A review on the effects of artificial light weight aggregate in concrete

The disposal problem of industrial by-products like fly ash, heavy metal sludge, sewage sludge etc. are increasing day by day. To use by-products in large volume the applications like embankment fill or aggregate replacement material should be considered for sustainable development. This study is focused on properties of artificial light weight aggregate on concrete and the effect of cold bonded light weight aggregate on concrete through partial and complete replacement of coarse aggregates. Artificial Lightweight aggregate can be produced by nodulizing the by-product for example fly ash in a pelletizer with a proportionate quantity of water, cement and further hardened by cold bonding or sintering. Due to the impact of earth quake forces all over the world, the need for light weight structural design is increasing presently, as it reduces mass of the structure. The concrete produced is light weight in nature and has added the benefit of reducing overall cost, especially in transportation and placing etc. it has its own advantages like reduced dead load, and thus economic structures, high sound absorption and good fire resistance. Keywords—Artificial light weight aggregate, cold bonding, Fly ash, Fly ash aggregate, Pelletization, and Sintering

A Modular and Integrated Optimisation Model for Underwater Vehicles

A modular and integrated optimisation model for the design of underwater vehicles is presented. In the proposed optimisation model two modules (i.e. low fidelity and high fidelity) are incorporated and the basic geometric definition of computer aided design (CAD) is integrated with computational fluid dynamic (CFD) analysis. The hydrodynamic drag is considered as single objective with constraints on the geometric parameters of dimension, space and volume. The CAD model is implemented in MATLAB*TM and CFD model is implemented in Shipflow**TM. A real-world design example of an existing underwater vehicles is presented. The applicability of proposed optimisation model is shown. The presented results show that within given set or sets of constraints the application of optimisation model in design results into an efficient hull form.

Enhancing conservation science capacity in India: first decade of the Master's programme in wildlife biology and conservation

India is a mega biodiverse country but, with a human population of 1.2 billion and aspirations for further economic growth, conservation of this biodiversity faces huge challenges. A decade ago, identifying the need for strong academic programmes to train conservation professionals, the Wildlife Conservation Society collaborated with the National Centre for Biological Sciences of the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research to initiate a Master's degree programme in wildlife biology and conservation, comprising cutting-edge course modules taught by practising scientists and conservationists, followed by a dissertation. The programme trains a cohort of 15 students every 2 years, and the fifth cohort graduated in September 2014. In all, 74 budding conservationists have graduated in the programme's first decade. Their field research has spanned multiple species and ecosystems in 20 Indian states, and alumni of the course now form the core of many academic and conservation institutions. The alumni have engaged in practical conservation initiatives, driving both policy and practice in India by setting high standards of research and science-based conservation. The sixth cohort of 15 students began their training in July 2014

Photographic database informs management of conflict tigers

The increasing interface between people and wildlife contributes to human–wildlife conflict in many conservation landscapes. In India animals suspected to be involved in conflict are often captured and translocated to different locations or zoological parks. A key concern in the capture of so-called problem animals has been the identification of individuals involved in conflict. The Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) India Program, in collaboration with research partners, has aided government officials in this matter through its research on tigers in the Malenad Tiger Landscape, south-west India. As part of a research programme initiated in 1991, WCS India has formulated a protocol for individual identification of tigers, based on their stripe patterns. Using pattern-matching software that aids quick and reliable identification of tigers from photographs (Hiby et al., 2009, Biology Letters, 5, 383-386, a photographic database has been developed, with > 750 individually identified tigers from 60 protected areas totalling > 38,000 km2, and elsewhere, in India. Ancillary information on home ranges, activity patterns and sociobiology of conflict-tigers provides a unique opportunity for informed management of the species. This long-term, ongoing study is funded by the Department of Science and Technology and the Department of Biotechnology of the Government of India, Vision Group on Science & Technology of the Government of Karnataka, and the Wildlife Conservation Society, New York. Two recent cases of human–tiger conflict in the Malenad Tiger Landscape exemplify the utility of this database and long-term monitoring for conflict mitigation. One incident, on 27 December 2013, involved the loss of human life in Bandipur National Park, and the other, on 1-2 January 2014, involved the killing of cattle in a village adjoining Nagarahole National Park. In the latter incident a dead cow was used as bait to capture the tiger involved. In the incident in Bandipur photographs from camera traps set up in the area of conflict were matched to individuals in the database. One individual was identified in nine of the 15 photographs obtained and, as the location of conflict was well beyond its home range, it was identified as the conflict individual and was subsequently captured. The tigers from both incidents have been transferred to a nearby zoo. The Forest Department debated relocation of the individuals but this was not pursued. Both of the tigers involved in these incidents had been photographed previously multiple times. The tiger in Bandipur had been photographed over the last 5 years and was probably an old individual past its prime. The tiger in Nagarahole was 2–3 years old and had only been photographed in the previous year. The distances between the locations of previous photographs and the location of conflict were 4–8 km for the tiger in Bandipur and 35 km for the tiger in Nagarahole. The observation of the Nagarahole individual with another male in two photographs suggests that this individual was dispersing from its natal home range to establish a breeding territory. Nagarahole and Bandipur National Parks have high tiger densities (10-15 tigers per 100 km2 ) with c. 20% of the population lost annually to mortality and emigration. It is likely that the Nagarahole individual was emigrating from the reserve. The infrequency of dispersal events, particularly in human-dominated landscapes such as the Malenad Tiger Landscape, suggests that the removal of the Nagarahole tiger, a potential long-distance disperser, may have detrimental effects on the long-term population viability of tigers in this landscape. In contrast, the removal of the Bandipur tiger will probably have negligible effects on the population, although any relocation into an existing tiger population would be likely to cause further conflict (Athreya et al.,2011, Conservation Biology, 25, 133–141). Mitigation of conflict is frequently ad hoc, with management authorities pressurized into quick but often ineffective action. In these two contrasting examples, alternative actions could have had very different consequences. In areas where data on the age, reproductive status and ranging patterns of conflict animals are available, this information should be used to direct conflict mitigation strategies such that they are maximally effective whilst inflicting least harm on species viability

(1S,5R,7R,30S)-14-De­oxy­isogarcinol

The title compound, C38H50O5 {systematic name: 10-(3-hy­droxy­benzo­yl)-2,2,7,7-tetra­methyl-3,6,8-tris­(3-methyl­but-2-en­yl)-3,4,4a,5,6,7-hexa­hydro-4a,8-methano-2H-cyclo­octa­[b]pyran-9,11(8H)-dione}, is a polyisoprenylated benzophenone, isolated for the first time from the fruits of Garcinia indica during our investigation of bioactive compounds from this plant and their large-scale extraction. The relative configuration of the title compound was chosen based on comparison of its spectroscopic and optical rotation data with that of the isomorphous and isostructural compound isogarcinol, whose absolute configuration is known. The crystal packing features O—H⋯O hydrogen bonds. A Cambridge Structural Database analysis revealed that the crystal structure reported here is isomorphous and isostructural with that of isogarcinol

Adaptive response to low dose of EMS or MMS in human peripheral blood lymphocytes

Human peripheral blood lymphocytes stimulated in vitro for 6 hr were exposed to a low (conditioning) dose of ethyl methanesulfonate (EMS; 1.5 x 10(-4) M) or methyl methanesulfonate (MMS; 1.5 x 10(-5) M). After 6 hr, the cells were treated with a high (challenging) concentration of the same agent (1.5 x 10(-3) M EMS or 1.5 x 10(-4) M MMS). The cells that received both conditioning and challenging doses became less sensitive to the induction of sister chromatid exchanges (SCEs) than those which did not receive the pretreatment with EMS or MMS. They responded with lower frequencies of SCEs. This suggests that conditioning dose of EMS or MMS has offered the lymphocytes to have decreased SCEs. This led to the realization that pre-exposure of lymphocytes to low dose can cause the induction of repair activity. This is a clear indication of the existence of adaptive response induced by alkylating agents whether it is ethylating or methylating in human lymphocytes in vitro

Validation of the modified Berlin questionnaire to identify patients at risk for the obstructive sleep apnoea syndrome

Background & Objectives: Awareness regarding obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) among general public as well as practicing physicians is low in India. The present study was undertaken to test the utility of modified Berlin questionnaire for risk categorization of OSA in Indian setting. Methods: The modified Berlin questionnaire was administered in 180 middle aged adults (of 320 screened), of whom, 104 underwent overnight polysomnograhy, in a cross-sectional study at a tertiary care, referral center in north India. Questionnaire addressed the presence of frequency of snoring, wake time sleepiness, fatigue, obesity and hypertension. Subjects with persistent and frequent symptoms in any two of these three domains were considered in high risk category for obstructive sleep apnoea. Overnight polysomnograhy was performed to measure apnoea and hypopnoea index (AHI). Results: Questions about the symptoms demonstrated internal consistency (Cronbach alpha correlations 0.92-0.96). Of the 180 respondents to the screening questions, 80 were in the high risk and the rest were in low risk group. For 104 subjects who underwent polysomnograhy, risk grouping was useful in prediction of AHI. High risk category predicted an AHI > 5 with a sensitivity of 86 per cent, specificity of 95 per cent, positive and negative predictive values of 96 and 82 per cent respectively. These results were comparable to Berlin questionnaire study done in the western population for validation. Interpretation & Conclusion: On the basis of the findings of present study it is concluded that administration of modified Berlin questionnaire prior to a polysomnography study can identify high risk subjects and can thus avoid unnecessary polysomnography studies especially in resource-limited settings. To identify subjects at risk for OSA syndrome in general population, this questionnaire can be applied. However, the findings of the present study need to be confirmed further in a large number of subjects in a community-based setting

INTELLIGENT RECOMMENDATION SYSTEM FOR JOB HUNT

Recommendation systems are mainly used in e-commerce and other services for providing acceptable recommendation to the customer. Within a decade, the shopping in online, data of a particular item in online and online services increased speedly, analyzing enormous information or bigdata as a limitation for administrative recommender framework. Recommendation systems are exceptionally mainstream (well known) in research group,  where numerous way to deal with give proposals to users are recommended. Existing recommender system define an similar ratings and ranking of services to different users while they have not speculate many user preferences so they have failed to fulfils user needs.  Proposed methodology defines a personalized recommendation take care about user preferences and recommend relevant service to users.  So collaborative filtering is a appropriate method to get accurate recommendations

Total phenolic and flavonoid content, antioxidant effects and antidiarrheal activity of balacaturbhadrika churna – an Ayurvedic preparation

Balacaturbhadrika churna (BC) is an important pediatric preparation in Ayurveda. It is used to treat various diseases of gastro-intestinal tract particularly diarrhea in children. Free radicals cause oxidative damage in the intestine and are correlated with its diseases. In the current study, total phenolic and flavonoid contents of BC extracts were determined and their antioxidant evaluation in various in vitro models was carried out. Procedures mentioned in The Ayurvedic Formulary of India were followed to prepare in-house BC; alcoholic (BCAL) and aqueous (BCAQ) extracts were prepared and tested by standard procedures. BCAL was tested for antidiarrheal activity in castor oil induced model. The ethanolic extract showed better antioxidant activity in many of the models as compared to aqueous extract. The present study showed substantial amounts of flavonoids and phenolics in churna extracts. BCAL showed significant antidiarrheal activity against the tested model. The potential antioxidant and antidiarrheal activities displayed by Balacaturbhadrika churna extracts could be attributed to these contents