Unravelling land-based discharge of microplastics in River Basantar of Jammu & Kashmir, India: Understanding sinking behaviors and risk assessments.

Microplastics (MPs) are ubiquitous and are increasing globally, but there is limited information available on their presence in freshwater ecosystems. This research work aims to investigate the abundance, sinking behavior, and risk assessment of MPs in the freshwater River Basantar, Jammu & Kashmir, India. Microplastic abundance in sediments was recorded in the range of 1-6 items g, with a mean abundance of 3 ± 1.

Antral Preserving Versus Antral Resecting Laparoscopic Sleeve Gastrectomy for Patients with Severe Obesity: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

Background: This study aimed to compare outcomes following antral preserving (AP) and antral resecting (AR) laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy (LSG) in terms of weight loss, gastric emptying time, gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), resolution of associated medical problems, and complications.

Methods: Patients were prospectively randomized into two groups: the AR group (resection starting 2 cm from the pylorus) and the AP group (resection at 5 cm from the pylorus). Follow-up evaluations included assessments of weight loss using percentage of excess weight loss (%EWL) and percentage of total weight loss (%TWL), gastric emptying, GERD symptoms, associated medical problem resolution, residual gastric volume, and complications.

Multi-locus genome wide association study uncovers genetics of fresh seed dormancy in groundnut.

Pre-harvest sprouting (PHS) in groundnut leads to substantial yield losses and reduced seed quality, resulting in reduced market value of groundnuts. Breeding cultivars with 14-21 days of fresh seed dormancy (FSD) holds promise for precisely mitigating the yield and quality deterioration. In view of this, six multi-locus genome-wide association study (ML-GWAS) models alongside a single-locus GWAS (SL-GWAS) model were employed on a groundnut mini-core collection using multi season phenotyping and 58 K "Axiom_Arachis" array genotyping data.

A review on comparative analysis of marine and freshwater fish gut microbiomes: insights into environmental impact on gut microbiota.

The gut microbiota, which includes prokaryotes, archaea, and eukaryotes like yeasts, some protozoa, and fungi, significantly impact fish by affecting digestion, metabolism, and the immune system. In this research, we combine various tasks carried out by various bacteria in the gut of fish. This study also examines the gut microbiome composition of marine and freshwater fish, identifying important bacterial species linked to different biological functions.

A systematic review of pesticide exposure, associated risks, and long-term human health impacts.

Pesticides are widely used to control pests, but their widespread use raises concerns regarding potential health risks for humans. There are several routes through which pesticides can be ingested, inhaled, and absorbed, resulting in acute and long-term health consequences. This systematic review synthesizes the available evidence regarding the health risks and long-term effects of pesticide exposure, with a particular focus on epidemiological and toxicological studies.

Environmentally friendly zein/ethylcellulose nanofiber air filtration materials with tunable hydrophobicity and high filtration efficiency.

Due to people's environmental awareness and the continuous improvement of the living environment requirements, the pollution problem of fine particles has attracted widespread attention and great importance. Therefore, the development of new green and environmentally friendly air filtration materials with high efficiency and low resistance is ongoing. In this work, eco-friendly zein/ethylcellulose blende nanofiber membranes with different fiber morphologies, diameter sizes, and hydrophobicity are prepared by electrospinning technology, and their performance in the field of air filtration and purification is investigated, to make them highly efficient for the adsorption of small pollutants of various polarities.

CLOCK gene 3'UTR and exon 9 polymorphisms show a strong association with essential hypertension in a North Indian population.

Background: Hypertension (HTN) is a medical condition characterized by persistent systolic and diastolic blood pressures of ≥ 140 mmHg and ≥ 90 mmHg, respectively. With more than 1200 million adult patients aged 30-79 years worldwide according to the latest WHO data, HTN is a major health risk factor; more importantly, 46% of patients are unaware of this condition. Essential hypertension (EH), also known as primary hypertension, is the predominant subtype and has a complex etiology that involves both genetic and non-genetic factors.

Epidemiology of chronic and acute pancreatitis in India (EPICAP-India): protocol for a multicentre study.

Introduction: Acute and chronic pancreatitis (CP) are inflammatory conditions of the pancreas that cause local and systemic complications. The epidemiology of these conditions are not well-known in India.

Methods And Analysis: We describe the protocol and procedures of a multicentre study for delineating the epidemiology of pancreatitis in India.

Parametric investigation of rectangular CFRP-confined concrete columns reinforced by inner elliptical steel tubes using finite element and machine learning models.

Nowadays, due to the structural advantages gained by combining three different materials' properties, columns made of carbon-fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP)-confined concrete with inner steel tube have received researchers' interest. This article presents the nonlinear finite element analysis and multiple machine learning (ML) model-based study on the behavior of round corner rectangular CFRP-confined concrete short columns reinforced by the inner high-strength elliptical steel tube under the axial load. The reliability of the proposed nonlinear finite element model was verified against the existing experimental investigations.

Comprehensive virome profiling of sugarcane and simplified duplex OneStep RT-PCR assay reveals the prevalence of sugarcane streak mosaic virus along with sugarcane yellow leaf virus in India.

Background: Sugarcane is host of many viral pathogens that affects its growth and productivity. High-throughput sequencing (HTS) is comprehensive diagnostic platform that permit the precise detection of viral pathogens to resolve the disease epidemiology of the crop, thus providing the phytosanitary status of plants. The current work was designed to comprehend the virome profiling of sugarcane belonging to five varieties collected from the major crop producing states in India.

Exploring Thiazolidinedione-Naphthalene Analogues as Potential Antidiabetic Agents: Design, Synthesis, Molecular Docking and In-vitro Evaluation.

Thiazolidinedione-naphthalene analogues were synthesized and evaluated for antidiabetic activity as Pancreatic α-Amylase (PAA) and intestinal α-glucosidase (IAG) inhibitors. The activity of the compounds (14a-g,17a-k) is compared with acarbose as the standard drug and all the compounds shows good to moderate antidiabetic activity. In-vitro PAA and IAG inhibition assay is performed for the all compounds, the compounds 17e shows superior PAA and IAG inhibitory activity with respective to standard (IC = 12.

Influence of iron-modified biochar on phosphate transport and deposition in saturated porous media under varying pH, ionic strength, and biochar dosage.

Phosphorus (P) is one of the essential nutrients required for plants; however, loss of phosphorus from agricultural areas results in water quality impairment. This research aims to investigate the transport and deposition of phosphate at different solution chemistries and phosphate-biochar dosages under (a) individual phosphate flow, (b) phosphate transport followed by biochar, and (c) co-transport of biochar-phosphate in saturated porous media. Breakthrough curves (BTCs) for phosphate were generated to understand the effect of pine raw biochar (BC) and iron-modified biochar (Fe-BC) on phosphate transport and deposition under varying solutions, pH (5.

Malignant Degeneration of a Peripheral Nerve Sheath Tumor in the Neck Region.

Malignant transformation of neurofibromas into malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumors (MPNST) is a rare but aggressive phenomenon, particularly in the head and neck region, and is associated with a poor prognosis. The primary treatment modality is surgical excision, often followed by radiotherapy. This is a case report of MPNST in the neck, with long-term follow-up.

A new pyranopyrazole based colorimetric chemosensor for the selective recognition of biothiols: applications in real samples.

Here, we present the development of a pyranopyrazole-based chemosensor (P1) that serves as a reliable colorimetric chemosensor for the identification of biothiols, namely glutathione (GSH), homocysteine (Hcy), and cysteine (Cys). We extensively studied the interaction of P1 with several amino acids (Cys, Ala, His, Ile, Leu, Lys, Ser, Trp, Val, Pro, Phe, Arg) and other biothiols (Hcy and GSH) using colorimetric methods and UV-visible spectroscopy. The results indicated that P1 endures a visible color change in the presence of biothiols, rendering it a practical tool for detection.

Malignant Phyllodes Tumor With Sphenoid Bone Metastasis Detected on 99mTc-MDP SPECT/CT and 18F-FDG PET/CT.

Phyllodes tumors (PTs) are rare fibroepithelial tumors accounting for less than 1% of all breast neoplasms. They are malignant in 20% of cases. Only a few cases of malignant PT metastatic to bone have been reported.

Impact of school closure during COVID-19 pandemic on school-going children in a rural population of Haryana: A qualitative study.

Background: The Government of India undertook several measures for COVID-19 pandemic, of which school closure was one. This led to sudden shift of teaching methods from classroom-based to online mode. This study aimed to understand the effects of school closure on children during lockdown period.

Computational studies on metabolic pathways of Coxiella burnetii to combat Q fever: A roadmap to vaccine development.

Coxiella burnetii (Cbu) is the gram-negative intracellular pathogen responsible for deadly zoonotic infection, Q fever. The pathogen is environmentally stable and distributed throughout the world which is sustained in nature by chronic infection of ruminants. The epidemiological studies on Q fever indicates it as emerging public health problem in various countries and it is imperative to promptly identify an appropriate therapeutic solution for this pathogen.

Genetic Interaction Between F-Box Encoding UCC1 and RRM3 Regulates Growth Rate, Cell Size, and Stress Tolerance in Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

Ucc1, an F-box motif-containing protein of Saccharomyces cerevisiae encoded by UCC1 regulates energy metabolism through proteasomal degradation of citrate synthase Cit2 and inactivation of the glyoxylate cycle when glucose is present as the main carbon source in the growth medium. Rrm3, a Pif1 family DNA helicase, encoded by RRM3 regulates the movement of the replication forks during the DNA replication process. Here in this study, we present evidence of binary genetic interaction between both the genes, UCC1 and RRM3, that determine the growth rate, cell morphology, cell size, apoptosis, and stress response.

A single NLR gene confers resistance to leaf and stripe rust in wheat.

Nucleotide-binding leucine-rich repeat (NLR) disease resistance genes typically confer resistance against races of a single pathogen. Here, we report that Yr87/Lr85, an NLR gene from Aegilops sharonensis and Aegilops longissima, confers resistance against both P. striiformis tritici (Pst) and Puccinia triticina (Pt) that cause stripe and leaf rust, respectively.

The Genomic SSR Millets Database (GSMDB): enhancing genetic resources for sustainable agriculture.

The global population surge demands increased food production and nutrient-rich options to combat rising food insecurity. Climate-resilient crops are vital, with millets emerging as superfoods due to nutritional richness and stress tolerance. Given limited genomic information, a comprehensive genetic resource is crucial to advance millet research.

An improved DNA extraction method in okra for rapid PCR detection of Okra enation leaf curl virus from diverse Indian regions.

The extraction of DNA from okra (Abelmoschus esculentus) is challenging due to its high mucilage and polysaccharide content, which can hinder both the yield and quality of DNA. In this study, an improved DNA isolation method is described incorporating a key modification being the use of solution I (1 M NaCl and 2% Sarcosyl) as a pre-treatment before applying the CTAB buffer, resulting in high-purity genomic DNA in just 1 h and 45 min., making it suitable for handling large sample sizes due to its rapid processing capabilities.