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Abstract Improving the forecasting accuracy of agricultural commodity prices is critical for many stakeholders namely, farmers, traders, exporters, governments, and all other partners in the price channel, to evade risks and enable appropriate policy interventions. However, the traditional mono-scale smoothing techniques often fail to capture the non-stationary and non-linear features due to their multifarious structure. This study has proposed a CEEMDAN (Complete Ensemble Empirical Mode Decomposition with Adaptive Noise)-TDNN (Time Delay Neural Network) model for forecasting non-linear, non-stationary agricultural price series. This study has evaluated its suitability in comparison with the other three major EMD (Empirical Mode Decomposition) variants (EMD, Ensemble EMD and Complementary Ensemble EMD) and the benchmark (Autoregressive Integrated Moving Average, Non-linear Support Vector Regression, Gradient Boosting Machine, Random Forest and TDNN) models using monthly wholesale prices of major oilseed crops in India. Outcomes from this investigation reflect that the CEEMDAN-TDNN hybrid models have outperformed all other forecasting models on the basis of evaluation metrics under consideration. For the proposed model, an average improvement of RMSE (Root Mean Square Error), Relative RMSE and MAPE (Mean Absolute Percentage Error) values has been observed to be 20.04%, 19.94% and 27.80%, respectively over the other EMD variant-based counterparts and 57.66%, 48.37% and 62.37%, respectively over the other benchmark stochastic and machine learning models. The CEEMD-TDNN and CEEMDAN-TDNN models have demonstrated superior performance in predicting the directional changes of monthly price series compared to other models. Additionally, the accuracy of forecasts generated by all models has been assessed using the Diebold-Mariano test, the Friedman test, and the Taylor diagram. The results confirm that the proposed hybrid model has outperformed the alternative models, providing a distinct advantage.

Abstract The present study focuses on the green synthesis of a novel Z-scheme SnS₂/HAp photocatalyst using Ocimum tenuiflorum (tulsi) leaf extract as a stabilizing agent. This approach not only emphasizes sustainability but also adds value to waste by extracting hydroxyapatite (HAp) from Labeo rohita fish scales, addressing the challenge of their disposal. The synthesized photocatalyst was thoroughly characterized using a range of analytical techniques to evaluate its crystal structure, optical properties, morphology, and elemental composition. The photocatalytic activity of the SnS₂/HAp composite was assessed through the degradation of gentian violet (GV) dye, a representative organic pollutant. Various reaction parameters were optimized to enhance the degradation efficiency, and the photocatalyst’s performance was further tested across different water matrices. Under optimal conditions, the SnS₂/HAp photocatalyst achieved a maximum photodegradation efficiency of 97.49% with a rate constant of 0.0494 min− 1 for GV dye. Additionally, it exhibited an efficiency greater than 70% against other emerging pollutants via advanced oxidation processes (AOP). The enhanced photocatalytic activity was attributed to the formation of a Z-Scheme heterojunction between SnS2 and HAp, which enhanced the charge separation efficiency and delayed the charge recombination. The study also demonstrated the photocatalyst’s remarkable reusability, maintaining high performance over five cycles and across various water environments. This highlights its potential as a sustainable solution for the removal of organic pollutants from aqueous streams. Finally, a Z-scheme electron transport mechanism is proposed to explain the photodegradation process of GV dye using the SnS₂/HAp photocatalyst.

Abstract This study aimed to classifying wheat genotypes using support vector machines (SVMs) improved with ensemble algorithms and optimization techniques. Utilizing data from 302 wheat genotypes and 14 morphological attributes to evaluate six SVM kernels: linear, radial basis function (RBF), sigmoid, and polynomial degrees 1–3. Various optimization methods, including grid search, random search, genetic algorithms, differential evolution, and particle swarm optimization, were used. The radial basis function kernel achieves the highest accuracy at 93.2%, and the weighted accuracy ensemble further improves it to 94.9%. This study shows the effectiveness of these methods in agricultural research and crop improvement. Notably, optimization-based SVM classification, particularly with particle swarm optimization, saw a significant 1.7% accuracy gain in the test set, reaching 94.9% accuracy. These findings underscore the efficacy of RBF kernels and optimization techniques in improving wheat genotype classification accuracy and highlight the potential of SVMs in agricultural research and crop improvement endeavors.

Abstract The main challenges for utilizing daily evapotranspiration (ET) estimation in the study area revolve around the need for accurate and reliable data inputs, as well as the interpretation of ET dynamics within the context of local agricultural practices and environmental conditions. Factors such as cloud cover, atmospheric aerosols, and variations in land cover pose challenges to the precise estimation of ET from remote sensing data. This research aimed to utilize Landsat 8 and 9 datasets from the 2022–23 period in the Udham Singh Nagar district to apply the modified Priestley-Taylor (MPT) model for estimating ET. An average ET was estimated 1.33, 1.57, 1.70, 2.99, and 3.20 mm day−1 with 0.29, 0.33, 0.41, 0.69, and 1.03 standard deviation for December, January, February, March, and April month, respectively. In the validation phase, a strong correlation was found between the evaporative fraction derived from MPT and that observed by lysimeter, with R2 = 0.71, mean biased error = 0.04 mm day−1, root mean squared error = 0.62 mm day-1 and agreement index of 0.914. These results collectively support the effectiveness of the MPT model in accurately estimating ET across Udham Singh Nagar district. In essence, this research not only confirms the MPT model’s capability in ET estimation but also offers detailed insights into the spatial and temporal fluctuations of energy fluxes and daily ET rates.

Abstract Introduction Quality of life (QoL) is a subjective measure reflecting individuals’ evaluations based on their personal goals and values. While global research shows the role of neighborhood factors like ethnic diversity and socio-cultural dynamics on QoL, these are unexplored in the Nepali context. Therefore, this study examined the relationship between neighborhood environment and QoL among Nepali older adults in eastern Nepal. Methods This cross-sectional study involved 847 non-institutionalized older adults (aged ≥ 60 years) from two districts in eastern Nepal. QoL was evaluated using the 13-item brief Older People’s Quality of Life questionnaire, where a mean score of

Abstract Background Takayasu arteritis (TA) is a chronic inflammatory disease of unknown etiology characterized by a large vessel vasculitis involving the aorta and its branches. Myocardial involvement is extremely unusual in TA and is mostly in the form of myocarditis, ventricular hypertrophy, and ventricular dysfunction secondary to coronary ischemia. Submitral aneurysms have been reported in TA and has been attributed to the chronic inflammatory process in TA. Case presentation We report a novel instance of left ventricular apical aneurysm in a 37-year-old lady with TA and normal epicardial coronaries. She was diagnosed with a left ventricular apical aneurysm, moderate aortic regurgitation, and moderate pericardial effusion. The coronary arteries were normal. The patient had concomitant chronic active Epstein–Barr virus infection complicating patient outcome. Conclusions Left ventricular apical aneurysm with normal epicardial coronaries is a rare cause of heart failure in Takayasu arteritis. Concomitant chronic active Epstein–Barr virus infection can potentially accentuate the inflammatory process in Takayasu arteritis and complicate management and patient outcomes.

Introduction: Permanent pacemaker implantation (PPI) in neonates is challenging with respect to indications, device selection, implantation technique, and long-term outcomes. Complex anatomy, the need for long-term pacing with high rates, and a problematic postoperative period are the major problems. Methods: We prospectively followed up 22 newborns who underwent PPI below 28 days of life at our institute. Results: The median age at implantation was 2 days (interquartile range 1–9 days), and 9% were born preterm. The average heart rate before implantation was 46.4 ± 7.2 bpm. Maternal lupus antibodies were positive in 8 (36.4%) neonates, whereas 11 (50.0%) had associated congenital heart disease. Nineteen neonates underwent single chamber (VVI) and three underwent dual chamber (DDD) pacemaker implantation. Over a median follow-up of 46 months (range 2–123 months), the average ventricular pacing percentage was 87.5 ± 24.9%, with a stable pacing threshold. Seven children underwent pulse generator replacement due to battery depletion at a median age of 47 months. Pacing-induced ventricular dysfunction was seen in five children at a median age of 23.6 months, and two underwent upgradation to cardiac resynchronization therapy. Overall mortality was 13.6%, all due to tissue hypoperfusion and lactic acidosis in the postimplantation period. Conclusions: PPI in neonates has a favorable outcome with excellent lead survival. Overall mortality is 13.6%, which is predominantly in the postimplantation period and related to myocardial dysfunction.

Abstract Several farmed fish species, including carps, tilapia, salmon, and catfish, have experienced significant economic losses in aquaculture due to motile Aeromonas septicemia caused by Aeromonas hydrophila. In the present study, a novel lytic bacteriophage infecting hypervirulent Aeromonas hydrophila (vAh) was isolated and characterized. This is the first report of a phage against vAh. Phage AhFM11 demonstrated lytic activity against both vAh strains and the A. hydrophila reference strain ATCC 35654. The AhFM11 genome was sequenced and assembled, comprising 168,243 bp with an average G + C content of 41.5%. The genome did not harbor any antibiotic resistance genes. Genomic information along with transmission electron microscopy revealed that phage AhFM11 belongs to the Straboviridae family. Therapeutic application of monophage AhFM11 in fish showed 100% survival in injection, 95% in immersion and 93% in oral feeding of phage top-coated feed. Fish and chicken meat spiked with A. hydrophila and phage showed significant reduction of A. hydrophila. These findings support that phage AhFM11 can be used as a biocontrol agent against vAh as an alternative to antibiotics.

Background: Despite documented correlation between glioma grades and dynamic contrast-enhanced (DCE) magnetic resonance (MR) perfusion-derived parameters, and its inherent advantages over dynamic susceptibility contrast (DSC) perfusion, the former remains underutilized in clinical practice. Given the inherent spatial heterogeneity in high-grade diffuse glioma (HGG) and assessment of different perfusion parameters by DCE (extravascular extracellular space volume [Ve] and volume transfer constant in unit time [k-trans]) and DSC (rCBV), integration of the two into a protocol could provide a holistic assessment. Considering therapeutic and prognostic implications of differentiating WHO grade 3 from 4, we analyzed the two grades based on a combined DCE and DSC perfusion.

This study examines the influence of planting mixture variations on the quality of the percolated water of the rain garden with and without plants. Six planting mixtures in experimental rain gardens have been used. It has been noted that pollutant removal efficiency of RG can exhibit variations based on specific parameters. Notably, RG6, utilizing a planting mix of 75% topsoil and 25% compost, demonstrated the highest performance. These results draw attention to the critical role of the specific planting mixtures in influencing the performance of vital parameters related to pollutant removal. The observation shows that RG5 exhibits exceptional removal efficiency in pH, Total Suspended Solids (TSS), Biological Oxygen Demand (BOD), and Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD), and RG6 performs best in electrical conductivity (EC), Total Dissolved Solids (TDS), Total Nitrogen (TN), and Total Phosphorus (TP) removal. In particular, when analyzing pollutant removal on a surface with Madagascar periwinkle plants, RG6 emerges as the most effective, achieving an impressive efficiency of approximately 49%. For the bare surface, pollutant removal efficiency is 40%. The study outcome will be useful in deciding the composition of the planting mixture, which will keep the rain garden to improve quality and quantitatively hydrological performance, lowering urban flooding magnitude. HIGHLIGHTS The rain garden planting mixture influences pollutant removal efficiency.; The performance of rain garden with plant is superior to a bare rain garden.; The rain garden having a planting mixture of topsoil in the range of 75–80% and compost in the range of 20–25% performance is best.;

This study presents a method for the inverse analysis of fluid flow problems. The focus is put on accurately determining boundary conditions and characterizing the physical properties of granular media, such as permeability, and fluid components, like viscosity. The primary aim is to deduce either constant pressure head or pressure profiles, given the known velocity field at a steady-state flow through a conduit containing obstacles, including walls, spheres, and grains. The lattice Boltzmann method (LBM) combined with automatic differentiation (AD) (AD-LBM) is employed, with the help of the GPU-capable Taichi programming language. A lightweight tape is used to generate gradients for the entire LBM simulation, enabling end-to-end backpropagation. Our AD-LBM approach accurately estimates the boundary conditions for complex flow paths in porous media, leading to observed steady-state velocity fields and deriving macro-scale permeability and fluid viscosity. The method demonstrates significant advantages in terms of prediction accuracy and computational efficiency, making it a powerful tool for solving inverse fluid flow problems in various applications.

High-energy-density liquid fuels can be utilized as an energetic supplement to conventional fuels and are essential for volume-limited aerospace vehicles to boost payload and flying range. JP-10 has attracted much attention because of its high density, flash point, high volumetric heat, and low freezing point. Here we report the hydroisomerization of endo-tetrahydrodicyclopentadiene to exo-tetrahydrodicyclopentadiene (the main component of JP-10) was investigated over the TiO2/SO4 supported Ba(10 %)/Se(5–20 %) catalysts. This work aims to examine changes in continuous processing settings to maximize exo-THDCPD production, selectivity, and conversion. It was discovered that the synthesized TiO2/SO4/Ba(10 %)/Se(5–20 %) heterogeneous catalysts were novel, more effective, affordable, environmentally friendly, and simple to produce. The catalyst’s physicochemical characteristics were examined using FT-IR, BET, XRD, HR-SEM, HR-TEM, TGA and NH3-TPD. The produced TiO2/SO4/Ba(10 %)/Se(5–20 %) nano-catalysts have good catalytic activity and a wide range of active Lewis and Brønsted acid sites. Evaluation of the isomerization of endo-THDCPD to exo-THDCPD was conducted in a high-pressure fixed-bed continuous reactor operating at 200 °C, 20 bar of pressure, and 4.0mol/h of H2 flow rate. According to the investigations, the synthesized catalyst with a 15 % Se load performs exceptionally well, exhibiting 100 % conversion, 98.5 % selectivity, and 98.5 % yield at an H2 flow rate of 10 ml/min. The isomerized product is used in Jet Propellant-10, a high-density fuel. Under ideal circumstances, exo-THDCPD with a high degree of purity (>98 wt%) was produced without the need for any sort of separation technique.

Purpose: The enriched compost has good potential as an alternative source of nutrients. In particular, less work has been done on enriched compost for green leafy crops. Method:The current study intended to determine how enriched compost affected the horticultural characteristics of Palak. Three repetitions of a randomized complete block design (RCBD) were used to test ten combinations, i.e. T1-Recommended dosage of fertilizers (RDFs) + Farmyard manure (FYM) (85:30:0 N: P: K kg/ha + 20 t/ha); T2-50% RDFs + FYM 10 t/ha; T3-FYM 20 t/ha; T4-mineral (Rock Phosphate) enriched compost (MEC1) 5 ha-1; T5-microbial enriched compost (MEC2) 5 t/ha; T6-vermicompost (VC) 5 t/ha; T7-50% MEC1 + MEC2 +50%); T8-MEC1 + MEC2 (75% + 25%); T9-MEC1 + MEC2 (25% + 75%); T10-absolute control (no application) for two consecutive years. Results: The results for growth and yield parameters revealed that the application of MEC1 + MEC2 (50% + 50%) during cultivation were found statistically at par with treatment combination T1 RDF 100% (85:30:0 N: P: K kg/ha) + FYM (10 t/ha) and led to remarkable rise in height of plants, numbers of leaves, length of petiole, leaf area, petiole diameter, giving rise to the maximum Yield in contrast to other modules (105.71 q/ha). Regarding characteristics of quality, ascorbic acid (88.54 mg), total phenols (22.52 mg), minerals content, and antioxidant activity (4.46%) were recorded higher in the same treatment T7 due to organically nutrition availability. Conclusion: It can be concluded that the application of enriched compost (MEC1 + MEC2) results in a decreased use of chemical fertilizers, leading to increased growth and Yield and enhancing the quality of leafy vegetables for human consumption. Research Highlights • Enriched compost can improve leafy vegetable growth, productivity, and nutritional quality, promoting sustainable agriculture and enhancing environmental and human health. • Compared to conventional fertilizers, EC1 + EC2 (50 percent each) treatment significantly increased plant height, leaf number, and yield. • Furthermore, enhanced compost application improved leafy vegetable quality, such as moisture, ascorbic acid, total phenols, minerals, chlorophyll, and antioxidant activity, boosting nutritional value. • Overall, application-enriched manures reduce chemical fertilizer consumption and increase crop production, making them a sustainable alternative.

Opuntia (Cactaceae) species are native to arid and semi-arid regions of Mexico and the southern United States and grow in various climatic zones. Opuntia dillenii is a cactus fruit with many beneficial properties, and it is used as a medicinal plant in various countries. This review paper provides updated information on the phytochemical and pharmacological aspects of O. dillenii. The fruit contains valuable compounds such as flavonoids, phenolics, ascorbic acid, betanin, and essential elements, which have been isolated and identified. The fruit also exhibits diverse pharmacological activities, such as antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-tumor, neuroprotective, hepatoprotective, hypotensive, anti-diabetic, antifungal, and anticancer effects. Moreover, molecular docking and ADMET predictions were performed to evaluate the antibacterial potential of the fruit against Escherichia coli protein. This paper suggests that O. dillenii has significant potential as a complementary therapy for various pathological conditions.

BackgroundPresbycusis is characterized by sensorineural hearing loss in both ears at high frequencies, which affects more than half of the older adults by the age of 75 years and is often accompanied by tinnitus and cognitive deterioration. Unfortunately, there are no treatments available to restore hearing loss. Treatment mainly focuses on improving the quality of life and communication with hearing aids. Traditional medicine like Ayurveda also explains ailments of a similar nature as Badhirya and advises using drugs with antiaging and neuroprotective activity for treatment. In Ayurveda, Badhirya and Karnanada (senile deafness with tinnitus) are due to vitiation of Vata Dosha. Treatments such as topical oil pooling (Karnapurana) are usually advised to counter Vata, improve hearing capacity, and reduce tinnitus. Kshirabala Taila, a medicated oil formulation prepared with Sida cordifolia Linnaeus, is one of the most preferred oils for topical oil pooling in such conditions, as it has a definitive indication for sensory dysfunctions. Drugs like Withania somnifera (L.) Dunal (Ashwagandha) are also used, as they ameliorate neurodegeneration and help to improve cognitive dysfunction. ObjectiveWe propose an exploratory randomized controlled trial study for evaluating the efficacy of TOPMAC (Topical Oil Pooling with Kshirabala Taila and Supplementation of Ashwagandha Churna) in tinnitus suppression and hearing and cognitive function protection in patients aged 60-75 years with mild to moderate presbycusis. MethodsA parallel, 2-group, exploratory randomized controlled trial will be conducted in an Indian Ayurvedic research center at its outpatient service. Participants (N=60) with mild to moderate presbycusis will be recruited by screening. Participants will be randomized (computer-generated 1:1) to receive either basic treatment and health education (BTHE) or BTHE+TOPMAC for 24 weeks. The primary objective is to compare the efficacy of TOPMAC with that of BTHE in the protection of hearing function. The secondary objective is to compare the efficacy of TOPMAC with that of BTHE in tinnitus suppression and cognitive function protection. ResultsThis project was funded in January 2023. The institutional ethics committees at National Ayurveda Research Institute for Panchakarma (3/1/2020/NARIP/Tech/2036) and Institute for Communicative and Cognitive Neuro Sciences (IEC006) approved this study. The first patient was enrolled in September 2023; 22 participants were enrolled as of August 2024. The data analysis is yet to start, and the results are expected to be published by January 2025. ConclusionsIf this exploratory trial is proven effective, it will steer the setting of a definitive randomized controlled trial to test whether the TOPMAC intervention can be incorporated as a cost-effective integrative approach for managing presbycusis. The Indian government has already launched a National Program for Prevention and Control of Deafness to benefit the deaf population. TOPMAC may later be considered for integration with the national program. Trial RegistrationClinical Trials Registry India CTRI/2023/04/051485; https://tinyurl.com/2h2hry3n International Registered Report Identifier (IRRID)DERR1-10.2196/55089

Aim: The present study compared the safety, efficacy, and tolerability of the new fixed-dose combination (FDC) of telmisartan 40 mg + bisoprolol 5 mg (TBP) tablets with the existing comparator FDC telmisartan 40 mg + metoprolol succinate ER 50 mg (TMS) tablets in patients with stage 1 and stage 2 hypertension. Methodology: The multicentric, double-blind, parallel-group, comparative, prospective, phase-III clinical study involved 264 subjects with stage 1 and stage 2 hypertension from 10 centres across India. The selected subjects were randomized into two groups: group A received the TMS and group B received the new FDC TBP. The primary endpoint was the mean change in seated systolic blood pressure (SeSBP) and seated diastolic blood pressure (SeDBP) from baseline to week 12 in both the control and study arms. The secondary endpoint was achieving the target of SeSBP

Abstract Ensuring global food security under present and futuristic scenario of climate change accompanied by expanding population is of major concern worldwide. Researchers across the world are focusing on sustainable agronomic practices to combat climate change induced issues like desertification, reduction in crop yield, pest outbreaks, and reduction in soil health. Biochar has demonstrated positive effects on plant growth, development, fruit quality, carbon capture and sequestration. Studies indicate that biochar amendments to soil can enhance soil health, plant growth and development as well as help in combating abiotic stressors. Biochar has several properties that make it an attractive soil amendment, including high porosity, surface area, water-holding capacity, and the ability to increase soil microbiota, which in turn can promote nutrient uptake and reduce soil erosion. Environmentally, biochar’s ability to degrade organic pollutant as well as sequester carbon makes it a very attractive addition to sustainable agriculture. Nonetheless, biochar has also been reported to have potential hazardous impacts on human health associated with possible leakage of toxic elements and particulate matter pollution. However, lack of exhaustive studies that detail all the major aspects of biochar application in agroecosystem impedes decision making on its overall usability in agriculture. There exists a need for comprehensive review that cover all the important aspects of biochar supplementation. This review provides a thorough overview of the multifaceted impacts of biochar, encompassing its positive effects on soil, plant growth, development and environment, while also exploring the limitations along with potential toxic effects associated with its application.

Abstract Degradation of bromocresol green in alcohol-water solution using ozone micron sized bubbles is reported. A high speed impeller is used to generate micro bubbles of ozone in liquid while ozone is generated using a commercial ozone generator. A 3-level-3-factor Box–Behnken experimental design is used to statistically identify relative importance of the operating parameters studied namely impeller speed, initial concentration of dye and treatment time. Ozone dosage is kept fixed at 4 g/h. Impeller speed is found to be the most dominant factor according to Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) calculations. Kinetics for degradation of bromocresol green in solution is also reported. A second order kinetics is seen to fit the experimental (concentration–time) data, corresponding value of rate constant being 0.0153 L/mg-s. Based on the laboratory scale data a detailed techno-commercial analysis of a scaled up (75 kL/day) plant for ozone based degradation of bromocresol is presented. All relevant economic indicators pertaining to the scaled up plant are reported. A specific treatment cost of Rs. 100/m3 of treated water yields a return on investment (ROI) of 68.77 and discounted payback period of 5 years.

Abstract Suspended sediment concentration prediction is critical for the design of reservoirs, dams, rivers ecosystems, various operations of aquatic resource structure, environmental safety, and water management. In this study, two different machine models, namely the cascade correlation neural network (CCNN) and feedforward neural network (FFNN) were applied to predict daily-suspended sediment concentration (SSC) at Simga and Jondhara stations in Sheonath basin, India. Daily-suspended sediment concentration and discharge data from 2010 to 2015 were collected and used to develop the model to predict suspended sediment concentration. The developed models were evaluated using statistical indices like Nash and Sutcliffe efficiency coefficient (NES), root mean square error (RMSE), Willmott’s index of agreement (WI), and Legates–McCabe’s index (LM), supplemented by a scatter plot, density plots, histograms and Taylor diagram for graphical representation. The developed model was evaluated and compared with CCNN and FFNN. Nine input combinations were explored using different lag-times for discharge (Qt-n) and suspended sediment concentration (St-n) as input variables, with the current suspended sediment concentration as the desired output, to develop CCNN and FFNN models. The CCNN4 model with 4 lagged inputs (St-1, St-2, St-3, St-4) outperformed the other developed models with the lowest RMSE = 95.02 mg/l and the highest NES = 0.0.662, WI = 0.890 and LM = 0.668 for the Jondhara Station while the same CCNN4 model secure as the best with the lowest RMSE = 53.71 mg/l and the highest NES = 0.785, WI = 0.936 and LM = 0.788 for the Simga Station. The result shows the CCNN model was better than the FFNN model for predicting daily-suspended sediment at both stations in the Sheonath basin, India. Overall, CCNN showed better forecasting potential for suspended sediment concentration compared to FFNN at both stations, demonstrating their applicability for hydrological forecasting with complex relationships.

Background: Tibial spine anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) avulsion injuries are uncommon injuries and are less accompanied with tear or rupture of ligaments. Posterior cruciate ligament (PCL) avulsions are significantly associated with concomitant injuries. Methods: Thirteen patients with tibial avulsion fractures were studied (7 with anterior cruciate and 6 with posterior cruciate ligament avulsion fractures). All patients were operated with open reduction and internal fixation with metallic stainless steel or titanium implants and were followed up for 12-24 months. Functional and clinical outcomes were observed with Lysholm knee score and GH SF36 score at 6 months, 1 year and at final visit. Results: Mean radiological union was 11.6 weeks in both cruciate avulsion fractures. Of the 13 cases, 11 were treated with cannulated screws and 2 were treated with 3.5 mm stainless steel plate. We had observed mean motion of knee to be 131.42° in ACL avulsion fractures and 143.33° in PCL avulsion fractures. Mean Lysholm score at final visit was 87.38 and mean SF36 general health score was 85.41. Conclusion: In regards of cruciate ligaments tibial avulsion fractures, metallic implants are coveted choice of fixation with charismatic experience of learning and expertise. Metallic implants impose a definite functional outcome with sure and reliable union rate and secure activity of daily living without any implant related adverse issues.

Abstract The present study examined the role of age and sex in the outcomes of non-surgical periodontal therapy (NSPT). De-identified demographic and periodontal characteristics of patients who presented for baseline periodontal evaluation, NSPT, and periodontal re-evaluation were abstracted from electronic health records. Independent associations of age and sex with severe periodontitis defined as ≥ 5 mm clinical attachment loss (CAL) and ≥ 6 mm probing depth (PD) were determined using multinomial logistic regression. The null hypothesis was rejected at α

Introduction: In dentistry, colour is one of the most important dimensions of aesthetics. Due to the diverse food habits in India, stains accumulate on dentures. Various denture cleansing agents such as Fittydent and Clinsodent are widely used, emphasising the importance of patient oral hygiene. Aim: To evaluate the colour stability of heat-cure activated acrylic denture base resins {Dental Products of India (DPI) and Trevalon} after staining with tea and coffee, subsequently treated with Clinsodent, Fittydent, and distilled water (control group) as cleansing agents. Materials and Methods: This in-vitro study was conducted at Swargiya Dadasaheb Kalmegh Smruti Dental College and Hospital, Nagpur, in the Department of Prosthodontics, Crown and Bridge, and Implantology in collaboration with Indorama, Nagpur, Maharashtra, India, over a period of approximately 90 days (August-October 2017). Total 120 samples were prepared in-vitro study using custom-made brass metal discs measuring 10 mm by 2 mm. Trevalon and DPI heat-cure acrylic denture base resins were used for sample preparation. Baseline colour stability values were established after immersing the samples in distilled water at 37°C for 24 hours. The samples were then stained for eight hours, followed by immersion in different cleansing agents and distilled water for 12 hours. This process was repeated every 24 hours for 60 days, with the staining and cleansing agents replenished daily. Colour measurements were taken at baseline, 15th, 30th, 45th, and 60th days. Statistical analysis involved t-tests and one-way Analysis of Variance (ANOVA). Results: The DPI denture base resin exhibited a highly significant ΔE (change in energy) at 45 days (p=0.0001), while Trevalon showed significance at 60 days (p=0.0079). The difference in means was statistically significant using t-tests for independent samples, and the variance-measure analysis indicated statistical significance in the means of ΔE. The comparison of the three cleansing agents at 60 days was statistically obtained using one-way ANOVA. Conclusion: Dental Products of India (DPI) showed more colour variation than Trevalon. Tea showed a higher staining than coffee. Staining intensity increased over time, peaking at 45 days and stabilising thereafter. Clinsodent is better than Fittydent in removing stains.

Abstract Background Prior research has reaffirmed lifestyle risk behaviors to cluster among adolescents. However, the lifestyle cluster effect on suicidal thoughts and behaviors (STBs) was unclear among adolescents in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). No comparison of such associations was conducted across nations. Methods Data from 45 LMICs were obtained from the Global School-based Student Health Survey (GSHS) between 2009 and 2019. Lifestyle behavior factors were collected through a structured questionnaire. Suicidal ideation, plan, and attempt were ascertained by three single-item questions. Lifestyle risk scores were calculated via a sufficient dimension reduction technique, and lifestyle risk clusters were constructed using a latent class analysis. Generalized linear mixed models with odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) were used to estimate the lifestyle-STB associations. Results A total of 229,041 adolescents were included in the final analysis. The weighted prevalence of suicidal ideation, plan, and attempt was 7.37%, 5.81%, and 4.59%, respectively. Compared with the favorable lifestyle group, the unfavorable group had 1.48-, 1.53-, and 3.11-fold greater odds of suicidal ideation (OR = 1.48, 95%CI: 1.30–1.69), plan (OR = 1.53, 95%CI 1.34–1.75), and attempt (OR = 3.11, 95%CI 2.64–3.65). Four clusters of lifestyle risk behaviors were identified, namely healthy lifestyles (H–L), insufficient intake of vegetables and fruit (V-F), frequent consumption of soft drinks and fast food (D-F), and tobacco smoking and alcohol drinking (S-A) clusters. Compared with H–L cluster, V-F cluster was associated with 43% and 42% higher odds of suicidal ideation and plan, followed by S-A cluster (26% for ideation and 20% for plan), but not significant in D-F cluster (P > 0.05). D-F cluster was associated with 2.85-fold increased odds of suicidal attempt, followed by V-F cluster (2.43-fold) and S-A cluster (1.18-fold). Conclusions Clustering of lifestyle risk behaviors is informative for risk stratification of STBs in resource-poor settings. Lifestyle-oriented suicide prevention efforts should be initiated among school-attending adolescents in LMICs.

In this work, Flory statistical theory is employed to predict the important physicochemical properties namely density, isothermal compressibility, internal pressure, coefficient of volume expansion, energy of vaporization, heat of vaporization, cohesive energy density, solubility parameter and polarity index for three binary mixtures of PEG-400 + [CnMim][Br], where n=4, 6, and 8 at different temperatures (T= 298.15 K, 308.15 K, and 318.15 K). Furthermore, the applicability of Flory statistical theory to predict certain physicochemical properties has been verified. Excess properties viz., excess enthalpy, excess Gibbs free energy, and excess entropy are also determined for these binary mixtures. The variation of energy of vaporization, heat of vaporization, solubility parameter and excess parameters are used to analyze the catalytic behavior and prevalent molecular interactions of these mixtures.

Semiconductor materials capable of absorbing visible light are of considerable importance in photocatalysis due to their energetic properties. This study presents the layered synthesis of a novel hybrid compound exhibiting enhanced photocatalytic properties. The composite led to the formation of a potential layered double hydroxide/metal–organic framework (LDH/MOF) heterojunction through the interaction of layered Mg/Al double hydroxide distributed over corn cob hydrochar (HC). Characterization techniques including XPS, XRD, SEM, and TEM corroborated this, demonstrating the presence of all three pristine materials. HC, in addition to serving as a support for nanoparticles, facilitates the distribution of LDH active sites, as evidenced by XRD, resulting in an initial composite with amorphous characteristics. XPS data indicate that Mg species derived from the LDH and dispersed over HC in the presence of the MOF ligand act as preferential binding sites during the deposition of MIL-53(Al) onto the HC/LDH surface. UV–Vis DRS results confirm that the final composite possesses a band gap (Eg) of approximately 1.55 eV, enabling activation under commercial LED light. Degradation results obtained through advanced oxidation processes (AOPs) demonstrate that pharmaceuticals (Tetracycline, Betamethasone, and Oxytetracycline) and pesticides (Metsulfuron-methyl and Nicosulfuron) achieved degradation rates exceeding 99 % within 1 h in all cases, even when the irradiation source was within the visible spectrum. Remarkably, only 20 mg of the material were required in 50 mL of solution, with each contaminant prepared at a concentration of 50 mg L-1. Consequently, we present a novel material that exhibits exceptional energy utilization efficiency for AOPs, particularly effective against emerging contaminants.

In recent years, plastic has emerged as a widely used material, replacing traditional materials across various industries due to its versatility and convenience. However, this extensive adoption of plastic has resulted in significant environmental challenges, especially in managing mixed plastic waste. To address this, energy recovery technologies have been developed to offer alternative recycling methods for plastic waste. This study specifically focuses on producing hydroprocessed plastic pyrolysis oil from mixed waste plastic to create environmentally compliant fuel. The scrutiny compares the resultant fuel with diesel using hydroprocessing techniques and catalytic pyrolysis. Physicochemical characterization and GC–MS analysis compare the properties and compositions of MPPO, HPO, and diesel fuel. The waste polymers, which included HDPE, PP, and LDPE, were hydroprocessed and pyrolysed using platinum sulphate on zirconia oxide supports to produce a diesel equivalent. The alkane content of the blended fuel that was produced was 95 % that of diesel. The n-alkane levels in the carbon number ranges C11–C15 and C16–C20 were, respectively, 25 % and 10 % lower than diesel. But as one might expect from mixing heavy fuel oil, there were substantially more n-alkanes with carbon numbers of C21–C25. The combined fuel contained 10 % fewer isoalkanes than diesel. Ships can be powered by low-carbon fuel that was created by combining hydroprocessed fuel with commercial heavy fuel oil. Since the alternative fuel will emit considerably fewer emissions, the maritime industry can choose to replace it in order to help fulfil.

Realizing the intricate relationships between drought, vegetation dynamics, and climate change is essential for sustainable resource management. Although temperature and rainfall patterns are the primary determinants of these fluctuations, human activity also plays a significant role. Recent decades have witnessed significant climate change events, particularly in peninsular India. Analyzing these year-by-year variations in rainfall and temperature is essential for informed decision-making. This knowledge can guide the development of innovative adaptation strategies to ensure sustainable livelihoods in the region. This study utilizes the Google Earth Engine platform to analyze yearly climate data and relevant geographical indices from 2003 to 2023 across Peninsular India. The analysis reveals a statistically significant increase in mean annual rainfall (0.262 mm/year) alongside a slight rise in regional land surface temperature (LST) trends (0.102 °C/year). However, yearly average anomaly values for LST also show an upward trend, rising from 2.56 in 2003 to 3.23 in 2023. This suggests a potential shift in rainfall patterns, with potential consequences for water availability. Rising temperatures coupled with altered rainfall patterns can lead to water scarcity, especially in regions reliant on rain-fed agriculture. This has a direct impact on crop yields and overall agricultural productivity. Despite rising temperatures, the analysis using drought indices suggests a decline in average annual drought severity across Peninsular India, with values decreasing from 0.33 in 2003 to 2.70 in 2023. Interestingly, we found a strong positive association between rainfall and vegetation indices, while rainfall and LST exhibited a negative correlation. Interestingly, while rainfall and LST exhibited a negative correlation, a strong positive association was found between rainfall and vegetation indices. These comprehensive findings hold significant potential for informing future climate projections and promoting sustainable development in peninsular India through evidence-based applications.

Background: Having a child with a serious illness like cancer has a detrimental and negative impact on the parents’ health-related quality of life (HRQOL). Many factors have been identified as being associated with poorer HRQOL. Acquiring knowledge about these factors is essential to enhancing the quality of life (QOL) of children as well as their parents. Aim: This study aims to analyze HRQOL in parents of children with cancer and to explore relationships between parent and child variables and parental quality of life. Materials and Methods: A total of 80 parents of children with cancer were enrolled in this cross-sectional study. To evaluate the parental HRQOL, the Short Form 36 Health Survey Questionnaire (SF-36) was used. Results: Child age and time since diagnosis showed a positive correlation with all domains of HRQOL on Spearman’s correlation. A statistically significant difference in SF-36 scores across four cancer groups was seen on the Kruskal–Wallis test. Mothers showed poorer quality of life in the physical role functioning domain as compared to fathers (U = 248, P < 0.01). Conclusion: The present study shows poor HRQOL for parents of children with cancer, despite learning to cope and adjust over time. Parents of children with retinoblastoma demonstrate a poorer QOL as compared to other cancer groups. The study suggests close monitoring of parents’ QOL and the provision of appropriate treatment and psychosocial support for parents along with the treatment of children.

Egyptian clover/Berseem (Trifolium alexandrinum L.) is the most popular winter leguminous multi-cut fodder crop widely cultivated in the northwest and central parts of India. Quality seed significantly impacts farm productivity, farmers’ profitability, and socioeconomic welfare. Foundation and certified seeds enable high-quality seed production, making breeder seed (BS) the most important link in the seed supply chain. In India, berseem BS indent had increased from 1998 - 99 to 2012–13; afterwards, it followed a constant but decreasing trend. Of the 27 notified cultivars, 24 came into the seed supply chain between 1998–1999 and 2021–2022, indicating high varietal availability to stakeholders. The study examines the potential causes of the national decline in BS indent and production and the differences in these figures over time. The highest BS indent was received for the variety JB-1 (276.1 q), followed by BL-10 (205.1 q), Mescavi (165.6 q) and Wardan (153.7 q) from 1998 - 99 to 2021–22. The varietal replacement rate (VRR) is high, 43.30 %, for the varieties that have reached the age of five or less in the recent three years (2019–20 to 2021–22). Additionally, it has been calculated that if the seed chain operates at 100 % efficiency, the BS generated (48.1q) in 2021–22 can cover an area of almost 0.12 million hectares in 2024–25. The study offers an in-depth overview of berseem BS indent and production, an analysis of the difficulties encountered in BS production, and future directions for expanding variety and producing excess BS in the nation.

Cadmium (Cd), which accumulates in tobacco leaves, enters the human body through inhalation of smoke, causing harmful effects on health. Therefore, identifying the pivotal factors that govern the absorption and resistance of Cd in tobacco is crucial for mitigating the harmful impact of Cd. In the present study, four different Cd-sensitive varieties, namely, ZhongChuan208 (ZC) with resistance, ZhongYan100 (ZY), K326 with moderate resistance, and YunYan87 (YY) with sensitivity, were cultivated in hydroponic with different Cd concentrations (20 µM, 40 µM, 60 µM and 80 µM). The results indicated that plant growth was significantly decreased by Cd. Irrespective of the Cd concentration, ZC exhibited the highest biomass, while YY had the lowest biomass; ZY and K326 showed intermediate levels. Enzymatic (APX, CAT, POD) and nonenzymatic antioxidant (Pro, GSH) systems showed notable variations among varieties. The multifactor analysis suggested that the ZC and ZY varieties, with higher levels of Pro and GSH content, contribute to a decrease in the levels of MDA and ROS. Among all the Cd concentrations, ZC exhibited the lowest Cd accumulation, while YY showed the highest. Additionally, there were significant differences observed in Cd distribution and translocation factors among the four different varieties. In terms of Cd distribution, cell wall Cd accounted for the highest proportion of total Cd, and organelles had the lowest proportion. Among the varieties, ZC showed lower Cd levels in the cell wall, soluble fraction, and organelles. Conversely, YY exhibited the highest Cd accumulation in all tissues; K326 and ZY had intermediate levels. Translocation factors (TF) varied among the varieties under Cd stress, with ZC and ZY showing lower TF compared to YY and K326. This phenomenon mainly attributed to regulation of the NtNramp3 and NtNramp5 genes, which are responsible for the absorption and transport of Cd. This study provides a theoretical foundation for the selection and breeding of tobacco varieties that are resistant to or accumulate less Cd.

Background: Piper longum L. is a tropical and subtropical medicinal plant that has been used as antidiabetic, diarrhea, stomachache, cough, asthma, and bronchitis since ancient times. The in vitro-grown callus from the leaf, however, has not been tested and utilized for any of these conditions. Thus, this research pursues to assess the comparative study of antioxidant, antibacterial, and antidiabetic activities of in vitro-grown callus and various parts of Piper longum-grown in the wild. Methods: The antioxidant activity of crude extracts and the fractions were determined by DPPH (1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl) free-radical scavenging assay, the antibacterial activity by agar-well diffusion method, and antidiabetic activity by α-amylase and α-glucosidase inhibition assay. In addition, the total phenol content (TPC) and total flavonoid contents (TFC) were calculated using Folin-Ciocalteau reagent and aluminum chloride complex-forming assay respectively. Results: The highest antioxidant activity (IC50=134.81±1.16 µg/mL), TPC (41.22±0.50 mg of GAE/g dry weight), and TFC (73.41±0.53 mg of QE/g dry weight) were obtained in the dichloromethane (DCM) fraction of root than other crude extracts and fractions. The DCM fractions of root exhibited the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) at 5.0 mg/mL and minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) of 8.35 mg/mL to the Staphylococcus aureus. Moreover, the DCM fraction of root showed the highest α-amylase and α-glucosidase inhibition (IC50=365.21±31.02 and 489.07±27.96 µg/mL) than other crude extracts and fractions. To the best of our information, comparative antioxidant (IC50=206.61±0.64 µg/mL), antibacterial (suppressed 80 % of tested bacteria), and antidiabetic (IC50=1165.15±15.63 and 1304.76±12.43 µg/mL) properties of the in vitro-grown callus were recorded for the first time in P. longum, and were found to be comparative to those of the wild-grown parts. Conclusions: These results showed that wild-grown P. longum roots, particularly the DCM fraction, could be an important source of natural antioxidants, antimicrobials, and antidiabetics for better curative uses than other wild-grown parts and in vitro-grown callus. In vitro-grown callus, however, could be used as a natural drug source and used to conserve P. longum in its natural habitats in the future.

Sentiment analysis is one of the promising approaches for developing a point of interest (POI) recommendation system. It uses natural language processing techniques that deploy expert insights from user-generated content such as reviews and feedback. By applying sentiment polarities (positive, negative, or neutral) associated with each POI, the recommendation system can suggest the most suitable POIs for specific users. The proposed study combines two models for POI recommendation. The first model uses bidirectional long short-term memory (BiLSTM) to predict sentiments and is trained on an election dataset. It is observed that the proposed model outperforms existing models in terms of accuracy (99.52%), precision (99.53%), recall (99.51%), and F1-score (99.52%). Then, this model is used on the Foursquare dataset to predict the class labels. Following this, user and POI embeddings are generated. The next model recommends the top POIs and corresponding coordinates to the user using the LSTM model. Filtered user interest and locations are used to recommend POIs from the Foursquare dataset. The results of our proposed model for the POI recommendation system using sentiment analysis are compared to several state-of-the-art approaches and are found quite affirmative regarding recall (48.5%) and precision (85%). The proposed system can be used for trip advice, group recommendations, and interesting place recommendations to specific users.

The present experiment was conducted during winter (rabi) seasons of 2019–20 and 2020–21 at the ICAR-Indian Grassland and Fodder Research Institute, Jhansi, Uttar Pradesh to study the genetic diversity amongst oat (Avena sativa L.) lines for micronutrients and agro-morphological traits. For study, 150 oat accessions collected from different sources were evaluated for two years and four micronutrients (Zn, Cu, Fe and Mn) and 9 agro-morphological traits were recorded. Genotypes IG02122 (464.0 mg/kg), IG02156 (48.1 mg/kg), IG03271 (136.0 mg/kg), and IG03213 (22.0 mg/kg) had maximum Fe, Zn, Mn and Cu content in fodder (harvested at 50% flowering). Genotype IG0280 had both high Zn (36.97 mg/kg) and Mn (114.33 mg/kg); IG03233 had high Cu (18.0 mg/kg) and Mn (124.0 mg/kg); and IG02131 had high Cu (18.33 mg/kg) and Fe (369.0 mg/kg) content. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) highlighted significant genotypic differences (P

Background: Lactic acid bacteria (LAB) are utilized as a starter culture in the manufacturing of fermented dairy items, as a preservative for various food products, and as a probiotic. In our country, some research has been carried out, even if LAB plays a principal role in food preservation and improves the texture and taste of fermented foods, that is why we tried to evaluate their probiotic effect. The objective of this research was to determine the antibacterial activity of Lactococcus lactis (L. lactis) against Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) ATCC 29213, investigate their antioxidant activity, and characterize their sensitivity against 18 antibiotics. Methods: A total of 23 LAB (L. lactis subsp. cremoris, L. lactis subsp. Lactis diacetylactis, L. lactis subsp. lactis) were isolated from cow's raw milk. The antibacterial activity was performed using two techniques, competition for nutrients and a technique utilizing components nature, using the disk diffusion method. The sensitivity of the studied LAB to different antibiotics was tested on Man rogosa sharp (MRS) agar using commercial antibiotic disks. All strains of LAB were examined for their antioxidant activity. The antioxidant activity of L. lactis was tested by 2,2-diphenyl-1 picrylhydrazyl (DPPH). Results: The results showed that the MRS medium was more adapted than Muller Hinton Agar (MHA) to investigate the antibacterial activity of L. lactis against S. aureus ATCC 29213. Also, L. lactis exhibited a notable degree of antibacterial activity against S. aureus ATCC 29213. L. Lactis subsp. Lactis displayed higher antibacterial activities, followed by L. lactis ssp. lactis biovar. diacetylactis, and lastly, L. lactis ssp. cremoris against S. aureus ATCC 29213. Lc 26 among all strains of L. lactis showed a high potential antibacterial activity reaching 40 ± 3 mm against S. aureus ATCC 29213. All strains of L. lactis showed a slightly moderate antioxidant activity (10.56 ± 1.28%-26.29 ± 0.05 %). The results of the antibiotic resistance test indicate that all strains of L. lactis were resistant to cefotaxime, sulfamethoxazole-trimethoprim, and streptomycin and were sensitive to Ampicillin, Amoxicillin, Penicillin G, Teicoplanin, Vancomycin, Gentamicin 500, Tetracycline, and Chloramphenicol. These test results indicate that this strain falls within the criteria of not posing any harmful effects on human health. The important antibacterial properties recorded for all L. Lactis strains were derived from the production of antibacterial active metabolites, such as protein, diacetyl, hydrogen peroxide, and lactic acid, together with the fight for nutrients. Conclusion: This study suggests that the strains of L. lactis could be added as an antibacterial agent against S. aureus ATCC 29213 and can provide an important nutritional property for their antioxidant potential.

Novel anticancer drugs of natural origin have increased tremendously due to the resistance of multiple chemotherapeutic drugs in breast cancer therapy and their high toxicity with undesirable side effects. The study investigates the bioactivity of secondary metabolites derived from Bacillus cereus PSMS6 isolated from marine soil sediment in the Velar estuary, Parangepattai, Cuddalore district, Tamil Nadu, and India. Strains were isolated and antagonistic activity was screened using the agar well diffusion method. B. cereus PSMS6 exhibited potency, and its crude extract was tested for antioxidant, anticancer, and cytotoxic MTT assay potential. The methanolic extract of B. cereus PSMS6 was analyzed by mass spectrometry HRLC-MS and FT-IR to determine the bioactive compounds. A drug interaction study with the anti-breast cancer protein HER2 was performed by molecular docking analysis. Antioxidant activities were determined using total antioxidant scavenging assay, ABTS and DPPH free radical scavenging assays. The total antioxidant scavenging assay of the crude extract of B. cereus methanol had an IC50 value of 28.33±1.01, in ABTS IC50 value of the extract was 29.00±0.28 and in DPPH the IC50 of the extract was 34.91±0.09. The negative ion compound Palmitoylglycerone phosphate had a LibDock score of 149.487 and the positive ion compound N5-(4-Methoxybenzyl) glutamine had 120.116. These compounds show promising anticancer activity. The current study reported that the bioactive secondary metabolite of B. cereus PSMS6 retains anti-cancer, and antioxidant properties. This is the first report to show the production of the Palmitoylglycerone phosphate metabolite from B. cereus PSMS6.

This study presents a novel approach for object detection and tracking in aerial images using a multi-scale Northern Goshawk Pyramid Generative Adversarial Network (NGPGAN). The research evaluates different algorithms and features to identify people, trees, cars, and buildings in real-world drone videos, addressing challenges in pinpointing specific objects among multiple entities. Object detection and tracking are crucial tasks in various industries, prompting increased exploration of machine learning, particularly deep learning techniques. The proposed NGPGAN model integrates object detection and tracking stages, leveraging the Kalman filter with Northern Goshawk Optimization (NGO) for tracking and employing NGPGAN for detection. To enhance training stability, Northern Goshawk Optimization is utilized to optimize the generator’s cost and loss functions, mitigating issues like non-convergence and mode collapse. The study evaluates the proposed architecture’s performance using aerial drone data, focusing on efficiency and accuracy compared to existing methods.

This paper presents a novel concept of a DC-AC converter that ensures AC voltage modulation on four levels using a single branch and achieves voltage boosting. The proposed boost inverter is based on a single-stage topology and does not use a DC-DC boosting part. Compared with a cascaded boost inverter topology, the proposed converter is bidirectional and allows operation at a lower DC-link voltage, which reduces voltage stress across devices. The inverter topology contains an additional DC capacitor. An adequate voltage level for this capacitor is maintained by a switched-capacitor-based (SC)-based balancing circuit. The balancing process is of low complexity because it only requires the synchronization of the SC branch control signals with the PWM of the inverter. The balancing circuit operates in resonant mode to avoid inrush currents. The main power circuit of the converter does not use diodes, and can be adequate for MOSFET or GaN-based implementations. It can be configured as a single-phase or multiphase system. The results presented in this paper demonstrate the correctness of the converter concept and its modulation, voltage stresses of switches, and balancing process of the auxiliary capacitor. The experimental results confirm the feasibility of this concept and demonstrate the operation and efficiency of the inverter.

Abstract The significant natural energy sources for reducing the global usage of fossil fuels are renewable energy (RE) sources. Solar energy is a crucial and reliable RE source. Site selection for solar photovoltaic (PV) farms is a crucial issue in terms of spatial planning and RE policies. This study adopts a Geographic Information System (GIS)-based Multi-Influencing Factor (MIF) technique to enhance the precision of identifying and delineating optimal locations for solar PV farms. The choice of GIS and MIF is motivated by their ability to integrate diverse influencing factors, facilitating a holistic analysis of spatial data. The selected influencing factors include solar radiation, wind speed, Land Surface Temperature (LST), relative humidity, vegetation, elevation, land use, Euclidean distance from roads, and aspect. The optimal sites of solar PV power plant delineated revealed that ‘very low’ suitability of site covering 4.866% of the study area, ‘low’ suitability of site 13.190%, ‘moderate’ suitability of site 31.640%, ‘good’ suitability of site 32.347%, and ‘very good’ suitability of site for solar PV power plant encompassing 17.957% of the study area. The sensitivity analysis results show that the solar radiation, relative humidity, and elevation are the most effective on the accuracy of the prediction. The validation of the results shows the accuracy of solar PV power plant prediction using MIF technique in the study area was 81.80%. The integration of GIS and MIF not only enhances the accuracy of site suitability assessment but also provides a practical implementation strategy. This research offers valuable insights for renewable energy policymakers, urban planners, and other stakeholders seeking to identify and develop optimal locations for solar energy power farms in their respective regions.

Background: Behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia (BPSD) influence dementia care significantly. BPSD can be affected by factors related to the patient's illness and socio-cultural background. Aim: This study aimed to find a relationship between BPSD with patients' socio-demographic and clinical profiles and their caregivers' distress in a tertiary care center. Materials and Methods: In this hospital-based cross-sectional study, the purposive sampling technique was used to select 100 dementia patients. A comprehensive record of socio-demographic and clinical details was made on a self-prepared semi-structured data sheet. The Neuropsychiatric Inventory Questionnaire was the principal tool to find the BPSD and related caregivers' distress. Results: The sample comprised predominantly Hindu (91%) male patients (66%) with Alzheimer's dementia (76%) coming from rural backgrounds (74%) and joint familial systems (96%), with a mean age of 71.77 ± 7.41 years. Patients' main caregivers were their children/children-in-law (65%). The severity of an overall BPSD and its variable individual domains were directly related to the duration of dementia, patients' age, their cognitive decline, and related decline in activities of living, as well as their caregivers' distress. In comparison to Alzheimer's disease patients, those with other dementia types had more impairment in cognitive functions and activities of daily living and they had a higher number and severity of BPSD. Conclusion: The advancing age, increased duration of dementia, and decline in cognition and related activities of daily living of the patients, as well as their caregivers' distress, are important correlates of BPSD. The findings are essential for the better management of dementia patients.

Introduction: A double volume exchange transfusion for hyperbilirubinaemia often requires more than one pack of compatible blood to fulfil the calculated volume. This is often unavailable, necessitating exchange transfusion using less than the calculated double-volume. During practice, the authors found that many patients had a positive therapeutic response even when the exchange blood volume was reduced. Aim: To study the effect of the reduced volume of blood used for exchange transfusion in neonates with hyperbilirubinaemia. Materials and Methods: A retrospective cohort study was conducted in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU), Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church Medical College (tertiary level), Kerala, India, between January 2015 and December 2020. Total 116 patients who underwent exchange transfusion for hyperbilirubinaemia, regardless of gestational age, were included. Pre- and postexchange details, blood chemistry and haemogram were collected from the records and analysed. The patients were grouped into group 1 (80-≤120 mL/kg) and group 2 (>120-≤160 mL/kg) based on the volume of blood used for exchange transfusion. The correlation of exchange blood volume with the percentage drop in bilirubin, rebound rise of bilirubin at six hours, duration of phototherapy, and duration of admission was studied using Pearson’s/Spearman’s correlation. Data were statistically analysed using Independent samples t-test, Paired sample t-test, and Chi-square test to determine, if there was a significant difference between the groups. Results: Out of 116 patients, group 1 had 67 (57.78%) patients, and group 2 had 49 (42.24%) patients. The mean±Standard Deviation (SD) gestational age was 37.6±1.57 weeks, and 59 (50.86%) were males. The mean±SD postexchange bilirubin was 13.12±3.85 mg/dL in group 1 and 10.26±2.78 mg/dL in group 2, resulting in a bilirubin reduction of 40.74±12.81% and 53.81±11.67%, respectively. The rebound bilirubin at six hours (13.15±4.32 mg/dL vs 11.23±2.30 mg/dL) made no clinical difference in the management of the patient. The median duration of phototherapy was 48 hours, and the median duration of admission was five days in both groups. Conclusion: Exchange transfusion with a lower volume of blood, followed by phototherapy, can lead to a clinically acceptable reduction in serum bilirubin. Non availability of the exact 160 mL/kg of blood for exchange is not an adequate reason to delay exchange transfusion.

The concept of utilizing microgrids (MGs) to convert buildings into prosumers is gaining massive popularity because of its economic and environmental benefits. These pro-sumer buildings consist of renewable energy sources and usually install battery energy storage systems (BESSs) to deal with the uncertain nature of renewable energy sources. However, because of the high capital investment of BESS and the limitation of available energy, there is a need for an effective energy management strategy for prosumer buildings that maximizes the profit of building owner and increases the operating life span of BESS. In this regard, this paper proposes an improved energy management strategy (IEMS) for the prosumer building to minimize the operating cost of MG and degradation factor of BESS. Moreover, to estimate the practical operating life span of BESS, this paper utilizes a non-linear battery degradation model. In addition, a flexible load shifting (FLS) scheme is also developed and integrated into the proposed strategy to further improve its performance. The proposed strategy is tested for the real-time annual data of a grid-tied solar photovoltaic (PV) and BESS-powered AC-DC hybrid MG installed at a commercial building. Moreover, the scenario reduction technique is used to handle the uncertainty associated with generation and load demand. To validate the performance of the proposed strategy, the results of IEMS are compared with the well-established energy management strategies. The simulation results verify that the proposed strategy substantially increases the profit of the building owner and operating life span of BESS. Moreover, FLS enhances the performance of IEMS by further improving the financial profit of MG owner and the life span of BESS, thus making the operation of prosumer building more economical and efficient.

The growth of the tourism industry has greatly boosted the Point-of-Interest (POI) recom- mendation tasks using Location-based Social Networks (LBSNs). The ever-evolving nature of user preferences poses a major problem. To address this, we propose a Long-Term Preference Mining (LTPM) approach that utilizes the Temporal Recency (TR) measure in the visits along with the location-aware recommendation based on Spatial Proximity (SP) to the user’s location. The temporal dynamics and changing preferences are exploited based on the modified Long Short-term Memory (LSTM) that utilizes the time decay. The spatial considerations are modeled in two aspects: geographical proximity based on enhanced representation learning using orthogonal mapping. Second, the Region-of-Interest (ROI) is based on spatial griding and metric learning to capture the spatial relationships between POIs to enhance the metric space representation. The final recommendations are based on a multi-head attention mechanism that allocates the weights to different features. The combination of three models, called, LTPM-TRSP approach captures the user-POI, POI-POI, and POI-time relationships by focusing on the informative representation of sequential and spatial data. The category-aware final recommendations based on comprehensive historical behavior and geographical context are quite efficacious. The experimentation on three real-world datasets, Gowalla, Foursquare, and Weeplaces, also suggests the potency compared to other state-of-the-art approaches.

Andrew Leland’s The Country of the Blind: A Memoir at the End of Sight is a personal narrative of the writer’s decades-long transition from sightedness to blindness triggered by retinitis pigmentosa (RP), an eye condition that first affects one’s peripheral vision and gradually results in total loss of sight. It is also an inquiry into the history, culture, and the sociopolitical discourse surrounding blindness. This combination makes the book a part of the tradition of American life-writing that approaches blindness both as a lived experience and a subject of historical inquiry. The said tradition includes Georgina Kleege’s Sight Unseen (1999) and M. Leona Godin’s Their Plant Eyes: A Personal and Cultural History of Blindness (2021), works that demonstrate the centrality of writing to one’s understanding of blindness and emphasise that blindness is as much cultural and political as personal.

AbstractVibrio vulnificus an opportunistic human pathogen native to marine/estuarine environment, is one of the leading causes of death due to seafood consumption and exposure of wounds to seawater worldwide. The present study involves the whole genome sequence analysis of an environmental strain of V. vulnificus (clinical genotype) isolated from seafood along the Mangaluru coast of India. The sequenced genome data was subjected to in-silico analysis of phylogeny, virulence genes, antimicrobial resistance determinants, and secretary proteins using suitable bioinformatics tools. The sequenced isolate had an overall genome length of 4.8 Mb and GC content of 46% with 4400 coding DNA sequences. The sequenced strain belongs to a new sequence type (Multilocus sequence typing) and was also found to branch with a phylogenetic lineage that groups the most infectious strains of V. vulnificus. The seafood isolate had complete genes involved in conferring serum resistance yet showed limited serum resistance. The study identified several genes against the antibiotics that are commonly used in their treatment, highlighting the need for alternative treatments. Also, the secretory protein analysis revealed genes associated with major pathways like ABC transporters, two-component systems, quorum sensing, biofilm formation, cationic antimicrobial peptide (CAMP) resistance, and others that play a critical role in the pathogenesis of the V. vulnificus. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of a detailed analysis of the genomic information of a V. vulnificus isolated from the Indian subcontinent and provides evidence that raises public health concerns about the safety of seafood.

Plastics reinforced with glass fiber have a significant likelihood of being replaced by natural fiber hybrid composites (NFHCs). Making holes helps in part assembly, which is a crucial activity in the machining of composite constructions. As a result, choosing the right drill bit and cutting parameters is crucial to creating a precise and high-quality hole in composite materials. The present study employs the Taguchi approach to examine the delamination behavior and hole quality of ramie–bamboo composite laminates consisting of epoxy and nano-fillers (SiC, Al2O3) with feed, spindle speed, and three distinct drill bit types. Surface roughness and delamination are significantly influenced by feed and spindle speed, as indicated by the results of the analysis of variance. It was found that the spindle speed had a major impact on the delamination factor and surface roughness, while the feed and drill bit type had a minor influence. The surface roughness (76.5%) and delamination factor (66.7%) are significantly affected by the spindle speed.

Introduction: Earthquake-induced liquefaction can cause substantial lateral spreading, posing threats to infrastructure. Machine learning (ML) can improve lateral spreading prediction models by capturing complex soil characteristics and site conditions. However, the “black box” nature of ML models can hinder their adoption in critical decision-making.Method: This study addresses this limitation by using SHapley Additive exPlanations (SHAP) to interpret an eXtreme Gradient Boosting (XGB) model for lateral spreading prediction, trained on data from the 2011 Christchurch Earthquake.Result: SHAP analysis reveals the factors driving the model's predictions, enhancing transparency and allowing for comparison with established engineering knowledge. Notably, the SHAP values expose an unexpected behavior in the PGA feature. Moreover, the results demonstrate that the XGB model successfully identifies the importance of soil characteristics derived from Cone Penetration Test (CPT) data in predicting lateral spreading, validating its alignment with domain understanding.Discussion: This work highlights the value of explainable machine learning for reliable and informed decision-making in geotechnical engineering and hazard assessment.

A series of six novel polyesters (P1-P6) were obtained via by direct polycondenzation with hydroxyl functional-appended chromone and curcumin based monomers (M1, M2 and M3) were synthesized and subjected to thermogravimetric and spectroscopic analyses for structural characterization. The synthesized polymers were soluble common organic solvent such as DMF, THF, DMAc and 1-methyl-2-pyrrolidinone (NMP). The molecular weight of the polymers was found to be ranged from 3.390 × 105 – 1.1 × 105 g/mol by GPC-MALS. X-ray diffraction pattern of polyesters indicates P1, P2 and P3 are amorphous in nature, whereas polymer P4, P5, and P6 shows crystalline nature. The receptor VEGFR2 kinase can expand the synthesized molecules into 2D and 3D supramolecular networking through π-π stacking, hydrophobic, and H-bonding interactions. The cell viability effects of polymers on the growth of cell lines A549, HeLa and VERO were evaluated in vitro by MTT assay. The polymer P3 displayed potent anticancer activity compared to the other polymers. Research is undergone in developing curcumin chromone functional polymer as a workable biopolymer which could find value in the present findings.

Point-of-interest (POI) recommendation is one of the primary tasks of location-based social networks (LBSNs). With user data in bulk, extracting useful information and addressing issues such as data sparsity and cold-start problems looming large in collaborative filtering become difficult. One of the plausible solutions is to incorporate contextual information into the recommendation process. In this article, we propose a Recency-based Spatio-Temporal Similarity Exploration (RSTSE) for POI recommendation that utilizes the recency-based trust estimation among the prospective neighbors of the target user. The trust level is categorized into two heads: direct trust, which can be extracted from the peer group information of the user, and indirect trust, which is measured based on venue popularity, temporal recency, radial proximity, and transitivity. The approach consists of two phases. In the incipient phase, POIs are extracted based on the preferences of potential neighbors, including the users who are recognized peers, the users with similar visiting histories in the spatial and temporal context, and the users with friend-of-friend relations. The telic phase involves Neural Collaborative Filtering (NCF) to capture the linear and non-linear user–POI interactions better. RSTSE has been evaluated on three real-world datasets, namely, Gowalla, Foursquare, and Weeplaces, and the results suggest efficacy over other state-of-the-art approaches.