Lake Mainit is an oligotrophic lake but endowed with generally clear and clean water (Tumanda et al, 2005). Its lakeshore zones were previously fully vegetated with trees as related by local folks, but recently almost devoid of forest trees (Cabahug, 2018).  Previous efforts to restore the lost vegetation were done but generally unsuccessful.  Recently, flooding has become a perennial problem of lakeshore communities as it occurs almost every year.  This study was undertaken at the Lakeshore Reforestation Project of Barangay Quezon, Mainit Surigao del Norte, Philippines with the primary view of evaluating the growth and survival of Bangkal (Nauclea orientalis), Narra (Pterocarpus indicus), Molave (Vitex parviflora) and Potat (Barryngtonia racemosa) trees during wet season.  Thirty wildlings from each species were collected and planted randomly at 4.5m x 4.5m planting distance.   One month after planting, initial data on plant height, stem diameter and survival rate were collected.  Continued maintenance was done until the lake Mainit overflowed for over two months.  When lake water subsided, the 100 percent inventory and data collection were undertaken.  Findings revealed an average height increment in seven months of 64.57cm for Bangkal, 33.43cm for Potat and 59.07cm for Narra.  For survival rate, Bangkal obtained 93.33%, Potat was 83.33%, 30% for Narra, and 0% for Molave.  Stem Diameter increment was 1.88cm for Bangkal, 0.98cm for Dalinsoi and 1.73cm for Narra.  Significant differences were shown among four species in all the parameters assessed.  It was proven that Nauclea orientalis and Barryngtonia racemosa are appropriate lakeshore reforestation species for Lake Mainit.  These species survived even submerged in water for over two months.

Contribution of vehicles towards air pollution has estimated between 60-70% (approx.) due to which Pakistan is facing environmental changes like melting of glaciers in northern areas, earthquakes, flooding and lack of fresh water availability. Effect of vehicular emissions on human population due to carbon, sulfur and nitrogen compounds is known to be adverse; secondary emissions include Carbon dioxide (CO₂) and other Green House Gases (GHGs) which contribute to global warming. The purpose of this study is to analyse the effects of vehicle emissions, through the IMR 2800P gas analyzer, on the environment and the health of the people of Pakistan. The authors investigated that the pollutants emitted by the vehicles (i.e. Carbon monoxide, Hydrocarbons, Nitrogen oxide) causes different health issues like headache, asthma, fatigue, eye irritation, etc. The study shows that the old vehicles were contributing more towards the vehicle emissions and the majority of them did not pass the Japanese emission test. The study recommended reducing the effect of pollutants through different procedures, including plantation of trees, proper maintenance of the vehicle free of cost and prohibition of old vehicles.

The unceasingly growing human population and the concurrent decline of agricultural production begets a serious demand for quality protein sources. A 35 days trial was initiated to evaluate the carcass quality and proximate composition of broiler chicken meat supplemented with increasing levels of Black Soldier Fly Larvae (BSFL) as feed protein sources. There were five tested diets; T0 (100% Commercial Feeds) as control, T1 (75% CF + 25% BSFL), T2 (50%, CF + 50% BSFL), T3 (25% CF + 75% BSFL) and T4 (100% BSFL) using one hundred twenty (120) unsexed day-old Cobb-500 broilers grouped into 8 birds per replicate in three replications under five treatments. The data were analyzed using a one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) in a completely randomized design (CRD) to determine which treatments significantly differ. The performance results showed that there was no significant difference between treatments in the carcass recovery of meat as well as its organoleptic tests. The crude protein, crude fat and crude fiber of the tested chicken meat was highest in T0, T4 and T3 having 13.03%, 10.40%, and 0.77% respectively. The levels of moisture were high under T2 with 72.12% and ash was 1.22% high on both T0 and T2. The carcasses of broiler chicken supplemented with BSFL can be marketed and acceptable to the consumers. Moreover, the BSFL can be a valuable feed protein supplement to broilers without detrimental effects on the quality of meat.">

: Performance improvement techniques are increasingly becoming a part of healthcare administration across the world as care providers and administrators within the health system borrow techniques from the business world to improve their institutions.  In Saudi Arabia the popularity of business performance management techniques has been growing much slower compared to other countries of similar significance and economic capability.  This paper highlights some of the aspects that are hampering BPM performance improvement measures in the healthcare sector in Saudi Arabia. It uses a case study approach applied on a private and public hospital in Saudi Arabia to determine the level of BPM compliance in each institution. Key findings indicate that weak frameworks have prevented these concepts from becoming a natural part of the Kingdom’s healthcare management processes. The glaring absence of accountability measures such as follow up strategies for performance improvement techniques such as Six Sigma and continuous improvement,  has weakened the positive potential That  BPM approaches can Accord the sector. 

In any clinical setting, utmost care is taken to discard medical wastes appropriately to avoid the spread of infectious diseases. However, the fecal wastes of an infected person, along with the pathogens, finds its way into the sewage system and hence into the environment. Although multiple water-borne infections are known to result due to the contamination of drinking water sources from the sewage system, the consequential ease of spread of antibiotic resistance genes is rarely comprehended. Considering this aspect, the aim of the current study was to detect the presence of Extended-Spectrum β-Lactamase (ESBL) producing bacteria in drinking water samples collected from 55 public drinking facilities across South Mumbai. Microbiological analysis revealed contamination of 76.36% water samples by fecal coliforms, rendering it unfit for human consumption. A total of 46 gram-negative organisms were isolated from these water samples and analyzed for antibiotic resistance characteristics by Antimicrobial Susceptibility Testing (AST) which showed multiple drug resistance among 56.52% isolates. The phenotypic screening and PCR amplification of ESBL genes viz., bla_TEM, bla_CTX-M and bla_SHV confirmed 3 isolates to be ESBL producers. The prevailing data and continuous monitoring of drug-resistant pathogens occurring in the environment are of paramount importance in seeking appropriate measures to keep the problem of antibiotic resistance from spreading further. 

:  Obesity became a major health challenge worldwide and a risk factor for many serious diseases, especially for women. It is characterized by chronic low grade inflammation that could play a role in appearance of its comorbidities. Yet, the causal relations between inflammation and its biomarkers and between obesity with subsequent comorbidities are still controversial. The aim of the present study is to screen the two highly related inflammatory biomarkers; C-reactive protein (CRP) and neopterin and the androgenic dehydroepiandrosterone sulphate (DHEAs) in a sample of female obese working adults and to investigate their influence as predictors of obesity and subsequent chronic debilitation. Participants were 52 female working adults with mean age of 41 years ranging from 20 to 56 years. They completed a questionnaire for socio-demographic and work related data then a 5mls blood sample was taken for biochemical assessment of CRP, neopterin and DHEAs using ELISA technique. Statistical analysis included descriptive analyses, comparing means between obese and non-obese groups and linear regression modeling for biomedical markers of obesity. Results showed increase in CRP level above the cutoff value for inflammation as well as neopterin that greatly approached the upper normal range among the obese subjects with significant difference as compared to their levels among the non-obese group. DHEAs showed decreased level in obese group compared to the-non-obese but insignificant. Regression model containing Body Mass Index as dependent variable showed CRP to be the only predictor among the tested predictors in the study sample.

In the pursuit of high-quality alternative sources of energy in poultry diets, the locally available root crops Cyrtosperma merkusii and Dioscoreae hispida were studied to ascertain their proximate nutritional and a few mineral values. The C. merkusii and D hispida tubers were collected from swamps and secondary forests of the municipalities of Mainit and Alegria, Surigao del Norte, Philippines. Tubers were processed and analyzed in triplicates by procedures of the Association of Official Analytical Chemists (AOAC, 2002) in the determination of Moisture Content, CP, Crude Fiber, Crude Fat, Ash, NFE, calcium, and phosphorus. The result showed that C. merkusii was significantly (P < 0.05) highest 5.90% compared to D. hispida 4.38% CP. The calculated M.E. was 2,635.58 Kcal/kg C. merkusii and 2,304.29 Kcal/kg D. hispida and crude fiber was 7.15% for C. merkusii while 2.76% for D. hispida tuber. However, the crude fat and ash were significantly lesser in C. merkusii (0.06% & 4.82%) over D. hispida (0.24% & 9.57%) respectively. Moreover, other significant value results of C. merkusii versus D. hispida were; MC (13.91 vs. 19.61), NFE (66.12 vs. 63.44), calcium (0.50 vs. 0.30) while potassium was not significant (P > 0.05). The herein result implied that C. merkusii and D. hispida of Surigao del Norte was a good source of crude protein, crude fat, crude fiber, ash, nitrogen-free extract, metabolizable energy, calcium, and phosphorus an ideal alternative sources of energy for the formulation of good quality and well-balanced diets for poultry feeding.

Located on the coast in the southern part of Côte d'Ivoire, the quaternary groundwater of the Vridi canal - Grand Bassam municipality sector is an important reservoir of freshwater for a large part of the low-income population of Abidjan city. But this groundwater is often subject to pollution. The objective of this study is to map the vulnerability of the Quaternary aquifer to marine intrusion using a GIS-coupled model. A specific method to coastal aquifers was used. It is based on the GALDIT index, which takes into account six parameters considered to have the greatest influence on coastal aquifers. These are the type of aquifer, hydraulic conductivity, piezometry, distance of the aquifer from the sea, the actual existence of saline intrusion, and the thickness of the aquifer. Validation of the results was necessary based on different measurements of physicochemical parameters per season. The results show a moderate vulnerability in most of the study area, a high vulnerability in the P12 well area south of the study area, and a low vulnerability in the northern part of the Quaternary aquifer at wells P5, P7, P8, P10, P17, P18, and P21 to marine intrusion. This vulnerability is more extended in the South than in the northern part of the study area. This can be explained by the type of lithological facies, hydraulic conductivity, and the proximity of the ocean groundwater.

River water is the main source for drinking, irrigation, and other purposes in the mountainous region of Mizoram, NE India. Rainwater harvesting is a common practice and effectively utilized during the monsoon period; however, rivers or streams are the only sources of water during the lean period. Thus it is imperative to assess the water quality for public health and water resource management. Physicochemical parameters and quality of Changel Tui, Tuichang R. (Khawzawl), Chawngtlai and Chungte water sources, Champhai district have been analyzed using factor analysis (FA) and cluster analysis (CA) to assess the water quality and potential pollution sources. Water quality was monitored for six months during the lean period from October 2017 to March 2018  using 13 parameters such as pH, temperature (T), turbidity (Tb), total hardness (TH), total dissolved solids (TDS), dissolved oxygen (DO), total alkalinity (Alk), electrical conductivity (EC), chloride (Cl^-), fluoride (F^-), total phosphorus (P), nitrate (NO₃^-), and iron (Fe) were analyzed. The results indicate that all water quality parameters are well within the permissible limit with minor temporal variation barring turbidity in comparison to the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS). Multivariate analysis indicates that the water quality has been largely affected by dissolved mineral salts leached from the underlying sandstone-siltstone-shale beds, and soil erosion and leaching due to agricultural activities have influenced the water sources. However, water quality index (WQI) computed from physicochemical parameters qualify the water sources of Khawzawl, Chawngtlai, and Chungte as good quality suitable for use as potable water.

Human activities such as farming and disposal of industrial and domestic wastes contribute to river contamination. Residents in Bungoma County depend on river Kuywa water for domestic and agricultural use. This study aimed at determining the physicochemical parameters of river Kuywa water. Water samples were randomly collected from four sites of the river: site A (Matisi), site B (Ngwelo), site C (Nzoia water pump) and site D (Chalicha). Physicochemical parameters such as Temperature, pH, Turbidity and dissolved oxygen were measured in-situ using portable meters. Biological oxygen demand was calculated from DO values. Chemical oxygen demand, phosphates and nitrates were determined using dichromate reflex and spectrophotometric method respectively. Physicochemical parameters levels such as pH 7.68-11.47, turbidity 10.03-13.42 NTU, COD 0.31-0.48 mg/l, NO^-₃ 1.09-1.47 mg/l and PO^-₄ 0.48-0.81mg/l exceeded WHO permissible limits while temperature 23.83-25.88^OC and DO 7.73-12.52 mg/l were within WHO permissible limits. Physicochemical parameters varied between seasons. The  pH ranged between 8.68-9.02, turbidity 10.88-11.62, COD 0.36-0.42, NO^-₃ 0.69-1.94 and PO^-_4, DO 8.98-10.23 and temperature between 23.32-27.04^oC. The results indicated that the river Kuywa water is contaminated due to natural and human factors as confirmed from the physicochemical parameters investigated.

The P. chrysosporium biomass has been successfully utilised for the removal of Cr (VI) from aqueous solution. The effects of various parameters such as contact time, sorbate concentration, pH of the medium and temperature were investigated. The maximum removal of Cr(VI) was found to be 99.55 % at pH 2.0, with initial Cr(VI) concentration of 200mg L^{- 1}, and temperature 20⁰C. The sorption kinetics was tested with first order reversible, pseudo-first order and pseudo second order reaction and it was found that Cr(VI) uptake process followed the pseudo first order rate expression.  Dynamics of the sorption process of Cr(VI) to P. chrysosporium were investigated and the values of rate constant of adsorption and rate constant of intraparticle diffusion were calculated. Different thermodynamic parameters viz., changes in standard free energy, enthalpy and entropy have also been evaluated and it has been found that the reaction was feasible, spontaneous and endothermic in nature. The adsorption data fitted the Langmuir isotherm. Desorption studies was also carried out and found that complete desorption of Cr(VI) took place at pH of 9.5. The data were also subjected to multiple regression analysis and a model was developed to predict the removal of Cr(VI) from aqueous solution.