India's collaboration in science and technology with Southeast Asian countries

The collaboration in science and technology (S&T) is fast emerging in the scientific world. India recognized the importance of international scientific collaboration in S&T quite early and has signed a number of S&T agreements with South East Asian countries. In this paper, the collaboration is presented through the analysis of co-authored research papers published during the period 1996 to 2000 in the journals covered by the Science Citation Index. The study covers the nature and the areas of S&T collaborations, institutions involved, and the impact of these collaborations on their individual fields. It is revealed that a total of 329 co-authored papers were published during the period. Out of these, 214 were published through bilateral and 115 through multilateral efforts. The priority areas vary with the nature of collaboration as well as with the collaborating country. The institutions involved in these collaborations are also indicated. The research papers analyzed reflect the present status of India’s collaboration in S&T with the South East Asian countries. Such a study will help decision-makers to identify the potential S&T areas for future international cooperation

Studies in the Tetranortriterpenoid Series

Abstract Not Provided

India's collaboration in science and technology with Southeast Asian countries

The collaboration in science and technology (S&T) is fast emerging in the scientific world. India recognized the importance of international scientific collaboration in S&T quite early and has signed a number of S&T agreements with South East Asian countries. In this paper, the collaboration is presented through the analysis of co-authored research papers published during the period 1996 to 2000 in the journals covered by the Science Citation Index. The study covers the nature and the areas of S&T collaborations, institutions involved, and the impact of these collaborations on their individual fields. It is revealed that a total of 329 co-authored papers were published during the period. Out of these, 214 were published through bilateral and 115 through multilateral efforts. The priority areas vary with the nature of collaboration as well as with the collaborating country. The institutions involved in these collaborations are also indicated. The research papers analyzed reflect the present status of India’s collaboration in S&T with the South East Asian countries. Such a study will help decision-makers to identify the potential S&T areas for future international cooperation

Production, purification and partial characterization of lipase from Trichoderma Viride

A new strain of lipolytic Trichoderma viride was isolated from the soil on a selective mediumthat contained olive oil as the only source of carbon and energy. The isolated strain was cultivated for lipase production in shake flasks at 30±1oC and the fermentation pattern was studied. The maximum extracellular lipase activity of 7.3 U/mL and the maximum intracellularactivity of 320 U/g mycelium were noted after 48 h. Although maximum fungal biomass was present at 13.6 g/L at 60 h but highest specific growth rate was observed between 6 and 18 h.The extracellular lipase present in the broth was purified 134-folds with an overall yield of 46% through purification procedure of ammonium sulphate precipitation, ion exchange and gelpermeation chromatography. The Km value of the purified enzyme for triolein hydrolysis was found to be 1.229 m.mole/L

Optimization of glucose oxidase production by Aspergillus niger

The glucose oxidase was produced by fermentation using Aspergillus niger isolated from potato as producer organism and glucose as the carbon source (substrate). Maximum production of the enzyme (1.59 ìmoleHQMin-1ml-1) was achieved at 10% glucose concentration after 48 h of submerged fermentation. The pH for the optimal production of enzyme was found to be 5.5 (enzyme activity 1.56 ìmoleHQMin-1ml-1). Addition of urea (0.2%) and KH2PO4 (0.4%) into the fermentation medium increases enzyme activity (2.01 and 2.96 ìmoleHQMin-1ml-1, respectively) while MgSO4·7H2O was found to inhibit GOX production by A. niger.Key words: Glucose oxidase, Aspergillus niger, glucose oxidase

Operationalizing Sense of Place Concepts and Cultural Ecosystem Services to Explore Urban Ecosystem Rehabilitation Performance from A Socio-Cultural Lens: The Case of Wadi Hanifah—Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

Urban ecosystems (UE), and urban wetlands specifically, are considered coupled human-natural systems; meaning, they rely on the complex interdependencies of human and ecological components. As such, any intervention procedure (i.e., rehabilitation or restoration) and their evaluations would require an integrated socio-cultural approach to better understand their impacts and promote congruent design and development. The importance of integrating the human dimension in the rehabilitation of UE has been highlighted recurringly in the literature. There have been several calls within the ecosystem services (ES) management and socio-ecological systems (SES) scholarship to operationalize sense of place (SoP) concepts in the evaluation of rehabilitated UE performance, particularly from the socio-cultural lens. Despite that, practice has been slower to follow suite with application. The following research study presents a framework that links the socio-cultural dimension into the assessments of UE interventions. Primarily, it examines rehabilitated UE performance from a social lens and tracks the changes to their SoP, more specifically their place-image, as a result of the intervention. To achieve these aims, it operationalizes SoP components, as proposed by the literature. The framework essentially relies on the components of place triad (physical attributes, activity, and meanings and conceptions) as variables; to be examined by the visitation and popularity of the ecosystem, the uses and activities, the conditions of the physical environment, and the perceptions and associations of end-users to the rehabilitated UE (the indicators). To demonstrate the proposed framework, I examined a recently rehabilitated urban wetland in the arid context of Saudi Arabia, namely that of Wadi Hanifah. Wadi Hanifah is a historic valley wetland, teaming with heritage and natural sites that cuts through the capital City of Riyadh. This renders the valley a rarity both for its ecological (i.e., milder micro-climate, and provision of blue and green spaces) and its socio-cultural contributions (i.e., recreational and leisure activities). Seeing as the rehabilitation was never examined from a social lens, this research aimed to fill that gap and provide the first iteration of a socio-cultural study of the rehabilitation. Data for this study was gathered primarily using online social surveys and one-on-one semi-structured interviews. The results rendered several overlapping dimensions intrinsic to Wadi Hanifah’s identity: Nature and natural landscapes; activities; utility; history and heritage; personal experiences; and the rehabilitation itself. The analysis results highlight the factors responsible for the changes in Wadi Hanifah’s place-image, such as the introduction of the socio-cultural programs, including but not limited to outdoor and physical activities and the provision of picnic areas. The most noticeable trend was the transition of the perceptions of the Wadi from primarily provisional ES to one that is focused on CES. Furthermore, in terms of performance, the Wadi has reflected positively against the socio-cultural themes adapted from Bin Sulaiman and Almahmood (2022) (safety and security, sociability, accessibility, physical environment cues, attachment, and distinctiveness). It garnered a predominantly positive reception from the participants, where it was viewed as safer, more sociable, accessible, and unique, compared to before the rehabilitation. The value of this research lies in its contributions to theory, methodology, and practice. Where in theory and methodology, this framework links between the ES scholarship and urban design’s SoP. It can also be adapted for other similar UE interventions, especially ones that introduce an intentional socio-cultural agenda. Furthermore, in terms of practice this study sheds light on some of the current issues; provides a baseline for future studies of the Wadi; and provides a pragmatic approach to the improvement of its design and development guidelines

Raising Japanese Quail in the Laboratory

Within a few years, the use of Coturniz coturnix japonica, popularly known as Japanese quail, as a laboratory research animal has increased tremendously in the United States and also abroad. Currently, a variety of laboratories conducting investigations on different aspects of biological and related areas are using this bird as an experimental animal. We have learned from its use in both individual and class experiments that it is also a very useful animal for classroom experimentation