Some factors influencing variations in the rate of natural increase of population in western Maharashtra

This paper analyzes the impact of various factors on variations in the rate of natural increase of population in Western Maharashtra, India. By using district level data, coefficients of correlation have been calculated between the rate of natural increase, the birth rate and the death rate on the 1 hand and different factors affecting them on the other. The analysis shows that in Western Maharashtra the birth rate is high in response to the high death rate and the high infant mortality rate. It is also revealed that the rate of natural increase of the population declines with an increase in the proportion of working females as well as the proportion of educated males. All this signifies that the region under study is in the 2nd stage of the "demographic transition."     

Microscopic spectral features in solar decametric bursts and coronal irregularities

A crossed Yagi antenna array at 35 MHz was employed in conjunction with a polarization switch so as to enable spectral observations of solar noise storm activity in R and L polarizations. Intense decametric solar noise storms were recorded during the third week of November 1975 and fourth week of March 1976 with the help of a high resolution spectroscope operating near 35 MHz.The paper describes some of the new microscopic spectral features observed during these two noise storms. Three sets of high resolution dynamic spectra of decametric solar bursts, two of which are explained in terms of induced scattering of Langmuir waves by thermal ions and the third in terms of additional propagation effects through dense coronal irregularities, are presented. The microscopic bursts, classified as inverted U U and dots, represent small-scale (10⁴ km) phenomena with durations of less than a second.Some burst spectra appear as chain of dots with individual bandwidths 40 kHz and durations 0.3 sec. It is suggested that the bandwidth of such dot emissions (40 kHz) provides an evidence that they might indeed be generated by the process of induced scattering of plasma waves which predicts emission bandwidth f × 10^–3, where f is the center frequency.Some bursts are observed as a chain of striations showing curvature along the frequency axis which is attributed to dispersion in propagation delays through the dense coronal irregularities.     

High-sensitivity spectral resolution MM-wavelength 18–23 GHz radiometer

High-sensitivity, high-spectral-resolution solar observations in the millimeter wavelength are scanty. A sensitive radiometer with 1 GHz resolution, operating between 18 and 23 GHz in conjunction with a 13.7 m diameter antenna has been in regular operation since the end of 1987. At present, each frequency is sampled for 100 ms, soon to be improved to 50 ms. Details of this instrumentation, including the processes of calibration, data acquisition, and reduction are described here. Also, preliminary observations of an active region and of the burst components are briefly described.     

Assessment of uranium in correlation with physico-chemical properties of drinking water of Northern Rajasthan

In the present study, analysis of 238U concentration in 40 drinking water samples collected from different locations of Jodhpur, Nagaur, Bikaner and Jhunjhunu districts of Rajasthan, India has been carried out by using high resolution inductively coupled plasma mass spectroscopy (HR-ICP-MS) technique. The water samples were taken from hand pumps and tube wells having depths ranging from 50 to 800 feet. The measured uranium concentration lies in the range from 0.89 to 166.89 μg l^-1 with the mean value of 31.72 μg l^-1. The measured uranium content in twelve water samples was found to be higher than the safe limit of 30 μg l^-1 as recommended by World Health Organization (WHO, 2011) and US Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA, 2011). Radiological risk calculated in the form of annual effective dose estimated from annual uranium intake ranges from 0.66 to 138.63 μSv y^-1 with the mean value of 26.28 μSv y^-1. The annual effective dose in two drinking water samples was found to be greater than WHO (2004) recommended level of 100 μSv y^-1. Chemical risk calculated in the form of lifetime average daily dose (LAAD) estimated from the water samples varies from 0.02 to 4.57 μg kg^-1 d^-1 with the mean value of 0.87 μg kg^-1 d^-1. The lifetime average daily dose (LAAD) of ten drinking water samples was found to be greater than WHO (2011) recommended level of 1 μg kg^-1 d^-1. The corresponding values of hazard quotient of 48% water samples were found to be greater than unity.A good positive correlation of uranium concentration with total dissolved solids (TDS) and conductance has been observed. However no correlation of uranium concentration with pH was observed. The results revels that uranium concentration in drinking water samples of the study area can cause radiological and chemical threat to the inhabitants.     

Dinoflagellate cyst assemblages in recent sediments of Visakhapatnam harbour,east coast of India: Influence of environmental characteristics

The distribution and abundance of dinoflagellate cysts in recent sediments from Visakhapatnam harbour, east coast of India was investigated and compared with sediment characteristics and physico-chemical variables of the overlying water column. The cyst abundance varied from 11 to 1218 cysts g^–1 dry sediment. Changes in the cyst assemblages from phototrophic to heterotrophic forms were observed from inner to outer harbour stations, and related to changes in environmental characteristics. Enhanced cyst production of potentially harmful dinoflagellate Protoceratium reticulatum was recorded in the inner harbour stations with higher nutrient concentrations. Protoperidinium cysts were the most diversified group, and were dominant in the outer harbour stations having improved water conditions and circulation. This study points out the potential use of dinoflagellate cyst populations in providing information on environmental conditions.     

Anthropogenic platinum,palladium and rhodium concentrations in road dusts from Hyderabad city,India

This paper presents the first study of accessing the Pt, Pd and Rh levels in road dusts collected from Hyderabad city, India, as these metals, emitted from automobile catalytic converters, are accumulating in the environment causing concern about human health and ecological risks. Samples were analyzed by ICP-MS following preconcentration by NiS-fire assay and Te coprecipitation. Pt (1.5–43 ng/g), Pd (1.2–58 ng/g) and Rh (0.2–14.2 ng/g) concentrations obtained were above upper crust values, but were lower when compared with several other cities around the world. Dust samples from road junctions and traffic signals with heavy and erratic traffic flow showed higher PGE levels than those from roads with low and free flow traffic suggesting that traffic flow conditions greatly influenced emission of PGE from the catalyst. Significant correlation of Pt, Pd and Rh indicate a common source for these metals. PGE were also positively correlated with Ce, Zr, Hf and Y. These positive inter-element correlations identified traffic as the main source of PGE emission to the roadway environment. The results obtained indicate to an appreciable increase in auto catalyst-derived PGE. In consideration of the adverse effects of PGE, monitoring their level and transformation paths is of prime importance.     

Low-level decimetric (1.6 GHz) solar burst activity

Observations of solar bursts at 1.6 GHz were carried out in the month of July 1985 for about two weeks. Five intervals of solar burst activity, each one lasting for a couple of minutes, were observed. Predominantly, two classes of fast bursts were observed: viz: spike and blips. However, some of these bursts were two orders of magnitude less intense than those reported earlier.Low-level blips have typical duration 350 ms, excitation time 200 ± 25 ms, decay time 130 ± 25 ms and a low degree of circular polarization of about 15%. Detailed investigations of decay times of the blips have been carried out in terms of collisional damping and Landau damping. Observed decay times of the blips seem to favour the hypothesis of collisional damping. This investigation suggests that blips probably originate at second harmonic by beam plasma interaction as that of metric type III bursts. Also, low-level ms-spikes with the half power duration in the range of 5 to 20 ms suggest that source sizes be smaller than 50 km if the process of emission is electron-cyclotron maser.Proceedings of the Second CESRA Workshop on Particle Acceleration and Trapping in Solar Flares, held at Aubigny-sur-Nère (France), 23–26 June, 1986.     

Expression of nitric oxide synthase in the developing eye of Zebrafish<Emphasis Type="Italic">Danio rerio</Emphasis>

Expression of nitric oxide synthase (NOS) in the developing eye of zebrafish was studied by NADPH-diaphorase staining technique. NOS activity was frst observed in the optic primordium and the lens placode at 5-somite stage, and remained basically unchanged up to the prim-5 stage. Upon hatching, NOS activity was nearly equally detected in the gangalion cell layer and the photoreceptor layer in the developing retina. However, it began declining in the inner plexiform layer and the inner nuclear layer at this stage. NOS activity disappeared in the lens although the anterior lens epithelium was strongly stained. Two days after hatching, NOS activity was still strong in the photoreceptor layer, but decreased markedly in the gangalion cell layer, the inner plexiform layer and the inner nuclear layer with the retinal patterning. These suggested that nitric oxide (NO), the product of NOS, is not only involved in the modulation of patterning and differentiation of the retinal cells but also in the regulation of proliferation, and differentiation of the lens fibrocytes.     

Fluctuation analysis of solar radio bursts associated with geoeffective X-class flares

High temporal resolution solar observations in the decimetric range (1–3 GHz) can provide additional information on solar active regions dynamics and thus contribute to better understanding of solar geoeffective events as flares and coronal mass ejections. The June 6, 2000 flares are a set of remarkable geoeffective eruptive phenomena observed as solar radio bursts (SRB) by means of the 3 GHz Ondrejov Observatory radiometer. We have selected and analyzed, applying detrended fluctuation analysis (DFA), three decimetric bursts associated to X1.1, X1.2 and X2.3 flare-classes, respectively. The association with geomagnetic activity is also reported. DFA method is performed in the framework of a radio burst automatic monitoring system. Our results may characterize the SRB evolution, computing the DFA scaling exponent, scanning the SRB time series by a short windowing before the extreme event. For the first time, the importance of DFA in the context of SRB monitoring analysis is presented.     

Fast Magnetoacoustic Waves in a Fan Structure Above a Coronal Magnetic Null Point

We analyze the 26 November 2005 solar radio event observed interferometrically at frequencies of 244 and 611 MHz by the Giant Metrewave Radio Telescope (GMRT) in Pune, India. These observations are used to make interferometric maps of the event at both frequencies with the time cadence of 1 s from 06:50 to 07:12 UT. These maps reveal several radio sources. The light curves of these sources show that only two sources at 244 MHz and 611 MHz are well correlated in time. The EUV flare is more localized with flare loops located rather away from the radio sources. Using SoHO/MDI observations and potential magnetic field extrapolation we demonstrate that both the correlated sources are located in the fan structure of magnetic field lines starting from a coronal magnetic null point. Wavelet analysis of the light curves of the radio sources detects tadpoles with periods in the range P=10?–?83 s. These wavelet tadpoles indicate the presence of fast magnetoacoustic waves that propagate in the fan structure of the coronal magnetic null point. We estimate the plasma parameters in the studied radio sources and find them consistent with the presented scenario involving the coronal magnetic null point.