Manonmaniam Sundaranar University

Silkworm nutrition plays a crucial role in determining larval growth, survival, and cocoon productivity in sericulture. The present study evaluated the effects of dietary supplementation of Vitamin C (ascorbic acid) and soy protein on the growth performance and cocoon parameters of the mulberry silkworm, Bombyx mori L. Fifth instar larvae were fed mulberry leaves fortified with graded concentrations (0.1%, 0.2%, 0.3%, and 0.4%) of Vitamin C and soy protein, while a control group received untreated leaves. Key biological and economic traits including larval weight, cocoon weight, pupal weight, shell weight, and shell ratio were recorded. Supplementation significantly improved larval growth and cocoon characteristics compared to the control. Among Vitamin C treatments, 0.2% concentration produced the maximum yield, indicating optimal physiological and metabolic support at this level. In contrast, 0.4% soy protein supplementation resulted in the highest cocoon productivity, suggesting enhanced protein availability for silk synthesis. The results highlight the importance of targeted nutritional fortification of mulberry leaves and demonstrate that Vitamin C and soy protein supplementation can serve as effective strategies for improving silkworm productivity and sustaining sericulture efficiency.

The discipline of nanobiotechnology has become the most studied field in helping the medical field to develop drugs against multidrug-resistant bacteria. Chemically synthesized iron oxide nanoparticles (IONPs) are produced by various methods alternatives of typical antibiotics. In the present research IONPs were chemically synthesized, characterized and applied against medically important bacteria. Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) and Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) were used to observe the nanoparticles' morphology, which showed a spherical or quasi-spherical shape with a size range of ± 10 nm. Ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy (UV-Vis) and Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) were used to analyse the functional groups and the elements present in the sample, and Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR), X-Ray Diffraction (XRD) and X-Ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS) were used to analyse the crystalline structure. Antibacterial activity of the nanoparticles against four pathogenic strains: Pseudomonas aeruginosa (P. aeruginosa-424), Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus-902), Streptococcus mutans (S. mutans-497), and Escherichia coli (E. coli-443) was investigated by microbiological assays. Concentration-dependent inhibition zones, low minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs), and notable biofilm damage were among the main methods. Time-kill assays and DNA fragmentation investigations indicated that the chemically synthesised iron oxide nanoparticles have the potential to induce bacterial cell death. Among the species investigated, S. aureus was more sensitive to IONPs, which caused DNA damage. The study highlights how IONPs are a promising candidate for inclusion in antibacterial medications.

Graphitic carbon nitride (g-C3N5) photocatalytic efficacy could be enhanced by reducing the rate at which photogenerated electron-hole pairs recombine. This study explored the doping the impact effects of 1-4% AuWO3 nanoparticles (AuW NPs) reinforced with Polypyrole on g-C3N5 nanocomposites to improve photocatalytic performance. This nanocomposite was synthesized using a simple and inexpensive method: XRD, SEM, TEM, and UV-Vis were used to characterize physicochemical parameters. We tested AuW@g-C3N5 nanocomposites against pure g-C3N5 and their photoactivity using methylene blue (MB) for dye degradation. AuW@g-C3N5 nanocomposites with varying AuW concentrations showed better photocatalytic performance than pure g-C3N5. The 2%AuW@g-C3N5 nanocomposite is the most effective photocatalyst when photocatalysis occurs in non-polluting light of the visible light, resulting in a degradation of the target molecule of the dye by 97% in comparison with 64% in the absence of the nanocomposite (bare g-C3N5). The 2%AuW@g-C3N5/Ppy nanocomposite photodegrades 2.54 times faster than virgin g-C3N5. Our results can enable effective and cost-efficient production of AuW@g-C3N5/Ppy nanocomposites to a potent environmental remediation platform.

Wireless Sensor Networks (WSNs) consist of numerous low-power sensor nodes deployed to monitor and collect environmental data. Energy conservation and improving the network life remain significant challenges due to limited battery capacity and high communication overhead. Clustering techniques, when combined with intelligent optimization algorithms, can significantly reduce energy consumption. However, conventional optimization methods often struggle to balance exploration and exploitation phases effectively. To address this limitation, this paper proposes a hybrid Sandpiper Optimization Algorithm–Competitive Swarm Optimization (SOA-CSO) technique for efficient Cluster Head (CH) selection. The hybrid algorithm leverages the global search capability of Sandpiper Optimization Algorithm and the competitive learning dynamics of Competitive Swarm Optimization to achieve optimal Cluster Head selection. Simulation results show that the proposed SOA-CSO achieves significant improvement in network life time, throughput, packet delivery ratio, load balance and network stability compared to the other algorithm.