Search

The present study was carried out to evaluate the effect of three variables viz: naringinase, florisil and thermosonication on limonin and naringin content of kinnow juice. Box-Behenken design was used for design of experiment. Total 17 experiments were suggested by Design expert trial version (13.0) software, out of these 17 experiments there were 5 center point experiments. Each variable was varied at (-1), (0) and (+1) levels. Florisil and naringinase content was varied from 20g/L to 40g/L and 0.6mL/100mL to 1.0 mL/100mL while thermosonication of juice samples was performed from low (20KHz) to high frequency (40 KHz) at 30°C for 20 minutes in a portable thermosonicator machine. For each experiment 200mL kinnow juice was taken in 500mL glass beaker. Initially florisil treatment was given (2 minutes stirring followed by 2 minutes rest to ensure sedimentation of adsorbent). In the next step thermosonication (Power sonic 410) of juice sample was carried out for 20 minutes at 30°C at different frequencies by transferring the juice in falcon tube (45 mL) and for each sample 03 tubes were taken. In the end naringinase treatment was given by transferring the calculated amount of enzyme in juice sample (50 mL) and incubating it for 12 hours at room temperature. Limonin and naringin content of treated samples, fresh juice and different parts of kinnow fruits were estimated, there values were as follows: fresh juice (7.8 ppm and 212.0 ppm), peel (46.0 ppm and 13121.0 ppm), pomace (190.0 ppm and 150.0 ppm) and albedo (negligible and 3928.0 ppm). Reduction in limonin and naringin content was found varying from 45.6 to 51.2% and 33.3 to 40.9%, respectively. The least deviation in actual values (limonin - 43.8% reduction and naringin - 40.0 % reduction) of response against predicted values (limonin - 45.64% reduction and naringin - 40.3 % reduction) was found in condition at naringinase (1.0 mL/100 mL), florisil (20 g/L) and thermosonication treatment (37.21 KHz). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective  Gastric foreign bodies are a common problem brought to an endoscopist. Prisoners are more prone to ingesting unusual foreign bodies for a secondary gain. The objective of this study was to study the profile of foreign body ingestion among the prisoners brought to a tertiary care center. Methods  This is a retrospective case series. All the prisoners brought for endoscopic removal of foreign bodies between January 2018 to December 2019 were included in the analysis. Patients' baseline characteristics, type of foreign body, management, and outcome were noted Results  A total of eight inmates presented with ingestion of foreign body to our department. Most common foreign bodies ingested were drug packets and mobile phones. All ingestions were for secondary gain. Endoscopic removal was successful in all cases. Conclusion  Endoscopic removal can be tried with all necessary precautions by an expert endoscopist. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Antibiotics are commonly used as antibacterial medications due to their extensive and potent therapeutic properties. However, the overconsumption of these chemicals leads to their accumulation in the human body via the food chain, amplifying drug resistance and compromising immunity, thus presenting a significant hazard to human health. Antibiotics are classified as organic pollutants. Therefore, it is crucial to conduct research on precise methodologies for detecting antibiotics in many substances, including food, pharmaceutical waste, and biological samples like serum and urine. The methodology described in this research paper introduces an innovative technique for producing nanoparticles using silica as the shell material, iron oxide as the core material, and carbon as the shell dopant. By integrating a carbon-doped silica shell, this substance acquires exceptional fluorescence characteristics and a substantial quantum yield value of 80%. By capitalising on this characteristic of the substance, we have effectively constructed a fluorescent sensor that enables accurate ofloxacin analysis, with a detection limit of 1.3 × 10-6 M and a linear range of concentrations from 0 to 120 × 10-6 M. We also evaluated the potential of CSIONPs for OLF detection in blood serum and tap water analysis. The obtained relative standard deviation values were below 3.5%. The percentage of ofloxacin recovery from blood serum ranged from 95.52% to 103.28%, and from 89.9% to 96.0% from tap water. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose of the study: This study aimed to reach a consensus for ideal surgical treatment of discoid lateral meniscus (DLM) and to evaluate its long term surgical and radiological outcome. Methods: All authors independently searched for peer reviewed publications with keywords like discoid lateral meniscus, tibial menisci abnormalities, tibial menisci surgery and clinical outcome and their representative Medical Subjects Headings (MeSH) in databases of PubMed, EBSCO, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, from inception to December 2022. Original articles in English language on discoid lateral meniscus reporting clinical, surgical, or radiological outcomes with five or more years of follow-up were included in this systematic review. Study details and outcome data were analysed according to the age, follow-up period, kind of surgery, DLM type, and alignment. Results: Our search strategy yielded 654 articles in PubMed, 222 articles in EBSCO and 5 articles in CENTRAL i.e. a total of 881 articles. After detailed assessment and screening, 12 articles were included in the final analysis, which included 444 DLM cases. The mean patient age at surgery ranged from 9.9 to 35.9 years, and the mean follow-up period ranged from 5.2 to 16 years. Partial meniscectomy and meniscoplasty are the recommended treatment because of the concerns of degenerative arthritis development after the total and subtotal meniscectomies. Two studies have documented better results with meniscal allograft transplantation. Conclusion: Satisfactory clinico-radiological outcome can be obtained after surgical treatment of discoid lateral meniscus with meniscus reshaping and repair of peripheral unstable part. Meniscal allograft transplantation (MAT) is gaining popularity in patients with total meniscectomy with satisfactory long term functional outcome. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present updated, evidence-based clinical practice guidelines from the Indian Society of Pediatric Nephrology (ISPN) for the management of urinary tract infection (UTI) and primary vesicoureteric reflux (VUR) in children. These guidelines conform to international standards; Institute of Medicine and AGREE checklists were used to ensure transparency, rigor, and thoroughness in the guideline development. In view of the robust methodology, these guidelines are applicable globally for the management of UTI and VUR. Seventeen recommendations and 18 clinical practice points have been formulated. Some of the key recommendations and practice points are as follows. Urine culture with > 104 colony forming units/mL is considered significant for the diagnosis of UTI in an infant if the clinical suspicion is strong. Urine leukocyte esterase and nitrite can be used as an alternative screening test to urine microscopy in a child with suspected UTI. Acute pyelonephritis can be treated with oral antibiotics in a non-toxic infant for 7–10 days. An acute-phase DMSA scan is not recommended in the evaluation of UTI. Micturating cystourethrography (MCU) is indicated in children with recurrent UTI, abnormal kidney ultrasound, and in patients below 2 years of age with non-E. coli UTI. Dimercaptosuccinic acid scan (DMSA scan) is indicated only in children with recurrent UTI and high-grade (3–5) VUR. Antibiotic prophylaxis is not indicated in children with a normal urinary tract after UTI. Prophylaxis is recommended to prevent UTI in children with bladder bowel dysfunction (BBD) and those with high-grade VUR. In children with VUR, prophylaxis should be stopped if the child is toilet trained, free of BBD, and has not had a UTI in the last 1 year. Surgical intervention in high-grade VUR can be considered for parental preference over antibiotic prophylaxis or in children developing recurrent breakthrough febrile UTIs on antibiotic prophylaxis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The F-box proteins in fungi perform diverse functions including regulation of cell cycle, circadian clock, development, signal transduction and nutrient sensing. Genome-wide analysis revealed 10 F-box genes in Puccinia triticina, the causal organism for the leaf rust disease in wheat and were characterized using in silico approaches for revealing phylogenetic relationships, gene structures, gene ontology, protein properties, sequence analysis and gene expression studies. Domain analysis predicted functional domains like WD40 and LRR at C-terminus along with the obvious presence of F-box motif in N-terminus. MSA showed amino acid replacements, which might be due to nucleotide substitution during replication. Phylogenetic analysis revealed the F-box proteins with similar domains to be clustered together while some sequences were spread out in different clades, which might be due to functional diversity. The clustering of Puccinia triticina GG705409 with Triticum aestivum TaAFB4/TaAFB5 in a single clade suggested the possibilities of horizontal gene transfer during the coevolution of P. triticina and wheat. Gene ontological annotation categorized them into three classes and were functionally involved in protein degradation through the protein ubiquitination pathway. Protein–protein interaction network revealed F-box proteins to interact with other components of the SCF complex involved in protein ubiquitination. Relative expression analysis of five F-box genes in a time course experiment denoted their involvement in leaf rust susceptible wheat plants. This study provides information on structure elucidation of F-box proteins of a basidiomycetes plant pathogenic fungi and their role during pathogenesis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is a growing need for recommender systems and other ML-based systems as an abundance of data is now available across all industries. Various industries are currently using recommender systems in slightly different ways. These programs utilize algorithms to propose appropriate products to consumers based on their prior choices and interactions. Moreover, Systems for recommending events to users suggest pertinent happenings that they might find interesting. As opposed to an object recommender that suggests books or movies; event-based recommender systems typically require distinct algorithms. A developed event recommendation method is introduced which includes two stages: feature extraction and recommendation. In stage, I, a Set of features like personal willingness, community willingness, informative content, edge weight, and node interest degree are extracted. Stage II of the event recommendation system performs a hybrid classification by combining LSTM and CNN. In the LSTM classifier, optimal tuning is done by Improvised Cat and Mouse optimization (ICMO) algorithm. The results of the ICMO technique at an 80% training percentage have the maximum sensitivity value of 95.19%, whereas those of the existing approaches SSA, DINGO, BOA, and CMBO have values of 93.89%, 93.35%, 92.36%, and 92.24%. Finally, the best result is then determined by evaluating the whole performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The valence and conduction band offsets of Zn1-xCd1-xO/ZnO hetero-junctions deposited by pulsed laser deposition technique were estimated by X-ray photoelectron, valence band, and UV-visible spectroscopy. Type-II band alignment (staggered gap) with ratios of conduction band to valence band offsets (ΔEC/ΔEV) was found to be 0.77 and 0.59 for Zn0.95Cd0.05O/ZnO and Zn0.90Cd0.10O/ZnO hetero-structures, respectively, which can be used in longer wavelength regime optoelectronic devices. The higher value of valence band offset as compared to conduction band offset suggests that the transport at interface is mainly due to electrons. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Here, we present the low temperature magnetic behaviour of epitaxial La0.7Ca0.3Mn0.85Al0.15O3 (LCMAO) thin film through a series of DC magnetic measurements. Overall behaviour inferred from the magnetization measurements indicate that the magnetic phases created due to Al doping induced inhomogeneous distribution of Mn3+ and Mn4+ ions and oxygen vacancies present in the system act like superspins, and the strong interaction among themselves results in the superspin glassy behaviour. Interactions among the superspins are marked by the aging and zero filed memory effects. The glassy magnetic phase in LCMAO is found to follow the hierarchical model of spin glasses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Population of world and industrialization are increasing rapidly due to which the amount of fresh water is decreasing. There is a need to promote a novel costeffective technique to purify the contaminated water. Nanotechnology provides extraordinary nanomaterials with unique properties which can be used to purify the water. In this article the use of polymeric hybrid membranes is discussed. A novel high flux filtration hybrid membrane system, consisting of a three-layer composite with hierarchical structures, i.e. highly porous hydrophilic material coated top layer, an electrospun nanofibrous barrier layer in the middle; for support the bottom layer is made of nonwoven fibrous web to provide high tensile strength up to 40 MPa, more durability and high retention ratio. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

LiNbO3 ceramic was fabricated using solid‐state reaction route. Silver nanoparticles (NPs) were loaded on LiNbO3 at room temperature using silver nitrate and polyethylene glycol reagents, without the use of external heat and light energy. The X‐ray diffraction showed only LiNbO3 phase in Ag‐loaded LiNbO3 sample with no peak related to Ag metal due to small fraction of Ag loading. X‐ray energy diffraction spectroscopy elemental color mapping confirmed the uniform loading of Ag metal on LiNbO3 particles. Ag metal was loaded in the form of NPs as visualized under transmission electron microscope. Ag NPs‐loaded LiNbO3 showed enhanced absorption of visible light owing to the phenomenon of surface plasmon resonance (SPR). The loading of Ag NPs had no effect on the band gap energy of LiNbO3 ceramic. X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy technique confirmed the metallic chemical state of Ag in Ag NPs‐loaded LiNbO3. Ag NPs‐loaded LiNbO3 degraded ∼97% rhodamine‐B model dye from the solution when irradiated for 240 minutes under visible light. The dye degradation follows pseudo‐first‐order kinetic having k‐value (kinetic rate constant) of as 0.013 min−1. The •OH (hydroxyl) and O2‐• (superoxide) radicals were the main active species behind the photocatalytic activity of Ag NPs‐loaded LiNbO3. Thus, Ag NPs‐loaded LiNbO3 could be a potential material for degrading organic dyes from water. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, the multiferroic ceramics Bi 0.80 La 0.10 Ca 0.10 Fe 1-x Mn x O 3 (0.0 ≤x ≤ 0.12) are synthesized via conventional solid-state reaction route and their structural, Raman spectroscopy and magnetic properties are explored. Rietveld analysis carried out for all samples, revealed that the system exhibits c oe xistence of mainly two crystalline phases with symmetries R3c and Pbnm throughout the whole composition range. The presence of two structural phases is further supported by Raman spectroscopy analysis. The magnetic parameters, that is, magnetization, remanency, coercivity and squareness ratio are found to be enhanced by the Mn incorporation into Bi 0.80 La 0.10 Ca 0.10 FeO 3. This is basically due to the structural modification, breaking of the incommensurate spin structure and inter-grain magnetostatic interaction in the Bi 0.80 La 0.10 Ca 0.10 Fe 1-x Mn x O 3 ceramic samples. The exchange bias effect (~734 Oe) is observed for the Mn doped sample only with 6 at. %. Such high value may be extremely useful for technological applications including magnetoresistive read heads and sensors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Potential alternative fuels that can mitigate environmental pollution from gas turbine engines (due to steep growth in the aviation sector globally) are getting significant attention. Spray behavior plays a significant role in influencing the combustion performance of such alternative fuels. In the present study, spray characteristics of Kerosene-based fuel (Jet A-1) and alternative aviation fuels such as butyl butyrate, butanol, and their blends with Jet A-1 are investigated using an air-blast atomizer under different atomizing air-to-fuel ratios. Phase Doppler Interferometry has been employed to obtain the droplet size and velocity distribution of various fuels. A high-speed shadowgraphy technique has also been adopted to make a comparison of ligament breakup characteristics and droplet formation of these alternative biofuels with that of Jet A-1. An effort is made to understand how the variation in fuel properties (mainly viscosity) influences atomization. Due to the higher viscosity of butanol, the SMD is higher, and the droplet formation seems to be delayed compared to Jet A-1. In contrast, the lower viscosity of butyl butyrate promotes faster droplet formation. The effects of the blending of these biofuels with Jet A-1 on atomization characteristics are also compared with that of Jet A-1. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Significant research in reservoir computing over the past two decades has revived interest in recurrent neural networks. Owing to its ingrained capability of performing high-speed and low-cost computations this has become a panacea for multi-variate complex systems having non-linearity within their relationships. Modelling economic and financial trends has always been a challenging task owing to their volatile nature and no linear dependence on associated influencers. Prior studies aimed at effectively forecasting such financial systems, but, always left a visible room for optimization in terms of cost, speed and modelling complexities. Our work employs a reservoir computing approach complying to echo-state network principles, along with varying strengths of time-delayed feedback to model a complex financial system. The derived model is demonstrated to act robustly towards influence of trends and other fluctuating parameters by effectively forecasting long-term system behavior. Moreover, it also re-generates the financial system unknowns with a high degree of accuracy when only limited future data is available, thereby, becoming a reliable feeder for any long-term decision making or policy formulations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Mitochondrial dysfunction is central to sepsis-induced multi-organ dysfunction. Thiamine deficiency may contribute to mitochondrial dysfunction and thus high mortality. Study was planned to assess thiamine status in children with septic shock in comparison to healthy controls from a developing country and to study the effect of thiamine levels on its outcome.Methods: A prospective case-control study (April 2017 to May 2018) enrolling consecutive children with septic shock as 'cases' (n = 76), their healthy siblings (n = 51) and apparently healthy children from immunization clinic (n = 35) as 'controls'. Whole blood total thiamine (WBTT) level was measured on days 1, 10 and 1-month post-discharge. Outcome parameters were acute care area free days on days 14 and 28, and mortality.Results: WBTT [nMol/l; median (interquartile range, IQR)] was significantly lower on day 1 in cases compared with sibling controls [23.1 (21.8-26.3) vs. 36.9 (33.6-40.5); p < 0.001]. It fell further on day 10 [20.8 (18.1-21.1); p < 0.02]. Levels rose significantly 1-month post-discharge [35.5 (31.2-36.6)] and became comparable to sibling controls (p = 0.4). Immunization clinic controls also had lower WBTT [42.3 (40.1-45.9)], but was significantly higher than sibling controls and cases at 1-month post-discharge (p < 0.001). Survivors and non-survivors of septic shock were similar. WBTT levels did not correlate with any of the severity indicators of septic shock or its outcomes.Conclusions: WBTT was significantly low in all children, and fell further during septic shock. Observed severe deficiency might have precluded any further association of thiamine levels with severity of septic shock and its outcome. Data obtained may inform trials on metabolic resuscitation in paediatric septic shock in developing countries. Lay summaryThiamine deficiency may contribute to high mortality in paediatric septic shock as thiamine is an essential factor for functioning of mitochondria, the powerhouse of the cells. This prospective case-control study was conducted to assess thiamine status in children with septic shock in comparison with healthy controls in a developing country. Consecutive children with fluid-refractory septic shock were enrolled as 'cases'. Their apparently healthy siblings, and apparently healthy children from immunization clinic, were enrolled as 'controls'. The whole blood total thiamine (WBTT) level was measured on days 1, 10 and 1 month after hospital discharge. Seventy-six children were enrolled as cases, 51 children as sibling controls and 35 children as immunization clinic controls. WBTT was significantly lower on day 1 in cases as compared with their sibling controls. It fell further on day 10. The level rose significantly after a month of discharge and became comparable to sibling controls. Immunization clinic controls also had lower WBTT but was significantly higher compared with sibling controls and cases at 1-month post-discharge. Survivors and non-survivors of septic shock had similar WBTT levels. Observed severe deficiency might have precluded any further association of thiamine levels with septic shock outcome. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Theory is developed for the electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) of the diffusion-limited adsorption process coupled with reversible charge transfer at rough electrodes under the influence of ubiquitous uncompensated solution resistance. This study quantitatively relates the impedance response of rough electrode to its phenomenological components, viz., diffusion limited adsorption, reversible charge transfer and uncompensated solution resistance. The random roughness of electrode is expressed by the surface statistical property, i.e., power spectrum of roughness. The fractal nature of roughness is characterized in terms of fractal dimension, lower cut-off length and topothesy length. The high-frequency regime is controlled by the uncompensated solution resistance whereas the low-frequency regime is governed by the adsorption process. The magnitude of impedance as well as phase decreases with rise in adsorption isotherm (length) parameter. The intermediate frequency regime is controlled by the coupling of adsorption and uncompensated solution resistance with the diffusion process. The fractal roughness parameters has quantitative influence on the magnitude of impedance over whole frequency regime while the phase plot shows qualitative difference in the intermediate frequency regime. The governing length scales which controls the characteristic crossover frequencies are: diffusion length, adsorption-ohmic coupling length and topothesy length (or width of interface). The three emergent crossover frequencies are: (i) ohmic reduced inner crossover frequency (ii) adsorption roughness topothesy dependent pseudo-quasireversibility characteristic frequency (iii) outer crossover frequency. Synopsis: This study quantitatively relates the impedance response of rough electrode to its phenomenological components, viz., diffusion limited adsorption, reversible charge transfer and uncompensated solution resistance. The random roughness of electrode is expressed by the surface statistical property, i.e., power spectrum of roughness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The demand to attain structural pre-organisation and recognition in potential antiviral agents has provoked spirocyclic restriction to be incorporated in nucleosides. With an aim to achieve pre-organization, C-4′-hydroxyl-tetrahydrofurano-spironucleosides have been synthesised from the naïve D -glucose via an intramolecular cyclisation route starting in over 10 steps. The process involves the Lipozyme® TL IM-mediated monoacetylation of the primary hydroxyl group of 4-C-hydroxymethyl-1,2,5,6-di-O-isopropylidene-β- L -mannofuranose. The assessment for the selectivity of monoacylation in the dihydroxymannofuranose sugar derivative using various vinyl esters revealed that different acyl chain lengths did not affect the selectivity of lipase but led to an increase in the rate of reaction with increasing chain length. A hydroxytetrahydrofuran ring, which is a C-4′-spirocycle on furano-nucleoside, was picked as the modification to furnish C4′-exo, NE-conformational restriction in the nucleosides, which conclusively revealed that the bicyclic framework did not bind the sugar pucker to the anticipated N/S-conformation only. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lead-free double perovskite materials (viz., Cs2AgInCl6) are being explored as stable and nontoxic alternatives of lead halide perovskites. In order to expand the optical response of Cs2AgInCl6 in the visible region, we report here on the stability, electronic structure, and optical properties of Cs2AgInCl6 by sublattice mixing of various elements. We have employed a hierarchical first-principles-based approach starting from density functional theory (DFT) with appropriate exchange-correlation functionals to beyond DFT methods under the framework of many body perturbation theory (viz., G0W0@HSE06). We have started with 32 primary set of combinations of metals M(I), M(II), M(III), and halogen X at Ag/In and Cl sites, respectively, where the concentration of each set is varied to build a database of nearly 140 combinations. The most suitable mixed sublattices are identified to engineer the bandgap of Cs2AgInCl6 to have its application in optoelectronic devices under visible light. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article presents the experimental results on accelerated carbonation‐induced corrosion and related durability properties such as AC impendence, half‐cell potential, water permeability, and volume of permeable voids test of concrete made with high‐volume Class F fly ash (FA). Concrete specimens were prepared by substituting ordinary portland cement with FA at varying replacement levels (0–70%). High‐volume FA concrete shows the continuous gain in the compressive strength and ultrasonic pulse velocity over a period of 365 days. The durability properties of concrete made with FA up to 50% shows the significant improvement. The scanning electron microscopy photomicrographs also support the findings and shows that the replacement of cement with FA densifies the concrete matrix due to the formation of more calcium silicate hydrate gels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The state of the practice for the blast-resistant design of structures uses a simplified single-degree-of-freedom (SDOF) analysis and estimates the blast loads assuming reflection from an unyielding rigid surface. Past studies showed that the interaction between the blast wave and the structure might influence the response depending on the blast characteristics and the structural properties. This study proposes a new fluid-structure-interaction (FSI) model and investigates its influence on the blast response of SDOF systems. Phenomena and model characteristics that are expected to influence the FSI response are investigated, and the limitations of past FSI models are addressed. The model includes the effects of aerodynamic damping, structural damping, and the damping caused by FSI that can significantly influence the displacement response. The model can be used to predict the blast response of a SDOF system for a range of shock strengths. The proposed FSI model is verified and validated with other FSI models and experimental studies and shown to predict the FSI response with considerable accuracy. The FSI effects are found to be more dominant in lightweight and flexible members relative to heavy and rigid systems. The study concludes that FSI effects are more significant at smaller-scaled distances (Z) at which stronger shocks are encountered. New charts are proposed that can be used to estimate the dynamic response of SDOF systems, including the effects of FSI. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Total and sequentially extracted fractions (exchangeable, bound to carbonate, bound to iron and manganese oxides, bound to organic matter and residual) of eight heavy metals (Cu, Mn, Zn, Ni, Fe, Cr, Cd and Pb) were estimated in rhizosphere sediment along with their accumulation in roots and leaves of Phoenix paludosa plants at Dhamra estuary. The Cu, Mn, Zn, Ni, Fe, Cr, Cd and Pb content in rhizosphere sediments were 162.2, 563.3, 289.1, 228.8, 31,524.3, 475.5, 8.5 and 256.8 mg/kg, respectively. For almost all the heavy metals, sequential extraction estimation showed residual>bound to iron and manganese>bound to organic matter>bound to carbonate>exchangeable fractions. Exceptionally very high residual Cr (77.36%) and organic matter-bound Cd fraction (41.10%) highlighted the sedimentary mine run-off and industrial activities as their main source of pollution, respectively. Phoenix paludosa exhibited maximum bio-concentration (0.34), bio-accumulation (0.51) and translocation (0.50) factor for Cd. The primary results revealed the phyto-accumulation behaviour of different heavy metals in Phoenix paludosa and showed its relatively higher remediation potential for Cd and Cr pollution. In view of the above facts, heavy metals-polluted estuarine sites can be remediated through afforestation of Phoenix paludosa plant species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Multiferroic BiFeO 3 -NiO (BFO-NiO) nanocomposites have been synthesized using sol-gel route and investigated via. the first principle DFT calculations, multiferroic-magnetoelectric response, and extremely low-temperature magnetic analysis. Powder X-ray diffraction (XRD) patterns along with Rietveld refinement data confirmed the phase purity viz. rhombohedral distorted perovskite BiFeO 3 - rock salt type NiO crystal structure and composite formation. Temperature dependent magnetic measurements confirmed the enhancement in the magnetism and the exchange bias effect due to the antiferromagnetic (AFM) and ferromagnetic (FM) exchange coupling interactions. Zero field cooled (ZFC) and field cooled (FC) magnetic results demonstrate the observation of typical superparamagnetic (SP) behavior for all the samples at room temperature whereas at low temperature a transition is reported from SP to quantum superparamagnetic (QSP) state through quantum tunneling of magnetic moment for all samples. Maximum polarization of 5.7μC/cm2 is observed for BFO-20% NiO composition. The noticeable change in the ferroelectric P vs E loops in the presence of external magnetic field confirm the evidence of multiferroic and magnetoelectric coupling behavior in the BFO-NiO nanocomposites. The DFT calculations have been done using WIEN2k software and found in well agreement with the reported experimental results. Further, the suitable temperature dependent magnetic squareness, evidence of considerable magnetoelectric coupling, exchange bias effect and SP nature make the BFO-NiO nanocomposites considerable suitable for various device applications such as information storage, magnetic random access memory, targeted drug delivery, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), bio-sensing and tailoring other photocatalytic applications. [Display omitted] • Experiment and first principal DFT study of multiferroic-NiO nanocomposites. • Rietveld refinement data confirmed the phase purity. • Confirmation of exchange bias effect, super-paramagnetic behavior. • Ferroelectric and magnetic measurements confirm evidence of multiferroic and magnetoelectric coupling. • Magnetic squareness indicates information storage application. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • A simple metal-free strategy for the synthesis of phenols. • An azopyrazole-linked Schiff base as organocatalyst. • Use of the green solvent system for the synthesis. A simple metal-free strategy for the synthesis of phenols from aryl and hetero aryl-boronic acids using arylazopyrazole linked o -hydroxyl Schiff base has been illustrated. These sustainable ipso -hydroxylations have very short reaction times, using aqueous H 2 O 2 as the oxidant in aqueous-alcoholic medium. The current protocol has been demonstrated to be effective with a variety of electron-rich and electron-deficient aromatic substrates and provides access to a wide range of phenols. This is the first time that an azoyrazole linked Schiff base has been used to increase the nucleophilicity of H 2 O 2 , in oxidative hydroxylation reactions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Accurately predicting and validating the power output of commercial solar PV power plants, remains an important research topic despite numerous studies already conducted. The precision and reliability of power prediction depends on the accuracy of the solar cell parameter values used in the model. A novel analytical technique has been developed in this study for PV power prediction, which employs one and two diode models with 3, 5, and 7 parameters. This new model only requires the manufacturer sheet data and has been validated through indoor and outdoor experiments. The performance of an experimental PV system is evaluated using the proposed solar cell models under varying irradiance and temperature levels. Additionally, the predicted output solar power was experimentally validated under real outdoor conditions in India with higher accuracy. The 7-parameter solar cell model is found to be the most accurate with the least RMSE of 0.02, followed by the 5 and 3-parameter models with RMSEs of 0.04 and 0.07, respectively. Compared to previous methods, the present new model predicts PV power with higher accuracy and lower percentage error. Finally, the study also identifies follow-up photovoltaic research areas. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

India is considered the second world’s major potato producing and consuming country after China. To determine the processing nutrient quality using standard protocols, 86 diverse potato genotypes were evaluated for different parameters under mid-hill conditions in Himachal Pradesh (Kufri-Shimla), India. Dry matter, specific gravity, TSS, protein, starch, glucose, carotenoids, Vit-C, and anthocyanin contents ranged from 16.35 ~ 28.36%, 1.06 ~ 1.113 (kg/L), 4.86 ~ 6.79 (oBrix), 0.83 ~ 3.43%, 10.59 ~ 20.72%, 10.73 ~ 25.13 (g/kg), 55.89 ~ 516.53 (mg/kg FW), 16.53 ~ 28.23 (mg/kg FW), respectively. Anthocyanin content in the flesh, skin, and whole tubers ranged from 0.07 ~ 8.34, 0 ~ 3.17, and 2.47 ~ 34.80 mg/kg FW, respectively. CP-4104, 4085(6), CP-4116, SSP. Andigina, B. 6739–2, BR 6609–7, MISO VALLEY, JUICE VALLEY, and TPS-13, which contained high dry matter (>20%), starch (>13%), specific gravity (>1.08), and total phenols in whole tubers (<30) are suitable for processing. One-way ANOVA analysis revealed significant differences for all these parameters. White, cream, and too-yellow coloured tubers producing genotypes took first place in this experiment among all-genotype tubers. Our lines namely Andigina, B 6739–2, 4085(6), and CP-4104 may be considered for processing given the quality of their potatoes produced. Based on our results, our study will conclude that several landraces available worldwide can be utilized in future breeding programs to develop new varieties that can produce processing-quality tuber.Heatmap showing the ranks of 86 potato genotypes in relation to the processing quality biochemical parameters.Heatmap showing the ranks of 86 potato genotypes in relation to the processing quality biochemical parameters.Graphical abstract: India is considered the second world’s major potato producing and consuming country after China. To determine the processing nutrient quality using standard protocols, 86 diverse potato genotypes were evaluated for different parameters under mid-hill conditions in Himachal Pradesh (Kufri-Shimla), India. Dry matter, specific gravity, TSS, protein, starch, glucose, carotenoids, Vit-C, and anthocyanin contents ranged from 16.35 ~ 28.36%, 1.06 ~ 1.113 (kg/L), 4.86 ~ 6.79 (oBrix), 0.83 ~ 3.43%, 10.59 ~ 20.72%, 10.73 ~ 25.13 (g/kg), 55.89 ~ 516.53 (mg/kg FW), 16.53 ~ 28.23 (mg/kg FW), respectively. Anthocyanin content in the flesh, skin, and whole tubers ranged from 0.07 ~ 8.34, 0 ~ 3.17, and 2.47 ~ 34.80 mg/kg FW, respectively. CP-4104, 4085(6), CP-4116, SSP. Andigina, B. 6739–2, BR 6609–7, MISO VALLEY, JUICE VALLEY, and TPS-13, which contained high dry matter (>20%), starch (>13%), specific gravity (>1.08), and total phenols in whole tubers (<30) are suitable for processing. One-way ANOVA analysis revealed significant differences for all these parameters. White, cream, and too-yellow coloured tubers producing genotypes took first place in this experiment among all-genotype tubers. Our lines namely Andigina, B 6739–2, 4085(6), and CP-4104 may be considered for processing given the quality of their potatoes produced. Based on our results, our study will conclude that several landraces available worldwide can be utilized in future breeding programs to develop new varieties that can produce processing-quality tuber.Heatmap showing the ranks of 86 potato genotypes in relation to the processing quality biochemical parameters.Heatmap showing the ranks of 86 potato genotypes in relation to the processing quality biochemical parameters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Six new Organotellurium(IV) complexes of Thiophene based Schiff base were prepared. • The ligand and tellurium (IV) complexes were characterized by elemental analyses SEM, molar conductance and various spectral approach (FT-IR, UV–Vis, Mass, 1H NMR, 13C NMR). • DFT calculations were used for determining optimized geometry of all the complexes and their quantum mechanical parameters. • Protein-ligand interactions were analyzed through molecular docking study with receptor proteins of E. Coli , S. Aureus , C. Albicans. • Studies depicts that these complexes possess better antimicrobial and antibacterial properties as compared to the Schiff base ligand. Keeping in view, the widespread of contagious diseases, we have prepared an important class of organotellurium(IV) complexes to cure these ailments, comprising condensation reaction between 5-methyl-2-thiophene carboxaldehyde and p -aminophenol resulting in the synthesis of 5-methyl-2-thiophene carboxaldehyde p -aminophenol (5MTCPAP) Schiff base, which on further reactions with organotellurium(IV) chlorides (R 2 TeCl 3 and RTeCl 2) leads to 6 new hexacoordinated complexes similar to RTeCl 3.5MTCPAP and R 2 TeCl 2.5MTCPAP. These complexes were distinguished by numerous experimental and spectral approaches like FT-IR, Mass spectrometry, Powder XRD, DFT calculations, Molar conductance, 1H NMR, 13C NMR, TGA. These spectroscopic data, evidently proves that Schiff base ligand act as bidentate NS chelating agent. def2-SVP and def2-T2VPP is used for optimization and calculation of quantum mechanical parameters of geometries of 5MTCPAP and its Te(IV) complexes. According to the result of spectral studies, complexes tend to have distorted octahedral geometry. Computational studies and pharmacological activities were investigated for ligand and its tellurium(IV) complexes. The molecular docking of complexes executed on the field of action of E. coli (3 t88), S. aureus (4dxd), C. albicans (5fsa) illustrates assuring interactions and recommends decent biological response. DPPH assay was carried out to study the antioxidant study of Schiff base and complexes, taking ascorbic acid as standard. In-vitro pharmacological analysis (antimicrobial as well as antioxidant) designates that the Schiff base ligands upon complexation, exhibits improved biological effectiveness. In-silico ADMET studies were involved to examine therapeutic characteristics of 5MTCPAP and its organotellurium (IV) complexes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research article reports a novel off–the-shelf floating memristor circuit based on MOS transistor. The proposed memristor circuit comprises one NMOS, one PMOS and a constant current source. The designed circuit utilized intrinsic parasitic capacitance instead of conventional metal plate capacitor. Pinch hysteresis curve of the designed memristor is maintained for range of frequencies from 380 kHz to 1 GHz. Parameters of the proposed circuit may be tuned by varying the bias current of current source. Performance of the proposed circuit is verified by SPICE simulator using 0.18 µm CMOS technology parameter. In addition, Process corner variation, temperature variation, supply voltage variation and variation in size of transistor are investigated to justify the robustness of the designed circuit. Total power consumption of the designed memristor is 4 µW. Chip area of the proposed circuit is 336.55 µm2. Moreover, applications of the proposed circuit are well described with memristor based Schmitt Trigger circuit and Wien Bridge oscillator circuit. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The presence of a tiny amount of polymers (a few parts per million) in a fluid dramatically reduces turbulent drag. For this reason, polymer additives have been proposed to be used in flood remediation: in an open channel at a fixed flow rate, the decrease in friction due to polymer addition is expected to lead to a decrease in water height in the channel. However, in a recent field experiment, a counterintuitive transient increase in water height has been observed downstream of polymer injection, with the amplitude and duration of the height increases being the largest far downstream of the injection point. We numerically investigate the effect of polymer additives on the water height in a long channel using the shallow water equations augmented with an evolution equation for polymer concentration that incorporates turbulent dispersion and polymer degradation, as well as a friction coefficient that decreases with increasing polymer concentration. The model predicts the existence of a region originating at the polymer injection point and propagating downstream at the fluid velocity in which the height overshoots before decreasing. This region spreads and grows in amplitude with a downstream position, consistent with experimental observations. We elucidate the mechanism of this unexpected rise in water height in the channel and illustrate it with a simple model. The reduction in friction due to polymer injection leads to fluid acceleration. Therefore, the fast-moving fluid upstream runs into slow-moving fluid downstream, leading to the transient "piling up" of the fluid just downstream of the region of polymer-laden fluid, and hence to the emergence of the height overshoot. We also suggest a technique to mitigate the water rise, as this is detrimental to practical applications. • Polymer additives may aid in mitigating flooding by increasing drainage capacity. • Polymer injection in an open channel exhibits a transient water height overshoot. • Modified shallow water equations capture all the aspects of water height dynamics. • The interplay between fluid inertia and drag reduction induces height overshoot. • Along with the mechanism of overshoot, we describe techniques to mitigate it. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • High entropy based material can boost the materials science with unusual properties. • Selective doping at A or/and B site can design the new class of materials. • New opportunities towards high entropy based materials are also focussed. The concept of high-entropy materials appeared first in 2004 when Y. Wu et al. made the first-ever high-entropy nitride films. With continuation in 2015, high-entropy ceramics were introduced by C.M. Rost. et al. for the very first time. High entropy ceramics (HECs) are novel materials having five or more than five cations or anions. The basic idea behind HECs is to induce high configurational entropy, which show unique properties. The compositional and structural diversity of HECs, along with having a bandgap, makes them potential candidates for a wide range of applications. Such diversity (in crystal and electronic structure) opens a new door for tuning the properties through band structure engineering. Recently, HECs have achieved much attention among scientists due to the unique combination of different properties offered by these materials resulting from the high degree of disorder and complexity at the atomic level. In this featured article, we critically review some recent advancements that may find use in a wide range of technological applications and the future scope of such a fascinating emerging and fast-growing field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We quantified the occurrences and seasonal variations of the target endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) at four (two major municipals, and two academic institutions) WWTPs in Dehradun city, Uttarakhand, India. The results showed estrone in higher concentrations at μgL−1 levels in influent among the WWTPs, compared to triclosan (TCS) at ngL−1 levels. An astounding concentration of 123.95 μgL−1 was recorded for the estrone in the influent, which is to date the highest ever recorded, globally. Statistical data treatment was performed to test the distribution of the data (Shapiro-Wilk, Anderson-Darling, Lilliefors, and Jarque-Bera tests), and the significant difference between the mean of the wastewater sample population (ANOVA: F statistics, p values, Mann-Whitney test, Tukey's and Dunn's post hoc analysis). Statistical data treatment indicated EDCs concentration with a bi-modal distribution. The Shapiro-Wilk, Anderson-Darling, Lilliefors, and Jarque-Bera tests elucidate a non-normal distribution for the EDCs sample data. A statistically significant difference (F = 8.46; p < 0.0001) in the seasonal data for the abundance of the target EDCs at the WWTPs have been observed. Highest and significantly different mean EDCs concentrations were recorded during the monsoon, compared to the spring (p = 0.025) and summer (p = 0.0004) seasons in the influent waters. The mean influent concentrations of TCS and estrone in monsoon were 66.45 ngL−1 and 78.02 μgL−1, respectively. Maximum removals were recorded for TCS, while maximum negative removal of ∼293% was observed for estrone in the WWTPs. Particularly, the high levels of estrone in the wastewater pose a significant threat as estrone presence could be led to feminization, dysregulation of reproduction in organisms, and carcinogenesis processes in the environment. This study critically highlights the limitation of the WWTPs in the treatment, degradation, and assimilation of EDCs leading to their hyperaccumulation at WWTP effluents, thereby posing a substantial threat to nearby aquatic ecosystems, human health, and the ecological balance of the region. • Highest estrone concentration in wastewater ever reported, globally. • High estrone enrichment in effluents due to steroidal interconversion is an emerging threat. • Significant difference in treatment capability of EDCs across treatment systems. • High EDCs concentrations in underground drainage sewer networks during monsoon. • Negative removal rates for estrone were observed in the WWTPs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Radiation induced natural convection has been extensively researched due to its rife presence in numerous natural flows. Recently, it has seen renewed and resurged interests in context of understanding the photo-thermal energy conversion and its redistribution in direct absorption solar collectors (DASCs). The present work serves to further this objective; in particular, convection induced by direct interaction of the fluid and radiation (irradiated from side) has been critically and comprehensively investigated. In addition to DASCs, the present study has significant applications in various other fields such as nuclear power plants, building design, and laser fusion. A detailed mechanistic theoretical modeling framework has been developed to quantify the impact of various fluid properties and incident flux parameters; viz., Rayleigh number (102 to 108 in the laminar regime), Prandtl number (0.01–1000), optical thickness (0.1–100), convective heat loss from the transmitting wall (controlled in the simulation by varying the modified Biot number, Bi* from 0 to 5), aspect ratio (0.1–10). Furthermore, in addition to magnitude of the incident flux, its distribution (i.e., whether uniform or linearly varying) has also been dealt with. Another distinguishing aspect of the study is the use of the "heatlines" to visualize the flow of energy as it occurs during convection caused due to volumetric heating. Detailed analysis reveals that, while a conduction dominated regime is apparent at Ra ≤ 102, a transition regime occurs at 103 ≤ Ra ≤ 104, and convection is the domineering mechanism when Ra > 104. At higher Rayleigh numbers, the pattern of heatlines begins to resemble that of the streamlines. Nature of the flux distribution at the side wall (along the depth direction) significantly impacts the temperature distribution. Furthermore, there exits an optimum value of optical thickness (for a given Rayleigh number), which ensures minimum heat loss and maximum useful energy gain. Overall, through the present work, we have been able to decipher key design and operational parameters (and quantify their impacts) which dictate the momentum and heat transport in side-irradiated volumetrically heated cavities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Ester functionalized imidazolium geminis have been synthesized. • These imidazolium surfactants have lower cmc values compared to conventional cationic surfactants. • These geminis demonstrate remarkable thermal stability, which decreases as spacer length increases. • Display Non-cytotoxicity on C6 Glioma cell. Ester-functionalized gemini imidazolium amphiphiles appended with different spacers have been developed. The desired structures were confirmed using mass spectroscopy and NMR techniques. With the help of tensiometry, conductometry, and spectrofluorometry, the investigated amphiphiles have been characterized for a variety of physical properties including Gibbs free energy of adsorption (ΔG0 ads), C 20 (surfactant concentration required to reduce the surface tension of the solvent by 20 mN•m−1), maximum surface excess (Ʈ max), critical micelle concentration (cmc), Gibbs free energy of the micellization (ΔG0 mic) and A min (minimum surface area/molecule). Dynamic light scattering (DLS) measurements were taken to examine aggregate size distribution and zeta potential. Thermal decomposition temperature of investigated amphiphiles was determined from thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) analysis. By using the MTT (3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide) assay, the toxicity of examined amphiphiles towards the C6 glioma cell line was assessed. The physicochemical study of these surfactants revealed that varying spacer length considerably affects the properties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nerve agents are among the most dangerous chemical known to the human being. On account of an incident by utilizing nerve agents, the fabrication of a cost-effective and ready-to-use device for the convenient identification of nerve agents is needed. Herein, we developed a easy-to-use, portable sensor kit based on NiCr 2 O 4 artificial nanozyme mimic to quantify diethyl-chloro-phosphate (DCP). The synthesized NiCr 2 O 4 artificial nanozyme showed good oxidase and peroxidase-like catalytic activity for the conversion of colorless tetramethylbenzidine (TMB) to bluish-green oxTMB. It is recognized that the presence of DCP can assist the oxidation of TMB due to the easy binding of DCP with the amine group of TMB and enhance the catalytic process. Therefore, this mechanism is utilized to fabricate a colorimetric sensor kit for naked-eye quantification of DCP, which gives yellowish color after interaction with oxTMB. Furthermore, the practicability of a portable sensor kit was performed for the quantification of DCP in soil and water samples, and results showed a detection limit of 15.4 nM (3σ method). Thus, the proposed portable sensor kit's naked eye detection paves the way for an affordable and practical platform for the easy-to-use, reliable, and quick colorimetric quantification of DCP for environment monitoring. [Display omitted] • NiCr2O4 nanozymes was synthesized utilizing hydrothermal method, which possesses enhanced peroxidase mimetics activity. • NiCr2O4 nanozymes was utilized as a colorimetric quantification method to selectively detect nerve agent mimic. • Easy to utilized and cost-effective paper based Portable Sensor Kit has been fabricated for on-site monitoring of DCP. • Portable Sensor Kit has shown fast response (<1 min) towards DCP with LOD of 15.4 nm in environment sample. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Four different receiver design configurations considered for modeling. • Model accounts for coupled transport phenomena among the constituent elements. • Volumetric absorption has 45–51% higher efficiency relative to surface absorption. • Optimal range of operating and design parameters delineated for solar thermal systems. Last decade has seen tremendous progress in the development of nanoparticle dispersion based volumetrically absorbing solar thermal systems. However, for these systems to compete with their surface absorption counterparts, it is imperative to reach an optimum receiver design. Optimization in turn necessitates accurate modeling of highly coupled transport phenomena involved in these systems. The present work represents a significant step ahead in this direction, wherein, a comprehensive and mechanistic theoretical framework is developed which is robust enough to account for coupled transport phenomena and orders of magnitude of operating parameters for a host of receiver design configurations. Moreover, equivalent surface absorption based systems are also modeled to provide a comparison between volumetric and surface absorption processes under similar operating conditions. Finally, the present work serves to define optimal performance domains of these solar thermal systems, particularly in the laminar flow regime (100 < Re < 1600) and over a wide range of solar concentration ratios (5–100) and inlet fluid temperatures (293 K–593 K). Performance characteristics reveal that particularly at high solar concentration ratios, volumetric absorption-based receivers could have 45%–51% higher thermal efficiencies compared to their surface absorption-based counterparts. Further, this could translate into a significant increase (by 15%–18%) in overall energy conversion efficiency of concentrated solar power plants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Spironucleosides are a type of conformationally restricted bicycle nucleoside analogous in which the carbocyclic/heterocyclic ring is inserted at carbohydrate moiety of the nucleoside and this restrict the conformational flexibility of the carbohydrate ring. Hydantocidin is the first naturally occurring spironucleoside which shows potent herbicidal and plant growth regulatory activities. The biological activity of hydantocidin has encouraged the synthetic organic chemist to synthesize constrained nucleosides analogous for drug discovery. We present here an overview of the synthesis and biological importance of C-4′-spironucleoside analogous. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• State of bypass diode governs temperature distribution in shaded PV module. • Developed electro-thermal PSPICE model to estimate temperature distribution. • Thermal shade impact factor has been derived to estimate temperature distribution. • Under narrow shading, high cell temperature observed due to bypass diode activation. Partial shading of photovoltaic (PV) system is commonly observed in the outdoor field conditions. The non-uniform illumination causes mismatch in the electrical output between the cells, which results in a non-uniform temperature distribution that can have an instantaneous effect on power and long term effect on reliability. The objective of present work is to study the temperature distribution in a partially shaded PV module under the inactive and active state of bypass diode. In this work, an electro-thermal PSPICE model has been developed to estimate temperature distribution in a shaded PV module. The temperature distribution in shaded module is analyzed in terms of number of shaded cells and their shaded area. An experimental setup has been designed to validate the developed model. To analyze the impact of different shading conditions in outdoor, thermal shade impact factor has been derived in the present study. The thermal shade impact factor can be used to estimate temperature gradient and its distribution in a shaded PV module, when the state of bypass diode changes from inactive to active. The results show that shading conditions that have thermal shade impact factor less than −1 will result in amplification of temperature gradient, when the state of bypass diode changes from inactive to active. This will lead to a manifold increase in the temperature of shaded cell. On the other hand, shading conditions which have thermal shade impact factor greater than −1 exhibit higher temperature gradient when bypass diode is inactive. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study reports a rare case of cryptococcoma of the brain and review the related literature. An intracranial lesion, in a healthy, middle-aged adult who underwent surgery with a preoperative diagnosis of neoplastic/metastatic lesion, which turned out to be cryptococcoma, is being reported. Histopathological examination revealed that this immunocompetent patient had cryptococcoma of the cerebellum. He responded to antifungal chemotherapy (amphotericin B initially for 2 weeks and later oral fluconazole for 10 weeks) very well. Occurrence of cryptococcomas in immunocompetent patients is rare and responds to antifungal chemotherapy very well. Only six cases (including this) have been reported in literature till now. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Geminiviruses cause considerable yield loss in several crop plants worldwide. In 2016, several hollyhock plants displaying yellow mosaic and leaf curling symptoms were noticed in a nursery of Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, India. Analysis of the collected samples indicated an association of monopartite and bipartite begomoviruses with satellites. Three begomoviruses (including a member of a new begomovirus species), two alphasatellites, and a betasatellite were isolated from yellow-mosaic-disease-affected plants. Similarly, a begomovirus, two alphasatellites, and a betasatellite were found to be associated with leaf curl disease of hollyhock. These begomoviruses and satellites were found to be recombinants. By harboring diverse begomoviruses and satellite DNAs, hollyhock may serve as a potential source of virus inoculum. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present work demonstrates the effect of the grain size on electrocaloric and pyroelectric properties in BaTiO3-based ceramics prepared by a chemical coating method and then sintered in a reducing atmosphere at different temperatures. In a grain size of 136 ± 50 nm to 529 ± 245 nm, the electrocaloric temperature change increases from 0.30 K to 0.63 K under the electric field of 4 MV/m at the ferroelectric–paraelectric phase transition. The corresponding entropy change, heat extraction capacity, coefficient of performance, and electrocaloric strength exhibit a twofold increase (i.e., 0.31 J/kg K–0.75 J/kg K, 148 J/kg–303 J/kg, 7–14, and 0.0075 K cm/kV–0.016 K cm/kV, respectively). The effects of the grain size on the pyroelectric properties are established from the pyroelectric coefficient and the associated pyroelectric figures of merit (FOMs). The pyroelectric coefficient and pyroelectric FOMs exhibit about a fivefold increase with the increasing grain size. The pyroelectric energy harvesting is calculated for the Olsen cycle. The energy harvesting capabilities enhance from ∼96 kJ/m3 to ∼135 kJ/m3 when the cycle is operated at temperatures between 303 K and 423 K and an electric field between 1 MV/m and 4 MV/m. The results show that the increase in the grain size significantly improves the electrocaloric and pyroelectric properties. Furthermore, it is established that the pyroelectric properties are more sensitive to the grain size as compared to the electrocaloric effect when ceramics are prepared by the chemical coating-cum-sintering route. In summary, the present study suggests that microstructure control in BaTiO3 fabrication with the enhanced grain size can be an effective approach to enhance the pyroelectric and electrocaloric properties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A comprehensive study was conducted to analyze the structural, dielectric, impedance spectroscopy and conductivity of Bi 0.95 Gd 0.05 FeO 3 –BaTiO 3 (BGF-BT) solid solutions, synthesized via. solid state reaction route. BGF-BT solid solutions show pseudo-cubic structure corroborated by X-ray diffraction patterns and Rietveld analysis. Scanning electron microscopy morphology confirmed that the average grain size decreases with an increase in BT content into BGF. A further insight into the valence chemical states was provided by the core and survey scan of binding energy using the X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The spin-orbit interaction energy in BGF-0.3BT for Fe2p and Bi4f was estimated at 13.3 eV and 5.3 eV respectively. The decrease in oxygen vacancies on incorporation of BT into BGF is also verified after analyzing O 1s core spectra. Raman Spectroscopy also confirmed the chemical bonding and structure of BGF-BT solid solution samples. Maximum magnetization of 1.4047 emu/g was observed for BGF-0.1BT as validated from magnetization hysteresis loops and ferroelectric P vs. E loop measurement confirms the ferroelectric nature of the BGF-BT samples. Analysis of dielectric properties at fixed frequencies confirmed the evidence of magnetoelectric coupling through the broad dielectric anomaly near the reported magnetic transition temperature in BGF-BT samples. The dielectric and impedance spectroscopy studies also confirmed the non-Debye type relaxation phenomenon in the BGF-BT samples. Conductivity measurements followed Jonscher's power law whose experimental fitting determined the pre-factor (A) i.e., polarizability strength and frequency exponent (n). Low activation energy values, 0.187 eV, 0.108 eV and 0.131 eV for BGF-0.1BT, BGF-0.2BT and BGF-0.3BT solid solutions, respectively were observed, show the indication of mobility of defects present in lattice and associated with the hopping conduction mechanism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Enhanced sensitivity, precise measurements and accuracy are the key factors to identify the performance of any sensor. In this paper, p-polycrystalline silicon micro-pressure sensor has been designed which works on the principle of piezoresistive effect. A theoretical modeling and computational simulation of the circular Si-diaphragm have been performed through the extensive study of stress and frequency response with the help of finite element method (FEM) within the framework of COMSOL. For a thin diaphragm (∼ 50  μ m), the Eigen frequency and the frequency generated in a diaphragm under the influence of pressure has been optimized within the pressure range from 1–25 kPa. The modes of vibrations generated in the diaphragm have been optimized at wide-frequency range ∼ 200–800 kHz at various pressure values. The findings of the presented research have suggested that for a ∼ 50  μ m thin diaphragm, the optimized fundamental frequency is ∼ 310 kHz for showing better piezoresistive response which results into enhanced sensitivity. Moreover, the simulation results show that for the designed sensor, the pressure sensitivity of ∼ 11.51 mv/psi has been conveyed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Butea monosperma (Lam.) Taub. is an ethnomedicinal tree of remedial value in the treatment of diabetes, bone fractures, and liver and neurological disorders. However, the information available on DNA-protective and anti-proliferative potential of bark of this tree is scarce. In the present study, the extract/fractions obtained from bark of B. monosperma were evaluated for antioxidant, DNA-protective, and anti-proliferative activities, along with their phytochemical profiling for identifying major constituents present in them. Different extract/fractions, namely, Bmth (methanol), Bhex (hexane), Bchl (chloroform), and Beac (ethyl acetate), were prepared and evaluated for antioxidant activity using in vitro assays. Extract/fractions were also evaluated for anti-proliferative and apoptotic activity in human breast carcinoma cell line MCF-7, using in vitro assays, namely, MTT, clonogenic, and neutral comet assay, along with confocal microscopy and flow cytometry. Among all extract/fractions, a pronounced antioxidant activity was exhibited by Bchl and Beac fractions, in DPPH· (EC50 213.2 and 161.5 µg/mL, respectively), ABTS+· (EC50 139.3 and 44.1 µg/mL, respectively), and reducing power assay (EC50 86.7 and 84.5 µg/mL, respectively). Both fractions protected plasmid DNA against hydroxyl radical induced damage in plasmid nicking assay. Bchl and Beac were also observed to inhibit the growth of MCF-7 cells (GI50 203.7 and 246.5 µg/mL, respectively). Both fractions induced apoptosis in MCF-7 cells, by arresting the cell cycle in G1 and sub-G1 phase, respectively, enhancing ROS levels, decreasing mitochondrial membrane potential, and inducing double-strand DNA breaks. HPLC analysis revealed high kaempferol content in Bchl, and catechin, epicatechin, and gallic acid in Beac. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article, we present the analysis of a special featured grating-assisted surface plasmon resonance (SPR) phenomena by multiple stacked metamaterial and silver layers as one grating structure. The bimetallic layer of gold (Au) and silver (Ag) has been used with stacked multiple negative refractive index (NRI) metamaterial layers to explore the special featured sensing capability. NRI grating with Ag layer supports better coupling to excite the multimode for the proposed structure at the same excitation condition. Hence, the alternating layer of NRI material along with Ag is used as a grating structure that is an excellent combination of the grating layer through which the proposed structure supports better coupling to the adjacent sensing region. The grating parameters have been optimized in such a way to enhance the number of resonance modes in the sensing region. It is found that SPR sensor sensitivity using negative diffraction order has a larger dip, while the resonant angle became wider for positive diffraction order. The transfer matrix method is used for the calculation of various parameters. The special featured structure with corresponding response graphs is described along with discussing what happens when the metamaterial layer thickness varies (and vice versa). Sensitivity tunability is demonstrated with variable metamaterial layer thickness. A sensitivity study is a significant parameter in the design of any high-sensitive sensor to enhance the performance. Hence, the sensitivity slope property has been explored further for each case. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objectives focuses on estimation of the magnitude of heterosis for seed yield and its component traits taking an example of six diverse lines (Pure and Stable) of sweet pepper (red color) which were attempted in half-diallel fashion excluding reciprocals during Kharif 2017 and evaluated with a cultivar Bombay grown in a greenhouse with natural ventilation. The analysis of variance showed significant differences among parents and crosses for all traits studied. On the basis of heterosis studies, RSPUHF-3 × RSPUHF-2 and RSPUHF-4 × RSPUHF-2 were identified highly significant cross combinations over better parent and standard check for the number of seeds per fruit, seed weight per fruit, thousand seed weight and per cent seed recovery, whereas; the crosses RSPUHF-7 × RSPUHF-1 and RSPUHF-7 × RSPUHF-4 exhibited a higher standard heterosis for seed yield per plant. This study showed a desirable heterosis over better parent and standard check for seed yield and contributing traits and can further directly be identified as a superior F1s after their validation over different seasons for growing under protected environments or may be utilized in future breeding programmes to obtain desirable segregants for the development of trait specific superior genotypes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]