Ladakh, the Trans-Himalayan region of India, includes several river valleys at varying altitudes, which can influence vegetation quality. The region’s harsh climate and low soil fertility were considered a limitation to agriculture. However, the sector is progressing with increasing demand for locally grown vegetables, primarily from the Brassicaceae family. Several studies have focused on vegetable yield, but no research has investigated the influence of altitude on attributes of vegetables from different valleys of trans- Himalayas. Therefore, the purpose of the present study is to inspect the influence of altitude on the physical and biochemical attributes of cauliflower (Brassica oleracea) from different altitudes of Trans-Himalayas. Samples from Suru Valley, Nubra Valley and Indus Valley situated at 2500-2700, 3000-3200 and 3250-3560 masl, respectively, were harvested for further study. The weight of Ladakh-grown cauliflower was in the range of 0.36-0.69 kg, volume was 955.2-2384.1 cm3 and density was 0.025-0.08 g/cm3. Statistically, mid-altitude (Nubra Valley) grown cauliflower was heaviest (p<0.05) and no significant difference in volume and density was observed in cauliflower from different sites. The total soluble solids (7.8±0.1°Brix) of lower altitude (Suru Valley) grown crops were higher and total titratable acidity (0.17-0.20 %) of Indus Valley grown cauliflower was lower among all three valleys. Total phenolic contents (124±3.8 mg GAE/ 100g) were higher in higher altitude grown cauliflower and glucosinolate contents (17.2±1.8 µmol/g) were lower in mid-altitude grown cauliflower. These findings suggest altitude-mediated variations influencing the quality attributes of cauliflower. Physical properties (more average weight, volume and density) and lower glucosinolate content suggest the mid-altitude cauliflower for consumers. It was also observed that TPC in cauliflower at high altitudes enhances its nutritional and medicinal values.

Infectious diseases have become one of the major health issues in the 21st century. Taq DNA polymerase is a critical component of polymerase chain reaction. To meet the requirement of this enzyme in any biological emergency like Covid-19, recombinant Taq DNA polymerase was developed and scale-up produced using Escherichia coli. In this study, gene encoding recombinant Taq DNA polymerase was cloned, and expressed using E. coli. Optimisation of process parameters was done to achieve high expression of the enzyme. Further, bioreactor production of this enzyme was also carried out using optimised parameters to attain large amount of biomass for subsequent purification. A simple purification strategy using affinity chromatography followed by diafiltration was used to get this enzyme in pure form. The purified Taq DNA polymerase was characterised by SDS-PAGE and Western blot analysis. Further, this enzyme was used in PCR for confirmatory diagnosis, and the result of PCR assay confirmed its usefulness for the diagnosis of disease. The present study established that the recombinant Taq DNA polymerase produced indigenously may be potentially deployed for disease diagnosis in PCR during any outbreak scenario as well as laboratory settings.

Lung cancer is the second most fatal cancer type with 85 % of the cases accounting for Non-Small Cell Lung Carcinoma (NSCLC) and instances of maximum subtype Adenocarcinoma. Adenocarcinoma initiates in bronchial mucus-secreting glands and spreads to the lung periphery. Surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation therapy are currently available therapies. However, tumors resist these therapies by evolving immune escape mechanisms, like immune checkpoint signaling. Hence, a new therapeutic approach based on activating patients’ immune cells is of interest. Two phytoconstituents, Hydroxychavicol and Ursolic acid were evaluated for potential pharmacokinetic properties using the SwissADME web tool. They were docked using Molecular Operating Environment (MOE) with six ICPs to identify their potential as novel checkpoint blockers. The results showed a good drug-like nature of both the phytoconstituents. Their docking scores and the predicted binding sites are comparable to the existing therapeutic candidates in the market and clinical trials. This indicates their significant binding affinity towards ICPs. Ionic, Hydrogen bonding, and Van der Waals interactions were involved in binding. Promising targets related to T-cell exhaustion have been revealed for both the phytoconstituents. This analysis may enable the discovery of plant-derived potential immune checkpoint blockers that can impede immune suppression in NSCLC treatment.

Secondary metabolites synthesised by endophytic fungi have attracted considerable interest due to their broad applicability across pharmaceutical, agricultural and industrial fields. The breadth of chemical diversity offered by endophytic fungi includes alkaloids, terpenoids, steroids, polyketides, and flavonoids, many of which demonstrate potent antimicrobial, anticancer, anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects. A key problem addressed in recent research is the urgent need for new and effective natural compounds to combat rising antimicrobial resistance, cancer, and various plant and human diseases. This review systematically evaluates the diversity, biosynthesis, and biological activities of secondary metabolites generated by endophytic fungi. Specifically, it explores the intricate relationship between endophytes and their host plants, which contributes to metabolite production and functional diversity. The review also highlights the mechanisms by which these fungi confer ecological advantages and outlines the challenges and prospects in harnessing their potential for drug discovery and crop management. Recent studies in this review show that there are many types of endophytic fungi that have not yet been explored. We also need to understand more about how these fungi make useful compounds and how these compounds work in living things. By integrating current findings, the review underscores the ongoing promise and future potential of endophytic fungi as sources of innovative and sustainable solutions to urgent medical and agricultural problems.

Self-discipline involves consistently applying effort to manage impulses and desires that may hinder goal achievement. The overlap between self-discipline and related psychological constructs such as self control, self regulation etc., calls into question its uniqueness as a distinct concept. This highlights the needs for additional research to refine its assessment and to clarify its specific role in goal directed behaviour. This study explores self-discipline through the development of a self-report scale. It also examines its structure and relationship with prudence, self-efficacy, and aspects of emotional well-being measured through impulse control, stress, anxiety, and depression. Applying exploratory factor analysis with 342 participants aged 20 to 45, the study identified a three-factor model of self-discipline: orderliness, punctuality, and prioritisation. Orderliness and prioritisation were positively correlated to impulse control, prudence, and self-efficacy, and showed negligible associations with depression, stress, and anxiety. Punctuality was positively associated with impulse control and prudence, negatively with depression, anxiety, and stress, and had no significant association to self-efficacy. These findings help infer that self-discipline is a multi-dimensional construct with a unique pattern of relations with personality aspects.

The objective of this study is to assess the changes in the antioxidant activity of milk in accordance with the season and farm locations in Haryana. The antioxidant potential of milk samples was evaluated through two different methods: the FRAP assay and the DPPH assay. The FRAP level was significantly higher during the summer season, except in the case of buffalo milk. The levels (μmol/mL) were recorded at 70.00±4.22, 60.86±5.29, and 73.69±7.87 in the summer season and 72.64±8.22, 60.42±1.32, and 57.45±1.21 in the winter season for buffalo, cow, and goat milk, respectively. On the other hand, DPPH scavenging activity showed a higher trend in the summer season, but not significantly. DPPH levels were recorded at 19.12±2.53, 16.55±1.04, and 20.73±1.51 in the summer season for buffalo, cow, and goat milk samples, respectively. The reason could be attributed to an increase in antioxidative activity as an adaptation to heat stress conditions and variations in seasonal feed. The productivity and quality of milk from dairy animals change according to climatic conditions. Notably, significant differences were observed among locations, which could be linked to differences in the feeding management of farms. So far, not much research has been conducted on this aspect in Haryana. This study will explore the correlation of animal antioxidative properties with variations in season and across different locations.

Ensuring optimal food storage and logistics is critical for sustaining the operational efficiency of Defence Forces deployed across diverse and extreme environments. Military ration storage systems must withstand the challenges posed by arid deserts, high-altitude cold regions, and high-humidity terrains, where temperature and moisture fluctuations accelerate food degradation. Conventional storage methods, including mud silos, terracotta structures, Tsothbang, and underground trenches, offer limited structural integrity, poor environmental control, and inefficiencies in multi-commodity storage and retrieval. Modern advancements in material science, computational modeling, and sensor-based monitoring have facilitated the development of robust storage solutions integrating climate-controlled chambers, modified atmospheric packaging, nano-coatings, and AI-driven predictive analytics for spoilage detection and inventory optimisation. This review critically examines traditional and contemporary ration storage strategies, evaluates the limitations of existing systems, and discusses emerging innovations such as adaptive insulation materials, real-time IoT-enabled environmental monitoring, and automated logistics frameworks to enhance the longevity, safety, and efficiency of Defence food supply chains.

The human microbiota is distinct for an individual and affects the development and responsiveness of the individual towards diseases. The microbiome is flexible to changes, depending upon age, gender, genome, exposure to environmental factors and xenobiotics. These changes may cause a modulation in microbial composition, which may have a negative impact on human health. A state of dysbiosis may result, which may lead to adverse health outcomes and elevate the levels of toxicities induced by a few xenobiotics. The emerging field of toxicomicrobiomics focuses on interaction between the constantly evolving microbiome and surrounding toxins. These influences are adequately explained by interaction of microbes present in host’s gastrointestinal tract, skin, urogenital tract and oral cavity, with xenobiotics present in food, drugs and environment. Furthermore, this field of study links microbiology, bioinformatics, systems pharmacology, and toxicology with corresponding pharmacogenomics and toxicogenomics. The present study attempts to bridge the gap between environmental pollution and human microbiome. This review aims to consolidate classical and recent findings to provide a fundamental understanding of toxicomicrobiomics the future prospects involve improvising the precision treatment of several diseases.

The present study investigated archers and shooters’ personality traits, mind wandering, and mental alertness. A total of 231 participants, including 57 female archers, 58 male archers, 58 female shooters, and 58 male shooters aged 18 to 40 years, were selected through purposive sampling from Punjab and Delhi. The psychometrically standardised questionnaires were used to collect data, including the Mind Excessively Wandering Scale, General Mental Alertness Test, and Brief HEXACO Inventory. The results revealed that female archers and shooters’ personality traits, mind wandering, and mental alertness were more prevalent. Furthermore, significant differences were observed between male and female archers and shooters regarding personality traits, mind wandering, and mental alertness. Female archers and shooters scored higher than males in Honesty-humility, Emotionality, and mental alertness. In contrast, Extraversion was higher in female and male shooters than male archers and female shooters. Agreeableness was higher in male archers and female shooters compared to female archers and male shooters. At the same time, Conscientiousness was higher in female archers and shooters compared to male archers and shooters. Openness to experience was higher in female archers and shooters than in males. Female archers and shooters also had higher levels of mind wandering than male archers and shooters. the study concludes that female archers and shooters possess distinct personality traits, experience higher levels of mind wandering, and demonstrate increased mental alertness compared to male archers and shooters. These findings emphasize the importance of considering gender differences in archery and shooting sports.

Conventional drug administration methods are often limited by unpredictable release profiles and non-specific distribution, resulting in reduced therapeutic efficacy and increased adverse effects. To address these challenges, a novel drug delivery system utilising phytosomes has been developed to enable controlled release at targeted sites. Phytosomes offer superior drug encapsulation, enhanced stability, and improved bioavailability. In this study, trikatu phytosomes were prepared using the thin film hydration technique, and their particle size and polydispersity index (PDI) were evaluated. The optimised phytosome batch underwent in vitro antioxidant and anti-inflammatory assessments. The physicochemical parameters were found to be within acceptable limits, while phytochemical analysis confirmed the presence of carbohydrates, proteins, alkaloids, tannins, flavonoids, steroids, and triterpenoids. FTIR analysis indicated compatibility between the extract and excipients. The prepared phytosomes demonstrated significant antioxidant activity with an IC50 value of 18.77 µg/ml, compared to the standard IC50 of 5.76 µg/ml. Additionally, the formulation exhibited notable anti-inflammatory activity based on percent inhibition results. These findings suggest that trikatu phytosomes hold considerable promise as an effective therapeutic agent with potent antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties.