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Abstract Background and purpose This comparative systematic review and meta-analysis investigated the incidence of ischemic stroke in intermediate-to-high-risk patients undergoing transcatheter aortic valve replacement versus surgical aortic valve replacement. Methods We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis following the PRISMA guidelines, searching PubMed, Google Scholar, Embase, Web of Science, and Cochrane CENTRAL databases from their inception to December 2023. The evaluated outcomes were primarily incidence of stroke and transient ischemic attack (TIA), along with other secondary safety end-points at 30 days and 1 year post-procedure. Odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were utilized for each study, employing a random-effects model for data synthesis irrespective of heterogeneity. Statistical heterogeneity was assessed using I2 statistics. All statistical analyses were conducted using Review Manager. Results We screened 8028 articles and included 8 studies consisting of 5 randomized controlled trials and 3 observational studies. The studies examining 30-day and 1-year stroke incidence found no significant difference between TAVR and SAVR patients (OR 0.83, 95% CI 0.59 to 1.17, p = 0.30, OR 0.92, 95% CI 0.64 to 1.33, p = 0.67, respectively). Both TAVR and SAVR also had a comparable risk of having a transient ischemic attack within 30 days (OR 0.93, 95% CI 0.24 to 3.63, p = 0.92, I2 52%) and 1 year (OR 1.15, 95% CI 0.72 to 1.82, p = 0.56, I2 0%) following the procedure. Regarding safety endpoints, TAVR had lower rates of all-cause mortality and acute kidney injury at 1 year post-procedure, but a higher incidence of major vascular complications at both 30 days and 1 year compared with SAVR. Conclusion The results suggest that TAVR and SAVR have comparable outcomes for both TIA and stroke incidence at 30 days and 1 year post-procedure, but display varying safety profiles in intermediate-to-high surgical risk patients.

Abstract Ascites remains a significant challenge in patients with cirrhosis, posing difficulties in management and affecting prognosis. This review examines the current understanding of ascites, including its underlying mechanisms, symptoms, and treatment options, with a specific focus on the innovative Alfa Pump device. The review begins by discussing traditional approaches to managing ascites while also addressing their limitations and potential complications. It then explores the emergence of the Alfa Pump system, a novel implantable device designed to tackle refractory ascites by continuously draining fluid from the abdomen while minimizing circulatory issues. Through a synthesis of current literature and clinical evidence, this narrative review underscores the importance of a multidisciplinary approach in the management of ascites, with a particular emphasis on the evolving role of the Alfa Pump in improving outcomes and quality of life for patients with refractory ascites.

Survey research is a very essential part of conducting the survey in which we compile, construct, and disseminate the questionnaire so that we get desired result. Here we also think about how to place the questions in the appropriate place and the selection of questions so that we get a maximum response on which lays the success of our survey. The study will give an insight to the readers to critically evaluate the questionnaire after it is constructed and follow the different steps involved in validation. Preparing the structure of the instrument is exciting, but at the same time, it is also a crucial step as this can also affect the internal and external validity and the data analysis. Sometimes we design the instrument, or translate it in different language or use the existing ones. The instrument for research may be available in public domain if not then we design the instrument and then apply statistical test like validity and reliability to check the same. In this article, we also propose the need for stepwise planning for validation and pretesting beforehand to reduce the potential challenges related to response rate, instrumentation process, and data analysis. For better data quality, we must ensure that it is appropriate, representative, accurate, and does not vary in different situations.

Aquaculture is one of the major economic activities in India, providing livelihoods and nutritional security to millions of people. In recent times, fish diseases have come to the limelight resulting in significant economic losses. We aimed to identify pathogenicity and virulence profiling of thirty-six pathogenic bacterial strains isolated from diseased Labeo rohita in the district of Hooghly, West Bengal, India. The bacterial strains were characterized through a comprehensive approach involving the examination of morphological features, biochemical properties, amplification, and sequencing of the 16S rRNA, species-specific genes, and virulence genes. Considering the prevalence frequency, virulence potential, and statistical significance Aeromonas hydrophila and Pseudomonas aeruginosa were selected for a survival assay followed by the examination of histopathological features to elucidate their effects. The identified bacterial isolates were arranged based on their predominance frequency, i.e., Aeromonas hydrophila (25%), Aeromonas veronii (22%), Pseudomonas aeruginosa (22%), Enterococcus faecalis (14%), Klebsiella pneumoniae (6%), Staphylococcus aureus (6%) and Escherichia coli (5%). Sixteen virulence-associated genes related to pathogenicity were amplified across the thirty-six isolates; aer, alt, lip and hlyA for A. hydrophila; exoS, lasB, toxA, oprL and phzM for P. aeruginosa; entB, fimH and uge in K. pneumoniae; aer in A. veronii; hlyA in E. coli; hlb in S. aureus and gelE for E. faecalis. The log-probit analysis revealed that A. hydrophila was notably more pathogenic than P. aeruginosa, as indicated by its lower lethal dose of 1.5×104 CFU/mL. Additionally, histological examination revealed notable pathological changes, including tissue degeneration, inflammatory cell infiltration and vacuolation observed in the liver, kidney, gill and intestine of the challenged fish. We highlighted several potent aquatic microbial pathogens in order to manage and prevent such aquacultural maladies.

Background: The importance of providing care to mothers after childbirth is critical for lowering maternal illness and death rates. This research aimed to analyze the factors influencing the use of postnatal services among mothers with having at least one living child three years preceding the survey in the Sunsari district of Eastern Nepal. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted within a community setting, involving 401 ever-married women of reproductive age group. The studyperformed bivariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses to identify factors associated with the utilization of postnatal care services. Results: Among 401 women studied, 52% had Postnatal Care (PNC) visits. Among those who utilized PNC services, the majority (96%) had partial utilization, while only 4.3% had complete PNC.PNC visits are more frequent among the wealthy, migrants, and upper castes, as well as those exposed to media, aware of health services, and perceiving higher service quality and awareness at health facilities. Conclusion: Both the coverage and complete utilization of PNC attendance were low. Increasing focus on mothers from poorer households, pockets of the native population, individuals needing behavioural modification, and those with poor awareness about available services may enhance the overall usage of complete PNC.

Abstract The Sundarbans mangrove, located at the mouth of the Ganges and Brahmaputra Rivers, is the world’s largest tidal mangrove forest. These mangroves are also one of the most striking sources of microbial diversity, essential in productivity, conservation, nutrient cycling, and rehabilitation. Hence, the main objective of this study was to use metagenome analysis and provide detailed insight into microbial communities and their functional roles in the Sundarbans mangrove ecosystem. A comparative analysis was also done with a non-mangrove region of the Sundarbans ecosystem to assess the capability of the environmental parameters to explain the variation in microbial community composition. The study found several dominant bacteria, viz., Alphaproteobacteria, Actinomycetota, Bacilli, Clostridia, Desulfobacterota, Gammaproteobacteria, and Nitrospira, from the mangrove region. The mangrove sampling site reports several salt-tolerant bacteria like Alkalibacillus haloalkaliphilus, Halomonas anticariensis, and Salinivibrio socompensis. We found some probiotic species, viz., Bacillus clausii, Lactobacillus curvatus, Vibrio mediterranei and Vibrio fluvialis, from the Sundarbans mangrove. Nitrifying bacteria in Sundarbans soils were Nitrococcus mobilis, Nitrosococcus oceani, Nitrosomonas halophila, Nitrospirade fluvii, and others. Methanogenic archaea, viz., Methanoculleus marisnigri, Methanobrevibacter gottschalkii, and Methanolacinia petrolearia, were highly abundant in the mangroves as compared to the non-mangrove soils. The identified methanotrophic bacterial species, viz., Methylobacter tundripaludum, Methylococcus capsulatus, Methylophaga thiooxydans, and Methylosarcina lacus are expected to play a significant role in the degradation of methane in mangrove soil. Among the bioremediation bacterial species identified, Pseudomonas alcaligenes, Pseudomonas mendocina, Paracoccus denitrificans, and Shewanella putrefaciens play a significant role in the remediation of environmental pollution. Overall, our study shows for the first time that the Sundarbans, the largest mangrove ecosystem in the world, has a wide range of methanogenic archaea, methanotrophs, pathogenic, salt-tolerant, probiotic, nitrifying, and bioremediation bacteria.

Background: Hypertension, a major cause of cardiovascular disease, is increasingly common among urban professionals, including school teachers, who face unique stressors and lifestyle challenges. Understanding these factors is essential for developing targeted health interventions. This study aims to determine the prevalence and key determinants of hypertension among government school teachers in Patna. Methodology: A cross-sectional survey was conducted from November 2021 to October 2022 with 1321 teachers from 325 urban schools in Patna. The sample size was calculated based on a 45.4% estimated hypertension prevalence, with a 3% margin of error and 20% non-response rate. Teachers were selected using stratified sampling with probability proportional to size. Results: Of the 1283 respondents, 61.34% were male and 38.66% female. The overall prevalence of hypertension was 14.1%, higher in males (15.5%) than females (11.9%). Hypertension was significantly associated with frequent fast-food consumption, extra salt intake, tobacco use, stress, and higher BMI (p

In the ever-increasing quest for alternative energy sources, hydrogen emerged as a promising green option, but efficient and economical production and management have been the primary constraints. Converting wastewater into H2 and other forms of energy attracted significant attention in terms of simultaneously and sustainably managing both the wastewater and the energy generation problems. Microbial Electrolysis Cells (MEC) evolved recently as promising options for converting wastewater into H2 and electricity but with serious constraints on scalability. The current research aims to explore design and manufacturing solutions to build structurally strong and electrochemically effective electrodes that can also lead to scalable MEC. Two designs based on the interdigitated and spiral electrode architectures are proposed and evaluated. The added design freedom with additive manufacturing by selective laser melting of specific alloys of choice is effectively utilised in physically prototyping the interdigitated and spiral electrode forms designed with controlled porosity constraints. Microstructural, electrochemical, and cell performance characterisations led to the understanding that the spiral electrode configuration with polypyrrole-coated stainless steel 316L anode is a promising design option for both longitudinal and lateral scale-up of the MEC.

Abstract Chickpea is a highly nutritious protein-rich source and one of the major crops to alleviate global malnutrition, but poor seed quality affects its productivity. Seed quality is essential for better crop establishment and higher yields, particularly in the uncertain climate change. The present study investigated the impact of botanical priming versus hydropriming and bavistin seed treatment on chickpea seeds. A detailed physiological (germination percentage, root and shoot length, vigour index) and biochemical (amylase, protease, dehydrogenase, phytase, and lipid peroxidation) analysis was carried out in order to assess the effect of priming treatments. Turmeric-primed seeds showed better germination rate (94.5%), seedling length, enzyme activity, and lower malondialdehyde (MDA) content. Sodium dodecyl-sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) analysis revealed the expression of minor polypeptides of albumin and globulin in the primed seeds. Moreover, field experiments indicated increased crop growth, vigour, days to 50% flowering, yield and its attributing traits in turmeric-primed seeds. Botanical priming can increase chickpea yield by up to 16% over the control group. This low-cost and eco-friendly technique enhances seed and crop performance, making it a powerful tool for augmenting chickpea growth. Therefore, chickpea growers must adopt botanical priming techniques to enhance the quality of seed and crop performance. Moreover, this approach is environmentally sustainable and can help conserve natural resources in the long term. Therefore, this new approach must be widely adopted across the agricultural industry to ensure sustainable and profitable farming practices.

The aquatic environment, independent of their host, is more favorable to pathogenic bacteria than the terrestrial environment. Consequently, pathogenic bacteria can reach very high densities around aquatic animals and can cause high mortality. The conventional approach, such as antibiotics, has minimal effectiveness. Additionally, due to the emergence of (multiple) resistance, their use is under intense scientific and public scrutiny. Hence, there is a need for the development of alternative control techniques, with an emphasis on prevention, which is likely to be more cost-effective. In this study, a potential bacterial strain Cytobacillus firmus was isolated from polluted river sediment and characterized using a comprehensive range of techniques including biochemical, 16S rRNA sequencing and antibiogram assay. The pathogenicity of the bacteria was tested in vivo on Labeo rohita fingerlings found as non-pathogenic. Further, the bacteria were found to synthesize silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) using AgNO3 as a substrate. The obtained AgNPs were characterized by various methods, including UV–vis spectroscopy, FTIR (Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy), and Transmission Emission Microscopy (TEM). The study found that the AgNPs were 20 nm in size on average. The antimicrobial activity of synthesized AgNPs was examined against the model freshwater pathogenic bacteria, Edwardsiella tarda and both the MIC (Minimum Inhibitory Concentration) and MBC (Minimum Bactericidal Concentration) were 0.156 μM, while biofilm inhibition activity was also observed at 0.156 μM. The AgNPs showed no haemolytic activity at 0.313 μM. Our findings suggest that C. firmus mediated bacteriogenic AgNPs modulate the activity of common pathogenic bacteria E. tarda. The thoroughness of our research process gives us confidence in the potential of applying AgNPs in aquaculture as a considerable strategy to control the E. tarda infection.

The natural environment is often contaminated with hydrophobic pollutants such as long-chain hydrocarbons, petrochemicals, oil spills, pesticides, and heavy metals. Hydrophobic pollutants with a toxic nature, slow degradation rates, and low solubility pose serious threats to the environment and human health. Decontamination based on conventional chemical surfactants has been found to be toxic, thereby limiting its application in pharmaceutical and cosmetic industries. In contrast, biosurfactants synthesized by various microbial species have been considered superior to chemical counterparts due to their non-toxic and economical nature. Some biosurfactants can withstand a wide range of fluctuations in temperature and pH. Recently, biosurfactants have emerged as innovative biomolecules not only for solubilization but also for the biodegradation of environmental pollutants such as heavy metals, pesticides, petroleum hydrocarbons, and oil spills. Biosurfactants have been well documented to function as emulsifiers, dispersion stabilizers, and wetting agents. The amphiphilic nature of biosurfactants has the potential to enhance the solubility of hydrophobic pollutants such as petroleum hydrocarbons and oil spills by reducing interfacial surface tension after distribution in two immiscible surfaces. However, the remediation of contaminants using biosurfactants is affected considerably by temperature, pH, media composition, stirring rate, and microorganisms selected for biosurfactant production. The present review has briefly discussed the current advancements in microbially synthesized biosurfactants, factors affecting production, and their application in the remediation of environmental contaminants of a hydrophobic nature. In addition, the latest aspect of the circular bioeconomy is discussed in terms of generating biosurfactants from waste and the global economic aspects of biosurfactant production.

Oxidative enzyme activity in plants is affected by innumerable direct as well as indirect ways. Sowing dates, nutrients in the form of foliar sprays and pre-seed treatments are the most common paths that can enhance the activity of oxidative enzymes in plants. The present field study was carried out during rainy (kharif ) seasons of 2019–20 and 2021–22 at the experimental field of Chaudhary Charan Singh Haryana Agricultural University, Hisar, Haryana to evaluate the seed quality and yield of cowpea [Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp] affected by the date of sowing, foliar application and seed treatment. The experiment was laid out in split-split plot design (SSPD) having 3 sowing dates, viz. 30 March (S1); 30 May (S2); and 30 June (S3) and 3 different seed treatments along with control i.e. T0, Control (untreated seeds); T1, Captan @2 g/kg; T2, Vitavax @2 g/kg; and T3, Bavistin @2 g/kg, replicated thrice. Nutrient spray, viz. FS0, No spray; FS1, NPK (18:18:18) @2%; FS2, NPK (17:44:0)-Urea phosphate @2% and FS3, NPK (0:0:50)- Sulphate of potash @2% were also done at at 35–45 DAS (days after sowing) and 55–65 DAS. The results reported that delayed sowing time reduced the oxidative enzyme activity and thus affected the productivity of quality cowpea. Captan was observed to be the most efficient and preventive, seed treatment agent. Out of the three-nutrient spray NPK @18:18:18 resulted in the maximum oxidative enzyme activity. The best quality seeds having highest values of oxidative enzyme activity including Catalase, Peroxidase, Dehydrogenase and Superoxide Dismutase were harvested from captan treated seed of second sowing with two sprays of NPK (18:18:18).

Hilsa (Tenualosa ilisha), a highly prized edible fish, is consumed by over 250 million people worldwide. Estrogens are essential hormones required during reproduction and bind with estrogen receptors in target organs for biological activity. The two unique subtypes of the estrogen receptor found in fish are alpha (α) and beta (β) and exhibit distinctive roles in reproduction. The present study aimed to understand the breeding physiology of hilsa during the seasonal gonadal cycles through GSI seasonal variation, histological study, and molecular identification, characterization, and transcriptional modification of estrogen receptors in hilsa. Monthly GSI analysis from females showed that during September, the GSI value was maximum (22.01 ± 0.68), followed by the May GSI value (18.78 ± 0.97). Histological observation showed the formation of asynchronous gametes during the development of ovaries. The histological analysis revealed the formation of developing oocytes, nucleus, presence of primary oogonia, secondary oogonia, chromatin nucleolar oocytes, and early perinucleolar oocytes in the ovary (January–early July). Progressively, formations of the yolk vesicles, yolk granule stage, premature stage, and mature stage with post-ovulatory follicles were also identified. Linear observation was recorded during the monsoon season from July to November. Furthermore, partial length cDNAs for estrogen receptors were characterized, and their mRNA expression patterns demonstrate that ER-α expression significantly increased in September, followed by April and August in the ovary and liver tissue. Both the liver and ovary showed the highest mRNA expression of ER-β in September. The study revealed that ER-α expression was higher in the ovary as compared with liver tissue. Furthermore, we introduce three-dimensional (3D) models depicting the hilsa estrogen receptors in complex with estradiol (E2), constructed through homology modeling. This investigation contributes valuable insights into the molecular characteristics of estrogen receptors in this teleost fish. Our present work provided preliminary evidence of estrogen receptors during reproduction in hilsa.

In Mixed-Criticality (MC) systems, due to encountering multiple Worst-Case Execution Times (WCETs) for each task corresponding to the system operation modes, estimating appropriate WCETs for tasks in lower-criticality (LO) modes is essential to improve the system’s timing behavior. While numerous studies focus on determining WCET in the high-criticality mode, determining the appropriate WCET in the LO mode poses significant challenges and has been addressed in a few research works due to its inherent complexity. This article introduces ESOMICS, a novel scheme, to obtain appropriate WCET for LO modes, in which we propose an ML-based approach for WCET estimation based on the application’s source code analysis and the model training using a comprehensive data set. The experimental results show a significant improvement in utilization by up to 23.3% compared to state-of-the-art works, while mode switching probability is bounded by 7.19%, in the worst-case scenario.

The massive parallelism provided by Graphics Processing Units (GPUs) to accelerate compute-intensive tasks makes it preferable for Real-Time Systems such as autonomous vehicles. Such systems require the execution of heavy Machine Learning (ML) and Computer Vision applications because of the computing power of GPUs. However, such systems need a guarantee of timing predictability. It means the Worst-Case Execution Time (WCET) of the application is estimated tightly and safely to schedule each application before its deadline to avoid catastrophic consequences. As more applications use GPUs, running many applications simultaneously on the same GPU becomes necessary. To provide predictable performance while the application is running in parallel, it must be WCET-aware, which GPUs do not fully support in a multitasking environment. Nvidia recently added a feature called the Multi-Process Service. It allows the different applications to run simultaneously in the same CUDA context by partitioning the compute resources of the GPU. Using this feature, we can measure the interference from co-running GPU applications to estimate WCET. In this paper, we propose a novel technique to estimate the WCET of the GPU kernel using an ML approach. Our approach is based on the application’s source, and the model is trained based on the large data set. The approach is flexible and can be applied to different GPU-sharing mechanisms. We allow the victim and enemy kernel of the GPU to execute in parallel to get the maximum interference from the enemy to estimate the WCET of the victim kernel. Enemy kernels are chosen to cause a higher slowdown by acquiring the resources of the victim kernel. We compare our implementation with state-of-the-art approaches to show its effectiveness. Our ML approach reduces the time by 99% in most cases because inferences take only seconds to predict WCET, and the resource consumption required to estimate WCET compared to traditional approaches is minimal because we don’t need to execute the application on GPU for hours. Although our approach does not offer safety guarantees because of its empirical nature, we observed that predicted WCETs are always higher than any observed execution times for all benchmarks, and the maximum overestimation factor observed is 11x.

Multispectral satellite imageries (MSIs) are strong enough to delineate features of interest by suppressing others. The water index is a method applied to delineate the water features by combining the multispectral band images. This research proposes a novel index for extracting water features from multisensor MSIs named multisensor water index. The proposed index, along with existing indices, is applied on Landsat-8 OLI imageries, a comparative analysis is done, and it is found that the proposed index is outperforming with 99.77% accuracy. The proposed index was validated on other sensors, such as a series of Landsat (5, 7, 8, and 9), Sentinel-2, Resourcesat, and Modis satellite imagery, by mapping water features successfully. Furthermore, the proposed index maps marine pollution by discriminating phytoplankton and algal bloom from the water feature. It is observed that the increase in phytoplankton or algal bloom is the result of eutrophication. The blooming of phytoplankton and algae is on the surface of the water. Thus, it causes shading at the bottom of the marine ecosystem and negatively impacts the growth of seagrasses, dissolved oxygen levels, fish suffocation, water properties, and other bottom habitats. The three test sites, viz., lake Villarrica, lake Okeechobee, and the Atlantic Ocean, have been considered to study increasing phytoplankton and algal bloom. The proposed index successfully discriminates the phytoplankton and algal bloom from the water features.

Abstract Background and Aim Molecular‐targeted agents such as lenvatinib and sorafenib have been approved to treat hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). However, the choice between these two agents in the primary treatment for advanced HCC is still under debate with conflicting results. We sought to evaluate the efficacy of lenvatinib and sorafenib in patients with HCC. Methods We performed a systematic literature search using PubMed, Embase, and Scopus for relevant articles from inception until February 10, 2023. The primary outcome of this meta‐analysis was overall survival (OS). The secondary outcomes were progression‐free survival (PFS), time to progression, objective response rate (ORR), and disease control rate (DCR). Results A total of 13 studies with 3705 patients (1635 on lenvatinib and 2070 on sorafenib) were included in our analysis. The mean age of the patients in both groups was comparable (66.81 vs 65.9 years). Pooled analysis of primary outcomes showed that, compared with sorafenib, lenvatinib was associated with significantly better OS in patients treated with these drugs (HR 0.82, 95% CI: 0.69–0.97, P = 0.02). Pooled analysis also showed that PFS (HR 0.67, 95% CI: 0.57–0.78, P

The bullfrog Aquarana catesbeiana is one of the main farmed frog species in China, with a low overall survival of farmed bullfrogs from hatching to harvest since bullfrog tadpoles are fragile during the metamorphosis period. The intestinal bacterial community can play crucial roles in animal development; however, little is known about the alteration of the gut microbial community of A. catesbeiana during metamorphosis. The present study used 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing to investigate the intestinal bacterial community in A. catesbeiana at four distinct developmental stages. Moreover, we determined the bullfrog’s body morphological parameters and the intestine histology at different developmental stages. The results showed a reduction in the total length and snout–vent length of A. catesbeiana during metamorphosis. The intestinal microbial composition of A. catesbeiana exhibited variation throughout the process of metamorphosis. The terrestrial stage showed shifts in the bacterial composition compared to the aquatic stages, including a reduction in Bacteroidetes and an increase in Firmicutes. Furthermore, the presence of Prevotella, Bifidobacterium, Leucobacter, Corynebacterium, Bulleidia, Dorea, Robinsoniella, and Clostridium in A. catesbeiana metamorphosis appears to be mainly related to the host’s epithelial cells’ height and total body mass. The results indicated that the intestinal microbial composition changed with the bullfrog–tadpole metamorphosis. The genera of Prevotella, Bifidobacterium, Leucobacter, Corynebacterium, Bulleidia, Dorea, Robinsoniella, and Clostridium might be potential probiotics.

India is the habitat of many freshwater fish species that make a significant contribution to endemism. However, the native species population is declining at a very fast rate due to pollution, habitat loss or degradation, new species introduction, hydrologic alterations, and overfishing. The minor carp, Labeo gonius, is one of the important fish species in the Indian river systems and holds enormous potential in culture fisheries. Therefore, the precise status of population structure is a prerequisite for the management of the species. In the present study, we assessed the potential of mtDNA ATPase 6/8 and D-loop regions as markers to determine the genetic diversity and phylogeography of L. gonius from Indian rivers. We have selected five major Indian rivers for investigation which could represent geographically distant populations of the studied fish. A total of 210 ATPase 6/8 sequences (842 bp) and 203 D-loop region sequences (683 bp) of L. gonius from the five major Indian rivers were submitted to NCBI. Results revealed that ATPase 6/8 has 17 haplotypes and 70 polymorphic sites with an overall haplotype diversity of 0.560 ± 0.036 and nucleotide diversity of 0.00347 ± 0.00. Furthermore, D-loop analysis revealed 58 haplotypes, 67 polymorphic sites, 0.954 ± 0.006 overall haplotype diversity, and 0.01914 ± 0.00 nucleotide diversity. The hierarchical AMOVA analysis indicated that a high proportion of the genetic variation (76.46% and 70.22% for the D-loop and ATPase 6/8 regions, respectively) was attributed to among-population variation under gene pool-1 (considering all the stocks from Ganga, Brahmaputra, Teesta, Narmada, and Mahanadi as a single pool). Furthermore, in gene pool-2, samples were divided into two groups: group 1 (Himalayan rivers)—Ganga, Brahmaputra, and Teesta; and group 2 (peninsular rivers)—Narmada and Mahanadi. Genetic variations in the D-loop and ATPase 6/8 regions were found among populations within groups at 70.65% and 53.48%, respectively. Haplotype network analysis revealed that there were significant differences in distributions and frequencies. The observed unique haplotypes might be useful for differentiating the stocks. In brief, the present study suggested that the D-loop and ATPase 6/8 regions are potential markers and represent a significant contribution to the genetic characterization of the minor carp L. gonius from major Indian rivers. Moreover, the L. gonius population along the east coast especially in the Himalayan rivers (Ganga, Brahmaputra, and Teesta river basin) is found to be genetically more diverse. The results would provide a scientific basis for the assessment of fisheries resources and management of this important species.

Abstract Antioxidant defense mechanisms are important for a parasite to overcome oxidative stress and survive within host macrophage cells. Mitochondrial iron superoxide dismutase A (FeSODA) and trypanothione reductase (TR) are critical enzymes in the antioxidant defense mechanism of Leishmania donovani. FeSODA is responsible for neutralizing reactive oxygen species in mitochondria, while TR is responsible for reducing trypanothione, the molecules that help the parasite fight oxidative stress in Leishmania. In this study, we used multitarget ligands to inhibit both the FeSODA and TR enzymes. We combined structure-based drug design using virtual screening approach to find inhibitors against both the targets. The ZINC15 database of biogenic compounds was utilized to extract drugs-like molecules against leishmaniasis. The compounds were screened by standard precision (SP) and extra precision (XP) docking methods. Two compounds, ZINC000008876351 and ZINC000253403245, were selected based on molecular docking based on the binding affinity for both the targets. The screened molecules ZINC000008876351 and ZINC000253403245 showed strong hydrogen bonding with the target proteins according to the Molecular mechanics with generalised Born and surface area solvation (MM-GBSA) techniques. These two compounds were also experimentally investigated on promastigotes stage of L. donovani. Under in vitro condition, the compounds show inhibitory effects on L. donovani promastigotes with IC50 values of 24.82 ± 0.61 µM for ZINC000008876351 and 7.52 ± 0.17 µM for ZINC000253403245. Thus, the screened compounds seem to have good potential as therapeutic candidates for leishmaniasis.

In this study, we evaluated gamete quality parameters of mature male koi carp (Cyprinus carpio) exposed to three different concentrations (1, 10, and 100 µg/L) of di-(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP). After 60 days of exposure, there was a significant decrease in the gonadosomatic index (GSI) of males exposed to 10 and 100 µg/L of DEHP. Histological analysis of the testes revealed impaired histoarchitecture, including inflammatory cells, intratubular vacuoles, and swollen seminiferous tubules in treatment groups. Gamete quality parameters like sperm production, motility, spermatocrit, and sperm density values were significantly decreased at the 10 and 100 µg/L concentrations. Biochemical compositions, including glucose, cholesterol, and total protein levels, were significantly changed in the treatment groups. Similarly, the ionic compositions of seminal fluid (Na, K, Ca, and Mg) also varied in the treatment groups. Furthermore, the 11-ketotestosterone levels were decreased, and the 17-β estradiol levels were increased in the DEHP-treated groups. The mRNA expression levels of reproduction-related genes, including Fshr, Lhr, Ar, Erα, and Erβ, were significantly changed in the DEHP-treated males in a dose-dependent manner. In conclusion, the findings of this study confirmed that environmentally relevant exposure to DEHP may contribute to a decline in the gamete quality of male fishes.

Abstract Over the past decade, long non-coding RNA (lncRNA), which lacks protein-coding potential, has emerged as an essential regulator of the genome. The present study examined 13,599 lncRNAs in Arabidopsis thaliana, 11,565 in Oryza sativa, and 32,397 in Zea mays for their characteristic features and explored the associated genomic and epigenomic features. We found lncRNAs were distributed throughout the chromosomes and the Helitron family of transposable elements (TEs) enriched, while the terminal inverted repeat depleted in lncRNA transcribing regions. Our analyses determined that lncRNA transcribing regions show rare or weak signals for most epigenetic marks except for H3K9me2 and cytosine methylation in all three plant species. LncRNAs showed preferential localization in the nucleus and cytoplasm; however, the distribution ratio in the cytoplasm and nucleus varies among the studied plant species. We identified several conserved endogenous target mimic sites in the lncRNAs among the studied plants. We found 233, 301, and 273 unique miRNAs, potentially targeting the lncRNAs of A. thaliana, O. sativa, and Z. mays, respectively. Our study has revealed that miRNAs, which interact with lncRNAs, target genes that are involved in a diverse array of biological and molecular processes. The miRNA-targeted lncRNAs displayed a strong affinity for several transcription factors, including ERF and BBR-BPC, mutually present in all three plants, advocating their conserved functions. Overall, the present study showed that plant lncRNAs exhibit conserved genomic and epigenomic characteristics and potentially govern the growth and development of plants.

Abstract Sleep restriction is associated with increased cardiovascular risk, which is more pronounced in female than male persons. We reported recently first causal evidence that mild, prolonged sleep restriction mimicking “real-life” conditions impairs endothelial function, a key step in the development and progression of cardiovascular disease, in healthy female persons. However, the underlying mechanisms are unclear. In model organisms, sleep restriction increases oxidative stress and upregulates antioxidant response via induction of the antioxidant regulator nuclear factor (erythroid-derived 2)-like 2 (Nrf2). Here, we assessed directly endothelial cell oxidative stress and antioxidant responses in healthy female persons (n = 35) after 6 weeks of mild sleep restriction (1.5 h less than habitual sleep) using randomized crossover design. Sleep restriction markedly increased endothelial oxidative stress without upregulating antioxidant response. Using RNA-seq and a predicted protein–protein interaction database, we identified reduced expression of endothelial Defective in Cullin Neddylation-1 Domain Containing 3 (DCUN1D3), a protein that licenses Nrf2 antioxidant responses, as a mediator of impaired endothelial antioxidant response in sleep restriction. Thus, sleep restriction impairs clearance of endothelial oxidative stress that over time increases cardiovascular risk. Trial Registration: NCT02835261

Abstract Biofloc technology aims to maximize fish farming productivity by effectively breaking down ammonia and nitrite, promoting healthy flocculation, and enhancing the growth and immunity of cultured animals. However, a major limitation in this field is the suitable starter microbial culture and narrow number of fish species that have been tested with the biofloc system. Here, we investigated various microbial inoculum containing beneficial microbes with probiotics, immunostimulatory and flocs development and bioremediation properties would lead to the development of ideal biofloc development. Three treatment groups with different microbial combinations, viz., group 1 [Bacillus subtilis (AN1) + Pseudomonas putida (PB3) + Saccharomyces cerevisiae (ATCC-2601)], group 2 [B. subtilis (AN2) + P. fluorescens (PC3) + S. cerevisiae (ATCC-2601)] and group 3 [B. subtilis (AN3) + P. aeruginosa (PA2) + S. cerevisiae (ATCC-2601)] were used and compared with the positive control (pond water without microbial inoculums) and negative control (clear water: without microbial inoculums and carbon sources) on biofloc development and its characteristic features to improve the water quality and growth of fish. We demonstrated that microbial inoculums, especially group 2, significantly improve the water quality and microbiota of flocs and gut of the test animal, Heteropneustes fossilis. The study further demonstrates that biofloc system supplemented with microbial inoculums positively regulates gut histomorphology and growth performance, as evidenced by improved villous morphology, amylase, protease and lipase activity, weight gain, FCR, T3, T4 and IGF1 levels. The inoculums induced an antioxidative response marked by significantly higher values of catalase (CAT) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity. Furthermore, the supplementation of microbial inoculums enhances both specific and non-specific immune responses and significantly elevated levels of immune genes (transferrin, interleukin-1β and C3), and IgM was recorded. This study provides a proof-of-concept approach for assessing microbial inoculums on fish species that can be further utilized to develop biofloc technology for use in sustainable aquaculture.

Intestinal parasitic infections caused by helminths are globally distributed and are a major cause of morbidity worldwide. Parasites may modulate the virulence, gut microbiota diversity and host responses during infection. Despite numerous works, little is known about the complex interaction between parasites and the gut microbiota. In the present study, the complex interplay between parasites and the gut microbiota was investigated. A total of 12 bacterial strains across four major families, including Enterobacteriaceae, Morganellaceae, Flavobacteriaceae, and Pseudomonadaceae, were isolated from Channa punctata, infected with the nematode species Aporcella sp., Axonchium sp., Tylencholaimus mirabilis, and Dioctophyme renale. The findings revealed that nematode infection shaped the fish gut bacterial microbiota and significantly affected their virulence levels. Nematode-infected fish bacterial isolates are more likely to be pathogenic, with elevated hemolytic activity and biofilm formation, causing high fish mortality. In contrast, isolates recovered further from non-parasitised C. punctata were observed to be non-pathogenic and had negligible hemolytic activity and biofilm formation. Antibiogram analysis of the bacterial isolates revealed a disproportionately high percentage of bacteria that were either marginally or multidrug resistant, suggesting that parasitic infection-induced stress modulates the gut microenvironment and enables colonization by antibiotic-resistant strains. This isolation-based study provides an avenue to unravel the influence of parasitic infection on gut bacterial characteristics, which is valuable for understanding the infection mechanism and designing further studies aimed at optimizing treatment strategies. In addition, the cultured isolates can supplement future gut microbiome studies by providing wet lab specimens to compare (meta)genomic information discovered within the gut microenvironment of fish.

In this article, a nano-composite Ag/BaTiO3/MoS2 multilayer coating-based surface plasmon resonance (SPR) sensor with high sensitivity and figure of merit for the detection of cancer cells is analyzed. The proposed SPR biomedical sensor structure is built on the angular interrogation approach to utilizing the refractive index component, attenuated total reflection (ATR) analysis is employed to identify different kinds of cancer cells. The resonance angle varied as the refractive index (RI) of healthy and cancerous cells changed. Which ranged from 1.368 to 1.392 for increasing concentration in cervical (HeLa cells) and blood (Jurkat cells), RI 1.376 to 1.390 changes as the concentration of cancerous cells increases in healthy cells. The maximum estimated sensitivities for cervical (HeLa) and blood (Jurkat) cancer cells based on numerical data were 271.25 deg/RIU and 290.714 deg/RIU, respectively. The proposed BK7/Ag/BaTiO3/ MoS2 has the ability to identify cancerous and healthy cells with the greatest overall sensitivity, as demonstrated by layered structures. Finally, the numerical results analyzed in this manuscript revealed a high degree of sensitivity and FoM compared to those of previous research studies.

Plastic waste has become a significant global ecological concern due to its substantial harmful impacts. They are eventually colonized and transformed by diverse microbial communities known as the ‘‘plastisphere”. Only a limited group of microbes have been identified so far due to the prevalence of non-culturable strains that inhabit polymer substrates. We investigated the community diversity and predictive functionality of the plastisphere microbiota using a high-throughput next-generation sequencing (NGS) approach to unveil their plastic degrading potential. Samples were collected from four different plastic-enriched disposal sites adjacent to Kolkata, West Bengal, India, followed by processing, gDNA extraction, library preparation, and sequencing. The most prevalent phyla were Proteobacteria, followed by Bacteroidetes, Actinobacteria, Cyanobacteria, Firmicutes, and Verrucomicrobia. The functional profiling revealed that genes associated with metabolism, cellular processes, and signalling were most prevalent, followed by poorly characterized information storage and processing. In this study, we predicted the existence of a beneficial microbiome associated with bioremediation and plastic degradation, which suggests the potential utilization of plastics as primary carbon sources. Our findings also highlighted the existence of promising microbial enzymes associated with the biodegradation of several plastic substrates.Furthermore, our research unveiled the enriched distribution of beneficial microbiome in the studied metagenome, which offers a diverse prospect. This investigation establishes a connection between the structure of microbial communities and diverse genes actively engaged in the biodegradation of plastic waste within plastic disposal sites. These beneficial degraders can be investigated further for broad-spectrum applications in plastic bioremediation. Subsequent explorations of their plastic degrading enzymes will provide profound contributions to plastic pollution mitigation.

In this paper, an economically feasible and reliable operation of the IEEE 57 bus system for Optimal Power Flow (OPF) is proposed. The Improved Symbiotic Organisms Search (ISOS) algorithm is proposed for effective reactive power planning as an OPF issue. Further, the optimal position of Flexible AC Transmission Systems (FACTS) is taken into consideration, by including the existing system controlling variables like reactive power generators output, transformer tapping and capacitors connected at shunt. The objective of the work is two-fold; i.e., to reduce the energy loss and to enhance the voltage profile within the prescribed limit by ensuring the economic operation and investment cost of FACTS in the system. In this work, two FACTS devices like Static Var Compensator (SVC) and Thyristor-Controlled Series Controller (TCSC) have been taken into consideration. Voltage sensitivity indicator and reactive power flow are two tools that are utilised in order to locate weak nodes for the implementation of FACTS. Finally, the performance of the ISOS algorithm is compared with that of three other state- of-the -art optimization techniques, such as, Symbiotic Organisms Search (SOS), Differential Evolution (DE) and Teaching Learning Based Optimization (TLBO). A Non-parametric statistical analysis is also performed to investigate the dominance of the ISOS algorithm over others.

Background: Current standard-of-care first-line treatment of patients with hormone receptor-positive/human epidermal growth factor receptor 2-negative (HR+/HER2−) advanced breast cancer (ABC) is cyclin-dependent kinase 4/6 inhibitor (CDK4/6i) + endocrine therapy. In the MONALEESA-2 trial, first-line ribociclib + letrozole demonstrated statistically significant overall survival (OS) benefit versus placebo + letrozole in postmenopausal patients with HR+/HER2− ABC. In the PALOMA-2 trial, first-line palbociclib + letrozole did not show OS benefit versus placebo + letrozole in a similar patient population. Understanding OS outcomes in the respective trials is critical for treatment decisions; however, there are no head-to-head clinical trial data comparing ribociclib and palbociclib. Objectives: To conduct a matching-adjusted indirect comparison (MAIC) to compare progression-free survival (PFS) and OS of first-line ribociclib + letrozole versus palbociclib + letrozole in postmenopausal patients with HR+/HER2− ABC. Design: Letrozole-anchored MAIC using individual patient data from MONALEESA-2 and published summary data from PALOMA-2. Methods: Using individual data, patients from MONALEESA-2 who matched inclusion criteria from PALOMA-2 were selected, and weighting was conducted to ensure baseline characteristics were similar to those in published aggregated data from PALOMA-2. The Bucher method was used to generate corresponding hazard ratios (HRs). Results: The final effective sample size compared n = 150 (ribociclib) and n = 112 (placebo) MONALEESA-2 patients with n = 444 (palbociclib) and n = 222 (placebo) PALOMA-2 patients. After matching and weighting, patient characteristics were well balanced. MAIC analysis showed a numerical PFS benefit [HR, 0.80; 95% confidence interval (CI), 0.58–1.11; p = 0.187] and significant OS benefit (HR, 0.68; 95% CI, 0.48–0.96; p = 0.031) with ribociclib + letrozole versus palbociclib + letrozole. Conclusion: Results of this cross-trial MAIC analysis showed a numerical PFS benefit and significantly greater OS benefit with first-line ribociclib + letrozole versus palbociclib + letrozole. These results support letrozole + ribociclib as the preferred first-line CDK4/6i for postmenopausal patients with HR+/HER2− ABC. Trial registration: NCT01958021; https://www.clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT01958021 (MONALEESA-2) and NCT01740427; https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT01740427 (PALOMA-2).

The study of plant-microbiome interactions is critical for developing sustainable management practices and increasing agricultural production. The microbial communities of plants correspond to different plant environments that play important roles in plant growth and soil health. Currently, a significant amount of information is available on microorganisms and their beneficial roles within plant systems. There is an immediate need to put microbial innovations into practice because of the remarkable functional potential of the plant microbiota to reduce biotic and abiotic stresses in crop production. Plant-associated microbiomes also provide physiological benefits for host plants, such as growth stimulation, nutrient cycling, stress tolerance, and disease resistance. In addition to promoting plant growth, phytomicrobiome members also assist in scavenging antioxidants by enhancing host resistance and reducing stress conditions that adversely affect plants. Therefore, it is crucial to understand phytomicrobiomes and their potential attributes for crop health management. In this review, recent progress in the relationship between the microbiome and plants at the plant-microbe, plant-plant, and microbe-microbe levels, as well as their deployment in achieving the aim of sustainable agriculture, has been discussed, along with potential areas for future research. Based on literature reviews, it revealed that microbiomes associated with plants provide several benefits at the development stage, including growth stimulation, nutrient supply, and biotic and abiotic resistance. Thus, the use of phytomicrobiomes can assist farmers in developing sustainable and profitable crop production to meet growing global demand, while also minimizing the impact on ecosystems and stakeholders.

Background: Hepatitis C (HCV) infections have been shown to be associated a with higher risk of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (CVD). However, the use of antiviral therapy (AVT) and the risk of CVD has not been well established with limited literature. Objective: We sought to evaluate the association between AVT use post-HCV infection and cardiovascular outcomes. Methods: We performed a systematic literature search using PubMed, Embase, and Scopus for relevant articles from inception until 10th March 2023. Primary clinical outcomes were the incidence of any CVD. Secondary endpoints were all-cause of mortality, stroke, myocardial infarction, and peripheral artery disease. Results: A total of 394,452 patients were included in the analysis (111,076 in the AVT group and 283,376 patients in the NAVT group). The mean age of patients among AVT and NAVT groups was comparable (58.7 vs 58.18). The pooled analysis of primary outcomes showed that AVT was associated with a significantly reduced risk of any CVD (HR, 0.55(95%CI: 0.41–0.75), P

The current study aimed at assessing the immunostimulatory properties of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) on Labeo rohita, and understanding how it affects the growth, cellular ultrastructure, the expression level of immune genes, and infection risk from Aeromonas hydrophila. Fish (avg wt: 30.1±3.26 g) were fed diets with four separate AgNP inclusion levels (0 µgKg−1 [basic diet, T1], 10 µgKg−1 [T2], 15 µgKg−1 [T3], and 20 µgKg−1 [T4]) for 56 days. After the feeding trial, growth, histological, immunological parameters, and protective immune response against A. hydrophila were assessed. The fish in the treatment groups including T1(control), the T3 growth indices, such as specific growth rate (7.56±0.26) and percent weight gain (231.05±3.21), was statistically higher (P < 0.05). In the immunological and oxidative parameters, levels of SOD and catalase decreased in correlation with a rise in the inclusion doses of AgNP in the liver, and a reduction in catalase values was recorded in the gill. With the addition of AgNP, the NBT value was decreased in the gill, and T3 had a considerably larger (P

Background/Objective: Insulin autoimmune syndrome (IAS) is a very rare cause of hypoglycemia presenting with recurrent fasting or postprandial hypoglycemia episodes with elevated serum insulin levels and insulin autoantibodies. The objective of this case is to highlight the importance of considering IAS in patients with hypoglycemia. Case Report: We present a case of an 81-year-old female who presented with symptoms of hypoglycemia. She was found to have hyperinsulinemic hypoglycemic episodes without any apparent risk factors for IAS. She had positive–insulin autoantibodies in her serum leading to the diagnosis of IAS. Acutely, hypoglycemia was managed with D50 pushes, oral glucose, and glucagon injection. Discussion: Patients who present with hypoglycemia due to endogenous hyperinsulinemia should have IAS considered as a possible differential diagnosis. Insulin autoantibodies are measured as the gold standard diagnostic test for IAS. Foods with a low glycemic index are the primary treatment for IAS. Conclusion: This case presentation highlights the importance of considering IAS as a differential diagnosis in patients presenting with hypoglycemia secondary to hyperinsulinemia, even in the absence of apparent risk factors.

Salt stress is one of the most severe environmental stresses limiting the productivity of crops, including rice. However, there is a lack of information on how salt-stress sensitivity varies across different developmental stages in rice. In view of this, a comparative evaluation of contrasting rice varieties CSR36 (salt tolerant) and Jaya (salt sensitive) was conducted, wherein NaCl stress (50 mM) was independently given either at seedling (S-stage), tillering (T-stage), flowering (F-stage), seed-setting (SS-stage) or throughout plant growth, from seedling till maturity. Except for S-stage, CSR36 exhibited improved NaCl stress tolerance than Jaya, at all other tested stages. Principal component analysis (PCA) revealed that the improved NaCl stress tolerance in CSR36 coincided with enhanced activities/levels of enzymatic/non-enzymatic antioxidants (root ascorbate peroxidase for T- (2.74-fold) and S+T- (2.12-fold) stages and root catalase for F- (5.22-fold), S+T- (2.10-fold) and S+T+F- (2.61-fold) stages) and higher accumulation of osmolytes (shoot proline for F-stage (5.82-fold) and S+T+F- (2.31-fold) stage), indicating better antioxidant capacitance and osmotic adjustment, respectively. In contrast, higher shoot accumulation of Na+ (14.25-fold) and consequent increase in Na+/K+ (14.56-fold), Na+/Mg+2 (13.09-fold) and Na+/Ca+2 (8.38-fold) ratio in shoot, were identified as major variables associated with S-stage salinity in Jaya. Higher root Na+ and their associated ratio were major deriving force for other stage specific and combined stage salinity in Jaya. In addition, CSR36 exhibited higher levels of Fe3+, Mn2+ and Co3+ and lower Cl− and SO42−, suggesting its potential to discriminate essential and non-essential nutrients, which might contribute to NaCl stress tolerance. Taken together, the findings provided the framework for stage-specific salinity responses in rice, which will facilitate crop-improvement programs for specific ecological niches, including coastal regions.

Abstract The new-age India has been characterized by the participation of a higher number of women in the labour force. Unfortunately, the issue of sexual harassment in the workplace has also risen. The Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act of 2013 is a significant piece of legislation aimed at preventing gender-based discrimination in the workplace. Following the enactment of this law, the University Grants Commission (UGC) issued the UGC (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal of Sexual Harassment of Women Employees and Students in Higher Educational Institutions) Regulations of 2015. This paper aims to study the existing legal framework for addressing the issue of sexual harassment in India. It analyses the state of implementation of UGC regulations at legal education institutions in Ahmedabad, Gujarat. The study involves a combination of primary and secondary data sourced via the UGC’s online portal and a survey conducted among students at one law school in Ahmedabad. The results show poor compliance with the regulations, and, finally, this paper advocates for a more inclusive and independent grievance redressal mechanism.

This article presents a multi-mode approach for controlling and optimizing the efficiency of solar photovoltaic systems, as well as for analyzing the response output of optical sensing systems. Solar energy has been detected efficiently in this paper using a surface plasmon chip. Initially, the dual axis tracking system was designed and manufactured according to the standard procedure outlined in the literature. The primary factors affecting the efficiency of a photovoltaic panel are proper site heating and panel cleaning. As a result, the proposed system is aimed at increasing the efficiency of photovoltaic panels by addressing the aforementioned issues. Dual axis tracking ensures that the irradiance is always perpendicular to the photovoltaic panel. Additionally, the cooling system mitigates losses caused by panel heating, and the cleaning system increases the PV panel's efficiency. The solar photovoltaic system's output is analyzed using an optical sensing system equipped with a surface plasmon resonance (SPR) sensor. To monitor and control the performance of a proposed prototype solar photovoltaic system using the Resbri Pi3 controller. The proposed system's efficiency is calculated experimentally and presented to confirm the prototype's efficiency. The result is analyzed in the optical domain by the SPR sensor chip.

Vegetable farming plays an important role in the country's agricultural economy. Between the actual harvested yield and the potential yield of vegetable crops in Haryana state, there is a notable discrepancy. As a result, potential has yet to be fully realized. Numerous other industries, like processing, seeds industry, fertilizer, pesticides and farm machinery industry are supported by vegetables. The present study was carried out to analyze the trend in area, production and productivity of overall vegetables in Haryana and India. Area, production and productivity of overall vegetables shows a significant increase and positive trend from 1990–91 to 2020–21 with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 7.00, 8.13 and 1.06% in Haryana and 3.18, 4.65 and 1.43% in India. Potato, onion, tomato, radish, carrot, cauliflower and bottle gourd are the major vegetables grown, amongst which highest production, viz. 0.81 and 54.75 million tonnes was recorded under potato during 2020–21 in Haryana and India, respectively.

Phasor measurement units (PMUs) have gained significant interest in recent decades. These instruments are used to measure synchronized phasor data. PMUs are gradually but definitely taking over power grids because of the significant phasor information that they generate for both regular and irregular conditions for the purpose of maintaining safety and control. PMUs may be used for a variety of purposes, including state estimation, which is a common task. In order to make state estimation more reliable, a variety of approaches have been looked into, and one of them is the positioning of PMUs. This paper provides a plan for the implementation of the PMUs, taking into account the potential for failure and vulnerability posed by PMU-equipped buses. Two separate studies were carried out and evaluated with the goal of solving the optimum PMU placement problem (OPPP), which pertains to the grids. The findings of the first study show that the maximum bus observability may be accomplished with the fewest possible number of PMUs, even while taking into consideration the fact that there is a risk that one or more PMUs would malfunction. This investigation was carried out with common measures such as zero injection bus (ZIB) and branch flow measurements, both with and without them, in order to assess the outcomes. The second research focused on selecting the PMU-equipped bus’s vulnerability analysis as its primary area of investigation. All of the tests were completed by using binary integer linear programming. Specifically, the described method is meant to be used with an existing PMU framework and in the case that new locations for new PMUs are necessary to be furnished with existing PMUs. This results confirm that the recommended strategy can be implemented successfully on the IEEE benchmark test systems.

Introduction: Researchers describe a novel procedure for the reconstruction of the prepuce in a cohort of patients who were either circumcised as children or were born with a short prepuce. This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy and feasibility of “tubularized incised plate” (TIP) urethroplasty and “preputial reconstruction” among patients with “proximal hypospadias” and “ventral penile curvature (VPC)”. Methods: Retrospective evaluation of 81 patients with “proximal hypospadias” who had undergone TIP preputioplasty. “Ventral curvature (VC)” was rectified by mobilizing the urethral plate (UP) with the proximal urethra and corpus spongiosum; depending on curvature severity, dorsal plication was also performed. Preputial reconstruction comprised a standard three-layer repositioning of the dorsal hood's margins. Results: Patients were more than 10 months old and less than 21 years old, with an average of 6 years. Mild curvature (30 cases), moderate curvature (39 cases), and severe curvature (12 cases) were corrected by mobilization of the spongiosum and UP in 42 patients. In addition, 6 patients needed a single-stitch dorsal plication, and 33 cases required mobilization of the proximal urethra. 6 patients and 3 patients had fistula in the urethra and dehiscence of the perpuce respectively. Conclusion: In “proximal hypospadias”, preputioplasty and TIP is feasible without increasing the complication rate. The evaluation of the adequacy of the epidermis of the prepuce using three stay sutures can prevent postoperative phimosis. Recommendations: It is strongly recommended that babies with hypospadias are not circumcised as the foreskin is frequently needed during the operation.

Aeromonas hydrophila is a major generalist bacterial pathogen causing severe infections and mortalities in aquatic animals. Its genome, which was the first to be sequenced from the Aeromonas genus, may serve as a model for studying pathogenic mechanisms. To explore the pathogen-host fitness mechanism of bacterium, a comprehensive comparative transcriptome ecotype analysis of A. hydrophila isolated from the gut of Labeo rohita during infection was performed. Special characteristics in gene expression, gene ontology terms and expression of pathogenesis-associated genes, including genes encoding secreted proteins, candidate effectors, hydrolases, and proteins involved in secondary metabolite production were revealed. Among the database, 6,533 were gene ontology (GO) annotated, while 1,480 were not allocated in any GO terms. Investigation on GO illustrated that the articulated genes were improved with molecular function, cellular components, and biological processes. Further bioinformatics analysis identified the outer membrane protein genes (ompA, ompts, ompw, omp38, and omp48), cytotoxin, amylase, and lipase genes. Overall, this work allowed to designate, for the first time, a global view on the pathogenicity of Aeromonas hydrophila during infection. Furthermore, the study provides information on the fitness of A. hydrophila, a severe pathogen with a wide host range.

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a prevalent liver condition that affects people who do not overconsume alcohol. Uncertainties exist over how microRNAs (miRNAs) in the blood and liver relate to NAFLD. The aim of this narrative review was to investigate the role of miRNAs in the onset and progression of non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) from NAFLD, and explore their potential as diagnostic tools and treatment targets for NAFLD patients. Liver miRNA-34a levels were found to accurately represent the degree of liver damage, with lower levels suggesting more damage. In patients with NAFLD and severe liver fibrosis, higher levels of miRNA-193a-5p and miRNA-378d were found. Moreover, miRNA-34a, miRNA-122, and miRNA-192 levels might aid in differentiating NASH from NAFLD. Similar to this, miRNA-21 and miRNA-27 levels in rats were able to distinguish between steatosis and steatohepatitis. High-fat diets enhanced the expression of 15 distinct miRNAs in rats, and there were substantial differences in the miRNA expression patterns between obese and lean people. The results from the present review imply that miRNA microarrays and sequencing may be helpful diagnostic tools, and miRNAs may be a possible treatment target for patients with NAFLD.

Introduction: During the second wave of COVID-19, the incidence of mucormycosis has increased more rapidly. The most common causes attributed to the rise of mucormycosis in COVID-19 are uncontrolled diabetes, the excessive use of corticosteroids, and long-term stays in the intensive care unit, organ or bone marrow transplantation, etc. Objective: To determine the sociodemographic and associated risk factors, pattern of disease, treatment of mucormycosis and outcome of individual at time of discharge and after three months and six months of follow-up. Methodology: This cross-sectional study included all treated mucormycosis cases with prior COVID-19 infection. Data collected from medical records using purposive sampling. Survivors followed up at 3 and 6 months after discharge. Results: In our study, we analyzed 161 mucormycosis cases identified through positive RTPCR/Rapid Antigen reports. Among them, 72% were males and 28% were females. Diabetes mellitus was present in 71.4% and hypertension in 29.8% of patients. The case-fatality rate was 6.8% at discharge, increasing to 18.6% after 3 months and 28% after 6 months of follow-up. Statistical analysis was conducted using SPSS version 15. This analysis helped us draw meaningful conclusions from the data, highlighting the impact of comorbidities and time on mucormycosis outcomes. Conclusion: Post-COVID mucormycosis in India was primarily observed in patients with uncontrolled diabetes, immunodeficiency due to other comorbidities, and dysfunctional immune systems.

Background: Procalcitonin is produced in response to endotoxin or mediators released in response to bacterial infections and are reported to be sensitive predictor of sepsis and multiple organ failure. The main aim of this study was to correlate procalcitonin levels with the severity of organ dysfunction in children with sepsis. Materials and Methods: A prospective observational study was done among children aged >1 month - 18 years admitted for sepsis in level 4 pediatric intensive care unit at Rainbow children Hospital, Hyderabad from July 2018 to January 2020. Children with sepsis due to burns and trauma were excluded. Procalcitonin levels were assessed on days 1 and 5 and were analyzed using descriptive statistics. P value of < 0.05 was considered significant wherever applicable. Results: Among 369 cases, procalcitonin levels showed positive correlation with severity of illness and multiorgan failure as evidenced by pediatric risk of mortality III score (mean score 6.44 ± 3.79) and worst sepsis-related organ failure assessment score (mean score 7.11 ± 4.27) respectively. Duration of non-invasive ventilation, invasive ventilation, pediatric intensive care unit stay, and mortality were significantly high in children with higher procalcitonin level. Mean procalcitonin level were significantly higher in culture positive cases (65.79 ± 77.10) compared to culture negative cases (37.99 ± 45.81). Conclusion: In this study, positive correlation was observed between procalcitonin level and multiple organ dysfunctions in sepsis and septic shock.

Refined structures, protein-docking analysis and single molecule assays provides insights into light-induced conformational changes in the cryptochrome CraCRY.

The present experiment was conducted to study the compatibility of different tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) varieties/hybrids grafted on wild brinjal (Solanum torvum Sw.) rootstock with an objective to study the effect of rootstock on growth, yield, graft success (%), crop duration and incidence of fusarium wilt in tomato. The study was carried out during rainy (kharif) season 2019 subsequently for 3 years and completed in winter (rabi) season 2022–23, which comprises 2 rootstocks, 3 scions in a factorial randomized block design (FRBD) with 9 treatments and 3 replications. The results were analyzed on the basis of 3 years pooled data with respect to growth and yield parameters. The grafting results showed significant increase in minimum number of days to 1st harvest (68.55), maximum fruit weight (81.04 g), number of fruit per plant (29.45), yield per plant (2.38 kg), yield per plot (85.68 kg) and yield per hectare (72.12 tonnes) over control. The graft combination of Phule Raja grafted on Solanum torvum showed maximum graft success (95.07%), less incidence of fusarium wilt (0.00%) with maximum crop duration of 235 days, i.e. an increase of 57 days compared to non-grafted. The benefit:cost (B:C) ratio analysis showed higher net monetary returns in grafted plants as compared to non-grafted plants. It is concluded that the grafting of Phule Raja on wild brinjal rootstock recommended for higher yield and less incidence of fusarium wilt.

Duodenal penetration is a late complication associated with the placement of inferior vena cava (IVC) filters. In this case report, we are presenting a case of asymptomatic duodenal penetration by IVC filter that was managed conservatively.

Aortoesophageal fistula (AEF) is an uncommon, but potentially fatal cause of upper gastrointestinal bleeding. Aortoesophageal fistulas caused by foreign body ingestion are rare but devastating. The classic clinical triad of AEF consists of mid-thoracic pain or dysphagia, a herald episode of hematemesis, followed by fatal exsanguination after a symptom-free period (Chiari’s triad). Computed tomography angiography (CTA) is the preferred diagnostic tool for identifying AEF and is substantially more sensitive than upper endoscopy for detecting AEF. Endoscopy can detect AEF as it might show pulsatile blood, pulsatile mass, hematoma, or adherent blood clot in the esophagus, or a deep esophageal tear. However, endoscopy has a low sensitivity and may delay definitive treatment. Several management options for AEF have been suggested; however, the definitive treatment is surgery performed on the thoracic aorta and esophagus, including esophagectomy, surgical replacement of the thoracic aorta, thoracic endovascular aortic repair, or omental flap. We report a case of a 63-year-old man who presented with hematemesis 2 weeks after chicken bone ingestion.

In the current scenario, the use of synthetic fertilizers is at its peak, which is an expensive affair, possesses harmful effects to the environment, negatively affecting soil fertility and beneficial soil microfauna as well as human health. Because of this, the demand for natural, chemical-free, and organic foods is increasing day by day. Therefore, in the present circumstances use of biofertilizers for plant growth-promotion and microbe-based biopesticides against biotic stresses are alternative options to reduce the risk of both synthetic fertilizers and pesticides. The plant growth promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) and microbial biocontrol agents are ecologically safe and effective. Owning their beneficial properties on plant systems without harming the ecosystem, they are catching the widespread interest of researchers, agriculturists, and industrialists. In this context, the genus Stenotrophomonas is an emerging potential source of both biofertilizer and biopesticide. This genus is particularly known for producing osmoprotective substances which play a key role in cellular functions, i.e., DNA replication, DNA-protein interactions, and cellular metabolism to regulate the osmotic balance, and also acts as effective stabilizers of enzymes. Moreover, few species of this genus are disease causing agents in humans that is why; it has become an emerging field of research in the present scenario. In the past, many studies were conducted on exploring the different applications of Stenotrophomonas in various fields, however, further researches are required to explore the various functions of Stenotrophomonas in plant growth promotion and management of pests and diseases under diverse growth conditions and to demonstrate its interaction with plant and soil systems. The present review discusses various plant growth and biocontrol attributes of the genus Stenotrophomonas in various food crops along with knowledge gaps. Additionally, the potential risks and challenges associated with the use of Stenotrophomonas in agriculture systems have also been discussed along with a call for further research in this area.