Study on the effect of toxicity under highly arsenic prone zone in Nadia district of West Bengal in India

The present study was carried out on the basis of status of arsenic in soil, drinking water and plants, blood, urine and faeces of animals at arsenic prone zone. Within the ambit with the environment, the examination of animals was taken into consideration. They were screened and categorised on the degree of As toxicity. For field works animals were randomly selected from arsenic prone zone. The external manifestation indicated a complex syndrome and characteristic signs such as increased heart rate and respiratory rate, red urine, congested mucous membrane, anorexia, absence of ruminal motility, diarrhoea with blood, polyuria and unusual weight loss. The haematobiochemical changes such as low Hb level, decreased level of TEC, TLC and increased level ALT, AST, BUN and creatinine. Increased level of arsenic in urine, blood and faeces than the value of control animals could be the confirmatory indication of arsenic toxicity

Odonates of three selected tiger reserves of Madhya Pradesh, Central India

Odonates (Damselflies and Dragonflies) were recorded from three Tiger Reserves of Madhya Pradesh, Central India, including Kanha, Pench and Bandhavgarh, where 47 species were recorded within 7 families and 31 genera. We recorded 44 species from Kanha, 41 species from Pench and 37 species from Bandhabgarh Tiger Reserve. Thirty-five species were recorded in all three tiger reserves. Suborder Zygoptera was represented by the families Coenagrionidae, Lestidae, Calopterygidae and Protoneuridae and suborder Anisoptera by the families Gomphidae, Libellulidae and Aeshnidae. Libellulidae was the largest family with 17 genera. In summer survey Orthetrum sabina Drury, 1770 was the most abundant species, while in winter the most abundant was Agriocnemis pygmea Rambur, 1842

Production of He-4 and (4) in Pb-Pb collisions at root(NN)-N-S=2.76 TeV at the LHC

Results on the production of He-4 and (4) nuclei in Pb-Pb collisions at root(NN)-N-S = 2.76 TeV in the rapidity range vertical bar y vertical bar <1, using the ALICE detector, are presented in this paper. The rapidity densities corresponding to 0-10% central events are found to be dN/dy4(He) = (0.8 +/- 0.4 (stat) +/- 0.3 (syst)) x 10(-6) and dN/dy4 = (1.1 +/- 0.4 (stat) +/- 0.2 (syst)) x 10(-6), respectively. This is in agreement with the statistical thermal model expectation assuming the same chemical freeze-out temperature (T-chem = 156 MeV) as for light hadrons. The measured ratio of (4)/He-4 is 1.4 +/- 0.8 (stat) +/- 0.5 (syst). (C) 2018 Published by Elsevier B.V.Peer reviewe

Micelle based synthesis of cobalt ferrite nanoparticles and its characterization using Fourier transform infrared transmission spectrometry and thermogravimetry

Cobalt ferrite (CoFe2O4) nanoparticles of average size 4 nm with narrow size distribution are synthesized by reverse micelle approach. The nanoparticles are characterized using powder X-ray diffraction (XRD), Dynamic Light Scattering (DLS), Theromogravimetric analysis (TGA) and Fourier Transform Infrared Transmission Spectrometry (FTIR). Three successive transformations are observed in the thermogram that correspond to the loss of solvent and surfactant; onset of the amorphous to crystallize conversion; and isochemical transformation, i.e. migration of cations between octahedral and tetrahedral sites in the inverse spinel structure. The isochemical transformation is further confirmed by FTIR. The IR absorption bands observed at 460 and 615 cm−1 in the as-prepared CoFe2O4 nanoparticles correspond to the ferrite skeleton of octahedral and tetrahedral sites, respectively. The peak intensity at 615 and 460 cm−1 is shifted to 601 and 440 cm−1, respectively upon annealing at 320 and 400°C. These results confirm migration of cations from the octahedral to the tetrahedral sites

Alcohol vapour sensing of nanocrystalline antimony doped zinc oxide

Nanocrystalline undoped and Sb2O3 doped (0.1 to 0.5 wt%) ZnO powders were synthesized by solution-combustion method using glucose, sucrose and nitrate salts as precursors. The undoped and doped ZnO particles were structurally characterized using X-ray diffractometer and transmission electron microscope. The average particles size of the ZnO powder was found to be 40 nm. Interestingly, sensors made from antimony doped ZnO powder showed better alcohol sensing (5-50 ppm) properties and long-term stability than those for undoped ZnO powder. It was found that 0.25 wt% Sb2O3 doped ZnO sensors exhibited the optimum alcohol sensing behavior and excellent response and recovery times