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Role of biosynthesized silver nanoparticles in environmental remediation: a review
Nanoscience and nanotechnology have made remarkable advances that have significantly altered the environmental remediation process. Silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) are an essential and remarkable nanomaterial in environmental remediation. The potential of AgNPs in biomedical applications is well explored compared to their environmental applications. This review explores the biosynthesis and application of AgNPs in environmental remediation. The discussion continues with the challenges of using AgNPs for environmental remediation and concludes with the prospects of AgNPs. The review will be beneficial to all researchers and professionals who are starting their journey with AgNP synthesis. 2023, The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature Switzerland AG. -
Role of Memoirs in Reducing the Stigma of Mental Illness in India
How reading about mental illness in the form of memoirs encourages us to reimagine our understanding and get past the popular stigmatised depictions of mental illness in India is explored in this article. This information can come to the aid of medical enthusiasts, psychologists, psychoanalysts, and even educators in considering the subjective dimensions of the experience of mental illness apart from the results of scientifi c inquiry and reducing the stigma of mental illness in India. 2023 Economic and Political Weekly. All rights reserved. -
Role of polyamines in plant tissue culture: An overview
Since the era of plant tissue culture bloomed, we have started approaching from a biotechnological perspective to overcome the massive challenges like inducing embryogenesis and organogenesis, initiating rooting, increasing the number of plantlets, establishing a callus from various organs of plants and also enhancing the metabolite content which was a mind-boggling thought once upon a time. Use of various elicitors, altering the media components, the strength of media, pH, precursor feeding etc. have all contributed tremendously in the in-vitro techniques used for culturing rare, endemic and medicinal plants for the commercial purposes. Owing to the demand for the plant products and drugs, the search for the other superior novel methods to increase its quantity and quality has not been stopped. Thus, one such method is the use of chemical compounds with many amino groups which serves as an additional source of nitrogen in the media and these organic compounds are called polyamines. Polyamines are known to play a wide role in plant physiological processes helping them in differentiation, inducing totipotency, increasing cell division and also in molecular signaling. Polyamines have a versatile application in this field ranging from establishing a callus to the elicitation of secondary metabolites. Thus, polyamines can be considered as a boon to the plant tissue culture field. In this review article, we have mainly focused on the in-depth applications of major polyamines like putrescine, spermidine and spermine in the field of plant tissue culture. 2021, The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature B.V. part of Springer Nature. -
Role of spiritual intelligence and occupational stress on organizational commitment: Evidence from outsourcing industry
As the world passes through uncertainty, researchers contemplate the future of work. While trying times highlight the importance of spiritual intelligence and commitment towards the organization, change brings with it large amounts of stress. Even before the pandemic, a large portion of the working population was moving towards the 'gig' style of working. The freedom of choice and the level of control that the option brought with it, made it a rather attractive option. However, for organizations the question remains on how to instil the same level of commitment in an employee who is not directly linked to the organization. In an attempt to understand the same, the current study looks at the drivers of organizational commitment for employees of the outsourcing industry. Similar to gig employees, these employees remain outside the organization they currently work for. Additionally, they are expected to balance the expectations of the parent and the host organization. The findings of the study suggest that the individual's spiritual intelligence levels and the level of perceived stress in the role would be significant in determining their levels of commitment. These findings are of significance for organizations dealing with outsourced employees and especially for those attempting to create alternate employment opportunities within their organization. 2019 by Advance Scientific Research. This is an open-access article under the CC BY license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) -
SARS-CoV-2 Footprints in the Placenta: What We Know after Three Years of the Pandemic
As the COVID-19 pandemic continues into its third year, there is accumulating evidence on the consequences of maternal infection. Emerging data indicate increased obstetrics risks, including maternal complications, preterm births, impaired intrauterine fetal growth, hypertensive disorders, stillbirth, gestational diabetes, and a risk of developmental defects in neonates. Overall, controversial concerns still exist regarding the potential for vertical transmission. Histopathological examination of the placenta can represent a useful instrument for investigation and can contribute significant information regarding the possible immunohistopathological mechanisms involved in developing unfavorable perinatal outcomes. Based on current evidence, SARS-CoV-2 infection can affect placental tissue by inducing several specific changes. The level of placental involvement is considered one of the determining factors for unfavorable outcomes during pregnancy due to inflammation and vascular injuries contributing to complex cascade immunological and biological events; however, available evidence does not indicate a strong and absolute correlation between maternal infection, placental lesions, and obstetric outcomes. As existing studies are still limited, we further explore the placenta at three different levels, using histology, immunohistochemistry, and molecular genetics to understand the epidemiological and virological changes observed in the ongoing pandemic. 2023 by the authors. -
Secure Authentication Schemes for Vehicular Adhoc Networks: A Survey
Vehicular Adhoc Network (VANET) is based on theprinciples of Mobile Adhoc NETwork (MANET) where vehicles are considered as nodes and secure communication is established to provide asafe driving experience. Due to its unique characteristics, it has various issues and challenges. These issues can be resolved by ensuring security requirements like authentication, privacy preservation, message integrity, non-repudiation, linkability, availability etc. Authentication plays a vital role since it is the first step to establish secure communication in the vehicular network. It also distinguishes malicious vehicles from legitimate vehicles. Different authentication schemes have been proposed to establish secure vehicular communications. A survey of the existing authentication schemes is given in this paper. At first, the existing authentication schemes are broadly classified based on message signing and verification methods. Then, each category is clearly explained with its sub-categories. At last, the existing schemes in each category are compared based on security requirements, security attacks and performance parameters. 2021, The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature. -
Self in schizophrenia: Current issues and future directions
Background: The objective of this review is to discuss the current advancements, and critical issues, in the area of studying disturbances of self in schizophrenia. The critical and systematic review of the self in schizophrenia is significant because it has been regarded as a prodrome and a predictor of the development of future psychosis. In addition, it has been found to be over and above clinical symptoms and is common in people with schizophrenia. Methodology: A systematic electronic literature search was done using PubMed, MEDLINE, and PMC (PubMed Central) databases were searched systematically, and relevant articles published in English peer-reviewed journals were selected. Results: The findings were discussed, and critical analysis of the studies revealed methodological and conceptual issues in the literature studying self in schizophrenia. Conclusion: The review has concluded with the discussion on future directions in terms of research and clinical applications. 2018 Archives of Mental Health | Published by Wolters Kluwer - Medknow. -
Shaping sustainable paths for perishable food supply chains - contemporary insights and future prospects
The pursuit for a sustainable system for perishable Food Supply Chains (FSCs) centres on delivering sustenance to potential stakeholders while minimizing environmental repercussions and conserving precious natural resources. Despite extensive literature review on process and quality in FSCs, the existing gap between research and industry practice still remains a challenge. A lack of comprehensive framework encompassing all stages of perishable FSCs and a dearth of understanding regarding consumer preferences and recent market trends emphasize the need for further research. The present study efforts to address the existing gap by employing an advanced bibliographical technique that categorizes emerging research trends and transcends conventional literature approaches. Through an extensive analysis, the present study objectives to scrutinize the current state of sustainability within perishable FSCs while also mapping out a blueprint for forthcoming research. This comprehensive exploration identifies five pivotal themes: Strategic Governance and Innovation, Consumer Attitudes and Short FSCs, Sustainable Supply Chains Network Design, Sustainable Supply Chains and Circular Economy, and Integration of Emerging Technologies. By probing into prescriptive content analysis, the study delves into research gaps and trends, providing an all-encompassing panorama of prior sustainable FSC research. Furthermore, the study concentrates on two generic research questions that pave the way for embracing sustainable approaches in the realm of perishable FSC research, thereby propelling the field towards a more impactful and sustainable future. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature B.V. 2024. -
Short-chain fatty acid: An updated review on signaling, metabolism, and therapeutic effects
Fatty acids are good energy sources (9 kcal per gram) that aerobic tissues can use except for the brain (glucose is an alternative source). Apart from the energy source, fatty acids are necessary for cell signaling, learning-related memory, modulating gene expression, and functioning as cytokine precursors. Short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) are saturated fatty acids arranged as a straight chain consisting minimum of 6 carbon atoms. SCFAs possess various beneficial effects like improving metabolic function, inhibiting insulin resistance, and ameliorating immune dysfunction. In this review, we discussed the biogenesis, absorption, and transport of SCFA. SCFAs can act as signaling molecules by stimulating G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) and suppressing histone deacetylases (HDACs). The role of SCFA on glucose metabolism, fatty acid metabolism, and its effect on the immune system is also reviewed with updated details. SCFA possess anticancer, anti-diabetic, and hepatoprotective effects. Additionally, the association of protective effects of SCFA against brain-related diseases, kidney diseases, cardiovascular damage, and inflammatory bowel diseases were also reviewed. Nanotherapy is a branch of nanotechnology that employs nanoparticles at the nanoscale level to treat various ailments with enhanced drug stability, solubility, and minimal side effects. The SCFA functions as drug carriers, and nanoparticles were also discussed. Still, much research was not focused on this area. SCFA functions in host gene expression through inhibition of HDAC inhibition. However, the study has to be focused on the molecular mechanism of SCFA against various diseases that still need to be investigated. 2022 Taylor & Francis Group, LLC. -
Social media influencers: literature review, trends and research agenda
Purpose: This study aims to provide a holistic review of social media influencers (SMIs) research based on a unique approach of bibliometric analysis and content analysis between 2011 and 2020. The review examines the main influential aspects, themes and research streams to identify research directions for the future. Design/methodology/approach: The sample selection and data collection were done from the Scopus database. The sample dataset was refined based on the inclusion and exclusion criteria to determine the final dataset of 183 articles. The dataset was exported in the BibTeX format and then imported into the BiblioShiny app for bibliometric analysis. The content analysis was done following the theory-context-methodology framework. Findings: The several findings of this study include (1) Co-word analysis of most used keywords; (2) Longitudinal thematic evolution; (3) The focus of the research papers as per the theory-context-methodology review protocol are persuasion knowledge model, fashion and beauty industries, Instagram and content analysis, respectively; and (4) The network analysis of the research studies is known as the co-citation analysis and depicts the intellectual structure in the domain. This analysis resulted in four clusters of the research streams from the literature and two emergent themes (Chen etal., 2010) Originality/value: In general, the previous reviews in the area are either domain, method or theory-based. Thus, this study aims to complement and extend the existing literature by presenting the overall picture of the SMI research with the help of a unique combined approach and further highlighting the trends and future research directions based on the findings of this study. 2023, Emerald Publishing Limited. -
Spiritual Intelligence and Spiritual Care in Nursing Practice: A Bibliometric Review
Spiritual intelligence (SI) has recently gained traction in various fields, including nursing. Given the increasing emphasis on patient-centred care and the holistic well-being of patients and nurses, SI is particularly relevant in nursing practice. A bibliometric analysis of recent publications (20142024) in the field helps synthesise and evaluate the existing research on SI in the general field of nursing, identify literature gaps, suggest future research directions and raise awareness of the importance of SI in nursing practice. The present study reports bibliometric data (n = 461) from the Scopus database on SI, spiritual quotient and spiritual care in nursing and health care. The data are analysed using MS Excel and VOSviewer software. The publications trend analysis revealed a significant increase in SI-related publications since 2015. The study presents top-cited articles. Journal of Religion and Health was found to be a prominent journal with the maximum number of publications, and Sage was found to be the top publisher of journals with articles on SI. Network visualisation reveals central figures such as Wilfred McSherry, Trove Giske, Elizabeth Johnston Taylor, Fiona Timmins, Silvia Caldeira and Linda Ross as key researchers in the field. The United States and Iran have the most substantial connections of authors publishing on SI. This study reveals an increasing interest in SI and care within nursing research, confirming its growing significance in the field. By reporting areas where research on SI in nursing remains underdeveloped, the study paves the way for the development of new or updated curricula in nursing programs. The study can guide faculty development initiatives by highlighting the importance of SI and providing resources for educators to incorporate these concepts into their teaching. This study presents specific research questions to address these knowledge gaps. Future studies which can address these questions will enrich nursing education and practice, leading to improved patient outcomes and enhanced nurse well-being using the full potential of SI in nursing practice. 2024 Published by Scientific Scholar on behalf of Indian Journal of Palliative Care. -
Stability Analysis and Navigational Techniques of Wheeled Mobile Robot: A Review
Wheeled mobile robots (WMRs) have been a focus of research for several decades, particularly concerning navigation strategies in static and dynamic environments. This review article carefully examines the extensive academic efforts spanning several decades addressing navigational complexities in the context of WMR route analysis. Several approaches have been explored by various researchers, with a notable emphasis on the inclusion of stability and intelligent capabilities in WMR controllers attracting the attention of the academic community. This study traces historical and contemporary WMR research, including the establishment of kinetic stability and the construction of intelligent WMR controllers. WMRs have gained prominence in various applications, with precise navigation and efficient control forming the basic prerequisites for their effective performance. The review presents a comprehensive overview of stability analysis and navigation techniques tailored for WMRs. Initially, the exposition covers the basic principles of WMR dynamics and kinematics, explaining the different wheel types and their associated constraints. Subsequently, various stability analysis approaches, such as Lyapunov stability analysis and passivation-based control, are discussed in depth in the context of WMRs. Starting an exploration of navigation techniques, the review highlights important aspects including path planning and obstacle avoidance, localization and mapping, and trajectory tracking. These techniques are carefully examined in both indoor and outdoor settings, revealing their benefits and limitations. Finally, the review ends with a comprehensive discussion of the current challenges and possible routes in the field of WMR. The discourse includes the fusion of advanced sensors and state-of-the-art control algorithms, the cultivation of more robust and reliable navigation strategies, and the continued exploration of novel WMR applications. This article also looks at the progress of mobile robotics during the previous three decades. Motion planning and path analysis techniques that work with single and multiple mobile robots have been discussed extensively. One common theme in this research is the use of soft computing methods to give mobile robot controllers cognitive behaviors, such as artificial neural networks (ANNs), fuzzy logic control (FLC), and genetic algorithms (GAs). Nevertheless, there is still a dearth of applications for mobile robot navigation that leverage nature-inspired algorithms, such as firefly and ant colony algorithms. Remarkably, most studies have focused on kinematics analysis, with a small number also addressing dynamics analysis. 2023 by the authors. -
Standards of human rights to palliative care: gaps and trends
Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to investigate key milestones in development of standards of human rights to health care in particular context of addressing palliative care, relevant efforts of advocacy in past decade and future area of growth. Design/methodology/approach: In this study, analysis of human rights and its standards in context of palliative care has been provided through the lens of freedom from ill treatment and torture, right to health care and older persons and childrens rights. Findings: Findings of this study highlighted significant developments in this area which include following: first treaty of human rights which explained right to palliative care; first resolution on palliative care by World Health Assembly; special rapporteurs report focussed on denial of pain; and addressing issue of controlled medicine availability in special session of UN General Assembly. Originality/value: Human rights standards and their development in context of palliative care have been most significant in relation to freedom from ill treatment and torture, right to health care and older persons rights. Further work is required in context of childrens rights and treaty bodies of human rights need to consistently address state obligations towards palliative care. 2020, Emerald Publishing Limited. -
Startups' empowerment of employees: An analysis using VOSviewer
The purpose of this study is to evaluate and consolidate existing research on the factors that affect the performance of employees in startup companies. Specifically, it focuses on factors such as empowerment, motivation, dedication, leadership styles, and self-determination. This study aims to understand how these factors influence employee performance in the context of startup organizations. The theoretical framework of this study is based on the HR value chain model. The HR value chain model demonstrates how HR practices can benefit organizations by showing the various HR processes that support a company's goals. Additionally, the study incorporates psychological factors related to employee performance, such as autonomy, competence, and relatedness. The methodology section mentions that the research primarily covers management-related articles from 2010 to 2022. The research involved reviewing primary studies by searching computerized databases and selected journal articles from specific websites. VOSviewer 1.6.18 was used to analyze eligible articles, and bibliometric networks were generated to connect keywords to relevant articles. The study's findings indicate that empowerment, motivation, commitment, and other traits are linked to the success of new startup businesses. Effective leadership tactics play a crucial role in creating a healthier, happier work environment with dedicated employees. It appears that the study identified 20 papers, including 17 research articles, that establish connections between empowerment and startup performance. The use of VOSviewer's overlay bibliometric networks helped visualize these connections. 2024, Malque Publishing. All rights reserved. -
State of the art MOF-composites and MXene-composites: Synthesis, fabrication and diverse applications
The composites of MXene and Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) have gained considerable attention recently due to their synergic properties. MOFs are advantageous as it offers high surface area, good stability, and tunable chemical structure, MXenes, on the other hand, provide superior ion-transport characteristics, high conductivity, large surface-to-volume ratio, and facile modification strategies. Composite fabrication enables tuning the desired properties of the individual materials and propounds good stability and enhanced performance. This review assembles and describes the composites of MXene and MOF in various fields of application like energy storage devices, sensors, medicinal, separation membranes, medicinal, and photocatalysis in a comprehensible way. Here we first outline the characteristics of MOFs and MXenes along with a comparative study of different synthesis routes for the fabrication of the composites. The review also encompasses a detailed discussion on different industries and applications that the MXene and MOF composites are subjected to. Finally, the review provides future perspective for designing and development of newer composites as well as scope for further industrial approach. 2024 Elsevier Ltd -
Stilbenes, a Versatile Class of Natural Metabolites for InflammationAn Overview
Stilbenes are polyphenolic allelochemicals synthesized by plants, especially grapes, peanuts, rhubarb, berries, etc., to defend themselves under stressful conditions. They are now exploited in medicine for their antioxidant, anti-proliferative and anti-inflammatory properties. Inflammation is the immune systems response to invading bacteria, toxic chemicals or even nutrient-deprived conditions. It is characterized by the release of cytokines which can wreak havoc on healthy tissues, worsening the disease condition. Stilbenes modulate NF-?B, MAPK and JAK/STAT pathways, and reduce the transcription of inflammatory factors which result in maintenance of homeostatic conditions. Resveratrol, the most studied stilbene, lowers the Michaelis constant of SIRT1, and occupies the substrate binding pocket. Gigantol interferes with the complement system. Besides these, oxyresveratrol, pterostilbene, polydatin, viniferins, etc., are front runners as drug candidates due to their diverse effects from different functional groups that affect bioavailability and molecular interactions. However, they each have different thresholds for toxicity to various cells of the human body, and thus a careful review of their properties must be conducted. In animal models of autoinflammatory diseases, the mode of application of stilbenes is important to their absorption and curative effects, as seen with topical and microemulsion gel methods. This review covers the diversity seen among stilbenes in the plant kingdom and their mechanism of action on the different inflammatory pathways. In detail, macrophages contribution to inflamed conditions in the liver, the cardiac, connective and neural tissues, in the nephrons, intestine, lungs and in myriad other body cells is explored, along with detailed explanation on how stilbenes alleviate the symptoms specific to body site. A section on the bioavailability of stilbenes is included for understanding the limitations of the natural compounds as directly used drugs due to their rapid metabolism. Current delivery mechanisms include sulphonamides, or using specially designed synthetic drugs. It is hoped that further research may be fueled by this comprehensive work that makes a compelling argument for the exploitation of these compounds in medicine. 2023 by the authors. -
Structural, Morphological and Optical Properties of MoS2-Based Materials for Photocatalytic Degradation of Organic Dye
Molybdenum disulfide (MoS2) is a transition metal dichalcogenide (TMDCs) having versatile properties and plays a great role in the photodegradation of organic dyes. MoS2 also finds applications in diverse fields such as catalysis, electronics, and nanomedicine transportation. MoS2 can be prepared by using chemical and physical methods such as hydrothermal, solvothermal, and chemical vapour deposition methods. The preparation method employed can produce subtle but significant changes in the morphology. To increase the efficiency of MoS2, it can be combined with different materials to produce composites that improve the photodegradation efficiency of MoS2. The various methods of preparation, the morphology of MoS2, and photodegradation activity of the MoS2-based nanocomposites are briefly discussed in this review. 2022 by the authors. -
Studies on anti-microbial potential of withania somnifera (l.) dunal and future perspectives: An overview
Withania somnifera is a herb of immense ethnopharmacological importance in Ayurvedic, Siddha and Unani systems of medicine. Due to its immense therapeutic potential and being an important source of novel withanolides, it has been a subject of immense intrigue among researchers. Apart from its anti-inflammatory, antitumor, anti-stress, antioxidant, immunomodulatory, antidiabetic, sedative and hemopoetic properties, there is mounting evidence for its antimicrobial and antiviral properties too. Various withanolides and steroidal lactones isolated so far are known to have high therapeutic value, but works pertaining to their antimicrobial potential have largely been at the synergistic level. No single withanolide has been characterized as a sole antimicrobial and thus, work in this regard is still in the stage of infancy, except for withanone which has recently shown in silico activity against SARS-COV-2. This review summarizes the elaborate antibacterial, antifungal, antiprotozoal and anti-viral work that has been done so far and casts focus on the limitations, in terms of mechanistic aspects of each. 2021 Society for Biology and Biotechnology. All rights reserved. -
Study of the personal factors influencing voluntary turnover amongst women
In a country where the economic and social independence of a woman is dependent on the way households are structured and organised, the rise in their education and decline in their workforce participation rate is an indication of their paradoxical situation. In this study we evaluate the direct effect of the factors in the personal domain of women on her career break decision. The data from 402 Indian women was analysed using Exploratory Factor Analysis and Confirmatory Factor Analysis, which was then followed by Structural Equation Modelling to check the conceptual model developed through literature review. In present study support personal predictors to turnover intention outcome model, confirming the influence of role conflict, role expectation, role perception, stress, financial soundness, role overload and guilt. Role perception and expectation of women were most significant factors influencing turnover intention of women, implying that the most important change needed is for a change in their own mindset and those around them to arrest their exit from the workforce. 2021 Ecological Society of India. All rights reserved. -
Surface modulation and structural engineering of graphitic carbon nitride for electrochemical sensing applications
The rediscovery of the old-age material graphitic carbon nitride (g-C3N4), a 2D conducting polymer, has given rise to a tide of articles exploring its diverse applications. Recently, owing to its excellent physicochemical stability and tunable electronic structure, the material has proven to be an eminent candidate for improving the sensing quality of electrodes. Excellent properties of g-C3N4 such as exposed surface area, metal-free characteristics, and low-cost synthesis have attracted facile and economical designing of sensors for a variety of analyte molecules. Herein, the readers are introduced to the historical development of g-C3N4 and escorted to the present findings of its electrochemical sensing applications. Along with its sensing utilities, the review shares some exciting insights into the synthesis, structural, and surface chemistry modulations of g-C3N4. A great many approaches for overcoming the inherent limitations have also been critically discussed, starting with the precursor in use. This review article aims to provide a concise perspective and direction to future researchers for enabling them to fabricate smart and eco-friendly sensors using g-C3N4. Graphical abstract: [Figure not available: see fulltext.] 2021, The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Islamic Azad University.