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The prevention and treatment of bacterial infections is a matter of great concern. The high use of antimicrobials/antibiotics for treating bacterial infections in recent years also poses a great risk of developing resistance in many bacterial species. It was also reported that biofilm formation by bacteria prevents the entry of antibiotics and also helps bacteria to develop resistance against any applied antibiotic, making the treatment more difficult. All the current approaches have shown inadequacy to overcome the challenges presented by pathogenic microbes. Therefore, adoption of a better method/strategy to face these challenges is the need of the hour. As per reports, nanotechnology has shown tremendous success in many fields. Moreover, in the last few years, the research highlighted the potential of nanotechnology as an effective tool for antimicrobial applications. Metallic nanoparticles and their oxides such as silver (AgNPs), zinc (ZnAgNPs), gold (AuNPs), iron (FeNPs), copper (CuNPs), titanium (TiNPs), zinc oxide (ZnO-NPs), magnesium oxide (MgO), titanium dioxide (TiO2-NPs), copper oxides (CuO-NPs) and iron oxides (Fe2O3-NPs) are considered effective nano-materials against pathogenic microbes. It was observed that the higher surface area to volume ratio of nanoparticles, the way they interact with bacterial membranes/cell wall and their various antimicrobial mechanisms surpass all the barriers and reach targeted sites, thereby making them potential candidate for antimicrobial applications. There is no doubt that nanotechnological strategies/interventions in healthcare sector will revolutionize the current treatment regime. The present review provides the understanding of variety of nanoparticles and their mechanisms for antimicrobial and antibiofilm efficacy, further their role to overcome antibiotic resistance is also highlighted in detail.

Paratyphoid fever caused byS. Paratyphi A is endemic in parts of Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa. The proportion of enteric fever cases caused byS. Paratyphi A has substantially increased, yet only limited data is available on the population structure and genetic diversity of this serovar. We examined the phylogenetic distribution and evolutionary trajectory ofS. Paratyphi A isolates collected as part of the Indian enteric fever surveillance study “Surveillance of Enteric Fever in India (SEFI).” In the study period (2017-2020),S. Paratyphi A comprised 17.6% (441/2503) of total enteric fever cases in India, with the isolates highly susceptible to all the major antibiotics used for treatment except fluoroquinolones. Phylogenetic analysis clustered the globalS. Paratyphi A collection into seven lineages (A-G), and the present study isolates were distributed in lineages A, C and F. Our analysis documented that the genome degradation events and gene acquisitions or losses play a major role in the evolution of newS. Paratyphi A lineages/sub-lineages. A total of 10 pseudogene-forming mutations possibly associated with the emergence of lineages were identified. Pan-genome analysis identified the insertion of P2/PSP3 phage and acquisition of IncX1 plasmid during the selection in 2.3.2/2.3.3 and 1.2.2 genotypes, respectively. We also identified that the six characteristic missense mutations associated with the lipopolysaccharide (LPS) biosynthesis genes ofS. Paratyphi A confer only a low structural impact and would therefore have minimal impact on vaccine effectiveness. SinceS. Paratyphi A is human restricted, high levels of genetic drift are not expected unless these bacteria transmit to naive hosts. However, public-health investigation and intervention by means of genomic surveillance would be continually needed to avoidS. Paratyphi A serovar becoming a public health threat similar to theS. Typhi of today.

The effects of TiO2 microparticle blending on the mechanical and thermal properties and the water absorption behavior of hybrid Pinus/Shorea robusta wood particulate-epoxy composites have been investigated. The tensile, flexural, impact, microhardness, and water absorption tests and a thermogravimetric analysis were performed for the hybrid composites. The results obtained, in comparison with those of a pristine composite, are presented in the form of tables and figures.

The present work aims to enhance the mechanical properties, thermal stability, and water resistance behavior of hybrid Pinus/Shorea robusta wood particles reinforced epoxy composites employing the chemical pre-treatments. The hybrid wood composites were prepared by hand lay-up method keeping a constant of 25 wt% of wood particles concentration with equal proportions of Pinus and Shorea robusta wood particles. The performance of the hybrid wood composite was improved by improving the interfacial bonding between wood particles and epoxy resin by chemical pre-treatments of the wood particles using silane (APTES) with varying concentrations of 2, 4, and 6 wt% and alkali (NaOH) with varying concentrations of 5%, 10%, and 15%. The mechanical properties (namely, tensile, flexural, impact, and microhardness) and water absorption properties (namely, maximum water uptake and sorption, diffusion, and permeability coefficients) of the prepared hybrid wood composites were measured. The investigations include the study of thermal degradation and crystalline behavior using thermogravimetric analysis and X-ray diffraction analysis, respectively. It was observed that the mechanical properties, thermal stability, and water resistance and crystalline behavior of the hybrid wood composites were significantly enhanced after these pre-treatments. Further, it was concluded that silane pre-treated hybrid composite with 6 wt% concentration provided the best performance than untreated as well as alkali pre-treated wood composites.

The crisis of fossil fuel and their negative impact on the environment has caused concern among the scientific communities leading them to look around for renewable sources of energy. This review has emphasized the efficient utilization of organic municipal solid waste as well as agriculture waste in an anaerobic digester for the production of biogas as a sustainable renewable energy. Recent advances in biogas production along with previous research work have been discussed to offer a comprehensive synopsis of the accumulated knowledge. This review also elucidates about the design of an anaerobic digester, the prospect of anaerobic digestion and opportunity in new advances in technology. Biogas is one of the most accepted sustainable renewable energy. The characterization, elimination of contaminants, pretreatment, anaerobic digestion in optimum condition and utilization of energy crops enhanced the efficiency of an anaerobic digester. Pretreatment of segregated organic solid waste increased its putrescibility and further biogas production. The optimized parameters in this review were pH, temperature, loading rate, C/N ratio and solid/liquid ratio of the feedstock. The flow rate of the feedstock was optimized according to the available volume of the digester, residence time and the characteristics of the feedstock. The design of an anaerobic digester should be preferably cylindrical in shape, with a diameter ranging from 6 to 40 m, the depth ranging from 7.5 to 15 m and the conical floor having a slope around 15%. A comprehensive reform in technical, economic, and social policies is essential to accomplish a sustainable energy system considering biogas as a future renewable energy. The flowsheet of the biogas and methanol production has been given in Fig. 1.

BackgroundEscherichia coli (ETEC) are one of the top causes of diarrhoea in children in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). However, large-scale pathogen burden studies in children have identified ETEC in the guts of symptomatic patients and controls. The factors that influence this balance between carriage and disease are poorly understood, but it is postulated that the gut microbiome may play a role in either resistance or progression to disease. In this study, we investigated the microbiome profiles, using shotgun DNA sequencing, of children and adults from Bangladesh who were asymptomatically or symptomatically infected with ETEC. ResultsSymptomatic patients had significantly higher numbers of sequenced reads mapping to both E. coli and the two ETEC toxins (LT and ST), suggesting higher bacterial burden. They were also significantly more likely to be co-infected with enteroaggregative E. coli (EAEC) and had higher proportions of other Gammaproteobacteria, including Klebsiella, Salmonella, and Haemophilus. Colonisation with ETEC (symptomatic or asymptomatic) was also associated with increased prevalence of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) genes, most notably those of the b-lactamase class. Taxonomic profiles were distinctly different between all groups in both species richness (alpha diversity) and composition (beta diversity), although the direction of these changes was different in adults and children. As seen in previous studies, children with high E. coli burdens also had higher proportions of Streptococcus spp., while healthy children were more heavily colonised by several Bifidobacterium spp. ConclusionsOur study provides insight into the microbiome changes that occur upon infection with ETEC in an endemic setting, and provides rationale for future studies investigating how the microbiome may protect or predispose individuals to symptomatic infections with gastrointestinal pathogens.

We investigated the evolution, phylogeny and antimicrobial resistance of Vibrio cholerae O1 isolates (VCO1) from Ghana. Outbreak and environmental sources of VCO1 were characterized, whole-genome sequenced and compared to globally available seventh pandemic (7P) strains of V. cholerae at SNP resolution. Final analyses included 636 isolates. Novel Ghanaian isolates clustered into three distinct clades (clades 1, 2 and 3) in wave 3 of the 7P lineage. The closest relatives of our novel Ghanaian isolates were from Benin, Cameroon, Togo, Niger and Nigeria. All novel Ghanaian isolates were multi-drug resistant. Environmental isolates clustered into clade 2, despite being isolated years later, showing the possibility of persistence and re-emergence of older clades. A lag phase of several years from estimated introduction to reported cases suggests pathogen persistence in the absence of reported cholera cases. These results highlight the importance of deeper surveillance for understanding transmission routes between bordering countries and planning tailored vaccination campaigns in an effort to eradicate cholera.

Rhizoctonia solani AG1-1A is a necrotrophic fungus that causes sheath blight disease in rice. The reliable resistant source against this phytopathogenic fungus is not available in the gene pool of rice. Better understanding of pathogen genomics and gene regulatory networks are critical to devise alternate strategies for developing resistance against this noxious pathogen. In this study, miRNA-like RNAs (milRNAs) of an Indian strain of R. solani were identified by deep sequencing of small RNAs. We identified 128 known and 22 novel milRNAs from 20,963,123 sequence reads. These milRNAs showed 1725 target genes in the fungal genome which include genes associated with growth, development, pathogenesis and virulence of R. solani. Notably, these fungal milRNAs showed their target genes in host (rice) genome also which were later verified by qRT-PCR. The host target genes are associated with auxin metabolism, hypersensitive response, defense genes, and genes related to growth and development of rice. Osa-vacuolar-sorting receptor precursor: Rhi-milR-13, Osa-KANADI1:Rhi-milR-124, Osa-isoflavone reductase: Rhi-milR-135, Osa-nuclear transcription factor Y:Rhi-milR-131, Osa-NB-ARC domain containing protein: Rhi-milR-18, and Osa-OsFBX438: Rhi-milR-142 are notable potential regulons of host target genes: fungal milRNAs that need to be investigated for better understanding of the crosstalk of RNAi pathways between R. solani and rice. The detailed expression analysis of 17 milRNAs by qRT-PCR was analysed during infection at different time points of inoculation, at different growth stages of the host, in four different genotypes of the host, and also in four different strains of fungi which revealed differential regulation of milRNAs associated with pathogenesis and virulence. This study highlights several important findings on fungal milRNAs which need to be further studied and characterized to decipher the gene expression and regulation of this economically important phytopathogen.

The present study utilized Aspergillus spp. for the synthesis of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs); the developed AgNPs were categorized using analytical techniques, that is, ultraviolet-visible (UV-vis) spectrophotometer, Zeta-potential, dynamic light scattering (DLS), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). A sharp peak of 463 nm highlighted the synthesis of AgNPs; further Zeta-potential of -16 mV indicates stability of synthesized AgNPs. The TEM micrograph showed spherical and hexagonal shapes of synthesized AgNPs of 6-25 nm. The photocatalytic activity of fungal-mediated AgNPs was evaluated for degradation of reactive yellow dye in the concentration range of 20-100 mg L-1 . The results showed efficient degradation of dye using AgNPs in short span of time. For antibacterial activity, synthesized AgNPs, antibiotic, and AgNPs + antibiotic were tested. As per results, the zone of inhibition (ZOI) of AgNPs showed the values of 13 and 10 mm for Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus, respectively. Further, the ZOI of penicillin highlighted the values of 18 and 17 mm for E. coli and S. aureus, respectively. When AgNPs and penicillin were used in combination, a clear synergistic effect was observed; the ZOI showed 0.49- and 0.36-fold increase in area against E. coli and S. aureus, respectively, in comparison with penicillin or AgNPs alone. Further, the leftover biomass (retentate biomass) was used to decolorize the reactive yellow dye at different initial concentration ranging from 20 to 100 mg L-1 . It was observed that 1 g L-1 retentate biomass (BR ) can effectively remove 82%-100% dye at 20 and 100 mg L-1 initial dye concentration. Results also indicated that with increase in initial reactive dye concentration from 20 to 100 mg L-1 , the decolorization capacity of retentate biomass (BR ) (at 0.2 g L-1 ) decreased from 79.2% to 32.3%. However, the use of AgNPs synthesized leftover fungal biomass can be a good option for up taking the additional dyes/contaminants, and also as leftover biomass can be utilized effectively, it can prove to be an excellent approach for environment safety. As the literature studies did not mentioned the further use of retentate biomass, the present study provides an excellent approach for further research on this aspect. PRACTITIONER POINTS: Synthesis of AgNPs from Aspergillus spp. and characterized with the help of a U.V-vis spectrophotometer, a zeta potential, DLS and TEM. The developed AgNPs were used for antibacterial and dye degradation activity. The left over (retentate) fungal biomass was used further for additional dye degradation activity.

COVID19 has emerged as one of the worst pandemics in the history of mankind. Several vaccines have been approved by different government agencies worldwide, but data on their efficacy and safety are limited, and distribution remains a massive challenge. As per WHO, personal immunity is vital for protection against COVID19. Earlier, Vitamin C-mediated pathways have been shown to play critical role in boosting immunity attributed to its antioxidant properties. Recently, the involvement of such pathways in protection against COVID19 has been suggested. The controlled doses of Vitamin C administered through intravenous (IV) injections are being studied for determining its role in the prognosis of COVID19. In this article, we have discussed the potential role of Vitamin C in the management in COVID19 patients and presented recent clinical trials data. Additionally, we have elaborated the possibility of administering Vitamin C through inhalers in order to achieve local high concentration and the challenges of such approach.

This study was performed to understand the impact of groundwater quality on the crop yields and its suitability for the irrigation. The hydrogeochemical assessment indicates chemical weathering is prevalent in the aquifer system. Low sodium-hazard observed in almost all samples. High salinity-hazard observed in the shallow aquifer indicates leaching of contaminants from the surface. Salinity-hazard statistics indicates ∼27.60% groundwater suitable for irrigation, ∼47.65% groundwater considerable for irrigation of selected crops whose salinity tolerance limit is high, ∼13.44% groundwater (fresh-brackish) cause problem in the soil and ∼11.31% groundwater unsuitable for the irrigation. Salinity tolerance limit indicates yield (%) of the few crops remain unaffected. These crops are Hordeum vulgare (Barley), Gossy pium (Cotton), Beta vulgaris (Sugar-beet), Cynodon dactylon (Bermuda-grass), Thinopyrum ponticum (tall Wheat-grass), Thinopyrum intermedium (Wheat-grass) etc. The yield potential (%) partially affected in the few crops like Arachis hypogaea (Groundnut) (∼95.30%), Oryza sativa (Rice) (∼93.29%), Carthamus tintorius (Safflower) (∼97.32%), Sorghum bicolor (Sorghum) (∼95.97%), Glycine max (Soybean) (∼97.32%), Triticum aestivum (Wheat) (∼99.33%), Brassica oleracea var. italica (Broccoli) (∼92.62%), Cucumis sativus (Cucumber) (∼90.60%), Solanum lycopersicum (Tomato) (∼90.60%), Phalaris aquatic (Harding-grass) (∼97.96%), Lolium perenne (Perennial ray-grass) (∼97.99%), Sorghum drummondii (Sudan-grass) (∼92.62%), Festuca arundinacea (tall-Fescue) (∼95.30%), Lotus corniculatus (Trefoil-small) (∼97.32%), Phoenix dactylifera (Date-palm) (∼95.97%), Ficus carica (Fig) (∼95.97%), Olea europaea (Olive) (∼95.97%), Punica granatum (Pomegranate) (∼91.28%) etc. Few crops sensitive to salinity-hazard indicate low-yield potential listed as Phaseolus vulgaris (Bean) (∼36.91%), Daucus carota (Carrot) (∼36.91%), Fragaria ananassa (Strawberry) (∼36.91%). This groundwater is suitable for the irrigation of crops like Barley, Cotton, Sugar-beet, Wheat, Wheat-grass, Bermuda-grass, etc. But this groundwater can be used for irrigation after salinity management for the crops like Groundnut, Rice, Soybean, Broccoli, Cucumber, Tomato, Harding-grass, tall Fescue, Trefoil-small, Date-palm, Fig, Olive, and Pomegranate. The similar range of the crop yields observed in both Soil Water Salinity (SWS) Model and Ayers and Westcot Model, if the salinity of the irrigation water is low (≤1.5 mS/cm). While low reduction in crop yields observed according to SWS Model in comparisons to Ayers and Westcot Model if the salinity of the irrigation water is high (>1.5 mS/cm). The major reduction in crop yields observed in Ayers and Westcot Model, while the moderate decline in crop yields observed in SWS Model at higher salinity. Crop yield in the study area can be improved by implementing proper irrigation water management.

Study Region: This study area is located in a subtropical semi-arid climatic zone of India, suffering due to the low availability of water. Hence, delineation of the groundwater potential zone (GWPZ) had performed through the geospatial technique, the multicriteria decision analysis (MCDA), and the analytical hierarchy process (AHP). Study Focus: The thematic-layers of the geology, geomorphology, soil types, lineament-density, the slope of the topography, drainage-density, land-use, and land-cover developed and created by utilizing available supplementary data and digital satellite images. GWPZ had classified into 5 classes like excellent, good, moderate, poor, and very-poor. The summary of the methodology adopted for the delineation of GWPZ has given in fig-2.New Hydrological Insights for the Region: It had observed that the consistency index (CI) was 0.0106, while the random index (RI) for 7 variables considered from standard tables is 1.32. The calculated consistency ratio (CR) in this study was 0.0080 lower than 0.1000. This low CR indicated moderate consistency in the results of pairwise comparisons among the thematic layers assigned weight for analysis. Hence, the AHP model used for this research work has shown reasonably good accuracy. The statistics of GWPZ indicated ~3.97% of study-area possessed excellent GWPZ, ~37.09% very-good, ~41.72% moderate, ~15.23% poor, and ~1.99% very-poor. This model of the GWP map shows that the Area Under the Curve (AUC) of the Receiver Operating Characteristic Curve (ROC) is ~0.726. It indicated good agreement between experimental results and predicted results.

Global warming resulting from industrialization, excess consumption of fossil fuel, and agricultural activity is a new challenge for human civilization in the twenty-first century. The impact of global warming in the melting of glaciers and the rise in sea level is being observed worldwide (Ayala A, Farias-Barahona D, Huss M, Pellicciotti F, McPhee J, Farinotti D. 2020. Cryosphere 14:2005. doi:10.5194/tc-14-2005-2020). India is a developing country suffering from excess human population and a lack of awareness among the people regarding the impact of global warming on human civilization. India has started various remedial measures to minimize the emission of greenhouse gases. It has launched various schemes to promote the production of renewable sources of energy (solar energy, wind energy, geothermal energy, tidal energy, hydroelectric energy, and biomass energy) on a large scale as well as on a small scale in rural areas. The government of India has promoted numerous steps to resolve global warming and climate change. They have facilitated the production of renewable sources of energy on a major scale so that consumption of fossil fuel is minimized, which helps reduce carbon load in the atmosphere. India has also taken steps to fix carbon by increasing plantation. It has been shown that forest and tree cover in the country has increased from 14% in 1950–1951 to 24.01% in 2011–2012. India is a country with a rich diversity of socioeconomic conditions, geography, and climate: hence, the implementation of a uniform policy throughout the country is always challenging. A policy on a small scale (zone-wise) is needed so that the diversity of socioeconomic conditions, geography, and climate is considered seriously in polices. Hence, it is essential that every section of society also participates to resolve these issues and to cooperate with policies implemented by the government of India.

Dye wastewater discharged after improper treatment is very harmful for environment and living creatures. As per mandate, the dye wastewater should be treated well in order to prevent any negative effects after discharge. Although there are various methods which are in use, however most of these methods have some or the other associated disadvantages i.e., high cost, generation of secondary pollutants, low efficiency, complexity etc. The objective of this study is to identify the dye degradation (orange and blue dye-individually/mixture) potential of chemically synthesized silver nanoparticles (CH-AgNPs) along with NaBH4. Literature studies highlighted the efficacy of AgNPs for individual dye degradation, however it is very important to study the degradation potential of nanoparticles in presence of dye mixture (to mimic the natural wastewater condition). In the present study, the rapid synthesis of silver nanoparticles (CH-AgNPs) was obtained by using trisodium citrate solution. The developed CH-AgNPs were examined for UV–vis Spectrophotometry (maxima-422 nm), Zeta Potential (−6.70 ​mV), and Transmission Electron Microscopy (spherical shape with size range of 8–40 ​nm), highlighting the nano-size and stability of synthesized CH-AgNPs. For catalytic activity, CH-AgNPs and NaBH4 were tested for dye degradation potential for Orange and Blue dyes individually and in mixture (orange ​+ ​blue dye). It was observed that with increase in dye concentration from 50 ​ppm to 200 ​ppm, NaBH4 showed 28% and 25% removal for blue and orange dyes, respectively. However, when CH-AgNPs ​+ ​NaBH4 was used, up to 100% degradation was obtained from blue dye, however the degradation of orange dye has shown 97.4% degradation. Further, as the wastewater contains multiple dyes, therefore in dye mixture studies (orange ​+ ​blue dye- 50 ​ppm), 100% degradation was achieved with NaBH4+CH-AgNPs in just 5 ​min, highlighting the efficient catalytic ability of NaBH4+AgNPs. The results clearly highlighted the potential of CH-AgNPs in enhancing the dye degradation of orange and blue dyes-individually and in mixture, therefore the present study is relevant for further research to identify the best dye degradation agents, especially in presence of dyes mixture.

Waste to the product approach was proposed for tuning environ-threat soybean husk towards lipolytic enzyme by integrating the invasive weed optimization with biomass and product dynamics study. The invasive weed optimization constitutes based on the non-linear regression model results in a 47 % enhancement in lipolytic enzyme using the optimization parameters of 7% Sigma Final, 9% exponent; Smax of 5 with a population size of 35 and Max. generations of 99. The biomass dynamic study showcases the dynamic parameters of 0.0239 µmax, 8.17 XLimst and 0.852 RFin values. The product dynamic studies reveal the kinetic parameters of kst, kdiv, PFin, which seem to be equal to −0.0338, 0.0896 and 68.1, respectively. Overall, the present study put forth the zero-waste (soybean husk) to the product (lipolytic enzyme) approach by introducing the novel “Invasive Weed Optimization” coupled with “Biomass and product dynamics” to the bioprocessing field.

In recent years, researchers and scientists are facing problems in terms of environmental imbalance and global warming owing to numerous use of composite materials prepared by synthetic fibers and petrochemical polymers. Hence, an increasing attention has been devoted to the research and development of polymer composites reinforced with the natural fibers. The natural fibers are the most suitable alternative of synthetic fibers due to their biodegradability, eco-friendliness and acceptable mechanical properties. The natural fibers are attracting the researchers and scientists to exploit their properties by amalgamating them with the polymer. The properties of natural fiber reinforced polymer composites mainly depend upon various factors such as properties of fibers and matrices, fiber loading percentage, size and orientation of fibers, stacking sequences, degree of interfacial bonding, fiber surface treatments, hybridization and incorporation of additives and coupling agents. Tensile and flexural tests are the most important investigations to predict the applications of the materials. A good number of research has been carried out on tensile and flexural properties of natural fiber reinforced polymer composites. In this paper, a review on tensile and flexural properties of natural fiber reinforced polymer composites in terms of effects of fiber weight fraction, geometry, surface treatments, orientations and hybridization is presented. Moreover, recent applications of natural fiber reinforced polymer composites are also presented in this study.

This investigation was carried out with the objective to understand the impacts of landfill leachate on groundwater quality. This study also explained the movement of trace metals in groundwater by using Visual MODFLOW/MT3D. It also delineates the various factors controlling the suitability of groundwater for domestic, agriculture and drinking purpose. The statistical assessment shows ~ 60.09% groundwater are in good condition, ~ 35.38% in poor condition and 4.53% in very poor condition. The spatial distributions of water quality index (LWQI) around landfills indicate landfills are in depleted condition. Hydrogeochemical classification indicates ~ 90.91% groundwater shows Ca–Na water-type cation facies and Cl− water-type anion facies. While 9.09% groundwater shows Ca–Na water-type cation facies and Cl−–SO42−–HCO3− anion hydrogeochemical facies. The mineral equilibrium diagram of groundwater has revealed that it is in equilibrium with silicate minerals and favors kaolinite formation. The saturation index indicates chrysotile (Mg3Si2O5(OH)4) (2.84), dolomite (CaMg(CO3)2) (0.45), ferric hydroxide (Fe(OH)3) (1.97–3.58), goethite (FeOOH) (7.86–9.47), hematite (Fe2O3) (17.73–20.95), hydroxyapatite (Ca5(PO4)3OH) (2.38–4.62), jarosite-K (KFe3(SO4)2(OH)6) (0.22–1.92), cerussite (PbCO3) (0.39), vivianite (Fe3(PO4)2·8H2O) (0.39) and willemite (Zn2SiO4) (0.35) are reactive mineral in groundwater aquifer of study area. The seasonal and temporal variation indicates anthropogenic influence. The calibration and validation of model show > 90% models correct with 95% confidence. The contaminant transport simulated in groundwater aquifer with the high accuracy (estimated standard error 0.049 m) for the large area (~ 300 km2). The trends of contour lines of trace metals concentration indicate; it will contaminate study area within few years of its release through the landfill.

Cross-linked enzyme crystal (CLEC) and sol-gel entrapped pseudomonas sp. lipase were investigated for the esterification of lauric acid with ethanol by considering the effects of reaction conditions on reaction rate. The activation energy for the reaction was estimated to be 1097.58 J/mol and 181.75 J/mol for sol-gel and CLEC entrapped lipase respectively. CLEC lipase exhibited a marginal internal diffusion effect on reaction rate over sol-gel lipases and found to be interesting. The overall reaction mechanism was found to conform to the Ping Pong Bi Bi mechanism. The higher efficiency of sol-gel lipases over CLEC lipases in esterification reaction is mainly due to the combined effects of crowding, confinement and diffusional limitations.

The presence of toxic pollutants in wastewater is a matter of great concern, posing risk to environment and health. Generally, dyes and heavy metals are concomitant pollutants of wastewaters, associated with multiple diseases in humans. Various physical and chemical approaches of removing these contaminants have been in use, however biological approach, utilizing microorganisms has been identified as an advantageous option. The present study utilized the potential of fungus, Beauveria bassiana for the removal of Chromium (Cr) and Indanthane blue, individually and simultaneously. Results showed that maximum Cr removal of 61% was observed at 30 mg L−1 with 3.8 mg g−1 of specific metal uptake. Further, 99.6% removal of dye (Indanthane blue) was observed at 200 mg L− 1 of initial dye concentration. The results of simultaneous removal of Cr and dye mixture highlighted the higher potential of B. bassiana for dye removal in comparison to Cr uptake. Moreover, the temperature of 30 °C with pH value of 7, accounts for maximum removal efficacy by B. bassiana. The analytical techniques, such as Atomic force microscopy (AFM) and Transmission electron microscopy high-angle annular dark field (TEM HAADF) were employed to study the morphological characteristics of B. bassiana in presence of Cr and dye. AFM highlighted the increase in surface roughness of B. Bassiana cells, further TEM HAADF clearly indicated the localization of heavy metals within the cells of B. bassiana.

In current investigation we studied the male meiosis and details of secondary chromosomal associations or pairing recorded for the first time in Dianthus angulatus Royle ex Benth., from the cold deserts of Lahaul-Spiti (Himachal Pradesh, India). All the presently studied individuals of the species existed at 2x level (x = 15). The present chromosome count of n = 15 in the species is in conformity with the previous counts from India and outside of India. Secondary associations are defined as the affinity of bivalents to be positioned in pairs having gentle connections. The secondary chromosomal associations in the species existed among bivalents/chromosomes were observed in the meiocytes at metaphase-I and continued till the metaphase-II. The bivalents positioned side by side and end to end to form secondary pairing. The difference in the number of bivalents/chromosomes involved in the secondary associations has also been witnessed. A secondary association between bivalents is considered to be of immense importance as it is being taken as a gauge of ploidy in plants. The incidence of such secondary associations of bivalents/chromosomes in D. angulatus which existed at 2x level indicated the secondary polyploid nature of the species.

The Metal-Matrix Composites (MMCs) containing hollow spherical reinforcements are under active development for the applications such as space structures, submarine hulls etc. where weight is of critical importance. When these materials are subjected to a time varying strain field, energy is dissipated because of the thermoelastic effect (Elastothermodynamic Damping or ETD). The quasi-static ETD analysis for the MMCs containing hollow spherical particles has been reported in literature. The entropic approach, which is better suited for composite materials with perfect or imperfect interfaces, is used for the analysis. In the present work, the effect of inertia forces is carried out on ETD of hollow particle-reinforced MMCs. For given particle volume fractions (V p ), the inertia forces are found to be more significant at higher value of thermal parameter (Ω T1) (alternatively, frequency of vibration if reinforcement radius is fixed), large cavity volume fraction (V h ) and low value of the parameter B1.

In the present decade, the demands for recyclable, environmentally friendly and low-cost with good strength composites materials have been significantly increased. In this context, the particulate wood polymer composites have attracted the researchers owing to their eco-friendliness, low-cost as they are prepared using waste wood particles, and good mechanical and physical properties. These composites were prepared by filling the waste wood particles into the polymers using different fabrication methods such as extrusion, hand layup, compression moulding, injection moulding and additive manufacturing (3D printing). A good number of research works have been reported on the testing and characterization of wood composites for the various applications so far. This fact motivated to prepare a state-of-the-art review on the recent developments in processing, characterization, and applications of wood composites. This paper presents a discussion on the chemical structure and properties of different types of wood species. The mechanical, thermal and water absorption behaviour of thermosets, thermoplastics and biopolymers based wood composites have also been discussed. Further, characterization of the nano biocomposites prepared using nanocellulose/nanoparticles of wood are also presented. The outcomes of the present review provide a good understanding of wood composites that will encourage the researchers for further research works & developments of novel wood composites for the advanced applications.

This systematic study was carried out with objective to delineate the various sources responsible for $$\hbox {NO}_{3}^{-}$$ contamination and $$\hbox {F}^{-}$$ enrichment by utilizing statistical and graphical methods. Since Central Ground Water Board, India, indicated susceptibility of $$\hbox {NO}_{3}^{-}$$ contamination and $$\hbox {F}^{-}$$ enrichment, in most of the groundwater, $$\hbox {NO}_{3}^{-}$$ and $$\hbox {F}^{-}$$ concentration primarily observed $${>}45$$ and $${>}1.5~\hbox {mg/L}$$ , respectively, i.e., higher than the permissible limit for drinking water. Water Quality Index (WQI) indicates $${\sim }22.81\%$$ groundwater are good-water, $${\sim }71.14\%$$ groundwater poor-water, $${\sim }5.37\%$$ very poor-water and 0.67% unsuitable for drinking purpose. Piper diagram indicates $${\sim }59.73\%$$ groundwater hydrogeochemical facies are Ca–Mg– $$\hbox {HCO}_{3 }$$ water-types, $${\sim }28.19\%$$ Ca–Mg– $$\hbox {SO}_{4}$$ –Cl water-types, $${\sim }8.72\%$$ Na–K– $$\hbox {SO}_{4}$$ –Cl water-types and 3.36% Na–K– $$\hbox {HCO}_{3 }$$ water-types. This classification indicates dissolution and mixing are mainly controlling groundwater chemistry. Salinity diagram indicate $${\sim }44.30\%$$ groundwater under in low sodium and medium salinity hazard, $${\sim }49.66\%$$ groundwater fall under low sodium and high salinity hazard, $${\sim }3.36\%$$ groundwater fall under very-high salinity hazard. Sodium adsorption ratio indicates $${\sim }97\%$$ groundwater are in excellent condition for irrigation. The spatial distribution of $$\hbox {NO}_{3}^{-}$$ indicates significant contribution of fertilizer from agriculture lands. Fluoride enrichment occurs in groundwater through the dissolution of fluoride-rich minerals. By reducing the consumption of fertilizer and stress over groundwater, the water quality can be improved.

Closed form expressions for the low cycle and high cycle fatigue crack growth lives have been derived for the randomly-planar oriented short-fiber reinforced metal matrix composites under the total strain-controlled conditions. The modeling was based on fatigue-fracture mechanics theory under both the small scale and the large scale yielding conditions. The modified shear lag theory was considered to describe the effect of yielding strength. The present model is essentially a crack growth model because crack initiation period in short fiber reinforced metal matrix composite is much shorter; hence, not assumed to play a dominant role in the calculation of fatigue crack growth life. The effects of short-fiber volume fraction ( V f ), cyclic strain hardening exponent ( n ′) and cyclic strain hardening coefficient ( K ′) on the fatigue crack propagation life are analyzed for aluminum based SFMMCs at different levels of cyclic plastic strain values. It is observed that the influence of fatigue crack growth resistance increases with increase in cyclic strain hardening exponent ( n ′) and decreases when volume fraction ( V f ) or cyclic strain hardening coefficient ( K ′) increases. The present MSL theory based fatigue crack growth life prediction model is an alternative of modified rule of mixture and strengthening factor models. The predicted fatigue life for SFMMC shows good agreement with the experimental data for the low cycle and high cycle fatigue applications.

Cam follower mechanisms are used for obtaining complex motion outputs at follower end with different profile curve inputs at cam end. The kinematic behaviour of follower establishes basic suitability of cam for a given application and it is decided by the cam profile curves, which is main input of cam follower system. In this paper synthetic curves, that are generated parametrically through a set of known data points with desired number of curve segments, are studied for their effect on the kinematic behaviour of follower and are proved to be a major improvement over the traditional trigonometric and polynomial cam profile curves. Different synthetic curves are generated by varying their different parameters. The kinematic behaviour of follower is, then, simulated for cam profiles using these synthetic curves. The resulting follower displacements, velocities, accelerations and jerks are analysed and a comparative study is performed with the kinematic behaviour of cycloidal cam profile. It is observed that the Hermite curve, when used as a cam profile, has caused up to 28.32% reduced maximum acceleration of follower than that obtained for cycloidal curve. The Bezier curve has facilitated continuous jerk of follower, which is not, at all, possible by using a cycloidal curve. So, they provided additional versatility to suit more complex / high speed applications. It is concluded that the synthetic curves are providing better control on kinematic behaviour of cam follower mechanism, with adjustable values of maximum velocities, maximum accelerations, and maximum values of jerks in different regions of cam rotation due to flexibility of shape control.

A total of 30 water samples and 8 sediment samples were collected and chemically analysed for major ions (Na+, K+, Mg2+, Ca2+, HCO3 −, SO4 2−, Cl−, NO3 −, silica, PO4 3−, F−), trace elements (Fe, Mn, Ni, Cd, Zn, Pb, Cu), minerals and nutrients to determine the factors that control the chemistry of water in the Kawar-Tal and Kusheshwar-Asthan wetlands in the Bihar State of India. These analyses indicate that Ca2+ and HCO3 − ions are the most dominant ions in both of the wetlands. It also indicates rock weathering is a major source of ions in these wetlands, particularly the dissolution of carbonate minerals. The hydrogeochemistry of water in Kusheshwar-Asthan is favouring kaolinite formation and in Kawar-Tal favouring kaolinite–gibbsite formation. Quartz (~36%), clay minerals (~21%) and chlorite (~10%) are the dominant minerals in both the wetlands. Orthoclase (~12.49%), calcite (~7.51%) and illite (4.89%) minerals are only available in Kawar-Tal surface sediment, while albite (6.29%) and biotite (~13.6%) minerals are only available in Kusheshwar-Asthan. Total carbon (~3%), inorganic carbon (0.9%), organic carbon (~2.1%), total sulphur (~0.0008%), nitrogen (~0.55%) and phosphate (~0.96%) are available in Kawar-Tal surface sediments, while total carbon (~2.38%), inorganic carbon (0.55%), organic carbon (~1.84%), total sulphur (~0.001%), nitrogen (~0.62%) and phosphate (~0.64%) are available in Kusheshwar-Asthan surface sediments. The study indicates wetlands are rich in nutrient for biological activities and are sufficient to support the biodiversity, but few locations are influenced by anthropogenic activities which cause the increase of sulphur, chloride, iron and lead.

The genus Crescentia L. in India is taxonomically revised. A key to the species, nomenclatural citation of each species, their synonyms, type details, taxonomic description, phenology, distribution in India and worldwide, exsiccata, ecological and taxonomical notes if any, have been provided. Line drawing of the habit and dissected parts of each species have been given.

This manuscript deals with copper recovery from PCB by using hydrometallurgical methods and its evaluation by developing a quadratic model by using Box –Behnken experimental design and Response Surface Methodology (RSM) considering the factors: the concentration of H2SO4 (X1) and H2O2 (X2), the solid (X3)/Liquid ratio, times (X4) and temperature. Hydrometallurgical methods are more predictable and calculative in comparison to pyrometallurgical methods. RSM is a collection of statistical and mathematical methods that are useful for the modeling and analyzing engineering problems used in this study. By hydrometallurgical method 85 % of copper can recovered from 20.09 % available in printed circuit board (PCB). Box Behnken design total 27 experiments were performed, a model was developed for optimization of copper recovery. A second order polynomial model was developed using multiple linear regression analysis. This study showed that RSM based on Box-Behnken method is a useful tool for optimizing the operating parameters for copper recovery using leaching process. The statistical data of summary fit shows R Square is 0.99 indicates a better fit to the data. The Adjusts R Square is 0.98 also indicate better correlation in models with all variables. Root Mean Square (RMS) Error estimates the standard deviation of the random error. It was observed the RMS 2.91 and 60.06 mean of response for 27 observations.