Effect of mercury on histological alterations in gill, liver and stomach tissues of Indian catfish, Clarias batrachus

Heavy metal pollution poses a great threat to aquatic ecosystem, ultimately threatening the survival of safe and healthy life on earth. Contaminated water persuades pathological alterations and behavioural changes in fish. Mercury is highly toxic and seriously affects aquatic organisms, ultimately affecting humans.The present study aimed to assess the histological alterations in tissues like gill, liver and stomach of Indian catfish Clarias batrachus. The fish were divided in to four groups i.e. one control (Group I) and three groups of different concentration of mercury chloride treated groups, i.e.0.0002mg/l (Group II), 0.002mg/l(Group III), and 0.02mg/l (Group IV) for 14 days. Each group contained 25 number of fish.The results indicated degenerative changes in gill, liver and stomach tissues of exposed fish. Level of changes were higher with respect to higher in concentration. Rupture of epithelial layer, club shaped gill filament, broken gill lamellae, hyperplasia of interlamellar epithelium, deletion of secondary lamellae, formation of vacuoles, blood conjugation and necrosis in gill filaments were observed in gill tissues of exposed fish. Liver damage included hepatocellular dissociation, inflamed hepatocytes, cloudy swelling, vacuole formation and hydropic degeneration. Besides, stomach tissues showed alterations such as thinner serosa, vacuolization, muscle damage, and necrosis at several points. The study confirmed that mercury is life hazardous even at very low concentration.

Optimiranje uvjeta uzgoja radi povećanja biomase lišaja Usnea ghattensis G. Awasthi i stvaranja veće količine metabolita s antioksidacijskim svojstvima

The aim of this study is to optimize the culture conditions for lichen Usnea ghattensis G. Awasthi in order to increase biomass and antioxidant metabolite production. The cultured lichen consisted of usnic acid produced by mycobionts and photobionts after 2 to 3 months of inoculation. Cultures grown in the media with excess carbon sources showed significant increment in the biomass growth, usnic acid production and total polyphenol mass fraction after six months of inoculation. The methanol extract of six-month-old cultures grown in the malt-yeast extract (MYE) medium containing 0.01 mol/L of sucrose and 0.01 mol/L of polyethylene glycol showed a significantly high inhibition of lipid peroxidation activity up to 89 %. A significant correlation (R^2=0.89) of p<0.01 was also found between total polyphenol mass fraction and the inhibition of lipid peroxidation in this lichen species.Svrha je ovog istraživanja bila optimirati uvjete uzgoja radi povećanja biomase lišaja Usnea ghatteniss G. Awasthi i dobivanja veće količine metabolita koji imaju antioksidativni učinak. Uzgojeni je lišaj (simbiont alge i gljive) ispitan 2-3 mjeseca nakon inokulacije te je utvrđeno da sadrži usninsku kiselinu. Također je ustanovljeno da je uzgojem na podlozi s povećanim udjelom ugljikovih spojeva tijekom 6 mjeseci dobivena kudikamo veća biomasa lišaja s većim masenim udjelima usninske kiseline i ukupnih polifenola. Ispitani metanolni ekstrakt kultura dobivenih šestomjesečnim uzgojem na podlozi od maltoznog i kvaščeva ekstrakta s dodatkom 0,01 mol/L saharoze i 0,01 mol/L polietilenglikola znatno je inhibirao peroksidaciju lipida, čak i do 89 %. Utvrđena je značajna pozitivna korelacija (R^2=0,89; p<0,01) između masenog udjela ukupnih polifenola u ispitanoj vrsti lišaja i inhibicije lipidne peroksidacije

Jellyfish menace in shoreseines operated off Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh

Jellyfish form seasonal swarms that mainly negatively impact fisheries, aquaculture and tourism sectors. In recent years, mass swarming of jellyfish has increased in world oceans and has become a topic of current scientific interest and research. Recent studies link their blooms to a combination of global climate events and several local anthropogenic stressors like overexploitation of finfish, eutrophication, and an increase in marine artificial structures which provide substrate for jellyfish attachment

Cardiovascular-protective, antioxidative, and antimicrobial properties of natural thallus of lichen Usnea complanata

In this study the cardiovascular protective antioxidative and antimicrobial properties of natural thallus of lichen Usnea complanata has been reported. Ethyl acetate extract showed maximum HMG-CoA reductase inhibitory activity up to 52.87 % at 200 μg/ml. Ethanol extract at same concentration showed 46.37 % inhibition of angiotensin converting enzyme. Maximum fibrinolytic activity was obtained in ethanol extract followed by hexane extract. Ethanol extract of U. complanata showed antioxidative activity as scavenging of nitric oxide radical, free radical scavenging and lipid peroxidation inhibition with an IC50 value ranging from 0.062 to 0.27 μg/ml, which was lower than the other solvent extracts. All extract with the exception of DMSO and hexane showed inhibitory activity against bacteria and fungi. Ethyl acetate extract was found to be most efficient as MIC90 was found in the range 4.61 – 21.55 μg/ml. Acetone and ethyl acetate extract inhibited all the tested fungi with MIC values ranged from 6.25 to 100 μg/ml and 12.5 to 100 μg/ml, respectively. Cardiovascular protective and antioxidative properties were shown strong correlation with the total polyphenol content present in the extract with R2 value ranging from 0.585 to 0.927.Colegio de Farmacéuticos de la Provincia de Buenos Aire

Enhancement and modulation of cosmic noise absorption in the afternoon sector at subauroral location ( L = 5) during the recovery phase of 17 March 2015 geomagnetic storm

The present study has focused on the intense production of cosmic noise absorption (CNA) at Maitri, Antarctica (L = 5; CGM −62°S, 55°E) during the early recovery phase of the largest storm of the current solar cycle commenced on 17 March 2015 St. Patrick's Day. The enhancement of CNA during 15–18 UT (14–17 magnetic local time (MLT); MLT = UT − 1 at Maitri) was as large as the CNA enhancement occurred during the main phase of the storm. During this time the CNA pattern also exhibits oscillation in the Pc5 (2–7 mHz) range and is in simultaneity with geomagnetic pulsations in the same frequency range. We observed the amplitude of CNA pulsation is well correlated with the level of CNA production. High-amplitude Pc5 oscillations were observed in the vicinity of auroral oval near Maitri. Absence of electromagnetic ion cyclotron (EMIC) waves is marked suggesting the possible role of VLF waves in precipitation. The reason for the intense CNA production is found to be the precipitation caused mainly by hiss-driven subrelativistic electrons. The CNA enhancement event is located well inside the dusk plasmaspheric bulge region as suggested by Tsurutani et al. (2015). Signature of enhanced eastward electrojet at Maitri during 14–17 MLT could be an additional factor for such large CNA. In order to establish the cause and effect relationship between the geomagnetic and CNA oscillations at Maitri, transfer entropy method has been used, which confirmed the modulation of CNA by geomagnetic pulsations

Global burden of 288 causes of death and life expectancy decomposition in 204 countries and territories and 811 subnational locations, 1990–2021: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2021

Background Regular, detailed reporting on population health by underlying cause of death is fundamental for public health decision making. Cause-specific estimates of mortality and the subsequent effects on life expectancy worldwide are valuable metrics to gauge progress in reducing mortality rates. These estimates are particularly important following large-scale mortality spikes, such as the COVID-19 pandemic. When systematically analysed, mortality rates and life expectancy allow comparisons of the consequences of causes of death globally and over time, providing a nuanced understanding of the effect of these causes on global populations. Methods The Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study (GBD) 2021 cause-of-death analysis estimated mortality and years of life lost (YLLs) from 288 causes of death by age-sex-location-year in 204 countries and territories and 811 subnational locations for each year from 1990 until 2021. The analysis used 56 604 data sources, including data from vital registration and verbal autopsy as well as surveys, censuses, surveillance systems, and cancer registries, among others. As with previous GBD rounds, cause-specific death rates for most causes were estimated using the Cause of Death Ensemble model—a modelling tool developed for GBD to assess the out-of-sample predictive validity of different statistical models and covariate permutations and combine those results to produce cause-specific mortality estimates—with alternative strategies adapted to model causes with insufficient data, substantial changes in reporting over the study period, or unusual epidemiology. YLLs were computed as the product of the number of deaths for each cause-age-sex-location-year and the standard life expectancy at each age. As part of the modelling process, uncertainty intervals (UIs) were generated using the 2·5th and 97·5th percentiles from a 1000-draw distribution for each metric. We decomposed life expectancy by cause of death, location, and year to show cause-specific effects on life expectancy from 1990 to 2021. We also used the coefficient of variation and the fraction of population affected by 90% of deaths to highlight concentrations of mortality. Findings are reported in counts and age-standardised rates. Methodological improvements for cause-of-death estimates in GBD 2021 include the expansion of under-5-years age group to include four new age groups, enhanced methods to account for stochastic variation of sparse data, and the inclusion of COVID-19 and other pandemic-related mortality—which includes excess mortality associated with the pandemic, excluding COVID-19, lower respiratory infections, measles, malaria, and pertussis. For this analysis, 199 new country-years of vital registration cause-of-death data, 5 country-years of surveillance data, 21 country-years of verbal autopsy data, and 94 country-years of other data types were added to those used in previous GBD rounds. Findings The leading causes of age-standardised deaths globally were the same in 2019 as they were in 1990; in descending order, these were, ischaemic heart disease, stroke, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and lower respiratory infections. In 2021, however, COVID-19 replaced stroke as the second-leading age-standardised cause of death, with 94·0 deaths (95% UI 89·2–100·0) per 100 000 population. The COVID-19 pandemic shifted the rankings of the leading five causes, lowering stroke to the third-leading and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease to the fourth-leading position. In 2021, the highest age-standardised death rates from COVID-19 occurred in sub-Saharan Africa (271·0 deaths [250·1–290·7] per 100 000 population) and Latin America and the Caribbean (195·4 deaths [182·1–211·4] per 100 000 population). The lowest age-standardised death rates from COVID-19 were in the high-income super-region (48·1 deaths [47·4–48·8] per 100 000 population) and southeast Asia, east Asia, and Oceania (23·2 deaths [16·3–37·2] per 100 000 population). Globally, life expectancy steadily improved between 1990 and 2019 for 18 of the 22 investigated causes. Decomposition of global and regional life expectancy showed the positive effect that reductions in deaths from enteric infections, lower respiratory infections, stroke, and neonatal deaths, among others have contributed to improved survival over the study period. However, a net reduction of 1·6 years occurred in global life expectancy between 2019 and 2021, primarily due to increased death rates from COVID-19 and other pandemic-related mortality. Life expectancy was highly variable between super-regions over the study period, with southeast Asia, east Asia, and Oceania gaining 8·3 years (6·7–9·9) overall, while having the smallest reduction in life expectancy due to COVID-19 (0·4 years). The largest reduction in life expectancy due to COVID-19 occurred in Latin America and the Caribbean (3·6 years). Additionally, 53 of the 288 causes of death were highly concentrated in locations with less than 50% of the global population as of 2021, and these causes of death became progressively more concentrated since 1990, when only 44 causes showed this pattern. The concentration phenomenon is discussed heuristically with respect to enteric and lower respiratory infections, malaria, HIV/AIDS, neonatal disorders, tuberculosis, and measles. Interpretation Long-standing gains in life expectancy and reductions in many of the leading causes of death have been disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic, the adverse effects of which were spread unevenly among populations. Despite the pandemic, there has been continued progress in combatting several notable causes of death, leading to improved global life expectancy over the study period. Each of the seven GBD super-regions showed an overall improvement from 1990 and 2021, obscuring the negative effect in the years of the pandemic. Additionally, our findings regarding regional variation in causes of death driving increases in life expectancy hold clear policy utility. Analyses of shifting mortality trends reveal that several causes, once widespread globally, are now increasingly concentrated geographically. These changes in mortality concentration, alongside further investigation of changing risks, interventions, and relevant policy, present an important opportunity to deepen our understanding of mortality-reduction strategies. Examining patterns in mortality concentration might reveal areas where successful public health interventions have been implemented. Translating these successes to locations where certain causes of death remain entrenched can inform policies that work to improve life expectancy for people everywhere

Global burden of 288 causes of death and life expectancy decomposition in 204 countries and territories and 811 subnational locations, 1990–2021: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2021

BACKGROUND Regular, detailed reporting on population health by underlying cause of death is fundamental for public health decision making. Cause-specific estimates of mortality and the subsequent effects on life expectancy worldwide are valuable metrics to gauge progress in reducing mortality rates. These estimates are particularly important following large-scale mortality spikes, such as the COVID-19 pandemic. When systematically analysed, mortality rates and life expectancy allow comparisons of the consequences of causes of death globally and over time, providing a nuanced understanding of the effect of these causes on global populations. METHODS The Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study (GBD) 2021 cause-of-death analysis estimated mortality and years of life lost (YLLs) from 288 causes of death by age-sex-location-year in 204 countries and territories and 811 subnational locations for each year from 1990 until 2021. The analysis used 56 604 data sources, including data from vital registration and verbal autopsy as well as surveys, censuses, surveillance systems, and cancer registries, among others. As with previous GBD rounds, cause-specific death rates for most causes were estimated using the Cause of Death Ensemble model-a modelling tool developed for GBD to assess the out-of-sample predictive validity of different statistical models and covariate permutations and combine those results to produce cause-specific mortality estimates-with alternative strategies adapted to model causes with insufficient data, substantial changes in reporting over the study period, or unusual epidemiology. YLLs were computed as the product of the number of deaths for each cause-age-sex-location-year and the standard life expectancy at each age. As part of the modelling process, uncertainty intervals (UIs) were generated using the 2·5th and 97·5th percentiles from a 1000-draw distribution for each metric. We decomposed life expectancy by cause of death, location, and year to show cause-specific effects on life expectancy from 1990 to 2021. We also used the coefficient of variation and the fraction of population affected by 90% of deaths to highlight concentrations of mortality. Findings are reported in counts and age-standardised rates. Methodological improvements for cause-of-death estimates in GBD 2021 include the expansion of under-5-years age group to include four new age groups, enhanced methods to account for stochastic variation of sparse data, and the inclusion of COVID-19 and other pandemic-related mortality-which includes excess mortality associated with the pandemic, excluding COVID-19, lower respiratory infections, measles, malaria, and pertussis. For this analysis, 199 new country-years of vital registration cause-of-death data, 5 country-years of surveillance data, 21 country-years of verbal autopsy data, and 94 country-years of other data types were added to those used in previous GBD rounds. FINDINGS The leading causes of age-standardised deaths globally were the same in 2019 as they were in 1990; in descending order, these were, ischaemic heart disease, stroke, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and lower respiratory infections. In 2021, however, COVID-19 replaced stroke as the second-leading age-standardised cause of death, with 94·0 deaths (95% UI 89·2-100·0) per 100 000 population. The COVID-19 pandemic shifted the rankings of the leading five causes, lowering stroke to the third-leading and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease to the fourth-leading position. In 2021, the highest age-standardised death rates from COVID-19 occurred in sub-Saharan Africa (271·0 deaths [250·1-290·7] per 100 000 population) and Latin America and the Caribbean (195·4 deaths [182·1-211·4] per 100 000 population). The lowest age-standardised death rates from COVID-19 were in the high-income super-region (48·1 deaths [47·4-48·8] per 100 000 population) and southeast Asia, east Asia, and Oceania (23·2 deaths [16·3-37·2] per 100 000 population). Globally, life expectancy steadily improved between 1990 and 2019 for 18 of the 22 investigated causes. Decomposition of global and regional life expectancy showed the positive effect that reductions in deaths from enteric infections, lower respiratory infections, stroke, and neonatal deaths, among others have contributed to improved survival over the study period. However, a net reduction of 1·6 years occurred in global life expectancy between 2019 and 2021, primarily due to increased death rates from COVID-19 and other pandemic-related mortality. Life expectancy was highly variable between super-regions over the study period, with southeast Asia, east Asia, and Oceania gaining 8·3 years (6·7-9·9) overall, while having the smallest reduction in life expectancy due to COVID-19 (0·4 years). The largest reduction in life expectancy due to COVID-19 occurred in Latin America and the Caribbean (3·6 years). Additionally, 53 of the 288 causes of death were highly concentrated in locations with less than 50% of the global population as of 2021, and these causes of death became progressively more concentrated since 1990, when only 44 causes showed this pattern. The concentration phenomenon is discussed heuristically with respect to enteric and lower respiratory infections, malaria, HIV/AIDS, neonatal disorders, tuberculosis, and measles. INTERPRETATION Long-standing gains in life expectancy and reductions in many of the leading causes of death have been disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic, the adverse effects of which were spread unevenly among populations. Despite the pandemic, there has been continued progress in combatting several notable causes of death, leading to improved global life expectancy over the study period. Each of the seven GBD super-regions showed an overall improvement from 1990 and 2021, obscuring the negative effect in the years of the pandemic. Additionally, our findings regarding regional variation in causes of death driving increases in life expectancy hold clear policy utility. Analyses of shifting mortality trends reveal that several causes, once widespread globally, are now increasingly concentrated geographically. These changes in mortality concentration, alongside further investigation of changing risks, interventions, and relevant policy, present an important opportunity to deepen our understanding of mortality-reduction strategies. Examining patterns in mortality concentration might reveal areas where successful public health interventions have been implemented. Translating these successes to locations where certain causes of death remain entrenched can inform policies that work to improve life expectancy for people everywhere. FUNDING Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation