IMPACT ASSESSMENT OF A MINE SUBSIDENCE ON NATIVE VEGETATION OF SOUTH EASTERN COALFIELDS, INDIA

This study aims to evaluate the effect of underground coal mining subsidence on the growth of native vegetation. For this study, an underground coal mine of South Eastern Coalfields Limited (SECL), India was selected. Changes in vegetation indices were analyzed using three remote sensing data of the previous five years. Three period’s Landsat 8 OLI resolution image data were used to calculate Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) of the years 2014, 2016 and 2018 in QGIS environment. The study showed that the local grassland and forest were affected by the mining exploitation and subsidence but those effects were not significant to have an adverse impact on the same. The short-term mining was having an impact on the vegetation growth but the effects gradually disappeared with the gradual stabilization of the subsided land and in absence of human interference, vegetation recovered well. In long-term, subsidence was not having a major impact on the vegetation growth. Thus, coal resources exploitation and subsidence of the said mine of SECL did not bring out an adverse impact on a wide range of forest and grassland ecosystems, and these ecosystems could carry the partial destruction and ultimately stabilized ecosystems by self-repair

Recent progress and perspectives of space electric propulsion systems based on smart nanomaterials

Miniaturized spacecraft built from advanced nanomaterials are poised for unmanned space exploration. In this review, the authors examine the integration of nanotechnology in electric propulsion systems and propose the concept of self-healing and adaptive thrusters

Japanese Encephalitis—A Pathological and Clinical Perspective

Japanese encephalitis (JE) is the leading form of viral encephalitis in Asia. It is caused by the JE virus (JEV), which belongs to the family Flaviviridae. JEV is endemic to many parts of Asia, where periodic outbreaks take hundreds of lives. Despite the catastrophes it causes, JE has remained a tropical disease uncommon in the West. With rapid globalization and climatic shift, JEV has started to emerge in areas where the threat was previously unknown. Scientific evidence predicts that JEV will soon become a global pathogen and cause of worldwide pandemics. Although some research documents JEV pathogenesis and drug discovery, worldwide awareness of the need for extensive research to deal with JE is still lacking. This review focuses on the exigency of developing a worldwide effort to acknowledge the prime importance of performing an extensive study of this thus far neglected tropical viral disease. This review also outlines the pathogenesis, the scientific efforts channeled into develop a therapy, and the outlook for a possible future breakthrough addressing this killer disease

Multi-species biofilm of Candida albicans and non-Candida albicans Candida species on acrylic substrate

OBJECTIVE: In polymicrobial biofilms bacteria extensively interact with Candida species, but the interaction among the different species of the Candida is yet to be completely evaluated. In the present study, the difference in biofilm formation ability of clinical isolates of four species of Candida in both single-species and multi-species combinations on the surface of dental acrylic resin strips was evaluated. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The species of Candida, isolated from multiple species oral candidiasis of the neutropenic patients, were used for the experiment. Organisms were cultured on Sabouraud dextrose broth with 8% glucose (SDB). Biofilm production on the acrylic resins strips was determined by crystal violet assay. Student's t-test and ANOVA were used to compare in vitro biofilm formation for the individual species of Candida and its different multi-species combinations. RESULTS: In the present study, differences between the mean values of the biofilm-forming ability of individual species (C. glabrata>C. krusei>C. tropicalis>C. albicans) and in its multi-species' combinations (the highest for C. albicans with C. glabrata and the lowest for all the four species combination) were reported. CONCLUSIONS: The findings of this study showed that biofilm-forming ability was found greater for non-Candida albicans Candida species (NCAC) than for C. albicans species with intra-species variation. Presence of C. albicans in multi-species biofilms increased, whereas; C. tropicalis decreased the biofilm production with all other NCAC species

Stability analysis of twin tunnels by finite element method

57-60<span style="font-size: 15.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:8.0pt;font-family:" times="" new="" roman","serif""="">The tunnels are generally made for mining, civil and other engineering works. The techniques to construct twin tunnels become a matter of great concern to rock designers, especially for the stability of the structure. The stability of tunnels depends upon a number of parameters. The present studies deal with the simulation of the twin tunnels in general and methods of their construction in particular, by analyzing the stability of twin tunnels based on finite element method. Three different types of techniques have been adopted for the construction of such tunnels, viz., (i) simultaneous excavation, (ii) <span style="font-size: 15.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:8.0pt;font-family:" times="" new="" roman","serif""="">alternate excavation, and (iii) simultaneous sequential excavation. The  reported studies show that the simultaneous sequential excavation method of construction of twin tunnels is more appropriate in comparison to the other two methods of construction. </span

Random discrete PWM method for DC-DC power converters

A random discrete pulse-width modulation (RDPWM) scheme is examined and compared with the randomised pulse-position modulation (RPPM) method for DC-DC power conversion. The RDPWM method has no switching harmonics while the RPPM method has significant switching harmonics. Power spectral characteristics of the two methods are presented and discussed.link_to_subscribed_fulltex

Outcome of management of distal radius fractures in postmenopausal women: experience from rural India

Background and Purpose: Distal radial fractures are common fractures of postmenopausal age group patients. They are often called fractures of osteoporosis. These fractures are considered to be one of the commonest minor injuries to cause major morbidity in the community. A lot of patient who need surgery, fail to afford offered treatment owing to their socioeconomic conditions. We tried to highlight that postmenopausal distal radius fractures attributed to osteoporosis, are not given much of consideration when lot of funds and researches are being diverted to osteoporosis and related diseases. Methods: 60 elderly female patients with distal radius fracture were studied for outcome. The primary outcome parameter was grip strength. Patients were followed for 6 months for subjective and objective clinical assessment. Patients were also assessed for their socioeconomic status. Clinical outcome were correlated with socioeconomic status. Results: At 6 months post treatment, grip strength was measured 85% of the uninjured side in the operative group and 56% in the conservatively treated group. 42.85% of patients in whom surgery was indicated refused the surgery because of financial constraints. Conclusion: Patients who had opted for operative intervention did better. Financial constraint was the common reason for not opting for surgical treatment by patients in whom surgery was indicated.Keywords: Distal Radius Fracture, Postmenopausal, Osteoporosis, Socioeconomic Conditio

Effect of rectangularity on compressive strength of coal pillar

145-146<span style="font-size:11.0pt;line-height:115%; font-family:" calibri","sans-serif";mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-fareast-font-family:="" "times="" new="" roman";mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast;mso-hansi-theme-font:="" minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:"times="" roman";mso-ansi-language:en-us;="" mso-fareast-language:en-us;mso-bidi-language:ar-sa"="">Compressive strength of coal pillar is dependent on various factors like environment, shape and size. This paper deals with the effect of rectangularity on the compressive strength of coal pillars. Tests of rectangular coal specimens have been done in the laboratory under controlled loading conditions. The volume and height of the coal specimens have been kept constant and rectangularity has been varied. It has been found that the strength of coal specimens decreases with increasing rectangularity. A relationship has been established to find the strength of rectangular coal pillars.</span