New Technique for Separating Simultaneously Produced Scintillation and Cerenkov Radiation

A fast electronic circuit for separating simultaneously produced scintillation and cerenkov radiations is described. In the design of the circuit, use is made of the fact that the decay time of the pulse of scintillation radiation produced in the plastic scintillator is longer than that of the cerenkov radiation emitted in the radiator or the light guide of a scintillator detector. Different decay times of the two pulse lead to different slopes of their respective trailing edges. The circuit selects one of these pulse by slope comparison and provides an output whenever the selected pulse is present in the radiator

An overview of anthropogenic electromagnetic radiations as risk to pollinators and pollination

Pollinators play a key functional role in most terrestrial ecosystems and provide important ecosystem service to maintain wild plant communities and agricultural productivity. The decline in pollinators has been related to anthropogenic disturbances such as habitat loss, alterations in land use, and climate change. The surge in mobile telephony has led to a marked increase in electromagnetic fields in the atmosphere, which may affect pollinator and pollination. Several laboratory studies have reported negative effects of electromagnetic radiation on reproduction, development, and navigation in insects. The abundance of insects such as the beetle, wasp, and hoverfly, decreased with electromagnetic radiation(EMR), whereas the abundance of underground-nesting wild bees and bee fly unexpectedly increased with EMR. Potential risks for pollinators and biodiversity are anthropogenic radiofrequency electromagnetic radiation (AREMR) (light, radiofrequency). Artificial light at night (ALAN) can alter the function and abundance of pollinator. Evidence of impacts of AREMR is not adequate due to a lack of high quality, field-realistic studies. Whether pollinators experiencing a threat of ALAN or AREMR, while major knowledge gap exists. In this review, the effects of EMR on wild pollinator groups such as wild bees, hoverflies, bee flies, beetles, butterflies, and wasps etc. have been highlighted. Researchers are also recommended for further study on the effects of EMR on insects. This study will be significant to conserve pollinators and other important insects.

Heavy Metals (Cd, Cu and As) Accumulation by Aquatic Plant along with Gomti River, Lucknow (U. P.)

The aquatic plants have a great importance to the removal of heavy metals from the contaminated river water. In this study the heavy metals (Cd, Cu and As) were evaluated in aquatic plants like Ranunculus sceleratus, Hydrilla virticillata, Botumusumbelatus and Sagittaria japonica collected from the 15 sites along with Gomti river, Lucknow (U. P.), Heavy metals enters into the river through the discharge of domestic sewage, industrial effluents, municipal waste water etc., The concentration of Cu was found maximum followed by Cd and least was As for all selected plants at all sites. The highest accumulation of Arsenic, Cadmium and Copper was found in Hydrilla virticillata (0.172±0.005 μg g−1 DW), Sagittaria japonica (1.62±0.02 μg g−1 DW) and Botumus umbelatus (2.08±0.07 μg g−1 DW) respectively. However, the lowest concentration of all these heavy metals was observed in Ranunculus scleratus sp. The results of this study to give the information in relation to aquatic plants growing in polluted water, which accumulates heavy metals. These findings provide are an opportunity for the removal of toxic heavy metals from the use of aquatic plants in phytoremediation and treating water bodies

Heavy Metals (Cd, Cu and As) Accumulation by Aquatic Plant along with Gomti River, Lucknow (U. P.)

The aquatic plants have a great importance to the removal of heavy metals from the contaminated river water. In this study the heavy metals (Cd, Cu and As) were evaluated in aquatic plants like Ranunculus sceleratus, Hydrilla virticillata, Botumusumbelatus and Sagittaria japonica collected from the 15 sites along with Gomti river, Lucknow (U. P.), Heavy metals enters into the river through the discharge of domestic sewage, industrial effluents, municipal waste water etc., The concentration of Cu was found maximum followed by Cd and least was As for all selected plants at all sites. The highest accumulation of Arsenic, Cadmium and Copper was found in Hydrilla virticillata (0.172±0.005 μg g−1 DW), Sagittaria japonica(1.62±0.02 μg g−1 DW) and Botumus umbelatus (2.08±0.07 μg g−1 DW) respectively. However, the lowest concentration of all these heavy metals was observed in Ranunculus scleratus sp. The results of this study to give the information in relation to aquatic plants growing in polluted water, which accumulates heavy metals. These findings provide are an opportunity for the removal of toxic heavy metals from the use of aquatic plants in phytoremediation and treating water bodies

Pesticide applications in Agriculture and its Environmental and Human Health Impacts

The use of chemicals in modern agriculture has significantly increased productivity is very common now a days. There has been an increase in the concentration of pesticides in food and in our environment, with associated negative effects on human health and the environment. The excessive use of pesticides has generated increasing concerns on the negative effects of human health as well as the environment. Impact on the environment of Pesticides can pose serious distress on soil, water, territory, and other vegetation. The pesticides application directly kill the insects, pest, weeds and pathogens but it also indirectly can be harmful and toxic on to the host of the other organism which are birds, beneficial insects, and all other non-target plant and animals. Insecticides are usually the most extremely toxic class of pesticides; however, herbicides can also pose risks to non-target organisms. With this concern most of the pesticides and chemicals are non-biodegradable, and as a result of bioaccumulation, they can enter into the food chain and eventually distress human and animal health, on the whole environment and ecosystem

Variable impacts on Environment during Construction and Operation of Dam Projects

Dams are playing a significant role in utilizing the resources of water and have a larger impact on the river ecosystem. It has an enormous deal of positive and negative effects on the environment in addition to their benefits like managing stream regimes, as a result preventing floods, obtaining domestic and irrigation water from the stored water and producing energy. The acute and chronic effects due to the construction of the dam are various and categorized according to the area, the services provided by the dams to the community and also its unsocial impacts, advantageous and detrimental impacts on nearby communities and to the aquatic environment These consequences of the construction of any dam project may be commanded in a rigorous and complicated approach resembling climatic, hydraulic, biological, communal, intellectual, archaeological etc. The role of Dams and their benefits are much more and impact directly in our social and environmental life, but it is also a key point that we have to focus about the negative effects of these developmental activities and major and minor dam construction projects by the way of water resource engineering and sustainable development. Dams have the majority of significant functions in utilizing water resources. All through the history of the world, dams have been used successfully in collecting, storing and managing water needed to uphold civilization. Dams have a great deal of affirmative and pessimistic effects on the environment. The advantages are also varying from modest to many folds to the community like controlling stream regime as a result of preventing floods, obtaining domestic and irrigation water from stored water and generating energy from hydropower. Whereas dam endows with significant benefit to our civilization, their impact on the surrounding includes resettlement and relocation, socioeconomic impact, environmental concerns, sedimentation issue, safety aspects etc. Over and above their incredibly important communal and ecological benefits, it is significant to moderate the negative effects of the dam on the environment regarding sustainable development

A search for the [delta][superscript -] (962) meson

Imperial Users onl

Monitoring of sensory quality of milk by spectroscopic techniques

Master's thesis in Biological chemistryThe combined use of spectroscopic analysis and chemometric tools has wide application in evaluating and monitoring the product sensory qualities. The main intention of the work was to better understand the use of a spectroscopic technique in evaluating the changes in fluid milk when quality is reduced during storage or by special reasons. In addition, to study the possibility of correlating infrared (IR) spectroscopy results with the sensory quality changes in milk. This was done by storing milk samples for three consecutive weeks, agitating pasteurized milk with and without raw milk addition, exposing milk samples to different wavelengths of light (300-800 nm) using different color filters and storing milk samples at three different temperature for a week and one specific temperature for one day. Stored milk samples at 4 oC were analyzed weekly with sensory and spectroscopic technique. Sensory analysis showed that dairy and age of milk had significant effect (p<0.05) on the quality of milk and on free fatty acids (FFA) formation. It was observed that low-quality score was mainly due to off-flavor, harsh, rancid and sickening flavor. However, the sensory attributes didn’t change very much even after the storage for three weeks. The calibration model (R2=0.382) indicates that small changes in sensory quality is difficult to measure by FTIR spectroscopy. Pasteurized milk when agitated at 15 oC for 0, 15 and 45 minutes with and without addition of 1% raw milk, the sensory analysis showed significant effect (p<0.05) between dairies and raw milk addition with quality score and rancid attribute. The FFA formation was greatly enhanced by raw milk addition rather than agitation time and the effect was clearly visible after 5 days. By IR spectroscopy, it showed that quality score had been affected by rancid off flavor. The calibration model with quality score and rancid was found to be R2=0.825 and 0.801. It shows much information about sensory quality and rancidity which can be calibrated by FTIR. Pasteurized milk when exposed to blue light (400-500 nm), it got absorbed by riboflavin and orange light (575-750 nm) absorbed by tetrapyrroles. Green light (450-600 nm) didn’t promote photo-oxidation of riboflavin and tetrapyrroles. Sensory analysis showed that filters used for light exposure and time interval had a significant effect (p<0.05) on quality score and oxidized flavor in the milk. Reference sample showed high quality with less oxidation in compare to v unwrapped samples. It was observed that orange filter absorbing light longer than 575 nm induced more off flavor than blue filter. However, by IR spectroscopy with calibration model R2=0.391, it showed that low sensory quality, caused by oxidized off-flavor was best measured when riboflavin was degraded by blue light. Tetrapyrrole degradation causing oxidized off-flavor, can probably not be measured by FTIR. When pasteurized milk was stored at different temperatures, sensory analysis showed that dairy and temperature had significant effect on quality score. Milk samples stored at 4 oC for 7 days had better quality than 6 days at 4 oC plus 1 day at 17 oC. It was observed that quality score had been affected by bitter, sour, rancid and off-flavor defects. Furthermore, the calibration model from IR spectroscopy with quality score was found to be R2=0.282. Finally, the combined merged datasets of sensory and spectroscopy showed a good correlation model with quality score (correlation coefficients= 0.51). In conclusion, FTIR technique can be useful to apply as screening tool for evaluating quality of milk samples. However, for the total sensory quality, this method can’t be applicable as it can’t detect all possible sensory defects in milk

Land Redistribution and Reutilization in the Context of Migration in Rural Nepal

Land is an integral part of people’s culture, economy, and livelihoods. Social and temporal mobility of people affect land acquisition, distribution, and utilization, which consequently impacts on food security and human wellbeing. Using the data collected by means of household survey, focus group discussions, in-depth interviews, and participant observation, this paper examines the dynamics of land-people relationships, mainly acquisition, redistribution, and reutilization of land, in the context of human migration. The study reveals that food self-sufficiency, household size, age of household head, household asset, total income from non-agricultural sources, and migration status, affect the acquisition or size of landholding in a household. Moreover, land appears to be mobile within and across villages through changes in labour availability, changing access to land, and ethnic interactions caused partly by migration of people. We conclude that mobility of land appears to be an inseparable component of land-people relationships, especially in the context of human migration that offers redistribution and reutilization of land