Macroalgae farming for sustainable future: Navigating opportunities and driving innovation

Seaweed cultivation has garnered significant interest, driven by its wide range of biomass benefits. However, comprehensive assessments from various perspectives are imperative to ensure the sustainable cultivation of seaweed. Biotic and Abiotic factors can significantly impact seaweed yield in complex commercial farming. Biotic factors include bacteria, fungi, viruses, and other algae, while abiotic factors include environmental conditions such as temperature, salinity, light intensity, and nutrient availability. Additionally, the susceptibility of seaweeds to pests and diseases further compounds the issue, leading to potential crop losses. This study endeavours to shed light on the immense potential of macroalgae cultivation and underscores the pressing need for scientific advancements in this field. The comprehensive review clearly explains the latest developments in seaweed cultivation and highlights significant advances from diverse seaweed research. Moreover, it provides insightful glimpses into possible future developments that could shape the trajectory of this promising industry.

Review of Building Integrated Photovoltaics System for Electric Vehicle Charging

The transition to sustainable transportation has fueled the need for innovative electric vehicle (EV) charging solutions. Building Integrated Photovoltaics (BIPV) systems have emerged as a promising technology that combines renewable energy generation with the infra-structure of buildings. This paper comprehensively reviews the BIPV system for EV charging, focusing on its technology, application, and performance. The review identifies the gaps in the existing literature, emphasizing the need for a thorough examination of BIPV systems in the context of EV charging. A detailed review of BIPV technology and its application in EV charging is presented, covering aspects such as the generation of solar cell technology, BIPV system installation, design options and influencing factors. Furthermore, the review examines the performance of BIPV systems for EV charging, focusing on energy, economic, and environmental parameters and their comparison with previous studies. Additionally, the paper explores current trends in energy management for BIPV and EV charging, highlighting the need for effective integration and recommending strategies to optimize energy utilization. Combining BIPV with EV charging provides a promising approach to power EV chargers, enhances building energy efficiency, optimizes the building space, reduces energy losses, and decreases grid dependence. Utilizing BIPV-generated electricity for EV charging provides electricity and fuel savings, offers financial incentives, and increases the market value of the building infrastructure. It significantly lowers greenhouse gas emissions associated with grid and vehicle emissions. It creates a closed-loop circular economic system where energy is produced, consumed, and stored within the building. The paper underscores the importance of effective integration between Building Integrated Photovoltaics (BIPV) and Electric Vehicle (EV) charging, emphasizing the necessity of innovative grid technologies, energy storage solutions, and demand-response energy management strategies to overcome diverse challenges. Overall, the study contributes to the knowledge of BIPV systems for EV charging by presenting practical energy management, effectiveness and sustainability implications. It serves as a valuable resource for researchers, practitioners, and policymakers working towards sustainable transportation and energy systems.

Optimised feature selection-driven convolutional neural network using gray level co-occurrence matrix for detection of cervical cancer

Cervical cancer is one of the most dangerous and widespread illnesses afflicting women throughout the globe, particularly in East Africa and South Asia. In industrialised nations, the incidence of cervical cancer has consistently decreased over the past few decades. However, in developing countries, the reduction in incidence has been considerably slower, and in some instances, the incidence has increased. Implementing routine screenings for cervical cancer is something that has to be done to protect the health of women. Cervical cancer is famously difficult to diagnose and cure due to the slow rate at which it spreads and develops into more advanced stages of the disease. Screening for cervical cancer using a Pap smear, more often referred to as a Pap test, has the potential to detect the illness in its earlier stages. For the purpose of selecting features for this article, a gray level co-occurrence matrix (GLCM) technique was used. Following this step, classification is performed with methods such as convolutional neural network (CNN), support vector machine, and auto encoder. According to the findings of this experiment, the GLCM-CNN classifier proved to be the one with the highest degree of precision.

A Multi-Stage Faster RCNN-Based iSPLInception for Skin Disease Classification Using Novel Optimization

Nowadays, skin cancer is considered a serious disorder in which early identification and treatment of the disease are essential to ensure the stability of the patients. Several existing skin cancer detection methods are introduced by employing deep learning (DL) to perform skin disease classification. Convolutional neural networks (CNNs) can classify melanoma skin cancer images. But, it suffers from an overfitting problem. Therefore, to overcome this problem and to classify both benign and malignant tumors efficiently, the multi-stage faster RCNN-based iSPLInception (MFRCNN-iSPLI) method is proposed. Then, the test dataset is used for evaluating the proposed model performance. The faster RCNN is employed directly to perform image classification. This may heavily raise computation time and network complications. So, the iSPLInception model is applied in the multi-stage classification. In this, the iSPLInception model is formulated using the Inception-ResNet design. For candidate box deletion, the prairie dog optimization algorithm is utilized. We have utilized two skin disease datasets, namely, ISIC 2019 Skin lesion image classification and the HAM10000 dataset for conducting experimental results. The methods' accuracy, precision, recall, and F1 score values are calculated, and the results are compared with the existing methods such as CNN, hybrid DL, Inception v3, and VGG19. With 95.82% accuracy, 96.85% precision, 96.52% recall, and 0.95% F1 score values, the output analysis of each measure verified the prediction and classification effectiveness of the method.

Alzheimer's disease: Molecular aspects and treatment opportunities using herbal drugs

Alzheimer's disease (AD), also called senile dementia, is the most common neurological disorder. Around 50 million people, mostly of advanced age, are suffering from dementia worldwide and this is expected to reach 100-130 million between 2040 and 2050. AD is characterized by impaired glutamatergic and cholinergic neurotransmission, which is associated with clinical and pathological symptoms. AD is characterized clinically by loss of cognition and memory impairment and pathologically by senile plaques formed by Amyloid β deposits or neurofibrillary tangles (NFT) consisting of aggregated tau proteins. Amyloid β deposits are responsible for glutamatergic dysfunction that develops NMDA dependent Ca2+ influx into postsynaptic neurons generating slow excitotoxicity process leading to oxidative stress and finally impaired cognition and neuronal loss. Amyloid decreases acetylcholine release, synthesis and neuronal transport. The decreased levels of neurotransmitter acetylcholine, neuronal loss, tau aggregation, amyloid β plaques, increased oxidative stress, neuroinflammation, bio-metal dyshomeostasis, autophagy, cell cycle dysregulation, mitochondrial dysfunction, and endoplasmic reticulum dysfunction are the factors responsible for the pathogenesis of AD. Acetylcholinesterase, NMDA, Glutamate, BACE1, 5HT6, and RAGE (Receptors for Advanced Glycation End products) are receptors targeted in treatment of AD. The FDA approved acetylcholinesterase inhibitors Donepezil, Galantamine and Rivastigmine and N-methyl-D-aspartate antagonist Memantine provide symptomatic relief. Different therapies such as amyloid β therapies, tau-based therapies, neurotransmitter-based therapies, autophagy-based therapies, multi-target therapeutic strategies, and gene therapy modify the natural course of the disease. Herbal and food intake is also important as preventive strategy and recently focus has also been placed on herbal drugs for treatment. This review focuses on the molecular aspects, pathogenesis and recent studies that signifies the potential of medicinal plants and their extracts or chemical constituents for the treatment of degenerative symptoms related to AD.

Seaweed farming: A perspectives of genetic engineering and nano-technology application

In order to meet the growing demand for resources, there is a rising interest in macroalgae cultivation worldwide due to their potential as a source of food, fuel, and bio-products. However, large-scale and sustainable seaweed cultivation has been a persistent challenge. Specific fundamental issues need to be addressed to maximize the benefits of seaweed production. This article reviews a plan for transitioning to an environmentally sustainable aquaculture system incorporating non-toxic nanoparticles. It also provides an overview of genetic enhancement techniques for macroalgae species to realize their potential fully. Additionally, the article discusses the need for advanced tools and concepts to overcome the challenges in seaweed identification and cultivation and emphasizes the importance of a coordinated effort in fundamental and applied research using emerging technologies to ensure long-term practicality.

Quinoline Hydrazide/Hydrazone Derivatives: Recent Insights on Antibacterial Activity and Mechanism of Action

Antibiotics are becoming gradually ineffective due to drug resistance, leading to greater difficulty in the treatment of infectious diseases. Therefore, the development of new chemical entities with different mechanisms of action is essential in the fight against resistant microorganisms. Various studies have shown that quinoline hydrazide/hydrazone derivatives possess several biological activities, such as antimalarial, antitubercular, anticancer, anti-inflammatory, and antimicrobial. Among these activities, the antibacterial activity of quinoline hydrazide/hydrazone derivatives is noteworthy. The synthetic flexibility of the quinoline ring has led to the development of a wide range of structurally diverse quinoline hydrazide/hydrazone derivatives, which can act at various bacterial targets such as DNA gyrase, glucosamine-6-phosphate synthase, enoyl ACP reductase, and 3-ketoacyl ACP reductase. This review emphasizes the antibacterial potential of various reported quinoline hydrazide/hydrazone derivatives based on substitution in the quinoline ring. The antibacterial activity of various metal-quinoline hydrazide/hydrazone complexes is also discussed. The aim of this review is to assemble and scrutinize the latest reports in this promising area of drug development.

Heat Transfer Enhancement by Hybrid Nano Additives-Graphene Nanoplatelets/Cellulose Nanocrystal for the Automobile Cooling System (Radiator)

A radiator is used to remove a portion of the heat generated by a vehicle engine. It is challenging to efficiently maintain the heat transfer in an automotive cooling system even though both internal and external systems need enough time to keep pace with catching up with evolving engine technology advancements. The effectiveness of a unique hybrid's heat transfer nanofluid was investigated in this study. The hybrid nanofluid was mainly composed of graphene nanoplatelets (GnP), and cellulose nanocrystals (CNC) nanoparticles suspended in a 40:60 ratio of distilled water and ethylene glycol. A counterflow radiator equipped with a test rig setup was used to evaluate the hybrid nano fluid's thermal performance. According to the findings, the proposed GNP/CNC hybrid nanofluid performs better in relation to improving the efficiency of heat transfer of a vehicle radiator. The suggested hybrid nanofluid enhanced convective heat transfer coefficient by 51.91%, overall heat transfer coefficient by 46.72%, and pressure drop by 34.06% with respect to distilled water base fluid. Additionally, the radiator could reach a better CHTC with 0.01% hybrid nanofluid in the optimized radiator tube by the size reduction assessment using computational fluid analysis. In addition to downsizing the radiator tube and increasing cooling capacity over typical coolants, the radiator takes up less space and helps to lower the weight of a vehicle engine. As a result, the suggested unique hybrid graphene nanoplatelets/cellulose nanocrystal-based nanofluids perform better in heat transfer enhancement in automobiles.

1,3,4-oxadiazole derivatives as potential antimicrobial agents

Due to the emergence of drug-resistant microbial strains, different research groups are continuously developing novel drug molecules against already exploited and unexploited targets. 1,3,4-Oxadiazole derivatives exhibited noteworthy antimicrobial activities. The presence of 1,3,4-oxadiazole moiety in antimicrobial agents can modify their polarity and flexibility, which significantly improves biological activities due to various bonded and non-bonded interactions viz. hydrogen bond, steric, electrostatic, and hydrophobic with target sites. The present review elaborates the therapeutic targets and mode of interaction of 1,3,4-oxadiazoles as antimicrobial agents. 1,3,4-oxadiazole derivatives target enoyl reductase (InhA), 14α-demethylase in the mycobacterial cell; GlcN-6-P synthase, thymidylate synthase, peptide deformylase, RNA polymerase, dehydrosqualene synthase in bacterial strains; ergosterol biosynthesis pathway, P450-14α demethylase, protein-N-myristoyltransferase in fungal strains; FtsZ protein, interfere with purine and functional protein synthesis in plant bacteria. The present review also summarizes the effect of different moieties and functional groups on the antimicrobial activity of 1,3,4-oxadiazole derivatives.

Design, Formulation, and Evaluation of Aloe vera Gel-Based Capsaicin Transemulgel for Osteoarthritis

Topical treatments are a potential therapeutic option for the therapy of osteoarthritis, with significant data supporting the effectiveness and safety of topical formulation. Topical gel formulations may offer an alternative to oral formulations to relieve osteoarthritis (OA) pain while decreasing systemic exposure. Topical capsaicin transemulgel may represent an effective and safe alternative. The transemulgel was prepared from aqueous Aloe vera gel and Carbopol 934 with capsaicin in clove oil emulsion. The optimized transemulgel of capsaicin showed a pH of 6.1 ± 0.1 and viscosity of 15263–998 cps. Data from in vitro diffusion demonstrated improved permeability properties. The formulation caused no skin irritation when applied topically. The optimal transemulgel spreadability was found to be 20.23 g·cm/s. In vitro and ex vivo studies of the optimized formulation were performed. The skin irritant test was performed on rat skin with an optimized and marketed formulation. Both showed no irritation on the skin. The transemulgel of the capsaicin with Aloe vera gel was proven to be effective for osteoarthritis therapy.

Detection of Circulating Tumor Cells and Epithelial Progenitor Cells: A Comprehensive Study

Technological advancement to enhance tumor cells (TC) has allowed discovery of various cellular bio-markers: cancer stem cells (CSC), circulating tumor cells (CTC), and endothelial progenitor cells (EPC). These are responsible for resistance, metastasis, and premetastatic conditions of cancer. Detection of CSC, CTC, and EPC assists in early diagnosis, recurrence prediction, and treatment efficacy. This review describes various methods to detect TC subpopulations such as in vivo assays (sphere-forming, serial dilution, and serial transplantation), in vitro assays (colony-forming cells, microsphere, side-population, surface antigen staining, aldehyde dehydrogenase activity, and Paul Karl Horan label-retaining cells, surface markers, nonenriched and enriched detection), reporter systems, and other analytical methods (flow cytometry, fluorescence microscopy/spectroscopy, etc.). The detailed information on methods to detect CSC, CTC, and EPC in this review will assist investigators in successful prognosis, diagnosis, and cancer treatment with greater ease.

Development and evaluation of the effect of ethanol and surfactant in vesicular carriers on Lamivudine permeation through the skin

The skin embodies a relatively large and readily accessible surface area to absorb a drug through a non-invasive procedure. The vesicular carrier systems such as liposomes, ethosomes, and transethosomes have been explored as non-invasive systems for transdermal delivery of drugs. In the present study, different vesicular carriers were prepared by the thin-film hydration method with modification, and various parameters like size, elasticity, and release profiles were evaluated. Ethosomes and transethosomes have shown the smaller size of 362.21 ± 55.76 and 314.34 ± 41.21 nm, with deformity of 19.34% and 25.04%, respectively, compared with liposomes. The FTIR study of the skin before and after the application of vesicular formulation was performed. The ethosomes and transethosomes changed the orthorhombic phase to the liquid crystalline phase to move the vesicular carrier with the drug to cross the stratum corneum (SC) of the skin. The thermotropic behaviour of drug and vesicular carrier ingredients was studied using differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). Fluorescence images of vesicular-skin permeation have revealed that ethosome and transethosome formulation have shown deeper penetration across the SC and epidermis. The in vitro drug release from the ethosomes and transethosomes has shown 93.34 ± 1.23% and 95.45 ± 2.67% of drug release using Franz diffusion cell and porcine skin as a membrane. The nanostructured flexible vesicular carrier containing ethanol alone and a combination of ethanol and edge activator is a perfect carrier for drug penetration to the deeper skin layer and maintaining the sustained release of drug for a prolonged time.

Sustainability at airports: Technologies and best practices from ASEAN countries

Sustainability has become a focus area for practitioners and scholars due to the growing socio-economic issues. The sustainability of airport operations is being raised in various international platforms. This paper aims to identify the dimensions of sustainability and evaluate sustainable practices in airports of selected ASEAN countries. The various dimensions associated with the environmental aspect are energy management, emissions management, water and effluents management, solid waste management. It was understood that noise management, employee development, and community investment belong to the social dimension. Similarly, the factors such as economic contribution, passenger experience, airport safety, and security are inclined to economic dimensions of sustainability. It was found that environmentally sustainable practices have greater importance than social and economic initiatives in the airport context which provide quantifiable benefits for airports in the long term. Airport operators in South East Asia strived to mitigate carbon emissions, reduce waste and effluents, enhance the economic contribution, satisfy passengers, and meet employee needs. Compared to the total economic and social benefits obtained from these airports, the negative impacts of airport operation (such as noise emission from aircraft) are minimal but significant. The most common sustainable initiatives in airports, such as employee development, energy management, and passenger safety, supported sustainable development goals (SDG) 8, SDG 9, and SDG 11. A weak connection is observed between SDG 14 & SDG 15 and the airport's sustainable practices. The new technological innovations are concentrated in busy and profitable airports. A slow trend towards the adoption of new technologies for sustainable practices is observed in airports. The paper concludes that major airport operators in South-East Asia have effectively responded to the growing sustainability challenges in aviation markets. The sustainable dimensions and practices discussed will be valuable resource for airports striving to achieve sustainability goals.

Ultraflexible Liposome Nanocargo as a Dermal and Transdermal Drug Delivery System

A selected active pharmaceutical ingredient must be incorporated into a cargo carrier in a particular manner so that it achieves its goal. An amalgamation of active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) should be conducted in such a manner that it is simple, professional, and more beneficial. Lipids/polymers that are known to be used in nanocarriers for APIs can be transformed into a vesicular formulation, which offers elegant solutions to many problems. Phospholipids with other ingredients, such as ethanol and water, form suitable vesicular carriers for many drugs, overcoming many problems related to poor bioavailability, poor solubility, etc. Ultraflexible liposomes are novel carriers and new frontiers of drug delivery for transdermal systems. Auxiliary advances in vesicular carrier research have been made, enabling polymer-coated ethanolic liposomes to avoid detection by the body’s immune system—specifically, the cells of the reticuloendothelial system. Ultraflexible liposomes act as a cargo system and a nanotherapeutic approach for the transport of therapeutic drugs and bioactive agents. Various applications of liposome derivatives in different diseases are emphasized in this review.

Ultrasonication an intensifying tool for preparation of stable nanofluids and study the time influence on distinct properties of graphene nanofluids - A systematic overview

Optimum ultrasonication time will lead to the better performance for heat transfer in addition to preparation methods and thermal properties of the nanofluids. Nano particles are dispersed in base fluids like water (water-based fluids), glycols (glycol base fluids) &oils at different mass or volume fraction by using different preparation techniques. Significant preparation technique can enhance the stability, effects various parameters & thermo-physical properties of fluids. Agglomeration of the dispersed nano particles will lead to declined thermal performance, thermal conductivity, and viscosity. For better dispersion and breaking down the clusters, Ultrasonication method is the highly influential approach. Sonication hour is unique for different nano fluids depending on their response to several considerations. In this review, systematic investigations showing effect on various physical and thermal properties based on ultrasonication/ sonication time are illustrated. In this analysis it is found that increased power or time of ideal sonication increases the dispersion, leading to higher stable fluids, decreased particle size, higher thermal conductivity, and lower viscosity values. Employing the ultrasonic probe is substantially more effective than ultrasonic bath devices. Low ultrasonication power and time provides best outcome. Various sonication time periods by various research are summarized with respect to the different thermophysical properties. This is first review explaining sonication period influence on thermophysical properties of graphene nanofluids.

Renewable energy in Southeast Asia: Policies and recommendations

Southeast Asian countries stand at a crossroads concerning their shared energy future and heavily rely on fossil fuels for transport and electricity. Within Asia, especially India and China lead the world renewable energy generation undergoing a period of energy transition and economic transformation. Southeast Asian countries have huge potentials for sustainable energy sources. However they are yet to perform globally in renewable energy deployment due to various challenges. The primary objective of the study is to examine the renewable energy growth and analyse the government policies to scale up the deployment of renewables for power generation substantially. The study also offers policy recommendations to accelerate renewable energy exploitation sustainably across the region. To achieve the ambitious target of 23% renewables in the primary energy mix by 2025, ASEAN Governments should take proactive measures like removal of subsidies of fossil fuels, regional market integration and rapid implementation of the existing project. Eventually, each of this strategy will necessitate sustained leadership, political determination, and concrete actions from stakeholders, in particular, increased cooperation across the region.

Solid Lipid Nanoparticles: Emerging Colloidal Nano Drug Delivery Systems

Solid lipid nanoparticles (SLNs) are nanocarriers developed as substitute colloidal drug delivery systems parallel to liposomes, lipid emulsions, polymeric nanoparticles, and so forth. Owing to their unique size dependent properties and ability to incorporate drugs, SLNs present an opportunity to build up new therapeutic prototypes for drug delivery and targeting. SLNs hold great potential for attaining the goal of targeted and controlled drug delivery, which currently draws the interest of researchers worldwide. The present review sheds light on different aspects of SLNs including fabrication and characterization techniques, formulation variables, routes of administration, surface modifications, toxicity, and biomedical applications.

Anaerobic co-digestion of different wastes in a UASB reactor

Anaerobic co-digestion has made a greater impact on the biogas production from mixing different type of waste. In this research, sewage sludge (SS) and cow manure (CM), was used as a primary waste along with kitchen waste (KW), yard waste (YW), floral waste (FW) and dairy wastewater (DWW) as co-substrate for anaerobic digestion. Mixtures with a ratio of 1:2 ratio is fed into a single stage up-flow anaerobic sludge blanket (UASB) reactor. Digestion was carried out in a mesophilic temperature range for 20 days. pH and VFA were measured and ranged from 5 to 7.5 and 3500-500 mg/L, respectively, for all the mixtures throughout the digestion period. Percentage of COD removal efficiency after 20 days was found to be in the range of 76-86%. The maximum biogas production rate was found to be 4500 mL/day. Characterization of the final residue from each of the digesters was carried out by Scanning Electron microscope, Energy dispersive, thermogravimetric, FTIR Spectra, and Atomic microscope. Thermal analysis reveals that spent sludge can be potential waste energy sources.

Mathematical modeling of drying behavior of cashew in a solar biomass hybrid dryer

The main objective of this study is to analyze the drying behavior of cashew nut experimentally in a so- lar biomass hybrid dryer using mathematical models. Suitability of fifteen different mathematical drying models available in the literature is used to describe the drying characteristics of cashew. Experimen- tal data of moisture ratio, temperature and relative humidity obtained from different dryer conditions were fitted to the various empirical drying models. The performance of the drying model was compared based on their correlation co-efficient (R 2 ), Root Mean Square Error (RMSE) and Reduced Chi-Square ( χ2 ) between the observed moisture ratios. The two terms and Midilli models showed the best fit under so- lar drying. Page model was found to be the best model for describing the thin layer drying behavior of cashew for biomass drying and hybrid drying.

Modeling and performance simulation of 100 MW LFR based solar thermal power plant in Udaipur India

Solar energy is the most abundant source of energy on the earth and considered as an important alternativeto fossil fuels. Solar energy can be converted into electric energy by using two different processes:photovoltaic conversion and the thermodynamic cycles. Lifetime and efficiency of PV power plant is lesseras compared to the CSP technology. CSP technology is viewed as one of the most promising alternativetechnology in the field of solar energy utilization. A 100 MW Linear Fresnel Reflector solar thermal powerplant design with 6 hours of thermal energy storage has been evaluated for thermal performance usingNREL SAM. A location receiving an annual DNI of 2248.17 kWh/m 2 /year in Rajasthan is chosen for thetechnical feasibility of hypothetical CSP plant. The plant design consists of 16 numbers of solar collectormodules in a loop. HITEC solar salt is chosen as an HTF due to its excellent thermodynamic properties.The designed plant can generate annual electricity of 263,973,360 kWh with the plant efficiency of 18.3%. The capacity utilization of the proposed LFR plant is found to be 30.2%. The LFR solar thermal powerplant performance results encourage further innovation and development of CSP plants in India.

Comparison of BIPV and BIPVT: A review

Building-Integrated Photovoltaic (BIPV) is a smart energy production system that incorporates solar PV panels as part of the roof, windows, facades and shading devices. When active heat recovery is combined with BIPV systems either in closed loop (like PV-T with liquid loop) or in an open loop with forced air they are known as building-integrated photovoltaic-thermal (BIPVT systems). This paper reviews the BIPV and BIPVT technology. The paper shows various technologies involved in BIPV and BIPVT as well as their function, cost and aesthetics. In addition a review of the application of BIPV and BIPVT installations is described. In comparison to BIPV systems, BIPVT system has significant benefits and potential for wide use in buildings. The building integrated photovoltaic-thermal system design (BIPVT) is also becoming popular among architects and design engineers.

Renewable energy resources in South Asian countries: Challenges, policy and recommendations

In South Asia, a number of developing countries like India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bhutan, Nepal, Afghanistan and Maldives are looking into inexhaustible and repeatable alternative energy sources such as solar, wind, hydro and biomass. Geographically, South Asian countries are located in a region of differ- ent climatic conditions such as tropical, humid etc. which provides easy access to a variety of renewable energy sources. The governments of South Asian countries have initiated renewable energy policies to encourage industries and individuals to employ renewable energy powered systems in power applica- tions. This article provides an updated and comprehensive overview of the renewable energy status in the South Asian countries, and it includes an assessment of the region’s renewable potential, current in- stalled renewable energy capacity. This paper gives a brief description about energy scenario, renewable energy potential and challenges in South Asian countries. The study also provides the renewable energy policies and recommendation in South Asian countries.

Fully solar powered Raja Bhoj International Airport: A feasibility study

The atmospheric concentration of carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) has been increasing and it remained above 400 ppm throughout the year 2016 for the first time. The aviation industry is a main contributor to- wards green house gas emission. In this regard, aviation industry as a whole and airports in particular are trying to limit their carbon foot print. A feasible solution is to substitute the conventional electricity energy consumption of airport with clean energy sources. Solar PV route is considered as non polluting source of electricity but MW scale plant requires more land area. Since vast areas are mandatory in air- port as buffer zones, this land can be effectively used for utility scale solar PV plant. A 2 MWp onsite solar PV power plant is proposed for Raj Bhoj International Airport (RBIA), India. An online PV simulation tool SISIFO, developed by Universidad Politécnica de Madrid (UPM), has been used to analyse the performance of the proposed plant. The PV module rating, inverter and transformer specifications etc. are provided as per manufacturer’s datasheet. The plant is capable of generating 2733.122 MWh of electrical energy an- nually. The monthly averaged energy yield and performance ratio (PR) are 113.88 kWh/kWp and 85.54% respectively, which are best when compared to similar utility scale PV power plants. The economic and environmental benefits of the proposed plant are also discussed. The PV plant generation capacity can surpass the daily electrical energy consumption of airport. This paves way for RBIA to become second airport in the world to be energy self sufficient through solar power.

Measurement of the [Formula: see text] cross section in pp collisions at [Formula: see text] TeVand limits on anomalous gauge couplings

A measurement of the W boson pair production cross section in proton-proton collisions at [Formula: see text] TeV is presented. The data collected with the CMS detector at the LHC correspond to an integrated luminosity of 19.4[Formula: see text]. The [Formula: see text] candidates are selected from events with two charged leptons, electrons or muons, and large missing transverse energy. The measured [Formula: see text] cross section is [Formula: see text], consistent with the standard model prediction. The [Formula: see text] cross sections are also measured in two different fiducial phase space regions. The normalized differential cross section is measured as a function of kinematic variables of the final-state charged leptons and compared with several perturbative QCD predictions. Limits on anomalous gauge couplings associated with dimension-six operators are also given in the framework of an effective field theory. The corresponding 95 % confidence level intervals are [Formula: see text], [Formula: see text], [Formula: see text], in the HISZ basis.

Study of B Meson Production in p+Pb Collisions at √[S(NN)]=5.02 TeV Using Exclusive Hadronic Decays

The production cross sections of the B^{+}, B^{0}, and B_{s}^{0} mesons, and of their charge conjugates, are measured via exclusive hadronic decays in p+Pb collisions at the center-of-mass energy sqrt[s_{NN}]=5.02  TeV with the CMS detector at the CERN LHC. The data set used for this analysis corresponds to an integrated luminosity of 34.6  nb^{-1}. The production cross sections are measured in the transverse momentum range between 10 and 60  GeV/c. No significant modification is observed compared to proton-proton perturbative QCD calculations scaled by the number of incoherent nucleon-nucleon collisions. These results provide a baseline for the study of in-medium b quark energy loss in Pb+Pb collisions.

Measurement of differential cross sections for Higgs boson production in the diphoton decay channel in pp collisions at [Formula: see text]

A measurement is presented of differential cross sections for Higgs boson (H) production in pp collisions at [Formula: see text][Formula: see text]. The analysis exploits the [Formula: see text] decay in data corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 19.7[Formula: see text] collected by the CMS experiment at the LHC. The cross section is measured as a function of the kinematic properties of the diphoton system and of the associated jets. Results corrected for detector effects are compared with predictions at next-to-leading order and next-to-next-to-leading order in perturbative quantum chromodynamics, as well as with predictions beyond the standard model. For isolated photons with pseudorapidities [Formula: see text], and with the photon of largest and next-to-largest transverse momentum ([Formula: see text]) divided by the diphoton mass [Formula: see text] satisfying the respective conditions of [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text], the total fiducial cross section is [Formula: see text][Formula: see text].

Measurement of the differential cross section for top quark pair production in pp collisions at [Formula: see text]

The normalized differential cross section for top quark pair ([Formula: see text]) production is measured in pp collisions at a centre-of-mass energy of 8[Formula: see text] at the CERN LHC using the CMS detector in data corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 19.7[Formula: see text]. The measurements are performed in the lepton[Formula: see text]jets ([Formula: see text][Formula: see text]jets) and in the dilepton ([Formula: see text], [Formula: see text], and [Formula: see text]) decay channels. The [Formula: see text] cross section is measured as a function of the kinematic properties of the charged leptons, the jets associated to b quarks, the top quarks, and the [Formula: see text] system. The data are compared with several predictions from perturbative quantum chromodynamic up to approximate next-to-next-to-leading-order precision. No significant deviations are observed relative to the standard model predictions.

Root coverage using subepithelial connective tissue graft with platelet-rich plasma in the treatment of gingival recession: A clinical study

Introduction:

The presence of gingival recession associated with an insufficient amount of keratinized tissue may indicate gingival augmentation procedure. It is a multifaceted problem for which several treatment options are available. The most predictable technique used for gingival augmentation is the subepithelial connective tissue graft (SCTG). Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) is an enhanced source of growth factors and helps in accelerated periodontal repair and regeneration.

Aims:

The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of SCTG along with PRP in the treatment of Miller's class I and II gingival recessions.

Materials and Methods:

Eleven subjects with Miller's class I and II gingival recessions were treated using SCTG with PRP. Clinical variables, including plaque index, gingival index, recession depth (RD), Recession width (RW), width of the keratinized gingiva, probing pocket depth (PD) and clinical attachment level (CAL) were recorded. Patients were recalled at baseline, 3 months, 6 months and 1-year after surgery and clinical recordings were taken. Root coverage percentage (%) was measured at the end of 1-year.

Results:

The clinical parameters were analyzed during the follow-up period by repeated measures ANOVA test. Twelve months follow-up results showed significant improvements in all the clinical parameters. Reduction of recession resulted in a significant decrease in CAL, PD, RW and RD at the end of 12 months. A statistically significant gain in width of keratinized gingiva and a mean root coverage of 84.72 ± 19.10 was obtained at the end of 12 months.

Conclusion:

From the results of this study, it may be concluded that SCTG with PRP is an effective and predictable method to treat miller's class I and II gingival recession.

Measurements of the [Formula: see text][Formula: see text] production cross sections in the [Formula: see text] channel in proton-proton collisions at [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] and combined constraints on triple gauge couplings

Measurements of the [Formula: see text][Formula: see text] production cross sections in proton-proton collisions at center-of-mass energies of 7 and 8[Formula: see text] are presented. Candidate events for the leptonic decay mode [Formula: see text], where [Formula: see text] denotes an electron or a muon, are reconstructed and selected from data corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 5.1 (19.6)[Formula: see text] at 7 (8)[Formula: see text] collected with the CMS experiment. The measured cross sections, [Formula: see text] at 7[Formula: see text], and [Formula: see text] at 8[Formula: see text], are in good agreement with the standard model predictions with next-to-leading-order accuracy. The selected data are analyzed to search for anomalous triple gauge couplings involving the [Formula: see text][Formula: see text] final state. In the absence of any deviation from the standard model predictions, limits are set on the relevant parameters. These limits are then combined with the previously published CMS results for [Formula: see text][Formula: see text] in 4[Formula: see text] final states, yielding the most stringent constraints on the anomalous couplings.

Constraints on the pMSSM, AMSB model and on other models from the search for long-lived charged particles in proton-proton collisions at [Formula: see text]

Stringent limits are set on the long-lived lepton-like sector of the phenomenological minimal supersymmetric standard model (pMSSM) and the anomaly-mediated supersymmetry breaking (AMSB) model. The limits are derived from the results presented in a recent search for long-lived charged particles in proton-proton collisions, based on data collected by the CMS detector at a centre-of-mass energy of 8 TeV at the Large Hadron Collider. In the pMSSM parameter sub-space considered, 95.9 % of the points predicting charginos with a lifetime of at least 10 ns are excluded. These constraints on the pMSSM are the first obtained at the LHC. Charginos with a lifetime greater than 100 ns and masses up to about 800 GeV in the AMSB model are also excluded. The method described can also be used to set constraints on other models.