Seismic interpretation and classification of mud volcanoes of the South Caspian Basin, offshore Azerbaijan.

Understanding the nature of mud volcanism, mechanisms of formation, types of eruptions and their relationship to the hydrocarbon systems provides important information about subsurface conditions and geological processes within the South Caspian Basin. A 2D seismic grid in southeastern offshore Azerbaijan is used to define the areal distribution of mud volcanoes and to make a classification of the mud volcanoes based on characteristic seismic features. As a result detailed database for each determined mud volcano is constructed. Analysis of different parameters from this database shows that there is a high concentration of mud volcanoes at the southern part of the study area. It is coincides with the distribution of the subsurface structures within the basin. Mud volcanoes with low relief (several tens of meters) are mainly concentrated in the northeast. Conversely, mud volcanoes with large vertical relief (greater than 200 m) are clustered in the southwest part of the basin. Mud volcano development in the South Caspian Basin is generally linked to faults, which in some instances are detached at the basement level. By using interpreted seismic surfaces it is possible to determine relative time of mud flows from the mud volcanoes. Timing of mud flows reveals to the actual activity of the mud volcanoes and it gives valuable information about possible mechanism of mud volcanism within the South Caspian Basin. Previous studies of the onshore mud volcanoes in Azerbaijan and the results from current work conclude that mud volcano formation within the South Caspian Basin is mainly controlled by tectonic forces and overpressured sediments. Mud volcano activity is not always related to the Maykop organic reach shale succession. It can occur at shallow depths by pressure breakthrough from any stratigraphic zone

Efficacy of curative applications of submicron chitosan dispersions on anthracnose intensity and vegetative growth of dragon fruit plants

The antifungal potential of submicron chitosan dispersions (SCD) and its effect on the vegetative growth of dragon fruit plants were studied under field conditions. There was a reduction in disease incidence (15.65%) with a severity score of 1.60 in plants treated with SCD of 600 nm droplet size of 1.0% chitosan compared to the control plants. Moreover, a significant increase was also observed among the treatments in terms of number of shoots per cutting, stem diameter and shoot length. However, the highest number of shoots (19), maximum stem diameter (0.23 m) and maximum stem length (2.80 m) were observed in plants treated with SCD of 600 nm droplet size of 1.0% chitosan. Similarly, chlorophyll content were also high in plants receiving SCD of 600 nm droplet size of 1.0% chitosan. Therefore, it can be concluded from the results that, instead of applying chitosan in the conventional form, it can be more effective as an antifungal agent as well as plant growth enhancer when applied in the form of submicron dispersions

Postharvest application of gum arabic and essential oils for controlling anthracnose and quality of banana and papaya during cold storage.

Management of anthracnose caused by Colletotrichum spp. is the most important issue for the tropical fruit industry because of resulting financial losses. Antifungal effects of gum arabic (GA) (10%), lemongrass oil (LG) (0.05%), cinnamon oil (CM) (0.4%), and their combinations were investigated in vitro and in vivo for controlling postharvest anthracnose of banana and papaya. LG at 0.05% and 0.4% CM showed fungicidal effects against Colletotrichum musae and Colletotrichum gloeosporioides, causal organisms of banana and papaya anthracnose, respectively. GA alone did not show any fungicidal effects while the combination of 0.05% LG and 0.4% CM with Ten percent GA alone showed more fungicidal effects. However, potato dextrose agar (PDA) medium modified with 10% GA combined with 0.4% CM showed the most promising results among all treatments against C. musae and C. gloeosporioides in suppressing the mycelial growth (73.4%) and (70.0%) and spore germination inhibition (88%) and (85%), respectively. In vivo studies also revealed that 10% GA combined with 0.4% CM was the optimal concentration in controlling decay (80%) and (71%), showing a synergistic effect in the reduction of C. musae and C. gloeosporioides, respectively, in artificially inoculated bananas and papayas. The results regarding quality evaluation also confirmed the efficacy of 10% GA combined with 0.4% CM coatings since ripening was significantly delayed, in terms of percentage weight loss, fruit firmness, soluble solids concentration and titratable acidity. The results suggest the possibility of using 10% gum arabic combined with 0.4% cinnamon oil as a biofungicide for controlling postharvest anthracnose in major tropical fruit such as banana and papaya

Efficacy of ethanolic extract of propolis in maintaining postharvest quality of dragon fruit during storage

Significant (P ≤ 0.05) differences were observed in dragon fruit quality when treated with different concentrations of ethanolic extract of propolis (EEP) (0.25, 0.50, 0.75 and 1.0%) and stored at 20 ± 2 °C and 80 ± 5% relative humidity (RH) for 20 days. Fruit treated with 0.50% EEP showed the most promising results, while fruit treated with 0.75 and 1.0% EEP showed some phytotoxic effects even after 8 days of storage. The results of gas exchange analysis also proved the efficacy of 0.50% EEP concentration. Thus, it can be concluded from the present investigation that EEP at 0.50% concentration could be used to extend the storage life of dragon fruit without any negative effects on the quality

Regulation of inducible enzymes and suppression of anthracnose using submicron chitosan dispersions

The mechanism of suppression of Colletotrichum gloeosporioides was studied by using submicron chitosan dispersions. In vitro and in vivo experiments showed that mycelial growth and disease incidence/ severity were significantly (P < 0.05) suppressed in 600 nm submicron chitosan dispersion at 1% chitosan concentration. Field trials showed that host resistance was stimulated in dragon fruit plants at all the submicron chitosan dispersions (SCD) used. Results showed that the application of SCD significantly enhanced the production of plant-defense related enzymes such as PO, PPO and PAL. A further increase in inducible compounds and PR proteins was observed in plants inoculated with C. gloeosporioides. Increase in inducible compounds and delayed symptoms of anthracnose indicated the possible mechanism of induced resistance. However, the resistance decreased with the passage of time which could be due to highly stressed environment of the plants. Therefore, it is suggested that the plants should be sprayed with SCD to sustain the absolute effect

Understanding the neighbourhood choice decisions of movers: an analysis of focus group discussions

Using a qualitative methods approach, this study explores the key factors that influence household neighbourhood choice. Three newly developed residential neighbourhoods have been studied to examine resident decision making around their neighbourhood preferences. Four focus group (n = 4) discussions with 29 individuals who were recent movers to the study areas were conducted to examine the reasons behind neighbourhood choice and the needs of the household. The results revealed that household neighbourhood choice decisions were multi-faceted and complex. The key findings can be classified into six categories: safety, residential environment, neighbourhood facilities, accessibility, economic and demographic factors. Residents emphasised that the combination of land-use and transportation planning may be one important part of multi-layered solutions to improve quality of life in residential neighbourhoods

Inhibition in production of cellulolytic and pectinolytic enzymes of Colletotrichum gloeosporioides isolated from dragon fruit plants in response to submicron chitosan dispersions

In vitro and in vivo antifungal potential of submicron chitosan dispersions (SCD) was studied in order to investigate the effect of SCD on cell wall degrading enzymes of Colletotrichum gloeosporioides and to control anthracnose of dragon fruit under field conditions. Four concentrations of chitosan (0.5, 1.0, 1.5 and 2.0%) were used to prepare submicron dispersions with droplet sizes of 200, 400, 600, 800 and 1000 nm. The highest inhibition in cellulolytic and pectinolytic enzymes was observed with 600 nm droplet size of 1.0% chitosan concentration. In case of in vivo studies,the area under disease progress curve (AUDPC) showed a reduction of approximately 66% of disease incidence (DI). The lower level of production of cell wall degrading enzymes in response to SCD resulted in less disease on dragon fruit plants and sustained in increasing the effective resistance against the irresistible disease of anthracnose

PHYSICAL THERAPISTS AND NURSES’ KNOWLEDGE OF GLASGOW COMA SCALE WORKING IN HOSPITAL AND CLINICAL SETTINGS

Introduction: The Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) is a reproducible tool used to measure the depth and duration of the consciousness level of comatose patients, especially in emergency departments by healthcare professionals for neurological assessment. It is important for members of rehabilitation teams, specifically physical therapists (PTs) and nurses, to have knowledge of the GCS and the necessary skills to apply the scale and interpret the results. The present study is aimed to investigate and compare physiotherapist and nurses’ knowledge in using the GCS in hospital and clinical settings. Material & Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted in which a convenience sample of 1,300 participants was chosen, considering nurses from government and private hospitals and PTs from hospitals and clinics in Faisalabad. SPSS Version 20 was used to enter and analyse the data. Pearson chi-square was used to find out association and Independent Samples t-test was used to compare the knowledge of PT and Nurses. Results: The findings of study revealed that majority of the PTs (84.1%) had good knowledge of the GCS, yet only 2.9% of nurses had good knowledge. Most participants with good basic knowledge of the GCS lacked knowledge in the application and interpretation of GCS. Age, gender, educational level, and type of health facility were strongly associated with level of knowledge with significant p value<.001. The mean knowledge of nurses and physiotherapists was 59.84±14.65 and 89.81±8.45 respectively. Conclusion: The physical therapists' knowledge of the GCS was good compared to the knowledge of the nurse

Effectiveness of submicron chitosan dispersions in controlling anthracnose and maintaining quality of dragon fruit

Conventional chitosan (CC) and submicron chitosan dispersions (SCD) were evaluated for the control of postharvest anthracnose and maintenance of quality of dragon fruit during storage at 10 ± 2 °C and 80 ± 5% RH for 28 days. All the chitosan treatments significantly reduced anthracnose symptoms, resulting in a reduction of disease development and thereby maintained the quality of fresh fruit for extended periods. SCD at 1.0% with 600 nm droplet size gave the best result in that it delayed the onset of disease and maintained the quality of dragon fruit for up to 28 days of storage. It can be concluded from the present investigation that SCD have potential to be used as an antifungal agent to control postharvest anthracnose and maintain quality of dragon fruit during storage

Assessing the incidence of catastrophic health expenditure and impoverishment from out-of-pocket payments and their determinants in Bangladesh: evidence from the nationwide Household Income and Expenditure Survey 2016

Background Out-of-pocket (OOP) payments for healthcare have been increasing steadily in Bangladesh, which deteriorates the financial risk protection of many households. Methods We aimed to investigate the incidence of catastrophic health expenditure (CHE) and impoverishment from OOP payments and their determinants. We employed nationally representative Household Income and Expenditure Survey 2016 data with a sample of 46 076 households. A household that made OOP payments of >10% of its total or 40% of its non-food expenditure was considered to be facing CHE. We estimated the impoverishment using both national and international poverty lines. Multiple logistic models were employed to identify the determinants of CHE and impoverishment. Results The incidence of CHE was estimated as 24.6% and 10.9% using 10% of the total and 40% of non-food expenditure as thresholds, respectively, and these were concentrated among the poor. About 4.5% of the population (8.61 million) fell into poverty during 2016. Utilization of private facilities, the presence of older people, chronic illness and geographical location were the main determinants of both CHE and impoverishment. Conclusion The financial hardship due to OOP payments was high and it should be reduced by regulating the private health sector and covering the care of older people and chronic illness by prepayment-financing mechanisms