Analysis and capacity based earthquake resistant design of multi bay multi storeyed RC frame.

Earthquakes in different parts of the world demonstrated the disastrous consequences and vulnerability of inadequate structures. Many reinforced concrete (RC) framed structures located in zones of high seismicity in India are constructed without considering the seismic codal provisions.The vulnerability of inadequately designed structures represents seismic risk to occupants.The main cause of failure of multi-storey multi-bay reinforced concrete frames during seismic motion is the soft storey sway mechanism or column sway mechanism. If the frame is designed on the basis of strong column-weak beam concept the possibilities of collapse due to sway mechanisms can be completely eliminated. In multi storey frame this can be achieved by allowing the plastic hinges to form, in a predetermined sequences only at the ends of all the beams while the columns remain essentially in elastic stage and by avoiding shear mode of failures in columns and beams. This procedure for design is known as Capacity based design which would be the future design philosophy for earthquake resistant design of multi storey multi bay reinforced concrete frames. The aim of this project work is to present a detailed worked out example on seismic analysis and capacity based design of four-storey reinforced concrete frame building

Clinico-epidemiological profiles of patients sustaining ocular trauma due to firecrackers during the festive season of Diwali

Background: Considerable number of cases of firecracker injuries is reported during the festive season of Diwali in India. The purpose of this study is to identify the clinico-epidemiological patterns of ocular injuries caused by firecrackers during this period.Methods: This was a prospective case series of patients attending eye OPD with ocular trauma sustained by Firecrackers during the festive season of Diwali, 2016 in a Tertiary Care Centre in Surat. Demographic data of all the patients and type of firecracker causing injury were noted. Ocular examination of all patients was performed at the time of presentation and on follow-up. Treatment received by the patients was noted.Results: Out of total 20 patients, 85% were male (17 out of 20). Mean age of the patients was 12.15 years and majority of patients (45%) were of 6 to 10 years’ age group. Most patients (85%) sustained injury by Single shot crackers like Bijili crackers and Timing bombs. The injuries reported ranged from Eyelid burns, conjunctival or corneal burns to partial thickness corneal tear and macular scar formation with interventions ranging from ocular wash with saline to repair of partial thickness corneal tear. Many of the injuries were caused because of negligence. Corneal epithelial defect was the most frequent injury (affecting 96% of the total no. of eyes affected) followed by Eyelid burns (affecting 56% of the total no. of eyes affected). Cases having visual impairment or blindness had corneal and/or retinal involvement.Conclusions: Ocular trauma resulting from firecrackers can lead to significant ocular morbidity and permanent blindness and is a preventable cause. All steps must be taken through public awareness and legislation to ensure that firecrackers are used in a safe manner during Diwali celebrations. The medical professionals should be adequately trained to give primary emergency care which has a key role in the visual outcome

Pyramid Exploration Intervention, Environmental Enrichment, Aerobic Swimming Exercise and Brain Neuroplasticity in the Kainate Rat Model of Temporal Lobe Epilepsy

Previous studies have shown that environmental enrichment increases neurogenesis and reverses learning and memory deficits in rats with kainate-induced seizures. We tested the hypothesis that exploring a wooden pyramid for 3h/d augments neurogenesis and attenuates the learning and memory deficits following chemical lesioning of the hippocampus and motor cortex with kainic acid (KA). A pyramid exploration intervention (PEI) was created by subjecting rats to residing in a pyramidal wooden structure of 3 h/d for 30 d. We also compared the effects on neurogenesis for PEI to those for aerobic (swimming) exercise (EX) and environmental enrichment via exploration of a rectangular-shaped wooden cage. Following KA seizures, the PEI increased brain neurogenesis. Differences in measures of neurogenesis were not significantly different than those for EX and EE. Aerobic (swimming) exercise and novel environment exposures appear to increase neural plasticity and may be considered a complementary treatment for epilepsy

Identification of Novel QTLs for BPH Tolerance in Rice Using Resistant Donor BM 71

Rice is the most widely grown crop in the world, feeding half of the world’s population. Brown plant hopper (BPH) is a considerable risk to rice fields carrying 20-90% yield losses. Hopper burn can be effectively managed by the recognition and use of BPH genes. Marker based genetic analysis of 136 RILcollected from a high yielding susceptible variety, MTU 3626 and BM 71, a BPH donor developed at RARS, identified 3 minor novel QTLs viz; qmbph2.1,qmbph4.1 and qmbph12.1 on chromosomes 2, 4 and 12 and two other QTLson chromosome 5 and 7, namelyqmbph5.1 and qmbph7.1. The phenotyping of RIL’s revealed that ten RIL’s (2711 – 31, 2711 – 37, 2711 – 50, 2711 – 69, 2711 – 84, 2711 – 88, 2711 – 94, 2711 – 100, 2711 – 168 and 2711 – 191) recorded yields comparable to checks, Swarna and Pushyami along with BPH score similar to donor. The BPH resistance lines recognised will be further evaluated, and the confirmed lines can be employed in rice breeding programs

WATER QUALITY ANALYSIS: A CASE STUDY IN BYRAMANGALA LAKE WATER AND SURROUNDING GROUND WATER

A study was carried out to find out the water quality of Byramangala lake of Ramanagara district. The water quality of Byramangala lake water and ground water from bore wells situated in the area within 600 meters surrounding the lake was analyzed. The quality analysis of various parameters such as BODs, COD, DO, E-Coli, and pH, Total Dissolved Solids, Total Suspended Solids and Total Hardness were tested. In addition, the presence of metals such as Cadmium (Cd), Chromium (Cr), Lead (Pb), and Iron (Fe) in the lake water and ground water samples were tested. Results for the various tests conducted showed similar trends for both lake water and ground water. It was observed that certain parameters such as BOD5, and COD were beyond permissible limits as per the BIS standards for drinking water. A few remedial measures have been proposed that may help in mitigating the pollution in the selected project area Byramangala Lake

Restricted Blood Flow Exercise in Sedentary, Overweight African-American Females May Increase Muscle Strength and Decrease Endothelial Function and Vascular Autoregulation

Abstract Objectives: Exercise with partially restricted blood flow is a low-load, low-intensity resistance training regimen which may have the potential to increase muscle strength in the obese, elderly and frail who are unable to do highload training. Restricted blood flow exercise has also been shown to affect blood vessel function variably and can, therefore, contribute to blood vessel dysfunction. This pilot study tests the hypothesis that unilateral resistance training of the leg extensors with partially restricted blood flow increases muscle strength and decreases vascular autoregulation. Methods: The subjects were nine normotensive, overweight, young adult African-Americans with low cardiorespiratory fitness who underwent unilateral training of the quadriceps' femoris muscles with partially restricted blood flow at 30% of the 1-repetition maximum (1-RM) load for 3 weeks. The 1-RM load and post-occlusion blood flow to the lower leg (calf) were measured during reactive hyperemia. Results: The 1-RM load increased in the trained legs from 77 ± 3 to 84 ± 4 kg (P < 0.05) in the absence of a significant effect on the 1-RM load in the contralateral untrained legs (P > 0.1). Post-occlusion blood flow decreased significantly in the trained legs from 19 ± 2 to 13 ± 2 mL· min -1 · dL -1 (P < 0.05) and marginally in the contralateral untrained legs from 18 ± 2 to 16 ± 1 mL· min -1 · dL -1 (P = 0.09). Changes in post-occlusion blood flow to the skin overlying the trained and the contralateral untrained muscles were not significant. Conclusion: These results demonstrate that restricted blood flow exercise, which results in significant gains in muscle strength, may produce decrements in endothelial dysfunction and vascular autoregulation. Future studies should determine whether pharmacopuncture plays a role in treatments for such blood vessel dysfunction

Marriage and the crisis of peasant society in Gujarat, India

This contribution takes marriage as the example of a crisis of production and reproduction in rural India. Through the juxtaposition of ethnography separated by six decades, we detail a shift away from land and agriculture as the primary markers of status among the Patidars of central Gujarat, western India, in favour of a hierarchical understanding of international migration. The paper discusses the disconnect between a cultural revolution in favour of migration, and the failure of many to live up to their own cultural standards. More broadly, we reflect on the forces that simultaneously strengthen and dissolve caste inequality in the context of India's uneven growth

Pervasive lesion segregation shapes cancer genome evolution

Cancers arise through the acquisition of oncogenic mutations and grow through clonal expansion. Here we reveal that most mutagenic DNA lesions are not resolved as mutations within a single cell-cycle. Instead, DNA lesions segregate unrepaired into daughter cells for multiple cell generations, resulting in the chromosome-scale phasing of subsequent mutations. We characterise this process in mutagen-induced mouse liver tumours and show that DNA replication across persisting lesions can produce multiple alternative alleles in successive cell divisions, thereby generating both multi-allelic and combinatorial genetic diversity. The phasing of lesions enables the accurate measurement of strand biased repair processes, quantification of oncogenic selection, and fine mapping of sister chromatid exchange events. Finally, we demonstrate that lesion segregation is a unifying property of exogenous mutagens, including UV light and chemotherapy agents in human cells and tumours, which has profound implications for the evolution and adaptation of cancer genomes.This work was supported by: Cancer Research UK (20412, 22398), the European Research Council (615584, 682398), the Wellcome Trust (WT108749/Z/15/Z, WT106563/Z/14/A, WT202878/B/16/Z), the European Molecular Biology Laboratory, the MRC Human Genetics Unit core funding programme grants (MC_UU_00007/11, MC_UU_00007/16), and the ERDF/Spanish Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities-Spanish State Research Agency/DamReMap Project (RTI2018-094095-B-I00)

Relational approaches to poverty in rural India: social, ecological and technical dynamics

Poverty is now widely recognised as multidimensional, with indicators including healthcare, housing and sanitation. Yet, relational approaches that foreground political-cultural processes remain marginalised in policy discourses. Focusing on India, we review a wide range of relational approaches to rural poverty. Beginning with early approaches that focus on structural reproduction of class, caste and to a lesser extent gender inequality, we examine new relational approaches developed in the last two decades. The new approaches examine diverse ways in which poverty is experienced and shapes mobilisations against deprivation. They draw attention to poor people’s own articulations of deprivation and alternate conceptions of well-being. They also show how intersecting inequalities of class, caste and gender shape governance practices and political movements. Despite these important contributions, the new relational approaches pay limited attention to technologies and ecologies in shaping the experience of poverty. Reviewing studies on the Green Revolution and wider agrarian transformations in India, we then sketch the outlines of a hybrid relational approach to poverty that combines socio-technical and -ecological dynamics. We argue that such an approach is crucial to challenge narrow economising discourses on poverty and to bridge the policy silos of poverty alleviation and (environmentally) sustainable development