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Introduction. While resistance training is widely recognized for its role in improving physical performance and body composition, the optimal training methodology remains under debate. Two commonly used approaches fixed-repetition training and AMRAP (As Many Repetitions As Possible) differ in structure and intensity, yet limited empirical research has directly compared their effectiveness. Objective. This study aimed to evaluate and compare the effects of fixed-repetition and AMRAP resistance training protocols on muscular strength development and body composition in young adults. Methodology. 60 healthy participants (aged 19–21) were randomly assigned to one of three groups: AMRAP, fixed-repetition, or control. The two experimental groups completed a 5-week resistance training program, performing three sessions per week at 70% of their one-repetition maximum (1RM). Strength was assessed through standardized squat and bench press tests pre- and post-intervention. Body composition was evaluated using BMI, and perceived exertion was monitored through participant self-reports. Results. The results highlight the bidirectional efficacy of AMRAP training to improve both muscular strength and body composition together and with similar training methodology. The decreasing F-values observed during the course of the five-week intervention (week 1, 25.3 to week 5, 7.8) suggest that AMRAP protocols have excellent scalability, and thus they are extremely versatile for use in both athletic conditioning and general fitness applications where time efficiency is paramount. Conclusion. This trend of continued adaptation implies that participants effectively sustained performance gains while adapting to the training stimulus over the study period. Introducción. Si bien el entrenamiento de resistencia es ampliamente reconocido por su papel en la mejora del rendimiento físico y la composición corporal, la metodología óptima de entrenamiento sigue siendo objeto de debate. Dos enfoques de entrenamiento comúnmente utilizados, el entrenamiento de repetición fija y el AMRAP (As Many Repetitions As Possible), difieren en estructura e intensidad; sin embargo, la investigación empírica limitada ha comparado directamente su eficacia. Objetivo. Este estudio tuvo como objetivo evaluar y comparar los efectos de los protocolos de entrenamiento de resistencia de repetición fija y AMRAP en el desarrollo de la fuerza muscular y la composición corporal en adultos jóvenes. Metodología. Un total de 60 participantes sanos (de 19 a 21 años) fueron asignados aleatoriamente a uno de tres grupos: AMRAP, entrenamiento de repetición fija o control. Los dos grupos experimentales completaron un programa de entrenamiento de resistencia de 5 semanas, realizando tres sesiones por semana al 70 % de su repetición máxima (1RM). La fuerza se evaluó mediante pruebas estandarizadas de sentadilla y press de banca antes y después de la intervención. La composición corporal se evaluó mediante el IMC y el esfuerzo percibido se monitorizó mediante los autoinformes de los participantes. Resultados. Los resultados destacan la eficacia bidireccional del entrenamiento AMRAP para mejorar la fuerza muscular y la composición corporal de forma conjunta y con una metodología de entrenamiento similar. La disminución de los valores de F observada a lo largo de la intervención de cinco semanas (semana 1: 25,3 a semana 5: 7,8) sugiere que los protocolos AMRAP tienen una excelente escalabilidad y, por lo tanto, son extremadamente versátiles para su uso tanto en el acondicionamiento atlético como en aplicaciones de fitness general, donde la eficiencia del tiempo es primordial. Conclusión. Esta tendencia de adaptación continua implica que los participantes mantuvieron eficazmente las ganancias de rendimiento mientras se adaptaban al estímulo de entrenamiento durante el período de estudio. Introdução. Embora o treino de resistência seja amplamente reconhecido pelo seu papel na melhoria do desempenho físico e da composição corporal, a metodologia de treino ideal continua a ser uma questão de debate. Duas abordagens de treino habitualmente utilizadas, o treino com repetições fixas e o AMRAP (As Many Repetitions As Possible), diferem na estrutura e intensidade; no entanto, pesquisas empíricas limitadas compararam diretamente a sua eficácia. Objetivo. Este estudo teve como objetivo avaliar e comparar os efeitos dos protocolos de treino de resistência com repetições fixas e AMRAP no desenvolvimento da força muscular e da composição corporal em adultos jovens.Metodologia. Um total de 60 participantes saudáveis ​​(com idades compreendidas entre os 19 e os 21 anos) foram aleatoriamente designados para um de três grupos: AM-RAP, treino com repetições fixas ou controlo. Ambos os grupos experimentais completaram um programa de treino de resistência de 5 semanas, realizando três sessões por semana a 70% da sua repetição máxima (1RM). A força foi avaliada através de testes padronizados de agachamento e supino antes e depois da intervenção. A composição corporal foi avaliada pelo IMC e a perceção de esforço foi monitorizada através de autorrelatos dos participantes.Resultados. Os resultados destacam a eficácia bidirecional do treino AMRAP na melhoria da força muscular e da composição corporal, em conjunto e com uma metodologia de treino semelhante. A redução dos valores de F observada ao longo das cinco semanas de intervenção (semana 1: 25,3 a semana 5: 7,8) sugere que os protocolos AMRAP apresentam uma excelente escalabilidade e, por isso, são extremamente versáteis para utilização tanto em aplicações de fitness como de fitness geral, onde a eficiência do tempo é fundamental.Conclusão. Esta tendência de adaptação contínua implica que os participantes mantiveram eficazmente os ganhos de desempenho enquanto se adaptavam ao estímulo de treino durante todo o período do estudo.

Plant diseases and pests are risk factors that threaten global food security. Excessive chemical pesticide applications are commonly used to reduce the effects of plant diseases caused by bacterial and fungal pathogens. A major concern, as we strive toward more sustainable agriculture, is to increase crop yields for the increasing population. Microbial biological control agents (MBCAs) have proved their efficacy to be a green strategy to manage plant diseases, stimulate plant growth and performance, and increase yield. Besides their role in growth enhancement, plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria/fungi (PGPR/PGPF) could suppress plant diseases by producing inhibitory chemicals and inducing immune responses in plants against phytopathogens. As biofertilizers and biopesticides, PGPR and PGPF are considered as feasible, attractive economic approach for sustainable agriculture; thus, resulting in a “win-win” situation. Several PGPR and PGPF strains have been identified as effective BCAs under environmentally controlled conditions. In general, any MBCA must overcome certain challenges before it can be registered or widely utilized to control diseases/pests. Successful MBCAs offer a practical solution to improve greenhouse crop performance with reduced fertilizer inputs and chemical pesticide applications. This current review aims to fill the gap in the current knowledge of plant growth-promoting microorganisms (PGPM), provide attention about the scientific basis for policy development, and recommend further research related to the applications of PGPM used for commercial purposes.

Over the last decade, biomedical nanomaterials have garnered significant attention due to their remarkable biological properties and diverse applications in biomedicine. Metal oxide nanoparticles (NPs) are particularly notable for their wide range of medicinal uses, including antibacterial, anticancer, biosensing, cell imaging, and drug/gene delivery. Among these, zinc oxide (ZnO) NPs stand out for their versatility and effectiveness. Recently, ZnO NPs have become a primary material in various sectors, such as pharmaceutical, cosmetic, antimicrobials, construction, textile, and automotive industries. ZnO NPs can generate reactive oxygen species and induce cellular apoptosis, thus underpinning their potent anticancer and antibacterial properties. To meet the growing demand, numerous synthetic approaches have been developed to produce ZnO NPs. However, traditional manufacturing processes often involve significant economic and environmental costs, prompting a search for more sustainable alternatives. Intriguingly, biological synthesis methods utilizing plants, plant extracts, or microorganisms have emerged as ideal for producing ZnO NPs. These green production techniques offer numerous medicinal, economic, environmental, and health benefits. This review highlights the latest advancements in the green synthesis of ZnO NPs and their biomedical applications, showcasing their potential to revolutionize the field with eco-friendly and cost-effective solutions.

With the emergence of distributed energy resources (DERs), with their associated communication and control complexities, there is a need for an efficient platform that can digest all the incoming data and ensure the reliable operation of the power system. The digital twin (DT) is a new concept that can unleash tremendous opportunities and can be used at the different control and security levels of power systems. This paper provides a methodology for the modelling of the implementation of energy cyber-physical systems (ECPSs) that can be used for multiple applications. Two DT types are introduced to cover the high-bandwidth and the low-bandwidth applications that need centric oversight decision making. The concept of the digital twin is validated and tested using Amazon Web Services (AWS) as a cloud host that can incorporate physical and data models as well as being able to receive live measurements from the different actual power and control entities. The experimental results demonstrate the feasibility of the real-time implementation of the DT for the ECPS based on internet of things (IoT) and cloud computing technologies. The normalized mean-square error for the low-bandwidth DT case was 3.7%. In the case of a high-bandwidth DT, the proposed method showed superior performance in reconstructing the voltage estimates, with 98.2% accuracy from only the controllers’ states.

Plants are subjected to a wide range of abiotic stresses, such as heat, cold, drought, salinity, flooding, and heavy metals. Generally, abiotic stresses have adverse impacts on plant growth and development which affects agricultural productivity, causing food security problems, and resulting in economic losses. To reduce the negative effects of environmental stress on crop plants, novel technologies, such as nanotechnology, have emerged. Implementing nanotechnology in modern agriculture can also help improve the efficiency of water usage, prevent plant diseases, ensure food security, reduce environmental pollution, and enhance sustainability. In this regard, nanoparticles (NPs) can help combat nutrient deficiencies, promote stress tolerance, and improve the yield and quality of crops. This can be achieved by stimulating the activity of certain enzymes, increasing the contents (e.g., chlorophyll) and efficiency of photosynthesis, and controlling plant pathogens. The use of nanoscale agrochemicals, including nanopesticides, nanoherbicides, and nanofertilizers, has recently acquired increasing interest as potential plant-enhancing technologies. This review acknowledges the positive impacts of NPs in sustainable agriculture, and highlights their adverse effects on the environment, health, and food chain. Here, the role and scope of NPs as a practical tool to enhance yield and mitigate the detrimental effects of abiotic stresses in crops are described. The future perspective of nanoparticles in agriculture has also been discussed.

PurposeThe core idea of this paper was to empirically evaluate the factors affecting the choices of consumers while ordering food online. The goal was to explore consumer behavior in the emerging industry of online food delivery business in an emerging economy, Bangladesh.Design/methodology/approachThis paper used a qualitative and exploratory approach through the collection and analysis of data from a total of 177 survey respondents. Statistical analyses of all collected data (utilizing t-tests and factor analysis) were used to conclude the factors important to consumers in ordering food online through online food delivery intermediaries.FindingsResults showed delivery time, service quality, price and condition of food delivered as factors constitute the first factor considered to be directly affecting the success of online food delivery. Variety and number of restaurants, menu, delivery tracking service and attitude of a delivery person are found to constitute the second factor and considered as indirect factors.Practical implicationsOnline food ordering has been a very emerging sector globally and also a recent phenomenon in Bangladesh. The development and the availability of the internet combined with the busy life schedule has prompted businesses to address another need among consumers, the need to deliver foods at consumers' doorsteps. Understanding the consumer landscape better would help realize the full potential of the e-commerce platform as it can influence the economy, businesses and the quality of life of people.Originality/valueThe online food delivery business is new and growing and demands greater researches for better understanding by academicians and practitioners. This paper expands the limited existing research related to the online food delivery business and explores consumer behavior in the industry. From a managerial perspective, the paper contributes to understanding the consumers more broadly.

Microbial control agents serve as alternatives to synthetic pesticides for the management of insect pests and plant pathogens. Naturally occurring microorganisms such as bacteria, fungi, and protozoa may be beneficial, pathogenic, or neutral to host plants. This review focuses on the potential role of useful microorganisms as biofertilizers or biopesticides in sustaining and enhancing crop production, and protection. It is necessary to highlight the advantages of the beneficial microorganisms to encourage farmers to use biological control agents and biofertilizers and reduce the excessive use of toxic chemical pesticides and fertilizers. Here, we review the importance of using microorganisms in the agriculture sector for their potential role in fulfilling the nutritional requirements of plants, food safety, and sustainable crop production. Microorganisms can interact with the crop plants to improve their resistance to pathogen attack, plant growth, and development. Their metabolites have been recognized based on their precious excellent plant growth promotion, efficient biocontrol capabilities, successful mass production, appropriate formulation and availability for commercial application. Bio-complexes, including biofertilizers and biopesticides, promote growth and provide protection to plants against various biotic and abiotic stress through the production of plant growth regulators and siderophores, enhancement of nutrient uptake, increasing yield, and production of antagonistic compounds such as antibiotics, hydrolytic enzymes, hydrogen cyanide, and volatile organic compounds. This review sheds the light on the potential of employing microbial agents in agriculture as biofertilizers, biopesticides, nano-biofertilizers and nano-biopesticides to enhance plant productivity and sustainable agriculture. Graphical abstract