North Eastern Hill University

About: North Eastern Hill University is a education organization based out in Shillong, Meghalaya, India. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Population & Ruthenium. The organization has 2318 authors who have published 4476 publications receiving 48894 citations.

Myrica esculenta Buch.-Ham. ex D. Don. - a potential ethnomedicinal species in a subtropical forest of Meghalaya, northeast India.

Abstract: Objective To determine the effect of anthropogenic activities on the population structure and regeneration efficacy ofMyrica esculenta (M. esculenta), an ethnomedicinally important tree species in sub-tropical forests of Meghalaya. Methods The population structure and regeneration potential ofM. esculenta were studied by using quadrat method. Results The regeneration status ofM. esculenta was highly influenced by disturbance. Presence of limited number of seedlings in the forest floor denotes the lack of seeds in the forests. The low conversion of seedling into saplings was mainly due to the removal saplings by the indigenous community, who residing in the vicinity of the forest for meeting their requirement of fuel wood. Conclusions The findings of the present study indicate that overexploitation ofM. esculenta may cause threat to extinction from wild. There is an obvious need to explore non timber forest products to a desired pace that will minimize the pressure on a particular species by providing alternative to a species, leading to sustainable utilization of genetic resources.

Recent advancements in prosthetic hand technology

Abstract: Recently, significant advances over the past decade have been made in robotics, artificial intelligence and other cognitive related fields, allowing development of highly sophisticated bio-mimetic robotics systems. In addition, enormous number of robots have been designed and assembled by explicitly realising their biological oriented behaviours. To enhance skill behaviours and adequate grasping abilities in these devices, a new phase of dexterous hands has been developed recently with bio-mimetically oriented and bio-inspired functionalities. The aim in writing this review paper is to present a detailed insight towards the development of the bio-mimetic based dexterous robotic multi-fingered artificial hand. An "ideal" upper limb prosthesis should be perceived as a part of their natural body by the amputee and should replicate sensory-motor capabilities of the amputated limb. Upper-limb amputations are most often the result of sudden trauma to the body, although they also can be caused by malignancy, congenital deficiencies and vascular diseases. This paper discusses the different bio-mimetic approaches using a framework that permits for a common description of biological and technical based hand manipulation behaviour. In particular, the review focuses on a number of developments in the inspired robotic systems. In conclusion, the study found that a huge amount of research efforts in terms of kinematics, dynamics, modelling and control methodologies are being put in to improve the present hand technology, thereby providing more functionality to the prosthetic limb of the amputee. This would improve their quality-of-life and help in performing activities of daily living (ADL) tasks with comparative ease in the near future.

Biosorption and equilibrium isotherms study of cadmium removal by Nostoc muscorum Meg 1: morphological, physiological and biochemical alterations

Abstract: Rice fields of Meghalaya especially in the coal mining belt receive water contaminated by effluents from mines that are known to carry harmful heavy metal ions such as Cu, Fe, Zn, Ni, Cd, As, Pb, Cr, etc Cd exposure was analyzed in the cyanobacterium Nostoc muscorum Meg 1 isolated from a contaminated rice field in Sohra, Meghalaya, India Toxicity study established 05 ppm on day 3 to be the LD50 At LD50 chlorophyll a and total protein concentration was reduced by 509 and 525%, while nitrogenase and glutamine synthetase activities were inhibited by 408 and 384% EDX and FTIR analyses confirmed Cd binding and participation of hydroxyl, carbonyl, carboxyl and phosphate groups in biosorption of Cd onto the cell surfaces SEM study established morphological changes At pH 80 and temperature 25 ± 2 °C, the cyanobacterium removed 92% Cd within 24 h Of this, 91% Cd was adsorbed on the cell surface while 4% was internally accumulated The energy required for internal accumulation of Cd was partly provided in the form of ATP synthesized during active photosynthesis The Langmuir isotherm was found best fitted with a R 2 value 098 when compared to Freundlich and Temkin adsorption isotherms The maximum sorption capacity, Q max, of the organism was 714 mg of Cd per g of biomass R L value of 029 indicated favorable interaction between cyanobacterial biomass and Cd The adsorption intensity, n value 769 g/L obtained from Freundlich isotherm showed that the organism possessed high Cd sorption capacity