The rockfall hazard in high hills of deccan pleatue has been one of the major disasters in western part of India. The present study aimed to assess the stability of hill cut highway slope near Khandala Tunnel along Mumbai-Pune expressway, Maharashtra, India. This study is significant as the Khandala tunnel is one of the five tunnels situated along the Mumbai-Pune expressway, which experiences frequent rockfall and slope instability, mostly in the rainy season. The assessment of slope failure in the present study performed by a combination of rockfall simulation and 2D slope stability analysis. The results of the slope analysis show that the slope is stable in dry condition having a factor of safety (FoS) 1.48. In contrast, it becomes very critical during the rainy season having FoS of 1.07. Rockfall analysis shows that the boulders came down on both carriageways with approximate maximum bounce height, total kinetic energy, and translational velocity of 9 m, 500 kJ, and 16 m/s, respectively. The preventive slope stabilisation measures suggested to minimise the failure problems and to capture the movement of falling blocks before reaching the road.
Cuttings of five Populus alba clones (S18 F1-26, Al29 F8-35, J3 F1-4, GU1 F16-36, PO9 F21-88), Populus euphratica, and Populus×euramericana (I-214) were submitted during 45 d to regular watering with NaCl solutions of electrical conductivity of 7 and 14 dS m-1. Chlorophyll a fluorescence in response to the salinity stress was assessed, using F0 and Fv/Fm. Differences in reaction to the salt were found in P. alba clones, F0 and Fv/Fm being the fluorescence parameters used to check out this stress. Minimal constant fluorescence of dark-adapted plants (F0) showed a better correlation with the disease index exhibited by plants and also with salinity dose than the parameter Fv/Fm. Some of the P. alba clones showed the same behaviour, assessed through fluorescence parameters, as P. euphratica, which was previously defined as salt tolerant, while the rest exhibited the same characteristics as I-214, which was very sensitive. and H. Sixto, I. Aranda, J. M. Grau.
The increasing worldwide production of bisphenols has been associated to several human diseases, such as chronic respiratory and kidney diseases, diabetes, breast cancer, prostate cancer, behavioral troubles and reproductive disorders in both sexes. The aim of the present in vitro study was to evaluate the potential impact bisphenols A, B, S and F on the cell viability and testosterone release in TM3 Leydig cell line. Mice Leydig cells were cultured in the presence of different concentrations of bisphenols (0.04-50 µg.ml-1 ) during 24 h exposure. Quantification of the cell viability was assessed using the metabolic activity assay, while the level of testosterone in cell culture media was determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Within the panel of substances under investigations, the higher experimental concentrations (10; 25 and 50 µg.ml-1 ) significantly (P<0.001) decreased Leydig cells viability, while the same doses of BPA and BPB also reduced testosterone production significantly (P<0.001). Taken together, the results of our study reported herein is a consistent whit the conclusion that higher experimental doses of bisphenols have a cytotoxic effect and could have a dose-dependent impact on testosterone production.
Waterlogging is one of the critical factors controlling the distribution, regeneration, and survival of vegetation in wetlands. Here, we tested the hypothesis that Mitragyna parvifolia (Roxb.) Korth. and Syzygium cumini Keels, inhabiting the Keoladeo National Park, a Ramsar wetland (Bharatpur, India), are tolerant to waterlogging. The morphological and photosynthetic variables of four-month-old seedlings subjected to waterlogging, along with the concentrations of macroand micronutrients, were examined. After 35 days, treatment was halted due to high mortality of S. cumini seedlings in contrast to that of M. parvifolia seedlings. Significant declines in most of the studied variables were observed in both species when compared with their respective controls. In addition, M. parvifolia seedlings developed adventitious roots and lenticels and showed an increased root biomass. Based on the results, we concluded that adaptive traits displayed by M. parvifolia seedlings facilitate its tolerance to waterlogging in contrast to S. cumini seedlings., A. Bidalia, Z. Okram, M. Hanief, K. S. Rao., and Obsahuje bibliografii
Dyslipidemia is the risk fact or of cardiovascular disease, but the relationship between the plasma triglyceride (TG) levels and total/cardiovascular mortality has not yet been analy zed in Slavs. The aim of our study was to analy ze the association between the fasting TG levels and all- cause/cardiovascular mortality. We have examined 3,143 males and 3,650 females, aged 58.3±7.1 years. 729 deaths (274 cardiovascular deaths) have been registered during up to 11.8 years of follow -up. Age -sex adjusted all -cause mortality was higher in individuals with TG values 3.01 -4.00 mmol /l (HR 1.37, 95 % CI 1.02- 1.83, P=0.035) and over 4.00 mmol /l (HR 1.66, 95 % CI 1.21 -2.27, P=0.002) when compared with a reference group (TG 1.41 -1.80 mmol /l). Elevated risk remains significant when adjusted for education, marital status and unemployment. When further adjusted for smoking, BMI and dyslipidemia interventions, HR for those in above 4.00 mmol/l group decreas ed (1.42, P=0.04). The results have been similar when cardiovascular mortality has been examined, however, results reached statistical significance only for the TG over 4.0 mmol /l (P=0.028). Our results confirmed that enhanced plasma levels of plasma triglycerides are dose dependently associated with increased risk of all- cause mortality, however, it s eems that individuals with TG values 1.8 -3.0 mmol /l are not in higher risk of death., H. Pikhart, J. A. Hubáček, A. Peasey, R. Kubínová, M. Bobák., and Obsahuje bibliografii
Latent infection with the apicomplexan Toxoplasma gondii (Nicolle et Manceaux, 1908) has been associated with schizophrenia, bipolar disorder and self-harm behaviour. However, the potential relationship between T. gondii immunoglobulin G antibody (IgG) seropositivity and generalised-anxiety disorder (GAD) and panic disorder (PD) has not been investigated. The associations between serum reactivity to T. gondii and major depressive disorder (MDD), GAD and PD were evaluated in a total sample of 1 846 adult participants between the ages of 20 and 39 years from the United States Center for Disease Control's National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES). Approximately 16% of the overall sample was seropositive for T. gondii and 7% of the sample met criteria for MDD, 2% for GAD and 2% for PD. There were no significant associations between T. gondii IgG seroprevalence and MDD (OR = 0.484, 95% CI = 0.186-1.258), GAD (OR = 0.737, 95% CI = 0.218-2.490) or PD (OR = 0.683, 95% CI = 0.206-2.270) controlling for sex, ethnicity, poverty-to-income ratio and educational attainment. However, limited evidence suggested a possible association between absolute antibody titres for T. gondii and GAD and PD but not MDD. Toxoplasma gondii seroprevalence was not associated with MDD, GAD or PD within the context of the limitations of this study, although there may be an association of T. gondii serointensity with and GAD and PD, which requires further study.