bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Self-Powered Piezo-Supercapacitors Based on ZnO@Mo-Fe-MnO2 Nanoarrays
Authors: Sun Luo , Ye Zhiguo , Peng Xinyuan , Zhuang Shaojie , Li Duosheng , Jin Zhong
Published: August 2023

The development of self-charging supercapacitor power cells (SCSPCs) has
profound implications for smart electronic devices used in different
fields. Here, we epitaxially electrodeposited Mo- and Fe-codoped MnO2
films on piezoelectric ZnO nanoarrays (NAs) grown on the flexible carbon
cloth (denoted ZnO@Mo-Fe-MnO2 NAs). An SCSPC device was assembled with
the ZnO@Mo-Fe-MnO2 NA electrode and
poly(vinylidenefluoride-co-trifluoroethylene) (PVDF-Trfe) piezoelectric
film doped with BaTiO3 (BTO) and carbon nanotubes (CNTs) (denoted
PVDF-Trfe/CNTs/BTO). The SCSPC device exhibited an energy density of 30
μWh cm-2 with a high-power density of 40 mW cm-2, and delivered an
excellent self-charging performance of 363 mV (10 N) driven by both the
piezoelectric ZnO NAs and the PVDF-Trfe/CNTs/BTO films. More
intriguingly, the device also could also be self-charged by 184 mV due
to residual stress alone, and showed excellent energy conversion
efficiency and low self-discharge rate. This work illustrates for the
first time the self-charging mechanism involving electrolyte ion
migration driven by both electrodes and films. A comprehensive analysis
strongly confirmed the important contribution of the piezoelectric ZnO
NAs in the self-charging process of the SCSPC device. This work provides
novel directions and insights for the development of SCSPCs.
Transparent, Highly Robust, and Puncture-resistant Dynamic Adaptive Cross-linked Elastomers Towards Recyclable Multifunctional Sensors and Self-sensing Actuators
Authors: Yang Haowen , Song Shiqiang , Yang Xu , Fei Fan , Zhang Cheng , Li Weizhen , Jiang Zhenlin , Hou Honghao , Zhang Yong
Published: August 2023

Integration of sensing and actuation capabilities into flexible
electronics is critical to expanding their applications. Existing
stimuli-responsive polymers fail to achieve satisfactory requirements,
considering their strength-toughness trade-off, conductivity,
transparency, and recyclability. Here, a novel stimuli-responsive
elastomer is reported by molecular design, thus simultaneously enabling
the effective unification of sensing and actuation functions. The
stimuli-responsive elastomer realizes high strength (32 MPa), high
stretchability (527%), high toughness (74.8 MJ m-3), high fracture
energy (75300 J m-2), efficient recyclability processability,
puncture-resistant, high conductivity (120.1 S m-1) and transparency
(>80% at 505 nm), where the conductive elastomer is
created by incorporating both dynamic covalent bonds (strong
bonds)/coordination bonds (weak bonds) for the formation of dynamic
adaptive networks and coated conductive ink. In parallel, beneﬁting from
the sensing actuation mechanism from its architecture, the
elastomer-enabled sensor and actuator achieve both exceptional sensing
performance as a green strain sensor for monitoring body movements and
excellent actuation ability as a green self-sensing actuator for
load-carrying. Overall, this comprehensive elastomer brings new
inspiration and insights for the design of next-generation green e-skin,
flexible robots, and otherwise stimuli-responsive materials.
Comparative study of COVID-19 infection in renal transplant recipients and non transplant recipients
Authors: Fu Yingxin , Pan Jianyong , Peng Yuanzheng , Chen Weijun , Zheng Yitao , Wu Zixuan , Liu Yongdong , Lu Hongzhou
Published: August 2023

To analyse the difference in COVID-19 infection between kidney
transplant patients and non-transplant patients. We included
post-transplant patients with COVID-19 infection who attended Shenzhen
No. 3 Hospital from December 2022 to February 2023, and enrolled the
general population with COVID-19 infection who were hospitalized during
the same period, matched by age and gender. They were divided into
Kidney Transplant Recipients group (KTR) (n=194) and Non-Kidney
Transplant Recipients Group（NKTR）(n=516) and the basic information,
clinical symptoms, laboratory data, treatments and outcomes of these two
groups were compared. The proportion of the renal transplant population
classified as severe and critical was 15.5%, which was significantly
higher than that in NKTR group (P < 0.05); the proportion of
patients with pneumonia was also significantly higher than that in NKTR
group. The mean maximum fever temperature was slightly higher in the
NKTR( P<0.001);Kidney transplant population having
lower absolute lymphocyte counts on admission and 7 days after admission
than the general population, with statistically significant
differences（ P<0.001, P＜0.001). The use of
intravenous hormones was significantly higher (42.8% vs. 6.0%,
p=0.000), as was the use of small molecules such as Azvudine and
Paxlovid, compared to the general population. A total of 10 patients in
the included population required ICU admission, all in the KTR group;
six patients experienced death, also in the renal transplant group.
Conclusion: Post-transplant COVID-19 infections are more severe and
require hormonal and small molecule antiviral therapy, and the prognosis
is worse than in the general population.
A case of B-cell lymphoma secondary to hemophagocytic syndrome
Authors: Xing Hao , Ma Luyao , Wang Longfei , Zhang Qian , Jin Zhenjing
Published: August 2023

Hemophagocytic syndrome (HPS), also known as hemophagocytic
lymphohistiocytosis (HLH), is a group of syndromes in which multiple
pathogenic factors lead to the proliferation of activated lymphocytes
and histiocytes that secrete large amounts of inflammatory
cytokines[[1]](#ref-0001).HLH is a multi-organ
hyperinflammatory syndrome caused by the secretion of large amounts of
inflammatory cytokines from
Nocturnal behavioral patterns of African ungulates in zoos
Authors: Gübert Jennifer , Schneider Gaby , Hahn-Klimroth Max , Dierkes Paul W.
Published: August 2023

Since the analysis of animal behavior is a central element of ethology
and ecology, it is not surprising that a great deal of research has been
conducted describing the behavior of various ungulates. Most studies
were conducted during the daylight hours, thus much less is known about
nocturnal behavior. Detailed analyses of nocturnal behavior have only
been conducted for very prominent ungulates such as giraffes, elephants,
or livestock, and the nocturnal rhythms exhibited by many ungulates
remain unknown. In the present study, the nocturnal rhythms of 192
individuals of 18 ungulate species from 20 European zoos are studied
with respect to the behavioral positions standing, lying - head up, and
lying - head down (the typical REM sleep position). Differences between
species of the orders Perissodactyla and Cetartiodactyla, as well as
between individuals of different age were found. However, no differences
with respect to the sex were seen. Most species showed a significant
increase in the proportion of lying during the night. In addition, the
time between two events of “lying down” was studied in detail. A high
degree of rhythmicity with respect to this quantity was found in all
species. The proportion of lying in such a period was greater in
Cetartidactyla than in Perissodactyla, and greater in juveniles than in
adults.
Universal Flu Vaccine: Light at the end of the tunnel?
Authors: Lim Caryn Myn Li , Adnan Nur Amelia Azreen , Komarasamy Thamil Vaani , Radakrishnan Ammu Kutty , Balasubramaniam Vinod
Published: August 2023

Every year, influenza virus infections cause significant morbidity and
mortality worldwide. They pose a substantial burden of disease, not only
in terms of health but also economic-wise. Owing to the ability of
influenza viruses to continuously evolve, annual seasonal influenza
vaccines are necessary as a prophylaxis. However, current influenza
vaccines against seasonal strains have limited effectiveness and require
yearly reformulation due to the virus undergoing antigenic drift or
shift. Vaccine mismatches are common, conferring suboptimal protection
against seasonal outbreaks, and the threat of the next pandemic
continues to loom. Therefore, there is a great need to develop a
universal influenza vaccine (UIV) capable of providing broad and durable
protection against all influenza virus strains. In the quest to develop
a UIV that would obviate the need for annual vaccination and
formulation, a multitude of strategies are currently underway. Promising
approaches include targeting the highly conserved epitopes of
hemagglutinin (HA), neuraminidase (NA), M2 extracellular domain (M2e),
and internal proteins of the influenza virus. The identification and
characterisation of broadly neutralising antibodies (bnAbs) targeting
conserved regions of the viral HA protein, in particular, have provided
important insight into novel vaccine designs and platforms. This review
discusses universal vaccine approaches presently under development, with
an emphasis on those targeting the highly conserved stalk of the HA
protein, recent technological advancements used, and the future
prospects of a UIV in terms of its advantages, developmental obstacles
and potential shortcomings.
Stability analysis of an atherosclerotic plaque formation model with time delay
Authors: Liu Wenjun , Chen Yonglin , Zhao Yongqing
Published: August 2023

Atherosclerosis is a chronic inflammatory disease that poses a serious
threat to human health. It starts with the buildup of plaque in the
artery wall, which results from the accumulation of pro-inflammatory
factors and other substances. In this paper, we propose a mathematical
model of early atherosclerosis with a free boundary and time delay. The
time delay represents the transformation of macrophages into foam cells.
We obtain an explicit solution and analyze the stability of the model
and the effect of the time delay on plaque size. We show that for
non-radial symmetric perturbations, when $n = 0$ or $1$, the
steady-state solution $(M_*,p_*,r_*)$ is linearly stable; when $n
\ge 2$, there exists a critical parameter $L_*$ such
that the steady-state solution is linearly stable for $L <
L_*$ and unstable for $L > L_*$. Moreover, we find
that smaller plaque are associated with the presence of time delay.
Discerning structure versus speciation in phylogeographic analysis of Seepage Salamanders (Desmognathus aeneus) using demography, environment, geography, and phenotype
Authors: Pyron Alex , Kakkera Anvith , Beamer David , O'Connell Kyle
Published: August 2023

Numerous mechanisms drive ecological speciation, including isolation by
adaptation, barrier, distance, environment, hierarchy, and resistance.
These promote genetic and phenotypic differentiation of local
populations, formation of phylogeographic lineages, and ultimately,
completed speciation via reinforcement. In contrast, it is possible that
similar mechanisms might lead to lineage cohesion through stabilizing
rather than diversifying ecomorphological selection and the long-term
persistence of population structure within species. Processes that drive
the formation and maintenance of geographic genetic diversity while
facilitating high rates of migration and limiting phenotypic divergence
may thereby result in population structure that is not accompanied by
divergence towards reproductive isolation. We suggest that this
framework can be applied more broadly to address the classic dilemma of
“structure versus speciation” when evaluating phylogeographic
diversity, unifying population genetics, species delimitation, and the
underlying study of speciation. We demonstrate one such instance in the
Seepage Salamander (Desmognathus aeneus) from the southeastern United
States. Recent studies estimated up to 6.3% mitochondrial divergence
and 4 phylogenomic lineages with broad admixture across geographic
hybrid zones, which could potentially represent distinct species.
However, while limited dispersal promotes substantial isolation by
distance, extreme microhabitat specificity appears to yield stabilizing
selection on ecologically mediated phenotypes. As a result, climatic
cycles promote recurrent contact between lineages that are not
adaptively differentiated and therefore experience repeated bouts of
high migration and introgression through time. This leads to a unified,
single species with deeply divergent phylogeographic lineages that
nonetheless do not appear to represent incipient species.
Modeling and analysis of trolls in opinion formation on social networks with a differential game approach
Authors: Yıldız Aykut , Ozguler A. B. , Jond Hossein
Published: August 2023

Trolls are a continuing problem of social media. The question of whether
and to what extent trolls alter the natural evolution of opinions plays
an important role in coping with the problem. To that end, this paper
presents a differential game approach to study the opinion formation of
stubborn individuals in online social platforms under the presence of
trolls. The proposed framework considers a general information structure
of the game that makes it highly intricate. As a result of applying
Pontryagin’s maximum principle, the Nash equilibrium solution and
corresponding individual trajectories have been derived in explicit
forms. As the main contribution, the proposed differential game
framework provides the possibility of investigating the influence of the
trolls on ordinary stubborn individuals (and vice versa) under the Nash
equilibrium as demonstrated in the simulation scenarios. This framework
supports multiple trolls and arbitrary final decisions. We have observed
that trolls are anxious players whose opinion trajectories fluctuate,
and ordinary players can drive them more anxious while they are not
affected by the trolls substantially.
D-neuron, ligand neuron of trace amine-associated receptor 1: Key of novel non-D2 receptor-binding antipsychotics
Authors: IKEMOTO KEIKO
Published: August 2023

The latest psychopharmacological study showed effectiveness of a novel
non-D2-receptor-binding drug, SEP-363856, for the treatment of
schizophrenia. The compound is trace amine-associated receptor 1 (TAAR1)
full agonist and also 5-hydroxytryptamin 1A (5-HT 1A) receptor partial
agonist. I found the TAAR1 ligand neuron, D-neuron, in the striatum and
nucleus accumbens (Acc), a neuroleptic acting site, of human brains,
though failed to find in the homologous area of monkey brains. To study
human D-neuron functions, total of 154 post-mortem brains, and a
modified immunohistochemical method using high qualified antibodies
against monoamine-related substances, was applied. The number of
D-neuron in the caudate nucleus, putamen, and Acc was reduced in
post-mortem brains with schizophrenia. The reduction was significant
(p<0.05) in Acc. I proposed “D-cell hypothesis of
schizophrenia”, that NSC dysfunction-based D-neuron reduction is
cellular and molecular basis of mesolimbic dopamine (DA) hyperactivity,
progressive pathophysiology and prospectiveness of TAAR1 medicinal
chemistry, emphasizing importance of D-neuron.
Comparative proteome analysis of retinal hypoxia--ischemia in acute ocular hypertension model with TMT-based quantitative proteomics
Authors: Huang Guangyi , Lin Yunru , Tang Fen , Huang Hui , Chen Qi , Su Ning , Cui Ling , Xu Fan , Shen Chaolan
Published: August 2023

Acute glaucoma’s main sign is acute ocular hypertension (AOH), leading
to retinal ganglion cell (RGC) death and irreversible visual loss.
However, there is currently no approved effective therapy for this
condition. This research aimed to identify the major regulators and the
overall protein changes involved in AOH-induced RGC death.
Mass-spectrometry was used to analyze proteomic patterns in the retinal
protein extracts from the AOH and sham-group, and then Gene Ontology
(GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway studies
were performed. In proteomics analysis, we identified 92 proteins in the
AOH group compared to the control group, with 58 proteins being
up-regulated and 34 proteins being down-regulated. Western blot and
biochemical assay analyses identified changes in Fatty acid-binding
protein 7 (FABP7), and caveolin-1(Cav-1) that were related to fatty acid
metabolism and ocular inflammatory signaling. Moreover, variations in
the expression of the proteins Galectin-1 (Gal-1), S100 calcium-binding
protein A6 (S100a6), and Visinin-like protein-1 (VILIP) was shown, all
of which were associated to the process of neuronal ischemia. Our
investigation demonstrated that neuroinflammation and fatty acid
metabolism were involved in retinal impairment following AOH, offering a
potential therapeutic strategy for acute glaucoma.
Joule Heating and Viscous Dissipation on Electromagnetohydrodynamic Flow with Electroosmotic Effect in a Porous Microchannel
Authors: Rilwan Usman S. , Oni Michael , Jha Basant , Jibril Haruna M.
Published: August 2023

This work investigates the effect of Joule heating and viscous
dissipation due to electric double layer (EDL) and electroosmotic effect
on steady fully developed electromagnetohydrodynamic flow in a porous
microchannel. Dimensionless formulations of the Poisson-Boltzmann,
momentum, and energy equations are derived for the electric potential,
velocity profile and temperature distribution in the microchannel. Exact
solutions for the temperature distributions and velocity profile were
obtained using the method of undeterminate coefficients. The
Debye-Hückel linearization is used to get exact solution for the
electric potential. The results showed that Brinkmann number ( Br ) ,
Joule heating parameter ( J ) , Debye-Hückel parameter ( Κ ) , Hartmann
number ( M ) , electric field ( E z ) and suction/injection parameter (
S ) have a substantial impact on flow formation and heat transfer. Using
MATLAB software, graphical simulations are provided in order to deliver
a greater understanding of the influence of relevant parameters on the
results achieved.
Global regularity for the 2D micropolar Rayleigh-B é nard convection system with velocity zero dissipation and temperature critical dissipation
Authors: Yuan Baoquan , Li Changhao
Published: August 2023

This paper studies the global regularity problem for the 2D micropolar
Rayleigh-B e~̵́ nard convection system with velocity zero dissipation,
micro-rotation velocity Laplace dissipation and temperature critical
dissipation. By introducing a combined quantity and using the technique
of Littlewood-Paley decomposition, we establish the global regularity
result of solutions to this system.
Reaction time to an auditory stimulus in the sympathetic activation phase of the ultradian rhythm
Authors: KARAOGLU ISINSU , PINAR Lamia , KIZILTAN Erhan , DUZLU Mehmet , GULTEKIN Guldal INAL
Published: August 2023

An increase in alternative activation in cerebral lateralisation with
the ultradian rhythm dominates sympathetic or parasympathetic phases. In
this study, we tested the reaction time (RT) of right-handed younger
people to an auditory stimulus by shifting the ultradian rhythm to the
sympathetic activation (SA) period. Twenty-three women and 7 men
students volunteered for our study. In the resting period and SA phase,
after measuring the participants’ blood pressure, heart rate, and nasal
dominance, we assessed their right and left-hand RTs against regular and
irregular auditory stimuli. SA was provided by running for 5 minutes on
a treadmill at a rate that doubled the resting heart rate. In the SA
phase, right-and left-hand RTs were accelerated in both stimulus types
compared to pre-exercise (p<.05). With regular stimuli, the
difference between right and left-hand RTs was insignificant in both the
resting period and SA (p>.05). However, with irregular
stimuli, the left-hand RT was faster than the right-hand RT for the
resting period and after SA (p<.01). We conclude that the
known superiority of the right hemisphere in processing non-verbal
sounds, and its greater functionality in the formation of attention
compared with the left hemisphere, accelerated the left-hand RT against
irregular stimuli. Although the right hand and the motor area of the
left hemisphere have an advantage of learned automatic motor skills, we
suppose that the right hemisphere is superior in reaching the non-verbal
sounds to the auditory cortex and the right auditory cortex processes
these sensory signals faster via short-cut pathways.
Small Extracellular Vesicles: Non-negligible Vesicles in Tumor Progression, Diagnosis, and Therapy
Authors: Zhou Xinru , Jia Yin , Mao Chuanbin , Liu Shanrong
Published: August 2023

Small extracellular vesicles (sEVs) such as exosomes are nanoscale
membranous particles (<200 nm) that have emerged as crucial
targets for liquid biopsy and as promising drug delivery vehicles. They
play a significant role in tumor progression as intercellular
messengers. They can serve as biomarkers for tumor diagnosis and as drug
carriers for cancer treatment. This article reviews recent studies on
sEVs in oncology and explores their potential as biomarkers and drug
delivery vehicles. Following tumorigenesis, sEVs in the tumor
microenvironment (TME) and circulatory system undergo modifications to
regulate various events in the TME, including angiogenesis,
epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), and tumor immunity, with either
pro- or anti-tumor effects. sEVs have been investigated for use as
diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers for a variety of tumors, including
lung cancer, melanoma, breast cancer, prostate cancer, and
hepatocellular carcinoma. sEVs can be used for cancer therapy by
packaging drugs or proteins into them through pre- and post-isolation
modification techniques. The clinical trials of sEVs as biomarkers and
drug carriers are also summarized. Finally, the challenges in the use of
sEVs are described and the possible approaches to tackling them are
suggested. Overall, sEVs will advance the precision cancer medicine and
has shown great potential in clinical applications.
Illuminating snow droughts: The future of Western United States snowpack in the SPEAR large ensemble
Authors: Schmitt Julian Francis , Tseng Kai-Chih , Hughes Mimi , Johnson Nathaniel
Published: August 2023

Seasonal snowpack in the Western United States (WUS) is vital for
meeting summer hydrological demands, reducing the intensity and
frequency of wildfires, and supporting snow-tourism economies. While the
frequency and severity of snow droughts (SD) are expected to increase
under continued global warming, the uncertainty from internal climate
variability remains challenging to quantify. Using a 30-member large
ensemble from a state-of-the-art global climate model, the Seamless
System for Prediction and EArth System Research (SPEAR), and an
observations-based dataset, we find WUS SD changes are already
significant. By 2100, SPEAR projects SDs to be nearly 9 times more
frequent under shared socioeconomic pathway 5-8.5 (SSP5-8.5) and 5 times
more frequent under SSP2-4.5. By investigating the influence of the two
primary drivers of SD, temperature and precipitation amount, we find the
average WUS SD will become warmer and wetter. To assess how these
changes affect future summer water availability, we track April 15th
snowpack across WUS watersheds, finding differences in the onset time of
a “no-snow” threshold between regions and large internal variability
within the ensemble that are both on the order of decades. For example,
under SSP5-8.5, SPEAR projects California could experience no-snow
anywhere between 2058 and 2096, while in the Pacific Northwest, the
earliest transition happens in 2091. We attribute the inter-regional
uncertainty to differences in the regions’ mean winter temperature and
the intra-regional uncertainty to irreducible internal climate
variability. This analysis indicates that internal climate variability
will remain a significant source of uncertainty for WUS hydrology
through 2100.
Fractions of Different Young Water Ages are Sensitive to Discharge and Land Use - an Integrated Analysis of Water Age Metrics under Varying Hydrological Conditions for Contrasting Sub-Catchments in Central Germany
Authors: Radtke Christina Franziska , Lutz Stefanie , Müller Christin , Merz Ralf , Kumar Rohini , Knöller Kay
Published: August 2023

With ongoing climate change and more frequent high flows and droughts,
it becomes inevitable to understand potentially altered catchment
processes under changing climatic conditions. Water age metrics such as
median transit times and young water fractions are useful variables to
understand the process dynamics of catchments and the release of solutes
to the streams. This study, based on extensive high-frequency stable
isotope data, unravels the changing contribution of different water ages
to stream water in six heterogeneous catchments, located in the Harz
mountains and the adjacent northern lowlands in Central Germany.
Fractions of water up to 7 days old (Fyw7), comparable with water from
recent precipitation events, and fractions of water up to 60 days old
(Fyw60) were simulated by the tran-SAS model. As Fyw7 and Fyw60 were
sensitive to discharge, an integrated analysis of high and low flows was
conducted. This revealed an increasing contribution of young water for
increasing discharge, with larger contributions of young water during
wet spells compared to dry spells. Considering the seasons, young water
fractions increased in summer and autumn, which indicates higher
contributions of young water after prolonged dry conditions. Moreover,
the relationship between catchment characteristics and the water age
metrics revealed an increasing amount of young water with increasing
agricultural area, while the amount of young water decreased with
increasing grassland proportion. By combining transit time modelling
with high-frequency isotopic signatures in contrasting sub-catchments in
Central Germany, our study extends the understanding of hydrological
processes under high and low flow conditions.
The practicalities of adapting UK maternity clinical information systems for observational research: Experiences of the POOL study
Authors: Lugg-Widger Fiona , Barlow Christian , Cannings-John Rebecca , Gale Chris , Houlding Nicola , Milton Rebecca , Plachcinski Rachel , Robling Michael , Sanders Julia
Published: August 2023

BackgroundUsing routinely collected clinical data for observational research is an increasingly important method for data collection, especially when rare outcomes are being explored. The POOL study was commissioned to evaluate the safety of waterbirth in the UK using routine maternity and neonatal clinical data. This paper describes the design, rationale, set-up and pilot for this data linkage study using bespoke methods.
MethodsClinical maternity information systems hold many data items of value for research purposes, but often lack specific data items required for individual studies. This study used the novel method of amending an existing clinical maternity database for the purpose of collecting additional research data fields. In combination with the extraction of existing data fields, this maximised the potential use of existing routinely collected clinical data for research purposes, whilst reducing NHS staff data collection burden.
Wellbeing Software® provider of the Euroking® Maternity Information System, added new study specific data fields to their information system, extracted data from participating NHS sites and transferred data for matching with the National Neonatal Research Database to ascertain outcomes for babies admitted to neonatal units. Study set-up processes were put in place for all sites. The data extraction, linkage and cleaning processes were piloted with one pre-selected NHS site.
ResultsTwenty-six NHS sites were set-up over 27 months (January 2019 - April 2021). Twenty-four thousand maternity records were extracted from the one NHS site, pertaining to the period January 2015 to March 2019. Data field completeness for maternal and neonatal primary outcomes were mostly acceptable. Neonatal identifiers flowed to the National Neonatal Research Database for successful matching and linkage between maternity and neonatal unit records.
DiscussionPiloting the data extraction and linkage highlighted the need for additional governance arrangements, training at NHS sites and new processes for the study team to ensure data quality and confidentiality are upheld during the study. Amending existing NHS electronic information systems and accessing clinical data at scale, is possible, but continues to be a time consuming and a technically challenging exercise.
Assessment of Genetic Diversity in Sesame (Sesamum indicum L.) for Yield and its Components
Authors: Sasipriya S. , Parimala K. , Balram M. , Eswari K. B.
Published: August 2023

A field experiment was conducted to assess the diversity among sesame genotypes for yield and yield component traits during late kharif, 2017 (August-November) at Seed Research and Technology Centre, Rajendranagar, Hyderabad, Telangana State, India. Genetic diversity among the genotypes were estimated based on the data recorded for eight yield and yield attributing characters in 51 genotypes using Mahalanobis’s D2 statistics. The percent contribution of characters towards divergence showed that the character days to 50% flowering contributed maximum followed by seed yield plant-1, capsule length and number of seeds capsule-1. Selection of parents based on these traits would be useful to achieve a wide range of genetic variability in crop improvement programmes. The 51 genotypes were grouped into ten clusters and out of them, cluster I was the largest comprising of eighteen genotypes followed by cluster III with fifteen genotypes, cluster IV with seven genotypes, cluster II with five genotypes. The clusters viz., V, VI, VII, VIII, IX and X represented by single genotype indicating high degree of diversity among the genotypes.  The maximum inter cluster distance was observed between cluster IX and cluster X (219.39) followed by cluster VII and cluster VIII (190.41). Among the ten clusters, the cluster X had highest mean value for capsule length, number of capsules plant-1, number of seeds capsule-1 and seed yield plant-1.  The genotypes from these divergent clusters with favourable mean values for different traits could be used as parents in hybridization programme to get superior transgressive segregants.
Characterization of Plant Growth Promoting Endophytic Bacteria from Castor Plants [Ricinus communis (L.)]
Authors: Patel Mrugesh M. , Joshi Bhavesh M. , Parmar Rudra B. , Singh N. K. , Tapre P. V.
Published: August 2023

The present study was carried out in June–Janauary (2021–2022) at the Laboratory of the Department of Microbiology, Chimanbhai Patel College of Agriculture, Sardarkrushinagar Dantiwada Agricultural University (SDAU), Sardarkrushinagar, Gujarat, India. 15 promising endophytic bacterial isolates from castor plants showing higher dry matter accumulation in seedlings of wheat were subjected to detailed characterization for their molecular and plant growth promoting abilities.  The bacterial isolate Erc7 performed best for plant growth promoting activities viz., ammonia and IAA production, phosphate solubilization, nitrogen fixation, HCN production and antagonistic activity against Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. ricini in-vitro which cause wilt in castor plant. Pot trials involving wheat seed inoculation (rabi 2021–22) with bacterial isolates showed that the treatment with endophytic bacterial isolate Erc7 showed maximum shoot and root length (47.65 cm, 10.50 cm), shoot fresh and dry weight (824.90 mg, 308.83 mg), root fresh and dry weight (122.37 mg, 36.20 mg), spike length (09.76 cm) and number of seeds in central tiller plant-1 (15.33). PCR amplification of 16S rRNA genes and ARDRA profiling using restriction enzymes AluI, TaqI and HpaII grouped the 15 isolates in 2 clusters (A and B) at a Jaccard’s similarity co-efficient of 0.54. The best PGPR isolate Erc7 was gene sequenced for 16S rRNA gene. The sequence was submitted to the NCBI Genbank (Accession number ON514555). Upon BlastN It showed maximum similarity to Bacillus cereus. The isolates Erc7 showed presence of diplobacillus endospores which is a typical characteristic of Bacillus cereus.
Fish Catch Rate and Fish Composition of Commercially Operated by Multi-Day Trawling off Sindhudurg Coast of Maharashtra, India
Authors: Kharatmol B. R. , Sutar V. B. , Kulkarni A. S. , Markad A. T. , Landage A. T.
Published: August 2023

The commercial-operated multi-day trawlers from Sindhudurg coast carried out fishing operations at Malvan landing center, South Konkan region, Maharashtra, India in the mean depth range of 18–31 m in September, 2016 to May, 2018 to assess the changing trends in the fish catch composition, catch and discards rate by multi-day trawlers operating along the Sindhudurg coast of Maharashtra state. The average catch rate was observed 25.03 kg h-1 and 31.72 kg h-1 with average discards 5.07 kg h-1 and 7.81 kg h-1 by multi-day trawler during 2016–17 and 2017–18 respectively. During two fishing seasons, the average catch rate was 28.37 kg h-1, with average discards of 6.44 kg h-1 by multi-day trawlers. Major catch composition of multiday trawlers comprised Arius maculatus, Parastromateus niger, Lactarius lactarius, Otolithes cuvieri, Lepturacanthus savala, Rastrelliger kanagurta, Scomberomorus guttatus, Cynoglossus macrostormus, Uroteuthis duvaucelii, and Penaeid prawns. Discards comprised juveniles of commercial species and adults of low market value fishes. Cod end mesh size of trawl net varied from 15–35 mm depending on the fishery resources harvested. Duration of fishing trips by multi-day trawlers varied from 2–4 days, peak fishing activities were observed during October to December followed by February in terms landing. The study clearly indicated an increase in the average catch rate h-1 trawler-1 during the year 2017–18 compared to the previous year 2016–17 along the Sindhudurg coast. The t-Test performed on fish catch and discard of multi-day trawlers showed a statistically significant difference (p<0.05) in a fish catch (kg h-1) and fish discards between two fishing seasons, i.e., 2016–17 and 2017–18.
Effect of Nutrient Management Options on Production and Profitability of French Bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) in Acid Soil of Arunachal Pradesh
Authors: Tasung Ampee , Kalita Homeswar , Alone Rajesh A. , Chanu Loitongbam Joymati , Angami Thejangulie , Makdoh Badapmain , Touthang Letngam , Das Shaon Kumar
Published: August 2023

The present study was designed for the standardization of soil nutrient management in increasing the production and profitability of French bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) in acid soils of Arunachal Pradesh. A field experiment was carried out in randomized block design with three replications during the rabi season (October–January 2018–2021). The treatment consisted of two French bean cultivars (selection-9 and changlabi local) and 10 nutrient levels [control, vermicompost (Vc), vermicompost+lime (Vc+lime), 50% RDF (Recommended dose of fertilizer), 50% RDF+lime, 50% RDF+Vc, 75% RDF, 75% RDF+lime, 75% RDF+Vc, 100% RDF]. The doses of vermicompost, lime and RDF were 2.5 t ha-1, 400 kg ha-1 and 50-50-50 NPK kg ha-1. The results observed among the soil nutrient management, treatment 75% RDF+Vc recorded minimum values of 50% days to flowering (41.7 DOS) and maximum values of pod length (14.8 cm), the number of pod plant-1 (7.17) and yield (4,654 kg ha-1). This treatment also recorded maximum gross and production efficiency. The B:C ratio of 75% RDF+Vc and 75% RDF+lime treatment was recorded above 1.50, irrespective of the cultivar. Between the cultivar, selection-9 obtained higher values of yield attributes, yield, gross return, production efficiency and B:C ratio than changlabi local. Thus, based on French bean crop yield and yield attributes, 75% RDF along with Vc @ 2.5 t ha-1 was superior, irrespective of cultivar and between the cultivars, selection-9 was superior.
Impact of Organic Nutrient Management Practices on Growth and Yield of Mungbean
Authors: Joshi N. , Joshi S. , Singh S. , Sharma J. K. , Shekhawat H. S. , Sutaliya R.
Published: August 2023

A multilocation field experiment was conducted during kharif season (July–September) of 2019 in mungbean under organic nutrient management at Agriculture Research Sub-Station, Sumerpur, Pali and Adaptive Trial Centre, Sumerpur, Pali, Rajasthan, India. The nine organic nutrient management practices viz. T1- Farmyard manure (FYM) as per soil health card @ 10 t ha-1, T2- Vermicompost @ 2 t ha-1, T3- T1+Vermiwash @ 10% at 15, 30 and 45 days after sowing (DAS), T4- T2+Vermiwash @ 10% at 15, 30 and 45 DAS, T5- T1+Panchgavya @ 4% at 15, 30 and 45 DAS, T6- T2+Panchgavya @ 4% at 15, 30 and 45 DAS, T7- T1+Panchgavya @ 6% at 15, 30 and 45 DAS, T8- T2+Panchgavya @ 6% at 15, 30 and 45 DAS and T9- Control in three replications in randomized complete block design (RCBD). The higher values of growth attributes like number of leaves, number of branches, height and leaf area per plant were recorded by treatment vermicompost as per soil health card+Panchgavya @ 4% at 15, 30 and 45 days after sowing (DAS) which was found significantly superior over the other treatments at both the places. It was found that Panchgavya @ 4% at 15, 30 and 45 DAS along with vermicompost @ 2 t ha-1 obtained higher SPAD value (39.51), seed yield (908 kg ha-1) and benefit cost ratio (B:C ratio) under organic farming during kharif season at both the places.
Ocular Manifestations of COVID-19 Infection
Authors: Das Himasri , Arif Syed A. , Goswami Chandrani , Das Tinku , Deka Deepjyoti , Ali Arfan , Gogoi Sophia M. , Bora Durlav P.
Published: August 2023

The eyes, which were not previously the subject of investigation, have emerged as one of the more intriguing aspect of COVID-19 infection. The probable pathways for SARS-CoV-2 infection through the eyes are either through the tear film and draining tear ducts leading to the upper respiratory tract and gastrointestinal tract, or through the conjunctiva into limbal superficial cells into the inner eye, where distribution via the blood or nervous system appears to be possible. Virus pathogenesis through tear and conjunctiva has been established in animal models of several coronavirus eye diseases, and preliminary research have shown that SARS-CoV-2 may do the same in humans. Given that COVID-19 cases have reached pandemic proportions and are on the rise, it is vital to recognize the illness’s ocular manifestations and avert potentially vision-threatening effects. Coronaviruses may be transmitted between animals and humans through evolution, therefore investigating them in animal models could be crucial in the future to discover further elements of ocular involvement. It is recommended that health care and individual personnel take steps to avoid infection and limit viral transmission. More study is needed to understand the transmission pathways and the alternatives for COVID-19 prevention and therapy disseminated through the ocular surfaces for prompt recovery of the patients.
Effect of Iron Nutrition on Growth and Productivity of Aerobic Rice (Oryza sativa)
Authors: Soumya B. , Vani K. P. , Surekha K.
Published: August 2023

A field experiment was conducted during kharif seasons (June–October) of 2012 and 2013 at College Farm, College of Agriculture, Professor Jayashankar Telangana State Agricultural University, Hyderabad, Telengana, India to evaluate the response of rice cultivars and iron nutrition on growth and yield of aerobic rice. Experiment comprising of three rice cultivars (Tellahamsa, MTU 1010 and KRH 2) and twelve sources and modes of iron nutrition i.e. control (no iron), basal application of iron sulphate @ 25 kg ha-1, basal application of Iron chelate @ 25 kg ha-1, 3 foliar sprays of 2% iron sulphate @ 7 days interval, 3 foliar sprays of 2% iron sulphate @ 10 days interval and 3 foliar sprays of 2% iron sulphate @ 15 days interval. Next 3 treatments were three foliar sprays of 2% iron sulphate in conjunction with basal application of iron sulphate @ 25 kg ha-1. Subsequent treatments were three foliar sprays of 2% iron sulphate with basal combination of iron chelate @ 25 kg ha-1. Results indicated that among rice cultivars KRH 2 gave significantly better agronomic performance with respect to growth parameters and yield. Iron nutrition treatments significantly affected the plant height, tillers, dry matter accumulation and yield of aerobic rice. Basal application of iron chelate @ 25 kg ha-1 with 3 foliar sprays of iron sulphate at 7 days interval produced tallest plants, maximum number of tillers, accumulated highest dry matter and produced maximum yield during both the years.
Diversity and Genetic Association Analysis of Dry Chillies (Capsicum annuum L.) of Northern India for Yield and Biochemical Traits
Authors: Verma Garima , Vikram Amit , Gupta Meenu
Published: August 2023

A study was conducted at the Experimental Farm of Department of Vegetable Science, Dr Yashwant Singh Parmar University of Horticulture and Forestry, Nauni, Solan (HP), India during the year 2018 (May–October) to screen twenty-one (21) genotypes of chilli for thirteen characters including yield and total capsaicin content. The evaluation was done in a randomized block design with three replications. Sufficient genetic variability was found for all characters. Correlation analysis revealed a positive significant correlation of fresh ripe yield plant-1 with the number of red fruits plant-1 (0.842*), days to fresh ripe maturity (0.394*), dry yield as percentage of fresh ripe (0.386*), days to 50 % flowering (0.384*), plant height (0.374*) and days to green fruit maturity (0.352*). The number of red fruits plant-1 (0.440*) had a positive significant correlation with total capsaicin content. Path analysis revealed a positive direct effect of number of red fruits plant-1 (0.698) on fresh ripe yield followed by days to green fruit maturity (0.372), number of seeds fruit-1 (0.218), average red fruit weight (0.168), dry yield as percentage of fresh ripe (0.111), plant height (0.111) and red fruit length (0.007) whereas total capsaicin content in dry chilli had the positive direct correlation with days to 50% flowering, days to fresh ripe maturity, number of fruits plant-1 and 1000 seed weight. Finally, it was revealed that the selection of genotypes bearing many small-thick fruits would be the most suitable criterion for selecting a population having high capsaicin content and fruit yield.
Assessment of Extension Interventions for Management of PBW for Enhancing Cotton Production through Frontline Demonstrations among Cotton Growers in Khammam District of Telangana
Authors: Shekar B. Raja Madhu , Kumar J. Hemanth , Ravikumar K. , Chaitanya V. , Reddy R. Uma
Published: August 2023

Frontline Demonstrations were conducted at Krishi Vigyan Kendra, Wyra, Khammam district, Telangana, India during kharif (June–December) from 2019, 2020 and 2021 in different villages of Khammam district. Total 30 demonstrations were laid out on farmers’ fields in the district. The main objective was management of PBW with various technological interventions. The study revealed that 70.00% of the respondents had high school or above education, 46.67% of the respondents had more than 10 years of experience in farming, 100.00% gap was observed on use of pheromone traps and Trichogamma cards. The average yield recorded was 2207 kg ha-1 in demonstration plot, a 22.75% increase over farmer’s practice (1808 kg ha-1). The technology gap under 3 year FLD programme was 1043 kg ha-1,extension gapwas 399 kg ha-1 with a technology index of 32.09%. The demonstrated plots gave higher gross returns, net return with higher benefit cost ratio when compared to farmer’s practice. In present study efforts were also made to study the impact of FLDs on horizontal spread which increased by 221.42%, adoption levels by 130.60%. The study also revealed that there was significant increase in knowledge level of the farmers due to frontline demonstrations, a significant and positive relationship existed between age of the respondent, education, farm size, farming experience, trainings received and extension contacts with yield of cotton.
Effect of Different Chemicals and PGR on Flower Induction and Physicochemical Properties of Litchi cv. Bombai Grown in New Alluvial Zone of West Bengal
Authors: Das Kaushik , Dutta Pallab
Published: August 2023

The present investigation was carried out at Regional Research Station, New Alluvial Zone, Bidhan Chandra Krishi Viswavidyalaya, Gayeshpur, Nadia, West Bengal, India to study the effect of different chemicals and plant growth regulators on flowering induction and physico-chemical properties of Litchi cv. Bombai for three consecutive years during September 2014 to July 2017. Nine treatments with 3 replications was chosen and laid out in Randomized Block Design using DMRT for the experiment. All the plants were 12 years of age uniform in growth and healthy spaced at 10 m apart. Results from the experiment revealed that application of different chemicals and PGR significantly improved the flowering and physicochemical properties of litchi. Among the different treatments in study, application of K2HPO4 @ 1%+KNO3 @ 1% in (T6) showed highest flowering characters in terms of flowering shoot (56.17%), sex ratio (3.62), fruits panicle-1 at harvest (26.34) and lowest fruit drop panicle-1 (14.00) followed by T7 (KH2PO4 @ 1%+KNO3 @ 1%). T6 treatment also showed maximum fruit weight (21.78 g), fruit length (3.84 cm), aril weight (15.88 g) and yield (72.34 kg plant-1). TSS (16.80°B), total sugar (13.63%), ascorbic acid (42.55 mg 100 g-1), TSS: acid ratio (57.40) and anthocyanin content (46.14 mg 100 g-1) of fruit was also found highest in T6 (K2HPO4 @ 1%+KNO3 @ 1%) followed by T7 (KH2PO4 @ 1%+KNO3 @ 1%) while the lowest in control. Thus, from the different treatment under study T6 proved to be most effective followed by T7 in improving the flower induction, yield and quality of litchi cv. Bombai.
Predatory Bacteria: A Novel Approach to Antibiotic Substitution
Authors: George Shiney , Sharma R. K. , Hazarika Ritam , Hazarika Snigdha , Hazarika Snigdha , Ahmed Rofique , Phangchopi Donna
Published: August 2023

Antibiotics are an effective means of treating infectious bacterial diseases. However, the extensive use of antibiotics in the recent past has resulted in antibiotic-resistant bacteria which interfere with disease treatment and recovery. There is an urgent need for novel medicines to treat Gram-negative infections because there are not enough antibiotics in development to address projected and present demands. One novel approach to antibiotic alternatives is the use of living predatory bacteria which can naturally prey upon other Gram-negative bacteria. These predators are ubiquitous in a wide variety of manmade and natural environments and depending upon their feeding habits are classified as obligatory or facultative predators. All the obligate predators are classified under the umbrella terminology Bdellovibrio and like organisms (BALOs). Bdellovibrio bacteriovorus is by far the most studied BALOs and have long been recognized as a potential therapeutic, water clean-up, and biocontrol agent and source for discovering novel biotechnological tools for research. Antibiotics won’t be replaced by pills containing predatory microorganisms any time soon. However, understanding these bacteria could help us prepare for a time when many medications cannot treat infections that are multi-drug resistant. A paradigm change is necessary since it may appear counterintuitive to cure a bacterial infection by giving another bacterium. The burden of an infection on the host must be taken into account while evaluating the prospective implications of treating a Gram-negative bacterial infection with the administration of a live predatory bacterium.