What is the Significance of Mangrove Forests: A Note

Mangroves occur almost exclusively in the tropics. Mangroves are found in a relatively small area of originally 17 to 20 million hectares. Mangrove area is used to refer to large variety of coastal systems which vary in productivity and in their makeup and which have differing hydrological and ecological features, depending upon the coastal morphology. They act as “coastal stabilizers, shelter belt areas, barrier of the sea erosion and as a nutrient export zone to open ocean. With regards to animal and plant resources, there occurs a total number of 193 plant species, 397 fish species, 259 crab species 256 mollusk species and 450 insects, more than 250 species of mammals, other plants and animals species diversity world wide. With respect of global warming, mangroves play a major role in controlling the concomitant sea level rise, coastal erosion and long-term community stability and also have an excellent potential of medical values. In the monetary term, the market value assessment of mangrove areas is available for entry into a coast-benefit analysis, mangrove forest will be regarded as a high-value ecosystem such as above sources of these long-term utilization of mangrove is only possible if one takes the ecological, economic and social value of this ecosystem into consideration as most essential for the eco-balance

CONSERVING A CRUCIAL WETLAND ECOSYSTEM -A NOTE

ABSTRACT: Mangroves occur almost exclusively in the tropics. Mangroves are found in a relatively small area of originally 17 to 20 million hectares. A few years ago environmental care given to mangroves ecosystem was negligible and it was subjected to destruction. Hence, there has been massive destruction of mangrove forests all over the world. To approach the mangrove forest, with a narrow, utilitarian and restricted point of view, may lead to the exploitation of this resource. It has pushed the system to its highest possible level at the cost of breaking the equilibrium of the whole system. The intensive aquaculture practice in mangrove areas will collapse the system ecologically and economically in a few years, as has it happened in Thailand and Philippines. In the past, about 80% of the mangrove forests have been devastated or have been subjected to degradation due to land deposits, construction of sanitary land fills, setting up of aquaculture, industrial logging, and discharge of water pollutant, mining and other human impact. The application of scientific knowledge, coupled with socio-economic considerations may provide the planners with a solid basis for a proper management of the coastal wetland systems where the mangroves are one of the important life-sustaining ecosystems. Based on these different viewpoints mangrove should be conserved for the future with an effective eco-balance

Propolis Ameliorates Tumor Nerosis Factor-α, Nitric Oxide levels, Caspase-3 and Nitric Oxide Synthase Activities in Kainic Acid Mediated Excitotoxicity in Rat Brain

Background: Increased nitric oxide (NO), neuronal inflammation and apoptosis have been proposed to be involved in excitotoxicity plays a partin many neurodegenerative diseases. To understand the neuro-protective effects of propolis, activities of Nitric oxide synthase (NOS) andcaspase-3 along with NO and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) levels were studied in cerebral cortex (CC), cerebellum (CB) and brain stem (BS)in rats supplemented with propolis prior to excitotoxic injury with kainic acid (KA).Materials and methods: Male Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into four groups (n=6 rats per group) as Control, KA, Propolis andKA+Propolis. The control group and KA group have received vehicle and saline. Propolis group and propolis + KA group were orallyadministered with propolis (150mg/kg body weight), five times every 12 hours. KA group and propolis +KA group were injected subcutaneouslywith kainic acid (15mg/kg body weight) and were sacrificed after 2 hrs. CC, CB and BS were separated, homogenized and used for estimation ofNOS, caspase-3, NO and TNF-α by commercial kits. Results were analyzed by one way ANOVA, reported as mean + SD (n=6 rats), and p<0.05was considered statistically significant.Results: The concentration of NO, TNF-α, NOS and caspase-3 activity were increased significantly (p<0.001) in all the three brain regions testedin KA group compared to the control. Propolis supplementation significantly (p<0.001) prevented the increase in NOS, NO, TNF-α and caspase-3due to KA.Conclusion: Results of this study clearly demonstrated that the propolis supplementation attenuated the NOS, caspase-3 activities, NO, and TNF-á concentration and in KA mediated excitotoxicity. Hence propolis can be a possible potential protective agent against excitotoxicity andneurodegenerative disorders.Keywords: Nitric oxide; TNF-α; Caspase-3; Excitotoxicity; Propolis; Rat Brai

Hydro- Chemical Evolution of Palk Strait Region, Bay of Bengal

Present analysis was carried out the physico- chemical parameters of two stations such as Thondi and Soliyakudi in the southeast Palk Strait region during the monsoon and post monsoon seasons (November 2008 – March 2009). High temperature (31˚C) and salinity (35%o) was recorded in the month of March (post monsoon). Dissolved oxygen content was high (5.2 O2 mg. l-1) during in the monsoonal season. Compared with other nutrients such as NO3, NO2 and SiO2, the total phosphorous concentration was high in both the stations during monsoonal season. In general concentrations of all the nutrients were high in the station I during monsoon season (November and December) which could be due to the addition of nutrients through the sewage, agricultural and land run off

Restoration Of Glutamine Synthetase Activity, Nitric Oxide Levels And Amelioration Of Oxidative Stress By Propolis In Kainic Acid Mediated Excitotoxicity

Background: Propolis has been proposed to be protective on neurodegenerative disorders. To understand the neuroprotective effects of honeybee propolis, glutamine synthetase (GS) activity, nitric oxide (NO), thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) and total antioxidant status (TAS) were studied in different brain regions- cerebral cortex (CC), cerebellum (CB) and brain stem (BS) of rats supplemented with propolis and subjected to kainic acid (KA) mediated excitotoxicity.Materials and Methods: Male Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into four groups; Control group and KA group received vehicle and saline. Propolis group and propolis + KA group were orally administered with propolis (150mg/kg body weight), five times every 12 hours. KA group and propolis + KA group were injected subcutaneously with kainic acid (15mg/kg body weight) and were sacrificed after 2 hrs and CC, CB and BS were separated homogenized and used for estimation of GS activity, NO, TBARS, and TAS concentrations by colorimetric methods. Results were analyzed by oneway ANOVA, reported as mean + SD from 6 animals, and p<0.05 considered statistically significant.Results: NO was increased (p< 0.001) and GS activity was decreased (p< 0.001) in KA treated group compared to control group as well as propolis + KA treated group. TBARS was decreased and TAS was increased (p< 0.001) in propolis + KA treated group compared KA treated group.Conclusion: This study clearly demonstrated the restoration of GS activity, NO levels and decreased oxidative stress by propolis in kainic acid mediated excitotoxicity. Hence the propolis can be a possible potential candidate (protective agent) against excitotoxicity and neurodegenerative disorders.Keywords: Nitric oxide, Glutamine Synthetase, Oxidative Stress, Excitotoxicity, Propolis, Rat Brain

Sex-specific effects of small-sided games in basketball on psychometric and physiological markers during Ramadan intermittent fasting:a pilot study

International audienceBackground We assessed the effects of gender, in association with a four-week small-sided games (SSGs) training program, during Ramadan intermitting fasting (RIF) on changes in psychometric and physiological markers in professional male and female basketball players. Methods Twenty-four professional basketball players from the first Tunisian (Tunisia) division participated in this study. The players were dichotomized by sex (males [G(M) = 12]; females [G(F) = 12]). Both groups completed a 4 weeks SSGs training program with 3 sessions per week. Psychometric (e.g., quality of sleep, fatigue, stress, and delayed onset of muscle soreness [DOMS]) and physiological parameters (e.g., heart rate frequency, blood lactate) were measured during the first week (baseline) and at the end of RIF (post-test). Results Post hoc tests showed a significant increase in stress levels in both groups (G(M) [- 81.11%; p < 0.001, d = 0.33, small]; G(F) [- 36,53%; p = 0.001, d = 0.25, small]). Concerning physiological parameters, ANCOVA revealed significantly lower heart rates in favor of G(M) at post-test (1.70%, d = 0.38, small, p = 0.002). Conclusions Our results showed that SSGs training at the end of the RIF negatively impacted psychometric parameters of male and female basketball players. It can be concluded that there are sex-mediated effects of training during RIF in basketball players, and this should be considered by researchers and practitioners when programing training during RIF

HIV care coverage among HIV-positive adolescent girls and young women in South Africa: Results from the HERStory Study

Background. Health service coverage cascades measure the proportion of a population in need of a service that experienced a positive health outcome from the service, and enable tracking of progress in achieving universal health coverage and inequities in care coverage.Objectives. To investigate HIV care coverage among HIV-positive adolescent girls and young women (AGYW) living in six South African districts, compare coverage by age and socioeconomic status (SES), and investigate other associated factors including participation in a combination HIV prevention intervention.Methods. The HERStory Study was an evaluation of the combination intervention, comprising a representative household survey of AGYW aged 15 - 24 years living in six intervention districts. From September 2017 to November 2018, biological, sociodemographic and behavioural data were collected. HIV-positive status, initiation of antiretroviral therapy (ART) and viral suppression were determined through laboratory tests (enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for HIV antibodies, antiretroviral (ARV) metabolites and viral load (VL) testing). Viral suppression was defined as a VL <1 000 copies/mL. Knowledge of HIV-positive status was self-reported, and participants testing positive for ARV metabolites were assumed to have known their HIV-positive status. Unconditional HIV care cascades were created, stratified by age and SES. We used Pearson’s χ2 tests corrected for survey-based analysis to describe factors associated with knowledge of HIV status, and being on ART.Results. Of the 4 399 participants, 568 were HIV-positive (12.4%), of whom 60.8% (95% confidence interval (CI) 57.1 - 64.5) knew their status, 50.6% (95% CI 46.6 - 54.0) were on ART, and 62.1% (95% CI 58.4 - 65.9) were virally suppressed. Most participants (84.9%) were in the lower SES group, and they had better coverage than the higher SES group: 61.9% (95% CI 58.3 - 65.4) knew their status, 52.1% (95% CI 48.4 - 55.9) were on ART, and 64.9% (95% CI 61.3 - 68.4) were virally suppressed, compared with 55.0% (95% CI 42.1 - 68.0), 40.0% (95% CI 29.2 - 50.8), and 46.6% (95% CI 34.5 - 58.7), respectively. Participants aged 15 - 19 years had slightly inferior coverage to the 20 - 24-year-old group: 57.5% knew their status, 46.1% were on ART and 59.5% were virally suppressed, compared with 62.3%, 52.2% and 63.3%.Conclusions. These findings emphasise the need to close the gaps in HIV care coverage among AGYW, of whom only 61% knew their HIV-positive status and only 62% were virally suppressed. There is pro-poor inequality in HIV care coverage, with those in lower socioeconomic groups more likely to be virally suppressed

Increase of Carbon Cycle Feedback with Climate Sensitivity: Results from a coupled Climate and Carbon Cycle Model

Coupled climate and carbon cycle modeling studies have shown that the feedback between global warming and the carbon cycle, in particular the terrestrial carbon cycle, could accelerate climate change and result in larger warming. In this paper, we investigate the sensitivity of this feedback for year-2100 global warming in the range of 0 K to 8 K. Differing climate sensitivities to increased CO{sub 2} content are imposed on the carbon cycle models for the same emissions. Emissions from the SRES A2 scenario are used. We use a fully-coupled climate and carbon cycle model, the INtegrated Climate and CArbon model (INCCA) the NCAR/DOE Parallel Coupled Model coupled to the IBIS terrestrial biosphere model and a modified-OCMIP ocean biogeochemistry model. In our model, for scenarios with year-2100 global warming increasing from 0 to 8 K, land uptake decreases from 47% to 29% of total CO{sub 2} emissions. Due to competing effects, ocean uptake (16%) shows almost no change at all. Atmospheric CO{sub 2} concentration increases were 48% higher in the run with 8 K global climate warming than in the case with no warming. Our results indicate that carbon cycle amplification of climate warming will be greater if there is higher climate sensitivity to increased atmospheric CO{sub 2} content; the carbon cycle feedback factor increases from 1.13 to 1.48 when global warming increases from 3.2 to 8 K

Adaptation and resilience : lessons learned from implementing a combination health and education intervention for adolescent girls and young women in South Africa during the COVID-19 pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic has been associated with reduced access to health services and worsening health outcomes for HIV and sexual and reproductive health (SRH). Through the analysis of data from an evaluation study of a combination intervention for adolescent girls and young women (AGYW) in South Africa, we sought to examine the way in which implementation and service provision were impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic and related restrictions, describing the adaptation implementers made to respond to this context. The intervention was implemented from 2019 in South African districts identified as high priority, given the high rates of HIV and teenage pregnancy amongst AGYW. The South African government introduced the first COVID-19 lockdown in March 2020. We conducted in-depth interviews with 38 intervention implementers in the period from November 2020 to March 2021. Respondents described various ways in which the COVID-19 pandemic and related restrictions had limited their ability to implement the intervention and provide services as planned. As a result, AGYW intervention beneficiary access to SRH and psychosocial services was disrupted. Implementers described several ways in which they attempted to adapt to the pandemic context, such as offering services remotely or door-to-door. Despite attempts to respond to the context and adapt services, overall COVID-19 negatively affected implementation and service provision, and heightened issues around community acceptability of the programs. Our findings can help to inform efforts to reduce health service disruption, increase health system resilience, and ensure continuous SRH service provision to AGYW in times of pandemics and other crises

Engaging with community researchers for exposure science: lessons learned from a pesticide biomonitoring study

A major challenge in biomonitoring studies with members of the general public is ensuring their continued involvement throughout the necessary length of the research. The paper presents evidence on the use of community researchers, recruited from local study areas, as a mechanism for ensuring effective recruitment and retention of farmer and resident participants for a pesticides biomonitoring study. The evidence presented suggests that community researchers' abilities to build and sustain trusting relationships with participants enhanced the rigour of the study as a result of their on-the-ground responsiveness and flexibility resulting in data collection beyond targets expected