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The electromagnetic spectrum is one of nature’s meagre resources. The requirements of wireless communication cannot be satisfied by the new spectrum allocation plan. A policy of self-driven spectrum allocation results as a result. Cognitive radio (CR) engineering is a brilliant technique to maximise spectrum utilisation in rapidly changing environments by identifying unusable and underutilised bandwidth. One of the information strategies of intellectual radio is range detecting, which uses self-persuaded range allocation techniques to use open range to determine the existence of critical clients in the approved recurrence band. Energy location and cyclostationary highlight recognition are the two main factors that determine range detection. Energy recognition is a key method of range detection, but it becomes discouraging at low signal to noise ratios. With a cost of the highest degree of execution complexity, the critical cyclostationary highlight recognition based on cyclic range assessment may successfully identify weak signs from crucial clients. This project is aimed at implementing a useful range detecting mechanism in a field programmable door show with meticulous precision for CR. The adaptive absolute-self-coherent-restoral algorithm, specifically using the truncation multiplier, is a new spectrum sensing system. The proposed architecture, which makes use of a truncation multiplier, was created using the Xilinx approach. This study suggests an efficient spectrum sensing technique that makes use of the Adaptive Absolute Score (AAS) algorithm and SQRT-based Carry Select Adder (CSLA). The TM-CSLA design includes 228 LUT for the Spartan 6 device, which is fewer than the other architectures.

BACKGROUND Mouth opening is an important clinical parameter in our daily clinical practice. Mouth opening and its adequacy is an important factor in the treatment and follow up of the common conditions involving head and neck. Normal mouth opening has been defined as the inter-incisal distance at the maximal mouth opening. The purpose of this study was to determine the normal range of maximal mouth opening in the young adult Kumaoni population between the age of 20-40 years. METHODS The study was undertaken in the institutional hospital, Almora. A total of randomly selected 200 subjects between the age group of 20-40 years representing a sample of dentate adults was included for the study. The sample was stratified into four groups according to age followed by gender stratification. The age groups were classified as 21-25 years (Group 1), 26-30 years (Group 2), 31-35 years (Group 3), and 36-40 years (Group 4). Each group comprised 50 patients (25 males and 25 females). All particulars of patients, relevant clinical history and examination findings were recorded in the clinical proforma after taking proper informed consent. The mouth opening was measured using a standardized protocol with a calibrated ruler, and the findings were recorded in millimetres. RESULTS The mean MMO for males was 51.85 mm [standard deviation (SD) ± 2.59]. The range was 48–56 mm. The mean MMO for females was 49.82 mm (SD ± 2.32). The range was 46–56 mm. In the age group of 21-25 years, the mean MMO was 50.14 (SD ± 2.53) mm. The mean value for males was 50.80 (SD ± 2.67) mm and for females was 49.48 (SD ± 2.25). In the age group of 26-30 years, the mean MMO was 50.20 (SD ± 2.54) mm. The mean for males was 51.16 (SD ± 2.52) mm and for females was 49.24 (SD ± 2.22). In the age group of 31-35 years, the mean MMO was 51.56 (SD ± 2.62) mm. The mean for males was 52.28 (SD ± 2.66) mm and for females was 50.60 (SD ± 2.44). In the age group of 36-40 years, the mean MMO was 50.83 (SD ± 2.66) mm. The mean for males was 53.56 (SD ± 2.62) mm and for females was 49.82 (SD ± 2.32). CONCLUSIONS The mean maximum mouth opening for male participants was 51.85 mm (SD 2.59) (Range: 48-56 mm). The mean maximal mouth opening for female participants was 49.82 mm (SD 2.32) (Range: 46–56 mm). The maximum mouth opening was observed to decrease with age. The mouth opening of females was also observed to be lesser than the males from the corresponding age groups. KEY WORDS Maximum Mouth Opening, MMO, Trismus, Oral Cavity, Jaw, TMJ, Kumaon

BACKGROUND Monkeys are responsible for 2-21% of all animal bite injuries. Monkey bites are second only to the dog bites as represented in India. Control of animal rabies is central to the prevention of human disease. Thus, prophylaxis (for domestic animals and selected humans) and PET remain essential to the prevention of clinical rabies. METHODS Patients presenting to the outpatient and emergency department with the complaint of monkey bite were enrolled in the study. All particulars of patients, history and examination findings were recorded in the clinical proforma after taking proper informed consent. Wounds were categorized based on WHO guide to postexposure prophylaxis. Local treatment consisted of two parts: first aid and wound management. ARV was administered in category II and III exposures in accordance to the intradermal schedule. Data was analysed for clinical information such as age, sex, socioeconomic status, timing & site of bite, categories of contact and treatment given. RESULTS In our study of 68 patients, 24 (35.3%) were males and 44 (64.7%) were females. Majority of the patients belonged to the age group of 11-40 years in both male (n=20; 83.33%) and female (n=34; 77.27%) patients. Mean age group of patients in the study was 28.29 years. This generally reflects the greater exposure of young adults to the monkeys. Based on modified Kuppuswamy scale, most patients belonged to the class III (n=36; 52.9%) followed by class IV (n=16; 23.5%). All the patients sustaining bites from monkeys were vaccinated. Majority of the bites involved the lower extremities (n=31; 45.6%) followed by upper extremities (n=27; 39.7%). Based on WHO guidelines for wound categories, most patients belonged to category II (n=49; 72.1%) followed by category III (n=19; 27.9%). CONCLUSIONS In our study, we found that majority of patients sustaining monkey bites were young adults and belonged to lower middle & upper lower class. There was no difference with respect to gender. Most common sites of monkey bite were upper & lower extremities and belonged to WHO category II. No cases of rabies were observed in our study. KEY WORDS Almora, Monkey, Simian, Animal, Bite, Rabies, Immunization, Prophylaxis, Treatment

BACKGROUND Rabies is a viral disease producing an almost uniformly fatal encephalitis in humans and other mammals. There is no established treatment for rabies once symptoms have begun. Rabies vaccination for prevention and PET is essential in the management of the illness. The purpose of present study was to describe the clinical profile and management of dog bite patients presenting to the tertiary care hospital in the Kumaun region of Uttarakhand. METHODS Patients presenting to the outpatient and emergency department with the complaint of dog bite were enrolled in the study. All particulars of patients, history and examination findings were recorded in the clinical proforma after taking proper informed consent. Wounds were categorized based on WHO guide to postexposure prophylaxis. Local treatment consisted of two parts: first aid and wound management. ARV was administered in category II and III exposures in accordance to the intradermal schedule. Data was analysed for clinical information such as age, sex, socioeconomic status, dog type, site of bite, categories of contact and treatment given. RESULTS In our study of 73 patients, 36 (49.32%) were males and 37 (50.68%) were females. Majority of the patients belonged to the age group of 11-40 years in both male (n=29; 80.5%) and female (n=26; 70.3%) patients. Mean age group of patients in the study was 30.50 years. Based on modified Kuppuswamy scale, most patients belonged to the class III (n=42; 57.6%) followed by class IV (n=14; 19.2%). Dog bites from both strays and pets were almost equal. However, only 50% pet dogs were partially vaccinated and remainder were not vaccinated. Thus, mandating the use of ARV immunization. All the patients sustaining bites from street dogs were vaccinated. Majority of the bites involved the lower extremities (n=31; 42.5%) followed by upper extremities (n=26; 35.6%). Based on WHO guidelines for wound categories, most patients belonged to category II (n=36; 49.3%) followed by category III (n=31; 42.5%). CONCLUSIONS In our study, we found that majority of patients sustaining dog bites were young adults and belonged to lower middle & upper lower class. There was no difference with respect to gender and dog type. Most common sites of dog bite were upper & lower extremities and belonged to WHO category II. No cases of rabies were observed in our study. KEY WORDS Dog, Animal, Bite, Rabies, Immunization, Prophylaxis, Treatment

BACKGROUND Cervical lymphadenopathy is a common and usually benign finding especially in the paediatric age group. A thorough history and physical examination are necessary to establish a clinical diagnosis. This study was conducted to provide a clinical and pathological profile of cervical lymphadenopathy in the paediatric population visiting the tertiary care hospital in the Kumaun region of Uttarakhand. METHODS Particulars of the patients, relevant clinical history, routine blood investigation and radiological and histopathological findings were recorded in the clinical proforma after taking proper informed consent. Patients were initially given antibiotics for 1 week and observed for signs of clinical improvement of suspected infectious adenopathy. On follow-up, if there were no signs of improvement, the differential diagnosis was considered and FNAC of the cervical lymph nodes was performed. Data was analysed for clinical information such as age, sex, presenting symptoms and signs and FNAC findings. RESULTS In our study of 320 patients, 164 were males and 156 were females. Majority of the patients belonged to the age group of 11-15 years in both male (n=137; 83.5%) and female (n=140; 89.7%) patients. Most commonly involved subgroup of cervical lymph nodes was posterior group (n=267; 83.4%) followed by submandibular group (n=258; 80.6%). Most common symptom observed in the study was fever (n=242; 75.6%) followed by cough (n=194; 60.6%). Most common sign observed in the study was lymph node mobility (n=315; 98.4%) followed by tenderness (n=291; 90.9%). On follow-up, 45 patients (n=14.1%) responded to 1 week antibiotics course and showed signs of resolution. Remaining 275 patients (85.6%), were taken up for FNAC of the cervical lymph nodes. Most common FNAC finding was reactive adenitis (n=221; 80.3%). Other findings included tubercular lymphadenitis (n=21; 7.6%) and Hodgkin lymphoma (n=2; 0.7%). Out of 275 FNAC done, 31 reports (11.2%) were inconclusive. CONCLUSIONS Cervical lymphadenopathy is quite common in childhood. Majority cases are usually infective in origin and usually self-limiting. Children with cervical lymphadenopathy not showing any improvement on initial antibiotic therapy should be evaluated for other causes. KEY WORDS Cervical, Lymphadenopathy, Paediatric, Lymph Node.

Background: Swine flu had been established as seasonal influenza, but antigenic variation continues to result in epidemics that necessitate continued surveillance. Present study aims to describe the time trend of swine flu from its initiation in 2009 to 2019 from western zone of Rajasthan. Material and Methods: This secondary analysis of swine flu data from established seasonal disease reporting was conducted at a tertiary care centre of western Rajasthan which was the only swine flu testing centre in this area. Only Lab confirmed cases from this centre were included for month wise distribution. Results: First case from Jodhpur was seen in August 2009. Large peaked outbreaks were seen around every 4 years namely 2009-10, 2014-15, 2018-19 corresponding to the antigenic variation of this virus namely California, Michigan and Brisbane strain respectively. Cases were seen in mostly in winters with peak in December/January. Mortality rate among these lab confirmed cases varied from 0–22% in different outbreaks. Conclusion: Continued laboratory surveillance is necessary to identify the time pattern of outbreaks and for early identification of emergence of new strain to ensure early and timely preparedness for impending epidemics.

This study presents experimental investigation into a novel UV cabinet type solar dryer designed for drying banana slices at the Chhattisgarh Swami Vivekanand Technical University (21 27′N, 81 43′ E). An experiment for the performance assessment of banana drying was conducted at the clear sky conditions. The solar dryer consists of 6 trays with the one drying chamber. The same technique is used for forced convection drying using the fan and the PV panel. Experimentally evaluated local metrological conditions such as solar radiation, atmospheric temperature, wind speed and air humidity. In the six trays for drying, 2 kg of banana slices were evenly divided and after a period of 16 h of drying, banana slices dried in the forced convection to moisture content of 13.75 % from an initial moisture content of 86.2%. On the other hand, natural convection drying reaches to 17.5% of the final moisture content, in the same time. Moisture ratio for the forced and natural convection drying varies in the range of 0.79–0.001 and 0.85–0.05, respectively. For the forced convection drying of banana slices the optimal and minimum drying efficiency of the designed solar dryer are 16.32 % and 0.29% whereas 13.75% and 0.15% of drying efficiency for natural convection drying are measured. The more efficient is forced convection drying in comparison with natural convection drying.

Alcohol intake has occurred in India for many centuries. In India, many people are dying due to the consumption of illicit liquor made under unlicensed manufacturing units. In chemistry, the term alcohol is used as a common or generic name to entitle numerous sequences of materials. These are made in India under government license and the range of the concentration of alcohol should be within 42.8%. Here go on various incidents of illicit alcohol that take place in India. Further approved distilleries, amount of small manufacture components function surreptitiously. 25 seized country-made illicit liquor samples and 20 standard illicit liquor samples were analysed to find the element in the samples by the X-ray Fluorescence Energy Dispersion Spectroscopy (EDX-7000) instrument. The resultant shows the elements that are found such as copper, calcium, silicon, sulphur, zinc, iron etc. that are present the in some percent which adulterate the alcohol. The samples were collected from the different-different sources. In this research. We are about to explain various types of impurities present in alcohol due to adulteration which may affect the health of the human body.

The response of the substructures and foundation of a multi-span reinforced concrete (RC) integral bridge (IB) was studied in this work. The non-linear action of soil was modelled using the Drucker–Prager yield criterion soil spring model. A five-span IB of length 156 m and having 30 m deep RC piles was considered for two different cases of soil layers. In the first cast case, a uniform soil layer was assumed throughout the entire pile depth and the abutment backfill. In the second case, soil data obtained from the targeted bridge site were used. For both cases, the pile responses due to maximum and minimum yearly and daily temperatures were analysed. A vehicle load of 100 t was coupled with the thermal load to analyse the cumulative response due to temperature, a moving load and non-linear soil behaviour. The results showed that temperature and vehicular load provide a significant contribution to the IB pile response.

Migraine most often begins at adolescence and most affects those aged between 35 and 45 years. It is caused by the stimulation of a mechanism deep in the brain that leads to release of pain-producing inflammatory substances around the nerves and blood vessels of the head. Migraine is recurrent, often life-long, and characterized by recurring attacks. About 15% of the population suffers migraine. Prevalence of migraine is approximately 5.7% in men and 17.0% in women and accounts 2% years of life lost due to a disability in women of all ages. Modern science enforced several medications to manage migraine. additionally, these drugs have adverse effects like GI upset, hypotension, lack of concentration etc It is more common in women, because of hormonal influences. Ardhavabhedaka can be scientifically correlated with Migraine due to its cardinal feature ‘half sided headache’ and also due to its spasmodic nature. All the three doshas are involved in the pathogenesis of the Ardhavabhedaka with the predominance of Vata or Vata Kapha. Head is the ruler of indriya and Kapha dosha. The medicine given through Nasya reaches up to the brain and thus it pulls out all the disease causing doshas impurities Manasamitra Vatakam and Shir Shuladi Vajra Ras are is mentioned in Sahasrayogam and Bhaishajya Ratnavali book with special indication to Shirha Shoola.

In solar thermal systems, solar air heater (SAH) is an important device for heating air using energy of the sun. The solar collector is the most important part of SAH which collects solar radiation...

Wind energy plays a major role in meeting the world’s growing power demand, due to which wind speed forecasting is essential for power system management, energy trading and maintaining the balance between consumption and generation for a stable electricity market. In this article, three different types of predicting techniques have been implemented for estimating wind speed by means of different meteorological parameters. Group method of data handling (GMDH), multi linear regression (MLR) and artificial neural network (ANN) models have been developed. For these models, data sets of 05 years (12 datasets from each year) were collected from the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL). Five different types of input variables, which are ambient temperature (Ta), atmospheric pressure (Pr), wind direction (WD), relative humidity (RH) and precipitation (Pc) were selected as independent variables in all models. The collected wind speed (Wv) is selected as output or dependent variable. In this study, 48 sets of data were picked for training process and 12 datasets were selected for testing. The performances of models were examined using statistical parameters such as RMSE, MAPE and R2. MLR, GMDH and ANN techniques accurately performed with values of correlation coefficient (R) being obtained as 0.90552, 0.95542 and 0.97617 respectively. Comparative study of all models reveals that out of these three techniques, ANN performs the best. In the ANN model, the values of RMSE, MAE and R2 obtained were 0.17476, 0.12984 and 0.95210 respectively, which are optimal results when compared to those of other models. After ANN, GMDH performed better than MLR. Above analysis reveals that the wind speed was predicted with the highest accuracy by the neural technique.

The total electrical resistance between electrodes is a major factor in small scale resistance spot welding process uncertainty. The initial resistance between electrodes is depending on the current profile, electrode force and dome radius of hemispherical electrodes. A comparison between the experimental results of the expected resistance between electrodes and the predicted values of using ANN and RSM methods is the main goal of this study. E110 zirconium alloy with a thickness of 0.25 + 0.25 mm and 440 MPa tensile strength is used. An increase in dome radius of hemispherical electrodes reduces mean resistance values for zirconium alloy. The rate of preheating current rise has no appreciable effect on stabilization of resistance between electrodes in all cases. Stepwise current rise significantly reduces dispersion of resistance values for zirconium alloy. However, their dispersion significantly decreases after preheating in comparison with initial values. The empirical model predicted by the response surface methodology (RSM) is compared with the backpropagation algorithm model of artificial neural networks (ANN). On zirconium specimens, the absolute maximum error in RSM technique was 9.92% while 4.43%in ANN. Furthermore, in most cases the absolute maximum error in ANN is lower than RSM.

Mucormycosis is a serious but rare fungal infection that showed a sharp surge during the second wave of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in India. This study aimed to describe the epidemiological aspects of mucormycosis cases presenting to a tertiary care centre of Western Rajasthan, India, as well as to identify potential risk factors for Mucormycosis.This cross-sectional descriptive study included 55 patients admitted with a diagnosis of mucormycosis between May and June, 2021, covering the second wave's post-COVID-19 period. Data was collected using a pre-designed, semi-structured questionnaire and hospital case sheets.The mean age of the patients was 54.4±12.53 years, with a male-to-female ratio of 1.89:1. Of the patients, 49% were obese and had no prior history of diabetes. Most COVID-19 patients (54.6%) were treated at home and did not require oxygen support during their COVID-19 course. The majority (89%) were on steroid medication, which was mainly intravenous (93.8%) and lasted 5-10 days in most patients. Rhinoorbitocerebral mucormycosis was the most common type seen in this setting, with symptoms appearing 15-30 days after the onset of COVID-19 symptoms. During the fungal infection, about 61.8% of patients had random blood sugar readings of more than 140 mg/dl. Mortality occurred in 14.5% of patients with mucormycosis. Mortality was observed to be associated with high BMI, raised glycated haemoglobin (HBA1C), and urban residency.Mucormycosis appears to be caused by impaired glycemic control due to pre-existing or new-onset diabetes, which may be exacerbated by unintentional glucocorticoid use. It is necessary to use steroids with caution and maintain care for at least 15-30 days after the onset of COVID-19 symptoms.

Background: Computed tomography (standard and low-dose CT [SDCT, LDCT] scan) has become the reference technique in medical imaging for urinary calculi, to diagnose, plan treatment, and explore differential diagnosis of renal colic. Objective: This study was done to compare the low-dose non-enhanced CT scan with standard dose CT scan in the evaluation of urolithiasis. Materials and Methods: Prospective Cross-sectional study on 60 patients undergoing both abdominal low-dose NCCT and standard-dose NCCT. Another optional low dose excretory phase of CT urography was also reserved for suspected patients who had hydronephrosis on NCCT or ureteral calculus on NCCT or whose symptoms could not be explained by finding on NCCT. The patients were scanned by PHILIPS Ingenuity core 64 slice CT scanner with Philips intellispace workstation and software using fixed tube current. Results: The internal reliability was excellent (cronbach alfa=0.9). There was substantial agreement in both the protocols (Cohens kappa=0.69), even in detecting calculi

CREDA has installed the On-Grid Solar power plant of 1.1MWp capacity at capital complex Naya Raipur (C.G.) INDIA. Economic analysis has been done at Mantralaya buildings, regarding generation of electricity from solar power plant, electricity exported to grid, electricity utilized in mantralaya buildings, electricity imported from CSEB in KWh, amount of imported power as electricity bill, rebate for exported power in Rs.(As per electricity bill) and the total payable amount. As more attention is being focused on the development of renewable energy resources widely in Chhattisgarh state, technical and economic assessment has been done. These assessment are based on the field and the actual performances of the renewable energy conversion system. This study represents the economic analysis of 1.1MWp Capacity installed at capital complex Naya Raipur. [1] Keywords: Solar Photovoltaic, Economic Analysis, Renewable energy sources, Energy policies, Grid connected system

COVID-19 vaccines have been found to be efficacious for preventing severe disease, yet breakthrough infections and deaths have occurred in a small proportion of vaccinated individuals. This study aimed to describe the vaccination status and comorbidities of COVID-19 all-cause deaths.This descriptive observational study was conducted at a tertiary care center in western India. A total of 310, RT-PCR positive COVID-19 deaths, aged 45 years and above irrespective of the cause of death (all-cause mortality), were included in the study. Death after breakthrough infection was defined as death in patient with disease onset after 14 days of the second dose of vaccine.Diabetes was the most common comorbidity found in 17.1% of the deaths, followed by hypertension. Cardiovascular disease and renal disease were other common comorbidities seen in 8.7% and 4.83% deaths respectively. Other less common comorbidities include neurological disorders, HIV, autoimmune disorders. Out of these 310 deaths, 21.4% of patients developed disease within 14 days of the first dose. Death after true breakthrough infection (after 14 days of both doses) was seen in only two patients (0.6%). One of these two patients was aged 60 years and had diabetes, while the other was aged 72 years and had a history of smoking.Diabetes and hypertension were the most common comorbidities, indicating a higher risk of mortality among comorbid patients. Only a small proportion of deaths (0.6%) occurred after breakthrough infection beyond 14 days of two doses. COVID-19 vaccines have shown promising efficacy against severe disease, thus high vaccination coverage needs to be achieved to prevent morbidity and mortality.

Implementation research with pre- and post-comparison was planned to improve the quality of evidence-based intrapartum care services in Indian medical schools. We present the baseline study results to assess the status of adherence to intrapartum evidence-based practices (IP-EBP) in study schools in 3 states in India and the perception of the faculty.A concurrent mixed-methods approach was used to conduct the baseline assessment in 9 medical schools in Rajasthan, Gujarat, and Union Territory from October 2018 to June 2019. IP-EBP among pregnant women in uncomplicated first (n=135), second (n=120), and third stage (n=120) of labor were observed using a predesigned, pretested checklist quantitatively. We conducted in-depth interviews with 33 obstetrics and gynecology faculty to understand their perceptions of intrapartum practices. Quantitative data were analyzed using SPSS (version 22). COM-B (Capability, Opportunity, and Motivation Behavior) model was used to understand the behaviors, and thematic analysis was done for the qualitative data.Unindicated augmentation of labor was done in 64.4%, fundal pressure applied in 50.8%, episiotomy done in 58.3%, and delivery in lithotomy position was performed in 86.7% of women in labor.Intrapartum practices that are not recommended were routinely practiced in the study medical schools due to a lack of staff awareness of evidence-based practices and incorrect beliefs about their impact.

In this research, investigation carried out for thermo-elastic response of thick solid circular plate subjected to certain boundaries. According to the linear function of temperature, heat source are generated further. For finding the solution of heat equation, the integral transform techniques are used. Hankel transform techniques are incorporated for analysis of the numerical results. For designing of engineering applications of beneficial structures or machines, the temperature, displacement and thermal stresses are investigated. Suitable values are provided to investigate the parameters and the expression for specific case of special interest and the numerical results has been investigated.

Coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) pandemic-related stress is an important but under-rated issue needing attention. Stress and causative factors vary between the regions and individuals depending on the availability of resources, socio-cultural differences, and individual perceptions. We aimed to study the psychosocial impact and coping strategies among the healthcare workers (HCWs) in Western Rajasthan during COVID-19 pandemic.This questionnaire-based observational study, consisting of 59 questions in 6 sections, was conducted to identify stress, causative factors, coping strategies, and experiences of HCWs working in personal protective equipment (PPE). Chi-square test was used to compare the responses between different subgroups.Majority of the HCWs felt responsible for treating COVID-19 patients (98.8%), but also felt that it was affecting their safety (81.4%). On subgroup analysis, doctors were found to be more stressed than nursing staff (P = 0.004). Major stressors included concerns about infecting family members and lack of specific treatment for COVID-19 (87.5%). Family support was found to be a major stress-relieving factor (97.3%). Most HCWs suggested that comfortable quarantine stay, adequate supply of PPE, and equipments would help in reducing stress.Frontline HCWs in Western Rajasthan were under significant stress during COVID-19 pandemic. We found that stress-causing factors and coping strategies varied between different subgroups based on profession, gender, and age. We recommend conducting such studies in different regions of the world to develop relevant and region-specific strategies to help HCWs cope with stress more efficiently, thereby, strengthening the healthcare system to deal with future pandemics.

There are many renewable energy sources available in the earth like the sun, wind, biomass, tides, heat of the earth etc. Wind energy is one of the important energy sources, which can be used for generating electricity, water pumping, grinding of grains with the use of wind energy conversion system. Wind is generated on the earth surface by uneven heating and it is intermittent in nature. Wind speed is a very important factor and its prediction is very useful for wind power generation and many other purposes. In this study, artificial neural network (ANN) and multiple linear regressions (MLR) techniques are utilized to predict wind speed. For this aim, one year’s data has been taken which is a total of 365 data sets. In both techniques, five parameters were taken which are relative humidity, wind direction, ambient temperature, ambient pressure and perceptible water. In the first ANN technique, an MLP model was developed using these parameters in input layer, with wind speed as output variable. The 5-20-1 neural model has been trained by LM learning algorithm and predicted minimum RMSE and MRE values as 0.4558 and 0.1589 respectively and acceptable value of coefficient of correlation (R) as 0.90162. In the second technique of MLR, same parameters have been used as independent variables and dependent variable. The regression model predicted with coefficient of correlation value as 0.77852. The comparative analysis of performance of both models shows that the MLP model is better than MLR model. Additionally, to find the most sensitive variable, sensitivity analysis has also been done. Perceptible water was found to be the most sensitive variable and the sensitivity sequence of the parameters is: Prw > Ta > WD > Pa > RH.

Localized surface plasmon resonance peak of a plasmonic nanoparticle dictates its unique optical properties which are responsible for various applications like surface enhanced Raman scattering (SERS), surface enhanced Infra-red absorption (SEIRA), surface enhanced fluorescence (SEF) etc. In this report we have fine-tuned the surface morphology/roughness of pseudo spherical gold nanoparticles by reducing different metal precursors onto their surface using mild reducing ability of versatile polymer polyvinyl pyrrolidone (PVP) in alcoholic medium containing. The significant morphology/roughness dependent optical plasmonic signature defines optical parameters of plasmonic resonators like plasmon’s dephasing time, its quality factor as well as its bandwidth. Moreover, variation of these parameters with additive metal salts and its concentration is studied and a superlative conclusion was drawn between surface roughness and these optical parameters which were further confirmed by TEM data.

The urgent need of eco-friendly transport vehicles and alternate source of energy other than fossil fuels draw attention of entire world towards the sustainable development of green technologies due to sudden climate changes and global warming. In the face of the climate crisis, petroleum dependence, and volatile gasoline prices, it is imperative to explore possible opportunities in unconventional alternative-fuel vehicles. In this due course Compressed Air Vehicles (CAV) is a thrust area of research. CAV utilizes high pressure energy of air from compressed form which is converted into mechanical output. For the same Compressed air is stored in a cylinder and released by a nozzle connected through the piping. Compressed air passing through nozzle strikes the blade with a very high velocity, resulting in the rotation of prime mover. To produce a high torque and to reduce the rpm, this prime mover is coupled with gear train which is further connected with the axle. So that rotational energy of prime mover is converted into mechanical output easily and efficiently i.e. the motion of CAV. Based this protocol a prototype compressed air vehicle was designed and developed. The efficiency of the prototype model under the different condition of load and speed in rpm was studied. Results show that although the CAV is a bold, unconventional solution for today’s transportation challenges, it is ultimately not workable, and compares poorly with gasoline and electric vehicles in all environmental and economic metrics.

Increase of greenhouse gases and pollution of environment due to use of conventional sources of energy has made the world aware of the need to increase the use of renewable energy sources like solar power, wind power and hydropower. The scope of the solar power is vast and proper optimization of solar power plants can fulfill varying load demands. This paper studies an optimization technique for such a purpose. Estimation of ideal solar power plant sizes is done for fulfilling the load requirements of selected four districts of Madhya Pradesh, a state in the central part of India. The districts are chosen on the basis of solar irradiance and land availability. In this paper, installation of solar power plants of required sizes is recommended at each district to meet their power demands locally as well as to supply the nearby districts when needed. This will reduce the reliance on grid for energy supply and help in making the system more decentralized and distributed. It also reduces significantly the losses incurred during transmission and distribution. This paper presents the problem of power plant size estimation as a multi objective optimization problem. The first objective is to minimize the gap between power demand and generation in each district on a monthly basis. The second objective minimizes the cost of each unit of electricity generated. The third objective deals with minimizing the transmission and distribution losses on supplying power from one district to another. The genetic algorithm is used for solving this multi objective problem. The selected plant installation sites have the minimum capacity utilization factor of 18%. The simulation of the proposed optimization technique shows that the plant size obtained by the algorithm closely follows the objectives set.

Ag–Au alloy nanoparticles were effortlessly synthesized with the seed Ag nanoparticles acting as sacrificial template for the effective reduction of Au3+ ions to Au0 atoms, augmented in the presence of the monomer, NVP (N-vinyl pyrrolidone) assimilated in specific solvents. The conventional spherical morphology of the different Ag–Au alloy molar compositions confirmed using TEM corroborates their red-shifted optical absorption spectra along with the strain induced XRD patterns in accordance with Vegard's law. FTIR spectroscopy depicts clearly the solvation property of NVP and also its respective molecular interaction of individual metal and alloy nanostructures. The amine group of NVP despite its possible steric hindrance seems to coordinate well with monometallic Ag nanoparticles; while for bimetallic Ag–Au nanoparticles, the combined amine and carbonyl groups plays a major role in stabilizing the nanostructure. No evidence of oligomerization/polymerization is observed even after the formation of respective nanoparticles, representing the intriguing configuration of the monomer NVP, the behavior of which seems equivalent to that of its long chain polymer counterpart, PVP. The catalytic properties of the as-synthesized Ag–Au alloy nanoparticles were carefully analyzed in comparison with other polymer/surfactant coated alloy nanoparticles and their significance is established in a cohesive manner.

Integral bridges are becoming popular day by day, as they are easy to construct and require lesser maintenance efforts due to absence of bearings. There is an increasing tendency to construct long-span bridges. However, due to movement restraints, fatigue stresses build-up that leads to a reduction in the useful life. In this study, an effort has been made to estimate the fatigue life of an integral bridge subjected to transient loads. In this paper, the results of transient analysis of an integral bridge of total length 156 m having five continuous spans with a maximum span of 40 m has been done using ANSYS. The roles of deformation and von-Misses stress that occur in the bridge have been found to influence fatigue life. Further, midpoint deflection in the longest span, its variation with loading history, and its influence on fatigue life have been analyzed and found to match satisfactorily with standard results, and the same process is applied on various length of a longer span.

Towards the end of 2019, emergence of a Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome in China called COVID-19 has created International Public Emergency and caused a worldwide outbreak. The COVID-19 influence is continuously increasing despite global containment and quarantine efforts. This study shows the updated number of confirmed cases along with death rates globally (as of 26 March 2020). It also presents the current scenario and status in India. Additionally, it discusses the challenges and containment measures adopted by India to restrict the spread of COVID-19 virus like ‘Janta Curfew’. This study also presents the remedy action to be adopted against impact of coronavirus on mental health.