Explore the vast range of titles available.

The presence of dye in wastewater causes substantial threats to the environment, and has negative impacts not only on human health but also on the health of other organisms that are part of the ecosystem. Because of the increase in textile manufacturing, the inhabitants of the area, along with other species, are subjected to the potentially hazardous consequences of wastewater discharge from textile and industrial manufacturing. Different types of dyes emanating from textile wastewater have adverse effects on the aquatic environment. Various methods including physical, chemical, and biological strategies are applied in order to reduce the amount of dye pollution in the environment. The development of economical, ecologically acceptable, and efficient strategies for treating dye-containing wastewater is necessary. It has been shown that microbial communities have significant potential for the remediation of hazardous dyes in an environmentally friendly manner. In order to improve the efficacy of dye remediation, numerous cutting-edge strategies, including those based on nanotechnology, microbial biosorbents, bioreactor technology, microbial fuel cells, and genetic engineering, have been utilized. This article addresses the latest developments in physical, chemical, eco-friendly biological and advanced strategies for the efficient mitigation of dye pollution in the environment, along with the related challenges.

Anthropogenic activities and increasing human population has led to one of the major global problems of heavy metal contamination in ecosystems and to the generation of a huge amount of waste material biomass. Hexavalent chromium [Cr(VI)] is the major contaminant introduced by various industrial effluents and activities into the ecosystem. Cr(VI) is a known mutagen and carcinogen with numerous detrimental effects on the health of humans, plants, and animals, jeopardizing the balance of ecosystems. Therefore, the remediation of such a hazardous toxic metal pollutant from the environment is necessary. Various physical and chemical methods are available for the sequestration of toxic metals. However, adsorption is recognized as a more efficient technology for Cr(VI) remediation. Adsorption by utilizing waste material biomass as adsorbents is a sustainable approach in remediating hazardous pollutants, thus serving the dual purpose of remediating Cr(VI) and exploiting waste material biomass in an eco- friendly manner. Agricultural biomass, industrial residues, forest residues, and food waste are the primary waste material biomass that could be employed, with different strategies, for the efficient sequestration of toxic Cr(VI). This review focuses on the use of diverse waste biomass, such as industrial and agricultural by-products, for the effective remediation of Cr(VI) from aqueous solutions. The review also focuses on the operational conditions that improve Cr(VI) remediation, describes the efficacy of various biomass materials and modifications, and assesses the general sustainability of these approaches to reducing Cr(VI) pollution.

Globally, substantial research into endophytic microbes is being conducted to increase agricultural and environmental sustainability. Endophytic microbes such as bacteria, actinomycetes, and fungi inhabit ubiquitously within the tissues of all plant species without causing any harm or disease. Endophytes form symbiotic relationships with diverse plant species and can regulate numerous host functions, including resistance to abiotic and biotic stresses, growth and development, and stimulating immune systems. Moreover, plant endophytes play a dominant role in nutrient cycling, biodegradation, and bioremediation, and are widely used in many industries. Endophytes have a stronger predisposition for enhancing mineral and metal solubility by cells through the secretion of organic acids with low molecular weight and metal-specific ligands (such as siderophores) that alter soil pH and boost binding activity. Finally, endophytes synthesize various bioactive compounds with high competence that are promising candidates for new drugs, antibiotics, and medicines. Bioprospecting of endophytic novel secondary metabolites has given momentum to sustainable agriculture for combating environmental stresses. Biotechnological interventions with the aid of endophytes played a pivotal role in crop improvement to mitigate biotic and abiotic stress conditions like drought, salinity, xenobiotic compounds, and heavy metals. Identification of putative genes from endophytes conferring resistance and tolerance to crop diseases, apart from those involved in the accumulation and degradation of contaminants, could open new avenues in agricultural research and development. Furthermore, a detailed molecular and biochemical understanding of endophyte entry and colonization strategy in the host would better help in manipulating crop productivity under changing climatic conditions. Therefore, the present review highlights current research trends based on the SCOPUS database, potential biotechnological interventions of endophytic microorganisms in combating environmental stresses influencing crop productivity, future opportunities of endophytes in improving plant stress tolerance, and their contribution to sustainable remediation of hazardous environmental contaminants. Graphical Abstract

Aerobic biodegradation of chlorpyrifos (CP) by Aspergillus sp. was investigated in batch and continuous packed bed bioreactors. The optimal process parameters for achieving the maximum removal efficiency (RE), determined using a batch bioreactor packed with polyurethane foam pieces, were inoculum level: 2.5 mg (wet weight) mL⁻¹, pH 7.0, temperature 28 °C, DO 5.8 mg L⁻¹, and CP concentration 300 mg L⁻¹. The continuous packed bed bioreactor was operated at flow rates ranging from 10 to 40 mL h⁻¹while keeping other parameters at their optimal level. Steady-state CP removal efficiencies greater than 85 % were obtained up to the inlet loading of 180 mg L⁻¹ d⁻¹. The continuous bioreactor behaved as a plug flow unit and was able to stabilize quickly after perturbation in the inlet loading.

Let \\(\\mathbb F_q\\) be a finite field, where \\(q\\) is an odd prime power. Let \\(R=\\mathbb{F}_q+u\\mathbb{F}_q+v\\mathbb{F}_q+uv\\mathbb F_q\\) with \\(u^2=u,v^2=v,uv=vu\\). In this paper, we study the algebraic structure of \\((\\theta, \\Theta)\\)-cyclic codes of block length \\((r,s )\\) over \\(\\mathbb{F}_qR.\\) Specifically, we analyze the structure of these codes as left \\(R[x:\\Theta]\\)-submodules of \\(\\mathfrak{R}_{r,s} = \\frac{\\mathbb{F}_q[x:\\theta]}{\\langle x^r-1\\rangle} \\times \\frac{R[x:\\Theta]}{\\langle x^s-1\\rangle}\\). Our investigation involves determining generator polynomials and minimal generating sets for this family of codes. Further, we discuss the algebraic structure of separable codes. A relationship between the generator polynomials of \\((\\theta, \\Theta)\\)-cyclic codes over \\(\\mathbb F_qR\\) and their duals is established. Moreover, we calculate the generator polynomials of dual of \\((\\theta, \\Theta)\\)-cyclic codes. As an application of our study, we provide a construction of quantum error-correcting codes (QECCs) from \\((\\theta, \\Theta)\\)-cyclic codes of block length \\((r,s)\\) over \\(\\mathbb{F}_qR\\). We support our theoretical results with illustrative examples.

Soil salinity is a major limiting factor for crop productivity worldwide and is continuously increasing owing to climate change. A wide range of studies and practices have been performed to induce salt tolerance mechanisms in plants, but their result in crop improvement has been limited due to lack of time and money. In the current scenario, there is increasing attention towards habitat-imposed plant stress tolerance driven by plant-associated microbes, either rhizospheric and/or endophytic. These microbes play a key role in protecting plants against various environmental stresses. Therefore, the use of plant growth-promoting microbes in agriculture is a low-cost and eco-friendly technology to enhance crop productivity in saline areas. In the present review, the authors describe the functionality of endophytic bacteria and their modes of action to enhance salinity tolerance in plants, with special reference to osmotic and ionic stress management. There is concrete evidence that endophytic bacteria serve host functions, such as improving osmolytes, anti-oxidant and phytohormonal signaling and enhancing plant nutrient uptake efficiency. More research on endophytes has enabled us to gain insights into the mechanism of colonization and their interactions with plants. With this information in mind, the authors tried to solve the following questions: (1) how do benign endophytes ameliorate salt stress in plants? (2) What type of physiological changes incur in plants under salt stress conditions? And (3), what type of determinants produced by endophytes will be helpful in plant growth promotion under salt stress?

Terminal myelocystocele (TMC) is a rare form of spinal dysraphism which arises due to aberration in the secondary neurulation process involving the caudal cell mass. Terminal myelocystocele has been defined by Pang et al. based on essential and non-essential features. One of the non-essential features includes non dysraphic lipomas which do not tether to the neural placode. We are presenting two cases which meets all the essential criteria outlined by Pang et al. for TMC but also show the presence of a lipomatous component tethering to the neural placode, similar to a dysraphic lipoma. Through this article, we want to showcase a subset which represents “true” terminal lipomyelocystocele (TLMC), bridging the spectrum of spinal dysraphism between TMC and lipomyelomeningocele (LMM).

Coal is still the main primary energy source worldwide despite being a major source of carbon dioxide and other emissions. In order to improve combustion efficiency, to reduce pollutant emission and for pricing purposes, a rapid tool for coal analysis is desirable. In this work, we demonstrate that laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) can provide a comprehensive analysis of high-grade coals using anthracite and bituminous as examples. LIBS is capable of detecting elements such as C, Fe, Na, Mg, Mn, Ti, Si, and Al, but also of some toxic elements such as Ba and Sr. The result of the LIBS elemental analysis is confirmed by X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy. In addition, we show the determination of the coal rank, which is a measure of the state of coalification, from the H/C line intensity ratio in the LIBS spectra. Proximate analysis has been performed to specify the quality of the different coal samples and has been correlated with the results obtained by the LIBS technique. Multivariate techniques for data analysis such as Principal Component Analysis and Hierarchy Clustering Analysis were employed to differentiate the coal samples. The results obtained from LIBS show good agreement with the state-of-the-art proximate analysis.