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Abstract This study focuses on the Indian gold futures market where primary participants hold sentimental value for the underlying asset and are globally ranked number two in terms of the largest private holdings in the physical form. The trade of gold futures relates to seasons, festivity, and government policy. So, the paper will discuss seasonality and intervention in the analysis. Due to non-constant variance, we will also use the standard variance stabilization transformation method and the ARIMA/GARCH modelling method to compare the forecast performance on the gold futures prices. The results from the analysis show that while the standard variance transformation method may provide better point forecast values, the ARIMA/GARCH modelling method provides much shorter forecast intervals. The empirical results of this study which rationalise the effect of seasonality in the Indian bullion derivative market have not been reported in literature.

Zinc oxide, a well-known inorganic metal oxide in nanoparticle form, has outstanding antibacterial properties. In this work, the authors focus on determining ZnO nanoparticles’ structural, optical, and antibacterial activity. A simple soft chemical route synthesizes C-ZnO nanoparticles chemically, while the green synthesis method is used to prepare G-ZnO nanoparticles. Ocimum tenuiflorum leaf extract was used to prepare G-ZnO nanopowders. These samples are investigated and compared in terms of their structural, morphological, optical, and antibacterial properties. According to XRD investigations, the synthesized ZnO nanopowders possess a hexagonal structure. The particle size of G-ZnO is smaller than that of C-ZnO nanoparticles. The XPS result revealed the binding and interactions between molecules. The FTIR study confirmed the presence of molecules and their vibrations. UV-vis-DRS spectroscopy was used to investigate optical properties such as reflectance and band gap. The grain size of the G-ZnO nanopowders was decreased, and oxygen vacancy was produced. The antibacterial efficiency of plant extracts against two different bacterial strains, S. aureus (Gram-positive) and E.coli (Gram-negative), has been studied and reported.

Finger millet, an orphan crop, possesses immense potential in mitigating climate change and could offer threefold security in terms of food, fodder, and nutrition. It is mostly cultivated as a subsistence crop in the marginal areas of plains and hills. Considering the changes in climate inclusive of recurrent weather vagaries witnessed every year, it is crucial to select stable, high-yielding, area-specific, finger millet cultivars. Sixty finger millet varieties released across the country were evaluated over six consecutive rainy seasons from 2011 to 2016 at the Agricultural Research Station, Vizianagaram. The genotype × environment interaction (GEI) was found to be significant in the combined ANOVA. Furthermore, the Additive Main effects and Multiplicative Interaction (AMMI) analysis asserted that genotypes and the GEI effects accounted for approximately 89% of the total variation. Strong positive associations were observed in an estimated set of eleven stability parameters which were chosen to identify stable genotypes. Furthermore, Non-parametric and Parametric Simultaneous Selection indices (NP-SSI and P-SSI) were calculated utilizing AMMI-based stability parameter (ASTAB), modified AMMI stability value (MASV), and Modified AMMI Stability Index (MASI) to identify stable high yielders. Both methods had inherent difficulties in ranking genotypes for SSI. To overcome this, the initial culling [i.e., SSI with culling strategy (C-SSI)] of genotypes was introduced for stability. In the C-SSI method, the top ten genotypes were above-average yielders, while those with below-average yield were observed in NP-SSI and P-SSI methods. Similarly, the estimation of best linear unbiased prediction (BLUP)-based simultaneous selections, such as harmonic mean of genotypic values (HMGV), relative performance of genotypic values (RPGV), and harmonic mean of relative performance of genotypic values (HMRPGV), revealed that none of the top ten entries had below-average yield. The study has proven that C-SSI and BLUP-based methods were equally worthy in the selection of high-yielding genotypes with stable performance. However, the C-SSI approach could be the best method to ensure that genotypes with a considerable amount of stability are selected. The multi-year trial SSI revealed that entries Indaf-9, Sri Chaitanya, PR-202, and A-404; and VL324 and VL146 were ascertained to be the most stable high-yielding genotypes among medium-to-late and early maturity groups, respectively.

Pearl millet is a climate-resilient, nutritious crop with low input requirements that could provide economic returns in marginal agro-ecologies. In this study, we report quantitative trait loci (QTLs) for iron (Fe) and zinc (Zn) content from three distinct production environments. We generated a genetic linkage map using 210 F6 recombinant inbred line (RIL) population derived from the (PPMI 683 × PPMI 627) cross using genome-wide simple sequence repeats (SSRs). The molecular linkage map (seven linkage groups) of 151 loci was 3,273.1 cM length (Kosambi). The content of grain Fe in the RIL population ranged between 36 and 114 mg/Kg, and that of Zn from 20 to 106 mg/Kg across the 3 years (2014–2016) at over the three locations (Delhi, Dharwad, and Jodhpur). QTL analysis revealed a total of 22 QTLs for grain Fe and Zn, of which 14 were for Fe and eight were for Zn on three consecutive years at all locations. The observed phenotypic variance (R2) explained by different QTLs for grain Fe and Zn content ranged from 2.85 (QGFe.E3.2014–2016_Q3) to 19.66% (QGFe.E1.2014–2016_Q3) and from 2.93 (QGZn.E3.2014–2016_Q3) to 25. 95% (QGZn.E1.2014–2016_Q1), respectively. Two constitutive expressing QTLs for both Fe and Zn co-mapped in this population, one on LG 2 and second one on LG 3. Inside the QTLs candidate genes such as Ferritin gene, Al3+ Transporter, K+ Transporters, Zn2+ transporters and Mg2+ transporters were identified using bioinformatics approaches. The identified QTLs and candidate genes could be useful in pearl millet population improvement programs, seed, restorer parents, and marker-assisted selection programs.

Pearl millet [Pennisetum glaucum (L.) R. Br.] is grown under both arid and semi-arid conditions in India, where other cereals are hard to grow. Pearl millet cultivars, hybrids, and OPVs (open pollinated varieties) are tested and released by the All India Coordinated Research Project on Pearl Millet (AICRP-PM) across three zones (A1, A, and B) that are classified based on rainfall pattern. Except in locations with extreme weather conditions, hybrids dominate pearl millet growing areas, which can be attributed to hybrid vigor and the active role of the private sector. The importance of OPVs cannot be ruled out, owing to wider adaptation, lower input cost, and timely seed availability to subsidiary farmers cultivating this crop. This study was conducted to scrutinize the presently used test locations for evaluation of pearl millet OPVs across India, identify the best OPVs across locations, and determine the variation in grain Fe and Zn contents across locations in these regions. Six varieties were evaluated across 20 locations in A1 and A (pooled as A) and B zones along with three common checks and additional three zonal adapted checks in the respective zones during the 2019 rainy season. Recorded data on yield and quality traits were analyzed using genotype main effects and genotype × environment interaction biplot method. The genotype × environment (G × E) interaction was found to be highly significant for all the grain yield and agronomic traits and for both micronutrients (iron and zinc). However, genotypic effect (G) was four (productive tillers) to 49 (grain Fe content) times that of G × E interaction effect for various traits across zones that show the flexibility of OPVs. Ananthapuramu is the ideal test site for selecting pearl millet cultivars effectively for adaptation across India, while Ananthapuramu, Perumallapalle, and Gurugram can also be used as initial testing locations. OPVs MP 599 and MP 600 are identified as ideal genotypes, because they showed higher grain and fodder yields and stability compared with other cultivars. Iron and zinc concentration showed highly significant positive correlation (across environment = 0.83; p < 0.01), indicating possibility of simultaneous effective selection for both traits. Three common checks were found to be significantly low yielders than the test entries or zonal checks in individual zones and across India, indicating the potential of genetic improvement through OPVs.

The Binomial Model and the Black Scholes Model are the popular methods that are used to solve the option pricing problems. Binomial Model is a simple statistical method and Black Scholes model requires a solution of a stochastic differential equation. Pricing of European call and a put option is a very difficult method used by actuaries. The main goal of this study is to differentiate the Binominal model and the Black Scholes model by using two statistical model - t-test and Tukey model at one period. Finally, the result showed that there is no significant difference between the means of the European options by using the above two models.

The Taguchi’s orthogonal array is based on a mathematical model of factorial designs. This paper investigates the effects of four parameters in Probability of Default (PD) using Black-Scholes model (BSM) for call option at one period by considering asset value V, firm’s debt X, expected growth r and the volatility σ. The main aim is to determine which parameters affect mostly on PD of a firm. The experiment is based on the orthogonal array L9 in which the four parameters are varied at three levels. Finally, the ANOM is used to describe the best combination and ANOVA is implemented to measure the contribution of the given independent variables.

Abstract Background Gold exchange-traded funds, since introduction, are primarily aimed at tracking the price of physical gold in the financial market. This, a category of exchange-traded funds, whose units represent physical gold, is traded on exchanges like any other financial instrument. In the Indian financial market, gold exchange traded funds were introduced a decade ago to facilitate ordinary households' participation in the bullion market. They were also designed to assist in the price discovery mechanism of the bullion market. Presentation of the hypothesis In this paper, it is attempted to check if one of the constituents of price discovery mechanism, informational efficiency, has been achieved in gold exchange-traded funds’ market. Information efficiency becomes evident only when all available information is reflected in the market price of the instrument. Testing the hypothesis Therefore, in order to assess the weak-form efficiency of the gold exchange-traded funds market, the daily returns of five gold exchange-traded funds traded on the Indian Stock Exchange over the period March 22, 2010, to August 28, 2015, were used. The non-parametric runs test, the parametric serial correlation test, and the augmented Dickey-Fuller unit root test are employed. Implications of the hypothesis The test results provide evidence that the efficient market hypothesis does not hold for the gold exchange-traded funds’ market in India. Further, the test results address several underlying issues with respect to price discovery in the market under study and suggest that the Indian market for this derivative is not weak-form efficient. Hence, the factors affecting gold exchange traded-funds’ market warrant the attention of the country’s regulatory bodies, as appropriate legislation in support of market efficiency is needed.

Micronutrient malnutrition, especially deficiency of two mineral elements, iron [Fe] and zinc [Zn] in the developing world needs urgent attention. Pearl millet is one of the best crops with many nutritional properties and is accessible to the poor. We report findings of the first attempt to mine favorable alleles for grain iron and zinc content through association mapping in pearl millet. An association mapping panel of 130 diverse lines was evaluated at Delhi, Jodhpur and Dharwad, representing all the three pearl millet growing agro-climatic zones of India, during 2014 and 2015. Wide range of variation was observed for grain iron (32.3–111.9 ppm) and zinc (26.6–73.7 ppm) content. Genotyping with 114 representative polymorphic SSRs revealed 0.35 mean gene diversity. STRUCTURE analysis revealed presence of three sub-populations which was further supported by Neighbor-Joining method of clustering and principal coordinate analysis (PCoA). Marker-trait associations (MTAs) were analyzed with 267 markers (250 SSRs and 17 genic markers) in both general linear model (GLM) and mixed linear model (MLM), however, MTAs resulting from MLM were considered for more robustness of the associations. After appropriate Bonferroni correction, Xpsmp 2261 (13.34% R2-value), Xipes 0180 (R2-value of 11.40%) and Xipes 0096 (R2-value of 11.38%) were consistently associated with grain iron and zinc content for all the three locations. Favorable alleles and promising lines were identified for across and specific environments. PPMI 1102 had highest number (7) of favorable alleles, followed by four each for PPMFeZMP 199 and PPMI 708 for across the environment performance for both grain Fe and Zn content, while PPMI 1104 had alleles specific to Dharwad for grain Fe and Zn content. When compared with the reference genome Tift 23D2B1-P1-P5, Xpsmp 2261 amplicon was identified in intergenic region on pseudomolecule 5, while the other marker, Xipes 0810 was observed to be overlapping with aspartic proteinase (Asp) gene on pseudomolecule 3. Thus, this study can help in breeding new lines with enhanced micronutrient content using marker-assisted selection (MAS) in pearl millet leading to improved well-being especially for women and children.

In the title molecule, C24H20N2, the pyrazine ring is significantly distorted from planarity, presumably due to steric crowding, and its conformation is well described as a flattened twist-boat. The benzene ring adjacent to the ethyl group forms dihedral angles of 53.79 (13) and 85.47 (12)° with the other benzene rings; the dihedral angle between adjacent benzene rings is 57.90 (12)°. The ethyl group is disordered over two positions; the site-occupancy factor of the major component is 0.546 (4). No hydrogen bonds are found in the crystal structure.

In the title molecule, C16H20N2OS, the heterocyclic ring adopts a slightly distorted flattened boat conformation, and the plane through the four coplanar atoms makes a dihedral angle of 86.98 (6)° with the benzene ring. The thione, acetyl and methyl groups lie on the opposite side of the heterocyclic mean plane to the isopropylphenyl group which has an axial orientation. A weak intramolecular C—H...O hydrogen bond is observed. In the crystal, molecules are linked via N—H...O, N—H...S and C—H...S hydrogen bonds.

In the title molecule, C13H13FN2OS, the heterocyclic ring adopts a slightly distorted flattened boat conformation, and the plane through the four coplanar atoms makes a dihedral angle of 87.45 (14)° with the benzene ring. The thione, acetyl and methyl groups lie on the opposite side of the heterocyclic mean plane to the fluorophenyl group, which has an axial orientation. N—H...O, N—H...S, C—H...F and C—H...O intermolecular hydrogen bonds and a weak C—H...π interaction involving the benzene ring are found in the crystal structure.

In the title molecule, C23H19ClN2, the heterocyclic ring adopts a screw-boat conformation, with all substituents equatorial. The benzene ring at position 2 makes dihedral angles of 77.88 (12) and 76.31 (12)° with the phenyl rings at positions 5 and 6, respectively. The dihedral angle between the phenyl rings at positions 5 and 6 is 70.05 (10)°. The Cl atom is disordered over two positions with occupancy factors of 0.946 (5) and 0.054 (5). In the crystal, C—H...π interactions are found.

In the title compound, C13H14N2OS, the heterocyclic ring adopts a flattened boat conformation with the plane through the four coplanar atoms making a dihedral angle of 86.90 (13)° with the phenyl ring, which adopts an axial orientation. The thionyl, acetyl and methyl groups all have equatorial orientations. Intermolecular N—H...O, N—H...S and C—H...O hydrogen bonds are found in the crystal structure.

In the title compound, C21H19BrO3, the cyclohexene ring adopts an envelope conformation, with all substituents equatorial. The plane through its five coplanar atoms makes dihedral angles of 28.88 (10) and 71.94 (10)° with the bromobenzene and phenyl rings, respectively. The dihedral angle between the latter two rings is 51.49 (15)°. Intermolecular C—H...O hydrogen bonds are found in the crystal structure; a C—H...π interaction is also present.

In the title molecule, C13H13ClN2OS, the heterocyclic ring adopts a flattened boat conformation with the plane through the four coplanar atoms making a dihedral angle of 85.6 (1)° with the benzene ring, which adopts an axial orientation. The thionyl, acetyl and methyl groups all have equatorial orientations. Intermolecular N—H...O, N—H...S and C—H...S hydrogen bonds are found in the crystal structure. A weak C—H...π interaction involving the benzene ring also occurs.

In the title molecule, C14H16N2O2S, the heterocyclic ring adopts an envelope conformation with the plane through the five coplanar atoms making a dihedral angle of 88.99 (4)° with the benzene ring, which adopts an axial orientation. The thionyl, acetyl and methyl groups all have equatorial orientations. Intermolecular N—H...S, N—H...O, C—H...O and C—H...S hydrogen bonds are found in the crystal structure.

In the title molecule, C14H16N2O3, the heterocyclic ring adopts a flattened boat conformation, and the plane through its four coplanar atoms makes a dihedral angle of 89.65 (7)° with the benzene ring. The non-H atoms of the carbonyl, acetyl and methyl groups are nearly coplanar with the attached heterocyclic ring. Intermolecular N—H...O and C—H...O hydrogen bonds are present in the crystal structure.

In the title molecule, C21H19ClO3, the cyclohexene ring adopts an envelope conformation, with all substituents equatorial. The plane through its five coplanar atoms makes dihedral angles of 12.75 (14) and 74.16 (8)° with the phenyl and benzene rings, respectively. The dihedral angle between the latter two rings is 81.73 (12)°. Intermolecular C—H...O hydrogen bonds and intramolecular C—H...Cl contacts are found in the crystal structure; a weak C—H...π interaction is also present.

In the title molecule, C22H16N2, the pyrazine ring deviates very slightly from planarity [maximum deviation 0.044 (3) Å], tending towards a twist-boat conformation. The phenyl ring at position 3 makes dihedral angles of 64.0 (2) and 45.8 (2)°, respectively, with the phenyl rings at positions 2 and 5. The dihedral angle between the phenyl rings at positions 2 and 5 is 49.7 (2)°. A C—H...π interaction is found in the crystal structure, but no classical hydrogen bonds form.

In the title molecule, C18H16F3N5O2, the dihedral angle between the pyridine ring and the fused benzene ring is 4.50 (10)°. The triazole ring makes dihedral angles of 54.48 (12) and 57.91 (11)° with the pyridine and benzene rings, respectively. The morpholine ring atoms are disordered over two positions; the site-occupancy factors are ca 0.53 and 0.47. Intermolecular C—H...F hydrogen bonding is found in the crystal structure. Furthermore, C—H...O and C—H...N intramolecular contacts are also present.

In the title molecule, C13H13ClN2O2, the heterocyclic ring adopts a flattened boat conformation with the plane through the four coplanar atoms making a dihedral angle of 89.16 (5)° with the benzene ring, which adopts an axial orientation. The carbonyl, acetyl and methyl groups each have an equatorial orientation. In the crystal structure, intermolecular N—H...O hydrogen bonds lead to a tape motif. The H atoms of the methyl group at position 6 are disordered over two positions of opposite orientation.

In the title molecule, C16H13Cl2FN2OS, the dihedral angle between the thiophene and benzene rings is 80.34 (12)°. The pyrazoline ring is in an envelope conformation, and the plane through the four coplanar atoms makes dihedral angles of 85.13 (9) and 6.89 (10)° with the thiophene and benzene rings, respectively. The C and O atoms of the acetyl group are nearly coplanar with the attached pyrazoline ring. In the crystal structure, inversion dimers arise from pairs of intermolecular C—H...O hydrogen bonds. A short intermolecular Cl...S contact of 3.4250 (13) Å is also found.

In the title molecule, C16H13FOS, the dihedral angle between the two benzene rings is 8.68 (6)°. The H atoms of the central enone group are trans and one H atom is involved in a close intramolecular C—H...O contact. The crystal structure is stabilized by weak C—H...π interactions.

Rodenticide is widely used around the word. It contains various toxic components such as zinc or aluminum phosphide, yellow phosphorus, arsenic, thallium, sodium monofluroacetate. Rodenticide is easily available. Toxic effects may be produced by inhalation or ingestion. It may be accidental or intentional. The rodenticide in this case contains 38 percent zinc phosphide. Zinc phosphide produces phosphine gas when hydrolyzed by gastric acid. Phosphine gas is highly toxic. It produces toxicity within 30 minutes. It may produce symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, hematemesis, arrhythmias, acute respiratory syndrome, respiratory failure, cardiac failure, liver failure and renal failure. Phosphine gas is highly toxic to respiratory system it inhibits cytochrome C oxidase. Poisoning from metal phosphide is prevalent, particularly in tropical nations. Through the phosphine gas-mediated effects on cellular respiration, aluminum and zinc phosphide poisoning have harmful effects. Majority of deaths are due to acute pulmonary edema, metabolic acidosis or distal renal tubular acidosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Fructosamine (FA) is a marker of plasma glucose value that reveals the short-term glycemic level for 2-3 weeks. While measuring the plasma glucose level over 2-3 months with glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) is a common practice. Aims and Objectives: This study aims to demonstrate the relationship between HbA1c and FA levels in Type II diabetes mellitus. Materials and Methods: This prospective and cross-sectional study was conducted from January 2021 to January 2022, involving Type 2 diabetic patients attending both inpatient and outpatient at Sree Balaji Medical College and Hospital, Chennai. HbA1C, FA, postprandial blood sugar (PPBS), and fasting blood sugar (FBS) were estimated. The collected data were analyzed with IBM SPSS Statistics for Windows, Version 23.0. (Armonk, NY: IBM Corp). To assess the relationship between the variables, Pearson's Correlation was used. Results: We analyzed 61 known Type 2 diabetic subjects in our study. Most patients were in the 51-60 age groups, with the mean age of the cohorts being 56.2 years, SD±10.1. There were 28 females and 33 in this study. Comparing HbA1c with FA, a statistically significant correlation was noted (P<0.001), with a Pearson correlation value of 0.924. A similar strong positive correlation was also noted between HbA1c and FBS, PPBS, and FA, and PPBS. Conclusion: The link between FA and HbA1c is highlighted in this study. Since FA's correlation with HbA1c is proven to be statistically significant, it can be utilized as an alternative to or addition to HbA1c in the assessment of blood glucose management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Environmental pollution is currently a global problem. The presence of heavy metals in lake water released by industries causes serious danger to the environment and to many other life forms which are in frequent contact with it. The objective of the study was to isolate organisms and check for their bio-sorption potential towards heavy metal lead. Among the isolates, bacteria - Bacillus sp, Pseudomonas sp and fungal strains - Aspergillus niger, Aspergillus flavus, Penicillium sp, and Cladosporium sp were found to be resistant to lead. For bacteria, Maximum Tolerable Concentration (MTC) was performed up to 500ppm of lead concentration and checked colorimetrically. All the fungal isolates showed growth in all concentrations of lead but there was decrease in growth as the concentration increased. The bio-sorption potential was investigated by atomic absorption spectrophotometer (AAS), FTIR and Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM). The results of AAS showed that Penicillium sp had higher bio sorption ability of 26.6% whereas Cladosporium sp showed minimal adsorption of 7.2%. SEM micrographs revealed localization of lead on the mycelial mat of the organisms. These results suggested that Penicillium sp. has potential application in the bioremediation of lead contamination in water. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]