Search

In this study, a novel cobalt-doped cerium oxide (CeO2)on reduced graphene oxide (rGO) substrate was successfully prepared through a hydrothermal method. The comprehensive characterization of the synthesized nanocomposite involved X-ray diffraction studies (XRD), Raman spectrum analysis, High Resolution Transmission Electron microscopy (HRTEM), and Field Emission Electron Microscopy (FE-SEM). The effective surface area of CeO2/rGO and Co-CeO2/rGO was determined using the Randles-Sevecik equation, revealing values of 4.02X10-5 cm2 and 6.35X10-5 cm 2, respectively. Cyclic Voltammetry (CV) was employed to investigate the electrochemical reversibility behavior, demonstrating promising results for Co-CeO2/rGO nanocomposite. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy(EIS) further highlighted low charge transfer resistance (Rct) and enhanced double-layer capacitance (Cdl). Notably, the synthesized nanocomposite exhibited excellent electrocatalytic activity for methanol and formic acid oxidation in an acidic medium. Overall, this work provides valuable insights into the synthesis characterization, and electrochemical performance of Co-CeO2/rGO nanocomposite, showcasing their potential applications in energy-related processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The genetic variability in selected 21 black pepper accessions was analyzed based on desirable drought-tolerant and susceptible characteristics using principal component and cluster analyses. The experiment was conducted at ICAR-Indian Institute of Spices Research, Experimental farm, Peruvannamuzhi, Kozhikode using a randomized block design with four replications. Morphological, physiological and yield contributing traits were studied. The traits examined showed a comprehensive range of variability. The principal component and UPGMA clustering analyses were employed to assess the proportional contribution of various traits and grouped the genotypes, respectively. The first principal component was responsible for the highest variation (30.87%) in the yield-related characteristics, which were positively correlated with each other and correlated negatively with the morphological characteristics and stomatal frequency. Separate clusters were formed for the genotypes that displayed drought-tolerant characteristics (cluster 2 and 3) and those that showed susceptible characteristics (cluster 1). The results indicated that the analysed black pepper genotypes have significant genetic variability among them which may be helpful for identification of genotypes with desirable drought tolerant characteristics. Accessions 7211 (cluster 2), 1495, 1343 and 4132 (cluster 3) showed characteristics that make them potentially drought tolerant while the accessions 5717 and 4064 (cluster 1) showed drought susceptible traits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Statistical tools such as analysis of variance, correlation, path coefficient analysis, Scott-Knott test and principal component analysis were used in the present study to characterize black pepper verities/hybrids for spike and berry traits. ANOVA indicated that fifteen traits under study were statistically significant. Traits like fresh pericarp weight and dry pericarp weight showed high positive correlation (>0.95) with spike weight. Path coefficient analysis revealed that berry weight and seed size are contributing directly to spike weight. Scott-Knott test identified Panniyur-1 and Nedumchola as the most contrasting genotypes for most number of traits studied. Based on Principal Component Analysis (PCA), first three principal components had an eigen value above unity and explained 88 per cent of cumulative variation. Principal component PC-1 accounted for maximum variation of about 42.4 percent which discriminated the genotypes based on fresh berry weight, dry seed weight and fresh pericarp weight. These traits serve as the selection criteria for improvement of yield in black pepper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on investigating the potential of lauric acid as a therapeutic compound for oral cancer through an in-silico approach, utilizing computational tools to evaluate its pharmacokinetics, drug-likeness, and potential targets.

The article focuses on exploring the potential of using papaya peel extract as a dietary supplement to boost immunity in Labeo rohita fingerlings, a species cultivated in aquaculture in India, aiming to reduce the use of antibiotics and synthetic antioxidants.

The article focuses on enhancing the durability of rubberwood, derived from Hevea brasiliensis trees, by utilizing a novel approach involving metal oxide nanoemulsions combined with linseed oil and paraffin wax to combat fungal attacks, offering a potential solution.

The article focuses on a study that explores the potential of symbiosis to enhance the production of lactic acid and cellulose, both of which require glucose as a starting metabolite but follow different biosynthesis pathways.

The article focuses on a study conducted by researcher Pranidhipurnima Rachh and colleagues to analyze the benefits of the all-on-4 dental implant technique for toothless or severely damaged teeth. It found that many lacked accuracy, credibility, and reliability, emphasizing the need for more reliable sources, particularly from expert dental institutions.

The article focuses on a study conducted by researcher Aatifa Rasool and colleagues to explore crossbreeding the scab-resistant rosalie variety with the popular but vulnerable Fuji variety to produce columnar growing apple trees with scab resistance.

The article focuses on the implementation of the Wadi concept by the BAIF Development Research Foundation, which aims to empower smallholder farmers by transforming degraded or underused lands into profitable assets through an agroforestry-based integrated farming system.

The article focuses on investigating the potential of yoghurt-derived bacteria and their metabolites, particularly from Streptococcus genus, to reduce foam cells associated with atherosclerosis, offering insights into a potential alternative approach for combating heart disease.

The article focuses on studying the parasites infesting the commercially harvested black pomfret, Parastromateus niger, which reduces its proteinaceous production, through collaborative research conducted by multiple institutions across different regions.

The article focuses on enhancing the sensitivity of graphene-based biosensors for cancer detection by combining graphene with metasurfaces, utilizing gold nano octagons to excite surface plasmons and amplify the electromagnetic field near the metal surface.

The article focuses on the dispersal behavior of snow leopards, elusive apex predators in the high mountains of Asia, whose movements are influenced by safety, food availability, and the complexity of the landscape, with limited knowledge about their dispersal behavior due to their elusive nature.

The article focuses on a study conducted by researchers from India to explore the possibility of enhancing stress tolerance in crops by increasing the expression of antioxidant enzymes. Using Chlamydomonas reinhardtii as a model system, they successfully inserted genes from pearl millet associated with stress tolerance into the algae, demonstrating increased resilience to multiple stresses, suggesting a potential method for breeding stress-resistant crops in agriculture.

The article focuses on a study conducted to develop a Tamil version of the Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire (FFMQ) to assess mindfulness, which includes observing, describing, non-reacting, and acting with awareness in a non-judgmental manner.

The article focuses on a study conducted to analyze the effectiveness of dermal application of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) for musculoskeletal diseases and injuries. A liposomal formulation of aceclofenac was developed, incorporating chitosan for enhanced topical delivery and achieved an effective particle size and demonstrated superior therapeutic activity and skin tolerance in in-vivo studies, suggesting potential for further development and clinical trials.

The article discusses the development of a questionnaire to diagnose No Mobile Phone Phobia (Nomophobia) by psychologists from India and suggests a need for mental health professionals to refine assessment tools and develop interventions to promote healthier smartphone use among college students.

The article focuses on a study conducted by researchers from Chandigarh, India, who simulated aspirin's interactions with oestrogen receptor alpha and found that it inhibits its function, leading to decreased expression in breast cancer cells, suggesting aspirin's potential in breast cancer treatment.

The article discusses a study conducted by researchers K. Prathyusha and A. J. Solomon Raju to map malaria risk zones to tackle the prevalence of malaria in Paderu, Andhra Pradesh. By layering various data sources including topography, vegetation index, water bodies, and climate data, they identified key factors influencing malaria transmission. Their spatial analysis identified eight out of twelve mandals as malaria-prone areas with a new method showing higher accuracy.

Black pepper (Piper nigrum L.), belonging to the Piperaceae family, is the oldest known spice. Genetic variability and correlation for yield and yield attributes were estimated in nine black pepper genotypes. Analysis of variance revealed significant differences for all the characters studied. Maximum Genotypic Coefficient of Variation (GCV) and Phenotypic Coefficient of Variation (PCV) were recorded for rachis weight vine-1 followed by dry berry yield vine-1 and fresh berry yield vine-1. These characters exhibited high heritability coupled with high genetic advance over mean indicating the considerable contribution of additive genetic variance in the expression of these characters. Dry berry yield vine-1 had a highly significant and positive correlation with rachis weight vine-1, fresh berry yield vine-1, spike length and lateral branch length both at the genotypic and phenotypic level. Genotypes HP 2173 (HP1117 x Thommannkodi), OPKM, HP 780, Hp 1411 and HP 820 were found promising for the economically important characters and have the potentiality to release as new commercial varieties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Eighty two germplasm accessions of black pepper aggregated from pepper cultivating tracts of Karnataka, Kerala, Goa and Maharashtra were characterized for 17 quantitative traits as per the IPGRI descriptors during 2018-19 at the field gene bank of ICAR-Indian Institute of Spices Research, Experimental Farm, Kozhikode. Wide range and high coefficient of variation (CV) were recorded for dry berry weight, fresh berry weight and number of spikes vine-1 whereas, lower CV was observed for berry size. Fresh berry weight showed significant positive correlation with dry berry weight followed by number of spikes vine-1 whereas, number of immature berries spike-1 and berry size showed significant negative association with setting percentage. High positive direct effect of fresh berry weight on dry berry weight was observed during path analysis. Both fresh rachis weight and number of spikes vine-1 had indirect positive effects on dry berry weight through fresh berry weight. Residual effect was meagre suggesting that the 17 quantitative traits explained 99% variability. Traits like number of spikes vine-1 and fresh berry weight are the important traits that need to be augmented during improvement of black pepper for yield. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, we designed an amperometric catechol biosensor based on α-Fe2O3nanocrystals (NCs) incorporated carbon-paste electrode. Laccase enzyme is then assembled onto the modified electrode surface to form a nanobiocomposite enhancing the electron transfer reactions at the enzyme’s active metal centers for catechol oxidation. The biosensor gave good sensitivity with a linear detection response in the range of 8–800 μM with limit of detection 4.28 μM. We successfully employed the sensor for real water sample analysis. The results illustrate that the metal oxide NCs have enormous potential in the construction of biosensors for sensitive determination of phenol derivatives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the present study, aucubin molecule stability was tested in two different temperatures for 30 days. After incubation, the molecule toxicity was tested on Anopheles stephensi, Aedes aegypti, Culex quinquefasciatus and non-target organism Artemia salina and understands the aucubin molecule flexibility and intermolecular interaction mechanism with Acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and Odorant Binding Protein (OBP).After incubation, the aucubin molecules showed vigorous insecticidal activity against three mosquitoes as well as lower toxicity effects were observed on non-target organisms after 24 h post-treatment under laboratory conditions. Docking results suggested that aucubin has highly interacted with the Odorant Binding Protein (OBP) and Acetylcholinesterase (AChE) proteins. Further, aucubin is stable for 30 days and does not lose its efficacy in different thermal conditions, and is also cheaper, lower toxicity to non-target organisms and alternative synthetic chemical insecticides. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Identification of insecticidal compounds from the entomopathogenic fungus Metarhizium anisopliae crude extract was performed by TLC and column fractionation. From the fractionation four fractions were separated and tested for larvicidal, pupicidal and adulticidal potential against Aedes aegypti, Anopheles stephensi and Culex quinquefasciatus mosquitoes. Among the four fractions the fraction-3 was most effective against larvae with LC50 values, 1.238, 1.300 and 2.899 for pupae, 1.440, 1.657, 2.593 and adult, 1.988, 2.037 and 4.086 µg/ml against Ae. aegypti, An. stephensi and Cx. quinquefasciatus at 24 h post treatment respectively. The effective fraction-3 were charectrized through FT-IR, UV–Vis spectroscopy, 13C-NMR and 1H-NMR, HPLC, and LC–MS analysis allowed to identifying the effective compound in fraction-3. Overall, the results confirmed the use of the fungus derived molecules as an active green pesticide against mosquito vectors of public importance and led to the identification of highly effective mosquitocidal products. In particular the toxic activity of aucubin far encompassed that of the large majority of earlier studied microbial insecticides, making this molecule an ideal candidate for the development of insecticides in the "real world". [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In a number of Internet applications, we need to search for objects to download them. This includes peer-to-peer (P2P) file sharing, grid computing and content distribution networks. Here the single object will be searched for in multiple servers. There are many searching algorithms in existence today for this purpose based on the concept of classical physics and classical algorithms. The principles of quantum mechanics can be used to build and analyze a quantum computer and its algorithms. Quantum searching is such an algorithm. In this paper we are proposing a search method based on the quantum physics and quantum algorithms. Our method, the targeted quantum search is found to be more cost effective than any other classical searching algorithms like linear and two-way linear, simulated annealing, including broadcast based searching. Our targeted quantum search method is analyzed and simulated to show the best results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article offers information on the barriers hindering the adoption of digital direct-to-consumer strategies by regional food producers in Uttarakhand. Topics include the high potential of Uttarakhand for regional food products, the benefits of direct-to-consumer strategies, and the barriers identified through literature review and surveys.

The article offers information on the potential of Garcinia gummi-gutta, also known as Malabar tamarind, to reduce obesity and its high demand in the culinary industry. Topics include the confusion surrounding the plant's reproductive system, with variations in floral morphologies between different trees, some having both male and female parts while others only have male parts, leading to uncertainty about the role of male flowers in fruit production.

The article offers information on disparities in access to clean cooking fuels in India and solutions to address them. Topics include the importance of clean cooking for energy efficiency, ecological benefits, and health, the investigation by researchers from IIT Madras, and the creation of the Clean Fuel Empowerment Index.

The article offers information on bismuth sulphide nanocomposites for supercapacitor applications.

The article offers information on nerve gas sensing using indium-doped tin oxide nanoparticles.

The article offers information on estimating glacier thickness and volume in the Jhelum and Drass sub-basins of the Upper Indus Basin using computer modeling techniques.

The article offers information on the risk posed by Himalayan glaciers to hydropower infrastructure due to gravity-driven catastrophic mass flows. Topics include the challenges in assessing this risk, the proposed physics-based probabilistic method to assess the risk, and the use of data from ASTER GDEM and Randolph Glacier Inventory 6.0 in the study.

The article offers information on the use of strain imaging, a sophisticated ultrasound technology, to predict heart attacks by measuring the strains on the heart wall.

The article offers information on repurposing antiviral drugs against the human T-lymphotropic virus type 1 (HTLV-1), which causes leukemia and neural disorders.

The article offers information on a new method for bone age estimation in children, using measurements of the radius, hamate, and terminal phalanx bones from hand and wrist X-rays.

Synthetic pesticides are a considerable issue in both terrestrial and aquatic habitats. Green pesticides derived from fungi, provide an efficient tools and alternative to chemicals. Secondary metabolites from Metarhizium anisopliae were tested against major disease mosquitos such as, Anopheles stephensi, Aedes aegypti, and Culex quinquefasciatus, as well as two non-target species, Eudrilus eugeniae and Artemia nauplii. After 24 h of treatment, M. anisopliae derived chemical constituent produced low LC50 values, 54.678, 92.819, and 93.792 µg/ml on Aedes aegypti, for Anopheles stephensi, 80.933, 116.990 and 130.173 µg/ml, for Culex quinquefasciatus, 109.733, 196.540, 182.853 µg/ml in larvae, pupae, and adult, respectively. On the contrary, fungal metabolites are not hazardous to non-target species.. Midgut histology investigations revealed that M. anisopliae metabolites were less harmful to earthworms than chemical pesticides (Permethrin). The treatment of fungal crude extract exhibited minimal toxicity effects on gut tissues, normal epidermis, circular muscle, setae, mitochondrion, and intestinal lumen tissues. M. anisopliae crude metabolites showed a lower toxicity against the non-target species A. nauplii. Our results clearly shows minimal mortality rates were produced by the M. anisopliae derived chemical constituents, LC50 and LC90 values were, 455.947, 5098.233 μg/mL−1. No behavioral changes were observed during the treatment. The primary components of M.anisopliae crude extract identified by GC–MS studies were aucubin (14.356%) and 9, 12-Octadecadienoic acid (z,z)-(75.009%). The presence of key functional groups such as carboxylic acid, amides, and phenol groups was revealed by FT-IR spectral studies, which may be involved in mosquitocidal activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mosquitoes are major vectors for the transmission of many diseases like chikungunya, malaria, dengue, zika, etc. worldwide. In the present study, selenium nanoparticles (SeNPs) were synthesized fromClausena dentataand were tested for their larvicidal efficacy against the fourth-instar larvae ofAnopheles stephensi,Aedes Aegypti, andCulex quinquefasciatus. The synthesized nanoparticles were characterized using UV-Vis spectroscopy, Fourier Transform Infrared Radiation (FTIR) spectroscopy, EDaX, and SEM. The results recorded from UV-Vis spectroscopy show the peak absorption spectrum at 420 nm. In FTIR, the maximum peak value is 2922.25 cm−1assigned to N-H group (amide group). In EDaX analysis shows peak around 72.64 which confirm the binding intensity of selenium. In SEM analysis, the synthesized SeNPs sizes were ranging from 46.32 nm to 78.88 nm. The synthesized SeNPs produced high mortality with very low concentration (LC50) were 240.714 mg/L; 104.13 mg/L, and 99.602 mg/L forA. stephensi,A. Aegypti, andC. quinquefasciatus, respectively. These results suggest that theC. dentataleaf extract-mediated biosynthesis of SeNPs has the potential to be used as an ideal ecofriendly approach toward the control of mosquito vectors at early stages. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Background: Pedigree method of breeding in predominantly self-pollinated crop like dolichos bean enable exploiting only fixable genetic effects as a result of rapid increase in homozygosis. One or a few cycles of inter-mating in F2 generation help create populations with high frequency of desired recombinants which otherwise cannot be realized in later generations. The objective of the present investigation was to assess the impact of inter se mating in F2 population on nine quantitative traits’ (QTs) mean and variability parameters.Methods: Randomly selected 20 pairs of a single cross-derived F2 plants with flowering synchrony were inter se mated. Progenies derived from 20 paired crosses (designated as BIP F3 progenies) and those (F3) derived from their 40 F2 parents were evaluated for 9 QTs. Statistics such as mean, absolute range (AR) and standardized range (SR), variance (σ2), additive genetic variance (σ²A) and narrow-sense heritability (NS-h²) were estimated. BIP F3 progenies were compared with those of F3 progenies for QTs mean, AR/SR, σ², σ²A and NS-h². Significance of differences between BIP F3 progenies and F3 progenies for mean and σ² were examined using two-sample t test and Levene’s tests, respectively. Result: The random mating in F2 population was effective in increasing the means, variances, σ²A and NS-h² of racemes plant-1, fresh pods node-1, fresh pods plant-1 and fresh pod yield plant-1 in dolichos bean. Considering that random mating followed by selfing is a method of genetic improvement for future breeding rather than for immediate use, our results suggest long-term genetic gain and better prospects of deriving superior pure-lines with desired traits/combination of traits from inter-mated population in dolichos bean. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on the challenges faced by researchers at NIT Agartala, led by Mitali Saha, in synthesizing graphene nanoribbons from organic compounds. Despite initial difficulties, they successfully produced nanoribbons by heating para-aminobenzoic acid and ortho-aminophenol, showcasing the potential of these nanoribbons for applications in electronics and sensor technology.

The article explores the role of zinc and phosphorus in hypothyroidism, revealing that reduced thyroid hormones lead to increased thyroid-stimulating hormones using zinc as a cofactor, and triiodothyronine controls phosphate ion movement.

The article focuses on enhancing the shelf life of Ziziphus mauritiana (ber), a fruit with high nutritional value but a short shelf life.

Phyllanthus wightianus belongs to Euphorbiaceae family having ethnobotanical importance. The present study deals with validating the antimicrobial potential of solvent leaf extracts of P. wightianus. 11 human bacterial pathogens (Bacillus subtilis, Streptococcus pneumoniae, Staphylococcus epidermidis, Proteus vulgaris, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Salmonella typhimurium, Escherichia coli, Shigella flexneri, Proteus vulgaris, and Serratiamarcescens) and 4 fungal pathogens (Candida albicans, Cryptococcus neoformans, Mucor racemosus, and Aspergillus niger) were also challenged with solvent leaf extracts usingagar well and disc diffusionmethods. Further, identification of the active component present in the bioactive extract was done using GC-MS analysis. Results showthat all extracts exhibited broad spectrum(6-29mm) of antibacterial activity onmost of the tested organisms. The results highlight the fact that the well in agar method was more effective than disc diffusion method. Significant antimicrobial activity was detected in methanol extract against S. pneumoniae (29 mm) with MIC and MBC values of 15.62 μg/mL. GC-MS analysis revealed that 29 bioactive constituents were present in methanolic extract of P. wightianus, of which 9,12-octadecaenioic acid (peak area 22.82%; RT-23.97) and N-hexadecanoic acid (peak area 21.55% RT-21.796) are the major compounds. The findings of this study show that P. wightianus extracts may be used as an anti-infective agent in folklore medicine. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article explores the linguistic structures of Tamil songs using natural language processing, revealing that the grammatical structure is more diverse than previously thought; researchers developed a regression model to analyze the differences in linguistic choices among lyricists.

The article focuses on predicting the impact of climate change on the distribution of four ungulate species in the Changthang region of eastern Ladakh. Topics discussed include the use of an ensemble model correlating environmental data to predict the current distribution and the projection that these ungulates may lose up to sixty-one percent of their current range by 2070, with a northward shift, emphasizing the need for conservation planning in the region.

The article explores neuroendocrine neoplasms, rare tumors arising from neuroendocrine cells, and proposes insulinoma-associated protein 1 as a potential diagnostic marker, with preliminary findings indicating a significant association.

The article explores the use of copper oxide nanoparticles to enhance the efficiency of hydrogen production through water electrolysis using solar panels, addressing overheating issues and increasing energy efficiency by 20 percent.

The article explores the potential of thioglycosides, sugar compounds with a sulfur substitution for oxygen, in disrupting bacterial glycan synthesis, specifically targeting pathogenic bacteria like Helicobacter pylori while sparing beneficial gut bacteria and human cell lines.

The article explores the use of gelatin nanoparticles in wound healing, highlighting their positive impact on stromal cell proliferation and migration, ultimately accelerating tissue regeneration.

Evaluation of 117 field gene bank accessions of small cardamom for phenotypic characters along with yield potential and disease resistance (rhizome rot and leaf blight) at ICAR-Indian Institute of Spices Research Regional Station, Appangala revealed significant variation with respect to phenotypic characters. The highest plant height (350 cm) and number of bearing tillers (36.4) were recorded in the accessions, field gene bank (FGB) 65 and FGB 16, respectively. The highest fresh weight of capsules (399.61 g) and maximum number of capsules (244.20) plant-1 were recorded in the accession, FGB 13. Further, based on screening for disease resistance, 35 and 15 accessions of cardamom were identified as resistant to leaf blight and highly resistant to rhizome rot, respectively. Based on the multivariate cluster analysis, 117 FGB accessions were classified into 5 clusters viz., clusters 1 and 2 encompassing equal number of accessions (44), cluster 3 with one accession (FGB 10), clusters 4 and 5 with 8 and 20 accessions, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]