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Acute Toxicity of Leaf Extracts of Enydra fluctuans Lour in Zebrafish (Danio rerio Hamilton)
The present study was focused on the concentration-dependent changes in oral acute toxicity of leaf extracts of E. fluctuans in zebrafish. The study was also aimed at the details of histopathological changes in the gill, liver, brain, and intestine of zebrafish exposed to the leaf extracts of the plant E. fluctuans. Enydra fluctuans Lour is an edible semiaquatic herbaceous plant used widely for the alleviation of the different diseases. Since there were no toxicity studies conducted on this plant, the present study was an attempt to look into the elements of toxicity of the plants. Two types of experiments are conducted in the present study. First, the acute oral toxicity study was conducted as per the OECD guidelines 203. Second, histopathological changes were observed in the fishes exposed to the lethal concentrations of plant extract. The oral acute toxicity studies conducted on Zebrafish have revealed that the leave extracts of E. fluctuans were toxic to the tested fish at the concentration of 200 mg/kg body weight. The histopathological studies conducted on the intestine of treated fishes showed that treatment has induced rupturing of the villi structure and fusion of villi the membrane and detachment of the villi structure from the basal membrane of the intestine. The histology of the liver also showed severe vacuolization in the cells while it is not affected in control. The studies on gills showed the detachment of the basal epithelial membrane in the gills compared to control which might have led to death of the fish. The histopathological observations of brain tissues treated with test samples also revealed the marked impingement in the brain parenchyma while the control is normal without impingement of the brain. 2020 Jobi Xavier and Kshetrimayum Kripasana. -
Histopathological and Toxicological Studies on Zebra Fish Using White-Fruited and Green-Fruited Varieties of Momordica charantia
Momordica charantia is well known for its medicinal properties. It has exhibited various pharmacological activities, such as antidiabetic, anti-inflammatory, and antimicrobial activities. Although this plant is used worldwide as a vegetable and medicinal ingredient in herbal medicines, its toxicity studies have not been conducted to date. This study attempts to understand its toxicity. The present study examined the activity of two enzymes, acetylcholinesterase and succinate dehydrogenase, as well as histopathological variations in the liver, intestine, and gills of zebrafish. The results of the acetylcholinesterase assay showed that the concentrations of 40 mg/L and 60 mg/L of the four extracts (leaf and fruit extracts of both varieties) exhibited increased enzyme activity. Interestingly, the leaves of the green fruit variety at a concentration of 60 mg/L showed the highest activity, with a value of 2.824 0.0682 micromoles/min compared to the control value of 1.8347 0.0046 micromoles/min. On the other hand, the succinate dehydrogenase assay revealed that the concentrations of 40 mg/L and 60 mg/L of the extracts decreased the enzyme activity. The highest inhibition was observed in the concentration of 60 mg/L of the leaves of the white-fruited variety and the green-fruited variety, with values of 1.884 0.0482 micromoles/min compared to the control value of 2.747 0.0046 micromoles/min. The studies on histopathological changes also demonstrated abnormalities in the brain, liver, intestine, and gills of zebrafish after the exposure to the extracts of M. charantia. The severity of the damage varied from low to high concentraions. In general, this study sheds light on the safety profile of Momordica charantia and highlights its potential toxicity in animal models. The findings suggest that more research is needed to fully understand the toxicity of this plant and its implications for human use. 2024 Jobi Xavier et al. -
A comparative study on the adaptability of the different varieties of solanum lycopersicum L. (tomato) in salt stress condition
The objective of the present study was to study the levels of antioxidant and oxidant metabolites such as total protein, proline, peroxidase, lipid peroxidase, catalase,and anthocyanin and phenol contents in nine varieties of tomato plants (Cerasiforme (Cherry tomato), Indamrohini, Marglobe, Ns 538, Sacchariya, San Marzano 3, Suhyana, Tomato Oblate Yellow, Vanda) treated under various NaCl concentrations (50, 100, 200 and 250 Mm). Salinity is one of the significant abiotic stresses, which affects plant cell metabolism and reduces plant productivity. Plants tolerant to NaCl implement a series of adaptations to acclimate to salinity, including morphological, physiological and biochemical changes. Under saline conditions, plants have to activate different physiological and biochemical mechanisms in order to cope with the resulting stress. Such mechanisms inclu de changes in morphology, anatomy, water relations, photosynthesis, the hormonal profile, toxic ion distribution and biochemical adaptation (such as the antioxidative metabolism response). An updated discussion on salt-induced oxidative stress and its effect on the antioxidant machinery in both salt-tolerant and salt-sensitive plants is the major part of this study. The aim of the present study is to extend our understanding of how salinity may affect the physiological characteristics of plants. 2020 IJSTR. -
Production Of Boeravinone B And Related Bioactive Molecules From Cell Cultures Of Punarnava, Boerhavia Diffusa Linn.
Boerhavia diffusa L., commonly referred to as punarnava, belongs to the Nyctaginaceae family. It contains a variety of phytochemicals that contribute to the plant's pharmacological activities. Among these compounds, Boeravinone-B, a significant secondary metabolite synthesized within the plant, has been reported to possess various pharmacological properties, including antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, cardio-protective, antimicrobial, and anti-cancer activities. Given its potential, there is a growing need to produce Boeravinone-B through biotechnological approaches such as plant tissue cultures. However, limited studies have been conducted on its production via tissue culture. Therefore, our objective was to produce Boeravinone-B using callus and cell suspension cultures. To induce callus, different auxins (2,4-D, NAA, IAA, IBA, and picloram) and cytokinins (kinetin, BAP, TDZ, and 2-iP) alone and in combination to maximize biomass and Boeravinone-B production was employed. Results showed that semi-solid medium supplemented with 5.0 mg/L 2,4-D produced the highest biomass and Boeravinone-B production from leaf explants. Subsequently, we established cell suspension cultures and observed that a combination of 2.0 mg/L picloram and 5.0 mg/L NAA yielded the highest production of Boeravinone-B. We further optimized cultural conditions such as inoculum density, carbon sources, sucrose concentration, MS medium strength, pH, ammonium and nitrate ratio, and various concentrations of macronutrients to enhance Boeravinone-B production. Additionally, we explored elicitation strategies using both biotic and abiotic components to determine their effects on Boeravinone-B production. Elicitation involved the use of polysaccharides (chitosan), fungi (yeast extract, Aspergillus niger and Cordyceps militaris) bacteria (Escherichia coli and Bacillus subtilis), and algal members (Valonia utricularis and Spirulina platensis). Likewise, signalling molecules (salicylic acid, sodium nitroprusside, and ethephon), polyamines (putrescine, spermine, and spermidine), and heavy metal salts (lead acetate, cadmium chloride, and lanthanum chloride) to stimulate Boeravinone-B production. Significant variations were observed among the elicitors in their ability to promote Boeravinone-B production, with the order of effectiveness being spermidine > Spirulina platensis > salicylic acid > spermine > sodium nitroprusside > Aspergillus niger > Valonia utricularis > Cordyceps militaris > yeast extract > putrescine. By employing these elicitation strategies alongside advancements in molecular aspects and large-scale production in bioreactors, we can ensure a sustainable supply of Boeravinone-B and its associated metabolites. -
Bioactive Compounds and Biological Activities of Taro (Colocasia esculenta (L.). Schott)
Plants are said to be the finest source of food and phytochemicals. Along with aerial plant components, subterranean tuberous, stems, and roots were often consumed for their phytochemical and nutritional worth. Colocasia esculenta (L.). Schott is an essential plant that is utilized for its nutritional and phytochemical properties. It is commonly called taro, which is very rich in plant secondary metabolites and their respective pharmacological properties. Taro is consumed by people worldwide and serves as a staple food in Asian and African countries, leading to its abundant production. Extensive studies has explored the nutritional composition of taro, which has been identified as a promising source of dietary fiber. Moreover, taro exhibits a wealth of minerals and phytochemicals, including phenols, flavonoids, and various derivatives, which contribute to its diverse pharmacological activities, such as antioxidant, antimicrobial, antidiabetic, antiinflammatory, and anticancer effects. This chapter provides a comprehensive overview of taro, encompassing its nutritional profile, phytochemistry, and numerous pharmacological properties. Additionally, it addresses the important aspects of biosafety in relation to taro consumption and highlights potential prospects for sustainable production of this remarkable tuber crop. Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2023. -
Bioactive Compounds and Biological Activities of Taro (Colocasia esculenta (L.). Schott)
Plants are said to be the finest source of food and phytochemicals. Along with aerial plant components, subterranean tuberous, stems, and roots were often consumed for their phytochemical and nutritional worth. Colocasia esculenta(L.). Schott is an essential plant that is utilized for its nutritional and phytochemical properties. It is commonly called taro, which is very rich in plant secondary metabolites and their respective pharmacological properties. Taro is consumed by people worldwide and serves as a staple food in Asian and African countries, leading to its abundant production. Extensive studies has explored the nutritional composition of taro, which has been identified as a promising source of dietary fiber. Moreover, taro exhibits a wealth of minerals and phytochemicals, including phenols, flavonoids, and various derivatives, which contribute to its diverse pharmacological activities, such as antioxidant, antimicrobial, antidiabetic, anti-inflammatory, and anticancer effects. This chapter provides a comprehensive overview of taro, encompassing its nutritional profile, phytochemistry, and numerous pharmacological properties. Additionally, it addresses the important aspects of biosafety in relation to taro consumption and highlights potential prospects for sustainable production of this remarkable tuber crop. Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2024. -
Bioactive Phytochemicals from DatePalm (Phoenix dactylifera L.) Seed Oil Processing By-products
Humans cultivate plants for their daily commodities, like food and medicines. Innumerable varieties of crops and plant-derived products like cotton, fruits, vegetables, grains, pulses, and oils have been developed. A variety of seed oils have been used by humankind in dietary supplements and regarded as feedstock for the production of biofuels. Date palm (Phoenix dactylifera L.) is one such plant used in the production of oil. Date palm is a commercial fruit that is primarily cultivated in South Mediterranean countries. Date palm fruit and its processed products such as jams, jellies, and syrup are globally consumed. However, tons of seed waste is generated after processing and raises environmental problems due to poor seed waste disposal practices. Scientific reports suggest that date palm seed oil is a rich in minerals, fatty acids, and various phytochemicals like phenols, flavonoids, sterols, and tocopherols. These bioactive molecules possess significant pharmacological activities like antidiabetic, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, antimicrobial, and hepatoprotectivity. This chapter summarizes the phytochemicals present in the date palm seed oil, discusses the fatty acid composition in various date palm cultivars worldwide, and highlights the pharmacological activities exhibited by the date seed oil. The chapter also discusses the effective utilization of date seed oil in the food and pharmaceutical industry and the seed oil by-products in biofuel production. Pharmaceuticals and biofuel production presents an excellent opportunity for the valorization of date palm cultivation and economic returns. 2023, The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG. -
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Coping with Public and Private Face-to-Face and Cyber Victimization among Adolescents in Six Countries: Roles of Severity and Country
This study investigated the role of medium (face-to-face, cyber) and publicity (public, private) in adolescents perceptions of severity and coping strategies (i.e., avoidant, ignoring, helplessness, social support seeking, retaliation) for victimization, while accounting for gender and cultural values. There were 3432 adolescents (ages 1115, 49% girls) in this study; they were from China, Cyprus, the Czech Republic, India, Japan, and the United States. Adolescents completed questionnaires on individualism and collectivism, and ratings of coping strategies and severity for public face-to-face victimization, private face-to-face victimization, public cyber victimization, and private cyber victimization. Findings revealed similarities in adolescents coping strategies based on perceptions of severity, publicity, and medium for some coping strategies (i.e., social support seeking, retaliation) but differential associations for other coping strategies (i.e., avoidance, helplessness, ignoring). The results of this study are important for prevention and intervention efforts because they underscore the importance of teaching effective coping strategies to adolescents, and to consider how perceptions of severity, publicity, and medium might influence the implementation of these coping strategies. 2022 by the authors. -
Deciphering the impact of COVID-19 pandemic on food security, agriculture, and livelihoods: A review of the evidence from developing countries
With COVID-19 now spreading in developing countries, massive consequences on health and livelihoods are feared. Food security is the most important and crucial aspect of sustainable development. The agricultural sector forms the backbone of the economy and provides livelihood to a large section in developing countries. Therefore, the disruption in food security and the agricultural sector will have far-reaching impacts on these countries. Owing to the importance of these sectors, this paper performs a comprehensive assessment of the effect of COVID-19 on food security and agriculture. The research suggests coping and mitigation mechanisms that can be adopted to sustain livelihoods. 2020 The Author(s) -
Sustainable human resource management and job satisfactionUnlocking the power of organizational identification: A cross-cultural perspective from 54 countries
Sustainable human resource management is gaining importance in organizations due to its role in developing a sustainable work environment and well-being. This paper discusses the relationship between employee perceptions of sustainable human resource management and job satisfaction in 54 countries. We propose that sustainable HRM is positively associated with job satisfaction but that this relationship is moderated by employees' identification with the organization and country-level individualismcollectivism. Thus, we suggest national culture functions as a second-level moderator of the relationship of sustainable HRM with organizational identification on job satisfaction. Findings from the multi-level analyses using data from 14,502 employees nested within 54 countries provided support for our hypotheses, namely that employee perceptions of sustainable HRM were positively associated with job satisfaction and that this relationship was more pronounced for employees with lower levels compared to higher levels of organizational identification in individualistic rather than collectivistic countries. These findings bear important implications for both theory and practice. 2024 ERP Environment and John Wiley & Sons Ltd. -
Machine Learning Integration for Enhanced Solar Power Generation Forecasting
This paper reviews the advancements in machine learning techniques for enhanced solar power generation forecasting. Solar energy, a potent alternative to traditional energy sources, is inherently intermittent due to its weather-dependent nature. Accurate forecasting of photovoltaic power generation (PVPG) is paramount for the stability and reliability of power systems. The review delves into a deep learning framework that leverages the long short-term memory (LSTM) network for precise PVPG forecasting. A novel approach, the physics-constrained LSTM (PCLSTM), is introduced, addressing the limitations of conventional machine learning algorithms that rely heavily on vast data. The PC-LSTM model showcases superior forecasting capabilities, especially with sparse data, outperforming standard LSTM and other traditional methods. Furthermore, the paper examines a comprehensive study from Morocco, comparing six machine learning algorithms for solar energy production forecasting. The study underscores the Artificial Neural Network (ANN) as the most effective predictive model, offering optimal parameters for real-world applications. Such advancements not only bolster the accuracy of solar energy forecasting but also pave the way for sustainable energy solutions, emphasizing the integration of these findings in practical applications like predictive maintenance of PV power plants. The Authors, published by EDP Sciences, 2024. -
Optimal allocation algorithm of marketing resources based on improved random forest
Random Forest algorithm is an ensemble learning algorithm that classifies data by combining multiple decision trees. It has a wide range of applications and is not easy to overfit. It has a wide range of applications in medicine, bioinformatics, management and other fields. By studying the Cobb-Douglas sales function, it is found that it can only analyze the static allocation of marketing resources, but cannot describe the dynamic changes. Enterprise marketing resource management runs through the enterprise management from beginning to end. The research on marketing resource management is helpful for enterprises to grasp and control the whole process of marketing resource management from the overall and overall level, and has important theoretical value and reality for enterprise marketing management activities. significance. In the vast majority of enterprises in our country, the size of advertising promotion expenses and the number of salesmen is often determined based on the experience and subjective assumptions of decision makers, so it is difficult to say that they are optimized. This paper starts with determining the optimal advertising budget and the number of salespeople, and conducts applied research on the optimal allocation of marketing resources. 2023 IEEE. -
Behavioral Time Management Analysis: Clustering Productivity Patterns using K-Means
This paper focuses on investigating the efficiency profile through the three-time management behaviors using the K-Means clustering method. In the case of the study, the data gathered from digital time management tools for 100 participants for one month was preprocessed to distil features surrounding productivity, including daily working hours, focus time, break duration and frequency, and task completion ratios. The four groups that were agreed upon through K-Means clustering differed in terms of time management behaviours and productivity. Insert table 6 IT cluster 1 worked long hours with high productivity owing to the fact that they are IT professionals but had a tendency of multitasking. Employment Cluster 2 (marketing and sales professionals) achieved both personal and work-related self-care but identified the need for more concentrated time per task. As for the differences in the breaks, it can be noted that cluster 3 (management and administration personnel) had significantly higher task completion times and focus times, but their break intervals needed to be optimized. Hypothesis 2 stated that there will be many hours of leisure for Cluster 4 (students and interns) imply that their work hours should be adjusted to several small tasks a day, and their rates of task completion should be increased. From the study, it is possible to stress that time management should be considered as an individual activity that requires specific approaches to the given subject area and to the learner in particular. Specifically, demographic profiling identified the roles that age and occupational status may play in averting or exacerbating productivity deficiencies: insights that could be actionable in specific scenarios. The implications of this research offer practical insights into individual and organizational time management, as the usability aspects of machine learning techniques were considered and their applicability established, which further extends the scope of time management by revealing patterns and improving time management plans and practices. 2024 IEEE. -
Interactions between emotional and spiritual intelligence and their effects on employee performance
The association among worker behavior, spiritual intelligence, emotional intelligence, and system effectiveness is explained by this study. Understanding how others communicate and being aware of how one's own emotions affect others around you are all characteristics of emotional intelligence. Spiritual intelligence, which is a higher level of intelligence, reveals one's actual attributes and abilities. As company's most asset, the effectiveness of employee behavior has a significant impact on the company's ability to survive and thrive. In contrast to other facets of human conduct, employee conduct is distinguished by more formal behavior. This study aims to determine whether those with emotional and spiritual intelligence perform well at work. This research also aims to comprehend the behavior of emotionally intelligent and spiritually inclined people at work. Attempts are made in this study to ascertain whether higher levels of spiritual and emotional intelligence might boost the efficacy of these abilities. In this study, productivity at work is the dependent variable, whereas emotional intelligence and spiritual intelligence are independent variables. The parameters that can assess the variables were established using a literature review and a few common surveys. An organized survey that considers the variables is developed to gather information from the working class. To determine the link between the variables chosen for this study, the gathered data was analyzed using statistical approaches such as partial correlation and correlation. 2024 Author(s). -
Twitter data analysis using hadoop ecosystems and apache zeppelin
The day-to-day life of the people doesn't depend only on what they think, but it is affected and influenced by what others think. The advertisements and campaigns of the favourite celebrities and mesmerizing personalities influence the way people think and see the world. People get the news and information at lightning speed than ever before. The growth of textual data on the internet is very fast. People express themselves in various ways on the web every minute. They make use of various platforms to share their views and opinions. A huge amount of data is being generated at every moment on this process. Being one of the most important and well-known social media of the present time, millions of tweets are posted on Twitter every day. These tweets are a source of very important information and it can be made use for business, small industries, creating government policies, and various studies can be performed by using it. This paper focuses on the location from where the tweets are posted and the language in which the tweets are written. These details can be effectively analysed by using Hadoop. Hadoop is a tool that is used to analyze distributed big data, streaming data, timestamp data and text data. With the help of Apache Flume, the tweets can be collected from Twitter and then sink in the HDFS (Hadoop Distributed File System). These raw data then analyzed using Apache Pig and the information available can be made use for social and commercial purposes. The result will be visualized using Apache Zeppelin. Copyright 2019 Institute of Advanced Engineering and Science. All rights reserved. -
Smart pollution monitoring system
The world has travelled a long way through the industrial revolution. One of the consequences that the industries and its different forms gave to humanity is pollution. The environment that we live is being polluted in different ways. Different parts of the world are already experiencing air pollution as a matter of concern. The increasing amount of industries and the emission of gas by the vehicles cause much damage to the air. We are in a situation where we need to monitor the amount of pollution in our areas of living and working. In order to monitor pollution, the paper proposes an efficient and low-cost method with the help of the internet of things (IoT). The system is designed to monitor the levels of CO, CO2, smoke, alcohol, NH3, temperature and humidity. The various alarms and notification are arranged in such a way that the information is given when there is any sign of threat. The remote monitoring is made possible with dedicated website and mobile app. BEIESP. -
PHILOSOPHICAL POSTHUMANISM: A RENEWED WORLDVIEW AND A METHODOLOGICAL FRAMEWORK FOR CRITICAL ANALYSIS
Exponential technological advances capture the zeitgeist of contemporary society. Machines are increasingly gaining agency, which helps in the deconstruction of the humanist notion of humans. Society takes a posthuman turn with large-scale humanmachine imbrication and nonhuman agency. The posthuman turn is also reflected in the academic world, which is seriously contemplating the integration of posthumanities. The philosophical posthumanism of Francisca Ferrando is a posthuman theory with three constituent elements: post-humanism, post-anthropocentrism, and post-dualism. Post-humanism revisits the definition of human that has given rise to marginalization within the human species. Post-anthropocentrism critiques the human superiority and exceptionalism that have led to the marginalization of other species. Post-dualism revisits the dualistic mindset that allows hierarchical sociopolitical constructions. Ferrando presents a vision of a posthuman utopian society that recognizes pluralistic voices within the human species on egalitarian terms, accepts and values the agency of nonhuman actors, and sheds the dualistic view of life that keeps humans and nonhumans on either side of the binary system. Philosophical posthumanism can be suitable as a methodological framework to analyze the posthuman discourses in literary works, specifically in science fiction. 2024 The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA. -
TOWARDS A SUSTAINABLE FUTURE: Need for Posthuman Ethics in the Anthropocene Era
Ethics, which constitutes principles that guide human conduct, deserves particular attention in this era of the Anthropocene, when human actions greatly influence ecology. Renaissance humans have hegemonised humanistic ethics of living and interacting with the world since the Enlightenment. While exalting human exceptionalism, humanism has relegated all other forms of existence to a subservient taxonomy, categorising them as raw material for human empowerment. The self-exalted autonomous subject, homo sapiens, faces the threat of extinction in the wake of unprecedented and violent ecological reactions. The exponential growth of the agency of intelligent machines also calls to question the autonomous human agency propagated by humanism. A paradigm shift is the moments need; this paper suggests posthuman ethics as an alternative. The new worldview, post-humanism, places the homo sapiens in relation to the rest of the universe. Philosophical post-humanism, proposed by Francesca Ferrando, foregrounds posthuman ethics that are post-humanistic, post-anthropocentric, and post-dualistic. They form a roadmap towards a sustainable future. 2023 Journal of Dharma: Dharmaram Journal of Religions and Philosophies. -
FIN2SUM: Advancing AI-Driven Financial Text Summarization with LLMs
In the modern financial sector, the rapid digitalization of financial reports necessitates efficient and reliable text summarization tools. This research introduces FIN2SUM, a novel framework designed for summarizing the managerial analysis and discussion sections of 10-K reports from top NASDAQ-listed companies. The study aims to evaluate Large Language Models (LLMs) in financial text summarization, highlighting LLAMA-2's adeptness in processing complex financial information, thus making FIN2SUM a vital tool for analysts and decision-makers. The methodology includes a thorough evaluation of three state-of-the-art LLMs - LLAMA-2, FLAN, and Claude 2 - using BERT and ROUGE scores. The research concludes that FIN2SUM, enhanced by LLAMA-2, significantly advances AI-driven financial text summarization. 2024 IEEE.