Search

RNA viruses have been the most destructive due to their transmissibility and lack of control measures. Developments of vaccines for RNA viruses are very tough or almost impossible as viruses are highly mutable. For the last few decades, most of the epidemic and pandemic viral diseases have wreaked huge devastation with innumerable fatalities. To combat this threat to mankind, plant-derived novel antiviral products may contribute as reliable alternatives. They are assumed to be nontoxic, less hazardous, and safe compounds that have been in uses in the beginning of human civilization. In this growing COVID-19 pandemic, the present review amalgamates and depicts the role of various plant products in curing viral diseases in humans.

Titanium(IV) complexes of type[(η5-C5H5)2TiCl(L)] have been synthesized by the reactions of bis(cyclopentadienyl)titanium(IV)dichloride with Schiff bases (LH) derived by the condensation of 5-(substituted aryl)-2-hydrazino-1,3,4-oxadiazole and indoline-2,3-dione in tetrahydrofuranin the presence oftriethylamine. All these complexes are soluble in PhNO2, DMF and DMSO.The complexes were characterized by elemental analyses, electrical conductance, magnetic susceptibility, UV-Vis, IR, 1H NMR, 13C NMR, XRD and SEM spectral techniques. Low molar conductance values indicate that they are non-electrolytes. The spectral data indicate5-coordinate geometry for the complexes.XRD pattern indicate that the complexes have monoclinic crystal system and particle sizes were found 49.36 nm (nano-size). In vitro antifungal activity of synthesized compounds was evaluated against fungi Aspergillusniger, Aspergillusflavus,ColletotrichumfalcatumandIn vitro antibacterial activity was determined by screening the compounds against gram negative (P. aeruginosa, S.typhi) and gram positive (S. aureus and B.subtilis) bacterial strains using minimum inhibition concentration method (MIC) by serial dilution technique. The titanocene(IV) complexes have higher antimicrobial effect than the parent Schiff bases.

Nature‐based solutions (NbS)—solutions to societal challenges that involve working with nature—have recently gained popularity as an integrated approach that can address climate change and biodiversity loss, while supporting sustainable development. Although well‐designed NbS can deliver multiple benefits for people and nature, much of the recent limelight has been on tree planting for carbon sequestration. There are serious concerns that this is distracting from the need to rapidly phase out use of fossil fuels and protect existing intact ecosystems. There are also concerns that the expansion of forestry framed as a climate change mitigation solution is coming at the cost of carbon rich and biodiverse native ecosystems and local resource rights. Here, we discuss the promise and pitfalls of the NbS framing and its current political traction, and we present recommendations on how to get the message right. We urge policymakers, practitioners and researchers to consider the synergies and trade‐offs associated with NbS and to follow four guiding principles to enable NbS to provide sustainable benefits to society: (1) NbS are not a substitute for the rapid phase out of fossil fuels; (2) NbS involve a wide range of ecosystems on land and in the sea, not just forests; (3) NbS are implemented with the full engagement and consent of Indigenous Peoples and local communities in a way that respects their cultural and ecological rights; and (4) NbS should be explicitly designed to provide measurable benefits for biodiversity. Only by following these guidelines will we design robust and resilient NbS that address the urgent challenges of climate change and biodiversity loss, sustaining nature and people together, now and into the future.

Background: In the current scenario, the urbanization is happening at a faster pace and the economy is not able to match at par with urbanization, this In turn is causing problems of unavailability of safe and potable water along with proper sewage system, despecially in urban slums. As a result of the scenario many urban slums are still using poor quality pit latrines and even drawing water from nearby wells, water taps which are not complying with government norms. Space is also a big problem which is being faced by these slums, due to which there is a lack of enough spaces in the houses and nearby areas, therby causing overcrowding. Due to overcrowding, the space between houses, pit latrines, wells, taps and water bodies has decreased and thus the potential of contamination of water bodies by fecal microorganisms has increased drastically. Given the above knowledge, a study is much needed to estimate the presumptive and differential coliform count of water samples from the urban slum area in Lucknow. Subjects & Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted during the period of January to June 2019. Samples were collected from all the taps, hand pumps that were currently in use, along with potable water stored in households of Sarvodaya Nagar (an urban slum area), Lucknow and were processed in the Microbiology department of IIMS&R, Lucknow. Results: A total of 53(63%) samples were taken from Public supply, out of which 36(67. 9%) were found unsatisfactory and 17(32.0%) were intermediate, were found to be contaminated with Pseudomonas sp., E.coli, Thermotolerent E.coli, Klebsiella Spp. Citrobacter, Enterococcus and Pseudornonas Spp., E.coli, Thermotolerent E.coli, Klebsiella respectively. In the study more than half of the samples were taken from the Public water supply. Out of these about seventy percent were unsatisfactory and were found to be contaminated with Pseudomonas. Conclusion: The proper sanitation, regular treatment, supervision of water sources, arid regular bacteriological assessment of all water sources for drinking should be planned and conducted.

In this paper, we use a political ecology lens to look at how COVID-19 adds to a set of existing uncertainties and challenges faced by vulnerable people in the marginal environments of coastal India. Over the last few decades, local people have been systematically dispossessed from resource commons in the name of industrial, urban and infrastructure development or conservation efforts, leading to livelihood loss. We build on our current research in the TAPESTRY (https://tapestry-project.org/) project in coastal Kutch and Mumbai to demonstrate how the pandemic has laid bare structural inequalities and unequal access to public goods and natural resources. The impacts of COVID-19 have intersected with ongoing food, water and climate crises in these marginal environments, threatening already fragile livelihoods, and compounding uncertainties and vulnerabilities. Extreme weather events such as cyclones, droughts, heatwaves and floods in the last couple of decades have also compounded the problems faced in these regions, affecting seasonal migration patterns. We demonstrate how responses from “above” have been inadequate, failing to address problems, or arriving too late. Authoritarian leaders have used the pandemic to “other” and victimise certain groups and polarise society along religious lines. Lockdowns and covid restrictions have been used to surreptitiously complete environmentally destructive infrastructure projects, while avoiding resistance and opposition from affected local communities, who have also been subject to increased surveillance and restrictions on movement. While state responses have often been unpredictable and inadequate, there has been an outburst of local forms of mutual aid, solidarity, and civic action. There are also many examples of resilience at the local level, especially amongst communities that have largely relied on subsistence production. Despite the acute suffering, COVID-19 has also prompted civic groups, activists, and local communities to reflect on the possibilities for reimagining transformative pathways towards just and sustainable futures.

Aim: The present study aimed to evaluate the prognostic scoring system for fetal echogenic kidneys to diagnose the fetal kidney diseases in mid trimester by determining the kidney volume, laterality, bladder size, amniotic fluid and other associated anomalies. Methodology: 27 fetuses diagnosed with the “Echogenic kidneys” were enrolled in the study based on subjective assessment in sonography. The scoring was performed based on the certain parameters including renal size, laterality, bladder size, amniotic fluid and associated anomalies. The prognosis of the live births was assessed during the post natal life. Results: Out of 27 fetuses enrolled in the present study, 11 were live births, 9 were NND, IUD and miscarriage and 7 were terminations. 10 live births had the scoring of 4, 5 and 6 and 1 live birth had a scoring of 8. Conclusion: Within the limitations of the study we can conclude that the scoring system could be a good tool to identify the anomalies in the fetal kidneys during the mid-trimester. With the identification of the fetal echogenic kidneys the prognosis can be ruled out which helps in easing out the parental anxiety and renders them correct advice to opt for termination or not.

There has been a spurt in the spread of microbial resistance to antibiotics due to indiscriminate use of antimicrobial agents in human medicine, agriculture, and animal husbandry. It has been realized that conventional antibiotic therapy would be less effective in the coming decades and more emphasis should be given for the development of novel antiinfective therapies. Cysteine rich peptides (CRPs) are broad-spectrum antimicrobial agents that modulate the innate immune system of different life forms such as bacteria, protozoans, fungi, plants, insects, and animals. These are also expressed in several plant tissues in response to invasion by pathogens, and play a crucial role in the regulation of plant growth and development. The present work explores the importance of CRPs as potent antimicrobial agents, which can supplement and/or replace the conventional antibiotics. Different plant parts of diverse plant species showed the presence of antimicrobial peptides (AMPs), which had significant structural and functional diversity. The plant-derived AMPs exhibited potent activity toward a range of plant and animal pathogens, protozoans, insects, and even against cancer cells. The cysteine-rich AMPs have opened new avenues for the use of plants as biofactories for the production of antimicrobials and can be considered as promising antimicrobial drugs in biotherapeutics.

This paper examines the water–energy–food (WEF) nexus in a humanitarian context, with a specific focus on water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH). It highlights the complex and non-linear interactions that WASH has with other areas of the WEF nexus. In doing so, it blends the social dimensions (access, safety, consumption, and use) with the WEF resource dimensions (availability and resource sustainability), including a further emphasis on sanitation as a key, but often ignored, element of the WEF nexus. Drawing on the case of the Rohingya refugee camps in Bangladesh, we examine how household-level access to WASH shapes and is shaped by use, access, and availability of energy and food, and finally their effects on host–refugee interactions. We find that there are implicit and explicit links between WASH and WEF. Moreover, any small intervention in any of the WEF areas has positive knock-on effects on the other resources, especially in enhancing resource access and use. We conclude that bottom-up perspectives on these interlinkages with active participation from both host and refugee households are required to understand the implicit and explicit connections across WASH and the WEF nexus in humanitarian contexts. We also argue that sanitation is a key element of the WEF nexus and should not be ignored within the predominant resource-centric framing of the WEF.

Lipases are important biocatalysts having the third largest global demand after amylases and proteases. In the present study, we have screened 56 potential lipolytic Pseudomonas strains for their lipolytic activity. Pseudomonas plecoglossicida S7 showed highest lipase production with specific activity of 70 U/mg. Statistical optimizations using Plackett Burman design and response surface methodology evaluated fourteen different media supplements including various oilcakes, carbon sources, nitrogen sources, and metal ions which led to a 2.23-fold (156.23 U/mg) increase in lipase activity. Further, inoculum size optimization increased the overall lipase activity by 2.81-folds. The lipase was active over a range of 30-50° C with a pH range (7-10). The enzyme was tolerant to various solvents like chloroform, methanol, 1-butanol, acetonitrile, and dichloromethane and retained 60% of its activity in the presence of sodium dodecyl sulfate (0.5% w/v). The enzyme was immobilized onto Ca-alginate beads which increased thermal (20-60 °C) and pH stability (5-10). The purified enzyme could successfully remove sesame oil stains and degraded upto 25.2% of diesel contaminated soil. These properties of the lipase will help in its applicability in detergent formulations, wastewater treatments, and biodegradation of oil in the environment.

Lignocellulosic materials form the building block of 50% of plant biomass comprising non-chewable agri-components like wheat straw, rice stubbles, wood shavings and other crop residues. The degradation of lignin, cellulose and hemicellulose is complicated and presently being done by chemical process for industrial application through a very energy intensive process. Lignin degradation is primarily an oxidative process where the enzyme lignin peroxidase digests the polymer into smaller fragments. Being a recalcitrant component, higher lignin content poses a challenge of lower recovery of product for industrial use. Globally, the scientists are working on leveraging fungal biotechnology for using the lignocellulose degrading enzymes secreted by actinomycetes and basidiomycetes fungal groups. Enzymes contributing to degradation of lignin are mainly performing the function of modifying the lignin and degrading the lignin. Ligninolytic enzymes do not act as an independent reaction but are vital to complete the degradation process. Microbial enzyme technology is an emerging green tool in industrial biotechnology for commercial application. Bioprocessing of lignocellulosic biomass is challenged by limitations in enzymatic and conversion process where pretreatment and separation steps are done to remove lignin and hydrolyze carbohydrate into fermentable sugars. This review highlights recent advances in molecular biotechnology, lignin valorization, sequencing, decipher microbial membership, and characterize enzyme diversity through 'omics' techniques. Emerging techniques to characterize the interwoven metabolism and spatial interactions between anaerobes are also reviewed, which will prove critical to developing a predictive understanding of anaerobic communities to guide in microbiome engineering This requires more synergistic collaborations from microbial biotechnologists, bioprocess engineers, enzymologists, and other biotechnological fields.

Introduction Control of infections in the operation theater (OT) is of utmost importance. Microbiological surveillance is an effective tool for identifying and controlling infections. The purpose of this study was to investigate the prevalence rate of microorganisms in OTs, to identify the type of microorganisms, and to detect contamination of various surfaces and air of OT. Methods OTs were properly cleaned with soap and water. All surfaces were disinfected, followed by fumigation with quaternary ammonium compounds. OTs were kept closed overnight. In the morning, they were opened, and samples were collected, taking all aseptic precautions. The settle plate method was used for air sampling, and the swab method was used for surface sampling. Samples were collected from four surfaces of OTs, i.e., floor, wall, table, and light, and samples of the OT air were also collected and immediately transported to the microbiology laboratory of the institution in sterile conditions. Result A total of 1640 swab samples were taken from eight OTs, out of which 487 (29.7%) were found positive for bacterial growth. Most of them were non-pathological microorganisms such as aerobic spore-forming Bacilli and Micrococcus. Among various OTs, septic OT showed the highest bacterial growth (82 positive cultures out of 200). In the surface sampling of various OTs, aerobic spore-forming Bacilli (221/487) was the most common isolate, followed by coagulase-negative Staphylococci (74/487), and Micrococcus (67/487). General surgery, septic, and emergency OTs had maximum air bioload (97, 93, and 91 colony-forming unit (CFU)/M3, respectively). Conclusion In surface sampling of OTs, it was found that septic OT and general surgery OT were most contaminated where the patient load was high. Among all the surfaces, OT walls and tables were most contaminated with pathogenic microorganisms. The average air bioload of all OTs was ranged between 79 and 97 CFU/M3.

Complexes of bis(mercapto azoles) i.e. bis(mercapto triazoles), bis(mercapto thiadiazoles) and bis(mercapto oxadiazoles) (LH2) with manganese(III), iron(III) and cobalt(III) have been prepared in methanol in the presence of sodium hydroxide and binuclear products of the type Na[M(L)2(H2O)2] have been isolated. Tentative structural conclusions are drawn for these complexes based upon elemental analyses, electrical conductance, magnetic moment and spectral (electronic, infrared and1H NMR) data. The thermal stability and mode of decomposition for the complexes have been studied by TG, DTA and DSC techniques. The antifungal, antiviral and antibacterial activities of the ligands and their corresponding complexes were also investigated. &nbsp

Titanium(IV) complexes of type[(η5-C5H5)2TiCl(L)] have been synthesized by the reactions of bis(cyclopentadienyl)titanium(IV)dichloride with Schiff bases (LH) derived by the condensation of 5-(substituted aryl)-2-hydrazino-1,3,4-oxadiazole and indoline-2,3-dione in tetrahydrofuranin the presence oftriethylamine. All these complexes are soluble in PhNO2,DMF and DMSO.The complexes were characterized by elemental analyses, electrical conductance, magnetic susceptibility, UV-Vis, IR,1H NMR,13C NMR, XRD and SEM spectral techniques.Low molar conductance values indicate that they are non-electrolytes. The spectral data indicate5-coordinate geometry for the complexes.XRD pattern indicate that the complexes have monoclinic crystal system and particle sizes were found 49.36 nm (nano-size).In vitroantifungal activity of synthesized compounds was evaluated against fungiAspergillusniger,Aspergillusflavus,ColletotrichumfalcatumandIn vitroantibacterial activity was determined by screening the compounds against gram negative (P. aeruginosa, S.typhi) and gram positive (S. aureus and B.subtilis) bacterial strains using minimum inhibition concentration method (MIC) by serial dilution technique. The titanocene(IV) complexes have higher antimicrobial effect than the parent Schiff bases. &nbsp

Calls for climate justice abound as evidence accumulates of the growing social and environmental injustices aggravated or driven by climate change. There is now a considerable and diverse literature on procedural, distributional and intergenerational dimensions, including questions of recognition in climate justice. Yet its meaning, scope and practical implications are still contested. Importantly, the broader landscape within which climate justice is situated is rapidly changing, bringing new challenges to the understanding and practice of climate justice. This review takes stock of climate justice literature in view of this new context. We find several disconnects and tensions between more philosophical and academic treatments of the subject on the one hand, and “activist”-oriented approaches to climate justice on the other. Scholarship often falls into silos around scales from global and local, between mitigation and adaptation or draws distinctions between climate justice and other forms of (in)justice. This inhibits an understanding of climate justice that can address more directly its underlying root causes in an historically constituted global economic system and intersecting set of social inequalities. We propose a research agenda centered on a transformative approach to climate justice, placing analysis of power in its various guises at the center of its enquiry, and subverting and moving beyond existing distinctions by focusing on the social and institutional relations and inequalities that both produce climate change and profoundly shape responses to it. We elaborate on three key strands of such an approach: inclusive climate justice, deepening climate justice and governance for climate justice.

Since February 2021, countless lives have been lost in India, which has compounded the social and economic devastation caused by the second wave of COVID-19. The sharp surge in cases across the country overwhelmed the health infrastructure, with people left scrambling for hospital beds, critical drugs, and oxygen. As of May 2021, infections began to come down in urban areas. However, the effects of the second wave continued to be felt in rural areas. This is the worst humanitarian and public health crisis the country has witnessed since independence; while the continued spread of COVID-19 variants will have regional and global implications. With a slow vaccine rollout and overwhelmed health infrastructure, there is a critical need to examine India's response and recommend measures to further arrest the current spread of infection and to prevent and prepare against future waves. This brief is a rapid social science review and analysis of the second wave of COVID-19 in India. It draws on emerging reports, literature, and regional social science expertise to examine reasons for the second wave, explain its impact, and highlight the systemic issues that hindered the response. This brief puts forth vital considerations for local and national government, civil society, and humanitarian actors at global and national levels, with implications for future waves of COVID-19 in low- and middle-income countries. This review is part of the Social Science in Humanitarian Action Platform (SSHAP) series on the COVID-19 response in India. It was developed for SSHAP by Mihir R. Bhatt (AIDMI), Shilpi Srivastava (IDS), Megan Schmidt-Sane (IDS), and Lyla Mehta (IDS) with input and reviews from Deepak Sanan (Former Civil Servant; Senior Visiting Fellow, Centre for Policy Research), Subir Sinha (SOAS), Murad Banaji (Middlesex University London), Delhi Rose Angom (Oxfam India), Olivia Tulloch (Anthrologica) and Santiago Ripoll (IDS). It is the responsibility of SSHAP.

भारत में फ़रवरी 2021 से अनगिनत जानों की हानि हुई है जिसने कोविड-19 द्वारा हुए सामाजिक और आर्थिक प्रलय को बढ़ा दिया है । देश भर में तीव्र गति से बढ़ते संक्रमित मामलों ने बुनियादी स्वास्थ्य ढाँचे को हिला दिया है, जिससे आम आदमी अस्पताल में बिस्तर, आवश्यक दवाइयों और ऑक्सिजन के लिए हाथ पांव मरने के लिए मजबूर हो गया । मई 2021 तक शहरों में संक्रमण का प्रभाव कम होना शुरू हुआ। हालाँकि गाँवों में दूसरी लहर का प्रकोप जारी है । आज़ादी के बाद देश सबसे बड़ी और बुरी मानवीय तथा सार्वजनिक स्वास्थ्य संकट का साक्षी बना है, जबकि क्षेत्रीय और वैश्विक स्तर पर लगातार फैलते हुए कोविड-19 प्रकारों के विविध परिणाम होंगे । धीमी गति से शुरू हुआ टीका करण अभियान और स्वास्थ्य सेवायों पर अत्यधिक भार को देखते हुए, भारत की प्रतिक्रिया, संक्रमण को और फैलने से रोकने के लिए उपायों की योजना, भविष्य के लहरों के खिलाफ तैयारी, की जाँच करने की बहुत अधिक ज़रूरी है । यह संक्षिप्त भारत में आई कोविड-19 की दूसरी लहर का सामाजिक विज्ञान समीक्षा व विश्लेषण है । यह दूसरी लहर की जाँच हेतु उदीयमान रिपोर्ट्स, साहित्य, क्षेत्रीय सामाजिक विज्ञान का एक चित्र खींचता है, उसका प्रभाव समझाता है, और उन सभी व्यवस्थित मुद्दों को उभरता है जो सही प्रतिक्रिया देने में रुकावट सिद्ध हुए । यह संक्षिप्त वैश्विक और राष्ट्रीय स्तर पर स्थानीय और राष्ट्रीय सरकार, नागरिक समाज और मानवतावादी विचारकों के लिए महत्वपूर्ण चिंतन रखता है, जिसमें लघु और मध्यम आय वाले देशों में कोविड-19 की भावी लहरों के लिए निहितार्थ हैं । यह समीक्षा भारत में कोविड-19 प्रतिक्रिया पर सोशीयल सायन्स इन ह्युमेनीटेरीयन एक्शन प्लेटफोर्म (SSHAP संक्षिप्त) का हिस्सा है । इसे मिहिर आर. भट्ट (ए.आई.डी.एम.आई.), शिल्पी श्रीवास्तव (आई.डी.एस.), मेगन श्मिट-साने (आई.डी.एस.), और लैला मेहता (आई.डी.एस.) द्वारा दीपक सानन (पूर्व सिविल सर्वेंट, सीनियर विजिटिंग फेलो, सेंटर फॉर पॉलिसी रिसर्च), सुबीर सिन्हा (एस.ओ.ए.एस.), मुराद बानाजी (मिडलसेक्स यूनिवर्सिटी लंदन), रोज एंगोम (ऑक्सफैम इंडिया), ओलिविया तुलोच (एंथ्रोलोजिका), और सैंटियागो रिपोल (आई.डी.एस.) से इनपुट और समीक्षा के साथ एस.एस.एस.ए.पी. के लिए विकसित किया गया था । यह एस.एस.एच.ए.पी. की जिम्मेवारी है ।