2D and 3D Back Analysis of the Forest City Landslide (South Dakota)

Landslides are a common geologic feature in the Missouri River trench and along the valleys of Missouri River tributaries. These landslides are commonly found to develop in the Pierre Shale formation in this region. Pierre Shale is a weakly cemented marine clay shale developed in Cretaceous age by sediments from Epeiric Sea. This clay shale is well known for imposing engineering challenges in the form of slope instability and foundation difficulties because of its non-homogeneity and high plasticity. It is known as heavily overconsolidated shale which can fail due to minor disturbances. Based on the development of dams and transportation infrastructure in this area understanding the behavior of Pierre shale is extremely important to assess the stability of those structures. As the shale material in this area is already fissured and has the history of numerous landslides, its residual strength is considered over peak strength to efficiently represent its strength. This thesis investigates a possible range of the residual friction angle for the Pierre Shale. The Forest City landslide which occurred in the Missouri River trench is selected as a case study for this purpose. The residual friction angle values are evaluated by performing a deterministic back analysis of the slope in two and three dimensions. The deterministic two dimension analysis is performed in limit equilibrium and finite element methods using SLOPE/W and SIGMA/W softwares from GEOSTUDIO 2007. A deterministic three dimensional analysis is performed by using CLARA/W software. The values obtained from these analyses are compared and a reasonable value of 4,,a to 6.64,,a is selected to represent the residual friction angle values for the Pierre Shale

A NEW VALIDATED THIRD ORDER DERIVATIVE SPECTROSCOPIC METHOD FOR SIMULTANEOUS ESTIMATION OF METOPROLOL SUCCINATE AND RAMIPRIL IN TABLET DOSAGE FORM

Objective: The objective of the present work is to develop and validate a new UV derivative spectrophotometric method for simultaneous estimation of metoprolol succinate and ramipril in methanol: water (50:50v/v). Methods: “Zero crossing technique” was chosen for quantitative determination. The zero-crossing points (ZCP’s) were found to be 209 nm where metoprolol succinate was quantified and 211 nm where ramipril was quantified. This method was then subjected to accuracy, linearity, sensitivity and reproducibility according to ICH guidelines to ensure and confirm its validity. Results: The method was found to be obeying Beer’s law in the range of 10-50 µg/ml and 5-25 µg/ml for metoprolol succinate and ramipril, respectively. The % recoveries were observed between the range of 99.2-100.2 for metoprolol succinate and 99.57-99.86 for ramipril. The intra-day and inter-day results showed reproducibility. Conclusion: It can be concluded that the developed third-order UV derivative spectroscopic method for the simultaneous determination of metoprolol succinate and ramiprilcan be recommended for routine quantitative analysis

DESIGN AND CFD ANALYSIS OF SOLAR FLAT PLATE COLLECTOR BY USING CREO

: Flat-plate collectors, developed by Hottel and Whillier in the 1950s, are the most common type. They consist of (1) a dark flat-plate absorber, (2) a transparent cover that reduces heat losses, (3) a heat-transport fluid (air, antifreeze or water) to remove heat from the absorber, and (4) a heat insulating backing. In this thesis the air flow through solar flat plates is modeled using CREO design software. the thesis will focus on thermal and CFD analysis with different fluid air, water and different angles (900,300,450&600) of the solar flat plates. thermal analysis done for the solar flat plates by, aluminum & copper at different heat transfer coefficient values. These values are taken from CFD analysis. In this thesis the CFD analysis to determine the heat transfer coefficient, heat transfer rate, mass flow rate, pressure drop and thermal analysis to determine the temperature distribution, heat flux with different materials. 3D modeled in parametric software CREO and analysis done in ANSYS

SIMULTANEOUS EVALUATION OF ABACAVIR SULFATE AS WELL AS LAMIVUDINE IN MEDICAL FORMULATIONS BY GRADIENT REVERSED-PHASE HIGH-PERFORMANCE LIQUID CHROMATOGRAPHY TECHNIQUE

Objective: A precise, accurate, simple, and gradient reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) method was adapted for the determination of abacavir sulfate (ABV) in combination with lamivudine (LMV) having tablet formulations simultaneously. This method developed has been validated as per the guidelines of ICH. Method: Waters HPLC has been used in the method with a column named Zorbax C18 with the dimensions as 4.6 nm×150 mm, 3.5 μm. Phosphate buffer (PH - 3.9) was used as Eluent - A, Eluent - B was methanol, and water and methanol (50:50 v/v) were utilized as diluents. The rate of flow was 1.5 ml/min. Results: The wavelength of detection has been detected at about 270 nm. Linearity ranges of ABV and LMV were 88–266 μg/ml and 38–116 μg/ml, respectively. Retention times of ABV (3.66 min) and LMV (10.71 min) were determined. The values of the study of percentage recovery of ABV and LMV were determined to be within 98.3–99.2%. Conclusion: The estimation of ABV and LMV in all pharmaceutical dosage forms could be performed successfully by employing this method

Epidemic of undernutrition during COVID-19 pandemic

Undernutrition continues to be a major public health challenge for ages. Under-five age children are still at risk of undernutrition even though there exist many policies and programs at various levels. The lower–middle-income countries (LMIC) struggle hard to combat the undernutrition epidemic. The unprecedented advent of the COVID-19 pandemic has worsened the existing undernutrition scenario. This article reviews the burden and impact of the COVID-19 on undernutrition among children. Necessary measures have to be taken to mitigate the crisis and thereby reduce the risks due to morbidity and mortality related to undernutrition. A manual search of relevant data has been taken from the website of the World Health Organization (WHO), UNICEF, Ministry Health and Family Welfare (MOHFW), government of India. (GOI). A search of relevant publications was done through electronic databases such as PUBMED

Efficacy of Jatropha, Annona and Parthenium biowash on Sclerotium rolfsii, Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. ciceri and Macrophomina phaseolina, pathogens of chickpea and sorghum

The demand for products and technologies based on plants to control plant pathogens has increased in recent years due to concern about the use of hazardous pesticides. In the present investigation, washings of vermicompost (called biowash) prepared from foliage of Jatropha (Jatropha curcas), Annona (Annona squamosa) and Parthenium (Parthenium hysterophorus) were evaluated against fungal pathogens viz. Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. ciceri (FOC; causes wilt in chickpea), Sclerotium rolfsii (causes collar rot in chickpea) and Macrophomina phaseolina (causes charcoal rot in sorghum). Crude biowash of the botanicals were partitioned against ethyl acetate and the resultant organic and aqueous fractions were tested against the fungi. Similarly, crude biowash was also passed through C18 solid phase extraction cartridges and the resultant adsorbed and non-adsorbed fractions were tested against the fungi. Organic fractions of all the three biowash at 0.5% inhibited the growth of S. rolfsii between 78 and 87%, M. phaseolina between 62 and 65%, whereas only Parthenium was able to effectively inhibit FOC (91%), compared to control. Adsorbed fractions of all the three biowash at 0.5% inhibited the growth of S. rolfsii between 81 and 92%, M. phaseolina between 76 and 77% and FOC between 26 and 49%, compared to control. Both aqueous and non-adsorbed fractions of all the three biowash did not inhibit any of the fungi. Since Jatropha biowash showed consistently higher levels of inhibition (>80%) in both fractionation methods on S. rolfsii, this was selected for further purification of their secondary metabolites. When the organic fraction of Jatropha biowash was further fractionated by C18 open column chromatography with eluent 5, 10, 20, 40, 60, 80 and 100% MeOH fractions, only 80% methanol (MeOH) fraction was found to inhibit S. rolfsii. The active 80% MeOH fraction showed three clear bands when chromatographed on Silica Gel 60 F254 thin layer chromatography (TLC) plates with Rf values 0.95, 0.90 and 0.70. Hence, it was concluded that one of these three bands could be the active ingredients that inhibited S. rolfsii and can be further exploited as a bio-fungicide

Evaluation of Broad-Spectrum Streptomyces sp. for Plant Growth Promotion Traits in Chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.)

The study evaluated three strains of Streptomyces (CAI-21, CAI-26 and MMA-32) for their plant growth promoting (PGP) traits in chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) under field conditions in two consecutive post-rainy seasons, 2012–2013 and 2013–2014, to confirm colonizing ability in chickpea and to demonstrate gene expression profiles of indoleacetic acid, siderophore and β- 1,3-glucanase genes. The Streptomyces enhanced nodule number, nodule weight, root weight and shoot weight at 30 d after sowing (DAS) and plant height, pod number, pod weight, leaf area, leaf weight and stem weight at 60 DAS in both seasons over the uninoculated control. At crop maturity, the Streptomyces enhanced stover yield, grain yield and total dry matter in both seasons over the uninoculated control. In the rhizosphere, the biological and mineral nutrient activities, such as microbial biomass carbon, dehydrogenase activity, total nitrogen, available phosphorus and organic carbon were also found higher in plots inoculated with Streptomyces in both seasons over the uninoculated control plots. Scanning electron microscopy analysis revealed that the Streptomyces colonized the roots of chickpea. Quantitative real time PCR analysis on selected PGP genes of Streptomyces revealed up-regulation of β-1,3-glucanase gene in CAI-26, β-1,3-glucanase and siderophore genes (siderophore synthetase) in CAI-21 and β-1,3-glucanase, siderophore (siderophore synthetase) and indole-3-acetic acid (IAAH and IAAM) genes in MMA-32. The three Streptomyces demonstrated broad-spectrum PGP activity

Evaluation of Streptomyces sp. obtained from herbal vermicompost for broad spectrum of plant growth-promoting activities in chickpea

Five strains of Streptomyces sp. (CAI-24, CAI-121, CAI-127, KAI-32, and KAI-90; demonstrated previously to have potential for control of Fusarium wilt disease in chickpea and plant growth promotion [PGP] in rice) were evaluated for their PGP capabilities in chickpea in the 2012–2013 and 2013–2014 post-rainy seasons. The plots inoculated with Streptomyces sp. significantly enhanced number of nodule, nodule weight, root weight, and shoot weight at 30 days after sowing (DAS) and number of pod, pod weight, leaf area, leaf weight, and stem weight at 60 DAS in both seasons over the un-inoculated control plots. At chickpea crop maturity, all of the Streptomyces strains significantly enhanced stover yield, grain yield, and total dry matter in both seasons over the un-inoculated control. In the rhizosphere, the Streptomyces strains also significantly enhanced soil biological and mineral nutrient activities including microbial biomass carbon, dehydrogenase activity, total nitrogen, available phosphorous, and organic carbon in both seasons over the un-inoculated control. All of the five strains were found superior in terms of nodule formation, root and shoot development, and crop productivity; however, KAI-xx had little edge over the other five strains. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analysis had revealed the success of colonization by the strains of Streptomyces sp. of the chickpea roots. Quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) analysis of selected PGP genes revealed overall upregulation of β-1,3-glucanase, indole-3-acetic acid, and siderophore genes in the Streptomyces species studied. This investigation further confirms the broad spectrum of PGP activities by the selected Streptomyces sp

The extent of grain yield and plant growth enhancement by plant growth-promoting broad-spectrum Streptomyces sp. in chickpea

The physiological and molecular responses of five strains of Streptomyces sp. (CAI-17, CAI-68, CAI-78, KAI-26 and KAI-27), with their proven potential for charcoal rot disease control in sorghum and plant growth-promotion (PGP) in sorghum and rice, were studied to understand the mechanisms causing the beneficial effects. In this investigation, those five strains were evaluated for their PGP capabilities in chickpea in the 2012–13 and 2013–14 post-rainy seasons. All of the Streptomyces sp. strains exhibited enhanced nodule number, nodule weight, root weight and shoot weight at 30 days after sowing (DAS) and pod number, pod weight, leaf area, leaf weight and stem weight at 60 DAS in both seasons over the un-inoculated control. At crop maturity, the Streptomyces strains had enhanced stover yield, grain yield, total dry matter and seed number plant−1 in both seasons over the un-inoculated control. In the rhizosphere, the Streptomyces sp. also significantly enhanced microbial biomass carbon, dehydrogenase activity, total nitrogen, available phosphorous and organic carbon in both seasons over the un-inoculated control. Of the five strains of Streptomyces sp., CAI-17, CAI-68 and CAI-78 were superior to KAI-26 and KAI-27 in terms of their effects on root and shoot development, nodule formation and crop productivity. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) micrographs had revealed the success in colonization of the chickpea roots by all five strains. Quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) analysis of selected PGP genes of actinomycetes revealed the selective up-regulation of indole-3-acetic acid (IAA)-related and siderophore-related genes by CAI-68 and of β-1,3-glucanase genes by KAI-2