Nevin Manimala

Sci Rep. 2025 Jul 20;15(1):26320. doi: 10.1038/s41598-025-12086-4.

ABSTRACT

Plant disease management based on pesticide use has numerous detrimental effects on health and the environment. As a result, the adoption of environment-friendly disease management options is the best alternative to pesticide use. Therefore, the identification of locally available bio-agents like Trichoderma species using morpho-cultural and molecular approaches specifically targeting the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region, translation elongation factor 1-alpha (TEF 1-α) and RNA polymerase B subunit II (RPB2) is necessary. In this study, we characterized 24 Trichoderma strains isolated from the apple rhizosphere. Significant variations were observed in the morpho-cultural characteristics of Trichoderma isolates and categorized them into four groups (I-IV) that were identified as T. harzianum complex, T. koningiopsis, T. viride, and T. hamatum, comprising 4, 4, 6 and 10 isolates, respectively. The concatenated sequence data set derived from the ITS region, TEF 1-α and RPB2 grouped 24 Trichoderma isolates into 03 independent clades. Specifically, the sequencing based on ITS region grouped them into four sub-clades, which were identified as T. harzianum complex, T. viride, T. asperelloides, and T. koningiopsis, comprising 4, 6, 5 and 7 isolates, respectively, and two independent lineages, each represented by a single isolate. In contrast, sequencing of the TEF 1-α and RPB2 genes grouped 24 Trichoderma isolates into two distinct clades and six sub-clades that were identified as T. asperelloides, T. asperellum, T. hamatum, T. viride, T. koningiopsis and T. harzianum complex, comprising 5, 5, 3, 4, 3 and 4 isolates, respectively. Thus, the final identification of 24 Trichoderma strains was achieved through a combined morpho-cultural and molecular approach, resulting in the identification of six species viz., T. koningiopsis, T. viride, T. asperellum, T. asperelloides, T. hamatum and T. harzianum complex comprising 5, 5, 3, 4, 3 and 4 isolates, respectively in accordance with the reference sequences retrieved from NCBI. Notably, to our knowledge, this is the first report of T. koningiopsis, T. viride, T. asperellum, T. asperelloides, and T. hamatum from the apple rhizosphere.

PMID:40685429 | DOI:10.1038/s41598-025-12086-4

Sci Rep. 2025 Jul 20;15(1):26343. doi: 10.1038/s41598-025-10704-9.

ABSTRACT

To address the problems of centralized attribute authority, inefficient encryption and invalid access control strategy in the data sharing scheme based on attribute-based encryption technology, a smart grid data sharing scheme that supports policy update and traceability is proposed. The smart contract of the blockchain is used to generate the user’s key, which does not require a centralized attribute authority. Combined with attribute-based encryption and symmetric encryption technology, the confidentiality of smart grid data is protected and flexible data access control is achieved. In addition, online/offline encryption and outsourced computing technologies complete most of the computing tasks in the offline stage or cloud server, which greatly reduces the computing burden of data owners and data access users. By introducing the access control policy update mechanism, the data owner can flexibly modify the key ciphertext stored in the cloud server. Finally, the analysis results show that this scheme can protect the privacy of smart grid data, verify the integrity of smart grid data, resist collusion attacks and track the identity of malicious users who leak private keys, and its efficiency is better than similar data sharing schemes.

PMID:40685425 | DOI:10.1038/s41598-025-10704-9

Sci Rep. 2025 Jul 20;15(1):26330. doi: 10.1038/s41598-025-11601-x.

ABSTRACT

The construction sector is proactively working to minimize the environmental impact of cement manufacturing by adopting alternative cementitious substances and cutting carbon emissions tied to concrete. This study investigates the viability of using waste industrial materials as a replacement of cement in concrete mixes. The primary goal is to predict the compressive strength of waste-incorporated concrete by evaluating the effects of materials such as cement, fly ash (FA), silica fume (SF), ground granulated blast furnace slag (GGBFS), metakaolin (MK), water usage, aggregate levels, and superplasticizer dosages. A total of 441 data entries were sourced from various publications. Multiple machine learning techniques, such as light gradient boosting (LGB), extreme gradient boosting (XGB), and decision trees (DT), along with hybrid approaches like XGB-LGB and XGB-DT, were utilized to study how these variables influence compressive strength. The dataset was partitioned into training and testing, and statistical tools were employed to assess the correlation between input variables and strength. Model accuracy was gauged using metrics such as mean absolute percentage error (MAPE), root mean square error (RMSE), and the coefficient of determination (R²). Among the models, the XGB and DT approach delivered the highest precision, with an R² of 0.928 in the training stage. Among hybrid models, XGB-DT exhibited a balanced performance having R² value of 0.907 and 0.785 for training and testing phase. Additionally, SHAP (SHapley Additive exPlanations) and partial dependence plots (PDP) were employed to pinpoint the optimal ranges for each variable’s contribution to the improvement of compressive strength. SHAP and PDP analyses identified coarse aggregate, superplasticizers, water and cement content have high influence on model’s output. Additionally, 150-200 kg/m³ of GGBFS as key factors for optimizing compressive strength. The study concludes that the hybrid models along with the single models, can effectively forecast the compressive strength of concrete incorporating industrial byproducts, assisting the construction industry in efficiently evaluating material properties and understanding the influence of various input factors.

PMID:40685423 | DOI:10.1038/s41598-025-11601-x

Sci Rep. 2025 Jul 20;15(1):26342. doi: 10.1038/s41598-025-11849-3.

ABSTRACT

Mastering the deformation and air leakage patterns of gob-side retained roadway in fully mechanized mining faces, as well as the distribution characteristics of the gas flow field, is of great significance for the comprehensive prevention and control of gas in the goaf. Taking the 20,107 fully mechanized mining face of Qincheng Coal Mine in Shanxi Province as a case study, this paper employs fracture mechanics and plate-beam theory to analyze the impact of the roof fracture position on stress concentration and deformation failure of the roadway wall. It is found that when the fracture line is located outside the wall, the supporting stress can be effectively transferred and pressure can be relieved. Based on this, a calculation method for the critical position of roof-cutting and pressure-relief is proposed. Through field measurements and statistical analysis, the quantitative characteristics of the air leakage flow field and gas concentration distribution in the gob-side retained roadway goaf area were obtained. Consequently, a comprehensive gas prevention and control technology for gob-side retained roadway was proposed, which primarily includes directional drilling with staged hydraulic fracturing for roof cutting and pressure relief, along with enhanced coordinated gas extraction. Additionally, it incorporates auxiliary measures such as silicate composite material spraying for leakage sealing, optimization of ventilation pipe parameters in retained roadway, and airflow regulation for pressure reduction. The proposed approach was validated through field practice. The research results indicate that: (1) The air leakage flow field in the 20,107 goaf is characterized by positive-pressure leakage from the intake airflow of the belt roadway and high-concentration gas accumulation on the retained roadway side, which then enters the return airflow. The positive-pressure air leakage volume in the inclined section of the working face (0-36 m) is 332.84 m³/min, accounting for 58.17% of the total, while the air leakage volume in the retained roadway section (36-108 m along the strike) is 408.45 m³/min, accounting for 87.09%. (2) After optimization, the average pure gas extraction rate of directional drilling boreholes (fracturing and extraction boreholes) in the fractured zone reaches 7.46 m³/min, while the average gas concentration in the gob-side retained roadway gradually decreases from 0.59 to 0.34%. These findings provide a theoretical and practical basis for controlling the deformation of gob-side retained roadway walls, reducing air leakage in the goaf, and improving gas extraction efficiency, thereby guiding the safe and efficient production of fully mechanized mining faces.

PMID:40685412 | DOI:10.1038/s41598-025-11849-3

Sci Rep. 2025 Jul 20;15(1):26331. doi: 10.1038/s41598-025-11701-8.

ABSTRACT

Low urinary flow rates are frequently observed following tubularized incised plate urethroplasty. The underlying cause is not yet fully understood and may be associated with low urethral compliance. The purpose of this study is to non-invasively evaluate the urethral compliance in a rabbit model. Ten male New Zealand rabbits were randomly divided into a control group and a urethroplasty group for tubularized incised plate urethroplasty. Seven weeks post-operatively, ex vivo urethral compliance was evaluated using both the Jesus invasive measurement and the non-invasive method. The Jesus measurement involved measuring urethral volume and pressure by air insufflation, and the non-invasive method utilized ultrasound and uroflowmetry to assess the urethral anterior-posterior diameter and flow data, respectively. Curve regression analysis was applied to calculate urethral compliance. Curve regression analysis revealed that the median urethral compliance measured by non-invasive method in the control group was 0.247 (0.241, 0.257) mm•s/ml, and it was 0.269 (0.263, 0.270) mm•s/ml in the urethroplasty group, with no significant difference between the two groups. The Jesus method indicated median urethral compliance was 0.141 (0.137, 0.149) ml/cmH₂O for the control group and 0.182 (0.173, 0.192) ml/cmH₂O for the urethroplasty group, showing no significant statistical difference. In the rabbit model, urinary flow rate and anterior-posterior diameter serve as non-invasive indicators that can effectively reflect urethral compliance, and TIP surgery has no significant impact on urethral compliance.

PMID:40685409 | DOI:10.1038/s41598-025-11701-8

Sci Rep. 2025 Jul 20;15(1):26340. doi: 10.1038/s41598-025-11194-5.

ABSTRACT

SD Solar drying is increasingly recognized as a sustainable and energy-efficient solution for preserving agricultural products, offering a practical alternative to fossil fuel-dependent methods and traditional open sun drying (OSD). However, its overall performance is highly influenced by environmental variability and system design. This study provides a detailed evaluation of a newly developed direct solar dryer (DDSD) for tomato dehydration, conducted under real and fluctuating climatic conditions in Aswan, Egypt, from February 22 to 27, 2025. During the trial period, solar irradiance ranged widely from 88 to 826 W/m² due to intermittent cloud cover, while ambient temperatures fluctuated between 22 and 34 °C-conditions representative of actual field environments. Tomato samples were prepared in three physical forms-halves, quarters, and 6 mm slices-and subjected to two pretreatment methods (salted and unsalted) to assess their effects on drying kinetics. The DDSD demonstrated significantly better performance than OSD, reducing drying durations by 25-39.6%. The most efficient results were achieved for salted 6 mm slices, which dried in just 9 h-substantially faster than the 29 h for unsalted halves in DDSD and 48 h in OSD. These samples also exhibited the highest effective moisture diffusivity (D_eff) (5.92 × 10⁻⁹ m²/s), reflecting enhanced internal moisture transport. Among 12 drying models evaluated, the Logistic model most accurately described the drying behavior in the DDSD, with an excellent statistical fit (R² = 0.999524, χ² = 6.74 × 10⁻⁵, RMSE = 0.006868). Economically, the DDSD, integrated with a photovoltaic (PV) system, required a modest initial investment of $520 and achieved a payback period of just 1.82 years for salted slices due to faster processing and increased throughput. From an environmental perspective, the system is projected to offset approximately 105.68 metric tons of CO₂ emissions over a 20-year lifespan, with an energy payback time of only 1.10 years and potential revenue of $1321.04 from carbon credits. These findings underscore the DDSD’s potential as a cost-effective, environmentally sustainable, and technically efficient solution for agricultural drying in solar-rich regions.

PMID:40685404 | DOI:10.1038/s41598-025-11194-5

Sci Rep. 2025 Jul 20;15(1):26321. doi: 10.1038/s41598-025-11463-3.

ABSTRACT

The present study evaluates the toxicological effects of carbosulfan by observing the mortality, behavioural responses, and alteration of oxidative biomarkers such as CAT, SOD, and MDA. The mortality rate of tubificid worms exposed to the toxicant differed substantially (p < 0.05) from the control group at all concentrations throughout the experiment. The p-value less than 0.05 indicates that the changes in these biomarkers were statistically significant. The severity of behavioural changes included irregular movement, decreased clumping proclivity, mucus production, and a surge in autotomy. Long-term exposure to two sub-lethal doses of CBSF (0.831 mg/L and 1.632 mg/L) resulted in the disintegration of longitudinal muscles of tubificid worms, the continuity of longitudinal muscle (LM) parallel to the gut, and ruptured mucus channel (MC) from the anterior portion of the worm. In addition, scanning electron microscope images revealed the alteration of epidermal lesions, setal anomalies, and clitellar swelling due to CBSF exposure. The oxidative stress biomarkers catalase (CAT), superoxide dismutase (SOD) and malonaldehyde (MDA) increased with increasing concentrations of CBSF, i.e., 0.831 mg/L and 1.632 mg/L. The maximum elevation of CAT, SOD and MDA was observed on the 14th day. In addition, IBRv2 analysis demonstrated that tissue biomarkers were extremely sensitive to the toxicity of CBSF, and extended exposure might result in major health consequences, such as acute toxicity in tubificid worms because of increased oxidative stress biomarkers. The log-normal curve of species sensitivity distribution (SSDs) depicted the ecotoxicological risk assessment through 96 h LC_50, i.e., 8.31 mg/L. Strong interactions between CBSF and key stress biomarker enzymes were shown by molecular docking experiments, which interfered with the enzymes’ activities and might have caused oxidative stress. Interactions with cytochrome c oxidase indicated disruption of the process by which cells produce energy. The findings highlight the need for more investigation to completely understand the sensitivity of tubificids to environmental pollutants and the long-term impacts of pesticide exposure on aquatic health and ecosystem stability.

PMID:40685402 | DOI:10.1038/s41598-025-11463-3

Sci Rep. 2025 Jul 20;15(1):26338. doi: 10.1038/s41598-025-11203-7.

ABSTRACT

The prevalence of childhood obesity has been increasing worldwide, garnering increasing public attention due to various complications and long-term effects. Many researchers have indicated that obese children experienced higher fracture risk compared with nonobese children. However, the findings from different researchers reported a controversial result and few of them paid attention to the differences in BMI Z-score and obesity between different fracture sites, which would be quite useful since these can guide obese children in protecting specific regions. This study comprised 17,942 hospitalized children diagnosed with fractures and 3219 healthy children who came for physical examination and had not been diagnosed with any illness. Data on age, gender, fracture seasons, fracture sites, height, weight, total cholesterol, triacylglycerol, and high-density lipoprotein were collected. One-way ANOVA, t-test, Chi-square test, propensity score matching, and logistic regression models were used in statistical analysis. Children with lower limb fractures exhibited the highest BMI Z-score (0.58 ± 1.74), followed by those with upper limb fractures (0.50 ± 1.52), axial fractures (0.31 ± 1.56), and head fractures (-0.02 ± 1.52). In terms of obesity, children with lower limb fractures exhibited the highest obesity rate (20.20%), whereas those with upper limb fractures (15.61%) and axial fractures (14.96%) displayed comparable obesity rates. Children with head fractures had the lowest obesity rate (8.42%). Moreover, BMI Z-score (2.43 ± 1.22vs0.15 ± 1.43, P < 0.001), obesity (62.97%vs8.61%, P < 0.001) and dyslipidemia (31.22%vs24.67%, P < 0.001) were statistically significant difference between the fracture and healthy groups. The logistic regression models showed that BMI Z-score was associated with an increased risk of fracture (P < 0.001, OR = 4.89, 95%CI: 4.53-5.27). This study suggests that children with lower limb fractures exhibited the highest BMI Z-score and obesity rate, while those with head fractures had the lowest BMI Z-score and obesity rate. When compared with the healthy group, fracture children had higher BMI Z-score, obesity, and dyslipidemia rates. In addition, BMI Z-score was associated with an increased risk of fractures.

PMID:40685394 | DOI:10.1038/s41598-025-11203-7

Sci Rep. 2025 Jul 20;15(1):26334. doi: 10.1038/s41598-025-05927-9.

ABSTRACT

Potassium cyanide (KCN) is a highly lethal poison with cyanide anions having an inhibitory effect on complex IV of the mitochondrial respiratory chain, leading to stoppage in electron transport and eventually cessation of aerobic respiration within the cell. Tardigrades are a group of small invertebrates, most well known for their exceptional resistance to environmental stressors, including exposure to aqueous solution of KCN. In this study, specimens of the tardigrade Paramacrobiotus experimentalis were subjected to KCN exposures of various concentrations and durations, as well as repeated exposures. The resulting reactions have been observed, both by observing its movements and through ultrastructure analysis using transmission electron microscope (TEM). Obtained results confirm high tolerance of tardigrades to KCN. After an initial period of debilitation, tardigrades gradually return to full activity. Statistically significant relationships between time needed for recovery and KCN concentration, duration of exposure and number of consecutive exposure episodes have been found. However, no significant relationship between KCN exposure and long-term survival has been found. Analysis using TEM has found changes in midgut and storage cells of exposed animals, including mitochondrial damage and evidence of autophagy. Finally, a new protocol for tardigrade exposure to KCN has been devised.

PMID:40685386 | DOI:10.1038/s41598-025-05927-9

Sci Rep. 2025 Jul 20;15(1):26356. doi: 10.1038/s41598-025-09878-z.

ABSTRACT

In this paper, we present a predictive model based on artificial neural network (ANN) to evaluate principal physicochemical properties of a set of anti-inflammatory drugs based on chosen topological indices. The molecular descriptors were calculated from molecular structures and employed as the inputs to the ANN model. Normalization of the feature set was carried out before training to maintain convergence and stability of the model. The ANN exhibited excellent predictive ability based on a [Formula: see text] value of 0.94 and a mean squared error (MSE) of 0.0087 on the test set. The chemical structure data used were mainly retrieved from ChemSpider. The method showcases the promise of machine learning models to facilitate better virtual screening and assist in rational drug design by making accurate predictions of properties.

PMID:40685384 | DOI:10.1038/s41598-025-09878-z