New postcrania of Deccanolestes from the Late Cretaceous of India and their bearing on the evolutionary and biogeographic history of euarchontan mammals

Extant species of the supraordinal mammal clade Euarchonta belong to the orders Primates, Scandentia, or Dermoptera. The fossil record of euarchontans suggests that they underwent their initial radiation during the Paleocene (65–55 million years ago) in North America, Eurasia, and Africa. The time and place of origin is poorly resolved due to lack of definitive fossils of euarchontan stem taxa. We describe a fragmentary humerus and two fragmentary ulnae from the latest Cretaceous of India that bear significantly on this issue. The fossils are tentatively referred to Deccanolestes cf. hislopi due to their small size and the fact that Deccanolestes is the only eutherian dental taxon to have been recovered from the same locality. The new fossils are used to evaluate the existing behavioral hypothesis that Deccanolestes was arboreal, and the competing phylogenetic hypotheses that Deccanolestes is a stem eutherian versus a stem euarchontan. The humerus resembles those of euarchontans in possessing a laterally keeled ulnar trochlea, a distinct zona conoidea, and a spherical capitulum. These features also suggest an arboreal lifestyle. The ulnar morphology is consistent with that of the humerus in reflecting an arboreal/scansorial animal. Detailed quantitative comparisons indicate that, despite morphological correlates to euarchontan-like arboreality, the humerus of Deccanolestes is morphologically intermediate between those of Cretaceous “condylarthran” mammals and definitive Cenozoic euarchontans. Additionally, humeri attributed to adapisoriculids are morphologically intermediate between those of Deccanolestes and definitive euarchontans. If adapisoriculids are euarchontans, as recently proposed, our results suggest that Deccanolestes is more basal. The tentative identification of Deccanolestes as a basal stem euarchontan suggests that (1) Placentalia began to diversify and Euarchonta originated before the Cretaceous–Tertiary boundary and (2) the Indian subcontinent, Eurasia, and Africa are more likely places of origin for Euarchonta than is North America.     

Soil surface nitrogen losses from agriculture in India: A regional inventory within agroecological zones (2000–2001)

We present soil surface nitrogen (N) budgets for the agricultural sector of India, calculated as inputs minus outputs over 21 agroecological zones (AEZ), for 2000–2001. Nearly 35.4 Tg N was input from different sources, with output from harvested crops of about 21.2 Tg N. Soil surface N balance for agricultural lands showed a surplus of about 14.4 Tg. Livestock manure constituted 44% of total inputs, followed by 32.5% from inorganic fertilizer, 11.9% from atmospheric deposition and 11.6% from N fixation. Though the N balance was negative in some states, due to aggregation of states in agroecological regions, all regions showed surplus N loads, with a range of about 19–110 kg/ha. The lowest loads were found for AEZ 17 in the Eastern Himalaya, with 19 kg/ha surplus, and the highest surplus N load in AEZ 7 with 111 kg/ha in Deccan plateau and the Eastern Ghats. Temporal trends in fertilizer consumption from 1950–2000 for India suggested a massive increase of ～47-fold, whereas production of major crops, rice, wheat and maize, increased nearly ～4.0-, 10- and 6-fold, respectively. Fertilizer consumption patterns were highly concentrated in Tamilnadu (204.6 kg/ha), Haryana (132.0 kg/ha) and Punjab (148.6 kg/ha). The paper addresses the role of agricultural intensification and its implications for water quality in agroecological regions of India.     

Application of sensory and microbial analysis to assess quality of fish in Siliguri city of West Bengal, India

Sensory and certain microbial analyses were applied to assess the quality of raw fish sold at a market in Siliguri cityof West Bengal, India. In regular surveys undertaken during June to August 2008, a particular fish species was randomly selected, its source was noted and a sensory analysis, the quality index method (QIM) was applied to assess its quality Raw fish samples were also collected and a small quantity (about 1 g) of scales oran upper layer of the skin surface (forscale-less fish samples), gill, liverand a portion of gut with gut-contents were aseptically removed for enumeration of the total aerobic heterotrophic bacteria, Aeromonas spp., Pseudomonas spp., Salmonella spp. and coliform counts. Oreochromis mossambicus and Tenulosa ilisha recorded significantly higher QIM scores, compared to other species (p<0.05). Riverine fish, Lepidocephalichthys guntea and Channa punctatus scored the lowest QIM scores (0) while scores for Puntius ticto and Mystus vittatus and pond cultured species like Cirrhinus mrigala, Catla catla, Labeo rohita, Labeo bata and Cyprinus carpio were very marginal (p<0.05). Aeromonas spp., Salmonella spp. and total coliforms were recorded from all the studied species while Pseudomonas spp. was isolated from only seven species. Among the tissues examined, the lowest counts of total heterotrophic bacteria, Aeromonas spp., Pseudomonas spp., Salmonella spp. and total coliforms were recorded from the skin in every fish species. Highest counts of pathogenic bacteria (except Pseudomonas spp.) were recorded in Tenulosa ilisha for all the tissues except liver. Since fish are properly cooked in Bengali households, the risk of disease from fish consumption is relatively less. However, some tribes residing in the region are known to consume undercooked fish and proper cooking methods should be followed in view of the present findings to avoid health risks. Besides, utmost care should be taken while handling fish.     

Formulation and Characterization of Sodium Alginate g-Hydroxy Ethylacrylate Bio-Degradable Polymeric Beads: In Vitro Release Studies

Novel type of highly swollen beads were prepared by grafting 2-hydroxyethylacrylate onto biodegradable Sodium alginate (SA) via free-radical polymerization using potassium persulphate as an initiator and Triprolidine hydrochloride as a model drug. Evidence of grafting was obtained by fourier transform infrared spectroscopic technique. Morphological properties of the beads were studied by SEM analysis. Thermal properties and crystallinity of the beads were characterized using differential scanning calorimetry and thermogravimetric analysis and X-ray diffraction techniques, respectively. Dissolution experiments were performed to study the release profiles at 37?°C in phosphate buffer solution (pH-7.4). Effect of monomer content, crosslinking agent and drug/polymer ratio on swelling properties and release profiles were also comparatively studied. A dissolution result concludes that drug release decreases with increasing crosslinker content. The highest release (96%) was obtained for the beads prepared with 0.5?mL crosslinking agent. Equilibrium swelling degree also supports the drug release profiles confirming SA-g-HEA beads showed better release profiles compare to plain SA beads.     

Assessment of 222Rn emanation from ore body and backfill tailings in low-grade underground uranium mine

This paper presents a comparative study of ²²²Rn emanation from the ore and backfill tailings in an underground uranium mine located at Jaduguda, India. The effects of surface area, porosity, ²²⁶Ra and moisture contents on ²²²Rn emanation rate were examined. The study revealed that the bulk porosity of backfill tailings is more than two orders of magnitude than that of the ore. The geometric mean radon emanation rates from the ore body and backfill tailings were found to be 10.01?×?10^?3 and 1.03 Bq m^?2 s^?1, respectively. Significant positive linear correlations between ²²²Rn emanation rate and the ²²⁶Ra content of ore and tailings were observed. For normalised ²²⁶Ra content, the ²²²Rn emanation rate from tailings was found to be 283 times higher than the ore due to higher bulk porosity and surface area. The relative radon emanation from the tailings with moisture fraction of 0.14 was found to be 2.4 times higher than the oven-dried tailings. The study suggested that the mill tailings used as a backfill material significantly contributes to radon emanation as compared to the ore body itself and the ²²⁶Ra content and bulk porosity are the dominant factors for radon emanation into the mine atmosphere.     

Challenges of soil mixing using catalyzed hydrogen peroxide with rotating dual axis blending technology

Although known to be one of the most effective oxidants for treatment of organic contaminants, catalyzed hydrogen peroxide (CHP) is typically not used for soil mixing applications because of health and safety concerns related to vapor generation and very rapid rates of reaction in open excavations. In likely the first large‐scale in situ CHP soil mixing application, an enhanced CHP, modified Fenton's reagent (MFR), was applied during soil mixing at the Kearsarge Metallurgical Superfund Site in New Hampshire. An innovative rotating dual‐axis blender (DAB) technology was used to safely mix the MFR into low‐plasticity silt and clay soils to remediate residual 1,1,1‐trichloroethane (111TCA); 1,1‐dichloroethene (11DCE); and 1,4‐dioxane (14D). It was expected that the aggressive treatment approach using relatively “greener” hydrogen peroxide (HP) chemistry would effectively treat Site contaminants without significant byproduct impacts to groundwater or the adjacent pond. The remediation program was designed to treat approximately 3,000 cubic yards of residual source area soil in situ by aggressively mixing MFR into the soils. The subsurface interval treated was from 7 to 15 feet below ground surface. To accurately track the soil mixing process and MFR addition, the Site was divided into 109 10‐foot square treatment cells that were precisely located, dosed, and mixed using the DAB equipped with an on‐board GPS system. The use of stabilizing agents along with careful calculation of the peroxide dose helped to ensure vapor‐free conditions in the vicinity of the soil mixing operation. Real‐time sampling and monitoring were critical in identifying any posttreatment exceedences of the cleanup goals. This allowed retreatment and supplemental testing to occur without impacting the soil mixing/in situ chemical oxidation (ISCO) schedule. Posttreatment 24‐hr soil samples were collected from 56 random locations after ensuring that the HP had been completely consumed. The posttreatment test results showed that 111TCA and 11DCE concentrations were reduced to nondetect (ND) or below the cleanup goals of 150 μg/kg for 111TCA and 60 μg/kg for 11DCE. Supplemental posttreatment soil samples, collected six months after treatment, showed 100 percent compliance with the soil treatment goals. Groundwater samples collected one year after the MFR soil mixing treatment program showed either ND or low concentrations for 111TCA, 11DCE, and 14D. Successful stabilization and site restoration was performed after overcoming considerable challenges associated with loss of soil structure, high liquid content, and reduced bearing capacity of the blended soils.     

Biodegradation of Epoxy and MF Modified Polyurethane Films Derived from a Sustainable Resource

Mesua ferrea L. seed oil (MFLSO) modified polyurethanes blends with epoxy and melamine formaldehyde (MF) resins have been studied for biodegradation with two techniques, namely microbial degradation (broth culture technique) and natural soil burial degradation. In the former technique, rate of increase in bacterial growth in polymer matrix was monitored for 12 days via a visible spectrophotometer at the wavelength of 600 nm using McFarland turbidity as the standard. The soil burial method was performed using three different soils under ambient conditions over a period of 6 months to correlate with natural degradation. Microorganism attack after the soil burial biodegradation of 180 days was realized by the measurement of loss of weight and mechanical properties. Biodegradation of the films was also evidenced by SEM, TGA and FTIR spectroscopic studies. The loss in intensity of the bands at ca. 1735 cm⁻¹ and ca. 1050 cm⁻¹ for ester linkages indicates biodegradation of the blends through degradation of ester group. Both microbial and soil burial studies showed polyurethane/epoxy blends to be more biodegradable than polyurethane/MF blends. Further almost one step degradation in TG analysis suggests degradation for both the blends to occur by breakage of ester links. The biodegradation of the blends were further confirmed by SEM analyses. The study reveals that the modified MFLSO based polyurethane blends deserve the potential to be applicable as “green binders” for polymer composite and surface coating applications.     

Modeling of Potential Power Plant Plume Impacts on Dallas-Fort Worth Visibility

ABSTRACT

During wintertime, haze episodes occur in the Dallas-Ft. Worth (DFW) urban area. Such episodes are characterized by substantial light scattering by particles and relatively low absorption, leading to so-called “white haze.” The objective of this work was to assess whether reductions in the emissions of SO₂ from specific coal-fired power plants located over 100 km from DFW could lead to a discernible change in the DFW white haze. To that end, the transport, dispersion, deposition, and chemistry of the plume of a major power plant were simulated using a reactive plume model (ROME). The realism of the plume model simulations was tested by comparing model calculations of plume concentrations with aircraft data of SF₆ tracer concentrations and ozone concentrations. A second-order closure dispersion algorithm was shown to perform better than a first-order closure algorithm and the empirical Pasquill-Gifford-Turner algorithm. For plume impact assessment, three actual scenarios were simulated, two with clear-sky conditions and one with the presence of fog prior to the haze. The largest amount of sulfate formation was obtained for the fog episode. Therefore, a hypothetical scenario was constructed using the meteorological conditions of the fog episode with input data values adjusted to be more conducive to sulfate formation. The results of the simulations suggest that reductions in the power plant emissions lead to less than proportional reductions in sulfate concentrations in DFW for the fog scenario. Calculations of the associated effects on light scattering using Mie theory suggest that reduction in total (plume + ambient) light extinction of less than 13% would be obtained with a 44% reduction in emissions of SO₂ from the modeled power plant.     

Guidance for the Performance Evaluation of Three-Dimensional Air Quality Modeling Systems for Particulate Matter and Visibility

ABSTRACT

Guidance for the performance evaluation of three-dimensional air quality modeling systems for particulate matter and visibility is presented. Four levels are considered: operational, diagnostic, mechanistic, and probabilistic evaluations. First, a comprehensive model evaluation should be conducted in at least two distinct geographical locations and for several meteorological episodes. Next, streamlined evaluations can be conducted for other similar applications if the comprehensive evaluation is deemed satisfactory. In all cases, the operational evaluation alone is insufficient, and some diagnostic evaluation must always be carried out. Recommendations are provided for designing field measurement programs that can provide the data needed for such model performance evaluations.     

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.