ID: 51127
Title: A Transgenic Plant for Removal of Arsenic Contaminants from Water and Soil
Author: Sung Kun Kim
Editor: Dr.S.L.Gargh
Year: 2009
Publisher: Research Journal of Chemistry and Environment ,Vol. 13 (1) ,March 2009
Source: Centre for Ecological Science,Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore-12
Reference: None
Subject: Chemistry and Environment
Keywords: None
Abstract: None
Location: 241
Literature cited 1: None
Literature cited 2: None
ID: 51126
Title: Evidence of a late-medieval mega flood event in the upper reaches of the Mahi River basin, Gujarat
Author: Alpa Sridhar
Editor: P.Balaram
Year: 2009
Publisher: Current Science, Vol 96, No 11, 10 June, 2009
Source: Centre for Ecological Science,Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore-12
Reference: None
Subject: Current Science
Keywords: Mega flood event, monsoon, palaeofloods, pottery
Abstract: Palaeoflood records are of great significance in revealing the magnitude and frequency of large floods and thus the past monsoon conditions. The Mahi River, one of the major west-flowing rivers of India controlled southwest monsoon has preserved deposits of past floods dating back to 5 ka. A flood deposit emplaced by a mega flood event with discharge ~7300 m3S-1 has been found at Diapattan in the upper reaches of the Mahi River basin. Based on the pottery available at the site, the event can be said to belong to late-medieval time. The timing of this mega flood event recorded at Diapattan in the Mahi River basin and records of the adjacent river basins suggest that this event represents the strengthened monsoon during the Medieval Warm Period (900-1400 AD). There exists a correlation between the extreme hydrological events in the Mahi, Narmada and Tapi river basins and this can be attributed to a regional monsoon domain.
Location: 241
Literature cited 1: None
Literature cited 2: None
ID: 51125
Title: The evolution of photosynthesis and chloroplasts
Author: Lars Olof Bjorn and Govindjee
Editor: P.Balaram
Year: 2009
Publisher: Current Science, Vol 96, No 11, 10 June, 2009
Source: Centre for Ecological Science,Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore-12
Reference: None
Subject: Current Science
Keywords: Bacteria, bacteriochlorophyll, chloroplast,cyanobacteria, horizontal gene transfer, red algae
Abstract: This review focuses on what has been learned about the evolution of photosynthesis in the past five years and omits evolution of CO2 assimilation. Oxygenic photosynthesis (using both photosystems I and II) has evolved from anoxygenic photosynthesis. The latter occurs in different variants, using either a type 1 photosystem resembling photosystem I, or a type 2 photosystem resembling photosystem II. Opinions differ as to how two types of photosystem came to be combined in the same organism,whether by gene transfer between bacteria, by fusion of bacteria, or as a result of gene duplication and evolution within one kind of bacterium. There are also different opinions about when oxygenic photosynthesis arose, in conjunction with the Great Oxygenation Event, 2.3 billion years before the present, or more than a billion years before that.
Cyanobacteria were the first organisms to carry out oxygenic photosynthesis. Some of them gave rise to chloroplasts, while others continued to evolve as idependent organisms, and the review outlines both lines of evolution. At the end we consider the evolution of photosynthesis in relation to the evolution of our planet.
Location: 241
Literature cited 1: None
Literature cited 2: None
ID: 51124
Title: Internal heat production in hot Jupiter exo-planets, thermonuclear ignition of dark galaxies, and the basis for galactic luminous star distributions
Author: J.Marvin Herndon
Editor: P.Balaram
Year: 2009
Publisher: Current Science, Vol 96, No 11, 10 June, 2009
Source: Centre for Ecological Science,Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore-12
Reference: None
Subject: Current Science
Keywords: None
Abstract: None
Location: 241
Literature cited 1: None
Literature cited 2: None
ID: 51123
Title: Groundwater management for food security
Author: K.D.Sharma
Editor: P.Balaram
Year: 2009
Publisher: Current Science, Vol 96, No 9, 10 May, 2009
Source: Centre for Ecological Science,Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore-12
Reference: None
Subject: Current Science
Keywords: groundwater,marketing, minimum support price, procurement policies
Abstract: There is a strong nexus among overutilization of groundwater, subsidized power utility, marketing, minimum support price and procurement policies. Improving competitiveness of water-guzzling crops in the ground-water surplus eastern India and less water-requiring commodities in overexploited northwest and south India through technology, marketing, incentives and disincentive interventions could rationalize the groundwater use.
Location: 241
Literature cited 1: None
Literature cited 2: None
ID: 51122
Title: Variations in snow cover and snowline altitude in Baspa Basin
Author: Rakesh kaur, D.Saikumar, Anil V.Kulkarni and B.S.Chaudhary
Editor: P.Balaram
Year: 2009
Publisher: Current Science, Vol 96, No 9, 10 May, 2009
Source: Centre for Ecological Science,Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore-12
Reference: None
Subject: Current Science
Keywords: Baspa Basin, global warming, snow cover, snowline
Abstract: The Himalayas has one of the largest concentrations of glaciers and permanent snowfields outside the polar region. Snow and glacier melt forms an important source for many rivers originating in the Himalayas.Numerous studies suggest that global warming has started affecting snow melt and stream run-off in the Himalayan region. Monitoring the snow-cover changes in therefore essential to assess the future hydrological cycle. Snowline altitude is an important parameter to assess future changes in snow cover. Variations in snowline altitude and snow cover for the years 2004-05 and 2006-07 between October and June for Baspa River Basin located in the Kinnaur District, Himachal Pradesh are reported here. The snow cover was delineated using 54 images of AWiFS sensor of Resorcesat-I satellite using NDSI technique and elevation information was generated using SRTM data. About 98% of the basin area is located below the elevation of 5800 m. The average monthly snowline altitude was estimated. The lowest snowline altitude was observed as 2425 m in February 2004-05 and 2846.25 m in March in 2006-07
Location: 241
Literature cited 1: None
Literature cited 2: None
ID: 51121
Title: Biodegradation of 1,1-diphenylethylene and 1,1-diphenylethane by Pseudomonas putida PaW 736
Author: Sumit Kumar Gautam and Sumathi Suresh
Editor: P.Balaram
Year: 2009
Publisher: Current Science, Vol 96, No 9, 10 May, 2009
Source: Centre for Ecological Science,Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore-12
Reference: None
Subject: Current Science
Keywords: Biodegradation, 1,1-diphenylethylene, 1,1-diphenylethane, Pseudomonas putida
Abstract: In the present study, the possibility of biodegrading the dechlorinated product of 1,1,1-trichloro-2,2-bis (4-chlorophenyl) ethane (DDT), 1,1-dichloro-2,2-bis (chloro-phenyl) ethylene (DDE) and structurally related compound 1,1-dichloro-2,2-bis (chlorophenyl)-ethane (DDD) under aerobic conditions was examined. Since commercial preparation of 1,1-diphenylethane was not available, a structurally related compound, 1,1-diphenyl-ethylene was chosen for the acclimatization of bacterial culture. More than 95% of 1,1-diphenylethylene (initial concentration 500 mg l-1) was degraded by naphthalene degrading Pseudomonas putida PaW 736 within six days. GS-MS analysis revealed the formation of benzophenone as the end-product with residual concentration of 157 mg l-1 after six days of incubation. 1,1-diphenylethane was formed from the complete dechlorination of DDT using Mgo/ Pd+4 bimetallic system. P.putida PaW 736 acclimated to 1,1-diphenyl-ethylene was also able to degrade 1,1-diphenylethane (initial concentration 250 mg l-1) using it as the sole source of carbon and energy. More than 80% degradation of 1,1-diphenylethane was observed following 5 days of incubation. However, any metabolites of the biodegradative pathway for the degradation of 1,1-diphenylethane could not be identified.
Location: 241
Literature cited 1: None
Literature cited 2: None
ID: 51120
Title: Measurement errors in participatory GIS: role of individual workers
Author: Subrat Sharma and Sheetal Chauhan
Editor: P.Balaram
Year: 2009
Publisher: Current Science, Vol 96, No 9, 10 May, 2009
Source: Centre for Ecological Science,Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore-12
Reference: None
Subject: Current Science
Keywords: Geographical Information System, map preparation, measurement error, multiple users
Abstract: The internet, with high resolution images from ' Google Earth ' , has facilitated detailed earth observations by common man/indigenous societies. This study analyses human errors in elementary steps of map preparation and compares different workers doing similar work. The objectives of the study are to determine variation in observations (point and length) made by an individual at different scales of working, and to determine user-dependent variations in mapping and measurement of the same task (multiple users). A common set of methodology was adopted by different students to accomplish a similar procedure. The role of scale (size of object) on observations was minimal to affect an individual ' s ability in determining the precise location of a point. Individual workers may contribute significant errors in the Geographical Information System (GIS0 work, where multi-user task is assigned to complete a project. In participatory GIS, additional support by the leader/supervisor to the workers may produce better results with higher accuracy.
Location: 241
Literature cited 1: None
Literature cited 2: None
ID: 51119
Title: Vegetation change detection in Barak Basin
Author: Kasturi Chakraborty
Editor: P.Balaram
Year: 2009
Publisher: Current Science, Vol 96, No 9, 10 May, 2009
Source: Centre for Ecological Science,Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore-12
Reference: None
Subject: Current Science
Keywords: Change detection, MODIS Vegetation Index, Principal Component Analysis
Abstract: The Barak Basin of northeastern India covers the states of Assam, Manipur, Mizoram, Nagaland and Tripura. The rich and diversified vegetation of the region is facing perturbation in recent years and large tracts of forest are being converted to non-forest. In this study, Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) Terra (Vegetation Index) products of 250 m resolution for each year from 2000 to 2006 were used to detect the forest changes. The time series data of Enhanced Vegetation Index (EVI) from 2000 to 2006 were combined into a composite image to observe the changes. The forest change detection map was obtained by performing Principal Component Analysis technique on the EVI composite image. The composite image was classified into a map of forest change showing levels of disturbance in the region. Areas showing significant change were termed as ' hotspots ' . Analysis of LISS III and LISS IV satellite data, selected from one of the hotspot sites helped inferring the reasons of perturbation in the region. It is seen that altered patterns of land use, particularly increasing shifting cultivation, seem to be the major causes for large-scale changes in the ecosystem.
Location: 241
Literature cited 1: None
Literature cited 2: None
ID: 51118
Title: Principal component and spectral analyses of palaeo-climate time series
Author: K.P.C.Kaladhara Rao and R.K.Tiwari
Editor: P.Balaram
Year: 2009
Publisher: Current Science, Vol 96, No 9, 10 May, 2009
Source: Centre for Ecological Science,Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore-12
Reference: None
Subject: Current Science
Keywords: Heinrich Cycle, Last Glacial Maximum, palaeoclimate, principal component analysis, spectral analysis, time series
Abstract: Mathematical modelling and time series analysis techniques are important tools for extracting information from complex geotime series. These techniques also facilitate a fair degree of prediction, which is one of the prime goals of science. The data analysis stratergy for such a purpose mainly involves spectral analysis and pattern classification. The aim of pattern classification and frequency analysis is to assign observations or patterns into semantic categories. Traditional statistical methods generally applied during the past years fail to recognize patterns from high dimensional geo-records. Principal component analysis (PCA) is a powerful tool in identifying patterns in such records and provides useful means for reducing the number of dimensions without loss of much information. Here we have carried out spectral analysis and PCA of a climate record for approximately 28,000 yrs spanning from 1.15 to 29.78 kyr, off central Japan in the northwest Pacific. Our analysis reveals a dominant oscillation corresponding to the well known ' Heinrich Cycle ' .The physical significance of the results has been discussed and the observed cyclic pattern corresponding to the global ' Heinrich Cycle ' originating from the North Atlantic and Greenland ice rafting fluctuations has been linked to the Pacific phenomenon and Asian monsoon system.
Location: 241
Literature cited 1: None
Literature cited 2: None
ID: 51117
Title: Physico-chemical characteristics of the coastal water off Devi estuary, Orissa and evaluation of its seasonal changes using chemometric techniques
Author: U.K.Pradhan, P.V.Shirodkar and B.K.Sahu
Editor: P.Balaram
Year: 2009
Publisher: Current Science, Vol 96, No 9, 10 May, 2009
Source: Centre for Ecological Science,Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore-12
Reference: None
Subject: Current Science
Keywords: Coastal environment, multivariate statistics, physico-chemical parameters, principal component analysis, seasonality
Abstract: Devi estuary is one of the major tributaries of the Mahanadi riverine system in Orissa. Modernization and industrialization in its neighbourhood in the north in the recent past have greatly influenced many tributaries of the Mahanadi and the adjacent coastal environments. To trace the influence of this modernization activity further down south off Devi estuary and to understand the quality of the Devi estuarine water reaching the coastal region, investigations on phsico-chemical parameters (temperature, pH, salinity, dissolved oxygen), including dissolved nutrients (PO 4 - P,NO3 -N, NO2 - N, SiO4 -Si) were carried out in the water off the mouth of the Devi estuary, during different months of the summer and winter seasons in 2006-07. The multivariate statistics and principal component analysis applied to the datasets, indicated three factors each during the summer and winter seasons influencing the water to the extent of 77 and 80% respectively. Principal axis factoring and alpha factoring have been used to observe the mode of association of parameters and their interrelationships, for evaluating water quality during the summer and winter seasons. The results indicated the addition of phosphates and silicates the coastal water by the Devi estuary from natural sources during both the seasons. The anthropogenic nitrogenous species, as a fallout from modernization activities in the north, are more clearly observed off the mouth of the Devi estuary during the winter season. The study indicated that the Devi estuary adds sufficiently well-oxygenated, nutrient -rich water to the coastal region.
Location: 241
Literature cited 1: None
Literature cited 2: None
ID: 51116
Title: Soils of the Indo-Gangetic Plains: their historical perspective and management
Author: D.K.Pal , T.Bhattacharyya, P.Srivastava, P. Chandran and S.K.Ray
Editor: P.Balaram
Year: 2009
Publisher: Current Science, Vol 96, No 9, 10 May, 2009
Source: Centre for Ecological Science,Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore-12
Reference: None
Subject: Current Science
Keywords: Climate change, historical soil development, Indo-Gangetic Plains, polygenesis, soil management interventions
Abstract: The Indo-Gangetic Alluvial Plains (IGP) is among the most extensive fluvial plains of the world and cover several states of the northern, central and eastern parts of India. The IGP occupies a total area of approximately 43.7 m ha and represent eight agro-ecological regions (AER) and 14 agro-ecological subregions. The area of the IGP is nearly 13% of the total geographical area of the country, and it produces about 50% of the total foodgrains to feed 40% of the population of the country. Thus the sustainability of the present cropping system and also the health of the soils demand a review on the historical development of the soils and their management that remained associated with the tectonic, climatic and geomorphic history of the IGP since it came into existence due to collision of the Indian and Chinese plates during the Middle Miocene. This review provides a state-of-the-art information on the historical development of soils of the IGP, their tectonic-climate-linked natural degradation during the Holocene and changes in the levels of carbon in soils under agriculture (mainly rice-wheat cropping system), practised over the years. In view of the vast area of the IGP, research initiatives on benchmark soils are, however, still needed to record the subtilities in pedogenesis, especially their polygenetic history due to climate change during the Holocene. This way a historical soil-climate-crop databank may be established to help in fine-tuning the existing management interventions of the national agricultural research system and also the system -modellers in predicting future projections on the sustainability issue of the rice-wheat cropping system in the IGP.
Location: 241
Literature cited 1: None
Literature cited 2: None
ID: 51115
Title: Fluoride contamination in groundwaters of Sonbhadra District, Uttar Pradesh, India
Author: N.Janardhana Raju, Sangita Dey and Kaushik Das
Editor: P.Balaram
Year: 2009
Publisher: Current Science, Vol 96, No 7, 10 April, 2009
Source: Centre for Ecological Science,Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore-12
Reference: None
Subject: Current Science
Keywords: Dental and skeletal fluorosis, fluoride, granite gneissic rock, groundwater
Abstract: Fluoride (F- ) concentration over and above the permissible limits (1.5 mg/l) in drinking water leads to human health hazards, such as dental and skeletal fluorosis affecting millions of people in many parts of India. Preliminary investigations indicate that severe health disorders have been identified in parts of the Kachnarwa region, which is in the upper Panda river basin, Sonbhadra District, Uttar Pradesh, due to excess intake of fluoride through drinking water. The lithological units of the study area mainly consist of granite and gneissic complex rocks of the Chota-Nagpur Plateau. In order to understand the probable source of fluoride and its concentration, 17 groundwater samples mostly from granite and phyllite regions were collected for fluoride estimation during May 2006.The concentration of fluoride in the groundwater of the study area varies from 0.483 to 6.7 mg/l . Among the samples analysed, 8 exceeded the maximum permissible limits of fluoride in the study area. The source of fluoride in the groundwater of the study area is mainly from geological occurrence (i.e.fluoride -bearing minerals , viz.apatite and biotitic mica). Microscopic analysis of the rock samples showed 5-10% apatite and 20-25% biotite, but other fluoride-bearing minerals like fluorite and hornblende were characteristically absent. X-ray diffraction studies showed that apatite mineral peak profile of the rock samples corroborated with the fluorapatite of the standard set by the JCPDS.The worst fluoride-affected villages are Rohiniyadamar, Madhuri, Neruiyadamar, Gobardaha and Kunrwa. Most people in these villages suffer from dental and skeletal fluorosis such as mottling of teeth, deformation of ligaments, bending of spinal column and ageing problem. An urgent need is to educate the people on the causes of fluorosis, encouraging rainwater harvesting and providing fluoride-free drinking water in the study area.
Location: 241
Literature cited 1: None
Literature cited 2: None
ID: 51114
Title: Filtering techniques for quantifying tidal impacts on groundwater: a comparative analysis
Author: Deldan Namgial and Madan K. Jha
Editor: P.Balaram
Year: 2009
Publisher: Current Science, Vol 96, No 7, 10 April, 2009
Source: Centre for Ecological Science,Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore-12
Reference: None
Subject: Current Science
Keywords: Filtering techniques, tidal efficiency, tide-aquifer interaction, time lag
Abstract: The analysis of tidal effects on aquifer systems plays an important role in coastal aquifer management. In this study, the impacts of tidal fluctuations on groundwater levels were quantified by three filtering techniques:filtering technique I (tidal efficiency and time lag), filtering technique II (moving average ), and filtering technique III (25 h mean). The tide-aquifer interaction data were obtained from the Konan aquifer, Japan (two unconfined sites) and the Dridrate aquifer , Morocco (three confined sites). Groundwatr filtering by tidal efficiency and time lag indicated that the peak of the filtered groundwater level had shifted slightly to right and its amplitude decreased. For the uncondined sites, the mean at 13h by filtering technique III was found to be lower than that obtained by filtering technique II. Similarly, for the confined sites, the mean at 13h obtained by filtering technique III was relatively low compared to the mean at 36 h by filtering technique II. Although filtering techniques II and III are able to remove solar and lunar harmonics from measured groundwater data, filtering technique I is more useful for practical purposes.
Location: 241
Literature cited 1: None
Literature cited 2: None
ID: 51113
Title: Forecasting groundwater level using artifical neural networks
Author: P.D.Sreekanth, N.Geethanjali, P.D.Sreedevi, Shakeel Ahmed, N.Ravi Kumar and P.D. Kamala Jayanthi
Editor: P.Balaram
Year: 2009
Publisher: Current Science, Vol 96, No 7, 10 April, 2009
Source: Centre for Ecological Science,Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore-12
Reference: None
Subject: Current Science
Keywords: Artificial neural networks, back-propagation, feed-forward,forecasting, groundwater level
Abstract: The performance of the artificial neural network (ANN) model, i.e. standard feed-forward neural network trained with Levenberg-Marquardt algorithm, was examined for forecasting groundwater level at Maheshwaram watershed, Hyderabad, India. The model efficiency and accuracy were measured based on the root mean square error (RMSE) and regression coefficient (R2).The model provided the best fit and the predicted trend followed the ovserved data closely (RMSE = 4.50 and R2=0.93). Thus, for precise and accurate groundwater level forecasting, ANN appears to be a promising tool.
Location: 241
Literature cited 1: None
Literature cited 2: None