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India was under a grave threat from the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic particularly in the beginning of May 2021. The situation appeared rather gloomy as the number of infected individuals/active cases had increased alarmingly during the months of May and June 2021 compared to the first wave peak. Indian government/state governments have been implementing various control measures such as lockdowns, setting up new hospitals, and putting travel restrictions at various stages to lighten the virus spread from the initial outbreak of the pandemic. Recently, we have studied the susceptible-exposed-infectious-removed (SEIR) dynamic modeling of the epidemic evolution of COVID-19 in India with the help of appropriate parameters quantifying the various governmental actions and the intensity of individual reactions. Our analysis had predicted the scenario of the first wave quite well. In this present article, we extend our analysis to estimate and analyze the number of infected individuals during the second wave of COVID-19 in India with the help of the above SEIR model. Our findings show that the people's individual effort along with governmental actions such as implementations of curfews and accelerated vaccine strategy are the most important factors to control the pandemic in the present situation and in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The fractional derivative is an advanced category of mathematics for real-life problems. This work focus on the investigation of 2nd wave of the Corona virus in India. We develop a time-fractional order COVID-19 model with effects of the disease which consist of a system of fractional differential equations. The fractional-order COVID-19 model is investigated with Atangana-Baleanu-Caputo fractional derivative. Also, the deterministic mathematical model for the Omicron effect is investigated with different fractional parameters. The fractional-order system is analyzed qualitatively as well as verified sensitivity analysis. Fixed point theory is used to prove the existence and uniqueness of the fractional-order model. Analyzed the model locally as well as globally using Lyapunov first and second derivative. Boundedness and positive unique solutions are verified for the fractional-order model of infection of disease. The concept of fixed point theory is used to interrogate the problem and confine the solution. Solutions are derived to investigate the influence of fractional operator which shows the impact of the disease on society. Simulation has been made to understand the behavior of the virus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We identify possible sources of seismic anisotropy beneath India by synthesizing 2064 well-constrained shear-wave splitting parameters determined from a consistent analysis of waveforms recorded at 357 broadband seismic stations. Our effort includes compilation of previous results, reanalysis of old data, analysis of new data from previous networks and new stations. Our results reveal that the average delay time for entire India and its constituent tectonic provinces is ∼ 0.83 s suggesting moderate strength of anisotropy. Although the fast polarization azimuths (FPAs) are scattered, a NE trend appears dominant. Due to significant correlation of FPAs with the APM direction and lack of correlation between i) splitting parameters and backazimuths and ii) average delay times and lithospheric thickness, we conclude that the major contribution to anisotropy is from shearing in the upper part of the asthenosphere or a transitional layer from the base of the lithosphere to the upper part of the asthenosphere. Further, we postulate that a weakly anisotropic lithosphere in northern, central and south-eastern India is due to frozen anisotropy from past tectonic events. Northern and central India, Arunachal Himalaya and southern part of Burmese arc have simple anisotropy. Application of the spatial coherency technique reveals a source depth of 290 km for northern India. However, for south-eastern India and northern part of the Burmese arc, a two-layer model, with frozen-in and present-day anisotropy in the upper layer, and shearing and mantle flow in the lower layer, respectively, fits the anisotropy. In southern India, a large deviation of the FPAs from APM suggests imprints of deformation related to past tectonic events. A two-layer model, with frozen-in anisotropy in the upper and lower layers, is plausible. Variation in FPAs in the central part of the Indian shield is attributed to deflection in mantle flow at the northern edge of the lithospheric keel. • Weak anisotropic contribution from the Indian lithosphere. • Delay times are not affected by lithospheric thickness. • Depth of anisotropy is 290 km beneath the northern part of India. • The major source of anisotropy lies in the upper part of asthenosphere. • Evidence for deflection of mantle flow near the northern edge of the lithospheric keel. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background & objectives: Data from the National Clinical Registry for COVID-19 (NCRC) were analyzed with an aim to describe the clinical characteristics, course and outcomes of patients hospitalized with COVID-19 in the third wave of the pandemic and compare them with patients admitted earlier. Methods: The NCRC, launched in September 2020, is a multicentre observational initiative, which provided the platform for the current investigation. Demographic, clinical, treatment and outcome data of hospitalized COVID-19 patients were captured in an electronic data portal from 38 hospitals across India. Patients enrolled during December 16, 2021 to January 17, 2022 were considered representative of the third wave of COVID-19 and compared with those registered during November 15 to December 15, 2021, representative of the tail end of the second wave. Results: Between November 15, 2021 and January 17, 2022, 3230 patients were recruited in NCRC. Patients admitted in the third wave were significantly younger than those admitted earlier (46.7±20.5 vs. 54.6±18 yr). The patients admitted in the third wave had a lower requirement of drugs including steroids, interleukin (IL)-6 inhibitors and remdesivir as well as lower oxygen supplementation and mechanical ventilation. They had improved hospital outcomes with significantly lower in-hospital mortality (11.2 vs. 15.1%). The outcomes were better among the fully vaccinated when compared to the unvaccinated or partially vaccinated. Interpretation & conclusions: The pattern of illness and outcomes were observed to be different in the third wave compared to the last wave. Hospitalized patients were younger with fewer comorbidities, decreased symptoms and improved outcomes, with fully vaccinated patients faring better than the unvaccinated and partially vaccinated ones. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper is devoted to answering some questions using a mathematical model by analyzing India's first and second phases of the COVID-19 pandemic. A new mathematical model is introduced with a nonmonotonic incidence rate to incorporate the psychological effect of COVID-19 in society. The paper also discusses the local stability and global stability of an endemic equilibrium and a disease-free equilibrium. The basic reproduction number is evaluated using the proposed COVID-19 model for disease spread in India based on the actual data sets. The study of nonperiodic solutions at a positive equilibrium point is also analyzed. The model is rigorously studied using MATLAB to alert the decision-making bodies to hinder the emergence of any other pandemic outbreaks or the arrival of subsequent pandemic waves. This paper shows the excellent prediction of the first wave and very commanding for the second wave. The exciting results of the paper are as follows: (i) psychological effect on the human population has an impact on propagation; (ii) lockdown is a suitable technique mathematically to control the COVID spread; (iii) different variants produce different waves; (iv) the peak value always crosses its past value. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present an analysis of perturbations and wave characteristics in equatorial electrojet (EEJ) and equatorial zonal winds in the mesosphere and lower thermosphere region during three sudden stratospheric warming (SSW) events, based on the wind observations by two meteor radars in Indonesia and geomagnetic field observations in India. During three SSWs, remarkable semidiurnal perturbations occurred in the EEJ, accompanied by the strong 2‐day periodic perturbations simultaneously. The semidiurnal lunar (L2) tidal amplitudes in the EEJ and zonal winds showed the prominent enhancements during the episodes of EEJ perturbations. The time‐period power spectra of L2 tidal amplitudes in both the EEJ and zonal winds presented the obvious and coincident quasi‐2‐day wave (QTDW) enhancements during these periods. Our results first reveal the important contribution of QTDW to the distinctive EEJ perturbations during SSWs, and the semidiurnal lunar tides modulated by QTDW serve as the main forcing agent therein. Plain Language Summary: Sudden stratospheric warming (SSW) events, characterized by the warming and zonal wind deceleration or reversal in the polar stratosphere, usually occur during the Arctic winter and have significant effects on the mesosphere, ionosphere and thermosphere. Quasi‐2‐day wave (QTDW) plays a significant role in the mesosphere and lower thermosphere (MLT) and can result in the 2‐day periodic perturbations in the ionosphere. However, the effects of QTDW on the atmosphere‐ionosphere coupling process during SSW periods are seldom studied. Hence, we investigate the perturbations in the equatorial zonal winds in the MLT region and equatorial electrojet (EEJ) during three SSW events. Our results show that remarkable quasi‐2‐day and semidiurnal periodic oscillations occurred simultaneously in the EEJ during the SSWs. The wave analysis indicates that the semidiurnal lunar tides were modulated by the QTDW in the MLT region during the SSWs. Then they disturbed the zonal winds and subsequently caused the large EEJ perturbations via E‐region wind dynamo. Our findings provide the clear evidence for the contribution of QTDW to the perturbations in the MLT and ionosphere and their correlation. It is helpful to understand the physical mechanisms of the QTDW coupling between the MLT and ionosphere. Key Points: Remarkable quasi‐2‐day and semidiurnal periodic oscillations occurred simultaneously in the equatorial electrojet (EEJ) during three stratospheric warming (SSW) periodsThe quasi‐2‐day wave (QTDW) enhancements in the L2 tidal amplitudes in the EEJ and zonal winds showed good agreementThe semidiurnal lunar tides modulated by QTDW might cause the distinctive EEJ perturbations during SSWs [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: This study was conducted to assess fluid responsiveness in critically ill patients to avoid various complications of fluid overload. Material and methods: This study was done in an ICU of a tertiary care hospital after approval from the institute ethical committee over 18 months. A total of 54 consenting adult patients were included in the study. Patients were hemodynamically unstable requiring mechanical ventilation, had acute circulatory failure, or those with at least one clinical sign of inadequate tissue perfusion. All patients were ventilated using tidal volume of 6--8 mL/kg, RR--12--15/minutes, positive end expiratory pressure (PEEP)--5 cm of water, and plateau pressure was kept below 30 cm water. They were sedated throughout the study. The arterial line and the central venous catheter were placed and connected to Vigileo-FloTrac transducer (Edward Lifesciences). Patients were classified into responder and nonresponder groups on the basis of the cardiac index (CI) after fluid challenge of 10 mL/kg of normal saline over 30 minutes. Pulse pressure variation (PPV), stroke volume variation (SVV), and systolic pressure variation (SPV) were assessed and compared at baseline, 30 minutes, and 60 minutes. Results: In our study we found that PPV and SVV were significantly lower among responders than nonresponders at 30 minutes and insignificant at 60 minutes. Stroke volume variation was 10.28 ± 1.76 in the responder compared to 12.28 ± 4.42 (p = 0.02) at 30 minutes and PPV was 15.28 ± 6.94 in responders while it was 20.03 ± 4.35 in nonresponders (p = 0.01). We found SPV was insignificant at all time periods among both groups. Conclusion: We can conclude that initial assessment for fluid responsiveness in critically ill mechanically ventilated patients should be based on PPV and SVV to prevent complications of fluid overload and their consequences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Coal ash ponds or lagoons are surface impoundments constructed to store the unused coal ash generated from thermal power plants. In India, by the end of 2020 nearly 82,200 ha of land will be under ash ponds. Once the capacity of these ponds is reached, they are closed in compliance with the statutory regulations. Recent trends suggest that these lands could be reclaimed to accept light- to heavy-weight structures over them, which makes in situ characterization essential to ensure the safety of structures built over them. This paper presents the site characterization in terms of shear-wave velocity (Vs) of four hydraulically deposited coal ash lagoon sites (two existing and two abandoned) at two ash pond sites in India using the multichannel analysis of surface waves (MASW) technique. The ash is deposited using the wet slurry technique, and the age of deposition is found to have a significant effect on the shear-wave velocity of these deposits. An empirical correlation is presented between the mean Vs and depth (z) for all the sites considered. The measured Vs values were extrapolated using three different methods to obtain Vs,30 values, and the sites were classified as per the recommendations of the International Building Code. Standard penetration tests (SPTs) were conducted near the MASW testing locations at one of the abandoned ash ponds, and the SPT values (N values) had significant scatter. An empirical correlation is proposed between the mean Vs and N values obtained. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Past studies using observational data suggested an increase in day time temperatures and frequency and duration of heat waves over India during the pre-monsoon season (April–June). In this study, the characteristics (frequency and duration) of heat waves over India in future warming scenario has been examined using nine CMIP5 models. The RCP4.5 scenario and the period 2020–2064 were used for the analysis to examine the possible changes in the characteristics of heat waves. In spite of moderate biases in day time temperatures, the CMIP5 models showed modest skill in realistic simulation of observed heat waves in terms of spatial pattern and frequency. The models suggest an increase of about two heat waves and increase of 12–18 days in heat wave duration during the period 2020–2064. In the future climate change scenario, southern parts of India and coastal part of India which are presently unaffected by heat waves, are likely to be affected by heat waves. The spatial trend analysis of Heat Wave frequency (HWF) and Heat wave Duration (HWD) suggested that both the HWF and HWD will increase significantly over central and northwest India by 0.5 events per decade and 4–7 days per decade respectively. The study also suggests that the future increase in heat waves is caused due to strengthening of mid-tropospheric high and associated subsidence over central and northwest India. Land surface processes like depletion of soil moisture and increased sensible heat fluxes are also responsible for the increase in heat waves. The CMIP5 models also suggest that El Nino Modoki events may be responsible for the prolonged and more frequent future heat waves over India in the future climate scenario. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The electric vehicle (EV) is becoming a more attractive solution to avoid fossil fuel usages in India. In the commercial EV, the solar PV charges the battery and simultaneously the battery drives the vehicle. Due to the structure of conventional buck-boost bidirectional DC–DC converter, the solar PV power becomes underutilised when the battery state of charge (SOC) reaches its optimal value. In order to overcome this limitation, this study proposes a novel dual input superboost (DISB) DC–DC converter for solar-powered EVs. The proposed converter effectively utilises the solar PV power by operating in six different modes. Also, it has the advantages of wide range of speed control and reduces the number of conduction devices in each mode, thereby enhancing the efficiency. This study presents detailed operating waveforms and dynamic analysis of the proposed DISB DC–DC converter. Furthermore, the operation and performance of proposed converter under six different modes are validated through simulation and confirmed with an experimental investigation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights • First shear wave splitting measurements from unexplored region of Eastern Ghats Mobile Belt and surrounding cratons. • Evidence of fossil anisotropy related to collision and rifting episodes of supercontinents. • Fill missing links of lithospheric deformation between Lambert and Mahanadi Rifts. Abstract The Eastern Ghats Mobile Belt (EGMB) and the adjacent Archaean Singhbhum and Bastar craton contact collisional sutures zones in southeastern India are investigated for seismic anisotropic signatures. The EGMB-craton contact boundary is a witness to the episode of rifting related to the breakup of super-continent Columbia, followed by reassembly and breakup of Rodinia, and eventual episode of collision of eastern India with Antarctica during the Pan-African age. With the intent to capture signatures of the collision, 22 broadband seismic stations were installed along two distinct profiles covering cratons and Eastern Ghats contact boundaries. Shear wave splitting analysis using core refracted phases, SKS, SKKS and PKS, waveforms resulted in 202 high-quality measurements, with variation in delay times (δ t) from 0.4 s to 2.0 s, and predominant NE trend for the fast polarization directions (FPDs). The anisotropic parameters along the two profiles depict the influence of two dominant mechanisms. First, Absolute Plate Motion (APM) related strain where mantle drag at the base of lithosphere combined with other plate driving forces creates a NE dominance of fast-axis orientations in the direction of the Indian plate motion. Second, fossil anisotropy of the lithospheric origin, as fast axis is not completely in the direction of the Indian plate motion, specially across Rengali Province and Mahanadi Rift basin. Fast-axis orientations parallel to the surface geological features indicate large-scale pervasive deformation related to the collision and rifting episodes of India and East Antarctica. The composite stacked FPDs and δ t in the Rengali domain is manifestation of the NE trend of the Indian Plate motion, combined with the WNW–ESE to E–W oriented fabrics associated to the EGMB-cratons contact shear zones. The Mahanadi Rift has a predominance of the rift parallel signatures due to the ancient preserved fabrics, which correlates the Mahanadi Rift with the Lambert Rift of East Antarctica, and is of key importance in plate-tectonic reconstructions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Merger waves are periods of intense and concentrated merger activity which exhibit a wave-like pattern. Drawing upon the resource-based view, we examine the timing of entry and early-mover advantage within merger waves. Following a robust simulation-based methodology of wave analysis, we identify merger waves in eight industries during the time period 2000-2014. Firms affiliated to business groups were found to be early movers. A higher degree of internationalization is also associated with early movement of a firm. Within business groups, their multi-entity character is positively associated with early entry whereas their board interlock was negatively related with entry-timing. Further, early moving acquirers reap superior post-acquisition performance, thereby suggesting that early-mover advantages exist within merger waves. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We refine the 1-D velocity model of the Central India Tectonic Zone (CITZ) using well-selected arrival times of P- and S-phases of 354 local earthquakes of magnitude (Mw) between 2.0 and 5.8, recorded by national seismic network from May 1997 to March 2016. Further, we have determined the source mechanisms of 26 selected local events using moment tensor inversion to characterize the dynamics beneath the CITZ. The best-fit simulation between observed and synthetic waveforms obtained the nodal and auxiliary planes of the each faults associated with the earthquake moment magnitude (Mw) for each event. Depth of the fault plane along the CITZ varies from 5 to 38 km. From this study, we found that the western part along the CITZ shows minimum focal depth and reaches maximum 38 kms at Jabalpur in the eastern part. This complex nature of earthquake dynamics occurrence along the CITZ. We propose that the curviplanar the CITZ dominated with sinistral curvature is subjected to compression along the longer ~E-W segments and transtension along shorter segments with ~NE-SW orientations. The occurrences of normal faulting, intrusion of mafic plutons and CLVD mechanisms for earthquakes are interpreted to be linked to the transtension zones and reverse mechanisms associated with the compressions along ~E-W segments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We herein present source parameters and focal mechanism of a rare cratonic upper crustal earthquake of M4.0, which occurred at 8 km depth (centroid depth) below a region near Deogarh, Jharkhand. For our study, we used broadband waveform data from a seismic network of 15 three-component seismographs in the eastern Indian craton. The average seismic moment, moment magnitude and source radius are estimated to be 1.1 × 10 N-m, 4.0 and 180.6 m, respectively. The high average stress drop of 14.27 MPa could be attributed to its lower-crustal origin. The mean corner frequency is calculated to be 4.1 Hz. To study the source mechanism, we perform a deviatoric constrained full waveform moment tensor inversion of multiple point sources on the band-passed (0.06 - 0.14 Hz) broadband displacement data of the Deogarh event, using ISOLA software. The best fit is obtained for the source at 8 km centroid depth, with a moment magnitude 3.7, and a right-lateral strike-slip mechanism with strike 162°, dip 72° and rake 169°. The P-axis orients N24°E, which is parallel to the direction of the absolute plate motion direction of Indian plate, while T-axis orients E-W, which is parallel to the strike of the pre-existing Damodar Graben (DG) of Gondwana age. The occurrence of this earthquake is attributed to the neotectonic reactivation of a fault associated with the E-W trending DG shear zone. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Multichannel Analysis of Surface Waves (MASW) studies for subsurface characterization in Central Ganga Basin of India, where thick cover of alluvium absorbs most of the vibrations generated by a sledgehammer source, give low quality seismic data at large offsets and generally provide imaging depth lesser than 30 m due to low quality of dispersion curves at lower frequencies. Therefore, a novel seismic energy source is designed and developed to produce large amplitude surface waves even at longer offsets and for deeper depths of imaging using dispersion analysis of surface waves. The developed source for seismic data acquisition is low-cost, repeatable, portable, and easy to operate with no environmental impact. Unlike the sledgehammer source where the quality of surface waves generated also depends on the person hitting the metal plate, the seismic data quality from the novel weight-drop source is independent of the operator. The developed source is an impact type where a free-falling mass accelerated due to gravitational pull hits onto a base plate coupled with the earth generating vibrations in the ground. The performance of the source was evaluated in a field trial. A receiver array of 24-channel cabled geophones with 3 m spacing was planted on the ground. Seismic data were acquired using the source at 5 m negative offset inline from the first geophone. Seismic data were also recorded with the sledgehammer as a source for comparison. Five shot gathers for each source were acquired with the same acquisition geometry and source position. Shot gathers were analyzed and compared using trace attributes, 1D and 2D Fourier spectra, signal-to-noise ratio, relative energy, and dispersion images. The study shows that the developed source produces low frequency high amplitude signal and better dispersion image, notably in the lower frequency range, in comparison with the sledgehammer source. Therefore, the developed source is adapted to investigate deeper subsurface velocity structure with dispersion curve from high amplitude surface wave analysis. Moreover, the repeatability study suggests that the repeat shot gathers acquired from the developed source have remarkably high degree of similarity. Therefore, seismic data acquisition with the developed source does not require repeat shots for vertical stacking as often done in case of a hammer source. Sound pressure level measurement indicates that the developed source has no adverse environmental impact on the operator. From the field trial of the developed source, it is convinced that the source is cost-effective, portable, easy to operate and handle and is environmentally friendly. • A low-budget seismic source with high SNR, and energy content for MASW studies. • It produces large amplitude surface waves even for far-offset geophones. • Improvement in the dispersion curve at a lower frequency range. • Repeat shots are not needed for vertical stacking. • Repeatable, portable, and easy-to-operate source with no environmental impact. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Retracking altimeter waveforms over inland water bodies is a challenging task as a wide range of waveform is encountered while the retracking algorithms are available only for a handful of echo shapes. One such waveform shape widely encountered in lakes and reservoirs is the multipeak echo. These echoes are produced when the interacting surface in the altimeter footprint is not homogeneous and a number of different types of surfaces contribute to the resulting waveform. The widely used conventional retrackers, namely the Brown, Beta-5, Ice-2, OCOG, and threshold, can retrack a number of different waveform shapes such as the Brown like waveforms, specular waveforms, and rectangular waveforms but may not perform well for multipeak waveforms. In this article, a technique has been demonstrated to identify the different subwaveforms within a multipeak waveform and identify the subwaveform corresponding to the target at nadir. The subwaveform that is reflected from the nadir surface is identified from apriory information about the surface topography of the area. The subwaveform is then retracked using the 50% threshold to find the correct retracked range and water height. This technique has been tested for nine cycles of SARAL SIGDR data on Ukai reservoir, Gujarat, India, and found to perform much better than the other retrackers, particularly for multipeak waveforms. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Objectives: Previous studies have demonstrated beneficial effects of regular consumption of pistachio nuts on glycemic, lipid, and oxidative stress parameters. The aim of this study was to determine its effect on vascular health, which has not been adequately studied so far. Methods: In this open label, randomized parallel-group study, 60 adults with mild dyslipidemia were randomized to lifestyle modification (LSM) alone or LSM with consumption of 80 g (in-shell) pistachios (equivalent to 40 g or 1.5 oz shelled pistachios) daily for 3 mo. Biochemical parameters, brachial artery flow-mediated vasodilation (BAFMD), and carotid-femoral and brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity (cfPWV and baPWV, respectively) were measured before and after the intervention. Results: At 3 mo, there was no change in any of the clinical or biochemical parameters in the LSM group. However, the patients in the pistachio group had a significant increase in high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C; 35.7 ± 8.8 mg/dL versus 37.8 ± 10.1 mg/dL; P = 0.04) and a reduction in low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (137.2 ± 32.6 mg/dL versus 127.6 ± 34.0 mg/dL; P = 0.02), total cholesterol (TC)-to-HDL-C ratio (5.8 ± 1.3 mg/dL versus 5.3 ± 1.1 mg/dL; P = 0.001), and fasting blood sugar (88.8 ± 7.1 mg/dL versus 86.6 ± 6.3 mg/dL; P = 0.05). Additionally, whereas LSM alone was associated with no improvement in BAFMD or PWV, individuals in the pistachio group had significant reduction in left baPWV (1261.7 ± 187.5 cm/sec versus 1192.4 ± 152.5 cm/sec; P = 0.02) and statistically nonsignificant improvement in most other parameters, including BAFMD. As a result, at 3 mo the patients in the pistachio group had lower cfPWV (770.9 ± 96.5 cm/sec versus 846.4 ± 162.0 cm/sec; P = 0.08), lower left baPWV (1192.4 ± 152.5 cm/sec versus 1326.3 ± 253.7 cm/sec; P = 0.05), and lower average baPWV (1208.2 ± 118.4 cm/sec versus 1295.8 ± 194.1 cm/sec; P = 0.08) compared with the LSM group. Two-way analysis of variance revealed significant treatment effect of pistachio consumption on cfPWV, left baPWV, average baPWV, and BAFMD (P = 0.037, 0.01, 0.07, and 0.046, respectively). Conclusions: The present study demonstrates that regular consumption of pistachio nuts not only improves glycemic and lipid parameters, but also results in improvements in vascular stiffness and endothelial function. Importantly, these improvements were seen in apparently healthy individuals and with a diet (including pistachios) and exercise regimen that every adult individual is expected to follow. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A method for electroencephalography (EEG) - near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) based assessment of neurovascular coupling (NVC) during anodal transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS). Anodal tDCS modulates cortical neural activity leading to a hemodynamic response, which was used to identify impaired NVC functionality. In this study, the hemodynamic response was estimated with NIRS. NIRS recorded changes in oxy-hemoglobin ( HbO2) and deoxy-hemoglobin ( Hb) concentrations during anodal tDCS-induced activation of the cortical region located under the electrode and in-between the light sources and detectors. Anodal tDCS-induced alterations in the underlying neuronal current generators were also captured with EEG. Then, a method for the assessment of NVC underlying the site of anodal tDCS was proposed that leverages the Hilbert-Huang Transform. The case series including four chronic (>6 months) ischemic stroke survivors (3 males, 1 female from age 31 to 76) showed non-stationary effects of anodal tDCS on EEG that correlated with the HbO2 response. Here, the initial dip in HbO2 at the beginning of anodal tDCS corresponded with an increase in the log-transformed mean-power of EEG within 0.5Hz-11.25Hz frequency band. The cross-correlation coefficient changed signs but was comparable across subjects during and after anodal tDCS. The log-transformed mean-power of EEG lagged HbO2 response during tDCS but then led post-tDCS. This case series demonstrated changes in the degree of neurovascular coupling to a 0.526 A/m square-pulse (0-30 s) of anodal tDCS. The initial dip in HbO2 needs to be carefully investigated in a larger cohort, for example in patients with small vessel disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The study aimed at exploring the audiological characteristics and the relationship between speech identification scores with cortical evoked potential measures and hearing aid benefit in individuals with auditory neuropathy spectrum disorder (ANSD). Study design: We initiated a retrospective study of patients who were diagnosed as having ANSD. In 198 patients with ANSD, patient history, risk factors, degree and configuration of hearing loss, speech identification scores in quiet and noise, otoacoustic emissions (OAE), immittance evaluation, auditory brainstem responses (ABR), long latency responses (LLR) and hearing aid benefit were assessed. Results: The results showed that the majority of the patients had bilateral ANSD with a female to male ratio of 1.25:1 with the majority having a rising configuration of hearing loss. OAEs were present in most with absent stapedial reflexes and ABR. The study also showed that individuals with ANSD do obtain benefit from hearing aids and it is related to the presence of LLR. Conclusions: The present study emphasizes the audiological characteristics of a large group with ANSD. Among the management options, hearing aids were found to be useful in only a few of the patients and other rehabilitation options, such as cochlear implants, need to be explored in future studies. Currently, the determining factors for benefit with hearing aid are speech identification scores and cortical auditory evoked potentials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: In this study, we investigate the upper mantle anisotropy beneath India using high quality SKS and SKKS waveforms from 382 teleseismic earthquakes recorded at 119 broadband seismic stations. In addition, we present evidence for anisotropy in the layer beneath southeast Asia using SKS and SKKS splitting discrepancies on the same seismogram. During this exercise, we obtain 200 new splitting measurements from 35 stations recently deployed in the Indo-Gangetic plains (IGP), central India and northeast India. While the delay times between the fast and slow axes of anisotropy (δt) range from 0.3 to 1.7 s, the fast polarization azimuths (Φ) at a majority of stations in the IGP and central India coincide with the absolute plate motion of India implying shear at the base of the lithosphere as the dominant mechanism for forging anisotropy. However, stations in NE India reveal fast polarization azimuths mainly in the ENE–WSW direction suggestive of lithospheric strain induced by the ongoing Indo-Eurasian collision. Our analysis for anisotropy yielded a total of 100 SKS–SKKS pairs, which can be categorized into those exhibiting (I) null measurements for one phase and significant splitting for the other phase, (II) null measurement for both the phases, (III) significant splitting for both the phases. A pair is considered to be anomalous if the splitting difference between SKS and SKKS is ⩾0.5 s and the individual split time is ⩾0.5 s. Using this criterion, we obtain 12 measurements under category III and 9 under category I that show a null measurement for SKS and large splitting for the SKKS phase. Further, we quantify the strength of the lower mantle anisotropy by correcting the SKKS measurement for the upper mantle anisotropy obtained by the SKS phase on the same seismogram. The SKS delay times are found to be consistently less than SKKS times, suggesting that the SKS phases do not capture the lower mantle anisotropy in comparison to their SKKS counterparts. Seven coherent measurements thus obtained reveal measurable anisotropy, with fast polarization azimuths oriented mainly in the ENE–WSW direction. These results suggest presence of a large region of deformation in the lowermost mantle beneath southeast Asia. A possible model for anisotropy in these regions could be the presence of slab material that pounded upon the core mantle boundary (CMB) and is experiencing large shear deformation, resulting in lattice preferred orientation (LPO) of the lower mantle (Van der Hilst and Kárason, 1999; Long, 2009). The other possibility is the phase transformation from MgSiO3 perovskite to a more stable post-perovskite phase under favorable conditions, which results in LPO of the lower mantle. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Objectives: The study aimed to investigate the effect of time-scale modification on consonant perception in individuals with an auditory neuropathy spectrum disorder (ANSD). The study also evaluated the effect of vowel context on consonant perception. Study design: Eight individuals with ANSD in the age range of 15 to 24 years participated in the study. Their perception of eight stops and two liquids in the context of the vowels /a/, /i/ and /u/ were studied. The stimuli were stretched by 25%, 35% and 50% using pitch synchronous overlap and add algorithm. Results: It was found that 25% stretching resulted in significant improvement in perception in all three vowel contexts, while 35% stretching improved perception only in the context of /a/. However, 50% stretching resulted in deterioration in performance in all three vowel contexts. Furthermore, consonant perception in the context of /a/ and /u/ were significantly higher than that of /i/ in all the stretch conditions. Sequential information analysis revealed that perception of place and voicing were lowest in the context of /i/ compared to that of /a/ and /u/. Conclusion: Stretching the entire stimuli by a factor of 25% improves consonant perception in individuals with ANSD. In contrast, stretching beyond 25% resulted in either no improvement or deterioration in consonant perception. This information can be used to create a signal-processing algorithm that stretches the entire speech signal. Hence, without having to laboriously increase only the transition duration manually, improvement in speech perception can be brought about by stretching the whole signal. Additionally, consonant perception in individuals with ANSD is influenced by vowel context and hence two extreme vowels need to be used while studying the vowel context effect. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Though the Delhi earthquake of 27 August 1960 is important in understanding seismic hazard to the city, there is large uncertainty associated with its reported epicentre, depth and magnitude. The reported epicentres given in different catalogues are not consistent with felt and damage reports, and the depths (58–109 km) are also inconsistent with recorded waveforms (including the excitation of Lg waves), decay of seismic intensities with distance, number of aftershocks, earthquake sound and seismotectonics of the region. The reported magnitude of the earthquake varies between 5.3 and 6.0. We have performed an exhaustive analysis of the available information, including comparison of the seismograms of the 1960 earthquake with six recent well-recorded events as well as with the Moradabad earthquake of 1966. We find that: (1) A more reliable epicentre as compared to the instrumentally determined one, is provided by the locus of the strongest seismic intensity: 28.47°N, 77.00°E (between Delhi Cantonment and Gurgaon). (2) The earthquake was shallow (depth ≤ 30 km, but most likely ≤ 15 km). (3) The magnitude of the earthquake was Mw 4.8 (range Mw 4.6–4.9). The seismic intensity is also consistent with Mw < 5.0. We conclude that the Delhi 1960 earthquake occurred between Delhi Cantonment and Gurgaon, it was shallow and its magnitude was 4.8, significantly less than M 6.0 often used in studies dealing with hazard in the city. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Vesicoureteral reflux (VUR) has a prevalence of 30-40 % post-febrile urinary tract infection (UTI). If not detected early and treated, renal scarring, hypertension, and renal failure may occur. Micturating cystourethrography (MCU) is an invasive procedure associated with radiation exposure. Hence, this study aimed at evaluating the utility of ureteric jet Doppler waveform (UJDW) as a screening tool in detecting VUR, and at assessing the feasibility of performing it in children aged 2-4 years. Methods: Any child 2-18 years old who needed an MCU was included. Exclusion criteria were active UTI, indwelling catheter, and inability to drink the required amount of fluid. The UJDW was performed prior to the MCU. Results: One hundred eighty-two ureteric units were analyzed. Sensitivity and specificity of UJDW in detecting VUR was 80.3 and 87.9 %. Twenty-three children (45 ureteric units), aged 2-4 years were compared with 73 children (137 ureteric units), aged 5-18 years. Sensitivity and specificity of UJDW in detecting VUR in 2-4 years was 77.3 and 91.3 %, respectively; while in children ≥5 years, it was 81.8 and 87.1 %, respectively. Conclusions: UJDW has a uniformly high specificity regardless of age or etiological groups, making it a good tool for follow-up. UJDW is a feasible technique, even in children aged 2-4 years. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT Velocity dispersion is not usually a problem in surface seismic data processing, as the seismic bandwidth is relatively narrow and thus for most Q values, dispersive effects are not noticeable. However, for highly absorptive bodies, such as the overpressured free gas accumulations associated with some gas hydrates or high-porosity normally pressured gas sands, dispersive effects may be seen. In this work I analyse one such data set from the offshore north-east coast of India. I demonstrate that the effect is measurable and that compensating for it in either data processing or migration can improve the wavelet character, as well as delivering an estimate of the effective Q values in the associated geobody. I also raise the question as to whether velocities derived using low-frequency waveform inversion over such dispersive geobodies are wholly appropriate for migration of full seismic-bandwidth data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper we investigate the near-surface shear velocities beneath 144 broadband seismic stations of India that span diverse geological terrains, using nearly 37,635 good quality (SNR > 2.5) three-component waveforms from 3849 earth-quakes. The results suggest lower shear velocities beneath regions of large sedimen-tation, with the lowest in the range of ~1 km/s observed for the Indo-Gangetic plains. These low velocity estimates show a dependence on frequency, implying velocity changes with depth. Segments that represent the Precambrian shield reveal high shear velocities in the range of 3.2 to 3.4 km/s, akin to global observations. The mountain ranges that constitute the Himalaya and southern Tibet have intermediate velocities primarily ranging from 2.8 to 3.0 km/s. Overall, the near-surface shear velocities seem to be correlated with the local geology and provide inputs for site-specific hazard assessment in terms of predicting strong ground motions due to scenario earthquakes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many studies have shown that fundamental frequency (F0) is represented in the speech evoked Frequency Following Response (FFR), however, it is not clear as to what aspect of the stimulus is the basis for the F0 coding. The energy at the Fo alone is less likely to be the basis, as our ear is less sensitive to very low frequencies which is evident from the very high RETSPL. Thus, the present study was taken up to analyse the independent role of high frequency harmonics and stimulus envelope in the encoding of the speech evoked FFRs. In the Experiment 1 of the present study, FFRs were elicited with a high-pass filtered syllable and compared with that of the unfiltered syllable. Results showed that the FFRs elicited for the 2 stimuli were not different in spectrum. This finding implies that the FFRs are primarily coded by the higher harmonics (frequencies beyond F2), and the lower harmonics contribute less for the coding of F0 and the first formants. However, as the envelope was same in both the stimuli, it cast a doubt that the responses obtained were because of the envelope and not the lower harmonics. To verify this, Experiment 2 was carried out, wherein FFRs were recorded to stimuli with envelope of the vowel portion removed without altering the fine structure. The FFRs elicited by the fine-structure stimulus revealed that the F0 amplitude was significantly lower compared to the original stimulus which implies that envelope is the key parameter for the coding of FFRs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study was to determine possible differences in voice onset time (VOT) between speakers of standard American English (AE) and Indian English (IE) in a continuous speech context. The participants were 20 AE speakers, who were native to the Northeastern Pennsylvania region, and 20 IE speakers from the Indian subcontinent who had been residing in Northeastern Pennsylvania. Each subject read a phonetically balanced passage in a comfortable and natural speaking voice, and the recordings were analysed using a combination of waveform and spectrographic analyses. Results indicate that a reduced ++VOT appears to characterise IE accent in comparison to AE. In addition, a difference in VOT between genders was observed in AE speakers but not in IE speakers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: An analysis of wind and wave data collected in the coastal region of Goa, west coast of India, during fair weather season reveals a distinct and systematic diurnal variation in wind speed, wave height and wave period, especially simultaneous increase in wave height and decrease in wave period with increase in local wind speeds due to sea breeze system. During a typical daily cycle, the wave height reaches its peak early in the afternoon, then it decays progressively back to the swell conditions within 5 or 6h. Measured wave spectra distinctly bring out salient features of deep water swell and wind seas generated by the local sea breeze. Numerical simulations reproduce the characteristics of this daily cycle. The exposure of Goa coast to long distant swells from the southwest and to the local wind seas from the northwest leads to complex cross-sea conditions. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Occular Vestibular Evoked Myogenic Potentials (oVEMP) responses have been consistently obtained in healthy individuals. Reports in literature have been suggestive of their utility in evaluating patients with vestibular disorders (Iwasaki et al., 2008 & 2009). Compared to Cervical VEMPs (cVEMPS), oVEMPs are less strenuous for the subjects to perform, and symmetrical responses can be easily obtained without monitoring background activation. As the oVEMP test gains popularity and worldwide recognition as a valid and reliable test of otolith function, it is likely to supplement cVEMP in the assessment of end organ function and act as a complementary technique when assessing central vestibular disorders. However, the clinical use of any test requires the establishment of reliability of the test and little is known about the test-retest reliability of oVEMPs (Isaradisaikul, Strong, Moushey, et al., 2008; Eleftheriadou, Deftereos, Zarikas, et al., 2008). Nguyen et al., (2010) reported about the test-retest reliability of oVEMP , however, smaller number of participants, larger gap between test and retest sessions and absence of fixed reference point for upward gaze may have played spoilsport and a better control at these variables may bring about a different result. So, the present study aimed at examining the test-retest reliability of the sound-induced oVEMP parameters. Monaural contralateral oVEMPS were recorded from 30 healthy individuals with normal audio-vestibular system and the test was repeated after a minimum gap of 1 week, keeping the other parameters constant. The obtained data was analyzed using Cronbach's alpha test. The results revealed excellent test-retest reliability for the amplitude parameters barring the asymmetry ratio, which showed fair-to-moderate reliability. The latencies also demonstrated fair-to-moderate test-retest reliability. These reliability values for oVEMP are better than those reported for cVEMP and could be attributed to a number of factors including smaller area of electrode placement making it less error prone, oVEMP being excitatory potential as opposed to cVEMP being inhibitory, and lesser fatigability of extra-occular muscles contrary to higher fatigability of the SCM muscle. The test-retest reliability values, thus, prove that the test is quite reliable and can be used clinically with confidence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The current techniques of derivation of a wave spectrum from given values of design wave parameters, like significant wave height and average wave period, are fraught with considerable uncertainties. This leaves scope for alternative approaches. The reported work proposes potential applications of two recent data driven methods, namely support vector regression (SVR) and model tree (MT), to obtain the wave spectra. In the present study the above tools were used to estimate wave spectra at two locations: no. 44008 maintained by National Data Buoy Centre (NDBC) in the Gulf of Maine, USA and ‘DS5’ monitored by National Institute of Ocean Technology (NIOT) in Bay of Bengal, India. The choice of these two locations facilitated the comparison of model performances in different geographical areas. The SVR and MT models were developed in order to estimate the wave surface spectral density over a wide range of wave frequencies out of average wave parameters of significant wave height and average zero-cross wave period. The models were trained and tested using randomly selected sea states. Both MT and SVR were able to derive the spectral shapes satisfactorily as reflected in high values of the correlation coefficients and low values of root mean square error and mean square error. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]