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Weather-based prediction models for pests (aphids, thrips and leafhoppers) in cotton crop were developed on various aspects viz., crop age at first appearance of pests and maximum population of pests at Akola (Maharashtra). Historical data from 1997-98 to 2010-11 on population of aphids, thrips and leafhoppers along with weekly weather data (two weeks before sowing) were considered for development of models and validated for the subsequent three years from 2011-12 to 2013-14. Weatherbased indices were generated, which were used as explanatory variables in development of models. The study reveals that the prediction for crop age at first appearance of pests, crop age at peak population of pests, and maximum population of pests can be issued at least two to three weeks in advance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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One-year old seedlings of Acacia nilotica planted in 8 m3 lysimeter were maintained by re-irrigating at 36.2 mm (I1), 26.5 mm (I2), 20.2 mm (I3), 18.1 mm (I4) and life saving (I5) when the soil water content (SWC) decreased to 7.56%, 5.79%, 4.44%, 3.23% and wilting condition in respective treatment with views to determine critical level of water use and productivity enhancement. Seedling height and collar diameter decreased (p < 0.01) with irrigation frequency from I1 to I4 level. Growth variables were lowest at I5 but increased by 1.4- and 1.6-fold at I1, 1.2- and 1.4-fold at I2, 1.1- and 1.2-fold at I3 and 1.01- and 1.1-fold at I4 levels, respectively. WUE was highest at I2. Seedlings in I1 accumulated 4-fold K and Fe, and 2-fold P, Ca, Mg, Mn, Zn and Cu than those in I5. Non-linear relations of growth and nutrient uptake with water quantity indicated positive influence of supplemental irrigation. Irrigation at I3 to I4 did not indicate significant growth over I5. Whereas I2 level was the best with highest WUE. Therefore, A. nilotica may be raised for developing greenbelt/woodlots in desert cities by irrigating at I2 and above to provide SWC of ≥5.79% in the loamy sand soil. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Tropical Ecology is the property of Springer Nature and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Emblica officinalis Gaerth was intercropped for 6 years with a view to monitoring tree-crop interaction and system productivity for socio-economic benefits to the people of the dry region. Two year old seedlings of E. officinalis spaced 5 x 5 m was intercropped (i) continuously with Vigna radiata throughout the study (FC), and (ii) with Vigna radiata, Pennisetum glaucum, Cymopsis tetragonoloba and Sesamum indicum in rotation (RC). There were control plots of (iii) sole crop of Vigna radiata (CFC) and (iv) Vigna radiata, Pennisetum glaucum, Cymopsis tetragonoloba and Sesamum indicum grown in rotation without E. officinalis (CRC). Soil water availability varied between the years. Soil water content was less in the tree-integrated plots than in the control plots, which had no trees. Soil organic matter (0-25 cm soil layer) and available NH4-N were greater in the tree-integrated plots than in the control plots. E. officinalis plants were taller in FC plots but crown diameter and collar diameter were greater in RC plots than in the other plots. Percent increment in the growth variables was highest in 1996-97 and decreased until 1999-00. Crop yield was higher in tree-integrated plots between 1996 and 2000 but thereafter a reverse trend was observed suggesting that the beneficial effect of trees on crops depended upon tree age and available soil water. Integrating E. officinalis in agriculture fields increased soil fertility and over-all system productivity and had no adverse effects on crop yield when soil moisture was not limiting. System productivity can be further enhanced by reducing the competitive effect of tree for soil resources by trenching around the trees to curtail root growth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Integrating trees in agricultural fields may be beneficial in controlling land degradation and improving productivity in dryland areas. Two-year-old Hardwickia binata Roxb trees were intercropped for 7 years to examine tree-crop interactions and the effect of tree integration and the cropping pattern on land productivity. The tree integrated treatments comprised a Vigna radiata (L.) R. Wilcz crop with H. binata in all years (fixed crop) (FC) and a rotation crop with H. binata in alternate years (RC). Sole crop treatments provided controls for the V. radiata crop (CFC) and rotational crop (CRC) treatments. Pennisetum glaucum (L.) R.Br., V. radiata, Sesamum indicum (L.) and Cymopsis tetragonoloba (L.) Taub were harvested in the RC/CRC plots in 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, and 2003. Tree growth and growth increments did not differ between the FC and RC treatments (p > 0.05). Crop yield (grain + dry matter) was highest (p < 0.01) in the FC treatment in 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, and 2000, indicating that the presence of trees was beneficial. The observation that yield was highest in the CFC/CRC treatments in 2001 and 2003 indicates a competitive effect of trees for soil resources in these years. Soil water content (SWC) in September was lowest in 2002 and highest in 2003. The effect of cropping pattern on SWC was significant (p < 0.05) only in 2000, 2001, 2002, and 2003, whereas SWC differed (p < 0.01) between 0-25-, 25-50-, and 50-75-cm soil layers. Soil water content to 75-cm soil layer was lower by 0.4 (1996) to 18.9 mm (2003) in tree-integrated treatments than in the control treatments, affecting crop yield. Soil organic matter, NH4-N, NO3-N, and PO4-P in the 0-25-cm soil layer were increased by tree inputs (p < 0.05). H. binata was apparently beneficial in increasing productivity even during droughts, and the benefits may be further improved by root trenching to reduce competition for soil resources in relatively low rainfall years. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tecomella undulata L. (Rohida) is a common tree of traditional agroforestry systems of the northwestern dry region of India. Seedlings of T. undulata at 1666, 833 and 416 stern ha-1 stand densities were thinned in July 1995 to maintain them at 417 (D1), 278 (D2) and 208 (D3) stem ha-1, respectively, to find out the optimum density with tree age. Vigna radiata (L.) Wilczek (mungbean) and Pennisetum glaucum (L.) R.Br. (pearl millet) were the intercrops. The increase in height and collar diameter between June 1995 and June 2002 was 2.6 and 3.3 fold in D1 to 2.0 and 2.3 fold in D3 plots, respectively. Grain and straw yield was lower under intercropping than with a sole agricultural crop. Production was significantly lower (p < 0.01) in D1 plot. It was highest in D2 plot during 1995 and 1996 and in D3 plot during 2000 and 2001. The trees produced a utilizable biomass of 2.5 to 3.2 t ha-1 in 1996 and 3.63 to 4.08 t ha-1 in 1999. Soil water content differed significantly (p < 0.05) in deeper soil layers and was lower near the root zone than at 2 m distance and in the centre of four trees. Utilization of soil water was more when pearl millet rather than mung bean was the intercrop. Soil PO4-P and NO3-N were lower and NH4-N was higher near the root zone than at 2 m distance. Two hundred and seventy eight stems ha-1 was most favourable for crop production at the age of 6-7 years and 208 stem ha-1 at 10-11 years. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This study aims to measure the peri-incisional numbness developing after Total Knee Arthroplasty (TKA) performed using the midline skin incision. It studies the natural course of the numbness and determines its correlation with the skin incision length (SIL)., Materials & Methods: 66 knees undergoing primary TKA with a standard midline incision were evaluated. The SIL and the area of numbness (AON) were measured in complete knee extension and 90° of flexion. The area was marked by the patient using a sketch pen and then determined by an independent observer using monofilament testing. The "ImageJ" software was used to calculate the area., Results: All patients developed numbness around the knee after TKA. There was a statistically significant correlation between the SIL and AON in both flexion and extension at two weeks (p < 0.001) and three months (p < 0.001). However, there was a weak and insignificant correlation at six months (p = 0.217)., Conclusion: When TKA is performed using the midline skin incision, the SIL positively correlates with the AON postoperatively during the initial short-term follow-up. At six monthly follow-ups, there is no significant correlation between the two., Competing Interests: Declarations Consent for publication Appropriate written informed consent has been taken from all the patients for inclusion in the study and publication process. Conflict of interest All authors declare that there are no conflicts of interest., (© 2024. The Author(s) under exclusive licence to SICOT aisbl.)

Case: An 18-year-old immunocompetent man presented with symptomatic lumbar canal stenosis, discharging sinuses, and cold abscess for 3 years treated with multiple incision drainage procedures with cottonoid packing antibiotic therapy. Radiographic imaging showed a soft tissue mass in the canal causing bony destruction. Postoperative histopathological examination showed an Aspergillus fungal ball. Patient showed improvement at 6-month follow-up with medical management., Conclusion: As far as we know, this is the first case report showing an aspergilloma involving the vertebral column. Inadequate antibiotic treatment and blind introduction of a foreign body into sinus tracts can lead to fungal infections mimicking tuberculosis, causing disastrous outcomes. Fungal cultures are recommended routinely., Competing Interests: Disclosure: The Disclosure of Potential Conflicts of Interest forms are provided with the online version of the article (http://links.lww.com/JBJSCC/C423)., (Copyright © 2024 by The Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery, Incorporated.)

Background: Superior mesenteric artery (SMA) syndrome, also known as Wilkie's syndrome, is a rare but serious complication following scoliosis correction surgery. It occurs as a result of mechanical compression of third part of duodenum between the SMA and aorta. This condition occurs most commonly in significantly underweight patients with deformities, and usually during the first week following spinal deformity corrective surgeries. The angle between the abdominal aorta and the SMA gets reduced following spinal lengthening during deformity correction surgery causing compression of third part of duodenum resulting in development of SMA syndrome., Case Presentation: We present a case of 17-year-old male with congenital scoliosis with a 70-degree scoliotic curve who underwent spinal deformity correction surgery with posterior instrumented fusion. Post-operative course was uneventful and the patient was discharged after suture removal on post-operative day 15. The patient presented after 21-days of symptom onset on post-operative-day 51, with a 3 week history of post-prandial vomiting, abdominal pain and distension which resulted in rapid weight loss of 11 kg. A CT-angiogram showed obstruction at third part of duodenum. After reviewing clinical and radiological profile of the patient, a diagnosis of SMA syndrome was made. Conservative management was tried, but due to rapid deterioration of patient condition and symptoms of complete intestinal obstruction, the patient was treated surgically by gastro-jejunostomy and side-to-side jejuno-jejunostomy, which improved his condition., Conclusion: SMA syndrome can occur much later than previously reported cases and with potentially life-threatening symptoms following scoliosis correction. Having a high index of suspicion, early recognition of condition and institution of appropriate treatment are essential to prevent occurrence of severe complications including risk of intestinal perforation and mortality. This case highlights management of delayed onset of SMA syndrome, with presentation further delayed after symptom onset, as is common in developing parts of the world, due to limited availability and accessibility of resources, and low socio-economic status of large segments of the population., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Aim: Present research was done to assess stress distribution in three different taper design preparation of root canal with the help of finite element analysis., Materials and Methods: Lower incisors teeth having single canals that were cleaned and shaped with the help of NeoEndo Flex Titanium (NiTi) rotary file and later three designs were created such as 4%, 6%, and 8% canal preparation taper. Cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) was done for all teeth and subjected to finite element analysis for stresses. The collected data were statistically analyzed., Results: Highest stress was found in the coronal followed by the middle and least in the apical part in all three designs. The highest stress value was found in enamel than dentin (MPa). The highest stress value was found with design 3 (8% taper) followed by designs 2 (6% taper) and 1 (4% taper) for enamel and dentin with either oblique or vertical stress loading., Conclusion: All canals preparation exhibited maximum enamel stress at the coronal load points compared to apical and middle portions. The stress increases with increase in canal tapering., Competing Interests: There are no conflicts of interest., (Copyright: © 2023 Journal of Pharmacy and Bioallied Sciences.)

The Internet of Things (IoT) is the most abundant technology in the fields of manufacturing, automation, transportation, robotics, and agriculture, utilizing the IoT's sensors-sensing capability. It plays a vital role in digital transformation and smart revolutions in critical infrastructure environments. However, handling heterogeneous data from different IoT devices is challenging from the perspective of security and privacy issues. The attacker targets the sensor communication between two IoT devices to jeopardize the regular operations of IoT-based critical infrastructure. In this paper, we propose an artificial intelligence (AI) and blockchain-driven secure data dissemination architecture to deal with critical infrastructure security and privacy issues. First, we reduced dimensionality using principal component analysis (PCA) and explainable AI (XAI) approaches. Furthermore, we applied different AI classifiers such as random forest (RF), decision tree (DT), support vector machine (SVM), perceptron, and Gaussian Naive Bayes (GaussianNB) that classify the data, i.e., malicious or non-malicious. Furthermore, we employ an interplanetary file system (IPFS)-driven blockchain network that offers security to the non-malicious data. In addition, to strengthen the security of AI classifiers, we analyze data poisoning attacks on the dataset that manipulate sensitive data and mislead the classifier, resulting in inaccurate results from the classifiers. To overcome this issue, we provide an anomaly detection approach that identifies malicious instances and removes the poisoned data from the dataset. The proposed architecture is evaluated using performance evaluation metrics such as accuracy, precision, recall, F1 score, and receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC curve). The findings show that the RF classifier transcends other AI classifiers in terms of accuracy, i.e., 98.46%.

This paper presents a customized UAV designed for rescue and safety purposes in the forest sector. The UAV features a durable F450 frame quadcopter with four 1000KV brushless motors and a KK2.1 Flight Control Board for stability and manoeuvrability with a runtime of 90 min. It incorporates a Raspberry Pi camera for real-time video streaming, enabling efficient identification of individuals in need of assistance. The GSM module allows contactless communication, ensuring streamlined and safe interaction. A motor controls the lid of the customizable first aid kit box, facilitating efficient aid delivery. The Neo-6 M GPS module provides accurate localization of the drone and individuals in distress with a horizontal position accuracy of 2.5 m. The UAV collects temperature and humidity data using the DHT 11 sensor having +/- 2 degreesC and +- 5% accuracy respectively. This sensor employs advanced deep learning models, including artificial neural networks (ANN) and generative adversarial networks (GANs), for real-time forest fire prediction with an accuracy of 90.7 % The integration of GANs enhances accuracy through synthetic data generation. Moreover, all these components are interfaced using a Raspberry Pi4 and a GUI, providing a smooth user control experience and end-to-end information for quick and effective emergency response., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (© 2023 The Author(s).)

Background: Complete microbial eradication from the root canal and 3-dimensional obturation of the canal space are necessary for an efficient root canal procedure., Aim: The current research was conducted to assess the antimicrobial effectiveness of herbal root canal irrigants and Chlorhexidine against Enterococcus faecalis ., Materials and Methods: The brain heart infusion (BHI) broth was used to grow the E. faecalis (ATCC) bacterial culture overnight before it was inoculated onto Mueller-Hinton agar plates. Agar-well diffusion was used to measure antibacterial inhibition. Respective propolis, Triphala, aloe vera, and chlorhexidine irrigants were added to the appropriate wells in agar plates and incubated for 24 hours at 37°C. Each well's bacterial inhibition zone was measured and recorded. Statistics were used to tabulate and analyze the results., Results: Chlorhexidine indicated the maximum inhibitory zone against  E. faecalis , subsequently propolis and Triphala, and the lowest by A. vera extract., Conclusion: Propolis, Triphala, and aloe vera were tested herbal remedies that demonstrated an inhibitory zone against  E. faecalis . These irrigants are therefore, suitable for use as root canal irrigating solutions., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist., (Copyright © 2023, Durga Bhavani et al.)

Study Design: Prospective observational study., Objectives: Studying the effect of degenerative cervical spondylosis(CS) on blood flow velocity of vertebral artery (VA) during cervical spine rotation in different head positions and its association with vertigo., Introduction: Vertigo is one of the most common complaints seen in an out-patient clinic. Its association with CS remains an enigma for a treating physician. This study planned to systematically analyze the association between vertigo and CS by evaluating VA blood flow dynamics in different head positions., Methods: 100 patients with ages ranging from 20-80 years were recruited. First group of 50 patients with CS with vertigo were compared with second study group of 50 patients having CS without vertigo. Cervical radiographs were used to evaluate CS using cervical degenerative index (CDI). Color doppler was used to measure VA blood flow with head in neutral position and 60° lateral rotation with 30° extension. Same procedure was repeated on opposite side. Measurements performed included peak systolic blood flow velocity(PSV) and end diastolic blood flow velocity (EDV)., Results: Among patients with CS, patients having vertigo showed significantly more evident degenerative changes (CDI ≥25) ( P =<0.001). High grade CS patients (CDI ≥25) with vertigo had statistically significant lower blood flow parameters with head rotation in the left and right VAs as compared to CS patients without vertigo., Conclusion: This study highlights important pathophysiological mechanism of vertigo observed in patients of CS. The magnitude of reduction in VA blood flow was significantly higher in patients with advanced CS presenting as vertigo.

Mobile applications have rapidly grown over the past few decades to offer futuristic applications, such as autonomous vehicles, smart farming, and smart city. Such applications require ubiquitous, real-time, and secure communications to deliver services quickly. Toward this aim, sixth-generation (6G) wireless technology offers superior performance with high reliability, enhanced transmission rate, and low latency. However, managing the resources of the aforementioned applications is highly complex in the precarious network. An adversary can perform various network-related attacks (i.e., data injection or modification) to jeopardize the regular operation of the smart applications. Therefore, incorporating blockchain technology in the smart application can be a prominent solution to tackle security, reliability, and data-sharing privacy concerns. Motivated by the same, we presented a case study on public safety applications that utilizes the essential characteristics of artificial intelligence (AI), blockchain, and a 6G network to handle data integrity attacks on the crime data. The case study is assessed using various performance parameters by considering blockchain scalability, packet drop ratio, and training accuracy. Lastly, we explored different research challenges of adopting blockchain in the 6G wireless network.

Objectives: This study was conducted to investigate the potential role of clinical pharmacists in monitoring and developing a reporting system of radiation-related adverse events (RRAEs) in cancer patients and provided suggestive measures to prevent RRAEs to achieve a better therapeutic outcome for improving patient health-related quality of life., Methodology: This study was a prospective observational study conducted for a period of 2 years at a private academic oncology teaching care hospital. Patients on radiation therapy or chemoradiation therapy were enrolled and followed by clinical pharmacists on daily basis to identify adverse event(s) if any. Upon identification, adverse events were discussed with concerned radiation oncologists for authentication and graded as defined by the radiation therapy oncology group. Enrolled patients were also followed to ensure if they were provided adequate supportive care for RRAEs., Results: A total of 715 patients were followed during the study period. A total of 422 RRAEs were identified in patients who were on radiation therapy or chemoradiation therapy. The most common reported events were fatigue ( n = 64, 15.16%), followed by mucositis ( n = 55, 13.03%), diarrhea ( n = 37, 8.76%), vomiting ( n = 31, 7.34%), gastritis ( n = 29, 6.87%), and dryness of the mouth ( n = 22, 5.21%). Among the study patients who developed RRAEs, majority ( n = 253, 60%) of them received a combination of chemotherapy and radiation therapy and 169 (40%) of 442 patients received radiotherapy alone. Cisplatin weekly monotherapy or cisplatin-based chemotherapy was commonly used pharmacological treatment in patients on chemoradiation therapy. Clinical pharmacists intervened to initiate adequate supportive care for nearly 20% ( n = 84) patients., Conclusions: Clinical pharmacists may be contributing to monitoring and development of reporting systems for radiation-related toxicities/RRAEs in cancer patients. Teamwork of clinical pharmacists with radiation oncologists can improve the safety reporting of radiation and can ensure required medical and supportive care to manage RRAEs., Competing Interests: There are no conflicts of interest., (Copyright: © 2021 Perspectives in Clinical Research.)

The emerging need for high data rate, low latency, and high network capacity encourages wireless networks (WNs) to build intelligent and dynamic services, such as intelligent transportation systems, smart homes, smart cities, industrial automation, etc. However, the WN is impeded by several security threats, such as data manipulation, denial-of-service, injection, man-in-the-middle, session hijacking attacks, etc., that deteriorate the security performance of the aforementioned WN-based intelligent services. Toward this goal, various security solutions, such as cryptography, artificial intelligence (AI), access control, authentication, etc., are proposed by the scientific community around the world; however, they do not have full potential in tackling the aforementioned security issues. Therefore, it necessitates a technology, i.e., a blockchain, that offers decentralization, immutability, transparency, and security to protect the WN from security threats. Motivated by these facts, this paper presents a WNs survey in the context of security and privacy issues with blockchain-based solutions. First, we analyzed the existing research works and highlighted security requirements, security issues in a different generation of WN (4G, 5G, and 6G), and a comparative analysis of existing security solutions. Then, we showcased the influence of blockchain technology and prepared an exhaustive taxonomy for blockchain-enabled security solutions in WN. Further, we also proposed a blockchain and a 6G-based WN architecture to highlight the importance of blockchain technology in WN. Moreover, the proposed architecture is evaluated against different performance metrics, such as scalability, packet loss ratio, and latency. Finally, we discuss various open issues and research challenges for blockchain-based WNs solutions.