[{"id":206,"title":"A proposal for sequential approach for arsenic removal from top-soil","sha":"839221c4a79ee72d68db5c4209371835","user_id":null,"state":"published","body":"Arsenic contamination of ground water and soil is a vexing problem in several countries, including India. For water treatment there have been several effective, economical and commercially available [methods] (http://www.hindawi.com/journals/tswj/2014/304524/#B161). [Phytoremidiation] (http://www.hindawi.com/journals/ijce/2011/939161/), [microbial remediation] (http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2Fs00253-013-4838-5), [genetically modified plants with bacterial genes and hybrid approach of both bacteria and plant accumulating Arsenic] (http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S098194280201375X) have been used for Arsenic removal from soil, with some success in field studies.  We propose a novel hybrid approach of removing iron from soil, which interferes with freely available arsenic, followed by further mobilization of arsenic by increasing soil acidification along with absorption by suitable plants and fungi, followed by removal of arsenic from the biomass. We propose removal of iron by fertilizing soil with iron accumulating bacteria. Following the initial treatment, we would then add detritus to decrease soil pH, along with arsenic accumulating non-edible plants and fungi that produce easily harvestable biomass but cannot be utilized directly by humans. The next step would be solubilization of harvested biomass in a fermenter, which can also be used to produce natural gas. The solubilized slurry can then be treated with several successful approaches for [slurry] (http://www.neptjournal.com/journal-details.php?id=49\u0026q_id=7) and [water treatment] (http://www.hindawi.com/journals/tswj/2014/304524/#B161). We have not proposed combining microbial bioaccumulation and using chemical methods due to cost and feasibility issues. Our sequential approach presents a possibly effective and practical approach of soil arsenic remediation. \r\n","created_at":"2015-08-19T10:53:58.761Z","updated_at":"2015-09-03T17:54:31.683Z","zenodo_id":57553,"doi":"http://dx.doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.29583","subject":null,"tags":["arsenic","poisoning","contamination","soil pollution","bioremidiation","phytoremidiation","microbial remidiation","iron removing bacteria","detritus"],"vote_count":1,"view_count":1,"score":1.1,"deleted":false,"muted":false,"tweeted":false,"attachment_file_name":"Arsenic_removal_proposal_figure.pdf","attachment_content_type":"application/pdf","attachment_file_size":21673,"attachment_updated_at":"2015-08-19T10:56:51.839Z"},{"id":225,"title":"Evolution in genetic terms – Is it RNA world or DNA world or is it anything else?","sha":"69b03c4db6269df0798781ef07244e59","user_id":null,"state":"published","body":"\r\nThe RNA world concept that self-replicating ribonucleic acid (RNA) molecules are keys to all current forms of life on Earth and geticists could not go further down might have missed out on how evolution has actually happened in real genetic terms. \r\n\r\nOut of all hypothesis and proposals, one that stands strong in the debate of “RNA before DNA” is \u003cb\u003e “protein synthesis can occur in the absence of DNA but not in the absence of RNA” \u003c/b\u003e. To contest this hypothesis, one should take a close look on life of an RNA molecule and their early degeneration process. \r\n\r\nEarlier RNA-protein interaction systems are highly doubtful because RNA is never a long-time informational molecule and even if they are or they used to be, many such information might got lost. Assuming this kind of unstable molecule being the early days primary replication machinery, information contents might have significantly lost and this will again raise a question on how similar or same species maintains identity?\r\n\r\nTransferring information outside of the nucleus is only required when there is a nucleus.\r\n\r\nTaken together these concepts, \u003cb\u003ewe need to revisit the origin of life in newer genetic terms.\u003c/b\u003e\r\n","created_at":"2015-09-16T17:43:27.824Z","updated_at":"2015-09-18T06:00:54.818Z","zenodo_id":61235,"doi":"http://dx.doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.31054","subject":null,"tags":["evolution","rna","dna","rna world","dna world","genetics"],"vote_count":1,"view_count":1,"score":1.1,"deleted":false,"muted":false,"tweeted":false,"attachment_file_name":null,"attachment_content_type":null,"attachment_file_size":null,"attachment_updated_at":null},{"id":232,"title":"A case for habitat-centric conservation strategy instead of flagship-species approach","sha":"0dbc3ce40ac708aecc6bcd8ab41ef049","user_id":null,"state":"published","body":"Massive conservation projects have relied around single flagship species and the surrounding ecological niche that supports it. Conservation of giant panda, tiger, and bald eagle are examples of such a species-centric or flagship-species strategy for conservation. While such flagship-species approaches have helped conserve other species that are part of the ecological niche, this strategy fails to address holistic problems of habitat conservation across the globe. In habitats with discontinuity of conserved areas or patchiness of species distribution in a contiguous habitat, focus on a single flagship species would end up being detrimental for the conservation of biodiversity. Flagship-species approach can be a sink for expenditure, where more land could be kept aside for conservation, if we were not focussed on a flagship-species. We are proposing a new approach for conservation based on preservation of large contiguous habitats. Our proposal does not preclude monitoring endangered species but we expect the list to be dynamically updated and not focussed on few relatable species that are “cute” by human standards.  This would allow conservation efforts to bear fruits for unnoticed but ecologically more significant microorganisms, flora and non-vertebrate animals, along with vertebrates that are usually the focus of current approaches. \r\n","created_at":"2015-09-17T07:17:08.247Z","updated_at":"2015-09-18T06:00:54.825Z","zenodo_id":61428,"doi":"http://dx.doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.31118","subject":null,"tags":["conservation ecology","microbial ecology","conservation","conservation biology","project tiger","flagship-species","habitat-centric approach"],"vote_count":0,"view_count":1,"score":0.1,"deleted":false,"muted":false,"tweeted":false,"attachment_file_name":null,"attachment_content_type":null,"attachment_file_size":null,"attachment_updated_at":null},{"id":233,"title":"A proposal to increase effectiveness of electric fence","sha":"04837977ef27680106e0144557ff7158","user_id":null,"state":"published","body":"Electric fences have been used more successfully than non-electric fences in comparable settings for a variety of animals. The frequent breaking of electric fences by large mammals such as elephants that can pull a tree down on the fence, or rhinos that can run through fences with impunity, decrease the effectiveness of electric fences. Laying out a depressed region near the fence with the width more than the tallest tree, and filling it with sand would increase the effectiveness of electric fences. This would force the animal to run through sand which would significantly slow down the animal. The sand would also prevent the growth of vegetation that could support tall trees, which could be used to disrupt the fence. The sand clearing would also provide the ability to electrify the fences with solar power, utilising the clearing from foliage presented. ","created_at":"2015-09-17T11:00:27.526Z","updated_at":"2015-09-19T06:01:02.481Z","zenodo_id":61598,"doi":"http://dx.doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.31169","subject":null,"tags":["electric fence","sanctuary","wildlife","fence","reserve"],"vote_count":0,"view_count":1,"score":0.1,"deleted":false,"muted":false,"tweeted":true,"attachment_file_name":null,"attachment_content_type":null,"attachment_file_size":null,"attachment_updated_at":null}]