Low Carbon Mobility Plans: A Case Study of Ludhiana, India

AbstractTransportation is one of the driving forces of any economy. The reliance on petroleum as a fuel is a main source of concern. The major share of transport sector in petroleum has many consequences. India is the world's 4th largest emitter, responsible for ∼5% of the world's carbon emissions, the major contribution of this emission is from transport sector.In this study a low carbon mobility options for Ludhiana city as a case study is presented. In order to understand the impact of these options a stated preference survey is carried out. The shift to low carbon modes (bicycles, walk and public transport) is quantified. Shifts from petroleum driven vehicles to electric is also discussed. The projection to the future the per capita emissions of each of the scenarios: Scenario 1: Lanes for bus, bicycle and walk, Scenario 2: Scenario 1 plus improved buses, Scenario 3: Scenario 2 +policy against cars, Scenario 4: Electric vehicles (electric equivalents of two-wheelers and cars). It is found from the study that the emissions are least for scenario 3 (when there are parking policies imposed against cars in addition to improved transit policy and buses along with independent lanes for buses, and dedicated paths cycling and walkin

Fine Needle Aspiration versus Fine Needle Capillary Sampling Technique in Cyto-diagnosis of Thyroid Lesions

Introduction: In diagnosis of thyroid lesions, the negative pressure applied during fine needle aspirationcytology (FNAC) frequently produces bloody smears. This results in a compromise in cellular concentrationand architecture which may lead to improper interpretation. Fine needle capillary sampling cytology(FNCC), on the other hand, avoids active aspiration as it depends on capillary tension to collect tissuesamples in the needle bore. This study evaluated the diagnostic performance of FNAC and FNCC in thyroidlesions. Methods: A total of 120 patients were included in this study conducted over a duration of 19months. All thyroid swellings advised for cyto-diagnosis were sampled by both fine-needle aspiration(FNAC) and non-aspiration (FNCC) techniques. The slides were assessed according to the Mair et al.scoring system. Results: In the FNCC group, 72 (60%) smears were diagnostically superior while 54 (45%)smears were diagnostically superior in the FNAC group. Blood contamination (p=0.003), cellular trauma(p=0.019), and degree of cellular degeneration (p=0.026) were less and cellular architecture (p=0.047) waspreserved more in FNCC in comparison to FNAC groups. Conclusion: This study showed the superiority ofFNCC for the interpretation and diagnosis of thyroid lesions. However, the combination of both FNAC andFNCC could maximize the diagnostic yield

Comparison of Fine Needle Aspiration Cytology in Thyroid Lesions using The Bethesda System for Reporting Thyroid Cytopathology with Ultrasonography using Thyroid Imaging Reporting and Data System

Introduction: Thyroid nodule is a common presentation. The estimated prevalence of thyroid nodules is 4-7% by clinical examination and 50-60% on ultrasonographic (USG) evaluation. Most are benign without any symptoms or cosmetic concerns. Only around 5% are found to be malignant. Methods: This prospective study evaluated a total of 54 patients with thyroid lesions presenting to Otorhinolaryngology, Surgery and Internal Medicine out-patient departments of a tertiary hospital for a period of nine months. The thyroid lesions were categorized into different categories using Thyroid Imaging Reporting and Data System (TIRADS) by USG and The Bethesda System for Reporting Thyroid Cytopathology (TBSRTC) by fine needle aspiration (FNA). The agreement between TIRADS and TBSRTC was evaluated using Cohen's kappa statistics. Results: By FNA, 68.5% were benign lesions whereas 7.4% were malignant. Follicular Neoplasm (FN) or Suspicious for FN and Suspicious for Malignancy category comprised 5.6% each. 1.9% of the lesions showed Atypia of Unknown Significance (AUS). 11.1% of the lesions were non-diagnostic or unsatisfactory for evaluation. Overall agreement between the cases by USG and FNA using the TIRADS and TBSRTC respectively was 77.77%. There was a substantial agreement between the diagnosis made by these systems, kappa (κ)= .633 (95% CI, 0.41 to 0.85, p<0.05). Conclusion: This study observed a substantial agreement between the diagnosis made by TIRADS on USG and TBSRTC on FNA. Our study advocates the stratification of thyroid lesions according to TIRADS so that only suspicious lesions undergo FNA

Late blight of potato and its management through the application of different fungicides and organic amendments: a review

Late the blight&nbsp; of&nbsp; potato is&nbsp; a&nbsp; devastating&nbsp; and&nbsp; one of&nbsp; the&nbsp; economic diseases&nbsp; of potato&nbsp; and&nbsp; other plants&nbsp; belonging&nbsp; to family Solanaceae. Late blight, caused by Phytophthora infestans, is one of the most threatening pathogenic diseases which not only results in direct crop losses but also cause farmers to embrace huge monetary expenses for disease control and preventive measure. It was first reported during the Irish Potato Famine, leading to massive starvation in Ireland and other parts of Europe during the middle of 19th century. Phytopthora harms the foliar portion in the field and also the tuber in the storage that can result in complete crop failure in potato. The pathogen has distinct survival mechanisms and two life cycles infection processes. The development of a sexual spore known as oospore includes two types of pairs, A1 and A2. The spores are introduced to good plants by wind and rain. Different methods for prevention of crops from late blight has been developed and used worldwide. An integrated disease management strategy includes successful control of this disease. Cultural control, chemical management, and advanced disease management are the most effective interventions. Integration of late blight control in tropical regions with abundant fungal inoculants in most months of the year was also seen as one of the best choices in disease management. This paper reviews the significance of late blight of potato and controlling strategies adopted for minimizing yield losses incurred by this disease by the application of synthetic fungicides and different organic amendments

Shisham (Dalbergia sissoo) decline by dieback disease, root pathogens and their management: a review

Shisham or sissoo (Dalbergia sissoo) is an important multipurpose tree with great economic importance, but this tree has been infected by various root pathogens. This review article shows the works conducted on root pathogens and die back disease of Shisham and their management. Around seventy-one endophytic fungus has been found in sissoo trees in Nepal. Several fungi, including,&nbsp;Fusarium solani,&nbsp;F. oxysporum,&nbsp;Ganoderma lucidum,&nbsp;Phellinus gilvus,&nbsp;Polypours gilvus,&nbsp;Rhizoctonia solani,&nbsp;Polyporus spongiosum, etc. cause sissoo diseases.&nbsp;Ganoderma Lucidum&nbsp;and&nbsp;F. Solani&nbsp;are two main pathogenic agents in&nbsp;Shisham, all of which causes root rot and vascular wilt diseases, and are the causes for the large-scale death of this tree species. Root rot ganoderma is wide spread in both natural and plant-based forests. Older trees in&nbsp;Shisham are usually attacked by these pathogens and cause large-scale death. However, when sissoo is grown as a re-forested pure plant without the removal of the stumps or root of the initial plant, a serious problem of root rot can develop. Field sanitation and proper management of field are necessary to control the fungal diseases of Shisham. Another deleterious disease of &nbsp;Shisham is dieback disease, where sissoo plantations have been confirmed to this disease when the infected trees begin to get dry from the top. There is no suitable solution for control of dieback of Shisham. There is a need of developing resistant varieties and to improve the quality of seed. This review may be useful tool for Forest Pathologists and other persons who are working in forestry and natural conservation sectors. &nbsp

Identification of modal parameters from noisy transient response signals

In the process of impact testing of large-scale mechanical equipment, the measured forced response signals are often polluted by strong background noise. The forced response signal has a low signal-to-noise ratio, and this makes it difficult to accurately estimate the modal parameters. To solve this problem, the mean averaging of repeatedly measured frequency response function estimates is often employed in practical applications. However, a large number of impact tests are not practical for the modal testing of large-scale mechanical equipment. The primary objective of this paper is to reduce the averaging operation and improve the accuracy of the modal identification by using a noise removal technique. A hybrid denoising method is proposed by combining the Wiener and improved minimum mean-square-error short-time spectral amplitude estimators. The proposed method can effectively remove both stationary and highly nonstationary noise while preserving the important features of the true forced response signals. The simulation results show that the proposed noise removal technique improves the accuracy of the estimated modal parameters using only one impulse response signal. The experimental results show that the proposed method can accurately identify a natural frequency that is very close to a strong interference frequency in the modal test of a 600-MW generator casing

Phytocannabinoids Act Synergistically with Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs Reducing Inflammation in 2D and 3D In Vitro Models

Lung inflammation is associated with elevated pro-inflammatory cytokines and chemokines. Treatment with FCBD:std (standard mix of cannabidiol [CBD], cannabigerol [CBG] and tetrahydrocannabivarin [THCV]) leads to a marked reduction in the inflammation of alveolar epithelial cells, but not in macrophages. In the present study, the combined anti-inflammatory effect of FCBD:std with two corticosteroids (dexamethasone and budesonide) and two non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAID; ibuprofen and diclofenac), was examined. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was used to determine protein levels. Gene expression was determined by quantitative real-time PCR. Inhibition of cyclo-oxygenase (COX) activity was determined in vitro. FCBD:std and diclofenac act synergistically, reducing IL-8 levels in macrophages and lung epithelial cells. FCBD:std plus diclofenac also reduced IL-6, IL-8 and CCL2 expression levels in co-cultures of macrophages and lung epithelial cells, in 2D and 3D models. Treatment by FCBD:std and/or NSAID reduced COX-1 and COX-2 gene expression but not their enzymatic activity. FCBD:std and diclofenac exhibit synergistic anti-inflammatory effects on macrophages and lung epithelial cells, yet this combined activity needs to be examined in pre-clinical studies and clinical trials

Papaya Leaf Curl Virus (PaLCuV) Infection on Papaya (Carica papaya L.) Plants Alters Anatomical and Physiological Properties and Reduces Bioactive Components

Papaya leaves are used frequently for curing scores of ailments. The medicinal properties of papaya leaves are due to presence of certain bioactive/pharmacological compounds. However, the papaya leaf curl virus (PaLCuV), a geminivirus, is a major threat to papaya cultivation globally. During the present investigation, we observed that PaLCuV infection significantly altered the anatomy, physiology, and bioactive properties of papaya leaves. As compared to healthy leaves, the PaLCuV-infected leaves were found to have reduced stomatal density (76.83%), stomatal conductance (78.34%), photosynthesis rate (74.87%), water use efficiency (82.51%), chlorophyll (72.88%), carotenoid (46.63%), osmolality (48.55%), and soluble sugars (70.37%). We also found lower enzymatic activity (superoxide dismutase (SOD), ascorbate peroxidase (APX), and catalase (CAT)&mdash;56.88%, 85.27%, and 74.49%, respectively). It was found that the size of guard cells (50%), transpiration rate (45.05%), intercellular CO2 concentration (47.81%), anthocyanin (27.47%), proline content (74.17%), malondialdehyde (MDA) (106.65%), and electrolyte leakage (75.38%) was elevated in PaLCuV-infected leaves. The chlorophyll fluorescence analysis showed that the infected plant leaves had a significantly lower value of maximal quantum yield of photosystem II (PSII (Fv/Fm), photochemical quantum yield of photosystem I (PSI (Y(I)), and effective quantum yield of PSII (Y(II)). However, in non-photochemical quenching mechanisms, the proportion of energy dissipated in heat form (Y(NPQ)) was found to be significantly higher. We also tested the bioactivity of infected and healthy papaya leaf extracts on a Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans) model system. It was found that the crude extract of papaya leaves significantly enhanced the life span of C. elegans (29.7%) in comparison to virus-infected leaves (18.4%) on application of 100 &micro;g/mL dose of the crude extract. Our research indicates that the PaLCuV-infected leaves not only had anatomical and physiological losses, but that pharmacological potential was also significantly decreased

Phytocannabinoid Compositions from Cannabis Act Synergistically with PARP1 Inhibitor against Ovarian Cancer Cells In Vitro and Affect the Wnt Signaling Pathway

Ovarian cancer (OC) is the single most lethal gynecologic malignancy. Cannabis sativa is used to treat various medical conditions, and is cytotoxic to a variety of cancer types. We sought to examine the effectiveness of different combinations of cannabis compounds against OC. Cytotoxic activity was determined by XTT assay on HTB75 and HTB161 cell lines. Apoptosis was determined by flow cytometry. Gene expression was determined by quantitative PCR and protein localization by confocal microscopy. The two most active fractions, F5 and F7, from a high &Delta;9&ndash;tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) cannabis strain extract, and their standard mix (SM), showed cytotoxic activity against OC cells and induced cell apoptosis. The most effective phytocannabinoid combination was THC+cannabichromene (CBC)+cannabigerol (CBG). These fractions acted in synergy with niraparib, a PARP inhibitor, and were ~50-fold more cytotoxic to OC cells than to normal keratinocytes. The F7 and/or niraparib treatments altered Wnt pathway-related gene expression, epithelial&ndash;mesenchymal transition (EMT) phenotype and &beta;-catenin cellular localization. The niraparib+F7 treatment was also effective on an OC patient&rsquo;s cells. Given the fact that combinations of cannabis compounds and niraparib act in synergy and alter the Wnt signaling pathway, these phytocannabinoids should be examined as effective OC treatments in further pre-clinical studies and clinical trials

Shisham (Dalbergia Sissoo) Decline by Dieback Disease, Root Pathogens and Their Management: a Review

Shisham or sissoo (Dalbergia sissoo) is an important multipurpose tree with great economic importance, but this tree has been infected by various root pathogens. This review article shows the works conducted on root pathogens and die back disease of Shisham and their management. Around seventy-one endophytic fungus has been found in sissoo trees in Nepal. Several fungi, including,&nbsp;Fusarium solani,&nbsp;F. oxysporum,&nbsp;Ganoderma lucidum,&nbsp;Phellinus gilvus,&nbsp;Polypours gilvus,&nbsp;Rhizoctonia solani,&nbsp;Polyporus spongiosum, etc. cause sissoo diseases.&nbsp;Ganoderma Lucidum&nbsp;and&nbsp;F. Solani&nbsp;are two main pathogenic agents in&nbsp;Shisham, all of which causes root rot and vascular wilt diseases, and are the causes for the large-scale death of this tree species. Root rot ganoderma is wide spread in both natural and plant-based forests. Older trees in&nbsp;Shisham are usually attacked by these pathogens and cause large-scale death. However, when sissoo is grown as a re-forested pure plant without the removal of the stumps or root of the initial plant, a serious problem of root rot can develop. Field sanitation and proper management of field are necessary to control the fungal diseases of Shisham. Another deleterious disease of &nbsp;Shisham is dieback disease, where sissoo plantations have been confirmed to this disease when the infected trees begin to get dry from the top. There is no suitable solution for control of dieback of Shisham. There is a need of developing resistant varieties and to improve the quality of seed. This review may be useful tool for Forest Pathologists and other persons who are working in forestry and natural conservation sectors. &nbsp