Patliputra University (PPU) is a collegiate public state university located in Patna, Bihar, India. It was established by an act of the state legislature in 2018. As a collegiate university, its main functions are divided between the academic departments of the university and affiliated colleges. The university has 125 affiliated colleges including twenty-five constituent colleges, two engineering colleges and a dozen pharmacy colleges spread over Patna and Nalanda district.
Light pollution which results from excessive nighttime artificial lighting has become a major environmental threat that damages aquatic ecosystems. Urban areas together with residential spaces and commercial buildings create constant light which interrupts natural light and dark cycles that especially harm fish species which use vision to find food and escape danger and mate. The research investigates how artificial light at night (ALAN) impacts Oryzias melastigma through a controlled experimental design which measures their behavior and stress responses and overall health. The researchers established four treatment groups which included a control group that operated under a natural photoperiod of 13 hours light and 11 hours dark together with three experimental groups which consisted of a low-intensity ALAN group that received 10 lux white LED light and a high-intensity group that received 50 lux and a spectral ALAN group that received 10 lux blue light (450 nm) from 10:00 pm to 6:00 am. The study demonstrates how different light conditions affect fish behavior and physiological responses by comparing various light conditions which help develop sustainable methods to manage aquatic ecosystems.
Defect dipoles respond differently from intrinsic dipoles under the application of an electric field. These defect dipoles significantly impact the hopping characteristics of charge carriers; consequently, the electrical transport behavior of ceramics is substantially affected. Here, we studied the impact of defect dipoles on the structural and electrical properties of Sr-doped (K0.5Na0.5)NbO3 (KNN). It is observed that (1) the paraelectric cubic phase fraction increased up to 42% with Sr-doping, (2) the observed defect densities induced by Nb and O in pristine sample is balanced out in Sr-2% doped system, (3) the pristine and 2% Sr-doped systems exhibited a ferroelectric to relaxor dielectric transition, while 3% Sr-doped system showed normal dielectric behavior, (3) A comparative plot between electric modulus (M") and impedance spectra (Z") in frequency domain showed a transition of longrange dynamics to short-range dynamics with increasing Sr-concentration under the influence of temperature and frequency. (4) The AC-conductivity response of these ceramics showed a combined effect of large and small polaronic tunneling mechanisms along with the correlated barrier hopping (CBH) mechanism of conductivity. The mechanisms underlying the electrical transport phenomenon discussed here aim to elucidate the role of defect chemistry in the charge-transport behavior of functional materials.
The growing global population and depletion of fossil fuels have intensified the demand for sustainable energy storage technologies. Among these, supercapacitors have emerged as promising candidates due to their high-power density and long cycle life. However, their performance strongly depends on the nature of the electrode material. In this study, cobalt oxide (Co3O4) thin films were successfully deposited on stainless steel (SS-304) substrates via a facile electrodeposition method, and zinc (Zn) doping was employed to tailor their electrochemical behaviour. Structural analyses using x-ray diffraction (XRD) and Raman spectroscopy confirmed the formation of phase-pure Co3O4, while AFM and FE-SEM revealed a porous surface morphology favourable for ion transport. Energy Dispersive x-ray Analysis (EDAX) and x-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS) used for elemental analysis. Electrochemical performance evaluated through cyclic voltammetry (CV), galvanostatic charge–discharge (GCD), and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) demonstrated pseudocapacitive behaviour with enhanced conductivity upon Zn doping. The optimized 4
Achieving a high degree of structural ordering in monolayers of disc-shaped molecules, typically comprising large aromatic cores and flexible alkyl chains, is exceptionally challenging yet essential for developing functional materials in organic electronics and optoelectronics. Here, we present a strategy, solely based on supramolecular nanoarchitectonics, wherein a careful molecular design combined with tailored self-assembly pathways enables precise control over molecular ordering. Using ambipolar amphiphilic heterocoronene derivatives, we demonstrate the ability to direct either face-on or edge-on alignment at interfaces. Incorporation of oxadiazole linkers between the heterocoronene core and peripheral alkyl chains yields mechanically robust, hydrophilic, and atomically smooth monolayers with face-on orientation, in sharp contrast to the hydrophobic, edge-on alignment observed for the parent heterocoronene lacking these linkers. The markedly enhanced elastic modulus and surface potential of the oxadiazole-functionalized monolayers at the air-water interface arise from in-plane dipolar reorganization driven by mesoscopic restructuring, as supported by joint analysis of surface-pressure and surface-potential isotherms and corroborated by atomic force microscopy measurements. These findings establish a molecular design principle for engineering cooperative dipolar alignment in two-dimensional organic architectures, offering guidelines for nanoarchitectonic control in monomolecular films and providing pathways toward emerging technologies including organic ferroelectrics, dipolar electronics, and quantum-responsive interfaces.
The ongoing panzootic of the highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) H5N1 virus, dominated by clade 2.3.4.4b, constitutes a significant global threat to wildlife, animal health, and public health. Once characterized by sporadic outbreaks, H5N1 has evolved into a sustained, year-round infection with an expanded host range that now includes numerous mammalian species. Its high pathogenicity is primarily driven by the acquisition of a polybasic haemagglutinin cleavage site, enabling systemic viral spread, alongside emerging endothelial and neurotropic properties that contribute to severe disease and high mortality in mammals. Although zoonotic transmission remains limited, H5N1 continues to accumulate mutations associated with mammalian adaptation, particularly within the haemagglutinin and polymerase complex. Notably, recent outbreaks in U.S. dairy cattle highlight the emergence of novel mammalian reservoirs with increased human exposure risk. Concurrently, vaccination strategies are advancing beyond traditional adjuvanted inactivated vaccines toward next-generation platforms, including mRNA and virus-like particle vaccines, designed for rapid deployment and broader immune protection. However, ongoing viral evolution, constrained vaccine availability, and gaps in coordinated surveillance underscore the urgent need for an integrated One Health approach to reduce panzootic risk.
