Trends of surface water quality of the Krishna River,India during the urbanization process

In the present study, Amaravati, the proposed city of India is considered to assess the impacts of urbanization on water quality of the Krishna River in the vicinity. Long-term surface water quality data of various parameters of Krishna River are obtained from Central Water Commission (CWC). Trends of various parameters are analyzed using a modified version of Mann-Kendall (M-K) test; bootstrapped M-K trend test with optional bias corrected pre-whitening and R programming are used affecting water quality prior to and at the commencement of urbanization. During the onset of urbanization, minimum BOD is decreased from 0.49 to 0.2 mg/L, while the maximum BOD is increased by 67.7%. Dissolved oxygen's (DO) minimum value is decreased by 29.33% while maximum DO value is decreased by 4.47% at the beginning of urbanization. During the process of urbanization, total coliform's minimum count is increased to 330 from 2 MPN/100 ml while the maximum count of total coliforms is increased to 16,000 from 2400 MPN/100 ml. Faecal coilform's minimum count is increased from 2 to 80 MPN/100 ml while maximum count is increased to 16,000 from 800 MPN/100 ml during urbanization. It is found that due to urbanization, pH, DO values exceed the allowable limit.     

Study on Synthesis of Comb-Shaped Chitosan-Graft-Polyethylenimine Dithiocarbamate Material and Its Adsorption to Heavy Metal Ions

Journal of Polymers and the Environment - How to efficiently and economically remove heavy metals from sewage has been a huge challenge in the world. This article reports on an adsorbing material...     

Rapid synthesis of mono/bimetallic (Zn/Co/Zn–Co) zeolitic imidazolate frameworks at room temperature and evolution of their CO2 uptake capacity

Environmental Chemistry Letters - Carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from fossil fuels cause air pollution and lead to adverse impact on environment. To achieve low-carbon economy, capturing CO2 in the...     

Acetylation of Castor Meal and Castor Proteins for Thermoplastic Applications

Castor meal and proteins extracted from the castor meal have been acetylated and made into thermoplastics. Castor meal is generated as the byproduct after extraction of oil from the seeds and hence available in large volumes at low cost. The meal is also non-thermoplastic making it difficult to use for industrial applications. In this research, castor meal (CM) and castor proteins (CP) extracted from the castor meal were acetylated under alkaline conditions in order to make them thermoplastic. The acetylated products were characterized using FT-IR, P-GC-MS and DSC. The effects of various acetylation conditions on % acetyl content were studied. The highest % acetyl content obtained in the case of CM was 11.63% for a material to anhydride ratio of 1:5 at 130?°C and for CP a higher acetylation of 23.60% was obtained using a ratio of 1:5 at 120?°C. It was found that that acetylated CP could be compression molded into films.     

Holistic correlation of world’s largest social safety net and its outcomes with Sustainable Development Goals

The five largest social safety net (SSN) programmes in the world are being implemented in India, China and Brazil. Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) is one of these programmes and regarded as the world’s largest SSN. MGNREGA aims at enhancing livelihood security of households in rural India by providing guaranteed wage employment. The scheme has resulted in the creation of sustainable assets that promote the economic and infrastructure development. More than 33 million assets were built in the process of MGNREGA. These assets were spread out in 262,380 smallest units of administration covering 6887 sub-districts with the participation of more than 250 million human manpower. The Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) aims to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure that all people enjoy peace and prosperity. The 17 goals tackle the root cause of poverty and attempts to make a positive change for both people and planet. Ecological regeneration or rejuvenation during the development of the assets generated numerous tangible and intangible benefits to the community in a sustainable way. MGNREGA, a federal government-sponsored scheme, using a decentralized approach is directly or indirectly helping to achieve all the 17 goals of sustainable development in India. This article takes a holistic approach to correlate and map the concepts and outcomes of MGNREGA programme with SDG. This article emphasises the fact that community-based participation in the planning and development activities at the regional levels will yield benefits to the biosphere, society and economy at the national level.     

In vitro antioxidant and antibacterial activities of certain 3-{4-(5-mercapto-1,3,4-oxadiazole-2-yl)phenylimino}-indolin-2-one derivatives

A new series of 5- or 7-substituted 3-{4-(5-mercapto-1,3,4-oxadiazol-2-yl)phenylimino}-indolin-2-one derivatives were screened for in vitro antioxidant and antimicrobial activities. The results of this study revealed that all synthesized compounds were significantly scavenged DPPH free radicals in a concentration-dependant manner. The IC₅₀ values of all test compounds were found to be between 18.34 and 50.54?µM. All compounds significantly inhibited growth of bacteria and most of the minimum inhibitory concentration values were between 20 and 100?mg?mL^?1 indicating potent to moderate antibacterial activity. In conclusion, 3-{4-(5-mercapto-1,3,4-oxadiazole-2-yl)phenylimino)-5 or 7-substituted indolin-2-ones derivatives exhibited moderate antioxidant and antimicrobial activities.     

The vanishing twin: An explanation for discordance between chorionic villus karyotype and fetal phenotype

One ‘erroneous’ diagnosis occurred in 200 first-trimester chorionic villus samples (CVS) analysed. In direct preparations following 24 h incubation as well as in long-term cultures, a 46.XX karyotype was observed in the villi (28 and 25 cells, respectively). At 20 weeks of gestation, labour was induced because of fetal death in utero. An autopsy performed on the fetus revealed a male phenotype. Placenta and fetal tissues were not submitted for cytogenetic studies. The discordant CVS karyotype (46,XX), in view of the male fetal phenotype, prompted further cytogenetic and molecular studies. Chromosome marker studies on the parents' blood and chorionic villi confirmed both maternal and paternal inheritance of chromosomes in the CVS. DNA studies on formalin-fixed skin using a Y-specific probe, DYZ1, confirmed the presence of a Y chromosome in the fetus. The most likely cause of the discrepant CVS karyotype is the presence of an undetected degenerating dizygotic twin.     

Interaction effects of insecticides on microbial populations and dehydrogenase activity in a black clay soil

Three insecticides, monocrotophos, quinalphos, and cypermethrin, were applied at 0, 5, 10, and 25 microg g(-1) either singly or in combination to a black clay soil to investigate their effects on the soil microflora and dehydrogenase activity. All three insecticides significantly enhanced the proliferation of bacteria and fungi and the soil dehydrogenase activity even at the highest level of 25 microg g(-1). Monocrotophos or quinalphos in combination with cypermethrin at tested levels interacted significantly to yield additive, synergistic, and antagonistic responses toward bacteria and fungi and dehydrogenase activity in soil. Antagonistic interactions were more pronounced toward soil microflora and dehydrogenase activity when the two (monocrotophos or quinalphos + cypermethrin) insecticides were present together in the soil at highest level (25 + 25 microg g(-1)), whereas synergistic or additive responses occurred at lower level with the same combination of insecticides in soil.