Lesser Known Ethnomedicinal Plants of Alagar Hills, Madurai District of Tamil Nadu, India

The ethnobotanical uses of plant species viz. Embelia basal (Roxb.) DC., Gymnema lactiferum R.Br., Ophiorrhiza mungos L., and Syzygium alternifolium (Wight) Walp. were recorded from Alagar hills of Madurai district, Tamil Nadu

Experimental investigation on chromium-diamond like carbon (Cr-DLC) coating through plasma enhanced chemical vapour deposition (PECVD) on the nozzle needle surface

This study emphases the reduction of droplet defect in nozzle needle during the application of Cr-DLC coating on the substrate. The coatings were carried out in the highly sophisticated chamber with attached coating setup under the vacuum atmosphere. The materials were assessed in terms of their adhesiveness, hardness, wear resistance, and microstructural morphology. The dry wear test result reveals the appreciable outcome of nitrogen (N2) flushing on quality of interfacial bonding. The indentation confirms the superior morphology of coated substrates but yet insufficient to resist crack propagation due to weak in adhesiveness of chromium (Cr) layer under non-N2 flushing. Scanning electron microcopy (SEM) embedded with energy dispersive X-ray (EDX) was deployed for analysis of cross-sectional coated of substrate. The statistical results claimed that the samples rejection without N2 flushing was showed up to 1.2%. However, the results revealed that Cr-DLC coating with N2 flushing reduced droplet defect and gain remarkable performance over a wide range of samples. Consequently, this novel methodology was employed to assess the coating performance by using a performance index based on tribological properties

Chemical Composition and Antioxidant Activity of Heracleum sprengelianum (Wight and Arnott) Essential Oils Growing Wild in Peninsular India

Abstract The essential oils, isolated by hydrodistillation from the leaves, seeds and rhizomes of Heracleum sprengelianum (Wight and Arnott), collected from the Western Ghats of Peninsula India, were analyzed by gas chromatography (GC) and gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The antioxidant property of these oils was tested, with and without peroxidation inducer, through the egg yolk-based Thiobarbituric Acid Reactive Substances assay (TBARS assay) and in the concentrations of 50, 100, 250 and 500 mg/L. β-Pinene, 1,8-Cineole, β-Phellandrene and ρ-Cymen-8-ol were the main components of H. sprengelianum leaves, seeds and rhizomes essential oils. The oils demonstrated the antioxidant capacity in the absence of radical inducer 2, 20-azobis-(2-amidinopropane) dihydrochloride (ABAP), mainly that of H. sprengelianum at 250 and 500 mg/L, comparable in some cases to that of α-tocopherol and butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT). The presence of ABAP diminished the antioxidant ability of all tested essential oils, leaf oils of H. sprengelianum still showing the highest antioxidant capacity at 500 mg/L. At 250 and 500 mg/L for BHA, and 500 mg/L for α-tocopherol, the antioxidant capacity significantly increased in the presence of ABAP

Influence of firing temperature on the physical, thermal and microstructural properties of kankara kaolin clay: A preliminary investigation

In this study, natural deposits of Kankara kaolin clay were collected and investigated in order to determine physical, microstructural, thermal, and firing properties and assess clay’s suitability as starting material for various ceramic applications. Chemical analysis of the clay was performed using XRF. Mineralogical analysis and thermal analysis of the clay were conducted using XRD and thermogravimetric thermal analysis (TGA)/differential thermal analysis (DTA), respectively. In order to assess its ceramic behavior, the clay was fired at 900–1200 °C. Maturation characteristics of fired ceramics were assessed by measuring bulk density, apparent porosity, and shrinkage. It was found that main oxides in the clay are alumina, silica, and potassium oxide, while other oxides are present in trace quantities. Kaolinite, quartz, and illite are the phases found from the XRD results, while mullite ceramic phase formed at firing temperature above 1100 °C. Maturation tests showed that ceramic properties such as bulk density and shrinkage increase with temperature, while apparent porosity decreases with temperature. The results presented in this study prove that the clay is an appropriate material for producing traditional ceramics

Influence of Firing Temperature on the Physical, Thermal and Microstructural Properties of Kankara Kaolin Clay: A Preliminary Investigation

In this study, natural deposits of Kankara kaolin clay were collected and investigated in order to determine physical, microstructural, thermal, and firing properties and assess clay’s suitability as starting material for various ceramic applications. Chemical analysis of the clay was performed using XRF. Mineralogical analysis and thermal analysis of the clay were conducted using XRD and thermogravimetric thermal analysis (TGA)/differential thermal analysis (DTA), respectively. In order to assess its ceramic behavior, the clay was fired at 900–1200 °C. Maturation characteristics of fired ceramics were assessed by measuring bulk density, apparent porosity, and shrinkage. It was found that main oxides in the clay are alumina, silica, and potassium oxide, while other oxides are present in trace quantities. Kaolinite, quartz, and illite are the phases found from the XRD results, while mullite ceramic phase formed at firing temperature above 1100 °C. Maturation tests showed that ceramic properties such as bulk density and shrinkage increase with temperature, while apparent porosity decreases with temperature. The results presented in this study prove that the clay is an appropriate material for producing traditional ceramic

Internet of Things and Machine Learning Applications for Smart Precision Agriculture

Agriculture forms the major part of our Indian economy. In the current world, agriculture and irrigation are the essential and foremost sectors. It is a mandatory need to apply information and communication technology in our agricultural industries to aid agriculturalists and farmers to improve vice all stages of crop cultivation and post-harvest. It helps to enhance the country’s G.D.P. Agriculture needs to be assisted by modern automation to produce the maximum yield. The recent development in technology has a significant impact on agriculture. The evolutions of Machine Learning (ML) and the Internet of Things (IoT) have supported researchers to implement this automation in agriculture to support farmers. ML allows farmers to improve yield make use of effective land utilisation, the fruitfulness of the soil, level of water, mineral insufficiencies control pest, trim development and horticulture. Application of remote sensors like temperature, humidity, soil moisture, water level sensors and pH value will provide an idea to on active farming, which will show accuracy as well as practical agriculture to deal with challenges in the field. This advancement could empower agricultural management systems to handle farm data in an orchestrated manner and increase the agribusiness by formulating effective strategies. This paper highlights contribute to an overview of the modern technologies deployed to agriculture and suggests an outline of the current and potential applications, and discusses the challenges and possible solutions and implementations. Besides, it elucidates the problems, specific potential solutions, and future directions for the agriculture sector using Machine Learning and the Internet of things

Influence of firing temperature on the physical, thermal and microstructural properties of kankara kaolin clay: a preliminary investigation

In this study, natural deposits of Kankara kaolin clay were collected and investigated in order to determine physical, microstructural, thermal, and firing properties and assess clay's suitability as starting material for various ceramic applications. Chemical analysis of the clay was performed using XRF. Mineralogical analysis and thermal analysis of the clay were conducted using XRD and thermogravimetric thermal analysis (TGA)/differential thermal analysis (DTA), respectively. In order to assess its ceramic behavior, the clay was fired at 900-1200 °C. Maturation characteristics of fired ceramics were assessed by measuring bulk density, apparent porosity, and shrinkage. It was found that main oxides in the clay are alumina, silica, and potassium oxide, while other oxides are present in trace quantities. Kaolinite, quartz, and illite are the phases found from the XRD results, while mullite ceramic phase formed at firing temperature above 1100 °C. Maturation tests showed that ceramic properties such as bulk density and shrinkage increase with temperature, while apparent porosity decreases with temperature. The results presented in this study prove that the clay is an appropriate material for producing traditional ceramics

Prevalence, Patterns, and Genetic Association Analysis of Modic Vertebral Endplate Changes

Study DesignA prospective genetic association study.PurposeThe etiology of Modic changes (MCs) is unclear. Recently, the role of genetic factors in the etiology of MCs has been evaluated. However, studies with a larger patient subset are lacking, and candidate genes involved in other disc degeneration phenotypes have not been evaluated. We studied the prevalence of MCs and genetic association of 41 candidate genes in a large Indian cohort.Overview of LiteratureMCs are vertebral endplate signal changes predominantly observed in the lumbar spine. A significant association between MCs and lumbar disc degeneration and nonspecific low back pain has been described, with the etiopathogenesis implicating various mechanical, infective, and biochemical factors.MethodsWe studied 809 patients using 1.5-T magnetic resonance imaging to determine the prevalence, patterns, distribution, and type of lumbar MCs. Genetic association analysis of 71 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of 41 candidate genes was performed based on the presence or absence of MCs. SNPs were genotyped using the Sequenome platform, and an association test was performed using PLINK software.ResultsThe mean age of the study population (n=809) was 36.7±10.8 years. Based on the presence of MCs, the cohort was divided into 702 controls and 107 cases (prevalence, 13%). MCs were more commonly present in the lower (149/251, 59.4%) than in the upper (102/251, 40.6%) endplates. L4–5 endplates were the most commonly affected levels (30.7%). Type 2 MCs were the most commonly observed pattern (n=206, 82%). The rs2228570 SNP of VDR (p=0.02) and rs17099008 SNP of MMP20 (p=0.03) were significantly associated with MCs.ConclusionsGenetic polymorphisms of SNPs of VDR and MMP20 were significantly associated with MCs. Understanding the etiopathogenetic mechanisms of MCs is important for planning preventive and therapeutic strategies

Pteridophyte fungal associations : current knowledge and future perspectives

Current understanding of the nature and function of fungal associations in pteridophytes is surprisingly patchy given their key evolutionary position, current research foci on other early‐branching plant clades, and major efforts at unravelling mycorrhizal evolution and the mechanisms underlying this key interaction between plants and fungi. Here we provide a critical review of current knowledge of fungal associations across pteridophytes and consider future directions making recommendations along the way. From a comprehensive survey of the literature, a confused picture emerges: suggestions that members of the Lycopsida harbour Basidiomycota fungi contrast sharply with extensive cytological and recent molecular evidence pointing to exclusively Glomeromycota and/or Mucoromycotina associations in this group. Similarly, reports of dark septate, assumingly ascomycetous, hyphae in a range of pteridophytes, advocating a mutualistic relationship, are not backed by functional evidence and the fact that the fungus invariably occupies dead host tissue points to saprotrophy and not mutualism. The best conclusion that can be reached based on current evidence is that the fungal symbionts of pteridophytes belong to the two fungal lineages Mucoromycotina and Glomeromycota. Do symbiotic fungi and host pteridophytes engage in mutually beneficial partnerships? To date, only two pioneering studies have addressed this key question demonstrating reciprocal exchange of nutrients between the sporophytes of Ophioglossum vulgatum and Osmunda regalis and their fungal symbionts. There is a pressing need for more functional investigations also extending to the gametophyte generation and coupled with in vitro isolation and resynthesis studies to unravel the effect of the fungi on their host