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Fluoride contamination in the groundwater has got great attention in last few decades due to their toxicity, persistent capacity and accumulation in human bodies. There are several sources of fluoride in the environment and different pathways to enter in the drinking water resources, which is responsible for potential effect on human health. Presence of high concentration of fluoride ion in groundwater is a major issue and it makes the water unsuitable for drinking purpose. Availability of fluoride in groundwater indicates various geochemical processes and subsurface contamination of a particular area. Fluoride-bearing aquifers, geological factors, rate of weathering, ion-exchange reaction, residence time and leaching of subsurface contaminants are major responsible factors for availability of fluoride in groundwater. In India, several studies have reported that the groundwater of several states are contaminated with high fluoride. The undesirable level of fluoride in groundwater is one of the most natural groundwater quality problem, which affects large portion of arid and semiarid regions of India. Rajasthan, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Tamil Nadu, Gujarat, and West Bengal are the relatively high-fluoride-contaminated states in India. Chronic ingestion of high doses of fluoride-rich water leads to fluorosis on human and animal. Over 66 million Indian populations are at risk due to excess fluoride-contaminated water. Therefore, groundwater contamination subject to undesirable level of fluoride needs urgent attention to understand the role of geochemistry, hydrogeology and climatic factors along with anthropogenic inputs in fluoride pollution.

Background Adequate post-operative analgesia in the obstetric patient is necessary to facilitate breastfeeding and the care of the newborn. Considering the limitations of intravenous analgesic options such as non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and opioids, other alternatives have been tried for offering better analgesia with fewer potential side effects. Transversus abdominis plane (TAP) block is one such option that has been tried with various local anesthetic drugs, either alone or in combination with other adjuvants. The addition of dexmedetomidine to bupivacaine in TAP block has been shown to prolong the duration of post-operative analgesia when compared to local anesthetic alone. This study was conducted to determine the efficacy of dexmedetomidine, as an adjuvant to ropivacaine, when administered in TAP block in patients undergoing cesarean section. Methodology The study was a prospective, randomized, parallel assignment, triple-blinded controlled trial. Hundred patients posted for elective lower segment cesarean section, fulfilling the inclusion criteria, were randomly divided into two equal groups, group R and group RD, comprising 50 patients each. Patients in group R were administered bilateral TAP block by landmark technique using ropivacaine alone, whereas patients in group RD were administered TAP block with dexmedetomidine 1 micrograms/kg, in addition to a similar dose of ropivacaine. Mean arterial pressure (MAP), heart rate (HR), visual analog scale (VAS)-R (pain score on VAS scale at rest), VAS-C (pain score on VAS scale on coughing), nausea and vomiting, and Ramsay sedation score were recorded on admission to post-operative care unit (PACU), and at first, fourth, eighth, 12th, 18th, and 24th hours post-operatively. Rescue analgesia was provided with intravenous morphine. Short Assessment of Patient Satisfaction Score (SAPS) was noted on a five-point scale after 24 hours based on patient satisfaction regarding the quality of post-operative analgesia. Results While there was no significant difference between groups R and RD with respect to VAS-C and VAS-R immediately after shifting and at the first, fourth, and eighth hours, a significant difference was observed at the 12th and 18th hours post-operatively. After 24 hours, no significant difference was observed between groups R and RD with respect to VAS-C and VAS-R. While 50% of patients needed rescue analgesia in group R, only 28% of patients needed rescue analgesia in group RD. There was significantly better patient satisfaction measured by the Short Assessment of Patient Satisfaction Score (SAPS) with respect to the quality of analgesia in patients in group RD as compared to those in group R. Conclusions The addition of dexmedetomidine to ropivacaine increased the duration of post-operative analgesia up to 18 hours post-operatively in cases of elective lower segment cesarean section. Also, the quality of post-operative analgesia is better in such patients, as shown by a significant difference in patient satisfaction scores between the two groups.

Mahananda River is an important river in India and Bangladesh, as the people of both the countries use the water extensively, without sufficient and reliable information about water qualities and pollution status. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the water quality of the river and to analyse the suitability for drinking, agricultural and industrial uses. This is why this study on the Mahananda River is extremely important for the region. For this study, samples from fourteen sampling stations were collected in pre-monsoon and post-monsoon seasons in 2016 and water quality index (WQI), agriculture and industry-related indices were computed. WQI values designated two sampling stations out of fourteen sampling stations as ‘very bad’ category and another two sampling stations as ‘bad’ category. The pH values of some sampling stations slightly exceeded the upper permissible limit. USSL diagram analysis classified two samples of pre-monsoon season in C2S1 category which indicates a medium salinity and low sodium water. Magnesium hazard values of four sampling stations are above 50% suggesting not suitable for irrigation. However, some indices like sodium per cent, residual sodium carbonate and residual sodium bicarbonate, Kelly’s index, permeability index and potential salinity allow the water for use in irrigation purposes. Langelier Saturation Index and aggressive index values designate the water as moderately aggressive or non-aggressive. Ryznar Stability Index values designate the water as ‘aggressive’ or ‘very aggressive’ indicating unsuitability for industrial uses. Sampling stations S-1, S-2, S-8 and S-14 need special attention.

Inadequate organic waste management leads to a plethora of problems such as environmental pollution, eutrophication, esthetic damage to urban landscape, greenhouse gases emission and effects on human health. Unwise and non-scientific disposal of wastes not only poses a grave threat to environmental quality but also results in loss of economic value of wastes. Since organic wastes are an abundant pool of organic matter and valuable plant nutrients, agricultural recycling of these wastes appears to be a promising alternative enabling value addition and their resourceful utilization. Land application of organic wastes stabilized through techniques such as composting, vermicomposting and anaerobic digestion yielding excellent organic fertilizer like compost augments soil fertility and crop yield. Additionally, the practice incorporates indirect environmental benefits such as reduced greenhouse gas emissions, land conservation due to reduced landfilling of wastes and substitute to chemical fertilizers. Economically also, agricultural utilization of organic wastes reduces the cost of landfilling, transportation of wastes, imports and production cost of chemical fertilizers and opens avenues for rural employment. However, effective utilization of organic wastes for agricultural purposes requires thorough and strict risk assessment to prevent the adverse effects of contaminants like heavy metals, persistent organic pollutants to ensure agro-environmental sustainability. The present article aims to enlist the positives and negatives associated with this practice enabling to devise an approach or strategy deriving maximum environmental and economic benefits.Agricultural recycling of organic wastes can be explored as an eco-friendly and sustainable waste management approach.Organic wastes are a rich source of beneficial plant nutrients (macro and micro) and organic matter.Organic waste amendments improve soil physico-chemical and biological properties and benefit plant productivity.Organic wastes offer the potential to be used as a valuable resource.

The majority of countries rely largely on agriculture for employment. Irrigation accounts for a sizable amount of water use. Crop irrigation is an important step in crop yield prediction. Field harvesting is very reliant on human supervision and experience. It is critical to safeguard the field’s water supply. The shortage of fresh water is a major challenge for the world, and the situation will deteriorate further in the next years. As a result of the aforementioned challenges, smart irrigation and precision farming are the only viable solutions. Only with the emergence of the Internet of Things and machine learning have smart irrigation and precision agriculture become economically viable. Increased efficiency, expense optimization, energy maximization, forecasting, and general public convenience are all benefits of the Internet of Things (IoT). As systems and data processing become more diversified, security issues arise. Security and privacy concerns are impeding the growth of the Internet of Things. This article establishes a framework for detecting and classifying intrusions into IoT networks used in agriculture. Security and privacy are major concerns not only in agriculture-related IoT networks but in all applications of the Internet of Things as well. In this framework, the NSL KDD data set is used as an input data set. In the preprocessing of the NSL-KDD data set, first all symbolic features are converted to numeric features. Feature extraction is performed using principal component analysis. Then, machine learning algorithms such as support vector machine, linear regression, and random forest are used to classify preprocessed data set. Performance comparisons of machine learning algorithms are evaluated on the basis of accuracy, precision, and recall parameters.

Background Unilateral pulmonary agenesis is a rare congenital anomaly with an incidence of 1:15,000, affecting both sides and sexes equally. It's classified by Schneider-Schwalbe (Types 1–3) and Boyden systems (Groups 1–3) based on developmental severity. Children commonly experience recurrent respiratory tract infections and breathing difficulties due to aberrant tracheal function and increased vulnerability from airway constriction. Case presentation A 9-year-old male presented with fever and nonproductive cough. Physical examination revealed severe malnutrition (weight and BMI < -3Z score) with tracheal deviation, decreased left chest movement, dullness to percussion, and diminished breath sounds on the left side. Chest X-ray showed complete left hemithorax opacification with mediastinal shift. High-resolution computed tomography revealed left lung aplasia with compensatory right lung hyperinflation. Computed tomography pulmonary angiogram (CTPA) confirmed left pulmonary artery agenesis. Bronchoscopy demonstrated hypoplastic left bronchial tree with blind-ending left main bronchus and tracheal bronchus supplying the right upper lobe. The patient was treated with antibiotics for secondary infection, chest physiotherapy, inhaled corticosteroids, and nutritional support. Conclusion This rare congenital anomaly highlights the importance of advanced imaging in diagnosing complex respiratory presentations in pediatric patients with recurrent respiratory infections.

The River Ganga, despite its immense religious and cultural significance, has been increasingly degraded in terms of water quality due to the continuous discharge of untreated domestic sewage, industrial effluents, and chemical wastes, particularly along the Patna stretch. Urban drains serve as major conduits for heavy metals into rivers, contaminating the aquatic environment and posing significant environmental and public health concerns. In this context, the present study aims to quantify the contribution of urban drains to metal(loid)s contamination in the Ganga River at Patna and to assess the associated ecological and human health risks. A total of 20 samples, each collected from 20 stations located in 8 regions, were analyzed for 15 metal(loid)s during the summer and winter seasons of 2022 and 2023, respectively. Several toxic metal(loid)s, particularly Al (up to 11.81 mg/l), Pb (0.29 mg/l), Fe (1.36 mg/l), Cr (0.18 mg/l), and As (0.03 mg/l), exceeded the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS), World Health Organization (WHO) and United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) standard values, indicating the unsuitability of the water for drinking purposes. Approximately 65% of the samples showed high Metal Pollution Index (MPI) values, with extreme levels recorded at drain sites (MPI up to 283 in summer and 242 in winter). The Ecological Risk Index (ERI) revealed considerable ecological risk near drains (up to 399 in winter) and moderate risk at downstream locations. While the Total Hazard Index (THI) remained below 1 for both adults (0.0869 in summer; 0.061 in winter) and children (0.0867 in summer; 0.072 in winter), suggesting no significant non-carcinogenic risk, the incremental lifetime cancer risk (ILCR) values for As (up to 7.2 × 10⁻³) and Cr (up to 4.7 × 10⁻³) exceeded the critical value (1.0 × 10⁻³), indicating potential carcinogenic risk under long-term exposure. These findings highlight the substantial impact of urban drains on riverine contamination with metal(loid)s and provide critical baseline data for evidence-based management and restoration of the Ganga River.

Heavy metal contamination has emerged as a global environmental concern, with tannery effluents serving as a significant source of these pollutants. The discharge of tannery effluents (TEs) into natural ecosystems has given rise to a spectrum of catastrophic risks, exacerbating concerns related to public health, safety, and environmental integrity. This current study focuses on the mycoremediation of the heavy metals present in TE, employing the mycelia of Pleurotus opuntiae, an environmentally sustainable solution. The toxicity of TE was rigorously characterized by evaluating a range of physicochemical parameters in accordance with the American Standard and Testing Methods. Subsequently, various diluted concentrations of effluent (25%, 50%, 75% and 100%) were incorporated into MDA media to assess the tolerance index (TI) of P. opuntiae. Notably, the highest TI was observed in the 25% and 50% TE concentrations, while no growth was observed in the 75% and 100% groups due to the exceptionally elevated heavy metal content. P. opuntiae demonstrated remarkable efficacy in heavy metal removal, with the most substantial reductions recorded in the 25% diluted effluent (91.3% Pb, 72.2% Cr and 66.5% Zn), closely followed by the 50% diluted effluent. The highest intracellular bioaccumulation was observed for Pb (17.2 µg/g), outperforming Cr (14.5 µg/g) and Zn (8.5 µg/g) in mycelia grown in 25% diluted effluent. To elucidate the detoxification mechanisms underlying metal removal, various characterizations of the mycelium were conducted, including SEM, FTIR, and XRD analyses. Furthermore, LC–MS analysis shed light on the pivotal role of metabolites in regulating heavy metals within the physiological metabolism of P. opuntiae. Moreover, an upsurge in the concentration of the stress marker, metallothionein, and augmented activity of antioxidant enzymes, like SOD, CAT, LPO and GSH, collectively suggested the significant role of antioxidants in mitigating reactive oxygen species (ROS) and heavy metal toxicity. These comprehensive findings provide a solid foundation for understanding the mechanisms responsible for heavy metal removal by P. opuntiae and pave the way for the development of effective remediation strategies for decontaminating the effluents discharged by the leather industry, contributing to the preservation of our environment and to public well-being.

Understanding the hydrogeochemical processes that govern groundwater quality is important for sustainable management of the water resource. A study with the objective of identifying the hydro-geochemical processes and their relation with existing quality of groundwater was carried out in an intensively cultivated district of Punjab, India. The study approach includes conventional graphical plots and multivariate analysis of the hydrochemical data to define the geochemical evaluation of aquifer system based on the ionic constituents, water types, hydrochemical facies and factors controlling groundwater quality. The results suggest that different natural hydrogeochemical processes like simple dissolution, mixing, weathering of carbonate minerals locally known as \"kankar\" silicate weathering and ion exchange are the key factors in the pre-monsoon, which was superseded by leaching processes loaded with anthropogenic inputs in the post-monsoon. Limited reverse ion exchange has been noticed at few locations of the study area especially in pre-monsoon periods. There was a significant effect of monsoon observed in terms of hardness and the significant amount of area with temporary hardness (Ca2+-Mg2+-HCO3-type) in the pre-monsoon switched to permanent hardness domain, i.e. (Ca2+-Mg2+-Cl- type) by the post-monsoon. At most, factor analyses substantiate the findings of conventional graphical plots and provide greater confidence in data-interpretation. Thus, the study highlights the descriptive capabilities of conventional and multivariate techniques as effective tools in groundwater evaluation. (PUBLICATION ABSTRACT)

To ensure the safety of the dam, stability assessment of the dam is necessary. The objective is to perform slope stability analysis for upstream, downstream and seepage analysis during steady state, transient seepage conditions and to know about the displacement occurred at history nodes by the application of pseudo-static ground motion. The present work deals with the behavior of the Right earthen embankment of Nagarjuna Sagar which is in earthquake prone area of Zone-II (as per IS 1893-2002). Stability parameters slope, seepage and earthquake analyzed by SLOPE/W, SEEP/W, QUAKE/W tools in GeoStudio 2022 (finite element modeling based software). The model with full reservoir level is first analyzed by SEEP/W to find piezometric line which is basis to perform SLOPE/W for finding slope stability. Later an earthquake motion of 0.1 peak ground acceleration is subjected to it by using QUAKE/W. It is concluded from results, that obtained factor of safety lie within safety limits and seepage loss observed during the design life of 100 years is 562290 m 3 , 3431117 m 3 for steady state and rapid drawdown.