Sensing behaviour of some nanocomposite systems

Silver nanoparticles of diameters 3.4 to 13.2 nm grown at the interfaces between silicate glass and some oxide crystallites exhibited about six orders of magnitude reduction in resistivity for a relative humidity change from 25% to 80%. Sn-SnO2 nano core-shell structure prepared within a gel-derived silica glass film by electrodeposition technique followed by heat treatment showed large change in resistivity as a function of humidity. The resistivity also changed due to gas flow of CO2, C2H5OH and NO2, respectively. The latter arose because of reduction/oxidation of Sn4+/Sn2+ species present at the shell layer of the nanostructures. Nickel nanosheets of thickness ~0.6 nm grown within the interlayer spaces of Na-4 mica crystallites showed a change of dielectric permittivity (5%) for an applied magnetic field of 1.2 Tesla. An inhomogeneous model was used to explain this behavior. Two dimensional CuO phase was grown within the channels of diameter ~5 nm of mesoporous SiO2 structure. A magnetodielectric (MD) parameter M.D. of 4.4% was obtained in this case. BaTiO3 nanoparticles of diameter ~25 nm having pores with diameter 10 nm showed multiferroic behavior which arose due to the presence of oxygen vacancies as a result of large surface area present. An M.D. parameter of 11% was found. Similarly mesoporous LiNbO3 of 10 nm diameter showed an M.D. parameter of ~4.5% at a magnetic field 1 Tesla. A giant magnetocapacitance effect with a value of 44% at 1.5 T was observed in nickel zinc ferrite (NZF) impregnated mesoporous silica. A magnetocapacitance of 51% at magnetic field 1.7 T was found in the case of nanocomposites comprising of iron ion containing silica based nanoglass and mesoporous silica. In the last two examples the behavior was explained on the basis of Catalan model of space-charge polarization with extracted values of magnetoresistance of the NZF and nanoglass phases being 58%

Magnetodielectric effect of Graphene-PVA Nanocomposites

Graphene-Polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) nanocomposite films with thickness $120 \mu m$ were synthesized by solidification of PVA in a solution with dispersed graphene nanosheets. Electrical conductivity data were explained as arising due to hopping of carriers between localized states formed at the graphene-PVA interface. Dielectric permittivity data as a function of frequency indicated the occurrence of Debye-type relaxation mechanism. The nanocomposites showed a magnetodielectric effect with the dielectric constant changing by 1.8% as the magnetic field was increased to 1 Tesla. The effect was explained as arising due to Maxwell-Wagner polarization as applied to an inhomogeneous two-dimensional,two-component composite model. This type of nanocomposite may be suitable for applications involving nanogenerators.Comment: 13 pages, 11 figure

Developmental Variation of Indian Thermophilic Variety of Scuttle Fly Megaselia (Megaselia) scalaris (Loew, 1866) (Diptera: Phoridae) on Different Substrates

The scuttle flies (Diptera: Phoridae) are important in forensic dipterology, because of their necrophagous habit. They are amongst the first wave of insects visiting human corpses in mechanically barricaded environments; hence their immature stages are generally used for estimation of PMI. The effect of different substrates commonly used for developmental studies was studied to analyze the variation of growth of the thermophilic variety of Megaselia (M.) scalaris prevalent in India on GDM, EDM, and SMS (n=3). One approach of PMI estimation depends on larvae collected from the crime scene and comparing them with reference data derived from larval rearing to establish PMI. Results showed that there was a significant variation in avg. length (F(2,111)=15.79873, p=0.000000917), width (F(2,111)=14.60528, p=0.00000234), and biomass (F(2,111)=37.01727, p=0.000000000000482) of the immature stages in the three media and the larvae grow maximally in the SMS medium. The results of the present study thus provide baseline data on the growth and developmental pattern of the Megaselia (M.) scalaris, which can be utilized in conjunction with specific geoclimatic reference data, for forensic entomological studies and also for using the phorid as a biocontrol agent of pestiferous insects

Hoplochaetella inornata Stephenson 1917

S5. Hoplochaetella inornata Stephenson, 1917 Hoplochaetella inornata Stephenson, 1917: 395. Erythraeodrilus inornatus, Stephenson, 1923: 459. Hoplochaetella inornata, Gates, 1940: 219; Julka, 1988: 188; Blakemore, 2007: 15. TL. Talewadi, near Castle Rock, Karnataka, India. Types. ZSIC, W130/1 (Julka, 1988). D. Karnataka: Talewadi, near Castle Rock (Stephenson, 1917).Published as part of Ahmed, Shakoor, Julka, Jatinder Mohan, Banerjee, Dhriti & Marimuthu, Nithyanandam, 2023, A new species of the genus Hoplochaetella Michaelsen 1900 (Clitellata: Octochaetidae) from the Deccan Peninsula Biogeographic Zone, India, pp. 173-185 in Zootaxa 5346 (2) on page 180, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5346.2.5, http://zenodo.org/record/835465

Hoplochaetella mullani

S14. Hoplochaetella mullani (Stephenson, 1924) Erythraeodrilus mullani Stephenson, 1924: 348. Hoplochaetella mullani, Stephenson, 1926: 265; Gates, 1940: 233; Chapman, 1940: 378; Julka, 1988: 205; Blakemore, 2007: 16. TL. Matheran, Maharashtra, India. Types. ZSIC, W1136/1; BMNH, 1925:5:12:78 (Julka, 1988). D. Maharashtra: Matheran (Stephenson, 1924); Lonavala (Stephenson, 1926); Satara (Julka, 1988).Published as part of Ahmed, Shakoor, Julka, Jatinder Mohan, Banerjee, Dhriti & Marimuthu, Nithyanandam, 2023, A new species of the genus Hoplochaetella Michaelsen 1900 (Clitellata: Octochaetidae) from the Deccan Peninsula Biogeographic Zone, India, pp. 173-185 in Zootaxa 5346 (2) on pages 181-182, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5346.2.5, http://zenodo.org/record/835465

Hoplochaetella Michaelsen 1900

Genus Hoplochaetella Michaelsen, 1900 Type species. Perichaeta stuarti Bourne, 1886 Distribution. India: Goa, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu (Julka, 1988).Published as part of Ahmed, Shakoor, Julka, Jatinder Mohan, Banerjee, Dhriti & Marimuthu, Nithyanandam, 2023, A new species of the genus Hoplochaetella Michaelsen 1900 (Clitellata: Octochaetidae) from the Deccan Peninsula Biogeographic Zone, India, pp. 173-185 in Zootaxa 5346 (2) on page 174, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5346.2.5, http://zenodo.org/record/835465

Hoplochaetella khandalaensis subsp. dichordarius

S8. Hoplochaetella khandalaensis dichordarius (Stephenson, 1924) Erythraeodrilus khandalaensis f. dichordarius Stephenson, 1924: 352. Hoplochaetella khandalaensis f. dichordarius, Stephenson, 1926: 265; Gates, 1940: 232. Hoplochaetella khandalaensis dichordarius, Julka, 1988: 198; Blakemore, 2007: 16. TL. Bombay = Mumbai, Maharashtra, India. Types. Typus amissus (Julka, 1988). D. Maharashtra: Bombay = Mumbai, Andheri (Stephenson, 1924); Mahabaleshwar (Stephenson, 1926); Panchgani, Khandala (Julka, 1988).Published as part of Ahmed, Shakoor, Julka, Jatinder Mohan, Banerjee, Dhriti & Marimuthu, Nithyanandam, 2023, A new species of the genus Hoplochaetella Michaelsen 1900 (Clitellata: Octochaetidae) from the Deccan Peninsula Biogeographic Zone, India, pp. 173-185 in Zootaxa 5346 (2) on pages 180-181, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5346.2.5, http://zenodo.org/record/835465

Hoplochaetella panchganiensis Julka 1988

S15. Hoplochaetella panchganiensis Julka, 1988 Hoplochaetella panchganiensis Julka, 1988: 207. Hoplochaetella panchganiensis, Blakemore, 2007: 16. TL. Panchgani, Maharashtra, India. Types. ZSIC, An1820/1; HAZFS, ZSI, Solan, An730 & An731 (Julka, 1988); D. Maharashtra: Panchgani (Julka, 1988).Published as part of Ahmed, Shakoor, Julka, Jatinder Mohan, Banerjee, Dhriti & Marimuthu, Nithyanandam, 2023, A new species of the genus Hoplochaetella Michaelsen 1900 (Clitellata: Octochaetidae) from the Deccan Peninsula Biogeographic Zone, India, pp. 173-185 in Zootaxa 5346 (2) on page 182, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5346.2.5, http://zenodo.org/record/835465

FIGURE 1 in A new species of the genus Hoplochaetella Michaelsen 1900 (Clitellata: Octochaetidae) from the Deccan Peninsula Biogeographic Zone, India

FIGURE 1. Hoplochaetella darwini sp. nov. A. ventral view, B. dorsal view, C. genital region (cl, clitellum; dp, dorsal pore; fp, female pores; pp, prostatic pores; ps, prostomium; spp, spermathecal pores).Published as part of Ahmed, Shakoor, Julka, Jatinder Mohan, Banerjee, Dhriti & Marimuthu, Nithyanandam, 2023, A new species of the genus Hoplochaetella Michaelsen 1900 (Clitellata: Octochaetidae) from the Deccan Peninsula Biogeographic Zone, India, pp. 173-185 in Zootaxa 5346 (2) on page 175, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5346.2.5, http://zenodo.org/record/835465

FIGURE 1 in A new species of Euconocephalus Karny, 1907 (Orthoptera: Tettigoniidae: Conocephalinae: Copiphorini) from India

FIGURE 1. Euconocephalus narayanpurensis sp. nov. Kumar & Chand (Male). A—dorsal view. B—ventral view. C—lateral view.Published as part of Kumar, Hirdesh, Chand, D. Suresh, Raghunathan, C. & Banerjee, Dhriti, 2023, A new species of Euconocephalus Karny, 1907 (Orthoptera: Tettigoniidae: Conocephalinae: Copiphorini) from India, pp. 202-208 in Zootaxa 5230 (2) on page 204, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5230.2.4, http://zenodo.org/record/755352