An x-ray astronomy experiment consisting of three collimated proportional counters and an X-ray Sky Monitor (XSM) was flown aboard the Indian Satellite IRS-P3 launched on March 21, 1996 from SHAR range in India. The Satellite is in a circular orbit of 830 km altitude with an orbital inclination of 98° and has three axis stabilized pointing capability. Each pointed-mode Proportional Counter (PPC) is a multilayer, multianode unit filled with P-10 gas (90% Ar + 10% CH4) at 800 torr and having an aluminized mylar window of 25 micron thickness. The three PPCs are identical and have a field of view of 2°×2° defined by silver coated aluminium honeycomb collimators. The total effective area of the three PPCs is about 1200 cm2. The PPCs are sensitive in 2-20 keV band. The XSM consists of a pin-hole of 1 cm2 area placed 16 cm above the anode plane of a 32 cm×32 cm position sensitive proportional counter sensitive in 3-8 keV interval. The position of the x-ray events is determined by charge division technique using nichrome wires as anodes. The principal objective of this experiment is to carry out timing studies of x-ray pulsars, x-ray binaries and other rapidly varying x-ray sources. The XSM will be used to detect transient x-ray sources and monitor intensity of bright x-ray binaries. Observations of black-hole binary Cyg X-1 and few other binary sources were carried out in early May and July-August 1996 period. Details of the x-ray detector characteristics are presented and preliminary results from the observations are discussed.

The x-ray pulsar GX 1+4 was observed by us in four balloon- borne experiments carried out from Hyderabad, India during 1991-1995 period with a hard x-ray telescope. The x-ray telescope consists of two collimated large area xenon-filled proportional counters with an effective area of 2400 cm2, a field of view of 5°×5° and sensitive in the energy band of 20 - 100 keV. The pulsar was detected in bright state in two of the four experiments and x-ray pulsations with 120 second period were detected clearly. Pulsation period, rate of change of period with time, pulse fraction, pulse profile and energy spectra of the source were determined from these studies. During March 1995 observation, the x-ray pulse of GX 1+4 was found to be double-peaked compared to a single-peak pulse profile detected in December 1993. Details of these results are presented and their interpretation discussed in terms of the current accretion models of x-ray binaries.

A laboratory bioassay that incorporates Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) purified crystal protein toxins into an artificial diet has identified three toxins, CryIA(b), CryIA(c), and CryIIA, to by effective against the yellow stemborer, Scirpophaga incertulas(Walker). Research is aimed at engineering rice that incorporates genes of one of or more of these toxins so as to mimic the insecticidal action of the insect to Bt. The paper discusses potential strategies for slowing the rate of adaptation that include the use of multiple Bt toxins, promoters that express the toxins only in specific plant tissues at specific times, and mixing transgenic and non-transgenic plants.

Best management practices (BMPs) are a continuous cycle of implementation, monitoring and refinement. Lack of perception on BMPs that are implemented based on the literature impedes the system`s capacity to fulfil its purpose to regulate stormwater volume and peak flows and attenuate pollutants. In this study, a series of monitoring in hybrid multi-functional BMP system was conducted to determine the performance as well as the irregularities during actual storm events. This system was connoted as hybrid wherein it is defined as a technology that integrates and incorporates several functions such as, infiltration, filtration and retention in a single system to overcome spatial constraints. It has two adjacent treatment tanks serving the infiltration and retention functions. The infiltration function of the hybrid BMP aims to treat stormwater runoff for groundwater recharge while the retention function allocates treated water to a subsurface extended detention basin. Moreover, it has an overflow tank adjacent to the retention tank to allow bypass of excess stormwater runoff. Based from the results, TSS is the most removed pollutant parameter for both infiltration and retention followed by the organics and appreciable load reductions were observed in nutrient and heavy metal parameters. Loads discharges at the infiltration and retention function were 68-92% lower compared to inflow loads. It has also been found out that regardless of sudden increase and decrease in loading rates during a storm event, the discharge of most pollutants in the infiltration, retention and overflow continuously decrease with respect to time. However, problems were uncovered during monitoring. It has been identified on the water balance as the rainfall depth increases the water entering the infiltration and retention tank decreases while larger the amount of water was being bypassed to the overflow. Based from the results, it can be recommended to renovate the facility to reduce the water being bypassed out of the system in order to allow more stormwater runoff to pass through the infiltration and retention unit. The results obtained can provide guidelines for this newly developed system and will render valuable information to allow the system top perform at its optimum.