Abstract: The COVID-19 (coronavirus disease) has been declared a pandemic throughout the world by the WHO (World Health Organization). The number of active COVID-19 cases is increasing day by day and clinical laboratory findings consume more time while interpreting the COVID-19 infected result. There are limited treatment facilities and proper guidelines for reducing infection rates. To overcome these limitations, the requirement of clinical decision support systems embedded with prediction algorithms is raised. In our study, we have architected the clinical prediction system using classical machine learning, deep learning algorithms, and experimental laboratory data. Our model estimated which patients were likely infected with COVID-19 disease. The prediction performances of our models are evaluated based on the accuracy score. The experimental dataset has been provided by Hospital Israelita Albert Einstein at Sao Paulo, Brazil, which included the records of 600 patients from 18 laboratory findings with 10% COVID-19 disease infected patients. Our model has been validated with a train-test split approach, 10-fold cross-validation, and AUC-ROC curve score. The experimental results show that the infected patients with COVID-19 disease are identified at an accuracy of 91.88% through the deep learning method (Convolutional Neural Network (CNN)) and 89.79 % through classical machine learning (Logistic Regression) respectively. This high accuracy is evidence that our prediction model could be readily used for predicting the COVID-19 infections and assisting the health experts in better diagnosis and clinical studies.

Resumo Este estudo investiga a capacidade de enraizamento e o desempenho de crescimento das posições inferiores e superiores dos ramos e do tipo de estaca, ou seja, madeira macia e dura, com folhas e sem folhas de Tecoma stans (L.) Kunth. As estacas foram coletadas de plantas com 4 anos de idade, crescendo no Campus Chauras de H.N.B. Garhwal University Srinagar Garhwal, Uttarakhand, Índia. O enraizamento das estacas foi estudado sob os tratamentos de ácido indol-3-butírico (IBA) e ácido indol 3-ácido (IAA) nas concentrações de 0,0%, 0,3%, 0,4%, 0,5% em ambos os hormônios. A resposta de enraizamento foi significativamente (p<0,05) melhor em 0,4% de AIB em comparação com os outros tratamentos e controle (0% de AIB e AIA). A razão número de raízes para estacas enraizadas e comprimento da raiz para estacas enraizadas nos diferentes tratamentos apresentou diferenças significativas (p<0,05). As estacas enraizadas foram posteriormente transferidas para os sacos de polietileno e transferidas para condições de viveiro aberto. Sob tais condições, as estacas enraizadas tratadas com 0,4% e 0,5% de AIB demonstraram a maior (90% a 100%) capacidade de sobrevivência na porção inferior de madeira macia e estacas folhosas. A planta cultivável e a altura da planta foram maiores no tratamento com concentração de 0,4% de AIB. Os resultados do estudo sugerem que o enraizamento de estacas de caule de madeira macia com posição inferior e folhas pode ser um meio eficaz de regeneração de T. stans. Além disso, a aplicação do tratamento com concentração de 0,4% de AIB é apropriada para o enraizamento de estacas juvenis com folhas em câmara de neblina.

Abstract This study investiges the rooting ability and the growth performance of lower and upper shoot positions and type of the cuttings, i.e. soft and hard wood and leafy and non leafy, of Tecoma stans (L.) Kunth. The cuttings were collected from 4-year old plants growing in the Chauras Campus of H.N.B. Garhwal University Srinagar Garhwal, Uttarakhand, India. The rooting ability of cuttings was studied under the treatments of indole-3-butyric acid (IBA) and Indole 3-acidic acid (IAA) under 0.0%, 0.3%, 0.4%, 0.5% concentration in both hormones. The rooting response was significantly (p < 0.05) better in 0.4% IBA compared to other treatments and control (0% IBA and IAA). The ratio of number of roots to rooted cuttings and length of root to rooted cuttings in the different treatments showed significant differences (p < 0.05). The rooted cuttings were further transferred, into the polythene bags and shifted to open nursery conditions. Under such conditions, the rooted cuttings treated with 0.4% and 0.5% IBA demonstrated the highest (90% to 100%) survival capacity in the lower portion soft wood and leafy stem cuttings. Plantable plant and plant height was greater in the 0.4% IBA concentration treatment. The results of the study suggest that rooting of soft wood stem cuttings having lower position and leaves could be an effective mean of regenerating to T. stans. Furthermore, the application of 0.4% IBA concentration treatment is appropriate for rooting of juvenile leafy stem cuttings in a mist chamber.

Resumen El incremento en la urbanización está ampliamente asociado con una disminución de la biodiversidad de todas las formas. El objetivo del presente estudio fue responder dos preguntas: (i) ¿Afecta la urbanización rápida en Delhi (India) la biodiversidad de hongos micorrízicos arbusculares (MA)?, y (ii) si es así, ¿Cómo? Medimos la diversidad de hongos MA en nueve sitios ubicados en los bosques de Delhi, los cuales tenían diferentes tipos de uso urbano en términos de contaminación por alto tráfico vehicular, basura, defecación y actividades recreacionales. El estudio reveló una disminución significativa en la diversidad de hongos MA (diversidad alfa) y abundancia medida como densidad de esporas, biovolumen, porcentaje medio de infección (PMI) en raíces, longitud de las hifas del suelo y glomalina fácilmente extraible relacionada con proteínas solubles (EE-GRSP) en sitios contaminados. Análisis de escalamiento multidimensional no métrico (NMDS) y PERMANOVA anidados revelaron diferencias significativas en la estructura de hongos MA, que puede estar relacionada con la variación en humedad, temperatura, pH y niveles de carbono, nitrógeno y fósforo del suelo. El análisis BEST (biota y correspondencia ambiental) de muestras biológicas y ambientales mostró que la temperatura y humedad del suelo explican un 47.6 % del total de la variación en las muestras. Este estudio demostró cómo las diferentes actividades humanas en ecosistemas urbanos de Delhi son perjudiciales para la diversidad y abundancia de hongos MA.

Abstract Increasing urbanisation is widely associated with decline in biodiversity of all forms. The aim of the present study was to answer two questions: (i) Does rapid urbanization in Delhi (India) affect biodiversity of arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi? (ii) If so, how? We measured the AM fungal diversity at nine sites located in Delhi forests, which had different types of urban usage in terms of heavy vehicular traffic pollution, littering, defecation and recreational activities. The study revealed a significant decrease in AM fungal diversity (alpha diversity) and abundance measured as spore density, biovolume, mean infection percentage (MIP) in roots, soil hyphal length and easily extractable glomalin related soluble proteins (EE-GRSP) at polluted sites. Non-metric multidimensional scaling (NMDS) and nested PERMANOVA, revealed significant differences in AM fungal community structure which could be correlated with variations in soil moisture, temperature, pH, carbon, and nitrogen and phosphorus levels. BEST (biota and environmental matching) analysis of biological and environmental samples revealed that soil temperature and moisture accounted for 47.6 % of the total variations in the samples. The study demonstrated how different forms of human activities in urban ecosystems of Delhi are detrimental to the diversity and abundance of AM fungi.