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Abstract The aim of this study is to examine the extreme return spillovers among the US stock market sectors in the light of the COVID-19 outbreak. To this end, we extend the now-traditional Diebold-Yilmaz spillover index to the quantiles domain by building networks of generalized forecast error variance decomposition of a quantile vector autoregressive model specifically for extreme returns. Notably, we control for common movements by using the overall stock market index as a common factor for all sectors and uncover the effect of the COVID-19 outbreak on the dynamics of the network. The results show that the network structure and spillovers differ considerably with respect to the market state. During stable times, the network shows a nice sectoral clustering structure which, however, changes dramatically for both adverse and beneficial market conditions constituting a highly connected network structure. The pandemic period itself shows an interesting restructuring of the network as the dominant clusters become more tightly connected while the rest of the network remains well separated. The sectoral topology thus has not collapsed into a unified market during the pandemic.

This study aimed to investigate the physiochemical properties, techno-functional attributes, and proteolytic impacts of incorporating different hydrocolloids as fat substitutes in low-fat cheddar cheese. The effects of hydrocolloids (gums) and dietary fiber, both individually and in combination, were studied for the production of low-fat cheddar cheese with the same textural and functional attributes as full-fat cheese. Physicochemical, techno-functional attributes, organic acid, and proteolysis analyses were performed at 0 and 90-day storage intervals. The results of different combinations were compared with positive (4% fat) and negative (2% fat) controls, and it was observed that using fat replacers improved the textural and functional properties of low-fat cheddar cheese. A significant difference was observed in the meltability and flowability of low-fat cheese samples with different analytes. The proteolysis pattern in low-fat cheese also differed from that of its full-fat counterpart. Three treatments were considered the best: T2 (guar gum at 0.45%), T6 (guar gum, inulin, and resistant starch at 33%), and T7 (all analytes at equal concentrations). The findings revealed that hydrocolloids notably improved the texture, meltability, and sensory characteristics of low-fat cheddar cheese. Additionally, SEM images revealed that the microstructure variations can be attributed to changes in the hydrocolloids water retention and fat content. The Pearson correlation coefficient revealed relationships between different functional properties, contributing to understanding how hydrocolloids as fat replacers impact the overall quality of low-fat cheddar cheese. This study offers useful information for the dairy sector to manufacture low-fat cheeses that have enhanced customer acceptance and provide nutritional advantages. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: This present research was designed to investigate the antiinflammatory and immune-modulatory effects of a 50% hydroethanolic extract of "Gola" guava fruit (GF50%) and guava leaf (GL50%) against papain-induced knee osteoarthritis (KOA). Methods: Sixty Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into five groups (10 rats/group): T0 (negative control), T1 (positive control), T2 (200 mg/kg GF50%), T3 (400 mg/kg GF50%), T4 (200 mg/kg GL50%), and T5 (400 mg/kg GL50%). Physical parameters were evaluated throughout the trial, while biochemical, histopathological, and radiographic analyses were performed at 0, 15, and 30 days. The histopathological and radiographic analyses were evaluated using the Osteoarthritis Research Society International (OARSI) score and Kellgren-Lawrence (KL) classification systems, respectively. Results and discussion: The T1 group demonstrated a significant increase in knee diameter, confirming successful OA induction. The T5 group maintained a significantly lower body weight at day 30, and the T3 group exhibited the highest weight gain. The high dose of GL50% (400 mg/kg) effectively reduced knee inflammation and significantly downregulated myeloperoxidase (MPO), interleukin-1β (IL-1β), interleukin-6 (IL-6), and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α). In contrast, it significantly (p < 0.001) upregulated the serum and knee capsule tissue superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), and glutathione peroxidase (GPx). In addition, histopathological and X-ray examinations also confirmed the chondroprotective potential of GL50% extract against OA. Consequently, 400 mg/kg GL50% exhibited anti-inflammatory and chondroprotective potential by lowering oxidative stress and pro-inflammatory cytokines and elevating antioxidant status. These findings could provide a theoretical basis for understanding the mechanism and potential medicinal value of guava fruit and leaf in treating KOA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Most of the applied research on BiFeO3 (BFO) focuses on magnetoelectric and spintronic applications. This calls for a detailed grasp of multiferroic and conduction properties. BFO thin films with (100) epitaxial growth has been deposited on a LaNiO3 (LNO) buffered Pt/Ti/SiO2/Si(100) substrate using RF magnetron sputtering. The film formed at 15 mTorr, 570 °C, and with Ar/O2 4:1 had a reasonably high degree of (100)-preferential orientation, the least surface roughness, and a densely packed structure. We obtained ferroelectric loops with strong polarization (150 μ C cm−2). The leakage current density is as low as 10–2 A cm−2 at 100 kV cm−1, implying that space-charge-limited bulk conduction (SCLC) was the primary conduction channel for carriers within BFO films. Local electrical conduction behavior demonstrates that at lower voltages, the grain boundary dominates electrical conduction and is linked to the displacement of oxygen vacancies in the grain boundary under external electric fields. We hope that a deeper understanding of the conduction mechanism will help integrate BFO into viable technologies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract The aim of this study is to examine the daily return spillover among 18 cryptocurrencies under low and high volatility regimes, while considering three pricing factors and the effect of the COVID-19 outbreak. To do so, we apply a Markov regime-switching (MS) vector autoregressive with exogenous variables (VARX) model to a daily dataset from 25-July-2016 to 1-April-2020. The results indicate various patterns of spillover in high and low volatility regimes, especially during the COVID-19 outbreak. The total spillover index varies with time and abruptly intensifies following the outbreak of COVID-19, especially in the high volatility regime. Notably, the network analysis reveals further evidence of much higher spillovers in the high volatility regime during the COVID-19 outbreak, which is consistent with the notion of contagion during stress periods.

Foaling is a process of giving birth to foal which is prompt and forceful event in equine breeding. Dystocia is declared when 2nd stage of parturition exceeds from 20 min without fetal movements in mare. Dystocia is very challenging situation for both mare and veterinarian. Survivability of mare and foal, and subsequent fertility of mare depends on efficient management. Therefore, the current report described a rare case of wry neck (torticollis or unilateral bent neck) resulted in dystocia, that was efficiently resolved by partial fetotomy and repulsion technique in mare under field conditions. Intensive post operative care was performed to avoid infection and to achieve fertility subsequently.

Abstract This study explores the dynamic effects of different oil shocks on real exchange rates in net oil importers and exporters. Specifically, the connectedness measures are combined with the structural vector autoregressive model. The findings show that oil supply shocks have a larger depreciating influence on exchange rates in oil exporters than in importers. All countries are generally more sensitive to oil-specific demand shocks, and this sensitivity can lead to a significant appreciation in real exchange rates, except in Japan and the United Kingdom. Further, the spillover effect between oil shocks and exchange rates has strengthened after the global financial crisis of 2007–08. Our findings provide useful implications for the policy-makers and market risk managers to effectively avoid exchange rate risk induced by oil shocks.

Our work examines the relationship between socially responsible funds and the traditional energy market over daily returns data ranging from December 2015 to April 2019. We apply quantile cross-spectral analysis to measure returns correlation under different market conditions in the short, medium, and long run to measure the connectedness between both markets. Our results highlight that correlation based on different quantile distributions yields different investment opportunities. In the short run, investors can benefit from diversifying assets under extreme market conditions. No significant diversification opportunities are available in the medium- and long-run periods. Our findings provide implications for individual investors making investments under different horizons and dynamic market conditions.

In this study, the synthesis of silver–cobalt ferrite (Ag–CFO) was achieved through a novel approach using Taxus wallichiana leaf extract as a potent reducing agent. By strategically varying the concentrations of silver and cobalt ferrite, Ag–CFO nanocomposites with different ratios were successfully synthesized. Various analytical techniques were used to characterize the adsorbents. XRD confirmed the structure and crystallite sizes were found in the range 40 to 48 nm. The purity of the synthesized material was affirmed through energy-dispersive X-ray (EDX) analysis. The impact of pH, concentration, and temperatures on the adsorption of Pb+2 ions from aqueous solutions were performed. The maximum adsorption capacity and binding strength of Pb+2 ions were evaluated by employing different models such as Freundlich, Langmuir, and Temkin. For selectivity, various solutions of divalent metal cations like Zn2+, Ni2+, Cd2+, and Pb2+ in the concentration range 5–100 mg/L were used. Delving into the thermodynamics process, the study identified the nature of adsorption as primarily physical. The desorption study was undertaken in the presence of 2-M H2SO4 and 2MNaOH. This study, therefore, provided a successful path to use Ag–CFO NCs as a potential adsorbent for environmental remediation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fruit juices are popular beverages that provide various health benefits due to their rich nutritional profile, but they are prone to microbial spoilage and quality deterioration. Thermal pasteurization is the conventional method to preserve fruit juices, but it causes undesirable changes in the physicochemical and nutritional value of the juices. Therefore, there is a need to develop alternative methods to ensure the microbial safety and quality of fruit juices. The aim of this study was to investigate the impact of thermal (95-100°C for 4 min), ultrasonication (US) (25 kHz for 5 and 10 min), and thermosonication (TS) (25 kHz at 40 and 50°C) processes on the quality profile of watermelon-beetroot juice blend, a novel juice formulation with enhanced nutritional and functional properties with 50 : 50 formulation. The samples were analysed for physicochemical (colour, pH, total soluble solids, and titratable acidity), bioactive (phenolic, flavonoid, antioxidant, and ascorbic acid contents), and microbiological (total plate count and yeast/molds) properties. The results showed that all the processed samples retained high total phenolic (756.33-842.33 μg GAE/g), total flavonoid (435.33-512.67 μg CE/g), and ascorbic acid (45.23-50.34 mg/100 mL) contents along with a high antioxidant potential (total antioxidant capacity (274.14-305.33 μg AAE/g) and DPPH radical scavenging activity (33.05-42.18%)) while preserving the normal physicochemical characteristics and decreasing the microbial counts of all the processed blend juices. In conclusion, the US treatment (10 min) produced the juice blends with the best quality. The findings of this research suggest that thermal, US, and TS processes are promising technologies for the preservation of fruit juices and that watermelon-beetroot juice blend is a novel juice formulation with high nutritional and functional value. The results of this research might be useful to the processed fruit juice industry and the consumers who are looking for healthy and safe fruit juices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study explores how carbon emissions are affected by financial inclusion. Using a balanced panel data set of 26 Asian countries, we compute a composite index, through the principal component analysis (PCA) technique, of financial inclusion based on a set of attributes related to financial inclusion. Our main analysis also delineates the subsamples of developed and developing Asian economies. The results reveal a long (short)-run positive (negative) impact of financial inclusion on carbon emissions across the Asian countries. This finding is also true for the developed country subsample, implying nonlinearity in short- and long-run relationships. For the developing countries, a more pronounced long-run positive impact compared to developed countries is found. Furthermore, the pairwise causality test results indicate the existence of bi-directional causality between financial inclusion and carbon emissions. These findings have important policy implications, especially in the context of the strategic integration of financial inclusion and climate change strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]