R+ bacteria in estuarine sediments

Increased construction of coastal canal communities had led to a deterioration of the water quality in the canals. In addition to being used for recreational activities, the canals serve as a dumping place for domestic sewage from these communities. This study was conducted to determine the prevalence of transferable drug-resistant (R⁺) bacteria in six coastal canals. A significantly higher number of R⁺ bacteria (both pathogenic and nonpathogenic) occurred in the bottom sediments than in the overlaying water. These sediments can be resuspended following rain, dredging, storms, boating, and diving, thus releasing their bacterial populations into the overlaying water.     

LO Pegasi: an investigation of multiband optical polarization

We present BVR polarimetric study of the cool active star LO Pegasi (LO Peg) for the first time. LO Peg was found to be highly polarized among the cool active stars. Our observations yield average values of polarization in LO Peg:   P_B = 0.387 ± 0.004 per cent, θ_B= 88°± 1°; P_V = 0.351 ± 0.004 per cent, θ_V= 91°± 1°  and   P_R = 0.335 ± 0.003 per cent, θ_R= 91°± 1°  . Both the degree of polarization and the position angle are found to be variable. The semi-amplitude of the polarization variability in B, V and R bands is found to be  0.18 ± 0.02, 0.13 ± 0.01  and  0.10 ± 0.02  per cent, respectively. We suggest that the levels of polarization observed in LO Peg could be the result of scattering of an anisotropic stellar radiation field by an optically thin circumstellar envelope or scattering of the stellar radiation by prominence-like structures.     

Invertebrate recolonisation of previously dry channels in the Rakaia River

Recolonisation of previously dry channels by stream invertebrates was studied in the Rakaia River during winter 1981 and summer 1982. The winter experiment continued for 42 days, with stable low flows, whereas the summer experiment was characterised by fluctuating large flows which caused it to be abandoned after 27 days. The fauna was dominated numerically by Chironomidae, a leptophlebiid mayfly (Deleatidium), and oligochaetes during the winter, and by Deleatidium alone during the summer. Recolonisation was considered complete after 33 days in winter and 15 days in summer. Flow fluctuations were the main factor affecting colonisation rates, and it was assumed that drift was the main source of colonising animals. Small freshes during low‐flow periods in winter resulted in a rapid increase in total density of invertebrates and number of taxa present and also affected the population structure of Deleatidium larvae in colonisation baskets. Before these freshes numbers had increased steadily over a 27 day period. In summer large floods during high flow periods initially decreased benthic invertebrate numbers in samples but numbers increased rapidly once the flood had passed. This appears to be the first study of its kind on a large unstable river system.     

Development of a three channel photometer for UPSO, Naini Tal

The design and performance of a portable three channel photometer installed at the Uttar Pradesh State Observatory (UPSO), Naini Tal is described. The photometer is modular and the whole unit can be disassembled as individual channels such that the system can also be used as a single channel or two channel photometer. The system also has provision to monitor a guide star. The instrument was put into operation since November 1999 on the 1m Sampurnanand telescope at UPSO, Naini Tal. Since then, it is used extensively for the ‘Survey of rapidly oscillating Ap (roAp) stars in the northern sky’ from UPSO. Observational results using this new photometer in its initial phase of operation are discussed. The advantage of having continuous sky measurement is demonstrated.