Management of Orbital Floor Fractures: Our Experience

Abstract Otolaryngologists are often called to evaluate and manage patients with orbital floor fracture. We have described an overview of the treatment of orbital floor fractures using different reconstructive materials viz. autogenous like bone graft from iliac crest and allogenous like silicon block and titanium mesh. We have found that different implant materials offers equivalent satisfactory results in both functional and aesthetic considerations

DEVELOPMENT OF RIVER FLOOD ROUTING MODEL USING NON-LINEAR MUSKINGUM EQUATION AND EXCEL TOOL 'GANetXL'

Flood routing is of utmost importance to water resources engineers and hydrologist. Muskingum model is one of the popular methods for river flood routing which often require a huge computational work. To solve the routing parameters, most of the established methods require knowledge about different computer programmes and sophisticated models. So, it is beneficial to have a tool which is comfortable to users having more knowledge about everyday decision making problems rather than the development of computational models as the programmes. The use of micro-soft excel and its relevant tool like solver by the practicing engineers for normal modeling tasks has become common over the last few decades. In excel environment, tools are based on graphical user interface which are very comfortable for the users for handling database, modeling, data analysis and programming. GANetXL is an add-in for Microsoft Excel, a leading commercial spreadsheet application for Windows and MAC operating systems. GANetXL is a program that uses a Genetic Algorithm to solve a wide range of single and multi-objective problems. In this study, non-linear Muskingum routing parameters are solved using GANetXL. Statistical Model performances are compared with the earlier results and found satisfactory

Unveiling a high capacity multi-redox (Nb5+/Nb4+/Nb3+)NASICON−Nb2(PO4)3(Nb^{5+}/Nb^{4+}/Nb^{3+}) NASICON-Nb_2(PO_4)_3 anode for Li- and Na-ion batteries

Sodium superionic conductor (NASICON)-type materials are widely explored as Li- and Na-ion cathodes and solid-state electrolytes but are largely ignored as anodes due to their lower capacities and higher intercalation voltages, which reduce the overall energy densities of Li- and Na-ion batteries (LIBs and SIBs). Herein, we unveil high capacity multi-redox empty NASICON-Nb$_2$(PO$_4$)$_3$ as a potential anode material for LIBs and SIBs, which reversibly delivers 167 and 150 mA h g$^{−1}$ at the average voltages of 1.86 V vs. Li$^+$/Li$^0$ and 1.46 V vs. Na$^+$/Na$^0$, respectively. The Li and Na intercalation reactions proceed via multiple phase transitions, leading to short-range ordered Li$_3$Nb$_2$(PO$_4$)$_3$ and triclinic (P[1 with combining macron]) Na$_3$Nb$_2$(PO$_4$)$_3$, as revealed by in situ X-ray diffraction studies. Our density functional theory calculations are also in agreement with the in situ measurements in predicting a stable Na3Nb2(PO4)3 composition in the Na–Nb$_2$(PO$_4$)$_3$ pseudo-binary system. X-ray absorption spectroscopy confirms the participation of multi-redox Nb$^{5+}$/Nb$^{4+}$/Nb$^{3+}$ couples. The Nb$_2$(PO$_4$)$_3$ anode delivers capacities greater than 124 and 106 mA h g$^{−1}$ at 1C rate in Li and Na cells, respectively. Pairing Nb$_2$(PO$_4$)$_3$ with suitable cathodes and electrolytes can lead to high energy density batteries

A critical review of forest biomass estimation equations in India

Plant biomass is an integral part of the global carbon cycle and a renewable energy source that can deaccelerate the rising global temperature. India has 71 million ha (M ha) of land under forests represented by tropical to alpine ecosystems. Numerous direct and indirect species-specific and mixed-species equations have been used for biomass estimation in India. Biomass estimation equations that facilitate the prediction of aboveground biomass (AGB) stocks non-destructively across India are still lacking. Therefore, the objective of this review is to (i) assess the existing species-specific biomass estimation equations for trees, bamboos, palms, and bananas in India, (ii) assess and identify the most appropriate multi-species biomass estimation equations for AGB estimation across India, and (iii) define the critical research gaps in biomass estimation in India. The literature search found 85 species-specific and six multi-species AGB estimation equations reported from India. It was also found that a 50% of these equations were based on the power-law function using diameter at breast height (D) as the predictor variable. We carried out a multi-fold validation to compare the multi-species equation's compatibility by comparing the root mean square error (RMSE). The estimated RMSE values of the six reported multi-species equations showed that the following two equations could be effectively used for estimation of AGB: (i) lnAGB= 0.349+1.316 lnGBH and (ii) AGB= (0.18D2.16) × 1.32. These are adequate for predicting biomass of any woody species across a range of conditions in India

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Not AvailableHeavy metal contamination of water is a burning global issue, and enormous importance has been given on easily applicable watertreatment methods namely adsorption. However, search for an efficient and reusable adsorbent is ever-evolving. In this study,activated carbon from highly ligno-cellulosic jute stick (JS-AC), the agricultural by-product of jute (Corchorus olitorius), was evaluated as a new adsorbent for removing cadmium (Cd) from the aqueous medium. The direct and interaction effects of four independent adsorption factors namely, initial Cd(II) concentration (20–100 mg/L), adsorbent dose (0.5–1 g/L), solution pH (3–7), and time (30– 180 min) were investigated by applying response surface methodology (RSM). A 24 Box-Behnken matrix model with 3 centre points indicated that the maximum % Cd(II) removal was achieved at the initial concentration, dose, pH and time of 60.87 mg/L, 0.5 g/L, 7, and 30 min, respectively. The adsorption equilibrium was investigated by applying Freundlich, Langmuir, Temkin, and Jovanoic isotherm models while Langmuir isotherm exhibited the best fit (R2 = 0.99). The maximum Cd(II) adsorption capacity value of JS-AC was 73.53 mg/g. Finally, JS-AC was regenerated with 0.1M HNO3 as the desorption medium and reused for five successive cycles. This study indicated that jute stick, the under-utilised agro-residue of a cash crop, could be converted into a valuable product like JS-AC which offers immense application potential as an efficient and reusable adsorbent to treat Cd(II) contaminated aqueous medium before releasing in the environment.Not Availabl

Allometric Models for Estimation of Forest Biomass in North East India

In tropical and sub-tropical regions, biomass carbon (C) losses through forest degradation are recognized as central to global terrestrial carbon cycles. Accurate estimation of forest biomass C is needed to provide information on C fluxes and balances in such systems. The objective of this study was to develop generalized biomass models using harvest data covering tropical semi-evergreen, tropical wet evergreen, sub-tropical broad leaved, and sub-tropical pine forest in North East India (NEI). Among the four biomass estimation models (BEMs) tested AGBest = 0.32(D2Hδ)0.75 × 1.34 and AGBest = 0.18D2.16 × 1.32 were found to be the first and second best models for the different forest types in NEI. The study also revealed that four commonly used generic models developed by Chambers (2001), Brown (1989), Chave (2005) and Chave (2014) overestimated biomass stocks by 300–591 kg tree−1, while our highest rated model overestimated biomass by 197 kg tree−1. We believe the BEMs we developed will be useful for practitioners involved in remote sensing, biomass estimation and in projects on climate change mitigation, and payment for ecosystem services. We recommend future studies to address country scale estimation of forest biomass covering different forest types