Ecological problems of tree species in protected ecosystems of Orissa, India

The tree layer vegetation of two protected ecosystems i.e. Similipal Biosphere Reserve (SBR) and Bhitarkanika National Park (BNP) of eastern ghat was analysed for structure, composition and diversity. With respect to the tree species composition the two protected ecosystems were differed from each other at the family, genera and species level. About 117 tree species representing 85 genera and 42 families were recorded in SBR. The average number of species per hectare was 32.5. However, a total of 29 tree species representing 22 genera and 16 families were recorded in BNP with an average number of species per hectare of 24.17. Species dominancy of the two protected areas was also different due to their difference in habitat condition. In SBR Shorea robusta was the most dominant species while in BNP Excoecaria agallocha was the most dominant species. Shannon-Wiener species diversity was 3.15 for Similipal and 2.314 for Bhitarkanika indicating that Similipal was highly diverse than Bhitarkanika. In general both the protected ecosystems of Orissa are highly rich in biodiversity and are characteristics of good ecological wealth of eastern ghat. Thus conservation and management practices are essential for the sustainability of their biodiversity.     

Intensification of degradation of aqueous solutions of rhodamine B using sonochemical reactors at operating capacity of 7 L

In the present work, degradation of rhodamine B, a typical dye effluent commonly observed in chemical processing wastewaters has been investigated using a sonochemical reactor with capacity of 7 L. The reactor consists of an ultrasonic bath equipped with a single large transducer having longitudinal vibrations with operating frequency of 25 kHz and rated power output of 1 kW. The effect of operational conditions such as the rhodamine B initial concentration, operating pH and use of additives such as H(2)O(2), CCl(4) and TiO(2) has been investigated initially. A mathematical model has also been fitted to estimate the rate constant for rhodamine B removal under different operating conditions. Intensification studies have been carried by combining sonochemical oxidation with photocatalytic oxidation under optimized conditions. In all the investigated systems, complete removal of rhodamine B (10 ppm initial concentration) was obtained using a combination of sonochemical reactor and CCl(4). Sonocatalysis (in the presence of TiO(2)) of rhodamine B showed 92% degradation, while sonophotocatalysis gave degradation of 93%. TOC analysis at various optimum conditions was also performed to quantify the extent of mineralization and it was observed that the extent of mineralization is always lower than the extent of removal of parent compound.     

Engineering layout of fuel tanks in a tank farm

The present paper deals with the location of tanks in a tank farm, in chemical and allied industries. Ideally the tanks are so placed and installed that in case of fire, the neighbouring tanks could remain safe. The safe distance of separation among the tanks is calculated in no wind condition, as well as, in the presence of wind. The paper uses the methods available in literature and modifies the point source model to include the effect of wind vector on the flame height during the calculation of safe inter-tank distance. It is found that for wind velocity > 4 m/s, the modified point source model provides appropriate inter-tank distance. However, for no wind and with wind velocity < 4 m/s, the Shokri-Beyler’s method provides safe inter-tank distance.     

Titanium dioxide and graphitic carbon nitride–based nanocomposites and nanofibres for the degradation of organic pollutants in water: a review

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - The paper reviews graphitic carbon nitride–based nanostructured photocatalytic materials and nanofibres for applications in water purification....     

Using interview surveys and multispecies occupancy models to inform vertebrate conservation

Species distribution data are an essential biodiversity variable requiring robust monitoring to inform wildlife conservation. Yet, such data remain inherently sparse because of the logistical challenges of monitoring biodiversity across broad geographic extents. Surveys of people knowledgeable about the occurrence of wildlife provide an opportunity to evaluate species distributions and the ecology of wildlife communities across large spatial scales. We analyzed detection histories of 30 vertebrate species across the Western Ghats biodiversity hotspot in India, obtained from a large-scale interview survey of 2318 people who live and work in the forests of this region. We developed a multispecies occupancy model that simultaneously corrected for false-negative (non-detection) and false-positive (misidentification) errors that interview surveys can be prone to. Using this model, we integrated data across species in composite analyses of the responses of functional species groups (based on disturbance tolerance, diet, and body mass traits) to spatial variation in environmental variables, protection, and anthropogenic pressures. We observed a positive association between forest cover and the occurrence of species with low tolerance of human disturbance. Protected areas were associated with higher occurrence for species across different functional groups compared with unprotected lands. We also observed the occurrence of species with low disturbance tolerance, herbivores, and large-bodied species was negatively associated with developmental pressures, such as human settlements, energy production and mining, and demographic pressures, such as biological resource extraction. For the conservation of threatened vertebrates, our work underscores the importance of maintaining forest cover and reducing deforestation within and outside protected areas, respectively. In addition, mitigating a suite of pervasive human pressures is also crucial for wildlife conservation in one of the world's most densely populated biodiversity hotspots.     

FDM-based additive manufacturing of recycled thermoplastics and associated composites

Journal of Material Cycles and Waste Management - Hailed since the fourth industrial revolution, three-dimensional (3D) printing or additive manufacturing (AM) has been extensively implemented in...     

Heavy metal pollution and risks in a highly polluted and populated Indian river–city pair using the systems approach

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - A sectorial approach for assessing heavy metal pollution in rivers neglects the inter-relationship between its environmental compartments and thus...     

Prenatal exposure to environmental pro-oxidants induces mitochondria-mediated epigenetic changes: a cross-sectional pilot study

Mitochondria play a central role in maintaining cellular and metabolic homeostasis during vital development cycles of foetal growth. Optimal mitochondrial functions are important not only to sustain adequate energy production but also for regulated epigenetic programming. However, these organelles are subtle targets of environmental exposures, and any perturbance in the defined mitochondrial machinery during the developmental stage can lead to the re-programming of the foetal epigenetic landscape. As these modifications can be transferred to subsequent generations, we herein performed a cross-sectional study to have an in-depth understanding of this intricate phenomenon. The study was conducted with two arms: whereas the first group consisted of in utero pro-oxidant exposed individuals and the second group included controls. Our results showed higher levels of oxidative mtDNA damage and associated integrated stress response among the exposed individuals. These disturbances were found to be closely related to the observed discrepancies in mitochondrial biogenesis. The exposed group showed mtDNA hypermethylation and changes in allied mitochondrial functioning. Altered expression of mitomiRs and their respective target genes in the exposed group indicated the possibilities of a disturbed mitochondrial-nuclear cross talk. This was further confirmed by the modified activity of the mitochondrial stress regulators and pro-inflammatory mediators among the exposed group. Importantly, the disturbed DNMT functioning, hypermethylation of nuclear DNA, and higher degree of post-translational histone modifications established the existence of aberrant epigenetic modifications in the exposed individuals. Overall, our results demonstrate the first molecular insights of in utero pro-oxidant exposure associated changes in the mitochondrial-epigenetic axis. Although, our study might not cement an exposure-response relationship for any particular environmental pro-oxidant, but suffice to establish a dogma of mito-epigenetic reprogramming at intrauterine milieu with chronic illness, a hitherto unreported interaction.

Graphical abstract

     

Cytotoxic effect of plant extract-based nanoparticles on cancerous cells: a review

Environmental Chemistry Letters - Cancer is one of the most fatal diseases causing deaths of millions of people worldwide. Since actual cancer treatments are rarely efficient and often toxic, there...     

The RNA Secondary Structure Analysis Reveals Potential for Emergence of Pathogenic Flaviviruses

The Flavivirus genus is divided into four groups: Mosquito-borne flaviviruses, Tick-borne flaviviruses, no-known vector flaviviruses, and Insect specific flaviviruses. Millions of people are affected worldwide every year due to the flaviviral infections. The 5' UTR of the RNA genome plays a critical role in the biology of flaviviruses. To explore any correlation between the topology of the 5' UTR and pathogenesis, a global scale study of the RNA secondary structure of different groups of flaviviruses has been conducted. We found that most of the pathogenic flaviviruses, irrespective of their mode of transmission, tend to form a Y shaped topology in the Stem loop A of the 5' UTR. Some of the current non-pathogenic flaviviruses were also observed to form Y shaped structure. Based on this study, it has been proposed that the flaviviruses having the Y shaped topology in their 5′ UTR regions may have the potential to become pathogenic.