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Biofunctional NiTiO3D-carvone nanocomposite: Synthesis, characterization, antibacterial, antioxidant, and zebrafish biocompatibility evaluation
The growing threat of microbial resistance and oxidative stress-related disorders highly demands the development of multifunctional nanoparticles with enhanced bioactivity and biocompatibility. In response to this demand, D-carvone functionalized nickel titanate (NiTiO?-D-carvone) was synthesized. XRD confirmed the formation of a crystalline rhombohedral NiTiO3 phase, while HRTEM revealed reduced agglomeration and uniform distribution upon D-carvone modification. The average crystallite size of the composite was 27 nm. DLS analysis showed a decreased hydrodynamic diameter (D?? = 112.50 nm) for the functionalized nanocomposite compared to bare NiTiO3 (225.70 nm). XPS spectra confirmed the presence of Ni? and Ti?? oxidation states, along with C=O and CO groups from D-carvone. The NiTiO3D-carvone nanocomposite exhibited a surface area of 2.658 m/g and showed strong UV absorption at 326 nm. PL studies revealed that the nanocomposite exhibited green emission at 524 nm, attributed to oxygen vacancy-related defect states which is favorable for enhanced ROS generation. Antibacterial studies demonstrated enhanced inhibition zones against K. pneumoniae (16 mm), S. dysenteriae (17 mm), Escherichia coli (18 mm) P. aeruginosa (12 mm) and P. vulgaris (17 mm) compared to bare NiTiO?. CFU assays revealed a concentration-dependent reduction in viable colonies, with the highest activity at 10 mg/mL. The antioxidant efficiency reached 61.4 % DPPH inhibition at 20 g/mL, closely comparable to Vitamin C (64.7 %). Zebrafish embryo assays confirmed excellent biocompatibility of the NiTiO?D-carvone system, with normal morphology and survival up to 96 hpf. The experimental results suggest that surface modification with D-carvone significantly enhances the biological activity and safety of NiTiO3 nanoparticles. 2025 -
Green synthesis of biocompatible L-Histidine-Modified NiFe2O4 Nanoparticles: A multifaceted approach toward cancer and bacterial therapy
Cancer and infections caused by microbes remain serious global health threats, with multidrug resistance and toxicity associated with treatment constraining the efficacy of traditional therapies. In the present research, biocompatible L-histidine-functionalized nickel ferrite nanoparticles (NiFe2O4-LH) were green synthesized using of Clitoria ternatea flower extract and systematically evaluated for their therapeutic effects. Characterization established their spinel cubic structure, reduced crystallite size (14.4 nm), and enhanced stability when compared to bare NiFe2O4 (21.6 nm). UVvisible spectra revealed a blue shift with expanded band gap from 3.16 eV (NiFe2O4) to 3.92 eV (NiFe2O4-LH). The PL spectra revealed that the NiFe2O4-LH exhibited green emission at 516, 526 nm suggesting increased oxygen vacancies facilitating ROS production. The NiFe2O4-LH NPs demonstrated excellent antibacterial activity when compared to pure NiFe2O4. SEM analysis confirmed extensive bacterial membrane breakdown when exposed to NiFe2O4-LH. Cytotoxicity to MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells showed a significant dose-dependent response with an IC50 of 12.41 ?g/mL. Biocompatibility assessments with zebrafish embryos supported negligible development toxicity, wherein NiFe?O?-LH-treated groups preserved normal morphology until 72 hpf compared to the bare NiFe2O4. 2025 Elsevier B.V. -
Photoluminescence, Judd-Ofelt and Thermoluminescence studies on bright red emitting CaY2O4:Eu3+ phosphor for display applications
The Eu3+-doped CaY2O4 phosphors were synthesised via high-temperature solid-state method. The XRD analysis suggests an Orthorhombic-like phase of the phosphor, with Eu3+ ions effectively substituting Y3+ sites, while the crystallite size analysis (Scherrer and W-H) reveals dopant-induced grain growth accompanied by strain relaxation. The photoluminescence spectra show an intense red-emission at 610 nm under a broad UV-to-blue excitation, with 466 nm emerging as the most efficient excitation wavelength, highlighting compatibility with blue LED sources. Concentration quenching behaviour suggests excitation-wavelength dependence, with optimum Eu3+ concentration at 1.5 mol% under deep UV-excitation (257 nm), and 2 mol% under near-UV/visible (393532 nm) excitations. Dexter analysis indicates the dipole-dipole interactions dominated quenching in the visible region, while the unusually low Q value under deep UV-excitation suggests the host-activator transfer. The Judd-Ofelt analysis indicates a non-centrosymmetric Eu3+ environment, and CIE coordinates (x = 0.643, y = 0.356) with ?94 % high colour purity demonstrates the saturated red emission. Thermoluminescence study exhibits multiple traps with near-linear UV dose response, supporting dosimetric potential. The combined broad excitation, high emission intensity, and colour purity make the CaY2O4: Eu3+ a promising red phosphor for display and LED applications. 2025 Elsevier B.V. -
Bithiophene and 3,4-Ethylenedioxythiophene Copolymers with Biphenyl and Bis-[octyloxy]benzene acceptors for NLO Application
Two groups of thiophene-based donoracceptor (DA) type conjugated copolymers with low band gaps were designed and synthesized through direct arylation. Biphenyl and bis(octyloxy)benzene were incorporated as electron-deficient units to effectively lower the band gaps. The HOMOLUMO energy levels of the resulting copolymers were theoretically determined using DFT calculations at the HSE06 and B3LYP levels with a 631G(d,p) basis set. The copolymers were characterized by UVVis, FT-IR, fluorescence, and H NMR spectroscopy. Their thermal stability was assessed using thermogravimetric analysis, which confirmed that the bithiophene-based copolymers P(BT-BP) and P(BT-DOB) were highly thermally stable. Additionally, P(BT-DOB) and P(EDOT-DOB) exhibited solvatochromic behavior in varying toluene/acetonitrile solvent mixtures. Third-order nonlinear optical properties of P(BT-BP), P(EDOT-BP), P(BT-DOB), and P(EDOT-DOB) were studied using an open-aperture Z-scan method at 532 nm in DMSO. These copolymers showed reverse saturable absorption with low optical threshold values. 2025 Elsevier B.V. -
Exploration of aldazine Schiff bases as promising bioactive agents: A synergistic approach using DFT, ADME, antibacterial and cytotoxicity analysis
A straightforward method for synthesizing four new asymmetric Aldazine Schiff base derivatives using aromatic aldehydes and hydrazine precursors was successfully demonstrated under moderate conditions. These compound are designated as follows: 1-((E)-(((E)-2-ethoxy benzylidene) hydrazineylidene) methyl)naphthalene-2-ol (2-EHMN) (L1), 1-((4-ethoxy benzylidene) hydrazineylidene) methyl) naphthalene-2-ol (4-EHMN) (L2), 1-((2?hydroxy-4-methoxybenzylidene) hydrazineylidene) methyl) naphthalene-2-ol (HMHMN) (L3), and 1-((2?chloro-6-hydroxyybenzylidene) hydrazineylidene) methyl) naphthalene-2-ol (CHHMN) (L4). The compounds obtained were analyzed via FT-IR, 1H-/13CNMR spectroscopy, HRMS spectrometry techniques, and elemental analysis. Infrared (IR) spectroscopy, UVVis spectroscopy, and accurate melting point determination all contribute to the improved study of synthesised compounds. A comprehensive solubility analysis was conducted for all synthesized compounds, demonstrating their solubility in dichloromethane (DCM), tetrahydrofuran (THF), and dimethylformamide (DMF). Thermoanalytical studies of all the ligands were also examined and compared. Furthermore, a single-crystal X-ray diffraction (SCXRD) analysis of L1 was conducted using a single-crystal diffractometer, with unit cell calculations and data collection performed using MoK? radiation (? = 0.7107 . Density functional theory (DFT) computations were used to optimise the structures of molecules and assess reactivity, durability, and electronic characteristics of the developed ligands. Molecular docking of L1, L2 and L3 has been done in different proteins, which gives precise results to show the activity for cytotoxicity and antibacterial studies. In silico, the ADME process calculations showed that the synthesised compounds have favourable drug-like features. In vitro antibacterial (L2 and L3) and cytotoxicity (L1) tests were also performed to assess their efficacy as therapeutic agents. 2025 Elsevier B.V. -
Green synthesis, characterization, and therapeutic potential of 2-(Thiophen-2-ylmethylene)malononitrile: Insights into molecular interactions with cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2)
A novel bioactive molecule, 2-(thiophen-2-ylmethylene)malononitrile, was synthesized via a green chemistry approach using thiophene-2-carbaldehyde and malononitrile under sonication in ethanol. The compound was characterized by UV-visible, H NMR, C NMR, HR-MS spectroscopy, and single-crystal XRD techniques, confirming its structural integrity. Computational studies revealed its chemical reactivity, including molecular electrostatic potential (MEP), Mulliken charges, and frontier molecular orbitals (FMO). At the same time, time-dependent DFT (TD-DFT) highlighted key electronic transitions across diverse solvents. Advanced analyses, such as Hirshfeld surface mapping and electron localization functions, identified critical intermolecular interactions involving H?N, N?H, and C?H contacts. Molecular docking with Cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2, PDB ID: 6 2j) revealed strong binding affinity, further supported by molecular dynamics simulations demonstrating complex stability through RMSD, Rg, SASA, and hydrogen bond evaluations. The compound's anti-inflammatory potential was validated in vivo using a carrageenan-induced paw oedema model in rats, showing comparable efficacy to standard drugs. This study highlights the sustainable synthesis and therapeutic promise of 2-(thiophen-2-ylmethylene)malononitrile for pharmaceutical applications. 2025 Elsevier B.V. -
Structural and antibacterial assessment of two distinct dihydroxy biphenyls encapsulated with ?-cyclodextrin supramolecular complex
?-Cyclodextrin plays a vital role in biological application because it can enhance the stability and solubility of the guest molecules in the supramolecular inclusion complexes. Moreover, the ?-Cyclodextrin inclusion complex has control-releasing behavior and lower toxicity than bare guest molecules. To improve the solubility and stability properties of two structurally different fluorescent guest molecules, namely 2,2?-dihydroxy biphenyl and 3,3?-dihydroxy biphenyls, they involve the ?-Cyclodextrin inclusion complex process. Optical measurements clearly described the efficient binding through the changes in the absorbance and emission intensities of guest molecules in the presence of ?-Cyclodextrin. The Job's plot from absorbance measurements reveals the 1:1 stochiometric ratio of binding of guests and the ?-Cyclodextrin host. The FT-IR spectra of the solid complex show the characteristic stretching and bending vibrations from both the guests and the host molecule. The 1HNMR spectra of the inclusion complex promote downfield shifting of guest molecule protons upon binding with the ?-Cyclodextrin host. The solid complex prepared using the solution method exhibits superior antibacterial activity against both gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria compared to the kneading and physical mixing methods. 2024 -
Theoretical investigation of a thiazole carboxamide derivative and its interactions with tribbles pseudokinase
In this work, we present the computational investigations of a thiazole carboxamide derivative encompassing density functional theory, topological analyses and in-silico biological studies. Beginning with geometry optimization, DFT studies included frontier molecular orbital and theoretical electronic spectra analyses, polarizability and hyperpolarizability studies and thermodynamic studies via frequency calculations. All calculations were modelled in five solvents using IEFPCM solvation model. Detailed insights into the electronic structure of the molecule were obtained by topological analyses. Biological assessment included generation of drug-likeness and pharmacokinetic descriptors using online tools and molecular docking. Docking of the molecule in Tribbles pseudokinase targets 5CEK and 5CEM revealed a binding energy of ?6.93 kcal/mol and ?6.46 kcal/mol respectively with a corresponding inhibition constant of 8.26 and 18.50 ?M. 2025 Elsevier B.V. -
Glucose-Urea-Choline chloride: a versatile catalyst and solvent for the Kabachnik-Fields reaction
Kabachnik-fields reaction is a multi-component organic reaction that gives ?-aminophosphonates as products. The reaction between a carbonyl group, an amine, and amino phosphonates is noteworthy due to their antibacterial, antifungal, anti-HIV, anti-cancer, and analgesic characteristics. Low melting mixtures are also good alternatives for toxic catalysts and organic solvents. The use of organic solvent can be reduced in the Kabachnik-fields reaction by using low melting mixtures as a reaction media and catalyst. This method is cost-effective and safe. A practical synthesis of different derivatives of dialkylphosphonates was conducted. The solvent/catalyst is also easily recyclable. 2025 Elsevier B.V. -
Computational investigation into the solvent effect, electron distribution, reactivity profile, pharmacokinetic properties and anti-cancer action of Hemimycalin C
This work consists of DFT studies and biological evaluation of the marine alkaloid Hemimycalin C. The DFT calculations include energy minimisation, reactivity analysis of the frontier molecular orbitals, electronic transition studies (UV spectra generation), molecular electrostatic potential colour map analysis (MEP), and natural bond orbitals (NBO) studies. Non-linear optical (NLO) properties estimation is also performed to obtain the first-order hyperpolarizability, mean polarizability and dipole moment of Hemimycalin C. The solvent methanol emerges as the most interesting among the polar solvents employed in this study, as it impacts the properties of Hemimycalin C to a significant extent. Multiwfn software is used for topological analyses, which include the calculation of Reduced Density Gradient (RDG), Localised Orbital Locator (LOL) maps), and Electron Localisation Function (ELF). The computed ADMET profile indicates that the molecule is a potent lead (drug candidate) as the medicinal chemistry parameters are mostly within the optimal range. The Ramachandran plots are also computed to show the stability and quality of the target proteins, by computation of the permitted psi and phi angles. The complexes of the ligand are docked using AutoDock Tools against blood cancer receptors to obtain good binding affinity values. 2025 Elsevier B.V. -
Exploring various nanomaterials in enhancing the performance of chiral nematic liquid crystal for blue phase display
This study aims to develop composite liquid crystal (LC) materials for energy-efficient blue phase (BP) display applications with enhanced luminescent and dielectric properties. Chiral nematic liquid crystal (CNLC) was systematically doped with nanomaterials, including nickel zinc ferrite (NZFO), single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNT), gold nanoparticles (GNPs), and strontium titanate (SrTiO3). Optimal doping concentrations (0.05 wt% for NZFO and SWCNT; 0.1 wt% for GNPs) enhanced photoluminescence, while SrTiO3 served as a luminescence quencher. Dielectric studies revealed a substantial reduction in the Freedericksz transition threshold voltage, particularly with NZFO (0.05 wt%), which halved the voltage. Optical texture and structural analysis confirmed that the CNLC structure remain intact while maintaining the BP temperature window (12 C). The reduced splay elastic constant in all doped CNLC revealed that the optimum quantity of nanomaterials is occupied in the disclination site of BP, resulting in a reduction of volume and associated free energy around the disclinations to reduce threshold voltage. These findings highlight the potential of nanomaterial-doped CNLCs, especially magnetic NZFO NPs, in enabling high-performance, low-power BP-based LC displays for advanced applications. 2025 Elsevier B.V. -
Environmentally conscious synthesis of novel pyrano[2,3-d]pyrimidines via ternary deep eutectic solvents
Pyrano[2,3-d]pyrimidine and its analogues have gained considerable courtesy because of their diverse biological functions and wide-ranging applications, from pharmaceutical agents to essential natural pigments. However, synthesising pyrano[2,3-d]pyrimidine with multiple reactants is challenging and requires advanced green chemistry solutions. This study investigates the generation of thirteen new pyrano[2,3-d]pyrimidine analogues through a single-step, open-flask, multicomponent reaction (MCR) strategy involving aldehydes, phenylhydrazine, ethyl acetoacetate, and barbituric acid via deep eutectic solvents (DES). These DESs serve as environmentally friendly alternatives to traditional solvents. A ternary deep eutectic solvent (TDES) was evaluated for its catalytic solvent activity among ten different formulations. TDES-7 (5 mL) demonstrated the best performance, achieving 95 % product formation within 30 min at room temperature. Its remarkable catalytic activity and ability to produce high yields across multiple reaction cycles make it a standout choice for this application. The collaboration between MCR and TDES underscores an important blend of two significant green aspects, demonstrating their potential to achieve a green and productive sustainable synthesis method with an noble E-factor of 0.1236. 2024 Elsevier B.V. -
Predictive value of IL-6, IL-1?, TNF-?, and vaginal pH in diagnosing vaginal microbial infections: A host-inflammatory axis perspective
Microbial-associated vaginal infections are common among women of reproductive age and are linked to alterations in the local immune environment. Inflammatory biomarkers such as IL-6, IL-?, and TNF-?, along with vaginal pH have emerged as potential indicators of microbial dysbiosis. This study aimed to statistically evaluate the ability of these specific inflammatory cytokines and vaginal pH to identify infection status. Cytokine concentrations and vaginal pH were measured in clinically characterized samples. The group differences were analyzed using Mann-Whitney U tests and Cliff's Delta for effect size. ROC-AUC analysis was also performed to assess the discriminative power, and correlation heatmaps explored marker synergy. The infected individuals showed increased levels of all cytokines (p < 0.001), with large effect size (? > 0.9 for IL-6, IL-1?, TNF-?). Vaginal pH also differed significantly (? = 0.60). In addition, the combination of IL-6 and vaginal pH achieved excellent discriminative performance (AUC = 0.98). These findings suggest that IL-6, IL-1?, and TNF-?, when combined with vaginal pH, can function as reliable non-invasive biomarkers for the early detection and improved diagnostic triaging of vaginal microbial infections. 2024 -
Biogenic Synthesis of Zinc Oxide Nanoparticles using Coffea arabica Fruit Peel Extract for Electrochemical Detection and Photocatalytic Degradation of Methylene blue Dye
Methylene blue is an ecologically toxic, carcinogenic, and mutagenic dye. Due to extensive industrial use, a significant quantity of effluent containing methylene blue dye is released into a water source. It may cause toxicity to humans and aquatic fauna. Therefore, detecting and removing MB dye from the effluent is essential. For this goal, we synthesized dual application zinc oxide nanoparticles using coffee fruit (Coffea arabica) peel biomass as a reducing agent. SEM scans revealed spherical nanoparticles. The EDX spectral data indicated the existence of zinc and oxygen elements. The X-ray diffraction pattern exhibited crystallinity of ZnO. Under optimized conditions, the electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), cyclic voltammetry, and Differential Pulse Voltammetry (DPV) study was studied for the detection of MB, an impressively low detection limit (LOD) of 0.01771 ?M was recorded, The photocatalytic efficacy of ZnO nanoparticles demonstrated a significant 92.43% degradation of methylene blue under UV light. So, Coffea arabica biomass may play a vital role in synthesizing eco-friendly ZnO nanomaterials for environmental remediation applications. 2026 Elsevier B.V. -
Amine-functionalized MIL-101(Fe)-NH2@ZIF-8 composite for efficient adsorption of Pb2+ ions
Heavy metal contamination of water resources poses a serious environmental and public health threat, necessitating the development of efficient and selective adsorbent materials. In this study, a hierarchical MIL-101(Fe)-NH2@ZIF-8 composite was successfully fabricated via an interfacial growth strategy, integrating amine-functionalized MIL-101(Fe)-NH2 and ZIF-8 to achieve a synergistic micro-mesoporous architecture with accessible functional sites. The composite was thoroughly characterized by FTIR, PXRD, TGA, BET, and SEM-EDX analyses, with elemental mapping confirming the structural integration and resulting in enhanced porosity, thermal stability, and functional group availability. The material exhibited a remarkable Pb2+ adsorption efficiency of 94.9 % and a maximum adsorption capacity of 297 mg/g, significantly superior to the adsorption of other metal ions (Cd2+, Cu2+, Ni2+, and Cr2+). Atomic absorption spectroscopy (AAS) validated the exceptional selectivity of MIL-101(Fe)-NH2@ZIF-8 for Pb2+ ions. The enhanced performance is attributed to the synergistic effect of accessible amine (?NH2) functionalities, Fe?O coordination sites, and hierarchical porosity enabling strong metal binding and rapid diffusion. These findings highlight the exceptional potential of MIL-101(Fe)-NH2@ZIF-8 as an advanced adsorbent for Pb2+ removal from water, offering a practical pathway to address critical environmental challenges and promote sustainable human health and ecological protection. 2025 Elsevier B.V. -
Neural network-assisted carbon nanotube electrochemical sensors for automated environmental risk assessment
The current research proposes an intelligent network system that continuously tracks the quality of water flow, with particular attention to pollutants frequently occurring in runoff water from agricultural practices. It deploys high-performance electrochemical sensors based on carbon nanotubes (CNT) combined with a small neural network that functions directly on the built-in microcontroller. It is deployed on floating buoys powered by solar energy, where it can detect some critical contaminants in the rural water bodies, including nitrates, phosphates, atrazine, cadmium, and lead. The sensors work by transmitting their electrical signals through the sensors to the neural network, which provides precise identification of the level of pollutants as one of three risk levels: safe (below detection levels), manageable (within regulatory levels), and hazardous (exceeding regulations). Regarding power performance, results can be delivered over a relatively small-time delay (1.2 milliseconds per reading) and with low memory usage (1.8 MB), making it ideal for remote and low-powered sensors. It is more accurate (93.6 %) than typical machine learning models. Should pollutants exceed the above-prescribed limits, an automated warning will be generated, and the information will be immediately uploaded to a cloud-based dashboard. The dashboard will be closely monitored via remote control, and trend analysis will be conducted. By eliminating the need for manual water sampling, the system offers a scalable and energy-saving method for autonomous environmental testing, particularly in inaccessible locations. In the future, the study will focus on the use of federated learning, a technique that retains data locally to protect privacy, enabling more intelligent and collaborative conclusions across sensor networks. This prepares the ground for more intelligent and secure environmental surveillance systems in the future. 2025 Elsevier B.V. -
Green synthesis, characterization, and biological applications of silver nanoparticles from Pachira glabra leaf extract
Green synthesis of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) offers an environmentally sustainable approach to nanoparticles (NPs) production, utilizing plant extracts as reductant and stabilizer. This method helps minimizes the involvement of toxic chemicals, making it an economical and eco-friendly substitute to traditional synthetic techniques. The objective of this study is to synthesize and analyse AgNPs formed from Pachira glabra Pasq. leaf extract and to evaluate their biological applications. This study presents the first report on the green synthesis of AgNPs using P. glabra leaf extract, demonstrating its antibacterial, antioxidant, and cytotoxic potential. In this study, 1 mM silver nitrate (AgNO3) was used for synthesizing AgNPs. The shift in colour of the solution from pale green to brown indicates NP synthesis which was further confirmed by spectrophotometric analysis, exhibiting a peak at 424 nm. Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) analysis was done to recognize the functional groups present in both P. glabra leaf extract and AgNPs synthesized. FTIR analysis revealed key functional groups such as hydroxyl, carbonyl, and amine groups. Peaks were observed in the range of 504 ?3351 cm?1. Dynamic Light Scattering (DLS) and zeta potential of biosynthesized AgNPs showed the size distribution and stability in suspension. Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy (FE-SEM) revealed that the biosynthesized AgNPs exhibited both cubic and spherical morphologies. Energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) confirmed the presence and distribution of silver (Ag) and other elemental contents. The crystallinity of biosynthesized AgNPs was confirmed through X-ray diffraction (XRD) pattern. These results helped to characterize the biosynthesized AgNPs. Antibacterial activity of AgNPs was tested against Gram-negative Escherichia coli (MTCC 443) and Gram-positive Staphylococcus aureus (MTCC 3160) bacterial strains, with the AgNPs showing maximum effectiveness against E. coli, exhibiting an inhibition zone of 6.5 1.5 mm. The DPPH assay was used to evaluate antioxidant activity, and the biosynthesized AgNPs demonstrated a scavenging activity of 82.99 %, showing strong antioxidant potential compared to the standard. The cytotoxicity of both AgNPs and P. glabra leaf extract was tested against HCT-116 colorectal carcinoma cell line (ATCC-CCL-247). 2025 The Authors -
Efficacy of digital MBCT-PD in preventing postpartum depression and enhancing work motivation: A study protocol
Background: Postpartum depression (PPD) is a significant challenge for women transitioning back to work. While preventive measures are essential, the effectiveness of Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) in this context remains underexplored. This study will assess the efficacy of a digital MBCT program (MBCT-PD) in preventing PPD, enhancing well-being, and motivating work resumption after childbirth. Methods: A randomized controlled trial (RCT) with repeated measures will evaluate MBCT-PD, a digitally delivered intervention designed to promote mindfulness and emotional resilience. Eighty consenting pregnant women aged 18+, between 16 and 32 weeks gestation, residing in urban India will be recruited and randomized to either the MBCT-PD group or an enhanced treatment-as-usual (TAU) control group, which includes additional prenatal wellness resources. The intervention will span eight weeks, with assessments at baseline, post-intervention (T1), and six weeks postpartum (T2). Primary outcomes are depression (Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale), well-being (Pregnancy Experience Scale-Brief), and work motivation (Multidimensional Work Motivation Scale). Secondary outcome is mindfulness level (Three Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire-Short Form). Descriptive statistics, repeated measures ANOVA, and regression analyses will determine the effect of MBCT-PD on these outcomes. Expected Results: We anticipate that the MBCT-PD group will show reduced PPD symptoms, improved well-being, and greater motivation to resume work than the control group, consistent with previous findings on mindfulness-based interventions. Conclusion: The findings from this study are expected to support the efficacy of MBCT-PD as a cost-effective, scalable intervention for enhancing postpartum mental health and work reintegration, with potential applications in maternal mental health practices and policies worldwide. Trial Registration: Clinical Trial Registry of India. CTRI/2024/03/064,831 2025 -
Actor-critic guided CDBN with GAN augmentation for robust facial emotion recognition
Facial emotion recognition (FER) remains challenging under limited data, noise, and occlusion. This study introduces an ActorCritic Convolutional Deep Belief Network (ACCDBN) that unifies Generative Adversarial Network (GAN)based augmentation, deep probabilistic feature learning, and reinforcement-driven optimization. Conditional GANs expand minority emotion classes, enhancing data diversity, while the CDBN extracts hierarchical texture features through convolutional and restricted Boltzmann layers. An ActorCritic module dynamically refines representations by rewarding accurate emotion classification and penalizing uncertain predictions. Trained and validated on the CK+ dataset with five-fold cross-validation, the proposed model achieves higher accuracy and stability than CNN, LSTM, and ResNet-50 baselines, maintaining strong performance under noise and occlusion. The approach demonstrates how reinforcement-guided generative learning can improve both accuracy and robustness in FER tasks.1. To implement this, the research utilised the publicly available Cohn-Kanade+ dataset, consisting of eight classes with samples of 920 grey-scale images.2. An improved ACCDBN model outperformed with 90.4% accuracy and 0.69 MCC (Mathews Correlation Coefficient) in 5-fold cross-validation using the cGAN-generated dataset and 87% on the CK+ dataset3. The main objective is to present an advanced facial emotion recognition (FER) system that combines a Convolution Deep Belief Network (CDBN) with a model-free reinforcement learning technique, namely the actor-critic approach. 2025 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier B.V. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/ -
Enhancing image compression through a novel Structural Fidelity Weighted Ensemble (SFWE) model
With the explosion of digital images across multiple sectors like social media, health care, medical imaging, and remote sensing, there is a demand to optimise the storage and transmission of images. In this paper, a novel Structural Fidelity Weighted Ensemble model is proposed to dynamically adjust the weights between SVD and PCA outputs to enhance the quality of reconstructed images.Unlike traditional static fusion techniques, the proposed SFWE deploys a fast bounded scalar optimization strategy so as to dynamically estimate the optimal fusion weights thereby ensuring non-negativity and simplex constraints while significantly reducing computational overhead compared to Sequential Quadratic Programming(SQP) or constrained gradient descent methods.Validation was done across multiple benchmarks datasets namely, USC-SIPI Sequences (grayscale TIFF), Kodak, BSDS500, DRIVE (Digital Retinal Images for Vessel Extraction), and ISPRS Potsdam which cover natural, medical, and remote-sensing images. Per-image processing, runtime measurement, and compressed ratio (CR) were produced automatically by the provided evaluation pipeline;The SFWE method provides greater image quality and structural fidelity across diverse datasets, attaining a PSNR of 40 dB and SSIM of 0.95, outperforming existing approaches such as Discrete Cosine Transform (DCT), Wavelet Transform, Singular Value Decomposition (SVD), and Principal Component Analysis and JPEG2000 + CNN models. In addition, it also maintains a good compression ratio leading to an effective balance between the reduction in file size as well as visual quality of the images, which confirms enhanced structural preservation across diverse image types. To implement a novel ensemble model (SFWE) that optimally balances the outputs of SVD and PCA for doing effective image compression. To achieve a higher SSIM (0.95) and good PSNR (40 dB) compared to compression techniques such as DCT, Wavelet, SVD, PCA, and JPEG2000 + CNN. To ensure adaptive high-quality reconstruction across multiple datasets, demonstrating its suitability for diverse image-intensive applications. 2025 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. This is an open access article under the CC BY license. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/