Chandigarh (The Hawk): Globally, the hotspots of air pollution are increasing, and Indo-Gangetic Plain is considered one of India's major hotspots. Due to the increase in air pollution, especially in the North-India region, the government and other organizations have ongoing efforts to increase the plantation and green areas/spaces. With the rapid increase in global warming as well as green spaces/areas, there will be an increase in airborne pollen, which further can lead to a rise in pollen-related allergic reactions.Airborne pollen makes up a significant fraction of ambient air pollution and are responsible for causing allergic rhinitis and asthma in humans. Occupational pollen allergic diseases are another emerging aspect of allergies related to the workplace. Outdoor workers, such as gardeners, florists, etc., are at greater risk of allergies due to continuous exposure to the high concentration of allergens.Considering this, Prof. Ravindra Khaiwal from Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER), Chandigarh, and Ms. Akshi Goyal, Ph.D. research scholar, and Dr. Suman Mor, Chairperson, Department of Environment Studies, conducted a study to assess the associated health risks among gardeners due to occupational exposure to airborne pollen of Chandigarh.A semi-structured questionnaire-based survey was conducted among the gardeners of Chandigarh with special permission from the Municipal Corporation, Chandigarh. The survey included staff of 26 gardens in the city, where 72.58% fall under the plantsman (mali) category, followed by 15.72% of grass cutters and 3.02% of headmali/supervisor. Out of all, 4.2%, 3.6% and 3.2% of respondents reported shortness of breath and breathing problems. Surprisingly, 3.2% of plantsmen (mali) mentioned that their breathing is never completely satisfactory. A few respondents reported allergies and skin rash during grass cutting, especially Parthenium hysterophorus.Dr. Khaiwal added that the findings of the study would aid in a better understanding of the working conditions and health status of occupational gardeners, as well as the development of appropriate methods to improve their working conditions.Dr. Mor highlighted that a large proportion of gardeners are illiterate and unaware of occupational hazards and pollen allergies in their workplaces. Therefore, the regulatory authorities must conduct formal health awareness and training/education sessions to minimize the exposure and associated risk.The study also suggested some adaptive measures/precautions to prevent and control the pollen allergic diseases, such as organizing a regular health awareness and training/education sessions for gardeners, usage of personal protective devices, medical health check-ups on a regular basis, avoiding botanical sexism, proper airborne pollen monitoring to provide timely information and usage of pollen calendar, etc.

Globally, the hotspots of air pollution are increasing, and Indo-Gangetic Plain is considered one of India's major hotspots. Due to the increase in air pollution, especially in the North-India region, the government and other organizations have ongoing efforts to increase the plantation and green areas/spaces. With the rapid increase in global warming as well as green spaces/areas, there will be an increase in airborne pollen, which further can lead to a rise in pollen-related allergic reactions.

Airborne Pollen Poses Occupational Health Risks In Gardeners	

New Delhi:&nbsp;Two motorcycle-borne men allegedly snatched a woman's mobile phone in south Delhi's CR Park area on Monday morning, police said.The incident took place when the woman was leaving after a walk in a park. She was not injured in the incident, they said.Deputy Commissioner of Police (South) Benita Mary Jaiker said a 24-year-old woman, a resident of Kalkaji, lodged a complaint alleging that her mobile phone was snatched by two motorcycle-borne men near Kalka Public School in the CR Park area around 6.10 am.A case under sections 356 (assault or criminal force in attempt to commit theft of property carried by a person), 379 (theft) and 34 (common intention) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) has been registered in the matter. Efforts are being made to trace the accused, she said.Footage of CCTV cameras around the crime scene is being scanned to identify the accused and ascertain the sequence of events, Jaiker said.—PTI

Two motorcycle-borne men allegedly snatched a woman's mobile phone in south Delhi's CR Park area on Monday morning, police said.

Bike-borne men snatch woman's mobile phone in Delhi

Geneva: Globally, foodborne diseases affect one in ten people annually, and the magnitude of the public health burden due to foodborne diseases was comparable to that of malaria or HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) and AIDS (acquired immunodeficiency syndrome), the World Health Organization (WHO) has said.On World Food Safety Day on June 7, food safety experts called on attention and action to help prevent, detect and manage foodborne risks, Xihua news agency reported. “Most foodborne diseases are preventable with proper food handling and education,” said Simone Moraes Raszl, expert from the WHO’s Department of Nutrition and Food Safety, told a press briefing held here on Tuesday. Markus Lipp, senior food safety officer at the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), said at the press briefing that food security was a priority for FAO. “In the context of the current global disruptions, food safety needs additional attention. Available food should not be making people ill. Sustainable development goals could not be met if food was not safe,” he noted. According to the latest FAO figures, with approximately 193 million people acutely food insecure and in need of urgent assistance, food insecurity was already on the rise in 2021.—IANS

Globally, foodborne diseases affect one in ten people annually, and the magnitude of the public health burden due to foodborne diseases was comparable to that of malaria or HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) and AIDS (acquired immunodeficiency syndrome), the World Health Organization (WHO) has said.

Foodborne Diseases Affect 10% Of World Population Annually: WHO

California: Researchers have measured the stability and infectivity of four variants of SARS-CoV-2 in 5-10 um-wide aerosolized droplets over a period of 5 seconds to 20 minutes and found a reduction in infectivity by around 90% after 20 minutes; loss of infectivity was associated with relative humidity and aerosol pH, providing insight into the mechanisms that control the airborne infectivity of SARS-CoV-2 and suggesting that measuring ambient CO2 levels might help estimate disease transmission risk, according to the scientific journal PNAS.The ongoing coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has demonstrated the requirement for an improved understanding of the factors that govern the relative importance of different modes of transmission of respiratory pathogens, including the parameters that influence droplet, fomite, and airborne transmission. Indeed, shortcomings in our understanding have prolonged the debate surrounding the likelihood of airborne transmission of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), with consequences for the implementation of nonpharmaceutical interventions and mitigation strategies such as physical distancing, the wearing of face coverings, and the use of ultraviolet (UV) germicidal irradiation. Currently, epidemiological evidence, air sampling studies, and animal-model studies are broadly consistent with transmission dominated by the inhalation of infectious aerosol (&amp;lt;100-um diameter). Transmission over distances beyond 2 m has been documented and tends to be under preventable circumstances, such as occurring after prolonged exposure in poorly ventilated rooms.Reports of the airborne stability of SARS-CoV-2 consistently indicate that the half-life associated with the decay in viral infectivity is on the order of hours in surrogates of respiratory aerosols. However, a detailed understanding of the processes that govern the airborne longevity of viruses, and how infectivity is affected by basic environmental conditions such as relative humidity (RH) and temperature, is required. More specifically, there is little clarity on the impact of environmental conditions on the microenvironment within an airborne droplet and the interplay between this microenvironment and the stability of pathogens. Improved models of the physicochemical properties of respiratory aerosol and the processes that transform particle size, moisture content, composition, and phase are essential to provide clearer insights into the relative risks of airborne transmission in different environments and the potential benefits of mitigation measures to reduce transmission. Indeed, it should be recognized that transformation processes lead to transient changes in properties (e.g., surface enrichment in salts during evaporation following droplet exhalation) that can have impacts on infectivity distinct from the steady state equilibrium properties that persist over longer time periods during airborne transport (e.g., an equilibrated salt concentration).The microenvironment within an airborne droplet is multifarious and notoriously difficult to study and is further complicated by the presence of organic macromolecules and microorganisms. While the vast majority of indoor aerosols originate from sources such as candles, dust, outdoor air pollution, and food cookers, respiratory pathogens are transmitted in exhaled aerosol that can span from 100-nm to 100-mm diameter and have emission rates as low as 10 particles s-1 when humans breathe. Regardless of the expiratory activity that generates respiratory aerosols [e.g., coughing, speaking], the high surface area-to-volume ratio of the emitted particles facilitates rapid equilibration to the surrounding gas phase composition. In particular, the equilibration of the water activity within the droplet to the surrounding RH impacts the physicochemical conditions experienced by microorganisms present within the aerosol. Aqueous respiratory droplets at the point of exhalation start with a very high water activity (~0.995) consistent with equilibration with the high RH within the respiratory tract but must adjust to equilibrate with the indoor humidity, which is typically within the range 20 to 60 per cent. Under most conditions, exhaled aerosol droplets rapidly lose both moisture and heat through evaporation, with large concomitant changes in volume and temperature as they establish an equilibrium with the indoor environment.Not only does the loss in water lead to an increase in solute concentrations during evaporation but also the absence of heterogenous nucleation sites (i.e., a surface) leads to supersaturated solute concentrations that cannot be achieved in the bulk solution phase or in sessile droplets deposited on surfaces. At sufficiently low RH (e.g., below 45 per cent for saline solution droplets), the supersaturation of solutes can be sufficient to induce homogenous nucleation of the salt fraction, leading to efflorescence (crystallization) of the droplet and the formation of a dryer particle. Furthermore, during the initial period of droplet evaporation, the rates of diffusion of microorganisms within the droplet can be significantly slower than the rate at which the droplet surface recedes, leading to their exclusion to the near-surface region of the droplet. Given that the physicochemical conditions at the surface of the droplet can be different to the core (e.g., surface enrichment in solute concentration), establishing the distribution of microorganisms within a particle may be crucial to understanding the impact of aerosol microphysics on their longevity.Once the moisture content of the aerosol has decreased to establish equilibrium with the ambient environment, the decay in microorganism survival may be regulated by steady-state microphysical properties. In particular, the typical range in ambient RH is consistent with equilibrated solute concentrations that are supersaturated in the exhaled aerosol.&nbsp;Although the mechanism remains unclear, high salt concentrations may inactivate viruses by damaging the viral nucleic acid. With high contents of organic macromolecules, phase-separated particles with organic- and inorganic-rich domains or amorphous particles containing trapped moisture may form, potentially enhancing viral and bacterial survival. Furthermore, the pH of aerosol particles is RH, size, and composition dependent, and the pH of aerosol droplet surfaces may be different from the droplet bulk. Indeed, predicting the evolving aerosol pH is challenging, particularly when the facile partitioning of water-soluble acidic and basic components from the ambient environment is considered, even before the influence of aerosol pH on microorganism survival is considered.Laboratory strategies to assess the airborne stability of a pathogen must either be capable of simulating every aspect of the real-world environment in which transmission occurs or sufficient control over the conditions must be achieved such that the influence of individual processes and properties on survival can be assessed independently. Goldberg rotating drums have been widely used over many decades to assess airborne pathogen stability and have been used to investigate the airborne survival of SARS-CoV-2. More specifically, studies have examined the dependence of infectivity on time (20 min to 16 h), RH (40 to 70 per cent), and the presence of UVC light with measurements in aerosols composed of cell culture media (Dulbecco's modified Eagle medium [DMEM] and minimal essential media [MEM]) and artificial saliva. All studies concentrate on equilibrated particle sizes of ~5 um (mass median aerodynamic diameter). A nebulizer is used to generate a cloud of aerosolized pathogen that is suspended by the rotation of the drum. The initial environmental conditions within the drum can be controlled by mixing the output of the nebulizer with a flow of humidity- and temperature-controlled air. However, operation with stable environmental conditions can be challenging; for example, as the droplets evaporate and equilibrate to the set humidity, the water they release can cause the humidity within the drum to increase. In addition, dynamic changes in liquid water content within the freshly nebulized aerosol-cloud do not replicate the very rapid changes that can accompany the extremely low concentrations of the exhaled aerosol. This precludes any study of short-term decreases in pathogen viability that may be critical to understanding close contact transmission and the immediate consequences of exhalation on microbe survival.The researchers have previously reported a unique approach to the study of infectious aerosol and the interplay between aerosol microphysics and pathogen survival, using complementary aerosol analysis techniques to assess the underlying mechanisms that govern the airborne longevity of pathogens. The aerosol stability of viruses and bacteria is investigated using the CELEBS (controlled electrodynamic levitation and extraction of bioaerosols onto a substrate) technique. In CELEBS, a small population (&amp;lt;20) of near-identical monodisperse droplets containing bacteria or viruses are trapped within an electric field, while a constant flow of air prevents the accumulation of released water around the droplets. Loading droplets into the CELEBS takes &amp;lt;0.1 s, and there is no physical loss of droplets over time. Thus, an assessment of the viability of suspended microbes within droplets can be made after periods of suspension varying between less than 5 s to many hours. These longevity measurements can then be contextualized with detailed measurements of the dynamic changes in the physicochemical properties of droplets generated the exact same way in an instrument referred to as the comparative kinetic-electrodynamic balance (CK-EDB). The CK-EDB uses the same piezoelectric droplet-on-demand dispensers as the CELEBS to generate droplets, with particles captured in the path of a laser within a flow of humidity and temperature-controlled air. The elastic light scattering pattern can be used to infer the size and structure of these droplets within the same environmental conditions as those used in CELEBS.By coupling the time-sensitive measurements of the physicochemical properties of the droplets (CK-EDB) with the downstream biological effects (CELEBS) on the same timescale, the systematic exploration of hypotheses regarding the inactivation mechanisms of viruses and bacteria is possible. In this study, we apply this approach to the study of SARS-CoV-2 survival in airborne droplets of cell culture medium, examining the survival over timescales spanning from &amp;lt;20 s, commensurate with the evaporation of freshly exhaled aerosol, through to 20 min. By studying the physicochemical changes that take place in the droplet and exploring how these changes impact the infectivity of the virus, we elucidate the effect of the airborne environment on SARS-CoV-2. This study provides insights into the potential influence of environmental conditions on COVID-19 transmission. (ANI)

Researchers have measured the stability and infectivity of four variants of SARS-CoV-2 in 5-10 um-wide aerosolized droplets over a period of 5 seconds to 20 minutes and found a reduction in infectivity by around 90% after 20 minutes; loss of infectivity was associated with relative humidity and aerosol pH, providing insight into the mechanisms that control the airborne infectivity of SARS-CoV-2 and suggesting that measuring ambient CO2 levels might help estimate disease transmission risk, according to the scientific journal PNAS.

New Research On Airborne Stability And Infectivity Of SARS-COV-2 Could Help Mitigate Spread Of Diseases

California:&nbsp;Although the mechanism remains unclear, high salt concentrations may inactivate viruses by damaging the viral nucleic acid. With high contents of organic macromolecules, phase-separated particles with organic- and inorganic-rich domains or amorphous particles containing trapped moisture may form, potentially enhancing viral and bacterial survival. Furthermore, the pH of aerosol particles is RH, size, and composition dependent, and the pH of aerosol droplet surfaces may be different from the droplet bulk. Indeed, predicting the evolving aerosol pH is challenging, particularly when the facile partitioning of water-soluble acidic and basic components from the ambient environment is considered, even before the influence of aerosol pH on microorganism survival is considered.Laboratory strategies to assess the airborne stability of a pathogen must either be capable of simulating every aspect of the real-world environment in which transmission occurs or sufficient control over the conditions must be achieved such that the influence of individual processes and properties on survival can be assessed independently. Goldberg rotating drums have been widely used over many decades to assess airborne pathogen stability and have been used to investigate the airborne survival of SARS-CoV-2. More specifically, studies have examined the dependence of infectivity on time (20 min to 16 h), RH (40 to 70 per cent), and the presence of UVC light with measurements in aerosols composed of cell culture media (Dulbecco's modified Eagle medium [DMEM] and minimal essential media [MEM]) and artificial saliva. All studies concentrate on equilibrated particle sizes of ~5 um (mass median aerodynamic diameter). A nebulizer is used to generate a cloud of aerosolized pathogen that is suspended by the rotation of the drum. The initial environmental conditions within the drum can be controlled by mixing the output of the nebulizer with a flow of humidity- and temperature-controlled air. However, operation with stable environmental conditions can be challenging; for example, as the droplets evaporate and equilibrate to the set humidity, the water they release can cause the humidity within the drum to increase. In addition, dynamic changes in liquid water content within the freshly nebulized aerosol-cloud do not replicate the very rapid changes that can accompany the extremely low concentrations of the exhaled aerosol. This precludes any study of short-term decreases in pathogen viability that may be critical to understanding close contact transmission and the immediate consequences of exhalation on microbe survival.The researchers have previously reported a unique approach to the study of infectious aerosol and the interplay between aerosol microphysics and pathogen survival, using complementary aerosol analysis techniques to assess the underlying mechanisms that govern the airborne longevity of pathogens. The aerosol stability of viruses and bacteria is investigated using the CELEBS (controlled electrodynamic levitation and extraction of bioaerosols onto a substrate) technique. In CELEBS, a small population (&amp;lt;20) of near-identical monodisperse droplets containing bacteria or viruses are trapped within an electric field, while a constant flow of air prevents the accumulation of released water around the droplets. Loading droplets into the CELEBS takes &amp;lt;0.1 s, and there is no physical loss of droplets over time. Thus, an assessment of the viability of suspended microbes within droplets can be made after periods of suspension varying between less than 5 s to many hours. These longevity measurements can then be contextualized with detailed measurements of the dynamic changes in the physicochemical properties of droplets generated the exact same way in an instrument referred to as the comparative kinetic-electrodynamic balance (CK-EDB). The CK-EDB uses the same piezoelectric droplet-on-demand dispensers as the CELEBS to generate droplets, with particles captured in the path of a laser within a flow of humidity and temperature-controlled air. The elastic light scattering pattern can be used to infer the size and structure of these droplets within the same environmental conditions as those used in CELEBS.By coupling the time-sensitive measurements of the physicochemical properties of the droplets (CK-EDB) with the downstream biological effects (CELEBS) on the same timescale, the systematic exploration of hypotheses regarding the inactivation mechanisms of viruses and bacteria is possible. In this study, we apply this approach to the study of SARS-CoV-2 survival in airborne droplets of cell culture medium, examining the survival over timescales spanning from &amp;lt;20 s, commensurate with the evaporation of freshly exhaled aerosol, through to 20 min. By studying the physicochemical changes that take place in the droplet and exploring how these changes impact the infectivity of the virus, we elucidate the effect of the airborne environment on SARS-CoV-2. This study provides insights into the potential influence of environmental conditions on COVID-19 transmission.&nbsp;—ANI(Concluded)

 Although the mechanism remains unclear, high salt concentrations may inactivate viruses by damaging the viral nucleic acid. With high contents of organic macromolecules, phase-separated particles with organic- and inorganic-rich domains or amorphous particles containing trapped moisture may form, potentially enhancing viral and bacterial survival.

New Research On Airborne Stability And Infectivity Of SARS-COV-2 Could Help Mitigate Spread Of Diseases-II

Washington: NASA has launched a probe to analyse airborne mineral dust and see how it might affect climate and environment.Called the Earth Surface Mineral Dust Source Investigation (EMIT), the mission was on its way to the International Space Station (ISS), the us space agency said in a statement.EMIT's state-of-the-art imaging spectrometer, developed by the agency's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California, will collect more than a billion dust-source-composition measurements around the globe over the course of a year.The mission will identify the composition of mineral dust from Earth's arid regions.Desert regions produce most of the mineral dust that makes its way into the atmosphere. They're also largely remote, making it difficult for scientists to collect soil and dust samples over these vast areas by hand, said NASA. "EMIT is studying mineral dust because it's currently an unknown element," said Robert Green, EMIT's principal investigator and Jet Propulsion Laboratory senior research scientist. "Not just the magnitude of how much it heats or cools, but whether it heats or cools is uncertain."EMIT will map the world's mineral dust source regions. The data will help scientists understand which kinds of dust dominate each region and advance their understanding of dust's impact on climate and the Earth system today and in the future.Right now, scientists don't know whether mineral dust has a cumulative heating or cooling effect on the planet. "That's because dust particles in the atmosphere have different properties. For instance, some particles may be dark red, while others may be white," said NASA. EMIT will provide a detailed picture of how much dust comes from dark versus light minerals. In the absence of more specific data, scientists currently characterise mineral dust in climate models as yellow ? a general average of dark and light.Because of this, the effects that mineral dust may have on climate ? and that climate may have on mineral dust ? are not well represented in computer models, the US space agency said. —IANS

 NASA has launched a probe to analyse airborne mineral dust and see how it might affect climate and environment.

New NASA Mission Launched To Study Airborne Mineral Dust

Paris:&nbsp;French Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne has activated an inter-ministerial crisis team, saying on Friday that her country was experiencing the worst drought ever recorded."The current exceptional drought is depriving many communities of water and is a tragedy for our farmers, our ecosystems and biodiversity," Borne wrote in a statement.The lack of rain is being aggravated by successive heat waves, Borne continued, which on the one hand increase evaporation, but also the demand for water, dpa news agency reported. The situation could continue over the next two weeks and even become more worrying, she added.In France, large parts of the mainland are now suffering from drought.Depending on the severity, different restrictions on water apply, including on irrigation.According to local media, some municipalities were temporarily without water supply.Borne called on the population to use water sparingly.—IANS

French Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne has activated an inter-ministerial crisis team, saying on Friday that her country was experiencing the worst drought ever recorded.

 France experiencing worst drought ever: PM

New Delhi: In a shocking incident, a 56-year-old woman who was going to celebrate Bhai Dooj was killed after being attacked by scooty-borne snatchers in Rohini's Prashant Vihar area on Wednesday.
The woman fell on the road from the e-rickshaw in which she was travelling, and was dragged along by the accused.
The entire incident was captured on CCTV which has been accessed by IANS.
A senior police official said that the incident occurred on Wednesday night.
The deceased identified as Sunita Mittal was travelling by an e-rickshaw. Her grandson and daughter-in-law were also with her. She was on her way to Rohini sector 9. In the Prashant Vihar area two persons who were riding on a scooty attacked her in a bid to snatch her bag. The woman raised an alarm.
"The e-rickshaw driver accelerated but the bikers kept on trying to snatch the bag due to which the woman fell on the road and was dragged along, suffering severe head injuries. The accused fled after snatching the bag. The woman was rushed to a nearby private hospital where she succumbed during the course of treatment," the police said.
The police said that they have formed several teams to trace the robbers. A case has been filed under relevant sections of the IPC.
—IANS&nbsp;

In a shocking incident, a 56-year-old woman who was going to celebrate Bhai Dooj was killed after being attacked by scooty-borne snatchers in Rohini's Prashant Vihar area on Wednesday.

 Woman going to celebrate Bhai Dooj dies after being attacked by scooty-borne robbers

Washington: The movement of the herbicide dicamba off crops through the atmosphere, known as "dicamba drift," can cause unintentional damage to neighbouring plants.
Other chemicals, usual amines, are mixed with dicamba to "lock" it in place and prevent it from volatilizing, or turning into a vapour that moves more easily in the atmosphere.
New research from Kimberly Parker's lab at Washington University in St. Louis' McKelvey School of Engineering has shed new light on this story by demonstrating for the first time that these amines themselves volatilize, often more than dicamba itself.
Their findings were published in the journal Environmental Science and Technology.
The volatilization of amines in the presence of dicamba may aid in explaining the processes that cause dicamba drift. However, amines are also used in other herbicides, including glyphosate, the world's most widely used herbicide. Regardless of herbicide, the researchers discovered that amines volatilized.
If amines are released into the environment, they can have a negative impact on human health by forming cancer-promoting substances. They also have an effect on the climate and atmospheric chemistry. Because of their potential danger and prevalence, the scientific literature is replete with studies on how they are released into the atmosphere -- except when used in herbicide-amine formulations.
"Amines also undergo reactions to form particulate matter -- tiny particles that can make their way into the body when inhaled," Parker said. "Those particles are also toxic and carcinogenic," and they carry consequences for atmospheric chemistry by affecting climate.
"Researchers have looked at industrial applications, animal operations and environmental sources of amines, but no one has looked at herbicides at all, as far as we have seen, despite the fact that large quantities of herbicide-amine mixtures are being sprayed onto crops across the country," Parker said.
"We were really surprised to see that this source had been overlooked."
Her lab has conducted research on the use of amines in conjunction with herbicides in agriculture. The amines were added in those scenarios to prevent the herbicide dicamba from volatilizing. However, the technique was frequently ineffective, and the dicamba ended up drifting to nearby crops.
First author Stephen Sharkey, a PhD student in Parker's lab, led that earlier research studying dicamba volatilization from dicamba-amine mixtures and wondered, "If the dicamba is volatilizing, what's happening to the amine that's supposed to be there stopping the volatilization process?"
Sharkey measured the number of amines present over time when mixed with different herbicides to find out. What were the outcomes? The amines from the herbicide-amine mixtures volatilized in all of the mixtures. Sharkey also collaborated with Brent Williams' lab, an associate professor of energy, environmental, and chemical engineering, to confirm that amines were entering the gas phase from herbicide-amine mixtures by capturing and measuring amines in the air.
Parker pointed out that amines are not only mixed with dicamba in agricultural settings, but also with other herbicides such as 2,4-D and the widely used glyphosate.
Sharkey, in addition to experimenting, quantified the number of amines that were actually entering the atmosphere, which required some detective work. He used two data sets: estimated rates of herbicide application and survey data from farmers in the United States that showed which specific amines were used with which herbicides.
Sharkey concluded that herbicide use causes the release of approximately 4 gigatonnes (4,000 metric tons) of amines in the United States each year.
Parker was taken aback by the findings, not only because the chemistry does not immediately suggest that amines volatilize in this manner, but also for a more practical reason.
"There has been extensive work looking at the different ways in which amines enter the atmosphere," she said. "There has been a lot of effort put into understanding where amines come from, but research into its use with herbicides just wasn't considered before." —ANI

The movement of the herbicide dicamba off crops through the atmosphere, known as "dicamba drift," can cause unintentional damage to neighbouring plants.

According To Research, Hazardous Herbicide Chemical Goes Airborne

Lucknow (The Hawk): Religious leaders have been enlisted by the Lucknow Municipal Corporation (LMC) for a campaign to raise awareness of vector-borne illnesses like dengue, chikungunya, JES, AES, zika, and others.
Indrajeet Singh, the municipal commissioner, commented on the development by saying that "religious leaders were warned about the need of cleanliness and avoiding allowing collecting of stagnant water, which forms a potential breeding ground for mosquitoes," at a meeting.
In order to protect the environment, he also exhorted people to avoid using plastic products.
Recently, the state capital outlawed the usage of plastic on the day of the Guru Parv celebrations.
One of the religious leaders asked the municipal chief to regularly fog areas around houses of worship during the meeting. The municipal commissioner subsequently mandated frequent fogging of areas around places of worship.
The community's religious leaders were tasked with educating its members on vector-borne disease prevention measures and urging them to work with government organisations.
We are asking religious leaders for assistance because the issue may be largely resolved if people are aware and maintain their surroundings clean, according to the municipal commissioner.
(Inputs from Agencies)

Religious leaders have been enlisted by the Lucknow Municipal Corporation (LMC) for a campaign to raise awareness of vector-borne illnesses like dengue, chikungunya, JES, AES, zika, and others.

Religious leaders should assist in Lucknow's fight against dengue

Lucknow (The Hawk): Two unidentified car-borne miscreants allegedly molested the daughter of a senior female officer in the Army Medical Corps here and stole her credit card and Rs 500 in cash as she was making her way home.
Although the incident happened on November 8, it only came to light on Wednesday after a FIR was filed.
According to the FIR, the victim, a 22-year-old woman, left her home to purchase items from a shop in the SGPGI neighbourhood of Lucknow but did not come back for several hours.
Her phone was turned off, which made her parents worried about her safety.
The staff of the shopping centre verified the girl's visit there, and her mother went to the store to look for her.
When the woman's mother received a call from an unidentified man informing her that the woman was present at the Fun Republic police outpost in Gomti Nagar, she went to the Telibagh police outpost to file a complaint.
"I arrived at the Fun Republic police station right away, where I discovered my daughter, who was upset and stressed out. She had a nervous appearance, no shoes, and messy hair. When she saw me, she immediately started crying, "The victim's mother said.
The woman informed her that a young man had been following her since the morning and that she had seen him riding a bike near Akash Enclave as she headed in the direction of Telibagh.
"Since I left the store empty-handed, I boarded an automobile and drove to Telibagh. I was heading toward a store after arriving in Telibagh when a white car—a Mitsubishi Van—stopped nearby. I noticed the same teenager in the car. He grabbed my hair and pulled me into the other man's car, which was being driven by another man. He assaulted me, raped me, tore my clothes, beat me, and thrashed me. They kept moving the car from one location to the next before taking me to a remote area where I saw mountains of trash. He stole my credit card and cash, and both of the criminals fled quickly "She spoke.
She added that after a protracted walk, she finally asked a commuter on a two-wheeler for assistance, after which she was driven to the Fun Republic police station.
The mother of the girl demanded an in-depth investigation and the filing of a case in this regard.
SHO Gomti Nagar D.C. Mishra reported that a FIR had been filed on suspicion of robbery, sexual harassment, kidnapping for ransom, and intentional bodily harm.
He said, "We are looking through the CCTV footage of the area to find the vehicle's licence plate."
(Inputs from Agencies)

Two unidentified car-borne miscreants allegedly molested the daughter of a senior female officer in the Army Medical Corps here and stole her credit card and Rs 500 in cash as she was making her way home.

In Lucknow, an army officer's daughter was abused and looted

Chandigarh (The Hawk): A man who works as a labourer in a leather industry in Punjab's Jalandhar city was allegedly kidnapped by four ladies, all in their early 20s, under the guise of requesting an address before being sexually assaulted. The victim, however, has not filed a police report.
The victim stated that while he was showing the women the address, the women knocked him out and kidnapped him.
He claimed that after having some chemical sprayed in his eyes, he was kidnapped in a white automobile.
He was later abandoned in the middle of the night in a remote area.
The man said that he had not reported the crime to the police.
He did, in fact, describe how the crime was committed to the local media.
IANS, however, is unable to confirm the validity of the victim's footage. Even senior police authorities advised him to report any sexual abuse to the police if it occurred.
The victim said in an interview with a local newspaper that his wife had asked him not to complain.
He claimed that the four car-borne women's kidnapping was carried out for sex abuse.
One of the girls inquired about an address that was scribbled on a slip as the car came to a stop. One of them apparently sprayed something in his eyes as he was reading the address, leaving him blinded.
He claimed that the women led him to a remote area where they drugged him.
(Inputs from Agencies)

A man who works as a labourer in a leather industry in Punjab's Jalandhar city was allegedly kidnapped by four ladies, all in their early 20s, under the guise of requesting an address before being sexually assaulted. The victim, however, has not filed a police report.

In Punjab, four car-borne ladies are accused of kidnapping and abusing a man sexually

Azamgarh, Uttar Pradesh (The Hawk): The headmaster of a school in the Jiyanpur Kotwali neighbourhood of the Azamgarh district was killed by bike-borne assailants.
Sanjay Yadav, 46, was appointed headmaster of the composite school in Akhaipur, in the Haraiya block, and he was a native of Kasada Ima village.
Near a brick kiln, the attackers shot Yadav and then ran away.
Locals working in a nearby field raised the alarm after hearing the gunfire. The headmaster was sent to a private trauma centre in the city, where he was receiving treatment when he passed away from his wounds.
Anurag Arya, the superintendent of police in Azamgarh, led a police team that went to the scene to conduct an inquiry.
The SP claimed to have located the murderers and to have launched a manhunt to apprehend them. He claimed that early results of the investigation indicated that the murder was the result of a conflict over the panchayat elections.
"The accused have a criminal past as well. The Gangster Act will be used against them, and the police will seize their property "said the SP.
(Inputs from Agencies)

The headmaster of a school in the Jiyanpur Kotwali neighbourhood of the Azamgarh district was killed by bike-borne assailants. Sanjay Yadav, 46, was appointed headmaster of the composite school in Akhaipur, in the Haraiya block, and he was a native of Kasada Ima village.

In UP district, a school headmaster was shot and killed

Jammu (The Hawk): In a gunfight with the security forces on Wednesday in the Jammu district of J&amp;K, four truck-borne terrorists were killed.
The reporters were informed by Mukesh Singh, Additional DGP (Jammu Zone), that the terrorists were slain in the Jammu district's Sidhra neighbourhood.
Security personnel observed an erratically moving truck travelling from Jammu to Srinagar in the Sidhra region. The truck was stopped, and the driver ran away after attending to nature's call.
"Terrorists in the truck opened fire on the security forces, starting a fight that has since ended. During the gunfight between the security personnel and the militants, the truck caught fire.
"Four terrorists' bodies have been found. Three pistols, an M4 rifle, seven AK-47 rifles, and additional ammunition were found.
The ADGP stated, "Truck owner is yet to be identified."
(Inputs from Agencies)

In a gunfight with the security forces on Wednesday in the Jammu district of J&K, four truck-borne terrorists were killed. The reporters were informed by Mukesh Singh, Additional DGP (Jammu Zone), that the terrorists were slain in the Jammu district's Sidhra neighbourhood.

Jammu shootout kills four truck-borne terrorists

Washington: In order to protect consumers from becoming ill, produce such as lettuce and spinach are frequently tested for foodborne pathogenic bacteria such as salmonella, listeria monocytogenes, and pathogenic strains of E. coli. Although food testing may be done quickly, it still takes time to determine who is sick and where the contaminated product came from. For the many Americans who have already consumed the product, this is far too late. The present answer, which is frequently a multi-state recall, becomes damage control. Researchers at the University of Delaware want to identify these germs before anyone becomes ill. According to a paper published in the Journal of Food Safety, UD and Delaware-based firm Biospection are set to significantly accelerate testing. Harsh Bais, Kali Kniel, and former PhD student Nick Johnson collaborated with Andy Ragone of Biospection to detect foodborne infections in three to six hours. A microbiologist by trade, Kniel is an expert on crossover pathogens like salmonella, which gleefully jump to new hosts like that delicious, fresh lettuce. "While the produce industry is working diligently to reduce risks associated with microbial contamination, tools like this have incredible potential to improve risk reduction strategies," said Kniel, professor of microbial food safety who works regularly with industry and government agencies to reduce risk of foodborne illness. "Collaborations like ours between academics and biotechnology companies can enhance technology and impact food safety and public health." These pathogens easily find their way into plants, which are unfortunately very welcoming hosts -- hosts that can't tell you where their guests are. Just like humans, plants use defense mechanisms to fight disease. But some human-borne pathogens learned to push open a plant's open-entry gates called stomates -- pores in the leaves or stem -- and make themselves at home. "Because these bacteria are not true pathogens for plants, you cannot physically see early signs that the plant is under stress," said Bais, UD professor of plant biology. "Biospection's technology allows us to say, very quickly, if the opportunistic human pathogen is present in the plant."  As a chemical physicist working in Wilmington, Ragone got to know Kniel and Bais through Delaware's scientific community and lab equipment sharing. A relationship built over time, culminating when Kniel, Bais and Ragone applied for and received research funding from a Delaware Biotechnology Institute Center for Advanced Technology (CAT) grant for scientific technology and intellectual property. The researchers married their interdisciplinary expertise to reduce the risk of foodborne illness, a task that industry and academic researchers struggled with for many years. The result? The team created a multi-spectral imaging platform to look at plant sentinel response. A goal is to use this technique directly on a conveyor, scanning your lettuce before it ever heads to the grocery store. So how do you see a symptom that you can't see? The researchers' technique scans leaves via multispectral imaging and deep UV sensing when the plant is attracting these pathogens. When the researchers looked at benign bacteria, they observed little change. But, with harmful, human-borne pathogens, the test can spot differences in the plant under attack. "Using listeria as an example, in three to six hours, we see a sharp drop of chlorophyll pigments," Bais said. "That's a strong signal that the plant is responding physiologically -- a marker of unusual bacteria." The new, multi-spectral imaging technique is non-invasive, and lightning fast compared to current tests, where a lab scientist extracts a leaf, grinds it up, plates the bacteria and looks for disease. The current method is not commercially available, but Biospection was awarded a National Science Foundation Small Business Innovation Research grant in 2022 to develop and commercialize it into a real time imaging sensor to inspect plants for disease and other stresses. "Harsh and Kali were certainly instrumental in the techniques that we developed with multi-spectral imaging and the use of deep ultraviolet fluorescence," said Ragone, founder and chief technology officer of Biospection. "We built a portable instrument that could be commercialized." Vertical farming is an agricultural sector that stands to reap the benefits of this new technology. Using less water and less space, vertical farms are a vital step towards more sustainable agriculture. But when it comes to disease, these farms are just as vulnerable as traditional, outdoor agriculture. An incidence of E. coli means a vertical farm must throw away an entire harvest. Biospection is already working with agricultural companies to embed the imaging sensor into vertical farms' shelves and, for outdoor farms, crop drones. "Working with UD, we've laid the scientific foundation to create better instruments," Ragone said. "We're working toward an instrument that's portable, automated and can give an answer in a matter of seconds." (ANI)

In order to protect consumers from becoming ill, produce such as lettuce and spinach are frequently tested for foodborne pathogenic bacteria

New technique for early detection of foodborne bacteria: Study

Prayagraj: A 19-year-old youth, Adil Ali, was allegedly shot dead by assailants at Rajapur Uchwagari under the limits of Cantt police station.
Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Deepak Bhuker told reporters that police received information about the incident at 11:30 p.m. Saturday and senior cops rushed to the spot. He added that Adil was allegedly shot dead by three of his acquaintances over an old dispute.
Five separate police teams have been constituted to crack the case.
An FIR under section 302 of IPC was registered in this connection.
The incident, as per police, took place when the victim was standing near a paan shop and three bike-borne assailants approached towards him and shot at point blank range on the head of the victim.
Initial police investigations revealed that there was a dispute over smack selling in the area. No arrest has been made so far. —IANS

A 19-year-old youth, Adil Ali, was allegedly shot dead by assailants at Rajapur Uchwagari under the limits of Cantt police station

Teen Shot Dead In UP By Bike-Borne Assailants

Bristol: Researchers at the University of Bristol have made significant discoveries about the reasons why airborne viruses lose their infectivity. The research, which was just published in the Journal of the Royal Society Interface, shows how opening a window may be more crucial than previously believed and how much faster the virus is killed by cleaner air. Future viral mitigation measures may be influenced by the research. In the first study to measure differences in airborne stability of different variants of SARS-CoV-2 in inhalable particles, researchers from Bristol's School of Chemistry show that the virus has become less capable of surviving in the air as it has evolved from the original strain Dr Allen Haddrell, the study's lead author and Senior Research Associate in Bristol's School of Chemistry, explained: "Aerosol particles, exhaled when infected individuals breathe, speak or cough, can transmit viruses - but how and why viruses lose infectivity once they are circulating around in these airborne particles has been widely debated." To conduct the research, the team used a next generation bioaerosol technology instrument that they developed called CELEBS (Controlled Electrodynamic Levitation and Extraction of Bioaerosols onto a Substrate), that allowed them to probe the survival of different SARS-CoV-2 variants in laboratory generated airborne particles that mimic exhaled aerosol. They examined how environmental factors, such as temperature and humidity, particle composition and the presence of acidic vapours such as nitric acid alter virus infectivity over a 40-minute period. Through manipulating the gaseous content of the air, the team confirmed that the aero-stability of the virus is controlled by the alkaline pH of the aerosol droplets containing the virus. Importantly, they describe how each of the SARS-CoV-2 variants has different stabilities while airborne, and that this stability is correlated with their sensitivities to alkaline pH conditions. The high pH of exhaled SARS-CoV-2 virus droplets is likely a major driver of the loss of infectiousness, so the less acid in the air, the more alkaline the droplet, the faster the virus dies. Opening a window may be more important than originally thought as fresh air with lower carbon dioxide, reduces acid content in the atmosphere and means the virus dies significantly quicker. Dr Haddrell added: "Our results indicate that the high pH of exhaled aerosol drives the loss of viral infectivity. So, any gas that affects aerosol pH may play a role in how long the virus remains infectious in the air. For example, bleach gives off acidic vapour that may increase SARS-CoV-2 stability in the aerosol phase. Conversely, ammonia which gives of alkaline vapour may have the opposite effect." The findings provide valuable insights into why and how aerosolised viruses lose their infectivity, setting the stage for the design of new strategies to mitigate risk. Jonathan Reid, Director of Bristol Aerosol Research Centre and Professor of Physical Chemistry in the School of Chemistry at the University of Bristol, and one of the corresponding authors, said: "There are numerous factors that affect the transmission of airborne viruses, and these are often confounded with physical and environmental parameters that can affect viral longevity in the aerosol phase such as temperature, relative humidity, air movement and UV light. "Our findings broaden our understanding of how environmental factors affect airborne stability of SARS-CoV-2 and other viruses, which will help us design better safety and mitigation strategies to reduce disease transmission. We now intend to explore the role of pH further through studying the role that carbon dioxide has on the risk of SARS-CoV-2 transmission." —ANI

Researchers at the University of Bristol have made significant discoveries about the reasons why airborne viruses lose their infectivity

Researchers Discover Critical Factors That Determine Survival Of Airborne Viruses

New Delhi: Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya has called for a reevaluation of state-level readiness for combating vector-borne diseases including malaria, dengue, and chikungunya now that monsoon season has arrived. Anticipating health needs, he also requested that they educate communities on how to avoid and manage the spread of such diseases. On Friday, Mandaviya participated in a review meeting digitally with Sikkim Chief Minister Prem Singh Tamang, health ministers from 22 states, principal secretaries, and other senior officials. "We effectively reduce the disease burden with proactive preparation anticipating the health requirements and making adequate provisions for them in advance," he stated, emphasising the significance of forethought and collaborative efforts. He urged the states to get the most bang for their health care buck by investing in preventative care, stressing once more that doing so will reduce the overall illness load. In addition to community mobilisation and awareness building, the health minister requested that they share their best practises and innovative public health initiatives to prevent and manage vector breeding.
He urged people to get involved by spreading awareness campaigns and educational materials to their local communities, schools, and places of worship.
In order to notify instances, manage cases, and guarantee community engagement via IEC/social mobilisation campaign, the states were urged to involve Ayushman Bharat- Health and Wellness Centres. Drugs and diagnostics, as well as any other resources the states had designated, would be made available on time and distributed efficiently. Kerala recorded 18% of all dengue cases in 2023 (until June 25), followed by Tamil Nadu at 17%, Arunachal Pradesh at 13%, Karnataka at 12%, and Maharashtra at 10%, as was discussed during the conference. Ten people in Kerala have died from dengue, while one person in both Gujarat and Maharashtra has died. Over the same time period, 39% of all chikungunya cases were reported in Karnataka, 20% in Maharashtra, 17% in Gujarat, and 10% in Puducherry. Maximum cases are documented between July and December, and so far no deaths have been reported from the disease in any state. They also noted that most cases of Japanese encephalitis (JE) in 2022 originated in the states of Assam, Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand, Manipur, Meghalaya, West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Odisha, Karnataka, Bihar, and Chhattisgarh.—Inputs from Agencies

Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya has called for a reevaluation of state-level readiness for combating vector-borne diseases including malaria, dengue, and chikungunya now that monsoon season has arrived.

Mandaviya asks states to monitor preparedness to deal with vector-borne diseases

Paris: In the first of several bilateral meetings Prime Minister Narendra Modi had with French Senate President Gerard Larcher on Thursday as he began his trip to France to strengthen India's strategic ties with that country. When Modi, who had landed earlier in the day, arrived at the conference room to meet with Larcher, he was greeted with cheers.
The Prime Minister is in town for a two-day visit, during which he and President Emmanuel Macron will have in-depth discussions and the Prime Minister will serve as the Guest of Honour for President Macron's celebration of France's National Day. Prime Minister Modi was greeted warmly by French Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne at the airport. When Prime Minister Modi arrived at the airport, he was greeted with a Guard of honour and a formal ceremony. Later this evening, Prime Minister Modi will give a speech to the local Indian community. Before leaving, Modi said he was confident that the bilateral strategic partnership would benefit from his visit.
Prime Minister Modi and President Macron are scheduled to discuss strengthening defence ties between the two countries. —Inputs From Agencies

In the first of several bilateral meetings Prime Minister Narendra Modi had with French Senate President Gerard Larcher on Thursday as he began his trip to France to strengthen India's strategic ties with that country. When Modi, who had landed earlier in the day, arrived at the conference room to meet with Larcher, he was greeted with cheers.

PM Modi meets French Senate President Larcher

Paris: On Thursday, Narendra Modi met with his French colleague, Elisabeth Borne, to talk about topics of mutual interest.
Prime Minister Borne extended a warm welcome to Modi upon his arrival at the airport earlier in the day.
On his two-day visit, the prime minister will meet with President Emmanuel Macron for in-depth discussions and attend the French National Day festivities as the president's special guest. Before leaving, Modi said he was confident that the bilateral strategic partnership would benefit from his visit.
Prime Minister Modi and President Macron are scheduled to discuss strengthening defence ties between the two countries.—Inputs from Agencies

On Thursday, Narendra Modi met with his French colleague, Elisabeth Borne, to talk about topics of mutual interest.

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