Study of two species prey-predator model in imprecise environment with MSY policy under different harvesting scenario

Parameters involve in various ecological models are mostly uncertain due to ever changing characteristic of nature. This article, deals with a basic predator–prey model where ecological parameters are considered as parametric-functional nature of interval numbers. The dynamical behaviors of the model system have been discussed in the imprecise environment. Moreover, the concept of maximum sustainable yield (MSY) has been incorporated in the model system under imprecise environment, and MSY policies under different harvesting scenarios have been discussed. Finally all the analytical findings are testified through extensive numerical simulations and the article ended with a conclusion.

     

Dry reforming of methane to syngas: a potential alternative process for value added chemicals—a techno-economic perspective

During the past decade, there has been increasing global concern over the rise of anthropogenic CO₂ emission into the Earth’s atmosphere (J Air Waste Manage Assoc 53:645–715, 2003). The utilization of CO₂ to produce any valuable product is need of the hour. The production of syngas from CO₂ and CH₄ seems to be one of the promising alternatives in terms of industrial utilization, as it offers several advantages: (a) mitigation of CO₂, (b) transformation of natural gas and CO₂ into valuable syngas, and (c) producing syngas with H₂/CO ratio 1 which may further be used for the production of valuable petrochemicals (J Air Waste Manage Assoc 53:645–715, 2003). A conceptual design for the production of synthesis gas by dry reforming of methane is presented here. An economic assessment of this process with an integrated methanol production section as a case was conceptualized and compared with the conventional steam methane reforming route to produce methanol. The economic study indicated that dry reforming of natural gas/methane is a competitive process with lower operating and capital costs in comparison with steam reforming assuming negligible cost of CO₂ import.     

Spatial assessment of groundwater quality in Mamundiyar basin, Tamil Nadu, India

Understanding the groundwater quality is important as it is the main factor determining its suitability for drinking, domestic, agricultural, and industrial purposes. In order to assess the groundwater quality, 30 groundwater samples have been collected in year 2008. The water samples collected in the field were analyzed for electrical conductivity, pH, total dissolved solids (TDS), major cations like calcium, magnesium, sodium, potassium, and anions like bicarbonate, carbonate, chloride, nitrate, and sulfate, in the laboratory using the standard methods given by the American Public Health Association. The groundwater locations were selected to cover the entire study area and attention was been given to the area where contamination is expected. The expected groundwater contaminants were chloride, nitrate, TDS, etc. The results were evaluated in accordance with the drinking water quality standards given by the World Health Organization (WHO 1993). To know the distribution pattern of the concentration of different elements and to demarcate the higher concentration zones, the contour maps for various elements were also generated, discussed, and presented.     

Risk-based prediction of metal toxicity in sediment and impact on human health due to consumption of seafood (Saccostrea cucullata) found in two highly industrialised coastal estuarine regions of Eastern India: a food safety issue

Estuarine ecosystems of the Bay of Bengal, India, are considered as the most productive environment, which have been persistently threatened by substantial anthropogenic activity. This study aims to investigate the metal contamination in the sediment of two estuaries and possible biomagnifications in the indigenous edible oyster Saccostrea cucullata and related health hazards due to its consumption. The accumulative ecological risks indicated that the sediment is moderate to strongly contaminated with cadmium and lead. The sediment pollution index and pollution load index suggested that the sediment possesses a little ecological stress on the exposed flora and fauna. The statistical interpretation highlights the most metals which have a similar source of origin and are bound to the finer fractions of the sediment, except nickel. Bioaccumulation of sediment-associated Cu and Zn in oyster reflects their potential biomagnifications through aquatic food chain. HPI range was below the critical limit of safe human consumption. The non-carcinogenic (THQ) and carcinogenic (CR) health hazards were estimated from the PTDI provided by USEPA. Except Cr, Hg and Zn, the THQ of all other metals was > 1 suggesting detrimental non-carcinogenic health effects on humans. The TCR of Cr and Cd above safety limit indicates the exposed population might be under severe carcinogenic threat due to those metals.

     

Role of GSH in the amelioration of chromium-induced membrane damage

Membrane damage is one of the important consequences of chromium (Cr), an environmental toxicant, induced cytotoxicity. Reduced glutathione (GSH), a membrane protectant may be used to reduce the Cr-induced membrane damage. In the present study, the impact of Cr in presence and absence of GSH was studied on plasma membrane of the liver and kidneys in male Wistar rats. Significant increases in membrane cholesterol levels as well as significant decreases in membrane phospholipid levels in Cr exposed (0.8 mg per 100 g body weight, i.p., for 28 days) animals suggest structural alterations in both the liver and kidney plasma membranes. Alkaline phosphatase (ALP), total ATPase, and Na⁺–K⁺–ATPase activities of plasma membrane were significantly decreased in both the liver and kidneys after Cr treatment. This treatment also produced significant weight loss and increased Cr content in the liver and kidneys. However, GSH (8 mg per 100g body weight, i.p., daily at an interval of 6 h after injection of Cr for a period of 28 days) supplementation restored alterations induced by Cr in plasma membrane of both the liver and kidneys but was not able to eliminate the deposited Cr from the liver and kidney tissues.     

Immunoprotective effect of curcumin on cypermethrin-induced toxicity in rats

Immunotoxicological effects of cypermethrin and their reversal by curcumin following oral administration were evaluated in rats. Mature male Wistar rats were orally administered cypermethrin (25?mg?kg^?1 body wt), curcumin (100?mg?kg^?1 body wt) or both daily for 4 weeks. At the end of fourth week, hematological, serum biochemical, and immunological parameters were studied. Subchronic exposure to cypermethrin significantly reduced body weight, total leukocyte count, lymphocyte count, serum total protein, serum albumin, serum globulin, antibody titer against sheep red blood cells, and cell-mediated immunity. Concomitant curcumin administration restored the changes in the body weight, hematological parameters, and serum biochemical indices and significantly increased the antibody titer, and cell mediated immunity. These results suggest that concurrent curcumin treatment has a beneficial role in mitigating immunotoxicological and other adverse effects of cypermethrin.     

Urgency for sustainable development in coastal urban areas with reference to weather pattern,land use,and water quality

Water pollution is one of the most critical problems affecting mankind. Weather pattern and land use of catchment area have significant role in quality of water bodies. Due to climate change, there is frequent variation in weather pattern all over the world. There is also rapid change in land use due to increase in population and urbanization. The study was carried out to analyze the effect of change in weather pattern during the monsoon periods of 2008 and 2012 on water quality of a tropical coastal lake system. The nature and extent of variation in different water quality parameters namely electrical conductivity (EC), magnesium (Mg), sodium (Na), chloride (Cl), sulphate (SO₄), turbidity, Secchi disk depth, biochemical oxygen demand (BOD), phosphate (PO₄), calcium (Ca), and water temperature as well as the effect of various land use activities in the lake basin on water quality have also been studied. There is significant reduction in precipitation, EC, Mg, Na, Cl, SO₄, turbidity, and Secchi disk depths whereas a significant rise in the BOD, PO₄, Ca, and water temperature were observed in 2012. This significant reduction in electrical conductivity during 2012 revealed that because of less precipitation, the lake was separated from the sea by the sandbar during most of the monsoon period and thereby interrupted the natural flushing process. This caused the accumulation of organic matter including phosphate and thereby resulting reduction in clarity and chlorophyll-a (algae) in the lake. The unsustainable development activities of Thiruvanathapuram city are mainly responsible for the degradation of water bodies. The lack of maintenance and augmentation activities namely replacement of old pipes and periodical cleaning of pipe lines of the old sewer system in the city results in the bypass of sewage into water bodies. Because of the existence of the old sewerage system, no effort has been taken by the individual establishment/house of the city to provide their own treatment system for sewage and sullage and the untreated wastes are discharged into these old sewer pipes and ultimately the wastes reach the water bodies. In this context, decentralized treatment of sewage, sullage, and garbage by individual houses/establishments/hotels/hospitals is a better option for the developing countries. With the rapid developmental activities, and due to the variation of precipitation due to climate change, it is highly essential to provide proper waste treatment/augmentation facilities in urban lake system because a slight variation in the weather pattern can result in serious implications in the already polluted water bodies.     

Diplomacy for science: strategies to promote international collaboration

Technology innovation is an increasingly globalized exercise with dramatic consequences for scientific and diplomatic goals alike, and requires enhanced participation and integration of scientists and science-minded diplomats within diplomatic missions to advance shared policy goals. This more general problem is addressed in the present article by focusing on recent collaborations between U.S. and German scientists, including several of the coauthors.     

Rapid estimation of compost enzymatic activity by spectral analysis method combined with machine learning

The aim of this study was to investigate the feasibility of using visible near-infrared (VisNIR) diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (DRS) as an easy, inexpensive, and rapid method to predict compost enzymatic activity, which traditionally measured by fluorescein diacetate hydrolysis (FDA-HR) assay. Compost samples representative of five different compost facilities were scanned by DRS, and the raw reflectance spectra were preprocessed using seven spectral transformations for predicting compost FDA-HR with six multivariate algorithms. Although principal component analysis for all spectral pretreatments satisfactorily identified the clusters by compost types, it could not separate different FDA contents. Furthermore, the artificial neural network multilayer perceptron (residual prediction deviation = 3.2, validation r² = 0.91 and RMSE = 13.38 μg g^?1 h^?1) outperformed other multivariate models to capture the highly non-linear relationships between compost enzymatic activity and VisNIR reflectance spectra after Savitzky–Golay first derivative pretreatment. This work demonstrates the efficiency of VisNIR DRS for predicting compost enzymatic as well as microbial activity.