Biotechnological Advances in Detection of Contaminants from Wastewater

Wastewater from industries causes major environmental pollution problems. The urban development and commercialization in developing countries cause deterioration of surface water resources. Hence, for its improvement, it is essential to develop highly sensitive devices with quick response for monitoring of wastewater contamination. In this respect, biotechnological processes such as biosensors can be promising and a robust option for detection of toxic pollutants. Biosensors can be applied in order to acquire real-time quantitative data. Nowadays, the enzymes or whole cell bio-reporters-based biosensors have promising potential due to the possibility of miniaturization and opportunity for development of in situ biosensors. The growing need of convenient, rapid, and efficient biosensing devices explains the current advancement of biosensors with new transduction materials for multiplexed contaminant detection. Considering the extensive range of sensing strategies including immunochemical-based, enzymatic and nonenzymatic signals, different kinds of biosensors can be classified as electrochemical, optical, thermal, etc. For the past few years, more attention has been paid to nanomaterial-based biosensors which exhibit monitoring on the basis of chemical reactions and biological phenomena. Overall, this review focuses on principle and operation (transduction mechanism) of biosensors based on bio-recognition elements, for the early detection of organic and inorganic contaminants existing in wastewater.     

Use of remote sensing,GIS and C++ for soil erosion assessment in the Shakkar River basin,India

Soil is an essential resource for human livelihoods. Soil erosion is now a global environmental crisis that threatens the natural environment and agriculture. This study aimed to assess the annual rate of soil erosion using distributed information for topography, land use and soil, with a remote sensing (RS) and geographical information system (GIS) approach and comparison of simulated with observed sediment loss. The Shakkar River basin, situated in the Narsinghpur and Chhindwara districts of Madhya Pradesh, India, was selected for this study. The universal soil loss equation (USLE) with RS and GIS was used to predict the spatial distribution of soil erosion occurring in the study area on a grid-cell basis. Thematic maps of rainfall erosivity factor (R), soil erodibility factor (K), topographic factor (LS), crop/cover management factor (C), and conservation/support practice factor (P) were prepared using annual rainfall data, soil map, digital elevation model (DEM) and an executable C++ program, and a satellite image of the study area in the GIS environment. The annual rate of soil erosion was estimated for a 15-year period (1992–2006) and was found to vary between 6.45 and 13.74 t ha^?1 year^?1, with an average annual rate of 9.84 t ha^?1 year^?1. The percentage deviation between simulated and observed values varies between 2.68% and 18.73%, with a coefficient of determination (R²) of 0.874.     

Optical and near-infrared photometric study of NGC 6724

BVRI CCD photometry of the poorly studied open cluster NGC 6724 has been carried out down to a limiting magnitude of V ～20 mag. The stars of the cluster have been observed using the Newtonian focus(f/4.84) of the 74-inch telescope at Kottamia Astronomical Observatory in Egypt.Also, the 2 MASS-JHK system is used to confirm the results we obtained. The main photometric parameters have been estimated for the present object; the diameter is found to be 6 arcmin, the distance is 1530±60 pc from the Sun and the age is 900±50 Myr. The optical reddening E(B-V) = 0.65 mag,while the infrared reddening is E(J-H) = 0.20 mag. The slope of the mass function distribution and the relaxation time estimations indicate that cluster NGC 6724 is dynamically relaxed.     

Statistical analysis of dynamic fibrils observed from NST/BBSO observations

We present the results obtained from the analysis of dynamic fibrils in NOAA active region(AR) 12132, using high resolution Hα observations from the New Solar Telescope operating at Big Bear Solar Observatory. The dynamic fibrils are seen to be moving up and down, and most of these dynamic fibrils are periodic and have a jet-like appearance. We found from our observations that the fibrils follow almost perfect parabolic paths in many cases. A statistical analysis on the properties of the parabolic paths showing an analysis on deceleration, maximum velocity, duration and kinetic energy of these fibrils is presented here. We found the average maximum velocity to be around 15 kms~(-1) and mean deceleration to be around 100 ms~(-2). The observed deceleration appears to be a fraction of gravity of the Sun and is not compatible with the path of ballistic motion due to gravity of the Sun. We found a positive correlation between deceleration and maximum velocity. This correlation is consistent with simulations done earlier on magnetoacoustic shock waves propagating upward.     

Dinoflagellates in a mesotrophic,tropical environment influenced by monsoon

The changes in dinoflagellate community structure in both – the water column and sediment in a mesotrophic, tropical port environment were investigated in this study. Since the South West Monsoon (SWM) is the main source of climatic variation, observations were made during two consecutive post-monsoon periods (2001 and 2002) and the intervening pre-monsoon period (2002). The pre-monsoon period supported a more diverse dinoflagellate community in the water column compared to both post-monsoon periods. Heterotrophic dinoflagellates were abundant in the water column as well as sediment. A seasonal cycling between vegetative and resting cysts of autotrophic and heterotrophic dinoflagellates governed by the environmental characteristics of the study area was observed. Temperature, salinity and suspended particulate matter were the main factors affecting dinoflagellate community structure in both the water column and sediment. The dominant dinoflagellates in the water column differed during both post-monsoon periods that followed two dissimilar monsoon events. Prorocentroids and gonyaulacoids dominated the water column subsequent to the 2001 SWM, whereas dinophysoids and unidentified tiny dinoflagellates dominated during the next post-monsoon period. The 2001 SWM started in May, peaked during June–July and reduced gradually to end in October. The 2002 SWM was erratic; it started late (in June) and ended earlier (in September). These observations highlight the potential of the SWM to influence the community structure of dinoflagellates in tropical waters and points to the importance of long-term studies to discern robust variations in dinoflagellate communities in response to fluctuating monsoon regimes.     

Photometric study of eclipsing binaries in the Large Magellanic Cloud——I.W UMa type binaries in the Large Magellanic Cloud

Eclipsing binaries are among the most important sources of information on stellar parameters like radii,masses,luminosities,etc.We present the analysis of six W UMa systems discovered in the Large Magellanic Cloud using the Wilson-Devinney method.     

Observed variability and trends in extreme temperature indices and rice–wheat productivity over two districts of Bihar, India—a case study

The purpose of this paper is to analyze the trends and variability in extreme temperature indices and its impact on rice–wheat productivity over two districts of Bihar, India, which is part of the middle Indo-Gangetic Basin. Mann–Kendall non-parametric test was employed for detection of trend and Sen slope was determined to quantify the magnitude of such trends. We have analyzed 10 extreme temperature indices for monthly and seasonally. The influence of extreme temperature indices on rice–wheat productivity was determined using correlation analysis. As far as Patna is concerned, if the number of cool days during September ≥10, the rice productivity will increase due to the availability of sufficient duration to fill up the grain. However, higher warm days during all the months except June will affect the productivity. A significant negative correlation was noticed between maximum value of minimum temperature during September and rice productivity. Highly significant positive correlation was noticed between number of cool days during September with rice productivity while it was highly significant negative correlation in the case of number of warm days during the same month. As far as Samastipur is concerned, a negative correlation was noticed between wheat productivity and maximum value of maximum temperature (TXx) during February, but not statistically significant. The higher temperature may affect the kernel weight and thereby yield. It is seen that a critical value of TXx ≥29.2 °C will be harmful to wheat crop during February. A significant positive correlation of number of cool nights with wheat productivity also supports the above relationship. The critical values of extreme temperature indices during rice and wheat growing months provide an indicator to assess the vulnerability of rice–wheat productivity to temperature for Patna and Samastipur districts and there is a need to prepare an adaptive strategy and also develop thermo-insensitive rice–wheat high yielding varieties suitable for this region to sustain rice–wheat productivity under projected climate change situation.     

Seasonal dynamics of turbidity maximum in the Muthupet estuary,India

Results are presented of the longitudinal and vertical profiling of salinity and suspended particulate matter (SPM) at the Muthupet estuary, India, during a one year period under widely varying freshwater flow conditions. Freshwater flow was available during post-monsoon and monsoon. An up-estuary shift in the location of estuarine turbidity maxima (ETM) was observed during the transition from post-monsoon to pre-monsoon and further it shifted downstream during the transition from pre-monsoon to monsoon, thereby exhibiting a pronounced seasonal cycle. The salinity intrusion was dependent on the freshwater discharge and was expressed as a power function of freshwater flow, explaining 97% of the variance. The formation of a salt plug in Muthupet estuary and its seasonal dynamics were observed, which is not an identified feature of any of the Indian estuaries studied so far. The geographical positions of salt plug and ETM core were more or less the same during their formation. The occurrence of two ETM during the LW of post-monsoon and the absence of ETM during monsoon explains the strong seasonal variation in the formation of ETM. The primary factor affecting the formation of ETM was identified as the freshwater flow over an annual cycle; the resuspension of sediments by tidal current affecting the formation on a flood/ebb cycle was secondary. The extent of shift of ETM was found to be an inverse logarithmic function of the freshwater discharge. The separation between ETM intrusion and salinity intrusion increased two fold with the increase in ETM intrusion.     

Free vibrations of open-section shear walls

The coupled torsional-flexural vibration of open-section shear walls, braced by connecting beams at each floor level, is analysed on the basis of Vlasov's theory of thin-walled beams. The basic dynamic equations and boundary conditions are derived from Hamilton's principle, and a numerical solution obtained by the Ritz-Galerkin method. In addition to the primary torsional and flexural inertias, secondary effects due to rotatory and warping inertia forces have also been taken into account. The method is suitable for both rigid and flexible base conditions. A series of numerical examples is presented in which analytical results are compared with available experimental data, and the effects of secondary inertia forces, base flexibility and connecting beams upon the vibration characteristics of such shear walls are examined for two different structural forms.