Influence of soil type on the properties of termite mound nests in Southern India

Termite mounds are conspicuous features in many tropical ecosystems. Their shape and soil physicochemical properties have been suggested to result from the termites ecological need to control the temperature and humidity within their nests and protect themselves from predators. This study aimed to determine the influence of the parent soil properties on the shape and soil physical and chemical properties of termite mounds. Termite mounds built by the fungus-growing termite species Odontotermes obesus were compared in two forests with different soil properties (Ferralsol or Luvisol) in Southern India. Our findings confirm that soil properties influence the physicochemical characteristics of mound material and may affect the shape, but these impacts are mostly independent of the size of the mounds (i.e., the age of the colonies). Mound walls were more enriched in clay and impoverished in C and N in the Luvisol than the Ferralsol. However, their shape was more complex in the Ferralsol than the Luvisol, suggesting a possible link between the clay content in soil and the shape of termite mounds. The results also suggest that clay becomes enriched in O. obesus mound walls through a more passive process rather than solely by particle selection, and that termite mound shape results from the soil properties rather than the ecological needs of termites. In conclusion, although ecologists have mainly focused upon the influence of termite ecological needs on their nest properties, this study highlights the need for a better understanding about the role of the soil pedological properties and, as a consequence, how these properties drive the establishment and survival of termites in tropical ecosystems. (C) 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Influence of soil pedological properties on termite mound stability

This study investigated the influence of soil properties on the density and shape of epigeous fungus-growing termite nests in a dry deciduous forest in Karnataka, India. In this environment, Odontotermes obesus produces cathedral shaped mounds. Their density, shape (height and volume) and soil physicochemical properties were analyzed in ferralsol and vertisol environments. No significant difference was observed in O. obesus mound density (n = 2.7 mound ha(-1) on average in the vertisol and ferralsol areas). This study also showed that O. obesus has a limited effect on soil physical properties. No differences in soil particle size, pH, or the C:N ratio and base saturation were measured whereas the C and N contents were reduced and CEC was higher in termite nest soils in both environments. Clay mineralogical composition was also measured, and showed the presence of higher amounts of smectite clays in termite nest soils, which thus explained the increasing CEC despite the reduced C and N content. However, the main difference was the shape of the termite mounds. The degradation of the nests created a hillock of eroded soil at the base of termite mounds in the vertisol while only a thin layer of eroded soil was observed in the ferralsol. The increased degradation of termite mounds in the vertisol is explained by the presence of smectites (2:1 swelling clays), which confer macroscopic swelling and shrinking characteristics to the soil. Soil shrinkage during the dry season leads to the formation of deep cracks in the termite mounds that allow rain to rapidly penetrate inside the mound wall and then breakdown unstable aggregates. In conclusion, it appears that despite a similar abundance, termite mound properties depend to a large extent on the soil properties of their environments. (C) 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

A low-power, low-cost soil-moisture sensor using dual-probe heat-pulse technique

This paper presents the development and testing of an integrated low-power and low-cost dual-probe heat-pulse (DPHP) soil-moisture sensor in view of the electrical power consumed and affordability in developing countries. A DPHP sensor has two probes: a heater and a temperature sensor probe spaced 3 mm apart from the heater probe. Supply voltage of 3.3V is given to the heater-coil having resistance of 33 Omega power consumption of 330 mW, which is among the lowest in this category of sensors. The heater probe is 40 mm long with 2 mm diameter and hence is stiff enough to be inserted into the soil. The parametric finite element simulation study was performed to ensure that the maximum temperature rise is between 1 degrees C and 5 degrees C for wet and dry soils, respectively. The discrepancy between the simulation and experiment is less than 3.2%. The sensor was validated with white clay and tested with red soil samples to detect volumetric water-content ranging from 0% to 30%. The sensor element is integrated with low-power electronics for amplifying the output from thermocouple sensor and TelosB mote for wireless communication. A 3.7V lithium ion battery with capacity of 1150 mAh is used to power the system. The battery is charged by a 6V and 300 mA solar cell array. Readings were taken in 30 min intervals. The life-time of DPHP sensor node is around 3.6 days. The sensor, encased in 30 mm x 20 mm x 10 mm sized box, and integrated with electronics was tested independently in two separate laboratories for validating as well as investigating the dependence of the measurement of soil-moisture on the density of the soil. The difference in the readings while repeating the experiments was found out to be less than 0.01%. Furthermore, the effect of ambient temperature on the measurement of soil-moisture is studied experimentally and computationally. (C) 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Remotely sensed debris thickness mapping of Bara Shigri Glacier, Indian Himalaya

Despite the important role of supraglacial debris in ablation, knowledge of debris thickness on Himalayan glaciers is sparse. A recently developed method based on reanalysis data and thermal band satellite imagery has proved to be potentially suitable for debris thickness estimation without the need for detailed field data. In this study, we further develop the method and discuss possibilities and limitations arising from its application to a glacier in the Himalaya with scarce in situ data. Surface temperature patterns are consistent for 13 scenes of Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer (ASTER) and Landsat 7 imagery and correlate well with incoming shortwave radiation and air temperature. We use an energy-balance approach to subtract these radiation or air temperature effects, in order to estimate debris thickness patterns as a function of surface temperature. Both incoming shortwave and longwave radiation are estimated with reasonable accuracy when applying parameterizations and reanalysis data. However, the model likely underestimates debris thickness, probably due to incorrect representation of vertical debris temperature profiles, the rate of heat storage and turbulent sensible heat flux. Moreover, the uncertainty of the result was found to increase significantly with thicker debris, a promising result since ablation is enhanced by thin debris of 1-2 cm.

Mapping Key Residues of ISD11 Critical for NFS1-ISD11 Subcomplex Stability IMPLICATIONS IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF MITOCHONDRIAL DISORDER, COXPD19

Biogenesis of the iron-sulfur (Fe-S) cluster is an indispensable process in living cells. In mammalian mitochondria, the initial step of the Fe-S cluster assembly process is assisted by the NFS1-ISD11 complex, which delivers sulfur to scaffold protein ISCU during Fe-S cluster synthesis. Although ISD11 is an essential protein, its cellular role in Fe-S cluster biogenesis is still not defined. Our study maps the important ISD11 amino acid residues belonging to putative helix 1 (Phe-40), helix 3 (Leu-63, Arg-68, Gln-69, Ile-72, Tyr-76), and C-terminal segment (Leu-81, Glu-84) are critical for in vivo Fe-S cluster biogenesis. Importantly, mutation of these conserved ISD11 residues into alanine leads to its compromised interaction with NFS1, resulting in reduced stability and enhanced aggregation of NFS1 in the mitochondria. Due to altered interaction with ISD11 mutants, the levels of NFS1 and Isu1 were significantly depleted, which affects Fe-S cluster biosynthesis, leading to reduced electron transport chain complex (ETC) activity and mitochondrial respiration. In humans, a clinically relevant ISD11 mutation (R68L) has been associated in the development of a mitochondrial genetic disorder, COXPD19. Our findings highlight that the ISD11 R68A/R68L mutation display reduced affinity to form a stable subcomplex with NFS1, and thereby fails to prevent NFS1 aggregation resulting in impairment of the Fe-S cluster biogenesis. The prime affected machinery is the ETC complex, which showed compromised redox properties, causing diminished mitochondrial respiration. Furthermore, the R68L ISD11 mutant displayed accumulation of mitochondrial iron and reactive oxygen species, leading to mitochondrial dysfunction, which correlates with the phenotype observed in COXPD19 patients.

Multivariate PLS Modeling of Apicomplexan FabD-Ligand Interaction Space for Mapping Target-Specific Chemical Space and Pharmacophore Fingerprints

Biomolecular recognition underlying drug-target interactions is determined by both binding affinity and specificity. Whilst, quantification of binding efficacy is possible, determining specificity remains a challenge, as it requires affinity data for multiple targets with the same ligand dataset. Thus, understanding the interaction space by mapping the target space to model its complementary chemical space through computational techniques are desirable. In this study, active site architecture of FabD drug target in two apicomplexan parasites viz. Plasmodium falciparum (PfFabD) and Toxoplasma gondii (TgFabD) is explored, followed by consensus docking calculations and identification of fifteen best hit compounds, most of which are found to be derivatives of natural products. Subsequently, machine learning techniques were applied on molecular descriptors of six FabD homologs and sixty ligands to induce distinct multivariate partial-least square models. The biological space of FabD mapped by the various chemical entities explain their interaction space in general. It also highlights the selective variations in FabD of apicomplexan parasites with that of the host. Furthermore, chemometric models revealed the principal chemical scaffolds in PfFabD and TgFabD as pyrrolidines and imidazoles, respectively, which render target specificity and improve binding affinity in combination with other functional descriptors conducive for the design and optimization of the leads.

Mechanism of improvement in the strength and volume change behavior of lime stabilized soil

An attempt has been made to bring out the influence on strength and volume change behavior of fabric changes and new cementitious compound formation in a soil upon addition of various lime contents and with curing periods. The effects of changes in fabric of treatment with various lime contents (0, 2,4 and 6%) and with curing periods (0, 7, 14 and 28 days) have been evaluated by one-dimensional consolidation tests, in terms of void ratio changes and compressibility. The strength of soil treated with different lime contents with curing periods up to 28 days, and with the optimum lime content of 6% up to one year has been determined by unconfined compression tests. Comparison of effects of lime on the strength and volume change behavior of the soil brings out that the formation of flocculated fabric and cation exchange significantly reduces the compressibility of soil but marginally increases the strength. Cementation of soil particles and filling with cementitious compounds of the voids of flocculated fabric in the soil marginally reduces the compressibility but significantly increases the strength. Thus, the mechanism of volume change behavior of soil treated with lower lime content at short curing periods is distinctly different from that of the soil treated with optimum lime content at longer curing periods. This is consistent with the increase in the permeability caused by the addition from 2 to 4% lime and the decrease following the addition of 6% lime. Changes consistent with mechanical behavior have been determined by scanning electron microscope, X-ray diffraction and thermal analyses, energy dispersive X-ray spectrometer and pH value in microstructure, mineralogy, chemical composition and alkalinity, respectively. (C) 2015 Published by Elsevier B.V.

Design of a manual press for the production of compacted stabilized soil blocks

In this paper, we discuss the design of a manually operated soil compaction machine that is being used to manufacture stabilized soil blocks (SSB). A case study of manufacturing more than three million blocks in a housing project using manually operated machines is illustrated. The paper is focussed on the design, development, and evaluation of a manually operated soil compaction machine for the production of SSB. It also details the machine design philosophy, compaction characteristics of soils, employment generation potential of small-scale stabilized soil block productions systems, and embodied energy. Static compaction of partially saturated soils was performed to generate force-displacement curves in a confined compaction process were generated. Based on the soil compaction data engineering design aspects of a toggle press are illustrated. The results of time and motion study on block production operations using manual machines are discussed. Critical path network diagrams were used for small-scale SSB production systems. Such production systems generate employment at a very low capital cost.

Volume change behavior of lime treated gypseous soil - influence of mineralogy and microstructure

Series of oedometer tests and micro-analytical studies (XRD, SEM and EDAX) have been carried out to investigate the influence of varying gypsum content on swell, compressibility and permeability of lime treated montmorillonitic soil after curing for different period. Immediate swell is observed on inundation of compacted samples with water and continuously increased with gypsum content. However, changes in swell are found to be marginal with curing. This is attributed to the formation and growth of ettringite crystals by ionic reactions of aluminum calcium-sulfate in the presence of water which is confirmed through detailed micro-analysis. The higher swell in uncured specimens and gradual reduction in swell with increase in curing periods are due to relative dominance of formation and growth of ettringite and cementitious compounds, respectively. Also, the ionic reaction products are found to bear a significant influence on the compressibility and permeability behavior. (C) 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Use of Sr isotopes as a tool to decipher the soil weathering processes in a tropical river catchment, southwestern India

River water composition (major ion and Sr-87/Sr-86 ratio) was monitored on a monthly basis over a period of three years from a mountainous river (Nethravati River) of southwestern India. The total dissolved solid (TDS) concentration is relatively low (46 mg L-1) with silica being the dominant contributor. The basin is characterised by lower dissolved Sr concentration (avg. 150 nmol L-1), with radiogenic Sr-87/Sr-86 isotopic ratios (avg. 0.72041 at outlet). The composition of Sr and Sr-87/Sr-86 and their correlation with silicate derived cations in the river basin reveal that their dominant source is from the radiogenic silicate rock minerals. Their composition in the stream is controlled by a combination of physical and chemical weathering occurring in the basin. The molar ratio of SiO2/Ca and Sr-87/Sr-86 isotopic ratio show strong seasonal variation in the river water, i.e., low SiO2/Ca ratio with radiogenic isotopes during non-monsoon and higher SiO2/Ca with less radiogenic isotopes during monsoon season. Whereas, the seasonal variation of Rb/Sr ratio in the stream water is not significant suggesting that change in the mineral phase being involved in the weathering reaction could be unlikely for the observed molar SiO2/Ca and Sr-87/Sr-86 isotope variation in river water. Therefore, the shift in the stream water chemical composition could be attributed to contribution of ground water which is in contact with the bedrock (weathering front) during non-monsoon and weathering of secondary soil minerals in the regolith layer during monsoon. The secondary soil mineral weathering leads to limited silicate cation and enhanced silica fluxes in the Nethravati river basin. (C) 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Nanomechanical Mapping, Hierarchical Polymer Dynamics, and Miscibility in the Presence of Chain-End Grafted Nanoparticles

To improve the spatial distribution of nano particles in a polymeric host and to enhance the interfacial interaction with the host, the use of chain-end grafted nanoparticle has gained popularity in the field of polymeric nanocomposites. Besides changing the material properties of the host, these grafted nanoparticles strongly alter the dynamics of the polymer chain at both local and cooperative length scales (relaxations) by manipulating the enthalpic and entropic interactions. It is difficult to map the distribution of these chain-end grafted nanoparticles in the blend by conventional techniques, and herein, we attempted to characterize it by unique technique(s) like peak force quantitative nanomechanical mapping (PFQNM) through AFM (atomic force microscopy) imaging and dielectric relaxation spectroscopy (DRS). Such techniques, besides shedding light on the spatial distribution of the nanoparticles, also give critical information on the changing elasticity at smaller length scales and hierarchical polymer chain dynamics in the vicinity of the nanoparticles. The effect of one-dimensional rodlike multiwall carbon nanotubes (MWNTs), with the characteristic dimension of the order of the radius of gyration of the polymeric chain, on the phase miscibility and chain dynamics in a classical LCST mixture of polystyrene/ poly(vinyl methyl ether) (PS/PVME) was examined in detail using the above techniques. In order to tune the localization of the nanotubes, different molecular weights of PS (13, 31, and 46 kDa), synthesized using RAFT (reversible addition fragmentation chain transfer) polymerization, was grafted onto MWNTs in situ. The thermodynamic miscibility in the blends was assessed by low-amplitude isochronal temperature sweeps, the spatial distribution of MWNTs in the blends was evaluated by PFQNM, and the hierarchical polymer chain dynamics was studied by DRS. It was observed that the miscibility, concentration fluctuation, and cooperative relaxations of the PS/PVME blends are strongly governed by the spatial distribution of MWNTs in the blends. These findings should help guide theories and simulations of hierarchical chain dynamics in LCST mixtures containing rodlike nanoparticles.

Nanomechanical Mapping, Hierarchical Polymer Dynamics, and Miscibility in the Presence of Chain-End Grafted Nanoparticles

To improve the spatial distribution of nano particles in a polymeric host and to enhance the interfacial interaction with the host, the use of chain-end grafted nanoparticle has gained popularity in the field of polymeric nanocomposites. Besides changing the material properties of the host, these grafted nanoparticles strongly alter the dynamics of the polymer chain at both local and cooperative length scales (relaxations) by manipulating the enthalpic and entropic interactions. It is difficult to map the distribution of these chain-end grafted nanoparticles in the blend by conventional techniques, and herein, we attempted to characterize it by unique technique(s) like peak force quantitative nanomechanical mapping (PFQNM) through AFM (atomic force microscopy) imaging and dielectric relaxation spectroscopy (DRS). Such techniques, besides shedding light on the spatial distribution of the nanoparticles, also give critical information on the changing elasticity at smaller length scales and hierarchical polymer chain dynamics in the vicinity of the nanoparticles. The effect of one-dimensional rodlike multiwall carbon nanotubes (MWNTs), with the characteristic dimension of the order of the radius of gyration of the polymeric chain, on the phase miscibility and chain dynamics in a classical LCST mixture of polystyrene/ poly(vinyl methyl ether) (PS/PVME) was examined in detail using the above techniques. In order to tune the localization of the nanotubes, different molecular weights of PS (13, 31, and 46 kDa), synthesized using RAFT (reversible addition fragmentation chain transfer) polymerization, was grafted onto MWNTs in situ. The thermodynamic miscibility in the blends was assessed by low-amplitude isochronal temperature sweeps, the spatial distribution of MWNTs in the blends was evaluated by PFQNM, and the hierarchical polymer chain dynamics was studied by DRS. It was observed that the miscibility, concentration fluctuation, and cooperative relaxations of the PS/PVME blends are strongly governed by the spatial distribution of MWNTs in the blends. These findings should help guide theories and simulations of hierarchical chain dynamics in LCST mixtures containing rodlike nanoparticles.

Appraisal of groundwater resource in Holocene soil deposits by resistivity, hydrochemical and granulomerial studies in the Gulf of Mannar Coast from Southern India

This article is aimed to delineate groundwater sources in Holocene deposits area in the Gulf of Mannar Coast from Southern India. For this purpose 2-D electrical resistivity tomography (ERT), hydrochemical and granulomerical studies were carried out and integrated to identify hydrogeological structures and portable groundwater resource in shallow depths which in general appears in the coastal tracts. The 2-D ERT was used to determine the two-dimensional subsurface geological formations by multicore cable with Wenner array. Low resistivity of 1-5 Omega m for saline water appeared due to calcite at the depth of about 5 m below the ground level (bgl). Sea water intrusion was observed around the maximum resistivity as 5 Omega m at the 8 m depth, bgl in the calcite environs, but the calcareous sandstone layer shows around 15-64 Omega m at the 6 m depth, bgl. The hydrochemical variation of TDS, HCO3-, Cl-, Na+, K+, Ca2+, and Mg2+ concentrations was observed for the saline and sea water intrusion in the groundwater system. The granulometic analysis shows that the study area was under the sea between 5400 and 3000 year ago. The events of ice melting an unnatural ice-stone rain/hail among 5000-4000 years ago resulted in the inundation of sea over the area and deposits of late Holocene marine transgression formation up to Puthukottai quartzite region for a stretch of around 17 km.

Tracking the migration of the Indian continent using the carbonate clumped isotope technique on Phanerozoic soil carbonates

Approximately 140 million years ago, the Indian plate separated from Gondwana and migrated by almost 90 degrees latitude to its current location, forming the Himalayan-Tibetan system. Large discrepancies exist in the rate of migration of Indian plate during Phanerozoic. Here we describe a new approach to paleo-latitudinal reconstruction based on simultaneous determination of carbonate formation temperature and delta O-18 of soil carbonates, constrained by the abundances of C-13-O-18 bonds in palaeosol carbonates. Assuming that the palaeosol carbonates have a strong relationship with the composition of the meteoric water, delta O-18 carbonate of palaeosol can constrain paleo-latitudinal position. Weighted mean annual rainfall delta O-18 water values measured at several stations across the southern latitudes are used to derive a polynomial equation: delta(18)Ow = -0.006 x (LAT)(2) - 0.294 x (LAT) - 5.29 which is used for latitudinal reconstruction. We use this approach to show the northward migration of the Indian plate from 46.8 +/- 5.8 degrees S during the Permian (269 M. y.) to 30 +/- 11 degrees S during the Triassic (248 M. y.), 14.7 +/- 8.7 degrees S during the early Cretaceous (135 M. y.), and 28 +/- 8.8 degrees S during the late Cretaceous ( 68 M. y.). Soil carbonate delta O-18 provides an alternative method for tracing the latitudinal position of Indian plate in the past and the estimates are consistent with the paleo-magnetic records which document the position of Indian plate prior to 135 +/- 3 M. y.