradation of natural resources. Desertification caused by climatic or human-induced processes negatively affects the productivity of land within an ecosystem. It is noteworthy that depletion of vegetation cover plays a key role in land degradation; in fact reduction in plants and perennial cover is regarded as an indicator of the onset of desertification. Temporal analysis of satellite-based NDVI is one of the major remote sensing tools which can identify the depletion of vegetation cover. In the present study, rain-use efficiency (RUE) method has been used for monitoring vegetation degradation and, substantially, the process of desertification in western Rajasthan. RUE, the ratio between normalized growing season NDVI and rainfall, has been calculated for individual years (1983-2013). A correlation analysis was carried out by considering yearly RUE as dependent variable and time (years) as the independent variable. It shows that regression slope of RUE mainly depends upon the dynamic condition of integrated NDVI and rainfall. In order to monitor the areas under human-induced desertification, the residual trend method has been adopted. The correlation between rainfall and NDVI was found significant ( p < 0.05) except some portion in the middle east. The study reveals that about 35% of the total area has experienced high human-induced desertification process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Gross primary production (GPP) is the basic biophysical parameter of an ecosystem. The quantification of GPP has been a major challenge in understanding the global carbon cycle. Eddy covariance (EC) measurements at flux tower provide valuable direct information on seasonal dynamics of GPP and allow model optimization. In this paper, the GPP of forest plantation was estimated using light use efficiency (LUE-based) model and validated with flux tower GPP observations in Terai Central Forest Division, Nainital, India. The LUE model is mainly based upon the photosynthetically active radiation (PAR), satellite-derived normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI), land surface wetness index (LSWI), and the air temperature. The simulation of the model was carried out using vegetation indices generated from Landsat imagery and the meteorological data from flux tower. The predicted GPP showed distinct significance of spatio-temporal dynamics of GPP. The environmental variables, viz., PAR and NDVI showed distinct effect on the GPP prediction. Comparison between predicted and the measured GPP on flux tower site showed good agreement ( R = 0.626, RMSE = 2.08 and MAPE = 18.46). The study demonstrated the potential of LUE model for estimating GPP and scaling up of GPP over large areas, which is a major parameter in the study of the carbon cycle on regional to global scales. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examines the consistency between the AVHRR and MODIS normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) datasets in estimating net primary productivity (NPP) and net ecosystem productivity (NEP) over India during 2001-2006 in a terrestrial ecosystem model. Harmonic analysis is employed to estimate seasonal components of the time series. The stationary components (representing long-term mean) of the respective NDVI time series are highly coherent and exhibit inherent natural vegetation characteristics with high values over the forest, moderate over the cropland, and small over the grassland. Both data exhibit strong semi-annual oscillations over the cropland dominated Indo-Gangetic plains while annual oscillations are strong over most parts of the country. MODIS has larger annual amplitude than that of the AVHRR. The similar variability exists on the estimates of NPP and NEP across India. In an annual scale, MODIS-based NPP budget is 1.78 PgC, which is 27 % higher than the AVHRR- based estimate. It revealed that the Indian terrestrial ecosystem remained the sink of atmospheric CO during the study period with 42 TgC y NEP budget associated with MODIS-based estimate against 18 TgC y for the AVHRR-based estimate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study focuses on analyzing the behavior and seasonality in the canopy carbon exchange of a subtropical ecosystem at the Himalayan foothills and comprises three important invasive species: Lantana camara, Ageratum conyzoides and Bidens biternata. Systematic sampling on the daily CO2 exchange process and biophysical parameters formed the basis of this investigation. The analyses based on year-round in-situ measurements showed that mean daily net canopy carbon exchange (net primary productivity) of the system (all species in totality) was 11.8 g C m-2 day-1 (41.5 t C ha-1yr-1). All species had almost equal contribution to the system NPP and they were in order of A. conyzoides (14.6 t C ha-1yr-1), B. biternata (13.8 t C ha-1yr-1) and L. camara (13.1 t C ha-1yr-1). Light use efficiency (LUE) exhibited a bimodal trend with peaks in early (Jun - Jul) and post-monsoon (Oct - Nov) season. Mean LUE of L. camara was 20.8 ± 10.9 mmol CO2 mol-1 PAR, while that of A. conyzoides and B. biternata were 24.7 ± 9.9 and 22.8 ± 10.4 mmol CO2 mol-1 PAR, respectively. Maximum net canopy assmilation (Cnar) was observed in the post-monsoon period and minimum in the winter (Dec). 15 - 50% of the Cnar was lost as night-time plant respiration across an annual growth cycle with maximum during winter and minimum in the post-monsoon season. These species together absorbed comparably equal or even more carbon than that of mature forests. However, the carbonretaining capacity of these species is limited due to the short growth cycle. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Khat products and chewing practices are common in East Africa, Middle East for centuries with concomitant socio-economic and public health repercussions. We assessed memory deficits associated with khat use in rodents. Young male CBA mice, 5-7 weeks old ( n = 20), weighing 25-35 g were used. Mice were treated with either 40, 120 or 360 mg/kg body weight (bw) methanolic khat extract, or 0.5 ml saline for 10 days. Spatial acquisition, reversal and reference memory were assessed using modified Morris Water maze (MMWM). Mice treated with 40 mg/kg khat extract had longer (t = 4.12 p = 0.015) and t = 2.28 p = 0.065) escape latency on first and second day during reversal relative to the baseline. Under 120 mg/kg khat dose, the escape latency was shorter (t = −2.49 p = 0.05) vs (t = −2.5 p = 0.05) on third and fourth day. Further, treatment with 360 mg/kg khat extract resulted in significantly longer time (49.13, 33.5, 40.2 and 35.75) vs. (23.5 s), compared to baseline. Mice treated with khat or control preferred the target quadrant post acquisition while differential pattern was seen during reversal phase. Mice treated with 40 or 120 mg/kg khat showed significant preference for target quadrant. Substantial time (19.9) was spent in the old target compared to the new (16.9 s) by animals treated with highest dose however, the difference was not significant. There is a biological plausibility that chronic khat use may induce memory deficits and impair cognitive flexibility. The differential patterns of memory deficits may reflect the differences in dose effect as well as time dependent impairment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]