Our purpose was to investigate polymeric gels for use as a highly transparent radiotherapy bolus and determine the relevant physical and dosimetric properties. We first quantified tensile properties (maximum stress, strain, and Young modulus) for various polymeric gels, along with a commercial bolus product in order to illustrate the wide variety of potential materials. For a select polymeric g...

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES An environmental friendly formulation Starycide 480 SC (Triflumuron-OMS-2015 ), a new insect growth regulator with chitin synthesis inhibitor type mode of action was evaluated against mosquito larvae in laboratory and small-scale field trials carried out in and around Delhi. METHODS The formulation was tested in laboratory for its bio-efficacy against late III instar...

Aquatic humic substances (AHSs) are major constituents of dissolved organic matter (DOM) in freshwater, where they perform a number of important ecological and geochemical functions, yet no method exists for quantifying all AHSs. We have developed a method for the quantitative analysis of AHSs based on their carbon concentration. Our approach includes: (1) the development of techniques for cl...

High-frequency dissolved oxygen (DO) measurements have been used for estimating gross primary production (GPP) and respiration (R) in lake ecosystems. Most researchers have determined GPP and R only in surface waters, a practice that may underestimate R in general and GPP in clear-water lakes in particular. We deployed oxygen sondes at multiple sites and depths in a clear-water lake. Rates of G...

Inhibition of phytoplankton by allelochemicals released by submerged macrophytes is supposed to be one of the mechanisms that contribute to the stabilisation of clear-water states in shallow lakes. The relevance of this process at ecosystem level, however, is debated because in situ evidence is difficult to achieve. Our literature review indicates that allelopathically active species such as My...

Scientific understanding of complex ecological systems is inherently difficult, and numerous theoretical and management models have emerged. Each model has its own purpose, philosophy, and implementation. Often, tunnel-vision and wheel re-invention are hindering scientific exchange [3] and in response, ecological modelers have started to develop platforms and interfaces to support scientific an...

Allochthonous organic carbon can subsidize consumers in aquatic systems, but this subsidy may only be significant in relatively small systems with high organic matter loading. We tested the importance of allochthonous carbon to consumers in a relatively large (258,000 m2) clear-water lake by adding HCO3 daily for 56 d. Dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) was substantially enriched in 13C by the ad...

Many lakes have experienced a transition from a clear into a turbid state without macrophyte growth due to eutrophication. There are several measures by which nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) concentrations in the surface water can be reduced. We used the shallow lake model PCLake to evaluate the effects of three measures (reducing external nutrient loading, increasing relative marsh area, and i...