Geospatial modelling for identification of potential ecological corridors in Orissa

Development of forest connectivity and corridors are critical for biodiversity conservation and also ensures energy and genetic exchange across greater spatial extent. A model has been developed to geospatially identify the potential ecological corridors based on the vegetation type and land cover data in association with spatial disturbance profile. The model formulates the route of least impedance due to (1) disturbance (a function of fragmentation, juxtaposition, Interspersion & proximity to roads/settlements) and (2) vegetation type and land cover. This is because the movement of genetic information and materials follow the path of least resistance across a landscape. The paper explores the utility of the approach to spatially generate ecological corridors connecting 14 protected areas of Orissa. The model has been able to identify the potential route connecting the different protected regions with 85–87% of the corridor in the natural areas. Of the 14 protected areas, only 12 could be connected by the model as they confirm to the criteria for the corridor establishment.     

Treatment of vegetable oil mill effluent using crab shell chitosan as adsorbent

In this study, a naturally available crab shell chitosan of low molecular weight (20?kDa) has been used as adsorbent to evaluate the pollution load in vegetable oil mill effluent. A series of batch experiment was conducted by varying chitosan dosage (100?C400?mg), pH (2?C9), stirring time (15?C90)?min and agitation speed (25?C150?rpm) to study their effects on adsorption and flocculation processes. The parameters considered for adsorption study are chemical oxygen demand, total suspended solids, electrical conductivity and turbidity. The maximum reduction in chemical oxygen demand, total suspended solids, electrical conductivity and turbidity is 74, 70, 56 and 92?% , respectively. The observed experimental result showed that crab shell chitosan could able to reduce significantly the chemical oxygen demand, turbidity, electrical conductivity and suspended matter. The optimum conditions were estimated as 400?mg/l chitosan, pH 4 and 45?min of mixing time with mixing speed of 50?rpm. Chitosan showed very good pollution removal efficiency and can be used for the effective treatment of vegetable oil mill effluent.     

Developing a biosorbent from <Emphasis Type="Italic">Aegle Marmelos</Emphasis> leaves for removal of methylene blue from water

Dried, mature leaves of Aegle Marmelos tree were converted to a powder, which was used as a biosorbent for dyes in water with methylene blue as a case study. The biosorbent had a surface area of 52.63 mg/g, and FTIR spectra showed the presence of –COOH, –NH₂, –R–SC=O (thioester) and R1–S(=O, =O)-N(–R2, –R3) groups on the surface. The particles were found to be porous in nature from scanning electron micrographs, and EDX measurements showed the elements C, O, Na, Mg, K, Ca and Fe on the surface. Batch adsorption experiments showed that the adsorption of the dye was preferred at near-neutral conditions. Adsorption equilibrium was achieved in ~120 min with maximum dye uptake of 19.9 mg/g. Investigation into the kinetics of adsorption indicated that second-order kinetics gave the best fit to the experimental data, and a rate coefficient of 8.0 × 10^?2 to 32.3 × 10^?2 g mg^?1 min^?1 was obtained.     

Bulk viscous cosmological models of universe with variable deceleration parameter in Lyra’s Manifold

FRW models of universe in the presence of viscous fluid are investigated in the cosmological theory based on Lyra’s Manifold. By considering the deceleration parameter to be a variable and the viscosity coefficient of bulk viscous fluid to be a constant, exacts solutions have been obtained from which three forms of model of the universe are derived. The physical properties of the models are also investigated.     

Distribution and risk assessment of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in the remote air and soil of Manipur,India

∑₂₅PCB congeners including dioxin-like compounds were analyzed at three sites of Manipur India to assess the level of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in air and soil. The ∑₂₅PCBs were higher in urban air (average 2,454 pg/m³), followed by the mountain air (average 2,109 pg/m³) and rural air (average 1,756 pg/m³). PCB levels observed in urban air were higher compared to PCB levels reported in major Indian metropolitan cities especially along the coastal region and were comparable with the pristine sites of India and also with some pockets of China and Europe. The heavier congeners (tetra, penta, tri and hexa) were dominant in both air and soil samples and show significant correlation with the ambient temperature. Emission of PCB congeners was investigated from soil surface. The total organic carbon present in soil shows the significant correlation (r ² = 0.8; p < 0.05) with the PCBs could indicate that the PCBs originated from the similar sources. Principal component analysis revealed that the sources of higher chlorinated PCB congeners are local emissions while long-range atmospheric transport process is responsible behind elevated levels of lower chlorinated PCBs. Total calculated toxic equivalent (TEQ) levels in soil (37.17–160.5 pg/g) were superior to reported TEQ level of agricultural soil in Delhi, India (0.01–105.40 pg/g). Back trajectory analysis showed that the observed high levels of PCB at Manipur may due to movement of air masses, mostly from the Northern and Southern India and to some extent from Myanmar.     

Long-term rainfall trends and change points in hot and cold arid regions of India

This study examined trends and change points in 100-year annual and seasonal rainfall over hot and cold arid regions of India. Using k-means clustering, 32 stations were classified into two clusters: the coefficient of variation for annual and seasonal rainfall was relatively high for Cluster-II compared to Cluster-I. Short-term and long-term persistence was more dominant in Cluster-II (entirely arid) and Cluster-I (partly arid), respectively. Trend tests revealed prominent increasing trends in annual and wet season rainfall of Cluster-II. Dry season rainfall increased by 1.09 mm year^?1 in the cold arid region. The significant change points in annual and wet season rainfall mostly occurred in the period 1941–1955 (hot and cold), and in the dry season in the period 1973–1975 (hot arid) and in 1949 (cold arid). The findings are useful for managing a surplus or deficiency of rainwater in the Indian arid region.

EDITOR A. Castellarin; ASSOCIATE EDITOR S. Kanae     

A higher-dimensional string cosmological model in Brans–Dicke theory of gravitation

Field equations in the presence of cosmic string source are obtained in a scalar tensor theory of gravitation proposed by Brans and Dicke (Phys. Rev. 124, 925 (1961)) with the aid of a five-dimensional Kaluza–Klein metric. An exact string cosmological model is presented which represents a five-dimensional Reddy string (Astrophys. Space Sci. 286, 2003b) in Brans–Dicke theory. Some physical properties of the model are also discussed     

Spectroscopic Studies on Astrophysically Interesting TaO TaS, ZrS and SiO+ Molecules

The true experimental potential energy curves for the electronic ground states of astrophysically important TaO, TaS, ZrS and SiO⁺molecules are constructed by using the Rydberg–Klein–Rees method as modified by Vanderslice et al. The ground state dissociation energies are determined by curve fitting techniques using the five parameters Hulburt-Hirschfelder (H-H) function. The estimated dissociation energies are 8.19 ± 0.17, 6.9 ±0.14, 5.89 ± 0.12 and 5.75 ± 0.12 eVfor TaO, TaS, ZrS and SiO⁺ respectively. These values are in good agreement with the literature values. The r-centriods and Franck–Condon factors (FC Factors) for the bands of K ² φ _5/2 - X ² Δ _3/2 (K-X) system of TaO, A-X ² Δ (A-X) and B-X ² Δ (B-X)systems of TaS, B ¹ Π - X¹ Σ⁺ (B-X) system of ZrS and B ²Σ⁺ - X² Σ⁺ (B-X) and A ² Π - X² Σ⁺ (A-X)systems of SiO⁺ molecules have been calculated. The Franck–Condon factors (FC factors) are evaluated by the approximate analytical methods of Jarmain and Fraser. The absence of the bands of these systems is explained. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Causal viscous universe coupled with zero-mass scalar field in higher derivative theory

Cosmological solutions in the presence of an imperfect fluid and zero-mass scalar field are obtained in higher derivative theory. We investigate both power law and exponential expansion of the universe described by full causal theories proposed by Israel and Stewart. It is observed that energy density, co-efficient of bulk viscosity decrease with time in the presence of massless scalar field and temperature increase with expansion of universe.     

Impacts of sea-level rise on coastal zones of Mauritius: insights following calculation of a coastal vulnerability index

Natural Hazards - Whilst climate change has been regarded as a growing concern in recent years due the disruptive and detrimental effects experienced across the globe, one of its most compelling...