Solar Transients disturbing the Terrestrial Magnetic Environment at Higher Latitudes

Geomagnetic field variations during five major Solar Energetic Particle (SEP) events of solar cycle 23 have been investigated in the present study. The SEP events of 01 oct 2001, 04 Nov 2001, 21 Apr 2002 and 14 May 2005 have been selected to study the geomagnetic field variations at two high-latitude stations, Thule and Resolute Bay of the northern polar cap. We have used the GOES protn flux in seven different energy channels. All the proton events were associated with geoeffective or Earth directed CMEs that caused intense geomagnetic storms in response to geospace. We have taken high-latitude indices, AE and PC, under consideration and found fairly good correlation of thees with the ground magnetic field records during the five proton events. The departure of H component during the events were calculated from the quietest day of the month for each event. The correspondence of spectral index, inferred from event integrated spectra, with ground magnetic signatures along with Dst and PC indices have been brought out. From the correlation analysis we found very strong correlation to exist between the geomagnetic field variations and high latitude indices AE and PC. To find the association of geomagnetic storm intensity with proton and geomagnetic field variations along with the Dst and AE index. We found a strong correlation (0.88) to exist between the spectral indices and magnetic field deviations and also between spectral indices and AE and PC.Comment: Accepted for publication in Astrophys Space Sci (2013) (19 pages, 6 figures, 2 tables

The Language of Crisis: Print Media’s Re[presentation] of the Covid-19 Discourses through Linguistic Choices

The Covid-19 pandemic has sparked intense discourse and public debate, underscoring the critical role of print media in disseminating information and shaping public understanding. This paper explores the representation of Covid-19 discourses by print media, with a particular focus on linguistic choices. Employing a qualitative research approach, this study investigates how print media, including reputable sources such as The New York Times, The Washington Post, and The Guardian, employed specific linguistic strategies to represent the discourses surrounding the Covid-19 crisis. Through analysis of news items, newspaper articles, and editorials, the research aims to uncover the underlying linguistic patterns used to frame and portray the pandemic. The study aims to uncover the underlying patterns and variations in the language employed by media outlets to frame and portray the pandemic. The findings suggest that print media employed various linguistic strategies to represent the discourses surrounding Covid-19. Lexical selection plays a significant role, with certain words and phrases being strategically employed to convey specific meanings and evoke emotional responses. The New York Times, for example, tends to use precise and factual language, while The Guardian may employ more emotive and inclusive language. Additionally, the use of metaphors and analogies enables print media to frame the crisis in relatable terms, shaping public understanding and interpretation. Furthermore, the tone and rhetoric employed by print media contribute to the construction of different discourses surrounding the pandemic. For instance, some newspapers may emphasize the economic impact of the crisis, while others focus on the healthcare and social implications. These discourses influence public perception, policy decisions, and societal responses. Understanding the language of crisis employed by print media in representing the discourses surrounding Covid-19 is essential for comprehending the societal impact and dynamics of the pandemic. This research contributes to media literacy and critical analysis by highlighting the role of linguistic choices in shaping public discourse. It underscores the need for responsible and ethical journalism that presents a nuanced and balanced representation of the Covid-19 crisis. Keywords: Language of crisis, print media, representation, Covid-19 discourses, lexical selection, metaphors, framing, tone, rhetoric DOI: 10.7176/RHSS/13-10-07 Publication date:May 31st 202

Transgenic plants as green factories for vaccine production

Edible vaccine technology represents an alternative to fermentation based vaccine production system. Transgenic plants are used for the production of plant derived specific vaccines with native immunogenic properties stimulating both humoral and mucosal immune responses. Keeping in view the practical need of new technology for production and delivery of inexpensive vaccines, especially in developing world, plant derived edible vaccines is the best option in hand to combat infectious diseases. Plant derived vaccine is easy to administer, cost effective, readily acceptable, have increased safety, stability, versatility and efficacy. Several plant derived vaccines are under research, some are under clinical trials for commercial use. Like most  biotechnology products, the IP situation for edible vaccines is complex as IP rights influence every stage of vaccine development.Keywords: Transgenic plants, edible vaccines, chimeric viruses, bacterial diseases, viral diseases

Mapping 123 million neonatal, infant and child deaths between 2000 and 2017

Since 2000, many countries have achieved considerable success in improving child survival, but localized progress remains unclear. To inform efforts towards United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 3.2—to end preventable child deaths by 2030—we need consistently estimated data at the subnational level regarding child mortality rates and trends. Here we quantified, for the period 2000–2017, the subnational variation in mortality rates and number of deaths of neonates, infants and children under 5 years of age within 99 low- and middle-income countries using a geostatistical survival model. We estimated that 32% of children under 5 in these countries lived in districts that had attained rates of 25 or fewer child deaths per 1,000 live births by 2017, and that 58% of child deaths between 2000 and 2017 in these countries could have been averted in the absence of geographical inequality. This study enables the identification of high-mortality clusters, patterns of progress and geographical inequalities to inform appropriate investments and implementations that will help to improve the health of all populations

Evaluating the in vitro antituberculosis, antibacterial and antioxidant potential of fungal endophytes isolated from Glycyrrhiza glabra L

Abstract Endophytes, especially from medicinal plants and those from biodiversity rich ecoregions synthesize important bioactive molecules. The aim of the present study was to isolate and characterize the bioactive fungal endophytes from Glycyrrhiza glabra L. of Kashmir Himalayas-a biodiversity rich ecoregion in India. Plant material was collected from different location of Kashmir region for isolation of fungal endophytes. A total of thirty-three strains were isolated and their broth was screened for their antimicrobial activity by well diffusion assay. Potent endophytes were selected and identified by ribosomal gene sequence technique. The extracts of selected endophytes were evaluated for antibacterial as well as antimycobacterial and antioxidant activities by broth microdilution technique and DPPH assay, respectively. Thirteen isolates (40%) displayed antimicrobial activity against at least one pathogen. The extract of isolates identified as Fusarium solanistrain (KT16646), Fusarium oxysporum strain (KT166447), Colletotrichum gleosporoides strain (KT166445) and Alternaria alternate strain (KT166448) displayed strong antimicrobial activity with MIC ranging from <2.34 to 125 µg/ml against various tested bacterial pathogens. F. solani and C. gleosporoides showed good activity against Mycobacterium tuberculosis (M. tb) strain H37Rv with MIC of 18.5 and 75 µg/ml, respectively. F. oxysporum exhibited good antioxidant activity with IC 50 value of <100 µg/ml. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study that reports antimycobacterial activity of any fungal endophyte isolated from G. glabra against the virulent strain of M tb. Thus, this study sets background towards the exploration of potential bioactive molecules that may have antituberculosis, antibacterial and antioxidant activity from the fungal endophytes of G. glabra

Global, regional, and national comparative risk assessment of 84 behavioural, environmental and occupational, and metabolic risks or clusters of risks for 195 countries and territories, 1990–2017 : a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2017

Background: The Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study (GBD) 2017 comparative risk assessment (CRA) is a comprehensive approach to risk factor quantification that offers a useful tool for synthesising evidence on risks and risk outcome associations. With each annual GBD study, we update the GBD CRA to incorporate improved methods, new risks and risk outcome pairs, and new data on risk exposure levels and risk outcome associations. Methods: We used the CRA framework developed for previous iterations of GBD to estimate levels and trends in exposure, attributable deaths, and attributable disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs), by age group, sex, year, and location for 84 behavioural, environmental and occupational, and metabolic risks or groups of risks from 1990 to 2017. This study included 476 risk outcome pairs that met the GBD study criteria for convincing or probable evidence of causation. We extracted relative risk and exposure estimates from 46 749 randomised controlled trials, cohort studies, household surveys, census data, satellite data, and other sources. We used statistical models to pool data, adjust for bias, and incorporate covariates. Using the counterfactual scenario of theoretical minimum risk exposure level (TMREL), we estimated the portion of deaths and DALYs that could be attributed to a given risk. We explored the relationship between development and risk exposure by modelling the relationship between the Socio-demographic Index (SDI) and risk-weighted exposure prevalence and estimated expected levels of exposure and risk-attributable burden by SDI. Finally, we explored temporal changes in risk-attributable DALYs by decomposing those changes into six main component drivers of change as follows: (1) population growth; (2) changes in population age structures; (3) changes in exposure to environmental and occupational risks; (4) changes in exposure to behavioural risks; (5) changes in exposure to metabolic risks; and (6) changes due to all other factors, approximated as the risk-deleted death and DALY rates, where the risk-deleted rate is the rate that would be observed had we reduced the exposure levels to the TMREL for all risk factors included in GBD 2017. Findings: In 2017,34.1 million (95% uncertainty interval [UI] 33.3-35.0) deaths and 121 billion (144-1.28) DALYs were attributable to GBD risk factors. Globally, 61.0% (59.6-62.4) of deaths and 48.3% (46.3-50.2) of DALYs were attributed to the GBD 2017 risk factors. When ranked by risk-attributable DALYs, high systolic blood pressure (SBP) was the leading risk factor, accounting for 10.4 million (9.39-11.5) deaths and 218 million (198-237) DALYs, followed by smoking (7.10 million [6.83-7.37] deaths and 182 million [173-193] DALYs), high fasting plasma glucose (6.53 million [5.23-8.23] deaths and 171 million [144-201] DALYs), high body-mass index (BMI; 4.72 million [2.99-6.70] deaths and 148 million [98.6-202] DALYs), and short gestation for birthweight (1.43 million [1.36-1.51] deaths and 139 million [131-147] DALYs). In total, risk-attributable DALYs declined by 4.9% (3.3-6.5) between 2007 and 2017. In the absence of demographic changes (ie, population growth and ageing), changes in risk exposure and risk-deleted DALYs would have led to a 23.5% decline in DALYs during that period. Conversely, in the absence of changes in risk exposure and risk-deleted DALYs, demographic changes would have led to an 18.6% increase in DALYs during that period. The ratios of observed risk exposure levels to exposure levels expected based on SDI (O/E ratios) increased globally for unsafe drinking water and household air pollution between 1990 and 2017. This result suggests that development is occurring more rapidly than are changes in the underlying risk structure in a population. Conversely, nearly universal declines in O/E ratios for smoking and alcohol use indicate that, for a given SDI, exposure to these risks is declining. In 2017, the leading Level 4 risk factor for age-standardised DALY rates was high SBP in four super-regions: central Europe, eastern Europe, and central Asia; north Africa and Middle East; south Asia; and southeast Asia, east Asia, and Oceania. The leading risk factor in the high-income super-region was smoking, in Latin America and Caribbean was high BMI, and in sub-Saharan Africa was unsafe sex. O/E ratios for unsafe sex in sub-Saharan Africa were notably high, and those for alcohol use in north Africa and the Middle East were notably low. Interpretation: By quantifying levels and trends in exposures to risk factors and the resulting disease burden, this assessment offers insight into where past policy and programme efforts might have been successful and highlights current priorities for public health action. Decreases in behavioural, environmental, and occupational risks have largely offset the effects of population growth and ageing, in relation to trends in absolute burden. Conversely, the combination of increasing metabolic risks and population ageing will probably continue to drive the increasing trends in non-communicable diseases at the global level, which presents both a public health challenge and opportunity. We see considerable spatiotemporal heterogeneity in levels of risk exposure and risk-attributable burden. Although levels of development underlie some of this heterogeneity, O/E ratios show risks for which countries are overperforming or underperforming relative to their level of development. As such, these ratios provide a benchmarking tool to help to focus local decision making. Our findings reinforce the importance of both risk exposure monitoring and epidemiological research to assess causal connections between risks and health outcomes, and they highlight the usefulness of the GBD study in synthesising data to draw comprehensive and robust conclusions that help to inform good policy and strategic health planning

Box–Behnken Response Surface Design of Polysaccharide Extraction from Rhododendron arboreum and the Evaluation of Its Antioxidant Potential

© 2020 by the authors. In the present investigation, the ultrasound-assisted extraction (UAE) conditions and optimization of Rhododendron arboreum polysaccharide (RAP) yield were studied by a Box–Behnken response surface design and the evaluation of its antioxidant potential. Three parameters that affect the productivity of UAE, such as extraction temperature (50–90 ◦C), extraction time (10–30 min), and solid–liquid ratio (1–2 g/mL), were examined to optimize the yield of the polysaccharide percentage. The chromatographic analysis revealed that the composition of monosaccharides was found to be glucose, galactose, mannose, arabinose, and fucose. The data were fitted to polynomial response models, applying multiple regression analysis with a high coefficient of determination value (R2 = 0.999). The data exhibited that the extraction parameters have significant effects on the extraction yield of polysaccharide percentage. Derringer’s desirability prediction tool was attained under the optimal extraction conditions (extraction temperature 66.75 ◦C, extraction time 19.72 min, and liquid–solid ratio 1.66 mL/g) with a desirability value of 1 yielded the highest polysaccharide percentage (11.56%), which was confirmed through validation experiments. An average of 11.09 ± 1.65% of polysaccharide yield was obtained in optimized extraction conditions with a 95.43% validity. The in vitro antioxidant effect of polysaccharides of R. arboreum was studied. The results showed that the RAP extract exhibited a strong potential against free radical damage

Resilience in education: An example from primary school in Fiji and technical vocational education and training

In the Pacific, the capacity of curriculum writers for integrating the content of climate change into their curricula and/or taught Resilience [Climate Change Adaptation (CCA) & Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR)] in education is limited. This paper described the findings of a 2018 study on the integration of climate change into primary and secondary schools’ curricula and taught resilience in education in TVET. It involves teachers (n = 30) from Kadavu and Levuka islands, curriculum writers and editors from the Ministry of Education, GIZ, SPC, and USP—in Fiji. An exploratory design was used to explore the curricula for Fiji and the EU PacTVET project at SPC. Information was collected from workshops and training events, interviews and project documents. Using BEKA (Benchmarking, Evidencing, Knowing, Applying) and the concept of ako (e.g. to study or educate), a model of climate change and resilience in education was designed as part of this research to help Pacific schools with their curricula. These results indicate how behavioural changes may shape Resilience, thus placing them in a better position to achieve the UNFCCC, the SDGs, the Sendai Framework and the Framework for Resilient Development in the Pacific (FRDP) targets and objectives by 2030 and beyond

Chronic airflow obstruction and ambient particulate air pollution

Smoking is the most well-established cause of chronic airflow obstruction (CAO) but particulate air pollution and poverty have also been implicated. We regressed sex-specific prevalence of CAO from 41 Burden of Obstructive Lung Disease study sites against smoking prevalence from the same study, the gross national income per capita and the local annual mean level of ambient particulate matter (PM2.5) using negative binomial regression. The prevalence of CAO was not independently associated with PM2.5 but was strongly associated with smoking and was also associated with poverty. Strengthening tobacco control and improved understanding of the link between CAO and poverty should be prioritised