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Research on thermal comfort has revealed various adaptive behaviours in a hostel room, such as changing clothing, use of windows, doors, and ceiling fans. Hostel rooms are used for various activities and are typically furnished with a wardrobe, bed, study table, and chair. Recent studies indicate that ceiling fan fixed at the centre of the room may not provide adequate air velocity for different activities occurring in different parts of a room. Although students generally arrange furniture based on their preferences and room geometry, the influence of fan-induced air on furniture layout to improve thermal comfort is yet to be established. In this context, this study investigates spatial adaptation and identifies the factors affecting furniture layout preferences in hostel rooms. In a yearlong study, patterns of furniture layout were observed in twenty-one naturally ventilated hostel buildings to find their relationship with environmental and non-environmental factors. A total of 1665 observation data was collected from single, double, and triple occupancy rooms. Influence of various factors on arranging the furniture was identified through a questionnaire survey. Throughout the survey, outdoor temperature varied between 23 and 41 °C and outdoor relative humidity varied between 32.3 % and 97.5 %. The spatial arrangement of furniture was evaluated against fan location. Results indicate that fan location and indoor temperature significantly influence the furniture arrangement. A logistic regression equation was developed to evaluate the trigger temperature when students began moving furniture towards ceiling fan. In a single occupancy room, above 34.2 °C, the probability of moving the bed towards the fan was found to be maximum. In single and double occupancy rooms, students move the bed near the ceiling fan predominantly during night-time to get sufficient air movement. A cautious design of furniture layout and adding a personalised fan for various activities may improve the thermal comfort in hostel rooms.

The Asian rice gall midge Orseolia oryzae (Wood-Mason) (Diptera: Cecidomyiidae) is a serious pest of rice (Oryza sativa L.) in India. Seven distinct biotypes of the Asian rice gall midge population have been characterized so far from different parts of India. Field experiments to identify the prevailing rice gall midge biotype were conducted at the Agricultural Research Station, Nellore during Kharif, 2015-16 to 2021-22. A set of 17 standard differentials representing five groups identified to characterize the prevailing gall midge biotype in the country provided by the Indian Institute of Rice Research (IIRR), Hyderabad were sown at Agricultural Research Station, Nellore, coinciding with the peak incidence of gall midge. From the results of over the years of testing, the gall midge population of Nellore is following the reaction pattern of biotype 6 (R-S-S-S-S) which was consistently non-infective/less virulent on the group I differentials viz., Kavya, W 1263 and ARC 5605 (Gm 1 gene for resistance) with nil or below 10 % plant damage and moderate to highly virulent on MR 1523 (Gm 11 gene for resistance) of group III with 10 to 40 % plant damage. But there were some variations within groups II and IV and the reaction of these groups was less stable over the years, they were resistant one year and susceptible in the next year. During 2015, group IV differentials viz., Aganni and INRC 15888 with Gm 8 gene for resistance showed resistant reaction with 10 and 5 per cent plant damage and during 2019 group IV differentials viz., INRC 3021 and Aganni with Gm 8 gene showed a highly resistant reaction, slightly deviating from the reaction pattern exhibited by biotype VI (R-S-S-S-S). Variations in reactions within a group and variation within one entry from one year to another made it difficult to classify the reaction pattern. However, during 2021 all the differentials including INRC 3021, Aganni, and INRC 15888 of group IV with Gm 8 gene were found to be susceptible with more than 10 per cent plant damage. Moreover, INRC 3021 is highly susceptible during 2015 and became highly resistant during 2019 and moderately susceptible during 2021. During 2021 group II differentials Phalguna and ARC 5984 showed a highly resistant reaction, deviating from the reaction pattern of biotype VI. While during 2015 and 2019 all the differentials in group II were found susceptible with more than 10 per cent plant damage. Further, continuous studies are needed to decrease in consistency of the results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The largest disruptive component of traffic management system is road transport. Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) necessitate exact traffic forecast. However, transport departments continue to struggle to choose an ITS prediction method. A user must be able to appropriately utilize estimation model information. This paper covers contemporary estimation approaches, explains their fundamental concepts and evaluates different traffic estimation approaches for the benefit of decision makers. Each method is classified as Machine Learning (ML), Artificial Intelligence (AI), Deep Learning (DL) or hybrid algorithms. Many surveys are model or datadriven. This study is the first to examine traffic prediction using a variety of algorithmic and methodological approaches to key traffic parameters. Predictive evaluation of dependent variables is done and each algorithm's traffic characteristics are examined in chronological order. The application and effectiveness of each strategy are summarized, and the issues found by analysis are addressed by the review. Hybrid Computational Intelligence (CI)-ML and DL traffic prediction systems are found to be better than previous approaches. Open questions and future possibilities for DL and hybrid traffic prediction systems are also discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Green composite materials are a means of reducing reliance on synthetic and especially single-use plastics (SUP) and raising public awareness of the need for urgent action to protect the planet. Natural (lignocellulosic) fibres are increasingly utilized as the reinforcement in polymer matrix composites, in search for increased renewability and sustainability. This work concerns the effect of washing ramie (Boehmeria nivea) fibres using sodium lauryl sulphate (SLS) surfactant. The SLS-treated ramie fibres were examined for their morphological, physical, thermal, structural, and mechanical properties by powder X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and tensile testing. SLS treated ramie fibres density and crystallinity index values were 1.23 g/cc and 84.5%, respectively, with a very high cellulose content of 81.3%, because hemicellulose and loose particles were dissolved. SEM images depicted the relevant changes, with no significant damage on treated fibre surfaces. With some assistance from the treatment, fibres initiated their degradation only above 250 °C, culminating at 327 °C, which appears suitable for the manufacturing of composites with the most common matrices.

The basic needs of man are food, clothing, and shelter besides air and water. In providing these needs, power generation systems play a crucial role. Day by day, for various reasons such as explosion of population, the demand for power is increasing tremendously. Power generation systems need to generate more power. A novel power generation system suitable for recovering waste heat at a medium temperature range is examined in the present work. To assess the performance of a power generation system, energy and exergy measures are necessary. Energy measures provide enough details about the performance of the system. To know the systematic performance analysis, detailed exergy analysis alternatively profound as advanced exergy analysis and environmental impact are to be investigated. Exergoenvironmental analysis on the proposed Kalina power generation system has been carried out under hot sink conditions. Considering the proposed decision variables relative exergy destruction (ĖD/ĖP), relative environmental impact (Ẏ/ĖP), and relative investment cost (Ż/ĖP), the performance of the system has been assessed. The exergy destruction and the destruction cost rate of 29.23 kW and 0.478 $/hr at turbine inlet conditions of 185°C and 45 bar have been achieved. The exergoenvironmental factor fb and the relative difference rb have revealed that the components with high environmental impact have to be minimized. Turbine and HE4 are the components that contribute to higher total exergy and devise related impact on the environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A characterization of a class of unit elements, using SS-elements of a ring, is obtained. As an immediate consequence, an analogue of familiar Hua identity for SS-elements, is obtained besides some theorems on SS-rings. It is also proved that there exists rings containing an infinitely many SS-elements. Further more, the notion of SBSS-ring(suitable for building SSelements) is initiated and proved that the matrix ring Mn(Z2),n ≥2 is an SBSS-ring. Examples are provided for justification as well. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Internet of Things (IoT)-connected devices are used in a wide range of applications, including smart cities, agriculture, healthcare, logistics, etc. However, the rise in the number of attacks utilizing Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) protocols is a cause for concern. IoT devices have security holes that make it easier for fraudsters to take control of them and use them as part of botnets to launch DDoS assaults. The processing and storage capabilities of the vast majority of IoT-connected devices are quite constrained. Blockchain technology, which is still in its early stages, may be used to address concerns over the security of IoT devices. It is crucial to consider many blockchain-based defence techniques that are currently available for IoT devices in order to prevent DDoS attacks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]