Patna University is a public state university in Patna, Bihar, India. It was established on 1 October 1917 during the British Raj. It is the first university in Bihar and the seventh oldest university in the Indian subcontinent in the modern era. It offers different undergraduate and postgraduate degree level courses.
Wetlands are highly productive ecosystems but are increasingly vulnerable to heavy metal contamination, particularly cadmium, a toxic and persistent pollutant. This study assessed Cd concentrations in water, sediment, and fish muscles from Baraila Wetland, Bihar, during the pre- and post-monsoon seasons of 2022 and 2023. Samples were collected from four sites, i.e., Loma, Dulwar, Chakaiya, and Kawai Baraila, and were analyzed using an atomic absorption spectrophotometer (AAS). Water samples showed Cd levels ranging from 0.001 to 0.012 mg/L, and the mean concentration exceeded BIS (2012) drinking water limits at all sites. Sediments from all locations surpassed average shale Cd values. Additional sediment quality assessments were also evaluated, including the Geo-accumulation index, contamination factor, and ecological risk assessment. Most fish samples also contained Cd concentrations above the permissible limit of 0.5 mg/kg, except for Wallago attu, Macrognathus pancalus, and Mystus tengara. Target hazard quotient (THQ) values greater than 1 were observed in Channa punctata, Cirrhinus mrigala, and Xenentodon cancila. Major sources of Cd contamination were agricultural runoff, domestic effluents, and inputs from the Gandak Canal, Baya River, and Noon River. Overall, the findings highlight significant ecological and human-health risks, highlighting the need for improved monitoring and management of cadmium pollution in the wetland.
In this article, we have presented a simplified Ginzburg-Landau theory, based on a single scalar order-parameter, for the study of mixtures comprising surfactants and water systems. The local concentration of surfactants in aqueous solutions represents the scalar order parameter, and the local free energy density is formulated as a linear combination of both the second and fourth powers of the scalar order parameter. The phase diagrams are derived by optimizing the free energy functional of the various phases with respect to the variational parameters. Our analysis has revealed several ordered lyotropic phases, including the body-centered cubic () phase, present in both direct (I) and inverse (II) forms, the hexagonal () phase, also in both direct (I) and inverse (II) forms, and the lamellar phase denoted as . These phase diagrams illustrate the sequence of ordered phases: body-centered cubic () - hexagonal () - lamellar () - hexagonal () - body-centered cubic (), with an increasing concentration of surfactants, which is frequently observed in systems containing aqueous solutions of single-chain surfactants. Furthermore, a three-dimensional phase diagram has been developed, adding an additional dimension to our analysis.
This paper proposes a few methods of stratification for two study variables, contributing to the extensive body of research on optimum stratification in stratified sampling, for a known model-based allocation. The methods of finding points that stratify a heterogeneous population optimally have been obtained in the form of equations. These equations, which yield the optimal points for stratification (OPS), for the model-based allocation, are derived by minimizing the determinant of the variance-covariance matrix of stratified sampling for two study variables. However, these equations are lengthy as well as implicit, making them difficult and cumbersome for practical implementation. Therefore, the equations are algebraically and analytically transformed to derive a few methods for obtaining approximately optimal points for stratification (AOPS). The efficiencies of all the proposed methods are empirically evaluated using a few generated populations with results showing consistently efficient performance in stratifying populations optimally. The equations yielding OPS and their transformed methods yielding AOPS have demonstrated similar efficiencies in their performance. This suggests that the simpler and easy-to-use AOPS methods can serve as effective substitutes for the implicit and lengthy equations. All the methods proposed herein are derived under simple random sampling with replacement (SRSWR) design, but they are found true in simple random sampling without replacement (SRSWOR) provided finite population correction is neglected.
Development of a catalyst for partial oxidation of methane (POM) is preferred over total oxidation of methane (TOM), as the POM yielded hydrogen-rich syngas, which is a typical precursor in chemical synthesis. The 5Ni/8YZr catalyst exhibits 51 % H-2 yield and 25 % CO2 conversion at 600 degrees C showing more selectivity to POM than total combustion. An H-2/CO ratio of >2.75 further suggests the participation of indirect pathways of POM. The promotional effect of 0.5-2 wt.% Sm is studied over 5Ni/8YZr. The catalysts are characterized by X-ray diffraction study, temperature programmed reduction/oxidation experiment, surface area and porosity results, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, thermogravimetry, and Raman spectroscopy. Sm promotion significantly enhances the oxide concentration over the catalyst surface, whereas 0.5-1 wt.% Sm brings a noticeable change in the electronic environment that is a negative charge deficit in the vicinity of Ni and negative charge enrichment about Zr and Y. At 600 degrees C, 0.5 wt.% Sm-promoted catalyst achieves 67-69 % H-2 yield at 14,400 mL h(-)& sup1; g(-)& sup1; GHSV during 300 min time on stream (TOS) and >75 % H-2 yield at 5400 mL h(-)& sup1; g(-)& sup1;, GHSV up to 24 h TOS. The current finding puts the Sm-Ni system at the centre of research for achieving hydrogen-rich syngas through the POM reaction.
Salinity stress significantly constrains agricultural output by interfering with essential physiological and biochemical mechanisms disrupting photosynthesis, nutrient assimilation, and redox homeostasis. Here, we show that titanium dioxide nanoparticles (TiO2-NPs) synergize with endogenous hydrogen sulphide (H2S) signaling to enhance salinity tolerance in tomato (Lycopersicum esculantumL.) seedlings. Under NaCl stress, TiO2NPs attenuated oxidative damage by reducing reactive oxygen species (ROS) accumulation and lipid peroxidation by upregulating both enzymatic (APX, GR, MDHAR, DHAR) and non-enzymatic (ascorbate and glutathione) antioxidant defences, sustaining the AsA-GSH cycle and improving photosynthetic attributes. Inhibition of H2S biosynthesis by DL-propargylglycine (PAG) stifled these protective effects, whereas supplementation with sodium hydrosulphide (NaHS) partially restored them, confirming the central role of H2S in TiO2-NPs-mediated tolerance. TiO2-H2S co-treatment improved uptake of Mg, Ca, Zn, and Fe and maintained nitric oxide balance under salt stress. The interaction between nanoparticles and gasotransmitters enhances redox regulation, photosynthetic efficiency, and nutrient assimilation, thereby contributing to increased salt tolerance. These findings provide mechanistic details and a practical framework for using nano-based, signaling-guided strategies in managing salinity stress in crops. This study suggests that combining nanotechnology with gasotransmitter signaling could offer effective, sustainable ways to boost crop tolerance to salinity stress.
