Population characteristics and level of exploitation of Anabas testudineus (Bloch, 1792) in Rudrasagar Lake, a Ramsar site in North-eastern India

298-302Population characteristics and exploitation level of Anabas testudineus from Rudrasagar lake, North-eastern India were studied to understand the dynamics of resource for suggesting necessary strategies for sustainable exploitation. A total of 1187 specimens were sampled to collect the length frequency data from May, 2015 to April, 2016. The length-weight relationship of the fish was found to be Log W = - 4.08+2.9 LogL (r²=0.99). The Von Bertalanffy growth parameters i.e., asymptotic length (L∞)and growth coefficient (K) were estimated using ELEFAN-I as 216.25 mm and 0.78 yr-1respectively.The growth performance index (φ’) was calculated as 4.56. The approximate longevity (Tmax) was estimated as 3.8 years. The total mortality (Z), natural mortality (M) and fishing mortality (F) rates were estimated to be 1.95, 1.54 and 0.41 per year, respectively. The exploitation ratio (E) and exploitation rate (U) were observed to be 0.21 and 0.18, respectively. The results of relative yield-per-recruit (Y’/R) and relative biomass-per-recruit (B’/R) estimated as a function of Lc/L∞ and M/K were 0.46 and 1.95 respectively. The MSY level was estimated at 3.8 tonnes per year at F factor-0.8. Since the current level of exploitation of the species is well below Emax(0.50) and the observed landings are lower than the MSY level, it could be concluded that the fish is presently underexploited in the Lake. Reasonable fishing effort can be increased in order to obtain more yields so as to reach the MSY level and in that way increase the income of the economically poor fishermen communities of North-eastern India

The complete contents of 'The Mediterranean Naturalist', a periodical published in Malta between 1891 and 1893

An account is given of the journal "The Mediterranean Naturalist', edited and published by John Henry Cooke (1862- 1933) towards the end of the nineteenth century. The complete contents of the twenty-seven issues in three volumes are listed, with an indication of those articles concerning Malta or with a Maltese connotation.peer-reviewe

Implementing Green Infrastructure for Air Pollution Abatement: General Recommendations for Management and Plant Species Selection

Green infrastructure (GI) includes trees, hedges, individual shrubs, green walls, and green roofs. GI offers many different benefits or services, including flood risk mitigation, microclimate regulation, carbon sequestration, improved health and wellbeing and – the focus of this document – air pollution abatement. Air pollution comprises variable quantities of many different types of pollutants, including gaseous pollutants, such as nitrous oxides (NOx) and particulate matter (PM), which is composed of particles such as black carbon (BC). Road traffic is a dominant source of air pollution in urban areas globally. In near-road environments, vegetation can act as a barrier between traffic emissions and pedestrians (figure below), by collecting pollutants and/or redirecting the flow of polluted air. This document summarises best practice regarding GI implementation for improved urban air quality and reduced pedestrian exposure to air pollution. Generic (i.e. not site-specific) recommendations are offered for typical urban environments. These recommendations are based upon contemporary scientific evidence and knowledge, and may therefore be subject to modification as the evidence base develops. This guidance document consolidates major findings from relevant publications, including a detailed report on the relationship between vegetation and urban air quality, review articles and other guidance documents.</p

Enhancement of Shelf-Life of Tomatoes Using Herbal Extracts

A study was taken up to enhance the shelf life of tomatoes by using Garlic (Allium sativam Linn) and Ginger (Zingiber officinale Rose) extracts at different concentrations viz, 1%, 5% and 10%. Tomatoes keeping quality was improved by spraying 10% garlic and ginger extracts, which reduced the spoilage, physiological loss and microbial load on the surface of the fruits. Among these, 10% garlic extract was more efficient in controlling spoilage microorganisms, enhancing shelf life and redicing physiological weight loss.   This study revealed the possibility of utilization of Garlic (Allium sativam Linn) and Ginger (Zingiber officinale Rose) extracts to enhance the keeping quality of tomatoes

Squamous Cell Carcinoma: Esophagus

Esophageal cancer, according to GLOBOCAN 2018 data, ranks seventh in terms of incidence and sixth in mortality among all cancers worldwide. In India, it is considered the fourth most common cause of cancer-related deaths. Influenced by lifestyle, socioeconomic and environmental factors, striking geographic variations in incidence exist. With regard to histopathology, esophageal cancers are unique among malignancies of the gastrointestinal tract in that they principally comprise two variants: squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) and adenocarcinoma, with the former accounting for up to 80% of cases. Etiological factors for SCC show marked variations worldwide, with tobacco consumption, alcohol, hot beverages, and poor nutrition constituting the predominant predisposing factors. Although present day therapeutic interventions have begun to positively influence disease prognosis, with significant improvements in survival noted over the last 3 decades, cancer of the esophagus remains a highly lethal disease with a case fatality rate approaching 90%. Management of this disease includes all three primary modalities of treatment; surgery, chemotherapy and radiotherapy. Surgical resection, the only curative modality of treatment, remains a challenge even with advances like minimal access surgery and is feasible only in early stage disease. Early diagnosis and accurate staging are paramount for optimizing treatment and hence, prognosis

Shallow Water Internal Waves and Associated Acoustic Intensity Fluctuations

Physical oceanographic and acoustic data were simultaneously collected from the coastalwaters of the Arabian Sea. Acoustic transmissions were carried out from an anchored vesselusing 620 Hz transducer and received by an array of hydrophones moored at ~5 km away fromthe anchorage. Thermal structure in this region was characterised by a tri-layer structure, ie, astrong thermocline (&gt; 0.4 oC/m) sandwiched between an upper (&lt; 10 m) and bottom (&gt; 25 m)homogeneous layer. High-resolution (sampled at 10 s interval) temperature data from mooredsensors revealed intense internal wave activity. The maximum value of Brunt-Vaisala frequency,which is the maximum frequency limit of internal waves in the thermocline, suggests that theupper frequency limit of the internal wave, which can be generated during this period, is 23 cph(2.6 min). High and low frequency waves caused variations of ~3 oC and ~5 oC respectively inthe temperature field. But the low frequency internal waves were found to contain maximumenergy compared to the high frequency waves. Fluctuations of 8-12 dB were noticed in themeasured acoustic intensity values in the presence of low frequency internal waves. Simulationstudies carried out using parabolic equation model using 620 Hz source indicated well-definedducted propagation with minimum transmission loss, when the source was kept within thehomogeneous layer. The presence of tri-layer thermal structure, ie, a strong gradient layersandwiched between an upper and bottom homogeneous layer, caused surface and bottom channelpropagation in this region

Investigation of deep level defects in copper irradiated bipolar junction transistor

Commercial bipolar junction transistor (2N 2219A, npn) irradiated with 150 MeV Cu11+-ions with fluence of the order 1012 ions cm-2, is studied for radiation induced gain degradation and deep level defects. I-V measurements are made to study the gain degradation as a function of ion fluence. The properties such as activation energy, trap concentration and capture cross-section of deep levels are studied by deep level transient spectroscopy (DLTS). Minority carrier trap levels with energies ranging from EC - 0.164 eV to EC - 0.695 eV are observed in the base-collector junction of the transistor. Majority carrier trap levels are also observed with energies ranging from EV + 0.203 eV to EV + 0.526 eV. The irradiated transistor is subjected to isothermal and isochronal annealing. The defects are seen to anneal above 350 °C. The defects generated in the base region of the transistor by displacement damage appear to be responsible for transistor gain degradation. © 2008 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved

PHASE CHANGE MATERIALS (PCM) FOR THERMAL CONTROL DURING SPACECRAFT TRANSPORTATION

Phase Change materials (PCMs) absorb and release latent heat during their phase transition nearly at constant temperature. The latent heat storage phenomena using PCMs provides much higher storage density, with a smaller or zero temperature difference while storing and releasing of heat. PCMs have 5-14 times more heat capacity per unit volume than sensible storage materials that merits their usage as passive thermal control systems. They are effectively complemented with active thermal control systems in order to minimize their duty cycles and optimize the capacity. This paper discusses a passive thermal control system using PCMs to maintain the temperature within the limits inside the enclosures used for transportation of spacecrafts. Further, various applications of PCMs in the thermal control architecture as applied to spacecrafts are also discussed. The paper also discusses about the technologies such as Onboard power generation, Universal Spacecraft thermal control architecture and other significant spacecraft applications

First report of four deep-sea chondrichthyans (Elasmobranchii and Holocephali) from Andaman waters, India with an updated checklist from the region

This paper confirms the new distributional records of four rare deep-water chondrichthyans viz. sharpnose sevengill shark, Heptranchias perlo (Bonnaterre, 1788); bluntnose sixgill shark, Hexanchus griseus (Bonnaterre, 1788); bramble shark, Echinorhinus brucus (Bonnaterre, 1788); and sicklefin chimaera, Neoharriotta pinnata (Schnakenbeck, 1931) from the Andaman waters in the Indian EEZ. The above-mentioned four fish species have not been reported earlier from this region. More exploratory surveys in the region are essential to understand the diversity and distribution pattern which is essential for critical management actions. An updated checklist of chondrichthyans known from Andaman and Nicobar waters of India is also presented