IOSR-JESTFT   Volume-3 ~ Issue-5 ~ March–April 2013

Abstract: Forecasting air pollutant trends especially in metropolitan cities of India, has become a vital issue as air pollution has immediate and severe impacts on human health. Criteria pollutants like Oxides of Sulphur (SOx), Oxides of Nitrogen (NOx) and Respirable Suspended Particulate Matter (RSPM) have either reached or exceeded the acceptable limits specified by Central Pollution Control Board of India for most of the cities like Pune. In the present work two soft computing approaches namely Artificial Neural Networks (ANN) and Genetic Programming (GP) are used to predict the air quality parameters (SOx, NOx, RSPM) a few time steps in advance for Pune City. Six models have been developed based on daily average data values of pollutant concentrations spanning over seven years. ANN, one of the proven tools in estimation and prediction of air quality has been used and the results of the models are compared with GP which is rarely used tool in the field of air quality modelling and forecasting. The performance of the models has been compared using r, RMSE and d. Considering the complexity of the air pollution phenomenon, it was found that GP models are robust and could work well as compared to ANN.

Keywords - Air Quality, ANN, Criteria Pollutants, GP

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Abstract: The phytomedicinal plants study was carried out in adjoining tribal areas of Visakha patnam District, Andhra Pradesh during the month of November - December 2011. The information related to medicinal species which are used to cure common ailments and diseases were collected by the local people of study area. A total of 100 plants belonging to 53 families are listed in this paper.

Key Words: Agency area, Phytomedicinal flora, Traditional uses, Tribal people, Visakhapatnam.

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Abstract: This study was designed to investigate the effect of chronic administration of lead (Pb) on feeding behavior and weight gain among Wistar albino rats. 14 male subjects of randomly selected rats were used in the experiment. The rats were divided into two groups with 7 rats constituting each group. The groups are saline group and lead (Pb) group. The lead (Pb) administered was given orally at 10mg/kg of body weight. In the study feeding behaviour was not significantly affected by the treatment of lead (Pb). However, lead (Pb) administration had a significant effect on weight gain at p< .01 while the experimental (Pb) group had the lower mean weight signifying weight loss. This result signaled the danger in the ingestion of Lead (Pb) in whatever form on the health of animals (man inclusive) especially on feeding behaviour and weight gain. It was suggested that government and other concerned agencies should address how to control the ingestion of lead in areas reported to have its "epidemic" especially in Nigeria.

Key words: Lead, feeding behavior, weight gain, rats.

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Abstract: It was only fifty years before that our scientists and experts on climate and environment started the keen observation that something wrong is happening to our environment. The result was that the far-sighted people in the world began emphasizing that human community should take an approach of sustainable living, growth and development.

Keywords - Air Quality, ANN, Criteria Pollutants, GP

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