Impact of changing environmental scenario on biodiversity of mangrove forest of Sundarbans Delta Region, India

Sundarbans is the world’s largest contiguous mangrove forest and is a designated world heritage site, shared by India and Bangladesh, it is home to several species including tigers. The habitat supports approximately 4.37 million people. Mangrove ecosystem is a unique, fragile, highly productive ecosystem in the sea-land interphase, is the conglomerations of plants, animals and microorganisms acclimatized in the fluctuating environment of tropical intertidal zone. This ecosystem is a highly valued ecosystem in terms of economy, environment and ecology. This mangrove ecosystem of Indian subcontinent is well known not only for the aerial extent, but also for the species diversity. The biodiversity of Sundarbans includes numerous species of phytoplankton, zooplankton, microorganisms, benthic invertebrates, molluscs, amphibians and mammals. As per the research conducted it is believed that the Sundarbans have soaked in 4.15 crore tonnes of carbon dioxide. But the scenario has been changed during past few decades.  Due to climate change the Sundarbans faces several challenges. Recorded data shows that a huge number of flora and fauna were compelled to be eliminated due to the consequences of climate change during the last century. Climate change components that affect mangroves and its inhabitants include changes in sea-level, high-water events, storminess, precipitation, temperature, atmospheric CO2 concentration and ocean circulation patterns. The study was conducted to identify the threats on the diversity and its effect on the socio-economic condition of the local community. With risk of the Sundarbans submerging, there is an urgent need for global reduction of emissions and replacement of fossil fuels with renewable energy

Impact of age dominating over the pre-existing comorbidities influencing the D-Dimer levels in SARS-COV-2 infection

COVID-19-related disease severity is more commonly seen in elderly patients with comorbidities, and hypercoagulability has been demonstrated to be involved in the disease progression. This study aimed to evaluate the level of D-Dimer in hospitalized SARS-COV-2 infected patients and to determine the influence of age, gender, Body Mass Index (BMI), and comorbidities on D-dimer value and correlate it with disease severity. This case-control retrospective study retrieved patient data on demographic characteristics, vital functions, comorbidities, disease severity [National Institutes of Health (NIH) classification], and D-dimer from medical records of Thumbay University Hospital, Ajman, United Arab Emirates. SPSS-Version-28 was used for data analysis; a Chi-Square test was done to compare the distribution of comorbidities and disease severity between demographic categories. An independent sample t-test and one-way ANOVA were done to compare mean levels of D-Dimer between two or more categories, respectively. The majority of patients were males, ˃40 years of age, overweight/obese, with 30% having one comorbidity and 20% having ≥2 comorbidities. Among the total, three-quarters had moderate, and one-quarter had severe disease conditions, irrespective of gender or BMI, with an increasing trend of severe cases in the older age group and with comorbidities. Increased D-dimer levels were seen in the majority of SARS-COV-2-infected hospitalized patients, with age as the primary determinant, irrespective of absence or presence of comorbidity, though the trend of higher prevalence of elevated D-dimer value in the multiple comorbid groups and more severe condition was observed. Supporting SAR-COV-2 as a coagulopathic condition, D-dimer concentrations can be a helpful marker of disease progression and can be considered to guide the clinical treatment

Open Access E-book Repositories: A Global Scenario

The present study aims to study the status of open access e-book repositories in the OpenDOAR. In order to fulfill the set objectives, relevant data were extracted from the OpenDOAR and was organized in tabular forms based on certain parameters viz: Geographical distribution, Software usage, Language diversity, Subject coverage, Operational status, Repository type and Growth of Repositories. The findings reveal that repositories containing books were 1329 in number, out of which Europe was seen to be the most dominating continent contributing 55.2% of the repositories. The USA topped the list of countries by contributing 10.2% of the repositories. Most of the repositories preferred DSpace software (42.1%). 85.6% of the repositories belonged to Institutions. Almost 96% of the repositories were seen to be functional. Since the scope of the study was restricted to OpenDOAR only, hence cautions should be taken while generalizing the results

Currently Available Tools and Teaching Strategies for the Interprofessional Education of Students in Health Professions : Literature review

Interprofessional education (IPE) is designed to provide students from different health sectors with opportunities to work together to enhance future collaboration. The implementation of IPE activities is a current trend in various countries. This review exclusively targets IPE issues involving undergraduate health profession students and highlights various approaches in different regions. A total of 28 articles published in peer-reviewed journals between January 2012 and July 2015 were assessed to determine recent trends in IPE implementation. Nine main strategies were identified: simulation-based education programmes; rotations in rural and community settings; interprofessional training wards; patient-centred case studies; theme-centred workshops; student seminars; student-delivered lectures; health promotion activities; and interactive lectures in a common setting. Many of these institutions had not restricted themselves to a single strategy and supplemented these activities with additional teaching or learning methods. Recommendations gathered from these diverse approaches may assist the development of sustainable strategies for implementing IPE in undergraduate medical curricula

Energy-Aware Adaptive Weighted Grid Clustering Algorithm for Renewable Wireless Sensor Networks

Wireless sensor networks (WSNs), built from many battery-operated sensor nodes are distributed in the environment for monitoring and data acquisition. Subsequent to the deployment of sensor nodes, the most challenging and daunting task is to enhance the energy resources for the lifetime performance of the entire WSN. In this study, we have attempted an approach based on the shortest path algorithm and grid clustering to save and renew power in a way that minimizes energy consumption and prolongs the overall network lifetime of WSNs. Initially, a wireless portable charging device (WPCD) is assumed which periodically travels on our proposed routing path among the nodes of the WSN to decrease their charge cycle time and recharge them with the help of wireless power transfer (WPT). Further, a scheduling scheme is proposed which creates clusters of WSNs. These clusters elect a cluster head among them based on the residual energy, buffer size, and distance of the head from each node of the cluster. The cluster head performs all data routing duties for all its member nodes to conserve the energy supposed to be consumed by member nodes. Furthermore, we compare our technique with the available literature by simulation, and the results showed a significant increase in the vacation time of the nodes of WSNs

Effect of Pre-Harvest Application of GA3 and PP333 as Bulb Dip and Foliar Spray on Quality and Vase Life of Cut Tulip cv. Cassini

An experiment on effect of pre-harvest application of GA3 and PP333 as bulb dip and foliar spray on quality and vase life of cut tulip cv. Cassini was carried out. Healthy scapes of uniform size were cut in a slanting manner at bud colour break stage and placed in conical flasks containing distilled water for vase life studies. Bulb dip in GA3 (100 ppm) followed by foliar spray of GA3 (100 ppm) significantly improved overall water uptake, prevented water loss and resulted in maximum water balance. The treatment also exhibited the maximum flower diameter (7.40 cm), scape length (16.26 cm) and vase life (9.33 days). However, the lowest water loss to water uptake ratio was recorded with bulb dip plus foliar spray with 200 ppm GA3. Data indicated that GA3 (100 ppm) as bulb dip plus foliar spray proved instrumental in maintaining the quality and vase life of cut tulip as compared to other treatments

Effect of Dry and Wet Storage on Post Harvest Life and Flower Quality in Cut Tulip cv. Cassini

Experiments were conducted during 2002-03 and 2003-04 to study the influence of storage methods and duration on post harvest quality of cut tulip cv. Cassini. Cut tulips cv. Cassini stored either dry or wet at 4°C for 0,2,4,6 and 8 days showed that days to flower opening was the lowest in those kept under wet storage for 6 and 8 days. Flower opening was better with 0.2 and 4 days of dry or wet storage whereas flowers stored dry for 8 days did not open at all. Flower size and vase life decreased with the increase in storage period. Larger flowers were obtained with dry and wet storage of 0 and 2 days whereas higher vase life was obtained with zero days of wet and dry storage and 4 and 6 days of wet storage

Studies on Physical and Chemical Characteristics of Pomegranate Cultivars in Kashmir Valley

Ten pomegranate (Punica granatum L.) cultivars, namely, Kabuli Kandhari, Chawla, Ganesh, Mridula, Jyoti, G-137, Dholka, Bedana, Kandhari and Local Check were evaluated for different physical and chemical characteristics of fruit at the Central Institute of Temperate Horticulture, Srinagar, during 2004. Fruit weight, diameter and volume was significantly higher in cv. Bedana compared to the rest of the cultivars. Cultivar Kandhari recorded significantly less rind thickness when compared to other cultivars. Cultivar Chawla exhibited less cracking per cent followed by Kandhari. Total soluble solids and total sugars were highest in cv. Kandhari whereas less acidity was recorded in cvs. Ganesh and G-137% acidity was lowest in cv. G-137 (0.41) and highest in cv. Bedana (0.81). Highest ascorbic acid content was found in cv. Kabuli Kandhari. The highest anthocyanin content was observed in cv. Ganesh and lowest in cv. Chawla. Juice content was found to be maximum in Bedana. The lowest anar butterfly attack was observed in cv. Bedana. The data revealed overall superior performance of cv. Bedana and Kandhari with regard to physical and chemical characteristics and these can be recommended for commercial cultivation in the Karewa belt of Kashmir valley

Recent Advances in Phytoremediation of Hazardous Substances using Plants: A Tool for Soil Reclamation and Sustainability

Phytoremediation techniques have emerged as a promising approach for soil reclamation and remediation of contaminated sites. This review article provides a comprehensive analysis of the different phytoremediation techniques used for soil reclamation and their effectiveness in removing contaminants from soil. The aim is to evaluate the current state of knowledge and to highlight potential avenues for future research in this field. The review begins with a discussion of the principles underlying phytoremediation, emphasizing the ability of plants to accumulate, tolerate, and detoxify contaminants through various mechanisms such as phytoaccumulation, rhizo-degradation, and rhizo-filtration. Different plant species and their suitability for phytoremediation are reviewed, considering factors such as metal tolerance, biomass production, and pollutant uptake efficiency. In addition, the role of soil amendments and their impact on improving phytoremediation efficiency is critically evaluated. Commonly used amendments, including chelating agents, organic matter, and pH adjusters, are reviewed with emphasis on their ability to increase metal bioavailability and plant uptake. The review also addresses challenges associated with phytoremediation, such as plant growth limitations, long-term sustainability, and potential risks associated with the release of pollutants into the atmosphere during biomass disposal. Strategies to mitigate these challenges, including plant breeding and genetic engineering, are discussed

Loading of anticancer drug anastrozole using Fe3O4@SiO2

Anastrozole is a prescription drug that is used to treat hormone-dependent breast cancer, mostly in women who have gone through menopause. Once a day, it is taken by mouth. Anastrozole stops the activity of an enzyme called aromatase, which changes androgens into oestrogens. But taking the drug often comes with side effects that depend on how much you take, such as tiredness, diarrhea, hot flashes, nausea, headaches, muscle and joint pain, and so on. Anastrozole has also been linked to other side effects and more bone loss. To overcome the side effects of anastrozole and for their efficient delivery anastrozole must be loaded on the surfaces which is biocompatible and stable towards human body. So, the co-precipitation method was used to make iron oxide nanoparticles, which were then covered with silica using the Stober method. The made Fe3O4@SiO2 nanocomposite was taken out as a black powder and studied using FTIR, EDX, and SEM. The SEM picture showed that the Fe3O4 and Fe3O4@SiO2 nanoparticles size ranges were between 30 and 45 nm and 55 to 70 nm respectively. We also looked at how contact time, pH, and the amount of nanocomposite affected the loading of the drug. The best adsorption (85.6%) happened when the reaction lasted 12 h, the pH was 4, and the adsorbent dose was 10 mg