Marine mammals from northeast Atlantic: relationship between their trophic status as determined by delta13C and delta15N measurements and their trace metal concentrations

The relationship between trophic position through delta13C and delta15N and trace metal concentrations (Zn, Cd, Cu and Hg) was investigated in the tissues of six marine mammal species from the Northeast Atlantic: striped dolphin Stenella coeruleoalba, common dolphin, Delphinus delphis, Atlantic white-sided dolphin Lagenorhynchus acutus, harbour porpoise Phocoena phocoena, white beaked-dolphin Lagenorhynchus albirostris, grey seal Halichoerus grypus stranded on French Channel and Irish coasts. White-beaked dolphins, harbour porpoises, white-sided dolphins, common and striped dolphins display the same relative and decreasing trophic position, as measured by delta15N values, along both the Irish and French channel coasts, reflecting conservative trophic habits between these two places. Hepatic and renal Cd concentrations were significantly correlated to muscle delta13C and delta15N values while Hg, Zn and Cu did not. These results suggest that Cd accumulation is partly linked to the diet while other factors such as age or body condition might explain Hg, Zn or Cu variability in marine mammals. Combined stable isotope and trace metal analyses appear to be useful tools for the study of marine mammal ecology.     

VLF emissions and substorm activity

The resonant interaction between the whistler mode waves and the energetic electrons near the plasmapause boundary has been studied in the presence of field aligned currents which seem to exist during substorm activity. It is shown that the electrons which carry the current along the direction of the magnetic field enhance the whistler mode growth considerably if the streaming velocity is small compared to the phase velocity of the wave. It is likely that this is one of the mechanisms explaining the intense VLF emissions observed near the plasmapause during substorm activity.     

A note on theH-functions of transfer problems in multiplying media

Some useful results and remodelled representations ofH-functions corresponding to the dispersion function $$T\left( z \right) = 1 - 2z^2 \sum\limits_1^n {\int_0^{\lambda r} {Y_r } \left( x \right){\text{d}}x/\left( {z^2 - x^2 } \right)} $$ are derived, suitable to the case of a multiplying medium characterized by $$\gamma _0 = \sum\limits_1^n {\int_0^{\lambda r} {Y_r } \left( x \right){\text{d}}x > \tfrac{1}{2} \Rightarrow \xi = 1 - 2\gamma _0< 0} $$      

Palaeomagnetic study of Archaean Banded Hematite Jasper Rocks from the Singhbhum-Orissa Craton, India

The Banded Hematite Jasper Formation within the Iron Ore Supergroup of the Singhbhum Craton in eastern India comprises fine alternating layers of jasper and specularite. It was deposited at 3000 Ma and deformed by a mobile episode at 2700 Ma. Hematite pigment (<1 μm) mixed with cryptocrystalline silica and specularite (> 10 μm) is chiefly responsible for red to brown rhythmic bands in the hematite jasper facies although thermomagnetic study also shows that minor amounts (1–2%) of magnetite are present. Palaeomagnetic study identifies a dual polarity remanence resident in hematite (D/I = 283/60°, α₉₅ = 12°) which predates deformation. Studies of the fabric of magnetic susceptibility and rock magnetic results suggest a diagenetic origin for this magnetisation with the hematite formed from oxidation of primary magnetite. The palaeopole (32°E, 24°N, dp/dm = 14/18°) records the earliest post-metamorphic magnetisation event in the Orissa Craton. A minimum apparent polar wander motion of the Orissa-Singhbhum craton of through 80° is identified during Late Archaean times (2900-2600 Ma).     

Geotechnical Properties of Low Calcium and High Calcium Fly Ash

In this paper, a comparative study has been made for physical and engineering properties of low calcium and high calcium Indian fly ash. The grain size distribution of fly ash is independent of lime content. Fly ash particles of size >75 μm are mostly irregular in shape whereas finer fractions are spherical for low calcium fly ash. For high calcium fly ash, chemical and mineralogical differences have been observed for different size fractions. Compared to low calcium fly ash, optimum moisture content is low and maximum dry density is high for high calcium fly ash. Optimum moisture content is directly proportional and maximum dry density is inversely proportional to the carbon content. The mode and duration of curing have significant effect on strength and stress–strain behavior of compacted fly ash. The gain in strength with time for high calcium fly ash is very high compared to that of low calcium fly ash due to presence of reactive minerals and glassy phase.     

Relative abundance of biotic communities of plankton and zoobenthos in three ox-bow lakes of Eastern India

We made comparative studies of three tropical ox-bow lakes in India with different trophic states. The species number of zooplanktons was negatively correlated with the degree of water eutrophication, and lakes of similar trophic status had higher similarity of species. The most significant differences of species composition were observed with rotifers and zoobenthos. The density and biomass of phytoplankton, rotifers, oligochaetes and chironomids tended to increase with increasing nutrients. We observed a significant difference of dominant species in different waters, especially the eutrophic lake, which was dominated by a few species of oligochaetes. The abundance of Tanypus bilobatus showed a highly significant correlation with the degree of eutrophication. Rotifers and zoobenthos showed considerably lower biodiversity in the eutrophic lake.     

Distribution, use pattern and prospects for conservation of medicinal shrubs in Uttaranchal State, India

The present paper gives an insight into the distribution and use pattern of medicinal shrubs in Uttaranchal State. A total of 222 medicinal and aromatic shrub species have been appended based on secondary information. Euphorbiaceae, Rosaceae, Verbenaceae, and Fabaceae have the highest repre- sentatives of medicinal shrubs. Twenty one families had one species each in medicinal use. Verbenaceae and Euphorbiaceae in the sub-tropical region, Rosaceae in the temperate region, and Ericaceae and Rosaceae in the sub-alpine and alpine regions, respectively, had the highest representatives of medicinal shrubs. The distribution of medicinal shrubs was 42 % in sub-tropical, 29 % in warm temperate, 13 % in cool temperate, 9 % in sub-alpine and 7 % in the alpine region. Of the total species, 70 medicinal shrubs were native to the Himalayas and 22 native to Himalayan region including other Hima- layan countries. The most frequently used plant parts for various ailments were leaves (31 %) and roots (23 %). Most shrubs are being used for the diseases, viz. skin diseases, dysentery, cough, fever, wounds, and rheumatism. The present paper will help in the execution of strategies for promotion and cultivation of medicinal shrubs in Uttaranchal State.     

Study of accretion disk dynamics in presence of cooling

We examine the behaviour of accretion flow around a rotating black hole in presence of cooling. We obtain global flow solutions for various accretion parameters that govern the accreting flow. We show that standing isothermal shock wave may develop in such an advective accretion flow in presence of cooling. This shocked solution has observational consequences as it successfully provides the possible explanations of energy spectra as well as generation of outflows/jets of various galactic and extra-galactic black hole candidates. We study the properties of isothermal shock wave and find that it strongly depends on the cooling efficiency. We identify the region in the parameter space spanned by the specific energy and specific angular momentum of the flow for standing isothermal shock as a function of cooling efficiencies and find that parameter space gradually shrinks with the increase of cooling rates. Our results imply that accretion flow ceases to contain isothermal shocks when cooling is beyond its critical value.     

Laser radiation in active amplifying media treated as a transport problem: Transfer equation derived and exactly solved

The flow of laser radiation in a plane-parallel cylindrical slab of active amplifying medium with axial symmetry is treated as a problem in radiative transfer. The appropriate one-dimensional transfer equation describing the transfer of laser radiation has been derived by an appeal to Einstein'sA, B coefficients (describing the processes of stimulated line absorption, spontaneous line emission, and stimulated line emission sustained by population inversion in the medium) and considering the rate equations to completely establish the rational of the transfer equation obtained. The equation is then exactly solved and the angular distribution of the emergent laser beam intensity is obtained; its numerically computed values are given in tables and plotted in graphs showing the nature of peaks of the emerging laser beam intensity about the axis of the laser cylinder.