Browsing by Author "S. Dasaratha Kumar"

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Anticancer activity of Co(III) complex containing mixed ligand bis(5-phenyl-1,2,4-triazole)-3-sulfinamide and o-phen: Crystal structure, DFT, and Hirshfeld surface analysis
(Elsevier B.V., 2025) Shivendra Kumar Pandey; S. Dasaratha Kumar; Riya Kumari; Arbind Acharya; Ray Jay Butcher; Manoj Kumar Bharty
The cobalt complexes have demonstrated potential as antibacterial, antifungal, and anticancer agents, further enhancing their significance in the field of medicinal chemistry. Here, a cobalt(III) complex [Co(ptsm)H2O(o-phen)]·CH3OH containing in situ formed bis(5-phenyl-1,2,4-triazole)-3-sulfinamide (ptsm), 1,10-phenanthroline, and H2O molecule as ligand along with methanol molecule as crystallized solvent has been synthesized and characterized by various spectroscopic and X-ray crystallography techniques. The cobalt complex crystallizes in a triclinic system with space group P-1. The DFT and TD-DFT calculations were also performed to optimize geometry and better understand electronic transitions. The outcomes of quantum chemical calculations (TD-DFT and DFT) match the characteristics of the experiments. Various intermolecular interactions in complex 1 have been quantitively explained with Hirshfeld surface analysis. The MTT assay assessed the cytotoxicity of complex 1 against Dalton's lymphoma (DL) cells, yielding IC50 values of 40 µM. The AO/EtBr dual staining and DAPI staining further confirm the cytotoxic potential of the complex 1. © 2024 Elsevier B.V.
Assessing the Effectiveness of Double-fortified Salt in Improving Iron Biomarkers and Hemoglobin Concentration among Adolescent Girls in the Chandauli District, Uttar Pradesh, India
(Wolters Kluwer Medknow Publications, 2025) Ravi Shankar; Bhavna Sharma; Priyanshu Rastogi; Afreen Sultana; Hari Shankar; Manushi Srivastava; S. Dasaratha Kumar; Lalit Prashant Meena; Shantanu Sharma
Background: Double fortified salt (DFS) is an innovative new fortified food product that provides humans with small but critical amounts of iodine and iron through their diet. Objectives: The present study involved assessing the effectiveness of DFS in improving the status of iron biomarkers and hemoglobin (Hb) concentration among adolescent girls in Chandauli district, Uttar Pradesh. Materials and Methods: A double-blind, randomized controlled trial was conducted in 26 villages of the Chandauli district among 602 adolescent girls (15–19 years). Venous blood samples were collected from anemic adolescent girls, followed by a baseline survey. One group received DFS along with nutrition education, whereas the other group received iodized salt and nutrition education. An end line survey was conducted to compare the outcomes. The Wilcoxon signed–rank test was employed to evaluate the differences in median values of biochemical parameters, and a regression test was used to assess the association of DFS with the change in serum iron levels from baseline to end line. Results: The Hb levels among girls increased by 1.7 g% from baseline to end line (P < 0.001), and serum iron levels rose by 8.4 µg/dL (P < 0.001). After adjusting for covariates and confounders, the DFS was positively associated with a greater increase in serum iron levels compared to iodized salt (P < 0.05). Conclusion: The present study identified an easy and economical solution to mitigate iron deficiency without causing side effects such as toxicity or stomach upset as with iron tablets. DFS is shown to be an effective public health strategy for enhancing the nutritional status and overall health among adolescent girls. © 2025 Indian Journal of Public Health.
BIOCHEMICAL AND MOLECULAR CHARACTERIZATION OF NATIVE Bradyrhizobium STRAINS ISOLATED FROM PIGEON PEA ROOT NODULES OF EASTERN INDIA
(ACS Publisher, 2025) S. Dasaratha Kumar; Shiv Charan Kumar; Preeti Lata Singh; Umakant Banjare; Ashwani Kumar Upadhyay; Nootan Singh; Arun Kumar Patel; Shikha Yadav; Nitish Ranjan Prakash; Vishal K. Tyagi; Mona Nagargade; Ram Kumar Singh
Pigeon pea (Cajanus cajan) is a major legume in Eastern India, contributing to the nutritional security and soil fertility through symbiosis with Bradyrhizobium spp. However, the efficiency of native strains under local conditions remains poorly understood. This study aimed to isolate, characterize, and identify native isolates from pigeon pea root nodules, and to evaluate their symbiotic efficiency and plant growth-promoting traits. Fourteen bacterial isolates were obtained, of which 12 belonged to Bradyrhizobium spp., while isolates S5 and S15 were identified as Pseudomonas azotoformans and Paenibacillus amylolyticus, respectively. All Bradyrhizobium isolates tested positive for catalase, oxidase, nitrate reductase, and nitrogenase activity. Isolates S9, S3, S6, S13, and S1 showed significantly higher nitrogenase activity as compared to the other isolates. Plant growth-promoting assays revealed phosphate solubilisation, zinc solubilization, and potassium solubilization in ten, eight and five isolates, respectively. Eleven isolates produced siderophores and all of these synthesized indole-3-acetic acid (IAA). Notably, isolate S6 (Bradyrhizobium yuanmingense) exhibited all PGPR traits and high nitrogenase activity, identifying it as the most promising isolate. Isolates S3, S1, and S9 also demonstrated strong potential. These results demonstrated the value of efficient native isolates as region-specific bioinoculants for pigeon pea, reducing reliance on chemical fertilizers and promoting sustainable agriculture. © 2025, ACS Publisher. All rights reserved.
Breeding strategies for improved multistress-resilient crops
(Springer Nature, 2025) B. M. Lokeshkumar; Sanchika Snehi; Krishanu; S. Dasaratha Kumar; Kuram Tirumala Ravikiran; Rahul Kumar; Mukesh Choudhary; Suneetha Kota; Arvind Kumar; Anita Mann; Satish Kumar Sanwal; Nitish Ranjan Prakash
Multiple stresses including abiotic and biotic, affecting crop plants are more common nowadays in the era of climate change. These stresses include several abiotic stresses such as drought, salinity, cold, heat, mineral deficiency, mineral toxicity, and waterlogging and biotic stresses such as diseases, pests, insects, and weeds. Breeding suitable cultivars with the capacity to endure multiple stresses are need of the hour. The approaches in the past were conventional pedigree-based selection, backcross-assisted introgression and transfer, and recombination breeding. However, in the recent past, the marker-assisted backcross breeding (MABB) approach has been used successfully to transfer multiple abiotic and biotic stress-tolerant oligogenic/major QTLs from donor genotypes into elite lines. Presently, with the advent of robust and cheaper genotyping costs, the capability to analyze big data, high computational efficiency, and the use of rapid generation techniques (Speed Breeding), genomic selection has emerged as a major player in breeding. Genomic selection breeding pipelines are very robust in predicting the performance of genotypes. The present chapter summarizes a thorough understanding of conventional and molecular breeding approaches to develop multistress-tolerant crop varieties. © Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd. 2025. All rights reserved.
Comparative analysis of total phenolic, flavonoids and antioxidant profile in methanolic extracts of colchicine treated Foeniculum vulgare Mill.
(Elsevier B.V., 2025) Manisha Hariwal; Shweta Singh Verma; S. Dasaratha Kumar
This experimental study aimed to evaluate the effect of colchicine on phenolic content, flavonoid content and antioxidant activity in AF-1 and AF-2 genotypes of Foeniculum vulgare Mill. (Fennel). Additionally, it also determines the optimal concentration of colchicine which could potentially be used to induce polyploidy. The experiment employed colchicine concentrations ranging from 0.0125 % to 0.2 % for 24 and 48 h. DPPH, H₂O₂, and FRAP, alongside total phenol content (TPC) and total flavonoid content (TFC) were assayed to compare the radical scavenging activities (RSA) of control and colchicine-treated fennel groups. Moderate treatments (0.0125–0.05 %) for 48 h elicited the most pronounced biochemical responses. DPPH scavenging percentage was found to be maximum (71.87 %) in AF-2 at 0.05 % 48 h followed by 69.07 % in AF-1 at the same treatment. % inhibition of H2O2 showed the highest scavenging percent at 0.05 % 48 h in AF-2 (27.22 %) and AF-1 (26.17 %) genotypes. The FRAP assay represented greatest reducing antioxidant power for AF-2 (19.53 %) and AF-1(9.86 %) at similar treatment condition. These findings suggest that colchicine can enhance antioxidant capacity in fennel at specific doses, positioning the treated genotypes as promising sources of natural antioxidants for pharmaceutical applications. Nevertheless, future research integrating cytogenetic validation is required to confirm polyploidy induction and to further characterize the biochemical and therapeutic potential of colchicine-induced metabolic modulation in fennel. © 2025 The Authors
Cu-doped SnS/Sn2S3 electrocatalyst for high-performance methanol-mediated overall water splitting
(Elsevier B.V., 2025) Rajneesh Kumar Mishra; Gyu-jin Choi; Le Gia Trung; Jongwon Ryu; Hwajun Joon Jeon; S. Dasaratha Kumar; Jay Singh; Jin-seog Gwag
Herein, we discussed the bifunctional nature of Cu-doped SnS/Sn2S3 electrocatalyst for methanol-mediated overall water-splitting application. The XRD suggests the crystal structure of Cu-SnS/Sn2S3 and its successful synthesis. TEM images show the lattice spacing of the Sn2S3 and SnS of SnS/Sn2S3 and Cu-SnS/Sn2S3 heterostructures. Further, the HRTEM and FFT patterns clarify the lattice planes and spacings of SnS and Sn2S3 of SnS/Sn2S3 and Cu-SnS/Sn2S3 heterostructures. The Cu-doped SnS/Sn2S3 catalyst discloses a lower overpotential of 95.1 mV at −10 mA cm−2 current density for methanol-mediated hydrogen evolution reaction (M-HER) and 194 mV at 10 mA cm−2 for methanol oxidation reaction (MOR), respectively, which is significantly lower than undoped SnS/Sn2S3 catalyst. Additionally, Cu-doped SnS/Sn2S3 catalyst captures notable stability for 20 h for M-HER and MOR at −10 mA cm−2 at 10 mA cm−2, respectively. In addition, Cu-SnS/Sn2S3∥Cu-SnS/Sn2S3 shows a low potential of 1.531 V as matched with 1.645 V of SnS/Sn2S3∥SnS/Sn2S3 during methanol-mediated overall water splitting (M-OWS). Besides, SnS/Sn2S3∥SnS/Sn2S3 cell reveals outstanding stability for 30 h at 10 mA cm−2 and staircase resilience for 18 h at diverse current densities. Curiously, Cu doping is pivotal in enhancing the M-HER, MOR, and M-OWS catalytic activities of Cu-SnS/Sn2S3 catalyst. © 2025 Elsevier B.V.
Design, synthesis and biological evaluation of novel piperic acid and benzylpiperazine hybrid molecules for improvement of memory impairment via cholinesterase inhibitory activity
(Springer Science and Business Media Deutschland GmbH, 2025) Jitendra Kumar; Gauri Shankar; S. Dasaratha Kumar; Gourav Singh; T. A. Gajendra; Sanskriti Rai; Upesh Mandloi; Saripella Srikrishna; Saroj Kumar; Amit Kumar Singh; Pradeep Harish Kumar; Kavindra Nath Tiwari; Sairam Krishnamurthy; Gyan Prakash Modi; Sunil Kumar Mishra
In this paper, we have developed a series of piperic acid (PA) derivatives to overcome the inherent constraints linked to PA for Alzheimer's disease (AD) management. We have carried out a comprehensive study to investigate the structure–activity relationship (SAR) of PAanalogs to enhance their inhibitory properties towards cholinesterase enzymes. Compound 3m exhibited notable inhibition against butyrylcholinesterase (BChE) and acetylcholinesterase (AChE) among all developed analogs (BChE (µM), 1.03 ± 0.011; AChE (µM), 4.26 ± 0.13 respectively) over PA (AChE% inhibition at 20 µM, 7.14 ± 0.98; BChE% inhibition at 20 µM, 5.87 ± 0.76). Compound 3m was chosen for further biological investigations based on these encouraging outcomes. 3 m demonstrated a binding affinity for AChE’s peripheral anionic site, indicating its interaction with this specific enzyme region. Additionally, it also possesses favorable permeability across the blood–brain barrier, with a Pe (permeability coefficient) value of 5.79 ± 1.12. The molecular docking investigations unveiled the ability of 3mto intricately engage with AChE and BChE.In cell-based cytotoxicity tests, compound 3m displayed cell-friendly characteristics across different tested concentrations. Notably, 3m exhibited the ability to counteract scopolamine-induced memory impairmentin mice, enhancing both spatial and cognitive memories. These results strongly suggest that 3m can behave as a potential compound for AD management. © The Author(s), under exclusive licence to the Institute of Chemistry, Slovak Academy of Sciences 2024.
Designing a Diversified Indian Mustard Production System for Energy-Carbon-Cum-Heat Use Efficiency and Sowing Dates Assessment
(John Wiley and Sons Inc, 2025) S. Dasaratha Kumar; Ram Swaroop Meena; Sandeep Naresh Kumar; Gourisankar Pradhan; Chetan Kumar Jangir; Shambhunath Ghosh; Himani Punia; Parvender Sheoran; Ramawatar Narayan Meena; Md Afjal Ahmad; Suneel Kumar Goyal; Nazih Y. Rebouh
The rice (Oryza sativa L.)–wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) cropping system faces major challenges such as stagnant yields, high input and energy demands, and increasing soil and air pollution. Indian mustard (Brassica juncea L.) is a promising crop for diversification within rice-based ecosystems. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of different sowing dates and nutrient sources on energy budgeting in diversified Indian mustard and to assess the impact of these nutrient sources on heat-cum-carbon efficiency. The experiment was conducted using a split-plot design (SPD) with three sowing dates—November 17, November 27, and December 07—in the main plots, and eight nutrient sources in the subplots, where the recommended dose of fertilizer was 100 N:50 P2O5:50 K2O:40 S kg ha−1. The results, based on pooled data, indicated that among the sowing dates, November 17 recorded the highest values for several key metrics. These include energy use efficiency (EUE: 3.46, 5.12, and 12.16), energy production (EP: 0.152, 0.41, and 0.56 kg MJ−1), net energy (NE: 29,712, 50,483, and 92,558 MJ ha−1), energy profitability (EPr: 2.46, 2.88, and 6.34), human energy profitability (HEP: 364.82, 412.60, and 777.42), energy output efficiency (EOE: 364.69, 412.49, and 777.18 MJ d−1), carbon output (CO: 815, 2215, and 3030 kg CE ha−1), carbon efficiency (CE: 2.07, 5.59, and 7.66), and carbon sustainability index (CSI: 1.07, 4.59, and 6.66) for seed, stover, and biological yield, respectively, compared to the crops sown on November 27 and December 07. The study also revealed significant increases in heat use efficiency (HUE) on dry matter at 45 and 90 days after sowing (DAS) and on seed, stover, and biological yield (13.3, 8.46, 1.52, 4.16, and 5.69 kg ha−1°C days, respectively). In the subplots, the highest EUE (3.92, 5.10, and 12.1), EP (0.172, 0.408, and 0.58 kg ha−1), and EPr (2.92, 2.86, and 6.78) for seed, stover, and biological yield were observed in the control treatment, outperforming the other nutrient sources on a pooled basis. The highest SE production (8.59, 3.48, and 2.47 MJ kg−1) for seed, stover, and biological yield was recorded with the application of 100% of the recommended dose of fertilizer (RDF) combined with Azotobacter and phosphorus-solubilizing bacteria (PSB). Furthermore, the highest NE (35,427, 52,203, and 102,370 MJ ha−1), HEP (434.02, 438.67, and 872.68), EOE (448.37, 452.68, and 901.04 MJ d−1), CO (972, 2359, and 3331 kg CE ha−1), CE (2.48, 6.01, and 8.48), CSI (1.48, 5.01, and 7.48), and HUE (1.67, 4.12, and 5.81 kg ha−1°C days) for seed, stover, and biological yield were observed with the application of 75% RDF + 25% nitrogen from pressmud, combined with Azotobacter and PSB. This study provides a novel framework for optimizing sowing dates and nutrient sources that can lead to the development of an energy-efficient, heat-cum-carbon-efficient, and eco-friendly production system. Its findings offer scalable solutions for enhancing sustainability and reducing environmental footprints in rice-based cropping systems. © 2025 The Author(s). GCB Bioenergy Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.
Diagnosis and Detection of Major Airborne Fungal Phytopathogens
(Springer Science+Business Media, 2025) Ravindra Kumar; Seweta Srivastava; Aishwarya Singh Rathore; R. C. Tiwari; Shyam Saran Vaish; Shiv Shankar Patel; S. Dasaratha Kumar; Sunil Kashyap; Udai B. Singh; Gyanendra Pratap Singh
Food safety and security are at risk because agricultural crops are infected by a number of pathogens, including bacteria, fungus, viruses, viroids, and plant viruses. The diminutions in foods caused by these phytopathogenic agents have been persistent concerns related to agriculture for generations all throughout the world. Airborne fungal phytopathogens create significant threats to agricultural ecosystems, causing sizeable economic losses and jeopardizing food security worldwide. When developing management methods, the most crucial factors are thought to be the prompt detection and precise identification of the causative agents linked to crop diseases. The methods and technologies now used in the identification and detection of the main airborne fungal phytopathogens are thoroughly reviewed in this chapter. Firstly, traditional diagnostic techniques such as microscopy, culture-based methods, and air samplers are discussed, highlighting their advantages and limitations. Additionally, molecular techniques, including polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-based assays, loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP), etc., are examined for their sensitivity, specificity, and applicability in detecting airborne fungal pathogens. Overall, this chapter aims to provide valuable insights for researchers, practitioners, and policymakers involved in the management and surveillance of airborne fungal phytopathogens, fostering advancements in disease control strategies and safeguarding global crop production. © 2025 The Editor(s) (if applicable) and The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd.
Ethical, societal issues, and future challenges of plant CRISPR technologies
(Elsevier, 2025) Aman Prakash; Sayanti Mandal; Shashi Ranjan; Nishtha Sood; Raj Bahadur Singh; S. Dasaratha Kumar; Nidhi Kumari
The gene editing tools, clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats/CRISPR-associated protein (CRISPR/Cas,) have brought about a revolutionary shift in the field of plant breeding and molecular biology. In prokaryotes, it is a component of the adaptive immune system for providing defense against viruses. It has been modified to act in plants, thus representing an excellent, programmable endonuclease enzyme with target specificity, simplicity of use, and cost-effectiveness, allowing for precise genetic modification of crop species, which opens the door for the development of improved germplasm. Its rapid development has led to widespread applications in research, biomedicine, and agriculture, but also poses new regulatory challenges worldwide due to ethical, safety, and technical concerns. Moreover, genome editing (GE) with engineered nucleases is increasingly utilized in agricultural crop development for gene discovery and trait enhancement. While traditional concerns about GM foods have been extensively debated, CRISPR-Cas9 technology introduces new ethical and regulatory dilemmas related to its impact on health, the environment, and society. This technology is at the forefront of GE, with growing use in academic research for gene function studies and in creating improved crop varieties. The global debate continues on the policies and regulations surrounding CRISPR-edited crops. © 2026 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Hoofprints in the yard: The discovery of bovid, caprid and (large) feline/canid tracks in an external courtyard from the early Iron Age of Tokwa, India
(Elsevier Ltd, 2025) Jennifer Bates; Vikas Kumar Singh; Ravindra Nath Singh; Manisha Singh; Brij Mohan; Sudarshan Chakradhari; Matthew Conte; Olzbayar Gankhuyag; Nathaniel James; Rakesh Jollu; Snigdha Konar; S. Dasaratha Kumar; Arun K. Pandey; Kim Pangyu; Abhay P. Singh; Anisha Singh; Sunil K. Singh; Urvashi Singh
Humans and animals have co-existed throughout our evolution, but evidence for this often comes in the form of death assemblages – animal bones. Evidence of the lived experience of animals in human spaces instead often has to come from secondary sources like stress marks on bone, imagery, artefacts and texts. In this paper we report evidence for animals exploring human habitation spaces in the form of hoof and paw prints left in wet plaster floors at the early Iron Age site of Tokwa, India. The tracks come from three separate animal groups – bovid, caprid and large feline/canid – and show presence at different moments in floor use through their presence in different plaster layers. This repeated use of a human habitation space, specifically outside courtyards, shows animals freely roaming through the area, and highlights not only biodiversity hidden from the site's zooarchaeological record, but also the intersection of multi-species lived experiences on a day-to-day basis that would otherwise not be visible over the millennia. © 2025
How is Carbon Credit a Climate Currency?
(Springer Science+Business Media, 2025) Ram Swaroop Meena; Gourisankar Pradhan; Sanskriti Rai; Manoj Kumar Jhariya; S. Dasaratha Kumar; Arnab Banerjee; Abhishek Raj
The release of one ton of carbon dioxide (CO[[inf]]2[[/inf]]) or other greenhouse gases (GHG) is permitted for each credit. Credits enable individuals and organizations to offset their emissions by funding initiatives that absorb or reduce the same amount of GHG released elsewhere. Another name for carbon (C) credits is C allowances. The offset of C allows people as well as companies to take responsibility for their impact on the environment. In the fight against climate change, the majority of nations and international institutions believe that C trading is the most crucial tool to carry out policies. Nevertheless, several jurisdictions have enacted laws requiring the use of renewable energy, offering funding for the production of non-fossil fuel energy, and even implementing C taxes, with market prices for C and taxes occasionally operating side by side. C credits play a role in helping countries and organizations meet their climate goals and commitments, such as those outlined in international agreements like the Paris Agreement. They provide a mechanism for countries and industries to work collectively towards emission reduction targets. This chapter is focused on the C credits are often referred to as a “climate currency” because they serve as a unit of measurement and exchange in the global effort to address climate change. Here's how C credits function as a climate currency. © 2025 The Editor(s) (if applicable) and The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG.
Investigating the potential compatibility of various rhodamine derivatives in dye-sensitized solar cells using an experimental and computational approach
(Elsevier B.V., 2025) S. Dasaratha Kumar; Aman Kumar; Anamika Chaudhari; Sudip Mandal; Suman K. Kushwaha
Rhodamine derivative based dyes like Rhodamine 6G (R6G), Rhodamine B (RB), Rhodamine 123 (R123), Rhodamine B Isothiocyanate (RB-iso), Sulfo Rhodamine B sodium salt (RB-sulfo) were investigated through density functional theory (DFT) and time-dependent DFT (TD-DFT) for their potential suitability as sensitizers in dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). Out of five dyes, the photovoltaic properties of the three dyes (viz. R123, RB, and RB-sulfo) were investigated experimentally. UV–vis absorption studies were performed to investigate the optical properties of dyes and dye adsorbed onto TiO2 surface. DSSC made with RB dye exhibited notably better power conversion efficiency (η) of 0.15% with short-circuit photocurrent density (JSC) of 0.66 mA cm−2, open-circuit photovoltage (VOC) of 0.426 V and fill factor (FF) of 0.54, as compared with other two dyes (RB-sulfo and R123). Findings suggest that RB dye is the most effective sensitizer among other Rhodamine derivative dyes tested as sensitizers in DSSCs. A higher molar extinction coefficient, broad light absorption range, and strong adsorption onto the TiO2 surface make it a better choice for enhancing the performance of DSSCs. These characteristics enable RB to achieve a higher overall power conversion efficiency than other Rhodamine derivatives. © 2025 Elsevier B.V.
Investigation of Dye Concentration Variations and Their Impact on Dye-Sensitized Solar Cell Efficiency
(John Wiley and Sons Inc, 2025) Anamika Chaudhari; Aman Kumar; S. Dasaratha Kumar; Bhawana Tripathi; Shweta Singh; Sudip Mandal; Suman K. Kushwaha
This study investigates the dye concentration dependent study on the performance of dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) by examining key characterization techniques, including UV-Vis, IR, Raman, EIS, J-V measurements and J-t transient analysis. Increasing dye concentration enhances light absorption, as observed through UV-Vis spectra, leading to an initial increase in Jsc in the J-V measurements. However, beyond an optimal concentration, excessive dye loading leads to aggregation and a reduction in electron injection efficiency, as evidenced by an increase in charge transfer resistance in the EIS spectra. This also results in increased recombination and reduced fill factor, ultimately lowering the overall conversion efficiency. The J-t analysis further reveals that higher dye concentrations slow the current stabilization and cause faster decay rates due to higher recombination. Optimal dye concentrations strike a balance between light absorption, electron injection, and recombination, resulting in high efficiency and stable performance. The highest efficiency (1.1%) is achieved with a moderate concentration of 0.1 mM of mercurochrome dye. © 2025 Wiley-VCH GmbH.
Manage the CO2eq Emission and Promote Carbon Credit Trading in Indian Agriculture
(Springer Science+Business Media, 2025) Ram Swaroop Meena; Gourisankar Pradhan; Sanskriti Rai; Manoj Kumar Jhariya; S. Dasaratha Kumar; Arnab Banerjee; Abhishek Raj
The Kyoto Protocol considers the market mechanism to be an approach to addressing the challenge of decreasing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. According to that perspective, carbon dioxide (CO[[inf]]2[[/inf]]) emissions are viewed as a commodity and part of an emissions trading system. According to the United Nations (UN), carbon (C) offsetting is especially important in accomplishing the goal of the Paris Climate Agreement. There are currently initiatives to use a C fee or credit to lessen this issue. By purchasing C credits from C reduction projects, C offsetting enables businesses and individuals to decrease their C emissions. These efforts include the planting of more trees, stopping deforestation, funding renewable energy sources, and C capture and sequestration programs. In addition to creating a C credit, a C offset signifies a genuine decrease in atmospheric CO[[inf]]2[[/inf]]. The distinction is that a project with well-defined boundaries, a title, project documentation, and a verification strategy produces the credit. C offsets typically produce reductions outside of the company and, more significantly, outside of any legal obligations. Building wind farms, solar panel-based agriculture, assisting with truck stop electrification programs to lower exhaust emissions, and planting trees or maintaining forests are examples of such projects. Both credits and offsets reduce CO[[inf]]2[[/inf]] emissions and benefit the planet in terms of climate change because CO[[inf]]2[[/inf]] has an impact on the entire planet rather than just a specific area. This chapter is focused on the limits imposed on CO[[inf]]2[[/inf]] emissions and enforcement of C markets, which coexist with the far greater voluntary C market. The trade of GHG emissions has an opportunity to develop into the world’s biggest commodity market. © 2025 The Editor(s) (if applicable) and The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG.
MEASUREMENT OF EXCITATION FUNCTION IN THE 16 O + 107Ag SYSTEM AT ENERGIES ABOVE THE COULOMB BARRIER
(National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, 2025) Diwanshu; Ajay Vinod Kumar; Bharti Rohila; Chetan Kumar Sharma; Subodh; P. S. Rawat; Amit Kumar Pandey; Kaushik T. Katre; Honey Arora; U. S. Ghosh; Yashraj; Isha Sharma; Hariprakash P. Sharma; S. K. Chamoli; S. Dasaratha Kumar; R. P. Singh; Sivaramakrishnan Muralithar
The decay mechanism of the highly excited compound nucleus123Cs populated via fusion evaporation reaction of 16 O and107Ag is studied. De-excitation of the compound nucleus via evaporation of p, n, and α-particles leads to a population of several neutron-deficient residual nuclei. The excitation function for the16O +107Ag reaction has been determined experimentally in the energy range 71-80 MeV above the Coulomb barrier. The experimental results have been analyzed within the framework of statistical codes PACE4 and CASCADE. © The Author(s), 2025.
Mechanochromism and aggregation-induced emission directed by donor strength in quinoxaline-based D-A molecules with application in latent fingerprinting and inkless writing
(Royal Society of Chemistry, 2025) S. Dasaratha Kumar; Ankit Kumar Srivastava; Ashish Kumar Kushwaha; Anjani Kumar; Roop Shikha Singh
The molecular structure influences essential properties such as photoluminescence, charge transfer, and mechanical responsiveness, directly impacting material performance in optoelectronics, sensing, and bioimaging. The present work is a systematic effort to develop three organic molecules (QPA1, QPA2 and QPA3) having a donor-acceptor construct, wherein the charge transfer (CT) states were augmented with an aggregation-induced emission (AIE) effect. The synthesized molecules feature an aminophenyl group as the donor and formylated quinoxaline core as the acceptor. The variations in the donor strength on the aminophenyl core, from -H (QPA1) and -Me (QPA2) to -Ph (QPA3), profoundly and intricately modulated the AIE attribute as well as the CT states. QPA1 turns out to be an aggregation-caused quenching (ACQ) fluorophore, while QPA2 and QPA3 behave as AIEgens, with QPA3 showing superior efficiency. Furthermore, the charge transfer properties are modulated by donor strength, with QPA3 demonstrating a more pronounced intramolecular charge transfer response. QPA1-QPA3 molecules have significant solid-state emission and have shown mechanofluorochromic (MFC) behaviour in response to mechanical stress. The MFC response varies with the change in substituents. The excellent AIE activity of QPA3 has enabled its exploration for latent fingerprinting with three levels of detailing. The good contrast and brightness in the solid-state emission of QPA1 and QPA3 were further utilized for inkless writing application. © 2025 The Royal Society of Chemistry.
On Enhancing E-Commerce Shipping Policies with Blockchain and Recommender Systems
(Springer, 2025) S. Dasaratha Kumar; Sarvesh Pandey; Umesh Bhatt
E-commerce systems aim to deliver products on time and at a competitive price to customers through the Internet. Though transformational, adapting to an internet-based online system led to higher shipping charges (being borne by customers) and overwhelming options (requiring endless time to make purchasing decisions). Most existing shipping policies exempt the shipping fee only when the customer’s order value exceeds a pre-set threshold; they do not consider the frequency of orders made by a customer when deciding on a shipping fee exemption. First, to address the shipping charge problem, we propose a History Informed Shipping (HIShip) method, which utilizes the customer’s transaction history in making the shipping charge exemption decisions. HIShip mainly benefits low (and mid) order-value customers who frequently order and sellers with a product cost lower than the pre-defined shipping exemption threshold amount. The greater customer and seller participation eventually contribute to higher revenue from the e-commerce platform. Furthermore, we store order history in the blockchain to ensure decentralization and immutability in a trustless environment. HIShip’s shipping policy is evaluated against a naive threshold-based shipping policy on the TPC-H dataset, and results confirm that 21.5% and 21.06% increase in the percentage of orders (placed by low and mid ’order-value’ customers, respectively) qualify for the shipping fee exemption. Second, we integrated an ML-based recommendation mechanism to suggest appropriate product(s) further in case the actual order does not qualify for shipping fee exemption. Evaluation results show that SVD is the best model with a minimum RMSE of 0.765364 and MAE of 0.508519 on the ‘All Beauty’ dataset. © The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd. 2025.
Precision nitrogen and water management in double zero -till wheat: effects on photosynthetic parameters, productivity, nutrient-use efficiency and N2O emission
(Frontiers Media SA, 2025) Vijay Sai Pratap; Anchal Dass; Prameela Krishnan; Susama Sudhishri; Anil Kumar Choudhary; Arti Bhatia; Dinesh Jinger; Sunil Kumar Verma; Arjun K. Singh; Aye Aye San; Kadagonda Nithinkumar; K. S. Sachin; Kavita Kumari; Rahul Sadhukhan; S. Dasaratha Kumar; Venkatesh Paramesha; Teekam Singh; Ramanjit Kaur; Shiv Poojan Yadav
Context: Conventional tillage (CT), excessive irrigation, and indiscriminate nitrogen (N) use in wheat farming degrade soil and water resources in the Indo-Gangetic Plains (IGP), threatening the sustainability of the rice-wheat cropping system. Objectives: A two-year study (2019–21) in north-west IGP was conducted to assess the integration of zero-tillage (ZT) with precision water and N management for sustainability, nutrient efficiency, and environmental performance. Methods: The study tested two crop establishment methods (ZT-wheat and double ZT-wheat) and three irrigation regimes–25%, 50%, and 75% depletion of available soil moisture (DASM), with silicon applied at 75% DASM–alongside three N strategies: 100% recommended N dose (RDN), NutrientExpert® (NE®) + Leaf Color Chart (LCC), and NE® + SPAD-based N management, using a split-plot design. Results and Conclusion: Double ZT-wheat performed better over conventional ZT, showed superior growth (higher dry matter accumulation, leaf area index, and photosynthetic rate), 3.5% greater interception of photosynthetically active radiation (PAR), and 6.7–9.9% increases in grain/straw yields, and resource-use efficiency. Irrigation at 25% DASM increased photosynthetic activity, intercepted 18.3% more PAR, and yielded 9.23% higher grain over 50% DASM, though delaying irrigation to 50% DASM conserved water without significant yield loss. NE® + SPAD-based N management saved 40 kg N ha–1 while enhancing productivity and efficiency, and combining ZT with 75% DASM + silicon and NE® + LCC significantly reduced N2O emissions, thus suggested for implementation in the wheat growing regions. Significance: The current study findings promote precision N-water strategies, and double ZT to enhance productivity, resource conservation, and environmental sustainability in the IGP’s wheat systems addressing important sustainable development goals concerning agriculture. © © 2025 Pratap, Dass, Krishnan, Sudhishri, Choudhary, Bhatia, Jinger, Verma, Singh, San, Nithinkumar, Sachin, Kumari, Sadhukhan, Kumar, Paramesha, Singh, Kaur and Yadav.
Soil Erosion Susceptibility in the Gopad River Basin: An Interactive Geospatial and Statistical Approach for Effective Sub-Watershed Prioritisation
(John Wiley and Sons Ltd, 2025) Anjanay Kumar; Kuldeep Prakash; Prinsi Singh; S. Dasaratha Kumar; Sunil Kumar Patel
Rivers are dynamic hydro-geomorphological systems that shape landscapes, transfer energy, and sustain ecosystems. Although the Gopad River Basin (GRB) is a significant tributary of the Son River in central India, it remains largely underexplored, even as it faces growing pressures from soil erosion, land degradation, and climate variability. Addressing this gap, the present study aims to assess and prioritise erosion-prone sub-watersheds to support sustainable watershed management. An integrated methodology combining morphometric analysis, hypsometric assessment, and principal component analysis-weighted sum approach (PCA-WSA) was employed. Essential morphometric parameters, including drainage density, form factor, bifurcation ratio, and rho coefficient have been recognised as significant indicators of erosion risk. Findings reveal that sub-watersheds 1, 4, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 12, 13, and 16 are critically susceptible to erosion, necessitating urgent soil and water conservation measures. Other sub-watersheds exhibit moderate to low risk, reflecting spatial heterogeneity in erosion vulnerability. The study offers a novel, data-driven, and spatially explicit framework that integrates geomorphometric parameters with statistical optimisation, moving beyond conventional single-method approaches. This contributes significantly to regional watershed planning by enabling targeted resource allocation, evidence-based prioritisation, and improved erosion mitigation strategies, while also providing a transferable framework for comparable basins. © 2025 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.