Causes and Consequences of Channel Changes – A Spatio-Temporal Analysis Using Remote Sensing and Gis— Jaldhaka-Diana River System (Lower Course),

Channel changes with respect to time and space play a significant role in stream flow dynamics. The rambling and trailing of  channels in the studied region has been studied  through systematic analysis and interpretation of diverse channel configuration and multi-channel orientation using multi-temporal Topographical maps and Satellite images for a period spanning nearly 80 years (1930–2011). For this specific purpose lower course of Diana River in the Jaldhaka-Diana river system has been selected in the Duars region of the Jalpaiguri district, West Bengal which is virtually a zone of transition between the Himalayan Mountains and the North Bengal plain.  The prime objective of the study is to reveal the spatio-temporal sequences of channel changes, consequent movement of confluence point and the factors and causes of such movement. For this particular extraction, Base map has been generated with the help of SOI Topographical maps and satellite images of the respective area. For this purpose updated version of ERDAS Imaging is employed as image processing tool for enhancing, merging and to update the spatial information of channel configuration and Arc GIS for final product generation. Following the specific objective of the study it has been deduced that during this span the confluence point has moved and re-oriented both upstream and downstream on a historical time scale and new confluence points have been created by repeated shifting and migration of channels. No definite trend is observed in the movement of the confluence points. However, but it is noticed that some distinct flow dynamics and channel maintaining processes are actively performing in this spatio-temporal analysis of channel changes. Keywords: Morphogenetic complex, Multi-channel system, Confluence Dynamics, Channel avulsion, Channel shifting, Erosion-accretion proces

Inter and Intra Micro Watershed Analysis of Land Use Change An Appraisal on Sustainability, Southern Sikkim, India

Systematic watershed analysis is now a rational track for development strategies. Natural forms and factors in terms of location had been in the way of the major land use change for a long time especially in the area of the present study. However, through time the dynamicity has increased to such an extent that a close scrutiny and relevancy of management for sustainability issues have invited the present study. The southern part of the state, with maximum physical and social alteration, has been taken in the present context to assess the changes of land use in the different micro watersheds within this area. The topography of the southern three districts is characterized by a host of different landform features. There are sharp, rugged, snow bound mountains with inaccessible scarp faces at higher altitudes. The present study area takes into consideration 12 watersheds, as geographical subdivisions, extending over the entire southern part of the state. Recently, sudden influx of population has evidently maneuvered the ground for land use changes in the comparatively favourable pockets within the southern half bringing inter and intra watershed differences in land use pattern and change. Field observation in association with all possible reports and records with analytical treatment, have been some essentials to fulfill the need of the study

Systems Biology of COVID-19 and Human Diseases: Beyond a Bird's Eye View, and Toward One Health

As we gaze into the future beyond the current coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, there is a need to rethink our priorities in planetary health, research funding, and, importantly, the concepts and unchecked assumptions by which we attempt to understand health and prevent illness. Next-generation quantitative omics technologies promise a more profound and panoptic understanding of the dynamic pathophysiological processes and their aberrations in diverse diseased conditions. Systems biology research is highly relevant for COVID-19, a systemic disease affecting multiple organs and biological pathways. In addition, expanding the concept of health beyond humans so as to capture the importance of ecosystem health and recognizing the interdependence of human, animal, and plant health are enormously relevant and timely in the current historical moment of the pandemic. Notably, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the virus causing COVID-19, can affect our body clock, and the circadian aspects of this viral infection and host immunity need to be considered for its effective clinical management. Finally, we need to rethink and expand beyond the false binaries such as humans versus nature, and deploy multiomics systems biology research if we intend to design effective, innovative, and socioecological planetary health interventions to prevent future pandemics and ecological crises. We argue here that juxtaposing ecology and human health sciences scholarship is one of the key emerging tenets of 21st-century integrative biology

In-Hospital Outcome In Patients With Acyanotic Congenital Heart Disease Undergoing Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement.

The purpose of the study was to determine the in-hospital outcome and resource utilization in patients with acyanotic congenital heart disease (ACHD) undergoing transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR). Current guidelines from professional societies do not support TAVR in patients with ACHD, likely from a lack of supportive evidence. Temporal trends in patients with ACHD undergoing TAVR were determined using the 2016-2018 National Inpatient Sample database appropriate ICS-10-PCS code. Stata 16.0 was used for statistical analysis. 0.87% of patients undergoing TAVR had concomitant ACHD, with ASD being the most common (78%). After matching, there was no increased risk of mortality in ACHD patients undergoing TAVR compared to patients without ACHD (OR 1.43, P = 0.59). Additionally, no difference was found in the incidence of overall cardiac complications between patients with ACHD and patients without ACHD, except STEMI (OR 4.16, 95% CI, 1.08-16.00, P = 0.038), which is likely due to more comorbidity burden in the later cohort. Complications such as acute kidney injury, ischemic stroke, and bleeding were similar. Hospital resource utilization was higher in the ACHD group in the form of increased length of stay and higher mean total cost. The comparable in-hospital all-cause mortality and complication rate in ACHD patients undergoing TAVR compared to patients without ACHD is encouraging and will be helpful to design future randomized controlled trials

Phylogenomics Analysis of SARS-CoV2 Genomes Reveals Distinct Selection Pressure on Different Viral Strains

We are witnessing a tremendous outbreak of a novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV2) across the globe. Upon exposure to different population and changing environment, the viral strain might experience different mutational bias that leads to genetic diversity among the viral population. Also, the diversification can be influenced by distinct selection pressure on different viral genomes. We have carried out a comparative genomic analysis of 82 SARS-CoV2 genomes. We have evaluated their evolutionary divergence, substitution pattern, and rates. Viral genomes under distinct selection pressure have been identified. Sites that experience strong selection pressure also have been identified. Our result shows that the translational preference of a few codons is strongly correlated with the mutational bias imposed by genome compositional constraint and influenced by natural selection. Few genomes are evolving with a higher mutational rate with a distinct signature of nucleotide substitution in comparison to others. Four viral strains are under the effect of purifying selection, while nine SARS-CoV2 genomes are under strong positive selection bias. Site analysis indicates a strong positive selection pressure on two codon positions at 3606th and 8439th positions. Our study elucidates adaptation of few SARS-CoV2 viral strain during the outbreak shaping by natural selection and genomic compositional constraints

Identifying and counting of buildings using artificial neural network and reduced representation in high-resolution images

In this study, Hölder Exponent (HE), Variance (var) and densely populated range are measured to extract meaningful features from the high resolution (HR) images. These extracted features are considered here as the reduced representation of high resolution (HR) images. Five-layer simplified artificial neural network (ANN) architecture configured and trained using the reduced representation for building detection and counting in HR images. The scale and orientation of the movable window are changed to find an optimum bounding box of the buildings. The method is validated by applying on World View-2 pan-sharpened multispectral images having spatial resolution 0.46 m. In comparison with CNN and ResNet-18, the accuracy assessment result is quite promising (92%) with proposed method for detecting buildings in HR images. The proposed method, distinctly identified scale variant buildings and detected individual buildings even if they are in close proximity

Measurement of tacit knowledge and its conversion to explicit knowledge: a case study of Bolpur college library

113-119A questionnaire survey was conducted to collect user feedback on various elements of library administration as well as users’ expectations to improve library services. A construct model has been deduced using exploratory factor analysis (EFA) by identifying optimal number of significant factors. The proposed construct has been validated by using structural equation modeling (SEM) in terms of convergent and discriminant validities. The proposed framework has been implemented on a survey of the users of Bolpur college library. The results indicate effectiveness in analyzing the TK and its conversion to explicit knowledge and has been proven to be a positive step towards improvement of library services