Amity University Research Articles

Effect of Fastened Ankle Multidirectional Jumping Exercise Program on Jumping Performance among Athletes with Chronic Ankle Instability: A Randomised Controlled Trial

Introduction: Chronic ankle instability leads to alterations of ankle joint function, especially during jumping and running leading to diminished athletic performance. Multidirectional jumping exercise program with fastened ankle are required to be explored to overcome the challenges faced by the clinicians for management of ankle injuries, as well as, early return of athletes to sports. Aim: To find out the effect of fastened ankle multidirectional jumping exercise program on jumping performance among athletes with chronic ankle instability. Materials and Methods: This single-blinded randomised controlled trial was conducted at Amity Institute of Physiotherapy, Amity University, Noida, Uttar Pradesh, India in June 2022, and included 30 athletes with ≥6 months of Grade I and II ankle sprain, with instability and history of two or more episodes of injury. All subjects were distributed into three groups of 10 each. Pain and ankle disability were assessed using Numerical Pain Rating Scale (NPRS), vertical jump test and Foot and Ankle Disability Index tool (FADI-sports module). Therefore, recorded at baseline, 3rd week, and 5th week of intervention. Group 1 received ankle active range of motion exercises, while Group 2 received multidirectional jumping exercises, and Group 3 received multidirectional jumping exercise program with fastened ankle. Before exercise the involved ankle was taped with rigid tape. One-way Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) was used for between group analysis and ANOVA using repeated measure were used for within group analysis. Results: There was improvement in experimental group (group 2 and 3) from baseline to 5th week. Group 3 showed significant improvement in pain (NPRS) with mean difference of 5.4 from baseline to 5th week, Vertical jump height (vertical jump test) with mean difference of 24.7 from baseline to 5th week, ankle disability (FADI-sports module) with mean difference of 42.80 from baseline to 5th week with p<0.001. whereas group 2 showed improvement in pain with mean difference of 5.2 from baseline to 5th week, vertical jump height with mean difference of 18.5 and ankle disability with mean difference of 44.9 from baseline to 5th week with p <0.001. Conclusion: The study concluded that, five weeks of fastened ankle multidirectional exercise program improved the jumping performance, among athletes with chronic ankle instability.

Reviewer Acknowledgements for Business Management and Strategy, Vol. 13, No. 2

Business Management and Strategy (BMS) would like to acknowledge the following reviewers for their assistance with peer review of manuscripts for this issue. Many authors, regardless of whether BMS publishes their work, appreciate the helpful feedback provided by the reviewers. Their comments and suggestions were of great help to the authors in improving the quality of their papers. Each of the reviewers listed below returned at least one review for this issue.Reviewers for Volume 13, Number 2Ansar Abbas, Muslim Commercial Bank, PakistanDhanya Anna Kurian, Amity University, IndiaEddie John Paul Fisher, Universidad de Oriente, UKHalimahton Borhan, Universiti Teknologi Mara, MalaysiaIzabella Manukyan, Russian-Armenian University, ArmeniaNicoleta Nicoleta Dospinescu, Alexandru Ioan Cuza University, RomaniaSoolakshna Lukea Bhiwajee, University Of Technology, Mauritius, MauritiusSulaiman Sheik Abdullah, Pasumpon Muthuramalinga Thevar College, India Jean LeeBusiness Management and StrategyMacrothink Institute*************************************Add: 5348 Vegas Dr.#825Las Vegas, Nevada 89108United StatesTel: 1-702-953-1852 ext.508E-mail1: bms@macrothink.orgE-mail2: bms@macrothink.comWebsite: http://bms.macrothink.org

Pharmacological Evaluation of Different Extracts of Asparagus officinalis (Asparagaceae) as an Analgesic, Anti-Inflammatory and Anti-arthritic Agent in Rats

Pharmacognosy Research,2023,15,1,184-205.DOI:10.5530/097484900333Published:December 2022Type:Original ArticleAuthors:Satish Kumar, Pratima Srivastava, Sumeet Gupta, Meenakshi Dhanawat, Sapna Rani, Basiru Olaitan Ajiboye, and Rupesh K Gautam Author(s) affiliations:Satish Kumar1, Pratima Srivastava2, Sumeet Gupta1,*, Meenakshi Dhanawat3, Sapna Rani1, Basiru Olaitan Ajiboye4, Rupesh K Gautam5 1M.M. College of Pharmacy, Maharishi Markandeshwar (Deemed to be University), Haryana, INDIA. 2Aragen Life Sciences Private Limited, Hyderabad, Telangana, INDIA 3Amity Institute of Pharmacy, Amity University, Maneswar, Gurugram, Haryana, INDIA. 4Phytomedicine and Molecular Research , Federal University Oye-Ekiti, NIGERIA. 5Indore institute of Pharmacy, IIST campus, Indore, Madhya Pradesh, INDIA. Abstract:Background: To treat the joint pain arial part of Asparagus officinalis (asparagus) has historically been used. However, its efficacy for rheumatoid arthritis has not been pharmaceutically evaluated. We explore the phytochemical analysis anti-inflammatory, analgesic and anti-arthritic activity of petroleum ether, ethanol and aqueous extracts of Asparagus officinalis aerial part. Materials and Methods: Tail- flick method was used to evaluate the analgesic activity anti-inflammatory activity was carried out using paw oedema induced with carrageenan and CFA induced arthritic model was used to evaluate the potential in anti- arthritic activity in rats. The Petroleum ether, ethanolic and aqueous extracts were dosed orally in three divided doses (75, 150 and 300 mg/ kg). For anti- inflammatory and analgesic activity diclofenac sodium at 10 mg/kg was used as standard, whereas in anti-arthritic model prednisolone at 5 mg/kg and methotrexate at 0.5 mg/ kg were used as standard. One-way ANOVA followed by Dunnett’s multiple range test were used to analyse statistical significance between means. Results: The results revealed a dosecontrolled anti-inflammatory, anti-arthritic effect with different extracts whereas at some extent analgesic activity was observed. Four compounds were present and confirmed by LCMS/MS. The CFA model's findings showed improved defence against arthritic lesions and changes in body weight. Additionally, Asparagus officinalis significantly improved rheumatoid factor, changed WBCs, and favourably altered radiographic and histological alterations. Conclusion: The findings indicate that Asparagus officinalis is a strong anti-arthritic and anti-inflammatory compound that may be suggested for the treatment of both chronic and acute inflammation. Keywords:Carrageenan, Chemical constituents, LCMS/MS, Rheumatoid Arthritis, Sparrow grass.View:PDF (1.47 MB)

A Framework for Computerized Adaptive Assessment based on Trajectory Driven Pedagogy Implemented in an Engineering Course

Engineering education needs to be flexible with the changing technology, and it must blend traditional and new teaching pedagogy for the overall knowledge creation in the students. A survey of prevalent experiential learning methods has shown tremendous potential to improve engineering students' learning. However, existing experiential learning methods are hard to integrate with current teaching-learning process at Amity University, Uttar Pradesh, Lucknow Campus, India. A pilot study conducted during Power plant Instrumentation taught in the seventh semester of the Electrical and Electronics undergraduate program balances the current teaching method with the proposed Trajectory -driven pedagogy as an alternative teaching pedagogy. A trajectory driven computerized adaptive assessment procedure for teaching has been proposed in this paper. The system follows a trajectory of courses to generate the subsequent questions from the vast database of questions. A sequence of questions is guided by Concept Map which represents the questions from three courses in a hierarchical manner. Analysis of students' assessments shows that the proposed methodology could is accurate for quantitative measurement of the course learning outcomes in a summative assessment.

Analysis and Variation of the Maiac Aerosol Optical Depth in Underexplored Urbanized Area of National Capital Region, India

Abstract Aerosol monitoring is the emerging application field of satellite remote sensing. As a satellite-based indicator of aerosol concentration, aerosol optical depth (AOD) can aid in assessing the crucial effects of aerosols on the global environment. Among various satellite-based aerosol product, Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) Collection 6 (C6), Multiangle Implementation of Atmospheric Correction (MAIAC) aerosol product (1 km resolution) has still untapped potential in Indian regions. Considering the importance of regional validation of such high-resolution aerosol product, the present study attempts to fill this gap by validating MAIAC aerosol estimates (AODMAIAC) in highly polluted districts (Faridabad, Ghaziabad, Gautam Budh Nagar, Gurugram) of National Capital Region (NCR) with heavy aerosol loading using limited AErosol RObotic NETwork (AERONET) observations obtained from AERONET sites at Amity University (AU) and Gual Pahari (GP). Such evaluation of satellite-retrieved aerosol product with ground data confirms its practicality based on retrieval errors (Expected Error (EE) values (EE = 0.05 + 15 %*AOD) (EE: 78.85 % at AU, 73.58 % at GP), root mean square error (RMSE) values (RMSE: 0.15 at AU, 0.24 at GP), and correlation coefficient (R) values (R: 0.86 at AU, 0.73 at GP). The seasonal variation in AOD over the study area from 2010-2019 reveals increasing trend of AOD in the monsoon and post-monsoon season due to natural and anthropogenic factors. In addition to contributing to a holistic assessment of MAIAC aerosol estimates as a recent, high-resolution aerosol product, present results provide a basis for further research into NCR aerosols.

Biochemical profiling of Brassica juncea doubled haploid mutant genotypes under white rust disease stress

White rust, caused by oomycete pathogen Albugo candida, is a serious disease for the crops of Brassicaceae family. It is an obligate pathogen responsible for up to 60% yield loss with combined infection of leaves and inflorescence across the globe. Biochemical variations in host plants can alter the content of proteins, sugars, phenols, iron content etc. enables to understand the biochemistry of host-pathogen interaction. Therefore, the present study was conducted during 2017-2019 at Amity University, Noida, Uttar Pradesh to evaluate the biochemical response of Brassica juncea var. Varuna and its doubled haploid (DH) mutant genotypes infected with A. candida causing white rust at cotyledonary leaf stage. The seven mutant genotypes were tested for pathogenic response against five white rust isolates (WRI). In the challenge assay, mutant genotypes C66 and C69 showed resistance response as compared to susceptible host B. juncea var. Varuna against different isolates on the basis of disease severity. The biochemical parameters were found to be high in the uninoculated genotypes in comparison to infected cotyledons of B. juncea genotypes. The biochemical profile emphasizes significant increase in content of protein, sugar, and phenol from highest in genotype C66 positively correlating with resistance response against pathogen in comparison to other mutant genotype C69 and susceptible check Varuna. The results suggest that factors conditioning the response of mutant genotypes to WRI may differ or control in different ways and triggers novel defense signaling.

NPK Biofertilizer Poisoning and its Management: A Case Report

Published on:August 2022Journal of Young Pharmacists, 2022; 14(3):345-346Case Report | doi:10.5530/jyp.2022.14.69 Authors: Sarvajeet Khare1, Nishi Sheth1,*, Zeeshan Ali3, Naveen Sharma2, Jitendra Vaghasiya4 1Sumandeep Vidhyapeeth, Piparia, Vadodara, Gujarat, INDIA.2Amity institute of Pharmacy, Amity University ,Gwalior, Madhya Pradesh, INDIA.3Krupanidhi College of Physiotherapy, Affiliated to Rajiv Gandhi University of Health Sciences, Bangalore, Karnataka, INDIA.4Parul institute of Pharmacy, Parul University, Vadodara, Gujarat, INDIA. Abstract: NPK Biofertilizer are used for agricultural purpose to increase the crop yield. If swallowed in small amount they are poisonous and harmful to human health. Containing certain macronutrients such nitrogen, phosphorous and potassium can cause severely ill effects in the body and lead to life threating conditions. A 22-year-old female patient came to emergency ward with the complaints of abdominal pain with burning sensation, nausea, dizziness and giddiness. poisonous intoxication was removed out by gastric lavage. Patient was treated with includes inj. Ceftriaxone (1g) IV 12 hourly used as infection prophylaxis, Inj NS. 0.9%+ 3 ampule optineuron IV 12 hourly for rehydration, Inj. Pantoprazole (40) IV 12 hourly as antacid, Inj Emset 4cc IV 12 hourly as anti-emetic and Inj. Atropine 1 ampule as an antidote. Here there is case report of NPK Biofertilizer poisoning describing the severity and timely related treatment intoxication with poisonous substance.Keywords: NPK Poisoning, Biofertilizer, Fertilizer, Poisonous intoxication.

Demystifying Approaches of Holistic and Multidisciplinary Education for Diverse Career Opportunities: NEP 2020

Objectives: To explore the roles of a Holistic Approach and Multidisciplinary education for diverse career opportunities with reference to its introduction in NEP 2020 for the placement of students and orient them in accordance with the requirements of the stakeholders. Methods: Amity University Uttar Pradesh conducted 52 Focus Group Discussions having 6 to 7 Principals in a group pan India. The selected principals of schools that had secured state/district rank based on Board results were invited to participate in an online focus group discussion. Their future action plans were deliberated through group discussions and the collected data was analyzed qualitatively. Findings: Deliberations and questions arose at the group discussions regarding the various Action Plans of educational heads for the introduction of Holistic and Multidisciplinary education in their institutions brought to light that many of the implementations suggested were in line with the execution of the major implementations already undertaken at Amity university. The focus group discussions brought forth the fact that several schools have a robust system of Career Counselling to achieve the Goals enlisted in NEP 2020. The panelists also suggested the need to have strong career counselling at the institutional/ university level to settle the psychological and emotional wellbeing as they shift from school to colleges/ universities. Novelty: The present study brought to light the practices followed and nurtured at Amity University in line with the tenets of NEP 2020 and draws a conclusion on the feasibility and prospectus of NEP 2020 in bringing forth the recommendation to the level of implementation. Flexibility in the choice based credit system, addressing the diverse career needs, courses designed as per the demand of the industry in diverse streams, making education more wellrounded through the introduction of value added courses, life skills, and robust mentor-mentee system are all effectively carried out at Amity University. Keywords: Holistic Approach; Restructuring System; Multidisciplinary Learning; Career Opportunity; Value-added Education System

Phase-Resolved Lockdown Features of Pollution Parameters Over an Urban and Adjoining Rural Region During COVID-19

In this study, we investigate the temporal variations in columnar aerosol pollutants and their possible association with the simultaneously measured black carbon (BC) aerosol mass concentration and associated biomass burning (BB) over urban (Delhi) and rural (Panchgaon) sites during the lockdown phases of the COVID-19 pandemic. We also show the impact of lockdown measures on boundary layer ozone and its primary precursors, NO2, and water vapor (H2O), potent greenhouse gases that destroy protective ozone. For this purpose, we used multiple datasets, namely, black carbon (BC) aerosol mass concentration and biomass burning (BB) aerosols using an aethalometer at Amity University Haryana (AUH), Panchgaon, India, and satellite retrievals from NASA’s MODIS and OMI at both the stations. The analysis was conducted during the pre-lockdown period (1–25 March), lockdown 1st phase (25 March–14 April), lockdown 2nd phase (15 April–3 May), lockdown 3rd phase (4–17 May), lockdown 4th phase (18–31 May), and post-lockdown (1–30 June) period in 2020. Our diagnostic analysis shows a substantial reduction in AOD (Delhi: −20% to −80%, Panchgaon: −20% to −80%) and NO2 (Delhi: −10% to −42.03%, Panchgaon −10% to −46.54%) in comparison with climatology (2010–2019) during all four phases of lockdown. The reduction in AOD is attributed to lockdown measures and less transport of dust from west Asia than climatology. Despite a reduction in NO2, there is an increase in the ozone amount (Delhi: 1% to 8% and Panchgaon: 1% to 10%) during lockdown I, II, and III phases. The observed enhancement in ozone may be resultant from the complex photochemical processes that involve the presence of NO2, CO, volatile organic compounds (VOCs), and water vapor. The reduction in AOD and NO2 and enhancement in ozone are stronger at the rural site, Panchgaon than that at the urban site, Delhi.

Preface

It is our immense pleasure to virtually organize (due to the Covid-19 situation) the conference on Future of Engineering systems and Technologies (FEST) during December 18-19, 2021 by ‘Fusion and Integration of Science and Technology (FIST), New Delhi’ in association with ‘Indira Gandhi Delhi Technical University for Women, Delhi, India’. The conference was organized in association with the dedicated faculty members from Amity University India, I.K. Gujral Punjab Technical University Jalandhar; National Institute of Technology Srinagar; Manipal University India and many other national/International reputed Institutes/Universities.The conference FEST 2021 aimed to provide a platform for scientists and engineers to share their research results, exchange ideas on engineering systems, theories, technologies and applications; and dissemination of knowledge among engineers, researchers, scientists and entrepreneurs. FEST 2021 also aimed to establish research relations and to find global partners for future collaboration. The conference had covered all the emerging research areas of engineering and technologies.List of Organising Team (FEST 2021) is available in this pdf.

Peer review declaration

All papers published in this volume of Journal of Physics: Conference Series have been peer reviewed through processes administered by the Editors. Reviews were conducted by expert referees to the professional and scientific standards expected of a proceedings journal published by IOP Publishing.• Type of peer review: Single-blind • Conference submission management system: https://easychair.org/ • Number of submissions received: 118 • Number of submissions sent for review: 86 • Number of submissions accepted: 40 • Acceptance Rate (Number of Submissions Accepted / Number of Submissions Received X 100): 40/118 x 100 = 33.89 • Average number of reviews per paper: 2 • Total number of reviewers involved: 240 • Any additional info on review process: • Contact Person for queries: Name : Prof. Basant Singh SikarwarAffiliation: Amity University Uttar Pradesh IndiaEmail : bssikarwar@amity.edu

PREFACE

It was a matter of great pleasure to organize the 1st International peer-reviewed academic symposium on Fluids and Thermal Engineering FLUTE 2021 at the Department of Mechanical Engineering, Amity School of Engineering and Technology, Amity University Uttar Pradesh, Noida on 22nd July 2021.The theme of the symposium was “Thermal Management of Electronic Devices and Components”. The objective of this international symposium was to create the ambiance of research in students and young faculty members and provide a common platform to scientists and researchers across the globe for exchanging their knowledge and views to deal with challenges of thermal management of electronics devices and components.List of Organising Committee, Advisory Committee, are available in this Pdf.

Antioxidant Activity in Plants Grown in Fly Ash Amended Soil

Modern Concepts & Developments in Agronomy Antioxidant Activity in Plants Grown in Fly Ash Amended Soil Praveen Dahiya* Amity Institute of Biotechnology, Amity University Uttar Pradesh, Sector-125, Noida, 201303, Uttar Pradesh *Corresponding author: Praveen Dahiya, Associate Professor, Amity Institute of Biotechnology, Amity University Uttar Pradesh, Noida, India Submission: December 14, 2021 Published: January 07, 2022 DOI: 10.31031/MCDA.2022.10.000728 ISSN 2637-7659Volume10 Issue 1

Design of green roof for an energy efficient university campus

Nowadays, due to the global warming and climate change, many adverse effects and changes are going on in the Environment. Industrialization further worsens the environmental degradation and the air quality. Especially, the construction industry contributes higher level of air pollution emanating from the construction sites. To mitigate this adverse situation, a step towards the green infrastructure may be the best solution. This study was carried out at the Panvel node of Navi Mumbai in the Amity University campus area. The study area was delineated using the Google Earth Pro software. The green roof design and cost estimation was carried out for the main building, new boys’ hostel and new building block at the Amity University campus. Extensive green roof design was proposed for the main building and the new boys’ hostel and intensive green roof design was proposed for the new building of Amity University Mumbai campus. Sedum plant was suggested for the construction of green roof in the main building and the new boys’ hostel and Rosemary shrubs were recommended in the main building. Apart from this, any other shrubs like hibiscus plants or any other flower plant can be used to enhance the aesthetic value. The total runoff reduction was found maximum in the new building roof area and estimated as 5524.81 m3 and the design cost was estimated as Rs.26,73,000 for the main building. The water retained due to green roof will help in reducing the temperature and also improve the air quality in the surrounding area.

Metagenomics Comparison of Buruli and Non Buruli Ulcer Skin Wound

Introduction: Buruli Ulcer (BU) is caused due to mycobacteria, namely Mycobacterium ulcerans. Buruli ulcer is caused by the mycolactones that are secreted by the Mycobacterium ulcerans which results into the tissue necrosis. Metagenomics is a branch of genomics that deals with the study of uncultured microbial genomes present in natural samples like human body parts, environmental samples, food and dairy, disease conditions. Metagenomics branch has enabled us to explore and elucidate the importance of microbial genomes in healthy and infected samples. Aim: To evaluate metagenomic and microbial analysis of buruli and non buruli ulcer skin wound samples along with structural and functional analysis of MUL_3720. Materials and Methods: European Nucleotide Archive (ENA) database was used to retrieve metagenome data of BU and non BU skin lesions with the project id PRJEB14948. The study was conducted from May 2021 to January 2022 at Amity Institute of Biotechnology, Amity University Uttar Pradesh, Lucknow, India. Galaxy server was used for the metagenomics analysis from quality control to identification and classification of microbial community in the samples. Different tools from the Galaxy like FASTQC, Trim Galore, KRAKEN2, convert kraken, Krona pie chart tools were used for metagenomic analysis and for taxonomic classification of microbes. Finally, Krona pie chart was generated that gives an elaborate understanding of the different microbes and their percentage in the BU. Complete annotation like protein structure prediction, domain analysis of MUL_3720 protein of Mycobacterium ulcerans was also done as potential drug target against BU. Statistical analysis was done using Krona pie chart generation and prediction. Results: Metagenomic analysis shows that there is difference in microbiome of BU and non BU samples. Differential microbes identified were Mycobacteriacae 1-2%, Sporomusa species 18-22% and Desulfovibrio halophillus 24-25%. Bacteria which were present in both the samples are Actiniidae, Desulfovibrio halophillus, Sphingomonas, and Mycobacteriacae. Structural and functional annotation of MUL_3720 protein of Mycobacterium ulcerans shows that MUL_3720 protein can be potential drug target for drug discovery. Conclusion: This study highlights the metagenome of Buruli Ulcer skin wound and can be used to identify potential drug targets for Buruli Ulcer. Metagenomic analysis of BU and non BU skin wound shows that there is difference in microbial community hence this information can be used in proper diagnostic and medication to combat Buruli Ulcer disease.

OTT Media Streaming in COVID-19 Lockdown: The Indian Experience

© Media Watch |12 (3) 440-450, 2021 ISSN 0976-0911 | E-ISSN 2249-8818 DOI: 10.15655/mw/2021/v12i3/166019 OTT Media Streaming in COVID-19 Lockdown: The Indian Experience Suresh Chandra Nayak & Santosh Kumar Biswal Amity University Chhattisgarh, India Symbiosis Institute of Media and Communication, India Abstract Covid-19 has immensely impacted every walks of life worldwide, including in […]

The influence of land management and date of planting on physical properties of Safid e Pai-saye onion (Allium cepa L.)

Onion botanically named Allium cepa L. is a major crop of Alliaceae family. It is one of the largest commercially grown vegetables in the world including Afghanistan. This crop originated from Afghanistan and large number of its wild varieties are observed in the country. Local variety named Safid e Paisaye was selected for this investigation due to its capacity of longer storage and higher demand in the market. Very less research efforts are made to improve its bulb quality and share in the market. This investigation is carried out at Kabul university agriculture research farm in coordination with Amity University Uttar Pradesh, to study the effect of land management and planting date on bulb physical properties of onion. The parameters studied in this investigation include bulb width (cm), length (cm), thickness (cm), geometric mean diameter, arithmetic mean diameter, shape index, sphericity, roundness, ellipsoid ratio, frontal surface, cross sectional area, total area, number of scales, equatorial firmness (Kg/cm2) and polar firmness (Kg/cm2). The data is collected using required tools and was analyzed using R statistical analysis software. The results showed significant effect of planting date on physical properties of onion bulb. The first planting date (10th May) recorded the largest bulb width (6.95 cm), length (4.42 cm), thickness (6.75 cm), geometric mean diameter (5.91 cm), arithmetic mean diameter (6.04 cm), frontal surface (24.26 cm2), cross sectional area (28.84 cm2) and total area (110.63 cm2). The same planting date recorded the lowest values for bulb shape index (0.64) and sphericity (0.85). Land management practices did not have significant effect on physical properties of onion bulb. None of the studied factors had significant effect on bulb roundness, ellipsoid ratio, number of scales, equatorial firmness and polar firmness. Conclusions: early planting of Safid e Paisaye onion seedlings can increase bulb size and improve bulb physical characteristics. This also helps to maintain the flat and round shape of onion bulb. Land preparation method and plough depth do not have significant influence on physical properties of onion bulb.

Erratum: The role of the bio-psychosocial model in public health

In the article titled “The role of the bio-psychosocial model in public health” published on pages 252-254, Issue 6, Volume 5 of The Journal of Medical Research, [1] the authors’ affiliation & address were written incorrectly and it should be consider as1. Shiraz Syed- Senior Resident Surgeon, Himalayan Institute of Medical Science, Uttarakhand, Dehradun248140, India 2. Sumbul Syed- Post graduate student, Department of Psychology, Amity University, Noida, Uttar Pradesh- 201313, India 3. Kshitij Bhardwaj- Intern, Sri Guru Ram Rai Institute of Medical Science, Dehradun, Uttarakhand- 248001, India

Multisite characterization of concurrent black carbon and biomass burning around COVID-19 lockdown period

The Magee Scientific Model AE33 Next Generation Aethalometer, installed at Amity University Haryana (AUH), Panchgaon (rural station) has been operated round-the-clock and obtained high-resolution (1–5 Minutes) observations of Black Carbon (BC) mass concentration at seven different sensing wavelengths (ranging from UV to NIR). For each observation, contribution from Biomass Burning (BB, in percent) to the BC has also been recorded. These measurements have been analyzed to segregate different sources, responsible for BC at this rural station. The results reveal that the major contributor is ‘traffic’ (fossil-fuel diesel emissions), followed by ‘biomass smoke’, wood-burning activities. The diurnal variation in BC and associated BB over this study area reveals a significant maximum around 0900 h and minimum around 1600 h. These maximum and minimum concentrations are attributed to transport activities during morning and ascending of local atmospheric boundary-layer height. The results also exhibit a strong affinity between BC mass concentration and coincident CO2 and PM2.5 mass concentrations. Synchronous BC measurements have also been organized over two more locations, namely, Bhopal (urban station) and Mahabaleshwar (high-altitude station). The black carbon aerosol transport through long-range air mass back-trajectories is explained.

Evaluation of Biofertilizers and Biochar on the Plant Growth and Productivity of Soybean (Glycine max)

The field experiment was conducted in Organic farm of Amity university Noida, Uttar Pradesh, during the kharif season, to evaluate the sole and conjoint effect of biofertilizers and biochar on the yield, growth and productivity of Soybean (Glycine max). The five treatments viz. T1 (Control), T2 (Biochar), T3 (Biochar + Rhizobium), T4 (Biochar + Azospirillum) and T5 (Biochar + Rhizobium + Azospirillum) were used. Plant growth parameters like shoot length, root length, number of leaves, pod length, pod girth, plant height, crop yield and soil parameters were observed for the effect of various treatments. Among the all treatments the treatment T3 (Biochar with Rhizobium) maximum shoot length (52.30), root length (17.30) followed by T4 (Biochar + Azospirillum) and plant productive are maximum mean of number of pods was recorded in T3 (Biochar + Rhizobium) i.e. 32.6, whereas minimum (30.1) was recorded in T1(control) followed by T4(Biochar + Azospirillum) i.e.32.41, T5 (Biochar + Rhizobium + Azospirillum) i.e. 31.05 and T2 (Biochar) i.e.31.31 has shown significant effect on plant growth characters and plant yield. These results indicate that the conjoint use of biochar and Rhizobium have potential to enhance the crop performance and simultaneously improves the soil properties for sustainable farming without reliance on synthetic agrochemicals.