INTERCOMPARISON OF DIFFERENT RAINFALL PRODUCTS AND VALIDATION OF WRF MODELLED RAINFALL ESTIMATION IN N-W HIMALAYA DURING MONSOON PERIOD

Extreme precipitation events are responsible for major floods in any part of the world. In recent years, simulations and projection of weather conditions to future, with Numerical Weather Prediction (NWP) models like Weather Research and Forecast (WRF), has become an imperative component of research in the field of atmospheric science and hydrology. The validation of modelled forecast is thus have become matter of paramount importance in case of forecasting. This study delivers an all-inclusive assessment of 5 high spatial resolution gridded precipitation products including satellite data products and also climate reanalysis product as compared to WRF precipitation product. The study was performed in river basins of North Western Himalaya (NWH) in India. Performance of WRF model is evaluated by comparing with observational gridded (0.25° × 0.25°) precipitation data from Indian Meteorological Department (IMD). Other products include TRMM Multi Satellite Precipitation Analysis (TMPA) 3B42-v7 product (0.25° × 0.25°) and Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM) product (0.1° × 0.1°). Moreover, climate reanalysis rainfall product from ERA Interim is also used. Bias, Mean Absolute Error, Root Mean Square Error, False Alarm Ratio (FAR), Probability of False Detection (POFD), and Probability of Detection (POD) were calculated with particular rainfall thresholds. TRMM and GPM products were found to be sufficiently close to the observations. All products showed better performance in the low altitude areas i.e. in planes of Upper Ganga and Yamuna basin and Indus basin, and increase in error as topographical variation increases. This study can be used for identifying suitability of WRF forecast data and assessing performance of other rainfall datasets as well

Level of agreement between objectively determined body composition and perceived body image in 6- To 8-year-old South African children- To Body Composition-Isotope Technique study

To assess the level of agreement between body size self-perception and actual body size determined by body mass index (BMI) z-score and body fatness measured by the deuterium dilution method (DDM) in South African children aged 6-8 years. A cross-sectional sample of 202 children (83 boys and 119 girls) aged 6-8 years from the Body Composition-Isotope Technique study (BC-IT) was taken. Subjective measures of body image (silhouettes) were compared with the objective measures of BMI z-score and body fatness measured by the DDM. The World Health Organization BMI z-scores were used to classify the children as underweight, normal, overweight, or obese. DDM-measured fatness was classified based on the McCarthy centile curves set at 2nd, 85th and 95th in conjunction with fatness cut-off points of 25% in boys and 30% in girls. Data were analyzed using SPSS v26. Of 202 children, 32.2%, 55.1%, 8.8%, and 2.4% perceived their body size as underweight, normal, overweight, and obese, respectively. Based on BMI z-score, 18.8%, 72.8%, 6.9%, and 1.5% were classified as underweight, normal, overweight, and obese, respectively. Body fatness measurement showed that 2.5%, 48.0%, 21.8%, and 29.7% were underweight, normal weight, overweight, and obese, respectively

Nitrate assimilation in relation to total reduced N in bengal gram (Cicer arietinum)

On the basis of a preliminary experiment with 20-day-old Cicer seedlings, wherein the values obtained by integrating the in vivo nitrate reductase (NR) activity with the duration closely approximated the actual reduced N, a field experiment was conducted with cv BG 203 (indeterminate type) to ascertain the extent to which the nitrate assimilated via the enzyme NR contributed to the total reduced N. Soil-derived N accounted for 15.1, 8.3 and 7.2% of the total reduced N at pre-flowering (I), profuse flowering (II) and seed filling (III) stages respectively. Out of the total soil-derived N, 10.1, 59.3 and 30.6% was reduced during stages I, II and III respectively

To flow or not to flow. A perspective on large-scale stationary electrochemical energy storage

This article is part of the themed collection: Recent Open Access Articles.Energy storage is experiencing a renaissance as a result of the growing number of vital applications such as internet of things, smart grids, electric vehicles, renewable energy storage, etc. In particular, stationary energy storage must be urgently deployed at a large-scale to support full deployment of renewables and a sustainable grid. Electrochemical energy storage systems (EESS) will be key in this pursuit. Yet, present mature technologies are all sub-optimal. A myriad of new battery chemistries are being developed in research labs, each with specific strengths and drawbacks. EESS technologies such as lithium-ion batteries, lithium–sulfur, metal–air and other post-lithium technologies, but also supercapacitors, hybrid devices and redox flow batteries (RFBs), could benefit from collaborative development between top-down systems engineering and bottom-up material science. Lithium and post-lithium systems have been extensively researched and reviewed. This perspective article examines the energy storage landscape that goes from state-of-the-art flow cells to novel flowing and stationary technologies. While there is a wide scope for improvement of first generation RFBs, a wealth of novel concepts such as ambipolar electrolytes or shuttle cells to semisolid electrodes are also emerging. This could boost the energy density of these flowing systems. In our analysis we also propose other new concepts which could eventually lead to non-flowing large-scale electrochemical energy storage.A. P. acknowledges her fellowship funded by H2020-MSCA-COFUND-2016, DOC-FAM (75439). The authors acknowledge funding from AEI (projects PID2021-128390OB-I00, TED2021-130205B-C21 and PLEC2022-009328). ICN2 is funded by the CERCA programme/Generalitat de Catalunya and supported by the Severo Ochoa Centres of Excellence programme, Grant CEX2021-001214-S, funded by MCIN/AEI/10.13039.501100011033.With funding from the Spanish government through the "Severo Ochoa Centre of Excellence" accreditation (CEX2021-001214-S).Peer reviewe

ASSESSMENT OF ADAPTATION OF LIVER FLUKE CERCARIAE IN THE IMMATURE STAGES OF ANOPHELES FLUVIATILIS UNDER DIFFERENT ECOLOGICAL CONDITIONS

The results of the present investigation are based on the adaptation of liverfluke cercariae in immature stages of Anopheles fluviatilis at altering temperature, light conditions and pH of the water. The prevalence of cercariae was maximum in IV instar larval stage at 24°C and 40°C whereas in III instar larvae it was 32°C. The pupae also exhibited antagonism efficiency but to a less extent in comparison to II, III and IV instar larvae. There was no response to I instar larvae towards the cercariae at all the selected ecological parameters. The adaptation efficiency of cercariae was maximum in III instar larvae and that too in sharp light conditions whereas in dim light and darkness it was observed in IV instar larvae. At both the levels of pH i.e. 6.5 and 7.5 the maximum prevalence of adaptation was seen in IV instar stages followed by III instar larvae

Nitrogen economy of the main shoot of field grown barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) III. Content of reduced nitrogen in different organs

Nitrogen concentration pattern and total nitrogen content in the various organs of the main shoot of field grown Jyoti barley at 40 kg N ha-1 were determined. The laminae had a much higher N concentration (µmol g-1 dry wt.) than the other organs at a corresponding stage. The major amount of N accumulates in the main shoot by ear emergence. An observation of interest is the decline in the total N content of the laminae before anthesis. The results are discussed in relation to mobilization of N within the shoot and the contribution of the vegetative parts to the N in developing grains

Nitrogen economy of the main shoot of field-grown barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) II. In vivo nitrate reductase activity during growth

The method for assay of in vivo nitrate reductase (NR) activity was standardized for barley (Hordeum vulgare L.). NR activity was determined in the various organs of the main shoot of field-grown Jyoti barley at 40 kg N ha-1. Total nitrate reductase activity (TNRA) of each organ for the period it was metabolically active was calculated. The NR activity was highest in the laminae, followed by the sheaths, reproductive organs; and internodes. The NR activity was high in the first-formed laminae and it showed a decline in the ones formed subsequently. The values varied from 43.2 ± 4.33 to 7.2 ± 1.49 µmol NO-3 reduced g-1 dry wt. h-1. Maximum TNRA in the laminae, sheath, and internodes was at 49, 84, and 84-93 d after sowing, respectively. The TNRA of the main shoot as a whole showed three peaks, one around 49 d, a second around 63 d, and a third around 84 d after sowing. Correlation coefficient (r) between NR and NO3 concentration was highly significant in the laminae and sheath viz. 0.76 and 0.62, respectively. The results are discussed in relation to alteration in management practices to maximize nitrate assimilatory activity and the amount of reduced N harvested

Reforming of pyrolysis gasoline over platinum-alumina catalysts containing MFI type zeolites

Reforming of pyrolysis gasoline, a highly olefinic feed, has been carried out over Pt-alumina catalysts containing small amounts of MFI type zeolites. The incorporation of these zeolites helps in lowering the coke deposition on the catalysts, thereby increasing their life. Further, the products are virtually free of aliphatics. Due to the large concentration of aromatics in the feed, significant aromatic gain is obtained only at low pressures of operation