Assessment of ecosystem services for climate regulation: case study of the Madu Ganga wetlands

The ecosystem services assessment plays one of the key role in the modern concept of sustainable development, including combat climate change and achievement carbon neutrality, since the value assessment of all benefits and risks from ecosystem services is the most visible for decision makers (business and government). Mangrove forests in developing countries, such as Sri Lanka, are important factor in achieving carbon neutrality. The purpose of present investigation was the economic assessment of climate regulation services on the example of the Madu Ganga wetlands (Sri Lanka). The carbon stock was calculated as the marginal cost of reducing carbon emissions, and the sequestration was assessed through the calculation of the carbon social cost or the marginal cost of damage. As a result, the high cost of carbon storage by the Madu Ganga wetlands was revealed - approximately, it amounted to $153,341,221. The cost of the ES for carbon sequestration was$2,153,424. The total cost of services to regulate the carbon cycle of the Madu Ganga wetlands was $155,494,645, or 0.18% of the nominal GDP of the island of Sri Lanka for 2021. The high value of the mangrove forests of Madu Ganga shows their crucial role in achieving carbon neutrality within the framework of the concept of sustainable development

Restriction Fragment Length Polymorphism (RFLP) of the Internal Transcribed Spacer 1 (ITS1) region of cutaneous leishmaniasis causing Leishmania donovani in Sri Lanka

Objectives: To isolate PCR quality DNA from punch biopsy samples of 35 suspected cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) lesions, carry out Internal Transcribed Spacer 1 (ITS1) PCR, analyse Restriction Fragment Length Polymorphism (RFLP), sequence of ITS1 region of 10 randomly selected patient samples and to determine the genetic variation among the causative parasites.Methods: Punch biopsies (3mm) from CL lesions (n=35) were taken and stored in NET buffer at -20C. DNA was extracted using a commercially available kit. ITS1 PCR was carried out using previously described primers. PCR products were digested with Haelll, run in a 1.7 % ethidium bromide gel and visualized under UV light. Same ITS1 PCR products of 10 randomly selected samples were sequenced commercially. Analysis of sequences was carried out with CLUSTALW2 multiple sequence analyzing software.Results: All 35 CL samples showed the same Leishmania donovani ITS1 RFLP pattern. The BLAST search confirmed that the 10 sequenced Sri Lankan strains belong to L. donovani. Multiple sequences analysis showed that Sri Lankan L. donovani strains are highly homogenous in the ITS1 regions. However, the Sri Lankan strains showed, few indels in the ITS1 region when compared with the L. donovani ITS1 sequences originated from India, Sudan and Ethiopia.Conclusions: Cutaneous leishmaniasis in Sri Lanka is still caused only by L. donovani and ITS1 region of the L. donovani strain of Sri Lankan origin is highly homogenous and conserved

Оценка экосистемных услуг по регулированию климата водно-болотными угодьями Маду-Ганга

The ecosystem services assessment plays one of the key role in the modern concept of sustainable development, including combat climate change and achievement carbon neutrality, since the value assessment of all benefits and risks from ecosystem services is the most visible for decision makers (business and government). Mangrove forests in developing countries, such as Sri Lanka, are important factor in achieving carbon neutrality. The purpose of present investigation was the economic assessment of climate regulation services on the example of the Madu Ganga wetlands (Sri Lanka). The carbon stock was calculated as the marginal cost of reducing carbon emissions, and the sequestration was assessed through the calculation of the carbon social cost or the marginal cost of damage. As a result, the high cost of carbon storage by the Madu Ganga wetlands was revealed - approximately, it amounted to $153,341,221. The cost of the ES for carbon sequestration was$2,153,424. The total cost of services to regulate the carbon cycle of the Madu Ganga wetlands was $155,494,645, or 0.18% of the nominal GDP of the island of Sri Lanka for 2021. The high value of the mangrove forests of Madu Ganga shows their crucial role in achieving carbon neutrality within the framework of the concept of sustainable development.Мангровые лесные массивы играют важную роль в достижении углеродной нейтральности. Однако для развивающихся стран, таких как Шри-Ланка, недостаточно представлены данные об экономической ценности способности мангровых экосистем накапливать и поглощать углерод. Целью данного исследования была экономическая оценка услуг по регулированию климата на примере водно-болотных угодий Маду-Ганга (Шри-Ланка). Данные по накоплению углерода были рассчитаны как предельные затраты на сокращение выбросов углерода, а данные по поглощению - через расчет социальной стоимости углерода или предельной стоимости ущерба. В результате исследования установлена общая стоимость услуг по регулированию углеродного цикла водно-болотных угодий Маду-Ганга, которая составила 0,18% от номинального ВВП острова Шри-Ланка на 2021 г. Высокая экономическая ценность мангровых лесных массивов Маду-Ганга отражает их приоритетную роль в достижении углеродной нейтральности в рамках концепции устойчивого развития

One Digital Platform to Seek Quality Education for Everyone

The primary goal of this digital educational platform is to deliver high-quality educational possibilities to people looking for a degree or similar graded programs, tuition classes, and postgraduate programs provided by universities internationally and nationally. Furthermore, by advertising on our web platform, educational institutions will be able to improve the popularity of their courses and services.  There will also be the opportunity to donate financial contributions to campaigns or organizations that will help persons in need of educational assistance. In addition, our development team proposed an idea about a component called volunteer support, which allows users to join up as volunteers for specific organizational initiatives that promote educational campaigns. There will also be several account types for system administrators, users searching for services, and organizations promoting educational programs and volunteer opportunities. The account's capabilities differ depending on the type of user account. The primary objectives of this thesis are to provide the concept of a system that simplifies the process of locating and advertising educational needs, opportunities, and services while providing a way to help people in need of a helping hand

String tension in gonihedric 3D Ising models

For the 3D gonihedric Ising models defined by Savvidy and Wegner the bare string tension is zero and the energy of a spin interface depends only on the number of bends and self-intersections, in antithesis to the standard nearest-neighbour 3D Ising action. When the parameter kappa weighting the self-intersections is small the model has a first order transition and when it is larger the transition is continuous. In this paper we investigate the scaling of the renormalized string tension, which is entirely generated by fluctuations, using Monte Carlo simulations This allows us to obtain an estimate for the critical exponents alpha and nu using both finite-size-scaling and data collapse for the scaling function.Comment: Latex + postscript figures. 8 pages text plus 7 figures, spurious extra figure now removed

Use of a rapid diagnostic test to detect cutaneous leishmaniasis in Sri Lanka

Objectives: This study was initiated to determine the sensitivity and specificity of a commercially available rapid diagnostic test (RDT) to detect leishmania antigen in cutaneous leishmaniasis(CL) skin lesions among Sri Lankan patients compared to PCR and Slit skin smear(SSS).Methods: Patients clinically suggestive of CL lesions were subjected to parasitological investigations. The clinical history was collected by the researcher. Samples were collected by a qualified trained medical officer from the suspected CL lesions at the dermatology clinic in the Hambantota hospital and from the patients coming to the Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Medical Sciences, University of Sri Jayewardenepura. RDT was done at the Hambantota hospital and samples were brought to the Department of Parasitology, to perform SSS, PCR and cultures.Results: Fifty samples have been collected thus far and PCR was performed only in 48 samples. Out of the 50 samples only 9 were positive by RDT and 32 by SSS and PCR. The 9 samples that were positive for RDT were positive by SSS and 7 positive by PCR. Of the 41 samples that were negative by RDT, 16 were negative by PCR as well as SSS.Conclusions: From the data collected it can concluded that RDT is not the best method to diagnose CL skin lesions in patients in Sri Lanka. Also it confirms that the best method to diagnose leishmaniasis is PCR

Australasia

Observed changes and impacts Ongoing climate trends have exacerbated many extreme events (very high confidence). The Australian trends include further warming and sea level rise sea level rise (SLR), with more hot days and heatwaves, less snow, more rainfall in the north, less April–October rainfall in the southwest and southeast and more extreme fire weather days in the south and east. The New Zealand trends include further warming and sea level rise (SLR), more hot days and heatwaves, less snow, more rainfall in the south, less rainfall in the north and more extreme fire weather in the east. There have been fewer tropical cyclones and cold days in the region. Extreme events include Australia’s hottest and driest year in 2019 with a record-breaking number of days over 39°C, New Zealand’s hottest year in 2016, three widespread marine heatwaves during 2016–2020, Category 4 Cyclone Debbie in 2017, seven major hailstorms over eastern Australia and two over New Zealand from 2014–2020, three major floods in eastern Australia and three over New Zealand during 2019–2021 and major fires in southern and eastern Australia during 2019–2020

Pica associated with iron deficiency or depletion: clinical and laboratory correlates in 262 non-pregnant adult outpatients

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>There are many descriptions of the association of pica with iron deficiency in adults, but there are few reports in which observations available at diagnosis of iron deficiency were analyzed using multivariable techniques to identify significant predictors of pica. We sought to identify clinical and laboratory correlates of pica in adults with iron deficiency or depletion using univariable and stepwise forward logistic regression analyses.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>We reviewed charts of 262 non-pregnant adult outpatients (ages ≥18 y) who required treatment with intravenous iron dextran. We tabulated their sex, age, race/ethnicity, body mass index, symptoms and causes of iron deficiency or depletion, serum iron and complete blood count measures, and other conditions at diagnosis before intravenous iron dextran was administered. We excluded patients with serum creatinine >133 μmol/L or disorders that could affect erythrocyte or iron measures. Iron deficiency was defined as both SF <45 pmol/L and TS <10%. Iron depletion was defined as serum ferritin (SF) <112 pmol/L. We performed univariable comparisons and stepwise forward logistic regression analyses to identify significant correlates of pica.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>There were 230 women (184 white, 46 black; ages 19-91 y) and 32 men (31 white, 1 black; ages 24-81 y). 118 patients (45.0%) reported pica; of these, 87.3% reported ice pica (pagophagia). In univariable analyses, patients with pica had lower mean age, black race/ethnicity, and higher prevalences of cardiopulmonary and epithelial manifestations. The prevalence of iron deficiency, with or without anemia, did not differ significantly between patients with and without pica reports. Mean hemoglobin and mean corpuscular volume (MCV) were lower and mean red blood cell distribution width (RDW) and platelet count were higher in patients with pica. Thrombocytosis occurred only in women and was more prevalent in those with pica (20.4% vs. 8.3%; p = 0.0050). Mean total iron-binding capacity was higher and mean serum ferritin was lower in patients with pica. Nineteen patients developed a second episode of iron deficiency or depletion; concordance of recurrent pica (or absence of pica) was 95%. Predictors of pica in logistic regression analyses were age and MCV (negative associations; p = 0.0250 and 0.0018, respectively) and RDW and platelet count (positive associations; p = 0.0009 and 0.02215, respectively); the odds ratios of these predictors were low.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>In non-pregnant adult patients with iron deficiency or depletion, lower age is a significant predictor of pica. Patients with pica have lower MCV, higher RDW, and higher platelet counts than patients without pica.</p