Research Papers
The Role of DNA Restriction-Modification Systems in the Biology of Bacillus anthracis
Sitaraman Ramakrishnan
| 2016
Restriction-modification (R-M) systems are widespread among prokaryotes and, depending on their type, may be viewed as selfish genetic elements that persist as toxin-antitoxin modules, or as cellular defense systems against phage infection that confer a selective advantage to the host bacterium. Studies in the last decade have made it amply clear that these two options do not exhaust the list of possible biological roles for R-M systems. Their presence in a cell may also have a bearing on other processes such as horizontal gene transfer and gene regulation.
The isolation and identification of new microalgal strains producing oil and carotenoid simultaneously with biofuel potential
Minhas Amritpreet Kaur, Hodgson Peter, Barrow Colin J., Sashidhara Burla , Adholeya Alok
| 2016
Taxonomy and phylogeny of twenty two microalgal isolates were examined using both universal and newly designed molecular primers. Among the isolates, Scenedesmus bijugus, Coelastrella sp., Auxenochlorella protothecoides, and Chlorella sp. were particularly promising in terms of producing lipids as measured by fatty acid methyl esters (FAME) analysis and significant concentration of carotenoids. A comparative experiment showed that S. bijugus and Chlorella sp.
The Effect of Development on the Climate Sensitivity of Electricity Demand in India
Gupta Eshita
| 2016
The climate sensitivity of electricity demand in India is likely to be highly sensitive to growth in income. Thus, both intensive and extensive adjustments in cooling and heating will play an important role in determining future climate change impacts on electricity demand. This paper utilizes a national level panel dataset of 28 Indian states for the period 2005–2009. The preferred estimates indicate that climate change will increase electricity demand by 6.7% with 4% p.a. GDP growth and 8.5% with 6% p.a. GDP growth in 2030 over the reference scenario of no climate change.
The determinants of electricity theft: An empirical analysis of Indian states
Gaur Vasundhara
| 2016
More than 20% of the electricity generated in India is lost to rampant thefts. Drawing data from 28 states of India over a time span of ?ve years (2005–2009, this paper examines the role played by socio-eco-nomic and governance factors in determining the extent of electricity thefts in Indian states.
Sustaining the Farming Household to Sustain the Farming
Nawn Nandan
| 2016
In the literature on sustainability of agriculture, both labourers and workers are conspicuously absent. Here, the sustainability of agriculture has been defined in terms of whether the farm household in question is able to yield an energy surplus when its members and the animals in its possession are obtaining an adequate ‘energy income’ or Calorie intake. To evaluate the sustainability of 590 farming households in the state of West Bengal, India, during 2004–5, four progressively stricter definitions of sustainability have been proposed, defined and applied.
Sustainable Development: A Critical Review of Construction and Demolition Waste Management Rules 2016
Manuja Sourabh, Siddiqui Faisal Zia, Breu Sandra, Tripathi Raj Deep
| 2016
The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change(MoEFCC), Government of India has notified the Construction and Demolition Waste Management (CDWM) Rules in March, 2016. The new notification supersedes the existing Municipal Solid Waste (Management and Handling) Rules, 2000 which was addressing limited issues related to Construction and Demolition (C&D) waste. This paper summarises the salient features of the gazette notification and discusses the shortcomings in the existing CDWM rules?
Separation of zinc oxide nanoparticles in water stream bymembrane filtration?
Mehta Neha, Basu Subhankar, Kumar Arun
| 2016
Zinc oxide (ZnO) nanoparticles are used for the synthesis of various materials. The nanoparticles, when entering into the environment, affect aquatic life. Their antibacterial properties deter the biological treatment process of wastewater treatment plants. The study focuses on the effectiveness of ultrafiltration (UF) membranes for the removal of ZnO nanoparticles. In this study, a commercial membrane was used for the separation of ZnO nanoparticles in the presence of natural organic matter (NOM) and alkalinity.
Sensitivity analysis of ground level ozone in India using WRF-CMAQ models
Sharma Sumit, Chatani Satoru, Mahtta Richa, Goel Anju, Kumar Atul
| 2016
Ground level ozone is emerging as a pollutant of concern in India. Limited surface monitoring data reveals that ozone concentrations are well above the prescribed national standards. This study aims to simulate the regional and urban scale ozone concentrations in India using WRF-CMAQ models. Sector-specific emission inventories are prepared for the ozone precursor species at a finer resolution (36 × 36 km2) than used in previous studies.
Rural electricity access in South Asia: Is grid extension the remedy: A critical review
Palit Debajit, Bandyopadhyay Kaushik Ranjan
| 2016
Despite the historical priority to grid-based electrification in South Asia, two out of every five people in the region still live without access to electricity. Due to various limitations of conventional grid-based rural electrification, as brought out by a number of studies and reports, demand for alternative models such as renewable energy based off-grid and distributed generation solutions are gaining increasing attention globally.
Regional cooperation to meet climate pledges of South Asia
Nanda Nitya
| 2016
Climate cooperation has been discussed for long, but little is achieved on the ground in South Asia. The Paris Agreement is an opportunity to renew the commitments.