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Campanula dimorphantha Schweinf. is documented first time from Doaba region of Punjab, India. This study will be useful for Botanists, taxonomists, researchers etc. for identification of species.

The present study was conducted in Malwa region of Punjab, India in 2019–2020. A total of 10 weed species belonging to seven genera and four families were recorded from different crops. Meiotic analysis has revealed the chromosome numbers in different weed species as Datura innoxia (n= 12), Erigeron bonariensis (n= 13), Nicotiana plumbaginifolia (n= 10), Physalis angulata (n= 24), Sesbania bispinosa (n= 6), Sida cordifolia (n= 8), Solanum americanum (n= 12), Solanum nigrum (n= 36), Solanum villosum (n= 24), and Solanum virginianum (n= 12). Chromosome numbers of Solanum americanum and S. villosum have been worked out for the first time from the state of Punjab, India. Morphological features along with the chromosome numbers have authenticated the identity of weed species. Similarly, pollen fertility analysis has suggested the potential of seed production by the weed species and their subsequent invasiveness.

Three species of the genus Sonchus L. (Sonchus asper, S. oleraceus and S. wightianus) were collected from the Malwa region of Punjab during 2019 to 2020. These species were studied for cytomorphological variations. The species under investigation were identified based on their morphological descriptions. Sonchus asper (L.) Hill and Sonchus wightianus DC. possess the same number of chromosomes (2n=2x=18) whereas Sonchus oleraceus (L.) L. is tetraploid with 2n=4x=32 chromosomes. Chromosome number of S. wightianus (2n=2x=18) was worked out for the first time from the state of Punjab. Sonchus olereceus has larger pollens than S. asper and S. wightianus. This study will be useful for researchers, taxonomists and cytologists for accurate identification of these three species.

This study reports on the abundance and distribution of mangrove gastropods from Kuala Selangor Nature Park, Malaysia (KSNP). The line transect method with quadrats (5m x 5m) was employed to sample the gastropods. Gastropods were collected from the leaves, branches, stems and roots of trees and the mangrove floor. Nineteen gastropod taxa from seven families were recorded from the Bruguiera, mixed (Bruguiera, Avicennia and Rhizophora), Avicennia and Rhizophora zones. Avicennia sp. recorded the largest Girth at Breast Height (GBH) (mean±sd=37.3±18.2 cm) while Bruguiera sp. recorded the smallest GBH (mean=22.36±8 cm). The overall density of the gastropods at KSNP was 0.85 no/m2. The gastropod density was higher at the Avicennia & Rhizophora zone (150-200m (closer to the mudflats) (0.064±0.084 no/m2) followed by the mixed zone (50-150m) (0.046±0.30 no/m2) and lowest at the Bruguiera zone (0-50m) (0.08±0.080 no/m2) (closer to the coastal bund). Gastropod density between sampling zones did not vary significantly (p>0.05) but generally increased from the bund towards the mudflat edge. Further studies of the role of gastropods in the coastal food chain, as bio-indicators of habitat change and as potential food source for local populace are needed.

Marine tourism is a growing industry in Malaysia, with most tourism infrastructure and development focused on famous islands and sandy beaches. Less well-known areas on the south-west coast of the Peninsular such as Sungai Pulai that feature coastal mangroves and seagrass meadows are unfortunately not given emphasis. This paper outlines the potential of the mangrove and seagrass habitats of Sungai Pulai for marine tourism as well as its possible impacts (positive and negative) on its local communities. It is essential that local communities within the tourism realm are actively involved and have a say in tourism development and that they stand to benefit economically. This paper uses the example of Mukim Tg Kupang, Johor as an area that has marine tourism potential, even though it does not fall into the ‘typical' expectation of sandy beaches and beautiful dive sites. Strategies to ensure local community participation and benefits include environmental awareness through education and enhancing communication skills of the locals in their efforts to preserve their marine habitat. A holistic approach to marine tourism via the understanding of their physical and biological environment as well as intellectual and aesthetic development creates the capacity to enhance marine conservation. Keywords: Local communities, environmental education, conservation, marine, tourism management

A total of 31 species of weeds belonging to 11 families was collected from rice fields in Fatehgarh District of Punjab between June and November 2017. Of the 31 species, 15 were dicots and 16 were monocots. Of the 11 families, six (Portulacaceae, Lythraceae, Solanaceae, Scrophulariaceae, Polygonaceae, and Commelinaceae) were represented by only one species each. Poaceae was the largest family represented by 10 species, followed by Asteraceae and Cyperaceae with five species each. The largest genus was Cyperus with four species, followed by Euphorbia, Echinochloa, and Eragrostis with two species each. Of the 31 weed species, 29 were annual and only two, Cyperus rotundus and Parthenium hysterophorus, were perennials. More detailed survey work is required on a regular basis to identify possible problematic weeds and new or improved control measures.

A laser induced fluorescence system has been developed to visualise the oil film thickness between the piston ring and cylinder wall of a fired gasoline engine via a small optical window mounted in the cylinder wall. A fluorescent dye was added to the lubricant in the sump to allow the lubricant to fluoresce when absorbing laser radiation. The concentration of the dye did not disturb the lubricant chemistry or its performance. Degraded engine oil samples were used to investigate the influence of lubricant quality on ring pack lubricant film thickness measurements. The results show significant differences in the lubricant film thickness profiles for the ring pack when the lubricant degrades which will affect ring pack friction and ultimately fuel economy.

Vietnam is the second Asian country, after Singapore, to sign a trade and investment agreement with the European Union (“EU”). While opinions regarding its desirability from a human rights perspective differ, it should be noted that the EU is the 5th largest direct investor in Vietnam, having invested more than 23.927 billion US dollars by the end of 2018. Negotiations for this agreement lasted from 2012 until 2015, after which it was divided into two parts: (1) the Free Trade Agreement (“FTA”), and, (2) the Investment Protection Agreement (“IPA”). This apportionment is due to the division of the competences between the EU and its Member-States as embedded in the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (“TFEU”). A consequence of the division is that the international agreements made by the EU are to be separated into a part which contains competences exclusive to the EU and a part which contains shared competences (and therefore must be concluded and ratified by the EU as well as its Member-States). The trade and investment agreement was signed in June 2019 and is in the process of ratification by all the EU Member-States. Due to its scale and impact, this IPA has required significant time and attention to ensure indented scope and interpretation of its articles. This is important for the host state, as a broad or ill-drafted IPA could potentially result in investment disputes. It is therefore in the interest of the parties that the IPA is well defined and narrowly interpreted by tribunals, as tribunals have taken different approaches when interpreting treaty standards. A well-defined and narrow application of treaty standards could prevent unexpected interpretations which could broaden the scope and result in adverse effects for the treaty parties. One way to provide a narrow and well-defined standard is by limiting to what investors the IPA applies to. By imposing more requirements and narrowly defining its scope, an IPA can limit the scope of application, as well as provide less room for unexpected and broadening interpretations by tribunals. This scope of application, in turn, is significant for the standard of National Treatment (NT), as it compares foreign and domestic covered investors and investment to establish potential violations. Keeping that in mind, I shall analyse the scope of the IPA and the standard of NT, focussing on the clarity of the wording as well as the guidance and possible grey areas tribunals may face or encounter when interpreting these notions. Thereafter, a brief conclusion shall be provided.

Mangroves comprise of a complex combination of halophytic trees, shrubs and other plants that exist and grow in the coastal zone throughout tropical and subtropical regions. Mangrove ecosystems provide significant socioeconomic benefits to the local communities such as fish, timber and tourism opportunities. Understanding how they perceive on mangrove ecosystems and services is crucial for incorporating this information into decision making process and conservation, this study was conducted to study the awareness and knowledge of local community towards the trend and status of mangrove resources in Merbok Mangrove Reserve (MMR) and, to identify factors that influence the survival of mangroves in the study area. A survey was conducted in MMR using questionnaires as a main tool for data collection. A total of 300 respondents live near and around MMR were selected which involved a total of 10 villages. From the study, 95% of the respondents perceived that mangroves are very important resources to the local community. About 95.7% of respondents agree that the loss of mangroves will have negative impacts to the environment and the economics of the livelihood. Furthermore, the majority of respondents perceived that illegal clearing and aquaculture practices have significant impact to the degradation of mangroves in the area. They agree that replanting of mangroves could be the best management option to ensure the survival of this ecosystem. The information from this study may provide useful input for future research and can be crucial tools for the government and stakeholders to pave way for an effective decision making for the sustainability of mangrove resources.

A standalone gasifier coupled with I.C. Engine has proven its potential to fulfil the energy requirement of rural electrification. The purpose of this study was to estimate the potential of gasification process by combustion of bio-waste and municipal solid waste (MSW) also called as Refused Derived Fuel (RDF). Experiments were conducted on a 20 kWe downdraft gasifier at National Innovation Foundation-India (NIF-India), Gandhinagar. A screw conveyor was attached in the oxidation zone of a gasifier reactor to prevent it from chocking. After such modifications in the gasification system, experiments were conducted using different types of biomass including the bark of Babul, Teak and Neem tree. Performance parameters viz., the surface temperature of gasifier reactor, air flow rate, gas flow rate, engine output voltage, Engine oil pressure were recorded. The gas flow rate was observed over 5% higher during feeding of a combination of RDF and biomass as compared to biomass alone. The temperature of oxidation zone and flame was found over 6% higher of producer gas, resulted from the combination than the biomass alone. Ash content has increased marginally (2%) while char content was reduced drastically (27%). However, the tar content had increased significantly (64%) when the combination of RDF and biomass were used as feed in comparison to biomass alone. There is a need for developing a better filtration system to reduce the tar content in the producer gas.

Present study highlights the seasonal and spatial variation of particulate aerosols (PM10 and PM2.5) and carbonaceous species (organic tarry matter, organic and elemental carbon) in PM2.5. The ambient air samples for particulate aerosols were collected from tricity of Chandigarh, Mohali and Panchkula in India during summer (April’15–May’15) and winter (December’15–January’16). The mass levels of particulate aerosols and carbonaceous species show significant variation both seasonally and spatially. Average mass levels reported as higher in winter than summer were attributed to stagnant atmospheric and poor dispersion conditions. The mass levels were also found to be higher in industrial area as compared to residential and commercial areas. Average mass levels varying from 107.6 to 137.8 µg m−3 for PM10 and 46.6–59.5 µg m−3 for PM2.5 during the study period indicate alarming situation of particulate aerosols in this tricity. Carbonaceous species contributing as 42.5–47.5% OTM, 25.4–29.9% OC and 3.4–4.7% EC in PM2.5 indicate larger in fraction at all sites during both summer and winter.

Background: Health-care service delivery is one of the components of six building blocks of World Health Organization Health System Framework. In order to monitor the progress of health-care service delivery, it is necessary to monitor its dimensions. Objective: The current study aimed to assess the health-care service delivery at the lowest health-care delivery post in Haryana. Methods: In this cross-sectional observational study conducted in 17 randomly selected subcenters of Block Shahzadpur, Haryana, from July 2019 to March 2020, an Evaluation Framework was developed to monitor health-care service delivery through its three parameters, namely, service delivery, service provision, and facility assessment. The pretested, semi-structured tools were designed on Epi collect online (version 5) application using the available validated tools. Results: The mean service delivery score for antenatal care assessment, postnatal care assessment, and immunization is 74.9 (78.9%), 24.7 (98.6%), and 40.2 (87.3%), respectively, with an overall score of 139.8 (84.2%). The mean service provision score as assessed by patients and their caregivers through exit interview on five elements was 97%. The mean total score for facility assessment parameter was 81.7 (86.9%). The overall health service delivery score calculated by adding scores of all three parameters was 318.4 (maximum attainable score = 360, 88.4%). Conclusion: A good correlation was observed between individual parameters with total score, indicating higher performance of health-care delivery system. The future studies should focus on understanding the gaps at grassroot level and lay down the dashboard indicators for objectively evaluating health-care delivery system.

To evaluate the effectiveness of topical application of honey on Oral Mucositis (OM) associated with chemotherapy. An observational blind study is performed upon a sample of 100 children receiving chemotherapy who developed oral mucositis. All children are divided into two groups (control and experimental) who received different regimens. Both groups received routine practice of analgesic and antiseptic gel application whereas children in experimental group also received the topical application of honey on oral mucosa for the management of OM. All children are monitored from the day they developed oral mucositis until the subsidence of signs and symptoms of oral mucositis. The severity of OM was assessed with WHO-STC (Stomatitis Toxicity Criteria) scale by a observer blind. There was statistically significant difference in reduction of severity of OM in both groups of children (p

A well structured environmental education programme should have objectives related to awareness creation, knowledge accumulation, positive attitude inculcation, problem solving skills acquisition and citizen participation. Environmental education works at both school (passive, interactive, experiential education and empowerment) and public levels (behaviour modification). Social marketing strategies include changing behaviour, overcoming behavioural barriers, and providing easy access and channels. The challenges include finance, plan effectiveness, behaviour modification, human resource needs, participating agencies and political will. The environmental message must be accessible and tailored to the existing knowledge and interests of the target audience and it must also be clear, uncomplicated and empowering.

Air samples for PM10 (dp

Atmospheric aerosols and their impacts on the environment particularly on human health is an issue of significant public and governmental concern. Though studies on air quality related to total suspended particulate matter have done by various authors in India, yet respirable suspended particulate matter (PM(10)) is not characterized so far particularly in a historical and world heritage city like Agra. This study presents seasonal variation in mass levels of PM(10) and its ionic composition. PM(10) samples were collected in the proximity of Taj Mahal and subjected to chemical analysis using ion chromatography technique. The preliminary findings reveal that the 24-h average of PM(10) mass level varies from 115 to 233, 155 to 321, and 33 to 178 microg/m(3), respectively, in summer, winter, and rainy seasons indicating critical pollution situation. These values are very much higher than the National Ambient Air Quality Standards of 75 microg/m(3) (prescribed by Central Pollution Control Board, India) in both of summer and winter seasons whereas quite near the permissible limits in rainy season. The equivalent ratios of NH(4)(+) to nonsea salt SO(4)(2-) and NO(3)(-) and summation operatorCations to summation operatorAnios were found to be greater than unity indicating high source strength of ammonia and alkaline nature of aerosols. The study suggests the need for continuous and long-term systematical sampling and detailed physiochemical analysis of PM(10) and also to know the characteristics of PM in background areas for better understanding of the emission sources.

The study aimed to survey the presence and extent of imposex in sublittoral gastropods in relation to shipping traffic in the Gulf of Thailand and the Strait of Malacca. Females of several species of meso- and neogastropods showed a high incidence (up to 100%) of imposex at several sites. These females had a penis of variable size and a vas deferens (sperm duct), two typically male characteristics. Imposex has been found to be caused by TBT from antifouling paints. The occurrence of imposex was related to the distance to the main shipping routes, but not to water depth or diet of the investigated gastropods. TBT remains active far away from the target area and influences non-target animals. Some gastropods affected by imposex were found within shellfish culture plots and on the fish markets.

This study was carried out in Mauritius during summer from November 2012 to April 2013. The objectives of this study were to quantify the species richness and diversity, abundance and biomass of soil arthropod from roadside trees found at three different elevations in Mauritius. Soil arthropods were collected utilizing pitfall traps made of plastic cups at three different elevations (Flic en Flac, 5 m; Rose-Hill, 221 m; and Mare aux Vacoas, 569 m). Traps were placed among Casuarina equisetifolia (5 m), Dictyosperma album (221 m) and Pinus sylvestris (569 m) trees. A total of 18422 arthropods were sampled of which 10681 individuals were sampled at 5 m, 5216 individuals at 221 m and 2525 individuals at 569 m. The abundant soil arthropods were Hymenoptera (Formicidae) (54.0%) and Coleoptera (Nitidulidae) (32.7%). The alpha diversity of soil arthropods varied between elevations [(5 m, 0.907), (221 m, 0.727), (569 m, 1.54). Soil arthropod species evenness was highest at 221m (0.77) followed by 5 m (0.69) and lowest at 569 m (0.53). Formicidae was abundant at 221 m (91.4%) while Anisolabidae (38.6%) was abundant at 569 m. Significant difference in weight between elevation (p

Wood destruction in test panels ofShorea leprosulawas related to the percentage of fouling, types of wood borers and the number of wood borers. The natural durability ofShorea leprosulapanels was estimated to be 4–5 months in Malaysian marine waters. A higher fouling cover resulted in lower rates of wooden panel deterioration. Larger numbers of wood borers brought about greater panel deterioration. Primary wood destruction was caused by bivalve wood borers, mainlyMartesia striata, Lyrodus pedicellatus, Bankia campanellata, Teredo furciferaandTeredo bartschi. Martesia striatawas the important wood destroying agent in the intertidal zone and, together with the shipworms, was also responsible for panel destruction in the subtidal zone.

Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification of genomic DNA from 57 Musa cultivars with 60 random 10-mer primers generated 605 polymorphic amplification products which were useful in unambiguous cultivar identifications. Unweighted pair-group method analysis of this data grouped the cultivars into specific clusters depending on their genomic similarities. The diploid ancestral species of cultivated banana and plantains, namely Musa acuminata sp malaccensis, an A genome donor and M. balbisiana, a B genome donor, were farthest apart from each other in the phenogram. The edible fruit yielding cultivars with the genomic constitutions AA, AAA, AB, AAB, ABB, and ABBB grouped in different clusters according to overall genetic homologies. The restriction fragment length polymorphisms (RFLPs) prevalent among the cultivars were studied by hybridization of 19 random genomic clones to blots of HindIII, EcoRI and MspI digests. Cluster analysis of these data on 107 polymorphic alleles resulted in a phenogram comparable to the one obtained with random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) analysis. Two multilocus probes useful in distinguishing all the 57 cultivars analyzed were also identified. The A and B types of cytoplasms in the cultivars were further distinguished by hybridization of heterologous chloroplast DNA probes. Results showed that use of different kinds of molecular markers in gene banks is essential for characterization and classification of germplasm collections.

Surveys on the distribution of fish fauna in Keniam River, Taman Negara Pahang were conducted from 16th–22nd March 2011. Fish were sampled from 12 stations from 3 different zones of the river, namely, the upper reaches, middle reaches, and lower reaches. A total of 17 fish species belonging to 4 families were recorded. Analyses based on the number of individuals caught showed that 82% of total catch was represented by the Cyprinids. Mystus nemurus and Mystacoelucus marginatus were the most distributed within the Keniam River being present in the upper, middle and lower reaches of the river. Species richness (Margalef's D) for fish ranged from 2.33 to 2.96 while the Shannon-Weiner (H') Diversity index ranged from 1.80 to 2.07. The upper reaches recorded highest diversity (H'=2.07, D=2.96) as compared to the other zones of the Keniam River. Approximately 82% or 14 species of the fishes sampled were juveniles or sub adults based on the ratio of their mean standard length to their maximum attainable length.

This study reports on the birds species sampled within the riparian and lowland forest at five sites (3 developed areas and 2 control areas) along the Tembeling River in Taman Negara Pahang (TNP), Malaysia. Birds were sample by utilizing standard mist nets (dimensions, 2.5 m × 9 m and 3 m × 14 m). Twenty eight families comprising 92 species were recorded. The Timaliidae (18.48%, 17 taxa) and the Pycnonotidae (15.22%, 14 taxa) were the two most abundant families recorded from the study sites. The latter, however, had higher species richness. The Shannon-Wiener diversity index (H') (range, 3.13–3.75), the Margalef's index (D') (range, 6.53–10.77) and the Pielou Evenness index (J') (range, 0.87–0.91) suggest high bird diversity at TNP. The study indicates that the forest habitats of Taman Negara Pahang are important bird areas and therefore should be conserved.

Persistence and efficacy of bifenthrin (25 and 50 g ai ha(-1)), fipronil (50 and 100 g ai ha(-1)) and indoxacarb (70 and 140 g ai ha(-1)) has been studied in okra fruits. The initial deposits varied from 0.259-0.382 microg g(-1) at low and 0.461-0.688 microg g(-1) at high rate of application. The residues persisted upto 10 days with half-life of 1.32-1.58 days for bifenthrin, 0.65-1.12 days for fipronil and 0.58-1.02 days for indoxacarb. Based on ADI, the suggested waiting period was 1 day for bifenthrin and indoxacarb and 3 days for fipronil. All the insecticides were found effective against leafhopper and shoot and fruit borer.

Twenty one species of marine wood borers were recorded in this study. There are seventeen species of bivalves of which sixteen are from the family Teredinidae and one from the family Pholadidae. The crustaceans comprised the family Sphaeromatidae with three species and the family Limnoriidae with one species. Seven of the fourteen known genera of the teredinids were recorded. The bivalve wood borers were widely distributed in the local mangroves. Martesia striata was the most abundant wood borer at the Degaussing Range jetty, Lumut. Lyrodus pedicellatus was the most abundant shipworm in wooden panels. Shipworms were abundant on the subtidal panels where the genus Bankia, was most common while M. striata was abundant on the intertidal panels. M. striata numbers were higher on the top surfaces as compared to the under surfaces of wooden panels.

A method for the simultaneous determination of fenamiphos and its two metabolites, fenamiphos sulphoxide and fenamiphos sulphone, in water is described. The proposed method is based on the separation of the compounds on a silica gel column with ultraviolet detection and overcomes the problems of inadequate separation and possible decomposition associated with the gas-chromatographic determination of these compounds. The application of the method to groundwaters showed that a minimum detection level of the order of 10 micrograms l-1 could be achieved easily with pre-concentration of the samples on Sep-Pak C18 disposable cartridges.