Preface

International Conference on Geospatial Science for Digital Earth Observation (GSDEO 2021)The international conference on "Geospatial Science for Digital Earth Observation” (GSDEO) 2021 was successfully held on a virtual platform of Zoom on March 26th and 27th, 2021. The conference was jointly organized by the Indian Society of Remote Sensing (ISRS), Kolkata chapter, and the Department of Geography, School of Basic and Applied Sciences, Adamas University. Due to the non-predictable behaviour of the COVID-19 second wave, which imposed restrictions on organizing offline events, the GSDEO (2021) organizing committee decided to organize the conference online, instead of postponing the event.Remotely sensed data and geographic information systems have been increasingly used together for a vast range of applications, which include land use/land cover mapping, water resource management, weather forecasting, environmental monitoring, agriculture, disaster management, etc. Currently, intensive research is being carried out using remotely sensed data on the geoinformatics platform. New developments have led to dynamic advances in recent years. The objective of the international conference on Geospatial Science for Digital Earth Observation (GSDEO 2021) was to bring the scientists, academicians, and researchers, in the field of geo-environmental sciences on a common platform to exchange ideas and their recent findings related to the latest advances and applications of geospatial science. The call for papers received an enthusiastic response from the academic community, and over 100+ participants from 50+ colleges, universities, and institutions participated in the conference. In total 50+ research papers had been presented through the virtual Zoom conference platform in GSDEO 2021.The conference witnessed the presentation of research papers from diverse applied fields of geospatial sciences, which include the application of geoinformatics in geomorphology, hydrology, urban science, land use planning, climate, and environmental studies. There were four sessions namely, TS 1: Geomorphology and Hydrology, TS 2: Urban Science, TS 3: Social Sustainability and Land Use Planning, and TS 4: Climate and Environment. Each session was further subdivided, into two parts, namely Technical Session 1-A and 1-B. Each sub-session had been designed with one keynote speech and 5 oral presentations. Oral sessions were organized in two parts and offered through live and pre-recorded components based on the preference of the presenters. The presentation session was followed by a live Q&A session. The session chairs moderated the discussions. Similarly, poster sessions were organized in three parts and offered e-poster, live, and pre-recorded components. The best presenter of each sub-session received the best paper award.Dr. Prithvish Nag, Ex-Director of NATMO & Ex Surveyor General of India delivered the inaugural speech, and Dr. P. Chakrabarti, Former Chief Scientist of the DST&B, Govt. of West Bengal delivered a special lecture after the inaugural session. Eight eminent keynote speakers, Prof. S.P. Agarwal from the Indian Institute of Remote Sensing, Prof. Ashis Kumar Paul from Vidyasagar University, Prof. Soumya Kanti Ghosh from the Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur, Prof. L. N. Satpati from the University of Calcutta, Prof. R.B. Singh from the University of Delhi, Dr. A.K. Raha, IFS (Retd), Prof. Gerald Mills from the University College Dublin and Prof. Sugata Hazra from Jadavpur University enriched the knowledge of participants in the field of geoinformatics by their informative lectures. The presentations and discussions widely covered the various spectrums of geoinformatics and its application in monitoring natural resources like vegetation mapping, agricultural resource monitoring, forest health assessment, water, and ocean resource management, disaster management, land resource management, water and climate studies, drought vulnerability assessment, groundwater quality monitoring, accretion mapping and the use of geospatial sci nce in studying morphological, hydrological, and other biophysical characteristics of a region etc. Application of geoinformatics in predicting urban expansion, urban climate, disaster management, healthcare accessibility, anthropogenic resource monitoring, spatial-interaction mapping, and, sustainable regional planning were well-discussed topics of the conference.List of Committees, photos are available in the pdf.

Identification of Adulteration in Hand Sanitizers of Jaipur City Using Raman Spectroscopy

Hand hygiene has been established as an important part of our lives leading to reduction of colonization and communicable diseases for all. Since the World Health Organization (WHO) declared COVID-19 a global pandemic, fake hand sanitizers have appeared on the market often, posing risk to the public due to the undeclared addition of methanol and Iso-propanol. This study examined the chemical components stated on the hand sanitizer component label and investigated how people used hand sanitizer and their level of chemical awareness. 30 distinct samples, both brand-name and locally produced, were gathered from Jaipur's local markets. In addition, the samples' iso-propanol and methanol contents were examined using Raman spectroscopy. The findings of this study demonstrate that almost 37% of the samples were adulterated which is still a minacious stats considering the consumption and effects these sanitizers are having on the consumers. The adsorption of such adulterated sanitizers through skin causes irritations on skin and hands which may lead to inflammation and can also have carcinogenic effects. So, the study concludes that the identification and quality assessment of such sanitizers should be done on a large scale to prevent the spread of toxicity.Copyright © 2022, Medico Legal Society. All rights reserved.

Telenephrology: Managing Chronic Kidney Disease during Covid-19 Pandemic

Introduction: The management of kidney diseases is challenging in areas where discrepancy exist between number of nephrologist and patient with kidney disease. COVID-19 pandemic added to these challenges. We initiated a tele-nephrology service in 2020 with primary aim of education, targeted screening and treatment of kidney diseases focusing where there was no nephrologist. Method(s): In this study locally available paramedics were mobilized for information dissemination and follow up of index patient population. The consultation was performed by internists and nephrologist. After initial registration in telemedicine service, social media apps were used for communication. The mode of communication used was audio, text, photography, and video call when needed. Follow-up consultation was done as required and in 3 months which involved review of reports and medical advised as needed including medication. We analyzed the data from the records of tele-nephrology service provided from April 2020 to April 2021 and who has completed at least 6 months of follow up. Result(s): A total of 266 participants who were known to have chronic kidney disease and hypertension were enrolled and followed up. The mean age of the participant was 54.21 + 17 years. Females constitute 53% (n=141). The most common mode of communication was WhatsApp (86.5%), followed by Viber (5.6%). Patients were advised to undergoes investigations in nearby health care facilities as needed. Most of the participants (88.0%, n=232) were managed without need for physical hospital visit. Physical visit to hospital was needed in 84 patients (17%) and 4.1% (n=11) needed hospital admission. During follow up, half of the participants (n=134) had performed tests as advised and 44.4% (n=118) followed the treatment advised, in initial consultation and needed further advice to do so. Five persons died during follow-up (1.9%). Few participants 1.1%(n=3) said that they don't want to use the telemedicine service again. Conclusion(s): Tele-nephrology services can bridge the gap in care in nephrology where access to nephrologists is limited. No conflict of interestCopyright © 2023

Post-lockdown spatiotemporal pattern of COVID clustering in North 24 Parganas, West Bengal, India

Many scholars and researchers have studied the CoVID-19 epidemic's spread using GIS technologies since it first appeared. The CoVID-19 pandemic is thought to be rife with unknowns, and many of them have a spatial component that makes the phenomenon understood as being spatially and possibly mappable. The majority of these efforts, though, have been made at the national, state, or district, levels. Very few studies primarily concentrate on the display of the CoVID-19 cluster at a local or neighborhood scale. From the perspective of micro-planning, analyzing the clustering, geographical direction, and heterogeneity of the CoVID-19 hotspots' spatial pattern is crucial specially when mass has returned to new normal living style. Using a case study on the North 24 Parganas of West Bengal, India, the most vulnerable district in West Bengal, we attempt to analyze the CoVID-19 diffusion at the block level in post-lockdown period. We assess the spatiotemporal distribution of CoVID-19 and map its hotspots based on the containment zones. This study demonstrates the patterns of geographical dispersion and the CoVID-19 pandemic spread in North 24 Parganas which is highly concentrated along the western boundaries of the state. We observed that the containment clusters of 2020 once more noted a higher density of CoVID cases in 2022 and validates the findings of the current study. It promises to corroborate the study into the geographic relation and spread of CoVID-19. By examining such spatial distribution patterns, the government might be able to track and predict the transmission of the infection in neighborhoods of blocks. © 2022, The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Korean Spatial Information Society.

Preventive measurement and Prediction of Covid-19 in India through Business Intelligence Tools

From December 2019, a major outbreak called novel corona virus is infecting people all over the world now. It is believed to be a beta corona virus of SARS-CoV and MERS-CoV. Infected people are unable to detect this disease as they feel normal till 10-12 days. After that, the virus infects the whole body and starts to find another body to infect, multiplying it day by day. As per the media news and other sources, epidemic is spreading globally, especially in countries like China, Italy where its effect is at peak, killing thousands of people. Based on the data of infected Covid-19 people in India, we systematically discuss the outbreak of epidemic corona virus in India. Defining the structure of active cases day by day, we predict the future of Covid-19 in India. We also suggest important measures to help prevent the spread of Covid-19 in India. © 2022 IEEE.

Enhanced Machine Learning Model for Design and Evaluation of Various Algorithms Applied in Clinical Cardiovascular Disease

Cardiovascular Diseases (CVD) are the category of diseases mainly involving the heart and the blood vessels of our body. It is one of the most challenging obstacles to combat for the healthcare sector. The early prediction of Cardiovascular Diseases is essential in saving human lives from these diseases. Many methods exist for reducing risk factors such as blood pressure and cholesterol levels. In our research work, we are considering 4133 range of index as an input dataset. The machine learning algorithm is a prominent technology to predict diseases at earlier stages. The various machine learning algorithms are implemented in our research work such as KNN, SVM, Kernel SVM, Decision Tree, Random Forest, Naïve Bayes, XGBoost. Due to the Covid 19 pandemic, people around the world were forced to quarantine at home for long periods, encouraging a rise in parameters such as BMI Hypertension, improper nutrition, diets, sodium, lack of exercise, high cholesterol, etc. These factors have dramatically increased by 62% from 2019 to 2022. Our implementation results shows logistic regression - 85.39%, KNN - 84.42%, SVM-84.71%, Kernel SVM-84.81%, Naïve Bayes - 83.17%, Decision Tree - 77.17%, Random Forest 85%, and XGBoost-85.49% respectively. The overall highest accuracy out of all these algorithms is of XGBoost, at 85.49%. © 2022 IEEE.

Teaching Online During the Covid Pandemic in Rural Bhutan: Challenges and Coping Strategies

The adverse impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on teachers and students has been discussed in different contexts of education, mostly focused on challenges of the imposed transition from physical to virtual teaching. Not much has been written about the resulting predicaments of rural teachers and their students, especially in developing countries like Bhutan. Using a qualitative approach, this article explores these challenges and identifies the coping strategies used by 15 Bhutanese rural teachers regarding online teaching during the COVID-19 pandemic. Possible implications and recommendations for future practice and research are discussed. © 2022 SAGE Publications.

Routine ophthalmological examinations in adults with sickle cell disease are low and further adversely affected by the COVID-19 Pandemic

Purpose : The American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO) and the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) suggest sickle cell patients undergo dilated funduscopic exams (DFE) every 1-2 years to screen for sickle cell retinopathy, but there is a paucity of research reporting whether such guidelines are followed in the sickle cell disease (SCD) population. A retrospective study was performed to assess whether adults with SCD at our institution are adhering to the recommendations. Methods : This study is a chart review of 842 adult patients with sickle cell diagnosis, seen from 3/17-3/21 by internists in the Montefiore healthcare system. Data was collected through the Electronic Medical Record (EMR) of patients with a DFE categorized as normal (Retinopathy -, n = 216) or with retinopathy (Retinopathy +, n = 199). A regular DFE was defined as at least one DFE every 2 years. Screening rates were calculated by removing patients with retinopathic disease noted in EMR from total SCD patients. Yearly DFE rates were calculated from March to March, since COVID-19 was declared a global pandemic in March 2020. Two-tailed Student's t-test was used for statistical analysis of continuous data, Fisher's exact test for categorical data, and two-sample proportion test for comparison of yearly exam rates. Results : The Retinopathy-group was younger (p<0.001) and contained less SC genotype (p<0.001) compared to Retinopathy +. 40.3% of the Retinopathy-patients were screened regularly (n = 87), whereas 59.7% had irregular screening (n = 129). There was a significant decrease in the total rate of all patients with DFEs, comparing the average rate of 29.8% pre-COVID (3/17-3/20) to 13.6% during COVID (3/20-3/21) (p<0.001). Similarly, the screening rate for non-retinopathic patients decreased from an average rate of 18.6% pre-COVID to 6.7% during COVID (p<0.001). Conclusions : The results demonstrate that our rate of routine dilated fundoscopic examination for SCD patients is very low. These low rates were even more adversely affected by the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, as clinics closed and access to physicians decreased. Screening rates need to be increased by patient involvement and education, easier access to ophthalmologists and novel ways of screening for retinopathy (e.g. annual screening fluorescein angiograms) to reduce risk of blindness in these patients.

NFC-enabled packaging to detect tampering and prevent counterfeiting: Enabling a complete supply chain using blockchain and CPS

Medicines play a vital role in human lives and that’s why the market size of medicines is quite large. Amid the pandemic of COVID-19 in the 21st century, the governments of many countries as well as healthcare industries, hospitals, doctors, and patients are facing a crucial threat of tampering and counterfeiting of vaccines and drugs. This is not an issue that can be ignored easily, as it troubles all of society in a significant way. New technology such as near field communication (NFC), combined with the latest technologies such as Hyperledger, blockchain, and the Internet of Things have given efficient results. The methodology used in this research manuscript (the authors named it “AKSHAT”) is that an NFC chip will be installed in the caps of medicines. When a consumer scans the label on a product with a phone or any NFC-enabled device, the device authenticates the product and informs as to whether it is a genuine product. When a consumer finds that the NFC seal is broken or if it looks intact but NFC data cannot be read, then apparently the product has been tampered with. In NFC, all data and information can be stored and cannot be changed again. The research results presented here establish that NFC is time-efficient, cost-effective, secure, and accurate. With the use of NFC tags, registered transactions on a private network and the tracing of the vaccine are very easy. The authors’ team has demonstrated this as a product that can currently store every transaction as immutable and transparent. The proposed anticounterfeiting solution “AKSHAT” uses NTAG-213 based tags, which are cost-effective as well as have a mutual understanding with all NFC-enabled smartphones. This provides the option for all product manufacturers and brand owners to integrate NFC technology at a fraction of the money. © 2022 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Sarcoid-like immune reaction following COVID-19 infection presenting with COVID toes and dactylitis

A 21-year-old woman presented with a 5-month history of swollen, painful, purple discolouration of her toes and fingers, which began 6 weeks after COVID-19 infection. This was refractory to ibuprofen and clobetasol 0.05% w/w ointment. She reported no other associated symptoms. On examination she had erythematous mottling of the tips of the toes and nail folds of the right foot and sausage-shaped deformities of the left second and fourth toes, consistent with dactylitis. Her blood work-up for COVID toes revealed a raised serum angiotensin- converting enzyme (ACE) level (64 U L-1) with no other abnormalities. Her chest X-ray was unremarkable. Plain radiographs of the feet showed soft tissue swelling and lacelike bony appearances with discrete areas of lucency, particularly affecting the middle phalanx of the left second toe. This pattern has been described in sarcoid arthropathy. Magnetic resonance imaging of the left foot demonstrated features of inflammatory arthropathy, including subarticular bone marrow oedema, periarticular soft tissue oedema and flexor tendon tenosynovitis. The findings were consistent with COVID toes;however, some features of the dactylitis extended beyond the expected presentation of a vascular manifestation of COVID-19. She displayed overlap features seen in sarcoid-related pathologies, including raised ACE levels and a lace-like bony appearance. We believe this to be a sarcoid-like immune reaction to COVID-19 presenting with COVID toes and dactylitis. A sarcoid-like immune reaction to COVID-19 with granulomatous skin lesions rather than dactylitis has been reported. Viral infections are a documented trigger for sarcoid- like immune reactions. This case suggests that COVID-19 can trigger sarcoid-like immune reactions, albeit with a more discrete presentation.

Remote Health Monitoring and Doctor on Call System

People's lives can be lost if they do not receive timely medical treatment;therefore, prompt medical care is vital. Furthermore, due to a lack of constant vital monitoring, early symptoms of major medical conditions, such as an irregular heartbeat or abnormal ECG output, are occasionally ignored. As a result, remote monitoring of the elderly and disabled is important during the COVID 19 outbreak. To solve these issues, a "Remote Health Monitoring and Doctor on Call System"has been developed. Health data exchange between healthcare providers and family members is becoming more prevalent these days. It ensures that patients' health results are safer and better. Sharing health-care data is also essential for lowering health-care expenses. It is feasible to remotely monitor a crippled or elderly patient's health. In addition to specialists, guardians can obtain a comprehensive picture of the patient's medical history. To address the issue of insufficient medical care and assistance for elderly and disabled patients, a unique and comprehensive Remote Health Monitoring and Doctor on Call System that can monitor the patient's vital signs such as heart rate, body temperature, and ECG output of the heart;monitor the patient's environment;display and store all of this information via a cloud server using ThingSpeak and Ubidots IoT platform;display these critical statistics with a mobile application for Android/iOS and in the event of an emergency or if vital signs are abnormal, contact the nearest hospital was developed in this paper. © 2022 IEEE.

Sudden loss of smell and taste: clinical predictors of coronavirus disease 2019 infection.

OBJECTIVES: This study aimed: to evaluate the association between coronavirus disease 2019 infection and olfactory and taste dysfunction in patients presenting to the out-patient department with influenza-like illness, who underwent reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction testing for coronavirus; and to determine the sensitivity, specificity, and positive and negative predictive values of olfactory and taste dysfunction and other symptoms in these patients. METHODS: Patients presenting with influenza-like illness to the study centre in September 2020 were included in the study. The symptoms of patients who tested positive for coronavirus on reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction testing were compared to those with negative test results. RESULTS: During the study period, 909 patients, aged 12-70 years, presented with influenza-like illness; of these, 316 (34.8 per cent) tested positive for coronavirus. Only the symptoms of olfactory and taste dysfunction were statistically more significant in patients testing positive for coronavirus than those testing negative. CONCLUSION: During the pandemic, patients presenting to the out-patient department with sudden loss of sense of smell or taste may be considered as positive for coronavirus disease 2019, until proven otherwise.

Therapeutic potential of plant secondary metabolites in treatment of respiratory viral diseases: A review

Respiratory viral infections are a major public health concern because of their global occurrence, ease of spread and considerable morbidity and mortality. Medical treatments for viral respiratory diseases primarily involve providing relief from symptoms like pain and discomfort rather than treating the infection. Very few antiviral medications have been approved with restrictive usage, high cost, unwanted side effects and limited availability. Plants with their unique metabolite composition and high remedial values offer unique preventive and therapeutic efficacy in treatment of viral infections. The present review is focused on the types and mode of action of plant secondary metabolites that have been used successfully ί in the treatment of infections caused by respiratory viruses like Influenza, SARS, MERS, RSV etc. Plant metabolites such as phenolics, alkaloids, terpenoids and oligosaccharides inhibit attachment and entry of the virus. Others such as flavonoids, viz quercetin and baicalein, alkaloids viz sanguinarine, berberine and emetine, specific lipids and fatty acids prevent viral replication and protein synthesis. These metabolites have the potential to be used as lead molecules that can be optimized to develop potent drugs for effectively combating pandemics caused by respiratory viruses.

Impact of reverse transcriptase real-time polymerase chain reaction-cycle threshold values on SARS-CoV-2-positive cancer patients undergoing treatment

Introduction: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, being a novel viral infection, has resulted in disruption of health services, including cancer patient's care and treatment. Hence, there was a need for testing and lateral integration of services for cancer patients with COVID-19. Materials and Methods: A total of 1178 samples were collected from cancer patients for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) testing before undergoing treatment in a tertiary care cancer center. The realtime reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RTPCR) was done using the E gene for screening, and for the confirmation, any of the three reactions using RdRp, ORF1bnsp14 and RNasePas were run as internal control. Results: Out of the 1178 samples tested, 211 (17.91%) were positive, and of these patients, 863 (73.25%) were men and 342 (29%) were women. Among the 863 men with cancer, 133 (15.41%) were real-time reverse transcriptase PCR (RT-PCR) positive. Of the 342 women with cancer, 78 (22.80%) were positive. Of the 144 SARS-CoV-2-positive cancer patients with cycle threshold (Ct) <25, 112 (84.2%) were asymptomatic and 32 (41.0%) were symptomatic. Sixty-seven patients showed positive results with a Ct >25. Out of them, 21 (31.3%) were asymptomatic and 46 (68.65%) were symptomatic cancer patients (P < 0.001). Of 144 patients with Ct <25, only 4 (2.8%) patients tested negative within 7-9 days, whereas the rest of the 140 (97.22%) became negative in >9 and up to 28 days. In the 67 cancer patients with Ct >25, within 7-9 days, 50 (74.6%) became RT-PCR negative and the remaining 17 patients mostly >60 years age group became RT-PCR negative in >9-28 days. Conclusions: Ct value of qualitative SARS-CoV-2 reverse transcriptase RT-PCR should be an important tool for an oncologist in designing and implementing patient management guidelines for SARS-CoV-2-positive cancer patients without or with symptoms for COVID-19.

COVID-19 Vaccination Prediction in India Using Deep Learning

The worldwide spread of COVID-19. © 2021 Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Inc.. All rights reserved.

Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices towards COVID-19 Pandemic among Residents of the Jharkhand State, India: An Online Survey

Background: People's adherence to control measures is imperative in the fight against COVID-19. The present study was done to evaluate knowledge, attitudes, and practices towards COVID-19 among residents of Jharkhand and to assist the government in deciding further course of action during the COVID-19 outbreak. Methods: This study was an online cross-sectional survey. The link to the questionnaire was displayed on the official website of Rajendra Institute of Medical Sciences, Ranchi, National Health Mission, Jharkhand, official website of all districts under Jharkhand state administration, Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme and Information & Public Relations department. Participation of residents in the survey was extensively propagated using mass media mainly local television networks, radio channels and newspapers. Results: A total of 4683 responses were received from all districts of Jharkhand. The majority of the participants were young adults (47.5%) and the number of male participants was more than the females (81.4%). The mean correct knowledge score for participants of this study was 10.73+2.2 (maximum attainable score was 14) while the mean practice score for the participants was 4.5+0.69 (maximum attainable score was 5). The knowledge score of the participants was significantly associated with their age, education status and economic class (p<0.0001). The participants largely held an optimistic attitude and healthy practices towards COVID-19. Conclusion: Participants had a positive attitude but were also logically worried and uncertain about the near future. Adequate knowledge of participants was visible in their practices. There was however a gap across age groups, gender, literacy and income levels which should be addressed in future campaigns.

Oral Findings in Patients with COVID-19 Infection: Report of Two Cases and Review of Literature

Few reports have been published highlighting oral findings in COVID-19 patients. Since the outbreak of the recent pandemic caused by SARS-CoV-2, it is important to illustrate in the very near future how recurrent these oral findings are in the symptomatic COVID-19 patients in contrast to those asymptomatic ones, as there are multiple findings reported. This case study reports a new combination of oral findings in two COVID-19 patients from India, one symptomatic, and other asymptomatic. Cases presenting oral findings in asymptomatic COVID-19 patients are the rarest. Moreover, till now, petechial or purpuric lesions, solely as theoral findings without any associated skin lesions and oral mucosal hyperpigmentation of our patients are the rare oral findings to be reported in COVID-19 patients. These cases provide evidence for a deeper understanding of the oral alterations seen in COVID-19 patients that need to be addressed at present.

Building Partnerships and Trust: Research With Vulnerable Immigrant Communities

Stress and distress among immigrant communities in the United States have escalated under the recent sociopolitical climate (e.g., exclusionary federal policies, COVID-19), underscoring the urgent need for additional data to better understand immigrant experiences. Yet, the very stressors that generate this need for data also create fear and trust-related barriers that might impede research success. Barriers, including a lack of trust, power differentials, language differences, and varying cultural norms, negatively impact the collection of valid data. Recommendations to address these barriers are provided, and integration of such strategies is an essential step toward growing the knowledge base of the profession, delivery of evidence-based interventions with immigrant clients, and better-informed discussions of culturally responsive approaches in social work education and practice. © The Author(s) 2021.