Search

In this paper, we compared the efficacy of observation based modeling approach using a genetic algorithm with the regular statistical analysis as an alternative methodology in plant research. Preliminary experimental data on in vitro rooting was taken for this study with an aim to understand the effect of charcoal and naphthalene acetic acid (NAA) on successful rooting and also to optimize the two variables for maximum result. Observation-based modelling, as well as traditional approach, could identify NAA as a critical factor in rooting of the plantlets under the experimental conditions employed. Symbolic regression analysis using the software deployed here optimised the treatments studied and was successful in identifying the complex non-linear interaction among the variables, with minimalistic preliminary data. The presence of charcoal in the culture medium has a significant impact on root generation by reducing basal callus mass formation. Such an approach is advantageous for establishing in vitro culture protocols as these models will have significant potential for saving time and expenditure in plant tissue culture laboratories, and it further reduces the need for specialised background.

Atmospheric aerosols strongly influence the global climate through their light absorption properties (e.g., black carbon (BC) and brown carbon (BrC)) and scattering properties (e.g., sulfate). This study presents simultaneous measurements of ambient-aerosol light absorption properties and chemical composition obtained at three large-footprint southern Asian receptor sites during the South Asian Pollution Experiment (SAPOEX) from December 2017 to March 2018. The BC mass absorption cross section (BC-MAC678) values increased from 3.5 ± 1.3 at the Bangladesh Climate Observatory at Bhola (BCOB), located at the exit outflow of the Indo-Gangetic Plain, to 6.4 ± 1.3 at two regional receptor observatories, the Maldives Climate Observatory at Hanimaadhoo (MCOH) and the Maldives Climate Observatory at Gan (MCOG), representing an increase of 80 %. This likely reflects a scavenging fractionation, resulting in a population of finer BC with higher MAC678 that has greater longevity. At the same time, BrC-MAC365 decreased by a factor of 3 from the Indo-Gangetic Plain (IGP) exit to the equatorial Indian Ocean, likely due to photochemical bleaching of organic chromophores. The high chlorine-to-sodium ratio at the BCOB, located near the source region, suggests a significant contribution of chorine from anthropogenic activities. Particulate Cl− has the potential to be converted into Cl radicals, which can affect the oxidation capacity of polluted air. Moreover, Cl− is shown to be nearly fully consumed during long-range transport. The results of this synoptic study, conducted on a large southern Asian scale, provide rare observational constraints on the optical properties of ambient BC (and BrC) aerosols over regional scales, away from emission sources. They also contribute significantly to understanding the aging effect of the optical and chemical properties of aerosols as pollution from the Indo-Gangetic Plain disperses over the tropical ocean.

Maximisation of influence propagation is a key ingredient to any viral marketing or socio-political campaigns. However, it is an NP-hard problem, and various approximate algorithms have been suggested to address the issue, though not largely successful. In this paper, we propose a bio-inspired approach to select the initial set of nodes which is significant in rapid convergence towards a sub-optimal solution in minimal runtime. The performance of the algorithm is evaluated using the re-tweet network of the hashtag #KissofLove on Twitter associated with the non-violent protest against the moral policing spread to many parts of India. Comparison with existing centrality based node ranking process the proposed method significant improvement on influence propagation. The proposed algorithm is one of the hardly few bio-inspired algorithms in network theory. We also report the results of the exploratory analysis of the network kiss of love campaign.

Abstract Strategies that aim to achieve highly stable lithium metal batteries (LMBs) are extensively explored. To date, the controlled formation of high‐quality inorganic SEI is still quite challenging, which requires a deep understanding and hence the fine‐tuning of solvation chemistry by using functional additives in the electrolyte. In this work, a high amine‐containing 1,2,4,5‐benzenetetramine tetrahydrochloride (BHCL) is developed as a dual‐function electrolyte additive for LMBs. The amine group with a high donor number increases the lithium affinity, while the phenyl group with a strong inductive effect prevents the decomposition of solvents, and the free chloride ions replace anions mediating the formation of the rigid inorganic LiCl‐rich SEI layer. The experimental results corroborate the theoretical findings. The modified Li||Li symmetric battery is stably cycled for over 2500 h at 1 mA cm−2 current density with an overpotential of ≈45 mV. The performances of the Li||Cu and Li||LFP cells are also significantly enhanced. Therefore, this work provides a promising design principle of multifunctional electrolyte additive.

Ozone at ground level (O3) is an air pollutant that is formed from primary precursor gases like nitrogen oxides (NOx) and volatile organic compounds (VOCs). It plays a significant role as a precursor to highly reactive hydroxyl (OH) radicals, which ultimately influence the lifespan of various gases in the atmosphere. The elevated surface O3 levels resulting from anthropogenic activities have detrimental effects on both human health and agricultural productivity. This paper provides a comprehensive analysis of the variations in surface O3 levels across various regions in the Indian subcontinent, focusing on both spatial and temporal changes. The study is based on an in-depth review of literature spanning the last thirty years in India. Based on the findings of the latest study, the spatial distribution of surface O3 indicates a rise of approximately 50–70 ppbv during the summer and pre-monsoon periods in the northern region and Indo-Gangetic Plain. Moreover, elevated levels of surface O3 (40–70 ppbv) are observed during the pre-monsoon/summer season in the western, southern, and peninsular Indian regions. The investigation also underscores the ground-based observations of diurnal and seasonal alterations in surface O3 levels at two separate sites (rural and urban) in Kannur district, located in southern India, over a duration of nine years starting from January 2016. The O3 concentration exhibits an increasing trend of 7.91% (rural site) and 5.41% (urban site), ascribed to the rise in vehicular and industrial operations. This review also presents a succinct summary of O3 fluctuations during solar eclipses and nocturnal firework displays in the subcontinent.

The task of providing a natural language description of graphical information of the image is known as image captioning. As a result, it needs an algorithm to create a series of output words and understand the relations between textual and visual elements. The main goal of this research is to caption the image by extracting the features and detecting the object from the image. Here, the object is detected by employing Deep Embedding Clustering. The features from the input image are extracted such as Local Vector Pattern (LVP), Spider Local Image Features, and some statistical features like mean, variance, standard deviation, kurtosis, and skewness. The extracted features and detected objects are given to image captioning which is exploited by Deep Convolutional Neural Network (Deep CNN). The Deep CNN is trained by using the proposed Adaptive Coati Optimization Algorithm (ACOA). The proposed ACOA is attained by the integration of the Adaptive concept and Coati Optimization Algorithm (COA) and thus the image is captioned. The proposed ACOA achieved maximum values in the training data such as 90.5% of precision, 89.9% of recall 89.1% of F1-Score, 90.4% of accuracy, 90.4% of BELU, and 90.9% of ROUGE. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigates the large-scale factors controlling interannual variability in dust aerosols over South Asia during 2001–2018. We use a parameter DA%, which refers to the frequency of days in a year when high dust activity is experienced over a region, as determined by a combination of satellite aerosol optical depth and the Ångström exponent. While a positive sea surface temperature (SST) anomaly in the central Pacific Ocean was important in controlling DA% over South Asia during 2001–2010; in recent years, the North Atlantic Ocean has assumed a dominant role. Specifically, high DA% is associated with warming in the midlatitude and cooling in the subtropical North Atlantic SSTs: the location of the two southern arms of the North Atlantic SST tripole pattern. This shift towards a dominant role of the North Atlantic SST in controlling DA% over South Asia coincides with a recent shift towards a persistently positive phase of the North Atlantic oscillation (NAO) and a resultant positive phase of the springtime SST tripole pattern. Interestingly, there has also been a shift in the relation between the two southern arms of the SST tripole and NAO, which has resulted in weakening of the southwest monsoon circulation over the northern Indian Ocean and strengthening of the dust-carrying westerlies and northerlies in the lower troposphere and mid-troposphere. Simulations with an Earth system model show that the positive phase of the North Atlantic SST tripole pattern is responsible for a 10 % increase in the dust optical depth over South Asia during May–September; with increases as high as 30 % during the month of June. This increase is mainly due to transport by the westerlies at the 800 hPa pressure level, which increases the dust concentration at this pressure level by 20 % on average during May–September and up to 50 % during June.

The Himalayas, also known as third pole of the Earth feed some of the major rivers of the world viz. Ganga, Indus, Brahmaputra etc. The accurate assessment of water resources in eastern Himalayas is very important for respective policy makers. The detailed assessment of water resources and hydrological cycle component are very critical for attaining United Nations sustainable development goals (SDGs) such as affordable and clean energy, clean water and sanitation and building resilient infrastructure This study focuses on Kameng river basin, estimating the melt water & its contribution to the total discharge of the river. A 3-layer VIC model coupled with energy balance algorithm is used to estimate the patterns of melt and discharge profile in the region. Net contribution of melt water to the river were estimated to be about 18% during peak melt season in upper catchments. With advancement in technology, acquiring meteorological data via remote sensing has become more accurate & of high resolution. This data is one of the major inputs of the model. With accurate forecasting of these parameters, multipurpose hydropower projects in these regions can plan well in advance thus playing a major role in Integrated Water Resource Management. In current study the coefficient of determination & Nash-Sutcliffe efficiency were calculated to be 0.82 & 0.71 respectively. With increasing population in the region, any substantial change in the streamflow will have consequences unknown as of now, thus making this study a necessity & need of hour.

Vertical distributions (altitude profiles) of condensation nuclei (CN) and cloud condensation nuclei (CCN) and their spatial variations across the Indo-Gangetic Plain (IGP) have been investigated based on airborne measurements carried out during the SWAAMI field campaign (June to July 2016) capturing the contrasting phases of the Indian monsoon activity in 2016 just prior to its onset and during its active phase. Prior to the monsoon onset, high concentrations of CN and CCN prevailed across the IGP, and the profiles revealed frequent occurrence of elevated layers (in the altitude range 1–3 km). Highest concentrations and elevated peaks with high values occurred over the central IGP. The scenario changed dramatically during the active phase of the monsoon, when the CN and CCN concentrations dropped (CN by 20 % to 30 % and CCN by 6 % to 25 %) throughout the IGP with more pronounced changes at altitudes higher than 3 km where decreases as high as > 80 % were observed. These reductions have an east-to-west decreasing gradient, being most remarkable in the eastern IGP and very weak over the western IGP where the CN concentrations above 3 km increased during the monsoon. The activation ratios (ARs) showed contrasting features, increasing with increase in altitude, prior to the onset of monsoon, reversing the trend to decrease with increase in altitude during the active phase of the monsoon. The supersaturation spectrum became flatter during the active phase of the monsoon, indicating an increase in the hygroscopicity of aerosols following the mixing of surface-based emissions with the advected marine air mass.

Regional climatic implications of aerosol black carbon (BC), which has a wide variety of anthropogenic sources in large abundance, are well recognized over South Asia. Significant uncertainties remain in its quantification due to a lack of sufficient information on the microphysical properties (its concentration, size, and mixing state with other aerosol components) that determine the absorption potential of BC. In particular, the information on the mixing state of BC is extremely sparse over this region. In this study, the first observations of the size distribution and mixing state of individual refractory black carbon (rBC) particles in the South Asian outflow to the south-eastern Arabian Sea and the northern and equatorial Indian Ocean regions are presented based on measurements using a single particle soot photometer (SP2) aboard the Integrated Campaign for Aerosols, gases, and Radiation Budget (ICARB-2018) ship during winter 2018 (16 January to 13 February). The results revealed significant spatial heterogeneity of BC characteristics. The highest rBC mass concentrations (∼938±293 ng m−3) with the highest relative coating thickness (RCT; the ratio of BC core to its coating diameters) of ∼2.16±0.19 are found over the south-east Arabian Sea (SEAS) region, which is in the proximity of the continental outflow. As we move to farther oceanic regions, though the mass concentrations decreased by nearly half (∼546±80 ng m−3), BC still remained thickly coated (RCT∼2.05±0.07). The air over the remote equatorial Indian Ocean, which received considerable marine air masses compared to the other regions, showed the lowest rBC mass concentrations (∼206±114 ng m−3) with a moderately thick coating (RCT∼1.73±0.16). Even over oceanic regions far from the landmass, regions that received the outflow from the more industrialized east coast/the Bay of Bengal had a thicker coating (∼104 nm) compared to regions that received outflow from the west coast and/or peninsular India (∼86 nm). Although different regions of the ocean depicted contrasting concentrations and mixing state parameters due to the varied extent and nature of the continental outflow as well as the atmospheric lifetime of air masses, the modal parameters of rBC mass–size distributions (mean mass median diameters ∼ 0.19–0.20 µm) were similar over all regions. The mean fraction of BC-containing particles (FBC) varied in the range of 0.08–0.12 (suggesting significant amounts of non-BC particles), whereas the bulk mixing ratio of coating mass to rBC mass was highest (8.31±2.40) over the outflow regions compared to the remote ocean (4.24±1.45), highlighting the role of outflow in providing condensable material for coatings on rBC. These parameters, along with the information on the size-resolved mixing state of BC cores, throw light on the role of sources and secondary processing of their complex mixtures for coatings on BC under highly polluted conditions. Examination of the non-refractory sub-micrometre aerosol chemical composition obtained using the aerosol chemical speciation monitor (ACSM) suggested that the overall aerosol system was sulfate-dominated over the far-oceanic regions. In contrast, organics were equally prominent adjacent to the coastal landmass. An association between the BC mixing state and aerosol chemical composition suggested that sulfate was the probable dominant coating material on rBC cores.

The field of generative artificial intelligence (AI) is experiencing rapid advancements, impacting a multitude of sectors, from computer vision to healthcare. This paper provides a comprehensive review of generative AI's evolution, significance, and applications, including the foundational architectures such as generative adversarial networks (GANs), variational autoencoders (VAEs), autoregressive models, flow‐based models, and diffusion models. We delve into the impact of generative algorithms on computer vision, natural language processing, artistic creation, and healthcare, demonstrating their revolutionary potential in data augmentation, text and speech synthesis, and medical image interpretation. While the transformative capabilities of generative AI are acknowledged, the paper also examines ethical concerns, most notably the advent of deepfakes, calling for the development of robust detection frameworks and responsible use guidelines. As generative AI continues to evolve, driven by advances in neural network architectures and deep learning methodologies, this paper provides a holistic overview of the current landscape and a roadmap for future research and ethical considerations in generative AI. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study was aimed to lay the basis for a comparative study of the diagnostic tests namely haemagglutination assay and polymerase chain reaction for their efficacy in detecting the Canine parvovirus (CPV-2) from fecal samples. A total of 342 samples (vaccinated 61 and unvaccinated 281) were used for the comparative assessment of the diagnostic assays. Out of 342 samples tested for haemagglutination assay, only 71 were positive and they were further confirmed by haemagglutination inhibition assay. Polymerase chain reaction detected 234 samples positive for Canine parvovirus indicating that PCR is more efficient than the haemagglutinating test in detecting the parvovirus from the fecal samples.

Vertical structures of aerosol single scattering albedo (SSA), from near the surface through the free troposphere, have been estimated for the first time at distinct geographical locations over the Indian mainland and adjoining oceans, using in situ measurements of aerosol scattering and absorption coefficients aboard the Facility for Airborne Atmospheric Measurements (FAAM) BAe-146 aircraft during the South West Asian Aerosol Monsoon Interactions (SWAAMI) campaign from June to July 2016. These are used to examine the spatial variation of SSA profiles and also to characterize its transformation from just prior to the onset of Indian Summer Monsoon (June 2016) to its active phase (July 2016). Very strong aerosol absorption, with SSA values as low as 0.7, persisted in the lower altitudes ( km) over the Indo-Gangetic Plains (IGP), prior to the monsoon onset, with a west-to-east gradient; lower values occurred in the north-western arid regions, peaking in the central IGP and somewhat decreasing towards the eastern end. During the active phase of the monsoon, the SSA is found to increase remarkably, indicating far less absorption. Nevertheless, significant aerosol absorption persisted in the lower and middle troposphere over the IGP. Inputting these SSA and extinction profiles into a radiative transfer model, we examined the effects of using height-resolved information in estimating atmospheric heating rates due to aerosols, over similar estimates made using a single columnar value. It was noted that use of a single SSA value leads to an underestimation (overestimation) of the heating rates over regions with low (high) SSA, emphasizing the importance of height-resolved information. Further, the use of realistic profiles showed significant heating of the atmosphere by submicron aerosol absorption at the middle troposphere, which may have strong implications for clouds and climate.

Black carbon (BC) is known to have major impacts on both climate and human health and is therefore of global importance, particularly in regions close to large populations that have strong sources. The size-resolved mixing state of BC-containing particles was characterised using a single-particle soot photometer (SP2). The study focusses on the Indo-Gangetic Plain (IGP) during the pre-monsoon and monsoon seasons. Data presented are from the UK Facility for Airborne Atmospheric Measurements BAe-146 research aircraft that performed flights during the pre-monsoon (11 and 12 June) and monsoon (30 June to 11 July) seasons of 2016. Over the IGP, BC mass concentrations were greater (1.95 µg m−3) compared to north-west India (1.50 µg m−3) and north-east India (0.70 µg m−3) during the pre-monsoon season. Across northern India, two distinct BC modes were recorded; a mode of small BC particles (core diameter  µm and coating thickness  nm) and a mode of moderately coated BC (core diameter  µm and coating thickness of 50–200 nm). The IGP and north-east India locations exhibited moderately coated black carbon particles with enhanced coating thicknesses, core sizes, mass absorption cross sections, and scattering enhancement values compared to much lower values present in the north-west. The coating thickness and mass absorption cross section increased with altitude (13 %) compared to those in the boundary layer. As the monsoon arrived across the region, mass concentration of BC decreased over the central IGP and north-east locations (38 % and 28 % respectively), whereas for the north-west location BC properties remained relatively consistent. Post-monsoon onset, the coating thickness, core size, mass absorption cross section, and scattering enhancement values were all greatest over the central IGP much like the pre-monsoon season but were considerably reduced over both north-east and north-west India. Increases in mass absorption cross section through the atmospheric column were still present during the monsoon for the north-west and central IGP locations, but less so over the north-east due to lack of long-range transport aerosol aloft. Across the Indo-Gangetic Plain and north-east India during the pre-monsoon and monsoon seasons, solid-fuel (wood burning) emissions form the greatest proportion of BC with moderately coated particles. However, as the monsoon develops in the north-east there was a switch to small uncoated BC particles indicative of traffic emissions, but the solid-fuel emissions remained in the IGP into the monsoon. For both seasons in the north-west, traffic emissions form the greatest proportion of BC particles. Our findings will prove important for greater understanding of the BC physical and optical properties, with important consequences for the atmospheric radiative forcing of BC-containing particles. The findings will also help constrain the regional aerosol models for a variety of applications such as space-based remote sensing, chemistry transport modelling, air quality, and BC source and emission inventories.

The vertical distribution in the physical and chemical properties of submicron aerosol has been characterised across northern India for the first time using airborne in situ measurements. This study focusses primarily on the Indo-Gangetic Plain, a low-lying area in the north of India which commonly experiences high aerosol mass concentrations prior to the monsoon season. Data presented are from the UK Facility for Airborne Atmospheric Measurements BAe-146 research aircraft that performed flights in the region during the 2016 pre-monsoon (11 and 12 June) and monsoon (30 June to 11 July) seasons. Inside the Indo-Gangetic Plain boundary layer, organic matter dominated the submicron aerosol mass (43 %) followed by sulfate (29 %), ammonium (14 %), nitrate (7 %) and black carbon (7 %). However, outside the Indo-Gangetic Plain, sulfate was the dominant species, contributing 44 % to the total submicron aerosol mass in the boundary layer, followed by organic matter (30 %), ammonium (14 %), nitrate (6 %) and black carbon (6 %). Chlorine mass concentrations were negligible throughout the campaign. Black carbon mass concentrations were higher inside the Indo-Gangetic Plain (2 µg m−3) compared to outside (1 µg m−3). Nitrate appeared to be controlled by thermodynamic processes, with increased mass concentration in conditions of lower temperature and higher relative humidity. Increased mass and number concentrations were observed inside the Indo-Gangetic Plain and the aerosol was more absorbing in this region, whereas outside the Indo-Gangetic Plain the aerosol was larger in size and more scattered in nature, suggesting greater dust presence, especially in north-western India. The aerosol composition remained largely similar as the monsoon season progressed, but the total aerosol mass concentrations decreased by ∼50 % as the rainfall arrived; the pre-monsoon average total mass concentration was 30 µg m−3 compared to a monsoon average total mass concentration of 10–20 µg m−3. However, this mass concentration decrease was less noteworthy (∼20 %–30 %) over the Indo-Gangetic Plain, likely due to the strength of emission sources in this region. Decreases occurred in coarse mode aerosol, with the fine mode fraction increasing with monsoon arrival. In the aerosol vertical profile, inside the Indo-Gangetic Plain during the pre-monsoon, organic aerosol and absorbing aerosol species dominated in the lower atmosphere ( km), with sulfate, dust and other scattering aerosol species enhanced in an elevated aerosol layer above 1.5 km with maximum aerosol height ∼6 km. The elevated concentration of dust at altitudes >1.5 km is a clear indication of dust transport from the Great Indian Desert, also called the Thar Desert, in north-western India. As the monsoon progressed into this region, the elevated aerosol layer diminished, the aerosol maximum height reduced to ∼2 km. The dust and sulfate-dominated aerosol layer aloft was removed upon monsoon arrival, highlighted by an increase in fine mode fraction throughout the profile.

Single scattering albedo (SSA) represents a unique identification of aerosol type and can be a determinant factor in the estimation of aerosol radiative forcing. However, SSA retrievals are highly uncertain due to cloud contamination and aerosol composition. The recent improvement in the SSA retrieval algorithm has combined the superior cloud-masking technique of the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) and the higher sensitivity of the Ozone Monitoring Instrument (OMI) to aerosol absorption. The combined OMI–MODIS algorithm has only been validated over a small spatial and temporal scale. The present study validates the algorithm over global oceans for the period from 2008 to 2012. The geographical heterogeneity in the aerosol type and concentration over the Atlantic Ocean, the Arabian Sea and the Bay of Bengal was useful to delineate the effect of aerosol type on the retrieval algorithm. We also noted that OMI overestimated SSA when absorbing aerosols were present closer to the surface. We attribute this overestimation to data discontinuity in the aerosol height climatology derived from the Cloud-Aerosol Lidar and Infrared Pathfinder Satellite Observations (CALIPSO) satellite. OMI uses predefined aerosol heights over regions where CALIPSO climatology is not present, leading to the overestimation of SSA. The importance of aerosol height was also studied using the Santa Barbara DISORT Atmospheric Radiative Transfer (SBDART) model. The results from the joint retrievals were validated using cruise-based measurements. It was seen that OMI–MODIS SSA retrievals performed better than the OMI only retrieval over the Bay of Bengal during winter, when the aerosols are present closer to the surface. Discrepancy between satellite retrievals and cruise measurements was seen when elevated aerosols were present which might not have been detected by the cruise instruments.

This study investigates the air pollution-induced mortality rate during the second wave of COVID-19, which claimed several thousand lives in the capital city of India, New Delhi, even during a lockdown period. Delhi is a hotspot of unhealthy air quality. During the second wave of COVID-19 in 2021, surface ozone levels were observed to be higher, which had a direct impact on lung function, thereby making people more susceptible to COVID-19. The correlation coefficient between surface ozone concentration and mortality has been observed to be 0.74 at a 95% confidence level. This work focuses on the plausible impact and feedback of poor air quality induced by the burning of open-air funeral pyres due to the increased COVID-19 mortality rate in New Delhi, estimated by using an epidemiological model (AirQ+) of the World Health Organization. The mortality rate estimated quantitatively with the aid of AirQ+ is 1.27 excess deaths per 100,000 population due to surface ozone from pyre burning. The findings suggest transformational system goals before the resurgence of a subsequent wave.