Science Vision

149-156

Authors: S. Lallianrawna, R. Muthukumaran, V. Ralte, G. Gurusubramanian, N. Senthil Kumar

Petroleum ether, chloroform and methanol extracts of Ageratina adenophora leaves were screened for assessing bioactive phytochemical constituents. The preliminary phytochemical screening using the standard phytochemical tests detected the presence of alkaloids, steroids, flavonoids, reducing sugars, tannins, saponins, terpenoids, anthraquinones, cardiac glycosides and phenols in different solvent extracts. Total phenolic and flavonoid contents along with total antioxidant capacity of the polar methanolic extract of A. adenophora leaves were evaluated to explore the reliable and potential sources of novel natural antioxidants. The methanol extract leaves revealed a total phenolic content of 30.0 mg gallic acid equivalent/g and 510.0 mg quercetin equivalent/g. The total antioxidant capacity ranges from 16.98 to 94.87% of standard ascorbic acid at concentrations ranging from 0.05 to 1 mg/ml of the plant extract in methanol.

162-168

Authors: S. Ansari and A. Shayestehfar

In the present study inter- and intra-population species of Lepadella patella were investigated. For this purpose 110 individual of geographical populations of these rotifers were collected from different parts of Arak county, and for each habitat five ecological factors such as longitude, latitude, elevation, temperature and pH were examined. The ANOVA test and also one-sample t-test showed significant difference for morphological characters. In inter- and intra-population section, 10 individual were selected randomly from each populations, then seven quantitative morphological characters were examined, the individuals were separated from other in the PCA plot and UPGMA tree. Significant correlations negative/positive were found between some of morphological characters with studied ecological factors of habitat, in addition variations in morphological characters were seen between population and they were separated in PCA plot and also UPGMA tree. Ecological factors were different between habitat, therefore in this study, we concluded that variation temperature was most effective among all the ecological factors, on diversification of populations.

175-179

Authors: Lalrokima Chenkual

In Mizoram, there is a practice of an alternative system of propagation of messages called torchlight Morse code communication. It is an indigenous technology, by improvising the existing W/T based on Morse code communication into Mizo language. Morse code encodes the Roman alphabet, the Arabic numerals and a small set of punctuation and procedural signals as standardized sequences of short and long "dots" and "dashes", or "dits" and "dahs". In the Mizo method, hand-held portable torchlight was used to transmit Morse code by light signal and the receiver could easily interpret the message using the same code. This mode of communication augured well in the folded belt of Mizoram trending in N-S direction and most of the villages/town exists on the top of the hillocks. Most of the village built signal tower in the elevated places and any person who was well versed in the system was on duty by rotation to received, reply and forwarded the message. This practice, which was banned and became dormant when Mizoram was declared as a Disturbed Area according to Armed Forces (Assam & Manipur) Acts, 1958 in 1966, is now revived by Disaster Management Centre, Administrative Training Institute, Mizoram in collaboration with Mizo Signal Corps by training NGOs and Mizoram Police Radio Organization personnel. With its advantages and limitations, it may also be applicable in other part of India, especially in other hilly, vulnerable and inaccessible area.

186-190

Authors: H. Lalrinpuii and Lalnuntluanga

Deterioration of air quality, which is an alteration of atmospheric chemistry by pollutants from natural and anthropogenic sources is of major global environmental concerns today. The sources of deterioration of air quality in Mizoram is mainly due to shifting cultivation or slash and burn agriculture or jhum burning, one of the main form of agriculture and livelihood of the villagers. Large amounts of air pollutants are emitted during prescribed forest fires (jhum burning). Unlike wildfires, prescribed fires are intentionally ignited in order to maintain ecosystem health and minimize adverse impacts of long-term fire suppression while protecting property. However, jhum burning has resulted in many forms of pollution, directly and indirectly hampering the natural environment .The need to understand the effect of jhum burning and the consequences not only on soil, but on air and human health is important.

200-211

Authors: Laldinpuia

Saiha town slumping area was triggered by cloud burst on the 16th and 17th May, 1995. Prominent transverse cracks were observed from the month of October, 2010 at the rupture surface of subsidence localities such as New Colony-I, New Colony-III, College Veng and Council Veng, Saiha. About 310 houses were affected. This could be due to high rate of percolation of rain water which developed pore pressure and weakening connection between the top and bottom layer, thus, reduced shear strength or resisting force. A continuous movement was observed till 2013, and maybe unsafe localities if not mitigate at the correct time. The present paper deals with geological field investigations as well as recommendation in terms of preventive and remedial measures.