An assessment of heavy metal accumulation in mangrove species of Bhitarkanika, Odisha, India

Mangroves are one of the most biologically important and productive ecosystemsin the world. Heavy metals are known to pose a potential threat to terrestrial and aquaticbiota. However, little is known on the toxic levels of heavy metals found in mangroveplants in India. To understand heavy metal toxicity, we analyzed heavy metalsaccumulation in sediment samples collected from surrounding root zone and in the leavesand stem of sixteen different plant species in the Bhitarkanika mangrove forest reserve inOdisha, India. Bhitarkanika mangrove ecosystem receives heavy metal pollution fromupstream areas of Brahmani and Baitarani estuary. Few studies were carried about thecapacity of mangrove plants to take up and store heavy metals in them. Hence, currentinvestigation was carried out to analyze trace metal accumulation in sediment and plantparts such as stems and leaves of different mangrove plants by Atomic AbsorptionSpectroscopy (Shimadzu, AA- 6300). The heavy metal concentration in sediment wasfound to be in the range of 5.99 to 92.00 μg/gm. Metals concentration in sediment samplesduring the study was in the order of accumulation : Zn>Cu>Pb. The accumulation ofheavy metal was higher in stem as compared to leaf

Spatial and temporal variation of phytoplankton in hot spring of Atri, Odisha, India

Seasonal dynamics of phytoplanktons along with various physicochemical parameters were recorded in the hot spring of Atri, Odisha during the year 2010-2011. The study was carried out to ascertain the phytoplanktons diversity in relation to the changing physico-chemical parameters in an extreme condition of the hot spring on seasonal basis. Total twenty eight genera having forty two species of phytoplanktons were recorded under the following classes, viz. Chlorophyceae, Cyanophyceae Bacillariophyceae and Euglenophyceae. Chlorophyceae was found to be dominating class contributing 40% of the total. The highest numbers of phytoplankton species were recorded during summer season with an average of 11, 3,000 cells/liter. Dominant species identified were Anabaena aequalis, Closterium ehrenbergii Meneghini ex Ralfs, Eudorina sp., Merismopedia punctata Meyen, Microcystis aeruginosa (Kützing) Kützing,  Navicula membranacea Cleve, Oscillatoria sp., Pediastrum simplex Meyen, Scenedesmus quadricauda Chodat. Correlation studies of phytoplankton with physicochemical variables indicate a significant positive correlation with chlorophyll-a, alkalinity and nitrate concentration at p≤0.01 and p≤0.05

The correlation of cardiovascular risk factors and angiographic findings with serum vitamin D levels in patients undergoing coronary angiography

Background: Studies regarding correlation of various conventional risks factors for Coronary Artery Disease (CAD) are many. Keeping in mind the scarcity of studies regarding Vit-D Deficiency (VDD), a new risk factor in CAD, present study was conducted to correlate Vit-D level with conventional risk factors and Coronary Angiography (CAG).Methods: Hundred adult patients admitted to Medicine and Cardiology undergoing CAG with suspected or established CAD were kept in study. Patients having renal, hepatic, parathyroid disease, osteomalacia and patients taking drugs interfering with Vitamin D (Vit-D) metabolism were excluded. After detailed history and thorough clinical examination, routine investigations and 25-(OH) D level was estimated. Subsequently patients underwent CAG. Statistical analysis by Mann Whitey test and Chi-square Test was done and inference was drawn.Results: 100 patients in different age groups had hypertension (HTN) in 53, diabetics mellitus (DM) 39, dyslipidemia 62, smokers 38 and family history of CAD 19. CAG showed normal coronaries in 4, Single Vessel Disease (SVD) in 30, double vessel diseases (DVD) 43 and triple vessel disease (TVD) 22. Vit-D level 30ng/ml (normal) in 10. VDD was profound in 51-60 and 61-70 years age groups. Statistical correlation of VDD was not significant with conventional risk factors, but statistically significant correlation of VDD was observed with dyslipidemia and CAG findings in our study.Conclusions: Like earlier studies we observed significant correlation of Vit-D levels with CAD. Though dyslipidemia was significantly correlated with VDD, correlation of other conventional risk factors like age, sex, HTN, DM, smoking and family history was not found. We conclude from this study presence of significant association of VDD with severe CAD. DVD and TVD by CAG were common with low Vit-D levels

Prospective chemisorption of fluoride utilizing coastal molluscan (Crassostrea Sp.) shell from phosphatic fertilizer pond wastewater, Paradeep, Odisha

496-502The present study explores the utilization of very acidic (pH 1.46) and high fluoride (F-) containing (9290 ppm) phosphatic fertilizer industry (Paradeep, Odisha, India) pond wastewater (PW) generated from phosphogypsum (PG) stacks by using Crassostrea Sp. molluscan shell (MS) as an adsorbent. F- chemisorption batch experiments on molluscan shells (MS) powder (212 - 500 micron) varying 6 different MS (Solid-S) to PW (Liquid-L) i.e. S/L ratios (1: 8 to 1: 30), time (0.08 to 48 hours) and fluoride concentration (4645 – 8361 ppm) as diluted PW. Chemisorption of F- peaked with 1: 20 S/L ratio at 24 hrs and its concentration in the supernatant reduced by 99.9 %. XRF, FTIR and XRD analysis of MS and its chemisorbed residues confirmes the role of relatively high calcium containing MS (72 % CaO) towards formation of Fluorapatite (FA) [Ca5(PO4)3F]. Desorption experiments of FA residue for 24 hrs, highlights the stability of F- chemisorption process on MS, which is confirmed by presence of FA in desorbed residue through XRD analysis. The research findings establish prospects of F- recovery from PW through chemisorption process utilizing selected MS

Study of thyroid dysfunction and dyslipidemia in chronic kidney diseases

Background: Though there are many studies on thyroid dysfunction and dyslipidemia in Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD), no study is conclusive. Aim of this study was to correlate abnormalities in thyroid function and lipid profile with the severity of renal failure and also to observe the difference of these abnormalities between patients on conservative management verses hemodialysis.Methods: Hundred consecutive CKD cases admitted to Medicine Department were taken up for the study. They were divided into two groups as Group-A [on conservative management] and Group-B [on regular Hemodialysis (HD)]. Hundred healthy persons were taken as control in Group-C. After evaluation of thyroid function and lipid profile statistical analysis was done by students t-test, chi-square and regression analysis.Results: Hundred CKD cases with 74% male (n=74) and 26% female (n=26) in a M: F ratio of 2.9:1 were found to be in different stages CKD (0, 2, 20, 28 and 50 in stage-1 to stage-5 respectively). In 50 cases of stage-5 CKD, 30 were on HD and 20 on conservative management. Diabetes Mellitus (DM) (40%) was the commonest etiology of CKD followed by Hypertension (HTN), obstructive uropathy, chronic glomerulonephritis (CGN) and polycystic kidney disease (PKD). Thyromegaly was not found in a single case. In all CKD cases (Group-A+B) TT3 (TT3) was significantly low (P =0.0011) when compared with control (Group-C) and no difference was found between Group-A and Group-B. Fall in TT3 worsened with increasing severity of CKD. Lipid profile study revealed Decreased High-Density Lipoprotein Cholesterol (HDLc) and increased Triglyceride (TG), Total Cholesterol (TC), Low Density Lipoprotein Cholesterol (LDLc), TC/HDLc and LDLc/HDLc in Group-A than Group-B but only TG and TC increase was statistically significant. The levels of TG and TC and TC/HDLc increased as the stage of CKD progressed and was statistically significant (P= 0.035).Conclusions: There occurs a state of biochemical hypothyroidism without overt clinical hypothyroid state in CKD, the extent of which correlates with the severity of CKD. Increased cardiovascular complications occur due to accelerated atherosclerosis in CKD. This study confirmed that atherogenic lipid profile and thyroid dysfunction worsen with the progression of disease. Difference between patients on conservative management and HD was not found

Ground Delay Program Analytics with Behavioral Cloning and Inverse Reinforcement Learning

We used historical data to build two types of model that predict Ground Delay Program implementation decisions and also produce insights into how and why those decisions are made. More specifically, we built behavioral cloning and inverse reinforcement learning models that predict hourly Ground Delay Program implementation at Newark Liberty International and San Francisco International airports. Data available to the models include actual and scheduled air traffic metrics and observed and forecasted weather conditions. We found that the random forest behavioral cloning models we developed are substantially better at predicting hourly Ground Delay Program implementation for these airports than the inverse reinforcement learning models we developed. However, all of the models struggle to predict the initialization and cancellation of Ground Delay Programs. We also investigated the structure of the models in order to gain insights into Ground Delay Program implementation decision making. Notably, characteristics of both types of model suggest that GDP implementation decisions are more tactical than strategic: they are made primarily based on conditions now or conditions anticipated in only the next couple of hours

Arboreal Taxa Diversity of Tropical Forests of Gandhamardan Hill Range, Eastern Ghats, India: An Approach to Sustainable Biodiversity Conservation

The rich biodiversity repository of Gandhamardan hill ranges, Eastern Ghats, India is under severe threat from various magnitudes such as deforestation, unsustainable collection of medicinal plants, invasion of alien species, forest fire, urbanization and habitat destruction. The Protected Forests (PFs) have lost a number of wild species from their natural habitat pose to loss of biodiversity. The hill range having two preservation plots of 100ha each identified in Nrusinghanath (SITE-I) and Harishankar (SITE-II) range as study area. The present study inventoried a total of 10775 trees belonging to 91 tree species within a 17.6 hectare sampled area (441 plots). The predominant tree species are Diospyros melanoxylon, Madhuca indica, Cleistanthus collinus, Anogeissus latifolia, and Lagerstroemia parviflora. The Shannon- Weiner index (H’) is 3.92 (SITE-I) and 3.31 (SITE- II) with Simpson’s value 1.0. This value indicates that the tropical moist deciduous forests are also species diverse systems. Mean stand density was 671 ha-1 in SITE-I and 565 ha-1 in SITE-II. Stem density and species richness have consistently decreased with increasing girth class of tree species from 50 cm girth. The present study on phyto-diversity of tree species and participatory approaches on sustainable use of natural resources will provide the baseline information for effective and sustainable biodiversity conservation of tropical moist deciduous forest