Seasonal variations of some metals in bivalve mollusc Sunetta scripta from the Cochin coastal waters

Bivalve mollusc Sunetla scripta is abundant in the inshore waters of Co chin and is a suitable indicator species of metal pollution. The metal load in the bivalve showed an increase during the monsoon season indicating the apparent influence of river run off and reduction in salinity in the seasonality of metal uptake. In the case of copper, the smaller individuals recorded relatively higher load than that of larger ones

Response of turmeric (Curcuma domestica Val.) to in vivo and in vitro pollination

Seed set and development were obtained through in vivo pollination in three combinations of short duration turmeric cultivars and these were not observed in crosses of medium duration cultivars and short x medium duration cultivars. The fruit developed after in vivo pollination was a thick walled trilocular capsule. It took 20-22 days for development and ripening. Arilled seeds are triangular with two seed coats. The seeds are filled with massive endosperm and the embryo is seen oriented towards the chalazal end of the seed. In the in vitro pollination studies, culture establishment and ovule development were obtained in half strength MS + NAA 0.5 mg l-1 with BAP and kinetin at 1 mg l-1 each. Among the various methods of pollination tried, ovule seed-l development was observed in the intra ovarian, placental and modified placental pollination techniques. In the in vitro developed seed, the endosperm development was not complete. The aforesaid in vitro techniques need refinement with respect to medium and other requirements for the germination of in vitro produced seeds. &nbsp

Response of turmeric (Curcuma domestica Val.) to in vivo and in vitro pollination

Seed set and development were obtained through in vivo pollination in three combinations of short duration turmeric cultivars and these were not observed in crosses of medium duration cultivars and short x medium duration cultivars. The fruit developed after in vivo pollination was a thick walled trilocular capsule. It took 20-22 days for development and ripening. Arilled seeds are triangular with two seed coats. The seeds are filled with massive endosperm and the embryo is seen oriented towards the chalazal end of the seed. In the in vitro pollination studies, culture establishment and ovule development were obtained in half strength MS + NAA 0.5 mg l-1 with BAP and kinetin at 1 mg l-1 each. Among the various methods of pollination tried, ovule seed-l development was observed in the intra ovarian, placental and modified placental pollination techniques. In the in vitro developed seed, the endosperm development was not complete. The aforesaid in vitro techniques need refinement with respect to medium and other requirements for the germination of in vitro produced seeds. &nbsp

Bioaccumulation of trace metals by marine flora and Fauna near a caustic soda plant (Karwar, India)

The concenlration of Cd, Pb, Cu, Zn and Mn in fishes, shell fishes and seaweed near a caustic soda plant has been measured. Trace metal concentration in the oyster (Crassostrea cucullata), mussel (Pema viridis) and seaweed (Sargassum tenerimum) collected from the vicinity of discharge point were found to be comparatively high. It is found that oysters are more effective bioaccumulators for Zn, Cu, and Cd, whUe mussels and seaweeds for Pb and Mn. There were no significant differences between the whole soft tissue for Pb and Cd concentration of P. viridis collected from a relatively clean and contaminated sites. The kidney and mantle showed significant differences for all the trace metals, gill for Zn, Cu, Pb and Cd and digestive gland for Zn, Cu and Cd. The kidney was found to be a major site of trace metal accumulation followed by digestive gland, from both the sites

Sea-air CO2 fluxes in the Indian Ocean between 1990 and 2009

The Indian Ocean (44 S-30 N) plays an important role in the global carbon cycle, yet it remains one of the most poorly sampled ocean regions. Several approaches have been used to estimate net sea-air CO2 fluxes in this region: interpolated observations, ocean biogeochemical models, atmospheric and ocean inversions. As part of the RECCAP (REgional Carbon Cycle Assessment and Processes) project, we combine these different approaches to quantify and assess the magnitude and variability in Indian Ocean sea-air CO2 fluxes between 1990 and 2009. Using all of the models and inversions, the median annual mean sea-air CO2 uptake of −0.37 ± 0.06 PgC yr -1 is consistent with the −0.24 ± 0.12 PgC yr -1 calculated from observations. The fluxes from the southern Indian Ocean (18-44 S; -0.43 ± 0.07 PgC yr-1 are similar in magnitude to the annual uptake for the entire Indian Ocean. All models capture the observed pattern of fluxes in the Indian Ocean with the following exceptions: underestimation of upwelling fluxes in the northwestern region (off Oman and Somalia), overestimation in the northeastern region (Bay of Bengal) and underestimation of the CO2 sink in the subtropical convergence zone. These differences were mainly driven by lack of atmospheric CO2 data in atmospheric inversions, and poor simulation of monsoonal currents and freshwater discharge in ocean biogeochemical models. Overall, the models and inversions do capture the phase of the observed seasonality for the entire Indian Ocean but overestimate the magnitude. The predicted sea-air CO 2 fluxes by ocean biogeochemical models (OBGMs) respond to seasonal variability with strong phase lags with reference to climatological CO 2 flux, whereas the atmospheric inversions predicted an order of magnitude higher seasonal flux than OBGMs. The simulated interannual variability by the OBGMs is weaker than that found by atmospheric inversions. Prediction of such weak interannual variability in CO2 fluxes by atmospheric inversions was mainly caused by a lack of atmospheric data in the Indian Ocean. The OBGM models suggest a small strengthening of the sink over the period 1990-2009 of -0.01 PgC decade-1. This is inconsistent with the observations in the southwestern Indian Ocean that shows the growth rate of oceanic pCO 2 was faster than the observed atmospheric CO2 growth, a finding attributed to the trend of the Southern Annular Mode (SAM) during the 1990s

Chlorophyll profile of the euphotic zone in the Lakshadweep Sea during the southwest monsoon season

The distribution of chlorophyll a, b and c, the inorganic phosphate and nitrite of the euphotic zone at 56 locations in the Lakshadweep Sea was studied during the southwest monsoon period of 1990. The average chlorophyll a concentration varied from 4.62 mg/m^ at the surface to 2.23 mg/m^at 50 m depth with a column mean of 161 mg/m^ in the euphotic zone. The chlorophyll b averaged to 2.28 mg/m^ at 10 m to 2.79 mg/m^ at 50 m depths and 115 mg/ m^ in the column. The chlorophyll c varied from 4.03 mg/m^ at the surface to 4.97 mg/m^ at the 20 m depth and showed an average value of 202 mg/m^for the column. The chlorophyll c was the dominant pigment in the water column throughout the period of study. The average ratios of chlorophyll c/a and b/ a fell in the range of 1.3 - 2.4 and 0.80 - 1.3 respectively and were positively correlated with depths in the euphotic zone. The inorganic phosphate values fluctuated from 0.65 fig at/1 at surface to 1.36 |ig at/1 at 50 m depth with a mean of 49 mg at/m^ in the water column. The nitrite concentration varied widely, very often below the level of detection

Critical marine habitat restoration programme - initiative on mangrove restoration in Kerala, India

Mangroves are unique habitats which function as nursery ground for several valuable species of finfishes and shellfishes and they play a vital role in supporting marine food chains, protecting coastal areas and in improving water quality. Mangroves in general have relatively high productivity and tend to create highly organic soil and also export organic matter to nearby marine environments. They are effective in stabilizing soils in intertidal areas. Some species of mangroves have been planted in the coastal areas as bio-protection shields to guard coastal households from wind and wave action. They provide shelter to several avian fauna which feed on its fruits and nest in the branches. Rare or endangered species of birds have also been documented in the mangroves

Brzo i vidljivo petljom posredovano izotermno umnažanje za dokazivanje Brucella spp. i njegova primjena u epidemiologiji bruceloze goveda.

Brucellosis is a devastating disease, once an abortion storm starts in a herd, and hence early diagnosis is important. Loop mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) has enlightened the darker part of the diagnostic world by its simplicity and swiftness, and has the advantage of working in isothermal conditions so that it can be applied to the field. LAMP for Brucella spp., that already exists has not been exploited for visual detection and the time needed for completion of the reaction has not been reduced. In the present study, an attempt was made to seal these cracks by developing a fast and visually detectable LAMP for Brucella spp., which needs only 30 min detection time, and SYBR green aided easier result visualization. The LAMP test targeting the omp25 gene was found to be highly sensitive and specific for detecting Brucella spp. Comparison of the LAMP test with the available PCR assay revealed that the LAMP test was more sensitive than PCR, following testing of 438 field samples of cattle origin, and it showed prevalence of Brucella of 14.7 % in different parts of India. Being highly sensitive, specific and speedy, the standardized visual LAMP test can be widely used for epidemiological surveys of this economically important and zoonotic pathogen.Bruceloza je razorna bolest kad se u stadu pojavi u obliku pobačaja što iziskuje brzo postavljanje dijagnoze. Upotreba metode nazvane „petljom posredovano izotermno umnažanje“ (engl. loop mediated isothermal amplification, LAMP)“ omogućila je poboljšanje dijagnostike svojom jednostavnošću i brzinom, a prednost joj je da se može izvesti na postojanoj temperaturi pa se može primijeniti u terenskim uvjetima. U dosada razvijenim postupcima LAMP-a nije bio rabljen vizualni dokaz i nije se uspjelo skratiti vrijeme reakcije. U ovom istraživanju pokušalo se ukloniti te nedostatke razvitkom brzog postupka za vizualni dokaz Brucella spp., za što je potrebno samo 30 minuta i SYBR zeleno. LAMP test za dokaz gena omp25 pokazao se visoko osjetljivim i specifičnim za dokaz Brucella spp. Pretraga 438 terenskih uzoraka podrijetlom od goveda pokazala je da je LAMP osjetljiviji od raspoloživih testova PCR-a. Tim je testom dokazana prevalencija bruceloze od 14,7 % u različitim dijelovima Indije. Kao vrlo osjetljiv, specifičan i brz, LAMP test se može naširoko upotrijebiti u epidemiološkim istraživanjima bruceloze

A Decadal Inversion of CO2 Using the Global Eulerian-Lagrangian Coupled Atmospheric Model (GELCA): Sensitivity to the Ground-Based Observation Network

We present an assimilation system for atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) using a Global Eulerian-Lagrangian Coupled Atmospheric model (GELCA), and demonstrate its capability to capture the observed atmospheric CO2 mixing ratios and to estimate CO2 fluxes. With the efficient data handling scheme in GELCA, our system assimilates non-smoothed CO2 data from observational data products such as the Observation Package (ObsPack) data products as constraints on surface fluxes. We conducted sensitivity tests to examine the impact of the site selections and the prior uncertainty settings of observation on the inversion results. For these sensitivity tests, we made five different sitedata selections from the ObsPack product. In all cases, the time series of the global net CO2 flux to the atmosphere stayed close to values calculated from the growth rate of the observed global mean atmospheric CO2 mixing ratio. At regional scales, estimated seasonal CO2 fluxes were altered, depending on the CO2 data selected for assimilation. Uncertainty reductions (URs) were determined at the regional scale and compared among cases. As measures of the model-data mismatch, we used the model-data bias, root-mean-square error, and the linear correlation. For most observation sites, the model-data mismatch was reasonably small. Regarding regional flux estimates, tropical Asia was one of the regions that showed a significant impact from the observation network settings. We found that the surface fluxes in tropical Asia were the most sensitive to the use of aircraft measurements over the Pacific, and the seasonal cycle agreed better with the results of bottom-up studies when the aircraft measurements were assimilated. These results confirm the importance of these aircraft observations, especially for constraining surface fluxes in the tropics

Data-based estimates of the ocean carbon sink variability – First results of the Surface Ocean pCO2 Mapping intercomparison (SOCOM)

Using measurements of the surface-ocean CO2 partial pressure (pCO2) and 14 different pCO2 mapping methods recently collated by the Surface Ocean pCO2 Mapping intercomparison (SOCOM) initiative, variations in regional and global sea–air CO2 fluxes are investigated. Though the available mapping methods use widely different approaches, we find relatively consistent estimates of regional pCO2 seasonality, in line with previous estimates. In terms of interannual variability (IAV), all mapping methods estimate the largest variations to occur in the eastern equatorial Pacific. Despite considerable spread in the detailed variations, mapping methods that fit the data more closely also tend to agree more closely with each other in regional averages. Encouragingly, this includes mapping methods belonging to complementary types – taking variability either directly from the pCO2 data or indirectly from driver data via regression. From a weighted ensemble average, we find an IAV amplitude of the global sea–air CO2 flux of 0.31 PgC yr−1 (standard deviation over 1992–2009), which is larger than simulated by biogeochemical process models. From a decadal perspective, the global ocean CO2 uptake is estimated to have gradually increased since about 2000, with little decadal change prior to that. The weighted mean net global ocean CO2 sink estimated by the SOCOM ensemble is −1.75 PgC yr−1 (1992–2009), consistent within uncertainties with estimates from ocean-interior carbon data or atmospheric oxygen trend