No abstract

In the present study, combinations of Distillery Waste (DW) with other industrial wastes viz. curd Whey Waste (WW), Fruit Processing Waste (FPW) and Sugar Industry Effluent (SIE) were evaluated to replace the use of water that was reported earlier for biosurfactant production from 1: 3 diluted distillery waste by using four new bacterial cultures BS-A, BS-J, BS-K and BS-P, isolated from soil collected from a distillery unit. These isolates have the potential to produce biosurfactant from these individual wastes and in their combinations. Highest biomass and biosurfactant yields with higher reduction in the Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD), total sugars, nitrogen and phosphate levels were obtained in 1:1:1 proportion of DW+WW+FPW followed by DW+WW+ SIE and individual wastes. The combinations of wastes improved the yields of biosurfactants by 18-41% and reduced COD of the combined wastes by 76-84.2%. Total sugars, nitrogen and phosphate levels reduced in the range of 79-86%, 58-71% and 45-59%, respectively. Among the four microbial isolates tested, BS-J and BS-P were the efficient biosurfactant producers and were identified as Kocuria turfanesis and Pseudomonas aeruginosa based on the 16S rDNA sequence and phylogenetic analyses. Benefits derived by using combined distillery waste with other wastes are improved production of biosurfactant as resource and saving precious water and the costly nutrients with concomitant reduction in pollution load of the wastes.

No abstract

The hornbills in the family Bucerotidae have two interesting, little-studied behaviors-aerial jousting and bill grappling. The number of observations of these interactions is few and interpretations vary greatly. The few observations, always reported as singular events, have been interpreted either as aggression, social interaction, pair bonding, or play. Following our study of the Indian Grey Hornbill (Ocyceros birostris), we suggest that the bill grappling and aerial jousting may best be explained in two different contexts of the life cycle-social play in the non-breeders and as a courtship ritual in the adult, breeding birds.

Study on newly laid eggs of Japanese quail Coturnix coturnix japonica was undertaken for a period of 18 days on incubation in controlled laboratory conditions. The aim of the study was to evaluate the changes in egg weight, shell weight, yolk weight and embryo weight throughout the period of incubation. It had been found that as the embryo grows, the egg weight slowly goes down while embryo weight goes on increasing day by day. The study inferred that the shift or reduction in weight of egg is attributable to the progressive growth of embryo which utilizes its yolk contents for its growth. Apart from this, the shell weight also reduced from first day to last day in order to facilitate hatching of the embryo.