Assessment of diversity and quantity of macro-plastics and litter spread in the Vembanad Lake

Anthropogenic impacts on sustainability of coastal ecosystems have always been a matter of concern for those who depend on these habitats for their livelihood. A slow and silent killer of the aquatic habitats is the nondegradable litter or debris which enters these water bodies due to improper treatment of solid waste on land. These either settle in the nearby areas or drift and finally settle in distant places. Ultimately most of the untreated and carelessly dumped solid wastes end up in the coastal waters or the seas. The Vembanad Lake (VL) in Kerala spread across three districts is one of the largest wetlands of the country. A survey was conducted to understand the spread of litter in the upstream and downstream areas of this water body. Five stations (ST) were fixed; Kumarakom (ST-1), Vaikom (ST-2), Nettoor (ST-3), Thevara (ST-4) and Cochin backwaters (ST-5) of which the first two were upstream, followed by middle stream (ST 3,4) and downstream (ST-5). It was observed that 30% of the surveyed area at Kumarakam (ST-1) and 40% of Nettor zones were without any submerged debris. The average quantity of submerged debris at ST - 1, ST -2, ST -3 and ST -4 were 0.5, 1.5, 0.6, and 0.5 kg.m'2 while in Cochin backwaters in the area adjacent to marine drive, the submerged litter was estimated as 111 kg.m'2, which is ,100 times greater than in the upstream areas. While carry bags were the dominant litter in the upstream stations, ghost nets (40.6 kg.m'2), nylon ropes (15.6 kg.m'2) cables and metal cans (11.5 kg.m'2) formed the major litter components in Cochin backwaters. The study brought out the urgent need to clean the Cochin backwaters to restore the ecosystem functioning. The paper presents the types of litter and its density in different areas of VL and suggests the remedial measures to prevent further degradation

The Impact of Weather Change on Honey Bee Populations and Disease

This review provides an overview of the honey bee (Apis mellifera) which is one of the most important pollinators for agriculture and ecosystems, considered a critical yet fragile contributor to world biodiversity and food security among the countless species facing unprecedented challenges due to uneven climate drivers. Scientists are concerned about the impact of climate change on honey bee habitats. This review study looks at the complicated relationship between climate change and honey bees’ health leading to their genetic and behavioural changes. Further, it also mentions how changes in temperature and weather patterns affect foraging, reproduction and colony survival. This study will focus on the different processes that highlight their susceptibility and emphasise the critical need for comprehensive approaches to mitigate the potential consequences through policy implementation. &nbsp

Extraction and characterization of essential oil of nutmeg (Myristica fragrans) fruit pericarp and utilization as a surface coating material to improve the shelf life of paneer

Paneer is a traditional dairy product of India and is similar to unripened soft cheese. It is used as a raw material for the preparation of a variety of culinary dishes and snacks. Paneer is marble white in appearance, with a firm, cohesive and spongy body and a sweetish-acidic-nutty flavor. But it is highly perishable with a limited shelf- life like other indigenous dairy products. Its shelf life was reported to be only six days under refrigeration, though its freshness is lost within three days. The spoilage of paneer occurs mainly due to the growth of microorganisms, which bring about various physico-chemical changes. In the present study, attempts were made to increase the shelf-life of paneer at refrigerated storage by the application ofnutmeg pericarp essential oil surface coating. The essential oil was prepared from fresh nutmeg fruit flesh by steam distillation method. The physico-chemical and bio functional properties of essential oil were determined. The specific gravity and refractive index of the essential oil were found to be 0.903 and 1.477 respectively. The acid value and total polyphenolic value of essential oil were 3.36 and 4.04 mg GAE/g respectively. The essential oil was also found to have good antimicrobial and antioxidant activity. The shelf life of samples coated with essential oil packaged in LDPE pouches had more shelf life than the control paneer, as the coated paneer kept well for 9 days while the control paneer spoiled after the 6th day of refrigerated storage. The paneer with essential oil coating obtained satisfactory sensory score

Management of essential tremor deep brain stimulation-induced side effects

Deep brain stimulation (DBS) is an effective surgical therapy for carefully selected patients with medication refractory essential tremor (ET). The most popular anatomical targets for ET DBS are the ventral intermedius nucleus (VIM) of the thalamus, the caudal zona incerta (cZI) and the posterior subthalamic area (PSA). Despite extensive knowledge in DBS programming for tremor suppression, it is not uncommon to experience stimulation induced side effects related to DBS therapy. Dysarthria, dysphagia, ataxia, and gait impairment are common stimulation induced side effects from modulation of brain tissue that surround the target of interest. In this review, we explore current evidence about the etiology of stimulation induced side effects in ET DBS and provide several evidence-based strategies to troubleshoot, reprogram and retain tremor suppression

Management of Brain Metastases from Human Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor 2 Positive (HER2+) Breast Cancer

In the past 5 years, the treatment options available to patients with HER2+ breast cancer brain metastasis (BCBM) have expanded. The longer survival of patients with HER2+ BCBM renders understanding the toxicities of local therapies even more important to consider. After reviewing the available literature for HER2 targeted systemic therapies as well as local therapies, we present a simplified algorithm for when to prioritize systemic therapies over local therapies in patients with HER2+ BCBM

Novel Therapeutic Approaches in Neoplastic Meningitis

Central nervous system (CNS) metastasis from systemic cancers can involve the brain parenchyma, leptomeninges, or the dura. Neoplastic meningitis (NM), also known by different terms, including leptomeningeal carcinomatosis and carcinomatous meningitis, occurs due to solid tumors and hematologic malignancies and is associated with a poor prognosis. The current management paradigm entails a multimodal approach focused on palliation with surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy, which may be administered systemically or directly into the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). This review focuses on novel therapeutic approaches, including targeted and immunotherapeutic agents under investigation, that have shown promise in NM arising from solid tumors

Clinical utility of indigenously formulated single-vial lyophilized HYNIC-TOC kit in evaluating Gastro-entero Pancreatic neuro endocrine tumours

  Objective(s): The objective of this study was to evaluate the performance and utility of 99mTc HYNIC-TOC planar scintigraphy and SPECT/CT in the diagnosis, staging and management of gastroenteropancreatic neuroendocrine tumors (GPNETs). Methods: 22 patients (median age, 46 years) with histologically proven gastroentero-pancreatic NETs underwent 99mTc HYNIC-TOC whole body scintigraphy and regional SPECT/CT as indicated. Scanning was performed after injection of 370-550 MBq (10-15 mCi) of 99mTc HYNIC-TOC intravenously. Images were evaluated by two experienced nuclear medicine physicians both qualitatively as well as semi quantitatively (tumor to background and tumor to normal liver ratios on SPECT -CT images). Results of SPECT/CT were compared with the results of conventional imaging. Histopathology results and follow-up somatostatin receptor scintigraphy with 99mTc HYNIC TOC or conventional imaging with biochemical markers were considered to be the reference standards. Results: 99mTc HYNIC TOC showed sensitivity and specificity of 87.5% and 85.7%, respectively, for primary tumor and 100% and 86% for metastases. It was better than conventional imaging modalities for the detection of both primary tumor (