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The aims of this research are: to analyze the adjusting practice in the clause of Mortgage Rights Granting Deed on sharia financing by Land Deed Officials in Purwokerto City; to analyze the legal implications of issuing APHT that do not following the provisions of PERKABAN No. 8 of 2012 for the sake of Adjusting the Principles and Concepts of Sharia Financing. The research method used in this research is Normative Empirical. In practice, to aligh APHT with Sharia principles and the principal agreement, PPAT changes the editorials in the clauses. This is a violation and constitutes legal uncertainty. Keywords: Mortgage Rights Granting Deed (APHT), Land Deed Officials, Agreement, Sharia Financing. eISSN: 2398-4287© 2022. The Authors. Published for AMER ABRA cE-Bs by e-International Publishing House, Ltd., UK. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/). Peer–review under responsibility of AMER (Association of Malaysian Environment-Behaviour Researchers), ABRA (Association of Behavioural Researchers on Asians/Africans/Arabians) and cE-Bs (Centre for Environment-Behaviour Studies), Faculty of Architecture, Planning & Surveying, Universiti Teknologi MARA, Malaysia. DOI: https://doi.org/10.21834/ebpj.v7iSI11.4173

Background: Present clinical study was conducted to evaluate the onset of analgesia, degree of sensory and motor blockade, duration of analgesia and complications between supraclavicular brachial plexus block and IVRA. Aim: The aim of this study is therefore to determine a superior method between Bier’s block and supraclavicular brachial plexus block for upper limb below elbow surgery. Methods: The study was conducted on patient’s posted for various elective or emergency surgeries of the upper limb below elbow. The subjects were divided into two groups, Group 1 receiving supraclavicular brachial plexus block with 1% lignocaine with adrenaline, 0.6 mg/kg body weight and Group 2 receiving IVRA with 0.5% lignocaine 0.5ml/kg body weight. Patient’s vital parameters were monitored throughout the procedure. A thorough observation was made on onset, quality, duration of analgesia, degree of motor blockade and return of sensation after release of torniquet. Result: onset of analgesia for supraclavicular brachial plexus block is 11.8+/- 1.6 minutes whereas for IVRA it was 3.3+/- 0.8 minutes clearly indicating the early onset of analgesia with IVRA. Conclusion: IVRA appears to be a better alternative with regards to onset, quality of analgesia and degree of motor blockade.

Budaya sekolah adalah suasana kehidupan sekolah, tempat antara anggota sekolah saling berinteraksi. Interaksi tersebut terikat oleh berbagai aturan, norma, moral, serta etika bersama yang berlaku disuatu sekolah. Pembentukan budaya sekolah di SDIT Surya Melati Bandung bertujuan untuk menumbuhkan karakter religius pada siswa yang akhirnya dapat membentuk karakter siswa menjadi lebih baik. Tujuan penelitian ini adalah untuk mendeskripsikan peran budaya sekolah dalam menumbuhkan karakter religius pada siswa kelas 5 SDIT Surya Melati Bandung. Metode penelitian yang digunakan adalah metode kualitatif dengan jenis penelitian etnografi yaitu penelitian yang meneliti tentang kebudayaan dalam suatu kelompok yang berkaitan dengan norma dan nilai-nilai dalam suatu kebudayaan tersebut. Tekhnik Pengumpulan data melalui observasi, wawancara, dan dokumentasi. Peran budaya sekolah dalam menumbuhkan karakter religius siswa dapat dilihat dari hasil observasi yang dilakukan peneliti terhadap 12 siswa kelas 5 SDIT Surya Melati Bandung dengan deskripsi hasil sebagai berikut: Karakter religius sikap dan perilaku patuh melaksanakan ajaran agama dapat terbentuk melalui budaya melaksanakan sholat dhuha berjama’ah, membaca Al-Qur’an sebelum memulai pelajaran, dan mengucapkan salam kepada orang lain. Karakter religius toleran terhadap pelaksana ibadah dapat terbentuk melalui budaya memberikan kesempatan temannya melaksanakan ibadah dan menjaga hubungan baik dengan teman yang berbeda suku maupun agama, dan tidak menggangu temannya yang sedang melaksanakan ibadah. Karakter religius hidup rukun dapat dikembangkan melalui budaya mengucapkan salam ketika bertemu dengan orang lain, mencium tangan guru dan membungkukkan badan ketika menyapa guru atau orang yang lebih tua, memaafkan teman yang berbuat salah dengan lapang dada.

Heavy metals are notoriously toxic pollutants which can potentially harm living beings and are serious health hazards. The aim of the present study was to assess the levels of cadmium (Cd) and nickel (Ni) throughout the year in the urban areas of the densely populated industrial city of Faisalabad in eight commonly raised ornamental tree species with phytoremediation potential. High levels of Cd and Ni were recorded in all study areas, with spatio-temporal heterogeneity. Heavy metal uptake varied among plant species with Cd and Ni in soil ranging between 6.78–8.57 mgkg−1 and 46.31–55.85 mg kg−1 respectively. Plant species accumulated 6.73–8.98 mg kg−1 Cd and 26.42–52.50 mg kg−1 Ni with Conocarpus erectus, Dalbergia sissoo and Bismarckia nobilis showing higher accumulation potential than others. Dalbergia sissoo accumulated the highest levels of Ni and was shown to a good bio-indicator for this metal. The highest accumulation of Cd was recorded in Conocarpus erectus (9 mg kg−1), followed by Dalbergia sissoo (8.2 mg kg−1) and Bismarckia nobilis (8.1 mg kg−1) while the leaves of Azadirachta indica retained the lowest (6.3 mg kg−1) Cd levels. The highest levels of metals were accumulated by all species during the summer season while the second highest were observed in the autumn season. The study revealed that ornamental species can help in minimizing heavy metal pollution as well as providing green space in urban settings for maintaining a clean and healthy environment.

Around 1993—1998, a handover of land for waqf from Mrs. Setyowati (a pseudonym) to Pondok Pesantren X (a pseudonym) in Jombang, East Java which is done not in front of a Waqf Pledge Deed Official (PPAIW). The waqf done by wakif had not been registered as waqf land at Office of Religious Affairs (KUA), a substitution deed is required because the wakif has passed away. During the certification process, some heirs chose to deny the waqf done by their mother due to economic factor and the waqf around 1993—1998 contain a legal flaw. The nazhir chose nyusuki to the heirs as a form of dispute resolution because it is considered a win-win solution. This research is an empirical juridical research. The result of this research shows that the act of nyusuki by the nazhir is an effective form of waqf dispute resolution in an amicable manner due to the denial of the waqf by some heirs of the wakif. Although it violates the waqf rules in Indonesia, there are benefits that arise from the act of nyusuki, namely contributing to the smooth development of new educational unit of Pondok Pesantren X so that waqf purpose can be achieved

Wastewater from tanneries may ruin agricultural fields by polluting them with trace metals. The synthesis of nanoparticles (NPs) from algal sources and their application could help in decreasing hazardous materials, for environmental safety. The potential of zinc oxide nanoparticles made from Oedogonium sp. was evaluated for removal of heavy metals from leather industrial wastewater. Synthesized algal nanoparticles (0 (control), 0.1, 0.5, and 1 mg) were applied to treat wastewater by using different concentrations of leather industrial effluents (0%, 5%, 10%, 15%, and 100%) for 15, 30, and 45 d. The wastewater collected was dark brown to black in color with very high pH (8.21), EC (23.08 μs/cm), and TDS, (11.54 mg/L), while the chloride content was 6750 mg/L. The values of biological oxygen demand (BOD) and chemical oxygen demand (COD) ranged between 420 mg/L and 1123 mg/L in the current study. Prior to the application of nanoparticles, Cr (310.1), Cd (210.5), and Pb (75.5 mg/L) contents were higher in the leather effluents. The removal efficiency of TDS, chlorides, Cr, Cd, and Pb was improved by 46.5%, 43.5%, 54%, 57.6%, and 59.3%, respectively, following treatment with 1 mg of nanoparticles after 45 d. Our results suggested that the green synthesis of ZnO nanoparticles is a useful and ecofriendly biotechnological tool for treating tannery effluents, before they are discharged into water bodies, thus making the soil environment clean. Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia | Ref. PNURSP2022R75

Information about responses of plants grown from heteromorphic seeds is limited and inconclusive. This is especially true of subtropical halophytes where such studies have yet to be published. Therefore, growth, water-relations, and oxidative stress mitigation of plants germinated from the heteromorphic seeds of the succulent halophyte Arthrocnemum indicum under increasing (0, 300, and 900 mM NaCl) salinity were studied. Growth of plants from only small seeds was stimulated in moderate (300 mM NaCl) salinity. High (900 mM NaCl) salinity inhibited the growth of plants emerged from both small and large sized seeds. Plants germinating from both seed sizes demonstrated similar patterns of osmotic adjustment and did not develop signs of oxidative damage under increasing salinity. However, the magnitude of hydrogen peroxide and antioxidant responses differed between plant types. Under moderate salinity, plants from small seeds showed constitutive activities of most antioxidant enzymes (except superoxide dismutase) and levels of non-enzymatic antioxidants (except ascorbate). Conversely, a decline in activities of most antioxidant enzymes and levels of most non-enzymatic antioxidants occurred in plants from large seeds. While under high salinity, increased ascorbate peroxidase, glutathione, and polyphenol levels, along with unaffected ascorbate and superoxide dismutase levels, occurred in plants from small seeds. In plants from large seeds, there were increased ascorbate and polyphenol levels, but changes to the ascorbate peroxidase levels were not observed. These results thus indicate differential growth and hydrogen peroxide homeostasis in A. indicum plants emerged from heteromorphic seeds.

Aspirin (Acetylsalicylic acid) is an important signal molecule modulating plant responses to stress. Drought significantly decreased the growth rate and impaired the yield of wheat. Acetylsalicylic acid can improve the performance of wheat under both well-watered and drought conditions. Applying salicylic acid at a relatively low concentration positively impacted the physiological, yield, and growth parameters. In order to determine the effect of foliar application of Aspirin levels on growth, yield, and its components of wheat, two experiments, i.e., control and rainfed, were conducted to evaluate the effect of salicylic acid were carried out at glasshouse of Research Area, Department of Agronomy and university research farm Koont of PMAS-Arid Agriculture University Rawalpindi during cropping season 2019-20. Four treatments of Aspirin (Control, 120 mg/L, 180 mg/L, and 240 mg/L) for glasshouse (Control, 20 g/L, 30 g/L, 40 g/L) for rainfed were applied, which are to be known as As0, As1, As2, and As3 for both experiments. Foliar application of Aspirin solution sprayed at growth stage 37 on the Zadoks scale. Results of experiments revealed that for the 180mg/L of Aspirin (As2), improved growth parameters such as plant height, spike length, number of spikelets, and increased the wheat crop yield. In contrast, for the rainfed experiment, the plant height, spike length, number of spikelets, and increased yield were observed by applying 30 g/L (As2) of Aspirin, and the lowest results of these parameters were recorded in control treatment for both control and rainfed experiments. The overall results of this study showed that among the levels of Aspirin, the application of treatment As2 both for control and rainfed experiment, i.e., 180 mg/L for control and 30 g/L for rainfed Aspirin, have positively impacted the growth and yield parameters of wheat and bought improvement in wheat production under plant stress environment.

Zinc deficiency is a global nutritional problem which is caused by low dietary intake. Wheat is mostly low in bioavailable Zn and is sensitive to zinc deficiency compared with other grain crops and...

Dear Madam, Schizophrenia is a chronic mental illness with a global prevalence of 24 million people (1). With paucity of researches mounting the exact prevalence of schizophrenia in Pakistan, the treatment of this illness becomes even harder to combat. This condition is typically managed with antipsychotics, which work by blocking the D2 dopamine receptors but recent advances in research also suggest that the muscarinic cholinergic system is also involved in its pathophysiology (2). The drug Xanomeline is an oral muscarinic cholinergic receptor agonist that activates M1 and M4 receptors. Xanomeline however causes side effects like vomiting, nausea, diarrhoea, sweating and hypersalivation. To bypass these effects, Trospium was added, which acts by blocking peripheral muscarinic cholinergic receptors. (3, 4). To observe the reduction of psychosis in schizophrenics, a double-blinded clinical trial was done with promising results: reduction of both, positive and negative symptoms of Schizophrenia, good tolerance and no evidence of weight gain (4). Side effects included constipation, nausea, dry mouth, dyspepsia, and vomiting although the incidence of these effects reduced over the course of the trial. However, there is a dearth of research when it comes to comparison of this combination drug (called KARXT) with the usual antipsychotics. Therefore, further research regarding the safety of KARXT, and its efficacy needs to be explored for potential amelioration of symptoms. Moreover, studies comparing the efficacy of this drug with the commonly used antipsychotics need to be explored in order to effectively assess the advantage and potential replacement benefits of this drug.

Excessive use of synthetic fertilizers cause economic burdens, increasing soil, water and atmospheric pollution. Nano-fertilizers have shown great potential for their sustainable uses in soil fertility, crop production and with minimum or no environmental tradeoffs. Nano-fertilizers are of submicroscopic sizes, have a large surface area to volume ratio, can have nutrient encapsulation, and greater mobility hence they may increase plant nutrient access and crop yield. Due to these properties, nano-fertilizers are regarded as deliverable 'smart system of nutrients'. However, the problems in the agroecosystem are broader than existing developments. For example, nutrient delivery in different physicochemical properties of soils, moisture, and other agro-ecological conditions is still a challenge. In this context, the present review provides an overview of various uses of nanotechnology in agriculture, preference of nano-fertilizers over the conventional fertilizers, nano particles formation, mobility, and role in heterogeneous soils, with special emphasis on the development and use of chitosan-based nano-fertilizers.

Administrative Tribunal in Bangladesh is a specialized adjudicating body established in order to ensure prompt, effective, inexpensive, flexible, and expert adjudication as well as expeditious disposal of service disputes of civil servants by ousting the jurisdiction of ordinary courts on such matter. However, this paper tries to explore that the adjudicating mechanism of such Tribunals are affected by intricate legislation, non-compliance to the Constitutional mandate, deviation from equality principles, unavailability of a dynamic procedure as to the recruitment of personnel of expertise, non-existence of any established system of appointing panel advocate, a variety of the jurisdictional lacking and faults as well as functional and procedural defects. To explore challenges related to the Administrative Tribunals in Bangladesh, this paper attempts to examine whether the legal provisions of the Administrative Tribunals Act, 1980 and Rules framed thereunder are adequate for the proper and expeditious disposal of the service litigants' grievances through the critical analysis of these provisions compared to, especially, that of India and Pakistan as well as the empirical scrutiny of the practical scenario of such Tribunals in Bangladesh. This paper, in fine, concludes with the necessity for serious modifications of those legal provisions and tackling those challenges, and therefore puts forward the ways out.

Salinity is a growing problem affecting soils and agriculture in many parts of the world. The presence of salt in plant cells disrupts many basic metabolic processes, contributing to severe negative effects on plant development and growth. This review focuses on the effects of salinity on chloroplasts, including the structures and function of these organelles. Chloroplasts house various important biochemical reactions, including photosynthesis, most of which are considered essential for plant survival. Salinity can affect these reactions in a number of ways, for example, by changing the chloroplast size, number, lamellar organization, lipid and starch accumulation, and interfering with cross-membrane transportation. Research has shown that maintenance of the normal chloroplast physiology is necessary for the survival of the entire plant. Many plant species have evolved different mechanisms to withstand the harmful effects of salt-induced toxicity on their chloroplasts and its machinery. The differences depend on the plant species and growth stage and can be quite different between salt-sensitive (glycophyte) and salt-tolerant (halophyte) plants. Salt stress tolerance is a complex trait, and many aspects of salt tolerance in plants are not entirely clear yet. In this review, we discuss the different mechanisms of salt stress tolerance in plants with a special focus on chloroplast structure and its functions, including the underlying differences between glycophytes and halophytes.

SungaiBrantasmerupakanyang terpanjang di Propinsi JawaTimur.Air sungai ini salah satunya dimanfaatkan sebagai sumberdaya untuk kegiatan perikanan budidaya di Punten.Disisi lainberbagai aktivitasmasyarakatsekitarSungai Brantas didugaberkontribusi pada penurunankualitas air. Oleh karena itu studi ilmiah yang sistematis perlu dilakukan untuk menjawabnya. Pada bagian awal, diambil Sungai Brantas di Kecamatan Bumiaji yang termasuk dalam bagian hulu sebagai studi kasus. Dari studiini bertujuan untukmengetahuikualitasairdiSub-DASBrantastersebut menggunakananalisis STORET, kemudian untuk mengetahuipengaruhtatagunalahan( landuse ) terhadap kualitas air dengan analisis spasial menggunakan perangkat lunak SIG.Hasil analisis STORET menunjukkan bahwa mutuairpadaseluruhstasiunpengamatantergolong cemarsedangdenganparameteryangmelebihibakumutuyaituTSS, amoniadantotalfosfat.Kemudian analisis SIG menghasilkanpetadistribusikualitasairdan diketahui bahwa tatagunalahanberpengaruh terhadapkualitasair.Peta distribusikualitasairini berfungsiuntukmengetahuidaerahyangterjadipenurunankualitas airdan dapat digunakan untuk menyusun rekomendasikegiatan manajemen sumberdaya perairan untuk budidaya perikanan yang berkelanjutan.

Ejector adalah komponen penting dalam sistem pembuangan ballast yang berfungsi untuk menghisap ballast dari tangki ke laut lepas menggunakan vakum dari tekanan rendah yang dihasilkan oleh nozzle dan cairan penggerak. Mengingat pentingnya peranan ejector di sistem pembuangan ballast, maka prosedur dalam pembuangan ballast harus dilakukan dengan benar sesuai dengan manual book, dan perawatan terhadap komponen di dalam sistem pembuangan ballast harus selalu diperhatikan. Tujuannya dari perawatan komponen tersebut agar selalu siap digunakan untuk kegiatan deballasting selama proses bongkar muat MV. SARI INDAH di pelabuhan.Berdasarkan hasil observasi, ada beberapa komponen dalam sistem pembuangan ballast yang mengalami kerusakan seperti ejector, manometer, dan valve penghubung antara tangki ballast dengan ejector yang harus diganti. Penggantian komponen ini dilakukan demi kelancaran proses bongkar muat. Sistem pembuangan ballast akan bekerja dengan baik apabila pengoperasiannya dilakukan sesuai dengan prosedur yang ada di manual book. Jika mengalami masalah segera melakukan perbaikan supaya tidak menghambat proses bongkar muat.

A simple approach to deposit metal chalcogenide-based quantum-dots on TiO2 (anatase) nanoparticles via pseudo-successive ionic layer adsorption and reaction (p-SILAR) was opted to design and investigate the corresponding photoactivity under visible light. We used TiO2/PbS and TiO2/CdS nanocomposites for photocatalysis after which we prepared solar paints from them to put side by side the resultant photovoltaic performance. We developed solar paint type quantum-dot-sensitized solar cells (QDSCs) from TiO2/PbS and TiO2/CdS nanocomposites to divulge electron-hole generation, electron-hole recombination, and resistance against photo-corrosion. TiO2/PbS exhibited higher electron-hole generation than TiO2/CdS owing to its efficient visible light harvesting capability which resulted in higher photocurrent density (JSC) and thus higher power conversion efficiency (PCE) for respective QDSC; however, it had inferior resistance against photo-corrosion. Additionally, the degradation of an azo-based dye (acid orange-56) reflected an effectual increase in the photocatalytic activity of anatase-TiO2 as a result of deposition of PbS and CdS QDs. TiO2/PbS performed better than TiO2/CdS as a photocatalyst under visible light irradiation.

Localization for visually impaired people in dynamically changing environments with unexpected hazards and obstacles is a current need. Many techniques have been discussed in the literature with respect to location-based services and techniques used for the positioning of devices. Time difference of arrival (TDOA), time of arrival (TOA) and received signal strength (RSS) have been widely used for the positioning but narrow band signals such as Bluetooth cannot efficiently utilize TDOA or TOA. Received signal strength indicator (RSSI) to measure RSS, has been found to be more reliable. RSSI measurement estimations depend heavily on the environmental interference. RSSI measurement estimations of Bluetooth systems can be improved either by improving the existing methodologies used to implement them or by using fusion techniques that employ Kalman filters to combine more than one RSSI method to improve the results significantly. This paper focuses on improving the existing methodology of measuring RSSI by proposing a new method using trilateration for localization of Bluetooth devices for visually impaired people. To validate the new method, class 2 Bluetooth devices (Blue Giga WT-12) were used with an evaluation board. The software required was developed in National Instruments LabView. The PCB was designed and manufactured as well. Experiments were then conducted, and surface plots of Bluetooth modules were obtained to show the signal interference and other environmental effects. Lastly, the results were discussed, and relevant conclusions were drawn.

All around the world, advertisers select a medium that has higher consumer reach and for this context television and cable, T.V is one of the top priorities. Since the advent of cable television globally, this medium has made this process much more convenient because it has vastly available in almost every household and offers content to all age groups and genders. It contains all sorts of information and entertainment genres such as cartoons for children, food, fashion, and entertainment for women, sports and news for men, and religious channels for people who are interested in religion. The ease of use in its operation and the subsequent rise in viewership have also made it a medium on which competition is stiff. Every channel using this medium is in the race to achieve the title of most-watched television broadcaster and to be in the limelight to attract and air the most amount of advertising which translates into higher income and place for advertisers for their products. This demand and supply have given rise to the TRP wars and start the race of No 1. This research paper discusses the worldwide evolution of television and cable TV, elaborates about TRP, deliberating the rating framework of Television channels especially in Pakistan, also about the institutions that award these ratings, also about People meter and its working.

Coastal wetlands primarily serve as natural sinks of trace metals and their importance for phytoremediation is well known at global level. There are some reports on trace metal availability in soil sediments of the Karachi coast but studies on accumulation and translocation to harvestable (Shoot) parts among halophytes of the littoral zones have not been conducted. Hence, phytoremediation potential of six naturally existing halophytes (Aeluropus lagopoides, Arthrocnemum macrostachyum, Atriplex stocksii, Avicennia marina, Cressa cretica and Suaeda fruticosa) was assessed for cleaning metal (Mn, Zn, Pb and Cr) polluted soils of the Karachi coast. Seasonal (winters, pre and post-monsoon summers) and spatial (three littoral zones: viz., site – I: Sandspit, site – II: Do-Dariya/Clifton and site – III: Korangi creek) variations in soil and plant metals of the Karachi coast were studied. Soil Zn, Pb and Cr were generally higher in winters, Mn and organic matter in summers (7–11%) while pH values ranged between 7.15 and 7.5 in all seasons at site – III. All tested species had potential for cleaning Pb through their harvestable part (shoots) with A. stocksii as prominent candidate (16 mg kg−1) at site – I. Cressa cretica emerged as exclusive candidate for Zn phytoremediation (96 mg kg−1) at site – I, while S. fruticosa, A. macrostachyum and A. lagopoides showed bioaccumulation in pre-monsoon summers at site II. Aeluropus lagopoides with higher Mn in post monsoon summers (62 at site – III and 53 mg kg−1 at site – II) and Cr (7.1 mg kg−1 at site – II and 14 mg kg−1 at site – III) appeared exclusive bioindicator with potential of for cleaning all metals (Mn, Zn, Pb and Cr) at different sites. Metal bioaccumulation at study sites appeared species specific and varied seasonally among tested halophytes.

Soil contamination poses a severe threat in terms of deteriorated environmental quality and badly influences human health. Agricultural soils, mainly in the suburban areas, need detailed investigations for their heavy metal contents to avoid food chain contamination. This study was done to examine the heavy metals (Cu, Ni, Pb, Cr, Zn, and Mn) enrichment and accounts for contamination in arable soils of the Islamabad Capital Territory of Pakistan. Forty soil samples (soil depth 15–25 cm) were collected from cultivated areas of 41.88 km2 using a predefined GIS-based grid. Soil samples were analyzed for physico-chemical properties and total heavy metal content. Different types of environmental factors to assess the ecological risk were calculated to examine the contamination level in soils of the surveyed area. Results indicated that soil pH, in the surveyed area ranged from 7.27 to 7.98 with the mean value (7.54 ± 0.19). The Average Cu, Ni, Pb, Cr, Zn, and Mn contents in the soils were 11.7, 31, 33, 42, 86, and 1407 mg kg−1, respectively. The spatial dependence ranged from moderate to strong, provided an opportunity to prepare contour maps. The pollution load index of the surveyed area indicated a need for a more detailed study to monitor the enrichment of heavy metals. The whole area was classified into various zones based on differential heavy metal content for regional-scale information.

Information about responses of plants grown from heteromorphic seeds is limited and inconclusive. This is especially true of subtropical halophytes where such studies have yet to be published. Therefore, growth, water-relations, and oxidative stress mitigation of plants germinated from the heteromorphic seeds of the succulent halophyte Arthrocnemum indicum under increasing (0, 300, and 900 mM NaCl) salinity were studied. Growth of plants from only small seeds was stimulated in moderate (300 mM NaCl) salinity. High (900 mM NaCl) salinity inhibited the growth of plants emerged from both small and large sized seeds. Plants germinating from both seed sizes demonstrated similar patterns of osmotic adjustment and did not develop signs of oxidative damage under increasing salinity. However, the magnitude of hydrogen peroxide and antioxidant responses differed between plant types. Under moderate salinity, plants from small seeds showed constitutive activities of most antioxidant enzymes (except superoxide dismutase) and levels of non-enzymatic antioxidants (except ascorbate). Conversely, a decline in activities of most antioxidant enzymes and levels of most non-enzymatic antioxidants occurred in plants from large seeds. While under high salinity, increased ascorbate peroxidase, glutathione, and polyphenol levels, along with unaffected ascorbate and superoxide dismutase levels, occurred in plants from small seeds. In plants from large seeds, there were increased ascorbate and polyphenol levels, but changes to the ascorbate peroxidase levels were not observed. These results thus indicate differential growth and hydrogen peroxide homeostasis in A. indicum plants emerged from heteromorphic seeds.

Accurate navigation capability is one of the essential features required to be present in the modern-day mobile robotics. In this regard special challenges are presented by environments where external mapping aid is absent. This paper presents a LiDAR based Simultaneous Localization and Mapping (LiDAR-SLAM) technique to enable an omni directional mobile robot to successfully navigate and create a 2D map of a GPS/GNSS denied environment. The presented SLAM technique is utilizing LiDAR together with IMU sensor data combined with odometry to simultaneously identify the sensor and produce an orderly map of its surroundings.

Phytoremediation is a cost-effective and environment friendly method for cleaning metal(loid)s from contaminated soils. Species with exceptionally higher shoot metal concentrations (hyperaccumulators) seem ideal for phytoremediation, though some metal tolerant species with 'above normal' values with higher translocation factor (TF) may also serve the purpose. Halophytes not only remove salts and metalloids from soils but may also be cultivated as non-conventional crops. Nurturing halophytes requires precise understanding of their nature and efficient management for sustainable use. Species with low metal concentrations in their edible parts (especially leaves) may be grown as forage and fodder, but those with metal hyperaccumulation could prove fatal due to their serious health hazards. Like other metallophytes, redundant use of the term 'metal hyperaccumulation' among halophytes needs to be revisited for its ambiguity and potential pitfalls. Similarly, understanding of metal tolerance and shoot accumulation nature of halophytes is needed prior to their use. This review is an attempt to compare halophytes with potential of metal bioindication, phytostabilization and hyperaccumulation (as per definition) as well as their 'obligate' and 'facultative' nature for appropriate uses.

The present study investigates the effect of lanthanide chlorides conversion coatings on the corrosion response of the 2009 Al alloy and SiCp reinforced 2009 Al MMCs. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) and potentiodynamic polarization studies showed that the localized corrosion resistance increased after treatments with solutions having various combinations of CeCl3.7H2O and LaCl3.7H2O, with maximum increase noticed for 5000ppm CeCl3.7H2O. It was found that the protection degree effect obtained under similar coating conditions for 25 vol.% SiCp/2009 Al was relatively higher than 15vol.% SiCp/ 2009 Al MMC, but both of them were less than that of the unreinforced alloy. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) accompanied with energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) analysis revealed the deposition of Ce and/ or La oxides/ hydroxides on cathodic intermetallics/ SiCp and the existence of crevices at the SiCp/ matrix interfaces. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) results indicated that Ce was incorporated as Ce3+ and Ce4+ species in the coatings.

Liver disease or liver cancer is the sixth most common cancer and the third leading cause of cancer mortality in the world. Hepatitis viral infection, food additives, alcohol, fungal toxins (aflatoxins), toxic industrial chemicals, air and water pollutants are the major risk factors of liver cancer. Moreover, due to high tolerance of liver, HCC is seldom detected at an early stage and once detected treatment faces a poor prognosis in most cases.Fumaria indica possesses hepatoprotective activity as evidenced by the significant and dose dependent restoring the activities of entire liver cancer marker enzymes, diminution in tumor incidence, decrease in lipid peroxidation (LPO) and increase in the level of antioxidant enzymes (GSH, CAT, SOD, GPx and GST) through scavenging of free radicals, or by enhancing the activity of antioxidant, which then detoxify free radicals. These factors protect cells from ROS damage in NDEA and CCl4-induced hepatocarcinogenesis. Histopathological observations of liver tissues too correlated with the biochemical observations. Thus, present investigation suggested that the Fumaria indica would exert a chemoprotective effect by reversing the oxidant-antioxidant imbalance during hepatocarcinogenesis induced by NDEA and CCl4. Besides Fumaria indicais very much effective in preventing NDEA-induced multistage hepatocarcinogenesis possibly through antioxidant and antigenotoxic nature, which was confirmed by various liver injury and biochemical tumour markers enzymes. The hepatoprotective activity of a Fumaria indicaof 50 % ethanolic extract was studied using rats. The animals received a single intraperitoneal injection of N-nitrosodiethylamine 200mg/kg body wt followed by subcutaneous injection of CCl4 in a dose of 3 ml/kg body wt. Fumaria indica extract dose dependently and significantly the increase in serum hepatic enzyme levels after NDEAand CCl4 treatment compared to the toxin control group. The results of this study confirmed the antioxidant and hepatoprotective activity of the Fumaria indicaextract against carbon tetrachlorideand N-nitrosodiethylamine induced hepatotoxicity in rats. In addition to this, studies on molecular aspect of hepatoprotective therapy will give mechanistic information in hepatoprotective therapy and also critical balance should be there between the animal model and clinical research. The hepatoprotective properties of Fumaria indicashould provide useful information in the possible application in hepatic liver disease.

Tephrosia purpurea possesses hepatoprotective activity as evidenced by the significant and dose dependent restoring the activities of entire liver cancer marker enzymes, diminution in tumor incidence, decrease in lipid peroxidation (LPO) and increase in the level of antioxidant enzymes (GSH, CAT, SOD, GPx and GST) through scavenging of free radicals, or by enhancing the activity of antioxidant, which then detoxify free radicals. These factors protect cells from ROS damage in NDEA and CCl4-induced hepatocarcinogenesis. Histopathological observations of liver tissues too correlated with the biochemical observations. Thus, present investigation suggested that the Tephrosia purpurea would exert a chemoprotective effect by reversing the oxidant-antioxidant imbalance during hepatocarcinogenesis induced by NDEA and CCl4. Besides Tephrosia purpurea is very much effective in preventing NDEA-induced multistage hepatocarcinogenesis possibly through antioxidant and antigenotoxic nature, which was confirmed by various liver injury and biochemical tumour markers enzymes. The hepatoprotective activity of aTephrosia purpurea of 50 % ethanolic extract was studied using rats. The animals received a single intraperitoneal injection of N-nitrosodiethylamine 200mg/kg body wt followed by subcutaneous injection of CCl4 in a dose of 3 ml/kg body wt.Tephrosia purpureaextract dose dependently and significantly the increase in serum hepatic enzyme levels after NDEAand CCl4 treatment compared to the toxin control group. The results of this study confirmed the antioxidant and hepatoprotective activity of the Tephrosia purpurea extract against carbon tetrachlorideand N-nitrosodiethylamine induced hepatotoxicity in rats.

Soil amendments, such as compost and biochar are known to affect soil properties, soil microbial activity, and plant growth. These organic amendments have the ability to increase soil fertility, carbon sequestration, and crop productivity. However, there is limited information available on the integrated application of biochar and compost on microbial and enzymatic activity, nutrients availability and plant growth in arid soil. The present study was designed to quantify the effect of biochar along with compost on soil microbial biomass (carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus), enzyme (urease, alkaline phosphatase, dehydrogenase) activity, nutrients (N, P, K) availability in soil, and plant growth. The treatments comprise a control, biochar at 20 g kg−1 soil, compost at 20 g kg−1 soil, biochar + compost at (10 g kg−1 soil + 10 g kg−1 soil), biochar + compost at (15 g kg−1 soil + 5 g kg−1 soil), and biochar + compost at (5 g kg−1 soil + 15 g kg−1 soil). Tomato was grown as a test plant in the pot experiment. The results revealed that biochar and compost alone or in combinations proved statistically significant for Soil pH. Application of biochar at 20 g kg−1 soil proved useful and increased (130%) microbial biomass carbon (MBC) as compared with control. Compost at 20 g kg−1 soil increased alkaline phosphatase (143%), urease activity (10%) and plant nitrogen (33%) over control. However, microbial biomass nitrogen (MBN), and dehydrogenase activity increased by 62, and 100% respectively in the treatment receiving biochar and compost at 10 + 10 g kg−1 soil compared to that in the control. Plant phosphorus and potassium contents were 34 and 70% higher in the treatment receiving biochar and compost at 5 + 15 g kg−1 soil than in the control. However, for plant parameters (plant height, plant fresh weight, and plant dry weight), the combination of biochar and compost at 15 + 5 g kg−1 soil was superior to other treatments.

Medicinal plants are rich sources of bioactive phytochemicals. Production of such chemicals usually increased under unfavorable conditions. This study investigated the phytotoxic potential of 105 medicinal plants distributed in arid/semiarid areas along Arabian Sea coast of Pakistan. Total polyphenols, flavonoids, tannins and composition of individual phenolic compounds were also determined in species which showed high phytotoxic potential. Sandwich method was used to determine the phytotoxicity of medicinal plants on the growth of lettuce seedlings. Radicle growth was inhibited more than the hypocotyl growth. In general, halophytes showed higher phytotoxic potential than non-halophytes. Capparis cartilaginea, Indigofera hochstetteri, Parkinsonia aculeata and Prosopis glandulosa showed highest degree of inhibition. Higher amount of total phenols (16.35–25.33 mg GAE g−1), flavonoids (3.32-6.41 mg QE g−1) and tannins (1.54–2.54 mg TAE g−1) were found in these species. Pyrocatechol, quercetin, gallic, hydroxybenzoic and ferulic acids were detected as major phytotoxins, of which, gallic acid, pyrocatechol and quercetin were most abundant. These phytochemicals could be used for the production of natural, safe, healthy and eco-friendly agro-chemicals. Furthermore, these plants can be grown without encroaching agricultural lands, and can convert vast areas of arid/saline lands into economically viable resources, which also helps to halt climate change and desertification.