Impact of Flood on Prayag Chikhali Village of Karveer Tehsil in Maharashtra (India): A Comparative Analysis (2005-2006)

During  the  last  two years (2005-2006) floods  caused  by  heavy  monsoon  rains  have  swamped  large  parts  of  western  and  central  India ,  including  the  states  of  Andhra  Pradesh,  Gujarat,  Maharashtra,  Chhatisgarh and  Orissa,  of  these  first  three  have  been  the  worst   affected . As many as 31 districts  in  Maharashtra  were  affected  by  flood ,  which  included  7, 375  villages  and  nearly  one  lakh  families. Besides that 468 people were died. The districts viz; Sangli, Kolhapur, Satara, Pune and Nashik in the western part of Maharashtra have been severely affected by flood due to the heavy rainfall during the monsoon. In Kolhapur, particularly Karveer, Shiroal and Hathkangale tehsils were severely affected by flood that included 711 villages. The focus of present study is to look into the severely affected village Prayag Chikhali and to compare the severity of floods occurred in the consecutive years of 2005 and 2006. The present study also intends to plan for controlling the floods and to minimize the flood affect in the area under study. Key words: Heavy rainfall, river flood, magnitude, frequency, flood impac

Optical Waveguide for Measurement Application

The chapter provides the analysis of the behaviour of Mach Zehnder interferometer waveguide (MZIW) sensing structure and establishes the general design principles. Photonics interferometers have been widely used because of their highly sensitive detection technique. The present study is based on the MZIW structure for sensing application and deals with interferometer single-mode transmission. Theoretically, short wavelength and high difference in index (Δη) results in the low depth of the evanescence wave and increase in sensitivity. MZIW under consideration is very small in size hence it is very difficult to guide the light into waveguide. The output monitor detection sensitivity of the entire MZI structure depends on light-guiding efficiency. To maintain minimum losses at various micro-branches of the entire MZIW structure, effective light propagation is important and it is a critical parameter of the entire interferometer. Various tests have been carried out to study the effects of the Y branch angle variation on light guiding into the MZIW structure especially in measurement application

Semiclassical ordering in the large-N pyrochlore antiferromagnet

We study the semiclassical limit of the $Sp(N)$ generalization of the pyrochlore lattice Heisenberg antiferromagnet by expanding about the $N \to \infty$ saddlepoint in powers of a generalized inverse spin. To leading order, we write down an effective Hamiltonian as a series in loops on the lattice. Using this as a formula for calculating the energy of any classical ground state, we perform Monte-Carlo simulations and find a unique collinear ground state. This state is not a ground state of linear spin-wave theory, and can therefore not be a physical (N=1) semiclassical ground state.Comment: 4 pages, 4 eps figures; published versio

Spa47 is an oligomerization-activated type three secretion system (T3SS) ATPase from \u3cem\u3eShigella flexneri\u3c/em\u3e

Gram-negative pathogens often use conserved type three secretion systems (T3SS) for virulence. The Shigella type three secretion apparatus (T3SA) penetrates the host cell membrane and provides a unidirectional conduit for injection of effectors into host cells. The protein Spa47 localizes to the base of the apparatus and is speculated to be an ATPase that provides the energy for T3SA formation and secretion. Here, we developed an expression and purification protocol, producing active Spa47 and providing the first direct evidence that Spa47 is a bona fide ATPase. Additionally, size exclusion chromatography and analytical ultracentrifugation identified multiple oligomeric species of Spa47 with the largest greater than 8 fold more active for ATP hydrolysis than the monomer. An ATPase inactive Spa47 point mutant was then engineered by targeting a conserved Lysine within the predicted Walker A motif of Spa47. Interestingly, the mutant maintained a similar oligomerization pattern as active Spa47, but was unable to restore invasion phenotype when used to complement a spa47 null S. flexneri strain. Together, these results identify Spa47 as a Shigella T3SS ATPase and suggest that its activity is linked to oligomerization, perhaps as a regulatory mechanism as seen in some related pathogens. Additionally, Spa47 catalyzed ATP hydrolysis appears to be essential for host cell invasion, providing a strong platform for additional studies dissecting its role in virulence and providing an attractive target for anti-infective agents

Environmental pharmacology: an emerging science

With continuous rapid expansion of the human population there is escalating demand for resources, including human and veterinary pharmaceuticals. This has lead to rapid development of global pharmaceutical industry and with that increase in issues caused by pharmaceutical products. In recent years a great concern has been expressed over the occurrence and persistence of pharmaceutical products in the environment and their potential impact on environment. Owing to this the new branch of science called environmental pharmacology has sprouted. Environmental pharmacology deals with dispersion and impact of pharmaceutical products on environment. Solutions need to be suggested to save this only liveable planet from ill effects of these pharmaceutical products. This has given birth to the science of Ecopharmacovigilance (EPV)