bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Enrichment of various metals in Abelmoschus esculentus grown in wastewater irrigated soil area of Dehradun city, India
Authors: Pathak Chakresh , Chopra A. K. , Srivastava Sachin
Published: April 2018

The accumulation of metal contents in soil from wastewater (WW) irrigation is a cause of serious concern due to their potential accumulation in vegetables and food products growing in such areas. The results revealed the concentration of Pb (0.17±0.03 mg/l), Cu (0.10±0.04 mg/l), Zn (1.06±0.08 mg/l), Ni (0.08±0.02 mg/l), Cd (0.07±0.02 mg/l) and Cr (0.07±0.02 mg/l) in the WW of Bindal river used for irrigation of Abelmoschus esculentus. The maximum metal contents were observed for Pb (43.89±6.13 mg/kg), Cu (20.92±3.19 mg/kg), Zn (46.77±6.51 mg/kg), Ni (39.95±8.02 mg/kg), Cd (15.57±2.17 mg/kg) and Cr (125.70±23.01 mg/kg). The enrichment factors (EF) in WW irrigated soil were found to be in the order of Cd (2.46) > Cr (2.42) > Zn (1.67) > Cu (1.36) = Ni (1.36) > Pb (1.31). The concentration of Pb was maximum (57.99±1.54 mg/kg) in roots, Cu (33.91±2.13 mg/kg) in the leaves; Zn (81.70±2.99 mg/kg) in roots, Ni (86.10±3.19 mg/kg) in stem; Cd (20.39±1.99 mg/kg) and Cr (76.78±3.04 mg/kg) in leaves of A. esculentus. The EF values of 2-5 for Pb, Cu, Ni, Cd and Cr except Zn for fruits, leaves and roots of A. esculentus showed moderate enrichment of these metals. The values for Cd and Cr showed moderate enrichment of the stem of this plant. The study concluded that the WW irrigation increased the metallic contents of soil, which in turn were accumulated in different parts of A. esculentus that may cause potential health risk in human beings.
Phylogenetic analysis among Indian squill Urginea indica Kunth. Liliaceae
Authors: Kameshwari M. N. Shiva , Geetha H. L. , Tharasaraswathi K. J.
Published: April 2018

In the present study on Urginea indica, twelve different populations from southern part of India is considered. Fifteen parameters have been scored for each population to understand the relationship between different races. The main objective is to trace phylogeny in populations of U. indica to construct phylogenetic tree. The phylogenetic tree obtained is an unrooted tree. The parsimony tree describes that Shimoga and Chamundi hill populations have parallely evolved and forms the out group. Dopaegowdanapura population has given rise to Gopalaswamy betta, Gopalaswamy betta has given rise to Banganavadi and Banganavadi has given rise to one population which is missing in the tree and the missing population has given rise to Gorur on one hand and to Krishna Raja Sagar island and Gandhi Krishi Vighnayana Kendra on the other hand. Krishna Raja Sagar island and Gandhi Krishi Vighnayana Kendra shares a common clade. Gorur has given rise to Papanasini and Papanasini has given rise to Channamallipura, from Channamallipura another population has been evolved which is missing and the missing population has given rise to Basavanahalli and Ranganthittu which shares a Common clade. The Parsimony tree shows that these populations have evolved parallel. Dopaegowdanapura is the oldest from which all others are evolved. Ranganathittu and Basavanahalli form the youngest and latest. Therefore it is an unrooted tree with distance. Each population varied in their morphology and chromosome number and called as cytotypes. Difference in morphological character is mainly because of genetic characters. Habitat does not seem to play major role to mould morphological features.
Quantitative osteological study of a bottom feeder hillstream cyprinoid fish Crossocheilus latius latius (Hamilton- Buchanan)
Authors: Bahuguna S. N. , Chowdhary Ashish K. , Singh Shurveer
Published: April 2018

The quantitative osteological study has been conducted on a Hillstream bottom feeder fish Crossocheilus latius latius. C. latius latius is a common hillstream fish of Snowfed Rivers of Alaknanda. The bones have been taken from different sized fishes ranged from 13 to 27 Cm in length and 39 to 132 gm in weight. The correlation is applied between Body Weight and the Weight of different disarticulated bones of C. latius latius. The correlation (r) is highly significant among the different parameter of body in relation to osteology which ranged from r = 0.952; P<0.1 to r = 0.999; P< 0.1.
Impact of pesticide Rogor toxicity on serum phosphomonoesterase levels of freshwater catfish Clarias batrachus
Authors: Chandra Sudhish
Published: April 2018

The exposure of pesticide Rogor had significantly altered serum alkaline and acid phosphatase activities in freshwater catfish, Clarias batrachus at different concentrations and duration under static conditions. However, the intensity of activity of both the enzymes were interestingly different. The fish elicited marked behavioral changes with increasing concentrations and exposure duration. The rising trend in enzyme levels which mediate membrane transport mechanism and biosynthesis of macromolecules, have been correlated with the induction and leakage of respective enzymes from liver following membrane damage and necrosis due to pesticide toxicity.
Influence of soil surface manipulation on soil temperature in relation to peanut production
Authors: Khan A. R. , Rahman A. , Singh R. D.
Published: April 2018

Soil temperature is recognised as one of the most important factors in crop production. Some degree of manual control of soil temperature is possible through regulation of soil surface cover. The effect of eight mulch treatments ( rice husk, rice husk incorporated, paddy straw, saw dust, water mulch, transparent polyethylene, black polyethylene and bare) on the soil temperature during various growth phases of peanut crop (Arachis hypogaea L.) were investigated on a lateritic sandy loam soil (ultisols). These experiments were conducted for two consecutive seasons. Plastic mulches raised the temperature upto 5 0C generally during afternoon whereas vegetative mulches depressed the same. Between the plastic mulches, black polyethylene covered field recorded lower soil temperature (upto 20 C) than the transparent one. Water mulches due to their high specific heat capacity acted as a heat sink during the day and heat source at night. The vegetative mulches suppressed the soil temperature and did not allow the radiant energy to contact the soil directly and emitted back the energy to the atmosphere. Among the vegetative mulches, rice husk and saw dust proved better than paddy straw and rice husk incorporated. The type and amount of soil cover which modify micro-climate and soil edaphic environment, may help to plan the farming practice for better crop growth and production.
Seasonal status of density of phytoplanktons and zooplanktons in Gomti river of Lucknow (U.P.), India
Authors: Singh Preety
Published: April 2018

Biodiversity of river Gomti is heavily affected by pollution. Planktons are important biological parameters to access the pollution level. Zooplanktons are the source of food for higher organism and phytoplankton play important role in biosynthesis of organic material and influence the river ecosystem, aquatic food chain and water characteristic. The biological productivity as ecological indicator to identify the ecological quality of river Gomti. The phytoplankton density fluctuated maximum in between the range of (140-900 In/l) during monsoon season and minimum (40-140 In/l) during winter season. Zooplanktons were reported to be highest (168-220 In/l) during winter and lowest (114-155 In/l) during summer season. During study period the total of phytoplanktons (17 sp.) and zooplanktons (10 sp.) were noticed during different seasons. Present study concluded that seasonal differences of planktons density will help in further planning of water management and their use for beneficial purpose like agricultural, drinking for mankind.
Biochemical indices to monitor health status with respect to reproductive cycle of Melanochelys trijuga
Authors: Chandavar Vidya R. , Raghu N. , Lalitha R. , Naik Prakash R.
Published: April 2018

Blood analysis can provide information regarding the physiological condition of an individual animal or population health as a whole. The present investigation analyzed clinical laboratory data of soluble organic substances of plasma namely triglycerides, cholesterol, HDL, serum glutamic pyruvic transaminase (SGPT/ aspartate amionotransferase) and albumin of Asian pond turtle Melanochelys trijuga. Using multiple samples measures of analysis and variance was determined. M. trijuga exhibited variation in biochemical parameters with respect to reproductive cycle. Biochemical profiles of cholesterol, HDL, LDL, SGPT and albumin values found to be high in preparative period and minimum in recrudescent period of the reproductive cycle. This indicates that the preparative period is the stage where the animals prepare for the forth coming reproductive period. The level of triglycerides and cholesterol varied independently. All the parameters fluctuated with in normal range. The data may be useful to evaluate the health status of the turtle for veterinary care and conservation.
Efficacy of Capparis decidua in control of Lymnea acuminata and their cercaria larvae at Balsamand lake, Jodhpur
Authors: Shekhawat Jyotsna , Vyas Naresh
Published: April 2018

The snail Lymnea acuminata is considered to be intermediate hosts because humans harbour the sexual stages of the parasites and the snails harbour the asexual stages. Herbs are believed to be safer than the synthetic drugs for the control of snails. Alcoholic extracts of Capparis decidua flowers have been evaluated for their lethal effect against L. acuminata and their cercarial larvae. 1%, 2%, 5% concentration of alcoholic flower extract of Capparis were not effective for cercaria after 9 hrs of treatment. 100% mortality was not observed in echinostome and furcocerous even in 24 hrs. But surprisingly after 17 hrs 100% mortality was observed in 5% concentration for xiphdio.
Analysis of n-alkanes in the cuticular wax of leaves of Ficus glomerata Roxb.
Authors: Kundu Somenath , Sinhababu Amalendu
Published: April 2018

Leaf cuticle was covered by epicuticular wax consisting mainly of straight chain aliphatic hydrocarbons with a variety of substituted groups. The studies of cuticular characters of leaves had played an important role in chemotaxonomy. An n-hexane extract of fresh and mature leaves of Ficus glomerata, containing a thin layer of epicuticular waxes was analyzed for the first time by Thin Layer Chromatography, Infrared Spectroscopy, Gas Chromatography and Scanning Electron Microscopy using standard hydrocarbons. The leaves contained 18 identified long chain (C15–C33) n-alkanes except C23 accounting for 68.82% of the hydrocarbons, and an unknown number of unidentified branched chain alkanes. The predominant n-alkanes were C16 (5.92%), C17 (6.18%), C27 (5.11%), C29 (5.29%), C31 (5.47%), whilst C15 (4.21%), C18 (4.57%), C26 (3.88%), C28 (3.53%), C30 (3.43%) n-alkanes were moderately abundant. The C19 (2.53%), C20 (2.52%) and C22 (2.16%) homologues were present only in minor amounts. SEM views were also taken for epicuticular layers and hydrocarbons of the leaves. Qualitative and Quantitative characterization of n-alkanes present in the epicuticular wax can be used as an effective tool in chemotaxonomical work.
Impact of photoperiod on circadian sucrose and sucrase rhythms in the digestive system of silkworm, Bombyx mori.
Authors: Bhuvaneswari E. , Sailaja B. , Sivaprasad S.
Published: April 2018

The impact of photoperiod on circadian sucrose and sucrase rhythms were analyzed in the digestive system of Bombyx mori under 12 hr light-dark cycle (LD), continuous light (LL) and continuous dark (DD). The rhythmic changes were interpreted as synthetic cycles in gut wall and release or uptake cycles in gut lumen. The gut wall comprised 6 sucrose synthetic cycles (SS cycles) under LD, LL and 5 under DD. The 24 hr rhythm of LD and LL was clock shifted to 28.8 hr under DD. In gut content, the sucrose rhythm showed 7 sucrose uptake cycles (SUcycles) under LD, 6 under LL and 5 under DD and the 24 hr rhythm of LD was clock shifted to 28.0 hr under LL and 34 hr under DD. In the gut wall sucrase rhythm maintained 7 SES cycles under LD and DD and 9 cycles under LL and its 24-hr rhythm is advanced to 18.2 hr. In the gut lumen 5 SER cycles under LD, 8 under LL and 6 under DD and its rhythm is advanced to 15 hr under LL and 20 hr under DD. Further analysis of data showed that LD favoured both synthesis and uptake of sucrose while LL, favoured the sucrase synthesis and its release.
Ion chromatography determination of anionic change in surface and ground water due to industrial effluents in Jammu (J&K), India
Authors: Khan Sajaad Iqbal , Rampal Raj Kumar , Nisha Nisha
Published: April 2018

In present investigation of anionic (fluoride, chloride, bromide, phosphate and sulphate) change in surface and ground water due to industrial effluents by ion chromatography technique has been determined in area of Jammu using Ion-chromatograph (IC-850).Surface and ground water samples were taken before and after discharge of industrial effluents. All required standards for calibration and all the samples (water as well as industrial effluents) have been prepared by using ultra pure water obtained from M Millipore. Both the peak height (PH) and peak area (PA) were used to assess the IC signals. All the peaks for anions were clear with good resolution and there were no interactions between them. The total time for anion analysis was recorded to be about 28 minutes .Anions like fluoride exhibited drastic change in concentration in surface and ground water samples taken after discharge of industrial effluents.
Quantitative environmental impact assessment of the Open cast mining in Sonbhadra district, Uttar Pradesh, India
Authors: Mishra Ajai , Pandey Vinay Kumar
Published: April 2018

The district Sonbhadra, previously a part of Mirzapur district in Uttar Pradesh, India, was created as a separate district in 1991.Geologically the area consists of Vindhyan supergroup, Mahakoshal group and Dudhi granitoid complex.The district Sonbhadra has rich mineral resources and their potential. The area is known for production of cement grade Limestone and Dolomite; the other minerals are Clay, Calcite, Silimanite and base metals for more than last three decades. These mining areas show impacts on the environmental status of the district. In the present study, the different mining and environmental parameters have been considered for analysing the environmental impact assessment (EIA). A matrix method has been used to delineate the quantitative EIA in the area. Finally, the resulted assessment impact value index (-2861.76), shows significant impact on environment such as degradation of forest land, air contamination due to mining dust, water quality and related health aspect of the area. Thus, major environmental control measures should be taken for sustainable development of the study area such as improvement of mining equipments, proper dumping of the mining waste and large scale plantation.
Byssoloma subdiscordans (Nyl.) P. James: Distributional range and its habitat preference in Indian subcontinent
Authors: Joshi Y. , Tripathi M.
Published: April 2018

The present paper deals with the new distributional record of Byssoloma subdiscordans for Western Himalayan lichen flora and a new habitat record for Indian subcontinent. A note on its brief taxonomic description, distribution, ecology and occurrence in India is also provided. Previously the species was reported as corticolous and foliicolous from tropical and montane regions of India, viz. Eastern Himalaya and Western Ghats, but this is for the first time that authors have reported it as saxicolous in temperate regions of Western Himalaya, thus extending its habitat preference along with distributional range within Indian subcontinent.
Compatibility of fungal bioagent for bacterial leaf blight of rice with chemical pesticides, commonly used in rice cultivation
Authors: Gangwar Gokil Prasad
Published: April 2018

Though the pesticides have adverse effects but they still are very important in crop protection. Hence, present study on compatibility of fungal bioagent (Trichoderma harzianum) of bacterial leaf blight of rice with chemical pesticides which are commonly used in rice cultivation was carried out with aim to look the possibilities of integrating biological control with chemical control to manage bacterial leaf blight of rice effectively. All the chemical pesticides (fungicides, antibiotic, insecticides and herbicides) exhibited varying adverse effect on mycelial growth of T. harzianum but none of these was antisporulant. Among fungicides and antibiotic, copper oxychloride and streptocycline was compatible with T. harzianum at all concentrations (2000, 1000, 500 and 250 ppm) but mancozeb exhibited compatibility only on lower concentrations (500 and 250 ppm). All insecticides and herbicides were compatible with T. harzianum at all concentrations (2000, 1000, 500 and 250 ppm). Further studies are required in this area of research.
Genotoxicity and tumor inducing potential of roadside soil samples exposed to heavy traffic emissions at Amritsar (Punjab), India
Authors: Kaur Rajwant , Pakade Yogesh B. , Katnoria Jatinder Kaur
Published: April 2018

Noxious gases released from vehicles adversely affect the microbial population of the roadside soil as well as exerts influence on plant growth and development. Considering the increasing vehicular pollution in Amritsar, a holy city of Punjab (India) and their serious consequences in terms of health problems, the present study was planned to estimate genotoxic and tumor inducing potentials of soil samples from Golden temple (GT) and Putlighar Chowk (PG) by employing Allium cepa root chromosomal aberration assay (AlRCAA) and Potato disc tumor assay (PDTA), respectively. The genotoxic potential in terms of percent aberrant cells in A. cepa was found to be 29.24 % (GT) and 29.24 % (PG) during in situ treatment and 39.00 % (GT) and 39.48 % (PG) during root dip treatment. The average number of tumors was found to be 14.4 in PG sample, followed by 13.0 in GT sample. Both samples have shown high content of lead viz., 39.81 (GT) and 56.48 (PG) during physicochemical analysis of the samples.
Evapotranspiration mapping for agricultural water management: An overview
Authors: Kumar Rakesh , Shambhavi Shweta , Kumar Rajesh , Singh Yanendra Kumar , Rawat Kisan Singh
Published: April 2018

Evapotranspiration (ET) is an essential component of the water balance. Any attempt to improve water use efficiency must be based on reliable estimates of ET, which includes water evaporation from land and water surfaces and transpiration by vegetation. ET varies regionally and seasonally according to weather and wind conditions. Remote sensing based agro-meteorological models are presently most suited for estimating crop water use at both field and regional scales. Numerous ET algorithms have been developed to make use of remote sensing data acquired by sensors on airborne and satellite platforms. The use of remote sensing to estimate ET is presently being developed along two approaches: (a) land surface energy balance (EB) method and (b) Reflectance based crop coefficient and reference ET approach. The reported estimation accuracy varied from 67 to 97% for daily ET and above 94% for seasonal ET indicating that they have the potential to estimate regional ET accurately. Automated contours are not confined to specific pre-determined geographic areas (as in MLRA), require less time and cost. The spatial and temporal remote sensing data from the existing set of earth observing satellite platforms are not sufficient enough to be used in the estimation of spatially distributed ET for on-farm irrigation management purposes, especially at a field scale level (~10 to 200 ha). However, research opportunities exist to improve the spatial and temporal resolution of ET by developing algorithms to increase the spatial resolution of reflectance and surface temperature data derived from K1VHRR/Landsat/ASTER/MODIS images using same/other-sensor high resolution multi-spectral images.
Impact of thymoquinone supplementation on immobilisation stress-induced changes in reproductive characteristics of male mice
Authors: Abdul Rahman Suzanah , Anwar Norul Athirah Mohamed , Basha Shaik Sadak , Kamarzaman Saheera
Published: April 2018

The aim of the current study was to investigate changes in the reproductive parameters during stress and the impact of thymoquinone during the period. The effects of stress were measured through immobilisation stress on mice. Group I was administered normal saline daily via intraperitoneal injection while Groups II and III were subjected to 2 and 6 hours of immobilisation stress respectively. Groups IV and V were subjected to stress for 2 and 6 hours respectively followed by intraperitoneal injection of 10 mg/kg thymoquinone which was continued on alternate days. The level of significance was set at p<0.05 and statistical analysis showed significant difference in testicular weight of mice in groups II and III compared to the controls but no significant difference was obtained for sperm count between all groups. Sperm motility, however, was significantly different among the groups under stress for 2 and 6 hours and that of 6 hours with the treatment of thymoquinone when compared to the controls. The histology of the testes also indicated a few alterations in comparison to the controls in the germinal epithelium and spermatogenic pattern in groups III and V.
Efficacy of essential oils against Varroa destructor infesting Apis mellifera Linn. colonies and their impact on brood development
Authors: Goswami Vimla , Srivastava Poonam , Khan M. S.
Published: April 2018

Varroa destructor is a dangerous pest directly for beekeeping and indirectly for crops that require insect pollination. The present investigation has been carried out to study the efficacy and persistence of some essential oils and formic acid against Varroa mite in colonies of Apis mellifera Linn. at Pantnagar, Uttarakhand. The results revealed that highest mite mortality (77.54 %) with highest brood development (21.74 % increase) recorded in garlic oil followed by turmeric oil (75.84 %) with 15.39 per cent increases in brood development. The hives treated withT1(tulsi oil), T3 (turmeric oil), T4 (ajwin oil), T5 (cinnamon oil), T5 (clove oil) and T7 (formic acid) also showed good persistence with mite mortality ranging from 66.54 to 77.54 % and brood development -3.12 to 21.74 per cent increase after 3 weeks exposure of the treatments.
Standardization of leaf age for radical scavenging activity in Terminalia arjuna
Authors: Kuvad Ranjan P. , Chudasama Kiran S. , Jhala Vibhuti M. , Thaker Vrinda S.
Published: April 2018

Terminalia arjuna is one of the many such plant that used in indigenous system of medicine for curing different diseases. For effective formulation of herbal drug selection of proper age of the plant is imperative. In the present study, the T. arjuna plant (leaves) was collected from the Botanical garden of Saurashtra University. The leaves were grouped in to various size and growth analysis was performed. Each extract homogenized in methanol and was used for chlorophyll estimation and antioxidant activities. Radical scavenging activity of the methanol extract of different stages leaves were determined using a stable free radical 2, 2-diphenyl-1-picryl hydrazyl (DPPH), using Micro plate assay. Further the phenolic compounds were separated by Reverse phase high pressure liquid chromatography analysis (RP-HPLC). At the leaf stage when maximum antioxidant activity was observed, phenol like Gallic acid showed distinct peak. The role of phenolic compounds in antioxidant activities is discussed.
Effect of bioagent application time against bacterial leaf blight of rice caused by Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae (Uyeda and Ishiyama) Dowson
Authors: Gangwar Gokil Prasad , Sinha A. P.
Published: April 2018

Present investigation was carried out to test the effect of time of application on efficacy of Trichoderma harzianum and Pseudomonas fluorescens formulations against bacterial leaf blight of rice, under field condition. Foliar sprays with bioagent(s) in three time sequences i.e. 7 days before, simultaneously and 7 days after inoculation of Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae inoculation significantly reduced disease severity over check during Kharif 2006 and 2007. Maximum reduction in bacterial leaf blight disease was obtained with the application of T. harzianum on 7 days before inoculation of pathogen during Kharif 2006 and 2007 and maximum increase in grain yield was obtained with the application of PBA-2 seven days before inoculation of pathogen. It was revealed that prophylactic spray of bioagents one week prior to pathogen inoculation was significantly (106 cfu/g) effective in reducing disease severity of bacterial leaf blight of rice as compared to chemical treatment.
Ichthyofaunal diversity in Bachan Gad and Kakda streams of the Mid-himalayan Ganga river system of Garhwal in relation to stream gradient and distance
Authors: Singh Yogendra , Chowdhary Ashish K. , Bahuguna S.N.
Published: April 2018

The present study was carried out to investigate the comparative seasonal distribution and relative abundance of fish fauna of streams Bachan Gad of river Alaknanda and Kakda Gad of river Mandakini of Mid-himalayan Ganga river System. Total length of the Bachan Gad is 14.5 km from origin to the confluence at main river Alaknanda with an altitudinal variation from 605.94 to 1418.23m (a.s.1), whereas, total length of the Kakda Gad is 15.5 km. from origin to confluence at main river Mandakini with altitudinal variation from 984.50 to 1993.70 m (a.s.1). Total 23 species from Bachan Gad and 20 fish species were identified from Kakda Gad. The differences in the availability of fish-fauna were directly related to the nature of the profile and slope of tributaries; which affects the migration and breeding grounds of the fishes inhabited in the main river Alaknanda and Mandakini of Ganga river system. Variation in the availability of fishes has been recorded from different sites of the stream. In streams and rivers the changes take place along their length is directly related to the eco-physico-chemical nature (water depth, current, substratum etc). All these factors which change along the length of streams are also the factors which control the distribution of the various sections of the biotic fauna and flora.
Sourdough bread preparation using selected lactic acid bacterial starter cultures
Authors: Math Nandini , Jagadeesh K. S. , Masur Shakuntala , Bharati Pushpa
Published: April 2018

The lactic fermentation of cereals is known to improve the food quality through the development of flavor, enhancement of the nutritional value and shelf life, and by removing toxic or antinutritional factors of food products. Lactic acid bacteria (LAB) strains are able to improve the shelf life of several food products. The efficiency of the LAB cultures determined in in vitro assays was confirmed in bread manufacture. The sourbread prepared using 50 per cent yeast and 50 per cent LAB starter (based on cell density) was found to be superior to the conventional bread in textural characteristics, flavor, appearance and even taste. It contained enough protein (10.15%) and the least fat value (7.68%). It scored the highest acceptability index of 81.70. These results point out the advantages of using selected LAB strains as starter cultures for sourdough fermentation.
Preference of farmers towards private and public extension services
Authors: Kaur Jasvinder , Malik Joginder S. , Shehrawat P. S. , Dahiya Sushila , Peer Quadri Javeed Ahmed
Published: April 2018

The main purpose of this study was to know the preference of farmers for different services provided by private and public extension agencies. In recent times involvement of private extension agencies has been increased in agricultural sector and up to some extent it has sidelined the public extension agencies, but public extension agencies have potential to do better and to reach farmers at their best. In view of this, present study was undertaken to find out the farmers’ preference towards public and private extension services in Ambala, Kurukshetra, Karnal, Hisar and Fatehabad districts of Haryana state. From each district two blocks were selected randomly and from each block two villages were selected. A manageable size of 10 farmers was selected from each village thus making total sample size of 200 farmers. Various aspects related to agricultural services provided by both public and private agencies were identified and response were obtained by putting a tick mark as per farmers’ preference for private and public agencies. On the basis of statistical tools like rank and mean score, results showed that farmers had great preference for ‘Input supply’ in private extension as compared to public extension followed by ‘Infrastructure facilities’. While for ‘Consultancy and diagnosis services’, ‘Information’ and ‘Technical services’, public extension was preferred as over the private extension.
Rotifer communities of religious water bodies of Haryana (India): Biodiversity, distribution and ecology
Authors: Bhatnagar Anita , Devi Pooja
Published: April 2018

The rotifer communities of eight religious water bodies of Haryana characterized by different trophic status reveal 44 species belonging to 15 genera and 12 families, represent the richest biodiversity of rotifers. Brachionus, Asplanchna and Keratella genus were found to be pollution tolerant species and common at all the selected water bodies viz., Brahmsarovar and Jyotisar at Kurukshetra; Saraswati tirth, Pehowa; Kapalmochan, Yamunanagar; Phalgu tirth, Kaithal; Banganga tirth , Dayalpur; Pandu Pindara, Jind and Kultarn Tirth, Kirmach. whereas Gastropus, Testudinella, Monostyla clasterocerca, Lecane arcula, Filina terminalis were found to be specific at Brahmsarovar (site 1); Filinia longiseta at Phalgu (site 2); Lecane ploenensis, Euchlanis dilata at Pehowa (site 3); B. budapestinensis, B. nilsoni, Asplanchna brightwelli, Asplanchna sieboldii, Polyurthera were specific to Kirmach (site 4); Monostyla decipiens, Anauraepsis nevicula at Jyotisar (site 5); Trichocera porcellus at Kapal mochan (site 7); Keratella cochlearis, Trichocera capucina were found to be specific at the BanGanga (site 8,). However, no specific species appeared at Pandu Pindara (site 6). Seasonal variations were also observed at all the sites during spring, monsoon, post monsoon and in winters. A positive correlation of rotifer abundance was observed with temperature (r = 0.356, P < 0.05), BOD (r = 0.413, P < 0.05) and Ammonia (r = 0.378, P < 0.05) whereas a negative correlation was observed with DO (r = -0.385, P < 0.05) showing that these were the main factors affecting the richness, diversity and density of rotifers. The rotifer communities of each site can be reconstructed from the tables and figures making this inventory an important benchmark for evaluating future regional environment change.
An Assessment of Earthquake Risk in Thecho of Kathmandu Valley Nepal: Scenario and Reality
Authors: Maharjan Sony , Shrestha Shobha
Published: April 2018

Natural disaster cannot be stopped but its effect can be minimized or avoided by adopting technology and necessary human adjustment. Earthquake is a natural event which occurs without early warning signs. Computer based earthquake scenarios are used worldwide to describe and estimate the damage from potential earthquakes. The current study is an attempt to explore potential risk with respect to physical infrastructure and assess modeled and actual physical damage and human loss caused by different earthquake scenario and actual 2015 earthquake event in Thecho of Kathmandu valley. The earthquake scenario is based on two nearest fault lines. Risk Assessment Tools for the Diagnosis of Urban Seismic Risk (RADIUS) method has been applied for estimation of potential building damage and casualties..The research has adopted integrated approach using secondary and primary data sources such as field observation, key informant survey and building survey through purposive random sampling.The study found that potential building damage estimated by RADIUS for Gorkha 2015 earthquake scenario and North-west (Khokana) are lower than the actual post-earthquake assessment whereas North earthquake scenario resulted higher loss. Actual damage caused by 2015 earthquake compared to modeled damage from RADIUS is found higher because additional damaged were made by successive aftershocks. Spatial distribution of potential building damage for earthquake scenarios and actual 2015 earthquake event is also variable. North-Nuwakot Earthquake Scenario resulted more hazardous than the North-Khokana scenario though the location of epicenter is relatively farther with high intensity. The study concluded that though earthquake occurrence and disaster is still less predictable risk assessment tools like RADIUS and mitigation measures based on such is important for reducing risk of earthquake disaster.The Geographical Journal of NepalVol. 11: 127-136, 2018
Inter-religious relations in Yorubaland, Nigeria: corpus methods and anthropological survey data
Authors: Nolte M. Insa , Ancarno Clyde , Jones Rebecca
Published: April 2018

This paper uses corpus methods to support the analysis of data collected as part of a large-scale ethnographic project that focusses on inter-religious relations in south-west Nigeria. Our corpus consists of answers to the open questions asked in a survey. The paper explores how people in the Yoruba-speaking south-west region of Nigeria, particularly Muslims and Christians, manage their religious differences. Through this analysis of inter-religious relations, we demonstrate how corpus linguistics can assist analyses of text-based data gathered in anthropological research. Meanwhile, our study also highlights the necessity of using anthropological methods and knowledge to interpret corpus outputs adequately.

We carry out three types of analyses: keyness analysis, collocation analysis and concordance analysis. These analyses allow us to determine the ‘aboutness’ of our corpus. Four themes emerge from our analyses: (1) religion; (2) co-operation, tolerance and shared communal values such as ‘Yoruba-ness’; (3) social identities and hierarchies; and (4) the expression of boundaries and personal dislike of other religious practices.
Functional Text Dimensions for the annotation of web corpora
Authors: Sharoff Serge
Published: April 2018

This paper presents an approach to classifying large web corpora into genres by means of Functional Text Dimensions (FTDs). This offers a topological approach to text typology in which the texts are described in terms of their similarity to prototype genres. The suggested set of categories is designed to be applicable to any text on the web and to be reliable in annotation practice. Interannotator agreement results show that the suggested categories produce Krippendorff's α at above 0.76. In addition to the functional space of eighteen dimensions, similarity between annotated documents can be described visually within a space of reduced dimensions obtained through t-distributed Statistical Neighbour Embedding. Reliably annotated texts also provide the basis for automatic genre classification, which can be done in each FTD, as well as as within the space of reduced dimensions. An example comparing texts from the Brown Corpus, the BNC and ukWac, a large web corpus, is provided.
Survey of the Current Activities in the Field of Modeling the Space Debris Environment at TU Braunschweig
Authors: Horstmann André , Kebschull Christopher , Müller Sven , Gamper Eduard , Hesselbach Sebastian , Soggeberg Kerstin , Ben Larbi Mohamed , Becker Marcel , Lorenz Jürgen , Wiedemann Carsten , Stoll Enrico
Published: April 2018

The Institute of Space Systems at Technische Universität Braunschweig has long-term experience in the field of space debris modeling. This article reviews the current state of ongoing research in this area. Extensive activities are currently underway to update the European space debris model MASTER. In addition to updating the historical population, the future evolution of the space debris environment is also being investigated. The competencies developed within these activities are used to address current problems with regard to the possibility of an increasing number of catastrophic collisions. Related research areas include, for example, research in the field of orbit determination and the simulation of sensor systems for the acquisition and cataloging of orbital objects. In particular, the ability to provide simulated measurement data for object populations in almost all size ranges is an important prerequisite for these investigations. Some selected results on the distribution of space debris on Earth orbit are presented in terms of spatial density. Furthermore, specific fragmentation events will be discussed.
Maintenance Model of Digital Avionics
Authors: Raza Ahmed
Published: April 2018

The cost of avionics maintenance is extremely high for modern aircraft. It can be as high as 30% of the aircraft maintenance cost. A great impact on the cost of avionics maintenance is provided by a high level of No Fault Found events (NFF). Intermittent faults are the leading cause of the NFF appearance in avionics. The NFF rate for avionics systems is between 20% and 50%. The practice of avionics operation and maintenance confirms the relevance of assessing the impact of intermittent faults on the maintenance cost and the choice of such option of the maintenance management, in which the negative impact of the intermittent faults is minimized. In this paper, a new mathematical model of digital avionics maintenance is developed. Key maintenance effectiveness indicators are selected. General mathematical expressions are obtained for the average availability, mean time between unscheduled removals (MTBUR), and expected maintenance cost of single unit and redundant avionics systems, which are subject to permanent failures and intermittent faults. The dependence of the maintenance effectiveness indicators on the rate of permanent failures and intermittent faults is investigated for the case of exponential distribution of time to failures and faults. The dependence of average availability on the number of spare units in the airline’s warehouse is also analyzed. On the base of the proposed maintenance model, different options of avionics maintenance management are considered. Numerical examples illustrate how to reduce the expected maintenance cost of avionics systems.
Phosphorus and Nitrogen Yield Response Models for Dynamic Bio-Economic Optimization: An Empirical Approach
Authors: Sihvonen Matti , Hyytiäinen Kari , Valkama Elena , Turtola Eila
Published: April 2018

Nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) are both essential plant nutrients. However, their joint response to plant growth is seldom described by models. This study provides an approach for modeling the joint impact of inorganic N and P fertilization on crop production, considering the P supplied by the soil, which was approximated using the soil test P (STP). We developed yield response models for Finnish spring barley crops (Hordeum vulgare L.) for clay and coarse-textured soils by using existing extensive experimental datasets and nonlinear estimation techniques. Model selection was based on iterative elimination from a wide diversity of plausible model formulations. The Cobb−Douglas type model specification, consisting of multiplicative elements, performed well against independent validation data, suggesting that the key relationships that determine crop responses are captured by the models. The estimated models were extended to dynamic economic optimization of fertilization inputs. According to the results, a fair STP level should be maintained on both coarse-textured soils (9.9 mg L−1 a−1) and clay soils (3.9 mg L−1 a−1). For coarse soils, a higher steady-state P fertilization rate is required (21.7 kg ha−1 a−1) compared with clay soils (6.75 kg ha−1 a−1). The steady-state N fertilization rate was slightly higher for clay soils (102.4 kg ha−1 a−1) than for coarse soils (95.8 kg ha−1 a−1). This study shows that the iterative elimination of plausible functional forms is a suitable method for reducing the effects of structural uncertainty on model output and optimal fertilization decisions.
Heat Transfer Enhancement of the Air-Cooling Tower with Rotating Wind Deflectors under Crosswind Conditions
Authors: Du Xueping , Han Dongtai , Zhu Qiangmin
Published: April 2018

To investigate the effect of wind deflectors on air flow and heat transfer performance of an air-cooling tower under crosswind conditions, an experimental system based on a surface condenser aluminum exchanger-type indirect air-cooling tower is established at a 1:100 proportional reduction. A 3-D computational fluid dynamics simulation model is built to study the air flow and temperature fields. The air flow rate into the cooling tower and the heat transfer rate of the radiators are used to evaluate cooling performance. Rotating wind deflectors are adopted to reduce the influence of crosswind on the cooling tower performance. The effects of the rotating wind deflectors on the thermal-hydraulic characteristics of the air-cooling tower under different environmental crosswind speeds are studied. Results indicate that the wind direction in the tower reverses as the rotating speed of the wind deflectors increases. The thermal performance of an air-cooling tower under crosswind conditions can be improved by using rotating wind deflectors. The heat transfer rate of a cooling tower with eight wind deflectors begins to increase when the rotating speed exceeds 2 r/min.
Three Flow Features behind the Flow Control Authority of DBD Plasma Actuator: Result of High-Fidelity Simulations and the Related Experiments
Authors: Fujii Kozo
Published: April 2018

Both computational and experimental studies are conducted for understanding of the flow separation control mechanism of a DBD (dielectric barrier discharge) plasma actuator. Low speed flows over an airfoil are considered. A DBD plasma actuator is attached near the leading edge of an airfoil and the mechanism of flow control of this small device is discussed. The DBD plasma actuator, especially in burst mode, is shown to be very effective for controlling flow separation at Reynolds number of 6.3 × 104, when applied to the flows at an angle of attack higher than the stall. The analysis reveals that the flow structure includes three remarkable features that provide good authority for flow separation control with the appropriate actuator parameters. With proper setting of the actuator parameters to enhance the effective flow features for the application, good flow control can be achieved. Based on the analysis, guidelines for the effective use of DBD plasma actuators are proposed. A DBD plasma actuator is also applied to the flows under cruise conditions. With the DBD plasma actuator attached, a simple airfoil turns out to show higher lift-to-drag ratio than a well-designed airfoil.
Refinement of Modeled Aqueous-Phase Sulfate Production via the Fe- and Mn-Catalyzed Oxidation Pathway
Authors: Itahashi Syuichi , Yamaji Kazuyo , Chatani Satoru , Hayami Hiroshi
Published: April 2018

We refined the aqueous-phase sulfate (SO42−) production in the state-of-the-art Community Multiscale Air Quality (CMAQ) model during the Japanese model inter-comparison project, known as Japan’s Study for Reference Air Quality Modeling (J-STREAM). In Japan, SO42− is the major component of PM2.5, and CMAQ reproduces the observed seasonal variation of SO42− with the summer maxima and winter minima. However, CMAQ underestimates the concentration during winter over Japan. Based on a review of the current modeling system, we identified a possible reason as being the inadequate aqueous-phase SO42− production by Fe- and Mn-catalyzed O2 oxidation. This is because these trace metals are not properly included in the Asian emission inventories. Fe and Mn observations over Japan showed that the model concentrations based on the latest Japanese emission inventory were substantially underestimated. Thus, we conducted sensitivity simulations where the modeled Fe and Mn concentrations were adjusted to the observed levels, the Fe and Mn solubilities were increased, and the oxidation rate constant was revised. Adjusting the concentration increased the SO42− concentration during winter, as did increasing the solubilities and revising the rate constant to consider pH dependencies. Statistical analysis showed that these sensitivity simulations improved model performance. The approach adopted in this study can partly improve model performance in terms of the underestimation of SO42− concentration during winter. From our findings, we demonstrated the importance of developing and evaluating trace metal emission inventories in Asia.
Comparison of Temporal Profiles among Sucrose, Sucralose, and Acesulfame Potassium after Swallowing Sweetened Coffee Beverages and Sweetened Water Solutions
Authors: Gotow Naomi , Esumi Shinji , Kubota Hirofumi , Kobayakawa Tatsu
Published: April 2018

Non-nutritive sweeteners have been used as substitutes for nutritive sweeteners with the goal of preventing obesity and dental caries. The main factor responsible for the difference in taste between beverages containing a nutritive sweetener and those containing a non-nutritive sweetener is the temporal profile of sensory attributes. In this study, untrained panelists performed a time–intensity evaluation of sweetness, using one coffee beverage containing a nutritive sweetener (sucrose) and two coffee beverages containing non-nutritive sweeteners (sucralose or acesulfame potassium (acesulfame K)). They evaluated continuously perceived intensity of sweetness for 150 s after swallowing each coffee beverage. We did not detect a significant difference in temporal profiles among the three coffee beverages. To investigate why the temporal profiles of the three coffee beverages followed similar traces, all untrained participants who had participated in the coffee beverage session also performed a time–intensity evaluation of sweetness using three water solutions (sucrose-sweetened, sucralose-sweetened, and acesulfame K–sweetened deionized water). We observed a significant difference in temporal profiles among the three water solutions. These results indicate that differences in the temporal profiles of coffee beverages might be masked by factors other than the sweetness of the sweetener.
Effect of an In Vitro Digestion on the Antioxidant Capacity of a Microfiltrated Blackberry Juice (Rubus adenotrichos)
Authors: Azofeifa Gabriela , Quesada Silvia , Pérez Ana , Vaillant Fabrice , Michel Alain
Published: April 2018

The health benefits attributed to berries are largely dependent on their bioavailability. This study evaluated the antioxidant activity for different samples of blackberry juice submitted to an in vitro digestion. The HPLC analysis demonstrated that gastric conditions had only a slight impact on the phenolic composition, but the digestion simulating intestine conditions caused marked changes. The dialyzed fraction, which represents the serum available material, showed 33% and 35% less activity against nitrogen-derived radicals and a significant reduction of 46% in the inhibitory capacity against intracellular ROS. Other models used to evaluate the capacity to inhibit lipid peroxidation did not show significant differences in any of the digestion samples. Our results suggest that blackberry polyphenols could exert their antioxidant capacity after passage through the GIT. However, the dialyzed fraction suffers a partial depletion of its antioxidant ability, this could be attributed to the absence of ellagitannins.