Department of Atomic Energy

This study presents a year-long, multi-sensor residential monitoring dataset from a composite-climate home in Mohali, India, integrating appliance-level electricity use, indoor temperature–humidity measurements, and outdoor weather observations into an hourly residential energy informatics workflow. Nine appliances were monitored at 5-minute resolution and processed through a reproducible pipeline involving timestamp harmonization, anomaly handling, multi-source alignment, and feature extraction, yielding an analytics-ready dataset spanning 8,736 hourly observations (July 2024–June 2025). The monitored appliances consumed 845.25 kWh (58% of total household electricity use), with the refrigerator (21.95%) and air conditioner (cooling + heating; 19.07%) as the dominant monitored end uses. Psychrometric mapping quantified mixed-mode operation, distinguishing operating regions for Air Conditioner (AC) cooling (n=460 hours), evaporative cooling (n=172 hours), and AC heating (n=45 hours). Weather sensitivity analysis showed strong temperature dependence in baseline and seasonal loads (effect of outside temperature on refrigerator r=0.793; effect of outside temperature on geyser r=-0.694; slope -0.048 kWh/$$^{\circ }$$C), demonstrating the value of fusing weather variables into appliance analytics. Indoor comfort evaluation using the India Model for Adaptive Comfort (IMAC) indicated that 80.8% of summer hours and 51.7% of monsoon hours with valid measurements fell within adaptive comfort limits, with winter interpretation constrained by modeling assumptions and sensor availability. The primary contribution is a transparent, transferable workflow that converts heterogeneous residential sensing streams into a unified analytics dataset suitable for season-responsive appliance modeling, comfort-aware interpretation, and future multi-home deployments.

Recent trends in peptide synthesis are becoming very important in the areas of pharmaceuticals and medicine. Many peptides and peptidomimetic molecules are strong candidates for treating various diseases because they are well-absorbed in the body. Lipobactin possesses antibiotic activity and their insilico investigations reveal they exhibit anticancer properties when bound the AXL kinase and EGFR proteins. In this work, we synthesized the lipobactin using TAGGING technique. This TAG method enables the easy isolation of peptides at each step as solids and all the impurities were washed off by simple filtration. The method allows a bulk scale preparation of the peptides without any difficulty and hence the protocol is highly efficient for the production of peptides of therapeutic importance. The lipobactin peptides were isolated as fine solids and were characterized by NMR and MASS spectroscopy.

Abstract This paper presents a fusion physics system design method based on the resampling particle swarm optimisation algorithm. The method optimises the design of the fusion physics system by establishing the functionality function for a specific optimised fusion physics problem, initialising the particle population, performing resampling operations on the particle population, renovating the particle locations and velocities, renewing the historical optimum location and the population optimal location of each particle, and iterative operations. It includes the following steps: i: establish the functionality function for the specific optimised fusion physics problem; ii: initialise the particle population; iii: perform the resampling operation on the particle population; iv: update the particle locations and velocities; v: update the historical optimal location and the group optimal location of each particle; vi: if the accuracy requirement is not met and maximum iterations has not yet been achieved, the number of iterations is increased by one and return to step iii, otherwise record and output the results; the system design can effectively deal with the practical problems of fusion physics system optimal design, and the introduction of resampling technology, on the one hand, accelerates the convergence speed and improves the efficiency, on the other hand, improves the ability of global search, improves the optimisation accuracy, and ultimately achieves the purpose of efficiently and accurately solving the problems of optimal design of fusion physics system. The results show that the system design method can solve the fusion physics system optimal design problem efficiently and accurately.

Purpose The aim of this work is to describe the influence of the tumor microenvironment (TME) after Boron Neutron Capture Therapy (BNCT) that could condition immune system response and bystander effects in colorectal cancer (CRC) treatment. Materials and methods HT29 colorectal carcinoma cells were incubated with BPA (50 ppm) and irradiated with neutrons in a mixed field. Cytosolic dsDNA was detected by immunofluorescence and IFNβ, Galectin-1, TGFβ1, IRF1, Nox1, and Nox5 expression by qPCR. Conditioned mediums (CM) from irradiated cells were used to study the bystander effect on cell migration and proliferation. Results Cytosolic dsDNA and IFNβ increased in cells treated with BNCT. No change of Galectin-1 mRNA was observed in BNCT treated cells. IRF1 mRNA increased at 3 and 8 Gy without BPA. Nox1 increased at 8 Gy and Nox5 increased at 8 Gy + BPA. CM of 8 Gy + BPA induced cells migration of non-irradiated cells but had no effect on cell proliferation. Conclusions TME alteration by BNCT could influence immune response. Cytosolic dsDNA induces IFNβ that could activate the cGAS-STING pathway, leading to anti-tumor responses. No changes in Galectin-1 could be also a positive response to BNCT while IRF1 seems to have no relation. The potential TGFβ1 increase and the persistence of NADPH oxidases induction represents long term cellular damage, affecting tissue protection and tumor sensitization. The bystander effect on cell migration demonstrate the importance of the impact of radiotherapy out of the field of irradiation.

Agriculture plays a crucial role in contributing about 17% of the gross domestic production (GDP) in India. The zest of rural population in India relies on farming and associated activities for their income. The use of traditional tools for agricultural activities like plow, spade, sickle, thresher, etc., gives less yield. Even though a lot of developments related to mechanization and automation of activities related to agriculture and farming are introduced, most of them are suitable for large-scale agriculturalists and farmers. The large-scale farmers associated with mass production are equipped with machines for cropping, thereby making huge profits. There is a need to develop automated/semi-automated systems for medium-or small-scale agricultural activities which would be energy efficient, easy to use and maintain, and economical. The manufacturers of agricultural machineries introduce machines which are imported in design, expensive, and suitable for large-scale applications like tillers, tractors, etc. However, developing and utilizing machines for specific purposes have been a challenge. The seed-sowing machines assist farmers in utilizing time and money to sow seeds in the desired position. In this chapter, the design and development of an Arduino-based battery-operated seed-sowing machine is discussed. The machine uses Arduino-controlled servo motors for controlled spacing and sowing of seeds. The battery eliminates the need for electricity to power the device. The Arduino-controlled design provides farmers a great level of precision and control over the operation of the machine. The depth, speed of tiller blades, and other parameters can be adjusted for the optimal performance of different types of crops and soil. The machine was tested for sowing the different types of seeds at a speed of 75 rpm. The motor and the battery capacities are 250 W and 21 Ah, respectively, and the battery charge will last for 1.3 hours. Overall, the Arduino-controlled multi-purpose seed-sowing machine is a valuable addition to the modern agricultural sector that helps the farmers to increase productivity, efficiency, and profitability. The proposed design is simple to use; hence, even an unskilled farmer can handle it. The chapter also discusses a comprehensive analysis on semi- and fully automated seed-sowing machines for agricultural purposes. Some of the shortcomings of traditional machines and practices are also compiled in this chapter. The scope for further improvement in seed-sowing machines and features is highlighted in the chapter, which encourages researchers to carry forward this research.

Objectives: To compare the lipid lowering efficacy of rosuvastatin and atorvastatin in high risk dyslipidemic patients.Study design: Randomized controlled trialPlace and duration of study: Department of cardiology, PAEC General Hospital, Islamabad, from 1st of December 2023 to 31st of March 2024. Methods: A total of 230 high risk dyslipidemic patients above the age of 18 years reporting at out-patient department were added in this study. These patients were divided in to 2 equal groups where patients in Group R were given rosuvastatin 20 mg/day while patients in Group A were given Atorvastatin 20 mg/day for 8 weeks. Venous blood samples were arranged at the start and at the end of study with patients having at least 12 hours fasting.The efficacy of both the treatments were evaluated on the basis of effects on the total cholesterol (TC), low density lipoproteins cholesterol (LDL C), triglycerides (TG) and high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL C) levels. The percentage of patients achieving the target levels of TC and LDL C was also compared between the 2 groups.Results: The Mean±SD of age in this study was 55.54±8.05 years. After 8 weeks of treatment, the results showed a significantly decreased levels of TC (184.98±20.84 Vs 192.55±18.84, p=0.004) and LDL C (128.59±19.65 Vs 134.09±18.01, p=0.028) in Group R compared to Group A. Moreover, significantly more patients achieved the target levels of TC (64.34% Vs 50.43%, p=0.032) and LDL C (20.87% Vs 10.43%, p=0.029) in Group R compared to Group A. There were also decreased levels of TG and increased levels of HDL C in Group R compared to Group A, however, this difference was statistically non-significant. Conclusion: Rosuvastatin provides better lipid-lowering efficacy compared to atorvastatin in high risk dyslipidemic patients.

The Himalayan region hosts numerous natural springs catering freshwater needs of a majority of the population residing in mountainous states of India. Reduction in spring discharge rate is a major concern across the Himalayan region, which can be attributed to the climate change impact and improper watershed management practices. It is reported that spring discharge rates have been reduced up to 40% during the last three decades in the Himalayan region. To alleviate this problem, several watershed interventions were initiated. However, the data on hydrological processes and its understanding is not sufficient to design efficient management plans and address the prevailing water scarcity challenges. The understanding of geological setup, geochemical evolution in conjunction with the isotope techniques have proven to be potential tools for understanding the recharge source/s of a spring and demarcating recharge area/s for planning effective long-term sustainability of drying springs. The article addresses the problem of drying spring in the Himalayan region and way forward toward identifying the recharge zones using isotope techniques. The studied springs belong to two sites in Uttarakhand, viz., Isala and Kakodakhal in Rudraprayag district. Isotope technique uses isotope that are integral part of water molecules, i.e. stable ( 2 H and 18 O) and radioactive ( 3 H). Based on the isotopic fractionation phenomenon and the environmental conditions, water carry an isotopic signature like a fingerprint which is exploited to understand the groundwater dynamics. In case of springs, the stable isotopic variations with increasing altitude, i.e. the altitude effect is harnessed to estimate the dominant recharge altitude, while radioisotope helps in estimation of the residence of spring water. In addition, chemical species were also measured to assess the quality of spring water and to evaluate hydrochemical nature of springs. Isotope data indicates that the springs of both Isala and Kakodakhal area are of meteoric origin. The altitude effect at Kakodakhal site was found to be -0.2‰ per 100 m rise in altitude while no altitude effect was observed in Isala site. From the tritium concentration, the springs from both Isala and Kakodakhal were found to have modern recharge. Integrating isotope with geomorphological information, artificial recharge structures like check dam and bunds were constructed at the identified altitudes. The spring discharge rates increased from 23% to 48% at Isala and 6% to 100% at Kakodakhal site after construction of structures. The outcome of this study provided an effective methodology for reviving as well as increasing the discharge rates of drying springs in the Himalayan states.

ABSTRACT Recent advancements in electrode materials have significantly improved the performance and efficiency of supercapattery devices. By offering a unique combination of high energy density, high power density and fast charging capability, supercapattery is ideal for a variety of applications ranging from electric vehicles to consumer electronics. This article reviews the key progress in electrode material design and composition for supercapattery application. Various types of materials employed to enhance the specific capacity, stability and conductivity of supercapattery electrodes is discussed. Furthermore, an overview of the challenges associated with the development of electrode material and corresponding strategies employed to overcome these challenges is presented. Overall, this review highlights the recent advancements in electrode materials for supercapattery and future research directions and opportunities in this exciting field.