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Maize is a sensitive crop to drought and heat stresses, particularly at the reproductive stages of development. The present study investigated the individual and interactive effects of drought (50% field capacity) and heat (38 °C/30 °C) stresses on morpho-physiological growth, yield, nutrient uptake and oxidative metabolism in two maize hybrids i.e., ‘Xida 889’ and ‘Xida 319’. The stress treatments were applied at tasseling stage for 15 days. Drought, heat and drought + heat stress caused oxidative stress by the over-production of ROS (O 2− , H 2 O 2 , OH − ) and enhanced malondialdehyde contents, which led to reduced photosynthetic components, nutrients uptake and yield attributes. The concurrent occurrence of drought and heat was more severe for maize growth than the single stress. However, both stresses induced the metabolites accumulation and enzymatic and non-enzymatic antioxidants to prevent the oxidative damage. The performance of Xida 899 was more prominent than the Xida 319. The greater tolerance of Xida 889 to heat and drought stresses was attributed to strong antioxidant defense system, higher osmolyte accumulation, and maintenance of photosynthetic pigments and nutrient balance compared with Xida 319.

Last two decades have brought commendable respect for biofilm processes in wastewater treatment. Preeminent components from both the biofilter processes and activated sludge are utilized in evolving the moving bed process which eliminates major pollutants, organic matter and nutrients from municipal as well as industrial wastewater. The present review work is an endeavor to focus on the moving bed biofilm process for wastewater treatment applied in different aspects. An overview of MBBR development along with the factors affecting the operational performance of the system is discussed. It also analyses and investigates the state of the art of MBBR process for organic matter and nutrient removal. The review further assesses the MBBR technology as a hybrid system with current findings. Furthermore, the scope for future research prospects and challenges of the moving bed process has been discussed.

Drought is one of the major environmental stresses that negatively affect the maize ( Zea mays L.) growth and production throughout the world. Foliar applications of plant growth regulators, micronutrients or osmoprotectants for stimulating drought-tolerance in plants have been intensively reported. A controlled pot experiment was conducted to study the relative efficacy of salicylic acid (SA), zinc (Zn), and glycine betaine (GB) foliar applications on morphology, chlorophyll contents, relative water content (RWC), gas-exchange attributes, activities of antioxidant enzymes, accumulations of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and osmolytes, and yield attributes of maize plants exposed to two soil water conditions (85% field capacity: well-watered, 50% field capacity: drought stress) during critical growth stages. Drought stress significantly reduced the morphological parameters, yield and its components, RWC, chlorophyll contents, and gas-exchange parameters except for intercellular CO 2 concentration, compared with well water conditions. However, the foliar applications considerably enhanced all the above parameters under drought. Drought stress significantly (p < 0.05) increased the hydrogen peroxide and superoxide anion contents, and enhanced the lipid peroxidation rate measured in terms of malonaldehyde (MDA) content. However, ROS and MDA contents were substantially decreased by foliar applications under drought stress. Antioxidant enzymes activity, proline content, and the soluble sugar were increased by foliar treatments under both well-watered and drought-stressed conditions. Overall, the application of GB was the most effective among all compounds to enhance the drought tolerance in maize through reduced levels of ROS, increased activities of antioxidant enzymes and higher accumulation of osmolytes contents.

Climate change is expected to reshape malaria transmission dynamics in tropical and subtropical regions. Stratospheric Aerosol Injection (SAI), a proposed solar geoengineering strategy to reduce global warming, could have unintended consequences for vector-borne diseases such as malaria. This study investigates how SAI, through the Stratospheric Aerosol Geoengineering Large Ensemble (GLENS-SAI) scenario, could alter malaria transmission patterns across seven South Asian countries-Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Iran, India, Nepal, and Pakistan-compared with an unmitigated warming scenario over coming decades. Using the VECTRI malaria model, malaria transmission dynamics were simulated from 2020 to 2097 under two climate pathways: the GLENS-SAI simulations, designed to stabilize global temperatures at 2020 levels, and the high-emissions Representative Concentration Pathway (RCP) 8.5-the control scenario (CTRL), representing unmitigated climate change. The model incorporated climatic and demographic factors to simulate vector density, Entomological Inoculation Rate (EIR), and malaria cases. Spatial patterns were assessed using distribution maps, while temporal variability was examined through time-series analysis. Statistical comparisons employed regional averages, anomaly detection, and significance testing. The findings reveal a redistribution of malaria transmission dynamics under the GLENS-SAI scenario, reflected in variations in vector density, EIR, and malaria cases. Compared to CTRL, the GLENS-SAI scenario reduces malaria transmission intensity across South Asia, though spatial heterogeneity persists. Significant declines in EIR are observed in India, Nepal, Bangladesh, northern Pakistan, southern Iran, and the Afghanistan-Pakistan border region, indicating the suppressive effect of the GLENS-SAI scenario on malaria transmission. However, localized increases in EIR are projected in southeastern Pakistan, western Afghanistan, north-central and eastern Iran, and northern Nepal. These shifts are likely driven by SAI-induced changes in temperature and precipitation, influencing mosquito survival and reproductive dynamics. Additionally, the annual malaria transmission cycle shortens in amplitude and duration across several endemic areas, suggesting a shift in seasonal transmission patterns and altered windows of disease risk throughout South Asia. While the GLENS-SAI scenario may reduce malaria transmission across much of South Asia, localized increases highlight the need for region-specific public health strategies. These findings underscore the importance of incorporating GLENS-SAI scenario impacts into malaria control planning to address spatially varied effects.

The increasing level of anthropogenic CO2 in the atmosphere has made it imperative to investigate an efficient method for carbon sequestration. Geological carbon sequestration presents a viable path to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions by sequestering the captured CO2 deep underground in rock formations to store it permanently. Geochemistry, as the cornerstone of geological CO2 sequestration (GCS), plays an indispensable role. Therefore, it is not just timely but also urgent to undertake a comprehensive review of studies conducted in this area, articulate gaps and findings, and give directions for future research areas. This paper reviews geochemistry in terms of the sequestration of CO2 in geological formations, addressing mechanisms of trapping, challenges, and ways of mitigating challenges in trapping mechanisms; mineralization and methods of accelerating mineralization; and the interaction between rock, brine, and CO2 for the long-term containment and storage of CO2. Mixing CO2 with brine before or during injection, using microbes, selecting sedimentary reservoirs with reactive minerals, co-injection of carbonate anhydrase, and enhancing the surface area of reactive minerals are some of the mechanisms used to enhance mineral trapping in GCS applications. This review also addresses the potential challenges and opportunities associated with geological CO2 storage. Challenges include caprock integrity, understanding the lasting effects of storing CO2 on geological formations, developing reliable models for monitoring CO2–brine–rock interactions, CO2 impurities, and addressing public concerns about safety and environmental impacts. Conversely, opportunities in the sequestration of CO2 lie in the vast potential for storing CO2 in geological formations like depleted oil and gas reservoirs, saline aquifers, coal seams, and enhanced oil recovery (EOR) sites. Opportunities include improved geochemical trapping of CO2, optimized storage capacity, improved sealing integrity, managed wellbore leakage risk, and use of sealant materials to reduce leakage risk. Furthermore, the potential impact of advancements in geochemical research, understanding geochemical reactions, addressing the challenges, and leveraging the opportunities in GCS are crucial for achieving sustainable carbon mitigation and combating global warming effectively.

Treated sewage and industrial effluents are used for irrigation of crops in developing countries which may contain heavy metals in high concentration. It can contaminate soil and accumulate in vegetables. In the present study, the vegetables were irrigated with treated wastewater brought from a nearby full-scale sewage treatment plant. The concentration levels of the Cd, Co, Cu, Mn and Zn in the leaves were found below toxic limits as prescribed in the literature. Daily intake metals values suggest that the consumption of plants grown in treated wastewater and tap water is nearly free of risks, as the dietary daily intake limits of Cu, Fe, Zn, and Mn in adults can range from 1.2 to 3 mg, 10 to 50 mg, 5 to 22 mg and 2 to 20 mg, respectively. The enrichment factor for the treated wastewater irrigated soil was found to decrease in order of Zn > Ni > Pb > Cr > Cu > Co > Mn > Cd.

Cotton ( Gossypium hirsutum ) is an economically potent crop in many countries including Pakistan, India, and China. For the last three decades, cotton production is under the constant stress of cotton leaf curl disease (CLCuD) caused by begomoviruses/satellites complex that is transmitted through the insect pest, whitefly ( Bemisia tabaci ). In 2018, we identified a highly recombinant strain; Cotton leaf curl Multan virus-Rajasthan (CLCuMuV-Raj), associated with the Cotton leaf curl Multan betasatellite-Vehari (CLCuMuB Veh ). This strain is dominant in cotton-growing hub areas of central Punjab, Pakistan, causing the third epidemic of CLCuD. In the present study, we have explored the CLCuD diversity from central to southern districts of Punjab (Faisalabad, Lodhran, Bahawalpur, Rahimyar Khan) and the major cotton-growing region of Sindh (Tandojam), Pakistan for 2 years (2020–2021). Interestingly, we found same virus (CLCuMuV-Raj) and associated betasatellite (CLCuMuB Veh ) strain that was previously reported with the third epidemic in the central Punjab region. Furthermore, we found minor mutations in two genes of CLCuMuV-Raj C4 and C1 in 2020 and 2021 respectively as compared to its isolates in 2018, which exhibited virus evolution. Surprisingly, we did not find these mutations in CLCuMuV-Raj isolates identified from Sindh province. The findings of the current study represent the stability of CLCuMuV-Raj and its spread toward the Sindh province where previously Cotton leaf curl Kokhran virus (CLCuKoV) and Cotton leaf curl Shahdadpur virus (CLCuShV) have been reported. The findings of the current study demand future research on CLCuD complex to explore the possible reasons for prevalence in the field and how the virus-host-vector compatible interaction can be broken to develop resistant cultivars.

The present study focused on the groundwater contamination due to fly ash disposal of coal-fired thermal power plant into a non liner ash pond. Six villages were selected as study site around ash pond of Parichha thermal power plant, Jhansi. Groundwater samples were collected on seasonal basis; winter season (January 2015), pre monsoon season (May 2015), and monsoon season (August 2015) using composite sampling method. Five heavy metals (Pb, Ni, Cr, Mn, and Fe) were detected in coal, fly ash, and groundwater samples. Heavy metal concentration in coal and fly ash was assessed by Energy Dispersive X-ray Fluorescence, while AAS was used for groundwater assessment. Heavy metal concentration in groundwater was ranged as Pb (0.170-0.581 ppm), Ni (0.024-0.087 ppm), Fe (0.186-11.98 ppm), Cr (0.036-0.061 ppm), and Mn (0.013-0.178 ppm). The observed results revealed the exceeding value of heavy metals prescribed by WHO for groundwater.

Endolysins, phage-derived enzymes capable of lysing bacterial cell walls, hold significant promise as novel antimicrobials against resistant Gram-positive and Gram-negative pathogens. In this study, we undertook an integrative approach combining extensive in silico analyses and experimental validation to characterize the novel endolysin LysPALS22. Initially, sixteen endolysin sequences were selected based on documented lytic activity and enzymatic diversity, and subjected to multiple sequence alignment and phylogenetic analysis, which revealed highly conserved catalytic and binding domains, particularly localized to the N-terminal region, underscoring their functional importance. Building upon these sequence insights, we generated three-dimensional structural models using Swiss-Model, EBI-EMBL, and AlphaFold Colab, where comparative evaluation via Ramachandran plots and ERRAT scores identified the Swiss-Model prediction as the highest quality structure, featuring over 90% residues in favored conformations and superior atomic interaction profiles. Leveraging this validated model, molecular docking studies were conducted in PyRx with AutoDock Vina, performing blind docking of key peptidoglycan-derived ligands such as N-Acetylmuramic Acid-L-Alanine, which exhibited the strongest binding affinity (−7.3 kcal/mol), with stable hydrogen bonding to catalytic residues ASP46 and TYR61, indicating precise substrate recognition. Visualization of docking poses using Discovery Studio further confirmed critical hydrophobic and polar interactions stabilizing ligand binding. Subsequent molecular dynamics simulations validated the stability of the LysPALS22–NAM-LA complex, showing minimal structural fluctuations, persistent hydrogen bonding, and favorable interaction energies throughout the 100 ns trajectory. Parallel to computational analyses, LysPALS22 was heterologously expressed in Escherichia coli (E. coli) and Pichia pastoris (P. pastoris), where SDS-PAGE and bicinchoninic acid assays validated successful protein production; notably, the P. pastoris-expressed enzyme displayed an increased molecular weight (~45 kDa) consistent with glycosylation, and achieved higher volumetric yields (1.56 ± 0.31 mg/mL) compared to E. coli (1.31 ± 0.16 mg/mL), reflecting advantages of yeast expression for large-scale production. Collectively, these findings provide a robust structural and functional foundation for LysPALS22, highlighting its conserved enzymatic features, specific ligand interactions, and successful recombinant expression, thereby setting the stage for future in vivo antimicrobial efficacy studies and rational engineering efforts aimed at combating multidrug-resistant Gram-negative infections.

Due to the decline in fossil fuel reservoirs, the researchers emphasized more on the production of biogas from organic waste. Producing the renewable energy from biodegradable waste helps to overcome the energy crisis and solid waste management, which is done by anaerobic digestion. Anaerobic digestion is the controlled breakdown of organic matter into methane gas (60%), carbon dioxide (40%), trace components along with digested used as soil conditioner. However, there is vast dearth of literature regarding the design considerations. The batch digestion system yields a cost-effective and economically viable means for conversion of the food waste to useful energy. It is therefore recommended that such process can be increasingly employed in order to get and simultaneously protect the environment. This paper aims to draw key analysis and concern about the design considerations, analysis of gas production, substrates and inoculua utilization, uses and impacts of biogas.