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We present a detailed experimental study of discharge current oscillations in a planar cathode plasma with poly-dispersed alumina dust particles. The dominant frequency of oscillation depends on the discharge voltage, operating pressure, and amount of dust particles placed on the cathode. The power-law variation in the dominant frequency with different external operating parameters is presented. Experimental observations suggest that the dominant mechanism behind the generation of these oscillations is the cathode spot injection of sub-micron-sized dust particles. The cathode spots also aid in the generation of fine dust particles. The threshold limit on dust particle density dispersed on the cathode suggests that below the threshold limit, the fine particles depleting the electrons play an important role and lead to the generation of self-excited oscillations. Operating above the threshold limit, a stable dust cloud was observed together with the suppression of self-excited oscillations.

Abstract Background The cryptic nature of pink bollworm Pectinophora gossypiella (Saunders) larvae enables its reduced vulnerability to insecticidal control. Further, the development of resistance against Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) toxins posed a serious threat to transgenic cotton cultivation. This necessitated determining the critical timing of spray applications on the control effectiveness. This study assessed the influence of egg age (freshly laid vs. three-day-old) and the location of larvae (directly exposed to the insecticide residues on the boll rind vs. burrowed inside the bolls) on insecticide control efficacy. Results The results revealed a significant decrease in the ovicidal activity of tested insecticides with an increase in the age of eggs from one day old to three days old (paired t-test, P 80% mortality) than the larvae exposed after they had burrowed inside the bolls (

This study aims to address the difficulties in solving coupled generalized non-linear Burger equations using local fractional calculus as a framework. The methodology used in this work, particularly in the area of local fractional calculus, combines the Elzaki transform with the Adomian decomposition method. This combination has proven to be a highly effective strategy for addressing non-linear partial differential equations within the local fractional context, which finds numerous practical applications. The proposed method offers a systematic and easily understandable procedure for tackling both linear and non-linear partial differential equations (PDEs). It provides an easy-to-follow path to solve these problems. We offer a real-world example that exhibits the method's successful use in resolving issues to corroborate its efficacy. The obtained solution is visually represented to illustrate the practical utility of this approach.2010 Mathematics Subject Classification34A34, 65M06, 26A33.

In the present work, we have synthesized rare-earth ion modified Bi4−xRExTi2Fe0.7Co0.3O12−δ (RE = Dy, Sm, La) multiferroic compounds by the conventional solid-state route. Analysis of X-ray diffraction by Rietveld refinement confirmed the formation of a polycrystalline orthorhombic phase. The morphological features revealed a non-uniform, randomly oriented, plate-like grain structure. The peaks evident in the Raman spectra closely corresponded to those of orthorhombic Aurivillius phases. Dielectric studies and impedance measurements were carried out. Asymmetric complex impedance spectra suggested the relaxation of charge carriers belonging to the non-Debye type and controlled by a thermally activated process. Temperature-dependent AC conductivity data showed a change of slope in the vicinity of the phase transition temperature of both magnetic and electrical coupling natures. Based on the universal law and its exponent nature, one can suppose that the conduction process is governed by a small polaron hopping mechanism but significant distortion of TiO6 octahedral. The doping of the A-sites with rare-earth element ions and changes in the concentrations of Fe and Co ions located on the B-sites manifested themselves in saturated magnetic hysteresis loops, indicating competitive interactions between ferroelectric and canted antiferromagnetic spins. The magnetic order in the samples is attributed to pair-wise interactions between adjacent Fe3+–O–Fe3+, Co2+/3+–O–Co3+/2+, and Co2+/3+–O–Fe3+ ions or Dzyaloshinskii–Moriya interactions among magnetic ions in the adjacent sub-lattices. As a result, enhanced magnetoelectric coefficients of 42.4 mV/cm-Oe, 30.3 mV/cm-Oe, and 21.6 mV/cm-Oe for Bi4−xDyxTi2Fe0.7Co0.3O12−δ (DBTFC), Bi4−xLaxTi2Fe0.7Co0.3O12−δ (LBTFC), and Bi4−xSmxTi2Fe0.7Co0.3O12−δ (SBTFC), respectively, have been obtained at lower magnetic fields (

Introduction: An MBBS graduate is the first contact with medical care in many health-care establishments such as primary health centers and emergency medicine departments. Majority of the patients present to them with musculoskeletal-related problems. Hence, adequate exposure and knowledge of the musculoskeletal system are essential to an MBBS graduate. This study helps to assess the adequacy of orthopedics knowledge and also aims to know the perception of MBBS graduates about orthopedics as a subject. Materials and Methods: A questionnaire is administered to MBBS graduates on their: (1) basic information (demographic data), (2) exposure to different domains of orthopedic training during their graduation, (3) confidence with which they can perform certain important orthopedic-related competencies, (4) orthopedic knowledge (by giving them questionnaire-containing orthopedic subject-related questions), and (5) perception about orthopedics as a subject. Scores are awarded to the cognitive test. Their responses are tabulated and analyzed using standard statistical tests. Results: The total number of participants is 80, of which 59 people chose to respond. The average score obtained by the students in the cognitive test on orthopedic knowledge is 54.9% in the present study. Only 4% of the participants feel that orthopedic subjects are easy. Nearly 59% found orthopedics interesting. About 42% of the participants feel that the orthopedic teaching in their undergraduation was inadequate. About 71% of the participants feel that orthopedics should be introduced as a separate subject during their MBBS. Conclusions: Orthopedics must be introduced as a separate subject undergraduate level such as ENT and ophthalmology to meet the needs of the community and to empower an MBBS graduate to provide adequate care to orthopedic patients at grass root level.

Context: Osteogenesis imperfecta (OI) is a genetic disorder of the extracellular matrix of bone characterized by low bone mass manifesting as frequent fractures, delayed motor development, pain, and impaired quality of life. The intravenous bisphosphonate, pamidronate is an established treatment for OI. Recently, zoledronic acid (ZA) has been used for the management of OI. Aim: To assess the efficacy and safety of ZA in children below five years of age with OI. Settings and Design : A hospital-based prospective observational study. Methods and Material : Patients with OI aged less than five years attending our centre were treated with intravenous ZA at a dose of 0.05 mg/kg every six months. Subjects were closely monitored for clinical and biochemical variables, adverse events, and new-onset fractures. The response to therapy was assessed by monitoring clinical variables including the degree of bony pains, number of fractures, height/length standard deviation score (SDS), and motor developmental milestones. All patients were analysed at baseline and at the end of two years for biochemical parameters and clinical severity score (CSS) as proposed by Aglan et al. with modifications. Results : After two years of treatment, OI patients showed a significant decline in the rate of fractures (p < 0.001), improvement in ambulation (p = 0.005), alleviation of pain (p < 0.001), and improvement in height SDS (p < 0.05). There was a significant improvement in CSS after two years of therapy. Apart from mild flu-like symptoms and mild asymptomatic hypocalcaemia immediately post-infusion, no other adverse effect was noted. Conclusion : ZA therapy in infants and children below five years of age with OI was effective and safe and a more convenient alternative to pamidronate.

Abstract Background The fall armyworm, Spodoptera frugiperda (J. E. Smith) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae), is a notorious polyphagous pest that has recently invaded India in 2018. Within a short period, this pest has spread throughout the country, causing a significant damage to maize. In order to manage this menace, farmers rely on chemical insecticides, but due to concealed feeding nature of this pest insecticides remain ineffective in reaching the target site. In this context, the present study aimed to isolate, characterize and evaluate the reproductive potential of the native strains of entomopathogenic nematode, Heterorhabditis indica against larval instars of S. frugiperda under laboratory conditions. Results Two strains of H. indica isolated and characterized from the rhizosphere of mango and curry leaf trees were designated as CICR-HI-MN and CICR-HI-CL, respectively. Both strains, CICR-HI-CL and CICR-HI-MN showed differential mortality against 3rd (LC50 value of 21.65, 48.91 IJs/larva), 4th (LC50 value of 25.46, 52.36 IJs/larva) and 5th (LC50 value of 59.20, 71.04 IJs/larva) instar larvae of S. frugiperda, respectively. The instar-wise mortality of S. frugiperda showed that 3rd instar was relatively more susceptible compared to 4th and 5th instar larvae. In terms of efficacy, CICR-HI-CL was almost twice effective than CICR-HI-MN when LC50 and LC95 values of 3rd instar larvae were compared. However, the reproductive potential of both the strains was significantly higher against 5th instar than the 3rd and 4th instar larvae. Strain CICR-HI-CL was more effective in larval mortality, while nematode reproduction was higher in CICR-HI-MN. Conclusions Native strains of H. indica evaluated in the present study were found effective against larval instars of fall armyworm, S. frugiperda. Higher reproduction on 5th instar larvae demonstrates the ability of these strains to multiply, sustain and perpetuate on late instars of this polyphagous pest and may serve as viable option in integrated pest management program.

Abiotic stresses such as drought, salinity, and heat stress significantly affect rice crop growth and production. Under uncertain climatic conditions, the concurrent multiple abiotic stresses at different stages of rice production became a major challenge for agriculture. Hence, improving rice’s multiple abiotic stress tolerance is essential to overcome unprecedented challenges under adverse environmental conditions. A significant challenge for rice breeding programs in improving abiotic stress tolerance involves multiple traits and their complexity. Multiple traits must be targeted to improve multiple stress tolerance in rice and uncover the mechanisms. With this hypothesis, in the present study gene stacking approach is used to integrate multiple traits involved in stress tolerance. The multigene transgenics co-expressing Pennisetum glaucum 47 (Pg47), Pea 68 (p68), Pennisetum glaucum Heat Shock Factor 4(PgHSF4), and Pseudomonas Aldo Keto Reductase 1 (PsAKR1) genes in the rice genotype (AC39020) were developed using the in-planta transformation method. The promising transgenic lines maintained higher yields under semi-irrigated aerobic cultivation (moisture stress). These 15 promising transgenic rice seedlings showed improved shoot and root growth traits under salinity, accelerating aging, temperature, and oxidative stress. They showed better physiological characteristics, such as chlorophyll content, membrane stability, and lower accumulation of reactive oxygen species, under multiple abiotic stresses than wild-type. Enhanced expression of transgenes and other stress-responsive downstream genes such as HSP70, SOD, APX, SOS, PP2C, and P5CS in transgenic lines suggest the possible molecular mechanism for imparting the abiotic stress tolerance. This study proved that multiple genes stacking as a novel strategy induce several mechanisms and responsible traits to overcome multiple abiotic stresses. This multigene combination can potentially improve tolerance to multiple abiotic stress conditions and pave the way for developing climate-resilient crops.

The present study is the analysis of large scale data (31949 ha area and 79873 farmers) generated through the CFLD on pulses across the major pulses growing states under the ICAR-ATARIs of Kanpur (Uttar Pradesh), Jodhpur (Rajasthan), Pune (Maharashtra), Patna (Bihar), Jabalpur (Madhya Pradesh), Kolkata (West Bengal), Guwahati (Assam), Shillong (Meghalaya), Hyderabad (Andhra Pradesh), Bengaluru (Karnataka) and Patna (Bihar). The pulse crops included in this analysis were from all three growing seasons: kharif (pigeonpea-5556 ha, blackgram-6067 ha, and greengram-2689 ha), rabi (chickpea-8376 ha, lentil-3747 ha and field pea-1890 ha), and summer (greengram-3624 ha). The average performance data of CFLD were obtained for the above states for all the crops representing all three growing seasons during the cropping seasons of 2016–17 and 2017–18. Thus, CFLD data were analyzed from across minimum of 21 states (greengram) and maximum of 24 states (blackgram). The major variables analyzed were average yield obtained from the check plots and demonstrations plots. These yields were computed for yield advantages and also compared with the reported district level, state level, national level yields and the potential yields of the respective crops in the given states (data procured from secondary sources for the year 2017–18). Accordingly, the yield advantages (absolute as well as per cent) at various level were analyzed and their degree of variation was computed for all the crops across the seasons. The paper brings out the results of above analyses in objective manner.

Computational fluid dynamics and Additive manufacturing are the two important and recently used technique in the reusable launch vehicle. In this article the design and flow simulation of the re-entry capsule has been performed using Computational Fluid Dynamics in order to optimize the suitable re-entry capsule design. Computational fluid dynamics can be used to simulate the real time supersonic flow during re-entry which helps in predicting the important characteristics during the formation of shock waves. The study considered Mach 5 conditions and an altitude of 5km. In addition, the formation of shock waves was delayed in the present studies compared to previous work. It should be noted that the current aerospace industry uses the advantage of additive production in prototyping to test re-entry launch vehicles.

Acute toxicity of arsenic to Tilapia (Oreochromis mossambicus) and tissue repairing activity of Glycosmis pentaphylla leaf extract and its histological impacts on gill, liver, and kidney tissues were evaluated. Fish were divided into six groups viz. control, group 1, group 2, group 3, group 4, and group 5. 4.87 ppm of NaAsO2 was administrated in group 1, group 3, and group 5. In group 3, after arsenic exposure, 2.5 g of leaf extract of Glycosmis pentaphylla per kg of fish food was added. In group 5, 5g of G. pentaphylla leaf extract per kg of fish food was added. In group 2, 2.5 g of leaf extract per kg of fish food was added and in group 4, 5g leaf extract per kg of fish food was added. The control group showed normal histology of the gill, liver, and kidney. The histological observations revealed the tissue repairing activities in group 2 fish’s gill, liver, and kidney. These results revealed the protective and tissue repairing potential of G. pentaphylla as a feed supplement against NaAsO2 induced toxicity.

Exopolysaccharides (EPS) are acknowledged for their diverse functional and technological properties. This study presents the characterization of EPS400, an acidic exopolysaccharide sourced from the native probiotic Limosilactobacillus fermentum NCDC400. Notably, this strain has demonstrated previous capabilities in enhancing dairy food texture and displaying in vivo hypocholesterolemic activity. Our investigation aimed to unveil EPS400′s potential biological roles, encompassing antioxidant, antibacterial, and immunomodulatory activities. The results underscore EPS400′s prowess in scavenging radicals, including the 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl radical, 2,2′-azino-di-(3-ethylbenzthiazoline sulfonic acid) radical, superoxide radical, hydroxyl radical, and chelating activity targeting the ferrous ion. Furthermore, EPS400 displayed substantial antibacterial effectiveness against prevalent food spoilage bacteria such as Pseudomonas aeruginosa NCDC105 and Micrococcus luteus. Remarkably, EPS400 exhibited the ability to modulate cytokine production, downregulating pro-inflammatory cytokines TNF-α, IL-1β, IL-6, and nitric oxide, while concurrently promoting the release of anti-inflammatory cytokine IL-10 within lipopolysaccharide-activated murine primary macrophages. Additionally, EPS400 significantly (p ≤ 0.05) enhanced the phagocytic potential of macrophages. Collectively, our findings spotlight EPS400 as a promising contender endowed with significant antioxidant, antibacterial, and immunomodulatory attributes. These characteristics propose EPS400 as a potential pharmaceutical or bioactive component, with potential applications in the realm of functional food development.

Aim: This study aimed to estimate the prevalence of psychiatric morbidity in elderly patients recovered from coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) infection, the present study aimed to compare the prevalence of psychiatric morbidity among elderly (aged ≥60 years) and adult patients (aged 18–59 years). Methodology: Two hundred and three elderly patients and 1714 adult participants had completed the Patient Health Questionnaire-9, generalized anxiety disorder-7 (GAD-7), Fear of COVID-19 Scale, Brief Resilient Coping Scale, The Brief Resilience Scale, and a self-designed questionnaire to assess the neuropsychiatric symptoms. Results: In the whole sample, the prevalence of depression was 34.4%, GAD was 32.6%, sleep disturbances were 58.3%, suicidal ideations were 23%, COVID-19-related fear was 32.1%, low resilience was 18.7%, and low resilient coping was 49.5%. Compared to adult participants, elderly participants had significantly higher prevalence and severity of depression, anxiety, COVID-19 fear score, low resilience, and low resilient coping. In the whole sample, the prevalence of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms was 23.8%–25.3%, panic attacks were 17%, loneliness was 23.2%, forgetfulness was 21.8%, and cognitive slowing was 19%. Compared to the adult participants, significantly higher proportion of the elderly reported PTSD symptoms, cognitive slowing, and forgetfulness. Conclusions: Compared to adult subjects, elderly subjects who have recovered from COVID-19 infection have significantly higher prevalence of depression, anxiety, fear, post-traumatic symptoms, and cognitive symptoms. Hence, there is an urgent need to assess psychiatric morbidity among the elderly subject who have recovered from COVID-19 infection and institute interventions at the earliest to improve their mental health outcomes.

Kicking off on 1 October with the United Nations International Day of Older Persons (UNIDOP) and concluding on 10 October in conjunction with World Mental Health Day, the OLDER ADULT MENTAL HEALTH AWARENESS WEEK was a brand-new ten-day initiative launched by the International Psychogeriatric Association (IPA). It was focused on raising awareness of the importance of Better Mental Health for Older People with virtual programs from all around the world on each of these ten days. As part of this Awareness Week, the IPA hosted a discussion entitled Mental healthcare services and advocacy for the older people amidst COVID crisis: Voices from South Asia, organized on October 6th, 2021 in conjunction with the World Psychiatric Association (WPA), Indian Psychiatric Society (IPS), Indian Association of Geriatric Mental Health (IAGMH), SAARC Psychiatric Federation (SPF), and the Asian Federation of Psychiatric Associations (AFPA). This is the event report of the same panel discussion which highlights the unique challenges to old age mental healthcare among the SAARC nations, calls for urgent collaborative action, and focuses on human rights and dignity-based mental healthcare for older adults in these rapidly ageing countries.

A study has been conducted to evaluate the effect of pomegranate peel extract (PPE) (1, 2 and 3%) on physico-chemical and functional attributes of whey powder such as total phenolic content (TPC), flavonoid, proanthocyanidin, alkaloid, antioxidant activity, colour profile, protein-polyphenol interaction, rheology, differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), moisture adsorption isotherm (MAI) and microstructure. The TPC (1.02–27.80 mg/g), flavonoid (1.08–10.93 mg/g), proanthocyanidin (0.62–5.82 mg/g), alkaloid (0.63–2.28%), antioxidant activity (ABTS, 16.61–88.01%; DPPH, 17.02–49.34%), redness (2.33–8.05) and yellowness (27.77–32.24) were increased significantly (P

Protein is an important nutrient and plays various vital functions in our body. Its deficiency has been related to different disorders and diseases. Considering the huge demand of ice cream, it was used in the present study for protein supplementation. Whey protein isolate was used for increasing the protein level of buffalo milk ice cream to 6 and 8 and 10%. Increasing the protein content decreased the flow behaviour index (from 0.86 to 0.57), increased the consistency coefficient (from 0.18 Pa.sn to 4.22 Pa.sn) of ice cream mix. With increasing the protein content from 4 to 10% (w/w), loss modulus (at 100 Hz) values increased from 10.9 to 34.3 Pa and the storage modulus (at 100 Hz) of mixes increased from 7.25 to 32.7 Pa. Ice cream samples had decreased overrun (from 94.9% to 33.9%), increased instrumental hardness (from 13.60 N to 47.66 N) and melting rate (0.24 to 0.74 g/mL) with increasing protein content. Particle size distribution revealed that control sample (4% protein) had distinct peaks of casein micelles, individual and clumps of fat globules, while no such distinct peaks were observed in case of experimental samples. Sensory attributes viz. meltdown score and body and texture score were decreased with an increase in the protein concentration.

The datasets described here comprise electroencephalography (EEG) data and psychometric data freely available on data.mendeley.com. The EEG data is available in .mat formatted files containing the EEG signal values structured in two-dimensional (2D) matrices, with channel data and trigger information in rows, and samples in columns (having a sampling rate of 250Hz). Twenty-nine female survivors of the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda, underwent a psychological assessment before and after an intervention aimed at reducing Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) symptom severity. Three measures of trauma and four measures of wellbeing were assessed using empirically validated standardised assessments. The pre- and post- intervention psychometric data were analysed using non-parametric statistical methods and the post-intervention data were further evaluated according to diagnostic assessment rules to determine clinically relevant improvements for each group. The participants were assigned to a control group (CG, n = 9), a motor-imagery group (MI, n = 10), and a neurofeedback group (NF, n = 10). Participants in the latter two groups received Brain-Computer Interface (BCI) based training as a treatment intervention over a sixteen-day period, between the pre- and post- clinical interviews. The training involved presenting feedback visually via a videogame, based on real-time analysis of the EEG recorded data during the BCI-based treatment session. Participants were asked to regulate (NF) or intentionally modulate (MI) brain activity to affect/control the game.

The present study was carried out during 2022 at the Biotech KISAN Hub unit, Krishi Vigyan Kendra, Banavasi. Constraints in production of fallow pulse crop along with the strategies to overcome them were discussed and addressed in north coastal districts (Srikakulam and Visakhapatnam), which have increased the pulse production and at the same time improved the net returns of the farmers. Majority of the farmers in these districts are small farmers (>85%) and low to medium in their knowledge and adoption levels on sustainable agricultural practices. This project also enhanced the knowledge levels of the farmers pertaining to the benefit and importance of rice fallow pulse cropping and the farmers are ready to adapt this cropping pattern. Rice fallow pulse cropping not only improves the socio-economic status of farmers but also plays a key role in meeting the high demands of pulses and overcoming the malnutrition which is need of the hour. Hence, the remaining rice area as mentioned above 72% under kharif in these districts if utilized for growing pulses in winter (rabi) season which is around 3.11 lakh ha, it can lead to increased pulse production of around 420.2 Mt and can generate an additional income of approximately `2941 crores at low input costs.

It has become mandatory for all the domestic producers of urea to produce Neem Coated Urea (NCU) since 2015 to reduce overall input cost in farming and to ensure environmental sustainability through enhanced nitrogen use efficiency (NUE). The present study was carried out during 2017–19 with the aim to find out the awareness level of farmers about NCU and its impact on crop productivity. A total of 12,604 farmers across the country were interviewed by 458 Krishi Vigyan Kendras (KVKs). The results of the study showed that 76% farmers were aware about NCU and its effectiveness in increasing crop yield. Farmers of Delhi NCR, Haryana and Rajasthan were found to have the highest awareness while those of Arunachal Pradesh, Sikkim, and Jammu & Kashmir had the lowest level of awareness. Overall, 79% farmers were satisfied with its use. Use of N fertilizers decreased significantly in 2018 compared to 2017 in both the seasons (kharif and rabi), however, the existing rate of application was still significantly higher than recommended doses. The average yield enhancement due to use of NCU was 8.25%. The highest yield increase due to use of NCU was observed in Goa, Madhya Pradesh, and Andaman & Nicobar Islands. Results of the study implied that more emphasis is needed for dissemination of information about NCU through awareness, training and capacity building programmes for farmers and grassroots level extension functionaries.

The article deals with the experimental investigation of the thrust performance of a twin propeller used in a typical Unmanned Aerial Vehicle. The propeller is fabricated and tested using low speed subsonic wind tunnel to study the performance characteristics. The results obtained show better performance compared to conventional propellers. The presence of twin propeller has increased the stall characteristics at low Reynolds number. The results indicate a substantial increase in thrust generation of up to 25 percent. The payload carrying capacity and handling quality will improve using this technique during pandemic to spray disinfectants. The results obtained provide an alternate design for future propellers applications. Further it is observed that the endurance of the Unmanned Aerial Vehicle can be reduced considerably, by few alternate solution.

Background: Anganwadi centers were providing integrated services comprising supplementary nutrition, immunization, health check-up, and referral services to children below six years of age and expectant and nursing mothers. After more than three decades of implementation, the success of Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) program in tackling maternal and childhood problems still remains a matter of concern. Objectives: To estimate the proportion of pregnant women utilizing various services provided by the anganwadi centre. To assess the association between demographic factors and utilization of anganwadi services by pregnant women. Methods: A cross-sectional study with a sample size of 135 was conducted in three villages attached to a medical college. Pregnant women enrolled in anganwadi the center were included in the study. Data was collected by a predesigned pretested semi-structured questionnaire. Data was presented in proportions, odds ratio with confidence interval, and Chi-square test, Fisher test was applied to find the association between variables by using SPSS ver. 23. Results: The study showed 86.66% utilized supplementary nutrition services, 62.96% received health education, 85.92% took vaccines from anganwadi centre, 40.74% utilized referral services, and 82.22% utilized health checkups services provided by anganwadi centre. Distance from the centre was found to be an important determinant of the utilization of anganwadi services. Conclusions: There is a need to sensitize and motivate beneficiaries to utilize the services offered by anganwadi center.

Due to the increase in the number of vehicles, transportation management is achieved through the construction of bridges. This article discusses the vibrational effect in the design of bridges. In the structural design of the bridges proper planning is necessary, as gusts may occur, leading to aeroelastic instabilities. In this article a typical bridge is designed using the design software CATIA and a numerical simulation using analysis software ANSYS. Further, the aeroelastic phenomenon involved in coupling of Fluid Structure Interaction is discussed. The results of Mode shape show vortex-induced vibrations which can lead to Flutter.

Rural development programs act as boon to millions of rural inhabitants globally. So, it becomes extremely important for policy makers to study the perception of grassroot beneficiaries for effective implementation of ongoing program as well as plan for similar programs in future. In this study, the authors have attempted to study an ambitious rural development program named as Sansad Adarsh Gram Yojana launched by Government of India, through the lens of the beneficiaries. The program aims at adoption of villages and transforming them into Model Villages. The perception of the villagers was measured and perceived factors facilitating and inhibiting the program were identified through a multi-dimensional perception scale constructed through Principal Component Method. The study was carried out in four villages of Maharashtra and Telangana during 2018. The perception of 320 respondents when analysed, resulted in factors like Government-Public liaison (Y1=671.86), Infrastructure and Education (Y2=383.14), Local political environment (Y3=267.42), Collective power of villagers and youth (Y4=255.98), Equality (Y5=236.71) and Cultural and inherent values (Y6=143.03) facilitating the program while lack of separate funding (Y10= -12.88), bureaucratic hurdles (Y8=19.09), presence of village factions (Y9=25.05), lack of coordination among government departments (Y11=59.65) and faulty village adoption policy (Y7=130.85) hindering the progress of the program. Majority of villagers from Tikekarwadi (53.33%) of Maharashtra and from Dandepally (56.66%) of Telangana had favourable perception towards potential of the program while villagers from Inovolu (63.33%) of Telangana had neutral perception and from Malunja Budruk (80%) of Maharashtra had unfavourable perception. The classification was done on basis of Cumulative Cube Root Frequency Method (CCRF) and significant difference was found in perception scores of the respondents.

This article describes the analytical estimation of time dilation along the elliptical orbit of a satellite due to effects of relativity where the functioning has been time-dependent. The satellites in circular orbit are calibrated as moving frame of reference at constant velocity in constant non inertial frame of reference, namely Global Positioning System satellites where effects of both relativistic and gravitational time dilations can be seen. This article deals with the variation of the time dilation along the elliptical orbit whose speed of reference frame varies with respect to time and also varying the non-inertial frame of reference. The relativistic effects on the time dilation, is caused by the Earth rotation, due to the orbit eccentricity. The estimated values have a scope in the field of space mechanics. As a result the plot has been intended along the orbit comparing to circular orbit in both special and general relativity perspective.

The environment experienced by individuals during their juvenile stages has an impact on their adult stages. In holometabolous insects like Drosophila melanogaster, most of the resource acquisition for adult stages happens during the larval stages. Larval-crowding is a stressful environment, which exposes the larvae to scarcity of food and accumulation of toxic waste. Since adult traits are contingent upon larval stages, in larval-crowding like conditions, adult traits are prone to get affected. While the effect of resource limited, poor-developmental environment on adult immune response has been widely studied, the effect of adaptation to resource-limited developmental environment has not been studied, therefore in this study we assayed the evolution of ability to survive infection in adult stages as a correlated response to adaptation to larval crowding environments. Using four populations of Drosophila melanogaster adapted to larval crowding for 240 generations and their respective control populations, we show that populations adapted to larval crowding show an improved and evolved post-infection survivorship against a gram-negative bacteria Pseudomonas entomophila. Whereas, against a gram-positive bacteria Enterococcus faecalis, no difference in post-infection survivorship was observed across control and selected populations. In this study, we report the co-related evolution of pathogen-specific increased survivorship post-infection in populations of Drosophila melanogaster as a result of adaptation to larval crowding environment.

A recent study showed the association of minor alleles of rs2228611 (T allele) and rs2114724 (T allele) of DNMT1 with schizophrenia (SZ) and suggested their effects on splicing of the transcripts. We performed a replication study using 310 controls and 304 SZ patients and confirmed the association of the homozygous minor allele genotypes with SZ (P = 0.04 for rs2114724 and P = 0.007 for rs2228611). This significant association persisted after Bonferroni correction when the previously published data of 301 controls and 325 patients were also considered (P ≤ 0.0002). In addition, we found that the proportion of male patients with homozygous minor alleles at rs2114724 was significantly higher than that of females (P = 0.002). When haplotype analysis of both loci was performed, we observed a significant association of T/T–T/T and T/T–C/T (P = 0.04) haplotypes with SZ. To gain insights into the functional effects of the two SNPs on the levels of DNMT1 transcripts, quantitative real-time PCR experiments were performed using peripheral blood monocytes from 10 individuals each with T/T–T/T (homozygous minor allele), C/T–C/T (heterozygous), and C/C–C/C (homozygous major allele) haplotypes. Independently, the levels of DNMT1 protein were also compared in three individuals each by immunofluorescence. These results suggest that neither DNMT1 transcript nor the protein levels were significantly different in the peripheral blood monocytes among the individuals studied for the three groups. Taken together, our results confirm that the two minor alleles in homozygosity are associated with SZ but with no discernible effects on transcript or protein levels of DNMT1 in the peripheral blood monocytes of the small number of samples tested.

Study region: Mewat (renamed as Nuh) district of Haryana, India having geographical area of 1507 km2, comes under semi arid climatic conditions and Aravali hill ranges separates it from Rajasthan state. Study focus: Groundwater salinization is an emerging threat to water management. Understanding the sources of salinization, and their relative contributions by different sources and seasonal variability has become priority for planning best practices in water management and suggesting remedial measures. For identifying the sources of salinization, the direct application of the relationship between δ18O and δD is limited as it depends upon initial isotopic composition showing no isotopic variation in the mineral dissolution process. The present study advocates the use of deuterium excess which is independent of initial isotopic composition and extends this concept for identifying the relative contribution of different sources towards seasonal variability in salinization. New hydrological insights for the region: The district showed an average salinity of 6.7 g/L in pre-monsoon; 7.3 g/L in monsoon and 7.4 g/L in post-monsoon season thus a variability of 0.7 g/L observed. The area affected by the salinization (>2 g/L) also registers an increase from 86 % (pre-monsoon) to 99 % (post-monsoon) period. Mineral dissolution is found to be responsible for overall groundwater salinization with contribution of 97 %, declined to 86 % in post monsoon. In post monsoon season, contributions from initial salinity and evapoconcentration towards salinization increased by 8% and 3%, respectively.

Realizing the importance of farm mechanization in purview of shortage of farm labour and increasing demand from land for higher productivity, the Government of India implemented a subsidy scheme for promoting purchase and use of power tillers by farmers during 2007–2015. The present study aimed at assessing perception of the beneficiaries about the status of implementation of the scheme with a focus on power tiller purchase, use, and hindrances (if any). The study was conducted in randomly selected 23 districts from 5 purposively selected states of India with a total of 746 beneficiary farmers (n=746). Primary cross sectional data were collected with the help of a structured personal interview schedule. Variation was noticed among the states regarding cost and subsidy received to buy the power tillers. The average cost of power tillers including subsidy, was the highest for Tripura (`₹ 171577) followed by Assam (`₹ 169317). The average amount of subsidy was ` ₹ 70701 with the highest reported in Andhra Pradesh (` ₹ 90626). Overall, a majority (91.96%) of the respondents reported not to face difficulties in availing the subsidy. Overall 89.01% of the beneficiaries expressed satisfaction with the quality of power tillers supplied under the scheme. However, more than half of the beneficiaries were not satisfied with the overall services provided by the dealers including training and maintenance services. The findings of the study will be helpful for policy makers to evaluate the scheme and make improvements based on the lacuna investigated in the study.