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Abstract The present study investigated two single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs)—rs479200 and rs516651 in the host EGLN1/PHD2 gene for their association with COVID-19 severity. A retrospective cohort of 158 COVID-19 patients from the Indian population (March 2020 to June 2021) was enrolled. Notably, the frequency of C allele (0.664) was twofold higher than T allele (0.336) in severe COVID-19 patients. Here, we report a novel finding that the C allele of rs479200 in the EGLN1 gene imparts a high risk of severe COVID-19 (odds ratio—6.214 (1.84–20.99) p = 0.003; 9.421 (2.019–43.957) p = 0.004), in additive inheritance model (adjusted and unadjusted, respectively).

Mountainous river basins are expected to experience significant seasonal fluctuations in water supply due to climate change. Thus, hydrological modeling becomes further challenging while accounting for data-scarce mountainous basins observing climate change impacts. In this study, Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) was used to predict hydrological flow in the Sunkoshi River Basin (SRB) based on daily rainfall and temperature data spanning 36 years. The specific objectives of this study were: (i) to use the SWAT model to simulate the long-term hydrological response, (ii) to generate spatially distributed rainfall–runoff and subbasin-wise water balance components using well-established performance indicators. Calibration and validation at the outlet of the study area were successful, with the values of R2/Nash–Sutcliffe efficiency (NSE) calculated as 0.91/0.82 for monthly data and 0.79/0.73 for daily data. In the validation phase, the values of R2/NSE were 0.91/0.84 for monthly data and 0.82/0.75 for daily data, respectively. This study predicted the average yearly flow and precipitation at the SRB outlet to be 279 m3/s and 368.25 mm, respectively. Approximately, 30% of water loss was attributed to evapotranspiration, 18% to runoff, and 30% to lateral flow. The findings of this study will contribute to water resource management. HIGHLIGHTS Application of Soil and Water Assessment Tool hydrological model to predict water availability in data-scarce river basin.; Satisfactory finding with only using 36 years of daily precipitation and temperature.; The study area covered 60% of Nepal's territory and 40% of Tibet, China.; The result would be helpful to researchers and water resource management.;

Rainfall is the key weather element which regulates the hydrological cycle, availability of water resources and crop production. In this study, spatial and temporal variability of rainfall has been investigated on seasonal and annual time scales of the 149 blocks of Chhattisgarh State using 120 years (1901–2020) of rainfall data. Non-parametric, and Theil and Sen's slope estimator were used to identify possible trends and ascertain the variability in the magnitude. The results revealed that there exists a well-marked spatial variability in rainfall over Chhattisgarh on annual and seasonal time scales. Out of 149 blocks, a significant negative rainfall was noticed in 105 blocks. Annual rainfall showed a significant positive trend in a few blocks like Bhopalpattnam, Bijapur, Usur, and Konta. A similar pattern of trend was noticed in the monsoon season. The results of the study demand the urgent need to formulate policies and strategies for water resource management and planning. The blocks which showed the positive rainfall trends can be identified to intensify the cultivation of more water-requiring crops based on the suitability for that region. The findings of this study can be used as valuable information for crop planning, policy-making and preparation of contingency plans. HIGHLIGHTS Significant shift change point identified as 1961, signifying a shift in rainfall patterns.; The monsoon season demonstrated the highest positive trends, contrasting with negative trends in winter during 1901–1961.; Positive trends in the monsoon season persisted, while negative trends continued in the winter during 1962–2020.; The Theil–Sen slope method indicated an overall decline in annual rainfall for most blocks.; The present study highlights the comprehensive micro-level study of the 149 blocks of Chhattisgarh State, and it could be helpful for agro-advisory and policy-making for the state.;

Nanoindentation technique is generally used for measuring thinfilm mechanical properties such as hardness, modulus and stiffness. Nanoindentation of ceramic thinfilms of SiO2, Si3N4 and Al2O3 was deposited by radio-frequency (RF) magnetron sputtering on the stainless steel (SS304) substrates using a nanoindenter. Under varied sputtering conditions, the “as-deposited” film was amorphous. The as-deposited thin film had a thickness of 200 nm. The amorphous film was loaded/unloaded only once while operating in load control mode. Hardness and Young's modulus, two mechanical properties of the ceramic thinfilms, were also measured. When SiO2, Si3N4, and Al2O3 thinfilms are deposited onto stainless steel substrates using an RF magnetron sputtering, the roughness of the ceramic thinfilms is in the range of 8 to 12 nm. The nanoindentation results were compared, the hardness of the coatings is in the range of 6 to 9 GPa, and these ceramic coatings can be used as an adhesive layer for multilayer thin film coating.

The coating materials, thickness and number of layers directly influence the reflectance and absorptance properties of the thin films. However, while selecting the materials for single and coatings, the substrate’s refractive index; bond layer, functional layer and protective layer have to be carefully chosen to obtain the desired reflectance and absorptance values. Hence, modelling and simulating the thin film coatings is essential before conducting the experiments to get meaningful results. The simulation results of single coatings have been discussed. Generally, glass is one of the widely used substrate materials for solar reflectors, aluminum is the optimal functional material, with a reflection of 93 % of light. Nickel would be a preferable functional layer with a reflection of 64 % and absorptance of 36 %, Si3N4 being the acceptable bond layers and protective layers with a reflection of 68 % some solar thermal receiver tube applications however research effort is being made to find alternate lightweight materials for this application. Polycarbonate has been chosen as an alternate material for the substrate because it is light in weight with a reflection of 93 %, which is durable and not fragile.

Background: A surgical site infection (SSI) is any infection occurring after a medical intervention. It is the most common nosocomial infection in low- and middle-income countries. It has raised both mortality and morbidity. Resistance to antibiotics due to irrational use has further added to the severity of the problem. Aims and Objectives: The current study was designed with the aim of determining the incidence of SSIs among patients operated on a tertiary care hospital, along with their antibiogram. Materials and Methods: An observational study with a cross-sectional design was conducted on 150 patients with suspected SSI were included in this study over a period of 1 year, from August 2021 to July 2022. An adult patient with pus, serous, or seropurulent discharge from the surgical wound was included in the study. Information was obtained using a pre-designed and pre-tested schedule. Identification of the colony was done by gram staining and inoculation on 5% sheep blood agar and Mac Conkey agar plates. Antimicrobial sensitivity testing was done. The data was analyzed using Microsoft Excel. Results: A total of 152 patients were included in the study. The incidence of SSI was found to be 38.2%. The mean age of the participants was 47.7 ± 21.6 years. The maximum incidence of SSI was noted in the 5th decade of life. Among the 58 patients’ samples, 65 aerobic bacterial colonies were isolated. Out of which Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli were the commonest organisms. On performing an antibiogram, a higher degree of resistance was observed among Gram-negative organisms. Conclusion: SSI adds to the mortality as well as the morbidity of the patients. Not only this, but it also adds to the expenses. A more stringent surveillance system and reinforcement of the guidelines was the need of the hour to overcome this problem of hospital-acquired infections.

Abstract Background Drought is one of the important abiotic stresses that can significantly reduce crop yields. In India, about 24% of Brassica juncea (Indian mustard) cultivation is taken up under rainfed conditions, leading to low yields due to moisture deficit stress. Hence, there is an urgent need to improve the productivity of mustard under drought conditions. In the present study, a set of 87 B. carinata-derived B. juncea introgression lines (ILs) was developed with the goal of creating drought-tolerant genotypes. Method The experiment followed the augmented randomized complete block design with four blocks and three checks. ILs were evaluated for seed yield and its contributing traits under both rainfed and irrigated conditions in three different environments created by manipulating locations and years. To identify novel genes and alleles imparting drought tolerance, Quantitative Trait Loci (QTL) analysis was carried out. Genotyping-by-Sequencing (GBS) approach was used to construct the linkage map. Results The linkage map consisted of 5,165 SNP markers distributed across 18 chromosomes and spanning a distance of 1,671.87 cM. On average, there was a 3.09 cM gap between adjoining markers. A total of 29 additive QTLs were identified for drought tolerance; among these, 17 (58.6% of total QTLs detected) were contributed by B. carinata (BC 4), suggesting a greater contribution of B. carinata towards improving drought tolerance in the ILs. Out of 17 QTLs, 11 (64.7%) were located on the B genome, indicating more introgression segments on the B genome of B. juncea. Eight QTL hotspots, containing two or more QTLs, governing seed yield contributing traits, water use efficiency, and drought tolerance under moisture deficit stress conditions were identified. Seventeen candidate genes related to biotic and abiotic stresses, viz., SOS2, SOS2 like, NPR1, FAE1-KCS, HOT5, DNAJA1, NIA1, BRI1, RF21, ycf2, WRKY33, PAL, SAMS2, orf147, MAPK3, WRR1 and SUS, were reported in the genomic regions of identified QTLs. Conclusions The significance of B. carinata in improving drought tolerance and WUE by introducing genomic segments in Indian mustard is well demonstrated. The findings also provide valuable insights into the genetic basis of drought tolerance in mustard and pave the way for the development of drought-tolerant varieties.

The correct diagnosis of heart disease can save lives, while the incorrect diagnosis can be lethal. The UCI machine learning heart disease dataset compares the results and analyses of various machine learning approaches, including deep learning. We used a dataset with 13 primary characteristics to carry out the research. Support vector machine and logistic regression algorithms are used to process the datasets, and the latter displays the highest accuracy in predicting coronary disease. Python programming is used to process the datasets. Multiple research initiatives have used machine learning to speed up the healthcare sector. We also used conventional machine learning approaches in our investigation to uncover the links between the numerous features available in the dataset and then used them effectively in anticipation of heart infection risks. Using the accuracy and confusion matrix has resulted in some favorable outcomes. To get the best results, the dataset contains certain unnecessary features that are dealt with using isolation logistic regression and Support Vector Machine (SVM) classification.

A corkscrew-shaped spirochaete named Leptospira interrogans causes the infectious disease called leptospirosis. Leptospirosis, a growing public health concern worldwide, from subclinical infections to potentially lethal pulmonary hemorrhage. The disease caused by the pathogenic Leptospira, poses a threat to both humans and animals, and its transmission occurs through contact with infected animals, contaminated water, and soil. The prevalence of leptospirosis is influenced by various factors, including climate, urban development, and animal-rearing practices. It can manifest with severe symptoms in humans, making early diagnosis crucial. Diagnostic methods like microscopic agglutination test (MAT) and enzyme-linked immunoassay (ELISA) are widely used for the screening of leptospira infection. Molecular technique like PCR and qPCR offering higher sensitivity and rapidity. This paper meta-analyses the incidence of leptospirosis in various animals based on the literature published from 2005 to 2023 and provides prevalence of the disease in various animal including humans. Results suggest the significance prevalence of the disease in humans and various animal species, namely buffalo, rodents, and dogs. Coastal regions in India were particularly vulnerable to the disease. Efforts to control leptospirosis include surveillance programs and public health initiatives. Understanding the epidemiology and prevalence of leptospirosis, as highlighted in this paper, is essential for implementing effective preventive measures. Finally, a continued research, diagnostic advancements, public awareness campaigns and addressing research gaps in epidemiology of the disease are critical in mitigating the impact on human and animal health. This review provides important data for public health authorities, veterinarians, scientists and for the public, in general.

Abstract Introduction Child marriage remains a prevalent issue in low- and middle-income countries (LMIC) despite global declines. Girls are disproportionately affected, facing health risks, limited education, and restricted decision-making power. We aim to provide insights for child marriage prevalence across LMIC from 1990 to 2020, with a focus on sexual violence and early sexual intercourse for public health policy interventions. Methods This study used World Bank datasets to assess progress in addressing child marriage in LMIC countries. Statistical analyses, including trend analysis and compound annual growth rate (CAGR), were conducted to evaluate indicators of first marriage, sexual violence, and sexual intercourse. Countries with sufficient data were categorized based on prevalence rates and trends, and detailed analysis focused on significant indicators. Results While significant reductions were observed in the prevalence of child marriage before the age of 15 and 18 and early sexual intercourse in most countries, few countries show increasing trends, and others could not demonstrate statistical trends due to data limitations, such as scarcity of data for boys. Overall, many countries showed a decline in sexual violence and early sexual intercourse before the age of 15, but some exhibited increasing trends. For instance, Zambia and Senegal showed a decreasing trend of sexual violence, while Nigeria exhibited an increasing trend. Notably, Uganda, Cameroon, and Sierra Leone for women, and Namibia, Zambia, and Kenya for men, experienced substantial decline in early sexual intercourse. Conclusion There is a decline in child marriage, sexual violence, and early sexual intercourse in most countries independent from the income group. Only a few countries show slight increasing trends. The improvements confirm that policies that address education, employment, and deep-rooted gender inequality at the societal level seem to be effective and help reach the SDG. However, better data are needed to enhance the understanding of the development of child marriage in these countries to improve the effectiveness of policy intervention. Therefore, we recommend that policymakers not only include existing evidence that continues progress but also increase and improve the monitoring of relevant indicators.

Abstract Background SARS-CoV-2 infections caused mild-to-moderate illness. However, a sizable portion of infected people experience a rapid progression of hyper-inflammatory and hypoxic respiratory illness that necessitates an effective and safer remedy to combat COVID-19. Methods A total of 150 COVID-19-positive patients with no to mild symptoms, between the age groups 19–65 years were enrolled in this randomized, open-labeled three-armed clinical trial. Among them, 136 patients completed the study with RT-PCR negative reports. The patients received herbal drugs orally (Group A (Adhatoda vasica; AV; 500 mg; n = 50); Group B (Tinospora cordifolia; TC; 500 mg; n = 43), and Group C (AV + TC; 250 mg each; n = 43)) for 14 days. Clinical symptoms, vital parameters, and viral clearance were taken as primary outcomes, and biochemical, hematological parameters, cytokines, and biomarkers were evaluated at three time points as secondary outcomes. Results We found that the mean viral clearance time was 13.92 days (95% confidence interval [CI] 12.85–14.99) in Group A, 13.44 days (95% confidence interval [CI] 12.14–14.74) in Group B, and 11.86 days (95% confidence interval [CI] 10.62–13.11) days in Group C. Over a period of 14 days, the mean temperature in Groups A, and B significantly decreased linearly. In Group A, during the trial period, eosinophils, and PT/INR increased significantly, while monocytes, SGOT, globulin, serum ferritin, and HIF-1α, a marker of hypoxia reduced significantly. On the other hand, in Group B hsCRP decreased at mid-treatment. Eosinophil levels increased in Group C during the treatment, while MCP-3 levels were significantly reduced. Conclusions All the patients of the three-armed interventions recovered from COVID-19 and none of them reported any adverse effects from the drugs. Group C patients (AV + TC) resulted in a quicker viral clearance as compared to the other two groups. We provide the first clinical report of AV herbal extract acting as a modifier of HIF-1α in COVID-19 patients along with a reduction in levels of ferritin, VEGF, and PT/INR as the markers of hypoxia, inflammation, and thrombosis highlighting the potential use in progression stages, whereas the TC group showed immunomodulatory effects. Trial registration Clinical Trials Database -India (ICMR-NIMS), CTRI/2020/09/028043. Registered 24th September 2020, https://www.ctri.nic.in/Clinicaltrials/pdf_generate.php?trialid=47443&EncHid=&modid=&compid=%27,%2747443det%27 Graphical Abstract

Incorporating jatropha biodiesel into discarded plastic oil and diesel on diesel engines and analysis of six fuel samples, three diesel types and two waste plastic diesel and jatropha biodiesel combinations. Following characterisation, a one-cylinder, DI diesel engine underwent comprehensive performance and emissions testing, involving spectroscopy. Addition of jatropha biodiesel led to reduced viscosity and density of the waste plastic-diesel blend, a 20% decrease in flash point, and 10% reductions in BSEC and BSFC, while lowering the engine's thermal efficiency by 5%. Jatropha biodiesel increased HC by 30%, reduced CO and NOx emissions by 20% and 5%. Both diesel and WPF20D60JB20 exhibited a of 36.45%, with BSEC values at full load of 9.91 and 9.84 MJ/kW-hr. WPF20D60JB20 demonstrated the best performance.

In the modern world, people are too techno-friendly and dependent on technology using the Internet for every work. The same goes for the news. People are shifting from traditional mass media to digital news platforms and getting news through websites, news portals, social media, etc. If you are dependent on the Internet for every kind of information, then you will face false information on the Internet. False or fake news is defined as any information that does not have any credible and reliable source behind it or any misleading information that is likely to mislead the public. The aim behind fake news transmission is to damage a person's or entity's reputation or advertising revenue. If you want not to fall into the fake news you should know about fake news detection and media literacy. The main purpose of the study is to check the exposure of fake news awareness and fake news detection methods among social media users. In the current scenario, this is much necessary to know that social media users have the advisable knowledge of fake news detection and media literacy because people easily fall into the rumors. Mob lynching is one of the biggest rumors on the Indian Internet. In this research, the survey method and questionnaire for data collection were used. The questionnaire was distributed randomly over different social media platforms and emails to the intended respondents. The findings obtained reveal that most fake or false news in India is transmitted through WhatsApp, but social media users have adequate knowledge of fake news and media literacy.

Emerging and reemerging fungal infections are very common in nosocomial and non-nosocomial settings in people having poor immunogenic profiles either due to hematopoietic stem cell transplants or are using immunomodulators to treat chronic inflammatory disease or autoimmune disorders, undergoing cancer therapy or suffering from an immune weakening disease like HIV. The refractory behavior of opportunistic fungi has necessitated the discovery of unconventional antifungals. The emergence of black fungus infection during COVID-19 also triggered the antifungal discovery program. Natural products are one of the alternative sources of antifungals. Endophytic fungi reside and co-evolve within their host plants and, therefore, offer a unique bioresource of novel chemical scaffolds with an array of bioactivities. Hence, immense possibilities exist that these unique chemical scaffolds expressed by the endophytic fungi may play a crucial role in overcoming the burgeoning antimicrobial resistance. These chemical scaffolds so expressed by these endophytic fungi comprise an array of chemical classes beginning from cyclic peptides, sesquiterpenoids, phenols, anthraquinones, coumarins, etc. In this study, endophytic fungi reported in the last six years (2018–2023) have been explored to document the antifungal entities they produce. Approximately 244 antifungal metabolites have been documented in this period by different groups of fungi existing as endophytes. Various aspects of these antifungal metabolites, such as antifungal potential and their chemical structures, have been presented. Yet another unique aspect of this review is the exploration of volatile antifungal compounds produced by these endophytic fungi. Further strategies like epigenetic modifications by chemical as well as biological methods and OSMAC to induce the silent gene clusters have also been presented to generate unprecedented bioactive compounds from these endophytic fungi.

RNA interference (RNAi) is a process in which small RNA molecules (such as small interfering RNAs or siRNAs) bind to specific messenger RNAs (mRNAs), leading to its degradation and inhibition of protein synthesis. Our studies have shown that RNAi can effectively silence genes involved in the replication of the Chikungunya virus (CHIKV) in cells. However, these investigations were performed only in laboratory settings and have yet to be tested in human clinical trials. Researchers need to conduct more research to determine the safety and efficacy of RNAi-based therapies as a therapeutic agent to treat viral infections. In this review, the history of evolution of siRNA as an inhibitor of protein synthesis, along with its current developments, is discussed based on our experience. Moreover, this review examines the hurdles and future implications associated with siRNA based therapeutic approaches.

The gender dimension of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) has intrigued social scientists for a long time. Although in India, women's entry to STEM higher education has been improving over the last few decades, the reality of premier institutions remains broadly unaltered. The current qualitative research was an attempt: (a) to explore the career-selection-related decision-making, (b) to detect whether gendered processes are evident in STEM research laboratories, and (c) to explore the psychological effects of gendered processes among female doctoral/postdoctoral researchers. This qualitative study relied on in-depth interviews with twenty female STEM academics pursuing doctoral or postdoctoral research in ten premier Indian institutions. A hybrid of theoretical and inductive thematic analysis has been used to analyse the qualitative data. The results revealed that the combination of individual (interest and self-efficacy) and contextual factors (parental support and role models) had impacted the researchers' decision to select and pursue higher studies in STEM. Furthermore, the current research shows that higher studies in STEM are characterised by the four defining features of gendering, i.e., gendered division of labour, gendered symbols, gendered identity, and gendered interactions (Acker, 1990). Gendering in STEM has led to self-doubt and diminished sense of belonging among the researchers.

The study has been conducted to examine the growth of the EdTech companies involved in providing education to children during lockdown and evaluate the transition that took place from offline to online education mode during COVID-19. The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) approach was applied for systematic and structured analysis. Furthermore, the study analysed the impact of digital education on students. The results revealed that the various EdTech companies such as BYJUs and UNACADEMY etc. flourished during the pandemic. However, students' engagement and participation were found to be a serious concern in conducting studies in a digital mode. Furthermore, the teachers in many places were not found comfortable using online education apps. Digital literacy training programs can be organised to counter this issue.