Modelling the Encroachment of Farmhouse Culture on Private Village Pastures and Its Environmental Fall-Out in Northern Western Ghats, India

Tropical India harbours numerous pasturelands across small landholdings ranging up to few hectares which are covered with grass that is suitable as fodder. These grazing lands are commonly known as ‘Gairan’ in urbanised northern Western Ghats mountain tract in Western India). Such grasslands comprise about 20% of the total area of a village (Jodha, 1986), support livestock and supplement the agro-economy of the village. These pasturelands are being replaced by fenced ‘farmhouses’ of the urban elite, resulting in land use changes that caused drastic qualitative and quantitative changes in terms of area, fodder species composition and livestock they support (Patwardhan et al., 2003). The study area has faced large changes in the last few decades with increases in the area under settlement by 240%s as well as a decrease in the area of agriculture land and grasslands-scrub vegetation by 31 % and 39 % respectively (Nalavade, 2003). The present paper documents socio-cultural, economic and environmental changes in private village pastures across the Mumbai-Pune urban belt

Projected changes in climate over the Indus river basin using a high resolution regional climate model (PRECIS)

A regional climate modelling system, the Providing REgional Climates for Impacts Studies developed by the Hadley Centre for Climate Prediction and Research, has been used to study future climate change scenarios over Indus basin for the impact assessment. In this paper we have examined the three Quantifying Uncertainty in Model Predictions simulations selected from 17-member perturbed physics ensemble generated using Hadley Centre Coupled Module. The climate projections based on IPCC SRES A1B scenario are analysed over three time slices, near future (2011-2040), middle of the twenty first century (2041-2070), and distant future (2071-2098). The baseline simulation (1961-1990) was evaluated with observed data for seasonal and spatial patterns and biases. The model was able to resolve features on finer spatial scales and depict seasonal variations reasonably well, although there were quantitative biases. The model simulations suggest a non-uniform change in precipitation overall, with an increase in precipitation over the upper Indus basin and decrease over the lower Indus basin, and little change in the border area between the upper and lower Indus basins. A decrease in winter precipitation is projected, particularly over the southern part of the basin. Projections indicate greater warming in the upper than the lower Indus, and greater warming in winter than in the other seasons. The simulations suggest an overall increase in the number of rainy days over the basin, but a decrease in the number of rainy days accompanied by an increase in rainfall intensity in the border area between the upper and lower basins, where the rainfall amount is highest

Evaluation of gas phase mass transfer at low reynolds numbers: a new model system

A new experimental system is presented which is suitable for studying gas side mass transfer coefficients in packed columns at Reynolds numbers even lower than 1.0. The system involves desorption of iodine from aqueous KI solutions. The reversible complex formation between iodine and iodine ions effectively slows down the concentration changes which otherwise would be too rapid for accurate experimentation

Simulated projections for summer monsoon climate over India by a high-resolution regional climate model (PRECIS)

Impact of global warming on the Indian monsoon climate is examined using Hadley Centre's highresolution regional climate model, PRECIS (Providing REgional Climates for Impact Studies). Three simulations from a 17-member Perturbed Physics Ensemble generated using Hadley Center Coupled Model (HadCM3) for the Quantifying Uncertainty in Model Predictions (QUMP) project, are used to drive PRECIS. The PRECIS simulations corresponding to the IPCCSRES A1B emission scenario are carried out for a continuous period of 1961-2098. The model shows reasonable skill in simulating the monsoon climate over India. The climate projections are examined over three time slices, viz. short (2020s, i.e. 2011-2040), medium (2050s, i.e. 2041-2070) and long (2080s, i.e. 2071-2098). The model projections indicate significant warming over India towards the end of the 21st century. The summer monsoon precipitation over India is expected to be 9-16 more in 2080s compared to the baseline (1970s, i.e. 1961-1990) under global warming conditions. Also, the rainy days are projected to be less frequent and more intense over central India

Soft Palate Modification Using a Collagen Crosslinking Reagent for Equine Dorsal Displacement of the Soft Palate and Other Upper Airway Breathing Disorders

The mechanical properties of the soft palate can be associated with breathing abnormalities. Dorsal displacement of the soft palate (DDSP) is a naturally occurring equine soft palate disorder caused by displacement of the caudal edge of the soft palate. Snoring and a more serious, sometimes life-threatening, condition called obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) are forms of sleep-related breathing disorders in humans which may involve the soft palate. The goal of this study was to investigate the effect of injecting the protein crosslinker genipin into the soft palate to modify its mechanical properties for the treatment of equine DDSP with potential implications for the treatment of snoring and OSA in humans. Ex vivo experiments consisted of mechanical testing and a wind tunnel study to examine the effect of genipin on the mechanical properties, displacement, and vibration of equine soft palates. A pilot in vivo study was completed using DDSP and control horses to test the safety and effectiveness of injecting a genipin reagent into the soft palate. The wind tunnel testing demonstrated a greater than 50% decrease in transient deformation and a greater than 33% decrease in steady-state vibrations for all doses of genipin tested. Ultimate tensile stress, yield stress, and Young’s modulus were higher in the genipin-treated distal soft palate specimens by 52%, 53%, and 63%, respectively. The pilot in vivo study showed a reduction of snoring loudness in all DDSP horses and elimination of DDSP in at least one of three horses. The difficulty of using a 1-meter-long endoscopic injection needle contributed to a consistent overinjection of the equine soft palates, causing excessive stretching (pillowing) and related degradation of the tissue. These ex vivo and in vivo results demonstrated reduced vibration amplitude and flaccidity and increased strength of genipin-treated soft palates, suggesting that genipin crosslinking could become an effective and safe treatment for soft palate related breathing abnormalities

Micro-Capsules in Shear Flow

This paper deals with flow-induced shape transitions of elastic capsules. The state of the art concerning both theory and experiments is briefly reviewed starting with dynamically induced small deformation of initially spherical capsules and the formation of wrinkles on polymerized membranes. Initially non-spherical capsules show tumbling and tank-treading motion in shear flow. Theoretical descriptions of the transition between these two types of motion assuming a fixed shape are at variance with the full capsule dynamics obtained numerically. To resolve the discrepancy, we expand the exact equations of motion for small deformations and find that shape changes play a dominant role. We classify the dynamical phase transitions and obtain numerical and analytical results for the phase boundaries as a function of viscosity contrast, shear and elongational flow rate. We conclude with perspectives on timedependent flow, on shear-induced unbinding from surfaces, on the role of thermal fluctuations, and on applying the concepts of stochastic thermodynamics to these systems.Comment: 34 pages, 15 figure

Simulated projections for summer monsoon climate over India by a high-resolution regional climate model (PRECIS)

Impact of global warming on the Indian monsoon climate is examined using Hadley Centre’s highresolution regional climate model, PRECIS (Providing REgional Climates for Impact Studies). Three simulations from a 17-member Perturbed Physics Ensemble generated using Hadley Center Coupled Model (HadCM3) for the Quantifying Uncertainty in Model Predictions (QUMP) project, are used to drive PRECIS. The PRECIS simulations corresponding to the IPCCSRES A1B emission scenario are carried out for a continuous period of 1961–2098. The model shows reasonable skill in simulating the monsoon climate over India. The climate projections are examined over three time slices, viz. short (2020s, i.e. 2011–2040), medium (2050s, i.e. 2041–2070) and long (2080s, i.e. 2071–2098). The model projections indicate significant warming over India towards the end of the 21st century. The summer monsoon precipitation over India is expected to be 9–16% more in 2080s compared to the baseline (1970s, i.e. 1961–1990) under global warming conditions. Also, the rainy days are projected to be less frequent and more intense over central India

Cardiac Autonomic Effects of Acute Exposures to Airborne Particulates in Men and Women

The aim of this research was to investigate cardiac autonomic changes associated with acute exposures to airborne particulates. Methods: High fidelity 12-lead ECG (CardioSoft, Houston, TX) was acquired from 19 (10 male / 9 female) non-smoking volunteers (age 33.6 +/- 6.6 yrs) during 10 minutes pre-exposure, exposure and post-exposure to environmental tobacco smoke (ETS), cooking oil fumes, wood smoke and sham (water vapor). To control exposure levels, noise, subject activity, and temperature, all studies were conducted inside an environmental chamber. Results: The short-term fractal scaling exponent (Alpha-1) and the ratio of low frequency to high frequency Heart Rate Variability (HRV) powers (LF/HF, a purported sympathetic index) were both higher in males (p<0.017 and p<0.05, respectively) whereas approximate entropy (ApEn) and HF/(LF+HF) (a purported parasympathetic index) were both lower in males (p<0.036, and p<0.044, respectively). Compared to pre-exposure (p<0.0002) and sham exposure (p<0.047), male heart rates were elevated during early ETS post-exposure. Our data suggest that, in addition to tonic HRV gender differences, cardiac responses to some acute airborne particulates are gender related

Reexamining Chronic \u3cem\u3eToxoplasma gondii\u3c/em\u3e Infection: Surprising Activity for a Dormant Parasite

Purpose of Review Despite over a third of the world’s population being chronically infected with Toxoplasma gondii, little is known about this largely asymptomatic phase of infection. This stage is mediated in vivo by bradyzoites within tissue cysts. The absence of overt symptoms has been attributed to the dormancy of bradyzoites. In this review, we reexamine the conventional view of chronic toxoplasmosis in light of emerging evidence challenging both the nature of dormancy and the consequences of infection in the CNS. Recent Findings New and emerging data reveal a previously unrecognized level of physiological and replicative capacity of bradyzoites within tissue cysts. These findings have emerged in the context of a reexamination of the chronic infection in the brain that correlates with changes in neuronal architecture, neurochemistry, and behavior that suggest that the chronic infection is not without consequence. Summary The emerging data driven by the development of new approaches to study the progression of chronic toxoplasma infection reveals significant physiological and replicative capacity for what has been viewed as a dormant state. The emergence of bradyzoite and tissue cyst biology from what was viewed as a physiological “black box” offers exciting new areas for investigation with direct implications on the approaches to drug development targeting this drug-refractory state. In addition, new insights from studies on the neurobiology on chronic infection reveal a complex and dynamic interplay between the parasite, brain microenvironment, and the immune response that results in the detente that promotes the life-long persistence of the parasite in the host

Prevalence of infections among 6-16 years old children attending a semi-rural school in Western Maharashtra, India

Background: Infections are an important cause of morbidity in rural India. Reports on the prevalence of infections in older childrenand their effects on growth are scarce. Objective: The objectives were to determine the prevalence of common infections among6-16 year old school-children in a semi-rural setting in Western India and to assess the influence of infections on the growth status ofthe children. Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted in a semi-rural setting in a Zilla Parishad PrimarySchool, Karegaon, Maharashtra. 802 children (boys = 439), 6-16 years of age were assessed. Data on height, weight and infectionrelatedsymptoms reported by children (pre-tested, validated questionnaire) were collected. K-means cluster analysis was used to createthree clusters based on the severity of infections, and one-way analysis of variance with post-hoc Tukey’s multiple comparisons wasused to test the significance of differences in means of various characteristics of the subjects in three clusters. Results: 43% boys and49% girls reported symptoms of respiratory tract infections occasionally, and 28% boys and 27% girls complained of gastrointestinal(GI) infections occasionally. Children with more severe infections were more likely to be shorter and lighter; this was more marked ingirls. Conclusions: Rural school-going children (aged 6-16 years) suffer from high rates of infections, mainly upper respiratory tractinfections followed by GI tract infections