Search

Kasi Murugan,1 Balakrishnan Senthilkumar,2,3 Duraisamy Senbagam,2 Saleh Al-Sohaibani11Department of Microbiology and Botany, College of Science, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia; 2Department of Biotechnology, Muthayammal College of Arts and Science, Rasipuram, Tamil Nadu, India; 3Department of Medical Microbiology, School of Medicine, Health and Medical Science College, Haramaya University, Harar, EthiopiaAbstract: The immense potential of nanobiotechnology makes it an intensely researched field in modern medicine. Green nanomaterial synthesis techniques for medicinal applications are desired because of their biocompatibility and lack of toxic byproducts. We report the toxic byproducts free phytosynthesis of stable silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) using the bark extract of the traditional medicinal plant Acacia leucophloea (Fabaceae). Visual observation, ultraviolet–visible spectroscopy, and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) were used to characterize the synthesized AgNPs. The visible yellow-brown color formation and surface plasmon resonance at 440 nm indicates the biosynthesis of AgNP. The TEM images show polydisperse, mostly spherical AgNP particles of 17–29 nm. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy revealed that primary amines, aldehyde/ketone, aromatic, azo, and nitro compounds of the A. leucophloea extract may participate in the bioreduction and capping of the formed AgNPs. X-ray diffraction confirmed the crystallinity of the AgNPs. The in vitro agar well diffusion method confirmed the potential antibacterial activity of the plant extract and synthesized AgNPs against the common bacterial pathogens Staphylococcus aureus (MTCC 737), Bacillus cereus (MTCC 1272), Listeria monocytogenes (MTCC 657), and Shigella flexneri (MTCC 1475). This research combines the inherent antimicrobial activity of silver metals with the A. leucophloea extract, yielding antibacterial activity-enhanced AgNPs. This new biomimetic approach using traditional medicinal plant (A. leucophloea) barks to synthesize biocompatible antibacterial AgNPs could easily be scaled up for additional biomedical applications. These polydisperse AgNPs green-synthesized via A. leucophloea bark extract can readily be used in many applications not requiring high uniformity in particle size or shape.Keywords: AgNPs, antibacterial activity, Acacia leucophloea, biogenic, FTIR, XRD, TEM

This study assesses the level of terrestrial gamma radiation and associated dose rates from the naturally occurring radionuclides 232 Th, 238 U and 40 K in 10 soil samples collected from Thanjavur (Tamil Nadu, India) using g-ray spectrometry. The activity profile of radionuclides has clearly showed the existence of low level activity in Thanjavur. The geometric mean activity concentrations of 232 Th, 238 U and 40 K is 42.9±9.4 Bq.kg -1 , 14.7±1.7 Bq.kg -1 and 149.5±3.1 Bq.kg -1 respectively are derived from all the soil samples studied. The activity concentration of 232 Th, 238 U and 40 K in soil is due to the presence of metamorphic rocks like shale, hornblende-biotite gneiss and quartzofeldspathic gneiss in these areas. Gamma absorbed dose rates in air outdoors were calculated to be in the range between 32 nGy.h -1 and 59.1 nGy.h -1 with an arithmetic mean of 43.3 ±9 nGy.h -1 . This value is lesser than the population weighted world-averaged of 60 nGy.h -1 . Inhabitants of Thanjavur are subjected to external gamma radiation exposure (effective dose) ranging between 39.2 and 72.6 μSv.y -1 with an arithmetic mean of 53.1±11 μSv.y -1 . The values of the external hazard index determined from the soil radioactivity of the study area are less than the recommended safe levels.

The dietary patterns and quality of diets of women of reproductive age (WRA) significantly affect their health and that of their children. The suboptimal diet among women can lead to issues such as intrauterine growth retardation, low birth weight, premature birth, and malnutrition. To examine the dietary patterns and nutrient intake of WRA in the indigenous communities of the Attappady tribal block in Kerala, we conducted a cross-sectional study in 20 randomly selected villages in 2022. The study involved 24 h dietary recall surveys, anthropometric measurements, and estimation of hemoglobin concentration to assess nutrient intake and nutritional status. A total of 446 women aged 15–49 from 423 households participated, with 92 households included in the diet survey. The findings indicated that the diet was primarily based on cereals and root-based starchy staples, with low consumption of dairy products, fruits, and vegetables. The estimated intakes of major nutrients, except for protein, were lower than the recommended dietary allowance (RDA). Nearly 50% of the WRA were malnourished. About 32% of non-pregnant and non-lactating (NPNL) women and 40% of lactating mothers suffered from chronic energy deficiency (BMI < 18.5 kg/m2). Conversely, 13.4% of NPNL women and 15% of lactating mothers were overweight or obese (BMI ≥ 25 kg/m2). A total of 12.5% of adolescent girls aged 15–19 were thin (BAZ < −2 SD), and 10.5% were overweight or obese (BAZ > +1 SD). Since the co-existence of micronutrient deficiencies and undernutrition is rooted in the socio-cultural aspects of indigenous tribes, a culturally sensitive nutrition intervention model would be appropriate for the better health and wellbeing of women in the community. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Smart renewable energy harvesting has been implemented from hybrid sources such as solar and wind. The wireless sensor node is created for monitoring surface water. In the intelligent building, electrical energy is harvested from the hybrid source of solar and wind energy. The source energy was selected for the harvesting process by using a fuzzy controller. In this proposed method, piezo-electric reverse electro-wetting on di-electric energy harvesting is proposed where constant DC voltage is generated by a rectifier. A DC-DC converter is designed to power up the remote read-out sensor. The produced charge is transformed by a charge amplifier with the proportion of output voltage that is delivered to the wireless receiver. The harvested DC voltage varies with the temperature and external environmental effect. In our work, we obtained 6 × 10−3 W/m² of voltage and this harvested energy is monitored using the Internet of Things (IoT) by the proposed EHOR (Energy Harvested Optimized Routing) algorithm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Let G be a simple connected graph. The first Zagreb index denoted by M1(G) is defined as M1(G) =∑u∈Vd(u)2. We present a lower bound for M1(G) in terms of order and edge-vertex domination number for trees and characterized the extremal trees attaining the bound. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Let G be a simple connected graph. The modified first Zagreb index is denoted by mM 1(G) is defined as mM 1(G) =∑u∈V 1 d(u)2. We present a lower bound for mM 1(G) in terms of order and total domination number for trees and characterize the extremal trees attaining the bound. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Load balancing in distributed computing systems is crucial for optimal resource utilization and performance enhancement. Swarm intelligence algorithms offer promising solutions due to their ability to mimic collective behavior observed in nature. This study proposes a novel approach for load balancing using the Firefly Algorithm, a bioinspired optimization technique based on the flashing behavior of fireflies. The algorithm is applied to dynamically distribute tasks among nodes in a distributed computing environment. The contribution lies in adapting the Firefly Algorithm specifically for load balancing purposes in distributed computing systems. The study explores the effectiveness of this approach in improving system performance and resource utilization. Experimental evaluations demonstrate the efficacy of the proposed approach in achieving load balancing objectives. The Firefly Algorithm effectively redistributes tasks among nodes, reducing processing delays and improving overall system efficiency. Comparative analysis against existing methods showcases the superiority of the proposed approach in various performance metrics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An edge e of a simple graph G = (VG, EG) is said to ev-dominate a vertex v ∈ VG if e is incident with v or e is incident with a vertex adjacent to v. A subset D ⊆ EG is an edge-vertex dominating set (or an evd-set for short) of G if every vertex of G is ev-dominated by an edge of D. The edge-vertex domination number of G is the minimum cardinality of an evd-set of G. In this paper, we initiate the study of the graphs with unique minimum evd-sets that we will call UEVD-graphs. We first present some basic properties of UEVD-graphs, and then we characterize UEVD-trees by equivalent conditions as well as by a constructive method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A vertex u of a graph G = (V, E), ve-dominates every edge incident to u, as well as every edge adjacent to these incident edges. A set S ⊆ V is a vertex-edge dominating set (or a ved-set for short) if every edge of E is ve-dominated by at least one vertex of S. The vertex-edge domination number is the minimum cardinality of a ved-set in G. In this paper, we investigate the graphs having unique minimum ved-sets that we will call UVED-graphs. We start by giving some basic properties of UVED-graphs. For the class of trees, we establish two equivalent conditions characterizing UVED-trees which we subsequently complete by providing a constructive characterization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]