Livestock is a fundamental part of the agriculture industry in Pakistan and contributes more than 11.53% to GDP. Among livestock species, the buffaloes are regarded as the black gold of Pakistan. ...Being the highest milk producers globally, Nili-Ravi buffaloes are the most famous ones. Buffaloes are affected by many endemic diseases, and "Hemorrhagic septicemia" (HS) is one of them. This study was designed to ascertain the effects of experimental exposure ofP. multocida B:2 (oral) and its immunogens, i.e., LPS (oral and intravenous) and OMP (oral and subcutaneous) on reproductive hormonal profiles in Nili-Ravi buffaloes. Repeated serum samples were collected from the jugular vein of experimental animals for 21 days (0, 02, 04, 08, 12, 16, 20, 24, 36, 48, 72, 120, 168, 216, 264, 360, 456 and 504 hours). Hormonal assays to determine the serum concentrations of Gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH), Follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), Luteinizing hormone (LH), Estrogen (E2) and progesterone (P4) were performed using (MyBioSource) commercial Elisa kits. The hormonal profile of all treatment groups of the buffalo heifers exhibited significant (P<0.05) variations as compared to the control group (G-1). These results indicate suppression in Nili-Ravi buffaloes' reproductive hormonal profile on exposure to P. multocida B:2 and its immunogens. This influence warrants that exposure to H.S may be a possible reason for delayed puberty and poor reproduction performance in Nili-Ravi buffaloes.
In this study, MgAl2O4-MgAlON composites with Al, α-Al2O3, MgO and MgAl2O4 raw materials were fabricated through in-situ nitriding and reaction sintering, with a tunable MgAlON composition from ...10 wt% to 25 wt%. Subsequently, the sintered samples were calcined at 1500 ℃ for 3 h in an oxidation atmosphere. The densification, mechanical properties, phase assemblage, microstructures, and oxidation behaviors of MgAl2O4-MgAlON composites were investigated. Results reveal that the MgAlON grains were well-crystallized and exhibited a spinel structure in sintered body. The mechanical properties were markedly improved with the increase of MgAlON mass fraction and reached the maximum at 25 wt%. After oxidation, the densification and mechanical properties have both declined, despite the composites were oxidized to a core-shell structure. Additionally, the weight gain rate and linear expansion rate of oxidized samples simultaneously exhibited a gradual rise with the increase in MgAlON contents. More specifically, the MgAlON grains were transformed into many submicron MgAl2O4 and α-Al2O3 grains with particle sizes< 1 µm after oxidation, while the oxidation reaction was carried out along the particle gaps created by MgAlON grains oxidized from surface to interior. Our findings provide some scientific guidance for enhancing the oxidation resistance and application potentials of MgAlON composites in high-temperature.
•MgAl2O4-MgAlON composites were synthesized by using in-situ nitriding and reaction sintering in flowing nitrogen atmosphere.•The oxidation behaviors of sintered MgAl2O4-MgAlON composites were investigated at 1500 ℃ for 3 h.•The composites were oxidized to the core-shell structure composed of MgAl2O4-MgAlON and α-Al2O3 -MgAl2O4.•MgAlON grains after oxidation were decomposed into a large number of submicron MgAl2O4 and α-Al2O3 particles.
COVID-19 has changed the lifestyle of many people due to its rapid human-to-human transmission. The spread started at the end of January 2020, and different countries used different approaches in ...terms of testing, sanitization, lock down and quarantine centres to control the spread of the virus. People are getting back to working and routine life activities with new normal standards of testing, sanitization, social distancing and lock down. People are regularly tested to identify those who are infected with COVID-19 and isolate them from general public. However, testing all people unnecessarily is an expensive operation in terms of resources usage. There must be an optimal policy to test only those who have higher chances of being COVID-19 positive. Similarly, sanitization is used for individuals and streets to disinfect people and places. However, sanitization is also an expensive operation in terms of resources, and it is not possible to disinfect each and every individual and street. Social separating or lock down or quarantine centres focuses are different methodologies that are utilised to control the human-to-human transmission of the infection and separate the individuals who are contaminated with COVID-19. However, lock down and quarantine centres are expensive operations in terms of resources as it disturbs the affairs of state and the growth of economy. At the same time, it negatively affects the quality of life of a society. It is also not possible to provide resources to all citizens by locking them inside homes or quarantine centres for infinite time. All these parameters are expensive in terms of resources and have an effect on controlling the spread of the virus, quality of life of human, resources and economy. In this article, a novel intelligent method based on reinforcement learning (RL) is built up that quantifies the unique levels of testing, disinfection and lock down alongside its impact on the spread of the infection, personal satisfaction or quality of life, resource use and economy. Different RL algorithms are actualized and agents are prepared with these algorithms to interact with the environment to gain proficiency with the best strategy. The examinations exhibit that deep learning–based algorithms, for example, DQN and DDPG are performing better than customary RL algorithms, for example, Q-Learning and SARSA.
This article reports the heat transfer enhancement on magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) flow of Oldroyd-B nanofluid influenced by stretching cylinder. The aspects of mixed convection and heat sink/source are ...considered. The model used for nanofluid incorporate the properties of Brownian motion and thermophoresis. The temperature-dependent thermal conductivity with the influence of thermal and mass stratifications is adopted. The nonlinear PDEs are condensed into ODEs via apposite conversions. The analytically homotopic approach has been adopted to elucidate the nonlinear ODEs. The stimulus of essential concerns on velocity, temperature, concentration, Nusselt number and Sherwood number is depicted. This analysis reported that the liquid velocity has a conflicting tendency for larger magnetic and mixed convection parameter. Furthermore, the liquid temperature decays for the higher thermal stratification parameter, whereas analogous influence is being noticed for mass stratification parameter on concentration field. For the confirmation of these outcomes an assessment table with former effort is also established.
Parthenium hysterophorus is a plant that tolerates drought and salinity to an extremely high degree. Higher expression of stress-responsive proteome contributes for greater defence against abiotic ...stresses. Thus, P. hysterophorus could be a rich source of genes that encode stress-imparting mechanisms and systems. The present study utilizes comparative physiological and proteomic approaches for identification of key proteins involved in stress-defence of P. hysterophorus. Thirty-days-old plants were exposed to drought (10% PEG 6000) and salinity (160 mM NaCl) for 10 days duration. Both stresses induced oxidative stress estimated in terms of TBARS and H2O2. Levels of both enzymatic and non-enzymatic antioxidants were elevated, more by drought than salinity. Particularly, SOD, GR, CAT and GST proved to be assisting as very commendable defence under drought, as well as salinity. Levels of ascorbate, glutathione and proline were also increased by both stresses, more in response to drought. Comparative proteomics analysis revealed a significant change in relative abundance of 72 proteins under drought and salinity. Drought and salinity increased abundance of 45 and 41 proteins and decreased abundance of 24 and 26 proteins, respectively. Drought and salinity increased and decreased abundance of 31 and 18 proteins, respectively. The functions of identified proteins included those related to defence response (26%), signal transduction (13%), transcription and translation (10%), growth and development (8.5%), photosynthesis (8.5%), metabolism (7%), terpenoid biosynthesis (5.5%), protein modification and transport (7%), oxido-reductase (4%) and Miscellaneous (11%). Among the defence related proteins, antioxidants and HSPs constituted 26% and 21%, respectively. Present study suggests a potential role of defence proteins. Proteins involved in molecular stabilization, formation of osmolytes and wax and contributing to stress-avoiding anatomical features emerged as key and complex mechanisms for imparting stress tolerance to P. hysterophorus.
In recent years, the proliferation of Massive Open Online Courses (MOOC) platforms on a global scale has been remarkable. Learners can now meet their learning demands with the help of MOOC. However, ...learners might not understand the course material well if they have access to a lot of information due to their inadequate expertise and cognitive ability. Personalized Recommender Systems (RSs), a cutting-edge technology, can assist in addressing this issue. It greatly increases resource acquisition through personalized availability for various people of all ages. Intelligent learning methods, such as machine learning and Reinforcement Learning (RL) can be used in RS challenges. However, machine learning needs supervised data and classical RL is not suitable for multi-task recommendations in online learning platforms. To address these challenges, the proposed framework integrates a Deep Reinforcement Learning (DRL) and multi-agent approach. This adaptive system personalizes the learning experience by considering key factors such as learner sentiments, learning style, preferences, competency, and adaptive difficulty levels. We formulate the interactive RS problem using a DRL-based Actor-Critic model named DRR, treating recommendations as a sequential decision-making process. The DRR enables the system to provide top-N course recommendations and personalized learning paths, enriching the student's experience. Extensive experiments on a MOOC dataset such as the 100 K Coursera course review validate the proposed DRR model, demonstrating its superiority over baseline models in major evaluation metrics for long-term recommendations. The outcomes of this research contribute to the field of e-learning technology, guiding the design and implementation of course RSs, to facilitate personalized and relevant recommendations for online learning students.
H3PO4/KOH combined solution is proposed as a new effective activation agent for activated carbon production from rice husk. Several activated carbon samples were produced by using different volumes ...of the utilized acid and alkali individually, in addition to the combined solution. FTIR results indicated that the mixed agent partially decomposed the chemical compounds on the rice husk char surface, resulting in an increase in the surface area. Moreover, XRD and EDS analyses showed the presence of a considerable amount of amorphous silica. Electrochemical measurements concluded that the volume of the activation agent solution should be optimized for both single and mixed activation agents. Numerically, for 0.3 g treated rice husk char, the maximum specific capacitance was observed at 7, 10 and 14 mL of H3PO4, KOH (3 M) and mixed (1:1 by volume) activation agents, respectively; the determined specific capacitance values were 73.5, 124.2 and 241.3 F/g, respectively. A galvanostatic charging/discharging analysis showed an approximate symmetrical triangular shape with linear voltage versus time profile which indicates very good electrochemical performance as an electrode in the supercapacitors application. The stability of the proposed activated carbon was checked by performing a cyclic voltammetry measurement for 1000 cycles at 2 mV/s and for 30,000 cycles at 10 mV/s. The results indicate an excellent specific capacitance retention, as no losses were observed.
The critical challenge of estimating the Remaining Useful Life (RUL) of MoSi2 heating elements utilized in pusher kiln processes is to enhance operational efficiency and minimize downtime in ...industrial applications. MoSi2 heating elements are integral components in high-temperature environments, playing a pivotal role in achieving optimal thermal performance. However, prolonged exposure to extreme conditions leads to degradation, necessitating precise RUL predictions for proactive maintenance strategies. Since insufficient failure experience deals with Predictive Maintenance (PdM) in real-life scenarios, a Generative Adversarial Network (GAN) generates specific training data as failure experiences. The Remaining Useful Life (RUL) is the duration of the equipment’s operation before repair or replacement, often measured in days, miles, or cycles. Machine learning models are trained using historical data encompassing various operational scenarios and degradation patterns. The RUL prediction model is determined through training, hyperparameter tuning, and comparisons based on the machine-learning model, such as Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM) or Support Vector Regression (SVR). As a result, SVR reflects the actual resistance variation, achieving the R-Square (R2) of 0.634, better than LSTM. From a safety perspective, SVR offers high prediction accuracy and sufficient time to schedule maintenance plans.
ABSTRACT
Hydrogen sulphide (H2S) is a gaseous molecule and originates endogenously in plants. It is considered a potential signalling agent in various physiological processes of plants. Numerous ...reports have examined the role of H2S in fruit ripening and in enhancing fruit quality traits. H2S coordinates the fruit antioxidant system, fruit ripening phytohormones, such as ethylene and abscisic acid, together with other ripening‐related signalling molecules, including nitric oxide and hydrogen peroxide. Although many studies have increased understanding of various aspects of this complex network, there is a gap in understanding crosstalk of H2S with key players of fruit ripening, postharvest senescence and fruit metabolism. This review focused on deciphering fruit H2S metabolism, signalling and its interaction with other ripening‐related signalling molecules during fruit ripening and postharvest storage. Moreover, we also discuss how H2S can be used as a tool for improving fruit quality and productivity and reducing postharvest loss of perishable fruits.
Hydrogen sulphide modulates fruit antioxidant system and inhibits the ethylene biosynthesis and signaling to regulate fruit quality traits.
The C-Band All-Sky Survey (C-BASS) is an all-sky full-polarization survey at a frequency of 5 GHz, designed to provide complementary data to the all-sky surveys of WMAP and Planck, and future CMB ...B-mode polarization imaging surveys. The observing frequency has been chosen to provide a signal that is dominated by Galactic synchrotron emission, but suffers little from Faraday rotation, so that the measured polarization directions provide a good template for higher frequency observations, and carry direct information about the Galactic magnetic field. Telescopes in both northern and southern hemispheres with matched optical performance are used to provide all-sky coverage from a ground-based experiment. A continuous-comparison radiometer and a correlation polarimeter on each telescope provide stable imaging properties such that all angular scales from the instrument resolution of 45 arcmin up to full sky are accurately measured. The northern instrument has completed its survey and the southern instrument has started observing. We expect that C-BASS data will significantly improve the component separation analysis of Planck and other CMB data, and will provide important constraints on the properties of anomalous Galactic dust and the Galactic magnetic field.
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