An empirical study of vehicle emissions under cordon and distance based road user charging, Leeds, UK.

This paper presents the impact of road user charging (RUC) on vehicle emissions through application of traffic assignment and pollutant emission models. It presents results of an analysis of five RUC schemes on vehicle emissions in Leeds, UK for 2005. The schemes were: a £3 inner ring road cordon charge; a double cordon with a £2 inner ring road and a £1 outer ring road charge; and distance charges of 2, 10 and 20 pence per km levied for travel within the outer cordon. Schemes were compared to a no charge option and results presented here. Emissions are significantly reduced within the inner cordon, whilst beyond the cordon, localised increases and decreases occur. The double cordon exhibits a similar but less marked pattern. Distance charging reduces city-wide emissions by 10% under a 2 p/km charge, 42-49% under a 10 p/km charge and 52-59% under a 20 p/km charge. The higher distance charges reduce emissions within the charge zone, and are also associated with elevated emissions outside the zone, but to a lesser extent than that observed for cordon charging

Spatial Variation in Personal Exposure of Parking Attendants to Traffic Emissions in an Urban Conurbation

This study presents temporal and spatial variations in personal exposure of parking attendants in a busy conurbation in the northern part of the UK. Two traffic related pollutants - carbon monoxide (CO) and ultrafine particulates (UFP), mainly associated with urban drives, have been considered for two distinct locations- one, in the city centre and the other in a suburban area of Leeds, a prominent city in West Yorkshire. The monitoring of pollutants was conducted while parking attendants carried out their duty along the streets during different times of the year to capture the seasonal fluctuations. Our results show a wide variation in exposure levels for both CO and UFP, marked both by seasonal and daily characteristics. There seems to be considerable variations in exposure levels depending on the location of the parking attendants with respect to traffic activity. Specifically, the level of exposure closer to market areas within the city centre, despite located in open spaces but closer to congested streets were found to be much higher owing to frequent stopping, stopping and idling of cars in search of parking spaces. This demonstrates the merit in setting up transport interchanges and park-and-ride schemes away from busy streets to ameliorate the exposure levels

Development of multi-functional streetscape green infrastructure using a performance index approach

This paper presents a performance evaluation framework for streetscape vegetation. A performance index (PI) is conceived using the following seven traits, specific to the street environments - Pollution Flux Potential (PFP), Carbon Sequestration Potential (CSP), Thermal Comfort Potential (TCP), Noise Attenuation Potential (NAP), Biomass Energy Potential (BEP), Environmental Stress Tolerance (EST) and Crown Projection Factor (CPF). Its application is demonstrated through a case study using fifteen streetvegetation species from the UK, utilising a combination of direct field measurements and inventoried literature data. Our results indicate greater preference to small-to-medium size trees and evergreen shrubs over larger trees for streetscaping. The proposed PI approach can be potentially applied two-fold: one, for evaluation of the performance of the existing street vegetation, facilitating the prospects for further improving them through management strategies and better species selection; two, for planning new streetscapes and multi-functional biomass as part of extending the green urban infrastructure

ASSESSMENT OF ANTIMICROBIAL EFFICACY OF KOHL/KAJAL PREPARED BY DIFFERENT INDIAN METHODS AGAINST SELECTED MICROBIAL STRAINS

Objective: To prepare and evaluate different types of Kajal formulations and evaluation of its antimicrobial activity along with preliminary verification of the content responsible for the said effect. Methods: We have prepared kajal formulations by use of different metal plates, marble tile, ghee and Aloe vera mucilage and tried to verify the antimicrobial effect attributed to the formulation by these substances. Results: Carbon soot obtained from the use of copper plate showed more antimicrobial potential against Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and E. coli, with zones of inhibition 18±0.235 mm, 17±0.124 mm and 19±0.528 mm respectively. Also this formulation at different concentrations when compared with Ciprofloxacin exhibited promising results. Moreover, this formulation when used with Ciprofloxacin at a concentration of (50:50) revealed a synergistic effect against the clinically resistant strains of P. aeruginosa, with zone of inhibition 22±0.578 mm and 20±0.987 mm at a concentration of 10 and 5 µg ml-1 respectively, whereas, Ciprofloxacin exhibited zone of inhibition of 26±0.457 mm and 24±0.751 mm at the similar concentrations. To assess the effectiveness of Aloe vera we used marbles tiles for collection of carbon soot. The zones of inhibition observed for Kohl formulations prepared by using carbon soot collected from marble tiles impregnated with Aloe vera mucilage exhibited less antimicrobial activity than that of copper soot against the selected microbial strains. Conclusion: All the prepared kajal formulations exhibited antimicrobial activity. Aloe vera and copper soot is responsible for significant antimicrobial activity and when combined with Ciprofloxacin it showed synergistic activity against the clinically resistant strains of P. aeruginosa

Anti-inflammatory and analgesic activity of different fractions of Boswellia serrata

The study was designed to investigate the anti-inflammatory and analgesic effect of different fractions of Boswellia serrata. The effect of different fractions of Boswellia serrata were studied using carrageenan induced paw edema, acetic acid induced writhing response, formalin induced pain, hot plate and tail flick method for studying anti-inflammatory and analgesic activity, respectively. The different fractions of B. serrata, essential oil (10 ml/kg), gum (100 mg/kg, resin (100 mg/kg) oleo-resin (100 mg/kg) and oleo-gum-resin (100 mg/kg) significantly reduces carrageenan induced inflammation in rats and shows analgesic activity, as determined by acetic acid induced writhing response, formalin induced pain, hot plate and tail flick method. The different fractions of B. serrata showed prompt anti-inflammatory and analgesic activity due to the inhibition of 5-lipoxygenase enzyme.Keywords: Analgesic; Boswellia serrata; Inflammation; 5- lipoxygenase; Burseraceae

Revolutionizing Agriculture: Machine Learning-Driven Crop Recommendations and Disease Detection in Fertilizer Management

Modern agriculture faces a multitude of challenges, including crop failures, disease outbreaks, and suboptimal yields, primarily stemming from the underutilization of advanced farming technologies and a lack of expert guidance. This research proposes a comprehensive solution consisting of three key components: a Crop Disease Detection System, a Fertilizer Recommendation System, and a Crop Suggestion System. The Crop Disease Detection System employs state-of-the-art technology to evaluate crop health by analyzing the condition of plant leaves, enabling early and accurate identification of agricultural diseases. Simultaneously, the Fertilizer Recommendation System leverages soil quality data and environmental factors to provide personalized fertilizer recommendations, optimizing nutrient application. An essential element of this system is a robust soil testing module, recognizing the critical importance of assessing soil quality. Soil fertility evaluation, guided by soil pH measurements, enables precise crop predictions. The proposed system utilizes Machine Learning classification algorithms to predict suitable crops based on essential soil parameters—Phosphorus, Potassium, and Nitrogen levels. It also offers tailored fertilizer recommendations to enhance soil fertility. By implementing these interconnected solutions, this research aims to significantly improve crop yields while reducing crop damage. This holistic approach empowers farmers with the tools and knowledge needed to enhance agricultural productivity and food security. Anticipated outcomes include higher crop yields and a reduced vulnerability of crops to diseases, contributing to a more sustainable and prosperous agricultural sector