Women Volunteerism for Protecting Watershed Ecosystem in Langat Basin

Forested watershed provides abundant ecosystem services for water users including catchment area protection, flood regulation, provisioning of clean drinking water and climate regulation. However, the value of ecosystem services only partially takes into account by policy makers and indirectly cause overexploitation of natural resources. This study observes the economic role of women in protecting watershed ecosystem by calculating willingness to pay (WTP). Langat Basin is an imperative watershed that supplying fresh water source and other necessities to approximately 1.2 million people within the catchment area. Langat Basin has getting the effect of hasty growth through industrialization and land development actions. Women within Langat Basin has been selected through face to face interview for measure willingness to pay (WTP) towards ecosystem protection. Single Bounded Dichotomous Choice technique in Contingent Valuation Method (CVM) is engaged to calculate WTP of women. Willingness to pay of women in upstream is RM184.28, followed by women in middle stream is RM168.60 and lastly WTP of women in downstream is RM190.16. The willingness to pay women shows that women has potential to be part of ecosystem protection and signal to policy makers to include women in decision making process especially for environmental perspective

Investigations on Rare Earth Elements in Sediments from South Vellar Estuary along Bay of Bengal and Palk Strait, Tamil Nadu, India

The rare earth elements (REEs) in the sediments of the South Vellar estuary on the eastern coast of India were measured using thermal ionization mass spectrometry (TIMS). Lanthanides (La-Lu) and a number of other elements (Cr, Ni, Zn, Pb, Ag, Co, Cd, and V) were studied in bed sediment samples. The estuary’s total REE content (REE) ranges from 73.30 to 360.50 g/g. Continental weathering has a substantial impact on the distribution of REEs. Using factor analysis on the elemental data, two important groups of elements were identified: (a) LREEs, HREEs, Pb, Ag, and Cd, revealing an association with river detritals; and (b) Co, Ni, Zn, Cr, and V, indicating complex estuary processes. Because of the silicate weathering of crustal materials and the resultant increase in LREEs in detritals, LREEs are more enriched than HREEs. We get to the conclusion that 30% of HREE flux and 70% of LREE flux to the Bay of Bengal are provided by the estuarine system

Household’s willingness to pay for watershed protection services in Langat Basin, Selangor using contingent valuation method

The significance of having a payment scheme for ecosystem services (PES) for the purpose of watershed protection in order to develop a sustainable forest management is globally recognised. PES is an advanced financial tool to foster a platform for generating a source of income from ecosystem service users to ecosystem providers. More importantly, the involvement of households is vital for the successful implementation of PES programmes. Thus, this study aims to examine the willingness to pay for watershed protection services among households in the Langat Basin. Households around upstream, middle-stream and downstream segments of the Langat Basin were selected randomly to be studied and involved in face-to-face interviews. The Probit and Logit models in Contingent Valuation Method (CVM) were employed to assess household’s WTP towards watershed protection efforts of the Langat Basin. The mean for WTP of Upstream household is RM30.01 while middle-stream household’s WTP is RM33.07 compared to that of the downstream household, which is RM32.41. The households’ WTP shows an increasing trend from upstream to downstream households. These results offer a new insight and discernment between PES programmes and households’ WTP so as to develop a sustainable management for water-based ecosystem services

Activation and Induction of Antigen-Specific T Follicular Helper Cells Play a Critical Role in Live-Attenuated Influenza Vaccine-Induced Human Mucosal Anti-influenza Antibody Response

There is increasing interest recently in developing intranasal vaccines against respiratory tract infections. The antibody response is critical for vaccine-induced protection, and T follicular helper cells (TFH) are considered important for mediating the antibody response. Most data supporting the role for TFH in the antibody response are from animal studies, and direct evidence from humans is limited, apart from the presence of TFH-like cells in blood. We studied the activation and induction of TFH and their role in the anti-influenza antibody response induced by a live-attenuated influenza vaccine (LAIV) in human nasopharynx-associated lymphoid tissue (NALT). TFH activation in adenotonsillar tissues was analyzed by flow cytometry, and anti-hemagglutinin (anti-HA) antibodies were examined following LAIV stimulation of tonsillar mononuclear cells (MNC). Induction of antigen-specific TFH by LAIV was studied by flow cytometry analysis of induced TFH and CD154 expression. LAIV induced TFH proliferation, which correlated with anti-HA antibody production, and TFH were shown to be critical for the antibody response. Induction of TFH from naive T cells by LAIV was shown in newly induced TFH expressing BCL6 and CD21, followed by the detection of anti-HA antibodies. Antigen specificity of LAIV-induced TFH was demonstrated by expression of the antigen-specific T cell activation marker CD154 upon challenge by H1N1 virus antigen or HA. LAIV-induced TFH differentiation was inhibited by BCL6, interleukin-21 (IL-21), ICOS, and CD40 signaling blocking, and that diminished anti-HA antibody production. In conclusion, we demonstrated the induction by LAIV of antigen-specific TFH in human NALT that provide critical support for the anti-influenza antibody response. Promoting antigen-specific TFH in NALT by use of intranasal vaccines may provide an effective vaccination strategy against respiratory infections in humans. IMPORTANCE Airway infections, such as influenza, are common in humans. Intranasal vaccination has been considered a biologically relevant and effective way of immunization against airway infection. The vaccine-induced antibody response is crucial for protection against infection. Recent data from animal studies suggest that one type of T cells, TFH, are important for the antibody response. However, data on whether TFH-mediated help for antibody production operates in humans are limited due to the lack of access to human immune tissue containing TFH. In this study, we demonstrate the induction of TFH in human immune tissue, providing critical support for the anti-influenza antibody response, by use of an intranasal influenza vaccine. Our findings provide direct evidence that TFH play a critical role in vaccine-induced immunity in humans and suggest a novel strategy for promoting such cells by use of intranasal vaccines against respiratory infections

Dual Enhancement in the Radiosensitivity of Prostate Cancer Through Nanoparticles and Chemotherapeutics

BACKGROUND: Radiotherapy (RT) is an essential component in the treatment regimens for many cancer patients. However, the dose escalation required to improve curative results is hindered due to the normal tissue toxicity that is induced. The introduction of radiosensitizers to RT treatment is an avenue that is currently being explored to overcome this issue. By introducing radiosensitizers into tumor sites, it is possible to preferentially enhance the local dose deposited. Gold nanoparticles (GNPs) are a potential candidate that have shown great promise in increasing the radiosensitivity of cancer cells through an enhancement in DNA damage. Furthermore, docetaxel (DTX) is a chemotherapeutic agent that arrests cells in the G2/M phase of the cell cycle, the phase most sensitive to radiation damage. We hypothesized that by incorporating DTX to GNP-enhanced radiotherapy treatment, we could further improve the radiosensitization experienced by cancer cells. To assess this strategy, we analyzed the radiotherapeutic effects on monolayer cell cultures in vitro, as well as on a mice prostate xenograft model in vivo while using clinically feasible concentrations for both GNPs and DTX. RESULTS: The introduction of DTX to GNP-enhanced radiotherapy further increased the radiotherapeutic effects experienced by cancer cells. A 38% increase in DNA double-strand breaks was observed with the combination of GNP/DTX vs GNP alone after a dose of 2 Gy was administered. In vivo results displayed significant reduction in tumor growth over a 30-day observation period with the treatment of GNP/DTX/RT when compared to GNP/RT after a single 5 Gy dose was given to mice. The treatment strategy also resulted in 100% mice survival, which was not observed for other treatment conditions. CONCLUSIONS: Incorporating DTX to work in unison with GNPs and RT can increase the efficacy of RT treatment. Our study suggests that the treatment strategy could improve tumor control through local dose enhancement. As the concentrations used in this study are clinically feasible, there is potential for this strategy to be translated into clinical settings

Positive impacts of integrating flaxseed meal as a potential feed supplement in livestock and poultry production: Present scientific understanding

When it comes to food and fiber production, flaxseed (Linum usitatissimum) has been around the longest. Oil makes up over 41% of a flaxseed's total weight; of that, more than 70% is polyunsaturated. Protein, dietary fiber, α-linolenic acid (ALA), flaxseed gum, and many other beneficial compounds are abundant in flaxseed meal (FSM). There is as much as 30% crude protein in FSM. Therefore, FSM can serve as a source of excellent protein for livestock. FSM increases the efficiency and effectiveness of livestock and poultry farming. FSM can be used as an essential protein feed component in cattle and poultry farming, boosting production and profitability. Because it contains anti-nutritional ingredients such as cyanogenic glycosides, tannins, phytic acid, oxalic acid and an anti-vitamin B6 factor, the use of FSM in livestock and poultry diets is restricted. Animal nutritionists have recently shown a growing interest in reducing anti-nutritional elements and boosting FSM's nutritional value. Recently, fermented FSM has been used to feed cattle and poultry; hence its dietary benefits have not yet been fully assessed. The present article, therefore, addresses the chemical make-up, bioactive components, anti-nutritional aspects, and positive impacts of FSM in livestock and poultry production

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Not AvailableThe probiotic activity of Bacillus mycoides was evaluated by its effect on the haematological and biochemical factors of P. hypophthalmus. The experiment was carried out in two groups and three replicates. In control group, probiotic was not applied in diet but in treatment group, B. mycoides was administered in feed at a concentration of 107 cells per gram. In the day of thirty, 5 blood samples were drawn from every replicate for biochemical and haematological experiments. Results showed that B. mycoides addition to diet had no effect on erythrocyte count, haemoglobin, haematocrit, mean cell volume, mean corpuscular haemoglobin and mean corpuscular haemoglobin concentration and there was no significant difference among two groups. But the leucocyte count, percent of lymphocyte, serum total protein, serum albumin, IgM and lysozyme of T group was significantly higher than that of C group, whereas percent of neutrophile and monocyte of C group was significantly higher than that of T group. The results suggest that B. mycoides can stimulate immune parameters in P. hypophthalmus.Not Availabl

Energy Management Opportunities Through Energy Efficiency Retrofit for Hostel Building

An energy audit conducted on a building is also known as a building energy assessment. It can summarise the whole idea of a building’s energy use. Conducting an audit can help business owners determine how much energy a building uses and how much of this energy is useful. It also determines where it is losing energy and which problem areas and fixes should prioritized to make the building more efficient and comfortable. An energy audit should be the first step before making and energy-saving improvements. A targeted audit was conducted on the selected hostel building to identify the energy management opportunities and possible implementation of energy efficiency retrofit techniques. Regression and CUSUM analysis were performed on the obtained data to study the pattern of energy consumption. Recommendations were made on the energy management opportunities for energy conversation and saving with the estimation of carbon footprint

English language acquisition through online mode of teaching during COVID-19 pandemic in India

Education and learning hitherto has undergone huge changes from the kind of teaching provided to Gen Y . One major differentiator is the rise of technology and the spread of internet. It has moved ahead  from the ‘analog’ methods to the ‘digital’ methods. The unprecedented Covid-19 crisis which swept across the globes causing loss of human lives and forced people to stay indoors accelerated the process of seeking education through online modes. Thus, learning a language in such an advanced ecosystem is one of the most crucial components in terms of education. In developing countries such as India where English (used as a second language)  is learnt not merely to communicate  but as a tool for empowerment, the methods used to acquire the  language needs to be  assessed , helping the quality of language learning especially during the Covid-19 pandemic. The observations are based on various data collected using surveys etc during the lockdown imposed due to the COVID 19 pandemic in India.&nbsp

Prevalence of peripheral artery disease and risk factors in the elderly: A community based cross-sectional study from northern Kerala, India

Background and objective: There are no data on the prevalence of peripheral artery disease (PAD) and risk factors in Indians. This study was aimed at studying the prevalence of PAD and risk factors in elderly population of northern parts of Kerala, South India. Methods: In a prospective observational survey we evaluated men and women of age between 60 and 79 years from Kerala. Anthropometric measurements, biochemical investigations and electrocardiogram were done. The diagnosis of PAD was made by ABI < 0.9. Assessment of coronary artery disease CAD was performed using historical, angina questionnaire and electrocardiographic criteria. Results: Of the total sample of 1330, we could evaluate 1148 respondents (86.3%). Overall mean (SD) ABI was 0.97 (0.19). Age-adjusted prevalence of PAD was 26.7% (95% CI (24.3, 29.4)) with no difference between urban and rural population. Prevalence of symptomatic PAD was low. Diabetes, hypertension, high cholesterol, low high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, sedentary life style and smoking was observed in 25.5%, 62.9%, 61.6%, 35.9% 38.1% and 30.7%, respectively. On multivariate analysis age, smoking and physical inactivity were strong predictors of PAD. There was independent association of PAD with definite CAD. Conclusions: There was high prevalence of PAD in Kerala, driven by high prevalence of risk factors. The prevalence was equal in rural and urban population. Intermittent claudication was uncommon. Age, female gender, smoking, physical inactivity, diabetes were independent predictors for presence of PAD. Keywords: Prevalence, Peripheral artery disease, Risk factor