Sericulture Industry in India - A Source of Employment Generation

India is the second largest producer of silk in the world ,next to China, with 14.7% share in global raw silk production. Silk, considered as the queen of fibres, is proteinaceous in nature. The bulk of commercial silk is produced from the mulberry silkworm Bombyx mori. The sericulture is rural, cottage and agro-based industry of cultivating food plants, rearing silkworms, conducting silk reeling, twisting, dyeing, weaving etc. ,provides continuous employment to 6817 thousand people in India .The current annual production of 16957 MTs of mulberry raw silk and proportionate consumption of food plants in 179 thousand hectares spread over 51 thousand villages ,generation of 125 thousand tons silk cocoons and 24 crore silkworm seed indicate the colossal quantum of waste and pollution generation in sericulture sector, require perceptive management for ecological security, value addition, and employment generation. The catching art of crafting silk waste is one of the interesting utility of silk, which develop human skills besides generating self employment and additional revenue. The crafts like garlands, flower vase, wreath, pen stand, dolls, jeweler, wall hangings, clocks, bouquets, and greeting cards, can be carved using silk wastes. The silk based paper is used to craft flowers, buffet lamps, and decorate plastics, steel and fabrics. The hybrid silk, net raw silk, silk tow and silk waves were converted as high valued fancy jackets, carpets and furnishings. The traditional practices make mulberry and silkworm to produce only silk filament and textiles, the new approach extend its application towards nutritional, cosmetic, pharmaceutical, biomaterial, biomedical, and bioengineering, automobile, house building, and art crafts

The Effect of Indole-3-Acetic Acid (IAA) on the Activity Levels of Dehydrogenases in the Silkgland of Silkworm, Bombyx Mori L

The effect of indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) on the glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G-6-PDH),lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), glutamate dehydrogenase (GDH), iso-citrate dehydrogenase (ICDH), succinate dehydrogenase (SDH) and malate dehydrogenase (MDH) were studied The stimulation of G-6-PDH activity in the silk gland of experimental larva indicates increased oxidation of glucose resulting in higher levels of NADPH. Increased G-6-PDH activity in the present study suggests this as compensatory mechanism to maintain the structural complexity, functional integrity and metabolic centrality of the cells The activity of LDH, ICDH, MDH and SDH were increased in the silk gland of IAA treated larvae. The increased activity of the dehydrogenases may be attributed to increased turnover of aminoacids and oxidative metabolism in the silk gland. The activity level of GDH was increased in silk gland which indicates the increased oxidation of glutamate

Simulation and Optimization of Cooling Tubes of Transformer for Efficient Heat Transfer

Temperature variation with in the transformer affects the life and efficiency of the distribution transformer. The top oil temperature in the transformer depends on the type of cooling and cooling ducts/fins design and their layout. The present project investigates methods of onan transformer cooling system by means of increasing heat transfer rate by implanting the axial groves along with fins and porous region within in the cooling tubes and further optimization of the cooling process by adjusting the gravity by orienting the tube. This study is carried out by means of numerical analysis by simulating Transformer geometry in Ansys Fluent .Real case geometry of distribution transformer is used in this simulation

A dynamical approach to the spatiotemporal aspects of the Portevin-Le Chatelier effect: Chaos,turbulence and band propagation

Experimental time series obtained from single and poly-crystals subjected to a constant strain rate tests report an intriguing dynamical crossover from a low dimensional chaotic state at medium strain rates to an infinite dimensional power law state of stress drops at high strain rates. We present results of an extensive study of all aspects of the PLC effect within the context a model that reproduces this crossover. A study of the distribution of the Lyapunov exponents as a function of strain rate shows that it changes from a small set of positive exponents in the chaotic regime to a dense set of null exponents in the scaling regime. As the latter feature is similar to the GOY shell model for turbulence, we compare our results with the GOY model. Interestingly, the null exponents in our model themselves obey a power law. The configuration of dislocations is visualized through the slow manifold analysis. This shows that while a large proportion of dislocations are in the pinned state in the chaotic regime, most of them are at the threshold of unpinning in the scaling regime. The model qualitatively reproduces the different types of deformation bands seen in experiments. At high strain rates where propagating bands are seen, the model equations are reduced to the Fisher-Kolmogorov equation for propagative fronts. This shows that the velocity of the bands varies linearly with the strain rate and inversely with the dislocation density, consistent with the known experimental results. Thus, this simple dynamical model captures the complex spatio-temporal features of the PLC effect.Comment: 17 pages, 18 figure

Born Effective Charges and Infrared Response of LiBC

Calculations of the zone center optical mode frequencies (including LO-TO splitting), Born effective charges Z$^*_{\alpha\alpha}$ for each atom, dielectric constants $\epsilon_{0}$ and $\epsilon_{\infty}$, and the dielectric response in the infrared, using density functional linear response theory, are reported. Calculated Raman modes are in excellent agreement with experimental values (170 cm$^{-1}$ and 1170 cm$^{-1}$), while it will require better experimental data to clarify the infrared active mode frequencies. The Born effective charges Z$^*_{\alpha \alpha}$ (i) have surprisingly different values for B and C, and (ii) show considerable anisotropy. Relationships between the effective charges and LO-TO splitting are discussed, and the predicted reflectivity in the range 0 -- 1400 cm$^{-1}$ is presented. These results hold possible implications for Li removal in LiBC, and C substition for B in MgB$_2$.Comment: 6 pages, 3 figure

Strong magnetic pair breaking in Mn substituted MgB_2 single crystals

Magnetic ions (Mn) were substituted in MgB_2 single crystals resulting in a strong pair-breaking effect. The superconducting transition temperature, T_c, in Mg_{1-x}Mn_xB_2 has been found to be rapidly suppressed at an initial rate of 10 K/%Mn, leading to a complete suppression of superconductivity at about 2% Mn substitution. This reflects the strong coupling between the conduction electrons and the 3d local moments, predominantly of magnetic character, since the nonmagnetic ion substitutions, e.g. with Al or C, suppress T_c much less effectively (e.g. 0.5 K/%Al). The magnitude of the magnetic moment, derived from normal state susceptibility measurements, uniquely identifies the Mn ions to be divalent, and to be in the low-spin state (S = 1/2). This has been found also in X-ray absorption spectroscopy measurements. Isovalent Mn^{2+} substitution for Mg^{2+} mainly affects superconductivity through spin-flip scattering reducing T_c rapidly and lowering the upper critical field anisotropy H_{c2}^{ab}/H_{c2}^c at T = 0 from 6 to 3.3 (x = 0.88% Mn), while leaving the initial slope dH_{c2}/dT near T_c unchanged for both field orientations.Comment: 9 pages, 9 figure

Biofuels – An Eco-Friendly Energy Source

Biofuels are liquids that derive from bio mass, both from plant materials and animal fat. Biofuels are products that can be processed in to liquid fuels for either transport or heating purposes. The most popular forms of biofuel are bioethanol, biodiesel and methanol. Bio ethanol is an alcohol derived from sugar or starch crops by fermentation. A second generation of bio ethanol-lignocelluloses includes a range of forestry products such as forestry coppices and energy grasses. Bio ethanol can be used in pure from or blended with gasoline. Bio ethanol is produced from agricultural products including starchy and cereal crops such as sugarcane, corn, beets, wheat and sorghum. Bio diesel is derived from vegetable oils by reaction of the oil with methanol. A second generation of bio diesel technologies synthesizes diesel fuel from wood and straw to a gasification stage. Biodiesel can be used in pure form or blended with automotive diesel. Biodiesel is made from oil or tree seeds such as rapeseed, sunflower, soya, palm, Pongamapinnata, Andiroba(Carporaguianensis), Babassu(Orbigniasp), barley, Camelina(Camelina sativa) coconut(copra), Jatropha curcas, Cumary (Dipterus odorata),groundnut, mustard, peanut, fishoil, and animal fat. Biodiesel derived from green algae and cyanobacteria biomass has the potential for high volume and cost effective production. It is carbon neutral. In recent years, bioenergy has drawn attention as a sustainable energy resource that may help cope with rising energy prices, but also provides income to poor farmers and rural communities around the globe. Developing countries with tropical climate have a comparative advantage in growing energy with biomass. Advantages of using bio fuel are renewable fuel, low toxicity, biodegradable, lower emissions of contaminants, lower health risk, no sulfur dioxide emissions and higher flash point and also decreases the country’s dependence on imported petroleum. Biofuels represent important opportunities and challenges for sustainable development, both globally and domestically. Bio fuels can help to tackle climate change and improve rural employment and livelihood. Their reduced carbon emissions compared to conventional fuels and their positive impacts on rural development, together with the current high oil prices are key elements behind their market development. Thus bio diesel is a potential replacement for petroleum based liquid fuels. Biomass for fuel production is gaining importance in terms of its productivity, practicality and innovative potential to create a cost competitive, environment friendly and renewable source of liquid fuel