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This article presents the findings from a study on Land Use and Land Cover (LULC) predictions for Pathumthani province in 2028 and 2038. Utilizing Landsat satellite imagery data from 2013, 2018, and 2023, and employing the Cellular Authomata – Artificial Neural Network (CA-ANN) algorithm in MOLUSCE plugin in QGIS, the study simulated future LULC trends. The predictor variables used in the analysis are distance from main roads, distance sky train stations, distance from universities, and distance from markets. The overall accuracy and kappa coefficient of the prediction model validate its reliability for forecasting LULC changes. The results illustrate evolving urban landscapes and environmental dynamics, with vegetation predominating in the eastern and western regions of Pathumthani in 2028, while built-up areas concentrate along major transportation routes. By 2038, these trends persist, with notable expansion of built-up areas, particularly in Muang Pathumthani, Khlong Luang, and Lam Luk Ka districts. Significant urbanization is observed in Muang Pathumthani along the Chao Phraya River, driven by proximity to Nonthaburi. Lam Luk Ka experiences substantial development, supported by infrastructure and connectivity to Bangkok, while Thanyaburi sees urbanization along the Rangsit-Nakornnayok road. Khlong Luang emerges as an urban expansion hub, influenced by Highway No.1 and industrial estates. The study underscores the complex interplay of infrastructure, demographics, and environmental factors, emphasizing the need for sustainable planning to address future challenges. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigated the influence of climate factors on malaria incidence in the Sundargarh district, Odisha, India. The WEKA machine learning tool was used with two classifier techniques, Multi-Layer Perceptron (MLP) and J48, with three test options, 10-fold cross-validation, percentile split, and supplied test. A comparative analysis was carried out to ascertain the superior model among malaria prediction accuracy techniques in varying climate contexts. The results suggested that J48 had exhibited better skill than MLP with the 10-fold cross-validation method over the percentile split and supplied test options. J48 demonstrated less error (RMSE = 0.6), better kappa = 0.63, and higher accuracy = 0.71), suggesting it as most suitable model. Seasonal variation of temperature and humidity had a better association with malaria incidents than rainfall, and the performance was better during the monsoon and post-monsoon when the incidents are at the peak. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report on the recent progress made toward development of a III-nitride based tunable hyperspectral detector pixel with the potential advantages of reduced hardware complexity and increased dynamic control on the detection parameters in the context of existing hyperspectral detection systems. We discuss the concept, experiments, and simulation of devices along with the different obstacles to be overcome before this technology can mature into a commercial application. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Generative Adversarial Networks widely known as GANs, are deep learning models that has gained a lot of popularity in the last few years due to their promising nature. One of their major applications can be found in the healthcare sector for various purposes like image reconstruction, image enhancement, image segmentation, image processing, image analysis etc. The objective of this paper is to bring forward some of the recent research on the application of GANs in the health care domain during 2017 – 2022. A total of 168 papers were screened out of which 77 relevant to the present study were finalized for this study. Bibliometric analysis was also performed on these documents, to obtain an overall picture of Generative Adversarial Networks (GANs) in the healthcare domain. This analysis is expected to help the future researcher and developers in targeting the areas of the healthcare sector which are likely to grow in the coming future using GANs algorithms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Gorakhpur district having varied environmental condition is sanctioned with wealth of many important macrofungi but only few works has been done here to explore the diversity. The present investigation focus on the ethnomacrofungal study of Gorakhpur district. From information obtained it became clear that many macrofungi are widely consumed here by local and tribal peoples as food and medicines. Species of Daldinia, Macrolepiota, Pleurotus, Termitomyces, etc. are used to treat various ailments. Thus the present study clearly states that Gorakhpur district is reservoir of macrofungi having nutritional and medicinal benefits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Health sector has emerged a major area where GIS and other geoinformatics tools are being increasingly applied. Health sector and experts of disease control and spatial epidemiology are keen to use GIS to see the geographic extent of their work and disease patterns, trends and risk zones so that they can provide best services in limited resources and can have a bigger picture of the disease spread and outbreak. This module is part of the GeoS4S project co-funded under ERASMUS + by European Union. This module presents the application of GIS for disease surveillance and establishing its' causative factors using various type of strong and rich repertoire of geospatial tools of analysis. This paper presents an overview of the lessons, hands on exercises and assignments that will help the students to attain the objectives of the learning of this new are of application of GIS. The course is prepared considering its scope as online material for slef-learning but it may very well be used direct teaching in traditional class room setting in an institution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Online telemedicine systems are useful due to the possibility of timely and efficient healthcare services. These systems are based on advanced wireless and wearable sensor technologies. The rapid growth in technology has remarkably enhanced the scope of remote health monitoring systems. In this paper, a real-time heart monitoring system is developed considering the cost, ease of application, accuracy, and data security. The system is conceptualized to provide an interface between the doctor and the patients for two-way communication. The main purpose of this study is to facilitate the remote cardiac patients in getting latest healthcare services which might not be possible otherwise due to low doctor-to-patient ratio. The developed monitoring system is then evaluated for 40 individuals (aged between 18 and 66 years) using wearable sensors while holding an Android device (i.e., smartphone under supervision of the experts). The performance analysis shows that the proposed system is reliable and helpful due to high speed. The analyses showed that the proposed system is convenient and reliable and ensures data security at low cost. In addition, the developed system is equipped to generate warning messages to the doctor and patient under critical circumstances. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An advanced online thermochemical model was developed for Xstrata Nickel's Sudbury smelter. The model is connected to a PI server to upload plant operating data in real time. The PI server receives and archives plant data through various interfaces, while PI DataLink retrieves the data from the server into a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet. The model was built on the ChemSheet platform, which combines the practicality and simplicity of a spreadsheet, with the robustness of FactSage, a well known thermochemical calculator. The interface of the model is relatively simple and easy-to-use. For effective modelling, the industrial unit operations were divided into thermochemical modules; the modules were then interconnected and compiled sequentially to produce the final result. Online plant data, such as flowrates, compositions and operating conditions, are dynamically entered into the model. For a given feed scenario, the model converges in ∼20 s, producing final results for calcine, matte, slag and off-gas compositions. The smelter primarily treats Ni-Cu sulphide concentrate via roasters, electric furnace and converters, producing a high grade Bessemer matte product for further refining in Norway. The described model integrates the thermochemistry of the roasters and electric furnace, and predicts important process parameters such as degree of sulphur elimination in the fluid-bed roasters, matte grade, iron metallisation, slag losses and the iron to silica ratio in the electric furnace slag. One of the main objectives of the model was to assist process engineers and operators in calculating the addition rates of coke, flux and air for different feed scenarios. The model is also valuable in helping to stabilise the metallurgy of the converter aisle operation, which is a batch process. Before implementation, the model was extensively validated using daily historical plant data for five randomly selected months from years 2011-2012. The predicted values from the model were found to be in good agreement with the plant data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many positioning systems designed to determine or track a user's location have been proposed many years. There are three categories: global location systems, wide-area location systems based on cellular networks and indoor location system. Global position system (GPS) receives signals from multiple satellites and employs a triangulation process to determine physical location. The limitation is inefficient for indoor use or in urban areas where high building shield the satellite signals. Wide-area location systems based on cellular involves measuring the signal strength; the angle of signal arrival and/or the time difference of signal arrive and is highly limited by the cell size. Several approaches have been proposed for indoor location sensing; such as infrared sensing, radio frequency, ultrasonic, and scene capture analysis. Each of these methods has their own advantages and disadvantages. Some are expensive to implement, while others are not very accurate. A wireless local-area network (WLAN) based positioning system has distinct advantages over all other system. Due to it is an economical solution because the WLAN network usually exists already as part of the communications infrastructure. Notebook computers, personal digital assistants (PDA), or the other mobile device equipped with WLAN capability, the position system can be implemented in software. The WLAN covered the large area compared with other types of indoor positioning systems. The system used an underlying wireless data network, such as the IEEE 802.11 wireless network, to estimate user location has gained attention recently, for indoor applications and do not require additional hardware for user location determination. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this study was to utilize the space-time permutation scan statistic and GIS for investigating and visualizing the spatial diffusion of diarrhea outbreaks in Chiang Mai province, Thailand. A space-time retrospective analysis was conducted to detect the outbreak signals of diarrhea from 1 November 2003 to 31 October 2006, in order to include all confirmed diarrhea cases of patient less than five years of age. A total of 37,536 diarrhea cases were reported in Chiang Mai from November 1, 2003 to October 31, 2006. In the study, period had more village outbreak and the diarrhea incidence was so high. The strongest signals of outbreak (13 villages) was on 17 January 2006 (cool season) and occurred to the conurbations of Mac Chaem district (Chang Khoeng and Tha Pha sub-districts), which is located about 100 km to the south-west of Chiang Mai City. This signal had 44 cases observed over 8 days when 2.98 were expected (relative risk = 14.79). The weaker signal was on 29 June 2005 (begin of rainy season) that were located in southern Chiang Mai (Chore Thong district), there had 16 cases observed over 11 days when 1.21 were expected theoretically (relative risk = 13.24). The daily spatial spread or diffusion of diarrhea outbreak from the first day to the end day of incidence (17-24 January 2006) in the study site of Mac Chaem district was follow a pattern of contagious diffusion. They spread outward from a village of origin (Ban Rai), with high incidence to nearby villages, which related to the area of high population densities, within the urban and agricultural areas along the main course of Mae Chaem River. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In 2009, the fatal outbreak of H1N1 influenza A became one of the most serious global concerns since mid-April. Within two months, the outbreak spectrum surged to pandemic. After one year, H1N1 caused at least 18,000 deaths in more than 200 countries worldwide. However, with timely collaborative responses among various organizations worldwide, the spread of the disease was finally brought back to normal. Swift action and cooperation through sharing relevant and comprehensive information played a crucial role for decision makers to issue pertinent measures and guidelines for preparedness and response. By deploying web-based technology and geographic information systems (GIS), these planning and intervention processes were achieved more economically and effectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Geographic Information System (GIS) techniques are used to develop the risk zone map of Dengue Fever (DF)/Dengue Haemorrhagic Fever (DHF) in Chachoengsao province, Thailand. The risk zonation index is derived using the Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP). The medical database considered for the study was referenced to the geographical and meteorological data layers. Based on this analysis, potential areas were categorized as very high, high, moderately high, moderately low, low, and very low risk categories. The model used in this study provided valuable information to prepare DF/DHF risk zones for decision support to mitigate the epidemic. Factor weights used in AHP were evaluated and found to be acceptable as the consistency ratio (CR) was 0.031, which was < 0.1. Spatial modelling included a huge database about physical-environment, climatic, and demographic factors. Approximately, 74.96% people lived in very high, high, and moderately high risk zones. The most at risk zone was shown to be Mueang Chachoengsao district with a population of 142,485 or 22.34% of total population. The results from AHP based DF/DHF risk zonation gave useful information on different levels of disease risk areas. The methodology is general and can he applied in other application fields, such as disease outbreak during natural disaster. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: A novel device design for enhancement mode operation of III-nitride high electron mobility transistor (HEMT) structure has been proposed and demonstrated. The proposed HEMT device structure consists of a multi-heterojunction (SiO2/Al x Ga1− x N/GaN/Al y Ga1− y N) design in contrast to a single AlGaN/GaN heterojunction commonly used in conventional III-nitride HEMT designs. Normally OFF operation of the proposed HEMT design is expected to take place for thicker GaN and the top Al x Ga1− x N layers than previously allowed. The effects of design parameters on the value of the device turn ON voltage have been studied extensively using simulations. Various device structures have been developed based on the simulations results and epitaxially grown by MOCVD. I–V measurements support the effects of design parameters on the turn ON voltage predicted by the simulations and have confirmed the enhancement mode operation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Chi River always faces floods and water shortage problems in the rainy season and subsequent dry season, respectively. The Royal Thai Government emphasizes on construction of floodwater retention reservoirs to store more water along the Chi River. This water is to be used mainly for agriculture in the subsequent dry season. A methodology was developed to identify potential floodwater retention zones using the Analytical Hierarchical Process and GIS-based data. They were surface water, drainage density, landform, land use, soil drainage, salt crust, geological formation, lineament density, vegetation index, and groundwater yield. The result was the potential water retention zones map, which was categorized as excellent, good, moderate, poor and very poor classes. The map was validated with a field survey of floodwater retention site. The results agreed with the field check. The hydrodynamic model (MIKE11) was employed to simulate diversion of discharges from the Chi River into retention reservoirs. The results of simulation revealed that the proposed reservoir (Kud Dok) could retain floodwater at the maximum storage capacity of 8.13 million m³ for return periods of 3, 5, 8 and 25 years. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The goal of our research was to assess the impact of post-mining land subsidence, caused due to underground coal mining operations, on fine root biomass and root tips count; plant available nutrient status, microbial biomass N (MBN) and N-mineralization rates of a Southern tropical dry deciduous forest of Singareni Coalfields of India. The changes were quantified in all the three (rainy, winter and summer) seasons, in slope and depression microsites of the subsided land and an adjacent undamaged forest microsite. Physico-chemical characteristics were found to be altered after subsidence, showing a positive impact of subsidence on soil moisture, bulk density, water holding capacity, organic carbon content, total N and total P. The increase in all the parameters was found in depression microsites, while in slope microsites, the values were lower. Fine root biomass and root tips count increased in the subsided depression microsites, as demonstrated by increases of 62% and 45%, respectively. Soil nitrate-N and phosphate-P concentrations were also found to be higher in depression microsite, showing an increase of 35.68% and 24.74%, respectively. Depression microsite has also shown the higher MBN value with an increase over control. Net nitrification, net N-mineralization and MBN were increased in depression microsite by 29.77%, 25.72% and 34%, respectively. There was a positive relation of microbial N with organic C, fine root biomass and root tips. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

This investigation is aimed in contribute the concepts and methods of the innovative development and application of Geographical Information System (GIS) and Remote Sensing regarding Malaria prevalence. Kanchanaburi province, Thailand is chosen 0.3 study area. The input data are based on the geospatial factors including climatic aspects, physical environment, and statistical record of Malaria cases. Afterwards data preprocessing needs to be carried out. Malaria cases map and information value (i-value) approach will he used in order to identify the relation between physical and social factors, and also statistical analysis will be carried out so as to define the relation of climatic factor. The final output based on those approaches is a Malaria risk map which is classified into three classes including high risk level, moderate risk level and low risk level. This study also develops the model based on i-values which are formed as thematic layers in GIS database and are computed using different map analysis techniques, for example, map crossing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Quantitative analysis morphometric parameters such as stream length, drainage density (DD), bifurcation ratio (Rb), slope, shape factors are good indicators for morphological evolution of a basin. Relationships of these parameters with structure, lithology and geomorphology are enhancing the factors which control the erosion behavior of the area and further use for proper management and development programs. In this study LANDSAT ETM+ data is used for DIP techniques such as NDVI and lineaments enhancement, and GIS techniques to extract different models. In this study the Dashtgol basin which is a watershed overlooking the reservoir of the great Shahid Abasspour dam in the south west Iran has selected to evaluate geomorphic factors. This basin is located within the ZFB. It exhibits complex geological and geomorphic configuration. The information from remotely sensed and ground truth data are analysed in GIS environment. Further, the study, area is divided in 10 hydrologic divisions. The results show that the maximum erosion belongs to the sixth hydrologic division (27.5 t/h per year) and the minimum erosion belongs to second hydrologic division (14.8 t/h per year). Geologic interpretation and geomorphic analysis in GIS environment on the Sabzab river profile shows that the tectonic process is a factor to increase the rates of sedimentation and erosion in the study area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Japanese encephalitis (JE) is a major public health concern in Asia including India. Objectives: To evaluate an in-house developed dipstick enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) test vis-à-vis two commercial kits for detection of JE virus-specific IgM antibodies. Setting and Design: Comparative study carried out in Research and Development centre. Materials and Methods: A total of 136 specimens comprising 84 serum and 52 CSF samples were tested by in-house dipstick ELISA, Pan-Bio IgM capture ELISA (Pan-Bio, Australia) and JEV CheX IgM capture ELISA (XCyton, India). Results: The overall agreement among all three tests was found to be 92% with both serum and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) samples. The sensitivity of the dipstick ELISA was found to be 91% with serum and 89% with CSF samples respectively. The specificity of the dipstick ELISA with reference to both commercial assays was found to be 100% in serum and CSF samples in this study. Conclusions: The in-house dipstick ELISA with its comparable sensitivity and specificity can be used as a promising test in field conditions since it is simple, rapid and requires no specialized equipment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A chemical characterisation of the non-metallic inclusions in the aluminium killed tool steels during the casting process has been performed. The steel samples taken during the mould fillings, after casting and from the final products have been studied. The chemical compositions of the different phases in the inclusions have been analysed using SEM/EDX. Three types of inclusions, namely, type 6 (spinel surrounded by the calcium–aluminate oxide solution), type 7 (calcium–aluminate oxide solution) and type 9 (alumina based inclusions) have been found in the steel samples during the mould filling. Type 9 inclusions originate from the erosion of the nozzles and the closing gates during the mould fillings. The steel samples after casting contain four types of inclusions namely, types 6, 7, 9, 10 (alumina–silicate oxide solution) and 11 (spinel phase with calcium sulphide). The types of inclusions vary with the position in the ingot. In the steel samples from the final products three types of inclusions were detected, namely types 6, 7 and 11. The investigation have revealed that the increase in the sulphur activity of the steel melt during the casting is the cause of the formation of oxide sulphide and calcium sulphide phases in the inclusions detected after casting and in the final products. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Land use/land cover of the Earth is changing dramatically because of human activities and natural disasters. Information about changes is useful for updating land use/land cover maps for planning and management of natural resources, Several methods for land use/land cover change detection using time series Landsat imagery data were employed and discussed. Landsat 5 TM colour composites of 1990, 1993, 1996 and 1999 were employed for locating training samples for supervised classification in the coastal areas of Ban Don Bay, Surat Thani, Thailand. This study illustrated an increasing trend of shrimp farms. forest/mangrove and urban areas with a decreasing trend of agricultural and wasteland areas. Land use changes from one category to others have been clearly represented by the NDVI composite images, which were found suitable for delineating the development of shrimp farms and land use changes in Ban Don Bay. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Air pollution is a serious problem in thickly populated and industrialized areas in Thailand, especially in Bangkok. The air pollution in Bangkok is abundant, especially in areas where pollution sources and the human population are concentrated. Economic growth and industrialization are proceeding at a rapid pace, accompanied by increasing emissions of air polluting sources. Furthermore, though the variety and quantities of polluting sources have increased dramatically, the development of a suitable method for monitoring the pollution causing sources has not followed at the same pace. Environmental impacts of air pollutants have impact on public health, vegetation, material deterioration etc. To prevent or minimize the damage caused by atmospheric pollution, suitable monitoring systems are urgently needed that can rapidly and reliably detect and quantify polluting sources for monitoring by regulating authorities in order to prevent further deterioration of the current pollution levels. Consequently, it is important that the current real-time air quality monitoring system, controlled by the Pollution Control Department (PCD), should be adapted or extended to aid in alleviating this problem. Nanotechnology has been applied to several industrial and domestic fields, for example, applications for gas monitoring systems, gas leak detectors in factories, fire and toxic gas detectors, ventilation control, breath alcohol detectors, and the like. Here we report an application example of studying air quality monitoring based on nanotechnology ‘solid state gas sensors’. So as to carry out air pollution monitoring over an extensive area, a combination of ground measurements through inexpensive sensors and wireless GIS will be used for this purpose. This portable device, comprising solid state gas sensors integrated to a Personal Digital Assistant (PDA) linked through Bluetooth communication tools and Global Positioning System (GPS), will allow rapid dissemination of information on pollution levels at multiple sites simultaneously. The AQ report generated can be then published using Internet GIS to provide a real-time information service for the PCD, for increased public awareness and enhanced public participation. The local deterministic and geostatistical interpolation methods have been used for spatial prediction, and to find out the most suitable method for studying air pollution, based on observations at each monitoring site. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The widely available laboratory spectrometers detect targets at spectral regions restricted to visible and near-infrared (VNIR). The spectral response of soils in this region is predominantly featureless and obstructs the exploitation of absorption features as diagnostic criterion. In this study, polynomial based modelling was developed as an alternative method of estimating soil organic matter (OM) from VNIR spectral region. Forty-one core samples, collected from Lop Buri, Thailand, were subjected to chemical and radiometric analysis. Computations were made across four categories of synthesized bandwidths. The selection procedure identified bands at 960, 1100 and 520 nm as OM sensitive. The widening interval of bandwidth has corresponded with diminishing predictive power, termed 'bandwidth decay effect'. The use of polynomial models and their validations showed a higher performance than the analysis made with multiple regressions analysis. The polynomial based approach offers a fresh opportunity for modelling other non-photoactive soil nutrient parameters. Furthermore, it may form the basis for integration of spectrometers and satellite sensors, aimed at mapping of non-vegetated soils. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Understanding the spectral characteristics of tea plants is important in monitoring tea plantations by remote sensing. Westhall tea estate, Kataboola, situated in the Kandy district in Sri Lanka, was selected as the study site. The Leaf Area Index (LAI) of the tea canopy and spectral reflectance of different types of tea clones for different pruning ages were studied in 50 tea fields in the estate. An empirical model between Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) (spectrophotometer derived) and LAI (field measured) of the tea canopy was developed. This study has revealed that different tea clones have unique spectral characteristics depending on the tea canopy structure, size, greenness and maturity of the leaves. These spectral variations were also studied using IRS-1C image acquired on the sampling date. Satellite sensor records have shown variation in spectral characteristics for different types of clonal and seedling tea, but these variations are not as prominent as the result offered by spectrophotometer-based observations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Remote sensing data from IRS-1D LISS-III were used for bathymetric mapping in Kakinada Bay, India. A global positioning system was employed to locate the accurate sampling points for sea depth. An echo sounder was used to collect sea depth information. Suitability of wavelength bands for bathymetry was examined. An empirical model between sea depth and spectral reflectance was determined based on least squares regression analysis. The influence of turbidity on sea depth measurements using remote sensing data was investigated and a correcting factor (turbidity influence factor, TIF) developed. The regression model was verified using a Chi-square test. The depth of Kakinada Bay was determined using the empirical model and a Band 1 (0.52-0.59 μm) image corrected for turbidity. A bathymetric map of Kakinada was prepared using this depth information. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hope Island is a long spit formed in Kakinada Bay, India. It acts as a barrier to direct sea currents thus protecting Kakinada town, port and mangroves along the coast. Erosion was noticed at one section of the Island on visual interpretation of IRS-ID LISS-III imagery. In the absence of sea depth data it was difficult to analyse the extent of erosion along the height of the Island above the seabed. Remote sensing based bathymetric estimates were made and used to investigate the erosion problem at selected locations. The work considered the use of remote sensing for determining three-dimensional coastal erosion along slopes of Hope Island. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Morphological image transforms find their basis in the notions of mathematical morphology. An attempt is made to develop morphological transforms for enhancement of directional edges and lineaments from satellite imagery. Geostructural features are generally oriented in preferred directions. This information has been utilized in designing structuring elements for morphological transforms. Several shapes and sizes of structuring elements have been designed and applied to delineate lineaments in different litho-environments of the same study area. Top hat transform has been applied using the directional structuring elements for edge image at 0[sup o], 30[sup o], 60[sup o], 90[sup o], 120[sup o] and 150[sup o]. Geological lineaments such as faults could be easily identified on an edge image obtained using top hat transformation followed by an image superimposition technique. The lineament map was developed using directionally enhanced edge images and the results have been verified. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

On screening the leaf extracts of some higher plants for their volatile antifungal activity against the test organism Aspergillus flavus, the extract of Ocimum adscendens exhibited the strongest fungitoxicity. The leaves showed maximum fungitoxicity as compared with other plant parts. The volatile fungitoxic fraction obtained as an essential oil was standardized by various physico-chemical properties. The oil showed its fungicidal nature and broad range of activity at its minimum inhibitory concentration. The oil was thermostable and the toxicity remained unchanged even on autoclaving and on storage for up to 360 days. Moreover, the oil proved more active than some prevalent synthetic fungicides and exhibited no phytotoxic effect on Vigna radiata. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

On mycoflora analysis of dried fruits and seeds of chilli stored for six months, Aspergilltis flavus and A. niger were the more frequent out of eighteen fungi isolated. Some terpenoids viz. Citral, Citronellal, Citronellol, Eugenol, Farnesol and Nerol showed absolute toxicity against A. flavus and A. niger at 0.5 per cent concentration. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and nature (fungistatic/fungicidal) of all the terpenoids against both these fungi were determined. Citral, Eugenol and Nerol exhibited a broad range of toxicity and were found to be more efficacious than some synthetic fungicides. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report on a Cs-free GaN photocathode structure in which band engineering at the photocathode surface caused by Si delta doping eliminates the need for use of cesium for photocathode activation. The structure is capped with a highly doped n+GaN layer. We have identified that n+GaN cap thickness plays an important role in limiting the effect of polarization induced charges at the GaN surface on the photocathode emission threshold. Physics based device simulations is used for further analysis of the experimental results. Our findings clearly illustrate the impact of polarization induced surface charges on the device properties including its emission threshold. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The application of III-nitrides to the development of a tunable hyperspectral detector is reported. The device consists of a triangular step barrier provided by a heterostructure of AlN/AlxGa1-xN/GaN. The structure is carefully designed to avoid relaxation of strained layers to prevent further introduction of defects and cracking due to the large tensile strain between different layers of the device. This structure is envisioned for tunable detection of ultraviolet through infrared wavelengths. The particular device structure reported here is expected to span detection energies from ∼1 to 2 eV and from 3.4 to 5.4 eV. The adjustable height of the triangular barrier with applied bias voltage provides tunability of the detected wavelength. The results from a first generation device are reported. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Student attendance during classroom hours is important, because it impacts the academic performance of students. Consequently, several universities impose a minimum attendance percentage criterion for students to be allowed to attend examinations; therefore, recording student attendance is a vital task. Conventional methods for recording student attendance in the classroom, such as roll-call and sign-in, are an inefficient use of instruction time and only increase teachers' workloads. In this study, we propose a Bluetooth Low Energy-based student positioning framework for automatically recording student attendance in classrooms. The proposed architecture consists of two components, an indoor positioning framework within the classroom and student attendance registration. Experimental studies using our method show that the Received Signal Strength Indicator fingerprinting technique that is used in indoor scenarios can achieve satisfactory positioning accuracy, even in a classroom environment with typically high signal interference. We intentionally focused on designing a basic system with simple indoor devices based on ubiquitous Bluetooth technology and integrating an attendance system with computational techniques in order to minimize operational costs and complications. The proposed system is tested and demonstrated to be usable in a real classroom environment at Rangsit University, Thailand. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Amount raised: In last decade INR 169,708,369 mobilized through sponsored cancer awareness programs. Background and context: With an eagle's eye our vision of eighties resulted in the incorporation of Cancer Aid Society on 8th of December 1987 at Lucknow. Founders of the Cancer Aid Society perceived the threats early and initiated the fight against cancer by developing a self-sustainable model without external financial assistance unfurling series of events internationally. As of now ours is a holistic model on cancer prevention integrated with NCDs, tobacco and palliative care demonstrating replicability within different communities and scalability across the worlds largest democracy having its own network of branches. Aim: Self-sustainable model prevention and control of tobacco, cancer integrated with other NCDs, palliative care and advocacy. Strategy/Tactics: Sponsored cancer awareness programs are organized free of cost in schools and colleges however we accept voluntary donations from the community if any. As schools have contact with the child and their family from kindergarten to senior secondary, they inculcate the spirit of humanitarianism and work for social amelioration improving the overall health of the citizens strengthening the fight against cancer. It covers the need of the current and future generations on cancer control. Program process: Keeping with the ages old adage "Prevention Is Better Than Cure" thousands of community awareness campaigns are organized in educational Institutions every year by mobilizing a million volunteers who generate awareness among twenty million people all over India on health, hygiene, tobacco abuse including passive smoking, carcinogens, balanced diet, regular exercise, obesity, clean drinking water, pollution of air, water and land etc. This plays an integral part in inculcating healthy lifestyle and keeping children away from tobacco at an age when they are vulnerable and tempted the most further grooming our future generation when they are most receptive and in the process of developing habits. They multiply awareness manifold improving the overall health of the community. Costs and returns: As the program follows an integrated and holistic approach on prevention and control of cancer and other NCDs virtually it lacks any administrative costs and offers 100% returns on investments. In last decade INR 144,968,969 spent in sponsored cancer awareness programs. What was learned: With our 30 years of experience of working at grass root community level all across India in spite of regional complexities in terms of multiple languages, cultures, castes, religions etc. ISO 9001 NGO accreditation has given us teeth since 2004 streamlining our functioning through documentation and continuous improvement program through reporting monitoring and feedback. As of now we are ready to share our experiences at international level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and context: According to ICO Information Centre on HPV and Cancer (HPV Information Centre) 2014 in females with 23.8% breast cancer is highest and at 20.2% cervix cancer comes at number 2 in India. India has a population of 432.20 million women aged 15 years and older who are at risk for developing cervical cancer. Current estimates indicate that every year 122,844 women are diagnosed with cervical cancer and 67,477 die of the disease. Cervical cancer in India ranks as the 2nd most frequent cancer among women between 15 and 44 years of age. Aim: Accessibility for the early detection of cervix and breast cancer for the females in Uttar Pradesh. Strategy/Tactics: Lucknow is the capital city of Uttar Pradesh the most populous State of India having 1/6 of population and equivalent burden of cervical cancer. Any action aimed at an effect in Lucknow shall further have impact in the entire state. Advocacy training was organized at Lucknow on the occasion of "World Cancer Day" (4th February) with material for capacity building of organizations working on cervical cancer and female health. We were able to mobilize 10 different organizations working for cervical cancer and female health issue. Presence of Hon'ble Governor and Principal Health Secretary enabled us in making a dent on the issue from the very beginning. His Excellency the Governor of Uttar Pradesh being a cancer survivor was the best advocate, stressing during the lecture on the need to address the issue. Principal Health Secretary, the ultimate deciding authority for developing the policies assured for full cooperation and early action. Program/Policy process: Principal Health Secretary of Government of Uttar Pradesh announced to establish the screening clinics forscreening of cervical cancer in 23 districts of Uttar Pradesh. Treatment facilities would be provided in all the government medical colleges of Uttar Pradesh. The clinic set up shall be monitored by National Health Mission Unit of Uttar Pradesh. Outcomes: Currently Sampoorna clinics are established in 28 districts of Uttar Pradesh which is for females of age group 15 to 60 years for all kind of screening, advice and treatment. What was learned: For advocacy we need ground work to be done before meeting to any policy maker to influence the policy. Different organization working on the same or related issues has to bring together to strengthen the impact. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Surface array protein (Sap) can be an important biomarker for specific detection of Bacillus anthracis, which is released by the bacterium during its growth in culture broth. In the present work, we have cloned and expressed Sap in Escherichia coli. The culture conditions and cultivation media were optimized and used in batch fermentation process for scale up of Sap in soluble form. The recombinant Sap was purified employing affinity chromatography followed by diafiltration. The final yield of purified protein was 20 and 46 mg/l of culture during shake flasks and batch fermentation, respectively. The protein purity and its reactivity were confirmed employing SDS-PAGE and Western blot, respectively. The antibodies raised against purified Sap were evaluated by Western blotting for detection of Sap released by B. anthracis. Our results showed that the Sap could be a novel marker for detection and confirmation of B. anthracis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the present study, the chromosomes of three species of tribe Eristalini (family Syrphidae) were studied for karyotypic details, morphometric data, C-banding and meiosis. Two species Eristalinus laetus and E. obscuritarsis showed 2n = 10 diploid chromosome number and the remaining third species E. obliquus revealed 2n = 12 chromosomes as diploid number. All the three species exhibited XY sex mechanism in males. The morphology of Y chromosome was similar in all the three species studied. C-banding revealed the presence of constitutive heterochromatin at pericentromeric locations and established the euchromatic or heterochromatic nature of sex chromosomes. Meiotic observations included leptotene, pachytene, diplotene, metaphase-II and anaphase-II. The study is useful in chromosomal evolution and in the solution of taxonomic problems within the family Syrphidae. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Constant pressure outwardly propagating flame experiments in a spherical bomb are performed to examine the duration and radius over which spark ignition effects persist. This is motivated by the need to properly account for such effects in the measurement of laminar burning velocity and Markstein length using the spark ignited expanding flame technique. Ignition energy was varied and its effects on flame propagation in methane-air and isooctane-air mixtures were studied. The Markstein length of the mixture proved critical in the ignition energy dependency of flame propagation. For relatively high values, an underlying common variation of self-sustaining flame speed with radius can be identified by the rapid convergence of curves for different ignition energies. As the Markstein length decreases, low energy spark ignition is found to give rise to a distorted and wrinkled flame kernel. For such mixtures, due to the weak effect of stretch, the kernel subsequently develops into a non-spherically propagating flame. In these cases the spark ignition effect persists up to large radius. It is shown that using low ignition energy leads to a flame speed, during the development phase, which is higher than that of a self-sustaining spherical flame. It is further shown that if this effect is not accounted for, measurements of Markstein length using standard fitting techniques results in a large error. This problem is found to worsen as the Markstein length decreases, such that its apparent measured value becomes increasingly influenced by any distortions of the flame kernel produced by the spark. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

From time immemorial, man has been in a continual fight with pests (Insects, plant disease, rodents, weeds etc.) that compete for his food supply, damage his forests and live stocks and is responsible for several diseases. The interest in the use of essential oils for the pests and pathogens control is not new and originates from the need for pesticide production with eco-friendly, easily biodegradability and negligible health impacts than synthetic pesticides. These oils have a potential to be used as protectant of stored products including cereals, grains and pulses. Recently it has been reported that some chemical constituents derived from such essential oils also affect the nervous system of stored product insects. The expanding literature on the possibility of the use of these volatiles is reviewed in the present time. It focuses on the oil's effect on oviposition, repellency, ovicidal, pupicidal, larvicidal, insecticidal and antifeedant activities of insects. Possible attractive effect of essential oils to pests may offer novel application in management of stored product insects. The insect controlling properties of essential oils due to presence of many active constituents (terpenes, terpenoids, carotenoids, coumerines, curcumines) are of great importance in food industry and offer a possibility to substitutive natural pesticides for preservation of food commodity which may originate as a safe, eco-friendly, cost-effective, renewable and easily biodegradable pesticides in near future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Freestanding hydride vapor phase epitaxy grown GaN substrates subjected to various polishing methods were characterized for their surface and subsurface conditions. Although different polishing processes led to very smooth surfaces as seen in atomic force microscopy and optical microscopy, they resulted in drastically different optical properties measured by photoluminescence (PL) and cathodoluminescence (CL). PL measurements showed a large increase in defect luminescence. There was also subsurface damage evidenced in CL imaging for one polishing process. Morphological and optical characteristics of an overgrown GaN thin film indicate great differences in the initial nucleation on the substrates subjected to different polishing processes even though the starting surface roughness was similar. This difference continued for the growth of a 405nm light emitting diode (LED) structure. A PL lifetime reduction by factors of two and four, respectively, was seen for the band edge peak of the GaN layer and the quantum well peak of the LED structure as measured by time-resolved PL. This variability in device performance emphasizes the need for a greater understanding of the effects of starting surfaces, and subsurface characteristics, on the epitaxial growth. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The use of a number of synthetic pesticides has been found to cause great menace to plants as well as human beings due to their severe bio-hazards. However, pesticides of plant origin have been found useful due to their non-phytotoxic, more systemic, easily biodegradable, non-pollutive and host metabolism stimulatory nature (Fawcett and Spencer 1970, Beye 1978, Tripathi et al. 1980). Therefore, in the present work leaves of some higher plants have been tested for their volatile toxicity against Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. udtim causing wilt disease in pigeon pea (Cajanus cajan). Besides, detailed fungi-toxic and phytotoxic investigations with the essential oil of most active plant Callistemon lanceolatus have been made. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The selective laser sintering (SLS) of an yttria (Y 2 O 3) ceramic powder was studied to understand both the effects of i) the initial yttria particle characteristics on the powder bed behaviour and ii) the process conditions (laser power, scanning speed, hatching space) on the sintering/melting of three-dimensionally printed objects. The roughness of the powder bed, a sensitive indicator of the layer bed quality, was determined through three-dimensional optical profilometry and the powder bed packing density was modelled using the discrete-element method. Complex shaped objects including spheres and open rings were successfully fabricated by the SLS three-dimensional printing. In addition, SLS cube-shaped samples were characterized by X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy. The open pore volume fraction significantly decreased from 41% without a post-SLS heat treatment to 31% with a post-SLS heat treatment at 1750 °C for 20 h under secondary vacuum. Finally, an anisotropy in elastic properties has been highlighted, Young's modulus reaches 11 GPa in the stiffest direction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: Category A classified Bacillus anthracis is highly fatal pathogen that causes anthrax and creates challenges for global security and public health. In this study, development of a safe and ideal next‐generation subunit anthrax vaccine has been evaluated in mouse model. Method and Results: Protective antigen (PA) and BA3338, a surface layer homology (SLH) domain possessing protein were cloned, expressed in heterologous system and purified by IMAC. Recombinant PA and BA3338 with alum were administered in mouse alone or in combination. The humoral and cell‐mediated immune response was measured by ELISA and vaccinated animals were challenged with B. anthracis spores via intraperitoneal route. The circulating IgG antibody titre of anti‐PA and anti‐BA3338 was found significantly high in the first and second booster sera. A significant enhanced level of IL‐4, IFN‐γ and IL‐12 was observed in antigens stimulated supernatant of splenocytes of PA + BA3338 vaccinated animals. A combination of PA and BA3338 provided 80% protection against 20 LD50 lethal dose of B. anthracis spores. Conclusion: Both antigens induced admirable humoral and cellular immune response as well as protective efficacy against B. anthracis spores. Significance and Impact of the Study: This study has been evaluated for the first time using BA3338 as a vaccine candidate alone or in combination with well‐known anthrax vaccine candidate PA. The findings of this study demonstrated that BA3338 could be a co‐vaccine candidate for development of dual subunit vaccine against anthrax. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A reduction of edge dislocations in the GaN layer on Si substrate by almost an order of magnitude to 8.0×107/cm2 and reduction in screw dislocations by a factor greater than 4 are achieved for the film grown on the Si (111) substrate engineered to have a polycrystalline defective layer at the AlN/Si interface. The formation of a polycrystalline defective layer at the AlN/Si interface by N+ ion implantation provides substrate conditions that result in a heteroepitaxial GaN film with much improved surface morphology and better crystal quality as compared to the film grown directly on AlN/Si. A mechanism of dislocation defect reduction in the epitaxial film is given based on the detailed study of AlN/Si interfaces as well as the evolution of the AlN buffer layer in the context of this substrate engineering technique, which shows partial decoupling of the III-nitride layers from the substrate to be responsible for the improved characteristics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: This paper presents independent multi‐instrument observations that address the physical mechanisms of how ultralow‐frequency (ULF) wave‐associated electric fields initiate ionospheric density fluctuation and scintillation at the equator. Since the magnetic field at the equator is entirely embedded in a relatively high‐collision and high‐conductivity medium, the condition may not be possible for the geomagnetic field to fluctuate due to ULF wave activity. This implies that the fluctuating electric field at the equator may not be produced through equatorial dynamo action due to fluctuating magnetic fields. Instead, the electric field penetrates from high latitudes and produces fluctuating magnetic field as well as modulates the vertical drift and hence causes the density to fluctuate at the equatorial region. We demonstrate this by estimating the ULF associated fluctuating electric field at high latitudes and at the equatorial region by applying the appropriate attenuation factor as it penetrates to lower latitudes. The periodicity of both electric field and density fluctuations appears to be between 6 and 9 min, which is a typical period of ULF waves in the Pc5 range. Because of its large amplitude and long periods compared to other ULF wave frequency bands, the Pc5 wave‐associated electric field, which can even be estimated using magnetograms with low sensitivity and low sampling rate (e.g., 1 min), can easily penetrate to the lower latitude region and produce significant ionospheric density fluctuations that can be strong enough to create scintillation at the equatorial region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Species composition and diversity of mushroom were examined from different areas of Gorakhpur district. The fruiting bodies of mushrooms were collected between 2011-13 during different seasons. As a result of extensive field survey and microscopic studies in laboratory 12 taxa belonging to 8 families were identified. Frequency and distribution of collected samples were also calculated from data observed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study was designed to examine the in vitro antibacterial activities of the essential oils extracted from 53 aromatic plants of the Gorakhpur Division (UP, INDIA) for the control of two phytopathogenic bacteria, namely Erwinia herbicola and Pseudomonas putida, which cause several post-harvest diseases in fruits and vegetables. Out of the 53 oils screened, 8 oils, i.e., Chenopodium ambrosioides, Citrus aurantium, Clausena pentaphylla, Hyptis suaveolens, Lippia alba, Mentha arvensis, Ocimum sanctum and Vitex negundo, completely inhibited the growth of the test bacteria. Furthermore, the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and the minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) values of C. ambrosioides oil were lower for E. herbicola (0.25 and 2.0 µl ml-1) and P. putida (0.12 and 1.0 µl ml-1), respectively, than those of the other 7 oils, as well as than those of agromycin and streptomycin, the drugs used in the current study. Gas chromatography (GC) and GC--mass spectroscopy (GC--MS) analysis of the Chenopodium oil revealed the presence of 125 major and minor compounds, of which 14 compounds were recognized. The findings led to the conclusion that Chenopodium oil may be regarded as a safe antibacterial agent for the management of post-harvest diseases of fruits and vegetables. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]