Phylogenetic diversity of carbohydrate degrading culturable bacteria from Mandovi and Zuari estuaries,Goa, west coast of India

Coastal and estuarine waters are highly productive and dynamic ecosystems. The complex carbohydrate composition of the ecosystem would lead to colonisation of microbial communities with abilities to produce an array of complex carbohydrate degrading enzymes. We have examined the abundance and phylogenetic diversity of culturable bacteria with abilities to produce complex carbohydrate degrading enzymes in the Mondovi and Zuari eustauri. It was interesting to note that 65% of isolated bacteria could produce complex carbohydrate degrading enzymes. A majority of these bacteria belonged to Bacillus genera followed by Vibrio, Marinobacter, Exiquinobacterium, Alteromonas, Enterobacter and Aeromonas. Most abundant bacterial genus to degrade hemicellulose and cellulose were Bacillus and Vibrio respectively. Most abundant bacterial genus to degrade hemicellulose and cellulose were Bacillus and Vibrio respectively. It was seen that 46% of Bacillus had ability to degrade both the substrate while only 14% of Vibrio had bifunctionality.     

Bianchi type-II,VIII, and IX cosmological models with matter and electromagnetic fields

We present analytic solutions of the Einstein-Maxwell equations for cosmological models of LRS Bianchi type-II, VIII, and IX. The solutions represent anisotropic universes with source-free electromagnetic fields and perfect fluids matter satisfying the equation of state that is a function of the cosmic-time. Some physical properties of the models have been discussed.     

Early Cosmological Models with Bulk Viscosity in Brans-Dicke Theory

The effect of time dependent bulk viscosity on the evolution of Friedmann models with zero curvature in Brans-Dicke theory is studied. The solutions of the field equations with ‘gamma-law’ equation of state p = (γ-1) ρ, where γ varies continuously as the Universe expands, are obtained by using the power-law relation φ = bR ⁿ , which lead to models with constant deceleration parameter. We obtain solutions for the inflationary period and radiation dominated era of the universe. The physical properties of cosmological solutions are also discussed. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Heat and mass transfer in rotating fluid with Hall current,I

Hall effects on the hydromagnetic free convection resulting from the combined effects of thermal and mass diffusion of an electrically conducting liquid past an infinite vertical porous plate in a rotating system have been analysed. The expressions for the mean velocity, mean temperature in the boundary layer and the mean skin friction, the mean rate of heat transfer on the plate are derived. The effects of magnetic parameterM, Hall parameterm, Schmidt number Sc, and Ekman numberE on the flow field, are discussed with the help of graphs and tables.     

Plane symmetric vacuum bianchi type I cosmological model in Brans-Dicke theory

The paper presents an exact solution of the vacuum Brans-Dicke field equations for the metric tensor of a spatially homogeneous and anisotropic cosmological model. The Kasner metric is shown as a special case. Some physical properties of the model are discussed.     

Waiting Time Distribution of Emissions in Complex Coronal Mass Ejections

The waiting time distribution of emissions in Coronal Mass Ejections (CMEs) with several emissions is examined. We define the waiting time as the time interval between the commencement of an emission and the commencement of the next emission considered as parts of a unique CME. The distribution seems to follow a power-law. Two classes of CMEs several emissions are considered: “close” and “separate” depending on angular distance between emissions.     

Photometry of the galactic cluster NGC 2169

The results of photoelectricU, B, V photometry of the galactic cluster NGC 2169 are presented. The colour excessE(B-V) is 0^m.18. The distance modulus to the cluster and its age are respectively estimated at 9^m.6 and 0.9×10⁷ yr. Star No. 10 is found to be variable.     

Multistage melt impregnation in Tethyan oceanic mantle: Petrochemical constraints from channelized melt flow in the Naga Hills Ophiolite

Ophiolitic sequences obducted onto continental margins allow field based observations coupled with petrochemical interrogations of upper mantle lithologies thereby aiding evaluation of compositional heterogeneity of oceanic mantle, depletion-enrichment events and geodynamic conditions governing oceanic lithosphere formation. The Naga Hills Ophiolite (NHO) suite preserves a segment of the Neotethyan oceanic lithosphere encompassing a package of mantle and crustal lithologies. This paper for the first time reports the occurrence of melt flow channels traversing the mantle section near Molen of the NHO and presents a comprehensive study involving chromite-spinel chemistry, bulk rock major, trace and PGE geochemistry to understand the petrogenesis and evolution in a geodynamic transition from mid oceanic ridge (MOR) to suprasubduction zone (SSZ). The spinel chemistry of peridotitic melt channels depicts both MOR-type and SSZ signatures underlining a transitional tectonic frame. Chromite chemistry and high Al₂O₃/TiO₂ ranging from 15.98–35.70 in concurrence with low CaO/Al₂O₃ ranging from 0.03–0.53; and chondrite normalised LREE > MREE < HREE patterns confirm the influx of boninitic melts into the refractory mantle. The boninitic signature shared by melt channels and host rock invokes a geochemical and geodynamic transition from anhydrous melting of depleted mantle to hydrated fluid flux melting resulting in boninitic melts, that subsequently impregnate and refertilise the fore arc mantle wedge in a SSZ regime at the nascent stage of subduction. The high Ba/Nb, Ba/Th, and Ba/La for the studied peridotites highlight the influx of subduction derived fluids in the supra subduction mantle. Further higher Zr/Hf and Nd/Hf with respect to primitive mantle values in concurrence with lower Nb/Ta suggest progressive refertilisation due to fluid- and melt-driven metasomatism of the refractory fore arc mantle wedge. The chondrite normalised PGE patterns suggest positive Ir and Ru anomalies stipulating the source to be refractory while enriched Pt and Pd underpins the mobilisation of these elements by subduction derived fluids and melts. The elevated abundances of PPGEs than IPGEs as cited by PPGE/IPGE > 1; and Pd/Pt avg. 0.85 for melt channels and 0.84 for host peridotites indicate fluid-fluxed metasomatism of fore arc mantle wedge with a S-undersaturated trend coupled with boninitic affinity. The mineral, trace, REE and PGE chemistry collectively emphasizes that the mantle peridotites of the NHO formed in a transitional geodynamic tectonic setting caused by fore arc extension during subduction initiation followed by rejuvenation by subduction derived fluids and boninitic melts, which typically are of the SSZ tectonic regime. The harzburgitic melt channels and host rock are refractory in nature, reflecting multiple episodes of melt extraction of about 5–15% and ~10–20% respectively from a spinel peridotite mantle source. The occurrences of these melt channels indicate segregation and percolation of melt through porous and channelized network in upper mantle peridotites.