Review: Protection of Wooden Structures with Nano-Titanium Dioxide Coating

Wood is widely used for various purposes with good performance. Wood works as the main material for furniture, monuments, decorations and constructions. which has the close relationship with human. Durability of wood is important in ensuring an appropriate life for the structure being designed. Wooden construction deteriorates easily due to UV radiation and weather conditions. Many of wood types need a preservative treatment. Several compounds are available for chemical protection, but not all are completely safe for human health. New technologies with low environmental impact and economically feasible are developed, which improves the life cycle of wood. Titanium dioxide is used widely in building materials and can help to make construction products and buildings more sustainable. It is used as a UV light absorber to protect wood matter from photodegradation. This review will focus on the use of titanium dioxide coating technology to protect wood from decay and the methods of applications in order to throw light on this fiel

Monocrotophos: Toxicity Evaluation and Respiratory Responses of Cyprinus carpio (Linnaeus)

Static rencval bioassay method was used to determine the 96 hr LC50 of monocrotophos on Cyprinus carpio. Oxygen consumption and behavioral responses were recorded at lethal and at two sublethal (1/10th and 1/15th) concentrations.  Oxygen consumption responses were concentration dependent. The data indicated maximum decrease in oxygen consumption at lethal exposure (86.4 µg/L) over control on 4th day followed by 2nd, 3rd, 1st days.  At 1/10th of lethal concentration (8.64 µg/ L) continuous decrease on 1st, 10th and 20th day but decrease was reduced on 30th day. Similar variations were observed at 1/15th of lethal exposure (5.76 µg/ L) from day 1 to day 10. The decrease continued on 30th day which was witnessed to be very less amongst all. Behavioral responses were significant in lethal exposures due to intoxication.  Fish showed hyper excitation, erratic swimming, jumping, and lethargy due to low breathing frequency followed by muscular rigidity and abundant mucous secretion over the gills

Genotype x environment interaction and stability analyses of yield of upland cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) in central Sudan

     Seed cotton yield stability of genotype over environments is a useful parameter for recommending cultivars for known cropping conditions. Fifteen upland cotton inbred lines and the check (commercial cultivar Hamid were evaluated. over two consecutive seasons (2013/14 and 2014/15) at three locations,  Rahad, Gezira and Sennar Research Station of the Agricultural Research Corporation, Sudan. A randomized complete block design with four replicates was used. The objective was to assess the genotype by environment interaction and stability of seed cotton yield. The mean squares due to environment were significant while genotype and genotype x environment interaction were highly significant for seed cotton yield. Significant differences among genotypes for the studied characters were found in almost all seasons, indicating that these cotton genotypes were highly variable for the characters studied and, therefore, expected to respond to selection. The interaction effects of genotype x location were significant for all traits indicating that genotypes responded differently to different environments. Statistical models of stability analysis, i.e. Eberhart and Russel model as well as the additive main effect and multiplicative interaction (AMMI), indicated that genotypes RS-5, R-96, R-231, R-43 and R-1 revealed good stability and high seed cotton yields across environments. In conclusion, and based on stability parameters, genotypes R-6, R-40, R-231, and R-43 are recommended for further testing over a range of environments to examine their yield stability and suitability for large field production.  يعتبر ثبات الانتاجية للقطن الزهرة من أفضل الطرق للتوصية بزراعة الاصناف حسب الظروف المحصولية لكل صنف. تم اختبار 15 سلالة نقية من القطن الأكالا (Gossypium hirsutum L.)  بالأضافة الي الصنف حامد المنزرع تجاريا بالسودان في موسمي 14/2013  و 15/2014 في محطة بحوث الرهد و محطة بحوث الجزيرة و محطة بحوث سنار, هيئة البحوث الزراعية (ARC), السودان. استخدم تصميم القطاعات العشوائية الكاملة بأربعة مكررات. هدفت الدراسة لتقويم التفاعل الوراثي والبيئ وثبات درجة انتاجية القطن زهرة. أظهرتحليل التباين فروقات معنوية مع البيئات بينما أظهرت السلالات وتفاعل السلالات مع البيئات لانتاجية القطن زهره فروقات معنوية عالية. أيضا أظهرة الدراسة فروقات معنوية لمعظم الصفات التي درسة في كل موسم, وهذا يشير الي وجود فروقات عالية بين سلالات القطن التي درست, عليه يمكنها الاستجابة للانتخاب. أوضح التحليل الاحصائي ل Eberhart and Russel model (1966)  و (AMMI) أن الطرز RS-5 و R-96 و R-231 وR-43 و R-1 أظهرت درجة ثبات وانتاجية عالية في كل البيئات. خلاصة البحث واستناداً علي متوسط الأداء وثبات الانتاجية يوصى باختبار ثبات انتاجية الطرز الوراثية R-6 وR-40 و R-231و R-43 في عدة مواقع ومواسم للتأكد من نتائج هذه الدراسة والاستفادة منها في توصية باجازة بعض هذه الطرز لتناسب الظروف البيئية في السودا

A Review on the Behaviour of Combined Stone Columns and Pile Foundations in Soft Soils when Placed under Rigid Raft Foundation

In the last few decades, it has been observed that raft foundations are very commonly used as a foundation solution for moderate to high rise structures either by resting on stone columns or on piles in soft soils. It is believed that, combining stone columns and piles in one foundation system is the more suitable foundation for medium rise structures. The combined foundation system provides a superior and more economical alternative to pile, and a more attractive alternative to stone columns in respect to ground improvement. This paper presents the review of existing studies reported in the literature in the last two decades about the behaviour of stone columns under raft foundations and piled raft foundation in soft soil, notably the failure mechanism and the bearing capacity. Also, a limited work from the literature concerning the performance of combined (pile/stone columns) foundation system in soft soil is comprised. Furthermore, very extensive ongoing research work regarding the investigation and study on the performance of combined (pile/stone columns) foundation system in soft soils is discussed. The main goals and methodology to study the performance of the combined (pile/stone columns) foundation systems in soft soil are also addressed

Analysis of adverse reactions with phenytoin and carbamazepine in tertiary care hospital – A retrospective study

Introduction: Drugs used in pharmacotherapy are known to cause adverse reactions along with its useful therapeutic effects. Pharmacotherapy is the common modality of treatment for seizures and epilepsies. Despite the availability of many pharmacotherapeutic agents for the management of epilepsies, even today the broad spectrum anti-epileptic drugs like phenytoin and carbamazepine are frequently prescribed owing to their effectiveness. Here with this retrospective study an attempt has been made to understand the different adverse reactions developed especially serious reactions with the phenytoin and carbamazepine. Materials and Methods: It’s a retrospective study; data is collected from case sheets and adverse drug reaction reporting forms. Results: In this retrospective study we noted serious reactions like Stevens Johnson syndrome (SJS) and toxic epidermal necrolysis (TEN). Out of 100 reactions studied 72% are with phenytoin and 28% are with carbamazepine. Conclusion: The study is intended to project the seriousness of adverse reactions with commonly prescribed anti-epileptic drugs. There is a need for further studies especially prospective safety and efficay studie

A case of erythematous lesions over the face

A 42 -year-old Indian woman presented with a 6 months history of a reddish lesions over her nose. The lesion gradually progressed to involve the left cheek. Clinical examination revealed multiple painless erythematous papules with superficial crusting involving the ala of the nose and extending on the left cheek

A Review on Current trends in solar photovoltaic and zero emission vehicle impact on Climate Change Mitigation

Recently concluded Paris Conference 2015 notes that, even after complying by pollution reduction commitments by variousnations, estimated greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in 2025 and 2030 will reach 55 Giga tons of carbon emissions, and will notreduce the global average temperature rise to below 2 ̊C above pre-industrial levels. The Intergovernmental Panel on ClimateChange (IPCC) predicts that if greenhouse gas (GHG) emission levels continue to rise, future changes are likely to be even moreextreme, with millions of people displaced by rising sea levels and global food supplies under threat. The only possible recoveryfrom this imminent danger appears to be in the form of global cooperation in mitigating climate change at a pace unprecedented in modern history. Adoption of Paris Agreement 2015 will not be beneficial, unless, reduction in energy demands in the form offossil fuel as well as resources consumption by people around the world and other mitigating measures are employed at massscale, the most important being one switching to cleaner energy. According to IPCC report (2014) electricity generation andtransportation together contributes 39% of global greenhouse gas emission. A very promising way to achieve this daunting task of reduction in GHG emission is by switching to cleaner sources of energy such as solar photovoltaic and fuel cells away from fossil fuel based electricity production and transportation. Recent data suggest that contribution of solar energy has already crossed 1.5% of global electricity demand and it is the fastest growing energy market in China which is the second largest GHG emitter in the world. Whereas, fuel cells possess the capacity of becoming the future power house. The present paper intends to illustrate and discuss current as well as future prospects of these sources of clean energy, their contribution in mitigation of climate change and imminent danger of unchecked climate change

Are ranking preferences information methods comparable with the choice experiment information in predicting actual behavior?

Parting from the issue which elicited value method best predict real consumer’ behavior, this study compares the ability of hypothetical and non-hypothetical choice experiment respect to incentive compatible ranking conjoint analysis and sequential best worst scaling in terms of estimated partworths, internal and external predictive power, estimated WTP, and participants’ response consistency. In general, the results reveal higher preferences regularity between the respondents across the different treatments implying not statistically difference in the marginal participants’ WTP. Additionally, the participants behave similarly whether there are asked to choose or to state their most preferred through two ranking elicitation mechanism. However, the advantage of the best worst scaling in it cognitive process which could be considered clearness for participants has been illustrated in statistical significant increment of external predictive power of the method compared with ranking conjoint analysi

University Students’ Intention of Smartphone Adoption for Academic Activities: Testing an Extended TAM Model

New technology has been credited with the ability to extend human senses. However, adaptation and use of technology has been reported to be intricately mediated by usefulness and ease of use of technology among other contingencies. While Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) has provided the theoretical basis for adaptation and use of technology in a plethora of contexts, little, if any, study has examined the use of ubiquitous smart technological apparatus for academic purpose among the greatest adopters of the technology, university students. The current study examines students’ intention of smartphone adoption from the TAM perspective. Data has been collected from students in two public universities in Malaysia and Nigeria. IBM-SPSS version 20.0 and Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) approach with AMOS were used to analyze and test the hypothesized theoretical model. The results suggested that attitude, social influence and perceived usefulness were positively correlated with the respondents’ intention towards using smartphones for educational purposes. Moreover, students’ attitudes towards adoption of smartphones were directly predicted by perceived usefulness and directly self-efficacy, which in turn, had direct impact on students’ perceptions of easiness and usefulness. Findings made a considerable contribution to the heuristic value of TAM and facilitated the maximization of smart technologies for educational purposes