Processing of vanilla (Vanilla planifolia Andrews) beans - Influence of storing fresh beans, killing temperature and duration of killing on quality parameters

Experiments were conducted at Myladumpara (Kerala) to study the effect of storing freshvanilla (Vanilla planifolia) beans before killing, killing temperature and duration of killingand further curing on quality parameters. The study indicated that storing of fresh beans fora maximum of 3 days after harvest and before killing is advisable and the vanillin content ofsuch beans was the highest (2.51%) when compared to longer duration of storage. Killing ofbeans in hot water maintained at 65°C for 3 min or at 63°C for 5 min was on par. Immediatewrapping of killed beans with woollen cloth and storing in sweating box was the idealmethod for obtaining optimum weight and vanillin content of beans. A higher percentage ofbeans (71 to 84) became ready for conditioning within 15 days of slow drying by this method.Interactions of killing temperature and exposing beans either directly or the next day as wellas killing temperature and duration of killing were significant. &nbsp

Mosaic disease of vanilla (Vanilla planifolia Andrews) - the first report from India

Recent disease surveys revealed the occurrence of a mosaic disease in vanilla. The infected plants showed mosaic symptoms, distortion of leaves, leaf curling etc. which are typical symptoms of viral infection. Negative staining of the leaf sap with potassium phosphotungstic acid, uranyl acetate and ammonium molybdate revealed the presence of flexuous rod shaped viral particles. This is the first report of occurrence of viral disease in vanilla from India. &nbsp

Natural fruit set in Vanilla wightiana Lindl., an endangered species from Andhra Pradesh, India

Vanilla wightiana Lindt, described as an extremely endangered wild species, occurs in the Eastern Ghat forest ranges of East Godavari District of Andhra Pradesh, India. &nbsp

Characterization of impact pile driving signals during installation of offshore wind turbine foundations

Author Posting. © Acoustical Society of America, 2020. This article is posted here by permission of Acoustical Society of America for personal use, not for redistribution. The definitive version was published in Journal of the Acoustical Society of America 147(4), (2020): 2323, doi:10.1121/10.0001035.Impact pile driving creates intense, impulsive sound that radiates into the surrounding environment. Piles driven vertically into the seabed generate an azimuthally symmetric underwater sound field whereas piles driven on an angle will generate an azimuthally dependent sound field. Measurements were made during pile driving of raked piles to secure jacket foundation structures to the seabed in waters off the northeastern coast of the U.S. at ranges between 500 m and 15 km. These measurements were analyzed to investigate variations in rise time, decay time, pulse duration, kurtosis, and sound received levels as a function of range and azimuth. Variations in the radiated sound field along opposing azimuths resulted in differences in measured sound exposure levels of up to 10 dB and greater due to the pile rake as the sound propagated in range. The raked pile configuration was modeled using an equivalent axisymmetric FEM model to describe the azimuthally dependent measured sound fields. Comparable sound level differences in the model results confirmed that the azimuthal discrepancy observed in the measured data was due to the inclination of the pile being driven relative to the receiver.This paper was presented at the fifth International Meeting on The Effects of Noise on Aquatic Life held in Den Haag, July 2019. Study concept, oversight, and funding for the experiment were provided by the U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM), Environmental Studies Program, Washington, DC, under Contract No. M15PC00002, Task Order M16PD00025. Collaborators in this project include Randy Gallien and Anwar Khan (HDR, Inc.).2020-10-1

STUDY ON EMPIRICAL SEISMIC CODAL GUIDELINES FOR MASONRY BUILDINGS IN KOLLAM, KERALA, INDIA

Masonry structures fail miserably due to lateral loads. Recent earthquakes in India and the world and the resulting losses highlighted the structural inadequacy of masonry buildings to seismic loads. Increase in frequency of earthquake in Kerala recently and increasing concern motivated the study. Localized survey at Kollam town in Kerala found that most of the structures were masonry. Kerala falls in Zones II and III. IS 13828 and IS 4326 provides masonry structures’ empirical design and construction features which may raise the earthquake resistance. The study is concerned with the numerical analysis of brick masonry walls (with and without seismic resistive features) subjected to dynamic loading with emphasis on their non-linear behaviour. Mechanical properties of three varieties of brick and three different mix proportion of mortar were determined. Using the material properties, nonlinear dynamic analysis of a masonry wall panel was done using ANSYS software and the ground motion record of Bhuj earthquake. The effect of size and position of openings in the masonry walls, the pier size, provision of lintels and the effect of mortar on resistance of walls under dynamic loads are discussed and possible retrofitting measures are suggested to strengthen the masonry brick wall

Preparation, characterization and dielectric properties of temperature stable SrTiO3/PEEK composites for microwave substrate applications

Poly(ether ether ketone) (PEEK) is a potential candidate for electronic applications due to its low permittivity, low loss, high melting point, better chemical resistance, excellent insulating properties and easy processibility. Present paper discusses the preparation and characterization of SrTiO3 filled PEEK composite for microwave substrate applications. The dielectric constant, dielectric loss and temperature variation of dielectric constant of the composites have been studied up to 1 MHz using an Impedance Analyzer. Different theoretical approaches have been employed to predict the effective permittivity of composite systems and the results are compared with that of the experimental data. The crystallinity of the bulk composite is studied by X-ray diffraction studies. Scanning electron microscopic technique has been employed to study the dispersion of the particulate filler in PEEK matrix. Vickers hardness of pure and filled PEEK composite has been measured using Microhardness Tester. The effect of particle size on the dielectric as well as mechanical properties of SrTiO3/PEEK composite system is also studied by incorporating micronsize and nanosize fillers. Present study shows that a temperature stable composite can be realized by judiciously selecting appropriate filler concentration in the PEEK matrix.<br /