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3RD ISSUE4TH YEAR MARCH,2014

Science Horizon

Editorial Board

Prof. Gopendra Kishore Roy

Prof. Govind Chandra Sahoo

Prof. Tarini Charan Panda

Prof. Arun Chandra Sahu

Prof. Niraj Kanti Tripathy

Prof. Satyaban Jena

Prof. Bijay Kumar Parida

Prof. Madhumita Das

CONTENTS

Subject Author Page

1. Editorial : Women in Science Prof. Tarani Charan Kara 2

2. Madame Curie, the two-time Nobel Laureate Dr. Dwijesh Kumar Panda 3

3. A Journey of Translational Research in Engineering Physics Prof. K L Chopra 7

4. Promoting Green Footprints in Construction: A Sustainable Subhranshu Sekhar SamalTechno-management Approach for Developing India Somshekhar Mohanty 12

5. Use of Nanotechnology in Agriculture Dr. Subas Chandra Sahoo 19

6. Agroforestry Improves Soil Alok Kumar Patra 21

7. Integrated Pest and Disease Management Dr. Sanjeeb Kumar DasMiss Padmini Bisoyoi 24

8. Carbon Capture & Sequestration Bishnu Prasad Behera 27

9. Constellation: A Different Way to Look at the Stars Sibani Nanda 31

10. Aquatic Ecstasy with Facetious Titles-2 Dr Bibhudatta MishraDr (Mrs) Minakshi Sahoo 35

11. Healthy Heart Reflects Healthy Mind Sandhyarani Acharya 37

12. Concept of Vaccines and Usefullness of Vaccination Smt. Jyotsna Rani Mishra 40

13. Add Salad as a Staple to Your Diet Dr.Manashi MohantyDr Pritishri Parhi 43

14. Wonder Animals : The Gastrotrichs Dr. Krishna Chandra Rath 45

15. Quiz Bibhuprasad Mohapatra 46

The Cover Page depicts : On the occasion of 'International Women's Day', Women in the filed of Science and Technology.

Cover Design : Sanatan Rout

President, Odisha Bigyan AcademyProf. Uma Charan Mohanty

AdvisorProf. Sodananda Torasia

Chief EditorProf. Niranjan Barik

EditorProf. Tarani Charan Kara

Managing EditorDr Rekha DasSecretary, Odisha Bigyan Academy

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EDITORIALWOMENIN SCIENCE

Science and Technology has been an integralpart of Indian Civilization andCulture. Men andwomenhave been active in Science from the very begining ofhuman civilization. At a glance, Women in general mayappear - simple, docile, unassuming and humble. But,behind this simple straight face, is a razor sharp brainwith an uncanny ability to execute and convert thoughtinto action without much ado. Women are known tohave made contributions to science from the earliesttimes. Certainly, women were thinkers and questionerslong before, but unfortunately it was an untappedresource. They were and are resourceful, passionateand creative about their work, as any other malescientist and have contributed in all spheres of technicaladvancement of humanity. Upto 19th Century mostwomen did not have access to institutions of higherlearning and laboratories, which prevented them fromparticipation in scientific revolution. However, the lastcentury has witnessed an explosion of knowledge inScience and Technology. Science and Technology havepermeated into every sphere of life and have becomea part of our day-to-day living. In India, though thefemale population represents approximately half of thetotal population (women numbering 49.6 croresconstitute 48.26% of the country's population : 2001census), the status of women in the society at all levelsis yet to reach a satisfactory level. Large scale genderdiscrimination, inequity, together with some socialfactors have denied females opportunities foreducation and employment on par with males.Traditional mindsets, prevalent over generations, didnot encourage women from opting for courses likephysical sciences, mathematics and technology, whichare perceived as being more in male domain. Furtherstudy of science and technology did not ensure betteropportunities and smooth career path for women. Thesituation in the developing countries like India is worsebecause education and health, particularly of femalesare issues of low priority, the primary concern beinglivelihood.

In recent years the issue of marginalizingwomen from scientific career is being seen withconcern all over the world. With the objective ofstrengthening the role of women in the developmentalprocess and promoting their representation in scientificand technological leadership the first internationalforum of the Third World Organisation for Women inScience (TWOWS) has been officially launched in1993. Further everyyear, onMarch 8th, the InternationalWomen's Day is being observed since 2008.

Since Independence, India has been promotingScience and Technology as one of the most powerfulinstruments of national development. There has beena significant increase in women enrolment in scienceandtechnologyto around38%in2011-12 and this needsto be driven further. Over the years women haveovercome the traditional mindset and have excelled inprofessions like teaching, medicine, pure science etc.(Ref.: Lilavati's Daughters, Published by the IndianAcademy of Science, Bangalore, 2008). Women havemade important contributions in all walks of life andmade inroads intonew fields of science and technology.Recently a Japanese Journal opined that Indian womenare number one amongst women from various countriesin acquiring and applying IT knowledge.

In spite of the achievements of women scientistsin various fields of science and technology, it seems tobe a fact that the Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Award, aprestigious science award, instituted in India in 1958has been given to only 15 women (out of over 450total Bhatnagar awardees) until 2013. It certainlydoesn't reflect well for women scientists in India,especially, since India as a country, has a rich heritageof erudite women educationists and philosophers inancient times. Analyzing this issue we found in Indiamore girls drop out after primary school. The reasonsare complex and mostly related to societal prejudiceand economic compulsions. The value of educationfor girls has not been properly perceived among thepoor communities of India. Though there is norestriction on women entering universities or otherInstitutions of higher learning, the societal pressure,economic factors and access to colleges which areaway from home, restrict the entry of Indian Womeninto University.

Although there is no disparity existing in theemoluments of male and female scient ists andtechnologists, an imbalance may be existing in the levelof decision making and in the exercise of authoritywhich is mostly male-dominated. But the pattern ofoccupying positions of authority has changedprogressively during the past years and the trendappears to be encouraging. Many women with highqualifications and experience have reached the top.Thus it can be concluded that given the requisitefacilities, scope and opportunities the women in scienceand technology in India can be high achievers to boostthe growth and development of science and technologyof our country.

Prof. Tarani Charan Karae-mail : [email protected]

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MADAME CURIE, THE TWO-TIME NOBEL LAUREATEDr. Dwijesh KumarPanda

Madame Marie Curie, a pioneeringphysicist and a distinguished Nobel Laureate,who discovered the radioactive substances,Radium and Polonium was the first to isolatepure radiumandcoin the term, "Radioactivity".Her path to success was a very difficult one.She had to fight male chauvinism and gender,prejudice that came in the way.

Early years of struggle and hardships:

Madame Curie was born as MaryaSklodowska,on 7th November1867, in Russia-occupied Poland, in a family of patrioticintellectuals. She was the youngest of fivech ildren of Wladysl aw & Bronisl awSklodowska who were teachers by profession.Her family had lost their property and fortunesduringPoland's independence movement. Shestudied in the Boardingof J.Sikorska and laterattended a Gymnasium for girls, from whereshe graduated with a gold medal. Shecould notpursuehigher educationas females were barredfor higher education in Poland. She , therefore,attended science classes at a secret school forwomen called the "Flying University". It wascalled 'flying' because there was no campusand classes wereheldsecretly inpeople'shomes.

She worked as a governess when shesupported her sister's medical studies. Hersister married a physician in 1890 and movedto Paris and invited Marya. Marya moved toParis in 1891 where she studied at Sorbonneduring the day and tutored in the evening.

In the spring of 1894, Marya expresseddesire to have a laboratory for pursuing herresearch to a Polish physicist of heracquaintance. He introduced her to PierreCurie, a pioneer in research on magnetism andwas the laboratory chiefat themunicipal schoolof Industrial physics and chemistry, in Paris.The meetingbetweenCurie and Marya, changednot only their individual lives but also thecourse of science. They got married in 1895,and thereafter, it was only in 1897 that Mariecould settle down to start her research workfor a Ph.D. degree.

Radioactivity:Anunstable Fascination!!

The French physicist Henri Becquerel(1852-1908 ) discovered 'Uranium Rays' in1896. Despite Becquerel's intriguing finding,the scientific community continued to focusits attention on Roentgen's X-rays, neglectingthe much weaker Becquerel 'rays' or Uranium'rays'. Marie began her experimental work onthese less studied rays in a crowded dampstoreroom of the institute.

Madame Marie Curie

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About 15 years earlier, Pierre and hiselder brother, Jacques, had invented a newkind of electrometer, a device for measuringextremely low electrical currents. Marie usedthis 'Curie Electrometer' for measuring thefaint currents that are generated when air isbombarded with uranium rays. Though themoist air in the store room had a tendency todissipate the electric charges, she managed tomake reproducible measurements.

Marie confirmedBecquerel's observationsthat the electrical effects of uranium rays areconstant, regardless of whether the source issolid or pulverized, pure or in the form ofcompound, wet or dry, or whether exposed tolight or heat. Her study also validatedBecquerel's conclusion that the minerals withhigher proportion of uranium emitted moreintense rays. Her hypothesis that radiation was'an atomic prope rty' cha ll enged theconventional concept that atom is indivisibleandunchangeable. This hypothesis transformedforever the way man looked at the atom.

Marie observed that the two ores ofuranium-pitchblende and chalcolite were moreradioactive than pure uranium. She concludedthat this must be due to an undiscoveredradioactive element. She isolated two fractionsfrom the ore, one containing predominantlyBismuth and the other containing Barium. Shesucceeded in discovering the radioactiveelement Polonium ( named after the countryof her birth - Poland) from the fractioncontaining predominantly Bismuth. She also

discovered the element Radium ( name derivedfromthe Latin word for 'Ray') fromthe fractioncontaining predominantly Barium. Sheextracted 100mg of pure Radium from 1 tonof pitchblende ore after 4 years of struggle in1902. The radiochemical method forseparation of radium helped her get Doctorateof Science in 1903. She however did notpatent this technique to facilitate unhinderedresearch for benefit of mankind.

The Nobel Prize:

In 1903, Pierre Curie, Marie Curie, andHenri Becquerel were jointly awarded theNobel Prize in Physics, "in recognition of theextraordinary services they have rendered bytheir joint researches on the radiationphenomena discovered by Professor HenriBecquerel." This made Curie the first womanto be awarded a Nobel Prize. In 1911, MarieCurie was awarded the second Nobel Prizethis time in Chemistry, "in recognition of herservices to the advancement of chemistry bythe discovery of the elements Radium andPolonium, by the isolation of Radium and thestudy of the compounds of this remarkableelement". She was the first person to win twoNobel Prizes,one in Physics and the other inChemistry. The reason; for her being awardedthe second Nobel Prize were two : Firstly,Radium discovery showed that the longstanding view of the atoms being indivisiblewas false and that an element could transformitself to another. Secondly, Radium foundapplications in medicine for treatment of cancer.

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Peaceful Application of Radiation:

During World war I, she pushed for theuseof mobile radiology units,popularly knownas "Little Curies", for the treatmentof woundedsoldiers. These units powered by Radium, gaveoff a colorless, radioactive gas, later identifiedas Radon. She provided the tubes of radium,derived from the material she had purified.Shetrained a number of people to use these units.The images generated helped the physicians tolocate the site and depth of bullets in woundsand treat the soldiers accordingly. It savedlives of thousand of soldiers. In 1920, Curieand her colleagues created the 'CurieFoundation' to provide adequate resources tothe scientific and the medical divisions of theRadium Institute. Over the next two decades,the Curie Foundation became a majorinternational force in the treatment of cancer.

The Noble Soul:

She was known for her honesty andmoderate lifestyle. Having received a smallscholarship in 1893, she returned it in 1897 assoon as she began earning. She gave much ofher first Nobel Prize money to friends, family,students and research associates. After theworld war started, she donated for charity theNobel Prize gold medals she and her husbandhad been awarded. In an unusual decision,Marie intentionally refrained from patentingthe Radium-isolation process, so that thescientific community could do researchunhindered. She insisted that monetary giftsand awards were given to the scientificinstitutions, she was affiliated to, rather than toher. She and her husband often refused awards

and medals. It is not surprising that AlbertEinstein reportedly remarked that she wasprobably theonly personnotcorruptedby fame.

Glory:

On 4 July 1934, Madame Curie breathedher last in eastern France. She was sufferingfromaplastic anaemia due to chronic radiationexposure. The damaging effects of ionisingradiation were not known at that time andmuch of her work had been carried out in ashed without proper safety measures.She usedto carry test tubes containing radioactiveisotopes in her pocket and store them in herdesk drawer, remarking on the pretty blue-green light that the substances give off in thedark. It is an irony of fate that Madam Curiesuccumed to the adverse effects of Radiationexposure working in this area her entire lifethat benefited the mankind imensely. MadameCuriewas the only woman laid to rest alongsideVictor Hugo and other great figures under thefamous dome of the Pantheon in Paris for herachievements and contributions.

Medical use of Radium:

In the early 20th century the treatmentof pathological foci localised in deeper spacesof human body was still ineffective, becauseof the low energy of x-ray quanta and theirpoor penetrating power. Therewas a great dealof early interest in using radium in medicine.The use of radium for cancer treatment wassoon recognized as an effective therapy. Thetherapy involved the use of sealed metalcontainers containing radium salts that wereplaced inside the patient's body close to the

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tumor site. Cancer of the uterine cervix wastreated with radiumtubes. This procedure wascommonly used through the 1960 and 1970suntil other radionuclides were substituted.

A number of other of malignant tumorshave been treated with radium as well. Radiumtubes were used to treat skin cancer andmammary carcinoma. This type of treatment,called brachytherapy, allowed for theirradiation of many patients per day by thesame installation. It is still used today, withdose distribution between the tumor andhealthy tissues close to optimal.

For the effective radiological treatmentwith gamma rays and with ionizing betaparticles and quanta from accelerators, anaccurate dosimetry is essential. The moderntools for satisfying such demands includeprecise three-dimensional imaging of tumorsand healthy tissues using x-ray tomographyand magnetic resonance imaging. In recentdecades it is essential to concentrate the doseat the target tumor while reducing the impacton healthy tissues.

In recent decades, targeted radionuclidetherapy has shown promise as an effectiveform of treatment for certain cancers. Theconcept depends on use of molecules labelledwith radionuclide to deliver radiation tocancerous cells in disease sites. A centuryago, few could have foreseenthatthe discoveriesof Wilhelm Rontgen and Marie Sklodowska-Curie would lead to radiotherapy becomingone of the mainstays of treatment for cancer.

Madame Curie was a deeply committedscientist, who loved truth and beauty, whomade significant discoveries that alleviatedhuman suffering, and left a legacy for mankindto be cherished forever. The discoveriescontributed to the scientific field and createda new horizon of technologies. Today whenthe world stands on the verge of nuclear war,it needs this science, and more scientists ofthe caliber of Marie Sklodowska curie whosaid;"Nothing in life is to be feared- it is onlyto be understood."

Senior Scientist, M5/12, Acharya Vihar, Bhubaneswar-751013

Mobile : 9438470777

Dr. Kamal Sohonie, daughter of Narayan Bhagbat of Bombay was born in the year1914. She graduated with honours in Chemistry from Presidency College, Bombayand faught her way into Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore for her higher study.She obtained M.Sc. degree in the year 1936. She worked on the constituents of Milkand Pulses during her M.Sc. Studies under the guidance of Sri Srinivasaya. She wentto Cambridge University, England with a research fellowship to work under Dr.

Derik Richter and later under Dr. Robert Hill. She discovered oxydation by the enzyme Cytochrom Cwhile working on potato. She became the first indian woman in Science to get her Ph.D. degreein the year 1939.

She married to M. V. Sohonie in 1947 and had worked in various capacities and founded manyInstitutions. Sheexpired at the ageof84 in theyear 1998, while attendinga functionorganized inherhonour.

The photo depicted on the right top corner of the cover page.- Editorial Board

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A JOURNEY OF TRANSLATIONALRESEARCH IN ENGINEERING PHYSICS

(Talk delivered by the author at Indian National Association of Engineers (INAE)on the occasion of Life-time Contribution Award in Engineering-2013)

(in continuation)

Prof. K L Chopra

A UniqueEcosystemfor Engineering Physics:

The conduct of original and high qualityresearch by PhD students, training andmentoring MTech students, mentoring bypostdoctorals, translational role of all forproviding consultancy service and fortechnology transfer; required a new modelunder Indian academic conditions. It calledfor a seamless and effortless environment formoving fromphysics to engineering physics.Aunique ecosystem was evolved which madeit possible for the 'Thin FilmLaboratory' (TFL)at IIT, Delhi to grow into an EngineeringPhysics Institution for learning,mentoring,workingcollaboratively, handholding, family-like group activities, innovations andentrepreneurship. Some of the salient featuresof this system are as follows:

Keeping TFL neat and clean was theresponsibility of all- students, staff, andfaculty- under my personal supervision.The cleaning activity was carried outevery month on Saturdays and wasfollowed by snacks and tea for all in aconvivial get-together.

TFL wasopen all days, including nationalholidays, on a 24X7 basis

Total responsibilty for running andmaintaining major instruments in

good working conditions rested withthe faculty and students assigned foreach facility.

Before starting any research work, everystudent was expected to spend a fewmonths to learn to handle workshoptools, learn to know who was who andwho was doing whatand why in the TFL.The success of this homogenizationprocess of the student was evaluated byme before being allowed to proceed tostart his/her work independently.

Ir respective of who the of fi ci alsupervisor(s) of the student was, he/shehad access to all the TFL facilities. Atthe same time, every student wasexpected to help anyother student whoneeded help.

Coming punctually to TFL in themorning was mandatory for students.Random discussions regarding theirwork were held with individual studentsduring the day. Though working in TFLin the evenings after dinner was

discretionary, most students worked atnights.. I visited TFL frequently afterdinner largely to chat with the studentsworking at night.

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Publication of any research paper by astudent or PDF was allowed only afterrigorous discussions .Students wereexpected to write drafts of the paperThe paper was submitted for publicationonly after approval following thoroughdiscussions and appropriate changes.

On compl et io n of PhD , ever ypostdoctoral fellow ( PDF) was obligedto spend atleast 1-2 years in TFL tomentor our MTech, and PhD students .Whereas PhD students concentrated onresearch for a PhD thesis, MTechstudents were expected to demonstratea working device or instrument, or aproof-of -concept of a new device.ThePDFs learned how to mentor and workwith others and also they were exposedto the process of translating researchideas to a useful product or process.Ourresearch projects provided Fellowshipsto PDFs and they were assured ofanother PDF assignments abroad.Exceptional achievements by anyonewere rewarded with a special prize.

The TFL group,which became as large as40 persons,including several facultymembers, had a weekly packed - lunchmeeting for 2-3 hours. Everybodybrought a packed sandwich lunch andwe sat together to eat it. By rotation, agroup of students had the responsibilityof preparing and serving hot- I meanpiping hot-cups of coffee to all of us.Using the consultancy money earned by

TFL, excellent facilities for making tea/coffee were set up.At the weekly lunchmeeting , students and faculty had anequal opportunity and freedom to talkabout any problem or subject related tohis/her project, availability of anyinstrument, anynewglobal developmentsin the area, any controversial views onacademic matters, etc. These meetingswere invariably full of heated debatesand excitement.

Seminars in TFL by the students andfaculty were held regularly and rituallyon Saturday afternoons. These seminarsoften led to intensive and spiriteddiscussions.Students were encouraged toparticipate in such discussions.

Very frequently, a visiting distinguishedacademic/researcher visitor from Indiaor abroad joined our group lunch. His/her sandwich lunch was sent by my wifealongwithminefrommyhouse.Discussionsby students with such visitors wereencouragedand wereoftenquite animated.These face to face discussions withprominent scientists in thefield generateda lot of confidence among our students.

TFL was the first destination of visit bydistinguished political and academicguests of IITD. While taking the visitoraround, I expected the students to explainas to what they were doing and why. Thisnurtured student's confidence andsharpened their communication skills.

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Any event calling for shared joy andhappiness provided an opportunity for agroupdinner party . Such events includedthe publication of a first research paper,award of a degree, offer of a PDF fromabroad, any form of professionalrecognition, marriage etc. The party washeld at my residence with cooked foodbrought from outside by the students.With students, faculty and their wivessitting on the floor of my large drawingroom,the dinner was followed by a longjam session wherein individuals recitedpoetry, sang, told jokes and stories, etc.I contributed a few urdu couplets that Iwas fond of writing in my younger days.My wife contributed jokes. The groupexperienced a very warm and intimatefamily togetherness.

The students, faculty and their familieslooked forward to periodic picnicsarranged and managed by the students.The larger TFL family enjoyed picnicfood as well as sports.

The TFL Code of Conduct includedpunctuality in all activities,equalityamong all researchers,transparency,dulyearned credit for authorship, strictdisciplineand disciplinary action againstany form of scientific misconduct,plagiarism or conflict of interest.Toughened by this kind of discipline,TFLians cite this attribute as one themost important contributing factor towhat they are today.

Mentoring of Entrepreneurship

Duringmy 17 years at TFL, I supervised/co-supervised 55 PhDs and some 60 MTechprojects.All my students have done well in avariety of technical professions as teachers,researchers,entrepreneurs and Chief Executives.We published over 300 research papers and alarge number of review articles in internationaljournals of repute. Several of our papers becameclassics by virtue of citations. One of ourReview onTransparentConductingOxide Filmshad the distinction of being the most citedpaper in the international journal for over twodecades in a row. Our two monographs, namelyThin Film Solar Cells and Thin Film DeviceApplications, first in the field, were co-authoredwith my two students, Suhit Ranjan Das andInderJeet Kaur, respectively.

There wasa globaldemand from reputedacademic institutions to employ my studentsas postdoctoral fellows (PDF).The feedbackfrom those who invited my students for PDFwas that my students were enterprising andindeed were up to any challenge, even in newareas of research. Over a dozen of my PhDstudents have chosen to become entrepreneursand they have set up their own successfulindustries in related areas ,both in India andabroad. Milman Thin Film Systems createdby MilindAcharya in India, FLISOM (FlexibleSolarModules) established byAyodhyaTiwariin Switzerland, Coatings Mantra establishedby Sunil Kumar in Australia, InSTech(information, science and technologies)Consultants by Jagriti Singh in Australia, RF

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Array Systems Inc by Chandra Deshpandey inIndia andUSA , etc are some notable examplesof such companies. Several global ThinFilmSolar Cell companies are being steered by myformer students.

The IIT Kharagpur Challenge

I served IITD as Head, PhysicsDepartment, Head , Centre for Energy Studies,Dean,Post GraduateStudies and founder Dean,Industrial Research and Development (IRD).As a Dean, I was keen to translate myenthusiasm for nurturing innovations on alarger platform of the institute. The Departmentof Science & Technology offered all financialsupport and land to IITD to set up a ScienceTechnology Entrepreneur Park (STEP).Although I was very enthusiastic about theproject, the then Director of IITD was not sokeen on this venture which he considered asbeing beyond the purview of the institute. And,then in 1987, a totally unexpected event tookplace. I, a Physicist, was persuaded by theMinistry of Human Resources & Developmentto take up the challenge of heading and revivingthe run down IIT, Kharagpur- the mother ofother five IITs, as I call it.Apprehensive thoughI was, I accepted the challenge and startedhead-on with academic, management andgovernancereformsandinnovationsTheblueprintfor these changes was essentially the same asthat for creating TFL which included : leadingfrom the front by action and by example, totaltransparency in all activities of the institute,treating faculty, students and staff as partnersin progress in reinventing the institute,strict

enforcement of ethical values and codes ofconduct for all stake holders.

Despite being busy with the IITKGPaffairs, I continued my research albeit at aslow pace.Several research students and somefaculty members helped in setting up a stateof the art Microscience Laboratory. Duringmy tenure of 10 years at IIT, I co-supervised4 PhDs, and co-authored a book on "VacuumScience and Technology" with Professors VV Rao and T B Ghosh. We explored new andemerging areas of science and technology ofth in-f ilms. We developed a chemicaltechnique for synthesizing nanopowder ofmulticomponent oxides on a large scale. Thetechnology was transferred to ACC. Thealumni of Microscience Laboratory have donewell professionally.

The creation of a STEP in IIT Kharagpurwas topmost in my mind and, indeed, was oneof my priorities. The WB government gifted100 acre land area near the IIT campus for theproposed STEP. Mr Jyoti Basu, the chiefMinister of West Bengal and I laid thefoundationstone ofSTEP which was sponsoredby DST. This STEP, the only one among theIITs even today, and one of the 12 STEPS inthe country, is presently doing well and isself-sustaining. Several IITs have subsequentlyfollowed the example of IITKGP by settingup different versions of tech-parks such as anincubator, technology business incubator,technology park, etc.

Some of the novel and innovative ideasadopted by us in IITKGP for translational workthrough academia-industry interaction are :

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Members of the faculty, alumni, andstudents were encouraged to becomeentrepreneurs in STEP so as to explorethecommercial viabilityof their researchoutcome in IITKGP. This was anextraordinary step that was taken forthe first time in the country. I am happyto state that similar concepts have nowbeen adopted by most IITs.

Faculty members were allowed to earnany amount from their successfulventures in the STEP as long asaccounting , transparency and IIT's shareof turnover were assured through theSTEP management.

Joint ventures with selected industriesin the area of expertise of IIT facultywere initiated.

The industry was persuaded to sponsorChairs with the provison that the ChairProfessor would conduct research workin areas of mutual interest. Both JointVentures and Industry Sponsored Chairswere unique concepts in Indian academiaat that particular time. Both conceptshave now been emulated by other IITs.

After retirement from IITKGP, I havecontinued to persuade many technical andacademic institutions in the country to take astep towards any form of STEP as an integralpart of training and nurturing technicalmanpower. I have helped establish Incubatorsin St Xavier's College and West BengalUniversity of Technology in Kolkata. Several

other institutions have sought my advice toinitiate steps in the direction.

Concluding Remarks

Today, the economic power of a countryis determined in no small measure by itsknowledge power. A transparent, liberal,flexible, seamless, multidisciplinary andethical ecosystem must be created in theacademia to produce, disseminate, and nurturetranslational and transformative knowledge.Such a system has indeed enabled mynumerous students and faculty colleagues tocontribute to the success of our journeytowards translational research in physics andengineering physics. Any success in amultidimensional research results only froma group effort. I had the privilege of workingwith many gifted co-workers during my longacademic career. Indeed, I stand on theshoulders of my colleagues. I have receivednumerous awards and honours from thegovernment of India, professional bodies andacademicinstitutions.TheLifeTime ContributionAwardinEngineeringtoa physicistbyeducationand engineering physicist by practice is a veryspecial one which recognises what a researchgroup "thinking individually and workingcollectively"ina seamlessacademicenvironmentcan achieve by the fusion of science andengineering. I am immensely grateful to theIndian National Academy of Engineering forthe recognition and honour conferred on me.

(concluded)

Former Professor and Founder, Thin Film Laboratory, IIT Delhiand Former Director, IIT Khargpur

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PROMOTING GREEN FOOTPRINTS IN CONSTRUCTION:A SUSTAINABLE TECHNO-MANAGEMENT

APPROACH FOR DEVELOPING INDIA* Subhranshu SekharSamal & **Somshekhar Mohanty

Introduction

A Green Building is one that isenvironmentally responsible, profitable and ahealthy place to liveand work. Green Buildingensures that waste is minimized at every stageduringthe constructionand operationofbuilding,resulting in low cost .Green Building appliesto both existing and new construction fromsimple spaces to large development projects.

It maximizes the use of efficient buildingmaterials and construction practices; optimizesthe use of on-site sources and sinks by bio-climatic architectural practices; uses minimumenergy to power itself; uses efficient equipmentto meet its daily consumer consumption;maximizes the use of renewable sources ofenergy; uses efficient waste and watermanagemen t prac ti ce s; and providescomfortable and hygienic indoor workingconditions[10]. They critically evaluate theimpacts of each design decision on theenvironment and arrive at viable designsolutions to minimize the negative impactsand enhance the positive impacts on theenvironment. Generally the following aspectsof the building design are looked into in anintegrated way in a green building:

i) Effective use of existing landscapes.

ii) Use of energy efficient and eco-friendlyequipment.

iii) Use of recycled and environmentalfriendly building materials.

iv) Optimum quality of indoor air tor humansafety and comfort.

v) Efficient use of water.

vi) Use of non-toxic and recycled materials.

vii) Use of renewable energy.

viii) Ef fect ive cont ro ls and bui ld ingmanagement systems.

ix) Regeneration and reuse of water.

x) Optimum use of lighting (natural andartificial) tor varying purposes.

xi) Elimination of pollutants andother healthhazards.

Objective : The aim is to get a building with0% energy consumption and 0% carbonemission. The Green building movement isadvancing at a rapid pace inIndia. In view of itstremendous benefits several Corporate andGovernment agencies are considering greenbuildingbydesign.

Methodology : A site under considerationrequires critical analysis through visual studiesas well as monitors and softwareto comprehendthe complexities involved followed up byapplication of a number of systems to arrive atanappropriate design model. Thismodeldesignis then loaded with parameters of logic,costing, resource availability etc and is further

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fine tuned to become a working model withdetail application and cost ramifications. Basedon this an execution work plan is preparedwithnecessary control systems. The final stagework involves testing on site to ensure theparameters of the working model.

Natural Ventilation

The natural visibility and green effectlets you feel cool without any artificialresources and also helps in avoiding the effectof global warming. Indoor application givesbright indoor effect due to its reflectivity.Insulated interior cool colour paints add to theair conditions effectively. If building exists inthe area where higher speed wind blowscontinuously/frequently, then building shouldbe designed at such an angle that wind isdirected through the openings for passingacross, through and outside of the building tokeep it cool.

a) Double FacadeVentilated Buffer Zone:

Double skin facades are attractive as apossibility to provide natural ventilation byopeningwindows tothe cavity[5].The opportunityto open windows for natural ventilation inoffice environments is linked with reducedsick building syndrome.A facade is generallyone exterior side of a building. Naturallyventilatedfacade is known as passive "facade".

b) Operable Windows:

A window should be opened and shut toaccommodate ventilation needs, as opposedto a fixed light or fixed sash. An occupantshould have some control over his/herenvironment and should be active participant

in the indoor climate feedbackloop, not simplypassive recipientof whatever thermal conditionsthe building management system delivers[9].

Designing with the Sun

The first step in creating comfort andthermal delight in buildings is to understandthe relationship between the climate and ourneed forshelter. There is an enormous variationin climates that buildings experience. Poorclimatic design of buildings causes manybuildings to overheat, even in temperate orco ld climate s where such problemstraditionally never existed. Passive solarbuildings in which the free energy of the sunis used to power the building but not allowedto interfere with the comfort and economy ofthe building's occupants is considered as goodarchitecture. The five things a designer needsto know for a good passive solar design are:

i) How strongthe sun at thesite isatdifferenttimes of the year.

ii) Where the sun will be at different timesof the year in relation to the site.

iii) How much of the sun's heat a buildingwill need, or not need, at different timesof theyeartoenablethe buildingoccupantsto be comfortable.

iv) How much storage capacity the buildingshould have in relation to the availablesolar gain at the site to meet those needs.

v) What the additional requirements are forcontrollingthe heat gain fromdirect solarradiation, convection or conduction in adesignand howtheycanbemetbyenvelopeperformance,buildingformandventilation.

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a) Prismatic Skylight

Prisma tic sky ligh ts are huge lybeneficial in commercial and retail settings,addressing maximum energy efficiency whileeliminating the hot spots, glare, and surfacefading of areas exposed to light from otherday lighting systems. Differing from theaverage skylight because of the glazing,prismatic skylights contain at least one layerof prismatic acrylic or polycarbonate[1]. Theprismatic layer consists of thousands ofprisms that both reflect and refract sunlight,allowing for the diffusion of available lightas it enters the building, in an evenly distributedmanner, eliminating hot spots, glare, andsurface fading.

b) Solar Updraft Core

Solar updraft core is a type of tubularstructure well made of heat reflective, lightincidental glass.

It is a multi usable central core of thebuilding serving as the backbone. It consist ofsmaller optical illuminating tubes for lightingdiffused or dark areas e.g. Basement andparking area.

c) Fibre optic Solar Lighting

Fibre optic illuminator is a device thatfocuses the sunlight into the fiber to thelocation where youwant the light. It is designedto produce the amount and typeof illuminationdesired. Solar fiber optic lighting is great forlighting your home with sunlight while keepingthe heat out. Since the light source is remote,in this case the sun, the fiber transmits light

but not the heat. Sunlight is collected by fibreoptic illuminator. The sunlight is then broughtinto the building through the optical cables.Indoors, the sunlight flows out throughluminaries.[2]

i) Fiber optic illuminator

ii) Optical Cable

iii) Luminaries

d) Integrated Solar Shading

Solarshading isany devicewhich excludessunshine from a building, like a curtain or anawning for example. Properly designedexternal shading can reduce solar heat gainfrom glazing by up to 85%. It is an effectivecomplementary strategy to air conditioning ormechanical ventilation, providing savings inrunning costs as wellas generalenergy savingsand reduced CO2 emissions. In naturallyventilated buildings it will provide lowerinternal temperatures by reducing the effectsof solar heat gain. External shading cuts outsolar energy before it enters the building.

e) Light Shelf

Light shelves are reflective horizontalsurfaces that extend from the exterior to theinterior of a building. They reflect sunlightonto the ceiling, which in turn reflects intothe interior space. They can normally provideadequate daylight in the perimeter ofbuildings up to 5m of window or skylight.They can prevent unwanted direct sunlight,which is a source of glare, from enteringthe space [3].

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Water Management : Achieving WaterIndependence in Buildings

Water management is simply to managingour water resources while taking into accountthe needs of present and future users. This canbe done either by reducing the consumptionof water (water conservation) by increasingthe capacity of supply (rainwater harvesting),or by re-using water where we can (gray watertreatment).

a) Water Conservation

Water conservation becomes increasinglyimportant as demand for water increases andshortfalls in supply occur. The things areconspiring to make fresh water one of themost valuable commodities in the twenty-firstcentury are increasing world populations,climate change & pollution. So following stepscan help in water conservation.

i) Flow Restrictors

ii) Low-Flow Showerheads

iii) Occupancy Detector

iv) Urinal Flushing Cistern Controllers

Rain Water Harvesting

Harvesting rainwater can reduce ourneed-and demand-for water transport systemsthat threaten the health of the water cycle andour local environments. Rainwater harvestingisone strategy in the greater scheme of reducingdomestic water use. By harvesting rainwater,we can be led to dozens of other practices thatbring us into greater sustainability. Even inareas with low rainfall there is an enormouspotential forharvestingrainwater. For example,

the roof of a 1,000 squarefoot house cancollectaround 600 gallons per ONE inch of rain .Oneof modern way of storingrain water is cistern.

Grey Water Treatment

Grey water (i.e., discharges fromshower,hand basin,bath, laundry andkitchen) accountsfor upto 75% of the wastewater produced inhouseholds. It contains low concentrations oforganic compounds (in terms of chemicaloxygendemand (COD),nutrients and pathogenscompared to the more highly concentratedblack (toilet) water. Therefore, it makes senseto collect grey water, treat it separately andre-use it for irrigation, washing or other nonpotable applications. The Greywater treatmentsystem collects water fromthe laundry, showerand bath[7]. The grey water is filtered through astate of the art progressive filtration system,and automatically diverted to the garden,returned for usage.

Thermal Insulation

The objective of thermal insulation is tomaintain pleasant temperature within livingroom. However thermal bridges can contributeto poor energy performance. Thermal bridgesare points in the building envelope that allowheat conduction to occur as heat flows throughthe path of least resistance. A thermal bridgeis created when materials create a continuouspath across a temperature difference, in whichthe heat flow is not interrupted by thermalinsulation. A thermal bridge is created whenmaterials create a continuous path across atemperature difference, in which the heat flowoccurs. Thermal insulation is process ofending these gaps.

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a) Sphere Structured Ceramic Paint

Sphere structured ceramic paints aremade of a co-polymer compound containinginert pigments and special filters uniquelyformulated to re-radiate 90% of solar infraredand 85% of ultraviolet rays back into theatmosphere. Using this paint provides thisgreatly enhanced home insulation through acomplex blend of microscopic hollow ceramicspheres. The ceramic spheres have a vacuuminside similar to mini-thermos bottles. Theirability to reflect heat lets these products blockheat loss from and heat gain into your homes.The ceramic paint has unique energy savingsproperties that reflect heat providing a uniqueand highly effective radiant barrier. The hollowceramic microsphere reflect heat fromsources such as direct sunlight or your homesheater and causes you to feel warmer in thewinter and cooler in the summer[4].

b) Vacuum Insulation Materials (VIM)

A vacuum insulation material (VIM) isbasically a homogeneous material with aclosed small pore structure filled with vacuumwith an overall thermal conductivity of lessthan4 mW/(mK) in the pristine condition.Due to its closed pore structure the VIM canbe cut and adapted at the building site with noloss of low thermal conductivity[6]. In addition,perforating the VIM with a nail or similarwould only result in a local heat bridge, i.e. noloss of lowthermal conductivity. The traditionalthermal building insulation materials andsolutions of today have the drawback that theyrequire rather thick buildingenvelopes in orderto meet the increasingly demanding thermalinsulation requirements unlike VIM.

c) Attrium Evaporative Vegetation &Green Buffer Spaces

Large glass-covered spaces like atriahaving glass roofing may produce a semi-outdoor space without excessively attenuatingthe natural lighting. However, in thehot season,the solar radiation bothabsorbedand transmittedby the glass sheet can overheat the building.Among passive cooling techniques, evaporativecooling seems the only one which can beadopted without unduly compromising theglass roofing characteristic. Evaporativecooling or is a process that uses the effect ofevaporation as a naturalheat sink. Green bufferspaces would create a buffer effect and preventthermal fluctuation. It does not only act asinsulator in summer, the evaporation of soilmoisture and transpiration of vegetation alsobringing cooling effect[5].

d) Super Insulating Vacuum Gass

The vacuum-insulated glass works witha vacuum between two panes of glass, and alow-E coating to prevent radiant heat fromescaping. The new glass provides a vacuumspace between two panes of glass. To keepthe two sheets of glass from being drawntogether by the vacuum, low thermal-conductivity spacers are placed in the spacebetween the two panes which appears as dots.While the vacuum is only about 1/100th asstrong as what is typically found in an ordinarythermos, it is still far better than standarddouble pane glass in preventing heat lossfrom conduction and from convection.

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Solar Equipments

a) 3 D Solar Cell

The revolutionary 3-dimensional siliconsolar cell is designed to maximize theconversion of sunlight into electricity. Theestimate is that it can produce 200% of the

power output of conventional solar cells. Thiswill reduce the investment payback period ofsolar panel systems by more than 40%.[13]

The key factors for this design are:

i) Wide Angle Light Collection

ii) 3D Photovoltaic Structure

iii) High Efficiency

b) Solar Water Heaters

In a water heating system, water runsthrough the collectors and then passes througha heat exchanger to heat the water used bybuilding occupants.Dependingontheoperating

conditions, the cold water delivery pipe wouldbe positioned to allow water to pass eitherthrough the heat exchanger loop or directly tothe storage tank Heat exchangers in solarwater-heating systems resemble a pipe or pipes

within a larger pipe. This solar water heater isfor year-round use, as we use specialized 3dsolar cells.

c) Ground Coupled Heat Exchanger

A ground-coupled heat exchanger is anunderground heat exchanger that can captureheat from and/or dissipate heat to the ground.It can take advantage of the ambient

temperature of the Earth to reduce or eliminate

conventional air conditioning requirements. Ituses natural convection (warm air rising) tocreatea vacuum to draw filteredpassivecoolingtube air through the largest diameter coolingtubes. It is an electrically powered heating andcooling system for interior spaces. Thissystem utilizes the earth for both a heat sourceand a heat sink[15].

Hydraulic Lift

In Hydraulic systems, a car is connectedto the top of a piston that moves up and downin a cylinder. Movement is controlled by ahydraulic valve. The pump forces fluid fromthe tank into a pipe leading to the cylinder.When the valve is opened, the pressurizedfluid will take the path of least resistance andreturn to the fluid reservoir. But when thevalve is closed, the pressurized fluid hasnowhere to go except into the cylinder. As thefluid collects in the cylinder, it pushes thepiston up, lifting the elevator car.

Solid Waste Management - Trisorter

The TriSorter System is a specializedgarbage chute extension that utilizes thebuilding's existing waste equipment. Thesystem directs residents' materials into one ofthree existing recycling or waste containers.By installing a TriSorter Recycling System,building residents will have the convenienceof garbage, recycling and organics disposalusing the existing chute on their floor. It isdesigned to address the commingled recyclingprograms and solid waste needs in multi-storybuildings.ATriSorter allowsresidents todispose

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of garbage, recyclables and organics fromtheir floor's chute room using a selection panellocated next to the chute door[8]. The systemconsists of a TriSorter, Compactor, garbage andrecyclingbinandselectionpanelsoneachresidentialfloor. With the push of a button, the TriSorterdirects material into its respective bin.

Conclusion

Green building practices, as well theselection of the appropriate building materials,revolve around a few basic principles ofscience. Science is what sustainable buildingrelies on. Energy efficiency requires asystems-based approach to designing andbuilding a home. All elements of the buildingshell; foundation, framing, roof structure andwindows play key roles in defining thepotential energy savings for a house. Energyuse inside the home is the second tier ofconsideration. Mechanical equipment sized tothe actual loads of the house, natural daylighting and ventilation greatly impact howmuch energy will be used to provide comfortand convenience.Appliances and lighting alsoimpact net energy efficiency. All need to beconsidered in the early design stages tomaintain cost effectiveness. Green buildingreduces energy consumption in numerous ways

In summary, this paper presents designof building incorporating various aspects ofenergy conscious design. They demonstratethe successful use of passive solar architecture,sustainable materials, conservation ofresources, and integration of renewable energytechnologies in the futuristic green buildings.

References[1] "Skylights as luminaires: PIER skylight photometric

test results", Jonathan McHugh, Ian Lewin,JimDomigan, IESNA Annual Conference in Salt LakeCity, August 4-7, 2002

[2] "Passive Solar LightingUsing Fiber Optics",Dr.William Grisé & Dr. Charles Patrick,journal ofindustrial technology vol.(19)

[3] Peter J. Arsenault, Patti Bacon, Stantec ConsultingInc., Zetlin & De Chiara, Vol( 12) No. 1 2007.

[4] Brian R. Lawn's,"Indentation of Ceramics withSpheres: A Century after Hertz", J. Am. Ceram. Soc.,1998.

[5] "Ventilated Doubles Facades - Classification &illustrations,x.loncour", M.Blasco. , G.FLAMANT,P.Wouters,October 2004

[6] "Nanotechnology and Possibilities for the ThermalBuilding Insulation Materials of Tomorrow",BjornPetter Jelleab, Arild Gustavsenc, SteinarGrynninga,Erlend Weggerb, Erland Sveipeb ,RubenBaetensd, zero emission buildings - proceedings ofRenewable Energy Conference, Trondheim,Norway,2010

[7] "Comparison of Three Systems for BiologicalGreywater", Luc´?a Hern´andez Leal ,HardyTemmink, GrietjeZeeman,CeesJ.N. Buisman,Journalof Water, Published: 22 April 2010

[8] Tim Reeve-Newson's," TriSorter Recycling SystemRetrofit", CM CondoMiniuM Manager Magazine,Winter 2008.

[9] Allan Daly's, "Operable Windows And Hvac Syst",Taylor Engineering Llc Alameda, Calif, December2002.

[10] J.A. Prajapati, J.K. Nayak, "HANDBOOK ONENERGY CONSCIOUS BUILDINGS", IndianInstitute of Technology, Bombay and Solar EnergyCentre, Ministryof Non-conventionalEnergySources,May2006

[11] K Pachauri et.al, "The Environment Emergency:exploring solutions for a sustainable future", TERI,2010.

[12] http://www.kembhaviarchitects.com/green.html[13] http://www.solar3d.com/technology.php[14] http://www.stormwater.ucf.edu[15] http://www.geoexchange.org

*Scientist-D, Centre for Nanoscience & Nanotechnology

(A Joint Initiative of IGCAR, Kalpakkam &Sathyabama University, Chennai), India

E-mail : [email protected]**Cognizant Technology Solutions, Chennai

E-mail : [email protected]

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USE OF NANOTECHNOLOGY IN AGRICULTUREDr. SubasChandra Sahoo

Na no technolo gy is th e study ofmanipulating matter at nanoscale in the

dimensions between 1 and 100 nanometers. Itoffers considerable opportunities for thedevelopment of innovative products andapplications in several sectors includingagriculture. Its use may bring potential benefits

to farmers by way of increasing productionwith reduced expenditure.

In the nanoparticles, there is substantial

increase in surface area as compared withtheir conventional counterparts. Materials thatare produced with structural features at ananoscale may have different physical andchemical properties. Nanomaterials behave

differently from bulk materials of the samechemical because of higher surface area.

There is vast scope touse nanotechnologyin the field of agriculture. Application ofnanotechnology has the potential to redesignthe production cycle and restructure the

processing methods. Major inputs like water,fertilizer and pesticides can be effectivelymanaged by application of nanotechnology.Those can be used for several benefits such asreduced requirement of fertilizer, decrease in

loss of irrigation water and effective use ofpesticides & weedicides.

Soilplaysan important role in agriculturalproduction by providing moisture, nutrientand physical support to plant. Contamination

of soil due to accumulation of heavy metalsand harmful compounds affects negatively on

growth and yield of crops. Nanotechnologyhelps inpurifying thesoil contaminatedbyheavy

metals. Nanoscale powder prepared from ironcan be used for cleaning up contaminated soil.

In the present day context, farmers use

several high yielding varieties and hybrids ofvarious crops to obtain good yield. Thesevarieties are heavy feeders and require huge

quantity of nutrients to produce higher yields.To meet th e de mand, far mers app lycomparatively more amount of fertilizers in

the soil. These fertilizers contain large amountof inert matter along with active ingredients.

This bulky nature of fertilizer increases thecost of fertilizers and their transportation.Nanotechnology helps in reducingthe quantity

of fertilizers without affecting the quality ofactive ingredients. There are efforts to develop

fertilizers with nanoscale particles so thatless quantity of fertilizers can be used forbetter results.

Irrigation has major contribution inincreasingproduction of several crops. In aridregions, there is loss of enormous quantity of

irrigation water from soil due to evaporation.Nanotechnology can be used in preventing the

loss of irrigation water by regulating soiltemperature. Scientists have developed a[, nanoporous membrane made from organic

7

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waste materials, which can prevent water loss

from soil and plant roots. It helps in regulatingsoil temperature in the regions that are

excessively arid or hot. Nanoporous materialscapable of storing water and slowly releasing

it, can save the crop during drought.Experiments conducted in the desert soils of

Nigeria indicated that use of this technologyreduced the requirement of irrigation water by

30 to 50 per cent.

Some of these technologies can be used

to improve existing crop managementtechniques. Nanocapsules would help to avoid

phytotoxicity on the crop by using systemicherbicides against parasitic weeds. Nano-

encapsulation can also improve herbicideapplication, providing better entry into the

plant system and allowing slow release of theactive ingredients. Nanoparticles loaded with

herbicides, chemicals or nucleic acids can beused as magic bullets in targeting specific

plant tissues or areas for desired results.

Nanotechnology can be used in diseasediagnosis and management. Nanoscale devices

can be used to identify plant health issues,which are normally invisible to naked eye.

Such devices are capable of responding todifferent situations by taking appropriate

remedial measures. Smart devices can bedeveloped to initiate preventive action and

provide early warning. This will help thefarmers to know about probable infestation of

disease and insect. Thus, this technology can

help in reducing the yield loss due to pest and

disease attack. Scientists are working ondeveloping a nanoscale electromechanical

systemto study pathogen andplant interactionsthat causes disease. Nanotubes can be used to

diagnoseand treat diseases in plants, providingbetter management of insects and diseases.

With proper planning, this technology can beused to reduce the quantity and cost of plant

protection chemicals.

Now-a-days emphasis is given on the

use of various farm machineries andimplements to perform different agricultural

operations. Due to small and fragmented landholdings, it becomes difficult for operation of

big machinery in the fields. To solve theproblem, nanoscale transistors can be used to

improve the performance and effectiveness ofsuch machinery.

In future days, nanotechnology will play

a crucial role to obtain higher quantity ofgood quality agricultural products. It can be

used to monitor plant growth, adopt suitablecrop management practices, detection of

disease and protection of crop plants. Effortsare on to explore new applications of

nanotechnology in agriculture and alliedsector to enhance product ivity. With

appropriate application of this technology,remarkable changes can occur in the field of

agriculture and allied areas.

Directorate of Extension Education, OUAT, BhubaneswarE-mail : [email protected]

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AGROFORESTRY IMPROVES SOILAlok Kumar Patra

Agroforestry is a method of farming thatallows trees and shrubs to grow along withcrops and/or animals.Thus it blends agricultureand forestry in the same production system.Agroforestry systems have the potential tomake use of marginal and degraded landsthrough the soil improving effects of trees.Trees have a different impact on soil propertiesthan annual crops, because of their longerresidence time, larger biomass accumulationand more extensive root systems.

Nitrogen fixation and a high biomassproduction are the two most desirablecharacteristics of a tree. However, manyproperties are specific to particular objectivesof various agroforestry systems in which thetrees are grown. The properties which arelikely to make a tree suitable for soil fertilitymaintenance or improvement are

A high rate ofproductionof leafy biomass

A high rate of nitrogen fixation

The existence of deep roots and a densenetwork of fine roots with a capacity forabundant mycorrhizal association

A high and balancednutrientcontent in thefoliage; litter with high nitrogen and low lignin

An appreciable nutrient content in theroot system

Rapid litter decay, where nutrient releaseis desired, and a moderate rate of litter decay,where maintenance of a soil cover is required

Absence of toxic substances in the litteror root residues

Beneficial effects of trees on soil

Trees improve soil fertility by processesof increasing additions to the soil, reductionof losses from soil, and improving physical,chemical and biological conditions of the soil.

Additions to the soil

Maintenance or increase in soilorganic matter: Trees are believed toincrease, or at least maintain, the organic-matter levels of the soil. This is mainly throughlitter fall and continuous degeneration of rootsof standing trees. Pruning materials from thetrees used in agroforestry systems add a hugequantity of organic matter to the soil, and thisis generally high in nitrogen. The root biomassof trees is usually 20-30% of total plantbiomass. Roots also store considerablequantities of nutrients.

Nitrogen fixation: Biological nitrogenfixation takes place through symbiotic andnon-symbiotic means. Symbiotic fixationoccurs through the association of plant rootsofmanyleguminousplant species with N

2-fixing

microorganisms, RhizobiumorBradyrhizobium.A few non-leguminous tree species such asCasuarina also nodulate with a genus ofactinomycetes, Frankia.

Nutrient uptake: Trees are moreefficient than herbaceous plants in taking upnutrients released by the weathering of soil atdeeper horizons. Potassium, phosphorus,calcium, magnesium and micronutrients are

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released by rock-weathering. The nutrients indeeper soil horizons, that are unavailable toshallow rooted crops, are taken up by deeprooted trees.

Increased water infiltration: Treesfacilitate water infiltration along the rootchannels due to higher organic matter contentin the soil. This substantially reduces runoffand increases water input to the soil.

Water retrieval: The tap roots of treesdraw water from soil well below the depthordinarily reached by roots of crop plants. Thisprocess increases water input inplant-soilsystem.

Reduction of losses from the soil

Protection from erosion: Soil erosioncauses lossof soilorganic matterand nutrients,and thus results in reduction in crop yield.Agroforestry systems reduce erosion throughground litter cover by tree leaves. The treecanopy may also reduce the erosion to a littleextent by slashingraindrops. Trees and shrubsthrough their proper planting arrangement andmanagement can act as effective barriers tocontrol soil erosion.

Nutrient retrieval and recycling: Thetree-root systems including fine feeder rootsand associated mycorrhiza intercept, absorband recycle nutrients in the soil that wouldotherwise be lost through leaching, therebymaking a more closed nutrient cycle.

Reduction of water loss throughevapotranspiration: Tree canopies lowertemperature and increase relative humidity inan agroforestry system which leads to lowtranspiration rate. Tree litter act as much on

ground surface that reduces the evaporativeloss of soil moisture. The water storagecapacity of soil is also increased due toimproved soil organic matter.

Effect on physical conditions of the soil

Maintenance or improvement ofphysicalproperties:The soilphysicalpropertiessuchasstructure,porosity, waterholdingcapacityand erosion resistance are much improved inan agroforestry system than that of an openarea or area with seasonal field crops.

Modification of extremes of soiltemperature:Acover of tree leaf litter greatlyreduces the surface temperature of ground inthe tropics, which sometimes exceeds 50°Candadversely affects crop growth. In temperateregions, there is some protection from groundfrost by the 'blanketing' effect of litter.

Effect on chemical conditions of the soil

Reduction of acidity: The basesreleased by litter decay can help to checkacidification caused by the application offertilizers to thecrops in an agroforestry system.

Reduction of salinity: Trees in anagroforestry system can reclaim saline andalkaline soils by lowering salinity. Trees assuch cannot contribute to reduction of salinity,but they assist in water management that leadsto soil amelioration and leaching out salts.

Reduction of soil toxicities caused bypollution: The trees as such do not extractpollutants from a chemically polluted soil, butsome species are tolerant to them. The treesbuild up soil organic matter and amelioratefertility which results in reducing pollutionlevels in the soil.

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Effect on biological conditions of the soil

Improvement in the activity of soilfauna: The presence of tree litter in soil isfrequently associated with higher rates ofactivity of soil fauna.

Effects of shading: Shade caused by thetree canopy in an agroforestry system lowersground-surface temperatures, which reducethe rateoflossofsoilorganicmatterbyoxidation.

Exudat ion of growth-promotingsubstances into the rhizosphere: Rootexudates by a few tree species are believed towork as growth-promoting substances for otherplant species.

Nutrient cycling in agroforestry systems

A nutrient cycle is the movement andexchangeof organic and inorganic matter backinto the production of living matter. Nutrientcycles occur within ecosystems. The plantstake up nutrients from the soil to grow. Soilnutrients mostly come from the breakdown ofmineral-bearing rocks and decomposition ofplant and animal residues incorporated intothe soil. The nutrients that plants get from thesoil are stored in all plant tissues. Some of theplant parts such as dead leaves and roots arereturned to the soil during the plant's growth.In addition, depending upon the nature of plantsand type of land use, some parts are added tothe soil when the plants are harvested. Thebiomass so added decomposes through theactivity of soil microorganisms and thenutrients that had been bound in the plant partsare released to thesoil. These nutrients becomeonce again available to the growing plants.

Nutrient cyclingoccurs tovarying degreesin all land use systems. Agroforestry systems

show a high potential to improve soil fertilitywith more efficient nutrient cycling because ofthe beneficial effects of trees on the soil. Thetrees have more extensive and deeper rootsystems than herbaceous plants and thus have apotential to capture andrecycle a larger amountof nutrients. Their litter contribution to the soilis also more than that of annual plants.

Forest ecosystems have high rates ofturnoverand low rates of losses fromthe system.Theseareusually self-sustainingthrough closedand efficient nutrient cycling systems. Butagricultural systems are often open and theturnover within the systemis relatively low andlosses are comparatively high per unit area andunit time. Nutrient cycling in agroforestrysystems falls between these two extremes andas compared to agricultural systems morenutrients in these systems are reused by plantsbefore being lost from the system.

Agroforestry system thus, provides anopportunity for modifying nutrient cyclingthrough management practices which resultsin more efficient use of nutrients in the soil.This leadsto overall improvement in soil health.

Referenceshttp://www.centerforagroforestry.org/practiceshttp://www.worldagroforestry.orgNair, P. K. R. 2008. An Introduction to Agroforestry.Springer (India) Pvt. Ltd., New Delhi.Patra, A. K. 2013. Agroforestry: Theory & Practices, NewIndia Publishing Agency, New Delhi.Young, A. 2005. Agroforestry for soil management. CABInternational, Walling Ford, U. K.Zeide, B. 2008. The science of forestry. Journal ofSustainable Forestry 27: 345-473.

Associate Professor (Agronomy)

Directorate of Research, Orissa University of Agril. & TechnologyBhubaneswar 751003

Email: [email protected]

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INTEGRATED PEST AND DISEASE MANAGEMENT*Dr. Sanjeeb Kumar Das**Miss Padmini Bisoyoi

What is Pest ?

Any insect that lowers the profit of afarmer by harming his crops or livestock iscalled a pest. It may be noted that all insectsare not pests. In other words there are someuseful insects such as butterfly, honeybee etc.and some others as parasites or pests whichcause harm to the crops or livestocks.

Fungal Disease

Some of the fungal diseases such as rusts,blights, root rot, powdery and downy mildewetc. are caused by fungus. They are carried byspores which can be blown by wind and arespread easilyinshady,moistandwarmconditions.

Fungal diseases can be prevented in thefollowing ways;

1. Proper spacing in crop plantation avoiddevelopment of humid atmosphere.

2. Proper and timely irrigation to avoidexcess moisture.

3. Careful disposal of plant wastes alongwith their roots etc. through composting.

Bacterial Disease :

Bacterial diseases are caused by bacteria.It results in wilting and spotting of the leavesand fruits. The bacterial diseases are spreadingso fast that simple medicine spray cannotcontrol the disease. This disease can only becontrolled by destroying the affected plantsand by following the practice of crop rotations.

Viral Disease :

Viral diseases are caused by viruses. Itresults in molting, stunting and otherdistortation of the leavesand creates bad odourin flowers. The most viral affected crops are:potato, tomato, pea and cucurbits. Once a cropis virally infected, there is no cure for that.Therefore, disposal of the infected plant ishighly recommended. In most cases, insectsspread the infection. Hence preventive measuresare required to control the pests. Thepredominant viral disease is the mosaic diseasefound in maize, cocoa and tobacco crops.

Non-Parasitic Disease :

Non parasitic diseases are caused due tounfavourable climate or environment, nutrientdeficiency,imbalancefertilizersmanureapplication,poor drainage and improper irrigation.

Different crops are affected by diseasesin different ways. But among them potato andtomato are severely affected crops. Ensuringproper care management of the crop one shouldcontrol the diseases. Once the plant is affectedby a non-rectifiable situation it should beremoved immediately. Since it is moresusceptible to bacterial and viral diseases thatdiseased plant can damage the remaining crop.

Control of Pests :

There are different methods of pestscontrol such as physical, mechanical,agronomic, biological and chemical. However,

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farmers usually prefer to apply chemicalmethod in order to avoid loss to crops. But thedisadvantage of the chemical method is that itcreates environmental pollution. In addition agood number of beneficial insects are alsokilled by the chemicals used in pest control.

Hence one should not depend only on asingle control method but should utilize all thefivemethodsi.e. physical,mechanical, agronomic,biological and chemical in a safe manner aspractised in integrated Pest Management(IPM) programe.

Foreffectiveandsafemeasureofpestcontrolfarmers are advised to apply integrated Pest

management (IPM) methods asindicated below.

3. Agronomic Methods :

The following steps can be followed.

a) Select crops having pest and diseaseresistant variety.

b) Use of proper crop rotations.

c) Alter sowing/ planting times of crops.

d) Use the recommended number ofploughing and inter culturing practices.

e) Keep the field clean and weed free.

f) Use the fertilizer at proper time and inrecommended doses.

4. Biological Method :

a) Allow the birds to eat the pests and eggsduring ploughing and crop growing time.

b) Identify theuseful parasites and predatorson harmful pests.

c) Useorganic pesticides like neem, tobaccoetc. and their products.

d) Userepellents like onion, garlic, marigoldand tulsi etc.

Home made Poisons and Traps

Neem leaves:- Solution prepared formNeem (Azdirachta indica) leaves control manypests like caterpillar weevils, beetles,grasshoppers etc.

Grind two handfuls of neem leaves andboil them or soak them over night in four litresof water. Then filter this mixture and sprayover plants.

Neem Seeds:- These can also be used.Grind 50 gm of seed and soak the powder over

1. Physical Method :

Pests usually attack crops in a particulartemperature, humidity, sunshine, rainfall andwind velocity. When the farmers are aware ofthe weather condition, life cycle of the pestand their time of growth, they can take care ofpreventive measure by altering the plantationor sowing time of the crop.

2. Mechanical Method :

In this method the pests or their eggs andlarvae are carefully collected and destroyed atregular intervals.

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night in one liter of water. Then filter and add5 liters of water and spray.

Simple neem leaves insecticide, can beused for controlling pests including termites.

Tobacco dust:- A poison from dustalso controls many types of pests. Fill acloth with tobacco dust and soak it in a waterdrum for 3 days, after which the liquid canbe applied. This may be very strong and thusit should be used carefully.

Add one cup of tobacco dust. Dilute itwith 4 times of water and spray the liquidover plants. This mixture can be used

immediately. Tobacco is very strong poison.Therefore always store it carefully and don'tconsume the plants treated with this solutionfor 4 days.

Soap Solution:- Put 1/4 cup of laundrysoap ( not detergent ) in 1 liter of water. Mixwell and spray it to control the Aphids andother soft-bodied pests. Soap can be used withany of the above referred liquids to act as awetting agent.

Kerosene and Soap:- This can be usedto control very serious pest infection. Mix ¼ th

cup of soap water and ¼th cup of kerosene in 1lit. of water. Then spray or brush over theplants. The contact of kerosene to any pestwill generally kill the pest.

Onion:- Placing a small collar aroundtheseedlings cancontrol cutworm.Tying onionleaves around the plant or placing small sticksin the ground against the plant stem.

5. Chemical Control Methods :-

Chemical poisons can control pests anddisease but they kill both types of insects-usefulas well as harmful. The chemical pesticideswhich are used in soil, kill insects, worms andmicroorganisms. Hence it is better and cheapertogrowcropswithoutusingthechemicalpesticides.

Given below a list of some usefulpesticides for controlling important pests;

Malathaion:- It controls aphids, mites,caterpillar and scales. Mix one bottle-capmalathion with one liter of water 22 ml/lit andspray over in the fected plants.

Dithane:- It controls leaf spots, rusts,downy, mildew and blights. For spray mix 2bottle caps of copper with one liter of waterfor spray.

Lime-Sulpher:- It controls blight, leafspots and scale. The dose is 25 to 30 kg perhectare.

Sevin ingranular formcontrols caterpillar,moth and bugs (2 to 3 kg per hectare)

Reference:-1. Fundamentals of Plant pathology- Pathak,M2. Elements of Entomology-Singh, Rajendra3. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/pests

*Dept. of Botany, R.I.E (NCERT) Achrayavihar,Unit-9, Bhubaneswar-751022

**Dept.Of Zoology, Utkal University, Vani Vihar, Bhubaneswar.

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CARBON CAPTURE & SEQUESTRATIONBishnu Prasad Behera

Carbon sequestration describes longtermstorage of CO2 or other forms of carbon toeither mitigate or defer global warming andavoid dangerous climate change. It is thecapacity of storing CO2 safely away from theatmospher that has been produced by burningfossil fuels. It has been proposed as a way toslow theatmospheric and marine accumulationof green house gases, which are released byburning coal and fossil fuels. Carbon dioxideis naturally captured from the atmospherethrough biological, chemical or physicalprocesses. CO2 may be captured as a pure by-product in processes related to petroleumrefining or from flue gases from powergeneration.CO

2sequestration includes carbon

capture and storage. This refers to large-scale,permanent artificial capture and sequestrationof industrially produced CO

2using subsurface

saline aquifiers, reservoirs, ocean water, agingoil fields, or other carbon sinks. There are twoseparate operations, Carbon Capture andSequestration (CCS) - the "capturing" processwhereby carbon emissions are prevented frombe ing released into the air, and the"sequestration" or "storage" of the capturedcarbon. "Capturing" carbon means separatingout the CO2 from all of the other gases andparticulates often found in fossil fuel exhaust.Sequestration occurs naturally, i.e. oceans andplants are already absorbing much of what weemit. CO2 sequestration may be done by surfacemethods, bysub surface storage and byrecovery

of energy fuels and minerals (Table.1). If thesource and the underground fixation sites arenot near to each other, transport of CO2 inliquid form over longer distances is required.

Table.1. Carbon sequestration options

CO2Sequestration options

Surface Sub-surface Energy Fuelsequestration Sequestration Recovery

Earth Processes

1. Terrestrial CO2 Sequestration2. Geo-Engineering-Stimulated Weathering3. CO2 Utilization into Chemical Products4. CO

2Fixation in Underground Traps

5. CO2Utilization in Enhanced Fuel Recovery

Problems of CO2

In pre-industrial times, every million

molecules of air contained about 280 ppm ofcarbon dioxide. Today that proportion exceeds380 ppm, and it continues to climb. Evidenceis mounting that carbon dioxide's heat-trappingpower has already started to boost averageglobal temperatures. If CO

2levels continue

upward, further warming could have direconsequences, resulting from risingsea levels,agriculture disruptions, and stronger storms(e.g. hurricanes) striking more often. Butchoking off the stream of CO

2entering the

atmosphere does not have a simple solution.

Fossil fuels, which provide about 85 percentof the world's energy, ar e made ofhydrocarbons, and burning themreleases huge

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quantities of CO2. Even as renewable energysources emerge, fossil-fuel burning willremain substantial. Amongst the fossil fuel ingreatest supply, coal is the worst CO2 emitterper unit of energy produced.Agrand challengefor the scientists will be to develop systemsfor capturing the CO2 produced by burningfossil fuels and sequestering it safely awayfrom the atmosphere.

CO2

capture

Methods already exist for key parts ofthe sequestration process. A chemical systemfor capturing CO

2is already used at some

facilities for commercial purposes, such asbeverage carbonation and dry ice manufacture.The same approach could be adapted for coal-burning electric power plants, where smokestacks could be replaced with absorptiontowers. One tower would contain chemicalsthat isolate CO2 from the other gases (nitrogenand water vapor) that escape into the air andabsorb it. A second tower would separate theCO

2from the absorbing chemicals, allowing

them to be returned to the first tower for reuse.

A variation to this approach would alterthe combustion process at the outset, burningcoal in pure oxygen rather than ordinary air.That would make separating the CO2 from theexhaust much easier, as it would be mixed onlywith water vapor, and not with nitrogen. It'srelatively simple to condense the water vapor,leavingpure CO

2gas that can be piped away for

storage. In this case, though, a differentseparation problem emerges - the initial needfor pureoxygen, which is created by separatingit from nitrogen and other trace gases in the

air. If that process can be made economical, itwould be feasible to retrofit existing powerplants with a pure oxygen combustion system,simplifyingandreducingthe costofCO

2capture.

Advanced methods for generating power fromcoal might also provide opportunities forcapturing CO

2. In coal-gasification units, an

emerging technology, coal is burnedto producea synthetic gas, typically containing hydrogenand carbon monoxide. Adding steam, alongwith a catalyst, to the synthetic gas convertsthe carbon monoxide into additional hydrogenand CO

2that can be filtered out of the system.

The hydrogen can be used in a gas turbine(similartoa jet engine)toproduce electricpower.

Carbon Storage: Geologic Sequestration

Once CO2has beencaptured, compressed,and transported to a sequestration site, it canbe pumped deepunderground andinjected intoa variety of geologic formations for storage.Characteristics to consider in evaluatingsequestration sites include:

Depth of the formation

Porosity of the surrounding material

Presence of potential vents, such as oldoil wells

Nearness to freshwater aquifers

Potential volume for CO2 storage

Proximity to sources of CO2

The expected storage time for directsequestration is of the orderof millennia.Large-scale, long-term sequestration tests have notyet beenconducted tohavea solid understanding

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of the potential for leaks after injection, thoughresearch is ongoing. Because of the long timeperiodinvolved, even an annual leak rate of lessthan one percent could make the sequestrationineffective for climate change mitigation.

Few environmental impacts of geologicsequestration have been identified, but studiesare ongoing. In particular, the effects of CO2

sequestration on groundwater are not yet welldocumentedandiscurrentlythesubjectofresearchprojects. Types of geologic formations thathave beenconsidered, and in some cases testedfor carbon sequestration include the followings :

Oil and gas fields

The oil industry has been usinga processcalled Enhanced Oil Recovery (EOR) forseveral decades wherein they inject CO2 intodepleted oil fields to increase their yields. TheCO2 in an oil well can either be in miscible orin immiscible phase. In the miscible phase,injected CO2 mixes with the viscous crudecausing it to swell. It reduces its viscosity inthe reservoir causing a flow to produce moreoil. In the immiscible phase CO2 does notdissolve in the crude. It raises the pressure andhelps to sweep the oil towards the productionwell. Actually, both the conditions occur and

the oil displacement depends on variousparameters likeoil swelling, viscosity reduction,miscibility, and reduction in oil saturation.

Submarine sediments

A potential benefit of injecting CO2 intorocks beneath the seafloor is that injected CO2

maybemore stablein thesesubmarine sedimentsthan in the terrestrial formations. Though thecapacity for submarine geologic sequestrationis extremelyvast, transportation oftheCO

2from

capture sites is likely to be the main constraint.

a) Saline aquifers

Sometimes large, deep formations ofporous rock (such as sandstone and limestone)contain large amounts of briny water in theirpore space. These formations are known assaline aquifers, and the water they contain canbe displaced by CO2, providing a storage site.CO2 fixation in deep saline aquifers, both onshore and offshore are expected to provide thelargest storage capacity at below 800m depth.At this depth, CO

2is in liquid or super critical

state and has density less than water. In salineformations, estimates of potential storagevolume are low up to 30% of the total rockvolume. Some model predictions indicate thatsaline aquifers are a viable option for geologicCO2 sequestration.

b) Unmineable coal seams

Coal beds have absorption capacity forCO

2whichis two to threetimes that of methane.

Like oil fields, an unmineable coal seam canalsoprove tobeapotential reservoir forEnhancedCoal Bed Methane Recovery (ECBM). CO

2

Fig.1. Different options forcarbon sequestration

Fig.2. Terrestrial andMarine sequestration

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can be sequestered by pumping it intounmineable coal seams, where it adsorbs tothe internal surface and micro pores of thecoal replacing methane. A major benefit ofthis method is that the injected CO2 willdisplace methane that was adsorbed to thecoal, and this methane can be collected at thesurface and sold, offsetting some of the costsof sequestration. CO2 storage in coal bedstakes place at shallower depth than in salineand oil reservoirs.

Carbon Storage: Indirect Sequestration

Carbon can be sequestered indirectly byinducing the marine or terrestrial biosphere totake up more CO2. One of the main challengesof indirect sequestration is the limited degreeof control over the biologic systems beingmanipulated. Indirect sequestration projectsare expected to provide less permanent carbonstorage thandirect sequestration. This durationmay be of the order of decades or at mostcenturies, because of the relatively rapidturnover time of the systems.

Marine Sequestration

Marine indirect sequestration, oftenknown as ocean fertilization, entails spurringthe growth of marine phytoplankton (algae andother organisms) in the ocean surface. Whenphytoplankton growth increases, more CO2 isdrawn out of the atmosphere, and the hope isthat a significant fraction of it will sink to theocean floor -- effectively sequestering CO2.However, much of the CO2 drawn out of theatmosphere will be returned in a matter ofdays to years as the phytoplankton die,

decompose, or are ingested by other near-surface organisms, leaving only a fraction tosink to the ocean floor. Inducing large bloomsof phytoplankton could have ecologicalconsequences that are not yet well understood,such as the growth of algal species and thedepletion of oxygen.

Concerns about leaks suggest to someexperts that the best strategy might be, byinjecting it into sediments beneath the oceanfloor. High pressure from above would keepthe carbon dioxide in the sediments and out ofthe ocean itself. It might cost more toimplement than other methods, but it would befree from worries about leaks.And in the caseof some coastal sites of CO

2production, ocean

sequestration might be a more attractivestrategy than transporting it to far-offsedimentary basins.

Terrestrial Sequestration

Methods of indirect sequestration in theterrestrial biospheres work on the concept ofinducingenhanced uptake of CO2 by increasingthe growth of land plants through plantingtrees, mitigating deforestation, or adjustingforest management practices. There is littleconcern about adverse ecological effects ofplanting trees, reintroducing wetlands, andpreventing deforestation. However, mostterrestrial sequestration methods are relativelyshort-lived compared to direct geologicsequestration. This approach is havingsignificant potential which includes, plant &soil sequestration, microbial and micro algaefixation to stabilize atmospheric concentrationof CO2. Plants absorb CO2 in the photosynthesis

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process. Carbon assimilation occurs in forests,trees, crops and soil are CO

2sinks. Agro-

forestry, cultivation of advanced crop specieswill increase the uptake of CO

2through an

enhanced photosynthesis rate.

Primarily carbon is stored in plants or inthe soil as soil organic matter. Soil organisematter is a complex mixture of carboncompounds, consisting of decomposed plantand animal tissue, microbes (protozoa,nematodes, fungi, and bacteria) and carbonassociated with soil minerals. Soils containthree times more carbon than theamount storedin living plants and animals.

Conclusion

The CO2

sequestration is a large scaleinfrastructure intensive emerging energytechnology for mitigation of climate change.All the above methods are based on sitespecific research and need to be evaluated oncase to case basis. Globa l fieldexperimentation is going on to find out theefficacy of carbon sequestration. Carbonbalance in the atmosphere can be achievedthrough enhanced CO

2capturing processes

and materials as well as through site specificmodels for its fixation.

References:1) Goel, M., CO

2Sequestration and Earth Processes,

Everyman's Science, Vol. XLVII, No.5, Dec-12-Jan, 13.2) Goel, M, Carbon Capture and Storage, R&D

Technology for Sustainable Energy Future, NarosaPublishing House, New Delhi

3) www.epa.gov/climate change/ccs4) www.wikipedia.com/carbon sequestration5) www.google.com images

Associate Professor, CAET, OUAT, Bhubaneswar-751003

CONSTELLATION: A DIFFERENTWAY TO LOOK AT THE STARS

Sibani Nanda

The mysteriesof the sky, the Sun, Moon,Stars, Planets, Asteroids, Galaxies, Nebulae,Black Holes … or we can say the wholeuniverse have evoked immense feeling ofwonder and awe in man's mind from prehistorictimes giving birth to countless myths andbeliefs. These create thousands of questionsin our mind.

T o d a y ,Astronomy hasbecome animportant branchof Science. Theword 'Astronomy' comes from a combinationof two Greek words 'Astron' means 'Stars' and'nemein' means 'to name'.

The first step towards understandingAstronomyis to know about the Sun, the fatherof the family to which we all (our Earth and allother planets) belong. The Sun whose diameteris 110 times the diameter of our Earth isnothing but a tiny star in the enormously vastuniverse. There are many stars in this universewhich are thousand times bigger than our Sun.As it is much closer to our earth, whencompared withother stars, it looks much biggerand brighter to us.

As we know our Sun is a star, let's try toknow some more stars that we see every nightin the dark sky. The scientists have alreadygiven names to almost every star that we see inthe sky. So spottinga particular star in the vast

Fig. 1: The Milky Way Galaxy

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sky probably will be a difficult work for acommon man but to spot a group of starscalled constellations be easier. Constellationshelp a lot to familiarize the stars.

What is constellation ?

Actually a constellation is a group ofstars with a name assigned to it; the name isusually taken fromGreek mythology. The starsof a constellation are located close to eachother and form a pattern. Imagine theconstellation's picture being formedby straightlines drawn between its stars. The lines formgeometric shapes, which are easy to remember.

The definition of a constellation issomething di fferent. Technical ly, aconstellation is defined not as a group of stars,but an area of the sky. Every star within theborder of the constellation officially belongsto that constellation. If we draw lines betweenall the stars in a constellation area then theresult will be some clumsy lines without anyeasily definable shape. Therefore we have toconsider only the brightest stars as full-fledged members of the constellations. Manyof the visible stars of each constellation havebeen assigned Greek letters. The brighteststar usually has the first letter in the Greekalphabet: alpha; the next brightest receivesthe second letter: beta, then gamma, delta,epsilon, and so on. Some of the bright starsalso have names. For example Sirius, thebrightest star of the sky.

Although the constellations are veryarbitrary, they are the landmarks of the sky.Without them, the sky is simply a bunch of

random stars. But with the constellations, thesky has "neighborhoods" . The moreconstellations we know, the more familiar thesky will become for us.

How many constellations are there ?

There are 88 constellations. Generallywe know some of the familiar names like:Aquarius, Hercules, and Capricorn. But wemust not try to learn all the 88 constellationson the first night. Instead, we have to start bypicking out one of the brightest constellationssuch as the Big Dipper or Orion. Both of thesehave distinctive, easy to learn shapes andconsist of bright stars. After identifying oneconstellation, we have to try to find one of itsneighbors. We will find it easy to jump over toTaurus, after knowing the location of Orion.Finding two constellations is more than enoughfor the first night.

The next night we should try to find anadditional constellation. Every subsequentnight, first we have to review all theconstellations, which we have already learned,then find a new one. Learning only a singleconstellation a night may seem slow at thebeginning, but after a month we will havelearned 30 constellations.

And of course it is not possible to locateall 88 constellations in one night because asseason changes the place of the constellationalso changes. As we (the Earth) move aroundthe sun, in a particular season we can see somelimited constellations in the sky. For exampleduring June-August we can locate the 'BigDipper' or 'Saptarshi Mandal' according to

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IndianAstronomy which looks like a questionmark, in the sky. But during October, we locateOrion about 11pm in the eastern sky whichslowly changes its position and comes to topand then goes down to the western horizon. Itmeans during October the 'Saptarshi Mandal'goes below the western horizon before nightcomes so that we can't see it. That's why wehave to wait for months to see all theconstellations.

There are some other constellationswhich are permanently below the horizon fromour latitude. There are also constellationswithout any bright stars . These dimconstellations are more difficult to spot. First,one should learn about the easier constellationsaround him/her, and gradually he/she will beable to point out the more difficult ones.

List of all 88 constellations

1. Andromeda, 2. Antlia, 3. Apus, 4. Aquarius,5.Aquila,6.Ara, 7.Aries, 8.Auriga, 9. Boötes,10. Caelum, 11. Camelopardalis, 12. Cancer,13. Canes Venatici, 14. Canis Major, 15. CanisMinor, 16. Capricornus, 17. Carina,18. Cassiopeia, 19. Centaurus, 20. Cepheus,21. Cetus, 22. Chamaeleon, 23. Circinus,24. Columba, 25. Coma Berenices, 26. CoronaAustralis, 27. Corona Borealis, 28. Corvus,29. Crater, 30. Crux, 31. Cygnus,32. Delphinus,33. Dorado, 34. Draco, 35. Equuleus,36. Eridanus, 37.Fornax, 38.Gemini, 39.Grus,40. Hercules, 41. Horologium, 42. Hydra,43. Hydrus, 44. Indus, 45. Lacerta, 46. Leo,47. Leo Minor, 48.Lepus, 49.Libra, 50. Lupus,51.Lynx,52.Lyra,53.Mensa,54. Microscopium,

55. Monoceros, 56. Musca, 57. Norma,58. Octans,59. Ophiuchus, 60. Orion,61.Pavo,62. Pegasus, 63. Perseus, 64. Phoenix,65. Pictor, 66. Pisces, 67. Piscis Austrinus,68. Puppis, 69. Pyxis, 70. Reticulum,71. Sagitta, 72. Sagittarius, 73. Scorpius,74. Sculptor, 75. Scutum, 76. Serpens,77. Sextans, 78. Taurus, 79. Telescopium,80. Triangulum, 81. Triangulum Australe,82. Tucana, 83. Ursa Major, 84. Ursa Minor,85. Vela, 86. Virgo, 87. Volans, 88. Vulpecula.

Some examples of constellation andhow to locate it.

Some of the best known constellationswhich are easily recognizable are as follows.

Orion ( The Hunter )

Ursa Major (The great bear or The bigdipper)

Andromeda

Orion : The constellation Orion has alwaysbeen the favorite of sky watchers. Besidescontaining some of the sky's brightest stars, ithas a pattern that is exquisitely balanced. It isplaced across the celestial equator and so canbe seen from almost any place on Earth.

Orion appears as a large trapezoid with ashort belt of three stars in its middle. Thethree bright stars appearing in a short line inthe center of Orion are known as the hunter'sbelt. Orion's two brightest stars are Betelgeuseand Rigel. Betelgeuse (which is a red giantstar) is found on the trapezoidal side facingPolaris, while Rigel (which is a blue star) isplaced on thecorner crosswise fromBetelgeuse.

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Stars appear in different colors, becausethey are actually colorful according to theirsurface temperature and age. Blue stars arethe hottest. So first comes blue then bluish-white, white, yellow, yellowish-white andorange or red. Red stars are usually very dim.Rigel, which is a blue star, has a temperature ofabout 20,000 Fahrenheit. The surfacetemperature of our Sun, a yellow star is 11,000degrees, while that of red Betelgeuse is 6,000degrees as it has used up almost all of its fueland have reached the end of its life. Hot bluestars such as Rigel are extremely brightcompared to most other stars. But Betelgeuseappears so bright only because of its enormoussize. This constellation can be bestseen duringNovember-Fabruary.

Ursa Major: Whichis also called asThe GreatBear, The Big Dipper or Saptarshi Mandal,looks like a square scoop attached to a handle.The star at the bend of the handle is Mizpar. Ifwe look carefully, we will see another dimmerstar next to Mizpar calledAlcor. Nowadays, itis one of the easiest double stars to spot.

Now what is a double star? Any set oftwo stars that appear very close to each otheris called a star pair. A few pairs may be the

Figure 2 : The Orion Constellation

result of two widely separated stars bothhappening to be in the same line of sight fromthe Earth, while most star pairs are physicalpairs whose members are actually revolvingaround each other. This constellation can beseen during May-August . The description ofother constellations can be found in thewebsites given in the reference.

In this manner we can find moreconstellations in the sky if we try. It will beeasier for those, who have Binoculars andTelescopes, which helps to see them clearly.This is all about constellations. So readers, tryto locate them whenever you get time andwithin some days the mysterious sky will soonbecome your friend.

References:www.skywatch.com,www.iau.orgwww.astronomynow.com , www.universetoday.com,www.wikipedia/Constellation.com.

Student of M.Sc, Kabita Mahal,

Raniguda Farm, At/Po: Rayagada-765001Mobile - 9438659242, E-mail - [email protected]

Figure 3: Ursa Major Constellation

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AQUATIC ECSTASY WITH FACETIOUS TITLES-2*DrBibhudatta Mishra

**Dr (Mrs) Minakshi Sahoo

400 million years ago, fishes are thefirst vertebrates to dominate the ocean. Thesewater adaptable creatures are distributed intodifferent habitats including fast flowingmountain streams, slow flowing rivers, crystalclear warm water reefs, open sea, the dark coldabysses of the ocean where no light reachesand the water flows through cave systems,natural and man-made lakes, ponds, reservoirsetc. The taxonomic study of fishes are workedout using hierarchy of categories called taxa.There are lots of debate about the classificationof fishes and changes in their name occurfrequently. In some environment, fishes haveevolved with different patterns of colour, shapeor movement resembling similar to particularland that of a domestic or wild animal. Theseare blending them closeness partly to some ofthe characteristics andbears the common nameof those animals.

Pork fish

Th e Porkf is h,Anisotremus virginicusis a Grunt from theWestern Atlantic. Itoccasionally makes itsway into the aquariumtrade. It grows to a size of 40.6 cm in length.It occurs in the western Atlantic Ocean fromFlorida south to Brazil, including the Gulf ofMexico and the Caribbean Sea as well as theBahamas. Inhabiting shallow inshore waters

over reefs and rocky bottoms, the porkfish isfound at depths of 6-65 feet (2-20 m). Theporkfish is not listed as endangered orvulnerable with the WorldConservation Union(IUCN). It has also been introduced to watersof Bermuda. It is nocturnal and often travels inlarge schools, occasionally swimming withwhite grunts. Pork fishes make a gruntingsound, common to all grunts, by rubbing theirteeth together. Pork fishes are of minorcommercial value, however, they areconsidered as a good gamefish. Humanconsumption of the flesh of porkfish has beenlinked to ciguatera poisoning. Specimens arealso collected for display in public showaquaria. In its natural habitat, pork fishes areeasily approached by divers. Pork fish reachesa maximum length of 15 inches (38 cm) andweighs 100-110 g.

Pony fish

The ponyfishes,al so known asslipmouths or slimys /slimies, are a smallfamily (Leiognathidae)of fishes of the order Perciformes. Theyinhabit marine andbrackishwaters in the IndianOcean and West Pacific. They can be used inthe preparation of bagoong. Ponyfishes aresmall, laterally compressed fishes, with a blandsilvery coloured body. They also possess aluminous organ in the throat, which projectslight through the animal's underside.

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Squirrel fish

Th e squir re lfi shwa s descr ibed asHolocentrus adscensionis(Osbeck 1765) belongingto the family Holocentridae having about 70species. They are found in the tropical parts ofIndian, Pacific and Atlantic Oceans, with thegreatest species richness near reefs in theIndo-Pacific region. Most of them are foundat depths from the shoreline to 100 m. depthin the sea. It is a nocturnal species, swimmingover sandy bottoms and sea-grass bed at night,searching for prey items. During the daylighthours, squirrelfishes usually hide in crevicesand under ledges within coral reefs to avoidpredation.This species is capable of producingsound with its swim bladder for intra-specificcommunications. Theslender bodyismoderatelycompressed andoval-shaped withlarge "squirrel-like" eyes. It has a reddish body with goldreflections along with light silvery stripesfollowing the scale intersections. These fishesarecommonly displayedin publicaquaria bodydue to their beautiful red colour.

Peacock flounder

Thepeacockflounderis also called floweryflounder because it issuperficially covered inflower-like bluish spots.As suggested by the family name, left eyeflounders have both eyes on top of the lefthand side of their heads. The maximum lengthof this flounder is about 45 cm. Peacockflounders are mostly found in shallow water

on sandy bottoms of coastal coral reefs andlagoons. Sometimes they rest over piles ofdead corals or bare rock. This flounder willeven bury itself under the sand, leavingonly itseyes sticking out from the sand. They can bealso seen at a depth as deep as 150 meters.Like all flounders,peacock floundersare mastersof camouflage. The species that can be foundthroughout its natural range but is declining innumber and may become endangered in theabsence of special protection efforts

Spotted Rat fish

The spotted ratfish,Hydrolaguscolliei, is foundin the north-eastern PacificOcean. This fish is foundin the range of depths thatextends from 0 to 3,000feet (0 to 910 m) below sea level. This is aharmless, shark relative gets its characteristicname from a pointed rat-like tail. It has a largerabbit-like head with a broad duckbill-shapedsnout and large green eyes. The body taperstowards the posterior end of the fish; the tailmakes up almost half the length of the entirefish. The spotted ratfish is currently listed as"Least Concern" by the World ConservationUnion (IUCN).

Reference:1. www.fishbase.org2. www.wikipedia.org3. The new encyclopedia of Aquatic life, Edited-Andrew

Campbell & John Darves, The brown reference groupPLC,London,www.brownreference.com,361p.(2volumes)

4. Stamp source-Personal collection

Central Institute of Freshwater Aquaculture,Kausalyaganga, Bhubaneswar-751 002

[email protected]

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HEALTHY HEART REFLECTS HEALTHY MINDSandhyaraniAcharya

Heart is the most vital organ in the body.It not only pumps blood to the different partsof the body but also helps us to stay in healthymind. The healthiness of people creates ahealthy environment which depends upon thelife style. Adopting a healthy life style canlower the risk of heart disease in men andwomen. Recently the "World Heart Day" wasobserved on 29th September to create anawareness on human heart and the related riskof heart disease.

Anatomy of human heart:

The anatomy of the human heart is veryinteresting. The size of the heart is like a fistand weighs between 250-350 grams (9-12ounces). It has four chambers: two upperchambers (the atria) and two lower ones (theventricles). The right atrium and right ventricletogether make up the "right side of the heart"and the left atrium and left ventricle make upthe "left side of the heart." A wall of musclecalled the septum separates the two sides ofthe heart (Fig-1).

A double-wa lled sac cal led thepericardiumencases the heart, which serves toprotect the heart and anchor it inside the chest.Pericardial fluid is present between the twolayer of the pericardial membrane and thatprotects the heart during its contractions andmovements of the lungs and diaphragm.

The outer wall of heart consists of threelayers; outer epicardium, inner pericardiumand middle myocardium. The middle layer ismascularandthe innermost layer,orendocardium,works as the inner lining of the heart.

There is a tricuspid valve and a bicuspidor mitral valve present on the right and leftsides of the heart, which respectively the atriaand the ventricles of their own sides. A semi-lunar valve separates the left ventricle fromthe pulmonary artery, and the aortic valveseparates the right ventricle from the mainaorta. The heart strings, or chordae tendinae,anchor the bicuspid and tricuspid valves toheartmuscles. The sinoatrialnode (SAN) worksas a pacemaker and produces the electricalpulses that drives heart contractions.

Function:

The heart circulates blood through twopathways: the pulmonary circuit (Fig. 2) andthe systemic circuit. In the pulmonary circuit,deoxygenated blood leaves the right ventricleof the heartvia thepulmonary arteryand travelsto the lungs, then returns as oxygenated bloodto the left atrium of the heart via the pulmonaryFig-1

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the atrium contracts (atrial systole) to pushblood into the ventricle. Next, the ventriclesstartcontracting without changing volume.Thenthe ventricles continue contract to release theleft ventricular blood into the main aorta andthe right ventricular blood into the pulmonaryartery. Finally, the ventricles stop contractingand get relaxed. Then the cycle repeats. TheValves present in the heart prevent backflow,keeping the blood flowing in one directionthrough the heart. However, the same bloodpasses through the heart twice i.e.once throughthe left side and again through the right side oftheheart.Thereforeit iscalledasdoublecirculation.

Causes of heart disease:

The most common cause of heart diseaseis, narrowing or blockage of the coronaryarteries, the blood vessels that supply blood tothe heart itself. This is called coronary arterydisease, and it affects slowly over time. It'salso the major reason why people have heartattacks. It has been observed that, womensuffered heart disease more in comparison tomen. The followings are the root cause of theblockage of the coronary arteries.

Coronary Micro VascularDisease(MVD)-A disease that affects the heart's tiny arteries.

Broken Heart Syndrome - This is due toextreme emotional stresses which lead tosevere, but often short-term heart failure. Thistype of risk is higher among older women.However, women of all ages should beconcerned by practicing a healthy lifestyle.Here are the risk factors associated withCoronary Heart Disease.Fig-3

vein. In the systemic circuit, oxygenated bloodleaves the heart via the left ventricle to theaorta, and from there blood enters the arteriesand capillaries where it supplies the cells andtissues of the body with nutrients and oxygen.Deoxygenated blood returns to right atriumvia veins and venae cavae (Fig-3).

This is the normal function of a healthyheart. The SAN or the pacemaker initiates thecontraction of the hearth. Heart contractsrhythemically in a cyclical manner. Each cycleor beat, known as a cardiac cycle takes 0.8

second to complete. A normla human heartcontracts 72 times per minute. There are fivestages in a cardiac cycle. In the first stage(early diastole), the heart gets relaxed. Then

Fig-2

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High blood pressure- High bloodpressure can lead to heart disease, stroke andcongestive heart failure and kidney ailments.Even pre-hypertension (120-139 over 80-89)raises your risk of heart disease.

High blood cholesterol- Cholesteroltravels in the blood in packages calledlipoproteins. There are twotypesof lipoproteinspresent in the blood low density lipoprotein(LDL) is often called the "bad" cholesterolbecause too much LDLin the blood can lead toarterial blocks, and a possible heartattack. Thehigher the LDL value, the higher is the risk ofheart disease. (An LDL level of 160 or aboveis risky; less than 100 is optimal.)Another typeof cholesterol is high density lipoprotein(HDL), also known as "good" cholesterol.

Overweight/Obesity- Even if there is noother risk factors overweight or obesity willmore likely welcome to heart diseases. Obesityalso increases the risks for stroke, congestiveheart failure, gall bladder disease, diabetes,arthritis, and breathing problems, as well asbreast, colon, and other cancers.

Physical inactivity- Not getting regularphysical activity increases the risk for heartdisease, as well as other heart disease such ashighblood pressure, diabetes and overweight. Inoldage, especially, physical inactivity increasesthe chances of developing osteoporosis, whichin turn raises the risk of broken bones.

Diabetes- Diabetes is a major risk factorfor heart disease, stroke, kidney failure, andother diseases. The type of diabetes that adults

most commonly develop is "Type 2."Thedisease can most likely to be developed due tooverweight physically inactive,or havea familyhistory of diabetes.

Suggested diets for healthy heart

Some of the best foods to avoid the riskof an unhealthy heart, control the overweight

and obesity are shown below.

Suggestions

There are some suggestions, whicheveryone has to follow to take an immediatestep for a person suffering from heart attack.

1. Callanambulance.Thatshouldbethepriority.

2. Do not get panic.Ask theperson sufferingfrom the attack to relax. This will help reducethe damage to his/her heart.

3. Give the person an aspirin (300mg) tochew or keep it under the tongue. If consumedwith water, the tablet will take longer to react.Aspirin will reduce the aggression in the bloodplatelets (cells) and improve circulation.

4. The patient can take Sorbitrate (5mg).This tablet again, should be kept under theperson's tongue. If the chest pain persists, upto three tablets can be taken at an interval of

Apple

Almond

Berries

Tomatoes Green salad

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five minutes. It is advisable for a person withheart-related disease to carry Sorbitrate (5mg)tablets with him/her. The tablet could reduceblood pressureand cause giddiness. If the patientfeels giddy he/she should stop takingthe tablet.

5. Other symptoms of a heart attack arevomiting and a burning sensation in thestomach coupled with pain in the chest andupper arm. These symptoms should not beconfused with acidity.

6. Always advise the patient to wait for theambulance to arrive, or for a neighbor or arelative to help drive the person to the nearesthospital/nursing home with an intensive careunit (ICU) rather than walking to the doctor.

7. If the patient collapses, revive him/herwith CPR (Cardiopulmonary resuscitation).Lock lips with the patient and gently exhale airinto his/her lungs.

8. If the person gets sweaty or weak, gethim/her to lie down and support his legs withtwo pillows.

9. Most importantly, even if the attacksubsides, make sure the person is taken to thenearest nursing home/hospital with an ICUwhere an ECG (Electro cardiogram) can betaken. The doctor will then give him/her aninjection to dissolve the blockage or conductan angioplasty depending on the severity of theattack. Takingthe patient to thenearest hospitalanhour withinthe attack will reduce theamountof damage to his/her heart.

Reference: 1. www. Livescience.com

Department of ChemistryKMBB College of Engineering and Technology, Khurda

CONCEPT OF VACCINES ANDUSEFULLNESS OF VACCINATION

Smt. Jyotsna Rani MishraIntroduction

Now a days, Bio-Technology has apotential impact on virtually all domains ofhuman welfare, ranging from food processing,protecting the environment to health care.

As a result, it plays a very important rolein employment, production and productivity,economics, human health and the quality ofhuman life throughout the world.

It is clearly reflected that, developmentof a country ultimately depends upon the healthstatus of its people. That is where vaccine andvaccination comes into picture for humanhealth care, By the help of this vaccine we takecare of health of the common human being.

Prevention of disease is the mostdesirable and one of the most effectiveapproach in healthcare. This can be achievedby immunization i.e. using Biologicalpreparations containing a part or the wholedisease causing organism (Pathogen) in aninactivated state. Such type of Biologicalpreparations are called vaccines.

Discovery

There was a beautiful story about thediscovery of vaccine in the 19th century. Thefirst case of vaccination was made againstrabies by Louis Pasteur on 6th July 1885 to ayoung boy bitten by a mad dog.

Pasture used the fluid from spinal cordof another mad dog for vaccination.lt washighly effective at that time. The effectiveness

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of vaccines may be highlighted by the successof WHO sponsored mass vaccinationprogramme against small pox disease.

Characters of an Ideal Vaccine :

An ideal vaccine should have thefollowing features.1. It should not be toxic or pathogenic or

virulent.2. It should have very low levels of side

effects in normal individual.3. It should not cause problems in an

individualwith impaired immune system.4. It should not-spread either within the

vaccinated individual or to the otherindividual.

5. It shouldnot contaminate the environment.6. It should be effective in producing long

lasting immune system of an individual.7. The techniques of vaccination should be

simple.8. Thevaccineshouldbe cheapandaffordable.

Types of Vaccine

There are five types of vaccines.

1. Conventional vaccine : Conventionalvaccines consist of whole pathogenicorganisms which are either killed (Mostbacterial vaccines and some viral vaccines) oratteumated. It is highly effective and relativelyeasy to produce at low cost

Limitations1. In many cases, live vaccines have to be

used since killed pathogen vaccine areineffective.

2. Live vaccines are generally based oncultured animal cells, hence expensivetissues culture setup is essential.

3. Live vaccines are heat labile due to thein-activation of pathogen by heat.

These limitations have prompted thesuccessful development of vaccines based onpurified antigens vaccines.

2. Purified antigens vaccineIt is based on purified antigens isolated

from the concerned pathogens. These vaccinesdo not contain the organism, hence the risk ofpathogenicity is avoided. Here cost is higherdue to the different steps involved in purificationand vaccine preparation. For example it isbasedon polysaccharideantigen issolated fromthe bacterial cell wall capsules of

1. Neisseriameningitis(causingmeningitis)

2. Streptococcus pneumoniae (causingpneumonia)

3. Recombinant vaccines

It consists of either a protein or a geneencoding a protein of a pathogen origin. Suchtype of vaccines based on recombinant proteinsare also called sub unit vaccines. Example;hepatitis B vaccine and anti malarial vaccines.

4. Recombinant polypepetide vaccines.

In these vaccines, the whole proteinmolecule is not necessary for immunogenicity.

The immunogenic property is usuallycontainedtoasmallportionoftheproteinmolecule.

For Example : The immunogenicity offoot and mouth disease virus coat protein isdue to its amino acids, 114 to 160, 201 to 213.'

Segments of protein containing either ofthese amino acid sequences are effective inimmunization.Theyinduceantibodyproductionwhich then neutralize the virus. It providesprotection against the foot and mouth disease.

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Usefullnes1. These vaccines are very safe since the

whole organisms are not present in thevaccine.Thesearearealsoofhighefficiency.

2. Cost ofthesevaccinesare usuallyvery high.

3. These are produced by either bacterialfermentation, or in animal cell cultures.

5. DNA vaccines

Vaccines based on DNA are beingdeveloped and the results obtained withinfluenza virus. This is regarded as the thirdrevolution in vaccine production. Theapproaches for DNA vaccines are -

1. Injection of pure DNA preparations intomuscle.

2. Use of vectors for delivery of the genelike (Vaccinia viruses,adeno viruses, retroviruses, E.coli, salmonella typhimurium.

3. Reimplantation cells of the individual tobe vaccinated into which the gene hasbeen transferred.

Advantages1. Purification and preparation of DNA for

vaccines is easier, cheaper and more rapid.

2. Theyare safer and more specific becauseof high purity.

Functions of Vaccination inAnimal Body(When an Individual is Vaccinated)

The introduction of vaccine in anIndividual iscalledvaccinationor immunization.

It leads to the development of immunityon the vaccinated individuals against theconcerned pathogen.

When an individual is vaccinated, theantigens of pathogen origin stimulate antibodyproduction against the concerned pathogen.

The Name of vaccines, Applied against specific disease and applied time are described below

Sl. Name of the vaccines Applied against Applied timeNo. specific disease

1. BCG Polio-0 Polio Afterbirth

2. DPT (First Dose) Polio (first Dose)Hepatitis-B (First Dose) Polio Hepatitis After 1 half month

3. DPT (Second Dose) Polio (Second Dose)Hepatitis-B (Second Dose) Polio Hepatitis After 2 half month

4. DPT (Third Dose) Polio (Third Dose)Hepatitis-B (Third Dose) Polio Hepatitis After 3 half months

5. Measeles Vitamine -A (First Dose) Measeles From 9 to 12 months

6. DPT Buster Polio Buster Polio From 16 to 24 months

7. DT SYears

8. TT lOYears

9. TT 16Years

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This increases in antibody productionwhich takes some time, but since the vaccinedoes, not have any virulent pathogen there isabsolutely no danger of the development ofdisease in the vaccinated individual.

When live virulent form of the samepathogen later enters into the systems of theimmunized individual, the high level of antibodies produced against specific pathogensinactivateorkill thepathogens,therebyprotectingthe individual against the disease. The variousvaccines can be grouped into 2 categories.

1. Vaccines containing killed in activatedpathogens example Influenza virus inactivated by formalin.

2. Rabies virus inactivated by phenol.

When a pregnant lady is vaccinatedpossibilities of disease contamination to boththe mother and her babyis avoided.Sopregnantladies need to be vaccinated atleast twice duringthe period of pregnancy.

Similarly it is highly essential tovaccinate a new bornbaby afterbirth.Thereforethe Government have taken steps and haveworked out the process of vaccination at ashalevel to medical level.

Only 2 to 3 doses of vaccinesare requiredfor the development of immunity. However insome cases further doses called - as boosterdose is required. Now vaccines against certaindiseases such as Polio, Tetanus, diphtheria,Whoppingcough, Small pox etc. are availableto save human life. Therefore it acts likeMrutyusanjivani for human health care.

Department of Botany Gunupur College Gunupur-765022

Dist. - Rayagada, Phone -9437777289

ADD SALAD AS A STAPLETO YOUR DIET

* Dr.Manashi Mohanty** DrPritishri Parhi

Healthy eating is more important thanthe food on your plate. Healthy eating habitscan be developed and it is important to slowdown & think about food as nourishment ratherthan just something to gulp down in betweenmeetings, work or on the way while shopping.To set yourself up for success, focus on findingfoods you loveandeasy recipes that incorporatea few fresh ingredients.

Of all diets, the salad is probably one ofthe easiest to learn and accept. One of thegood elements of this diet is that there arenot many things to remember. Salads are agreat way to get more vegetables in your diet.You can start the meal with salad or use it tohelp fill you up after the meal, if you are stillhungry. Salads and diet have always had adelicious partnership. Salads are healthy foodand satisfying. With vegetables at their core,salads are great source of many nutrients.Salad is an amazing treat to the taste buds andsome people even do not sit on the diningtable, if salad is not accompanied in theirmeal. We can make variety of tastyand healthysalads- salads that consist mainly of vegetablesand fruits and avoid lots of unhealthy 'extras'.Why Salad Diet ?

Eating salad almost every day may beone of the healthiest eating habits you canadopt. Eating raw fruits and vegetables willkeep you feeling better, look more fit, becomehealthier and live longer. Carrots, onions,tomato, beets, cucumber along with lettuceand other greens, sprouted beans that you addin your salad have great nutritional value andseveral health benefits.

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A salad generally contains ingredientswhich provide iron, folic cids, potassium,magnesium, Beta-carotene, Vitamin-A,Vitamin-C, Vitamin-K etc.

Eating a fiber rich diet can help to lowerthe cholesterol level and prevent constipation.Further, eating more fiber can help you feelfuller, eat less and ultimately lose weight.

Salads are high in vitamins andminerals such as:Vitamin-A (goodfor vision),Vitamin-C (fight infection, boost ironabsorption, maintain healthy bones, gums andskin),Vitamin-K (heal wounds, assist blood toclot), Calcium (builds strong bones and teeth,nerves to carry messages, muscle contract),Beta-Carotene (minimizes cholesterol level,good for eyes and skin, antioxidant that help inantiageing), iron (maintain healthy blood, treatinsomnia, boost immunity) potassium (goodfor heart and kidney health, maintain bloodpressure, growth of muscle, prevent stroke)and many other vitamins and minerals.

Eating plenty of raw vegetables ensuresthat you are getting the benefit of the enzymesfound in them. These enzymes enable yourbody to absorb the nutrients found in the food.Morenutrient absorption leads to better health.

Sprouted salads keep your nail strongand hair lustrous.

If you frequently eat green salads, youwill likely have higher blood levels of a host ofpowerful antioxidants. Antioxidants aresubstances that help to protect the body fromdamage caused by harmful molecules calledfree radicals.

It works better for the persons withdiabetes.Again vegetable salads keep loweringthe body weight.

Monounsaturated faty acids found inolive oil, nuts with salads appears to help yourbody to absorb protective phytochemicals likelycopene from tomatoes and lutein from darkgreen vegetables.

If losing weight is your goal, you maystart your meal with a green salad. Saladshave shown that eating a low calorie firstcourse, like green salad of 150 calories orless, enhances satiety and reduces the totalno of calories eaten during the meal.

The health benefits of eating salad are sonumerous and adaptable that making salad ahealthy option for anyone.

There is no hard and fast rule to havespecial salad ingredients. Infact; it can beprepared byusingthethings whichareavailablein our home. Every mother must have the habitof serving the vibrant salad to the familymembers especially to the children so thatthey are attracted towards it. Everybody mustbe aware about the importance of eatingsalads;theyshouldbeeducatedwithenoughknowledgeto remain healthy for their long life. Today insucha stressful life, healthy food is an essentialphenomenon that provides multivitamins toour body. Eating healthy salads becomenecessary to run smoothly in life. So do makesalads a part of your daily diet, and enjoy thehealth gains.

References:1. WWW.webmd.com/food.recipies/2. WWW.theredheadriter.com3. WWW.carryfitness.com

*Professor, FRM, ** Associate Professor, HDFS

College of Home Science, O.U.A.T., Bhubaneswar-751 003Mob.-9437302802, Email- [email protected]

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Gastrotrichs are small microscopicanimals and measure from 0.5mm to 4.0mmin length. They are generally colourless wormsandrelated toboth nematodes andturbellarians.The gastrotrichs feed on varieties of living anddead organic matter. The mouth is surroundedby four tufts of beating cilia on the head createa current of water by which the food particlesenter into the mouth. Gastrotrichs have a shortlife span from three to twenty-one days. Theseanimals mostly serve as food materials for thehigher trophic levels, mainly fishes and crabs.The posterior end of the animals is bifurcatedto two leg like structures called furca. Thesefurca bear two pairs of glands which secreteglue like substance that helps the animals toadhere to the substratum. The adhesive glandshave 02 to 250 adhesive tubes those open inthe flat ventral surface of the body which helpthem to attach the body temporarily to thesubstratum.

Body Structure (Anatomy)

Gastrotrichs are transparent, flat underside and convex on the upper side. They havebilateral symmetry and the body is covered

with cilia in the oral end surrounding themouth and the ventral surface. Two furca arepresent at the posterior end with two pairsof adhesive cement glands. One pair of glandsecretes glue like substance that attachesthe body to the substratum and the other

gland secretes another chemical thatdissolves the glue to detach the animal fromthe substratum.

WONDER ANIMALS :THE GASTROTRICHS

Dr. Krishna Chandra Rath

The gastrotrichs area groupofmicroscopicanimals abundant in aquatic (fresh and marinewater) as well as in the terrestrial environment.The term gastrotrich is derived fromtwo Greek

words, gaster-stomach and thrix-hair, hencethey are often called as hairy animals. Thefresh water species of gastrotrichs are foundattached to the submerged plants and benthos(substratum, mud or sand). The marine species

are found in the sediments in the interspatialspaces. The terrestrial species are found in thesoil surrounded by water films.

General characteristics

Th e gast rot richs are bi la ter al lysymmetrical and vermiformanimals. The bodyis made up of more than two cell layers andhave tissue-grade and organ-grade of body

organization (tissues and organs are present).Gastrotrichs are acoelomate animals withouta body cavity. Body possesses an alimentarycanal with a sub-terminal anus at the posteriorend.The entire bodyis coveredbya thick cuticle

having numerous scales bearing spines.Gastrotrichs have a nervous system withganglia and two longitudinalnervecords runningthe entirebodylength.Body bears no circulatorysystem. The animals are hermaphrodite and

reproduce either by sexual method orparthenogenetically. The gastrotrichs feed onbacteria, fungi and protists.

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Figure 1. A generalised gastrotrich(External and Internal structure)

Gastrotrichs exhibit eutely, i.e. theseanimals have fixed numbers of cells from thebirth till death, growth occurs only by

enlargement of these cells in size. The mouthis present in the anterior end and leads to anelongated pharynx (Fig.1). In some species themouth bears some cuticular teeth. The pharynxopens to the intestine which possesses gland

cells that produce chemicals for the digestionof food. In some species, there are pores inthe pharynx in the ventral side to eject out theexcess of water engulfed during feeding. Theanus is sub-terminal in position situated at the

junction of the furca.

Physiology

Gastrotrichs lack respiratory organs.Respiration occurs through the general bodysurface by the process of simple diffusion(oxygen enters into the body and carbon-di-oxide goes out of thebody dueto concentration

gradient). Nitrogenous substances are excreted

Fig.2. A Gastrotrich under acompoundmicroscope

through the general body surface and the

protonephridia present serve as organs ofosmoregulation to remove the excess of water

entering the body during feeding. Theprotonephridia do not contain a flame cell

rather consists of cytoplasmic rods whichenclose a central flagellum and hence these

cells are termed as cyrtocysts.

The nervous system is simple and bears

two central nerve cell mass called ganglia. Thetwo ganglia are present on either side of the

pharynx and are connected to each other by atransverse commisure. Two longitudinal nerve

cords arise from these ganglia and run alongthe length of the body and consists of many

smaller ganglia. The primary sensory organsare cilia present in the general body surface of

the animals.

Reproduction

Gastrotrichs are either hermaphroditesor parthenogenetic. Mostof the marine species

are hermaphrodites and contain both the sexorgans, testis towards the anterior end and the

ovaries towards the posterior end, but onlyone set of gonads are functional at a time, so

an individual is either functionally a male or afemale at a time. Sperms are released from a

functionally male through ducts that open tothe outside in the ventral surface roughly 2/

3rd of way along the body. Once the spermsare produced they pass through the duct that

functions as the penis to transfer the sperms tothe functionally female. Fertilization is internal

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QUIZBibhuprasad Mohapatra

1. Which Indian astronomicalscientist gavea table of trigonmetric sine functions callingthem 'jya' in Sanskrit ?a) Aryabhatta I b) Aryabhatta IIc) Brahmagupta d) Bhaskar II

2. Who is the German mathematician afterwhom the cgs unit of magnetic flux is named ?a) Gauss b) Dirichletc) Abel d) Poincare

3. Who succeeded Newton as LucasianProfessor of Mathematics in 1703 ?a) Hardy b) William Whistonc) Littlewood d) Cauchy

4. Name the German mathematician, whodiscovered hyper elliptic functions andapplied his work in elliptic functions tonumber theory ?a) Jacob Jacobi b) Daniel Bernoulic) Lagrange d) Lefler

5. Which French mathematician formulateda law to explain the magnetic effects ofelectric current ?a) Celsius b) Fahrenheitc) Ampere d) Fermat

6. Which Greek mathematician, was thefirst to define parabola, hyperbola and ellipseand wrote a book 'conics' ?a) Apollonius b) Thalesc) Hypatia d) Eratosthenes

7. Who invented speedometer ?a) Andrew wiles b) Charles Babbagec) AlanTuring d) G H Hardy

and the eggs are released by rupture of thebody wall. Only a small number of eggs areproduced at a time and the young hatch out as

miniature gastrotrichs as there is nointermediate larval stage. The youngs feed andgrow quickly and may reach sexual maturitywith in 2 days.

Most of the fresh water species ofgast rotri chs reproduce en ti re ly by

parthenogenesis. In these species the malegonads are either absent or non-functional.Some species are capable of laying eggs thatcan remain dormant to avoid desiccationperiod/ low temperature by protecting the eggs

through a thickcuticular covering.Again duringthe onset of favourable conditions these eggshatch out to newindividuals. During the normalfavourable conditions the eggs hatch within 2to 4 days.

Taxonomy

The relationship of gastrotrichs to otherphyla is not clear. Morphology suggests that,

they are close to the Gnathostomulida, theRotifera or the Nematodes. On the other handthe genetic studies place them as close relativesof the Platyhelminthes, the Ecdysozoa or theLophotrocozoa. About 790 species of

gastrotrichs have been described.

The common genera of gastrotrichs

include Chaetonotous , Dactylopodola,Lepidodermella, Macrodasys, Tetrachyroderma,Turbanella, and Urodasys.

H.O.D. Zoology, Banki College (Autonomous)

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15. Who was the founder & first presidentof Royal Societya) William Brouncker b) Sir Paul Nursec) Martin Rees d) Stephen Toope

16. Who founded the transfinite set theory ?a) Grigori Perelman b) Georg Cantorc) Goldbach d) Thomas Bayes

17. Which French Mathematician, gave fullysatisfactory definitions of the fundamentallyimportant concepts of limit and convergence ?a) Cauchy b) Fermatc) Pascal d) Descartes

18. Name the Frenchmathematician,whohadintroduced the use of complex number intoTrigonometry :a) Michel Chasles b) AbrahamDeMoivrec) Joseph Fourier d) Francois Viete

19. Name the British mathematician &quantum theorist, who shared nobel prize forphysics with Schrodinger in 1933.a) Paul Dirac b) Peter Higgsc) Richard Feynman d) LadyAdaLovelace

20. name the Greek mathematician andgeographer who devised a technique called the'Sieve' for finding prime numbers.a) Euclid b) Eratosthenesc) Pythagoras d) Archimedes

ANSWERS

1. (a) 2. (a) 3. (b) 4. (a)5. (c) 6. (a) 7. (b) 8. (d)9. (a) 10. (d) 11. (a) 12. (a)

13. (c) 14. (a) 15. (a) 16. (b)17. (a) 18. (b) 19. (a) 20. (b)

Rayagada Head Post Office, Rayagada-765001

Mob. - 7735759405, E-mail : [email protected]

8. Name the Swiss mathematician, whodiscovered a simple mathematical formula,that gave the wavelengths of the spectral linesof Hydrogen- the 'Balmer Series' ?a) Euler b) Johann Bernoullic) Jacob Bernoulli d) Jakob Balmer

9. Name the Swiss doctor who wrote'Hydrodynamica' that deals with theory ofstatics and the motion of the fields?a) Daniel Bernoulli b) Gabriel Cramerc) Hekiz Hopf d) Jakob Steiner

10. Write the name of the mathematician,who first used 'g' to denote accelaration due togravity ?a) Paul Guldin b) Jacob Amslerc) Francois Sturm d) Johann Bernoulli

11. Write the nameof the GermanAstronomerwho first calculated the distance of a star fromearth accurately ?a) Friedrich Bessel b) Keplerc) Elert Bode d) Tobias Mayer

12. Who introduced first the mathematicalsigns of minus and plus ?a) Bhaskar-II b) Varahamihirc) Bhaskar-I d) Aryabhatta-I

13. Name the British mathematician, whosebook The laws of thought (1854) is a famousbook in the study of logic ?a) James Sylvester b) De Morganc) George Boole d) WilliamThomson

14. Who modified Napier's logarithms byintroducing the Base 10 ?a) Briggs Henry b) John Napierc) Nicholas Mercator d) North Whitehead

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