Christ University

About: Christ University is a education organization based out in Bengaluru, India. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Computer science & Convection. The organization has 2267 authors who have published 2715 publications receiving 14575 citations. The organization is also known as: Christ College & Christ University.

Unlocking the potentials of using nanotechnology to stabilize agriculture and food production

Abstract: In the face of alarmingly increasing climate change, agricultural sector is exposed to innumerable and unprecedented challenges globally. This has led to food insecurity worldwide and in order to achieve the required food security at the global level, various methods and techniques have been put forth by researchers from around the world for boosting crop production and ensuring sustainability. Advanced nano-engineering is found to be of great import in improving production in agriculture and increasing input efficiency and minimization of losses. The fertilizers and pesticides, used for increasing and protecting the crop production respectively, can gain not only specific but also wider surface area with the help of nanomaterials, which serve as exclusive agrochemical carriers and assure facilitation of nutrients to target areas with the help of delivery monitoring techniques. Nanobiosensors, an example of the wide ranging nanotools, scaffold the growth of high-tech agricultural farms and also stand proof for the practical and proposed applications of the nanotools in terms of agricultural inputs control and their management precision. Nanosensors the off-spring of the culmination of biology and nanotechnology has an increased potential level in sensing and identifying both the advantageous and adverse conditions of the environment. The other applications of nano-technology include nanofertiliers with release-control techniques for healthy growth and rich yield and productivity of crops, nano-based target delivery approach, also referred to as gene transfer technique, for improved quality of crops, nanopesticides for effective protection of crops and other nanomaterials for promotion of stress tolerance among plants and enhancement of quality of soil [4]. In our review paper, we intend sum up the recent research and studies on the nanotechnology's innovative uses in agriculture to cope up with the ever-increasing necessity for food and sustenance of environment.

Anti-bacterial and biocompatibility properties of green synthesized silver nanoparticles using Parkia biglandulosa (Fabales:Fabaceae) leaf extract

Abstract: The biosynthesis of silver nanoparticles is considered to be a feasible, green, and eco-friendly method. Silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) were synthesized using badminton ball tree (Parkia biglandulosa) leaf extract and their significant physiochemical properties were characterized. The aqueous extract of the leaf of P. biglandulosa act as a reducing as well as capping agent for the reduction of Ag+ ​ions. FTIR analysis was conducted to find out the compounds that were liable for the bio-reduction of silver ions and to study the functional groups present in P. bigalandulosa leaf extract. The biologically reduced silver nanoparticles showed a surface plasmon resonance at 439 ​nm as studied from the UV–visible absorption spectrum. TEM studies confirmed the shape of the nanoparticles to be spherical with an average diameter of 15 ​nm. The anti-bacterial properties of the prepared nanoparticles were tested against Bacillus cereus by well plate method. Biosynthesized silver nanoparticles (PbAgNPs) at 0.02 ​M concentration showed the most antibacterial activity with a zone of inhibition of 7 ​mm. The high biocompatibility of the PbAgNPs by using human skin fibroblast cell line was evaluated by Alamar Blue reduction assay. The PbAgNPs had shown the highest cell viability when compared to native nanoparticles, meanwhile, a significant increase in cell viability was noted for the nanoparticles. The biosynthetic approach for synthesis was found to be a facile, rapid, single-step, safe, and effective alternative to the conventional physical/chemical methods.

Exploring graph-based global similarity estimates for quality recommendations

Abstract: Data sparsity or the insufficiency of past user preferences in predicting future user needs continues to be a major challenge for RS engines. We propose a solution to the sparsity problem by exploring similarity measures that capture the global patterns of commonality between users or items by leveraging on indirect ways of connecting users items through a user item graph. Entities users or items sharing common features are connected to each other by edges weighted by their proximity or distance. Graph-based techniques, for estimating transitive similarity between entities not directly connected, are exploited to bring the entities closer thus facilitating collaboration. Furthermore, we also propose a combined user-item graph approach for exploiting the similarity between users preferring similar items and vice versa. In this work, we have suggested alternatives to the already existing global similarity assessment and we aim to investigate the appropriateness of the proposed techniques under differing data features.