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Since late 2019, COVID-19 has significantly impacted the world. Understanding the evolution of SARS-CoV-2 is crucial for protecting against future infectious pathogens. In this study, we conducted a comprehensive chronological analysis of SARS-CoV-2 evolution by examining mutation prevalence from the source countries of VOCs: United Kingdom, India, Brazil, South Africa, plus two countries: United States, Russia, utilizing genomic sequences from GISAID. Our methodological approach involved large-scale genomic sequence alignment using MAFFT, Python-based data processing on a high-performance computing platform, and advanced statistical methods the Maximal Information Coefficient (MIC), and also Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM) models for correlation analysis. Our findings elucidate the dynamics of SARS-CoV-2 evolution, highlighting the virus's changing behaviour over various pandemic stages. Key results include the discovery of three temporal mutation patterns-lineage distinct, long-span, and competitive mutations-with varying levels of impact on the virus. Notably, we observed a convergence of advantageous mutations in the spike protein, especially in the later stages of the pandemic, indicating a substantial evolutionary pressure on the virus. One of the most significant revelations is the predominant role of natural immunity over vaccination-induced immunity in driving these evolutionary changes. This emphasizes the critical need for regular vaccine updates to maintain efficacy against evolving strains. In conclusion, our study not only sheds light on the evolutionary trajectory of SARS-CoV-2 but also underscores the urgency for robust, continuous global data collection and sharing. It highlights the necessity for rapid adaptations in medical countermeasures, including vaccine development, to stay ahead of pathogen evolution. This research provides valuable insights for future pandemic preparedness and response strategies., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024. Published by Elsevier B.V.)

Papaya ringspot virus (PRSV) is one of the most devastating viruses of papaya that has significantly hampered papaya production across the globe. Although PRSV resistance is known in some of its wild relatives, such as Vasconcellea cauliflora and in some of the improved papaya genotypes, the molecular basis of this resistance mechanism has not been studied and understood. Plant microRNAs are an important class of small RNAs that regulate the gene expression in several plant species against the invading plant pathogens. These miRNAs are known to manifest the expression of genes involved in resistance against plant pathogens, through modulation of the plant's biochemistry and physiology. In this study we made an attempt to study the overall expression pattern of small RNAs and more specifically the miRNAs in different papaya genotypes from India, that exhibit varying levels of tolerance or resistance to PRSV. Our study found that the expression of some of the miRNAs was differentially regulated in these papaya genotypes and they had entirely different miRNA expression profile in healthy and PRSV infected symptomatic plants. This data may help in improvement of papaya cultivars for resistance against PRSV through new breeding initiatives or biotechnological approaches such as genome editing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The increasing concentrations of greenhouse gas emissions in the atmosphere along with the increasing temperatures exacerbate the situation, making it one of the major issues for food security. This research aims to explore the effects of climate change on food production in India. More specifically, this study investigates the impact of temperature, rainfall, CO2, methane, and N2O emissions and energy use on food production using a time spanning from 1990 to 2019 and explores the major critical factors impacting food production in India. The study used autoregressive distributed (ARDL) estimates for long-run and short-run cointegration. The empirical results demonstrated that energy use, rainfall, and methane emissions improve food productivity, whereas temperature and N2O emissions undermine food production in the long run and short run. However, the results revealed that CO2 emissions do not affect food production. Additionally, we used the dynamic ordinal least squared approach to verify the robustness of ARDL results. The results also demonstrate that N2O emissions and temperature are critical determinants of food production, indicating that a rise in temperature and N2O emissions significantly reduces food production in India. On the other hand, the findings show that methane emissions and rainfall significantly increase food production with a coefficient of 0.19 and 0.059, respectively. The most important adaptation strategies that should be considered due to climate change are reducing greenhouse gas emissions, expanding renewable energy investment, and adopting new technologies to combat environmental challenges. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: We investigated safety, efficacy, and acceptability of an oral regimen of medical abortion compared with surgical abortion in three developing countries., Study Design: Women (n = 1373) with amenorrhea < or = 56 days chose either surgical abortion (as provided routinely) or 600 mg of mifepristone followed after 48 hours by 400 micrograms of misoprostol. This is the appropriate design for studying safety, efficacy, and acceptability among women selecting medical abortion over available surgical services., Results: The medical regimen had more side effects, particularly bleeding, than did surgical abortion but very few serious side effects. Failure rates for medical abortion, although low, exceeded those for surgical abortion: 8.6% versus 0.4% (China), 16.0% versus 4.0% (Cuba), and 5.2% versus 0% (India). Nearly half of failures among medical clients were not true drug failures, however, but surgical interventions not medically necessary (acceptability failures or misdiagnoses). Women were satisfied with either method, but more preferred medical abortion., Conclusion: Medical abortion can be safe, efficacious, and acceptable in developing countries.

Background: The present study aimed to estimate the additive interaction of family history of diabetes and hypertension on the diagnosis of diabetes among individuals aged 45 years and above in India. The coexistence of these two exposures may act synergistically on the risk of diabetes, leading to adverse health outcomes. Methods: The study utilized the data from the Longitudinal Ageing Study in India (LASI) Wave 1 (2017–2018). The total sample size for the current study was 58,612 individuals aged 45 years and above. Multivariable logistic regression models were employed to determine the individual and joint effect of a family history of diabetes with hypertension on diabetes. An additive model was applied to assess the interaction effect of the family medical history of diabetes with hypertension on the diagnosis of diabetes by calculating three different measures of additive interaction such as the relative excess risk due to interaction (RERI), attribution proportion due to interaction (AP), and synergy index (S). Results: The prevalence of diabetes was three times higher among individuals with family history of diabetes (27.8% vs. 9.2%) than those without family history. Individuals with family history of diabetes (AOR: 2.47, CI: 2.11 2.89) had 2.47 times higher odds of having diabetes than those without family history. The prevalence of diabetes was significantly higher among individuals with hypertension and family history of diabetes (46.6%, 95% CI: 39.7–53.6) than those without the coexistence of family history of diabetes and hypertension (9.9%, 95% CI: 9.5–10.4), individuals with hypertension and without a family history of diabetes (22.7%, 95% CI: 21.2–24.2), and individuals with family history of diabetes and without hypertension (16.5%, 95% CI: 14.5–18.7). Moreover, the adjusted odds ratio (AOR) of the joint effect between family medical history of diabetes and hypertension on diabetes was 9.28 (95% CI: 7.51–11.46). In the adjusted model, the RERI, AP, and S for diabetes were 3.5 (95% CI: 1.52–5.47), 37% (0.37; 95% CI: 0.22–0.51), and 1.69 (95% CI: 1.31–2.18) respectively, which indicates that there is a significant positive interaction between family history of diabetes and hypertension on the diagnosis of diabetes. The study findings on interaction effects further demonstrate consistent results for two models of hypertension (self-reported hypertension and hypertensive individuals receiving medication) even after adjustment with potential confounding factors on diabetes (self-reported diabetes and individuals with diabetes receiving medication). Conclusions: The study findings strongly suggest that the interaction of family history of diabetes with hypertension has a positive and significant effect on the risk of diabetes even after adjustment with potential confounding factors. Furthermore, the findings indicate a synergistic effect, emphasizing the importance of considering both family medical history of diabetes and hypertension when assessing diabetes risk and designing preventive strategies or interventions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Green pit viper bites induce mild toxicity with painful local swelling, blistering, cellulitis, necrosis, ecchymosis and consumptive coagulopathy. Several bite cases of green pit vipers have been reported in several south-east Asian countries including the north-eastern region of India. The present study describes isolation and characterization of a haemostatically active protein from Trimeresurus erythrurus venom responsible for coagulopathy. Using a two-step chromatographic method, a snake venom serine protease erythrofibrase was purified to homogeneity. SDS-PAGE of erythrofibrase showed a single band of ~30 kDa in both reducing and non-reducing conditions. The primary structure of erythrofibrase was determined by ESI LC-MS/MS, and the partial sequence obtained showed 77% sequence similarity with other snake venom thrombin-like enzymes (SVTLEs). The partial sequence obtained had the typical 12 conserved cysteine residues, as well as the active site residues (His57, Asp102 and Ser195). Functionally, erythrofibrase showed direct fibrinogenolytic activity by degrading the Aα chain of bovine fibrinogen at a slow rate, which might be responsible for causing hypofibrinogenemia and incoagulable blood for several days in envenomated patients. Moreover, the inability of Indian polyvalent antivenom (manufactured by Premium Serum Pvt. Ltd., Maharashtra, India) to neutralize the thrombin-like and plasmin-like activity of erythrofibrase can be correlated with the clinical inefficacy of antivenom therapy. This is the first study reporting an α-fibrinogenase enzyme erythrofibrase from T. erythrurus venom, which is crucial for the pathophysiological manifestations observed in envenomated victims. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Seasonal variations in rainfall patterns, particularly during sowing, early growing season, and flowering, drastically affect rice production in northeastern India. However, sensitivity to drought stress is genotype-specific. Since 80% of the land in this region is used for rice production, it is crucial to understand how they have adapted to water stress. This study evaluated 112 rice genotypes grown in NE India for seed germination percentage and seedling development under PEG-mediated drought stress. Among the rice genotype, Sahbhagi dhan, RCPL-1-82, Bhalum-3 and RCPL-1-128 showed drought-tolerant traits, while Ketaki Joha, Chakhao, Chandan, RCPL-1-185 and IR-64 were the most drought-sensitive rice genotypes. Drought-tolerant rice also showed significantly higher seed germination potential, proline content, antioxidant activity and expression of drought-responsive genes than drought-sensitive rice genotypes. A similar expression pattern of genes was also observed in the rice genotype treated with a 50% water deficit in pot culture. In addition, drought stress reduced the pollen fertility and yield per plant in sensitive rice genotypes. Molecular markers associated with drought stress were also used to characterize genetic diversity among the rice genotypes studied. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Blockchain technology has emerged as a promising solution for enhancing transparency, efficiency, and security in various industries, including construction. However, implementing blockchain in the construction industry faces several barriers that hinder its widespread adoption. To fill this gap, this study is aimed at identifying and discussing the key barriers to implementing blockchain in the construction industry. The study employs a four-phase methodology. In the first phase, barriers are identified through a comprehensive literature review and supplemented with semi-structured interviews with different stakeholders, identifying critical barriers. The second phase involves data collection from ten construction experts, while the third phase utilizes the interpretive structural modeling (ISM) technique for data analysis. In the fourth phase, ten effective strategies are formulated to tackle the identified barriers and their interdependencies. The results reveal the overall structure of barriers and classify them into four groups based on driving and dependence power using the cross-impact matrix multiplication applied to the classification (MICMAC) technique. The identified barriers include a lack of collaboration in consortium formation, insufficient capacity and performance, and regulatory uncertainty, which hinders blockchain implementation in the construction industry. The research findings provide valuable information for policymakers on the overall structure with barriers and implementation in India and other countries with similar situations. Additionally, the management implications of the results were analyzed to facilitate the effective implementation of measures to overcome the obstacles and increase the level of blockchain adoption in the construction industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: The neurodegenerative Parkinson's Disease (PD) is associated with different risk genes along with some environmental factors. Till date, there are few identified genes which play a pivotal role in the early onset of PD among the general population. Aim: To screen the presence of different risk genes of Parkinson's disease along with associated environmental factors among randomly selected 62 urban participants. Materials and Methods: The present randomised control trial single blind pilot study was conducted in the Department of Biotechnology, Heritage Institute of Technology, Kolkata, West Bengal, India, from March 2021 to June 2021. The study participants were informed about the study and blood was collected from them. The genomic Deoxyribonucleic Acid (DNA) extraction was carried out following phenol chloroform extraction protocol and Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) was done with specific primers of the risk genes namely, Parkinson Disease 1 (PARK1) Alpha-synuclein (a-synuclein), Parkinson Disease 2 (PARK2) (Parkin), Parkinson Disease Protein 7 (PARK7) or DJ -1 and PINK 1. Protein Deglycase-1 (DJ-1) and PTEN Induced Kinase 1 (PINK1). The statistical analysis of the findings was done using Statistical package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) software version 21.0. Results: Out of 62 particpants, 47 were males and 15 were females and the age distribution of the participants was in between 21 years to >60 years. After obtaining specific band in agarose gel electrophoresis, 35 positive cases of PARK7 gene and 1 positive case of PARK2 gene were identified. Conclusion: There was a statistically significant association of different bacterial and viral infections with the PARK7 gene positive cases. PARK7 gene responsible for early onset of PD is significantly prevalent in the general population of West Bengal. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cretaceous‐Miocene sedimentary rocks in the Nepalese Lesser Himalaya provide an opportunity to decipher the timing of India‐Asia collision and unroofing history of the Himalayan orogen, which are significant for understanding the growth processes of the Himalayan‐Tibetan orogen. Our new data indicate that detrital zircon ages and whole‐rock Sr‐Nd isotopes in Cretaceous‐Miocene Lesser Himalayan sedimentary rocks underwent two significant changes. First, from the Upper Cretaceous‐Palaeocene Amile Formation to the Eocene Bhainskati Formation, the proportion of late Proterozoic‐early Palaeozoic zircons (quantified by an index of 500–1200 Ma/1600–2800 Ma) increased from nearly 0 to 0.7–1.4, and the percentage of Mesozoic zircons decreased from ca. 14% to 5–12%. The whole‐rock 87Sr/86Sr and εNd(t = 0) values changed markedly from 0.732139 and −17.2 for the Amile Formation to 0.718106 and −11.4 for the Bhainskati Formation. Second, from the Bhainskati Formation to the lower‐middle Miocene Dumri Formation, the index of 500–1200 Ma/1600–2800 Ma increased to 2.2–3.7 and the percentage of Mesozoic zircons abruptly decreased to nearly 0. The whole‐rock 87Sr/86Sr and εNd(t = 0) values changed significantly to 0.750124 and −15.8 for the Dumri Formation. The εHf(t) values of Early Cretaceous zircons in the Taltung Formation and Amile Formation plot in the U‐Pb‐εHf(t) field of Indian derivation, whereas εHf(t) values of Triassic‐Palaeocene zircons in the Bhainskati Formation demonstrate the arrival of Asian‐derived detritus in the Himalayan foreland basin in the Eocene based on available datasets. Our data indicate that (1) the timing of terminal India‐Asia collision was no later than the early‐middle Eocene in the central Himalaya, and (2) the Greater Himalaya served as a source for the Himalayan foreland basin by the early Miocene. When coupled with previous Palaeocene‐early Eocene provenance records of the Tethyan Himalaya, our new data challenge dual‐stage India‐Asia collision models, such as the Greater India Basin hypothesis and its variants and the arc–continent collision model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper empirically explores the impact of COVID‐19 pandemic and its accompanying lockdown on adolescent girls' and women's access to sanitary pads in India. We have used the National Health Mission's Health Management Information System (NHM‐HMIS) data for the study, which provides data on pads' distribution on a district level. The empirical strategy used in the study exploits the variation of districts into red, orange, and green zones as announced by the Indian Government. To understand how lockdown severity impacts access to sanitary pads, we used a difference‐in‐difference (DID) empirical strategy to study sanitary pads' access in red and orange zones compared to green zones. We find clear evidence of the impact of lockdown intensity on the provision of sanitary pads, with districts with the strictest lockdown restrictions suffering the most. Our study highlights how sanitary pads distribution was overlooked during the pandemic, leaving girls and women vulnerable to managing their menstrual needs. Thus, there is a requirement for strong policy to focus on the need to keep sanitary pads as part of the essential goods to ensure the needs of the girls and women are met even in the midst of a pandemic, central to an inclusive response. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Today with the help of advancement in the biotechnological processes, researchers are concentrating more on economical and versatile ways to recover value-added products from natural resources such as waste waters. Pseudomonas aeruginosa is known to produce a broad range of secondary metabolites during its active growth phase. In this study, P aeruginosa was densely isolated from the waste dumping zone of the highly polluted Cooum River (CR), Tamil Nadu, India. The strain was identified through biochemical analysis and molecular characterization by 16S rRNA sequencing and named as JAAKPA. Enzyme profiling of the strain revealed that it had potential lipase and protease activities. Antibacterial and antifungal activities of the strain against ten clinical pathogens were tested. A significant antibacterial activity against Gram-positive strains such as methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), Bacillus subtilis, and moderate antifungal activity against Candida albicans, were observed. The culture supernatant of JAAKPA was subjected to thin-layer chromatography and column chromatography to extract and purify the antimicrobial compound (Phenazine). The purified compound was further subjected to gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC-MS), fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) studies. The results revealed phenazine to be the major secondary metabolite responsible for the antimicrobial activities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One of the most valuable approaches in spatial analysis for a better understanding of the hydrological response of a region or a watershed is certainly the analysis of the well-known land use land cover (LULC) dynamicity. The present case study delves deeper into the analysis of LULC dynamicity by using digital Landsat TM and Landsat OLI data to classify the Kolkata Metropolitan Development Authority (KMDA) into seven classes with over 90% classification accuracy for decadal level assessments of 30 years (for the years 1989, 1999, 2009, and 2019). The change index, the Dematel method for analyzing the cause-effect relationship among the LULC classes, the Jaccard Similarity Index for measuring the nature of similarity among the LULC classes, and the Adherence Index for measuring the consistency of the LULC classes after the transition was used in this study to analyze the LULC transformation. In more detail, the present study considers how urban land use is altering at the expense of other land uses. Besides the shifting pattern of mean centers of the LULC classes through time, also gives a very significant insight into the LULC dynamics over 30 years of span. The current study of LULC dynamicity and transformation patterns over the 30 years of the KMDA area is expected to assist land and urban planners, engineers, and administrators in sustainable decisions and policies to ensure inclusive urbanization that accommodates population growth while minimizing the impact on potential natural resources within the whole study area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Today many firms are pushed towards digitalization to ensure business continuity and their survival due to COVID-19. Therefore, this study aims to investigate the emerging knowledge management models in the era of digitalization and disruption. Design/methodology/approach: The authors have adopted a semi-structured approach composed of qualitative data collection from 37 business executives from India representing different industry sectors. The authors adopted a three-layer coding process (axial, open and selective) to develop a framework grounded in organizational information processing theory. Findings: Scanning the business environment leads to understand the status of current and potential business through intelligence of information, whereas better planning and execution can be achieved through employing and using the information intelligently that fits to the overall and strategic objective of the business. Overall, the business continuity can be obtained by information prosperity across the business by engaging diverse stakeholders. According to the findings, these aspects lead to the effective implementation of digital knowledge to ensure business continuity in uncertain business environment. Practical implications: The study offers the insights for managing and executing the knowledge in digital platforms, where they can think of developing a system architecture on the basis of degree of uncertainty and information processing requirements for combining the knowledge. Originality/value: The present study is unique, where it offers the meaningful visions to the designers and users of virtual knowledge management systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: While there are a few studies that show the prevalence of blindness and ocular morbidity in children, studies on socioeconomic factors in childhood cataracts are scarce. We aimed to study the socioeconomic status, education and occupation of the parents, consanguinity, and gender inequality among children presenting with cataracts. Methods: This was a hospital-based, prospective, descriptive study of 68 children with cataracts (aged 0–18 years). In addition to the data on clinical parameters and surgical management, we also collected data on age, gender, age at which the chief complaint was noticed, consanguinity of parents, socioeconomic class, and occupation and education of parents. All statistical analyses were performed using MedCalc statistical software (MedCalc Software 2019, Ostend, Belgium). Results: Sixty-eight children with pediatric cataract, out of which 36 were bilateral, were studied. Thirty children (44%) were in the age group of 1–5 years. Out of the 36 bilateral cataracts, 25 (69.44%) were males and 11 (30.56%) were females. Thirty (44.1%) had a delayed presentation. Also, 31% belonged to middle class and 28% belonged to lower middle class. Moreover, 65% of the mothers had an undergraduate education. Conclusion: There is a gender-based inequality and late presentation of childhood cataracts. To improve early detection, red reflex screening should be mandatorily done. Further studies are required to identify barriers to access of eye care specific to girls, in order to plan interventions to improve uptake of treatment. The lower socioeconomic status of the patients should be taken into account in the management of this disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: H. pylori is the most common human bacterial pathogen that colonizes the gastric epithelium especially in those habitual Qat chewers; it influence can absorption of glucose which is also abnormal in DM patients, its common infection in diabetic patients who have inadequate metabolic control, this study was conducted to reveal the prevalence of H. pylori among T2DM and non-DM patients and potential risk factors. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted in the department of medicine, a tertiary care hospital in India, and there were 250 patients who included in this study. Data were collected through structural intervals questionnaire and sampling information. Results: The overall prevalence of H. pylori among diabetics was 29.2%. There was no significant association between H. pylori infections and diabetes (P> 0.05), most of the patients were 46-60 year age group, with male predominance (76.7%) H. pylori infections were not significantly associated with the smoking, hypertension, dyslipidemia and obesity. H. pylori infection increased in longer duration of diabetes and the increase in HbA1c level. Conclusion: Positive H. pylori DM patients should update their sugar level values and control the disease. Further research is highly recommended on relationship between H. pylori infections and diabetes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The origin and formation of the continental collision-related magmas remain elusive. The volcanic rocks erupted during India-Asia continental collision offer an ideal opportunity to explore their genesis and geodynamic process. Here, we report new zircon U-Pb dating results and Hf isotope, whole-rock element and Sr-Nd isotope data of volcanic rocks in Linzhou Basin, central Lhasa Terrane, southern Tibet. These volcanic rocks are mainly comprised of andesites and belong to Dianzhong Formation. The timing of their formation is ca. 63–66 Ma, coeval with the India-Asia continental initial collision in the central part of southern Tibet. All these rocks show an arc-like geochemical affinity and they have more depleted Sr-Nd-Hf isotopic compositions (87Sr/86Sri = 0.705006–0.705963, εNd(t) = −1.78 to 3.52, zircon εHf(t) = 1.2–7.0) than the Cretaceous pre-collisional andesites and Eocene ancient lithospheric mantle-derived melts beneath the central Lhasa Terrane. The correlation between Mg# and CaO, TiO2, Al2O3, Sr/Y, 87Sr/86Sr, εNd(t) suggests that they were likely hybrid production between an isotopically depleted end-member and the enriched lithospheric mantle (ELM). The oceanic crust-derived melts would be the best candidate for the former end-member according to their depleted Sr-Nd isotopic compositions. The andesitic rocks of Dianzhong Formation in the central Lhasa Terrane were most likely stemmed from partial melts of altered Neo-Tethyan crust and then mixed with the ELM-derived melts. Given the Cretaceous-Tertiary upper crustal shortening, back-arc extension, and voluminous volcanism in the Lhasa Terrane, along with abrupt increasing in the magma temperature and the convergence rate between India and Asia during Palaeocene, the occurrence of the Dianzhong Formation volcanic rocks can be well explained by the Neo-Tethyan slab roll-back. The mixing between the oceanic crust- and the continental lithospheric mantle-derived melts induced by the oceanic slab roll-back would be a complimentary scenario for the formation of the syn-collisional magmatism in collisional orogeny belts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper discusses the relation between the heavy metal and radionuclide activity concentration in beach sand samples collected from East Coast of Tamilnadu. The elemental composition in beach sands is determined by EDXRF technique. The mean concentrations of elements followed in the order of Si > Ca > Fe > Al > Mg > K > Ti > Mn > Zr > Sr > Zn > Pb > Ni > Cu > Cd > Co in the study area. A NaI(Tl) gamma-ray spectrometer has been used to determine activity concentration of 238U, 232Th and 40K in sand samples. The measured activity in the sand samples ranged from 3.0 to 1766.8 Bqkg−1, 3.0 to 8326.88 Bqkg−1 and 11 to 1434.9 Bqkg−1 for 238U, 232Th and 40K, respectively. The measured natural radioactivity concentration was compared with worldwide average values as reported by UNSCEAR. The interrelation between the natural radioactivity and heavy metal concentration is determined using Pearson correlation coefficient, factor and cluster analysis for finding existing relation between them. The results showed that there is a significant relation of heavy metals for heavy minerals which can contribute radioactivity concentration based on the correlation and factor analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sulfide-rich hydrous arc cumulates in the lower crust are considered a likely source for porphyry Cu-forming magmas in post-subduction settings. However, it remains controversial whether or not post-subduction porphyry Cu magmas can be produced by partial melting of lower crustal arc cumulates. Here we performed detailed petrographic and geochemical studies on exhumed lower to middle crustal cumulates from the Gangdese and Kohistan arc sections, and then conducted partial melting experiments of the Gangdese sulfide-rich lithologies at 1.5 GPa and 800°C–1150°C using a piston cylinder press. Both the Gangdese and the Kohistan arc-root samples formed as cumulates in the lower to middle crust, but the Kohistan samples were subsequently brought into the garnet stability field during the India–Eurasia continental collision. Most of the Gangdese samples contain relatively high abundances of magmatic sulfides preserved in the form of Cu-poor monosulfide solid solution. In contrast, most of the Kohistan samples contain very low abundances of Cu-rich sulfides preserved as inclusions in garnet, probably due to intense metamorphic dehydration and up to 2 wt% partial melting in the garnet stability field. The original magmatic sulfides at Kohistan appear to have been removed mainly by metamorphic fluids rather than by partial melts, as the arc-root samples could have experienced only very low degree of partial melting and the sulfur solubility in experimentally produced partial melts is low (≤0.1 wt%) even at oxygen fugacities two log-units above the fayalite-magnetite-quartz buffer. Furthermore, the experimental partial melts contain much less K2O, MgO, Cl and ±S than typical post-subduction porphyry Cu-forming magmas. Hence, we conclude that the role of sulfide-rich arc cumulates in the formation of post-subduction porphyry Cu magmas has been severely overestimated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sexual dysfunction (SD) is a common, yet under-reported non-motor symptom of PD. Common sexual symptoms among male PD patients include erectile dysfunction, premature ejaculation, and decreased sexual desire. Few research papers have examined sexual dysfunction in PD, especially in YOPD male patients, and there is no Indian research study on sexual dysfunction in YOPD. In this study, we determined the frequency of sexual dysfunction in men with YOPD, and its correlation with other motor and NMS. This prospective cross-sectional study was conducted on YOPD males who presented to the Department of Neurology, NIMHANS, Bangalore, India, from May 2021 to April 2023. The diagnosis of YOPD was made based on MDS criteria for IPD 2015. Sexual functions were evaluated by ASEX, PEDT, QUIP-RS, and sex hormone assay. The patients also underwent other motor and non-motor assessments. Statistical analysis was done using SPSS version 22.0. The study was funded by the PDMD fund. This study included 62 male YOPD patients. The mean age of cases was 44.74 ± 8.54 years. The mean duration of symptoms was 8.45 ± 6.23 years. 43.5% of the cases of PD were Akinetic rigid type. By ASEX Score grading, 46.8% of the cases had erectile dysfunction and 71% of the cases of YOPD had premature ejaculation by PEDT Score grading. 9.7% of the cases had hypersexuality by QUIP-RS. Duration of YOPD was a better predictor of Erectile Dysfunction and premature ejaculation when compared with other variables. SD was related to anxiety and depression and it had a negative impact on the patient's health-related quality of life (HR-QoL). SD should be investigated and treated as an integral part of the neurological assessment in YOPD., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Austria, part of Springer Nature.)

Background: Extensive studies related to curcumin were carried out over the preceding several decades. Citation frequencies represent the most prominent contributions in a specific field. This research aimed to identify and analyze the 100 most-cited articles on curcumin and to highlight the most important advances in this field. Methods: Highly cited articles were identified in the Web of Science core collection database. "curcumin*" was used as the search string to retrieve in the "Title" field. VOSviewer was applied to perform bibliometric analysis of these papers. Results: Totally 17,645 publications on the topic of curcumin were identified. The top most-cited 100 articles were published between 1973 and 2017. Most of these papers were original (n = 62). The total citation frequency in the top 100 article ranged from 355 to 3364, with a median of 560. The United States and India were the major countries researching curcumin. The University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center was the institution with the highest contribution rate of these articles. The most frequently nominated authors were Aggarwal B. B., Kunnumakkara A. B., Prasad S., and Priyadarsini K. I. The top 100 articles were published in 68 journals. The top four journals in terms of the number of our included articles were Cancer Research (n = 7), followed by Journal of Biological Chemistry, Biochemical Pharmacology, and Cancer Letters, with 4 articles each. NF-kappa B, cancer, gene expression, apoptosis, inflammation, chemopreventive agent, and nitric oxide synthase are presumed to be the current hot topics. Bioavailability, anticancer, antiinflammatory, and antioxidant activities were the major research directions of curcumin. Conclusion: This study analyzed the 100 most-cited articles on curcumin and provided insights into the characteristics and research hotspots of the articles on this topic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Circular economy and Industry 4.0 are two of the most hotly debated topics in recent decades. They gradually attracted the attention of academics, practitioners, and policymakers from around the globe. The current research looks at the impact of Industry 4.0 on circular economy practices and blockchain technology in order to boost firm performance. The closed questionnaire was used to collect cross-sectional data of 330 respondents, and the partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) modeling framework was used to demonstrate the findings of the study. The results show that blockchain technology improves circular economy practices significantly in terms of green manufacturing (GM), recycling and remanufacturing (RR), and green design (GD) in India. In addition, Industry 4.0 has the potential to improve business operations as well as financial performance and environmental performance significantly. As a result, the current research work offers recommendations for businesses to achieve long-term goals by incorporating Industry 4.0 into manufacturing systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A significant portion of the Indian population lives in villages, some of which are located in grid-disconnected remote areas. The supply of electricity to these villages is not feasible or cost-effective, but an autonomous integrated hybrid renewable energy system (IHRES) could be a viable alternative. Hence, this study proposed using available renewable energy resources in the study area to provide electricity and freshwater access for five un-electrified grid-disconnected villages in the Odisha state of India. This study concentrated on three different kinds of battery technologies such as lithium-ion (Li-Ion), nickel-iron (Ni-Fe), and lead-acid (LA) along with a diesel generator to maintain an uninterrupted power supply. Six different configurations with two dispatch strategies such as load following (LF) and cycle charging (CC) were modelled using nine metaheuristic algorithms to achieve an optimally configured IHRES in the MATLAB© environment. Initially, these six configurations with LF and CC strategies were evaluated with the load demands of a low-efficiency appliance usage-based scenario, i.e., without demand-side management (DSM). Later, the optimal configuration obtained from the low-efficiency appliance usage-based scenario was further evaluated with LF and CC strategies using the load demands of medium and high-efficiency appliance usage-based scenarios, i.e., with DSM. The results showed that the Ni-Fe battery-based IHRES with LF strategy using the high-efficiency appliance usage-based scenario had a lower life cycle cost of USD 522,945 as compared to other battery-based IHRESs with LF and CC strategies, as well as other efficiency-based scenarios. As compared to the other algorithms used in the study, the suggested Salp Swarm Algorithm demonstrated its fast convergence and robustness effectiveness in determining the global best optimum values. Finally, the sensitivity analysis was performed for the proposed configuration using variable input parameters such as biomass collection rate, interest rate, and diesel prices. The interest rate fluctuations were found to have a substantial impact on the system's performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Continuous monitoring and observing of the earth's environment has become interactive research in the field of remote sensing. Many researchers have provided the Land Use/Land Cover information for the past, present, and future for their study areas around the world. This research work builds the Novel Vision Transformer–based Bidirectional long-short term memory model for predicting the Land Use/Land Cover Changes by using the LISS-III and Landsat bands for the forest- and non-forest-covered regions of Javadi Hills, India. The proposed Vision Transformer model achieves a good classification accuracy, with an average of 98.76%. The impact of the Land Surface Temperature map and the Land Use/Land Cover classification map provides good validation results, with an average accuracy of 98.38%, during the process of bidirectional long short-term memory–based prediction analysis. The authors also introduced an application-based explanation of the predicted results through the Google Earth Engine platform of Google Cloud so that the predicted results will be more informative and trustworthy to the urban planners and forest department to take proper actions in the protection of the environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Myasthenia gravis is an autoimmune disorder characterized by the presence of autoantibodies against the acetylcholine receptor present in the post-synaptic membrane of the neuromuscular junction impairing the muscle contraction and causing the patient suffering from the disorder to develop a myriad of muscular defects ranging from drooping of eyelids, blurred or double vision, shortness of breath, difficulty in swallowing, as well as weakness of limbs and arms. Myasthenia gravis is known as the disease of old men and young women but in contrast to the global scenario, in India, myasthenia gravis was found to be predominant in males with the ratio of 2.70:1. Though the disorder has been studied for centuries, the true reason for disease and its pathophysiology still eludes us. But recent advancement in molecular biology and diagnostic tools has enabled us to identify many targets for pharmacotherapy as well as for early diagnosis. Thus, improving the patient's morbidity and quality of life. In this article, we are discussing the recent advancements made in diagnosis and therapy of the disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Genetic engineering approach is a viable method to impart abiotic stress tolerance in crop plants. The genomic compatability between Saccharum and related genera allows for broader application in sugarcane improvement programme in terms of improved hybrid productivity and adaptability. NAC tf (NAM ATAF CUC transcription factor) was found to be one of the most stress responsive transcription factors consisting of consortium of genes acting against both abiotic and biotic stress. Several studies have proved the involvement of NAC protein in imparting stress tolerance. Based on their response to abiotic stimuli, a set of NAC genes have been designated as Stress associated NAC (SNACs). We have sequenced NAC1 gene from Erianthus sp-IK76-91 which is a stress tolerant species closely related to sugarcane. A 1.8 kb fragment was amplified in oxidative stress tolerant Erianthus using NAC1 specific primers. Gene construct was developed with binary vector pRI and the isolated gene was sequenced. BLASTn analysis of recombinant pRI 909 showed 88.61% homology with the Sorghum bicolor NAC1 gene. The oxidative stress responsive pRI::EaNAC construct developed can be further utilised to transform high yielding susceptible sugarcane varieties to benefit them in adapting to multiple abiotic stresses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The total number of vehicles is expected to be 2.5 billion by the year 2050. To stabilize the impact on environment, the automobile sector has shown various innovations by shifting from conventional vehicles to electric vehicles (EVs). However, there is less acceptance of electric cars in India, so this research paper explores the various factors affecting EV adoption intention. The key factors studied are price, environmental concern, infrastructure requirement, and knowledge of EV. This paper also shows that government policies act as a mediator between factors like price, knowledge of EV, and infrastructure requirement on adoption intention of EVs. This research paper presents insights for the decision-makers to understand the determinants and design the strategies for increased adoption intention of EVs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Black pepper (Piper nigrum L.), an important and long-cultivated spice crop, is native to South India and grown in the tropics. Piperine is the main pungent and bioactive alkaloid in the berries of black pepper, but the molecular mechanism for piperine biosynthesis has not been determined. MicroRNAs (miRNAs), which are classical endogenous noncoding small RNAs, play important roles in regulating secondary metabolism in many species, but less is known regarding black pepper or piperine biosynthesis. Results: To dissect the functions of miRNAs in secondary metabolism especially in piperine biosynthesis, 110 known miRNAs, 18 novel miRNAs and 1007 individual targets were identified from different tissues of black pepper by small RNA sequencing. qRT-PCR and 5′-RLM-RACE experiments were conducted to validate the reliability of the sequencing data and predicted targets. We found 3 miRNAs along with their targets including miR166-4CL, miR396-PER and miR397-CCR modules that are involved in piperine biosynthesis. Conclusion: MiRNA regulation of secondary metabolism is a common phenomenon in plants. Our study revealed new miRNAs that regulate piperine biosynthesis, which are special alkaloids in the piper genus, and they might be useful for future piperine genetic improvement of black pepper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The current research has dual motives. Firstly, this study aims to evaluate the effect of gamification on the behavioural intention (BI) of the young female consumers to use online websites for making purchases. Secondly, it examines the role of social interaction and perceived enjoyment (PE) – two antecedents that are considered to have an impact on the female buying behaviour in e-commerce. Design/methodology/approach: A model is developed based on the technology acceptance model. The conceptual framework is augmented with additional constructs such as gamification, PE and social interaction. Data from a survey of 898 female respondents from India was collected to assess the proposed framework. The study uses partial least squares structural equation modelling technique to empirically validate the model. Findings: Gamification exhibits a favourable influence on BI of young female consumers. Gamification also has a favourable and an indirect influence on BI through social interaction and PE. Although, gamification has a significant influence on perceived usefulness, the latter has no impact on the BI. The BI of using an online shopping website is directly associated with the buying intention. The online retailers need to offer an enjoyable and interactive experience to the female consumers so that the influence of gamification is sustainable. Originality/value: The current research enlarges the ambit of gamification in the e-commerce segment, an area where empirical research is sparse. It highlights the significance of social interaction and PE as mediators. To the best of the author's knowledge, gamification's influence on female online buying behaviour has never been analysed before and hence different segmentation and marketing strategies are required to cater to their unique needs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This was a population-based study to determine the prevalence and causes of visual impairment in children less than 16 years in Urban North India.Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted in 40 clusters of urban Delhi. 20,955 children aged less than 16 years underwent visual acuity screening using age-appropriate visual acuity charts. Unaided visual acuity of enumerated children aged over 2 years was assessed by using Lea symbols chart in 3-5 years age group and logMAR tumbling E charts for the 6-15 years age group. For children aged 0-2 years, fixation and following to torch light was assessed. All the children with unaided visual acuity of <6/12 in any eye in age group 3-15 years and inability to follow the light in age <3 years were referred for detailed ophthalmic examination.Results: Amongst 20,955 children examined for visual acuity a total of 789 children were referred to the central clinic for detailed ophthalmic examination. Of these referred children, a total of 124 had presenting visual acuity <6/18 in the better eye. The prevalence of visual impairment (VI) was 5.92 per thousand (95% CI: 4.96-7.05). The prevalence of moderate to severe visual impairment was maximum in the age group of 11 to 15 years. The main cause of avoidable VI in these children was a refractive error (75.7%). The prevalence of blindness was 0.42 per thousand.Conclusion: Optic nerve abnormalities were the most important cause of blindness in children. Refractive error is the most important cause of visual impairment amongst children and needs to be addressed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The global nature of e-commerce is complicating privacy issues because perceptions of privacy, trust, risk, and fair information practices vary across cultures, and differences in national regulation create challenges for global information management strategies. Despite the spike in international regulatory attention devoted to privacy issues and the tensions associated with them, there has been very little research on the relationship between information privacy concerns and consumers' regulatory preferences, and even rarer is research that incorporates cultural values into a framework that includes privacy concerns and regulation. This study examines privacy concerns, a full complement of cultural values, trust, risk, and regulation at the individual level in a cohesive manner. Relying on a dataset of consumers gathered in the United States and India, the authors test a model that incorporates these constructs as well as trust and risk beliefs. The model explains 48% of the variance in consumers' regulatory preferences, and all but one of the hypotheses find statistical support. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Genome-wide association study (GWAS) provides a robust and potent tool to retrieve complex phenotypic traits back to their underlying genetics. Maize is an excellent crop for performing GWAS due to diverse genetic variability, rapid decay of linkage disequilibrium, availability of distinct sub-populations and abundant SNP information. The application of GWAS in maize has resulted in successful identification of thousands of genomic regions associated with many abiotic and biotic stresses. Many agronomic and quality traits of maize are severely affected by such stresses and, significantly affecting its growth and productivity. To improve productivity of maize crop in countries like India which contribute only 2% to the world's total production in 2019–2020, it is essential to understand genetic complexity of underlying traits. Various DNA markers and trait associations have been revealed using conventional linkage mapping methods. However, it has achieved limited success in improving polygenic complex traits due to lower resolution of trait mapping. The present review explores the prospects of GWAS in improving yield, quality and stress tolerance in maize besides, strengths and challenges of using GWAS for molecular breeding and genomic selection. The information gathered will facilitate elucidation of genetic mechanisms of complex traits and improve efficiency of marker-assisted selection in maize breeding. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Persimmon (Diospyros kaki) is an important, underutilized fruit crop of India. The thin layer drying of persimmon slices would make it a perfect snack that can be used in various recipes. The drying process of persimmon slices was optimized using Box–Behnken design in response surface methodology. Three categorical independent drying variables, such as temperature (50–70°C), air velocity (0.5–1.5 m/s), and sample thickness (4–8 mm), were considered for the study. The response variables include drying time, ascorbic acid content, browning index, and rehydration ratio were investigated. The air temperature and sample thickness showed a significant effect on drying time. Browning index and rehydration ratio were significantly affected by air temperature and air velocity. As per the given experimental design constraints, the optimum solutions obtained were air temperature (58°C), air velocity (1.40 m/s), and slice thickness (4 mm). The predicted responses for the optimized combination of the drying process were drying time (442.55 min), ascorbic acid (8.61 mg/g dry matter), browning index (0.396 absorbance unit), and rehydration ratio (5.47%). Therefore, this study would be beneficial for scaling up industrial drying of persimmon slices for commercial production to ensure smooth processing and achieve a profitable path. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Coastline or Shoreline calculation is one of the important factors in the finding of coastal accretion and erosion and the study of coastal morphodynamic. Coastal erosion is a tentative hazard for communities especially in coastal areas as it is extremely susceptible to increasing coastal disasters. The study has been conducted along the coast of Vishakhapatnam district, Andhra Pradesh, India with the help of multi-temporal satellite images of 1991 2001, 2011 and 2018. The continuing coastal erosion and accretion rates have been calculated using the Digital Shoreline Analysis System (DSAS). Linear regression rate (LRR), End Point Rate (EPR) and Weighted Linear Regression (WLR) are used for calculating shoreline change rate. Based on calculations the district shoreline has been classified into five categories as high and low erosion, no change and high and low accretion. Out of 135 km, high erosion occupied 5.8 km of coast followed by moderate or low erosion 46.2 km. Almost 34.7 km coastal length showed little or no change. Moderate accretion is found along 30.5 km whereas high accretion trend found around 17.8 km. The outcome of shows that erosion is prevailing in Vishakhapatnam taluk, Ankapalli taluk, Yellamanchili taluk whereas most of the Bhemunipatnam coast is accreting. Natural and manmade activities and phenomena influence the coastal areas in terms of erosion and accretion. The study could be used for further planning and development and also for disaster management authority in the decision-making process in the study area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In today's world, industries are facing massive pressure to integrate sustainability issues for efficient and successful supply chain management (SCM). Hence, worldwide it has become critically important to make economic operational balance satisfying environment protection norms and social welfare perspectives. Consequently, the industries are investigating their SCM structures in association with a third party logistics (3PL) service provider adopting the triple bottom line framework for improving the overall supply chain performance. Therefore, selection of the right 3PL provider for the sustainable alliance is supremely important for broader perspective of greater business value. Thus, the main objective of this research work is the selection of most appropriate 3PL provider for a food manufacturing company (FMC) after systematic evaluation of six different feasible logistic providers serving over a decade in India. Selection of optimal alternative 3PL provider is very complex and challenging because of the qualitative description of service provider performances and the inherent uncertainty due to subjectivity. The concept of interval-valued fuzzy-rough number (IVFRN) offers perfect treatment of such uncertainty. In this paper, we develop a multi criteria decision making (MCDM) model combining the factor relationship (FARE) and multi-attributive border approximation area comparison (MABAC) models based on IVFRN. The proposed model is tested and validated on a case study where the optimal selection of 3PL providers is performed for an Indian FMC. Based on the results obtained in sensitivity analysis, it was shown that the proposed IVFRN based FARE-MABAC model produces stable/consistent solutions. Through the research presented in this paper, it is shown that the new hybrid MCDM method is a useful and reliable tool for rational decision-making. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bombax ceiba L. is wild, non-cultivated and has become one of the traditionally important trees in India. The present study investigates the qualitative and quantitative analysis of the major bioactive constituents of plant Bombax ceiba L. in some solvents (petroleum ether (P.E) chloroform (C.H), ethyl acetate (E.T) ethanol (E.L), and water (W.R)). Flower collected from haridwar region, Uttarakhand. Qualitative phytochemicals such as alkaloids, flavanoids, glycosides, carbohydrates, terpenoids, proteins and tannins were detected when examining the Flower Petals of Bombax ceiba L. Quantitative phytochemical i.e., alkaloids, glycosides saponins, flavonoids and tannin were found higher concentration in polar solvent ethanol extract. While extract of non polar solvent, petroleum ether has lower in concentration. The obtained data from Bombax ceiba L. (petals) confirmed its wide application for therapeutic purpose in alternative therapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cyanobacterial strains were isolated from different locations of Kerala, India and grown in BG 11 medium. Cultures were tested for their pesticide degradation capability by growing them in chlorpyrifos containing media. The strain showing better growth in chlorpyrifos containing medium, Coleofasciculus chthonoplastes was chosen for further studies. The supernatant of its culture was analysed for the degraded products of chlorpyrifos. Extracted fractions were spotted on thin-layer chromatography (TLC) plates along with the standard compounds. TLC of the supernatant showed additional bands. These were not caused by the inputs. Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) of the additional bands showed a difference in IR peak values which indicated the degradation of chlorpyrifos. Biodegradation products of the pesticide were identified by GC-MS and LC-MS analyses. A new compound 1,1,2,3,3 pentachloro propane, considered as derived from chlorpyrifos, was also found as a metabolite in the medium. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hereditary xerocytosis (HX), also known as dehydrated stomatocytosis (DHSt) is a dominantly inherited genetic disorder exhibiting red cell membrane dehydration caused by the loss of the monovalent cation K+ and water. Variants in mechanosensitive Piezo ionic channels of the PIEZO1 gene are the primary cause of HX. We have utilized high throughput and highly precise next-generation sequencing (NGS) to make a diagnosis and examine the genotype-phenotype relationship in inflexible HX cases. Seven unrelated patients with unexplained hemolytic anemia were scrutinized with a panel probing 8000 genes related to congenital anemia. Targeted next-generation sequencing identified 8 missense variants in the PIEZO1 gene in 7 unrelated Indian patients. Three of the 8 variants are novel (c.1795G > C, c.2915G > A, c.7372 T > C) and the remaining five (c.4082A > G, c.6829C > A, c.7374C > G, c.7381G > A, c.7483_7488dup) are previously reported. The variants have been validated by Sanger sequencing. One patient with autosomal dominant mutation (c.7372 T > C) is associated with iron refractory iron deficiency anemia. Of the 7 patients, one has HX in combination with a novel homozygous variant (c.994G > A) in the PKLR gene causing PK deficiency resulting in severe clinical manifestations with phenotypic variability. In silico prediction using bioinformatics tools were used to study the possible damaging effects of the novel variants. Structural-functional analysis of the novel variants was investigated by molecular modeling software (PyMOL and Swiss PDB). These results encompass the heterogeneous behavior of mechano-sensitive Piezo1 protein observed in HX patients in India. Moreover, NGS imparted a subtle, economical, and quick tool for understanding the genetic cause of undiagnosed cases of congenital hemolytic anemia. NGS grants a potential technology integrating clinical history together with molecular report profiting in such patients and their families. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Psilorhynchus nahlongthai, a new psilorhynchid fish, is described from the Diyung River, a tributary to the Kopili River (itself a southern tributary of the Brahmaputra drainage) in Assam, northeast India. It is placed in the Psilorhynchus balitora species group and can be easily distinguished from all other members of this group by a combination of the following characters: dense and prominent tuberculation on the head region; thick and long pre‐ and post‐epiphyseal fontanelles on the neurocranium; 9 + 8 caudal‐fin rays; and 34 (24 + 10) vertebrae. Genetic divergence between P. nahlongthai and members of the P. balitora species group from the Brahmaputra and neighbouring drainages, with K2P distances ranging 3.7%–14.7% and 7.4%–20.7% in the mitochondrial COI and cyt b gene datasets respectively, support its report as a new species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Internet technology has flourished in India keeping pace with other developing countries. In keeping pace with this advancement, the Internet of Things (IoT) technology is also spreading in India. Government of India (GOI) has realised IoT's business prospect and published draft policy on IoT in 2015. To achieve a better result, the prospective users are required to be kept aware regarding the prospect of IoT and for this, social media is expected to play a pivotal role. Social media can highlight advantages of IoT and in turn, these advantages would be made known to other potential users through Word of Month (WOM). This would bring in projection of a new business paradigm as contemplated by GOI. The purpose of this paper is to identify the factors affecting actual use of IoT by the potential users of India and to develop a conceptual model. The model has been verified through survey with inputs from 208 participants identified from three metropolitan cities of India. The responses have been quantified through 5-Point Likert scale. The result shows the implication that social media and WOM almost equally influence Indians to use IoT. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: The health impact of air pollution caused by firecrackers used during festival time is an area of great concern in Indian population. Trapping of pollutants due to burning of firecrackers during Diwali and Dusshera festivals promotes the formation of smog, which leads to raise in respirable suspended particulate matter (RSPM) and SPM values above the standard values. Aim: This study was designed to assess the air quality pre- and post-Diwali and Dusshera in North India and also to find out the exposure effect of poor air quality on the health of population as well as health risk assessment of the population. Materials and Methods: A total of 470 individuals of different age groups were interviewed during Dusshera festival (i.e., both pre- and post-Dusshera) in four chosen areas. Besides, 788 individuals of different age groups were interviewed during Diwali festival (i.e., both pre- and post-Diwali) in the same four areas. A total of 223 individuals also underwent pulmonary function testing (portable spirometry) on a random basis (fifty in each area, 3 days before and after Diwali). Results: The comparison of respiratory disease complaints pre- and post-Diwali showed that there was a significant increase in the complaints of cough post-Diwali among the participants of Kotla (6.7% vs. 28.9%). However, there was a significant decrease in cough and breathlessness post-Diwali in Parivesh Bhawan. The ambient air quality of three residential areas was within normal limits both pre- and post-Diwali with respect to sulfur dioxide and nitrogen dioxide, but there was an increase in the levels of PM10 and PM2.5 post-Diwali. Conclusion: The level of suspended particles in the air increases alarmingly which can be associated with eye, respiratory, and allergic problems. Crackers and fireworks were found to be the chief sources of air pollution during festivals in India. Even though the impact of Diwali is short term, the short-term exposure of these pollutants in the environment affects the standard values of air particulate and can cause health complications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The development of innovation capability (IC) is a central issue for both practitioners and academicians. However, studies that investigate the dimension of IC in the context of micro-enterprises are absent. Based on capability-based view, the purpose of this paper is to identify important dimensions to build a scale to measure IC in micro-enterprises. Design/methodology/approach: The study is based on focus group discussions for item generation and questionnaire survey on a sample of 379 micro-enterprises in India. The scale is developed with the help of exploratory factor analysis and confirmatory factor analysis. Statistical tests demonstrate that the scale presents composite reliability as well as discriminant and convergent validity. Findings: The findings show that four dimensions form IC in micro-enterprises: resources, networking, risk taking and involvement. Originality/value: This study develops a new scale, which is a measure of IC of micro-enterprises. The implications have been recommended, which focus upon entrepreneurs, academicians and policymakers interested in developing the IC of micro-enterprises in India. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Glucosamine dietary supplements are commonly used for the management of osteoarthritis (OA). However, clinical trials have reported varying outcomes with regard to joint function and disease progression. One of the possible reasons for variability in observed effects of glucosamine could be that, unlike prescription drugs, the quality of manufactured dietary supplements is not closely monitored in many countries. Therefore, there is the possibility that the actual amount of glucosamine present in a dietary supplement is different from that claimed on the label. The quality control of glucosamine supplements is further complicated by the unavailability of a simple and effective analytical method for the analysis of glucosamine. Therefore, the aim of this study was to develop a simple analytical method that could be easily adapted by the pharmaceutical industry for routine analysis of glucosamine. Aims: To develop a novel high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) method for the quantification of glucosamine, and determine the amount of glucosamine present in a sample of dietary supplements commercially available in Australia and India. Methods: Chromatographic separation of glucosamine was achieved using a zwitter-ionic hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography column with a mobile phase consisting of 60% acetonitrile and 40% of 85 mM ammonium acetate, at a flow rate of 0.3 mL/min and column temperature 40°C. The developed method was validated for intra- and inter-day linearity, accuracy, precision, and reproducibility. The newly-developed method was subsequently used to analyse 12 glucosamine supplements. Results: The developed method was selective for glucosamine, which had a retention time of 5.9 min. The standard curve was linear with a correlation coefficient (r2) exceeding 0.99, over the range of 10–200 μg/mL for glucosamine. The relative standard deviations for intra- and inter-day accuracy, precision and reproducibility were all less than 4%. The amount of glucosamine determined in six Australian and six Indian glucosamine supplements ranged between 98.7–101.7% and 85.9–101.8% of the labelled values, respectively. Discussion: Unlike previous HPLC methods, this newly-developed HPLC technique does not require pre-derivatisation and can separate glucosamine from both hydrochloride and sulphate salts, and from other amino sugars, such as chondroitin sulphate present in dietary supplements. This simple and effective technique can be employed by analytical laboratories for the quality control of glucosamine dietary supplements. Conclusion: The current study has developed a new analytical technique using HPLC-Corona CAD, which can analyse underivatised glucosamine hydrochloride and sulphate within 6 minutes. Using the novel assay, we confirmed that unlike the tested Australian dietary supplements, only half of the tested Indian products had a glucosamine content within ±10% of what was claimed on the label. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

DNA was extracted from sarcocysts (visible on naked eye examination) collected from 168 buffaloes belonging to Mumbai (60), Hyderabad (54) and Kolkata (54) cities of India. They were subjected to PCR assay using 18S rRNA gene primer. All the PCR amplicons of about 900 bp were subjected to restriction enzyme digestion with four different restriction enzymes (BslI, DraI, FokI and RsaI). PCR amplicons showed two different patterns (Pattern A and Pattern B) on RFLP. Twenty one PCR products from Pattern A and one PCR product from Pattern B were subjected to DNA sequencing. S. fusiformis and S. taeniata were identified from Pattern A and S. buffalonis was identified from Pattern B on sequencing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study describes the monitoring of some of the major classes of surfactants in water. The separation, identification, and the quantitative estimation of the compounds were achieved using LC-Q-ToF-MS. The analyses revealed the presence of variety of surfactants including linear alkylbenzene sulfonate (LAS), alcohol ethoxysulfates (AES), and alcohol ethoxylates (AE). Further, emphasis was given to AES as they are one of the most produced and consumed surfactants in the world. And as far as India is concerned, the present study is one of the most significant attempt regarding the identification and quantification of AES. The data obtained during the analysis revealed that the average concentration of AES C12Ex varied from 0.7 to 13.6 μg L−1 while that of C14Ex ranged between 1.3 and 10.4 μg L−1. The risk assessment revealed that higher chain AES are capable of posing medium level risk to the aquatic compartment. In addition, the study also included the physicochemical analysis of water from the selected area. Water was found to be acidic in nature and the salinity, TDS, and EC values were found to be high during the pre-monsoon season. The order of the levels of anionic constituents was of Cl−>SO42−SO42−>F−>NO32− ≅ PO42− while that of cations were Na+ > Mg2+ > K+ > Ca2+. Results of correlation analysis showed that statistically negative correlation exists between AES homologs and pH while slight positive correlations were found between AES and other parameters including TDS and EC. The suitability of this water for domestic and agricultural purposes has been examined on the ground of basic quality indices such as the water quality index (WQI) and sodium adsorption ratio (SAR). The WQI measurements also revealed that the water quality of the region falls under the “very poor” category especially during the pre-monsoon season. The study could explore the cumulative share of these canals in the quality impairment of the receiving Vembanad Lake. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The mineralogy and geochemical studies of the coal-mine shale collected from the Tirap opencast coal-mine (Makum coalfield, Northeast India) are reported in this paper. Thermo-chemical conversion (pyrolysis) of coal-mine shale has been studied to see its hydrocarbon potential. A combined approach using X-Ray diffraction (LTA-XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) equipped with an energy-dispersive X-ray spectrophotometer (EDS), X-ray fluorescence spectrometry (XRF), thermogravimetry-derivative and differential thermogravimetric (TG-DTG and DTA) analysis is made to obtain new information on the mineralogical and geochemical studies of a coal-mine shale (CMS) sample. Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis is performed to evaluate the quality of the liquid fraction (tar) obtained after pyrolysis at 600°C. The shale sample is dominated by quartz, clay minerals (kaolinite and illite), sulphate bearing phase like gypsum with minor proportion of anatase, probably as artifacts of the plasma-ashing process. GC-MS analysis illustrates the presence of highly oxygenated organic components (M.W. around 94-108) and high molecular weight (M.W. 256) cyclic sulphur (e.g. octathiocane with molecular formula S) compounds along with the complex N-containing organic sulphur compounds (M.W. around 255-486) in the tar produced. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Mineral Pitch (MP) is a dark brown coloured humic matter originating from high altitude rocks. It is an Ayurvedic medicinal food, commonly used by the people of the Himalayan regions of Nepal and India for various body ailments. Methods: The Huh-7 cells were treated with different concentrations of MP for 24 h, and both apoptosis and proliferation was determined by the TUNEL and MTT assays respectively. The formation of ROS and nitric oxide was analysed by DCFH-DA and Griess reagent respectively. The expression of miRNA-21 and miRNA-22 were checked by the real time PCR. Effect of miRNA-22 on proliferation and c-myc was studied by over-expressing miRNA-22 premiRs in Huh-7 cells. Results: We found that MP enhanced anti-cancer effects by inducing apoptosis and inhibiting proliferation. MP induced both ROS and NO, upon neutralizing them, there was a partial recovery of apoptosis and proliferation. MP also induced miRNA-22 expression, while miRNA-21 expression was inhibited. Over-expression of miRNA-22 resulted in a significant inhibition of proliferation. miRNA-22 directly targeted c-myc gene, thereby inhibited proliferation. These results clearly show that MP induces its anti-cancer activity by more than one pathway. Conclusion: The data clearly indicate that MP induced apoptosis via the production of ROS, and inhibited proliferation by inducing miRNA-22 and inhibiting miRNA-21 in Huh-7 cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To evaluate cataract surgery visual outcomes and associated risk factors in rural secondary level eye care centers of L V Prasad Eye Institute (LVPEI), India. Methods: The Eye Health pyramid of LVPEI has a network of rural secondary care centres (SCs) and attached vision centres (VCs) that provide high quality comprehensive eye care with permanent infrastructure to the most disadvantaged sections of society. The most common procedure performed at SCs is cataract surgery. We audited the outcome of a random sample of 2,049 cataract surgeries done from October 2009-March 2010 at eight rural SCs. All patients received a comprehensive ophthalmic examination, both before and after surgery. The World Health Organization recommended cataract surgical record was used for data entry. Visual outcomes were measured at discharge, 1–3 weeks and 4–11 weeks follow up visits. Poor outcome was defined as best corrected visual acuity <6/18. Results: Mean age was 61.8 years (SD: 8.9 years) and 1,133 (55.3%) surgeries were performed on female patients. Pre-existing ocular co-morbidity was present in 165 patients (8.1%). The most common procedure was small incision cataract surgery (SICS) with intraocular lens (IOL) implantation (91.8%). Intraoperative complications were seen in 29 eyes (1.4%). At the 4–11 weeks follow-up visit, based on presenting visual acuity (PVA), 61.8% had a good outcome and based on best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA), 91.7% had a good outcome. Based on PVA and BCVA, those with less than 6/60 were only 2.9% and 1.6% respectively. Using multivariable analysis, poor visual outcomes were significantly higher in patients aged ≥70 (OR 4.63; 95% CI 1.61, 13.30), in females (OR 1.58; 95% CI 1.04, 2.41), those with preoperative comorbidities (odds ratio 4.68; 95% CI 2.90, 7.57), with intraoperative complications (OR 8.01; 95% CI 2.91, 22.04), eyes that underwent no IOL or anterior chamber-IOL (OR 12.63; 95% CI 2.65, 60.25) and those undergoing extracapsular cataract extraction (OR 9.39; 95% CI 1.18, 74.78). Conclusions: This study demonstrates that quality cataract surgeries can be achieved at rural SCs. The concept of the LVPEI SCs can be applied to other developing countries, allowing rural patients to attain better vision through cataract surgery. Despite improvements in quality of cataract surgery, gender discrimination in terms of outcome continues to be an issue and needs further investigation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lead (Pb), a toxic heavy metal, is capable of inducing several adverse health effects following its accumulation in the body. Lead is a potential carcinogen, capable of causing multisystem alterations. Recent reports identify small regulatory RNA molecules-miRNAs-which show differential expression in individuals exposed to similar levels of lead. These miRNAs can become potential molecular biomarkers of lead toxicity in the future and may unravel the possible molecular pathways through which this metal may exert its toxic manifestations. The present study aimed to assess the circulating levels of miRNA-20b, 221, and 155 in occupationally lead-exposed workers and correlate them with blood lead levels. One hundred ten participants working in various factories of Jodhpur and 97 participants not occupationally exposed to lead were recruited after obtaining due informed consent. Blood lead level (BLL) was estimated by graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrophotometry (GF-AAS). Circulating miRNAs were isolated from serum by Qiagen miRNA isolation kit and converted to cDNA by commercial kit. Expression profiles of miR-20b, miR-221, and miR-155 were performed in RT-PCR using Qiagen miRNA PCR assays. The blood lead level (mean ± SD) of occupationally lead-exposed subjects was 6.94 ± 11.96 μg/dL while that of non-exposed was 2.39 ± 4.66 μg/dL. Out of the three miRNAs, miR-155 and miR-221 were significantly upregulated, while miR-20b did not show significant difference among study groups. The fold change of miR-20b, miR-221 and miR-155 expression were 1.08, 2.71 and 2.07 respectively. Functional analysis revealed that these miRNAs have the potential to trigger various genes and cellular pathways. The findings of our study highlight the importance of miRNA dysregulation in lead-exposed individuals that may contribute to the systemic effects of lead toxicity.

Background: S. sylvestre Wright is an extremely rare plant, found only in the sub-Himalayan Terai region of West Bengal and neighboring Sikkim foot-hills. The plant has never been evaluated for any pharmaceutical properties. The phytochemical status of the plant is still unknown. Therefore, the aim of the study was to explore the antioxidant and free radical scavenging activities and analysis of bioactive compounds present in S. sylvestre. Methods: S. sylvestre methanolic extract (SSME) was evaluated for different free radical scavenging activities such as hydroxyl radical, nitric oxide, singlet oxygen, hypochlorous acid, peroxynitrite, superoxide radical and hydrogen peroxide scavenging etc. Iron chelating capacity and inhibition of lipid peroxidation were studied in addition to the assessment of haemolytic activity and erythrocyte membrane stabilizing activity (EMSA). Chemical characterization of SSME were performed by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Results: The results indicate that SSME possess potent antioxidant activity with IC50 value of 113.06 ± 5.67 µg/ml, 63.93 ±4.16 µg/ml and 142.14 ± 6.13 µg/ml for hydroxyl radical, superoxide radical and hypochlorous acid, respectively. HPLC analysis revealed presence of different phenolic secondary metabolites such as gallic acid, ferulic acid, p-coumaric acid, syringic acid, myricetin, quercetin etc. GC-MS analysis displayed the predominance of γ-sitosterol, vitamin E and squalene in SSME. Conclusion: The present study provides a convincing evidence that S. sylvestre not only possess potent antioxidant activity but also can be used as a source of natural bioactive phytochemicals in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]