Report on occurrence of Yellow Sea Snake Hydrophis spiralis off Kerala coast

Sea snakes play an important role in the marine food web and studies on their diversity and distribution are very limited in India. Globally, 70 species of sea snakes have been reported under the family Elapidae which is divided into two subfamilies (i) Laticaudinae and (ii) Hydrophiinae. Sea snakes belonging to the subfamily Hydrophiinae are considered as ‘true sea snakes’ with 62 species which are viviparous (give birth to live young at sea). Laticaudinae sea snakes called the ‘sea kraits’ have 8 species and are oviparous. They come to the land for mating and to lay eggs

Marine mammal strandings along the Indian coast mapped

The stranding locations of marine mammals namely blue whale (Balaenoptera musculus), Bryde’s whale (Balaenoptera edeni), fin whale (Balaenoptera physalus), humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae) and minke whale (Balaenoptera acutorostrata) along the Indian coast were mapped (Fig. 1) using passive method. The data was collected for the period 1874 to 2016

Geospatial Technology: An Effective tool for marine mammal conservation

Geospatial Technology: An Effective tool for marine mammal conservatio

Joint EANM/SNMMI/ANZSNM practice guidelines/procedure standards on recommended use of [18F]FDG PET/CT imaging during immunomodulatory treatments in patients with solid tumors version 1.0

PURPOSE: The goal of this guideline/procedure standard is to assist nuclear medicine physicians, other nuclear medicine professionals, oncologists or other medical specialists for recommended use of [ METHODS: In a cooperative effort between the EANM, the SNMMI and the ANZSNM, clinical indications, recommended imaging procedures and reporting standards have been agreed upon and summarized in this joint guideline/procedure standard. CONCLUSIONS: The field of immuno-oncology is rapidly evolving, and this guideline/procedure standard should not be seen as definitive, but rather as a guidance document standardizing the use and interpretation of [ PREAMBLE: The European Association of Nuclear Medicine (EANM) is a professional non-profit medical association founded in 1985 to facilitate worldwide communication among individuals pursuing clinical and academic excellence in nuclear medicine. The Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging (SNMMI) is an international scientific and professional organization founded in 1954 to promote science, technology and practical application of nuclear medicine. The Australian and New Zealand Society of Nuclear Medicine (ANZSNM), founded in 1969, represents the major professional society fostering the technical and professional development of nuclear medicine practice across Australia and New Zealand. It promotes excellence in the nuclear medicine profession through education, research and a commitment to the highest professional standards. EANM, SNMMI and ANZSNM members are physicians, technologists, physicists and scientists specialized in the research and clinical practice of nuclear medicine. All three societies will periodically put forth new standards/guidelines for nuclear medicine practice to help advance the science of nuclear medicine and improve service to patients. Existing standards/guidelines will be reviewed for revision or renewal, as appropriate, on their fifth anniversary or sooner, if indicated. Each standard/guideline, representing a policy statement by the EANM/SNMMI/ANZSNM, has undergone a thorough consensus process, entailing extensive review. These societies recognize that the safe and effective use of diagnostic nuclear medicine imaging requires particular training and skills, as described in each document. These standards/guidelines are educational tools designed to assist practitioners in providing appropriate and effective nuclear medicine care for patients. These guidelines are consensus documents based on current knowledge. They are not intended to be inflexible rules or requirements of practice, nor should they be used to establish a legal standard of care. For these reasons and those set forth below, the EANM, SNMMI and ANZSNM caution against the use of these standards/guidelines in litigation in which the clinical decisions of a practitioner are called into question. The ultimate judgment regarding the propriety of any specific procedure or course of action must be made by medical professionals considering the unique circumstances of each case. Thus, there is no implication that an action differing from what is laid out in the guidelines/procedure standards, standing alone, is below standard of care. To the contrary, a conscientious practitioner may responsibly adopt a course of action different from that set forth in the standards/guidelines when, in the reasonable judgment of the practitioner, such course of action is indicated by the condition of the patient, limitations of available resources or advances in knowledge or technology subsequent to publication of the guidelines/procedure standards. The practice of medicine involves not only the science, but also the art of dealing with the prevention, diagnosis, alleviation and treatment of disease. The variety and complexity of human conditions make it impossible for general guidelines to consistently allow for an accurate diagnosis to be reached or a particular treatment response to be predicted. Therefore, it should be recognized that adherence to these standards/ guidelines will not ensure a successful outcome. All that should be expected is that practitioners follow a reasonable course of action, based on their level of training, current knowledge, clinical practice guidelines, available resources and the needs/context of the patient being treated. The sole purpose of these guidelines is to assist practitioners in achieving this objective. The present guideline/procedure standard was developed collaboratively by the EANM, the SNMMI and the ANZSNM, with the support of international experts in the field. They summarize also the views of the Oncology and Theranostics and the Inflammation and Infection Committees of the EANM, as well as the procedure standards committee of the SNMMI, and reflect recommendations for which the EANM and SNMMI cannot be held responsible. The recommendations should be taken into the context of good practice of nuclear medicine and do not substitute for national and international legal or regulatory provisions

Sediment blue carbon stock of Avicennia officinalis in Vembanad Lake ecosystem, Kerala, India

Stock assessment of the blue carbon pool of selected patches of mangrove sediment in the Vembanad Lake was done using the standard protocols on a per ha basis and multiplied with the estimated area to derive the blue carbon stock of the particular fragmented mangrove stands of the species Avicennia officinalis (Indian Mangrove), twice (in the post and pre-monsoon) during October 2017-March 2018. The treatments included ‘aged’, ‘recent’, ‘healthy’ and ‘degraded’ mangroves of the selected species and ‘control’ without mangroves. The overall mean carbon stock in the A. officinalis sediments in selected locations of the Vembanad Lake area was 136.09 Mg C/ha (Mg=mega gram=1 tonne). This value is far low compared to the mean global soil organic carbon stock in the mangrove ecosystem (386 Mg C/ha). This finding suggests ample opportunity for more carbon sequestration in the selected mangrove ecosystems in Vembanad Lake, toward climate change mitigation measures. The treatments differed significantly in the cumulative stock of blue carbon and layer-wise blue carbon density in sediment (p<0.05), the highest seen in ‘healthy’ mangroves in both seasons. The overall range of layer-wise blue carbon density in sediment was found to be 0.003 to 0.56 Mg/m3. Spatial maps prepared for layer-wise blue carbon density in the sediment revealed its depth-wise increase. Layer wise blue carbon stock in sediment had a significant correlation with total organic carbon and organic matter (p<0.01) and with the C/N ratio of the sediment (p < 0.05). Based on the results, this study suggests total organic carbon and the C/N ratio of sediment as possible predictive indicators of sediment blue carbon

Conservation of seagrass beds with special reference to associated species and fishery resources

The southeast coast of India bordering Gulf of Mannar and Palk Bay has luxuriant growth of seagrass beds which sustain good fisheries and is a biodiversity hotspot. Many fishers living along the coast depend on these resources for their livelihood. Several species of invertebrates and vertebrates fully depend on the seagrass resources for their survival and sustenance. In this paper, the diversity of species commonly associated with the seagrass beds and their present status is presented followed by the fisheries associated with this ecosystem. The type of fishing activities including the details of crafts, gears, number of fishers involved and catch statistics are presented. The main objective of this approach is to understand how the fishing activities influence the ecosystem and fishermen. Underwater monitoring and visual observations were documented through photographs and videos. Artisanal fishing activities such as bottom set gillnet, push net, lead-fish trap net and shore seine are in detail discussed and the conservation measures which are urgently required are also presented

Influence of selected anthropogenic impacts on ecology of Vembanad Lake

Influence of selected anthropogenic impacts on ecology of Vembanad Lak

Waste mangement- issues and solutions for a coastal village along Kerala, southwest coast of India

In the present world, plastics play an integral role in human life. Its production crosses 150 million tonnes per year globally and India contributes to more than 8 million tonnes, in terms of consumption. Plastic is cost effective, durable and holds a broad range of application, which turned it to a basic need for the human society. On the other side, 70 % of the consumption is converted as waste and when the infrastructure of the waste management system do not match with the generation rate, it becomes a menace to the society. One of the major concerns of fishermen has been the depleting fishery resources and degrading environment. With an aim to understand the magnitude of marine litter in coastal waters and the way it affects traditional small scale fishers the present study was undertaken. The study area is Mulavukad village Panchayat (latitude 10°02’98.21’’ and longitude 76°25’53.26’’) which is a long narrow stretch of land located in the Ernakulum district of Kerala state, India with an area of 19.27 sq km. The island is surrounded by Periyar river on the North east and Vembanad Lake on the South west. The major lively hood of the people is fishing and fishery related activities

“निर्मल धारा” - तटीय पारिस्थितिक तंत्र के प्रति शुद्ध पानी प्रवाह सुनिश्चित करने की वैज्ञानिक पहल

“निर्मल धारा” - तटीय पारिस्थितिक तंत्र के प्रति शुद्ध पानी प्रवाह सुनिश्चित करने की वैज्ञानिक पह

Correction to: Two years later: Is the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic still having an impact on emergency surgery? An international cross-sectional survey among WSES members

Background: The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic is still ongoing and a major challenge for health care services worldwide. In the first WSES COVID-19 emergency surgery survey, a strong negative impact on emergency surgery (ES) had been described already early in the pandemic situation. However, the knowledge is limited about current effects of the pandemic on patient flow through emergency rooms, daily routine and decision making in ES as well as their changes over time during the last two pandemic years. This second WSES COVID-19 emergency surgery survey investigates the impact of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic on ES during the course of the pandemic. Methods: A web survey had been distributed to medical specialists in ES during a four-week period from January 2022, investigating the impact of the pandemic on patients and septic diseases both requiring ES, structural problems due to the pandemic and time-to-intervention in ES routine. Results: 367 collaborators from 59 countries responded to the survey. The majority indicated that the pandemic still significantly impacts on treatment and outcome of surgical emergency patients (83.1% and 78.5%, respectively). As reasons, the collaborators reported decreased case load in ES (44.7%), but patients presenting with more prolonged and severe diseases, especially concerning perforated appendicitis (62.1%) and diverticulitis (57.5%). Otherwise, approximately 50% of the participants still observe a delay in time-to-intervention in ES compared with the situation before the pandemic. Relevant causes leading to enlarged time-to-intervention in ES during the pandemic are persistent problems with in-hospital logistics, lacks in medical staff as well as operating room and intensive care capacities during the pandemic. This leads not only to the need for triage or transferring of ES patients to other hospitals, reported by 64.0% and 48.8% of the collaborators, respectively, but also to paradigm shifts in treatment modalities to non-operative approaches reported by 67.3% of the participants, especially in uncomplicated appendicitis, cholecystitis and multiple-recurrent diverticulitis. Conclusions: The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic still significantly impacts on care and outcome of patients in ES. Well-known problems with in-hospital logistics are not sufficiently resolved by now; however, medical staff shortages and reduced capacities have been dramatically aggravated over last two pandemic years