Disparities in access to water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) services and the status of SDG-6 implementation across districts and states in India.

Introduction: Access to affordable and improved Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) facilities is essential for people's daily lives, and it is the primary goal of Sustainable Development Goal 6 (SDG-6). However, achieving this goal is a significant challenge for many countries, including India. The aim of this study is to assess the progress made towards achieving SDG-6 targets in Indian districts, states, and Union Territories (UTs) and to identify clusters by measuring spatial inequality of WASH coverage in India.

Understanding period product use among young women in rural and urban India from a geospatial perspective.

Ensuring proper menstrual hygiene management remains a significant challenge for young women in India. The term "exclusive use of hygienic period products during menstruation" refers to relying solely on period products like sanitary pads, tampons, or menstrual cups. Poor menstrual hygiene practices not only increase the risk of reproductive tract infections but also lead to various negative health outcomes, including discomfort and potential complications.

Ceria-Graphene Oxide Nanocomposite for Electro-oxidation of Urea: An Experimental and Theoretical Investigation.

This study explores the potential of ceria-graphene oxide (CeO-GO) nanocomposites as efficient electrocatalysts for urea electro-oxidation (UOR). This work combines experimental and theoretical investigations and characterization techniques confirm the successful formation of the CeO embedded on graphene oxide sheets. UOR activity was found to be dependent on both OH and urea concentrations.

Water-Vapor Responsive Metallo-Peptide Nanofibers.

Short peptides are versatile molecules for the construction of supramolecular materials. Most reported peptide materials are hydrophobic, stiff, and show limited response to environmental conditions in the solid-state. Herein, we describe a design strategy for minimalistic supramolecular metallo-peptide nanofibers that, depending on their sequence, change stiffness, or reversibly assemble in the solid-state, in response to changes in relative humidity (RH).

Molecular and eco-physiological responses of soil-borne lead (Pb)-resistant bacteria for bioremediation and plant growth promotion under lead stress.

Lead (Pb) is the 2 known portentous hazardous substance after arsenic (As). Being highly noxious, widespread, non-biodegradable, prolonged environmental presence, and increasing accumulation, particularly in arable land, Pb pollution has become a serious global health concern requiring urgent remediation. Soil-borne, indigenous microbes from Pb-polluted sites have evolved diverse resistance strategies, involving biosorption, bioprecipitation, biomineralization, biotransformation, and efflux mechanisms, under continuous exposure to Pb in human-impacted surroundings.

Geospatial insights into Alphonso mango cultivation: a comprehensive land suitability study in the coastal belt of Maharashtra, India.

Land suitability assessment is integral to the advancement of precision agriculture. This inquiry is focused on identifying optimal regions for cultivating Alphonso mango in the coastal belt of Maharashtra, spanning across Palghar, Raigad, Thane, Ratnagiri, and Sindhudurg districts. Employing a GIS-based Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) methodology, 10 crucial parameters have been considered, encompassing climatic, physical, and chemical soil characteristics: cation exchange capacity, organic carbon, slope, rainfall, soil pH, soil texture, mean annual soil temperature, base saturation, soil drainage, and soil depth.

Induction of mitochondrial toxicity by non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs): The ultimate trade-off governing the therapeutic merits and demerits of these wonder drugs.

Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are most extensively used over-the-counter FDA-approved analgesic medicines for treating inflammation, musculoskeletal pain, arthritis, pyrexia and menstrual cramps. Moreover, aspirin is widely used against cardiovascular complications. Owing to their non-addictive nature, NSAIDs are also commissioned as safer opioid-sparing alternatives in acute trauma and post-surgical treatments.

In Silico Design and Characterization of a New Molecular Electride: Li@Calix[3]Pyrrole.

Electrides, in which anionic electrons are localized independently of the atoms in the compound, have shown promise, especially as catalysts and optoelectronic materials. Here, we present a new computationally designed molecular electride, Li@calix[3]pyrrole (Li@C3P). Electron density and electron localization function analyses unequivocally confirm the existence of localized electride electron density, outside the system, independent of any specific atoms.

Greening the pathways: a comprehensive review of sustainable synthesis strategies for silica nanoparticles and their diverse applications.

Silica nanoparticles (SiNPs) have emerged as a multipurpose solution with wide-ranging applications in various industries such as medicine, agriculture, construction, cosmetics, and food production. In 1961, Stöber introduced a ground-breaking sol-gel method for synthesizing SiNPs, which carried a new era of exploration both in academia and industry, uncovering numerous possibilities for these simple yet multifaceted particles. Inspite of numerous reported literature with wide applicability, the synthesis of these nanoparticles with the desired size and functionalities poses considerable challenges.

NSAID targets SIRT3 to trigger mitochondrial dysfunction and gastric cancer cell death.

Gastric cancer (GC) is a deadly malignancy that demands effective therapeutic intervention capitalizing unique drug target/s. Here, we report that indomethacin, a cyclooxygenase non-selective non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug, arrests GC cell growth by targeting mitochondrial deacetylase Sirtuin 3 (SIRT3). Interaction study revealed that indomethacin competitively inhibited SIRT3 by binding to nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD)-binding site.

Protective role of complement factor H against the development of preeclampsia.

Pregnancy is an immunologically regulated, complex process. A tightly controlled complement system plays a crucial role in the successful establishment of pregnancy and parturition. Complement inhibitors at the feto-maternal interface are likely to prevent inappropriate complement activation to protect the fetus.

Humic acid-nanoceria composite as a sustainable adsorbent for simultaneous removal of uranium(VI), chromium(VI), and fluoride ions from aqueous solutions.

In this article, the multifunctional behavior of novel, efficient, and cost-effective humic acid-coated nanoceria (HA@CeO NPs) was utilized for the sorptive removal of U(VI), Cr(VI), and F ions at different conditions. The production cost of HA@CeO was $19.28/kg and was well characterized by DLS, FESEM, HRTEM, FTIR, XRD, XPS, and TGA.

Microbes and microbial strategies in carcinogenic polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons remediation: a systematic review.

Degradation, detoxification, or removal of the omnipresent polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) from the ecosphere as well as their prevention from entering into food chain has never appeared simple. In this context, cost-effective, eco-friendly, and sustainable solutions like microbe-mediated strategies have been adopted worldwide. With this connection, measures have been taken by multifarious modes of microbial remedial strategies, i.

Anthelmintic efficacy of Holarrhena pubescens against Raillietina spp. of domestic fowl through ultrastructural, histochemical, biochemical and GLCM analysis.

Globally, traditional knowledge systems are a powerhouse of information which can revolutionise the world, if decoded accurately and logically. Plant-based ethno-traditional and folklore curatives/medicines has a firm basis in the psyche of the common masses of West Bengal and Holarrhena pubescens is a representative example of it. This article communication on depicting the anthelmintic efficacy of ethanolic extract and Ethyl acetate fraction of the stem bark of Holarrhena pubescens against the cestode Raillietina spp.

Identifying Patient Perceptions of Inequality in Public Health Care Services: Evidence From a Single Indian Administrative District.

Purpose: Assessment of patient experiences is an essential step to revamp patient-centered care and identify systemic effectiveness as part of universal health coverage. This paper analyzes the variation of health care at different levels of the public health care system in India by measuring patients' experience with the care they have received in the Alipurduar district of India.

Methods: From May 2021 to April 2022, stratified sampling technique was applied to collect primary data from 450 patients having different health problems from different levels of the public health care system.

GIS-based data-driven bivariate statistical models for landslide susceptibility prediction in Upper Tista Basin, India.

Predicting landslides is becoming a crucial global challenge for sustainable development in mountainous areas. This research compares the landslide susceptibility maps (LSMs) prepared from five GIS-based data-driven bivariate statistical models, namely, (a) Frequency Ratio (FR), (b) Index of Entropy (IOE), (c) Statistical Index (SI), (d) Modified Information Value Model (MIV) and (e) Evidential Belief Function (EBF). These five models were tested in the high landslides-prone humid sub-tropical type Upper Tista basin of the Darjeeling-Sikkim Himalaya by integrating the GIS and remote sensing.

Bio-functionalized magnetic nanoparticles for cost-effective adsorption of U(vi): experimental and theoretical investigation.

U(vi) removal using cost-effective (production cost: $14.03 per kg), biocompatible, and superparamagnetic (CT) leaf extract-coated magnetite nanoparticles (CT@MNPs or CT@FeO nanoparticles) from water resources was studied. From pH-dependent experiments, the maximum adsorption efficiency was found to be at pH 8.

Biosynthesis, characterization and anthelmintic activity of silver nanoparticles of Clerodendrum infortunatum isolate.

Over the past few decades, the green synthesis of nanoparticles has gained importance for their therapeutic efficacy and eco-friendly nature. Integrating green chemistry principles into multidisciplinary nanoscience research has paved the way for developing environmentally benign and sustainable methods for synthesizing gold and silver nanoparticles. In the present study, the flowers obtained from Clerodendrum infortunatum (L.

Novelty and phylogenetic affinities of a new family of tapeworms (Cestoda: Rhinebothriidea) from endangered sawfish and guitarfish.

The parasites of hosts of conservation concern are often poorly known. This is the case with the iconic group of elasmobranchs known as the sawfish of the genus Pristis, all four species of which are considered as Endangered or Critically Endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN, Switzerland). Examination of cestodes from three species of sawfish (Pristis pristis, Pristis clavata, and Pristis zijsron) in Australia and one of their close relatives, the also critically endangered widenose guitarfish, Glaucostegus obtusus, in India, collected over the past 25 years, yielded four new species of tapeworms which are described herein.

Adsorption and Desorption Study of Reusable Magnetic Iron Oxide Nanoparticles Modified with Leaf Extract for the Removal of Textile Dye and Antibiotic.

The release of tetracycline hydrochloride (TCH) and methylene blue (MB) dye into the aquatic system uncontrollably caused major environmental and health problems; hence, their prevention required serious attention. Adsorption process is now being researched in order to increase adsorption efficiency and reprocess to alleviate environmental issues. The use of magnetic nanoparticle as an adsorbent for wastewater treatment has a lot of prospective.