A Study on Economy by Application of Agricultural Waste Materials for Improvement of Sub-grade of Flexible Pavement

This paper presents results of an experimental investigation, carried out to study the effects of admixture like rice husk ash (RHA) on the strength properties of a locally available clayey soil with soft consistency. This soil was mixed with different proportions of RHA (3%, 6%, 9% and 12% by weight of dry soil) at corresponding optimum moisture content (OMC) and also at moisture contents 2% and 5% above optimum moisture content (OMC+2%), (OMC+5%). The cost of stabilization may be minimised by using the agricultural waste materials like RHA which also minimises the environmental hazards. The laboratory test results show marked improvement of strength of soil on addition of admixture (RHA) in terms of California Bearing Ratio (CBR). It appear from the experimental results, soaked CBR value of untreated soil is 3.50% and reaches maximum value i.e 16.80% when mixed with 9% RHA at the respective OMC. Further, an attempt has been made to observe the effect of moisture on the strength properties of the original as well as stabilized soil. The paper highlights the use of RHA for sub-grade improvement in case of low cost roads

Dynamic properties and avalanche noise analysis of 4H-SiC over wz-GaN based IMPATTs at mm-wave window frequency

The mm-wave as well as noise properties of IMPATT diodes for the D-band are efficiently determined, with 4H-SiC and wurtzite type GaN as base materials, using advanced computer simulation techniques developed by the authors. The breakdown voltage (180 V) and efficiency (14.7%) is higher in case of 4H-SiC as compared to wz GaN based diode having the breakdown voltage (153 V) and efficiency (13.7%). The study indicates that 4H-SiC IMPATT diode is capable of generating high RF power density of about 8.383×10¹⁰ W/m² as compared to GaN IMPATT diode that is capable to develop the power density 6.847×10¹⁰ W/m² for the same frequency of operation. It is also observed that wz-GaN exhibits better noise behavior 7.42×10⁻¹⁵ V²·s than SiC (5.16×10⁻¹⁵ V² ·s) for IMPATT operation at 140 GHz. A tradeoff between the power output and noise from the device reveals that wz-GaN would be a suitable base material for high power application of IMPATT diode with moderate noise

Household level assessment, participatory learning for rural water safety and security planning

Household water safety & security planning approaches as outlined in national rural drinking water programme guidelines were piloted using participatory methodologies in one block of West Bengal State in India. The assessment of water quality was done by collecting water samples from existing drinking water sources including from point of use and were analyzed for critical water quality parameters. The household survey was done through purposive random sampling method (10,094 households) in the study area. The result of the study indicates that the present water supply in the block is inadequate vis-a-vis the perceived demand of the consumer. More than two-thirds of the water sources are unsafe on one or multiple accounts. Very low level water safety awareness and poor hygienic practices are the realities. The study attempted to correlate the poor sanitation, water quality both at source and user end with disease burden

Subsurface profiling of granite pluton using microtremor method: southern Aravalli, Gujarat, India

We report, using the microtremor method, a subsurface granitic pluton underneath the Narukot Dome and in its western extension along a WNW profile, in proximity of eastern fringe of Cambay Rift, India. The dome and its extension is a part of the Champaner Group of rocks belonging to the Mesoproterozoic Aravalli Supergroup. The present finding elucidates development of an asymmetric double plunge along Narukot Dome. Microtremor measurements at 32 sites were carried out along the axial trace (N95°) of the dome. Fourier amplitude spectral studies were applied to obtain the ratio between the horizontal and vertical components of persisting Rayleigh waves as local ambient noise. Fundamental resonant frequencies with amplitude ≥1-sigma for each site are considered to distinguish rheological boundary. Two distinct rheological boundaries are identified based on frequency ranges determined in the terrain: (1) 0.2219–10.364 Hz recorded at 31 stations identified as the Champaner metasediment and granite boundary, and (2) 10.902–27.1119 Hz recorded at 22 stations identified as the phyllite and quartzite boundary. The proposed equation describing frequency–depth relationship between granite and overlaying regolith matches with those already published in the literature. The morphology of granite pluton highlights the rootless character of Champaner Group showing sharp discordance with granitic pluton. The findings of manifestation of pluton at a shallower depth imply a steep easterly plunge within the Champaner metasediments, whereas signature of pluton at a deeper level implies a gentle westerly plunge. The present method enables to assess how granite emplacement influences the surface structure

Associations of Irritability With Functional Connectivity of Amygdala and Nucleus Accumbens in Adolescents and Young Adults With ADHD

OBJECTIVE: Irritability is a common characteristic in ADHD. We examined whether dysfunction in neural connections supporting threat and reward processing was related to irritability in adolescents and young adults with ADHD. METHOD: We used resting-state fMRI to assess connectivity of amygdala and nucleus accumbens seeds in those with ADHD (n = 34) and an age- and gender-matched typically-developing comparison group (n = 34). RESULTS: In those with ADHD, irritability was associated with atypical functional connectivity of both seed regions. Amygdala seeds showed greater connectivity with right inferior frontal gyrus and caudate/putamen, and less connectivity with precuneus. Nucleus accumbens seeds showed altered connectivity with middle temporal gyrus and precuneus. CONCLUSION: The irritability-ADHD presentation is associated with atypical functional connectivity of reward and threat processing regions with cognitive control and emotion processing regions. These patterns provide novel evidence for irritability-associated neural underpinnings in adolescents and young adults with ADHD. The findings suggest cognitive and behavioral treatments that address response to reward, including omission of an expected reward and irritability, may be beneficial for ADHD

Focus Point SUSY at the LHC Revisited

The estimation of the backgrounds for gluino signals in focus point supersymmetry is extended by including the backgrounds from the production of four third generation quarks in the analysis. We find that these backgrounds are negligible if one uses the strong selection criteria proposed in the literature (including this analysis) for heavy gluino searches. Softer selection criteria often recommended for lighter gluino searches yield backgrounds which are small but numerically significant. We have also repeated the more conventional background calculations and compared our results with the other groups. We find that the size of the total residual background estimated by different groups using different event generators and hard kinematical cuts agree approximately. In view of the theoretical uncertainties in the leading order signal and background cross sections mainly due to the choice of the QCD scale, the gluino mass reach at the LHC cannot be pinpointed. However, requiring a signal with $\rm\geq 3$ tagged b-jets (instead of the standard choice of $\rm\geq 2$) it is shown that gluino masses close to 2 TeV can be probed at the LHC for a range of reasonable choices of the QCD scale for an integrated luminosity of 300 fb$^{-1}$.Comment: 17 pages, 4 figures, minor typos correctio