Geographic Coordinates Research Articles

Received signal evaluation for Ultra High Frequency (UHF)terrestrial television; Case of Ekiti State, Nigeria

This paper presents the evaluation of the received signal for UHF channel 41, (transmitting frequency of 631.25 MHz) and Star-times (transmitting frequency of 618 MHz). Using a Digital Field Strength Meter, the signal strength from the two UHF Transmitting Stations was measured throughout the state along two routes. The elevation, geographic coordinates, and line of sight of the various data points from the base stations were determined using a global positioning system (GPS) receiver. Regression analysis and correlation were used in the signal assessment process. Analysis of the data collected from the field measurements indicated that as line of sight increases signal strength reduces along all the routes for Ekiti Television (EKTV) and Star-times except along Route B for Star-times. Line of Sight and Elevation have a strong negative connection in almost all routes except along route A for star-times. Elevation and Signal strength correlation indicated negatively very high except for that along route B for EKTV and route A for Star-times. Regression analysis revealed that variance in Line of Sight and Elevation accounted for high significant changes in signal strength for EKTV and consistently very high changes for Star-times. Generally, it was observed that distance from the base station, topography/elevation, power of the transmitter, nature of signal (Digital/Analog) as shown for regression analysis and other factors affected the quality of service of the propagated signal. Terrestrial Television stations should ensure they transmit with the standard parameters. To improve service quality, the transition from analog to digital should be accelerated in Nigeria such that most stations transmit via the standard Digital method of transmission.

POTHOLE DETECTION SYSTEM

One of the major problems in developing countries is maintenance of roads. Well maintained roads contribute a major portion to the country's economy. Identification of pavement distress such as potholes and humps not only help drivers to avoid accidents or vehicle damages, but also helps authorities to maintain roads. This paper discusses previous pothole detection methods that have been developed and proposes a cost-effective solution to identify the potholes and humps on roads and provide timely alerts to drivers to avoid accidents or vehicle damages. Ultrasonic sensors are used to identify the potholes and humps and also to measure their depth and height, respectively. the proposed machine captures the geographical place coordinates of the potholes and humps using a worldwide positioning device receiver. The sensed-data includes pothole depth, height of hump, and geographic location, which is stored in the database (cloud). This serves as a valuable source of information to the government authorities and vehicle drivers. An android application is used to update the pics of location on the android application named "meri sadak" so that measures can be taken to evade accidents. Alerts are given to the driver and simultaneously pics are updated on application.

Spatial distribution and determinants of HIV high burden in the Southern African sub-region.

Spatial analysis at different levels can help understand spatial variation of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection, disease drivers, and targeted interventions. Combining spatial analysis and the evaluation of the determinants of the HIV burden in Southern African countries is essential for a better understanding of the disease dynamics in high-burden settings. The study countries were selected based on the availability of demographic and health surveys (DHS) and corresponding geographic coordinates. We used multivariable regression to evaluate the determinants of HIV burden and assessed the presence and nature of HIV spatial autocorrelation in six Southern African countries. The overall prevalence of HIV for each country varied between 11.3% in Zambia and 22.4% in South Africa. The HIV prevalence rate was higher among female respondents in all six countries. There were reductions in prevalence estimates in most countries yearly from 2011 to 2020. The hotspot cluster findings show that the major cities in each country are the key sites of high HIV burden. Compared with female respondents, the odds of being HIV positive were lesser among the male respondents. The probability of HIV infection was higher among those who had sexually transmitted infections (STI) in the last 12 months, divorced and widowed individuals, and women aged 25 years and older. Our research findings show that analysis of survey data could provide reasonable estimates of the wide-ranging spatial structure of the HIV epidemic in Southern African countries. Key determinants such as individuals who are divorced, middle-aged women, and people who recently treated STIs, should be the focus of HIV prevention and control interventions. The spatial distribution of high-burden areas for HIV in the selected countries was more pronounced in the major cities. Interventions should also be focused on locations identified as hotspot clusters.

Enhancing outlying growth simulation in urban cellular automata via intelligent extraction-fusion of land suitability and neighborhood effects: a case study of Wuhan, China

ABSTRACT Urban growth has accelerated significantly in recent decades, categorized into two spatial patterns: adjacent and outlying growth. Traditional Cellular Automata (CA)-based models excel at simulating adjacent growth but exhibit limitations in modeling outlying growth, which can be summarized into two issues: 1) the overestimation of neighborhood effects caused by models’ excessive dependence on neighboring cell states; and 2) the ignorance of spatial heterogeneity in the relative importance of land suitability and neighborhood effects on urban growth. To address these problems, a novel CA model with Separate Extraction and Adaptive Fusion of land suitability and neighborhood effects (SEAF-CA) is proposed. In this model, a dual-path convolution structure is employed to extract spatial features from driving factors and cell states; geographical coordinates of each cell then input into a multilayer perceptron to derive spatially varying weights for feature fusion. Finally, the derived conversion probability is integrated with CA to simulate urban growth. Land use data collected from 2000 to 2020 in Wuhan are selected to evaluate the proposed model. Experimental results illustrate that SEAF-CA outperforms three typical CA models, achieving the closest outlying growth proportion to reality and the highest simulation accuracy. In addition, the source code of SEAF-CA is now available at GitHub (https://github.com/ohXu/SEAF-CA).

Methodology for forming a digital farming management system

The paper presents methodological approaches for the creation of a digital farming management system (DFMS). A convergent approach, based on cognitive (conceptual) analysis methods, is employed in the research and applied to the formation of adaptive landscape farming systems. The fundamental principles of organizing DFMS include crop and environmental monitoring (in situ, remote sensing); the formation of farming system archetypes based on the analysis of long-term field experiments; spatial object modeling and land typology using GIS; planning and support for agrotechnologies to adapt to natural and economic conditions; modeling ecosystem services and biodiversity; assessing the impact on the sustainability and economics of crop production. The system is implemented using geoinformation models in a specific geographic coordinate. DFMS involves conducting a "inventory" of natural and production resources, as well as identifying limits of climatic, soil, and agrolandscape parameters at different levels of land use intensity. At each stage of organizing system blocks, methods of intelligent data analysis and machine learning are used, with the core of the system relying on the use of knowledge bases and logical rules of the subject area. A key element of the system is the scaling of the results of long-term field experiments and accumulated knowledge in different management areas based on the parameterization of the multi-level variability of farming systems and the formation of their archetypes. The practical implementation of the main provisions of DFMS allows approaching the solution of key issues related to reducing the level of uncertainty and associated risks in agriculture. This is achieved through scientifically justified organization of rational land use, increasing the resilience of crop production in different land use conditions, and providing information support to rural producers.

Al-Biruni A Scientist Beyond His Time

Abū Rayḥān Muḥammad ibn Aḥmad al-Bīrūnī (September 15, 973 – December 13, 1048), a celebrated intellectual from the Islamic world, is recognized as a prodigious genius who thrived in Central Asia over a millennium ago. His innovative work and discoveries often surpassed the understanding of his contemporaries. Al-Biruni's expertise extended across various domains, including astronomy, mathematics, geology, mineralogy, physics, and natural sciences. His contributions to these fields were so monumental that scholars considered him the most scientifically accomplished individual of his time. Al-Biruni's works encompassed concepts such as evolution, equatorial leveling, and astronomy, which were later popularized by renowned figures like Darwin, Mercator, Copernicus, Kepler, and Galileo. Furthermore, he proposed the idea of plate tectonics, which geologists would later confirm in the 1960s, by suggesting that parts of the Earth's crust move and geographic coordinates of cities change over time. With his profound comprehension, al-Biruni accurately explained the causes of orogeny and earthquakes through his insights on the shifts in the Earth's weight distribution, the formation of ridges, and the deepening of valleys. This exceptional scientist rightfully holds a distinguished position among Earth scientists of the previous millennium within the cultural sphere of Iran. Delving into his life and work instills awe in those who appreciate his lasting impact on the scientific community.

Amanita vidua: A new record for Turkish Amanita Section Phalloideae based on morphological and molecular data

In the present study, fungal specimens collected from Yeşildere village in Uşak province, Türkiye were evaluated. The specimens underwent detailed examination through both mor-phological and DNA (nrITS rDNA region and TEF1a gene) sequence-based phylogenetic analysis. Based on the evaluation of micro- and macromorphological characteristics, and phylogenetic analyses, the specimen was identified as A. vidua Gasch, G. Moreno & P.-A. Moreau. This identification marks A. vidua as a new record for the Turkish Amanita section Phalloideae. The study described this newly recorded species, including specific details such as its location, habitat observations, geographical coordinates, collection date, and pho-tographs showcasing its macro and micromorphological features. Additionally, it also in-cludes illustrations of some microscopic structures of the species. The study is further en-riched with SEM images, offering a detailed view of the species characteristics, and the findings are briefly discussed.

Estimates of the global burden of cancer-related deaths attributable to residential exposure to petrochemical industrial complexes from 2020 to 2040

The petrochemical industry is a major industrial emitter of greenhouse gas (CO2) and environmental pollution, posing health risks to nearby communities. Although previous studies have indicated that residents living near petrochemical industrial complexes are at a higher risk of cancer, they have focused on local or regional burdens. This study aimed to estimate the global cancer burden attributable to residential exposure to petrochemical industrial complexes. The geographical coordinates of petrochemical plants and oil refineries were retrieved and verified from published sources. The ArcGIS software and global population data were used to estimate the number of people living within specific distances (exposed population). The exposure time window was framed as ranging from 1992 to 2035, extending to the latest period of the exposure time window for all cancer types to estimate the attributable deaths between 2020 and 2040. The relative risk of cancer was estimated from 15 published studies. Population attributable fraction (PAF) method was used to estimate the risk of cancer attributable to residential exposure and calculate the number of cancer-related deaths. Our findings indicate that >300 million people worldwide will be estimated to live near petrochemical industrial complexes by 2040. The overall global burden of cancer-related deaths was 19,083 in 2020, and it is estimated to increase to 27,366 deaths by 2040. The region with the highest attributable cancer deaths due to exposure is the high-income region, which had 10,584 deaths in 2020 and is expected to reach 13,414 deaths by 2040. Residential exposure to petrochemical industrial complexes could contribute to global cancer deaths, even if the proportion is relatively small, and proactive measures are required to mitigate the cancer burdens among these residents. Enforcing emissions regulations, improving monitoring, educating communities, and fostering collaboration are vital to protecting residents’ health.

Globe-LFMC 2.0, an enhanced and updated dataset for live fuel moisture content research.

Globe-LFMC 2.0, an updated version of Globe-LFMC, is a comprehensive dataset of over 280,000 Live Fuel Moisture Content (LFMC) measurements. These measurements were gathered through field campaigns conducted in 15 countries spanning 47 years. In contrast to its prior version, Globe-LFMC 2.0 incorporates over 120,000 additional data entries, introduces more than 800 new sampling sites, and comprises LFMC values obtained from samples collected until the calendar year 2023. Each entry within the dataset provides essential information, including date, geographical coordinates, plant species, functional type, and, where available, topographical details. Moreover, the dataset encompasses insights into the sampling and weighing procedures, as well as information about land cover type and meteorological conditions at the time and location of each sampling event. Globe-LFMC 2.0 can facilitate advanced LFMC research, supporting studies on wildfire behaviour, physiological traits, ecological dynamics, and land surface modelling, whether remote sensing-based or otherwise. This dataset represents a valuable resource for researchers exploring the diverse LFMC aspects, contributing to the broader field of environmental and ecological research.

A Novel Computational Mathematical Model for Team and Route Selection of the Emergency Response Operations

During the daily operations of emergency response, the decision maker is faced with the complex challenge of selecting a team and route in a short time period to respond and attend to the emergency. This study presents the combined use of the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP), the Élimination Et Choix Traduisant la Realité II (ELECTRE II), and the Dijkstra algorithm to deal with such situations. First, the AHP method is implemented to rank the aspects that are most relevant to a given emergency. Subsequently, this ranking is employed in ELECTRE-II to determine which emergency response team is best prepared to provide support. In the last stage of the proposed model, regarding the geographic coordinates of the team and the emergency, the Geographic Information System (GIS) utilizes the Dijkstra algorithm to regulate the most suitable route for assistance.

Middle Neoproterozoic (Tonian) Polar Wander of South China: Paleomagnetism and ID‐TIMS U‐Pb Geochronology of the Laoshanya Formation

AbstractPaleomagnetic records of middle Neoproterozoic (820 to 780 Ma) rocks display high amplitude directional variations that lead to large discrepancies in paleogeographic reconstructions. Hypotheses to explain these data include rapid true polar wander (TPW), a geomagnetic field geometry that deviates from a predominantly axial dipole field, a hyper‐reversing field (>10 reversals/Ma), and/or undiagnosed remagnetization. To test these hypotheses, we collected 1,057 oriented cores over a 85 m stratigraphic succession in the Laoshanya Formation (Yangjiaping, Hunan, China). High precision U‐Pb dating of two intercalated tuff layers constrain the age of the sediments between 809 and 804 Ma. Thermal demagnetization isolates three magnetization components residing in hematite which are not time‐progressive but conflated throughout the section. All samples possess a north and downward directed component in geographic coordinates at temperatures up to 660°C that is ascribed to a Cretaceous overprint. Two components isolated above 660°C reveal distinct directional clusters: one is interpreted as a depositional remanence, while the other appears to be the result of a mid‐Paleozoic (460 to 420 Ma) remagnetization, which is likely widespread throughout South China. The high‐temperature directions are subtly dependent on lithology; microscopic and rock magnetic analyses identify multiple generations of hematite that vary in concentration and distinguish the magnetization components. A comparison with other middle Neoproterozoic paleomagnetic studies in the region indicates that the sudden changes in paleomagnetic directions, used elsewhere to support the rapid TPW hypothesis (ca. 805 Ma), are better explained by mixtures of primary and remagnetized components, and/or vertical axis rotations.

Effect of the brightest gamma-ray burst (GRB 221009A) on low energy gamma-ray counts at sea level

A gamma-ray burst, named GRB 221009A, occurred on 9 October 2022 and is the brightest ever observed GRB, whose frequency is now estimated as once in 10,000 years. This GRB was reported to be observed from many space missions, VLF receivers, and ground observations in optical and radio data. Additionally, a strikingly large number of very high energy (VHE) photons associated with this GRB were observed by the gamma-ray and cosmic ray observatory LHAASO. Though gamma-rays of cosmic origin usually tend to be absorbed by the atmosphere, the high fluence of this GRB, along with the observation of more than 5000 VHE photons (0.5 to 18 TeV) by LHAASO from the ground, emphasises the need to explore other possible ground observations of this GRB.With RA = 288.3° and Dec = 19.8°, the exceptionally bright fluence of this GRB was geographically centred on India. The present paper examines the effect of this GRB using gamma-ray data in a low energy range (0.2–6) MeV obtained using NaI (Tl) detectors located at Tirunelveli (Geographic coordinates: 8.71°N, 77.76°E), India. We report no significant change in the observations associated with GRB 221009A. We discuss the extent of attenuation of gamma-rays in the atmosphere that could explain the reported observations. Further, we investigate the likelihood of ground observation of gamma-rays (< 10 MeV) for a much more intense hypothetical GRB and estimate the parameters, such as distance, fluence, and isotropic energy of such a GRB.

Spatial Variation of the Received Signal Strength of Mobile Telephone Network (MTN) over Dutsin-Ma Town, Katsina State, Nigeria

The need for coverage areas assessment is important at ensuring quality of service. This study investigated the spatial variation of the Received Signal Strength (RSS) of MTN in Dutsin-Ma Town, Katsina State, Nigeria. The RSS was measured along four different routes from the main Transmitting Base Station (TBS) located at Unity Bank area using an Android Smartphone Samsung Galaxy Model A20. GPS receiver was used to monitor the elevation, geographic coordinates and Line-of-Sight of the various data points from the TBS up to about 2 km for each route using drive test protocol. Three sets of measurements were carried out covering morning, afternoon and evening. The obtained data were used to classify the coverage areas into Primary, Secondary, Tertiary and Fringe based on 3/4G-GSM standards. From the results, the mean values of the RSS for Routes A, B, C and D were -62, -91 and -75 dBm; -71, -90 and -85 dBm; -68, -99 and -83 dBm; -63, -93 and -83 dBm for morning, afternoon and evening respectively. These findings revealed that MTN RSS is more reliable in the morning and evening compared to the afternoon over Dutsin-Ma. This could be attributed to higher tower load which characterizes the afternoon times compared to morning and evening. Results also revealed that Route A, has the Best Area Network coverage, followed by routes D and B, while route C recorded the weakest. MTN Nigeria is advised to site more TBS in Dutsin-Ma to improve their quality of services in the community.

Quarry soil and quarry stream water baseline level parameters around Chestedi Quarry, F.A.U.C. Golden Ltd Quarry, Fakunle Quarry and River Oyanmi in Igarra, Akoko Edo

The primary objective of this research was to investigate the initial levels of chemical parameters surrounding quarry operations in Igarra, Akoko-Edo, Edo State. Specifically, three prominent quarries (Chestedi, F.A.U.C. Golden Ltd, and Fakunle) were examined, along with the water of River Onyami flowing through these quarries from the Ojirami dam. Each quarry site yielded four soil samples collected at a various depth (between 0 – 15 cm) and different geographical coordinates, while four water samples were obtained from River Onyami. These samples underwent analysis for their physicochemical properties and the chemical speciation of Fe, Zn, Cu, Pb, Cr, and Mn. As Tessier et al. (1978) described, a sequential extraction method was employed to partition the heavy metals into five different fractions. Total concentrations of heavy metals in both soil and water samples were determined. The distribution of heavy metals in the soil exhibited the following order of accumulation: Fe &gt; Zn &gt; Mn &gt; Cu &gt; Pb &gt; Cr, whereas in water samples, the order was Fe &gt; Zn &gt; Cu &gt; Mn &gt; Pb &gt; Cr. Iron and zinc emerged as the predominant heavy metals in the soil, with iron within permissible limits but zinc, copper, manganese, lead, and chromium exceeding their respective limits. In the stream water, iron and lead surpassed their permissible limits, while Zn, Cu, Cr, and Mn remained below theirs. Comparative analysis against WHO, NIS DPR, and CCME maximum contamination/permissible limits was conducted for heavy metal concentrations and physicochemical properties in both soil and water samples. Mobility Factors (MF), Environmental Risk Factors (ERF), Contamination Factors (CF), Pollution Load Index (PLI), and Geoaccumulation Index (GI) were computed. Results from this study indicate that the soil is conducive to supporting growth and is nutrient-rich for various applications, while the water is suitable for irrigation and other domestic purposes.

Природные рекреационные ресурсы как основа развития санаторно-курортной отрасли Алтайского края

Introduction. Natural recreational resources and the conditions of the region form the scope of medical and health services, depending on the potential, infrastructure, state of the enterprises of the sanatorium and resort complex. The region has multidisciplinary sanatoriums that use advanced medical and health technologies based on natural recreational factors. The purpose of the study: to assess the natural and recreational resources of the region to improve the development of the sanatorium and resort industry; to create an information database and a map of natural recreational resources to improve the development of the sanatorium and resort industry and the possibility of using these resources to restore public health and ensure the rational use of resort and recreational resources and the sustainable development of the studied industry in the Altai Territory. The scientific groundwork for creating a base of recreational resources of the territories was formed during field and desk research, studying the dynamics of the development of sanatoriums, collecting information on a relational database that contains the coordinates of objects. Research methods: a systematic approach, analytical and graphical methods. geocoding using a GIS environment. The material for the study is a database, which is represented by types of recreational medicinal resources within the territory of the Altai Territory: hydro-mineral (deposit, geographical coordinates), landscape, climatic. The database includes the following items: sanatoriums: name, location with coordinates, number of places in the organization, treatment profiles, treatment procedures; recreational resources: hydro-mineral, landscape, climatic resources. Research results. The natural recreational resources of the region have been studied and an information database has been created. The history, dynamics of the development of the studied industry, the modern characteristics of sanatoriums and a map of natural recreational resources for the development of the sanatorium and resort industry are analyzed. The relational type database contains the coordinates of objects, which allows you to perform the procedure of geocoding or spatial positioning in any GIS environment. Recommendations are given for their development for the development of sanatorium and health resort activities and health tourism in the territory of the region. Conclusion. The created database makes it possible to solve the problem of accumulating data on recreational, sanatorium and health resort resources of the Altai Territory, as well as tourist bases, recreation centers, hotels / hotels. for the sustainable development of the sanatorium and resort industry in the Altai Territory. A scheme based on recommendations on the use of natural resources for various stages of treatment or prevention of various groups of diseases has been proposed. At this stage, the structure of the Natural Resources Base for various categories of diseases has been developed, which allows 1) to assess the potential of medical resources; 2) to develop Recommendations-suggestions for implementation in practice of treatment of different groups of diseases.

Seismic Observation of a New ULVZ Beneath the Southern Pacific

AbstractWe present new observations of core‐diffracted shear waves which contain anomalous waveforms sampling the lowermost mantle beneath the southern Pacific region. Data in two distinct geometries, one from New Zealand to North America and the other from the Fiji and Solomon Islands to South America, show evidence of postcursor phases. The postcursor delays and move‐outs imply that they are caused by an ultra‐low velocity zone (ULVZ). Beamforming analyses of the observed diffracted postcursors show a strong backazimuthal deviation, suggesting this new ULVZ is likely to have a cylindrical shape similar to broad ULVZs sampled by shear diffracted waves elsewhere. Full‐waveform modeling suggests that the postcursors seen in North America might be due to the previously modeled ULVZ located to the west of the Galápagos, while those seen in South America are due to a previously unknown ULVZ beneath the Southern Pacific. We cannot fit observations in both geometries by a single ULVZ. For the new location, we propose one cylindrical ULVZ model with a radius of 400 km and a shear wave velocity decrease of 20% centered at geographical coordinates (−33.6, 130) close to the Pitcairn hotspot. Despite some uncertainty in the west‐east direction, this new ULVZ observation likely provides another example to support the hypothesis that ULVZs exist at the base of mantle plumes where primordial signatures are observed in the ocean island basalts.

GIS and Geospatial Approaches for Political Science Studies: Urban Development Analysis

A geographic information system (GIS) is a tool that collects, organizes, interprets, and maps different kinds of data. The geospatial method consists of the gathering, displaying, and manipulating of imagery, GPS, satellite photos, and historical data that are used with geographic models and either explicitly specified in terms of geographic coordinates. Political science studies regional, state, and national governments, political actors, political discourse in the media, and the connections between political figures and groups. In this study, Geographic Information System and Geospatial approaches for Political Science studies are used to develop Urban Development Analysis. Political scientists have been incorporating GIS technology into their statistical analyses in recent years. This study's understanding of GIS as a mix of technology, methodology, and situated social practices is the foundation of the GIS. With the development of a permanent and easily editable database in a particular area, where various types of data may be kept, merged, and graphically displayed, GIS technologies make it all this simpler. GIS allow researchers to deal with complex, multivariate, and multidimensional historical processes more successfully as well as uncover historical, political, or social issues that may not always be readily apparent when using more conventional research and analytical techniques.

Evaluating spatially enabled machine learning approaches to depth to bedrock mapping, Alberta, Canada.

Maps showing the thickness of sediments above the bedrock (depth to bedrock, or DTB) are important for many geoscience studies and are necessary for many hydrogeological, engineering, mining, and forestry applications. However, it can be difficult to accurately estimate DTB in areas with varied topography, like lowland and mountainous terrain, because traditional methods of predicting bedrock elevation often underestimate or overestimate the elevation in rugged or incised terrain. Here, we describe a machine learning spatial prediction approach that uses information from traditional digital elevation model derived estimates of terrain morphometry and satellite imagery, augmented with spatial feature engineering techniques to predict DTB across Alberta, Canada. First, compiled measurements of DTB from borehole lithologs were used to train a natural language model to predict bedrock depth across all available lithologs, significantly increasing the dataset size. The combined data were then used for DTB modelling employing several algorithms (XGBoost, Random forests, and Cubist) and spatial feature engineering techniques, using a combination of geographic coordinates, proximity measures, neighbouring points, and spatially lagged DTB estimates. Finally, the results were contrasted with DTB predictions based on modelled relationships with the auxiliary variables, as well as conventional spatial interpolations using inverse-distance weighting and ordinary kriging methods. The results show that the use of spatially lagged variables to incorporate information from the spatial structure of the training data significantly improves predictive performance compared to using auxiliary predictors and/or geographic coordinates alone. Furthermore, unlike some of the other tested methods such as using neighbouring point locations directly as features, spatially lagged variables did not generate spurious spatial artifacts in the predicted raster maps. The proposed method is demonstrated to produce reliable results in several distinct physiographic sub-regions with contrasting terrain types, as well as at the provincial scale, indicating its broad suitability for DTB mapping in general.

Antihyperglycemic and antihyperlipidemic effects of fruit extract of Hodgsonia heteroclita (Roxb.) Hook. f. & Thomson in diabetic mice

Ethnopharmacological relevanceHodgsonia heteroclita has been known as an important traditionally consumed medicinal plant of North-East India known to have antidiabetic properties. This study aims to investigate the effects of the ethanolic fruit extract of Hodgsonia heteroclita against hyperglycemia and hyperlipidemia by using streptozotocin (STZ) treated diabetic mice. Materials and methodsThe fruits of H. heteroclita were collected from the various parts of Kokrajhar district, Assam India (Geographic coordinates: 26°24′3.85″ N 90°16′22.30″ E). Basic morphological evaluations were carried out by the Botanical Survey of India, Eastern circle, Shillong, who also certified and identified the plant. Hexane, chloroform, and ethanolic extracts of the fruit of H. heteroclita were investigated for α-amylase inhibition assay as a rapid screening tool for examining anti-diabetic activity. The efficacy of ethanolic extract at a dose of 100, 200, and 300 mg/kg body weight was tested for 21 days in STZ-induced diabetic mice. The body weight, fasting plasma glucose and serum lipids, and hepatic glycogen levels were measured in experimental animals to examine the antihyperglycemic and antihyperlipidemic efficacy of the extract. Both HPTLC and LC-MS analysis was performed to examine the phyotochemicals present in the ethanolic extract of H. heteroclita. ResultsIt has been observed that treatment with the ethanolic extract dose-dependently reduced the plasma glucose levels, total cholesterol, low density lipoprotein-cholesterol, very low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol, triglyceride, and increased the body weight, liver glycogens and high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol in STZ treated diabetic mice. HPTLC demonstrated the presence of triterpene compounds and LC-MS analysis revealed the presence Cucurbitacin I, Cucurbitacin E, and Kuguacin G as the triterpene phytoconstituents. ConclusionThe present study demonstrated that ethanolic fruit extract of H. heteroclita improved both glycemic and lipid parameters in mice model of diabetes.

The Continental Shelf Beyond 200 Nautical Miles: Announcement of the U.S. Outer Limits

On December 19, 2023, the U.S. Department of State announced the geographic coordinates defining the outer limits of the U.S. continental shelf in areas beyond 200 nautical miles from the coast. For convenience, the United States—and also this Essay—refers to the portion of a country's continental shelf that is beyond 200 nautical miles from the coast as the “extended continental shelf,” or ECS. The announcement states that the United States has ECS in seven different regions which collectively amounts to approximately a million square kilometers (about 380,000 square miles).