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Sloth bears (Melursus ursinus) fall victim to anthropogenic hazards, including snares, small crude explosive devices, open wells, and roads, as well as gunshots, barbed wire, and mob attacks. While conducting rescue efforts in the southern state of Karnataka, India, Wildlife SOS collected data on 20 snare incidents, 8 crude explosive device incidents, 7 roadkill incidents, 5 open well incidents, 2 gunshot attacks, 1 barbed wire incident, and 1 mob attack that occurred between 2006–2007 and 2013–2019. Female sloth bears fell victim to anthropogenic risks more often than did males (68% vs. 32%), and 23% of the females had cubs or were pregnant. This study suggests that anthropogenic risks form a threat to the sloth bear populations in Karnataka, India. Our suggestions to mitigate these threats to sloth bears include stiffer penalties for the use of snares and crude explosive devices, putting lips on all open wells, and working with road agencies and forest departments to construct additional wildlife crossings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Correlation between the annual peaks of Brown planthopper, Nilaparvata lugens (Stal) trap catches and the weather parameters viz. maximum and minimum temperature (Tmax and Tmin), rainfall (RF), morning and evening relative humidity (RH1 and RH2) and sunshine hours (SSH) were explored individually for rice areas of Pattambi, Kerala, India during 2002-2009. BPH peak showed a significant relationship with Tmax of September 3rd week, Tmin of September 1st week, Rainfall of September 4th week, RH1 of September 1st week, RH2 of September 4th week and SSH of October 1st week. However, the most relevant weather parameters were found to be Tmax, RH1, Rainfall and SSH through the stepwise regression method. This weather model was successfully validated through three-year independent data (2007-2009) with R2 =0.87. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Gamma irradiation-induced defects at doses of 0.5 and 5 MGy were studied in lithium sodium-borosilicate (LiNaBSi) and sodium barium-borosilicate (NaBaBSi) glasses, used for high-level radioactive waste immobilisation in the UK and India, respectively. X-band electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR), Raman and UV-Vis-nIR spectroscopies were used to characterise the glasses before and after irradiation. EPR and UV-Vis-nIR absorption spectroscopies revealed the formation of boron-oxygen hole centres (BOHC), electrons trapped at alkali cations or ET centres and peroxy-radicals (PORs) as defects common to both glasses. In addition, E− or polaron centres were observed in NaBaBSi glasses, possibly related to formation of elemental sodium colloids. Time-dependent thermal annealing at a range of temperatures, including those relevant to canister centreline cooling (CCC), which may be of relevance to geological disposal in future technical assessments, was carried out to study thermal stability of these radiation-induced defects. It was observed that PORs are the most thermally-stable defects in both glasses. The influence of glass composition on the segregation of sodium and the possible formation of metal colloids upon irradiation have been discussed. Image, graphical abstract [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Structural, compositional and thermoluminescence (TL) properties of microcline (KAlSi 3 O 8) collected from Northeastern region of India are reported. The structural and compositional analyses confirm the presence of microcline phase in the sample. The average crystallite size of microcline is estimated as (89.05 ± 0.13) nm. TL measured at 1 °C/s from a sample irradiated to 40 Gy produces five glow peaks at 90, 123, 166, 298 and 391 °C. Of these, the peak at 123 °C is the most intense. An analysis of the dependence of peak maxima (T m) with preheat temperature (T stop) reveals that the glow curve is composed of several closely spaced overlapping peaks. The dependence of the activation energy (E) on preheat temperature is consistent with a continuum distribution of electron traps with activation energy between 0.71 eV and 1.15 eV. The dose response of the prominent peak at 123 °C is quantitatively superlinear within the range 1–100 Gy of beta irradiation dose. The TL fades between irradiation and measurement in a manner suggestive of quantum tunnelling of trapped electrons between the trapping levels of microcline. • Microcline studied has a triclinic structure within the C 1 ‾ space group. • The average crystallite size of microcline is found to be (89.05 ± 0.13) nm. • The sample has a continuum distribution of electron traps with E = 0.71–1.15 eV. • The dose response to beta irradiation is superlinear between 1 and 100 Gy. • The fading of TL is attributed to quantum tunnelling of charges between trap levels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]