The Detrimental Effect of Rainfall on Performance and Stability Characteristics of Aircrafts-A Comprehensive Review

The rapidly growing global market demands faster transit of human beings and goods even in unfavorable weather conditions of rainfall. The paper gives an overview of rain research methodologies, mathematical models to track raindrops in the flow field. The paper depicts the havoc rainfall causes on performance characteristics for various phases of flight in terms of evaluation of CL and CD and dynamic performance parameters such as short period mode. The knowledge obtained by this review paper could help designers to modify the design of aircraft such that it has better performance, stability, and control characteristics for all weather conditions

Artificial Intelligence and Poverty Alleviation: A Review

Artificial intelligence (AI) is a term attracting significant attention from both research as well as practice. AI is a constantly evolving frontier of emerging computing capabilities and technologies including but not limited to autonomous vehicles, natural language processing, robots, and virtual agents. The impact of AI has been examined in various business and non-business contexts, including the achievement of the sustainable development goals (SDGs) proposed by the United Nations. However, due to the mixed findings of various studies, the exact nature of AI’s impact on specific SDGs is not clear. We combine quantitative and qualitative reviews of the extant academic literature to examine the impact of AI on an important SDG – alleviation of poverty. This study has multiple potential contributions – we identify the key trends in the extant research in this domain and also open up the black box of intermediate mechanisms through which AI affects poverty alleviation

Urinary N-acetyl-beta -D-glucosaminidase and its isoenzymes A & B in workers exposed to cadmium at cadmium plating

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Objective</p> <p>The present study was carried out to determine the effect of cadmium exposure on Urinary N-acetyl-beta -D-glucosaminidase and its isoenzymes A and B in workers exposed at cadmium plating.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>50 subjects using cadmium during cadmium plating formed the study group. An equal number of age-sex matched subjects working in administrative section formed the control group. Urinary cadmium levels were determined by using a flameless atomic absorption spectrophotometer. Urinary N-acetyl-beta -D-glucosaminidase and its isoenzymes A and B were determined by using spectrophotmetric method.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>A significant increase of urinary total N-acetyl-beta -D-glucosaminidase and its isoenzymes A and B profiles were noted in study as compared to controls. The levels of urinary N-acetyl-beta -D-glucosaminidase and its isoenzymes A and B profiles were positively and significantly correlated with cadmium levels in urine. Multiple regression analysis was used to assess the effect of urinary cadmium or life style confounding factors (age, BMI, smoking and alcohol consumption) on urinary N-acetyl-beta -D-glucosaminidase and its isoenzymes A and B. The analysis showed that the study subjects who had urine cadmium levels greater than 5 μg/g of creatinine, work duration >15 years, smoking and body mass index variables were significantly associated with urinary total N-acetyl-beta -D-glucosaminidase but not on isoenzymes A&B.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>The results presented in this study shows that the increased levels of urinary N-acetyl-beta -D-glucosaminidase observed in cadmium-exposed workers could be used as biomarkers for suggesting preventive measure.</p

Observations from the EEFIT-TDMRC Mission to Sulawesi, Indonesia to Investigate the 28th September 2018 Central Sulawesi Earthquake

On the 28th September 2018 at 17:02 local time, an earthquake of magnitude 7.5 Mw hit Indonesia, with epicentre located 78km north of the city of Palu on Sulawesi Island. The earthquake ground shaking triggered four substantial landslides and several instances of liquefaction and land subsidence. Furthermore, a localised tsunami was triggered in Palu Bay, likely due to subsea landsliding. These hazards caused damage to over 70,000 properties and the deaths of at least 4,438 people. The UK Earthquake Engineering Field Investigation Team (EEFIT) and Indonesian Tsunami and Disaster Mitigation Research Centre (TDMRC) conducted a joint reconnaissance mission to areas affected by the earthquake. This paper presents their main findings regarding these multiple hazards and their impacts on the built environment

Transcriptome analysis of stem wood of Nothapodytes nimmoniana (Graham) Mabb. identifies genes associated with biosynthesis of camptothecin, an anti-carcinogenic molecule

Camptothecin (CPT), a monoterpene indole alkaloid, is a potent inhibitor of DNA topoisomerase I and has applications in treating ovarian, small lung and refractory ovarian cancers. Stem wood tissue of Nothapodytes nimmoniana (Graham) Mabb. (family Icacinaceae) is one of the richest sources of CPT. Since there is no genomic or transcriptome data available for the species, the present work sequenced and analysed transcriptome of stem wood tissue on an Illumina platform. From a total of 77,55,978 reads, 9,187 transcripts were assembled with an average length of 255 bp. Functional annotation and categorization of these assembled transcripts unraveled the transcriptome architecture and also a total of 13 genes associated with CPT biosynthetic pathway were identified in the stem wood tissue. Four genes of the pathway were cloned to full length by RACE to validate the transcriptome data. Expression analysis of 13 genes associated with CPT biosynthetic pathway in 11 different tissues vis-à-vis CPT content analysis suggested an important role of NnPG10H, NnPSLS and NnPSTR genes in the biosynthesis of CPT. These results indicated that CPT might be synthesized in the leaves and then perhaps exported to stem wood tissue for storage

Phenolic and antioxidant capacity retention of potato peel waste as a function of cultivar, pretreatment and drying procedure

Drying procedures employed for potato peels (both raw and boiled) may adversely affect the useful bioactivecomponents present in them. This study envisaged the identification of a feasible drying procedure for handlingbulk potato peel waste for maximising the retention of phytochemicals in the peel powder. The total phenols (TP), flavonoids (TF) and antioxidant capacity (TAC) were assessed in peels of three commercial and one newly developed anthocyanin rich Indian potato cultivars in response to boiling pretreatment and varying drying procedures. Microwave drying (600W) was best in terms of drying rate for both raw and boiled peels. It yielded the greatest amount of TP and TF in the dried raw peel, irrespective of cultivar. Dried raw peels of an thocyanin rich Kufri Neelkanth cultivar exhibited maximum TAC. Retention of TF, metal scavenging activity and reducing power followed almost a similar pattern as TP irrespective of cultivar, pretreatment and drying procedure. Our study shows that potato peel from Kufri Neelkanth (raw) and Kufri Frysona (both raw and boiled) are best source of phenolics and flavonoids and can serve as a suitable matrix for extraction of bioactive compounds which holds promise for use in the food industry

A two-year participatory intervention project with owners to reduce lameness and limb abnormalities in working horses in Jaipur, India

Participatory methods are increasingly used in international human development, but scientific evaluation of their efficacy versus a control group is rare. Working horses support families in impoverished communities. Lameness and limb abnormalities are highly prevalent in these animals and a cause for welfare concern. We aimed to stimulate and evaluate improvements in lameness and limb abnormalities in horses whose owners took part in a 2-year participatory intervention project to reduce lameness (PI) versus a control group (C) in Jaipur, India.In total, 439 owners of 862 horses participated in the study. PI group owners from 21 communities were encouraged to meet regularly to discuss management and work practices influencing lameness and poor welfare and to track their own progress in improving these. Lameness examinations (41 parameters) were conducted at the start of the study (Baseline), and after 1 year and 2 years. Results were compared with control horses from a further 21 communities outside the intervention. Of the 149 horses assessed on all three occasions, PI horses showed significantly (P<0.05) greater improvement than C horses in 20 parameters, most notably overall lameness score, measures of sole pain and range of movement on limb flexion. Control horses showed slight but significantly greater improvements in four parameters, including frog quality in fore and hindlimbs.This participatory intervention succeeded in improving lameness and some limb abnormalities in working horses, by encouraging changes in management and work practices which were feasible within owners’ socioeconomic and environmental constraints. Demonstration of the potentially sustainable improvements achieved here should encourage further development of participatory intervention approaches to benefit humans and animals in other contexts

Imaging characteristics of H3 K27M histone-mutant diffuse midline glioma in teenagers and adults

Background: To assess anatomical and quantitative diffusion-weighted MR imaging features in a recently classified lethal neoplasm, H3 K27M histone-mutant diffuse midline glioma [World Health Organization (WHO) IV]. / Methods: Fifteen untreated gliomas in teenagers and adults (median age 19, range, 14–64) with confirmed H3 K27M histone-mutant genotype were analysed at a national referral centre. Morphological characteristics including tumour epicentre(s), T2/FLAIR and Gadolinium enhancement patterns, calcification, haemorrhage and cyst formation were recorded. Multiple apparent diffusion coefficient (ADCmin, ADCmean) regions of interest were sited in solid tumour and normal appearing white matter (ADCNAWM) using post-processing software (Olea Sphere v2.3, Olea Medical). ADC histogram data (2nd, 5th, 10th percentile, median, mean, kurtosis, skewness) were calculated from volumetric tumour segmentations and tested against the regions of interest (ROI) data (Wilcoxon signed rank test). / Results: The median interval from imaging to tissue diagnosis was 9 (range, 0–74) days. The structural MR imaging findings varied between individuals and within tumours, often featuring signal heterogeneity on all MR sequences. All gliomas demonstrated contact with the brain midline, and 67% exhibited rim-enhancing necrosis. The mean ROI ADCmin value was 0.84 (±0.15 standard deviation, SD) ×10−3 mm2/s. In the largest tumour cross-section (excluding necrosis), an average ADCmean value of 1.12 (±0.25)×10−3 mm2/s was observed. The mean ADCmin/NAWM ratio was 1.097 (±0.149), and the mean ADCmean/NAWM ratio measured 1.466 (±0.299). With the exception of the 2nd centile, no statistical difference was observed between the regional and histogram derived ADC results. / Conclusions: H3 K27M-mutant gliomas demonstrate variable morphology and diffusivity, commonly featuring moderately low ADC values in solid tumour. Regional ADC measurements appeared representative of volumetric histogram data in this study

Antibacterial, Insecticidal and Free radical scavenging activity of methanol extract of Ziziphus rugosa Lam. (Rhamnaceae) fruit pericarp

Introduction: Ziziphus rugosa Lam. belongs to the family Rhamnaceae and is found chiefly in deciduous and semievergreen forest of Western Ghats. The present study was undertaken to determine antibacterial, insecticidal and free radical scavenging activity of methanol extract of Ziziphus rugosa Lam. fruit pericarp. Methods: The powdered fruit pericarp of Z. rugosa was extracted with methanol. Antibacterial activity of methanol extract was determined against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus by Agar well diffusion method. Free radical scavenging activity was determined using DPPH assay. The insecticidal activity of extract was tested against second instar larvae of Aedes aegypti. Results: The extract exhibited dose dependent inhibition of test bacteria. Among bacteria, E. coli was found to be more susceptible to extract than S. aureus. All the concentrations of extract produced over 50% mortality of larvae and the larvicidal effect was found to be dose dependent. The extract caused 100% mortality of larvae at concentration of 50 mg/ml. The extract exhibited concentration dependent radical scavenging activity with an IC 50 value of 61.88 µg/ml. The phytochemical analysis of extract showed the presence of alkaloids, saponins, flavonoids and glycosides. Conclusion: The extract, in suitable form, may be used to control bacterial diseases, free radical damage and arboviral diseases. The phytoconstituents present in the extract may be responsible for the tested biological efficacies of extract. Further studies on isolation of active constituents from the extract and their biological activity are under investigation

Social Role in Organizational Management - Understanding People Behavior and Motivation

The aim of this work is to respond to the need to rethink the behavior and motiva-tion of employees in their relationship with managers and social groups, i.e., one`s main goal is based on increasing engagement in order to reach organiza-tional goals and job workers satisfaction, a complex concept that is influenced by different causes. Indeed, in this work it is analyzed the impact of working condi-tions on job satisfaction. This is where attention is drawn to the concept of entro-py, since we are not focusing on the value a variable can take, but on the effort that has been expended to obtain it. The idea of entropy comes from a principle of thermodynamics dealing with energy. It usually refers to the idea that everything in the universe eventually moves from order to disorder, and entropy is the meas-urement of that change, that is used here to understand and assess the workers behavior and motivation. The subsequent formal model is based on a set of logi-cal structures for knowledge representation and reasoning that conform to the above entropic view, then leading to an Artificial Neural Network approach to computation, an archetypal that considers the motive behind the action