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Noise pollution is the most serious man-made disaster as a result of urbanisation and industrialization. Jamshedpur Urban Agglomeration is the 36th largest urban agglomeration according to Census of India. The field base noise data have been recorded at different times which shows that day and night time noise levels in some parts of the studied area were greater than threshold limit (75 dB(A) and 65 dB(A), respectively, at industrial area) set by India's Central Pollution Control Board. The maximum sound exposure level during peak hours in working day measured by Sound Level Meter was 107 dB(A). Considering this level of sound exposures can induce hearing impairment based on its extent, duration as well as frequency as per the objective of maintaining the ambient air quality standards in respect to noise by the CPCB and WHO. The goal of the current study is to identify the Jamshedpur Urban Agglomeration's Noise Vulnerability Zone through the integration of field-based noise data from Sound Level Meters, Remote Sensing, Geographic Information Systems, and Multi-Criteria Decision-Making Analysis through Analytical Hierarchical Process model in a geospatial environment. In this case, the Consistency Ratio value (0.09) indicates that the derived weights are accepted. The outcome of the research found that the moderate and high vulnerable zones are spreading near about one-third of the urban unit. The use of decision-making model-based approach is helpful in identifying and predicting vulnerable zones associated with noise pollution and it allows policymakers to better understand the problem and formulate more prudent pollution-mitigating decisions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The ground-state electronic properties of CeOs4As12 have been investigated within the framework of full-potential linearized augmented plane wave method. The effect of exchange correlation functional treated with GGA depicts a zero band gap semiconducting behavior, which turns to open an energy gap of 0.04 eV with inclusion of mBJ potential in the calculation. The presence of strong hybridization of Ce-f electronic states with conduction electrons predominates overall electronic profile, where the effects of spin polarization and localized electrons are also dominated. The brittle nature with the presence of ionic type of interatomic bonding has been observed for this material, whose hardness is also comparable to analogous Ce-filled skutterudites. The sample alloy possesses high reflectivity as evident from optical response, and the absorption coefficient increases dramatically beyond the visible spectral range that determines its optoelectronic applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This work presents an experimental investigation on the rheology of A356 alloy in semisolid state using a high temperature Couette type viscometer. The molten liquid, resides in the annular space between the cylinders, is stirred and cooled continuously during experiments. The stirring results in fragmentation of dendrites which are transported into bulk liquid and form a semisolid slurry. The viscosity of the slurry is distinct in nature, which depends on microstructure of the suspended dendrites after coarsening. Hence, in the work, the variation of viscosity and microstructure is captured during cooling under different process parameters such as shear rate and cooling rate. Angular velocity of the inner cylinder and torque applied to stir the slurry are recorded to determine the apparent viscosity of the slurry. Temperature of the slurry is recorded to calculate the fraction of solids present in the slurry. For micrograph analysis, a vacuum quartz tube is used to remove the slurry-samples during experiments and they are quenched them in water. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the present work, a numerical study is performed to predict the transport phenomena during continuous casting of an aluminum alloy (A356) in presence of weak stirring. A set of volume averaged single phase conservation equations (mass, momentum, energy and species) is used to represent the casting process. The electromagnetic forces are incorporated in the momentum equations. The governing equations are solved based on the pressure-based finite volume method according to the SIMPLER algorithm using TDMA solver along with an enthalpy update scheme. The simulation predicts the temperature, solid fraction and species in the computational domain. A parametric study is also performed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the present work, a study on the double diffusive convection and the macro-segregation during solidification of an Al-alloy (A356) is considered based on the macro-micro model. The model considers a volume average single-domain approach to represent all the variables and properties as continuum in the entire domain where the transport phenomena during solidification are represented by mass, momentum, energy and species conservation equations. The evolution of solid during solidification, in the model, is predicted based on the microscopic phenomena, i.e. considering the nucleation and the growth of the nuclei. A semi-implicit finite volume method is adopted to discretize the governing equations and the discretized linear simultaneous equations are solved based on the SIMPLER and the TDMA algorithms. The simulation involves prediction of temperature, velocity and species in the computation domain during solidification of the alloy. A parametric study is also considered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the present work, a numerical study is considered to predict the transport phenomena during solidification of a transparent binary solution (NHCl + HO) on an inclined cooling plate. During solidification, a shear layer is developed near the mush. The present work involves the prediction of the transport phenomena during solidification of the binary solution under this shear flow. In the mathematical model of this solidification process, the free surface of the solution is traced by the volume-of-fluid method and the solidification phenomenon is represented by a set of volume averaged single phase mass, momentum, energy and species conservation equations. The governing equations are solved based on the pressure-based finite volume method according to the SIMPLER algorithm using TDMA solver along with the enthalpy update scheme. Finally, the simulation predicts the temperature, velocity, solid fraction and the species distributions in the computational domain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the present work, the evolution of microstructure during solidification of A356 alloy under stirring is performed experimentally in a high temperature concentric viscometer. The stirring during solidification results a semisolid slurry in the annular space between the cylinders. This slurry is removed periodically during processing using a vacuum removal quartz tube and quenched in water for micrograph analysis. From the micrograph analysis, the shape, stacking arrangement and corresponding microstructural evolution of the suspended primary particles in the slurry are studied. The work also predicts the fraction of solid present in the extracted slurry. Finally, the effect of microstructure and the solid-fraction on the slurry viscosity is presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the present work, a model is developed to predict the rheological behavior of an Al-alloy (A356) in semisolid state where the alloy is sheared between two parallel plates during continuous cooling. The flow field is represented by the momentum conservation equation where the non-Newtonian behavior of the semisolid alloy is incorporated considering the Herschel-Bulkley model. In the slurry, the agglomeration and de-agglomeration phenomena of the suspended particles under shear are represented using a time dependent structural parameter. The temperature field during cooling is predicted considering the transient energy conservation equation, and hence the fraction of solid and the yield stress of the semisolid alloy are continuously updated. Considering an apparent viscosity of the semisolid alloy as a function of structural parameter, shear stress and shear rate, the governing equations are solved analytically. Finally, the work predicts the variation of the apparent viscosity of the semisolid A356 alloy with fraction of solid. At first, the present prediction is validated against an available experimental data and, thereafter, the work predicts the effect of process parameters such as shear rate and cooling rate on the apparent viscosity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Classical swine fever is the most insidious and devastating disease of pigs and wild boars. The virus is closely related to the other members of the genus Pestivirus. The outbreak recorded in Mizoram, India was strategically important as the state shares porous international boundary with East Asian countries. Both immunodiagnostic and molecular techniques were used to confirm the involvement of Classical swine fever virus (CSFV) in this outbreak. Sandwich ELISA and direct FAT could detect CSFV in the tissue samples. RT-nPCR specifically amplified E2 and 5'NTR product of 271 bp. Phylogenetic analysis showed, that the Mizoram isolate (MZ4/69) was very close to the Chinese strain Shimen-HVRI (93.0%) rather than other Indian isolate (CSF-30-03). Present study provides a valuable sequence based molecular data on Indian isolate of CSFV and will be useful in investigation on transmission of such disease from neighbour countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Classical swine fever (CSF) is an economically important Office International des Epizooties (OIE) list A disease of swine characterized by high fever and multiple haemmorhages. The E2 glycoprotein of CSFV is immunogenic and induces neutralizing antibodies against CSFV. In the present study, complete coding region of the E2 gene from Indian virulent field isolate (Mathura) was amplified by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and subsequently cloned into a mammalian expression vector; pcDNA3.1(+) at BamHI and XbaI site. The recombinant plasmid; pcDNA.E2.CSFV. was confirmed by restriction enzyme digestion. The pcDNA.E2.CSFV. transfected Vero cell expressed E2 protein which was confirmed by western blotting, immunoperoxidase and indirect immunofluorescent tests. Additionally, flow cytometry analysis also confirmed that 15% of transfected Vero cells expressed the E2 glycoprotein compared to mock or vector alone transfected cells. Further study is under way to evaluate recombinant pcDNA.E2.CSFV. Mathura clone as DNA vaccine against CSFV. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the present work, a numerical study is performed to predict the effect of process parameters on transport phenomena during solidification of aluminium alloy A356 in the presence of electromagnetic stirring. A set of single-phase governing equations of mass, momentum, energy and species conservation is used to represent the solidification process and the associated fluid flow, heat and mass transfer. In the model, the electromagnetic forces are incorporated using an analytical solution of Maxwell equation in the momentum conservation equations and the slurry rheology during solidification is represented using an experimentally determined variable viscosity function. Finally, the set of governing equations is solved for various process conditions using a pressure based finite volume technique, along with an enthalpy based phase change algorithm. In present work, the effect of stirring intensity and cooling rate are considered. It is found that increasing stirring intensity results in increase of slurry velocity and corresponding increase in the fraction of solid in the slurry. In addition, the increasing stirring intensity results uniform distribution of species and fraction of solid in the slurry. It is also found from the simulation that the distribution of solid fraction and species is dependent on cooling rate conditions. At low cooling rate, the fragmentation of dendrites from the solid/liquid interface is more. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A nonorthogonal tight-binding model has been developed for the system containing Si and H, where the energy functional included the contributions of both electronic and pairwise interaction between the atoms. In order to calculate the ground state structures of various clusters, energy minimization was carried out using Differential Evolution: a very recently developed biologically inspired computing technique, belonging, in general, to the family of Genetic Algorithms (GAs), but having a number of advantages over its conventional forms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The postnatal development of the jejunal and ileal Peyer's patches was studied before and after weaning in 1-, 1.5- and 2-month-old pigs. The follicles of the jejunal Peyer's patches grew with age and were two times longer and wider in specified pathogen-free and conventional pigs than in germ-free animals, thus indicating an influence of the living microbial antigens from the gut lumen. In germ-free pigs the size of the ileal Peyer's patch follicles increased between the 1st and 2nd month, whereas in the specified pathogen-free and conventional animals these follicles were comparable in size in all three age groups. In 1- to 1.5-month-old pigs the interfollicular area of jejunal Peyer's patches was wider (0.1 ± 0.04 mm) than that of the ileal Peyer's patch (0.04 ± 0.03 mm). Immunohistological studies showed that in germ-free pigs preferentially surface IgMbut few IgAB cells were present in the follicles, domes and dome epithelia. In specified pathogen-free and conventional pigs the B cells expressed different levels of surface or cytoplasmic IgM or IgA. In all groups studied, more T cells were observed in the jejunal than in the ileal Peyer's patch. Here, few T lymphocytes were found because of the small interfollicular areas. Small numbers of Null cells were distributed in the interfollicular regions of all animals. The results show that living microbial antigens have a major influence on the jejunal and ileal Peyer's patches in pigs. The morphological differences between the two types of Peyer's patches are an indication that they develop differently during postnatal life. So far it remains unclear whether these morphological differences reflect a specific function of the pig's ileal Peyer's patch, such as the expansion of the genetically determined B cell repertoire as has been reported for sheep. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Development of bronchus-associated lymphoid tissue (BALT) was studied in clinically healthy and diseased Assam local goats. Animals were sacrificed before term as well as at different postnatal periods to screen lung sections for the presence of BALT. In a retrospective study sections prepared from pneumonic lungs were examined for any alteration of BALT. No BALT-like structure was found in neonatal goats. Bronchial lymphoid structures appeared in half of the animals from 1 month of age onward. The frequency of the BALT/4.5 cm of lung section ranged from one to two in 1-month-old and three to six in 1-year-old goats. In pneumonic lungs BALT became hyperplastic, and the size was also increased. The incidence of BALT was increased in lungs with fibrotic pneumonia. The number of BALT/section was high (five to eight/4.5-cm area) in mesenchymal cell proliferation. The present study shows that BALT did not develop in prenatal periods. But in the presence of potent antigens lymphoid aggregates appeared in the bronchial lamina propria of normal and diseased lungs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]