1,913 research outputs found
A numerical study of the target system of an ADSS with different flow guides
The mechanical design of the target module of an accelerator driven sub- critical nuclear reactor system (ADSS) calls for an analysis of the related thermal-hydraulic issues because of large amount of heat deposition in the spallation region during the course of nuclear interactions with the molten lead bismuth eutectic (LBE) target. The LBE also should carry the entire heat generated as a consequence of the spallation reaction. The problem of heat removal by the LBE is a challenging thermal-hydraulic issue. For this, one has to examine the flows of low Prandtl number fluids (LBE) in a complex ADSS geometry. In this study, the equations governing the laminar flow and thermal energy are solved numerically using the streamline upwind Petrov-Galerkin (SUPG) finite element (FE) method. The target systems with a straight and a nozzle guide have been considered. The principal purpose of the analysis is to trace the flow and temperature distribution and thereby to check the suitability of the flow guide in avoiding the recirculation or stagnation zones in the flow space that may lead to hot spots
EFFECT OF CHICORY LEAF EXTRACT SEED HARDENING CUM FOLIAR SPRAY TO IMPROVE RESULTANT SEED QULAITY IN SESAME (Sesamum indicum L.) cv. TMV 3 UNDER RAINFED CONDITION.
An evaluation was carried out to study the effect pre sowing seed treatment and foliar spay with chicory leaf extract on resultant seed quality characters of sesame cv TMV 3. The bulk seeds were graded for uniformity using appropriate round perforated metal sieves of sizes of 5/64" size sieve and were imposed various concentration of chicory leaf extract presowing treatment coupled with foliar spray at different concentration under drought condition. After harvest the resultant seeds were evaluated for its seed qualities. The results revealed that the that the Chicory @ 20 % Pre sowing seed treatment + Chicory foliar spray @ 30 % during pod filling stage significantly increased the resultant seed quality characters of the sesame, when compared to other concentration and control
Bioremediation of Penicillin-Contaminated Poultry Faecal Waste using Betalactamase-Producing Bacteria
The widespread use of antibiotics in poultry farming has led to the contamination of the environment with antibiotic residues, posing significant risks to human health and contributing to the development of antibiotic resistance. In this study, we aimed to isolate betalactamase-producing bacteria from poultry faecal waste samples obtained from local poultry processing industries in Namakkal, Tamilnadu, India. The potential isolates were further characterized for betalactamase enzyme activity and their ability to degrade penicillin, a commonly used antibiotic in the poultry industry. Twenty poultry faecal waste samples were collected from regular poultry waste dumping sites. Microorganisms were isolated from these samples using the serial dilution and plating method on nutrient agar media. The isolated bacterial colonies were purified to obtain pure cultures for further analysis. The betalactamase-producing isolates were identified using the iodometric tube method, and four out of ten isolates showed positive results for betalactamase activity. These positive isolates were subjected to enzyme assay, and isolate 10 exhibited the highest enzyme activity with a concentration of 43U/ml, followed by isolate 7 with 30.5U/ml of enzyme. The potential betalactamase-producing isolate 10 was selected for its application in the degradation of penicillin in poultry faecal waste. The faecal waste samples were collected from the antibiotic-contaminated area of a poultry farm. After the addition of separated crude enzyme (5ml of 100U), the faecal sample was incubated for 15 days under specific conditions. HPLC analysis revealed a significant degradation of penicillin in the test sample treated with the betalactamase enzyme, with a degradation percentage of 48.6%. The results of this study indicate that betalactamase-producing bacteria can effectively degrade penicillin in poultry faecal waste. This bioremediation approach presents a potential solution to reduce antibiotic pollution in the environment and mitigate the risk of antibiotic resistance. Further research and application of such enzymatic degradation methods could contribute to sustainable and eco-friendly waste management practices in the poultry industry
Impact of farmer producer organization on organic chilli production in Telangana, India
Input intensive modern agriculture is adversely affecting human health and environment. Farmers of Telangana state have taken up organic chilli production with the assistance of FPOs. Primary data was collected from 120 farmers comprising 60 members and 60 non-members of FPO from two districts of Telangana through semi-structured interviews. The study found that the shift to organic chilli cultivation led to decrease in input use by 9.06% and yield by 23.4%. However, the gross return from organic chilli farming was 13.85% higher over that realised by non-members due to the efforts of FPOs. DEA analysis revealed that a higher proportion of member farmers (48%) had technical efficiency of more than 60% as compared to non-members (18%). FPOs were instrumental in reduction of transaction cost and number of intermediaries leading to the realization of a higher proportion of producer’s share in consumer’s rupee (65%). Discriminant function analysis revealed that the FPO promoting institutions (44%), ease of doing business (16%) and infrastructure facilities like storage, irrigation, electricity and credit have high influence on performance of the states with respect to FPOs
Bioremediation of Hydrocarbon-Contaminated Environments: Harnessing the Potential of Biosurfactants – A review
Hydrocarbon contamination from industries like petrochemicals threatens the environment and public health. Benzene, toluene, xylene, and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in petroleum products are highly toxic. Conventional cleanup methods are costly and risk secondary pollution. This review highlights biosurfactants, microbially produced compounds that enhance hydrocarbon degradation by lowering surface tension and increasing bioavailability. Biosurfactants are biodegradable and eco-friendly, making them a sustainable alternative to synthetic surfactants. The review intends to cover the biosurfactant sources, types, mechanisms, and their applications in hydrocarbon-contaminated environments. Recent bioremediation advancements, including microbial-enhanced oil recovery, soil and water cleanup, and heavy metal removal, are discussed. Optimizing biosurfactant production is also explored, offering a green and effective solution to combat hydrocarbon contamination and promote environmental restoration
Effect of Selected Fruit Wastes on Hematological Parameters in DEN-Induced Hepatic Carcinoma in Rats
Fruits and processed food demand has greatly increased due to which a huge amount of fruit waste is generated. In this study, the effect of the ethanolic extract of waste material Punica granatum (pomegranate) peel and Vitis vinifera (grapes) seeds was evaluated on hematological parameters in Wistar rats with diethylnitrosamine (DEN) induced hepatocellular carcinoma. The treatments were divided into four groups: Group 1 was untreated while Groups 2-4 received 200 mg/kg body weight of DEN by single intraperitoneal administration. Groups 3 and 4 received DEN and co-treated with 400 mg/kg pomegranate peel extract and 400 mg/kg grape seed extract, respectively. There was a significant decrease in the body weight of animals in Group 2, while Group 3 and 4 animals were found to have a significant rise in body weight. The weight of the liver was significantly increased in the cancer-bearing group and its size was significantly reverted in the treated groups. The kidney and spleen showed a significant decrease in size of cancer-induced groups, and these organs significantly increased in treated groups. Hemoglobin, red blood cells (RBC), neutrophil, packed cell volume (PCV), Mean corpuscular volume (MCV) and mean corpuscular haemoglobin (MCH) were significantly reduced in Group 2 animals compared to Group 1. The levels of white blood cells (WBC) and erythrocyte sedimentation rate were increased significantly in Group 2 animals relating to Group 1. Both in Group 3 and 4 animals, these changes were reversed. Results reveal that selected fruit wastes alleviate vital hematological parameters in hepatocellular carcinoma-induced rats
Exploring the Antimicrobial Potential of Phyllanthus emblica L. (Amla) using Molecular Docking Studies against Shrimp Pathogens
Vibriosis is a major problem in shrimp farm. Farmers indiscriminately use hormones, antibiotics, disinfectants and other chemicals in fish feed and culture water to protect their crops. E. coli and Aeromonas sp were highly predominant isolates. Herbs act as agents in aquaculture to control or reduce pathogen infections. The results of phytochemicals screening of fruit extract of Phyllanthus emblica showed the presence of various phytchemicals. Phyllanthus emblica extract shows anti-bacterial properties against biofilm producing shrimp pathogens. Among the 10 bacterial genera, E. coli and P.aeruginosa were highly suppressed. The extracts exhibited the bacteria growth inhibitory activity in a dose-dependent manner. The compound sitosterol has potent antibiofilm activity was showed by molecular docking, which revealed a significant binding energy and interaction (-8.4 Kcal/mol) between it and key biofilm-forming protein. Diving analysis was done using the chemical compounds found in GCMS analysis
Rare occurrence of sunfish Mola mola (Linnaeus) from the coastal waters off Visakhapatnam (Bay of Bengal)
The occurrence of sunfish in any sea is a
rare event. It is so rare that even fishermen
engaged in fishing throughout their lives find
it totally strange when they come across one.
On 6 May, 1986, a local fisherman reported
to the Zoology Department of the Andhra
University that a very strange looking fish was
part of that day's catch
Strange hadron matter and SU(3) symmetry
We calculate saturation curves for strange hadron matter using recently
constructed baryon-baryon potentials which are constrained by SU(3) symmetry.
All possible interaction channels within the baryon octet (consisting of ,
, , and ) are considered. It is found that a small
fraction in nuclear matter slightly increases binding, but that
larger fractions () rapidly cause a decrease. Charge-neutral
systems, with equal densities for nucleons and cascades, are
only very weakly bound. The dependence of the binding energies on the
strangeness per baryon, , is predicted for various and
systems. The implications of our results in
relativistic heavy-ion collisions and the core of a dense star are discussed.
We also discuss the differences between our results and previous hadron matter
calculations.Comment: 14 pages RevTeX, 7 postscript figure
Vaccine Wastage Assessment After Introduction of Open Vial Policy in Surat Municipal Corporation Area of India
Background: As per the vaccine management policy of the Government of India all vaccine vials opened for an
immunization session were discarded at the end of that session, irrespective of the type of vaccine or the number of
doses remaining in the vial prior to 2013. Subsequently, open vial policy (OVP) was introduced in 2013 and should
reduce both vaccine wastage as well as governmental healthcare costs for immunization. This study evaluates the
vaccine wastage after introduction of the OVP and its comparison with the previous study of vaccine wastage
in Surat city before implementation of OVP. It needs to mention that the vaccine policy for this period under
comparison was uniform except for the OVP.
Methods: Information regarding vaccine doses consumed and children vaccinated during immunization sessions
of 24 urban health centers (UHCs) of Surat city were retrieved for the period of January 1st, 2014 to March 31st,
2014. The data were analyzed to estimate vaccine wastage rate (WR) and vaccine wastage factor (WF). In order to
assess the impact of OVP, vaccine WR of this study was compared with that of previous study conducted in Surat
city during January 1st, 2012 to March 31st, 2012.
Results: The vaccine WR for oral polio vaccine (OPV) has decreased from 25% to 13.62%, while the WRs for
DPT, hepatitis B virus (HBV) and the pentavalent vaccine combinedly have decreased from 17.94% to 8.05%.
Thus, by implementation of OVP, an estimated 747 727 doses of OPV and 343 725 doses of diphtheria, pertussis
and tetanus toxoid vaccine (DPT), HBV and the pentavalent vaccines combinedly have been saved in Surat city
of India in a year.
Conclusion: The implementation of the OVP in Surat city has led to a significant lowering in the vaccine wastage,
leading to savings due to lower vaccine requirement
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