The catalytic conversion of waste cooking oil (WCO) with high acid value (120.37 mg KOH/g) to biodiesel has been studied in low-cost SO3H-functionalized quaternary ammonium ionic liquid as catalyst. The ionic liquid (IL) catalyst was efficient in catalysing the simultaneous esterification and transesterification reactions of WCO and methanol.

Original Source

The present study demonstrates the removal of three toxic heavy metals (lead, cadmium and nickel) by the bacterial strain Arthrobacter phenanthrenivorans from polluted water. The removal efficiency of heavy metals was recorded to be highest in case of lead (79.91%), followed by nickel (47.62%) and cadmium (34.05%). Furthermore, surfactant production by A. phenanthrenivorans was optimized, which is useful for different purposes like metal and oil removal from water.

With changing agricultural business environment, the conventional direct marketing method is becoming a less feasible option for small and marginal farmers due to emergence of supermarkets, increasing consumers’ preference for value-added food products, high production and marketing cost associated with small scale of operations and increasing consumers’ emphasis on quality, safety and appearance of the product. Hence farmers must enter into a value chain in order to adapt to the changing business environment.

This communication examines nutritional status and its impact on infant mortality rate (IMR) in Saiha district, Mizoram, India. We conducted a case study of 17 villages and 1650 mothers were surveyed, using random sampling method. The district has very high IMR (219.6), significantly higher than Mizoram (35). Meanwhile, per day per capita calorie intake is 1703, which is less than the recommended dietary intake (2400 kcal). All food items which people consume daily were collected and nutritional status was assessed.

The Indian summer monsoon rainfall had a threedecade long alternate dry and wet epochs during about 150 years from 1840 to 1989. The dry epochs resulted in frequent drought monsoons affecting agriculture, power generation and the overall economy of the country. A high percentage of severe cyclones in the Bay of Bengal moved northwards during the dry epochs causing disasters in Bangladesh, Myanmar and the Indian States of Odisha and West Bengal.

Original Source

Creativity and innovation are important factors for sustainable agricultural growth. Intellectual property right (IPR) is the key driver of innovation. However, many argue against this view, as it would benefit only a certain section in a country. The present study analyses the perception of stakeholders on Indian IPR system for plant varieties. A perception survey was conducted among various stakeholders of the seed industry across the country during 2011–12.

We present the measurements of cloud-base height variations over ARIES, Nainital (79.45°E, 29.37°N, 1958 m amsl) obtained from Vaisala Ceilometer, during the nearly year-long Ganges Valley Aerosol Experiment (GVAX).

Original Source

In this paper, we evaluate the performance of the chemical transport model ‘CHIMERE’ over large Indian region (4–37.5°N; 67–88.5°E) for multiple years (2006, 2007 and 2008) by comparing the model simulations with concurrent aerosol measurements from different locations. Model simulated nearsurface black carbon mass concentrations agreed satisfactorily with measurements at various locations (oceanic, inland and island sites), in general, except during monsoon months, when the model underpredicted the measurements.

In order to understand the regional climate implications of aerosols over Indo Gangetic Plains (IGP), a major Indo-US field experiment, Ganges Valley Aerosol Experiment (GVAX) was conducted during 2011– 12. Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) mobile facility (AMF) was deployed at the northern Indo-Gangetic Plain over the high-altitude site, Manora Peak, Nainital (29°21′33.84″N, 79°27′29.27″E, 1980 m amsl) in Central Himalayas, for an year-round measurement of aerosols, clouds and other climate-relevant atmospheric parameters.

How were cities distributed globally in the past? How many people lived in these cities? How did cities influence their local and regional environments? In order to understand the current era of urbanization, we must understand long-term historical urbanization trends and patterns. However, to date there is no comprehensive record of spatially explicit, historic, city-level population data at the global scale.