ID: 55760
Title: Early earth: insights from the meteorites
Author: G Srinivasan
Editor: P Balaram
Year: 2010
Publisher: Current Science Association, Vol 99, No 12, 25 December 2010
Source: Centre for Ecological Sciences
Reference: None
Subject: Current Science
Keywords: chondrules, early earth, meteorites, planetesimals
Abstract: The evolution of planetary bodies like 4 Vesta and terrestrial planets (e.g Earth, Moon, Mars) involved accretion, melting, differentiation, formation of silicate mantle and metallic core, and mantle differentiation. Determination of the time scales of these processes forms the fundamental basis for understanding the early evolution of the Earth. The decay of 182Hf (halflife ~ 9 Ma) to 182W and 146Sm (half-life~ 103 Ma) to 142Nd hasbeen used to determine time scales of metal-silicate differentiation leading to core formation of planets and mantle differentiation resulting in eruption of basalts on planetary bodies which are preserved even today on 4 Vesta, but not preserved on the Earth. By using the meteorite data as a baseline, one can establish a time frame for early evolution of Earth.
Location: 241
Literature cited 1: None
Literature cited 2: None
ID: 55759
Title: Challenges in earth sciences: the 21st century
Author: C P Rajendran
Editor: P Balaram
Year: 2010
Publisher: Current Science Association, Vol 99, No 12, 25 December 2010
Source: Centre for Ecological Sciences
Reference: None
Subject: Current Science
Keywords: climate change, earth sciences, environment, fundamental research
Abstract: The 21st century poses many challenges for global sustainability. Among them, most importantly, the human race will encounter scarcity of raw materials and conventional energy resources. And, India may have to take the brunt of these problems as it is going to be the most populated region of the world with concomitant increase in energy demand and requirement of other resources. India will be the testing ground for introducing newer ways of green technology and innovative principles of resource management and utilization. With the vagaries of potential climate change gathering clouds in the background, Earth sciences will have a special and predominant role in guiding the society in prioritizing our resource discovery, utilization and their consumption and the upkeep of environment. On the fundametnal level, Earth sciences are going through a most exciting phase of development as a born-again science. Technological break throughts including the satellite-based observations augur well for gaining new insights into Earth processes. A set of exciting fundamental problems that are globally identified will set the stage for an exhilarating period of new discoveries. Improvements in numerical and computer-based techniques will assist in modelling of Earth processes to unprecedented levels. India will have to take special effort in improving the existing experimentation facilities in the Earth science departments of the country, and also the general level of Earth science education to meet the global standards. This article prsents an Earth science vision for the 21st century in an Indian context.
Location: 241
Literature cited 1: None
Literature cited 2: None
ID: 55758
Title: Assessment of bacterial diversity in the Gangetic river system of Uttarakhand, India
Author: Anchal Sood, Piyush Pandey, Sandeep Bishit, Shivesh Sharma, Manju P Gusain, O P Gusain
Editor: P Balaram
Year: 2010
Publisher: Current Science Association, Vol 99, No 12, 25 December 2010
Source: Centre for Ecological Sciences
Reference: None
Subject: Current Science
Keywords: None
Abstract: None
Location: 241
Literature cited 1: None
Literature cited 2: None
ID: 55757
Title: Digital database on ethno-medicinal plants of Western Ghats
Author: Vinayak Upadhya, H V Hegde, Divakar Mesta, Shankar Belchad, Veeresh Hampannavar, S D Kholkute
Editor: P Balaram
Year: 2010
Publisher: Current Science Association, Vol 99, No 12, 25 December 2010
Source: Centre for Ecological Sciences
Reference: None
Subject: Current Science
Keywords: None
Abstract: None
Location: 241
Literature cited 1: None
Literature cited 2: None
ID: 55756
Title: Specific pathogen-free assurance of important Pacific white shrimp Litopenaeus vannamei (Boone, 1931) in the Aquatic Quarantine Facility, Chennai
Author: M C Remany, Daly Cyriac, S Nagaraj, babu Rao, A K Panda, Jaideep Kumar, Y C Thampi Samraj
Editor: P Balaram
Year: 2010
Publisher: Current Science Association, Vol 99, No 12, 25 December 2010
Source: Centre for Ecological Sciences
Reference: None
Subject: Current Science
Keywords: None
Abstract: None
Location: 241
Literature cited 1: None
Literature cited 2: None
ID: 55755
Title: Occurrence of pseudotachylites in the vicinity of South Almora Thrust zone, Kumaun Lesser Himalaya
Author: K K Agarwal, Anupam Sharma, Nigar Jahan, Chandra Prakash and Amar Agarwal
Editor: P Balaram
Year: 2011
Publisher: Current Science Association, Vol 101, No 3, 10 August 2011
Source: Centre for Ecological Sciences
Reference: None
Subject: Current Science
Keywords: Frictional heating, melts, mylonite, pseudtachylites, veins
Abstract: Thin veins of pseudotachylites are observed within the South Almora Thrust (SAT) zone of the Almora crystallines, Kumaun Lesser Himalaya. The SAT zone presents a relatively wide variety of mylonite types. Within this zone thin, dark-coloured veins of pseudotachylites are found. Folded veins of irregular thickness are also observed. The pseudotachylites are formed by rapid crystallization of melts. Intense deformation and friction-related heating is generated during the thrust sheet movement, which is responsible for producing the melts. Small amount of melts generated during the frictional heating cool rapidly in associated of the wall rock and form thin veins, which have sharp boundaries (or folded) within the wall rock. Quartz, K-feldspar and plagioclase occur as porphyroclasts in the host rocks.
Location: 241
Literature cited 1: None
Literature cited 2: None
ID: 55754
Title: Concentration of selected toxic metals in groundwater and some cereals grown in Shibganj area of Chapai Nawabganj, Rajshahi, Bangladesh
Author: Narottam Saha and M R Zaman
Editor: P Balaram
Year: 2011
Publisher: Current Science Association, Vol 101, No 3, 10 August 2011
Source: Centre for Ecological Sciences
Reference: None
Subject: Current Science
Keywords: Cereals, groundwater, health hazards, safety limits, toxic metals
Abstract: This study is an attempt to assess the extent of toxic metals, including Pb, Cd, Cr, Mn and As in ground-water and some cereals collected from Shibganj area of Chapai Nawabganj, Rajashahi, Bangladesh. The chemical results of groundwater show that the mean concentrations of Pb, Cd and Mn exceed the values of WHO, USEPA as well as Bangladesh Drinking Water Standards. However, As content is within the permissible limits in terms of Bangladesh Drinking Water Standards, but exceeds the WHO and USEPA values. Cr is in negligible quantity in the examined ground water samples. Results reveal wide variation in toxic metal content among the three cereal samples. In general, the mean toxic metal concentrations in cereals (rice, wheat and urid bean) are lower than the respective established safe limits for these elements, except for lead concentration in all samples.
Location: 241
Literature cited 1: None
Literature cited 2: None
ID: 55753
Title: An analysis of GPS-derived velocities in the Bengal basin and the neighbouring active deformation zones
Author: Mallika Mullick and Dhruba Mukhopadhyay
Editor: P Balaram
Year: 2011
Publisher: Current Science Association, Vol 101, No 3, 10 August 2011
Source: Centre for Ecological Sciences
Reference: None
Subject: Current Science
Keywords: Baseline shortening, crustal deformation, GPS-derived velocity, seismic hazard
Abstract: The Bengal basin, the largest fluvio-deltaic sedimantary system in the world, located in an area covering Bangladesh and three eastern states of India (West Bengal, Assam and Bihar) has been formed by sediments brought by the Ganga, Brahmaputra adn Meghna rivers. This complex foreland basin originally emerged on a trailing margin of the Indian continental crust and was later complicated by convergence with Eurasia to the north and oblique convergence with Burma to the east. Apart from these tectonic events, another majore source of crustal deformation in the vicinity of the Bengal basin was the formation of the Ninety East Ridge (NER) in the Indian Ocean. The Bengal basin, which is in the near vicintiy of these three active boundaries, needs to be studied thoroughly for assessing seismic hazard in this region. A brief discussion of the tectonics of the neighbouring active zones is given here. The GPS-derived velocities of stations located in these zones and that at Kolkata, located in the Bengal basin show that the Kolkata -Coco Island baseline crossing the NER shortens at 18.5 +1.3 mm/yr, whereas the baseline between Kolkata and Aizawl, Mizoram shortens at 10.5 + 1.5 mm/yr. The Kolkata - Siliguri baseline shortens at 8.1+1.5 mm/yr and the Kolkata-Baradighi baseline shortens at 5.2+1.4 mm/yr. The difference in shortening rates of these two stations located in the North Bengal foothill Himalyan zone relative to Kolkata is due to the presence of a highly active transverse zone lying between them.
Location: 241
Literature cited 1: None
Literature cited 2: None
ID: 55752
Title: Using bryophytes as a tool to cure European foulbrood disease of honey bee: an eco-friendly approach
Author: Dheeraj Gahtori, Preeti Chaturvedi and Shivom Singh
Editor: P Balaram
Year: 2011
Publisher: Current Science Association, Vol 101, No 3, 10 August 2011
Source: Centre for Ecological Sciences
Reference: None
Subject: Current Science
Keywords: Activity index, bryophytes, European foulbrood, honey bees
Abstract: European foulbrood disease is a broad disease in honey bees caused by a bacterium, Melissococcus plutonius. By now, various herbal and chemical drugs have been tried to control it. In the present study, the effects of different organic extracts of three differetn bryophytes and a standard drug (positive control) have been tried to control the bacterium in vitro by using agar disc diffusion and micro broth dilution method. All the tested extracts showed good antibacterial activities agianst the test pathogen. Acetone extract of M. polymorpha and chloroform extract of D. undulatum exhibited maximum activity (AI 15.51 and 15.56 mm respectively) comparable to that of standard drug.
Location: 241
Literature cited 1: None
Literature cited 2: None
ID: 55751
Title: Antioxidant properties of Cordyline terminalis (L) Kunth and Myristica fragrans Houtt. encapsulated separately into casein beads
Author: B Chandrasekhar Reddy, Ayesha Noor, N C Sarada and M A Vijayalakshmi
Editor: P Balaram
Year: 2011
Publisher: Current Science Association, Vol 101, No 3, 10 August 2011
Source: Centre for Ecological Sciences
Reference: None
Subject: Current Science
Keywords: Antioxidant property, casein beads, Cordyline terminalis, Myristica fragrans, phenolic content
Abstract: In the present study, we have developed an encapsulation procedure which retains the antioxidant properties and polyphenol contents from two novel plants stable over a period of one year at room temperature at non-toxic level. Methanolic extracts containing polyphenols were prepared from Cordyline terminalis and Myristica fragrans under optimized conditions (C. terminalis polyhenol extracts-CTPE and M . fragrans polyphenol extracts - MFPE). These extracts contained 102.6 and 72.9 mg/g of gallic acid equivalent of polyphenols respectively, when measured using the Folin -Ciocalteu method. The antioxidant activity of CTPE and MFPE was 13.4 and 10 mg/g of ascorbic acid equivalent respectively, when measured using the 2,2-diphenyl-1-picryl-hydrazyl method. CTPE and MFPE were individually encapsulated in sodium-caseinate beads in order to protect the polyphenol content from oxidation, and were stored separately in dark at room temperature. The stability of the encapsulated extracts was studied over a period of 12 months after dissolution of the beads in deionized water. We observed that the polyphenol content and antioxidant activity remained stable in the encapsulated beads compared to the unencapsulated extracts. Sodium-caseinate beads prove to be a promising technique for food supplementation with natural antioxidants.
Location: 241
Literature cited 1: None
Literature cited 2: None
ID: 55750
Title: Greenhouse gas inventory estimates for India
Author: Subodh K Sharma, Asim Choudhury, Pinaki Sarkar, Subhashis Biswas, Anil Singh, Pradeep K Dadhich, Ajay K Singh, Suman Majumdar, Arti Bhatia, Madhu Mohini, Rajesh Kumar, C S Jha, M S R Murthy, Sumana Bhattacharya and Rita Chauhan
Editor: P Balaram
Year: 2011
Publisher: Current Science Association, Vol 101, No 3, 10 August 2011
Source: Centre for Ecological Sciences
Reference: None
Subject: Current Science
Keywords: Anthropogenic origin, emissions, greenhouse gas inventory, IPCC, source and sink
Abstract: This article reports the greenhouse gas emissions of anthropogenic origin by sources and removal by sinks of India for 2007 prepared under the aegis of the Indian Network for Climate Change Assessment (INCCA) (note 1). The emission profile includes carbon dioxide (CO2), methane and nitrous oxide. It also includes the estimates of hydrofluorocarbons, perfluorocarbons and sulphur hexafluoride at the national level from various sectors, viz. energy, industrial process and product use, agriculture, land-use, land-use change and forestry (LULUCF), and waste. In 2007, emissions were of the order of 2008.67 Tg (note 2) of CO2 equivalents without emissions from the LULUCF sector. Whereas with LULUCF the emissions were about 1831.65 Tg CO2 equivalents. The energy sector accounted for 69% of the total emissions, the agriculture sector contributed 19% of the emissions, 9% of the emissions was from the industrial processes and product use, and only 3% of the emissions was attributable to the waste sector. The LULUCF sector on the whole was net sink category for CO2. The study tracks the improvements made in inventory estimates at the national level through the years, in terms of the expanding coverage of sources, reducign uncertainties and inclusion of new methodologies, including some elements of future areas of work. /
Location: 241
Literature cited 1: None
Literature cited 2: None
ID: 55749
Title: Managing climate-induced risks on Indian infrastructure assets
Author: Prakriti Naswa and Amit Garg
Editor: P Balaram
Year: 2011
Publisher: Current Science Association, Vol 101, No 3, 10 August 2011
Source: Centre for Ecological Sciences
Reference: None
Subject: Current Science
Keywords: adaptation, infrastructure assets, reverse impact matrix, risk management
Abstract: Infrastructure assets are exposed to natural weather conditions and face challenges due to increased frequency and variability of climate-induced natural disasters. Infrastructure has a pivotal role to play in development and therefore, the large investments planned for future have to be protected against climate-induced risks. These span beyond physical risks as strict mitigation regimes could jeopardize their profitability and even future existence. The integrated climate change risk management framework for infrastructures presented here includes market and policy induced enforcements and adaptation strategies. The key to managing risks lies in identifying them and initiating appropriate risk management and adaptation initiatives.
Location: 241
Literature cited 1: None
Literature cited 2: None
ID: 55748
Title: Climate change vulnerability profiles for North East India
Author: N H Ravindranath, Sandhya Rao, Nitasha Sharma, Malini Nair, Ranjith Gopalakrishnan, Ananya S Rao, Sumedha Malaviya, Rakesh Tiwari, Anitha Sagadevan, Madhushree Munsi, Niharika Krishna and Govindasamy Bala
Editor: P Balaram
Year: 2011
Publisher: Current Science Association, Vol 101, No 3, 10 August 2011
Source: Centre for Ecological Sciences
Reference: None
Subject: Current Science
Keywords: Agriculture, climate change, forest, vulnerability index, water
Abstract: Climate change vulnerability profiles are developed at the district level for agriculture, water and forest sectors for the North East region of India for the current and projected future climates. An index-based approach was used where a set of indicators that represent key sectors of vulnerability (agriculture, forest, water) is selected using the statistical technique principal component analysis. The impacts of climate change on key sectors as represented by the changes in the indicators were derived from impact assessment models. These impacted indicators were utilized for the calculation of the future vulnerability to climate change. Results indicate that majority of the districts in North East India are subject to climate induced vulnerability currently and in the near future. This is a first of its kind study that exhibits ranking of districts of North East India on the basis of the vulnerability index values. The objective of such ranking is to assist in : (i) indentifying and prioritizing the most vulnerable sectors and districts; (ii) identifying adaptation interventions, and (iii) mainstreaming adaptation in development programmes.
Location: 241
Literature cited 1: None
Literature cited 2: None
ID: 55747
Title: National and regional impacts of climate change on malaria by 2030
Author: Ramesh C Dhiman, Laxman Chavan, Manoj Pant and Sharmila Pahwa
Editor: P Balaram
Year: 2011
Publisher: Current Science Association, Vol 101, No 3, 10 August 2011
Source: Centre for Ecological Sciences
Reference: None
Subject: Current Science
Keywords: Climate change, malaria, relative humidity, transmission window, temperature
Abstract: The article reports projection of malaria by 2030 using A1B scenario of PRECIS model basically derived from HadRM3. Malaria scenario has been defined in terms of opening of months of malaria transmission based on minimum required temperature and relative humdity for baseline (1961-1990) and by 2030. Detailed analysis has been doen for four vulnerable sectors, viz. Himalayan region, northeast, the Western Ghats and coastal region. Some parts of Uttarakhand, Jammu and Kashmir and Arunachal Pradesh are likely to open transmission windows in new districts with increase in 4-6 months category of transmission . In the northeastern states, intensity of transmission is projected to increase from 7-9 months to 10-12 months. The Western Ghats is projected to be affected to a minimum, whereas in the east coastal districts, reduction in transmission months is likely due to increased temperature. As malaria transmission dynamics is multi-factorial, driven by agricultural practices, water availability, urbanization, migration, socio-economic conditions and intervention measures, projections based on climatic parameters alone should not be viewed with certainty rather they are for guidelines for preparedness in vulnerable areas and strengthen health infrastructure, effective health education and use of best available tools of intervention to cope with the threat of climate change.
Location: 241
Literature cited 1: None
Literature cited 2: None
ID: 55746
Title: Climate change impact assessment of water resources of India
Author: A K Gosain, Sandhya Rao and Anamika Arora
Editor: P Balaram
Year: 2011
Publisher: Current Science Association, Vol 101, No 3, 10 August 2011
Source: Centre for Ecological Sciences
Reference: None
Subject: Current Science
Keywords: Climate change impact assessment, floods and droughts, hydrological model, water resources
Abstract: The present study has been taken up to quantify the possible impact of the climate change on the water resources of Indian river systems within the constraints of the uncertainty of climate chage predictions. The study uses the PRECIS daily weather data to determine the spatio-temporal water availability in the river system. A distributed hydrological model, the river systems. A distributed hydrological model, namely SWAT has been used to simulate all the river basins of the country. The analysis has been performed to evaluate the severity of droughts and floods and thus identify the vulnerable hotspots that may require attention in view of the climate change in various parts of the country. The analysis is also perforemd on the blue and green water so as to identify teh cliamte change impacts on these sub-components of water that are repsonsible for environmental functions and biomass production. These results ahve been made available at http://gisserver.civil.iitd.ac.in/natcom for use by a large cross-section of users.
Location: 241
Literature cited 1: None
Literature cited 2: None