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Is gold price volatility in India leveraged?
This paper examined the presence of leverage effect on the gold price volatility in six major Indian cities using PGARCH model. This study also examined the impact of US gold price return on the volatility of gold price in India. For this study, daily time series data of gold price in six major Indian cities and gold price in the United States over a period of seven years (January 2011 to August 2017) were collected. The results suggest that conditional volatility of gold price in all the six cities in India carries volatility clustering feature. Leverage effect was also found in the gold price volatility of five out of six Indian cities studied. The United States gold returns had a significant influence on the gold price volatility of five out of six Indian cities studied. Hence, the gold price volatility in India is indeed leveraged. -
Enhancing the stability of electrochemical asymmetric supercapacitor by incorporating thiophene-pyrrole copolymer with nickel sulfide/nickel hydroxide composite
The practical application of a supercapacitor predominantly relies on its sustained cyclic stability. Hence it is essential to develop materials with high stability for the efficient supercapacitor applications. Herein, we demonstrate the integration of a copolymer of poly thiophene-pyrrole (cPPyTh) to surpass the limited cyclic stability of the nickel sulfide/nickel hydroxide (NSH) composite. Though the lower electronegativity of sulfur in coexistence with hydroxide achieves a superior capacity for NSH, it lacks extended cyclic stability. By incorporating cPPyTh into the layers of NSH, the stability of the resultant composite (NCP) could be enhanced by preventing the aggregation of layered NSH during longer runs. NCP electrode provides a specific capacity of 87 C/g at a current density of 1 A/g in a three-electrode system. An energy density of 25.47 Wh/kg and power density of 8.65 kW/kg is obtained for the asymmetric supercapacitor fabricated with NCP as positive and modified activated carbon (MAC) as negative electrode. The NCP demonstrates a superior cyclic stability of over 94% for 10,000 cycles in comparison to NSH with stability ? 73% over 5,000 cycles for the asymmetric supercapacitor. 2021 -
Resveratrol as a therapeutic choice for traumatic brain injury: An insight into its molecular mechanism of action
Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a global health challenge owing to its high incidence rate, long-term sequelae, and complex pathophysiology with limited available treatment options. Food supplement rich in polyphenols has shown promising health benefits in TBI. Resveratrol, a phytoalexin stilbenoid commonly found in many plants, including grapes, nuts, and berries, is endowed with several health-promoting effects. In this review, the pathophysiology of TBI and the underlying mechanism for Resveratrol-induced neuroprotection in TBI has been discussed. The spectrum of injuries in TBI, including the acute primary injury, and delayed secondary injury often leading to other forms of neurodegenerative disorders, indicates the dysregulation of multiple pathways following TBI and its complex pathophysiology. Despite poor bioavailability and solubility, Resveratrol as a therapeutic in neurological illnesses, including TBI, is attributable to its ability to cross the blood-brain barrier, detectable level in the brain, and the lack of unfavorable toxicity. Substantial preclinical evidence has associated Resveratrol with protection against TBI and subsequent secondary brain injury as it has significant anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-apoptotic properties, emphasizing its promising scope in the treatment of TBI. 2022 -
An Efficient Deep Learning-Based Hybrid Architecture for Hate Speech Detection in Social Media
Social media has become an integral part of life as users are spending a significant amount of time networking online. Two primary reasons for its increasing popularity are ease of access and freedom of speech. People can express themselves without worrying about consequences. Due to lack of restriction, however, cases of cyberbullying and hate speeches are increasing on social media. Twitter and Facebook receive over a million posts daily, and manual filtration of this enormous number is a tedious task. This paper proposes a deep learning-based hybrid architecture (CNN + LSTM) to identify hate speeches by using Stanfords GloVe, which is a pre-trained word embedding. The model has been tested under different parameters and compared with several state-of-the-art models. The proposed framework has outperformed existing models and has also achieved the best accuracy. 2022, The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd. -
Exploring Drivers of Healthcare Utilization amongthe Working and Non-Working Elderly Population: Insights from LASI
Background: The elderly population of India has been growing exponentially over the past few decades, caused by a decline in fertility and an increase in life expectancy. The growth eventually has transcended the disease burden on the public healthcare system. This calls for a need to evaluate the healthcare utilization pattern of the elderly based on their socioeconomic and working condition. Methods: Study used access to public and private healthcare services to measure healthcare utilization. Descriptive analysis and multivariable logistic regression were used to understand utilization patterns by working status and some selected sociodemographic parameters. All the results were reported at a 95% confidence interval. Results: Using the data from the first wave of Longitudinal Ageing Study in India (LASI) with a sample of 22,680 older persons 60 years and above. The study identified that 50% of the working elderly access private services; however, 26% access public healthcare services. It was found that the working status of the elderly alone did not influence access to healthcare services, but education is also an essential indicator for utilizing healthcare services. Further, factors such as gender, marital status, religion, wealth, tobacco usage, self-rated health, ADL and IADL were significant predictors of healthcare services utilization for the elderly. Conclusion: This study suggests that there are not many differences found among working and non-working status with healthcare utilization, although some sociodemographic indicators are associated with the utilization of healthcare services, highlighting that increasing health needs among the elderly requires strengthening the quality and appropriate public investment in health. 2024 Taylor & Francis Group, LLC. -
Exploring the challenges and prospects of healthcare reporting in Indias Hinterland
Differential access and utilisation of healthcare services are caused by multiple Social Determinants of Health (SDHs), which requires adequate and informed policy intervention. The mass media, mainly the news media, have been seen as a practical approach in communicating the health anomalies at the policy level. The comprehensive coverage of factors associated with the healthcare system can further lead to addressing inequalities in health. The study was aimed to identify the factors that act against effective reporting of healthcare news from peripheral regions of India. The qualitative method was employed to examine media professionals' persistent challenges and experiences in covering health-related disparities. Sixteen media professionals were interviewed during October 2019 employed in vernacular news agencies all across the north-eastern state of Assam, India. Three themes have emerged from the analysis covering health-related news and barriers to healthcare in the peripheral region and identifying health-related disparities. It is found that an effective reporting mechanism of the health news will positively influence the policymakers and undertake efforts to address the health-related disparities. Copyright 2022 (Jyoti Nath, Tamuli). -
Involvement of chalcones and coumarins in environmental stress tolerance
Plants are invariably subjected to various environmental stresses that hinder their normal growth and development, which leads to decreased plant productivity and yield. To combat the detrimental effects of such abiotic and biotic stresses, plants have developed diverse mechanisms and one of the prominent ones includes the production of secondary metabolites like phenolic, alkaloids, terpenes, etc. Secondary metabolites serve as major components of the plant stress responses. Chalcones (1,3-diaryl-2-propen-1-one) and coumarins (1,2-benzopyrone) are precursors of flavonoids, a common secondary metabolite of plants that provide a beneficial role during oxidative and biotic stress. Apart from protection, coumarins have certain roles in promoting or inhibiting plant growth, affecting cell division and differentiation and auxin metabolism. These compounds are also known to possess therapeutic properties such as anti-inflammatory, anti-microbial, anti-cancer, and cytotoxic effects when isolated from plants. Besides, chalcones and coumarins have allelopathic effects and protect plants against herbivory. Owing to excellent ROS scavenging properties, chalcones, coumarins, and their derivatives are extensively employed as agents to alleviate adversities associated with abiotic stresses like osmotic, heat, and cold stress, and in defense against pathogen invasion. The application of these secondary metabolites to mitigate atrocities of environmental stress in plants is an interesting and concurrent area of investigation. This chapter highlights the structural and functional details of chalcones and coumarins and their implications in ameliorating environmental stress in plants. 2024 Apple Academic Press, Inc. All rights reserved. -
Sesquiterpenoid-rich Java Ginger rhizome extract prompts autophagic cell death in cervical cancer cell SiHa mainly by modulating cellular redox homeostasis
Java Ginger or Curcuma zanthorrhiza Roxb. has long gained focus among tribal people of Java, for its medicinal properties mainly against gynaecological challenges. The present study aims to identify the most potent phytocompound present in the extract and determine primary mode of action accountable for cytotoxic activity of Curcuma zanthorrhiza rhizome extract against HPV16-positive SiHa cervical cancer cells. The phytochemically-rich extract of rhizome (CZM) was capable to inhibit proliferation of target cells in a dose-dependent manner with an IC50 of 150?g/ml. Dysregulation of intercellular antioxidant defence system resulted to surges in ROS and RNS level, increased calcium concentration and compromised mitochondrial membrane potential. Nucleus got affected, cell cycle dynamics got impaired while clonogenicity and migration ability diminished. Expression of viral oncogenes E7 and E6 decreased significantly. Accumulation of toxic cell metabolite and decrease in level of essential ones continued. Finally, alteration in PI3K/AKT/mTOR signalling route was followed by onset of autophagic cell death concomitant with the upregulated expression of Beclin1, Atg5-12 and LC3II. Curcumin and a novel crystal as well as few phyto-fractions were isolated by column chromatography. Of these, curcumin was found to be most potent in inducing cytotoxicity in SiHa while two other fractions also showed significant activity. Thus, CZM acted against SiHa cells by inducing autophagy that commences in compliance to the changes in PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway mainly in response to oxidative stress. To the best of our knowledge this is the first report of Curcuma zanthorrhiza Roxb. inducing autophagy. 2022, King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology. -
Photoluminescence studies of non-toxic monoclinic yttrium oxide quantum dots synthesized at low temperature for live cell imaging applications
Synthesis of monoclinic Y2O3 remains a challenging task due to complex formation conditions such as high pressure or high temperature environments. Monoclinic yttria exhibits better photoluminescence characteristics compared to the cubic phase and hence can be a better host for nanophosphors. Reports are available predicting the stability of monoclinic phase at low temperature in extremely fine particles. But experimental preparation of this phase at low temperature is not yet reported. Here we report the first-time preparation of monoclinic Y2O3 at 90 C using simple laboratory hot air oven. The synthesized nanoparticles exhibit intense PL emission in the blue region and hence can find applications in display industry. The band structure calculations were carried out using density functional theory and the excitonic Bohr radius was estimated using the electron as well as hole effective masses determined from band structure. The cytotoxicity studies reveal non-toxic nature the particles. The fluorescence imaging experiments show that the material is capable of emitting blue fluorescence in L6 skeletal cell lines and it ensures the applicability of this material in the biomedical field. 2022 Elsevier Ltd and Techna Group S.r.l. -
Persistent Luminescence and in Vivo Bioimaging
In vivo bioimaging encompasses the non-invasive visualization of internal cells or organs within the human body, facilitating the real-time monitoring of dynamic biological processes. This form of bioimaging holds paramount significance within clinical domains due to its capacity to facilitate early disease detection, notably in cases of life-threatening conditions such as cancer. Although established imaging modalities like ultrasound, magnetic resonance imaging, and fluorescence imaging exist, the quest for innovative imaging probes with enhanced visibility to provide high-resolution images remains an active area of research. The introduction of persistent luminescent nanoprobes, characterized by their unique afterglow luminescence property, presents an exciting avenue in the realm of bioimaging. These nanoprobes offer several advantages over traditional fluorescent probes, notably in their ability to surmount light attenuation challenges within biological tissues including issues such as autofluorescence and light scattering. The chapter offers a succinct introduction to two pivotal facets of fluorescence imaging, namely persistent luminescence and upconversion luminescence while elucidating the underlying mechanisms governing their luminescence behavior. Moreover, this chapter provides comprehensive insights into various fluorescence imaging techniques, encompassing near-infrared imaging, upconversion imaging, X-ray-activated luminescence imaging, persistent luminescence imaging, and various multimodal imaging techniques. The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd. 2024. -
A critical review focussing on the synthesis and applications of monoclinic yttrium oxide nanophosphor
Research on monoclinic Y2O3 has been limited, not because of a lack of potential applications, but rather due to challenges associated with synthesizing phase-pure material. The limited understanding of the material and its properties has hindered researchers from further exploring this compound. Some studies suggest that the B-type polymorph of Y2O3 exhibits superior performance compared to its cubic counterpart. Additionally, there are reports indicating the existence of simple synthesis techniques that could potentially overcome the material's significant disadvantage highlighted by many researchers, namely, complex synthesis routes. To date, no comprehensive reports have summarized the key findings related to B-type Y2O3. In this effort, we aim to provide an exhaustive overview of research conducted on this polymorph. This includes an examination of diverse synthesis techniques employed by researchers, theoretical studies conducted on the material, an exploration of its luminescence properties, and an overview of various applications studied thus far. 2024 Elsevier Ltd -
Labelling of human breast cancer cells with PEG/biotin encapsulated B-type Y2O3: Eu nanophosphors for fluorescence detection
The development of non-toxic quantum dots (QDs) for fluorescence labelling of cancer cells can bring significant advancements in the disease detection. Such findings can effectively replace the conventional toxic fluorescent probes by virtue of its tunable optical characteristics. Through this work, we present the development of an efficient fluorescent probe based on B-type Y2O3: Eu QDs for labelling MCF 7 cell lines. The QDs surface was encapsulated by poly ethylene glycol (PEG) along with tumour targeting ligand, biotin. The luminescence capability of the QDs were established through photoluminescence experiments. The QDs were tested to be non-toxic through MTT assay. Fluorescence detection experiments on MCF 7 cells using the nanophosphor established the material's potential to serve as an efficient probe for cancer cell detection. 2024 Elsevier B.V. -
Folic Acid-Modified B-Type Y2O3:Eu3+ Quantum Dots: A Bright Approach to Fluorescence Imaging of Cancer Cells
Clinical applications of nanophosphors have gained extensive interest in research areas such as bioimaging and targeted drug delivery. The development of nontoxic semiconductor quantum dots (QDs), which can replace the conventional fluorescent probes, can bring significant developments in the bioimaging industry. This work reports the synthesis of monoclinic Y2O3:Eu QDs, without and with surface functionalization using PEG/folic acid at low temperature and its application in live cancer cell imaging. The synthesized quantum dots show sharp absorption in the short UV region and an intense red emission at 614 nm. Concentration-dependent optical properties are studied in detail, and color purity is measured. Transmission electron microscopy substantiates the monoclinic structure, crystalline nature, and the lower particle dimensions essential for the biological applications. The surface-modified sample is characterized for its structural and luminescence properties. Biocompatibility was ensured by performing MTT Assay on L6 skeletal muscle cell lines (normal) and MCF 7 cell lines (cancer) for the samples without and with surface modification, respectively. Fluorescence detection experiments on SKMEL cells using an uncapped sample prove the suitability of the material as a fluorescent probe. The effect of surface functionalization on imaging results was established by carrying out fluorescence detection experiments on MCF 7 cells using PEG-folic acid-functionalized sample, which resulted in enhanced cell uptake, specific binding, and bright fluorescence emission. Thus, this work authenticates the suitability of the material to be used as a reliable nanophosphor and an efficient fluorescent probe for imaging cancer cells. 2024 American Chemical Society. -
Monoclinic yttrium oxide quantum dots surface modified by biotin for bioimaging applications
Semiconductor nanoparticles or quantum dots are one of the central topics of interest in material science research due to its size dependent physical and chemical characteristics and applications in different areas from display to biomedical fields. This work reports the first-time synthesis of biotin functionalized monoclinic yttrium oxide quantum dots at low temperature and its application in live cell imaging. The presence of biotin was confirmed through FTIR measurements. HRTEM analysis confirmed the formation of small spherical quantum dots with an average size of 3.8 nm. Zeta potential measurements gave a negative surface charge of -26.9 mV confirming colloidal stability. The quantum dots show sharp absorption in the short UV region and PL experiments delivered defect related intense blue fluorescence emission. The material is nontoxic to both normal (L929) and cancer (MCF 7) cells and the live cell imaging experiments performed on MCF 7 cells show specific binding to the cells and presented bright fluorescence emission from the cells thus confirming the applicability of the material in both display industry and cancer cell imaging. 2023 Elsevier B.V. -
Exploring Drivers of Healthcare Utilization amongthe Working and Non-Working Elderly Population: Insights from LASI
Background: The elderly population of India has been growing exponentially over the past few decades, caused by a decline in fertility and an increase in life expectancy. The growth eventually has transcended the disease burden on the public healthcare system. This calls for a need to evaluate the healthcare utilization pattern of the elderly based on their socioeconomic and working condition. Methods: Study used access to public and private healthcare services to measure healthcare utilization. Descriptive analysis and multivariable logistic regression were used to understand utilization patterns by working status and some selected sociodemographic parameters. All the results were reported at a 95% confidence interval. Results: Using the data from the first wave of Longitudinal Ageing Study in India (LASI) with a sample of 22,680 older persons 60 years and above. The study identified that 50% of the working elderly access private services; however, 26% access public healthcare services. It was found that the working status of the elderly alone did not influence access to healthcare services, but education is also an essential indicator for utilizing healthcare services. Further, factors such as gender, marital status, religion, wealth, tobacco usage, self-rated health, ADL and IADL were significant predictors of healthcare services utilization for the elderly. Conclusion: This study suggests that there are not many differences found among working and non-working status with healthcare utilization, although some sociodemographic indicators are associated with the utilization of healthcare services, highlighting that increasing health needs among the elderly requires strengthening the quality and appropriate public investment in health. 2024 Taylor & Francis Group, LLC. -
Food innovation adoption and organic food consumerism-a cross national study between Malaysia and Hungary
In order to meet the rising global demand for food and to ensure food security in line with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 2, technological advances have been introduced in the food production industry. The organic food industry has benefitted from advances in food technology and innovation. However, there remains skepticism regarding organic foods on the part of consumers, specifically on consumers acceptance of food innovation technologies used in the production of organic foods. This study measured factors that influence consumers food innovation adoption and subsequently their intention to purchase organic foods. We compared the organic foods purchase behavior of Malaysian and Hungarian consumers to examine differences between Asian and European consumers. The findings show food innovation adoption as the most crucial predictor for the intention to purchase organic foods in Hungary, while social lifestyle factor was the most influential in Malaysia. Other factors such as environmental concerns and health consciousness were also examined in relation to food innovation adoption and organic food consumerism. This paper discusses differences between European and Asian organic foods consumers and provides recommendations for stakeholders. 2021 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. -
Comprehensive Study of Silver Nanoparticle Functionalization of Kalzhat Bentonite for Medical Application
The characterization and biomedical modification of bentonite clays from the Kalzhat deposit (Kzh), which is situated in Kazakhstans Zhetysu region, are the main objectives of this work. In order to improve the raw materials structural qualities, the montmorillonite fraction was enriched, and coarse impurities were eliminated using the Salo method. The presence of meso- and micropores that guarantee high dispersity and specific surface area, as well as the prevalence of montmorillonite and kaolinite, was all confirmed by physicochemical analysis. Particle size measurements indicated finely dispersed structures with a propensity to aggregate, whereas thermal analysis demonstrated resilience under heating. After effective functionalization with silver nanoparticles, a porous hybrid system with improved surface reactivity was produced. These enhancements demonstrate the modified bentonites usefulness as a multifunctional carrier for the immobilization and controlled release of pharmaceuticals, with potential uses in drug delivery systems, antimicrobial coatings, and wound-healing materials. The material has potential use in sorption and environmental protection technologies in addition to its biomedical application. Overall, Kzhs structural and functional performance is greatly improved by the combination of purification and functionalization with silver nanoparticles, highlighting its promise as a useful element in the development of next-generation polymercomposite systems. 2025 by the authors. -
Effectiveness of relationship education programs for premarital romantic and sexual relationships for adolescents and young adults: A systematic review
Relationship Education Programs (REPs) have gained significant attention in recent years in Western cultures as a preventative approach to promoting healthy romantic and sexual relationships. These programs aim to provide individuals with the knowledge and skills necessary to build and maintain positive romantic and sexual relationships, and to reduce negative societal outcomes such as teenage pregnancy and single-parent households. This systematic review will provide a comprehensive analysis of the current literature on relationship education programs for pre-marital romantic and sexual relationships in terms of their effectiveness, various formats in which they are delivered, and outcome variables being studied. The findings show that the outcomes could be divided into seven categories: self improvement, knowledge acquisition, attitudinal changes, behavioral changes, psychological impacts, skill development, and changes in relational dynamics. It has been demonstrated that REPs are effective in knowledge and skill transfer for romantic relationships. Effectiveness testing was done using quasi-experimental designs, experimental studies with a control group, or randomized control trials. Most of the REP research was conducted in the USA; very few studies were obtained from other parts of the world. The effectiveness of REP, program characteristics, testing, gender differences etc. are also discussed. Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd. 2025. All rights reserved. -
FO-DPSO Algorithm for Segmentation and Detection of Diabetic Mellitus for Ulcers
In recent days, the major concern for diabetic patients is foot ulcers. According to the survey, among 15 people among 100 are suffering from this foot ulcer. The wound or ulcer found which is found in diabetic patients consumes more time to heal, also required more conscious treatment. Foot ulcers may lead to deleterious danger condition and also may be the cause for loss of limb. By understanding this grim condition, this paper proposes Fractional-Order Darwinian Particle Swarm Optimization (FO-DPSO) technique for analyzing foot ulcer 2D color images. This paper deals with standard image processing, i.e. efficient segmentation using FO-DPSO algorithm and extracting textural features using Gray Level Co-occurrence Matrix (GLCM) technique. The whole effort projected results as accuracy of 91.2%, sensitivity of 100% and specificity as 96.7% for Nae Bayes classifier and accuracy of 91.2%, sensitivity of 100% and sensitivity of 79.6% for Hoeffding tree classifier. 2023 World Scientific Publishing Company.