Meghalaya India Research Articles

Neural machine translation systems for English to Khasi: A case study of an Austroasiatic language

Neural machine translation has predominantly outperformed previous machine translation models primarily for resourceful languages. However, very little work has been reported for resource-constrained languages such as Khasi. The Khasi language belongs to the Mon-Khmer branch of the Austroasiatic language family and is spoken primarily in the state of Meghalaya in India. Although performing neural machine translation for the under-resourced Khasi language is difficult, we build a substantial parallel corpus of English–Khasi. We apply three segmentation methods in the datasets for our experiments: untokenized, tokenized and a subword BPE (Byte Pair Encoding). Experiments are carried out on this dataset with different aspects of neural machine translation systems using cutting-edge architectures such as LSTM (Long Short Term Memory), GRU (Gated Recurrent Unit) and a transformer based model for the English–Khasi language pair. We also carry out experiments by adapting the transfer learning approach using English-Vietnamese as the parent language pair and English-Khasi as the child language pair. This work reports a quantitative and qualitative analysis of several models based on architectural and data segmentation methodologies. The experimental findings show that the model adapted using the transfer learning approach achieved a reasonable improvement in BLEU scores with the highest being 58.1 BLEU on similar domains and 17.7 BLEU for the general domain outscoring the other models for the same language pair. Qualitative analysis is carried out focusing on the morphological inflections of gender identification in the translated output.

<i>Zeuxine agyokuana</i> (Orchidaceae), a new record for Arunachal Pradesh, India

Zeuxine agyokuana Fukuy. belonging to the family Orchidaceae is reported here as an addition to the Flora of Arunachal Pradesh, India. The species belonging to the ‘Jewel Orchid’ group was earlier known from West Bengal and Meghalaya in India and also from some other countries (China, Japan, Taiwan, Thailand and Vietnam). A detailed morphological description along with photographs of plants are provided.

NATURAL RADIOACTIVITY AND ASSESSMENT OF HAZARD INDICES OF THE SOIL FOUND AT SUNG VALLEY, MEGHALAYA.

In this work, the variation of the radioactivity at different depth of the soil found at the Sung Valley in West Jaiñtia Hills District of Meghalaya in India is estimated by using the gamma-ray spectroscopy. The average activity concentration of 226Ra, 232Th and 40K for soil samples at different depths are measured to be 57, 156 and 352Bqkg-1, respectively. The radiological hazard indices for the soil samples are calculated using standard models in order to determine the safe utility of these materials that are being used to manufacture domestic products by the locals. Values of all the radiological hazard indices are observed to be within the internationally recommended values as proposed by the European Commission and the United Nations Scientific Committee on the Effects of Atomic Radiation. The present study ensures that the soil analysed presents a negligible radiation hazard, and produced poetries and artefacts radiological incidence will stay within the allowed natural limit.

Iron-Enriched Fish Powder Improved Haemoglobin Levels in Adolescent Girls of West Jaintia Hills District of Meghalaya, India

This study was carried out to assess the efficacy of sodium iron EDTA (NaFeEDTA) salt-enriched fish powder in addressing iron deficiency in adolescent anaemic girls. This was a 60-day randomised double-blinded, controlled intervention trial involving 123 girls age ranging from 10 to 19years in three villages of West JaintiaHills District of State of Meghalaya in India using soup made out of sodium iron EDTA (NaFeEDTA)-enriched fish powder (250mg/100g). The influence of the iron-enriched powder on blood haemoglobin levels and serum iron was determined. The research also analysed the food consumed by the study subjects during the study period and it was found that there were no significant differences between the iron-enriched and control groups. The results indicated that the girls predominantly consumed cereals with little fruits, vegetables and meat. On an average, 100ml of soup prepared out of 10g of fish powder per day was consumed that theoretically provided about 25mg of iron each day. Following intervention, all the participants in the group that consumed soup made out of NaFeEDTA-enriched fish powder had significantly higher haemoglobin levels and serum iron and a lower prevalence of anaemia than the control group. The effects of NaFeEDTA salt-enriched fish powder were statistically significant and it can be inferred that NaFeEDTA-enriched fish powder was highly effective in controlling iron deficiency and reducing the prevalence of iron-deficiency anaemia among the adolescent girls.

Statistical analysis of long-term rainfall trends in Cherrapunji, Meghalaya, India

Rainfall is the key climatic variable that governs the regional hydrologic cycle and availability of water resources. Rainfall trend analysis in a localized watershed can improve many aspects of water resource management not only to the catchment itself but also to some of the related other catchments. The trend analysis of monthly rainfall data over Cherrapunji of Meghalaya in India for the period 1872-2007 has been carried out in this work. While the magnitude of the trend in the time series has been determined using Sen's estimator, the significance of the trend in monthly rainfall series has been tested using Mann-Kendall test. During the time span 1872-2007, an increasing trend has been found in the monthly rainfall for the months July, October and November, and a decreasing trend has been found in the monthly rainfall for the months February to June, August and September. On the other hand, it was found that none of Mann-Kendall Z values was significant at 5% level of significance. Therefore, from Mann-Kendall Z test, it can be concluded that there is no trend in any month in monthly rainfall for the station Cherrapunji. For the better assessment of the temporal variation in monthly rainfall trend, whole period was divided into two halves, 1872-1939 and 1940-2007. Then, trend magnitude through Sen's estimator and Mann-Kendall Z for test of significance were determined for these two time periods separately. The analysis of trends of monthly rainfall in these two halves showed large variability in the magnitude and direction of the trend in various months from one half to another. Accurate prediction of trends in monthly rainfall is an important aspect of climate research and we believe that present study could provide a scope to correlate between current rainfall trend and climate change scenario of the study area.

Extended Distribution of Endemic Taxon Trigonostemon viridissimus var. chatterjii (Euphorbiaceae) in Arunachal Pradesh, India

Trigonostemon viridissimus var. chatterjii (Deb & G.K. Deka) N.P. Balakr. & Chakrab. (Euphorbiaceae), a rare and endemic taxon is reported here as a new distributional record for the state Arunachal Pradesh. It was earlier known only from two localities of Meghalaya in India. Detailed taxonomic description along with field photographs are provided for its easy identification.

Chameleonfishes in Bangladesh: hipshot taxonomy, sibling species, elusive species, and limits of species delimitation (Teleostei: Badidae).

Five species of Badidae are reported from Bangladesh, with morphological diagnoses and mitochondrial DNA sequences (cytochrome b, cytb; and cytochrome c oxidase subunit I, coi). Dario kajal is recorded from Bangladesh for the first time with a precise locality. Badis badis is reported from several localities in central Bangladesh. Badis chittagongis is redescribed on the basis of samples from the region of Cox's Bazar, including Maheskhali Island. Badis pallidus, new species, is described from the Sangu and Karnafuli River drainages in Bangladesh. It is most similar to B. chittagongis, but differs slightly in colouration and meristics, and is separated by 3.8% uncorrected p-distance in coi from B. chittagongis. Badis chittagongis and B. pallidus are almost identical in morphology, colour pattern and meristics, but occupy different habitats and are reciprocally allopatric. Pronounced genetic difference but similar morphology in these two species may be due to strong stabilizing selection for cryptic colouration in Badis. Badis rhabdotus is a new species from northeastern Bangladesh and adjacent Meghalaya in India. It is distinguished from congeneric species by the colour pattern, including well-defined narrow vertical bars; posterior bars curved; and meristics. Species delimitation analysis of an alignment comprising all coi sequences available from GenBank longer than 600 bp and attributed to species of Badidae (21 June 2018) plus our coi sequences and outgroup sequences of Nandus nandus, using pairwise p-distance and the computer software GMYC, ABGD, and bPTP, produced similar results. Among 103 coi sequences of Badidae, unidentified or tagged with one of 18 valid species names, uncorrected p-distance suggests 27 OTUs at 2% difference threshold; ABGD found between 15 and 55 OTUs; GMYC with single evolutionary rate 33 OTUs, with multiple evolutionary rates 32 OTUs; PTP, mPTP and bPTP 27-28 OTUs. Phylogenetic analysis based on coi and cytb sequences support previous analyses and previously proposed species groups. Inadequate recent species descriptions and many misidentifications or provisional identifications of published DNA sequences hamper progress in species-level systematics in Badis. Based on published morphological data, Badis triocellus cannot be distinguished from B. singenensis; Badis dibruensis and B. pancharatnaensis cannot be distinguished from B. badis; Badis andrewraoi, B. autumnum, B. kyanos, and B. soraya are insufficiently well distinguished from each other.

<b>Extension in its distribution range and a new record for the cicada genus <I>Salvazana</I> Distant, 1913 (Hemiptera: Cicadidae: Cryptotympanii) from India</b>

The cicada genus Salvazana Distant, 1913 is reported for the first time from India with the discovery of Salvazana mirabilis mirabilis Boulard, 2002 from Shillong in the northeastern state of Meghalaya in India. This extends the northwestern distributional range of the genus Salvazana by more than a thousand kilometers. Brief descriptions of the specimen along with photographs of various structures are provided.

Comments on the paper published by Sial et al (2016), Mercury enrichments and Hg isotopes in Cretaceous–Paleogene boundary successions: Links to volcanism and palaeoenvironmental impacts. Cretaceous Research, v. 66, pp. 60–81

The paper published by Sial et al. (2016) contains geochemical information which does not fit into the scheme of the existing planktonic foraminiferal succession across the K/Pg boundary in the Um Sohryngkew River section, Meghalaya India, worked out by either Mukhopadhyay (2008) or Pandey (1981, 1990). The K/Pg boundary reported by Sial et al. (2016) is not compatible with any of these two. In this perspective some of the controversies are highlighted.

Tribal communities and coal in Northeast India: The politics of imposing and resisting mining bans

Bans on coal mining have been implemented in two tribal majority states in India's north-east frontier; Nagaland and Meghalaya. In Nagaland the state government imposed the ban in an attempt to capture control of coal extraction and trade, while in Meghalaya India's National Green Commission imposed the ban over concern for the environment and labour conditions. In both cases local communities have opposed the bans, and in some areas resumed mining under the authority of tribal councils and powerful civil society actors. In this paper we explore the politics of coal extraction that resulted in these bans and the response of communities and authorities. In doing so we made three main arguments that contribute to understanding of coal and communities in frontier regions where state control is partial and the legacy of armed conflict is powerful. First, in both locations the majority of the coal mining activity has been initiated and managed by members of tribal communities rather than profit-driven outsiders. Second, in contrast to other contexts in India (notably Orissa and Jharkhand) where large state or private enterprises seek to modify the law to enable coal extraction, in Nagaland and Meghalaya it has been communities that resent and challenge state and national laws being applied to their lands. Third, the right to extract coal is connected to the right of tribal communities to determine what happens on their lands.

Culturable bacteria associated with the caves of Meghalaya in India contribute to speleogenesis

Culturable bacteria associated with the caves of Meghalaya in India contribute to speleogenesis

Potato bacterial wilt in India caused by strains of phylotype I, II and IV of Ralstonia solanacearum

Bacterial wilt or brown rot is one of the most devastating diseases of potato caused by a bacterium Ralstonia solanacearum (Smith 1986) Yabuuchi et al. (Microbiol Immunol 39:897–904 1995). Traditionally, R. solanacearum is classified into five races (r) on the basis of differences in host range and six biovars (bvs) on the basis of biochemical properties. Recently using molecular methods, R. solanacearum has been classified into phylotypes based on the intergenic transcribed sequence of the ribosomal RNA genes 16S and 23S and into sequevars based on the endoglucanase gene (egl) sequence. In the present study, 75 bacterial strains, isolated from wilt infected potatoes from various potato growing regions of India, were classified by traditional and molecular methods. The identity of all the strains was confirmed as R. solanacearum as expected single 280-bp fragment resulted in all the strains following PCR amplification using R. solanacearum specific universal primer pair 759/760. Biovar (bv) analysis, based on utilization of disaccharide sugars and hexose alcohols, categorised the 75 strains into bv2 (78.7 %), 2 T (5.3 %), 3 (5.3 %) and 4 (10.7 %). The phylotype specific multiplex PCR assigned 78.7 % strains to phylotype II, 16.0 % to phylotype I and 5.3 % to phylotype IV. Phylogenetic analysis of egl gene sequences clustered all fifty nine phylotype II (bv2) strains with reference strain IPO1609 (IIB-1), all four phylotype IV (bv2T) strains with reference strain MAFF301558 (IV-8), three phylotype I (bv3) strains with reference strain MAFF211479 (I-30) and all eight phylotype I (bv4) and one phylotype I (bv3) strain with reference strain CIP365 (I-45). The study concluded that the Indian potato strains of R. solanacearum belong to three out of four phylotypes namely: the Asian phylotype I, the American phylotype II, and the Indonesian phylotype IV. This is the first study to address the diversity of R. solanacearum from potato in India using phylotype and sequevar scheme. We also report here for the first time the occurrence of phylotype IV sequevar 8 (bv2T) strain of R. solanacearum causing potato bacterial wilt in mid hills of Meghalaya in India.

Three Mosses added to the Bryoflora of the Western Ghats from the Neyyar Wildlife Sanctuary, Kerala

The mosses Fissidens geppii, Distichophyllum decolyi and Hookeriopsis secunda, earlier known to be distributed in Himalaya and Meghalaya in India, are recorded for the Western Ghats. They are described in detail and illustrated.

Assessment of the doses due to natural radionuclide in the green leafy vegetables of Domiasiat, Meghalaya India

A radiation dose assessment exercise was carried out for the Ipomea batata, Allium sativum, Dacaus carota, and Solanum tuberosum due to naturally available radionuclide 40K, 238U and 232Th in the Domiasiat area of Meghalaya. The concentration of radionuclides in biota as well as corresponding soil was measured by precipitation method using NaI detector for continuous 12 months. Transfer factor was calculated and was, for 40K(3.96E−05, 3.40E−05, 3.40E−05, 2.70E−05), for 232Th(3.94E−05, 3.20E−05, 3.20E−054.93E−05), for 238U(3.60E−05, 3.89E−05, 3.85E−054.57E−05), respectively in each biota due to each radionuclide. The point source dose distribution (source ↔ target) hypotheses was applied for the consideration of absorbed fraction. The generated data were modeled using the FASSET method and obtained dose was 8.42E−03, 8.36E−03, 7.78E−03, 7.74E−03 μGy h−1, respectively and finally compared with the IAEA and UNSCEAR dataset for screening level dose for terrestrial biota.

Suitable gamma energy for gamma-spectrometric determination of 238U in surface soil samples of a high rainfall area in India

The paper presents a systematic study on suitability of various gamma lines for monitoring of 238U activity in soil samples around a uranium mineralized zone of Kylleng Pyndengsohiong Mawthabah (Domiasiat), Meghalaya in India. The area lies in a plateau region which recieves the highest average annual rainfall (12,000 mm) in the world. The geochemical behaviour of the uranium and its daughter products at such wet climatic conditions imposes restrictions to assess 238U through gamma lines of radon decay products. Soil samples were collected from nine locations around the uranium mineralization zone for analysis. The ratio of the concentration of uranium obtained from gamma energies of radium daughter products to the 63.29 keV of 234Th was found to vary from 1.01 to 2.07, which indicates a pronounced disequilibrium between uranium and radium daughters. The results obtained from various gamma energies were validated from the data generated by Instrumental Neutron Activation Analysis (INAA) technique. The 238U activities from the two analytical methods show a well fitted regression line with correlation coefficient 0.99 which validates the reliability of 63.29 keV energy for estimation of uranium in such conditions.

Daily intake of manganese by local population around Kylleng Pyndengsohiong Mawthabah (Domiasiat), Meghalaya in India

Present work is carried out adjacent to world's highest rainfall area Kylleng Pyndengsohiong (KP) Mawthabah (Domiasiat), Meghalaya in India to establish the baseline value of manganese intake through dietary route by the local tribe population in view of proposed uranium mining. The locally available food items collected from villages surrounding the proposed uranium mining site at KP Mawthabah (Domiasiat) were analysed using Energy Dispersive X-Ray Fluorescence (EDXRF) Technique. The manganese concentration in different food categories varies from 2.76–12.50 mg kg − 1 in cereals, 1.8–4.20 mg kg − 1 in leafy vegetables, 0.30–13.50 mg kg − 1 in non leafy vegetables, 0.50–15.30 mg kg − 1 in roots and tubers, 0.70–1.50 mg kg − 1 in fruits and 0.12–0.96 mg kg − 1 in flesh food. The mean dietary intake of Mn was found to be 3.83 ± 0.25 mg d − 1 compared to Recommended Dietary Allowances (RDAs) of 2–5 mg d − 1 . The daily intake of Manganese by the local tribe population is comparable with the value (3.7 mg d − 1 ) recommended by International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP) for reference man and lower than the intake value observed for Indian and other Asian population.

An overview of the status and conservation of the red panda Ailurus fulgens in India, with reference to its global status

The current status and distribution of the red panda Ailurus fulgens in the wild is poorly known. The subspecies fulgens is found in the Himalaya in Nepal, India, Bhutan, northern Myanmar and southwest China, and the subspecies styani occurs further to the east in south-central China. The red panda is an animal of subtropical and temperate forests, with the exception of Meghalaya in India, where it is also found in tropical forests. In the wild, red pandas take a largely vegetarian diet consisting chiefly of bamboo. The extent of occurrence of the red panda in India is about 170,000 sq km, although its area of occupancy within this may only be about 25,000 sq km. An estimate based on the lowest recorded average density and the total area of potential habitat suggests that the global population of red pandas is about 16,000–20,000. Habitat loss and poaching, in that order, are the major threats. In this paper the distribution, status and conservation problems of the red panda, especially in India, are reviewed, and appropriate conservation measures recommended, including the protection of named areas and the extension of some existing protected areas.

An overview of the status and conservation of the red panda Ailurus fulgens in India, with reference to its global status

AbstractThe current status and distribution of the red panda Ailurus fulgens in the wild is poorly known. The subspecies fulgens is found in the Himalaya in Nepal, India, Bhutan, northern Myanmar and southwest China, and the subspecies styani occurs further to the east in south-central China. The red panda is an animal of subtropical and temperate forests, with the exception of Meghalaya in India, where it is also found in tropical forests. In the wild, red pandas take a largely vegetarian diet consisting chiefly of bamboo. The extent of occurrence of the red panda in India is about 170,000 sq km, although its area of occupancy within this may only be about 25,000 sq km. An estimate based on the lowest recorded average density and the total area of potential habitat suggests that the global population of red pandas is about 16,000–20,000. Habitat loss and poaching, in that order, are the major threats. In this paper the distribution, status and conservation problems of the red panda, especially in India, are reviewed, and appropriate conservation measures recommended, including the protection of named areas and the extension of some existing protected areas.

Some new and little-known species of aphids (Homoptera: Aphididae) from India

Abstract Three new species, Mesocallis alnicola, Mesocallis obtusirostris and Metanipponaphis echinata are described from Meghalaya and West Bengal. The other species, Metanipponaphis silvestrii (Tak.), Mindarus obietinus Koch and Pleotrichophorus chrysanthemi (Theo.) are recorded for the first time from India. Clethrobius comes (Walker) is recorded for the first time from Arunachal Pradesh and was earlier known only from Meghalaya in India.