Impact of arsenic-polluted groundwater on soil and produce quality: a food chain study.

The experiment was conducted to assess the impact of arsenic (As)-contaminated groundwater irrigation on soil health and crop quality. Geo-referenced groundwater, soil, and crop produce samples were collected from the middle Gangetic plains of Maner block of Patna and were analyzed for As content. The result showed that long-term application of As-contaminated groundwater (0.017 to 0.677 mg L-1) buildup significant amount of As in the soil (0.41 to 8.66 mg kg-1). A significant correlation (r2 = 0.922) was also observed between As content in groundwater and the soil. The content of As in groundwater also affected crop quality and accumulated metal content in different crop parts. Total As content in crop samples ranged from 0.010 to 0.963 µg g-1 of dry weight. The average As content in crop followed order: oilseeds > cereals > vegetables > pulses. Therefore, produce quality should be monitored frequently for As uptake as there is a great chance of As accumulation in food crops. Hence, these approaches are useful for the formulation of policy guidelines for the management of As-containing groundwater and routine risk assessment of As-contaminated soils.

Discovery of a new species of Adder's tongue fern from India with comparative analysis of morphological and molecular attributes.

Eusporangiate fern genus Ophioglossum L. is commonly known as Adder's tongue fern as its fertile frond gives the appearance of snake tongue. A new species in this fern genus, O. trilokinathii belonging to Ophioglossaceae family has been discovered from the plateau region of Rajasthan State of northwestern India. The new species can be distinguished from other taxa of this genus by its smaller habit, subglobose-tuberous rhizome, basipetal emergence of young roots, aggregation of old decaying roots on rhizome apex, fertile stalk as well as spike short and thick, trophophylls in rosette, ovate or orbicular and a unique sporoderm sculpture pattern under SEM having broad reticulations with thick and raised muri enclosing large hexagonal or irregular areas on the distal and proximal faces of the spores hitherto unreported in any of the presently known taxa of Ophioglossum. In addition, comparative study of stomatal structure, foliar anatomy and nucleotide sequence data of its three chloroplast DNA markers (trnL-F, rbcL and psbA-trnH) was carried out. In view of all the attributes including habitat, ecology, morphology, foliar anatomy, stomatal features, palynology and molecular phylogenetic data, the present study suggests that the Ophioglossum specimen collected from plateau region of Rajasthan represents a hitherto undescribed species thereby warranting its establishment as O. trilokinathii sp. nov. A detailed comparative account of the new taxon with its allied species has also been provided.

Green synthesis of silver nanoparticles using Ocimum canum and their anti-bacterial activity.

Green synthesis of nanoparticles is an important area in the field of nanotechnology, which has cost effective and environment friendly benefit over physical and chemical methods. The present study aims at preparation of silver nanoparticles through green route using leaves of Ocimum canum Sims, a widely distributed medicinal herb. The synthesized silver nanoparticles were characterized by SEM and XRD. The spherical and rod like morphological shapes were proven by SEM techniques. Crystallographic structure was confirmed by XRD and average particle size of synthesized silver nanoparticles was calculated which was found to be of 15.72 nm. The antibacterial activity of these prepared silver nanoparticles against pathogenic bacterium Escherichia coli (E. coli) has shown the highest ZOI of 2.45 cm at 30 ppm.

Synthesis and biological function of Nickel and Copper nanoparticles.

Nickel and Copper nanoparticles were synthesized by simple chemical method and studied for antimicrobial activities. The size of synthesized Nickel and Copper nanoparticles was found to be 24.00 nm and 13.13 nm respectively. The XRD analysis reveals the crystal system of Nickel and Copper nanoparticles. Copper nanoparticles were found orthorhombic whereas the nickel nanoparticles were monoclinic. The antimicrobial activities of Nickel and Copper nanoparticles dispersed in DMSO was investigated. Comparative sensitivity test of these synthesized nanoparticles was carried out against three pathogenic micro-organisms (Gram negative bacteria), viz. Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae and Pneumonia Typhus, using agar diffusion cup plate method. Copper and Nickel nanoparticles have shown appreciable sensitivity at 100 µg/ml against all test micro-organisms. Comparatively, Copper nanoparticles were found to exhibit higher zone of inhibition (ZOI) than Nickel nanoparticles.

Irish psychiatric nurses' self-reported sources of knowledge for practice.

Evidence-based practice (EBP) is an approach to health care in which health professionals use the best evidence available to guide their clinical decisions and practice. Evidence is drawn from a range of sources, including published research, educational content and practical experience. This paper reports the findings of a study that investigated the sources of knowledge or evidence for practice used by psychiatric nurses in Ireland. The paper is part of a larger study, which also investigated barriers, facilitators and level of skills in achieving EBP among Irish psychiatric nurses. Data were collected in a postal survey of a random sample of Irish psychiatric nurses using the Development of Evidence-Based Practice Questionnaire. The findings revealed that the majority of survey respondents based their practice on information which was derived from interactions with patients, from their personal experience and from information shared by colleagues and members of the multidisciplinary team, in preference to published sources of empirically derived evidence. These findings are consistent with those of the previous similar studies among general nurses and suggest that Irish psychiatric nurses face similar challenges to their general nursing counterparts in attaining of EBP.

Irish psychiatric nurses' self-reported barriers, facilitators and skills for developing evidence-based practice.

Evidence-based practice places an emphasis on integration of clinical expertise with available best evidence, patient's clinical information and preferences, and with local health resources. This paper reports the findings of a study that investigated the barriers, facilitators and skills in developing evidence-based practice among psychiatric nurses in Ireland. A postal survey was conducted among a random sample of Irish psychiatric nurses and survey data were collected using the Development of Evidence-Based Practice Questionnaire. Respondents reported that insufficient time to find and read research reports and insufficient resources to change practice were the greatest barriers to the development of evidence-based practice. Practice development coordinators were perceived as the most supportive resource for changing practice. Using the Internet to search for information was the highest-rated skill and using research evidence to change practice was the lowest-rated skill for developing evidence-based practice. Nurses' precursor skills for developing evidence-based practice, such as database searching and information retrieval, may be insufficient in themselves for promoting evidence-based practice if they cannot find evidence relating to their particular field of practice or if they do not have the time, resources and supports to develop their practice in response to evidence.

Cholinesterase activity in the great blood vessels of the heart of Pteropus giganteus.

The great thoracic blood vessels associated with the heart of the Indian flying fox -- Pteropus giganteus were studied histochemically. Acetylcholinesterase was used as a histochemical tool for studying the pattern of distribution of ganglia, nerve plexuses, nerve fibres and nerve endings innervating the various layers of the blood vessels. Their role in the regulation of vasodilation and vasoconstriction is discussed.