Potential of Archimedes Screw Turbine in Rural India Electrification: a Review

With the growing population of India, the demand for energy consumption is increasing. For the overall development of a region, especially remote areas, electricity is of prime importance. Production of electricity in large scale can further lead to various effects like environmental pollution, climate change and it is also costly. Thus the need for a socio-economic energy conversion to electricity is of prime importance for a sustainable development. India has a huge potential in the Hydro to generate 2,50,000 MW. An Archimedes Screw Turbine that was earlier used as a pump can give a very good solution in harnessing water potential. It rotates as water flows through it, rotating the generator\u27s prime mover connected to it. Archimedes Screw turbines operate at a low head of 0.8m to 10 m and relatively lower flow rate than the other turbines and more cost effective and are highly efficient. The AST is quite a new form of electricity generation practice which has been implemented in different countries along with India. Thus the electrification scenario in rural areas can be improved specially where there is a continuous flow of a river or canal by the installation of the low-cost socio-economic AST

Greener Method to Obtain a Key Intermediate of Vitamin E over Cu-ZSM-5

The catalytic oxidation of 2,3,5-trimethylphenol was performed over transition metals modified ZSM-5 zeolites employing hydrogen peroxide as oxidant under mild reaction conditions. Catalysts samples were characterized by several techniques (XRD, FTIR, BET, AA) and cristallinity and orthorhombic symmetry were confirmed for all of them. Best catalytic results were obtained for Cu-ZSM-5 sample, so further activity studies were done over this material. 2,3,5-trimethyl-1,4-benzoquinone was obtained as the main product of the selective oxidation. Reaction parameters (nature of the solvent, hydrogen peroxide concentration, reaction time, catalyst mass, substrate initial concentration and reaction temperature) were evaluated to reach the optimum reaction conditions. According to the obtained results, an apparent activation energy of 52.33 kJ/mol was calculated.Fil: Saux, Clara. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Cientificas y Tecnicas. Centro Cientifico Tecnologico Cordoba. Centro de Investigacion y Tecnologia Quimica; Argentina. Universidad Tecnologica Nacional. Facultad Regional Cordoba; ArgentinaFil: Renzini, Maria Soledad. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Cientificas y Tecnicas. Centro Cientifico Tecnologico Cordoba. Centro de Investigacion y Tecnologia Quimica; Argentina. Universidad Tecnologica Nacional. Facultad Regional Cordoba; ArgentinaFil: Gómez, Silvina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Cientificas y Tecnicas. Centro Cientifico Tecnologico Cordoba. Centro de Investigacion y Tecnologia Quimica; Argentina. Universidad Tecnologica Nacional. Facultad Regional Cordoba; ArgentinaFil: Pierella, Liliana Beatriz. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Cientificas y Tecnicas. Centro Cientifico Tecnologico Cordoba. Centro de Investigacion y Tecnologia Quimica; Argentina. Universidad Tecnologica Nacional. Facultad Regional Cordoba; Argentin

Effect of vitrification techniques on post-thaw survivability and in vitro maturation of immature bovine oocytes

The present study was conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of single-step and two-step vitrification techniques on post-thaw survivability and subsequent in vitro maturation of immature bovine oocytes. In two-step vitrification method, oocytes were first equilibrated in vitrification solution-I and then vitrification solution–II of 3.5M or 4.0M and 7.0M or 8.0M glycerol + ethylene glycol (GLY+EG) cryoprotectant respectively. In single-step vitrification technique oocytes were directly exposed to final vitrification solution (7 M or 8 M of GLY+EG) for 45, 60 and 75 sec to find out the suitable exposure time based on post-thaw survivability and subsequent development in vitro. In single step vitrification the per cent morphologically normal oocyte, cumulus cells expansion and polar body formation was found to be significantly highest in oocytes of least exposure (45 seconds) period for 8M of GLY+EG. The per cent recovery of morphologically normal oocytes was found to be higher in two steps (91.81±1.42 and 91.18±1.17) than single step vitrification technique (87.94±3.49 and 85.72±2.24 of 45 sec exposure time) for both 7M and 8M of GLY+EG. The rate of cumulus cells expansion and polar body formation was significantly higher in two-steps (81.34±2.65% and 76.54±3.60% and 56.93±1.52% and 51.76±2.87%) than single step vitrification technique (57.33±3.90% and 56.91±4.66% and 33.17±5.34% and 32.70±2.91%). From the study it was concluded that two-step vitrification technique was more effective on post-thaw survivability and subsequent in vitro maturation of immature bovine oocytes

NEW INITIATIVE OF UNMANNED AERIAL VEHICLE (UAV) EMERGING TECHNOLOGY APPLICATIONS IN NORTH EAST FOR CAPACITY BUILDING AND OUTREACH ACTIVITIES OF NORTH EASTERN SPACE APPLICATIONS CENTRE

Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) technology is revolutionizing and acting as an alternative for many of remote sensing applications, particularly for very high resolution satellite requirements, considering easy of flying in the areas of persistent cloud cover like North East. According to top market reports, UAV business is growing at very fast rate. It is valued at USD 18.14 Billion in 2017 and is projected to reach USD 52.30 Billion by 2025, at a CAGR of 14.15% from 2018 to 2025.North Eastern Space Applications Centre, Umiam, Shillong, Meghalaya, which is responsible for promoting space technology tools for governance and development activities; has taken up a lead role in initiating use of Unmanned Aerial Vehicle for large number of applications such as natural resources management, infrastructure development, disaster response and rescue, project monitoring, research and development etc. Capacity building, training and outreach are important activities taken up by NESAC for promoting use of UAV remote sensing at central/state/academic/research institutions and individual level. As part of capacity building, NESAC has successfully organized two 2 weeks training program for UAV Remote sensing & Applications for the participants all over the country. NESAC has also organised 1 week training programs for officials from State Remote Sensing Centres of North Eastern Region and North Eastern Council. More than 100 participants have been trained from different part of the country. The focus of the training was to include all aspects of UAV Remote Sensing applications. The details of course curriculum are: basic concepts of UAV, building of UAVs, UAV flight simulation, flight planning, UAV data processing, generation of DSM/DTM/Orthomosaic, use of UAV data for different applications in the field of Agriculture, Disaster management, Forestry, Infrastructure planning, construction monitoring etc. Pilot project is also incorporated as part of the training. Apart from training programs at NESAC, large numbers of application projects (&gt;&thinsp;60&thinsp;nos.) have been successfully completed. Outreach activities are also carried out which includes exhibiting UAVs at seminars, demonstration to large no. of students, showcasing UAV capabilities at disaster drills carried out by State Disaster Management Authority (SDMA) etc. The new initiatives of UAV convinced all concerned at taking up UAV RS applications for governance and developmental activities. The full paper will discuss all the aspects of UAV technology and applications.</p

Bio-Geo-Graphy: Landscape, Dwelling, and the Political Ecology of Human-Elephant Relations

The relation between the bio and the geo has been amongst geography's most enduring concerns. This paper contributes to ongoing attempts in human geography to politicise the dynamics and distribution of life. Drawing upon postcolonial environmental history, animal ecology, and more-than-human geography, the paper examines how humans and elephants cohabit with and against the grain of cartographic design. Through fieldwork in northeast India, it develops a ‘dwelt political ecology’ that reanimates landscape as a dwelt achievement whilst remaining sensitive to postcolonial histories and subaltern concerns. The paper conceptualises and deploys a methodology of ‘tracking’ through which archival material, elephant ecology, and voices of the marginalised can be integrated and mapped. It concludes by discussing the implications of this work for fostering new conversations between more-than-human geography and subaltern political ecology

Molybdenum (Mo) increases endogenous phenolics, proline and photosynthetic pigments and the phytoremediation potential of the industrially important plant Ricinus communis L. for removal of cadmium from contaminated soil.

Cadmium (Cd) in agricultural soil negatively affects crops yield and compromises food safety. Remediation of polluted soil is necessary for the re-establishment of sustainable agriculture and to prevent hazards to human health and environmental pollution. Phytoremediation is a promising technology for decontamination of polluted soil. The present study investigated the effect of molybdenum (Mo) (0.5, 1.0 and 2.0 ppm) on endogenous production of total phenolics and free proline, plant biomass and photosynthetic pigments in Ricinus communis plants grown in Cd (25, 50 and 100 ppm) contaminated soils and the potential for Cd phytoextraction. Mo was applied via seed soaking, soil addition and foliar spray. Foliar sprays significantly increased plant biomass, Cd accumulation and bioconcentration. Phenolic concentrations showed significantly positive correlations with Cd accumulation in roots (R 2 = 0.793, 0.807 and 0.739) and leaves (R 2 = 0.707, 721 and 0.866). Similarly, proline was significantly positively correlated with Cd accumulation in roots (R 2 = 0.668, 0.694 and 0.673) and leaves (R 2 = 0.831, 0.964 and 0.930). Foliar application was found to be the most effective way to deliver Mo in terms of increase in plant growth, Cd accumulation and production of phenolics and proline

OPERATIONAL REMOTE SENSING SERVICES IN NORTH EASTERN REGION OF INDIA FOR NATURAL RESOURCES MANAGEMENT, EARLY WARNING FOR DISASTER RISK REDUCTION AND DISSEMINATION OF INFORMATION AND SERVICES

Abstract. North Eastern Region (NER) of India comprising of eight states considered to be most unique and one of the most challenging regions to govern due to its unique physiographic condition, rich biodiversity, disaster prone and diverse socio-economic characteristics. Operational Remote Sensing services increased manifolds in the region with the establishment of North Eastern Space Applications Centre (NESAC) in the year 2000. Since inception, NESAC has been providing remote sensing services in generating inventory, planning and developmental activities, and management of natural resources, disasters and dissemination of information and services through geo-web services for NER. The operational remote sensing services provided by NESAC can be broadly divided into three categories viz. natural resource planning and developmental services, disaster risk reduction and early warning services and information dissemination through geo-portal services. As a apart of natural resources planning and developmental services NESAC supports the state forest departments in preparing the forest working plans by providing geospatial inputs covering entire NER, identifying the suitable culturable wastelands for cultivation of silkworm food plants, mapping of natural resources such as land use/land cover, wastelands, land degradation etc. on temporal basis. In the area of disaster risk reduction, NESAC has initiated operational services for early warning and post disaster assessment inputs for flood early warning system (FLEWS) using satellite remote sensing, numerical weather prediction, hydrological modeling etc.; forest fire alert system with actionable attribute information; Japanese Encephalitis Early Warning System (JEWS) based on mosquito vector abundance, pig population and historical disease intensity and agriculture drought monitoring for the region. The large volumes of geo-spatial databases generated as part of operational services are made available to the administrators and local government bodies for better management, preparing prospective planning, and sustainable use of available resources. The knowledge dissemination is being done through online web portals wherever the internet access is available and as well as offline space based information kiosks, where the internet access is not available or having limited bandwidth availability. This paper presents a systematic and comprehensive study on the remote sensing services operational in NER of India for natural resources management, disaster risk reduction and dissemination of information and services, in addition to outlining future areas and direction of space applications for the region. </jats:p

Clinical Manifestations Associated with Neurocysticercosis: A Systematic Review

Neurocysticercosis is an infection of the brain with the flatworm Taenia solium which is normally transmitted between humans and pigs. Sometimes, humans can infect other humans and the larva of the parasite can go the brain, causing the disease neurocysticercosis. There has never been a systematic review of what clinical signs are found among people with neurocysticercosis. We conducted a thorough review of the literature to answer this question. We reviewed 1569 and 21 were of a sufficient quality to be included in the final analysis. Among neurocysticercosis patients who are seeking care in neurology clinics, about 79% have seizures/epilepsy, 38% severe headaches, 16% focal deficits and 12% signs of increased intracranial pressure. Several other symptoms were also reported in less than 10% of patients. People with neurocysticercosis who seek care in neurology clinics show a whole range of manifestations. Clinicians should be encouraged to consider neurocysticercosis in their differential diagnosis when a patient presented with one of the symptoms described in this review. This would ultimately improve the estimates of the frequency of symptoms associated with neurocysticercosis

A Systematic Review of the Frequency of Neurocyticercosis with a Focus on People with Epilepsy

Neurocysticercosis (NCC) is a parasitic infection of the brain caused by the tapeworm Taenia solium, which infects humans and pigs. There have been increasing case reports and epidemiological studies on this disease, but its global frequency has never been determined, partly due to the fact that blood tests are not very good for the diagnosis of NCC. We present here a systematic review of the literature on the frequency of NCC diagnosed with neuroimaging worldwide. Overall, 565 articles were retrieved and 290 (51%) selected for further review. Of those, only 26 had information valid enough to estimate the frequency of NCC in various populations. Only one study estimated the prevalence of NCC in the general population. The most striking finding was that the proportion of NCC among persons with epilepsy was very consistent and estimated at 29.6% (95%CI: 23.5%–36.1%) from 12 studies conducted in Latin America, Sub-Saharan Africa and Southeast Asia. A reinforcement of the suggested universal guidelines for the diagnostic process, declaring NCC an international reportable disease and standardizing procedures for data collection could improve our understanding of the frequency of NCC worldwide and hence its global burden