Role of direct antiglobulin test in anemia under evaluation: Its prevalence, laboratory workup, and significance in further patient management-a study from eastern India.

INTRODUCTION AND AIMS: The direct antiglobulin test (DAT) is an important diagnostic tool for immune hemolytic anemia (IHA). The present study was primarily aimed to identify the prevalence of DAT positivity in anemia patients along with its specificity . A three months follow up of the DAT positive patients were performed for the response during course of illness in terms of transfusion requirement, hemoglobin level, persistence of DAT. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This cross sectional study was performed at a government medical college on symptomatic anemia patients. At initial evaluation, complete blood count (CBC), blood grouping and DAT were performed in the EDTA blood. DAT positive blood samples were analyzed for their immunoglobulin specificity, auto or alloantibody type. Acid elution and red cell phenotyping were performed wherever applicable. Their clinical presentation, hematological and biochemical parameters of hemolysis were evaluated. Statistical analysis was performed on the results on SPSS (Version 23.0;.USA) and Graph pad Prism version 9. P value <0.05 was considered significant. RESULTS: DAT was present in 64 out of 501 patients with male female ratio 1: 4. Warm AIHA (WAIHA) was 93.7% with secondary WAIHA 60%. IgG was associated in 86% DAT positive samples, Only C3d was 14%. All the 4 cold AIHA (6.3%) had a higher antibody titre and thermal amplitude.DAT strength was directly proportional to the degree of hemolysis. During 3 months follow up, persistence of DAT and blood transfusion requirement was more in secondary WAIHA . Hemoglobin increment was more in primary WAIHA (75%). CONCLUSION: DAT played a significant role in the diagnosis as well as evaluation of AIHA.

Application of a novel remote sensing ecological index (RSEI) based on geographically weighted principal component analysis for assessing the land surface ecological quality.

In evaluating the integrated remote sensing-based ecological index (RSEIPCA), principal component analysis (PCA) has been extensively utilized. However, the conventional PCA-based RSEI (RSEIPCA) cannot accurately evaluate component indicators' spatially shifting relative significance. This study presented a novel RSEI evaluation strategy based on geographically weighted principal component analysis (RSEIGWPCA) to address this deficiency. Second, compared to the classic RSEIPCA, RSEIGWPCA was tested at English Bazar and surrounding areas using two-fold validation. In this regard, the Jaccard test from a different setting and correlation analysis were utilized to examine the geographical distribution of RSEI derived by PCA and GWPCA. The validation output revealed better effectiveness of GWPCA over PCA in assessing the RSEI. The findings revealed that (i) in RSEI assessment, the spatial heterogeneity of the dataset helped to formulate individual weights by GWPCA that was not performed by PCA; and (ii) the areas having higher RSEI were primarily located around the Chatra wetland of this study area, and the areas with lower RSEI were located mainly in the industrial part. It has been concluded that RSEIGWPCA is a helpful approach in the RSEI evaluating for the regional and local scale like English bazaar city and its neighbourhood.

Exploring the vulnerability of the coastal wetlands of India to the changing climate and their adaptation strategies.

Changing climate exerts significant pressure on coastal wetland fishery, ecosystems and livelihood at the eco-regional level. In the present study, an indicator and scoring-based vulnerability assessment framework was developed to assess climate change-induced potential impacts and vulnerability of the coastal wetlands through stakeholder perception and primary data collection on ecology and fisheries. The study was conducted in 12 coastal wetlands in the Gangetic estuarine regions of eastern India. Analysis of rainfall, temperature and extreme climatic events was also carried out. The climate variability in the region was analysed and discussed in the context of ecosystem health and sustainability indicators. The results indicated that anthropogenic stress has a greater influence on ecosystem services than climatic stress. However, the nature and degree of vulnerability of fishers to climate change vary with their capacity to adapt to such changes and alternate sources of livelihood. Altogether, 34 fish species were documented, belonging to 11 taxonomic orders, and categorized as per intensity of resilience using selected criteria. Perception-based climate-resilient adaptation strategies have also been discussed. Developing appropriate adaptation policies and implementing climate-resilient practices and management can minimize vulnerability and increase the adaptive capacity of fishers ensuring sustainable livelihood options.

Mapping and assessment of ecosystem health in the Vilnius functional zone (Lithuania).

Urban expansion is a global phenomenon that impacts biodiversity loss and climate change. Soil sealing increases land degradation and the ecosystem services supply. This degradation also negatively affects ecosystem health, essential to make cities more sustainable and liveable. This work aims to study the ecosystem health spatiotemporal evolution (1990, 2000, 2006, 2012 and 2018) in the Vilnius (Lithuania) functional zone, using the vigour, organisation and resilience (VOR) method. The results showed that ecosystem health model validation was acceptable (r = -0.761; p < 0.01). Between 1990 and 2018, an increase (18.37 %) in ecosystem vigour was observed. The values were significantly higher in 2006, 2012 and 2018 than in 1990 and 2000. We identified a decrease between 1990 and 2018 regarding ecosystem organisation (7.15 %) and resilience (9.92 %). However, no significant differences between the years were identified. Ecosystem health decreased (11.49 %) between 1990 and 2018, mainly between 2012 and 2018. Ecosystem health values in 2018 were significantly lower than those identified in the previous years. The lowest values of ecosystem vigour, organisation and resilience were identified in the Vilnius city centre, while the highest was observed in the Vilnius functional zone. From 1990 to 2018, ecosystem vigour increased in some elderships located on the fringe of the studied area due to land abandonment and forest plantations. Simultaneously, a decrease in ecosystem organisation and resilience in the elderships located in Vilnius city centre was observed due to urban sprawl and the consequent landscape fragmentation. This negatively impacted ecosystem health, overshadowing the positive trend observed in ecosystem vigour. Different processes (e.g., urban sprawl, land abandonment, forest plantations) occurred in the Vilnius functional zone. It is essential to halt urban expansion and its adverse impacts on ecosystem health, city sustainability and liveability.

Synergistic action of sumatriptan delivery and targeting magnesium deficiency using green, pH-responsive MgO nanoparticles synthesized from mahua flower extracts.

Magnesium oxide (MgO) nanoparticles were green synthesized using mahua (Madhuca longifolia) flower extracts by solvent evaporation and characterized by UV-visible spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction analysis (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), Field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), and Energy dispersive X-ray analysis (EDX). The drug loading of sumatriptan succinate (SS), an anti-migraine drug, was optimized using MINITAB's response surface methodology (RSM) Box Behnken model (BBD) model. The investigation of drug adsorption and release kinetics was further conducted using the optimized set obtained through RSM. The optimized parameters consisted of 23.53 mg of nanoparticles, a loading time of 6 h, and a pH of 9, yielding the experimental drug loading efficiency ~47%. The primary objective of this study is to investigate the potential of utilizing these green synthesized MgO nanoparticles for a dual purpose. The primary objective of this study is to investigate the viability of utilizing MgO nanoparticles synthesized through green route for the delivery of an anti-migraine medication. Additionally, the study aims to examine the degradation of these nanoparticles at physiological pH levels, with the intention of potentially enhancing cellular absorption. The investigation involved the assessment of drug release kinetics using various mathematical models, with a focus on the release of SS from MgO nanoparticles. This evaluation was conducted at different pH levels, specifically pH 5, 7, and 9. It has been found that the SS release increases as pH decreases, which is attributed to the dissolution of MgO nanoparticles, which therefore exhibits varied behavior at different pHs. The confirmation of the degradation of the green synthesized MgO nanoparticles was achieved through the execution of a degradation study, followed by the analysis of the obtained samples using FESEM and EDS. At neutral, the release data obtained adhered to the Higuchi model, which suggests that the release of the drug is based on diffusion. This finding is particularly advantageous for the controlled release of an anti-migraine drug. The results obtained from the study indicate that MgO nanoparticles have the potential to serve as a significant component in drug delivery systems, specifically as drug carriers. Attachment of SS over MgO nanoparticles to form SS loaded MgO nanoparticles and its possible working mechanism.

Criegee Intermediate-Mediated Oxidation of Dimethyl Disulfide: Effect of Formic Acid and Its Atmospheric Relevance.

The oxidation-reduction reactions of disulfides are important in both chemistry and biology. Dimethyl disulfide (DMDS), the smallest reduced sulfur species with a disulfide bond, is emitted in significant quantities from natural sources and contributes to the formation of aerosols and hazardous haze. Although atmospheric removal of DMDS via the reactions with OH or NO3 radicals and photolysis is known, the reactions of DMDS with other atmospheric oxidants are yet to be explored. Herein, using quantum chemical calculations, we explored the reactions of DMDS with CH2OO (formaldehyde oxide) and other methyl-substituted Criegee intermediates. The various reaction pathways evaluated were found to have positive energy barriers. However, in the presence of formic acid, a direct oxygen-transfer pathway leading to the corresponding sulfoxide (CH3SS(O)CH3) was found to proceed through a submerged transition state below the separated reactants. Calculations for the methyl-substituted Criegee intermediates, particularly for anti-CH3CHOO, show a significant increase in the rate of the direct oxygen-transfer reaction when catalyzed by formic acid. The presence of formic acid also alters the mechanism and reduces the enthalpic barrier of a second pathway, forming thioformaldehyde and hydroperoxide without any rate enhancement. Our data indicated that, although Criegee intermediates are unlikely to be an important atmospheric sink of DMDS under normal conditions, in regions rich in DMDS and formic acid, the formic acid-catalyzed Criegee intermediate-mediated oxidation of DMDS via the direct oxygen-transfer pathway could lead to organic sulfur compounds contributing to atmospheric aerosol.

Unified classification of non-covalent bonds formed by main group elements: a bridge to chemical bonding.

Using correlation plots of binding energy and electron density at the bond critical point, we investigated the nature of intermolecular non-covalent bonds (D-X⋯A, where D = O/S/F/Cl/Br/H, mostly, X = main group elements (except noble gases), A = H2O, NH3, H2S, PH3, HCHO, C2H4, HCN, CO, CH3OH, and CH3OCH3). The binding energies were calculated at the MP2 level of theory, followed by Atoms in Molecules (AIM) analysis of the ab initio wave functions to obtain the electron density at the bond critical point (BCP). For each non-covalent bond, the slopes of the binding energy versus electron density plot have been determined. Based on their slopes, non-covalent bonds are classified as non-covalent bond closed-shell (NCB-C) or non-covalent bond shared-shell (NCB-S). Intriguingly, extrapolating the slopes of the NCB-C and NCB-S cases leads to intramolecular "ionic" and "covalent" bonding regimes, establishing a link between such intermolecular non-covalent and intramolecular chemical bonds. With this new classification, hydrogen bonds and other non-covalent bonds formed by a main-group atom in a covalent molecule are classified as NCB-S. Atoms found in ionic molecules generally form NCB-C type bonds, with the exception of carbon which also forms NCB-C type bonds. Molecules with a tetravalent carbon do behave like ions in ionic molecules such as NaCl and interact with other molecules through NCB-C type bonds. As with the chemical bonds, there are some non-covalent bonds that are intermediate cases.

Impact of COVID-19 pandemic on cultural ecosystem services from urban green spaces: a case from English Bazar Urban Agglomeration, Eastern India.

Urban green space (UGS) provides multiple cultural ecosystem services (CES) and enhances people's physical and mental well-being. The importance of UGS was more critical during crisis periods such as the COVID-19 pandemic. Recently, UGS has been under severe threats due to rapid urban expansion and climate change. Particularly, the cities in developing countries have experienced a dramatic loss of green spaces due to land use and land cover (LULC) change. This study aims to assess the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on CES perception obtained from two public UGS, i.e., Subhankar Sishu Uddyan (SSU) and Bandh Road (BR) in English Bazar Urban Agglomeration (EBUA), Eastern India. A survey was performed to assess the valuation of CES, CES obtained from UGS, and the use of CES difference during partial (unlock phases) and after lockdown periods. The non-parametric tests were carried out to understand the significant differences between CES and UGS perceived by the respondents. Explanatory factor analysis was also performed to find the association among CES for each UGS. The results reported substantial variations of UGS use during partial and after lockdown periods. During the after-lockdown period, the UGS mainly were used for social relations (51%), spending time with relatives and friends (25%), spending time with children (11%) in SSU and walking (25%), spending time with relatives and friends (21%), and physical activities (17%) in BR. During the partial lockdown period, a significant difference between SSU and BR was recorded from social relations and health value among all CES. After the full lockdown period, a significant difference was observed in recreation, social relations, health, and aesthetic value. The frequency and duration of UGS use during partial lockdown periods substantially increased. About 12% of the total visitor visited UGS daily after the lockdown, whereas it was 4% during the partial lockdown. The study's findings will assist urban planners and policymakers in understanding the need for UGS to promote the well-being of the citizens.

A socio-ecological and geospatial approach for evaluation of ecosystem services to communities of the Eastern Himalayan Region, India.

Mountains are one of the most ecological functional areas and provide wide range of ecosystem services (ESs) to the adjoining people. However, the mountainous ESs are highly vulnerable due to land use and land cover (LULC) change and climate change. Therefore, evaluations of the nexus between ESs and mountainous communities are essentially required for policy purpose. This study aims to assess ESs by analyzing LULC focusing in three ecosystems (forest, agriculture, and home garden) from urban and peri-urban areas for last 3 decades, applying participatory and geospatial approaches for a mountainous city in Eastern Himalayan Region (EHR), India. The findings showed that a substantial loss in ESs has occurred during the period. Moreover, there were substantial variations of ecosystem importance and dependency between urban and peri-urban areas with highest importance of provisioning ESs in peri-urban areas and cultural ESs in urban areas. Moreover, among the three ecosystems, forests were strongly supporting the peri-urban areas communities. The result demonstrated that the communities are highly dependent on various ESs for their livelihoods, but the changes of LULC had substantial impact on the loss of ESs. Therefore, implementation of effective land uses planning strategies and measures for ecological security and livelihood sustainability is to be managed with people participation in mountainous areas.

Use and perception of ecosystem services on an urban river: a case from lower Gangatic plain, Eastern India.

Rapid urbanisation and climate change have emerged as serious threats to ecosystem services (ES), and the deterioration of ES is affecting the quality of life. The research on ES was long performed from monetary perspectives and neglected evaluation of ES from social perspectives. This study proposes a social appraisal approach for evaluating urban river ES on Mahananda River in English Bazar Urban Agglomeration (EBUA), Eastern India, through the social perception and preference (SPP) approach. SPP approach was performed using the importance-performance analysis (IPA) model and satisfaction index (SI). Mann-Whitney U test, correlation analysis, and a median regression were performed to better understand the overall scenario on the perception and preference for ES. The findings of the study showed that (i) the stakeholder residing along the left bank of the river were highly dependent on provisioning ES; (ii) there was limited access to cultural ES provided by the river; (iii) the stakeholders residing along the left bank and slum stakeholders residing along the right bank of the river were more dependent on rive ES; (iv) relatively higher discrepancy was reported from recreation, aesthetic, and bio-diversity; (v) satisfaction level on ES was relatively low to the stakeholder residing along the left bank (50%); and (vi) as per improvement index (II), recreation, aesthetic value, bio-diversity, and purification of water must be prioritised to meet the societal needs. Thus, the study's findings can be very effective in implementing actions for sustainable holistic river ES management through the SPP approach.

Mapping ecosystem services for ecological planning and management: a case from a tropical planning region, Eastern India.

Burdwan City experienced an important urbanization trend inducing dramatic land use/land cover (LULC) changes over the past 28 years. However, their effects on ecosystem services value (ESV) remain unknown. The prime objective of this study is to analyze the spatial heterogeneity of ESV in the Burdwan Planning Area (BPA) from 1990 to 2018. Ecosystem service value (ESV) was estimated using the benefits transfer method, and the contribution of LULC was also computed using contribution rate (CR). The dynamics of LULC were also calculated from the change intensity index and single LULC dynamics. The sensitivity of ESVs to LULC using an elasticity indicator between 1990 and 2018 was performed. The results showed that during the entire study period, built-up are and open lands or sand bars increased 362.34% and 42.40%; water bodies, vegetation, and agricultural lands decreased by 33.24%, 7.20%, and 13.66%, respectively, from 1990 to 2018. In case of ESV, total ESVs were US $95.26 (1990), US $95.85 (2000), US $95.42 (2010), and US $91.38 (2018) million. There was a reduction of the total ESV of US $3.88 million between 1990 and 2018. A substantial spatial heterogeneity of ESV between rural and urban landscapes was reported due to variations of ecological landscapes. The main driver of ESs value loss was a rapid conversion of natural land cover (vegetation, water bodies) into semi-natural or artificial landscapes, i.e., urban settlement. Being a planning region, assessing the impact of LULC dynamics on the ESVs is necessary for sustainable urban development and effective urban environmental management.

Non-covalent bonds in group 1 and group 2 elements: the 'alkalene bond'.

The non-covalent bonds formed by group 1 and group 2 elements were systematically analysed by ab initio calculations at the MP2/aug-cc-pVDZ (for Ca, 6-311++G(2df,p) basis sets were used) level of theory to classify the weak bonds, followed by Atoms in Molecules (AIM) analysis of the ab initio wave functions. It has been established that there is a strong correlation between the electron density at the non-covalent bond critical point (BCP) and the binding energy for each homogeneous sample of complexes. The slopes of the electron density versus binding energy plot have been obtained for group 1 and group 2 donor molecules (Dn-X⋯A, for X = H, D = F/-OH/-SH, for X = Li, Na, D = F/Cl/Br and for X = Be, Mg, and Ca, D = F/Cl/H) with a set of acceptor molecules (A), which includes H2O, NH3, H2S, PH3, HCHO, C2H4, HCN, CO, CH3OH and CH3OCH3. The bonds formed by group 1 (except H-bonds) and group 2 belong to a high slope dominated by electrostatics, with several similarities, leading us to propose a common name, 'alkalene bond', for non-covalent bonding in alkali and alkaline earth metals.

Comparison of ecosystem services provided by an urban and a riverine wetland: a multi-scale evaluation from lower Gangetic plain, Eastern India.

Wetland ecosystems (WE) are considered the most productive ecosystems on the globe which provide a range of basic and critical ecosystem services (ES) to humans. However, WE are constantly being degraded because of a poor understanding of social benefits at a local level and the lack of recognition of economic values for ES at sub-national and national levels. This study aims to compare a peri-urban wetland with a riverine wetland from lower Gangetic plain, Eastern India, to identify the bundle of ES based on its perceived importance from multiple perspectives at a local level. Participatory research tools have been employed (i.e., key informant interviews, household survey, and field observation) for data collection. Based on rapid assessment of wetland ecosystem services (RAWES) approach, a priority ranking analysis was used to examine ES. A Mann-Whitney U test was performed to find out significant differences in RAWES approach between riverine and peri-urban wetlands. Multiple regression model (MRM) was also performed to explore the impact of socio-demographic factors towards the perception of WES. Results showed that (i) the utilizations of WES largely vary between riverine and peri-urban wetland; (ii) provisioning and regulating ES were attributed relatively higher importance by the people of riverine and peri-urban wetlands in comparison to other ES; (iii) as per RAWES approach, the ESI value for riverine wetland was higher (0.58) than the peri-urban wetland (0.44) indicating the higher importance and dependence on WES; and (iv) population growth, expansion of settlement, climate change, and agricultural expansion were attributed as significant drivers of WE change (particularly for urban wetland). This study suggests the much-needed policy interventions and future pathways of research for developing effective measures to ensure livelihood sustainability of the dependent communities and to sustain (active) the ecosystem health of riverine and peri-urban wetlands.

Exploring nexus between ecosystem services and livelihood dependency for sustainable ecosystem management in lower Gangetic plains, Eastern India.

The flows of ecosystem services (ESs) from ecological patches (EPs) are being severely challenged due to global change. However, the evaluation of nexus between tribal society and ecological units with focus of tribal livelihood was not a subject of enquiry until recent past. Present study hypothesized that the different EPs has differential nexus in terms of delivery of ESs in Barind region, Eastern India. Dependency and prominence of l livelihood on ESs was evaluated through developing ES dependency index (ESDI) and ecosystem services prominence index (ESPI). Five sub-components (comprising 25 indicators) and ten dominant provisioning ecosystem services (PES) were considered to develop ESDI and ESPI respectively. The seasonal variations of availability of ESs from EPs were also assessed-based five-point Likert scale. The findings of the study showed that (i) the households were highly dependent on PES for their livelihood strategies; (ii) agricultural crops (main foods), housing materials, fuel woods, water, livestock, and medical plants were the dominant ESs; (iii) forests, agricultural lands, water bodies, and homesteads were the main EPs from which ESs were collected; (iv) there was positive correlation between ESDI and ESPI. Moreover, there was substantial variation on dependency of ESs across villages was observed and seasonal variation in ESs was noted in terms of availability and dependency with maximum contribution during the monsoon season. The result clearly suggests that there is a strong nexus between livelihood strategies and ESs in the region. Therefore, diversification of livelihood strategies must be integrated with ESs for human well-being (HWB) as well as environmental sustainability.

Dual phase statistical optimization of biological pre-treatment of sugarcane bagasse with Pycnoporus coccineus MScMS1 for polyhydroxyalkanoates production.

Biological pre-treatment is the removal of recalcitrant lignin from lignocellulose through the action of lignin degrading organisms and/or their ligninolytic enzymes system. Despite numerous environmental benefits, biological pre-treatment has been side-lined due to its prolonged periods of fermentation, ascribed to the slow growth rate of lignin degrading organisms. Thus, the present work adopted a dual phase statistical optimization approach for the biological pre-treatment of sugarcane bagasse, with Pycnoporus coccineus MScMS1, using Taguchi Orthogonal Array, in conjunction with Response Surface Methodology, to address this issue. Amplification of the organism's functioning resulted in an enhancement of sugar productivity and yield accompanied by a significant reduction in fermentation time. Optimized sugar concentration was approx. 18 g/L within 4 days of pre-treatment, with productivity of 4.5 g/(L.day). Substrate compositional analysis revealed significant (p < 0.05) reduction of lignin by 70% in the biologically pre-treated substrate, along with significantly (p < 0.05) higher quantities of water soluble components (35 ± 0.95 g) and cellulose content (33 ± 0.18 g), as compared to the untreated substrate. Appreciable levels of xylose, arabinose, glucose and galactose were detected in hydrolysates from biologically pre-treated bagasse. Furthermore, Bacillus megaterium Ti3, a potent polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHA) producer, was grown on these sugar-rich hydrolysates and generated 0.58 g/L PHA in 24 h of fermentation accompanied by 0.88 g/L dry cell weight and 65% PHA accumulation. These results were comparable with those from a glucose medium. Thus, the present study was successful in optimizing the biological pre-treatment of sugarcane bagasse and utilizing the resultant sugar-rich hydrolysates, as inexpensive and renewable raw materials, for PHA production.

Nexus between indigenous ecological knowledge and ecosystem services: a socio-ecological analysis for sustainable ecosystem management.

The well-being of the human society cannot be ensured and sustainable unless the flow of Ecosystem Services (ESs) would be matching with their consistent demand. The consistent flow of ESs required sustainable management of ecological resources of the ecosystem. The management of ecosystem can be ensured with variety of approaches. Integration of indigenous ecological knowledge (IEK) in management prescription with the view that IEK-based extraction of ESs ensures removal of resources from the ecosystem within the limit thereby ensuring the sustainability of ecosystem. The present study is an evaluation to understand the nexus between ESs and IEK for sustainable environmental management. The focus of the study was a tribal dominated socio-ecological patch of Barind Region of Malda district, Eastern India. The assessment of ESs and IEK was based on the data collected from the randomly selected tribal households following the pre-tested questionnaire containing questions on ESs as per millennium ecosystem assessment. The data were analyzed following social preference approach, and statistical tests (Kruskal-Wallis and Mann-Whitney). General linear model (GLM) has also been used to examine the impact of socio-demographic attributes on the perceived valuation of ESs. The results revealed that the provisioning ESs (such as water, fuel wood, medical plants) were most preferred followed by cultural and regulating ESs by tribal. Differential importance of ESs was observed among tribal and accounted by gender, education as well as age of the tribe. A gap between the actual accessibility and evaluation of ESs by the tribal communities was also apparent. The socio-demographic attributes have an immense impact on the valuation of ESs and also governed based on the IEK. Various types of indigenous ecological belief systems were closely linked with conservation of ecosystem and sustainable supply of ESs. The present study can contribute to understand socio-ecological nexus with the lens of IEK in tribal dominated ecological landscapes for improved ecosystem and environmental management besides ensuring sustainability of flow of ESs.

Thermostable and organic solvent-tolerant acid pectinase from Aspergillus terreus FP6: purification, characterization and evaluation of its phytopigment extraction potential.

The present study discusses the purification, characterization and application of pectinase from Aspergillus terreus FP6 in fruit pigment extraction. By the four-step purification involving precipitation, dialysis, ion-exchange chromatography, gel filtration chromatography, a 20.85-fold purification of the enzyme to homogeneity was achieved. The apparent molecular mass of the pectinase was 47 kDa, as found by sodium dodecyl sulphate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. The optimum activity of the enzyme was recorded at pH 6.0 and 50 °C. The enzyme retained 80.3% and 79.1% residual activity, respectively at pH 6.0 and 50 °C for 90 min. The pectinase was best functional in the presence of toluene and retained its activity for 30 min. Cu2+ and Co2+ acted as enzyme activators, while Ca2+, ß-mercaptoethanol, dimethyl sulfoxide and ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid proved to be the inhibitors. The K m and V max values of the pectinase with pectin as substrate were 0.002 mM and 27.39 U/mL, respectively thus indicating the high enzyme affinity towards the substrate. After 30-min treatment of the grape skin with the partially purified enzyme, microscopic observation revealed that a short time of the enzymatic treatment resulted in substantial loss of pigment and shrinkage of the grape skin cells thereby highlighting the high efficiency of the pectinase. The current study implies that the A. terreus FP6 pectinase may be applied as a bio-agent in the food and beverage industries and has the potential to replace harmful solvents by promoting a greener approach to extract plant pigments.

Exploring short term spatio-temporal pattern of PM2.5 and PM10 and their relationship with meteorological parameters during COVID-19 in Delhi.

Present study aims to examine the impact of lockdown on spatio-temporal concentration of PM2.5 and PM10 - categorized and recorded based on its levels during pre-lockdown, lockdown and unlock phases while noting the relationship of these levels with meteorological parameters (temperature, wind speed, relative humidity, rainfall, pressure, sun hour and cloud cover) in Delhi. To aid the study, a comparison was made with the last two years (2018 to 2019), covering the same periods of pre-lockdown, lockdown and unlock phases of 2020. Correlation analysis, linear regression (LR) was used to examine the impact of meteorological parameters on particulate matter (PM) concentrations in Delhi, India. The findings showed that (i) substantial decline of PM concentration in Delhi during lockdown period, (ii) there were substantial seasonal variation of particulate matter concentration in city and (iii) meteorological parameters have close associations with PM concentrations. The findings will help planners and policy makers to understand the impact of air pollutants and meteorological parameters on infectious disease and to adopt effective strategies for future.

Habitat vulnerability in slum areas of India - What we learnt from COVID-19?

UN-Habitat identified the present COVID-19 pandemic as 'city-centric'. In India, more than 50% of the total cases were documented in megacities and million-plus cities. The slums of cities are the most vulnerable due to its unhygienic environment and high population density that requires an urgent implementation of public healthcare measures. This study aims to examine habitat vulnerability in slum areas to COVID-19 in India using principal component analysis and Fuzzy AHP based technique to develop slum vulnerability index to COVID-19 (SVIcovid-19). Four slum vulnerability groups (i.e. principal components) were retained with eigen-values greater than 1 based on Kaiser criterion - poor slum household status; lack of social distance maintenance; high concentrations of slum population and towns and mobility of the households. This study also mapped composite SVIcovid-19 on the basis of PCA and Fuzzy AHP method at the state level for a better understanding of spatial variations. The result shows that slums located in the eastern and central parts of India (particularly Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, Odisha, West Bengal) were more vulnerable to COVID-19 transmission due to lack of availability as well as accessibility to the basic services and amenities to slum dwellers. Thus, the findings of the study may not only help to understand the habitat vulnerability in slum areas to COVID-19 but it will also teach a lesson to implement effective policies for enhancing the quality of slum households (HHs) and to reduce the health risk from any infectious disease in future.

A prospective study on COVID-19 convalescent plasma donor (CCP) recruitment strategies in a resource constrained blood centre.

Background and Objectives: The COVID-19 pandemic has spread across 87 million people with more than 1·8 million deaths in the world. As there is no definite treatment modality, the use of convalescent plasma has become increasingly popular worldwide. This study aimed to identify an appropriate strategy of donor recruitment and to evaluate the appropriateness of pre-set plasma donation guidelines. Material and Methods: In this prospective study conducted from May to September 2020, the donors were recruited under the following two circumstances: Group I, patients in the post-COVID-19 follow-up in the clinic, and Group II, patients recovered from COVID-19 recruited through mass and electronic media. A pre-set donor selection criteria and laboratory investigation was designed according to national and international guidelines. Approximately 500 ml of COVID-19 convalescent plasma (CCP) was collected from recovered individuals in each group by two different cell separators. The overall donor's attendance rate, deferral rate, adverse events and donor compliance was analysed and compared between the two groups. Results: There was a significant difference in attendance in relation to registration between the groups (P < 0·0001). Donor deferral was significantly higher in group II compared with group I. The single most frequent cause of donor deferral was low antibody index (P = 0·0001). The total donor adverse event rate in CCP donation was significantly lower compared with routine plateletpheresis procedures. The donor's compliance to blood centre's protocol was satisfactory in both the groups. Conclusion: Recruitment of patients in the post-COVID-19 follow-up in the clinic was more effective than the general recruitment through mass and electronic media for convalescence plasma donation in a resource-constrained blood centre.